Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers will not patrol polling locations on Election Day, an ICE spokeswoman said in response to social media rumors of potential voter intimidation from the federal law enforcement agency.
False claims that ICE is interfering at polling locations have cropped up intermittently over the past two years. In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, for example, an image spread on Twitter appearing to show an immigration officer arresting someone in line to vote. The image was a hoax.
Concerns re-emerged last week after a wallet-sized flyer bearing the Department of Homeland Security seal, found on a sidewalk in Milwaukee, claimed that ICE officials would patrol polling stations on Election Day. Nicole Alberico, a spokeswoman for ICE, described the flyers as fake.
“Rumors that ICE plans to engage in patrols or enforcement operations at polling locations are false,” Alberico wrote in a statement. “Any flyers or advertisements claiming otherwise are incorrect and not sanctioned by ICE.”
The flyer included a phone number “to report illegal aliens” that redirected to the DHS’ investigations tip line. It also included threatening language, claiming that if voters did not have proper documentation they might “risk immediate detainment.”
Mary Oglesby posted on Facebook about finding the flyer during a visit to Milwaukee. She immediately became suspicious of the handout and contacted the Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office. “You could tell it wasn’t real because the graphics were really bad,” Oglesby said in an interview with ProPublica.
The Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office notified local law enforcement and DHS after receiving the tip, according to a Joshua Mathy, a spokesperson for the office. He added that no other flyers have been reported.
Milwaukee’s election director, Neil Albrecht, said that he was aware of the flyer and that none of his poll workers had reported seeing anything similar at their polling locations.
This article first appeared on ProPublica.com as part of Electionland, a collaborative journalism project that monitors voting problems across the country. If you have trouble voting, or if you see something you want to tell us about, let us know:
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—Additional reporting by Stefanie Le, IDWire
The best of the best high school football highlights for Sunday Nov. 4, 2018.
California voters will cast ballots for statewide offices, including the race for governor, and other contests Tuesday in the midterm elections.
Below, you'll find election day resources, including links to county elections offices and helpful tools to find your polling place.
Polls will be open Tuesday Nov. 6 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Register to Vote
The voter registration deadline in California is 15 days before Election Day, so registration for the November election needed to be postmarked or submitted electronically no later than Oct. 22. You can still register for the next election or "conditionally" register at a county elections office or vote center. The ballots will be processed once the county elections office completes voter verification.
What If I Just Moved?
If you already updated your address with the Department of Motor Vehicles or US Postal Service, your registration will automatically update. If not, click here to register.
Umm, I'm Not Even Sure I'm Registered
It's ok, the California Secretary of State has you covered. Just click here to check on your voter status.
Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail Ballot Drop-0ff Locations
Why wait until Nov. 6 for some civic engagement? As of July, more than 2.2 million of Los Angeles County's 5.1 million registered voters were permanent vote-by-mail voters.
All registered California voters need to do is visit a county elections office to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Yes, they come in the mail with an "I Voted" sticker. Click here to find early voting locations.
Find Your Polling Place
Click on the link to your county elections office below to find your polling place.
What If My Name Isn't on the Official Polling Place List?
Voters who believe they've registered, but arrive at a polling place only to find they're not on the official voter registration list can cast a provisional ballot. The same is true for vote-by-mail voters who did not receive a ballot or forgot to bring it to the polling place. Provisional ballots go into a special envelope, and they're counted after it's confirmed that you're registered to vote.
Find out how to check your provisional vote's status here.
What If I Changed My Name?
You'll need to re-register. Ideally, you'd first update your California driver's license or ID with the DMV.
Ballot 101: What is California's November Election All About?
California had an Open Primary in June, which means candidates for an office from all parties, plus "No Party Preference" candidates, ran against one another in one race. Now, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, square off in the General Election in November. The ballot will include state offices, Congressional contests, local and statewide measures and other races.
Statewide Ballot Propositions
Voters will decide on 11 statewide ballot propositions. Click here for details on each issue.
Something Didn't Seem Right at the Polling Place
Do you know about California's Voter Bill of Rights? If you feel like your right to vote was violated or any of those conditions were not met, you can contact the Secretary of State.
This series examines several battleground races in the fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections.
Carried by grassroots momentum, Democrats must take 23 seats from Republicans to win the balance of power. They are contending with Republicans' experience and organization, and an outspoken but polarizing president.
NBC Owned Television Stations is taking a look at some of the most closely fought races across the country to see what issues matter most to voters and how the national headwinds are affecting the candidates. Those district profiles can be found below, with more coming as Election Day nears.
We also asked viewers why they are or aren’t inspired to vote in the midterms and compiled hundreds of replies for an interactive display.
NBC pulled an immigration ad from President Donald Trump widely derided as racist after it aired on the network's NFL coverage on Sunday night.
A spokesperson for NBC's advertising sales department told NBC News that, "After further review, we recognize the insensitive nature of the ad and have decided to cease airing it across our properties as soon as possible."
CNN had declined to air the ad, citing its editorial coverage in calling it racist. Following NBC's announcement, Fox News said it had decided on Sunday to stop showing the ad. Facebook said it stopped the ad from receiving paid promotion because the video contains "sensational content," violating company advertising policy.
NBC's decision to run the ad, which linked an undocumented immigrant convicted of murdering two California law enforcement officials to migrants traveling toward the United States to seek asylum, drew flak on social media. "Will and Grace" star Debra Messing said she was "ashamed that my network aired this disgusting racist ad."
One person died and two others were transported to the hospital following a shooting at a detox center in San Rafael early Monday, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office.
The suspected shooter fled from the scene and remains at large, but the immediate area surrounding the Helen Vine Detox Center located at 301 Smith Ranch Rd. is secure, according to Sgt. Michael Brovelli.
The sheriff's office received a call at 1:33 a.m. from the detox center, according to the sheriff's office. The caller or callers reported that staff members had been shot.
Arriving deputies found two men and one woman suffering from gunshot wounds, the sheriff's office reported. One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene.
The status of the other two victims was not immediately known, according to Brovelli.
Detectives are actively investigating the shooting, Brovelli said.
Further information was not immediately available.
Refresh the page for updates on this developing story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
Amanda Lindner can fit all of her trash from the last seven months into a 16-ounce mason jar -- and she says you can do it too.
Watch the video above to see all of her life-hacks for cutting down your carbon footprint.
The Brooklyn woman's journey to the mason jar started when she decided to try a 50 day zero-waste challenge. According to Lindner, everyday objects like plastic straws, plastic utensils, and plastic bags are causing the most amount of harm to the planet, and are fairly easy to stop using.
Since starting the zero-waste challenge, she has made it her mission to eliminate the most harmful waste objects from her life completely by carrying around a reusable coffee cup, bamboo utensils, and cloth bags.
Lindner purchases most of her groceries in bulk and stores them in mason jars. She buys package free produce from farmers markets and transports it home in cloth bags. She also reduces her carbon footprint by eating a plant-based diet.
While some may find a zero-waste lifestyle to be challenging, Lindner says it has allowed her to reduce her carbon footprint while saving money in the process.
“I save myself a lot of money by buying things not in packaging because I’m not only avoiding the cost of the package but I’m also avoiding the cost of the brand on the package,” she said. “It really doesn’t require that much effort.”
Watch the video above for all of her tips for a waste-free life.
Texas Republican Pete Sessions has represented a slice of Dallas and its suburbs in the U.S. House for two decades, breezing through most of his re-election campaigns, buoyed by the support of suburban conservatives who know Sessions as a reliable pragmatist and deft political navigator who can get things done in Washington.
But since the seismic shift of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential win, the political establishment has had to adapt. In Sessions' case, he’s found himself fighting hard to defend his long-held seat against an unfamiliar, well-funded challenger: civil rights attorney and former NFL linebacker Colin Allred, a Democrat from Dallas with no political experience but an endorsement from former President Barack Obama.
If Sessions defeats Allred, he will win a 12th term in Congress. He has become a leading voice since he was first elected in a differently drawn district in 1996, eventually rising to chair the powerful House Rules Committee. In 2010, as head of the Republican National Congressional Committee, Sessions led the successful GOP effort to reclaim the House majority. In 2016, he ran unopposed to keep the seat.
His supporters praise his fiscal pragmatism and his commitment to free enterprise, citing his lengthy congressional tenure and House leadership record as important strengths.
Allred supporters speak of ideological values — civility, empathy, accountability, honor — that they fear are getting lost in the partisan division in their district, in Texas and nationwide. In Allred they see someone who shares their values and would stand up and fight for them in Washington.
Texas' 32nd District has long leaned Republican, but it's one of 25 congressional districts that in 2016 voted Republican for the U.S. House but for Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump in the presidential election.
Nonpartisan analysts Charlie Cook, Larry Sabato and Nathan Gonzales all consider this race a toss-up, meaning it’s anyone’s guess as to what might happen Tuesday.
This article, part 9 in a series, examines one of the key battleground races for control of the House of Representatives in the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Carried by grassroots momentum, Democrats must take 23 seats from Republicans to win the balance of power. They are contending with Republicans' experience and organization, and an outspoken but polarizing president.
The district’s demographics are evolving, said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and it’s looking less Republican red and more purple, with Democrats mixed in — indicating it's more likely to swing politically.
"It's one of the inner-ring suburban districts where people have been moving out of the urban core, making those districts more diverse, and therefore more competitive," he said.
Allred has the advantage in fundraising. He outraised Sessions $5 million to $4.4 million, according to federal campaign finance data, and nearly $5 million more has poured in from outside the district, mostly split between supporting and opposing Allred.
"Colin Allred raised more than $1 million in the most recent quarter, so it’s a fair fight. Usually, an incumbent Republican will have a lot more money than his Democrat challenger — but not so much this year," Jillson said. “It’s a very close race.”
Sessions has not faced a competitive challenger since 2004, but this year the 32nd District could see a political novice with a compelling backstory unseat the longtime congressman considered one of the House's most powerful and effective lawmakers.
The Challenger
Thirty-five-year-old Colin Allred has never run for an elected office, but people around Dallas might have known him because he played four seasons in the NFL as a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans.
Allred said he wasn't a star linebacker, but he was a hard worker. He worked hard when he played for Baylor University in Waco so he would have a chance at the NFL. He hoped to make enough money for law school.
In a campaign video, Allred introduces himself by talking about his childhood in Dallas. His mother, a Dallas teacher, raised Allred on her own because his father wasn’t around. But, Allred said, his story “isn't about the father who wasn't there — it’s about the mom who was."
He speaks of his lifelong ties to the community and his first-hand understanding of the needs and challenges of the people he hopes to represent. He said Sessions’ D.C. ambitions have distanced him, literally and ideologically, from his Dallas constituents.
Meanwhile, Allred said he has been spending time getting to know his district by hosting weekly sit-downs — "Coffees With Colin" — and listening to people's concerns about health care, jobs, education and opportunity.
One topic that rarely comes up at his coffees, Allred said, is Trump.
"People usually don’t ask me about him, and I think it’s partly because he’s so ever-present, and they want to know what we are going to do to cut through some of this noise and to get some work done for the people of the area," Allred said.
Allred does have concerns about the Trump presidency, though. Not as much about policy, because policy can be reversed. He told the Dallas Morning News that he's more worried about “the degradation of our values" under the current administration.
After the NFL, Allred earned a law degree, eventually working in Obama's administration as counsel for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. That earned Allred the endorsements of the former president and of his housing department director, fellow Texan Julian Castro.
Allred also got the endorsement of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, a Democrat who’s praised Sessions’ leadership in the past. But Allred, Rawlings said, is now "the right man for America" and "the right man for Dallas."
"I have always tried to do the right thing for the city of Dallas, and it is now obvious that politically our country is headed in the wrong direction,” Rawlings said.
The Incumbent
Sessions calls himself a Reagan Republican — he even has a life-size Ronald Reagan cardboard cutout on display in his congressional office.
He frequently mentions his commitment to free enterprise and is consistently business-friendly. According to his chief-of-staff, Caroline Boothe, it was the congressman's record of fighting for "freedom and opportunity" that earned him the endorsement of the city's daily paper, The Dallas Morning News. The editorial said Sessions "better represents the principles of limited government" than his opponent.
Sessions has voted with Trump about 98 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight's analysis. He has been particularly proud of supporting the Republican-crafted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed by the president at the end of last year, which provided steep tax cuts for corporations and wealthy Americans, along with more modest reductions for middle- and low-income individuals and families.
Sessions said last year that the tax cuts, a signature achievement for Trump, turbo-charged the American economy.
"There are 9 million more jobs available in America today. We've seen the stock market rise about 40 percent since we passed the bill and, perhaps more importantly, take-home pay increased at the highest rate since the 1970s," Sessions said at a Rotary Club forum in December. "What we're seeing is economic growth across the board."
Sessions was not available for an interview, but Boothe said the congressman is known in D.C. as the "go-to guy to get things done." And, she added, he gets things done because to him it's more than "just his job — it's his responsibility, his civic duty."
The congressman received the president's endorsement via tweet — twice — and several major faces in the party have stumped or fundraised for Sessions, including Donald Trump Jr., House Majority Leader Paul Ryan and Vice President Mike Pence, who called Sessions a "friend" who acted as a mentor to him when he was new to Congress.
Longtime Sessions supporter Susan Fountain, who’s lived in Dallas over three decades and considers herself “very politically active,” said for her this election is really about the economy and Sessions' Washington expertise.
"We have a rousing economy down here in Texas,” she said. She also cited Sessions' decades of legislative experience.
“Pete is chairman of our House Rules Committee, and he's been a congressman for 22 years — he has that much experience," Fountain said.
Most of Sessions' campaign ads stay focused on his legislative accomplishments and Texas’ healthy economy.
But in a rare attack ad, which barely mentioned his opponent, Sessions accuses House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and “the Democrats" of "jamming” voters’ TVs with negative attack ads.
"They want revenge” for his coordinating the 2010 Republican takeover of the House, Sessions alleges, speaking over a faint thwack-thwack-thwack of the arrows flying through the air behind him hitting a Pete Sessions for Congress campaign sign.
"When you stand on principle, you become a target," Sessions said.
'I Felt Like I Stepped Into a Fire Ant Pile'
Voters in Texas and across the U.S. have passionate views on health care, immigration and jobs, said Jollsin, the SMU political scientist, but no issue in these midterms is more important than Trump.
Texas voters’ opinions of Trump mirror their partisan identification, according to a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll released last week. Asked if Trump has the temperament to serve as president, cares about people like you, is trustworthy and competent and more, between 78 percent and 91 percent of Republicans said yes. But between 4 percent and 10 percent of Democrats felt the same way.
Republican Todd Gottel served for a decade as mayor of Rowlett, a conservative Dallas suburb in Sessions’ district. Gottel knew the president's rhetoric was stoking division, but he was shocked last year when he saw up close the urgency and the fury of those who oppose the administration.
Gottel was asked to stand at the podium and read voter-submitted questions into a microphone for a jam-packed public town hall Sessions hosted in a high school gymnasium in Richardson. As many as 2,000 people packed the small gym beyond capacity, with people standing in aisles and spilling out the exit doors.
Sessions began the presentation by extolling the virtues of being respectful and listening to one another. He then tried to explain why he opposed and planned to dismantle Obama's signature health care legislation, the Affordable Care Act, projecting a series of different graphs explaining how the ACA could negatively affect GDP and job growth.
Many in the audience barely let the congressman get a word out before they'd start shouting, jeering or chanting phrases like "do your job" and "this plan sucks." There was so much of it that at one point, Sessions said to the crowd, "Now I’m starting to understand why you’re so frustrated; you don’t know how to listen." The crowd roared louder.
It was a tough act for Gottel to follow.
"I felt like I stepped into a fire ant pile," he said.
Sessions has not hosted a live town hall since.
Gottel said he felt that the forum was too raucous for any nuanced discussion of real issues.
He likes Sessions and considers him a pragmatic conservative who is willing to listen and consider all sides of political issues.
There's a "huge amount of value to someone that has the level of experience and the contacts to be able to get things done" in Washington, Gottel said. "In many cases, it may take someone days [to get something done] where it takes [Sessions] a phone call."
Gottel said he's not actually the biggest Trump fan — he doesn't like "the tweets," doesn't approve of all the behavior. Still, he gives him credit for having accomplished a lot since he's been in office. He voted for him two years ago and can’t think of a reason why he wouldn’t do the same in 2020.
Rowlett resident Lauren Bingham, who identifies as a progressive but not with either party, said she is worried about raising her 5-year-old son in a culture that she sees as increasingly divisive and one in which vulnerable people are getting left behind.
She's been canvassing her neighborhood in support of Allred, sometimes with her son by her side, and has heard from other voters "who just don’t feel like we’re headed in the right direction, that we’ve lost the civility we used to have in politics," she said, adding, "not like it’s always been fantastic and rainbows and sunshine, but the name-calling, the family separation, the travel ban."
Bingham is involved with a local chapter of the nonpartisan Mormon Women for Ethical Government, an organization "dedicated to the ideals of decency, honor, accountability, transparency, and justice in governing."
Mormon women aren’t typically at the forefront of activism, so it was a bold move for the group to come forward, Bingham said. After the 2016 election, she said, these women "kind of started coming out of the woodwork, saying they don’t like what’s going on."
Allred's "appealing profile" will likely be problematic for House Republicans who'd gotten used to this being a very safe seat, said David Wasserman, House editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, on C-SPAN in August.
"Over time, those suburban professionals have moved away from the Republican party, because they're frankly questioning their partisan identity in the age of Trump," Wasserman said.
Health Care
Despite Texas’ positive economic numbers, some voters say the Republican optimism about jobs does not reflect the reality for all, and the struggles faced by some families and lower wage-earners are being overlooked. Low unemployment rates may not reflect that temporary, contract or part-time workers don’t necessarily receive health benefits, for example.
Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country, at 21 percent, almost double the national average of 12 percent, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. It was also one of 17 states that declined to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, making it even more difficult for Texans in need to receive assistance.
Fifty-eight percent of Texas voters said they were either “not very” or “not at all” satisfied with the health care system in the U.S., compared to 35 percent who said they were “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with it, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.
Sessions has voted dozens of times against the ACA. He voted last year for the American Health Care Act, the GOP’s legislative attempt to repeal Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act — including its protections for people with pre-existing conditions — but that plan ultimately fizzled in the Senate.
Sessions last month introduced a nonbinding resolution to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but critics point out that, besides it being nonbinding, it would not limit the amount insurers could charge those patients for care. Allred criticized the proposal, calling it a pre-election Hail Mary and the “worst kind of Washington politics.”
Sessions still continues to work on his own health care plan called the World’s Greatest Health Care Plan, which has failed twice so far to get to a vote. Part of this plan includes eliminating individual and employer mandates from the ACA, which he argues stifles free enterprise.
“Mandates take away choice, and mandates do not allow an opportunity for a market to flourish,” he said during his town hall last year, adding that he would replace them with a monthly tax credit.
Julian Culpepper, a 30-year-old nurse practitioner and 32nd District constituent, is unimpressed by Sessions’ record on health care legislation.
As a health care professional, Culpepper said he looks to organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics for apolitical assessments of proposed legislation. Both were critical of the Republicans’ effort to repeal the ACA and never saw Sessions or other members of Congress come forward with "an objective analysis" in support of the bill.
"I recommend things to my patients that are based in evidence or science," Culpepper said. "To think that a congressman would be willing to throw our entire health care system into turmoil against the advice of most experts is unacceptable."
Immigration
Immigration and border security is a pressing issue in Texas, which has the longest border with Mexico, at 1,254 miles, of any U.S. state.
Fountain, the Sessions supporter, supports him on immigration because he believes in "controlling our borders and knowing who is going in, and who is going out, of our country," she said.
Sessions is a border security hardliner who says he opposes illegal immigration, not immigration on the whole. He supports Trump's wall — a porous or underprotected border poses a “great danger” to the American people, he's said — despite his reservations as a fiscal pragmatist about the wall's estimated multibillion dollar price tag, he told Fox News in February 2017.
“It can’t be built in one year, or a year and a half, but it can be done,” Sessions said. “And if this is the will of the president, I guarantee you it’s the will of the American people. We want to protect what this country stands for.”
Allred says the wall would not make the border more secure.
"It's ineffective. It's a waste of money," Allred said in a late October debate with Sessions in Dallas, adding that immigration policy should be built with compassion for people who are fleeing oppression or poverty and seeking to better their lives in a country that still believes in the importance of opportunity.
Bingham, the Allred supporter, said one of the most important issues for her this election is the Trump administration’s enforcement of a zero-tolerance border policy that includes separating children from their parents after they cross the border illegally, a policy the Mormon Women for Ethical Government “unequivocally denounced."
A candidate’s stance on this issue is a good indicator of their commitment to values like civility and empathy, Bingham said.
Allred denounced the practice of family separations because it denied the families due process in court.
A spokesperson for Sessions told NBC DFW in June that the congressman “obviously does not want actual families to be separated,” though they also emphasized that most children crossing the border weren't with their families.
Trump continues to rail against immigration in the closing days of the election, an apparent effort to galvanize voters in close elections around the country. It remains to be seen whether that will win purple districts like the 32nd District, where some voters are weighing Trump's messages with the way he makes them.
Madeline Sayoc, the mother of Cesar Sayoc, the man suspected of mailing over a dozen suspicious packages to prominent critics of President Donald Trump, said her son struggled with mental illness.
After waking up from surgery last week, she learned her son was accused of mailing explosives to former President Barack Obama, billionaire George Soros, actor Robert De Niro, and others.
"While I have not lived with my son for 35 years or even heard from him in over four years, I cannot express how deeply hurt, sad, shocked and confused I am to hear that my son may have caused so many people to be put in fear for their safety," Madeline Sayoc wrote in a letter sent by her attorney to ABC News. "This is not how I raised him or my children."
Cesar Sayoc’s attorneys have not commented on his mental health.
Voting booths located adjacent to busy, people-packed restaurant tables?
Still not a thing, though our polling places do have a notable knack for showing up in some offbeat destinations.
And yet?
A few local eateries and drinkeries will celebrate the democracy-amazing day with a line-up of specials and discounts on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.
Essential to nabbing a number of the delicious deals? Flaunting your "I Voted" sticker, right there on your lapel, your forehead, or some other prominent position on your person.
When you're feeling peckish on Nov. 6, or thirsty-ish, after making your choices at the voting booth, why not head for...
Azulé Taqueria, at The Gallery in Santa Monica, will churro-up your life, for free, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, once the staffer spys that "I Voted" sticker on your person.
1933 Group is offering $1 Old-Fashioneds or Moscow Mules, depending upon location, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 6. Bars include Harlowe, Bigfoot Lodge, Idle Hour, and Sassafras.
Birds and Bees: In DTLA on Nov. 6? Nab a five-buck Old-Fashioned or five-buck Daquiri by showing your "I Voted" sticker.
Granville West Hollywood: Your "I Voted" sticker will score you an on-the-house, ready-to-share appetizer or dessert, "all day long."
Chez Melange in Redondo Beach is whipping up a red, white, and blue cocktail in honor of the day — it's a Gin and Stormy — and pricing it at six dollars.
Mohawk Bend in Echo Park is going the "Buy One, Get One for a Penny" route for "I Voted" sticker-wearers who'd like a beer. Limit one per customer, yep. Tony's Darts Away, Brennan's, Spring St. Bar, and several other spots'll be holding a BOGO (for a Penny) special, too.
Crepes Bonaparte will top your purchased sweet crepe with a gratis scoop of ice cream in Downtown Fullerton on Nov. 6 when, you got it, you show your "I Voted" sticker.
Ways & Means Oyster House in Huntington Beach wants to give you a free dessert, on Nov. 6. Just be sure to show your server your "I Voted" sticker.
Sajj Mediterranean is also taking the complimentary dessert, on Nov. 6, at all locations. Craving baklava or chocolate hummus? You betcha: Show off that red, white, and blue sticker.
And are you voting at Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel? Lucky you: Not only will beautiful live flute music be the soundtrack to your experience, but the polling place is providing calming teas from The Art of Tea and small apps, mmm.
United States Customs and Border Protection is looking to hire in Southern California during the month of November, and will be holding several job fairs.
Job-seekers can get their questions answered by expert recruiters and apply at several job fairs in Torrance, Culver City, Long Beach and beyond.
Border Patrol is looking to fill entry level and experienced positions.
Typical tasks include:
To apply, certain prerequisites must be met:
Job Fairs
Nov. 5, 6, 13, 14, 20, 21, 29 and 30
Nov. 6
Nov. 8
Nov. 8
Election Day is fast-approaching, and there are ballot measures that could change the way you eat, how much you pay for gas, and even change the time of day in California.
Here's a comprehensive guide to all 11 propositions to help you make an informed decision come Nov. 6.
Prop 1: Veterans' Home Loans
This proposal allows the state to sell general obligation bonds for $4 billion to finance affordable housing for low-income people, including war veterans.
Its financial impact in California is an increase in state costs to reimburse the average amount of these bonds of about $170 million per year over the next 35 years.
Those for the measure say the best part is it finds a solution, while not raising taxes.
Those against the measure say there are better ways to fix California's housing crisis. They also argue it would waste taxpayer money on interest payments.
Prop 2: Homelessness Prevention
This proposal would allow the state to use funds from county mental health programs to fund housing for the homeless with mental issues.
The approval of this proposal would not increase state taxes and makes the existing legislation that establishes the program official.
Homeless advocates, social workers, doctors and emergency responders urge voters to say yes to Prop 2.
Those against it however, say it makes no sense to take money away from mental health services to build homes with that money.
Prop 3: Water and Environmental Projects
The proposition authorizes the use of $8.877 billion in general obligation state bonds to finance aquifer and environmental projects.
The fiscal impact for the state would be the increase in costs to pay bonds of $430 million as an annual average for more than 40 years. However, the state government could save hundreds of millions of dollars annually in water-related projects in the coming decades.
Proponents say it is a measure that will guarantee safe drinking water and drought protection. But those against it say it hands money over to a lot of different organizations, but doesn't provide a new way of getting clean water.
They also say "interest payments on the bonds will double the amount that has to be repaid." They say it does nothing to solve our water shortage problems.
Prop 4: Children's Hospitals
It would allow the state to sell $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds to finance the construction, expansion, renovation and equipping of children's hospitals.
The fiscal impact for the state would be the increase in costs to reimburse bonds of $80 million per year over the next 35 years.
Those for the measure argue the hospital systems are like cellphones -- think of how much they've increased in technology over the last 10 years. They argue the demand for specialized pediatric care has only gone up, and hospitals are needed to meet that demand.
Those against say the proposition really only benefits the hospitals backing the measure, and that the money could be spent in a better way.
Prop 5: Home-buyers' Taxes
The approval of this prop would allow all homeowners over 55 years of age, of any property contaminated or affected by a natural disaster, and severely disabled owners, to be eligible for property tax savings should they move to another home.
The fiscal impact would be for schools and local governments, which would lose more than $100 million per year in property taxes.
It essentially the "moving penalty."
Those against it say it cuts "$1 billion in local revenue from public schools, fire, police, health care and other services" but doesn't build any new housing. They say it's going to make it harder for cities to pay for schools while giving a nice tax break to the wealthy.
Prop 6: Gas Tax
Prop 6 would repeal a 12-cent gas tax and an increase in vehicle registration that was approved last year to fund road fixes and better transit programs. The aim was to pay for $5 billion a year in improvements, and raise $52 billion over a decade for road repairs. The gas tax took effect last November.
Construction industry and firefighter unions oppose repealing the measure.
Former Republican councilman Carl DeMaio proposed it, saying the cost of living in California is outrageous enough as it is.
"Everything in California is so much more expensive and the question is why," he once said.
Voting no keeps the tax right where it is.
Opponents say since cars are becoming more energy efficient and using less gas, there won’t be enough funds to support the program.
Opponents contend there aren't enough funds to keep up with the transit needs of California's 40 million people. Over the last two decades, automobiles have become more fuel efficient — a boon for the environment but a challenge to transportation budgets as drivers need less gasoline.
Prop 7: Daylight Saving Time
Daylight saving time may not seem that big of a deal to most Californians, but it’s a divided issue.
If Californians vote yes, they’d be asking to end daylight saving time, meaning no "spring forward" nor "fall back." But voting yes wouldn’t make it a done deal -- the measure would still need to clear the hurdle in the federal government. The measure would need a two-thirds vote from the Legislature.
Basically, the time wouldn’t change twice a year, like in other states that don’t follow Daylight Saving Time: Hawaii and Arizona (except for in Arizona’s Navajo Nation).
Voting no would mean that everything would stay how it is – you lose an hour in spring, and gain an hour in fall.
Some proponents say the idea is very outdated. It all started during WWI as an energy saving program. They argue that studies have shown that daylight saving time may actually increase electricity use in the summertime. They also argue that daylight saving time would cause more pedestrian crashes because the sun sometimes doesn’t rise until 8 a.m. in winter.
Those who are against the measure say it’s too much change, and Californians are used to switching their clocks back and forth.
Prop 8: Dialysis Clinics Refunds
Proposition 8, while at first glance is not as controversial as the gas tax or daylight savings props, actually is a source of heated debate. If passed, it would cap profits at kidney dialysis clinics by using a formula.
Proponents of 8 say big dialysis companies are netting monster profits without putting enough money back into sanitation and patient care. Those in support, like the Democratic Party and veterans, say the proposition would stop the companies from overcharging, and would help provide quality care for patients.
But those against the prop – which includes nurses, doctors and physicians – say many clinics would be forced to close if the prop passes. Many people without functioning kidneys depend on the clinics, and those against the prop say it would increase costs for tax payers, and reduce access to care because clinics would have to close.
Prop 10: Regulating Rent
This is set to be a big source of debate in November. Voting yes means state law would not limit rent control laws in cities and counties. What that means is it would establish rent control authority in communities, in hopes to keep people in their homes and reduce the homeless population.
But those opposing the measure say that if state law is not allowed to continue overseeing rent control, it would actually make the housing crisis worse. They argue Prop 10 is bad for homeowners because it allows the regulation of single family homes and would allow more fees on top of rent.
Those against it say it will hurt homeowners because it will lower real estate values. They also say it would limit new construction and cut the already-choked housing supply in California. Opponents also say landlords who managed smaller properties would struggle or be pushed out.
Prop 10 repeals Costa-Hawkins Housing Act, and it is one of the most expensive propositions on the ballot.
According to the state, renters in California already spend more than half their income on rent.
Those in favor say Prop 10 would help people getting pushed out of their homes, because it would control how much landlords increase rent per year as well as regulate how much they are asking of new renters.
Prop 11: On Call Ambulances
If Prop 11 passes, ambulance workers would have to stay on call during their paid lunchbreaks so they could respond to 911 calls. It would also give them more training. Proponents argue it’s a proposition that would save lives.
Voting no means EMT’s and paramedics would have to remain unreachable while on a paid break, and cannot provide care, even if they are the closest ambulance available.
State Assembly Member Freddie Rodriguez argues however that the proposition is not what it seems.
Rodriguez says it would allow private companies to get out of paying millions in wages.
Prop 12: Ban Selling Meat From Confined Animals
A yes vote would require farmers to provide more space to caged animals used for meat or food, like egg-laying hens, pigs, and calves. It would ban the sale of meat and eggs from animals in cages that do not meet specific measurements.
If it sounds familiar, it’s because in 2008, Prop 2 was passed preventing caged animals from being raised in confinements so small they couldn’t move.
But it’s back in the form of Prop 12, because out-of-state farmers aren’t subjected to the same requirements. Also, there were no specific measurements in Prop 2.
Hens would also have to be totally cage free by 2022.
Starting in 2020, a calf would have to be given at least 43 square feet of floor space.
Pigs would need 24 square feet starting in 2022.
In 2020, egg-laying hens, would need 1 square foot of floor space each – the cages would be totally gone by 2022.
Costs would probably rise for the foods produced by using meat and eggs from these animals, the state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office found.
The Association of California Egg Farmers says it could cause a shortage of eggs for sale because farmers would have to make a lot of unforeseen changes to structures.
Gracie Lou Phillips, an 82-year-old North Texas woman who voted for the first time in her life last week, died surrounded by family members early Monday morning, her family confirms.
Phillips, who was transitioning to hospice care when she joined 4.8 million Texans who chose to vote early in the midterm election, had been battling pneumonia.
In a conversation with NBC 5 last week, Phillips’ granddaughters said a busy family life at an early age, and misconceptions about voting, kept Phillips away from the polls throughout her life.
“Her priority through life was her family,” said granddaughter Leslie Rene Moore.
Until last week.
“She finally registered to vote for the first time in her life,” said granddaughter Michelle Phillips. “She kept telling everybody ‘I’m voting. I’m going to vote this year and my vote counts.’”
They say political vitriol drove the great-grandmother to vote in Grand Prairie on Thursday, despite transitioning into hospice care.
“My aunt took her with her portable oxygen tank,” she said. “Poll people were very kind. They met her out at her car.”
Phillips’ proud moment was captured on video where she is seen holding an "I voted today" sticker, reading each word out loud.
“To have someone literally need oxygen to breathe, pure tank of oxygen to breathe, put it in her car and ask to go on what may very well be the last week of her life, that shows the dedication and priority that people need to look at,” said Phillips.
Phillips' family hopes her deed inspires others on Election Day.
“To know that her voice is going to be heard forever is really exciting for us and we’re really proud of her,” said Moore.
An Uber driver has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a 15-year-old passenger he allegedly let ride on the roof his vehicle on Long Island a month and a half ago, the Suffolk County district attorney's office said Monday.
Ryan Mullen had been riding on the roof of the Danyal Cheema's vehicle Sept. 23 in Huntington Station; he fell off and hit his head on the road, then died of injuries stemming from the trauma, Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini said.
Sini said Mullen and two friends -- both 16 -- had spent the night out partying in the Cold Spring Harbor area. After the last party, they called for an Uber. Cheema, 25, picked them up. They went to a 7-Eleven, then, according to Sini, asked the driver to "car surf." They offered Cheema $70 to let them do it.
The transaction was not made then, Sini said. At some point later, the boys revisited the proposition, offering to pay Cheema $40 to let them ride on top of the car as he drove the vehicle. It wasn't clear if Cheema allegedly immediately accepted the money, but at some point, Mullen and another boy were on top of the car as Cheema drove. Mullen fell off and hit his head on the pavement.
It was all caught on Snapchat, Sini said.
Mullen was taken home and died that night. The medical examiner's office ruled the boy's cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head. Sini acknowledged that poor decisions were made all around, but said Cheema was an adult and the boys were minors. As an Uber driver, too, Cheema was entrusted to get his passengers to their destinations safely, Sini added.
"This is a case that obviously has tragic consequences for the Mullen family. A young boy is no longer with us because of the actions of the defendant," the district attorney said after Cheema's arraignment Monday.
Cheema, 25, pleaded not guilty to the charge, Newsday reported. Information on a possible attorney for him wasn't immediately available.
It wasn't clear how long he had been with Uber. The ride-share company told News 4 it has been cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation.
"Words cannot describe how deeply troubled we are by this incident," an Uber spokesperson said. "Our thoughts are with the rider’s family during this difficult time. This driver has been permanently removed from the app."
The Macallan Manor: There are spirit tastings, and then there are themed experiences that are a little bewitching, highly whimsical, and themed-to-the-glam'd-out gills. This pop-up from the storied Scottish whisky company is headed to Greystone Mansion from Nov. 6-8, and seeking entry involves applying for an invitation at the event's site. Ready for an "immersive, multi-sensory" happening that goes beyond the traditional tasting? Raise a dram now.
"Spirit of the Holidays": Hoping to dine at the Castaway Burbank from Nov. 5 through 12? The vintage eatery, which recently underwent a major refresh, will be donating six percent of "restaurant net proceeds" to Feeding America, "the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States." This give-back happening does indeed encompass the "Spirit of the Holidays" (the fundraiser's name) as well as a nod to the 60th anniversary of Specialty Restaurants, the Castaway's parent company.
The Guitar Center's fresh vibe: If you're an aficionado of fine instruments, and you love to rock out, you lknow this legendary Tinseltown store. But this fab flagship has been re-imagined, bringing an even richer vibe to those string-seeking musicians looking for a fuller browsing/buying trip. The new look debuted on Nov. 3 with performances by Anderson .Paak, A-Trak, and Zane Lowe. Been meaning to pick up a new ax? Check out the super-spetacular Sunset Boulevard guitar-a-tarium.
The Beverly Center's big re-hello: Speaking of landmark LA locations that have built followings over the decades, the mondo mall that abuts Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and West Third also made its "hello again" debut over the first weekend of November 2018, following a multi-year, $500 million refresh. Swing by and check out the Bev Center's updated design, au courant food and beverage offerings, and what's new at one of the best-known shopping centers in Southern California.
Steve Cohen art exhibition: Music fans often enjoy incredible production design while at a concert, but getting to know the work of these acclaimed designers, away from the stage, is something far rarer. Artist Steve Cohen, who has crafted the tour design for a bevy of artists, including Billy Joel, Justin Timberlake, and Reba McEntire, will be displaying several paintings at Eric Buterbaugh Gallery in West Hollywood starting on Nov. 8.
In California's 10th Congressional District, a sprawling patchwork of farms and small cities east of San Francisco, a tight congressional race is coming down to the wire.
Democrat Josh Harder, a 31-year-old former venture capitalist, is running to represent his native district after making millions through Silicon Valley. He is challenging Republican Jeff Denham, a local farmer and Iraq War veteran who has spent most of his life in the district's Central Valley.
The two are vying for a district, made up of rural Stanislaus County and parts of San Joaquin County, that has voted for Denham to represent them since 2010, but went for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by 2 points in the 2016 presidential election.
"This race is representative of what we're seeing all over the country," said Melinda Jackson, a political science professor at San Jose State University. "Elections will hinge on voter turnout, specifically whether Democrats are motivated to push back against President Trump."
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report puts the race as a toss-up. A few public polls have shown Harder with a slight edge over Denham. The Democrat raised over $2.5 million more than his opponent and spent about $3 million more, according to federal election data from mid-October.
The race is asking tougher questions than just opinions on policy, said Thomas Reeves, a nonpartisan spokesman for the city of Modesto, the district's largest city. He said residents will have to decide whether to side with Denham's GOP, whose rhetoric on immigration, health care and the environment has become increasingly abrasive under Trump's leadership, or take a chance with Harder, who lived until recently out of the district.
"How do you balance the larger politics of the nation with the realities of California?" Reeves said.
This article, part 10 in a series, examines one of the key battleground races for control of the House of Representatives in the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Carried by grassroots momentum, Democrats must take 23 seats from Republicans to win the balance of power. They are contending with Republicans' experience and organization, and an outspoken but polarizing president.
Who Knows the District?
The Denham campaign has tried to make the election about who really knows the district and its needs. Denham has attacked Harder for his ties to Silicon Valley, claiming that Harder is only interested in flipping the district for Democrats rather than helping the district itself.
"This is a local campaign," Denham told The Associated Press. "This is the fifth time they've moved somebody into this district to run against me."
Denham was not available for an interview with NBC in the last few days of the campaign, but Denham's campaign manager, Joshua Whitfield, said the race boils down to "who is local and who is not."
Less than 3 percent of Harder's campaign donations have come from inside the district, compared to about 18 percent of Denham's, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Harder countered that his family "settled in this district over 180 years ago, I was born here and graduated from the public school system here."
He pointed to Denham's voting record, which aligned with Trump's almost 98 percent of the time, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis. To Harder, that shows that Denham is content with siding with his party over his constituents.
"If you really want to show you understand a community, you've got to make sure you fight for it not only when it's convenient, but when it actually matters," Harder said.
A Diverse District
Immigration is an integral issue for California's 10th District, where immigrants make up a large portion of the district's farm workers and over 40 percent of the population is Hispanic.
Reeves said the communities in the district are often proud to have such a diverse population, and local support for immigrants' rights and protections is driven by necessity.
"Our district sees workers that come from all parts of the world. That is a population that we absolutely rely on," he said.
Fluent in Spanish and with a wife of Mexican heritage, Denham has been outspoken in his support for "Dreamers," people brought to the country illegally as young children who are pushing for citizenship, and protections for immigrants. He has repeatedly nudged Congress to find pathways to citizenship for immigrants with efforts such as his ENLIST Act, which would allow "Dreamers" to gain lawful resident status by serving in the military. (The bill, cosponsored by many Democrats, has yet to receive a vote.)
Denham's efforts often clash with the anti-immigration sentiments of Trump and many others in the Republican party. Days before the election, Trump said he plans to issue an executive order ending birthright citizenship for those born in the U.S. to noncitizen parents, despite that right being enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
For Denham and his campaign, there is little room for these attitudes. Being pro-immigrant is "simply a matter of right and wrong," Whitfield said.
On this front, Harder agrees.
"I think this district is divided by political party, but we are also united on whether or not we should be protecting immigrants and 'Dreamers' that attend our school system," Harder said.
Water
More than 23 million California residents are experiencing drought, about two-thirds of the state's population, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. In Stanislaus County, the largest county in the district, the land is "abnormally dry."
Both Denham and Harder oppose a proposal by California's State Water Board regionally known as the "water grab," which would redirect some of the district's water into the ocean to boost fishing stocks along the way.
The district had more than 7,000 farm operators and close to 5,000 farms as of 2012, according to the Department of Agriculture. If the water grab is enacted, the Modesto Irrigation District forecasts losses of $1.6 billion in output, $167 million in revenue, $330 million in labor income and 6,576 jobs.
Denham has endeared himself to the district as a farmer who leads on water issues, according to the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, which endorsed the congressman.
Legislation Denham wrote making it easier to fund water storage in the region was part of America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, signed into law last month.
"Water is the lifeblood of our agricultural community," Whitfield said.
Harder's understanding of the water crisis comes from his family's roots in the farming community, he wrote in an August op-ed in the Modesto Bee. Harder stressed the importance of building "water security" through long-term water conservation and sustainability plans.
Health Care
Health care has been a point of contention in the race for the 10th District, as it has been in many close races across the country. Health care was the issue most voters called important in a Gallup poll released Friday, and more Democrats thought it was important than Republicans.
Denham's vote for the American Health Care Act in 2017, the nearly successful effort to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, could be a deciding factor in how residents of the district vote.
Harder believes in Medicare for all, pledges to fight for lower health care prices, and pointed out that more than 50 percent of the district is on Medicaid. He said that when Denham voted for the AHCA, he voted to gut Medicaid, potentially leaving over 100,000 constituents without affordable health care.
"Every person in this community has a loved one that would be hurt by that bill, by that vote, by our member of Congress," Harder said.
Denham said he is proud of his votes and has spoken of different ways to improve health care for the district, such as increasing access to doctors through expanded medical residency training programs. In a September debate with Harder, Denham asked how Harder plans on paying for a Medicare-for-all system and portrayed Harder as having "Bay Area" plans for a rural district.
"When you talk about Bay Area principles, this is one of their biggest principles," he said.
Lowe's is planning to close 20 U.S. stores this year and several more in 2019, including two in Orange County, as part of a wider restructuring, the company said Monday.
The company is also planning to close 31 Canadian locations.
The two Southern California stores slated to close are one located at 26501 Aliso Creek Road in Aliso Viejo and another at 13300 Jamboree Road in Irvine.
The home improvement chain has been struggling in recent years. Earlier this year, it announced the closure of all of its subsidiary chain of Orchard Supply Hardware Stores and has reduced inventory at its Lowe's locations.
It hired a new chief executive in May, tasking Marvin R. Eliison with turning the business around.
According to company officials, the shutdowns are targeting underperforming stores, with a goal to refocus on the most profitable locations.
"While decisions that impact our associates are never easy, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic reassessment as we focus on building a stronger business," Ellison said in a written statement.
He went on to say the company is trying to move employees impacted by the closures to other locations.
For the complete list of closures, click here.
City News Service contributed to this report.
The Trump administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to take up the legal battle over the future of DACA quickly, asking the justices to consider the issue even before a federal appeals court has ruled on the program's legality.
If the justices don't act soon, the Justice Department said, it will probably be too late to get the case on this year's docket, NBC News reported. In that event, the government would likely be required to keep the program going at least another year.
Short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA allows children of illegal immigrants to remain here if they were under 16 when their parents brought them to the U.S. and if they arrived by 2007. The Obama-era initiative has allowed 700,000 young people, known as Dreamers, to avoid deportation.
