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Climate change-induced habitat degradation is causing havoc with bird migratory dates. According to a new study, birds can partially compensate for these changes by delaying the start of spring migration and finishing the journey faster. Yet, the method has a cost- a decrease in overall survival.<br /><br />The findings by researchers from <keyword id="191548" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="cornell" source="Orion">Cornell</keyword> University, the University of Maryland, and <keyword id="75106" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="georgetown" source="Orion">Georgetown</keyword> University are published in the journal Ecology.<br /><br />"We found that our study species, the American Redstart, can migrate up to 43% faster to reach its breeding grounds after delaying departure from wintering grounds in Jamaica by as much as 10 days," said lead author Bryant <keyword id="17106783" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dossman" source="Orion">Dossman</keyword>. He led the study while a graduate student at Cornell and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown. "But increased migration speed also led to a drop of more than 6% in their overall survival rate."<br /><br />Tactics for speeding up migration can include flying faster and making fewer or shorter stopovers to refuel along the way. Though migrating faster helps compensate for delayed departures, it can't entirely make up for a lost time. In general, for a 10-day delay, Dossman says individuals can recover about 60% of the lost time, but that means still arriving late on the breeding grounds.<br /><br />Jamaica has become increasingly dry in recent decades and that translates into fewer insects, the mainstay of the redstart diet. Now, it takes the birds longer to get into conditions for the rigours of migration, especially from poorer-quality habitats. At the same time, plants are greening and insects are coming out sooner on the breeding grounds--also because of climate change.<br /><br />"On average, migratory songbirds only live a year or two, so keeping to a tight schedule is vital. They're only going to get one or two chances to breed," said Dossman. "Longer-lived birds are less likely to take the risk of speeding up migrations because they have more chances throughout their lives to breed and pass on their genes."<br /><br />The study is based on 33 years of American Redstart migration departure data at the Fort Hill Nature Preserve in Jamaica. Senior co-author <keyword id="17106784" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="peter-marra" source="Orion">Peter Marra</keyword>, director of the Earth Commons--Georgetown University's Institute for Environment &amp; Sustainability--oversees the study site. Using this historical data in tandem with automated radio tracking and light-level tags, scientists compared the redstarts' expected departure date with their actual departure date in recent years to see how it's changed.<br /><br />"The behavioural shifts documented in this research remind us that the manner in which climate change affects animals can be subtle and, in some cases, able to be detected only after long-term study," shared Amanda Rodewald, a co-author on the paper as well as the Garvin Professor and Senior Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab.<br /><br />"Understanding how animals can compensate is an important part of understanding where the impacts of climate change will play out," said <keyword id="2915723" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="marra" source="Orion">Marra</keyword>. "In this case, we may not lose a species entirely, but it is possible that populations of some species may go extinct locally due to climate change."<br /><br />What happens on the redstart wintering grounds carries over into the breeding season. Though the redstart population is stable and increasing in much of its breeding range, detailed eBird Trend maps show the species is declining in the northeastern United States and southern Quebec, Canada.<br /><br />"The good news is that birds are able to respond to changes in their environment," Dossman said. "They have some flexibility and variation in their behaviours, to begin with, but the question is, have they reached the limit of their ability to respond to climate change?" <br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/the-life-and-times-of-keshub-mahindra-indias-oldest-billionaire/slidelist/99428483.cms">Keshub Mahindra saw the birth of India’s automotive industry. Here’s his story</a></strong><br /><strong><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/accounting-firm-ey-calls-off-plan-to-break-up-auditing-consulting-units/articleshow/99429402.cms">Accounting firm EY calls off plan to break up auditing &amp; consulting units</a></strong><br />

Migratory birds can partially offset climate change but it comes with a cost

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Many of the elections held during the COVID-19 pandemic have been marked by states struggling to get out absentee ballots to voters on time and long lines at polling places. </li><li>There are several things you can do to help make November's election a success.</li><li>Make your plan to vote now, request your ballot as soon as possible if you plan to vote by mail, and volunteer at the polls if you can do. </li><li>At the bottom of this page, you'll find tools from Vote.org and VoteAmerica to register to vote or verify your registration, request a mail-in ballot, find your nearest polling location, and sign up for election reminders. </li></ul><p>Long lines at polling places, absentee ballots that never showed up to voters' homes, and long delays in election results have defined many of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/12/us-presidential-election-fiasco-voter-suppression"> the elections</a> held during the COVID-19 pandemic so far. </p><p>Waiting several days for election results <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/america-likely-wont-know-presidential-race-winner-on-election-night-2020-5">is part of our new normal</a> as a greater proportion of ballots are cast by mail. But <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/voter-suppression-novembers-looming-election-crisis/613408/">voting rights advocates are sounding the alarm</a> that problems we've seen so far could spell disaster for the November presidential election. </p><p>"As messy as the primaries have been, it's like a dress rehearsal for the general election," Debra Cleaver, a <keyword id="43546" type="EVENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Voting">voting</keyword> rights expert who founded <a href="https://www.vote.org">Vote.org</a> and <a href="https://www.voteamerica.com/">VoteAmerica</a> told Insider. </p><p>If you're anxious about how voting in November's election will go, there's good news: You as a voter can make more of a difference than you might think to make sure your ballot is counted, lessen the burdens on your election officials, and volunteer to serve your community to make the election run as smoothly as possible. </p><p>"Be prepared, research your options, and consider them, because we don't really know what will happen with the virus," Lisa Marra, the top elections official in Cochise County, Arizona, told Insider. Arizona is currently <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/29/885067257/arizona-issues-new-shutdown-order-as-coronavirus-cases-spike">seeing a particularly bad outbreak of COVID-19.</a> "We haven't even gone through the first phase yet," she said.</p><p><div type="image" title="FILE - In this June 23, 2020, file photo voting stations are set up in the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center for voters to cast their ballot in the Kentucky primary in Louisville, Ky. Just over four months before Election Day, President Donald Trump is escalating his efforts to delegitimize the upcoming presidential election. Last week he made a startling, and unfounded, claim that 2020 will be “the most corrupt election in the history of our country.&quot; (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)" height="2518" width="5036" msid="76737666" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>Make your plan to vote now:</h2><p>Even before the pandemic, the US' decentralized election system was complicated and difficult to navigate. And with millions of Americans <a href="https://www.realsimple.com/home/moving-trends-covid-19">temporarily or permanently relocating</a> and <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Changes_to_election_dates,_procedures,_and_administration_in_response_to_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020">election rules rapidly changing</a> due to COVID-19, you'll want to figure out the rules and requirements in the state you plan to vote well in advance. </p><p><strong>Some important questions to ask yourself:</strong></p><ul><li>What state do you plan to vote in? Are you currently registered to vote there? If not, what are the requirements to register to vote? Can <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/electronic-or-online-voter-registration.aspx">you register online</a>? </li><li>If so, is all the information associated with your voter registration up to date, and do you need to make any modifications to your registration address? </li><li>What requirements does your state pose <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Changes_to_election_dates,_procedures,_and_administration_in_response_to_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020">for voting by mail or absentee</a> in upcoming elections and November?  Do you need <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/verification-of-absentee-ballots.aspx">witness signatures or notarization</a> for your ballot? </li><li>When <a href="https://www.voteamerica.com/absentee-ballot-deadlines/">can you request your ballot by</a>? What date does it need to arrive by to be counted, and does it need to be postmarked by a certain date?</li><li>Does your state <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/early-voting-in-state-elections.aspx">plan to have early in-person voting</a> for upcoming elections or for November? If so, for how many days and where? </li><li>Does your state require voters <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx">to bring a photo or non-photo ID</a> to vote in person? </li></ul><p>At the bottom of this article, you can easily check your voter registration status or register for the first time, request a mail ballot, and find your closest polling location without even leaving this page <a href="https://www.voteamerica.com/a">with free tools from VoteAmerica.</a></p><h2><div type="image" title="FILE - In this May 28, 2020, file photo a voter casts her mail-in ballot at in a drop box in West Chester, Pa., prior to the primary election. Just over four months before Election Day, President Donald Trump is escalating his efforts to delegitimize the upcoming presidential election. Last week he made a startling, and unfounded, claim that 2020 will be “the most corrupt election in the history of our country.&quot; (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)" height="2171" width="4341" msid="76737668" hostid="261"></div></h2><h2>Flatten the curve of absentee ballot requests by requesting your ballot as soon as possible:</h2><p>As <a href="https://www.voteathome.org/2020-visualization/">absentee ballot requests have skyrocketed</a> in recent weeks, officials in some places with previously low levels of absentee voting have struggled to meet the soaring demand on a short time frame, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missing-ballots-long-lines-foreshadow-november-election-problems-2020-6">thousands of voters in recent elections</a> in Pennsylvania, <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/06/dc-election-curfew-police-long-lines.html">Washington, DC</a>, Maryland, <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/absentee-ballot-requests-missing-fulton-ahead-georgia-primary/kkXUUbxL0wug5niqAvKTqM/">Georgia</a>, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/nyregion/voting-nyc-primary.html">New York City</a> reporting not receiving their mail-in ballots in time to get them postmarked by election day. </p><p>"Unfortunately, our systems are not robust enough to handle this big change [overnight]," Cleaver said. "Local election officials have to process all these requests, and not all the ballots were mailed in time."</p><p>Cleaver and other experts have applied the now-ubiquitous idea of flattening the curve of the rate of COVID-19 infections to flattening the curve <a href="https://twitter.com/rickhasen/status/1258443886919221253">of absentee ballot requests</a> to avoid similar scenarios playing out in states across the country this fall. </p><p>"The <a href="https://www.voteamerica.com/absentee-ballot-deadlines/">overwhelming majority of people</a> can apply for their absentee ballots now," Cleaver said. "What we don't want is this huge spike in October. We do not have the systems or the staff in place to handle a huge spike, or else <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/us/politics/atlanta-voting-georgia-primary.html">what happened in Georgia</a> will happen nationwide." </p><p>Unless you live in Colorado, Utah, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, or California, or counties in certain other states that are sending every registered voter a mail-in ballot for the November election, you'll have to affirmatively request one from your local elections office. </p><p>Before the pandemic, <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vopp-table-1-states-with-no-excuse-absentee-voting.aspx">28 states allowed any voter to request an absentee or mail-in ballot without an excuse</a>, and 12 more states <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Changes_to_election_dates,_procedures,_and_administration_in_response_to_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020">have made modifications to their laws</a> to allow voters to request absentee ballots without a documented excuse either for upcoming primary elections or the November general election.</p><p>Marra told Insider she highly recommends that people vote by mail in this election, if it's an easy option in their state, to avoid possible long lines at their in-person polling location. </p><p>"I have been a vote by mail early voter for two decades and never had an issue with it," she said. "It's safe, secure, and verifiable, so I would strongly encourage people to do that." </p><p>Experts say that while it may seem early to even start thinking about the fall, you should request and send in your ballot <strong>as soon as possible </strong>to reduce the burden on your local election officials, Marra and Cleaver said. </p><p>In addition to the six states who are sending every registered voter a ballot this fall, <strong>voters can already request their November absentee or mail-in ballots in 37 states and the District of Columbia,</strong> according to VoteAmerica, <a href="https://www.voteamerica.com/absentee-ballot-deadlines/">which has published state-by-state guidelines and deadlines</a> for absentee and mail-in voters. </p><p>"Sign up now for your November vote-by-mail ballot," Cleaver said. "The sooner you get it in, the better it will go. There are actual real-life humans on the other end who have to process these forms...and send things out, which is an elaborate process. The number-one thing Americans can do right now is to just sign up for vote-by-mail." </p><p>When you do get your ballot, make sure to <strong>carefully read the instructions</strong> before filling it out and sending it in.</p><p>Every year, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/21/heres-problem-with-mail-in-ballots-they-might-not-be-counted/">thousands of mail-in ballots are rejected or challenged</a> for being incorrectly completed, being improperly sealed, or missing the required signatures on the inner and/or outer envelopes. While many states <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vopp-table-15-states-that-permit-voters-to-correct-signature-discrepancies.aspx">have a cure process for voters to fix problems with their ballots</a>, you can avoid an extra hassle both for you and your county election officials. </p><p>You'll be doing yourself a favor by making sure your ballot arrives with plenty of time for it to be counted and to resolve any issues that come up. You'll also be helping out your local election officials by spreading out the rate at which ballots come over time and not overwhelming them with a last-minute rush of incoming ballots.</p><p><div type="image" title="FILE-In this Tuesday, June 23, 2020 file photo, poll workers instruct a voter on where to go to fill out their ballot during the Kentucky primary at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. There was only one polling place open on election day this week in Louisville, Kentucky, and voting went relatively smoothly compared to other recent primaries amid the global pandemic. Does that mean other cities should consider the same in November? (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)" height="2738" width="5476" msid="76737669" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>Volunteer to be a poll worker, if you're willing and able: </h2><p>In recent months, states including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC, Georgia, and Kentucky have had to slash in-person vote centers by up to 95%, and saw unusually long lines to vote in some places as a result.</p><p>The biggest factor contributing to the cutting of polling places and resulting long lines, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/long-voting-lines-are-latest-hurdles-for-officials-prepping-for-november-polls-11592472600">experts say,</a> is <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/elections/democracy-2020/elderly-workers-run-elections-but-covid-19-will-keep-many-home/">a lack of available poll-workers</a> willing or able to staff in-person vote centers in the first place combined with last-minute cancellations of poll-workers who previously volunteered.</p><p>In most states, poll-workers <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/06/older-people-account-for-large-shares-of-poll-workers-and-voters-in-u-s-general-elections/">are older and mostly retired Americans </a>who are especially vulnerable to contracting COVID-19. </p><p>Despite the shift to voting by mail, tens of millions of voters <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/looming-threat-voting-person/613552/">will still be voting in-person this fall</a>. In order to avoid similar hours-long lines at in-person vote centers this November, election officials and advocates are encouraging as many Americans as possible to step up and <a href="https://www.eac.gov/voters/become-poll-worker">serve as poll workers</a>, which <a href="https://money.com/how-much-poll-workers-make/">is also a paid job. </a></p><p>"It really is eye-opening," Marra told Insider of her first experience being a poll worker in 2014. "There was absolutely zero talk about <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword>, because you're so busy making sure everybody just gets the opportunity to vote and you see just how grateful people were. I really encourage it for people that are maybe even a little skeptical about the process, you learn so much."</p><p>Poll workers help voters at every step of the way.</p><p>"They guide the voters through the whole process," Marra said. "They check voters in, check ID here in Arizona, issue the correct ballot, and help voters figure out how to work the electronic equipment, and get the ballots in the tabulator. They really do it all, except they won't tell you who to vote for or how to vote."</p><p>You can also make a big difference as a polling place worker if you speak additional languages besides English, and are able to assist voters who may need extra help. </p><p>Marra said that in her county, citizens can also help with the ballot tabulation process by becoming workers on the early election boards that count mail-in ballots before election day, serve on a local write-in board or audit board, or be a poll observer. </p><p>I you do vote in person, Marra says, you should expect and plan for some long lines in order to make sure everyone can socially distance, and help make the process more efficient <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup">by researching all the candidates on your ballot in advance</a> so you can fill it out as quickly as possible. </p><p>"The other big reason I see lines at our county is that voters aren't prepared," Marra said. "If you vote in person, you get a sample ballot in the mail a couple of weeks before the election. That's your time to sit down to research those candidates, fill that out, and bring it with you on election morning."</p><p>Marra added: "I would say to voters, make sure you protect your health, wash your hands before you go home, wear a mask, and be very nice to your poll workers!" </p><h2>Don't wait, take action today: </h2><p>You can use these easy and free tools from <a href="https://www.voteamerica.com/">VoteAmerica</a> right now to verify your voter registration status or register to vote, request an absentee or mail-in ballot, look up the location of your polling place, and contact your local elections office if you need additional help: </p>

3 things you can do right now to make voting easier and help avoid an election catastrophe in November

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>A federal judge dealt Jeffrey Epstein's accusers a setback in a ruling that shut down more than 10 years of legal battles vying to pull back protections for potential co-conspirators.&#xa0;</li><li>Judge Kenneth A. Marra wrote in a decision filed Monday that he was denying the request of two of Epstein's alleged victims to rescind a non-prosecution agreement that protected "any potential co-conspirators."&#xa0;</li><li>That clause caused speculation that possibly high-profile people also had sex with Epstein's victims, as Epstein had public relationships with figures like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/famous-people-jeffery-epstein-money-manager-sexual-trafficking-connected-2019-7">former President Bill Clinton, President Donald Trump, and Britain's Prince Andrew</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>A federal judge dealt Jeffrey Epstein's accusers a massive disappointment in a new court ruling that shut down more than 10 years of legal battles over investigations into the late financier's potential co-conspirators.</p><p>Judge Kenneth A. Marra wrote in a decision, filed Monday, that he was denying the request of two of Epstein's alleged victims to rescind a non-prosecution agreement that shortened Epstein's 2007 jail sentence and promised immunity for "any potential co-conspirators."</p><p>In August, lawyers representing some of Epstein's victims filed a brief arguing that a clause in a non-prosecution agreement struck between the US attorney's office, Epstein, and his co-conspirators in 2007 should be rescinded.&#xa0;</p><p>The deal was previously detailed in a November 2018 <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html">Miami Herald report</a> that said local and federal investigators looking into Epstein's suspected trafficking of minor girls had enough evidence to put him away for life in 2007.</p><p>However, after then-US Attorney of the Southern District of Florida, Alexander Acosta, met with one of Epstein's lawyers, Jay Lefkowitz, the two former colleagues reportedly agreed on a deal that stipulated Epstein serve just 13 months from a private cell block at a county jail, instead of federal prison. The financier also pleaded guilty to just two prostitution charges.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>The Herald's report also notes that the deal protected four of Epstein's accomplices from facing federal prosecution and granted immunity to "any potential co-conspirators" who were found to have taken part in Epstein's crimes.</p><p>That clause caused speculation that possibly high-profile people also had sex with Epstein's victims, according to the Herald, as Epstein was publicly associated with figures like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/famous-people-jeffery-epstein-money-manager-sexual-trafficking-connected-2019-7">former President Bill Clinton, President Donald Trump, and Britain's Prince Andrew</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Read more: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/famous-people-jeffery-epstein-money-manager-sexual-trafficking-connected-2019-7">The famous connections of Jeffrey Epstein, the elite wealth manager who died in jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges</a></em></p><p>Court documents that were unsealed in July <a href="https://www.insider.com/jeffrey-epstein-documents-employee-network-facilitated-abuse-2019-7">detailed the extensive network of employees</a> that prosecutors say targeted and recruited underage girls for sexual relationships with Epstein, which could have meant more possible names to be prosecuted as co-conspirators.&#xa0;</p><h2>Epstein's victims were kept in the dark</h2><p>The deal was orchestrated in private and, by design, kept the full extent of the allegations against Epstein secret. Emails obtained by the Herald show that prosecutors pushed the case through courts in Miami, so his victims in Palm Beach were unaware of his sentencing until after it happened.</p><p>"The conspiracy between the government and Epstein was really 'let's figure out a way to make the whole thing go away as quietly as possible,'" Bradley Edwards, a former state prosecutor who represents some of Epstein's victims, told the Herald in the 2018 report. "In never consulting with the victims, and keeping it secret, it showed that someone with money can buy his way out of anything."</p><p>In his ruling, Marra also denied Epstein's victims' request to require the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida to confer with them and keep them updated with new developments regarding Epstein. Marra also denied the victim's request to order Acosta to meet with them.</p><p>Marra further denied the victims' request to hand over FBI documents related to their Epstein investigation, arguing that it may adversely affect the Department of Justice's ongoing investigations into Epstein's activities.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019 and pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges involving dozens of underage girls, allegations for which dated back to the early 2000s, the majority of which purportedly took place in his Florida and New York residences.</p><p>Epstein later died by suicide on August 10 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking and conspiracy charges, leaving the next steps for his victims seeking justice unclear.</p><p>After US District Judge Richard Berman subsequently dismissed the federal sex-trafficking court case in the Southern District of New York on August 29, Attorney General William Barr has promised that the Justice Department will pursue charges against those who enabled Epstein, <a href="https://apnews.com/9032d5b4c8bb4175958da4e545f60543">the Associated Press reported</a>.</p><h2>Read the full ruling here:</h2><p>&#xa0;</p><p><em>Ashley Collman contributed reporting. </em></p><p>Read more:</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-told-a-journalist-he-funded-sophia-the-robot-2019-9">Jeffrey Epstein told a journalist he funded Sophia the robot, who he claimed would have 'more empathy than a woman'</a></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-redirect-epstein-donation-money-to-help-sexual-assault-victims-2019-9">Harvard accepted over $8 million in donations from Jeffrey Epstein. The university plans to redirect unused funds toward supporting victims of human trafficking and sexual assault.</a></p><p><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/victorias-secret-les-wexner-embarrassed-by-jeffrey-epstein-ties-2019-9-1028519371" data-analytics-position="2">'So sick, so cunning, so depraved' - Victoria's Secret boss Les Wexner is speaking out about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein</a></p><div><div id="DV-viewer-6413858-Opinion-Order" class="DC-embed DC-embed-document DV-container"></div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-mars-starship-spacex-starhopper-rocket-moon-2019-6">Elon Musk's multibillion-dollar Starship rocket could one day take people to the moon and Mars</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

A federal judge just handed Jeffrey Epstein's victims a major court loss

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Election Day is coming up on November 3, 2020. </li><li>If you plan to vote in-person on Election Day, double-check your <keyword id="43546" type="EVENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Voting">voting</keyword> location and hours, prepare to wait in a longer line than usual, and look at your sample ballot ahead of time to vote as efficiently as possible. </li><li>In every US state, you should be allowed to vote and cast your ballot as long as you're in line by the time the polls close. </li><li>Here's a guide to when the polls open and close in each state on Election Day. </li></ul><p>The last day of voting in the 2020 presidential election is Tuesday, November 3. While <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/politics/vote-by-mail-states/?no_nav=true&amp;p9w22b2p=b2p22p9w00098&amp;tid=a_classic-iphonec-iphone">more states than ever</a> held their November general elections entirely or mostly by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost every state is still offering in-person voting on Election Day.  </p><p>Most states have polling places open at least 12 hours a day, but hours vary from state to state. And in the many states that are partially split between two different time zones, full results won't start to be reported until the last polls close. </p><p>Poll opening and closing times and voting locations are subject to change due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, so be sure to verify your polling place and the hours you can go vote ahead of time.          </p><p>If you plan to vote on Election Day, plan to go mid-day if you can, since the longest lines will likely be when polls first open due to people voting before work, and in the evening after the workday. </p><p>Stil, you should prepare to wait in a longer line than you may be used to, <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx">be sure to bring identification if your state requires it vote</a>, take proper safety precautions by wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer, and <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup">look up your sample ballot ahead of time</a> so you can vote as efficiently as possible to keep the line moving. </p><p>This is especially important in states like Texas, which tend to have long ballots with lots of offices, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/24/texas-straight-ticket-voting-lawsuit/">and recently eliminated straight-ticket voting</a>, which allowed voters to vote for every candidate of a certain party on their ballot. </p><p>"A big reason I see lines at our county is that voters aren't prepared," Lisa Marra, the top election official in Cochise County, Arizona, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/easy-things-you-can-do-to-make-november-election-a-success-2020-7">told Insider in June</a>. "If you vote in person in our county, you get a sample ballot in the mail a couple of weeks before the election. That's your time to sit down to research those candidates, fill that out, and bring it with you on election morning."</p><p>In every US state, you should be allowed to vote and cast your ballot as long as you're in line by the time the polls close. </p><p>If you're in line when polls close and you're not allowed to vote, you run into other difficulties casting a ballot, or someone tries to interfere with your right to vote, you can call <a href="https://866ourvote.org/">the non-partisan Election Protection hotline</a>, which partners with dozens of national and state-level organizations including the ACLU and <a href="https://www.lawyerscommittee.org/">the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights</a>, at <strong>1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) </strong>for help.  </p>

When the polls open and close in your state on Election Day

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Associated Press</span></p><p class="caption">In this July 30, 2008 photo, Jeffrey Epstein appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla. Epstein has died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, says person briefed on the matter, Aug. 10, 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Two of Jeffrey Epstein's accusers sought Monday in a Florida court to have his 2007 plea deal overturned.</li><li>Their attorney argued that clauses protecting four associates from prosecution are now invalid after Epstein's death by apparent suicide.</li><li>The Department of Justice is continuing to investigate potential Epstein accomplices.</li><li>Attorney General William Barr said yesterday: "Any co-conspirators should not rest easy."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. </a></li></ul><p>Two of Jeffrey Epstein's victims say <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-the-latest-jeffrey-epstein-news-from-finances-to-legal-2019-8">his death</a> means the the 2007 plea deal he signed with prosecutors - which continues to protect four alleged accomplices from prosecution - should be scrapped.</p><p>Bradley J. Edwards, attorney for Epstein accusers Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/421621965/JaneDoe1-JaneDoe2-v-UnitedStates-NoticeOfDeath#from_embed">submitted a statement to the US district court in southern Florida</a> on Monday seeking to cancel the remaining provisions of the deal.</p><p><span>The statement said: </span></p><p>Epstein signed the plea deal in September 2007, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2014/04/RULING-GRANTING-SEPTEMBER26.pdf">court filings show</a>.</p><p>His side of the deal saw him agree to plead guilty to a state-level charges of solicitation of prostitution and procurement of minors for prostitution. He served 13 months in prison. </p><p>In exchange, federal-level charges against him were dropped. The deal also protected four named associates of Epstein from being charged in relation to his actions.</p><p>The NPA granted immunity to four associates as well as "any potential co-conspirators" in his crimes, <a href="https://www.insider.com/alan-dershowitz-david-boies-lawsuit-jeffrey-epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffre-case-2019-7">INSIDER previously reported</a>.</p><p>It isn't clear who the four associates are.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Google Streetview</span></p><p class="caption">Epstein's home in Palm Beach, Florida is pictured above. The home is where much of the abuse is alleged to have taken place.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The judge in the case, Kenneth Marra, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-secret-us-prosecutors-deal-violated-epstein-victims-rights-judge-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">ruled in February 2019</a> that the NPA violated the rights of Epstein's victims under the Crime Victim Rights Act, but the ruling had no material impact on the case.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-reportedly-said-had-dirt-on-tech-industry-leaders-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Jeffrey Epstein told a reporter he saw Silicon Valley notables doing drugs and 'arranging for sex'</a></em></p><p>After Epstein's suicide in New York on Saturday, it is impossible to pursue a criminal case against him directly.</p><p>However, <a href="https://www.insider.com/epstein-accomplices-may-see-charges-2019-8">accusers have called for criminal investigations</a> into his co-conspirators.</p><p>Lawyers for Epstein accusers have also said they will pursue civil cases against his estate.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Stephanie Keith/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">A protest group called "Hot Mess" hold up signs of Jeffrey Epstein in front of the Federal courthouse on July 8, 2019 in New York City.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>On Saturday, federal prosecutors<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sdny-us-attorneys-office-confirms-epstein-investigation-remains-ongoing-conspiracy-2019-8">confirmed they would continue the investigation into Epstein</a>, and urged people with information to contact them.</p><p>At a police event Monday, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/barr-says-doj-will-pursue-epstein-conspirators-despite-suicide-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Attorney General William Barr said</a>: "this case will continue on, against anyone who was complicit with Epstein. Any co-conspirators should not rest easy."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-flag-how-to-fold-technique-presidential-candidate-seth-moulton-2019-7">How to properly fold the American flag, according to presidential candidate Rep. Seth Moulton</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Epstein's accusers say now he's dead the government should rescind the generous 2007 plea deal which protected his accomplices

<div class="card-padding remove-padding-top remove-padding-bottom hide-overflow">
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<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Facebook is now offering you more control over what you see in your News Feed.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">According to Greg Marra, Facebook's product manager, you'll now see News Feed settings with a list of the top people, pages and groups you've seen in your News Feed recently - specifically, over the last week. There, you'll be able to unfollow any of those friends or pages, and you can also see at a glance who you've unfollowed in the past. </span></p>
<p>You'll also be able to control the ability to see less from certain people or pages - simply by clicking on the arrow on the top right of the story to view the various hiding options.</p>
<p>All of the settings are now available for desktop and mobile users. Check out <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/11/news-feed-fyi-more-ways-to-control-what-you-see-in-your-news-feed/">Facebook's blog post</a> for more information.</p>
</div>
</div>

Facebook Is Giving You More Control Over What You See In Your News Feed

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Lucas Jackson</span></p><p class="caption">Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump smiles as he speaks at the start of a campaign victory party after rival candidate Senator Ted Cruz dropped after the race for the Republican presidential nomination, at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, U.S., May 3, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div>A Florida public high school suspended a teacher after he gave students a final exam question about Donald Trump <span>that an administrator called inappropriate</span>, <a href="http://extracredit.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/05/18/palm-beach-lakes-teacher-leading-court-fight-suspended-over-exam-questions/">Palm Beach Post columnist Andrew Marra reported.</a></p><p>The exam question, written by <span>Palm Beach Lakes High School (PBL) teacher and practicing attorney Malik Leigh,</span> asked, "If a Donald Trump becomes president of the United states, we are:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">A. Screwed</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">B. Screwed</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">C. Screwed</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">D. Screwed behind a really YUGE wall that Mexico pays for."</p><p>The final exam is "wholly inappropriate for the Law Academy class," PBL Principal Cheryl McKeever wrote in a letter, according to the Post.</p><p>"Specifically, the exam materials contain inaccurate content, irrelevant material, unprofessional use of language, inappropriate use of language, and contain content outside of and not consistent with the curriculum for the Law Academy," she continued.</p><p>Leigh said the question was intended as a joke.</p><p><span>"I'm not pushing a political agenda," he told the Post. "To me, it was a funny question."</span></p><p><span>He also also refuted the claim that the question - and others deemed inappropriate by McKeever - were irrelevant to the class.</span></p><p><span><span>"I don't see why that would be offensive," he said. "They all tie into the classroom discussion."</span></span></p><p><span><span>The Trump question wasn't the only instance of controversial exam material. Another question asked what to do during an opening statement in a courtroom. Answer choices included "<span>find the hottest person on the Jury and focus your words on them" and "t<span>reat them like the MORONS they are," according to <a href="http://postonpolitics.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/05/19/read-the-donald-trump-exam-question-that-got-a-florida-teacher-suspended/">Palm Beach Post columnist Kristina Webb</a>. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>Before administering his final exam, Leigh had already launched a lawsuit against the school, <a href="http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/local-education/suit-pb-lakes-principal-kicking-out-30-teachers-af/nrMnR/?ref=cbTopWidget">Sonja Isger of the Palm Beach Post reported</a>. The suit alleges that the school did not renew his and about 30 other teachers' contracts in retaliation for a perceived lack of loyalty to administers. Notably, Leigh stood by five students who revealed to the school board that they didn't have a full-time math teacher.</span></span></span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-had-best-reaction-to-obama-2016-5">The National Teacher of the Year had the best reaction to introducing Obama at an event </a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="8zMTBiMzE642yeC3hpobLvjhBW640smG" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

This final exam question about Donald Trump got a Florida teacher suspended

<p class="p1"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>A judge in Florida has thrown out a case in the US, which included allegations against Prince Andrew.</p><p class="p1">The motion in question related to historical allegations of sexual abuse by disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. It was brought by a woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe 3, later named by t<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">he </span><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2896986/Prince-Andrew-s-sex-slave-nightmare-deepens-Duke-faces-fresh-wave-lurid-claims-sex-underage-girl-Virginia-Roberts-plans-tell-memoir-alleged-trysts-home-paedophile-Jeffrey-Epstein.html">Mail on Sunday as Virginia Roberts</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, a mother of three currently living in Australia.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">District Judge Kenneth Marra rejected Roberts' attempt to join an existing lawsuit against Epstein and ordered her "lurid" allegations against Prince Andrew and lawyer Alan Dershowitz struck from the record.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In his judgement Marra wrote: "At this juncture in the proceedings, these lurid details are unnecessary. These unnecessary details shall be stricken."</span></p><p class="p1">Prince Andrew's friendship with Epstein was once characterised by lavish parties and exotic holidays. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/woman-alleges-in-court-document-that-she-was-forced-to-have-sex-with-prince-andrew-2015-1">But now it's dragging the Prince into a sex scandal</a> that threatens to once again raise uncomfortable questions about the Duke of York's association with the convicted sex offender. </p><p class="p1">The pair have known each other for at least 15 years. Andrew maintained an association with Epstein even after he was convicted of <span>soliciting an underage girl for prostitution</span>.</p><p>Epstein's fall from grace was almost as abrupt as his rise into the public consciousness. Back in 2003, <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303.print">Vanity Fair ran a long profile</a> of his rise, revealing the devotion of a close-knit group of high-profile friends as well as some interesting details about his past business dealings.</p><p>A description of Epstein by Rosa Monckton, former chief executive of Tiffany &amp; Co, really stands out. He's "a classic iceberg...what you see is not what you get," she told the magazine. Well, that turned out to be more true than Monckton was presumably intending.</p><p>The piece also shed light on Epstein's companions and interest in women - particularly young, beautiful ones. Epstein, the writer noted, "is known about town as a man who loves women - lots of them, mostly young." Once source is reported as saying that one of the parties that Prince Andrew allegedly attended was "filled...with young Russian models."</p><p>During this period, Epstein's chummy relationship with the Prince was well-publicised. Having been introduced to the royal by mutual acquaintance Ghislaine Maxwell (the daughter of disgraced media tycoon Robert Maxwell), Epstein became a close acquaintance. He was <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-483401/Prince-Andrews-friend-Ghislaine-Maxwell-underage-girls-disturbing-story.html">a guest at the Queen's birthday party in 2000</a>, he stayed at Royal residences in Balmoral, Windsor, and Sandringham and, most famously, holidayed with the Prince in Thailand in 2001 during which Andrew was photographed on a yacht surrounded by topless women.</p><p>However, the man who is fifth in line to the British throne was soon forced to sever their five-year relationship after <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-451372/Prince-Andrews-billionaire-friend-accused-preying-girl-14.html">the stepmother of a 14-year-old girl made a complaint to police in the US</a> alleging that Epstein had paid the girl to give him an "erotic massage" at his villa. The allegations were then the subject of an 11-month investigation that found a number of additional potential victims and resulted in charges being filed against the financier in 2008.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In June of that year, Epstein agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution, receiving an 18-month sentence. He served 13 months.</span></p><p>That plea deal is now at the centre of new developments in a long-running lawsuit. Back in July 2008, an appeal court ruled that the prosecutors in the case had failed to ensure that the victims were informed of the plea deal before it was agreed, in violation of the Crime Victims' Rights Act (CVRA).</p><p>The Fifth Circuit court found that "the government should have fashioned a reasonable way to inform the victims of the likelihood of criminal charges and to ascertain the victims' views on the possible details of a plea bargain."</p><p>Two of the women involved in the original case are now seeking to join two others in a case against the US government alleging a violation of their rights under the CVRA.</p><p>The allegations were the latest in a string of embarrassments for Andrew. He was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-queen-summoned-prince-andrew-to-buckingham-palace-over-his-new-yoprk-holiday-with-hedge-fund-sex-offender-2011-6?IR=T">reportedly summoned to the Palace by the Queen following the publication of images showing him with Epstein</a> after the latter was released from prison during a trip to New York in February 2011. It later emerged that that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/21/prince-andrew-trade-envoy-palace">Epstein had given £15,000 to Andrew's former wife Sarah Ferguson to reduce her debts</a>. With the furore that followed he was compelled to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/21/prince-andrew-trade-envoy-palace">resign from his role as UK trade ambassador in 2011</a>.</p><p>The Palace took the highly unusual step of issuing <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30670837">two denials of the latest allegations</a>. After they first emerged it issued a statement saying that "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors [by the duke]...was categorically untrue" and followed up on Monday saying the accusations were "without any foundation."</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30670837">Dershowitz strongly denied the allegations</a>, suggesting that he would bring charges against his accuser in order to require her to repeat the claims under oath. A spokesperson for Maxwell also dismissed the claims.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazing-facts-about-vladimir-putin-russia-president-2015-3">11 amazing facts about Vladimir Putin </a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="k4NTY1dDqFCsBpfiPjzGEUMzJURbWO-R" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Prince Andrew allegations thrown out by a judge in Florida

<p>While the fashion world is already looking ahead to Spring 2015, we're here to prepare you for Fall 2014.</p>
<p>The majority of fall menswear collections that were shown at New York Fashion Week last spring had muted color palettes and resurrected past trends, from puffy jackets to fair isle prints. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jogger-pants-are-taking-over-menswear-2014-8">Sweatpants</a> even made their way onto the runway.</p>
<p>Here are eight trends to watch out for this season.</p>
<h3>Down-Filled, Quilted Jackets</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Puffy, quilted coats will be back in style this fall and winter. Top designers like Alexander Wang, Balenciaga, and Calvin Klein sent iterations of the down-filled jacket down the runway.</p>
<p>Try to choose a style that is as streamlined as possible so you don't look like a marshmallow (or time traveler from the early aughts), and pair it with slim-fitting jeans and sneakers. </p>
<p>Because it's a sporty look, avoid wearing this style of jacket with suits or fancier attire.</p>
<h3>Shearling Jackets </h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Another popular outerwear trend for this season will be shearling-lined coats that look like the classic bombardier jackets pilots wore during WWII. </p>
<p>While we saw a lot of these on the runway, no other designer was quite as into the shearling look as Belstaff, a brand from designer Martin Cooper that is popular in the motorcycle competition world. </p>
<p>The look is rugged and manly, but also best relegated to your weekend wear or worn on a chilly weekend getaway.</p>
<h3>Flannel </h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Flannel isn't only for outdoorsy men - it also works in the city when you pair it with leather like the designers at Marc by Marc Jacobs, Band of Outsiders, McQ Alexander McQueen, and No. 21 all did.</p>
<p>It's a versatile material that looks good whether it's on shirts, outerwear, or cold-weather accessories. The more flannel the better this fall.</p>
<h3>Big, Boxy Bags</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Handbags are not just for the ladies. The runways were chock full of large duffel bags - approximately carry-on sized - being held by models for Bally, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Burberry, and Gieves &amp; Hawkes.</p>
<p>Whether you're going to the gym or on a business trip, these bags are smart accessories. Pick one that's neither too small nor too big, and opt for a leather version instead of canvas since it will last longer and be more versatile.</p>
<h3>Patterned Knits</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Knits are obviously going to make a comeback this fall, but the patterned knits and fair isle prints that we saw on the runway were an exciting departure from bland, boring sweaters.</p>
<p>Pair yours with a blazer or collared shirt underneath to make it look less like something your aunt bought you for Christmas. Layering is your friend - especially since the temperatures will be dropping soon, too.</p>
<h3>White And Black Everything</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Aside from a few pops of color, the Fall/Winter 2014 runways looked very muted and neutral. But the pairing that fashion houses seemed to love more than any other was the classic white and black combo.</p>
<p>Agi &amp; Sam, Todd Snyder, Casely-Hayford, and Comme des Garçons all featured black and white outfits prominently in their collections. It's an easy combination that any man can pull off, but if it feels too crisp for you, add a grey item or jeans to break up the look.</p>
<h3>Turtlenecks </h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>This retro-classic has been gaining ground for a couple of years now in men's fashion circles, and this year was no exception thanks to brands like Ami, Bally, DKNY, Orley, Ralph Lauren, and Topman Design.</p>
<p><span>Though most men are scared that a turtleneck will make them appear too feminine, it's all about the way you wear it.</span></p>
<p>Pair a tailored, light-weight turtleneck with a blazer or bomber jacket to switch up your style, or layer a thick-knit turtleneck with a blazer (you can also wear it all on its own). </p>
<h3>Sweatpants</h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>For better or worse, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jogger-pants-are-taking-over-menswear-2014-8">sweatpants will be popular all season long</a> if the runways at J.Crew, Sibling, Todd Snyder, and Band of Outsiders are any indication. </p>
<p>If you do want to take part in this trend, keep your look sporty but polished with nice sneakers or boots, a fitted-shirt, and top the look with either a casual blazer or jacket.</p>

8 Men's Fashion Trends You'll See This Fall

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">Getty Images</p></div><p></p></div>In what has become a Thanksgiving tradition for the First Family, President <keyword id="16284" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Obama">Obama</keyword> took Sasha and Malia book shopping this weekend to promote <keyword id="1961545" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Small-Business-Saturday">Small Business Saturday</keyword>, a day <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/11/27/small.business.saturday/">created by American Express in 2010</a> to help boost mom-and-pop stores that can't compete with big box stores on Black Friday or online retail giants on Cyber Monday.</p>
<p>The Obamas have shown support for the initiative over the years by patronizing local bookstores in and around D.C. and encouraging others to do the same.</p>
<p>This year the Obamas chose <a href="http://www.politics-prose.com/">Politics &amp; Prose</a>, a tiny independent bookstore in Northwest DC, for their book-buying spree. The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/30/obama-politics-prose-bookstore_n_4364736.html">Huffington Post reports</a> that Politics &amp; Prose was also where First Lady Michelle Obama signed copies of her book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Grown-Kitchen-Gardens-America/dp/0307956024">American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America"</a><em> </em>in May 2013. Other bookstores that have received a presidential visit in the past include Kramer Books in Dupont Circle and One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.</p>
<p>The trip was well-documented on the White House twitter account, which included a tweet written by Obama himself encouraging Americans to join him in supporting their local stores:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>When our small businesses do well, our communities do well. Join me and visit a small business near you today to celebrate <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SmallBizSat&amp;src=hash">#SmallBizSat</a>. -bo</p>
- The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/statuses/406811392876871680">November 30, 2013</a></blockquote>

<p>According to <a href="http://about.americanexpress.com/news/pr/2012/small-business-saturday-exceeded-expectations.aspx">American Express</a>, Americans spent $5.5 billion at independent businesses in 2012.</p>
<p>The Obamas spent about half an hour at Politics &amp; Prose, browsing bookshelves and chatting with camera-phone wielding customers before eventually buying 21 titles, Reuters <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/obama-daughters-big-books-small-business-saturday-204322258--sector.html">reports</a>. "It's a long list," Obama told reporters while paying. He didn't note which books would be given as gifts this season and which the Obamas would keep for themselves, only stating, "I've got books for every age group, from 5 to 52."</p>
<h3>Here are the books that made it into the Obamas' shopping cart.</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lowland-Jhumpa-Lahiri/dp/0307265749/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386019995&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+lowland"><strong>The Lowland</strong> by Jhumpa Lahiri</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Never one to disappoint, Lahiri has delivered another extraordinary tale of brotherhood, culture, and revolution in her latest novel, 'The Lowland." The story begins in 1960s Calcutta but soon transcends decades and continents as a brotherly bond is tested by a social revolution shaking India and the promises of a better life in America. </span>The San Francisco Chronicle<em style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </em><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">calls Lahiri "one of our most beautiful chroniclers of the aching disjunctions of emigration and family."</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flora-Ulysses-The-Illuminated-Adventures/dp/076366040X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024712&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=flora+and+ulysses"><strong>Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures</strong> by Kate DiCamillo</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: From #1 best-selling </span>New York Times <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">author DiCamillo comes a superhero, laugh-out-loud story about self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, a squirrel, and a vacuum cleaner. The novel is interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, making it a guaranteed hit with readers ages 8-12.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Sparrow-Novel-Jason-Matthews/dp/1476706123/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386022379&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=red+sparrow"><strong>Red Sparrow</strong> by Jason Matthews</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Veteran CIA officer Jason Matthews spins a tale of post-Cold War espionage, seduction, and cyberwarfare in this explosive John le Carré-style spy novel about a beautiful Russian intelligence officer assigned to operate against a young CIA agent.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lulu-Brontosaurus-Judith-Viorst/dp/1416999620/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024832&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=lulu+and+the+brontosaurus"><strong>Lulu and the Brontosaurus</strong> by Judith Viorst and Lane Smith</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Viorst and Smith deliver a lighthearted chapter book about a spoiled young lady who wants a brontosaurus for her birthday. Rebuffed by her parents, she marches off into the forest to find her pet, but soon discovers the error of her ways when the brontosaurus she meets wants to make a pet out of her.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ragtime-Novel-Modern-Library-Novels/dp/0812978188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386023205&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ragtime+e.l."><strong>Ragtime </strong>by E.L. Doctorow</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Written in 1975 and added to TIME's list of 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century in 1988, "Ragtime" is an American classic that has been adapted into a movie and a highly successful Broadway show. Set at the turn of the 20th century, "Ragtime" employs fictionalized and historical characters to capture the racist, classist, romantic and wildly disruptive spirit of the American 'melting pot.'</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Aaron-Becker/dp/0763660531/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386023227&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=journey+aaron+becker"><strong>Journey</strong> by Aaron Becker</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Author-illustrator Becker pays homage to the great "Harold and the Purple Crayon' (also on this list) in his wordless story about a lonely girl who uses a red marker to draw her way into a magical adventure. Beckers' finely detailed pen-and-ink line drawings are combined with luminous washes of watercolor that will captivate the attention of even the most fidgety preschooler.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Buddha-Attic-Julie-Otsuka/dp/0307744426/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386023279&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=buddha+in+the+attic"><strong>The Buddha in the Attic</strong> by Julie Otsuka</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award For Fiction, 'The Buddha in the Attic' tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as "picture brides" in the early 1900s. </span>The New York Times Book Review <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">calls Otsuka's "incantatory style" "close to poetry" as she gives voice to the lonely, confusing, and at times terrifying experiences of thousands of Japanese women.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Purple-Crayon-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0064430227/ref=wp_bs_1_B00CJDHNJC_paperback"><strong>Harold and the Purple Crayon</strong> by Crockett Johnson</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Harold and his magical purple crayon have been delighting preschoolers since 1955 (and inspiring doodling on walls for just as long). The curious 4-year-old protagonist draws his surroundings to fit his whimsy in the ultimate expression of childhood imagination.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Constellation-Vital-Phenomena-Novel/dp/0770436404/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386023699&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=a+constellation+of+vital+phenomena"><strong>A Constellation of Vital Phenomena</strong> by Anthony Marra</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: In this 400-page novel of love and courage set in wartime Chechnya, two doctors risk everything to save a child being hunted by the same people who murdered her family. Marra's narrative moves fluidly between past and present to contextualize the little girl's ordeal within Chechnya's long history of devastating civil wars.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Performance/dp/1591845114/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024055&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+sports+gene"><strong>The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance</strong> by David Epstein</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: </span>Sports Illustrated<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> senior writer David Epstein wades into the burgeoning science of training regimens and genetic sequencing to determine whether the Serena Williams and Usain Bolts of the world are products of their environments or their DNA. Epstein doesn't shy away from controversy and instead explores the research behind gender and racial stereotypes in sports, producing a fascinating and thought-provoking look at why top athletes excel.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collision-Low-Crossers-Turbulent-Football/dp/0316196797/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024076&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=collision+low+crossers"><strong>Collision Low Crossers: A Year Inside the Turbulent World of NFL Football</strong> by Nicholas Dawidoff</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Dawidoff spends a year with the New York Jets and delivers an intelligent and original inside-look at a sport that has already been covered obsessively from every possible angle. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Powers ("The Killing of Crazy Horse") writes that 'Collision Low Crossers' is "closely and boldly observed, frankly reported, ferociously written with both humor and humanity" and "one of the best books ever written about sports."</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Found-Pacific-Crest-Vintage/dp/0307476073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386023871&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=wild+cheryl"><strong>Wild</strong> by Cheryl Strayed</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: At age 26, following her mother's death, a divorce, and a string of reckless behavior, Strayed finds herself on the Pacific Crest Trail, alone and determined to rescue herself from her own demons. "Wild" documents Strayed's emotional, grueling, and at times perilous journey through California and Oregon as she grapples with unbelievable loss and attempts to find the strength to keep living.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-That-Is-James-Salter/dp/1400043131/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386023447&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=all+that+is"><strong>All That Is</strong> by James Salter</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Born in 1925, Salter has won literary awards across the decades for his novels, screenplays, and short stories that Edward Hirsch </span><a href="http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1930/the-art-of-fiction-no-133-james-salter">once described</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> as "wholly distinctive, beautiful and implacable." In his latest work, Salter </span><span class="st" style="line-height: 1.5em;">-</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> who served as an Army Air Force pilot between 1945 and 1957 </span><span class="st" style="line-height: 1.5em;">-</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> uses a WWII naval officer returning home from war as a canvas on which to explore the conflicting and contradictory archetypes of the 1950s American male. It is a story not to be missed. </span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Half-Brother-Kenneth-Oppel/dp/054522926X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024407&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=half+brother+kenneth"><strong>Half Brother</strong> by Kenneth Oppel</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: The only child of two eccentric behavioral scientists, 13-year-old Ben is an unhappy kid who soon finds his solitude disrupted when his mother brings home a baby chimpanzee for research. Printz Honor-winning author Oppel presents his readers with tough ethical questions as Ben's brotherly bond with the chimp gets in the way of his parents' experiments.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Samurai-Margi-Preus/dp/1419702009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024669&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=heart+of+samurai"><strong>Heart of a Samurai</strong> by Margi Preus</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Preus' first novel for young readers </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">hit it out of the park, becoming a 2011 Newbery Honor Book, an ALSC Notable Book and a recipient of the Asian Pacific American Award for Children's Literature</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">. "Heart of a Samurai" tells the true story of a 14-year-old Japanese boy, Manjiro, who is rescued by Americans when his fishing boat sinks in 1841 and taken to America. The captivating and heartwarming story is illustrated with Manjiro's own pencil drawings in addition to other archival material.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-%C3%81ntonia-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486282406/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024686&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=my+antonia"><strong>My Ántonia</strong> by Willa Cather</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Cather achieved a well-deserved place in literary history for her 'prairie trilogy,' of which "My Ántonia" (1918) is the last (and best). The trilogy, which includes "O Pioneers!" and "The Song of the Lark," brought the American West to life and promoted regional American stories as a valid part of mainstream literature.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ballad-Sad-Cafe-Stories/dp/0618565868/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386022318&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ballad+of+the+sad+cafe"><strong>The Ballad of the Sad Cafe</strong> by Carson McCullers</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: This collection of short stories assembles McCullers' best work into a charming and at times haunting novella that includes "Wunderkind," an autobiographical piece published in 1936 when McCullers was just 17.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jinx-Sage-Blackwood/dp/0062129902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024799&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=jinx+sage"><strong>Jinx</strong> by Sage Blackwood</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: The first in a fantasy series geared toward middle schoolers, "Jinx" tells the familiar tale of an abandoned but highly gifted orphan who must make his way through a magical forest in search of a counterspell for his wizard friend. Booklist calls it a "literary cut above Eoin Colfer's 'Artemis Fowl'" with the same fast-paced action and comedic hijinks.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kite-Runner-Khaled-Hosseini-ebook/dp/B000OCXGZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386023142&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kite+runner"><strong>The Kite Runner</strong> by Khaled Hosseini</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Hosseini's unforgettable literary debut in 2004 introduced Americans to a complicated, beautiful, and entirely human side of Afghanistan at a time when the hunt for Bin Laden was all anyone knew about that distant and mountainous land. Hosseini's tragic and yet wonderfully humorous story of a doomed friendship between two boys of different social classes has become an instant classic and permanent addition to every "must-read" list. </span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ottoline-Yellow-Cat-Chris-Riddell/dp/0061448818/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386024881&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ottoline+and+the+yellow+cat"><strong>Ottoline and the Yellow Cat</strong> by Chris Riddell</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: Young Ottoline, who lives in an elaborate apartment in Big City with her best friend and guardian Mr. Monroe, is a feisty mix of Eloise and Nancy Drew, solving mysteries by day and wishing her parents would come home from their travels by night. Riddell uses red to accent otherwise black and white illustrations, and the text-to-picture ratio is perfect for especially reluctant readers.</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moonday-Adam-Rex/dp/1423119207/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1386038080&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=moonday"><strong>Moonday</strong> by Adam Rex</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">: One night the Moon lowers itself into a family's backyard and the little girl finds a way to return the moon to its place in the sky. Rex pens a beautiful, quiet ode to the magic of nighttime in this picture book lullaby.</span></p>
</li>
</ol>

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