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Waymo is starting to let the public take rides in its self-driving vans. This is the first commercial self-driving ride service to launch publicly, according to Waymo.For now, Waymo's definition of "the public" is a couple hundred pre-selected individuals in the Phoenix area. But Waymo is calling this is a small but important first step to launching an actual driverless ride sharing service.These initial users were all part of Waymo's "Early Rider" test program, so they've ridden in these vans before. The big difference is now they'll be allowed to invite others to ride with them — as many as four people can fit in the van — and they'll be able to speak publicly about the experience, including posting about it on social media.These customers will not be stepping into vans with empty driver's seats, though. While Waymo has given totally driverless rides to people as part of the private "Early Rider" program, for these more public rides, a Waymo employee will be in the driver's seat ready to take over if needed.Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company.The service, called Waymo One, will operate 24 hours a day giving rides in the Phoenix area. Over time, the service will expand to cover more cities and be available to more riders than just the test group, Waymo CEO John Krafcik wrote in a blog post.Rides will be requested through an Uber-like smartphone app Waymo has created that will allow users to select pickup and drop-off locations and see a price estimate for the ride. The pricing strategy is part of what Waymo is working out with these more public rides. The pricing and software has been under development in the more secretive "Early Rider" program but will undergo more development in the public Waymo One program, a Waymo spokesperson said.Up until now, much of the research into autonomous driving has been around figuring out technical issues, said Karl Brauer, publisher of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader. Waymo is taking another step in working through some of the other challenges, such as creating a service that's easy to use and meets riders' needs."Waymo's early rider program is allowing the company to identify these issues, and its new Waymo One service will expand the company's feedback system into a real-world business application," Brauer said. "In the race for the self-driving car, this information is invaluable."A company called May Mobility has been offering driverless rides to the general public in select Midwestern cities, but those rides have been on regular fixed routes in vehicles that travel no more than 25 miles an hour. 2613

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Postal Service has launched a new website to help Americans vote by mail in the November general election.The USPS announced the creation of usps.com/votinginfo Friday, saying the site is meant to provide the electorate with clear and concise information about voting by mail.The website is also meant to help election officials as states choose to expand mail-in voting options for the upcoming elections, so that voters don’t have to risk contracting the coronavirus at the polls.For domestic voters, the website provides direct links to federal election resources as well as links to state-specific resources. For overseas and military voters, the new site provides additional information, including links to resources supporting their election participation.The site also highlights what the USPS views as the most critical information for voters who opt to vote through the U.S. mail: that, in requesting or casting a mail-in ballot, they not only must comply with their local jurisdictions’ requirements, but also should start the process early.To allow sufficient time for voters to receive, complete and return ballots via the mail, the USPS strongly recommends that voters request ballots at the earliest point allowable, but no later than 15 days prior to the election date.The Postal Service also recommends that voters mail their ballots at least one week prior to their states’ due dates to allow for timely receipt by election officials.Voters should contact their local election officials for further information about deadlines and other requirements.The USPS says it remains fully committed to fulfilling its role in the electoral process and can handle the anticipated increase in election mail.“Election officials and voters are being asked to be mindful of the Postal Service’s established delivery standards and consider how the mail actually works, so that voters have adequate time to request, receive, complete and send their mail-in ballots,” wrote the USPS in a press release. “The Postal Service will continue to do everything in its power to efficiently handle and deliver Election Mail, including ballots, in a manner consistent with the proven processes and procedures that have been relied upon for years.” 2273

WASHINGTON (AP) — The official serving as President Donald Trump’s eyes and ears at the Justice Department has been banned from the building after trying to pressure staffers to give up sensitive information about election fraud and other matters she could relay to the White House, three people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.Heidi Stirrup, an ally of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, was quietly installed at the Justice Department as a White House liaison a few months ago. She was told within the last two weeks to vacate the building after top Justice officials learned of her efforts to collect insider information about ongoing cases and the department’s work on election fraud, the people said.Stirrup is accused of approaching staffers in the department demanding they give her information about investigations, including election fraud matters, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.The effort came as Trump continues to level baseless claims that he won the election and alleges without evidence that massive voting fraud was responsible for his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden.Stirrup had also extended job offers to political allies for positions at some of the highest levels of the Justice Department without consulting any senior department officials or the White House counsel’s office and also attempted to interfere in the hiring process for career staffers, a violation of the government’s human resources policies, one of the people said.The Justice Department declined to comment. Attempts to reach Stirrup for comment were not immediately successful. 1686

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The backbone of the American election system rides on the shoulders of an army of paid volunteers: poll workers, who take time out of their lives to spend Election Day helping others have their say at the ballot box.“Poll worker recruitment is an issue every election cycle,” said Jeanette Senecal with the League of Women Voters.It’s an issue even more so this year.In the 2016 election, there were nearly a million poll workers across the country, 917,694, working at more than 116,000 polling sites.Many of the poll workers tended to be older: 56% were over the age of 61.Now, though, concerns about COVID-19 mean many in this population, vulnerable to the virus, are choosing to sit out this time around.“Poll workers are kind of the make or break point,” Senecal said. “If they're the people who are interfacing with the voters, they're the people who are supporting those voters at the polling place on Election Day.”Officials estimate that across the U.S. about a quarter of a million poll workers may still be needed. It can take about 30 days to train them all, which means they need poll workers to sign up right now, in order to be ready by Election Day. Poll worker pay varies by county, but in some it can be as much as an hour.“This is a real opportunity for us to recruit a new generation of Americans, who can help ensure a safe and fair and as smooth as possible Election Day,” said Erika Soto Lamb, a vice-president at Comedy Central and MTV.The networks are part of a new, national non-profit coalition called Power the Polls, targeting younger people, who have never been poll workers before.“The work of Power the Polls is really in sounding the alarm bell, bringing people into the mix and then connecting them with their local boards of elections and secretaries of state, to make sure they are plugged in to work the polls in areas that need it the most,” Soto Lamb said.If there is a shortage of poll workers, experts fear some polling places may not be able to open at all and the ones that do could experience long lines.“This summer, we saw a voting rights legend pass away in Congressman John Lewis, whose life was built around voting rights and access – and this is one of those component parts,” Soto Lamb said.So far, Power the Polls has recruited 160,000 poll workers for Election Day. However, not everyone who signs up, will show up, so they are aiming to recruit as many as possible to ensure there are enough poll workers available.According to Power the Polls, the states with the most need for additional poll workers are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Learn more about becoming a poll worker here. 2760

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Senate is expected to move quickly toward a confirmation vote for President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hasn’t yet said for certain whether a final vote will come before or after the Nov. 3 presidential election, just a little more than five weeks away, but Republicans are eyeing a vote in late October.Ginsburg’s Sept. 18 death put the Senate in uncharted political terrain. A confirmation vote so close to a presidential election would be unprecedented, creating significant political risk and uncertainty for both parties. Early voting is underway in some states in the races for the White House and control of Congress.A look at the confirmation process and what we know and don’t know about what’s to come:WHO DID TRUMP PICK?Trump on Saturday nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, whose three-year judicial record shows a clear and consistent conservative bent. She is a devout Catholic and mother of seven, who at age 48 would be the youngest justice on the current court if confirmed.WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?It is up to the Senate Judiciary Committee to vet the nominee and hold confirmation hearings. The FBI also conducts a background check. Once the committee approves the nomination, it goes to the Senate floor for a final vote.Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who faces his own tough reelection contest, has said he will move quickly on Trump’s pick. The nominee traditionally meets with individual senators before the confirmation hearings begin.WHEN WILL THE HEARINGS START?Graham has not yet announced a timetable. But if Republicans are able to complete all of the necessary paperwork and Barrett quickly meets senators, three or four days of hearings could start the first or second week of October.WILL THERE BE A VOTE BEFORE THE ELECTION?Republicans are privately aiming to vote before the election while acknowledging the tight timeline and saying they will see how the hearings go. McConnell has been careful not to say when he believes the final confirmation vote will happen, other than “this year.”Senate Republicans are mindful of their last confirmation fight in 2018, when Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations of a teenage sexual assault almost derailed Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. The process took longer than expected after Republicans agreed to allow Blasey Ford to testify. Kavanaugh, who denied the allegations, was eventually confirmed in a 50-48 vote.DOES THE SENATE HAVE ENOUGH VOTES TO MOVE FORWARD AND CONFIRM?McConnell does appear to have the votes, for now. Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 margin, meaning he could lose up to three Republican votes and still confirm a justice, if Vice President Mike Pence were to break a 50-50 tie.At this point, McConnell seems to have lost the support of two Republicans — Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, both of whom have said they don’t think the Senate should take up the nomination before the election. Collins has said the next president should decide the nominee, and she will vote “no” on Trump’s nominee on principle.CAN THE DEMOCRATS STOP THE VOTE?There isn’t much they can do. Republicans are in charge and make the rules, and they appear to have the votes for Trump’s nominee, at least for now. Democrats have vowed to oppose the nomination, and they are likely to use an assortment of delaying tactics. None of those efforts can stop the nomination, however.But Democrats will also make the case against Barrett’s nomination to voters as the confirmation battle stretches into the final weeks — and maybe even the final days — of the election. They say health care protections and abortion rights are on the line, and argue the Republicans’ vow to move forward is “hypocrisy” after McConnell refused to consider President Barack Obama’s nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, several months before the 2016 election.HOW DOES THE CAMPAIGN FACTOR IN?Republicans are defending 25 of the 38 Senate seats that are on the ballot this year, and many of their vulnerable members were eager to end the fall session and return home to campaign. The Senate was originally scheduled to recess in mid-October, but that now looks unlikely.While some senators up for reelection, like Collins, have opposed an immediate vote, others are using it to bolster their standing with conservatives. Several GOP senators in competitive races this year — including Cory Gardner in Colorado, Martha McSally in Arizona, Kelly Loeffler in Georgia and Thom Tillis in North Carolina — quickly rallied to Trump, calling for swift voting.HOW LONG DOES IT USUALLY TAKE TO CONFIRM A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE?Supreme Court nominations have taken around 70 days to move through the Senate, though the last, of Kavanaugh, took longer, and others have taken less time. The election is fewer than 40 days away.COULD THE SENATE FILL THE VACANCY AFTER THE ELECTION?Yes. Republicans could still vote on Barrett in what’s known as the lame-duck session that takes place after the November election and before the next Congress takes office on Jan. 3. No matter what happens in this year’s election, Republicans are still expected to be in charge of the Senate during that period.The Senate would have until Jan. 20, the date of the presidential inauguration, to act on Barrett. If Trump were reelected and she had not been confirmed by the inauguration, he could renominate her as soon as his second term began.DIDN’T MCCONNELL SAY IN 2016 THAT THE SENATE SHOULDN’T HOLD SUPREME COURT VOTES IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR?He did. McConnell stunned Washington in the hours after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 when he announced the Senate would not vote on Obama’s potential nominee because the voters should have their say by electing the next president.McConnell’s strategy paid off, royally, for his party. Obama nominated Garland to fill the seat, but he never received a hearing or a vote. Soon after his inauguration, Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill Scalia’s seat.SO WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE 2016?McConnell says it’s different this time because the Senate and the presidency are held by the same party, which was not the case when a vacancy opened under Obama in 2016. It was a rationale McConnell repeated frequently during the 2016 fight, and other Republican senators have invoked it this year when supporting a vote on Trump’s nominee.Democrats say this reasoning is laughable and the vacancy should be kept open until after the inauguration. 6630