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Mail balloting was set to begin Friday in the presidential election as North Carolina starts sending out more than 600,000 ballots to voters — responding to a massive spike in requests that has played out across the country as voters look for safer way to cast ballots during the pandemic.The 618,000 ballots requested in the initial wave in North Carolina were more than 16 times the number the state sent out at the same time four years ago. The requests came overwhelmingly from Democratic and independent voters, a reflection of a new partisan divide over mail voting.The North Carolina numbers were one more bit of evidence backing up what experts have been predicting for months: Worries about the virus are likely to push tens of millions of voters to vote by mail for the first time, transforming the way the election is conducted and the vote is counted.In 2016, just one-quarter of the electorate cast votes through the mail. This time, elections officials expect the majority of voters to use the method. Wisconsin has already received nearly 100,000 more requests than it did in the 2016 election. In Florida, 3,347,960 people requested ballots during the 2016 election. The state has already received 4,270,781 requests.While ballots go out in two weeks in other battlegrounds like Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all eyes are on North Carolina as it leads off.In North Carolina, Wake County, which includes the capital city of Raleigh, accounts for more than 100,000 absentee ballot requests so far. This week, the office groaned under the twin stresses of record mail voting and the pandemic.On Thursday, workers in yellow vests and masks sat at folding tables spaced apart in a county warehouse, affixing address labels to envelopes and then putting the ballots inside. Board of Elections Director Gary Sims said that the pandemic presents new challenges for the workers including staying spaced out and using hand sanitizer as much as possible.“We’re already at over three times the amount of requests that we’ve ever had in its entirety in an election. So that’s caused us to change some of our business processes,” Sims said.The increase in interest has come with an increase in partisan division.The GOP has historically dominated North Carolina mail voting, but this year the people asking for the ballots are not generally Republicans. Democrats requested more than 326,000 ballots, and independents 192,000, while only 92,000 were sought by Republicans. Voters in the state can continue to request the ballots up until Oct. 27, though that may be too close to the Nov. 3 election for them to receive the ballot and return it to their local elections office in time.The Democratic lead in mail ballots isn’t only in North Carolina. In Maine, 60% of requests for mail ballots have been made by Democrats and 22% by independents. In Pennsylvania, Democrats have requested nearly triple the number of absentee ballots as Republicans. In Florida, where the GOP once dominated mail voting, 47.5% of requests have come from Democrats and 32% from Republicans.“These numbers are astronomical, and on top of that there’s these clear partisan differences,” said Michael McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida who tracks early voting.The party split comes as President Donald Trump has baselessly derided mail ballots as vulnerable to fraud, even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended them as a safer alternative to in-person voting during the pandemic. The numbers in North Carolina and elsewhere suggest Republicans are listening to Trump, shying away from mail ballots while Democrats rush to use them.The Democrats’ advantage in mail voting won’t necessarily translate into an advantage in the election, however. Ballots cast on Election Day, expected to be mostly Republican, will count just as much as those sent remotely.“Even if the Democrats build up a huge lead in the early vote ballot, I still need to see the Election Day votes, because that’s going to be that red wave,” McDonald said.Tom Bonier, chief executive officer of the Democratic data firm Target Smart, agreed. But he’s seen one hopeful indicator for his party — 16% of the mail ballot requests so far have been from voters who didn’t vote in 2016. They’re younger than typical mail voters, as well.“Seeing younger Democrats adapting to the technique is the first sign of a potential enthusiasm gap,” Bonier said, noting it won’t be possible to know if the GOP catches up until Election Day.Campaigns usually want their voters to cast ballots by mail because they can “bank” those early vote and focus their scarce resources getting their remaining supporters to the polls on Election Day. Trump has complicated that effort among Republicans by repeatedly condemning mail voting, even though in the five states that routinely mail ballots to all voters there has been no large-scale fraud.On Wednesday, while in North Carolina, the president suggested that supporters vote once by the mail and a second time in person to test whether the system could weed out voter fraud. The executive director of North Carolina’s board of elections, Karen Brinson Bell, on Thursday warned that voting twice in the state is a felony, as is trying to induce someone to vote twice.Republicans have tried to overcome Trump’s open skepticism and persuade their own voters to use the absentee voting system. The North Carolina Republican Party, for example, has sent a series of mailers urging its voters to cast ballots through the system, accompanied by copies of Trump tweets with his criticism of mail voting edited out.The message hasn’t gotten through to Nona Flythe, 64, an unaffiliated voter who lives in Southport, on the North Carolina coast, and plans to vote a straight Republican ticket — in person — this year.“I just think I’m stuck in my ways,” Flythe said. “I’ve always done it that way, and I think if I socially distance and wear a mask that it’s fine.”____AP reporters Sara Burnett in Chicago and Sarah Blake Morgan in Raleigh contributed to this report. 6101

MICHIGAN — Six Detroit-area doctors were charged with fraudulent health care billing and unlawful prescribing of opioids, according to a federal indictment.The defendants, identified as Rajendra Bothra, Eric Backos, Gainu Edu, David Lewis, Christopher Russo and Ronald Kufner, each played different roles at different times, the indictment said. Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendants allegedly submitted claims for more than 2.5 million to Medicare, 2.6 million to Medicaid and .2 million to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan for services and equipment that was medically unnecessary, not eligible for reimbursement and/or not provided as represented.According to the indictment, the defendants issued more than 13,217,987 dosage units of Schedule II opioids, including Oxycontin, Percocet and Vicodin.The scheme, beginning in January 2013, was operated at three clinics: The Pain Center located in Eastpointe and Warren and the Interventional Pain Center in Warren. All clinics were owned and operated by Bothra.All six doctors were charged with health-care fraud conspiracy, a 10-year felony.View the full indictment below:Six Detroit doctors charged in opioid scheme - Indictment by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd 1260

Mail delivery is something just about everyone depends on, but for millions of Americans, mail services are a vital lifeline for health.“Levothyroxine which is a thyroid medication, I've taken this probably 40 years,” 87-year-old Barbara Raizen said. She takes multiple medications. “I right now live in a senior residence, I live in independent living.”She relies on the Postal Service for a lot of reasons, one being her medications.“It’s cheaper, it’s cheaper than the drug store, it’s cheaper than King Soopers,” she said. “And you know, every dollar counts.”That and it’s difficult for her to leave, due to COVID-19 restrictions. “If we go out we have to come back and be quarantined for two weeks,” Raizen said.Millions share similar concerns as the U.S. Postal Service deals with increased demand, lower processing capacity, and potential cost cutting.“It’s really a problem,” Raizen said. “If the prescription runs out, I have to call the doctor and he calls it back in but it comes by mail and it takes 7 to 10 days or more to get it.”“It’s both the increase in volume and the decrease in the processing capacity,” said Jeannette Song, an operations management expert and Duke University professor. “Many more people ordered online, so that increased the volume for the postal services.”The National Association of Letter Carriers said the Postal Service handles 1.2 billion prescription drug shipments a year, nearly 4 million every day. Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates 14 million people relied on mail order pharmacies for at least one prescription in 2018.“At each step, the process has its capacity,” Song said. “It’s multistage processing, so this is a journey of that. Certainly each step takes some time.”While USPS is experiencing strains right now, she said this happens other times, too.“Holidays,” she said. “Usually get delays, it’s just the same thing”With all the debates going on over cost cutting and the current pressures on the Postal Service, millions are worried. Some taking to Twitter to share their story under the #USPSMeds hashtag.“The post office is important,” Sandy Reavey said. She also relies on the Postal Service for her medications. “It’s just easier. You don't have to go and stand in line at the pharmacy, and it can be cheaper because you can get a three month supply versus doing it every month and having to go back every month to the pharmacy.” She added that especially right now, not everyone necessarily wants to stand in a line with a bunch of people.She receives multiple medications through the mail. “If I don’t take the medication, it causes my heart to go out of whack and could cause me to have a heart attack or a stroke.”As debates continue over Postal Service overtime and other cost cutting measures, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has promised to suspend for now. Sandy and Barbara continue hoping their medications make it on time.“Growing up I’ve already trusted their mail service to deliver and not tamper with my mail,” Reavey said.“What are you supposed to do? Can’t do everything online,” Raizen said. 3096

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's foreign affairs ministry has formally asked the United States government to conduct a thorough investigation into a Jan. 1 incident in which U.S. agents fired tear gas into Mexico to stop crossing migrants.In a statement Thursday, the ministry said through its embassy that it lamented any violent acts along its border. It reiterated its commitment to the safety of migrants.In the first hours of the new year, about 150 migrants attempted to breach the border fence in Tijuana. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that agents fired gas at migrants throwing rocks. It said it was investigating.RELATED: Roughly 150 migrants attempt to climb border fence, throw rocks at Border Patrol agentsBut an Associated Press photographer at the scene only saw rocks thrown after agents fired gas as migrants scaled the fence.The confrontation was at least the second time in a little over a month that U.S. authorities have fired tear gas into Tijuana. The action drew sharp criticism from politicians and activists on both sides of the border and raised questions about the use of force against migrants. 1135

Meijer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have voluntarily recalled the Falls Creek infant and toddler hoodies due to a potential choking hazard. According to the company, the zipper pull can come loose, posing a choking hazard. The hoodies have been sold in the above five color styles: navy, teal, gray, olive green and a gray girl's hoodie with ruffled trim. Sizes include: 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 2T, 3T, 4T and 5T. Meijer says "Falls Creek Kids" and "Made in China" are printed on the inner collar. The tracking number on the inner label reads "MAY2018 17677," "MAY2018 17506," or "AUGUST2018 17932."Those who have this product should stop using it immediately and return it to the nearest Meijer location for a full refund. Consumers with questions or concerns can contact Meijer at 1-800-927-8699.  895