Arizona officials correct false claims about ballot issues

CLAIM:
 When ballots were rejected by tabulators at some voting locations 
across Maricopa County on Election Day, an alternate solution for voters
 to drop ballots in a secure drop box onsite resulted in the ballots 
getting shredded, thrown in the trash, or marked for Democrats.

THE
 FACTS: Ballots submitted in this way were counted just as absentee 
ballots or mail-in ballots are, according to county officials. They 
weren't discarded or altered. When a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-arizona-4e15278b82452878d6f6aa45b2984579">printing problem</a>
 caused tabulators to reject ballots in at least 70 of 223 polling sites
 in Arizona's largest county on Tuesday, county officials offered a few 
alternate solutions. Voters could wait and try another machine, cancel 
their vote and go to another vote center, or drop their ballot in a 
secure drop box referred to as “door 3” or “box 3.” Some social media 
user falsely claimed that using this drop box would allow county 
officials to rig those votes by manually changing them or discarding 
them. However, county elections department spokesperson Megan Gilbertson
 explained that ballots placed in these drop boxes were machine-counted 
at the central tabulation center in downtown Phoenix, just as all 
mail-in and absentee ballots are. At the end of the voting day, a 
bipartisan team collected all the voted ballots from voting centers, 
sealed them and transported them by truck to the tabulation center for 
counting. This is the same process used for early voting and is the same
 methodology used on Election Day by most counties, including Pima 
County and Yavapai County, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said 
in a statement Tuesday.

— Associated Press writers Josh Kelety in Phoenix and Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report.

Clip shows poll worker in Wisconsin, not ‘cheating’ in Philadelphia

CLAIM: Video shows masked man at polling site “cheating” in front of cameras in Philadelphia.

THE
 FACTS: The video shows a poll worker in Madison, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.
 He was initialing ballots to be handed out to voters, a standard 
procedure mandated by state law, according to the county clerk. Social 
media users on Election Day distorted a clip of the Madison poll worker 
doing his job to falsely claim it showed election fraud in Philadelphia.
 The video, which aired on Fox News on Tuesday, shows a man wearing a 
cloth face mask flipping through ballots and writing on them. “Masked 
man cheating in front of the cameras on the mainstream media,” read a 
widely shared tweet with the video. But the original footage shows the 
video was filmed in Madison, not Pennsylvania. Immediately before Fox 
News showed the clip in Madison, the network showed the exterior of 
Philadelphia’s East Passyunk Community Center with a graphic labeling 
that location. The broadcast then showed the clip of the poll worker and
 changed the location in the label to Madison. Social media versions of 
the video cropped out the location. A reverse-image search of the 
building’s interior revealed that the clip was filmed at Olbrich 
Botanical Gardens in Madison, which served as a polling location for 
Tuesday’s election. Scott McDonell, the Dane County clerk, said the man 
is a poll worker, and the video shows him initialing ballots before they
 were handed out to voters. He was also circling the ward in which the 
ballots were issued. It’s part of the process of preparing the ballots 
for voters, McDonell said. Another poll worker also initialed the 
ballots before they were handed to voters. “You need to have those 
signatures to show that two people saw the blank ballot and handed it to
 the voter,” McDonell said. “This is a standard operating procedure. 
It’s done in public so that anyone can watch it. It’s mandated by state 
law. It’s a check and balance on the system.” Barry Burden, a University
 of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor and the director of 
the Elections Research Project, agreed that the video showed standard 
procedures for poll workers in Madison. <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/7">Wisconsin election law explains</a>
 that at polling places with paper ballots, two inspectors “shall write 
their initials on the back of each ballot and deliver to each elector as
 he or she enters the voting booth.” Philadelphia’s city commissioner on
 Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SethBluestein/status/1590132036874170369?s=20&amp;t=ccmwvF3WAlHo2DVy6CM1uA">debunked the false claims</a>
 that the video showed a polling site in his city. Nick Custodio, deputy
 commissioner with Philadelphia’s elections board, told the AP that 
Philadelphia does not use paper voting booths such as those shown in the
 video, and that the “I voted” stickers in the video also do not match 
those used in Philadelphia.

— Associated Press writers Arijeta 
Lajka and Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report with 
additional reporting from Amy Forliti in Minneapolis and Claudia Lauer 
in Philadelphia.

No voters turned away over Detroit absentee ballot glitch

CLAIM:
 Voters in Detroit were prevented from casting ballots on Election Day 
after officials mistakenly said they’d already voted by absentee ballot.

THE
 FACTS: No eligible voters were prevented from casting a ballot at 
Detroit polling locations that experienced the data glitch on Tuesday 
morning, state and city officials confirmed. As voters nationwide went 
to the polls, there was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-909279666c18777c44a9fad6754f3de7">heightened focus on voting problems and irregularities</a>.
 One of the places election watchers sounded the alarm early on was the 
battleground state of Michigan. “People are showing up to vote in 
Detroit only to be told that they already voted via absentee ballots and
 are being turned away,” wrote one Twitter user. “Citizens are being 
told they voted already absentee,” wrote Kristina Karamo, a Republican 
candidate for Michigan secretary of state, in widely shared posts on 
Twitter and Facebook. Former President Donald Trump also amplified the 
claims on Truth Social. But state and city officials said the issue 
stemmed from an election software problem and was quickly resolved 
without anyone being disenfranchised. Corwin Smidt, a political science 
professor at Michigan State University in East Lansing, said the 
situation demonstrated the voting system worked properly. “It certainly 
slowed down voting there, but the reasons for the slowdown were that the
 system caught an error, and that error was then fixed,” he wrote in an 
email. Liette Gidlow, a history professor at Wayne State University in 
Detroit who focuses on U.S. politics and voting rights, agreed. “Minor 
technical glitches are not unusual in any precinct because administering
 elections is a complex business,” she wrote in an email. Detroit’s 
elections department said the problem was caused by computer software 
used by election workers to check in voters as they entered the polling 
location. The agency said the program wrongly flagged some residents as 
having requested an absentee ballot, which would make them ineligible to
 cast a ballot in-person. Matthew Friedman, a department spokesperson, 
said the issue was resolved within an hour and all eligible residents 
were able to vote. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, whose 
office assisted the city in addressing the issue, also stressed that no 
voters were disenfranchised. “In all circumstances, eligible voters were
 able to vote,” <a href="https://twitter.com/MichSoS/status/1590133571175739394">the office said in a statement</a>.
 The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, which observed the 
voting process, said it spoke with multiple city election officials and 
was satisfied with the response. Spokespersons for Trump and Karamo did 
not respond to messages seeking comment.

— Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.

CLAIM: A Pennsylvania judge ruled that ballots received up until Nov. 14 will count in the 2022 midterm elections.

THE FACTS: Pennsylvania ballots, including mail-in and absentee ballots, <a href="https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx">must be received by county election offices</a>
 by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8, to be counted, according to the 
state’s Department of State. As voters went to the polls on Tuesday, 
misleading information about Pennsylvania’s vote-counting deadlines 
gained traction. “This just in: Pennsylvania Judge allows ballots to 
count that are received up until November 14th,” read one post. “This is
 unconstitutional.” The message, shared in several Instagram posts, is a
 screenshot of a tweet that was later deleted. The Twitter user who 
first posted it acknowledged in a follow-up that the information was 
incorrect. Existing law requires that Pennsylvania voters’ ballots be 
received by county election workers by Nov. 8, <a href="https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx">the Department of State explains</a>. Unlike <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-nov-8-2022">some other states</a>,
 Pennsylvania allots no extra time for mail-in ballots — what counts is 
the day the ballot actually made it to election officials, not when the 
ballot was postmarked. The Twitter user who first made the claim said in
 a follow-up post that the court case he was referring to was a recent 
decision by a Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court. However, the case in 
question has nothing to do with ballot submission deadlines. It 
concerned the cross-checking procedure that Pennsylvania uses to prevent
 duplicate votes from being counted, according to Kevin Feeley, 
spokesperson for the Philadelphia City Commissioners, which oversees 
elections in the city. The city had <a href="https://vote.phila.gov/media/Agenda_for_11_02_22.pdf">sought to delay that process</a>
 until after the initial ballot count, in an effort to get ballots 
counted more quickly. He said that no duplicate votes had been found in 
the last three elections. The court <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/philadelphia-poll-book-reconciliation-double-votes-court-ruling-20221107.html">granted the city the right to delay</a> the reconciliation process, but the judge in the case was “highly critical" of the idea, Feeley said. So the <a href="https://vote.phila.gov/media/Agenda-for-11-8-2022.pdf">City Commission opted Tuesday</a> to revert to doing reconciliation as usual. Feeley confirmed that the case did not mean voting can occur through Nov. 14.

—
 Associated Press writer Graph Massara in San Francisco contributed this
 report with additional reporting from Melissa Goldin in New York.

Large numbers of mailed ballots not evidence of election fraud

CLAIM: A candidate winning an election with a majority of mailed ballots is proof of fraud.

THE FACTS: There is no evidence that mail-in voting has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-voting-ee8dd4051a53b5e7471c8a6a2ca1b8f3">historically caused widespread voter fraud</a>, and fraud related to mail-in voting is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-voter-registration-government-and-politics-609866267baef89dd1513e7c9e2f7509">exceedingly rare,</a>
 the AP has reported. Some on social media have posited that if a 
candidate who receives a significant chunk of their votes through 
mail-in voting wins, their victory is inherently fraudulent. An 
Instagram post features results reporting that incumbent Kelly Skidmore,
 a Democrat, beat Dorcas Hernandez, a Republican, in the race for state 
representative in Florida’s 92nd House District. It shows Skidmore with 
57.51% of the vote, including 31,405 mailed ballots, and Hernandez with 
42.9% and 10,297 mailed ballots. “This is what textbook election theft 
via vote by mail ballot looks like,” the post states. The numbers in the
 Instagram post are from <a href="https://enr.electionsfl.org/PAL/3278/Reports/">the state’s unofficial results</a>,
 as published online by county boards of elections. However, the fact 
that some candidates are reported as having won after receiving a 
majority of mailed ballots does not prove election fraud. Claims that 
mail-in voting has caused widespread voter fraud in the past are 
unsubstantiated, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-voting-ee8dd4051a53b5e7471c8a6a2ca1b8f3">according to reporting by the AP.</a> After reviewing every potential case of voter fraud in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75">AP found far too few</a>
 to affect the outcome of the 2020 election. Additionally, an AP survey 
of state election officials across the U.S. found that the expanded use 
of drop boxes during the 2020 race did not lead to cases of fraud that 
could have impacted the results. Different states have different <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vopp-table-14-how-states-verify-voted-absentee.aspx">ballot verification protocols</a>, but all states <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-voter-registration-government-and-politics-609866267baef89dd1513e7c9e2f7509">vet mailed and absentee ballots.</a>
 Every state requires voters to sign their ballots. Some have additional
 precautions, like having bipartisan teams compare the signature on the 
ballot with one on file, requiring the signature on the ballot to be 
notarized or requiring a witness to sign the ballot. Other forms of 
verification can include requiring proof of voter registration, a copy 
of an ID, a driver’s license number or a Social Security number. Ballot 
security features and ballot sorting at election offices would help weed
 out any counterfeits. There are harsh penalties for voter fraud by 
mailed ballot, such as a fine, prison time or both.

— Associated Press writers Melissa Goldin and Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report.

Associated PressArizona officials correct false claims about ballot issuesCLAIM:
 When ballots were rejected by tabulators at some voting locations 
across Maricopa County on Election Day, an alternate solution for voters
 to drop ballots in a secure drop box onsite resulted in the ballots 
getting shredded, thrown in the trash, or marked for Democrats.THE
 FACTS: Ballots submitted in this way were counted just as absentee 
ballots or mail-in ballots are, according to county officials. They 
weren't discarded or altered. When a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-arizona-4e15278b82452878d6f6aa45b2984579">printing problem</a>
 caused tabulators to reject ballots in at least 70 of 223 polling sites
 in Arizona's largest county on Tuesday, county officials offered a few 
alternate solutions. Voters could wait and try another machine, cancel 
their vote and go to another vote center, or drop their ballot in a 
secure drop box referred to as “door 3” or “box 3.” Some social media 
user falsely claimed that using this drop box would allow county 
officials to rig those votes by manually changing them or discarding 
them. However, county elections department spokesperson Megan Gilbertson
 explained that ballots placed in these drop boxes were machine-counted 
at the central tabulation center in downtown Phoenix, just as all 
mail-in and absentee ballots are. At the end of the voting day, a 
bipartisan team collected all the voted ballots from voting centers, 
sealed them and transported them by truck to the tabulation center for 
counting. This is the same process used for early voting and is the same
 methodology used on Election Day by most counties, including Pima 
County and Yavapai County, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said 
in a statement Tuesday.— Associated Press writers Josh Kelety in Phoenix and Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report.___Clip shows poll worker in Wisconsin, not ‘cheating’ in PhiladelphiaCLAIM: Video shows masked man at polling site “cheating” in front of cameras in Philadelphia.THE
 FACTS: The video shows a poll worker in Madison, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.
 He was initialing ballots to be handed out to voters, a standard 
procedure mandated by state law, according to the county clerk. Social 
media users on Election Day distorted a clip of the Madison poll worker 
doing his job to falsely claim it showed election fraud in Philadelphia.
 The video, which aired on Fox News on Tuesday, shows a man wearing a 
cloth face mask flipping through ballots and writing on them. “Masked 
man cheating in front of the cameras on the mainstream media,” read a 
widely shared tweet with the video. But the original footage shows the 
video was filmed in Madison, not Pennsylvania. Immediately before Fox 
News showed the clip in Madison, the network showed the exterior of 
Philadelphia’s East Passyunk Community Center with a graphic labeling 
that location. The broadcast then showed the clip of the poll worker and
 changed the location in the label to Madison. Social media versions of 
the video cropped out the location. A reverse-image search of the 
building’s interior revealed that the clip was filmed at Olbrich 
Botanical Gardens in Madison, which served as a polling location for 
Tuesday’s election. Scott McDonell, the Dane County clerk, said the man 
is a poll worker, and the video shows him initialing ballots before they
 were handed out to voters. He was also circling the ward in which the 
ballots were issued. It’s part of the process of preparing the ballots 
for voters, McDonell said. Another poll worker also initialed the 
ballots before they were handed to voters. “You need to have those 
signatures to show that two people saw the blank ballot and handed it to
 the voter,” McDonell said. “This is a standard operating procedure. 
It’s done in public so that anyone can watch it. It’s mandated by state 
law. It’s a check and balance on the system.” Barry Burden, a University
 of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor and the director of 
the Elections Research Project, agreed that the video showed standard 
procedures for poll workers in Madison. <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/7">Wisconsin election law explains</a>
 that at polling places with paper ballots, two inspectors “shall write 
their initials on the back of each ballot and deliver to each elector as
 he or she enters the voting booth.” Philadelphia’s city commissioner on
 Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SethBluestein/status/1590132036874170369?s=20&amp;t=ccmwvF3WAlHo2DVy6CM1uA">debunked the false claims</a>
 that the video showed a polling site in his city. Nick Custodio, deputy
 commissioner with Philadelphia’s elections board, told the AP that 
Philadelphia does not use paper voting booths such as those shown in the
 video, and that the “I voted” stickers in the video also do not match 
those used in Philadelphia.— Associated Press writers Arijeta 
Lajka and Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report with 
additional reporting from Amy Forliti in Minneapolis and Claudia Lauer 
in Philadelphia.___No voters turned away over Detroit absentee ballot glitchCLAIM:
 Voters in Detroit were prevented from casting ballots on Election Day 
after officials mistakenly said they’d already voted by absentee ballot.THE
 FACTS: No eligible voters were prevented from casting a ballot at 
Detroit polling locations that experienced the data glitch on Tuesday 
morning, state and city officials confirmed. As voters nationwide went 
to the polls, there was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-909279666c18777c44a9fad6754f3de7">heightened focus on voting problems and irregularities</a>.
 One of the places election watchers sounded the alarm early on was the 
battleground state of Michigan. “People are showing up to vote in 
Detroit only to be told that they already voted via absentee ballots and
 are being turned away,” wrote one Twitter user. “Citizens are being 
told they voted already absentee,” wrote Kristina Karamo, a Republican 
candidate for Michigan secretary of state, in widely shared posts on 
Twitter and Facebook. Former President Donald Trump also amplified the 
claims on Truth Social. But state and city officials said the issue 
stemmed from an election software problem and was quickly resolved 
without anyone being disenfranchised. Corwin Smidt, a political science 
professor at Michigan State University in East Lansing, said the 
situation demonstrated the voting system worked properly. “It certainly 
slowed down voting there, but the reasons for the slowdown were that the
 system caught an error, and that error was then fixed,” he wrote in an 
email. Liette Gidlow, a history professor at Wayne State University in 
Detroit who focuses on U.S. politics and voting rights, agreed. “Minor 
technical glitches are not unusual in any precinct because administering
 elections is a complex business,” she wrote in an email. Detroit’s 
elections department said the problem was caused by computer software 
used by election workers to check in voters as they entered the polling 
location. The agency said the program wrongly flagged some residents as 
having requested an absentee ballot, which would make them ineligible to
 cast a ballot in-person. Matthew Friedman, a department spokesperson, 
said the issue was resolved within an hour and all eligible residents 
were able to vote. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, whose 
office assisted the city in addressing the issue, also stressed that no 
voters were disenfranchised. “In all circumstances, eligible voters were
 able to vote,” <a href="https://twitter.com/MichSoS/status/1590133571175739394">the office said in a statement</a>.
 The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, which observed the 
voting process, said it spoke with multiple city election officials and 
was satisfied with the response. Spokespersons for Trump and Karamo did 
not respond to messages seeking comment.— Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.___CLAIM: A Pennsylvania judge ruled that ballots received up until Nov. 14 will count in the 2022 midterm elections.THE FACTS: Pennsylvania ballots, including mail-in and absentee ballots, <a href="https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx">must be received by county election offices</a>
 by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8, to be counted, according to the 
state’s Department of State. As voters went to the polls on Tuesday, 
misleading information about Pennsylvania’s vote-counting deadlines 
gained traction. “This just in: Pennsylvania Judge allows ballots to 
count that are received up until November 14th,” read one post. “This is
 unconstitutional.” The message, shared in several Instagram posts, is a
 screenshot of a tweet that was later deleted. The Twitter user who 
first posted it acknowledged in a follow-up that the information was 
incorrect. Existing law requires that Pennsylvania voters’ ballots be 
received by county election workers by Nov. 8, <a href="https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx">the Department of State explains</a>. Unlike <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-nov-8-2022">some other states</a>,
 Pennsylvania allots no extra time for mail-in ballots — what counts is 
the day the ballot actually made it to election officials, not when the 
ballot was postmarked. The Twitter user who first made the claim said in
 a follow-up post that the court case he was referring to was a recent 
decision by a Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court. However, the case in 
question has nothing to do with ballot submission deadlines. It 
concerned the cross-checking procedure that Pennsylvania uses to prevent
 duplicate votes from being counted, according to Kevin Feeley, 
spokesperson for the Philadelphia City Commissioners, which oversees 
elections in the city. The city had <a href="https://vote.phila.gov/media/Agenda_for_11_02_22.pdf">sought to delay that process</a>
 until after the initial ballot count, in an effort to get ballots 
counted more quickly. He said that no duplicate votes had been found in 
the last three elections. The court <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/philadelphia-poll-book-reconciliation-double-votes-court-ruling-20221107.html">granted the city the right to delay</a> the reconciliation process, but the judge in the case was “highly critical" of the idea, Feeley said. So the <a href="https://vote.phila.gov/media/Agenda-for-11-8-2022.pdf">City Commission opted Tuesday</a> to revert to doing reconciliation as usual. Feeley confirmed that the case did not mean voting can occur through Nov. 14.—
 Associated Press writer Graph Massara in San Francisco contributed this
 report with additional reporting from Melissa Goldin in New York.___Large numbers of mailed ballots not evidence of election fraudCLAIM: A candidate winning an election with a majority of mailed ballots is proof of fraud.THE FACTS: There is no evidence that mail-in voting has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-voting-ee8dd4051a53b5e7471c8a6a2ca1b8f3">historically caused widespread voter fraud</a>, and fraud related to mail-in voting is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-voter-registration-government-and-politics-609866267baef89dd1513e7c9e2f7509">exceedingly rare,</a>
 the AP has reported. Some on social media have posited that if a 
candidate who receives a significant chunk of their votes through 
mail-in voting wins, their victory is inherently fraudulent. An 
Instagram post features results reporting that incumbent Kelly Skidmore,
 a Democrat, beat Dorcas Hernandez, a Republican, in the race for state 
representative in Florida’s 92nd House District. It shows Skidmore with 
57.51% of the vote, including 31,405 mailed ballots, and Hernandez with 
42.9% and 10,297 mailed ballots. “This is what textbook election theft 
via vote by mail ballot looks like,” the post states. The numbers in the
 Instagram post are from <a href="https://enr.electionsfl.org/PAL/3278/Reports/">the state’s unofficial results</a>,
 as published online by county boards of elections. However, the fact 
that some candidates are reported as having won after receiving a 
majority of mailed ballots does not prove election fraud. Claims that 
mail-in voting has caused widespread voter fraud in the past are 
unsubstantiated, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-voting-ee8dd4051a53b5e7471c8a6a2ca1b8f3">according to reporting by the AP.</a> After reviewing every potential case of voter fraud in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75">AP found far too few</a>
 to affect the outcome of the 2020 election. Additionally, an AP survey 
of state election officials across the U.S. found that the expanded use 
of drop boxes during the 2020 race did not lead to cases of fraud that 
could have impacted the results. Different states have different <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vopp-table-14-how-states-verify-voted-absentee.aspx">ballot verification protocols</a>, but all states <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-voter-registration-government-and-politics-609866267baef89dd1513e7c9e2f7509">vet mailed and absentee ballots.</a>
 Every state requires voters to sign their ballots. Some have additional
 precautions, like having bipartisan teams compare the signature on the 
ballot with one on file, requiring the signature on the ballot to be 
notarized or requiring a witness to sign the ballot. Other forms of 
verification can include requiring proof of voter registration, a copy 
of an ID, a driver’s license number or a Social Security number. Ballot 
security features and ballot sorting at election offices would help weed
 out any counterfeits. There are harsh penalties for voter fraud by 
mailed ballot, such as a fine, prison time or both.— Associated Press writers Melissa Goldin and Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report.

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

Instances of racial slurs have soared on <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-spacex-twitter-inc-technology-europe-30b55f9c3cbe64c0b98d0cfbe7ab5a9f">Twitter</a> since <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-0d3d4618a3f4631dfd253ae8798c5196">Elon Musk</a>
 purchased the influential platform, despite assurances from the 
platform that it had reduced hateful activity, a digital civil rights 
group reported Thursday.

Researchers at the <a href="https://counterhate.com/">Center for Countering Digital Hate</a> found that the number of tweets containing one of several different racial slurs soared in the week after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-timeline-e0b41992f178a5221dd0410321068eb2">Musk bought Twitter</a>.

A
 racial epithet used to attack Black people was found more than 26,000 
times, three times the average for 2022. Use of a slur that targets 
trans people increased 53%, while instances of an offensive term for 
homosexual men went up 39% over the yearly average.

Examples of offensive terms used to target Jews and Hispanics also increased.

All
 told, the researchers looked at nearly 80,000 English-language tweets 
and retweets from around the world that contained one of the offensive 
terms they searched for.

“The figures show that despite claims 
from Twitter’s Head of Trust and Safety, Yoel Roth, that the platform 
had succeeded in reducing the number of times hate speech was being seen
 on Twitter’s search and trending page, the actual volume of hateful 
tweets has spiked,” according to the analysis from the center, a 
nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom.

Roth <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-0d3d4618a3f4631dfd253ae8798c5196">resigned Thursday,</a> joining the large number of Twitter employees who have either resigned from Twitter or been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-business-layoffs-c0334da78b3af9faf2f43cf3f6e52ffa">laid off</a> since Musk took control.

A
 day before, Roth acknowledged the recent increase in hate speech on the
 site but said the platform had made significant progress in bringing 
the numbers down.

“We’ve put a stop to the spike in hateful 
conduct, but that the level of hateful activity on the service is now 
about 95% lower than it was before the acquisition,” Roth said in 
remarks broadcast live on Twitter. “Changes that we’ve made and the 
proactive enforcement that we carried out are making Twitter safer 
relative to where it was before.”

An executive confirmed Roth’s resignation to coworkers on an internal messaging board seen by The Associated Press on Thursday.

On
 Oct. 31, Twitter announced that 1,500 accounts had been removed for 
posting hate speech. The company also said it had greatly reduced the 
visibility of posts containing slurs, making them harder to find on the 
platform.

“We have actually seen hateful speech at times this week
 decline (asterisk)below(asterisk) our prior norms, contrary to what you
 may read in the press,” Musk tweeted last week.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-cbd873f1bd81fa4356b81f89c4c5ebed">Musk</a>
 has described himself as a free speech absolutist, and he is widely 
expected to revamp Twitter's content moderation policies. While he said 
no changes have been made so far, Musk has made <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-business-layoffs-c0334da78b3af9faf2f43cf3f6e52ffa">significant layoffs</a> at the company, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-dd4273dbda5b15343753f56c1f43a659">raising questions about its ability to police misinformation</a> and hate speech before Tuesday's midterm election.

It
 may take some time to accurately assess the platform's performance in 
the election and to determine whether Twitter has adopted a different 
strategy for content that violates its policies, said Renee DiResta, 
research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory.

“The civic 
integrity policy was unchanged,” DiResta said of Twitter under its new 
ownership. "Now, there is a difference between having a policy and 
enforcing a policy.”

Shortly after Musk purchased Twitter, some 
users posted hate speech, seemingly to test the boundaries of the 
platform under its new owner.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-elon-musk-technology-misinformation-nancy-pelosi-42c1a39e8df739065abd70c400240d84">Within just 12 hours of Musk’s purchase</a>
 being finalized, references to a specific racist epithet used to demean
 Black people shot up by 500%, according to an analysis conducted by the
 Network Contagion Research Institute, a Princeton, New Jersey-based 
firm that tracks disinformation.

Twitter did not immediately respond Thursday to messages seeking comment on the findings of the new report.

Associated PressInstances of racial slurs have soared on <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-spacex-twitter-inc-technology-europe-30b55f9c3cbe64c0b98d0cfbe7ab5a9f">Twitter</a> since <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-0d3d4618a3f4631dfd253ae8798c5196">Elon Musk</a>
 purchased the influential platform, despite assurances from the 
platform that it had reduced hateful activity, a digital civil rights 
group reported Thursday.Researchers at the <a href="https://counterhate.com/">Center for Countering Digital Hate</a> found that the number of tweets containing one of several different racial slurs soared in the week after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-timeline-e0b41992f178a5221dd0410321068eb2">Musk bought Twitter</a>.A
 racial epithet used to attack Black people was found more than 26,000 
times, three times the average for 2022. Use of a slur that targets 
trans people increased 53%, while instances of an offensive term for 
homosexual men went up 39% over the yearly average.Examples of offensive terms used to target Jews and Hispanics also increased.All
 told, the researchers looked at nearly 80,000 English-language tweets 
and retweets from around the world that contained one of the offensive 
terms they searched for.“The figures show that despite claims 
from Twitter’s Head of Trust and Safety, Yoel Roth, that the platform 
had succeeded in reducing the number of times hate speech was being seen
 on Twitter’s search and trending page, the actual volume of hateful 
tweets has spiked,” according to the analysis from the center, a 
nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom.Roth <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-0d3d4618a3f4631dfd253ae8798c5196">resigned Thursday,</a> joining the large number of Twitter employees who have either resigned from Twitter or been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-business-layoffs-c0334da78b3af9faf2f43cf3f6e52ffa">laid off</a> since Musk took control.A
 day before, Roth acknowledged the recent increase in hate speech on the
 site but said the platform had made significant progress in bringing 
the numbers down.“We’ve put a stop to the spike in hateful 
conduct, but that the level of hateful activity on the service is now 
about 95% lower than it was before the acquisition,” Roth said in 
remarks broadcast live on Twitter. “Changes that we’ve made and the 
proactive enforcement that we carried out are making Twitter safer 
relative to where it was before.”An executive confirmed Roth’s resignation to coworkers on an internal messaging board seen by The Associated Press on Thursday.On
 Oct. 31, Twitter announced that 1,500 accounts had been removed for 
posting hate speech. The company also said it had greatly reduced the 
visibility of posts containing slurs, making them harder to find on the 
platform.“We have actually seen hateful speech at times this week
 decline (asterisk)below(asterisk) our prior norms, contrary to what you
 may read in the press,” Musk tweeted last week.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-cbd873f1bd81fa4356b81f89c4c5ebed">Musk</a>
 has described himself as a free speech absolutist, and he is widely 
expected to revamp Twitter's content moderation policies. While he said 
no changes have been made so far, Musk has made <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-business-layoffs-c0334da78b3af9faf2f43cf3f6e52ffa">significant layoffs</a> at the company, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-dd4273dbda5b15343753f56c1f43a659">raising questions about its ability to police misinformation</a> and hate speech before Tuesday's midterm election.It
 may take some time to accurately assess the platform's performance in 
the election and to determine whether Twitter has adopted a different 
strategy for content that violates its policies, said Renee DiResta, 
research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory.“The civic 
integrity policy was unchanged,” DiResta said of Twitter under its new 
ownership. "Now, there is a difference between having a policy and 
enforcing a policy.”Shortly after Musk purchased Twitter, some 
users posted hate speech, seemingly to test the boundaries of the 
platform under its new owner.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-elon-musk-technology-misinformation-nancy-pelosi-42c1a39e8df739065abd70c400240d84">Within just 12 hours of Musk’s purchase</a>
 being finalized, references to a specific racist epithet used to demean
 Black people shot up by 500%, according to an analysis conducted by the
 Network Contagion Research Institute, a Princeton, New Jersey-based 
firm that tracks disinformation.Twitter did not immediately respond Thursday to messages seeking comment on the findings of the new report.

Report: Tweets with racial slurs soar since Musk takeover

BERLIN
 (AP) — KFC has apologized for accidentally sending an automated push 
alert to its app users in Germany that appeared to urge people to order 
food to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-germany-europe-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-04718e1a2ffd6ce701e9c15871d34a2e">commemorate the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht</a> — the “Night of Broken Glass” — when Nazis terrorized Jews throughout Germany and Austria.

The
 company faced an outcry for the alert that went out Wednesday at a time
 when Jewish groups are warning of rising antisemitism. According to 
screenshots shared online, the app alert said, “Memorial day for the 
Reich pogrom night. Treat yourself to more tender cheese on your crispy 
chicken. Now at KFCheese!”

KFC Germany said the notification was an “unplanned, insensitive and unacceptable message and for this we sincerely apologize."

“We
 use a semi-automated content creation process linked to calendars that 
include national observances. In this instance, our internal review 
process was not properly followed, resulting in a non-approved 
notification being shared," the company said in a statement Thursday.

The
 chicken chain says it's halted app communications and is reviewing its 
policies to avoid similar notifications in the future, adding that “we 
understand and respect the gravity and history of this day, and remain 
committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for all."

The 
notification led to outcry from Jewish groups, with Dalia Grinfeld, 
associate director of European affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, <a href="https://twitter.com/DaliaGrinfeld/status/1590337407135625217">tweeting in German</a>: “How wrong can you get on Reich pogrom night, @KFCDeutschland (@kfc)?! Shame on you!”

The
 alert came on the anniversary of Nov. 9, 1938, when the Nazis, among 
them many ordinary Germans, killed at least 91 people and vandalized 
7,500 Jewish businesses during Kristallnacht pogroms across Germany and 
Austria. They also burned more than 1,400 synagogues, according to 
Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. In Germany, the event is more 
commonly known as Reich pogrom night.

To mark the day, Holocaust survivors from around the world <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClaimsConference/videos/894562671517046/">warned about the reemergence of antisemitism</a> in a campaign called #ItStartedWithWords. Jewish groups say attacks and incidents of bias and hate speech have been rising.

Brands have recently cut ties with celebrities over antisemitic comments, including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kanye-west-europe-business-germany-c91f86580521fa81920b4f69e100f6ec">German sportswear company Adidas</a> and others with the <a href="https://apnews.com/7425f65ea39f7bbdd02d0e033d9be4b8">rapper formerly known as Kanye West</a> and Nike with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-kyrie-irving-racial-injustice-972e41eed3debbd9a548433c78227f05">NBA player Kyrie Irving</a>.

BERLIN
 (AP) — KFC has apologized for accidentally sending an automated push 
alert to its app users in Germany that appeared to urge people to order 
food to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-germany-europe-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-04718e1a2ffd6ce701e9c15871d34a2e">commemorate the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht</a> — the “Night of Broken Glass” — when Nazis terrorized Jews throughout Germany and Austria.The
 company faced an outcry for the alert that went out Wednesday at a time
 when Jewish groups are warning of rising antisemitism. According to 
screenshots shared online, the app alert said, “Memorial day for the 
Reich pogrom night. Treat yourself to more tender cheese on your crispy 
chicken. Now at KFCheese!”KFC Germany said the notification was an “unplanned, insensitive and unacceptable message and for this we sincerely apologize."“We
 use a semi-automated content creation process linked to calendars that 
include national observances. In this instance, our internal review 
process was not properly followed, resulting in a non-approved 
notification being shared," the company said in a statement Thursday.The
 chicken chain says it's halted app communications and is reviewing its 
policies to avoid similar notifications in the future, adding that “we 
understand and respect the gravity and history of this day, and remain 
committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for all."The 
notification led to outcry from Jewish groups, with Dalia Grinfeld, 
associate director of European affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, <a href="https://twitter.com/DaliaGrinfeld/status/1590337407135625217">tweeting in German</a>: “How wrong can you get on Reich pogrom night, @KFCDeutschland (@kfc)?! Shame on you!”The
 alert came on the anniversary of Nov. 9, 1938, when the Nazis, among 
them many ordinary Germans, killed at least 91 people and vandalized 
7,500 Jewish businesses during Kristallnacht pogroms across Germany and 
Austria. They also burned more than 1,400 synagogues, according to 
Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. In Germany, the event is more 
commonly known as Reich pogrom night.To mark the day, Holocaust survivors from around the world <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClaimsConference/videos/894562671517046/">warned about the reemergence of antisemitism</a> in a campaign called #ItStartedWithWords. Jewish groups say attacks and incidents of bias and hate speech have been rising.Brands have recently cut ties with celebrities over antisemitic comments, including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kanye-west-europe-business-germany-c91f86580521fa81920b4f69e100f6ec">German sportswear company Adidas</a> and others with the <a href="https://apnews.com/7425f65ea39f7bbdd02d0e033d9be4b8">rapper formerly known as Kanye West</a> and Nike with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-kyrie-irving-racial-injustice-972e41eed3debbd9a548433c78227f05">NBA player Kyrie Irving</a>.

KFC apologizes for app alert urging orders for Kristallnacht

I don’t know about you, but personally, I have a love-hate relationship with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

I mean, don’t get me wrong—it seems pretty great at first: belly full of stuffing, new fall trends on sale, Christmas shopping done early, decompressing after too much time with that one relative . . .&nbsp;

But what’s wrong with this picture? For one, you probably weren’t considering the obvious risks of holiday impulsive shopping, not to mention slick marketing tactics and bad spending habits. Half the time I feel like I’ve outsmarted this consumer-culture phenomenon, and the other half . . . Well, like a wise little league baseball coach once said: You can’t win ‘em all, kid.

We’ve all made our share of shopping mistakes on that fateful weekend after Thanksgiving, but not this year, my friends. Today, I’m sharing six money-saving tips that will make these sales work for&nbsp;you, not the other way around.&nbsp;

Boom! There you have it. Six steps that set you up for spending (and saving) success. Let’s make sure you and I both have no regrets (or “no ragrets” for fans of&nbsp;We’re the Millers) this shopping season. And if you’re looking for more Black Friday shopping tips, check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/7-ways-to-stay-sane-black-friday">this article</a>&nbsp;from my friend Rachel Cruze.

Bonus Challenge:&nbsp;Make it a social affair! Send this article to someone you wouldn’t mind tackling Black Friday and Cyber Monday with. And who knows, maybe your chosen sidekick will have their own strategies to share. No gatekeeping here, folks!

George Kamel&nbsp;is a personal finance expert with a countercultural approach to money. He’s the host of The Fine Print podcast and The EntreLeadership Podcast on the Ramsey Network. Since 2013, George has served at Ramsey Solutions, where his goal is to help people spend less, save more, and avoid consumer traps so they can make the most of their money. Follow George on<a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeKamel?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/georgekamel/?hl=en">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGeorgeKamel">Facebook</a>&nbsp;or find out more about him online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/personalities">ramseysolutions.com/personalities</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636603961231.jpeg" alt="George Kamel&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>George Kamel&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By GEORGE KAMELI don’t know about you, but personally, I have a love-hate relationship with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.I mean, don’t get me wrong—it seems pretty great at first: belly full of stuffing, new fall trends on sale, Christmas shopping done early, decompressing after too much time with that one relative . . .&nbsp;But what’s wrong with this picture? For one, you probably weren’t considering the obvious risks of holiday impulsive shopping, not to mention slick marketing tactics and bad spending habits. Half the time I feel like I’ve outsmarted this consumer-culture phenomenon, and the other half . . . Well, like a wise little league baseball coach once said: You can’t win ‘em all, kid.We’ve all made our share of shopping mistakes on that fateful weekend after Thanksgiving, but not this year, my friends. Today, I’m sharing six money-saving tips that will make these sales work for&nbsp;you, not the other way around.&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Choose budgeting over browsing.&nbsp;Yep, you already knew this one was coming. And sure, this may seem like overkill for one tiny weekend of shopping, but the truth is: Structure sets us free. Just like your monthly budget puts you back in control of your money, making a Black Friday budget gives you the freedom to decide how much you spend on who and what (and when and where and why).</li><li>Map it out.&nbsp;Most of my Black Friday and Cyber Monday fails have happened because I didn’t have a strategy ahead of time. After you’ve listed your buying goals in the budget, decide which stores and sites should take priority. Will you shop for big-ticket items only? Will you buy gifts for others first, then make personal purchases second? Do what makes sense (and what you can afford), then stick to the plan.</li><li>Flag your favorite emails.&nbsp;We all know there are an obnoxious amount of ad emails coming your way as the big weekend approaches. That marketer’s mama didn’t raise no fool! But you can take the power back by starring the ones you’re interested in and deleting the ones you’re not. This way, you won’t be tempted to click, scroll and buy before the sales even begin. Take inventory now, and revisit your flagged favorites after you’ve had some turkey and time to process.</li><li>Shop for quality over quantity.&nbsp;On this iconic weekend of spending, lots of deals are going to seem epic. But before you buy into every offer you see, use “quality over quantity” as your centering mantra. Go ahead, take a cleansing breath and repeat after me: “Namaste&nbsp;away&nbsp;from pointless purchases.” You do not need 47 candles from Bath &amp; Body Works. You may, however, want to restock your fancy shampoo while it’s on mega sale.</li><li>Use the two-year rule.&nbsp;Buyer’s rush feels great in the moment, but you want to be wise about the future. Ask yourself,Two years from now, will I still be enjoying this purchase?&nbsp;If the answer is no, you may want to reconsider.</li><li>Debt is always a no.&nbsp;No matter where you find yourself in your financial journey, Black Friday and Cyber Monday shouldn’t reverse your progress. That cozy cashmere sweater is tempting as cooler temperatures creep in, but it’s going to get ugly real fast when the new year also brings with it a new credit card bill. Turns out you can still go broke while “saving” money. So, whatever you do, don’t convince yourself you’re saving if you’re actually spending and going into more debt.</li>
 </ol>Boom! There you have it. Six steps that set you up for spending (and saving) success. Let’s make sure you and I both have no regrets (or “no ragrets” for fans of&nbsp;We’re the Millers) this shopping season. And if you’re looking for more Black Friday shopping tips, check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/7-ways-to-stay-sane-black-friday">this article</a>&nbsp;from my friend Rachel Cruze.Bonus Challenge:&nbsp;Make it a social affair! Send this article to someone you wouldn’t mind tackling Black Friday and Cyber Monday with. And who knows, maybe your chosen sidekick will have their own strategies to share. No gatekeeping here, folks!George Kamel&nbsp;is a personal finance expert with a countercultural approach to money. He’s the host of The Fine Print podcast and The EntreLeadership Podcast on the Ramsey Network. Since 2013, George has served at Ramsey Solutions, where his goal is to help people spend less, save more, and avoid consumer traps so they can make the most of their money. Follow George on<a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeKamel?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/georgekamel/?hl=en">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGeorgeKamel">Facebook</a>&nbsp;or find out more about him online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/personalities">ramseysolutions.com/personalities</a>.

KAMEL: Making the most out of Black Friday, Cyber Monday marketing schemes

The singer and Hays PD continue light-hearted jabs in latest round.

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHaysPD%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0fvepjnPBXV6TUwtTAK2zmDBoAmaht9RaLjR3She1Bmy2PHvazyHiquAaym4wGBml&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="505" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The singer and Hays PD continue light-hearted jabs in latest round.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHaysPD%2Fposts%2Fpfbid033gLoPaAuoHW3JviBsM4zuXiRqMYeL5YhA1D6doMVUoVCQRdTNwTADxuoyTqzV3Psl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="521" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Ward Davis: Back on the Hays PD Facebook page

By STEFAN SZYMANSKI <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-maradonas-hand-of-god-goal-is-priceless-and-unforgettable-193760">The Conversation</a>

Football has “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLsFSsHnoxM">The Catch</a>,” baseball has “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrI7dVj90zs">The Shot Heard ‘Round the World</a>,” and basketball has “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zd62MxKXp8">The Block</a>.”

For soccer, it is Diego Maradona’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq0P03i4L-w">Hand of God</a>” – a sporting moment captured in time, the mere mention of which can conjure up strong emotions among supporters.

Such is its legacy, that some 36 years after bouncing into the back of the net, the soccer ball involved is set to be <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/football/diego-maradona-ball-auction-spt-intl">sold at auction on Nov. 16, 2022</a>, at an expected price of up to US$3.3 million.

So why does this goal, which should not even have been a goal, carry so much significance? As an <a href="https://www.kines.umich.edu/directory/stefan-szymanski">economist who studies sport</a>,
 I’ve long believed that you have to grasp the cultural significance to 
understand the financial dimension of sports. This goal was one of 
soccer’s most iconic events for a number of reasons.

The goal in question was scored by Argentinian great Maradona against
 England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup. It was the second 
half, no goals had been scored, and Argentina’s team was passing the 
ball around the edge of the England penalty box.

England midfielder Steve Hodge tried to clear the ball but only 
succeeded in kicking high above the goalkeeper. Normally one would 
expect the goalkeeper to catch it, especially against the 5-foot-5-inch 
Maradona. But somehow the ball ended up in the back of the net.

At first, it seemed that Maradona had headed the ball, but replays 
clearly showed him steering the ball with his clenched fist. This was 
three decades before the use of <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/news/1293321">video assistant referee</a>,
 or VAR, in soccer. There was no way to review. The referee’s vision was
 blocked, and he looked to the linesman for guidance – but the linesman 
saw nothing wrong, and the goal was allowed to stand.

Speaking after the game, Maradona told reporters that the goal was 
scored “un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de 
Dios,” or in the English translation, “a little with the head of 
Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” The phrase stuck, and with 
it the legend of the goal.

The Argentina team of 1986 was not a great team. Rather, it was an 
average team combined with the greatest player in the world at the time,
 and many would say the <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/diego-maradona-greatest-player-time-23086411">most talented footballer ever to grace a pitch</a>.

England were probably a better team if you took Maradona out of the game. So that is what <a href="https://www.givemesport.com/1807805-diego-maradona-viral-video-of-england-fouling-him-in-hand-of-god-game-is-eyeopening">England’s defenders tried to do</a>:
 shut him out by fair means or foul. England’s plan was to make it the 
responsibility of almost every player on the field to track him and try 
to stop him from advancing. They tried, but it was impossible.

Four minutes after the first goal, Maradona took the ball and at 
lightning pace skipped past three defenders and the England goalkeeper 
to score again. The goal was voted “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da_CDPRG2j0">the goal of the [20th] century</a>” in a 2002 FIFA poll.

Argentina would go on to win the final in what is still known as “Maradona’s World Cup.”

3. No, it’s all about Argentina’s revenge!

There was no escaping <a href="https://theconversation.com/maradona-why-the-english-cant-let-go-of-the-hand-of-god-and-latin-americans-love-it-151011">the political context</a> of the game – or the goal. In 1982, <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-short-history-of-the-falklands-conflict">Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands</a>,
 or Las Malvinas – the name you use determines your allegiance – a 
British overseas territory some 300 miles off the Argentinian coast.

The islands had been occupied by the British since 1833, and former 
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher cemented her image as “The Iron Lady” 
by <a href="https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/sovereignty-since-the-ceasefire-the-falklands-40-years-on/#:%7E:text=The%20Falkland%20Islands%20has%20a,which%20calls%20them%20Las%20Malvinas.">sending a military task force 8,000 miles</a>
 across the Atlantic to recapture the islands. The U.K. claimed its 
primary motivation was respecting the self-determination of the 
islanders, but <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc041686576e854f22e81a85c95c7951">valuable fishing rights</a> and a seat at the table in the administration of the Antarctic were also at stake. Among the neutrals, there was <a href="https://press.un.org/en/2015/gaspd580.doc.htm">considerable sympathy for the Argentine cause</a> in what seemed like an anachronistic act of colonial imperialism by the British.

The humiliation for Argentinian generals likely <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/falklands-defeat-ended-generals-plan-for-30-year-junta-mqddljchzx3">hastened the end of the military dictatorship</a>
 and the restoration of democracy in Argentina. But it bred resentment 
against the English – Argentinians believe in their heart that Las 
Malvinas belong to them, not to Britain – and that colored the build-up 
to the 1986 game, as <a href="https://hir.harvard.edu/from-defending-islands-to-defending-the-soccer-pitch-history-of-the-1986-england-argentina-world-cup/#:%7E:text=In%20his%20memoir%2C%20Yo%20Soy,%2C%20the%20survivors.%E2%80%9D%20Maradona's%20memoir">Maradona later recalled</a> in his memoir “Yo Soy El Diego,” or “I Am The Diego:”

“Somehow we blamed the English players for everything that had 
happened, for everything that the Argentinian people had suffered … we 
were defending our flag, the dead kids, the survivors.”

4. OK, it’s because Diego Maradona really is the GOAT

Few players have stamped their presence on a World Cup quite like 
Maradona. His performance in the England game stands as a memorial to 
his greatness, and the phrase “Hand of God” neatly puts his name in the 
same sentence as divinity. It wasn’t a one-off – the entire tournament 
became a showground for his outrageous skill – and he fittingly raised 
the trophy at the end.

But Maradona – who died in 2020 at age 60 – was also a troubled genius. A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/sports/soccer/diego-maradona-dead.html">child of the slums of Buenos Aires</a>,
 he never lost the anxiety that he would not receive his due. He became 
addicted to drugs – potentially as a result of all the painkillers he 
needed to keep playing in an era in which defenders were prone to 
bone-crunching tackles – and <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/09/26/how-cocaine-fame-and-the-mafia-destroyed-diego-maradona/">struggled with cocaine</a>.

He was frequently <a href="https://www.dailybreeze.com/2014/08/11/argentine-soccer-player-diego-maradona-slaps-reporters-face-outside-theater/">abusive toward the media</a>, was <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/diego-maradona-accused-violence-partner-25124560">accused of assaulting one girlfriend</a>, and he was alleged to have <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/09/26/how-cocaine-fame-and-the-mafia-destroyed-diego-maradona/">close connections to the mafia</a>.

But for most soccer enthusiasts, none of this really detracts from his greatness as a player.

There are simply some players – a very small number indeed – whose 
story transcends right and wrong and whose acts are forever remembered 
like the heroes of ancient Greek epics. Maradona is one such player. 
Like Achilles or Odysseus, his name will live on, remembered in the 
“Hand of God” goal.

Stefan Szymanski is a Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ccNkksrfls"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By STEFAN SZYMANSKI <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-maradonas-hand-of-god-goal-is-priceless-and-unforgettable-193760">The Conversation</a>Football has “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLsFSsHnoxM">The Catch</a>,” baseball has “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrI7dVj90zs">The Shot Heard ‘Round the World</a>,” and basketball has “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zd62MxKXp8">The Block</a>.” For soccer, it is Diego Maradona’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq0P03i4L-w">Hand of God</a>” – a sporting moment captured in time, the mere mention of which can conjure up strong emotions among supporters.Such is its legacy, that some 36 years after bouncing into the back of the net, the soccer ball involved is set to be <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/football/diego-maradona-ball-auction-spt-intl">sold at auction on Nov. 16, 2022</a>, at an expected price of up to US$3.3 million.So why does this goal, which should not even have been a goal, carry so much significance? As an <a href="https://www.kines.umich.edu/directory/stefan-szymanski">economist who studies sport</a>,
 I’ve long believed that you have to grasp the cultural significance to 
understand the financial dimension of sports. This goal was one of 
soccer’s most iconic events for a number of reasons.<h2>1. It’s about the controversy</h2>The goal in question was scored by Argentinian great Maradona against
 England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup. It was the second 
half, no goals had been scored, and Argentina’s team was passing the 
ball around the edge of the England penalty box.England midfielder Steve Hodge tried to clear the ball but only 
succeeded in kicking high above the goalkeeper. Normally one would 
expect the goalkeeper to catch it, especially against the 5-foot-5-inch 
Maradona. But somehow the ball ended up in the back of the net.At first, it seemed that Maradona had headed the ball, but replays 
clearly showed him steering the ball with his clenched fist. This was 
three decades before the use of <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/news/1293321">video assistant referee</a>,
 or VAR, in soccer. There was no way to review. The referee’s vision was
 blocked, and he looked to the linesman for guidance – but the linesman 
saw nothing wrong, and the goal was allowed to stand.Speaking after the game, Maradona told reporters that the goal was 
scored “un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de 
Dios,” or in the English translation, “a little with the head of 
Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” The phrase stuck, and with 
it the legend of the goal.<h2>2. It’s really about that second goal</h2>The Argentina team of 1986 was not a great team. Rather, it was an 
average team combined with the greatest player in the world at the time,
 and many would say the <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/diego-maradona-greatest-player-time-23086411">most talented footballer ever to grace a pitch</a>. <figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1wVho3I0NtU"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>England were probably a better team if you took Maradona out of the game. So that is what <a href="https://www.givemesport.com/1807805-diego-maradona-viral-video-of-england-fouling-him-in-hand-of-god-game-is-eyeopening">England’s defenders tried to do</a>:
 shut him out by fair means or foul. England’s plan was to make it the 
responsibility of almost every player on the field to track him and try 
to stop him from advancing. They tried, but it was impossible.Four minutes after the first goal, Maradona took the ball and at 
lightning pace skipped past three defenders and the England goalkeeper 
to score again. The goal was voted “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da_CDPRG2j0">the goal of the [20th] century</a>” in a 2002 FIFA poll.Argentina would go on to win the final in what is still known as “Maradona’s World Cup.”<h2>3. No, it’s all about Argentina’s revenge!</h2>There was no escaping <a href="https://theconversation.com/maradona-why-the-english-cant-let-go-of-the-hand-of-god-and-latin-americans-love-it-151011">the political context</a> of the game – or the goal. In 1982, <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-short-history-of-the-falklands-conflict">Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands</a>,
 or Las Malvinas – the name you use determines your allegiance – a 
British overseas territory some 300 miles off the Argentinian coast.The islands had been occupied by the British since 1833, and former 
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher cemented her image as “The Iron Lady” 
by <a href="https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/sovereignty-since-the-ceasefire-the-falklands-40-years-on/#:%7E:text=The%20Falkland%20Islands%20has%20a,which%20calls%20them%20Las%20Malvinas.">sending a military task force 8,000 miles</a>
 across the Atlantic to recapture the islands. The U.K. claimed its 
primary motivation was respecting the self-determination of the 
islanders, but <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc041686576e854f22e81a85c95c7951">valuable fishing rights</a> and a seat at the table in the administration of the Antarctic were also at stake. Among the neutrals, there was <a href="https://press.un.org/en/2015/gaspd580.doc.htm">considerable sympathy for the Argentine cause</a> in what seemed like an anachronistic act of colonial imperialism by the British.The humiliation for Argentinian generals likely <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/falklands-defeat-ended-generals-plan-for-30-year-junta-mqddljchzx3">hastened the end of the military dictatorship</a>
 and the restoration of democracy in Argentina. But it bred resentment 
against the English – Argentinians believe in their heart that Las 
Malvinas belong to them, not to Britain – and that colored the build-up 
to the 1986 game, as <a href="https://hir.harvard.edu/from-defending-islands-to-defending-the-soccer-pitch-history-of-the-1986-england-argentina-world-cup/#:%7E:text=In%20his%20memoir%2C%20Yo%20Soy,%2C%20the%20survivors.%E2%80%9D%20Maradona's%20memoir">Maradona later recalled</a> in his memoir “Yo Soy El Diego,” or “I Am The Diego:”“Somehow we blamed the English players for everything that had 
happened, for everything that the Argentinian people had suffered … we 
were defending our flag, the dead kids, the survivors.”<h2>4. OK, it’s because Diego Maradona really is the GOAT</h2>Few players have stamped their presence on a World Cup quite like 
Maradona. His performance in the England game stands as a memorial to 
his greatness, and the phrase “Hand of God” neatly puts his name in the 
same sentence as divinity. It wasn’t a one-off – the entire tournament 
became a showground for his outrageous skill – and he fittingly raised 
the trophy at the end.But Maradona – who died in 2020 at age 60 – was also a troubled genius. A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/sports/soccer/diego-maradona-dead.html">child of the slums of Buenos Aires</a>,
 he never lost the anxiety that he would not receive his due. He became 
addicted to drugs – potentially as a result of all the painkillers he 
needed to keep playing in an era in which defenders were prone to 
bone-crunching tackles – and <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/09/26/how-cocaine-fame-and-the-mafia-destroyed-diego-maradona/">struggled with cocaine</a>. He was frequently <a href="https://www.dailybreeze.com/2014/08/11/argentine-soccer-player-diego-maradona-slaps-reporters-face-outside-theater/">abusive toward the media</a>, was <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/diego-maradona-accused-violence-partner-25124560">accused of assaulting one girlfriend</a>, and he was alleged to have <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/09/26/how-cocaine-fame-and-the-mafia-destroyed-diego-maradona/">close connections to the mafia</a>.But for most soccer enthusiasts, none of this really detracts from his greatness as a player.There are simply some players – a very small number indeed – whose 
story transcends right and wrong and whose acts are forever remembered 
like the heroes of ancient Greek epics. Maradona is one such player. 
Like Achilles or Odysseus, his name will live on, remembered in the 
“Hand of God” goal.Stefan Szymanski is a Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan
 <div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193760/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

🎥 Why Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal is priceless – and unforgettable

NEW YORK (AP) — The swift collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX 
sent more shockwaves through the crypto world on Thursday, with 
authorities now investigating the firm for potential securities 
violations and analysts bracing for a further downturn in crypto prices.

FTX
 had agreed earlier this week to sell itself to bigger rival Binance 
after experiencing the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run. 
Customers fled the exchange after becoming concerned about whether FTX 
had sufficient capital.

A person familiar with matter said that 
the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are
 examining FTX to determine whether any criminal activity or securities 
offenses were committed. The person could not discuss details of the 
investigations publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition 
of anonymity.

This week's developments marked a shocking turn of 
events for FTX CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was hailed as 
somewhat of a savior earlier this year when he helped shore up a number 
of cryptocurrency companies that ran into financial trouble.

The 
investigation into Bankman-Fried and FTX by those in the crypto world as
 well as securities regulators is centering on the possibility that the 
firm may have used customers’ deposits to fund bets at Bankman-Fried’s 
hedge fund, Alameda Research. In traditional markets, brokers are 
expected to separate client funds from other company assets. Violations 
can be punished by regulators.

Meanwhile, investors in popular 
digital currencies got some relief from the latest crypto crisis 
Thursday after days of selling. Bitcoin rose to $17,691 after dropping 
as low as $15,512 on Wednesday. Ethereum rose 12%. The gains came after a
 government report showing inflation cooled a bit last month gave a lift
 to riskier assets.

The crypto world had hoped that Binance, the 
world's largest crypto exchange, might be able to rescue FTX and its 
depositors. However, after Binance had a chance to look at the books of 
FTX, it became clear that the smaller exchange's problems were too big 
to solve.

A person familiar with the dealings between FTX and 
Binance described the books as a “black hole” where it was impossible to
 differentiate between the assets and liabilities of FTX the exchange 
and those of Alameda Research. This person spoke on condition of 
anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the 
matter.

This person said Bankman-Fried committed the “ultimate sin” by tapping into FTX's custodial assets to fund Alameda Research.

In
 a further illustration of FTX’s financial straits, Bankman-Fried asked 
his investors Wednesday for $8 billion to cover withdrawal requests, 
according to The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources.

In a
 series of Tweets on Thursday, the FTX founder and CEO said that he did 
not have enough liquidity to cover withdrawals and that he was more 
leveraged than he had thought.

“I f(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)ed up, and should have done better,” he said.

The
 latest crisis in the crypto industry prompted renewed calls for 
stricter regulation. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said
 the FTX developments "highlights why prudent regulation of 
cryptocurrencies is indeed needed. The White House, along with the 
relevant agencies, will again closely monitor the situation as it 
develops.”

The collapse of the cryptocurrency’s third largest 
exchange is likely to cause further disruption across the entire crypto 
world, analysts say, meaning Thursday's rally could be temporary.

"The
 unwinding of FTX, as well as its shock of confidence to the system, 
will cause crypto prices to fall even further leading to “a new cascade 
of margin calls,” said analysts at J.P. Morgan in a note to investors. 
This would be similar to the selloff that happened after the collapse of
 the stable coin Terra earlier this year, where prices continued to 
decline weeks after its failure.

“This deleveraging is likely to 
last for at least a few weeks unless a rescue for Alameda Research and 
FTX is agreed quickly,” J.P. Morgan analysts wrote.

The crypto 
industry is waiting to see what other companies are impacted by the FTX 
collapse. The venture capital fund Sequoia Capital said Thursday it is 
writing down its entire $150 million investment in FTX.

NEW YORK (AP) — The swift collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX 
sent more shockwaves through the crypto world on Thursday, with 
authorities now investigating the firm for potential securities 
violations and analysts bracing for a further downturn in crypto prices.FTX
 had agreed earlier this week to sell itself to bigger rival Binance 
after experiencing the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run. 
Customers fled the exchange after becoming concerned about whether FTX 
had sufficient capital.A person familiar with matter said that 
the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are
 examining FTX to determine whether any criminal activity or securities 
offenses were committed. The person could not discuss details of the 
investigations publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition 
of anonymity.This week's developments marked a shocking turn of 
events for FTX CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was hailed as 
somewhat of a savior earlier this year when he helped shore up a number 
of cryptocurrency companies that ran into financial trouble.The 
investigation into Bankman-Fried and FTX by those in the crypto world as
 well as securities regulators is centering on the possibility that the 
firm may have used customers’ deposits to fund bets at Bankman-Fried’s 
hedge fund, Alameda Research. In traditional markets, brokers are 
expected to separate client funds from other company assets. Violations 
can be punished by regulators.Meanwhile, investors in popular 
digital currencies got some relief from the latest crypto crisis 
Thursday after days of selling. Bitcoin rose to $17,691 after dropping 
as low as $15,512 on Wednesday. Ethereum rose 12%. The gains came after a
 government report showing inflation cooled a bit last month gave a lift
 to riskier assets.The crypto world had hoped that Binance, the 
world's largest crypto exchange, might be able to rescue FTX and its 
depositors. However, after Binance had a chance to look at the books of 
FTX, it became clear that the smaller exchange's problems were too big 
to solve.A person familiar with the dealings between FTX and 
Binance described the books as a “black hole” where it was impossible to
 differentiate between the assets and liabilities of FTX the exchange 
and those of Alameda Research. This person spoke on condition of 
anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the 
matter.This person said Bankman-Fried committed the “ultimate sin” by tapping into FTX's custodial assets to fund Alameda Research.In
 a further illustration of FTX’s financial straits, Bankman-Fried asked 
his investors Wednesday for $8 billion to cover withdrawal requests, 
according to The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources.In a
 series of Tweets on Thursday, the FTX founder and CEO said that he did 
not have enough liquidity to cover withdrawals and that he was more 
leveraged than he had thought.“I f(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)ed up, and should have done better,” he said.The
 latest crisis in the crypto industry prompted renewed calls for 
stricter regulation. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said
 the FTX developments "highlights why prudent regulation of 
cryptocurrencies is indeed needed. The White House, along with the 
relevant agencies, will again closely monitor the situation as it 
develops.”The collapse of the cryptocurrency’s third largest 
exchange is likely to cause further disruption across the entire crypto 
world, analysts say, meaning Thursday's rally could be temporary."The
 unwinding of FTX, as well as its shock of confidence to the system, 
will cause crypto prices to fall even further leading to “a new cascade 
of margin calls,” said analysts at J.P. Morgan in a note to investors. 
This would be similar to the selloff that happened after the collapse of
 the stable coin Terra earlier this year, where prices continued to 
decline weeks after its failure.“This deleveraging is likely to 
last for at least a few weeks unless a rescue for Alameda Research and 
FTX is agreed quickly,” J.P. Morgan analysts wrote.The crypto 
industry is waiting to see what other companies are impacted by the FTX 
collapse. The venture capital fund Sequoia Capital said Thursday it is 
writing down its entire $150 million investment in FTX.

AP source: US authorities investigate crypto exchange FTX

ROCHESTER,
 N.Y. (AP) — The National Toy Hall of Fame's new honorees include an 
object dating to ancient times, a line of muscle-bound action figures 
and an iconic art set whose medium is colorful pegs. The hall on 
Thursday announced the top, Masters of the Universe and Lite-Brite as 
this year's inductees.

The trio was chosen from a field of 12 
finalists that also included bingo, Breyer Horses, Catan, Nerf, the 
piñata, Phase 10, Pound Puppies, Rack-O and Spirograph.

The Toy 
Hall of Fame inducts a new class of toys each year in a ceremony at The 
Strong museum in Rochester, where the hall is housed.

The top 
earned a place by being a childhood staple of cultures in Asia, Europe, 
the Americas, and Australia, according to the hall, which noted that 
ancient Greek pottery shows people playing with the twirling objects 
more than 2,000 years ago.

“The top is one of the oldest toys and 
an integral part of many cultures, where it developed independently as a
 plaything,” Chief Curator Christopher Bensch said in a news release. 
“With more than 5,000 years of history behind it, it’s about time that 
the top spun its way into the National Toy Hall of Fame!”

The hall recognizes toys that have inspired creativity and endured over time.

Hasbro’s
 Lite-Brite has maintained its popularity for more than 50 years, after 
being introduced 1966. Marketed in 1968 as a “magic light box,” the toy 
encourages kids to create glowing pictures by pushing colorful pegs into
 an illuminated black background.

Masters of the Universe grew in 
popularity in the 1980s, when the cartoon series “He-Man and the Masters
 of the Universe” allowed Mattel to introduce new characters and toys to
 the line, hall of fame experts said. A 2021 Netflix series underscored 
the franchise’s staying power.

“The team at Mattel understood that
 kids spend lots of time in fantasy play and like the opportunity to 
project themselves into the role of the hero,” curator Michelle 
Parnett-Dwyer said. “Masters of the Universe characters had the 
strength, weapons, and power to defeat the villain—and give kids 
confidence.”

The new inductees will be displayed alongside past 
honorees that range from everyday objects like the stick and cardboard 
box to technologic entries like Nintendo's Game Boy. American Girl 
Dolls, Risk and sand were inducted last year.

Anyone can nominate a toy. A panel of experts votes in the winners.

The
 Strong museum also houses the World Video Game Hall of Fame, the Brian 
Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the Woodbury School, and the 
American Journal of Play.

ROCHESTER,
 N.Y. (AP) — The National Toy Hall of Fame's new honorees include an 
object dating to ancient times, a line of muscle-bound action figures 
and an iconic art set whose medium is colorful pegs. The hall on 
Thursday announced the top, Masters of the Universe and Lite-Brite as 
this year's inductees.The trio was chosen from a field of 12 
finalists that also included bingo, Breyer Horses, Catan, Nerf, the 
piñata, Phase 10, Pound Puppies, Rack-O and Spirograph.The Toy 
Hall of Fame inducts a new class of toys each year in a ceremony at The 
Strong museum in Rochester, where the hall is housed.The top 
earned a place by being a childhood staple of cultures in Asia, Europe, 
the Americas, and Australia, according to the hall, which noted that 
ancient Greek pottery shows people playing with the twirling objects 
more than 2,000 years ago.“The top is one of the oldest toys and 
an integral part of many cultures, where it developed independently as a
 plaything,” Chief Curator Christopher Bensch said in a news release. 
“With more than 5,000 years of history behind it, it’s about time that 
the top spun its way into the National Toy Hall of Fame!”The hall recognizes toys that have inspired creativity and endured over time.Hasbro’s
 Lite-Brite has maintained its popularity for more than 50 years, after 
being introduced 1966. Marketed in 1968 as a “magic light box,” the toy 
encourages kids to create glowing pictures by pushing colorful pegs into
 an illuminated black background.Masters of the Universe grew in 
popularity in the 1980s, when the cartoon series “He-Man and the Masters
 of the Universe” allowed Mattel to introduce new characters and toys to
 the line, hall of fame experts said. A 2021 Netflix series underscored 
the franchise’s staying power.“The team at Mattel understood that
 kids spend lots of time in fantasy play and like the opportunity to 
project themselves into the role of the hero,” curator Michelle 
Parnett-Dwyer said. “Masters of the Universe characters had the 
strength, weapons, and power to defeat the villain—and give kids 
confidence.”The new inductees will be displayed alongside past 
honorees that range from everyday objects like the stick and cardboard 
box to technologic entries like Nintendo's Game Boy. American Girl 
Dolls, Risk and sand were inducted last year.Anyone can nominate a toy. A panel of experts votes in the winners.The
 Strong museum also houses the World Video Game Hall of Fame, the Brian 
Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the Woodbury School, and the 
American Journal of Play.

Top, Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe in toy hall of fame

By MARCIA DUNN Associated Press

CAPE
 CANAVERAL, Fla. — A large section of the destroyed space shuttle 
Challenger has been found buried in sand at the bottom of the Atlantic, 
more than three decades after the tragedy that killed a schoolteacher 
and six others.

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center announced the discovery Thursday.

“Upon
 first hearing about it, it brings you right back to 1986,” said Michael
 Ciannilli, a NASA manager in charge of the remains of both lost 
shuttles, Challenger and Columbia.

In a NASA interview, he said it's one of the biggest pieces of Challenger ever found in the decades since the accident.

Divers
 for a TV documentary crew first spotted the piece in March while 
seeking wreckage of a World War II plane. NASA recently verified through
 video that the piece was part of the shuttle that broke apart shortly 
after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986. All seven on board were killed, 
including the first schoolteacher bound for space, Christa McAuliffe.

The
 remnant is more than 15 feet by 15 feet (4.5 meters by 4.5 meters); 
it's likely bigger because part of it is covered with sand. Because of 
the presence of square thermal tiles, it’s believed to be from the 
shuttle’s belly, officials said.

The fragment remains on the ocean
 floor just off the Florida coast near Cape Canaveral, as NASA 
determines the next step. It remains the property of the U.S. 
government.

Ciannilli said the families of all seven Challenger crew members have been notified.

A History Channel documentary detailing the discovery airs Nov. 22.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668103314056.png" alt="NASA photo" />
 <figcaption>NASA photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARCIA DUNN Associated PressCAPE
 CANAVERAL, Fla. — A large section of the destroyed space shuttle 
Challenger has been found buried in sand at the bottom of the Atlantic, 
more than three decades after the tragedy that killed a schoolteacher 
and six others.NASA’s Kennedy Space Center announced the discovery Thursday.“Upon
 first hearing about it, it brings you right back to 1986,” said Michael
 Ciannilli, a NASA manager in charge of the remains of both lost 
shuttles, Challenger and Columbia.In a NASA interview, he said it's one of the biggest pieces of Challenger ever found in the decades since the accident.Divers
 for a TV documentary crew first spotted the piece in March while 
seeking wreckage of a World War II plane. NASA recently verified through
 video that the piece was part of the shuttle that broke apart shortly 
after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986. All seven on board were killed, 
including the first schoolteacher bound for space, Christa McAuliffe.The
 remnant is more than 15 feet by 15 feet (4.5 meters by 4.5 meters); 
it's likely bigger because part of it is covered with sand. Because of 
the presence of square thermal tiles, it’s believed to be from the 
shuttle’s belly, officials said.The fragment remains on the ocean
 floor just off the Florida coast near Cape Canaveral, as NASA 
determines the next step. It remains the property of the U.S. 
government.Ciannilli said the families of all seven Challenger crew members have been notified.A History Channel documentary detailing the discovery airs Nov. 22.

Section of destroyed shuttle Challenger found on ocean floor

DETROIT
 (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 340,000 big SUVs in the U.S. 
because their daytime running lights may not shut off when the regular 
headlights are on.

The National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration says in documents poste on its website Thursday that 
having both lights on at the same time could cause glare for oncoming 
drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

The recall covers certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans, as well as some GMC Yukons and Cadillac Escalades.

GM says it has no reports of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.

Dealers will update software that controls the lights. Owners will be notified by mail starting Dec. 19.

DETROIT
 (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 340,000 big SUVs in the U.S. 
because their daytime running lights may not shut off when the regular 
headlights are on.The National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration says in documents poste on its website Thursday that 
having both lights on at the same time could cause glare for oncoming 
drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.The recall covers certain 2021 Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans, as well as some GMC Yukons and Cadillac Escalades.GM says it has no reports of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.Dealers will update software that controls the lights. Owners will be notified by mail starting Dec. 19.

GM recalls 340,000 SUVs over running light concerns

Fox's NFL pregame show is going international for the first time in 13 years for the annual Veterans Day show.

This
 week's “Fox NFL Sunday” will originate from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
 The last time the pregame crew went outside the United States was 2009,
 when the show was at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.

“It is our 
favorite show of the year and one of the cool things I hear from people,
 even this week, is that viewers also tell me it is their favorite 
show,” said “Fox NFL Sunday” host Curt Menefee. “It means a lot to the 
people. One of the things I remember from when we did 2009 was that it 
meant so much to the troops there because I think they feel forgotten 
when they're on the other side of the world.”

The show — which 
also includes Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Johnson
 and Jay Glazer — has originated from service academies two of the past 
three years. It was at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, 
last year and U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, in 2019.

The
 two-hour program, which will begin at 11 a.m. EST, will spotlight the 
75th anniversary of the Air Force featuring General Charles Q. Brown Jr.
 It will include features on Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry and former 
Dallas Cowboys defensive back Chad Hennings.

Landry, who passed 
away in 2000, flew B-17 Bomber missions during World War II before his 
playing and coaching career. Hennings graduated from the Air Force 
Academy and was drafted in the 11th round by the Cowboys in 1988, 
eventually being a part of three Super Bowl teams during a nine-year 
career.

Glen Powell of “Top Gun: Maverick” will narrate the show's opening at the top of the first and second hours.

Qatar is eight hours ahead of New York, meaning the show will take place during the evening.

The
 program will serve as an unofficial kickoff to Fox's coverage of the 
FIFA Men's World Cup, which begins Nov. 20. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter 
and lead FOX analyst Alexi Lalas will make appearances.

“From a 
company standpoint, having everybody kind of together is big,” said Fox 
Sports EVP Bill Wanger. “I don’t think there’s anything that as a group 
we’re more proud of.”

Fox has the doubleheader on Sunday, with the featured game of the Dallas Cowboys at the Green Bay Packers.

Associated PressFox's NFL pregame show is going international for the first time in 13 years for the annual Veterans Day show.This
 week's “Fox NFL Sunday” will originate from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
 The last time the pregame crew went outside the United States was 2009,
 when the show was at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.“It is our 
favorite show of the year and one of the cool things I hear from people,
 even this week, is that viewers also tell me it is their favorite 
show,” said “Fox NFL Sunday” host Curt Menefee. “It means a lot to the 
people. One of the things I remember from when we did 2009 was that it 
meant so much to the troops there because I think they feel forgotten 
when they're on the other side of the world.”The show — which 
also includes Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Johnson
 and Jay Glazer — has originated from service academies two of the past 
three years. It was at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, 
last year and U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, in 2019.The
 two-hour program, which will begin at 11 a.m. EST, will spotlight the 
75th anniversary of the Air Force featuring General Charles Q. Brown Jr.
 It will include features on Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry and former 
Dallas Cowboys defensive back Chad Hennings.Landry, who passed 
away in 2000, flew B-17 Bomber missions during World War II before his 
playing and coaching career. Hennings graduated from the Air Force 
Academy and was drafted in the 11th round by the Cowboys in 1988, 
eventually being a part of three Super Bowl teams during a nine-year 
career.Glen Powell of “Top Gun: Maverick” will narrate the show's opening at the top of the first and second hours.Qatar is eight hours ahead of New York, meaning the show will take place during the evening.The
 program will serve as an unofficial kickoff to Fox's coverage of the 
FIFA Men's World Cup, which begins Nov. 20. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter 
and lead FOX analyst Alexi Lalas will make appearances.“From a 
company standpoint, having everybody kind of together is big,” said Fox 
Sports EVP Bill Wanger. “I don’t think there’s anything that as a group 
we’re more proud of.”Fox has the doubleheader on Sunday, with the featured game of the Dallas Cowboys at the Green Bay Packers.

Fox's NFL pregame will do Veterans Day show from Qatar

VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tropical Storm Nicole hit Florida as a 
hurricane Thursday, washing away the remaining protections for a stretch
 of beachfront properties that lost their seawall during Hurricane Ian 
only weeks before. In Daytona Beach Shores, surging ocean water 
threatened the foundations of at least a dozen high-rise condos and 
houses.

Nicole remains a sprawling tropical storm, covering nearly
 the entire weather-weary state of Florida early Thursday while also 
reaching into Georgia and the Carolinas. Damaging winds extended as far 
as 450 miles (720 kilometers) from the center in some directions as 
Nicole turned northward over central Florida Thursday morning.

Krista
 Dowling Goodrich, who manages 130 rental homes in Daytona Beach Shores 
as director of sales and marketing at Salty Dog Vacations, witnessed the
 beachfront disappear behind some of the properties as evacuations were 
under way.

“While we were there the whole backyard just started 
collapsing into the ocean. It went all the way up to the house,” she 
said. The water also compromised the remaining land between a row of 
tall condominium buildings nearby, she said.

Officials in <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Officials in Daytona Beach Shores deemed unsafe at least a half dozen, multi-story, coastal residential buildings, and authorities went door-to-door telling people to grab their possessions and leave.">Daytona Beach Shores deemed multiple multi-story coastal residential buildings unsafe</a>, and went door-to-door telling people to grab their possessions and leave.

“These
 were the tall highrises. So the people who wouldn’t leave, they were 
physically forcing them out because it’s not safe,” Goodrich said. “I’m 
concerned for the infrastructure of the area right now because once the 
seawalls are gone, they’re not going to just let people go back in ... 
there will be a lot of people displaced for a while."

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-miami-florida-storms-weather-3132c7afa0d80797296f7bc6cd9d3a97">The rare November hurricane</a>
 prompted officials to shut down airports and theme parks and order 
evacuations in areas that included former President Donald Trump’s 
Mar-a-Lago club. Authorities warned that Nicole’s storm surge could 
further erode many beaches <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-hurricanes-biden-government-and-politics-florida-0e744d06ce002f399e37b0f968854e89">hit by Hurricane Ian in September</a>.

Nicole
 made landfall near Vero Beach as a Category 1 hurricane at about 3 a.m.
 Thursday, more than a hundred miles south of Daytona Beach Shores, 
before its maximum sustained winds dropped to 60 mph (100 kph), the 
Miami-based center said. The storm was centered about 30 miles (50 
kilometers) southeast of Orlando. It was moving west-northwest near 14 
mph (22 kph).

Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist at the National 
Hurricane Center in Miami advised people to understand that hazards from
 Tropical Storm Nicole “will exist across the state of Florida today.” 
Nicole came could briefly emerge over the northeastern corner of the 
Gulf of Mexico Thursday afternoon before moving over the Florida 
Panhandle and Georgia, he said.

The storm left south Florida sunny
 and calm as it moved north, but could dump as much as 6 inches (15 
centimeters) of rain over Blue Ridge Mountains by Friday, the hurricane 
center said.

A few tornadoes were possible through early Thursday 
across east-central to northeast Florida, the forecasters said. Flash 
and urban flooding will be possible, along with renewed river rises on 
the St. Johns River, across the Florida Peninsula on Thursday. Heavy 
rainfall will spread northward into the eastern Ohio Valley, 
Mid-Atlantic, and New England through Saturday.

Nicole became a 
hurricane Wednesday evening as it slammed into Grand Bahama Island. It 
was the first to hit the Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/latin-america-caribbean-ap-top-news-international-news-hurricane-dorian-fdf681086b13478699154c20ea9f3629">a Category 5 storm that devastated the archipelago</a> in 2019.

For <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment">storm-weary Floridians</a>,
 it is only the third November hurricane to hit their shores since 
recordkeeping began in 1853. The previous ones were the 1935 Yankee 
Hurricane and Hurricane Kate in 1985.

Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s club and
 home, was in one of the evacuation zones, built about a quarter-mile 
inland from the ocean. The main buildings sit on a small rise that is 
about 15 feet (4.6 meters) above sea level and the property has survived
 numerous stronger hurricanes since it was built nearly a century ago. 
The resort’s security office hung up Wednesday when an Associated Press 
reporter asked whether the club was being evacuated, and there was no 
sign of evacuation by Wednesday afternoon.

There is no penalty for ignoring an evacuation order, but rescue crews will not respond if it puts their members at risk.

Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort announced they likely would not open as scheduled Thursday.

Forty-five
 of Florida’s 67 counties were under a state of emergency declaration. 
President Joe Biden also approved an emergency declaration for the 
Seminole Tribe of Florida, ordering federal help for the tribal nation, 
many of whose members live on six reservations around the state. The 
tribe also owns the Hard Rock Cafe franchise, with several of its hotels
 and casinos in Nicole's path.

At a news conference Wednesday in 
Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that winds were the biggest concern 
and significant power outages could occur, but that 16,000 linemen were 
on standby to restore power as well as 600 guardsmen and seven search 
and rescue teams.

“It will affect huge parts of the state of Florida all day,” DeSantis said of the storm’s expected landing.

Almost
 two dozen school districts were closing schools for the storm and 15 
shelters had opened along Florida’s east coast, the governor said.

Parts of Florida were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-health-mental-fort-myers-natural-disasters-434f72c8db042bf074fb10b313b553b6">devastated by Hurricane Ian</a>, which struck as a Category 4 storm. Ian <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-business-florida-storms-climate-and-environment-3bf3bd02e973b1ff61d779680bb4f939">destroyed homes and damaged crops</a>,
 including orange groves, across the state — damage that many are still 
dealing with — and sent a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) 
onshore, causing widespread destruction.

VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tropical Storm Nicole hit Florida as a 
hurricane Thursday, washing away the remaining protections for a stretch
 of beachfront properties that lost their seawall during Hurricane Ian 
only weeks before. In Daytona Beach Shores, surging ocean water 
threatened the foundations of at least a dozen high-rise condos and 
houses.Nicole remains a sprawling tropical storm, covering nearly
 the entire weather-weary state of Florida early Thursday while also 
reaching into Georgia and the Carolinas. Damaging winds extended as far 
as 450 miles (720 kilometers) from the center in some directions as 
Nicole turned northward over central Florida Thursday morning.Krista
 Dowling Goodrich, who manages 130 rental homes in Daytona Beach Shores 
as director of sales and marketing at Salty Dog Vacations, witnessed the
 beachfront disappear behind some of the properties as evacuations were 
under way.“While we were there the whole backyard just started 
collapsing into the ocean. It went all the way up to the house,” she 
said. The water also compromised the remaining land between a row of 
tall condominium buildings nearby, she said.Officials in <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Officials in Daytona Beach Shores deemed unsafe at least a half dozen, multi-story, coastal residential buildings, and authorities went door-to-door telling people to grab their possessions and leave.">Daytona Beach Shores deemed multiple multi-story coastal residential buildings unsafe</a>, and went door-to-door telling people to grab their possessions and leave.“These
 were the tall highrises. So the people who wouldn’t leave, they were 
physically forcing them out because it’s not safe,” Goodrich said. “I’m 
concerned for the infrastructure of the area right now because once the 
seawalls are gone, they’re not going to just let people go back in ... 
there will be a lot of people displaced for a while."<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-miami-florida-storms-weather-3132c7afa0d80797296f7bc6cd9d3a97">The rare November hurricane</a>
 prompted officials to shut down airports and theme parks and order 
evacuations in areas that included former President Donald Trump’s 
Mar-a-Lago club. Authorities warned that Nicole’s storm surge could 
further erode many beaches <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-hurricanes-biden-government-and-politics-florida-0e744d06ce002f399e37b0f968854e89">hit by Hurricane Ian in September</a>.Nicole
 made landfall near Vero Beach as a Category 1 hurricane at about 3 a.m.
 Thursday, more than a hundred miles south of Daytona Beach Shores, 
before its maximum sustained winds dropped to 60 mph (100 kph), the 
Miami-based center said. The storm was centered about 30 miles (50 
kilometers) southeast of Orlando. It was moving west-northwest near 14 
mph (22 kph).Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist at the National 
Hurricane Center in Miami advised people to understand that hazards from
 Tropical Storm Nicole “will exist across the state of Florida today.” 
Nicole came could briefly emerge over the northeastern corner of the 
Gulf of Mexico Thursday afternoon before moving over the Florida 
Panhandle and Georgia, he said.The storm left south Florida sunny
 and calm as it moved north, but could dump as much as 6 inches (15 
centimeters) of rain over Blue Ridge Mountains by Friday, the hurricane 
center said.A few tornadoes were possible through early Thursday 
across east-central to northeast Florida, the forecasters said. Flash 
and urban flooding will be possible, along with renewed river rises on 
the St. Johns River, across the Florida Peninsula on Thursday. Heavy 
rainfall will spread northward into the eastern Ohio Valley, 
Mid-Atlantic, and New England through Saturday.Nicole became a 
hurricane Wednesday evening as it slammed into Grand Bahama Island. It 
was the first to hit the Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/latin-america-caribbean-ap-top-news-international-news-hurricane-dorian-fdf681086b13478699154c20ea9f3629">a Category 5 storm that devastated the archipelago</a> in 2019.For <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment">storm-weary Floridians</a>,
 it is only the third November hurricane to hit their shores since 
recordkeeping began in 1853. The previous ones were the 1935 Yankee 
Hurricane and Hurricane Kate in 1985.Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s club and
 home, was in one of the evacuation zones, built about a quarter-mile 
inland from the ocean. The main buildings sit on a small rise that is 
about 15 feet (4.6 meters) above sea level and the property has survived
 numerous stronger hurricanes since it was built nearly a century ago. 
The resort’s security office hung up Wednesday when an Associated Press 
reporter asked whether the club was being evacuated, and there was no 
sign of evacuation by Wednesday afternoon.There is no penalty for ignoring an evacuation order, but rescue crews will not respond if it puts their members at risk.Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort announced they likely would not open as scheduled Thursday.Forty-five
 of Florida’s 67 counties were under a state of emergency declaration. 
President Joe Biden also approved an emergency declaration for the 
Seminole Tribe of Florida, ordering federal help for the tribal nation, 
many of whose members live on six reservations around the state. The 
tribe also owns the Hard Rock Cafe franchise, with several of its hotels
 and casinos in Nicole's path.At a news conference Wednesday in 
Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that winds were the biggest concern 
and significant power outages could occur, but that 16,000 linemen were 
on standby to restore power as well as 600 guardsmen and seven search 
and rescue teams.“It will affect huge parts of the state of Florida all day,” DeSantis said of the storm’s expected landing.Almost
 two dozen school districts were closing schools for the storm and 15 
shelters had opened along Florida’s east coast, the governor said.Parts of Florida were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-health-mental-fort-myers-natural-disasters-434f72c8db042bf074fb10b313b553b6">devastated by Hurricane Ian</a>, which struck as a Category 4 storm. Ian <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-business-florida-storms-climate-and-environment-3bf3bd02e973b1ff61d779680bb4f939">destroyed homes and damaged crops</a>,
 including orange groves, across the state — damage that many are still 
dealing with — and sent a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) 
onshore, causing widespread destruction.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Florida takes another pounding as Tropical Storm Nicole arrives

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

COOPERSTOWN, NY — The National Baseball Hall of 
Fame and Museum this week announced the eight-player ballot that will be 
considered by its Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee for Hall 
of Fame election for the Class of 2023. The Contemporary Era Committee 
will meet on Dec. 4 at baseball’s Winter Meetings in San Diego, Calif. 

Six batters and two pitchers comprise the eight-name Contemporary 
Baseball Era player ballot, which features candidates whose primary 
contribution to the game came since 1980. 

The Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot includes Albert Belle, 
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Dale Murphy, 
Rafael Palmeiro and Curt Schilling. All candidates are living.

The results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote will be 
announced live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, 
Dec. 4.

Any candidate who receives votes on 75 percent of the ballots cast by
 the committee will earn election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame 
and will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 23, 2023, along with any 
electees who emerge from the 2023 Baseball Writers’ Association of 
America election, to be announced on Jan. 24, 2023. 

The Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee is one of three 
groups eligible for consideration as part of the Era Committee process, 
which provides an avenue for Hall of Fame consideration to managers, 
umpires and executives, as well as players retired for more than 15 
seasons. The Contemporary Baseball Era features two distinct ballots: 
One for players (considered this fall) and one for managers, executives 
and umpires (considered in the fall of 2023).

Following the restructuring of the Era Committee process in the 
spring of 2022, the two Contemporary Baseball Era ballots were 
instituted, along with the Classic Baseball Era, which includes all 
candidates whose primary contribution to the game came prior to 1980. 
The Classic Baseball Era Committee will meet for the first time in the 
fall of 2024.

The eight Contemporary Baseball Era player finalists were selected by
 the BBWAA-appointed Historical Overview Committee from all eligible 
candidates among players whose most significant career impact was 
realized since 1980. Eligible candidates include players who played in 
at least 10 major league seasons and have been retired for 15 or more 
seasons. All candidates must not be on Baseball’s Ineligible List.

The Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot was determined this fall 
by the Historical Overview Committee, comprised of 11 veteran 
historians: Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network); Jim Henneman (formerly Baltimore Sun); Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform); Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); David O’Brien (The Athletic); Jack O’Connell (BBWAA); Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram); Tracy Ringolsby (InsideTheSeams.com); Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle); Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle); and Mark Whicker (Los Angeles News Group).  

The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorates charged with 
the review of the Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot will be 
announced later this fall. The Committee will meet to discuss and review
 the candidacies of the eight finalists as part of baseball’s Winter 
Meetings on Dec. 4 in San Diego, Calif.

The eight candidates for Contemporary Baseball Era Committee consideration for the Class of 2023: 

•	Albert Belle played 12 seasons with the Indians, 
White Sox and Orioles before a hip injury cut short his career. A 
five-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Belle was 
three-time American League RBI champion who finished second or third in 
the league’s Most Valuable Player balloting in each season from 1994-96.
 He remains the only player in history to post a 50 home run/50 double 
season, having done so in 1995.

•	Barry Bonds played 22 seasons with the Pirates and
 Giants, winning seven National League Most Valuable Player Awards and 
eight Gold Glove Awards in the outfield. MLB’s all-time home run leader 
with 762, Bonds set single-season records for home runs (73 in 2001) and
 walks (232 in 2004). He led the NL in on-base percentage 10 times and 
paced the league in batting average twice.

•	Roger Clemens pitched 24 seasons for the Red Sox, 
Blue Jays, Yankees and Astros, winning seven Cy Young Awards. Clemens 
was named the 1986 AL Most Valuable Player and earned All-Star Game 
berths in 11 seasons. A two-time World Series champion with the Yankees 
(1999-2000), Clemens led his league in earned-run average seven times 
and was a five-time 20-game winner. 

•	Don Mattingly played 14 big league seasons – all 
with the Yankees – and compiled a .307 batting average while earning six
 All-Star Game selections, nine Gold Glove Awards at first base and the 
1985 American League Most Valuable Player Award. A three-time Silver 
Slugger Award winner and the 1984 AL batting champion, Mattingly has 
managed in the big leagues for 12 seasons and was named the 2020 
National League Manager of the Year.

•	Fred McGriff totaled 493 home runs over 19 seasons
 with the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, Cubs and Dodgers that 
included eight 100-RBI campaigns and six years where he finished in the 
Top 10 of his league’s MVP voting. The 1994 All-Star Game MVP and one of
 the leaders of the 1995 Braves team that won the World Series, McGriff 
led his league in homers twice while compiling a .377 career on-base 
percentage.

•	Dale Murphy earned back-to-back NL Most Valuable 
Player Awards with the Braves in 1982-83 during a five-year stretch 
where he won five Gold Glove Awards in center field and four Silver 
Slugger Awards. A seven-time All-Star who played 18 seasons with the 
Braves, Phillies and Rockies, Murphy led the league in home runs twice, 
RBI twice and slugging percentage twice while posting a 30 homer/30 
steal season in 1983.

•	Rafael Palmeiro totaled 3,020 hits, 569 homers and
 1,835 RBI over 20 big league seasons with the Cubs, Rangers and 
Orioles, earning four All-Star Game selections, three Gold Glove Awards 
at first base and two Silver Slugger Awards. He posted 10 seasons with 
at least 100 RBI and 10 seasons with at least 30 home runs while 
finishing his career with more walks (1,353) than strikeouts (1,348).

•	Curt Schilling is one of only four retired 
pitchers with at least 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks. 
Schilling was named the 2001 World Series co-MVP and owns an 11-2 mark 
with a 2.23 ERA in 19 career Postseason appearances. He won 216 regular 
season games over 20 seasons with the Orioles, Astros, Phillies, 
Diamondbacks and Red Sox and was named to six All-Star Games.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668093554851.jpeg" alt="baseball hall" />
 <figcaption>baseball hall</figcaption>
 </figure>National Baseball Hall of Fame and MuseumCOOPERSTOWN, NY — The National Baseball Hall of 
Fame and Museum this week announced the eight-player ballot that will be 
considered by its Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee for Hall 
of Fame election for the Class of 2023. The Contemporary Era Committee 
will meet on Dec. 4 at baseball’s Winter Meetings in San Diego, Calif. Six batters and two pitchers comprise the eight-name Contemporary 
Baseball Era player ballot, which features candidates whose primary 
contribution to the game came since 1980. The Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot includes Albert Belle, 
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Dale Murphy, 
Rafael Palmeiro and Curt Schilling. All candidates are living.The results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote will be 
announced live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, 
Dec. 4.Any candidate who receives votes on 75 percent of the ballots cast by
 the committee will earn election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame 
and will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 23, 2023, along with any 
electees who emerge from the 2023 Baseball Writers’ Association of 
America election, to be announced on Jan. 24, 2023. The Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee is one of three 
groups eligible for consideration as part of the Era Committee process, 
which provides an avenue for Hall of Fame consideration to managers, 
umpires and executives, as well as players retired for more than 15 
seasons. The Contemporary Baseball Era features two distinct ballots: 
One for players (considered this fall) and one for managers, executives 
and umpires (considered in the fall of 2023).Following the restructuring of the Era Committee process in the 
spring of 2022, the two Contemporary Baseball Era ballots were 
instituted, along with the Classic Baseball Era, which includes all 
candidates whose primary contribution to the game came prior to 1980. 
The Classic Baseball Era Committee will meet for the first time in the 
fall of 2024.The eight Contemporary Baseball Era player finalists were selected by
 the BBWAA-appointed Historical Overview Committee from all eligible 
candidates among players whose most significant career impact was 
realized since 1980. Eligible candidates include players who played in 
at least 10 major league seasons and have been retired for 15 or more 
seasons. All candidates must not be on Baseball’s Ineligible List.The Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot was determined this fall 
by the Historical Overview Committee, comprised of 11 veteran 
historians: Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network); Jim Henneman (formerly Baltimore Sun); Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform); Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); David O’Brien (The Athletic); Jack O’Connell (BBWAA); Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram); Tracy Ringolsby (InsideTheSeams.com); Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle); Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle); and Mark Whicker (Los Angeles News Group). The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorates charged with 
the review of the Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot will be 
announced later this fall. The Committee will meet to discuss and review
 the candidacies of the eight finalists as part of baseball’s Winter 
Meetings on Dec. 4 in San Diego, Calif.The eight candidates for Contemporary Baseball Era Committee consideration for the Class of 2023: •	Albert Belle played 12 seasons with the Indians, 
White Sox and Orioles before a hip injury cut short his career. A 
five-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Belle was 
three-time American League RBI champion who finished second or third in 
the league’s Most Valuable Player balloting in each season from 1994-96.
 He remains the only player in history to post a 50 home run/50 double 
season, having done so in 1995.•	Barry Bonds played 22 seasons with the Pirates and
 Giants, winning seven National League Most Valuable Player Awards and 
eight Gold Glove Awards in the outfield. MLB’s all-time home run leader 
with 762, Bonds set single-season records for home runs (73 in 2001) and
 walks (232 in 2004). He led the NL in on-base percentage 10 times and 
paced the league in batting average twice.•	Roger Clemens pitched 24 seasons for the Red Sox, 
Blue Jays, Yankees and Astros, winning seven Cy Young Awards. Clemens 
was named the 1986 AL Most Valuable Player and earned All-Star Game 
berths in 11 seasons. A two-time World Series champion with the Yankees 
(1999-2000), Clemens led his league in earned-run average seven times 
and was a five-time 20-game winner. •	Don Mattingly played 14 big league seasons – all 
with the Yankees – and compiled a .307 batting average while earning six
 All-Star Game selections, nine Gold Glove Awards at first base and the 
1985 American League Most Valuable Player Award. A three-time Silver 
Slugger Award winner and the 1984 AL batting champion, Mattingly has 
managed in the big leagues for 12 seasons and was named the 2020 
National League Manager of the Year.•	Fred McGriff totaled 493 home runs over 19 seasons
 with the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, Cubs and Dodgers that 
included eight 100-RBI campaigns and six years where he finished in the 
Top 10 of his league’s MVP voting. The 1994 All-Star Game MVP and one of
 the leaders of the 1995 Braves team that won the World Series, McGriff 
led his league in homers twice while compiling a .377 career on-base 
percentage.•	Dale Murphy earned back-to-back NL Most Valuable 
Player Awards with the Braves in 1982-83 during a five-year stretch 
where he won five Gold Glove Awards in center field and four Silver 
Slugger Awards. A seven-time All-Star who played 18 seasons with the 
Braves, Phillies and Rockies, Murphy led the league in home runs twice, 
RBI twice and slugging percentage twice while posting a 30 homer/30 
steal season in 1983.•	Rafael Palmeiro totaled 3,020 hits, 569 homers and
 1,835 RBI over 20 big league seasons with the Cubs, Rangers and 
Orioles, earning four All-Star Game selections, three Gold Glove Awards 
at first base and two Silver Slugger Awards. He posted 10 seasons with 
at least 100 RBI and 10 seasons with at least 30 home runs while 
finishing his career with more walks (1,353) than strikeouts (1,348).•	Curt Schilling is one of only four retired 
pitchers with at least 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks. 
Schilling was named the 2001 World Series co-MVP and owns an 11-2 mark 
with a 2.23 ERA in 19 career Postseason appearances. He won 216 regular 
season games over 20 seasons with the Orioles, Astros, Phillies, 
Diamondbacks and Red Sox and was named to six All-Star Games.

Misc