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Former President Barack Obama and Senator Kamala Harris of California offered their prayers for President Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, on Friday evening, colliding with the timing of an emailed fund-raising appeal from the Trump campaign.

The subject line: Lyin Obama.

Lyin Obama and Phony Kamala Harris are calling up their Liberal MEGA DONORS to come and rescue Joe Bidens failing campaign, read the message. Theyre holding a COASTAL ELITE fund-raiser RIGHT NOW.

Just minutes earlier, Mr. Obama and Ms. Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president, had opened their virtual fund-raiser by wishing the president and his wife a speedy recovery, with the former president urging all Americans to hope for the presidents recovery even in the middle of a contentious campaign.

The combative tone of the email came hours after the Biden campaign pulled down all its negative ads against the president, though some already in circulation could take time to stop airing.

The Trump campaign has said it has no plans to stop its attack ads against the Democratic nominee. Announcing an event on Thursday in Peoria, Ariz., to be headlined by Vice President Mike Pence, the campaign accused Mr. Biden of advocating for the far-lefts agenda and having turned his back on Arizonans.

During the online fund-raiser for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mr. Obama told watchers: Even when were in the midst of big political battles with issues that have a lot at stake, that were all Americans and were all human beings, and we want to make sure everybody is healthy. Michelle and I want to make sure we acknowledge the president and the first lady at this difficult time.

Ms. Harris offered her deepest prayers, adding, Let it be a reminder to all of us that we must remain vigilant and take care of ourselves and take care of each other.

The two officials, who were joined by the actor Michael B. Jordan, also tried to assuage concerns and dispel misinformation about voting, particularly casting ballots by mail. Mr. Trump has spent weeks waging a disinformation campaign about the integrity of the American electoral system.

All three said they planned to cast their ballots by mail.

Im going to fill it out at my kitchen table and Im going to get over to the drop box and Im going to drop it off as early as I can, said Ms. Harris, who added she had the date to request her ballot circled on her calendar.

Mr. Obama, who rattled off the name of his polling place in Chicagos Hyde Park neighborhood, said he had cast mail-in ballots since winning the presidency, in part to avoid the crowds that slow down lines when he appears.

When I vote in person, theres a price, he said. It slows down a whole bunch of folks.

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Obama offers prayers for Trump, while the presidents campaign insults Obama in a fund-raising letter. - The New York Times

On June 26, 2020, the ObamaWatcher website published an article positing that 82% of mail-in ballots in the U.S. were printed by entities owned and operated by the Obama Foundation:

[N]early 82% of all American mail-in ballots are printed by Smoovy-G class 5 dot-matrix replicators All of which are owned and operated by the Obama Foundation.

The Obama Ballots, as some pundits are now calling them as the story has begun to go viral, are being produced in main distribution centers in Baggertits, Ohio, Queefgas Swamp, Florida, and Laniasnatch, Colorado. Ballots are printed by the millions per day, no doubt, with Democratic candidates names already checked off on them

This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows: Everything on this website is fiction. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined.

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.

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Does the Obama Foundation Own 82% of Mail-In Ballot Printers? - Snopes.com

President Donald Trump often celebrates the large number of judicial appointments hes been able to make. Federal judges are lifelong appointments, and filling the district and circuit courts leaves a legacy that lasts well beyond any presidency.

In the first debate, Trump faulted President Barack Obama for giving him a golden opportunity.

"Ill have so many judges because President Obama and (Biden) left me 128 judges to fill," Trump said Sept. 29. "You just dont do that."

While Trump inflates the number, the bigger question is did Obama, and by extension Joe Biden, drop the ball on judicial appointments?

Theres broad agreement that their problem was not a lack of trying, but the power of a Republican Senate to bottle up their nominees.

"Scholars have referred to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's actions during this time as a blockade of judicial appointments," said Michigan State political scientist Ian Ostrander. "Very few judicial nominations were successful during the 114th Congress,"

Republicans won control of the Senate in 2014. From that point on, the numbers show how hard it was for Obama to seat the people he put forward.

The bad, the good and the ugly: Obamas judicial saga in three acts

We dont know where Trump got his figure of 128 vacancies, but its wrong. The accurate number is 105. That said, the fundamental point remains the same. Obama had a hard time getting judges confirmed.

A key part of understanding judicial confirmations lies in the Senate. The Senate is the gatekeeper and, without its nod, no nomination goes through. The party that holds the Senate wields final control.

During the two years before Republicans took the Senate, Obama had a confirmation success rate of nearly 90%.

Afterward, the confirmation rate fell to 28%.

It always makes a difference when the opposing party holds the Senate in the last two years of any presidency, but Brookings governance fellow Russell Wheeler wrote that Presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush faced that situation, too, and still had much higher success rates. The Senate of 2015 and 2016 was nearly impenetrable.

"The 114th Senate both confirmed far fewer judges than its recent other-party predecessors and stopped confirming them at a much earlier point," Wheeler wrote.

The trajectory of confirmations passed through three phases during the Obama years.

In the first four years, while Democrats retained control, Republicans used the Senate rules to slow down the process.

Sheldon Goldman, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, said geography played a big role.

"A large number of vacancies were from states with two Republican senators or one Republican and one Democrat," Goldman explained. "Until McConnell and the Republicans upended the practice of senatorial courtesy, both senators had to sign off on the recommended judicial nominees. Republican senators did their best to delay the process. As we now know, that tactic of obstruct and delay was successful."

Not only could individual Republicans block nominees to courts in their states, there was always the threat of a filibuster.

That lasted until 2013, when Democratic Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., invoked what is called the "nuclear option." For district and circuit court appointments, debate was limited to 30 hours and after that, a simple majority would carry the day.

The nuclear option opened up the second phase that lasted from 2013 to 2014, when nearly 90% of nominations sailed through. Even with that, Ostrander said there was only so much Democrats could do, because of the backlog created during the previous four years.

The final phase came when Republicans won the Senate. The period wasnt totally devoid of confirmations. But George Washington Universitys Sarah Binder said those judges represented a modest victory for Obama.

"Keep in mind that Republican senators would have a decent degree of influence with the White House in recommending nominees for vacant judgeships in their red states," Binder said.

We reached four experts in the politics of the federal judiciary. In one way or the other, they all agreed on the broad reason why Trump saw so many vacancies after he won.

"That Obama left office with so many unfilled vacancies was largely by design by Mitch McConnell," said the University of Vermonts Lisa Holmes.

Our ruling

Trump said Obama did something wrong by leaving him 128 judgeships to fill.

The actual number is 105, but the bigger flaw in Trumps narrative is that it ignores the successful effort of Republicans to block the people Obama put forward. That effort was somewhat effective in Obamas first term, and became a nearly impenetrable barrier during Obamas last two years.

We rate this claim Mostly False.

This fact check is available at IFCNs 2020 US Elections FactChat #Chatbot on WhatsApp. Click here, for more.

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Fact-check: Why Barack Obama failed to fill over 100 judgeships - PolitiFact

Barack Obama discusses his respect for the late John Thompson Jr. originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The life and legacy of former Georgetown mens basketball coach John Thompson Jr. was honored by a long list of players, coaches and public figures during a virtual memorial service Saturday. The first to speak was former U.S. President Barack Obama, who opened the ceremony by talking about the respect he had for the late sports legend.

What made Coach Thompson special, what compelled us to celebrate his life today, is what he did to build young men [and] to turn them into men of character and purpose, Obama said. Under his tenure, raw talent arrived at Georgetown Ewing, Mutombo, Mourning, Iverson, so many others. Coach Thompson molded that raw talent into something better by showing them not just new skills, but new possibilities for themselves and for their lives.

Thompson Jr.s NCAA accolades as a head coach are among the greatest ever seen in college basketball: 25 straight winning seasons, 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven Big East titles, three Final Fours and the 1984 national championship. Big John also won two NBA Finals during his short professional career with the Boston Celtics and made headlines as a radio show host after he retired from basketball.

However, Thompson Jr. is most remembered for how much he cared about preparing his players for the rest of their lives on and off the court. He was a mentor for many of them even after they left Georgetown and wasnt afraid to cause a scene when he felt those players careers or livelihoods were in jeopardy.

As Obama mentioned in his segment of the service, Thompson Jr. in 1989 met witha renowned and feared D.C. drug kingpin, Rayful Edmond, and told him to stay away from Mourning and his other players. It was not a polite request. Thompson also boycotted two games in an effort to block the NCAA from passing a rule that would preventplayers with low standardized test scores from playing college basketball at all.

Thompson died on Aug. 30at 78 years old.

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Barack Obama Discusses Respect He Had for the Late John Thompson Jr. - NBC4 Washington

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With one month to go before the election, the Milwaukee Buckspartnered with Michelle Obamas nonpartisan organization When We All Voteon Saturdayto register voters and distribute groceries.

We know that voter registration is down because there arent a lot of in-person events, organizer JordanBrooks said. We also know that people need food and need supplies right now.

Dozens of cars, some with multiple eligible voters, drove through theproperty south of Fiserv Forum, on the grounds of the old Bradley Center, to register to vote andreceive groceries and masks at the Fuel the Vote event.

Nyla Almujaahid hands out voter registration information during Fuel the Vote outside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Saturday.(Photo: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Volunteers were reminded before the event started that it is nonpartisan and they should not be advocating for any particular candidate.

BucksSeniorVice President AlexLasrysaid the organizationand the NBA have made access to voting a focus of activity off the court.

We need to make sure people are registered and aware of all the local elections that go on,Lasrysaid. Thats going to have the most impact on our community. I think thats something that we take very seriously.

Lasrysaid the Bucks want to be a community team, which is why starting Oct. 20 through Nov. 1 voters can go to Fiserv Forum for early voting.

What weve seen, especially in the April election, is coronavirus has disproportionately affected communities of color and their ability to vote,Lasrysaid.

Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore said food insecurity has increased during the pandemic.

"I'm giving back to the community," says Sean Raclaw as he volunteers to load boxes of food and other supplies into people's vehicles outside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee Saturday. The food distribution was part of a Fuel the Vote event hosted by the Milwaukee Bucks. Fuel the Vote is a national effort to register voters started by Michelle Obama. The food distribution effort was to help those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.(Photo: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Right here in the city of Milwaukee, pre-pandemic, one-fourth of African American children were going to bed hungry and now during this pandemic, we find that a quarter of families, white families with children, are food insecure, Moore said.When we vote we can address chronic hunger in our country. When we vote, we can take control of our lives. ... Right now we want to meet people at the level of their need.

Adrianna Humphrey, a volunteer, said it is important for people to be able to register to vote while being as safe as possible.

RELATED: How to register to vote and get an absentee ballot in Wisconsin

People are very concerned with whats going on with the pandemic and their health, Humphrey said. We had one lady who came through and was in tears. Her family is having a hard time and she wasnt sure how she was going to register to vote, so she was able to do that today at this event.SoI think this is giving another level of access for people in the community to register.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett loads a box of food into a vehicle Saturday during the Fuel the Vote event outside Fiserv Forum.(Photo: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett called voting the "ultimate participatory sport."

What you see here is anall-outfull-court press to try to get people registered (and) to try to help them where they need help. There are people in our community who are hurting, Barrettsaid.We have an obligation to do everything we can to help them and a big part of that is making sure people help themselves by getting involved in this election.

Milwaukee resident Corliss Smith heard about the opportunity to register and receive groceriesand thoughtwhy not take it?

Im absolutely for voting and the importance of it, especially right now, Smith said. Its important for everyone (to register to vote) but I just wish it was as easy, as it is for me, for other people and I know its not.

RELATED: Five mistakes to avoid if you're voting by mail in Wisconsin

The value of voting was instilled inMarkell Thompsonby his father, a former city worker.

He made sure when we were all of age that we did vote, Thompson saidjust after registering. He knew it was an important thing. And its important, I have children ... and if I dont vote I think What will happen to them? And I make it a point to be out here.

Thompson said its good to see people receiving assistance with food beyond just registering to vote.

Theyre just helping people, Thompson said. And more so now than ever with everything going on ... to find people that are still out here caring for people, its a big thing.

While waiting in her car Samia Johnson was calling family members and directing them to the event.

After Johnsonregistered to voteandreceived some cannedfood, shewas shocked to receive a $25 grocery gift card at the event.

Oh wow, isnt that a blessing, Johnson saidto the volunteer. Im about to start crying.

Before coming to the event, Johnson said she was at a food pantry atVillage Churchon North 2ndStreet and West Juneau Avenue,getting more food for her family.

Its beenrealrough by me not being able to work right now and my unemployment is taking forever, Johnson said.

Johnson said shes starting to educate herself on the candidates and issues leading up to the election.

I wasnt really educated on it (in the past), Johnson said. Now that Im educated on it, I can make the right decisions that I feel are for me. ... Were just in those times where its very important to get out and vote, to make a difference.

Wisconsinites can register to vote atmyvote.wi.gov,by mail, in a clerk's office or at the polls.

They will need proof of residence, such as a driver's license, utility bill, pay stub or other document. They will also have to provide their Wisconsin driver's license number, if they have one, or the last four digits of their Social Security number if they don't have a license.

The deadline for registering by mail or through myvote.wi.gov is normally Oct. 14 but a federal judge recently said he would extend it to Oct. 21. That deadline could change on appeal.

The deadline for registering in a clerk's office is Oct. 30.

Those whomiss those deadlinescan register at the polls on Election Day.

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'This is giving another level of access': Milwaukee Bucks partner with Michelle Obama group to host drive up voter registration - Milwaukee Journal...