usatoday--2020-07-17--Who's going to derail the U.S. presidential election? The culprit may be close to home

WASHINGTON – Fearing nightmare scenarios such as attacks on voter registration databases and state websites tallying results , U.S. officials are leading simulated training exercises to get ready for Nov. 3 .
The `` tabletop exercises , '' to be held virtually because of coronavirus , will include thousands of state and local election officials in addition to intelligence and cybersecurity officials in Washington amid concerns about threats from Russia , China and other countries .
`` We try to make it a pretty bad day , '' said Matthew Masterson , an adviser with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Homeland Security .
CISA is charged with helping to protect the nation 's critical infrastructure from cyber and physical attacks , including its election systems .
Still , Masterson and other experts say the U.S. is now far better prepared to weather potential election meddling by Russia or other foreign adversaries than in 2016 , when the Kremlin hacked into Democratic Party emails and orchestrated a sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to help elect then-candidate Donald Trump .
Mueller report : 5 things to know about Russian interference in U.S. elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local election authorities to identify vulnerabilities in voter registration databases , dispatched cybersecurity experts to look for intrusions and improved communication among states , campaigns and U.S. intelligence officials about the threat landscape .
The training exercises will game out scenarios , including foreign disinformation campaigns , cyber attacks on election infrastructure , or simply overwhelmed and understaffed polling places across the country .
Yet the threat has also morphed , with adversaries such as China , Iran and North Korea joining Russia to meddle in U.S. politics and using ever-changing tools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. political climate is so polarized – due to coronavirus and tensions over police violence and other divisive issues – that America 's enemies will have a lot of fodder to work with as they seek to stoke discord .
`` They do n't need to make any fake news this time around because there 's just constant disinformation all across the political landscape , '' said Clint Watts , a research fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute , a think tank .
`` It 's free ammunition . ''
Here 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
Russia remains the most concerning foreign actor in terms of U.S. election interference , although there is a growing focus on China and Iran as well , according to a U.S. intelligence official who was not authorized to speak on the record .
Intelligence officials told lawmakers in the House of Representatives in February that Russia was already interfering in the 2020 campaign to try to get Trump re-elected , according to the New York Times and other outlets .
In a recent analysis , Watts noted that last year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kremlin ’ s troll farm that were promoting Trump , denigrating his Democratic opponent , Joe Biden , and boosting Bernie Sanders , one of Biden 's primary opponents .
And in March , Facebook closed another Russian troll farm operation that appeared to be trying to infiltrate American minority groups on Facebook and Instagram , `` presumably hoping to divide the political left and influence voters headed into Election Day , '' he said .
Rob Davis , CEO of Critical Start , a Texas-based company that monitors security breaches from nation-states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said that Moscow , in a re-run of 2016 , will most likely use aggressive social media campaigns and targeted cyber operations to try to smear candidates and aggravate social tensions on issues such as raceand immigration .
Russian hackers could also renew attempts to hack voter databases and compromise U.S. election infrastructure .
`` Russia 's goal is to be disruptive .
Often it has no agenda beyond that , '' Davis said .
China insists it has no interest in meddling in the U.S. election despite repeated accusations from Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China will do anything they can do to have me lose this race . ''
Google disclosed in June that hackers based in China sought to infiltrate the email accounts of staffers working on Biden'spresidential campaign .
But there is little further concrete evidence that China is waging a sophisticated operation aimed at backing a specific candidate or wants to remove Trump , even though Washington and Beijing have drifted toward a new Cold War amid tensions over the coronavirus pandemic , trade , territorial disputes in the South China Sea and human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatens new 'Cold War ' between US and China China doesn ’ t like Trump , said Watts of the Foreign Policy Research Institute , but because Trump has overseen a U.S. retreat from the world stage , that has given Beijing a freer hand to extend its own influence .
And China 's President Xi Jinping is more interested in crushing Chinese dissidents , stealing intellectual property and expanding the reach of its 5G network than in influencing the U.S. election , he said .
`` China 's battle plan is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on political parties to get a potential preview of U.S. policy changes or shifts regarding the military and planning for different outcomes , '' said Critical Start 's Davis .
Google also said in June that Iran-based hackers tried to gain access to Trump campaign accounts , and Microsoft said late last year that Iranian hackers , with apparent backing from the government in Tehran , had made more than 2,700 attempts to hack into the email accounts of current and former American government officials , journalists covering political campaigns and accounts associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hacking attempts coincided with a period when the Trump administration was imposing additional sanctions on Iran after the U.S. pulled out of a nuclear deal with Tehran and world powers , dealing a major blow to Iran 's economy .
JCPOA : Iran to speed up enrichment of uranium amid faltering nuclear deal But Iran , according to Watts , has `` very limited reach '' when it comes to spreading misinformation .
`` They ca n't sustain the content the way the Russians and the Chinese do , '' he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're kind of reckless and silly , and they get caught a lot , which is why we keep hearing about it . ''
In early January , the Federal Depository Library Program 's website was briefly taken offline after a hacker uploaded photos to the site that included an Iranian flag and an image depicting a bloodied Trump being punched in the face .
The website was also modified to say : `` Hacked by Iran Cyber Security Iranian Hackers : This is only ( a ) small part of Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's threats of Chinese interference , Iranian interference , Russian interference , or North Korean interference , any country – or even non-state actors who now have capabilities to try to meddle in our elections – know that this administration takes seriously its responsibility to make sure every American ’ s vote is counted , counted properly , and that foreign influence is minimized in its ability to impact an outcome of an American election , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a forum on the future of national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 .
But Trump continues to play down Russia 's malign role in the 2016 election .
And rather than focusing on possible foreign interference , he has blasted Democrats for trying to expand mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic , alleging without evidence that it is an invitation to fraud .
`` RIGGED 2020 ELECTION : MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES , AND OTHERS .
IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES !
” the president tweeted last month .
Voting experts and officials have characterized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and noted safeguards that states use to protect the authenticity of absentee ballots and envelopes .
'Nonsense ' : Election experts reject Trump 's claim that foreign countries could counterfeit millions of mail-in ballots Lawrence Norden , director of the Election Reform Program for the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York School of Law , called Trump 's assertion `` nonsense '' and noted that mail-in ballots must be returned in secrecy envelopes created by local election authorities .
He said the envelopes are bar-coded in many states with a unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter .
`` ( Trump 's ) rhetoric is right out of the Russian playbook '' and `` designed to cast doubt about our democratic processes and about the integrity of elections , '' said Elaine Kamarck , an expert on American electoral politics and a senior fellow in governance studies with the Brookings Institution , a left-leaning think tank .
`` I ca n't imagine what a foreign adversary can do that the U.S. is n't already doing to itself '' in terms of fueling division and churning out disinformation , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the vote , there are signs of the different forms this disorder could take on Election Day : • In early July , armed right-wing activists flocked to fake antifa protests in Pennsylvania and other places – planning to confront left-wing activists and anarchists at events that never materialized and were falsely trumpeted online .
• On Wednesday , a major breach in Twitter ’ s security allowed hackers to break into the accounts of leaders and technology moguls , damaging trust in a platform used by politicians and corporate leaders to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hack was related to a Bitcoin scam , but it nevertheless spotlights the potential for nefarious actors to sabotage high-profile voices to meddle in the political process .
• Primary elections in Wisconsin , Georgia and other states have exposed major problems with holding an election during the coronavirus pandemic , which has sparked stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules .
Among the issues : long lines , a shortage of polls workers and faulty voting machines .
Tech problems played a role throughout a botched Democratic primary caucus in Iowa in February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton 's 2016 presidential campaign and now works on a Harvard University project to develop strategies and tools to protect U.S. elections against foreign attacks , said he was less worried about Russian hacking than about massive logistical problems on Election Day exacerbated by the pandemic .
`` We ’ re hacking our own election by not resourcing it well , ” Mook said in an interview with Campaign HQ , a political podcast .
Local election officials `` do n't have what they need to be robust when trouble comes . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Critical Start 's Davis described as `` terrifying '' – is if either the American public or the candidates themselves do n't believe the official results are accurate .
In an interview with “ The Daily Show ” host Trevor Noah last month , Biden warned that military officers could remove Trump from the White House if he loses the vote , but refuses to leave .
“ I promise you , I ’ m absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House with great dispatch , ” Biden said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying : `` President Trump has been clear that he will accept the results of the 2020 election . ''

Deirdre Shesgreen and Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY

Who's going to derail the U.S. presidential election? The culprit may be close to home
Show Caption Hide Caption How to prevent cyberattacks on U.S. elections systems Officials are checking security and instituting drills as America gears up for elections. But not all the threats are from outside the U.S. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Fearing nightmare scenarios such as attacks on voter registration databases and state websites tallying results, U.S. officials are leading simulated training exercises to get ready for Nov. 3.
The "tabletop exercises," to be held virtually because of coronavirus, will include thousands of state and local election officials in addition to intelligence and cybersecurity officials in Washington amid concerns about threats from Russia, China and other countries.
"We try to make it a pretty bad day," said Matthew Masterson, an adviser with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, part of the Department of Homeland Security. CISA is charged with helping to protect the nation's critical infrastructure from cyber and physical attacks, including its election systems.
Still, Masterson and other experts say the U.S. is now far better prepared to weather potential election meddling by Russia or other foreign adversaries than in 2016, when the Kremlin hacked into Democratic Party emails and orchestrated a sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to help elect then-candidate Donald Trump.
Mueller report: 5 things to know about Russian interference in U.S. elections
CISA officials have worked with state and local election authorities to identify vulnerabilities in voter registration databases, dispatched cybersecurity experts to look for intrusions and improved communication among states, campaigns and U.S. intelligence officials about the threat landscape. The training exercises will game out scenarios, including foreign disinformation campaigns, cyber attacks on election infrastructure, or simply overwhelmed and understaffed polling places across the country.
Yet the threat has also morphed, with adversaries such as China, Iran and North Korea joining Russia to meddle in U.S. politics and using ever-changing tools and tactics. Meanwhile, some fear the U.S. political climate is so polarized – due to coronavirus and tensions over police violence and other divisive issues – that America's enemies will have a lot of fodder to work with as they seek to stoke discord.
Trump accepts Russia's denial of 2016 election meddling U.S. lawmakers are criticizing President Trump, saying he missed an opportunity to hold Russia accountable for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. USA TODAY
"They don't need to make any fake news this time around because there's just constant disinformation all across the political landscape," said Clint Watts, a research fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a think tank. "It's free ammunition."
Here's who could mess with the 2020 presidential election.
Russia
Russia remains the most concerning foreign actor in terms of U.S. election interference, although there is a growing focus on China and Iran as well, according to a U.S. intelligence official who was not authorized to speak on the record.
Intelligence officials told lawmakers in the House of Representatives in February that Russia was already interfering in the 2020 campaign to try to get Trump re-elected, according to the New York Times and other outlets.
Digital spy: US, Canada, UK accuse Russia of hacking COVID-19 vaccine trials
In a recent analysis, Watts noted that last year, Facebook took down accounts associated with a Kremlin’s troll farm that were promoting Trump, denigrating his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, and boosting Bernie Sanders, one of Biden's primary opponents. And in March, Facebook closed another Russian troll farm operation that appeared to be trying to infiltrate American minority groups on Facebook and Instagram, "presumably hoping to divide the political left and influence voters headed into Election Day," he said.
Rob Davis, CEO of Critical Start, a Texas-based company that monitors security breaches from nation-states and advises its clients about defensive measures, said that Moscow, in a re-run of 2016, will most likely use aggressive social media campaigns and targeted cyber operations to try to smear candidates and aggravate social tensions on issues such as race and immigration. Russian hackers could also renew attempts to hack voter databases and compromise U.S. election infrastructure.
"Russia's goal is to be disruptive. Often it has no agenda beyond that," Davis said.
China
China insists it has no interest in meddling in the U.S. election despite repeated accusations from Trump that Beijing prefers Biden and that "China will do anything they can do to have me lose this race."
Google disclosed in June that hackers based in China sought to infiltrate the email accounts of staffers working on Biden's presidential campaign. But there is little further concrete evidence that China is waging a sophisticated operation aimed at backing a specific candidate or wants to remove Trump, even though Washington and Beijing have drifted toward a new Cold War amid tensions over the coronavirus pandemic, trade, territorial disputes in the South China Sea and human rights.
'Dangerous dynamic': Coronavirus threatens new 'Cold War' between US and China
China doesn’t like Trump, said Watts of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, but because Trump has overseen a U.S. retreat from the world stage, that has given Beijing a freer hand to extend its own influence. And China's President Xi Jinping is more interested in crushing Chinese dissidents, stealing intellectual property and expanding the reach of its 5G network than in influencing the U.S. election, he said.
"China's battle plan is more about espionage to access information and spying on political parties to get a potential preview of U.S. policy changes or shifts regarding the military and planning for different outcomes," said Critical Start's Davis.
Iran
Google also said in June that Iran-based hackers tried to gain access to Trump campaign accounts, and Microsoft said late last year that Iranian hackers, with apparent backing from the government in Tehran, had made more than 2,700 attempts to hack into the email accounts of current and former American government officials, journalists covering political campaigns and accounts associated with a presidential campaign.
The earlier hacking attempts coincided with a period when the Trump administration was imposing additional sanctions on Iran after the U.S. pulled out of a nuclear deal with Tehran and world powers, dealing a major blow to Iran's economy.
JCPOA: Iran to speed up enrichment of uranium amid faltering nuclear deal
But Iran, according to Watts, has "very limited reach" when it comes to spreading misinformation. "They can't sustain the content the way the Russians and the Chinese do," he said, adding that in terms of cyberattacks "they're kind of reckless and silly, and they get caught a lot, which is why we keep hearing about it."
One example:
In early January, the Federal Depository Library Program's website was briefly taken offline after a hacker uploaded photos to the site that included an Iranian flag and an image depicting a bloodied Trump being punched in the face.
The website was also modified to say: "Hacked by Iran Cyber Security Iranian Hackers: This is only (a) small part of Iran's cyber ability!"
Homegrown disputes and problems
"Whether it's threats of Chinese interference, Iranian interference, Russian interference, or North Korean interference, any country – or even non-state actors who now have capabilities to try to meddle in our elections – know that this administration takes seriously its responsibility to make sure every American’s vote is counted, counted properly, and that foreign influence is minimized in its ability to impact an outcome of an American election," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a forum on the future of national security hosted by The Hill newspaper on July 15.
But Trump continues to play down Russia's malign role in the 2016 election. And rather than focusing on possible foreign interference, he has blasted Democrats for trying to expand mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, alleging without evidence that it is an invitation to fraud.
"RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES!” the president tweeted last month.
Voting experts and officials have characterized Trump's allegations as a bogus conspiracy and noted safeguards that states use to protect the authenticity of absentee ballots and envelopes.
How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
'Nonsense':Election experts reject Trump's claim that foreign countries could counterfeit millions of mail-in ballots
Lawrence Norden, director of the Election Reform Program for the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York School of Law, called Trump's assertion "nonsense" and noted that mail-in ballots must be returned in secrecy envelopes created by local election authorities. He said the envelopes are bar-coded in many states with a unique identifier that ties the ballot to the voter.
"(Trump's) rhetoric is right out of the Russian playbook" and "designed to cast doubt about our democratic processes and about the integrity of elections," said Elaine Kamarck, an expert on American electoral politics and a senior fellow in governance studies with the Brookings Institution, a left-leaning think tank.
"I can't imagine what a foreign adversary can do that the U.S. isn't already doing to itself" in terms of fueling division and churning out disinformation," Watts said.
Less than four months to the vote, there are signs of the different forms this disorder could take on Election Day:
In early July, armed right-wing activists flocked to fake antifa protests in Pennsylvania and other places – planning to confront left-wing activists and anarchists at events that never materialized and were falsely trumpeted online.
On Wednesday, a major breach in Twitter’s security allowed hackers to break into the accounts of leaders and technology moguls, damaging trust in a platform used by politicians and corporate leaders to communicate directly with the public. The hack was related to a Bitcoin scam, but it nevertheless spotlights the potential for nefarious actors to sabotage high-profile voices to meddle in the political process.
Primary elections in Wisconsin, Georgia and other states have exposed major problems with holding an election during the coronavirus pandemic, which has sparked stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules. Among the issues: long lines, a shortage of polls workers and faulty voting machines. Tech problems played a role throughout a botched Democratic primary caucus in Iowa in February.
Robby Mook, who ran Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and now works on a Harvard University project to develop strategies and tools to protect U.S. elections against foreign attacks, said he was less worried about Russian hacking than about massive logistical problems on Election Day exacerbated by the pandemic.
"We’re hacking our own election by not resourcing it well,” Mook said in an interview with Campaign HQ, a political podcast. Local election officials "don't have what they need to be robust when trouble comes."
Perhaps most worrying of all – what Critical Start's Davis described as "terrifying" – is if either the American public or the candidates themselves don't believe the official results are accurate. In an interview with “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah last month, Biden warned that military officers could remove Trump from the White House if he loses the vote, but refuses to leave.
“I promise you, I’m absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House with great dispatch,” Biden said. The Trump campaign responded to Biden by saying: "President Trump has been clear that he will accept the results of the 2020 election."
Contributing: Joey Garrison


usatoday--2020-07-17--NFL releases statement addressing allegations vs. Washington team: 'Contrary to the NFL's values'

After 15 women who worked for the Washington NFL team , in addition to two reporters who covered the club , told the Washington Post the were sexually harassed by other team employees during their tenures , the league released a statement Friday addressing the allegations through spokesman Brian McCarthy .
`` These matters as reported are serious , disturbing and contrary to the NFL ’ s values , '' the statement read .
`` Everyone in the NFL has the right to work in an environment free from any and all forms of harassment . ''
The team retained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matter , attorney Beth Wilkinson confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday .
`` Washington has engaged outside counsel to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations , '' the league statement continued .
`` The club has pledged that it will give its full cooperation to the investigator and we expect the club and all employees to do so .
We will meet with the attorneys upon the conclusion of their investigation and take any action based on the findings . ''
IT HAPPENED TO ME , TOO : Allegations against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GO : Washington owner no longer just a headache for the NFL , he 's become a liability

NFL releases statement addressing allegations vs. Washington team: 'Contrary to the NFL’s values'
Show Caption Hide Caption Brennan: Time for NFL to get rid of Washington 'cesspool' and dispose of Dan Snyder SportsPulse: The Washington Post revelations of rampant sexual harassment is more than enough to justify the removal of Dan Snyder as owner of the NFL's Washington franchise, says Christine Brennan. USA TODAY
After 15 women who worked for the Washington NFL team, in addition to two reporters who covered the club, told the Washington Post the were sexually harassed by other team employees during their tenures, the league released a statement Friday addressing the allegations through spokesman Brian McCarthy.
"These matters as reported are serious, disturbing and contrary to the NFL’s values," the statement read. "Everyone in the NFL has the right to work in an environment free from any and all forms of harassment."
The team retained D.C.-based law firm Wilkinson Walsh to review the matter, attorney Beth Wilkinson confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday.
"Washington has engaged outside counsel to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations," the league statement continued. "The club has pledged that it will give its full cooperation to the investigator and we expect the club and all employees to do so. We will meet with the attorneys upon the conclusion of their investigation and take any action based on the findings."
IT HAPPENED TO ME, TOO: Allegations against Washington franchise are nothing new
SNYDER MUST GO: Washington owner no longer just a headache for the NFL, he's become a liability
Contributing: Tom Schad, USA TODAY Sports


usatoday--2020-07-17--Princess Beatrice marries Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in small ceremony amid coronavirus

In a statement to USA TODAY Friday , Buckingham Palace confirmed the private wedding ceremony took place Friday morning at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge , Windsor .
It was attended by Beatrice 's close family , including her grandparents Queen Elizabeth II , 94 , and Prince Philip , 99 .
`` The wedding took place in accordance with all relevant Government Guidelines , '' the statement continued .
According to BBC News and People , the ceremony was attended by about 20 guests , including Beatrice 's father , Prince Andrew , 60 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on May 29 at the Chapel Royal in St. James 's Palace , with a private reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II for the newlyweds in the gardens at Buckingham Palace .
But in early May , Beatrice , 31 , postponed the royal wedding amid the pandemic , a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly said at the time .
Beatrice got engaged to Mozzi , CEO of architecture/design studio Banda Property , in September while on vacation in Italy .
After their engagement announcement , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his Instagram account with a sweet caption : `` You will never be alone my love , my heart is your home .
Hand in hand , today , tomorrow and forever . ''
Mozzi is father to a young son , Wolfie , from a previous relationship with American architect and designer Dara Huang .
Beatrice 's sister , Princess Eugenie , married to her long-time boyfriend , Jack Brooksbank , in October 2018 .
Their wedding was just five months after Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan wed. More : Prince @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been Princess Diana 's 59th birthday More : Duchess Kate shares new family photo of Prince William volunteering with George , Charlotte

Princess Beatrice marries Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in small ceremony amid coronavirus
Show Caption Hide Caption Princess Beatrice of York engaged to property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Princess Beatrice of York is engaged! Buckingham Palace announced her engagement to property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. USA TODAY
Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small ceremony amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement to USA TODAY Friday, Buckingham Palace confirmed the private wedding ceremony took place Friday morning at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor.
It was attended by Beatrice's close family, including her grandparents Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and Prince Philip, 99.
"The wedding took place in accordance with all relevant Government Guidelines," the statement continued.
According to BBC News and People, the ceremony was attended by about 20 guests, including Beatrice's father, Prince Andrew, 60.
The couple were set to be married on May 29 at the Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace, with a private reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II for the newlyweds in the gardens at Buckingham Palace. But in early May, Beatrice, 31, postponed the royal wedding amid the pandemic, a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly said at the time.
Beatrice got engaged to Mozzi, CEO of architecture/design studio Banda Property, in September while on vacation in Italy.
After their engagement announcement, the property tycoon, 37, posted photos on his Instagram account with a sweet caption: "You will never be alone my love, my heart is your home. Hand in hand, today, tomorrow and forever."
Mozzi is father to a young son, Wolfie, from a previous relationship with American architect and designer Dara Huang.
Beatrice's sister, Princess Eugenie, married to her long-time boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, in October 2018. Their wedding was just five months after Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan wed.
Contributing: Anika Reed, USA TODAY
More: Prince Harry addresses institutional racism on what would have been Princess Diana's 59th birthday
More: Duchess Kate shares new family photo of Prince William volunteering with George, Charlotte


usatoday--2020-07-17--Can kids spread the coronavirus? 'Conclusively, without a doubt – yes,' experts say

As school districts around the country begin to reveal reopening guidelines for when students return to classrooms in the fall , many parents are concerned about how the coronavirus could impact their children .
The White House has provided confusing statements .
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday `` science should not stand in the way '' of schools reopening and `` science is on our side . ''
A compilation of studies and articles published in JAMA Pediatrics found most patients under the age of 18 with COVID-19 , the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 , tend to have mild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks – quicker than most adults .
While this may alleviate some concerns , medical experts say parents shouldn ’ t let their guard down .
Children can still be carriers of the virus and facilitate spread in their communities .
Whether your child is entering preschool or high school , here 's what you should know about the coronavirus and how it can impact your family .
Can children carry the coronavirus and spread it ?
“ I think the answer is conclusively , without a doubt – yes , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical care at Texas Children ’ s Hospital .
Surveillance screening , which is testing all children admitted to the hospital , has revealed a higher percentage of them carrying the virus and not showing any symptoms , she said .
The trend is consistent with data from Florida .
About one-third of children tested in the state for COVID-19 returned positive results , which is higher than the overall statewide positivity rate of 11 % , according to state data .
While there has yet to be hard data to prove asymptomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any symptoms – Shekerdemian said there ’ s nothing to suggest “ the lack of symptoms doesn ’ t mean you don ’ t transmit it.
” “ There ’ s no doubt they can be asymptomatic .
Do they carry ( the virus ) more often than adults ?
” she said .
“ That ’ s a hard one to answer .
There isn ’ t enough surveillance going on in the community.
” Dr. Megan Culler Freeman , a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UPMC Children ’ s Hospital of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown children have the same amount of viral load in their noses as adults .
However , children are more likely to have only mild symptoms , which may not be noticeable to child or parent .
Shekerdemian says by being healthier , children can actually be more dangerous as they 're less likely to stay at home sick and more likely to go out into the world unknowingly spreading the virus .
What age group is more at risk for COVID-19 ?
There was no difference in children age groups two or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but now doctors are seeing more older kids in the hospital for COVID-19 .
She suspects this may be due to teenagers and young adults socializing outside of their houses as businesses reopen .
However , she said there ’ s no data available to support that these older children get sicker or are more at risk for the disease .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all children 2 years old and older wear a mask or cloth covering .
Freeman urges parents not to put masks on children younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If you 're out with your small child , it 's safer to keep them away from others as opposed to covering their face , '' she said .
Some question whether younger children have the discipline to keep masks on during school while out of their parents ’ supervision , but Shekerdemian says kids deserve more credit .
“ Children are very conscious of what their peers are doing ( and ) most parents see that their children are way more disciplined at school than at home , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to schools to encourage such kind of behavior , Shekerdemian says mask-wearing has become normal for most kids .
“ ( They ) adapt to new things often more quickly than adults do because they tend not to question it , ” she said .
Are COVID symptoms in kids any different from adults ?
COVID-19 symptoms in children are much milder than adults , Freeman said .
The most common symptoms among children are cough , shortness of breath and fever .
Cough and shortness of breath occurs in about half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fever occurs in about one-third , she said .
Sometimes children have a loss of appetite or vomiting – or they do n't exhibit any symptom at all .
Boston 's Children 's Hospital recommends parents look out for these symptoms and call their health care provider if they suspect their child is sick : • new loss of taste or smell How many kids have died from COVID ?
Freeman said fewer than half a percent of children who are infected with the coronavirus have died .
Data from the spring also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 made up only 5 % of total infections , she said .
She notes this may be because children have n't had the chance to socialize the way adults have since schools were closed early on in the pandemic .
`` A lot of their social networks are decreased , '' she said .
`` We 're not going to know how that behavior is going to drive infection until we ( reopen schools ) . ''
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Innovation and Competition in Healthcare .
The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input .

Can kids spread the coronavirus? 'Conclusively, without a doubt – yes,' experts say
Show Caption Hide Caption Fauci: school reopening should be decided locally The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday said that local officials in COVID hotspots should decide when schools reopen. (July 14) AP
As school districts around the country reveal reopening guidelines for when students return to classrooms in the fall, many parents are concerned about how the coronavirus could affect their children.
The White House has provided confusing statements. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday "science should not stand in the way" of schools reopening, though "science is on our side."
A compilation of studies and articles published in JAMA Pediatrics found most patients under the age of 18 with COVID-19, the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, have mild symptoms and fully recover within one to two weeks – quicker than most adults.
Though this may alleviate some concerns, medical experts said parents shouldn’t let their guard down.
Whether your child is entering preschool or high school, here's what you should know about the coronavirus and how it can impact your family.
Can children carry the coronavirus and spread it ?
“I think the answer is conclusively, without a doubt – yes,” said Dr. Lara Shekerdemian, chief of critical care at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Surveillance screening, which is testing all children admitted to a hospital, revealed a higher percentage of them carrying the virus and not showing any symptoms, she said.
The trend is consistent with data from Florida. About one-third of children tested in the state for COVID-19 returned positive results, which is higher than the overall statewide positivity rate of 11%, according to state data.
Though there has yet to be hard data to prove asymptomatic spread – transmitting the virus without displaying any symptoms – Shekerdemian said there’s nothing to suggest “the lack of symptoms doesn’t mean you don’t transmit it.”
“There’s no doubt they can be asymptomatic. Do they carry (the virus) more often than adults?” she said. “That’s a hard one to answer. There isn’t enough surveillance going on in the community.”
Megan Culler Freeman, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said nose swab studies have shown children have the same amount of viral load in their noses as adults.
Children are more likely to have only mild symptoms, which may not be noticeable to child or parent. Shekerdemian said that by being healthier, children can actually be more dangerous as they're less likely to stay at home sick and more likely to go out into the world, unknowingly spreading the virus.
What age group is more at risk for COVID-19 ?
There was no difference in children age groups two or three months ago, Shekerdemian said, but now doctors are seeing more older kids in the hospital for COVID-19.
She suspects this may be because of teenagers and young adults socializing outside their houses as businesses reopen. She said there’s no data available to support that older children get sicker or are more at risk for the disease.
Should kids wear masks?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all children 2 years old and older wear a mask or cloth covering.
Freeman urges parents not to put masks on children younger than 2 as they can suffocate. "If you're out with your small child, it's safer to keep them away from others as opposed to covering their face," she said.
Some question whether younger children have the discipline to keep masks on during school while out of their parents’ supervision, but Shekerdemian said kids deserve more credit. “Children are very conscious of what their peers are doing, (and) most parents see that their children are way more disciplined at school than at home,” she said.
It’s also up to schools to encourage such behavior. Shekerdemian said mask-wearing has become normal for most kids. “(They) adapt to new things often more quickly than adults do because they tend not to question it,” she said.
Are COVID symptoms in kids any different from adults ?
COVID-19 symptoms in children are much milder than adults, Freeman said.
The most common symptoms among children are cough, shortness of breath and fever. Cough and shortness of breath occurs in about half of children known to be infected, and fever occurs in about one-third, she said. Sometimes children have a loss of appetite or vomiting – or they don't exhibit any symptom at all.
Boston's Children's Hospital recommends parents look out for these symptoms and call their health care provider if they suspect their child is sick:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
How many kids have died from COVID-19?
Freeman said fewer than half a percent of children infected with the coronavirus have died. Data from the spring showed infected people under the age of 19 made up only 5% of total infections, she said.
She said this may be because children haven't had the chance to socialize the way adults have since schools were closed early on in the pandemic.
"A lot of their social networks are decreased," she said. "We're not going to know how that behavior is going to drive infection until we (reopen schools)."
Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.


usatoday--2020-07-17--Florida police capture kangaroo on the run, squeeze into squad car

After receiving a call about a kangaroo running loose , Fort Lauderdale police officers managed to capture him and place @ @ @ @ @ .

Florida police capture escaped kangaroo
After receiving a call about a kangaroo running loose, Fort Lauderdale police officers managed to capture him and place him in a squad car.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-07-17--What the U.S. is doing now to prevent cyberattacks on election systems

How to prevent cyberattacks on U.S. elections systems Officials are checking security and instituting drills as America gears up for @ @ @ @ @ the threats are from outside the U.S .

How to prevent cyberattacks on U.S. elections systems
Officials are checking security and instituting drills as America gears up for elections. But not all the threats are from outside the U.S.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-07-17--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg battling cancer again

WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced Friday she is battling cancer again , just days after she was hospitalized for a possible infection .
The 87-year-old Ginsburg , a four-time cancer survivor who announced in January that she was cancer-free , said a periodic scan and a biopsy revealed lesions on her liver , but chemotherapy treatment that began in May is `` yielding positive results . ''
Her most recent scan last week showed `` significant reduction '' of the lesions , the justice said in a brief statement .
`` I am tolerating chemotherapy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my current treatment , '' Ginsburg said .
`` I will continue bi-weekly chemotherapy to keep my cancer at bay , and am able to maintain an active daily routine .
Throughout , I have kept up with opinion writing and all other court work . ''
This is Ginsburg 's fifth bout with cancer , following colon cancer in 1999 , pancreatic cancer in 2009 , lung cancer in 2018 and more pancreatic cancer last year .
Still , she said she would stay on the court `` as long as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' a phrase she has used many times in the past .
For years , Ginsburg 's health has been a concern for Democrats who worry that the high court 's 5-4 conservative majority could be expanded if she were to leave the bench before the November presidential election .
Even if Democrats sweep to victories , Republicans will control the Senate at least until Jan. 3 , and President Donald Trump will be in office at least until Jan. 20 .
Ginsburg said her recent hospitalizations to remove gall stones and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer .
Ginsburg was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore earlier this week after she experienced fever and chills .
She was treated for a possible infection and underwent an endoscopic procedure to clean out a bile duct stent that was inserted last August .
She had been hospitalized in May following an infection caused by a benign gallbladder condition , the Supreme Court said .
An oncologist , who has not treated the jurist , suggested that the lesions on Ginsburg 's liver could be a recurrence of pancreatic cancer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer , '' Dr. Wasif M. Saif , of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute , told USA TODAY , citing the type of chemotherapy Ginsburg is receiving .
He added : `` It seems like her cancer is back in the liver .
The good news is that she seems to be responding.
” The doctor also praised Ginsburg 's longevity , more than a decade after she was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer .
`` She was diagnosed with this cancer in 2009 .
And now today , it is 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people can do better .
It also speaks to her willpower , '' Saif said .
And Saif opined that Ginsburg should be able to continue to work .
He said patients receiving chemotherapy every two weeks , rather than every week , tend to handle side effects more easily .
`` I think she is one of those people who are super human .
I think definitely , her commitment to what she is doing and her willpower is so strong that I will not be surprised if she continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second-longest-serving justice on the bench , was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993 .
She is the leader of the court 's liberal wing , which includes Associate Justices Stephen Breyer , Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan .
That group is outnumbered by five conservative justices , led by Chief Justice John Roberts , who has become the center of the court .
To his right are Associate Justices Clarence Thomas , Samuel Alito , Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
Should a vacancy occur on the court while Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates likely are federal appeals court judges Amul Thapar of Kentucky and Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana .
Known fondly to her vast network of supporters as simply `` RBG '' or the `` Notorious RBG , '' Ginsburg emerged from three weeks of radiation treatment for pancreatic cancer last fall by traveling the nation giving speeches , staging conversations and accepting awards and honorary degrees .
`` As cancer survivors know , that dread disease is a challenge , and it helps to know that people are rooting for you .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she quipped in September at the famed 92nd Street Y in New York City .
She vowed to stay on the job `` as long as I 'm healthy and mentally agile . ''
Ginsburg must remain on the nation 's highest court at least until January to avoid giving Trump and a Republican-controlled Senate the opportunity to replace her .
Such a scenario could give conservatives a 6-3 hold on the high court – solidifying their majority , perhaps for decades to come .
Ginsburg 's predicament is similar to that faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pioneer , Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall , in 1991 .
With his health declining as he approached his 83rd birthday , he retired during the third year of Republican George H.W .
Bush 's presidency .
Marshall ultimately lived four days into the administration of Democratic President Bill Clinton .
But by then his seat was held by Thomas , now the court 's longest-serving and most conservative justice .
Ginsburg has shown no similar signs of `` coming apart , '' as Marshall described himself in a calamitous 1991 press conference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguments of her career early in 2019 while recovering from lung cancer surgery .
In May , she participated in oral arguments by telephone from the hospital .
Before her fourth cancer was diagnosed , Ginsburg had said she hoped to stay on the bench for at least five more years , noting that the late Associate Justice John Paul Stevens served until age 90 .
Stevens died a year ago at 99 .
The second pancreatic cancer was concerning because it is the deadliest kind , with an average five-year survival rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancers .
But Ginsburg has lived 11 years since her first bout .
The justice 's first major health scare was colon cancer in 1999 .
Chemotherapy and radiation left her depleted , so her late husband Martin convinced her to get a personal trainer .
She has worked out twice a week ever since .
Her first bout with pancreatic cancer in 2009 was caught early following a routine blood test , and she made a full recovery .
She received a stent in a heart procedure in 2014 .
In November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court chambers and fractured three ribs , forcing her to miss Kavanaugh 's investiture ceremony .
The fall proved fortuitous , because it enabled doctors to find and remove two malignant nodules from her left lung .
By then , her supporters were increasingly rattled .
Twitter was flooded with good wishes as well as medical offers .
`` Ruth Bader Ginsberg ( sic ) can have my ribs , '' actress and # MeToo activist Alyssa Milano tweeted at he time .
`` And my kidneys and a lung .
And anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were to leave the court this year , it would mirror the situation in 2016 , when Associate Justice Antonin Scalia 's death set in motion a drama that consumed all three branches of government throughout the presidential campaign .
President Barack Obama offered up a compromise candidate , 63-year-old Merrick Garland , chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , refused even to hold a hearing .
The court muddled through the second half of its term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight justices , until Gorsuch was confirmed in April of 2017 .
With that history in mind , Democrats and liberals have said any vacancy on the left side of the court should remain open through the November election .
But with the White House and Senate in GOP hands , McConnell has vowed to `` leave no vacancy behind . ''

Richard Wolf, Ken Alltucker and Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg battling cancer again
Show Caption Hide Caption Ruth Bader Ginsburg is tougher than she looks Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hasn't let anything stop her while serving, including several bouts with cancer. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced Friday she is battling cancer again, just days after she was hospitalized for a possible infection.
The 87-year-old Ginsburg, a four-time cancer survivor who announced in January that she was cancer-free, said a periodic scan and a biopsy revealed lesions on her liver, but chemotherapy treatment that began in May is "yielding positive results." Her most recent scan last week showed "significant reduction" of the lesions, the justice said in a brief statement.
"I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment," Ginsburg said. "I will continue bi-weekly chemotherapy to keep my cancer at bay, and am able to maintain an active daily routine. Throughout, I have kept up with opinion writing and all other court work."
This is Ginsburg's fifth bout with cancer, following colon cancer in 1999, pancreatic cancer in 2009, lung cancer in 2018 and more pancreatic cancer last year. Still, she said she would stay on the court "as long as I can do the job full steam," a phrase she has used many times in the past.
For years, Ginsburg's health has been a concern for Democrats who worry that the high court's 5-4 conservative majority could be expanded if she were to leave the bench before the November presidential election. Even if Democrats sweep to victories, Republicans will control the Senate at least until Jan. 3, and President Donald Trump will be in office at least until Jan. 20.
More: Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh display independent streaks
Ginsburg said her recent hospitalizations to remove gall stones and treat an infection were unrelated to her cancer.
Ginsburg was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore earlier this week after she experienced fever and chills. She was treated for a possible infection and underwent an endoscopic procedure to clean out a bile duct stent that was inserted last August.
She had been hospitalized in May following an infection caused by a benign gallbladder condition, the Supreme Court said.
'Speaks to her willpower'
An oncologist, who has not treated the jurist, suggested that the lesions on Ginsburg's liver could be a recurrence of pancreatic cancer. "I believe it is metastatic pancreatic cancer," Dr. Wasif M. Saif, of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute, told USA TODAY, citing the type of chemotherapy Ginsburg is receiving. He added: "It seems like her cancer is back in the liver. The good news is that she seems to be responding.”
The doctor also praised Ginsburg's longevity, more than a decade after she was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. "She was diagnosed with this cancer in 2009. And now today, it is 2020. This gives us hope with patients that some people can do better. It also speaks to her willpower," Saif said.
And Saif opined that Ginsburg should be able to continue to work. He said patients receiving chemotherapy every two weeks, rather than every week, tend to handle side effects more easily. "I think she is one of those people who are super human. I think definitely, her commitment to what she is doing and her willpower is so strong that I will not be surprised if she continues to work during this time.”
Leader of the liberals
Ginsburg, the second-longest-serving justice on the bench, was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1993. She is the leader of the court's liberal wing, which includes Associate Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
More: Federal execution renews Supreme Court's divide over death penalty
That group is outnumbered by five conservative justices, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, who has become the center of the court. To his right are Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
More: Year of surprise Supreme Court rulings shows influence of Chief Justice John Roberts
Should a vacancy occur on the court while Trump and Republicans remain in power, the leading candidates likely are federal appeals court judges Amul Thapar of Kentucky and Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana.
Known fondly to her vast network of supporters as simply "RBG" or the "Notorious RBG," Ginsburg emerged from three weeks of radiation treatment for pancreatic cancer last fall by traveling the nation giving speeches, staging conversations and accepting awards and honorary degrees.
"As cancer survivors know, that dread disease is a challenge, and it helps to know that people are rooting for you. Now, it's not universal," she quipped in September at the famed 92nd Street Y in New York City. She vowed to stay on the job "as long as I'm healthy and mentally agile."
Ginsburg must remain on the nation's highest court at least until January to avoid giving Trump and a Republican-controlled Senate the opportunity to replace her. Such a scenario could give conservatives a 6-3 hold on the high court – solidifying their majority, perhaps for decades to come.
Ginsburg's predicament is similar to that faced by the court's last civil rights pioneer, Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, in 1991. With his health declining as he approached his 83rd birthday, he retired during the third year of Republican George H.W. Bush's presidency.
Marshall ultimately lived four days into the administration of Democratic President Bill Clinton. But by then his seat was held by Thomas, now the court's longest-serving and most conservative justice.
Rarely misses court
Ginsburg has shown no similar signs of "coming apart," as Marshall described himself in a calamitous 1991 press conference, though she did miss the first oral arguments of her career early in 2019 while recovering from lung cancer surgery. In May, she participated in oral arguments by telephone from the hospital.
Before her fourth cancer was diagnosed, Ginsburg had said she hoped to stay on the bench for at least five more years, noting that the late Associate Justice John Paul Stevens served until age 90. Stevens died a year ago at 99.
The second pancreatic cancer was concerning because it is the deadliest kind, with an average five-year survival rate of 9%, lowest of all cancers. But Ginsburg has lived 11 years since her first bout.
The justice's first major health scare was colon cancer in 1999. Chemotherapy and radiation left her depleted, so her late husband Martin convinced her to get a personal trainer. She has worked out twice a week ever since.
Her first bout with pancreatic cancer in 2009 was caught early following a routine blood test, and she made a full recovery. She received a stent in a heart procedure in 2014. In November 2018, she fell in her Supreme Court chambers and fractured three ribs, forcing her to miss Kavanaugh's investiture ceremony. The fall proved fortuitous, because it enabled doctors to find and remove two malignant nodules from her left lung.
By then, her supporters were increasingly rattled. Twitter was flooded with good wishes as well as medical offers.
"Ruth Bader Ginsberg (sic) can have my ribs," actress and #MeToo activist Alyssa Milano tweeted at he time. "And my kidneys and a lung. And anything else she needs."
If Ginsburg were to leave the court this year, it would mirror the situation in 2016, when Associate Justice Antonin Scalia's death set in motion a drama that consumed all three branches of government throughout the presidential campaign.
President Barack Obama offered up a compromise candidate, 63-year-old Merrick Garland, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused even to hold a hearing. The court muddled through the second half of its term and most of its next one with eight justices, until Gorsuch was confirmed in April of 2017.
With that history in mind, Democrats and liberals have said any vacancy on the left side of the court should remain open through the November election. But with the White House and Senate in GOP hands, McConnell has vowed to "leave no vacancy behind."


usatoday--2020-07-17--Meth kingpin is third person executed by federal government this week

DES MOINES , Iowa – Nearly three decades after Dustin Honken ’ s crime spree gripped Iowa , the small-town boy turned murderous meth kingpin was executed Friday at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute , Indiana .
Honken 's last words were : `` Hail Mary , Mother of God , pray for me . ''
His time of death was marked at 3:36 p.m. Honken – a community college drop-out who created a meth empire in the early 1990s and murdered five people , including two government informants and two children , to stave off a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisoner to be executed this week .
Daniel Lewis Lee , a white supremacist who killed a three-person family , including an 8-year-old girl , and Wesley Ira Purkey , who raped , murdered , dismembered and dumped the body of a 16-year-old girl in a septic pond , were put to death Tuesday and Thursday , respectively .
The executions were scheduled after the Department of Justice announced last year that it would begin to carry out capital punishments after a 17-year hiatus , saying “ that defendants convicted of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentence of death.
” “ We owe it to the victims of these horrific crimes , and to the families left behind , to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system , ” Attorney General William P. Barr said in a statement .
While Honken ’ s execution is the last one in this weeklong spree , Keith Dwayne Nelson , who kidnapped and raped a 10-year-old girl , is scheduled to be executed Aug. 28 .
When the time of death was announced , Honken , 52 , became the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be put to death in an Iowa case .
In 1963 , Victor Feguer , who kidnapped and killed a Dubuque doctor , was executed by hanging at the Iowa State Penitentiary .
Iowa abolished the death penalty in 1965 , but Honken was convicted in federal court due to the killing of government witnesses , which interfered with a federal case .
More : Federal government executes Wesley Ira Purkey , 2nd man put to death this week after 17-year hiatus Like the other inmates put to death this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last moments before his scheduled execution at 4 p.m .
ET Friday .
But unlike the two executed earlier this week , Honken lacked headline-grabbing mitigating circumstances .
In Lewis Lee ’ s case , his victims ’ family had requested his sentenced be reduced to life in prison and in Purkey ’ s , his lawyers asserted that dementia and schizophrenia meant he was not competent to be executed .
The killer and the crime The crime Honken was executed for started as a missing persons case tangentially connected to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven years after five people went missing , including witnesses scheduled to testify against Honken regarding his meth operation , a jailhouse informant would lead investigators to the victims ’ bodies and a murder plot would unravel .
Honken was talented in math and science , but was an eloquent writer , too .
He landed a scholarship to North Iowa Area Community College in the early 1990s .
Born into a life of uncertainty , Honken grew up in Britt , a small town in north central Iowa .
His father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful sway over his two sons , Jeff and Dustin , Honken ’ s sister , Angela Nelson , said during her brother ’ s murder trial .
After convincing Honken , then a recent high school graduate , to steal and copy the key to a local bank , his father robbed it .
A second bank robbery would land him in prison , where he would regale his frequently visiting sons with tales of his criminal exploits .
Bumming around before starting at North Iowa , Honken fell into selling marijuana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of customers who paid thousands for their fix .
Meth didn ’ t enter the picture until 1991 , after he had completed a year of community college chemistry , earning an A- average .
Within a year , Honken and his childhood friend , Tim Cutkomp , had moved to Arizona , built a sophisticated methamphetamine cooking setup and all but perfected a recipe for pure meth , which they sold mainly through two dealers in northeast Iowa : Terry DeGeus , 32 , and Greg Nicholson , 34 .
By 1992 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of dollars .
But as Honken 's operation grew , so too did his dependence on meth and his singular focus on success – no matter the cost .
Soon , he would meet Angela Johnson , a woman who shared his ruthless worldview .
Their attraction was mutual , and she would dump shortly dump her current boyfriend , Honken ’ s dealer , DeGeus , for the boss .
But what Honken didn ’ t know in early 1993 was that Nicholson had decided to cooperate with federal investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and recording Honken making a $ 3,000 deal for a future meth pickup .
Honken and Cutkomp were promptly arrested on federal drug-trafficking charges .
After inadvertently learning that Nicholson had turned state ’ s witness , Honken and Johnson set out to find him and force him to recant his statements .
They discovered him staying at the home of a friend , Lori Duncan , a single mother with two children , Amber , 6 , and Kandi , 10 .
Using a ruse to gain entry , Johnson and Honken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his previous police statements , but then bound and gagged the adults , forced the children to pack bags and walked them at gunpoint to their car .
Johnson and Honken drove the four to a wooded area north of Mason City where Honken first took Duncan and Nicholson to an already dug grave and shot them execution-style .
He then came back for the children and shot them , too .
Later , after learning DeGues also agreed to cooperate with authorities , Johnson tricked him into taking her to a vacant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With no witnesses , the government dropped their drug case in 1995 and Honken went back to making meth .
That stint was a short-lived , however , as he was picked up on new drug charges when his garage was raided in 1996 .
This time , his co-conspirator , Cutkomp turned state ’ s witness , collecting Honken ’ s musings about destroying evidence , buying a gun and eliminating investigators and others who he thought would testify against him .
Investigators were sure Honken was involved with the earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great , but they were no closer to finding the bodies .
Acting on a tip that Johnson might be skipping town , authorities indicted her with aiding and abetting the murders of Nicholson , Duncan , Kandi , Amber and her ex-boyfriend DeGeus .
Law enforcement had enough evidence to believe Johnson had something to do with the murders , though Honken remained their suspected triggerman .
But authorities needed five things before they could begin to prove their case : the bodies .
In jail , Johnson made friends with Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career criminal doing a life sentence who was a prolific snitch .
Saying he knew a “ lifer ” who may take the rap for her and Honken , McNeese convinced her to tell him details about the crime only a participant would know and to draw him maps to the bodies .
Using this evidence , and testimony from a collection of prisoners Honken told in not-so-subtle terms that he killed a handful of people in 1993 , prosecutors brought murder charges against the former underworld honcho .
After a two-month-long trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all 17 counts .
They sentenced him to death specifically for the brutality and senselessness of the children ’ s killings .
At his sentencing in 2005 , Honken recognized the victims ’ families had suffered “ a senseless destruction of human life ” in losing their loved ones , but also declared that their “ vengeance toward me is misguided.
” Honken has rarely spoken publicly since his sentencing , but maintains his innocence .
Johnson was originally sentenced to death for her part in the crime , had her sentence reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a measure of apology at her first sentencing in 2005 , saying she wanted to tell law enforcement about the killings , but feared for her life .
`` It sickens me to know what happened , ” she said , “ even more so not to tell anyone .
”

Meth kingpin is third person executed by federal government this week
Show Caption Hide Caption Dustin Honken, convicted of killing five people, will be executed July 17, 2020 Dustin Honken, a nerd turned drug kingpin, will become the only Iowan since 1963 to have the death sentence an Iowa jury imposed seen through on Friday, July 17, 2020. Des Moines Register
DES MOINES, Iowa – Nearly three decades after Dustin Honken’s crime spree gripped Iowa, the small-town boy turned murderous meth kingpin was executed Friday at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Honken's last words were: "Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for me." His time of death was marked at 3:36 p.m.
Honken – a community college drop-out who created a meth empire in the early 1990s and murdered five people, including two government informants and two children, to stave off a federal drug investigation – was the third federal prisoner to be executed this week.
Daniel Lewis Lee, a white supremacist who killed a three-person family, including an 8-year-old girl, and Wesley Ira Purkey, who raped, murdered, dismembered and dumped the body of a 16-year-old girl in a septic pond, were put to death Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
The executions were scheduled after the Department of Justice announced last year that it would begin to carry out capital punishments after a 17-year hiatus, saying “that defendants convicted of the most heinous crimes should be subject to a sentence of death.”
“We owe it to the victims of these horrific crimes, and to the families left behind, to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system,” Attorney General William P. Barr said in a statement.
While Honken’s execution is the last one in this weeklong spree, Keith Dwayne Nelson, who kidnapped and raped a 10-year-old girl, is scheduled to be executed Aug. 28.
When the time of death was announced, Honken, 52, became the first Iowan in more than 50 years to be put to death in an Iowa case. In 1963, Victor Feguer, who kidnapped and killed a Dubuque doctor, was executed by hanging at the Iowa State Penitentiary.
Iowa abolished the death penalty in 1965, but Honken was convicted in federal court due to the killing of government witnesses, which interfered with a federal case.
More: Federal government executes Wesley Ira Purkey, 2nd man put to death this week after 17-year hiatus
Like the other inmates put to death this week, Honken had appealed his sentence up until the last moments before his scheduled execution at 4 p.m. ET Friday.
But unlike the two executed earlier this week, Honken lacked headline-grabbing mitigating circumstances. In Lewis Lee’s case, his victims’ family had requested his sentenced be reduced to life in prison and in Purkey’s, his lawyers asserted that dementia and schizophrenia meant he was not competent to be executed.
The killer and the crime
The crime Honken was executed for started as a missing persons case tangentially connected to a federal drug trafficking charge. But nearly seven years after five people went missing, including witnesses scheduled to testify against Honken regarding his meth operation, a jailhouse informant would lead investigators to the victims’ bodies and a murder plot would unravel.
Honken was talented in math and science, but was an eloquent writer, too. He landed a scholarship to North Iowa Area Community College in the early 1990s.
Born into a life of uncertainty, Honken grew up in Britt, a small town in north central Iowa. His father, Jim, a drunken schemer, held powerful sway over his two sons, Jeff and Dustin, Honken’s sister, Angela Nelson, said during her brother’s murder trial.
After convincing Honken, then a recent high school graduate, to steal and copy the key to a local bank, his father robbed it. A second bank robbery would land him in prison, where he would regale his frequently visiting sons with tales of his criminal exploits.
Bumming around before starting at North Iowa, Honken fell into selling marijuana and cocaine, quickly building a list of customers who paid thousands for their fix.
Meth didn’t enter the picture until 1991, after he had completed a year of community college chemistry, earning an A- average.
Within a year, Honken and his childhood friend, Tim Cutkomp, had moved to Arizona, built a sophisticated methamphetamine cooking setup and all but perfected a recipe for pure meth, which they sold mainly through two dealers in northeast Iowa: Terry DeGeus, 32, and Greg Nicholson, 34.
By 1992, their multistate ring was netting hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But as Honken's operation grew, so too did his dependence on meth and his singular focus on success – no matter the cost.
Soon, he would meet Angela Johnson, a woman who shared his ruthless worldview. Their attraction was mutual, and she would dump shortly dump her current boyfriend, Honken’s dealer, DeGeus, for the boss.
But what Honken didn’t know in early 1993 was that Nicholson had decided to cooperate with federal investigators, wearing a wire to a meet and recording Honken making a $3,000 deal for a future meth pickup. Honken and Cutkomp were promptly arrested on federal drug-trafficking charges.
After inadvertently learning that Nicholson had turned state’s witness, Honken and Johnson set out to find him and force him to recant his statements. They discovered him staying at the home of a friend, Lori Duncan, a single mother with two children, Amber, 6, and Kandi, 10.
More: Federal execution renews Supreme Court's divide over death penalty
Using a ruse to gain entry, Johnson and Honken did make a video of Nicholson denying his previous police statements, but then bound and gagged the adults, forced the children to pack bags and walked them at gunpoint to their car.
Johnson and Honken drove the four to a wooded area north of Mason City where Honken first took Duncan and Nicholson to an already dug grave and shot them execution-style. He then came back for the children and shot them, too.
Later, after learning DeGues also agreed to cooperate with authorities, Johnson tricked him into taking her to a vacant farm where Honken beat and killed him.
With no witnesses, the government dropped their drug case in 1995 and Honken went back to making meth. That stint was a short-lived, however, as he was picked up on new drug charges when his garage was raided in 1996.
This time, his co-conspirator, Cutkomp turned state’s witness, collecting Honken’s musings about destroying evidence, buying a gun and eliminating investigators and others who he thought would testify against him.
Investigators were sure Honken was involved with the earlier missing people; the coincidences were too great, but they were no closer to finding the bodies.
Acting on a tip that Johnson might be skipping town, authorities indicted her with aiding and abetting the murders of Nicholson, Duncan, Kandi, Amber and her ex-boyfriend DeGeus.
Law enforcement had enough evidence to believe Johnson had something to do with the murders, though Honken remained their suspected triggerman. But authorities needed five things before they could begin to prove their case: the bodies.
In jail, Johnson made friends with Robert “Bobby” Gene McNeese, a career criminal doing a life sentence who was a prolific snitch. Saying he knew a “lifer” who may take the rap for her and Honken, McNeese convinced her to tell him details about the crime only a participant would know and to draw him maps to the bodies.
Using this evidence, and testimony from a collection of prisoners Honken told in not-so-subtle terms that he killed a handful of people in 1993, prosecutors brought murder charges against the former underworld honcho.
After a two-month-long trial, the jury found him guilty on all 17 counts. They sentenced him to death specifically for the brutality and senselessness of the children’s killings.
At his sentencing in 2005, Honken recognized the victims’ families had suffered “a senseless destruction of human life” in losing their loved ones, but also declared that their “vengeance toward me is misguided.”
Honken has rarely spoken publicly since his sentencing, but maintains his innocence.
Johnson was originally sentenced to death for her part in the crime, had her sentence reduced to life in prison. She offered a measure of apology at her first sentencing in 2005, saying she wanted to tell law enforcement about the killings, but feared for her life.
"It sickens me to know what happened,” she said, “even more so not to tell anyone.”
Follow Courtney Crowder on Twitter @courtneycare.


usatoday--2020-07-17--New Mexico officer facing second-degree murder charges in chokehold death of Antonio Valenzuela

LAS CRUCES , N.M. – Charges against a Las Cruces police officer who is accused of killing a man during a traffic stop in February were increased from involuntary manslaughter to second-degree murder Thursday when New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced his office would be taking over the case .
The maximum possible sentence for involuntary manslaughter is 18 months ; second-degree murder carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years .
Christopher Smelser stands accused of killing Antonio Valenzuela , 40 , on February 29 after placing him in a vascular neck restraint .
Police video from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling him he was going to , `` choke you out bro . ''
“ We are taking over prosecution and focusing on appropriate charges for violent and dangerous chokeholds , ” Balderas said .
After working with the district attorney to fully review the case , the Office of the Attorney General determined that the evidence warrants a charge of second-degree murder .
In a statement , Third Judicial District Attorney Mark D'Antonio said his office maintains the integrity of the fair trial process in the continuation of efforts to ensure justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since the incident occurred , D'Antonio said Balderas ' office and staff have been in contact with his office regarding the case , as well as with police and law enforcement reforms and accountability for the use of deadly force , including the ban placed on chokehold restraint techniques .
`` In the pursuit for justice and given the seriousness of the charges against Las Cruces Police Officer Smelser , we agreed that this case be adopted and prosecuted by the New Mexico Attorney General , '' D'Antonio said .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judicial District Court , Smelser is accused of killing Valenzuela without lawful justification or excuse and without sufficient provocation , sudden quarrel , or in the heat of passion , and the defendant knew that his acts created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm to Antonio Valenzuela , a second-degree felony resulting in the death of a human being .
The complaint states that witness testimony from 15 law enforcement officers from various agencies throughout the area helped spur the decision to increase charges against Smelser .
Those officers include @

Bethany Freudenthal, Las Cruces Sun-News

New Mexico officer facing second-degree murder charges in chokehold death of Antonio Valenzuela
Show Caption Hide Caption Las Cruces police lapel camera captures Antonio Valenzuela chase Antonio Valenzuela died as a result of a fatal neck restraint by a Las Cruces police officer Feb. 29, 2020. Las Cruces Sun-News
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Charges against a Las Cruces police officer who is accused of killing a man during a traffic stop in February were increased from involuntary manslaughter to second-degree murder Thursday when New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced his office would be taking over the case.
The maximum possible sentence for involuntary manslaughter is 18 months; second-degree murder carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
Christopher Smelser stands accused of killing Antonio Valenzuela, 40, on February 29 after placing him in a vascular neck restraint. Police video from the incident shows Smelser cursing at Valenzuela and telling him he was going to, "choke you out bro."
“We are taking over prosecution and focusing on appropriate charges for violent and dangerous chokeholds,” Balderas said.
After working with the district attorney to fully review the case, the Office of the Attorney General determined that the evidence warrants a charge of second-degree murder.
In a statement, Third Judicial District Attorney Mark D'Antonio said his office maintains the integrity of the fair trial process in the continuation of efforts to ensure justice is served for the victims and defendants.
Since the incident occurred, D'Antonio said Balderas' office and staff have been in contact with his office regarding the case, as well as with police and law enforcement reforms and accountability for the use of deadly force, including the ban placed on chokehold restraint techniques.
"In the pursuit for justice and given the seriousness of the charges against Las Cruces Police Officer Smelser, we agreed that this case be adopted and prosecuted by the New Mexico Attorney General," D'Antonio said.
According to the new criminal complaint filed in Third Judicial District Court, Smelser is accused of killing Valenzuela without lawful justification or excuse and without sufficient provocation, sudden quarrel, or in the heat of passion, and the defendant knew that his acts created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm to Antonio Valenzuela, a second-degree felony resulting in the death of a human being.
The complaint states that witness testimony from 15 law enforcement officers from various agencies throughout the area helped spur the decision to increase charges against Smelser. Those officers include:
Doña Ana County Sheriff's Department Sgt. A. Sanchez
DASO Detective L. Louick
New Mexico State University Police Department Detective D. Pedraza
New Mexico State Police Officer W. Mora
NMSP Officer D. Herrera
NMSP Officer F. Hall
NMSP Officer N. Rhoades
NMSP Officer M. Avilucea
NMSP Officer N. Alvarado
NMSP Officer G. Avina
Las Cruces Police Department Sgt. M. Henke
LCPD Officer A. Contreras
LCPD Officer J. Guaderrama
LCPD Officer Brisco
LCPD Officer N. Krause
Follow Bethany Freudenthal on Twitter: @bethanyfreuden1.


usatoday--2020-07-18--'Sir, he does not': Fox's Chris Wallace fact-checks Trump's claim that Biden supports defunding the

WASHINGTON – Fox News host Chris Wallace fact-checked President Donald Trump 's inaccurate claim during an interview that former Vice President Joe Biden is in favor of defunding the police , leading to a testy reaction .
In a clip released between the `` FOX News Sunday ” anchor and Trump – the entire interview will air Sunday – the president blamed `` stupidly run '' Democratic local governments for the increase in violence in some cities and implied the increase was the fault of the defund the police movement .
'You ca n't do that ' : Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redirect funds from schools '' It ’ s gotten totally out of control and it ’ s really because they want to defund the police , and Biden wants to defund the police , '' Trump said in the clip about the presumptive Democratic nominee .
Wallace interjected , `` Sir , he does not . ''
`` Look , he signed a charter with Bernie Sanders , '' Trump responded , referring to the unity platform released by Biden and the progressive Vermont senator that unveiled multiple progressive ideas and policy proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include a series of police reforms including banning choke holds , ending racial profiling and allowing victims of abuse to pursue civil litigation .
However , the platform does not support defunding the police , as Biden and his campaign have stated on multiple occasions .
Wallace points this out , saying the plan `` says nothing about defunding the police . ''
`` Oh really ?
It says abolish , it says defund .
Let ’ s go !
Get me the charter , please , '' Trump said , turning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Fox News ' `` Bill Hemmer Reports '' that the president had his staff retrieve highlights of the unity platform that found `` a lot of things that he objected to that Biden has agreed to . ''
`` But he couldn ’ t find any indication – because there isn ’ t any – that Joe Biden has sought to defund and abolish the police , '' the Fox News anchor said .
The Trump administration and campaign have been continually lodging attacks and ads at Biden , claiming he wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Mike Pence said Friday , “ Joe Biden would weaken the thin blue line that separates us from chaos , ” and continued , “ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America , ” seizing on remarks Biden made recently where he expressed support for redirecting some funds , but not all , to bettering social services .
Law enforcement has become a flashpoint between Biden and Trump because of protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
More : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis , Derek Chauvin and 3 former officers Biden became the presumptive nominee with support from Black voters in key states who are demanding police reforms .
Trump has campaigned as the law-and-order president fighting chaos that erupted at some protests .
Biden has pledged support for the central cause of Black Lives Matter protesters – fighting systemic racism – and proposed policing changes .
Later Friday , Trump repeated his claim on Twitter :

'Sir, he does not': Fox's Chris Wallace fact-checks Trump's claim that Biden supports defunding the police
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump: Radical politicians want to 'defund' police President Donald Trump used a White House law enforcement roundtable to pitch himself as a law and order candidate while warning of a “radical left” push toward lawlessness. (July 13) AP
WASHINGTON – Fox News host Chris Wallace fact-checked President Donald Trump's inaccurate claim during an interview that former Vice President Joe Biden is in favor of defunding the police, leading to a testy reaction.
In a clip released between the "FOX News Sunday” anchor and Trump – the entire interview will air Sunday – the president blamed "stupidly run" Democratic local governments for the increase in violence in some cities and implied the increase was the fault of the defund the police movement.
'You can't do that': Fox News host Wallace confronts DeVos on threat to redirect funds from schools
"It’s gotten totally out of control and it’s really because they want to defund the police, and Biden wants to defund the police," Trump said in the clip about the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Wallace interjected, "Sir, he does not."
"Look, he signed a charter with Bernie Sanders," Trump responded, referring to the unity platform released by Biden and the progressive Vermont senator that unveiled multiple progressive ideas and policy proposals.
More: Biden-Sanders unity task forces release proposals to overhaul criminal justice, immigration
The proposed Democratic Party platform does include a series of police reforms including banning choke holds, ending racial profiling and allowing victims of abuse to pursue civil litigation.
However, the platform does not support defunding the police, as Biden and his campaign have stated on multiple occasions.
Wallace points this out, saying the plan "says nothing about defunding the police."
"Oh really? It says abolish, it says defund. Let’s go! Get me the charter, please," Trump said, turning to speak to staff out-of-frame.
NEW: Chris and President Trump sit down to discuss the recent spike in violence in major cities across the country. Tune in Sunday to catch the full interview. #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/r7hwgyVhKM — FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) July 17, 2020
Federal agency: Supporting 'Black Lives Matter' isn't partisan or political
Wallace explained on Fox News' "Bill Hemmer Reports" that the president had his staff retrieve highlights of the unity platform that found "a lot of things that he objected to that Biden has agreed to."
"But he couldn’t find any indication – because there isn’t any – that Joe Biden has sought to defund and abolish the police," the Fox News anchor said.
The Trump administration and campaign have been continually lodging attacks and ads at Biden, claiming he wants to defund and abolish the police.
Defund Police: What does this idea mean? A veto-proof majority of the Minneapolis City Council committed to dismantling its police department after the death of George Floyd. USA TODAY
Vice President Mike Pence said Friday, “Joe Biden would weaken the thin blue line that separates us from chaos,” and continued, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” seizing on remarks Biden made recently where he expressed support for redirecting some funds, but not all, to bettering social services.
Law enforcement has become a flashpoint between Biden and Trump because of protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
More: George Floyd's family sues city of Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin and 3 former officers
Biden became the presumptive nominee with support from Black voters in key states who are demanding police reforms. Trump has campaigned as the law-and-order president fighting chaos that erupted at some protests.
Biden has pledged support for the central cause of Black Lives Matter protesters – fighting systemic racism – and proposed policing changes.
Later Friday, Trump repeated his claim on Twitter:
Corrupt Joe Biden wants to defund our police. He may use different words, but when you look at his pact with Crazy Bernie, and other things, that’s what he wants to do. It would destroy America! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2020
Contributing: Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Rebecca Morin


usatoday--2020-07-17--Skydiving incident kills recent high school graduate and her instructor, Georgia sheriff says

A skydiving incident killed an instructor and a teenage client this week after their primary and emergency parachutes failed , a Georgia sheriff says .
Jeanna Triplicata , 18 , and Nick Esposito , 35 , were killed Sunday in the incident .
They were conducting a “ tandem jump ” together when the primary parachute failed , the pair went into a spin and the emergency parachute did not fully open , according to a statement obtained by USA TODAY from Upson County , Georgia Sheriff Dan Kilgore .
Both were pronounced dead at the scene , the statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time skydiving — an uncharacteristically daring adventure for the recent high school graduate , CNN reports .
`` She wanted to just see how things look up in the air that high , '' Triplicata 's father , Joey Triplicata , told the network .
`` She had never experienced that .
It was a lot of first times for her and it was supposed to be a great , great day and it turned out to be the worst day of our lives . ''
Esposito was an experienced skydiver and employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 1 : A 100-mph car chase in California ended in the Pacific Ocean , police say .
The driver survived and was arrested .
Trey Holladay , Skydive Atlanta 's owner , issued a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the tragedy : “ Our community is devastated for both our team member and the student and their respective families ... We are all stunned and truly at a loss for words as we are a close-knit family .
We have spoken with the next of kin and all are asking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skydiving fatalities are rare and Tandem skydiving deaths are even more unusual , according to data from the United States Parachute Association .
The association reports one student fatality per 500,000 jumps in the past 10 years , a likelihood the comparable to dying by being struck by lightning .
As the number of jumps has increased in recent years , the fatality rate has decreased , the data shows .

Skydiving incident kills recent high school graduate and her instructor, Georgia sheriff says
A skydiving incident killed an instructor and a teenage client this week after their primary and emergency parachutes failed, a Georgia sheriff says.
Jeanna Triplicata, 18, and Nick Esposito, 35, were killed Sunday in the incident. They were conducting a “tandem jump” together when the primary parachute failed, the pair went into a spin and the emergency parachute did not fully open, according to a statement obtained by USA TODAY from Upson County, Georgia Sheriff Dan Kilgore.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene, the statement says.
It was Triplicata's first time skydiving — an uncharacteristically daring adventure for the recent high school graduate, CNN reports.
"She wanted to just see how things look up in the air that high," Triplicata's father, Joey Triplicata, told the network. "She had never experienced that. It was a lot of first times for her and it was supposed to be a great, great day and it turned out to be the worst day of our lives."
Esposito was an experienced skydiver and employee of Skydive Atlanta, police say.
July 1: A 100-mph car chase in California ended in the Pacific Ocean, police say. The driver survived and was arrested.
Trey Holladay, Skydive Atlanta's owner, issued a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the tragedy:
“Our community is devastated for both our team member and the student and their respective families ... We are all stunned and truly at a loss for words as we are a close-knit family. We have spoken with the next of kin and all are asking for privacy while we process and grieve.”
Skydiving fatalities are rare and Tandem skydiving deaths are even more unusual, according to data from the United States Parachute Association. The association reports one student fatality per 500,000 jumps in the past 10 years, a likelihood the comparable to dying by being struck by lightning.
As the number of jumps has increased in recent years, the fatality rate has decreased, the data shows.


usatoday--2020-07-17--Florida man captures video of a shark eating another shark

STUART , Fla. — It 's a shark eat shark world .
We 're just living in it .
Florida paddleboarder and professional photographer Jack Bates frequently sees all forms of sea life during his outings and usually brings a couple of GoPro cameras .
He learned a long time ago , you just never know what you will see .
On a Tuesday afternoon outing at his favorite beach in Florida , he saw something in about 4 feet of water that he 'll never forget .
`` It was pretty incredible , '' Bates told TCPalm , part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm glad I had my camera . ''
Only a few yards from a public beach access , Bates saw a large tiger shark feeding on the carcass of a large dead hammerhead shark .
No one can be sure how the hammerhead died , and the tiger was simply doing its job — scavenging on something that was no longer swimming .
Tiger sharks are among the largest coastal sharks , sometimes reaching lengths of 18 feet , according to the Florida Museum of Natural History .
They are known to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sea birds , the occasional terrestrial animal and even garbage encountered floating at sea .
They appear to be slow-moving , but are capable of bursts of speed to catch prey .
As for the hammerhead , they can grow to lengths of 18-20 feet .
They typically eat bony fishes , stingrays , tarpon , other sharks and other rays .
Both species range close to shore to find their prey , which makes them susceptible to shore-based shark anglers .
Both species are prohibited from harvest in Florida , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rays , including sawfish , great whites and whale sharks .
However , sometimes when anglers battle these two large sharks for long periods of time , it exhausts the shark as lactic acid builds up in its muscle tissue , and they can sometimes die , even after being released seemingly fine .
More : 'It was so crazy ' : Man grabs shark with bare hands on Delaware beach in viral video Hawaii : This fisherman got up close and personal with a tiger shark while on a kayak As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission enacted new regulations for shore-based shark fishing requiring the completion of an online course to obtain a no cost permit to fish for them .
As for Bates , who is no stranger to sharks , he returned the next day to see if the shark was still feeding on the hammerhead , but the tide overnight must have carried the carcass to deeper water .
Bates did find a smaller tiger shark swimming freely along the beach , about 50 yards offshore .
`` Sorry to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this tigers power and beauty chow down blew my mind , '' Bates wrote on IG .
`` Interesting fact : 30 yards down the beach there was a guy swimming with his dogs who had no clue this was happening . ''
By the way anglers , note the cobia swimming with the tiger .
Has to be 30 pounds .
More : Shark attacks have dropped worldwide .
The reason ?
It 's likely due to the coronavirus .

Florida man captures video of a shark eating another shark
Show Caption Hide Caption It's a shark eat shark world. we're just living in it Juno Beach, Fla. resident Jack Bates was paddleboarding in the surf on July 14, 2020 and saw a tiger shark eating a dead hammerhead shark in five feet of water. USA TODAY, Wochit
STUART, Fla. — It's a shark eat shark world. We're just living in it.
Florida paddleboarder and professional photographer Jack Bates frequently sees all forms of sea life during his outings and usually brings a couple of GoPro cameras.
He learned a long time ago, you just never know what you will see.
On a Tuesday afternoon outing at his favorite beach in Florida, he saw something in about 4 feet of water that he'll never forget.
"It was pretty incredible," Bates told TCPalm, part of the USA TODAY network. "I'm glad I had my camera."
Only a few yards from a public beach access, Bates saw a large tiger shark feeding on the carcass of a large dead hammerhead shark.
No one can be sure how the hammerhead died, and the tiger was simply doing its job — scavenging on something that was no longer swimming.
Tiger sharks are among the largest coastal sharks, sometimes reaching lengths of 18 feet, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. They are known to eat most marine animals, sea turtles, sea birds, the occasional terrestrial animal and even garbage encountered floating at sea.
They appear to be slow-moving, but are capable of bursts of speed to catch prey.
As for the hammerhead, they can grow to lengths of 18-20 feet. They typically eat bony fishes, stingrays, tarpon, other sharks and other rays.
Both species range close to shore to find their prey, which makes them susceptible to shore-based shark anglers. Both species are prohibited from harvest in Florida, along with 24 other species of sharks and rays, including sawfish, great whites and whale sharks.
However, sometimes when anglers battle these two large sharks for long periods of time, it exhausts the shark as lactic acid builds up in its muscle tissue, and they can sometimes die, even after being released seemingly fine.
More: 'It was so crazy': Man grabs shark with bare hands on Delaware beach in viral video
Hawaii: This fisherman got up close and personal with a tiger shark while on a kayak
As a result, in 2019, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission enacted new regulations for shore-based shark fishing requiring the completion of an online course to obtain a no cost permit to fish for them.
As for Bates, who is no stranger to sharks, he returned the next day to see if the shark was still feeding on the hammerhead, but the tide overnight must have carried the carcass to deeper water.
Bates did find a smaller tiger shark swimming freely along the beach, about 50 yards offshore.
"Sorry to see the death of this hammerhead but witnessing this tigers power and beauty chow down blew my mind," Bates wrote on IG. "Interesting fact: 30 yards down the beach there was a guy swimming with his dogs who had no clue this was happening."
By the way anglers, note the cobia swimming with the tiger. Has to be 30 pounds.
More: Shark attacks have dropped worldwide. The reason? It's likely due to the coronavirus.
Video: Sharks found living inside underwater volcanoes
Follow Ed Killer on Twitter: @tcpalmekiller.