mercurynews--2020-09-19--A package containing the poison ricin and addressed to Trump intercepted by law enforcement

Two tests were done to confirm the presence of ricin .
All mail for the White House is sorted and screened at an offsite facility before reaching the White House .
A US law enforcement official told CNN that investigators are looking into the possibility the ricin package sent to Trump came from Canada .
The FBI and Secret Service are investigating the matter .
Ricin is a highly toxic compound extracted from castor beans that has been used in terror plots .
It can be used in powder , pellet , mist or acid form .
If ingested , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bleeding of the stomach and intestines , followed by failure of the liver , spleen and kidneys , and death by collapse of the circulatory system .
• Trump mocks MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi for getting shot with rubber bullet • Skelton : Newsom , legislators still need to do more to fight wildfires “ The FBI and our U.S. Secret Service and U.S .
Postal Inspection Service partners are investigating a suspicious letter received at a U.S. government mail facility .
At this time , there is no known threat to public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington field office said in a statement to CNN .
CNN has reached out to the Secret Service for comment .

Two tests were done to confirm the presence of ricin. All mail for the White House is sorted and screened at an offsite facility before reaching the White House.
A US law enforcement official told CNN that investigators are looking into the possibility the ricin package sent to Trump came from Canada.
The FBI and Secret Service are investigating the matter.
Ricin is a highly toxic compound extracted from castor beans that has been used in terror plots. It can be used in powder, pellet, mist or acid form. If ingested, it causes nausea, vomiting and internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines, followed by failure of the liver, spleen and kidneys, and death by collapse of the circulatory system.
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CNN has reached out to the Secret Service for comment.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


mercurynews--2020-09-19--What’s next with the Supreme Court vacancy?

By Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro | Associated Press WASHINGTON — The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is putting the Senate in uncharted political terrain .
There ’ s no recent precedent for a confirmation vote so close to a presidential election .
President Donald Trump on Saturday urged the Republican-run Senate to consider “ without delay ” his upcoming nomination , even with the Nov. 3 election nearing .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said there is “ no doubt ” the winner of that election should choose Ginsburg ’ s replacement .
Plans were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swift and highly unusual nomination and confirmation in the heart of campaign season .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , was moving ahead , vowing that Trump ’ s nominee “ will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.
” Democrats say it ’ s “ hypocrisy ” after McConnell refused to consider then-President Barack Obama ’ s nominee , Judge Merrick Garland , months before the 2016 election .
There ’ s significant risk and uncertainty ahead .
Early voting is underway in some states in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of Congress .
A look at the confirmation process and what we know and don ’ t know about what ’ s to come : Can the Senate fill the seat before the election ?
Yes , but it would require a breakneck pace .
Supreme Court nominations have taken around 70 days to move through the Senate , and the last , for Brett Kavanaugh , took longer .
The election is 45 days away .
Yet there are no set rules for how long the process should take once Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a matter of days .
Some nominations have moved more quickly .
It will come down to politics and vote tallies .
What does it take to confirm a nominee ?
Only a majority .
Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 margin , meaning they could lose up to three votes and still confirm a justice , if Vice President Mike Pence were to break a 50-50 tie .
Supreme Court nominations used to need 60 votes for confirmation if any senator objected , but McConnell changed Senate rules in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 51 votes .
He did so as Democrats threatened to filibuster Trump ’ s first nominee , Justice Neil Gorsuch .
How does the campaign factor in ?
Republicans are defending 25 of the 38 seats that are on the ballot this year , and many of their vulnerable members have been eager to end the fall session and return home to the campaign trail .
The Senate is scheduled to recess in mid-October , though that schedule could change .
Still , many of the most vulnerable senators may be hesitant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November , and their views could ultimately determine the timeline for action .
Others may want to campaign on their eventual vote .
McConnell himself is among those up for reelection this year .
By Saturday , several key GOP senators including Martha McSally in Arizona , Kelly Loeffler in Georgia and Thom Tillis in North Carolina had quickly linked themselves to Trump , calling for swift voting .
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine took the opposite approach , objecting to a Senate vote before Nov. 3 saying “ in fairness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is elected should decide .
All face stiff challenges in November .
Can the Senate fill the vacancy after the election ?
Yes .
Republicans could vote on Trump ’ s nominee in what ’ s known as the lame-duck session that takes place after the November election and before the next Congress takes office on Jan. 3 .
No matter what happens in this year ’ s election , Republicans are still expected be in charge of the Senate during that period .
The Senate would have until Jan. 20 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act on Trump ’ s nominee .
If Trump were reelected and his pick had not been confirmed by the inauguration , he could renominate his pick as soon as his second term began .
How does the process work ?
When a vacancy occurs on the Supreme Court , the president is given authority under the Constitution to nominate someone to fill it .
It is up to the Senate Judiciary Committee to vet the nominee and hold confirmation hearings .
Once the committee approves the nomination , it goes to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This process passes through several time-consuming steps .
Traditionally senators want to meet and assess the nominee themselves , which requires weeks of meetings around the Capitol .
And that ’ s all assuming the process goes smoothly .
In 2018 , Kavanaugh ’ s confirmation fight took weeks longer than expected after Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were teens .
Kavanaugh denied the accusation and was confirmed by the Senate in a 51-49 vote .
The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman , GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own tough reelection contest , joined those now calling for swift voting .
He tweeted that he will support Trump “ in any effort to move forward.
” Didn ’ t McConnell say in 2016 that the Senate shouldn ’ t hold Supreme Court votes in an election year ?
He did .
McConnell stunned Washington in the hours after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 when he announced the Senate would not vote on then-President Barack Obama ’ s potential nominee because the voters should have their say by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s strategy paid off , royally , for his party .
Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to fill the seat , but he never received a hearing or a vote .
Soon after his inauguration , Trump nominated Gorsuch to fill Scalia ’ s seat .
On Friday , four years later , McConnell said the Senate will vote on Trump ’ s nominee , even though it ’ s weeks , not months before an election .
So what changed since 2016 ?
McConnell says it ’ s different because the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same party , which was not the case when a vacancy opened under Obama in 2016 .
Democrats say this reasoning is laughable and say the vacancy should be kept open until after the inauguration .
Certainly politics are different now , with the country in the grips of a deadly pandemic .
Congress has been operating partly remotely to avoid spreading the virus .
Democrats and advocacy groups wasted no time unearthing past statements from other GOP senators in 2016 saying the Senate must wait to confirm until after the election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ court battles have become a focal point for McConnell , fulfilling a longstanding conservative priority .
He is building his legacy on confirming conservative judicial nominees .
On his watch , the Senate has confirmed more than 200 judges for federal appellate and district courts .
Who are the senators to watch ?
With the slim 53-seat majority in the Senate , the Republicans have few votes to spare .
Collins , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , Mitt Romney of Utah and others will be among those Republican senators to watch .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s nominee but the political calculation of a vote so linked to an election that could shape their position .
Collins and Murkowski have long been watched for their support of a woman ’ s right to an abortion under Roe vs. Wade .
Murkowski and Romney have been critical of Trump and protective of the institution of the Senate .
• How Ginsburg ’ s death could reshape the presidential campaign • Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a stalwart liberal on the court , is dead at age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their states , including Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado , will surely face pressure not to vote ahead of the election or in its immediate aftermath , especially if they were to lose their seats .
In Arizona , the winner of the race between McSally and the Democratic nominee , former astronaut Mark Kelly , could be seated within weeks after the election under state rules , further complicating the outcome .

By Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is putting the Senate in uncharted political terrain. There’s no recent precedent for a confirmation vote so close to a presidential election.
President Donald Trump on Saturday urged the Republican-run Senate to consider “without delay” his upcoming nomination, even with the Nov. 3 election nearing. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said there is “no doubt” the winner of that election should choose Ginsburg’s replacement.
Plans were being set in motion Saturday for a swift and highly unusual nomination and confirmation in the heart of campaign season.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was moving ahead, vowing that Trump’s nominee “will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.” Democrats say it’s “hypocrisy” after McConnell refused to consider then-President Barack Obama’s nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, months before the 2016 election.
There’s significant risk and uncertainty ahead. Early voting is underway in some states in the races for the White House and control of Congress.
A look at the confirmation process and what we know and don’t know about what’s to come:
Can the Senate fill the seat before the election?
Yes, but it would require a breakneck pace. Supreme Court nominations have taken around 70 days to move through the Senate, and the last, for Brett Kavanaugh, took longer. The election is 45 days away. Yet there are no set rules for how long the process should take once Trump announces his pick, which could come in a matter of days. Some nominations have moved more quickly. It will come down to politics and vote tallies.
What does it take to confirm a nominee?
Only a majority. Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 margin, meaning they could lose up to three votes and still confirm a justice, if Vice President Mike Pence were to break a 50-50 tie.
[vemba-video id=”tv/2020/09/19/will-fight-over-ginsburg-seat-affect-gop-senators-re-election-hopes.cnn”]
Supreme Court nominations used to need 60 votes for confirmation if any senator objected, but McConnell changed Senate rules in 2017 to allow the confirmation of justices with 51 votes. He did so as Democrats threatened to filibuster Trump’s first nominee, Justice Neil Gorsuch.
How does the campaign factor in?
Republicans are defending 25 of the 38 seats that are on the ballot this year, and many of their vulnerable members have been eager to end the fall session and return home to the campaign trail. The Senate is scheduled to recess in mid-October, though that schedule could change.
Still, many of the most vulnerable senators may be hesitant to vote on a nominee before facing voters in November, and their views could ultimately determine the timeline for action. Others may want to campaign on their eventual vote. McConnell himself is among those up for reelection this year.
By Saturday, several key GOP senators including Martha McSally in Arizona, Kelly Loeffler in Georgia and Thom Tillis in North Carolina had quickly linked themselves to Trump, calling for swift voting. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine took the opposite approach, objecting to a Senate vote before Nov. 3 saying “in fairness to the American people” the president who is elected should decide. All face stiff challenges in November.
Can the Senate fill the vacancy after the election?
Yes. Republicans could vote on Trump’s nominee in what’s known as the lame-duck session that takes place after the November election and before the next Congress takes office on Jan. 3. No matter what happens in this year’s election, Republicans are still expected be in charge of the Senate during that period.
The Senate would have until Jan. 20, the date of the presidential inauguration, to act on Trump’s nominee. If Trump were reelected and his pick had not been confirmed by the inauguration, he could renominate his pick as soon as his second term began.
How does the process work?
When a vacancy occurs on the Supreme Court, the president is given authority under the Constitution to nominate someone to fill it. It is up to the Senate Judiciary Committee to vet the nominee and hold confirmation hearings. Once the committee approves the nomination, it goes to the Senate floor for a final confirmation vote. This process passes through several time-consuming steps. Traditionally senators want to meet and assess the nominee themselves, which requires weeks of meetings around the Capitol.
And that’s all assuming the process goes smoothly. In 2018, Kavanaugh’s confirmation fight took weeks longer than expected after Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were teens. Kavanaugh denied the accusation and was confirmed by the Senate in a 51-49 vote.
The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who faces his own tough reelection contest, joined those now calling for swift voting. He tweeted that he will support Trump “in any effort to move forward.”
Didn’t McConnell say in 2016 that the Senate shouldn’t hold Supreme Court votes in an election year?
He did. McConnell stunned Washington in the hours after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 when he announced the Senate would not vote on then-President Barack Obama’s potential nominee because the voters should have their say by electing the next president.
McConnell’s strategy paid off, royally, for his party. Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to fill the seat, but he never received a hearing or a vote. Soon after his inauguration, Trump nominated Gorsuch to fill Scalia’s seat.
On Friday, four years later, McConnell said the Senate will vote on Trump’s nominee, even though it’s weeks, not months before an election.
So what changed since 2016?
McConnell says it’s different because the Senate and the presidency are held by the same party, which was not the case when a vacancy opened under Obama in 2016. Democrats say this reasoning is laughable and say the vacancy should be kept open until after the inauguration.
Certainly politics are different now, with the country in the grips of a deadly pandemic. Congress has been operating partly remotely to avoid spreading the virus.
Democrats and advocacy groups wasted no time unearthing past statements from other GOP senators in 2016 saying the Senate must wait to confirm until after the election.
Absent a robust legislative agenda, the court battles have become a focal point for McConnell, fulfilling a longstanding conservative priority. He is building his legacy on confirming conservative judicial nominees. On his watch, the Senate has confirmed more than 200 judges for federal appellate and district courts.
Who are the senators to watch?
With the slim 53-seat majority in the Senate, the Republicans have few votes to spare. Collins, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and others will be among those Republican senators to watch.
It’s not just the qualifications of Trump’s nominee but the political calculation of a vote so linked to an election that could shape their position. Collins and Murkowski have long been watched for their support of a woman’s right to an abortion under Roe vs. Wade.
Murkowski and Romney have been critical of Trump and protective of the institution of the Senate.


mercurynews--2020-09-19--Trump mocks MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi for getting shot with rubber bullet

While speaking of the protests against racial injustice that swept the country earlier this year , Trump recalled the moment that police fired on MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi and his crew as they were reporting from Minneapolis .
“ I remember this guy Velshi , ” Trump said .
“ He got hit in the knee with a canister of tear gas and he went down .
He was down .
‘ My knee , my knee.
’ Nobody cared , these guys didn ’ t care , they moved him aside.
” “ And they just walked right through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trump said .
“ No , because after we take all that crap for weeks and weeks , and you finally see men get up there and go right through them , wasn ’ t it really a beautiful sight ?
It ’ s called law and order.
” The crowd then erupted in applause and cheers .
Velshi responded to Trump in a tweet , noting he was actually hit by a rubber bullet , not a tear gas canister , and asking , “ What law did I break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , entirely peaceful ) march ?
” A spokesperson for MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
During his live broadcast in May , Velshi and his crew could be seen covering a protest during broad daylight when police began firing tear gas at them .
“ There has been no provocation , there was nothing that happened whatsoever , ” Velshi said .
“ The police pulled into this intersection , unprovoked , right into the middle of the crowd , split the crowd , started firing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at us.
” Velshi and his crew quickly moved back , but several minutes later Velshi was struck by a rubber bullet and grasped his knee in visible pain .
Spokespeople for the White House did not immediately respond Saturday with a comment on Trump ’ s remarks .
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh falsely asserted in a statement to CNN on Saturday that Trump was “ calling the restoration of peace ‘ a beautiful thing , ' ” despite the President ’ s clear remarks about Velshi having been captured on video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson said , “ Freedom of the press is a pillar of our democracy .
When the President mocks a journalist for the injury he sustained while putting himself in harm ’ s way to inform the public , he endangers thousands of other journalists and undermines our freedoms.
” • A package containing the poison ricin and addressed to Trump intercepted by law enforcement • Skelton : Newsom , legislators still need to do more to fight wildfires Trump and his allies have for years aimed to discredit journalists and news organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dishonest rhetoric .
His celebration of an American journalist being attacked by police is jarring , but perhaps not surprising from a president that has branded the press as “ the enemy of the people .
”

While speaking of the protests against racial injustice that swept the country earlier this year, Trump recalled the moment that police fired on MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi and his crew as they were reporting from Minneapolis.
“I remember this guy Velshi,” Trump said. “He got hit in the knee with a canister of tear gas and he went down. He was down. ‘My knee, my knee.’ Nobody cared, these guys didn’t care, they moved him aside.”
“And they just walked right through. It was the most beautiful thing,” Trump said. “No, because after we take all that crap for weeks and weeks, and you finally see men get up there and go right through them, wasn’t it really a beautiful sight? It’s called law and order.”
The crowd then erupted in applause and cheers.
Velshi responded to Trump in a tweet, noting he was actually hit by a rubber bullet, not a tear gas canister, and asking, “What law did I break while covering an entirely peaceful (yes, entirely peaceful) march?”
A spokesperson for MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
During his live broadcast in May, Velshi and his crew could be seen covering a protest during broad daylight when police began firing tear gas at them.
“There has been no provocation, there was nothing that happened whatsoever,” Velshi said. “The police pulled into this intersection, unprovoked, right into the middle of the crowd, split the crowd, started firing in both directions. They now have fired at us.”
[vemba-video id=”politics/2020/09/14/trump-supporters-nevada-rally-coronavirus-jorge-rodriguez-sot-nr-vpx.cnn”]
Velshi and his crew quickly moved back, but several minutes later Velshi was struck by a rubber bullet and grasped his knee in visible pain.
“Oh s**t,” Velshi said. “Alright guys, I got hit.”
Spokespeople for the White House did not immediately respond Saturday with a comment on Trump’s remarks.
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh falsely asserted in a statement to CNN on Saturday that Trump was “calling the restoration of peace ‘a beautiful thing,'” despite the President’s clear remarks about Velshi having been captured on video.
Murtaugh’s statement concluded by attacking the media.
In a statement, an MSNBC spokesperson said, “Freedom of the press is a pillar of our democracy. When the President mocks a journalist for the injury he sustained while putting himself in harm’s way to inform the public, he endangers thousands of other journalists and undermines our freedoms.”
Related Articles Politics | Opinion: Every American has a stake in seeing Trump’s trial on TV
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Prosecutors, defense spar over fate of Hunter Biden gun deal Politics | GOP rivals prepare for possible Trump-less debate Trump and his allies have for years aimed to discredit journalists and news organizations, often through the use of lies and dishonest rhetoric. His celebration of an American journalist being attacked by police is jarring, but perhaps not surprising from a president that has branded the press as “the enemy of the people.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


mercurynews--2020-09-19--The Latest: French economy minister among 13K new infections

By The Associated Press PARIS — Coronavirus infections tipped the scales again in France on Saturday with nearly 13,500 new infections in 24 hours .
Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire is among them .
He announced Friday in a tweet that he had tested positive with no symptoms and was working during self-isolation .
The high-profile Le Maire is the fourth French minister to test positive since March .
It was the second day in a row that new COVID-19 cases in France were above 13,000 .
The French health agency said Friday ’ s big jump was the result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south of Paris belatedly reporting numerous cases .
It wasn ’ t clear whether that kind of add-on effect was at play on Saturday .
For health authorities , it is clear that France needs to worry about the spread of the coronavirus , with over 1,000 clusters detected .
There have been 31,274 deaths since the start of the pandemic — among the highest death tolls in Europe — and 26 deaths in the last 24 hours .
In Paris , the Prefecture de Police warned in a tweet that there will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants where rules to counter the virus aren ’ t respected , like standing at counters or failing to respect social distancing .
Police “ are intensifying ” checks that can lead to closing establishments , it said .
In one Paris district , 13 establishments were formally notified that they risk being shut down and 16 others were fined , the prefecture tweeted .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK — 2 more college football games postponed because of coronavirus — Director of the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating coronavirus-related public health orders after a team practice involved 108 people on a mountain hike .
— Some Romanian families protest mandatory use of masks in school .
Like other countries in Europe , the number of virus cases has spiked in recent days in Romania .
— The official Oktoberfest is cancelled in Munich , so 50 of the German city ’ s beer halls are hosting their own , smaller parties conforming to coronavirus guidelines .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : WATERBURY , Conn. — Connecticut U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her staff will be quarantining after one of her aides tested positive for the coronavirus .
The first-term Democratic congresswoman , who represents much of western Connecticut , said in a Twitter post Saturday that she did not have any symptoms and was awaiting an appointment to get tested .
“ I have been in close contact with the staffer ( who tested positive ) and I have worked in both my CT and D.C. offices over the last week , ” Hayes said .
“ All of my staff has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested .
I will quarantine until I have the test and receive the results.
” Hayes says all of her staff in Connecticut and Washington will be working remotely until further notice .
PHOENIX — Arizona health officials on Saturday reported 610 additional coronavirus cases and 16 deaths , increasing the statewide totals to 213,551 confirmed cases and 5,467 deaths .
According to Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by The Associated Press , the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Arizona rose over the past two weeks , from 575 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
The increase followed the state Department of Health Service ’ s recent changing of its case-counting methodology to adopt an updated national standard that includes “ probable ” results from less-accurate antigen testing .
The counting change resulted in big bulges of additional cases Thursday and Friday as the department updated its records to include more than 1,300 probable cases from September and previous months .
Meanwhile , the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths dropped during the past two weeks , going from 32 deaths on Sept. 4 to 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel — Dozens of Israelis held a beach demonstration against a new lockdown prompted by a surge in coronavirus cases .
The protesters Saturday relied on a loophole in the national closure ’ s guidelines that allows people to travel beyond the one square kilometer limit if they are to participate in a demonstration .
The three-week nationwide lockdown began Friday as Israel celebrates Rosh Hashana , the Jewish new year .
The demonstrators gathered on the beach of the central city of Tel Aviv , wearing swimsuits , raising black and pink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters carried pictures of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who has been the target of weekly protests during the summer for his corruption charges and failure to handle the pandemic .
Israel has largely contained the virus in the spring , but the abrupt reopening of the economy in May worsened the outbreak .
The protests against Netanyahu also were fueled by business owners who say the government failed to offer proper compensation in the first lockdown .
The government decided to impose a second lockdown because health authorities are recording thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll of about 1,200 .
The total number of confirmed cases is 14,978 and 331 deaths .
Authorities say a second monk from the same Mt .
Athos monastery , St. Paul ’ s , has tested positive .
Both monks were tested outside the Mt .
Athos monastic community .
Doctors say the second became ill inside the community .
The monastery , which has about 30 monks , is not allowing visitors .
ROME — The Italian health ministry reported another 1,638 new cases of coronavirus and 24 deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus toll to 35,692 , second highest in Europe after Britain .
The health ministry says the new cases were based on a record 103,223 tests .
While countries such as Germany have been processing more than double that number in recent days , Italy has been limited at around 100,000 tests .
Public health officials said in their weekly monitoring report that Italy ’ s seven-week uptick in cases represented a “ slow and progressive worsening of the outbreak.
” However , it ’ s not as bad as in other European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,000 .
LONDON — Police in London have clashed with protesters at a rally organized by opponents of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus .
Scuffles broke out Saturday as police moved in to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in central London ’ s Trafalgar Square .
Some of the protesters formed blockades to stop officers from making arrests , and traffic was brought to a halt in the busy area .
The rally included dozens of people holding banners and placards and chanting “ freedom.
” Britain recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than six people this week in a bid to tackle a steep rise in coronavirus cases .
Britain has 338,420 confirmed cases and 41,821 deaths , the fifth-highest death toll in the world , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
ROME — Pope Francis is urging political leaders make sure coronavirus vaccines are available to the poorest nations .
He says in many parts of the world , there is a “ pharmacological marginalization ” of those without access to health care .
Francis met Saturday with members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donated medicines from pharmaceutical companies and distributes them to clinics and centers helping the neediest .
Francis says far too many people die in parts of the world for lack of drugs widely available elsewhere , and political leaders must take their plight into account .
“ I repeat , it would be sad if in distributing the vaccine , priority was given to the wealthiest , or if a vaccine becomes the property of this or that nation and not for everyone , ” the pope said .
Francis has previously called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NEW YORK — New York City ’ s mayor says he is confident the city will meet a revised timeline to bring public school students back to classrooms within the next two weeks .
De Blasio recently delayed the reopening plan for the nation ’ s largest school district for the second time since it was announced in July , citing a shortage of staff and supplies .
Unions representing the city ’ s teachers said it wouldn ’ t have been safe to open all the school sites next week .
Under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students will return to in-person learning starting Sept. 29 , while middle and high school students will do the same Oct. 1 .
The unions had pressed for more staff and additional protective equipment to protect against the virus .
De Blasio promised to hire 2,500 more teachers in addition to the 2,000 additional teachers he had previously announced .
BOULDER , Colo. – The director of the University of Colorado ’ s football operations was cited for violating coronavirus-related public health orders after a team practice involved 108 people on a mountain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maximum $ 1,000 fine , city spokeswoman Sarah Huntley says .
Many were not wearing masks or social distancing .
The group also violated a city requirement that groups of 25 or more people get a permit to use open space and mountain park land owned by the city , Huntley says .
Public health orders limit groups to 10 people to stem the spread of the coronavirus .
CU Athletic Director Rick George says all student-athletes are frequently tested for coronavirus and all players who took part in the hike had recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 670 coronavirus cases since classes began about a month ago .
University officials have expressed regret and say they ’ re taking steps to avoid similar occurrences .
NEW YORK — Two more college football games on Saturday have been postponed because of the coronavirus .
Baylor ’ s season opener against Houston and Florida Atlantic ’ s opener against Georgia Southern have been affected by positive tests .
Baylor says its unable to meet the Big 12 roster threshold of a minimum of 53 players available to play .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games postponed or canceled because of virus issues since Aug. 26 .
The pandemic has impacted college basketball , with the start date delayed until Nov. 25 .
The marquee basketball tournament on Maui has been moved to North Carolina .
Meanwhile , the Pac-12 is considering getting back into fall football .
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for massive upgrades of school technology around the country .
Merkel said Saturday during her weekly video podcast that teachers were left scrambling to teach courses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country ’ s outbreak .
She says that underscored how important digital media and other tools are but also exposed widespread infrastructure failings .
The German leader said : “ That is why we have to push ahead with the digitization of schools at full speed .
We need this as an indispensable addition to face-to-face teaching.
” Merkel says the government is committing 6 billion euros ( $ 7.1 billion ) to support the development of digital learning and infrastructure in schools .
She says all schools need high-speed internet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need computers suitable for providing digital lessons .
Germany ’ s schools have reopened and students have returned to in-class learning , but officials have cautioned that the country needs to be better prepared in case virus case numbers spike again .
NEW DELHI —India has maintained its surge in coronavirus cases , adding 93,337 new confirmed infections in the past 24 hours .
The Health Ministry on Saturday raised the nation ’ s caseload to more than 5.3 million out of the nearly 1.4 billion people .
It said 1,247 more people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 85,619 .
The country has over a million active cases with about 80 % recovery rate .
India has been reporting the highest single-day rise in the world every day for more than five weeks .
It ’ s expected to become the pandemic ’ s worst-hit country within weeks , surpassing the United States .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s government has faced scathing criticism from opposition lawmakers in India ’ s Parliament for its handling of the pandemic amid a contracting economy leaving millions jobless .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of money and fearing starvation , poured out of cities and headed back to villages when Modi ordered the nationwide lockdown on March 24 .
The migration was one key reason that the virus spread to the far reaches of the country while the lockdown caused severe economic pain .
The economy contracted nearly 24 % in the second quarter , the worst among the world ’ s top economies .

By The Associated Press
South Korea __ South Korea’s new coronavirus tally has fallen below 100 for the first time in more than a month, as the country’s recent viral resurgence is gradually easing.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Sunday that the newly counted 82 cases took the country’s total to 22,975 with 383 deaths.
It’s the first time for South Korea’s daily jump to fall to double digits since Aug. 13. The drop is likely partly driven by the fact that authorities conduct fewer tests on weekends than weekdays.
But even before Sunday, South Korea’s daily virus tally had been staying in the 100s for more than two weeks, after it once surpassed 400 in late August. Health officials said the downward trend was a result of stringent social distancing rules imposed on the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area. Those distancing rules were recently relaxed.
The government is urging the public not to lower their guard against the pandemic as small-scale cluster infections have been still continuously reported.
—-
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
— Police clash with anti-lockdown protesters in London
— India adds 93,337 new confirmed infections in past 24 hours
— 2 more college football games postponed because of coronavirus
— Director of the University of Colorado’s football operations cited for violating coronavirus-related public health orders after a team practice involved 108 people on a mountain hike.
— Some Romanian families protest mandatory use of masks in school. Like other countries in Europe, the number of virus cases has spiked in recent days in Romania.
— The official Oktoberfest is cancelled in Munich, so 50 of the German city’s beer halls are hosting their own, smaller parties conforming to coronavirus guidelines.
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Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
___
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
TOKYO — Train stations and airports in Japan were filled with people over this “Silver Week” holiday weekend running through Tuesday, in a sign of recovering local travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The surge of domestic travel is a contrast to previous holidays, such as the summer Obon. Pressures were high for people living in urban congested areas not to visit families or play tourist in areas, where cases have been far fewer, with some regions having zero or a handful. The daily new cases of coronavirus infections in Tokyo have recently fluctuated at around 200 people. Japan does not have widespread testing and so many cases are likely going undetected. Baseball games, stores and theaters are back open in recent weeks with social distancing, mask-wearing, hand sanitizers and temperature checks.
A government-backed “GoTo” discount campaign at hotels and restaurants to encourage travel within Japan began in July, but Tokyo was left out. It’s still unclear whether that gets lifted from next month, as proposed. Travel agencies and tourist spots have started taking reservations, with cancellation guaranteed at no extra cost if Tokyo fails to quality.
A study by mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo showed crowd size at a terminal for domestic flights at Tokyo’s main Haneda airport, as well as train stations and shopping districts nationwide, on Saturday was basically at pre-pandemic levels, just a tad lower, according to Kyodo News service. It had fallen by about a third, as of earlier this month.
Japan, which has about 1,500 deaths related to COVID-19 so far, has banned visitors from almost all countries, and requires quarantine and virus checks for returning Japanese.
Silver Week includes this weekend and two national holidays, Respect for the Aged Day and the Autumn Equinox. Japanese have a reputation as workaholics because of a rigid work culture and fears about job loss, but younger and more individualistic Japanese are starting to take extended time off.
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PARIS — Coronavirus infections tipped the scales again in France on Saturday with nearly 13,500 new infections in 24 hours. Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire is among them.
He announced Friday in a tweet that he had tested positive with no symptoms and was working during self-isolation. The high-profile Le Maire is the fourth French minister to test positive since March.
It was the second day in a row that new COVID-19 cases in France were above 13,000. The French health agency said Friday’s big jump was the result of one hospital in the Essonne region south of Paris belatedly reporting numerous cases. It wasn’t clear whether that kind of add-on effect was at play on Saturday.
For health authorities, it is clear that France needs to worry about the spread of the coronavirus, with over 1,000 clusters detected. There have been 31,274 deaths since the start of the pandemic — among the highest death tolls in Europe — and 26 deaths in the last 24 hours.
In Paris, the Prefecture de Police warned in a tweet that there will be no more tolerance for bars and restaurants where rules to counter the virus aren’t respected, like standing at counters or failing to respect social distancing. Police “are intensifying” checks that can lead to closing establishments, it said. In one Paris district, 13 establishments were formally notified that they risk being shut down and 16 others were fined, the prefecture tweeted.
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WATERBURY, Conn. — Connecticut U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes says she and all of her staff will be quarantining after one of her aides tested positive for the coronavirus.
The first-term Democratic congresswoman, who represents much of western Connecticut, said in a Twitter post Saturday that she did not have any symptoms and was awaiting an appointment to get tested.
“I have been in close contact with the staffer (who tested positive) and I have worked in both my CT and D.C. offices over the last week,” Hayes said. “All of my staff has been notified and directed to quarantine and get tested. I will quarantine until I have the test and receive the results.”
Hayes says all of her staff in Connecticut and Washington will be working remotely until further notice.
___
PHOENIX — Arizona health officials on Saturday reported 610 additional coronavirus cases and 16 deaths, increasing the statewide totals to 213,551 confirmed cases and 5,467 deaths.
According to Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by The Associated Press, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Arizona rose over the past two weeks, from 575 new cases on Sept. 4 to 774 on Friday.
The increase followed the state Department of Health Service’s recent changing of its case-counting methodology to adopt an updated national standard that includes “probable” results from less-accurate antigen testing.
The counting change resulted in big bulges of additional cases Thursday and Friday as the department updated its records to include more than 1,300 probable cases from September and previous months.
Meanwhile, the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths dropped during the past two weeks, going from 32 deaths on Sept. 4 to 23 deaths on Friday.
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TEL AVIV, Israel — Dozens of Israelis held a beach demonstration against a new lockdown prompted by a surge in coronavirus cases.
The protesters Saturday relied on a loophole in the national closure’s guidelines that allows people to travel beyond the one square kilometer limit if they are to participate in a demonstration. The three-week nationwide lockdown began Friday as Israel celebrates Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year.
The demonstrators gathered on the beach of the central city of Tel Aviv, wearing swimsuits, raising black and pink flags connoting various protest movements.
Some protesters carried pictures of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been the target of weekly protests during the summer for his corruption charges and failure to handle the pandemic.
Israel has largely contained the virus in the spring, but the abrupt reopening of the economy in May worsened the outbreak. The protests against Netanyahu also were fueled by business owners who say the government failed to offer proper compensation in the first lockdown.
The government decided to impose a second lockdown because health authorities are recording thousands of cases a day, with a confirmed death toll of about 1,200.
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ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities announced 240 coronavirus cases Saturday and four deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases is 14,978 and 331 deaths.
Authorities say a second monk from the same Mt. Athos monastery, St. Paul’s, has tested positive. Both monks were tested outside the Mt. Athos monastic community. Doctors say the second became ill inside the community.
The monastery, which has about 30 monks, is not allowing visitors.
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ROME — The Italian health ministry reported another 1,638 new cases of coronavirus and 24 deaths.
The deaths brought Italy’s official coronavirus toll to 35,692, second highest in Europe after Britain.
The health ministry says the new cases were based on a record 103,223 tests. While countries such as Germany have been processing more than double that number in recent days, Italy has been limited at around 100,000 tests.
Public health officials said in their weekly monitoring report that Italy’s seven-week uptick in cases represented a “slow and progressive worsening of the outbreak.” However, it’s not as bad as in other European countries where new daily cases have exceeded 10,000.
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LONDON — Police in London have clashed with protesters at a rally organized by opponents of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Scuffles broke out Saturday as police moved in to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in central London’s Trafalgar Square. Some of the protesters formed blockades to stop officers from making arrests, and traffic was brought to a halt in the busy area.
The rally included dozens of people holding banners and placards and chanting “freedom.”
Britain recently imposed a ban on all social gatherings of more than six people this week in a bid to tackle a steep rise in coronavirus cases.
Britain has 338,420 confirmed cases and 41,821 deaths, the fifth-highest death toll in the world, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
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ROME — Pope Francis is urging political leaders make sure coronavirus vaccines are available to the poorest nations.
He says in many parts of the world, there is a “pharmacological marginalization” of those without access to health care.
Francis met Saturday with members of an Italian aid group that collects donated medicines from pharmaceutical companies and distributes them to clinics and centers helping the neediest.
Francis says far too many people die in parts of the world for lack of drugs widely available elsewhere, and political leaders must take their plight into account.
“I repeat, it would be sad if in distributing the vaccine, priority was given to the wealthiest, or if a vaccine becomes the property of this or that nation and not for everyone,” the pope said.
Francis has previously called for universal access to the vaccine.
___
NEW YORK — New York City’s mayor says he is confident the city will meet a revised timeline to bring public school students back to classrooms within the next two weeks.
De Blasio recently delayed the reopening plan for the nation’s largest school district for the second time since it was announced in July, citing a shortage of staff and supplies.
Unions representing the city’s teachers said it wouldn’t have been safe to open all the school sites next week.
Under the revised timeline, most elementary school students will return to in-person learning starting Sept. 29, while middle and high school students will do the same Oct. 1.
The unions had pressed for more staff and additional protective equipment to protect against the virus. De Blasio promised to hire 2,500 more teachers in addition to the 2,000 additional teachers he had previously announced.
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BOULDER, Colo. – The director of the University of Colorado’s football operations was cited for violating coronavirus-related public health orders after a team practice involved 108 people on a mountain hike.
Bryan McGinnis could face a maximum $1,000 fine, city spokeswoman Sarah Huntley says. Many were not wearing masks or social distancing.
The group also violated a city requirement that groups of 25 or more people get a permit to use open space and mountain park land owned by the city, Huntley says. Public health orders limit groups to 10 people to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
CU Athletic Director Rick George says all student-athletes are frequently tested for coronavirus and all players who took part in the hike had recently tested negative. The school has reported at least 670 coronavirus cases since classes began about a month ago.
University officials have expressed regret and say they’re taking steps to avoid similar occurrences.
___
NEW YORK — Two more college football games on Saturday have been postponed because of the coronavirus.
Baylor’s season opener against Houston and Florida Atlantic’s opener against Georgia Southern have been affected by positive tests. Baylor says its unable to meet the Big 12 roster threshold of a minimum of 53 players available to play.
There’s now been 16 Bowl Subdivision games postponed or canceled because of virus issues since Aug. 26.
The pandemic has impacted college basketball, with the start date delayed until Nov. 25. The marquee basketball tournament on Maui has been moved to North Carolina. Meanwhile, the Pac-12 is considering getting back into fall football.
___
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for massive upgrades of school technology around the country.
Merkel said Saturday during her weekly video podcast that teachers were left scrambling to teach courses virtually when schools closed at the start of the country’s outbreak. She says that underscored how important digital media and other tools are but also exposed widespread infrastructure failings.
The German leader said: “That is why we have to push ahead with the digitization of schools at full speed. We need this as an indispensable addition to face-to-face teaching.”
Merkel says the government is committing 6 billion euros ($7.1 billion) to support the development of digital learning and infrastructure in schools. She says all schools need high-speed internet access as soon as possible and teachers need computers suitable for providing digital lessons.
Germany’s schools have reopened and students have returned to in-class learning, but officials have cautioned that the country needs to be better prepared in case virus case numbers spike again.
___
NEW DELHI —India has maintained its surge in coronavirus cases, adding 93,337 new confirmed infections in the past 24 hours.
The Health Ministry on Saturday raised the nation’s caseload to more than 5.3 million out of the nearly 1.4 billion people. It said 1,247 more people died in the past 24 hours for a total of 85,619. The country has over a million active cases with about 80% recovery rate.
India has been reporting the highest single-day rise in the world every day for more than five weeks. It’s expected to become the pandemic’s worst-hit country within weeks, surpassing the United States.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has faced scathing criticism from opposition lawmakers in India’s Parliament for its handling of the pandemic amid a contracting economy leaving millions jobless.
More than 10 million migrant workers, out of money and fearing starvation, poured out of cities and headed back to villages when Modi ordered the nationwide lockdown on March 24. The migration was one key reason that the virus spread to the far reaches of the country while the lockdown caused severe economic pain. The economy contracted nearly 24% in the second quarter, the worst among the world’s top economies.
___


mercurynews--2020-09-20--Editorial: Honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, register and vote

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will forever be remembered as one of this nation ’ s greatest crusaders for women ’ s rights .
But , in this moment of extreme political turmoil with the nation ’ s most consequential election in decades approaching , let us also remember that RBG was a champion of voting rights .
Ginsburg authored perhaps her most-powerful dissenting opinion to a 2013 decision that severely weakened the nation ’ s Voting Rights Act of 1965 .
Chief Justice John Roberts , writing for the majority in the 5-4 decision , said that federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuses was no longer needed for “ our country has changed ” from its history of racial discrimination .
Ginsburg vehemently disagreed , arguing that it was only because of that oversight that discrimination was kept in check .
Eliminating oversight , she wrote , “ is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.
” How right she proved to be .
Since then , we ’ ve seen an onslaught of voter-roll purges and voter-identification laws that disproportionately affect poor and minority voters ; inadequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Atlanta and Las Vegas that often force minority voters to wait hours in line to cast ballots ; abandonment by the Trump administration of enforcement of voting-rights protections ; and now , in the middle of a pandemic , a direct assault by the president on mail-in voting and the integrity of our election system .
Ginsburg fought so vehemently for voting rights because elections matter .
In the hours after she died , as the battle over her successor rapidly escalates , we have seen the raw political power that elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 269 days before Election Day in 2016 , the Republican-controlled Senate blocked Democratic President Obama ’ s replacement nominee , Merrick Garland .
The decision should wait until after the election , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said .
But when Ginsburg died on Friday , 46 days before Election Day , McConnell quickly announced the Senate would speed through Republican President Trump ’ s nominee .
Hypocrisy doesn ’ t matter when you have the votes .
Only one Supreme Court member in the nation ’ s history died closer to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taney in 1864 .
President Abraham Lincoln waited until after he had won re-election to nominate Taney ’ s successor .
Ginsburg ’ s dying request was that the Senate would wait to fill her vacancy .
“ My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed , ” she said in a statement dictated to her granddaughter days before she died .
But that ’ s probably not going to happen .
There ’ s little Democrats can do to stop the process .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a few moderate Republicans in the Senate whether to grant Trump his third lifetime appointment of a conservative Supreme Court jurist — whether to allow him to firmly reshape the court for years , perhaps decades , to come .
Why are we facing this ?
Because elections matter .
Because Democrats who didn ’ t like Hillary Clinton stayed home in 2016 — especially in key swing states Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania .
That ’ s what provided Trump , who lost the popular vote , with an Electoral College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that undecided voters and leftist Democrats who aren ’ t completely satisfied with Joe Biden should think about — along with the consequences of another four years of Trump .

Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will forever be remembered as one of this nation’s greatest crusaders for women’s rights.
But, in this moment of extreme political turmoil with the nation’s most consequential election in decades approaching, let us also remember that RBG was a champion of voting rights.
Ginsburg authored perhaps her most-powerful dissenting opinion to a 2013 decision that severely weakened the nation’s Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority in the 5-4 decision, said that federal oversight of states with histories of voting abuses was no longer needed for “our country has changed” from its history of racial discrimination.
Ginsburg vehemently disagreed, arguing that it was only because of that oversight that discrimination was kept in check. Eliminating oversight, she wrote, “is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”
How right she proved to be.
Since then, we’ve seen an onslaught of voter-roll purges and voter-identification laws that disproportionately affect poor and minority voters; inadequate polling facilities in cities such as Louisville, Atlanta and Las Vegas that often force minority voters to wait hours in line to cast ballots; abandonment by the Trump administration of enforcement of voting-rights protections; and now, in the middle of a pandemic, a direct assault by the president on mail-in voting and the integrity of our election system.
Ginsburg fought so vehemently for voting rights because elections matter. In the hours after she died, as the battle over her successor rapidly escalates, we have seen the raw political power that elections enable.
When Justice Antonin Scalia died 269 days before Election Day in 2016, the Republican-controlled Senate blocked Democratic President Obama’s replacement nominee, Merrick Garland. The decision should wait until after the election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
But when Ginsburg died on Friday, 46 days before Election Day, McConnell quickly announced the Senate would speed through Republican President Trump’s nominee. Hypocrisy doesn’t matter when you have the votes.
Only one Supreme Court member in the nation’s history died closer to an election. That was Chief Justice Roger Taney in 1864. President Abraham Lincoln waited until after he had won re-election to nominate Taney’s successor.
Ginsburg’s dying request was that the Senate would wait to fill her vacancy. “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed,” she said in a statement dictated to her granddaughter days before she died.
But that’s probably not going to happen.
There’s little Democrats can do to stop the process. It will be up to the votes of a few moderate Republicans in the Senate whether to grant Trump his third lifetime appointment of a conservative Supreme Court jurist — whether to allow him to firmly reshape the court for years, perhaps decades, to come.
Why are we facing this? Because elections matter. Because Democrats who didn’t like Hillary Clinton stayed home in 2016 — especially in key swing states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. That’s what provided Trump, who lost the popular vote, with an Electoral College victory.
It’s a lesson that undecided voters and leftist Democrats who aren’t completely satisfied with Joe Biden should think about — along with the consequences of another four years of Trump.
Honor Justice Ginsburg. Register now and vote.


mercurynews--2020-09-20--How futures of Raiders’ Jon Gruden, Saints’ Sean Payton and Stanford’s David Shaw were shaped amid t

How futures of Raiders’ Jon Gruden, Saints’ Sean Payton and Stanford’s David Shaw were shaped amid the rats and the cats

Jon Gruden and Sean Payton will be on opposing sidelines Monday night when the Raiders and New Orleans Saints christen Allegiant Stadium , a $ 1.9 billion facility with every amenity imaginable .
Somewhere in the back of their minds will be The Vet , a concrete circular dive bar of a structure where Gruden in 1997 was offensive coordinator and Payton the quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles .
Officially , it was Veterans Stadium , which housed the Eagles and Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball .
Neither charming nor sanitary , it served as the Eagles ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the Taj Mahal compared to the old Vet , ” said Stanford coach David Shaw , then a first-year assistant who shared an office with Payton .
“ You ’ re between 50 and 100 feet underground .
Late at night and early in the morning you could hear the rats walking on the tiles above your head.
” Gruden and Payton would eventually win Super Bowls , Gruden with the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Payton with the 2009 Saints .
In their year together at The Vet , Gruden was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being hired by Al Davis to coach the Raiders as their youngest head coach since John Madden .
Payton did what he could to keep the peace .
“ Ray Rhodes made me hire Sean because I was yelling too much , ” Gruden said Wednesday in a Zoom conference call .
“ Sean came in to calm me down.
” Upon being informed of Gruden ’ s line , Payton broke into laughter and said , “ That ’ s probably true.
” Both coaches were 34 years old .
Gruden had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was defensive coordinator at Green Bay , hired him to run his offense in Philadelphia .
Gruden had coached receivers for two years under Mike Holmgren with the Packers .
Shaw was 25 , would follow Gruden to the Raiders and eventually succeed Jim Harbaugh , helping to re-establsh Stanford ’ s relevancy in football .
Shaw and Payton learned quickly what Gruden discovered two years earlier about The Vet .
Gruden had been there a few days when he asked a security guard why there were so many cats in the stadium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you want cats ?
, ” he was told .
“ The cats eat the rats.
” Gruden said he ’ d take the cats , but the rats were always present .
Shaw said during team picture day the stadium crew was doing their daily chore of cleaning up cat and rat droppings on the field before the Eagles could say cheese for the camera .
And that wasn ’ t the only issue .
“ They had to bring in air quality machines , ” Shaw said .
“ They have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circle around to get the beer to different parts of the stadium .
The exhaust would just get trapped in there , so we had to do air quality management so we could breathe.
” Amid the cat and mouse games was immersion in the NFL way of life .
Payton had been quarterbacks coach at Illinois in 1996 .
Shaw coached two years at Western Washington , trying to determine his future .
Gruden was unrelenting .
Payton told the New Orleans media Gruden would tease him , telling him he looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the bags under his eyes .
“ It was like advanced calculus , ” Payton said .
“ For me it was an offensive foundation , not only in scheme , but also the attention to detail , the hours and the work ethic .
It was a crash course in learning all the things you didn ’ t know — red zone , tight zone , third down.
” “ It ’ s like advanced calculus , and tomorrow it might be chemistry , ” Shaw said .
“ Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to Jon , he walks in the next day and says , ‘ Great , we ’ re doing X , Y and Z.
’ And you say , Coach , we were just doing A , B and C. ’ He ’ d say , ` I skipped ahead a bunch .
Here ’ s what we ’ re doing now.
’ ” Since Shaw played wide receiver at Stanford under Bill Walsh and kept copius notes , he and Gruden bonded quickly .
“ He would grill me .
` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ?
What did Bill say about this ?
What did Bill say about that ?
, ’ ” Shaw said .
“ I knew a lot of answers to those questions.
” Gruden is known for a torrid and impatient pace .
Shaw noticed Payton was able to navigate Gruden ’ s impulses and moods .
“ Sean has this calming presence , and so Jon could explode and go crazy and Sean would take it in , then have a conversation with the quarterbacks , ” Shaw said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see how helpful Sean was and how bright he was .
He added an element we needed.
” Shaw appreciates that Gruden was demanding without being dictatorial .
Rhodes left the offense in his hands , but Gruden still wanted input from his assistants — even those who just arrived .
“ As much as he pushed everybody , he also taught us to think critically , ” Shaw said .
“ It was , ` Hey , bring me stuff .
Find me some new ideas.
’ Anybody under him that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what Jon did , but you also see their own creativity because he inspired us to be creative.
” The Eagles , who had gone 10-6 the previous two years , skidded to 6-9-1 in 1997 .
Gruden , who had interviewed with Davis when Joe Bugel was hired the previous year , got the Raiders job .
Shaw went with him .
Gruden wanted to hire Payton as his quarterbacks coach , but Davis wanted a veteran presence given Gruden ’ s age and hired Gary Stevens instead .
Payton worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved on to the New York Giants — including a Super Bowl appearance — and then to Dallas under Bill Parcells .
He was offered the Raiders head coaching job by Davis in 2004 but turned it down in favor of a hefty raise to remain as offensive coordinator with the Cowboys .
Davis hired Norv Turner instead .
• How Raiders compensate for likely loss of Trent Brown , Nick Kwiatkoski and Sam Young vs. Saints • 49ers downgrade Dee Ford , rule him out against New York Jets • Raiders prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the crowd • Cal alum C.J .
Anderson retires , knows what he wants to do next Gruden won the last football game at The Vet , with Tampa Bay beating the Eagles 27-10 before blowing out the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego .
The stadium was imploded in 2004 with the Eagles moving to new Lincoln Financial Field and the Phillies to Citizens Bank Park , presumably taking the rodents as well .
At The Vet , anyone who needed to see line coach Juan Castillo needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Payton and Shaw to get there .
Now all three coaches have top facilities and luxury in every direction .
Yet Gruden , Payton and Shaw are in agreement that the 1997 season was crucial their development .
“ We used to stay up late at night trying to figure out how to get a first down , ” Gruden said .
“ Those were great , growing years for all three of us.
” Said Payton : “ I remember it like it was yesterday.
” Shaw was asked to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how it contributed to his makeup .
“ There ’ s a bunch of words that could be put together , ” Shaw said .
“ Fun , wild , difficult , fast-paced .
Emotional .
And I wouldn ’ t have wanted it any other way .
”

Jon Gruden and Sean Payton will be on opposing sidelines Monday night when the Raiders and New Orleans Saints christen Allegiant Stadium, a $1.9 billion facility with every amenity imaginable.
Somewhere in the back of their minds will be The Vet, a concrete circular dive bar of a structure where Gruden in 1997 was offensive coordinator and Payton the quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Officially, it was Veterans Stadium, which housed the Eagles and Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Neither charming nor sanitary, it served as the Eagles’ in-season home.
“The Oakland Coliseum was the Taj Mahal compared to the old Vet,” said Stanford coach David Shaw, then a first-year assistant who shared an office with Payton. “You’re between 50 and 100 feet underground. Late at night and early in the morning you could hear the rats walking on the tiles above your head.”
Gruden and Payton would eventually win Super Bowls, Gruden with the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Payton with the 2009 Saints. In their year together at The Vet, Gruden was a volatile coordinator a year away from being hired by Al Davis to coach the Raiders as their youngest head coach since John Madden.
Payton did what he could to keep the peace.
“Ray Rhodes made me hire Sean because I was yelling too much,” Gruden said Wednesday in a Zoom conference call. “Sean came in to calm me down.”
Upon being informed of Gruden’s line, Payton broke into laughter and said, “That’s probably true.”
Both coaches were 34 years old. Gruden had a head start when Rhodes, who was defensive coordinator at Green Bay, hired him to run his offense in Philadelphia. Gruden had coached receivers for two years under Mike Holmgren with the Packers.
Shaw was 25. He would follow Gruden to the Raiders and eventually succeed Jim Harbaugh, helping to re-establish Stanford’s relevancy in football.
Shaw and Payton learned quickly what Gruden discovered two years earlier about The Vet. Gruden had been there a few days when he asked a security guard why there were so many cats in the stadium.
“You want rats or do you want cats?” he was told. “The cats eat the rats.”
Gruden said he’d take the cats, but the rats were always present.
Shaw said during team picture day the stadium crew was doing their daily chore of cleaning up cat and rat droppings on the field before the Eagles could say cheese for the camera.
And that wasn’t the only issue.
“They had to bring in air quality machines,” Shaw said. “They have these beer trucks, and they would circle around to get the beer to different parts of the stadium. The exhaust would just get trapped in there, so we had to do air quality management so we could breathe.”
Amid the cat and mouse games was immersion in the NFL way of life. Payton had been quarterbacks coach at Illinois in 1996. Shaw coached two years at Western Washington, trying to determine his future.
Gruden was unrelenting. Payton told the New Orleans media Gruden would tease him, telling him he looked like a boxer in the 11th round because of the bags under his eyes.
“It was like advanced calculus,” Payton said. “For me it was an offensive foundation, not only in scheme, but also the attention to detail, the hours and the work ethic. It was a crash course in learning all the things you didn’t know — red zone, tight zone, third down.”
Shaw takes Payton’s mathematical comparison one step further.
“It’s like advanced calculus, and tomorrow it might be chemistry,” Shaw said. “Every time you think you’re catching up to Jon, he walks in the next day and says, ‘Great, we’re doing X, Y and Z.’ And you say, Coach, we were just doing A, B and C.’ He’d say,`I skipped ahead a bunch. Here’s what we’re doing now.'”
Since Shaw played wide receiver at Stanford under Bill Walsh and kept copious notes, he and Gruden bonded quickly.
“He would grill me. `What did you guys do against three-deep here? What did Bill say about this? What did Bill say about that?,’ ” Shaw said. “I knew a lot of answers to those questions.”
Gruden is known for a torrid and impatient pace. Shaw noticed Payton was able to navigate Gruden’s impulses and moods.
“Sean has this calming presence, and so Jon could explode and go crazy and Sean would take it in, then have a conversation with the quarterbacks,” Shaw said. “It didn’t take very long to see how helpful Sean was and how bright he was. He added an element we needed.”
Shaw appreciates that Gruden was demanding without being dictatorial. Rhodes left the offense in his hands, but Gruden still wanted input from his assistants — even those who just arrived.
“As much as he pushed everybody, he also taught us to think critically,” Shaw said. “It was, `Hey, bring me stuff. Find me some new ideas.’ Anybody under him that’s moved on, you see elements of what Jon did, but you also see their own creativity because he inspired us to be creative.”
The Eagles, who had gone 10-6 the previous two years, skidded to 6-9-1 in 1997. Gruden, who had interviewed with Davis when Joe Bugel was hired the previous year, got the Raiders job. Shaw went with him. Gruden wanted to hire Payton as his quarterbacks coach, but Davis wanted a veteran presence given Gruden’s age and hired Gary Stevens instead.
Payton worked for another year with the Eagles, moved on to the New York Giants — including a Super Bowl appearance — and then to Dallas under Bill Parcells. He was offered the Raiders head coaching job by Davis in 2004 but turned it down in favor of a hefty raise to remain as offensive coordinator with the Cowboys. Davis hired Norv Turner instead.
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49ers appear to have job openings among NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense NFL | Sandra Bullock’s ‘The Blind Side’ long criticized for its ‘White savior’ view of a Black athlete Gruden won the last football game at The Vet, with Tampa Bay beating the Eagles 27-10 before blowing out the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego. The stadium was imploded in 2004 with the Eagles moving to new Lincoln Financial Field and the Phillies to Citizens Bank Park, presumably taking the rodents as well.
At The Vet, anyone who needed to see line coach Juan Castillo needed to turn sideways to squeeze through the office with Payton and Shaw to get there. Now all three coaches have top facilities and luxury in every direction. Yet Gruden, Payton and Shaw are in agreement that the 1997 season was crucial their development.
“We used to stay up late at night trying to figure out how to get a first down,” Gruden said. “Those were great, growing years for all three of us.”
Said Payton: “I remember it like it was yesterday.”
Shaw was asked to break down the experience at The Vet and how it contributed to his makeup.
“There’s a bunch of words that could be put together,” Shaw said. “Fun, wild, difficult, fast-paced. Emotional. And I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”


mercurynews--2020-09-20--Me & My Car: 1990 rarity child of Chrysler, Maserati’s brief alliance

Click here if you are having trouble viewing the slideshow on a mobile device .
Editor ’ s note : David Krumboltz ’ s regular column is on hiatus until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
In its place , we ’ re running some of Dave ’ s favorite past columns .
This one originally ran in August 2018 .
• Me & My Car : 1918 Pierce-Arrow an impressive , elegant machine • Me & My Car : Owner rightly proud of ‘ brand-new ’ ’ 69 Charger • Me & My Car : ’ 71 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas mileage • Me & My Car : Please don ’ t confuse this ’ 35 Plymouth for a Chevy Chrysler has long been a roller-coaster company with multiple good and bad times .
In the late 1970s , it was rumored that Chrysler ’ s board chairman and its president didn ’ t even talk to each other and that the company was in financial difficulty .
Across town , there was another conflict between Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca , the president of that company .
Apparently , egos clashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A few months later the fired Ford executive became the nearly bankrupt Chrysler ’ s CEO at an agreed-to salary of $ 1 a year and good things started happening at Chrysler .
The “ K Car ” and the minivan were introduced , and by the mid-1980s , the company was selling lots of cars and minivans and making money again .
Across the big pond , there was a different kind of automobile company — Maserati , a luxury vehicle manufacturer started by five brothers dating back to 1914 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Maserati built excellent race cars ; it continued to do so till 1957 .
The company chose the Trident logo to symbolize strength and vigor .
In 1939 and 1940 , Maserati won the Indianapolis 500 , the only Italian car company to do so .
Maserati has also had its ups and downs .
In 1937 the surviving brothers sold their shares to the Adolfo Orsi family , and soon World War II disrupted operations .
One of their war projects was to build a V16 limo for Benito Mussolini , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Citroën became Maserati ’ s owner in 1968 and built some interesting cars , but the 1973 oil crisis took its toll .
Ultimately Citroën went bankrupt and Maserati was put into liquidation .
The Italian government stepped in to save jobs and the company , selling 11.25 % of it to Alejandro de Tomaso , an Argentinian industrialist and former race car driver .
Iacocca and de Tomaso became acquainted when Iacocca was at Ford .
Although the alliance between Chrysler and Maserati in 1984 seemed like a strange combination to some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both companies .
Chrysler wanted an upscale image car and Maserati could use the investment by Chrysler .
The original plan was to combine a Chrysler engine with a Maserati body for the 1986 model year .
The big picture was to produce this sexy sports car with a fabulous hand-stitched Italian leather interior and a detachable hardtop that included side opera windows , like the 1956 Ford Thunderbird .
It also had a manual folding convertible top that was concealed under a metal boot .
It would be equipped with 10 speakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , six-way power seats , a tilt steering wheel and cruise control .
It had meticulous attention to detail .
The emblem selected was the Maserati Trident inside the Chrysler Pentastar .
There were three engine options and three transmission options , including a five-speed Getrag 284 manual .
The Chrysler TC by Maserati was to be the show car selling 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles annually for about $ 33,000 ( about $ 75,000 in today ’ s dollars ) and the forerunner of the newly restyled Chrysler LeBaron convertible for model year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen .
So what went wrong ?
Delay after delay after delay .
The similarly styled LeBaron convertible was produced two years before the Chrysler TC and sold for about half the price .
So in total , there were only 7,300 Chrysler TCs manufactured in the three model years 1989 , ’ 90 and ’ 91 .
But as a collector car , it may be a bargain , at least Fremont resident Brian Bartelli believes it is .
“ I bought it at the end of December of 2013 .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid $ 12,375 for it , and it had 15,647 miles on it , ” he said .
This Chrysler TC by Maserati was owned by two other collectors before Bartelli acquired it .
Having one of only 7,300 built certainly qualifies as a collector car , but Bartelli ’ s vehicle is one of just 500 Chrysler TCs that had the 16-valve , Maserati-head , 2.2-liter Turbo II engine with a five-speed Getrag 284 manual transmission .
Only the Getrag 284 transmission was strong enough to handle the torque of that engine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy a Chrysler TC by Maserati ?
He considered other cars of the era like the Cadillac Allante , the Buick Reatta and the C4 Corvette convertible , but the uniqueness of the Chrysler TC put it at the top of his shopping list .
“ I did love this car when it came out , ” he confessed .
“ Based on my budget , and I ’ m not skilled at mechanical work , I wanted to get something complete in mint condition .
I wanted what I call an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects his car will appreciate in value but stated that “ I didn ’ t buy the car as an investment , I bought it just to enjoy it.
” Have an interesting vehicle ?
Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly @ yahoo.com .
To view more photos of this and other issues ’ vehicles or to read more of Dave ’ s columns , visit mercurynews.com/author/david-krumboltz .

Click here if you are having trouble viewing the slideshow on a mobile device.
Editor’s note: David Krumboltz’s regular column is on hiatus until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its place, we’re running some of Dave’s favorite past columns. This one originally ran in August 2018.
Related Articles Local News | Me & My Car: 1918 Pierce-Arrow an impressive, elegant machine
Me & My Car: 1918 Pierce-Arrow an impressive, elegant machine Local News | Me & My Car: Owner rightly proud of ‘brand-new’ ’69 Charger
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Me & My Car: ’71 Datsun 510 built for speed, not gas mileage Local News | Me & My Car: Please don’t confuse this ’35 Plymouth for a Chevy Chrysler has long been a roller-coaster company with multiple good and bad times. In the late 1970s, it was rumored that Chrysler’s board chairman and its president didn’t even talk to each other and that the company was in financial difficulty. Across town, there was another conflict between Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca, the president of that company. Apparently, egos clashed, and Iacocca was fired in 1978. A few months later the fired Ford executive became the nearly bankrupt Chrysler’s CEO at an agreed-to salary of $1 a year and good things started happening at Chrysler. The “K Car” and the minivan were introduced, and by the mid-1980s, the company was selling lots of cars and minivans and making money again.
Across the big pond, there was a different kind of automobile company — Maserati, a luxury vehicle manufacturer started by five brothers dating back to 1914. Like many car producers in that era, Maserati built excellent race cars; it continued to do so till 1957. The company chose the Trident logo to symbolize strength and vigor. In 1939 and 1940, Maserati won the Indianapolis 500, the only Italian car company to do so.
Maserati has also had its ups and downs. In 1937 the surviving brothers sold their shares to the Adolfo Orsi family, and soon World War II disrupted operations. One of their war projects was to build a V16 limo for Benito Mussolini, but the design was never accepted. Citroën became Maserati’s owner in 1968 and built some interesting cars, but the 1973 oil crisis took its toll. Ultimately Citroën went bankrupt and Maserati was put into liquidation. The Italian government stepped in to save jobs and the company, selling 11.25% of it to Alejandro de Tomaso, an Argentinian industrialist and former race car driver.
Iacocca and de Tomaso became acquainted when Iacocca was at Ford. Although the alliance between Chrysler and Maserati in 1984 seemed like a strange combination to some, it possessed some great possibilities for both companies. Chrysler wanted an upscale image car and Maserati could use the investment by Chrysler. The original plan was to combine a Chrysler engine with a Maserati body for the 1986 model year.
The big picture was to produce this sexy sports car with a fabulous hand-stitched Italian leather interior and a detachable hardtop that included side opera windows, like the 1956 Ford Thunderbird. It also had a manual folding convertible top that was concealed under a metal boot. It would be equipped with 10 speakers by Infinity for the AM/FM cassette stereo, six-way power seats, a tilt steering wheel and cruise control. It had meticulous attention to detail. The emblem selected was the Maserati Trident inside the Chrysler Pentastar. There were three engine options and three transmission options, including a five-speed Getrag 284 manual.
The Chrysler TC by Maserati was to be the show car selling 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles annually for about $33,000 (about $75,000 in today’s dollars) and the forerunner of the newly restyled Chrysler LeBaron convertible for model year 1987. But it didn’t happen. So what went wrong? Delay after delay after delay. The similarly styled LeBaron convertible was produced two years before the Chrysler TC and sold for about half the price. So in total, there were only 7,300 Chrysler TCs manufactured in the three model years 1989, ’90 and ’91. But as a collector car, it may be a bargain, at least Fremont resident Brian Bartelli believes it is.
“I bought it at the end of December of 2013. It was in mint condition, and I paid $12,375 for it, and it had 15,647 miles on it,” he said.
This Chrysler TC by Maserati was owned by two other collectors before Bartelli acquired it. Having one of only 7,300 built certainly qualifies as a collector car, but Bartelli’s vehicle is one of just 500 Chrysler TCs that had the 16-valve, Maserati-head, 2.2-liter Turbo II engine with a five-speed Getrag 284 manual transmission. Only the Getrag 284 transmission was strong enough to handle the torque of that engine.
Related Articles Local News | Me & My Car: ’61 Lincoln in East Bay said one of under 200 on road today
Me & My Car: ’61 Lincoln in East Bay said one of under 200 on road today Local News | Me & My Car: Replica ’34 Ford roadster a joy ride for its Bay Area owner What was Bartelli’s motivation to buy a Chrysler TC by Maserati? He considered other cars of the era like the Cadillac Allante, the Buick Reatta and the C4 Corvette convertible, but the uniqueness of the Chrysler TC put it at the top of his shopping list.
“I did love this car when it came out,” he confessed. “Based on my budget, and I’m not skilled at mechanical work, I wanted to get something complete in mint condition. I wanted what I call an ‘old modern car.’ ”
Bartelli expects his car will appreciate in value but stated that “I didn’t buy the car as an investment, I bought it just to enjoy it.”
Have an interesting vehicle? Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly@yahoo.com. To view more photos of this and other issues’ vehicles or to read more of Dave’s columns, visit mercurynews.com/author/david-krumboltz.


Bridge: Sept. 20, 2020

“ I know you think losing a trick can be better than winning one , ” Alice said to the Queen of Diamonds as the players at the Mad Hatter ’ s game took a tea break .
“ Aren ’ t you ever willing to win ?
” “ Oh , if I must , ” the Queen sniffed .
“ But I ’ m a far cry from my cousin the Queen of Hearts , who blusters about being the most powerful card in Wonderland , impervious to being captured.
” “ Personally , I prefer winning more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ but I understand your point.
” When the game resumed , Alice became declarer at today ’ s 3NT .
North was the Hatter .
He doubled one heart to give his side a chance to find a fit in the other major .
If South responded two clubs , the Hatter would try two diamonds .
Alice ’ s jump to 2NT suggested about 11 points with at least one heart stopper .
West , the Dormouse , led the five of hearts : seven , ten , jack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose your line of play . )
Alice saw that if she could run the diamonds , she would make an overtrick .
But to take the king and finesse with the jack was unattractive ; if the finesse lost , a heart return by East would be fatal .
So Alice was about to take the K-A when she spotted a slight extra chance : At Trick Two she led the three of diamonds .
When West ’ s queen appeared , Alice gave the Queen of Diamonds a wink and let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spade return with the ace , took the king of diamonds and went to dummy to run the diamonds .
Making three .
Unless declarer starts the diamonds by leading the three , she fails .

“I know you think losing a trick can be better than winning one,” Alice said to the Queen of Diamonds as the players at the Mad Hatter’s game took a tea break. “Aren’t you ever willing to win?”
“Oh, if I must,” the Queen sniffed. “But I’m a far cry from my cousin the Queen of Hearts, who blusters about being the most powerful card in Wonderland, impervious to being captured.”
“Personally, I prefer winning more tricks than I lose,” Alice said, “but I understand your point.”
When the game resumed, Alice became declarer at today’s 3NT. North was the Hatter. He doubled one heart to give his side a chance to find a fit in the other major. If South responded two clubs, the Hatter would try two diamonds. Alice’s jump to 2NT suggested about 11 points with at least one heart stopper.
West, the Dormouse, led the five of hearts: seven, ten, jack. (Before you read on, choose your line of play.)
Alice saw that if she could run the diamonds, she would make an overtrick. But to take the king and finesse with the jack was unattractive; if the finesse lost, a heart return by East would be fatal. So Alice was about to take the K-A when she spotted a slight extra chance: At Trick Two she led the three of diamonds.
When West’s queen appeared, Alice gave the Queen of Diamonds a wink and let the queen win. She won the spade return with the ace, took the king of diamonds and went to dummy to run the diamonds. Making three.
Unless declarer starts the diamonds by leading the three, she fails.
West dealer
N-S vulnerable
NORTH
S K 9 7 2
H 7
D A J 7 5 4 2
C A 8
WEST
S Q 10 6 5
H A Q 9 5 2
D Q
C K J 10
EAST
S J 8
H 10 8 6 3
D 10 9 8 6
C Q 9 4
SOUTH
S A 4 3
H K J 4
D K 3
C 7 6 5 3 2
West North East South
1 H Dbl Pass 2 NT
Pass 3 D Pass 3 NT
All Pass
Opening lead — H 5
(C)2020 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.


mercurynews--2020-09-20--Word Game: Sept. 20, 2020

Word Game: Sept. 20, 2020

Can you find 54 or more words in BREADTH ?
To purchase the Word Game book , visit WordGameBooks.com .
@ @ @ @ @ $ 5 while supplies last !
1 .
Words must be of four or more @ @ @ @ @ that acquire four letters by the addition of “ s , ” such as “ @ @ @ @ @ , ” are not allowed .
3 .
Additional words made by adding a “ @ @ @ @ @ s ” may not be used .
For example , if “ bake ” is @ @ @ @ @ or “ bakes ” are not allowed , but “ bake ” and “ baking @ @ @ @ @ .
Proper nouns , slang words , or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not @ @

TODAY’S WORD — BREADTH (BREADTH: BREADTH: Width; scope.)
Average mark 41 words
Time limit 60 minutes
Can you find 54 or more words in BREADTH?
TODAY’S WORD — BREADTH bade bard bare bate bath bathe bather bead bear
beard beat berth bertha beta brad brat bread breath bred rate read rehab earth abed
abet dare dart date dater dear dearth death debar debt drab drat tare tear thread
trade tread hard hare hart hate hater hatred head hear heard heart heat herb herd
To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!
RULES OF THE GAME:
1. Words must be of four or more letters.
2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.
3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.
4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.


mercurynews--2020-09-20--Horoscopes Sept. 20, 2020: Aldis Hodge, life is about living.

Happy Birthday : Put a strategy in place that will help you excel this year .
Use your imagination and be innovative , and you ’ ll come up with a plan that far exceeds anything you ’ ve done in the past .
Life is about living and following the path that brings out the best in you .
Take the initiative to make changes that will lead to happiness .
Your numbers are 9 , 15 , 21 , 27 , 30 , 38 , 42 .
ARIES ( March 21-April 19 ) : Keep your anger in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting into a battle with someone who doesn ’ t share your beliefs , concerns or ethical values .
Put your energy into something worthwhile , and you will achieve satisfaction and happiness .
Make love a priority .
3 stars TAURUS ( April 20-May 20 ) : You ’ ll have trouble making up your mind .
Too many choices will add to your confusion .
Follow the path that can provide you with balance and equality , and you will discover true happiness .
Don ’ t give up on your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21-June 20 ) : Settle into something that makes you feel comfortable .
A creative hobby or making positive changes to your residence will put your mind at ease .
Be reluctant to believe secondhand information or take a chance on something risky .
3 stars CANCER ( June 21-July 22 ) : Pay closer attention to what ’ s going on around you .
A unique offer will tempt you .
Share your feelings with someone who can help you reconcile a problem you ’ ve been dealing with personally .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
5 stars LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22 ) : Less emotion and more strategy will help you navigate any conflicts you encounter .
Look for alternatives , follow through with doable plans and help resolve issues holding you back .
Take control and make your move .
Romance and self-improvement are favored .
2 stars VIRGO ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22 ) : Review the past , explore the present and embrace the future .
Eliminate what isn ’ t working for you , and clear the path for new beginnings .
Consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary accommodations to reach your destination .
Trust and believe in yourself .
4 stars LIBRA ( Sept. 23-Oct. 22 ) : Be discreet regarding how you earn your living and how much you make .
If someone is nosy , move the focus to him or her .
Use persuasion to help you get a better understanding of what others want from you .
3 stars SCORPIO ( Oct. 23-Nov. 21 ) : Put your plan in motion .
It ’ s time to take action by making the adjustments that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most joy .
Be honest with yourself about what you want to happen , and proceed with confidence .
3 stars SAGITTARIUS ( Nov. 22-Dec. 21 ) : Expect others to overreact and play emotional games with you if you are too complacent or vague .
Be abrupt , and initiate what you want to do before someone puts you in an awkward position .
3 stars CAPRICORN ( Dec. 22-Jan. 19 ) : Slow down .
If you reveal what you are doing prematurely , you will be met with opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things up and running so you can offer something tangible .
Be sensitive to the needs of someone you love .
4 stars AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18 ) : Look over your documents , and clear up unfinished business .
An aggressive approach to what you want to happen will be in your best interest .
Don ’ t argue over something that doesn ’ t matter .
Stay focused on what you want .
2 stars PISCES ( Feb. 19-March 20 ) : Manage your finances with care .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be short when you need cash the most .
You can not buy love or happiness , but you can achieve peace of mind if you handle your money wisely .
5 stars Birthday Baby : You are intense , persistent and unpredictable .
You are possessive and sensitive .

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Aldis Hodge, 34; Kristen Johnston, 53; Gary Cole, 64; Sophia Loren, 86.
Happy Birthday: Put a strategy in place that will help you excel this year. Use your imagination and be innovative, and you’ll come up with a plan that far exceeds anything you’ve done in the past. Life is about living and following the path that brings out the best in you. Take the initiative to make changes that will lead to happiness. Your numbers are 9, 15, 21, 27, 30, 38, 42.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep your anger in check. It’s not worth getting into a battle with someone who doesn’t share your beliefs, concerns or ethical values. Put your energy into something worthwhile, and you will achieve satisfaction and happiness. Make love a priority. 3 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll have trouble making up your mind. Too many choices will add to your confusion. Follow the path that can provide you with balance and equality, and you will discover true happiness. Don’t give up on your dreams. 3 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Settle into something that makes you feel comfortable. A creative hobby or making positive changes to your residence will put your mind at ease. Be reluctant to believe secondhand information or take a chance on something risky. 3 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pay closer attention to what’s going on around you. A unique offer will tempt you. Share your feelings with someone who can help you reconcile a problem you’ve been dealing with personally. An emotional incident will help clear your head. 5 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Less emotion and more strategy will help you navigate any conflicts you encounter. Look for alternatives, follow through with doable plans and help resolve issues holding you back. Take control and make your move. Romance and self-improvement are favored. 2 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Review the past, explore the present and embrace the future. Eliminate what isn’t working for you, and clear the path for new beginnings. Consider the cost involved, and make the necessary accommodations to reach your destination. Trust and believe in yourself. 4 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be discreet regarding how you earn your living and how much you make. If someone is nosy, move the focus to him or her. Use persuasion to help you get a better understanding of what others want from you. 3 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put your plan in motion. It’s time to take action by making the adjustments that will encourage you to do what brings you the most joy. Be honest with yourself about what you want to happen, and proceed with confidence. 3 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Expect others to overreact and play emotional games with you if you are too complacent or vague. Be abrupt, and initiate what you want to do before someone puts you in an awkward position. 3 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Slow down. If you reveal what you are doing prematurely, you will be met with opposition. Solidify your plans, and get things up and running so you can offer something tangible. Be sensitive to the needs of someone you love. 4 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Look over your documents, and clear up unfinished business. An aggressive approach to what you want to happen will be in your best interest. Don’t argue over something that doesn’t matter. Stay focused on what you want. 2 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Manage your finances with care. If you let emotional spending happen, you will be short when you need cash the most. You cannot buy love or happiness, but you can achieve peace of mind if you handle your money wisely. 5 stars
Birthday Baby: You are intense, persistent and unpredictable. You are possessive and sensitive.
Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.