washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Trump can accept nomination from White House, watchdog rules

President Trump can accept the GOP ’ s presidential nomination from the White House , according to a ruling by the Office of Special Counsel , the independent federal agency that polices the intersection between government and politics .
For White House employees , it ’ s a bit more complicated , the OSC said .
Commissioned officers are not subject to the political activities ban while on duty or in federal buildings .
Non-commissioned officers would have to be careful of their involvement , but if they were off duty and the event were held outdoors they would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which governs political activities by federal employees .
“ The president and vice president are not covered by any of the provisions of the Hatch Act .
Accordingly , the Hatch Act does not prohibit President Trump from delivering his RNC acceptance speech on White House grounds , ” Erica S. Hamrick , deputy chief at the OSC , wrote .
She did caution that employees , including commissioned officers , are not allowed to attempt to influence an election using their official authority .
So supervisors might run afoul of the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff with work in support of the political event.
” With the party nominating conventions dramatically scaled back because of the coronavirus , both Democrats and Republicans have looked for ways to maintain the grand theater of the events .
Mr. Trump has said he was considering a speech either from the White House or from Gettysburg , the site of the Civil War ’ s most iconic battle and of President Lincoln ’ s famous address .
Congressional Democrats had challenged Mr. Trump ’ s plans to accept the nomination from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New York Democrat and chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee , requested the OSC rule on the matter .
After the opinion was issued Wednesday , Rep. James Comer , ranking Republican on the panel , said it should settle the matter .
“ Truth be told , Democrats should be comforted knowing that the President can deliver his acceptance speech from home since they are so concerned about him traveling for events these days , ” the Kentucky Republican said .

President Trump can accept the Republican presidential nomination from the White House, according to a ruling by the Office of Special Counsel, the independent federal agency that polices the intersection between government and politics.
For White House employees, it’s a bit more complicated, the OSC said. Commissioned officers, who usually are the president’s top-level advisers, are not subject to the political activities ban while on duty or in federal buildings.
Non-commissioned officers would have to be careful of their involvement, but if they were off duty and the event were held outdoors they would not be barred by the Hatch Act, which governs political activities by federal employees.
“The president and vice president are not covered by any of the provisions of the Hatch Act. Accordingly, the Hatch Act does not prohibit President Trump from delivering his RNC acceptance speech on White House grounds,” wrote Erica S. Hamrick, deputy chief at the OSC.
She did caution that employees, including commissioned officers, are not allowed to attempt to influence an election using their official authority. So supervisors might run afoul of the law if they were to “task subordinate staff with work in support of the political event.”
With the party nominating conventions dramatically scaled back because of coronavirus-related shutdown orders, both Democrats and Republicans have looked for ways to maintain the grand theater of the events.
Mr. Trump has said he was considering a speech either from the White House or from Gettysburg, the site of the Civil War’s most iconic battle and President Lincoln’s famous address.
Congressional Democrats had challenged Mr. Trump’s plans to accept the nomination from the White House.
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, New York Democrat and chairwoman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, requested that the OSC rule on the matter.
After the opinion was issued Wednesday, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the ranking Republican on the panel, said it should settle the matter.
“Truth be told, Democrats should be comforted knowing that the President can deliver his acceptance speech from home since they are so concerned about him traveling for events these days,” he said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Police say 14-year-old boy fatally shot in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS ( AP ) - A 14-year-old boy has been shot and killed in St. Louis , police there @ @ @ @ @ in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood around 10:20 p.m. Wednesday , when officers were called to the @ @ @ @ @ a shooting and found the teen with a gunshot wound to the head , police @ @ @ @ @ taken to an area hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
Police had not @ @ @ @ @ name by Thursday morning , and no arrests in the case had been reported .
@ @ @ @ @ surge of gun violence involving children .
Television station KSDK reported that the 14-year-old old @ @ @ @ @ 97th child shot in St. Louis since the beginning of the year and the 15th @ @ @ @ @ shooting this year .
More than a dozen children ages 16 or younger were shot @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 .

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A 14-year-old boy has been shot and killed in St. Louis, police there said.
The shooting happened in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood around 10:20 p.m. Wednesday, when officers were called to the area for a report of a shooting and found the teen with a gunshot wound to the head, police said. The boy was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police had not released the child’s name by Thursday morning, and no arrests in the case had been reported.
St. Louis has seen a surge of gun violence involving children. Television station KSDK reported that the 14-year-old old’s shooting marked the 97th child shot in St. Louis since the beginning of the year and the 15th child to die from a shooting this year. More than a dozen children ages 16 or younger were shot to death in the city in 2019.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Trump says GOP will re-take House, noncommittal on holding Senate

President Trump on Thursday predicted that Republicans will retake control of the House after the 2020 elections but said the battle for control of the U.S. Senate will be “ tough ” because of GOP candidates who are insufficiently supportive of him .
“ I believe we ’ re going to take back the House [ because ] Nancy Pelosi is stone-cold crazy , ” Mr. Trump said on Fox Business Network .
“ I don ’ t make a statement like that very easily…otherwise , I ’ ll look very bad.
” He also said he would win re-election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP holds an effective 53-47 majority , will be “ tough.
” “ We ’ re fighting very hard in the Senate , I ’ ll be honest .
The Senate is tough , ” he said .
“ We have a couple of people that aren ’ t as supportive of Trump as they should be and those people are going to lose their elections .
If they don ’ t support Trump , they lose their elections - it ’ s a very simple element.
” Republicans are defending Senate seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Arizona , Colorado , Maine and North Carolina .
Sen. Susan Collins , Maine Republican , has been noncommittal on whether she plans to formally support Mr. Trump ’ s bid for re-election .
“ You have a few people that want to be cute and I think they ’ re going to lose their elections and that ’ s a problem for the Senate , ” the president said .

President Trump on Thursday predicted that Republicans will retake control of the House after the 2020 elections but said the battle for control of the U.S. Senate will be “tough” because of GOP candidates who are insufficiently supportive of him.
“I believe we’re going to take back the House [because] Nancy Pelosi is stone-cold crazy,” Mr. Trump said on Fox Business Network. “I don’t make a statement like that very easily…otherwise, I’ll look very bad.”
He also said he would win re-election but said the Senate, where the GOP holds an effective 53-47 majority, will be “tough.”
“We’re fighting very hard in the Senate, I’ll be honest. The Senate is tough,” he said. “We have a couple of people that aren’t as supportive of Trump as they should be and those people are going to lose their elections. If they don’t support Trump, they lose their elections - it’s a very simple element.”
Republicans are defending Senate seats in a number of competitive states, including Arizona, Colorado, Maine and North Carolina.
Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, has been noncommittal on whether she plans to formally support Mr. Trump’s bid for re-election.
“You have a few people that want to be cute and I think they’re going to lose their elections and that’s a problem for the Senate,” the president said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--963,000 workers seek US jobless aid as layoffs fall below 1 million for first time in 5 months

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - 963,000 workers seek US jobless aid as layoffs fall below 1 million for first time @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON (AP) - 963,000 workers seek US jobless aid as layoffs fall below 1 million for first time in 5 months.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Vermont Health Department says Winooski COVID outbreak over

WINOOSKI , Vt. ( AP ) - The Vermont Health Department says an outbreak of COVID-19 that began in the city of Winooski is over .
Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said Wednesday the outbreak is considered over because 28 days have passed since any new infections connected to it have been reported .
“ Now keep in mind this isn ’ t really a celebration , ” Levine said during an online briefing with local officials .
“ The pandemic is far from over.
” The outbreak was first identified in June , primarily in the immigrant community in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The outbreak included 117 infections , 77 in Winooski , 22 in Burlington and 18 in other towns in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties .
Two people were hospitalized , but there were no deaths .
Statistics showed that 65 % of the cases were among adults and 35 % children .
The health department says 60 % of the people who tested positive didn ’ t report symptoms .
To help confront the outbreak , between June 8 and the end of July , the Vermont Health Department conducted about 10,000 tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

WINOOSKI, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Health Department says an outbreak of COVID-19 that began in the city of Winooski is over.
Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said Wednesday the outbreak is considered over because 28 days have passed since any new infections connected to it have been reported.
“Now keep in mind this isn’t really a celebration,” Levine said during an online briefing with local officials. “The pandemic is far from over.”
The outbreak was first identified in June, primarily in the immigrant community in the densely packed city of Winooski.
The outbreak included 117 infections - 77 in Winooski, 22 in Burlington and 18 in other towns in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. Two people were hospitalized, but there were no deaths.
Statistics showed that 65% of the cases were among adults and 35% were among children. The health department says 60% of the people who tested positive didn’t report symptoms.
To help confront the outbreak, between June 8 and the end of July, the Vermont Health Department conducted about 10,000 tests at pop-up sites in Burlington and Winooski.
___
FREE MASKS
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott says the state is going to be distributing 300,000 free cloth face coverings this month to the public, emergency responders and selected agencies.
On Aug. 1 it became mandatory for people in Vermont to wear face coverings in public.
Vermonters may access the masks through their towns.
The State Emergency Operations Center procured the masks from those donated to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
A list of distributors is on the website of Vermont Emergency Management.
___
NUMBERS
The Vermont Health Department reported six new cases across the state Thursday of the virus that causes COVID-19. Three of the new cases were in Chittenden County and in each in Rutland, Bennington and Orange counties.
Two people are hospitalized.
The number of deaths remains at 58.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Africa begins continent-wide study of COVID-19 antibodies

JOHANNESBURG ( AP ) - An Africa-wide study of antibodies to the coronavirus has begun , while evidence from a smaller study indicates that many more people have been infected than official numbers show , the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday .
Experts are eager to know the real number of COVID-19 cases in Africa , as confirmed cases and deaths have been relatively low on the continent of 1.3 billion people .
Poor data collection , however , has complicated efforts .
But recent surveys in Mozambique found antibodies - proteins the body makes when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 5 % of households in the city of Nampula and 2.5 % in the city of Pemba .
That ’ s while Mozambique has just 2,481 confirmed virus cases .
Further studies are underway in the capital , Maputo , and the city of Quelimane .
“ What is important is far fewer people are coming down with the disease , ” Africa CDC director John Nkengasong told reporters .
“ How many people are infected and asymptomatic on our continent ?
We don ’ t know that.
” Africa ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 19 , has been called a possible factor .
The new continent-wide antibodies study will include all African countries , but the ones showing interest to start in the coming weeks are Liberia , Sierra Leone , Zambia , Zimbabwe , Cameroon , Nigeria and Morocco , Nkengasong said .
The African continent reached the milestone of 1 million confirmed cases last week , while global health experts have told The Associated Press the true number is estimated to be several times that .
More than 24,000 deaths have been confirmed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
The Mozambique antibodies surveys detected the virus in all neighborhoods in Nampula and Pemba , National Institute of Health director Ilesh Jani told reporters .
The groups with the highest exposure to the virus were market vendors at 10 % , followed by health professionals at between 5.5 % and 7 % , police at between 3.7 % and 6 % and shop and other business employees at between 5 % and 5.5 % .
“ We don ’ t know why more are not being hospitalized , ” Jani said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would see more mortality ” but there has been no increase in deaths .
He wondered whether the low death rate will continue or whether the disease “ is going to become more aggressive.
” In a separate survey , researchers in Kenya who tested more than 3,000 blood donors have said one in 20 people there could have antibodies to the virus .
The country has more than 28,000 confirmed cases .
But the Africa CDC director warned , “ The sampling was not a very systematic sampling and we should interpret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Africa CDC has not been in touch with Russia about its reported vaccine for COVID-19 announced this week .
African health authorities want to make sure that any virus intervention they pursue “ is backed by good science , ” he said , adding that “ we are open to all partnerships .
”

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - An Africa-wide study of antibodies to the coronavirus has begun, while evidence from a smaller study indicates that many more people have been infected than official numbers show, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
Experts are eager to know the real number of COVID-19 cases in Africa, as confirmed cases and deaths have been relatively low on the continent of 1.3 billion people. Poor data collection, however, has complicated efforts.
But recent surveys in Mozambique found antibodies - proteins the body makes when an infection occurs - to the virus in 5% of households in the city of Nampula and 2.5% in the city of Pemba. That’s while Mozambique has just 2,481 confirmed virus cases. Further studies are underway in the capital, Maputo, and the city of Quelimane.
“What is important is far fewer people are coming down with the disease,” Africa CDC director John Nkengasong told reporters. “How many people are infected and asymptomatic on our continent? We don’t know that.”
Africa’s young population, with a median age of 19, has been called a possible factor.
The new continent-wide antibodies study will include all African countries, but the ones showing interest to start in the coming weeks are Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Nigeria and Morocco, Nkengasong said.
The African continent reached the milestone of 1 million confirmed cases last week, while global health experts have told The Associated Press the true number is estimated to be several times that. More than 24,000 deaths have been confirmed, and the case fatality rate is 2.2%.
The Mozambique antibodies surveys detected the virus in all neighborhoods in Nampula and Pemba, National Institute of Health director Ilesh Jani told reporters.
The groups with the highest exposure to the virus were market vendors at 10%, followed by health professionals at between 5.5% and 7%, police at between 3.7% and 6% and shop and other business employees at between 5% and 5.5%.
“We don’t know why more are not being hospitalized,” Jani said. “In Nampula we thought we would see more mortality” but there has been no increase in deaths.
He wondered whether the low death rate will continue or whether the disease “is going to become more aggressive.”
In a separate survey, researchers in Kenya who tested more than 3,000 blood donors have said one in 20 people there could have antibodies to the virus. The country has more than 28,000 confirmed cases.
But the Africa CDC director warned, “The sampling was not a very systematic sampling and we should interpret that with care.”
Nkengasong also said the Africa CDC has not been in touch with Russia about its reported vaccine for COVID-19 announced this week. African health authorities want to make sure that any virus intervention they pursue “is backed by good science,” he said, adding that “we are open to all partnerships.”
___
Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Donald Trump vows capital gains tax cut in second term

President Trump on Thursday said he will cut the capital gains tax rate to 15 % if he wins a second term in office .
“ I ’ m going to do a capital gains tax cut to 15 % in [ the ] second term — we ’ re going to get it down to 15 , ” he said on Fox Business Network .
“ It ’ s at 21 [ % ] — we ’ ll get that down to 15 % .
I ’ ll get that done easily.
” Short-term capital gains on assets sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordinary income .
Conservative activists have long called for Mr. Trump to use executive authorities to index capital gains taxes to inflation .
Mr. Trump on Wednesday also said he plans to completely eliminate the payroll tax , which funds social security , in his second term .
He recently took executive action to defer payroll taxes until the end of the year starting on Sept. 1 .
He said the taxes would be completely forgiven if he wins in November .
On Wednesday , Mr. Trump said Social Security would be paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ tremendous growth.
” Mr. Trump also said ahead of the 2018 midterms that a 10 % middle-class tax cut was coming , though that never materialized .

President Trump on Thursday said he will cut the capital gains tax rate to 15% if he wins a second term in office.
“I’m going to do a capital gains tax cut to 15% in [the] second term — we’re going to get it down to 15,” he said on Fox Business Network. “It’s at 21[%] — we’ll get that down to 15%. I’ll get that done easily.”
Long-term capital gains tax rates generally range from 0-20% depending on a person’s income. Wealthier investors are also subject to an additional 3.8% investment income tax, for an effective tax rate of 23.8%.
Short-term capital gains on assets sold within a year are generally taxed as ordinary income.
Conservative activists have long called for Mr. Trump to use executive authorities to index capital gains taxes to inflation.
Mr. Trump on Wednesday also said he plans to completely eliminate the payroll tax, which funds social security, in his second term.
He recently took executive action to defer payroll taxes until the end of the year starting on Sept. 1. He said the taxes would be completely forgiven if he wins in November.
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said Social Security would be paid for through the “general fund” and “tremendous growth.”
Mr. Trump also said ahead of the 2018 midterms that a 10% middle-class tax cut was coming, though that never materialized.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--3 people dead, 2 others injured in crash on I-17 in Phoenix

PHOENIX ( AP ) - Three people were killed and two others critically injured after a multi-vehicle crash Thursday on @ @ @ @ @ , authorities said .
City firefighters said three people were pronounced dead at the scene @ @ @ @ @ about 6 p.m. Two other people were taken to hospitals in critical condition .
Authorities @ @ @ @ @ what led up to the fatal crash .
The names , ages and genders of @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t immediately released .

PHOENIX (AP) - Three people were killed and two others critically injured after a multi-vehicle crash Thursday on Interstate 17 in central Phoenix, authorities said.
City firefighters said three people were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that occurred about 6 p.m.
Two other people were taken to hospitals in critical condition.
Authorities said it’s unclear what led up to the fatal crash.
The names, ages and genders of the three people who died weren’t immediately released.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Asia Today: S. Korea sees virus jump, urges more vigilance

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - South Korea reported 103 new virus cases Friday , one of its biggest daily jumps in months , as officials express concerned that infections are getting out of control in cities as people increasingly venture out in public .
Eighty-three of the new cases were from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area , where health authorities have struggled to stem transmissions from various sources and groups , including churches , nursing homes , schools and workers .
Infections were also reported in other major cities such as Busan , Gwangju and Ulsan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked to international arrivals , which health officials consider a lesser threat than local transmissions because testing and two-week quarantines are mandatory for all passengers arriving from abroad .
South Korea on July 25 had reported 113 new cases of COVID-19 , which was its first daily jump over 100 in nearly four months , but that was a predictable spike driven by imported infections found among hundreds of South Korean construction workers airlifted out of Iraq .
Friday ’ s jump was more concerning as it was driven by local transmissions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the increase in travelers during the summer vacation season .
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun during a virus meeting on Friday said that authorities will be forced to consider elevating social distancing measures in the greater capital area — something policymakers had been reluctant to do over economic concerns — if transmissions continue to rise .
He pleaded for citizen vigilance during a three-day holiday that continues through Monday and criticized plans by some activist groups to hold rallies in Seoul on the weekend despite the city ’ s ban .
During a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of South Korea ’ s National Institute of Health , pleaded for residents in Seoul and neighboring areas to stay home or wear masks at all times if they have to go out .
“ If the infections are worsened by the summer vacation season , as well as increased travel or major rallies during the three-day holiday period , we could slip into a situation that would be really hard to control , ” he said .
South Korea has so far weathered its COVID-19 epidemic without major economic lockdowns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporarily closed entertainment venues in some major cities when infections rose .
Health authorities have instead relied on aggressive testing and technological tools , including extensive use of mobile-phone location data and credit-card records to trace contacts and smartphone tracking apps to monitor tens of thousands quarantined at home .
Visitors at nightclubs , karaoke bars wedding halls , baseball stadiums and other facilities deemed as “ high-risk ” are required to register themselves with smartphone QR codes so they could be easily located when needed .
Still , health authorities have recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to trace contacts and predict infection routes as people increase their social and economic activities .
The figures released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday brought the national caseload to 14,873 cases , including 305 deaths .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lifted a lockdown at a major city near the border with South Korea where thousands had been quarantined for weeks over coronavirus worries .
But Kim also insisted the North will keep its borders shut and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out an aggressive anti-virus campaign .
State media also reported Kim said at Thursday ’ s ruling party meeting that the virus situation in Kaesong was stable and expressed gratitude to residents for cooperating with the lockdown .
The lockdown was ordered in late July after North Korea claimed of finding a person with COVID-19 symptoms .
It later said the person ’ s test results were inconclusive .
- China reported eight new cases in the northwestern region of Xinjiang where the country ’ s latest major outbreak has been largely contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the National Health Commission were Chinese travelers returning home .
Hong Kong reported another 69 cases and three deaths over the past 24 hours .
The semi-autonomous Chinese city has required masks be worn in all public settings , restricted indoor dining and enacted other social distancing measures to bring down transmissions .

NEW DELHI (AP) - India’s coronavirus death toll overtook Britain’s to become the fourth-highest in the world with another single-day record increase in cases Friday.
According to the Health Ministry, India reported 1,007 deaths in the past 24 hours. Its total rose to 48,040 deaths, behind the United States, Brazil and Mexico.
India’s confirmed cases reached 2,461,190 with at single-day spike of 64,553 cases reported in the past 24 hours, the ministry said. India is behind the United States and Brazil in total positive cases. More than 70% of people infected in India have recovered.
The daily increase in newly reported infections was around 15,000 in the first week of July but jumped to more than 50,000 in the first week of August. The ministry cited its testing efforts, with more than 800,000 tests in a single day, taking cumulative tests to more than 26 million.
Health experts say it needs to be higher, given India’s population of 1.4 billion.
India’s two-month lockdown imposed nationwide in late March kept infections low. But it has eased and is now largely being enforced in high-risk areas. The new cases spiked after India reopened shops and manufacturing and allowed hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to return to their homes from coronavirus-hit regions.
Subways, schools and movie theaters remain closed.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
- South Korea reported 103 new virus cases, one of its biggest daily jumps in months, as officials express concerned that infections are getting out of control in cities. Eighty-three of the new cases were from the Seoul area, and infections were also reported in Busan, Gwangju and Ulsan. Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi province near Seoul, issued an administrative order to shut down the province’s 15,779 religious facilities, mostly Christian churches, for two weeks to slow the spread of the virus. Churches have emerged as major sources of infections after many of them failed to require worshipers to wear masks or allowed them to sing in choirs or eat together in diners. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said authorities will be forced to consider elevating social distancing measures if transmissions continue to rise. That may include bans on large gatherings, shutting “high-risk” facilities such as karaoke bars and again banning spectators from sports stadiums.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lifted a lockdown at a major city near the border with South Korea where thousands had been quarantined for weeks over coronavirus worries. But Kim also at a ruling party meeting insisted the North will keep its borders shut. State media reported Kim said the virus situation in Kaesong was stable and expressed gratitude to residents for cooperating with the lockdown. The lockdown was based on a suspected virus case but North Korea later said the person’s test results were inconclusive.
- New Zealand’s government has extended a lockdown of its largest city Auckland for another 12 days as it tries to stamp out its first domestic coronavirus outbreak in more than three months. The outbreak has grown to 30 people and extended beyond Auckland for the first time. Until the cluster was discovered Tuesday, New Zealand had gone 102 days without infections spreading in the community, with the only known cases travelers quarantined after arriving from abroad. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says extending the lockdown will give health authorities time to get a handle on the cluster and isolate those infected.
- A man in his 20s has become the youngest person to die of the coronavirus in Australia. He was among 14 new deaths and 372 new infections reported by Victoria state health officials Friday in an outbreak centered in Melbourne, the second-largest city. And Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 188 elderly people had died over the past week as the virus ripped through aged-care homes in Melbourne. Officials say about 70% of Australia’s 375 virus deaths have been at aged-care facilities. Morrison said that Australians had high expectations of the services and standards at aged-care homes and other facilities like hospitals and schools. “On the days that the system falls short, on the days that expectations are not met, I’m deeply sorry about that, of course I am,” Morrison said.
- China reported eight new cases in the northwestern region of Xinjiang where the country’s latest major outbreak has been largely contained. Another 22 new cases reported Friday by the National Health Commission were Chinese travelers returning home. Hong Kong reported another 69 cases and three deaths over the past 24 hours. The semi-autonomous Chinese city has required masks be worn in all public settings, restricted indoor dining and enacted other social distancing measures to bring down transmissions.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Florida sheriff arrested following sex scandal investigation

JACKSONVILLE , Fla. ( AP ) - A Florida sheriff facing a primary contest within days was arrested Thursday following a sex scandal investigation at his previous job , authorities said .
Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels turned himself in to the jail in nearby Jacksonville on a felony charge of tampering with evidence and three misdemeanor counts of giving false information to law enforcement , the Florida Times-Union reported .
He was expected to be released without bond after being processed .
Daniels previously worked as the Jacksonville Sheriff ’ s Office jails director .
He was elected sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacksonville , in 2016 .
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed an internal investigation last year into a corrections officer who had been Daniels ’ mistress while he was her supervisor .
Officials said Daniels had tried to get the woman arrested in May 2019 on stalking allegations , and investigators told prosecutors there wasn ’ t enough evidence .
The woman resigned while under investigation for misconduct claims .
Daniels ’ attorney Matt Kachergus told the Times-Union that the timing of the arrest seems suspicious in light of a primary election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tuesday ballot , where he faces six Republican challengers .
“ It would appear that the timing of this is designed to influence the outcome of that election , ” Kachergus said , adding he only learned two days ago that prosecutors planned to file charges .
To avoid a conflict of interest , Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis assigned the case to the State Attorney ’ s Office in Ocala , which does not handle Clay County or Jacksonville cases .
The governor has the authority to suspend local elected officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been issued Thursday night .

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida sheriff facing a primary contest within days was arrested Thursday following a sex scandal investigation at his previous job, authorities said.
Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels turned himself in to the jail in nearby Jacksonville on a felony charge of tampering with evidence and three misdemeanor counts of giving false information to law enforcement, the Florida Times-Union reported. He was expected to be released without bond after being processed.
Daniels previously worked as the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office jails director. He was elected sheriff of Clay County, just southwest of Jacksonville, in 2016.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed an internal investigation last year into a corrections officer who had been Daniels’ mistress while he was her supervisor. Officials said Daniels had tried to get the woman arrested in May 2019 on stalking allegations, and investigators told prosecutors there wasn’t enough evidence. The woman resigned while under investigation for misconduct claims.
Daniels’ attorney Matt Kachergus told the Times-Union that the timing of the arrest seems suspicious in light of a primary election scheduled for Tuesday. Daniels remains on the Tuesday ballot, where he faces six Republican challengers.
“It would appear that the timing of this is designed to influence the outcome of that election,” Kachergus said, adding he only learned two days ago that prosecutors planned to file charges.
To avoid a conflict of interest, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis assigned the case to the State Attorney’s Office in Ocala, which does not handle Clay County or Jacksonville cases. The governor has the authority to suspend local elected officials charged with felonies, though no suspension had been issued Thursday night.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Gun control a sleeper issue compared to past elections

Joseph R. Biden ’ s full-throated embrace of tough new gun laws and firearms bans brings Democrats full circle in the party ’ s two-decade evolution on guns in presidential campaign politics .
Long skittish that talk of gun bans could cost them rural voters in battleground states , Democrats now proudly champion buyback programs and strict new controls .
“ It represents close to a default position for the two parties , ” said Robert J. Spitzer , a professor at SUNY Cortland who has written extensively on the politics of gun control .
Though President Trump irked some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the 2017 Las Vegas massacre , he has generally pushed policies that expand access to gun rights while trying to hone in on violent crimes committed with firearms .
Mr. Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , is pushing for bans on large-capacity magazines and certain kinds of semiautomatic rifles , such as the popular AR-15 .
He also wants to expand background checks to cover all gun sales .
His plan gives current semiautomatic firearm owners a choice : Sell them to the government or register them under the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Democratic White House hopefuls in the recent past , when the party tried to court the pro-gun vote or simply steer clear of the issue .
Democrats handled the gun issue with kid gloves after Al Gore ’ s 2000 loss was blamed , in part , on his support of gun control laws , notably the 1994 assault weapons ban .
Mr. Biden also championed the 1994 ban , which expired in 2004 , when he was a U.S. senator from Delaware .
John Kerry , the party ’ s 2004 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duck hunt in Ohio toward the end of that year ’ s campaign to woo gun-rights activists .
Four years later , then-Sen. Barack Obama attracted unwanted attention during the 2008 presidential campaign when he was caught on tape saying that people in hollowed-out industrial towns “ get bitter ” and “ cling to guns or religion.
” But Mr. Obama ended up pushing for new controls after the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting , and by 2016 , Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had fully embraced the party ’ s shift toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has repeatedly vowed to safeguard Americans ’ Second Amendment rights , generally takes a hands-off approach to guns , though he sometimes threatens a crackdown on firearms after mass shootings .
“ If I wasn ’ t here , you wouldn ’ t have a Second Amendment , ” the president said in a recent interview with EWTN , a Catholic news network .
“ Catholics like their Second Amendment .
I saved the Second Amendment.
” Mr. Trump ’ s administration has pushed to loosen export control rules for certain kinds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t love the idea of banning sound suppressors , or silencers .
Congressional Republicans had eyed loosening restrictions on sound suppressors before Rep. Steve Scalise , Louisiana Republican , was shot at a congressional baseball practice in June 2017 .
The Justice Department in November launched “ Project Guardian , ” which increased federal involvement in prosecuting gun-related crimes and directed the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives to increase record-sharing of the list of people who have been flagged by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has announced many recent arrests , but gun control advocates say the program is not a substitute for stricter measures .
“ That ’ s all based on this concept that it ’ s too late if the person you don ’ t want to have a gun already has it , ” said David Chipman , a former ATF agent and current adviser to former Rep. Gabby Giffords ’ gun control group .
“ Because then you ’ re responding after the fact .
And I don ’ t want ATF to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas , where a rapid-fire attack on a country music festival left 58 people dead , the ATF moved to ban bump-stock devices used in the attack that mimic machine-gun fire .
The president also turned heads after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018 by saying he would prefer to take guns first and ask questions later during the debate over “ red flag ” laws that temporarily suspend gun rights for dangerous people .
Alan Gottlieb , the founder of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun owners aren ’ t happy that the president has not been “ 100 % purist ” on the issue .
“ He ’ s been the most pro-gun president we ’ ve had and I think that any gun owners that are upset with him over the bump stock ban better sit back and realize that if Trump isn ’ t re-elected , then there will be no guns to put bump stocks on , ” Mr. Gottlieb said .
Still , Christopher Borick , director of the Institute of Public Opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Mr. Trump likely will be preaching to the choir if he hammers Mr. Biden as a gun-grabber .
“ I ’ m not sure that pitch will resonate beyond voters he already has , ” Mr. Borick said .
Mr. Biden has generally favored new gun controls , including sweeping bans on semiautomatic , “ assault-style ” weapons , some of which have been used in mass shootings in recent years .
The former vice president has not gone as far as suggesting a mandatory buyback of semiautomatic firearms , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell the weapons to the government or register them under the National Firearms Act .
“ The Second Amendment , like every other amendment , isn ’ t absolute , ” Mr. Biden said at a recent fundraiser .
“ Every one has a limitation .
From the very beginning , it didn ’ t say you can own any kind of weapon.
” Mr. Biden wants to require background checks on all gun sales and ban online sales of guns , ammunition , kits and gun parts .
He also would create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ licensing programs and would push for “ red flag ” laws under which a judge can order the temporary seizure of someone ’ s firearms if he or she is a danger to themself or others .
Mr. Biden wants to repeal a 2005 law that granted broad immunity to gun companies from civil liability if their product is used to harm someone .
He criticized Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont , who voted for the measure , about the issue during the Democratic presidential primary contest .
Mr. Biden also wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to complete a background check before proceeding with a sale from three to 10 days and end what Democrats call the “ Charleston loophole.
” The FBI said the man who has been sentenced to death for killing nine people at a Black church in South Carolina in 2015 should not have been able to buy a weapon because of his criminal history but a clerical error let him slip through the cracks .
Mr. Biden was a leading voice in the Obama administration ’ s unsuccessful post-Sandy Hook gun control push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he suggested that people could scare off would-be intruders by firing shotgun blasts into the air .
Mr. Gottlieb said if Mr. Biden and the Democrats get their way , gun owners would be in for a world of pain .
“ It ’ s the full wish list .
It ’ s gun apocalypse , ” he said .
Mr. Borick said if a Pennsylvania voter is intensely pro-gun rights , he is probably going to vote for Mr. Biden , anyway .
He might be able to win over people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For voters that generally lean more to a pro-gun rights position , but for who gun issues are not highly salient , Biden ’ s policies probably don ’ t seem threatening enough to really overwhelm their appraisal of the candidates on economic and health issues , ” he said .
Mr. Biden runs the risk of alienating pro-gun activists in key battleground states by fully embracing measures such as gun bans , though many voters ’ overall sentiments about the candidate might be baked in after Mr. Biden ’ s more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Michigan and Wisconsin do have strong gun communities , without a doubt , ” Mr. Spitzer said .
“ But I think Biden has enough pull among the voters in those states — and including some of the gun people , too — that I don ’ t think the gun issue is going to cost him any of those three states .
If he loses any or all of those states , I think it ’ ll be for other reasons .
”

Joseph R. Biden’s full-throated embrace of tough new gun laws and firearms bans brings Democrats full circle in the party’s two-decade evolution on guns in presidential campaign politics.
Long skittish that talk of gun bans could cost them rural voters in battleground states, Democrats now proudly champion buyback programs and strict new controls.
“It represents close to a default position for the two parties,” said Robert J. Spitzer, a professor at SUNY Cortland who has written extensively on the politics of gun control.
Though President Trump irked some gun rights activists by banning bump stocks after the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, he has generally pushed policies that expand access to gun rights while trying to hone in on violent crimes committed with firearms.
Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is pushing for bans on large-capacity magazines and certain kinds of semiautomatic rifles, such as the popular AR-15. He also wants to expand background checks to cover all gun sales.
His plan gives current semiautomatic firearm owners a choice: Sell them to the government or register them under the National Firearms Act.
His positioning contrasts sharply with Democratic White House hopefuls in the recent past, when the party tried to court the pro-gun vote or simply steer clear of the issue.
Democrats handled the gun issue with kid gloves after Al Gore’s 2000 loss was blamed, in part, on his support of gun control laws, notably the 1994 assault weapons ban.
Mr. Biden also championed the 1994 ban, which expired in 2004, when he was a U.S. senator from Delaware.
John Kerry, the party’s 2004 nominee, went on a carefully staged duck hunt in Ohio toward the end of that year’s campaign to woo gun-rights activists.
Four years later, then-Sen. Barack Obama attracted unwanted attention during the 2008 presidential campaign when he was caught on tape saying that people in hollowed-out industrial towns “get bitter” and “cling to guns or religion.”
But Mr. Obama ended up pushing for new controls after the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, and by 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had fully embraced the party’s shift toward gun control.
President Trump
Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly vowed to safeguard Americans’ Second Amendment rights, generally takes a hands-off approach to guns, though he sometimes threatens a crackdown on firearms after mass shootings.
“If I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t have a Second Amendment,” the president said in a recent interview with EWTN, a Catholic news network. “Catholics like their Second Amendment. I saved the Second Amendment.”
Mr. Trump’s administration has pushed to loosen export control rules for certain kinds of firearms, and the president said he doesn’t love the idea of banning sound suppressors, or silencers.
Congressional Republicans had eyed loosening restrictions on sound suppressors before Rep. Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican, was shot at a congressional baseball practice in June 2017.
The Justice Department in November launched “Project Guardian,” which increased federal involvement in prosecuting gun-related crimes and directed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to increase record-sharing of the list of people who have been flagged by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS.
The Justice Department has announced many recent arrests, but gun control advocates say the program is not a substitute for stricter measures.
“That’s all based on this concept that it’s too late if the person you don’t want to have a gun already has it,” said David Chipman, a former ATF agent and current adviser to former Rep. Gabby Giffords’ gun control group. “Because then you’re responding after the fact. And I don’t want ATF to stand for after-the-fact.”
After the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, where a rapid-fire attack on a country music festival left 58 people dead, the ATF moved to ban bump-stock devices used in the attack that mimic machine-gun fire.
The president also turned heads after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in 2018 by saying he would prefer to take guns first and ask questions later during the debate over “red flag” laws that temporarily suspend gun rights for dangerous people.
Alan Gottlieb, the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, acknowledged that some gun owners aren’t happy that the president has not been “100% purist” on the issue.
“He’s been the most pro-gun president we’ve had and I think that any gun owners that are upset with him over the bump stock ban better sit back and realize that if Trump isn’t re-elected, then there will be no guns to put bump stocks on,” Mr. Gottlieb said.
Still, Christopher Borick, director of the Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, said Mr. Trump likely will be preaching to the choir if he hammers Mr. Biden as a gun-grabber.
“I’m not sure that pitch will resonate beyond voters he already has,” Mr. Borick said.
Joseph R. Biden
Mr. Biden has generally favored new gun controls, including sweeping bans on semiautomatic, “assault-style” weapons, some of which have been used in mass shootings in recent years.
The former vice president has not gone as far as suggesting a mandatory buyback of semiautomatic firearms, but his campaign says he wants people to sell the weapons to the government or register them under the National Firearms Act.
“The Second Amendment, like every other amendment, isn’t absolute,” Mr. Biden said at a recent fundraiser. “Every one has a limitation. From the very beginning, it didn’t say you can own any kind of weapon.”
Mr. Biden wants to require background checks on all gun sales and ban online sales of guns, ammunition, kits and gun parts.
He also would create incentives for states to set up gun licensing programs and would push for “red flag” laws under which a judge can order the temporary seizure of someone’s firearms if he or she is a danger to themself or others.
Mr. Biden wants to repeal a 2005 law that granted broad immunity to gun companies from civil liability if their product is used to harm someone.
He criticized Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, who voted for the measure, about the issue during the Democratic presidential primary contest.
Mr. Biden also wants to extend the amount of time the FBI has to complete a background check before proceeding with a sale from three to 10 days and end what Democrats call the “Charleston loophole.”
The FBI said the man who has been sentenced to death for killing nine people at a Black church in South Carolina in 2015 should not have been able to buy a weapon because of his criminal history but a clerical error let him slip through the cracks.
Mr. Biden was a leading voice in the Obama administration’s unsuccessful post-Sandy Hook gun control push, though he attracted some derision when he suggested that people could scare off would-be intruders by firing shotgun blasts into the air.
Mr. Gottlieb said if Mr. Biden and the Democrats get their way, gun owners would be in for a world of pain.
“It’s the full wish list. It’s gun apocalypse,” he said.
Mr. Borick said if a Pennsylvania voter is intensely pro-gun rights, he is probably going to vote for Mr. Biden, anyway. He might be able to win over people who aren’t single-issue voters.
“For voters that generally lean more to a pro-gun rights position, but for who gun issues are not highly salient, Biden’s policies probably don’t seem threatening enough to really overwhelm their appraisal of the candidates on economic and health issues,” he said.
Mr. Biden runs the risk of alienating pro-gun activists in key battleground states by fully embracing measures such as gun bans, though many voters’ overall sentiments about the candidate might be baked in after Mr. Biden’s more than 40 years in politics.
“Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin do have strong gun communities, without a doubt,” Mr. Spitzer said. “But I think Biden has enough pull among the voters in those states — and including some of the gun people, too — that I don’t think the gun issue is going to cost him any of those three states. If he loses any or all of those states, I think it’ll be for other reasons.”
• S.A. Miller contributed to this report.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--BGE says equipment not to blame for Baltimore natural gas explosion

The Baltimore Gas and Electric Company on Thursday claimed its equipment is not to blame for the natural gas explosion in the northwest part of the city that killed two and injured seven others this week .
The utility company completed an inspection along 4200 block of Labyrinth Road , the site of the blast , and reportedly found that all of its gas and electric equipment had been “ operating safely.
” Investigators also are looking into customer-owned gas piping and appliances at the scene of the explosion .
Dozens of firefighters on Monday morning responded to an explosion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Reisterstown Station after receiving multiple reports of a blast with a three-block radius .
Firefighters had rescued seven victims from the debris who were then transported to the hospital .
Four of the victims have been discharged , two are in stable condition and one remains in critical , according to the Baltimore City Fire Department .
Lonnie Herriott , a 61-year-old woman , was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after Monday ’ s explosion .
Early Tuesday morning , firefighters discovered a second person died from the blast , pulling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the debris .
On Wednesday , BGE pressure tested gas service pipes serving properties affected by the blast and found that they successfully held pressure with no leaks .
BGE also noted that customers at the properties also had not reported leaks for the last five years .
But data from one gas meter pointed to some type of issue beyond the BGE meter on gas equipment owned by a customer , the company said , which is currently being analyzed .
The gas main and service pipes along Labyrinth Road were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July of 2019 , and no leaks were found .
No gas odors were reported in the area or from the block of homes that were destroyed on the day of the explosion , BGE said .
The explosion displaced nearly 30 residents and damaged almost 200 homes .
“ During this horrific event , the City of Baltimore has come together as one community and shown deliberate and action driven compassion for those impacted by this incident , ” said Baltimore City Fire Department Chief Niles Ford in a statement Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased and injured , as well as those that have been displaced from their homes.
” BGE described the protected steel materials , installed in the 1960s , that make up the medium-pressure gas mains and service pipes in the Reisterstown Station neighborhood as “ very safe and highly reliable with low leak rates.
” BGE said it is replacing aging equipment throughout central Maryland , mostly focused on removing low-pressure cast iron , unprotected steel and copper piping .
These materials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the gas system but account for 70 % of leaks , were not used in properties along Labyrinth Road .
In efforts to modernize its gas system , the company said it has invested millions of dollars and replaced 260 miles of gas main and 64,000 gas service pipes and risers .
However , The Baltimore Sun reported last year that BGE has thousands of miles of pipes that need to be replaced , an effort that could span 20 years and cost nearly $ 1 billion .
Dangerous gas leaks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with almost two dozen on average each day .
The cause behind Monday ’ s explosion remains unknown .
The Baltimore City Fire Department and other agencies are still investigating .
• This article is based in part on wire service reports .

The Baltimore Gas and Electric Company on Thursday claimed its equipment is not to blame for the natural gas explosion in the northwest part of the city that killed two and injured seven others this week.
The utility company completed an inspection along 4200 block of Labyrinth Road, the site of the blast, and reportedly found that all of its gas and electric equipment had been “operating safely.” Investigators also are looking into customer-owned gas piping and appliances at the scene of the explosion.
Dozens of firefighters on Monday morning responded to an explosion that leveled several houses in the neighborhood of Reisterstown Station after receiving multiple reports of a blast with a three-block radius.
Firefighters had rescued seven victims from the debris who were then transported to the hospital. Four of the victims have been discharged, two are in stable condition and one remains in critical, according to the Baltimore City Fire Department.
Lonnie Herriott, a 61-year-old woman, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after Monday’s explosion. Early Tuesday morning, firefighters discovered a second person died from the blast, pulling Joseph Graham, a 20-year-old man, from the debris.
On Wednesday, BGE pressure tested gas service pipes serving properties affected by the blast and found that they successfully held pressure with no leaks. BGE also noted that customers at the properties also had not reported leaks for the last five years.
But data from one gas meter pointed to some type of issue beyond the BGE meter on gas equipment owned by a customer, the company said, which is currently being analyzed.
The gas main and service pipes along Labyrinth Road were last inspected by BGE in June and July of 2019, and no leaks were found. No gas odors were reported in the area or from the block of homes that were destroyed on the day of the explosion, BGE said.
The explosion displaced nearly 30 residents and damaged almost 200 homes.
“During this horrific event, the City of Baltimore has come together as one community and shown deliberate and action driven compassion for those impacted by this incident,” said Baltimore City Fire Department Chief Niles Ford in a statement Tuesday. “The explosion was devastating, and our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased and injured, as well as those that have been displaced from their homes.”
BGE described the protected steel materials, installed in the 1960s, that make up the medium-pressure gas mains and service pipes in the Reisterstown Station neighborhood as “very safe and highly reliable with low leak rates.”
BGE said it is replacing aging equipment throughout central Maryland, mostly focused on removing low-pressure cast iron, unprotected steel and copper piping.
These materials, which reportedly make up 20% of the gas system but account for 70% of leaks, were not used in properties along Labyrinth Road. In efforts to modernize its gas system, the company said it has invested millions of dollars and replaced 260 miles of gas main and 64,000 gas service pipes and risers.
However, The Baltimore Sun reported last year that BGE has thousands of miles of pipes that need to be replaced, an effort that could span 20 years and cost nearly $1 billion. Dangerous gas leaks are happening more frequently, the newspaper said, with almost two dozen on average each day.
The cause behind Monday’s explosion remains unknown. The Baltimore City Fire Department and other agencies are still investigating.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Shen Wu Tan can be reached at stan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Cook County prosecutors announce charges in week's looting

CHICAGO ( AP ) - Cook County ’ s state ’ s attorney ’ s office on Thursday announced 42 people have been charged with felonies in connection with the looting of stores along the city ’ s premier retail street that occurred earlier this week .
Prosecutors said among the charges filed include one for attempted murder and 28 for burglary and looting , in addition to aggravated battery , resisting a police officer , theft and criminal damage to property .
“ I am committed to keeping our communities safe and continuing to collaborate with our law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the people of Cook County , ” State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx said in a statement .
Foxx , who is up for reelection later this year , has been criticized as being too lenient after the looting earlier this summer during the fallout from the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
Earlier this week , Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Foxx should make sure there will be consequences for Monday ’ s widespread looting .
“ Our expectation is that this is going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be .
Period , ” Lightfoot said .
Foxx pushed back , insisting her office approved charges for the vast majority of looting-related felony arrests resulting from June ’ s violence and looting .
Hundreds of people descended on downtown Chicago early Monday following a police shooting on the city ’ s South Side that wounded a 20-year-old man .
Vandals smashed windows of dozens of businesses and made off with merchandise , cash machines and anything else they could carry , according to authorities .
Police said officers shot Latrell Allen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Allen was charged with attempted murder .
The state ’ s attorney office didn ’ t make clear if tthe charge against Allen is the attempted murder charge it announced Thursday .
The city has imposed a curfew in the central business district that is in place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. that will be in effect until Monday .

CHICAGO (AP) - Cook County’s state’s attorney’s office on Thursday announced 42 people have been charged with felonies in connection with the looting of stores along the city’s premier retail street that occurred earlier this week.
Prosecutors said among the charges filed include one for attempted murder and 28 for burglary and looting, in addition to aggravated battery, resisting a police officer, theft and criminal damage to property.
“I am committed to keeping our communities safe and continuing to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to demand accountability and seek justice for the people of Cook County,” State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said in a statement.
Foxx, who is up for reelection later this year, has been criticized as being too lenient after the looting earlier this summer during the fallout from the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Earlier this week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Foxx should make sure there will be consequences for Monday’s widespread looting.
“Our expectation is that this is going to be treated with the level of seriousness it should be. Period,” Lightfoot said.
Foxx pushed back, insisting her office approved charges for the vast majority of looting-related felony arrests resulting from June’s violence and looting.
Hundreds of people descended on downtown Chicago early Monday following a police shooting on the city’s South Side that wounded a 20-year-old man. Vandals smashed windows of dozens of businesses and made off with merchandise, cash machines and anything else they could carry, according to authorities.
Police said officers shot Latrell Allen after he fired at them several times. Allen was charged with attempted murder. The state’s attorney office didn’t make clear if tthe charge against Allen is the attempted murder charge it announced Thursday.
The city has imposed a curfew in the central business district that is in place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. that will be in effect until Monday.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Trump requests mail-in ballot for Florida primary election

PALM BEACH , Fla. — President Donald Trump has requested a mail-in ballot for Florida ’ s Tuesday primary election , despite weeks of criticizing the practice .
Ballots were mailed on Wednesday to both the president and First lady Melania Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort , which Trump lists as his legal address , according to online Palm Beach County elections records .
Both previously voted by mail for the presidential preference primary in March , according to records .
Following multiple claims that mail-in voting was unsafe and vulnerable to fraud , Trump changed his mind about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida .
“ Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting , in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure , Tried and True , ” Trump tweeted last Tuesday .
“ Florida ’ s Voting system has been cleaned up ( we defeated Democrats attempts at change ) , so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail !
” Meanwhile , Trump ’ s campaign and the GOP are suing Nevada over its new vote-by-mail law .
Nevada officials joined several states that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two states , California and Vermont , moved earlier this summer to adopt automatic mail ballot policies .
Five other states have relied on mail-in ballots since even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person , but there is no evidence to support Trump ’ s assertion that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud .
Florida voters must request a mail-in ballot in order to receive one .
Statewide in-person early voting began Saturday in Florida while the state continues to grapple with a high number of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatalities and at least 550,000 known virus cases since the pandemic began .
Voters are mainly choosing party nominees for Congress and the state Legislature .
While both parties have pushed voters to cast ballots by mail in recent elections , this year there ’ s been a stronger push during the pandemic .
More than 4.2 million Florida voters have requested a vote-by-mail ballot , and nearly 1.5 million had been returned by Saturday morning , according to a Department of State website .
That compares to nearly 1.3 million cast in @ @ @ @ @ @

PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump has requested a mail-in ballot for Florida’s Tuesday primary election, despite weeks of criticizing the practice.
Ballots were mailed on Wednesday to both the president and First lady Melania Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort, which Trump lists as his legal address, according to online Palm Beach County elections records. Both previously voted by mail for the presidential preference primary in March, according to records.
Following multiple claims that mail-in voting was unsafe and vulnerable to fraud, Trump changed his mind about the practice last week, at least in Florida.
“Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True,” Trump tweeted last Tuesday. “Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail!”
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign and the GOP are suing Nevada over its new vote-by-mail law. Nevada officials joined several states that plan on automatically sending voters mail ballots. Two states, California and Vermont, moved earlier this summer to adopt automatic mail ballot policies.
Five other states have relied on mail-in ballots since even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person, but there is no evidence to support Trump’s assertion that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud.
Florida voters must request a mail-in ballot in order to receive one.
Statewide in-person early voting began Saturday in Florida while the state continues to grapple with a high number of coronavirus cases, highlighted by more than 8,800 fatalities and at least 550,000 known virus cases since the pandemic began.
Voters are mainly choosing party nominees for Congress and the state Legislature. While both parties have pushed voters to cast ballots by mail in recent elections, this year there’s been a stronger push during the pandemic.
More than 4.2 million Florida voters have requested a vote-by-mail ballot, and nearly 1.5 million had been returned by Saturday morning, according to a Department of State website. That compares to nearly 1.3 million cast in the entire 2016 primary election.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Judge: Mom accused in QAnon kidnapping plot can stand trial

CASTLE ROCK , Colo. ( AP ) - A Colorado woman accused of working with supporters of QAnon to have her son kidnapped from foster care can be put on trial , a judge ruled Thursday .
Judge Lawrence Bowling admitted his decision was a “ close call ” because the prosecution did not definitively lay out Cynthia Abcug ’ s role in the alleged conspiracy with supporters of QAnon , a far-right conspiracy theory centered on the belief that President Donald Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies of the “ deep state ” and a child sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she bought a gun as the alleged talks about the kidnapping raid were happening last year swayed him at this stage of the proceedings .
The vast majority of the evidence presented against Abcug during the court hearing was based on information provided by her 15-year-old daughter last September to her therapist , a social worker and police .
Abcug ’ s lawyers were denied a chance to question the daughter during the hearing .
In their questioning of the case worker and a police detective , they stressed the daughter could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plot , noting that she had learned to “ tune out ” her mother who had become very upset after her son was put into foster care in January 2019 after she was suspected of lying about his health problems .
They also pointed out that at first the daughter said she did not know when the raid would be carried out but later said she thought it would be done before the end of October 2019 .
Abcug was arrested in Montana on Dec. 30 , 2019 , after leaving Parker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived with her daughter .
She was charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping after being returned to Colorado .
She sat in a chair a slight distance away from her defense lawyers because of social distancing rules , wearing an orange jail uniform and a surgical mask .
She shook her head when Parker police Detective Beverly Wilson testified that her daughter had said her mother barely left the house except to go to meetings with QAnon supporters .
Abcug ’ s daughter also told authorities that at least two men had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them , including one who her mother told her was a sniper with a military background .
While the FBI has said that QAnon theories could provide an inspiration for domestic terrorists , defense attorney Emily Boehme said the theories have also found support among some elected officials , noting that President Donald Trump has retweeted QAnon-promoting accounts .

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) - A Colorado woman accused of working with supporters of QAnon to have her son kidnapped from foster care can be put on trial, a judge ruled Thursday.
Judge Lawrence Bowling admitted his decision was a “close call” because the prosecution did not definitively lay out Cynthia Abcug’s role in what authorities say was a scheme with supporters of QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory centered on the belief that President Donald Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies of the “deep state” and a child sex trafficking ring.
However, the fact that she bought a gun as authorities say the talks about the kidnapping raid were happening last year swayed him at this stage of the proceedings.
The vast majority of the evidence presented against Abcug during the court hearing was based on information provided by her 15-year-old daughter last September to her therapist, a social worker and police.
Abcug’s lawyers were denied a chance to question the daughter during the hearing.
In their questioning of the case worker and a police detective, they stressed the daughter could not provide many details about the plot, noting that she had learned to “tune out” her mother who had become very upset when her son was put into foster care in January 2019 after she was suspected of lying about his health problems.
They also pointed out that at first the daughter said she did not know when the raid would be carried out but later said she thought it would be done before the end of October 2019.
Abcug was arrested in Montana on Dec. 30, 2019, after leaving Parker, the Denver suburb where she lived with her daughter. She was charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping after being returned to Colorado.
She sat in a chair a slight distance away from her defense lawyers because of social distancing rules, wearing an orange jail uniform and a surgical mask.
She shook her head when Parker police Detective Beverly Wilson testified that her daughter had said her mother barely left the house except to go to meetings with QAnon supporters.
Abcug’s daughter also told authorities that at least two men had come to their house to provide security for them, including one who her mother told her was a sniper with a military background.
While the FBI has said that QAnon theories could provide an inspiration for domestic terrorists, defense attorney Emily Boehme said the theories have also found support among some elected officials, noting that President Donald Trump has retweeted QAnon-promoting accounts.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Cardinals-White Sox opener pushed back to Saturday

CHICAGO ( AP ) - St. Louis ‘ series opener against the Chicago White Sox has been postponed to Saturday , giving the Cardinals an extra day to recover from a coronavirus outbreak .
The Cardinals , who haven ’ t played since July 29 , were set to resume their season Friday night in Chicago .
But the series opener was pushed back to a straight doubleheader on Saturday afternoon , the beginning of an extended stay in the Windy City for the Cards .
There was no word from Major League Baseball on the postponement , but John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Cardinals , confirmed the move in a conference call with reporters .
Mozeliak also said the team is going to play doubleheaders on Monday and Wednesday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field after the NL Central rivals had a series postponed last weekend .
Two people with direct knowledge of the situation also confirmed the postponement of the series opener against the White Sox .
The people spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because MLB had not announced the schedule change .
The Cardinals ’ season has been derailed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infielder Paul DeJong are among the players who have tested positive .
St. Louis , the defending NL Central champions , has played just five games , winning two .
It seems unlikely that it will be able to make up every one of its games that have been postponed during the pandemic-delayed season .
While announcing Sunday night that St. Louis ‘ series against Pittsburgh had been postponed , MLB said the league and the Cardinals believed it was “ prudent to conduct additional testing while players and staff are quarantined before @ @ @ @ @ @ @

CHICAGO (AP) - St. Louis’ series opener against the Chicago White Sox has been postponed to Saturday, giving the Cardinals an extra day to recover from a coronavirus outbreak.
The Cardinals, who haven’t played since July 29, were set to resume their season Friday night in Chicago. But the series opener was pushed back to a straight doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, the beginning of an extended stay in the Windy City for the Cards.
There was no word from Major League Baseball on the postponement, but John Mozeliak, the president of baseball operations for the Cardinals, confirmed the move in a conference call with reporters. Mozeliak also said the team is going to play doubleheaders on Monday and Wednesday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field after the NL Central rivals had a series postponed last weekend.
Two people with direct knowledge of the situation also confirmed the postponement of the series opener against the White Sox. The people spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because MLB had not announced the schedule change.
The Cardinals’ season has been derailed by the coronavirus. Star catcher Yadier Molina and infielder Paul DeJong are among the players who have tested positive.
St. Louis, the defending NL Central champions, has played just five games, winning two. It seems unlikely that it will be able to make up every one of its games that have been postponed during the pandemic-delayed season.
While announcing Sunday night that St. Louis’ series against Pittsburgh had been postponed, MLB said the league and the Cardinals believed it was “prudent to conduct additional testing while players and staff are quarantined before the team returns to play.”
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Mail-in ballots sent to Trump, First Lady in Florida

PALM BEACH , Fla. ( AP ) - President Donald Trump has requested a mail-in ballot for Florida ’ s Tuesday primary election , despite weeks of criticizing the practice .
Ballots were mailed on Wednesday to both the president and First lady Melania Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort , which Trump lists as his legal address , according to online Palm Beach County elections records .
Both previously voted by mail for the presidential preference primary in March , according to records .
Following multiple claims that mail-in voting was unsafe and vulnerable to fraud , Trump changed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least in Florida .
“ Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting , in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure , Tried and True , ” Trump tweeted last Tuesday .
“ Florida ’ s Voting system has been cleaned up ( we defeated Democrats attempts at change ) , so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail !
” Meanwhile , Trump ’ s campaign and the GOP are suing Nevada over its new vote-by-mail law .
Nevada officials joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters mail ballots .
Two states , California and Vermont , moved earlier this summer to adopt automatic mail ballot policies .
Five other states have relied on mail-in ballots since even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person , but there is no evidence to support Trump ’ s assertion that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud .
Florida voters must request a mail-in ballot in order to receive one .
Statewide in-person early voting began Saturday in Florida while the state continues to grapple with a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 8,800 fatalities and at least 550,000 known virus cases since the pandemic began .
Voters are mainly choosing party nominees for Congress and the state Legislature .
While both parties have pushed voters to cast ballots by mail in recent elections , this year there ’ s been a stronger push during the pandemic .
More than 4.2 million Florida voters have requested a vote-by-mail ballot , and nearly 1.5 million had been returned by Saturday morning , according to a Department of State website .
That compares to nearly 1.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - President Donald Trump has requested a mail-in ballot for Florida’s Tuesday primary election, despite weeks of criticizing the practice.
Ballots were mailed on Wednesday to both the president and First lady Melania Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort, which Trump lists as his legal address, according to online Palm Beach County elections records. Both previously voted by mail for the presidential preference primary in March, according to records.
Following multiple claims that mail-in voting was unsafe and vulnerable to fraud, Trump changed his mind about the practice last week, at least in Florida.
“Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True,” Trump tweeted last Tuesday. “Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail!”
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign and the GOP are suing Nevada over its new vote-by-mail law. Nevada officials joined several states that plan on automatically sending voters mail ballots. Two states, California and Vermont, moved earlier this summer to adopt automatic mail ballot policies.
Five other states have relied on mail-in ballots since even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person, but there is no evidence to support Trump’s assertion that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud.
Florida voters must request a mail-in ballot in order to receive one.
Statewide in-person early voting began Saturday in Florida while the state continues to grapple with a high number of coronavirus cases, highlighted by more than 8,800 fatalities and at least 550,000 known virus cases since the pandemic began.
Voters are mainly choosing party nominees for Congress and the state Legislature. While both parties have pushed voters to cast ballots by mail in recent elections, this year there’s been a stronger push during the pandemic.
More than 4.2 million Florida voters have requested a vote-by-mail ballot, and nearly 1.5 million had been returned by Saturday morning, according to a Department of State website. That compares to nearly 1.3 million cast in the entire 2016 primary election.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--Navajo Nation reports 38 more COVID-19 cases, 1 more death

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. ( AP ) - Navajo Nation health officials have reported 38 more cases of COVID-19 and one additional death .
That brings the total number of people infected to 9,394 and the known death toll to 478 as of Thursday .
Navajo Department of Health officials said 87,402 people have been tested for the coronavirus and 6,9242 have recovered .
Tribal President Jonathan Nez pointed to the latest coronavirus figures as evidence that most Navajo Nation residents are complying with lockdown orders and the advice of medical experts .
The tribe has a work group determining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Navajo Nation recently changed its 57-hour weekend lockdown to a 32-hour one .
Tribal officials said the daily curfew also will be changed to those same hours on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona , New Mexico and Utah .
The majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover .
For some people it causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
But for others who contract the virus , especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions , it can cause @ @ @ @ @ @

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) - Navajo Nation health officials have reported 38 more cases of COVID-19 and one additional death.
That brings the total number of people infected to 9,394 and the known death toll to 478 as of Thursday.
Navajo Department of Health officials said 87,402 people have been tested for the coronavirus and 6,9242 have recovered.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez pointed to the latest coronavirus figures as evidence that most Navajo Nation residents are complying with lockdown orders and the advice of medical experts. The tribe has a work group determining a plan to gradually reopen the reservation.
The Navajo Nation recently changed its 57-hour weekend lockdown to a 32-hour one.
Tribal officials said the daily curfew also will be changed to those same hours on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover.
For some people it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.
But for others who contract the virus, especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions, it can cause more severe illness and death.


washingtontimes--2020-08-13--75 years later, Japan war orphans tell of pain, recovery

TOKYO ( AP ) - For years , orphans in Japan were punished just for surviving the war .
They were bullied .
They were called trash and left to fend for themselves on the street .
Police rounded them up and threw them in jail .
They were sent to orphanages or sold for labor .
They were abandoned by their government , abused and discriminated against .
Now , 75 years after the end of the Pacific War , some have broken decades of silence to describe for a fast-forgetting world their sagas of recovery , survival , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The stories told to The Associated Press ahead of Saturday ’ s anniversary of the war ’ s end underscore both the lingering pain of the now-grown children who lived through those tumultuous years and what activists describe as Japan ’ s broader failure to face up to its past .
Kisako Motoki was 10 when U.S. cluster bombs rained down on her downtown Tokyo neighborhood .
For decades she kept silent about the misery that followed .
On March 10 , 1945 , as the napalm-equipped bombs turned eastern Tokyo into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her little brother hid inside a shelter her father had dug behind the family home .
She eventually fled with her brother .
She never saw her parents again .
The children walked together by heaps of charred bodies .
They saw people with severe burns slumped on the roadside , people with intestines hanging from their stomachs .
She blamed herself for not waiting for her parents .
She believed she ’ d caused their deaths .
Motoki went to her uncle ’ s home , and this marked the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orphan .
She ’ d survived what ’ s considered the deadliest conventional air raid ever .
More than 105,000 people were estimated killed in a single night , but the devastation was largely eclipsed by the two nuclear bomb attacks and then forgotten during Japan ’ s postwar rush to rebuild .
As a schoolgirl , Motoki worked as a maid for her uncle ’ s family of 12 ; they paid for her schooling in return .
She was verbally abused , and her cousins repeatedly beat her brothers until their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all ate only once a day .
Motoki says her relatives , like tens of thousands of others , were struggling to rebuild their lives .
They had little time to spend on orphans , even blood relatives .
The government gave them no support .
“ It ’ s very painful for me to tell my story , ” she said .
“ But I still have to keep speaking out because I feel strongly that no children should have to live as war orphans as I did.
” Many other orphans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shame .
“ How could we , as children , have spoken up against the government ?
” she said .
“ They abandoned us , and acted as if we never existed.
” After years of pain , Motoki entered college to pursue her dream of studying music .
She was 60 .
Mitsuyo Hoshino , 86 , recalls the explosion of nationalism in November 1940 , when Japan ’ s wartime government staged a massive imperial celebration .
During the war , Japanese schoolchildren were taught to revere the emperor as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
On that November day , Hoshino stepped out of her parents ’ noodle shop in Tokyo ’ s downtown Asakusa neighborhood and watched as huge crowds of people waved Rising Sun flags .
A decorated street car clanged by , with banners glorifying the emperor and celebrating Japan ’ s prosperity and expansion .
She remembers playing with her little sister outside of the now-vanished noodle shop .
She remembers a family excursion to a department store .
These were her last happy childhood memories .
Hoshino and her classmates evacuated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tokyo , in 1944 , when U.S. firebombings escalated .
She later learned from her uncle that her parents and two siblings died in the March 10 , 1945 , firebombing .
Hoshino and her two younger siblings were sent to a succession of relatives .
She escaped one time with her siblings from an aunt ’ s house , afraid they were going to be sold to people needing workers and went to their grandmother ’ s home .
She later lived with another uncle ’ s family , helping out on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When she was grown , she returned to Tokyo , but she struggled with discrimination in getting jobs .
She heard her husband ’ s relatives hissing about her “ dubious background ” at their wedding ceremony .
Much later , she decided to share her experiences by drawing for children , eventually compiling a book of 11 orphans ’ stories , including her own .
One of those orphans , when asked what she ’ d wish for if she could use magic , simply says : “ I want to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found there were more than 123,500 war orphans nationwide .
But orphanages were built for only for 12,000 , leaving many homeless .
Many children escaped from abusive relatives or orphanages and lived at train stations , earning money by polishing shoes , collecting cigarette butts or pick-pocketing .
Street children were often rounded up by police , sent to orphanages or sometimes caught by brokers and sold to farms desperate for workers , experts say .
The stories of the war orphans highlight Japan ’ s consistent lack of respect for human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Haruo Asai , a Rikkyo University historian and an expert on war orphans .
U.S. forces during their seven-year occupation of Japan also looked the other way on orphans , Asai said .
More than 2,500 children of about 400,000 Japanese - many of them families of Imperial Army soldiers , Manchurian railway employees and farmers who had emigrated to northern China , where Japan established a wartime puppet state - were displaced or orphaned .
Xi Jingbo ’ s parents were Japanese , but he had no official record of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told him he was left behind when the Japanese fled after the surrender .
He and his adoptive parents didn ’ t discuss the sensitive issue .
“ We are the victims of the war , ” he said .
“ All Chinese are victims , and so are the Japanese civilians.
” A retired middle school math teacher and principal , Xi says he was well cared for by his Chinese parents and suffered no discrimination .
He took care of them as they aged .
After the last one died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visits to Japan .
Survivors of the firebombings and orphans feel they were forgotten by history and by their leaders .
Postwar governments have provided an accumulated total of 60 trillion yen ( $ 565 billion ) in welfare support for veterans and their bereaved families , but nothing for civilian victims of firebombings , although Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors receive medical support .
Mari Kaneda , 85 , says the firebombing changed her life , forcing her to live under harsh conditions with relatives .
She suffered lifelong pain and stigma for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandon her childhood dream of becoming a school teacher .
Kaneda was 9 when she stepped off a night train in Tokyo after riding from Miyagi , in northern Japan , where she evacuated with her class .
She had missed by hours the attack that killed her mother and two sisters and destroyed the family store .
Japan ’ s government has rejected redress for civilian victims of firebombings .
But Kaneda , in her search for justice , has dug up postwar government records , interviewed dozens of her peers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I haven ’ t seen anything resolved , ” Kaneda said .
“ To me , the war has not ended yet.
” Associated Press researcher Chen Si in Shanghai contributed to this report .

TOKYO (AP) - For years, orphans in Japan were punished just for surviving the war.
They were bullied. They were called trash and left to fend for themselves on the street. Police rounded them up and threw them in jail. They were sent to orphanages or sold for labor. They were abandoned by their government, abused and discriminated against.
Now, 75 years after the end of the Pacific War, some have broken decades of silence to describe for a fast-forgetting world their sagas of recovery, survival, suffering - and their calls for justice.
The stories told to The Associated Press ahead of Saturday’s anniversary of the war’s end underscore both the lingering pain of the now-grown children who lived through those tumultuous years and what activists describe as Japan’s broader failure to face up to its past.
___
Kisako Motoki was 10 when U.S. cluster bombs rained down on her downtown Tokyo neighborhood. For decades she kept silent about the misery that followed.
On March 10, 1945, as the napalm-equipped bombs turned eastern Tokyo into a smoldering field of rubble, Motoki and her little brother hid inside a shelter her father had dug behind the family home.
She eventually fled with her brother. She never saw her parents again.
The children walked together by heaps of charred bodies. They saw people with severe burns slumped on the roadside, people with intestines hanging from their stomachs. She blamed herself for not waiting for her parents. She believed she’d caused their deaths.
Motoki went to her uncle’s home, and this marked the beginning of her yearslong ordeal as a war orphan.
She’d survived what’s considered the deadliest conventional air raid ever. More than 105,000 people were estimated killed in a single night, but the devastation was largely eclipsed by the two nuclear bomb attacks and then forgotten during Japan’s postwar rush to rebuild.
As a schoolgirl, Motoki worked as a maid for her uncle’s family of 12; they paid for her schooling in return. She was verbally abused, and her cousins repeatedly beat her brothers until their cheeks were swollen and bruised. They all ate only once a day.
Motoki says her relatives, like tens of thousands of others, were struggling to rebuild their lives. They had little time to spend on orphans, even blood relatives. The government gave them no support.
“It’s very painful for me to tell my story,” she said. “But I still have to keep speaking out because I feel strongly that no children should have to live as war orphans as I did.”
Many other orphans don’t talk because of intense shame.
“How could we, as children, have spoken up against the government?” she said. “They abandoned us, and acted as if we never existed.”
After years of pain, Motoki entered college to pursue her dream of studying music. She was 60.
___
Mitsuyo Hoshino, 86, recalls the explosion of nationalism in November 1940, when Japan’s wartime government staged a massive imperial celebration.
During the war, Japanese schoolchildren were taught to revere the emperor as a god and devote their lives to him.
On that November day, Hoshino stepped out of her parents’ noodle shop in Tokyo’s downtown Asakusa neighborhood and watched as huge crowds of people waved Rising Sun flags. A decorated street car clanged by, with banners glorifying the emperor and celebrating Japan’s prosperity and expansion.
A year later, on Dec. 8, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
She remembers playing with her little sister outside of the now-vanished noodle shop. She remembers a family excursion to a department store. These were her last happy childhood memories.
She was 13.
Hoshino and her classmates evacuated to a temple in Chiba, outside Tokyo, in 1944, when U.S. firebombings escalated. She later learned from her uncle that her parents and two siblings died in the March 10, 1945, firebombing.
Hoshino and her two younger siblings were sent to a succession of relatives. She escaped one time with her siblings from an aunt’s house, afraid they were going to be sold to people needing workers and went to their grandmother’s home.
She later lived with another uncle’s family, helping out on their farm while finishing high school. When she was grown, she returned to Tokyo, but she struggled with discrimination in getting jobs. She heard her husband’s relatives hissing about her “dubious background” at their wedding ceremony.
Much later, she decided to share her experiences by drawing for children, eventually compiling a book of 11 orphans’ stories, including her own.
One of those orphans, when asked what she’d wish for if she could use magic, simply says: “I want to see my mother.”
___
A 1948 government survey found there were more than 123,500 war orphans nationwide. But orphanages were built for only for 12,000, leaving many homeless.
Many children escaped from abusive relatives or orphanages and lived at train stations, earning money by polishing shoes, collecting cigarette butts or pick-pocketing. Street children were often rounded up by police, sent to orphanages or sometimes caught by brokers and sold to farms desperate for workers, experts say.
The stories of the war orphans highlight Japan’s consistent lack of respect for human rights, even after the war, said Haruo Asai, a Rikkyo University historian and an expert on war orphans. U.S. forces during their seven-year occupation of Japan also looked the other way on orphans, Asai said.
___
More than 2,500 children of about 400,000 Japanese - many of them families of Imperial Army soldiers, Manchurian railway employees and farmers who had emigrated to northern China, where Japan established a wartime puppet state - were displaced or orphaned.
Xi Jingbo’s parents were Japanese, but he had no official record of his place and date of birth. Villagers told him he was left behind when the Japanese fled after the surrender. He and his adoptive parents didn’t discuss the sensitive issue.
“We are the victims of the war,” he said. “All Chinese are victims, and so are the Japanese civilians.”
A retired middle school math teacher and principal, Xi says he was well cared for by his Chinese parents and suffered no discrimination. He took care of them as they aged. After the last one died in 2009, Xi started making annual short visits to Japan.
___
Survivors of the firebombings and orphans feel they were forgotten by history and by their leaders.
Postwar governments have provided an accumulated total of 60 trillion yen ($565 billion) in welfare support for veterans and their bereaved families, but nothing for civilian victims of firebombings, although Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors receive medical support.
Mari Kaneda, 85, says the firebombing changed her life, forcing her to live under harsh conditions with relatives. She suffered lifelong pain and stigma for being an orphan, and had to abandon her childhood dream of becoming a school teacher.
Kaneda was 9 when she stepped off a night train in Tokyo after riding from Miyagi, in northern Japan, where she evacuated with her class. She had missed by hours the attack that killed her mother and two sisters and destroyed the family store.
Japan’s government has rejected redress for civilian victims of firebombings. But Kaneda, in her search for justice, has dug up postwar government records, interviewed dozens of her peers and published a prize-winning book on war orphans.
“I haven’t seen anything resolved,” Kaneda said. “To me, the war has not ended yet.”
___
Associated Press researcher Chen Si in Shanghai contributed to this report.
___
Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi