washingtontimes--2020-08-02--Kamala Harris, Val Demings, Karen Bass vie to be Biden running mate

Democratic vice-presidential hopefuls sprinted for the finish Sunday as the 2020 veepstakes entered the home stretch in what could be the most crucial running-mate selection since World War II .
Not since 1944 , when an ailing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dumped incumbent Vice President Henry Wallace and selected Sen. Harry S. Truman as his second-in-command , has the decision been so widely viewed as the choosing of an heir apparent , given former Vice President Joseph R. Biden ’ s age and the open speculation surrounding his cognitive abilities .
“ It is consequential in that for Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways his political living will , ” said Trump senior campaign adviser Jason Miller on “ Fox News Sunday.
” “ He ’ s already said he ’ s going to be a transition candidate for the next generation .
He ’ s refused to say whether he ’ ll run again .
So it really does matter who is picked.
” With the 77-year-old Mr. Biden expected to undertake final one-on-one interviews this week , Rep. Karen Bass of California and Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois proved their mettle by braving appearances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Wallace , a notoriously tough interviewer .
Former Georgia legislator Stacey Abrams took aim at President Trump on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union , ” while Sen. Kamala Harris , California Democrat , may have pulled off the coup de grace of the season with an eleventh-hour endorsement by Ben Crump , attorney for the George Floyd family .
“ This is a time for steely-eyed public servants who play no games and demand results , ” said Mr. Crump in a Saturday op-ed on CNN .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join Joe Biden ’ s ticket and , God willing , help him actualize the next phase of this movement from the White House.
” Meanwhile , Rep. Val Demings , Florida Democrat , received a shout-out on Saturday from Clinton White House special counsel Lanny Davis , who cited her law-enforcement background as Orlando ’ s first police chief and her pull in a must-win swing state .
“ Val Demings is not only impressive in her ability to get Republican and independent moderate and conservative voters in the Corridor ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis in an op-ed in the Hill .
“ Also , due to her reputation for tough law enforcement , her presence on the ticket is an effective antidote to Trump ’ s non-subtle , demagogic ‘ law and order ’ theme.
” The Sunday shows were especially critical for Ms. Bass , who suffered a political hit Saturday when Sen. Marco Rubio , Florida Republican , said that if elected vice president , she would be “ the highest-ranking Castro sympathizer in the history of the United States government.
” He pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dictator Fidel Castro ’ s death that said , “ The passing of the comandante en jefe is a great loss to the people of Cuba , ” and to her eight trips to Cuba in the 1970s .
On Sunday , Ms. Bass said the words that no vice-president hopeful wants to utter with a selection just days away : “ I don ’ t consider myself a Castro supporter , ” adding that she “ wouldn ’ t do that again ” after speaking about it with her Florida colleagues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a toxic expression in California , but let me just say , Chuck , lesson learned , ” Ms. Bass told interviewer Chuck Todd on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” “ Wouldn ’ t do that again .
Talked immediately to my colleagues from Florida and realized that that was something that just shouldn ’ t have been said.
” On the other hand , the Castro controversy drew attention to her and away from Ms. Duckworth , a combat veteran who lost both legs in the Iraq War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday ” interview to praise Mr. Biden and take shots at Mr. Trump .
“ Any one of us can step up and do the job , ” Ms. Duckworth said of herself and others on the reputed short list of hopefuls .
“ It ’ s about bringing the country together .
It ’ s about getting a real response to this pandemic that President Trump has so miserably failed at.
” Ms. Harris jumped to the top of many betting pools when Politico mistakenly reported July 28 that she was selected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it had accidentally posted “ placeholder ” text — followed by a stealthy Associated Press photo of Mr. Biden ’ s handwritten notes on Ms. Harris .
Under the name “ Kamala Harris , ” the notes said , “ Do not hold grudges , ” “ Campaigned with me & Jill , ” “ Talented , ” “ Great help to campaign , ” and “ Great respect for her.
” Mr. Biden ’ s high regard for her comes despite issues with her on multiple fronts .
In one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debates , Ms. Harris , while insisting she wasn ’ t , all but accused Mr. Biden of being racist for waxing nostalgic about being able to work with two pro-segregation senators .
But on the other hand , many progressives deride her record as California attorney general , accusing her of being soft on police misconduct and of engaging in anti-drug crackdowns and opposing marijuana legalization — stances she now repudiates .
As far as the British sportsbook Betfair is concerned , Ms. Harris is the favorite .
She leads the field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 63.7 % , followed by former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice at 23.1 % , Ms. Bass at 9.1 % , and Ms. Duckworth at 7.7 % .
Another unique aspect of the 2020 veepstakes : All the frontrunners are women .
Mr. Biden has long said he will choose a female running mate , and after the Black Lives Matter protests following Mr. Floyd ’ s May 25 death , black women have surged to the forefront of the speculation .
Even so , Sen. Elizabeth Warren , Massachusetts Democrat and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hunt , with Betfair placing her at 6.7 % .
Lanhee Chen , a Hoover Institution fellow who was involved in the selection of Rep. Paul Ryan to run as Republican Mitt Romney ’ s running mate in 2012 , said the relationship between the presidential nominee and potential running mate was the decisive factor in that case and often is in others .
“ Is there trust there ?
Does the presidential nominee know the VP nominee is going to be out there on message , making the right case ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most important factor , ” Mr. Chen said , adding that he thinks Ms. Demings would be the best pick , thanks to her law-and-order background but predicting that Mr. Biden would select Ms. Harris , describing her as the safe pick .
“ It ’ s a safe campaign and that ’ s what they ’ ve tended toward so far , ” Mr. Chen said .
Ms. Duckworth made it clear she was a team player , saying that she would be happy to serve in any capacity in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential candidates were qualified to handle the job — or step into the role of commander-in-chief .
“ I think any one of the women whose names have been mentioned being considered are fabulous women and well prepared to step up and do the job of vice president or step up and take over as president if needed , ” Ms. Duckworth said .

Democratic vice-presidential hopefuls sprinted for the finish Sunday as the 2020 veepstakes entered the home stretch in what could be the most crucial running-mate selection since World War II.
Not since 1944, when an ailing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dumped incumbent Vice President Henry Wallace and selected Sen. Harry S. Truman as his second-in-command, has the decision been so widely viewed as the choosing of an heir apparent, given former Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s age and the open speculation surrounding his cognitive abilities.
“It is consequential in that for Joe Biden, his VP pick is in many ways his political living will,” said Trump senior campaign adviser Jason Miller on “Fox News Sunday.” “He’s already said he’s going to be a transition candidate for the next generation. He’s refused to say whether he’ll run again. So it really does matter who is picked.”
With the 77-year-old Mr. Biden expected to undertake final one-on-one interviews this week, Rep. Karen Bass of California and Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois proved their mettle by braving appearances on “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace, a notoriously tough interviewer.
Others sought friendlier environs.
Former Georgia legislator Stacey Abrams took aim at President Trump on CNN’s “State of the Union,” while Sen. Kamala Harris, California Democrat, may have pulled off the coup de grace of the season with an eleventh-hour endorsement by Ben Crump, attorney for the George Floyd family.
SEE ALSO: Rep. Karen Bass, potential Biden running mate, defends 2010 speech at Scientology event
“This is a time for steely-eyed public servants who play no games and demand results,” said Mr. Crump in a Saturday op-ed on CNN. “It’s time for Sen. Kamala Harris to join Joe Biden’s ticket and, God willing, help him actualize the next phase of this movement from the White House.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Val Demings, Florida Democrat, received a shout-out on Saturday from Clinton White House special counsel Lanny Davis, who cited her law-enforcement background as Orlando’s first police chief and her pull in a must-win swing state.
“Val Demings is not only impressive in her ability to get Republican and independent moderate and conservative voters in the Corridor” between Orlando and Tampa, said Mr. Davis in an op-ed in the Hill. “Also, due to her reputation for tough law enforcement, her presence on the ticket is an effective antidote to Trump’s non-subtle, demagogic ‘law and order’ theme.”
The Sunday shows were especially critical for Ms. Bass, who suffered a political hit Saturday when Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, said that if elected vice president, she would be “the highest-ranking Castro sympathizer in the history of the United States government.”
He pointed to her November 2016 statement on Communist dictator Fidel Castro’s death that said, “The passing of the comandante en jefe is a great loss to the people of Cuba,” and to her eight trips to Cuba in the 1970s.
On Sunday, Ms. Bass said the words that no vice-president hopeful wants to utter with a selection just days away: “I don’t consider myself a Castro supporter,” adding that she “wouldn’t do that again” after speaking about it with her Florida colleagues.
“I don’t think that is a toxic expression in California, but let me just say, Chuck, lesson learned,” Ms. Bass told interviewer Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Wouldn’t do that again. Talked immediately to my colleagues from Florida and realized that that was something that just shouldn’t have been said.”
On the other hand, the Castro controversy drew attention to her and away from Ms. Duckworth, a combat veteran who lost both legs in the Iraq War, who used her “Fox News Sunday” interview to praise Mr. Biden and take shots at Mr. Trump.
“Any one of us can step up and do the job,” Ms. Duckworth said of herself and others on the reputed short list of hopefuls. “It’s about bringing the country together. It’s about getting a real response to this pandemic that President Trump has so miserably failed at.”
Ms. Harris jumped to the top of many betting pools when Politico mistakenly reported July 28 that she was selected on Aug. 1 — the website later said it had accidentally posted “placeholder” text — followed by a stealthy Associated Press photo of Mr. Biden’s handwritten notes on Ms. Harris.
Under the name “Kamala Harris,” the notes said, “Do not hold grudges,” “Campaigned with me & Jill,” “Talented,” “Great help to campaign,” and “Great respect for her.”
Mr. Biden’s high regard for her comes despite issues with her on multiple fronts. In one of several heated exchanges during the Democratic primary debates, Ms. Harris, while insisting she wasn’t, all but accused Mr. Biden of being racist for waxing nostalgic about being able to work with two pro-segregation senators.
But on the other hand, many progressives deride her record as California attorney general, accusing her of being soft on police misconduct and of engaging in anti-drug crackdowns and opposing marijuana legalization — stances she now repudiates.
As far as the British sportsbook Betfair is concerned, Ms. Harris is the favorite. She leads the field with an “implied probability” of 63.7%, followed by former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice at 23.1%, Ms. Bass at 9.1%, and Ms. Duckworth at 7.7%.
Another unique aspect of the 2020 veepstakes: All the frontrunners are women. Mr. Biden has long said he will choose a female running mate, and after the Black Lives Matter protests following Mr. Floyd’s May 25 death, black women have surged to the forefront of the speculation.
Even so, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat and a progressive favorite, remains in the hunt, with Betfair placing her at 6.7%.
Lanhee Chen, a Hoover Institution fellow who was involved in the selection of Rep. Paul Ryan to run as Republican Mitt Romney’s running mate in 2012, said the relationship between the presidential nominee and potential running mate was the decisive factor in that case and often is in others.
“Is there trust there? Does the presidential nominee know the VP nominee is going to be out there on message, making the right case? I think that’s going to be the most important factor,” Mr. Chen said, adding that he thinks Ms. Demings would be the best pick, thanks to her law-and-order background but predicting that Mr. Biden would select Ms. Harris, describing her as the safe pick.
“It’s a safe campaign and that’s what they’ve tended toward so far,” Mr. Chen said.
Ms. Duckworth made it clear she was a team player, saying that she would be happy to serve in any capacity in a Biden administration and that she thought all the potential candidates were qualified to handle the job — or step into the role of commander-in-chief.
“I think any one of the women whose names have been mentioned being considered are fabulous women and well prepared to step up and do the job of vice president or step up and take over as president if needed,” Ms. Duckworth said.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-02--Federal investigators release report on Idaho plane crash

SPOKANE , Wash. ( AP ) - The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report of the facts of a fatal Idaho plane crash involving two airplanes .
The mid-air accident over Lake Coeur d ’ Alene killed eight people July 5 , KREM-TV reports .
The agency ’ s report said a de Havilland aircraft and a Cessna collided around 2 p.m. , killing the pilots and passengers in both planes .
The victims in the de Havilland float plane were identified as pilot Neil Lunt , David Sorensen of Clayton , California , professional golfer Sean Frederickson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two step children .
The victims in the Cessna were identified as Jay Cawley of Lewiston , Idaho , and Kelly Kreeger of Auburn , California .
Witnesses told investigators the airplanes were around 700 to 800 feet ( 213 to 244 meters ) above the lake .
The Cessna may have been slightly lower than the de Havilland when they collided , the report said .
There was no radar or automatic dependent surveillance broadcast data for either plane , the report said .
Witnesses saw a fireball come from one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water , the report said .
The Kootenai County Sheriff ’ s Office reported the wreckage of both planes was submerged under nearly 130 feet ( 40 meters ) of water before being removed from the lake .

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report of the facts of a fatal Idaho plane crash involving two airplanes.
The mid-air accident over Lake Coeur d’Alene killed eight people July 5, KREM-TV reports.
The agency’s report said a de Havilland aircraft and a Cessna collided around 2 p.m., killing the pilots and passengers in both planes.
The victims in the de Havilland float plane were identified as pilot Neil Lunt, David Sorensen of Clayton, California, professional golfer Sean Frederickson, and Frederickson’s son and two step children.
The victims in the Cessna were identified as Jay Cawley of Lewiston, Idaho, and Kelly Kreeger of Auburn, California.
Witnesses told investigators the airplanes were around 700 to 800 feet (213 to 244 meters) above the lake. The Cessna may have been slightly lower than the de Havilland when they collided, the report said.
There was no radar or automatic dependent surveillance broadcast data for either plane, the report said.
Witnesses saw a fireball come from one of the airplanes as they descended into the water, the report said.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office reported the wreckage of both planes was submerged under nearly 130 feet (40 meters) of water before being removed from the lake.


washingtontimes--2020-08-02--New Mexico reports 226 more coronavirus cases, 3 more deaths

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New Mexico has increased by 226 with three additional deaths also reported Sunday .
That raises the state ’ s total number of COVID-19 cases to 21,016 with 654 known deaths .
Health officials report 61 of the new cases were residents of Bernalillo County , the state ’ s largest county that includes Albuquerque .
Lea , McKinley and Luna counties had the highest numbers of coronavirus cases per capita in New Mexico over the past two weeks , according to an Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering .
De Baca county is the only one of the state ’ s 33 counties without a confirmed COVID-19 case , according to the AP analysis .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
But for some people who contract the virus , especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions , it can cause more severe illness and death .
The vast majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover @

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New Mexico has increased by 226 with three additional deaths also reported Sunday.
That raises the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 21,016 with 654 known deaths.
Health officials report 61 of the new cases were residents of Bernalillo County, the state’s largest county that includes Albuquerque.
Lea, McKinley and Luna counties had the highest numbers of coronavirus cases per capita in New Mexico over the past two weeks, according to an Associated Press analysis of data collected by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
De Baca county is the only one of the state’s 33 counties without a confirmed COVID-19 case, according to the AP analysis.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.
But for some people who contract the virus, especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions, it can cause more severe illness and death.
The vast majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover.


washingtontimes--2020-08-02--Arkansas reports 637 more coronavirus cases

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
( AP ) - Arkansas reported 637 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday .
The @ @ @ @ @ ’ s total to 43,810 confirmed cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Arkansas Department of Health .
The department had not reported any @ @ @ @ @ The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not @ @ @ @ @ suggest people can be infected and not feel sick .
For most people , the @ @ @ @ @ symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks @ @ @ @ @ older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness @ @ @ @ @ .
The vast majority of people recover .

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas reported 637 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday.
The new tally bring the state’s total to 43,810 confirmed cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, up from 43,173 Saturday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. The department had not reported any additional deaths Sunday evening.
The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.


washingtontimes--2020-08-02--Washington woman missing for a week found safe in woods

SEATTLE ( AP ) - A Washington state woman was found alive more than a week after she went missing in a wooded area , authorities said .
Gia Fuda , 18 , of Maple Valley was located by search and rescue crews in the Cascade foothills Saturday afternoon , The Seattle Times reported .
Fuda was in stable condition in a Monroe hospital Sunday afternoon and deputies had not yet spoken with her , said Sgt .
Ryan Abbott of the King County Sheriff ’ s Office .
Rescuers found Fuda sitting on a rock next to a creek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.2 miles ( 1.9 kilometers ) from her car , which was parked 10 miles ( 16 kilometers ) east of Skykomish .
She was unable to immediately speak at length to the rescuers , Abbott said .
“ All she said was , ‘ I don ’ t know where I am , ’ ” Abbott said .
“ She hadn ’ t eaten in so long that she wasn ’ t making a lot of sense , so we just rushed her off to the hospital to get her some treatment.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Bloodhound dogs to search the area for days .
The dogs tracked her scent 1.75 miles ( 2.8 kilometers ) west from her vehicle , but then “ for some reason she turned into the woods , ” Abbott said .
Rescuers found Fuda ’ s car keys , some clothing and a Bible along the creek before a mountain rescue team ultimately located her .
Fuda may have become lost while searching for gas for her car , Abbott said .

SEATTLE (AP) - A Washington state woman was found alive more than a week after she went missing in a wooded area, authorities said.
Gia Fuda, 18, of Maple Valley was located by search and rescue crews in the Cascade foothills Saturday afternoon, The Seattle Times reported.
Fuda was in stable condition in a Monroe hospital Sunday afternoon and deputies had not yet spoken with her, said Sgt. Ryan Abbott of the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Rescuers found Fuda sitting on a rock next to a creek in a steep, wooded ravine about 1.2 miles (1.9 kilometers) from her car, which was parked 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Skykomish.
She was unable to immediately speak at length to the rescuers, Abbott said.
“All she said was, ‘I don’t know where I am,’” Abbott said. “She hadn’t eaten in so long that she wasn’t making a lot of sense, so we just rushed her off to the hospital to get her some treatment.”
Search and rescue teams used helicopters and Bloodhound dogs to search the area for days. The dogs tracked her scent 1.75 miles (2.8 kilometers) west from her vehicle, but then “for some reason she turned into the woods,” Abbott said.
Rescuers found Fuda’s car keys, some clothing and a Bible along the creek before a mountain rescue team ultimately located her.
Fuda may have become lost while searching for gas for her car, Abbott said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-02--Inside the Beltway: Dr. Stella Immanuel's big question for Dr. Anthony Fauci

“ Ask Dr. Anthony Fauci , when was the last time he saw a patient ?
” That is a question that should be asked according to Dr. Stella Immanuel , a Houston-based physician who believes that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine can defeat the coronavirus .
She has noted in interviews that she has treated over 400 patients with the drug , approved by the FDA in 1955 .
Dr. Fauci — director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of President Trump ’ s coronavirus task force — does not favor use of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an extensive interview Friday with KPRC , an NBC affiliate in Houston .
She won praise from President Trump for recommending the drug , particularly after she appeared outside the Supreme Court , caught on a video that went viral after it was published by Breitbart News last week .
“ I was very impressed with her and other doctors that stood with her , ” Mr. Trump noted after social media companies removed the video from their sites , judging the content to include “ unsubstantiated ” information .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never seen her before .
But certainly you could put her up and let her have a voice .
So what they did is they took down her voice .
Now , they seem to never take down the other side .
They only take down conservative voices , ” Mr. Trump said at the time .
The public continues to push back against efforts to erase certain people and companies from the public discourse due to their political callings .
Consider the GOYA “ boycott ” organized in mid-July after Goya Foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for President Trump .
A national “ BUYcott ” of GOYA products from those who supported Mr. Unanue quickly followed , as did additional support .
“ Did any of these boycotters stop to think about the impact their actions would have on the more than 13,000 bodegas in the Big Apple — and on hundreds of thousands more stores all over the country that sell Goya products , a staple of the Hispanic dining table ?
Did they stop to think about the thousands of black and Latino workers Goya employs ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New York Bodega and Small Business Association , writing in a recent op-ed for The New York Post .
Then there is Casey Harper , who launched a simple GoFundMe effort to raise $ 10,000 to buy GOYA products and distribute them to food banks .
The effort has raised $ 330,000 as of Sunday , with more donations still arriving .
“ So far we have spent about $ 75,000 of the donations on Goya food products for pantries in the Washington , D.C. , area , and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harper said in a public update which advised the outreach now extends into states hard-hit by COVID-19 — with a particular focus on national food bank warehouses which can distribute large deliveries .
AND ONE MORE UPDATE Trader Joe ’ s recently came under fire via a public petition citing the national grocery chain for using humorous plays on such words as “ Trader Ming ” and “ Trader Jose ” to describe international products .
The petition , signed by 5,000 people , claimed the practice “ exoticizes other cultures ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe ’ s , however , refused to remove the names from labels , explaining them as “ fun ” marketing .
“ We disagree that any of these labels are racist .
We do not make decisions based on petitions .
We make decisions based on what customers purchase , ” the company said .
“ We have heard from many customers reaffirming that these name variations are largely viewed in exactly the way they were intended .
We continue our ongoing evaluation , and those products that resonate with our customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelves.
” NO LONGER FUN OR USEFUL A veteran Hollywood director has advice for both political parties .
“ There is no reason for either party to have a convention this year .
Just do televised speeches along with online delegate voting and social media .
Besides , conventions are no longer fun or useful deliberative bodies .
They ’ re a four-day infomercial with nothing but fundraisers and the media searching for stories that aren ’ t there , ” Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone tells The New York Times .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who favor target and competitive shooting — a sport which includes skeet , trap and clay targets , black powder shooting and even “ cowboy action ” fare .
August , in fact , marks National Shooting Sports Month , which Mr. Trump frames in historical terms .
“ We commemorate our Constitutional right to bear arms by celebrating America ’ s cherished past time of recreational and competitive shooting sports .
Our great nation has a rich history of fostering responsible gun ownership .
In the early days of our republic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families closer together , ” Mr. Trump said in a proclamation issued Saturday — which also cited 19th century sharpshooters such as Pawnee Bill and Annie Oakley .
“ These pioneering American folk heroes demonstrated the courage , skill , and persistence necessary to excel in shooting sports and that reflect our founding values .
Today , we continue to promote interest in such social pastimes that celebrate our rich and unique history of shooting sports , ” Mr. Trump continued .
A potential voting bloc here ?
Some 52 million Americans now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Sports Shooting Foundation , an industry source .
• 39 % of U.S. adults says that President Trump “ can handle the economy better ” ; 83 % of Republicans , 44 % of independents and 8 % of Democrats agree .
• 36 % say Joseph R. Biden can handle the economy better ; 5 % of Republicans , 29 % of independents and 70 % of Democrats agree .
• 14 % say the two have “ about the same ability ” to handle the economy ; 8 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 15 % of Democrats agree .
• 12 % are not sure which one is best suited to handle the economy ; 4 % of Republicans , 10 % of independents and 8 % of Democrats agree .

NEWS AND OPINION:
“Ask Dr. Anthony Fauci, when was the last time he saw a patient?”
That is a question that should be asked according to Dr. Stella Immanuel, a Houston-based physician who believes that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine can defeat the coronavirus. She has noted in interviews that she has treated over 400 patients with the drug, approved by the FDA in 1955.
Dr. Fauci — director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of President Trump‘s coronavirus task force — does not favor use of the drug.
Dr. Immanuel posed her question in an extensive interview Friday with KPRC, an NBC affiliate in Houston.
She won praise from President Trump for recommending the drug, particularly after she appeared outside the Supreme Court, caught on a video that went viral after it was published by Breitbart News last week.
“I was very impressed with her and other doctors that stood with her,” Mr. Trump noted after social media companies removed the video from their sites, judging the content to include “unsubstantiated” information.
“I know nothing about her, I had never seen her before. But certainly you could put her up and let her have a voice. So what they did is they took down her voice. Now, they seem to never take down the other side. They only take down conservative voices,” Mr. Trump said at the time.
CANCEL CULTURE CANCELED
The public continues to push back against efforts to erase certain people and companies from the public discourse due to their political callings.
Consider the GOYA “boycott” organized in mid-July after Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue publicly voiced his support for President Trump. A national “BUYcott” of GOYA products from those who supported Mr. Unanue quickly followed, as did additional support.
“Did any of these boycotters stop to think about the impact their actions would have on the more than 13,000 bodegas in the Big Apple — and on hundreds of thousands more stores all over the country that sell Goya products, a staple of the Hispanic dining table? Did they stop to think about the thousands of black and Latino workers Goya employs?” asked Francisco Marte, secretary of the New York Bodega and Small Business Association, writing in a recent op-ed for The New York Post.
Then there is Casey Harper, who launched a simple GoFundMe effort to raise $10,000 to buy GOYA products and distribute them to food banks. The effort has raised $330,000 as of Sunday, with more donations still arriving.
“So far we have spent about $75,000 of the donations on Goya food products for pantries in the Washington, D.C., area, and it’s making a big difference,” Mr. Harper said in a public update which advised the outreach now extends into states hard-hit by COVID-19 — with a particular focus on national food bank warehouses which can distribute large deliveries.
AND ONE MORE UPDATE
Trader Joe’s recently came under fire via a public petition citing the national grocery chain for using humorous plays on such words as “Trader Ming” and “Trader Jose” to describe international products. The petition, signed by 5,000 people, claimed the practice “exoticizes other cultures” and is therefore racist in tone.
Traders Joe’s, however, refused to remove the names from labels, explaining them as “fun” marketing.
“We disagree that any of these labels are racist. We do not make decisions based on petitions. We make decisions based on what customers purchase,” the company said.
“We have heard from many customers reaffirming that these name variations are largely viewed in exactly the way they were intended. We continue our ongoing evaluation, and those products that resonate with our customers and sell well will remain on our shelves.”
NO LONGER FUN OR USEFUL
A veteran Hollywood director has advice for both political parties.
“There is no reason for either party to have a convention this year. Just do televised speeches along with online delegate voting and social media. Besides, conventions are no longer fun or useful deliberative bodies. They’re a four-day infomercial with nothing but fundraisers and the media searching for stories that aren’t there,” Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone tells The New York Times.
ON TARGET
President Trump offered an extensive tribute to Americans who favor target and competitive shooting — a sport which includes skeet, trap and clay targets, black powder shooting and even “cowboy action” fare. August, in fact, marks National Shooting Sports Month, which Mr. Trump frames in historical terms.
“We commemorate our Constitutional right to bear arms by celebrating America’s cherished past time of recreational and competitive shooting sports. Our great nation has a rich history of fostering responsible gun ownership. In the early days of our republic, turkey shoots encouraged community engagement and brought families closer together,” Mr. Trump said in a proclamation issued Saturday — which also cited 19th century sharpshooters such as Pawnee Bill and Annie Oakley.
“These pioneering American folk heroes demonstrated the courage, skill, and persistence necessary to excel in shooting sports and that reflect our founding values. Today, we continue to promote interest in such social pastimes that celebrate our rich and unique history of shooting sports,” Mr. Trump continued.
A potential voting bloc here? Some 52 million Americans now participate in shooting sports, according to the National Sports Shooting Foundation, an industry source.
POLL DU JOUR
• 39% of U.S. adults says that President Trump “can handle the economy better”; 83% of Republicans, 44% of independents and 8% of Democrats agree.
• 36% say Joseph R. Biden can handle the economy better; 5% of Republicans, 29% of independents and 70% of Democrats agree.
• 14% say the two have “about the same ability” to handle the economy; 8% of Republicans, 17% of independents and 15% of Democrats agree.
• 12% are not sure which one is best suited to handle the economy; 4% of Republicans, 10% of independents and 8% of Democrats agree.
Source: A Yahoo/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted July 28-30.
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--FIFA: Infantino not reckless for taking no notes at AG talks

FIFA President Gianni Infantino was not acting criminally by taking no notes during secret talks with Switzerland ’ s attorney general that are now part of a criminal investigation into the head of world football , a senior official at the governing body said Monday .
FIFA deputy secretary general Alasdair Bell defended Infantino ’ s conduct while claiming not to know the specifics of the meetings , denying his boss had acted recklessly .
“ It ’ s almost preposterous to suggest that because someone doesn ’ t remember the details of a meeting , therefore something criminal should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bell said Infantino has never denied the existence of meetings with attorney general Michael Lauber to discuss the sprawling investigation into football corruption .
“ I don ’ t really think it ’ s reckless not to take minutes when the FIFA president meets the attorney general of the country , ” Bell said on a video call .
“ You don ’ t really expect when you go to meet the most senior prosecutor in the country , to have a discussion about governance reform at FIFA , to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … after that to end up yourself being the subject of a criminal investigation.
” Bell said Infantino was meeting Lauber to show FIFA had moved on from the Sepp Blatter era , which ended in 2015 .
“ You go there in order to demonstrate your willingness to cooperate , the organization has turned a new chapter , ” Bell said .
“ It ’ s a kind of a high-level type meeting , ” he added , “ and not really one you would take detailed minutes .
”

With Gianni Infantino’s running of world football being examined by a Swiss special prosecutor, FIFA’s hopes of shedding the image of scandal have been derailed by its president’s secret meetings with authorities.
“It’s a matter of record now that there is a criminal investigation - we can’t erase that,” FIFA deputy secretary general Alasdair Bell told The Associated Press on Monday. “In that respect the damage is, to some extent, irreversible.”
It is five years since Sepp Blatter was toppled by a FIFA ethics verdict of financial wrongdoing which came in the fallout from a wave of arrests of high-ranking football officials by Swiss and American authorities.
Now Infantino’s talks with Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber about the sprawling investigation into football corruption has put them both in the sights of a special prosecutor. There are records of what was said in the three meetings.
“It’s almost preposterous to suggest that because someone doesn’t remember the details of a meeting, therefore something criminal should have been discussed,” Bell said.
“I don’t really think it’s reckless not to take minutes when the FIFA president meets the attorney general of the country,” Bell added. “You don’t really expect when you go to meet the most senior prosecutor in the country, to have a discussion about governance reform at FIFA, to have a discussion about the ongoing cases involving FIFA … after that to end up yourself being the subject of a criminal investigation.”
But special prosecutor Stefan Keller has written to Infantino to say he cannot “exclude the possibility that something criminal might have been discussed you can’t remember,” according to a version recounted by Bell.
The potential criminal charges facing Infantino could be “incitement to abuse office, incitement to violate secrecy, incitement to obstruct justice,” Bell said.
Lauber was recused and disciplined after it was revealed he had three meetings with Infantino to discuss the FIFA investigations, which has included at least 25 open criminal proceedings.
There is no timeframe for completing the cases in a country that has been slow to progress investigations linked to FIFA.
A criminal proceeding against Blatter - for a $2 million payment he authorized to then-FIFA vice president Michel Platini in 2011 for uncontracted salary - remains open after almost five years.
“It doesn’t help Lauber’s case that for five years the office of the attorney general, for which he’s responsible, has made very little, if any, progress on all these FIFA corruption cases, including the one with Sepp Blatter,” Bell said. “It doesn’t look good at all. I think it looks particularly bad when you can see and compare it with the progress the authorities in the United States made with the cases they handled.”
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Jack Reed: Tata appointment an 'insult to our troops'

The appointment of retired Army Brig .
Gen. Anthony Tata to be the Pentagon ’ s policy chief was an “ insult to our troops , ” Sen. Jack Reed , the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee , said Sunday .
President Trump ’ s controversial pick , whose nomination hearing for the top policy job at the Pentagon was abruptly canceled Thursday , will instead serve in a senior role that does not require Senate confirmation .
Members on both sides of the aisle had expressed skepticism of the nomination after polarizing remarks he had made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticizing Islam and calling former President Barack Obama a “ terrorist leader.
” Gen. Tata has since apologized for the remarks .
But Mr. Reed of Rhode Island said in a statement Sunday evening that the appointment itself “ is an insult to our troops , professionals at the Pentagon , the Senate and the American people , ” and he suggested that Gen. Tata should not serve in a Senate-confirmed position .
“ Clearly , President Trump wants people who will swear allegiance to him over the Constitution , ” the ranking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flagrant end run around the confirmation process.
” Gen. Tata will instead perform the duties of “ the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy reporting to the Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson , ” according to a Pentagon official .

The appointment of retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata to be the Pentagon’s policy chief was an “insult to our troops,” Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sunday.
President Trump’s controversial pick, whose nomination hearing for the top policy job at the Pentagon was abruptly canceled Thursday, will instead serve in a senior role that does not require Senate confirmation.
Members on both sides of the aisle had expressed skepticism of the nomination after polarizing remarks he had made on social media were discovered, including criticizing Islam and calling former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader.”
Gen. Tata has since apologized for the remarks.
“It’s hard to see how General Tata can do an effective job given the serious questions raised by both parties during a closed Executive Session of the Armed Services Committee last week, and General Tata’s many incorrect and divisive public commentary,” Mr. Reed, of Rhode Island, said in a statement Sunday evening obtained by The Washington Times.
“Until the issues raised by Senators of both parties can be resolved, General Tata should not be serving in a position in the Defense Department.”
He said that the appointment itself, “is an insult to our troops, professionals at the Pentagon, the Senate and the American people.”
“Clearly, President Trump wants people who will swear allegiance to him over the Constitution,” the ranking member said. “This is a flagrant end run around the confirmation process.”
Gen. Tata will instead perform the duties of “the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy reporting to the Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson,” according to a Pentagon official.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Number of unclaimed bodies increasing in Mississippi county

JACKSON , Miss .
( AP ) - The number of unclaimed bodies in Mississippi ’ s most populous county has more doubled in the last five years , according to officials .
Five years ago , Hinds County , which includes the state ’ s capital city of Jackson , averaged about a dozen requests a year to handle unclaimed bodies , according to records obtained by The Clarion Ledger .
Such requests grew to more than 40 last year , and the county has already had 16 requests for burials in its common grave this year , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers appear to be increasing every year due to the rising cost of funerals and the family ’ s inability to pay for these services , ” The Clarion Ledger quoted Hinds County Chancery Clerk Eddie Jean Carr as saying .
The county pays a maximum of $ 300 for the burial or cremation of unclaimed bodies .
Usually , a request is made to the Board of Supervisors for a burial in its paupers ’ cemetery because an identity can not be determined or family members can not be located , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years , county records show requests have been made more frequently because family members can not afford burial or cremation .
“ It ’ s sad to know families are financially unable to lay their family members to rest in a dignified manner , ” Carr said .
The Hinds County Sheriff ’ s Department manages the cemetery , which was established in 1963 in Raymond .
Inmates dig the number-marked gravesites .

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The number of unclaimed bodies in Mississippi’s most populous county has more doubled in the last five years, according to officials.
Five years ago, Hinds County, which includes the state’s capital city of Jackson, averaged about a dozen requests a year to handle unclaimed bodies, according to records obtained by The Clarion Ledger. Such requests grew to more than 40 last year, and the county has already had 16 requests for burials in its common grave this year, the newspaper reported on Monday.
“The numbers appear to be increasing every year due to the rising cost of funerals and the family’s inability to pay for these services,” The Clarion Ledger quoted Hinds County Chancery Clerk Eddie Jean Carr as saying.
The county pays a maximum of $300 for the burial or cremation of unclaimed bodies.
Usually, a request is made to the Board of Supervisors for a burial in its paupers’ cemetery because an identity cannot be determined or family members cannot be located, the newspaper said. But in the past two years, county records show requests have been made more frequently because family members cannot afford burial or cremation.
“It’s sad to know families are financially unable to lay their family members to rest in a dignified manner,” Carr said.
The Hinds County Sheriff’s Department manages the cemetery, which was established in 1963 in Raymond. Inmates dig the number-marked gravesites.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Clorox becomes 'it' brand in world sheltered in place

Sales at Clorox jumped 22 % in its most recent quarter with millions of people growing more vigilant about cleaning routines in the pandemic .
The company also announced Monday that Linda Rendle will become its CEO in September .
There was a 33 % jump in sales withing the company division that sells cleaning products .
People have loaded pantries with disinfectant wipes and sprays , pushing overall sales up to $ 1.98 billion for the three months ended June 30 .
That ’ s up from $ 1.62 billion a year earlier .
Clorox Co. , based in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of $ 310 million , or $ 2.41 per share .
That ’ s better than the $ 2 per share Wall Street predicted .
For the fiscal year , Clorox anticipates sales growth ranging from flat to low single digits , reflecting sustained demand through the first half of the year , and a deceleration in the back half , which would have a tough comparison to the initial months of the outbreak .
Clorox ’ s promotion of Rendle to CEO is effective on Sept. 14 .
The 42-year-old is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benno Dorer , 56 , who will hold on to his position as executive chairman .
Dorer has been CEO since November 2014 and was appointed chair of the board in August 2016 .

Sales at Clorox jumped 22% in its most recent quarter with millions of people growing more vigilant about cleaning routines in the pandemic. The company also announced Monday that Linda Rendle will become its CEO in September.
There was a 33% jump in sales withing the company division that sells cleaning products.
People have loaded pantries with disinfectant wipes and sprays, pushing overall sales up to $1.98 billion for the three months ended June 30. That’s up from $1.62 billion a year earlier.
Analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research expected $1.86 billion.
Clorox Co., based in Oakland, California, posted a profit of $310 million, or $2.41 per share. That’s better than the $2 per share Wall Street predicted.
For the fiscal year, Clorox anticipates sales growth ranging from flat to low single digits, reflecting sustained demand through the first half of the year, and a deceleration in the back half, which would have a tough comparison to the initial months of the outbreak.
Clorox’s promotion of Rendle to CEO is effective on Sept. 14. The 42-year-old is currently president of the company.
She replaces Benno Dorer, 56, who will hold on to his position as executive chairman. Dorer has been CEO since November 2014 and was appointed chair of the board in August 2016.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Vietnam confirms 21 more cases in new virus outbreak

HANOI , Vietnam ( AP ) - Vietnam has confirmed 21 more coronavirus cases linked to three hospitals in the central city of Da Nang , the health ministry said Monday .
The country , which had lifted many restrictions after more than three months with no local infections , now has 196 cases in the new outbreak .
Fifteen of the new cases were in Da Nang , Vietnam ’ s most popular beach destination , while six others were in neighboring Quang Nam province .
All were patients or relatives of patients at the three hospitals in Da @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ministry said .
Vietnam had been widely praised for its success in controlling its initial outbreak of the coronavirus , with no reported cases of local transmission for 99 days .
But nine days ago , a case was confirmed at a Da Nang hospital .
The virus has now spread to six parts of the country , including three large cities , forcing authorities to reimpose virus restrictions .
Officials have confirmed three deaths , the country ’ s first from the virus .
The health ministry said 40 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The asymptomatic cases are a danger for transmission in the community , ” acting health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said .
“ Therefore , we must not overlook any suspected cases.
” On Monday , the army deployed a mobile lab truck to Da Nang to increase testing capacity in the city .
During a government meeting on Monday , Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged all provinces to control the outbreak in early August , calling it a “ crucial time.
” “ Each family must be a fortress and each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak from spreading widely in the community , ” Phuc said .
He urged residents to be vigilant to help control the virus and ensure health security .
But he said there shouldn ’ t be a rush to close businesses because health should to be balanced with economic security .

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnam has confirmed 21 more coronavirus cases linked to three hospitals in the central city of Da Nang, the health ministry said Monday. The country, which had lifted many restrictions after more than three months with no local infections, now has 196 cases in the new outbreak.
Fifteen of the new cases were in Da Nang, Vietnam’s most popular beach destination, while six others were in neighboring Quang Nam province. All were patients or relatives of patients at the three hospitals in Da Nang, where the outbreak emerged, the ministry said.
Vietnam had been widely praised for its success in controlling its initial outbreak of the coronavirus, with no reported cases of local transmission for 99 days. But nine days ago, a case was confirmed at a Da Nang hospital.
The virus has now spread to six parts of the country, including three large cities, forcing authorities to reimpose virus restrictions. Officials have confirmed three deaths, the country’s first from the virus.
The health ministry said 40% of the new cases show no symptoms.
“The asymptomatic cases are a danger for transmission in the community,” acting health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said. “Therefore, we must not overlook any suspected cases.”
On Monday, the army deployed a mobile lab truck to Da Nang to increase testing capacity in the city.
During a government meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged all provinces to control the outbreak in early August, calling it a “crucial time.”
“Each family must be a fortress and each citizen must be a warrior to keep the outbreak from spreading widely in the community,” Phuc said.
He urged residents to be vigilant to help control the virus and ensure health security. But he said there shouldn’t be a rush to close businesses because health should to be balanced with economic security.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Ukrainian police detain man with explosives at Kyiv bank

KYIV , Ukraine ( AP ) - Ukrainian police on Monday detained a man who threatened to blow up an explosive device at a bank in the nation ’ s capital .
The man , identified as Sukhrob Karimov , a 32-year-old citizen of the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan , entered a bank office in Kyiv and said he had explosives in his backpack .
He let bank clerks go and demanded that the authorities invite journalists so that he could make a statement .
Police burst into the room while the man was talking to journalists and detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was detained that he did in fact have explosives .
The incident follows last month ’ s hostage-taking drama when an armed assailant seized 13 hostages on a bus in the western city of Lutsk and held them for more than 12 hours before surrendering to police .
The assailant agreed to release the hostages following a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , who agreed to post a video urging all Ukrainians to watch “ Earthlings , ” a 2005 American documentary exposing humanity ’ s cruel exploitation of animals .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brandishing a hand grenade forced a senior police officer to drive him for hours through the countryside , chased by police .
More than six hours after the pursuit began , the man left his hostage in the car and fled into a forest .
Efforts to apprehend the assailant have been unsuccessful so far .

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Police detained a man who allegedly threatened to set off an explosive device at a bank in Ukraine’s capital and demanded to speak with journalists Monday.
The man, identified as Sukhrob Karimov, a 32-year-old citizen of the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan, entered a bank office in Kyiv and said he had explosives in his backpack, police said. He let all but one bank clerk go and told authorities to invite journalists to listen to him make a statement.
Officers burst into a room in the bank while the man was talking to a journalist. Officials initially said after the suspect was detained that police found elements of an explosive device but later clarified that the suspect had been bluffing and no actual explosives were found.
The incident follows a dramatic hostage-taking episode last month when an armed assailant seized 13 hostages on a bus in the western city of Lutsk and held them for more than 12 hours before surrendering to police.
The assailant agreed to release the hostages following a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who agreed to post a video urging all Ukrainians to watch “Earthlings,” a 2005 American documentary exposing humanity’s cruel exploitation of animals.
A few days later in the city of Poltava, a criminal suspect brandishing a hand grenade forced a senior police officer to drive him for hours through the countryside. Other officers pursued the car, and the man eventually abandoned his hostage in the vehicle and fled into a forest.
After a search that lasted more than a week, the man was tracked down Saturday. Authorities said the suspect was police while resisting arrest.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Pandemic-induced free parking coming to end

MONTPELIER , Vt. ( AP ) - The pandemic-induced free parking on city streets in Montpelier and Barre is coming @ @ @ @ @ Vermont cities will resume metered parking on Monday , but reminders will be issued initially @ @ @ @ @ , the Times Argus reported .
Parking enforcement workers returned from voluntary furloughs on Monday @ @ @ @ @ is expected to reinstate parking enforcement at its Aug. 12 meeting , but has indicated @ @ @ @ @ t start until Aug. 17 .
Parking at city-owned lots in Montpelier will remain free @ @ @

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermonters who are voting by mail in next week’s statewide primary should get their ballots in the mailbox by Tuesday at the very latest, Secretary of State Jim Condos said.
Voters may also return ballots to their town clerk during operating hours up to the close of business on Aug. 10, he said.
“We cannot guarantee or predict mail times, so hand delivery to your clerk is the best option right now to ensure your ballot is received on time,” Condos said in a written statement Monday.
Many Vermonters have opted to vote early or by mail, while some will be voting at the polls on primary day, Aug. 11. His office and the state’s “hardworking” town clerks “have done the legwork necessary to ensure a safe, fair, accessible, and secure election,” Condos said.
___
THE NUMBERS
Vermont reported one new case of the coronavirus in Chittenden County on Monday for a total of 1,427 cases statewide to date. The total number of deaths from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, remained at 57. One person was hospitalized with the illness and 13 people were hospitalized and under investigation, according to the Vermont Department of Health.
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PARKING ENFORCEMENT
The pandemic-induced free parking on city streets in Montpelier and Barre is coming to an end.
The Vermont cities will resume metered parking on Monday, but reminders will be issued initially, instead of parking tickets, the Times Argus reported. Parking enforcement workers returned from voluntary furloughs on Monday.
The Montpelier City Council is expected to reinstate parking enforcement at its Aug. 12 meeting, but has indicated that active enforcement won’t start until Aug. 17. Parking at city-owned lots in Montpelier will remain free until mid-September.


Editorial Roundup:

The danger of erecting monuments to men is that they all stand on clay feet .
Many Americans who have long been admired as geniuses or heroes are now under unforgiving scrutiny for offenses that might disqualify them for public honor .
Few are passing muster .
And no wonder .
They were human , after all .
And as the Bible tells us , “ All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
” There are no perfect men , or women .
But there are individuals who have made enormous contributions to the progress of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s standards are irredeemable .
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison owned slaves , but they also conjured a vision of an amazing nation in which individuals are empowered by natural rights and free to decide their own fate .
George Washington owned slaves , too .
But he brought that new nation and its vision to life with his courage , leadership and wisdom .
The naturalist John Muir , now being disowned by the Sierra Club he fathered , said derogatory things about ethnic minorities and white southerners .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Park system , preserving for the public use of all future Americans some of the most beautiful spaces on earth .
The examples of those being canceled in this new cultural revolution are endless , and are playing out both nationally and locally .
A statue of revolutionary War hero Gen. Anthony Wayne , who lent his name to Michigan ’ s largest county and one of its most important universities , was cloaked in plastic in its corner of Detroit .
Christopher Columbus , who mistreated indigenous people but who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity that is still being followed today , also was removed from his Motor City pedestal when the current Black Lives Matter protests began .
The City of Detroit removed the bust of Christopher Columbus statue in the median of Randolph Street facing the intersection of Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit .
Workers removed the statue Monday morning , June 15 , 2020 .
All that remains is the empty pedestal .
( Photo : John T. Greilick , The Detroit News ) At the Detroit Institute of Arts , among the grievances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the institution failed to note artist Paul Gauguin was accused of molesting the subject of a painting of a nude young girl the museum displayed .
And in west Michigan , a sculpture intended to honor the emancipation of slaves is on trial for imagery that some see as demeaning to those former slaves .
Certainly , part of the privilege of being an American is the freedom from the compulsion to give unquestioning solicitude to individuals who are deemed sacred by the state .
But scrubbing the formerly revered from the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view America .
The debt of gratitude we owe Washington , Jefferson , Madison and others who helped build the greatest republic in history is not diminished by their human failings .
They were men of great accomplishment who also participated in deplorable acts .
Their achievements should be acknowledged , taught in proper context , and judged in relation to the times in which they lived .
Perhaps for some their sins are so great they are undeserving of monuments in the public square .
That ’ s the danger of deifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure up to the expectations of future generations .
Michigan primary election 2020 : What you need to know , key info for Greater Lansing voters Across Greater Lansing , voters have begun to cast ballots for the 2020 state primary election – absentee ballots are being sent out , with in-person voting to follow on Tuesday , Aug. 4 .
Winners of the primary advance to the 2020 general election on Nov. 3 .
Here ’ s everything you need to know – including key voter info and candidate answers to pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lansing .
Michigan Voter Information Center : Verify if you are registered to vote , view your sample ballot or register for absentee voting .
Info and FAQ for students : College students can vote in their college town , even if not living there currently .
Primary challenges are on the ballot for Michigan House districts 65 , 67 , 71 and 93 representing portions of Greater Lansing .
Winners from each , in addition to candidates from districts 68 , 69 and 70 , will advance to the November general election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 will have primary challenges on Aug. 4 .
In addition , County Clerk Barb Byrum ( Democrat , incumbent ) is challenged by DeKeea Quinney-Davis in the primary .
Click below to learn about all of the candidates .
Eaton County Board districts 3 and 14 will have primary challenges on Aug. 4 .
In addition , former State Senator Rick Jones will face Grand Ledge Republican G. Michael Hocking in the primary to run against Democratic incumbent Tom Reich in the November general election .
The office of drain commissioner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary opposition from both parties .
Millage renewals and other ballot initiatives vary by municipality – scroll through to your county , city , township or district for a preview of what issue you might see on the Aug. 4 ballot .
If you hope to see early election results on Tuesday evening , it ’ s not looking too good .
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said this week it could take one or two days before results are in .
Benson will blame the delay on the Legislature for not passing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballots before election day .
Some in the Legislature will counter that the election process has worked just fine until now , when Benson sent out applications for absentee ballots to all registered voters several months ago , which , in turn , caused a swell of early voting .
The good news , as we see this situation , is that , as of mid-week , nearly 1 million absentee ballots had been cast in Michigan .
When you consider that , in August 2016 , almost 1.4 million voted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that figure before anyone heads to the polls .
As of mid-week , 1,977,095 requests had been made for an absentee ballot .
That compares to 2016 , when 540,271 had been requested .
All this will make for a very interesting , and long night for election workers come Tuesday .
As a reminder , Tuesday is a primary , and , thus , voters will not be allowed to switch parties with their ballot .
Once you know which party candidates you want to vote for , stick within that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of course millage questions and ballot issues are non-partisan , and everyone will have a say in them .
Get out and vote .
Now , more than ever , let your opinion be heard .

Des Moines Register. july 31, 2020.
Can you give us the lowdown for the layman on how vaccines work?
Vaccines are cheat codes for the immune system. If you don’t know what a cheat code is, stop right now and look it up.
The human body is designed to have certain events occur at certain times. Growth/height and reproduction are examples. The immune system has a certain time during which it can be taught what is “foreign.”
What’s fun about the immune system is the way it learns. One of the most important teachers of the immune system are tiny worms in the soil, 1 to 3 millimeters in length. Thus, children who grow up exposed to dirt have stronger immune systems (hygiene hypothesis). The immune system is working out (lifting weights) during a crucial time. Therefore, it is important children get certain diseases early in life. Their immune systems will learn how to fight them off.
Of course, there are variations: poor immune systems (boy in the bubble) and hyperactive (allergy/asthma).
The immune system can recognize and process thousands of substances. When it recognizes something as foreign, the body creates a tag for it. With this tag attached, another part of the immune system recognizes and destroys it.
There are different ways this teaching can be done. One can get the disease, making one vulnerable to the effects of the disease itself. Or you can get part of the disease, which is what vaccines deliver.
With vaccines, the offending organism is chopped up, pickled or immobilized. The immune system recognizes it as “foreign.” It still figures out a recipe for putting a tag on this fragment.
The next time you meet this substance, whether it be in a vaccine or the real thing, your body knows how to fight it.
An example of this is tetanus. For the vaccine, tetanus is ground up and injected. (The organism causing tetanus, Clostridium tetani, is found everywhere in the environment, not just on rusty nails.)
If your body gets infected with tetanus and the tetanus produces its poison, the immune system knows what that poison looks like is and able to fight it off. This has been a tremendous success.
In 35 years of practicing medicine, I’ve seen two cases of “lockjaw.” One person had not received their tetanus immunizations. The other, being elderly, had lost immune protection.
This mechanism sure beats getting a deadly disease.
Someone asked the newspaper to explain why “T-cell activation” is important in vaccines.
The immune system has defenses against outside invaders.
The B-cells make chemicals called antibodies. These chemicals can attach to invading substances, antigens. These antibodies act as markers or bar codes. When these now-marked substances get to the spleen or a similar place in the body, they’re pulled out of circulation.
If you’re into trivia, look up the bursa of Fabricius. This is where B-cells were discovered.
T-cells are another type of artillery. Once a cell has been tagged, by antibodies from B-cells or from the memory the T-cells generated early in life, the T-cell recognizes an infected cell.
The T-cell destroys the cell-factory making viruses.
Interesting fact: The thymus is a gland found in the neck. It is the origin of T-cells and it degenerates over time.
Childhood is the time to build up your immune system. This helps explain why it’s more difficult for adults to fight off new infections (cue coronavirus).
With a properly trained immune system early on (exposure to lots of antigens, including their routine vaccinations), a child’s “library” of T-, B- and memory cells gives a much better immune system as they go through adulthood.
So how would the ideal coronavirus vaccine work?
The ideal vaccine is given once, is painless, and has no side effects. One dose is effective for everybody, everybody takes it and immunity lasts forever. We won’t get there.
Well, what can we reasonably hope for?
Let’s review herd immunity. If everyone is partly immune or most people are completely immune, the virus can’t spread.
Let’s use measles as a model because that’s very well established. The measles virus is the classical example of the aerosol spread. For there to be enough resistance to spreading measles, 95% of the population must have had the measles shot or disease. This is herd immunity. With 5% or less of the population susceptible, the measles virus can’t find enough people to infect.
It is important to note that the measles shot is very effective at getting immunity started.
The coronavirus immunizations being tested are unlikely to be as effective as measles. It is unlikely that one shot will give near lifelong immunity; this is just a feature of the coronavirus. … Thus, you need 100% uptake by the population.
If people refuse to take the shot, there’s plenty of “fuel” left for the virus to spread.
If people can get this infection more than once, we have a long, slow disaster in the making.
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. July 28, 2020.
The right call on absentee voting
Taking their cue from President Donald Trump’s fact-challenged assault on absentee voting, Iowa Republicans tried to scuttle the secretary of state’s voter outreach effort, then put it on pause, affirmed their opposition, but finally restored it.
A wake-up call about political ramifications prompted the reversal.
Secretary of State Paul Pate, also a Republican, had anticipated voters and elections workers would be reluctant to show up at polls for the June primary amid the coronavirus when he mailed out en masse absentee ballot request forms.
His initiative was an overwhelming success. More than 530,000 votes were cast - 420,000 absentee. That obliterated the 450,000 primary turnout set in 1994. In Polk County alone, 256 poll workers stayed home
Pate wrote in the Des Moines Register, “Iowans are amazing. The level of civic engagement among our citizens is unrivaled.”
But fellow Republicans sought to curb his adventure in democracy, starting in the Iowa Senate with legislation citing unsubstantiated security risks.
“This legislation does not ban or limit voters to cast an absentee ballot,” said Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport. “This bill is about security. This bill is to make sure someone’s vote is not erased by someone that is not legally allowed to vote. More people will vote under this bill.”
In the House, a successful amendment by Reps. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, and Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, shifted responsibility to the Iowa Legislative Council to act on any plan by the secretary of state, propose an alternative or decline to take action.
Otherwise, absentee ballot requests remained in the domain of county auditors.
The Republicans were taking their cue from Trump’s tirades that he lost the 2016 popular vote by 3 million because of irregularities ranging from immigrants fraudulently casting ballots to absentee shenanigans.
He appointed a commission led by then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Vice President Mike Pence that quickly disbanded. Kobach’s claims of 1,000 convictions for voter fraud since 2000 and 8,400 instances of double voting in 2016 were refuted by a commission report of 1,000 convictions for misconduct since 1948.
Trump told “Fox and Friends” this spring that a Democratic proposal for mail-in ballots during the pandemic would result in “levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
He castigated Michigan for sending out “illegal” absentee ballot applications when they were pursuant to a 2018 constitutional amendment expanding access to absentee voting. He criticized Nevada for emphasizing mailed ballots promoted by its Republican secretary of state.
The Republicans on the Iowa Legislative Council had a sudden change of heart. It seems Democratic auditors in urban counties were leaving their conflicted rural Republican counterparts in the dust regarding sending absentee ballot requests.
The Register reported Scott County Auditor Roxanna Moritz, a Democrat and president of the Iowa State Association of County Auditors, thought 18 counties - Black Hawk, Polk, Linn, Johnson and Scott among them - were preparing to send ballot request forms to voters.
Consequently, Pate’s request was unanimously approved.
But political differences remained. Linn and Johnson auditors will mail absentee ballot request forms with personal information numbers from state databases. Pate will send out blank forms.
Republicans had passed legislation denying use of the state’s voter registration database to fill in missing information on request forms, including a missing name, address, driver’s license number or a voter’s PIN.
“Any auditor who sends out a pre-populated form with the voter ID PIN is ignoring the law. Auditors and voters should be on notice that this action shows clear disregard for the law and could easily lead to election fraud,” said Sen. Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny.
The county auditor’s office also must call, email or mail a voter about incomplete or incorrect information on a submitted request rather than relying on the voter database.
Left-leaning groups are suing over the law, but face an uphill battle.
In 2019, Judge Joseph Seidlin upheld provisions of the 2017 voter reform law that “the verification of a voter’s identity is necessary before a voter is permitted to receive and cast a ballot.”
Republicans rightly rejected a Democratic request to extend the early voting from 29 to 40 days. Given last-minute campaign revelations, casting a ballot more than a month before an election could produce voter’s remorse.
Republican concerns about absentee voting are ironic considering the GOP began the push for its widespread use in the South to assist elderly voters - among its base constituencies.
Mail-in voting has displaced polling places in Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Hawaii with numerous safeguards, including bar codes.Conservative Utah is nearly there.
Whatever its motivation, the Iowa Legislative Council finally made the right call.
Dubuque Telegraph Herald. August 1, 2020
Governor should tell, not ask, people to wear masks in Iowa
The mask stalemate - to wear or not to wear - has come to a head, and it’s time for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to act.
This week, the Iowa Medical Society requested the governor make masks mandatory. The group, which includes 12,000-plus doctors and health care providers, said with hospitalizations and infections increasing, a stronger statement from the governor is necessary.
While Reynolds has encouraged Iowans to wear masks, she has refused to issue a mandate and insists Iowa cities and counties do not have the authority to make such a mandate on their own. Yet, recently, Reynolds said this about wearing masks, as part of the Iowa Department of Public Health’s “Step Up Mask Up” campaign: “Protecting yourself means you’re protecting your friends, your family members, your co-workers and your fellow Iowans. Each and every one of us has it in our power to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Her words are exactly right. But the governor is failing to step up when it comes to putting weight behind her statement.
More than 30 states, including Wisconsin and Illinois, have a mandatory mask order in most public places. Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol has pleaded for Reynolds to allow Dubuque to mandate masks, particularly now when the community has been designated a “red zone.” Five Dubuque Community School Board members requested of the county Board of Health that city and county officials issue a mask mandate. Public health leaders across the state, including Dubuque County’s Patrice Lambert, have called on Reynolds to issue a directive.
We’ve long known the virus was easily passed through respiratory droplets. But scientists have learned a great deal more about COVID-19 since March. Early on, the guidelines were that anyone experiencing symptoms should wear a mask. Now we know that many infected people don’t show symptoms immediately or at all. If everyone wears a mask, it will reduce the spread. It’s that simple. The governor embraces the science with her words. Now she must act on it.
Setting aside the compelling health reasons to order Iowans to wear masks, Reynolds should issue the mandate for the state of the economy and in support of small-business owners. The power of her mandate is the boost they need.
If the grim realities of COVID-19 haven’t hit home yet, revisit the story in Tuesday’s TH about Larry Ikonomopoulos, the 51-year-old owner of Skinny Maginny’s, 345 Main St., who was airlifted to UW Health University Hospital in Madison after more than two weeks on a ventilator in a local hospital. Ikonomopoulos closed the Dubuque bar on June 29 when he first felt ill, and it remains closed. Not only is this illness ravaging people, but it’s destroying businesses.
Many businesses have encouraged the wearing of masks, but most stopped short of making it a requirement so as not to alienate customers. One stop at Dubuque Farmers Market makes clear why that might be the case.
Dubuque Main Street put out an impassioned plea for people to wear masks for the safety of others at the market. Yet a recent walk around the marketplace showed a tepid 50% compliance with that request. Who will enforce it? Will the farmer, who picks vegetables at dawn and packs them up, ready to sell wares for a few dollars each? Should the seller refuse to sell ripe tomatoes and kale to the unmasked? Chances are, they’d rather take the money than get into a confrontation.
The same goes for small businesses. Amid this pandemic, as restaurants and retail shops are struggling to stay afloat, will the proprietors turn away customers who aren’t wearing masks? Or will they welcome them in to make a purchase, despite their personal discomfort?
If there is one thing all citizens agree on, it’s the wish to return to normalcy and to see our businesses survive. That only happens if purchasing gains momentum and consumer confidence is revived. There is a big segment of community members who simply aren’t comfortable going into an establishment in which people aren’t wearing masks and social distancing. If everyone wore masks in public, it would be much easier for all people to go to stores, restaurants, car dealerships and other public places. That’s how consumer confidence is rebuilt. That’s how the economic engines begin to rev.
As for the anti-mask contingent, even if you don’t believe you should be compelled to wear a mask, weigh the consequences. If wearing a mask in public - a minor inconvenience - brings more people into stores again and helps revive the economy, won’t that have been a small price to pay?
And, if wearing masks in public became the norm, and things didn’t improve medically, well, you can say, “I told you so.”
But for the sake of the state’s health - both physical and fiscal - we should give mandatory masks a try. Gov. Reynolds must make it so.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Man who assaulted infant gets 12 more years for forgery

BISMARCK , N.D. ( AP ) - A Bismarck man convicted of sexually assaulting an infant has been resentenced to 16 years in prison after it was discovered that he forged letters of support for his original sentencing .
Thirty-five-year-old Andrew Glasser was initially given four years in prison after entering an Alford plead to sexual assault .
He pleaded guilty in July 2019 in a related case to abusing a child , tampering with evidence and 10 counts of possessing child pornography , the Bismarck Tribune reported .
The cases were reopened and three misdemeanor forgery charges were filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had forged several letters of support .
“ It goes toward the defendant ’ s character ; it goes toward his entire mindset as to how seriously he considered these charges , ” said Burleigh County State ’ s Attorney Julie Lawyer .
Lawyer on Friday asked for a 20-year sentence with all but 10 years suspended and five years of probation .
Defense attorney Kent Morrow said the letters were “ a middle school attempt to gain some sympathy.
” He asked the judge to add a year to Glasser ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A Bismarck man convicted of sexually assaulting an infant has been resentenced to 16 years in prison after it was discovered that he forged letters of support for his original sentencing.
Thirty-five-year-old Andrew Glasser was initially given four years in prison after entering an Alford plead to sexual assault. He pleaded guilty in July 2019 in a related case to abusing a child, tampering with evidence and 10 counts of possessing child pornography, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
The cases were reopened and three misdemeanor forgery charges were filed when it came to light that Glasser had forged several letters of support.
“It goes toward the defendant’s character; it goes toward his entire mindset as to how seriously he considered these charges,” said Burleigh County State’s Attorney Julie Lawyer.
Lawyer on Friday asked for a 20-year sentence with all but 10 years suspended and five years of probation.
Defense attorney Kent Morrow said the letters were “a middle school attempt to gain some sympathy.” He asked the judge to add a year to Glasser’s four-year sentence due to the forgery.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Passenger in Virginia refused to don mask, delaying flight

RICHMOND , Va. ( AP ) - American Airlines says a flight out of Virginia was delayed after a passenger @ @ @ @ @ policy requiring a face mask .
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the incident occurred Sunday @ @ @ @ @ .
The airline said the plane returned to the gate .
And the passenger ultimately @ @ @ @ @ flight then departed for North Carolina ’ s Charlotte Douglas International Airport without further issues @ @ @ @ @ to wear face coverings since May 11 .
Passengers who don ’ t comply are @ @ @ @ @ 29 , the Airline has enacted a policy that requires customers over the age of @ @ @ @ @ in areas of an airport operated by American .

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - American Airlines says a flight out of Virginia was delayed after a passenger refused to comply with its policy requiring a face mask.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the incident occurred Sunday morning at Richmond International Airport.
The airline said the plane returned to the gate. And the passenger ultimately exited the plane. The flight then departed for North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport without further issues.
American has required passengers to wear face coverings since May 11. Passengers who don’t comply are denied boarding.
Since July 29, the Airline has enacted a policy that requires customers over the age of 2 to wear face coverings in areas of an airport operated by American.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--U.S. Marines ID all 9 people killed in sea-tank sinking

SAN DIEGO ( AP ) - The U.S. Marine Corps has identified all nine people killed when a Marine landing craft sank in hundreds of feet of water off the Southern California coast .
Only one of their bodies was found , despite an intense days-long search involving helicopters and boats ranging from inflatables to a Navy destroyer .
Found at the scene was Lance Cpl .
Guillermo S. Perez , 20 , of New Braunfels Texas .
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit announced on Sunday that the others , from California , Texas , Wisconsin and Oregon , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pfc .
Bryan J. Baltierra , 19 , of Corona , California ; Lance Cpl .
Marco A. Barranco , 21 , of Montebello , California ; Pfc .
Evan A. Bath , 19 , of Oak Creek , Wisconsin ; U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem , 22 , of Stockton , California ; Pfc .
Jack Ryan Ostrovsky , 21 , of Bend , Oregon ; Cpl .
Wesley A. Rodd , 23 , of Harris , Texas ; Lance Cpl .
Chase D. Sweetwood , 19 , of Portland , Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 21 , of Riverside , California .
“ Literally every asset we have available ” was mobilized in the search for seven Marines and a Navy corpsman , Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman , commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force , said Friday .
They were aboard an amphibious assault vehicle that was heading back to a Navy ship Thursday evening after a routine training exercise when it began taking on water about a half-mile ( 0.8 kilometers ) from Navy-owned San Clemente Island , off San Diego .
Other assault vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 26-ton , tank-like vehicle from quickly sinking , Osterman said .
“ The assumption is that it went completely to the bottom ” several hundred feet below , Osterman said .
That was too deep for divers , and Navy and Coast Guard were discussing ways to reach the sunken vehicle to get a view inside it , Osterman said .
Seven other Marines were rescued from the water ; two were in stable condition at a hospital , authorities said .
All the Marines were attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ranged in age from 19 to early 30s and all were wearing combat gear , including body armor , and flotation vests , Osterman said .
The vehicle , known as an AAV but nicknamed an “ amtrac , ” for “ amphibious tractor ” is used to take Marines and their gear from Navy ships to land .
The sunken craft , one of 13 involved in the exercise , was designed to be naturally buoyant and had three water-tight hatches and two large troop hatches , Osterman said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and continually refurbished .
Marine Corps officials said Friday they did not know the age or other details of the one that sank .
The Marine Corps commandant , Gen. David Berger , suspended waterborne operations of more than 800 amphibious assault vehicles across the branch until the cause of the accident is determined .
This is the third time in recent years that Camp Pendleton Marines have been injured or died in amphibious assault vehicles during training exercises .
In 2017 , 14 Marines and one Navy sailor were hospitalized after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , igniting a fire that engulfed the landing craft at Camp Pendleton .
In 2011 , a Marine died when an amphibious assault vehicle in a training exercise sank offshore of the camp .

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The U.S. Marine Corps has identified all nine people killed when a Marine landing craft sank in hundreds of feet of water off the Southern California coast.
Only one of their bodies was found, despite an intense days-long search involving helicopters and boats ranging from inflatables to a Navy destroyer.
Found at the scene was Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels Texas. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit announced on Sunday that the others, from California, Texas, Wisconsin and Oregon, are “presumed dead.”
They include: Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 19, of Corona, California; Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, California; Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin; U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California; Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Oregon; Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Texas; Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Portland, Oregon; and Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, California.
“Literally every asset we have available” was mobilized in the search for seven Marines and a Navy corpsman, Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said Friday.
They were aboard an amphibious assault vehicle that was heading back to a Navy ship Thursday evening after a routine training exercise when it began taking on water about a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) from Navy-owned San Clemente Island, off San Diego.
Other assault vehicles quickly responded but couldn’t stop the 26-ton, tank-like vehicle from quickly sinking, Osterman said.
“The assumption is that it went completely to the bottom” several hundred feet below, Osterman said. That was too deep for divers, and Navy and Coast Guard were discussing ways to reach the sunken vehicle to get a view inside it, Osterman said.
Seven other Marines were rescued from the water; two were in stable condition at a hospital, authorities said.
All the Marines were attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at nearby Camp Pendleton. They ranged in age from 19 to early 30s and all were wearing combat gear, including body armor, and flotation vests, Osterman said.
The vehicle, known as an AAV but nicknamed an “amtrac,” for “amphibious tractor” is used to take Marines and their gear from Navy ships to land.
The sunken craft, one of 13 involved in the exercise, was designed to be naturally buoyant and had three water-tight hatches and two large troop hatches, Osterman said.
The vehicles have been used since 1972, and continually refurbished. Marine Corps officials said Friday they did not know the age or other details of the one that sank.
The Marine Corps commandant, Gen. David Berger, suspended waterborne operations of more than 800 amphibious assault vehicles across the branch until the cause of the accident is determined.
This is the third time in recent years that Camp Pendleton Marines have been injured or died in amphibious assault vehicles during training exercises.
In 2017, 14 Marines and one Navy sailor were hospitalized after their vehicle hit a natural gas line, igniting a fire that engulfed the landing craft at Camp Pendleton.
In 2011, a Marine died when an amphibious assault vehicle in a training exercise sank offshore of the camp.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--Boat passenger missing after mishap on Columbia River

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) - A man is missing after a boat he was in took a sharp turn and ejected two people into the Columbia River near the north end of Broughton Beach Park Sunday afternoon .
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports emergency responders from Multnomah County Sheriff ’ s Office River Patrol Unit , U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies responded to the location after the sheriff ’ s office received a report that the boat had crashed around 1:55 p.m. Sunday .
Witnesses saw the boat moving along the north end of Broughton Beach Park , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the boat to rock suddenly and ejecting both the driver and a passenger into the water .
Witness went to help the men and the driver of the boat was rescued by a private boat .
The passenger , however , did not resurface after he submerged .
He was not wearing a life jacket , officials said .
Responders searched the area by air , boat and underwater for several hours , but the man was not located .
Officials said the boat operator is cooperating with the ongoing investigation and impairment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a factor in the incident .

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A man is missing after a boat he was in took a sharp turn and ejected two people into the Columbia River near the north end of Broughton Beach Park Sunday afternoon.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports emergency responders from Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office River Patrol Unit, U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies responded to the location after the sheriff’s office received a report that the boat had crashed around 1:55 p.m. Sunday.
Witnesses saw the boat moving along the north end of Broughton Beach Park, when driver made a sharp turn, causing the boat to rock suddenly and ejecting both the driver and a passenger into the water.
Witness went to help the men and the driver of the boat was rescued by a private boat. The passenger, however, did not resurface after he submerged.
He was not wearing a life jacket, officials said.
Responders searched the area by air, boat and underwater for several hours, but the man was not located.
Officials said the boat operator is cooperating with the ongoing investigation and impairment doesn’t appear to have been a factor in the incident.


washingtontimes--2020-08-03--The Latest: Copenhagen Tour de France start moved to 2022

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world : Danish organizers say the Tour @ @ @ @ @ take place in Copenhagen next year has been moved to 2022 to avoid being held @ @ @ @ @ the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics and the European Championship soccer tournament .
Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen @ @ @ @ @ three-stage Tour start in his city will now be planned for July 1-3 , 2022 @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic will have passed by then .
The 2021 Tour was scheduled set @ @ @ @ @ .
The Tour ’ s French organizers have yet to announce a replacement city for @ @ @ @ @ been reports that the three-week event could start from the French region of Brittany in @ @ @ @ @ s Tour , which was supposed to start in June , will now be held @ @ @ @ @ in Nice .

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
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The United State Soccer League says four individuals tested positive for the coronavirus out of more than 1,400 tests given to players and staff of the 35 Championship clubs between July 20-27.
Those who tested positive will self-isolated in line with USL guidelines.
In more than 440 tests given to players and staff from the 11 League One clubs during the same time period, three individuals from one team tested positive.
Those who tested positive will self-isolate in line with league guidelines.
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Indiana State has paused football workouts for two weeks after six players tested positive for COVID-19.
Coach Curt Mallory told players, coaches and support staff everyone must quarantine for 14 days. The athletic department issued a news release, saying none of the six players participated in Sunday’s March for Justice because they - and those in close contact with them - had already been isolated.
The Sycamores also say the players do not live on campus.
Indiana State is at least the third team from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, a traditionally strong Football Championship Subdivision league, to pause workouts.
“Our doctors and training staff instituted and followed strict protocols on monitoring and testing student-athletes,” athletic director said Sherard Clinkscales.
Big Ten member Indiana University just resumed voluntary workouts Friday following a two-week suspension after six participants also tested positive for COVID-19.
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Las Vegas Raiders defensive back D.J. Killings and defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga have chosen to opt out of the 2020 season over concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Raiders announced the decision Monday. They are the first two Raiders to choose to sit out this season because of the coronavirus.
Killings has spent time on practice squads in Indianapolis and Green Bay but hasn’t played in a game.
Valoaga has played 13 games for Detroit and San Francisco.
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The Northwestern football team has paused workouts after a player tested positive for COVID-19.
The player is isolating and several teammates are quarantining, the school said Monday. The team’s most recent workout was Friday. The next one will be Wednesday at the earliest.
Northwestern went 3-9 overall last season and 1-8 in conference play to finish last in the Big Ten West.
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The Cleveland Browns have placed third-string quarterback Garrett Gilbert on the reserve/COVID list and activated punter Jamie Gillan. He had tested positive for coronavirus.
The Browns also placed safety Karl Joseph on the active/physically unable to perform list with a foot injury. He was signed during the offseason and is expected to start.
Gilbert joined the Browns last season to back up Baker Mayfield, a close friend from their high school days in Texas. Gilbert is third on the depth chart now after the Browns signed veteran QB Case Keenum.
Last week, first-year Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he didn’t see the need to keep his quarterbacks separated because of the virus. Other teams have considered the move in case of an outbreak.
Gillan set a team record for net average last year as a rookie. He was placed on the COVID list last week after testing positive when veterans reported.
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Seven St. Louis Cardinals players and six staff members tested positive for COVID-19, causing Major League Baseball to postpone the team’s four-game series at Detroit.
The series was to have been played at Comerica Park from Tuesday through Thursday.
St. Louis has been in quarantine since Thursday in Milwaukee, where the Cardinals’ series last weekend was postponed, and the team is being tested daily.
St. Louis last played July 29 at Minnesota and is tentatively set to resume its schedule this Friday at home against the Chicago Cubs.
The Cardinals are the second team sidelined by the novel coronavirus since the season started July 23.
The Miami Marlins are set to resume play Tuesday in Baltimore following an outbreak within their traveling party that sidelined half the players. Miami has not played since July 26.
Because the outbreak occurred in the visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies were sidelined for a week while they were tested daily.
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The Raiders will play their first season in Las Vegas without any fans at their home games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team sent a letter to season ticket holders on Monday saying that after discussion with health care officials and local leaders, the decision was made not to allow fans.
Officials last week declared “substantial completion” of 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium after nearly 1,000 days were spent building the $2 billion home for the Raiders.
Both the New York Jets and Giants previously announced they would play without fans this season. Most other teams are hoping to be able to have at least limited crowds.
The Raiders relocated from Oakland, California, after last season.
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The National Hockey League says there have been zero positive coronavirus test results since 24 teams entered quarantined bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta.
The league announced it had administered more than 7,000 tests to players, coaches, staff and officials over the past week. Teams with 52-member traveling parties entered the bubbles July 26.
There were also zero positives the previous week when teams were still in their home cities for training camp.
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Results of COVID-19 testing conducted Sunday show there were no new positive results for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The team was traveling to New York to resume its schedule against the Yankees in a night game.
The Phillies (1-2) have not played since July 26. Their opponent in that opening series, the Miami Marlins, had at least 18 players test positive for the coronavirus. Although the Phillies didn’t have any players test positive, their games last week were postponed as a cautionary measure.
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Danish organizers say the Tour de France start due to take place in Copenhagen next year has been moved to 2022 to avoid being held in the same month as the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics and the European Championship soccer tournament.
Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen says the move means the three-stage Tour start in his city will now be planned for July 1-3, 2022, adding that he hopes the coronavirus pandemic will have passed by then.
The 2021 Tour was scheduled set to start on July 2.
The Tour’s French organizers have yet to announce a replacement city for Copenhagen, although there have been reports that the three-week event could start from the French region of Brittany in 2021.
This year’s Tour, which was supposed to start in June, will now be held Aug. 29-Sept. 20 - starting in Nice.
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