washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Trump hopes to hold Florida rally on Saturday

WASHINGTON — President Trump says he wants to try and hold a campaign rally in Florida on Saturday “ if @ @ @ @ @ put it together.
” He also says he might also hold a campaign rally the @ @ @ @ @ Speaking Thursday night on Fox News Channel , Trump mentioned his desire to start holding @ @ @ @ @ after his doctor said that he fully anticipates Trump can make a “ safe return @ @ @ @ @ Saturday following his coronavirus diagnosis .
Trump is eager to return to the campaign trail @ @ @ @ @ is trailing in the national polls , and in most battlegrounds .
Trump says he @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 test on Friday .
That would be one week after he flew to Walter @ @ @ @ @ for a three-day hospitalization for the coronavirus .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that he is ready to resume campaign rallies and feels “perfect” one week after his diagnosis with the coronavirus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans, as his doctor said the president had “completed his course of therapy” for the disease.
The president has not been seen in public – other than in White House-produced videos – since his Monday return from the military hospital where he received experimental treatments for the virus. On Thursday, his physician, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, said in a memo that Trump would be able to safely “return to public engagements” on Saturday, as the president tries to shift his focus to the election that’s less than four weeks away, with millions of Americans already casting ballots.
While Trump said he believes he’s no longer contagious, concerns about infection appeared to scuttle plans for next week’s presidential debate.
“I’m feeling good. Really good. I think perfect,” Trump said during a telephone interview with Fox Business, his first since he was released from a three-day hospital stay Monday. “I think I’m better to the point where I’d love to do a rally tonight,” Trump said. He added, “I don’t think I’m contagious at all.”
In a Fox News interview Thursday night, Trump said he wanted to hold a rally in Florida on Saturday “if we have enough time to put it together.” He said he might also hold a rally the following night in Pennsylvania. “I feel so good,” he told Fox’s Sean Hannity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says individuals can discontinue isolation 10 days after the onset of symptoms, which for Trump was Oct. 1, according to his doctors. Conley said that meant Trump, who has been surrounded by minimal staffing as he works out of the White House residence and the Oval Office, could return to holding events on Saturday.
He added that Trump was showing no evidence of his illness progressing or adverse reactions to the aggressive course of therapy prescribed by his doctors.
Earlier this week, the president’s doctors suggested they would work closely with military medical research facilities and other laboratories on “advanced diagnostic testing” to determine when the president was no longer contagious, but did not elaborate.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said two negative PCR lab tests 24 hours apart are a key factor in determining whether someone is still contagious.
“So, if the president goes 10 days without symptoms, and they do the tests that we were talking about, then you could make the assumption, based on good science, that he is not infected,” Fauci said Thursday on MSNBC.
While reports of reinfection are rare, the CDC recommends that even people who recover from COVID-19 continue to wear a mask, stay distanced and follow other precautions. It was unclear if Trump, who eschewed mask-wearing in most settings, would abide by that guidance.
The White House, meanwhile, continued to decline to share when Trump last tested negative for the virus – which would help pinpoint when he was infected. Strategic communications director Alyssa Farah said that information was Trump’s “private medical history.”
Trump’s campaign and the White House were already drawing up plans for Trump to resume campaigning, eyeing a visit to Pennsylvania on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday ahead of what was to have been next Thursday’s debate.
But the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that event would be held “virtually” in order to “protect the health and safety of all involved.” Trump swiftly rejected that offer, and his campaign later called on the commission to delay the final two debates by a week to alleviate concerns about an in-person contest.
Over the objections of some aides, Trump returned to the Oval Office on Thursday, even though a workspace had been set up in the residential section of the White House. Aides were discussing a potential photo opportunity with the president at the White House either Thursday or Friday but plans had not been finalized, according to two White House officials not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations. Only a few senior aides, medical staff and security personnel have laid eyes on the president since he returned to the White House on Monday afternoon.
Trump also released a video Thursday morning, filmed a day earlier, directly addressing the nation’s seniors – a critical demographic for his campaign that is also at greatest risk of poor outcomes from the virus – saying, “I want you to get the same care that I got.”
On Thursday, Trump continued to credit an experimental drug for the seemingly quick pace of his recovery. He called his diagnosis a “blessing in disguise” in the nation’s battle against the pandemic.
Seemingly sensitive to the fact that his treatment course has been far more comprehensive than the care received by average Americans, he promised to swiftly get the drug approved for broader use – and distribute it for free – even though he does not have the power to order that himself.
Trump received an experimental antibody drug made by Regeneron through a “compassionate use” exemption, a recognition of the above-and-beyond standard of care he receives as president. The safety and effectiveness of the drug have not yet been proven. And there is no way for the president or his doctors to know that the drug had any effect. Most people recover from COVID-19.
“I had tremendous luck with this Regeneron,” Trump said during the interview.
Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, said in a memo Wednesday that Trump had been symptom-free for over 24 hours, and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal.
Trump speculated that he caught the virus either at the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event announcing his new Supreme Court nominee or at a meeting with military families the following day. He said family members often want to get up close to him and “kiss” and “hug” him.
“I can’t say ‘Back up. Stand 10 feet” away, Trump said.
Associated Press writers Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee and Lauran Neergaard, Matthew Perrone, Deb Riechmann, Aamer Madhani, and Jonathan Lemire in Washington contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--China joins COVAX coronavirus vaccine alliance

TAIPEI , Taiwan ( AP ) - China , which has four coronavirus vaccine candidates in stage 3 clinical trials @ @ @ @ @ joining the COVID-19 vaccine alliance known as COVAX .
The country signed an agreement with @ @ @ @ @ the alliance , on Thursday , China ’ s Foreign Ministry said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ not agree to join the alliance , missing the global deadline to join in September @ @ @ @ @ Chunying said in a statement that “ we are taking this concrete step to ensure @ @ @ @ @ especially to developing countries , and hope more capable countries will also join and support @ @ @ @ @ yet clear the exact terms of the agreement and how China will contribute .
The @ @ @ @ @ Jinping previously said that China would make the vaccine a global public good .
The @ @ @ @ @ richer countries agree to buy into potential vaccines and help finance access for poorer ones @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. had declined to join the alliance .

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - China, which has at least four coronavirus vaccine candidates in the last stage of clinical trials, said Friday it is joining an international initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide known as COVAX, a move that may help the country find an international market for its coronavirus shots.
The country signed an agreement with Gavi, the co-leader of the project, on Thursday, China’s foreign ministry said. Initially, China did not agree to join the alliance, after missing an early deadline to join in September.
“We are taking this concrete step to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines, especially to developing countries, and hope more capable countries will also join and support COVAX,” ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement. She added later at a daily news briefing that many Chinese vaccine companies expressed a willingness to join the partnership and that China would buy vaccines for about 1% of its population through COVAX.
The exact terms of the agreement and how China will contribute are not yet clear. Countries can choose to buy vaccines to cover up to 50% of their population but many developed countries are using COVAX as a type of insurance policy to obtain extra doses on top of any bilateral deals signed with pharmaceutical companies.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping previously said the country would make the vaccine a global public good and would distribute its shots in Africa - but only after China’s own immunization program had been completed.
The World Health Organization, which also leads COVAX, welcomed the announcement, saying in a statement that “the number of countries joining the COVAX facility grows every day, and we are pleased to see China formally join.”
The initiative is designed so that richer countries agree to buy into potential vaccines and help finance access for poorer ones, but critical questions remain about how its goal will be carried out. Many countries including Britain, the U.S., France, Germany, and others have directly negotiated their own deals with pharmaceutical companies to receive billions of doses, meaning that the vast majority of the world’s vaccine supply next year is already reserved.
Some experts point out that without significant efforts to quickly boost manufacturing capacity globally, Chinese vaccine producers may offer the best chance to supply the developing world. China’s decision to join COVAX might give the country an opportunity to sign multimillion dollar deals that Gavi and partners will need to enter to secure billions of vaccine doses.
The United States, the world’s largest economy, declined to join under President Donald Trump, saying COVAX was “influenced by the corrupt WHO and China.” China has the second-largest economy in the world.
“China joining COVAX serves a dual purpose of filling the leadership vacuum left by the United States in terms of global public health, and in terms of securing a future vaccine for its population,” said Natasha Kassam, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute in Australia.
A successful vaccine candidate from China could help it repair its reputation abroad. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that negative views of China have risen sharply in 2020 in some countries. Views in democratic countries have hardened after the coronavirus outbreak was first discovered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and a majority of respondents said China handled the outbreak poorly. Many criticized China for obfuscating early reports of COVID-19.
China has been eager to reshape the narrative, calling the virus a common challenge facing humanity, and even questioning its origin. Earlier, as the pandemic spread around the world, it sent medical teams and supplies to affected countries. More recently, it has signed agreements with developing nations such as Indonesia and the Philippines to provide priority access to one of its vaccine candidates and offered a $1 billion loan to countries in Latin America.
What remains to be seen is how China will engage with the alliance, said Dr. Gagandeep Kang, the vice chair of the Board of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, which is also involved in leading COVAX. Most countries are entering COVAX to try to get access to vaccines that aren’t being manufactured domestically, she said.
China could be trying to ensure that the vaccines it is developing find a global platform. “For China it could be across the spectrum. To have their vaccines participate in the provision of vaccines (to other countries), and for access to vaccines,” said Kang, who is also a microbiologist at the Christian Medical College in the Indian city of Vellore.
Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac, for example, recently said it wants to provide its vaccine to the world, including the U.S. and countries in Europe with stringent regulations that have prevented previous Chinese vaccines from being sold.
COVAX plans to buy 2 billion doses of a vaccine by the end of 2021, although it remains unknown whether the successful vaccine will require one or two doses.
To date, China has not yet published any late-stage information about any of its vaccine candidates, despite starting to use some more broadly in targeted populations. Without that data, it is unclear how safe and effective any of the experimental Chinese vaccines are.
___
Associated Press writers Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi and Maria Cheng in London contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Second QMJHL team hit with multiple COVID-19 positives

LONGUEUIL , Quebec ( AP ) - The Sherbrooke Phoenix said Thursday that eight members of the organization tested positive @ @ @ @ @ after the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rival Blainville-Boisbriand Armada announced 18 positive cases .
@ @ @ @ @ played twice last weekend as the QMJHL opened its season .
All Phoenix team activities @ @ @ @ @ staff will be in isolation for 14 days .
Ten QMJHL games were postponed Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ over the next two weeks .
The QMJHL also has had to react to an @ @ @ @ @ hot zones in the Montreal and Quebec areas , affecting the Armada and Quebec Remparts @ @ @ @ @ only one of three Canadian major junior hockey leagues to have opened play this season @ @ @ @ @ and Western Hockey League have said they hope to start in December .
QMJHL teams @ @ @ @ @ divisions , with the six Maritime clubs remaining in the Atlantic bubble .

LONGUEUIL, Quebec (AP) - The Sherbrooke Phoenix said Thursday that eight members of the organization tested positive of COVID-19, a day after the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rival Blainville-Boisbriand Armada announced 18 positive cases.
The Phoenix and the Armada played twice last weekend as the QMJHL opened its season.
All Phoenix team activities are suspended and players and staff will be in isolation for 14 days.
Ten QMJHL games were postponed Wednesday, including four involving Sherbrooke over the next two weeks.
The QMJHL also has had to react to an announcement prohibiting sports in COVID-19 hot zones in the Montreal and Quebec areas, affecting the Armada and Quebec Remparts.
The QMJHL is the only one of three Canadian major junior hockey leagues to have opened play this season. The Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League have said they hope to start in December.
QMJHL teams are playing solely within their divisions, with the six Maritime clubs remaining in the Atlantic bubble.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--California governor tests negative for coronavirus

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) - Gov .
Gavin Newsom has tested negative for the coronavirus after someone in his office was infected and another state employee tested positive for COVID-19 , it was announced Thursday .
Newsom was tested on Wednesday “ out of an abundance of caution , ” his office said .
A staff member earlier tested positive for the virus but hadn ’ t interacted with Newsom or anyone who often sees the governor , according to the statement from his office .
Separately , a state employee who works in a space shared by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also tested positive .
“ The governor ’ s office continues to follow all state COVID-19 protocols for workplaces , ” the statement said .
Newsom was last tested on Sept. 14 before meeting with President Donald Trump .
The governor said Wednesday that he has been tested many times and always came up negative .
The governor ’ s office said it would notify the media every time Newsom takes a test , along with the result .
California has reported more than 834,000 coronavirus cases and more than 16,300 deaths .

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Gov. Gavin Newsom has tested negative for the coronavirus after someone in his office was infected and another state employee tested positive for COVID-19, it was announced Thursday.
Newsom was tested on Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution,” his office said.
A staff member earlier tested positive for the virus but hadn’t interacted with Newsom or anyone who often sees the governor, according to the statement from his office.
Separately, a state employee who works in a space shared by some of the governor’s staff also tested positive.
“The governor’s office continues to follow all state COVID-19 protocols for workplaces,” the statement said.
Newsom was last tested on Sept. 14 before meeting with President Donald Trump. The governor said Wednesday that he has been tested many times and always came up negative.
The governor’s office said it would notify the media every time Newsom takes a test, along with the result.
California has reported more than 834,000 coronavirus cases and more than 16,300 deaths.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Trump rips Gretchen Whitmer after she blames him in kidnapping plot

President Trump said Thursday Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer has done “ a terrible job ” responding to the coronavirus threat just hours after she accused him of being “ complicit ” in stoking extremist groups , like the militia accused of plotting to kidnap and kill her .
Mr. Trump in a series of tweets that Ms. Whitmer , a Democrat , should be grateful federal authorities busted up the alleged plot .
“ My Justice Department and federal law enforcement announced today that they foiled a dangerous plot against the Governor of Michigan , ” he tweeted “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls me a White Supremacist — while Biden and Democrats refuse to condemn Antifa , anarchists , looters and mobs that burn down Democrat run cities.
” “ I do not tolerate ANY extreme violence , ” the president continued .
“ Defending ALL Americans , even those who oppose and attack me , is what I will always do as your President !
Governor Whitmer — open up your state , open up your schools , and open up your churches.
” Earlier Thursday Ms. Whitmer said the president ’ s refusal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential debate was a “ rallying cry ” to militia movements .
Her comments came after the FBI and local authorities arrested 13 militia members they say planed to kill her and overthrow the state government .
“ Just last week , the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacist and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups , ” Ms. Whitmer said .
“ Hate groups heard the president ’ s words not as a rebuke , but as a rallying cry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When our leaders speak , their words matter .
They carry weight .
When our leaders meet with , encourage or fraternize with domestic terrorists , they legitimize their actions and they are complicit , ” she continued .
The militia members were angry with Ms. Whitmer over her onerous coronavirus restrictions , according to court documents .

President Trump said Thursday Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has done “a terrible job” responding to the coronavirus threat just hours after she accused him of being “complicit” in stoking extremist groups, like the militia accused of plotting to kidnap and kill her.
Mr. Trump in a series of tweets that Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat, should be grateful federal authorities busted up the alleged plot.
“My Justice Department and federal law enforcement announced today that they foiled a dangerous plot against the Governor of Michigan,” he tweeted “Rather than say thank you, she calls me a White Supremacist — while Biden and Democrats refuse to condemn Antifa, anarchists, looters and mobs that burn down Democrat run cities.”
Governor Whitmer of Michigan has done a terrible job. She locked down her state for everyone, except her husband’s boating activities. The Federal Government provided tremendous help to the Great People of Michigan. My Justice Department and Federal Law Enforcement announced… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2020
“I do not tolerate ANY extreme violence,” the president continued. “Defending ALL Americans, even those who oppose and attack me, is what I will always do as your President! Governor Whitmer — open up your state, open up your schools, and open up your churches.”
Earlier Thursday Ms. Whitmer said the president’s refusal to denounce extremist groups during the first presidential debate was a “rallying cry” to militia movements. Her comments came after the FBI and local authorities arrested 13 militia members they say planed to kill her and overthrow the state government.
“Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacist and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups,” Ms. Whitmer said.
“Hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, as a call to action. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet with, encourage or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions and they are complicit,” she continued.
The militia members were angry with Ms. Whitmer over her onerous coronavirus restrictions, according to court documents.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Canadiens agree to 7-year extension with newcomer Anderson

MONTREAL ( AP ) - The Montreal Canadiens agreed to a seven-year contract extension with forward Josh Anderson on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ through the 2026-27 season has an average annual value of $ 5.5 million .
The @ @ @ @ @ from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade for forward Max Domi and a 2020 @ @ @ @ @ were upcoming restricted free agents , and Columbus signed Domi to a $ 10.6 million @ @ @ @ @ Anderson was coming off a difficult season in a contract year , and was placed @ @ @ @ @ second game of the 2019-20 campaign with a shoulder injury .
He returned after missing @ @ @ @ @ surgery on a torn labrum in March and was ruled out for the rest of @ @ @ @ @ a goal and three assists in 26 games after setting career highs with 27 goals @ @ @ @ @ season .
Anderson , has 65 goals and 50 assists in 267 career games with @ @

MONTREAL (AP) - The Montreal Canadiens agreed to a seven-year contract extension with forward Josh Anderson on Thursday.
The contract that runs through the 2026-27 season has an average annual value of $5.5 million.
The 26-year-old Anderson was acquired Tuesday from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade for forward Max Domi and a 2020 third-round pick. Both players were upcoming restricted free agents, and Columbus signed Domi to a $10.6 million, two-year deal Wednesday.
Anderson was coming off a difficult season in a contract year, and was placed on injured reserve after the second game of the 2019-20 campaign with a shoulder injury.
He returned after missing six games, but underwent surgery on a torn labrum in March and was ruled out for the rest of the season. He had a goal and three assists in 26 games after setting career highs with 27 goals and 47 points the previous season. Anderson, has 65 goals and 50 assists in 267 career games with Columbus.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Youth sports won't compete in New Mexico this year

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - High school students won ’ t be able to compete in any sports this fall or winter after state officials clarified Thursday that they won ’ t amend a state health order banning school sports this year .
“ We didn ’ t update the public health order to ever permit us or K-12 games or competitions , this fall .
We were very clear about that .
We didn ’ t amend the order to do that , and that includes club sports , ” Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , golf and cross-country were so upbeat about returning to competition that a season ’ s worth of matches was already scheduled and teams were holding practices earlier in the week .
School officials in Pojojuaque were making contingency plans for the possibility of fans attending the matches in-person .
“ Today ’ s announcement by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to cancel fall sports is disappointing for our athletes , coaches , students , and supporters , ” Albuquerque Public Schools interim Superintendent Scott Elder said .
“ We ’ re sorry for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It may seem as if this pandemic will last forever , but it won ’ t , and when the time comes , we will be prepared to pick up where we left off with a new appreciation for our health , friendships , and freedoms.
” High school athletes are still allowed to practice under restrictions in groups of 10 or less , including a coach .
Scrimmages are prohibited .
Masks are required .
College athletics including contact sports such as football at the University of New Mexico have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to a rigorous and expensive testing strategy to monitor potential outbreaks .
High school coaches fear that athletes are losing an incentive to get good grades , which are required to participate in school sports .
All public high schools in New Mexico are currently online , and many students have failed to adjust .
According to the New Mexico Activities Association , 70 percent of student athletes had at least one failing grade in September .
“ We were planning and hoping to begin competition this month as our member schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities back in to our students ’ lives , ” NMAA Executive Director Sally Marquez said .
“ At this point , however , we can not stage any competitive events without an update to the current public health order.
” In a video address Tuesday , Marquez had described sports like volleyball as “ low risk ” and had been hopeful games would be played Saturday as scheduled , saying “ If we are given the go-ahead , we will be so happy.
” Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues .
Follow Attanasio on Twitter .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - High school students won’t be able to compete in any sports this fall or winter after state officials clarified Thursday that they won’t amend a state health order banning school sports this year.
“We didn’t update the public health order to ever permit us or K-12 games or competitions, this fall. We were very clear about that. We didn’t amend the order to do that, and that includes club sports,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.
Coaches of non-contact sports like volleyball, golf and cross-country were so upbeat about returning to competition that a season’s worth of matches was already scheduled and teams were holding practices earlier in the week. School officials in Pojojuaque were making contingency plans for the possibility of fans attending the matches in-person.
“Today’s announcement by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to cancel fall sports is disappointing for our athletes, coaches, students, and supporters,” Albuquerque Public Schools interim Superintendent Scott Elder said. “We’re sorry for the disappointment so many are experiencing today. It may seem as if this pandemic will last forever, but it won’t, and when the time comes, we will be prepared to pick up where we left off with a new appreciation for our health, friendships, and freedoms.”
High school athletes are still allowed to practice under restrictions in groups of 10 or less, including a coach. Scrimmages are prohibited. Masks are required.
College athletics including contact sports such as football at the University of New Mexico have been allowed to go forward after officials there agreed to a rigorous and expensive testing strategy to monitor potential outbreaks.
High school coaches fear that athletes are losing an incentive to get good grades, which are required to participate in school sports. All public high schools in New Mexico are currently online, and many students have failed to adjust.
According to the New Mexico Activities Association, 70 percent of student athletes had at least one failing grade in September.
“We were planning and hoping to begin competition this month as our member schools are eager to safely integrate sports and activities back in to our students’ lives,” NMAA Executive Director Sally Marquez said. “At this point, however, we cannot stage any competitive events without an update to the current public health order.”
In a video address Tuesday, Marquez had described sports like volleyball as “low risk” and had been hopeful games would be played Saturday as scheduled, saying “If we are given the go-ahead, we will be so happy.”
___
Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Attanasio on Twitter.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Paris Hilton protest calls for closure of Utah school

PROVO , Utah ( AP ) - Paris Hilton has been speaking out about abuse she said she suffered at a boarding school in Utah , and on Friday she took her push nearly to the school ’ s front doors .
Hilton organized a protest in a park near Provo Canyon School , along with several hundreds of others who share stories of abuse they say they suffered there or at similar schools for troubled youth .
She is calling for the closure of the school .
Hilton , a socialite who became a reality TV star , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letters on the back that said , “ survivor ” and on the front read , “ breaking code silence , ” a reference to Hilton ’ s new campaign to compel others to shed light on what she believes is a corrupt industry that manipulates parents and traumatizes youth .
It was Hilton ’ s first time back to the area since she was there as a teen , when she says she was verbally , emotionally and physically abused in what she described as “ torture.
” Since a documentary titled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on YouTube last month , other celebrities have also spoken out about their experiences at that school or others like it , including Michael Jackson ’ s daughter Paris Jackson and tattoo artist Kat Von D. “ It ’ s something so traumatic that you don ’ t even want to think it ’ s real , ” Hilton said in a speech to the crowd .
“ It ’ s something I blocked from my memory for forever.
” The institution is now under new ownership and the administration has said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came before , including Hilton ’ s time there .
Owners of the school declined comment Friday , pointing to a statement on the school website that said the previous owners sold the school in 2000 .
The school aims to help youth who have struggled in typical home and school environments , some of whom are dealing with drug addiction or acting out violently , according to the website .
“ We are committed to providing high-quality care to youth with special , and often complex , emotional , behavioral and psychiatric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the documentary , Hilton says she got into the nightlife scene in New York as a teenager and would sneak out and go to clubs while her family lived at the Waldorf Astoria hotel .
Her exasperated parents sent her away to various programs to straighten out .
When she was 17 , Hilton was finally sent to what she describes as “ the worst of the worst ” : Provo Canyon School in Utah .
She stayed at Provo for 11 months and says while there , she was abused mentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , force her to take unknown pills , watch her shower and send her to solitary confinement without clothes as punishment .
The 39-year-old says the treatment was so “ traumatizing ” that she suffered nightmares and insomnia for years .
After she went home , she was determined to protect herself and eventually constructed the persona that she embodied when she became famous on the reality show “ The Simple Life ” in the early 2000s , the documentary revealed .
Hilton and others at the protest vowed to push forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down .
After she and others spoke at the park , she led the group in a protest walk until they arrives at the front gates of the school , where she stopped to pose in front of a school sign holding her own poster that said , “ Shut down Provo.
” “ There is thousands of these schools all around .
Provo Canyon is just the first one that I want to go down , ” Hilton said .
“ From there , it will be a domino effect .
@

PROVO, Utah (AP) - Paris Hilton has been speaking out about abuse she said she suffered at a boarding school in Utah, and on Friday she took her push nearly to the school’s front doors.
Hilton organized a protest in a park near Provo Canyon School, along with several hundreds of others who share stories of abuse they say they suffered there or at similar schools for troubled youth. She is calling for the closure of the school.
Hilton, a socialite who became a reality TV star, and many others wore black T-shirts with red letters on the back that said, “survivor” and on the front read, “breaking code silence,” a reference to Hilton’s new campaign to compel others to shed light on what she believes is a corrupt industry that manipulates parents and traumatizes youth. It was Hilton’s first time back to the area since she was there as a teen, when she says she was verbally, emotionally and physically abused in what she described as “torture.”
Since a documentary titled “This is Paris” was released on YouTube last month, other celebrities have also spoken out about their experiences at that school or others like it, including Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson and tattoo artist Kat Von D.
“It’s something so traumatic that you don’t even want to think it’s real,” Hilton said in a speech to the crowd. “It’s something I blocked from my memory for forever.”
The institution is now under new ownership and the administration has said it can’t comment on anything that came before, including Hilton’s time there. Owners of the school declined comment Friday, pointing to a statement on the school website that said the previous owners sold the school in 2000. The school aims to help youth who have struggled in typical home and school environments, some of whom are dealing with drug addiction or acting out violently, according to the website.
“We are committed to providing high-quality care to youth with special, and often complex, emotional, behavioral and psychiatric needs,” the statement read.
In the documentary, Hilton says she got into the nightlife scene in New York as a teenager and would sneak out and go to clubs while her family lived at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.
Her exasperated parents sent her away to various programs to straighten out. When she was 17, Hilton was finally sent to what she describes as “the worst of the worst”: Provo Canyon School in Utah.
She stayed at Provo for 11 months and says while there, she was abused mentally and physically, claiming staff would beat her, force her to take unknown pills, watch her shower and send her to solitary confinement without clothes as punishment.
The 39-year-old says the treatment was so “traumatizing” that she suffered nightmares and insomnia for years.
After she went home, she was determined to protect herself and eventually constructed the persona that she embodied when she became famous on the reality show “The Simple Life” in the early 2000s, the documentary revealed.
Hilton and others at the protest vowed to push forward until all schools that mistreat youth are shut down. After she and others spoke at the park, she led the group in a protest walk until they arrives at the front gates of the school, where she stopped to pose in front of a school sign holding her own poster that said, “Shut down Provo.”
“There is thousands of these schools all around. Provo Canyon is just the first one that I want to go down,” Hilton said. “From there, it will be a domino effect.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Nevada hurries to spend COVID relief funds as deadline nears

CARSON CITY , Nev. ( AP ) - With negotiations over another package of federal coronavirus relief dollars stuck in congressional gridlock , state and local officials are scrambling to spend their allocations before the end-of-year deadline by which all funds must be spent .
Nevada lawmakers - who in July slashed hundreds of millions from state spending on healthcare and education - convened on Friday to assess how recipients of the state ’ s $ 1.25 billion coronavirus relief fund have used their shares of the money .
“ The question that I think we feel compelled to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frierson said , “ is ‘ How confident are you that we won ’ t have a situation where there ’ s remaining funds that aren ’ t spent by the end of the year ?
’ ” County officials , city managers and officials leading programs offering relief to renters and small businesses all assured lawmakers that they would have no problem spending their funds by Dec. 31 , indicating little need to devise alternative plans to direct the money to pay for other pandemic-related services .
Guidance from the U.S. Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on coronavirus-related efforts .
Some local governments have directed the vast majority of their allocations to testing , personal protective equipment and relief programs for residents and businesses .
Others have interpreted the guideline more loosely , directing funds to employee salaries or infrastructure they say relates to their pandemic response .
The city of Las Vegas received $ 119 million in relief dollars directly from the federal government , 92 % of which it has spent on employee payroll , primarily for public safety and public health workers who it says have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Manager Scott Adams said that if the city hadn ’ t used the funds to compensate for revenue shortfalls to pay salaries , the city could have veered toward bankruptcy as soon as January 2021 .
That explanation didn ’ t satisfy members of either party , including state Sen. Ben Kieckhefer , R-Reno .
He questioned why city officials focused on “ prioritizing and maintaining the structure of city government , versus deploying those resources to the people of the city.
” “ The purpose of government is to serve , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials .
Officials from North Las Vegas , which has been hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic , pleaded with the committee to allocate additional funds .
The city allocated 73 % of $ 24 million share it received via a pass-through mechanism form Clark County to direct aid programs like small business and rental relief .
They argued the state should direct funds to regions most in need and questioned the distribution formula .
Since the city began accepting applications for its housing assistance program on Wednesday , it has received an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , finance director William Harty said .
“ We will be able to spend the money , and - not only the money we have - but if there ’ s any other funds that can be identified statewide that have been allocated or set aside for a program that may not come to fruition before the sunset at the end of December , ” he said .
By contrast , new relief programs offered in some rural Nevada counties have generated less interest .
To ensure the funds allocated for small business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unconventional means , Nevada Association of Counties Executive Director Dagny Stapleton said .
“ In some counties , we had commissioners going business-to-business with those flyers , ” Stapleton said .
Sam Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - With negotiations over another package of federal coronavirus relief dollars stuck in congressional gridlock, state and local officials are scrambling to spend their allocations before the end-of-year deadline by which all funds must be spent.
Nevada lawmakers - who in July slashed hundreds of millions from state spending on healthcare and education - convened on Friday to assess how recipients of the state’s $1.25 billion coronavirus relief fund have used their shares of the money.
“The question that I think we feel compelled to ask everyone today,” Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson said, “is ‘How confident are you that we won’t have a situation where there’s remaining funds that aren’t spent by the end of the year?’ ”
County officials, city managers and officials leading programs offering relief to renters and small businesses all assured lawmakers that they would have no problem spending their funds by Dec. 31, indicating little need to devise alternative plans to direct the money to pay for other pandemic-related services.
Guidance from the U.S. Treasury Department requires relief dollars be spent exclusively on coronavirus-related efforts. Some local governments have directed the vast majority of their allocations to testing, personal protective equipment and relief programs for residents and businesses. Others have interpreted the guideline more loosely, directing funds to employee salaries or infrastructure they say relates to their pandemic response.
The city of Las Vegas received $119 million in relief dollars directly from the federal government, 92% of which it has spent on employee payroll, primarily for public safety and public health workers who it says have focused on the pandemic. Las Vegas City Manager Scott Adams said that if the city hadn’t used the funds to compensate for revenue shortfalls to pay salaries, the city could have veered toward bankruptcy as soon as January 2021.
That explanation didn’t satisfy members of either party, including state Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno. He questioned why city officials focused on “prioritizing and maintaining the structure of city government, versus deploying those resources to the people of the city.”
“The purpose of government is to serve, not employ,” he told city officials.
Officials from North Las Vegas, which has been hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic, pleaded with the committee to allocate additional funds. The city allocated 73% of $24 million share it received via a pass-through mechanism form Clark County to direct aid programs like small business and rental relief. They argued the state should direct funds to regions most in need and questioned the distribution formula.
Since the city began accepting applications for its housing assistance program on Wednesday, it has received an application every nine minutes, on average, finance director William Harty said.
“We will be able to spend the money, and - not only the money we have - but if there’s any other funds that can be identified statewide that have been allocated or set aside for a program that may not come to fruition before the sunset at the end of December,” he said.
By contrast, new relief programs offered in some rural Nevada counties have generated less interest. To ensure the funds allocated for small business relief are expended, officials have turned to unconventional means, Nevada Association of Counties Executive Director Dagny Stapleton said.
“In some counties, we had commissioners going business-to-business with those flyers,” Stapleton said.
___
Sam Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--WFP chief: Nobel Prize message to world not to forget Sahel

OUAGADOUGOU , Burkina Faso ( AP ) - The head of the World Food Program said winning the Nobel Peace Prize while he was visiting the impoverished and war-weakened Sahel was a message to the world that it should not forget the region .
WFP Executive Director David Beasley spoke to reporters during a brief stop in Burkina Faso Friday , shortly after the agency won the Peace Prize for fighting hunger at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has driven millions more people to the brink of starvation .
“ The fact that I was in the Sahel when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message from above that , hey world with all the things going on around the world today please don ’ t forget about the people in the Sahel !
” said Beasley , who was in neighbouring Niger when he heard the news .
“ Please don ’ t forget about the people that are struggling and dying from starvation.
” Beasley said he was particularly concerned about Burkina Faso , which has faced a violent Islamic insurgency that ’ s cut off swaths of land and pushed millions of people to hunger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burkina Faso are in need of emergency food aid , and some 11,000 people are facing famine conditions , according to the latest security report by the government and U.N. agencies .
“ We can avert famine in Burkina Faso but we ’ ve got to have two things , money and access .
Without both there ’ ll be famine , ” he said .
He ’ s hoping the prize will propel donors , billionaires and people around the world to alleviate suffering , especially in the face of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” impact on next year ’ s funding , he said .
“ 2021 is screaming around the corner , there are no reserves , the economic downturn is taking place , the ripple effect to poor countries is devastating , ” said Beasley .
Aid workers say the Peace Prize is a “ timely recognition ” of the importance of the WFP ’ s role in fragile countries like Burkina Faso , said Donald Brooks , chief executive officer for Initiative : Eau , a U.S. aid group focused on increasing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , Burkina Faso ’ s government says it doesn ’ t have enough money to feed the more than 1 million internally displaced people .
Boukare Ouedraogo , the mayor of Kaya town , which hosts nearly 500,000 displaced people , said the situation is so devastating it keeps him up at night .
“ What makes me cry , what makes me not sleep , is to see these women , these children who are moving around and who come to knock on my door with a starving look saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) - The head of the World Food Program said winning the Nobel Peace Prize while he was visiting the impoverished and war-weakened Sahel was a message to the world that it should not forget the region.
WFP Executive Director David Beasley spoke to reporters during a brief stop in Burkina Faso Friday, shortly after the agency won the Peace Prize for fighting hunger at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has driven millions more people to the brink of starvation.
“The fact that I was in the Sahel when we received the announcement is really a message from above that, hey world with all the things going on around the world today please don’t forget about the people in the Sahel!” said Beasley, who was in neighbouring Niger when he heard the news. “Please don’t forget about the people that are struggling and dying from starvation.”
Beasley said he was particularly concerned about Burkina Faso, which has faced a violent Islamic insurgency that’s cut off swaths of land and pushed millions of people to hunger. More than 3 million people in Burkina Faso are in need of emergency food aid, and some 11,000 people are facing famine conditions, according to the latest security report by the government and U.N. agencies.
“We can avert famine in Burkina Faso but we’ve got to have two things, money and access. Without both there’ll be famine,” he said.
He’s hoping the prize will propel donors, billionaires and people around the world to alleviate suffering, especially in the face of the coronavirus, which will have a “catastrophic” impact on next year’s funding, he said.
“2021 is screaming around the corner, there are no reserves, the economic downturn is taking place, the ripple effect to poor countries is devastating,” said Beasley.
Aid workers say the Peace Prize is a “timely recognition” of the importance of the WFP’s role in fragile countries like Burkina Faso, said Donald Brooks, chief executive officer for Initiative: Eau, a U.S. aid group focused on increasing the safety of drinking water in crisis zones.
Meanwhile, Burkina Faso’s government says it doesn’t have enough money to feed the more than 1 million internally displaced people. Boukare Ouedraogo, the mayor of Kaya town, which hosts nearly 500,000 displaced people, said the situation is so devastating it keeps him up at night.
“What makes me cry, what makes me not sleep, is to see these women, these children who are moving around and who come to knock on my door with a starving look saying that they have nothing to eat,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Armenia, Azerbaijan agree on cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh

MOSCOW ( AP ) - With Russia ’ s mediation , Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting at noon Saturday following two weeks of heavy fighting that marked the worst outbreak of hostilities in the separatist region in a quarter-century .
The countries ’ foreign ministers said in a statement that the truce is intended to exchange prisoners and recover the dead , adding that specific details will be agreed on later .
The announcement followed 10 hours of talks in Moscow sponsored by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov , who read the statement .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way for talks on settling the conflict .
If the truce holds , it would mark a major diplomatic coup for Russia that has a security pact with Armenia but also cultivated warm ties with Azerbaijan .
The latest outburst of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces began Sept. 27 and left hundreds of people dead in the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh since a separatist war there ended in 1994 .
The region lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armenia and Azerbaijan were held on invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin , who brokered the cease-fire in a series of calls with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Armenia ’ s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian .
Armenia said it was open to a cease-fire , while Azerbaijan previously had made a potential truce conditional on the Armenian forces ’ withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh , arguing that the failure of international efforts to negotiate a political settlement left it no other choice but to resort to force .
Russia has co-sponsored peace talks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France as co-chairs of the so-called Minsk Group , which is working under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe .
Speaking in an address to the nation Friday hours before the cease-fire deal was reached , the Azerbaijani president insisted on his country ’ s right to reclaim its territory by force after nearly three decades of international talks that “ haven ’ t yielded an inch of progress.
” “ Mediators and leaders of some international organizations have stated that there is no military solution to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have disagreed with the thesis , and I have been right .
The conflict is now being settled by military means and political means will come next.
” The current escalation marked the first time that Azerbaijan ’ s ally Turkey took a high profile in the conflict , offering strong political support .
Over the past few years , Turkey provided Azerbaijan with state-of-the-art weapons , including drones and rocket systems that helped the Azerbaijani military outgun the Nagorno-Karabakh separatist forces in the latest fighting .
Armenian officials say Turkey is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syrian mercenaries to fight on Azerbaijan ’ s side .
Turkey has denied deploying combatants to the region , but a Syrian war monitor and three Syria-based opposition activists have confirmed that Turkey has sent hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh .
In an interview with CNN Arabic aired Thursday , Azerbaijan ’ s president admitted that Turkish F-16 fighter jets have stayed on in Azerbaijan weeks after a joint military exercise , but insisted that they have remained grounded .
Armenian officials had earlier claimed that a Turkish F-16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim that both Turkey and Azerbaijan have denied .
Turkey ’ s involvement in the conflict raised painful memories in Armenia , where an estimated 1.5 million died in massacres , deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 as Ottoman officials worried that the Christian Armenians would side with Russia , its enemy in World War I .
The event is widely viewed by historians as genocide .
Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide , saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conflict worried Russia , which has a military base in Armenia .
The two countries are linked by a security treaty obliging Moscow to offer support to its ally if it comes under aggression .
At the same time , Russia has sought to maintain strong economic and political ties with oil-rich Azerbaijan and ward off Turkey ’ s attempt to increase its influence in the South Caucasus without ruining its delicate relations with Ankara .
Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have negotiated a series of deals to coordinate their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded their economic ties .
Last year , NATO member Turkey took the delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense missiles , a move that angered Washington .
A cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh would allow the Kremlin to stem Turkey ’ s bid to expand its clout in Russia ’ s backyard without ruining its strategic relationship with Ankara .
While Turkey has aspired to join the Minsk Group talks as a co-chair , the statement issued by Armenia and Azerbaijan contained their pledge to maintain the current format of the peace talks .

MOSCOW (AP) - Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a Russia-brokered cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting Saturday, but immediately accused each other of derailing the deal intended to end the worst outbreak of hostilities in the separatist region in more than a quarter-century.
The two sides traded blame for breaking the truce that took effect at noon (0800 GMT) with new attacks, and Azerbaijan’s top diplomat said the truce never entered force.
The cease-fire announcement came overnight after 10 hours of talks in Moscow sponsored by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The deal stipulated that the cease-fire should pave the way for talks on settling the conflict.
If the truce holds, it would mark a major diplomatic coup for Russia, which has a security pact with Armenia but also cultivated warm ties with Azerbaijan. But the agreement was immediately challenged by mutual claims of violations.
Minutes after the truce took force, the Armenian military accused Azerbaijan of shelling the area near the town of Kapan in southeastern Armenia, killing one civilian. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry rejected the Armenian accusations as a “provocation.”
The Azerbaijani military, in turn, accused Armenia of striking the Terter and Agdam regions of Azerbaijan with missiles and then attempting to launch offensives in the Agdere-Terter and the Fizuli-Jabrail areas. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov charged that “conditions for implementing the humanitarian cease-fire are currently missing” amid the continuing Armenian shelling.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry denied any truce violations by the Armenian forces and said in the evening that the truce was “largely holding” despite Azerbaijani “provocations,” to which the Armenian troops responded in kind.
The latest outburst of fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces began Sept. 27 and left hundreds of people dead in the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh since a separatist war there ended in 1994. The region lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia.
Since the start of the latest fighting, Armenia said it was open to a cease-fire, while Azerbaijan insisted that it should be conditional on the Armenian forces’ withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh, arguing that the failure of international efforts to negotiate a political settlement left it no other choice but to resort to force.
The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed the truce in Moscow after Russian President Vladimir Putin had brokered it in a series of calls with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Russia has co-sponsored peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh together with the United States and France as co-chairs of the so-called Minsk Group, which is working under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. They haven’t produced any deal, leaving Azerbaijan increasingly exasperated.
Speaking in an address to the nation Friday hours before the cease-fire deal was reached, Aliyev insisted on Azerbaijan’s right to reclaim its territory by force after nearly three decades of international talks that “haven’t yielded an inch of progress.”
His aide, Hikmat Hajiyev, said that the Minsk Group must offer a concrete plan for the Armenian forces’ withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh. “There will be no peace in the South Caucasus until the Armenian troops pull out from the occupied territories,” he said.
Fighting with heavy artillery, warplanes and drones has engulfed Nagorno-Karabakh, with both sides accusing each other of targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
According to the Nagorno-Karabakh military, 404 of its servicemen have been killed since Sept. 27. Azerbaijan hasn’t provided details on its military losses. Scores of civilians on both sides also have been killed.
The current escalation marked the first time that Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey took a high profile in the conflict, offering strong political support. Over the past few years, Turkey provided Azerbaijan with state-of-the-art weapons, including drones and rocket systems that helped the Azerbaijani military outgun the Nagorno-Karabakh separatist forces in the latest fighting.
Armenian officials say Turkey is involved in the conflict and is sending Syrian mercenaries to fight on Azerbaijan’s side. Turkey has denied deploying combatants to the region, but a Syrian war monitor and three Syria-based opposition activists have confirmed that Turkey has sent hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Turkey’s involvement in the conflict raised painful memories in Armenia, where an estimated 1.5 million died in massacres, deportations and forced marches that began in 1915. The event is widely viewed by historians as genocide, but Turkey denies that.
Turkey’s highly visible role in the confrontation worried Russia, which has a military base in Armenia. Russia and Armenia are linked by a security treaty obliging Moscow to offer support to its ally if it comes under aggression.
But at the same time, Russia has sought to maintain strong economic and political ties with oil-rich Azerbaijan and ward off Turkey’s attempt to increase its influence in the South Caucasus without ruining its delicate relations with Ankara.
Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have negotiated a series of deals to coordinate their conflicting interests in Syria and Libya and expanded their economic ties. Last year, NATO member Turkey took the delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense missiles, a move that angered Washington.
A lasting cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh would allow the Kremlin to stem Turkey’s bid to expand its clout in Russia’s backyard without ruining its strategic relationship with Ankara.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the deal was “an important first step, but cannot replace a lasting solution.”
“Since the beginning, Turkey has always underlined that it would only support those solutions which were acceptable to Azerbaijan,” it said.
While Turkey has aspired to join the Minsk Group talks as a co-chair, the statement issued by Armenia and Azerbaijan contained their pledge to maintain the current format of the peace talks.
Speaking in televised remarks after the talks, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan emphasized that “no other country, in particular Turkey, can play any role.”
The French Foreign Ministry hailed the truce announcement, adding that “now it must be put into practice and strictly respected to create conditions for a permanent end to hostilities between the two countries.”
___
Associated Press writers Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia, Aida Sultanova in Baku, Azerbaijan and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--US agency mourns murdered Mexico plant safety inspector

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday it mourned the murder of a Mexican employee of the USDA ’ s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services .
Prosecutors in the northern border city of Tijuana said Edgar Flores Santos was killed by drug traffickers who may have mistaken him for a policeman .
Flores Santos ’ body was found last week near Tijuana and a suspect in the killing has been arrested .
The U.S. inspection service , known by its acronym APHIS , said “ we mourn the loss of a bright agriculturist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , APHIS had threatened to withdraw inspectors in Mexico ’ s avocado belt after they were threatened at gunpoint .
But the service said the murder of Flores Santos would not affect its work in Mexico .
Baja California state prosecutors said Flores Santos worked out of the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana , and APHIS said his job was “ to conduct detection and eradication activities supporting our fruit fly and citrus pest and disease programs in Northern Mexico.
” Prosecutors said a 24-year-old suspect had been arrested in the case .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been caught with methamphetamine .
He is in custody and faces charges of illegally burying a corpse , apparently that of Flores Santos .
Prosecutor said Flores Santos used to go to the area where he was killed , known as Valle Redondo , at least three times a week , on plant inspection work .
But in late September , he was allegedly shot to death by the suspect and other unidentified accomplices .
Flores Santos suffered nine bullet wounds .
“ He was probably mistaken by these men for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Baja California prosecutors ’ office said .
The last violent incident occurred in mid-2019 , when APHIS said a team of inspectors was “ directly threatened ” in Ziracuaretiro , a town in the western state of Michoacan .
While the agency didn ’ t specify what happened , local authorities say a gang robbed the truck the inspectors were travelling in at gunpoint .
At that time , the U.S.D.A .
wrote a letter to Mexico saying : “ For future situations that result in a security breach , or demonstrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of APHIS personnel , we will immediately suspend program activities.
” Such a move could have blocked shipments and devastated Mexico ’ s avocado export industry .
However , this time around APHIS said in a statement that “ APHIS is fully cooperating in the ongoing investigation in Mexico .
However , we don ’ t anticipate any impact to our ability carry out the APHIS mission in the area .
”

MEXICO CITY (AP) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday it mourned the murder of a Mexican employee of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services.
Prosecutors in the northern border city of Tijuana said Edgar Flores Santos was killed by drug traffickers who may have mistaken him for a policeman. Flores Santos’ body was found last week near Tijuana and a suspect in the killing has been arrested.
The U.S. inspection service, known by its acronym APHIS, said “we mourn the loss of a bright agriculturist with a budding career.”
In 2019, APHIS had threatened to withdraw inspectors in Mexico’s avocado belt after they were threatened at gunpoint. But the service said the murder of Flores Santos would not affect its work in Mexico.
Baja California state prosecutors said Flores Santos worked out of the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, and APHIS said his job was “to conduct detection and eradication activities supporting our fruit fly and citrus pest and disease programs in Northern Mexico.”
Prosecutors said a 24-year-old suspect had been arrested in the case. The suspect, who was not named, had been caught with methamphetamine. He is in custody and faces charges of illegally burying a corpse, apparently that of Flores Santos.
Prosecutor said Flores Santos used to go to the area where he was killed, known as Valle Redondo, at least three times a week, on plant inspection work.
But in late September, he was allegedly shot to death by the suspect and other unidentified accomplices. Flores Santos suffered nine bullet wounds.
“He was probably mistaken by these men for an employee of a police force,” the Baja California prosecutors’ office said.
The last violent incident occurred in mid-2019, when APHIS said a team of inspectors was “directly threatened” in Ziracuaretiro, a town in the western state of Michoacan. While the agency didn’t specify what happened, local authorities say a gang robbed the truck the inspectors were travelling in at gunpoint.
At that time, the U.S.D.A. wrote a letter to Mexico saying:“For future situations that result in a security breach, or demonstrate an imminent physical threat to the well-being of APHIS personnel, we will immediately suspend program activities.”
Such a move could have blocked shipments and devastated Mexico’s avocado export industry.
However, this time around APHIS said in a statement that “APHIS is fully cooperating in the ongoing investigation in Mexico. However, we don’t anticipate any impact to our ability carry out the APHIS mission in the area.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Hurricane Delta has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moves inland along the southwestern Louisia

LAKE CHARLES , La .
( AP ) - Hurricane Delta has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it @ @ @ @ @ Louisiana coast .

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - Hurricane Delta has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moves inland along the southwestern Louisiana coast.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Armenia and Azerbaijan say they have agreed on a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting Saturday

MOSCOW ( AP ) - Armenia and Azerbaijan say they have agreed on a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting Saturday .

MOSCOW (AP) - Armenia and Azerbaijan say they have agreed on a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting Saturday.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Man tased by Forest Grove police in critical condition

FOREST GROVE , Ore. ( AP ) - A man is in a hospital in critical condition after Forest Grove police officers tased him and he stopped breathing late Wednesday .
Forest Grove police in a news release Friday said officers responded to a report of a man with no shirt on , “ running up and down the street with a flag pole ” at 11:50 p.m. , The Oregonian/OregonLive reported .
Police say James Marshall , 44 , was found at a church and was uncooperative , erratic , making threatening moves with the aluminum flag pole , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officers tried to de-escalate the situation , according to the release .
But after officers decided to take Marshall into custody he assaulted one of them , police said .
Marshall was tased during the arrest , according to the release .
Four officers were involved in the “ use of force ” incident , officials said .
According to police , “ immediately ” after the use of force , officers noticed Marshall “ appeared to have stopped breathing.
” Life-saving efforts , including the use of an automated external defibrillator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hospital .

FOREST GROVE, Ore. (AP) - A man is in a hospital in critical condition after Forest Grove police officers tased him and he stopped breathing late Wednesday.
Forest Grove police in a news release Friday said officers responded to a report of a man with no shirt on, “running up and down the street with a flag pole” at 11:50 p.m., The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
Police say James Marshall, 44, was found at a church and was uncooperative, erratic, making threatening moves with the aluminum flag pole, and attempting to damage church property.
Officers tried to de-escalate the situation, according to the release. But after officers decided to take Marshall into custody he assaulted one of them, police said.
Marshall was tased during the arrest, according to the release. Four officers were involved in the “use of force” incident, officials said.
According to police, “immediately” after the use of force, officers noticed Marshall “appeared to have stopped breathing.” Life-saving efforts, including the use of an automated external defibrillator, were started and he was taken to a hospital.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Van Dyke ends effort to overturn McDonald murder conviction

CHICAGO ( AP ) - The former Chicago police officer imprisoned for the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald on Friday ended an effort to overturn his conviction .
An Illinois appellate court allowed Jason Van Dyke to withdraw his appeal , meaning he will serve out his sentence without further court proceedings .
Van Dyke ’ s attorney filed a motion with the court Sept. 29 , 2020 , asking that his appeal be dropped .
Attorney Jennifer Blagg said Van Dyke decided to withdraw his appeal because he ’ s trying to move on with his life .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest of all the parties involved , including the McDonald family , that there be some finality , ” Blagg said .
Van Dyke was convicted in 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery in McDonald ’ s killing .
He was sentenced to six years , nine months in prison .
Kane County State ’ s Attorney Joseph McMahon was appointed special prosecutor in the Van Dyke case .
“ Mr .
Van Dyke ’ s decision prevents additional years of litigation , bringing finality to the thorough prosecution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were protected and justice was served , ” McMahon said in a statement .
McMahon and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul appealed Van Dyke ’ s sentence , contending it didn ’ t match the severity of the crime .
The Illinois Supreme Court last year let the sentence stand , offering no explanation of its decision .
Van Dyke shot McDonald in October 2014 as the 17-year-old walked away from police on a Southwest Side street while holding a knife .
Video of Van Dyke firing 16 shots at McDonald prompted protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago Police Department and the firing of the police superintendent , among other changes .
For the AP ’ s complete coverage of the Jason Van Dyke case : https : //apnews.com/tag/LaquanMcDonald

CHICAGO (AP) - The former Chicago police officer imprisoned for the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald on Friday ended an effort to overturn his conviction.
An Illinois appellate court allowed Jason Van Dyke to withdraw his appeal, meaning he will serve out his sentence without further court proceedings.
Van Dyke’s attorney filed a motion with the court Sept. 29, 2020, asking that his appeal be dropped. Attorney Jennifer Blagg said Van Dyke decided to withdraw his appeal because he’s trying to move on with his life.
“He thought it was in the best interest of all the parties involved, including the McDonald family, that there be some finality,” Blagg said.
Van Dyke was convicted in 2018 of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery in McDonald’s killing. He was sentenced to six years, nine months in prison.
Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon was appointed special prosecutor in the Van Dyke case.
“Mr. Van Dyke’s decision prevents additional years of litigation, bringing finality to the thorough prosecution of this case in which his rights were protected and justice was served,” McMahon said in a statement.
McMahon and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul appealed Van Dyke’s sentence, contending it didn’t match the severity of the crime. The Illinois Supreme Court last year let the sentence stand, offering no explanation of its decision.
Van Dyke shot McDonald in October 2014 as the 17-year-old walked away from police on a Southwest Side street while holding a knife. Video of Van Dyke firing 16 shots at McDonald prompted protests, a U.S. Justice Department investigation of the Chicago Police Department and the firing of the police superintendent, among other changes.
___
For the AP’s complete coverage of the Jason Van Dyke case: https://apnews.com/tag/LaquanMcDonald


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Schools allege overreach by New Mexico education secretary

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - A coalition of school districts is challenging the authority of Democratic Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham ’ s education secretary to drastically limit in-person instruction , dictate COVID-19 testing procedures and ensure employment for school staff whether they return to work or not .
A lawsuit filed Tuesday in state court asked a state judge to limit a litany of measures implemented during the pandemic , from mandating COVID-19 testing of staff to dictating how and when student lunches are distributed .
“ This is about local control and the competence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We don ’ t need to be micromanaged .
This is not about avoiding the science or avoiding safety protocol , ” Gallup-McKinley School District Superintendent Mike Hyatt said .
The Gallup-McKinley School District , on the outskirts of the Navajo Nation that was ravaged by early outbreaks of coronavirus , is one of the plaintiffs .
An injunction in the case could severely limit the education department ’ s ability to implement what state officials describe as a science-based process of limiting risk in schools .
A ruling against the education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include each detail in its public health order , or submit to a lengthy rule-making process .
Hyatt said an injunction would also allow schools to decide which at-risk students should be allowed to attend school in person .
Currently , younger children are prioritized by the state .
Hyatt suggests that students without internet access could be a priority for in-person learning .
It ’ s the latest lawsuit aimed at limiting the power of the executive branch to use health orders to direct decisions in public education .
Another recent lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argues the state ’ s orders violate federal protections for disabled students .
The latest lawsuit argues the state has meddled in budgets that should be controlled by school boards , forced districts to spend money on staff who aren ’ t working and subtracted federal CARES Act money assigned to districts from state funding .
New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham has received praise for keeping the COVID-19 in check .
But she is facing a simmering revolt over an ongoing ban of in-person learning for most students .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration that has on its shoulders the tremendous task of keeping our students and communities healthy while also maximizing in-person learning during these challenging times , ” said Public Education Department Secretary Ryan Stewart , who is named in the lawsuit .
“ We are fully cognizant of the need to do both , and I have tried , with every decision , to balance those goals .
Protecting health and safety means schools must implement proactive , science-backed measures , even as we recognize difficult challenges for those who must implement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of online learning have fallen disproportionately on the shoulders of low-income and rural students .
In metro Albuquerque , about 90 percent of students have been able to connect to online learning throughout the pandemic .
The school board there decided to stay online through the rest of the year , even for K-5 students who were recently given the green light to go back to school by the state education and public health officials .
In New Mexico ’ s periphery , however , especially in predominantly Native American areas like Gallup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connecting to remote schooling .
“ The problem is we ’ re an extremely rural state .
And in our area , it ’ s probably compounded by the high level of poverty and lack of infrastructure , even basic utilities that compounds the problem , ” Hyatt said .
The lawsuit includes a litany of complaints about directives by the education department that the schools argue are unlawful , either because they violate the state constitution ’ s commitment to adequate education , or because they lacked the authority of the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleges that in late March , the education department sent an email requiring schools to give away supplies like toilet paper and cleaning supplies .
It says a mandate to “ randomly ” test teachers for COVID-19 may violate federal laws protecting worker rights , and that an order to keep unnecessary staff on the payroll goes against constitutional provisions barring government entities from giving aid to individuals or companies .
The lawsuit was submitted to New Mexico ’ s first judicial court , where it was assigned to Judge Matthew Wilson .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools and other plaintiffs in Martinez/Yazzie , refusing to dismiss a lawsuit finding that the state had failed its constitutional obligation to provide adequate education to low-income , disabled , Native American , and English-learning students .
That lawsuit , filed in 2014 , was ruled on before the pandemic began and continues to hang over the heads of the Lujan Grisham Administration and the state legislature .
Separate lawsuits have scratched at the state ’ s authority over schools in federal courts , but they haven ’ t had immediate success .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ down a request for an injunction against health requirements that restrict private school capacity , while another considered a complaint on behalf of special needs students whose parents want them to attend school in person .
The state education department has created exceptions for special needs students to attend in-person schooling , as long as they study in very small groups .
Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A coalition of school districts is challenging the authority of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s education secretary to drastically limit in-person instruction, dictate COVID-19 testing procedures and ensure employment for school staff whether they return to work or not.
A lawsuit filed Tuesday in state court asked a state judge to limit a litany of measures implemented during the pandemic, from mandating COVID-19 testing of staff to dictating how and when student lunches are distributed.
“This is about local control and the competence of our school boards to make these decisions. We don’t need to be micromanaged. This is not about avoiding the science or avoiding safety protocol,” Gallup-McKinley School District Superintendent Mike Hyatt said.
The Gallup-McKinley School District, on the outskirts of the Navajo Nation that was ravaged by early outbreaks of coronavirus, is one of the plaintiffs.
An injunction in the case could severely limit the education department’s ability to implement what state officials describe as a science-based process of limiting risk in schools. A ruling against the education department could require the governor to explicitly include each detail in its public health order, or submit to a lengthy rule-making process.
Hyatt said an injunction would also allow schools to decide which at-risk students should be allowed to attend school in person. Currently, younger children are prioritized by the state. Hyatt suggests that students without internet access could be a priority for in-person learning.
It’s the latest lawsuit aimed at limiting the power of the executive branch to use health orders to direct decisions in public education. Another recent lawsuit filed in a New Mexico district court argues the state’s orders violate federal protections for disabled students.
The latest lawsuit argues the state has meddled in budgets that should be controlled by school boards, forced districts to spend money on staff who aren’t working and subtracted federal CARES Act money assigned to districts from state funding.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has received praise for keeping the COVID-19 in check. But she is facing a simmering revolt over an ongoing ban of in-person learning for most students.
“I am humbled to be part of an administration that has on its shoulders the tremendous task of keeping our students and communities healthy while also maximizing in-person learning during these challenging times,” said Public Education Department Secretary Ryan Stewart, who is named in the lawsuit. “We are fully cognizant of the need to do both, and I have tried, with every decision, to balance those goals. Protecting health and safety means schools must implement proactive, science-backed measures, even as we recognize difficult challenges for those who must implement and abide by those measures.”
The challenges of online learning have fallen disproportionately on the shoulders of low-income and rural students.
In metro Albuquerque, about 90 percent of students have been able to connect to online learning throughout the pandemic. The school board there decided to stay online through the rest of the year, even for K-5 students who were recently given the green light to go back to school by the state education and public health officials.
In New Mexico’s periphery, however, especially in predominantly Native American areas like Gallup, around half of students have been connecting to remote schooling.
“The problem is we’re an extremely rural state. And in our area, it’s probably compounded by the high level of poverty and lack of infrastructure, even basic utilities that compounds the problem,” Hyatt said.
The lawsuit includes a litany of complaints about directives by the education department that the schools argue are unlawful, either because they violate the state constitution’s commitment to adequate education, or because they lacked the authority of the governor’s health order.
The lawsuit alleges that in late March, the education department sent an email requiring schools to give away supplies like toilet paper and cleaning supplies. It says a mandate to “randomly” test teachers for COVID-19 may violate federal laws protecting worker rights, and that an order to keep unnecessary staff on the payroll goes against constitutional provisions barring government entities from giving aid to individuals or companies.
The lawsuit was submitted to New Mexico’s first judicial court, where it was assigned to Judge Matthew Wilson.
In June, Wilson sided with Gallup-McKinely schools and other plaintiffs in Martinez/Yazzie, refusing to dismiss a lawsuit finding that the state had failed its constitutional obligation to provide adequate education to low-income, disabled, Native American, and English-learning students. That lawsuit, filed in 2014, was ruled on before the pandemic began and continues to hang over the heads of the Lujan Grisham Administration and the state legislature.
Separate lawsuits have scratched at the state’s authority over schools in federal courts, but they haven’t had immediate success. Last week, a federal judge turned down a request for an injunction against health requirements that restrict private school capacity, while another considered a complaint on behalf of special needs students whose parents want them to attend school in person.
The state education department has created exceptions for special needs students to attend in-person schooling, as long as they study in very small groups.
___
Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Attanasio on Twitter.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--McGrath requests COVID tests ahead of debate with McConnell

LOUISVILLE , Ky. ( AP ) - Days before what could be her only face-to-face showdown with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , Democratic challenger Amy McGrath said Friday that anyone attending their debate should be tested for COVID-19 .
McGrath made the request in a letter to WKYT , the Lexington TV station where she and the Republican senator are scheduled to debate Monday evening .
McGrath said the test results should be provided to the station ahead of time to ensure the safety of everyone involved .
“ Sen .
McConnell has a duty to Kentuckians to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following CDC guidelines , ” she said in a statement .
When asked recently whether he ’ s undergone COVID tests , McConnell has consistently said he ’ s following CDC guidelines .
His campaign responded to McGrath ’ s request by pointing to a recent statement from the senator : “ I ’ m unaware where Amy McGrath went to medical school , but I take my health care advice from my doctor , not my political opponent.
” McConnell has steadfastly called on people to wear masks and socially distance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The debate - their first faceoff of the campaign - will be aired on Gray Television ’ s Kentucky-based stations .
It comes near the end of a campaign that has been waged in distance , with the two sparring in hard-edged TV ads .
McConnell has consistently led in polling in the big-spending race .
WKYT news director Robert Thomas on Friday outlined precautions being taken for the debate .
Gray Television and WKYT have followed CDC and state public health guidance on COVID-19 safety protocols since the pandemic began , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gray facility must be free of COVID-19 symptoms for at least 10 days and will have their temperature taken at the door .
During the debate , only the moderator and candidates will be in the studio , which uses robotic cameras , Thomas said .
They will be at least 20 feet from one another , he said .
Also , plexiglass shields will be on the sides of the desks where the candidates are to be seated .
“ Naturally , if the candidates agree to additional safety protocols , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Thomas said in a statement .
As an added precaution , all employees scheduled to work in WKYT ’ s building during the debate are being tested , he said .
Also , each campaign was asked to keep its number of guests to a minimum .
Kentucky has been hit by another surge of coronavirus cases in recent weeks .
The pandemic disrupted another high-stakes Senate race on Friday .
Hours before a second scheduled debate in South Carolina between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison , event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-on-one interviews .
The switch came after Harrison challenged Graham to take a COVID-19 test and the senator refused .

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Days before what could be her only face-to-face showdown with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic challenger Amy McGrath said Friday that anyone attending their debate should be tested for COVID-19.
McGrath made the request in a letter to WKYT, the Lexington TV station where she and the Republican senator are scheduled to debate Monday evening. McGrath said the test results should be provided to the station ahead of time to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
“Sen. McConnell has a duty to Kentuckians to keep them safe and set an example on following CDC guidelines,” she said in a statement.
When asked recently whether he’s undergone COVID tests, McConnell has consistently said he’s following CDC guidelines. His campaign responded to McGrath’s request by pointing to a recent statement from the senator: “I’m unaware where Amy McGrath went to medical school, but I take my health care advice from my doctor, not my political opponent.”
McConnell has steadfastly called on people to wear masks and socially distance to contain the spread of the virus.
The debate - their first faceoff of the campaign - will be aired on Gray Television’s Kentucky-based stations. It comes near the end of a campaign that has been waged in distance, with the two sparring in hard-edged TV ads. McConnell has consistently led in polling in the big-spending race.
WKYT news director Robert Thomas on Friday outlined precautions being taken for the debate.
Gray Television and WKYT have followed CDC and state public health guidance on COVID-19 safety protocols since the pandemic began, he said.
Thomas said anyone entering a Gray facility must be free of COVID-19 symptoms for at least 10 days and will have their temperature taken at the door.
During the debate, only the moderator and candidates will be in the studio, which uses robotic cameras, Thomas said. They will be at least 20 feet from one another, he said. Also, plexiglass shields will be on the sides of the desks where the candidates are to be seated.
“Naturally, if the candidates agree to additional safety protocols, we will abide by those as well,” Thomas said in a statement.
As an added precaution, all employees scheduled to work in WKYT’s building during the debate are being tested, he said. Also, each campaign was asked to keep its number of guests to a minimum.
Kentucky has been hit by another surge of coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
The pandemic disrupted another high-stakes Senate race on Friday. Hours before a second scheduled debate in South Carolina between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison, event organizers changed the format to back-to-back, one-on-one interviews. The switch came after Harrison challenged Graham to take a COVID-19 test and the senator refused.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--California fire investigators seize utility equipment

SAN FRANCISCO ( AP ) - Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession of equipment belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric , the utility reported Friday .
PG & E ; said in a filing with the Public Utilities Commission that investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection seized some of its electrical equipment near where the Zogg Fire started Sept. 27 .
The fire erupted in Shasta County during high winds and quickly grew , killing four people in the community of Igo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighboring Tehama County .
As of Friday , it had scorched 88 square miles ( nearly 228 square kilometers ) and destroyed more than 200 buildings , about half of them homes .
It was almost fully contained .
The utility said it does not have access to the evidence collected by Cal Fire , which has yet to determine a cause for the fire .
PG & E ; , the nation ’ s largest utility , recently emerged from bankruptcy stemming from financial fallout from several devastating wildfires caused by its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and destroyed more than 27,000 homes and other buildings in 2017 and 2018 .
Customers in the area where the fire started , near Zogg Mine Road and Jenny Bird Lane north of Igo , are served by a 12,000-volt PG & E ; circuit .
On the day the Zogg Fire began , the utility ’ s automated equipment in the area “ reported alarms and other activity between approximately 2:40 p.m. and 3:06 p.m. , ” PG & E ; told regulators .
The line was then de-activated .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the victims as Alaina Michelle Rowe , 45 , who was found dead along a road on Sept. 28 .
The sheriff ’ s department said another victim was a minor but did not report the identity .
KRCR-TV in Redding reported that Rowe and her eight-year-old daughter Feyla died as they tried to escape the fire .
The two other victims , also found a day after the fire started , are Karin King , 79 , who was found on the road where the fire started , and Kenneth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burns that day and later died in a hospital .
PG & E ; said in a statement that it is cooperating with the investigation .
“ We recognize the tragic losses sustained as a result of this year ’ s fire season and are thankful , as always , for the efforts of the first responders who have worked tirelessly to contain the fires and protect the lives and property of California residents , ” the statement said .

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession of equipment belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric, the utility reported Friday.
PG&E said in a filing with the Public Utilities Commission that investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection seized some of its electrical equipment near where the Zogg Fire started Sept. 27.
The fire erupted in Shasta County during high winds and quickly grew, killing four people in the community of Igo, population 600. It later spread to neighboring Tehama County. As of Friday, it had scorched 88 square miles (nearly 228 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 200 buildings, about half of them homes. It was almost fully contained.
The utility said it does not have access to the evidence collected by Cal Fire, which has yet to determine a cause for the fire.
PG&E, the nation’s largest utility, recently emerged from bankruptcy stemming from financial fallout from several devastating wildfires caused by its utility equipment that killed more than 100 people and destroyed more than 27,000 homes and other buildings in 2017 and 2018.
Customers in the area where the fire started, near Zogg Mine Road and Jenny Bird Lane north of Igo, are served by a 12,000-volt PG&E circuit. On the day the Zogg Fire began, the utility’s automated equipment in the area “reported alarms and other activity between approximately 2:40 p.m. and 3:06 p.m.,” PG&E told regulators. The line was then de-activated.
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office identified one of the victims as Alaina Michelle Rowe, 45, who was found dead along a road on Sept. 28. The sheriff’s department said another victim was a minor but did not report the identity. KRCR-TV in Redding reported that Rowe and her eight-year-old daughter Feyla died as they tried to escape the fire.
The two other victims, also found a day after the fire started, are Karin King, 79, who was found on the road where the fire started, and Kenneth Vossen, 52, who suffered serious burns that day and later died in a hospital.
PG&E said in a statement that it is cooperating with the investigation.
“We recognize the tragic losses sustained as a result of this year’s fire season and are thankful, as always, for the efforts of the first responders who have worked tirelessly to contain the fires and protect the lives and property of California residents,” the statement said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-09--Gov. Kelly seeks nonpartisan panel after gerrymandering talk

WICHITA , Kan. ( AP ) - Kansas Gov .
Laura Kelly on Friday called for the creation of a nonpartisan commission to handle redrawing state legislative and congressional districts after a video surfaced that shows a top Republican lawmaker discuss how gerrymandering can help oust the state ’ s sole Democratic member of Congress .
Senate President Susan Wagle can be seen in the video talking to a conservative Wichita group in September about the importance of winning upcoming elections .
She said the wins were crucial so Republicans will have the votes to override an anticipated Kelly veto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it possible to unseat U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids , who represents the 3rd congressional district in the Kansas City area .
“ I was going to wait on this announcement , but in light of Wagle ’ s comments sort of explaining how Kansas Republican leadership wants to manipulate electoral maps , I ’ m going to go ahead and come out now and call for a nonpartisan voting commission to be established to oversee our new electoral maps , ” Kelly , a Democrat , said in a phone interview with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eagle .
Current state law calls for the Legislature to pass and the governor to sign new maps every decade .
Wagle , who isn ’ t running for reelection , said on the video , “ I guarantee you we can draw four Republican congressional maps.
” Wagle said Friday that redistricting is a “ political process ” and added that she ’ s working to ensure Republicans are elected to serve as a check on Kelly and “ make sure we have a powerful seat at the reapportionment table .
”

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday called for the creation of a nonpartisan commission to handle redrawing state legislative and congressional districts after a video surfaced that shows a top Republican lawmaker discuss how gerrymandering can help oust the state’s sole Democratic member of Congress.
Senate President Susan Wagle can be seen in the video talking to a conservative Wichita group in September about the importance of winning upcoming elections. She said the wins were crucial so Republicans will have the votes to override an anticipated Kelly veto of a GOP-drawn congressional map that would make it possible to unseat U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, who represents the 3rd congressional district in the Kansas City area.
“I was going to wait on this announcement, but in light of Wagle’s comments sort of explaining how Kansas Republican leadership wants to manipulate electoral maps, I’m going to go ahead and come out now and call for a nonpartisan voting commission to be established to oversee our new electoral maps,” Kelly, a Democrat, said in a phone interview with The Kansas City Star and The Wichita Eagle.
Current state law calls for the Legislature to pass and the governor to sign new maps every decade. Wagle, who isn’t running for reelection, said on the video, “I guarantee you we can draw four Republican congressional maps.”
Wagle said Friday that redistricting is a “political process” and added that she’s working to ensure Republicans are elected to serve as a check on Kelly and “make sure we have a powerful seat at the reapportionment table.”