washingtontimes--2020-08-18--News outlet sorry for banana thrown at Harlem Globetrotter

A Black member of the Harlem Globetrotters said two white news anchors threw fruits , including a banana , at him while he was performing basketball tricks on an Alabama news show earlier this year .
Maxwell Pearce spoke about the matter Saturday on social media , a day after WBRC-TV aired a show that featured an interview with Pearce about the January incident on Good Day Alabama .
During that same newscast , WBRC News Director Shannon Isbell offered an on-air apology to Pearce .
“ In a moment of levity during a segment , two members of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a basketball , ” Isbell said during the show .
“ One of them threw a banana without knowing the racial implications of that action.
” An edited version of the segment posted on Pearce ’ s YouTube page shows a tangerine being thrown at him during the show by Mickey Ferguson , a weather forecaster on the show .
Pearce , 24 , hands the tangerine back to Ferguson before someone behind the camera once again throws the fruit back at Pearce .
The video then shows the banana being thrown at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fruit , I was so stunned and shocked that I didn ’ t even know how to react , ” Pearce told The Associated Press .
He was on the show promoting an upcoming game with the Globetrotters , an exhibition team known for its combination of comedy and athleticism .
He notified the team about the incident , and he says it reached out to the Birmingham news station back in February .
The Harlem Globetrotters did not immediately respond to AP ’ s request for comment .
“ Fox ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to receive an apology from the news director , and not from the actual anchors who threw the fruit , ” Pearce said .
The director , Isbell , expressed remorse about the incident during an initial call to the team though a conversation between her and Pearce never occurred , according to Andrea Price , Pearce ’ s manager .
He also did not receive an apology from the anchors .
A few months later in June , Pearce revisited the issue amid the spotlight on racism arising from national protests against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hear stories like that , you think about your own experiences , ” he said .
“ We were told a public apology would be issued by the news anchors who threw the fruits.
” The basketball player said that never happened .
Instead , he says the news station offered him an interview with Clare Huddleston , the anchor he accuses of throwing the banana at him .
“ It would have been opportunity to educate her on why this act was offensive , ” he said .
Those plans were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pearce went on to have the interview , which aired on Friday , with Isbell .
In a statement to AL.com , Isbell said both parties wanted the interview to be a learning moment .
“ Implicit bias is real , ” the news outlet quotes her as saying .
“ A lack of cultural awareness exists in many of us .
I want to encourage others to look for those blind spots and learn from our mistake.
” During the taping , Pearce said he “ explained in detail why this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the history of Black people in human zoos.
” Both Pearce and Price say the interview that aired omitted parts of the conversation where Pearce spoke about the historical context behind the incident .
“ I think this was an unfortunate incident for Max , ” Price said .
“ He never reacted irrationally to what happened , and I think he was always trying to get to a point or a situation where something meaningful and impactful could come from this experience.
” Isbell has also offered a statement apologizing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlet .
“ An on-air segment promoting a Globetrotters event with Mr. Pearce in January was intended to be lighthearted , ” she said .
“ However , it became something deeply hurtful to our guest as the result of our lack of understanding .
We are grateful for the several enlightening , educational conversations we have had with Max over the last two months .
I was happy to have him on our show about racial inequality and faith that aired last Friday .
”

A Black member of the Harlem Globetrotters is speaking out about an incident earlier this year where fruits, including a banana, were thrown at him by white news broadcasters as he was performing basketball tricks on an Alabama news show.
Maxwell Pearce discussed the matter Saturday on social media, a day after WBRC-TV aired a show that featured an interview with Pearce about the January incident on Good Day Alabama. During that same newscast, WBRC News Director Shannon Isbell offered an on-air apology to Pearce.
“In a moment of levity during a segment, two members of my team were tossing fruit as well as a basketball,” Isbell said during the show. “One of them threw a banana without knowing the racial implications of that action.”
An edited version of the segment posted on Pearce’s YouTube page shows a tangerine being thrown at him during the show by Mickey Ferguson, a weather forecaster on the show.
Pearce, 24, hands the tangerine back to Ferguson before someone behind the camera once again throws the fruit back at Pearce. The video then shows the banana being thrown at him.
“When I caught the fruit, I was so stunned and shocked that I didn’t even know how to react,” Pearce told The Associated Press.
He was on the show promoting an upcoming game with the Globetrotters, an exhibition team known for its combination of comedy and athleticism. He notified the team about the incident, and he says it reached out to the Birmingham news station back in February.
The Harlem Globetrotters did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comment.
“Fox’s reaction was to have me call them to receive an apology from the news director, and not from the actual anchors who threw the fruit,” Pearce said.
The director, Isbell, expressed remorse about the incident during an initial call to the team though a conversation between her and Pearce never occurred, according to Andrea Price, Pearce’s manager. He also did not receive an apology from the anchors.
A few months later in June, Pearce revisited the issue amid the spotlight on racism arising from national protests against police brutality.
“When you see and hear stories like that, you think about your own experiences,” he said. “We were told a public apology would be issued by the news anchors who threw the fruits.”
The basketball player said that never happened. Instead, he says the news station offered him an interview with Clare Huddleston, the anchor he accuses of throwing the banana at him.
“It would have been opportunity to educate her on why this act was offensive,” he said. Those plans were also abandoned, according to Price.
Pearce went on to have the interview, which aired on Friday, with Isbell.
In a statement to AL.com, Isbell said both parties wanted the interview to be a learning moment. “Implicit bias is real,” the news outlet quotes her as saying. “A lack of cultural awareness exists in many of us. I want to encourage others to look for those blind spots and learn from our mistake.”
During the taping, Pearce said he “explained in detail why this is so offensive” and provided context on “the history of Black people in human zoos.” Both Pearce and Price say the interview that aired omitted parts of the conversation where Pearce spoke about the historical context behind the incident.
“I think this was an unfortunate incident for Max,” Price said. “He never reacted irrationally to what happened, and I think he was always trying to get to a point or a situation where something meaningful and impactful could come from this experience.”
Isbell has also offered a statement apologizing for the incident on behalf of the news outlet.
“An on-air segment promoting a Globetrotters event with Mr. Pearce in January was intended to be lighthearted,” she said. “However, it became something deeply hurtful to our guest as the result of our lack of understanding. We are grateful for the several enlightening, educational conversations we have had with Max over the last two months. I was happy to have him on our show about racial inequality and faith that aired last Friday.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-18--Denver police look for masked suspects in fire that killed 5

DENVER ( AP ) - Police released a surveillance photo Tuesday of three people believed to have started a house fire in suburban Denver that killed five recent immigrants from the West African nation of Senegal .
Investigators said the suspects , wearing full face masks and dark hoodies , fled in a dark-colored sedan after the fire was set in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood , a relatively new development of closely spaced homes near Denver International Airport .
Authorities have offered a $ 14,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for setting the blaze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 .
Killed were Djibril and Adja Diol , along with their 22-month-old daughter Khadija , as well as relative Hassan Diol and her infant daughter Hawa Baye .
Three other people managed to escape by jumping from the second floor of the home .
Police , fire officials and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives are investigating because there are indications that it was arson , Joe Montoya , division chief of investigations for Denver police , said shortly after the fire .
He would not elaborate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not want to compromise the investigation .
Some Muslim advocacy groups have called on police to consider the possibility of a hate crime , but Montoya has said detectives are looking at all possible angles to avoid getting “ tunnel vision.
” Denver Fire Department Capt .
Greg Pixley said the victims ’ bodies were discovered after firefighters extinguished the blaze , which was first reported by a police officer at 2:40 a.m .
Neighbor Maria Mendoza said she was awakened by noise and someone screaming , “ Get the baby out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about that time .
She ran to a window and saw flames and plumes of smoke rising from the home just down the street .
“ I awoke my husband , and he ran outside to see if he could help .
But there was nothing he could do .
The fire was too big , ” Mendoza said .
A police officer trying to rescue people was pushed back by the fire ’ s heat .
It appears that those who died were all on the first floor .
After the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French that he was monitoring the investigation closely , and he wished the surviving victims a speedy recovery .
Senegal Consul General Elhadji Ndao flew to Denver at the request of his country ’ s leaders and said he is looking forward to the investigation .
“ We trust and have confidence in the legal system in this country and this city , and we have confidence that the investigation will take its course and what is proper in terms of diligence will be done , ” he said , standing in front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ndao , who was joined by members of the Senegalese community who gathered to mourn the victims , added , “ It ’ s unfortunate that a whole family was gone in this tragic event .
”

DENVER (AP) - Police released a surveillance photo Tuesday of three people believed to have started a house fire in suburban Denver that killed five recent immigrants from the West African nation of Senegal.
Investigators said the suspects, wearing full face masks and dark hoodies, fled in a dark-colored sedan after the fire was set in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, a relatively new development of closely spaced homes near Denver International Airport. Authorities have offered a $14,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for setting the blaze in the early morning hours of Aug. 5.
Killed were Djibril and Adja Diol, along with their 22-month-old daughter Khadija, as well as relative Hassan Diol and her infant daughter Hawa Baye. Three other people managed to escape by jumping from the second floor of the home.
Police, fire officials and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating because there are indications that it was arson, Joe Montoya, division chief of investigations for Denver police, said shortly after the fire. He would not elaborate on the evidence because he said he did not want to compromise the investigation.
Some Muslim advocacy groups have called on police to consider the possibility of a hate crime, but Montoya has said detectives are looking at all possible angles to avoid getting “tunnel vision.”
Denver Fire Department Capt. Greg Pixley said the victims’ bodies were discovered after firefighters extinguished the blaze, which was first reported by a police officer at 2:40 a.m.
Neighbor Maria Mendoza said she was awakened by noise and someone screaming, “Get the baby out! Get the baby out!” about that time. She ran to a window and saw flames and plumes of smoke rising from the home just down the street.
“I awoke my husband, and he ran outside to see if he could help. But there was nothing he could do. The fire was too big,” Mendoza said.
A police officer trying to rescue people was pushed back by the fire’s heat. It appears that those who died were all on the first floor.
After the fire, Senegal President Macky Sall tweeted in French that he was monitoring the investigation closely, and he wished the surviving victims a speedy recovery. Senegal Consul General Elhadji Ndao flew to Denver at the request of his country’s leaders and said he is looking forward to the investigation.
“We trust and have confidence in the legal system in this country and this city, and we have confidence that the investigation will take its course and what is proper in terms of diligence will be done,” he said, standing in front of the remnants of the charred home.
Ndao, who was joined by members of the Senegalese community who gathered to mourn the victims, added, “It’s unfortunate that a whole family was gone in this tragic event.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Detailed plans in place for careful removal of Lee statue

RICHMOND , Va. ( AP ) - When the bronze equestrian statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee arrived by rail in Richmond from Paris in 1890 , it took 10,000 men , women and children to haul its pieces more than a mile to the site where the towering monument was erected as a tribute to a Confederate hero .
Now , 130 years later , conservation experts who plan to relocate , yet preserve , the statue face the intricate logistics of disassembling and transporting it to a storage facility .
They must also ensure worker safety amid heated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an important piece of Southern heritage or a symbol of white supremacy and racism .
Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam announced plans to remove the 13-ton ( 12-metric ton ) sculpture in June , after the death of George Floyd sparked a nationwide protest movement over racial inequality and police brutality .
Floyd , a Black man , died in May after a white Minneapolis police officer put his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes .
The plan to remove the monument - an imposing , 21-foot ( 6.4-meter ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horse that sits atop a granite pedestal nearly twice that high - has been halted at least temporarily by a lawsuit .
But Northam has vowed to quickly take down the state-owned statue if and when a judge lifts an injunction barring its removal .
Now covered by graffiti , the Lee monument has become the epicenter of the protest movement in Richmond , a former capital of the Confederacy that has moved slowly in shedding vestiges of its past .
Four other city-owned Confederate statues on Richmond ’ s historic Monument Avenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sometimes-violent protests .
B.R .
Howard Conservation , a Pennsylvania company that specializes in art conservation and historic preservation projects , has developed a plan that calls for removing 16 bronze pins to separate the statue from its base , removing the harness and reins of Lee ’ s horse , then attaching padded straps and using a crane to lift it and lower it to the ground .
A 100-ton ( 90.7-metric ton ) crane brought in from Connecticut was used to remove large statues of Confederate Gens .
J.E.B .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ DiPasquale , a sculptor who designed and built Richmond ’ s monument to Black tennis legend Arthur Ashe and served as a consultant on the removals of the Stuart and Jackson statues .
A similarly large crane is expected to be used to take down the Lee statue .
Because of its enormous size , the statue will then be cut into three pieces so that it can fit under highway overpasses with height restrictions of between 13 1/2 to 14 feet ( 4.1 to 4.3 meters ) as it is taken to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration has said it will seek public input on the statue ’ s future .
DiPasquale said taking down the statue could present some challenges , but can be done safely while preserving the artistic integrity of the sculpture , one of the largest and most recognizable Confederate statues in the U.S. “ Lifting it is a challenge , where to cut it is a challenge and then how to load it , you want it to travel safely , ” he said .
DiPasquale said there is strong public interest in witnessing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historical significance and symbolism of removing Confederate icons .
“ Once removed , it severs the history of why it ’ s been there and why it ’ s coming down , ” he said .
“ That is a milestone in our cultural experience , and I think whether it ’ s conscious or not , that ’ s why people want to be there.
” The plan calls for cutting the statue along existing folds and seams to minimize any damage .
Based on written accounts describing the assembly of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be cut will include the cast base and the legs of Lee ’ s horse ; the second section , the body and head of the horse ; and the third , the figure of Lee , from the waist up .
The conservator recommends putting up a partition so that the work can be done “ away from the view of the public for their safety and protection of the crew.
” Confederate monument removals have provoked high tensions elsewhere in the U.S .
In New Orleans , contractors involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate monuments in 2017 faced threats .
They often wore bulletproof vests , helmets and face coverings to shield their identities as the work took place , sometimes in the overnight hours .
Then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu proposed the monuments ’ removal after the 2015 massacre of nine black parishioners at a South Carolina church by a gunman who was an avowed racist and brandished Confederate battle flags in photos .
B.R .
Howard has a separate plan for disassembling the Lee monument ’ s 40-foot ( 12.2-meter ) high pedestal , which may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s administration has not yet made a decision about that part of the monument .
The plan calls for photographing or creating a three-dimensional scan of the pedestal .
An inventory will be done to identify and locate hundreds of granite blocks and carved decorative elements .
Then , workers will cut mortar joints to separate the individual pieces .
All of the disassembled granite blocks will be placed on pallets and layered with padding to protect them during relocation and storage .
The Lee statue was created by the internationally renowned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ masterpiece , ” according to its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places , where it has been listed since 2007 .

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - When the bronze equestrian statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee arrived by rail in Richmond from Paris in 1890, it took 10,000 men, women and children to haul its pieces more than a mile to the site where the towering monument was erected as a tribute to a Confederate hero.
Now, 130 years later, conservation experts who plan to relocate, yet preserve, the statue face the intricate logistics of disassembling and transporting it to a storage facility. They must also ensure worker safety amid heated public debate over whether the statue is an important piece of Southern heritage or a symbol of white supremacy and racism.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced plans to remove the 13-ton (12-metric ton) sculpture in June, after the death of George Floyd sparked a nationwide protest movement over racial inequality and police brutality. Floyd, a Black man, died in May after a white Minneapolis police officer put his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes.
The plan to remove the monument - an imposing, 21-foot (6.4-meter) tall bronze likeness of Lee on a horse that sits atop a granite pedestal nearly twice that high - has been halted at least temporarily by a lawsuit. But Northam has vowed to quickly take down the state-owned statue if and when a judge lifts an injunction barring its removal.
Now covered by graffiti, the Lee monument has become the epicenter of the protest movement in Richmond, a former capital of the Confederacy that has moved slowly in shedding vestiges of its past. Four other city-owned Confederate statues on Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue were taken down last month in response to sometimes-violent protests.
B.R. Howard Conservation, a Pennsylvania company that specializes in art conservation and historic preservation projects, has developed a plan that calls for removing 16 bronze pins to separate the statue from its base, removing the harness and reins of Lee’s horse, then attaching padded straps and using a crane to lift it and lower it to the ground.
A 100-ton (90.7-metric ton) crane brought in from Connecticut was used to remove large statues of Confederate Gens. J.E.B. Stuart and Stonewall Jackson, said Paul DiPasquale, a sculptor who designed and built Richmond’s monument to Black tennis legend Arthur Ashe and served as a consultant on the removals of the Stuart and Jackson statues. A similarly large crane is expected to be used to take down the Lee statue.
Because of its enormous size, the statue will then be cut into three pieces so that it can fit under highway overpasses with height restrictions of between 13 1/2 to 14 feet (4.1 to 4.3 meters) as it is taken to an undisclosed storage site. The Northam administration has said it will seek public input on the statue’s future.
DiPasquale said taking down the statue could present some challenges, but can be done safely while preserving the artistic integrity of the sculpture, one of the largest and most recognizable Confederate statues in the U.S.
“Lifting it is a challenge, where to cut it is a challenge and then how to load it, you want it to travel safely,” he said.
DiPasquale said there is strong public interest in witnessing the monuments come down because of the historical significance and symbolism of removing Confederate icons.
“Once removed, it severs the history of why it’s been there and why it’s coming down,” he said. “That is a milestone in our cultural experience, and I think whether it’s conscious or not, that’s why people want to be there.”
The plan calls for cutting the statue along existing folds and seams to minimize any damage. Based on written accounts describing the assembly of the sculpture in 1890, the first section to be cut will include the cast base and the legs of Lee’s horse; the second section, the body and head of the horse; and the third, the figure of Lee, from the waist up.
The conservator recommends putting up a partition so that the work can be done “away from the view of the public for their safety and protection of the crew.”
Confederate monument removals have provoked high tensions elsewhere in the U.S.
In New Orleans, contractors involved in the removal of the city’s Confederate monuments in 2017 faced threats. They often wore bulletproof vests, helmets and face coverings to shield their identities as the work took place, sometimes in the overnight hours.
Then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu proposed the monuments’ removal after the 2015 massacre of nine black parishioners at a South Carolina church by a gunman who was an avowed racist and brandished Confederate battle flags in photos.
B.R. Howard has a separate plan for disassembling the Lee monument’s 40-foot (12.2-meter) high pedestal, which may contain a time capsule, although Northam’s administration has not yet made a decision about that part of the monument.
The plan calls for photographing or creating a three-dimensional scan of the pedestal. An inventory will be done to identify and locate hundreds of granite blocks and carved decorative elements. Then, workers will cut mortar joints to separate the individual pieces. All of the disassembled granite blocks will be placed on pallets and layered with padding to protect them during relocation and storage.
The Lee statue was created by the internationally renowned French sculptor Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercie and is considered a “masterpiece,” according to its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, where it has been listed since 2007.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Americans divided on schools, fall sports during the pandemic: Poll

Americans are deeply split over how to handle life amid the coronavirus pandemic with support for reopening schools and fall sports falling along stark party lines , according to a new poll released Wednesday .
Data from the CNN survey found that a small majority — 57 % — of Americans don ’ t agree that their local schools should be opening for in-person learning with the pandemic still a threat , with 39 % disagreeing .
The divide is starker for those with children , with a slimmer majority , 52 % , of parents wary of schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their kids back .
The question of professional sports has Americans nearly evenly divided : 49 % don ’ t believe players should be playing , while 47 % do .
Support of in-person learning falls on stark party lines — 74 % of Republicans want to reopen schools , while only 12 % of Democrats do — and this trend continues for sports .
More Americans , 62 % , agree , however , that President Trump could be doing more to address the pandemic .
Almost 70 % of them say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the crisis .
There have been 5,482,823 COVID-19 cases in the United States and 171,833 deaths , according to data from John Hopkins University .
The U.S. has a population of about 330 million .
The survey was conducted Aug. 12-15 with a sample of 1,108 adults , 987 of which are registered voters .
It has an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points .

Americans are deeply split over how to handle life amid the coronavirus pandemic with support for reopening schools and fall sports falling along stark party lines, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
Data from the CNN survey found that a small majority — 57% — of Americans don’t agree that their local schools should be opening for in-person learning with the pandemic still a threat, with 39% disagreeing.
The divide is starker for those with children, with a slimmer majority, 52%, of parents wary of schools, and 47% in favor of sending their kids back.
The question of professional sports has Americans nearly evenly divided: 49% don’t believe players should be playing, while 47% do.
Support of in-person learning falls on stark party lines — 74% of Republicans want to reopen schools, while only 12% of Democrats do — and this trend continues for sports.
More Americans, 62%, agree, however, that President Trump could be doing more to address the pandemic.
Almost 70% of them say they’re embarrassed by the national response to the crisis.
There have been 5,482,823 COVID-19 cases in the United States and 171,833 deaths, according to data from John Hopkins University. The U.S. has a population of about 330 million.
The survey was conducted Aug. 12-15 with a sample of 1,108 adults, 987 of which are registered voters. It has an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Authorities: Vancouver man died accidentally in ravine fall

CLACKAMAS , Ore. ( AP ) - Authorities say a Vancouver , Washington man who was found dead at the @ @ @ @ @ week in Clackamas , Oregon , died accidentally .
The Columbian reports the medical examiner @ @ @ @ @ Rafferty , 34 , died from injuries suffered during a fall into the ravine near @ @ @ @ @ Sunnybrook Boulevard , according to the Clackamas County Sheriff ’ s Office .
Rafferty ’ @ @ @ @ @ missing the night of Aug. 12 after he was last seen the day prior near @ @ @ @ @ , the sheriff ’ s office said .
Family members discovered Rafferty ’ s body @ @ @ @ @ 13 while searching for him and reported his death .

CLACKAMAS, Ore. (AP) - Authorities say a Vancouver, Washington man who was found dead at the bottom of a ravine last week in Clackamas, Oregon, died accidentally.
The Columbian reports the medical examiner’s office determined James Rafferty, 34, died from injuries suffered during a fall into the ravine near Southeast 97th Avenue and Southeast Sunnybrook Boulevard, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
Rafferty’s mother had reported him missing the night of Aug. 12 after he was last seen the day prior near the Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside campus, the sheriff’s office said.
Family members discovered Rafferty’s body on the morning of Aug. 13 while searching for him and reported his death.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Pence visits Wisconsin, attempts to counter DNC coverage

JANESVILLE , Wis. ( AP ) - Vice President Mike Pence will visit Wisconsin Wednesday as the White House attempts to counter the headlines from the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee .
Pence is due to arrive at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport in Janesville , with Air Force II touching down about 11 a.m.
He ’ s scheduled to make remarks at an event in Darien .
In an interview with WLUK-TV Tuesday ahead of his visit , Pence said he tuned in to watch the DNC Monday .
“ Caught a little bit of it last night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takeaway from the DNC was the contrast it offered to the Trump-Pence ticket .
“ Watching the Democrat National Convention confirms to me what the president and I have said all along , and that ’ s Joe Biden and Democratic party have been overtaken by the radical left , ” the vice president said .
Pence ’ s visit to Wisconsin follows President Donald Trump ’ s campaign stop in Oshkosh two days earlier .
Marking Trump ’ s heaviest week of political travel since the coronavirus put a stop to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized Joe Biden ’ s economic policies in the Upper Midwest battleground states .
Trump is also scheduled to travel to Pennsylvania , the state of Biden ’ s birth , on Thursday , ahead of the Democrat ’ s acceptance speech .

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Vice President Mike Pence poked fun at Democrats during a visit to Wisconsin on Wednesday for canceling their in-person national convention in Milwaukee in favor of a virtual gathering due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I did hear the Democrats were supposed to have their national convention in Wisconsin, but they couldn’t make it,” Pence said during a visit to metal fabricator Tankcraft Corporation in Darien, about 50 miles southwest of Milwaukee. “That’s really nothing new. I heard on the way here that Joe Biden hasn’t been to Wisconsin in 659 days.”
Biden’s last in-person campaign stop in Wisconsin was on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus on Oct. 30, 2018, in the waning days of the midterm election. He has hosted virtual events and was supposed to accept the presidential nomination at the convention on Thursday, but due to COVID-19 will instead deliver his speech from his home in Delaware.
Pence’s visit was his fifth this year to Wisconsin, which narrowly backed Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign and is viewed as a battleground state in November’s election. It came two days after Trump held a rally in Oshkosh and a day after Trump’s son Eric Trump made a stop in Milwaukee.
“Get used to seeing us, because President Donald Trump and I are going to be back to Wisconsin again and again and again to earn four more years in the White House.,” Pence said. “When the other side’s online, we’re going to be on the streets.”
Although Pence dinged Democrats for their all-virtual convention, Republicans also canceled a planned in-person convention in Florida due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Instead, Republicans will hold business portions of their convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, as originally planned. Trump plans to deliver his acceptance speech from the White House.
Biden’s Wisconsin state director Danielle Melfi said in a statement that Trump and Pence have failed Wisconsin as COVID-19 cases rise, communities don’t have enough testing supplies and health care workers face a shortage of protective equipment.
“As the Democratic National Convention continues, the contrast between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ unifying vision for America and Trump and Pence’s failed leadership could not be more stark,” Melfi said.
___
Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sbauerAP


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--'Let's roll': London's Heathrow urges testing at UK airports

LONDON ( AP ) - London ’ s Heathrow Airport , the U.K. ’ s busiest , unveiled a new coronavirus testing facility Wednesday that it says could halve the length of time people have to stay at home after arriving from countries on the British government ’ s quarantine list .
The government said it wasn ’ t ready to give its backing to the facility but insisted that it was working with airports on how a new testing regime can reduce the 14-day quarantine period that travellers face when arriving from more than 100 countries , including France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over the past few weeks , British tourists have faced travel chaos after the government took countries off its safe list at very short notice .
The travel advice to the two most visited countries , Spain and France , changed at short notice , for example , prompting many travelers to seek to return to the U.K. swiftly in order to avoid the mandatory quarantine period .
As well as throwing into turmoil the vacation plans of many British families , the sudden changes have rocked the travel industry , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following weeks of lockdown .
There is growing speculation that Croatia and Greece , two other hugely popular vacation destinations for British families during the summer , could be added to the quarantine list in the coming days , a change that would further disrupt children ’ s planned return to school at the start of September .
“ Testing will not only avoid the ‘ quarantine roulette ’ that so many passengers faced in Spain and France , it will also open up flights to key trading partners such as the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief executive John Holland-Kaye said .
The new facility has been set up by aviation services company Collinson and logistics firm Swissport at Heathrow ’ s Terminal 2 .
They say more than 13,000 swab tests will be available to passengers each day , with results “ within hours.
” It is proposed that arrivals will then take a second test at home and will be able to leave their 14-day quarantine early if they pass both .
Similar double-testing regimes are used elsewhere in Europe , including Germany .
“ All we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with negative tests will be released early from quarantine , ” said Richard Cawthra , chief commercial officer at Swissport .
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he understood the inconvenience of the quarantine period and insisted that the government was doing what it can to mitigate the period people have to stay at home on their arrival in the U.K. Hancock said a ramp-up in testing in the coming months via a saliva test that would lead to more or less instant results would help .
“ This moonshot to have testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of things , to reduce the burden of the quarantine arrangements , which nobody wants to have in place , to allow us to reopen parts of the economy , that is an incredibly important project within government right now , ” Hancock told BBC radio .
He refused to be drawn on when population-wide testing would potentially be in place in a country that has recorded more than 41,000 coronavirus-related deaths , Europe ’ s highest .
“ We ’ re ramping it up over the remainder of this year , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to put a firm deadline on it.
” He also said that further insights about the virus ’ prevalence within England will emerge from a wider infection survey from the Office for National Statistics .
The statistics agency will increase the number of people it tests under the survey from 28,000 every two weeks to 150,000 by October .
“ This will allow us to further narrow down the areas potentially affected by local outbreaks and continue our fight to curb the spread ahead of winter , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ help inform our national , regional and local responses to the pandemic , allowing this nation to get back to the things we love doing.
” Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

LONDON (AP) - London’s Heathrow Airport, the U.K.’s busiest, unveiled a new coronavirus testing facility Wednesday that it says could halve the length of time people have to stay at home after arriving from countries on the British government’s quarantine list.
The government said it wasn’t ready to give its backing to the facility but insisted that it was working with airports on how a new testing regime can reduce the 14-day quarantine period that travellers face when arriving from more than 100 countries, including France, Spain and the United States.
Over the past few weeks, British tourists have faced travel chaos after the government took countries off its safe list at very short notice. The travel advice to the two most visited countries, Spain and France, changed at short notice, for example, prompting many travelers to seek to return to the U.K. swiftly in order to avoid the mandatory quarantine period.
As well as throwing into turmoil the vacation plans of many British families, the sudden changes have rocked the travel industry, which is trying to salvage something from the summer following weeks of lockdown.
There is growing speculation that Croatia and Greece, two other hugely popular vacation destinations for British families during the summer, could be added to the quarantine list in the coming days, a change that would further disrupt children’s planned return to school at the start of September.
“Testing will not only avoid the ‘quarantine roulette’ that so many passengers faced in Spain and France, it will also open up flights to key trading partners such as the U.S., Canada and Singapore,” Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said.
The new facility has been set up by aviation services company Collinson and logistics firm Swissport at Heathrow’s Terminal 2. They say more than 13,000 swab tests will be available to passengers each day, with results “within hours.” It is proposed that arrivals will then take a second test at home and will be able to leave their 14-day quarantine early if they pass both. Similar double-testing regimes are used elsewhere in Europe, including Germany.
“All we need now is government buy-in that those with negative tests will be released early from quarantine,” said Richard Cawthra, chief commercial officer at Swissport.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he understood the inconvenience of the quarantine period and insisted that the government was doing what it can to mitigate the period people have to stay at home on their arrival in the U.K. Hancock said a ramp-up in testing in the coming months via a saliva test that would lead to more or less instant results would help.
“This moonshot to have testing ubiquitous and available to reopen all sorts of things, to reduce the burden of the quarantine arrangements, which nobody wants to have in place, to allow us to reopen parts of the economy, that is an incredibly important project within government right now,” Hancock told BBC radio.
He refused to be drawn on when population-wide testing would potentially be in place in a country that has recorded more than 41,000 coronavirus-related deaths, Europe’s highest.
“We’re ramping it up over the remainder of this year,” he said. “I’m not going to put a firm deadline on it.”
He also said that further insights about the virus’ prevalence within England will emerge from a wider infection survey from the Office for National Statistics.
The statistics agency will increase the number of people it tests under the survey from 28,000 every two weeks to 150,000 by October.
“This will allow us to further narrow down the areas potentially affected by local outbreaks and continue our fight to curb the spread ahead of winter,” he said.
“The data and insight gathered will help inform our national, regional and local responses to the pandemic, allowing this nation to get back to the things we love doing.”
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Crews stretched thin coping with California wildfires

SAN FRANCISCO ( AP ) — Thousands of people were under orders to evacuate broad areas of Northern California Wednesday as some 30 wildfires blazed across the state amid a blistering heat wave now in its second week .
“ Throughout the state of California right now , we are stretched thin for crews ” because of the fires , said Will Powers , a state fire spokesman .
“ Air resources have been stretched thin throughout the whole state.
” Thousands of homes and businesses were threatened in the wine-growing counties of Napa and Sonoma in an area devastated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last three years .
At least seven fires were grouped together as one of two major Lightning Fires in Northern California , a nod to their origins just a day earlier .
Fire officials warned of “ extreme fire behavior ” challenging firefighters there , including strong winds .
Powers said much of the fire was burning through rural areas with steep terrain , making it difficult to get crews in .
Police and firefighters went door-to-door in Vacaville early Wednesday in a frantic scramble to warn residents to evacuate , KPIX-TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flames .
In Napa County , Gail Bickett , 80 , loaded up her three dogs in a truck to evacuate as the fire burned behind houses across the road , the San Francisco Chronicle reported .
Blazes engulfed rural and forest areas near the San Francisco Bay Area , near Salinas in Monterey County , around Oroville Dam north of Sacramento , forested areas west of Silicon Valley , in remote Mendocino County and near the Nevada state line north of Lake Tahoe .
Several also were burning in northern coastline areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of wine country fires threaten an area that only last year grappled with another massive blaze that forced 200,000 to flee — a task made more complicated this year because of the pandemic .
Tuesday afternoon , the fire was moving toward an area called Atlas Peak that burned in 2017 in a blaze that killed six people and destroyed nearly 800 buildings .
Robin Sisemore hosed down vegetation in front of her mother ’ s adjacent house .
Both homes were new , replacing ones that burned just three years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all of Boulder Creek to the west of Silicon Valley , a community of 5,000 high in the Santa Cruz mountains where windy , long , forested roads , some paved , some dirt , can easily become blocked during storms or fires .

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of people were under orders to evacuate broad areas of Northern California Wednesday as some 30 wildfires blazed across the state amid a blistering heat wave now in its second week.
“Throughout the state of California right now, we are stretched thin for crews” because of the fires, said Will Powers, a state fire spokesman. “Air resources have been stretched thin throughout the whole state.”
Thousands of homes and businesses were threatened in the wine-growing counties of Napa and Sonoma in an area devastated by a series of deadly blazes in the last three years. At least seven fires were grouped together as one of two major Lightning Fires in Northern California, a nod to their origins just a day earlier.
Fire officials warned of “extreme fire behavior” challenging firefighters there, including strong winds. Powers said much of the fire was burning through rural areas with steep terrain, making it difficult to get crews in.
Police and firefighters went door-to-door in Vacaville early Wednesday in a frantic scramble to warn residents to evacuate, KPIX-TV reported. Footage showed some homes in flames.
In Napa County, Gail Bickett, 80, loaded up her three dogs in a truck to evacuate as the fire burned behind houses across the road, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“It’s scary,” she said. “It’s overwhelming.”
Blazes engulfed rural and forest areas near the San Francisco Bay Area, near Salinas in Monterey County, around Oroville Dam north of Sacramento, forested areas west of Silicon Valley, in remote Mendocino County and near the Nevada state line north of Lake Tahoe.
Several also were burning in northern coastline areas and in Southern California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a statewide state of emergency Tuesday.
The cluster of wine country fires threaten an area that only last year grappled with another massive blaze that forced 200,000 to flee — a task made more complicated this year because of the pandemic.
Tuesday afternoon, the fire was moving toward an area called Atlas Peak that burned in 2017 in a blaze that killed six people and destroyed nearly 800 buildings.
Robin Sisemore hosed down vegetation in front of her mother’s adjacent house. Both homes were new, replacing ones that burned just three years ago.
To the south, evacuations were ordered for all of Boulder Creek to the west of Silicon Valley, a community of 5,000 high in the Santa Cruz mountains where windy, long, forested roads, some paved, some dirt, can easily become blocked during storms or fires.
___
Jablon reported from Los Angeles.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Will you get a refund if COVID-19 closes your campus?

Many colleges are welcoming students back for in-person learning and dormitory living this fall semester .
Looming over everything : Campuses could shut back down at any time .
With COVID-19 cases still high , many colleges are developing shutdown contingency plans alongside their reopening arrangements .
At the same time , the pandemic is fueling new debate about whether colleges should charge the same tuition for online and in-person classes .
Tuition typically covers the cost of instruction - salaries , software , labs and such - and that cost at many schools may have increased .
The University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exception , has a different cost structure for online , hybrid and in-person classes .
Still , it announced that students won ’ t receive a tuition refund if in-person classes move online this fall .
And , after the pivot from it ’ s sister school at Chapel Hill , it told students to prepare for a similar transition if cases rise .
That leaves freshman Owen Palmer weighing the possibility that the education he is paying for may not be the one he gets .
“ I ’ m taking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can ’ t do refunds , ” says Palmer .
For him , the risk is worth it , but he does wonder what he ’ ll do if the campus has to close .
Here ’ s what he and other students can expect as the fall shapes up .
Some schools have cut tuition .
Hampton University is offering students a 15 % discount , bringing undergraduate tuition to $ 12,519 .
Other schools are offering additional scholarships and grants .
But tuition decreases and additional aid aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make bets , I would say a lot of colleges will be ( freezing tuition ) until they get a better sense of the economy , ” says Arun Ponnusamy , chief academic officer at the college admissions and application counseling company Collegewise .
“ But there will be other colleges that say , ‘ We need money to run this school.
’ ” That may be happening already .
George Mason University in Virginia approved a tuition increase of $ 450 .
The University of Michigan approved a 1.9 % tuition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mix of online and in-person instruction .
Many colleges aren ’ t publicizing their shutdown contingency plans - or how refunds will work .
But students can look to how their school handled refunds in the spring to gauge how fall might play out .
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University gave refunds for on-campus housing and meal plans , says William Hudson Jr. , the school ’ s vice president for student affairs .
If the campus has to shut down this fall , Hudson says the refund structure “ would probably be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct refunds for students .
For example , Temple University automatically deposited partial refunds for room and board in students ’ bank accounts .
The University of North Carolina Wilmington gave prorated refunds for room and board .
But some colleges opted for account credit instead : - The University of Arkansas refunded about 20 % of room and board costs to student accounts .
They haven ’ t announced an official plan in case of a fall shutdown , but staff members expect it ’ ll be the same .
- The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for room and board , and parking .
Students could take a cash refund immediately or apply that amount and an extra 10 % as an account credit for the fall .
HOW CAN YOU PREPARE ?
If you ’ re planning to return to campus housing , contact your school and ask about its shutdown contingency plans .
You ’ ll want to know what factors would cause it to shut down again .
This could be a campus COVID-19 outbreak of a certain size , an increase in local cases or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop a campus shutdown , but if you know the metrics your school is looking at , you can anticipate it and react more confidently .
- Make backup plans for housing if your campus closes .
Determine if you ’ ll go home , stay with a friend , get your own apartment or something else .
Communicate your intentions with those you plan to stay with or scope out affordable apartments in advance .
That way , if the campus shuts down suddenly , you know exactly where you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency funds and grants if a campus closure will cause you financial hardship .
Many colleges have funds available for students .
- Plan how you ’ d use a refund .
If your school offers a direct refund , consider whether you ’ ll need that money for living expenses .
If you don ’ t need the money for living expenses , send the refund back to your student loan servicer .
Doing so will keep your overall loan balance down and save you money in the long run .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the personal finance website NerdWallet .
Cecilia Clark is a writer at NerdWallet .
Email : [ email protected ] The Chronicle of Higher Education : List of college reopening plans https : //www.chronicle.com/article/heres-a-list-of-colleges-plans-for-reopening-in-the-fall/

Many colleges are welcoming students back for in-person learning and dormitory living this fall semester. Looming over everything: Campuses could shut back down at any time.
With COVID-19 cases still high, many colleges are developing shutdown contingency plans alongside their reopening arrangements.
At the same time, the pandemic is fueling new debate about whether colleges should charge the same tuition for online and in-person classes. Tuition typically covers the cost of instruction - salaries, software, labs and such - and that cost at many schools may have increased.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, as an exception, has a different cost structure for online, hybrid and in-person classes. Still, it announced that students won’t receive a tuition refund if in-person classes move online this fall. And, after the pivot from it’s sister school at Chapel Hill, it told students to prepare for a similar transition if cases rise.
That leaves freshman Owen Palmer weighing the possibility that the education he is paying for may not be the one he gets. “I’m taking a risk because (the university) mentioned they can’t do refunds,” says Palmer. For him, the risk is worth it, but he does wonder what he’ll do if the campus has to close.
Here’s what he and other students can expect as the fall shapes up.
DON’T EXPECT A BREAK ON TUITION
Some schools have cut tuition. Hampton University is offering students a 15% discount, bringing undergraduate tuition to $12,519. Other schools are offering additional scholarships and grants.
But tuition decreases and additional aid aren’t the norm.
“If I had to make bets, I would say a lot of colleges will be (freezing tuition) until they get a better sense of the economy,” says Arun Ponnusamy, chief academic officer at the college admissions and application counseling company Collegewise. “But there will be other colleges that say, ‘We need money to run this school.’”
That may be happening already. George Mason University in Virginia approved a tuition increase of $450. The University of Michigan approved a 1.9% tuition increase. Both schools are planning a mix of online and in-person instruction.
MEALS AND HOUSING REFUNDS LIKELY
Many colleges aren’t publicizing their shutdown contingency plans - or how refunds will work. But students can look to how their school handled refunds in the spring to gauge how fall might play out.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University gave refunds for on-campus housing and meal plans, says William Hudson Jr., the school’s vice president for student affairs. If the campus has to shut down this fall, Hudson says the refund structure “would probably be the same.”
Other colleges also offered direct refunds for students. For example, Temple University automatically deposited partial refunds for room and board in students’ bank accounts. The University of North Carolina Wilmington gave prorated refunds for room and board.
But some colleges opted for account credit instead:
- The University of Arkansas refunded about 20% of room and board costs to student accounts. They haven’t announced an official plan in case of a fall shutdown, but staff members expect it’ll be the same.
- The University of Alabama offered a prorated refund for room and board, and parking. Students could take a cash refund immediately or apply that amount and an extra 10% as an account credit for the fall.
HOW CAN YOU PREPARE?
If you’re planning to return to campus housing, contact your school and ask about its shutdown contingency plans. You’ll want to know what factors would cause it to shut down again. This could be a campus COVID-19 outbreak of a certain size, an increase in local cases or other factors.
You can’t stop a campus shutdown, but if you know the metrics your school is looking at, you can anticipate it and react more confidently.
- Make backup plans for housing if your campus closes. Determine if you’ll go home, stay with a friend, get your own apartment or something else. Communicate your intentions with those you plan to stay with or scope out affordable apartments in advance. That way, if the campus shuts down suddenly, you know exactly where you’ll go.
- Ask your college about emergency funds and grants if a campus closure will cause you financial hardship. Many colleges have funds available for students.
- Plan how you’d use a refund. If your school offers a direct refund, consider whether you’ll need that money for living expenses. If you don’t need the money for living expenses, send the refund back to your student loan servicer. Doing so will keep your overall loan balance down and save you money in the long run.
_________________________________
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Cecilia Clark is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: cclark@nerdwallet.com.
RELATED LINKS:
NerdWallet: College during COVID-19. Your aid questions answered. https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-covid-19-loans
The Chronicle of Higher Education: List of college reopening plans https://www.chronicle.com/article/heres-a-list-of-colleges-plans-for-reopening-in-the-fall/


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Sudan fires spokesman after comments on peace with Israel

CAIRO ( AP ) - Sudan on Wednesday fired the spokesman for the country ’ s foreign ministry , a day after he remarked that the African country was looking forward to making a peace deal with Israel .
The development comes after last week ’ s bombshell announcement of a deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize relations , which will make the UAE only the third Arab nation , after Egypt and Jordan , to have full ties with Israel .
Sudan ’ s acting Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din said he dismissed Ambassador Haidar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his country was “ looking forward to concluding a peace agreement with Israel.
” “ There is no reason to continue hostility between Sudan and Israel , ” Badawi was quoted as saying by Sky News Arabia .
“ We don ’ t deny that there are communications ” with Israel , he added , saying both countries would gain much from a deal .
Badawi ’ s remarks immediately drew a pledge from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “ do all that ’ s needed ” to wrap up a deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sought to distance himself from Badawi ’ s comments , saying they were received “ with astonishment.
” He insisted his ministry had not discussed the issue of ties with Israel .
In February , Netanyahu met with met Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan , the head of Sudan ’ s transitional government , during a secret trip to Uganda , where both leaders pledged to pursue normalization of ties .
“ President Burhan put Sudan on the right track with his meeting with the Israeli prime minister , ” Badawi said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that deliberations between Sudanese and Israeli officials have been going on for months , with help from Egypt , the United Arab Emirates and the United States .
“ It ’ s a matter of time .
We are finalizing everything , ” he said , speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters .
“ The Emirati move encouraged us and helped calm some voices within the government who were afraid of backlash from the Sudanese public.
” An Israeli deal with Sudan would mark another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long counted on the Arab world to press Israel to make concessions to them as a condition for normalization .
That wall of Arab support had long served as one of the Palestinians ’ few points of leverage against Israel .
Sudan , a majority Arab nation , hosted the landmark Arab conference after the 1967 Mideast war where eight Arab countries approved the “ three no ’ s ” : no peace with Israel , no recognition of Israel and no negotiations .
But in recent years those hostilities have softened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to democracy after a popular uprising led the military to overthrow former autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 .
A military-civilian government rules the country , with elections deemed possible in late 2022 .
At the time of the Burhan-Netanyahu meeting , the Sudanese military said the talks with Israel were an effort to help end Sudan ’ s status as an international pariah state .
Sudan is desperate to lift sanctions linked to its listing by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terror .
That would be a key step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battered economy .
The U.S. and Israel are staunch allies .
The designation dates back to the 1990s , when Sudan briefly hosted Osama bin Laden and other wanted militants .
Sudan was also believed to have served as a pipeline for Iran to supply weapons to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip .
Israel was thought to have been behind airstrikes in Sudan that destroyed a convoy in 2009 and a weapons factory in 2012 .

CAIRO (AP) - Sudan on Wednesday fired the spokesman for the foreign ministry, a day after he remarked that the African country was looking forward to making a peace deal with Israel.
The development comes after last week’s bombshell announcement of a deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize relations, which will make the UAE only the third Arab nation, after Egypt and Jordan, to have full ties with Israel.
Sudan’s acting Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din said he dismissed Ambassador Haidar Badawi from his post after Badawi said Tuesday that Sudan was “looking forward to concluding a peace agreement with Israel.”
“There is no reason to continue hostility between Sudan and Israel,” Badawi was quoted as saying by Sky News Arabia. “We don’t deny that there are communications” with Israel, he added, saying both countries would gain much from a deal.
Badawi’s remarks immediately drew a pledge from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “do all that’s needed” to wrap up a deal.
Qamar al-Din, the foreign minister, sought to distance himself from Badawi’s comments, saying they were received “with astonishment.” He insisted his ministry had not discussed the issue of ties with Israel.
In February, Netanyahu met with met Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of Sudan’s transitional government, during a secret trip to Uganda, where both leaders pledged to pursue normalization of ties.
“President Burhan put Sudan on the right track with his meeting with the Israeli prime minister,” Badawi said.
Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen told Israeli news site Ynet in an interview that he believes the talks with Sudan will lead to a peace deal.
“There is communication between the two states and I believe that it will develop into the advancement of an agreement between the countries. But we need to look, we need to wait. Is it right for Israel and Sudan? The answer is yes,” he said.
A Sudanese government official told The Associated Press on Tuesday that deliberations between Sudanese and Israeli officials have been going on for months, with help from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
“It’s a matter of time. We are finalizing everything,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. “The Emirati move encouraged us and helped calm some voices within the government who were afraid of backlash from the Sudanese public.”
An Israeli deal with Sudan would mark another setback for the Palestinians, who have long counted on the Arab world to press Israel to make concessions to them as a condition for normalization. That wall of Arab support had long served as one of the Palestinians’ few points of leverage against Israel.
Sudan, a majority Arab nation, hosted the landmark Arab conference after the 1967 Mideast war where eight Arab countries approved the “three no’s”: no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations.
But in recent years those hostilities have softened.
Sudan is now on a fragile path to democracy after a popular uprising led the military to overthrow former autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. A military-civilian government rules the country, with elections deemed possible in late 2022.
At the time of the Burhan-Netanyahu meeting, the Sudanese military said the talks with Israel were an effort to help end Sudan’s status as an international pariah state.
Sudan is desperate to lift sanctions linked to its listing by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terror. That would be a key step toward ending its isolation and rebuilding its battered economy. The U.S. and Israel are staunch allies.
The designation dates back to the 1990s, when Sudan briefly hosted Osama bin Laden and other wanted militants. Sudan was also believed to have served as a pipeline for Iran to supply weapons to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. Israel was thought to have been behind airstrikes in Sudan that destroyed a convoy in 2009 and a weapons factory in 2012.
____
Associated Press writer Ilan Bin Zion in Jerusalem contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Police: Men broke into home while wearing GPS ankle monitors

HOLLYWOOD , Fla. ( AP ) - A group of men already on pretrial release for previous offenses are behind a string of burglaries carried them out while wearing ankle monitors that track their locations , police said .
Authorities seized more than $ 150,000 in cash , an AK-47 , a Smith & Wesson handgun , cellphones , iPads , jewelry , designer handbags , ammunition , blank checks , fraudulent debit and credit cards , and a stolen vehicle , the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported .
Zion Odain Denvor Hall , 21 , Tyrek Davontae Williams , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 , were arrested Friday .
They are accused of being part of a criminal organization committing burglaries , armed burglaries , fraud , gun thefts and other criminal acts throughout South Florida , Hollywood police said Tuesday .
Hall , Williams and Hill each face charges of burglary , grand theft and racketeering .
Hall is facing 35 counts , and Williams and Hill are facing 25 and 19 counts respectively .
They were taken into custody while under house arrest awaiting trial on unrelated charges .
Hollywood and Margate police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Florida Attorney General ’ s Office are conducting a joint investigation .

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) - A group of men already on pretrial release for previous offenses are behind a string of burglaries carried them out while wearing ankle monitors that track their locations, police said.
Authorities seized more than $150,000 in cash, an AK-47, a Smith & Wesson handgun, cellphones, iPads, jewelry, designer handbags, ammunition, blank checks, fraudulent debit and credit cards, and a stolen vehicle, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
Zion Odain Denvor Hall, 21, Tyrek Davontae Williams, 19, and Tremaine Raekwon Hill, 18, were arrested Friday. They are accused of being part of a criminal organization committing burglaries, armed burglaries, fraud, gun thefts and other criminal acts throughout South Florida, Hollywood police said Tuesday.
Hall, Williams and Hill each face charges of burglary, grand theft and racketeering. Hall is facing 35 counts, and Williams and Hill are facing 25 and 19 counts respectively. They were taken into custody while under house arrest awaiting trial on unrelated charges.
Hollywood and Margate police, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Attorney General’s Office are conducting a joint investigation.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--FIFA expects $120M income drop but same profit through 2022

GENEVA ( AP ) - FIFA forecast the pandemic will cause a $ 120 million drop in its revenue plan through the 2022 World Cup in a revised four-year budget published Wednesday .
Cost-cutting is also predicted to help offset a $ 200 million hit from being unable to stage a revamped Club World Cup in June 2021 , when Europe and South America stage their postponed continental championships .
Still , FIFA said most World Cup broadcast and sponsor deals were already signed and should keep the same profit in the 2019-22 financial cycle , even on reduced income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projected result before taxes and financial result of $ 100 million can therefore be confirmed , despite the impact of this pandemic on the match calendar and the global economy , ” soccer ’ s world body said in notes accompanying its 2019 financial report .
FIFA has committed $ 328 million in extra grants from an emergency fund to ease soccer bodies through the pandemic crisis .
More has been available for loans .
The knock-on effect is that FIFA forecasts reserves of no less than $ 1.6 billion after the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was $ 1.9 billion when the four-year budget was agreed in 2018 .
FIFA aims to keep a minimum level of $ 1.5 billion in reserve to protect against a World Cup being cancelled .
It depends heavily on income tied to the men ’ s World Cup and expects to book $ 4.7 billion revenue for the 2022 financial year .
That means FIFA reports a loss on paper in each of the three previous years that was $ 280 million , according to the 2019 report .
FIFA spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education ” projects in 2019 , including more than $ 400 million in grants to soccer bodies worldwide The loss is forecast to be $ 800 million in pandemic-hit 2020 , when revenue of just $ 250 million should be booked .
FIFA said 94 % of its broadcasting income was already signed for the 2019-22 cycle , though it currently has relatively few World Cup sponsors : six top-tier partners and three in a lower level .
“ With the majority of the commercial rights having already been sold , the impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s revenue is expected to remain comparatively low , ” the Zurich-based body said .
FIFA previously detailed an expected drop in revenue from ticket and hospitality sales at the 2022 World Cup because of smaller stadiums in Qatar , which hosts the last 32-team tournament .
However , FIFA is set for booming income at the 48-team World Cup in 2026 which will set records for average attendance at stadiums in the United States , Canada and Mexico , in addition to having 80 games instead of 64 .
FIFA President Gianni @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topped 3 million Swiss francs ( $ 3.3 million ) in base salary , bonus and allowances , the annual report said .
Payments to secretary general Fatma Samoura totaled just under 1.6 million Swiss francs ( $ 1.75 million ) , and more than 14.5 million Swiss francs ( $ 16 million ) to members of the decision-making FIFA Council .

GENEVA (AP) - FIFA forecast the pandemic will cause a $120 million drop in its revenue plan through the 2022 World Cup in a revised four-year budget published Wednesday.
Cost-cutting is also predicted to help offset a $200 million hit from being unable to stage a revamped Club World Cup in June 2021, when Europe and South America stage their postponed continental championships.
Still, FIFA said most World Cup broadcast and sponsor deals were already signed and should keep the same profit in the 2019-22 financial cycle, even on reduced income of $6.44 billion.
“The projected result before taxes and financial result of $100 million can therefore be confirmed, despite the impact of this pandemic on the match calendar and the global economy,” soccer’s world body said in notes accompanying its 2019 financial report.
FIFA has committed $328 million in extra grants from an emergency fund to ease soccer bodies through the pandemic crisis. More has been available for loans.
The knock-on effect is that FIFA forecasts reserves of no less than $1.6 billion after the World Cup in Qatar finishes in December 2022. It was $1.9 billion when the four-year budget was agreed in 2018.
FIFA aims to keep a minimum level of $1.5 billion in reserve to protect against a World Cup being cancelled.
It depends heavily on income tied to the men’s World Cup and expects to book $4.7 billion revenue for the 2022 financial year.
That means FIFA reports a loss on paper in each of the three previous years that was $280 million, according to the 2019 report.
FIFA spent $513 million on “development and education” projects in 2019, including more than $400 million in grants to soccer bodies worldwide
The loss is forecast to be $800 million in pandemic-hit 2020, when revenue of just $250 million should be booked.
FIFA said 94% of its broadcasting income was already signed for the 2019-22 cycle, though it currently has relatively few World Cup sponsors: six top-tier partners and three in a lower level.
“With the majority of the commercial rights having already been sold, the impact of the coronavirus crisis on FIFA’s revenue is expected to remain comparatively low,” the Zurich-based body said.
FIFA previously detailed an expected drop in revenue from ticket and hospitality sales at the 2022 World Cup because of smaller stadiums in Qatar, which hosts the last 32-team tournament.
However, FIFA is set for booming income at the 48-team World Cup in 2026 which will set records for average attendance at stadiums in the United States, Canada and Mexico, in addition to having 80 games instead of 64.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s payment package in 2019 topped 3 million Swiss francs ($3.3 million) in base salary, bonus and allowances, the annual report said.
Payments to secretary general Fatma Samoura totaled just under 1.6 million Swiss francs ($1.75 million), and more than 14.5 million Swiss francs ($16 million) to members of the decision-making FIFA Council.
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More AP soccer https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Kanye West submits signatures for president in Minnesota

ST. PAUL , Minn. ( AP ) - Kanye West has submitted voter signatures in Minnesota hopes of appearing as @ @ @ @ @ November ballot .
The Secretary of State ’ s Office confirmed that representatives for the @ @ @ @ @ of Tuesday ’ s filing deadline .
Election official have up to 10 days to @ @ @ @ @ .
West has previously expressed his support for President Donald Trump , but announced in @ @ @ @ @ run independently for president .
Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin said West ’ s move @ @ @ @ @ to pull votes from Joe Biden and steal this election for Trump , ” the @ @ @ @ @ He said the party is “ reviewing all available options for defending the integrity of @ @ @ @ @ qualified for the November ballot in Arkansas , Colorado , Oklahoma , Utah and elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ ballot is under review in a number of swing states , including Ohio and Wisconsin @

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Kanye West has submitted voter signatures in Minnesota hopes of appearing as a presidential candidate on the November ballot.
The Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that representatives for the rapper submitted the signatures ahead of Tuesday’s filing deadline. Election official have up to 10 days to review and verify the signatures.
West has previously expressed his support for President Donald Trump, but announced in July that he planned to run independently for president.
Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin said West’s move is a “pathetic attempt to pull votes from Joe Biden and steal this election for Trump,” the Star Tribune r eported. He said the party is “reviewing all available options for defending the integrity of our elections.”
West has qualified for the November ballot in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah and elsewhere. His status on the ballot is under review in a number of swing states, including Ohio and Wisconsin.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Hillary Clinton returns to DNC championing women in politics

CHICAGO ( AP ) — After more than four decades in public life , Hillary Clinton will return to the Democratic National Convention to cement her legacy as a champion of women in politics .
Clinton , who lost the presidency to Donald Trump in 2016 despite winning the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes , is a complicated figure in American political culture .
She ’ s despised by many Republicans and viewed warily by some progressives who are increasingly assertive in shaping the modern Democratic Party .
But four years after she made history as the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party , Clinton will nod to another enduring legacy : the millions of women inspired by her 2016 bid who marched , ran for office and have become a powerful force in taking on Trump .
Her presence Wednesday night comes as California Sen. Kamala Harris becomes the first Black woman to accept a spot on a major presidential ticket and one day after the 100th anniversary of women ’ s suffrage .
That ’ s expected to send a message about staying in the fight to women across the country for whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cecile Richards , co-founder of Supermajority , which formed in 2019 to train and mobilize female activists .
“ The fact that she hasn ’ t given up , I think , has encouraged a lot of women to not give up , ” said Richards , the former president of Planned Parenthood .
“ I think there ’ s an important role she has to play in saying , ‘ OK , she ’ s getting up every morning and doing this work and we can , too.
’ I think it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve just got to dust yourself off and and keep going.
” After Trump ’ s election , millions turned out for women ’ s marches and women ran for — and won — office in record numbers , helping Democrats take control of the U.S. House in 2018 .
A record number of women , including Harris , sought this year ’ s Democratic presidential nomination .
And the number of women running for the House and the U.S. Senate set a record again this year , as did the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University .
“ Since 2016 we ’ ve seen these waves of women stepping up ” at all levels of government , said Adrianne Shropshire , president of BlackPAC , a national organization that works to mobilize Black voters .
“ You have this ‘ Before Hillary ‘ and ‘ After Hillary , ’ when things are very , very different.
” Shropshire called Clinton a “ trailblazer ” who made a way for other women while enduring attacks dating from her time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 2016 loss after a campaign in which Trump often led rally crowds in chants of “ lock her up.
” She said the Democratic Party also has shifted since 2016 to lean more into the base of Black voters and progressives , and to look more like the country .
Wednesday ’ s speech will be Clinton ’ s sixth to the Democratic National Convention .
In 1992 her husband , longtime Arkansas Gov .
Bill Clinton , was the nominee , but Clinton didn ’ t speak at that year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in 1996 , when the then-first lady faced criticism about the Whitewater scandal and for having too much influence on administration policy .
In 2000 , Clinton spoke as a candidate for the Senate , and in 2004 the then-senator from New York introduced her husband .
She was on stage in 2008 after her first presidential bid , backing Barack Obama , the man to whom she lost the nomination and in whose administration she later served as secretary of state .
In 2016 she was the nominee and told delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crack in that glass ceiling yet.
” Karen Finney , a former Clinton press secretary and senior adviser to her 2016 campaign , said Clinton represents the arc of history for women and women in politics , from a first lady who wasn ’ t supposed to publicly exert influence to a presidential nominee .
Clinton has noted that while women won the right to vote in 1920 , that right wasn ’ t extended to Black women and other women of color until decades later , Finney said .
“ To then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as vice president , it demonstrates how far we ’ ve come .
But we ’ re also at a moment in history where we really aren ’ t where we should be , ” she said .
Finney expects Clinton to speak Wednesday about the significance of the moment for women and the conversations happening around racial injustice .
She ’ s also hoping to hear Clinton ’ s unique perspective on what already is a bruising 2020 race .
“ She certainly has some of the best insight about what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , ” Finney said .

CHICAGO (AP) — After more than four decades in public life, Hillary Clinton will return to the Democratic National Convention to cement her legacy as a champion of women in politics.
Clinton, who lost the presidency to Donald Trump in 2016 despite winning the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, is a complicated figure in American political culture. She’s despised by many Republicans and viewed warily by some progressives who are increasingly assertive in shaping the modern Democratic Party.
But four years after she made history as the first woman nominated for president by a major party, Clinton will nod to another enduring legacy: the millions of women inspired by her 2016 bid who marched, ran for office and have become a powerful force in taking on Trump. Her presence Wednesday night comes as California Sen. Kamala Harris becomes the first Black woman to accept a spot on a major presidential ticket and one day after the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.
That’s expected to send a message about staying in the fight to women across the country for whom 2016 was a turning point, said Cecile Richards, co-founder of Supermajority, which formed in 2019 to train and mobilize female activists.
“The fact that she hasn’t given up, I think, has encouraged a lot of women to not give up,” said Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood. “I think there’s an important role she has to play in saying, ‘OK, she’s getting up every morning and doing this work and we can, too.’ I think it’s an important message that you’ve just got to dust yourself off and and keep going.”
After Trump’s election, millions turned out for women’s marches and women ran for — and won — office in record numbers, helping Democrats take control of the U.S. House in 2018. A record number of women, including Harris, sought this year’s Democratic presidential nomination. And the number of women running for the House and the U.S. Senate set a record again this year, as did the number of women of color running, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
“Since 2016 we’ve seen these waves of women stepping up” at all levels of government, said Adrianne Shropshire, president of BlackPAC, a national organization that works to mobilize Black voters. “You have this ‘Before Hillary’ and ‘After Hillary,’ when things are very, very different.”
Shropshire called Clinton a “trailblazer” who made a way for other women while enduring attacks dating from her time as first lady in the 1990s to her 2016 loss after a campaign in which Trump often led rally crowds in chants of “lock her up.” She said the Democratic Party also has shifted since 2016 to lean more into the base of Black voters and progressives, and to look more like the country.
Wednesday’s speech will be Clinton’s sixth to the Democratic National Convention. In 1992 her husband, longtime Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, was the nominee, but Clinton didn’t speak at that year’s convention. Her first DNC speech was in 1996, when the then-first lady faced criticism about the Whitewater scandal and for having too much influence on administration policy.
In 2000, Clinton spoke as a candidate for the Senate, and in 2004 the then-senator from New York introduced her husband. She was on stage in 2008 after her first presidential bid, backing Barack Obama, the man to whom she lost the nomination and in whose administration she later served as secretary of state.
In 2016 she was the nominee and told delegates, “We just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet.”
Karen Finney, a former Clinton press secretary and senior adviser to her 2016 campaign, said Clinton represents the arc of history for women and women in politics, from a first lady who wasn’t supposed to publicly exert influence to a presidential nominee. Clinton has noted that while women won the right to vote in 1920, that right wasn’t extended to Black women and other women of color until decades later, Finney said.
“To then have a Black woman on the ticket as vice president, it demonstrates how far we’ve come. But we’re also at a moment in history where we really aren’t where we should be,” she said.
Finney expects Clinton to speak Wednesday about the significance of the moment for women and the conversations happening around racial injustice. She’s also hoping to hear Clinton’s unique perspective on what already is a bruising 2020 race.
“She certainly has some of the best insight about what it’s like to run against Donald Trump,” Finney said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Palestinians in Gaza rally against Israel-UAE deal

GAZA CITY , Gaza Strip ( AP ) - Hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday rallied against the U.S.-brokered deal to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates .
Protesters burned Israeli and American flags , trampled on posters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump , and chanted “ normalization is betrayal to Jerusalem and Palestine.
” Unlike Palestinian protesters last Friday near the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem ’ s Old City who also burned posters of the Emirati crown prince , the Gaza demonstrators stopped short of burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to antagonize the Gulf Arab country , where tens of thousands of Palestinians work and live .
The demonstrators in Gaza City also voiced support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his rejection of President Donald Trump ’ s Mideast plan , which the Palestinians say unfairly favors Israel .
The protest was organized by the militant Hamas group , which rules the Gaza Strip , and other factions .
“ Normalization with the occupation harms us and doesn ’ t serve us , ” he said .
“ Instead , it serves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that target Palestine and the region .
”

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday rallied against the U.S.-brokered deal to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Protesters burned Israeli and American flags, trampled on posters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, and chanted “normalization is betrayal to Jerusalem and Palestine.”
Unlike Palestinian protesters last Friday near the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City who also burned posters of the Emirati crown prince, the Gaza demonstrators stopped short of burning symbols of the UAE - apparently not to antagonize the Gulf Arab country, where tens of thousands of Palestinians work and live.
The demonstrators in Gaza City also voiced support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for his rejection of President Donald Trump’s Mideast plan, which the Palestinians say unfairly favors Israel.
The protest was organized by the militant Hamas group, which rules the Gaza Strip, and other factions.
Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, denounced the Israeli-Emirati deal.
“Normalization with the occupation harms us and doesn’t serve us,” he said. “Instead, it serves and promotes the occupation in its projects that target Palestine and the region.”
In the West Bank town of Turmusaya, several dozen Palestinians demonstrated against the UAE’s deal with Israel, the Trump administration’s Mideast plan and Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank. Protesters burned Israeli flags and threw stones at Israeli soldiers in the distance.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Scientists on Arctic mission make unplanned detour to pole

BERLIN ( AP ) - A German icebreaker carrying scientists on a year-long international expedition in the high Arctic has reached the North Pole , after making an unplanned detour because of lighter-than-usual sea ice conditions .
Expedition leader Markus Rex said Wednesday the RV Polarstern was able to reach the geographic North Pole because of large openings in sea ice that would normally make shipping in the region above Greenland too difficult .
“ We made fast progress in a few days , ” Rex told The Associated Press .
“ It ’ s breathtaking - at time we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye could see.
” The region above northern Greenland is usually covered in thick sea ice that ’ s sometimes built up over several years , he said .
But this year , the Polarstern was able to make it from the ice edge in the Fram Strait to the pole in less than a week .
The mission sailed from the German port of Bremerhaven last September , anchored to an ice floe and conducted numerous experiments to study the impact of global warming on the Arctic until the summer heat broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pole , the Polarstern will anchor to a new floe and observe the start of the freezing process that will see the Arctic covered in a new mantle of sea ice .
The 100 crew and scientists will return to Bremerhaven , Germany , on Oct. 12 .

BERLIN (AP) - A German icebreaker carrying scientists on a year-long international expedition in the high Arctic has reached the North Pole, after making an unplanned detour there due to lighter-than-usual sea ice conditions.
Expedition leader Markus Rex said Wednesday the RV Polarstern was able to reach the geographic North Pole because of large openings in sea ice above Greenland, where shipping would normally be too difficult.
“We made fast progress in a few days,” Rex told The Associated Press. “It’s breathtaking - at times we had open water as far as the eye could see.”
The region above northern Greenland is usually covered in thick sea ice, sometimes built up over several years, that makes it difficult even for ships with hardened hulls to break through. But the Polarstern was able to make it from the ice edge in the Fram Strait to the pole in less than a week, Rex said.
The mushy ice conditions the Polarstern encountered this year provide further evidence of the warming that scientists say is taking place in the Arctic.
The MOSAiC expedition involves scientists from 17 nations, including the United States, France, Russia and China. It sailed from the Norwegian port of Tromsoe last September, anchored to an ice floe and conducted numerous experiments to study the impact of climate change on the planet’s far north until the summer heat broke apart the ice cover.
The coronavirus pandemic almost caused the mission to be cut short, as travel restrictions made resupply and crew rotations difficult. But expedition organizers at Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Ocean Research found a way around the logistical hurdles that involved just a brief break from the ice.
After passing the pole, the Polarstern will anchor to a newly formed floe and observe the start of the freezing process that will see the Arctic covered once more in a mantle of sea ice.
The 100 crew and scientists plan to return to Bremerhaven, Germany, on Oct. 12.
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Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/Climate


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Task force to examine names on university buildings

BOWLING GREEN , Ky. ( AP ) - Western Kentucky University ’ s president has appointed a panel to examine the names on campus buildings and academic units .
The move was spurred by the recent killings of Black Americans by police and the nationwide racial reckoning that has followed , President Timothy Caboni said during a virtual address Monday , the Daily News reported .
There have already been discussions on whether to rename the Potter College of Arts and Letters and the Ogden College of Science and Engineering .
Both are named after people who had slaves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways , the names we carve into our buildings and attach to our academic units should define for members of our community the best of what we have been , what we are and what we aspire to be , ” Caboni said , “ To this end , I have established a task force to conduct a thorough examination of the history of WKU ’ s namings ; explore options for how we might address those that might be problematic ; and make recommendations for university leadership to consider , ” Caboni @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the university seeks to welcome and support all students , faculty and staff .

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) - Western Kentucky University’s president has appointed a panel to examine the names on campus buildings and academic units.
The move was spurred by the recent killings of Black Americans by police and the nationwide racial reckoning that has followed, President Timothy Caboni said during a virtual address Monday, the Daily News reported.
There have already been discussions on whether to rename the Potter College of Arts and Letters and the Ogden College of Science and Engineering. Both are named after people who had slaves, the newspaper reported.
“In many ways, the names we carve into our buildings and attach to our academic units should define for members of our community the best of what we have been, what we are and what we aspire to be,” Caboni said,
“To this end, I have established a task force to conduct a thorough examination of the history of WKU’s namings; explore options for how we might address those that might be problematic; and make recommendations for university leadership to consider,” Caboni said.
He called the effort vital as the university seeks to welcome and support all students, faculty and staff.


washingtontimes--2020-08-19--Firefighters battling large blaze at Dallas-area factory

GRAND PRAIRIE , Texas ( AP ) - A large fire burned early Wednesday at a Texas factory where trash @ @ @ @ @ produced .
There were no immediate reports of injuries from the fire that broke out @ @ @ @ @ the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie .
The Grand Prairie Fire Department said firefighters were @ @ @ @ @ Poly-America complex and asked people to avoid the area .
The cause of the fire @ @ @ @ @ .
Poly-America is headquartered in Grand Prairie and specializes in products made from polyethylene , @ @ @ @ @ drop cloths and plastic sheeting , according to the company ’ s website .

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (AP) - A massive daylong fire at a Dallas-area plastics factory Wednesday that sent a dense column of toxic black smoke over North Texas before fire crews could tame it has been contained, fire officials said.
There were no reports of injuries from the midnight Tuesday blaze at the Poly-America complex in Grand Prairie, authorities said. No evacuations were ordered, but people with underlying health conditions were asked to avoid the area.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Grand Prairie officials are continually checking air quality conditions, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement, urging area residents to heed local officials’ advisories and warnings.
Fire officials had initially thought the fire would burn into Thursday. By 4 p.m. Wednesday, though, city officials posted a statement that the flames had been contained and that the fire was expected to be extinguished Wednesday night.
“These are rolls of plastic sheeting, huge rolls, and they’re stacked sometimes eight feet high. Plastic is hard to put out and it’s just gonna burn.”
Firefighters believe the blaze started when a power line fell about midnight Tuesday near an area where plastic rolls were being stored, causing them to catch fire, Assistant Fire Chief Bill Murphy said. “These are rolls of plastic sheeting, huge rolls, and they’re stacked sometimes eight feet high. Plastic is hard to put out and it’s just gonna burn,” he said.
Poly-America is headquartered in Grand Prairie and specializes in products made from polyethylene, such as trash bags, drop cloths and plastic sheeting, according to the company’s website.
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This story has been updated to correct the last name of the assistant fire chief. His name is Bill Murphy, not Bill Murray.