washingtontimes--2020-09-19--Documents detail push to manage Yellowstone bison as cattle

BILLINGS , Mont .
( AP ) - In May 2018 , Yellowstone National Park ’ s superintendent was ordered by then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to manage the park ’ s bison “ more actively like cattle on a ranch , ” according to a park briefing statement .
About a month later , Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk was removed from his post .
Wenk was replaced by current Superintendent Cam Sholly who took over in October 2018 .
Before being appointed to lead the Department of Interior , Zinke was Montana ’ s lone representative in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of 2019 .
The revelation of Zinke ’ s order didn ’ t surprise Darrell Geist , habitat coordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign , a nonprofit bison advocacy group .
“ These are things we ’ ve been saying for a long time … that the herd is being managed for the good of the livestock industry and not the public trust , ” Geist told the Billings Gazette .
Confirmation of the group ’ s theory came after a long court fight by BFC seeking the release of documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freedom of Information Act .
In July , U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled the NPS must release nine documents in their entirety .
Buffalo Field Campaign recently made the documents available online , including the briefing statement .
The group is also suing the Department of Interior for similar documents and hopes to receive the records by this fall .
The Yellowstone briefing statement goes on to say , “ Managing Yellowstone bison more intensively like livestock on a ranch would be a set-back for restoration and would likely lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ litigation , and further attempts to list plains bison as threatened pursuant to the Endangered Species Act which would constrain future management options.
” Dan Bailey , Yellowstone program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association , said in an email that his group “ encourages Yellowstone to continue working with stakeholders , Native American tribes and other partners to expand opportunities for bison to be managed similar to other valued wildlife.
” Since 2018 , and under new leadership at the Department of Interior , Bailey said NPCA has seen progress on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including with the recently released Department of the Interior Bison Conservation Initiative 2020 , outlining goals including conserving bison as wildlife.
” The documents released to Buffalo Field Campaign include a scientific paper co-authored by three Yellowstone wildlife biologists .
The March 2018 paper , which was never published , is titled “ Resolving intractable governance issues to recover wild bison while maintaining public and tribal trust.
” In the document , the biologists argued that “ declarations that expanded tolerance for bison managed similarly to elk would threaten the economic interest and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be exaggerations designed to bolster special livestock interests through fears of reprisal.
” Unlike bison , which are not allowed to roam very far outside of Yellowstone , elk migrate freely into and out of the park .
Elk also carry brucellosis , the same disease ranchers cite as a reason for keeping bison numbers low and holding the big animals close to Yellowstone , instead of allowing them to roam more freely like other wildlife .
The biologists also advocate for a capture facility farther north of Yellowstone than the current one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers evaluate relocating some bison captured for removal from the population to the upper Gallatin watershed … Yellowstone bison used this watershed into the 1990s , but have not been observed there in recent years and are unlikely to naturally recolonize this area … ” The biologists noted that such a move would require Montana Fish , Wildlife & Parks to conduct an assessment and develop a management plan .
The Custer Gallatin National Forest , which manages the upper Gallatin watershed , recently released its proposed forest plan .
Buffalo Field Campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fails to secure habitat for bison , which it argues is a species of conservation concern .
“ Releasing bison in the watershed would not substantially increase the risk of brucellosis transmission to livestock because elk in the vicinity are chronically infected with brucellosis , ” the Yellowstone biologists wrote .
The lead author for the paper is P.J .
White , the park ’ s chief wildlife biologist .
The other authors are biologists Rick Wallen , who has retired as bison manager , and Chris Geremia , who replaced Wallen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The current management approach for Yellowstone bison is not serving the broader common good , but rather specific livestock interests based on perpetuated myths and misperceptions.
” Geist speculated the biologists may have written the paper because the Interagency Bison Management Plan cooperators - who collaborate on managing the animals - have not updated the bison management plan , which was finalized in 2000 .
The IBMP , which includes tribes , the state of Montana and Yellowstone officials .
Yellowstone ’ s own website notes that “ we believe we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We need a new paradigm that recognizes bison as wildlife and gives them the ability to move more freely on suitable public lands outside the park , ” the website states .
The Stephens Creek bison capture facility that Yellowstone National Park uses to capture and send bison to slaughter sits on park land close to the northern border .
In 2018 , three park wildlife biologists advocated for the facility to be moved farther north .
Another document revealed in Buffalo Field Campaign ’ s FOIA includes emails between White and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote a draft document “ considering alternate management paradigms , ” much of which is redacted .
Wallen responded to the proposal saying : “ This is absolutely the right message to share .
“ I am feeling a lot like Phil Connor ( Bill Murray ’ s character in the movie ‘ Groundhog Day ’ ) , and that makes today February the 2nd .
I am a bit numb from seeing this proposal so many times I don ’ t know how to respond now.
” Yet progress on a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Field Campaign ’ s fight for the park documents began in 2018 .
“ This threat of domestication has been hovering over buffalo for many years , ” he said .
Yellowstone is home to one of the most iconic bison populations in the nation .
The story of a small herd ’ s survival , when thousands of other plains bison were eliminated during the 1800s , is a success story for wildlife conservation .
As the bison population has grown in the park , with the herd numbering more than 4,800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lawmakers have been able to force the Park Service to annually cull and slaughter hundreds of animals every winter .
Buffalo Field Campaign ’ s website says that 12,575 Yellowstone bison have been killed and another 540 have been captured since 1985 .
The purpose of the capture and slaughter program is to keep bison from migrating into Montana .
Last winter , 442 bison were removed from the park through the capture and slaughter program .
Another 105 were isolated for quarantine to see if they can be eventually transferred alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed , mostly by tribal hunters exercising their treaty rights .
Geist said recent successes in moving small numbers of bison from the park to tribes after lengthy quarantine is not what his group wants to see .
BFC wants bison to roam as freely as other wildlife .
“ The buffalo may live , but they ’ re not the restoration of wildlife that was promised a long time ago , ” he said .

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - In May 2018, Yellowstone National Park’s superintendent was ordered by then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to manage the park’s bison “more actively like cattle on a ranch,” according to a park briefing statement.
About a month later, Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk was removed from his post. Wenk was replaced by current Superintendent Cam Sholly who took over in October 2018.
Before being appointed to lead the Department of Interior, Zinke was Montana’s lone representative in Congress. He left his Interior post at the beginning of 2019.
The revelation of Zinke’s order didn’t surprise Darrell Geist, habitat coordinator for the Buffalo Field Campaign, a nonprofit bison advocacy group.
“These are things we’ve been saying for a long time … that the herd is being managed for the good of the livestock industry and not the public trust,” Geist told the Billings Gazette.
Confirmation of the group’s theory came after a long court fight by BFC seeking the release of documents from the National Park Service through the Freedom of Information Act. In July, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled the NPS must release nine documents in their entirety. Buffalo Field Campaign recently made the documents available online, including the briefing statement.
The group is also suing the Department of Interior for similar documents and hopes to receive the records by this fall.
The Yellowstone briefing statement goes on to say, “Managing Yellowstone bison more intensively like livestock on a ranch would be a set-back for restoration and would likely lead to intense negative publicity, civil disobedience, litigation, and further attempts to list plains bison as threatened pursuant to the Endangered Species Act which would constrain future management options.”
Dan Bailey, Yellowstone program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, said in an email that his group “encourages Yellowstone to continue working with stakeholders, Native American tribes and other partners to expand opportunities for bison to be managed similar to other valued wildlife.”
Since 2018, and under new leadership at the Department of Interior, Bailey said NPCA has seen progress on the issue of bison restoration, “including with the recently released Department of the Interior Bison Conservation Initiative 2020, outlining goals including conserving bison as wildlife.”
The documents released to Buffalo Field Campaign include a scientific paper co-authored by three Yellowstone wildlife biologists. The March 2018 paper, which was never published, is titled “Resolving intractable governance issues to recover wild bison while maintaining public and tribal trust.”
In the document, the biologists argued that “declarations that expanded tolerance for bison managed similarly to elk would threaten the economic interest and viability of the livestock industry appear to be exaggerations designed to bolster special livestock interests through fears of reprisal.”
Unlike bison, which are not allowed to roam very far outside of Yellowstone, elk migrate freely into and out of the park. Elk also carry brucellosis, the same disease ranchers cite as a reason for keeping bison numbers low and holding the big animals close to Yellowstone, instead of allowing them to roam more freely like other wildlife.
The biologists also advocate for a capture facility farther north of Yellowstone than the current one at Stephens Creek and recommended that “managers evaluate relocating some bison captured for removal from the population to the upper Gallatin watershed … Yellowstone bison used this watershed into the 1990s, but have not been observed there in recent years and are unlikely to naturally recolonize this area …”
The biologists noted that such a move would require Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to conduct an assessment and develop a management plan.
The Custer Gallatin National Forest, which manages the upper Gallatin watershed, recently released its proposed forest plan. Buffalo Field Campaign has objected to the document saying it fails to secure habitat for bison, which it argues is a species of conservation concern.
“Releasing bison in the watershed would not substantially increase the risk of brucellosis transmission to livestock because elk in the vicinity are chronically infected with brucellosis,” the Yellowstone biologists wrote. The lead author for the paper is P.J. White, the park’s chief wildlife biologist. The other authors are biologists Rick Wallen, who has retired as bison manager, and Chris Geremia, who replaced Wallen.
Together, the three biologists concluded, “The current management approach for Yellowstone bison is not serving the broader common good, but rather specific livestock interests based on perpetuated myths and misperceptions.”
Geist speculated the biologists may have written the paper because the Interagency Bison Management Plan cooperators - who collaborate on managing the animals - have not updated the bison management plan, which was finalized in 2000. The IBMP, which includes tribes, the state of Montana and Yellowstone officials. Yellowstone’s own website notes that “we believe we’ve outgrown” the old plan.
“We need a new paradigm that recognizes bison as wildlife and gives them the ability to move more freely on suitable public lands outside the park,” the website states.
The Stephens Creek bison capture facility that Yellowstone National Park uses to capture and send bison to slaughter sits on park land close to the northern border. In 2018, three park wildlife biologists advocated for the facility to be moved farther north.
Another document revealed in Buffalo Field Campaign’s FOIA includes emails between White and Wallen. In April 2018, White wrote a draft document “considering alternate management paradigms,” much of which is redacted. Wallen responded to the proposal saying: “This is absolutely the right message to share.
“I am feeling a lot like Phil Connor (Bill Murray’s character in the movie ‘Groundhog Day’), and that makes today February the 2nd. I am a bit numb from seeing this proposal so many times I don’t know how to respond now.”
Yet progress on a new bison management plan has stalled.
Buffalo Field Campaign’s fight for the park documents began in 2018.
“This threat of domestication has been hovering over buffalo for many years,” he said.
Yellowstone is home to one of the most iconic bison populations in the nation. The story of a small herd’s survival, when thousands of other plains bison were eliminated during the 1800s, is a success story for wildlife conservation.
As the bison population has grown in the park, with the herd numbering more than 4,800 animals at last count, Montana officials and lawmakers have been able to force the Park Service to annually cull and slaughter hundreds of animals every winter.
Buffalo Field Campaign’s website says that 12,575 Yellowstone bison have been killed and another 540 have been captured since 1985. The purpose of the capture and slaughter program is to keep bison from migrating into Montana.
Last winter, 442 bison were removed from the park through the capture and slaughter program. Another 105 were isolated for quarantine to see if they can be eventually transferred alive to Indian tribes. About 280 were killed, mostly by tribal hunters exercising their treaty rights.
Geist said recent successes in moving small numbers of bison from the park to tribes after lengthy quarantine is not what his group wants to see. BFC wants bison to roam as freely as other wildlife.
“The buffalo may live, but they’re not the restoration of wildlife that was promised a long time ago,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--Air Force Academy general’s fight against racism resonates

AIR FORCE ACADEMY , Colo. ( AP ) - A month into his tenure as Air Force Academy superintendent and before Black Lives Matter sparked a nationwide discussion on the treatment of minorities , Lt. Gen Jay Silveria pulled his 4,000 cadets and hundreds of officers , civilian professors and airmen into cavernous Mitchell Hall .
A racial slur had been written on a white board at the academy ’ s Preparatory School .
“ At the time I was so hurt by a racial incident at the Air Force Academy , ” Silveria , who will retire this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Gazette in an interview .
A story above them on a podium , there was a flush of angry red skin beneath the general ’ s closely shorn , salt-and-pepper hair .
With cadets at stiff attention , Silveria barked at them in a manner that would have made his Air Force sergeant father proud .
“ We have an opportunity here , 5,500 of us in this room , to think about what we are as an institution , ” he told them .
Then he did something that may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former F-15E Strike Eagle pilot ever dropped .
“ Reach for your phones , ” he ordered the cadets .
“ I ’ m serious ; reach for your phones.
” The cadets pulled out their phones and , in unison , pressed “ record.
” Silveria spoke in the crisp tone military leaders use to deliver orders .
“ If you can ’ t treat someone with dignity and respect , then get out , ” the general told the thousands of cameras and , unintentionally , every social media site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a no-compromise message on racism and other societal ills that reached far beyond the academy ’ s gates .
Just one of the videos was viewed 1.4 million times on YouTube .
“ It wasn ’ t intended to be that big , ” Silveria admits .
Earlier in 2017 , Silveria had been in fighter pilot heaven .
After 30 years in the cockpit , he was leading swarms of fighter pilots who were raining hell on the Islamic State as American and allied troops rolled back the terrorist group ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command , Silveria was leading an air war , with hundreds of strikes a day erasing a threat which could have given rise to another 9/11 .
“ In context , when you ’ re a fighter pilot … the pinnacle of that was to be at the operational level , ” Silveria said .
Silveria had spent most of his life in the sky , putting in 3,000 hours in the cockpits of F-15s , the new F-35 stealth fighter and even mastering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent eight years wearing captain ’ s bars , because that ’ s the rank that gets the most flying time .
It must have been a letdown when the general got a call from a member of his boyhood Boy Scout troop .
The friend was Gen. David Goldfein , the Air Force ’ s chief of staff , who was sending Silveria to do something entirely different : run the Air Force ’ s college in Colorado Springs .
Pinning on a third star on his first day on the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force Academy , the school that gave him his bachelor ’ s degree in 1985 , makes flying an F-15E in combat look easy .
He was used to leading airmen .
At the academy , he picked up leadership of cadets , parents , alumni , community leaders and well-wishers .
“ It ’ s about leadership in all of those constituencies , ” he said .
In three years , Silveria faced the biggest challenges he would face in uniform .
The general worked to end hazing on teams , incorporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and kicked off a review that changed how the academy looks at diversity and race .
In 2018 , Silveria relieved commandant of cadets Brig .
Gen. Kristin Goodwin after an investigation revealed that she charged personal travel to the government , billed the government for work when she was on vacation and lied to superiors , investigators and subordinates while creating what workers called a “ toxic ” environment in her office .
Goodwin was a month away from leaving for a Pentagon job .
Many commanders would have let her next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a personal level , Silveria says , “ I have nothing but the highest regard for Kristin Goodwin and her family.
” But Silveria thinks the academy must uphold the highest standards .
“ It was what was right for the institution , ” he said .
Even those Gordian knots weren ’ t the biggest challenge Silveria would face .
Coronavirus can ’ t be bombed , strafed or ordered out of existence , even by a man wearing three heavy stars on his collar .
Silveria learned about leadership at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Silveria died six days before his son took command at the academy , but what he taught that son endures .
The younger Silveria first dreamed of an Air Force career as he walked flight lines with his father at bases around the world .
And he learned what that career meant from his father at the family dinner table .
“ Those talks about core values , his sense of duty , his sense of purpose - they were formative , ” Silveria said .
In March , as coronavirus crept closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had ample plans for facing biological weapons in combat , but little on a global pandemic threatening troops .
So , Silveria leaned on the basics drilled in by Dad .
The general got three-quarters of his cadets packed up and moved home in a 48-hour time frame and moved a campus that relied on in-person teaching online in days .
Controversy swirled around how Silveria dealt with the school ’ s nearly 1,000 seniors .
They stayed on campus in quarantine as the academy closed its gates to the public .
Classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firewalled the educational throttle toward the first early graduation in the school ’ s 66-year history .
“ The whole purpose of the institution , ” Silveria said , is providing America the lieutenants it needs .
“ They are part of the national security system.
” Two of the seniors died , one death later ruled accidental and another deemed to be a suicide .
The general mourned with his cadets but kept pushing .
“ You don ’ t get a reprieve from preparing the force , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet apart , graduated April 18 .
The academy sent a record number of cadets to pilot training , helping address a severe pilot shortfall that threatened Air Force missions overseas .
And 86 of the graduates became the first lieutenants in the new Space Force .
Silveria spent three years teaching cadets how discipline , dedication and duty will make the world a better place .
And those cadets taught the fighter pilot something about himself .
He ’ s a teacher .
“ I admit , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education bug.
” So , as he readies to leave the Air Force , Silveria is looking for a new college job where he can use what the academy taught its superintendent .
“ I am going to be part of something that has a mission that I want to be part of , ” he said .
And Silveria ’ s tenure might have prepared the battlefield for the man who will become the new superintendent Sept. 23 .
Lt. Gen. Richard Clark will become the academy ’ s first Black leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has worked to stamp out racial bias in the ranks .
“ We have to acknowledge we have racism , we have bias , ” Silveria said .
“ We have to find it and we have to fix it .
”

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - A month into his tenure as Air Force Academy superintendent and before Black Lives Matter sparked a nationwide discussion on the treatment of minorities, Lt. Gen Jay Silveria pulled his 4,000 cadets and hundreds of officers, civilian professors and airmen into cavernous Mitchell Hall.
A racial slur had been written on a white board at the academy’s Preparatory School.
“At the time I was so hurt by a racial incident at the Air Force Academy,” Silveria, who will retire this month after 35 years in uniform, told The Gazette in an interview.
A story above them on a podium, there was a flush of angry red skin beneath the general’s closely shorn, salt-and-pepper hair. With cadets at stiff attention, Silveria barked at them in a manner that would have made his Air Force sergeant father proud.
“We have an opportunity here, 5,500 of us in this room, to think about what we are as an institution,” he told them.
Then he did something that may have had a bigger impact than any bomb the former F-15E Strike Eagle pilot ever dropped.
“Reach for your phones,” he ordered the cadets. “I’m serious; reach for your phones.”
The cadets pulled out their phones and, in unison, pressed “record.”
Silveria spoke in the crisp tone military leaders use to deliver orders.
“If you can’t treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out,” the general told the thousands of cameras and, unintentionally, every social media site his young audience frequented.
It was a no-compromise message on racism and other societal ills that reached far beyond the academy’s gates. Just one of the videos was viewed 1.4 million times on YouTube.
“It wasn’t intended to be that big,” Silveria admits.
Earlier in 2017, Silveria had been in fighter pilot heaven.
After 30 years in the cockpit, he was leading swarms of fighter pilots who were raining hell on the Islamic State as American and allied troops rolled back the terrorist group’s hold on Iraq and Syria. As the deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Silveria was leading an air war, with hundreds of strikes a day erasing a threat which could have given rise to another 9/11.
“In context, when you’re a fighter pilot … the pinnacle of that was to be at the operational level,” Silveria said.
Silveria had spent most of his life in the sky, putting in 3,000 hours in the cockpits of F-15s, the new F-35 stealth fighter and even mastering the HH-60 Black Hawk rescue helicopter. He spent eight years wearing captain’s bars, because that’s the rank that gets the most flying time.
It must have been a letdown when the general got a call from a member of his boyhood Boy Scout troop. The friend was Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force’s chief of staff, who was sending Silveria to do something entirely different: run the Air Force’s college in Colorado Springs.
Pinning on a third star on his first day on the job, Silveria learned that running the Air Force Academy, the school that gave him his bachelor’s degree in 1985, makes flying an F-15E in combat look easy.
He was used to leading airmen. At the academy, he picked up leadership of cadets, parents, alumni, community leaders and well-wishers.
“It’s about leadership in all of those constituencies,” he said.
In three years, Silveria faced the biggest challenges he would face in uniform. The general worked to end hazing on teams, incorporate the new Space Force into the ranks and kicked off a review that changed how the academy looks at diversity and race.
In 2018, Silveria relieved commandant of cadets Brig. Gen. Kristin Goodwin after an investigation revealed that she charged personal travel to the government, billed the government for work when she was on vacation and lied to superiors, investigators and subordinates while creating what workers called a “toxic” environment in her office.
Goodwin was a month away from leaving for a Pentagon job. Many commanders would have let her next superior deal with the mess. On a personal level, Silveria says, “I have nothing but the highest regard for Kristin Goodwin and her family.”
But Silveria thinks the academy must uphold the highest standards.
“It was what was right for the institution,” he said.
Even those Gordian knots weren’t the biggest challenge Silveria would face.
Coronavirus can’t be bombed, strafed or ordered out of existence, even by a man wearing three heavy stars on his collar.
Silveria learned about leadership at an early age. Master Sgt. Walter Silveria died six days before his son took command at the academy, but what he taught that son endures.
The younger Silveria first dreamed of an Air Force career as he walked flight lines with his father at bases around the world. And he learned what that career meant from his father at the family dinner table.
“Those talks about core values, his sense of duty, his sense of purpose - they were formative,” Silveria said.
In March, as coronavirus crept closer to the academy gates, the military had ample plans for facing biological weapons in combat, but little on a global pandemic threatening troops. So, Silveria leaned on the basics drilled in by Dad.
The general got three-quarters of his cadets packed up and moved home in a 48-hour time frame and moved a campus that relied on in-person teaching online in days.
Controversy swirled around how Silveria dealt with the school’s nearly 1,000 seniors. They stayed on campus in quarantine as the academy closed its gates to the public. Classes for seniors were accelerated as the general firewalled the educational throttle toward the first early graduation in the school’s 66-year history.
“The whole purpose of the institution,” Silveria said, is providing America the lieutenants it needs.
“They are part of the national security system.”
Two of the seniors died, one death later ruled accidental and another deemed to be a suicide. The general mourned with his cadets but kept pushing.
“You don’t get a reprieve from preparing the force,” he said.
The class of 2020, seated 8 feet apart, graduated April 18. The academy sent a record number of cadets to pilot training, helping address a severe pilot shortfall that threatened Air Force missions overseas. And 86 of the graduates became the first lieutenants in the new Space Force.
Silveria spent three years teaching cadets how discipline, dedication and duty will make the world a better place.
And those cadets taught the fighter pilot something about himself. He’s a teacher.
“I admit,” he said. “I have been bitten by the higher education bug.”
So, as he readies to leave the Air Force, Silveria is looking for a new college job where he can use what the academy taught its superintendent.
“I am going to be part of something that has a mission that I want to be part of,” he said.
And Silveria’s tenure might have prepared the battlefield for the man who will become the new superintendent Sept. 23.
Lt. Gen. Richard Clark will become the academy’s first Black leader at an institution that over three years has worked to stamp out racial bias in the ranks.
“We have to acknowledge we have racism, we have bias,” Silveria said. “We have to find it and we have to fix it.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--Court's decisions didn't end Pennsylvania voting law fight

HARRISBURG , Pa. ( AP ) - The Nov. 3 presidential contest will test Pennsylvania ’ s ability to handle a massive mail-in vote and , while its high court settled several partisan points of dispute over how to update the state ’ s election law , counties remain unprepared in several important ways .
Plus , the legal challenges are not necessarily over .
Meanwhile , lawmakers and election officials continue to warn that the conditions are ripe for a presidential election result to be left hanging in limbo on a drawn-out vote count in Pennsylvania , a premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very close again .
Some also warn that huge numbers of mail-in votes could be invalidated , unless the law is changed .
Decisions on Thursday by a divided state Supreme Court filled the vacuum of inaction left by a partisan stalemate in the state Capitol .
President Donald Trump ’ s campaign , the Republican Party and leaders of the state Legislature ’ s Republican majorities had opposed two key decisions of the court ’ s Democratic majority .
In those decisions , the court extended the period to receive mail-in ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as a ballot isn ’ t clearly mailed after polls close - and it ruled that drop boxes and satellite election offices are allowable under current law .
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman , R-Centre , said the court ’ s decisions “ blew up ” negotiations with Gov .
Tom Wolf , a Democrat .
“ We ’ ll try to recreate something with the governor at this point in time , but I don ’ t know if it ’ s possible , ” Corman told The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at what ’ s next : Fueled by concerns over the pandemic , more than 3 million voters are expected to cast ballots by mail in the Nov. 3 election .
That ’ s more than 10 times as many as voted by mail in the 2016 presidential election , when Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by a mere 44,000 votes , or less than 1 percentage point .
Polls show another close race between Democrat Joe Biden and Trump in Pennsylvania .
WHAT THE COURT DID All told , the court handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Extending the deadline to receive mailed-in ballots and upholding the use of drop boxes and satellite election offices were good for Democrats .
Counties , such as Philadelphia and Allegheny County , planning to use satellite election offices and drop boxes are home to more than half of the state ’ s registered Democratic voters .
Meanwhile , more than 1.3 million of the 2 million registered voters who have thus far requested a mail-in or absentee ballot are registered Democrats , according to figures from the state elections office .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered Republicans and that means that counties will have more time and more ways to receive mail-in ballots that are far likelier to be from a Democratic voter .
In two other wins for Democrats , the court kicked the Green Party ’ s presidential candidate off the ballot and it upheld the requirement in state law that a party-designated poll watcher be a registered voter in the county .
But in wins for Republicans , it rejected requests to let voters who aren ’ t disabled give their mail-in ballot to someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to let voters fix disqualifying problems with their mail-in ballots , such as not signing their return envelope ; and to require counties to count mailed-in ballots that arrive without a secrecy envelope .
Counties want more time - as much as three weeks before Election Day - to process mailed-in ballots to get them ready to count .
In theory , that would allow them to more quickly produce election results .
Leaving the law unchanged risks protracted vote counting , they warn .
Republicans support giving counties a three-day head start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time than that .
Counties also want to shorten the period in which to request a mail-in or absentee ballot , moving the deadline back to 15 days before Election Day , from seven days in current law .
Republicans support it , Democrats oppose it .
That request came after thousands of ballots arrived after polls closed in the June 2 primary election .
Forrest Lehman , the elections director for Lycoming County , warned of problems if the deadline remains seven days before Election Day .
Tens of thousands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in time and will show up at polling places to vote , where they will have to cast a provisional ballot , Lehman said .
Massive and unheard-of numbers of provisional ballots - perhaps 50,000 or 100,000 - will require at least a week , if not longer , to sort out , Lehman said , potentially delaying a presidential election result .
“ I think it ’ s going to be the issue that takes everybody by surprise in November , ” Lehman said .
Some of these issues could resurface in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are considering asking a federal court to block the state Supreme Court ’ s decisions .
Plus , Wolf and lawmakers still have the power to make changes in the law .
Meanwhile , Trump ’ s campaign has a lawsuit pending in federal court .
AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : //interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Nov. 3 presidential contest will test Pennsylvania’s ability to handle a massive mail-in vote and, while its high court settled several partisan points of dispute over how to update the state’s election law, counties remain unprepared in several important ways.
Plus, the legal challenges are not necessarily over.
Meanwhile, lawmakers and election officials continue to warn that the conditions are ripe for a presidential election result to be left hanging in limbo on a drawn-out vote count in Pennsylvania, a premier battleground state where the result could be very close again. Some also warn that huge numbers of mail-in votes could be invalidated, unless the law is changed.
Decisions on Thursday by a divided state Supreme Court filled the vacuum of inaction left by a partisan stalemate in the state Capitol.
It also fanned partisan flames.
President Donald Trump’s campaign, the Republican Party and leaders of the state Legislature’s Republican majorities had opposed two key decisions of the court’s Democratic majority.
In those decisions, the court extended the period to receive mail-in ballots for three days after Election Day - as long as a ballot isn’t clearly mailed after polls close - and it ruled that drop boxes and satellite election offices are allowable under current law.
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, said the court’s decisions “blew up” negotiations with Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat.
“We’ll try to recreate something with the governor at this point in time, but I don’t know if it’s possible,” Corman told The Associated Press on Friday.
Here is a look at what’s next:
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WHAT’S AT STAKE
Fueled by concerns over the pandemic, more than 3 million voters are expected to cast ballots by mail in the Nov. 3 election.
That’s more than 10 times as many as voted by mail in the 2016 presidential election, when Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by a mere 44,000 votes, or less than 1 percentage point.
Polls show another close race between Democrat Joe Biden and Trump in Pennsylvania.
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WHAT THE COURT DID
All told, the court handed victories to both Democrats and Republicans.
Extending the deadline to receive mailed-in ballots and upholding the use of drop boxes and satellite election offices were good for Democrats.
Counties, such as Philadelphia and Allegheny County, planning to use satellite election offices and drop boxes are home to more than half of the state’s registered Democratic voters.
Meanwhile, more than 1.3 million of the 2 million registered voters who have thus far requested a mail-in or absentee ballot are registered Democrats, according to figures from the state elections office.
That’s nearly three times as many as registered Republicans and that means that counties will have more time and more ways to receive mail-in ballots that are far likelier to be from a Democratic voter.
In two other wins for Democrats, the court kicked the Green Party’s presidential candidate off the ballot and it upheld the requirement in state law that a party-designated poll watcher be a registered voter in the county.
But in wins for Republicans, it rejected requests to let voters who aren’t disabled give their mail-in ballot to someone else to deliver; to require counties to let voters fix disqualifying problems with their mail-in ballots, such as not signing their return envelope; and to require counties to count mailed-in ballots that arrive without a secrecy envelope.
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WHAT COUNTIES WANT
Counties want more time - as much as three weeks before Election Day - to process mailed-in ballots to get them ready to count. In theory, that would allow them to more quickly produce election results. Leaving the law unchanged risks protracted vote counting, they warn.
Republicans support giving counties a three-day head start, but Democrats are pushing for more time than that.
Counties also want to shorten the period in which to request a mail-in or absentee ballot, moving the deadline back to 15 days before Election Day, from seven days in current law. Republicans support it, Democrats oppose it.
That request came after thousands of ballots arrived after polls closed in the June 2 primary election.
Forrest Lehman, the elections director for Lycoming County, warned of problems if the deadline remains seven days before Election Day.
Tens of thousands of people will worry about their mail-in ballot arriving in time and will show up at polling places to vote, where they will have to cast a provisional ballot, Lehman said.
Massive and unheard-of numbers of provisional ballots - perhaps 50,000 or 100,000 - will require at least a week, if not longer, to sort out, Lehman said, potentially delaying a presidential election result.
“I think it’s going to be the issue that takes everybody by surprise in November,” Lehman said.
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WHAT’S NEXT?
Some of these issues could resurface in legislation or be relitigated.
Republicans say they are considering asking a federal court to block the state Supreme Court’s decisions. Plus, Wolf and lawmakers still have the power to make changes in the law.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign has a lawsuit pending in federal court.
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Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/timelywriter.
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AP’s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--Walmart, Amazon among donors to QAnon-promoting lawmaker

Walmart , Amazon and other corporate giants donated money to a Tennessee state lawmaker ’ s reelection campaign after she used social media to amplify and promote the QAnon conspiracy theory , according to an Associated Press review of campaign finance records and the candidate ’ s posts .
The corporate support for a QAnon-promoting politician is another example of how the conspiracy theory has penetrated mainstream politics , spreading beyond its origins on internet message boards popular with right-wing extremists .
Dozens of QAnon-promoting candidates have run for federal or state offices during this election cycle .
Collectively , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of donors .
Individually , however , most of them have run poorly financed campaigns with little or no corporate or party backing .
Unlike state Rep. Susan Lynn , who chairs the Tennessee House finance committee , few are incumbents who can attract corporate PAC money .
Lynn told the AP in an interview Friday that she does not support QAnon .
Walmart did not respond to repeated requests for comment made by email and through its website .
An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment .
A spokeswoman for another donor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distillery company Brown-Forman , which has a facility in Tennessee , said the company didn ’ t know about Lynn ’ s QAnon posts and wouldn ’ t have donated to her campaign through its Jack Daniel ’ s PAC if it had .
“ Now that our awareness is raised , we will reevaluate our criteria for giving to help identify affiliations like this in the future , ” Elizabeth Conway said in a statement .
Corporate PAC managers typically decide which candidates to support on the basis of narrow , pragmatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Anthony Corrado , a Colby College government professor and campaign finance expert .
“ In many instances , you don ’ t have any kind of corporate board oversight or any kind of accountability in terms of review of contributions before they ’ re made , ” Corrado said .
“ Some corporations now have adopted policies about the supervision of PAC contributions because of the reputational risks involved in this.
” At least 81 current or former congressional candidates have supported the conspiracy theory or promoted QAnon content , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s general election ballot , according to the liberal watchdog Media Matters for America .
As of Friday , the candidates collectively had raised nearly $ 5 million in contributions for this election cycle , but only eight had raised over $ 100,000 individually , according to the AP ’ s review of Federal Election Commission data .
The FEC ’ s online database doesn ’ t have any fundraising reports for 30 of the candidates , the vast majority of whom are running as Republicans .
Congress is virtually certain to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Marjorie Taylor Greene , whose campaign has raised over $ 1 million , appeared to be coasting to victory in a deep-red congressional district in Georgia even before her Democratic opponent dropped out of the race .
At the state level , the AP and Media Matters have identified more than two dozen legislative candidates who have expressed some support or interest in QAnon .
QAnon centers on the baseless belief that President Donald Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies in the “ deep state ” and a child sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cannibals .
Trump has praised QAnon supporters and often retweets accounts that promote the conspiracy theory .
QAnon has been linked to killings , attempted kidnappings and other crimes .
In May 2019 , an FBI bulletin mentioning QAnon warned that conspiracy theory-driven extremists have become a domestic terrorism threat .
Lynn said her social media posts do not indicate any support for the conspiracy theory .
“ This is the United States of America , and I am absolutely free to tweet or retweet anything I want , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is even an issue .
Believe me , I am not in the inside of some QAnon movement.
” But in October 2019 , Lynn retweeted posts by QAnon-promoting accounts with tens of thousands of followers .
One of the posts she retweeted praised Trump and included the hashtag # TheGreatAwakening , a phrase commonly invoked by QAnon followers .
Between Oct. 31 , 2019 , and Jan. 9 , 2020 , her campaign received $ 4,750 in donations from Amazon.com Services LLC , BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee ’ s PAC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co. Freedom Fund and Walmart Inc. “ Like many other companies , our PAC periodically contributes to elected officials in Tennessee , including those serving in leadership like Rep. Lynn , ” BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee spokeswoman Dalya Qualls said in a statement .
In April , Lynn updated her Facebook page with a cover photo that included a flag with stars forming a “ Q ” above the abbreviation “ WWG1WGA , ” which stands for the QAnon slogan “ Where we go one , we go all.
” In May and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same abbreviation .
And when a leading QAnon supporter nicknamed “ Praying Medic ” tweeted the message , “ Is it time to Q the Trump rallies ?
” Lynn responded , “ It is time !
” in a May 31 tweet of her own .
Lynn said she viewed “ Where we go one , we go all ” as a “ very unifying slogan ” and didn ’ t know it was a QAnon motto .
However , a handful of Facebook users who replied to her updated cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection .
The flag is no longer her cover photo but could still be seen in the feed on her page on Friday .
In July , AT & T ; Tennessee PAC , Cigna Corporation PAC and Jack Daniel ’ s PAC contributed a total of $ 4,000 to Lynn ’ s campaign .
The PACs linked to BlueCross BlueShield , AT & T ; Tennessee , Cigna , Southwest Airlines and Jack Daniel ’ s had also previously donated to Lynn ’ s campaign before she amplified QAnon-promoting Twitter accounts last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies mentioned in this story .
Some did not respond to requests for comment and others declined to comment .
Associated Press data journalist Andrew Milligan in New Haven , Connecticut ; and Adrian Sainz in Memphis , Tennessee , contributed to this report .

Walmart, Amazon and other corporate giants donated money to the reelection campaign of a Tennessee state lawmaker who had used social media to amplify and promote the QAnon conspiracy theory, according to an Associated Press review of campaign finance records and the candidate’s posts.
The corporate support for a QAnon-promoting politician is another example of how the conspiracy theory has penetrated mainstream politics, spreading beyond its origins on internet message boards popular with right-wing extremists.
Dozens of QAnon-promoting candidates have run for federal or state offices during this election cycle. Collectively, they have raised millions of dollars from thousands of donors. Individually, however, most of them have run poorly financed campaigns with little or no corporate or party backing. Unlike state Rep. Susan Lynn, who chairs the Tennessee House finance committee, few are incumbents who can attract corporate PAC money.
Though she repeatedly posted a well-known QAnon slogan on her Twitter and Facebook accounts, Lynn told the AP in an interview Friday that she does not support the conspiracy theory.
Amazon said in a statement that it “made a donation to Rep. Lynn nearly a year ago - we do not plan on making another one.”
Walmart did not respond to repeated requests for comment made by email and through its website. A spokeswoman for another donor to Lynn’s campaign, Kentucky-based distillery company Brown-Forman, which has a facility in Tennessee, said the company didn’t know about Lynn’s QAnon posts and wouldn’t have donated to her campaign through its Jack Daniel’s PAC if it had.
“Now that our awareness is raised, we will reevaluate our criteria for giving to help identify affiliations like this in the future,” Elizabeth Conway said in a statement.
Corporate PAC managers typically decide which candidates to support on the basis of narrow, pragmatic policy issues rather than broader political concerns, said Anthony Corrado, a Colby College government professor and campaign finance expert.
“In many instances, you don’t have any kind of corporate board oversight or any kind of accountability in terms of review of contributions before they’re made,” Corrado said. “Some corporations now have adopted policies about the supervision of PAC contributions because of the reputational risks involved in this.”
At least 81 current or former congressional candidates have supported the conspiracy theory or promoted QAnon content, with at least 24 qualifying for November’s general election ballot, according to the liberal watchdog Media Matters for America.
As of Friday, the candidates collectively had raised nearly $5 million in contributions for this election cycle, but only eight had raised over $100,000 individually, according to the AP’s review of Federal Election Commission data. The FEC’s online database doesn’t have any fundraising reports for 30 of the candidates, the vast majority of whom are running as Republicans.
Congress is virtually certain to have at least one QAnon-supporting member next year. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whose campaign has raised over $1 million, appeared to be coasting to victory in a deep-red congressional district in Georgia even before her Democratic opponent dropped out of the race.
At the state level, the AP and Media Matters have identified more than two dozen legislative candidates who have expressed some support or interest in QAnon.
QAnon centers on the baseless belief that President Donald Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies in the “deep state” and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals. Trump has praised QAnon supporters and often retweets accounts that promote the conspiracy theory.
QAnon has been linked to killings, attempted kidnappings and other crimes. In May 2019, an FBI bulletin mentioning QAnon warned that conspiracy theory-driven extremists have become a domestic terrorism threat.
Lynn said her social media posts do not indicate any support for the conspiracy theory.
“This is the United States of America, and I am absolutely free to tweet or retweet anything I want,” she said. “I don’t understand why this is even an issue. Believe me, I am not in the inside of some QAnon movement.”
But in October 2019, Lynn retweeted posts by QAnon-promoting accounts with tens of thousands of followers. One of the posts she retweeted praised Trump and included the hashtag #TheGreatAwakening, a phrase commonly invoked by QAnon followers.
Between Oct. 31, 2019, and Jan. 9, 2020, her campaign received $4,750 in donations from Amazon.com Services LLC, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s PAC, health insurer Humana, the Southwest Airlines Co. Freedom Fund and Walmart Inc.
“Like many other companies, our PAC periodically contributes to elected officials in Tennessee, including those serving in leadership like Rep. Lynn,” BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee spokeswoman Dalya Qualls said in a statement.
In April, Lynn updated her Facebook page with a cover photo that included a flag with stars forming a “Q” above the abbreviation “WWG1WGA,” which stands for the QAnon slogan “Where we go one, we go all.” In May and June, Lynn punctuated several tweets with the same abbreviation.
And when a leading QAnon supporter nicknamed “Praying Medic” tweeted the message, “Is it time to Q the Trump rallies?” Lynn responded, “It is time!” in a May 31 tweet of her own.
Lynn said she viewed “Where we go one, we go all” as a “very unifying slogan” and didn’t know it was a QAnon motto. However, a handful of Facebook users who replied to her updated cover photo in April commented on the QAnon connection. The flag is no longer her cover photo but could still be seen in the feed on her page on Friday.
In July, AT&T Tennessee PAC, Cigna Corporation PAC and Jack Daniel’s PAC contributed a total of $4,000 to Lynn’s campaign.
The PACs linked to BlueCross BlueShield, AT&T Tennessee, Cigna, Southwest Airlines and Jack Daniel’s had also previously donated to Lynn’s campaign before she amplified QAnon-promoting Twitter accounts last year.
AP contacted all of the companies mentioned in this story. Some did not respond to requests for comment and others declined to comment.
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Associated Press data journalist Andrew Milligan in New Haven, Connecticut; and Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee, contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--Russia's Navalny says he's now more than 'technically alive'

MOSCOW ( AP ) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he is recovering his verbal and physical abilities at the German hospital where he is being treated for suspected nerve agent poisoning but that he at first felt despair over his condition .
Navalny , the most visible opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin , fell ill on a domestic flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was transferred to Germany for treatment two days later .
A German military lab later determined that the Russian politician was poisoned with Novichok , the same class of Soviet-era agent that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian spy and his daughter in England , in 2018 .
Navalny was kept in an induced coma for more than a week while being treated with an antidote .
He said in a Saturday post on Instagram that once he was brought out of the coma , he was confused and couldn ’ t find the words to respond to a doctor ’ s questions .
“ Although I understood in general what the doctor wanted , I did not understand where to get the words .
In what part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navalny wrote in the post , which accompanied a photo of him on a staircase .
“ I also did not know how to express my despair and , therefore , simply kept silent.
” “ Now I ’ m a guy whose legs are shaking when he walks up the stairs , but he thinks : ‘ Oh , this is a staircase !
They go up it .
Perhaps we should look for an elevator , ’ ” Navalny said .
” And before , I would have just stood there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Berlin ’ s Charite hospital “ turned me from a ‘ technically alive person ’ into someone who has every chance to become the Highest Form of Being in Modern Society again - a person who can quickly scroll through Instagram and without hesitation understands where to put likes , ” he wrote .
The Kremlin has repeatedly said that before Navalny ’ s transfer to Berlin , Russian labs and a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk found no sign of a poisoning .
Moscow has called for Germany to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other Western leaders to answer questions about what happened to the politician .
“ There is too much absurdity in this case to take anyone at their word , ” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday .
Peskov also accused Navalny ’ s colleagues of hampering a Russian investigation by taking items from his hotel room out of the country , including a water bottle they claimed had traces of the nerve agent .
Navalny ’ s colleagues said that they removed the bottle and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Siberian city of Tomsk Siberia and brought them to Germany as potential evidence .
because they didn ’ t trust Russian authorities to conduct a proper probe .

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he is recovering his verbal and physical abilities at the German hospital where he is being treated for suspected nerve agent poisoning but that he at first felt despair over his condition.
Navalny, the most visible opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a domestic flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was transferred to Germany for treatment two days later. A German military lab later determined that the Russian politician was poisoned with Novichok, the same class of Soviet-era agent that Britain said was used on a former Russian spy and his daughter in England, in 2018.
Navalny was kept in an induced coma for more than a week while being treated with an antidote. He said in a Saturday post on Instagram that once he was brought out of the coma, he was confused and couldn’t find the words to respond to a doctor’s questions.
“Although I understood in general what the doctor wanted, I did not understand where to get the words. In what part of the head do they appear in?” Navalny wrote in the post, which accompanied a photo of him on a staircase. “I also did not know how to express my despair and, therefore, simply kept silent.”
“Now I’m a guy whose legs are shaking when he walks up the stairs, but he thinks: ‘Oh, this is a staircase! They go up it. Perhaps we should look for an elevator,’” Navalny said. ”And before, I would have just stood there and stared.”
The doctors treating him at Berlin’s Charite hospital “turned me from a ‘technically alive person’ into someone who has every chance to become the Highest Form of Being in Modern Society again - a person who can quickly scroll through Instagram and without hesitation understands where to put likes,” he wrote.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said that before Navalny’s transfer to Berlin, Russian labs and a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk found no sign of a poisoning. Moscow has called for Germany to provide its evidence and bristled at the urging of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other Western leaders to answer questions about what happened to the politician.
“There is too much absurdity in this case to take anyone at their word,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
Peskov also accused Navalny’s colleagues of hampering a Russian investigation by taking items from his hotel room out of the country, including a water bottle they claimed had traces of the nerve agent.
Navalny’s colleagues said that they removed the bottle and other items from the hotel room in the Siberian city of Tomsk Siberia and brought them to Germany as potential evidence. because they didn’t trust Russian authorities to conduct a proper probe.


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--Ethiopia charges prominent opposition figure with terrorism

ADDIS ABABA , Ethiopia ( AP ) - Ethiopia ’ s most prominent opposition figure , Jawar Mohammed , and 23 other people have been charged with terrorism-related offenses , telecom fraud and other criminal activities , the attorney general ’ s office announced Saturday .
The office said they will appear in court on Monday .
The charges relate to deadly violence that erupted in July in parts of the capital , Addis Ababa , and the Oromia region after the killing of singer Hachalu Hundessa , a prominent voice in anti-government protests that led to Prime Minister Abiy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authorities said over 180 people were killed in the July unrest .
Jawar , a media mogul-turned-politician , has huge support among youth in the Oromia region and returned to Ethiopia after Abiy came to power and urged exiles to come home amid sweeping political reforms that led to him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize .
The Oromo make up Ethiopia ’ s largest ethnic group but had never held the country ’ s top post until they helped bring Abiy to power .
Now ethnic tensions and intercommunal violence are posing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been fiercely critical of the Ethiopian leader over the postponement of the general election once planned for August because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The government ’ s mandate expires late next month , and a new election date has not been set .
Jawar has been detained since the July unrest .
His lawyers have repeatedly asserted he was locked up because of his political views and have called for his release .
Human rights groups have warned that such arrests show that Abiy ’ s political reforms are slipping .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of recent protests calling for the release of political prisoners , including one in late August that left “ scores ” of people dead , according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and witnesses who spoke to The Associated Press .
Abiy in a opinion piece published this week in The Economist wrote that “ individuals and groups , disaffected by the transformations taking place , are using everything at their disposal to derail them .
They are harvesting the seeds of inter-ethnic and inter-religious division and hatred.
” He rejected “ dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged abuses by security forces during the bouts of unrest , saying that “ given the institutions we have inherited , we realize that law-enforcement activities entail a risk of human-rights violations and abuse.
” Security reforms take time , he said .

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Ethiopia has charged its most prominent opposition figure, Jawar Mohammed, and 23 others with terrorism-related offenses, telecom fraud and other crimes, the attorney general’s office announced Saturday. They could face life in prison if convicted.
They will appear in court on Monday. The charges relate to deadly violence that erupted in July in parts of the capital, Addis Ababa, and the Oromia region after the killing of singer Hachalu Hundessa, a prominent voice in anti-government protests that led to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed coming to power in 2018. Authorities said over 180 people were killed in July’s unrest.
Jawar, a media mogul-turned-politician, has huge support among youth in the Oromia region and returned to Ethiopia after Abiy took office and urged exiles to come home amid sweeping political reforms that led to him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
The Oromo make up Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group but had never held the country’s top post until they helped bring Abiy to power. Now ethnic tensions and intercommunal violence are posing a growing challenge to his reforms.
Jawar has become fiercely critical of the Ethiopian leader, most recently over the postponement of the general election once planned for August because of the coronavirus pandemic. The government’s mandate expires late next month, and a new election date has not been set.
Jawar has been detained since he and several thousand people were arrested during the July violence. His lawyers have repeatedly asserted he was locked up because of his political views and have called for his release.
His lawyer Tuli Bayissa told The Associated Press that the charges astonished the legal team, and he couldn’t comment on them because he found out only by reading the official announcement on social media.
“This is unethical. I haven’t heard anything like this,” he said. He expects to receive details at Monday’s court appearance.
Human rights groups have warned that such arrests show that Abiy’s political reforms are slipping.
Youth in Oromia have staged a number of recent protests calling for the release of political prisoners, including one in late August that left “scores” of people dead, according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and witnesses who spoke to the AP.
Abiy in a opinion piece published this week in The Economist wrote that “individuals and groups, disaffected by the transformations taking place, are using everything at their disposal to derail them. They are harvesting the seeds of inter-ethnic and inter-religious division and hatred.” He rejected “dangerous demagogues.”
The prime minister also acknowledged alleged abuses by security forces during the bouts of unrest, saying that “given the institutions we have inherited, we realize that law-enforcement activities entail a risk of human-rights violations and abuse.” Security reforms take time, he said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--After wildfire smoke clears, protests resume in Portland

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) - Protesters returned to the streets of Portland , Oregon , following a dayslong pause largely due to poor air quality from wildfires on the West Coast .
Police declared an unlawful assembly Friday night in a neighborhood near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building where protesters had marched , according to a police statement .
Demonstrators participated in criminal activity and threw items at officers , police said , leading to 11 arrests .
Photos show that smoke was used to clear the crowd , and it appeared that tear gas was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas was on the list of crowd control agents if people did not disperse , but the tweet was later deleted , KOIN-TV reported .
Another tweet was issued that didn ’ t mention tear gas .
“ No , we are required by law to make that warning , ” Portland Sgt .
Kevin Allen told the television station when asked about the initial tweet .
“ PPB is still prevented from using tear gas.
” Less than two weeks ago the mayor of Portland ordered police to stop using tear gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests that racked the city for more than three months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Mayor Ted Wheeler , a Democrat , was tear gassed when he went to a demonstration against the presence of federal authorities dispatched to the city to protect federal property .
He said he still wants police to respond aggressively to prevent violence and vandalism .
Hundreds of people have been arrested since the protests started in May .
Demonstrators had not gathered in the city since at least Sept. 9 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wildfires have spewed dangerously dirty air across Oregon , California and Washington state , and sent haze across the country .
The protesters in Portland want city officials to slash the police budget and reallocate that money to Black residents and businesses .
Some demonstrators are also demanding the resignation of Wheeler , a white man and the scion of a timber company fortune .
In clashes with police , some protesters have broken windows , set small fires , punctured police car tires , shined lasers in officers ’ eyes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottles .
Police criticized Wheeler ’ s move , saying in a statement that it could force them to employ potentially more dangerous crowd control measures to quell violent demonstrations .

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Protesters returned to the streets of Portland, Oregon, following a dayslong pause largely due to poor air quality from wildfires on the West Coast.
Police declared an unlawful assembly Friday night in a neighborhood near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building where protesters had marched, according to a police statement.
Demonstrators participated in criminal activity and threw items at officers, police said, leading to 11 arrests.
Photos show that smoke was used to clear the crowd, and it appeared that tear gas was deployed. Police initially tweeted that tear gas was on the list of crowd control agents if people did not disperse, but the tweet was later deleted, KOIN-TV reported. Another tweet was issued that didn’t mention tear gas.
“No, we are required by law to make that warning,” Portland Sgt. Kevin Allen told the television station when asked about the initial tweet. “PPB is still prevented from using tear gas.”
Less than two weeks ago the mayor of Portland ordered police to stop using tear gas for crowd control during the frequently violent protests that racked the city for more than three months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, was tear gassed when he went to a demonstration against the presence of federal authorities dispatched to the city to protect federal property.
He said he still wants police to respond aggressively to prevent violence and vandalism. Hundreds of people have been arrested since the protests started in May.
Demonstrators had not gathered in the city since at least Sept. 9, when police and protesters clashed near City Hall. Wildfires have spewed dangerously dirty air across Oregon, California and Washington state, and sent haze across the country.
The protesters in Portland want city officials to slash the police budget and reallocate that money to Black residents and businesses. Some demonstrators are also demanding the resignation of Wheeler, a white man and the scion of a timber company fortune.
In clashes with police, some protesters have broken windows, set small fires, punctured police car tires, shined lasers in officers’ eyes and pelted them with rocks and frozen water bottles.
Police criticized Wheeler’s move, saying in a statement that it could force them to employ potentially more dangerous crowd control measures to quell violent demonstrations.


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--2 dead, 1 missing after storm pounds central Greece

ATHENS , Greece ( AP ) - Two people have died and one is reported missing in central Greece region @ @ @ @ @ pounded parts of the country overnight and caused flooding .
Authorities identified the two victims @ @ @ @ @ dead in her flooded home and a 63-year-old shepherd who was swept by rising flood @ @ @ @ @ woman who ignored firefighter and police instructions not to drive into an area where a @ @ @ @ @ missing .
The country ’ s firefighting service said early Saturday that it had fielded @ @ @ @ @ residents in central and western Greece or about removing fallen trees that were blocking roads @ @ @ @ @ .
The service reported rescuing more than 600 people .
Greece ’ s train operator @ @ @ @ @ linking southern and northern Greece was suspended .
Water from a river that burst its @ @ @ @ @ bridges and several buildings , including the local health center in the Thessaly town of @ @ @ @ @ .
Parts of the stricken area are without electricity .

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A storm pounded parts of central Greece, creating flooding Saturday that killed two people, left 1 missing and forced emergency workers to rescue more than 600 people.
Authorities identified the two victims as an elderly woman found dead in her flooded home in the region of Thessaly and a 63-year-old shepherd swept away by rising floodwaters. They also said a woman who is missing ignored instructions by firefighters and police not to drive into an area where a bridge spans a river.
The country’s firefighting service said Saturday that it had fielded almost 2,500 calls from trapped residents in central and western Greece or about removing fallen trees that were blocking roads.
Greece’s train operator, Trainose, said service linking southern and northern Greece was suspended.
Water from a river that burst its banks damaged at least two bridges and several buildings, including the local health center in the Thessaly town of Mouzaki, which collapsed. Parts of the stricken area were without electricity.
The storm is projected to move on to the Greek islands, including Crete, shortly.


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--UK official's bodyguard suspended after leaving gun on plane

LONDON ( AP ) - A bodyguard who was traveling with Britain ’ s foreign secretary has been suspended from duties after he reportedly left a loaded gun on a plane .
British media reported Saturday that the police protection officer traveling with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on a visit to the United States left the pistol on a plane at London ’ s Heathrow Airport on Friday .
A cleaner found the weapon , media reports said .
London ’ s Metropolitan Police said the force was aware of “ the incident on a flight into the U.K. on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely seriously.
” “ The officer involved has since been removed from operational duties whilst an internal investigation into the circumstances is taking place , ” the police department said Saturday in a statement .
A similar incident took place in February when the bodyguard for former Prime Minister David Cameron left his gun in the bathroom on a British Airways flight .
The pistol was reportedly found by a passenger , who handed it to flight attendants .
Raab visited Washington this week to speak with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @

LONDON (AP) - A bodyguard who was traveling with Britain’s foreign secretary has been suspended from duties after he reportedly left a loaded gun on a plane.
British media reported Saturday that the police protection officer traveling with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on a visit to the United States left the pistol on a plane at London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday. A cleaner found the weapon, media reports said.
London’s Metropolitan Police said the force was aware of “the incident on a flight into the U.K. on Friday” and “taking this matter extremely seriously.”
“The officer involved has since been removed from operational duties whilst an internal investigation into the circumstances is taking place,” the police department said Saturday in a statement.
A similar incident took place in February when the bodyguard for former Prime Minister David Cameron left his gun in the bathroom on a British Airways flight. The pistol was reportedly found by a passenger, who handed it to flight attendants.
Raab visited Washington this week to speak with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials about Brexit.


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--Moroccans protest Arab nations normalizing ties with Israel

RABAT , Morocco ( AP ) - Despite a government ban on large gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus , scores of demonstrators protested outside the Moroccan Parliament to denounce Arab countries agreeing o normalize ties with Israel .
Israel on Tuesday signed historic diplomatic pacts with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in a U.S.-brokered deal .
Morocco was reported to be among other Arab countries considering a similar move , though the prime minister rejected the idea last month .
Protesters in Morocco ’ s capital of Rabat Friday waved Palestinian flags , decrying the deals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestine is not for sale.
” The Palestinians view the pacts as a stab in the back from their fellow Arabs in the Gulf and a betrayal of their cause for a Palestinian state .
Israel and Bahrain ’ s agreements have been condemned by many across the Arab world .
The protesters in Rabat also burned a mock Israeli flag .
Dozens of police officers watched the scene from a distance .
Organizers interrupted the chanting occasionally to urge participants to wear masks and to respect social distancing rules .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinian people and their cause , ” human rights activist Abdelhamid Amine told The Associated Press .
“ We are calling on the Moroccan government not to follow suit and we urge it not to surrender to the Zionist and imperialist pressure like other Arab countries , ” said Amine , former president of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights and one of the rally organizers .
Last month , Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani said the kingdom rejects any form of normalization with Israel .
“ The Moroccan monarch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights of the Palestinian people and Al-Aqsa Mosque , ” he said in a meeting with his Islamist party Justice and Development Party ( PJD ) .

RABAT, Morocco (AP) - Despite a government ban on large gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, scores of demonstrators protested outside the Moroccan Parliament to denounce Arab countries agreeing o normalize ties with Israel.
Israel on Tuesday signed historic diplomatic pacts with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in a U.S.-brokered deal. Morocco was reported to be among other Arab countries considering a similar move, though the prime minister rejected the idea last month.
Protesters in Morocco’s capital of Rabat Friday waved Palestinian flags, decrying the deals as “treason” and chanting “Palestine is not for sale.”
The Palestinians view the pacts as a stab in the back from their fellow Arabs in the Gulf and a betrayal of their cause for a Palestinian state. Israel and Bahrain’s agreements have been condemned by many across the Arab world.
The protesters in Rabat also burned a mock Israeli flag. Dozens of police officers watched the scene from a distance.
Organizers interrupted the chanting occasionally to urge participants to wear masks and to respect social distancing rules.
“The normalization deals are an attack on the Palestinian people and their cause,” human rights activist Abdelhamid Amine told The Associated Press.
“We are calling on the Moroccan government not to follow suit and we urge it not to surrender to the Zionist and imperialist pressure like other Arab countries,” said Amine, former president of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights and one of the rally organizers.
Last month, Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani said the kingdom rejects any form of normalization with Israel.
“The Moroccan monarch, government and people will always defend the rights of the Palestinian people and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said in a meeting with his Islamist party Justice and Development Party (PJD).


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--AP PHOTOS: Italian grape harvest plows on through pandemic

LATINA , Italy ( AP ) - Change can come slowly to Italy ’ s centuries-old wine industry , but the coronavirus pandemic has radically altered the path from vine to table in a matter of months , beginning with the fall harvest .
At the Casale Del Giglio winery in the Agro Pontino area south of Rome , a group of workers moved steadily through the vines wearing masks in a searing September heat .
They dropped purple Petit Verdot grapes into black buckets and then into the back of a truck rumbling between the rows .
Antonia Palma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 years , driving 70 kilometers ( 43 miles ) every day .
Where the vineyard once put eight workers in a car , now it is two .
They bring lunch because the cafeteria is off-limits to avoid crowding .
Italy ’ s wine industry was one of the first to take a blow after the first virus clusters emerged in late February and the country became the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe .
The collapse of tourism and the closure of restaurants and wine shops badly damaged sales .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was very difficult because we had a collapse of our sales , a huge fright , a fear for the future , ” Casale Del Giglio owner Antonio Santarelli said , standing among wooden barrels of wine stored in the winery ’ s cellar .
But not all change is bad , even when due to a global pandemic .
Forced to stay at home , many people are drinking over home-cooked meals rather than at restaurants .
Customers shopping online have increasingly clicked their way to producers ’ websites to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulling out their expensive bottles instead of saving them for future celebrations , while residents freed from lockdowns made local wineries one of their first outings .

LATINA, Italy (AP) - Change can come slowly to Italy’s centuries-old wine industry, but the coronavirus pandemic has radically altered the path from vine to table in a matter of months, beginning with the fall harvest.
At the Casale Del Giglio winery in the Agro Pontino area south of Rome, a group of workers moved steadily through the vines wearing masks in a searing September heat. They dropped purple Petit Verdot grapes into black buckets and then into the back of a truck rumbling between the rows.
Antonia Palma has worked for Casale Del Giglio for 13 years, driving 70 kilometers (43 miles) every day. Where the vineyard once put eight workers in a car, now it is two. They bring lunch because the cafeteria is off-limits to avoid crowding.
Italy’s wine industry was one of the first to take a blow after the first virus clusters emerged in late February and the country became the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe. The collapse of tourism and the closure of restaurants and wine shops badly damaged sales.
“It was a terrible moment for everyone. It was very difficult because we had a collapse of our sales, a huge fright, a fear for the future,” Casale Del Giglio owner Antonio Santarelli said, standing among wooden barrels of wine stored in the winery’s cellar.
But not all change is bad, even when due to a global pandemic. Forced to stay at home, many people are drinking over home-cooked meals rather than at restaurants. Customers shopping online have increasingly clicked their way to producers’ websites to order wine directly.
Collectors also are pulling out their expensive bottles instead of saving them for future celebrations, while residents freed from lockdowns made local wineries one of their first outings.


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--AP Week in Pictures, Global

AP Week in Pictures, Global

This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by The Associated Press from around the @ @ @ @ @ curated by AP photo editor Patrick Sison in New York .

SEPT. 12 - 18, 2020
This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by The Associated Press from around the world.
The selection was curated by AP photo editor Patrick Sison in New York.
Follow AP visual journalism:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews
AP Images on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Images
AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com


washingtontimes--2020-09-19--Police: 2 dead, 14 wounded at party in Rochester, New York

ROCHESTER , N.Y. ( AP ) - Gunfire at a backyard party killed two people and wounded 14 others early Saturday in Rochester , New York , a city that has been roiled in recent weeks by outrage over the suffocation death of Daniel Prude .
As many as 100 people were at the gathering when the shooting started just before 12:30 a.m. , Acting Police Chief Mark Simmons told reporters .
Police were still trying to piece together who opened fire and why .
Simmons said it was too early to say whether more than one person was shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been .
A man and woman , estimated to be in their late teens or early 20s , were killed , Simmons said .
Their names weren ’ t immediately released .
The 14 wounded by gunfire were not believed to have life-threatening injuries .
The acting chief said no suspects were in custody .
“ This is truly a tragedy of epic proportions , ” Simmons said in a news conference held near the home .
“ I mean 16 victims is unheard of , and for our community , who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to have to be dealt with this tragedy , needlessly , for people who decide to act in a violent manner is unfortunate and shameful , and we ’ re going to do everything that we can as a department to bring those people involved to justice.
” The shooting comes as the city in Western New York has been rocked by days of protests over Prude ’ s death , caused when Rochester police officers put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting , then pushed his face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until he stopped breathing .
On Monday , the city ’ s mayor fired Police Chief La ’ Ron Singletary , who she said initially misled her about the circumstances of the March death .
Other senior police officials announced they would retire or leave top command positions .
The acting police chief , Simmons , expressed frustration early Saturday that someone had held a large , late-night party amid that tumult , apparently in defiance of a state ban on large gatherings because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ This is yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal , unsanctioned house parties taking place in these properties , which - number one - is not safe because of COVID , because of the conditions , ” Simmons said .
“ And then you add in alcohol and violence and it just becomes a recipe for disaster.
” Officers responding to calls of shots fired found “ approximately 100 people ” running from the scene , Simmons said .
Before the call , police were not aware of the party and had received no complaints about noise , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals .
Two more people were hurt while fleeing , the Major Crimes Unit said in a tweet .
Despite the lack of arrests , Simmons said there was no reason to believe the neighborhood was unsafe .
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren issued a statement asking for “ prayers and support for all involved.
” “ I ’ m begging everyone to remain calm and exercise deep restraint as RPD investigates what happened here and seeks those responsible , ” she said .

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - Already roiled by this month’s revelation of Daniel Prude’s police suffocation death, the city of Rochester, New York, was further traumatized Saturday when gunfire at a backyard party killed two teenagers and wounded 14 others.
“Our community has been hurting enough already,” Rochester City Council Vice President Willie Lightfoot said. “This is just another thing on top of all the things that we’ve been going through.”
The shooting that started just before 12:30 a.m. has not been linked to Prude’s death in March, the details of which first emerged nearly six months later.
But the city’s acting police chief, Mark Simmons, placed the violence that claimed the lives of a man and woman - both 19 years old who police believe were not the intended targets - in context.
“This is truly a tragedy of epic proportions,” Simmons said in a news conference. “I mean 16 victims is unheard of, and for our community, who’s right now going through so much, to have to be dealt with this tragedy, needlessly, for people who decide to act in a violent manner is unfortunate and shameful.”
Police on Saturday night identified the two victims as Jaquayla Young, a graduate of East High School, and Jarvis Alexander, a graduate of University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men, or UPrep. No arrests were announced.
“We have two innocent victims here that were attending a party with a few friends and unfortunately they lost their lives as a result because three or four individuals decided to carry handguns and pull them out and shoot at a crowd of 100 to 200 people,” police Capt. Frank Umbrino said at a news conference.
The party was supposed to be a small gathering, but people from two other nearby parties went there in the early morning and an argument broke out, Umbrino said. Three or four people opened fire, and police found more than 40 bullet casings at the scene, he said.
The 14 wounded by gunfire were not believed to have life-threatening injuries and were all between the ages of 17 and 23, Umbrino said. Two more people were hurt when they were trampled while fleeing, but are expected to recover, he said.
Young, who was attending Monroe Community College, was captain of her high school’s cheerleading team and a member of the track team, while Alexander, a sophomore at Alfred University, was on his high school’s football and track teams and won a state championship in the 4x100-meter relay, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
In recent weeks, Rochester has been rocked by daily protests, allegations of a coverup and calls for the mayor’s resignation and the arrests of the officers involved in Prude’s death. Body camera video released by Prude’s family showed Rochester police officers putting a hood over the naked 41-year-old man’s head to stop him from spitting, then pushing his face into the pavement and holding him down until he stopped breathing. He was taken off life support around a week later.
Simmons has now found himself at the helm of a police department in disarray after Mayor Lovely Warren fired Police Chief La’Ron Singletary on Monday, saying Singletary had initially misled her about the circumstances of the death. Other senior police officials have announced their retirements or departures from top command positions.
Simmons expressed frustration about the large, late-night party amid both the city’s ongoing tumult and the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is yet another tragedy where individuals are having these illegal, unsanctioned house parties taking place in these properties, which - number one - is not safe because of COVID, because of the conditions,” Simmons said. “And then you add in alcohol and violence and it just becomes a recipe for disaster.”
Pastor Marlowe Washington of the Seneca United Methodist Church called Saturday’s shooting “senseless” and pleaded for an end to such violence.
“I went out there in the early morning to pray quietly at the scene of the incident and to ask God ‘Why this?’ and ‘What did we do to our children? Why all this!’” Washington told WHAM-TV. “There will be no further interest in our demand for moral justice until we command the same justice from within our own community!”
Police were still trying to piece together who opened fire and why. They asked witnesses to come forward with statements and any photos or video.
“It sounded like somebody was trying to go to war,” neighborhood resident Asa Adams told Spectrum News.
Some of the people who went to the party uninvited were believed to have attended a nearby vigil for a 20-year-old man who was shot to death near a local park, Umbrino said. It wasn’t clear if the shooting was related to the killing.
The Rev. Lewis Stewart, president of the United Christian Leadership Ministry, painted a parallel between Saturday’s shooting and Prude’s death and called for clergy to perform proactive community outreach.
“We should be just as outraged by gun violence caused by residents just as much so as it is caused by police who shoot innocent Black men and women,” Stewart said at a news conference.
Hours after the shooting, the Roc Freedom Riders began their previously planned ride through the city’s streets on the block where Prude was restrained. Around 3 miles (5 kilometers) away, captured on video, a group gathered for prayer near the shooting site.
“Oh, tell me,” voices sang in unison, “who can save me?”