washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Trump Cabinet members look to reassure battleground voters

TALLAHASSEE , Fla. ( AP ) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tromped through a strawberry festival in central Florida , detailing the government ’ s new trade pact .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talked about foreign policy at a roundtable in south Florida .
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler toured parts of Michigan and Wisconsin , where he boasted of the Trump administration ’ s efforts to clean up the Great Lakes .
And just this past week , Interior Secretary David Bernhardt was listed as a headliner along with White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guilfoyle , a top fundraiser for the president , at an event in Rapid City , South Dakota , where tickets prices started at $ 250 , according to an independent watchdog group , Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility .
With President Donald Trump confronted by skyrocketing joblessness and the coronavirus pandemic as he campaigns for reelection against Democrat Joe Biden , members of his Cabinet are busy making time in pivotal states .
They are carrying a message to voters about what the Trump administration is doing for them .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether these agency heads are running afoul of a law meant to bar overt campaigning by federal officials on the taxpayer tab .
These are states in renewed focus after Trump ’ s narrow 2016 victory .
Recent polls in states such as Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania show Biden leading .
The lesson of four years ago is crucial , though .
Nearly every poll in the three states showed Democrat Hillary Clinton ahead of Republican Trump , before Trump ’ s base came together in the final weeks of the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone more than 30 times this year .
Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Arizona have also seen visits from agency and administration chiefs discussing federal funding and initiatives for local interests - and talking up Trump .
Trump is hoping for an energized base to buoy his prospects for a second term .
His recent rhetoric seems to reflect that strategy , as he stokes divides over racial injustice and the coronavirus outbreak .
It can be hard to spot any local impact that a housing or a health secretary may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in town .
But there can be an effect , said Aubrey Jewett , a political science professor at the University of Central Florida , who has been studying presidential politics in the battleground state .
Cabinet secretaries usually “ aren ’ t generating the same kind of buzz .
But it doesn ’ t mean that what they do is not important both for policy and also politics for their president , ” Jewett said .
A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to questions about the Cabinet members ’ trips .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration of focusing on “ scoring political points , not delivering for the people they work for .
With COVID-19 raging unchecked , more than 17 million Americans unemployed , and our country divided , it ’ s shameful that Trump ’ s Cabinet is campaigning on the taxpayer ’ s dime instead of doing their jobs.
” A Washington bigwig showing up with assurances on federal policies most vital to Orlando , Florida , or Milwaukee is usually enough to earn an administration a wave of favorable comments , columns and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for example , when Perdue went to the strawberry festival in Plant City , in central Florida ’ s Interstate 4 corridor , he talked about the new U.S. trade pact with Mexico and Canada , and spoke of the importance of the farming community .
Afterward , the president of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association , Kenneth Parker , said he was appreciative of “ the administration ’ s commitment … to move forward in helping us in ways to compete.
” When the EPA ’ s Wheeler was in Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration as a friend of an initiative to clean up the Great Lakes .
Never mind Trump ’ s repeated attempts to kill money for the Obama-era program .
GOP lawmakers persuaded Trump , while riding to a Michigan rally last year , to ease up on trying to starve the Great Lakes effort , which is popular across the region , and champion it instead .
“ Let ’ s just say we were happy to see him come around on that , ” said Laura Rubin of the Healing Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initiative .
And so this spring and summer , Wheeler and the EPA boast of millions of dollars the agency has doled out for Great Lakes regional projects such as cleaning up toxic sites and curbing farm nutrient runoff that feeds harmful algae blooms .
Wheeler drew praise during the visits from Republican members of Congress and leaders of business groups .
Notably absent were environmentalists , who accused Trump and Wheeler , a former coal lobbyist , of taking credit for actions by previous administrations and ignoring Trump ’ s gutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cabinet secretaries hitting the road to talk up a president ’ s record in an election year is a political norm .
Donald K. Sherman , deputy director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington watchdog group , said it can be tough to track the officials closely enough to know whether they are sticking to the Hatch Act , which is meant to bar obvious campaigning by federal officials with taxpayer money .
But with the White House rejecting recommendations from the Office of Special Counsel to presidential adviser Conway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office to talk down Democrats , Sherman said he is not sure Trump Cabinet members deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to staying within the law on their stops in select states .
“ It ’ s obvious that the administration is doing this for a political reason , ” Sherman said .
“ What ’ s not obvious is if they ’ re doing this within the contours of the law or outside of it.
” Interior Department spokesmen did not respond to questions this past week about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evening before Bernhardt helped open for Trump at a fireworks show at Mount Rushmore , Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said .
It was unclear whether the Trump campaign or the federal government paid for Bernhardt ’ s costs on the trip .
Asked about Hatch Act compliance overall before the latest event , department spokesman Nicholas Goodwin said , “ No campaign related activities have taken place on any official travel.
” Spokespeople for two Cabinet-level agencies , the Interior Department and the EPA , did not specifically answer questions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding announcements with Trump ’ s advisers or with his campaign staff .
They said administration officials are doing their job by traveling and are not favoring any areas .
Wheeler ’ s recent visits “ have coincided with important agency announcements that positively impact their respective region , ” EPA spokesman James Hewitt said in an email .
Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City and Flesher from Traverse City , Mich. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Washington .

BOBBY CAINA CALVAN, ELLEN KNICKMEYER and JOHN FLESHER

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tromped through a strawberry festival in central Florida, detailing the government’s new trade pact. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talked about foreign policy at a roundtable in south Florida. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler toured parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, where he boasted of the Trump administration’s efforts to clean up the Great Lakes.
And just this past week, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt was listed as a headliner along with White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for the president, at an event in Rapid City, South Dakota, where tickets prices started at $250, according to an independent watchdog group, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
With President Donald Trump confronted by skyrocketing joblessness and the coronavirus pandemic as he campaigns for reelection against Democrat Joe Biden, members of his Cabinet are busy making time in pivotal states. They are carrying a message to voters about what the Trump administration is doing for them. At the same time, there are questions about whether these agency heads are running afoul of a law meant to bar overt campaigning by federal officials on the taxpayer tab.
These are states in renewed focus after Trump’s narrow 2016 victory. Recent polls in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania show Biden leading. The lesson of four years ago is crucial, though. Nearly every poll in the three states showed Democrat Hillary Clinton ahead of Republican Trump, before Trump’s base came together in the final weeks of the campaign.
Cabinet-level leaders have come to Florida alone more than 30 times this year. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona have also seen visits from agency and administration chiefs discussing federal funding and initiatives for local interests - and talking up Trump.
Trump is hoping for an energized base to buoy his prospects for a second term. His recent rhetoric seems to reflect that strategy, as he stokes divides over racial injustice and the coronavirus outbreak.
It can be hard to spot any local impact that a housing or a health secretary may have on a presidential race when they are in town. But there can be an effect, said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, who has been studying presidential politics in the battleground state.
Cabinet secretaries usually “aren’t generating the same kind of buzz. But it doesn’t mean that what they do is not important both for policy and also politics for their president,” Jewett said.
A Trump campaign spokesperson did not respond to questions about the Cabinet members’ trips.
Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Gwin accused the Trump administration of focusing on “scoring political points, not delivering for the people they work for. With COVID-19 raging unchecked, more than 17 million Americans unemployed, and our country divided, it’s shameful that Trump’s Cabinet is campaigning on the taxpayer’s dime instead of doing their jobs.”
A Washington bigwig showing up with assurances on federal policies most vital to Orlando, Florida, or Milwaukee is usually enough to earn an administration a wave of favorable comments, columns and tweets from local leaders.
In March, for example, when Perdue went to the strawberry festival in Plant City, in central Florida’s Interstate 4 corridor, he talked about the new U.S. trade pact with Mexico and Canada, and spoke of the importance of the farming community.
Afterward, the president of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Kenneth Parker, said he was appreciative of “the administration’s commitment … to move forward in helping us in ways to compete.”
When the EPA’s Wheeler was in Michigan and Wisconsin last month, he described the administration as a friend of an initiative to clean up the Great Lakes. Never mind Trump’s repeated attempts to kill money for the Obama-era program. GOP lawmakers persuaded Trump, while riding to a Michigan rally last year, to ease up on trying to starve the Great Lakes effort, which is popular across the region, and champion it instead.
“Let’s just say we were happy to see him come around on that,” said Laura Rubin of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, which lobbies for the initiative.
And so this spring and summer, Wheeler and the EPA boast of millions of dollars the agency has doled out for Great Lakes regional projects such as cleaning up toxic sites and curbing farm nutrient runoff that feeds harmful algae blooms.
Wheeler drew praise during the visits from Republican members of Congress and leaders of business groups. Notably absent were environmentalists, who accused Trump and Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, of taking credit for actions by previous administrations and ignoring Trump’s gutting of environmental and public health protections.
Cabinet secretaries hitting the road to talk up a president’s record in an election year is a political norm. Donald K. Sherman, deputy director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington watchdog group, said it can be tough to track the officials closely enough to know whether they are sticking to the Hatch Act, which is meant to bar obvious campaigning by federal officials with taxpayer money.
But with the White House rejecting recommendations from the Office of Special Counsel to presidential adviser Conway for violating the act by using her office to talk down Democrats, Sherman said he is not sure Trump Cabinet members deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to staying within the law on their stops in select states.
“It’s obvious that the administration is doing this for a political reason,” Sherman said. “What’s not obvious is if they’re doing this within the contours of the law or outside of it.”
Interior Department spokesmen did not respond to questions this past week about the Rapid City event, which took place the evening before Bernhardt helped open for Trump at a fireworks show at Mount Rushmore, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said. It was unclear whether the Trump campaign or the federal government paid for Bernhardt’s costs on the trip.
Asked about Hatch Act compliance overall before the latest event, department spokesman Nicholas Goodwin said, “No campaign related activities have taken place on any official travel.”
Spokespeople for two Cabinet-level agencies, the Interior Department and the EPA, did not specifically answer questions about whether they were coordinating such trips and funding announcements with Trump’s advisers or with his campaign staff. They said administration officials are doing their job by traveling and are not favoring any areas.
Wheeler’s recent visits “have coincided with important agency announcements that positively impact their respective region,” EPA spokesman James Hewitt said in an email.
___
Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City and Flesher from Traverse City, Mich. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Washington.


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--New Hampshire officials investigate suspicious death

MANCHESTER , N.H. ( AP ) - New Hampshire law enforcement officials are investigating a suspicious death in Manchester , @ @ @ @ @ General Gordon J. MacDonald confirmed the death and said law enforcement officials were responding Sunday @ @ @ @ @ near Union and Beech streets in Manchester .
MacDonald did not disclose further details .

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire law enforcement officials are investigating the fatal stabbing of a man early Sunday in Manchester, officials said.
Siidi Dhurow, 22, of Manchester, was transported to a hospital where he died after police responded at about 2 a.m. Sunday to initial reports of a shooting near the intersection of Beech and Lowell streets, officials said.
It was unclear if the fatal stabbing had anything to do with a second stabbing in the same area, Attorney General Gordon MacDonald and Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano said in a statement. The second victim was treated for a non-life threatening wound to his neck.
The shooting report, the investigators said, appeared to be unrelated to Dhurow’s stabbing. An autopsy on Sunday confirmed Dhurow died from a stab wound to the chest, they said.
The events remain under investigation. Any witnesses were encouraged to contact the Manchester Police Department.


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Chief: 2 injured by homemade fireworks in New Hampshire

LACONIA , N.H. ( AP ) - Two men were injured when what appeared to be homemade fireworks detonated , @ @ @ @ @ were taken to Lakes Region General Hospital with leg injuries after the explosion on the @ @ @ @ @ of July , said Laconia Fire Chief Kirk Beattie said .
One of the victims @ @ @ @ @ another facility for further treatment .
The incident is being investigated by the Laconia police @ @ @ @ @ are assisted by state police and the state fire marshal ’ s office , WMUR @ @ @ @ @ Paul Parisi said it is possible for people to face charges if they make their @ @ @ @ @ ’ s really important to buy fireworks from a reputable , licensed dealer here in @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .

LACONIA, N.H. (AP) - Two men were injured when what appeared to be homemade fireworks detonated, officials said.
Both victims were taken to Lakes Region General Hospital with leg injuries after the explosion on the Friday night before the Fourth of July, said Laconia Fire Chief Kirk Beattie said. One of the victims had to be flown to another facility for further treatment.
The incident is being investigated by the Laconia police and fire departments, who are assisted by state police and the state fire marshal’s office, WMUR reports.
State Fire Marshal Paul Parisi said it is possible for people to face charges if they make their own device.
“It’s really important to buy fireworks from a reputable, licensed dealer here in the state of New Hampshire,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Bill Cosby invokes systemic racism in appeal

PHILADELPHIA — In a nearly empty Philadelphia courtroom in July 2015 , a lawyer for Bill Cosby implored a federal judge to keep the comedian ’ s testimony in an old sexual battery lawsuit under wraps .
It was sensitive .
Embarrassing .
Private .
U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno had another word for it .
The conduct Cosby detailed in his deposition was “ perhaps criminal , ” Robreno wrote five years ago Monday , in a momentous decision that released the case files to The Associated Press , reopened the police investigation , and helped give rise to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hollywood paragon of Black family values , was convicted of sexual assault in 2018 as the movement exploded and women across the globe shared personal histories of sexual harassment and abuse .
He is serving up to 10 years in prison .
And now in the midst of another historic reckoning - this time addressing the treatment of African Americans and other people of color by police and the criminal justice system - the 82-year-old Cosby has won the right to an appeal .
He hopes to use the moment to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Cosby is so much bigger than him - it ’ s about the destruction of ALL Black people and people of color in America , ” Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said when the court accepted the appeal late last month .
Cosby , who grew up in public housing in Philadelphia , has a complicated relationship with the Black community .
He earned acclaim for his groundbreaking ( and intentionally race-blind ) performances on television in the 1950s ; mingled , but rarely marched , with civil rights leaders and the Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his wealth and power with his star turn as “ America ’ s Dad , ” on “ The Cosby Show ” in the 1980s .
All the while , he promoted education and gave millions to historically Black universities .
But his increasingly jarring comments on poverty , parenthood and personal responsibility offended younger Blacks in his later years , most famously in his 2004 “ Pound Cake ” speech - which he gave just months after the sexual encounter that would prove his downfall .
As he toured the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism is not rallies , protests , or pleas , but strong families and communities , ” as the essayist Ta-Nehisi Coates noted .
“ Cosby ’ s gospel of discipline , moral reform , and self-reliance offers a way out - a promise that one need not cure America of its original sin in order to succeed , ” Coates wrote in his 2008 piece in The Atlantic , “ ‘ This Is How We Lost to the White Man ’ : The audacity of Bill Cosby ’ s Black conservatism.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t directly include racial bias , which Cosby ’ s legal team raised more often on the courthouse steps in Montgomery County than inside the courtroom .
His defenders , however , say race permeates the case .
Cosby ’ s celebrity “ does not change his status as a Black man , ” said appellate lawyer Jennifer Bonjean , the latest of more than a dozen criminal lawyers on the case .
“ It would be naïve to assume that his prosecution was not tainted by the same racial bias that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explicit and insidious ways , ” she said last week .
Cosby ’ s wife of 56 years has been more blunt .
In an interview last month with ABC-TV , Camille Cosby said the # MeToo movement ignores “ the history of particular white women ” who have “ accused Black males of sexual assault without any proof.
” “ We know how women can lie , ” said Camille Cosby , who made only brief appearances at her husband ’ s trials , for defense closing arguments , and has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak to the AP last week .
The appeal hinges on two questions that have shaped the case from the start : - Did Cosby have an ironclad deal with District Attorney Bruce Castor that Cosby could never be charged after Castor declined to arrest Cosby in 2005 ?
Defense lawyers say Cosby relied on such a promise when he gave the 2006 deposition later unsealed in accuser Andrea Constand ’ s lawsuit - and used against him at trial .
Castor agrees they did .
But it was never put in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy at the time , Risa Ferman , who helped run the initial investigation and reopened it in 2015 when she was district attorney , seemed not to know about it .
- And , how many other accusers should be allowed to testify before the scales of justice tip against the accused ?
Cosby ’ s trial judge allowed just one other accuser in the first trial when the jury deadlocked , but five at the retrial a year later .
The jury convicted Cosby on all three sex assault counts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed unimpressed by either issue , rejecting Cosby ’ s first appeal .
“ The reality of it is , he gives them drugs and then he sexually assaults them , ” Superior Court Judge John T. Bender said at the arguments .
“ That ’ s the pattern , is it not ?
” But Cosby appealed again , setting up the state Supreme Court arguments expected sometime next year .
Constand knew Cosby from her job at Temple University , where Cosby was a booster , alumnus and longtime trustee twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his deposition in many respects , the key distinction being her consent to what happened at his suburban Philadelphia estate .
Both say that Cosby gave her three pills for stress before Cosby , in his words , engaged in “ digital penetration.
” Constand , a former professional basketball player , who is white , said she was left semi-conscious and could not fight him off .
( She thought she was taking a homeopathic supplement ; Cosby later said it was Benadryl , while acknowledging he once gave a 19-year-old Quaaludes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women , mostly white but a few women of color , have made similar accusations against Cosby .
Cosby lawyer Bonjean , though , believes the # MeToo movement is fading , and that Cosby , if he wins a new trial , might avoid what she called “ the mob-justice standards of a hashtag movement.
” Not long after the encounter with Constand , Cosby gave the “ Pound Cake ” speech to the NAACP , riffing about a scenario in which the Black community complains when someone is shot by police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Then we all run out and are outraged , ‘ The cops shouldn ’ t have shot him.
’ What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand ?
” Cosby asked .
A decade later , Black comedian Hannibal Buress took Cosby to task for his scolding .
“ You rape women , Bill Cosby , so turn the crazy down a couple notches , ” he said onstage in 2014 .
Former prosecutor Kristen Gibbons Feden , who gave closing arguments at Cosby ’ s retrial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black community .
She also believes that racial bias exists in the criminal justice system .
“ It doesn ’ t make Cosby innocent , ” said Feden , who is Black .
“ It means we need to fix the criminal justice system.
” Wake Forest University Dean Jonathan L. Walton , who teaches about African American social movements , said that Cosby undeniably boosted the representation of Blacks in American culture .
Yet Walton said Cosby might not be the best messenger for today ’ s moment .
“ One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to systemic racism and the injustices of the ‘ justice system , ’ ” said Walton , the divinity school dean , “ while also being suspicious of what seems to be a pattern of his , of only identifying problems when they personally benefit him .
”

PHILADELPHIA — In a nearly empty Philadelphia courtroom in July 2015, a lawyer for Bill Cosby implored a federal judge to keep the comedian’s testimony in an old sexual battery lawsuit under wraps. It was sensitive. Embarrassing. Private.
U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno had another word for it.
The conduct Cosby detailed in his deposition was “perhaps criminal,” Robreno wrote five years ago Monday, in a momentous decision that released the case files to The Associated Press, reopened the police investigation, and helped give rise to the #MeToo movement.
Cosby, the Hollywood paragon of Black family values, was convicted of sexual assault in 2018 as the movement exploded and women across the globe shared personal histories of sexual harassment and abuse. He is serving up to 10 years in prison.
And now in the midst of another historic reckoning — this time addressing the treatment of African Americans and other people of color by police and the criminal justice system — the 82-year-old Cosby has won the right to an appeal.
He hopes to use the moment to his advantage.
“The false conviction of Bill Cosby is so much bigger than him — it’s about the destruction of ALL Black people and people of color in America,” Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said when the court accepted the appeal late last month.
___
Cosby, who grew up in public housing in Philadelphia, has a complicated relationship with the Black community. He earned acclaim for his groundbreaking (and intentionally race-blind) performances on television in the 1950s; mingled, but rarely marched, with civil rights leaders and the Black elite in the 1960s; and solidified his wealth and power with his star turn as “America’s Dad,” on “The Cosby Show” in the 1980s.
All the while, he promoted education and gave millions to historically Black universities.
But his increasingly jarring comments on poverty, parenthood and personal responsibility offended younger Blacks in his later years, most famously in his 2004 “Pound Cake” speech - which he gave just months after the sexual encounter that would prove his downfall.
As he toured the country, Cosby argued that “the antidote to racism is not rallies, protests, or pleas, but strong families and communities,” as the essayist Ta-Nehisi Coates noted.
“Cosby’s gospel of discipline, moral reform, and self-reliance offers a way out — a promise that one need not cure America of its original sin in order to succeed,” Coates wrote in his 2008 piece in The Atlantic, “‘This Is How We Lost to the White Man’: The audacity of Bill Cosby’s Black conservatism.”
___
The appeal issues the court accepted don’t directly include racial bias, which Cosby’s legal team raised more often on the courthouse steps in Montgomery County than inside the courtroom. His defenders, however, say race permeates the case.
Cosby’s celebrity “does not change his status as a Black man,” said appellate lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, the latest of more than a dozen criminal lawyers on the case.
“It would be naïve to assume that his prosecution was not tainted by the same racial bias that pervades the criminal justice process in both explicit and insidious ways,” she said last week.
Cosby’s wife of 56 years has been more blunt.
In an interview last month with ABC-TV, Camille Cosby said the #MeToo movement ignores “the history of particular white women” who have “accused Black males of sexual assault without any proof.”
“We know how women can lie,” said Camille Cosby, who made only brief appearances at her husband’s trials, for defense closing arguments, and has not visited him in prison. She declined to speak to the AP last week.
The appeal hinges on two questions that have shaped the case from the start:
- Did Cosby have an ironclad deal with District Attorney Bruce Castor that Cosby could never be charged after Castor declined to arrest Cosby in 2005? Defense lawyers say Cosby relied on such a promise when he gave the 2006 deposition later unsealed in accuser Andrea Constand’s lawsuit - and used against him at trial.
Castor agrees they did. But it was never put in writing, and Castor’s top deputy at the time, Risa Ferman, who helped run the initial investigation and reopened it in 2015 when she was district attorney, seemed not to know about it.
- And, how many other accusers should be allowed to testify before the scales of justice tip against the accused?
Cosby’s trial judge allowed just one other accuser in the first trial when the jury deadlocked, but five at the retrial a year later. The jury convicted Cosby on all three sex assault counts.
The state’s intermediate appeals court seemed unimpressed by either issue, rejecting Cosby’s first appeal.
“The reality of it is, he gives them drugs and then he sexually assaults them,” Superior Court Judge John T. Bender said at the arguments. “That’s the pattern, is it not?”
But Cosby appealed again, setting up the state Supreme Court arguments expected sometime next year.
___
Constand knew Cosby from her job at Temple University, where Cosby was a booster, alumnus and longtime trustee twice her age.
Her trial testimony matched his deposition in many respects, the key distinction being her consent to what happened at his suburban Philadelphia estate. Both say that Cosby gave her three pills for stress before Cosby, in his words, engaged in “digital penetration.”
Constand, a former professional basketball player, who is white, said she was left semi-conscious and could not fight him off. (She thought she was taking a homeopathic supplement; Cosby later said it was Benadryl, while acknowledging he once gave a 19-year-old Quaaludes before sex.)
More than 60 women, mostly white but a few women of color, have made similar accusations against Cosby.
Cosby lawyer Bonjean, though, believes the #MeToo movement is fading, and that Cosby, if he wins a new trial, might avoid what she called “the mob-justice standards of a hashtag movement.”
___
Not long after the encounter with Constand, Cosby gave the “Pound Cake” speech to the NAACP, riffing about a scenario in which the Black community complains when someone is shot by police over a stolen piece of cake.
“Then we all run out and are outraged, ‘The cops shouldn’t have shot him.’ What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?” Cosby asked.
A decade later, Black comedian Hannibal Buress took Cosby to task for his scolding.
“You rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches,” he said onstage in 2014.
Former prosecutor Kristen Gibbons Feden, who gave closing arguments at Cosby’s retrial, recognizes the good Cosby did for the Black community. She also believes that racial bias exists in the criminal justice system.
“It doesn’t make Cosby innocent,” said Feden, who is Black. “It means we need to fix the criminal justice system.”
Wake Forest University Dean Jonathan L. Walton, who teaches about African American social movements, said that Cosby undeniably boosted the representation of Blacks in American culture. Yet Walton said Cosby might not be the best messenger for today’s moment.
“One should agree with him as it relates to systemic racism and the injustices of the ‘justice system,’” said Walton, the divinity school dean, “while also being suspicious of what seems to be a pattern of his, of only identifying problems when they personally benefit him.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Hospitality industry may suffer from foreign visa suspension

KALISPELL , Mont .
( AP ) - After hosting exchange students from all over the world for the last 15 years , Whitefish resident Sue Moll will have a much quieter house this ski season .
Every year , Moll hosts foreign J-1 visa workers who travel to the U.S. to work at Whitefish Mountain Resort ( WMR ) as part of a cultural exchange , but the resort won ’ t be able to hire those employees for the 2020-2021 season .
After the Trump administration suspended some foreign worker visas until at least the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of businesses in the Flathead Valley ’ s hospitality industry will not be able to utilize foreign workers that they typically hire seasonally .
“ We ’ ve had kids from Peru , Chile and Brazil , and we ’ ve learned so much about their cultures through them , ” Moll said .
Moll and Jan Metzmaker both run the informal host program that recruits families around Whitefish to host the workers , and Moll says they never have a problem finding hosts for the students .
Every season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cultural diversity and to fill positions in housekeeping , back-of-house and food and beverage , jobs that are typically unattractive to Americans and difficult to fill .
“ When you have a student here for a cultural exchange , they ’ re not going after that job because that ’ s the job they want , ” WMR spokesperson Riley Polumbus said .
“ They ’ re going after that job because it ’ s part of their cultural exchange.
” While summer operations are running smoothly since the summer J-1 workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement , Polumbus is concerned about the 2020-2021 ski season .
The busy winter typically relies on roughly 500 employees , while the summer season only requires about 200 .
Polumbus worries that without J-1 workers in the winter , WMR will miss out on cultural diversity and face hiring challenges for those hard-to-fill positions .
WMR must now figure out how to recruit Americans to fill them .
But if managers can ’ t staff food and beverage or housekeeping positions that J-1 workers usually fill , Polumbus says the resort might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which could mean limiting menus or hours and could also affect lodging .
Jeremy Sage , an economist and associate director for the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana , says hospitality businesses that rely on J-1 workers will probably suffer from the visa suspension and will likely have to limit services if they can not find employees .
“ That can have a negative impact on the attractiveness of Montana , ” Sage said .
“ As a tourism location , if they ’ re not finding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In 2019 , Montana had 2,844 J-1 workers with 182 within the 59937 zip code , which includes Whitefish , and 205 in zip code 59912 , where Xanterra ’ s offices are located , according to J-1 state data .
Xanterra , a park and resort management company that operates in national parks , also relies on J-1 visa workers .
While the company ’ s Glacier branch didn ’ t hire any J-1 workers this summer due to COVID-19 , Andy Stiles , general manager of Xanterra-operated Glacier National Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 250 J-1 visa workers .
In a normal season , they would hire up to 700 employees , but this season they only have about 350 total .
“ We enjoy utilizing ( the program ) in general because it ’ s been great for both the students and our employees making those connections and having that exposure to different cultures , ” Stiles said .
“ And we depend heavily on them to make operations work.
” As Montana ’ s economy recovers from coronavirus shutdowns , Sage says there will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions , and if the visa suspensions are still in place , many businesses will struggle to find employees .
“ These are jobs traditionally not filled by U.S. workers , ” Sage said .
“ There ’ s a need to reach out to these participants to have a sufficient number of applicants in the pool.
” Since WMR started participating in the J-1 program 15 years ago , Polumbus says this is the first ski season they will not have foreign workers .
“ It ’ s a pretty cool cultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you think about how isolated we are up here in Northwest Montana … in terms of cultural exchange , it ’ s a neat way to meet other people from other countries .
That ’ s kind of a tragic loss in that respect .
”

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - After hosting exchange students from all over the world for the last 15 years, Whitefish resident Sue Moll will have a much quieter house this ski season.
Every year, Moll hosts foreign J-1 visa workers who travel to the U.S. to work at Whitefish Mountain Resort (WMR) as part of a cultural exchange, but the resort won’t be able to hire those employees for the 2020-2021 season.
After the Trump administration suspended some foreign worker visas until at least the end of the year, including the J-1 visa, a number of businesses in the Flathead Valley’s hospitality industry will not be able to utilize foreign workers that they typically hire seasonally.
“We’ve had kids from Peru, Chile and Brazil, and we’ve learned so much about their cultures through them,” Moll said.
Moll and Jan Metzmaker both run the informal host program that recruits families around Whitefish to host the workers, and Moll says they never have a problem finding hosts for the students.
Every season, WMR hires 30 J-1 workers to engage in cultural diversity and to fill positions in housekeeping, back-of-house and food and beverage, jobs that are typically unattractive to Americans and difficult to fill.
“When you have a student here for a cultural exchange, they’re not going after that job because that’s the job they want,” WMR spokesperson Riley Polumbus said. “They’re going after that job because it’s part of their cultural exchange.”
While summer operations are running smoothly since the summer J-1 workers had already arrived prior to the suspension announcement, Polumbus is concerned about the 2020-2021 ski season. The busy winter typically relies on roughly 500 employees, while the summer season only requires about 200.
Polumbus worries that without J-1 workers in the winter, WMR will miss out on cultural diversity and face hiring challenges for those hard-to-fill positions. WMR must now figure out how to recruit Americans to fill them. But if managers can’t staff food and beverage or housekeeping positions that J-1 workers usually fill, Polumbus says the resort might have to cut back on services, which could mean limiting menus or hours and could also affect lodging.
Jeremy Sage, an economist and associate director for the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana, says hospitality businesses that rely on J-1 workers will probably suffer from the visa suspension and will likely have to limit services if they cannot find employees.
“That can have a negative impact on the attractiveness of Montana,” Sage said. “As a tourism location, if they’re not finding employees, they can’t function.”
In 2019, Montana had 2,844 J-1 workers with 182 within the 59937 zip code, which includes Whitefish, and 205 in zip code 59912, where Xanterra’s offices are located, according to J-1 state data.
Xanterra, a park and resort management company that operates in national parks, also relies on J-1 visa workers. While the company’s Glacier branch didn’t hire any J-1 workers this summer due to COVID-19, Andy Stiles, general manager of Xanterra-operated Glacier National Park Lodges, says they typically hire about 250 J-1 visa workers. In a normal season, they would hire up to 700 employees, but this season they only have about 350 total.
“We enjoy utilizing (the program) in general because it’s been great for both the students and our employees making those connections and having that exposure to different cultures,” Stiles said. “And we depend heavily on them to make operations work.”
As Montana’s economy recovers from coronavirus shutdowns, Sage says there will likely be a high need for temporary seasonal positions, and if the visa suspensions are still in place, many businesses will struggle to find employees.
“These are jobs traditionally not filled by U.S. workers,” Sage said. “There’s a need to reach out to these participants to have a sufficient number of applicants in the pool.”
Since WMR started participating in the J-1 program 15 years ago, Polumbus says this is the first ski season they will not have foreign workers.
“It’s a pretty cool cultural exchange,” Polumbus said. “When you think about how isolated we are up here in Northwest Montana … in terms of cultural exchange, it’s a neat way to meet other people from other countries. That’s kind of a tragic loss in that respect.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Wyoming nurses devote long hours to COVID-19 contact tracing

CHEYENNE , Wyo .
( AP ) - The contact tracing being done at the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department doesn ’ t require much gear .
“ It ’ s pretty simple , ” Kasey Mullins , the department ’ s nursing director , said in an interview .
“ It ’ s a telephone and a computer.
” Yet while it doesn ’ t require cutting-edge technology , contact tracing – the process of identifying people who have come in close contact with a positive case of COVID-19 – has proven useful in Laramie County , at times helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The collaborative effort between the Wyoming Department of Health and county health offices on contact tracing has reached nearly every corner of the state .
As of Tuesday , 97 % of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wyoming have included follow-up contact tracing , according to state Health Department spokeswoman Kim Deti .
In Laramie County , the local health department started its contact tracing program in mid-March , shortly after the virus ’ s official arrival in Wyoming .
Twelve county nurses were trained by the state health department ’ s epidemiology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other diseases for several years .
For the nurses in Laramie County , the actual process then began by calling people who had already tested positive for COVID-19 , the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported .
“ We get all of their contacts , who they live with , where they work , where they ’ ve been out in the community and get ahold of any of their close contacts , ” said nurse Terry Thayn , who also manages maternal and child health for the county .
The nursing team estimated contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 10 people .
From there , they determine who was in close contact , meaning within 6 feet for more than 10 minutes , with a positive case .
People deemed as “ close contacts ” are then ordered to quarantine for 14 days from the last day of contact .
Bethann Miller , a department nurse on the adult health team , said the 14-day incubation period is necessary to eliminate the risk of further spread .
“ At any point in time in that window , they can start having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had people that I ’ ve watched for almost the full 14 days , and then on day 12 , they actually started having symptoms , ” Miller said .
Miller , along with the other nurses , gives her contact information to those who receive a quarantine order , with the recommendation that they get tested if symptoms emerge .
As the coordinator of the effort , Mullins said the challenge in contact tracing for them has been “ just getting individuals to understand why the orders are necessary , which , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread in their communities.
” “ When ( people under quarantine ) become symptomatic in that 14-day window , they ’ re at home , ” Mullins said .
“ They ’ re not out exposing other individuals , so we ’ ve had great success with identifying them early on , which prevents the spread.
” Despite some success with contact tracing , Laramie County has added more than 20 new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks .
Kathy Emmons , executive director of the county health department , noted there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probable cases discovered locally by contact tracing over that period .
“ We are concerned , especially when you can start to see the connections person to person , ” Emmons said .
“ There ’ s people out there , and they ’ re not behaving.
” The ongoing pandemic has meant a lot of long days for the team at the county health building .
The nurses , while working in teams to trace cases , have still had their usual responsibilities , such as providing maternal and child health services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing immunizations .
“ We trace from eight o ’ clock in the morning to about seven o ’ clock at night , and the weekends have been full , eight-to-10-hour days , ” Mullins said .
“ I don ’ t think the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department would be able to do the contact tracing without the strong nurses that are here .
”

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The contact tracing being done at the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department doesn’t require much gear.
“It’s pretty simple,” Kasey Mullins, the department’s nursing director, said in an interview. “It’s a telephone and a computer.”
Yet while it doesn’t require cutting-edge technology, contact tracing – the process of identifying people who have come in close contact with a positive case of COVID-19 – has proven useful in Laramie County, at times helping against the unpredictable nature of the virus.
The collaborative effort between the Wyoming Department of Health and county health offices on contact tracing has reached nearly every corner of the state. As of Tuesday, 97% of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wyoming have included follow-up contact tracing, according to state Health Department spokeswoman Kim Deti.
In Laramie County, the local health department started its contact tracing program in mid-March, shortly after the virus’s official arrival in Wyoming. Twelve county nurses were trained by the state health department’s epidemiology team, which has done tracing for other diseases for several years.
For the nurses in Laramie County, the actual process then began by calling people who had already tested positive for COVID-19, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported.
“We get all of their contacts, who they live with, where they work, where they’ve been out in the community and get ahold of any of their close contacts,” said nurse Terry Thayn, who also manages maternal and child health for the county.
The nursing team estimated contact tracing requires calling an average of seven to 10 people. From there, they determine who was in close contact, meaning within 6 feet for more than 10 minutes, with a positive case.
People deemed as “close contacts” are then ordered to quarantine for 14 days from the last day of contact. Bethann Miller, a department nurse on the adult health team, said the 14-day incubation period is necessary to eliminate the risk of further spread.
“At any point in time in that window, they can start having symptoms. Like, I’ve had people that I’ve watched for almost the full 14 days, and then on day 12, they actually started having symptoms,” Miller said.
Miller, along with the other nurses, gives her contact information to those who receive a quarantine order, with the recommendation that they get tested if symptoms emerge.
As the coordinator of the effort, Mullins said the challenge in contact tracing for them has been “just getting individuals to understand why the orders are necessary, which, they’re necessary to prevent future spread in their communities.”
“When (people under quarantine) become symptomatic in that 14-day window, they’re at home,” Mullins said. “They’re not out exposing other individuals, so we’ve had great success with identifying them early on, which prevents the spread.”
Despite some success with contact tracing, Laramie County has added more than 20 new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks. Kathy Emmons, executive director of the county health department, noted there has also been a corresponding rise in probable cases discovered locally by contact tracing over that period.
“We are concerned, especially when you can start to see the connections person to person,” Emmons said. “There’s people out there, and they’re not behaving.”
The ongoing pandemic has meant a lot of long days for the team at the county health building. The nurses, while working in teams to trace cases, have still had their usual responsibilities, such as providing maternal and child health services, running a family planning clinic and providing immunizations.
“We trace from eight o’clock in the morning to about seven o’clock at night, and the weekends have been full, eight-to-10-hour days,” Mullins said. “I don’t think the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department would be able to do the contact tracing without the strong nurses that are here.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Mark and Patricia McCloskey St. Louis home visited by protesters after gun incident

ST. LOUIS — Several hundred protesters made a peaceful return trip to the St. Louis mansion owned by a white couple whose armed defense of their home during an earlier demonstration earned them both scorn and support .
Protesters marched Friday along the busy public boulevard called Kingshighway , which intersects with Portland Place , a private street that is the site of the Renaissance palazzo-style home of Mark McCloskey , 61 , and his 63-year-old wife , Patricia .
Chanting protesters on Friday stopped at the gate just outside the McCloskeys ’ home for about 15 minutes .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-residents and extra metal barriers blocked the entrance to Portland Place , where the protesters had walked earlier in the week on their way to the mayor ’ s home nearby .
Inside the gate , more than a dozen men in plain clothes walked the grounds and peered out from a second-floor balcony of the couple ’ s home .
One protester briefly straddled an iron gate as if he was going to jump over , but did not .
No one threw anything and no one behind the gates showed aggression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balcony clapped along with the chanting protesters .
The racially diverse crowd on Friday carried signs reading “ Black Lives Matter , ” “ Defund the Police ” and “ No Justice , No Peace , ” and chanted slogans including , “ when Black lives are under attack , what do we do ?
Stand up , fight back , ” and “ this is what democracy looks like.
” It was not immediately known if the McCloskeys were home .
The marchers then left and walked along the busy boulevard lined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Interstate 64 .
Police had closed that road to traffic in both directions and were allowing the protesters to march onto the highway , where they sat for several minutes in honor of George Floyd , who was handcuffed and died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes .
The latest rally organized by the group Expect Us is among several protests in St. Louis in the weeks since George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis reopened longstanding concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region .
The McCloskeys are personal injury attorneys who suddenly became famous last Sunday .
As an estimated 500 demonstrators marched near their home , the couple heard a loud commotion and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with “ No Trespassing ” and “ Private Street ” signs , according to a police report .
Video posted online and viewed by millions showed Mark McCloskey wielding a long-barreled gun and Patricia McCloskey waving a small handgun .
No shots were fired .
That same video showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was unclear when it was damaged .
As days went by , photos of the incident evolved into memes on both sides of the gun debate - some supporting the McCloskeys as examples of people protecting their own property , some making fun of them for pulling guns during what many perceived as an otherwise peaceful protest .
The attorney for the couple , Albert Watkins , said they are longtime civil rights advocates and support the message of the Black Lives Matter movement .
He said they grabbed their guns when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white - violently threatened the couple , and their property and that of their neighbors .
Protest organizer Darryl Gray said on Friday , “ Are we angry ?
Damn right we ’ re angry .
But we ’ re nonviolent.
” Demonstrators on Sunday were simply passing by the McCloskeys home on the way to the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson , a Democrat .
She drew their ire on June 26 when she read aloud the names and addresses of several residents who wrote letters calling for defunding the police force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lyda !
Take the cops with you !
” Krewson ’ s home is a few blocks from the McCloskeys ’ home .
A letter released Wednesday by more than three dozen neighbors of the couple condemned “ the behavior of anyone who uses threats of violence , especially through the brandishing of firearms , to disrupt peaceful protest , whether it be in this neighborhood or anywhere in the United States .
”

ST. LOUIS — Several hundred protesters made a peaceful return trip to the St. Louis mansion owned by a white couple whose armed defense of their home during an earlier demonstration earned them both scorn and support.
Protesters marched Friday along the busy public boulevard called Kingshighway, which intersects with Portland Place, a private street that is the site of the Renaissance palazzo-style home of Mark McCloskey, 61, and his 63-year-old wife, Patricia.
Chanting protesters on Friday stopped at the gate just outside the McCloskeys’ home for about 15 minutes. The gate that closes the private street to non-residents and extra metal barriers blocked the entrance to Portland Place, where the protesters had walked earlier in the week on their way to the mayor’s home nearby.
Inside the gate, more than a dozen men in plain clothes walked the grounds and peered out from a second-floor balcony of the couple’s home. One protester briefly straddled an iron gate as if he was going to jump over, but did not. No one threw anything and no one behind the gates showed aggression. One man on the McCloskeys’ balcony clapped along with the chanting protesters.
The racially diverse crowd on Friday carried signs reading “Black Lives Matter,” “Defund the Police” and “No Justice, No Peace,” and chanted slogans including, “when Black lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back,” and “this is what democracy looks like.”
It was not immediately known if the McCloskeys were home.
The marchers then left and walked along the busy boulevard lined with condominiums, upscale apartments and hospitals to Interstate 64. Police had closed that road to traffic in both directions and were allowing the protesters to march onto the highway, where they sat for several minutes in honor of George Floyd, who was handcuffed and died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes.
The latest rally organized by the group Expect Us is among several protests in St. Louis in the weeks since George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis reopened longstanding concerns about police treatment of Black people in the region.
The McCloskeys are personal injury attorneys who suddenly became famous last Sunday. As an estimated 500 demonstrators marched near their home, the couple heard a loud commotion and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with “No Trespassing” and “Private Street” signs, according to a police report.
Video posted online and viewed by millions showed Mark McCloskey wielding a long-barreled gun and Patricia McCloskey waving a small handgun. No shots were fired. That same video showed the protesters walking through the gate and it was unclear when it was damaged.
As days went by, photos of the incident evolved into memes on both sides of the gun debate - some supporting the McCloskeys as examples of people protecting their own property, some making fun of them for pulling guns during what many perceived as an otherwise peaceful protest.
The attorney for the couple, Albert Watkins, said they are longtime civil rights advocates and support the message of the Black Lives Matter movement. He said they grabbed their guns when two or three protesters - who were white - violently threatened the couple, and their property and that of their neighbors.
Protest organizer Darryl Gray said on Friday, “Are we angry? Damn right we’re angry. But we’re nonviolent.”
Demonstrators on Sunday were simply passing by the McCloskeys home on the way to the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson, a Democrat. She drew their ire on June 26 when she read aloud the names and addresses of several residents who wrote letters calling for defunding the police force. The group chanted, “Resign, Lyda! Take the cops with you!” Krewson’s home is a few blocks from the McCloskeys’ home.
A letter released Wednesday by more than three dozen neighbors of the couple condemned “the behavior of anyone who uses threats of violence, especially through the brandishing of firearms, to disrupt peaceful protest, whether it be in this neighborhood or anywhere in the United States.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Cosby invokes systemic racism as he fights #MeToo conviction

PHILADELPHIA ( AP ) - In a nearly empty Philadelphia courtroom in July 2015 , a lawyer for Bill Cosby implored a federal judge to keep the comedian ’ s testimony in an old sexual battery lawsuit under wraps .
It was sensitive .
Embarrassing .
Private .
U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno had another word for it .
The conduct Cosby detailed in his deposition was “ perhaps criminal , ” Robreno wrote five years ago Monday , in a momentous decision that released the case files to The Associated Press , reopened the police investigation , and helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cosby , the Hollywood paragon of Black family values , was convicted of sexual assault in 2018 as the movement exploded and women across the globe shared personal histories of sexual harassment and abuse .
He is serving up to 10 years in prison .
And now in the midst of another historic reckoning - this time addressing the treatment of African Americans and other people of color by police and the criminal justice system - the 82-year-old Cosby has won the right to an appeal .
He hopes to use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false conviction of Bill Cosby is so much bigger than him - it ’ s about the destruction of ALL Black people and people of color in America , ” Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said when the court accepted the appeal late last month .
Cosby , who grew up in public housing in Philadelphia , has a complicated relationship with the Black community .
He earned acclaim for his groundbreaking ( and intentionally race-blind ) performances on television in the 1950s ; mingled , but rarely marched , with civil rights leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and solidified his wealth and power with his star turn as “ America ’ s Dad , ” on “ The Cosby Show ” in the 1980s .
All the while , he promoted education and gave millions to historically Black universities .
But his increasingly jarring comments on poverty , parenthood and personal responsibility offended younger Blacks in his later years , most famously in his 2004 “ Pound Cake ” speech - which he gave just months after the sexual encounter that would prove his downfall .
As he toured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the antidote to racism is not rallies , protests , or pleas , but strong families and communities , ” as the essayist Ta-Nehisi Coates noted .
“ Cosby ’ s gospel of discipline , moral reform , and self-reliance offers a way out - a promise that one need not cure America of its original sin in order to succeed , ” Coates wrote in his 2008 piece in The Atlantic , “ ‘ This Is How We Lost to the White Man ’ : The audacity of Bill Cosby ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court accepted don ’ t directly include racial bias , which Cosby ’ s legal team raised more often on the courthouse steps in Montgomery County than inside the courtroom .
His defenders , however , say race permeates the case .
Cosby ’ s celebrity “ does not change his status as a Black man , ” said appellate lawyer Jennifer Bonjean , the latest of more than a dozen criminal lawyers on the case .
“ It would be naïve to assume that his prosecution was not tainted by the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process in both explicit and insidious ways , ” she said last week .
Cosby ’ s wife of 56 years has been more blunt .
In an interview last month with ABC-TV , Camille Cosby said the # MeToo movement ignores “ the history of particular white women ” who have “ accused Black males of sexual assault without any proof.
” “ We know how women can lie , ” said Camille Cosby , who made only brief appearances at her husband ’ s trials , for defense closing arguments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She declined to speak to the AP last week .
The appeal hinges on two questions that have shaped the case from the start : - Did Cosby have an ironclad deal with District Attorney Bruce Castor that Cosby could never be charged after Castor declined to arrest Cosby in 2005 ?
Defense lawyers say Cosby relied on such a promise when he gave the 2006 deposition later unsealed in accuser Andrea Constand ’ s lawsuit - and used against him at trial .
Castor agrees they did .
But it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s top deputy at the time , Risa Ferman , who helped run the initial investigation and reopened it in 2015 when she was district attorney , seemed not to know about it .
- And , how many other accusers should be allowed to testify before the scales of justice tip against the accused ?
Cosby ’ s trial judge allowed just one other accuser in the first trial when the jury deadlocked , but five at the retrial a year later .
The jury convicted Cosby on all three sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intermediate appeals court seemed unimpressed by either issue , rejecting Cosby ’ s first appeal .
“ The reality of it is , he gives them drugs and then he sexually assaults them , ” Superior Court Judge John T. Bender said at the arguments .
“ That ’ s the pattern , is it not ?
” But Cosby appealed again , setting up the state Supreme Court arguments expected sometime next year .
Constand knew Cosby from her job at Temple University , where Cosby was a booster , alumnus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial testimony matched his deposition in many respects , the key distinction being her consent to what happened at his suburban Philadelphia estate .
Both say that Cosby gave her three pills for stress before Cosby , in his words , engaged in “ digital penetration.
” Constand , a former professional basketball player , who is white , said she was left semi-conscious and could not fight him off .
( She thought she was taking a homeopathic supplement ; Cosby later said it was Benadryl , while acknowledging he once gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More than 60 women , mostly white but a few women of color , have made similar accusations against Cosby .
Cosby lawyer Bonjean , though , believes the # MeToo movement is fading , and that Cosby , if he wins a new trial , might avoid what she called “ the mob-justice standards of a hashtag movement.
” Not long after the encounter with Constand , Cosby gave the “ Pound Cake ” speech to the NAACP , riffing about a scenario in which the Black community complains when someone is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cake .
“ Then we all run out and are outraged , ‘ The cops shouldn ’ t have shot him.
’ What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand ?
” Cosby asked .
A decade later , Black comedian Hannibal Buress took Cosby to task for his scolding .
“ You rape women , Bill Cosby , so turn the crazy down a couple notches , ” he said onstage in 2014 .
Former prosecutor Kristen Gibbons Feden , who gave closing arguments at Cosby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cosby did for the Black community .
She also believes that racial bias exists in the criminal justice system .
“ It doesn ’ t make Cosby innocent , ” said Feden , who is Black .
“ It means we need to fix the criminal justice system.
” Wake Forest University Dean Jonathan L. Walton , who teaches about African American social movements , said that Cosby undeniably boosted the representation of Blacks in American culture .
Yet Walton said Cosby might not be the best messenger for today ’ s moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it relates to systemic racism and the injustices of the ‘ justice system , ’ ” said Walton , the divinity school dean , “ while also being suspicious of what seems to be a pattern of his , of only identifying problems when they personally benefit him .
”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - In a nearly empty Philadelphia courtroom in June 2015, a lawyer for Bill Cosby implored a federal judge to keep the comedian’s testimony in an old sexual battery lawsuit under wraps. It was sensitive. Embarrassing. Private.
U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno had another word for it.
The conduct Cosby detailed in his deposition was “perhaps criminal,” Robreno wrote five years ago Monday, in a momentous decision that released the case files to The Associated Press, reopened the police investigation, and helped give rise to the #MeToo movement.
Cosby, the Hollywood paragon of Black family values, was convicted of sexual assault in 2018 as the movement exploded and women across the globe shared personal histories of sexual harassment and abuse. He is serving up to 10 years in prison.
And now in the midst of another historic reckoning - this time addressing the treatment of African Americans and other people of color by police and the criminal justice system - the 82-year-old Cosby has won the right to an appeal.
He hopes to use the moment to his advantage.
“The false conviction of Bill Cosby is so much bigger than him - it’s about the destruction of ALL Black people and people of color in America,” Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said when the court accepted the appeal late last month.
___
Cosby, who grew up in public housing in Philadelphia, has a complicated relationship with the Black community. He earned acclaim for his groundbreaking (and intentionally race-blind) performances on television in the 1950s; mingled, but rarely marched, with civil rights leaders and the Black elite in the 1960s; and solidified his wealth and power with his star turn as “America’s Dad,” on “The Cosby Show” in the 1980s.
All the while, he promoted education and gave millions to historically Black universities.
But his increasingly jarring comments on poverty, parenthood and personal responsibility offended younger Blacks in his later years, most famously in his 2004 “Pound Cake” speech - which he gave just months after the sexual encounter that would prove his downfall.
As he toured the country, Cosby argued that “the antidote to racism is not rallies, protests, or pleas, but strong families and communities,” as the essayist Ta-Nehisi Coates noted.
“Cosby’s gospel of discipline, moral reform, and self-reliance offers a way out - a promise that one need not cure America of its original sin in order to succeed,” Coates wrote in his 2008 piece in The Atlantic, “‘This Is How We Lost to the White Man’: The audacity of Bill Cosby’s Black conservatism.”
___
The appeal issues the court accepted don’t directly include racial bias, which Cosby’s legal team raised more often on the courthouse steps in Montgomery County than inside the courtroom. His defenders, however, say race permeates the case.
Cosby’s celebrity “does not change his status as a Black man,” said appellate lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, the latest of more than a dozen criminal lawyers on the case.
“It would be naïve to assume that his prosecution was not tainted by the same racial bias that pervades the criminal justice process in both explicit and insidious ways,” she said last week.
Cosby’s wife of 56 years has been more blunt.
In an interview last month with ABC-TV, Camille Cosby said the #MeToo movement ignores “the history of particular white women” who have “accused Black males of sexual assault without any proof.”
“We know how women can lie,” said Camille Cosby, who made only brief appearances at her husband’s trials, for defense closing arguments, and has not visited him in prison. She declined to speak to the AP last week.
The appeal hinges on two questions that have shaped the case from the start:
- Did Cosby have an ironclad deal with District Attorney Bruce Castor that Cosby could never be charged after Castor declined to arrest Cosby in 2005? Defense lawyers say Cosby relied on such a promise when he gave the 2006 deposition later unsealed in accuser Andrea Constand’s lawsuit - and used against him at trial.
Castor agrees they did. But it was never put in writing, and Castor’s top deputy at the time, Risa Ferman, who helped run the initial investigation and reopened it in 2015 when she was district attorney, seemed not to know about it.
- And, how many other accusers should be allowed to testify before the scales of justice tip against the accused?
Cosby’s trial judge allowed just one other accuser in the first trial when the jury deadlocked, but five at the retrial a year later. The jury convicted Cosby on all three sex assault counts.
The state’s intermediate appeals court seemed unimpressed by either issue, rejecting Cosby’s first appeal.
“The reality of it is, he gives them drugs and then he sexually assaults them,” Superior Court Judge John T. Bender said at the arguments. “That’s the pattern, is it not?”
But Cosby appealed again, setting up the state Supreme Court arguments expected sometime next year.
___
Constand knew Cosby from her job at Temple University, where Cosby was a booster, alumnus and longtime trustee twice her age.
Her trial testimony matched his deposition in many respects, the key distinction being her consent to what happened at his suburban Philadelphia estate. Both say that Cosby gave her three pills for stress before Cosby, in his words, engaged in “digital penetration.”
Constand, a former professional basketball player, who is white, said she was left semi-conscious and could not fight him off. (She thought she was taking a homeopathic supplement; Cosby later said it was Benadryl, while acknowledging he once gave a 19-year-old Quaaludes before sex.)
More than 60 women, mostly white but a few women of color, have made similar accusations against Cosby.
Cosby lawyer Bonjean, though, believes the #MeToo movement is fading, and that Cosby, if he wins a new trial, might avoid what she called “the mob-justice standards of a hashtag movement.”
___
Not long after the encounter with Constand, Cosby gave the “Pound Cake” speech to the NAACP, riffing about a scenario in which the Black community complains when someone is shot by police over a stolen piece of cake.
“Then we all run out and are outraged, ‘The cops shouldn’t have shot him.’ What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?” Cosby asked.
A decade later, Black comedian Hannibal Buress took Cosby to task for his scolding.
“You rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches,” he said onstage in 2014.
Former prosecutor Kristen Gibbons Feden, who gave closing arguments at Cosby’s retrial, recognizes the good Cosby did for the Black community. She also believes that racial bias exists in the criminal justice system.
“It doesn’t make Cosby innocent,” said Feden, who is Black. “It means we need to fix the criminal justice system.”
Wake Forest University Dean Jonathan L. Walton, who teaches about African American social movements, said that Cosby undeniably boosted the representation of Blacks in American culture. Yet Walton said Cosby might not be the best messenger for today’s moment.
“One should agree with him as it relates to systemic racism and the injustices of the ‘justice system,’” said Walton, the divinity school dean, “while also being suspicious of what seems to be a pattern of his, of only identifying problems when they personally benefit him.”
___ This story has been corrected to reflect that the federal court hearing with Judge Eduardo Robreno was in June 2015, not July 2015.


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--UAE orders government shakeup as virus erodes economic gains

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) - The United Arab Emirates announced a wide-ranging government shakeup on Sunday aimed at creating a more flexible and modern bureaucracy to tackle challenges as the coronavirus and lower oil prices erode what was already sluggish economic growth .
The UAE prime minister and ruler of the emirate of Dubai , Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , published the ministerial changes on his Twitter account , saying the goal was to create a “ government that is faster in decision making and is more up to date with changes.
” Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cabinet shake-up .
They include the ministers of interior and foreign affairs , who hail from the ruling Al Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi , the federal capital that also controls the presidency .
As part of the shakeup , the ministries of energy and infrastructure were merged and will be led by current Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei .
The new ministry will oversee a national housing program for Emirati citizens , among other federal agencies .
Sheikh Mohammed also announced the creation of a new Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is among the highest-profile figures in the UAE .
Al-Jaber serves as CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company , board chairman of the government-owned renewable energy company Masdar and chairman of UAE ’ s National Media Council , in addition to other posts .
It was not immediately clear if he would retain those posts as minister .
A woman was named to head the nascent Emirates Space Agency .
Sarah al-Amiri is currently leading the UAE ’ s Hope Probe to Mars , which will launch this month from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new look at the planet ’ s climate and atmosphere .
Additionally , the ministries of culture and youth were merged .
The new ministry will oversee the country ’ s National Media Council that accredits all local and foreign journalists and oversees media outlets operating in the country .
The ministry will be led Noura al-Kaabi , formerly the culture minister .
A new position overseeing “ digital economy , artificial intelligence and remote work applications ” will be led by Omar Al-Ulama as a minister of state .
The country made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts for happiness and tolerance .
Other plans include converting half of all government service centers into digital platforms in the coming two years .
The UAE is home to airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways , port operator DP World , and the world ’ s tallest skyscraper , the Burj Khalifa .
Dubai ’ s economy relies heavily on real estate investments , aviation , tourism and finance , which are all sectors that have been hard-hit by the pandemic .
Abu Dhabi , which is the largest and wealthiest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has relied on substantial oil and gas reserves to fuel the country ’ s development and growth .
The International Monetary Fund projects the country ’ s economy will contract by 3.5 % in 2020 .
Dubai ’ s plans to host the EXPO , or World Fair , this year and spur economic growth were delayed until 2021 because of the coronavirus .
While hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the UAE and wider Gulf who hail from India , Pakistan , the Philippines , Nepal and Egypt have appealed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loss of income amid the pandemic , Emirati citizens - who number around 1.4 million - have numerous perks to cushion economic blows .
The government provides Emirati citizens with subsidized housing , free healthcare , free higher education and scholarships abroad , generous government salaries and pension plans , as well as assistance in finding work and occasional debt relief .

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The United Arab Emirates announced a wide-ranging government shakeup on Sunday aimed at creating a more flexible and modern bureaucracy to tackle challenges as the coronavirus and lower oil prices erode what was already sluggish economic growth.
The UAE prime minister and ruler of the emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, published the ministerial changes on his Twitter account, saying the goal was to create a “government that is faster in decision making and is more up to date with changes.”
Many powerful officials kept their jobs under the Cabinet shake-up. They include the ministers of interior and foreign affairs, who hail from the ruling Al Nahyan family of Abu Dhabi, the federal capital that also controls the presidency.
As part of the shakeup, the ministries of energy and infrastructure were merged and will be led by current Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei. The new ministry will oversee a national housing program for Emirati citizens, among other federal agencies.
Sheikh Mohammed also announced the creation of a new Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology that will be led by Sultan al-Jaber, who is among the highest-profile figures in the UAE.
Al-Jaber serves as CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, board chairman of the government-owned renewable energy company Masdar and chairman of UAE’s National Media Council, in addition to other posts. It was not immediately clear if he would retain those posts as minister.
A woman was named to head the nascent Emirates Space Agency. Sarah al-Amiri is currently leading the UAE’s Hope Probe to Mars, which will launch this month from Japan with the goal of providing a new look at the planet’s climate and atmosphere.
Additionally, the ministries of culture and youth were merged. The new ministry will oversee the country’s National Media Council that accredits all local and foreign journalists and oversees media outlets operating in the country. The ministry will be led Noura al-Kaabi, formerly the culture minister.
A new position overseeing “digital economy, artificial intelligence and remote work applications” will be led by Omar Al-Ulama as a minister of state. The country made waves in 2016 when it created ministry-level posts for happiness and tolerance.
Other plans include converting half of all government service centers into digital platforms in the coming two years.
The UAE is home to airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways, port operator DP World, and the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa.
Dubai’s economy relies heavily on real estate investments, aviation, tourism and finance, which are all sectors that have been hard-hit by the pandemic. Abu Dhabi, which is the largest and wealthiest of the seven emirates that comprise the UAE, has relied on substantial oil and gas reserves to fuel the country’s development and growth.
The International Monetary Fund projects the country’s economy will contract by 3.5% in 2020. Dubai’s plans to host the EXPO, or World Fair, this year and spur economic growth were delayed until 2021 because of the coronavirus.
While hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the UAE and wider Gulf who hail from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nepal and Egypt have appealed to their embassies for flights home due to a loss of income amid the pandemic, Emirati citizens - who number around 1.4 million - have numerous perks to cushion economic blows. The government provides Emirati citizens with subsidized housing, free healthcare, free higher education and scholarships abroad, generous government salaries and pension plans, as well as assistance in finding work and occasional debt relief.


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Fewer will attend camp this summer; some camps won't survive

FAYETTE , Maine ( AP ) - Camp Winnebago was founded during the Spanish Flu and weathered all manner of health scares from polio to the swine flu over a century .
It wasn ’ t about to let the coronavirus stop the fun .
But things will be different this summer at this camp and others that buck the trend and welcome children .
The vast majority of overnight camps are closed due to the pandemic .
Campers were tested five days before arriving and will be tested again five days later .
The camp installed additional hand-washing stations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Each cabin has hand sanitizer that must be used when entering and leaving , and before and after group activities .
Face coverings are required in larger groups .
“ We believe that we can run a program safely and with the health of the campers at the top of our minds .
We ’ re not doing this cavalierly .
We ’ re taking this extremely seriously , ” Camp Winnebago owner Andy Lilienthal said .
Nationwide , the summer camp picture is coming into sharper focus with many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of health concerns surrounding the pandemic , or because of delays in receiving rules or guidelines from licensing officials .
New York , New Jersey , Connecticut and Oregon have banned overnight camps , and more than 20 states still haven ’ t issued guidance for overnight camp directors during what would normally be the start of the busy summer season , according to the American Camp Association .
All told , an estimated 19.5 million youths will miss out on either day camp or overnight camp this summer , said Tom Rosenberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not just a loss for kids who will miss out on seeing friends , becoming independent , and developing outdoor skills .
It ’ s a devastating financial loss for camps , some of which won ’ t recover .
Camps are estimated to lose $ 16 billion in revenue , with more than $ 4.4 billion in lost wages and over 900,000 lost jobs this summer , Rosenberg said .
Even camps that do jump through the hoops to open are going to have a tough time .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongly in the importance of the camp experience , said Ron Hall , from the Maine Summer Camps .
Camps that consider opening are confronting a hodgepodge of safety rules , some of which were late in coming from states .
There is also guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and the American Camp Association .
In Maine , where only 20 of 110 licensed overnight camps are opening , guidelines require staff and counselors to quarantine or receive a negative test result .
Campers also must quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re from an exempted state .
Campers must be broken up into smaller groups for social distancing .
There are rigid guidelines for sanitizing , and an isolation area must be established in the event someone falls ill .
It was all too much for some camps .
In Vermont , Ellen Flight said the decision was made not to open the girls ’ Camp Songadeewin and the separate boys camp Keewaydin because the safety of campers could not be assured , especially when they ’ re camping out .
“ ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meal over the fire , you can ’ t touch the utensils that somebody else touched , you know , you just can ’ t run a program with any sense of safety , ” said Flight , who ’ s also president of the Vermont Camp Association .
Others are opening but are scaling back .
In Maine , Camp Winona , in Bridgton , will operate with one session instead of two .
Normally , the camp hosts about 220 campers , but this year it will be closer to 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campers will be divided into groups by age , and then further divided into tents .
Smaller groups will eat , sleep and engage in activities together to avoid transmission of the virus to the larger group .
There will be staggered times for showering .
Meals will be outdoors .
“ Camp directors are risk managers , every single day of the camp .
We ’ re also innovative and tenacious , ” Ordway said .
“ I know that there are challenges , but we ’ ve figured out the safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to figure out the logistics so our campers really thrive.
” In Washington , D.C. , Nicole Elkon and her husband weighed the benefits and dangers of sending their two sons and daughter to camp in Maine after watching their kids deal with the roller coaster of social isolation , distance learning and quarantines .
They were won over by the “ sealed bubble ” concept with no outsiders allowed , only campers , counselors and staff .
“ When the plan came out , we were convinced it was a good place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve become even more convinced since then that the safest place for them is at camp , ” she said .
But Andrew Klein , from New York City , reached the opposite conclusion for his 14-year-old son .
The family lives a block from Mount Sinai Hospital , one of the hospitals that dealt with a massive outbreak in the spring , The parents did not like the idea of teens in close quarters in cabins .
If their son became sick , he ’ d have to quarantine at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t feel comfortable with it , ” Klein said .
“ He felt that this was a summer to wait it out , and go back next year.
” Here at Camp Winnebago , on Echo Lake , about 80 % of summer slots are filled .
The camp purposefully kept some slots unfilled to create a separate area where campers can be isolated in the event someone falls ill , Lilienthal said .
The camp property was largely closed off after the arrival of 140 campers Wednesday .
There will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or soccer until after an initial period .
“ Our system has gotten very good at mitigating risk in all phases of camp .
We see COVID-19 as that , another layer of risk , ” Lilienthal said .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

FAYETTE, Maine (AP) - Camp Winnebago was founded during the Spanish Flu and weathered all manner of health scares from polio to the swine flu over a century. It wasn’t about to let the coronavirus stop the fun.
But things will be different this summer at this camp and others that buck the trend and welcome children. The vast majority of overnight camps are closed due to the pandemic.
Campers were tested five days before arriving and will be tested again five days later. The camp installed additional hand-washing stations on the 150-acre (60-hectare) property. Each cabin has hand sanitizer that must be used when entering and leaving, and before and after group activities. Face coverings are required in larger groups.
“We believe that we can run a program safely and with the health of the campers at the top of our minds. We’re not doing this cavalierly. We’re taking this extremely seriously,” Camp Winnebago owner Andy Lilienthal said.
Nationwide, the summer camp picture is coming into sharper focus with many of the 15,000-plus summer camps opting to close because of health concerns surrounding the pandemic, or because of delays in receiving rules or guidelines from licensing officials.
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Oregon have banned overnight camps, and more than 20 states still haven’t issued guidance for overnight camp directors during what would normally be the start of the busy summer season, according to the American Camp Association.
All told, an estimated 19.5 million youths will miss out on either day camp or overnight camp this summer, said Tom Rosenberg, from the American Camp Association.
It’s not just a loss for kids who will miss out on seeing friends, becoming independent, and developing outdoor skills. It’s a devastating financial loss for camps, some of which won’t recover. Camps are estimated to lose $16 billion in revenue, with more than $4.4 billion in lost wages and over 900,000 lost jobs this summer, Rosenberg said.
Even camps that do jump through the hoops to open are going to have a tough time. Most of them are losing money but believe strongly in the importance of the camp experience, said Ron Hall, from the Maine Summer Camps.
Camps that consider opening are confronting a hodgepodge of safety rules, some of which were late in coming from states. There is also guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Camp Association.
In Maine, where only 20 of 110 licensed overnight camps are opening, guidelines require staff and counselors to quarantine or receive a negative test result. Campers also must quarantine, or get tested, unless they’re from an exempted state. Campers must be broken up into smaller groups for social distancing. There are rigid guidelines for sanitizing, and an isolation area must be established in the event someone falls ill.
It was all too much for some camps.
In Vermont, Ellen Flight said the decision was made not to open the girls’ Camp Songadeewin and the separate boys camp Keewaydin because the safety of campers could not be assured, especially when they’re camping out.
“’When you start thinking about cooking a meal over the fire, you can’t touch the utensils that somebody else touched, you know, you just can’t run a program with any sense of safety,” said Flight, who’s also president of the Vermont Camp Association.
Others are opening but are scaling back.
In Maine, Camp Winona, in Bridgton, will operate with one session instead of two. Normally, the camp hosts about 220 campers, but this year it will be closer to 150, co-owner Laura Ordway said.
The campers will be divided into groups by age, and then further divided into tents. Smaller groups will eat, sleep and engage in activities together to avoid transmission of the virus to the larger group. There will be staggered times for showering. Meals will be outdoors.
“Camp directors are risk managers, every single day of the camp. We’re also innovative and tenacious,” Ordway said. “I know that there are challenges, but we’ve figured out the safety side of things. Now we have to figure out the logistics so our campers really thrive.”
In Washington, D.C., Nicole Elkon and her husband weighed the benefits and dangers of sending their two sons and daughter to camp in Maine after watching their kids deal with the roller coaster of social isolation, distance learning and quarantines.
They were won over by the “sealed bubble” concept with no outsiders allowed, only campers, counselors and staff.
“When the plan came out, we were convinced it was a good place for our children. In fact, I’ve become even more convinced since then that the safest place for them is at camp,” she said.
But Andrew Klein, from New York City, reached the opposite conclusion for his 14-year-old son.
The family lives a block from Mount Sinai Hospital, one of the hospitals that dealt with a massive outbreak in the spring, The parents did not like the idea of teens in close quarters in cabins. If their son became sick, he’d have to quarantine at camp.
“Even my son didn’t feel comfortable with it,” Klein said. “He felt that this was a summer to wait it out, and go back next year.”
Here at Camp Winnebago, on Echo Lake, about 80% of summer slots are filled. The camp purposefully kept some slots unfilled to create a separate area where campers can be isolated in the event someone falls ill, Lilienthal said.
The camp property was largely closed off after the arrival of 140 campers Wednesday. There will be no high-intensity, close-contact activities like basketball or soccer until after an initial period.
“Our system has gotten very good at mitigating risk in all phases of camp. We see COVID-19 as that, another layer of risk,” Lilienthal said.
___
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Virginia orders American flag removed from construction site in Richmond

RICHMOND , Va. — State officials in Virginia ordered the removal of a large American flag from a construction site ahead of the Fourth of July , calling it a potential target for people protesting racial injustice and police brutality .
Dena Potter , spokeswoman for the state Department of General Services , said officials asked a contractor to take down the flag from a new office building for state lawmakers under construction in Richmond .
“ Over the past month we ’ ve seen buildings and structures around Capitol Square vandalized and flags , dumpsters , a bus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city , ” Potter said in an email .
Potter said the state doesn ’ t object to a standard-sized flag that ’ s still flying on a crane at the site .
But she said the larger one would have been easier to reach .
The Washington Post reports that the decision angered a subcontractor whose fireproofing company used tarps to make the flag , which was approximately one-story tall .
“ Since when is this flag , on this weekend , IN THIS COUNTRY , a Target !
!
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Facebook post , according to the newspaper .
“ Let me guess , if I had a black lives matter flag it would be ‘ ok ’ !
?
” Winston wrote that the project ’ s general contractor , Gilbane Building Company , had signed off on the flag going up before the state asked the company to take it down .
“ They were very responsive when we asked them to remove it , ” Potter said of Gilbane .
“ Of course the safety of the workers on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No .
1 concern , but we also did not want to see the flag damaged in any way.
” The Post said Winston and officials with Gilbane ’ s Richmond office did not respond to messages seeking comment .

RICHMOND, Va. — State officials in Virginia ordered the removal of a large American flag from a construction site ahead of the Fourth of July, calling it a potential target for people protesting racial injustice and police brutality.
Dena Potter, spokeswoman for the state Department of General Services, said officials asked a contractor to take down the flag from a new office building for state lawmakers under construction in Richmond.
“Over the past month we’ve seen buildings and structures around Capitol Square vandalized and flags, dumpsters, a bus and other items set ablaze during demonstrations around the city,” Potter said in an email.
Potter said the state doesn’t object to a standard-sized flag that’s still flying on a crane at the site. But she said the larger one would have been easier to reach.
The Washington Post reports that the decision angered a subcontractor whose fireproofing company used tarps to make the flag, which was approximately one-story tall.
“Since when is this flag, on this weekend, IN THIS COUNTRY, a Target!!” Eric Winston of American Coatings Corp. wrote in a Facebook post, according to the newspaper. “Let me guess, if I had a black lives matter flag it would be ‘ok’!?”
Winston wrote that the project’s general contractor, Gilbane Building Company, had signed off on the flag going up before the state asked the company to take it down.
“They were very responsive when we asked them to remove it,” Potter said of Gilbane. “Of course the safety of the workers on the job and the public is our No. 1 concern, but we also did not want to see the flag damaged in any way.”
The Post said Winston and officials with Gilbane’s Richmond office did not respond to messages seeking comment.


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike says she has secured her second term as head of the Japanese capital

TOKYO ( AP ) - Tokyo Gov .
Yuriko Koike says she has secured her second term as head of @ @ @ @

TOKYO (AP) - Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike says she has secured her second term as head of the Japanese capital.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-07-05--Sports stars exempt from U.K. coronavirus quarantine rules

The UK government says selected sports stars are to be exempt from quarantine requirements when competing in England .
However @ @ @ @ @ live and work in “ bubbled ” environments behind closed doors , UK culture secretary @ @ @ @ @ .
The new measures will allow Formula One , international soccer , golf and snooker @ @ @ @ @ Competitors involved in these events will be granted quarantine exemptions .
International cricketers are also @ @ @ @ @ individual special arrangements have already been made for the touring West Indies and Pakistan teams @ @ @ @ @ essential to the staging of events such as officials , coaches , medics , mechanics @ @ @ @ @ media will also be permitted to travel without quarantine .
In return sporting authorities and @ @ @ @ @ place stringent protocols to ensure that they have a minimal impact on public health during @ @ @ @ @

The UK government says selected sports stars are to be exempt from quarantine requirements when competing in England.
However, those involved will instead live and work in “bubbled” environments behind closed doors, UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden announced on Sunday.
The new measures will allow Formula One, international soccer, golf and snooker events to take place. Competitors involved in these events will be granted quarantine exemptions.
International cricketers are also now formally exempt, although individual special arrangements have already been made for the touring West Indies and Pakistan teams this summer.
Other people essential to the staging of events such as officials, coaches, medics, mechanics and incoming members of the media will also be permitted to travel without quarantine.
In return sporting authorities and event organisers must put in place stringent protocols to ensure that they have a minimal impact on public health during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.