washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Australia's pandemic travel ban brings family heartbreak

CANBERRA , Australia ( AP ) - Astrid Magenau wasn ’ t able to keep a promise to hold her father ’ s hand at his deathbed in Germany because of Australia ’ s extraordinary pandemic restrictions that make her feel like a prisoner in her adopted country .
Australia has sought to prevent new coronavirus cases from reaching its shores by banning most of its residents from leaving in the first place .
But the ban on overseas travel creates a heartbreaking burden on a multicultural nation such as Australia , where around half the people were born abroad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I always wanted to move to Australia because it felt like a free country , ” said German-born Magenau , who became an Australian citizen this year .
“ It makes the whole feeling of living in Australia quite different because , personally , it makes me feel like I ’ m trapped … because I can ’ t travel as I want to.
” Prime Minister Scott Morrison has held up Australia ’ s travel ban as an example to the world of how to avoid severe coronavirus spikes caused by citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , Australia is the only member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development - a group of 37 developed nations - that has banned its citizens from leaving during the pandemic .
Morrison has described the ban as “ uncontroversial.
” But with Australia becoming one of the most successful countries in containing the spread of the virus , some are questioning how long the ban can be justified .
Australia , with a population of 26 million , had recorded 27,541 virus cases , including 907 deaths , as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and 90 % of the fatalities coming in the city of Melbourne and surrounding Victoria state .
But Melbourne came out of lockdown on Wednesday , with authorities confident they have contained community transmission .
Government lawmaker Dave Sharma , who has represented constituents seeking his help to be allowed to travel , describes the ban as a “ pretty extraordinary restriction on people ’ s liberty ” that can not continue “ for the long term.
” While some exemptions are allowed under strict criteria , critics argue that the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process can be too slow .
Magenau , a 42-year-old cancer research scientist , was given an exemption to travel with her 5-year-old son , Hendrix , from their home in Sydney to Stuttgart , Germany .
But the weeklong process to get the exemption was too slow for a medical emergency .
She didn ’ t reach Germany until after her 76-year-old father , Horst Magenau , had already been cremated after dying from metastatic melanoma .
“ He became worse .
We thought he was stable , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or six days and I thought I could make it out ( of Australia ) , but that didn ’ t work , ” Magenau said .
The funeral could not be delayed until she arrived .
“ I wasn ’ t actually able to say goodbye to his body , ” Magenau said .
“ It sounds silly , but that ’ s what I had wanted.
” She described the ordeal as “ traumatic as it was unnecessary.
” Sydney lawyer Adam Byrnes said by far the majority of clients who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusals had applied , like Magenau , on “ compassionate or humanitarian ” grounds .
Applicants must persuade Australian Border Force officials that their reasons are “ compelling.
” “ We ’ ve had clients come to us where they wanted to say goodbye to their parent who is terminally ill and has been given a prognosis of a short time to live , and they ’ ve been refused a couple of times for immediate travel , ” Byrnes said .
“ That in my eyes is a very compelling reason , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s eyes.
” Byrnes , who did not represent Magenau , said the major flaws in the system are a lack of public policy information , inconsistent results and a lack of explanation of the reasons for refusals .
Donna Burton had already reached Sydney Airport when she was advised that Border Force had denied her an exemption to fly to London for her only daughter ’ s wedding in July .
She had made a second application for a travel exemption after the first was rejected because of a lack of supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health outcomes that Australian authorities are trying to achieve .
But she said it would be easier to accept if Border Force ’ s decisions were more timely .
“ A lot easier than going to the airport with lots of wedding presents in a bag - yes , without a doubt , ” she said .
Many would-be travelers don ’ t have the time or the means to fight exemption refusals in the courts .
Esther and Charles Baker , an ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple from Melbourne , were twice refused exemptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their youngest son ’ s wedding on June 23 .
They appealed to the Federal Court , citing religious and cultural reasons among their exceptional circumstances .
But a judge dismissed their case and ordered the couple to pay Border Force ’ s legal costs for their challenge .
Some categories of Australian citizens and residents automatically qualify for permission to travel .
U.S. citizen Michelle Parker is a flight attendant , and Australia considers her an essential worker who flies between her Sydney home and San Francisco .
But New South Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine rules meant that when she was returning to her husband and children in Sydney for days , she was no longer considered an essential worker but a traveler who was expected to pay 3,000 Australian dollars ( $ 2,100 ) to quarantine in a Sydney hotel for two weeks .
This meant Parker spent her layover at friends ’ homes in San Francisco for weeks .
The New South Wales state government recently gave her a one-month permit to self-isolate at her Sydney home when she isn ’ t working , rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s really ironic that I was working flights repatriating people and I was pretty much unable to repatriate myself , ” Parker said , referring to her home in Australia , where she has permanent residency .
Data is vague on how many Australians have requested permission to leave and how many have been refused .
Border Force said more than 55,200 Australian citizens and permanent residents had been given exemptions to depart Australia from when the travel ban began on March 25 through the end of September .
More than 20,149 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The tally of denials does not include requests that were disregarded because they lacked sufficient information , or ones that were withdrawn because the bar was set too high or the need to travel had passed .
Australia ’ s extreme response to the pandemic reflects an island nation that has some of the world ’ s toughest border controls and lacks the interconnections with its neighbors that many other countries around the world share .
“ We just have much , much stronger border controls than almost anywhere else , ” Griffith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I think we think they ’ re normal , but they ’ re just not normal.
” Harris Rimmer said it would be “ very difficult “ for the European Union to follow Australia ’ s example because of its strong human rights protections and its focus on free travel .
But some Middle Eastern and Asian countries with weak human rights protections could , she said .
Magenau is surprised that so many of her fellow Australians seem to accept the extraordinary travel restrictions .
“ In Germany , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions .
They can use their own common sense .
They ’ re treated like adults , ” she said .
“ And in Australia , all that decision-making seems to be taken away from you .
”

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Astrid Magenau wasn’t able to keep a promise to hold her father’s hand at his deathbed in Germany because of Australia’s extraordinary pandemic restrictions that make her feel like a prisoner in her adopted country.
Australia has sought to prevent new coronavirus cases from reaching its shores by banning most of its residents from leaving in the first place. But the ban on overseas travel creates a heartbreaking burden on a multicultural nation such as Australia, where around half the people were born abroad or have an immigrant parent.
“I always wanted to move to Australia because it felt like a free country,” said German-born Magenau, who became an Australian citizen this year. “It makes the whole feeling of living in Australia quite different because, personally, it makes me feel like I’m trapped … because I can’t travel as I want to.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has held up Australia’s travel ban as an example to the world of how to avoid severe coronavirus spikes caused by citizens who are infected while on vacation.
Still, Australia is the only member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development - a group of 37 developed nations - that has banned its citizens from leaving during the pandemic.
Morrison has described the ban as “uncontroversial.” But with Australia becoming one of the most successful countries in containing the spread of the virus, some are questioning how long the ban can be justified.
Australia, with a population of 26 million, had recorded 27,541 virus cases, including 907 deaths, as of Wednesday - with 74% of the cases and 90% of the fatalities coming in the city of Melbourne and surrounding Victoria state. But Melbourne came out of lockdown on Wednesday, with authorities confident they have contained community transmission.
Government lawmaker Dave Sharma, who has represented constituents seeking his help to be allowed to travel, describes the ban as a “pretty extraordinary restriction on people’s liberty” that cannot continue “for the long term.”
While some exemptions are allowed under strict criteria, critics argue that the process lacks transparency and consistency, and that the process can be too slow.
Magenau, a 42-year-old cancer research scientist, was given an exemption to travel with her 5-year-old son, Hendrix, from their home in Sydney to Stuttgart, Germany. But the weeklong process to get the exemption was too slow for a medical emergency. She didn’t reach Germany until after her 76-year-old father, Horst Magenau, had already been cremated after dying from metastatic melanoma.
“He became worse. We thought he was stable,” she said. “He lived for about five or six days and I thought I could make it out (of Australia), but that didn’t work,” Magenau said.
The funeral could not be delayed until she arrived.
“I wasn’t actually able to say goodbye to his body,” Magenau said. “It sounds silly, but that’s what I had wanted.”
She described the ordeal as “traumatic as it was unnecessary.”
Sydney lawyer Adam Byrnes said by far the majority of clients who come to him to fight travel exemption refusals had applied, like Magenau, on “compassionate or humanitarian” grounds. Applicants must persuade Australian Border Force officials that their reasons are “compelling.”
“We’ve had clients come to us where they wanted to say goodbye to their parent who is terminally ill and has been given a prognosis of a short time to live, and they’ve been refused a couple of times for immediate travel,” Byrnes said. “That in my eyes is a very compelling reason, but not in Australian Border Force’s eyes.”
Byrnes, who did not represent Magenau, said the major flaws in the system are a lack of public policy information, inconsistent results and a lack of explanation of the reasons for refusals.
Donna Burton had already reached Sydney Airport when she was advised that Border Force had denied her an exemption to fly to London for her only daughter’s wedding in July. She had made a second application for a travel exemption after the first was rejected because of a lack of supporting documentation.
Burton has sympathy for the health outcomes that Australian authorities are trying to achieve. But she said it would be easier to accept if Border Force’s decisions were more timely.
“A lot easier than going to the airport with lots of wedding presents in a bag - yes, without a doubt,” she said.
Many would-be travelers don’t have the time or the means to fight exemption refusals in the courts.
Esther and Charles Baker, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple from Melbourne, were twice refused exemptions to fly to New Jersey to attend their youngest son’s wedding on June 23.
They appealed to the Federal Court, citing religious and cultural reasons among their exceptional circumstances. But a judge dismissed their case and ordered the couple to pay Border Force’s legal costs for their challenge.
Some categories of Australian citizens and residents automatically qualify for permission to travel.
U.S. citizen Michelle Parker is a flight attendant, and Australia considers her an essential worker who flies between her Sydney home and San Francisco.
But New South Wales state’s added layer of strict quarantine rules meant that when she was returning to her husband and children in Sydney for days, she was no longer considered an essential worker but a traveler who was expected to pay 3,000 Australian dollars ($2,100) to quarantine in a Sydney hotel for two weeks.
This meant Parker spent her layover at friends’ homes in San Francisco for weeks. The New South Wales state government recently gave her a one-month permit to self-isolate at her Sydney home when she isn’t working, rather than at a hotel.
“It’s really ironic that I was working flights repatriating people and I was pretty much unable to repatriate myself,” Parker said, referring to her home in Australia, where she has permanent residency.
Data is vague on how many Australians have requested permission to leave and how many have been refused.
Border Force said more than 55,200 Australian citizens and permanent residents had been given exemptions to depart Australia from when the travel ban began on March 25 through the end of September. More than 20,149 were denied exemptions in that time.
The tally of denials does not include requests that were disregarded because they lacked sufficient information, or ones that were withdrawn because the bar was set too high or the need to travel had passed.
Australia’s extreme response to the pandemic reflects an island nation that has some of the world’s toughest border controls and lacks the interconnections with its neighbors that many other countries around the world share.
“We just have much, much stronger border controls than almost anywhere else,” Griffith University law expert Susan Harris Rimmer said. “I think we think they’re normal, but they’re just not normal.”
Harris Rimmer said it would be “very difficult“ for the European Union to follow Australia’s example because of its strong human rights protections and its focus on free travel. But some Middle Eastern and Asian countries with weak human rights protections could, she said.
Magenau is surprised that so many of her fellow Australians seem to accept the extraordinary travel restrictions.
“In Germany, people have the authority to make their own decisions. They can use their own common sense. They’re treated like adults,” she said. “And in Australia, all that decision-making seems to be taken away from you.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--NORAD intercepts plane over Trump Arizona rally

A U.S. fighter jet intercepted a civilian aircraft that entered restricted airspace during President Trump ’ s campaign rally in @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday , according to Pentagon officials .
The plane initially was non-responsive but eventually @ @ @ @ @ after North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD ) deployed signal flares .
“ At @ @ @ @ @ NORAD F-16 aircraft investigated a general aviation aircraft that was not in communication with [ @ @ @ @ @ entered the Temporary Flight Restriction area surrounding Bullhead City , AZ without proper clearance , @ @ @ @ @ Twitter post Wednesday evening .
“ The violating aircraft was non-responsive to initial intercept procedures @ @ @ @ @ after NORAD aircraft deployed signal flares .
The aircraft was escorted out of the restricted @ @ @ @ @ without further incident.
” While the planes reportedly weren ’ t visible from the ground @ @ @ @ @ it during his speech .
“ I love that sound , ” the president said @ @ @ @ @ with Democrats to secure additional funding for the Pentagon .

A U.S. fighter jet intercepted a civilian aircraft that entered restricted airspace during President Trump’s campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday, according to Pentagon officials.
The plane initially was non-responsive but eventually established communication with the military after North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) deployed signal flares.
“At approx. 1400 MDT, NORAD F-16 aircraft investigated a general aviation aircraft that was not in communication with [air traffic control] and entered the Temporary Flight Restriction area surrounding Bullhead City, AZ without proper clearance,” NORAD said in a Twitter post Wednesday evening. “The violating aircraft was non-responsive to initial intercept procedures, but established radio communications after NORAD aircraft deployed signal flares. The aircraft was escorted out of the restricted area by the NORAD aircraft without further incident.”
Airspace around a presidential event is highly restricted.
While the planes reportedly weren’t visible from the ground, Mr. Trump clearly heard it during his speech.
“I love that sound,” the president said, adding that he fought with Democrats to secure additional funding for the Pentagon.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Dozen MLB players have options turned down, go free

ARLINGTON , Texas ( AP ) - What figures to be a down and perhaps brutal market for baseball free agents in the offseason following the pandemic began Wednesday when a dozen players were told their contract options had been declined , among them St. Louis Cardinals Gold Glove second baseman Kolten Wong .
The 30-year-old Wong will receive a $ 1 million buyout .
Wong , a first-round pick in the 2011 draft , made his big league debut in 2013 and spent his first eight seasons with St. Louis .
Wong hit .
265 with a homer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic-shortened season , helping the Cardinals make the playoffs for the second straight year .
They were eliminated by San Diego in the first round .
“ STL will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget all the amazing people who impacted me along the way !
Much love , ” Wong said Wednesday in an Instagram post .
Many teams are cutting costs following a shortened regular season played with no fans in attendance due to the novel coronavirus .
Many teams already have eliminated front-office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , uncertain what attendance and revenue can be expected in 2021 .
Baseball ’ s labor contract expires after the 2021 season , putting 2022 at risk of a work stoppage .
Wong won his first Gold Glove last year .
He is a finalist again this season , with the winner announced on Tuesday .
John Mozeliak , the president of baseball operations for the Cardinals , said he spoke with Wong on Wednesday .
“ I told him that with some of the uncertainties , we ’ re just not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mozeliak said .
“ We both agreed to keep the door open , and so as we progress in this , it ’ s something that we ’ re not ruling out for a future return.
” Wong is only one year removed from perhaps his best season in St. Louis , batting .285 with 11 homers , 59 RBIs and a career-high 24 steals in 2019 .
He is a .261 hitter with 53 homers , 281 RBIs and 88 steals in 852 career games .
While leaving open the possibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving Tommy Edman a shot at second base .
“ Not speaking in absolutes , not saying anything ’ s for sure , but , as we approach this offseason , it ’ s definitely going to require some creativity , some patience and good timing , ” Mozeliak said .
-Arizona pitchers Mike Leake ( $ 5 million instead of $ 18 million ) and Hector Rondón ( $ 500,000 instead of $ 4 million ) -Washington right-hander Anibal Sanchez ( $ 2 million buyout instead of $ 12 million salary ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million instead of $ 10.5 million ) , and infielders Howie Kendrick ( $ 2.25 million instead of $ 6.5 million ) and Eric Thames ( $ 1 million instead of $ 4 million ) -Colorado first baseman Daniel Murphy ( $ 6 million instead of $ 12 million ) -Seattle second baseman Dee Strange-Gordon ( $ 14 million instead of $ 1 million ) -New York Mets catchers Wilson Ramos ( $ 1.5 million instead of $ 10 million ) and Robinson Chirinos ( $ 1 million instead of $ 6.5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.5 million instead of $ 5.75 million ) .
About 50 more players would be eligible for free agency if their options are declined by Sunday , among them Chicago White Sox designated hitter Edwin Encarnación and left-hander Gio González ; Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana , catcher Roberto Pérez and left-hander Brad Hand ; Yankees left-handers JA Happ and outfielder Brett Gardner ; Texas right-hander Corey Kluber ; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo ; and Pittsburgh right-hander Chris Archer .
Players already free agents include catcher JT Realmuto , infielder DJ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tanaka , and outfielders George Springer and Marcell Ozuna ; shortstop Didi Gregorius ; and designated hitter Nelson Cruz .

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - What figures to be a down and perhaps brutal market for baseball free agents in the offseason following the pandemic began Wednesday when a dozen players were told their contract options had been declined, among them St. Louis Cardinals Gold Glove second baseman Kolten Wong.
The 30-year-old Wong will receive a $1 million buyout. Wong, a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, made his big league debut in 2013 and spent his first eight seasons with St. Louis. Wong hit. 265 with a homer and 16 RBIs in 53 games during the pandemic-shortened season, helping the Cardinals make the playoffs for the second straight year. They were eliminated by San Diego in the first round.
“STL will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget all the amazing people who impacted me along the way! Much love,” Wong said Wednesday in an Instagram post.
Many teams are cutting costs following a shortened regular season played with no fans in attendance due to the novel coronavirus. Many teams already have eliminated front-office staff and many scouts to cut expenses, uncertain what attendance and revenue can be expected in 2021.
Baseball’s labor contract expires after the 2021 season, putting 2022 at risk of a work stoppage.
Wong won his first Gold Glove last year. He is a finalist again this season, with the winner announced on Tuesday.
John Mozeliak, the president of baseball operations for the Cardinals, said he spoke with Wong on Wednesday.
“I told him that with some of the uncertainties, we’re just not in a position to do that,” Mozeliak said. “We both agreed to keep the door open, and so as we progress in this, it’s something that we’re not ruling out for a future return.”
Wong is only one year removed from perhaps his best season in St. Louis, batting .285 with 11 homers, 59 RBIs and a career-high 24 steals in 2019. He is a .261 hitter with 53 homers, 281 RBIs and 88 steals in 852 career games.
While leaving open the possibility of Wong’s return, Mozeliak mentioned giving Tommy Edman a shot at second base.
“Not speaking in absolutes, not saying anything’s for sure, but, as we approach this offseason, it’s definitely going to require some creativity, some patience and good timing,” Mozeliak said.
Others cut free included;
-Arizona pitchers Mike Leake ($5 million instead of $18 million) and Hector Rondón ($500,000 instead of $4 million)
-Washington right-hander Anibal Sanchez ($2 million buyout instead of $12 million salary), outfielder Adam Eaton ($1.5 million instead of $10.5 million), and infielders Howie Kendrick ($2.25 million instead of $6.5 million) and Eric Thames ($1 million instead of $4 million)
-Colorado first baseman Daniel Murphy ($6 million instead of $12 million)
-Seattle second baseman Dee Strange-Gordon ($1 million instead of $14 million)
-New York Mets catchers Wilson Ramos ($1.5 million instead of $10 million) and Robinson Chirinos ($1 million instead of $6.5 million) and infielder Todd Frazier ($1.5 million instead of $5.75 million).
About 50 more players would be eligible for free agency if their options are declined by Sunday, among them Chicago White Sox designated hitter Edwin Encarnación and left-hander Gio González; Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana, catcher Roberto Pérez and left-hander Brad Hand; Yankees left-handers JA Happ and outfielder Brett Gardner; Texas right-hander Corey Kluber; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo; and Pittsburgh right-hander Chris Archer.
Players already free agents include catcher JT Realmuto, infielder DJ LeMahieu, pitchers Marcus Stroman and Masahiro Tanaka, and outfielders George Springer and Marcell Ozuna; shortstop Didi Gregorius; and designated hitter Nelson Cruz.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Ransomware assault threatens healthcare system, FBI warns

BOSTON — Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals are unleashing a major ransomware assault against the U.S. healthcare system .
Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least four U.S. hospitals this month , and could potentially impact hundreds more .
In a joint alert Wednesday , the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “ credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.
” They said “ malicious cyber actors ” are targeting the sector with ransomware that could lead to “ data theft and disruption of healthcare services.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election , but do not appear to have any connection to it .
“ We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we ’ ve ever seen in the United States , ” Charles Carmakal , chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant , said in a statement .
He ’ s concerned that the group may deploy malware to hundreds of hospitals over the next few weeks .
Alex Holden , CEO of Hold Security , which has been closely tracking the ransomware in question for more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unprecedented in magnitude for the U.S .
Administrative problems caused by ransomware , which scrambles data into gibberish that can only be unlocked with software keys provided once targets pay up , could further stress hospitals burdened by a nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases .

BOSTON — Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals are unleashing a major ransomware assault against the U.S. health care system. Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least four U.S. hospitals this month, and could potentially impact hundreds more.
In a joint alert Wednesday, the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.” They said “malicious cyber actors” are targeting the sector with ransomware that could lead to “data theft and disruption of healthcare services.”
The attacks coincide with the U.S. presidential election, but do not appear to have any connection to it.
“We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we’ve ever seen in the United States,” Charles Carmakal, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said in a statement. He’s concerned that the group may deploy malware to hundreds of hospitals over the next few weeks.
Alex Holden, CEO of Hold Security, which has been closely tracking the ransomware in question for more than a year, agreed that the unfolding offensive is unprecedented in magnitude for the U.S. Administrative problems caused by ransomware, which scrambles data into gibberish that can only be unlocked with software keys provided once targets pay up, could further stress hospitals burdened by a nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--IHSA announces high school basketball will start next month

BLOOMINGTON , Ill. ( AP ) - Despite the Illinois Department of Public Health ’ s decision to rate basketball a high-risk activity , the Illinois High School Association announced Wednesday the state ’ s high schools will have a basketball season .
The IHSA made the decision to ignore the state order after a special meeting , during which the board also voted to move wrestling to the summer season , which will be held April 19 to June 26 .
Boys swimming , diving , cheerleading , dance , boys and girls bowling , and girls gymnastics - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IHSA - have been deemed low-risk .
IHSA officials say they were caught off-guard by the move Tuesday by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and the health department to rate basketball a high-risk activity .
It meant athletes couldn ’ t do more than participate in non-contact workouts .
Practice for boys and girls basketball is scheduled to begin Nov. 16 , with games being played by Nov. 30 .
It ’ s possible some schools and school districts could follow the lead of the health department and decide not to play .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board hasn ’ t been presented with evidence rising COVID-19 cases make basketball more dangerous to play .
“ I get it , you know , COVID is something we need to be concerned about and we continue to be so , but if there ’ s a place where students should be competing , it ’ s within our schools where safety guidelines that we put forward can be followed and students can reap all the benefits of participation , ” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said .
The IHSA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health department announced 51 additional COVID-19-related deaths .
There has been a total of 9,619 fatalities among 389,095 confirmed cases .
Pritzker said school districts have been told what the rules are when it comes to COVID-19 and high school sports .
“ So the IHSA may have their views , but school districts know what the rules are , and I think it ’ s unfortunate that they would be probably taking on legal liability if they went ahead and moved beyond what the state has set as the mitigation standard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be up to the individual districts to determine if their teams will play .
Any teams that do compete will be required to wear masks the entire time .

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - Despite the Illinois Department of Public Health’s decision to rate basketball a high-risk activity, the Illinois High School Association announced Wednesday the state’s high schools will have a basketball season.
The IHSA made the decision to ignore the state order after a special meeting, during which the board also voted to move wrestling to the summer season, which will be held April 19 to June 26. Boys swimming, diving, cheerleading, dance, boys and girls bowling, and girls gymnastics - also classified as winter sports by the IHSA - have been deemed low-risk.
IHSA officials say they were caught off-guard by the move Tuesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the health department to rate basketball a high-risk activity. It meant athletes couldn’t do more than participate in non-contact workouts.
Practice for boys and girls basketball is scheduled to begin Nov. 16, with games being played by Nov. 30. It’s possible some schools and school districts could follow the lead of the health department and decide not to play.
In a statement, the IHSA said its board hasn’t been presented with evidence rising COVID-19 cases make basketball more dangerous to play.
“I get it, you know, COVID is something we need to be concerned about and we continue to be so, but if there’s a place where students should be competing, it’s within our schools where safety guidelines that we put forward can be followed and students can reap all the benefits of participation,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said.
The IHSA’s decision came on a day when the health department announced 51 additional COVID-19-related deaths. There has been a total of 9,619 fatalities among 389,095 confirmed cases.
Pritzker said school districts have been told what the rules are when it comes to COVID-19 and high school sports.
“So the IHSA may have their views, but school districts know what the rules are, and I think it’s unfortunate that they would be probably taking on legal liability if they went ahead and moved beyond what the state has set as the mitigation standard,” he said.
The IHSA said it will be up to the individual districts to determine if their teams will play. Any teams that do compete will be required to wear masks the entire time.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--FBI warns ransomware assault threatens US healthcare system

BOSTON ( AP ) - Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals are unleashing a wave of data-scrambling extortion attempts against the U.S. healthcare system that could lock up their information systems just as nationwide cases of COVID-19 are spiking .
In a joint alert Wednesday , the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “ credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.
” They said malicious groups are targeting the sector with attacks that could lead to “ data theft and disruption of healthcare services.
” The cyberattacks involve ransomware , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only be unlocked with software keys provided once targets pay up .
Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least five U.S. hospitals this week , and could potentially impact hundreds more .
The offensive by a Russian-speaking criminal gang coincides with the U.S. presidential election , although there is no immediate indication they were motivated by anything but profit .
“ We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we ’ ve ever seen in the United States , ” Charles Carmakal , chief technical officer of the cybersecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s concerned that the group may deploy malware to hundreds of hospitals over the next few weeks .
Alex Holden , CEO of Hold Security , which has been closely tracking the ransomware in question for more than a year , agreed that the unfolding offensive is unprecedented in magnitude for the U.S .
The cybercriminals suspected of the attacks use a strain of ransomware known as Ryuk , which is seeded through a network of zombie computers called Trickbot that Microsoft began trying to counter earlier in October .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ knocking Trickbot command-and-control servers offline through legal action , analysts say criminals have still been finding ways to spread Ryuk .
The U.S. has seen a plague of ransomware over the past 18 months or so .
In September , a ransomware attack hobbled all 250 U.S. facilities of the hospital chain Universal Health Services , forcing doctors and nurses to rely on paper and pencil for record-keeping and slowing lab work .
Employees described chaotic conditions impeding patient care , including mounting emergency room waits and the failure of wireless vital-signs monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first known fatality related to ransomware occurred in Duesseldorf , Germany , when an IT system failure forced a critically ill patient to be routed to a hospital in another city .
Holden said he alerted federal law enforcement Friday after monitoring infection attempts at a number of hospitals , some of which may have beaten back infections .
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
He said the group was demanding exorbitant ransoms well above $ 10 million per target and that criminals involved on the dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infect more than 400 hospitals , clinics and other medical facilities .
“ One of the comments from the bad guys is that they are expecting to cause panic and , no , they are not hitting election systems , ” Holden said .
“ They are hitting where it hurts even more and they know it.
” U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed concern about major ransomware attacks affecting the presidential election , even if the criminals are motivated chiefly by profit .
Mandiant ’ s Carmakal identified the criminal gang as UNC1878 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and disrupting U.S. hospitals , forcing them to divert patients to other healthcare providers ” and forcing prolonged delays in critical care in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century .
He called the eastern European group “ one of most brazen , heartless , and disruptive threat actors I ’ ve observed over my career.
” While no provable ties between the Russian government gangs that use the Trickbot platform have been established , Holden said “ I absolutely have no doubt that the Russian government is aware of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said dozens of different criminal groups use Ryuk , paying its architects a cut .
Neither security researcher would identify the affected hospitals .
Four healthcare institutions have been reported hit by ransomware so far this week , three belonging to the St. Lawrence County Health System in upstate New York and the Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls , Oregon .
A total of 59 US healthcare providers/systems have been impacted by ransomware in 2020 , disrupting patient care at up to 510 facilities , said Brett Callow , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmakal said Mandiant had provided Microsoft on Wednesday with as much detail as it could about the threat so it could distribute details to its customers .
A Microsoft spokesman had no immediate comment .

BOSTON (AP) - Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals are unleashing a wave of data-scrambling extortion attempts against the U.S. healthcare system designed to lock up hospital information systems, which could hurt patient care just as nationwide cases of COVID-19 are spiking.
In a joint alert Wednesday, the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.” The alert said malicious groups are targeting the sector with attacks that produce “data theft and disruption of healthcare services.”
The cyberattacks involve ransomware, which scrambles data into gibberish that can only be unlocked with software keys provided once targets pay up. Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least five U.S. hospitals this week, and could potentially impact hundreds more.
The offensive by a Russian-speaking criminal gang coincides with the U.S. presidential election, although there is no immediate indication they were motivated by anything but profit. “We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we’ve ever seen in the United States,” Charles Carmakal, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said in a statement.
Alex Holden, CEO of Hold Security, which has been closely tracking the ransomware in question for more than a year, agreed that the unfolding offensive is unprecedented in magnitude for the U.S. given its timing in the heat of a contentions presidential election and the worst global pandemic in a century.
The federal alert was co-authored by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The cybercriminals launching the attacks use a strain of ransomware known as Ryuk, which is seeded through a network of zombie computers called Trickbot that Microsoft began trying to counter earlier in October. U.S. Cyber Command has also reportedly taken action against Trickbot. While Microsoft has had considerable success knocking its command-and-control servers offline through legal action, analysts say criminals have still been finding ways to spread Ryuk.
The U.S. has seen a plague of ransomware over the past 18 months or so, with major cities from Baltimore to Atlanta hit and local governments and schools hit especially hard.
In September, a ransomware attack hobbled all 250 U.S. facilities of the hospital chain Universal Health Services, forcing doctors and nurses to rely on paper and pencil for record-keeping and slowing lab work. Employees described chaotic conditions impeding patient care, including mounting emergency room waits and the failure of wireless vital-signs monitoring equipment.
Also in September, the first known fatality related to ransomware occurred in Duesseldorf, Germany, when an IT system failure forced a critically ill patient to be routed to a hospital in another city.
Holden said he alerted federal law enforcement Friday after monitoring infection attempts at a number of hospitals, some of which may have beaten back infections. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He said the group was demanding ransoms well above $10 million per target and that criminals involved on the dark web were discussing plans to try to infect more than 400 hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities.
“One of the comments from the bad guys is that they are expecting to cause panic and, no, they are not hitting election systems,” Holden said. “They are hitting where it hurts even more and they know it.” U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed concern about major ransomware attacks affecting the presidential election, even if the criminals are motivated chiefly by profit.
Mandiant’s Carmakal identified the criminal gang as UNC1878, saying “it is deliberately targeting and disrupting U.S. hospitals, forcing them to divert patients to other healthcare providers” and producing prolonged delays in critical care.
He called the eastern European group “one of most brazen, heartless, and disruptive threat actors I’ve observed over my career.”
While no one has proven suspected ties between the Russian government and gangs that use the Trickbot platform, Holden said he has “no doubt that the Russian government is aware of this operation - of terrorism, really.” He said dozens of different criminal groups use Ryuk, paying its architects a cut.
Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and former chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, said there are “certainly lot of connections between Russian cyber criminals and the state,” with Kremlin-employed hackers sometimes moonlighting as cyber criminals.
Neither Holden nor Carmakal would identify the affected hospitals. Four healthcare institutions have been reported hit by ransomware so far this week, three belonging to the St. Lawrence County Health System in upstate New York and the Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Sky Lakes acknowledged the ransomware attack in an online statement, saying it had no evidence that patient information was compromised. It said emergency and urgent care “remain available” The St. Lawrence system did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
Increasingly, ransomware criminals are stealing data from their targets before encrypting networks, using it for extortion. They often sow the malware weeks before activating it, waiting for moments when they believe they can extract the highest payments, said Brett Callow, an analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.
A total of 59 U.S. healthcare providers/systems have been impacted by ransomware in 2020, disrupting patient care at up to 510 facilities, Callow said.
Carmakal said Mandiant had provided Microsoft on Wednesday with as much detail as it could about the thr eat so it could distribute details to its customers. A Microsoft spokesman had no immediate comment.
—
Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C., Lisa Baumann in Seattle and Deepti Hajela in New York City contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Khloe Kardashian confirms she had coronavirus in video

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Khloe Kardashian says she had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The reality star confirmed she was diagnosed Wednesday in a sneak peek clip of “ Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
” The bedridden Kardashian spoke in the video with a hoarse voice .
“ Just found out that I do have corona , ” she said in the teaser of the episode , which was filmed months ago .
A teaser in September showed Kardashian being tested for the virus .
“ I have been in my room , ” she continued .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine , but it was really bad for a couple days.
” Kardashian said her symptoms included coughing , shaking , vomiting , headaches along with cold and hot flashes .
She said she had a burning sensation while coughing .
The video clip was released a day after her sister , Kim Kardashian West , drew hefty criticism for celebrating her lavish 40th birthday vacation with a large group on a private island during the pandemic .
She posted a few group photos on social media of herself with family and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West said in the post that “ after 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine , I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island .
”

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Khloe Kardashian says she had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The reality star confirmed her previous diagnosis in a Wednesday sneak peek clip of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The bedridden Kardashian spoke in the video with a hoarse voice.
“Just found out that I do have corona,” she said in the teaser of the episode, which was filmed months ago. A teaser in September showed Kardashian being tested for the virus.
“I have been in my room,” she continued. “It’s gonna be fine, but it was really bad for a couple days.”
Kardashian said her symptoms included coughing, shaking, vomiting, headaches along with cold and hot flashes. She said she had a burning sensation while coughing.
The video clip was released a day after her sister, Kim Kardashian West, drew hefty criticism for celebrating her lavish 40th birthday vacation with a large group on a private island during the pandemic. She posted a few group photos on social media of herself with family and friends, who were all unmasked.
Kardashian West said in the post that “after 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Judge allows John Hinckley to publicly display his artwork

The man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan can now publicly display his writings , artwork and music , a federal judge ruled Wednesday .
John Hinckley has long considered himself to be a musician and an artist .
He paints and plays the guitar and has been involved in both pursuits as part of his therapy .
Hinckley has anonymously displayed his artwork .
But he can now do so under his own name , according to an order from U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman .
Hinckley , who shot and wounded Reagan in 1981 , must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to display his works .
And his doctors will help him process any feedback he receives while documenting those discussions .
“ If clinically indicated , they may terminate Mr. Hinckley ’ s ability to publicly display his creative works , ” Friedman wrote .
Hinckley was 25 when he shot Reagan in March 1981 .
The shooting also paralyzed press secretary James Brady and injured two others .
Hinckley was suffering from acute psychosis and was obsessed with the actress Jodie Foster .
When jurors found him not guilty by reason of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not a lifetime in confinement .
He spent decades living at a psychiatric hospital before gradually spending more and more time with his mother in Williamsburg , Virginia .
He moved in with her permanently in 2016 .
Wednesday ’ s order was agreed upon by Hinckley ’ s lawyer and federal prosecutors after a new risk assessment of Hinckley ’ s mental health was recently completed .
Barry Levine , who represents Hinckley , said at a September court hearing that Hinckley should eventually be granted unconditional release .
Levine said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has sufficiently recovered his sanity and will not , in the reasonable future , be a danger to himself or others.
” But Wednesday ’ s order left many restrictions in place .
For instance , Hinckley is still barred from owning a gun .
And he ’ s not allowed to contact Foster or members of the Reagan and Brady families .
There was also a question at last month ’ s court hearing about whether Hinckley can make money from his art .
Prosecutors had cited a 1995 civil settlement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his name or story .
But details of the settlement were not disclosed .
But Levine told The Associated Press on Wednesday that “ the civil settlement does not bar the sale of any ” of Hinckley ’ s works .
“ A lot of people think he has a lot of talents , ” Levine said .
“ And now for the first time his talent will be shown under his own name .
And we ’ ll see what it will fetch.
” Hinckley has told doctors over the years that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or sell his paintings , most of which are landscapes , according to previously filed court documents .
Around the time that then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in January 2011 , Hinckley told one of his doctors : “ Wow .
Is that how people see me ?
” Then he vented frustration about being unable to change the public ’ s perception .
“ I don ’ t have a microphone in my hand .
I don ’ t have the video camera .
So no one can hear my music .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have these other aspects of my life that no one knows about .
I ’ m an artist .
I ’ m a musician .
Nobody knows that .
They just see me as the guy who tried to kill Reagan , ” he said .
Associated Press write Jessica Gresko in Washington contributed to this report .

The man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan can now publicly display his writings, artwork and music, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
John Hinckley has long considered himself to be a musician and an artist. He paints and plays the guitar and has been involved in both pursuits as part of his therapy.
Hinckley has anonymously displayed his artwork. But he can now do so under his own name, according to an order from U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman.
Hinckley, who shot and wounded Reagan in 1981, must inform his treatment team of his plans to display his works. And his doctors will help him process any feedback he receives while documenting those discussions.
“If clinically indicated, they may terminate Mr. Hinckley’s ability to publicly display his creative works,” Friedman wrote.
Hinckley was 25 when he shot Reagan in March 1981. The shooting also paralyzed press secretary James Brady and injured two others. Hinckley was suffering from acute psychosis and was obsessed with the actress Jodie Foster.
When jurors found him not guilty by reason of insanity, they said he needed treatment, not a lifetime in confinement. He spent decades living at a psychiatric hospital before gradually spending more and more time with his mother in Williamsburg, Virginia. He moved in with her permanently in 2016.
Wednesday’s order was agreed upon by Hinckley’s lawyer and federal prosecutors after a new risk assessment of Hinckley’s mental health was recently completed.
Barry Levine, who represents Hinckley, said at a September court hearing that Hinckley should eventually be granted unconditional release. Levine said that doctors have found that Hinckley “has sufficiently recovered his sanity and will not, in the reasonable future, be a danger to himself or others.”
But Wednesday’s order left many restrictions in place. For instance, Hinckley is still barred from owning a gun. And he’s not allowed to contact Foster or members of the Reagan and Brady families.
There was also a question at last month’s court hearing about whether Hinckley can make money from his art. Prosecutors had cited a 1995 civil settlement that involved Hinckley and any financial benefits from his name or story. But details of the settlement were not disclosed.
But Levine told The Associated Press on Wednesday that “the civil settlement does not bar the sale of any” of Hinckley’s works.
“A lot of people think he has a lot of talents,” Levine said. “And now for the first time his talent will be shown under his own name. And we’ll see what it will fetch.”
Hinckley has told doctors over the years that he regrets not being able to show or sell his paintings, most of which are landscapes, according to previously filed court documents.
Around the time that then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in January 2011, Hinckley told one of his doctors: “Wow. Is that how people see me?” Then he vented frustration about being unable to change the public’s perception.
“I don’t have a microphone in my hand. I don’t have the video camera. So no one can hear my music. No one can see my art. I have these other aspects of my life that no one knows about. I’m an artist. I’m a musician. Nobody knows that. They just see me as the guy who tried to kill Reagan,” he said.
___
Associated Press write Jessica Gresko in Washington contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--California Democrats rip affirmative action ban ballot initiative

This was supposed to be the year that California Democrats finally took out two of their least favorite citizens ’ initiatives , Propositions 13 and 209 , but the citizens are proving less than cooperative .
Proposition 16 , which would repeal Proposition 209 , the 1996 ballot measure banning affirmative action in government , was trailing by 38 % to 49 % in a Berkeley IGS survey Monday despite a spending advantage of 20-to-1 .
Proposition 15 , a “ split roll ” proposal that would gut California ’ s 1978 tax revolt measure Proposition 13 , was leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berkeley survey , which may not be good enough on Election Day .
“ Unfortunately , for the proponents of these measures , ballot initiatives that register less than 50 % support in the weeks before an election rarely win in California politics , ” said Thad Kousser , chairman of the University of California , San Diego , political science department .
He cited his research and that of other analysts showing that “ most ballot measures drop in the polls as the campaign nears Election Day.
” Such are the frustrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state politics and policy can be foiled by an unpredictable electorate via the initiative process .
Proposition 16 , which the state Legislature referred to the ballot , was predicted to win easily , buoyed by momentum from the Black Lives Matter movement and increasing support on the left for affirmative action .
“ I ’ ve been surprised , given California ’ s demographic changes and the strong consensus on social justice this year , the Prop .
16 has done so poorly , ” Mr. Kousser said .
Proposition 16 ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who of state and national liberals , including Sen. Kamala D. Harris , California Democrat , and Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza , co-founders of the Black Lives Matter Global Network whom Ms. Cullors described in a 2015 interview as “ trained Marxists.
” “ Yes on Prop 16 takes on discrimination in California public contracts , employment and education and restores an improved affirmative action so women and people of color can compete on equal footing , ” says a Yes on 16 ad .
“ Level the playing field for women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proponents have raised about $ 20 million , according to Ballotpedia , versus about $ 1 million for the No on 16 campaign .
Yet the lopsided fundraising has failed to move the needle on public sentiment .
“ The more the yes campaign is spending , the worse they ’ re doing , ” said Manny Klausner , vice chairman of No on 16 and co-founder of the Reason Foundation .
“ The message against it isn ’ t appealing to most people unless they ’ re really hard-core progressives and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rubs people the wrong way to hear that you ’ ve got to categorize people based on their race or their gender.
” The fundraising fight is more evenly matched with Proposition 15 , which would not repeal Proposition 13 but would “ drive a hatchet into its heart , ” said Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association spokeswoman Susan Shelley .
Proposition 15 would amend the state constitution to tax commercial and industrial properties based on their market value instead of their purchase price as required under the tax-cutting measure Proposition 13 .
Residential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ umbrella , as would small businesses and agricultural land — hence the “ split roll ” — but taxing commercial holdings at a higher rate would bring in an estimated $ 8 billion to $ 12.5 billion per year , 40 % of which would be designated for schools .
Supporters include former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Ms. Harris , along with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and a plethora of labor and liberal groups .
“ A corporate tax loophole has allowed billions to be drained from our public schools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms. Harris says in an ad from Schools and Communities First , the Yes on 15 campaign .
The opposition , which includes the California Chamber of Commerce , California Farm Bureau and California Business Roundtable , argue that the measure ’ s passage would represent “ the biggest property tax increase in the history of California.
” Ms. Shelley said the measure would harm small businesses by forcing malls , office buildings and other property owners to raise rents on their tenants .
She described it as economically disastrous for a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It would crush small businesses , and it ’ s not great for big businesses , ” said Ms. Shelley .
“ It ’ s going to raise the price of food .
It ’ s going to be brutal on the cost of living in California , which already has the highest poverty rate in the United States .
It ’ s a catastrophe.
” While Democratic legislators seek to upend Propositions 13 and 209 , other initiatives on the November ballot take aim at the Legislature ’ s recent left-tilting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reducing the prison population .
Proposition 20 would toughen laws by reimposing limits on offenders eligible for parole and felony sentences for crimes reduced to misdemeanors .
Proposition 25 would repeal Senate Bill 10 , the 2018 legislation that ended cash bail and replaced it with a system evaluating a defendant ’ s flight risk .
Proposition 22 would override Assembly Bill 5 , which restricted the use of independent contractors in favor of full-time employees , by again allowing “ app-based drivers ” to be independent contractors .
Yes on Proposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primarily from Uber , Lyft and Door Dash , about 10 times more than the No on 22 campaign funded by labor groups , which have advocated for the drivers to be unionized .
The measure led by 46 % to 42 % in the Berkeley IGS poll Monday .
Analysts are watching to see whether voters will side with or defy the increasingly liberal legislature .
IGS co-director Eric Schickler said that “ the fates of Propositions 15 and 22 will be important signals of whether the state ’ s Democrats can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes in taxes and corporate governance .
”

This was supposed to be the year that California Democrats finally took out two of their least favorite citizens’ initiatives, Propositions 13 and 209, but the citizens are proving less than cooperative.
Proposition 16, which would repeal Proposition 209, the 1996 ballot measure banning affirmative action in government, was trailing by 38% to 49% in a Berkeley IGS survey Monday despite a spending advantage of 20-to-1.
Proposition 15, a “split roll” proposal that would gut California’s 1978 tax revolt measure Proposition 13, was leading 49% to 42% in the Berkeley survey, which may not be good enough on Election Day.
“Unfortunately, for the proponents of these measures, ballot initiatives that register less than 50% support in the weeks before an election rarely win in California politics,” said Thad Kousser, chairman of the University of California, San Diego, political science department.
He cited his research and that of other analysts showing that “most ballot measures drop in the polls as the campaign nears Election Day.”
Such are the frustrations of California Democrats, whose dominance of state politics and policy can be foiled by an unpredictable electorate via the initiative process.
Proposition 16, which the state Legislature referred to the ballot, was predicted to win easily, buoyed by momentum from the Black Lives Matter movement and increasing support on the left for affirmative action.
“I’ve been surprised, given California’s demographic changes and the strong consensus on social justice this year, the Prop. 16 has done so poorly,” Mr. Kousser said.
Proposition 16’s supporters include a who’s who of state and national liberals, including Sen. Kamala D. Harris, California Democrat, and Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza, co-founders of the Black Lives Matter Global Network whom Ms. Cullors described in a 2015 interview as “trained Marxists.”
“Yes on Prop 16 takes on discrimination in California public contracts, employment and education and restores an improved affirmative action so women and people of color can compete on equal footing,” says a Yes on 16 ad. “Level the playing field for women and people of color in California.”
Proponents have raised about $20 million, according to Ballotpedia, versus about $1 million for the No on 16 campaign. Yet the lopsided fundraising has failed to move the needle on public sentiment.
“The more the yes campaign is spending, the worse they’re doing,” said Manny Klausner, vice chairman of No on 16 and co-founder of the Reason Foundation. “The message against it isn’t appealing to most people unless they’re really hard-core progressives and the state can do no wrong. It rubs people the wrong way to hear that you’ve got to categorize people based on their race or their gender.”
The fundraising fight is more evenly matched with Proposition 15, which would not repeal Proposition 13 but would “drive a hatchet into its heart,” said Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association spokeswoman Susan Shelley.
Proposition 15 would amend the state constitution to tax commercial and industrial properties based on their market value instead of their purchase price as required under the tax-cutting measure Proposition 13.
Residential properties would remain under the Proposition 13 umbrella, as would small businesses and agricultural land — hence the “split roll” — but taxing commercial holdings at a higher rate would bring in an estimated $8 billion to $12.5 billion per year, 40% of which would be designated for schools.
Supporters include former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Ms. Harris, along with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and a plethora of labor and liberal groups.
“A corporate tax loophole has allowed billions to be drained from our public schools and local communities. No more,” Ms. Harris says in an ad from Schools and Communities First, the Yes on 15 campaign.
The opposition, which includes the California Chamber of Commerce, California Farm Bureau and California Business Roundtable, argue that the measure’s passage would represent “the biggest property tax increase in the history of California.”
Ms. Shelley said the measure would harm small businesses by forcing malls, office buildings and other property owners to raise rents on their tenants. She described it as economically disastrous for a state already hobbled by the coronavirus shutdown.
“It would crush small businesses, and it’s not great for big businesses,” said Ms. Shelley. “It’s going to raise the price of food. It’s going to be brutal on the cost of living in California, which already has the highest poverty rate in the United States. It’s a catastrophe.”
While Democratic legislators seek to upend Propositions 13 and 209, other initiatives on the November ballot take aim at the Legislature’s recent left-tilting laws on criminal justice, cash bail and reducing the prison population.
Proposition 20 would toughen laws by reimposing limits on offenders eligible for parole and felony sentences for crimes reduced to misdemeanors. Proposition 25 would repeal Senate Bill 10, the 2018 legislation that ended cash bail and replaced it with a system evaluating a defendant’s flight risk.
Proposition 22 would override Assembly Bill 5, which restricted the use of independent contractors in favor of full-time employees, by again allowing “app-based drivers” to be independent contractors.
Yes on Proposition 22 has raised nearly $200 million primarily from Uber, Lyft and Door Dash, about 10 times more than the No on 22 campaign funded by labor groups, which have advocated for the drivers to be unionized. The measure led by 46% to 42% in the Berkeley IGS poll Monday.
Analysts are watching to see whether voters will side with or defy the increasingly liberal legislature.
IGS co-director Eric Schickler said that “the fates of Propositions 15 and 22 will be important signals of whether the state’s Democrats can translate their electoral advantage into substantive policy changes in taxes and corporate governance.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Oprah Winfrey boosts Joe Biden at get-out-the-vote event

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden is getting a boost from Oprah Winfrey in the final days of the presidential campaign .
The Democratic nominee made a surprise appearance Wednesday on a virtual get-out-the-vote event hosted by Winfrey that focused on voters in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Minnesota and Ohio .
While President Donald Trump won all but Minnesota in 2016 , Democrats are increasingly optimistic Biden can win at least Michigan and Pennsylvania back , and he ’ s making a play for Ohio as well .
During the event , Biden spoke to Mildred Madison , a 94-year-old Michigan resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her vote in person after her absentee ballot never arrived .
He told Madison that her story “ gives me that extra boost of hope and energy and optimism for the country.
” Referencing his stump speech slogan that “ we ’ re in a battle for the soul of America , ” Biden told Madison , “ You are the soul of America.
” Winfrey was an early high-profile endorser of Barack Obama , and her support helped boost him in the 2008 Democratic primary .
But while she endorsed Democrat Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the campaign that year .

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden is getting a boost from Oprah Winfrey in the final days of the presidential campaign.
The Democratic nominee made a surprise appearance Wednesday on a virtual get-out-the-vote event hosted by Winfrey that focused on voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio.
While President Donald Trump won all but Minnesota in 2016, Democrats are increasingly optimistic Biden can win at least Michigan and Pennsylvania back, and he’s making a play for Ohio as well.
During the event, Biden spoke to Mildred Madison, a 94-year-old Michigan resident who drove over 600 miles to cast her vote in person after her absentee ballot never arrived.
He told Madison that her story “gives me that extra boost of hope and energy and optimism for the country.” Referencing his stump speech slogan that “we’re in a battle for the soul of America,” Biden told Madison, “You are the soul of America.”
Winfrey was an early high-profile endorser of Barack Obama, and her support helped boost him in the 2008 Democratic primary. But while she endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, she largely sat out of the campaign that year.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Cleveland's teams push for meaningful wins, lasting change

CLEVELAND ( AP ) - The Indians , Browns and Cavaliers are used to being judged by their win-loss records .
These days they ’ re eyeing more meaningful victories .
The city ’ s professional sports franchises , which partnered in a unique alliance in August to address social and economic injustices across Northeast Ohio , are initially focusing their efforts on voting , law enforcement relations and education .
To this point , there ’ s been mostly dialogue to spread awareness and identify other problem areas along with a few initiatives , including an early voting campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement organizations .
There ’ s been some action .
There ’ s a need for more .
“ We want to make an impact , ” Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said .
“ We want to make sustainable impact.
” On Wenesday , Antonetti , Browns General Manager Andrew Berry and Cavaliers GM Koby Altman provided a progress report on some of the teams ’ goals and agendas .
During an online discussion , Altman stressed how it ’ s essential for the teams - and players - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You have to take a risk , ” Altman said .
“ We ’ re going to put ourselves out there and we ’ re going to measure ourselves and we ’ re going to measure ourselves with success .
In each of those pillars , show the wins and losses .
” We ’ re taking the responsibility .
We ’ re putting ourselves out there .
We ’ re going to have continued investment into these spaces .
It ’ s on us to deliver and we ’ re excited about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the teams in needing immediate attention is underserved communities lacking internet capabilities .
That inability to connect can inhibit learning in school and stunt economic growth .
Earlier this week , Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his wife , Nikki , donated iPads and a full year of internet service to select Cleveland-area high school seniors .
The small gesture is the kind of thing the alliance hopes motivates others to activism .
“ We want to make an impact , and we want to make a sustainable impact , ” Antonetti said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two or three years from now and look back and say , Wow , this group made an impact in these areas in the Cleveland community .
We did it by bringing people together , by connecting people and having conversations and committing resources .
“ We didn ’ t just intend to act , but there ’ s action and sustained action.
” Berry , one of only two Black GMs in the NFL , feels Cleveland ’ s teams - and sports organizations across the country - share a responsibility to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Sports is embedded in the fabric of our society , ” he said .
“ We just carry such a huge platform and such visibility and have so many resources that for something that matters beyond the court or the white lines or baseball diamonds , if we can ’ t be leaders in the space or significant contributors , I really feel like it ’ s a shame on us.
” Added Antonetti : “ We have to be a force for positive change because standings on the sidelines isn ’ @ @ @ @

CLEVELAND (AP) - The Indians, Browns and Cavaliers are used to being judged by their win-loss records. These days they’re eyeing more meaningful victories.
The city’s professional sports franchises, which partnered in a unique alliance in August to address social and economic injustices across Northeast Ohio, are initially focusing their efforts on voting, law enforcement relations and education.
To this point, there’s been mostly dialogue to spread awareness and identify other problem areas along with a few initiatives, including an early voting campaign and regular meetings with local and state law enforcement organizations.
There’s been some action. There’s a need for more.
“We want to make an impact,” Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said. “We want to make sustainable impact.”
On Wenesday, Antonetti, Browns General Manager Andrew Berry and Cavaliers GM Koby Altman provided a progress report on some of the teams’ goals and agendas.
During an online discussion, Altman stressed how it’s essential for the teams - and players - to utilize their powerful platforms.
“You have to take a risk,” Altman said. “We’re going to put ourselves out there and we’re going to measure ourselves and we’re going to measure ourselves with success. In each of those pillars, show the wins and losses.
”We’re taking the responsibility. We’re putting ourselves out there. We’re going to have continued investment into these spaces. It’s on us to deliver and we’re excited about the challenge.”
One area identified by the teams in needing immediate attention is underserved communities lacking internet capabilities. That inability to connect can inhibit learning in school and stunt economic growth.
Earlier this week, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his wife, Nikki, donated iPads and a full year of internet service to select Cleveland-area high school seniors. The small gesture is the kind of thing the alliance hopes motivates others to activism.
“We want to make an impact, and we want to make a sustainable impact,” Antonetti said. “So when you fast forward two or three years from now and look back and say, Wow, this group made an impact in these areas in the Cleveland community. We did it by bringing people together, by connecting people and having conversations and committing resources.
“We didn’t just intend to act, but there’s action and sustained action.”
Berry, one of only two Black GMs in the NFL, feels Cleveland’s teams - and sports organizations across the country - share a responsibility to do more to make a difference.
“Sports is embedded in the fabric of our society,” he said. “We just carry such a huge platform and such visibility and have so many resources that for something that matters beyond the court or the white lines or baseball diamonds, if we can’t be leaders in the space or significant contributors, I really feel like it’s a shame on us.”
Added Antonetti: “We have to be a force for positive change because standings on the sidelines isn’t OK.”
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--More than half of Oregon voters have cast ballots

SALEM , Ore. ( AP ) - With less than a week to go until Election Day , more than half of the registered voters in Oregon have already cast their ballots .
At this point during the last three presidential elections , fewer than 38 % of Oregonians had returned their ballots .
As of Wednesday , more than 52 % of registered voters in the state had done so , according to the Elections Division of the Secretary of State .
As of Sunday , more than 58 million ballots have been cast across the country .
Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts to predict that a record 150 million votes may be cast and turnout rates could be higher than in any presidential election since 1908 .
Nearly 3 million people are registered to vote in Oregon .
During the last two presidential elections , between 80 % and 82 % of registered voters in Oregon returned their ballots .
During the last four presidential elections , about 40 % of voters cast their ballots during Election Day and the two day days leading up to it .
While Oregonians will vote on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot , they will also vote on U.S. and state Senate and House races as well as decide on ballot measures that could decriminalize possession of small amounts of heroin and cocaine , legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms for legal reasons and increase the tax on cigarettes .
So far , more than two-thirds of registered Democrats in Oregon have returned their ballots .
More than half of Republicans have , while only a third of non-affiliated voters have cast their votes .
In Oregon , ballots must be returned by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 .
Ballots can either be mailed in or returned to a drop site .
Any registered voter who has not received their ballot yet should contact their local election office .

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - With less than a week to go until Election Day, more than half of the registered voters in Oregon have already cast their ballots.
At this point during the last three presidential elections, fewer than 44% of Oregonians had returned their ballots. As of Wednesday, more than 57% of registered voters in the state had done so, according to the Elections Division of the Secretary of State.
As of Sunday, more than 58 million ballots have been cast across the country. Americans’ rush to vote is leading election experts to predict that a record 150 million votes may be cast and turnout rates could be higher than in any presidential election since 1908.
Nearly 3 million people are registered to vote in Oregon.
During the last two presidential elections, between 80% and 82% of registered voters in Oregon returned their ballots. During the last four presidential elections, about 40% of voters cast their ballots during Election Day and the two day days leading up to it.
While Oregonians will vote on a candidate for president on the Nov. 3 ballot, they will also vote on U.S. and state Senate and House races as well as decide on ballot measures that could decriminalize possession of small amounts of heroin and cocaine, legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms for legal reasons and increase the tax on cigarettes.
So far, more than 70% of registered Democrats in Oregon have returned their ballots. Around 62% of Republicans have voted, while only 39% of non-affiliated voters have cast their votes.
In Oregon, ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Ballots can either be mailed in or returned to a drop site. Any registered voter who has not received their ballot yet should contact their local election office.
____
Cline is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Young gray wolf from California spotted in Oregon

SAN FRANCISCO ( AP ) - A young member of California ’ s only known gray wolf pack has left the state and ventured into Oregon , wildlife officials said .
The male wolf , dubbed LAS13M , traveled to Lake County , Oregon , in early October and has remained there , according to a July-through-September report from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife .
The wolf was a member of the Lassen Pack first spotted in 2017 .
The wolves are only the second pack spotted in far Northern California since the species went extinct there in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was seen in Shasta County in 2015 but vanished within a year .
Gray wolves were eradicated in California early in the last century because of their perceived threat to livestock .
Their reappearance in the state has riled ranchers , who say wolves have preyed on their livestock on public or private land .
Wolves are protected under California ’ s Endangered Species Act .
The federal Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to delist gray wolves as an endangered species and is expected to finalize that rule this week , Amaroq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity , said in a statement Wednesday .
“ Ordinarily we ’ d be celebrating the news that California wolves are traveling into other states , because that helps expand a healthy gene pool , ” Weiss said .
“ But wolf recovery still has a long way to go in the Golden State , and the impending loss of federal protection will pose grave challenges to the future of wolves throughout the West .
”

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A young member of California’s only known gray wolf pack has left the state and ventured into Oregon, wildlife officials said.
The male wolf, dubbed LAS13M, traveled to Lake County, Oregon, in early October and has remained there, according to a July-through-September report from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The wolf was a member of the Lassen Pack first spotted in 2017. The wolves are only the second pack spotted in far Northern California since the species went extinct there in 1924.
A pack of seven wolves was seen in Shasta County in 2015 but vanished within a year.
Gray wolves were eradicated in California early in the last century because of their perceived threat to livestock. Their reappearance in the state has riled ranchers, who say wolves have preyed on their livestock on public or private land.
Wolves are protected under California’s Endangered Species Act. The federal Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to delist gray wolves as an endangered species and is expected to finalize that rule this week, Amaroq Weiss, a senior West Coast wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement Wednesday.
“Ordinarily we’d be celebrating the news that California wolves are traveling into other states, because that helps expand a healthy gene pool,” Weiss said. “But wolf recovery still has a long way to go in the Golden State, and the impending loss of federal protection will pose grave challenges to the future of wolves throughout the West.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--Feds release details about deadly skydiving crash in Hawaii

HONOLULU ( AP ) - The pilot of a plane that crashed and killed all 11 on board had a history of taking unnecessary risks and pushing the limits of his skills to give passengers an exciting ride , witnesses told federal officials .
A public docket released Wednesday contains reports from a National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the 2019 plane crash that became one of the deadliest civil aviation accidents in the past decade .
The reports included testimony from witnesses and other pilots , including Anthony “ Tony ” Skinner , a former pilot at the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot , Jerome Renck , sometimes flew aggressively and took risks that he wasn ’ t trained for .
The NTSB reports did not provide a specific cause for the crash .
They did note that two skydivers boarded the flight at the last minute .
There were also reports that outlined repairs made to the plane after a previous accident in 2016 .
Skinner said “ Renck would bank hard and pitch up aggressively on departures , and he had seen him do that as a ‘ thrill ride ’ for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The pilot would also do negative-G dives for the ‘ weightless ’ effect for fun , but he heard some jumpers would complain .
The former pilot said Renck , a French national who was the company ’ s only pilot at the time of the crash , “ told him he had done barrel rolls in the accident airplane , but not with passengers , ” according to the report .
A tandem skydiving instructor for the skydiving operation , Brian Wagner , said he liked Renck ’ s piloting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jerome since he seemed to fly consistent and predictable each flight , which he liked in a pilot , ” the report said .
“ He always expected a ‘ pretty hard pull out , ’ and all the flights were the same predictable flight path.
” Accounts from skydivers on that day ’ s previous flights were also included in the report .
“ Takeoff was a little spicy for my liking but for the most part in control , ” said skydiver Stephen Hatzistefanidis .
“ He definitely banked it a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a seemingly low altitude.
” A witness , Sayar Kuchenski , had taken part in skydives on the plane and flew on it the day before the crash .
In an email to the NTSB , Kuchenski said on previous flights “ the pilot would sometimes take off at an extremely steep angle and aggressive climb right after leaving the runway .
This was presumably done for fun to intentionally create a high-gravity environment momentary.
” Kuchenski asked the pilot not to fly in that manner because it could cause a stall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to the ground .
He respected my opinion and no longer flew the aircraft in that manner while I was on it after I had that discussion with him.
” In a maintenance records report , Robert Seladis , a mechanic who performed maintenance on the aircraft , was interviewed a few days after the crash .
Federal Aviation Administration records showed that his certificates were revoked in 2005 due to falsification of records on two aircraft , the report said .
He was later allowed to be reexamined and a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Calls to Mr. Robert Seladis for a follow up interview were not returned , ” the report said .
“ A letter sent to his last known address requesting a follow up interview was returned as no longer at this address.
” Seladis did contract maintenance on the airplane and was in possession of the aircraft logbooks , and attempts to retrieve those were unsuccessful , a report said .
The plane , which crashed on Oahu ’ s north shore on June 21 , 2019 , was the fourth of five scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pilot .
The plane inverted shortly after departing a small coastal airport and crashed nose down next to a road .
No one survived .
It was the deadliest civil aviation accident in the U.S. since a 2011 crash at an air show in Nevada killed 10 people .
In 2016 , the aircraft sustained substantial damage to its tail section while carrying skydivers over Northern California .
The plane went into a diving spin and the skydivers struggled to get out of the plane .
No one died .
Repairs were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service before it was sent to Hawaii .
The NTSB said in 2019 that they would review the repair and other records as part of their investigation .
The plane was being operated by Oahu Parachute Center .
The company did not have the proper permits to take people skydiving at the time of the crash , according to documents released by the state .
The state reports said Oahu Parachute Center was “ not in good standing ” with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs as of April 2019 .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state land it occupied at the airport .
The company ’ s owner , George Rivera , was granted a permit in 2010 for a company under a different name - Hawaii Parachute Center - that allowed parachute repairs and rigging , but not skydiving operations .
An attempt to reach Rivera was unsuccessful Wednesday .
Rivera left the business about 90 minutes before the fatal accident .
He told investigators it was possible the pilot may have chosen to perform a more aggressive takeoff maneuver to show off since the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The final seconds of the flight were captured by airport surveillance video and a witness reported the plane ’ s engines sounded normal before takeoff .
In the immediate aftermath of that crash , the NTSB called on the FAA to tighten its regulations governing parachute operations .
Associated Press journalist Mark Thiessen contributed to this report from Anchorage , Alaska .

HONOLULU (AP) - The pilot of a plane that crashed and killed all 11 on board had a history of taking unnecessary risks and pushing the limits of his skills to give passengers an exciting ride, witnesses told federal officials.
The docket released Wednesday contains reports from a National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the 2019 plane crash that became one of the deadliest civil aviation accidents in the United States over the past decade.
The NTSB reports did not provide a specific cause for the crash. They did note that two skydivers boarded the flight at the last minute. There were also reports that outlined repairs made to the plane after a previous accident in 2016.
Witnesses and other pilots, including Anthony “Tony” Skinner, a former pilot at the same parachute company, who said the accident pilot, Jerome Renck, sometimes flew aggressively and took risks that he wasn’t trained for.
Skinner said “Renck would bank hard and pitch up aggressively on departures, and he had seen him do that as a ‘thrill ride’ for the passengers,” the report said. ”The pilot would also do negative-G dives for the ‘weightless’ effect for fun, but he heard some jumpers would complain.
Skinner said Renck, a French national who was the company’s only pilot at the time of the crash, “told him he had done barrel rolls in the accident airplane, but not with passengers,” according to the report.
A tandem skydiving instructor for the skydiving operation, Brian Wagner, said he liked Renck’s piloting.
“He said he liked flying with Jerome since he seemed to fly consistent and predictable each flight, which he liked in a pilot,” the report said. “He always expected a ‘pretty hard pull out,’ and all the flights were the same predictable flight path.”
Accounts from skydivers on the day’s previous flights were also included in the report.
“Takeoff was a little spicy for my liking but for the most part in control,” said skydiver Stephen Hatzistefanidis. “He definitely banked it a little hard on a high rate turn at a seemingly low altitude.”
A witness, Sayar Kuchenski, had been skydiving on the plane and flew on it the day before the crash.
In an email to the NTSB, Kuchenski said on previous flights “the pilot would sometimes take off at an extremely steep angle and aggressive climb right after leaving the runway. This was presumably done for fun to intentionally create a high-gravity environment.”
Kuchenski asked the pilot not to fly that way because the engines could stall, ”which would be unrecoverable that close to the ground.”
She said Renck respected her opinion and no longer flew that way while she was on board.
A maintenance report said Robert Seladis, a mechanic who worked on the aircraft, was interviewed a few days after the crash but then stopped communicating with investigators.
Federal Aviation Administration records showed that his certificates were revoked in 2005 due to falsification of records on two aircraft, the report said. He was later allowed to be reexamined and a new certificate was issued in 2015.
Seladis, a contractor, was in possession of the plane’s logbooks, and attempts to retrieve those were also unsuccessful, the report said.
Seladis couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
The plane, which crashed on Oahu’s north shore on June 21, 2019, was the fourth of five scheduled skydiving trips that day for the plane and pilot.
The plane banked and then inverted shortly after departing the small coastal airport and crashed nose down next to a road. No one survived. It was the deadliest civil aviation accident in the U.S. since a 2011 crash at an air show in Nevada killed 10 people.
In 2016, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to its tail section while carrying skydivers over Northern California. The plane went into a diving spin and the skydivers struggled to get out of the plane. No one died.
Repairs were made to get the plane back into service before it was sent to Hawaii.
The plane was being run by Oahu Parachute Center. The company did not have the proper permits to take people skydiving at the time of the crash, according to documents released by the state.
The state reports said Oahu Parachute Center was “not in good standing” with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs as of April 2019. It was also not a registered tenant for the state land it occupied at the airport.
The company’s owner, George Rivera, was granted a permit in 2010 for a company under a different name - Hawaii Parachute Center - that allowed parachute repairs and rigging, but not skydiving operations. An attempt to reach Rivera was unsuccessful Wednesday.
Rivera left the airport about 90 minutes before the fatal accident. He told investigators it was possible the pilot may have performed aggressive takeoff maneuvers to show off when he was not there.
In the aftermath of the crash, the NTSB called on the FAA to tighten its regulations governing parachute operations.
___
Associated Press journalist Mark Thiessen contributed to this report from Anchorage, Alaska.


washingtontimes--2020-10-28--FBI says extremist threatened Trump, Obama in online posts

TRAVERSE CITY , Mich. ( AP ) - A man charged in an alleged conspiracy to kidnap Michigan ’ s governor also made threatening online comments about President Donald Trump , former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and other prominent political figures , an FBI agent said in a federal court filing .
Barry Croft , a Delaware resident , railed against numerous present and former elected leaders in private Facebook posts , special agent Kristopher Long said .
Croft is one of six purported members of an extremist paramilitary group accused of scheming to kidnap Democratic Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to control the coronavirus .
Long described the posts in an affidavit supporting a request for a warrant to search an account that Croft allegedly created Sept. 2 and closed Sept. 26 .
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the document Wednesday after The Detroit News reported its contents .
It said one Facebook post in May showed an image of Trump with a caption reading , “ True colors shining through , wan na hang this mf ’ er too !
!
!
% ” Another post the next day said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently governing us , they ’ re all guilty !
!
% And what a deterrent , Rope !
!
!
% ” Other profanity-laced posts spoke of hanging former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “ for war crimes against humanity , ” the affidavit said .
Another asked , “ Which Governor is going to end up dragged off , and hung for treason first ?
” An exchange between Croft and an unidentified person referred to protests and “ potential acts of violence ” in South Carolina , including an apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the affidavit said .
“ I ’ ll be in Columbia , SC on Friday , ” Croft allegedly wrote May 4 .
“ They say they want their Governor in custody .
… I want to grab them all , and hold trial.
” A photograph of a noose carried a caption calling for hanging Obama , “ both Clinton ’ s , Democrats , Liberals , Muslims ” and others including “ Ihan Omar ” and “ A.O.C.
, ” apparent references to Democratic U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the document said .
Whitmer has repeatedly accused Trump of encouraging extremist behavior with his rhetoric .
In an interview with The Associated Press this month , she said he had “ given safe harbor to hate organizations and domestic terror organizations.
” During a campaign visit Tuesday to Lansing , Michigan , Trump appeared to refer to the alleged plot when he said , “ It was our people that helped her out with her problem .
I mean , we ’ ll have to see if it ’ s a problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was our people that helped her .
I don ’ t get it.
” Croft , whom the affidavit described as a long-haul truck driver , was ordered transferred to Michigan this month .
A federal judge in Grand Rapids , Michigan , ruled during an Oct. 16 preliminary hearing there was enough evidence against five other suspects in the alleged kidnap conspiracy to send the case to a grand jury for possible indictments .
Eight men said to be members or associates of a paramilitary group called the Wolverine Watchmen and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including providing material support for terrorist acts .
Some are accused of taking part in the alleged scheme against Whitmer .
Defense attorneys have described the suspects as “ big talkers ” who never intended to follow through with action .
But investigators say some cased Whitmer ’ s vacation home in northern Michigan and agreed to buy explosives and tactical gear .
Associated Press reporters David Eggert in Lansing and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this story .

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - A man charged in an alleged conspiracy to kidnap Michigan’s governor also made threatening online comments about President Donald Trump, former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and other prominent political figures, an FBI agent said in a federal court filing.
Barry Croft, a Delaware resident, railed against numerous present and former elected leaders in private Facebook posts, special agent Kristopher Long said. Croft is one of six purported members of an extremist paramilitary group accused of scheming to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer because of her shutdown orders to control the coronavirus.
Long described the posts in an affidavit supporting a request for a warrant to search an account that Croft allegedly created Sept. 2 and closed Sept. 26. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the document Wednesday after The Detroit News reported its contents.
It said one Facebook post in May showed an image of Trump with a caption reading, “True colors shining through, wanna hang this mf’er too!!!%”
Another post the next day said, “I say we hang everything currently governing us, they’re all guilty!!% And what a deterrent, Rope!!!%”
Other profanity-laced posts spoke of hanging former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “for war crimes against humanity,” the affidavit said. Another asked, “Which Governor is going to end up dragged off, and hung for treason first?”
An exchange between Croft and an unidentified person referred to protests and “potential acts of violence” in South Carolina, including an apparent reference to Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, the affidavit said.
“I’ll be in Columbia, SC on Friday,” Croft allegedly wrote May 4. “They say they want their Governor in custody. … I want to grab them all, and hold trial.”
A photograph of a noose carried a caption calling for hanging Obama, “both Clinton’s, Democrats, Liberals, Muslims” and others including “Ihan Omar” and “A.O.C.,” apparent references to Democratic U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the document said.
Whitmer has repeatedly accused Trump of encouraging extremist behavior with his rhetoric. In an interview with The Associated Press this month, she said he had “given safe harbor to hate organizations and domestic terror organizations.”
During a campaign visit Tuesday to Lansing, Michigan, Trump appeared to refer to the alleged plot when he said, “It was our people that helped her out with her problem. I mean, we’ll have to see if it’s a problem. … She blamed me, and it was our people that helped her. I don’t get it.”
Croft, whom the affidavit described as a long-haul truck driver, was ordered transferred to Michigan this month. A federal judge in Grand Rapids, Michigan, ruled during an Oct. 16 preliminary hearing there was enough evidence against five other suspects in the alleged kidnap conspiracy to send the case to a grand jury for possible indictments.
Eight men said to be members or associates of a paramilitary group called the Wolverine Watchmen and are charged in state court with counts including providing material support for terrorist acts. Some are accused of taking part in the alleged scheme against Whitmer.
Defense attorneys have described the suspects as “big talkers” who never intended to follow through with action. But investigators say some cased Whitmer’s vacation home in northern Michigan and agreed to buy explosives and tactical gear.
—
Associated Press reporters David Eggert in Lansing and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this story.