washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Brazilians mourn death of Argentinian archrival Maradona

SAO PAULO ( AP ) - Brazil and Argentina are long rivals for soccer supremacy in South America , and Brazilians naturally think of their own Pelé as the best footballer in history .
But they are putting aside the argument to mourn the death of Argentine superstar Diego Maradona .
Ex-presidents , author Paulo Coelho and former competitors were among Brazilians paying tribute to Maradona for his influence on the game and charisma off the field .
Brazilian newspapers that only put sports in their top headline when the national team wins a World Cup had Maradona ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mural of Maradona was even painted on a wall in the Vila Cruzeiro favela in Rio de Janeiro , an honor that proud and soccer-crazy Brazilians rarely , if ever , give to foreigners .
“ He was an example of persistence and perseverance because he grew in life as a human being , ” said graffiti artist Angelo Campos , who painted an energic Maradona in a blue shirt under an inscription with his nickname , “ El Pibe de Oro ” ( the Golden Kid ) .
“ He finished his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought to overcome his problems.
” Maradona suffered from drug and alcohol addiction , which for many years led Brazilian fans to make chants to mock the Argentinian hero and his hardcore fans .
But not now .
The Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo displayed a triumphant Maradona image on a giant screen by its main entrance .
That is the same stadium where most Brazilian fans cheered against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup semifinal against Holland .
Argentina won on penalties but went on to lose the final to Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tributes , including Santos , where Pelé played nearly all of his career .
Brazilians ’ respect for Maradona also shows up in a curious statistic - the Spanish name Diego was one of the most picked names for boys in this Portuguese-speaking nation in 1990 , the year that Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 at the World Cup .
More than 180,000 Brazilian children were named after Maradona that year .
The 1990 win was Maradona ’ s only victory over Brazil in six matches .
He lost three times to Argentina ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming in the 1982 World Cup .
The young Maradona , who was already seen by many as one of the best players in the world , was sent off in the last minutes of the match after a foul and the Argentine later confessed he also had wanted to punch Brazilian player Paulo Roberto Falcão because of the rivalry .
Falcão said Thursday that he didn ’ t remember Maradona saying that .
“ With the ball , he was a God .
Without the ball , he was human , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maradona was a frequent visitor to Brazil ’ s Carnival festivities , made ads for local companies , and played a charity match in Rio de Janeiro organized by another soccer great , Zico .
In 1998 , a year after his retirement , Maradona showed up at Rio ’ s Carnival parade , which he called the most beautiful show in the world .
“ I would like to feel Brazilian , ” Maradona said then .
Brazilian player Careca played with Maradona at Napoli in the Italian league and was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of his career he was a bit bitter against Brazil , but I think over time he was softened by me and others he got to know , ” Careca told a local radio .
“ He then saw Brazilians loved him after the 1986 World Cup .
Brazilians love dribbling players , no matter where they come from.
” Also despite the national rivalry , Maradona often expressed reverence for the play of Roberto Rivelino , a player on the Brazil team that won the 1970 World Cup who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots .
Rivelino lamented Maradona ’ s death in a social media post that included a picture of the Argentina holding a Brazil jersey that he had autographed .
“ We lost one of the best players in the world , ” Rivelino wrote .
“ And a special person in my life .
”

SAO PAULO (AP) - Brazil and Argentina are long rivals for soccer supremacy in South America, and Brazilians naturally think of their own Pelé as the best footballer in history. But they are putting aside the argument to mourn the death of Argentine superstar Diego Maradona.
Ex-presidents, author Paulo Coelho and former competitors were among Brazilians paying tribute to Maradona for his influence on the game and charisma off the field. Brazilian newspapers that only put sports in their top headline when the national team wins a World Cup had Maradona’s death in that position Thursday.
A mural of Maradona was even painted on a wall in the Vila Cruzeiro favela in Rio de Janeiro, an honor that proud and soccer-crazy Brazilians rarely, if ever, give to foreigners.
“He was an example of persistence and perseverance because he grew in life as a human being,” said graffiti artist Angelo Campos, who painted an energic Maradona in a blue shirt under an inscription with his nickname, “El Pibe de Oro” (the Golden Kid). “He finished his life as a human being because he fought to overcome his problems.”
Maradona suffered from drug and alcohol addiction, which for many years led Brazilian fans to make chants to mock the Argentinian hero and his hardcore fans. But not now.
The Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo displayed a triumphant Maradona image on a giant screen by its main entrance. That is the same stadium where most Brazilian fans cheered against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup semifinal against Holland. Argentina won on penalties but went on to lose the final to Germany 1-0.
All top-tier Brazilian clubs paid tributes, including Santos, where Pelé played nearly all of his career.
Brazilians’ respect for Maradona also shows up in a curious statistic - the Spanish name Diego was one of the most picked names for boys in this Portuguese-speaking nation in 1990, the year that Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 at the World Cup. More than 180,000 Brazilian children were named after Maradona that year.
The 1990 win was Maradona’s only victory over Brazil in six matches. He lost three times to Argentina’s archrival, with the most bitter coming in the 1982 World Cup. The young Maradona, who was already seen by many as one of the best players in the world, was sent off in the last minutes of the match after a foul and the Argentine later confessed he also had wanted to punch Brazilian player Paulo Roberto Falcão because of the rivalry.
Falcão said Thursday that he didn’t remember Maradona saying that.
“With the ball, he was a God. Without the ball, he was human,” Falcão said in his social media.
Maradona was a frequent visitor to Brazil’s Carnival festivities, made ads for local companies, and played a charity match in Rio de Janeiro organized by another soccer great, Zico.
In 1998, a year after his retirement, Maradona showed up at Rio’s Carnival parade, which he called the most beautiful show in the world.
“I would like to feel Brazilian,” Maradona said then.
Brazilian player Careca played with Maradona at Napoli in the Italian league and was one of his closest friends.
“In the beginning of his career he was a bit bitter against Brazil, but I think over time he was softened by me and others he got to know,” Careca told a local radio. “He then saw Brazilians loved him after the 1986 World Cup. Brazilians love dribbling players, no matter where they come from.”
Also despite the national rivalry, Maradona often expressed reverence for the play of Roberto Rivelino, a player on the Brazil team that won the 1970 World Cup who was known for his short dribbles and powerful shots.
Rivelino lamented Maradona’s death in a social media post that included a picture of the Argentina holding a Brazil jersey that he had autographed.
“We lost one of the best players in the world,” Rivelino wrote. “And a special person in my life.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--20-year-old man fatally shot in north Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) - Authorities say a 20-year-old man was fatally shot early Thursday in north Minneapolis , marking @ @ @ @ @ homicide of the year .
The Star Tribune reports police found Edward Mathew Thomas Hodges @ @ @ @ @ block of N. Dupont Avenue just before 3 a.m. A police spokesman said officers saw @ @ @ @ @ .
Hodges , who had been shot in the chest , died at the scene @ @ @ @ @ Examiner on Thursday also identified the man gunned down in his car earlier this week @ @ @ @ @ N. Girard Avenue early Tuesday as Frank L. Barber , 49 , of Crystal .
@ @ @ @ @ make it the third-worst year for such deaths in Minneapolis .
In all of 2019 @ @ @ @ @ .
The highest number , 97 , was recorded in 1995 ; the second-highest , @ @ @ @ @

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Authorities say a 20-year-old man was fatally shot early Thursday in north Minneapolis, marking the city’s 78th homicide of the year.
The Star Tribune reports police found Edward Mathew Thomas Hodges Jr. lying in the 2700 block of N. Dupont Avenue just before 3 a.m. A police spokesman said officers saw numerous people fleeing on foot. Hodges, who had been shot in the chest, died at the scene.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner on Thursday also identified the man gunned down in his car earlier this week in the 3800 block of N. Girard Avenue early Tuesday as Frank L. Barber, 49, of Crystal.
The 78 homicides in 2020 make it the third-worst year for such deaths in Minneapolis. In all of 2019, there were 48 homicides. The highest number, 97, was recorded in 1995; the second-highest, 83, in 1996.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Sport company, owner plead guilty to illegal distribution

ABINGDON , Va. ( AP ) - A North Carolina man and his sport supplement company have pleaded guilty to a felony charge connected to the sale of unapproved new drugs .
The office of the U.S. Attorney in Roanoke in a news release said Brian Michael Parks , 47 , of Apex , North Carolina , and MedFitRX , Inc , now known as MedFit Sarmacuticals Inc. , based in Cary , North Carolina , pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Virginia to distributing unapproved new drugs with the intent to mislead and defraud the Food and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to forfeit $ 1.2 million in sales of MedFitRX products across the U.S. in stores and online , the news release said .
Parks admitted that from approximately June 2017 to September 2019 , he and his company unlawfully distributed Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators , or “ SARMs , ” and other substances not approved by the FDA .
SARMs are described as synthetic chemicals designed to copy the effects of testosterone and other anabolic steroids .
The FDA warned against using SARMs , and issued a warning in 2017 that SARMs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke .

ABINGDON, Va. (AP) - A North Carolina man and his sport supplement company have pleaded guilty to a felony charge connected to the sale of unapproved new drugs.
The office of the U.S. Attorney in Roanoke in a news release said Brian Michael Parks, 47, of Apex, North Carolina, and MedFitRX, Inc, now known as MedFit Sarmacuticals Inc., based in Cary, North Carolina, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Virginia to distributing unapproved new drugs with the intent to mislead and defraud the Food and Drug Administration and consumers.
Parks also agreed to forfeit $1.2 million in sales of MedFitRX products across the U.S. in stores and online, the news release said.
Parks admitted that from approximately June 2017 to September 2019, he and his company unlawfully distributed Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, or “SARMs,” and other substances not approved by the FDA.
SARMs are described as synthetic chemicals designed to copy the effects of testosterone and other anabolic steroids. The FDA warned against using SARMs, and issued a warning in 2017 that SARMs have been linked to life-threatening reactions and could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 16.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Man sentenced to federal prison for oxycodone possession

BISMARCK , N.D. ( AP ) - A Detroit man arrested last year when Bismarck police said they found more @ @ @ @ @ his possession has been sentenced to six years in federal prison .
The Bismarck Tribune @ @ @ @ @ charged with drug possession and conspiracy when the June 2019 search of a vehicle by @ @ @ @ @ He was sentenced Monday , according to court records .
Orlando was a passenger in @ @ @ @ @ Bearstail , 37 , of Bismarck , who entered into a plea agreement in February @ @ @ @ @ three years of supervised release on drug possession and conspiracy charges , court records show @

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A Detroit man arrested last year when Bismarck police said they found more than 2,700 oxycodone pills in his possession has been sentenced to six years in federal prison.
The Bismarck Tribune reports 30-year-old Deangelo Orlando was charged with drug possession and conspiracy when the June 2019 search of a vehicle by police revealed the pills. He was sentenced Monday, according to court records.
Orlando was a passenger in a car driven by Whitney Bearstail, 37, of Bismarck, who entered into a plea agreement in February. Bearstail was sentenced to three years of supervised release on drug possession and conspiracy charges, court records show.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Fall River woman charged with sexually exploiting children

BOSTON ( AP ) - A Massachusetts woman is facing charges of exploiting children in order to produce child pornography @ @ @ @ @ Nichole Cyr , 25 , of Fall River , was indicted by a federal grand @ @ @ @ @ two counts of sexual exploitation of children , according to the U.S. attorney ’ s @ @ @ @ @ to the indictment , Cyr produced child pornography involving two minors between November 2019 and @ @ @ @ @ ordered to forfeit two iPhones to the government that it is alleged either contained the @ @ @ @ @ , showed her profiting from the content or was used or intended to be used @ @ @ @ @ the indictment said .
Cyr will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors said .
She remains in custody and no defense attorney was listed in online @ @ @ @ @ , she faces up to 30 years in prison .

BOSTON (AP) - A Massachusetts woman is facing charges of exploiting children in order to produce child pornography, federal prosecutors say.
Nichole Cyr, 25, of Fall River, was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this week on two counts of sexual exploitation of children, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston.
According to the indictment, Cyr produced child pornography involving two minors between November 2019 and July.
She was also ordered to forfeit two iPhones to the government that it is alleged either contained the sexual abuse imagery in question, showed her profiting from the content or was used or intended to be used to commit the offenses, the indictment said.
Cyr will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date, prosecutors said. She remains in custody and no defense attorney was listed in online court records.
If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Demonstrators in Iraq take to street unmasked amid pandemic

BAGHDAD ( AP ) - Thousands of Iraqis - most of them not wearing protective masks - took to the streets in Baghdad on Friday in a show of support for a radical cleric ahead of elections next year , stirring fears of a spike in coronavirus cases .
Supporters congregated in the capital ’ s Tahrir Square , once the epicenter of mass anti-government protests , to show their support for Moqtada al-Sadr , who leads a powerful political bloc , ahead of federal elections slated for next June .
Most of al-Sadr ’ s followers stood unmasked in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yes for our leader , ” in support of the firebrand cleric as Iraq remains a high-risk country for coronavirus infection .
The crowd then stood side-by-side for Friday prayers at noon .
More than 12,000 people have died of the virus in Iraq amid 544,000 confirmed cases , according to Health Ministry figures .
Daily infection rates average 2,400 cases per day , but health workers say the number may be higher as many Iraqis with symptoms choose to stay home and avoid hospitals to get tested .
Iraq has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region after Iran .
Al-Sadr leads the Sairoon political bloc , which holds the majority in parliament .
He has taken steps in preparation for elections scheduled for June next year .
His followers called for a demonstration in support of the leader ’ s call for mass participation in the vote .
“ The Iraqi people and al-Sadr ’ s followers will have one saying , and that is : Yes yes for Iraq , ” said Ibrahim al-Jabiri , director of al-Sadr ’ s office north of Baghdad .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mettle by al-Sadr meant to send a message to other political blocs that on Iraq ’ s streets , the cleric still has clout .
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called for elections to take place next June , a year earlier than expected .
That was a key demand of anti-government protesters who paralyzed Iraq ’ s streets when tens of thousands demonstrated last October .
The elections will take place under a new law approved by lawmakers this year that theoretically will enable more independent candidates to run .
Iraq ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared to hold early elections on time if the government allocates a budget for the vote .

BAGHDAD (AP) - Confrontations between demonstrators and followers of a firebrand cleric left two protesters dead in southern Iraq on Friday, officials said, as thousands also took to Baghdad’s streets in a show of support for the preacher ahead of elections next year.
Two protesters were killed and 10 were wounded in the southern city of Nasiriya, two medical officials said, after clashes broke out between anti-government protesters and supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Al-Sadr leads a powerful political bloc and his supporters had called for a demonstration in support of the leader’s call for mass participation in next year’s vote. Anti-government protesters feel betrayed by al-Sadr’s flip-flop approach toward them, especially in the last few months when he withdrew support for their movement.
Clashes broke out in Nasiriya when anti-government protesters camped out in Haboubi Square stood in the way of al-Sadr’s followers as they attempted to march toward a central bridge. Al-Sadr’s followers fired live rounds that killed two protesters, the official said.
The violence occurred hours after supporters of al-Sadr congregated in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, once the epicenter of mass anti-government protests, to show their support for for the cleric ahead of federal elections slated for next June.
Al-Sadr’s followers stood unmasked in the square, chanting: “Yes, yes for our leader,” in support of the firebrand cleric as Iraq remains a high-risk country for coronavirus infection. The crowd then stood side-by-side for Friday prayers at noon.
More than 12,000 people have died of the virus in Iraq amid 544,000 confirmed cases, according to Health Ministry figures. Daily infection rates average 2,400 cases per day, but health workers say the number may be higher as many Iraqis with symptoms choose to stay home and avoid hospitals to get tested.
Iraq has the second highest outbreak and number of deaths in the region after Iran.
Al-Sadr leads the Sairoon political bloc, which holds the majority in parliament. He has taken steps in preparation for elections scheduled for June next year. His followers called for a demonstration in support of the leader’s call for mass participation in the vote.
“The Iraqi people and al-Sadr’s followers will have one saying, and that is: Yes yes for Iraq,” said Ibrahim al-Jabiri, director of al-Sadr’s office north of Baghdad.
Observers consider the protest as a show of mettle by al-Sadr meant to send a message to other political blocs that on Iraq’s streets, the cleric still has clout.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called for elections to take place next June, a year earlier than expected. That was a key demand of anti-government protesters who paralyzed Iraq’s streets when tens of thousands demonstrated last October.
The elections will take place under a new law approved by lawmakers this year that theoretically will enable more independent candidates to run. Iraq’s electoral commission has said it is prepared to hold early elections on time if the government allocates a budget for the vote.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--North Carolina attorney accused in bank fraud conspiracy

RALEIGH , N.C. ( AP ) - A North Carolina attorney and two others have been indicated on charges that they created identities to open financial accounts and make purchases they didn ’ t intend to pay for , federal prosecutors said .
The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Raleigh said in a news release that Tiffany Dawn Russell , 41 , of Durham was indicted for conspiring to commit bank fraud and other offenses .
She appeared before a federal magistrate this week .
According to the indictment , Russell and the others applied for loans and credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them by the Social Security Administration .
Russell also joined the others in conspiring to use fraudulently obtained credit cards to make payments for her plastic surgery in 2016 .
The indictment also says Russell said in credit applications that she lived in Florence , South Carolina , when she actually lived in North Carolina .
The three were also charged with multiple counts of bank fraud for using their false identities to help buy vehicles , lawn equipment and electronics .
If convicted , they face statutory maximum penalties for conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ’ in prison , a $ 1 million fine , restitution and forfeiture .

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina attorney and two others have been indicated on charges that they created identities to open financial accounts and make purchases they didn’t intend to pay for, federal prosecutors said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Raleigh said in a news release that Tiffany Dawn Russell, 41, of Durham was indicted for conspiring to commit bank fraud and other offenses. She appeared before a federal magistrate this week.
According to the indictment, Russell and the others applied for loans and credit cards with social security numbers not issued to them by the Social Security Administration. Russell also joined the others in conspiring to use fraudulently obtained credit cards to make payments for her plastic surgery in 2016.
The indictment also says Russell said in credit applications that she lived in Florence, South Carolina, when she actually lived in North Carolina.
The three were also charged with multiple counts of bank fraud for using their false identities to help buy vehicles, lawn equipment and electronics.
If convicted, they face statutory maximum penalties for conspiracy and each bank fraud count of 30 years’ in prison, a $1 million fine, restitution and forfeiture.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Man in custody after 2-state car chase

Man in custody after 2-state car chase

OMAHA , Neb .
( AP ) - A Bellevue , Nebraska , man is jailed after a lengthy chased @ @ @ @ @ across the Iowa-Nebraska line .
The Omaha World-Herald reports that the 34-year-old suspect is accused @ @ @ @ @ crimes , including reckless driving and possession of methamphetamine .
It wasn ’ t immediately @ @ @ @ @ charged .
The chase began shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday when Council Bluff , Iowa @ @ @ @ @ Silverado , but the driver took off on Interstate 480 and drove into Nebraska .
@ @ @ @ @ the truck reached speeds of more than 100 mph .
The truck later turned east @ @ @ @ @ back into Iowa , where Council Bluffs police picked up the pursuit again , deploying @ @ @ @ @ truck headed back to Nebraska .
In Omaha , troopers pulled in front of the @ @ @ @ @ out and tried to run but was caught .

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A Bellevue, Nebraska, man is jailed after a lengthy chased that crossed back and forth across the Iowa-Nebraska line.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that the 34-year-old suspect is accused of a long list of crimes, including reckless driving and possession of methamphetamine. It wasn’t immediately clear if he has been charged.
The chase began shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday when Council Bluff, Iowa, officers stopped a Chevrolet Silverado, but the driver took off on Interstate 480 and drove into Nebraska. The Nebraska State Patrol says the truck reached speeds of more than 100 mph.
The truck later turned east on Interstate 80 and crossed back into Iowa, where Council Bluffs police picked up the pursuit again, deploying spike strips, but the truck headed back to Nebraska.
In Omaha, troopers pulled in front of the truck and the driver got out and tried to run but was caught.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--New quarter pays homage to a Kansas landmark

WICHITA , Kan. ( AP ) - The Flint Hills of Kansas are all abuzz over a new coin that @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve .
The Wichita Eagle reports that the U.S. Mint @ @ @ @ @ installment in its America the Beautiful Quarters Program .
The flip side offers a skyward @ @ @ @ @ native Big Bluestem and Indian grasses as well as a Regal Fritillary butterfly .
The @ @ @ @ @ , ” “ Kansas ” and the release year .
Heather Brown , chief of @ @ @ @ @ the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve , said the design “ helps spotlight some of the @ @ @ @ @ ” The tallgrass prairie quarters were released into circulation on Nov. 16 .
Approximately 300 @ @ @ @

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The Flint Hills of Kansas are all abuzz over a new coin that pays homage to the state’s Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the U.S. Mint this month released the 55th installment in its America the Beautiful Quarters Program. The flip side offers a skyward view of the prairie, native Big Bluestem and Indian grasses as well as a Regal Fritillary butterfly. The inscriptions include “Tallgrass Prairie,” “Kansas” and the release year.
Heather Brown, chief of interpretation and visitors services for the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, said the design “helps spotlight some of the prairie’s endangered ecosystem.”
The tallgrass prairie quarters were released into circulation on Nov. 16. Approximately 300 million were minted.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Navajo homes getting electricity with CARES Act funding

SAN JUAN COUNTY , Utah ( AP ) - Chastity De Guzman and her four children have lived in a home on the Navajo Nation without power since 2015 .
She said they had been on a waiting list for over two years when a crew finally showed up in September to connect their home to electricity .
“ It was emotional , ” De Guzman told KUER radio .
“ Electricity was , like , essential for us , and especially with the pandemic going on , it ’ s made things a lot easier.
” Her home in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have received power from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority this fall , according to Deenise Becenti , a spokesperson for the company .
It received $ 14.5 million from the Tribe ’ s $ 714 million federal CARES Act allotment to connect 510 homes .
Becenti said crews started work on the project in June , after the Tribe received $ 600 million in May following legal delays .
So far , she said they ’ ve made it to 380 houses , or about 75 a month , and there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expires on Dec. 31 .
To do that , crews are working 10 hours a day , seven days a week , according to Field Superintendent CJ Carl .
“ We ’ re pushing harder , ” Carl said .
“ The guys are sacrificing a lot of family time , pushing seven days a week.
” Becenti said the utility authority will try to find alternate funding to connect any homes that can not be reached by the deadline .
“ The Dec. 31 deadline is a big hindrance and challenge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeline was extended there is a good possibility that we would be able to connect more homes.
” The homes on the list are all within a mile of a power line , according to the utility authority ’ s general counsel Arash Moalemi .
He said they chose those homes because of right-of-way requirements : any longer than a mile , and the utility authority would have had to go through an extensive clearance process for each connection .
The authority also received money from the CARES Act to purchase solar units @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an existing power line .
Moalemi said they received 1,200 applications for that program when they opened it up earlier this fall , but were only able to purchase around 400 units because of supply chain issues .
At least 24 are set to be installed in homes in Utah .
Moalemi estimates there are around 15,000 homes on the Navajo Nation without electricity .
The Tribe gave the utility authority $ 147 million overall , which Moalemi said is almost three times the company ’ s annual budget .
That money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , install water cisterns and wells , set up WiFi hotspots , lay down fiber for broadband internet , and renovate wastewater treatment centers across the Nation .
In Utah , the company created WiFi hotspots at the Aneth and Mexican Water Chapter Houses , and is working on updating all of its internet towers to improve service .
Those projects are consistent with CARES Act guidelines , according to Moalemi , because they will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 on the reservation by helping people stay at home .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ And it would directly combat Covid if these families can receive water , electricity and internet at home.
” Any money the utility authority can not spend by the end of the year will go into the Nation ’ s Hardship Assistance Fund in December to be distributed to individual tribal members .
Online applications for hardship assistance are open until the end of November .

SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah (AP) - Chastity De Guzman and her four children have lived in a home on the Navajo Nation without power since 2015. She said they had been on a waiting list for over two years when a crew finally showed up in September to connect their home to electricity.
“It was emotional,” De Guzman told KUER radio. “Electricity was, like, essential for us, and especially with the pandemic going on, it’s made things a lot easier.”
Her home in Aneth is one of 27 in Utah that have received power from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority this fall, according to Deenise Becenti, a spokesperson for the company.
It received $14.5 million from the Tribe’s $714 million federal CARES Act allotment to connect 510 homes. Becenti said crews started work on the project in June, after the Tribe received $600 million in May following legal delays. So far, she said they’ve made it to 380 houses, or about 75 a month, and there are 130 left to connect before the funding expires on Dec. 31.
To do that, crews are working 10 hours a day, seven days a week, according to Field Superintendent CJ Carl.
“We’re pushing harder,” Carl said. “The guys are sacrificing a lot of family time, pushing seven days a week.”
Becenti said the utility authority will try to find alternate funding to connect any homes that cannot be reached by the deadline.
“The Dec. 31 deadline is a big hindrance and challenge,” he said. “If the timeline was extended there is a good possibility that we would be able to connect more homes.”
The homes on the list are all within a mile of a power line, according to the utility authority’s general counsel Arash Moalemi. He said they chose those homes because of right-of-way requirements: any longer than a mile, and the utility authority would have had to go through an extensive clearance process for each connection.
The authority also received money from the CARES Act to purchase solar units for homes that aren’t close to an existing power line. Moalemi said they received 1,200 applications for that program when they opened it up earlier this fall, but were only able to purchase around 400 units because of supply chain issues. At least 24 are set to be installed in homes in Utah.
Moalemi estimates there are around 15,000 homes on the Navajo Nation without electricity.
The Tribe gave the utility authority $147 million overall, which Moalemi said is almost three times the company’s annual budget. That money is being used to upgrade internet towers, install water cisterns and wells, set up WiFi hotspots, lay down fiber for broadband internet, and renovate wastewater treatment centers across the Nation.
In Utah, the company created WiFi hotspots at the Aneth and Mexican Water Chapter Houses, and is working on updating all of its internet towers to improve service.
Those projects are consistent with CARES Act guidelines, according to Moalemi, because they will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 on the reservation by helping people stay at home.
“This is obviously a sanitary and health issue,” he said. “And it would directly combat Covid if these families can receive water, electricity and internet at home.”
Any money the utility authority cannot spend by the end of the year will go into the Nation’s Hardship Assistance Fund in December to be distributed to individual tribal members. Online applications for hardship assistance are open until the end of November.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Reward offered in missing children case; mother charged

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
( AP ) - The FBI is offering a $ 5,000 reward for information that @ @ @ @ @ children from Kansas City , Missouri , who have been missing since Nov. 9 .
@ @ @ @ @ been charged with kidnapping .
WDAF-TV reports that 7-year-old Avontay Reed and 4-year-old Kelvontae Cooper @ @ @ @ @ aunt due to their mother ’ s mental health problems and drug abuse .
Police @ @ @ @ @ Marshall , took the children from their aunt ’ s home on Nov. 9 .
@ @ @ @ @ the children were not with her .
Court records say that when Marshall was found @ @ @ @ @ authorities the children were with their father .
Marshall was charged with two counts of @ @ @ @ @ .
She does not yet have a listed attorney .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information that would help find two young children from Kansas City, Missouri, who have been missing since Nov. 9. Meanwhile, their mother has been charged with kidnapping.
WDAF-TV reports that 7-year-old Avontay Reed and 4-year-old Kelvontae Cooper had been placed with an aunt due to their mother’s mental health problems and drug abuse. Police say the mother, Mattina Marshall, took the children from their aunt’s home on Nov. 9. Marshall was located Tuesday but the children were not with her.
Court records say that when Marshall was found at a motel she told authorities the children were with their father.
Marshall was charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping and is jailed. She does not yet have a listed attorney.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Iran shuts gov't offices, tightening virus restrictions

TEHRAN , Iran ( AP ) - Iran on Friday announced that all government offices will effectively close and operate with only essential staff , further tightening coronavirus measures as the country struggles to contain its most widespread wave of infection yet .
Starting this Saturday - the first day of Iran ’ s workweek - state TV said “ only those employees who need to be present will be at work ” in government offices .
Managers will make the call on who must still come to work .
The report did not specify how long the closures would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any planned visits to government offices .
Infections have soared in recent months , and on Friday , Iran again set a record for new virus cases in a single day with 14,051 cases , bringing the total to 922,397 .
Iran has also recorded more than 400 daily virus deaths since last Saturday , the same day new tightened restrictions went into effect .
Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said the death toll on Friday reached 47,095 , after 406 people died since Thursday .
Since Saturday , some government offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with less than 30 % of their employees , while banks , post offices , communications and other utilities worked with half their staff .
Those new lockdown measures also included shuttering most businesses , shops , malls , and restaurants , and are set to last two weeks .
Iran ’ s government had recently resisted shutting down the country in an attempt to salvage an economy cratered by unprecedented American sanctions , which effectively bar Iran from selling its oil internationally .
The Trump administration reimposed sanctions in 2018 after withdrawing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world powers .
Earlier this month , authorities ordered a month-long nightly curfew for businesses in Tehran and 30 other major cities and towns , asking nonessential shops to keep their workers home .
Still , enforcement in the sprawling metropolis remains a challenge .

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran on Friday announced that all government offices will effectively close and operate with only essential staff, further tightening coronavirus measures as the country struggles to contain its most widespread wave of infection yet.
Starting this Saturday - the first day of Iran’s workweek - state TV said “only those employees who need to be present will be at work” in government offices. Managers will make the call on who must still come to work.
The report did not specify how long the closures would last, but asked Iranians to postpone any planned visits to government offices.
Infections have soared in recent months, and on Friday, Iran again set a record for new virus cases in a single day with 14,051 cases, bringing the total to 922,397.
Iran has also recorded more than 400 daily virus deaths since last Saturday, the same day new tightened restrictions went into effect. Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said the death toll on Friday reached 47,095, after 406 people died since Thursday.
Since Saturday, some government offices and organizations had closed or began working with less than 30% of their employees, while banks, post offices, communications and other utilities worked with half their staff.
Those new lockdown measures also included shuttering most businesses, shops, malls, and restaurants, and are set to last two weeks.
Iran’s government had recently resisted shutting down the country in an attempt to salvage an economy cratered by unprecedented American sanctions, which effectively bar Iran from selling its oil internationally. The Trump administration reimposed sanctions in 2018 after withdrawing from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.
Earlier this month, authorities ordered a month-long nightly curfew for businesses in Tehran and 30 other major cities and towns, asking nonessential shops to keep their workers home. Still, enforcement in the sprawling metropolis remains a challenge.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--New cardinals quarantine in pope's hotel ahead of consistory

ROME ( AP ) - The Vatican ’ s Santa Marta hotel was built to sequester cardinals during papal elections .
It ’ s now sequestering soon-to-be cardinals in town for this weekend ’ s ceremony to get their red hats : A handful are in protective coronavirus quarantine , confined to their rooms on Vatican orders and getting meals delivered to their doors .
The 10-day quarantines , with COVID-19 tests administered at the start and finish , are just one example of how Saturday ’ s ceremony to elevate new cardinals is like nothing the Holy See has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be like this but I didn ’ t think it would be so strict !
” marveled Cardinal-designate Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel , the retired archbishop of Chiapas , Mexico .
During a Zoom call with The Associated Press from his hotel room , Esquivel said he had thought there might be some exceptions to the lockdown for new cardinals .
“ No !
Here , it doesn ’ t matter if you ’ re a cardinal or a pope .
The virus doesn ’ t respect anyone , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 clerics to the College of Cardinals , the elite group of red-robed churchmen whose primary task is to elect a new pope .
It ’ s the seventh time Francis has named a new batch of cardinals since his election in 2013 , and his imprint is increasingly shifting the balance of power away from Europe and toward the developing world .
The Vatican has said two new cardinals won ’ t make it to Rome for the ceremony , known as a consistory , because of COVID-19 and travel concerns : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cardinal-designate Cornelius Sim , and the archbishop of Capiz , Philippines , Cardinal-designate Jose Advincula .
The Vatican is arranging for them , and any of the cardinals who might not make it , to participate in the ceremony remotely from their homes .
They ’ ll get their three-pointed “ biretta ” hats from a Vatican ambassador or another envoy .
For those who are participating in person , the public health crisis has posed an unusual set of challenges .
Italy , where the pandemic erupted in late February , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second wave .
The Vatican itself has returned to a modified lockdown in recent weeks , with the Vatican Museums shuttered and a dozen Swiss Guards testing positive .
Francis , 83 , has been criticized for his rather lax mask usage , but he has abided by social distancing measures to a degree .
He too lives at Santa Marta , where there has been at least one positive case reported in recent months .
Usually , consistories are full of parties and crowds : Cardinals come to town with family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get to see the new “ princes of the church ” up close and then attend receptions and dinners in their honor .
Under normal circumstances , the consistory would be followed by “ courtesy visits , ” where the new cardinals greet well-wishers and the general public from the grandeur of their own reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace or Vatican auditorium .
This year , there will be no courtesy visits , and each cardinal has a 10-person limit for guests .
For Esquivel , no one other than his secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s inviting some priests from the residence where Mexican clergy working or studying in Rome live .
“ We don ’ t have contact with practically anyone .
It ’ s total isolation , but it ’ s necessary , ” he said .
Esquivel is one of four cardinals over age 80 who are joining the college as honorary members , named by Francis to recognize their lifetime of service to the church .
The other nine are under age 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first Latin American pope has long sought to name cardinals from the “ peripheries , ” to show the universal nature of the church and boost small communities , where Catholics are a minority , with high-profile leaders .
As of Saturday , there will be 128 voting-age cardinals , 42 % from Europe .
The Pew Research Center notes that in 2013 Europeans made up 52 % of the voting-age block , evidence of Francis ‘ effort to decrease the strength of Europeans as a voting bloc and give greater visibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Americas .
Among the new voting age cardinals is the first African-American , Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory , archbishop of Washington , D.C .
He too is concluding his quarantine in the Santa Marta hotel , where he said his meals are left on a tray outside his door .
Gregory said that while he was unable to go out , at least his new red cassock was delivered from Rome ’ s famous clerical haberdasher , Gammarelli .
In a Zoom call , Gregory explained that a U.S.-based ecclesiastical tailor took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington and sent them to Gammarelli , which then made the robes to order and sent them to Santa Marta .
“ I have them now .
They fit !
” he said .
Fashion aside , Gregory said he was humbled by Francis ’ decision to make him a cardinal and said he would return to a United States still in the throes of the pandemic with hope that vaccines against the virus will soon work .
“ I hope we can use them effectively to protect people and … once this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face the future with hope , ” he said .

ROME (AP) - The Vatican’s Santa Marta hotel was built to sequester cardinals during papal elections. It’s now sequestering soon-to-be cardinals in town for this weekend’s ceremony to get their red hats: A handful are in protective coronavirus quarantine, confined to their rooms on Vatican orders and getting meals delivered to their doors.
The 10-day quarantines, with COVID-19 tests administered at the start and finish, are just one example of how Saturday’s ceremony to elevate new cardinals is like nothing the Holy See has ever seen.
“They told me it would be like this but I didn’t think it would be so strict!” marveled Cardinal-designate Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, the retired archbishop of Chiapas, Mexico.
During a Zoom call with The Associated Press from his hotel room, Esquivel said he had thought there might be some exceptions to the lockdown for new cardinals. “No! Here, it doesn’t matter if you’re a cardinal or a pope. The virus doesn’t respect anyone,” he said.
Pope Francis on Saturday will elevate 13 clerics to the College of Cardinals, the elite group of red-robed churchmen whose primary task is to elect a new pope. It’s the seventh time Francis has named a new batch of cardinals since his election in 2013, and his imprint is increasingly shifting the balance of power away from Europe and toward the developing world.
The Vatican has said two new cardinals won’t make it to Rome for the ceremony, known as a consistory, because of COVID-19 and travel concerns: The Vatican’s ambassador to Brunei, Cardinal-designate Cornelius Sim, and the archbishop of Capiz, Philippines, Cardinal-designate Jose Advincula.
The Vatican is arranging for them, and any of the cardinals who might not make it, to participate in the ceremony remotely from their homes. They’ll get their three-pointed “biretta” hats from a Vatican ambassador or another envoy.
For those who are participating in person, the public health crisis has posed an unusual set of challenges. Italy, where the pandemic erupted in late February, is currently in the throes of a second wave. The Vatican itself has returned to a modified lockdown in recent weeks, with the Vatican Museums shuttered and a dozen Swiss Guards testing positive.
Francis, 83, has been criticized for his rather lax mask usage, but he has abided by social distancing measures to a degree. He too lives at Santa Marta, where there has been at least one positive case reported in recent months.
Usually, consistories are full of parties and crowds: Cardinals come to town with family, friends and sometimes benefactors and parishioners who get to see the new “princes of the church” up close and then attend receptions and dinners in their honor. Under normal circumstances, the consistory would be followed by “courtesy visits,” where the new cardinals greet well-wishers and the general public from the grandeur of their own reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace or Vatican auditorium.
This year, there will be no courtesy visits, and each cardinal has a 10-person limit for guests. For Esquivel, no one other than his secretary traveled with him from Mexico, so he’s inviting some priests from the residence where Mexican clergy working or studying in Rome live.
“We don’t have contact with practically anyone. It’s total isolation, but it’s necessary,” he said.
Esquivel is one of four cardinals over age 80 who are joining the college as honorary members, named by Francis to recognize their lifetime of service to the church. The other nine are under age 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to eventually choose Francis’ successor.
History’s first Latin American pope has long sought to name cardinals from the “peripheries,” to show the universal nature of the church and boost small communities, where Catholics are a minority, with high-profile leaders.
As of Saturday, there will be 128 voting-age cardinals, 42% from Europe. The Pew Research Center notes that in 2013 Europeans made up 52% of the voting-age block, evidence of Francis’ effort to decrease the strength of Europeans as a voting bloc and give greater visibility to church leaders from Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Among the new voting age cardinals is the first African-American, Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, D.C.
He too is concluding his quarantine in the Santa Marta hotel, where he said his meals are left on a tray outside his door. Gregory said that while he was unable to go out, at least his new red cassock was delivered from Rome’s famous clerical haberdasher, Gammarelli.
In a Zoom call, Gregory explained that a U.S.-based ecclesiastical tailor took his measurements while he was still in Washington and sent them to Gammarelli, which then made the robes to order and sent them to Santa Marta.
“I have them now. They fit!” he said.
Fashion aside, Gregory said he was humbled by Francis’ decision to make him a cardinal and said he would return to a United States still in the throes of the pandemic with hope that vaccines against the virus will soon work.
“I hope we can use them effectively to protect people and … once this pandemic is brought under control, to face the future with hope,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Candle wax in Oslo fjord puzzles Norwegian authorities

COPENHAGEN , Denmark ( AP ) - Norwegian officials are asking the public for helping cleaning up and mapping “ large amounts ” of paraffin wax found at the entrance to the Oslo Fjord , a narrow inlet south of Norway ’ s capital .
Officials have not identified the source of the grains of white wax .
Rune Bergstroem of the Norwegian Coastal Administration said they think the wax came from a boat “ but we currently have no reports of ship accidents from which this may originate.
” The agency had the wax analyzed and tests showed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a low volatile chemical content , according to Bergstroem .
Authorities theorized on that basis that the puzzling pellets resulted from “ a specific discharge , for example when transported in tanks , ” he said .
Paraffin wax is chiefly used to make candles .
“ Even if it is not directly toxic , it is important to clean up .
Paraffin wax acts as a laxative and could have an unfortunate effect on for instance children , birds , etc.
, ” Bergstroem said in a statement .
When it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and evaporate .
Inhalation of gases from this is harmful to the lungs .
But since the melting point is so high , it will not melt in a human or bird if swallowed , ” he added .
Municipalities along the fjord are responsible for cleanups and could seek reimbursement from the Norwegian government if the source of the pollution is not identified .

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Norwegian officials are asking the public for helping cleaning up and mapping “large amounts” of paraffin wax found at the entrance to the Oslo Fjord, a narrow inlet south of Norway’s capital.
Officials have not identified the source of the grains of white wax. Rune Bergstroem of the Norwegian Coastal Administration said they think the wax came from a boat “but we currently have no reports of ship accidents from which this may originate.”
The agency had the wax analyzed and tests showed it is a “pure” paraffin variety with a low volatile chemical content, according to Bergstroem. Authorities theorized on that basis that the puzzling pellets resulted from “a specific discharge, for example when transported in tanks,” he said.
Paraffin wax is chiefly used to make candles.
“Even if it is not directly toxic, it is important to clean up. Paraffin wax acts as a laxative and could have an unfortunate effect on for instance children, birds, etc.,” Bergstroem said in a statement.
When it gets hot, “it will melt and evaporate. Inhalation of gases from this is harmful to the lungs. But since the melting point is so high, it will not melt in a human or bird if swallowed,” he added.
Municipalities along the fjord are responsible for cleanups and could seek reimbursement from the Norwegian government if the source of the pollution is not identified.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Debt collection firm ordered by FTC to pay $24 million

ST. LOUIS ( AP ) - A suburban St. Louis-based debt collection company has been ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to pay more than $ 24 million for pursuing money that consumers didn ’ t actually owe .
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch cited court filings posted Wednesday in U.S. District Court .
The legal complaint says Midwest Recovery Systems of Earth City would collect “ phantom payday lending debts , purported medical debts and other debts that ( the company is ) consistently unable to verify.
” The lawsuit says the company continued to collect the debts “ even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debts were invalid.
” MRS was ordered to pay back $ 24.3 million and is barred from unlawful debt collection practices .
MRS co-owner Brandon Tumber told the Post-Dispatch that the FTC allegations are “ totally false.
” He said MRS received information about debts from clients , and was then held responsible for errors in the data by the FTC .
He said any errors were limited , and were among millions of accounts that they serviced .
Tumber said MRS was sold to CACi , another debt collection agency , in @ @ @

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A suburban St. Louis-based debt collection company has been ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to pay more than $24 million for pursuing money that consumers didn’t actually owe.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch cited court filings posted Wednesday in U.S. District Court. The legal complaint says Midwest Recovery Systems of Earth City would collect “phantom payday lending debts, purported medical debts and other debts that (the company is) consistently unable to verify.”
The lawsuit says the company continued to collect the debts “even after receiving multiple red flags that these debts were invalid.”
MRS was ordered to pay back $24.3 million and is barred from unlawful debt collection practices.
MRS co-owner Brandon Tumber told the Post-Dispatch that the FTC allegations are “totally false.” He said MRS received information about debts from clients, and was then held responsible for errors in the data by the FTC. He said any errors were limited, and were among millions of accounts that they serviced.
Tumber said MRS was sold to CACi, another debt collection agency, in September 2019.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--UK retail empire of billionaire Philip Green teeters on edge

LONDON ( AP ) - The retail empire of tycoon Philip Green , which owns well-known British fashion chains like Topshop , appears to be on the brink of collapse following the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic .
In another devastating blow to the British retailing industry in the run-up to the crucial Christmas trading period , Arcadia Group said Friday it is working on “ contingency options to secure the future of the group ’ s brands.
” Like other high street names , Arcadia ’ s brands - which employ around 15,000 people and include Burton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered during the pandemic and the associated restrictions across the U.K. , including two national lockdowns in England .
Competition has increased from low-cost rivals like Primark , as well as from online disruptors such as ASOS and Boohoo .
Critics have also said that Green , who has been embroiled in a series of controversies over the past few years , has not invested enough in the businesses to get them in shape to deal with the new competition in retail .
In a statement , the group sought to blame the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ forced closure of our stores for sustained periods as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a material impact on trading across our businesses.
” However , it stressed that its brands “ continue to trade ” and that its stores will be opening again in England as soon as coronavirus restrictions are lifted next week .
England is in a four-week lockdown that has forced the closure of all shops selling items deemed to be non-essential .
The lockdown expires on Dec. 2 and shops will be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.K. - Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland - have taken slightly different approaches but all have at various stages reimposed restrictions that closed non-essential shops .
Arcadia has reportedly been in emergency talks with lenders in a bid to secure a 30 million-pound ( $ 40 billion ) loan to help shore up its finances .
If it goes into so-called administration as soon as next week , there is likely to be a scramble among creditors to get control of company assets .
It is the latest retailer to have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of the coronavirus , with rivals in Britain including Debenhams , Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group and Oasis Warehouse all sliding into insolvency since the pandemic struck in March .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

LONDON (AP) - The retail empire of tycoon Philip Green, which owns well-known British fashion chains like Topshop, appears to be on the brink of collapse following the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic.
In another blow to the British retailing industry in the run-up to the crucial Christmas trading period, Arcadia Group said Friday it is working on “contingency options to secure the future of the group’s brands.”
Like other high street names, Arcadia’s brands - which employ around 15,000 people and include Burton, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins - have suffered during the pandemic and the associated restrictions across the U.K.
Competition has increased from low-cost rivals like Primark, as well as from online disruptors such as ASOS and Boohoo. Critics have also said that the 68-year-old Green, who has been embroiled in a series of controversies over the past few years, has not invested enough in the businesses to get them in shape to deal with the new competition in retail.
In a statement, the group sought to blame the virus for its woes. It said the “forced closure of our stores for sustained periods as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a material impact on trading across our businesses.”
However, it stressed that its brands “continue to trade” and that its stores will be opening again in England as soon as coronavirus restrictions are lifted next week.
England is in a four-week lockdown that has forced the closure of all shops selling items deemed to be non-essential. The lockdown expires on Dec. 2 and shops will be allowed to reopen. The other nations of the U.K. - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - have taken slightly different approaches but all have at various stages reimposed restrictions that closed non-essential shops.
Arcadia has reportedly been in emergency talks with lenders in a bid to secure a 30 million-pound ($40 billion) loan.
If it goes into so-called administration as soon as next week, there is likely to be a scramble among creditors to get control of company assets.
It is the latest retailer to have been hammered by the closure of stores during the pandemic, with rivals in Britain including Debenhams, Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group and Oasis Warehouse all sliding into insolvency.
On Friday, menswear retailer Moss Bros also launched an insolvency process to reduce its rent costs and protect itself in the future. In addition to being affected by the lockdowns, the firm has suffered from wedding cancellations and decreased demand for office clothing. It operates 128 stores and employs about 800 staff.
For the past couple of decades, Green has been one of the most influential executives in European retailing. He bought Arcadia in 2002 and subsequently came close to taking over Marks & Spencer, too.
His no-nonsense attitude won him admirers and helped his brands to link up with the likes of supermodel Kate Moss and singer Beyonce.
But a series of scandals over the past few years tarnished his reputation and led to calls for him to be stripped of the knighthood that Queen Elizabeth II awarded him in 2006.
For many, his high pay came to symbolize the excesses of the corporate world, especially when his brands were in need of investment. And a slow response to the consumer shift to online shopping meant the brands failed to keep up.
It was after the global financial crisis of 2008 that the underlying problems with his businesses really started to show, especially after his decision to sell BHS, a fixture on British high streets for decades, for just 1 pound to struggling entrepreneur Dominic Chappell.
About a year later, BHS collapsed, costing 11,000 people their jobs and leaving a pension deficit of around 571 million pounds ($760 million). Though Green subsequently paid hundreds of millions into the pension, his reputation never recovered. Chappell, meanwhile, was this month sentenced to six years in jail for tax evasion during his time running BHS.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--US agency investigating Tesla front suspension failures

DETROIT ( AP ) - The U.S. government ’ s road safety agency is investigating complaints that suspensions can fail on nearly 115,000 Tesla electric vehicles .
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has 43 complaints that linkages near the ball joints can fail , allowing contact between the tire and wheel liner .
The probe , announced Friday on the agency ’ s website , covers 2015 through 2017 Model S sedans and 2016 through 2017 Model X SUVs .
The agency says 32 owners complained of failures at low speeds , but 11 said the links @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mph including four at highway speeds .
It says the number of complaints is increasing as the vehicles age , with 32 in the last two years .
Three of the highway complaints came in the last three months .
In addition , NHTSA says it has eight complaints that may involve suspension failures that haven ’ t been confirmed by photos or service records .
The agency said it has no reports of crashes or injuries .
The agency says it will investigate how often the problem happens and the safety consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recall .
NHTSA says that in 2017 , Tesla issued a service bulletin describing the failure and saying that drivers could still control the vehicles “ but the tire may contact the wheel arch liner.
” The bulletin says vehicles with the problems were built from Jan. 19 , 2016 to May 25 , 2016 .
But NHTSA said the complaints include 41 vehicles built before or after the range cited in the bulletin .
Twenty-nine were built after the range ended .

DETROIT (AP) - The U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating complaints that suspensions can fail on nearly 115,000 Tesla electric vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has 43 complaints that linkages near the ball joints can fail, allowing contact between the tire and wheel liner.
The probe, announced Friday on the agency’s website, covers 2015 through 2017 Model S sedans and 2016 through 2017 Model X SUVs.
The agency says 32 owners complained of failures at low speeds, but 11 said the links failed on roads while traveling above 10 mph including four at highway speeds. It says the number of complaints is increasing as the vehicles age, with 32 in the last two years. Three of the highway complaints came in the last three months.
In addition, NHTSA says it has eight complaints that may involve suspension failures that haven’t been confirmed by photos or service records.
The agency said it has no reports of crashes or injuries.
The agency says it will investigate how often the problem happens and the safety consequences. The probe could lead to a recall.
A message was left early Friday seeking comment from Tesla.
NHTSA says that in 2017, Tesla issued a service bulletin describing the failure and saying that drivers could still control the vehicles “but the tire may contact the wheel arch liner.” The bulletin says vehicles with the problems were built from Jan. 19, 2016 to May 25, 2016.
But NHTSA said the complaints include 41 vehicles built before or after the range cited in the bulletin. Twenty-nine were built after the range ended.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Keep cool: Germany preps vaccine drive as COVID cases hit 1M

TUTTLINGEN , Germany ( AP ) - Hulking gray boxes are rolling off the production line at a factory in the southern town of Tuttlingen , ready to be shipped to the front in the next phase of Germany ‘ s battle against the coronavirus as it became the latest country to hit the milestone of 1 million confirmed cases Friday .
Man-sized freezers such as those manufactured by family-owned firm Binder GmbH could become a key part of the vast immunization program the German government is preparing to roll out when the first vaccines become available next month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ front-runners in the race for a vaccine is BioNTech , a German company that together with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has developed a shot it says is up to 96 % effective in trials but comes with a small hitch : it needs to be cooled to minus 70 degrees Celsius ( minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit ) for shipping and storage .
Ensuring such temperatures , colder even than an Antarctic winter , is just one of the many challenges that countries face in trying to get their populations immunized .
The effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Indeed some countries , including Germany , are relying on military and civilian expertise to ensure the precious doses are safely transported from manufacturing plants to secret storage facilities , before being distributed .
Germany has benefited from the market power that comes with being a member of the European Union .
The 27-nation bloc ’ s executive Commission - led by former German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen - has spearheaded negotiations with vaccine makers , ordering more than a billion doses so far .
German officials have said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million doses from the EU orders and bilateral deals with three manufacturers in Germany , including BioNTech and CureVac , a company based in Tuebingen that says its vaccine can be stored at regular refrigerator temperatures for up to three months .
Its trials are not as far along , however , as Pfizer/BioNTech and others .
The figure of 300 million is contingent on all vaccines being developed making it to market .
That would be more than enough to immunize Germany ‘ s population of 83 million , even if two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How exactly the vaccine is delivered to patients differs from country to country .
In Germany , the federal government has delegated the task to its 16 states , which are now working to build large vaccination centers .
The city-state of Berlin has drafted in Albrecht Broemme , a veteran of disaster management .
The former Berlin fire chief later led Germany ‘ s federal civil protection organization THW , where he helped organize disaster relief operations for floods , storms and quakes around the world .
The 67-year-old is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Berlin in a convention center , two former airports , an ice skating rink , a concert hall and an indoor cycle race track .
Authorities want them ready by mid-December to begin vaccinating more than 3,000 people per day at each location .
With just a few minutes to deliver each shot and mindful of keeping the number of people in each center at a minimum , Broemme and his colleagues are devising a one-way flow system similar to that found in large stores like furniture company Ikea .
Each site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group , such as the Red Cross , with volunteers to help register and guide people through the venue .
Like elsewhere , the first phase of vaccination in Berlin will likely focus on immunizing health care workers and vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with chronic illnesses .
About 20,000 people will be vaccinated each day , returning after three weeks for a booster shot .
Demand is likely to outstrip supply at first , but that will change as more vaccines come onto the market .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of vaccination will be issued very quickly , ” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliament on Thursday .
“ That won ’ t solve the problem immediately , but there ’ s a light at the end of the tunnel.
” Broemme has said he expects four-fifths of the vaccines initially available to need ultra-low cooling .
That means every center will need a pharmacy that handles both the storage and thawing of vaccines .
At the other end of the country in Tuttlingen , Binder GmbH , one of hundreds of medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a history dating back to the 19th century , is seeing demand for its freezers surge .
Priced at 13,000-15,000 euros ( $ 15,500-17,900 ) , each device can keep tens of thousands of vials of vaccine at optimum temperature , says Peter Wimmer , the company ’ s head of innovation .
“ It ’ s plug and play , ” he told the AP .
“ All you need is an electrical socket , switch it on and the device is ready to go.
” Having the whole vaccination system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a button is a different matter , though .
It is still unclear who will actually administer the vaccines in Berlin .
Unlike Britain , which has a centralized National Health Service organizing the immunization drive , Germany is relying on doctors associations to provide the necessary medical staff .
Doerthe Arnold , a spokeswoman for the Berlin branch of Germany ’ s Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians , said they are still waiting for the state government to provide details on what will be required of doctors .
“ Despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re willing to help out even more , providing medical personnel for the six vaccination centers will be a challenge , ” she said .
The limits of medical logistics were tested in spring , when huge worldwide demand for ventilators , therapeutic drugs , face masks and other protective equipment prompted bidding wars , bottlenecks and reports of faulty products .
Global logistics company DHL estimates that to provide worldwide coverage of vaccines over the coming two years may require 15,000 flights .
“ The challenge is the sheer number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not clear which vaccine needs to go where , ” Sabine Hartmann , a DHL spokeswoman , told The AP .
“ It ’ s not something a single company can do on its own .
All logistics companies have to work together on this.
” Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

TUTTLINGEN, Germany (AP) - Hulking gray boxes are rolling off the production line at a factory in the southern town of Tuttlingen, ready to be shipped to the front in the next phase of Germany’s battle against the coronavirus as it became the latest country to hit the milestone of 1 million confirmed cases Friday.
Man-sized freezers such as those manufactured by family-owned firm Binder GmbH could become a key part of the vast immunization program the German government is preparing to roll out when the first vaccines become available next month.
That’s because one of the front-runners, a vaccine made by German company BioNTech together with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, needs to be cooled to minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit) for shipping and storage.
Ensuring such temperatures, colder even than an Antarctic winter, is just one of the many challenges that countries face in trying to get their populations immunized.
The effort has been compared to a military operation. Indeed some countries, including Germany, are relying on military and civilian expertise to ensure the precious doses are safely transported from manufacturing plants to secret storage facilities, before being distributed.
Germany has benefited from the market power that comes with being a member of the European Union. The 27-nation bloc’s executive Commission - led by former German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen - has spearheaded negotiations with vaccine makers, ordering more than a billion doses so far.
German officials have said the country hopes to secure up to 300 million doses from the EU orders and bilateral deals with three manufacturers in Germany, including BioNTech and CureVac, a company based in Tuebingen that says its vaccine can be stored at regular refrigerator temperatures for up to three months. Its trials are not as far along, however, as Pfizer/BioNTech and others.
The figure of 300 million is contingent on all vaccines being developed making it to market. That would be more than enough to immunize Germany’s population of 83 million, even if two shots are required, as seems likely.
How exactly the vaccine is delivered to patients differs from country to country. In Germany, the federal government has delegated the task to its 16 states, which are now working to build large vaccination centers.
The city-state of Berlin has drafted in Albrecht Broemme, a veteran of disaster management. The former Berlin fire chief later led Germany’s federal civil protection organization THW, where he helped organize disaster relief operations for floods, storms and quakes around the world.
The 67-year-old is now coordinating the setting-up of six vaccine hubs in Berlin in a convention center, two former airports, an ice skating rink, a concert hall and an indoor cycle race track.
Authorities want them ready by mid-December to begin vaccinating more than 3,000 people per day at each location. With just a few minutes to deliver each shot and mindful of keeping the number of people in each center at a minimum, Broemme and his colleagues are devising a one-way flow system similar to that found in large stores like furniture company Ikea.
Each site will be run by a medical aid group, such as the Red Cross, with volunteers to help register and guide people through the venue.
Like elsewhere, the first phase of vaccination in Berlin will likely focus on immunizing health care workers and vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
About 20,000 people in the capital will be vaccinated each day, returning after three weeks for a booster shot.
Demand is likely to outstrip supply at first, but a spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel declined to say whether she would seek priority access for her Cabinet.
“The German government and its members will follow what the relevant experts decide is sensible,” Steffen Seibert told reporters.
Merkel herself told parliament Thursday that she was hopeful regulators will approve the first vaccines “very quickly.”
“That won’t solve the problem immediately, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” she told lawmakers.
Broemme has said he expects four-fifths of the vaccines initially available to need ultra-low cooling. That means every center will need a pharmacy that handles both the storage and thawing of vaccines.
At the other end of the country in Tuttlingen, Binder GmbH, one of hundreds of medical device manufacturers in the town, some with a history dating back to the 19th century, is seeing demand for its freezers surge.
Priced at 13,000-15,000 euros ($15,500-17,900), each device can keep tens of thousands of vials of vaccine at optimum temperature, says Peter Wimmer, the company’s head of innovation.
“It’s plug and play,” he told the AP. “All you need is an electrical socket, switch it on and the device is ready to go.”
Having the whole vaccination system ready to go at the touch of a button is a different matter, though.
It is still unclear who will actually administer the vaccines in Berlin. Unlike Britain, which has a centralized National Health Service organizing the immunization drive, Germany is relying on doctors associations to provide the necessary medical staff.
Doerthe Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Berlin branch of Germany’s Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, said they are still waiting for the state government to provide details on what will be required of doctors.
“Despite the positive feedback from doctors practices that they’re willing to help out even more, providing medical personnel for the six vaccination centers will be a challenge,” she said.
The limits of medical logistics were tested in spring, when huge worldwide demand for ventilators, therapeutic drugs, face masks and other protective equipment prompted bidding wars, bottlenecks and reports of faulty products.
Global logistics company DHL estimates that to provide worldwide coverage of vaccines over the coming two years may require 15,000 flights.
“The challenge is the sheer number of doses and the fact that it’s not clear which vaccine needs to go where,” said Sabine Hartmann, a DHL spokeswoman. “It’s not something a single company can do on its own. All logistics companies have to work together.”
___
Jordans reported from Berlin.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Indonesian police move transgender celebrity to private cell

JAKARTA , Indonesia ( AP ) - Indonesian police have moved a female transgender Instagram celebrity , Millen Cyrus , to a special cell following public outrage over her initial placement in a male detention cell after she was arrested as a suspect in a drug case .
“ As for her status on her ID , she is a male , and we do not have a transgender status here .
So to avoid something we do not want , we placed her in a special cell by herself .
That is our policy on it , ” Jakarta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cyrus , 21 , whose birth name is Muhammad Millendaru Prakasa , has more than 1 million followers on Instagram .
Her account of her experiences as a transgender woman on YouTube has been viewed more than 6 million times .
She was arrested on Sunday in a police raid on a hotel room in which 0.36 grams of crystal methamphetamine was found .
Police announced then that she had been placed in the men ’ s detention cell at Tanjung Priok Port Police Station , following her identity on her ID card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on social media in the world ’ s most populous Muslim nation .
Yunus said police are still determining whether she was a drug user or dealer .
The group Human Rights Watch said moving Cyrus to a special cell was a good decision by police .
“ Most trans women are imprisoned in male prisons , so they experience sexual harassment there , ” said Andreas Harsono , the group ’ s senior researcher in Indonesia .
“ The simplest one is verbal abuse .
Some physical abuse happens too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prison but in closed areas , ” Harsono said .
He said more than 2,000 LGBT people have been arrested in Indonesia because of their sexual orientation since 2014 .
LGBT communities have recently come under siege , although homosexuality is not illegal , except in conservative Aceh province .
In February , some members of the House of Representatives proposed a bill that would define homosexuality as deviant and require lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender people to report to authorities for rehabilitation .

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesian police have moved a female transgender Instagram celebrity, Millen Cyrus, to a special cell following public outrage over her initial placement in a male detention cell after she was arrested as a suspect in a drug case.
“As for her status on her ID, she is a male, and we do not have a transgender status here. So to avoid something we do not want, we placed her in a special cell by herself. That is our policy on it,” Jakarta Police spokesperson Yusri Yunus said Friday.
Cyrus, 21, whose birth name is Muhammad Millendaru Prakasa, has more than 1 million followers on Instagram. Her account of her experiences as a transgender woman on YouTube has been viewed more than 6 million times.
She was arrested on Sunday in a police raid on a hotel room in which 0.36 grams of crystal methamphetamine was found. Police announced then that she had been placed in the men’s detention cell at Tanjung Priok Port Police Station, following her identity on her ID card.
That triggered criticism from rights groups and on social media in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
Yunus said police are still determining whether she was a drug user or dealer.
The group Human Rights Watch said moving Cyrus to a special cell was a good decision by police.
“Most trans women are imprisoned in male prisons, so they experience sexual harassment there,” said Andreas Harsono, the group’s senior researcher in Indonesia.
“The simplest one is verbal abuse. Some physical abuse happens too. It is not in the cell at the prison but in closed areas,” Harsono said.
He said more than 2,000 LGBT people have been arrested in Indonesia because of their sexual orientation since 2014.
LGBT communities have recently come under siege, although homosexuality is not illegal, except in conservative Aceh province.
In February, some members of the House of Representatives proposed a bill that would define homosexuality as deviant and require lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to report to authorities for rehabilitation.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--France, UN to host new Lebanon aid conference amid deadlock

PARIS ( AP ) - France and the U.N. will host a new conference next week about aid to Beirut after its devastating port explosion in August , amid political deadlock and a worsening economic crisis in Lebanon , the French presidency said Friday .
Thousands of Lebanese are struggling to repair homes damaged in the blast , and there is no government initiative to rebuild what has been destroyed .
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will co-preside over the video conference Dec. 2 , which will also include Lebanese nongovernmental groups and other organizations seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s office .
Nearly four months after the explosion forced the Lebanese government ’ s resignation , leaders are still struggling to form a new government amid ongoing political disagreements .
The Lebanese army has offered small assistance for rebuilding Beirut , but the country ’ s severe economic crisis has further deteriorated .
Macron visited Beirut twice in the aftermath of the blast and promised to help the former French protectorate rebuild .
But his initiative and roadmap for a new government that would enact urgent reforms has gone nowhere amid Lebanon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars in international aid remain blocked .
The massive blast killed nearly 200 people and injured more than 6,000 when 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated at Beirut ’ s port .
It also devastated several neighborhoods , shattering thousands of residential , historic and other buildings .
It is considered to be one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded .
The cause of the explosion still is not known , but it is widely seen as the culmination of decades of corruption and mismanagement by Lebanon ’ s ruling class @

PARIS (AP) - France and the U.N. will host a new conference next week about aid to Beirut after its devastating port explosion in August, amid political deadlock and a worsening economic crisis in Lebanon, the French presidency said Friday.
Thousands of Lebanese are struggling to repair homes damaged in the blast, and there is no government initiative to rebuild what has been destroyed.
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will co-preside over the video conference Dec. 2, which will also include Lebanese nongovernmental groups and other organizations seeking to help, according to Macron’s office.
Nearly four months after the explosion forced the Lebanese government’s resignation, leaders are still struggling to form a new government amid ongoing political disagreements. The Lebanese army has offered small assistance for rebuilding Beirut, but the country’s severe economic crisis has further deteriorated.
Macron visited Beirut twice in the aftermath of the blast and promised to help the former French protectorate rebuild. But his initiative and roadmap for a new government that would enact urgent reforms has gone nowhere amid Lebanon’s political paralysis, and billions of dollars in international aid remain blocked.
The massive blast killed nearly 200 people and injured more than 6,000 when 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated at Beirut’s port. It also devastated several neighborhoods, shattering thousands of residential, historic and other buildings. It is considered to be one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded.
The cause of the explosion still is not known, but it is widely seen as the culmination of decades of corruption and mismanagement by Lebanon’s ruling class.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Turkey probes German navy's search of Libya-bound freighter

ANKARA , Turkey ( AP ) - Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation Friday into the search of a Turkish commercial freighter by the crew of a German frigate participating in a European Union mission to enforce an arms embargo on Libya .
Turkey has protested the incident on the Mediterranean Sea , insisting personnel from the German frigate Hamburg illegally searched the Libya-bound freighter Rosaline-A on Nov. 22.. Germany has rejected Turkey ’ s complaints , arguing the frigate ’ s crew acted correctly .
In a brief statement announcing its investigation , the Ankara Chief Prosecutor ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey ’ s authorization and against international regulations.
” The probe is not expected to lead to arrests or the extradition of officials involved in the search .
The Hamburg is part of the European Union ‘ s Operation Irini , a mission launched in March with the goal of enforcing the United Nations ’ arms embargo on Libya and tasked with inspecting vessels thought to be carrying weapons to and from Libya .
German officials said the order to board the Rosaline-A came from the mission ’ s headquarters in Rome and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was on the freighter .
Turkey says the search was “ unauthorized and conducted by force ” and insisted that its objections prior to the search were ignored .
It was the second incident between Turkey and naval forces from a NATO ally enforcing an arms blockade against Libya .
In June , NATO launched an investigation over an incident between Turkish warships and a French naval vessel in the Mediterranean .
France said one of its frigates was “ lit up ” three times by Turkish targeting radar when it tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involvement in arms trafficking .
Turkey supports a U.N.-backed government in Tripoli against rival forces based in the country ’ s east .
It has complained that the EU naval operation focuses its efforts too much on the Tripoli administration and turns a blind eye to weapons sent to the eastern-based forces .

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation Friday into the search of a Turkish commercial freighter by the crew of a German frigate participating in a European Union mission to enforce an arms embargo on Libya.
Turkey has protested the incident on the Mediterranean Sea, insisting personnel from the German frigate Hamburg illegally searched the Libya-bound freighter Rosaline-A on Nov. 22.. Germany has rejected Turkey’s complaints, arguing the frigate’s crew acted correctly.
In a brief statement announcing its investigation, the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s office said the search was conducted without “Turkey’s authorization and against international regulations.” The probe is not expected to lead to arrests or the extradition of officials involved in the search.
The Hamburg is part of the European Union’s Operation Irini, a mission launched in March with the goal of enforcing the United Nations’ arms embargo on Libya and tasked with inspecting vessels thought to be carrying weapons to and from Libya.
German officials said the order to board the Rosaline-A came from the mission’s headquarters in Rome and that Turkey objected while the inspection team was on the freighter.
Turkey says the search was “unauthorized and conducted by force” and insisted that its objections prior to the search were ignored.
It was the second incident between Turkey and naval forces from a NATO ally enforcing an arms blockade against Libya.
In June, NATO launched an investigation over an incident between Turkish warships and a French naval vessel in the Mediterranean. France said one of its frigates was “lit up” three times by Turkish targeting radar when it tried to approach a Turkish civilian ship suspected of involvement in arms trafficking.
Turkey supports a U.N.-backed government in Tripoli against rival forces based in the country’s east. It has complained that the EU naval operation focuses its efforts too much on the Tripoli administration and turns a blind eye to weapons sent to the eastern-based forces.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Mexico says Televisa has "substantial power" in TV market

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - A Mexican regulatory agency declared Friday that the country ’ s largest broadcaster , @ @ @ @ @ substantial market power ” in cable television service .
The declaration triggers a potential investigation @ @ @ @ @ s market sway requires additional regulatory moves to allow competitors to enter or expand .
@ @ @ @ @ the company ’ s “ index of increasing prices and the high profit margins are @ @ @ @ @ of a market player that does not have competition that would effectively limit its ability @ @ @ @ @ agency also cited barriers to entry to the market and long-term contracts that limit customers @ @ @ @ @ providers .
Grupo Televisa said in a statement that the decision was “ inconsistent with @ @ @ @ @ agency and that it would consider steps to defend itself .

MEXICO CITY (AP) - A Mexican regulatory agency declared Friday that the country’s largest broadcaster, Grupo Televisa, has “substantial market power” in cable television service.
The declaration triggers a potential investigation into whether the company’s market sway requires additional regulatory moves to allow competitors to enter or expand.
The Federal Telecommunications Institute said the company’s “index of increasing prices and the high profit margins are evidence consistent with the existence of a market player that does not have competition that would effectively limit its ability to fix prices.”
The agency also cited barriers to entry to the market and long-term contracts that limit customers’ ability to change cable providers.
Grupo Televisa said in a statement that the decision was “inconsistent with previous resolutions” by the agency and that it would consider steps to defend itself.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Sandusky Big Boy leaves franchise over Michigan coronavirus restrictions

A Big Boy restaurant in Michigan ’ s Thumb region has lost its name after the owners refused to stop indoor dining as part of statewide restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Customers were greeted Friday with Sandusky Diner instead of Sandusky Big Boy , the name for 35 years .
The company that grants franchises took action .
Big Boy restaurants are known by their statue of a boy in checkered overalls holding a burger over his head .
The Sandusky location , about 88 miles ( 141 kilometers ) north of Detroit , was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violating the state ’ s order against indoor dining .
Three other establishments , including one of the restaurants , also had their liquor licenses suspended .
Big Boy ’ s corporate office told the owners that they had 24 hours to comply with the state ’ s order , said Troy Tank , part owner and operations manager for the restaurant .
“ We had already decided we weren ’ t going to do that , ” Tank told The Associated Press .
“ We would be open only for carry-out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do that again .
We had already done it for three months earlier in quarantine.
” Tank said his restaurant struggled during that period .
“ Our backs were against the wall , and we knew we were going to have to fight , ” he said .
Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer announced limits on bars and restaurants amid a surge of COVID-19 cases .
A public health order also restricts gatherings .
The restrictions forced Michigan high schools and colleges to halt in-person classes for three weeks , while entertainment businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bowling alleys are also closed .
On Friday , Michigan said it had averaged more than 8,500 new coronavirus cases over two days .
It reported 172 additional deaths , including 108 found in a review of past records .
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued citations to four restaurants Wednesday , while the Liquor Control Commission suspended the liquor licenses .
Tank said his restaurant has been fined up to $ 1,000 per day for each day customers are allowed to eat inside .
Patrick Blake , spokesman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sandusky restaurant is no longer allowed to use the Big Boy brand .
“ Big Boy ’ s number one priority is … the safety of customers and staff ” and the Sandusky restaurant ’ s actions “ are not representative of Big Boy standards , ” Blake said .
Also cited and fined were Café Rosetta in Calumet , Woodchips Barbecue in Lapeer and The Meeting Place in Fenton .
Cory ’ s Restaurant in Newaygo and B. and D. LLC in Fremont , along with The Meeting Place , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages seeking comment were not immediately returned Friday .
Whitmer , meanwhile , wants the Republican-controlled Legislature to approve a $ 100 million stimulus plan for “ families and small businesses that have been hit hardest by the pandemic , ” according to a letter obtained by The Detroit News .
Lawmakers are scheduled to meet next month .

A Big Boy restaurant in Michigan’s Thumb region has lost its name after the owners refused to stop indoor dining as part of statewide restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Customers were greeted Friday with Sandusky Diner instead of Sandusky Big Boy, the name for 35 years. The company that grants franchises took action. Big Boy restaurants are known by their statue of a boy in checkered overalls holding a burger over his head.
The Sandusky location, about 88 miles (141 kilometers) north of Detroit, was one of four eateries cited this week for violating the state’s order against indoor dining. Three other establishments, including one of the restaurants, also had their liquor licenses suspended.
Big Boy’s corporate office told the owners that they had 24 hours to comply with the state’s order, said Troy Tank, part owner and operations manager for the restaurant.
“We had already decided we weren’t going to do that,” Tank told The Associated Press. “We would be open only for carry-out. We were not in a position to do that again. We had already done it for three months earlier in quarantine.”
Tank said his restaurant struggled during that period.
“Our backs were against the wall, and we knew we were going to have to fight,” he said.
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced limits on bars and restaurants amid a surge of COVID-19 cases. A public health order also restricts gatherings.
The restrictions forced Michigan high schools and colleges to halt in-person classes for three weeks, while entertainment businesses such as casinos, movie theaters and bowling alleys are also closed.
On Friday, Michigan said it had averaged more than 8,500 new coronavirus cases over two days. It reported 172 additional deaths, including 108 found in a review of past records.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued citations to four restaurants Wednesday, while the Liquor Control Commission suspended the liquor licenses.
Tank said his restaurant has been fined up to $1,000 per day for each day customers are allowed to eat inside.
Patrick Blake, spokesman for Southfield-based Big Boy Restaurant Group, said the Sandusky restaurant is no longer allowed to use the Big Boy brand.
“Big Boy’s number one priority is … the safety of customers and staff” and the Sandusky restaurant’s actions “are not representative of Big Boy standards,” Blake said.
Also cited and fined were Café Rosetta in Calumet, Woodchips Barbecue in Lapeer and The Meeting Place in Fenton. Cory’s Restaurant in Newaygo and B. and D. LLC in Fremont, along with The Meeting Place, had their liquor licenses suspended.
Calls and messages seeking comment were not immediately returned Friday.
Whitmer, meanwhile, wants the Republican-controlled Legislature to approve a $100 million stimulus plan for “families and small businesses that have been hit hardest by the pandemic,” according to a letter obtained by The Detroit News. Lawmakers are scheduled to meet next month.
__
Williams reported from West Bloomfield, Michigan.


washingtontimes--2020-11-27--Officials report more than 4,200 new COVID cases in WA

SEATTLE ( AP ) - Health officials in Washington state reported more than 4,200 new confirmed COVID-19 cases .
The @ @ @ @ @ published the state ’ s latest COVID-19 cases on Friday .
Numbers were not updated @ @ @ @ @ holiday .
KOMO reports that on Friday , DOH reported 4,261 new COVID-19 cases .
@ @ @ @ @ statewide total since the start of the pandemic to 158,167 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,703 @ @

SEATTLE (AP) - Health officials in Washington state reported more than 4,200 new confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The Washington State Department of Health published the state’s latest COVID-19 cases on Friday. Numbers were not updated Thursday because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
KOMO reports that on Friday, DOH reported 4,261 new COVID-19 cases.
The latest surge pushes the statewide total since the start of the pandemic to 158,167 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,703 deaths.