washingtontimes--2020-12-31--New laws: Tougher rules for Louisiana car accident lawsuits

BATON ROUGE , La .
( AP ) - Louisiana motorists filing car accident lawsuits will encounter tougher rules to win damage awards , under a new law championed by the state ’ s business lobby that takes effect Friday and that backers hope will lower the state ’ s hefty insurance premiums .
The law sponsored by Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder - the most high-profile of two dozen statutes taking effect with the new year - is aimed at lessening the money people can receive from insurance companies and businesses in crash lawsuits .
Democratic Gov .
John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses lobbyists struck a deal on the civil litigation changes in a June special session but set the start date for Friday .
Supporters , including many Republicans elected with business backing , said the “ tort reform ” effort will lower insurance rates , which are among the highest in the United States .
They sought to not only shrink the number of lawsuits filed after car wrecks , but also to make it harder for those lawsuits to be successful and any damages awarded less lucrative .
Business lobbying groups said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and promises of big payouts , arguing that frequent litigation is damaging business retention and recruitment in Louisiana .
Opponents , which included lawyers and some Democratic lawmakers , called the civil litigation changes a giveaway to business that will keep people from getting money needed to cover medical bills and could increase costs for court operations - with no legislative requirement that insurers have to lower rates for drivers .
The changes will force jury trials more frequently , so that lawyers have to argue damage claims to more people than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone was wearing a seatbelt as evidence ; limit the mentions of insurance coverage during a trial ; cap certain medical expenses for which damages can be awarded , except in medical malpractice cases or in lawsuits against government agencies .
Among the other laws starting Friday , Louisiana will require driver education courses and the state driver ’ s license test to include information specifically on parking ; schools will have new rules for buying telecommunications and video surveillance equipment ; and health coverage plans will have to cover more detailed imaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills across three legislative sessions in 2020 , a regular session and two special sessions .
One of the new laws won passage in 2019 , but had a delayed start date .

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana motorists filing car accident lawsuits will encounter tougher rules to win damage awards, under a new law championed by the state’s business lobby that takes effect Friday and that backers hope will lower the state’s hefty insurance premiums.
The law sponsored by Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder - the most high-profile of two dozen statutes taking effect with the new year - is aimed at lessening the money people can receive from insurance companies and businesses in crash lawsuits.
Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, the majority-GOP Legislature and businesses lobbyists struck a deal on the civil litigation changes in a June special session but set the start date for Friday.
Supporters, including many Republicans elected with business backing, said the “tort reform” effort will lower insurance rates, which are among the highest in the United States. They sought to not only shrink the number of lawsuits filed after car wrecks, but also to make it harder for those lawsuits to be successful and any damages awarded less lucrative.
Business lobbying groups said the changes would help discourage frivolous lawsuits and promises of big payouts, arguing that frequent litigation is damaging business retention and recruitment in Louisiana.
Opponents, which included lawyers and some Democratic lawmakers, called the civil litigation changes a giveaway to business that will keep people from getting money needed to cover medical bills and could increase costs for court operations - with no legislative requirement that insurers have to lower rates for drivers.
The changes will force jury trials more frequently, so that lawyers have to argue damage claims to more people than a single judge; allow information about whether someone was wearing a seatbelt as evidence; limit the mentions of insurance coverage during a trial; cap certain medical expenses for which damages can be awarded, except in medical malpractice cases or in lawsuits against government agencies.
Among the other laws starting Friday, Louisiana will require driver education courses and the state driver’s license test to include information specifically on parking; schools will have new rules for buying telecommunications and video surveillance equipment; and health coverage plans will have to cover more detailed imaging procedures for mammograms.
Lawmakers approved the bills across three legislative sessions in 2020, a regular session and two special sessions. One of the new laws won passage in 2019, but had a delayed start date.
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Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Bomb-sniffing dogs? Check. Times Square crowd? Not this year

NEW YORK ( AP ) - New York City police turned to familiar tactics ahead of Thursday ’ s New Year ’ s Eve celebrations , deploying bomb-sniffing dogs and sand-filled sanitation trucks intended to guard against explosions .
But the department ’ s playbook this year includes an unusual mandate : preventing crowds of any size from gathering in Times Square .
Citing concerns over the spread of COVID-19 , police closed the Crossroads of the World to vehicles and pedestrians at midnight and said they would disperse any onlookers venturing into a so-called “ frozen zone ” - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw shoulder-to-shoulder crowds .
The coronavirus has upended public life for months , and New Year ’ s Eve will be no different .
This year , police said , revelers headed to Times Square won ’ t be permitted past police lines .
“ If you think you ’ re going to be able to stand there and watch the ball , you ’ re mistaken , ” Chief of Department Terence Monahan said , referring to the glittering , crystal ball that descends down a flagpole in Times Square each New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stroke of midnight .
The NYPD announced a two-part freeze that will become more expansive at 3 p.m .
Even guests at five hotels in the area have been told to stay inside .
Juanita Holmes , chief of patrol for the NYPD , urged would-be partygoers to ring in 2021 “ from the comfort of your home.
” “ Coming to Times Square is a family tradition for some .
It is a bucket list item for others .
But this year is different , ” she said .
“ I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is for everyone to stay home.
” The Police Department will still roll out heavy weapons teams , explosive-sniffing dogs , drones and sand trucks .
But it has planned a drastically scaled-back presence in Times Square , including an 80 % reduction in its typical workforce assigned to the area .
“ We always have to prepare for the worst in terms of counterterrorism overlays , ” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said , “ but the crowds will not be like they were in other years.
” This year ’ s celebration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheering , kissing revelers .
Indeed , the event ’ s special guests , first responders and essential workers , were expected to watch the festivities from a private , well-spaced area .
“ It ’ s almost like a ‘ Seinfeld ’ episode , ” Shea said , invoking the 1990s “ show about nothing.
” “ This is a ball drop about nothing , where you can ’ t see , ” he said , “ so you may as well stay home .
”

NEW YORK (AP) - Gone were the revelry and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds that typify Times Square on New Year’s Eve, replaced by empty streets and an eerie quiet as the final moments of 2020 ticked away.
This was New Year’s Eve in the age of COVID-19.
Crowd control gave way to crowd prevention, as police closed the Crossroads of the World to vehicles and onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the glittering, crystal ball that still descended down a flagpole to mark the stroke of midnight. Would-be partygoers were urged to watch the ball drop on television.
Still, modest throngs of people gathered just outside the police perimeter, which took on the feel of a tailgate as midnight neared. Many said they wanted to end a challenging year on their own terms.
Small groups of revelers, some wearing glittery hats, filmed their distant view of Times Square on their phones and broke out in cheers at midnight. There were kisses and toasts, but police quickly broke up the crowds gathered along Broadway after the ball fell.
One reveler, Daniel Camacho, 36, of Manhattan, described the experience as “anticlimactic” given the small crowd.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” he said of 2020.
Preparing for the worst, the New York Police Department deployed its bomb-sniffing dogs and sand-filled sanitation trucks intended to guard against explosions. But the department’s playbook included an unusual mandate this year: preventing crowds of any size from gathering at the spot of what is usually the nation’s biggest New Year’s Eve party.
Some celebrity performers took to stages set up in the mostly empty square to sing to a small group of masked essential workers. In the final minutes before midnight, Jennifer Lopez sang the Aerosmith classic “Dream On” beneath a blast of confetti.
A brief burst of fireworks blasted and more confetti flew as the countdown hit midnight.
The coronavirus has upended public life for months, and New Year’s Eve proved no different for a city that’s counted over 25,000 deaths blamed on the virus. The blocks surrounding the ball drop were blocked off, leaving a scene that Police Commissioner Dermot Shea described as “surreal.”
Even a group of National Guardsmen engaged in fighting the coronavirus since March was denied entry.
“It just would have been great to ring in 2021 the New York way,” said Billy Merola, a Marine from Long Island.
The turning of the calendar, he said, “provides hope.”
Others who passed through the area in the hours before midnight said the celebration was a melancholy one.
“It makes me a little bit sad,” said Cole Zieser, who recently moved to New York City and was looking forward to “what everyone dreams about in New York.”
Merchants in the area were also lamenting the lack of crowds.
“It’s dead,” said Ali Jameel early Thursday, who owns a store a block from Times Square. “We are dreaming for it to come back again like before.”
The NYPD announced a two-part freeze that became more expansive at 3 p.m. Even guests at five hotels in the area were told to stay inside. Officials urged people to stay away.
“Coming to Times Square is a family tradition for some. It is a bucket list item for others. But this year is different,” said the department’s chief of patrol, Juanita Holmes. “I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for everyone to stay home.”
The Police Department still rolled out heavy weapons teams, explosive-sniffing dogs, drones and sand trucks. But it also planned a drastically scaled-back presence, including an 80% reduction in its typical workforce assigned to the area.
Despite the restrictions, Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed that New Year’s Eve “would be a joyous night, if ever there was one. Goodbye, 2020. Here comes something better: 2021.”
___
Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz and Tom Hays contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Turkey to clamp down on New Year's parties amid virus curfew

ISTANBUL ( AP ) - A four-day lockdown is set to begin in Turkey at 9 p.m. Thursday - New Year ’ s Eve - in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19 , and measures against New Year ’ s gatherings are to be enforced .
Turkey ’ s president has warned parties will not be allowed and law enforcement w illmonitor for any violations .
The interior ministry said gathering would be banned “ not as a preference but as a necessity ” for public health .
Istanbul ’ s governor said Thursday some 34,000 law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules in Turkey ’ s most populous city .
The interior ministry announced more than 208,000 officers would be working across the country and have set up thousands of control points .
Tourists , who have so far been exempt from lockdowns , will also not be allowed to go to symbolic squares and avenues .
Turkey has among the worst infection rates in the world but official statistics show the seven-day average of daily infections has dropped to around 16,000 from above 30,000 since evening curfews and weekend lockdowns were instituted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll to date is 20,642 , according to health ministry statistics .

ISTANBUL (AP) - A four-day lockdown is set to begin in Turkey at 9 p.m. Thursday - New Year’s Eve - in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19, and measures against New Year’s gatherings are to be enforced.
Turkey’s president has warned parties will not be allowed and law enforcement w illmonitor for any violations. The interior ministry said gathering would be banned “not as a preference but as a necessity” for public health.
Istanbul’s governor said Thursday some 34,000 law enforcement personnel would be on duty to enforce the rules in Turkey’s most populous city. The interior ministry announced more than 208,000 officers would be working across the country and have set up thousands of control points.
Tourists, who have so far been exempt from lockdowns, will also not be allowed to go to symbolic squares and avenues.
Turkey has among the worst infection rates in the world but official statistics show the seven-day average of daily infections has dropped to around 16,000 from above 30,000 since evening curfews and weekend lockdowns were instituted in early December.
The total death toll to date is 20,642, according to health ministry statistics.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Guinea uses Russian COVID-19 vaccine on some officials

CONAKRY , Guinea ( AP ) - Guinea began vaccinating against COVID-19 with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine on an experimental basis , starting with government officials , authorities said Thursday .
Guinea has ordered only 55 doses of the Russian vaccine , said Dr. Sakoba Keita , the director-general of the National Health Security Agency .
“ We requested a small quantity of the vaccine , 55 doses precisely .
This is the beginning of an order , ” Keita said .
“ Yesterday we vaccinated in this pilot phase 25 senior officials of the state .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the vaccination.
” Guinea is one of the first African nations to vaccinate its officials .
The Minister of Defense , Mohamed Diane was the first to receive the vaccine .
He was shown getting the inoculation on national TV followed by other Cabinet ministers receiving the shots on Wednesday .
Gen. Bourema Condé , Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization , spoke after receiving the Russian vaccine .
“ This new vaccine is a strong signal .
This signal shows the strong will of the president .
Today is a sampling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ The president wants all Guineans to be in good health in relation to this pandemic.
” Amadou Damaro Camara , the president of the country ’ s legislative body , the National Assembly , was also vaccinated .
“ We are the guinea pigs , ” he said of receiving the first doses of the vaccine .
“ It is the government ’ s permanent concern to want to fight against this disease and we are very happy about it , ” he said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the rest of the people and that it will be the beginning of the eradication of this disease.
” Tibou Camara , Guinea ’ s industry minister , also spoke on the television broadcast after being vaccinated .
“ The Guinean population should be congratulated and rejoice at a time when the vaccine is coveted and not very accessible to many countries , and that our country is a beneficiary , ” he said .
Russia has businesses in the West African nation and Guinea is known for its bauxite mining .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first world leaders to congratulate Guinea ’ s President Alpha Conde after he won a controversial third term in office after a violently contested election in October .

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) - Guinea began vaccinating against COVID-19 with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine on an experimental basis, starting with government officials, authorities said Thursday.
Guinea has ordered only 55 doses of the Russian vaccine, said Dr. Sakoba Keita, the director-general of the National Health Security Agency.
“We requested a small quantity of the vaccine, 55 doses precisely. This is the beginning of an order,” Keita said. “Yesterday we vaccinated in this pilot phase 25 senior officials of the state. There are 30 doses left and we will continue with the vaccination.”
However, he said on state TV Wednesday that they also sent a letter to Russia requesting 2 million doses of Sputnik V to help the country’s vulnerable. Guinea has a population of 13 million.
Guinea is one of the first African nations to vaccinate its officials.
The Minister of Defense, Mohamed Diane was the first to receive the vaccine. He was shown getting the inoculation on national TV followed by other Cabinet ministers receiving the shots on Wednesday.
Gen. Bourema Condé, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, spoke after receiving the Russian vaccine.
“This new vaccine is a strong signal. This signal shows the strong will of the president. Today is a sampling, and this sampling will be duplicated,” he said. “The president wants all Guineans to be in good health in relation to this pandemic.”
Amadou Damaro Camara, the president of the country’s legislative body, the National Assembly, was also vaccinated.
“We are the guinea pigs,” he said of receiving the first doses of the vaccine.
“It is the government’s permanent concern to want to fight against this disease and we are very happy about it,” he said. “We hope that this vaccination will be extended to the rest of the people and that it will be the beginning of the eradication of this disease.”
Tibou Camara, Guinea’s industry minister, also spoke on the television broadcast after being vaccinated.
“The Guinean population should be congratulated and rejoice at a time when the vaccine is coveted and not very accessible to many countries, and that our country is a beneficiary,” he said.
Russia has businesses in the West African nation and Guinea is known for its bauxite mining.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first world leaders to congratulate Guinea’s President Alpha Conde after he won a controversial third term in office after a violently contested election in October.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Back pain causes pope to skip Vatican New Year's ceremonies

VATICAN CITY ( AP ) - Pope Francis is skipping New Year ’ s ceremonies due to what the Vatican says is a painful back condition , a spokesman said Thursday .
Matteo Bruni said Francis is suffering from “ painful sciatica ” and won ’ t preside at a year-end prayer service Thursday evening in St. Peter ’ s Basilica .
The pope also won ’ t celebrate Mass on New Year ’ s Day in the basilica for the same reason .
Francis has suffered from the problem in the past .
Sciatica can cause back and leg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nerve roots or on the sciatic nerve which runs from the lower spine down the thigh .
Despite the back pain , Bruni said Francis will deliver his scheduled New Year ’ s blessing during an appearance at noon Friday in the library of the Apostolic Palace .
To discourage crowds in St. Peter ’ s Square during a COVID-19 surge in Italy , Francis lately has moved his weekly and holiday blessing appearances to inside the Vatican instead of greeting faithful from a palace window overlooking the square .
The Thursday evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go ahead but will be presided over by Vatican cardinals .

VATICAN CITY (AP) - A back condition has forced Pope Francis to skip New Year’s ceremonies at St. Peter’s Basilica, a Vatican spokesman said Thursday.
Francis was suffering from “painful sciatica” and could not preside at an hour-long, year-end prayer service Thursday evening, spokesman Matteo Bruni said. The pope also won’t celebrate Mass in the basilica n New Year’s Day for the same reason, he said.
Francis has spoken openly about his sciatica in the past. It is a form of pain in the lower body caused by compression or irritation on nerve roots or on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower spine down the thigh.
Bruni said Francis still plans to deliver his scheduled New Year’s blessing at noon Friday during an appearance in the library of the Apostolic Palace.
The pontiff already had prepared his homily for New Year’s Eve. A Vatican cardinal filling in for him read it aloud during the evening vespers service.
The service traditionally gives thanks for the year just ending. In his homily, Francis wondered if it “seems forced to thank God at the end of a year such as this, marked by the pandemic.”
“Thoughts go to the families who have lost one or more family members. We think of those who had been ill, to all those who suffered loneliness, to those who lost jobs,” Francis wrote in the homily, delivered by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.
Francis encouraged Roman Catholic faithful trying to make sense out of 2020 to banish any idea that God is “cynical and pitiless.”
Instead, the pope cited the oft-told Gospel parable of the good Samaritan, and gave it a pandemic twist.
“The good Samaritan, when he comes upon that poor man, half-dead, on the edge of the road, doesn’t give a speech to explain to him the sense of what happened to him, perhaps to convince him that in the end it was good for him,” Francis wrote. “The Samaritan, moved by compassion, bends down by that stranger, treating him like a brother and took care of him, doing all that was in his possibilities.”
Francis then thanked God for all those who helped others during the COVID-19 pandemic without making a fuss of it. He said doctors, nurses and volunteers on the front line deserve “our prayers and our recognition.” He expressed gratitude to school officials and teachers “who must face a very complex situation” in the pandemic.
To discourage crowds in St. Peter’s Square during a COVID-19 surge in Italy, Francis lately has moved his weekly and holiday blessing appearances inside the Vatican instead of greeting faithful from a palace window overlooking the square.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Auld lang syne: New Year brings final UK-EU Brexit split

LONDON ( AP ) - Like a separated couple still living together , Britain and the European Union spent 2020 wrangling and wondering whether they can still be friends .
On Thursday , the U.K. is finally moving out .
At 11 p.m. London time - midnight in Brussels - Britain will economically and practically leave the the 27-nation bloc , 11 months after its formal political departure .
After more than four years of Brexit political drama , the day itself is something of an anticlimax .
Lockdown measures to curb the coronavirus have curtailed mass gatherings to celebrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s huge Big Ben bell will sound the hour as it prepares to ring in the New Year .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson - for whom Thursday represents the fulfilment of his promise to “ Get Brexit Done ” - said the day “ marks a new beginning in our country ’ s history and a new relationship with the EU as their biggest ally.
” “ This moment is finally upon us and now is the time to seize it , ” he said after Britain ’ s Parliament approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final formal hurdle on the U.K. side before departure .
It has been 4 1/2 years since Britain voted in a referendum to leave the bloc it joined in 1973 .
The U.K. left the EU ’ s political structures on Jan. 31 of this year , but the real repercussions of that decision have yet to be felt , since the U.K. ’ s economic relationship with the bloc remained unchanged during an 11-month transition period that ends Thursday .
After that , Britain will leave the EU ’ s vast single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single economic change the country has experienced since World War II .
A free trade agreement sealed on Christmas Eve after months of tense negotiations will ensure Britain and the 27-nation EU can continue to trade in goods without tariffs or quotas .
That should help protect the 660 billion pounds ( $ 894 billion ) in annual trade between the two sides , and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on it .
But firms face sheaves of new paperwork and expenses .
Traders are struggling to digest the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was agreed just a week before the changes take place .
The English Channel port of Dover and the Eurotunnel passenger and freight route are bracing for delays , though the pandemic and the holiday weekend mean there will be less cross-Channel traffic than usual .
The vital supply route was snarled for days after France closed its border to U.K. truckers for 48 hours last week in response to a fast-spreading variant of the virus identified in England .
For now , freight companies are holding their breath .
U.K. haulage firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU from Monday until Jan. 11 “ to let things settle.
” “ We figure it gives the country a week or so to get used to all of these new systems in and out and we can have a look and hopefully resolve any issues in advance of actually sending our trucks , ” said Youngs director Rob Hollyman .
The services sector , which makes up 80 % of Britain ’ s economy , doesn ’ t even know what the rules will be for business with the EU in 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be hammered out .
Months and years of further discussion and argument lie ahead as Britain a nd the EU settle in to their new relationship as friends , neighbors and rivals .
Hundreds of millions of individuals in Britain and the bloc also face changes to their daily lives .
After Thursday , Britons and EU citizens lose the automatic right to live and work in the other ’ s territory .
From now on they will have to follow immigration rules and obtain work visas .
Tourists won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new headaches - from travel insurance to pet paperwork - still loom for Britons visiting the continent .
For some in Britain , including the prime minister , it ’ s a moment of pride , a reclaiming of national sovereignty from a vast Brussels bureaucracy .
For others it ’ s a time of loss .
Roger Liddle , an opposition Labour Party member of the House of Lords , said Brexit severed Britain from “ the most successful peace project in history.
” “ Today is a victory for a poisonous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a very bad , and for me very painful , day , ” he said .
That sentiment was echoed by France ’ s Europe minister , Clément Beaune .
“ It ’ s a day that will be historic , that will be sad , ” he told broadcaster LCI .
“ But we also have to look toward the future .
A number of lessons must be drawn from Brexit , starting with lies , I think , that were told to the British .
And we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort of total freedom , a lack of restrictions , of influence - I think will not happen.
” Associated Press Writer John Leicester in Le Pecq , France , contributed to this story .
Follow all AP stories on Brexit at https : //apnews.com/Brexit

LONDON (AP) - Britain’s long and sometimes acrimonious divorce from the European Union ended Thursday with an economic split that leaves the EU smaller and the U.K. freer but more isolated in a turbulent world.
Britain left the European bloc’s vast single market for people, goods and services at 11 p.m. London time, midnight in Brussels, completing the biggest single economic change the country has experienced since World War II. A different U.K.-EU trade deal will bring new restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexit supporters, it means reclaiming national independence from the EU and its web of rules.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose support for Brexit helped push the country out of the EU, called it “an amazing moment for this country.”
“We have our freedom in our hands, and it is up to us to make the most of it,” he said in a New Year’s video message.
The break comes 11 months after a political Brexit that left the two sides in the limbo of a “transition period” - like a separated couple still living together, wrangling and wondering whether they can remain friends. Now the U.K. has finally moved out.
It was a day some had longed for and others dreaded since Britain voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, but it turned out to be something of an anticlimax. U.K. lockdown measures to curb the coronavirus curtailed mass gatherings to celebrate or mourn the moment, though a handful of Brexit supporters defied the restrictions to raise a toast outside Parliament as the Big Ben bell sounded 11 times on the hour.
A free trade agreement sealed on Christmas Eve after months of tense negotiations ensures that Britain and the 27-nation EU can continue to buy and sell goods without tariffs or quotas. That should help protect the 660 billion pounds ($894 billion) in annual trade between the two sides, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on it.
But companies face sheaves of new costs and paperwork, including customs declarations and border checks. Traders are struggling to digest the new rules imposed by the 1,200-page trade deal.
The English Channel port of Dover and the Eurotunnel passenger and freight route braced for delays as the new measures were introduced, though the pandemic and a holiday weekend meant cross-Channel traffic was light, with only a trickle of trucks arriving at French border posts in Calais as 2020 ended. The vital supply route was snarled for days after France closed its border to U.K. truckers for 48 hours last week in response to a fast-spreading variant of the virus identified in England.
The British government insisted that “the border systems and infrastructure we need are in place, and we are ready for the U.K.’s new start.”
But freight companies were holding their breath. Youngs Transportation in the U.K. suspended services to the EU until Jan. 11 “to let things settle.”
“We figure it gives the country a week or so to get used to all of these new systems in and out, and we can have a look and hopefully resolve any issues in advance of actually sending our trucks,” said the company’s director, Rob Hollyman.
The services sector, which makes up 80% of Britain’s economy, does not even know what the rules will be for business with the EU in 2021. Many of the details have yet to be hammered out. Months and years of further discussion and argument over everything from fair competition to fish quotas lie ahead as Britain and the EU settle into their new relationship as friends, neighbors and rivals.
Hundreds of millions of individuals in Britain and the bloc also face changes to their daily lives. Britons and EU citizens have lost the automatic right to live and work in the other’s territory. From now on, they will have to follow immigration rules and obtain work visas. Tourists face new headaches including from travel insurance and pet paperwork.
For some in Britain, including the prime minister, it’s a moment of pride and a chance for the U.K. to set new diplomatic and economic priorities. Johnson said the U.K. was now “free to do trade deals around the world, and free to turbocharge our ambition to be a science superpower.”
Conservative lawmaker Bill Cash, who has campaigned for Brexit for decades, said it was a “victory for democracy and sovereignty.”
That’s not a view widely shared across the Channel. In the French president’s traditional New Year’s address, Emmanuel Macron expressed regret.
“The United Kingdom remains our neighbor but also our friend and ally,” he said. “This choice of leaving Europe, this Brexit, was the child of European malaise and lots of lies and false promises.”
The divorce could also have major constitutional repercussions for the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland, which shares a border with EU member Ireland, remains more closely tied to the bloc’s economy under the divorce terms, a status that could pull it away from the rest of the U.K.
In Scotland, which voted strongly in 2016 to remain, Brexit has bolstered support for separation from the U.K. The country’s pro-independence First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.”
Many in Britain felt apprehension about a leap into the unknown that is taking place during a pandemic that has upended life around the world.
“I feel very sad that we’re leaving,” said Jen Pearcy-Edwards, a filmmaker in London. “I think that COVID has overshadowed everything that is going on. But I think the other thing that has happened is that people feel a bigger sense of community, and I think that makes it even sadder that we’re breaking up our community a bit, by leaving our neighbours in Europe.
“I’m hopeful that we find other ways to rebuild ties,” she said.
___
Associated Press writers Renee Graham in London and John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, contributed to this report.
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Follow all AP stories on Brexit at https://apnews.com/Brexit


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Polish city funds LGBT shelter despite government hostility

WARSAW , Poland ( AP ) - Authorities in the Polish city of Krakow have become the first to include financial support for an LGBT shelter in a country where the community has faced hostility from the government .
The shelter offers temporary accommodation and psychological counseling for up to 12 homeless LGBT people .
It has been run by a charitable foundation , The Voice of the Heart , since 2016 , but has struggled financially .
The city is giving some some 184,000 zlotys ( $ 50,000 ) to give stability and a general boost to the shelter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision comes at a time when Poland ’ s right-wing government is using rhetoric that is hostile to those who identify as other than heterosexual , and some local communities have declared themselves “ free of LGBT ideology.
” Nationwide gestures of support for LGBT communities have also been forthcoming , however .
City money is also to be offered soon to a shelter in the capital , Warsaw , where Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski signed a declaration of support for the LGBT community in 2019 .
That declaration drew a backlash from the @ @ @

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Authorities in the Polish city of Krakow have become the first to include financial support for an LGBT shelter in a country where the community has faced hostility from the government.
The shelter offers temporary accommodation and psychological counseling for up to 12 homeless LGBT people. It has been run by a charitable foundation, The Voice of the Heart, since 2016, but has struggled financially.
The city is giving some some 184,000 zlotys ($50,000) to give stability and a general boost to the shelter over the next two years.
The decision comes at a time when Poland’s right-wing government is using rhetoric that is hostile to those who identify as other than heterosexual, and some local communities have declared themselves “free of LGBT ideology.”
Nationwide gestures of support for LGBT communities have also been forthcoming, however.
City money is also to be offered soon to a shelter in the capital, Warsaw, where Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski signed a declaration of support for the LGBT community in 2019. That declaration drew a backlash from the conservative government.
x


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--For U.K.'s Gibraltar, which way will the Brexit dice roll?

MADRID ( AP ) - Negotiators from Spain and the United Kingdom are in a race against the clock to clinch a deal on the post-Brexit future of Gibraltar , a speck of British territory on the southern tip of the Spanish mainland .
In the U.K. ’ s 2016 Brexit referendum , 96 % of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the European Union .
But they face the possibility of entering the New Year with tight new controls on what for decades has been an open border with the bloc .
Officials from Madrid and London have until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , when the Brexit separation comes into force , to find an agreement .
Gibraltar wasn ’ t part of the Brexit trade deal between the EU and the U.K. , which was announced on Christmas Eve .
The territory was ceded to Britain in 1713 , but Spain maintains its claim to sovereignty over it .
That dispute has occasionally flared .
Neither side has commented publicly on the talks this week .
Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya said on Monday that keeping the issue out of the media spotlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common ground .
But she has warned that long lines of trucks could form if a hard border with police and customs checks is installed .
A lot is riding on the outcome for Gibraltar , which needs access to the EU market for its tiny economy .
The territory known as The Rock is home to around 34,000 people .
More than 15,000 people live in Spain and work in Gibraltar , making up about 50 % of its labor market .
Follow all AP stories on Brexit at https : //apnews.com/Brexit

MADRID (AP) - An 11th-hour breakthrough in protracted negotiations will keep open Gibraltar’s crucial border with Spain following the United Kingdom’s full departure from the European Union, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya announced Thursday.
Just hours before the U.K. was to complete its break from the 27-nation bloc, Madrid and London clinched “an agreement in principle” that means people in the speck of British territory on Spain’s southern tip “can breathe a sigh of relief,” González Laya said.
The key to the deal is that The Rock, whose sovereignty is disputed by Spain and Britain, will remain subject to rules in use in Europe’s Schengen area, she said. That area consists of about two dozen nations that have agreed to eliminate general travel checks among them. Britain is not in the Schengen group.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement the negotiating teams wanted to “ensure border fluidity, which is clearly in the best interests of the people living on both sides.”
The compromise agreement between Spain and the U.K. will be sent to Brussels, where the European Commission will enter into negotiations with London to turn it into a treaty, González Laya said.
She said she expected the treaty to be signed within six months.
The head of Gibraltar’s government, Fabian Picardo, warned that there were still tough negotiations ahead in drawing up the treaty, including jurisdiction issues and import duties.
“There will be complexity to come,” he told a news conference, adding that “we may end up with a deal on the (free) movement of people but not goods.”
González Laya said the agreement’s technical details, such as how Gibraltar’s port and airport will be policed, will be published in the new year. A major hurdle in the negotiations was whether EU representatives could be stationed in the British territory.
Spain is to ensure that Gibraltar abides by Schengen rules.
In the U.K.’s 2016 Brexit referendum, 96% of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the EU. They faced the possibility of entering the new year with tight new controls on what for decades has been an open border with the bloc through Spain.
A lot was riding on the outcome for Gibraltar, which needs access to the EU market for its tiny economy. The territory is home to around 34,000 people.
More than 15,000 people live in Spain and work in Gibraltar, making up about 50% of its labor market.
Gibraltar wasn’t part of the Brexit trade deal between the EU and the U.K., which was announced on Christmas Eve.
The territory was ceded to Britain in 1713, but Spain maintains its claim to sovereignty over it. That dispute has occasionally flared.
___
Follow all AP stories on Brexit at https://apnews.com/Brexit


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Left behind: How to prepare pets for a post-pandemic life

Sometime in 2021 , probably for many more than a year after pandemic restrictions began in the United States , most American workers and students will return to campuses , offices and other workplaces .
Left behind will pets who have become accustomed to humans staying home with them .
Some tips on how to prepare them and signs of distress to watch for , from Candace Croney .
The Purdue University professor has studied and taught about animal behavior for some two decades and consults with many veterinarians and others who work with household animals .
-Start practicing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predictability , taking small steps incrementally .
-Provide them with toys and treats to focus on while you work in a different room .
-Take walks without them ; don ’ t take them on every car ride .
-Even if the weather isn ’ t good for driving , pull your car out of the garage and sit for awhile .
-If you don ’ t drive , find another venue to create space .
-If you feel your pets will find it hard to adjust , consult your veterinarian to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RETURN TO WORKPLACE -Changes in eating or drinking habits .
-For cats , common signs of distress are inappropriate urination or defecation outside the litter box .
-For dogs , excessive whining and barking , leaving treats untouched , changes in toileting habits .
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE PETS NOT ADJUSTING -Call your veterinarian before things get worse .
-Use baby-type monitors to check on your pets remotely .
-Have a friend or paid dog-walker stop by .
-Leave on soft music playing or TV talk shows ( not the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Sometime in 2021, probably for many more than a year after pandemic restrictions began in the United States, most American workers and students will return to campuses, offices and other workplaces. Left behind will pets who have become accustomed to humans staying home with them.
Some tips on how to prepare them and signs of distress to watch for, from Candace Croney. The Purdue University professor has studied and taught about animal behavior for some two decades and consults with many veterinarians and others who work with household animals.
___
NOW
-Start practicing to give them a routine and sense of predictability, taking small steps incrementally.
-Provide them with toys and treats to focus on while you work in a different room.
-Take walks without them; don’t take them on every car ride.
-Even if the weather isn’t good for driving, pull your car out of the garage and sit for awhile.
-If you don’t drive, find another venue to create space.
-If you feel your pets will find it hard to adjust, consult your veterinarian to make a plan.
___
SIGNS FOR CONCERN AFTER RETURN TO WORKPLACE
-Changes in eating or drinking habits.
-For cats, common signs of distress are inappropriate urination or defecation outside the litter box.
-For dogs, excessive whining and barking, leaving treats untouched, changes in toileting habits.
-Destructive behavior.
-Acting abnormally frantic when you return home.
___
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE PETS NOT ADJUSTING
-Call your veterinarian before things get worse.
-Use baby-type monitors to check on your pets remotely.
-Have a friend or paid dog-walker stop by.
-Leave on soft music playing or TV talk shows (not the kind where they yell at each other).


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Changes, challenges: The not-so-secret life of pandemic pets

CINCINNATI ( AP ) - Olivia Hinerfeld ’ s dog Lincoln and Kate Hilts ’ cat Potato have something in common : They both like to interrupt Zoom calls as their owners work from home .
“ Sometimes it ’ s better to preemptively put him on your lap so he can fall asleep , ” says Hilts , a digital consultant in the Washington D.C. area .
Jealous of the attention that Hinerfeld is paying to her video conference call , Lincoln , a golden retriever , will fetch “ the most disgusting ” tennis ball he can find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lap of the Georgetown University Law School student .
For many dogs , this is life as it was meant to be : humans around 24/7 , walks and treats on demand , sneaking onto beds at night without resistance .
Cats - many of whom , let ’ s be honest , were already social distancing before humans knew what that was - are more affectionate than ever , some now even acting hungry for attention .
Ten months into quarantines and working from home because of the pandemic , household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have in many cases changed , and not always for the better .
With this month ’ s U.S. rollout of vaccinations offering hope for normalcy in 2021 , long-term impacts aren ’ t known .
“ If we think how much time most of our pets prior to the pandemic typically would spend without people around to 24 hours a day , seven days a week , it ’ s quite a lot , ” says Candace Croney , a Purdue University professor who teaches about animal behavior .
While estimates vary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , there ’ s general agreement that the majority of U.S. households have at least one pet , with dogs , then cats , far out-numbering other pets such as birds and fish .
There also was a surge in pet adoptions this year as stay-at-home restrictions took effect .
For all those tens of millions of dogs and cats , it ’ s been an opportunity to teach humans a thing or two about themselves .
Croney has enjoyed watching how her long-hair cat Bernie and Havanese-mix dog Des @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bookended ” by the pair in bed at night .
“ I ’ ve been learning things that I probably had been missing about how these two interact with each other and have found out that I need to take my cues from them , ” Croney says .
“ Which is funny , because I do this for a living and this is the kind of thing we tell other people to do and clearly , I was missing some of it myself.
” In the Washington D.C. area , Emily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is learning her cat ’ s language .
Humito ( Spanish for Smokey ) , the 3-year-old rescue cat she ’ s had most of his life , has different-sounding “ Meows ” to communicate that he wants to eat , wants to nap or has knocked his toy under the refrigerator .
“ I think the more time you spend with them , the more you can see them eye-to-eye , ” she says .
“ The pandemic has brought us closer together.
” Devika Ranjan , a theater director in Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue cat she named Aloo during the summer .
The formerly feral cat is believed to be around 3 , and seems to be very comfortable with a slow-paced , high-attention pandemic life .
“ My working from home , I think he loves it , ” she says .
“ I think he is just ready to settle down in life .
If he were human , he ’ d probably sit on the couch with a PBR ( beer ) and watch TV all day.
” The pandemic hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as those with owners who are struggling financially .
Veterinarians and owners report some pets are being medicated for anxiety , and others are being put on diets because of too many treats and not enough exercise in parks that humans may be avoiding because of virus concerns .
Hilts says her cat , a rescue who joined their household in March 2019 , always seemed to enjoy attention from strangers but now hides from visitors .
Kursten Hedgis , a herbalist in Decatur , Georgia , says her dog Bitsy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention from other humans on their walks .
“ He got really bummed out because no one would talk to him or pet him , ” she says .
“ People would walk six feet around us .
I think he took it personally.
” Bitsy , a yorkie , is 14 and has been with her six years after a life as a breeder in a puppy mill .
He is blind in one eye and suffers periodic infections and incontinence .
Trips to the veterinarian have been “ really scary ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , Hedgis and other pet owners say they have become more than companions in recent months , that they provide valuable emotional support to their humans .
Humito seems to sense when she is feeling stressed and will take the initiative to cuddle into her lap , says Benavides , communications director for Republican Sen .
Rob Portman of Ohio .
“ It ’ s a relationship built on mutual care and comfort , ” Benavides says .
As humans begin to return to work and the vaccine rolls out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test of those relationships and new habits .
Says Ranjan of Aloo : “ I hope he will take it in stride.
” Croney , the animal behavior professor with some two decades of experience , says she ’ s concerned about what will happen when she returns to work , and not only to her pets .
“ I ’ m starting to worry a little bit for me , ” she admits .
“ I ’ m becoming a little co-dependent of my animals.
” Dan Sewell is Cincinnati correspondent for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic , his household ’ s Bichon dog , Mimi , went from jumping into bed in the morning to having her own pillow in bed at night .
Follow Sewell on Twitter at https : //www.twitter.com/dansewell

CINCINNATI (AP) - Olivia Hinerfeld’s dog Lincoln and Kate Hilts’ cat Potato have something in common: They both like to interrupt Zoom calls as their owners work from home.
“Sometimes it’s better to preemptively put him on your lap so he can fall asleep,” says Hilts, a digital consultant in the Washington, D.C., area.
Jealous of the attention that Hinerfeld is paying to her video conference call, Lincoln, a golden retriever, will fetch “the most disgusting” tennis ball he can find from his toy crate to drop into the lap of the Georgetown University Law School student.
For many dogs, this is life as it was meant to be: humans around 24/7, walks and treats on demand, sneaking onto beds at night without resistance. Cats - many of whom, let’s be honest, were already socially distancing before humans knew what that was - are more affectionate than ever, some now even acting hungry for attention.
Ten months into quarantines and working from home because of the pandemic, household pets’ lives and relationships with humans have in many cases changed, and not always for the better. With this month’s U.S. rollout of vaccinations offering hope for normalcy in 2021, long-term impacts aren’t known.
“If we think how much time most of our pets prior to the pandemic typically would spend without people, being around us now 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it’s quite a lot,” Candace Croney, a Purdue University professor who teaches about animal behavior.
While estimates vary on how many pets there are in the United States, there’s general agreement that the majority of U.S. households have at least one pet, with dogs, and then cats, far outnumbering other pets such as birds and fish. There also was a surge in pet adoptions this year as stay-at-home restrictions took effect.
For all those tens of millions of dogs and cats, it’s been an opportunity to teach humans a thing or two about themselves.
Croney has enjoyed watching how her long-hair cat Bernie and Havanese-mix dog Des play together. She finds herself getting “bookended” by the pair in bed at night.
“I’ve been learning things that I probably had been missing about how these two interact with each other and have found out that I need to take my cues from them,” Croney says. “Which is funny, because I do this for a living and this is the kind of thing we tell other people to do and clearly, I was missing some of it myself.”
In the Washington area, Emily Benavides, a U.S. Senate staffer, is learning her cat’s language. Humito (Spanish for Smoky), the 3-year-old rescue cat she has had for much of his life, has different-sounding meows to communicate that he wants to eat, wants to nap or has knocked his toy under the refrigerator.
“I think the more time you spend with them, the more you can see them eye to eye,” she says. “The pandemic has brought us closer together.”
Devika Ranjan, a theater director in Chicago, wanted pandemic company and got a rescue cat she named Aloo during the summer. The formerly feral cat is believed to be around 3 and seems to be very comfortable with a slow-paced, high-attention pandemic life.
“My working from home, I think he loves it,” she says. “I think he is just ready to settle down in life. If he were human, he’d probably sit on the couch with a PBR and watch TV all day.”
The pandemic hasn’t been positive for all pets, though, such as those with owners who are struggling financially.
Veterinarians and owners report some pets are being medicated for anxiety, and others are being put on diets because of too many treats and not enough exercise in parks that humans may be avoiding because of virus concerns.
Hilts says her cat, a rescue who joined their household in March 2019, always seemed to enjoy attention from strangers but now hides from visitors.
Kursten Hedgis, a herbalist in Decatur, Georgia, says her dog Bitsy, also a rescue, misses the attention from other humans on their walks.
“He got really bummed out because no one would talk to him or pet him,” she says. “People would walk 6 feet around us. I think he took it personally.”
Bitsy, a yorkie, is 14 and has been with her six years after a life as a breeder in a puppy mill. He is blind in one eye and suffers periodic infections and incontinence. Trips to the veterinarian have been “really scary” because of the masks and reduced contacts, Hedgis says.
However, Hedgis and other pet owners say they have become more than companions in recent months - they provide emotional support to their humans.
Humito appears to sense when she is feeling stressed and will take the initiative to cuddle into her lap, says Benavides, spokesperson for Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, of Ohio. “It’s a relationship built on mutual care and comfort,” Benavides says.
As humans begin to return to work and vaccines roll out, the next year likely will bring a test of those relationships and new habits. Says Ranjan of Aloo: “I hope he will take it in stride.”
Croney, the animal behavior professor with some two decades of experience, says she worries what will happen when she returns to work, and not only to her pets.
“I’m starting to worry a little bit for me,” she admits. “I’m becoming a little co-dependent of my animals.”
___
Dan Sewell is Cincinnati correspondent for The Associated Press. At some point during the pandemic, his household’s Bichon dog, Mimi, went from jumping into bed in the morning to having her own pillow in bed at night. Follow Sewell on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/dansewell


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Officer who was shot while catching fugitive returns home

MILFORD , Del .
( AP ) - A police officer in Delaware who was struck by a barrage of @ @ @ @ @ a fugitive has returned home from a rehabilitation center .
The News Journal reports that @ @ @ @ @ Webb was escorted home Wednesday from a Dover rehabilitation center by his fellow officers .
@ @ @ @ @ flashed the lights on their fire trucks .
And fire trucks had been waiting for @ @ @ @ @ Milford police say that Webb ’ s condition continues to improve .
He was shot @ @ @ @ @ outside an Econo Lodge hotel near Rehoboth Beach while he and other officers were trying @ @ @ @ @ who was wanted for attempted murder .
The suspect , 37-year-old Evelio Rivera , was @ @ @ @ @ .

MILFORD, Del. (AP) - A police officer in Delaware who was struck by a barrage of bullets while trying to catch a fugitive has returned home from a rehabilitation center.
The News Journal reports that Milford Sr. Cpl. T.J. Webb was escorted home Wednesday from a Dover rehabilitation center by his fellow officers.
Firefighters also waved flags and flashed the lights on their fire trucks. And fire trucks had been waiting for Webb on multiple overpasses.
Milford police say that Webb’s condition continues to improve. He was shot multiple times on Dec. 10 outside an Econo Lodge hotel near Rehoboth Beach while he and other officers were trying to apprehend a Pennsylvania man who was wanted for attempted murder. The suspect, 37-year-old Evelio Rivera, was shot and killed by police.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--7 regional governors extend interstate youth hockey ban

MONTPELIER , Vt. ( AP ) - The governors of the six New England states and New Jersey have extended a prohibition on interstate youth hockey through the end of January .
The governors took the action due to coronavirus outbreaks associated with youth hockey activities .
In a news release issued late Wednesday , the governors of Maine , New Hampshire , Vermont , Massachusetts , Rhode Island , Connecticut and New Jersey said the prohibition , which had been set to expire Thursday , would be extended through Jan. 31 .
The prohibition applies to all public and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It will be reevaluated as public health conditions warrant .
The prohibition does not impact interstate collegiate , professional or U.S. national team hockey .
In Vermont , the order does not affect rules that allow limited youth leagues and school-based sports programs within the state for individuals 19 and younger .
An organizer of a group that has held protests outside Gov .
Chris Sununu ’ s home in the weeks since he issued a mask order said no one openly carried a handgun or firearm at any of the gatherings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have successfully discouraged any and all ‘ armed protests ’ to date , ” Brennan Christian of the group Absolute Defiance said in a statement issued late Wednesday .
Sununu said that he is canceling his outdoor inauguration ceremony on Jan. 7 because of public safety concerns about armed protesters gathering outside his home in Newfields .
“ For weeks , armed protesters have increasingly become more aggressive , targeting my family , protesting outside my private residence , and trespassing on my property - an outdoor public ceremony simply brings too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protesters started gathering outside Sununu ’ s home on Nov. 22 in response to an order , which had taken effect two days earlier , requiring masks to be worn in public spaces , indoors or outside , when social distancing isn ’ t possible because of the coronavirus pandemic .
On Monday , police issued summonses to nine people and arrested one of them under a new anti-picketing ordinance .
Skylar Bennett , 38 , of Concord , said he will contest his arrest on charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct @

The governors of the six New England states and New Jersey have extended a prohibition on interstate youth hockey through the end of January.
The governors took the action because of coronavirus outbreaks associated with youth hockey activities.
In a news release late Wednesday, the governors of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey said the prohibition, which had been set to expire Thursday, would be extended through Jan. 31.
The prohibition applies to all public and private schools and youth hockey leagues. It will be reevaluated as public health conditions warrant.
The prohibition does not affect interstate collegiate, professional or U.S. national team hockey.
In Vermont, the order does not affect rules that allow limited youth leagues and school-based sports programs within the state for people 19 and younger.
___
NEW HAMPSHIRE
An organizer of a group that has held protests outside Gov. Chris Sununu’s home in the weeks since he issued a mask order said no one openly carried a handgun or firearm at any of the gatherings.
“Organizers have made every effort, and have successfully discouraged any and all ‘armed protests’ to date,” Brennan Christian of the group Absolute Defiance said in a statement late Wednesday.
Sununu said earlier that he was canceling his outdoor inauguration ceremony Jan. 7 because of public safety concerns about armed protesters gathering outside his home in Newfields.
“For weeks, armed protesters have increasingly become more aggressive, targeting my family, protesting outside my private residence, and trespassing on my property - an outdoor public ceremony simply brings too much risk,” Sununu said.
Protesters started gathering outside Sununu’s home on Nov. 22 in response to an order, which had taken effect two days earlier, requiring masks to be worn in public spaces, indoors or outside, when social distancing isn’t possible because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, police issued summonses to nine people and arrested one of them under a new anti-picketing ordinance.
___
VERMONT
Officials are concerned about the reduction in the number of vaccines Vermont will receive from the federal government next week.
The state is expected to get a total of 7,800 doses of a combination of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines next week, rather than the 11,000 doses it had expected, Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said Thursday during the governor’s biweekly virus briefing.
The reduction “can eventually have an impact on our overall vaccination timeline,” he said.
The state is contacting the federal government to see how the allocations can be increased to at least 11,700 doses a week, he said.
“This is at the federal level, and we’re really trying to understand what is going on. You can’t have a program where there’s no predictability in what you’re getting and then you get cut from one week to the next,” Smith said.
Six staffers at the Vermont Veteran’s Home in Bennington have tested positive for the virus, Smith said. Facility-wide PCR testing was happening Thursday and will continue twice a week for the near future, he said.
____
CONNECTICUT
The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that many of Gov. Ned Lamont’s shutdown orders related to the coronavirus pandemic are constitutional, thwarting a challenge from a pub owner.
Justices on Thursday rejected claims the Democratic governor is exceeding his legal authority in ordering the closing of bars and restricting certain other business activity in efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
Kristine Casey, who runs Casey’s Irish Pub in Milford, sued Lamont, saying he exceeded his authority and asked that his orders be blocked.
The Supreme Court disagreed and said the governor is charged with protecting the health and safety of citizens.
____
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts is distributing another $67 million to almost 1,400 small businesses to help them survive the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Thursday.
The grants are part of the a $668 million relief package announced last week.
About half the businesses are minority owned and 48% are owned by women, officials said. They include restaurants and bars, personal services and retailers.
The first round of grants announced last week totaled nearly $49 million in support of 1,158 Massachusetts small businesses.
The grants of up to $75,000, but not more than three months’ operating expenses, can be used for payroll and employee benefit costs, mortgage interest, rent, utilities and interest on other debt obligations.
__
A city’s public health director, stressed by 10 months of nearly nonstop work handling the community’s response to the pandemic, is taking medical leave.
“I’m exhausted,” Framingham Director of Public health Sam Wong told the MetroWest Daily News by phone on Wednesday. “I’m physically, mentally and even sometimes spiritually exhausted. I have given everything I’ve got for the city for the past 10 months and then some, and it has taken a toll on my health and it is to the point where I have to take a step back.”
Wong said he was also frustrated by the inequities and politics of the pandemic.
His last day is Thursday.
Assistant Director Alexandra DePalo will take over for Wong.
___
RHODE ISLAND
A Rhode Island woman has celebrated her 100th birthday after surviving COVID-19.
Eleanor Strom had a small party Wednesday with her daughter, Robin Harris, and grandson, Jason, at the Harris Health Center in East Providence, according to The Providence Journal.
Her many other descendants were not allowed to join them.
Strom was sick for about two weeks in November but was never ill enough to wind up in a hospital. Most of the time, she slept and let nature take its course.
“I feel absolutely blessed,” Harris said. “My mom is such a good woman, so close to God.”
___
MAINE
Maine Gov. Janet Mills is urging residents to safely celebrate the New Year at home and not let the fear of missing out cause them to do things against their better judgement.
“Before you think about going out tonight, before you go to a party down the street, before you invite a bunch of people over, think about the first responders, the EMTs, the nurses, CNAs and doctors whose lives are constantly put on the line by so many people getting deathly sick with this virus,” she said in a Facebook video on Thursday.
Mills said to connect with people in other ways on a telephone, FaceTime or Zoom call.
“This crisis isn’t over. The virus is killing more and more people every day. Please don’t let your guard down,” Mills said.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Energy officials award incentive pay to Hanford contractors

RICHLAND , Wash. ( AP ) - The Department of Energy is awarding nearly $ 77 million in incentive pay to four contractors for their work at the Hanford nuclear reservation in fiscal 2020 .
The Tri-City Herald reports all earned a larger percentage of available incentive pay for their performance in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 than they did in the previous fiscal year .
The Hanford site in Eastern Washington state has 56 million gallons of radioactive waste in underground tanks .
The waste is left from producing about two-thirds of the nation ’ s plutonium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War for the nation ’ s nuclear weapons program .
The awards are for Hanford ’ s three environmental cleanup contractors and its sitewide services contractor , which supports cleanup .
Together they employ about 6,100 workers .
Hanford contracts over the last decade have typically reimbursed companies for their costs of work at the nuclear reservation and allowed them to earn profit by completing specific work and through a subjective evaluation .
Not included in the fee awards announced this week is Bechtel National , which is building and starting up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is on a calendar-year review and fee schedule .
Rather than releasing the complete review , DOE in recent years has made public a scorecard that lists fee earned and a brief recap of work that was done well and also areas needing improvement .

RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) - The Department of Energy is awarding nearly $77 million in incentive pay to four contractors for their work at the Hanford nuclear reservation in fiscal 2020.
The Tri-City Herald reports all earned a larger percentage of available incentive pay for their performance in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 than they did in the previous fiscal year.
The Hanford site in Eastern Washington state has 56 million gallons of radioactive waste in underground tanks. The waste is left from producing about two-thirds of the nation’s plutonium from World War II through the Cold War for the nation’s nuclear weapons program.
The awards are for Hanford’s three environmental cleanup contractors and its sitewide services contractor, which supports cleanup. Together they employ about 6,100 workers.
Hanford contracts over the last decade have typically reimbursed companies for their costs of work at the nuclear reservation and allowed them to earn profit by completing specific work and through a subjective evaluation.
Not included in the fee awards announced this week is Bechtel National, which is building and starting up the $17 billion Hanford vitrification plant. It is on a calendar-year review and fee schedule.
Rather than releasing the complete review, DOE in recent years has made public a scorecard that lists fee earned and a brief recap of work that was done well and also areas needing improvement.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Search ends for driver of truck that went off bridge-tunnel

VIRGINIA BEACH , Va. ( AP ) - Authorities have called off the search for the driver of a truck @ @ @ @ @ of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel .
The Virginian-Pilot reported Wednesday evening that Erik Mezick , @ @ @ @ @ Maryland , has not been not found .
The truck was pulled from the bay @ @ @ @ @ police officers say they will look for mechanical malfunctions and review information from the truck @ @ @ @ @ The truck went off the Bridge-Tunnel on Tuesday morning .
The vehicle is owned by @ @ @ @ @ company based in Baltimore .
The U.S. Coast Guard , the Virginia Beach Fire Department @ @ @ @ @ had coordinated efforts to find Mezick ’ s body .
Witnesses to the crash had @ @ @ @ @ out the truck and drift west in the bay .

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Authorities have called off the search for the driver of a truck that went off the side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Wednesday evening that Erik Mezick, 47, of Fruitland, Maryland, has not been not found.
The truck was pulled from the bay on Wednesday. And bridge-tunnel police officers say they will look for mechanical malfunctions and review information from the truck’s black box.
The truck went off the Bridge-Tunnel on Tuesday morning. The vehicle is owned by Cloverland Greenspring Dairy, a company based in Baltimore.
The U.S. Coast Guard, the Virginia Beach Fire Department and various other responding organizations had coordinated efforts to find Mezick’s body. Witnesses to the crash had said they saw him get out the truck and drift west in the bay.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Replacement plan for NC license plates begins with new year

RALEIGH , N.C. ( AP ) - Millions of North Carolina motor vehicles will soon be getting a freshen-up when it comes to their license plates .
Starting with the new year , any regular plate that ’ s at least seven years old on the vehicle ’ s registration renewal date will be replaced , according to the state Division of Motor Vehicles .
This will result in an estimated 2.4 million plates being subbed out during 2021 , DMV says .
Another half-million similarly aged specialty and vanity plates will be changed out in 2022 , when these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The schedule is designed to carry out a 2019 law creating a replacement mandate .
Plates faded by time and the elements are difficult for police and machines to read .
Replacement plates will be free to vehicle owners , and those who wish to keep their current plate number can do so if they request the duplicate by mail or at an license plate office , according to DMV .
Duplicate plates will be digitally produced and not have embossed , or raised lettering .
While vehicle owners are directed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offices , there is no penalty for failing to do so .

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Millions of North Carolina motor vehicles will soon be getting a freshen-up when it comes to their license plates.
Starting with the new year, any regular plate that’s at least seven years old on the vehicle’s registration renewal date will be replaced, according to the state Division of Motor Vehicles. This will result in an estimated 2.4 million plates being subbed out during 2021, DMV says.
Another half-million similarly aged specialty and vanity plates will be changed out in 2022, when these plates become subject to the automatic replacement.
The schedule is designed to carry out a 2019 law creating a replacement mandate. Plates faded by time and the elements are difficult for police and machines to read.
Replacement plates will be free to vehicle owners, and those who wish to keep their current plate number can do so if they request the duplicate by mail or at an license plate office, according to DMV. Duplicate plates will be digitally produced and not have embossed, or raised lettering.
While vehicle owners are directed to return their discontinued plates to local plate offices, there is no penalty for failing to do so.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Cause of Council Bluffs airport fire still unknown

COUNCIL BLUFFS , Iowa ( AP ) - An investigation continues into what caused a fire at the Council Bluffs @ @ @ @ @ and damaged several others .
The fire broke out Wednesday morning at the western Iowa @ @ @ @ @ smoke into the air .
Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 40 minutes .
Authorities @ @ @ @ @ total loss and others sustained smoke damage .
Officials have not yet estimated the financial @ @

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) - An investigation continues into what caused a fire at the Council Bluffs airport that destroyed one plane and damaged several others.
The fire broke out Wednesday morning at the western Iowa airport, sending thick black smoke into the air. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 40 minutes.
Authorities say one plane was a total loss and others sustained smoke damage. Officials have not yet estimated the financial toll.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Swedish women’s champion Göteborg is back for 2021

STOCKHOLM ( AP ) - Just two days after announcing its dissolution , Swedish women ’ s champion Göteborg is back .
The club received an “ overwhelming ” response from potential investors after announcing that it can no longer compete financially with major European teams .
As a result , Göteborg will defend its Swedish league title in 2021 , the club said Thursday .
The team said , however , that its long-term concerns haven ’ t changed .
Göteborg is not linked to a men ’ s team and it fears that it can ’ t compete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and European clubs have started spending more money on their women ’ s teams .
With clubs like Lyon , Paris Saint-Germain , Juventus and others “ having realized the value of women ’ s football … they are making large investments and have given women ’ s football resources that it ’ s impossible for us to match , ” the club said Tuesday .
Potential new investors include private individuals , companies , and other soccer teams , Göteborg said .
The club , which has been funded by the sponsorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Champions League this month when it lost to Manchester City in the round of 32 .
Göteborg won its first domestic league title this year , having finished second four times , and also won the Swedish Cup three times .
American forward Christen Press is among the internationals who have played for Göteborg .

STOCKHOLM (AP) - Just two days after announcing its dissolution, Swedish women’s champion Göteborg is back.
The club received an “overwhelming” response from potential investors after announcing that it can no longer compete financially with major European teams. As a result, Göteborg will defend its Swedish league title in 2021, the club said Thursday.
The team said, however, that its long-term concerns haven’t changed. Göteborg is not linked to a men’s team and it fears that it can’t compete at the elite level when major Swedish and European clubs have started spending more money on their women’s teams.
With clubs like Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and others “having realized the value of women’s football … they are making large investments and have given women’s football resources that it’s impossible for us to match,” the club said Tuesday.
Potential new investors include private individuals, companies, and other soccer teams, Göteborg said.
The club, which has been funded by the sponsorship of a local brewery, was eliminated from the Champions League this month when it lost to Manchester City in the round of 32.
Göteborg won its first domestic league title this year, having finished second four times, and also won the Swedish Cup three times.
American forward Christen Press is among the internationals who have played for Göteborg.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Police investigate deliberate spoiling of 500 vaccine doses

GRAFTON , Wis. ( AP ) - Police and federal authorities are investigating after a Wisconsin health system said an employee admitted to deliberately spoiling 500 doses of coronavirus vaccine .
Aurora Medical Center first reported that the doses has been spoiled on Saturday , saying they had been accidentally left out unrefrigerated overnight by an employee at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton .
The health system said Wednesday that the doses of vaccine now appear to have been deliberately spoiled .
Police in Grafton , about 20 miles ( 32 kilometers ) north of Milwaukee , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food and Drug Administration are “ actively ” investigating the case .
Police said they were notified of the alleged tampering Wednesday night .
Police said Thursday morning that no other information would be immediately released , and declined to say if any arrests have been made .
In a statement late Wednesday , Aurora said the employee involved “ acknowledged that they intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration.
” Aurora said it has fired the employee and referred the matter to the authorities .
The statement said nothing about a possible motive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believe that vaccination is our way out of the pandemic .
We are more than disappointed that this individual ’ s actions will result in a delay of more than 500 people receiving their vaccine , ” the statement said .
Aurora said it would provide more information on Thursday .

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Authorities arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist Thursday suspected of deliberately ruining hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing them from refrigeration for two nights.
The arrest marks another setback in what has been a slower, messier start to vaccinate Americans than public health officials had expected. Leaders in Wisconsin and other states have been begging the Trump administration for more doses as health care workers and senior citizens line up for the lifesaving vaccine.
Police in Grafton, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Milwaukee, said the Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property, all felonies. The pharmacist has been fired and police said in a news release that he was in jail. Police did not identify the pharmacist, saying he has not yet been formally charged.
His motive remains unclear. Police said that detectives believe he knew the spoiled doses would be useless and people who received them would mistakenly think they’d been vaccinated when they hadn’t.
Advocate Aurora Health Care Chief Medical Group Officer Jeff Bahr told reporters during a teleconference Thursday afternoon that the pharmacist deliberately removed 57 vials that held hundreds of doses of the Moderna vaccine from refrigeration at a Grafton medical center overnight on Dec. 24 into Dec. 25, returned them, then left them out again on the night of Dec. 25 into Saturday. The vials contained enough doses to inoculate 570 people.
A pharmacy technician discovered the vials outside the refrigerator on Saturday morning. Bahr said the pharmacist initially said that he had removed the vials to access other items in the refrigerator and had inadvertently failed to put them back.
The Moderna vaccine is viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest. Police said the discarded doses were worth between $8,000 and $11,000.
Bahr said health system officials grew more suspicious of the pharmacist as they reviewed the incident. After multiple interviews, the pharmacist acknowledged Wednesday that he removed the vaccine intentionally over the two nights, Bahr said.
That means that the doses people received Saturday are all but useless, he said. Moderna has told Aurora that there’s no safety concerns, but the hospital system is closely monitoring the people who received the spoiled doses, he said.
Bahr declined to comment on the pharmacist’s motive. He said the hospital system’s security protocols are sound.
“This was a situation involving a bad actor,” he said, “as opposed to a bad process.”
The number of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin has been rising in recent days after dipping in early December. The state Department of Health Services reported 3,810 newly confirmed cases on Thursday, marking the third straight day of rising daily infections. The state has now seen 481,102 cases.
COVID-19 was a factor in 41 more deaths, pushing the state’s overall death toll to 4,859. The survival rate remained unchanged at 99%.
A little more than 47,150 people had been vaccinated in Wisconsin as of Monday morning, according to the latest data from the health agency. The state has been allocated 265,575 doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. As of Monday morning, only about 157,000 doses had arrived.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers wrote a letter to President Donald Trump earlier in December asking him to prioritize more doses for Wisconsin due to high case numbers, swamped hospitals and a lack of statewide mitigation mandates.
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Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--French exporters sound alarm over US tit-for-tat tariffs

PARIS ( AP ) - French wine exporters are warning that they ’ ll take a billion-euro hit in 2021 from the latest ratcheting-up of punitive tariffs between the United States and Europe in a trade row over aircraft subsidies .
The U.S. government announced Wednesday the imposition of additional tariffs on French and German wines and brandies , as well as aircraft manufacturing parts .
They are the latest round of tit-for-tat tariffs in a years-long conflict over subsidies to plane makers Boeing and Airbus .
The French Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters on Thursday decried the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and estimated they could cost the sector more than 1 billion euros ( $ 1.2 billion ) .
It urged French and European officials to immediately begin discussions on a solution with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden .
In Brussels , European Union officials expressed regret at the U.S. move , which they said “ unilaterally disrupts the ongoing negotiation ” between the two sides on a settlement .
They pledged to engage with Biden ’ s incoming team “ at the earliest possible moment to continue these negotiations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

PARIS (AP) - French wine exporters warned Thursday that they’ll take a billion-euro hit in 2021 from the latest ratcheting-up of punitive tariffs between the United States and Europe in a trade row over aircraft subsidies.
The U.S. government announced Wednesday the imposition of additional tariffs on French and German wines and brandies, as well as aircraft manufacturing parts. They are the latest round of tit-for-tat tariffs in a years-long conflict over subsidies to plane makers Boeing and Airbus.
The French Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters on Thursday decried the U.S. measures as “a sledgehammer blow” and estimated they could cost the sector more than 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion).
It urged French and European officials to immediately begin discussions on a solution with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden.
In Brussels, European Union officials expressed regret at the U.S. move, which they said “unilaterally disrupts the ongoing negotiation” between the two sides on a settlement.
They pledged to engage with Biden’s incoming team “at the earliest possible moment to continue these negotiations and find a lasting solution to the dispute.”


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Temple donation is thanks for support after vandalism

LINCOLN , Neb .
( AP ) - A Nebraska temple says its $ 11,000 donation to two Lincoln organizations @ @ @ @ @ thanks for the community ’ s support after anti-Semitic vandalism in January .
WOWT-TV reports @ @ @ @ @ and Congregation Tifereth Israel is making the donation to the Food Bank of Lincoln and @ @ @ @ @ The vandalism included a swastika and racial epithets spray-painted on the temple .
A news @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln residents gave donations , attended Shabbat services and made public statements in solidarity with @ @ @ @

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska temple says its $11,000 donation to two Lincoln organizations is a way to say thanks for the community’s support after anti-Semitic vandalism in January.
WOWT-TV reports that the South Street Temple and Congregation Tifereth Israel is making the donation to the Food Bank of Lincoln and Clinic with a Heart.
The vandalism included a swastika and racial epithets spray-painted on the temple. A news release from the temple said Lincoln residents gave donations, attended Shabbat services and made public statements in solidarity with the Jewish community.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Woman pleads guilty to raping young boy in South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS , S.D .
( AP ) - A Minnesota woman has pleaded guilty to raping a young boy @ @ @ @ @ Argus Leader reports Kelsie Krueger , 30 , pleaded guilty to felony rape last week @ @ @ @ @ faces up to 40 years in prison .
According to court documents , Krueger assaulted @ @ @ @ @ and Dec. 2013 , when he was 2-4 years old .
She was originally charged @ @ @ @ @ in the first degree and three counts of aggravated incest in April 2019 .
As @ @ @ @ @ , the other charges against Krueger were dismissed .
The Brookings Register reported that 35-year-old @ @ @ @ @ a co-defendant in the case .
He was convicted in February of one count of @ @ @ @ @ 4-year-old girl in 2015 .
He was sentenced in May to 45 years in prison @ @ @ @ @

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A Minnesota woman has pleaded guilty to raping a young boy in South Dakota.
The Argus Leader reports Kelsie Krueger, 30, pleaded guilty to felony rape last week in Brookings County. She faces up to 40 years in prison.
According to court documents, Krueger assaulted the boy between Jan. 2012 and Dec. 2013, when he was 2-4 years old.
She was originally charged with three counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of aggravated incest in April 2019.
As part of a plea deal, the other charges against Krueger were dismissed.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23.
The Brookings Register reported that 35-year-old Randy Dexter was charged as a co-defendant in the case. He was convicted in February of one count of first-degree rape for assaulting a 4-year-old girl in 2015. He was sentenced in May to 45 years in prison, the paper reported.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Puyallup tribe suing Electron Dam citing fish kills

SEATTLE ( AP ) - The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is suing the owners and operators of the Electron Dam , alleging ongoing violations of the Endangered Species Act .
Spring chinook , bull trout and steelhead in the Puyallup River are protected under the act , but the more than 100-year-old Electron Dam has for years been a known fish killer on the river , the tribe said in its suit filed Wednesday .
In July 2020 , operators of the dam “ stranded , suffocated and pulverized thousands of adults and juvenile fish , ” according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fish kill happened the same month that the dam ’ s owners placed artificial turf in the river without a permit as part of a construction project .
Pieces of the turf and its rubber crumbs washed down the river below the dam and into Commencement Bay .
Pieces of turf remain in the river , and rubber crumbs and plastic grass fragments are “ clearly visible on the shorelines and vegetation ” of the Puyallup , the tribal council said in a statement .
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , LLC , Thom A. Fischer , and Tollhouse Energy Company , the owners and operators of the dam .
“ It is time for the dam to go , ” the Puyallup Tribal Council stated in a news release about the suit Wednesday .
“ Its legacy will be one of dead fish and damage to the ecology of this beautiful place we all live in.
” Historically the river was home to as many as 42,000 chinook salmon , but today the number of chinook , including early spring returns to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Puyallup , is estimated at only 1,300 fish .
Spring chinook are prize food for southern resident killer whales , which are also endangered .
Lack of adequate chinook salmon is one of the main threats to their survival .
Owners of the dam could not immediately be reached for comment about the suit .

SEATTLE (AP) - The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is suing the owners and operators of the Electron Dam, alleging ongoing violations of the Endangered Species Act.
Spring chinook, bull trout and steelhead in the Puyallup River are protected under the act, but the more than 100-year-old Electron Dam has for years been a known fish killer on the river, the tribe said in its suit filed Wednesday.
In July 2020, operators of the dam “stranded, suffocated and pulverized thousands of adults and juvenile fish,” according to a statement from the tribe Wednesday.
The fish kill happened the same month that the dam’s owners placed artificial turf in the river without a permit as part of a construction project. Pieces of the turf and its rubber crumbs washed down the river below the dam and into Commencement Bay. Pieces of turf remain in the river, and rubber crumbs and plastic grass fragments are “clearly visible on the shorelines and vegetation” of the Puyallup, the tribal council said in a statement.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District against Electron Hydro, LLC, Thom A. Fischer, and Tollhouse Energy Company, the owners and operators of the dam.
“It is time for the dam to go,” the Puyallup Tribal Council stated in a news release about the suit Wednesday. “Its legacy will be one of dead fish and damage to the ecology of this beautiful place we all live in.”
Historically the river was home to as many as 42,000 chinook salmon, but today the number of chinook, including early spring returns to the White River, a tributary of the Puyallup, is estimated at only 1,300 fish.
Spring chinook are prize food for southern resident killer whales, which are also endangered. Lack of adequate chinook salmon is one of the main threats to their survival.
Owners of the dam could not immediately be reached for comment about the suit.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--NYC police seek driver who injured officer during stop

NEW YORK ( AP ) - New York City police were looking Thursday for a driver who struck an officer @ @ @ @ @ , prompting the officer ’ s partner to fire a shot .
The driver of @ @ @ @ @ Jersey license plates put the SUV in reverse and struck the officer at about 10:40 @ @ @ @ @ in Brooklyn .
The other officer fired one round as the driver who sped away @ @ @ @ @ the gunfire , police said .
The driver was being sought early Thursday .
The @ @ @ @ @ vehicle was treated for torso and ankle injuries .

NEW YORK (AP) - New York City police were looking Thursday for a driver who struck an officer while fleeing a traffic stop, prompting the officer’s partner to fire a shot.
The driver of an Acura MDX with New Jersey license plates put the SUV in reverse and struck the officer at about 10:40 p.m. Wednesday during a stop in Brooklyn. The other officer fired one round as the driver who sped away. Nobody was struck by the gunfire, police said.
The driver was being sought early Thursday.
The officer who struck by the vehicle was treated for torso and ankle injuries.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Man in custody in connection with real estate agent's death

OMAHA , Neb .
( AP ) - A 43-year-old man is in custody in connection with the shooting death @ @ @ @ @ agent .
The Omaha World-Herald reports that the suspect was booked Wednesday afternoon on suspicion @ @ @ @ @ of a firearm to commit a felony .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear on @ @ @ @ @ been filed .
Real estate agent Mickey Sodoro ’ s body was found Tuesday at @ @ @ @ @ as a rental .
He was 70 .
The Douglas County Sheriff ’ s Office @ @ @ @ @ had recently purchased the home as rental property .
Sodoro had been at the home @ @ @ @ @ to Lorello , authorities said .

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A 43-year-old man is in custody in connection with the shooting death of an Omaha real estate agent.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that the suspect was booked Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of criminal homicide and use of a firearm to commit a felony. It wasn’t immediately clear on Thursday if formal charges had been filed.
Real estate agent Mickey Sodoro’s body was found Tuesday at a house listed as available as a rental. He was 70.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said Sodoro’s family had recently purchased the home as rental property. Sodoro had been at the home Monday to show the property to Lorello, authorities said.


washingtontimes--2020-12-31--Condo association accused of detaining couple over COVID-19

BOCA RATON , Fla. ( AP ) - A Florida couple is suing their condominium association , which they claim detained them in their home against their will after testing positive for COVID-19 .
In the lawsuit filed Monday , Steven and Nancy Iscowitz said the association at Palmetto Park at Mizner Park deactivated their key fobs , which prevented them from accessing the building ’ s common areas in July , the South Florida SunSentinel reported .
They are seeking damages in excess of $ 30,000 for false imprisonment , invasion of privacy and negligence , among other charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have them “ removed from the building and/or arrested ” if they left their condo without permission .
The couple also claims the association violated their trust by publicly disclosing their positive tests .
“ What they really can ’ t do is take my client ’ s health information and discriminate them - and use their private health information to my client ’ s disadvantage to use the things they ’ re legally entitled to use , ” Jeffrey Kominsky , the couple ’ s attorney , told the newspaper .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ association ) gave no notice to my clients the association was going to turn off my client ’ s fobs.
” The couple tested positive for COVID-19 on July 12 , the lawsuit said .
That same day , the condominium association sent a letter to residents asking anyone to alert the building if they tested positive for COVID-19 .
“ Under no circumstance will your identity or unit number ever be disclosed , ” property manager Leiann Dodd said in the letter sent to residents .
Three days after disclosing their positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a letter from the association telling them they were barred from entering any of the building ’ s common spaces and shouldn ’ t leave their unit unless it was medically necessary .
The lawsuit claims the association threatened to contact authorities if the couple left the premises .
The couple was told they needed to present negative COVID-19 tests before being allowed to use the building ’ s facilities , the newspaper reported .
The couple said their key fobs were then turned off without their permission , preventing them moving within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two sides over the next few days .
The association emailed residents on July 16 , advising the pool and fitness centers would be closed because “ two residents … refused to comply with the building ’ s request to quarantine and provide a negative test before utilizing the common areas , ” according to the lawsuit .
Then the association filed a civil complaint against the couple , referring to Steven and Nancy Iscowitz by name .
“ The association early on represented to ( the Iscowitzes ) that their health information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the couple ’ s lawyer , said .
“ And that clearly did not happen here .
”

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - A Florida couple is suing their condominium association, which they claim detained them in their home against their will after testing positive for COVID-19.
In the lawsuit filed Monday, Steven and Nancy Iscowitz said the association at Palmetto Park at Mizner Park deactivated their key fobs, which prevented them from accessing the building’s common areas in July, the South Florida SunSentinel reported.
They are seeking damages in excess of $30,000 for false imprisonment, invasion of privacy and negligence, among other charges.
The lawsuit claims the association threatened to have them “removed from the building and/or arrested” if they left their condo without permission.
The couple also claims the association violated their trust by publicly disclosing their positive tests.
“What they really can’t do is take my client’s health information and discriminate them - and use their private health information to my client’s disadvantage to use the things they’re legally entitled to use,” Jeffrey Kominsky, the couple’s attorney, told the newspaper.
“It’s clear (the association) gave no notice to my clients the association was going to turn off my client’s fobs.”
The couple tested positive for COVID-19 on July 12, the lawsuit said. That same day, the condominium association sent a letter to residents asking anyone to alert the building if they tested positive for COVID-19.
“Under no circumstance will your identity or unit number ever be disclosed,” property manager Leiann Dodd said in the letter sent to residents.
Three days after disclosing their positive results, the couple said they received a letter from the association telling them they were barred from entering any of the building’s common spaces and shouldn’t leave their unit unless it was medically necessary.
The lawsuit claims the association threatened to contact authorities if the couple left the premises. The couple was told they needed to present negative COVID-19 tests before being allowed to use the building’s facilities, the newspaper reported.
The couple said their key fobs were then turned off without their permission, preventing them moving within the property.
Tensions rose between the two sides over the next few days. The association emailed residents on July 16, advising the pool and fitness centers would be closed because “two residents … refused to comply with the building’s request to quarantine and provide a negative test before utilizing the common areas,” according to the lawsuit.
Then the association filed a civil complaint against the couple, referring to Steven and Nancy Iscowitz by name.
“The association early on represented to (the Iscowitzes) that their health information would be protected,” Kominsky, the couple’s lawyer, said. “And that clearly did not happen here.”