washingtontimes--2020-10-02--North Korea's Kim wishes Trump recovery from coronavirus

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday sent a message of sympathy to President Donald Trump and his wife Melania , wishing they would recover from the COVID-19 illness , state media reported .
“ He sincerely hoped that they would recover as soon as possible .
He hoped they will surely overcome it , ” the Korean Central News Agency reported .
“ He sent warm greetings to them.
” Trump said Friday he and his wife had tested positive for the coronavirus , and leaders across the world have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kim and Trump once exchanged threats of destruction and crude insults after North Korea in 2017 carried out a series of high-profile weapons tests aimed at acquiring ability to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland .
Trump had said he would rain “ fire and fury ” on North Korea and derided Kim as “ little rocket man ” on a suicide mission , while Kim responded he would “ tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.
” But they stopped such rhetoric and instead developed a personal relationship after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 for talks on the fate of his advancing nuclear arsenal .
They met three times in 2018-2019 , starting with a summit in Singapore that made Trump the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korea leader since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War .
But their meetings made little headway since their second summit in Vietnam in early 2019 ended without any deal following disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea .
Before their nuclear talks entered a stalemate , Trump said that he and Kim “ fell in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s recently published book “ Rage , ” Kim , in a letter to Trump , called the U.S. president “ your excellency ” and said he believed the “ deep and special friendship between us will work as a magical force.
” Some observers said Trump ’ s coronavirus diagnosis would quell speculation that the two leaders could have planned an “ October surprise ” in arranging their fourth meeting ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November .
Despite the deadlocked talks , Kim hasn ’ t lifted his self-imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an apparent effort to keep chances for diplomacy alive .
North Korea ’ s economy is believed to have worsened due to the sanctions and the pandemic that forced it to close its border with China , its biggest trading partner , in January .
North Korea has said there hasn ’ t been a single virus outbreak on its soil , a claim widely disputed by foreign experts

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday sent a message of sympathy to President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, wishing they would recover from the COVID-19 illness, state media reported.
“He sincerely hoped that they would recover as soon as possible. He hoped they will surely overcome it,” the Korean Central News Agency reported. “He sent warm greetings to them.”
Trump said Friday he and his wife had tested positive for the coronavirus, and leaders across the world have sent messages of goodwill to the couple.
Kim and Trump once exchanged threats of destruction and crude insults after North Korea in 2017 carried out a series of high-profile weapons tests aimed at acquiring ability to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland. Trump had said he would rain “fire and fury” on North Korea and derided Kim as “little rocket man” on a suicide mission, while Kim responded he would “tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.”
But they stopped such rhetoric and instead developed a personal relationship after Kim abruptly reached out to Trump in 2018 for talks on the fate of his advancing nuclear arsenal.
They met three times in 2018-2019, starting with a summit in Singapore that made Trump the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korea leader since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. But their meetings made little headway since their second summit in Vietnam in early 2019 ended without any deal following disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea.
Before their nuclear talks entered a stalemate, Trump said that he and Kim “fell in love.” According to journalist Bob Woodward’s recently published book “Rage,” Kim, in a letter to Trump, called the U.S. president “your excellency” and said he believed the “deep and special friendship between us will work as a magical force.”
Some observers said Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis would quell speculation that the two leaders could have planned an “October surprise” in arranging their fourth meeting ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.
Despite the deadlocked talks, Kim hasn’t lifted his self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests in an apparent effort to keep chances for diplomacy alive. North Korea’s economy is believed to have worsened due to the sanctions and the pandemic that forced it to close its border with China, its biggest trading partner, in January.
North Korea has said there hasn’t been a single virus outbreak on its soil, a claim widely disputed by foreign experts


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--Pennsylvania to expand overtime pay eligibility

HARRISBURG , Pa. ( AP ) - After three years of work on the issue , Gov .
Tom Wolf ’ s administration said Pennsylvania will become one of a handful of states to expand eligibility for overtime pay beyond federal thresholds , starting Saturday .
The Democratic governor first proposed the regulation three years ago amid a repeated failure to persuade the Republican-controlled Legislature to raise Pennsylvania ’ s minimum wage above the federal baseline .
When it was approved in January by a regulatory board , the new overtime regulation was estimated to expand overtime pay eligibility to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through 2022 , delivering another $ 20 million to nearly $ 23 million a year in increased earnings after the rule takes full effect .
There are about 2.2 million total full-time salaried employees in Pennsylvania , Wolf ’ s administration estimated at the time .
The regulation phases in the increase in two steps and requires in 2022 that salaried workers earning up to $ 875 a week , or $ 45,500 a year , get time-and-a-half pay for any time they work over 40 hours in a week .
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 780 a week , or $ 40,650 a year .
Starting in 2023 , the salary threshold will adjust automatically every three years .
In January , the Trump administration increased the federal overtime threshold for the first time since 2004 , raising it Jan. 1 to $ 684 a week , or $ 35,568 a year , from $ 455 a week , or $ 23,660 a year .
Advocates for the poor and groups affiliated with organized labor supported Wolf ’ s regulation , but also said the expansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power than they had decades ago .
Opponents , including the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and the United Way , contended that it will inflict higher costs on employers and possibly force those with thin margins to lay off employees or slash benefits and wages .
The chamber also warned that many employers that will be affected by the rule - including nonprofit organizations , colleges and universities , restaurants and small retailers - are among those hit hardest by the pandemic ’ s shutdowns and fallout .
But a pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed positive outcomes for workers , the National Employment Law Project has said .
Those studies predict that employers will increase the salaries of some employees to keep them exempt and some will start paying overtime to newly eligible employees , it said .
Other employers will juggle the hours and pay of workers and even hire more workers to avoid paying overtime , it said .

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - After three years of work on the issue, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration said Pennsylvania will become one of a handful of states to expand eligibility for overtime pay beyond federal thresholds, starting Saturday.
The Democratic governor first proposed the regulation three years ago amid a repeated failure to persuade the Republican-controlled Legislature to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage above the federal baseline.
When it was approved in January by a regulatory board, the new overtime regulation was estimated to expand overtime pay eligibility to 82,000 of the very lowest-paid salaried workers through 2022, delivering another $20 million to nearly $23 million a year in increased earnings after the rule takes full effect.
There are about 2.2 million total full-time salaried employees in Pennsylvania, Wolf’s administration estimated at the time.
The regulation phases in the increase in two steps and requires in 2022 that salaried workers earning up to $875 a week, or $45,500 a year, get time-and-a-half pay for any time they work over 40 hours in a week. The first salary step increase takes effect in 2021 to $780 a week, or $40,650 a year.
Starting in 2023, the salary threshold will adjust automatically every three years.
In January, the Trump administration increased the federal overtime threshold for the first time since 2004, raising it Jan. 1 to $684 a week, or $35,568 a year, from $455 a week, or $23,660 a year.
Advocates for the poor and groups affiliated with organized labor supported Wolf’s regulation, but also said the expansion still leaves workers with far less earning power than they had decades ago.
Opponents, including the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and the United Way, contended that it will inflict higher costs on employers and possibly force those with thin margins to lay off employees or slash benefits and wages.
The chamber also warned that many employers that will be affected by the rule - including nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, restaurants and small retailers - are among those hit hardest by the pandemic’s shutdowns and fallout.
But a pair of studies on the 2004 overtime expansion showed positive outcomes for workers, the National Employment Law Project has said.
Those studies predict that employers will increase the salaries of some employees to keep them exempt and some will start paying overtime to newly eligible employees, it said. Other employers will juggle the hours and pay of workers and even hire more workers to avoid paying overtime, it said.
___
Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/timelywriter


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--Mississippi lawmakers wrap up 'unprecedented' session

JACKSON , Miss .
( AP ) - After what Lt .
Governor Delbert Hosemann said felt like the “ longest session ” in memory , the state Legislature on Friday finally wrapped up its business for the year .
Hosemann , a Republican , said lawmakers - who had until the end of day Friday to complete business before the session expired - were at the Capitol past midnight finalizing bills that would give millions of dollars of federal coronavirus relief to hospitals , farmers and veterans centers .
In the past nine months , legislators have had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to regular proposals that come before the body every year .
Mississippi received $ 1.25 billion from Congress to respond to the pandemic , much of which the legislature was in charge of dispersing throughout the state .
In the course of the session , Hosemann , Republican Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and dozens of other lawmakers tested positive for the coronavirus .
Several were hospitalized in serious condition .
On Friday , Hosemann recalled the debilitating fatigue he felt while ill , when he could barely walk 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest .
“ The pandemic is here and it ’ s going to be here .
It ’ s not going away , ” Hosemann said .
“ We need to prepare in the event that we have a second , third or fourth wave.
” He said he prayed for the speedy recovery of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump , who have both tested positive for the virus .
“ I am hopeful and prayerful that the president ’ s COVID is not as severe as mine or worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be very difficult.
” Among the appropriations made during the legislative session were $ 10 million to the Wireless Communication Commission to improve communication equipment for first responders and $ 20 million for landlords who have not evicted tenants who could not pay rent during the pandemic .
Money was also allocated to increase broadband access in rural areas and to provide technology such as iPads and hotspots for students who are remote learning .
Mississippi lawmakers initially put $ 300 million into a program to aid small businesses , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the unused money from the business program was reallocated to other coronavirus relief programs approved by the legislature .
Lawmakers also passed a number of non-fiscal coronavirus laws , such as one that protects hospitals that follow public safety guidelines from being sued by individuals who claim to have been exposed to COVID-19 and are seeking damages .
Speaking at a press briefing with Hosemann , Gunn said although not everything went perfectly during the session , he felt lawmakers did well given the circumstances .
He likened being a leader in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling an audible at the line of scrimmage.
” “ You come in with a plan and a play , and you intend to try and do something and then the defense changes and you ’ ve got to adjust , ” he said .
Gunn said what lawmakers faced in the session was “ unprecedented.
” “ ( It ’ s ) something that the legislature has never faced before : a pandemic .
At least , not in our lifetimes , ” he said .
Leah Willingham is a corps member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - After what Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann said felt like the “longest session” in memory, the state Legislature on Friday finally wrapped up its business for the year.
Hosemann, a Republican, said lawmakers - who had until the end of day Friday to complete business before the session expired - were at the Capitol past midnight finalizing bills that would give millions of dollars of federal coronavirus relief to hospitals, farmers and veterans centers.
In the past nine months, legislators have had the task of handling dozens of coronavirus-related proposals in addition to regular proposals that come before the body every year. Mississippi received $1.25 billion from Congress to respond to the pandemic, much of which the legislature was in charge of dispersing throughout the state.
In the course of the session, Hosemann, Republican Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and dozens of other lawmakers tested positive for the coronavirus. Several were hospitalized in serious condition.
On Friday, Hosemann recalled the debilitating fatigue he felt while ill, when he could barely walk 100 steps at a time without needing to rest.
“The pandemic is here and it’s going to be here. It’s not going away,” Hosemann said. “We need to prepare in the event that we have a second, third or fourth wave.”
He said he prayed for the speedy recovery of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who have both tested positive for the virus.
“I am hopeful and prayerful that the president’s COVID is not as severe as mine or worse,” Hosemann said. “It would be very difficult.”
Among the appropriations made during the legislative session were $10 million to the Wireless Communication Commission to improve communication equipment for first responders and $20 million for landlords who have not evicted tenants who could not pay rent during the pandemic. Money was also allocated to increase broadband access in rural areas and to provide technology such as iPads and hotspots for students who are remote learning.
Mississippi lawmakers initially put $300 million into a program to aid small businesses, but not all of it was used. Some of the unused money from the business program was reallocated to other coronavirus relief programs approved by the legislature.
Lawmakers also passed a number of non-fiscal coronavirus laws, such as one that protects hospitals that follow public safety guidelines from being sued by individuals who claim to have been exposed to COVID-19 and are seeking damages.
Speaking at a press briefing with Hosemann, Gunn said although not everything went perfectly during the session, he felt lawmakers did well given the circumstances. He likened being a leader in the legislature during the pandemic to “calling an audible at the line of scrimmage.”
“You come in with a plan and a play, and you intend to try and do something and then the defense changes and you’ve got to adjust,” he said.
Gunn said what lawmakers faced in the session was “unprecedented.”
“(It’s) something that the legislature has never faced before: a pandemic. At least, not in our lifetimes,” he said.
___
Leah Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--Cavalier White House approach to COVID catches up to Trump

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - Masks were rarely spotted in the West Wing .
Crowds of people gathered shoulder to shoulder on the White House South Lawn .
And Air Force One streaked across the sky from one massive campaign rally to another .
With ready access to testing and the best public health minds at his disposal , President Donald Trump should have been the American safest from COVID-19 .
Instead , he flouted his own government ’ s guidelines and helped create a false sense of invulnerability in the White House , an approach that has now failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 200,000 people have died .
Marine One , the presidential helicopter , lifted off Friday to take Trump to a military hospital from the same White House lawn that less than a week earlier had been the site of his celebratory nomination of a new Supreme Court justice as he charged toward the November election .
Several people at the event , including a U.S. senator , have since tested positive for the coronavirus .
Trump is now ensconsed at Walter Reed Medical Center after running a fever and feeling fatigued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for the virus .
“ He let the country down by disregarding the CDC , ignoring federal guidelines and acting like he was Superman , ” said presidential historian David Brinkley .
“ He did not just downplay the virus , he paraded around like a peacock , making fun of those who took it seriously.
” From the pandemic ’ s early days , Trump , by his own admission , played down the severity of the virus .
He repeatedly suggested it would “ disappear ” and for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fully reopen by Easter , just a month after the pandemic fully engulfed the nation .
And he soon began resisting the advice of public health experts on his own coronavirus task force , including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx .
He publicly clashed with the heads of the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over everything from the risks associated with opening schools to the timetable for a potential COVID-19 vaccine .
Those on the White House staff dared not break with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation on the way back , not one fixated with health guidelines that would remind a nervous public about the virus rather than an economic resurgence .
Experts urged the widespread use of masks , including CDC Director Robert Redfield , who testified before Congress last month that face coverings could be a more effective safeguard than a vaccine .
Trump has eschewed their use , telling aides that he didn ’ t like how he looked in them and that it sent a message to the public that he was worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only sporadically and politicized their use , saying he didn ’ t need them because he was tested and most people he saw were kept six feet away .
He mocked Democrat Joe Biden for consistently wearing a face covering , while many of the president ’ s supporters followed his example and skipped them , even at crowded events .
And their use , while technically required , wasn ’ t enforced in the White House either .
Most senior aides rarely wore masks , even in tight quarters in the West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A belief took hold that because those who came in contact with president received a rapid COVID-19 test every day , they were safe in their bubble .
But the rapid tests were far from foolproof and were sometimes foiled by the virus ’ lengthy incubation period .
Staff members , including the national security adviser and the president ’ s personal valet , contracted the virus while one of the president ’ s closest aides , Hope Hicks , tested positive just hours before Trump and first lady Melania Trump did .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their advice .
He mocked it all right up until the presidential debate when he stood on that stage , ” said Michael Steele , former head of the Republican Party .
“ He had the best information possible and didn ’ t take it.
” The White House , for its part , has brushed off criticism of spotty mask-wearing by Trump and his staff by citing the frequent testing regimen .
Trump styles his large campaign gatherings as “ peaceful protests ” exempt from limits on crowd size .
And as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials , officials are quick to point to contrary medical opinions .
Journalist Bob Woodward recorded Trump early in the year admitting to downplaying the threat of the virus .
The president always pushed forward , insisting the nation was nearly over the pandemic even as cases surged throughout the country .
Even in the hours after the president ’ s diagnosis , senior White House staff , including chief of staff Mark Meadows and economic adviser Larry Kudlow , walked around the White House complex without wearing masks .
The White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face coverings are a matter of “ personal choice ” for most staffers .
In a belated shift , National Security Council staffers were required to start wearing them as of Friday .
Secret Service agents are mandated to wear them when social distancing is not possible .
And it wasn ’ t just about masks .
As the summer wound down , and Trump lagged behind Biden in polls for an election seen as a referendum on White House handling of the pandemic , the president ’ s campaign aimed to project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the president had the virus under control .
After a botched attempt to restart Trump ’ s trademark rallies in Tulsa in June , the campaign began slowly organizing smaller gatherings of supporters , usually outdoors at airports .
Though the CDC recommended against large crowds and unnecessary travel , the president began crisscrossing the country , even while Biden largely remained at home , conducting virtual evets .
The rallies got bigger and bigger as the months marched on , with little social distancing and masks recommended but not required .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two of the president ’ s recent signature events : Hundreds of people packed the White House South Lawn for his acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention , and the Rose Garden was packed for the nomination of his Supreme Court pick , Judge Amy Coney Barrett , a week ago .
Six days later , Trump was again on that lawn .
This time , he walked slowly to the waiting helicopter , bound for Walter Reed for a multi-day hospital stay .
There were no cheering crowds .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffer alike , wore a mask .
Trump did , too .

WASHINGTON (AP) - Masks were rarely spotted in the West Wing. Crowds of people gathered shoulder to shoulder on the White House South Lawn. And Air Force One streaked across the sky from one massive campaign rally to another.
With ready access to testing and the best public health minds at his disposal, President Donald Trump should have been the American safest from COVID-19. Instead, he flouted his own government’s guidelines and helped create a false sense of invulnerability in the White House, an approach that has now failed him as it did a nation where more than 200,000 people have died.
Marine One, the presidential helicopter, lifted off Friday to take Trump to a military hospital from the same White House lawn that less than a week earlier had been the site of his celebratory nomination of a new Supreme Court justice as he charged toward the November election.
Several people at the event, including a U.S. senator, have since tested positive for the coronavirus. Trump is now ensconsed at Walter Reed Medical Center after running a fever and feeling fatigued following his early-morning revelation that he had tested positive for the virus.
“He let the country down by disregarding the CDC, ignoring federal guidelines and acting like he was Superman,” said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. “He did not just downplay the virus, he paraded around like a peacock, making fun of those who took it seriously.”
From the pandemic’s early days, Trump, by his own admission, played down the severity of the virus. He repeatedly suggested it would “disappear” and for a while was pushing for the American economy to fully reopen by Easter, just a month after the pandemic fully engulfed the nation.
And he soon began resisting the advice of public health experts on his own coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx. He publicly clashed with the heads of the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over everything from the risks associated with opening schools to the timetable for a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
Those on the White House staff dared not break with the president, who wanted to embody a nation on the way back, not one fixated with health guidelines that would remind a nervous public about the virus rather than an economic resurgence.
Experts urged the widespread use of masks, including CDC Director Robert Redfield, who testified before Congress last month that face coverings could be a more effective safeguard than a vaccine. Trump has eschewed their use, telling aides that he didn’t like how he looked in them and that it sent a message to the public that he was worried about his health.
He has worn masks only sporadically and politicized their use, saying he didn’t need them because he was tested and most people he saw were kept six feet away. He mocked Democrat Joe Biden for consistently wearing a face covering, while many of the president’s supporters followed his example and skipped them, even at crowded events.
And their use, while technically required, wasn’t enforced in the White House either. Most senior aides rarely wore masks, even in tight quarters in the West Wing or on Air Force One. A belief took hold that because those who came in contact with president received a rapid COVID-19 test every day, they were safe in their bubble.
But the rapid tests were far from foolproof and were sometimes foiled by the virus’ lengthy incubation period. Staff members, including the national security adviser and the president’s personal valet, contracted the virus while one of the president’s closest aides, Hope Hicks, tested positive just hours before Trump and first lady Melania Trump did.
“He mocked the medical experts and their advice. He mocked it all right up until the presidential debate when he stood on that stage,” said Michael Steele, former head of the Republican Party. “He had the best information possible and didn’t take it.”
The White House, for its part, has brushed off criticism of spotty mask-wearing by Trump and his staff by citing the frequent testing regimen. Trump styles his large campaign gatherings as “peaceful protests” exempt from limits on crowd size. And as for Trump’s undercutting of public health officials, officials are quick to point to contrary medical opinions.
Journalist Bob Woodward recorded Trump early in the year admitting to downplaying the threat of the virus. The president always pushed forward, insisting the nation was nearly over the pandemic even as cases surged throughout the country.
Even in the hours after the president’s diagnosis, senior White House staff, including chief of staff Mark Meadows and economic adviser Larry Kudlow, walked around the White House complex without wearing masks. The White House, even now, says the face coverings are a matter of “personal choice” for most staffers.
In a belated shift, National Security Council staffers were required to start wearing them as of Friday. Secret Service agents are mandated to wear them when social distancing is not possible.
And it wasn’t just about masks.
As the summer wound down, and Trump lagged behind Biden in polls for an election seen as a referendum on White House handling of the pandemic, the president’s campaign aimed to project normalcy in an effort to convince voters that the president had the virus under control.
After a botched attempt to restart Trump’s trademark rallies in Tulsa in June, the campaign began slowly organizing smaller gatherings of supporters, usually outdoors at airports. Though the CDC recommended against large crowds and unnecessary travel, the president began crisscrossing the country, even while Biden largely remained at home, conducting virtual evets.
The rallies got bigger and bigger as the months marched on, with little social distancing and masks recommended but not required. And crowds became part of the messaging for two of the president’s recent signature events: Hundreds of people packed the White House South Lawn for his acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention, and the Rose Garden was packed for the nomination of his Supreme Court pick, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a week ago.
Six days later, Trump was again on that lawn. This time, he walked slowly to the waiting helicopter, bound for Walter Reed for a multi-day hospital stay. There were no cheering crowds. And everyone on the lawn, reporter and staffer alike, wore a mask. Trump did, too.


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--Police: Springfield warehouse shooting victims were targeted

SPRINGFIELD , Ill. ( AP ) - Authorities say there is no doubt the 48-year-old man who fatally shot three co-workers at a central Illinois warehouse earlier this year before killing himself targeted his victims , Springfield ’ s police chief said Friday .
Police Chief Kenny Winslow said Michael Collins possessed two firearms with extra ammunition and magazines but didn ’ t use them .
Killed during the June 26 attack at the Bunn-O-Matic facility in Springfield were Christopher Aumiller , 25 , and Bill Gibbons , 61 , both of Springfield .
Marsha Strumpher , 54 , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He possessed two firearms that day with extra ammunition and extra magazines , but did not utilize them , ” Winslow said of Collins .
“ He did not shoot people randomly .
He walked past other employees to the workstations of Aumiller and Gibbons .
“ As he was exiting , he walked in a normal pace as he left the building walking toward his vehicle , only to turn and come back toward Ms. Strumpher in the parking lot , shooting at her as she was speaking to somebody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were in several buildings at the site where dispensed beverage equipment is manufactured at the time of the shootings , according to authorities .
Winslow said the department has theories as to why Collins took such actions , but he would be negligent to expose that information without concrete evidence .

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Authorities say there is no doubt the 48-year-old man who fatally shot three co-workers at a central Illinois warehouse earlier this year before killing himself targeted his victims, Springfield’s police chief said Friday.
Police Chief Kenny Winslow said Michael Collins possessed two firearms with extra ammunition and magazines but didn’t use them.
Killed during the June 26 attack at the Bunn-O-Matic facility in Springfield were Christopher Aumiller, 25, and Bill Gibbons, 61, both of Springfield. Marsha Strumpher, 54, also of Springfield, died the next day.
“He possessed two firearms that day with extra ammunition and extra magazines, but did not utilize them,” Winslow said of Collins. “He did not shoot people randomly. He walked past other employees to the workstations of Aumiller and Gibbons.
“As he was exiting, he walked in a normal pace as he left the building walking toward his vehicle, only to turn and come back toward Ms. Strumpher in the parking lot, shooting at her as she was speaking to somebody else who fled.”
Nearly 175 workers were in several buildings at the site where dispensed beverage equipment is manufactured at the time of the shootings, according to authorities.
Winslow said the department has theories as to why Collins took such actions, but he would be negligent to expose that information without concrete evidence.


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--Judge blocks deportation of man detained on church grounds

A federal judge on Friday blocked the deportation of an Indonesian immigrant who was detained last month on the grounds of a Maryland church , a space considered a “ sensitive location ” in which immigration authorities generally avoid enforcement actions .
Judge Paul W. Grimm instructed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to return Siahaan Sukemi from a detention facility in Georgia to Maryland , where he is to remain in custody while his attorney works to reopen his asylum case .
Among Sukemi ’ s arguments is that he could be tortured for his Christian beliefs in majority-Muslim Indonesia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is deported to Indonesia and the Board of Immigration Appeals later determines that he is entitled to relief under the United Nations Convention Against Torture , it would be “ impossible ” to give that protection to him .
Grimm , who held his hearing virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic , added : “ He can ’ t get the relief .
It ’ s gone.
” Sukemi , 52 , has lived in the U.S. for three decades .
He immigrated legally to work as a chauffer at the Indonesian embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applied for asylum in 2003 .
Immigration authorities took Sukemi into custody in 2012 .
He was placed on an order of supervision until February , when it was revoked and Sukemi was detained again .
He was released in April as “ a function of covid-19 , ” Grimm said .
On Sept. 10 , immigration authorities arrested Sukemi outside his home on the grounds of Glenmont United Methodist Church in Silver Spring .
The father of two U.S. citizen children works at the church with his wife .
It is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a house of worship , but it is against ICE policy except in very rare circumstances .
This has prompted immigrants to seek relief from deportation at churches .
As of July 2019 , more than 40 immigrants lived in sanctuary at houses of worship across the U.S. , up from three in 2015 .
The increase came as ICE intensified enforcement actions .
The agency sent letters to some of those in sanctuary last year threatening them with huge fines .
The fine for one woman living in a church in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 214,132 , while that of a woman in Ohio was estimated at $ 497,777 .

A federal judge on Friday blocked the deportation of an Indonesian immigrant who was detained last month on the grounds of a Maryland church, a space considered a “sensitive location” in which immigration authorities generally avoid enforcement actions.
Judge Paul W. Grimm instructed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to return Binsar Siahaan from a detention facility in Georgia to Maryland, where he is to remain in custody while his attorney works to reopen his asylum case. Among Siahaan’s arguments is that he could be tortured for his Christian beliefs in majority-Muslim Indonesia.
Grimm told attorneys that if Siahaan is deported to Indonesia and the Board of Immigration Appeals later determines that he is entitled to relief under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, it would be “impossible” to give that protection to him.
Grimm, who held his hearing virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic, added: “He can’t get the relief. It’s gone.”
Siahaan, 52, has lived in the U.S. for three decades. He immigrated legally to work as a chauffer at the Indonesian embassy but overstayed his visa. He unsuccessfully applied for asylum in 2003.
Immigration authorities took Siahaan into custody in 2012. He was placed on an order of supervision until February, when it was revoked and Siahaan was detained again. He was released in April as “a function of covid-19,” Grimm said.
On Sept. 10, immigration authorities arrested Siahaan outside his home on the grounds of Glenmont United Methodist Church in Silver Spring. The father of two U.S. citizen children works at the church with his wife.
It is not illegal to detain immigrants on the property of a house of worship, but it is against ICE policy except in very rare circumstances. This has prompted immigrants to seek relief from deportation at churches.
As of July 2019, more than 40 immigrants lived in sanctuary at houses of worship across the U.S., up from three in 2015. The increase came as ICE intensified enforcement actions.
The agency sent letters to some of those in sanctuary last year threatening them with huge fines. The fine for one woman living in a church in Virginia was calculated to be at least $214,132, while that of a woman in Ohio was estimated at $497,777.
___
Garcia Cano reported from Washington.
___
This story has been corrected to show the last name of the Indonesian man is Siahaan.


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--Norwich residents line up for COVID testing amid spike

NORWICH , Conn. ( AP ) - Cars were lined up at COVID-19 testing sites in Norwich on Friday , a day after the Connecticut Department of Public Health issued an emergency alert after seeing what ’ s being called a “ significant spike ” in positive cases .
At one site run by UCFS Healthcare , 120 tests were administered .
Typically , they test about 15 on Friday .
Free testing was also planned over the weekend at drive-through and walk-up locations throughout the city of nearly 40,000 and Patrick McCormack , director of the Uncas Health District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing in congregate settings next weeks , such as elderly housing complexes .
McCormack said there have been 119 positive cases over an eight-day period in Norwich , a city located in a part of the state that had a low infection rate during the early months of the pandemic .
The daily case rate has risen to 24 per 100,000 – the highest rate in the state , according to Gov .
Ned Lamont ’ s office .
McCormack said the jump in cases has not been linked to any one event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected range in age from 30 to 59 years old .
“ There ’ s certainly pockets of social activity we find when we do contract tracing , ” he said .
But nothing has come to light as a specific incident or a specific group of incidents.
” City and school officials have taken steps try and stop the spread of the virus .
Schools are switching to remote learning , basketball hoops have been taken down and city police are asking residents to report nonemergency calls online .
As the cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s William W. Backus Hospital , who ’ ve been in a contract dispute since June , informed management on Friday they plan to wage a two-day strike in 10 days if an agreement is not reached .
Sherri Dayton , a registered nurse and president of Backus Federation of Nurses , AFT Local 5149 , said her roughly 400 members are paid less than nurses at area hospitals and they ’ ve struggled throughout the pandemic to have Hartford Healthcare , the hospital ’ s owner , provide them with enough personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denies .
She said 11 staff who worked on one floor at Backus were recently infected by a patient from Three Rivers Healthcare , a city nursing home now shuttered by the state .
Dayton said three more employees who worked in the critical care unit were infected several weeks ago and another worker tested positive last week after caring for a patient admitted to the emergency room .
“ I ’ m going to be honest with you .
There ’ s a lot of nurses are scared .
And the reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they test positive , we get blamed by the hospital , ” she said .
In a video response , Donna Handley , president of Backus and Windham Hospitals , said she was “ deeply , deeply disappointed ” as a nurse herself in the union ’ s notification of a two-day strike .
“ The community needs us now more than ever with the increasing COVID-19 cases .
This is a time to join together in the fight against COVID , ” she said , adding how the hospital administration has done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will “ work around the clock ” to reach an agreement with the nurses .
She said Backus will remain open .
In response to the region ’ s increased infection rate , Foxwoods Resort Casino , a major employer , announced it will continue to operate at 25 % capacity .
“ As the state cautiously continues to reopen under the phase 3 guidelines issued by the Governor , we believe it is in the best interest of our team members , guests , tribal members and communities to maintain our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent uptick of COVID-19 cases in our region , ” Jason Guyot , Foxwoods ’ Interim CEO , said in a written statement .
The casino reopened in June after a nearly three-month closure .
There were 110 people hospitalized statewide with the virus and two more coronavirus-related deaths were reported Friday , bringing the state ’ s total to 4,513 .

NORWICH, Conn. (AP) - Cars were lined up at COVID-19 testing sites in Norwich on Friday, a day after the Connecticut Department of Public Health issued an emergency alert after seeing what’s being called a “significant spike” in positive cases.
At one site run by UCFS Healthcare, 120 tests were administered. Typically, they test about 15 on Friday.
Free testing was also planned over the weekend at drive-through and walk-up locations throughout the city of nearly 40,000 and Patrick McCormack, director of the Uncas Health District, said plans were underway to conduct testing in congregate settings next weeks, such as elderly housing complexes.
McCormack said there have been 119 positive cases over an eight-day period in Norwich, a city located in a part of the state that had a low infection rate during the early months of the pandemic. The daily case rate has risen to 24 per 100,000 – the highest rate in the state, according to Gov. Ned Lamont’s office.
McCormack said the jump in cases has not been linked to any one event or activity, noting most of those infected range in age from 30 to 59 years old.
“There’s certainly pockets of social activity we find when we do contract tracing,” he said. But nothing has come to light as a specific incident or a specific group of incidents.”
City and school officials have taken steps try and stop the spread of the virus. Schools are switching to remote learning, basketball hoops have been taken down and city police are asking residents to report nonemergency calls online.
As the cases spike, nurses at the city’s William W. Backus Hospital, who’ve been in a contract dispute since June, informed management on Friday they plan to wage a two-day strike in 10 days if an agreement is not reached.
Sherri Dayton, a registered nurse and president of Backus Federation of Nurses, AFT Local 5149, said her roughly 400 members are paid less than nurses at area hospitals and they’ve struggled throughout the pandemic to have Hartford Healthcare, the hospital’s owner, provide them with enough personal protective equipment, a claim the system denies.
She said 11 staff who worked on one floor at Backus were recently infected by a patient from Three Rivers Healthcare, a city nursing home now shuttered by the state. Dayton said three more employees who worked in the critical care unit were infected several weeks ago and another worker tested positive last week after caring for a patient admitted to the emergency room.
“I’m going to be honest with you. There’s a lot of nurses are scared. And the reason for that is, is because when they test positive, we get blamed by the hospital,” she said.
In a video response, Donna Handley, president of Backus and Windham Hospitals, said she was “deeply, deeply disappointed” as a nurse herself in the union’s notification of a two-day strike.
“The community needs us now more than ever with the increasing COVID-19 cases. This is a time to join together in the fight against COVID,” she said, adding how the hospital administration has done everything it can to avoid a strike and will “work around the clock” to reach an agreement with the nurses.
She said Backus will remain open.
In response to the region’s increased infection rate, Foxwoods Resort Casino, a major employer, announced it will continue to operate at 25% capacity.
“As the state cautiously continues to reopen under the phase 3 guidelines issued by the Governor, we believe it is in the best interest of our team members, guests, tribal members and communities to maintain our current 25% capacity threshold given the recent uptick of COVID-19 cases in our region,” Jason Guyot, Foxwoods’ Interim CEO, said in a written statement. The casino reopened in June after a nearly three-month closure.
There were 110 people hospitalized statewide with the virus and two more coronavirus-related deaths were reported Friday, bringing the state’s total to 4,513.


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--Protesters, 'observers' file free speech lawsuit in Vegas

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - Several protesters , organizers and self-described “ legal observers ” have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Las Vegas police , claiming excessive force and free speech violations during racial justice demonstrations following the death of a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis .
A 66-page complaint accuses the department and several officers of using “ unjustified ” methods including corralling crowds , deploying tear gas and firing “ pepper ball ” projectiles toward unarmed people including journalists , attorneys and others “ who posed absolutely no threat to police or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest areas at the time , the document said .
“ The rights of protesters need to be protected , ” Margaret McLetchie , the attorney heading the case , said Friday .
“ We ’ re very concerned about overly aggressive and illegal actions by the department.
” The lawsuit filed Sept. 25 in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas alleges that officers violated departmental use-of-force policies that were revised as recently as July 8 .
It seeks a court finding that police committed “ willful , deliberate and clear constitutional violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter and union organizers , lawyers and a student watching as a non-participant in protests in May , June and July .
It also seeks unspecified monetary damages .
A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesman , Officer Aden OcampoGomez , declined to comment , citing the ongoing legal case .
A hearing date has not been set .
McLetchie is a civil rights lawyer who has represented The Associated Press and the Las Vegas Review-Journal in First Amendment and open-records cases .
She said the lawsuit was not about the Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a little bit of irony that these actions center on protests about police misconduct , ” she said .
Las Vegas police policies say projectiles including rubber bullets should be used only against a specific person posing an imminent threat to officers , or others with a weapon such as a knife , club , pipe , bottle or brick , the lawsuit said , and not during a “ civil unrest situation ” unless authorized by commanders .

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Several protesters, organizers and self-described “legal observers” have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Las Vegas police, claiming excessive force and free speech violations during racial justice demonstrations following the death of a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis.
A 66-page complaint accuses the department and several officers of using “unjustified” methods including corralling crowds, deploying tear gas and firing “pepper ball” projectiles toward unarmed people including journalists, attorneys and others “who posed absolutely no threat to police or the public.” Some were trying to leave protest areas at the time, the document said.
“The rights of protesters need to be protected,” Margaret McLetchie, the attorney heading the case, said Friday. “We’re very concerned about overly aggressive and illegal actions by the department.”
The lawsuit filed Sept. 25 in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas alleges that officers violated departmental use-of-force policies that were revised as recently as July 8.
It seeks a court finding that police committed “willful, deliberate and clear constitutional violations” against seven plaintiffs including Black Lives Matter and union organizers, lawyers and a student watching as a non-participant in protests in May, June and July. It also seeks unspecified monetary damages.
A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesman, Officer Aden OcampoGomez, declined to comment, citing the ongoing legal case. A hearing date has not been set.
McLetchie is a civil rights lawyer who has represented The Associated Press and the Las Vegas Review-Journal in First Amendment and open-records cases. She said the lawsuit was not about the Black Lives Matter organization.
“There’s more than a little bit of irony that these actions center on protests about police misconduct,” she said.
Las Vegas police policies say projectiles including rubber bullets should be used only against a specific person posing an imminent threat to officers, or others with a weapon such as a knife, club, pipe, bottle or brick, the lawsuit said, and not during a “civil unrest situation” unless authorized by commanders.


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--An abundance of risk, not caution, before Trump's diagnosis

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - Standing well apart on the debate stage , President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden looked out at an odd sight - one section of the room dutifully in masks , the other section flagrantly without .
The mostly bare-faced contingent was made up of Trump ’ s VIP guests , who had flouted the rules by removing their masks once inside the hall despite the best efforts of the debate ’ s health advisers from the Cleveland Clinic to keep everyone safe .
It was a conspicuous act of rebellion , reflecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But what Trump calls the “ invisible enemy ” was spreading - before the debate , during it , after it , or some combination - and now it has spread to him .
No one knows how , when or from whom Trump became infected .
Nor is it established who , if anyone , has contracted the disease from him .
But to retrace some of his steps over the last week is to see risk at multiple turns and an abundance of opportunity for infection .
This was the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few hours before his positive diagnosis , as he took a contingent to New Jersey for a fundraiser with the White House knowing he ’ d been close to someone sick with COVID-19 .
The result is that one of the most protected people on the planet has caught a disease that has killed more than 1 million people worldwide , more than 200,000 of them in the United States .
A look at the days leading up to it : After a spirited send-off from the White House grounds , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cleveland and the raucous debate .
Adviser Hope Hicks was among them .
Everyone admitted to the hall had been tested in advance by his or her own team and come up negative , the Cleveland Clinic said in a statement .
“ We had requirements to maintain a safe environment that align with CDC guidelines - including social distancing , hand sanitizing , temperature checks and masking.
” Such steps do not rule out the possibility that someone could have had a coronavirus infection that was not yet detectable by tests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a test will uncover it .
And Trump ’ s adult children and senior staff stripped off their masks for the duration of the debate , violating the rules .
Moderator Chris Wallace , seated on stage , noted that when Biden ’ s VIP guests , including his wife , Jill , walked in , they were wearing masks and kept them on throughout the debate .
“ I don ’ t wear a mask like him , ” Trump said of Biden mockingly in the debate .
“ Every time you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask .
He could be speaking 200 feet away from him and he shows up with the biggest mask I ’ ve ever seen.
” Said Biden : “ He ’ s been totally irresponsible the way in which he has handled the social distancing and people wearing masks , basically encouraged them not to .
He ’ s a fool on this.
” Trump and his team returned late to Washington , with much more on tap for the week and the election now just a month away .
People around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Hicks had her test in the morning , along with the others to be traveling with him for the day .
Her results were negative .
She joined others aboard Marine One for the 15-minute or so flight to Air Force One waiting for them at Joint Base Andrews .
Marine One is a single-cabin chopper , normally seating 10 , a noisy aircraft with no partitions except between the president and the cockpit .
Once at Andrews , it was on to Minnesota for a fund-raiser followed by an outdoor rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota , Hicks reported feeling unwell .
It was blustery and cold in Duluth with a bit of a mist .
As usual , few in the crowd wore masks .
They heard Trump make his dubious promise of a vaccine by the end of the year and congratulate himself for doing a great job .
“ On November 3rd , Minnesota will decide whether we end this pandemic , defeat the virus , and return to record prosperity , ” he said .
“ Either way , we ’ re returning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was notably shorter than usual , 45 minutes instead of the usual one to two hours .
After his remarks , he mingled on stage briefly , pumping his fist to the beat of the Village People and waving to folks in the crowd .
He did not speak to reporters before boarding Air Force One nor come back to speak with them on the flight .
Hicks kept apart from others on the big plane coming back and did not take the crowded Marine One back to the White House once at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got another test .
This time it was positive .
The results came not long before the president was set to lift off in Marine One for a fundraiser at his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey .
Hicks ’ diagnosis affirmed that Trump had been in close proximity to someone infected with the virus .
That ’ s when you should quarantine , according to public-health guidelines .
But Trump went ahead with the trip .
Not only that , but others who had also been around Hicks were not immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House worked furiously to swap out staff who had been in close contact with Hicks and replace them with others .
Spokesman Judd Deere was swapped in at the last minute , without being told why .
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not make the trip .
White House officials said they began learning of Hicks ’ positive test after Trump boarded Marine One to start his journey to New Jersey .
Comedian Joe Piscopo attended the outdoor Bedminster fundraiser and told The Associated Press by phone that “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service to COVID testing to masking.
” “ I ’ ve never seen him more on top of his game - warm , funny , vulnerable , ” Piscopo said .
“ Like we say in New Jersey , he ’ s an animal .
He ’ s going to be fine , and I mean that in a good way.
” This chain of events does not establish how or where Trump got the virus .
Given the highly variable period between infection and sickness - anywhere from a few days to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it on any number of occasions from a variety of people .
It could have been at the week-old Rose Garden event where Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court choice , a gathering where four attendees - Sens .
Mike Lee of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina , former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and University of Notre Dame President John I. Jenkins - were later diagnosed with the disease .
Or it could have been his rally in Pennsylvania that night , his event with a few lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday - or his routine interactions anytime in the incubation period .
Many hours later , Trump confirmed Hicks had tested positive and told Fox News he and his wife had been tested and were prepared to quarantine if necessary .
At 12:54 a.m. , Trump tweeted : “ Tonight , @ FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19 .
We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately .
We will get through this TOGETHER !
” Flotus refers to Melania Trump , the first lady , who also has COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ world and from across the political divide , some of them with an I-told-you-so undertone .
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pronounced the news “ tragic , it ’ s very sad , ” but also unsurprising given actions by Trump that were “ sort of a brazen invitation for this to happen.
” Biden kept to a simple statement saying “ We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.
” Despite the abject failure to keep the president protected from the virus , White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well thought out .
And masks still won ’ t be required on the White House grounds for all West Wing employees .
“ Wearing a mask , ” said one official , “ is a personal choice.
” Associated Press writers Thalia Beaty in New York and Zeke Miller and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) - The scene at the White House a week ago was one of normalcy in these most abnormal times: a crowd of revelers gathered in the Rose Garden, a band playing, the mingling of the elite, good cheer everywhere, handshakes and hugs left and right.
Now it’s a suspected petri dish of coronavirus infection, prominent among the numerous occasions over a week or more where President Donald Trump might have caught - or spread - the virus that has now landed him in the hospital
No one knows how, when or from whom Trump became infected. Nor is it established who, if anyone, has contracted the disease from him. But to retrace some of his steps over the last week is to see risk at multiple turns and an abundance of opportunity for infection.
This was the case day after day and right up until a few hours before his positive diagnosis, as he took a contingent to New Jersey for a fundraiser while knowing he’d been close to someone sick with COVID-19.
The result is that one of the most protected people on the planet is now hospitalized, battling a disease that has killed more than 1 million people worldwide, more than 200,000 of them in the United States.
A look at days leading up to it:
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26:
More than 150 people gathered in the Rose Garden for Trump’s introduction of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee for the Supreme Court. The event was highly social, but not distanced.
Few in the crowd wore masks; in fact, some guests were told it was safe to take them off after they received tests upon arrival, said Rev. John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, one of the attendees.
COVID-19 tests are not 100% reliable and do not rule out the possibility that someone might have an infection that is not yet detectable. The virus can incubate for days before a test will uncover it.
In the days that followed, a succession of attendees reported they had contracted COVID-19, among them Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina and former counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, seen in an AP photo with his arm around another guest while chatting up several face to face, announced his positive virus test this weekend.
Jenkins contracted COVID-19, too.
“I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden,” he said in a message to the Notre Dame community.
“I failed to lead by example, at a time when I’ve asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so.”
Public-health experts say Trump failed to lead by example, too.
That night he headed to Pennsylvania for a rally, followed Sunday by an outing to the golf course, a reception with Gold Star families, and a press conference during which he made not a single reference to the virus.
___
TUESDAY
After a spirited send-off from the White House grounds, Trump and members of his team headed to Cleveland and the raucous presidential debate with Democrat Joe Biden. Adviser Hope Hicks was among them.
Everyone admitted to the hall was supposed to have been tested in advance and come up negative, the Cleveland Clinic officials who served as the debate’s health advisers said in a statement. “We had requirements to maintain a safe environment that align with CDC guidelines - including social distancing, hand sanitizing, temperature checks and masking.”
But most in Trump’s contingent - his adult children, senior staff and other VIPs - stripped off their masks for the duration of the debate, violating the rules.
Moderator Chris Wallace, seated on stage, noted that when Biden’s VIP guests, including his wife, Jill, walked in, they were wearing masks and kept them on throughout the debate.
“I don’t wear a mask like him,” Trump said of Biden mockingly in the debate. “Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from him and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”
Said Biden: “He’s been totally irresponsible the way in which he has handled the social distancing and people wearing masks, basically encouraged them not to. He’s a fool on this.”
Trump and his team returned late to Washington, with much more on tap for the week and the election now just a month away. Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, who attended the debate and helped him prepare with Christie, has tested positive for COVID-19.
___
WEDNESDAY
People around Trump are tested daily for the coronavirus and Hicks had her test in the morning, along with the others to be traveling with him for the day. Her results were negative. She joined others aboard Marine One for the 15-minute or so flight to Air Force One waiting for them at Joint Base Andrews.
Marine One is a single-cabin chopper, normally seating 10, a noisy aircraft with no partitions except between the president and the cockpit. Once at Andrews, it was on to Minnesota for a fund-raiser followed by an outdoor rally in Duluth.
On the ground in Minnesota, Hicks reported feeling unwell.
It was blustery and cold in Duluth with a bit of a mist. As usual, few in the crowd wore masks. They heard Trump make his dubious promise of a vaccine by the end of the year and congratulate himself for doing a great job. “On November 3rd, Minnesota will decide whether we end this pandemic, defeat the virus, and return to record prosperity,” he said. “Either way, we’re returning. Either way.”
Trump’s speech was notably shorter than usual, 45 minutes instead of the usual one to two hours.
After his remarks, he mingled on stage briefly, pumping his fist to the beat of the Village People and waving to folks in the crowd. He did not speak to reporters before boarding Air Force One nor come back to speak with them on the flight.
Hicks kept apart from others on the big plane coming back and did not take the crowded Marine One back to the White House once at Andrews.
___
THURSDAY
On Thursday morning, Hicks got another test. This time it was positive.
The results came not long before the president was set to lift off in Marine One for a fundraiser at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Hicks’ diagnosis affirmed that Trump had been in close proximity to someone infected with the virus. That’s when you should quarantine, according to public-health guidelines. But Trump went ahead with the trip. Not only that, but others who had also been around Hicks were not immediately told about her positive test.
The White House worked furiously to swap out staff who had been in close contact with Hicks and replace them with others. Spokesman Judd Deere was swapped in at the last minute, without being told why. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not make the trip. White House officials said they began learning of Hicks’ positive test after Trump boarded Marine One to start his journey to New Jersey.
Comedian Joe Piscopo attended the outdoor Bedminster fundraiser and told The Associated Press by phone that “it was meticulously run, from the Secret Service to COVID testing to masking.”
“I’ve never seen him more on top of his game - warm, funny, vulnerable,” Piscopo said. “Like we say in New Jersey, he’s an animal. He’s going to be fine, and I mean that in a good way.”
Charlie Kolean, 25, of Dallas also attended the event, and described getting a nasal swab and negative results in 15 minutes, after which he joined a cocktail party of some 60 people. Staff at the event were masked but the guests weren’t, he told AP. VIPs had their pictures taken with Trump in another room, standing six feet from the president with no handshakes.
Hours after the Bedminster fund-raiser, Trump publicly confirmed Hicks had tested positive and told Fox News he and his wife had been tested and were prepared to quarantine if necessary.
This chain of events during the week does not establish how or where Trump got the virus. Given the highly variable period between infection and sickness - anywhere from a few days to two weeks - he could have contracted it on any number of occasions from a variety of people.
___
FRIDAY
At 12:54 a.m., Trump tweeted: “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” Flotus refers to Melania Trump, the first lady, who also has COVID-19.
Hours after that, Kolean got a “Dear Supporter” letter from the Trump campaign team saying: “We unfortunately write today to notify you that, as you have probably seen, President Trump confirmed late last night that he and the First Lady were tested for COVID-19 and produced positive test results.” The email urged attendees to contact their doctor if they developed symptoms.
Well wishes for the Trumps came in from around the world and from across the political divide, some of them with an I-told-you-so undertone.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pronounced the news “tragic, it’s very sad,” but also unsurprising given actions by Trump that were “sort of a brazen invitation for this to happen.” Biden kept to a simple statement saying “We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.”
Before the day was out, Trump was admitted to a military hospital for a stay expected to last at least several days, in what White House officials initially said was merely a precaution. But his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, said Saturday that Trump went though a “very concerning” period Friday and it was revealed that he had been given supplementary oxygen at the White House Friday.
The next 48 hours would be critical to his care, Meadows said.
Despite the abject failure to keep the president protected from the virus, White House officials defended their current protocols as well thought out. And masks still won’t be required on the White House grounds for all West Wing employees. “Wearing a mask,” said one official, “is a personal choice.”
___
Associated Press writers Christina Paciolla in Philadelphia, Thalia Beaty in New York and Zeke Miller and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-02--LA police call for calm, condemn spasm of gun violence

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Police Chief Michel Moore called for calm in the streets Friday after what he called a spasm of gun violence in South Los Angeles killed four and wounded 19 wounded in the past six days as the city has recorded nearly 40 more homicides so far this year than last year .
“ This is a pace of shooting and violence that we ’ ve not seen in years , ” Moore said as he and community leaders condemned the crimes .
“ I fear , given the velocity , where is the lid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred across a 59 square-mile ( 152 square-kilometer ) area that comprises 12 % of the city ’ s population but now accounts for 39 % of the homicides and 45 % of the shootings , Deputy Chief Regina Scott said .
The city as a whole has recorded 39 more killings and 101 more shootings to date compared with last year .
Shootings in the area once known as South Central have claimed victims over a wide range of ages , but they have been particularly cruel to “ our very young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Forty victims have been under age 18 , and nine of them were under 10 .
A 14-year-old youth football player was among those gunned down in the past week .
A young man who wants to become a police officer was ambushed in his car at a traffic light and wounded when he was shot in a case of mistaken identity .
Some victims were gang members .
But people were picked off in cross walks and struck by gunfire in their homes .
A 79-year-old woman was shot standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A 77-year-old woman and her 58-year-old daughter were struck by gunfire inside their home .
Moore blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for fueling the violence because of the economic turmoil it has caused while also giving people few outlets for social contact .
He was accompanied by a group that included two city councilmembers , clergy and other leaders who called on community members to lay down their arms , come together and not be afraid to speak out if they have witnessed a crime .
“ We have so many of our young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all , ” Bishop Grover Durham of the Good Citizen Deeds Foundation said .
“ This has got to stop .
… This is a call for a cease fire.
” Moore , who has had his department ’ s budget modestly trimmed as a result of the defund police movement , urged the City Council to continue to invest in the department .
City Councilmember Joe Buscaino , a former police officer , said trust remained high between the community and LAPD , but he said officers need help to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to take only the LAPD to help .
It ’ s going to take you the community , ” he said .
“ Come forward if you have information on these knuckleheads who are terrorizing our community.
” Scott , whose son and grandson live in the area , said that in addition to the four people killed since Sunday , 19 were shot and 11 were fired at but not struck .
A week ago , she met with mothers of murder victims and heard “ countless stories ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today , sadly , ” she lamented , “ I ’ m adding four mamas to that number .
”

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Police Chief Michel Moore called for calm in the streets Friday after what he called a spasm of gun violence in South Los Angeles killed four and wounded 19 wounded in the past six days as the city has recorded nearly 40 more homicides so far this year than last year.
“This is a pace of shooting and violence that we’ve not seen in years,” Moore said as he and community leaders condemned the crimes. “I fear, given the velocity, where is the lid on this?”
The shootings have occurred across a 59 square-mile (152 square-kilometer) area that comprises 12% of the city’s population but now accounts for 39% of the homicides and 45% of the shootings, Deputy Chief Regina Scott said. The city as a whole has recorded 39 more killings and 101 more shootings to date compared with last year.
Shootings in the area once known as South Central have claimed victims over a wide range of ages, but they have been particularly cruel to “our very young and our very innocent,” Moore said. Forty victims have been under age 18, and nine of them were under 10.
A 14-year-old youth football player was among those gunned down in the past week. A young man who wants to become a police officer was ambushed in his car at a traffic light and wounded when he was shot in a case of mistaken identity.
Some victims were gang members. But people were picked off in cross walks and struck by gunfire in their homes.
A 79-year-old woman was shot standing beside her car, Scott said. A 77-year-old woman and her 58-year-old daughter were struck by gunfire inside their home.
Moore blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for fueling the violence because of the economic turmoil it has caused while also giving people few outlets for social contact.
He was accompanied by a group that included two city councilmembers, clergy and other leaders who called on community members to lay down their arms, come together and not be afraid to speak out if they have witnessed a crime.
“We have so many of our young people that are dying for no reason at all,” Bishop Grover Durham of the Good Citizen Deeds Foundation said. “This has got to stop. … This is a call for a cease fire.”
Moore, who has had his department’s budget modestly trimmed as a result of the defund police movement, urged the City Council to continue to invest in the department.
City Councilmember Joe Buscaino, a former police officer, said trust remained high between the community and LAPD, but he said officers need help to do their jobs.
“It’s not going to take only the LAPD to help. It’s going to take you the community,” he said. “Come forward if you have information on these knuckleheads who are terrorizing our community.”
Scott, whose son and grandson live in the area, said that in addition to the four people killed since Sunday, 19 were shot and 11 were fired at but not struck.
A week ago, she met with mothers of murder victims and heard “countless stories” of children no longer with them.
“Today, sadly,” she lamented, “I’m adding four mamas to that number.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--History on screen: East Germany through its filmmakers' eyes

BERLIN ( AP ) - As John F. Kennedy peered over the Berlin Wall into communist East Germany in 1963 , red curtains blocked the U.S. president ’ s view through the Brandenburg Gate and a banner perched in front of it accused the United States of breaking an international agreement “ to prevent the rebirth of German militarism.
” A western newsreel documented the crowds cheering Kennedy on the western side as well as the East German stunt , the narrator noting that Kennedy didn ’ t get a good look at the gate , because “ the Iron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , as the Communists made sure he saw their propaganda.
” That might have been the final word on the visit , were it not for a new project , 30 years after Germany ’ s reunification , to digitize thousands of East German newsreels .
The movies being scanned , transcribed and posted online provide a perspective from inside a country that no longer exists but was a critical part of the Cold War .
The East German Augenzeuge , or Eyewitness , newsreel on the Kennedy visit trumpeted the prank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American president got an “ unexpected surprise instead of the great view into the East German capital promised by his Secret Service ” and allegedly had to cut his visit from “ 20 minutes to five.
” “ History and who we are is a narrative , so it ’ s very important to compare the different narratives , ” said Gunnar Dedio , a film producer and media entrepreneur who last year bought Progress , the company holding the license rights to the East German film collection .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also the whole societal side , where we can understand much better the differences in the Germany of today - why people who were socialized in East or West are still quite different often in their thinking , because their backgrounds , their history , was quite different.
” Dedio charges license fees to documentary producers , museums and others wanting to use the films , but they ’ re currently available to view online for free .
The cellar of his Leipzig operation is stacked floor-to-ceiling with canisters of 35mm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and waiting to be scanned , a process that is expected to take another two to three years .
In all there are more than 12,000 films , including some 2,000 newsreels - one made every week the German Democratic Republic , or DDR by its German initials , existed .
The online offerings include digitized films from other archives , like western newsreels and a series of home movies featuring Adolf Hitler ’ s girlfriend , and later wife , Eva Braun , enjoying holidays with family , friends , pets and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marched through Europe .
Though some of the better-known movies have been available on DVD for a long time , having the entire collection available is a goldmine for researchers , said Stefan Wolle , the head of research for Berlin ’ s DDR Museum , who is not affiliated with the project .
“ For me , and for us , these films are terribly important and valuable , partially as historical documents , which tell a lot about the time from the perspective of the time - the ideology , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also artistically valuable , ” he said .
Germany was divided into four occupation zones after World War II , the Soviet-influenced East Germany and West Germany ’ s American , British and French sectors .
In the Soviet sector , authorities in 1946 founded DEFA , a monopoly film production company that used the famous Babelsberg studio outside Berlin and its personnel to start making movies meant to reeducate the German people after years of Nazi rule .
DEFA soon broadened its productions to highlight wider themes of communism , like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealth , in feature films , documentaries and newsreels .
In 1950 , the year after East Germany was established as a country , the authorities formed another company , Progress , as a state monopoly to distribute DEFA films and to import foreign productions .
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 , DEFA ’ s studios were sold and its film collection was given to a state-run foundation .
Progress went through a couple of hands before being acquired by Dedio ’ s company in 2019 .
DEFA teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective , exploring the inequities of South Africa under apartheid while it was still largely tolerated by Western nations , focusing on the civil rights movement and Vietnam War protests in the U.S. , and looking at the 1967 six-day war between Israel and its neighbors as an act of “ imperialist aggression ” by Tel Aviv in collusion with “ the U.S.A and other NATO countries.
” The films feature leaders like Fidel Castro , Mao Zedong , Kim Il Sung , Indira Gandhi , Yasser Arafat , Ho Chi Minh and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals such as American civil rights activist Angela Davis and actors and entertainers like Marlene Dietrich , Jane Fonda , and Louis Armstrong .
“ It ’ s a picture to show that ‘ Our system is right and that the Western democracies are very far from being good societies , and some of it is , of course , propaganda , ” Dedio said .
“ But some of it seen with eyes from today is very , very interesting and revealing .
It shows what wasn ’ t captured on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As anti-government sentiment grew in East Germany during the 1980s , directors were emboldened to slip messages about topics that were verboten to talk about overtly past the strict state censors , such as by filming buildings in disrepair in the background of scenes to document the country ’ s crumbling infrastructure .
“ Most of the time , they find these very small ways to express what they really think , in metaphors , in symbolic ways , in very intelligent ways , where it was difficult for the censorship to intervene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was clear how it was meant , ” said Dedio , who was born in the East German city of Rostock in 1969 and grew up watching DEFA films .
A documentary on the underground music scene made just before the fall of the Berlin Wall features a beach concert of the East Berlin punk band Feeling B , several of whose members later found fame as part of the post-reunification band Rammstein .
A group of youths , their pants cuffed and boots laced high as they dance wildly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looked out of place in a New York .
London or Toronto mosh pit in the 1980s , a reminder that beyond the official rhetoric , most residents on the east side of the Iron Curtain were just ordinary people living their lives .
“ You see a lot of real life in pictures out of the East which you can ’ t find in the official propaganda , ” Dedio said .

BERLIN (AP) - As John F. Kennedy peered over the Berlin Wall into communist East Germany in 1963, red curtains blocked the U.S. president’s view through the Brandenburg Gate and a banner perched in front of it accused the United States of breaking an international agreement “to prevent the rebirth of German militarism.”
A western newsreel documented the crowds cheering Kennedy on the western side as well as the East German stunt, the narrator noting that Kennedy didn’t get a good look at the gate, because “the Iron Curtain was supplemented by a giant cloth one, as the Communists made sure he saw their propaganda.”
That might have been the final word on the visit, were it not for a new project, 30 years after Germany’s reunification, to digitize thousands of East German newsreels. The movies being scanned, transcribed and posted online provide a perspective from inside a country that no longer exists but was a critical part of the Cold War.
The East German Augenzeuge, or Eyewitness, newsreel on the Kennedy visit trumpeted the prank as a triumph, scoffing that the American president got an “unexpected surprise instead of the great view into the East German capital promised by his Secret Service” and allegedly had to cut his visit from “20 minutes to five.”
“History and who we are is a narrative, so it’s very important to compare the different narratives,” said Gunnar Dedio, a film producer and media entrepreneur who last year bought Progress, the company holding the license rights to the East German film collection.
“It’s not only the propaganda side of it, but also the whole societal side, where we can understand much better the differences in the Germany of today - why people who were socialized in East or West are still quite different often in their thinking, because their backgrounds, their history, was quite different.”
Dedio charges license fees to documentary producers, museums and others wanting to use the films, but they’re currently available to view online for free.
The cellar of his Leipzig operation is stacked floor-to-ceiling with canisters of 35mm film reels, each labeled, catalogued and waiting to be scanned, a process that is expected to take another two to three years. In all there are more than 12,000 films, including some 2,000 newsreels - one made every week the German Democratic Republic, or DDR by its German initials, existed.
The online offerings include digitized films from other archives, like western newsreels and a series of home movies featuring Adolf Hitler’s girlfriend, and later wife, Eva Braun, enjoying holidays with family, friends, pets and the Nazi dictator himself as German armies marched through Europe.
Though some of the better-known movies have been available on DVD for a long time, having the entire collection available is a goldmine for researchers, said Stefan Wolle, the head of research for Berlin’s DDR Museum, who is not affiliated with the project.
“For me, and for us, these films are terribly important and valuable, partially as historical documents, which tell a lot about the time from the perspective of the time - the ideology, the cultural policies. And they’re also artistically valuable,” he said.
Germany was divided into four occupation zones after World War II, the Soviet-influenced East Germany and West Germany’s American, British and French sectors.
In the Soviet sector, authorities in 1946 founded DEFA, a monopoly film production company that used the famous Babelsberg studio outside Berlin and its personnel to start making movies meant to reeducate the German people after years of Nazi rule.
DEFA soon broadened its productions to highlight wider themes of communism, like the emancipation of women and the redistribution of wealth, in feature films, documentaries and newsreels.
In 1950, the year after East Germany was established as a country, the authorities formed another company, Progress, as a state monopoly to distribute DEFA films and to import foreign productions.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, DEFA’s studios were sold and its film collection was given to a state-run foundation. Progress went through a couple of hands before being acquired by Dedio’s company in 2019.
DEFA teams shot around the world from the Eastern perspective, exploring the inequities of South Africa under apartheid while it was still largely tolerated by Western nations, focusing on the civil rights movement and Vietnam War protests in the U.S., and looking at the 1967 six-day war between Israel and its neighbors as an act of “imperialist aggression” by Tel Aviv in collusion with “the U.S.A and other NATO countries.”
The films feature leaders like Fidel Castro, Mao Zedong, Kim Il Sung, Indira Gandhi, Yasser Arafat, Ho Chi Minh and Salvador Allende, as well as prominent individuals such as American civil rights activist Angela Davis and actors and entertainers like Marlene Dietrich, Jane Fonda, and Louis Armstrong.
“It’s a picture to show that ‘Our system is right and that the Western democracies are very far from being good societies, and some of it is, of course, propaganda,” Dedio said. “But some of it seen with eyes from today is very, very interesting and revealing. It shows what wasn’t captured on the western side of the Iron Curtain.”
As anti-government sentiment grew in East Germany during the 1980s, directors were emboldened to slip messages about topics that were verboten to talk about overtly past the strict state censors, such as by filming buildings in disrepair in the background of scenes to document the country’s crumbling infrastructure.
“Most of the time, they find these very small ways to express what they really think, in metaphors, in symbolic ways, in very intelligent ways, where it was difficult for the censorship to intervene. But for the majority of people, it was clear how it was meant,” said Dedio, who was born in the East German city of Rostock in 1969 and grew up watching DEFA films.
A documentary on the underground music scene made just before the fall of the Berlin Wall features a beach concert of the East Berlin punk band Feeling B, several of whose members later found fame as part of the post-reunification band Rammstein.
A group of youths, their pants cuffed and boots laced high as they dance wildly in the sand, wouldn’t have looked out of place in a New York. London or Toronto mosh pit in the 1980s, a reminder that beyond the official rhetoric, most residents on the east side of the Iron Curtain were just ordinary people living their lives.
“You see a lot of real life in pictures out of the East which you can’t find in the official propaganda,” Dedio said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Judge rebuffs bid to ease pandemic-limits at private schools

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - A federal judge has turned down an initial request to ease pandemic-related occupancy limits for in-person instruction at private schools in New Mexico , in a setback for a lawsuit supported by the U.S. Justice Department .
In a Friday order , U.S. District Court Judge William Johnson cast doubt on the complaint from the father of a seventh grade prep school student in Albuquerque who has only engaged in online learning during the pandemic due to provisions of a statewide public health order .
Plaintiffs say the health order unfairly limits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of maximum room capacity , while public schools can apply to reopen under separate guidelines at 50 % .
To date , only a portion of elementary schools have been cleared to restart in-person instruction .
Johnson rejected a preliminary injunction request and noted that some private schools have managed to reboot in-person instruction by expanding into areas such as gymnasiums and cafeterias , while all 7-12 grade public schools are still cut off from in-person learning .
But he said private school students would have a better argument concerning equal protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public 7-12 grade schools proceed with returning to classrooms at 50 % occupancy .
“ The court has difficulty understanding how ( state ’ s ) regulatory plan could survive a scenario whereby private schools remain limited to in-person instruction at 25 % capacity while public and charter schools are allowed to move to in-person instruction at 50 % capacity , ” he wrote .
The U.S. Justice Department filed a statement of interest in support of plaintiff Douglas Peterson and his daughter , a student at Albuquerque Academy .
President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try and divert federal funding away from public schools that decline to reopen and toward parents who wish to send their children to private schools or for home schooling , learning pods or other options that have arisen during the coronavirus pandemic .
Private schools in New Mexico enroll about 22,000 students - or nearly 7 % of school-aged children .
The administration of Democratic Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham argued at a court hearing in September that private schools already occupy a privileged position with minimal state oversight .
The lawsuit also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ childcare facilities can open at 100 % capacity , but Judge Johnson said childcare for toddlers doesn ’ t work online and has to take place in a physical setting .
In rejecting the request for a preliminary injunction , Johnson was skeptical of claims that New Mexico was infringing on rights of association and assembly , noting that the seventh grader in question can meet with classmates online or at another location .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A federal judge has turned down an initial request to ease pandemic-related occupancy limits for in-person instruction at private schools in New Mexico, in a setback for a lawsuit supported by the U.S. Justice Department.
In a Friday order, U.S. District Court Judge William Johnson cast doubt on the complaint from the father of a seventh grade prep school student in Albuquerque who has only engaged in online learning during the pandemic due to provisions of a statewide public health order.
Plaintiffs say the health order unfairly limits in-person learning at private schools to 25% of maximum room capacity, while public schools can apply to reopen under separate guidelines at 50%. To date, only a portion of elementary schools have been cleared to restart in-person instruction.
Johnson rejected a preliminary injunction request and noted that some private schools have managed to reboot in-person instruction by expanding into areas such as gymnasiums and cafeterias, while all 7-12 grade public schools are still cut off from in-person learning.
But he said private school students would have a better argument concerning equal protection rights and likely prevail in court if public 7-12 grade schools proceed with returning to classrooms at 50% occupancy.
“The court has difficulty understanding how (state’s) regulatory plan could survive a scenario whereby private schools remain limited to in-person instruction at 25% capacity while public and charter schools are allowed to move to in-person instruction at 50% capacity,” he wrote.
The U.S. Justice Department filed a statement of interest in support of plaintiff Douglas Peterson and his daughter, a student at Albuquerque Academy.
President Donald Trump and his education secretary have threatened to try and divert federal funding away from public schools that decline to reopen and toward parents who wish to send their children to private schools or for home schooling, learning pods or other options that have arisen during the coronavirus pandemic.
Private schools in New Mexico enroll about 22,000 students - or nearly 7% of school-aged children.
The administration of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham argued at a court hearing in September that private schools already occupy a privileged position with minimal state oversight.
The lawsuit also denounced as unfair the situation in which childcare facilities can open at 100% capacity, but Judge Johnson said childcare for toddlers doesn’t work online and has to take place in a physical setting.
In rejecting the request for a preliminary injunction, Johnson was skeptical of claims that New Mexico was infringing on rights of association and assembly, noting that the seventh grader in question can meet with classmates online or at another location.