washingtontimes--2020-10-31--US priest who founded Knights of Columbus is beatified

HARTFORD , Conn. ( AP ) - The late Connecticut priest who founded the Knights of Columbus moved a step closer to possible sainthood with his beatification Saturday , as authorized by Pope Francis .
The celebration for the Rev .
Michael McGivney at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford included the reading of a letter from Francis and the unveiling of a tapestry featuring McGivney ’ s portrait .
Francis in May approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of McGivney , which is required to be beatified , the first major step before canonization .
The Knights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medically inexplicable cure of a baby with a life-threatening condition who was healed in utero in 2015 after the family prayed to the Roman Catholic priest .
The family , which named the baby Michael in McGivney ’ s honor , attended Saturday ’ s Mass , the Hartford Courant reported .
“ I thought about bringing a relic back to our house , but ever since Michael has been born we ’ ve felt like he was our own little relic , ” his father , Daniel Schachle , said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGivney died at age 38 of pneumonia in 1890 , eight years after founding the Knights with a small group of parishioners while he was an assistant pastor at Saint Mary ’ s Church in New Haven .
His tomb is in the rear of St. Mary ’ s .
Today the lay charitable organization is one of the biggest Catholic organizations in the world , with about 2 million members in the Americas , Caribbean , Asia and Europe .
Francis , in his letter , praised McGivney for his “ zeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generous concern for his brothers and sisters.
” McGivney was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford in 1877 .

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The late Connecticut priest who founded the Knights of Columbus moved a step closer to possible sainthood with his beatification Saturday, as authorized by Pope Francis.
The celebration for the Rev. Michael McGivney at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford included the reading of a letter from Francis and the unveiling of a tapestry featuring McGivney’s portrait.
Francis in May approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of McGivney, which is required to be beatified, the first major step before canonization.
The Knights of Columbus said the miracle concerned the medically inexplicable cure of a baby with a life-threatening condition who was healed in utero in 2015 after the family prayed to the Roman Catholic priest.
The family, which named the baby Michael in McGivney’s honor, attended Saturday’s Mass, the Hartford Courant reported.
“I thought about bringing a relic back to our house, but ever since Michael has been born we’ve felt like he was our own little relic,” his father, Daniel Schachle, said. The family lives in Dickson, Tennessee.
McGivney died at age 38 of pneumonia in 1890, eight years after founding the Knights with a small group of parishioners while he was an assistant pastor at Saint Mary’s Church in New Haven.
His tomb is in the rear of St. Mary’s.
Today the lay charitable organization is one of the biggest Catholic organizations in the world, with about 2 million members in the Americas, Caribbean, Asia and Europe.
Francis, in his letter, praised McGivney for his “zeal for the proclamation of the Gospel and generous concern for his brothers and sisters.”
McGivney was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford in 1877.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Hay ride accident in Mississippi leaves 10 people injured

PICAYUNE , Miss .
( AP ) - Ten people on a hayride in Mississippi are being treated for critical @ @ @ @ @ collided with their trailer being pulled by an ATV .
The pickup rear-ended the trailer @ @ @ @ @ rural Pearl River County , about 10 minutes west of Picayune , news outlets reported @ @ @ @ @ transported the injured to several hospitals , including Highland Community Hospital in Picayune , Forrest @ @ @ @ @ and University Medical Center in New Orleans .
All 10 patients transported were in critical @ @ @ @ @ County Emergency Management Director Danny Manley .
The collision sent the trailer tumbling off the @ @ @ @ @ the severity of the injuries , Emergency Management Director Danny Manley said .
The hayride @ @ @ @ @ and friends , he said .
The accident remains under investigation , though Patrol Commander @ @ @ @ @ sheriff ’ s office notes it does not appear to be alcohol-related and no arrests @ @ @ @

PICAYUNE, Miss. (AP) - Ten people on a hayride in Mississippi are being treated for critical injuries after a pickup truck collided with their trailer being pulled by an ATV.
The pickup rear-ended the trailer Friday around 7:30 p.m. in rural Pearl River County, about 10 minutes west of Picayune, news outlets reported.
Multiple ambulances and helicopters transported the injured to several hospitals, including Highland Community Hospital in Picayune, Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, and University Medical Center in New Orleans. All 10 patients transported were in critical condition, said Pearl River County Emergency Management Director Danny Manley.
The collision sent the trailer tumbling off the road, which accounted for the severity of the injuries, Emergency Management Director Danny Manley said.
The hayride was an outing of family and friends, he said.
The accident remains under investigation, though Patrol Commander Shane Edgar of the county sheriff’s office notes it does not appear to be alcohol-related and no arrests have been made.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Wisconsin breaks record for coronavirus cases in a day

MADISON , Wi .
( AP ) - Wisconsin reported an all-time high for new coronavirus cases in a single @ @ @ @ @ people tested positive .
Deaths from the virus also passed 2,000 as the Department of @ @ @ @ @ deaths , bringing the total to 2,031 .
The state saw more deaths during October @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , with 704 of the state ’ s 2,031 COVID-19 deaths marked this month @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fourth-worst rate of new infections per capita over the last two weeks , @ @ @ @ @ .
There were about 927 new cases per 100,000 people .
Health officials reported that @ @ @ @ @ .

MADISON, Wi. (AP) - Wisconsin reported an all-time high for new coronavirus cases in a single day on Saturday as 5,278 people tested positive.
Deaths from the virus also passed 2,000 as the Department of Health Services reported 59 more deaths, bringing the total to 2,031. The state saw more deaths during October than any other of the pandemic, with 704 of the state’s 2,031 COVID-19 deaths marked this month.
Wisconsin has the country’s fourth-worst rate of new infections per capita over the last two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. There were about 927 new cases per 100,000 people.
Health officials reported that 229 more people were hospitalized.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Oregon matches highest daily reported COVID-19 death toll

SALEM , Ore. ( AP ) - Oregon health authorities reported Saturday that 14 more people in the state have died from COVID-19 , matching the highest death toll reported in a single day as the state struggles to contain the coronavirus .
The latest deaths occurred from Sept. 26 , when an 80-year-old died woman in her home , through Friday , when a 66-year-old woman died at a hospital in Bend .
With the state ’ s total known virus death toll reaching 689 , officials tried to get trick-or-treaters to wait until next year to celebrate Halloween @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to greeting all our favorite trick-or-treaters next year , ” Gov .
Kate Brown tweeted , referring to her husband and posting a photo of a pumpkin with the words “ Wear a mask ” carved into it .
Authorities noted it is hard to keep 6 feet of distance when trick-or-treaters gather at doors , that handing out candy puts people in close contact , and frequently touched surfaces like candy bowls and door knobs could have the virus on them .
The Oregon Health Authority on Saturday also reported 555 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day after announcing a record 600 additional cases .
Fourteen deaths were also reported on July 28 .
In another sign that the numbers are going the wrong way , last week marked the highest weekly tally of COVID-19 infections recorded in Oregon , with 2,642 new cases reported from Oct. 19 , through Oct. 25 .
The total confirmed coronavirus cases in Oregon , which has a population of 4.2 million , stood at 44,921 on Saturday .
Asked why in some cases there was a weeks ’ long delay in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delia Hernandez said the OHA is working to improve the data collection process .
“ Information is processed by several individuals , and somewhere along the chain , delays or errors happen , ” Hernandez said .

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Oregon health authorities reported Saturday that 14 more people in the state have died from COVID-19, matching the highest death toll reported in a single day as the state struggles to contain the coronavirus.
The latest deaths occurred from Sept. 26, when an 80-year-old died woman in her home, through Friday, when a 66-year-old woman died at a hospital in Bend.
With the state’s total known virus death toll reaching 689, officials tried to get trick-or-treaters to wait until next year to celebrate Halloween.
“Dan and I look forward to greeting all our favorite trick-or-treaters next year,” Gov. Kate Brown tweeted, referring to her husband and posting a photo of a pumpkin with the words “Wear a mask” carved into it.
Authorities noted it is hard to keep 6 feet of distance when trick-or-treaters gather at doors, that handing out candy puts people in close contact, and frequently touched surfaces like candy bowls and door knobs could have the virus on them.
The Oregon Health Authority on Saturday also reported 555 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, a day after announcing a record 600 additional cases. Fourteen deaths were also reported on July 28.
In another sign that the numbers are going the wrong way, last week marked the highest weekly tally of COVID-19 infections recorded in Oregon, with 2,642 new cases reported from Oct. 19, through Oct. 25.
The total confirmed coronavirus cases in Oregon, which has a population of 4.2 million, stood at 44,921 on Saturday.
Asked why in some cases there was a weeks’ long delay in the health authority reporting deaths, spokeswoman Delia Hernandez said the OHA is working to improve the data collection process.
“Information is processed by several individuals, and somewhere along the chain, delays or errors happen,” Hernandez said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--GOP says conflict continues on vote count in Dona Ana County

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - Clashes continued Saturday between Republican election challengers and absentee-ballot counting board in a southern New Mexico county at the center of a congressional swing district race .
State Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce said that another GOP challenger was ejected Saturday from a Dona Ana County vote counting facility as the person tried to get close enough to the ballot tallying machine to take a photograph of numbers on the machine .
Four challengers were ejected Friday .
Challengers are appointed by political parties in New Mexico to be present as county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can dispute the veracity of ballots for a variety of reasons .
Pearce says the GOP has instructed its challengers in Dona Ana County to take photographs of serial numbers and daily vote tallies on the machines to ensure an accurate count .
“ How else can we make sure nothing happens in the middle of the night ?
” he said .
The state ’ s director of elections sought assurances Friday from the Republican Party that its poll challengers are not being told to disobey election board members , after four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Dona Ana County ’ s absentee ballot counting board .
Agency spokesman Alex Curtas said Saturday that the concerns had not been addressed yet by the party .
The letter from Elections Director Mandy Vigil described reports from Dona Ana County officials that a Republican election challenger grabbed an election board member , and that vote counting was interrupted .
Pearce says surveillance video was submitted to state elections regulators and shows that the altercation was not physical , and that the party is not instructing challengers to disregard election officials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dona Ana County represents a crucial voting bloc in a swing-district congressional race between Democratic U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small and Republican former state legislator Yvette Herrell .
Torres Small won by fewer than 4,000 votes in 2018 .
New Mexico ’ s Republican Party sued state election authorities unsuccessfully in the final days of early voting , saying its election challengers were unfairly denied access to the initial verification process for absentee ballots where signatures and partial social security numbers are reviewed .
The secretary of state ’ s office said some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal identification information , and the state Supreme Court dismissed the suit .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Clashes continued Saturday between Republican election challengers and an absentee-ballot counting board in a southern New Mexico county at the center of a congressional swing district race.
State Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce said that another GOP challenger was ejected Saturday from a Dona Ana County vote counting facility as the person tried to get close enough to the ballot tallying machine to take a photograph of numbers on the machine. Four challengers were ejected Friday.
Challengers are appointed by political parties in New Mexico to be present as county election boards verify and tally ballots and can dispute the veracity of ballots for a variety of reasons.
Pearce says the GOP has instructed its challengers in Dona Ana County to take photographs of serial numbers and daily vote tallies on the machines to ensure an accurate count.
“How else can we make sure nothing happens in the middle of the night?” he said.
The state’s director of elections sought assurances Friday from the Republican Party that its poll challengers are not being told to disobey election board members, after four challengers were ejected Friday in an altercation with Dona Ana County’s absentee ballot counting board. Agency spokesman Alex Curtas said Saturday that the concerns had not been addressed yet by the party.
The letter from Elections Director Mandy Vigil described reports from Dona Ana County officials that a Republican election challenger grabbed an election board member, and that vote counting was interrupted.
Pearce says surveillance video was submitted to state elections regulators and shows that the altercation was not physical, and that the party is not instructing challengers to disregard election officials. The video was not immediately available.
Dona Ana County represents a crucial voting bloc in a swing-district congressional race between Democratic U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small and Republican former state legislator Yvette Herrell. Torres Small won by fewer than 4,000 votes in 2018.
New Mexico’s Republican Party sued state election authorities unsuccessfully in the final days of early voting, saying its election challengers were unfairly denied access to the initial verification process for absentee ballots where signatures and partial social security numbers are reviewed.
The secretary of state’s office said some restrictions on oversight are necessary to protect personal identification information, and the state Supreme Court dismissed the suit.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Minnesota reports 20 COVID-19 deaths, 3021 new cases

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) - Minnesota health officials reported 20 COVID-19 deaths and over 3,000 new infections on Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ the virus have been on the rise in recent weeks .
A total of 3,021 @ @ @ @ @ reported on Saturday .
There ’ s been nearly a 55 % increase in the @ @ @ @ @ cases over the last two weeks , according to Johns Hopkins researchers .
It has @ @ @ @ @ day .
Testing has also increased recently , but so has the positivity rate .
@ @ @ @ @ nearly 8 % , according to data from the COVID tracking project .
Residents of @ @ @ @ @ facilities accounted for 15 of the deaths reported Saturday .
Over the coure of the @ @ @ @ @ 2,457 people in the state have died after contracting COVID-19 .

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota health officials reported 20 COVID-19 deaths and over 3,000 new infections on Saturday.
Both infections and deaths from the virus have been on the rise in recent weeks. A total of 3,021 people tested positive in tests reported on Saturday. There’s been nearly a 55% increase in the rolling average of daily new cases over the last two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. It has increased by 788 cases a day.
Testing has also increased recently, but so has the positivity rate. The seven-day positivity average is nearly 8%, according to data from the COVID tracking project.
Residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities accounted for 15 of the deaths reported Saturday. Over the coure of the pandemic, a total of 2,457 people in the state have died after contracting COVID-19.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Possible job cuts announced at Pennsylvania universities

HARRISBURG , Pa. ( AP ) - More than 80 tenured and tenure-track faculty members at a western Pennsylvania university have been told they may lose their jobs at the end of the 2020-21 academic year , part of more than 100 possible job cuts at five universities in the commonwealth , union officials said .
Faculty union officials said retrenchment letters , or furlough letters , were sent to 81 faculty members at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and 21 at Edinboro University .
Also receiving letters were six members at Cheyney University , three at Mansfield University and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clarion universities had earlier warned of possible retrenchments but none of their professors were notified by Friday ’ s deadline .
Although Indiana University of Pennsylvania had previously announced possible job cuts , David Chambers , a political science professor who is vice president of the faculty union ’ s IUP chapter , told the Tribune-Review that officials were “ still kind of absorbing the shock ” of members receiving actual notices .
The reductions , combined with retirements and nonrenewal of temporary contracts , would mean job losses totaling about 128 fulltime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of several departments , including journalism and public relations , information systems and decision sciences and developmental studies , Chambers said .
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties , which represents faculty at the 14 universities in Pennsylvania ’ s State System of Higher Education , said such a letter doesn ’ t mean definite loss of a position , and members are eligible to move to other departments or system universities .
But Dr. Jamie Martin , union president , said openings are less likely this year .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the professors themselves , but , by extension , layoffs take opportunities away from students , ” Martin said .
“ Retrenchment is devastating at any time , but these letters are threatening to take away livelihoods and healthcare in the middle of a global pandemic.
” State System spokesman David Pidgeon said officials “ have been challenging the status quo and will continue to do so as we look to reshape public higher education in Pennsylvania and recapture our affordability edge in a competitive marketplace.
” Indiana University of Pennsylvania last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college of fine arts programs as the school tries to cope with a 33 % enrollment decline over the last decade .
Edinboro , where enrollment has plummeted by 50 percent since 2010 , announced plans to eliminate 21 academic programs with low enrollment .
The union represents about 5,000 faculty and coaches at state system universities , which are Bloomsburg , California , Cheyney , Clarion , East Stroudsburg , Edinboro , Indiana , Kutztown , Lock Haven , Mansfield , Millersville , Shippensburg , Slippery Rock and West Chester .

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - More than 80 tenured and tenure-track faculty members at a western Pennsylvania university have been told they may lose their jobs at the end of the 2020-21 academic year, part of more than 100 possible job cuts at five universities in the commonwealth, union officials said.
Faculty union officials said retrenchment letters, or furlough letters, were sent to 81 faculty members at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and 21 at Edinboro University. Also receiving letters were six members at Cheyney University, three at Mansfield University and two at Lock Haven University. California and Clarion universities had earlier warned of possible retrenchments but none of their professors were notified by Friday’s deadline.
Although Indiana University of Pennsylvania had previously announced possible job cuts, David Chambers, a political science professor who is vice president of the faculty union’s IUP chapter, told the Tribune-Review that officials were “still kind of absorbing the shock” of members receiving actual notices.
The reductions, combined with retirements and nonrenewal of temporary contracts, would mean job losses totaling about 128 fulltime posts and elimination of the entire faculties of several departments, including journalism and public relations, information systems and decision sciences and developmental studies, Chambers said.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, which represents faculty at the 14 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, said such a letter doesn’t mean definite loss of a position, and members are eligible to move to other departments or system universities. But Dr. Jamie Martin, union president, said openings are less likely this year.
“Not only are faculty cuts a blow to the professors themselves, but, by extension, layoffs take opportunities away from students,” Martin said. “Retrenchment is devastating at any time, but these letters are threatening to take away livelihoods and healthcare in the middle of a global pandemic.”
State System spokesman David Pidgeon said officials “have been challenging the status quo and will continue to do so as we look to reshape public higher education in Pennsylvania and recapture our affordability edge in a competitive marketplace.”
Indiana University of Pennsylvania last week announced closure of enrollment in five college of fine arts programs as the school tries to cope with a 33% enrollment decline over the last decade. Edinboro, where enrollment has plummeted by 50 percent since 2010, announced plans to eliminate 21 academic programs with low enrollment.
The union represents about 5,000 faculty and coaches at state system universities, which are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Arkansas COVID deaths rise by 25, reported cases by 1,316

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
( AP ) - The number of deaths in Arkansas due to the illness caused @ @ @ @ @ by 25 on Saturday and the number of reported cases rose by 1,316 , according @ @ @ @ @ Health .
The department reported a total of 1,925 confirmed and probable deaths due to @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic began in March .
The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely @ @ @ @ @ not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick @ @ @ @ @ hospitalized declined by 16 from Friday to 652 and 100,067 people have recovered while there @ @ @ @ @ according to the department .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate @ @ @ @ @ and cough that clear up in a few weeks .
For some , especially older @ @ @ @ @ health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death @

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The number of deaths in Arkansas due to the illness caused by the coronavirus has increased by 25 on Saturday and the number of reported cases rose by 1,316, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
The department reported a total of 1,925 confirmed and probable deaths due to COVID-19 and 112,190 cases since the pandemic began in March. The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
The number of people hospitalized declined by 16 from Friday to 652 and 100,067 people have recovered while there are 10,185 active cases, according to the department.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in a few weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Gospel star Bishop Rance Allen dead at 71

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Gospel star Rance Allen , whose Rance Allen Group drew upon contemporary sounds for such 1970s hits as “ Ain ’ t No Need of Crying ” and “ I Belong To You ” and anticipated such crossover gospel artists as the Winans and Amy Grant , has died at age 71 .
Allen ’ s wife , Ellen Allen , and manager Toby Jackson announced in a joint statement that Allen died early Saturday while recovering from a “ medical procedure ” at Heartland ProMedica in Sylvania , Ohio .
Allen was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently bishop for Church of God in Christ for the Michigan Northwestern Harvest Jurisdiction .
“ I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Gospel Great , Bishop Rance Allen , ” singer Gloria Gaynor tweeted .
“ He will surely enrich the heavenly choir now.
” A native of Monroe , Michigan , Allen was a singer , songwriter and musician who formed his group with his brothers Tom and Steve .
Another sibling , Esau , occasionally joined them .
A promotion man for Stax Records heard them at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed with the label ’ s Gospel Truth imprint .
Allen and his siblings were featured in the 1973 documentary WattStax , performing the funky “ Lying On the Truth.
” Like the Winans and others later on , the Allens inverted the formula of soul performers like Ray Charles who used gospel sounds for secular themes .
On “ Just My Salvation , ” the Allen Group reworked the Temptations melancholy love song “ Just My Imagination ” into an uptempo hymn .
The Allens were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own , Rance Allen was nominated for a Grammy fin 2009 or best gospel performance for “ I Understand , ” which featured Mariah Carey and BeBe Winans among others .
In 2015 , he sang at the White House , with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama among those in attendance .

NEW YORK (AP) - Gospel star Rance Allen, whose Rance Allen Group drew upon contemporary sounds for such 1970s hits as “Ain’t No Need of Crying” and “I Belong To You” and anticipated such crossover gospel artists as the Winans and Amy Grant, has died at age 71.
Allen’s wife, Ellen Allen, and manager Toby Jackson announced in a joint statement that Allen died early Saturday while recovering from a “medical procedure” at Heartland ProMedica in Sylvania, Ohio. Allen was a longtime Toledo, Ohio resident and most recently bishop for Church of God in Christ for the Michigan Northwestern Harvest Jurisdiction.
“I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Gospel Great, Bishop Rance Allen,” singer Gloria Gaynor tweeted. “He will surely enrich the heavenly choir now.”
A native of Monroe, Michigan, Allen was a singer, songwriter and musician who formed his group with his brothers Tom and Steve. Another sibling, Esau, occasionally joined them. A promotion man for Stax Records heard them at a Detroit talent contest and they eventually signed with the label’s Gospel Truth imprint. Allen and his siblings were featured in the 1973 documentary WattStax, performing the funky “Lying On the Truth.”
Like the Winans and others later on, the Allens inverted the formula of soul performers like Ray Charles who used gospel sounds for secular themes. On “Just My Salvation,” the Allen Group reworked the Temptations melancholy love song “Just My Imagination” into an uptempo hymn.
The Allens were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998. On his own, Rance Allen was nominated for a Grammy fin 2009 or best gospel performance for “I Understand,” which featured Mariah Carey and BeBe Winans among others.
In 2015, he sang at the White House, with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama among those in attendance.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Michigan sets single-day record for virus cases

The state health department also said there were 31 additional deaths , although 20 were from a records review and @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago .
The number of people confirmed to have been infected since March stands @ @ @ @ @ than 121,000 have recovered .
There have been at least 7,340 deaths related to COVID-19 @

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan reported a single-day record of new confirmed coronavirus cases Saturday: 3,792.
The state health department also said there were 31 additional deaths, although 20 were from a records review and could have occurred days or weeks ago.
The number of people confirmed to have been infected since March stands at nearly 179,000. More than 121,000 have recovered. There have been at least 7,340 deaths related to COVID-19.
Hundreds more are considered probable.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Queensland premier wins state vote on tough virus response

BRISBANE , Australia ( AP ) - The incumbent premier of Queensland won a third consecutive term in Australian state elections in which voters strongly endorsed her government ’ s tough policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , including closing state borders .
Annastacia Palaszczuk , dubbed the “ accidental premier ” when she came to power unexpectedly in 2015 , became the first female Australian political leader to win three consecutive elections .
Results on Sunday with 63.2 % of votes counted showed a 5.2 % swing in favor of Palaszczuk ’ s center-left Labor party , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ahead of the main opposition Liberal National coalition with 35.6 % .
The anti-immigration One Nation party saw its vote fall from 13.73 % in the 2017 election to 6.9 % while the United Australia Party of mining magnate Clive Palmer managed only 0.57 % .
Palaszczuk campaigned on her strong response to COVID-19 - there have only been six virus deaths in the state .
She acknowledged in declaring victory on Saturday night that the cost of the pandemic response had been high .
“ For many Queenslanders , I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Palaszczuk said .
“ It has been tough not being able to see your family and friends in other states or even around the world as we ’ ve been in the midst of a global pandemic.
” Her main challenger , Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington , campaigned on the heavy toll Labor ’ s border policies have taken on Queensland ’ s tourism industry .
The Great Barrier Reef straddles most of the top half of the state , while the Gold Coast tourist strip south of Brisbane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also sustained big losses .
But voters appeared to endorse Palaszczuk ’ s handling of the pandemic .
Election observers suggested older former LNP voters , mindful of the pandemic response , may have switched their support to Labor .
In a trend following that of next week ’ s U.S. presidential election , more than 1.28 million of 3.3 million eligible voters in the so-called Sunshine State voted ahead of election day .
A further 905,806 postal votes had been issued , of which 571,095 had been returned by Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia - federal , state and municipal - is compulsory .

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - The incumbent premier of Queensland won a third consecutive term in Australian state elections in which voters strongly endorsed her government’s tough policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including closing state borders.
Annastacia Palaszczuk, dubbed the “accidental premier” when she came to power unexpectedly in 2015, became the first female Australian political leader to win three consecutive elections.
Results on Sunday with 63.2% of votes counted showed a 5.2% swing in favor of Palaszczuk’s center-left Labor party, which had won 40.6% of the vote, ahead of the main opposition Liberal National coalition with 35.6%.
The anti-immigration One Nation party saw its vote fall from 13.73% in the 2017 election to 6.9% while the United Australia Party of mining magnate Clive Palmer managed only 0.57%.
Palaszczuk campaigned on her strong response to COVID-19 - there have only been six virus deaths in the state. She acknowledged in declaring victory on Saturday night that the cost of the pandemic response had been high.
“For many Queenslanders, I know it has been an incredibly tough year,” Palaszczuk said. “It has been tough not being able to see your family and friends in other states or even around the world as we’ve been in the midst of a global pandemic.”
Her main challenger, Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington, campaigned on the heavy toll Labor’s border policies have taken on Queensland’s tourism industry. The Great Barrier Reef straddles most of the top half of the state, while the Gold Coast tourist strip south of Brisbane, particularly popular with Asian visitors, has also sustained big losses.
But voters appeared to endorse Palaszczuk’s handling of the pandemic. Election observers suggested older former LNP voters, mindful of the pandemic response, may have switched their support to Labor.
In a trend following that of next week’s U.S. presidential election, more than 1.28 million of 3.3 million eligible voters in the so-called Sunshine State voted ahead of election day. A further 905,806 postal votes had been issued, of which 571,095 had been returned by Saturday. Voting at all levels of government in Australia - federal, state and municipal - is compulsory.


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--2 Broncos cleared for Chargers game after COVID-19 isolation

ENGLEWOOD , Colo. ( AP ) - Two Broncos offensive linemen were cleared to play against the Chargers this weekend after 24-hour isolations as a precaution following guard Graham Glasgow ’ s novel coronavirus infection .
Guard Austin Sclottmann and starting right tackle Demar Dotson got the go-ahead Saturday when the Broncos ( 2-4 ) resumed preparations for the Chargers ( 2-4 ) .
Coach Vic Fangio had postponed practice Friday after Glasgow ’ s test came back positive .
“ These guys have done a good job of wearing their masks and keeping distanced enough to where they weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fangio said of Dotson , Denver ’ s starting right tackle , and Schlottmann , a backup guard/center .
Schlottmann will start for Glasgow at right guard Sunday .
The Chargers also reported a positive COVID-19 test this week .
They placed guard Ryan Groy on the league ’ s COVID-19 reserve list Thursday and canceled practice that day .
They resumed practice Friday .
With Glasgow on the reserve/COVID-19 list , wide receiver Fred Brown was elevated as a COVID-19 replacement for Week 8 and added to the roster for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linebacker Austin Calitro from injured reserve and promoted running back/fullback Jeremy Cox from their practice squad along with guard/center Patrick Morris .
Finally , they placed tight end/fullback Andrew Beck ( hamstring ) on injured reserve .
The Broncos listed running back Phillip Lindsay ( concussion ) and wide receiver Tim Patrick ( hamstring ) as questionable for the game .
In addition to Glasgow ’ s COVID-19 case , Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak has been out all week because of COVID-19 concerns .
Fangio said the Broncos could have practiced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and CEO Joe Ellis he decided to just have remote meetings and push back Friday ’ s field work to Saturday .
“ Really it was just my gut that I thought it was the right thing to do , ” Fangio said .

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Two Broncos offensive linemen were cleared to play against the Chargers this weekend after 24-hour isolations as a precaution following guard Graham Glasgow ’s novel coronavirus infection.
Guard Austin Sclottmann and starting right tackle Demar Dotson got the go-ahead Saturday when the Broncos (2-4) resumed preparations for the Chargers (2-4). Coach Vic Fangio had postponed practice Friday after Glasgow’s test came back positive.
“These guys have done a good job of wearing their masks and keeping distanced enough to where they weren’t deemed a major risk,” Fangio said of Dotson, Denver’s starting right tackle, and Schlottmann, a backup guard/center.
Schlottmann will start for Glasgow at right guard Sunday.
The Chargers also reported a positive COVID-19 test this week. They placed guard Ryan Groy on the league’s COVID-19 reserve list Thursday and canceled practice that day. They resumed practice Friday.
With Glasgow on the reserve/COVID-19 list, wide receiver Fred Brown was elevated as a COVID-19 replacement for Week 8 and added to the roster for the game.
The Broncos also activated inside linebacker Austin Calitro from injured reserve and promoted running back/fullback Jeremy Cox from their practice squad along with guard/center Patrick Morris.
Finally, they placed tight end/fullback Andrew Beck (hamstring) on injured reserve.
The Broncos listed running back Phillip Lindsay (concussion) and wide receiver Tim Patrick (hamstring) as questionable for the game.
In addition to Glasgow’s COVID-19 case, Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak has been out all week because of COVID-19 concerns.
Fangio said the Broncos could have practiced Friday but after consulting with team president and CEO Joe Ellis he decided to just have remote meetings and push back Friday’s field work to Saturday.
“Really it was just my gut that I thought it was the right thing to do,” Fangio said.
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Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton
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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


washingtontimes--2020-10-31--Super typhoon slams into Philippines, 1 million evacuated

MANILA , Philippines ( AP ) - A super typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines with ferocious winds early Sunday and about a million people have been evacuated in its projected path , including in the capital where the main international airport was ordered closed .
“ There are so many people who are really in vulnerable areas , ” said Ricardo Jalad , who heads the government ’ s disaster-response agency .
“ We ’ re expecting major damage.
” Typhoon Goni hit the island province of Catanduanes at dawn with sustained winds of 225 kilometers ( 140 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kph ( 174 mph ) - equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane .
It was blowing west toward densely populated regions , including Manila , and rain-soaked provinces still recovering from a typhoon that hit a week ago and left at least 22 dead .
“ Within the next 12 hours , catastrophic violent winds and intense to torrential rainfall associated with the region of the eyewall and inner rain bands of the typhoon will be experienced , ” the Philippine weather agency said in an urgent advisory .
It said Catanduanes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Albay , where tens of thousands of villagers have been moved to safety , especially near the active Mayon volcano , where mudflows have caused deaths during past storms .
Residents have been warned of likely landslides , massive flooding , storm surges of more than 5 meters ( 16 feet ) and ferocious wind that can blow away shanties .
One of the most powerful typhoons in the world this year , Goni has evoked memories of Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013 , which left more than 7,300 people dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swept ships inland and displaced more than 5 million in the central Philippines .
Jalad said nearly a million people have been preemptively moved into emergency shelters , mostly schools and government buildings .
He warned of storm surges that could inundate coastal villages , including in Manila Bay .
Forecasters said the typhoon ’ s eye may hit or graze metropolitan Manila , the densely populated capital region of more than 13 million , late Sunday to early Monday and asked the public to brace for the worst .
The typhoon may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madre mountain range , then cross the main northern Luzon island toward the South China Sea .
Manila ’ s main airport was ordered shut down for 24 hours from Sunday to Monday and airlines canceled dozens of international and domestic flights .
The military and national police , along with the coast guard and firefighters , have been put on full alert .
About 1,000 COVID-19 patients were moved to hospitals and hotels from tent quarantine and treatment centers in the capital and the northern province of Bulacan , Jalad said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual to avoid congestion that can rapidly spark infections .
The war-like typhoon preparations will further strain government resources , which have been drained with months of coronavirus outbreaks that prompted the government to set up isolation and treatment centers when hospitals were overwhelmed and provide aid to more than 20 million poor Filipinos .
The Philippines has reported more than 380,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases , the second-highest in Southeast Asia , with 7,221 deaths .
Displaced villagers may have to stay longer in evacuation centers even after Goni exits Tuesday due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may affect the Philippines in a few days , Jalad said .
The Philippines is lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms a year .
It ’ s also located in the so-called Pacific “ Ring of Fire , ” a seismically active region around the Pacific where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common and makes the impoverished Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 million people one of the world ’ s most disaster-prone .
Associated Press journalists Aaron Favila and Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report .

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A super typhoon blew into the eastern Philippines with disastrous force Sunday, killing at least 10 people and triggering volcanic mudflows that engulfed about 150 houses before weakening as it blew away from the country, officials said.
Typhoon Goni blasted into the eastern island province of Catanduanes at dawn from the Pacific with sustained winds of 225 kilometers (140 miles) per hour and gusts of 280 kph (174 mph), threatening some provinces still recovering from a deadly typhoon that hit a week ago.
Goni barreled through densely populated regions and threatened to sideswipe Manila, which shut down its main airport, but shifted southward Sunday night and spared the capital, the government weather agency said.
At least nine people were killed in the hard-hit province of Albay, including a father and son. Villagers fled to safety as the typhoon approached, but the two apparently stayed put in the community in Guinobatan town where about 150 houses were inundated by volcanic mudflow.
“The child was found 15 kilometers (9 miles) away,” Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara told DZMM radio, adding that the boy was swept away by mudflows and found in the next town.
He did not say whether there were any other residents trapped by the rampaging mudflows in the community and added that downed communications made it hard for people to communicate. The Office of Civil Defense reported that three Guinobatan residents were missing, but it was not immediately clear if they were from the mudflow-hit community.
The other deaths in Albay included a villager who was pinned by a fallen tree. One person was killed in Catanduanes province.
Ricardo Jalad, who heads the government’s disaster-response agency, had feared that the typhoon could wreak major damage due to its enormous force. The Philippine weather agency reinforced those concerns, saying that within 12 hours after the typhoon’s landfall, people could face “catastrophic, violent winds and intense to torrential rainfall.”
Residents were warned of possible landslides, massive flooding, storm surges of up to 5 meters (16 feet) and powerful winds that can blow away shanties. But after hitting a mountain range and repeatedly slamming into coastal provinces, the typhoon gradually weakened, although it remained potentially deadly as it blew out into the South China Sea, forecasters said.
One of the most powerful typhoons in the world this year, Goni evoked memories of Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing, flattened entire villages, swept ships inland and displaced more than 5 million in the central Philippines in November 2013.
Manila’s main airport was ordered shut down for 24 hours from Sunday to Monday, and airlines canceled dozens of international and domestic flights. Commuter train services were also suspended and a no-sail policy restriction was imposed by the coast guard due to initial fear over the typhoon’s threatening power. The military and national police, along with the coast guard, were put on full alert.
Jalad said nearly a million people were preemptively moved into emergency shelters.
In a Manila gymnasium that was turned into an emergency shelter, COVID-19 outbreaks were an added worry of displaced residents. The Philippines has had more than 383,000 cases of the virus, the second-most in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia.
“We are scared - our fears are doubled,” said Jaqueline Almocera, a 44-year-old street vendor who took cover at the shelter.
The Philippines is lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms each year. It’s also located on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
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Associated Press photojournalist Aaron Favila contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-11-01--French Muslims, stigmatized by attacks, feel under pressure

PARIS ( AP ) - The pressure rises with each gruesome attack .
After three in five weeks , France ’ s Muslims are feeling squeezed .
A spotlight of suspicion was trained on them again even before the latest acts of extremist violence , including two beheadings .
President Emmanuel Macron has forged ahead with his effort to rid Islam in France of extremists , part of a project he labels “ separatism , ” a term that makes Muslims wince .
Amid intensifying rhetoric and fresh attacks by outsiders , including the killings of three people Thursday at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in France have kept their heads down and chins up .
But deep down , some are squirming , feeling they are being held responsible .
“ It ’ s worrisome for Muslims , ” said Hicham Benaissa , a sociologist who specializes in Islam in the workplace .
Within his network , he said , some “ talk about leaving France .
The situation is tense .
There is fear.
” Islam is the second religion in France , which has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe .
But the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walked a delicate line in search of full acceptance in what for many is their nation of birth .
Discrimination casts a shadow over some and is an outright barrier to mainstream life for others .
France ’ s cherished value of secularism , which is meant to ensure religious freedom , has in recent years been used by the state to reign in customs practiced by some Muslims .
The president ’ s proposed law may mean further tinkering with the 1905 secularism law born out of a conflict with the powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angry protests and calls for boycotts of French products this past week from South Asia to the Mideast .
He is accused of spreading anti-Muslim sentiment , notably while eulogizing the teacher who was decapitated near Paris , by defending the French right to caricaturize Islam ’ s Prophet Muhammad .
Samuel Paty was attacked outside his school Oct. 16 by a teenage refugee of Chechen origin for showing the caricatures in a civics class .
A young Tunisian man killed three people Thursday inside the basilica in the southern city of Nice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bloodletting began Sept. 25 when a young Pakistani refugee injured two people outside the former Charlie Hebdo newsroom office in Paris .
In January 2015 , attackers massacred 12 people there after the paper published caricatures of the prophet .
That trial is underway .
Words of solidarity from France ’ s Muslim leaders have been unfailing .
The attack “ touched brothers and sisters who were praying to their lord .
I am deeply Christian today , ” said the imam of Nice ’ s Ar-Rahma Mosque , Otman Aissaoui .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stigmatized , and people move so fast to lump things together , ” Aissaoui also said , reflecting the deepening discomfort of France ’ s Muslims , most from former French colonies in North Africa .
Muslims “ are neither guilty nor responsible … We shouldn ’ t have to justify ourselves , ” said Abdallah Zekri , an official of the French Council for the Muslim Faith .
The attacks and Macron ’ s “ separatism ” plan , which includes a partial overhaul of the way Islam is organized in France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management of Muslim associations , have drilled home the divide .
They also have focused attention on the cherished value of secularism - “ laicite ” in French - which is enshrined in the French Constitution but is still not clearly defined .
“ The presence of Islam was not something foreseen by French society , ” said Tareq Oubrou , a leading imam in Bordeaux .
Tensions have run high in the past , notably with changes to the secularism law , with a 2004 law banning headscarves in classrooms and another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has always been a smokescreen … a hidden way to treat the question of Islam , ” Benaissa said .
Rim-Sarah Alouane , a doctoral candidate at Toulouse Capitole University , researching religious freedom and civil liberties , is tougher .
“ Since the l990s , laïcité has been weaponized and misused as a political tool to limit the visibility of religious signs , especially Muslim ones , ” she said .
“ The state needs to make sure to respect and fully embrace its diversity and not consider it a threat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islam into public view was gradual and mostly went unnoticed until the far right seized upon it as a threat to the French identity .
Over the years mosques have multiplied , along with Muslim schools .
Muslim men initially came to France to take menial jobs following World War II .
In the 1970s , immigrant Muslims working in car factories , construction and other sectors were “ absolutely essential to French industry , ” Benaissa said .
Renault , for instance , installed prayer rooms .
“ Today , when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is … a revolt .
What happened ?
” he asked .
Many Muslims , unlike their parents or grandparents , are getting educations , better jobs and erasing the “ myth of return , ” he said .
Olivier Roy , a top expert , told a parliamentary committee that most Muslims have worked to integrate into French culture .
They “ format themselves to the French Republic and complain they don ’ t get a payback in return , don ’ t have the benefit of recognition , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that France bears full responsibility for the “ ghettoization ” of Muslims in housing projects but insists the planned law is not about stigmatizing Muslims .
Yet stigmatism is part of life in France for many , from being singled out by police for ID checks to discrimination in job searches .
“ The Muslim is reduced to his religion , ” said Oubrou , the Bordeaux imam .
“ Everything is not Christian in the life of a Christian.
” The religion with no single leader has multiple strains in France , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rigorous interpretation of the religion to outright radical upstarts .
In his project , Macron envisions measures like training imams in France instead of bringing them in from Turkey , Morocco or Algeria .
Benaissa doesn ’ t underestimate the “ ideological offensive ” of political Islam , but says a ferocious public debate is reducing Islam to a single fear .
“ Islam is not Islamism , a Muslim is not an Islamist .
An Islamist is not necessarily a jihadi , ” he said .
“ What I fear is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those claiming the Muslim identity and on the other those claiming the identity of France .
”

PARIS (AP) - The pressure rises with each gruesome attack. After three in five weeks, France’s Muslims are feeling squeezed.
A spotlight of suspicion was trained on them again even before the latest acts of extremist violence, including two beheadings. President Emmanuel Macron has forged ahead with his effort to rid Islam in France of extremists, part of a project he labels “separatism,” a term that makes Muslims wince.
Amid intensifying rhetoric and fresh attacks by outsiders, including the killings of three people Thursday at a Catholic church in Nice, Muslims in France have kept their heads down and chins up. But deep down, some are squirming, feeling they are being held responsible.
“It’s worrisome for Muslims,” said Hicham Benaissa, a sociologist who specializes in Islam in the workplace. Within his network, he said, some “talk about leaving France. The situation is tense. There is fear.”
Islam is the second religion in France, which has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe. But the country’s estimated 5 million Muslims have walked a delicate line in search of full acceptance in what for many is their nation of birth. Discrimination casts a shadow over some and is an outright barrier to mainstream life for others.
France’s cherished value of secularism, which is meant to ensure religious freedom, has in recent years been used by the state to reign in customs practiced by some Muslims. The president’s proposed law may mean further tinkering with the 1905 secularism law born out of a conflict with the powerful Roman Catholic clergy.
Macron has prompted angry protests and calls for boycotts of French products this past week from South Asia to the Mideast. He is accused of spreading anti-Muslim sentiment, notably while eulogizing the teacher who was decapitated near Paris, by defending the French right to caricaturize Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
Samuel Paty was attacked outside his school Oct. 16 by a teenage refugee of Chechen origin for showing the caricatures in a civics class. A young Tunisian man killed three people Thursday inside the basilica in the southern city of Nice, beheading one woman, The series of bloodletting began Sept. 25 when a young Pakistani refugee injured two people outside the former Charlie Hebdo newsroom office in Paris. In January 2015, attackers massacred 12 people there after the paper published caricatures of the prophet. That trial is underway.
Words of solidarity from France’s Muslim leaders have been unfailing. The attack “touched brothers and sisters who were praying to their lord. I am deeply Christian today,” said the imam of Nice’s Ar-Rahma Mosque, Otman Aissaoui.
But, “once again we are stigmatized, and people move so fast to lump things together,” Aissaoui also said, reflecting the deepening discomfort of France’s Muslims, most from former French colonies in North Africa.
Muslims “are neither guilty nor responsible … We shouldn’t have to justify ourselves,” said Abdallah Zekri, an official of the French Council for the Muslim Faith.
The attacks and Macron’s “separatism” plan, which includes a partial overhaul of the way Islam is organized in France, from the training of imams to management of Muslim associations, have drilled home the divide. They also have focused attention on the cherished value of secularism - “laicite” in French - which is enshrined in the French Constitution but is still not clearly defined.
“The presence of Islam was not something foreseen by French society,” said Tareq Oubrou, a leading imam in Bordeaux.
Tensions have run high in the past, notably with changes to the secularism law, with a 2004 law banning headscarves in classrooms and another in 2010 banning face-coverings.
“Secularism has always been a smokescreen … a hidden way to treat the question of Islam,” Benaissa said.
Rim-Sarah Alouane, a doctoral candidate at Toulouse Capitole University, researching religious freedom and civil liberties, is tougher. “Since the l990s, laïcité has been weaponized and misused as a political tool to limit the visibility of religious signs, especially Muslim ones,” she said.
“The state needs to make sure to respect and fully embrace its diversity and not consider it a threat,” she said.
The rise of Islam into public view was gradual and mostly went unnoticed until the far right seized upon it as a threat to the French identity. Over the years mosques have multiplied, along with Muslim schools.
Muslim men initially came to France to take menial jobs following World War II. In the 1970s, immigrant Muslims working in car factories, construction and other sectors were “absolutely essential to French industry,” Benaissa said. Renault, for instance, installed prayer rooms.
“Today, when a veiled woman arrives in a company, there is … a revolt. What happened?” he asked.
Many Muslims, unlike their parents or grandparents, are getting educations, better jobs and erasing the “myth of return,” he said.
Olivier Roy, a top expert, told a parliamentary committee that most Muslims have worked to integrate into French culture. They “format themselves to the French Republic and complain they don’t get a payback in return, don’t have the benefit of recognition,” he said.
Macron conceded in a speech that France bears full responsibility for the “ghettoization” of Muslims in housing projects but insists the planned law is not about stigmatizing Muslims.
Yet stigmatism is part of life in France for many, from being singled out by police for ID checks to discrimination in job searches.
“The Muslim is reduced to his religion,” said Oubrou, the Bordeaux imam. “Everything is not Christian in the life of a Christian.”
The religion with no single leader has multiple strains in France, running from moderate to Salafist with a rigorous interpretation of the religion to outright radical upstarts.
In his project, Macron envisions measures like training imams in France instead of bringing them in from Turkey, Morocco or Algeria.
Benaissa doesn’t underestimate the “ideological offensive” of political Islam, but says a ferocious public debate is reducing Islam to a single fear.
“Islam is not Islamism, a Muslim is not an Islamist. An Islamist is not necessarily a jihadi,” he said. “What I fear is that identities radicalize, with on one side those claiming the Muslim identity and on the other those claiming the identity of France.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-01--Indian troops kill top rebel commander in Kashmir fighting

SRINAGAR , India ( AP ) - Indian government forces killed a top rebel commander in Kashmir during a gunbattle Sunday in the disputed region ’ s main city , police said , calling it a major success against the rebels ’ long fight against Indian rule .
The dead commander , Saifullah Mir , was the chief of operations of the region ’ s largest rebel group , Hizbul Mujahideen , which has spearheaded an armed rebellion against Indian rule for decades .
Inspector-General Vijay Kumar said police and paramilitary soldiers launched an operation Sunday in Srinagar in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on a tip that Saifullah was sheltering there .
He said a gunfight ensued in which the militant commander was killed and his suspected associate was nabbed .
Kumar said the killing was a major victory for India ’ s counterinsurgency operations in the region .
There was no immediate confirmation from the rebels about the killing .
Shortly after the gunfight , anti-India protests broke out in the neighborhood .
Police fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to stop scores of stone-throwing young men from marching in the area .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want freedom ” and “ Go India , go back.
” No one was reported injured in the clashes .
According to officials , Saifullah joined the rebels ’ ranks in 2014 and took charge of the Hizbul Mujahideen as its top operations commander after Indian troops killed his predecessor Reyaz Naikoo in May .
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan , but the rivals each claim the region in its entirety .
Rebels have been fighting against Indian rule since 1989 .
Most Muslim Kashmiris support the rebel goal that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or as an independent country .
India says Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism .
Pakistan denies the charge , and most Kashmiris call it a legitimate freedom struggle .
Tens of thousands of civilians , rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict .

SRINAGAR, India (AP) - Indian government forces killed a top rebel commander in Kashmir during a gunbattle Sunday in the disputed region’s main city, police said, calling it a major success against the rebels’ long fight against Indian rule.
The dead commander, Saifullah Mir, was the chief of operations of the region’s largest rebel group, Hizbul Mujahideen, which has spearheaded an armed rebellion against Indian rule for decades.
Inspector-General Vijay Kumar said police and paramilitary soldiers launched an operation Sunday in Srinagar in a neighborhood in the city’s outskirts based on a tip that Saifullah was sheltering there. He said a gunfight ensued in which the militant commander was killed and his suspected associate was nabbed.
Kumar said the killing was a major victory for India’s counterinsurgency operations in the region.
There was no immediate confirmation from the rebels about the killing.
Shortly after the gunfight, anti-India protests broke out in the neighborhood. Police fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to stop scores of stone-throwing young men from marching in the area.
The protesters were chanting slogans including “We want freedom” and “Go India, go back.” No one was reported injured in the clashes.
According to officials, Saifullah joined the rebels’ ranks in 2014 and took charge of the Hizbul Mujahideen as its top operations commander after Indian troops killed his predecessor Reyaz Naikoo in May.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but the rivals each claim the region in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting against Indian rule since 1989. Most Muslim Kashmiris support the rebel goal that the territory be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
India says Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and most Kashmiris call it a legitimate freedom struggle.
Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.


washingtontimes--2020-11-01--Ruling due in Depp's high-stakes libel suit against tabloid

LONDON ( AP ) - A British judge will decide Monday whether a tabloid newspaper defamed Johnny Depp by calling him a “ wife beater , ” a ruling with huge implications for the careers of both Depp and former spouse Amber Heard .
Justice Andrew Nicol is due to deliver his judgement in writing , three months after the end of a trial that exposed stark details of the Hollywood couple ’ s tempestuous marriage .
There will be no in-person hearing because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Depp sued News Group Newspapers , publisher of The Sun , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dan Wootton , at London ’ s High Court over an April 2018 article that accused him of assaulting Heard , an actress whose films include “ Justice League ” and “ Aquaman.
” Both Depp and Heard spent several days in the witness box during the three-week trial in July , giving irreconcilable accounts of their volatile relationship .
The pair met on the set of 2011 comedy “ The Rum Diary ” and married in Los Angeles in 2015 .
They separated the following year and divorced in 2017 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ main witness for the defense , saying Depp turned into a violent alter ego he dubbed the “ Monster ” when under the influence of alcohol and drugs .
She alleged 14 separate incidents between 2013 and 2016 in which he hit , slapped and shoved her , pulled her hair and threw bottles at her .
The alleged assaults took place in glamorous settings including the couple ’ s luxury penthouse , Depp ’ s private island in the Bahamas and an executive jet .
Depp , 57 , branded he allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and claimed Heard was the aggressor during their relationship .
He claimed that Heard hit him , even severing the tip of his finger with a thrown vodka bottle during an altercation in Australia during filming of a “ Pirates of the Caribbean ” movie .
Depp acknowledged heavy drug use , saying he took marijuana , cocaine , ecstasy and magic mushrooms , and became addicted to opioid painkillers .
But he denied that drugs made him violent .
“ I am certainly not a violent person , especially with women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , lawyer for News Group Newspapers , said there was “ no doubt that Mr. Depp regularly and systematically abused his wife.
” Heard insisted she was telling the truth and said she had spoken out reluctantly .
“ What woman has ever benefited from being a victim of domestic violence ?
” she asked in court .
Depp ’ s lawyer , David Sherborne , accused Heard of wrongly donning the mantle of the # MeToo movement and called her “ a wholly unreliable witness and frankly a compulsive liar.
” Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees to back their version of events , and the judge must decide which account is more credible .
If Depp loses , his career may never recover .
If he wins , he is likely to get only a modest sum in damages .
But Sherborne told the court “ this is not a case about money .
It is about vindication.
” Mark Stephens , a media lawyer at the law firm Howard Kennedy , said , in the end , “ both parties are going to lose this case.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Amber Heard are tarnished irrevocably , ” Stephens said .
“ I think that it ’ s going to persist , because whoever wins in this case , the way in which this case was presented , the issues that came up , particularly around gendered presentation of the case , I think that ’ s going to be studied for years to come.
” Depp is also suing Heard for $ 50 million in Virginia over a Washington Post story about domestic violence .
The trial is due to be held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to this story .

LONDON (AP) - A British judge will decide Monday whether a tabloid newspaper defamed Johnny Depp by calling him a “wife beater,” a ruling with huge implications for the careers of both Depp and former spouse Amber Heard.
Justice Andrew Nicol is due to deliver his judgement in writing, three months after the end of a trial that exposed stark details of the Hollywood couple’s tempestuous marriage. There will be no in-person hearing because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Depp sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and the newspaper’s executive editor, Dan Wootton, at London’s High Court over an April 2018 article that accused him of assaulting Heard, an actress whose films include “Justice League” and “Aquaman.”
Both Depp and Heard spent several days in the witness box during the three-week trial in July, giving irreconcilable accounts of their volatile relationship. The pair met on the set of 2011 comedy “The Rum Diary” and married in Los Angeles in 2015. They separated the following year and divorced in 2017.
Heard, 34, testified as the main witness for the defense, saying Depp turned into a violent alter ego he dubbed the “Monster” when under the influence of alcohol and drugs. She alleged 14 separate incidents between 2013 and 2016 in which he hit, slapped and shoved her, pulled her hair and threw bottles at her. The alleged assaults took place in glamorous settings including the couple’s luxury penthouse, Depp’s private island in the Bahamas and an executive jet.
Depp, 57, branded he allegations “sick” and a “hoax” and claimed Heard was the aggressor during their relationship. He claimed that Heard hit him, even severing the tip of his finger with a thrown vodka bottle during an altercation in Australia during filming of a “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie.
Depp acknowledged heavy drug use, saying he took marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and magic mushrooms, and became addicted to opioid painkillers. But he denied that drugs made him violent.
“I am certainly not a violent person, especially with women,” he said.
Sasha Wass, lawyer for News Group Newspapers, said there was “no doubt that Mr. Depp regularly and systematically abused his wife.”
Heard insisted she was telling the truth and said she had spoken out reluctantly.
“What woman has ever benefited from being a victim of domestic violence?” she asked in court.
Depp’s lawyer, David Sherborne, accused Heard of wrongly donning the mantle of the #MeToo movement and called her “a wholly unreliable witness and frankly a compulsive liar.”
Both sides offered testimony from friends and former employees to back their version of events, and the judge must decide which account is more credible.
If Depp loses, his career may never recover. If he wins, he is likely to get only a modest sum in damages. But Sherborne told the court “this is not a case about money. It is about vindication.”
Mark Stephens, a media lawyer at the law firm Howard Kennedy, said, in the end, “both parties are going to lose this case.”
“The reputations of both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are tarnished irrevocably,” Stephens said. “I think that it’s going to persist, because whoever wins in this case, the way in which this case was presented, the issues that came up, particularly around gendered presentation of the case, I think that’s going to be studied for years to come.”
Depp is also suing Heard for $50 million in Virginia over a Washington Post story about domestic violence. The trial is due to be held next year.
___
Danica Kirka in London contributed to this story.


washingtontimes--2020-11-01--French manhunt underway after shooting of Greek priest

LYON , France ( AP ) - French police interrogated one suspect and searched for others Sunday after a Greek Orthodox priest was shot and critically wounded while closing the door to his church in the French city of Lyon .
Investigators are trying to determine whether a man arrested Saturday night was the gunman behind the attack , or has information about it , according to a police official .
The priest remains in critical condition after being shot with a hunting rifle , said the official , who was not authorized to be publicly named according to police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s shooting remains unclear .
Anti-terrorism prosecutors are not investigating the case , and the Lyon prosecutor opened an attempted murder investigation .
The attack came as France is under high security alert after the killing of three people at a Nice church on Thursday , amid global tensions over cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad published in a French newspaper .
The French prime minister has promised more protection for religious sites .
It also came amid tensions within the Greek Orthodox community in Lyon .
The priest , a Greek citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a former monk who was convicted of defamation , according to French media reports .
The Greek Orthodox Holy Diocese of France identified the victim as Father Nikolaos Kakavelakis , and said he was scheduled to return soon to Greece after his time working at the Lyon church .
“ We pray for a speedy recovery and unequivocally condemn all forms of violence , ” it said .
Antoine Callot , the pastor at another Greek Orthodox church in Lyon , told The Associated Press that the Greek Orthodox community in Lyon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he immediately asked police for security protection at his church after the shooting .

LYON, France (AP) - French police on Sunday released an initial suspect in the shooting of a Greek Orthodox priest and widened their search for the gunman who critically wounded the priest as he closed the door to his official residence at a church in the city of Lyon.
The Lyon prosecutor’s office said a man who was arrested shortly after Saturday’s shooting was released after they found no evidence of his involvement, suggesting that the clergyman’s assailant remained at large.
The priest remained in critical condition after being shot with a hunting rifle, said a police official, who was not authorized to be publicly named according to police policy.
The Greek Orthodox Holy Diocese of France identified the victim as the Rev. Nikolaos Kakavelakis, and said he was scheduled to return soon to Greece after his time working at the Lyon church.
“We pray for a speedy recovery and unequivocally condemn all forms of violence,” it said.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Anti-terrorism prosecutors are not investigating the case, and the Lyon prosecutor opened an attempted murder investigation.
Police cordons in the vicinity of the church, located in a residential area of central Lyon, were removed and the search area was widened to the broader Lyon area, the national police service said.
France has been under high security alert after the killing of three people at a Nice church on Thursday, amid global tensions over cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad published in a French newspaper. The French prime minister has promised more protection for religious sites.
It also came amid tensions within the Greek Orthodox community in Lyon. The priest, a Greek citizen, had had a long-running legal dispute with a former monk who was convicted of defamation, according to French media reports.
The head of the Greek Orthodox Church in France, Emmanuel Adamakis, told French radio station Europe 1 that Kakavelakis was no longer conducting services in Lyon and “had been asked to return to Greece.”
The attack appeared to have taken place in a small courtyard in the back of the church, where the priest had been living in an official church apartment, Adamakis said.
Antoine Callot, the pastor at another Greek Orthodox church in Lyon, told The Associated Press that the city’s Greek Orthodox community has not received any threats, but said he immediately asked police for security protection at his church after Saturday’s shooting.


washingtontimes--2020-11-01--When death seems everywhere: some coping suggestions

The coronavirus is the first widespread health crisis in the age of information and social media .
So far , more than 225,000 people have died in the United States from the coronavirus or complications from it , according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
According to one anthropologist , Americans already lack a healthy relationship with death , associating it with medical failure rather than a natural part of life .
Here are some examples from a variety of different perspectives of how to take care of yourself and not get too stressed out during a stressful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anzia is a psychiatrist and professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine .
She recommends taking care of yourself physically - getting at least seven or eight hours of a sleep a night , going to bed and getting up around the same time every day .
“ Stay hydrated , eat well , avoid having more than one or two alcoholic drinks a day , ” she says .
She also recommends getting outside and doing things you enjoy : “ It can be an opportunity … to think about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what you want to do with the rest of your life.
” Anita Hanning , an associate anthropology professor at Brandeis University , says generally we push “ awareness of our mortality to the basement of our consciousness.
” She has this recommendation : “ Being aware of our mortality can make us live more intentionally .
That means not postponing important conversations and decisions , and not wasting time on things that don ’ t nurture us .
Tomorrow is never guaranteed , so what would happen if we truly lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would become much more present to the here and now , instead of constantly making plans for a future that lies beyond our control .
We would invest more in our relationships than in our careers , and each day would seem like a gift rather than something we need to muscle through on our way to a better , happier place .
“ Dr. Elyssa Barbash , a psychologist in Tampa , Florida , says not to focus on “ the potential of death.
” “ It isn ’ t realistic to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now than it was before , ” she says .
She says the death potential has stayed relatively steady , in terms of the many ways a person could get sick or have an accident .
“ We can ’ t live our lives in a constant state of fear or engage in extreme behavioral avoidance simply out of self-preservation.
” She suggests focusing on “ joyful activities and things that give life meaning.
” That may mean taking a step back from the news and being constantly connected to virus updates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ but constant exposure is unhelpful and unhealthy for the mind , ” she says .
Margaret “ Elaine ” Stalheim , 92 , was in her early 20s when she got polio .
It was only a year before they found a vaccine .
She remembers how much she appreciated people reaching out to her and visiting her in isolation , like priests and pastors .
So she suggests reaching out to people who are isolated , to help brighten their mood .
But most importantly : “ What I learned from that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass , you know .
And it did pass .
”

FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2020 file photo, Elizabeth Alvarado cries over the cardboard coffin containing the remains of her husband Victor Arguelles, who died from complications related to the new coronavirus, at El Angel cemetery in Lima, Peru. …
FILE - In this Sept. 23, …


washingtontimes--2020-11-01--ESSAY: Contemplating death in a year when it feels closer

MILWAUKEE ( AP ) - One day , on a walk in the middle of a workday , I came across a gorgeous red finch on a sunny sidewalk that didn ’ t fly off when I approached it .
It barely put up a fight when I picked it up with a tissue .
I had hoped to take it to the nearby wildlife rehab people .
Maybe they could save it .
So I walked back to my house and put it in an open plastic tub on my shady porch with seed and water .
I called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past injured wildlife encounters that I should call ahead .
The line was busy .
Every time I checked on him , I felt a greater urgency .
His breathing had increased and he was shaking a little .
Their line remained busy .
Less than two hours later , his breathing had stopped .
I ’ m struggling .
And I have been for awhile .
A lot of us are .
There ’ s a pandemic going on , and we are all isolated from each other .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depression .
And a divisive election , no matter which side you support .
But it feels like so much more .
None of my emotions seem to want to hide anymore .
There ’ s anger , irritation , sadness .
Muting life with Netflix has an upside-down reaction for me : I ’ m crying at happy scenes and sobbing over suspenseful or stressful scenes .
I wake at night with bouts of anxiety .
As a reporter , I ’ ve told the stories of countless tragedies over the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials , tornadoes where people lost everything , any number of horrific crimes and dramatic hardships .
Why does this feel so different ?
It finally dawned on me : Death seems so close to everyone , more than I can ever remember .
In the United States , for many , it hasn ’ t been quite this way for a really long time .
So far , more than 225,000 people have died in the United States from the coronavirus or complications , according to Johns Hopkins University .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been infected and more than 1.1 million are dead .
All that pain and suffering .
All those individual stories .
And right now , with the numbers of infected soaring in Wisconsin , where I live , my anxiety skyrockets .
Even physicians are dealing with anxiety , some for the first time , says Joan Anzia , psychiatrist and professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine .
She often counsels those in the health care field and says this sense of mortality is even hitting them .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to endanger their own lives and put their own life at risk just by going to work , ” she tells me when I call her .
The last time a life-threatening health crisis of this scale engulfed American society was early in the last century : the 1918 flu pandemic .
Less widespread was polio , before a vaccine emerged in the 1950s .
Medical advancements though , have pushed death away , made it feel less familiar .
Babies don ’ t die as regularly .
At one point before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19th century , funerals were held in the dead person ’ s house - with the body present .
Death , when it came , was nearer , less alien .
How did that change ?
According to Genevieve Keeney , CEO of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston , the rise of the funeral industry changed the location of what happened after death and produced a disconnection .
But more to blame , she believes , is the constant , often graphic portrayals of death in entertainment and news - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We lost its meaning of what it ’ s trying to say , ” she says .
For me , being in the news business , I relate closely with stories of COVID and death because I have seen dying firsthand throughout my career .
There ’ s the story about the son bringing in his mom to the ER for the virus .
She survived and he didn ’ t .
A couple married 60 years dies within 48 hours of each other .
There ’ s my co-worker in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but ultimately fell to the virus .
But what has been commonplace for certain groups - police , doctors , journalists - has arrived at many more doorsteps this year .
“ This isn ’ t simply an isolated event or story on the news that you feel empathy for .
But in some way or another this virus has impacted nearly every person ’ s life , ” says Elyssa Barbash , a psychologist at Tampa Therapy in Florida .
As she sees it , we ’ re not only mourning because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re also mourning that old way of living .
“ This entire situation happened pretty rapidly and no one was prepared for the substantial life changes it brought , ” she says .
“ Grief comes in a lot of forms , but is ultimately about loss .
” That could be me .
My dad passed away in March in a nursing home .
He had dementia and had been declining .
My uncle with Down Syndrome , to whom I had been close all my life , died last fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
Further complicating things : my intense need to protect my 76-year-old mother , who is in a high-risk group .
She lives alone , but the isolation is getting to her .
I can ’ t say I ’ m surprised .
Death is inevitable .
So why does this feel so different ?
Maybe the answer lies in American culture and history .
I asked Anita Hanning , who studies culture and how it deals with death and dying .
“ The coronavirus is really pushing our noses into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a truth that is always present , but that not many of us are choosing to engage with on a regular basis , ” says Hanning , an associate professor of anthropology at Brandeis University in Massachusetts .
What doesn ’ t help , she says , is that Americans associate death with failure by medicine rather than a natural part of life .
And they tend to concentrate on living longer rather than “ the quality of our days.
” “ We ’ ve really kind of lost the language and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortality in more healthy ways , ” she says .
This attitude of medicine being all-powerful started to develop after medicine started really making advances in the late 19th century , according to Nancy Tomes , a history professor at Stony Brook University in New York .
“ Young folks seemed so surprised that there isn ’ t a way to cure this , that there isn ’ t a vaccine that you could pull out of your hat in six weeks , ” says Tomes , author of “ The Gospel of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Microbe in American Life.
” During the 1918 flu , people were somewhat accustomed to dealing with infectious diseases , considering the No .
1 cause of death in 1900 was tuberculosis , she said .
Also circulating was polio .
“ So people go in to 1918 , 1919 , having this worldview that infectious diseases can kill you , ” she said .
“ They will all have known someone who died of an infectious disease.
” Today ’ s unfamiliarity and lack of fear could help explain why some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance to mitigate risk for others .
It ’ s been a trigger for me because they represent an increased risk of catching the virus .
And in my head , it ’ s very catchable .
Did I have it back in mid-March , right after my dad ’ s funeral , right before that sort of thing was completely prohibited ?
I don ’ t know .
A couple people showed up sick .
I had an on-and-off fever , chest pressure , extreme exhaustion .
Since it ’ s so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea that my entire family would also get it .
It didn ’ t help that when I was lying in bed sick I saw a news story about four family members dying from the virus after attending the same family dinner in New Jersey .
Fear of getting the coronavirus reminds Margaret “ Elaine ” Stalheim , 92 , of the fear of getting polio , which happened to her when she was in her early 20s and starting her family .
She remembers the isolation and the quarantine signs on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical therapy .
But one positive came out of it : a new respect for life .
She went back to school to become a teacher .
“ And I just decided that … if I could get through it , I could get through anything.
” I ’ ve been through enough life changes to know that it alters your perspective like that .
But I know I haven ’ t settled into a great place with death .
And I am guilty of expecting too much from medicine .
My encounter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death .
In my mind , I ’ d failed at saving this little bird that needed my help .
But he likely would have died anyway .
I just hope the quiet shade he had in his final moments was better than dying in the sun on a piece of concrete .
I will choose to hold onto that , in light of my new self-knowledge .
Death may be inevitable , but allowing it to conquer my life is not .
Carrie Antlfinger is an Associated Press journalist based in Milwaukee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : //twitter.com/antltoe

MILWAUKEE (AP) - One day, on a walk in the middle of a workday, I came across a gorgeous red finch on a sunny sidewalk that didn’t fly off when I approached it. It barely put up a fight when I picked it up with a tissue.
I had hoped to take it to the nearby wildlife rehab people. Maybe they could save it. So I walked back to my house and put it in an open plastic tub on my shady porch with seed and water.
I called the rehab people. I knew from past injured wildlife encounters that I should call ahead. The line was busy. Every time I checked on him, I felt a greater urgency. His breathing had increased and he was shaking a little. Their line remained busy.
Less than two hours later, his breathing had stopped.
I cried. I just couldn’t hold back.
___
I’m struggling. And I have been for awhile.
A lot of us are. There’s a pandemic going on, and we are all isolated from each other. There’s a recession looming, maybe even a depression. And a divisive election, no matter which side you support.
But it feels like so much more. None of my emotions seem to want to hide anymore.
There’s anger, irritation, sadness. Muting life with Netflix has an upside-down reaction for me: I’m crying at happy scenes and sobbing over suspenseful or stressful scenes. I wake at night with bouts of anxiety.
As a reporter, I’ve told the stories of countless tragedies over the last 20 years: mass murders, murder trials, tornadoes where people lost everything, any number of horrific crimes and dramatic hardships. Why does this feel so different?
It finally dawned on me: Death seems so close to everyone, more than I can ever remember. In the United States, for many, it hasn’t been quite this way for a really long time.
So far, more than 225,000 people have died in the United States from the coronavirus or complications, according to Johns Hopkins University. On the entire planet, more than 45 million have been infected and more than 1.1 million are dead.
All that pain and suffering. All those individual stories. And right now, with the numbers of infected soaring in Wisconsin, where I live, my anxiety skyrockets.
Even physicians are dealing with anxiety, some for the first time, says Joan Anzia, psychiatrist and professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She often counsels those in the health care field and says this sense of mortality is even hitting them.
“It’s been decades since physicians have had to endanger their own lives and put their own life at risk just by going to work,” she tells me when I call her.
The last time a life-threatening health crisis of this scale engulfed American society was early in the last century: the 1918 flu pandemic. Less widespread was polio, before a vaccine emerged in the 1950s.
Medical advancements though, have pushed death away, made it feel less familiar. Babies don’t die as regularly. At one point before the funeral industry took off in the 19th century, funerals were held in the dead person’s house - with the body present. Death, when it came, was nearer, less alien.
How did that change? According to Genevieve Keeney, CEO of the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, the rise of the funeral industry changed the location of what happened after death and produced a disconnection. But more to blame, she believes, is the constant, often graphic portrayals of death in entertainment and news - making it a commodity for storytelling.
“We lost its meaning of what it’s trying to say,” she says.
For me, being in the news business, I relate closely with stories of COVID and death because I have seen dying firsthand throughout my career.
There’s the story about the son bringing in his mom to the ER for the virus. She survived and he didn’t. A couple married 60 years dies within 48 hours of each other. There’s my co-worker in New York who ran marathons around the world but ultimately fell to the virus.
But what has been commonplace for certain groups - police, doctors, journalists - has arrived at many more doorsteps this year.
“This isn’t simply an isolated event or story on the news that you feel empathy for. But in some way or another this virus has impacted nearly every person’s life ,” says Elyssa Barbash, a psychologist at Tampa Therapy in Florida. As she sees it, we’re not only mourning because of the death around us; we’re also mourning that old way of living.
“This entire situation happened pretty rapidly and no one was prepared for the substantial life changes it brought,” she says. “Grief comes in a lot of forms, but is ultimately about loss. ”
That could be me. My dad passed away in March in a nursing home. He had dementia and had been declining. My uncle with Down Syndrome, to whom I had been close all my life, died last fall. My sweet cat George died last summer.
Further complicating things: my intense need to protect my 76-year-old mother, who is in a high-risk group. She lives alone, but the isolation is getting to her. I can’t say I’m surprised.
___
Death is inevitable. So why does this feel so different?
Maybe the answer lies in American culture and history. I asked Anita Hanning, who studies culture and how it deals with death and dying.
“The coronavirus is really pushing our noses into the fact of our mortality. And that is a truth that is always present, but that not many of us are choosing to engage with on a regular basis,” says Hanning, an associate professor of anthropology at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.
What doesn’t help, she says, is that Americans associate death with failure by medicine rather than a natural part of life. And they tend to concentrate on living longer rather than “the quality of our days.”
“We’ve really kind of lost the language and the experience to really engage with our mortality in more healthy ways,” she says.
This attitude of medicine being all-powerful started to develop after medicine started really making advances in the late 19th century, according to Nancy Tomes, a history professor at Stony Brook University in New York.
“Young folks seemed so surprised that there isn’t a way to cure this, that there isn’t a vaccine that you could pull out of your hat in six weeks,” says Tomes, author of “The Gospel of Germs: Men, Women, and the Microbe in American Life.”
During the 1918 flu, people were somewhat accustomed to dealing with infectious diseases, considering the No. 1 cause of death in 1900 was tuberculosis, she said. Also circulating was polio.
“So people go in to 1918, 1919, having this worldview that infectious diseases can kill you,” she said. “They will all have known someone who died of an infectious disease.”
Today’s unfamiliarity and lack of fear could help explain why some people don’t wear masks or distance to mitigate risk for others. It’s been a trigger for me because they represent an increased risk of catching the virus. And in my head, it’s very catchable.
Did I have it back in mid-March, right after my dad’s funeral, right before that sort of thing was completely prohibited? I don’t know. A couple people showed up sick. I had an on-and-off fever, chest pressure, extreme exhaustion.
Since it’s so contagious, I couldn’t shake the idea that my entire family would also get it. It didn’t help that when I was lying in bed sick I saw a news story about four family members dying from the virus after attending the same family dinner in New Jersey.
Fear of getting the coronavirus reminds Margaret “Elaine” Stalheim, 92, of the fear of getting polio, which happened to her when she was in her early 20s and starting her family. She remembers the isolation and the quarantine signs on homes. She recovered after months of physical therapy.
But one positive came out of it: a new respect for life. She went back to school to become a teacher. “And I just decided that … if I could get through it, I could get through anything.”
___
I’ve been through enough life changes to know that it alters your perspective like that. But I know I haven’t settled into a great place with death. And I am guilty of expecting too much from medicine.
My encounter with the finch crystalized my problem with death. In my mind, I’d failed at saving this little bird that needed my help. But he likely would have died anyway.
I just hope the quiet shade he had in his final moments was better than dying in the sun on a piece of concrete. I will choose to hold onto that, in light of my new self-knowledge. Death may be inevitable, but allowing it to conquer my life is not.
___
Carrie Antlfinger is an Associated Press journalist based in Milwaukee. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/antltoe


washingtontimes--2020-11-01--Turkish politician in Erdogan's party dies from virus

ISTANBUL ( AP ) - A Turkish politician from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’ s ruling party has died from @ @ @ @ @ , 65 , had been receiving treatment for COVID-19 since Oct. 17 , the country @ @ @ @ @ .
He passed away Sunday .
A constitutional lawyer and a founding member of the @ @ @ @ @ , Kuzu served in parliament four times .
Two senior officials close to Turkey ’ @ @ @ @ @ Ibrahim Kalin and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu - tweeted on Saturday that they had contracted @ @ @ @ @ were doing well .
Soylu was in a hospital .
The latest Health Ministry statistics @ @ @ @ @ have died from COVID-19 in Turkey .
Some health experts say the government is downplaying @ @ @ @ @ ’ s outbreak in the way it counts cases .

ISTANBUL (AP) - A Turkish politician from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party has died from the coronavirus.
Burhan Kuzu, 65, had been receiving treatment for COVID-19 since Oct. 17, the country’s health minister tweeted. He passed away Sunday.
A constitutional lawyer and a founding member of the governing Justice and Development Party, Kuzu served in parliament four times.
Two senior officials close to Turkey’s leader - presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu - tweeted on Saturday that they had contracted COVID-19. Both said they were doing well. Soylu was in a hospital.
The latest Health Ministry statistics show at least 10,252 people have died from COVID-19 in Turkey. Some health experts say the government is downplaying the extent of the country’s outbreak in the way it counts cases.