washingtontimes--2020-07-23--Harry and Meghan sue over photo of son at California home

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sued Thursday to stop the sale and publication of a photo of their son Archie that they say was shot at their Los Angeles-area home in invasion of their privacy .
The royal couple gives a detailed account in the lawsuit of the media harassment they say they ’ ve had to constantly fight in the months since they moved to Southern California .
“ This action arises out of the relentless and quite frankly shocking efforts of the tabloid media to profit from serial intrusions of the privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , ” the suit says , ” and the desire and responsibility of any parent to do what is necessary to protect their children from this manufactured feeding frenzy.
” Meghan and Harry said the tabloid harassment finally came to a head when they saw that a photo of Archie was being offered to media outlets that was purportedly taken on a family outing in Malibu , when in fact it was clearly shot while he was in their yard , unbeknownst to them .
“ Archie has not been in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the family arrived here , ” the lawsuit says .
It alleges the picture is mislabeled because the sellers knew it would be unlawful for them to sell a photograph of a child in his own home .
The couple has not learned the identity of the shooters and sellers of the photos , who are listed as John Does in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court .
The plaintiffs are listed as Harry , The Duke of Sussex and Meghan , The Duchess of Sussex .
The lawsuit seeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court to issue injunctions requiring them to turn over all photos of Archie and cease harassing the family .
The lawsuit says the family was forced to erect a large mesh fence to block photographers with telephoto lenses from shooting pictures of them from a ridge hundreds of yards away from the home of a friend in a gated community where they have been living .
That led to the appearance of drones that flew as close as 20 feet above their home , as often as three times a day , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
Helicopters have flown over as early as 5:30 a.m. , waking Archie and neighbors , and some photographers have cut holes in their mesh fence attempting to get shots of them .
Harry , grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and sixth in line to the British throne , married Meghan Markle , an American actress who grew up in Los Angeles , at Windsor Castle in 2018 , in a posh ceremony watched around the world .
In January , the couple announced they planned to quit as senior royals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America .
The split became official at the end of March .
The couple chose to live at least part-time in North America “ to escape the incessant UK tabloid fabrications , ” the lawsuit says .
Meghan is also suing a pair of media outlets there for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement .
They were able to live quietly in North Saanich , Canada , for six weeks , the lawsuit says , before a British tabloid published their exact location and hordes of photographers descended , prompting them to head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was again published and paparazzi appeared in droves again .
“ The plaintiffs have done everything in their power to stay out of the limelight , except in connection with their work , which they freely admit is newsworthy , ” according to the lawsuit , which says they “ simply want to continue the public impact work that is so important to them while having the private life to which any family or individual has the right .
”

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sued Thursday to stop the sale and publication of a photo of their son Archie that they say was shot at their Los Angeles-area home in invasion of their privacy.
The royal couple gives a detailed account in the lawsuit of the media harassment they say they’ve had to constantly fight in the months since they moved to Southern California.
“This action arises out of the relentless and quite frankly shocking efforts of the tabloid media to profit from serial intrusions of the privacy of a 14-month-old child in his own home,” the suit says, ”and the desire and responsibility of any parent to do what is necessary to protect their children from this manufactured feeding frenzy.”
Meghan and Harry said the tabloid harassment finally came to a head when they saw that a photo of Archie was being offered to media outlets that was purportedly taken on a family outing in Malibu, when in fact it was clearly shot while he was in their yard, unbeknownst to them.
“Archie has not been in public, much less in Malibu, since the family arrived here,” the lawsuit says.
It alleges the picture is mislabeled because the sellers knew it would be unlawful for them to sell a photograph of a child in his own home.
The couple has not learned the identity of the shooters and sellers of the photos, who are listed as John Does in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The plaintiffs are listed as Harry, The Duke of Sussex and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. The lawsuit seeks to identify the defendants, and for the court to issue injunctions requiring them to turn over all photos of Archie and cease harassing the family.
The lawsuit says the family was forced to erect a large mesh fence to block photographers with telephoto lenses from shooting pictures of them from a ridge hundreds of yards away from the home of a friend in a gated community where they have been living.
That led to the appearance of drones that flew as close as 20 feet above their home, as often as three times a day, in attempts to get photos, the suit says. Helicopters have flown over as early as 5:30 a.m., waking Archie and neighbors, and some photographers have cut holes in their mesh fence attempting to get shots of them.
Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and sixth in line to the British throne, married Meghan Markle, an American actress who grew up in Los Angeles, at Windsor Castle in 2018, in a posh ceremony watched around the world.
In January, the couple announced they planned to quit as senior royals, seek financial independence and move to North America. The split became official at the end of March.
The couple chose to live at least part-time in North America “to escape the incessant UK tabloid fabrications,” the lawsuit says. Meghan is also suing a pair of media outlets there for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement.
They were able to live quietly in North Saanich, Canada, for six weeks, the lawsuit says, before a British tabloid published their exact location and hordes of photographers descended, prompting them to head to the California home where their location was again published and paparazzi appeared in droves again.
“The plaintiffs have done everything in their power to stay out of the limelight, except in connection with their work, which they freely admit is newsworthy,” according to the lawsuit, which says they “simply want to continue the public impact work that is so important to them while having the private life to which any family or individual has the right.”
___
Follow AP Entertainment Reporter Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton.


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--Trump to visit North Carolina, cite work on COVID-19 vaccine

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The White House says President Donald Trump will visit North Carolina on Monday to tour a business that is participating in work on a COVID-19 vaccine .
The White House said Trump is expected to speak about the collaboration between the administration and the private sector to rapidly develop a vaccine and ensure rapid distribution once ready .
North Carolina is a key battleground state in the coming election , and Trump ’ s visit marks his 10th trip to the state during his presidency .
Trump is seeking to highlight progress on a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the spread of the coronavirus .
The biotechnology facility Trump will visit is the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies ’ Innovation Center in Morrisville , a suburb of Raleigh .
The White House said the company is manufacturing key components of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Novavax , an American vaccine development company based in Maryland .
Novavax has been chosen to participate in Operation Warp Speed , a U.S. government program that seeks to begin delivering millions of doses of a safe , effective vaccine for COVID-19 next year .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the federal government .

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Donald Trump will visit North Carolina on Monday to tour a business that is participating in work on a COVID-19 vaccine.
The White House said Trump is expected to speak about the collaboration between the administration and the private sector to rapidly develop a vaccine and ensure rapid distribution once ready.
North Carolina is a key battleground state in the coming election, and Trump’s visit marks his 10th trip to the state during his presidency. Trump is seeking to highlight progress on a vaccine and therapeutics as the country struggles to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The biotechnology facility Trump will visit is the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies’ Innovation Center in Morrisville, a suburb of Raleigh. The White House said the company is manufacturing key components of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Novavax, an American vaccine development company based in Maryland.
Novavax has been chosen to participate in Operation Warp Speed, a U.S. government program that seeks to begin delivering millions of doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 next year. The company has been awarded $1.6 billion from the federal government.


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--Police arrest Sioux Falls man in 1974 Minnesota homicide

WILLMAR , Minn. ( AP ) - Police on Thursday arrested a South Dakota man in a 1974 cold-case homicide @ @ @ @ @ to link him to the killing 46 years ago .
Authorities arrested the 79-year-old man @ @ @ @ @ in Sioux Falls .
He was arrested on a warrant for second-degree murder in the @ @ @ @ @ Herman of Willmar , in western Minnesota , Willmar Police Chief Jim Felt said in @ @ @ @ @ members found Herman dead in her home on Jan. 27 , 1974 .
Despite decades @ @ @ @ @ suspects emerged .
But a recent cold-case review found that the man was a suspect @ @ @ @ @ but evidence and interviews at that time were inconclusive .
A search warrant was obtained @ @ @ @ @ which matched the suspect to evidence collected in the 1974 killing , Felt said .
@ @ @ @ @ Minnehaha County Jail awaiting extradition to Minnesota .

WILLMAR, Minn. (AP) - Police on Thursday arrested a South Dakota man in a 1974 cold-case homicide in Minnesota after using DNA to link him to the killing 46 years ago.
Authorities arrested the 79-year-old man without incident at his home in Sioux Falls. He was arrested on a warrant for second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of 74-year-old Mae Herman of Willmar, in western Minnesota, Willmar Police Chief Jim Felt said in a news release.
Family members found Herman dead in her home on Jan. 27, 1974. Despite decades of investigation, no clear suspects emerged.
But a recent cold-case review found that the man was a suspect shortly after the killing, but evidence and interviews at that time were inconclusive. A search warrant was obtained for a DNA sample, which matched the suspect to evidence collected in the 1974 killing, Felt said.
The suspect is in the Minnehaha County Jail awaiting extradition to Minnesota.


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--California men charged with $10M worldwide fraud scheme

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) - Three California men were charged with running a phony securities scheme that defrauded investors around the world out of more than $ 10 million , authorities said Thursday .
Christopher Mancuso , John Black , and Joseph Tufo allegedly lured victims by promising to triple or quadruple their investments in a matter of months , but they instead kept the money for themselves , according to a statement from the state attorney general ’ s office .
When the investments came due , “ the defendants would allegedly ignore calls and emails or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were delays being caused by the COVID-19 pandemic , ” the statement said .
Prosecutors said more than 70 people lost tens of thousands of dollars each .
The victims came from around the world , including the United States , Canada , Germany , England and Italy .
The three men were charged Wednesday with 32 felonies , including operating a fraudulent securities scheme , grand theft and investment fraud .
Mancuso and Tufo were arrested Thursday in Orange County and Contra Costa County while Black is a fugitive whose last known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , authorities said .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether they had obtained attorneys .
“ It takes a particular kind of callousness to rob people of their life ’ s savings by selling them on false hope , ” Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in the statement .
“ That ’ s the kind of fraud the defendants in this case have allegedly committed .
We ’ re talking about as much money as some families earn in an entire year gone in just an instant.
” “ Unfortunately , these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If it seems too good to be true , then it probably is , ” he said .

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Three California men were charged with running a phony securities scheme that defrauded investors around the world out of more than $10 million, authorities said Thursday.
Christopher Mancuso, John Black, and Joseph Tufo allegedly lured victims by promising to triple or quadruple their investments in a matter of months, but they instead kept the money for themselves, according to a statement from the state attorney general’s office.
When the investments came due, “the defendants would allegedly ignore calls and emails or tell various lies, including that there were delays being caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said.
Prosecutors said more than 70 people lost tens of thousands of dollars each. The victims came from around the world, including the United States, Canada, Germany, England and Italy.
The three men were charged Wednesday with 32 felonies, including operating a fraudulent securities scheme, grand theft and investment fraud.
Mancuso and Tufo were arrested Thursday in Orange County and Contra Costa County while Black is a fugitive whose last known whereabouts were in and around Sacramento County, authorities said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether they had obtained attorneys.
“It takes a particular kind of callousness to rob people of their life’s savings by selling them on false hope,” Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in the statement. “That’s the kind of fraud the defendants in this case have allegedly committed. We’re talking about as much money as some families earn in an entire year gone in just an instant.”
“Unfortunately, these kinds of scams aren’t new. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--Black aging researcher Detroit to head UNLV

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - A university administrator and African American families researcher from Detroit has been hired as the new president at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas , university officials announced Thursday .
Keith Whitfield , a psychology professor and provost at Wayne State University in Michigan , was signed by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board to a four-year contract .
Regents noted Whitfield is the first Black president in UNLV ’ s 63-year history .
Whitfield , son of a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel , received degrees at the College of Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work at the University of Colorado , Boulder .
He was a psychology and neuroscience professor and geriatric medicine researcher at Duke University .
Nevada university Chancellor Thom Reilly said Whitfield boosted student success at Wayne State , where student diversity is similar to UNLV .
Whitfield ’ s research focuses on the relationship between stress and longevity in Black families .
He has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications and earned funding from the National Institutes of Health , National Institute on Aging and the National Science Foundation .
Meana declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a former psychology professor and UNLV campus administrator who headed UNLV ’ s Honors College .

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A university administrator and African American families researcher from Detroit has been hired as the new president at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, university officials announced Thursday.
Keith Whitfield, a psychology professor and provost at Wayne State University in Michigan, was signed by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board to a four-year contract.
Regents noted Whitfield is the first Black president in UNLV’s 63-year history.
He’s begins Aug. 24, replacing Marta Meana, acting university president since June 2018.
Whitfield, son of a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, received degrees at the College of Santa Fe and Texas Tech and did postgraduate work at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He was a psychology and neuroscience professor and geriatric medicine researcher at Duke University.
Nevada university Chancellor Thom Reilly said Whitfield boosted student success at Wayne State, where student diversity is similar to UNLV.
Whitfield’s research focuses on the relationship between stress and longevity in Black families. He has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications and earned funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging and the National Science Foundation.
Meana declined to seek the permanent position. She’s a former psychology professor and UNLV campus administrator who headed UNLV’s Honors College.


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--John Lewis to lie in state at US Capitol next week

ATLANTA ( AP ) - The funeral for the late civil rights icon and congressman John Lewis will be held Thursday at Atlanta ’ s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church , which the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. once led .
Lewis ’ family announced that the funeral will be private , but the public is invited to pay tribute over the coming days during a series of celebrations of Lewis ‘ life beginning Saturday in his hometown of Troy , Alabama .
On Sunday morning , a processional will be held in which Lewis ‘ body will once more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and other voting rights demonstrators were beaten 55 years ago on “ Bloody Sunday.
” Lewis ‘ body will also lie in state at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery , the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta and the U.S. Capitol in Washington .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Thursday that the public will be allowed to pay their respects in Washington to the longtime Georgia congressman Monday night and all day Tuesday .
Due to coronavirus precautions , Lewis will lie in state for public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front steps of the Capitol rather than in the Rotunda , and the public will file past on the East Plaza .
Face masks will be required and social distancing will be enforced .
Lewis ‘ family has asked members of the public not to travel from across the country to pay their respects .
Instead , they suggested people pay virtual tribute online using the hashtags # BelovedCommunity or # HumanDignity .
Lewis , 80 , died last Friday , several months after he was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Following the funeral at the Ebenezer Baptist Church Horizon Sanctuary , he will be interred at South View Cemetery in Atlanta .

ATLANTA (AP) - The funeral for the late civil rights icon and congressman John Lewis will be held Thursday at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once led.
Lewis’ family announced that the funeral will be private, but the public is invited to pay tribute over the coming days during a series of celebrations of Lewis’ life beginning Saturday in his hometown of Troy, Alabama. On Sunday morning, a processional will be held in which Lewis’ body will once more cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where he and other voting rights demonstrators were beaten 55 years ago on “Bloody Sunday.”
Lewis’ body will also lie in state at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta and the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Thursday that the public will be allowed to pay their respects in Washington to the longtime Georgia congressman Monday night and all day Tuesday.
Due to coronavirus precautions, Lewis will lie in state for public viewing at the top of the east front steps of the Capitol rather than in the Rotunda, and the public will file past on the East Plaza. Face masks will be required and social distancing will be enforced.
Lewis’ family has asked members of the public not to travel from across the country to pay their respects. Instead, they suggested people pay virtual tribute online using the hashtags #BelovedCommunity or #HumanDignity.
Lewis, 80, died last Friday, several months after he was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. He served 17 terms in the U.S. House. Following the funeral at the Ebenezer Baptist Church Horizon Sanctuary, he will be interred at South View Cemetery in Atlanta.


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--China aggression opens doors for U.S. in Asia

It made headlines as the likely source of the Navy ’ s worst COVID-19 outbreak , but the USS Theodore Roosevelt ’ s port call in March to Da Nang , Vietnam , may be remembered in the long run as a milestone in a major power shift in Asia .
The Roosevelt , only the second U.S. aircraft carrier to make a port call in Vietnam since the fall of Saigon in 1975 , marked 25 years since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations .
But Pentagon officials and private analysts say the openness about military cooperation between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaction by Asian countries to China ’ s increasingly assertive polices .
U.S. defense officials , who have long sought to enlist China ’ s neighbors in an effort to contain Beijing , are increasingly finding open doors .
Vietnam has talked of increasing U.S. weapons purchases as it clashes with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea .
India , which had a brief but bloody border confrontation with China last month , conducted joint exercises this week with the U.S. Navy in the Indian Ocean .
Australia and Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Philippine Sea .
Some say China ’ s policies are to blame for the emerging coalition against Beijing and why U.S. arguments are gaining traction .
“ In just the last few months , Beijing has asserted control over Hong Kong , intruded into Taiwan ’ s airspace , trained guns on the Philippine navy , harassed Malaysian vessels , sunk a Vietnamese fishing ship , rammed a Japanese coast guard vessel , reignited a deadly border conflict with India , and conducted cyberattacks and economic coercion against Australia , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edel of the U.S. Studies Center at the University of Sydney and American Enterprise Institute senior research fellow Zack Cooper .
Trump administration officials , including Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , are making the case that China ’ s neighbors must work with the U.S. to counter Beijing ’ s strategic belligerence .
China is engaging in “ systematic rule-breaking , coercion and other malign activities ” while attempting to bully smaller nations around the South China Sea , Mr. Esper said during a discussion Tuesday with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Esper cited the Malaysian and Vietnamese incidents as a harbinger of things to come .
“ This catalog of bad behavior accompanies a pattern of the [ Chinese Communist Party ’ s ] brazen disregard to international commitments , ” he said .
China “ has engaged in this sort of behavior for many years .
Today , its true intentions are on full display for all to see.
” The United States , in response , has been offering assistance to Vietnam and other countries in the region .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the sale of lethal weapons to Hanoi .
It transferred a Coast Guard cutter to Vietnam a year later to help its maritime law enforcement capabilities and last year approved the transfer of a second military-grade vessel .
“ We continue to bolster our growing network of Indo-Pacific allies and partners — a strategic advantage our competitors can not match , ” Mr. Esper said .
India and the Philippines have long tried to pursue a balancing act between Beijing and Washington .
They have relied heavily on China as the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. to prevent Beijing from dominating East Asia .
Mr. Pompeo said this week that incidents like the border battle are clear signs to India and other countries in the region that they should reduce their links to China and embrace closer ties with Washington .
“ The United States has never been more supportive of India ’ s security , ” Mr. Pompeo said .
“ India , too , is an important partner and a key pillar of President Trump ’ s foreign policy.
” The growing bond between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the all-important defense relationships ” of the 21st century , Mr. Esper said .
China ’ s official press has been filled in recent days with warnings that India will be disappointed if it casts its lot too heavily with Washington .
Analysts say the warnings are signs of rising concerns in China about warming U.S.-Indian ties .
India has “ a significant military , and it ’ s a military that is getting better , ” said Bradley Bowman , an analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller countries in the Indo-Pacific region are interested in participating in U.S.-led freedom of navigation operations through disputed waters in order to challenge China ’ s expansive sovereignty claims .
“ They all face the same concern : an unconstrained China operating in the South China Sea and making extreme and excessive maritime claims , ” Mr. Hoffman said .
China claims large swaths of the South China Sea , including areas where other countries also have claims .
The U.S. has increasingly stopped calling for negotiations over the conflicting demands and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its efforts to intimidate smaller neighbors .
“ We ’ re going to stand with our allies and partners in Southeast Asia to help them uphold their sovereign rights , ” said Adm. Philip Davidson , commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command .
“ This is not a U.S.-China issue .
This is an international rules based order-China issue.
” Effectively deterring China will require military relationships with long-standing allies including Japan and Australia along with deepening ties to countries such as India and Vietnam , Mr .
Bowman said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planner , that ’ s a nightmare scenario , ” he said .
“ There are significant elements in the defense and political establishment that are calling for a full-fledged alliance with the U.S. ” Even long-standing friction points between the U.S. and China have worsened .
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said this week that China has stepped up military activities nearby , including mock invasions of an island that the mainland insists is part of China .
“ What China is doing now is continuing to ramp up preparedness to solve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters Wednesday in Taipei .
“ The threat is on the rise.
” The United States continues to expand its defense sales to India , and Mr. Esper said he looks forward to a meeting this year between the defense and foreign ministry officials of both countries , known as a 2 + 2 dialogue .
“ If I were to make a short list of countries that we need to partner with more effectively , in order to effectively deter [ Chinese ] aggression over the long term , I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mr .
Bowman said .
“ We have an alignment of democratic values .
They are soon to be the world ’ s most populous country .
They share a border with China , [ and ] they fought a border war with China.
” India has spent most of its defense money on Russian weapons over the years .
“ In many cases , [ the weaponry ] is old and not particularly good .
There ’ s a need for India to periodically buy additional parts and logistical maintenance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mr .
Bowman said .
“ There is a segment of the political and military establishment in India , even now , that has nostalgia for Russia .
There ’ s an inertia that develops if you ’ ve been buying equipment from a certain country for decades.
” But India has been increasing its purchase of big-ticket American items , including C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets , Chinook CH-47 heavy-lift helicopters and the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter , The Indian Express newspaper reported .
“ We ’ re already doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could do more , ” Mr .
Bowman said .
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command , led by Adm. Davidson , covers 36 countries , 14 time zones and more than 50 % of the world ’ s population .
“ It ’ s the single most consequential region for America ’ s future and the United States ’ priority theater , ” Adm. Davidson told defense reporters Tuesday from his headquarters in Hawaii .
A 2018 U.S. defense strategy paper identified major nation-states , in particular a rising China , as the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials warn that China is trying to exploit the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to take a more assertive stance in the region , even as bilateral relations with the U.S. deteriorate .
The government of Chinese President Xi Jinping “ is actively seeking to supplant the established rules-based international order [ and ] trying to dictate new norms and behaviors on the international community , ” he said .
“ The People ’ s Republic of China represents the greatest long-term strategic threat to security not only to the Indo-Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s important for the United States working alongside partners , both large and small , to keep Beijing in check , Adm. Davidson said .
“ We can certainly lose without fighting in this environment , ” he said , but “ the United States is not alone in this effort .
We remain deeply committed with our allies and partners here in the Indo-Pacific .
”

It made headlines as the likely source of the Navy’s worst COVID-19 outbreak, but the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s port call in March to Da Nang, Vietnam, may be remembered in the long run as a milestone in a major power shift in Asia.
The Roosevelt, only the second U.S. aircraft carrier to make a port call in Vietnam since the fall of Saigon in 1975, marked 25 years since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations.
But Pentagon officials and private analysts say the openness about military cooperation between the former enemies is part of a larger reaction by Asian countries to China’s increasingly assertive polices. U.S. defense officials, who have long sought to enlist China’s neighbors in an effort to contain Beijing, are increasingly finding open doors.
Vietnam has talked of increasing U.S. weapons purchases as it clashes with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. India, which had a brief but bloody border confrontation with China last month, conducted joint exercises this week with the U.S. Navy in the Indian Ocean. Australia and Japan joined the U.S. in naval exercises in the Philippine Sea.
Some say China’s policies are to blame for the emerging coalition against Beijing and why U.S. arguments are gaining traction.
“In just the last few months, Beijing has asserted control over Hong Kong, intruded into Taiwan’s airspace, trained guns on the Philippine navy, harassed Malaysian vessels, sunk a Vietnamese fishing ship, rammed a Japanese coast guard vessel, reignited a deadly border conflict with India, and conducted cyberattacks and economic coercion against Australia,” said a ForeignPolicy.com analysis this week by Charles Edel of the U.S. Studies Center at the University of Sydney and American Enterprise Institute senior research fellow Zack Cooper.
SEE ALSO: China tells US to close consulate in Chengdu in growing spat
Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, are making the case that China’s neighbors must work with the U.S. to counter Beijing’s strategic belligerence.
China is engaging in “systematic rule-breaking, coercion and other malign activities” while attempting to bully smaller nations around the South China Sea, Mr. Esper said during a discussion Tuesday with the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Mr. Esper cited the Malaysian and Vietnamese incidents as a harbinger of things to come.
“This catalog of bad behavior accompanies a pattern of the [Chinese Communist Party’s] brazen disregard to international commitments,” he said. China “has engaged in this sort of behavior for many years. Today, its true intentions are on full display for all to see.”
The United States, in response, has been offering assistance to Vietnam and other countries in the region. In 2016, the U.S. lifted its ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Hanoi. It transferred a Coast Guard cutter to Vietnam a year later to help its maritime law enforcement capabilities and last year approved the transfer of a second military-grade vessel.
“We continue to bolster our growing network of Indo-Pacific allies and partners — a strategic advantage our competitors cannot match,” Mr. Esper said.
Rebalancing
India and the Philippines have long tried to pursue a balancing act between Beijing and Washington. They have relied heavily on China as the region’s economic superpower but kept ties to the U.S. to prevent Beijing from dominating East Asia.
Mr. Pompeo said this week that incidents like the border battle are clear signs to India and other countries in the region that they should reduce their links to China and embrace closer ties with Washington.
“The United States has never been more supportive of India’s security,” Mr. Pompeo said. “India, too, is an important partner and a key pillar of President Trump’s foreign policy.”
The growing bond between the U.S. and India is “one of the all-important defense relationships” of the 21st century, Mr. Esper said.
China’s official press has been filled in recent days with warnings that India will be disappointed if it casts its lot too heavily with Washington. Analysts say the warnings are signs of rising concerns in China about warming U.S.-Indian ties.
India has “a significant military, and it’s a military that is getting better,” said Bradley Bowman, an analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said several smaller countries in the Indo-Pacific region are interested in participating in U.S.-led freedom of navigation operations through disputed waters in order to challenge China’s expansive sovereignty claims.
“They all face the same concern: an unconstrained China operating in the South China Sea and making extreme and excessive maritime claims,” Mr. Hoffman said.
China claims large swaths of the South China Sea, including areas where other countries also have claims. The U.S. has increasingly stopped calling for negotiations over the conflicting demands and said it now rejects China’s claims and its efforts to intimidate smaller neighbors.
“We’re going to stand with our allies and partners in Southeast Asia to help them uphold their sovereign rights,” said Adm. Philip Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. “This is not a U.S.-China issue. This is an international rules based order-China issue.”
‘Nightmare scenario’ for China
Effectively deterring China will require military relationships with long-standing allies including Japan and Australia along with deepening ties to countries such as India and Vietnam, Mr. Bowman said.
“If you’re a Beijing military planner, that’s a nightmare scenario,” he said. “There are significant elements in the defense and political establishment that are calling for a full-fledged alliance with the U.S.”
Even long-standing friction points between the U.S. and China have worsened. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said this week that China has stepped up military activities nearby, including mock invasions of an island that the mainland insists is part of China.
“What China is doing now is continuing to ramp up preparedness to solve the Taiwan issue,” Mr. Wu told reporters Wednesday in Taipei. “The threat is on the rise.”
The United States continues to expand its defense sales to India, and Mr. Esper said he looks forward to a meeting this year between the defense and foreign ministry officials of both countries, known as a 2 + 2 dialogue.
“If I were to make a short list of countries that we need to partner with more effectively, in order to effectively deter [Chinese] aggression over the long term, I would put India at or near the top,” Mr. Bowman said. “We have an alignment of democratic values. They are soon to be the world’s most populous country. They share a border with China, [and] they fought a border war with China.”
India has spent most of its defense money on Russian weapons over the years.
“In many cases, [the weaponry] is old and not particularly good. There’s a need for India to periodically buy additional parts and logistical maintenance items for that equipment from the Russians,” Mr. Bowman said. “There is a segment of the political and military establishment in India, even now, that has nostalgia for Russia. There’s an inertia that develops if you’ve been buying equipment from a certain country for decades.”
But India has been increasing its purchase of big-ticket American items, including C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets, Chinook CH-47 heavy-lift helicopters and the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, The Indian Express newspaper reported.
“We’re already doing a lot with them, but we could do more,” Mr. Bowman said.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, led by Adm. Davidson, covers 36 countries, 14 time zones and more than 50% of the world’s population.
“It’s the single most consequential region for America’s future and the United States’ priority theater,” Adm. Davidson told defense reporters Tuesday from his headquarters in Hawaii.
A 2018 U.S. defense strategy paper identified major nation-states, in particular a rising China, as the biggest long-term challenge for American security. U.S. officials warn that China is trying to exploit the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to take a more assertive stance in the region, even as bilateral relations with the U.S. deteriorate.
The government of Chinese President Xi Jinping “is actively seeking to supplant the established rules-based international order [and] trying to dictate new norms and behaviors on the international community,” he said. “The People’s Republic of China represents the greatest long-term strategic threat to security not only to the Indo-Pacific but to the entire globe.”
It’s important for the United States working alongside partners, both large and small, to keep Beijing in check, Adm. Davidson said.
“We can certainly lose without fighting in this environment,” he said, but “the United States is not alone in this effort. We remain deeply committed with our allies and partners here in the Indo-Pacific.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--Yanks, Nats kneel in Black Lives Matter salute; Fauci's toss

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The Nationals and Yankees knelt in unison before the first game of the baseball season as part of an opening day ceremony Thursday night that featured references to the Black Lives Matter movement , the coronavirus pandemic — including an off-the-mark first pitch by Dr. Anthony Fauci — and the home team ’ s 2019 championship .
Players from both clubs wore T-shirts saying Black Lives Matter during batting practice at Nationals Park , and the letters “ BLM ” were stenciled into the back of the mound at the center of the diamond .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reckoning happening in the U.S. , players and other members of both teams held a long black ribbon while standing spaced out along the two foul lines .
After they placed the ribbon on the ground , everyone then got on their knees .
They all then rose for a taped performance of the national anthem .
Yankees players decided Wednesday they wanted to kneel for 60 seconds before the anthem .
New York officials then asked Washington if that time could be added to the pregame script .
The Nationals decided they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ve had conversations as an organization .
We ’ ve had conversations as a team .
We ’ ve had smaller group conversations .
Conversations with one another , ” New York manager Aaron Boone said hours before the game .
“ And we ’ ve kind of decided … we ’ ll , as a team , have our own demonstration on the field.
” That display followed a series of videos shown on the outfield scoreboard : about Black Lives Matter , showing major league players such as New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Howie Kendrick ; about the Nationals ’ postseason run ; about the COVID-19 outbreak .
Without any spectators present to appreciate the celebrations , flags noting the franchise ’ s first title were raised beyond right field and above the scoreboard , and “ 2019 World Champions ” was written on a red mat that was wrapped around the batter ’ s boxes during pregame introductions .
Fauci , the country ’ s top infectious disease expert , was invited by the Nationals to throw out the ceremonial first pitch — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Wearing a mask on the mound , Fauci sent his toss well wide of home plate , and the ball bounced past his “ catcher , ” Washington reliever Sean Doolittle .
Afterward , Fauci and Doolittle tapped gloves , instead of shaking hands .
Judge got the first hit of the season and moments later teammate Giancarlo Stanton tagged Washington ace Max Scherzer for the first home run of the season .
In the bottom of the first inning , Adam Eaton homered off prized Yankees newcomer Gerrit Cole .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sixth inning with the Yankees batting while leading 4-1 .

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a joint demonstration of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, players, managers and coaches of the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals knelt in unison before the opening game of the 2020 baseball season, then stood for the national anthem Thursday night.
“We wanted to do something united, something together,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said after New York’s 4-1 victory, called in the sixth inning because of rain at Nationals Park.
“We’ve got a lot of guys in this clubhouse with different beliefs, different feelings, different walks of life and from different countries,” Judge said. “And we want to respect all that and as a team we came to the decision to kneel right before the anthem.”
Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle called the moment “powerful.”
It was part of an opening day pregame ceremony in the nation’s capital that also featured references to the coronavirus pandemic — including an off-the-mark first pitch by Dr. Anthony Fauci — and the home team’s 2019 championship.
Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, was invited by the Nationals to throw out the ceremonial first pitch — a fitting choice during the current medical crisis. Wearing a mask on the mound, Fauci sent his toss well wide of home plate, and the ball bounced past his “catcher,” Doolittle.
Afterward, Fauci and Doolittle tapped gloves, instead of shaking hands.
Without any spectators present to appreciate the celebrations, flags noting the Nationals’ first title were raised beyond right field and above the scoreboard, and “2019 World Champions” was written on a red mat that was wrapped around the batter’s boxes during pregame introductions.
Players from both clubs wore T-shirts saying Black Lives Matter during batting practice in Washington, and the letters “BLM” were stenciled into the back of the mound at the center of the diamond.
Then, in a poignant reference to the racial reckoning happening in the U.S., players and other members of both teams held a long black ribbon while standing spaced out along the two foul lines. After they placed the ribbon on the ground, everyone got on their knees.
“We know there are issues in this country and we need changes. We need changes for the better. These guys all understand that,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “This was for a major cause, we believe in it, and we did what we could.”
Hours later in Los Angeles, the Giants and Dodgers also held a black ribbon that wound along the baselines.
Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, who signed a 12-year, $365 million contract on Wednesday, and some of the Giants kneeled as anthem singer Keith Williams Jr. stood in the new center field seating at Dodger Stadium instead of the usual spot near home plate.In a video, 98-year-old Rachel Robinson, whose husband, Jackie, broke the major league color barrier in 1947, gave the traditional call: “It’s time for Dodger baseball.”
Yankees players decided Wednesday they wanted to kneel for 60 seconds before the anthem.
“We’ve had conversations as an organization. We’ve had conversations as a team. We’ve had smaller group conversations. Conversations with one another,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “And we’ve kind of decided … we’ll, as a team, have our own demonstration on the field.”
New York officials then asked Washington if that time could be added to the pregame script.
The Nationals decided they wanted to join the Yankees.
“It was important for us, and for the Yankees, that everybody bought in and we had full participation and presented a united front during that moment,” Doolittle said. “Holding the ribbon, kneeling, to show support for the other athletes who have done it in other sports … to show support for the movement of Black Lives Matter and ending police brutality and racism and injustice.”
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--America First Action PAC ad attacks Biden defund police policies

A super PAC supporting President Trump ’ s policies is airing a new TV ad on Friday attacking Democrat Joseph R. Biden over defunding police , showing a fearful mother and child hiding under a bed from marauders while their frantic 9-1-1 call is placed on hold .
The ad , titled “ On Hold , ” will air in the battleground states of Arizona , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
It ’ s part of America First Action PAC ’ s $ 23 million summer ad spending , The Washington Times has learned .
The ad depicts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under a bed while a violent mob on the street outside their home menaces them .
When the woman dials 9-1-1 , an operator says , “ You have reached 9-11 emergency services .
Due to budget cuts and increased criminal activity , our agents are busy assisting other callers .
The hold time is 17 minutes .
Have a nice day.
” A similar national TV ad from the Trump campaign this week shows an older woman , alone at night , unable to get through to police on 9-1-1 as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Your family won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America , ” said Brian O. Walsh , president of America First Action PAC .
“ He supports defunding the police and has defended the riots in Portland as ‘ peaceful.
’ While Biden is too weak to stand up to the leftist mob , President Trump will never bow down and will always ensure all Americans are safe.
” The latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows that just two in 10 Americans support defunding police .

A super PAC supporting President Trump’s policies is airing a new TV ad on Friday attacking Democrat Joseph R. Biden over defunding police, showing a fearful mother and child hiding under a bed from marauders while their frantic 9-1-1 call is placed on hold.
The ad, titled “On Hold,” will air in the battleground states of Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It’s part of America First Action PAC’s $23 million summer ad spending, The Washington Times has learned.
The ad depicts a young mother and her child retreating under a bed while a violent mob on the street outside their home menaces them. When the woman dials 9-1-1, an operator says, “You have reached 9-11 emergency services. Due to budget cuts and increased criminal activity, our agents are busy assisting other callers. The hold time is 17 minutes. Have a nice day.”
A similar national TV ad from the Trump campaign this week shows an older woman, alone at night, unable to get through to police on 9-1-1 as a masked intruder breaks into her home.
“Your family won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” said Brian O. Walsh, president of America First Action PAC. “He supports defunding the police and has defended the riots in Portland as ‘peaceful.’ While Biden is too weak to stand up to the leftist mob, President Trump will never bow down and will always ensure all Americans are safe.”
The latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows that just two in 10 Americans support defunding police.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-23--Deputy arrested, accused of molesting children in California

SAN DIEGO ( AP ) - A San Diego County sheriff ’ s deputy has been arrested on multiple charges of engaging in sex acts with at least three minors , according to police in the city of Chula Vista where the arrest was made .
Jaylen Devon Fleer was arrested in Chula Vista on Wednesday and booked into the Vista Detention Facility , the Chula Vista Police Department said in a statement .
Fleer could not be reached for comment and it was not known if he had a lawyer .
On April 9 , the Chula Vista Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stoppers tips that led them to investigate Fleer and eventually arrest him .
The sheriff ’ s department said in a statement Thursday that after it became aware of the investigation and “ it became appropriate to do so , ” Fleer was placed on an administrative assignment and has had no contact with the public .
“ Even though the allegation had nothing to do with Fleer ’ s duties as a deputy , they were so serious that all peace officer authority was taken away from him , ” the department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27-year-old deputy was working as a corrections officer at the San Diego central jail .
He has been with the department since 2015 .
The sheriff ’ s department has also started its own internal affairs probe .
Fleer is being held without bail on a total of 15 criminal counts , including lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor , oral copulation with a person under 16 and showing or sending harmful material to seduce a minor .

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A San Diego County sheriff’s deputy has been arrested on multiple charges of engaging in sex acts with at least three minors, according to police in the city of Chula Vista where the arrest was made.
Jaylen Devon Fleer was arrested in Chula Vista on Wednesday and booked into the Vista Detention Facility, the Chula Vista Police Department said in a statement. Fleer could not be reached for comment and it was not known if he had a lawyer.
On April 9, the Chula Vista Police Department said it received two anonymous Crime Stoppers tips that led them to investigate Fleer and eventually arrest him.
The sheriff’s department said in a statement Thursday that after it became aware of the investigation and “it became appropriate to do so,” Fleer was placed on an administrative assignment and has had no contact with the public.
“Even though the allegation had nothing to do with Fleer’s duties as a deputy, they were so serious that all peace officer authority was taken away from him,” the department said.
Before his arrest, the 27-year-old deputy was working as a corrections officer at the San Diego central jail. He has been with the department since 2015. The sheriff’s department has also started its own internal affairs probe.
Fleer is being held without bail on a total of 15 criminal counts, including lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor, oral copulation with a person under 16 and showing or sending harmful material to seduce a minor.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--1 person killed, another injured in Independence shooting

INDEPENDENCE , Mo .
( AP ) - One person died and another person was injured in a shooting at @ @ @ @ @ there said .
Officers were called around 6:30 p.m. Thursday to the home in the @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
Two victims were discovered and taken to hospitals , where one @ @ @ @ @ Police said the other victim was in stable condition and expected to survive .
Police @ @ @ @ @ ’ names or given details on what may have led to the shooting .
No @ @ @ @ @ the case by Friday morning .

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) - One person died and another person was injured in a shooting at an Independence home, police there said.
Officers were called around 6:30 p.m. Thursday to the home in the northeastern part of the city, police said. Two victims were discovered and taken to hospitals, where one of the victims died.
Police said the other victim was in stable condition and expected to survive. Police have not released the victims’ names or given details on what may have led to the shooting. No arrests had been reported in the case by Friday morning.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--France pledges $17 million to Lebanon's struggling schools

MECHREF , Lebanon ( AP ) - France ’ s visiting foreign minister pledged Friday €15 million ( $ 17 million ) in aid to Lebanon ’ s schools , which are struggling under the weight of the country ’ s major economic crisis .
Jean-Yves Le Drian said France will not let the “ Lebanese youth alone ” face the crisis that has hit the education sector hard .
Schools in Lebanon have let some teachers and administrators go and many face the risk of closure .
Parents , struggling to pay private school fees , enrolled their children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French assistance will go to a network of over 50 French and Francophone schools .
The economic crisis has impacted almost all facets of life in Lebanon , a small Mediterranean country long considered a middle-income state .
Since last year , unemployment has risen and poverty deepened , as foreign currency dried up and the currency tumbled to lose more than 80 % of its value before the dollar .
Le Drian , who arrived here late Wednesday , said France could only help Lebanon face the crisis if Lebanese officials do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much needed reforms .
Le Drian is the first senior Western official to visit the struggling country .
In stern public messages , he urged Lebanese officials to go through with an audit of the country ’ s central bank , reform a bloated and highly indebted electricity sector and maintain an independent judiciary .
France is the former colonial power in Lebanon and has previously organized conferences that pledged assistance to Lebanon but demanded reforms to the public sector and governance .
“ Lebanon is on the verge of the abyss .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fix this , ” he said Friday during a visit to a school in Mechref district , south of the capital Beirut .
During this visit , he said Lebanon is on France ’ s list of priority countries for humanitarian assistance , adding that his country already donated € 50 million ( $ 58 million ) , primarily to the health care sector to deal with the coronavirus challenge .
But Le Drian said Thursday the only way out of the financial and economic crisis for Lebanon is to secure a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then , France and its allies can secure assistance to Lebanon , he said .
Talks with the IMF have been bogged down in internal political disputes and struggles over who is to blame for banking losses .
Lebanon ’ s crisis is rooted in years of mismanagement and corruption .
It has deepened since the government defaulted on its sovereign debt in March , the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions that it brought .
Lebanon witnessed nationwide protests last October after the government , as part of efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on messaging service WhatsApp .
Protesters accused the government of mismanagement and years of corruption and eventually forced then-premier , Saad Hariri , to resign .
A new government , backed by the powerful Hezbollah group and its allies was formed in January and has since been bogged down by domestic rivalries on ways to proceed with reforms and the IMF talks .

MECHREF, Lebanon (AP) - France’s visiting foreign minister pledged Friday €15 million - about $17 million - in aid to Lebanon’s schools, struggling under the weight of the country’s economic crisis.
Jean-Yves Le Drian said France will not let the “Lebanese youth alone” face the crisis that has hit the education sector hard. Schools have let some teachers and administrators go and many face the risk of closure. Many parents, struggling to pay private school fees, have enrolled their children in already overcrowded public schools.
The French assistance will go to a network of over 50 French and Francophone schools.
The economic crisis has impacted almost all facets of life in Lebanon, a small Mediterranean country long considered a middle-income state. Since last year, unemployment has risen and poverty deepened, as foreign currency dried up and the national currency lost more than 80% of its value against the dollar.
Le Drian, who arrived here late Wednesday, urged Lebanese officials to go through with an audit of the country’s central bank, reform a bloated and highly indebted electricity sector and maintain an independent judiciary.
France is the former colonial power in Lebanon and has previously organized conferences that pledged assistance to Lebanon but demanded reforms to the public sector and governance. Le Drian said France has already donated €50 million ($58 million), primarily to the health care sector to deal with the coronavirus challenge.
“Lebanon is on the verge of the abyss. But there are ways on the table to fix this,” he said during a visit Friday to a school in Mechref district, south of the capital, Beirut.
On Thursday, Le Drian said the only way out of the financial and economic crisis is for Lebanon to secure a program with the International Monetary Fund. France and its allies would then be able to secure assistance to Lebanon, he said.
Talks with the IMF have been bogged down in internal political disputes and struggles over who is to blame for banking losses.
Lebanon is facing a new surge in coronavirus cases, recently recording three-digit numbers of cases a day - a spike from before it eased restrictions in July. So far, Lebanon has reported more than 3,200 cases, including 43 deaths from the virus.
During lunch with Le Drian on Thursday, Hadi Al-Hashem, a Foreign Ministry official, got the news that he had tested positive for the virus. Al-Hashem told Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed TV that he has no symptoms.
But his test result prompted Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti and other officials to get tested, and they were negative, the report said.
A French diplomat at the embassy in Beirut said the French delegation took all precautions and respected social distancing during meetings. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to talk to reporters.
___
Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--Probation for martial arts teacher accused of sexual assault

BISMARCK , N.D. ( AP ) - A Bismarck martial arts instructor accused inappropriately touching a student and shooting video @ @ @ @ @ been sentenced to probation after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors .
Adler Scheer , @ @ @ @ @ promoting obscenity to minors .
A charge of sexual assault and two counts of surreptitious @ @ @ @ @ the terms of the agreement .
Scheer won ’ t have to register as a @ @ @ @ @ Tribune reported .
Scheer was charged after a student at ATA Martial Arts Studio found @ @ @ @ @ room , court records said .
He consented to a search of the phone , @ @ @ @ @ of students , all under age 14 , in changing rooms , authorities said .
@ @ @ @ @ treatment program he has started , must not have contact with anyone under the age @ @ @ @ @ t own surveillance equipment .

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A Bismarck martial arts instructor accused inappropriately touching a student and shooting video in a locker room has been sentenced to probation after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors.
Adler Scheer, 24, pleaded guilty to promoting obscenity to minors. A charge of sexual assault and two counts of surreptitious intrusion were dismissed Thursday under the terms of the agreement.
Scheer won’t have to register as a sex offender, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
Scheer was charged after a student at ATA Martial Arts Studio found a cellphone in a changing room, court records said.
He consented to a search of the phone, which revealed six deleted files of students, all under age 14, in changing rooms, authorities said.
Scheer must successfully complete the treatment program he has started, must not have contact with anyone under the age of 18 and can’t own surveillance equipment.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--Sewage to be tested to determine prevalence of virus

AUGUSTA , Maine ( AP ) - A water district in Maine is collecting sewage samples for testing to determine the prevalence of the coronavirus based on what ’ s being flushed down the toilet .
The Greater Augusta Utility District began collecting samples of sewage this week at its wastewater treatment plant .
Those samples are being sent to a Massachusetts company that ’ s pioneering efforts to test for traces of the coronavirus in sewage collected from treatment plants .
The data could provide information on how widespread the virus is in the local population , and could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Kennebec Journal reported .
Most data on the spread of the coronavirus currently comes from individual testing .
The water district , using Keep Maine Healthy funding obtained by the city of Augusta , hopes to take advantage of another measure of the virus ’ prevalence , or lack thereof , in a community .
The grants are from the federal CARES Act , administered by the Maine Department of Health and Human Service ’ s Keep Maine Healthy program .
The city received about $ 155,000 from the program .

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - A water district in Maine is collecting sewage samples for testing to determine the prevalence of the coronavirus based on what’s being flushed down the toilet.
The Greater Augusta Utility District began collecting samples of sewage this week at its wastewater treatment plant. Those samples are being sent to a Massachusetts company that’s pioneering efforts to test for traces of the coronavirus in sewage collected from treatment plants.
The data could provide information on how widespread the virus is in the local population, and could aid local officials in their decision making, the Kennebec Journal reported.
Most data on the spread of the coronavirus currently comes from individual testing. The water district, using Keep Maine Healthy funding obtained by the city of Augusta, hopes to take advantage of another measure of the virus’ prevalence, or lack thereof, in a community.
The grants are from the federal CARES Act, administered by the Maine Department of Health and Human Service’s Keep Maine Healthy program. The city received about $155,000 from the program.
In other news related to the pandemic in Maine:
NEW CASES
Health officials in Maine reported 20 new cases of the virus on Friday, bringing the total number of reported cases to 3,757. Eleven of the new cases are connected to Marshwood Center, a long-term case facility in Lewiston that is the site of an outbreak.
The state did not report any new deaths from the virus. That number held steady at 118.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause more severe illness and can lead to death.
___
HOTEL TESTS
A hotel in Wells is offering to pay for coronavirus tests for two adults if they stay for several days.
Elmwood Resort Hotel general manager Scott Defelice told WMTW-TV the promotion is especially helpful for drawing visitors from Massachusetts. Massachusetts residents are required to quarantine for two weeks or provide a negative coronavirus test if they come to Maine.
The rapid tests are being offered at York Hospital.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--3 men charged with slaying women found under Georgia bridge

ROME , Ga. ( AP ) - Three men have been charged with murder in the deaths of two women whose bodies were discovered underneath a bridge in Georgia , according to authorities .
Desmond Lavonta Brown , 28 , Devin Lashawn Watts , 36 , and Christopher Leedarius Pullen , 23 , are accused of killing Vanita Richardson , 18 , and Clarice Truvenia Campbell , 30 , in May , the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday .
The women were found below a bridge in Rome over the Etowah River and were thought to have been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed , authorities have said .
The vehicle remained missing until investigators recently recovered it in South Fulton , the agency said Thursday .
Brown was charged with obstruction of a police officer and Watts was charged with theft and a firearm charge about a week after the victims were found , news outlets reported at the time .
Brown and Watts are now charged with malice murder and firearms violations , and they and Pullen are also charged with aggravated battery , aggravated assault , theft , evidence tampering , making false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead body .
All three were in jail Thursday , the agency said .
It was unclear whether they had attorneys who could comment for them .
Authorities did not comment further on the circumstances surrounding the killings .

ROME, Ga. (AP) - Three men have been charged with murder in the deaths of two women whose bodies were discovered underneath a bridge in Georgia, according to authorities.
Desmond Lavonta Brown, 28, Devin Lashawn Watts, 36, and Christopher Leedarius Pullen, 23, are accused of killing Vanita Richardson, 18, and Clarice Truvenia Campbell, 30, in May, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday.
The women were found below a bridge in Rome over the Etowah River and were thought to have been in Richardson’s car before they were killed, authorities have said. The vehicle remained missing until investigators recently recovered it in South Fulton, the agency said Thursday.
Brown was charged with obstruction of a police officer and Watts was charged with theft and a firearm charge about a week after the victims were found, news outlets reported at the time.
Brown and Watts are now charged with malice murder and firearms violations, and they and Pullen are also charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault, theft, evidence tampering, making false statements and writings and abandonment of a dead body.
All three were in jail Thursday, the agency said. It was unclear whether they had attorneys who could comment for them.
Authorities did not comment further on the circumstances surrounding the killings.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--AP-NORC poll: Optimism fades jobs lost to virus will return

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - Nearly half of Americans whose families experienced a layoff during the coronavirus pandemic now believe those jobs are lost forever , a new poll shows , as temporary cutbacks give way to shuttered businesses , bankruptcies and lasting payroll cuts .
It ’ s a sharp change after initial optimism the jobs would return .
In April , 78 % of those in households with a job loss thought they ’ d be temporary .
Now , 47 % think that lost job is definitely or probably not coming back , according to the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Affairs Research .
That translates into roughly 10 million workers who will need to find a new employer , if not a new occupation .
The poll is the latest sign the solid hiring of May and June , as some states lifted stay-at-home orders and the economy began to recover , may wane as the year goes on .
Adding to the challenge : many students will begin the school-year online , making it harder for parents to take jobs outside their homes .
“ Honestly , at this point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a job to go back to , ” said Tonica Daley , 35 , who lives in Riverside , California , and has four children ranging from 3 to 18 years old .
“ The kids are going to do virtual school , and there is no day care.
” Daley was furloughed from her job as a manager at J.C. Penney , which has filed for bankruptcy protection .
The extra $ 600 a week in jobless benefits Congress provided as part of the federal government ’ s coronavirus relief efforts let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said , but the potential expiration or reduction of those benefits in August would force her to borrow money to get by .
The economy ’ s recovery has shown signs of stalling amid a resurgence of the coronavirus .
The number of laid-off workers seeking jobless benefits rose last week for the first time since March , while the number of U.S. infections shot past 4 million - with many more cases undetected .
The poll shows that 72 % of Americans would rather have restrictions in place in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than remove them in an effort to help the economy .
Just 27 % want to prioritize the economy over efforts to stop the outbreak .
“ The only real end to this pandemic problem is the successful application of vaccines , ” said Fred Folkman , 82 , a business professor from Long Island , in New York .
About 9 in 10 Democrats prioritize stopping the virus , while Republicans are more evenly divided - 46 % focus on stopping the spread , while 53 % say the economy is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress have yet to agree to a new aid package .
Democrats , who control the House , have championed an additional $ 3 trillion in help , including money for state and local governments .
Republicans , who control the Senate , have proposed $ 1 trillion , decreasing the size of the expanded unemployment benefits .
Overall , about half of Americans say they or someone in their household has lost some kind of income over the course of the pandemic .
That includes 27 % who say someone has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for fewer hours , 24 % taken unpaid time off and 29 % had wages or salaries reduced .
Eighteen percent of those who lost a household job now say it has come back , while another 34 % still expect it to return .
The poll continues to show the pandemic ’ s disparate impact .
About 6 in 10 nonwhite Americans say they ’ ve lost a source of household income , compared with about half of white Americans .
Forty-six percent of those with college degrees say they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with 56 % of those without .
Trump ’ s approval rating on handling the economy stands at 48 % , consistent with where it stood a month ago but down from January and March , when 56 % said they approved .
Still , the economy remains Trump ’ s strongest issue .
Working to Trump ’ s advantage , 88 % of Republicans - including 85 % of those whose households have lost income during the pandemic - approve of his handling of the economy .
Eighty-two percent of Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticize our president , but he ’ s a cheerleader , ” said Jim Russ , 74 , a retired state worker from Austin , Texas .
“ As long we keep that , the American public will think positive and look positive.
” The poll finds that 38 % of Americans think the national economy is good .
That ’ s about the same as in June and up from 29 % in May but far below the 67 % who felt that way in January .
Sixty-four percent of Republicans think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 % of Democrats .
Likewise , 59 % of Republicans expect the economy to improve in the next year , while Democrats are more likely to expect it to worsen than improve , 47 % to 29 % .
Sixty-five percent of Americans also call their personal financial situation good .
That ’ s about the same as it ’ s been throughout the pandemic and before the crisis began .
Still , Americans are slightly less likely than they were a month ago to expect their personal financial situation to improve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that now , after 38 % said so a month ago .
Another 16 % expect their finances to worsen , while 51 % expect no changes .
So much of what happens in the economy will depend on the trajectory of the virus , said Danny Vaughn , 72 , from Dade City , Florida .
“ I don ’ t disagree with everything the president does , but his leadership on the coronavirus issue has been lacking , ” Vaughn said .
“ And that ’ s the number one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The AP-NORC poll of 1,057 adults was conducted July 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC ’ s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel , which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population .
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points .

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nearly half of Americans whose families experienced a layoff during the coronavirus pandemic now believe those jobs are lost forever, a new poll shows, a sign of increasing pessimism that would translate into roughly 10 million workers needing to find a new employer, if not a new occupation.
It’s a sharp change after initial optimism the jobs would return, as temporary cutbacks give way to shuttered businesses, bankruptcies and lasting payroll cuts. In April, 78% of those in households with a job loss thought they’d be temporary. Now, 47% think that lost job is definitely or probably not coming back, according to the latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The poll is the latest sign the solid hiring of May and June, as some states lifted stay-at-home orders and the economy began to recover, may wane as the year goes on. Adding to the challenge: Many students will begin the school year online, making it harder for parents to take jobs outside their homes.
“Honestly, at this point, there’s not going to be a job to go back to,” said Tonica Daley, 35, who lives in Riverside, California, and has four children ranging from 3 to 18 years old. “The kids are going to do virtual school, and there is no day care.”
Daley was furloughed from her job as a manager at J.C. Penney, which has filed for bankruptcy protection. The extra $600 a week in jobless benefits Congress provided as part of the federal government’s coronavirus relief efforts let her family pay down its credit cards, she said, but the potential expiration or reduction of those benefits in August would force her to borrow money to get by.
The economy’s recovery has shown signs of stalling amid a resurgence of the coronavirus. The number of laid-off workers seeking jobless benefits rose last week for the first time since March, while the number of U.S. infections shot past 4 million - with many more cases undetected.
The poll shows that 72% of Americans would rather have restrictions in place in their communities to stop the spread of COVID-19 than remove them in an effort to help the economy. Just 27% want to prioritize the economy over efforts to stop the outbreak.
“The only real end to this pandemic problem is the successful application of vaccines,” said Fred Folkman, 82, a business professor from Long Island, in New York.
About 9 in 10 Democrats prioritize stopping the virus, while Republicans are more evenly divided - 46% focus on stopping the spread, while 53% say the economy is the bigger priority.
President Donald Trump and Congress have yet to agree to a new aid package. Democrats, who control the House, have championed an additional $3 trillion in help, including money for state and local governments. Republicans, who control the Senate, have proposed $1 trillion, decreasing the size of the expanded unemployment benefits.
Overall, about half of Americans say they or someone in their household has lost some kind of income over the course of the pandemic. That includes 27% who say someone has been laid off, 33% been scheduled for fewer hours, 24% taken unpaid time off and 29% had wages or salaries reduced.
Eighteen percent of those who lost a household job now say it has come back, while another 34% still expect it to return.
The poll continues to show the pandemic’s disparate impact. About 6 in 10 nonwhite Americans say they’ve lost a source of household income, compared with about half of white Americans. Forty-six percent of those with college degrees say they’ve lost some form of household income, compared with 56% of those without.
Trump’s approval rating on handling the economy stands at 48%, consistent with where it stood a month ago but down from January and March, when 56% said they approved. Still, the economy remains Trump’s strongest issue. Working to Trump’s advantage, 88% of Republicans - including 85% of those whose households have lost income during the pandemic - approve of his handling of the economy. Eighty-two percent of Democrats disapprove.
“A lot of people criticize our president, but he’s a cheerleader,” said Jim Russ, 74, a retired state worker from Austin, Texas. “As long we keep that, the American public will think positive and look positive.”
The poll finds that 38% of Americans think the national economy is good. That’s about the same as in June and up from 29% in May but far below the 67% who felt that way in January.
Sixty-four percent of Republicans think the economy is good, compared with 19% of Democrats. Likewise, 59% of Republicans expect the economy to improve in the next year, while Democrats are more likely to expect it to worsen than improve, 47% to 29%.
Sixty-five percent of Americans also call their personal financial situation good. That’s about the same as it’s been throughout the pandemic and before the crisis began. Still, Americans are slightly less likely than they were a month ago to expect their personal financial situation to improve in the next year. Thirty-three percent say that now, after 38% said so a month ago. Another 16% expect their finances to worsen, while 51% expect no changes.
So much of what happens in the economy will depend on the trajectory of the virus, said Danny Vaughn, 72, from Dade City, Florida.
“I don’t disagree with everything the president does, but his leadership on the coronavirus issue has been lacking,” Vaughn said. “And that’s the number one issue facing the American people right now.”
___
The AP-NORC poll of 1,057 adults was conducted July 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
___
Online:
AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--Virginia evicts Confederate monuments from its state Capitol

RICHMOND , Va. ( AP ) - Virginia has removed from its iconic state capitol the busts and a statue honoring Confederate generals and officials .
That includes a bronze statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee positioned in the same spot where he stood to assume command of the state ’ s armed forces in the Civil War nearly 160 years ago .
They are the latest Confederate symbols to be removed or retired in the weeks since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked a nationwide protest movement .
Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee statue and busts of generals J.E.B .
Stuart , Stonewall Jackson , Confederate President Jefferson Davis , and others removed from the historic Old House Chamber .
A moving crew worked through the night Thursday - carefully removing the monuments and their plaques and loading them into a truck and taking them to an undisclosed location .
The stealth approach avoids the possibility of protests or a lawsuit to keep the monuments in place , but may prompt criticism that the monuments were moved without public discussion .
“ Virginia has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glorifying the Confederacy and its participants , ” Filler-Corn said in a statement .
“ Now is the time to provide context to our Capitol to truly tell the commonwealth ’ s whole history.
” Designed by Thomas Jefferson , the Virginia State Capitol is the first state capitol to open after the American Revolution and was used as the Confederacy ’ s Capitol during much of the Civil War .
Filler-Corn ’ s move to remove the Confederate generals comes a few weeks after Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ordered the removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21-foot ( 6-meter ) bronze equestrian sculpture on Richmond ’ s historic Monument Avenue .
A lawsuit has delayed that statue ’ s removal , but other Confederate monuments on the street - once one of the most prominent collection of tributes to the Confederacy in the nation - have already come down .
And earlier this week , the U.S. House approved a bill to remove statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee and other Confederate leaders from the U.S. Capitol .
The bill ’ s prospects in the Senate are uncertain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was where lawmakers first met when the Capitol opened in 1788 and was used as the House ’ s meeting place for more than 100 years before the Capitol building was expanded .
It is not currently used for official purposes when the legislature meets .
The chamber ’ s history is long and varied - then-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall presided over a trial there that saw former Vice President Aaron Burr acquitted of treason - but much of the iconography in the room is devoted to Confederates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ secede from the Union in April 1861 .
A few days later , Lee entered the room to take formal command of the state ’ s military .
“ Trusting in almighty God , an approving conscience , and the aid of my fellow citizens , I devote myself to the service of my native state , in whose behalf alone will I ever again draw my sword , ” Lee said , according to an inscription on the statue .
Seven years later , after the South lost the war , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional convention met that included Black delegates for the first time .
Like many Confederate monuments , most of those recently removed from Virginia ’ s Capitol were erected decades after the Civil War .
They were commissioned and built during the Jim Crow era , when states imposed new segregation laws , and during the “ Lost Cause ” movement , when historians and others tried to depict the South ’ s rebellion as a fight to defend states ’ rights , not slavery .
The Lee statue was approved in 1928 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Byrd , who would later go on to lead the state ’ s Massive Resistance to racially integrated schools .
It ’ s $ 25,000 price tag ( about $ 370,000 currently ) was paid for by the state , donations and an in-kind donation from the sculptor .
Busts of Davis and Alexander Stephens , the vice president of the Confederacy , were donated to Virginia in the 1950s by Mississippi and Georgia .
Filler-Corn also announced she ’ s appointed Del .
Delores McQuinn to lead a new advisory group to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions ” of other historical artifacts controlled by the House .
The House does not control Capitol Square , the outdoor area around the Capitol , which includes statues of Stonewall Jackson and William “ Extra Billy ” Smith , a former governor and Confederate brigadier general .
The authority to remove those statues is a matter of debate and may need the full approval of the legislature .
The Confederate monuments are not the only tributes to losing causes in and around the Capitol , a building built with slave labor where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is of a white man .
A large statue of Byrd , the arch segregationist , sits on Capitol Square and two portraits hanging prominently in the Capitol .
In the House chamber , directly behind where House speakers preside , is a plaque honoring Nathaniel Bacon .
He was wealthy colonist who led a failed rebellion in the 1670s whose aims including the unfettered killing of Indians and the seizing of their lands .

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia has removed from its iconic state capitol the busts and a statue honoring Confederate generals and officials. That includes a bronze statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee positioned in the same spot where he stood to assume command of the state’s armed forces in the Civil War nearly 160 years ago.
They are the latest Confederate symbols to be removed or retired in the weeks since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked a nationwide protest movement.
Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, a Democrat, quietly ordered the Lee statue and busts of generals J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and others removed from the historic Old House Chamber. A moving crew worked through the night Thursday - carefully removing the monuments and their plaques and loading them into a truck and taking them to an undisclosed location.
The stealth approach avoids the possibility of protests or a lawsuit to keep the monuments in place, but may prompt criticism that the monuments were moved without public discussion.
“Virginia has a story to tell that extends far beyond glorifying the Confederacy and its participants,” Filler-Corn said in a statement. “Now is the time to provide context to our Capitol to truly tell the commonwealth’s whole history.”
Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the Virginia State Capitol is the first state capitol to open after the American Revolution and was used as the Confederacy’s Capitol during much of the Civil War.
Filler-Corn’s move to remove the Confederate generals comes a few weeks after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the removal of a different Lee monument - a 21-foot (6-meter) bronze equestrian sculpture on Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue.
A lawsuit has delayed that statue’s removal, but other Confederate monuments on the street - once one of the most prominent collection of tributes to the Confederacy in the nation - have already come down. And earlier this week, the U.S. House approved a bill to remove statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee and other Confederate leaders from the U.S. Capitol. The bill’s prospects in the Senate are uncertain.
In Virginia, the Old House Chamber was where lawmakers first met when the Capitol opened in 1788 and was used as the House’s meeting place for more than 100 years before the Capitol building was expanded. It is not currently used for official purposes when the legislature meets.
The chamber’s history is long and varied - then-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall presided over a trial there that saw former Vice President Aaron Burr acquitted of treason - but much of the iconography in the room is devoted to Confederates.
Virginia delegates voted in the chamber to secede from the Union in April 1861. A few days later, Lee entered the room to take formal command of the state’s military.
“Trusting in almighty God, an approving conscience, and the aid of my fellow citizens, I devote myself to the service of my native state, in whose behalf alone will I ever again draw my sword,” Lee said, according to an inscription on the statue.
Seven years later, after the South lost the war, it was the same room where a new constitutional convention met that included Black delegates for the first time.
Like many Confederate monuments, most of those recently removed from Virginia’s Capitol were erected decades after the Civil War. They were commissioned and built during the Jim Crow era, when states imposed new segregation laws, and during the “Lost Cause” movement, when historians and others tried to depict the South’s rebellion as a fight to defend states’ rights, not slavery.
The Lee statue was approved in 1928 with the help of then-Gov. Harry Byrd, who would later go on to lead the state’s Massive Resistance to racially integrated schools. It’s $25,000 price tag (about $370,000 currently) was paid for by the state, donations and an in-kind donation from the sculptor.
Busts of Davis and Alexander Stephens, the vice president of the Confederacy, were donated to Virginia in the 1950s by Mississippi and Georgia.
Filler-Corn also announced she’s appointed Del. Delores McQuinn to lead a new advisory group to advise the speaker on “possible future actions” of other historical artifacts controlled by the House.
Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Del. Lamont Bagby hailed the monuments’ removal, saying “visitors from around the world have been greeted by these imposing symbols of treason and white supremacy for far too long.”
Republican House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert noted the Lee statue was a “historical marker” and mocked Filler-Corn’s commitment to telling the state’s history.
“Another historical reality is that the Capitol building itself served as the Confederate Capitol, a fact that should no doubt force the Speaker’s new Advisory Group to recommend that it be razed to the ground,” Gilbert said in a statement.
The Confederate monuments are not the only tributes to losing causes in and around the Capitol, a building built with slave labor where almost every portrait hanging on the walls is of a white man.
A large statue of Byrd, the arch segregationist, sits on Capitol Square and two portraits hang prominently in the Capitol.
In the House chamber, directly behind where House speakers preside, is a plaque honoring Nathaniel Bacon. He was wealthy colonist who led a failed rebellion in the 1670s whose aims including the unfettered killing of Indians and the seizing of their lands.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--AP-NORC poll: Nearly half of Americans whose families lost jobs during the pandemic believe the jobs

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - AP-NORC poll : Nearly half of Americans whose families lost jobs during the pandemic believe @ @ @ @ @ .

WASHINGTON (AP) - AP-NORC poll: Nearly half of Americans whose families lost jobs during the pandemic believe the jobs will not return.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-07-24--Bali police arrest American wanted in investment fraud

DENPASAR , Indonesia ( AP ) - Authorities on the Indonesian resort island of Bali have arrested an American fugitive accused of investment fraud in the United States involving hundreds of thousands of dollars , police said Friday .
Bali police chief Petrus Reinhard Golose said the suspect , Marcus Beam , had been making and selling sex videos in Bali to support his living expenses there .
He said Beam apparently escaped from the U.S. by using a passport with a different name and entered Bali in January .
Beam was arrested with his American girlfriend in a villa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notice from Interpol , Golose said .
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on its website that Beam , of Woodridge , Illinois , is accused of misappropriating about $ 500,000 from investors that was supposed to be placed in investment funds .
Instead of investing the money , Beam spent it on personal and business expenses , it said .
To conceal the misappropriation , he sent fraudulent account statements to investors , and did not return any money when they attempted to redeem their investments , the SEC said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. District Court in Chicago last September .
Beam was paraded in handcuffs and a face mask at a police news conference on Friday in Denpasar , the Bali provincial capital .
Police presented evidence they seized including passports , a folding knife , 14 sex toys , five cellphones and 13 other electronic devices .
“ He has made various sex videos and sold it to online sites to support his living expenses while in Bali , ” Golose said .
“ We are still investigating whether he involved local people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crime he committed was only in his homeland.
” He said Beam had moved about seven times and used several identities while in Bali .
He used a passport bearing the name of Demario Faulkner and told police he was on vacation , Golose said .
Golose said there is no extradition agreement between Indonesia and the U.S. , but the two nations have police-to-police cooperation arrangements that would enable Beam to be deported to his homeland .

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) - Authorities on the Indonesian resort island of Bali have arrested an American fugitive accused of investment fraud in the United States involving hundreds of thousands of dollars, police said Friday.
Bali police chief Petrus Reinhard Golose said the suspect, Marcus Beam, had been making and selling sex videos in Bali to support his living expenses there.
He said Beam apparently escaped from the U.S. by using a passport with a different name and entered Bali in January. Beam was arrested with his American girlfriend in a villa in Badung late Thursday based on a notice from Interpol, Golose said.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on its website that Beam, of Woodridge, Illinois, is accused of misappropriating about $500,000 from investors that was supposed to be placed in investment funds.
Instead of investing the money, Beam spent it on personal and business expenses, it said. To conceal the misappropriation, he sent fraudulent account statements to investors, and did not return any money when they attempted to redeem their investments, the SEC said.
It said it filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court in Chicago last September.
Beam was paraded in handcuffs and a face mask at a police news conference on Friday in Denpasar, the Bali provincial capital. Police presented evidence they seized including passports, a folding knife, 14 sex toys, five cellphones and 13 other electronic devices.
“He has made various sex videos and sold it to online sites to support his living expenses while in Bali,” Golose said. “We are still investigating whether he involved local people in those videos, but so far the crime he committed was only in his homeland.”
He said Beam had moved about seven times and used several identities while in Bali.
He used a passport bearing the name of Demario Faulkner and told police he was on vacation, Golose said.
Golose said there is no extradition agreement between Indonesia and the U.S., but the two nations have police-to-police cooperation arrangements that would enable Beam to be deported to his homeland.