washingtontimes--2020-10-05--D.C. schools to allow in-person lessons for some elementary students

D.C. Public Schools officials said Monday that some elementary students will gradually return for in-person instruction next month .
An estimated 21,000 pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students could return for in-person learning and activities with a phased reopening starting Nov. 9 , DCPS Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee said .
Two in-person options will be available for families with elementary students : regular classroom instruction and Canvas Academics and Real Engagement ( CARE ) , in which students participate in small cohorts assigned to a staffer who is not their teacher and who will help them with online learning .
Families can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning .
About 7,000 students could return for in-person classes , and about 14,000 could participate in CARE classrooms .
Students selected for in-person instruction would attend school five days a week with a half-day on Wednesdays , beginning Nov. 9 .
Those chosen for CARE classes would follow a similar schedule but start on different dates .
Pre-kindergarteners and first-graders would start Nov. 16 , and second- through fifth-graders would begin Nov. 30 .
Each classroom could host five to 11 students .
“ We have a strong indication from family and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot less independent and learning at home is a bit more challenging for them as it relates to the valuable screen time , interaction with their teachers virtually , ” Mr. Ferebee said .
Meanwhile , about 9,000 elementary students are expected to continue learning virtually .
Schools will select students to be offered a classroom seat , and families can choose to accept or decline that seat .
Students experiencing homelessness , who receive special education or who are English learners , or who are considered at-risk will be prioritized for classroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there will be temperature and health checks on arrival , designated entry points , provisions of hand sanitizers and face masks , staggered meal and recess times , and restricted interactions between classrooms of students .
The Washington Teachers ’ Union , which represents almost 5,000 educators , expressed opposition to the plan on Monday .
“ Our teachers have been clear No , we do not feel safe , ” the union tweeted , along with an internal poll that found that 83 % of 745 survey respondents think it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 .
Members of the union on Saturday demonstrated outside of Mayor Muriel Bowser ’ s home , calling for a delay of in-person learning , WUSA-TV reported .
The deadline for teachers to respond to a survey to ask for a virtual assignment has been extended to Tuesday evening .
Mr. Ferebee said DCPS doesn ’ t plan on bringing sixth- through 12th-graders back into classrooms until the third academic term , which starts in February .
If there is a COVID-19 case at a school , the school will follow health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleaning , the chancellor said .
The entire school community also will be informed about the positive case .
Mr. Ferebee said DCPS will report the total number of staff and students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in quarantine .
Last month , DCPS started to allow some students back into buildings to use services offered at student support centers and participate in career and technical education programs through October .
While all instruction for DCPS students is taking place online for the first term , student support centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in-person programs , which could include tutoring , physical education , outdoor learning experiences and social emotional support .
Officials also are working to update HVAC systems at public schools , with priority given to elementary schools , to get ready for in-person learning .
DCPS said contractors will upgrade filters at all 80 elementary schools , 24 of which have open work orders for their HVAC systems .
All DCPS students began the school year fully online in August and will continue remote learning through Nov. 6 .

D.C. Public Schools officials said Monday that some elementary students will gradually return for in-person instruction next month.
An estimated 21,000 pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students could return for in-person learning and activities with a phased reopening starting Nov. 9, DCPS Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee said.
Two in-person options will be available for families with elementary students: regular classroom instruction and Canvas Academics and Real Engagement (CARE), in which students participate in small cohorts assigned to a staffer who is not their teacher and who will help them with online learning.
Families can opt to continue with fully remote online learning.
About 7,000 students could return for in-person classes, and about 14,000 could participate in CARE classrooms. Students selected for in-person instruction would attend school five days a week with a half-day on Wednesdays, beginning Nov. 9.
Those chosen for CARE classes would follow a similar schedule but start on different dates. Pre-kindergarteners and first-graders would start Nov. 16, and second- through fifth-graders would begin Nov. 30. Each classroom could host five to 11 students.
“We have a strong indication from family and staff that our youngest learners are a lot less independent and learning at home is a bit more challenging for them as it relates to the valuable screen time, interaction with their teachers virtually,” Mr. Ferebee said.
Meanwhile, about 9,000 elementary students are expected to continue learning virtually.
Schools will select students to be offered a classroom seat, and families can choose to accept or decline that seat. Students experiencing homelessness, who receive special education or who are English learners, or who are considered at-risk will be prioritized for classroom seats.
For those returning to classrooms, there will be temperature and health checks on arrival, designated entry points, provisions of hand sanitizers and face masks, staggered meal and recess times, and restricted interactions between classrooms of students.
The Washington Teachers’ Union, which represents almost 5,000 educators, expressed opposition to the plan on Monday.
“Our teachers have been clear No, we do not feel safe,” the union tweeted, along with an internal poll that found that 83% of 745 survey respondents think it will be unsafe to reopen schools on Nov. 9.
Members of the union on Saturday demonstrated outside of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s home, calling for a delay of in-person learning, WUSA-TV reported. The deadline for teachers to respond to a survey to ask for a virtual assignment has been extended to Tuesday evening.
Mr. Ferebee said DCPS doesn’t plan on bringing sixth- through 12th-graders back into classrooms until the third academic term, which starts in February.
If there is a COVID-19 case at a school, the school will follow health guidance on contact tracing, quarantine and cleaning, the chancellor said. The entire school community also will be informed about the positive case. Mr. Ferebee said DCPS will report the total number of staff and students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in quarantine.
Last month, DCPS started to allow some students back into buildings to use services offered at student support centers and participate in career and technical education programs through October.
While all instruction for DCPS students is taking place online for the first term, student support centers at selected schools are opening for small-group, in-person programs, which could include tutoring, physical education, outdoor learning experiences and social emotional support.
Officials also are working to update HVAC systems at public schools, with priority given to elementary schools, to get ready for in-person learning. DCPS said contractors will upgrade filters at all 80 elementary schools, 24 of which have open work orders for their HVAC systems.
All DCPS students began the school year fully online in August and will continue remote learning through Nov. 6.
• Shen Wu Tan can be reached at stan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--Pope Francis' political detours anger some Catholics

Some Catholics are urging caution against misreading Pope Francis ’ latest encyclical letter , which denounces runaway capitalism and capital punishment , but also lambastes a “ throwaway ” culture that harms the unborn and the elderly .
The Argentine pope ’ s third papal exhortation , “ Fratelli Tutti , ” had drawn criticism of sexism in advance of Saturday ’ s unveiling in Italy for invoking the masculine-plural greeting used by St. Francis of Assisi in his writing .
But it ’ s the pope ’ s calls for embracing immigration and strengthening the United Nations that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon the document ’ s publication over the weekend .
Catholic author Eric Sammons wrote in response to the encyclical on his blog that “ Fratelli Tutti ” “ is not a religious document , but instead a political document with a religious veneer.
” On Monday , Mr. Sammons said the document could inflame partisan divisions within the church .
“ Popes can and should express moral guidelines , ” Mr. Sammons told The Washington Times .
“ But Francis goes beyond this .
He instead gives specific policy advice in areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prudent course of action.
” Some Catholic media outlets , including ChurchMilitant , referred to the 43,000-word letter as “ pregnant with socio-political concerns ” and noted that the document did not mention the word “ salvation.
” Samuel Gregg , director of research at the liberty-oriented Acton Institute , critiqued Francis for his “ blind-spots ” on critiquing neoliberalism and the financial industry .
La Plata Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez , who serves as a ghostwriter for the pope , also cautioned in Sunday editorials in Spanish-language papers against a partisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barbs against the exploitation of labor .
“ Contrary to what radicalized sectors of our country say about Francis , at no time does he propose a welfarism that encourages laziness and neglect , ” Archbishop Fernandez wrote .
The Jesuit pope ’ s third encyclical won ’ t draw as large an audience , say some Vatican observers , as did his second , “ Laudato Si , ” an environmental treatise that sparked a conversation on the role of religion in addressing climate change .
But observers noted that the timing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and during a national election season in the U.S. , has lent the document political heft .
The letter , which Francis says he began working on before the COVID-19 pandemic , frames a polyphony of woe from migration to racism to “ verbal violence ” around the biblical story of the good Samaritan , noting that many are left vulnerable by growing nationalism within highly technological Western culture .
“ We are more alone than ever in an increasingly massified world that promotes individual interests and weakens the communitarian dimension of life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Fratelli Tutti , ” which translates as “ Brothers All.
” Francis also laments lost hope in a “ unified Europe , ” expresses his preference for “ multilateral ” ( not bilateral ) agreements that protect “ weaker nations , ” refers to private property as a “ secondary natural right ” and advocates for strengthening the United Nations .
Given the pope ’ s rhetorical targets , some commentators have tried to paint as underhanded jabs at the Trump administration .
“ Pope Francis didn ’ t write a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic program director for the Faith in Public Life , said in a Twitter post .
“ But he knows that challenging nationalist leaders who prey on fear and racism will help frame this as a moral issue in the election.
” Still , many commentators expressed caution of reading U.S. politics into Francis ’ letter .
The document , say experts , is an international document sent to bishops around the globe .
Others have noted the invocation of fraternity at the document ’ s core .
Pope Francis has famously avoided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for economic reforms to help the poor in one week and decrying abortion the next .
The document appears to resist any simplistic condemnations , saying the marketplace , “ by itself , can not resolve every problem ” while describing employment as an “ essential dimension of social life.
” The pontiff also held up the plight of the “ unborn ” and a decline in the birthrate , writing that “ some parts of our human family , it appears , can be readily sacrificed for the sake of others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I wouldn ’ t rush through [ Fratelli Tutti ] , ” Cardinal Michael Czerny , undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development , said Monday in a conversation hosted by Georgetown ’ s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life .
“ I think Pope Francis feels the world needs a message comparable to the Cuban Missile Crisis or World War II or 9/11 or the big crash of 2007 , 2008 , ” he said .
“ We ’ re on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in a very human , in a very worldwide , and a very local way.
” Noteworthy , though not new , were Francis ’ comments on capital punishment .
He called the death penalty “ inadequate from a moral standpoint.
” An editorial from the Rev .
James Martin in America magazine said in its headline that Francis “ closes the door ” on the death penalty .
“ Today the pope placed the full weight of his teaching authority behind this statement , ” Father Martin wrote in the weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death penalty is inadmissible , and Catholics should work for its abolition.
” Pope Francis ’ letter comes just days after Vatican officials revealed he had declined a visit from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , noting “ political figures are not received in election periods.
” Presidential politics has split U.S. Catholics .
Some clergy suggest former Vice President Joseph R. Biden , a practicing Catholic , should not receive Holy Communion or their votes because of his support for legalized abortion .
Eugene Gan , a professor of communication arts at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document Monday less in political terms and more in line as a continuing message of the church ’ s on the use of media .
Mr. Gan , who authored “ Infinite Bandwidth : Encountering Christ in the Media ” has reviewed Catholic Church statements going back to the mid-1930s , coinciding with a rise in mass media , and he said Francis ’ s encyclical falls in line with previous epistles on Christian rhetoric .
“ He is not asking us to get off social media , ” said Mr. Gan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noting that technology that is meant to socialize can be “ unhealthy , it can be addictive.
” “ Pope Francis talks in this document about the monologue that is really doing harm , ” said Mr. Gan .
“ We ’ re not listening enough.
” Francis signed his third encyclical at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi , his namesake .
His first encyclical , “ Lumen fidei , ” or “ The Light of Faith , ” was published just months after his election to the papacy in @ @

Some Catholics are urging caution against misreading Pope Francis’ latest encyclical letter, which denounces runaway capitalism and capital punishment, but also lambastes a “throwaway” culture that harms the unborn and the elderly.
The Argentine pope’s third papal exhortation, “Fratelli Tutti,” had drawn criticism of sexism in advance of Saturday’s unveiling in Italy for invoking the masculine-plural greeting used by St. Francis of Assisi in his writing.
But it’s the pope’s calls for embracing immigration and strengthening the United Nations that has initially sat uneasy with some cultural conservatives upon the document’s publication over the weekend.
Catholic author Eric Sammons wrote in response to the encyclical on his blog that “Fratelli Tutti” “is not a religious document, but instead a political document with a religious veneer.” On Monday, Mr. Sammons said the document could inflame partisan divisions within the church.
“Popes can and should express moral guidelines,” Mr. Sammons told The Washington Times. “But Francis goes beyond this. He instead gives specific policy advice in areas best left to the laity to determine the prudent course of action.”
Some Catholic media outlets, including ChurchMilitant, referred to the 43,000-word letter as “pregnant with socio-political concerns” and noted that the document did not mention the word “salvation.”
Samuel Gregg, director of research at the liberty-oriented Acton Institute, critiqued Francis for his “blind-spots” on critiquing neoliberalism and the financial industry.
La Plata Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, who serves as a ghostwriter for the pope, also cautioned in Sunday editorials in Spanish-language papers against a partisan reading of the document’s frequent barbs against the exploitation of labor.
“Contrary to what radicalized sectors of our country say about Francis, at no time does he propose a welfarism that encourages laziness and neglect,” Archbishop Fernandez wrote.
The Jesuit pope’s third encyclical won’t draw as large an audience, say some Vatican observers, as did his second, “Laudato Si,” an environmental treatise that sparked a conversation on the role of religion in addressing climate change. But observers noted that the timing of this letter, amid a pandemic and during a national election season in the U.S., has lent the document political heft.
The letter, which Francis says he began working on before the COVID-19 pandemic, frames a polyphony of woe from migration to racism to “verbal violence” around the biblical story of the good Samaritan, noting that many are left vulnerable by growing nationalism within highly technological Western culture.
“We are more alone than ever in an increasingly massified world that promotes individual interests and weakens the communitarian dimension of life,” the 83-year-old pontiff writes in “Fratelli Tutti,” which translates as “Brothers All.”
Francis also laments lost hope in a “unified Europe,” expresses his preference for “multilateral” (not bilateral) agreements that protect “weaker nations,” refers to private property as a “secondary natural right” and advocates for strengthening the United Nations.
Given the pope’s rhetorical targets, some commentators have tried to paint as underhanded jabs at the Trump administration.
“Pope Francis didn’t write a political manifesto,” John Gehring, the Catholic program director for the Faith in Public Life, said in a Twitter post. “But he knows that challenging nationalist leaders who prey on fear and racism will help frame this as a moral issue in the election.”
Still, many commentators expressed caution of reading U.S. politics into Francis’ letter. The document, say experts, is an international document sent to bishops around the globe. Others have noted the invocation of fraternity at the document’s core.
Pope Francis has famously avoided U.S. frameworks in his political statements, calling for economic reforms to help the poor in one week and decrying abortion the next.
The document appears to resist any simplistic condemnations, saying the marketplace, “by itself, cannot resolve every problem” while describing employment as an “essential dimension of social life.”
The pontiff also held up the plight of the “unborn” and a decline in the birthrate, writing that “some parts of our human family, it appears, can be readily sacrificed for the sake of others considered worthy of a carefree existence.”
“I wouldn’t rush through [Fratelli Tutti],” Cardinal Michael Czerny, undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said Monday in a conversation hosted by Georgetown’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.
“I think Pope Francis feels the world needs a message comparable to the Cuban Missile Crisis or World War II or 9/11 or the big crash of 2007, 2008,” he said. “We’re on the brink. We need to pull back in a very human, in a very worldwide, and a very local way.”
Noteworthy, though not new, were Francis’ comments on capital punishment. He called the death penalty “inadequate from a moral standpoint.” An editorial from the Rev. James Martin in America magazine said in its headline that Francis “closes the door” on the death penalty.
“Today the pope placed the full weight of his teaching authority behind this statement,” Father Martin wrote in the weekly newsmagazine published by Jesuits. “The death penalty is inadmissible, and Catholics should work for its abolition.”
Pope Francis’ letter comes just days after Vatican officials revealed he had declined a visit from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, noting “political figures are not received in election periods.”
Presidential politics has split U.S. Catholics. Some clergy suggest former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, a practicing Catholic, should not receive Holy Communion or their votes because of his support for legalized abortion.
Eugene Gan, a professor of communication arts at Franciscan University of Steubenville, cast the document Monday less in political terms and more in line as a continuing message of the church’s on the use of media.
Mr. Gan, who authored “Infinite Bandwidth: Encountering Christ in the Media” has reviewed Catholic Church statements going back to the mid-1930s, coinciding with a rise in mass media, and he said Francis’s encyclical falls in line with previous epistles on Christian rhetoric.
“He is not asking us to get off social media,” said Mr. Gan, comparing the pope to a loving parent, noting that technology that is meant to socialize can be “unhealthy, it can be addictive.”
“Pope Francis talks in this document about the monologue that is really doing harm,” said Mr. Gan. “We’re not listening enough.”
Francis signed his third encyclical at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi, his namesake. His first encyclical, “Lumen fidei,” or “The Light of Faith,” was published just months after his election to the papacy in 2013.
• Christopher Vondracek can be reached at cvondracek@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--White House nixes tougher FDA guidelines on vaccine approval

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The White House has blocked new Food and Drug Administration guidelines on bringing potential vaccines for COVID-19 to market that would almost certainly have prevented their approval before the Nov. 3 election .
At issue was the FDA ’ s planned requirement that participants in the ongoing mass clinical trials for nearly a half-dozen vaccine candidates be followed for two months to ensure there are no side effects and that the vaccines provide lasting protection from the virus in order to receive emergency approval .
A senior administration confirmed the move Monday evening , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no clinical or medical reason ” to add additional screening protocols .
The White House action was first reported by The New York Times .
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn has pledged that career scientists , not politicians , will decide whether any coronavirus vaccine meets clearly stated standards that it works and is safe .
Vaccine development usually takes years , but scientists have been racing to shorten that time .
“ Science will guide our decisions .
FDA will not permit any pressure from anyone to change that , ” Hahn said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest of the American people above anything else.
” The FDA has faced criticism for allowing emergency use of some COVID-19 treatments backed by little evidence , but Hahn has said if vaccine makers want that faster path to market , they would face additional standards .
Vaccines , unlike therapies , are given to healthy people and thus usually require more proof .
But President Donald Trump made clear last month that he was skeptical of any regulatory changes that might delay a vaccine ’ s authorization , even if those changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asked about the FDA considering stricter guidelines for emergency approval , Trump suggested the effort was politically motivated .
“ I think that was a political move more than anything else , ” he said then , arguing that that the companies testing the vaccines , such as Pfizer , Johnson & Johnson and Moderna , are capable of determining whether they work .
“ I have tremendous trust in these massive companies , ” he said .
The senior administration official , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intent on getting a safe vaccine to market and wanted to make sure “ additional loopholes ” weren ’ t added that would slow down the process .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has blocked new Food and Drug Administration guidelines on bringing potential vaccines for COVID-19 to market that would almost certainly have prevented their introduction before the Nov. 3 election.
At issue was the FDA’s planned instruction that vaccine developers follow patients enrolled in their trials for at least two months to rule out safety issues before seeking emergency approval from the agency. A senior administration confirmed the move Monday evening, saying the White House believed there was “no clinical or medical reason” for the additional requirement.
The White House action was first reported by The New York Times.
The intervention by Trump officials is the latest example of the administration undercutting its own medical experts working to combat the pandemic that has killed more than 210,000 Americans. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn has been attempting to shore up public confidence in the FDA’s vaccine review for weeks, vowing that career scientists, not politicians, will decide if the shots are safe and effective for mass vaccination.
But President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that a vaccine could be authorized before Election Day, even though top government scientists working on the administration’s vaccine effort have stated that that timeline is very unlikely.
Last week seven former FDA commissioners blasted the administration for “undermining the credibility” of the FDA in a Washington Post op-ed and called for the release of the pending vaccine guidelines. The former FDA chiefs warned that public perceptions that a vaccine was rushed out for political reasons could derail efforts to vaccinate millions of Americans.
Beyond the damaging optics of overruling its own FDA, the practical impact of the White House move to block the guidelines could be relatively small.
Only one drugmaker, Pfizer, has suggested it could have data on the safety and effectiveness of its vaccine before Election Day. And a number of variables would still have to align for the company to submit, and the FDA to review and approve, a vaccine application before Nov. 3. Pfizer’s competitors Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are working on longer researcher timelines.
Additionally, FDA scientists have been discussing the contents of the guidelines publicly for weeks and have made clear that the recommendations have already been shared with each of the vaccine developers.
“There’s no there there to get all excited about this guidance,” said Dr. Peter Marks, the head of FDA’s vaccine division, in an online interview last week with the nonprofit Friends of Cancer Research. “The companies know what we’re expecting.”
Instead, Marks said, releasing the guidelines was “an attempt to help the public see what we’re requiring of COVID-19 vaccines.” He added that the guidelines would explain that all upcoming vaccines would be reviewed by FDA’s independent panel of vaccine advisers, before the agency makes its own final decision.
Marks explained Monday that the two months of safety follow-up for vaccines is important because the most serious side effects connected with shots often occur in the first several weeks after vaccination.
“The safety profile of a vaccine that’s going to be used in millions of people has to be incredibly clean,” Marks said in an online discussion with the Journal of American Medical Association.
When asked about the potential timing for a first vaccine, Marks said an emergency authorization could come “before the end of the year.”
The guidelines blocked by the White House are a type of nonbinding document that the FDA routinely uses to advise companies on research and regulatory standards for medical products.
The FDA released its initial expectations for COVID-19 vaccines in June. Among other metrics, the agency said any vaccine would have to be at least 50% protective against the virus. But the guidelines didn’t spell out the conditions under which the FDA would use its emergency authorization powers to speed up the availability of a vaccine. Under emergency review, medical products face a lower standard that merely requires that their expected benefits outweigh their risks for use during a public health crisis.
The lack of specifics around using the emergency authorization for a vaccine became a flashpoint for outside experts, physicians and even politicians. FDA officials then began drafting a second guidance document with additional details.
Among other things, the guidelines would have made clear that any vaccine approved through the emergency pathway would still need to meet FDA’s preset safety and effectiveness standards. Instead, the expedited process would be used to bypass certain logistical and regulatory hurdles, such as the thousands of pages of manufacturing documentation normally required for a traditional vaccine application.
FDA emergency authorization for a vaccine would likely limit initial use to medical and other frontline workers, nursing homes and people most at risk of catching or becoming seriously ill from the virus. The vaccine would have to undergo review for full FDA approval, a monthslong process, before being approved for the general population
The FDA has faced criticism for allowing emergency use of some COVID-19 treatments backed by little evidence, but FDA officials have made clear that vaccines would face additional standards. Vaccines, unlike therapies, are given to healthy people and thus usually require more proof.
But Trump made clear last month that he was skeptical of any regulatory changes that might delay a vaccine’s authorization, even if those changes are aimed at increasing public trust.
“I think that was a political move more than anything else,” he said then, arguing that that the companies testing the vaccines, such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, are capable of determining whether they work. “I have tremendous trust in these massive companies,” he said.
The senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the action, said the White House was intent on getting a safe vaccine to market and wanted to make sure “additional loopholes” weren’t added that would slow down the process.
FDA spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment Monday night.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--Michigan issues new coronavirus restrictions after court invalidates Gretchen Whitmer orders

LANSING , Mich. — Michigan ’ s health department issued a mask requirement and other coronavirus restrictions Monday , just days after the state Supreme Court invalidated a 75-year-old emergency powers law that underpinned Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s orders to control the pandemic .
The Democratic governor separately asked the court to declare its Friday ruling not binding until Oct. 30 , to give her administration , the Republican-led Legislature and local health departments time to transition .
GOP leaders questioned delaying the court ’ s decision and prepared to return to session this month to codify an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , such as one extending base unemployment benefits to 26 weeks from 20 weeks .
The ruling nullified all virus-related orders issued after April 30 .
It means Whitmer must negotiate with lawmakers to extend a state of emergency and any new COVID-19 orders she writes .
However , the administration can control an epidemic under a 1978 public health law that was not at issue in the case , though its authority is narrower .
Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon required the wearing of masks at non-residential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sizes , and ordered bars to close indoor common areas where people can dance or mingle and to sell alcohol only at tables kept at least 6 feet apart .

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s health department issued a mask requirement and other coronavirus restrictions Monday, just days after the state Supreme Court invalidated a 75-year-old emergency powers law that underpinned Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s similar orders to control the pandemic.
The Democratic governor separately asked the court to declare its Friday ruling not binding until Oct. 30, to give her administration, the Republican-led Legislature and local health departments time to transition. GOP leaders questioned delaying the court’s decision and prepared to return to session this month to keep in place an undetermined number of her 30-plus orders, such as one extending base unemployment benefits to 26 weeks from 20 weeks.
The ruling nullified all virus-related orders issued after April 30. It means Whitmer must negotiate with lawmakers to extend a state of emergency and any new underlying COVID-19 orders she writes.
However, the administration can control an epidemic under a 1978 public health law that was not at issue in the case, though its authority is narrower. Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon required the wearing of masks at non-residential indoor and outdoor gatherings and during organized sports; limited gathering sizes; and ordered bars to close indoor common areas where people can dance or mingle and to sell alcohol only at tables kept at least 6 feet apart.
Violation of the order could lead to a civil fine of up to $1,000 or criminal penalties of up to six months in prison and a $200 fine.
The rules “stand up for human life,” said Gordon. He said a different state department would soon issue workplace safety rules, like restaurant capacity limits, mirroring ones that were nixed under the court ruling.
“Honoring these orders and enforcing these orders is critically important to restraining the course of COVID,” Gordon said.
In recent days, some large counties issued their own COVID-19 restrictions, including mask requirements.
“We know that masks work. It’s on all of us to do our part and to have some personal responsibility keeping ourselves, our families and our economy going,” Whitmer said.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, who has made clear he opposes putting a mask requirement into law, accused the governor of attempting an “end-run” around the court and said it is further evidence of her administration’s “inability to even contemplate working together.” He also resisted codifying limits on restaurant capacity, gatherings and event sizes. He pointed to increased testing and the improved treatment of the infected since the pandemic’s early days.
Shirkey told The Associated Press there is “no way” businesses, nonprofits and schools would want to put people at risk. “Based on seven months of daily learnings, I think everybody’s pretty well prepared now to make those kinds of decisions for their own unique circumstances,” he said.
Republicans, who previously challenged Whitmer’s unilateral powers and orders in a case that also is before the Supreme Court, called into question her motion that the decision not be effective for 28 days.
Whitmer, whose handling of the pandemic has been supported in public polling, warned that people could lose unemployment benefits if the court’s decision takes effect immediately. The governor said the “fallout” from the ruling was being assessed but said virus cases “will very likely go up.” She blamed the court and Legislature.
“There will be uncertainty, disruption and possibly greater risk to our economy, more people quarantined and more deaths,” she said.
House Speaker Lee Chatfield, however, said the ruling “should be a message to the governor. We have to cooperate. … We have to negotiate. I don’t think now is the time to circumvent the law again.”
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive, warned Monday that the state’s rate of new cases was the highest it had been since May 1. She expressed particular concern with the spread in the Upper Peninsula. The statewide daily death rate, while well below the April peak, hit its highest point since mid-June - one per million residents.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--Coronavirus cases send classes online at SUNY Cortland

CORTLAND , N.Y. ( AP ) - Students at an upstate college campus will be switching to remote learning for two weeks because of rising coronavirus cases , officials said Monday .
The State University of New York at Cortland said the shift away from in-person learning at the campus south of Syracuse , New York , would start on Oct. 7 .
The state had set a threshold of 100 coronavirus cases as a trigger for a return to remote learning for at least two weeks .
SUNY Cortland hit that mark on Monday , officials said .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bitterbaum said the campus would remain open , and students who are living there would continue to do so but would be doing classwork remotely .
“ I will not try to sugarcoat it : The next two weeks will be challenging , ” he said in his statement .
“ But it ’ s what we need to do in order to continue functioning as a campus.
” There are 6,800 students at the school .
Other SUNY campuses have been impacted by coronavirus cases as well .
SUNY Oneonta closed its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classes for the remainder of the fall semester .
In mid-September , SUNY Oswego switched to online classes for two weeks , and was beginning the transition back to in-person classes this week .

CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) - Students at an upstate college campus will be switching to remote learning for two weeks because of rising coronavirus cases, officials said Monday.
The State University of New York at Cortland said the shift away from in-person learning at the campus south of Syracuse, New York, would start on Oct. 7.
The state had set a threshold of 100 coronavirus cases as a trigger for a return to remote learning for at least two weeks. SUNY Cortland hit that mark on Monday, officials said.
In a statement, SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum said the campus would remain open, and students who are living there would continue to do so but would be doing classwork remotely.
“I will not try to sugarcoat it: The next two weeks will be challenging,” he said in his statement. “But it’s what we need to do in order to continue functioning as a campus.”
There are 6,800 students at the school.
Other SUNY campuses have been impacted by coronavirus cases as well.
SUNY Oneonta closed its campus Sept. 3 and shifted to online classes for the remainder of the fall semester.
In mid-September, SUNY Oswego switched to online classes for two weeks, and was beginning the transition back to in-person classes this week.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--Chris Wallace, Fox News anchor, tests negative for coronavirus

Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace has tested negative for the coronavirus , six days after he moderated the first @ @ @ @ @ and former Vice President Joe Biden .
“ Wallace sat several feet away from the @ @ @ @ @ the 90-minute slugfest before Trump ended up testing positive with the coronavirus just days later @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The Biden campaign said the Democratic candidate for president has since repeatedly tested @ @ @ @ @ White House correspondent John Roberts has also since tested negative and will be back at @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr. Trump revealed that and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ was admitted to Walter Reed Military Medical Center and received a course of treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ House on Monday evening .
Mr. Wallace had previously criticized the president for not wearing @ @ @ @ @ .

Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace has tested negative for the coronavirus, six days after he moderated the first presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Fox News revealed the news Monday night.
“Wallace sat several feet away from the president for the entirety of the 90-minute slugfest before Trump ended up testing positive with the coronavirus just days later,” the network said.
“The Biden campaign said the Democratic candidate for president has since repeatedly tested negative. Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts has also since tested negative and will be back at the White House on Tuesday.”
Mr. Trump revealed that and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. The president was admitted to Walter Reed Military Medical Center and received a course of treatment. He returned to the White House on Monday evening.
Mr. Wallace had previously criticized the president for not wearing a mask during public events.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--Utah group opposes more burdens on earmarked education money

SALT LAKE CITY ( AP ) - A proposed Utah state constitution amendment to expand an income tax earmark to include children ’ s programs does not fix the existing problem of underfunded programs , an advocacy group said .
Voices for Utah Children announced its opposition to constitutional Amendment G Monday , The Deseret News reports .
“ A major question we have to ask is , if the current constitutional earmark has failed to help Utah invest more in education , how will getting rid of it improve matters ?
” CEO Maurice Hickey said .
Utah residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for K-12 education , and in 1996 passed a state constitutional amendment expanding the earmark to include higher education .
The new amendment would further expand the earmark to include programs for children and residents with disabilities .
Constitutional amendments are approved by a majority of Utah voters .
“ We have multiple unmet early education investment obligations right now , ” Voices for Utah Children Senior Policy Analyst Anna Thomas said .
Thomas questioned how the state could responsibly invest in children “ by having more expenses come out of the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells us every year is too small to help all the Utah families we advocate for.
” State Sen. Dan McCay and House Majority Whip Mike Schultz , both Republicans , wrote in favor of the amendment , arguing that expanding services funded through income tax acknowledges the increasing importance of physical and mental health for academic success .

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A proposed Utah state constitution amendment to expand an income tax earmark to include children’s programs does not fix the existing problem of underfunded programs, an advocacy group said.
Voices for Utah Children announced its opposition to constitutional Amendment G Monday, The Deseret News reports.
“A major question we have to ask is, if the current constitutional earmark has failed to help Utah invest more in education, how will getting rid of it improve matters?” CEO Maurice Hickey said.
Utah residents voted in 1946 to earmark income tax for K-12 education, and in 1996 passed a state constitutional amendment expanding the earmark to include higher education.
The new amendment would further expand the earmark to include programs for children and residents with disabilities.
Constitutional amendments are approved by a majority of Utah voters.
“We have multiple unmet early education investment obligations right now,” Voices for Utah Children Senior Policy Analyst Anna Thomas said.
Thomas questioned how the state could responsibly invest in children “by having more expenses come out of the same pot of money, which the Legislature tells us every year is too small to help all the Utah families we advocate for.”
State Sen. Dan McCay and House Majority Whip Mike Schultz, both Republicans, wrote in favor of the amendment, arguing that expanding services funded through income tax acknowledges the increasing importance of physical and mental health for academic success.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--California jail guard charged with sex assaults on 3 inmates

STOCKTON , Calif. ( AP ) - A San Joaquin County correctional officer was arrested Monday on rape and other charges for allegedly sexually assaulting three women inmates .
Zachary Simmons , 34 , was being held on $ 1.2 million bail after turning himself in and being booked at the same jail where he had worked , authorities said .
Prosecutors contend that Simmons raped an inmate in 2015 and committed other sex crimes with two inmates in 2015 and 2018 at the San Joaquin County Jail in unincorporated French Camp near Stockton .
It wasn ’ t immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak on his behalf .
Simmons has been with the Sheriff ’ s Office since 2008 .
He was placed on administrative leave in late August after the Sheriff ’ s Office began investigating allegations against him , the office said .
“ Correctional officers are in a position of trust , and they have a duty to ensure the well-being of those in custody under their care , ” county District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said in a statement .
“ There is no greater perversion of that trust than the sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Salazar ’ s office said it was setting up a hotline for current and former inmates of the county jail who may be victims of sexual assault there .
The district attorney said services and counseling would be made available .

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - A San Joaquin County correctional officer was arrested Monday on rape and other charges for allegedly sexually assaulting three women inmates.
Zachary Simmons, 34, was being held on $1.2 million bail after turning himself in and being booked at the same jail where he had worked, authorities said.
Prosecutors contend that Simmons raped an inmate in 2015 and committed other sex crimes with two inmates in 2015 and 2018 at the San Joaquin County Jail in unincorporated French Camp near Stockton.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Simmons had an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Simmons has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2008. He was placed on administrative leave in late August after the Sheriff’s Office began investigating allegations against him, the office said.
“Correctional officers are in a position of trust, and they have a duty to ensure the well-being of those in custody under their care,” county District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said in a statement. “There is no greater perversion of that trust than the sexual assault of an inmate under your care.”
Salazar’s office said it was setting up a hotline for current and former inmates of the county jail who may be victims of sexual assault there. The district attorney said services and counseling would be made available.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--Teachers unions, politics slowing school reopenings, parents ignored

More school districts are beginning to open up for in-person classes , but for many parents , the pace of reopening remains too slow , driven by teachers unions and politics rather than what is best for children .
The frustration sparked recent protests in California , Michigan , Oklahoma and Oregon .
Despite various amounts and grade levels of students returning to classrooms in places such as Florida and New York , 76 % of parents across the country report that their children are still in school remotely or part time remotely as part of a hybrid schedule , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday by the National Parents Union .
“ It has become a political negotiation between teachers unions and superintendents and , frankly , parents want off the roller coaster , ” said Keri Rodrigues , co-founder of the National Parents Union , an activist group advocating for parental input in public school decisions .
The roller-coaster ride continued in New York City , where Mayor Bill de Blasio last week victoriously declared , “ We did it !
” when sending thousands of middle and high school students back to the classrooms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo stepped in to close schools again in neighborhoods across Brooklyn and Queens that experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases .
“ I would not send my child to a school in a hot-spot cluster , ” Mr. Cuomo said .
“ I am not going to recommend or allow any New York City family to send their child to a school that I wouldn ’ t send my child.
” The governor ’ s move bowed to the demands of the United Federation of Teachers , which threatened to sue if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools wherever the outbreak spread .
Michael Mulgrew , president of the city ’ s teachers union , praised the decision as one “ that helps protect our schools , our neighborhoods and ultimately our city.
” In school districts across the country , however , parents aren ’ t convinced the focus of the school officials or teachers unions is on their children ’ s wellbeing .
Ms. Rodrigues , who shared some of her group ’ s polling data with The Washington Times , said half of the parents in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reopening discussions .
“ You have this teachers union that is using the closure of schools as the ultimate test of their political power in a kind of flex to show everyone that they can keep schools shut down just because they said so , ” she said .
More than a month into the 2020-2021 school year , state-ordered full or partial school closures are in effect in seven states — California , Delaware , Hawaii , New Mexico , North Carolina , Oregon , West Virginia — and in Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to data compiled by Education Week .
D.C. Public Schools announced Monday that in-person classes will resume Nov 9. for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of a phased reopening plan .
Students in sixth through 12th grade will return to class in January .
“ Learning at home is not working for every student .
We particularly know that our youngest children are most challenged , ” said D.C. Public School Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee .
The Washington Teachers Union fought the reopening plan and pushed a long list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective equipment and hiring more school staff .
Washington Teachers Union President Elizabeth Davis called on city officials to return to the negotiating table before teachers return to the classroom .
“ The mayor and Chancellor Ferebee have failed to share the details of what COVID 19 safety measures have been instituted in each school .
Their secrecy is a major part of our concern , ” she said .
Schools have been ordered to fully reopen in four states : Arkansas , Florida , Iowa and Texas .
In the remaining 39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed or hybrid schools is made by each school district .
Ms. Rodrigues posed a question asked by untold numbers of parents in school districts from Nags Head , North Carolina , to Laguna Beach , California .
“ Why is indoor dining acceptable when you can ’ t have kids in school ?
Those kinds of decisions don ’ t make sense , ” she said .
“ You are making a value judgment that it is more important to have indoor dining than it is to have in-person school .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 1.7 million member-strong American Federation of Teachers , responded to an inquiry by The Washington Times about reopening schools by calling for the passage of House Democrats ’ $ 2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill .
She also slammed President Trump for threatening in July to withhold federal funds from public schools that didn ’ t fully open in the fall , though that punitive action never materialized .
“ The American public has indicated that they can wait until after the election for a new Supreme Court justice , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief .
We urge the Senate to pass this $ 2.2 trillion relief package to support our schools , our states , our hospitals , our post offices and the people who need it , ” she said in a statement .
“ We all want to get back to in-person learning , but that should not happen until there are COVID-19 safety measures in place and the funding to pay for them .
While teachers and parents have been toiling for months to try and reopen , Trump downplayed the virus .
@

More school districts are beginning to open up for in-person classes, but for many parents, the pace of reopening remains too slow, driven by teachers unions and politics rather than what is best for children.
The frustration sparked recent protests in California, Michigan, Oklahoma and Oregon.
Despite various amounts and grade levels of students returning to classrooms in places such as Florida and New York, 76% of parents across the country report that their children are still in school remotely or part time remotely as part of a hybrid schedule, according to a poll to be released Tuesday by the National Parents Union.
“It has become a political negotiation between teachers unions and superintendents and, frankly, parents want off the roller coaster,” said Keri Rodrigues, co-founder of the National Parents Union, an activist group advocating for parental input in public school decisions.
The roller-coaster ride continued in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio last week victoriously declared, “We did it!” when sending thousands of middle and high school students back to the classrooms.
But on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo stepped in to close schools again in neighborhoods across Brooklyn and Queens that experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases.
“I would not send my child to a school in a hot-spot cluster,” Mr. Cuomo said. “I am not going to recommend or allow any New York City family to send their child to a school that I wouldn’t send my child.”
The governor’s move bowed to the demands of the United Federation of Teachers, which threatened to sue if the city didn’t shut down public schools wherever the outbreak spread.
Michael Mulgrew, president of the city’s teachers union, praised the decision as one “that helps protect our schools, our neighborhoods and ultimately our city.”
In school districts across the country, however, parents aren’t convinced the focus of the school officials or teachers unions is on their children’s wellbeing.
Ms. Rodrigues, who shared some of her group’s polling data with The Washington Times, said half of the parents in the U.S. say they were left out of the reopening discussions.
“You have this teachers union that is using the closure of schools as the ultimate test of their political power in a kind of flex to show everyone that they can keep schools shut down just because they said so,” she said.
More than a month into the 2020-2021 school year, state-ordered full or partial school closures are in effect in seven states — California, Delaware, Hawaii, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, West Virginia — and in Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., according to data compiled by Education Week.
D.C. Public Schools announced Monday that in-person classes will resume Nov 9. for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of a phased reopening plan.
Students in sixth through 12th grade will return to class in January.
“Learning at home is not working for every student. We particularly know that our youngest children are most challenged,” said D.C. Public School Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee.
The Washington Teachers Union fought the reopening plan and pushed a long list of demands that included building upgrades, personal protective equipment and hiring more school staff.
Washington Teachers Union President Elizabeth Davis called on city officials to return to the negotiating table before teachers return to the classroom.
“The mayor and Chancellor Ferebee have failed to share the details of what COVID 19 safety measures have been instituted in each school. Their secrecy is a major part of our concern,” she said.
Schools have been ordered to fully reopen in four states: Arkansas, Florida, Iowa and Texas.
In the remaining 39 states, the decision for open, closed or hybrid schools is made by each school district.
Ms. Rodrigues posed a question asked by untold numbers of parents in school districts from Nags Head, North Carolina, to Laguna Beach, California.
“Why is indoor dining acceptable when you can’t have kids in school? Those kinds of decisions don’t make sense,” she said. “You are making a value judgment that it is more important to have indoor dining than it is to have in-person school. It is unfortunate.”
Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million member-strong American Federation of Teachers, responded to an inquiry by The Washington Times about reopening schools by calling for the passage of House Democrats’ $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill.
She also slammed President Trump for threatening in July to withhold federal funds from public schools that didn’t fully open in the fall, though that punitive action never materialized.
“The American public has indicated that they can wait until after the election for a new Supreme Court justice, but they can’t wait for lifesaving COVID-19 relief. We urge the Senate to pass this $2.2 trillion relief package to support our schools, our states, our hospitals, our post offices and the people who need it,” she said in a statement.
“We all want to get back to in-person learning, but that should not happen until there are COVID-19 safety measures in place and the funding to pay for them. While teachers and parents have been toiling for months to try and reopen, Trump downplayed the virus.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-05--Joe Biden says he'll push new abortion rights law if Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wade

Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden said Monday he would work to pass legislation codifying the right to obtain an abortion if the Supreme Court takes action to undermine Roe v. Wade , the 1973 high court ruling that recognized abortion rights .
At a Miami , Florida town hall held by NBC , a female participant asked Mr. Biden how he would respond if the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade because she was fearful of President Trump appointing Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the high court .
“ Considering the new Supreme Court nomination of [ Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your plans to protect women ’ s reproductive rights in the U.S. ?
” the female questioner asked .
“ Number one , we don ’ t know exactly what she will do , although the expectation is that she may very well move to over , overview , overrule Roe , ” Mr. Biden answered .
“ The only responsible response to that would be to pass legislation making Roe the law of the land .
That ’ s what I would do.
” Mr. Biden has been reluctant to criticize Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the first presidential debate opposite President Trump last month , Mr. Biden said he was “ not opposed ” to Judge Barrett personally and added , “ She seems like a very fine person.
” Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Judge Barrett ’ s nomination are scheduled to begin next Monday , October 12 , at 9 a.m .

Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden said Monday he would work to pass legislation codifying the right to obtain an abortion if the Supreme Court takes action to undermine Roe v. Wade, the 1973 high court ruling that recognized abortion rights.
At a Miami, Florida town hall held by NBC, a female participant asked Mr. Biden how he would respond if the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade because she was fearful of President Trump appointing Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the high court.
“Considering the new Supreme Court nomination of [Judge] Amy Coney Barrett, what are your plans to protect women’s reproductive rights in the U.S.?” the female questioner asked.
“Number one, we don’t know exactly what she will do, although the expectation is that she may very well move to over, overview, overrule Roe,” Mr. Biden answered. “The only responsible response to that would be to pass legislation making Roe the law of the land. That’s what I would do.”
Mr. Biden has been reluctant to criticize Judge Barrett by name on the campaign trail. At the first presidential debate opposite President Trump last month, Mr. Biden said he was “not opposed” to Judge Barrett personally and added, “She seems like a very fine person.”
Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Judge Barrett’s nomination are scheduled to begin next Monday, Oct. 12, at 9 a.m.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-06--Boil-water notice lifted from Texas city where microbe found

LAKE JACKSON , Texas ( AP ) - A boil-water notice was lifted Tuesday from the drinking-water system of a Houston-area city where water tainted with a deadly , microscopic parasite was blamed for the death of a 6-year-old boy .
In a statement , the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said Lake Jackson officials lifted the notice Tuesday after disinfectant levels in the drinking water were documented to be above the state requirements .
Also , water samples tested negative for harmful bacteria .
However , the TCEQ urged users of Lake Jackson ’ s water to avoid getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of infection by the brain-eating microbe naegleria fowleri .
The boil-water notice was issued late last month after several days of flushing of the Brazosport Water Authority ’ s water delivery system .
The flushing was ordered after three of 11 samples of the Lake Jackson ’ s water tested positive for the deadly flagellate .
One sample came from the home of Josiah McIntyre , the 6-year-old boy whom doctors said died earlier this month after being infected with the brain-eating parasite , city officials said .
The deadly amoeba does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in water that a person drinks as it is killed by normal levels of stomach acid .
However , people can be infected when water containing the microbe enters the body through the nose Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott , who issued a disaster declaration for Lake Jackson , has said all indications point to the case being isolated and that the suspected problem in the boy ’ s death was traced back to a splash pad .
The TCEQ said it and the city will conduct daily monitoring for the microbe going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned eight communities on Sept. 25 not to use tap water for any reason except to flush toilets .
It lifted that warning the next day for all communities but Lake Jackson , where the authority ’ s water treatment plant is situated .
The advisory also was canceled for two state prisons and Dow Chemical ’ s massive Freeport works .
The ban was lifted in Lake Jackson on Sept. 27 but replaced with the boil-water notice .
Naegleria fowleri is a free-living microscopic amoeba , or single-celled living organism commonly found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
It usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose .
From there it travels to the brain and can cause a rare and debilitating disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis .
The infection is usually fatal and typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places such as lakes and rivers .
In very rare instances , naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources ( such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nose .
“ This is a terrible tragedy that made something that was rare , and even vanishingly rare , actually happen , ” said John Hellersedt , commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services .

LAKE JACKSON, Texas (AP) - A boil-water notice was lifted Tuesday from the drinking-water system of a Houston-area city where water tainted with a deadly, microscopic parasite was blamed for the death of a 6-year-old boy.
In a statement, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said Lake Jackson officials lifted the notice Tuesday after disinfectant levels in the drinking water were documented to be above the state requirements. Also, water samples tested negative for harmful bacteria.
However, the TCEQ urged users of Lake Jackson’s water to avoid getting it up their noses to reduce the risk of infection by the brain-eating microbe naegleria fowleri.
The boil-water notice was issued late last month after several days of flushing of the Brazosport Water Authority’s water delivery system. The flushing was ordered after three of 11 samples of the Lake Jackson’s water tested positive for the deadly flagellate.
One sample came from the home of Josiah McIntyre, the 6-year-old boy whom doctors said died earlier this month after being infected with the brain-eating parasite, city officials said.
The deadly amoeba does not cause an infection if it is in water that a person drinks as it is killed by normal levels of stomach acid. However, people can be infected when water containing the microbe enters the body through the nose
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who issued a disaster declaration for Lake Jackson, has said all indications point to the case being isolated and that the suspected problem in the boy’s death was traced back to a splash pad. The TCEQ said it and the city will conduct daily monitoring for the microbe going forward.
The Brazosport Water Authority initially warned eight communities on Sept. 25 not to use tap water for any reason except to flush toilets. It lifted that warning the next day for all communities but Lake Jackson, where the authority’s water treatment plant is situated. The advisory also was canceled for two state prisons and Dow Chemical’s massive Freeport works.
The ban was lifted in Lake Jackson on Sept. 27 but replaced with the boil-water notice.
Naegleria fowleri is a free-living microscopic amoeba, or single-celled living organism commonly found in warm freshwater and soil, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. From there it travels to the brain and can cause a rare and debilitating disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis.
The infection is usually fatal and typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places such as lakes and rivers. In very rare instances, naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated tap water) enters the nose.
“This is a terrible tragedy that made something that was rare, and even vanishingly rare, actually happen,” said John Hellersedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.


washingtontimes--2020-10-06--Man shot by Vancouver police dies, officers on leave

VANCOUVER , Wash. ( AP ) - A man who was shot by Vancouver police during a stabbing Sunday has died at a hospital .
Clark County Sheriff ’ s Office Sgt .
Brent Waddell told The Columbian in an email that the man died Monday .
Authorities have not identified the man .
The Clark County Sheriff ’ s Office , which is leading an investigation of the shooting , said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that the county medical examiner ’ s office is determining his cause of death and will release his name .
The man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stabbed his girlfriend and injured several other people at Parc Central Apartments on Sunday , according to the Vancouver Police Department .
Several people inside the apartment were able to get the suspect back outside , where he confronted officers , police said .
“ The suspect refused police commands to drop his weapon .
Two Vancouver Police officers fired their weapons , striking the suspect , ” police said .
The man was then taken to a hospital .
The victims were treated for injuries and released the following day from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The two officers who fired their weapons have been placed on critical incident leave , which is standard procedure after incidents in which officers fire their weapons .
The officers have not yet been identified .

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - A man who was shot by Vancouver police during a stabbing Sunday has died at a hospital.
Clark County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Brent Waddell told The Columbian in an email that the man died Monday.
Authorities have not identified the man. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading an investigation of the shooting, said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that the county medical examiner’s office is determining his cause of death and will release his name.
The man forced his way into an apartment, stabbed his girlfriend and injured several other people at Parc Central Apartments on Sunday, according to the Vancouver Police Department. Several people inside the apartment were able to get the suspect back outside, where he confronted officers, police said.
“The suspect refused police commands to drop his weapon. Two Vancouver Police officers fired their weapons, striking the suspect,” police said. The man was then taken to a hospital.
The victims were treated for injuries and released the following day from the hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
The two officers who fired their weapons have been placed on critical incident leave, which is standard procedure after incidents in which officers fire their weapons. The officers have not yet been identified.


washingtontimes--2020-10-06--Mike Pompeo pitches Asian allies on framework to counter China

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that China ’ s increasingly aggressive actions on the world stage must be countered by deeper coordination among the pro-democracy forces of the “ Quad ” — an informal strategic grouping of the U.S. , Australia , Japan and India .
Despite signs of a global opinion shift against China in the COVID-19 era , Indian , Japanese and Australian officials were less than eager to frame the Quad as the kernel of a new formal alliance aimed at containing China , with foreign ministers from the three making no public reference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tokyo .
Mr. Pompeo insisted U.S. allies share Washington ’ s growing determination to confront and contain Beijing , but there was no joint statement or press conference after the talks concluded .
“ As partners in this Quad , it is more critical now than ever that we collaborate to protect our people and partners from the [ Chinese ] exploitation , corruption and coercion , ” Mr. Pompeo said in Tokyo , where he and top diplomats from the other three nations gathered for in-person talks .
The U.S. case got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Research Center Survey that found a majority in the countries surveyed — including the U.S. , Australia , Germany , South Korea and others — now have an unfavorable opinion of China .
In several countries , the negative views have reached their highest point since Pew began polling on the topic more than a decade ago , with China ’ s widely criticized handling of the outbreak of COVID-19 on its soil at least partly to blame .
Mr. Pompeo argued Tuesday that the “ landscape was very different ” when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t have imagined the pandemic that came from Wuhan , ” he said .
“ That crisis was made infinitely worse by the Chinese Communist Party ’ s cover-up.
” Tuesday ’ s talks coincide with rising U.S.-China tension over the coronavirus , trade , technology , Hong Kong , Taiwan and human rights .
They also follow a recent bloody border clash between China and India , and rising tensions in both Australia and Japan over China ’ s recent assertiveness in the region .
Tokyo is concerned about China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island in the East China Sea .
Japan also considers China ’ s growing military activity to be a security threat .
China has denied allegations of covering up the COVID pandemic , saying it acted quickly to provide information to the World Health Organization and the world .
China ’ s state-controlled Global Times , said to have close ties to the ruling Communist Party , noted the reluctance of other Quad ministers to echo Mr. Pompeo ’ s sharp anti-Beijing rhetoric .
An op-ed piece in the online news site was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bite in Quad meeting ” and described the outcome as “ evidence of the U.S. ’ s relatively declining leadership.
” Earlier Tuesday , new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the “ Free and Open Indo-Pacific ” security and economic initiative is more important than ever amid challenges from the coronavirus pandemic .
But he stopped short of directly criticizing China .
While resistant to some multilateral institutions , the Trump administration has embraced the Quad as part of its 2017 Indo-Pacific strategy , with some officials suggesting it ’ s ripe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressive military and economic policies .
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E. Biegun recently suggested the Quad could be the beginning of a NATO-style alliance in Asia .
“ It ’ s something that I think in the second term of the Trump administration or , were the president not to win , the first term of the next president , it could be something that would be very much worthwhile to be explored , ” Mr. Biegun said at a U.S.-India strategic dialogue on Aug. 31 .
Mr. Pompeo seconded that idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Once we ’ ve institutionalized what we ’ re doing , ” Mr. Pompeo told the Nikkei Asian Review , “ the four of us together can begin to build out a true security framework.
” Other region countries , he added , could become a part of the framework at the “ appropriate time .
”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that China’s increasingly aggressive actions on the world stage must be countered by deeper coordination among the pro-democracy forces of the “Quad” — an informal strategic grouping of the U.S., Australia, Japan and India.
Despite signs of a global opinion shift against China in the COVID-19 era, Indian, Japanese and Australian officials were less than eager to frame the Quad as the kernel of a new formal alliance aimed at containing China, with foreign ministers from the three making no public reference to Beijing during a top-level meeting Tuesday in Tokyo.
Mr. Pompeo insisted U.S. allies share Washington’s growing determination to confront and contain Beijing, but there was no joint statement or press conference after the talks concluded.
“As partners in this Quad, it is more critical now than ever that we collaborate to protect our people and partners from the [Chinese] exploitation, corruption and coercion,” Mr. Pompeo said in Tokyo, where he and top diplomats from the other three nations gathered for in-person talks.
The U.S. case got a boost from a new 14-country Pew Research Center Survey that found a majority in the countries surveyed — including the U.S., Australia, Germany, South Korea and others — now have an unfavorable opinion of China.
In several countries, the negative views have reached their highest point since Pew began polling on the topic more than a decade ago, with China’s widely criticized handling of the outbreak of COVID-19 on its soil at least partly to blame.
Mr. Pompeo argued Tuesday that the “landscape was very different” when the Quad met last year. “We couldn’t have imagined the pandemic that came from Wuhan,” he said. “That crisis was made infinitely worse by the Chinese Communist Party’s cover-up.”
Tuesday’s talks coincide with rising U.S.-China tension over the coronavirus, trade, technology, Hong Kong, Taiwan and human rights. They also follow a recent bloody border clash between China and India, and rising tensions in both Australia and Japan over China’s recent assertiveness in the region.
Tokyo is concerned about China’s claim to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Island in the East China Sea. Japan also considers China’s growing military activity to be a security threat.
China has denied allegations of covering up the COVID pandemic, saying it acted quickly to provide information to the World Health Organization and the world.
China’s state-controlled Global Times, said to have close ties to the ruling Communist Party,noted the reluctance of other Quad ministers to echo Mr. Pompeo’s sharp anti-Beijing rhetoric. An op-ed piece in the online news site was headlined “All U.S. bark and no bite in Quad meeting” and described the outcome as “evidence of the U.S.’s relatively declining leadership.”
Earlier Tuesday, new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” security and economic initiative is more important than ever amid challenges from the coronavirus pandemic. But he stopped short of directly criticizing China.
While resistant to some multilateral institutions, the Trump administration has embraced the Quad as part of its 2017 Indo-Pacific strategy, with some officials suggesting it’s ripe for expansion given China’s increasingly aggressive military and economic policies.
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E. Biegun recently suggested the Quad could be the beginning of a NATO-style alliance in Asia.
“It’s something that I think in the second term of the Trump administration or, were the president not to win, the first term of the next president, it could be something that would be very much worthwhile to be explored,” Mr. Biegun said at a U.S.-India strategic dialogue on Aug. 31.
Mr. Pompeo seconded that idea in an interview with Japanese reporters Tuesday.
“Once we’ve institutionalized what we’re doing,” Mr. Pompeo told the Nikkei Asian Review, “the four of us together can begin to build out a true security framework.”
Other region countries, he added, could become a part of the framework at the “appropriate time.”
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-06--Navajo Nation reports 17 new coronavirus cases, 1 more death

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. ( AP ) - Navajo Nation health officials reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ That brings the total number of cases to 10,501 including 30 additional cases that were @ @ @ @ @ reporting or reconciliation .
The death toll stands at 560 since the pandemic began .
@ @ @ @ @ people on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona , New Mexico and Utah @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus and 7,284 have recovered .
A shelter-in-place order , mask mandate , daily curfews @ @ @ @ @ effect on the Navajo Nation .
Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms with the @ @ @ @ @ and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some - @ @ @ @ @ with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and @ @

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) - Navajo Nation health officials reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday with one additional death.
That brings the total number of cases to 10,501 including 30 additional cases that were previously unreported due to delayed reporting or reconciliation.
The death toll stands at 560 since the pandemic began.
Tribal health officials said 109,722 people on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have been tested for the coronavirus and 7,284 have recovered.
A shelter-in-place order, mask mandate, daily curfews and weekend lockdowns remain in effect on the Navajo Nation.
Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms with the coronavirus, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
But for some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.


washingtontimes--2020-10-06--Police making death notification find 2 more bodies at home

BELLPORT , N.Y. ( AP ) - Police officers who had gone to a Long Island home to make a @ @ @ @ @ ’ s self-inflicted death after a traffic stop found two bodies at the residence , @ @ @ @ @ Suffolk County Police said an officer had pulled a car over in East Patchogue , @ @ @ @ @ a.m. Tuesday .
Authorities said the car ’ s passenger got out and the driver @ @ @ @ @ telephone pole a short time later .
Officers approached , and saw that the driver @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
He was pronounced dead at the scene .
Suffolk County detectives who @ @ @ @ @ Bellport , New York , to tell next of kin found the bodies of a @ @ @ @ @ The county medical examiner ’ s officer will determine the cause of death and the @ @ @ @ @

BELLPORT, N.Y. (AP) - Police officers who had gone to a Long Island home to make a family notification about a man’s self-inflicted death after a traffic stop found two bodies at the residence, authorities said Tuesday.
The Suffolk County Police said an officer had pulled a car over in East Patchogue, New York, around 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Authorities said the car’s passenger got out and the driver left, crashing into a telephone pole a short time later.
Officers approached, and saw that the driver had cut his throat, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Suffolk County detectives who went to a home in Bellport, New York, to tell next of kin found the bodies of a man and a woman.
The county medical examiner’s officer will determine the cause of death and the identities of the people.


washingtontimes--2020-10-06--Inaugural Bathurst International car race delayed until 2021

BATHURST , Australia ( AP ) - Ex-Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello will have to wait until next year to race on one of Australia ’ s most iconic layouts .
Officials on Wednesday said the inaugural Bathurst International at Mount Panorama has been postponed until 2021 because of COVID-19 restrictions .
Barrichello , who won 11 Formula 1 Grand Prix races in an F1-record 322 starts - a mark equaled by Kimi Raikkonen last month in Russia - would have had to go into a 14-day quarantine in Australia before the Nov. 12-15 series of races because of current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48-year-old Brazilian driver was scheduled to to drive n the S5000 open-wheel race .
The S5000s are Australia ’ s fastest racing cars and could have broken the lap record on the 6.2-kilometer ( 3.8-mile ) layout which includes famous hills and sharp turns and is part of residential traffic when races are not being held .
The track , first used for racing in the late 1930s , also hosts Australia ’ s biggest domestic race each year , the Bathurst 1000 , which is scheduled to be held Oct. 18 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wales state about 200 kilometers ( 120 miles ) from Sydney .
The Australian Racing Group and Bathurst Regional Council say the event could only have gone ahead if border restrictions were lifted and mandatory quarantine periods scrapped .
ARG chief executive Matt Braid said it was an “ impossible situation … it is obviously very disappointing to postpone the inaugural running of the Bathurst International.
” Race officials had also hoped to attract ex-Formula One drivers Jenson Button , Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso , although none of those drivers had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s race has not been determined .

BATHURST, Australia (AP) - Ex-Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello will have to wait until next year to race on one of Australia’s most iconic layouts.
Officials on Wednesday said the inaugural Bathurst International at Mount Panorama has been postponed until 2021 because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Barrichello, who won 11 Formula 1 Grand Prix races in an F1-record 322 starts - a mark equaled by Kimi Raikkonen last month in Russia - would have had to go into a 14-day quarantine in Australia before the Nov. 12-15 series of races because of current restrictions for incoming international travelers.
The 48-year-old Brazilian driver was scheduled to to drive n the S5000 open-wheel race. The S5000s are Australia’s fastest racing cars and could have broken the lap record on the 6.2-kilometer (3.8-mile) layout which includes famous hills and sharp turns and is part of residential traffic when races are not being held.
The track, first used for racing in the late 1930s, also hosts Australia’s biggest domestic race each year, the Bathurst 1000, which is scheduled to be held Oct. 18. Bathurst is in central western New South Wales state about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Sydney.
The Australian Racing Group and Bathurst Regional Council say the event could only have gone ahead if border restrictions were lifted and mandatory quarantine periods scrapped.
ARG chief executive Matt Braid said it was an “impossible situation … it is obviously very disappointing to postpone the inaugural running of the Bathurst International.”
Race officials had also hoped to attract ex-Formula One drivers Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso, although none of those drivers had been confirmed.
A date for next year’s race has not been determined.
___
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washingtontimes--2020-10-06--Prosecutors seek secrecy as Jeffrey Epstein probe continues

NEW YORK ( AP ) - An investigation of financier Jeffrey Epstein ’ s sexual abuse of girls and women remains active , leading prosecutors Tuesday to try to prevent lawyers for his incarcerated ex-girlfriend from learning too much about it until two months before her criminal trial next summer .
Manhattan prosecutors told a judge in a letter that they want to delay giving materials from dozens of victims cooperating with the government who will not testify at trial to lawyers for British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell .
The active probe leaves open the possibility of additional arrests .
Maxwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail since her July arrest on charges that she recruited teenage girls for Epstein to abuse in the mid-1990s and sometimes joined the abuse .
She has pleaded not guilty .
Prosecutors want to delay turning materials from some victims over to the defense until eight weeks before a trial scheduled for July .
A message seeking comment was left with lawyers for Maxwell .
Prosecutors said defense lawyers have indicated they will oppose the secrecy request .
In its letter , prosecutors said revealing 40 pages of photographs and 40 pages of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harmed after the time spanned by the charges against Maxwell could jeopardize the government ’ s ongoing investigation and scare other victims from cooperating .
Prosecutors said charges against Maxwell pertain to illegal sex acts that occurred between 1994 and 1997 , but the indictment emerged from a wider probe that went beyond that period .
As part of the broader probe , investigators have interviewed dozens of victims who were sexually abused by Epstein after 1997 and obtained a limited number of sensitive documents and photographs , including school pictures and bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prosecutors said they don ’ t plan to offer the materials as evidence at trial and wanted to turn them over to the defense at the same time as materials related to other non-testifying witnesses .
To do otherwise , prosecutors said , would risk interfering with the ongoing investigation .
For now , prosecutors said they wanted to keep the scope of their probe secret , in part to encourage other victims to cooperate .
Epstein , 66 , killed himself in August 2019 while he was housed at the Metropolitan Correctional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manhattan federal courthouses .
At the time , he faced federal sex trafficking charges and was held without bail a month after his arrest .

NEW YORK (AP) - An investigation of financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse of girls and women remains active, leading prosecutors Tuesday to try to prevent lawyers for his incarcerated ex-girlfriend from learning too much about it until two months before her criminal trial next summer.
Manhattan prosecutors told a judge in a letter that they want to delay giving materials from dozens of victims cooperating with the government who will not testify at trial to lawyers for British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. The active probe leaves open the possibility of additional arrests.
Maxwell, 58, has been held without bail since her July arrest on charges that she recruited teenage girls for Epstein to abuse in the mid-1990s and sometimes joined the abuse. She has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors want to delay turning materials from some victims over to the defense until eight weeks before a trial scheduled for July.
A message seeking comment was left with lawyers for Maxwell. Prosecutors said defense lawyers have indicated they will oppose the secrecy request.
In its letter, prosecutors said revealing 40 pages of photographs and 40 pages of documents related to Epstein victims who were harmed after the time spanned by the charges against Maxwell could jeopardize the government’s ongoing investigation and scare other victims from cooperating.
Prosecutors said charges against Maxwell pertain to illegal sex acts that occurred between 1994 and 1997, but the indictment emerged from a wider probe that went beyond that period.
As part of the broader probe, investigators have interviewed dozens of victims who were sexually abused by Epstein after 1997 and obtained a limited number of sensitive documents and photographs, including school pictures and bank and travel records, they said.
Prosecutors said they don’t plan to offer the materials as evidence at trial and wanted to turn them over to the defense at the same time as materials related to other non-testifying witnesses.
To do otherwise, prosecutors said, would risk interfering with the ongoing investigation.
For now, prosecutors said they wanted to keep the scope of their probe secret, in part to encourage other victims to cooperate.
Epstein, 66, killed himself in August 2019 while he was housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a federal lockup adjacent to Manhattan federal courthouses. At the time, he faced federal sex trafficking charges and was held without bail a month after his arrest.