washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Trump congratulates QAnon supporter Greene on Georgia win

ATLANTA ( AP ) - Political newcomer Marjorie Taylor Greene was mocked as a supporter of QAnon conspiracies and denounced for videos deemed racist even by fellow Republicans who withdrew endorsements and declared her unfit for Congress .
The businesswoman from northern Georgia had a blunt message for her critics as she coasted to victory in a Republican primary runoff election that should put her on an easy path to winning an open U.S. House seat : “ I will not apologize.
” “ If Republicans want to win in 2020 , they need to listen the message that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheering supporters in a victory speech that railed against “ spineless Republicans ” and “ anti-American leftists.
” Targeting Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , she said : “ We ’ re going to kick that b - - - - out of Congress.
” .
Outspoken and unrepentant , Greene is proving there ’ s a place among Republicans even for candidates whose views many consider extreme .
In one online video , Greene embraced QAnon , a far-right conspiracy theory centered on the baseless belief that President Donald Trump is waging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ deep state ” and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals .
In other videos , she said Black and Hispanic men are being held back by “ gangs and dealing drugs , ” alleged an “ Islamic invasion ” of government offices and accused Jewish billionaire George Soros of collaborating with Nazis .
“ I ’ m a very controversial person , but I even cringed at some of the things that she said , ” said Debbie Dooley , president of the Atlanta tea party and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed Greene winning by a wide margin in her Tuesday primary runoff with John Cowan - a neurosurgeon endorsed by several Georgia GOP congressmen , some who openly denounced Greene .
In Washington , Trump came out in support of Greene on Wednesday , all but assuring she would be welcome by Republicans in Congress , despite splinters in the party over her candidacy .
“ Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent , ” Trump tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and never gives up - a real WINNER !
” The president ’ s praise for Greene marked a direct contrast to the condemnation from Republican lawmakers during the primary campaign .
Rep. Jody Hice , a Baptist minister and member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus , withdrew his endorsement of Greene over statements he called “ appalling and deeply troubling.
” Georgia GOP Rep. Drew Ferguson had said : “ I just don ’ t think that there is a place in Congress for her.
” Calls and emails to Hice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not immediately returned Wednesday .
Georgia Rep. Austin Scott , another of Greene ’ s GOP critics before the runoff , said in a statement Wednesday she “ deserves to be congratulated for her victory.
” The No .
2 House Republican , Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana , had backed Greene ’ s opponent in hopes of denying her the party ’ s nomination .
Scalise kept silent Wednesday , as did Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming , the third-ranking Republican leader , who had spoken out against Greene ’ s comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted Wednesday : “ Qanon is a fabrication … no place in Congress for these conspiracies.
” He didn ’ t mention Greene by name .
Earlier this year , House GOP leaders sidelined Iowa Rep. Steve King after comments favoring white supremacy , and he lost his primary bid for reelection .
In Georgia , Trump ’ s congratulations of Greene was echoed by Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and GOP Rep. Doug Collins , rivals in a special election for one of Georgia ’ s Senate seats .
Collins said Greene “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and had his support .
Loeffler said of Greene ’ s nomination : ” It ’ s clear that we need more outsiders with business sense in Washington.
” One former GOP congressman said Republicans should make room for Greene the same way Democrats ended up embracing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a self-described Democratic socialist who won her seat by defeating a member of the House Democratic leadership .
“ If the Democrats can bring people like that in and make them an asset , then Republicans certainly need to , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2015 after more than two decades representing southern Georgia .
“ You can ’ t pick and choose all your soldiers all the time , ” he said .
Greene isn ’ t the only candidate tied to QAnon marching toward Washington .
Lauren Boebert , who has also expressed support for QAnon , recently upset a five-term congressman in a Republican primary in Colorado .
Greene still must face Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal on the November ballot before she can claim the 14th District seat that covers a dozen counties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP primary was considered the real contest .
Trump won roughly 75 % of the district ’ s votes in the 2016 presidential election , when he received 51 % of Georgia ’ s statewide vote .
“ I won ’ t lie : It ’ s a tough race , ” said Van Ausdal , who insists Greene ’ s views don ’ t reflect those of most people in their corner of Georgia .
“ It ’ s an uphill battle .
But it ’ s important.
” Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a weapon to paint other Republicans as too extreme .
With Georgia becoming less white and suburban women offering critical swing votes , Democrats hope for upsets in two U.S. Senate races this fall .
They ’ re also fighting to defend one House seat and pick up another in the increasingly diverse Atlanta suburbs .
“ Georgia Republicans own this crisis and their mealy-mouthed statements can ’ t hide the fact that Marjorie Taylor Greene ’ s nomination is a stain on their party , ” Scott Hogan , executive director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement late Tuesday .
At least one Republican in a competitive race , former GOP congresswoman Karen Handel , has spoken out against Greene for “ inflammatory racist rhetoric.
” Handel is running to win back the metro Atlanta seat she lost to Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath in 2018 .
If tied too closely to Greene , Georgia Republicans in competitive races could risk alienating moderate voters , said Charles Bullock , a political science professor at the University of Georgia .
“ I think there ’ s no incentive for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ And there may be a cost to pay.
” Bynum reported from Savannah , Georgia .
AP writers Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed .

ATLANTA (AP) - Political newcomer Marjorie Taylor Greene was mocked as a supporter of QAnon conspiracies and denounced for videos deemed racist even by fellow Republicans who withdrew endorsements and declared her unfit for Congress.
The businesswoman from northern Georgia had a blunt message for her critics as she coasted to victory in a Republican primary runoff election that should put her on an easy path to winning an open U.S. House seat: “I will not apologize.”
“If Republicans want to win in 2020, they need to listen the message that I’m speaking,” Greene told cheering supporters in a victory speech that railed against “spineless Republicans” and “anti-American leftists.” Targeting Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she said: “We’re going to kick that b - - - - out of Congress.”.
Outspoken and unrepentant, Greene is proving there’s a place among Republicans even for candidates whose views many consider extreme.
In one online video, Greene embraced QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory centered on the baseless belief that President Donald Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies in the “deep state” and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals. In other videos, she said Black and Hispanic men are being held back by “gangs and dealing drugs,” alleged an “Islamic invasion” of government offices and accused Jewish billionaire George Soros of collaborating with Nazis.
“I’m a very controversial person, but I even cringed at some of the things that she said,” said Debbie Dooley, president of the Atlanta tea party and a Republican activist.
Unofficial election returns showed Greene winning by a wide margin in her Tuesday primary runoff with John Cowan - a neurosurgeon endorsed by several Georgia GOP congressmen, some who openly denounced Greene.
In Washington, Trump came out in support of Greene on Wednesday, all but assuring she would be welcome by Republicans in Congress, despite splinters in the party over her candidacy.
“Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent,” Trump tweeted. “Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up - a real WINNER!”
The president’s praise for Greene marked a direct contrast to the condemnation from Republican lawmakers during the primary campaign.
Rep. Jody Hice, a Baptist minister and member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, withdrew his endorsement of Greene over statements he called “appalling and deeply troubling.” Georgia GOP Rep. Drew Ferguson had said: “I just don’t think that there is a place in Congress for her.”
Calls and emails to Hice and Ferguson’s congressional offices were not immediately returned Wednesday. Georgia Rep. Austin Scott, another of Greene’s GOP critics before the runoff, said in a statement Wednesday she “deserves to be congratulated for her victory.”
The No. 2 House Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, had backed Greene’s opponent in hopes of denying her the party’s nomination. Scalise kept silent Wednesday, as did Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking Republican leader, who had spoken out against Greene’s comments.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois tweeted Wednesday: “Qanon is a fabrication … no place in Congress for these conspiracies.” He didn’t mention Greene by name.
Earlier this year, House GOP leaders sidelined Iowa Rep. Steve King after comments favoring white supremacy, and he lost his primary bid for reelection.
In Georgia, Trump’s congratulations of Greene was echoed by Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and GOP Rep. Doug Collins, rivals in a special election for one of Georgia’s Senate seats. Collins said Greene “created a tidal wave among the voters” and had his support. Loeffler said of Greene’s nomination: ”It’s clear that we need more outsiders with business sense in Washington.”
One former GOP congressman said Republicans should make room for Greene the same way Democrats ended up embracing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described Democratic socialist who won her seat by defeating a member of the House Democratic leadership.
“If the Democrats can bring people like that in and make them an asset, then Republicans certainly need to,” said Jack Kingston, who left Congress in 2015 after more than two decades representing southern Georgia.
“You can’t pick and choose all your soldiers all the time,” he said.
Greene isn’t the only candidate tied to QAnon marching toward Washington. Lauren Boebert, who has also expressed support for QAnon, recently upset a five-term congressman in a Republican primary in Colorado.
Greene still must face Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal on the November ballot before she can claim the 14th District seat that covers a dozen counties in Georgia’s northwest corner. But the GOP primary was considered the real contest. Trump won roughly 75% of the district’s votes in the 2016 presidential election, when he received 51% of Georgia’s statewide vote.
“I won’t lie: It’s a tough race,” said Van Ausdal, who insists Greene’s views don’t reflect those of most people in their corner of Georgia. “It’s an uphill battle. But it’s important.”
Democrats are already using Greene’s nomination as a weapon to paint other Republicans as too extreme. With Georgia becoming less white and suburban women offering critical swing votes, Democrats hope for upsets in two U.S. Senate races this fall. They’re also fighting to defend one House seat and pick up another in the increasingly diverse Atlanta suburbs.
“Georgia Republicans own this crisis and their mealy-mouthed statements can’t hide the fact that Marjorie Taylor Greene’s nomination is a stain on their party,” Scott Hogan, executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party, said in a statement late Tuesday.
At least one Republican in a competitive race, former GOP congresswoman Karen Handel, has spoken out against Greene for “inflammatory racist rhetoric.” Handel is running to win back the metro Atlanta seat she lost to Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath in 2018.
If tied too closely to Greene, Georgia Republicans in competitive races could risk alienating moderate voters, said Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia.
“I think there’s no incentive for them to get behind her,” Bullock said. “And there may be a cost to pay.”
___
Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. AP writers Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Donald Trump goes after HBO host Bill Maher: 'Looks terrible, exhausted, gaunt, and weak'

President Trump lashed out Wednesday at comedian Bill Maher , tearing into him on Twitter by criticizing how he looked during the latest episode of his weekly HBO show “ Real Time.
” “ Watched @ billmaher last week for the first time in a long time .
He ’ s totally SHOT , looks terrible , exhausted , gaunt , and weak .
If there was ever a good reason for no shutdown , check out this jerk .
He never had much going for him , but whatever he did have is missing in action !
” Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Real Time ” aired 4.5 days earlier on Friday evening , and it was not clear what precisely triggered the president to attack its host .
Mr. Maher tore into Mr. Trump throughout the episode as usual , including in a segment where he delivered a mock eulogy meant to be given at the president ’ s eventual funeral .
“ He died as he lived : wearing makeup and lying in front of all of us , ” Mr. Maher said during the segment .
“ So fly free , whiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you find the peace your Twitter thumbs never could.
” Mr. Maher , 64 , responded to Mr. Trump ’ s latest attack on Twitter later Wednesday in a tweet asking : “ Really ?
This is what the president of the United States does with his time ?
”

President Trump lashed out Wednesday at comedian Bill Maher, tearing into him on Twitter by criticizing how he looked during the latest episode of his weekly HBO show “Real Time.”
“Watched @billmaher last week for the first time in a long time. He’s totally SHOT, looks terrible, exhausted, gaunt, and weak. If there was ever a good reason for no shutdown, check out this jerk. He never had much going for him, but whatever he did have is missing in action!” Mr. Trump tweeted.
The latest episode of “Real Time” aired 4.5 days earlier on Friday evening, and it was not clear what precisely triggered the president to attack its host.
Mr. Maher tore into Mr. Trump throughout the episode as usual, including in a segment where he delivered a mock eulogy meant to be given at the president’s eventual funeral.
“He died as he lived: wearing makeup and lying in front of all of us,” Mr. Maher said during the segment. “So fly free, whiny little b–h. Fly free. May you find the peace your Twitter thumbs never could.”
Mr. Maher, 64, responded to Mr. Trump’s latest attack on Twitter later Wednesday in a tweet asking: “Really? This is what the president of the United States does with his time?”
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Storm damage repairs cause 1-hour Metro-North delays

STAMFORD , Conn. ( AP ) - Metro-North rail commuters on the New Haven Line faced one-hour delays Wednesday morning @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure damaged by last week ’ s tropical storm .
Officials with the Metropolitan Transportation @ @ @ @ @ made to tracks between Stamford and South Norwalk .
It wasn ’ t clear when @ @ @ @ @ .
Tropical Storm Isaias knocked down trees and power lines across the Northeast , causing @ @ @ @ @ outages .
The Waterbury Line remained closed Wednesday because of downed trees and power and @ @ @ @ @ repaired .
Buses were being provided for commuters between Waterbury and Bridgeport .

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) - Metro-North rail commuters on the New Haven Line faced one-hour delays Wednesday morning as crews worked to fix infrastructure damaged by last week’s tropical storm.
Officials with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said repairs were being made to tracks between Stamford and South Norwalk. It wasn’t clear when the work would be completed.
Tropical Storm Isaias knocked down trees and power lines across the Northeast, causing hundreds of thousands of power outages.
The Waterbury Line remained closed Wednesday because of downed trees and power and signal outages that are being repaired. Buses were being provided for commuters between Waterbury and Bridgeport.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Democratic newcomer, ex-governor candidate to vie for No. 2

MONTPELIER , Vt. ( AP ) - A Democratic political newcomer and the Republican candidate who ran for governor in 2014 will face off in November ’ s general election to be Vermont ’ s next lieutenant governor .
Democrat Molly Gray , an assistant Vermont attorney general , won her party ’ s primary Tuesday , defeating the president of the state Senate , Tim Ashe .
She said she was excited about the momentum her campaign has generated , including help from dozens of volunteers and hundreds of supports across the state .
“ We have so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to address a lot of inequities we have in the state , to address our generational needs in keeping our generation here , ” she told WCAX-TV .
She will face Republican businessman Scott Milne , who topped six GOP candidates to win the nomination .
In 2014 Milne , a travel agency owner , came within a couple thousand votes of unseating former Gov .
Peter Shumlin .
“ I believe my experience - three decades of building a small business and growing jobs , and my promise to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us get through this health crisis and onto an economic recovery - has resonated with people and it ’ s what we ’ ll be talking a lot about between now and November , ” Milne said .
The lieutenant governor ’ s office is an open seat because Democratic Lt. Gov .
David Zuckerman is running for governor against the incumbent Republican Phil Scott .

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A Democratic political newcomer and the Republican candidate who ran for governor in 2014 will face off in November’s general election to be Vermont’s next lieutenant governor.
Democrat Molly Gray, an assistant Vermont attorney general, won her party’s primary Tuesday, defeating the president of the state Senate, Tim Ashe.
She said she was excited about the momentum her campaign has generated, including help from dozens of volunteers and hundreds of supports across the state.
“We have so much work to do to recover from COVID-19, to address a lot of inequities we have in the state, to address our generational needs in keeping our generation here,” she told WCAX-TV.
She will face Republican businessman Scott Milne, who topped six GOP candidates to win the nomination.
In 2014 Milne, a travel agency owner, came within a couple thousand votes of unseating former Gov. Peter Shumlin.
“I believe my experience - three decades of building a small business and growing jobs, and my promise to be a partner with Gov. Scott and helping us get through this health crisis and onto an economic recovery - has resonated with people and it’s what we’ll be talking a lot about between now and November,” Milne said.
The lieutenant governor’s office is an open seat because Democratic Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman is running for governor against the incumbent Republican Phil Scott.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Warlord's release from US prison ups tension with Colombia

MIAMI ( AP ) - A last-minute battle is unfolding over the fate of a former paramilitary warlord who the Colombian government wants returned following a long drug sentence in U.S. prison .
Salvatore Mancuso , the top commander of a since-disbanded group of right-wing militias , completed a 12-year cocaine trafficking sentence in March .
He remains in U.S. custody as Colombia - where courts have judged him responsible for more than 1,500 acts of murder or forced disappearance - fights a U.S. order that would send him to Italy , where he also has citizenship .
Mancuso ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he returns to a South American country that has struggled to heal from decades of bloody conflict .
They argue he has already fulfilled his obligations under a 2003 peace deal he negotiated , which caps prison terms at eight years for paramilitary bosses who confess their crimes .
The many victims Mancuso left behind say at stake is the justice that has long been denied them .
Colombian officials also complain that denying their request that Mancusco be deported back home would be a high-profile snub to a staunch ally that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 260,000 dead and millions more displaced .
The carnage was made worse by U.S. demand for Colombian cocaine , which funded illegal armed groups including Mancuso ’ s United Defense Forces of Colombia , known as AUC .
Successive conservative governments have sent several thousand Colombians to face drug trafficking charges in the U.S. Mancuso is among the highest profile , having directed the manufacture and shipment of more than 138,000 kilograms of cocaine , according to his U.S. plea agreement .
“ Removing him to Italy would be a repugnant betrayal for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Americas director for Human Rights Watch .
“ If the Colombian government is honestly committed to justice for atrocity crimes , it should exhaust all legal avenues to take Mancuso back to Colombia , hold him to account and prevent this humiliation to victims.
” The fight underscores the unfinished business of the paramilitary peace process , known as Justice and Peace , that led to the demobilization of 30,000 right-wing fighters but fell way short of its ambitious goal of truth telling and reconciliation .
Those wounds resurfaced this month when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest of former President Álvaro Uribe as it investigates whether he helped bribe witnesses to keep a lid on suspicions that have long swirled about his own relationship with paramilitary groups .
In 2008 , the far-right Uribe stealthily extradited Mancuso and 13 other warlords to face drug charges in the U.S. His critics say the shock move , an apparent peace accord violation , was an attempt to silence the men just as they began to reveal secrets about their crimes and politician collaborators - including Uribe , who as a governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal , armed groups to protect ranchers ’ land from leftist guerrilla fighters .
“ With me they extradited the truth , ” Mancuso told Colombian media shortly after his arrival in the U.S. in 2008 .
On April 16 , the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ordered Mancuso ’ s removal to Italy , according to two people close to Mancuso who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private administrative proceeding .
But that deportation didn ’ t happen .
In June , U.S prosecutors requested on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be extradited to Colombia to serve a 27-year sentence for the 1997 kidnappings of two relatives of a top leftist rebel commander , according to U.S. court records .
Armed AUC fighters dressed as Colombian police carried out one abduction at a flower shop while , at the same time in a separate operation , commandos posing as prospective home buyers raided the residence of the other victim .
Mancuso , who according to the extradition request was in phone contact with one of the captors right after the raids , later took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process .
Both captives were later killed .
Colombia withdrew its extradition request last month and the U.S. case was closed .
While the government gave no reason for its sudden reversal , it appears that Mancuso ’ s Miami-based attorney , Joaquin Perez , outmaneuvered prosecutors .
Last year , a judge in the capital , Bogota , granted Mancuso probation in Colombia .
The judge said Mancuso ’ s years in U.S. prison satisfied the requirements of the Justice and Peace law , which allows alternative sentences of up to eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancelled the arrest orders on July 15 ; Colombia withdrew its extradition request five days later .
But the country ’ s president still says he wants Mancuso returned and prosecutors still seek his arrest for other crimes , though they aren ’ t recognized as offenses under U.S. law because they stem from his position atop AUC ’ s chain of command - not specific orders he gave .
The Colombian chief prosecutor ’ s office said Tuesday that it continues working to seek Mancuso ’ s extradition .
In a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depended on a judge handling a case in which Mancuso is suspected of money laundering that occurred after his demobilization .
In 2018 , the judge suspended proceedings in the case .
Mancuso ’ s apparently solid legal standing hasn ’ t stopped Colombian officials from demanding his arrest .
And in a country with a notoriously weak , corrupt and maze-like judiciary , it doesn ’ t take much for a freelancing judge to issue an arrest order .
Colombian President Iván Duque has said the time Mancuso served in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against his sentences for “ crimes against humanity ” back home .
“ The second he steps on Italian soil , I will personally make a request to the International Criminal Court that he be tried for these crimes , ” Duque said in a recent interview with Bogota ’ s Semana magazine .
Some critics believe Duque ’ s government may just be going through the motions .
Opposition Sen. Iván Cepeda said Duque - whose political mentor is Uribe and whose supporters include politicians who were jailed for ties to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the warlord ’ s return .
“ You have to be really naive to believe that an involuntary bureaucratic mistake is what is blocking the return of the person who knows the most about the history of the paramilitaries , ” said Cepeda , who has traveled to the U.S. to meet Mancuso on behalf of victims .
The leftist Cepeda , who is Uribe ’ s top accuser and whose father was killed by soldiers in coordination with paramilitaries , pledges to hold congressional hearings about how in his view Colombia bungled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces by wealthy ranchers in the 1980s to counter leftist rebel extortion and kidnapping , the militias seized control of much of Colombia ’ s Caribbean coast in the late 1990s , killing thousands and stealing millions of acres of land while wresting control of lucrative drug routes .
In 2001 , the U.S. designated the AUC a foreign terror organization .
Mancuso has expressed more remorse than other paramilitary leaders and an eagerness to make amends with his former battlefield enemies - the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , or FARC - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government in 2016 .
His sophistication - he studied English at the University of Pittsburgh - has always distinguished him from the other rural warlords .
Robert Spelke , a retired federal narcotics prosecutor who led proceedings against the warlords , described Mancuso as “ very bright , very personable ” and a cooperative witness who was committed to telling the truth .
Spelke spent over 200 hours interviewing Mancuso and recalled once when the Colombian tearfully broke down as he recounted a paramilitary massacre of civilians .
“ I know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But when you put yourself in their shoes - It was a nasty war .
I ’ d like to think I ’ d do things differently , but if the FARC was killing my family , stealing my cattle… ” Mancuso ’ s eagerness to talk has already shaken Colombia ’ s politics .
His boast in 2005 that a third of Colombia ’ s congress was elected with paramilitary support triggered a wave of judicial investigations that ended with dozens of elected officials behind bars , including Uribe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice and Peace process continued after he reached the U.S. , where he did more than 300 video conferences with Colombian investigators and victims .
In a symbolic gesture that shocked many Colombians , Mancuso spoke by phone last month with the FARC ’ s former top commander , Rodrigo Londono .
The one-time adversaries united in pledging their support for peace , reconciliation and support for millions of victims .
That candor is what got Mancuso extradited to the U.S. in the first place - and endangers his life should he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Colombia-based attorney .
Several family members have already received threats and last month Paeres filed a complaint with Colombia ’ s chief prosecutor alleging he was the intended target of an attack by 35 armed men who raided a ranch adjacent to where he was staying .
“ Mancuso wants to return to Colombia .
But it ’ s us , his lawyers and friends , and even some authorities , who have told him not to come back , ” Paeres told The Associated Press .
“ I have no doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” With the U.S. order that he be sent to his father ’ s native Italy , Colombian officials have launched a last-ditch lobbying effort .
Colombia ’ s Ambassador in Washington , Francisco Santos , in recent weeks has met with U.S. officials in the White House as well as the State and Justice Departments to try and block his transfer to Italy , according to a senior Colombian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks .
The State Department and White House wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Customs Enforcement said in a statement that the agency took custody of Mancuso , who it referred to only as a “ Colombian national , ” from federal marshals on July 21 and that he ’ s now awaiting removal .
ICE declined to provide details , citing operational security .
While extradition of Colombian drug lords has helped relieve pressure on the country ’ s investigators , it ’ s far rarer for Colombia to seek arrests beyond its borders .
But Mancuso ’ s value is unique .
If the famously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surely divulge uncomfortable truths that many Colombians haven ’ t wanted to hear , said Cepeda , the leftist lawmaker .
“ A lot of the truth is already known , ” Cepeda said .
“ But there ’ s a lot more to come .
”

MIAMI (AP) - A last-minute battle is unfolding over the fate of a former paramilitary warlord who the Colombian government wants returned following a long drug sentence in U.S. prison.
Salvatore Mancuso, the top commander of a since-disbanded group of right-wing militias, completed a 12-year cocaine trafficking sentence in March.
He remains in U.S. custody as Colombia - where courts have judged him responsible for more than 1,500 acts of murder or forced disappearance - fights a U.S. order that would send him to Italy, where he also has citizenship.
Mancuso’s lawyers contend he would be killed if he returns to a South American country that has struggled to heal from decades of bloody conflict. They argue he has already fulfilled his obligations under a 2003 peace deal he negotiated, which caps prison terms at eight years for paramilitary bosses who confess their crimes.
The many victims Mancuso left behind say at stake is the justice that has long been denied them. Colombian officials also complain that denying their request that Mancusco be deported back home would be a high-profile snub to a staunch ally that suffered a decades-long civil conflict that left 260,000 dead and millions more displaced. The carnage was made worse by U.S. demand for Colombian cocaine, which funded illegal armed groups including Mancuso’s United Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC.
Successive conservative governments have sent several thousand Colombians to face drug trafficking charges in the U.S. Mancuso is among the highest profile, having directed the manufacture and shipment of more than 138,000 kilograms of cocaine, according to his U.S. plea agreement.
“Removing him to Italy would be a repugnant betrayal for victims” said Jose Miguel Vivanco, the Americas director for Human Rights Watch. “If the Colombian government is honestly committed to justice for atrocity crimes, it should exhaust all legal avenues to take Mancuso back to Colombia, hold him to account and prevent this humiliation to victims.”
The fight underscores the unfinished business of the paramilitary peace process, known as Justice and Peace, that led to the demobilization of 30,000 right-wing fighters but fell way short of its ambitious goal of truth telling and reconciliation.
Those wounds resurfaced this month when Colombia’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of former President Álvaro Uribe as it investigates whether he helped bribe witnesses to keep a lid on suspicions that have long swirled about his own relationship with paramilitary groups.
In 2008, the far-right Uribe stealthily extradited Mancuso and 13 other warlords to face drug charges in the U.S. His critics say the shock move, an apparent peace accord violation, was an attempt to silence the men just as they began to reveal secrets about their crimes and politician collaborators - including Uribe, who as a governor in the 1990s backed the creation of legal, armed groups to protect ranchers’ land from leftist guerrilla fighters.
“With me they extradited the truth,” Mancuso told Colombian media shortly after his arrival in the U.S. in 2008.
On April 16, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ordered Mancuso’s removal to Italy, according to two people close to Mancuso who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private administrative proceeding.
But that deportation didn’t happen. In June, U.S prosecutors requested on behalf of their Colombian counterparts that the 55-year-old Mancuso be extradited to Colombia to serve a 27-year sentence for the 1997 kidnappings of two relatives of a top leftist rebel commander, according to U.S. court records. Armed AUC fighters dressed as Colombian police carried out one abduction at a flower shop while, at the same time in a separate operation, commandos posing as prospective home buyers raided the residence of the other victim.
Mancuso, who according to the extradition request was in phone contact with one of the captors right after the raids, later took responsibility for the kidnappings during the peace process. Both captives were later killed.
Colombia withdrew its extradition request last month and the U.S. case was closed. While the government gave no reason for its sudden reversal, it appears that Mancuso’s Miami-based attorney, Joaquin Perez, outmaneuvered prosecutors.
Last year, a judge in the capital, Bogota, granted Mancuso probation in Colombia. The judge said Mancuso’s years in U.S. prison satisfied the requirements of the Justice and Peace law, which allows alternative sentences of up to eight years to be served abroad. She cancelled the arrest orders on July 15; Colombia withdrew its extradition request five days later.
But the country’s president still says he wants Mancuso returned and prosecutors still seek his arrest for other crimes, though they aren’t recognized as offenses under U.S. law because they stem from his position atop AUC’s chain of command - not specific orders he gave.
The Colombian chief prosecutor’s office said Tuesday that it continues working to seek Mancuso’s extradition. In a statement, it said a second extradition request depended on a judge handling a case in which Mancuso is suspected of money laundering that occurred after his demobilization. In 2018, the judge suspended proceedings in the case.
Mancuso’s apparently solid legal standing hasn’t stopped Colombian officials from demanding his arrest. And in a country with a notoriously weak, corrupt and maze-like judiciary, it doesn’t take much for a freelancing judge to issue an arrest order.
Colombian President Iván Duque has said the time Mancuso served in the U.S. for drug trafficking cannot be credited against his sentences for “crimes against humanity” back home.
“The second he steps on Italian soil, I will personally make a request to the International Criminal Court that he be tried for these crimes,” Duque said in a recent interview with Bogota’s Semana magazine.
Some critics believe Duque’s government may just be going through the motions.
Opposition Sen. Iván Cepeda said Duque - whose political mentor is Uribe and whose supporters include politicians who were jailed for ties to the AUC - has little to gain from the warlord’s return.
“You have to be really naive to believe that an involuntary bureaucratic mistake is what is blocking the return of the person who knows the most about the history of the paramilitaries,” said Cepeda, who has traveled to the U.S. to meet Mancuso on behalf of victims.
The leftist Cepeda, who is Uribe’s top accuser and whose father was killed by soldiers in coordination with paramilitaries, pledges to hold congressional hearings about how in his view Colombia bungled the extradition request.
Formed as self-defense forces by wealthy ranchers in the 1980s to counter leftist rebel extortion and kidnapping, the militias seized control of much of Colombia’s Caribbean coast in the late 1990s, killing thousands and stealing millions of acres of land while wresting control of lucrative drug routes. In 2001, the U.S. designated the AUC a foreign terror organization.
Mancuso has expressed more remorse than other paramilitary leaders and an eagerness to make amends with his former battlefield enemies - the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC - who signed their own peace agreement with the government in 2016.
His sophistication - he studied English at the University of Pittsburgh - has always distinguished him from the other rural warlords. Robert Spelke, a retired federal narcotics prosecutor who led proceedings against the warlords, described Mancuso as “very bright, very personable” and a cooperative witness who was committed to telling the truth. Spelke spent over 200 hours interviewing Mancuso and recalled once when the Colombian tearfully broke down as he recounted a paramilitary massacre of civilians.
“I know what these guys did,” said Spelke. “But when you put yourself in their shoes - It was a nasty war. I’d like to think I’d do things differently, but if the FARC was killing my family, stealing my cattle…”
Mancuso’s eagerness to talk has already shaken Colombia’s politics.
His boast in 2005 that a third of Colombia’s congress was elected with paramilitary support triggered a wave of judicial investigations that ended with dozens of elected officials behind bars, including Uribe’s senator cousin.
His cooperation with the Justice and Peace process continued after he reached the U.S., where he did more than 300 video conferences with Colombian investigators and victims.
In a symbolic gesture that shocked many Colombians, Mancuso spoke by phone last month with the FARC’s former top commander, Rodrigo Londono. The one-time adversaries united in pledging their support for peace, reconciliation and support for millions of victims.
That candor is what got Mancuso extradited to the U.S. in the first place - and endangers his life should he be returned, said Jaime Paeres, his Colombia-based attorney. Several family members have already received threats and last month Paeres filed a complaint with Colombia’s chief prosecutor alleging he was the intended target of an attack by 35 armed men who raided a ranch adjacent to where he was staying.
“Mancuso wants to return to Colombia. But it’s us, his lawyers and friends, and even some authorities, who have told him not to come back,” Paeres told The Associated Press. “I have no doubt they will kill him if he comes.”
With the U.S. order that he be sent to his father’s native Italy, Colombian officials have launched a last-ditch lobbying effort.
Colombia’s Ambassador in Washington, Francisco Santos, in recent weeks has met with U.S. officials in the White House as well as the State and Justice Departments to try and block his transfer to Italy, according to a senior Colombian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks.
The State Department and White House wouldn’t comment. A spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that the agency took custody of Mancuso, who it referred to only as a “Colombian national,” from federal marshals on July 21 and that he’s now awaiting removal. ICE declined to provide details, citing operational security.
While extradition of Colombian drug lords has helped relieve pressure on the country’s investigators, it’s far rarer for Colombia to seek arrests beyond its borders.
But Mancuso’s value is unique. If the famously voluble warlord returns, he’d surely divulge uncomfortable truths that many Colombians haven’t wanted to hear, said Cepeda, the leftist lawmaker.
“A lot of the truth is already known,” Cepeda said. “But there’s a lot more to come.”
___
Contact AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org.
___
Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Arizona landlords ask high court to invalidate eviction ban

PHOENIX ( AP ) - Landlord advocacy groups filed a special action with the Arizona State Supreme Court Wednesday seeking to invalidate as unconstitutional Gov .
Doug Ducey ’ s moratorium on evictions of people who have missed rent payments because they became ill or lost their income due to the coronavirus .
The Arizona Multihousing Association , the Manufactured Housing Communities of Arizona and several individual property owners filed the action directly with the high court .
It argues the moratorium violates the state constitution ’ s separation of powers and its contract clause .
The multihousing association ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says owners have waived fees , worked with renters to make payments , and helped them fill out government relief applications .
But five months after the moratorium was first imposed “ we are at a breaking point , ” she said , noting that property owners also have mortgages , taxes and other bills to pay .
She said rental housing is the only area of the state economy that has been compelled to provide a product or service free of charge during the pandemic .
Ducey signed the moratorium order on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 31 .
There was no immediate reaction from the governor ’ s office to the court filing , which named the state and several justices of the peace and constables from around Arizona who are charged with serving eviction notices .
Arizona ’ s initial 120-day moratorium ending July 22 was supposed to ensure people wouldn ’ t lose their homes if they got COVID-19 or lost their jobs during pandemic restrictions .
But advocates argued it was too early to end the ban because most of the government money set aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t been doled out .
The Arizona Housing Department still has a backlog of people trying to get rental assistance .
Gregory Real Estate Management of Phoenix in July sued Ducey over the moratorium and asked that it be allowed to evict a family in a rental home in the city of Surprise over unpaid rent , which the firm says has passed $ 8,000 .
But a Maricopa County Superior Court judge upheld the moratorium and disagreed with the company ’ s argument that the governor ’ s action exceeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
Pandemic restrictions , such as reducing capacity or closing businesses , are intended to limit crowds that can spread the virus .

PHOENIX (AP) - Landlord advocacy groups filed a special action with the Arizona State Supreme Court Wednesday seeking to invalidate as unconstitutional Gov. Doug Ducey’s moratorium on evictions of people who have missed rent payments because they became ill or lost their income due to the coronavirus.
The Arizona Multihousing Association, the Manufactured Housing Communities of Arizona and several individual property owners filed the action directly with the high court. It argues the moratorium violates the state constitution’s separation of powers and its contract clause.
The multihousing association’s president and CEO Courtney Gilstrap LeVinus says owners have waived fees, worked with renters to make payments, and helped them fill out government relief applications.
But five months after the moratorium was first imposed “we are at a breaking point,” she said, noting that property owners also have mortgages, taxes and other bills to pay.
She said rental housing is the only area of the state economy that has been compelled to provide a product or service free of charge during the pandemic.
Ducey signed the moratorium order on March 24 and recently extended it until Oct. 31.
The governor’s office had not received a copy of the filing by Wednesday evening, Ducey’s spokesman Patrick Ptak said. He said the state was following the law.
“We’re making reasonable and responsible decisions in the best interest of public health while working to provide relief to those impacted,” he said.
The court filing named the state and several justices of the peace and constables from around Arizona who are charged with serving eviction notices.
Arizona’s initial 120-day moratorium ending July 22 was supposed to ensure people wouldn’t lose their homes if they got COVID-19 or lost their jobs during pandemic restrictions. But advocates argued it was too early to end the ban because most of the government money set aside to help pay rents and mortgages still hasn’t been doled out.
The Arizona Housing Department still has a backlog of people trying to get rental assistance.
Gregory Real Estate Management of Phoenix in July sued Ducey over the moratorium and asked that it be allowed to evict a family in a rental home in the city of Surprise over unpaid rent, which the firm says has passed $8,000.
But a Maricopa County Superior Court judge upheld the moratorium and disagreed with the company’s argument that the governor’s action exceeded his authority or was unconstitutional.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. Pandemic restrictions, such as reducing capacity or closing businesses, are intended to limit crowds that can spread the virus.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Close adviser to Venezuela's president has coronavirus

CARACAS , Venezuela ( AP ) - Venezuela ’ s communications minister and close adviser to President Nicolás Maduro said Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with the coronavirus , as the daily cases in the nation steadily rise .
Jorge Rodríguez becomes the latest of several high-ranking officials in Maduro ’ s government to become infected in the pandemic , following the July announcement by Venezuela ’ s socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello , who says he is recovering .
“ Even though I am in good general condition , I must comply with the isolation measures and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , ” Rodríguez said on Twitter .
Rodríguez often appears just off camera in Maduro ’ s frequent appearances on Venezuelan state TV , answering the presidents impromptu questions .
He also speaks on the president ’ s behalf fending off the socialist government ’ s critics , and he regularly gives nightly updates on daily cases of illnesses and deaths from the virus .
Venezuela is a once-wealthy oil nation that was gripped by economic and political crisis before the pandemic hit in March .
According to official figures by Maduro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far spared the nation compared to neighboring Latin American nations , such as Brazil .
Officials on Wednesday reported fewer than 250 total deaths and roughly 29,000 people falling ill since March .
The daily number of new illnesses first topped 1,000 on Tuesday , according to official figures .

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela’s communications minister and close adviser to President Nicolás Maduro said Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, as the daily cases in the nation steadily rise.
Jorge Rodríguez becomes the latest of several high-ranking officials in Maduro’s government to become infected in the pandemic, following the July announcement by Venezuela’s socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello, who says he is recovering.
“Even though I am in good general condition, I must comply with the isolation measures and the necessary care in order to overcome the virus,” Rodríguez said on Twitter.
Rodríguez often appears just off camera in Maduro’s frequent appearances on Venezuelan state TV, answering the presidents impromptu questions. He also speaks on the president’s behalf fending off the socialist government’s critics, and he regularly gives nightly updates on daily cases of illnesses and deaths from the virus.
Venezuela is a once-wealthy oil nation that was gripped by economic and political crisis before the pandemic hit in March. According to official figures by Maduro’s government, the virus has so far spared the nation compared to neighboring Latin American nations, such as Brazil.
Officials on Wednesday reported fewer than 250 total deaths and roughly 29,000 people falling ill since March. The daily number of new illnesses first topped 1,000 on Tuesday, according to official figures.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Complaints as medical waste piles up outside Mexico hospital

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - Residents of Mexico ’ s Gulf coast state of Veracruz have complained after photos showed mountains of bagged hospital waste piling up in a patio outside a government hospital .
The 10-foot ( 3-meter ) tall garbage pile outside the Adolfo Ruiz Cortines hospital has apparently been growing for a couple of weeks , according to hospital employees and residents of the state capital , also known as Veracruz .
The hospital treats patients with COVID-19 , raising fears of a spread of infection .
However , the Mexican Social Security Institute , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement Wednesday that the waste was not infectious or biological .
It said the hospital was trying to hire a contractor to remove the garbage .
Improper disposal of medical waste has become an increasing problem in Mexico amid the pandemic .
In May , authorities found 3.5 tons of hospital waste dumped in the woods on the outskirts of Mexico City and 6,000 cubic yards ( meters ) of medical waste piled ceiling-high at a clandestine warehouse in Puebla state , leaking out of over-crammed trailers and buildings .
Teetering piles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside Mexico City ’ s overworked crematoriums .
In the town of Nicolás Romero , in a wooded area on the outskirts of Mexico City , someone had been dumping tons of medical waste on a hillside starting sometime around mid-April .
By the time inspectors came to clean up the area between May 4 and 11 , they found 3.5 tons of the stuff , including tissue and partly incinerated human tissue scattered around the area .
Specialized waste incinerators are already over-taxed by the flood of disposed protective equipment and infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Residents of Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz have complained after photos showed mountains of bagged hospital waste piling up in a patio outside a government hospital.
The 10-foot (3-meter) tall garbage pile outside the Adolfo Ruiz Cortines hospital has apparently been growing for a couple of weeks, according to hospital employees and residents of the state’s biggest city, also known as Veracruz.
The hospital treats patients with COVID-19, raising fears of a spread of infection. However, the Mexican Social Security Institute, which runs the hospital, said that the waste was not infectious or biological and late Wednesday said that six tons of garbage had been removed and more would go on Thursday.
Improper disposal of medical waste has become an increasing problem in Mexico amid the pandemic.
In May, authorities found 3.5 tons of hospital waste dumped in the woods on the outskirts of Mexico City and 6,000 cubic yards (meters) of medical waste piled ceiling-high at a clandestine warehouse in Puebla state, leaking out of over-crammed trailers and buildings.
Teetering piles of coffins, meanwhile, have piled up outside Mexico City’s overworked crematoriums.
In the town of Nicolás Romero, in a wooded area on the outskirts of Mexico City, someone had been dumping tons of medical waste on a hillside starting sometime around mid-April. By the time inspectors came to clean up the area between May 4 and 11, they found 3.5 tons of the stuff, including tissue and partly incinerated human tissue scattered around the area.
Specialized waste incinerators are already over-taxed by the flood of disposed protective equipment and infectious tissue being generated amid the pandemic.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Seattle school board approves fall online learning plan

SEATTLE ( AP ) - The Seattle school board on Wednesday unanimously voted to begin the academic year remotely .
The plan for the state ’ s largest school district passed with a wide-ranging amendment that directs the superintendent to explore creating outdoor classes , and also reinforces teaching of Black studies and curricula developed by tribes , The Seattle Times reported .
Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau had previously recommended a fully remote learning model for the start of the school year , which was endorsed by the principals labor union and teachers union .
However , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from set because Seattle Public Schools is still bargaining with the teachers union , the Seattle Education Association .
Those discussions will set the parameters for how teachers spend their time , and for the support the district will provide to teachers and families in an online learning environment .
The negotiations will also play a key role in setting student schedules and the school calendar , which has a current start date of Sept. 2 .
“ Putting these plans together before the end of collective bargaining seems like putting the cart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leslie Harris said Wednesday .
A presentation last week set the general schooling parameters .
Students will spend approximately three hours a day on video chat , no F grades will be given , schools will have relaxed rules on late work , and some special education students may be eligible for in-person instruction .
The district also said child care will be available at 68 sites owned by the district and that 25 more sites for meal distribution would be added , for a total of 40 .
Tech support will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ device sometime in the fall , but not by the first day of school , according to the district .
Similar plans to start remotely have emerged across the state , with the exception of a few small communities .
Health officials in all of Washington state ’ s top 10 most populous counties have advised against reopening school buildings for in-person instruction .
Seattle Public Schools moved largely online after it shut all buildings March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak .
The state Department of Health on Wednesday reported 555 additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 64,700 cases and at least 1,724 deaths .

SEATTLE (AP) - The Seattle school board on Wednesday unanimously voted to begin the academic year remotely.
The plan for the state’s largest school district passed with a wide-ranging amendment that directs the superintendent to explore creating outdoor classes, and also reinforces teaching of Black studies and curricula developed by tribes, The Seattle Times reported.
Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau had previously recommended a fully remote learning model for the start of the school year, which was endorsed by the principals labor union and teachers union.
However, the district’s specific plans are far from set because Seattle Public Schools is still bargaining with the teachers union, the Seattle Education Association. Those discussions will set the parameters for how teachers spend their time, and for the support the district will provide to teachers and families in an online learning environment.
The negotiations will also play a key role in setting student schedules and the school calendar, which has a current start date of Sept. 2.
“Putting these plans together before the end of collective bargaining seems like putting the cart before the horse,” board member Leslie Harris said Wednesday.
A presentation last week set the general schooling parameters. Students will spend approximately three hours a day on video chat, no F grades will be given, schools will have relaxed rules on late work, and some special education students may be eligible for in-person instruction.
The district also said child care will be available at 68 sites owned by the district and that 25 more sites for meal distribution would be added, for a total of 40. Tech support will be expanded and every student will have a device sometime in the fall, but not by the first day of school, according to the district.
Similar plans to start remotely have emerged across the state, with the exception of a few small communities. Health officials in all of Washington state’s top 10 most populous counties have advised against reopening school buildings for in-person instruction.
Seattle Public Schools moved largely online after it shut all buildings March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The state Department of Health on Wednesday reported 555 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to more than 64,700 cases and at least 1,724 deaths.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Kamala Harris, Joe Biden align on return to Obama-era foreign policy

Sen. Kamala D. Harris has been known to speak out in favor of increasing U.S. aid to unstable foreign nations , arguing it will reduce the long-term need for U.S. military interventions around the world .
She also has an international background , having traveled as the daughter of a Jamaican-born father and an Indian-born mother to India as a child and kept close ties to her relatives outside the U.S. as an adult .
But American foreign policy doctrine has not been a defining aspect of Ms. Harris ‘ political career , and analysts say it ’ s unlikely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden ’ s decision to pick her as his number two .
What Ms. Harris is known for is criticizing President Trump , and an analysis of her comments over recent years suggests she ’ s aligned with Mr. Biden ’ s belief that the best path forward is to return to such Obama-era initiatives as the Iran nuclear and Paris climate deals .
Mr. Biden announced his choice of the California native for his running mate Tuesday .
Throughout her career , she has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general for San Francisco , first female attorney general for California , the first Indian-American elected to the Senate and the second Black female senator .
During her first press conference as Mr. Biden ’ s VP pick , she lashed out at Mr. Trump for using Twitter to announce foreign policy moves , asserting that “ we can not conduct our foreign policy through tweets.
” “ My concern is that when we make decisions about what we will do in terms of our military presence , much less our diplomatic priorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way that will involve consultation with our military leaders , in a way that would involve some kind of consultation , or at least outreach to our allies around the globe , ” Ms. Harris said .
As a senator , Ms. Harris has rallied for greater American involvement in human rights issues and has called for a “ robust diplomatic corps and principled engagement throughout the world.
” “ Foreign aid isn ’ t charity — it ’ s in our interest , ” she said in a speech at the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Albright Luncheon in 2017 .
In a Q & A with the Council on Foreign Relations last December , she slammed China ’ s human rights record as “ abysmal , ” vowed to “ stand up to [ Russian President Vladimir ] Putin in defense of democratic values , human rights , and the international rule of law , ” and called to end U.S. support of the Saudi-led war in Yemen .
While Ms. Harris is widely seen to disagree with Mr. Trump style of posturing toward China , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s aggressive Beijing policy .
Ms. Harris has backed efforts to apply pressure on China for its treatment of Uyghur Muslims and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong , although China ’ s foreign ministry has thus far declined to comment on Mr. Biden ’ s announcement of her as his running mate .
A member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence , Ms. Harris has looked to her career as a prosecutor to climb the ladder of the secretive panel .
She became a prominent Democratic voice on the committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and alleged links to the Trump campaign .
Ms. Harris rose into the national spotlight by pumping the narrative that the Kremlin meddled to make Hillary Clinton lose the election .
“ The facts are indisputable , ” Ms. Harris has said .
“ Russia interfered in our 2016 presidential election and did so to help Donald Trump.
” She has also consistently warned of broader threats posed by Russia including potential interference in the current election .
“ Given that we are in another election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our power to protect our election system and ensure it is free from foreign interference and domestic voter suppression , ” she has said .
On Iran , Ms. Harris has accused the Trump administration of generating a crisis by pulling out of the Obama-era nuclear deal in 2018 .
She has argued the deal could have been made stronger without U.S. withdrawal .
“ I believe that we need to get back into the Iran nuclear deal , I would strengthen it , I would include ballistic missile testing , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign .
While many of Mr. Trump ’ s foreign policy and defense initiatives are likely to be overturned under a Biden administration , Ms. Harris is expected to back ongoing efforts to strike a peace deal with Afghanistan and to bring American troops back to the states .
Following a congressional delegation trip to Afghanistan in 2018 , she said that she is “ eager to find a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan so we can bring U.S. servicemembers and national security professionals home .
”

Sen. Kamala D. Harris has been known to speak out in favor of increasing U.S. aid to unstable foreign nations, arguing it will reduce the long-term need for U.S. military interventions around the world.
She also has an international background, having traveled as the daughter of a Jamaican-born father and an Indian-born mother to India as a child and kept close ties to her relatives outside the U.S. as an adult.
But American foreign policy doctrine has not been a defining aspect of Ms. Harris’ political career, and analysts say it’s unlikely her views on international issues factored much into presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden’s decision to pick her as his number two.
What Ms. Harris is known for is criticizing President Trump, and an analysis of her comments over recent years suggests she’s aligned with Mr. Biden’s belief that the best path forward is to return to such Obama-era initiatives as the Iran nuclear and Paris climate deals.
Mr. Biden announced his choice of the California native for his running mate Tuesday. Throughout her career, she has made history as the first female district attorney general for San Francisco, first female attorney general for California, the first Indian-American elected to the Senate and the second Black female senator.
During her first press conference as Mr. Biden’s VP pick, she lashed out at Mr. Trump for using Twitter to announce foreign policy moves, asserting that “we cannot conduct our foreign policy through tweets.”
“My concern is that when we make decisions about what we will do in terms of our military presence, much less our diplomatic priorities, that we do that in a way that will involve consultation with our military leaders, in a way that would involve some kind of consultation, or at least outreach to our allies around the globe,” Ms. Harris said.
As a senator, Ms. Harris has rallied for greater American involvement in human rights issues and has called for a “robust diplomatic corps and principled engagement throughout the world.”
“Foreign aid isn’t charity — it’s in our interest,” she said in a speech at the National Democratic Institute’s 2017 Madeleine K. Albright Luncheon in 2017.
In a Q&A with the Council on Foreign Relations last December, she slammed China’s human rights record as “abysmal,” vowed to “stand up to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in defense of democratic values, human rights, and the international rule of law,” and called to end U.S. support of the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
While Ms. Harris is widely seen to disagree with Mr. Trump style of posturing toward China, there are indications she may privately agree with the administration’s aggressive Beijing policy.
Ms. Harris has backed efforts to apply pressure on China for its treatment of Uyghur Muslims and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, although China’s foreign ministry has thus far declined to comment on Mr. Biden’s announcement of her as his running mate.
A member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Ms. Harris has looked to her career as a prosecutor to climb the ladder of the secretive panel. She became a prominent Democratic voice on the committee during the Senate’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and alleged links to the Trump campaign.
Ms. Harris rose into the national spotlight by pumping the narrative that the Kremlin meddled to make Hillary Clinton lose the election.
“The facts are indisputable,” Ms. Harris has said. “Russia interfered in our 2016 presidential election and did so to help Donald Trump.”
She has also consistently warned of broader threats posed by Russia including potential interference in the current election. “Given that we are in another election year, we must do everything in our power to protect our election system and ensure it is free from foreign interference and domestic voter suppression,” she has said.
On Iran, Ms. Harris has accused the Trump administration of generating a crisis by pulling out of the Obama-era nuclear deal in 2018. She has argued the deal could have been made stronger without U.S. withdrawal.
“I believe that we need to get back into the Iran nuclear deal, I would strengthen it, I would include ballistic missile testing,” she told CBS in an interview during her presidential campaign.
While many of Mr. Trump’s foreign policy and defense initiatives are likely to be overturned under a Biden administration, Ms. Harris is expected to back ongoing efforts to strike a peace deal with Afghanistan and to bring American troops back to the states.
Following a congressional delegation trip to Afghanistan in 2018, she said that she is “eager to find a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan so we can bring U.S. servicemembers and national security professionals home.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Murder case dismissed against man who served 25 years

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - A California man who spent 25 years in prison for a 1994 killing had his murder conviction dismissed Wednesday because the court said he didn ’ t receive a fair trial .
Arturo Jimenez , 44 , had his case dismissed with prejudice , meaning it can not be refiled , although the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office already had moved to dismiss the charges , Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen said in his decision .
Jimenez was convicted of first-degree murder .
Prosecutors said he shot a rival gang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a confrontation involving 15 to 20 people at a Los Angeles gas station .
“ Jimenez has always maintained that he was nearby when he heard the shots , drove his blue Blazer to see if anyone needed help , and when he got to the gas station , people jumped in his car through the open back window and told him to leave , ” said a statement from the non-profit Northern California Innocence Project , which helped represent him .
Jimenez was convicted based on his identification by a young woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who saw the shooter for only a moment ” and who later said she made an identification under police pressure , the statement said .
A friend of the victim who was standing next to him when he was shot told police the driver of the Blazer wasn ’ t the shooter .
But Jimenez ’ s lawyer - who has since been disbarred - never presented that and other evidence of Jimenez ’ s innocence at trial , according to a court petition filed by his lawyers last year .
In Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office conceded that Jimenez was “ deprived of the assistance of constitutionally effective counsel.
” Jimenez , who was released on parole in April , said in the statement that “ the past is my present .
I ’ m still in survival mode.
” He is working and “ hopes to explore counseling and educational opportunities , ” the statement said .
“ This is one of those cases that shows how frighteningly easy it is to get wrongfully convicted , ” said Paige @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Innocence Project .
“ And it is an honor to represent Arturo , who , despite spending a quarter of a century and his entire adult life in prison , has shown what a kind and gentle person he is even through the worst of circumstances , ” she said .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A California man who spent 25 years in prison for a 1994 killing had his murder conviction dismissed Wednesday because the court said he didn’t receive a fair trial.
Arturo Jimenez, 44, had his case dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, although the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office already had moved to dismiss the charges, Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen said in his decision.
Jimenez was convicted of first-degree murder. Prosecutors said he shot a rival gang member, 14-year-old Hugo Colmenarez, during a confrontation involving 15 to 20 people at a Los Angeles gas station.
“Jimenez has always maintained that he was nearby when he heard the shots, drove his blue Blazer to see if anyone needed help, and when he got to the gas station, people jumped in his car through the open back window and told him to leave,” said a statement from the non-profit Northern California Innocence Project, which helped represent him.
Jimenez was convicted based on his identification by a young woman “in the backseat of a car who saw the shooter for only a moment” and who later said she made an identification under police pressure, the statement said.
A friend of the victim who was standing next to him when he was shot told police the driver of the Blazer wasn’t the shooter. But Jimenez’s lawyer - who has since been disbarred - never presented that and other evidence of Jimenez’s innocence at trial, according to a court petition filed by his lawyers last year.
In Wednesday’s ruling, the judge said the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office conceded that Jimenez was “deprived of the assistance of constitutionally effective counsel.”
Jimenez, who was released on parole in April, said in the statement that “the past is my present. I’m still in survival mode.”
He is working and “hopes to explore counseling and educational opportunities,” the statement said.
“This is one of those cases that shows how frighteningly easy it is to get wrongfully convicted,” said Paige Kaneb, attorney for the Northern California Innocence Project.
“And it is an honor to represent Arturo, who, despite spending a quarter of a century and his entire adult life in prison, has shown what a kind and gentle person he is even through the worst of circumstances,” she said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Family wants fatal officer-involved shooting case reopened

JUNEAU , Alaska ( AP ) - The parents of a man who died after being shot by a Juneau police officer want the state to reopen its review of the case , citing evidence one of their attorneys says indicates the officer was “ formulating ” a plan to shoot Kelly Stephens .
Attorneys for Stephens ’ parents , during an online news conference Wednesday , offered video footage they said was released to them through a records request .
They contend audio from Officer James Esbenshade ’ s body camera , which they had enhanced and transcribed over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying such things as , “ If you came at me with that , I ’ d shoot you .
Drop you dead .
You can ’ t do that.
” The police report they cited contained similar language .
Stephens had been accused of threatening a grocery store patron and swinging a long chain before the fatal shooting .
Attorney Ben Crittenden said the comments they are seeking to draw attention to came after the officer responded to the incident at the store to take a witness report late on Dec. 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex after midnight on Dec. 29 .
Crittenden cited the materials in a letter to the state Department of Law ’ s Office of Special Prosecutions asking that its earlier conclusion - that the shooting was legally justified - be re-evaluated .
The video the family ’ s attorneys cited was not among the videos and photos the Juneau Police Department publicly released last month , after Stephens ’ parents , Kevin and Virginia Stephens , filed a civil lawsuit .
Jack McKenna , a chief assistant attorney general with the Office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concluded Esbenshade was “ legally justified in his use of deadly force in order to defend himself from the threat of serious physical injury posed by Mr. Stephens.
” McKenna in his findings said the state would not bring criminal charges against Esbenshade .
McKenna said he had reviewed the results of the Juneau Police Department ’ s investigation and materials including video and audio recordings and witness statements .
His report said Esbenshade , through his attorney , declined to be interviewed about the shooting .
Maria Bahr , a Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referenced in the news conference was provided to the Office of Special Prosecutions “ as part of the initial investigation materials by the Juneau Police Department .
The Department of Law is reviewing the material in light of the family ’ s request and will respond by early next week.
” A message seeking comment was left for an attorney who represented Esbenshade .
According to McKenna ’ s report , Esbenshade responded after police received a call of a shot fired around 12:30 a.m. Dec. 29 , with the caller saying someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The report said a man later identified as Stephens yelled expletives at Esbenshade and told the officer , “ I will kill you , ” as Esbenshade backed up .
The report said Esbenshade had ordered Stephens to stop and said Esbenshade was retreating when he raised his gun .
The report cited footage that McKenna said showed Stephens walking toward where Esbenshade was and swinging a leash and chain .
Steven Glickman , another attorney for Stephens ’ parents , said they worked with a company to make the audio louder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video they released Wednesday .
A portion of the police report highlighted and released by the attorneys references Esbenshade driving around after conducting a witness interview following the grocery store incident and talking to himself , “ something similar to : ‘ you can ’ t come at me with that , that is a deadly weapon .
I ’ d shoot you and drop you dead.
’ ” He later stated , “ you get one chance , you better make it good .
Because when I get ahold of you… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , ” according to the police report the attorneys shared .
Crittenden , in his letter to McKenna , said the police report “ describes in bone-chilling detail Officer Esbenshade talking to himself and formulating his premediated ( sic ) plan to shoot Kelly if he found him.
” A Juneau police spokesperson referred questions to the city attorney , Robert Palmer III , citing the litigation .
Palmer and attorneys for Stephens ’ parents noted the city has yet to be served with the civil lawsuit .
Palmer said attorneys “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about lawsuits in the media , with rare exceptions .
So read into that as you will.
” He declined to elaborate .
Crittenden said Palmer ’ s office “ warned us not to go forward with this press conference because they believed we would be in violation of ethical rules.
” Crittenden said his side was “ fully within our right ” to hold the press availability .

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The parents of a man who died after being shot by a Juneau police officer want the state to reopen its review of the case, citing evidence one of their attorneys says indicates the officer was “formulating” a plan to shoot Kelly Stephens.
Attorneys for Stephens’ parents, during an online news conference Wednesday, offered video footage they said was released to them through a records request. They contend audio from Officer James Esbenshade’s body camera, which they had enhanced and transcribed over the video, indicated the officer was saying such things as, “If you came at me with that, I’d shoot you. Drop you dead. You can’t do that.” The police report they cited contained similar language.
Stephens had been accused of threatening a grocery store patron and swinging a long chain before the fatal shooting.
Attorney Ben Crittenden said the comments they are seeking to draw attention to came after the officer responded to the incident at the store to take a witness report late on Dec. 28. The shooting occurred at an apartment complex after midnight on Dec. 29.
Crittenden cited the materials in a letter to the state Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions asking that its earlier conclusion - that the shooting was legally justified - be re-evaluated.
The video the family’s attorneys cited was not among the videos and photos the Juneau Police Department publicly released last month, after Stephens’ parents, Kevin and Virginia Stephens, filed a civil lawsuit.
Jack McKenna, a chief assistant attorney general with the Office of Special Prosecutions, in a March report concluded Esbenshade was “legally justified in his use of deadly force in order to defend himself from the threat of serious physical injury posed by Mr. Stephens.”
McKenna in his findings said the state would not bring criminal charges against Esbenshade.
McKenna said he had reviewed the results of the Juneau Police Department’s investigation and materials including video and audio recordings and witness statements. His report said Esbenshade, through his attorney, declined to be interviewed about the shooting.
Maria Bahr, a Department of Law spokesperson, said Wednesday the video referenced in the news conference was provided to the Office of Special Prosecutions “as part of the initial investigation materials by the Juneau Police Department. The Department of Law is reviewing the material in light of the family’s request and will respond by early next week.”
A message seeking comment was left for an attorney who represented Esbenshade.
According to McKenna’s report, Esbenshade responded after police received a call of a shot fired around 12:30 a.m. Dec. 29, with the caller saying someone was trying to get into her apartment.
The report said a man later identified as Stephens yelled expletives at Esbenshade and told the officer, “I will kill you,” as Esbenshade backed up. The report said Esbenshade had ordered Stephens to stop and said Esbenshade was retreating when he raised his gun.
The report cited footage that McKenna said showed Stephens walking toward where Esbenshade was and swinging a leash and chain.
Steven Glickman, another attorney for Stephens’ parents, said they worked with a company to make the audio louder and added transcription to a copy of the video they released Wednesday.
A portion of the police report highlighted and released by the attorneys references Esbenshade driving around after conducting a witness interview following the grocery store incident and talking to himself, “something similar to: ‘you can’t come at me with that, that is a deadly weapon. I’d shoot you and drop you dead.’” He later stated, “you get one chance, you better make it good. Because when I get ahold of you… There’d be nothing left of you,” according to the police report the attorneys shared.
Crittenden, in his letter to McKenna, said the police report “describes in bone-chilling detail Officer Esbenshade talking to himself and formulating his premediated (sic) plan to shoot Kelly if he found him.”
A Juneau police spokesperson referred questions to the city attorney, Robert Palmer III, citing the litigation. Palmer and attorneys for Stephens’ parents noted the city has yet to be served with the civil lawsuit.
Palmer said attorneys “are prohibited from holding press conferences and talking about lawsuits in the media, with rare exceptions. So read into that as you will.” He declined to elaborate.
Crittenden said Palmer’s office “warned us not to go forward with this press conference because they believed we would be in violation of ethical rules.”
Crittenden said his side was “fully within our right” to hold the press availability.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Navajo Nation reports 22 more COVID-19 cases, 4 more deaths

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. ( AP ) - Navajo Nation health officials have reported 22 more cases of COVID-19 and four additional deaths .
That brings the total number of people infected to 9,356 and the known death toll to 477 as of Wednesday .
Navajo Department of Health officials said 86,759 people have been tested for the coronavirus and 6,920 have recovered .
Tribal President Jonathan Nez pointed to the latest coronavirus figures as evidence that most Navajo Nation residents are complying with lockdown orders and the advice of medical experts .
The tribe has a work group determining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Navajo Nation recently changed its 57-hour weekend lockdown to a 32-hour one .
Tribal officials said the daily curfew also will be changed to those same hours on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona , New Mexico and Utah .
The majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover .
For some people it causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
But for others who contract the virus , especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions , it can cause @ @ @ @ @ @

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) - Navajo Nation health officials have reported 22 more cases of COVID-19 and four additional deaths.
That brings the total number of people infected to 9,356 and the known death toll to 477 as of Wednesday.
Navajo Department of Health officials said 86,759 people have been tested for the coronavirus and 6,920 have recovered.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez pointed to the latest coronavirus figures as evidence that most Navajo Nation residents are complying with lockdown orders and the advice of medical experts. The tribe has a work group determining a plan to gradually reopen the reservation.
The Navajo Nation recently changed its 57-hour weekend lockdown to a 32-hour one.
Tribal officials said the daily curfew also will be changed to those same hours on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover.
For some people it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.
But for others who contract the virus, especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions, it can cause more severe illness and death.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--New Mexico wants Trump unemployment offer, says no to match

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - New Mexico is saying yes to President Donald Trump ’ s offer to extend a weekly federal supplement to unemployment benefits - without increasing the state ’ s standard payout as suggested .
Workforce Solutions Secretary Bill McCamley on Wednesday said the state has submitted an application to the U.S. government that would provide an additional $ 300 per week to residents who receive unemployment benefits .
If approved , that would bring the maximum weekly benefit to $ 761 .
Trump ’ s Aug. 1 executive order called for payments up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than the $ 600 people had been receiving under a benefit that expired last month .
The president said payments would be funded 75 % by federal government and 25 % by states , despite major local budget shortfalls for states including New Mexico .
New Mexico ’ s unemployment trust withered to $ 80 million this month as labor officials seek a $ 285 million loan from the U.S. Treasury to sustain payments through October .
The state is confronting a billion-dollar general fund budget deficit for the coming fiscal year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the state ’ s unemployment trust fund can act as a match to lock in a $ 300 weekly supplement from a federal disaster relief fund .
McCamley says the interpretation is based on guidance from the U.S. Labor Department and reactions by states including Ohio .
“ If that ’ s approved , people will see an additional $ 300 for the weeks they are eligible , ” he said .
In a statement about the application , Democratic Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham said she still hopes that Congress will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bolster unemployment funds .
“ But we will take every opportunity to help families and workers , ” she said .
McCamley said it is unclear how soon the additional $ 300 might be available or how long the extra payments might be sustained to unemployment beneficiaries .
The federal government previously covered the full cost of the $ 600 supplement that expired in July .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico is saying yes to President Donald Trump’s offer to extend a weekly federal supplement to unemployment benefits - without increasing the state’s standard payout as suggested.
Workforce Solutions Secretary Bill McCamley on Wednesday said the state has submitted an application to the U.S. government that would provide an additional $300 per week to residents who receive unemployment benefits. If approved, that would bring the maximum weekly benefit to $761.
Trump’s Aug. 1 executive order called for payments up to $400 each week, one-third less than the $600 people had been receiving under a benefit that expired last month.
The president said payments would be funded 75% by federal government and 25% by states, despite major local budget shortfalls for states including New Mexico.
New Mexico’s unemployment trust withered to $80 million this month as labor officials seek a $285 million loan from the U.S. Treasury to sustain payments through October. The state is confronting a billion-dollar general fund budget deficit for the coming fiscal year.
State labor officials believe existing payments from the state’s unemployment trust fund can act as a match to lock in a $300 weekly supplement from a federal disaster relief fund. McCamley says the interpretation is based on guidance from the U.S. Labor Department and reactions by states including Ohio.
“If that’s approved, people will see an additional $300 for the weeks they are eligible,” he said.
In a statement about the application, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she still hopes that Congress will pass a new economic aid package to bolster unemployment funds.
“But we will take every opportunity to help families and workers,” she said.
McCamley said it is unclear how soon the additional $300 might be available or how long the extra payments might be sustained to unemployment beneficiaries.
The federal government previously covered the full cost of the $600 supplement that expired in July.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--Tennessee lawmakers end session on protests, COVID liability

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) - Tennessee lawmakers finished a special session in pandemic times Wednesday by passing a sweeping proposal that would significantly stiffen penalties against protesters demanding racial justice .
In the narrow scope of the three-day election year session , no steps were taken to provide more relief to Tennessee workers who have lost their jobs due to the global pandemic .
Efforts to increase law enforcement oversight were rebuffed by the GOP-dominant Statehouse .
Instead , the majority white General Assembly chose to focus their attention on the ongoing protests that have been led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have been calling for racial justice reforms for the past two months .
Republican leaders also advanced a bill awarding businesses protection from lawsuits arising from the new coronavirus .
Under the proposal targeting protests , those who illegally camp on state property would now face a Class E felony rather than a misdemeanor .
Felony convictions in Tennessee result in the revocation of an individual ’ s right to vote .
“ If you want to overthrow our government through violent revolution , you shouldn ’ t have the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Stevens , a Republican from Huntingdon .
The protest bill had gone through multiple iterations throughout Wednesday .
The Senate had fought to soften the felony punishment for illegal camping , but ultimately caved to the House ’ s stricter version as the day waned on .
The protest proposal also would impose mandatory minimums for rioting , create an offense against assaulting a first responder and enhance the misdemeanor penalty for damaging state property .
Democrats countered the bill was “ ridiculous ” and the felony punishment for illegal camping would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The legislation we are proposing now , years from now , I will submit to you that we will be on the wrong side of history , ” said Sen. Brenda Gilmore , a Black Democrat from Goodlettsville .
Lawmakers were back at the Capitol for the second time since the outbreak sent them home early in March , and many of the Republicans still decided against wearing masks .
That ’ s despite the 11 legislative staffers or lawmakers who have tested positive for COVID-19 since May , according to Connie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet Republicans grew increasingly irritated at protesters who blocked the parking garage on multiple days .
Leaders of the protest have sought meetings with top GOP leaders , particularly Gov .
Bill Lee , but have been thus far denied .
In the liability debate , Republican leaders argued their actions to protect entities ranging from businesses to school districts would provide needed assurances to boost the state ’ s economy - which is suffering due to COVID-19 closures .
They also maintained the legislation that levied increased penalties against protesters who broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to demonstrations in other parts of the country that saw “ occupied ” protest zones and to a May 31 protest in Nashville that turned violent and resulted in damage to the city ’ s courthouse .
Lee convened the special legislative session after lawmakers failed to pass COVID liability legislation before they initially adjourned in mid-June .
He had signed an executive order protecting health care providers while lawmakers quibbled over their differences .
The main dividing line over the liability bill was whether to make its protections retroactive to early March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House opposed .
The bill that ultimately passed is now retroactive to Aug. 3 .
This has caused alarm from some lawmakers that bill may be illegal because Tennessee ’ s Constitution states “ no retrospective law , or law impairing the obligations of contracts , shall be made.
” “ I readily admit this is a question that the courts will have to answer , ” said Republican Sen. Mike Bell , who added he felt confident a court would side with the Legislature because the proposal would be in the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor COVID-19 safeguards will be grandfathered into state code as long as the complaints had been filed before early August .
Earlier that day , a Senate panel spiked a proposal that would have required law enforcement to “ clearly identify ” themselves while making arrests .
The bill had been backed by Democrats in response to the death in Kentucky of Breonna Taylor , who was fatally shot on March 13 by Louisville police officers serving a “ no knock ” narcotics search warrant at her apartment .

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee lawmakers finished a special session in pandemic times Wednesday by passing a sweeping proposal that would significantly stiffen penalties against protesters demanding racial justice.
In the narrow scope of the three-day election year session, no steps were taken to provide more relief to Tennessee workers who have lost their jobs due to the global pandemic. Efforts to increase law enforcement oversight were rebuffed by the GOP-dominant Statehouse.
Instead, the majority white General Assembly chose to focus their attention on the ongoing protests that have been led by mostly young Black activists outside the Capitol, who have been calling for racial justice reforms for the past two months. Republican leaders also advanced a bill awarding businesses protection from lawsuits arising from the new coronavirus.
Under the proposal targeting protests, those who illegally camp on state property would now face a Class E felony rather than a misdemeanor. Felony convictions in Tennessee result in the revocation of an individual’s right to vote.
“If you want to overthrow our government through violent revolution, you shouldn’t have the right to vote,” said state Sen. John Stevens, a Republican from Huntingdon.
The protest bill had gone through multiple iterations throughout Wednesday. The Senate had fought to soften the felony punishment for illegal camping, but ultimately caved to the House’s stricter version as the day waned on.
The protest proposal also would impose mandatory minimums for rioting, create an offense against assaulting a first responder and enhance the misdemeanor penalty for damaging state property.
Democrats countered the bill was “ridiculous” and the felony punishment for illegal camping would unfairly hurt minority and homeless communities.
“The legislation we are proposing now, years from now, I will submit to you that we will be on the wrong side of history,” said Sen. Brenda Gilmore, a Black Democrat from Goodlettsville.
Lawmakers were back at the Capitol for the second time since the outbreak sent them home early in March, and many of the Republicans still decided against wearing masks. That’s despite the 11 legislative staffers or lawmakers who have tested positive for COVID-19 since May, according to Connie Ridley, director of legislative administration.
Yet Republicans grew increasingly irritated at protesters who blocked the parking garage on multiple days.
Leaders of the protest have sought meetings with top GOP leaders, particularly Gov. Bill Lee, but have been thus far denied.
In the liability debate, Republican leaders argued their actions to protect entities ranging from businesses to school districts would provide needed assurances to boost the state’s economy - which is suffering due to COVID-19 closures.
They also maintained the legislation that levied increased penalties against protesters who broke certain laws was desperately needed, pointing to demonstrations in other parts of the country that saw “occupied” protest zones and to a May 31 protest in Nashville that turned violent and resulted in damage to the city’s courthouse.
Lee convened the special legislative session after lawmakers failed to pass COVID liability legislation before they initially adjourned in mid-June. He had signed an executive order protecting health care providers while lawmakers quibbled over their differences.
The main dividing line over the liability bill was whether to make its protections retroactive to early March, which the Senate supported and the House opposed.
The bill that ultimately passed is now retroactive to Aug. 3. This has caused alarm from some lawmakers that bill may be illegal because Tennessee’s Constitution states “no retrospective law, or law impairing the obligations of contracts, shall be made.”
“I readily admit this is a question that the courts will have to answer,” said Republican Sen. Mike Bell, who added he felt confident a court would side with the Legislature because the proposal would be in the public’s interest.
Existing lawsuits surrounding poor COVID-19 safeguards will be grandfathered into state code as long as the complaints had been filed before early August.
Earlier that day, a Senate panel spiked a proposal that would have required law enforcement to “clearly identify” themselves while making arrests. The bill had been backed by Democrats in response to the death in Kentucky of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot on March 13 by Louisville police officers serving a “no knock” narcotics search warrant at her apartment.