washingtontimes--2020-07-11--AP FACT CHECK: If he's said it once, he's said it 100 times

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - If saying things 100 times could make them true , President Donald Trump ’ s account of how the U.S. is doing with the coronavirus would be true .
COVID-19 testing would be the envy of the world , the economy would be on the cusp of roaring back , the threat would be receding in a pandemic that has sickened more than 3.1 million Americans and killed more than 133,000 .
But repetition doesn ’ t make for reality .
The U.S. is taking a disproportionate hit from the coronavirus globally and does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at how rhetoric from the past week compares with the facts on various fronts : TRUMP : “ For the 1/100th time , the reason we show so many Cases , compared to other countries that haven ’ t done nearly as well as we have , is that our TESTING is much bigger and better .
We have tested 40,000,000 people .
If we did 20,000,000 instead , Cases would be half , etc .
NOT REPORTED !
” - tweet Thursday .
THE FACTS : His notion that infections are high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased is false .
His own top public health officials have shot down this line of thinking .
Infections are rising because people are infecting each other more than they were when most everyone was hunkered down .
It ’ s true that increased testing also contributes to the higher numbers .
When you look harder , you ’ re going to see more .
But the testing has uncovered a worrisome trend : The percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus is on the rise across nearly the entire country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that sickness is spreading and that the U.S. testing system is falling short .
“ A high rate of positive tests indicates a government is only testing the sickest patients who seek out medical attention and is not casting a wide enough net , ” says the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center , a primary source of updated information on the pandemic .
Americans are being confronted with long lines at testing sites , often disqualified if they are not showing symptoms and , if tested , forced to wait many days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ We have the lowest Mortality Rate in the World.
” – tweet Tuesday .
THE FACTS : This statement is wholly unsupported .
An accurate death rate is impossible to know .
Every country tests and counts people differently , and some are unreliable in reporting cases .
Without knowing the true number of people who become infected , it can not be determined what portion of them die .
Using a count kept by Johns Hopkins University , you can compare the number of recorded deaths with the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. experiencing more deaths as a percentage of cases than most other countries now being hit hard with the pandemic .
The statistics look better for the U.S. when the list is expanded to include European countries that were slammed early on by the virus but now appear to have it under control .
Even then , the U.S. is not shown to be among the best in avoiding death .
Such calculations , though , do not provide a reliable measurement of actual death rates , because of the variations in testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tally is not meant to be such a measure .
The only way to tell how many cases have gone uncounted , and therefore what percentage of infected people have died from the disease , is to do another kind of test comprehensively , of people ’ s blood , to find how many people bear immune system antibodies to the virus .
Globally , that is only being done in select places .
TRUMP : “ Deaths in the U.S. are way down.
” - tweet Monday , one of at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily deaths from the virus .
THE FACTS : It ’ s true that deaths dipped even as infections spiked in many parts of the country .
But deaths lag sickness and the spikes have not played out .
“ It ’ s a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said Tuesday .
He advised Americans : “ Don ’ t get yourself into false complacency.
” THE FACTS : Yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the greatest job losses in history , by far .
The U.S. economy shed more than 22 million jobs in March and April , wiping out nearly a decade of job growth in just two months , as the viral outbreak intensified and nearly all states shut down nonessential businesses .
Since then , 7.5 million , or about one-third , of those jobs have been recovered as businesses reopened .
Even after those gains , the unemployment rate is 11.1 % , down from April and May but otherwise higher than at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Economy and Jobs are growing MUCH faster than anyone ( except me ! )
expected.
” - tweet Wednesday .
THE FACTS : Not really .
It ’ s true that May ’ s gain of 2.7 million jobs was unexpected .
Economists had forecast another month of job losses .
But most economists projected hiring would sharply rebound by June or at the latest July , once businesses began to reopen .
The gains kicked in a month earlier than forecast .
Now , though , coronavirus cases are rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back .
In six states representing one-third of the economy - Arizona , California , Colorado , Florida , Michigan , and Texas - governors are reversing their reopening plans , and the restart is on pause in 15 other states .
Such reversals are keeping layoffs elevated and threatening to weaken hiring .
TRUMP campaign ad , playing out a scenario where a person needing help calls the police in a Biden presidency and gets a voice recording : “ You have reached the 911 police emergency line .
Due to defunding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re sorry but no one is here to take your call.
” The ad closes with the message : “ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America.
” THE FACTS : Biden has not joined the call of protesters who demanded “ defund the police ” after Floyd ’ s killing .
He ’ s proposed more money for police , conditioned to improvements in their practices .
“ I don ’ t support defunding the police , “ Biden said last month in a CBS interview .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal aid to police based on whether “ they meet certain basic standards of decency , honorableness and , in fact , are able to demonstrate they can protect the community , everybody in the community.
” Biden ’ s criminal justice agenda , released long before he became the Democrats ’ presumptive presidential nominee , proposes more federal money for “ training that is needed to avert tragic , unjustifiable deaths ” and hiring more officers to ensure that departments are racially and ethnically reflective of the populations they serve .
Specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million infusion into existing federal community policing grant programs .
That adds up to more money for police , not defunding law enforcement .
Biden also wants the federal government to spend more on education , social services and struggling areas of cities and rural America , to address root causes of crime .
Democrats , meanwhile , have pointed to Trump ’ s repeated proposals in the administration ’ s budget to cut community policing and mediation programs at the Justice Department .
Congressional Republicans say the program can be effectively merged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly blocked the effort .
The program has been used to help provide federal oversight of local police departments .
Despite proposed cuts , Attorney General William Barr last month said that the department would use the COPS program funding to hire over 2,700 police officers at nearly 600 departments across the country .
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE email : “ In the wake of rioting , looting , and tragic murders ripping apart communities across the country , Joe Biden said ‘ Yes , absolutely ’ he wants to defund the police.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RNC ’ s rapid response director .
THE FACTS : That ’ s misleading , a selective use of Biden ’ s words on the subject .
The email links to an excerpted video clip of Biden ’ s conversation with liberal activist Ady Barkan , who endorsed Biden on Wednesday after supporting Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primaries .
A full recording of that conversation , provided by the Biden campaign to The Associated Press , shows he again declined to support defunding police , Barkan raises the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would funnel money into social services , mental health counseling and affordable housing to help reduce civilian interactions with police .
Biden responds that he is calling for increased funding for mental health providers but “ that ’ s not the same as getting rid of or defunding all the police ” and that both approaches are needed , including more money for community police .
Asked again by Barkan , “ so we agree that we can redirect some of the funding , ” Biden then answers “ absolutely yes.
” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not just redirect ” federal money potentially but “ condition ” it on police improvements .
“ If they don ’ t eliminate choke holds , they don ’ t get ( federal ) grants , if they don ’ t do the following , they don ’ t get any help , ” Biden replied .
“ The vast majority of all police departments are funded by the locality , funded by the municipality , funded by the state , ” he added .
“ It ’ s only the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so it says you want help , you have to do the following reforms , .
” BIDEN : “ President Trump claimed to the American people that he was a wartime leader , but instead of taking responsibility , Trump has waved a white flag , revealing that he ordered the slowing of testing and having his administration tell Americans that they simply need to ‘ live with it.
’ ’ – statement Wednesday marking the rise in U.S. coronavirus infections to more than 3 million .
THE FACTS : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not slow testing on the orders of the president .
Trump at first denied he was joking when he told a Tulsa , Oklahoma , rally on June 20 that he said “ to my people , ‘ Slow the testing down , please ’ ” because “ they test and they test.
” Days later he said he didn ’ t really mean it .
In any event , a succession of his public-health officials testified to Congress that the president never asked them to slow testing and that they were doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But testing remains markedly insufficient .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures .

CALVIN WOODWARD, HOPE YEN and CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

WASHINGTON (AP) - If saying things 100 times could make them true, President Donald Trump’s account of how the U.S. is doing with the coronavirus would be true.
COVID-19 testing would be the envy of the world, the economy would be on the cusp of roaring back, the threat would be receding in a pandemic that has sickened more than 3.1 million Americans and killed more than 134,000.
But repetition doesn’t make for reality. The U.S. is taking a disproportionate hit from the coronavirus globally and does not have it under control.
A look at how rhetoric from the past week compares with the facts on various fronts:
VIRUS
TRUMP: “Deaths in the U.S. are way down.” - tweet Monday, one of at least a half dozen heralding a drop in daily deaths from the virus.
THE FACTS: It’s true that deaths dipped as infections spiked in many parts of the country. But deaths lag sickness. And now, the widely expected upturn in U.S. deaths has begun, driven by fatalities in states in the South and West, according to data analyzed by The Associated Press.
“It’s a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday. He advised Americans: “Don’t get yourself into false complacency.”
The new AP analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University shows the seven-day rolling average for daily reported deaths in the U.S. increased to 664 on Friday from 578 two weeks ago, as deaths rose in more than half the states. That’s still well below the lethal numbers of April.
“It’s consistently picking up,” said William Hanage, a Harvard University infectious diseases researcher. “And it’s picking up at the time you’d expect it to.”
___
TRUMP: “For the 1/100th time, the reason we show so many Cases, compared to other countries that haven’t done nearly as well as we have, is that our TESTING is much bigger and better. We have tested 40,000,000 people. If we did 20,000,000 instead, Cases would be half, etc. NOT REPORTED!” - tweet Thursday.
THE FACTS: His notion that infections are high only because the U.S. diagnostic testing has increased is false. His own top public health officials have shot down this line of thinking. Infections are rising because people are infecting each other more than they were when most everyone was hunkered down.
It’s true that increased testing also contributes to the higher numbers. When you look harder, you’re going to see more. But the testing has uncovered a worrisome trend: The percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus is on the rise across nearly the entire country.
That’s a clear demonstration that sickness is spreading and that the U.S. testing system is falling short.
“A high rate of positive tests indicates a government is only testing the sickest patients who seek out medical attention and is not casting a wide enough net,” says the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, a primary source of updated information on the pandemic.
Americans are being confronted with long lines at testing sites, often disqualified if they are not showing symptoms and, if tested, forced to wait many days for results.
___
TRUMP on the coronavirus: “We have the lowest Mortality Rate in the World.” – tweet Tuesday.
THE FACTS: This statement is wholly unsupported.
An accurate death rate is impossible to know. Every country tests and counts people differently, and some are unreliable in reporting cases. Without knowing the true number of people who become infected, it cannot be determined what portion of them die.
Using a count kept by Johns Hopkins University, you can compare the number of recorded deaths with the number of reported cases. That count shows the U.S. experiencing more deaths as a percentage of cases than most other countries now being hit hard with the pandemic. The statistics look better for the U.S. when the list is expanded to include European countries that were slammed early on by the virus but now appear to have it under control. Even then, the U.S. is not shown to be among the best in avoiding death.
Such calculations, though, do not provide a reliable measurement of actual death rates, because of the variations in testing and reporting, and the Johns Hopkins tally is not meant to be such a measure.
The only way to tell how many cases have gone uncounted, and therefore what percentage of infected people have died from the disease, is to do another kind of test comprehensively, of people’s blood, to find how many people bear immune system antibodies to the virus. Globally, that is only being done in select places.
___
ECONOMY
TRUMP: “Job growth is biggest in history.” - tweet Wednesday.
THE FACTS: Yes, but only because it is following the greatest job losses in history, by far.
The U.S. economy shed more than 22 million jobs in March and April, wiping out nearly a decade of job growth in just two months, as the viral outbreak intensified and nearly all states shut down nonessential businesses. Since then, 7.5 million, or about one-third, of those jobs have been recovered as businesses reopened. Even after those gains, the unemployment rate is 11.1%, down from April and May but otherwise higher than at any point since the Depression.
___
TRUMP: “Economy and Jobs are growing MUCH faster than anyone (except me!) expected.” - tweet Wednesday.
THE FACTS: Not really. It’s true that May’s gain of 2.7 million jobs was unexpected. Economists had forecast another month of job losses. But most economists projected hiring would sharply rebound by June or at the latest July, once businesses began to reopen. The gains kicked in a month earlier than forecast.
Now, though, coronavirus cases are rising in most states, imperiling the climb back. In six states representing one-third of the economy - Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, and Texas - governors are reversing their reopening plans, and the restart is on pause in 15 other states. Such reversals are keeping layoffs elevated and threatening to weaken hiring.
___
TRUMP ON BIDEN
TRUMP campaign ad, playing out a scenario where a person needing help calls the police in a Biden presidency and gets a voice recording: “You have reached the 911 police emergency line. Due to defunding of the police department, we’re sorry but no one is here to take your call.” The ad closes with the message: “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”
THE FACTS: Biden has not joined the call of protesters who demanded “defund the police” after Floyd’s killing. He’s proposed more money for police, conditioned to improvements in their practices.
“I don’t support defunding the police,“ Biden said last month in a CBS interview. But he said he would support tying federal aid to police based on whether “they meet certain basic standards of decency, honorableness and, in fact, are able to demonstrate they can protect the community, everybody in the community.”
Biden’s criminal justice agenda, released long before he became the Democrats’ presumptive presidential nominee, proposes more federal money for “training that is needed to avert tragic, unjustifiable deaths” and hiring more officers to ensure that departments are racially and ethnically reflective of the populations they serve.
Specifically, he calls for a $300 million infusion into existing federal community policing grant programs.
That adds up to more money for police, not defunding law enforcement.
Biden also wants the federal government to spend more on education, social services and struggling areas of cities and rural America, to address root causes of crime.
Democrats, meanwhile, have pointed to Trump’s repeated proposals in the administration’s budget to cut community policing and mediation programs at the Justice Department. Congressional Republicans say the program can be effectively merged with other divisions, but Democrats have repeatedly blocked the effort. The program has been used to help provide federal oversight of local police departments.
Despite proposed cuts, Attorney General William Barr last month said that the department would use the COPS program funding to hire over 2,700 police officers at nearly 600 departments across the country.
___
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE email: “In the wake of rioting, looting, and tragic murders ripping apart communities across the country, Joe Biden said ‘Yes, absolutely’ he wants to defund the police.” - email Wednesday from Steve Guest, RNC’s rapid response director.
THE FACTS: That’s misleading, a selective use of Biden’s words on the subject.
The email links to an excerpted video clip of Biden’s conversation with liberal activist Ady Barkan, who endorsed Biden on Wednesday after supporting Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primaries. A full recording of that conversation, provided by the Biden campaign to The Associated Press, shows he again declined to support defunding police,
Barkan raises the issue of police reform and asks whether Biden would funnel money into social services, mental health counseling and affordable housing to help reduce civilian interactions with police.
Biden responds that he is calling for increased funding for mental health providers but “that’s not the same as getting rid of or defunding all the police” and that both approaches are needed, including more money for community police.
Asked again by Barkan, “so we agree that we can redirect some of the funding,” Biden then answers “absolutely yes.”
Biden then gives the caveat that he means “not just redirect” federal money potentially but “condition” it on police improvements.
“If they don’t eliminate choke holds, they don’t get (federal) grants, if they don’t do the following, they don’t get any help,” Biden replied.
“The vast majority of all police departments are funded by the locality, funded by the municipality, funded by the state,” he added. “It’s only the federal government comes in on top of that, and so it says you want help, you have to do the following reforms,.”
___
BIDEN ON TRUMP
BIDEN: “President Trump claimed to the American people that he was a wartime leader, but instead of taking responsibility, Trump has waved a white flag, revealing that he ordered the slowing of testing and having his administration tell Americans that they simply need to ‘live with it.’’ – statement Wednesday marking the rise in U.S. coronavirus infections to more than 3 million.
THE FACTS: To be clear, the government did not slow testing on the orders of the president.
Trump at first denied he was joking when he told a Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally on June 20 that he said “to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please’” because “they test and they test.” Days later he said he didn’t really mean it.
In any event, a succession of his public-health officials testified to Congress that the president never asked them to slow testing and that they were doing all they could to increase it. But testing remains markedly insufficient.
___
Associated Press writers Mike Stobbe and Nicky Forster in New York contributed to this report.
___
EDITOR’S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.
___
Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck
Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--Dozens of US Marines in Japan's Okinawa get coronavirus

TOKYO ( AP ) - Dozens of U.S. Marines at two bases on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa have been infected with the coronavirus in what is feared to be a massive outbreak , Okinawa ’ s governor said Saturday , demanding an adequate explanation from the U.S. military .
Gov .
Denny Tamaki said he could say only that a “ few dozen ” cases had been found recently because the U.S. military asked that the exact figure not be released .
The outbreaks occurred at Marine Corps .
Air Station Futenma , which is at the center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hansen , Tamaki said .
Local media , citing unnamed sources , said about 60 people had been infected .
“ Okinawans are shocked by what we were told ( by the U.S. military ) , ” Tamaki told a news conference .
“ We now have strong doubts that the U.S. military has taken adequate disease prevention measures.
” Tamaki demanded transparency in the latest development and said he planned to request talks between the U.S. military and Okinawan officials .
He said Okinawan officials also asked the Japanese government to demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of cases , seal off Futenma and Camp Hansen , and step up preventive measures on base .
Okinawan officials made similar requests to the U.S. military on Friday in order to address local residents ’ concerns , Tamaki said .
The Marines said in a statement Friday that the troops were taking additional protective measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus and were restricting off-base activities .
The statement said measures are “ to protect our forces , our families , and the local community , ” without providing details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not immediately respond Saturday to an Associated Press inquiry about the latest outbreak .
Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact , and the residents are sensitive to U.S. base-related problems .
Many Okinawans have long complained about pollution , noise and crime related to U.S. bases .
Okinawans also oppose a planned relocation of the Futenma air base from the current site in a densely populated area in the south to a less populated area on the east coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assembly adopted a resolution Friday protesting the U.S. military ’ s lack of transparency about its outbreak on base .
Okinawa has about 150 cases of the coronavirus .
In all , Japan has about 21,000 cases and 1,000 deaths , with Tokyo reporting more than 200 new cases for a third straight day Saturday .

TOKYO (AP) - Dozens of U.S. Marines at two bases on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa have been infected with the coronavirus in what is feared to be a massive outbreak, Okinawa’s governor said Saturday, demanding an adequate explanation from the U.S. military.
Gov. Denny Tamaki said he could say only that a “few dozen” cases had been found recently because the U.S. military asked that the exact figure not be released. The outbreaks occurred at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is at the center of a relocation dispute, and Camp Hansen, Tamaki said.
Local media, citing unnamed sources, said about 60 people had been infected.
“Okinawans are shocked by what we were told (by the U.S. military),” Tamaki told a news conference. “We now have strong doubts that the U.S. military has taken adequate disease prevention measures.”
Tamaki demanded transparency in the latest development and said he planned to request talks between the U.S. military and Okinawan officials. He said Okinawan officials also asked the Japanese government to demand that the U.S. provide details including the number of cases, seal off Futenma and Camp Hansen, and step up preventive measures on base.
Okinawan officials made similar requests to the U.S. military on Friday in order to address local residents’ concerns, Tamaki said.
The Marines said in a statement Friday that the troops were taking additional protective measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus and were restricting off-base activities. The statement said measures are “to protect our forces, our families, and the local community,” without providing details on the infections.
The Marines did not immediately respond Saturday to an Associated Press inquiry about the latest outbreak.
Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact, and the residents are sensitive to U.S. base-related problems. Many Okinawans have long complained about pollution, noise and crime related to U.S. bases.
Okinawans also oppose a planned relocation of the Futenma air base from the current site in a densely populated area in the south to a less populated area on the east coast.
Local media reported that the Okinawan assembly adopted a resolution Friday protesting the U.S. military’s lack of transparency about its outbreak on base.
Okinawa has about 150 cases of the coronavirus. In all, Japan has about 21,000 cases and 1,000 deaths, with Tokyo reporting more than 200 new cases for a third straight day Saturday.
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Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--5 dead in hostage situation at troubled South Africa church

JOHANNESBURG ( AP ) - Five people are dead and more than 40 have been arrested after an early-morning hostage situation at a long-troubled church near Johannesburg , police in South Africa said Saturday .
A statement said police and military who responded to reports of a shooting at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church headquarters in Zuurbekom found four people “ shot and burned to death in a car ” and a security guard shot in another car .
Six other people were injured .
Police said they rescued men , women and children who had been held hostage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church .
It was not clear how many were rescued .
The attack by a group of armed people “ may have been motivated by a feud ” between church members , the police statement said .
The church is one of the largest - and reportedly richest - in South Africa .
Photos tweeted by the police showed more than a dozen men lying on the ground , subdued , along with rifles , pistols , a baseball bat and boxes of ammunition -including at least one marked “ law enforcement.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what could have been a more severe bloodbath , ” national police commissioner Khehla John Sitole said .
Among those arrested were members of the police , defense forces and correctional services .
The church ’ s Zuurbekom headquarters has been the scene of violence between factions more than once in recent years , with shots fired , rocks thrown and cars smashed , according to local news reports .
“ Trouble has been brewing at the church following the death of its leader‚ Glayton Modise‚ in February 2016 , ” The Sowetan @ @ @ @ @

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Five people are dead and more than 40 have been arrested after an early-morning hostage situation at a long-troubled church near Johannesburg, police in South Africa said Saturday.
A statement said police and military who responded to reports of a shooting at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church headquarters in Zuurbekom found four people “shot and burned to death in a car” and a security guard shot in another car. Six other people were injured.
Police said they rescued men, women and children who had been held hostage and appeared to have been living at the church. It was not clear how many were rescued.
The attack by a group of armed people “may have been motivated by a feud” between church members, the police statement said.
The church is one of the largest - and reportedly richest - in South Africa.
Photos tweeted by the police showed more than a dozen men lying on the ground, subdued, along with rifles, pistols, a baseball bat and boxes of ammunition -including at least one marked “law enforcement.”
The response by security forces “averted what could have been a more severe bloodbath,” national police commissioner Khehla John Sitole said.
Among those arrested were members of the police, defense forces and correctional services.
The church’s Zuurbekom headquarters has been the scene of violence between factions more than once in recent years, with shots fired, rocks thrown and cars smashed, according to local news reports.
“Trouble has been brewing at the church following the death of its leader‚ Glayton Modise‚ in February 2016,” The Sowetan newspaper reported in 2018.


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--British pilot discharged from Vietnam hospital, heading home

HO CHI MINH CITY , Vietnam ( AP ) - A British pilot who was Vietnam ’ s most critical COVID-19 patient was discharged from a hospital on Saturday , less than a week after doctors said he was virus-free and healthy enough to return home to Scotland .
The 42-year-old man was taken by ambulance from Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City to the city ’ s airport .
He was scheduled to take a flight to Hanoi , Vietnam ’ s capital , where he will depart on a flight to London , with a stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land in London on Sunday morning .
Vietnam has gone all out to save the man , who was working for national carrier Vietnam Airlines when he tested positive for the coronavirus in March .
The pilot had been critically ill and spent 65 days on life support .
“ I ’ m overwhelmed by the generosity of the Vietnamese people , the dedication and professionalism of the doctors and nurses working ” at Cho Ray Hospital , the man said Saturday morning in a video released by the hospital , where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only thank everybody here for things that they have done , ” the man said as he was sitting in a wheelchair next to a group of doctors .
“ I ’ m going home with a happy heart because I ’ m going home , but it is sad that I ’ m leaving so many people here that I ’ m friends with.
” The pilot is known in Vietnam as “ Patient 91 , ” as he was the 91st person in the country confirmed to have the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the ICU , and his recovery means the country still has not had any COVID-19 deaths .
“ The patient ’ s recovery has been like a very long flight , ” Dr. Tran Thanh Linh , the deputy head of the ICU ward at Cho Ray Hospital , said during a meeting between hospital officials , the British Consulate and Vietnam Airlines representatives just before the discharge .
“ But he made it , ” Linh said .
“ All of the health workers are overwhelmed with joy to see him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital today.
” After the meeting , the man was handed a certificate stating that he is virus-free and healthy enough to travel on a long-haul flight .
The pilot was scheduled to be flown on one of Vietnam Airlines ’ Boeing 787s - the same aircraft he used to pilot when he was flying for the carrier .
“ We want to make him happy , to make him feel like coming back to his second home on the aircraft , ” said Luu Hoang Minh , deputy head of Vietnam Airlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man used to work .
“ It ’ s going to be a long night tonight , but he will have his colleagues with him on the flight .
He will feel like being a pilot again , ” Minh said .
The pilot had been so sick with COVID-19 that doctors said at one point they considered a lung transplant , with the man ’ s lungs 90 % damaged and nonfunctional .
On Monday , a group of doctors who had been overseeing the man ’ s treatment announced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his health condition allows him to travel ” to London .
The man is virus-free , breathes normally without any support and is no longer treated as a COVID-19 patient , Dr. Linh said .
Vietnam has reported 370 coronavirus cases .
It has not found a local transmitted infection in nearly three months .
All recent cases are people who were infected abroad , and the patients were placed in the government ’ s centralized quarantine facilities upon their arrival in Vietnam .

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (AP) - A British pilot who was Vietnam’s most critical COVID-19 patient was discharged from a hospital on Saturday, less than a week after doctors said he was virus-free and healthy enough to return home to Scotland.
The 42-year-old man, identified by the official Vietnam News Agency as Stephen Cameron, was taken by ambulance from Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City to the city’s airport. He was scheduled to take a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, where he will depart on a flight to London, with a stop in Frankfurt. He is scheduled to land in London on Sunday morning.
Vietnam has gone all out to save Cameron, who was working for national carrier Vietnam Airlines when he tested positive for the coronavirus in March. He had been critically ill and spent 65 days on life support.
“I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of the Vietnamese people, the dedication and professionalism of the doctors and nurses working” at Cho Ray Hospital, Cameron said Saturday morning in a video released by the hospital, where he was last treated.
“I can only thank everybody here for things that they have done,” he said, sitting in a wheelchair next to a group of doctors. “I’m going home with a happy heart because I’m going home, but it is sad that I’m leaving so many people here that I’m friends with.”
Cameron is known in Vietnam as “Patient 91,” as he was the 91st person in the country confirmed to have the coronavirus. He was Vietnam’s last patient in an ICU, and his recovery means the country still has not had any COVID-19 deaths.
“The patient’s recovery has been like a very long flight,” Dr. Tran Thanh Linh, the deputy head of the ICU ward at Cho Ray Hospital, said during a meeting between hospital officials, the British Consulate and Vietnam Airlines representatives just before Cameron’s discharge.
“But he made it,” Linh said. “All of the health workers are overwhelmed with joy to see him fully recovered and being discharged from the hospital today.”
After the meeting, Cameron was handed a certificate stating that he is virus-free and healthy enough to travel on a long-haul flight.
He was scheduled to be flown on one of Vietnam Airlines’ Boeing 787s - the same aircraft he used to pilot when he was flying for the carrier.
“We want to make him happy, to make him feel like coming back to his second home on the aircraft,” said Luu Hoang Minh, deputy head of Vietnam Airlines’ flight crew Division 919, where Cameron used to work.
“It’s going to be a long night tonight, but he will have his colleagues with him on the flight. He will feel like being a pilot again,” Minh said.
Cameron had been so sick with COVID-19 that doctors said at one point they considered a lung transplant, with his lungs 90% damaged and nonfunctional.
On Monday, a group of doctors who had been overseeing Cameron’s treatment announced that he “has made substantial progress and his health condition allows him to travel” to London. Cameron is virus-free, breathes normally without any support and is no longer treated as a COVID-19 patient, Dr. Linh said.
Vietnam has reported 370 coronavirus cases. It has not found a local transmitted infection in nearly three months. All recent cases are people who were infected abroad, with the patients placed in government quarantine facilities upon their arrival in Vietnam.


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--25 years since Srebrenica, some victims finally laid to rest

Bahrudin Salihovic always knew his father had perished 25 years ago in the storm of violence unleashed after Serb forces overrun the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in the final months of the Balkan country ’ s 1992-95 war .
He himself barely survived .
But over the years , he has been waiting for his father ’ s remains to be found in one of dozens of mass graves scattered around his hometown .
On Friday , Salihovic finally huddled over a coffin holding a few of his father ’ s bones , unearthed from a death pit found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNA testing .
“ His remains are incomplete , but mother and I decided to bury the part of him that was found , to know where his grave is , to know where to go to pray for him , ” Salihovic said .
“ I know that many people will never be found , ” he added .
On Saturday , the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995 , Salihovic will finally lay his father to rest in a memorial cemetery at Potocari , just outside Srebrenica , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Draped in green covers , his father ’ s coffin , and the coffins of eight other victims , were moved to the memorial center several days ago to give the surviving relatives some time to say their final goodbyes .
Bahrudin cried and prayed over the coffin , but his mother did not muster the strength to join him .
“ It means a lot to have at least a few of his bones because for all these years … we did not know where he is , ” Hajrija Salihovic said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop her from imagining his last moments on this earth : “ His bones do not tell the story of how he met his death , did he suffer.
” In July 1995 , at least 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys were chased through woods in and around Srebrenica by Serb troops in what is considered the worst carnage of civilians in Europe since World War II .
The Srebrenica massacre is the only episode of the Bosnian war to be defined as a genocide , including by two U.N. courts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s three main ethnic factions - Serbs , Croats and Bosnian Muslims - against each other after the break-up of Yugoslavia .
More than 100,000 people were killed in the conflict before a peace deal was brokered in 1995 .
What took place in Srebrenica was a mark of shame for the international community because the town had been declared a U.N. “ safe haven ” for civilians in 1993 .
However , two years later , the outgunned peacekeepers watched helplessly as Serb troops separated men and boys for execution , bussing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory .
Bahrudin Salihovic , then 25 years old , fled through the woods , reaching safety after several days of wandering through the countryside .
He was hungry , thirsty , and terrified by the constant echo of Serb machine guns executing others who had been caught .
The killers sought to hide evidence of the genocide , piling most of the bodies into hastily made mass graves , which they subsequently dug up with bulldozers .
The bodies were scattered across numerous burial sites .
In the years since the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the massacre have been dug out and identified through DNA testing .
About 1,000 victims remain to be found .
A special U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague and courts in the Balkans have sentenced close to 50 Bosnian Serbs to more than 700 years in prison for Srebrenica crimes .
However , adding to the suffering of the survivors , many Serbs still deny the extent of the 1995 Srebrenica killings and often even celebrate the executioners .
Last year , top Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik called the massacre “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sombre anniversary , we are reminded that peace ( in Bosnia ) is still fragile .
We can not let up in working toward genuine reconciliation , ” the Secretary General of the United Nations said in a video message released Friday .
“ Reconciliation means rejecting denial of genocide and war crimes and of any effort to glorify convicted war criminals , ” Antonio Guterres added .
In Srebrenica , Bahrudin Salihovic stared into the distance , saying he has constantly thought about “ the past 25 years of yearning for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hacked away , killed ” in the massacre .
“ I survived a genocide , ” he said with a heavy sigh .

SREBRENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Bahrudin Salihovic always knew his father had perished 25 years ago in the storm of violence unleashed after Serb forces overran the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in the final months of the Balkan country’s 1992-95 war. He himself barely survived.
But over the years, he has been waiting for his father’s remains to be found in one of dozens of mass graves scattered around his hometown.
On Friday, Salihovic finally huddled over a coffin holding a few of his father’s bones, unearthed from a death pit found near Srebrenica last November and identified through DNA testing.
“His remains are incomplete, but mother and I decided to bury the part of him that was found, to know where his grave is, to know where to go to pray for him,” Salihovic said.
“I know that many people will never be found,” he added.
On Saturday, the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995, Salihovic was finally laying his father to rest in a memorial cemetery at Potocari, just outside Srebrenica, next to 6,610 previously identified victims. Draped in green covers, his father’s coffin, and the coffins of eight other victims, were moved to the memorial center several days ago to give surviving relatives time to say their final goodbyes.
Bahrudin cried and prayed over the coffin, but his mother could not muster the strength to join him.
“It means a lot to have at least a few of his bones because for all these years … we did not know where he is,” Hajrija Salihovic said. But she said it will not stop her from agonizing over his last moments on Earth: “His bones do not tell the story of how he met his death. Did he suffer?”
In July 1995, at least 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys were chased through woods in and around Srebrenica by Serb troops in what is considered the worst carnage of civilians in Europe since World War II. The Srebrenica massacre is the only episode of the Bosnian war to be defined as a genocide, including by two U.N. courts.
The Bosnian war pitted the country’s three main ethnic factions - Serbs, Croats and Bosnian Muslims - against each other after the break-up of Yugoslavia. More than 100,000 people were killed in the conflict before a peace deal was brokered in 1995.
What took place in Srebrenica was a mark of shame for the international community because the town had been declared a U.N. “safe haven” for civilians in 1993.
However, two years later, the outgunned U.N. peacekeepers watched helplessly as Serb troops separated men and boys for execution, bussing the women and girls to Bosnian government-held territory.
Bahrudin Salihovic, then 25, fled through the woods, reaching safety after several days of wandering through the countryside. He was hungry, thirsty, and terrified by the constant echo of Serb machine guns executing others who had been caught.
The Serbian killers sought to hide evidence of the genocide, piling most of the bodies into hastily made mass graves, which they subsequently dug up with bulldozers. The bodies were scattered across numerous burial sites.
In the years since the war, remains of nearly 7,000 victims of the massacre have been dug out and identified through DNA testing. About 1,000 victims remain to be found.
A special U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague and courts in the Balkans have sentenced close to 50 Bosnian Serbs to more than 700 years in prison for Srebrenica crimes.
However, adding to the suffering of the survivors, many Serbs still deny the extent of the 1995 Srebrenica killings and often even celebrate the executioners. Last year, top Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik called the massacre “a fabricated myth.”
“On this sombre anniversary, we are reminded that peace (in Bosnia) is still fragile. We cannot let up in working toward genuine reconciliation,” Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said in a video message released Friday.
“Reconciliation means rejecting denial of genocide and war crimes and of any effort to glorify convicted war criminals,” he added.
In Srebrenica, Bahrudin Salihovic stared into the distance, saying he has constantly thought about “the past 25 years of yearning for a part of my heart that had been hacked away, killed” in the massacre.
“I survived a genocide,” he said with a heavy sigh.


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--Thousands protest arrest of Russian regional governor

MOSCOW ( AP ) - Thousands of demonstrators in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk have held a protest @ @ @ @ @ region ’ s governor on charges of involvement in multiple murders .
The Saturday demonstration @ @ @ @ @ ( 3800 miles ) east of Moscow was unsanctioned but no arrests were reported .
@ @ @ @ @ of the crowd ranging from 5,000 to 35,000 .
Sergei Furgal , the Khabarovsk region @ @ @ @ @ and flown to Moscow where he was interrogated and ordered held in jail for two @ @ @ @ @ main criminal investigation body says he is suspected of involvement in several murders of businessmen @ @ @ @ @ before his political career began .
Furgal , a member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 and is widely popular in the region .
His unexpected victory in the @ @ @ @ @ frustration with President Vladimir Putin ’ s policies and marked a painful setback for the @ @ @ @ @ Russia .

MOSCOW (AP) - Thousands of demonstrators in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk have held a protest against the arrest of the region’s governor on charges of involvement in multiple murders.
The Saturday demonstration in the city 6100 kilometers (3800 miles) east of Moscow was unsanctioned but no arrests were reported. Local news media gave estimates of the crowd ranging from 5,000 to 35,000.
Sergei Furgal, the Khabarovsk region governor, was arrested Thursday and flown to Moscow where he was interrogated and ordered held in jail for two months. Russia’s main criminal investigation body says he is suspected of involvement in several murders of businessmen in 2004 and 2005, before his political career began.
Furgal, a member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, was elected governor in 2018 and is widely popular in the region. His unexpected victory in the gubernatorial election reflected growing public frustration with President Vladimir Putin’s policies and marked a painful setback for the main Kremlin party, United Russia.


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--Virus cases up sharply in Africa, India as inequality stings

JOHANNESBURG ( AP ) - South Africa ’ s confirmed coronavirus cases have doubled in two weeks to a quarter-million , and India on Saturday saw its biggest daily spike as its total passed 800,000 .
Inequality concerns are growing as health workers seek better protection while some among the rich are hoarding equipment at home .
Globally more than 12 million people have been infected by the virus , according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine .
More than a half-million have died .
Shortages of testing materials and poor data collection in some countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of the worst-affected nations are among the world ’ s most unequal .
South Africa leads them all , with the pandemic exposing the gap in care .
In Johannesburg at South Africa ’ s epicenter , badly-needed oxygen concentrators , which help people with COVID-19 breathe , are hard to find as private businesses and individuals are buying them up , a public health specialist volunteering at a field hospital , Lynne Wilkinson , told The Associated Press .
Meanwhile South Africa ’ s struggling public hospitals are short on medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a higher proportion of deaths than in private ones , the National Institute for Communicable Diseases says .
South Africa now has more than 250,000 confirmed cases , including more than 3,800 deaths .
To complicate matters , the country ’ s struggling power utility has announced new electricity cuts in the dead of winter as a cold front brings freezing weather .
Many of the urban poor live in shacks of scrap metal and wood .
And in Kenya , some have been outraged by a local newspaper report citing sources as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit equipment in their homes .
The country lost its first doctor to COVID-19 this week .
“ The welfare , occupational safety & health of frontline workers is a non-negotiable minimum !
!
” the Kenya Medical Practitioners , Pharmacists and Dentists Union tweeted after her death .
On Saturday , the union and other medical groups called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to implement a promised compensation package to ease the “ anxiety and fear that has now gripped health care workers.
” More than 8,000 health workers across Africa have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Africa .
The continent of 1.3 billion has the world ’ s lowest levels of health staffing and more than 550,000 cases , and the pandemic is reaching “ full speed , ” the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says .
Many parts of the world are now struggling with trying to reopen their economies and facing a fresh wave of infections .
In India , which reported a new daily high of 27,114 cases Saturday , nearly a dozen states have imposed a partial lockdown in high-risk areas .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600,000 to more than 800,000 in nine days .
The total is now 820,916 .
Infected people are packing India ’ s public hospitals as many are unable to afford private ones that generally uphold higher standards of care .
In Australia , the beleaguered state of Victoria received some good news with health officials reporting 216 new cases in the past 24 hours , down from the record 288 the previous day .
It hopes a new six-week lockdown in Melbourne , Australia ’ s second-largest city with a population of 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in Latin America , where inequality is sharp and Brazil and Peru are among the world ’ s five most badly hit countries , the COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping through the continent ’ s leadership , with two more presidents and powerful officials testing positive in the past week .
Associated Press writers around the world contributed .

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - South Africa’s confirmed coronavirus cases have doubled in just two weeks to a quarter-million, and India on Saturday saw its biggest daily spike as its infections passed 800,000. The surging cases are raising sharp concerns about unequal treatment in the pandemic, as the wealthy hoard medical equipment and use private hospitals and the poor crowd into overwhelmed public facilities.
Globally more than 12.5 million people have been infected by the virus and over 560,000 have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Experts say the pandemic’s true toll is much higher due to testing shortages, poor data collection in some nations and other issues.
Some of the worst-affected countries are among the world’s most unequal. South Africa leads them all on that measure, with the pandemic exposing the gap in care.
In Johannesburg, the epicenter of South Africa’s outbreak, badly needed oxygen concentrators that help COVID-19 patients who are struggling to breathe are hard to find as private businesses and individuals are buying them up, a public health specialist volunteering at a field hospital, Lynne Wilkinson, told The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s public hospitals are short on medical oxygen - and they are now seeing a higher proportion of deaths than private ones, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases says.
South Africa now has more than 250,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, including more than 3,800 deaths. To complicate matters, the country’s troubled power utility has announced new electricity cuts in the dead of winter as a cold front brings freezing weather. Many of the country’s urban poor live in shacks of scrap metal and wood.
And in Kenya, some have been outraged by a local newspaper report that says several governors have installed intensive care unit equipment in their homes. The country lost its first doctor to COVID-19 this week.
“The welfare, occupational safety & health of frontline workers is a non-negotiable minimum!!” the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union tweeted after her death. On Saturday, the union and other medical groups urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to implement a promised compensation package to ease the “anxiety and fear that has now gripped health care workers.”
More than 8,000 health workers across Africa have been infected, half of them in South Africa. The continent of 1.3 billion has the world’s lowest levels of health staffing and more than 560,000 cases, and the pandemic is reaching “full speed,” the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Many parts of the world are facing fresh waves of infections as they try to reopen their economies.
In India, which reported a new daily high of 27,114 cases on Saturday, nearly a dozen states have imposed a partial lockdown in high-risk areas. Cases jumped from 600,000 to more than 800,000 in nine days. People are packing India’s public hospitals as many are unable to afford private ones that generally uphold higher standards of care.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged top officials to improve infection testing and tracking, especially in states with high positivity rates.
Officials on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa said dozens of U.S. Marines have been infected at two bases there in what is feared to be a massive outbreak. The officials said the U.S. military asked that the exact figure not be released.
“We now have strong doubts that the U.S. military has taken adequate disease prevention measures,” Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters.
In Australia, the beleaguered state of Victoria reported 216 new cases in the past 24 hours, down from the record 288 the previous day. It hopes a new six-week lockdown in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city with a population of 5 million, will curb the spread.
“We cannot pretend that doing anything other than following the rules will get us to the other side of this,” said Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews.
In Latin America, where inequality is sharp and Brazil and Peru are among the world’s top five most badly hit countries, the COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping through the continent’s leadership, with two more presidents and powerful officials testing positive in the past week.
Yet developing countries are not the only ones overwhelmed. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have hit 3 million, with over 130,000 deaths - the worst outbreak by far in the world. The surge has led to equipment shortages as well as long lines at testing sites.
Texas is among the U.S. states setting records for infections, virus hospitalizations and deaths almost daily after embarking on one of America’s fastest reopenings. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday extended a statewide disaster as the state surpassed 10,000 hospitalized patients for the first time.
“Things will get worse,” Abbott told Lubbock television station KLBK. “The worst is yet to come as we work our way through that massive increase in people testing positive.”
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Associated Press writers around the world contributed.
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Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--Police: 6 men shot during fight at large gathering

ROCHESTER , N.Y. ( AP ) - Six people were shot during a fight at a large gathering in New @ @ @ @ @ police in Rochester said .
All six were men who were expected to recover , @ @ @ @ @ car sped away from the scene and crashed into two unoccupied police vehicles , police @ @ @ @ @ 28-year-old driver , who was not named , was taken into custody and charged with @ @ @ @

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - Six people were shot during a fight at a large gathering in New York early Saturday morning, police in Rochester said.
All six were men who were expected to recover, news outlets reported.
A car sped away from the scene and crashed into two unoccupied police vehicles, police told news outlets. The 28-year-old driver, who was not named, was taken into custody and charged with driving while intoxicated.


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--Survivors mark 25th anniversary of Srebrenica massacre

SREBRENICA , Bosnia-Herzegovina ( AP ) - Bosnia is marking the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre , the only crime in Europe since World War II that has been declared a genocide , with only a small number of survivors allowed to take part in commemoration events due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The brutal execution in July 1995 of more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys is being commemorated in a series of events and the reburial of recently identified remains of nine victims in a memorial cemetery and center just outside the town in eastern Bosnia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ episode of Bosnia ’ s 1992-95 war to be defined as genocide , including by two U.N. courts .
After murdering thousands of Srebrenica ’ s Muslims , in an attempt to hide the crime , Serbs dumped their bodies in numerous mass graves scattered throughout eastern Bosnia .
Body parts are still being found in mass graves and are being put together and identified through DNA analysis .
Close to 7,000 of those killed have already been found and identified .
Newly identified victims are buried each year on July 11 - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began in 1995 - in the memorial cemetery just outside of Srebrenica .
Typically , thousands of visitors from various countries attend the commemoration service and funeral , but this year only a relatively small number of survivors will be allowed at the cemetery due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Dozens of world leaders , including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Spain ’ s Pedro Sanchez , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Britain ’ s Prince Charles , are addressing the commemoration ceremony via prerecorded video messages .

SREBRENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Virtually joined by world leaders, the survivors of Bosnia’s 1995 Srebrenica massacre on Saturday remembered the victims of Europe’s only acknowledged genocide since World War II and warned of the perpetrators’ persistent refusal to fully acknowledge their responsibility.
Speaking at a commemoration ceremony for the thousands of massacre victims, held in the memorial center and cemetery just outside Srebrenica, a top Bosnian official warned that the extent of the 1995 slaughter is still being systematically denied despite irrefutable evidence of what happened.
“I am calling on our friends from around the world to show, not just with words but also with actions, that they will not accept the denial of genocide and celebration of its perpetrators,” said Sefik Dzaferovic, the Bosnian Muslim member of the country’s tripartite presidency.
“The Srebrenica genocide is being denied (by Serb leaders) just as systematically and meticulously as it was executed in 1995 … we owe it not just to Srebrenica, but to humanity, to oppose that,” he added.
In July 1995, at least 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys were separated by Serb troops from their wives, mothers and sisters, chased through woods around Srebrenica and killed by those forces in what is considered the worst massacre on European soil since the Third Reich.
The killing spree was the most brutal episode of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, which began after the break-up of Yugoslavia. More than 100,000 people, an overwhelming majority of them Bosnian Muslim civilians, were killed in the war between Bosnian Serbs, Croats and Muslims before a peace deal was brokered in 1995.
After murdering their victims in Srebrenica a quarter of a century ago, Bosnian Serb soldiers dumped their bodies in numerous mass graves scattered around the eastern town in an attempt to hide the evidence of the crime.
Thanks to an international forensic effort, body parts are still being found in death pits, put together and identified through DNA analysis. Close to 7,000 of those killed have already been found and identified.
Newly identified victims are reburied each year on July 11 - the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995 - in the vast and still expanding memorial cemetery outside Srebrenica. On Saturday, 9 newly identified men and boys were laid to rest there.
What took place in Srebrenica was a mark of shame for the international community because the town had been declared a U.N. “safe haven” for civilians in 1993. But two years later, the outnumbered, outgunned U.N. peacekeepers could only watch as the Bosnian Serb troops separated the town’s men and boys for execution, bussing the women and girls to Bosnian government-held territory.
Dozens of world leaders, who were prevented by the coronavirus pandemic from attending the commemoration service in person, sent video messages Saturday in which they urged tolerance and reconciliation in Bosnia, a nation that remains deeply ethnically divided. They included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Charles.
Some international speakers also addressed the continued refusal by Serb leaders in Bosnia and neighboring Serbia to acknowledge the extent of the Srebrenica slaughter and the ongoing suffering of its survivors.
Judge Carmel Agius, president of the U.N. court that is completing war crimes trials stemming from the breakup of Yugoslavia, warned in his video message that the victims of the Srebrenica massacre “continue to be tormented by those who attempt to deny their lived experiences, and, thereby, their very existence.”
Similar sentiment was echoed by U.K. leader Johnson.
“I want to join with you once more in mourning the victims of those terrible events, and to stand with the families in their fight for justice,” Johnson said in his video message. “There are those who would prefer to forget or deny the enormity of what took place (in Srebrenica in 1995). We must not allow that to happen.”
Bosnian Serb wartime political leader, Radovan Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic were both convicted of and sentenced for genocide in Srebrenica by a special U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague. In all, the tribunal and courts in the Balkans have sentenced close to 50 Bosnian Serb wartime officials to more than 700 years in prison for the Srebrenica killings.
Bosnian Serbs, however, still celebrate Karadzic and Mladic as heroes. Some were even staging celebrations of “the 1995 liberation of Srebrenica” on the anniversary of the crime.
In fact, Bosnian Serb political leaders have consistently prevented the country from adopting a law that would ban genocide denial, with the Serb member of Bosnia’s presidency, Milorad Dodik, even publicly describing the Srebrenica slaughter as a “fabricated myth.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--Italy police ID kids sharing child porn, dark web videos

ROME ( AP ) - Italian authorities said Saturday they have identified a group of 20 teenagers who shared child @ @ @ @ @ of suicides and mutilations on their cellphones .
Police said they were tipped off to @ @ @ @ @ of a 15-year-old boy in the Tuscan city of Lucca who found them on her @ @ @ @ @ Police say they discovered an “ exorbitant ” number of videos being exchanged via WhatsApp @ @ @ @ @ messaging apps .
In addition to the porn , the postal police said in a @ @ @ @ @ exchanged gore videos from the dark web .
In Italy , the postal police investigate @ @ @ @ @ web .
In all , 20 minors aged 13-17 who shared the images were identified @ @ @ @ @ continue to find other people involved .
The youths remain free pending charges of possessing @ @ @ @ @ as well as aggravated instigation to commit crimes .

ROME (AP) - Italian authorities said Saturday they have identified a group of 20 teenagers who shared child porn and dark web videos of suicides and mutilations on their cellphones.
Police said they were tipped off to the images by the mother of a 15-year-old boy in the Tuscan city of Lucca who found them on her son’s phone. Police say they discovered an “exorbitant” number of videos being exchanged via WhatsApp, Telegram and other instant messaging apps.
In addition to the porn, the postal police said in a statement that the youths also exchanged gore videos from the dark web. In Italy, the postal police investigate crimes committed via mail and web.
In all, 20 minors aged 13-17 who shared the images were identified, and police said investigations continue to find other people involved. The youths remain free pending charges of possessing and sharing child porn, as well as aggravated instigation to commit crimes.


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--German club plans mass virus testing to fill stadium again

BERLIN ( AP ) - German soccer club Union Berlin is offering free coronavirus tests for more than 20,000 fans as part of a plan to hold games in a full stadium in September .
The Bundesliga club will offer testing ahead of each game to 22,012 fans - the stadium ’ s official capacity - and club staff , Union said Friday night .
Each person must test negative for the virus within 24 hours of kickoff and bring confirmation along with a ticket , the club added .
Union wants to implement the plan in time for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season , which could be as soon as Sept. 18 .
Other clubs have experimented with socially distanced seating plans , but more than 80 % of the capacity at Union ’ s stadium consists of terraces where fans stand close together .
“ Our stadium experience doesn ’ t work with social distancing , and if we aren ’ t allowed to sing and shout , then it ’ s not Union , ” club president Dirk Zingler said in a statement .
“ We want to ensure as best we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stadium – this applies to Union club members and the away supporters .
“ To implement such a plan is an enormous organizational and economic challenge , which we are happy to tackle with all our might .
It means that we as a football club will carry the costs of implementing the necessary measures ourselves.
” The club ’ s plan is more ambitious than those of other German clubs because it relies on mass testing instead of social distancing .
It faces significant obstacles .
Germany has a comparatively large testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-game surge in demand in Berlin would be a new challenge .
The Berlin city government also has a ban in place on mass gatherings until Oct. 24 .
That rule caused the Berlin marathon , which was set for Sept. 27 , to be canceled .
Leipzig has explored holding games at up to 50 % capacity with socially distanced seating and other leading German clubs have worked on similar plans .
The league is speaking with the German government and is encouraging clubs to talk with local health authorities to draw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May amid the coronavirus pandemic , the first of Europe ’ s major leagues to do so .
All games through to the end of the season were held without any fans .

BERLIN (AP) - German soccer club Union Berlin is offering free coronavirus tests for more than 20,000 fans as part of a plan to hold games in a full stadium in September.
The Bundesliga club will offer testing ahead of each game to 22,012 fans - the stadium’s official capacity - and club staff, Union said Friday night. Each person must test negative for the virus within 24 hours of kickoff and bring confirmation along with a ticket, the club added.
Union wants to implement the plan in time for the first home league game of the new season, which could be as soon as Sept. 18. Other clubs have experimented with socially distanced seating plans, but more than 80% of the capacity at Union’s stadium consists of terraces where fans stand close together.
“Our stadium experience doesn’t work with social distancing, and if we aren’t allowed to sing and shout, then it’s not Union,” club president Dirk Zingler said in a statement.
“We want to ensure as best we can that nobody is infected at our sold-out stadium – this applies to Union club members and the away supporters.
“To implement such a plan is an enormous organizational and economic challenge, which we are happy to tackle with all our might. It means that we as a football club will carry the costs of implementing the necessary measures ourselves.”
The club’s plan is more ambitious than those of other German clubs because it relies on mass testing instead of social distancing. It faces significant obstacles. Germany has a comparatively large testing capacity for the coronavirus, but the pre-game surge in demand in Berlin would be a new challenge.
The Berlin city government also has a ban in place on mass gatherings until Oct. 24. That rule caused the Berlin marathon, which was set for Sept. 27, to be canceled.
Leipzig has explored holding games at up to 50% capacity with socially distanced seating and other leading German clubs have worked on similar plans. The league is speaking with the German government and is encouraging clubs to talk with local health authorities to draw up plans.
The Bundesliga restarted in May amid the coronavirus pandemic, the first of Europe’s major leagues to do so. All games through to the end of the season were held without any fans.
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washingtontimes--2020-07-11--England World Cup winner Jack Charlton dies at 85

Jack Charlton , an uncompromising central defender who played alongside his brother , Bobby , in England ’ s World Cup-winning side in 1966 before enjoying coaching success with Ireland , has died .
He was 85 .
Nicknamed “ Big Jack , ” and celebrated for his earthy “ beer and cigarettes ” image , Charlton was Footballer of the Year in England in 1967 .
He spent all his club career at Leeds from 1952-73 , tying its all-time record of 773 appearances .
He won every domestic honor , including the league title in 1969 .
Charlton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ native Northumberland in northeast England , surrounded by his family .
“ As well as a friend to many , he was a much-adored husband , father , grandfather and great-grandfather , ” the family said in a statement on Saturday .
“ We can not express how proud we are of the extraordinary life he led and the pleasure he brought to so many people in different countries and from all walks of life .
“ He was a thoroughly honest , kind , funny and genuine man who always had time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge hole in all our lives but we are thankful for a lifetime of happy memories.
” Premier League games will be preceded by a minute ’ s silence this weekend as a tribute to Charlton and players will wear black armbands .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remembered Charlton as a “ football great whose achievements brought happiness to so many.
” The England team Twitter account said “ we are devastated.
” Charlton was one of the players who delivered the biggest achievement in English football history , featuring at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moore as Germany was beaten 4-2 after extra time in the 1966 World Cup final .
“ Jack was the type of player and person that you need in a team to win a World Cup , ” said Geoff Hurst , who scored a hat trick in the final .
“ He was a great and lovable character and he will be greatly missed .
The world of football and the world beyond football has lost one of the greats.
” Charlton had younger brother , midfielder Bobby , on the field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They embraced in tears at the final whistle .
“ Nobody can ever take this moment away from us , ” Bobby Charlton was quoted as telling Jack .
Jack celebrated the victory by partying in a random person ’ s house in north London , ending up sleeping on the floor .
That was typical of the man who kept the common touch despite his fame and remained an affable character , fond of life ’ s simple pleasures .
“ I got a lift back the following morning and my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t been to bed all night , ” Charlton recalled .
“ I said , ‘ Mother , we ’ ve just won the World Cup !
’ ” Charlton made 35 appearances for England between 1965-70 , also playing in the 1968 European Championship and the 1970 World Cup .
A very different player to Bobby , who was once all-time top scorer for both England and Manchester United , Jack was in the shadow of his brother during his playing career .
It was obvious from an early age that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England and would be a great player , ” Jack recalled in a 1997 BBC interview .
“ He was strong , left- and right-footed , good balance , good skills .
He had everything , our kid .
I was over 6 foot ( 1.8 meters ) .
Leggy .
A giraffe , as I finished up being called.
” There were tensions in the relationship between the siblings over Bobby ’ s wife , Norma .
But there was a public reconciliation in 2008 when Bobby received a lifetime achievement award @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the audience : “ Bobby Charlton is the greatest player I ’ ve ever seen and he ’ s my brother.
” Of all the England World Cup winners to go into management , Jack Charlton was easily the most successful .
He had brief but impressive spells at northeast clubs Middlesbrough , Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle before being hired by Ireland in 1986 as its first foreign coach .
Adopting a direct , physical and attack-minded style , Charlton got the best out of Ireland ’ s hard-working players and ensured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time in 1990 and again in 1994 .
“ He was an Englishman becoming the Irish national team manager at a time when it wasn ’ t always easy politically , ” said Andy Townsend , Ireland ’ s captain at the 1994 World Cup in the United States .
“ But as Jack always did he breezed into it and took it by the scruff of the neck.
” In 1990 , the Irish shocked Romania to reach the World Cup quarterfinals where they lost to host Italy .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Ireland striker Niall Quinn said .
“ He brought us … to places we never thought possible beforehand and gave us so many precious moments .
He changed lives .
For his players , he gave us the best days of our lives.
” Ireland also played at Euro 1988 and the 1994 World Cup under Charlton .
“ You get the ball forward , you compete , you close people down , you create excitement , you win balls when you shouldn ’ t win balls , commit yourself to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s style .
“ A lot of the pundits didn ’ t like it but the teams we played against hated it .
They ’ d never experienced anything like what we were dictating to them … We were a match for anybody in the world.
” Charlton said his best memory as Ireland coach was beating Brazil 1-0 in a friendly at Lansdowne Road in 1987 .
He resigned in 1995 after losing in a Euro 1996 playoff to the Netherlands .
“ He leaves a legacy of outstanding leadership of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talents , which he molded into the successful team that captured the imagination of the nation , ” Ireland president Michael D. Higgins said .
“ It was not just the success on the field of play , Jack ’ s endearing popularity also had much to do with the warmth and personality of the person who quickly became such a legendary sporting icon.
” He was awarded honorary Irish citizenship in 1996 .
A life-size statue of him was erected at Cork Airport , depicting him wearing fishing gear and holding a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastime of fishing .
“ I am as much Irish as I am English , ” said Charlton , who was given the freedom of Dublin .
Born May 8 , 1935 , in a gritty area of northern England , Charlton worked down the mines as a teenager before going for a trial at Leeds .
He grew up in a footballing family , cousin to Newcastle great Jackie Milburn while his uncles Jack , George , Jimmy and Stan all played professionally .
“ It left me no choice but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Jack Charlton, an uncompromising central defender who won the 1966 World Cup with England alongside his brother, Bobby, before coaching Ireland to its first major tournaments, has died. He was 85.
Nicknamed “Big Jack,” and celebrated for his earthy “beer and cigarettes” image, Charlton was Footballer of the Year in England in 1967. He spent all his club career at Leeds from 1952-73, tying its all-time record of 773 appearances. He won every domestic honor, including the league title in 1969.
Charlton died at home on Friday in his native Northumberland in northeast England, surrounded by his family.
“As well as a friend to many, he was a much-adored husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather,” the family said in a statement on Saturday. “We cannot express how proud we are of the extraordinary life he led and the pleasure he brought to so many people in different countries and from all walks of life.
“He was a thoroughly honest, kind, funny and genuine man who always had time for people. His loss will leave a huge hole in all our lives but we are thankful for a lifetime of happy memories.”
Premier League games will be preceded by a minute’s silence this weekend as a tribute to Charlton and players will wear black armbands.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remembered Charlton as a “football great whose achievements brought happiness to so many.”
The England team Twitter account said “we are devastated.” Charlton was one of the players who helped to deliver England’s first and only major international title, featuring at the heart of defense alongside captain Bobby Moore as Germany was beaten 4-2 after extra time in the 1966 World Cup final.
“Jack was the type of player and person that you need in a team to win a World Cup,” said Geoff Hurst, who scored a hat trick in the final. “He was a great and lovable character.”
Charlton had younger brother, midfielder Bobby, on the field at Wembley Stadium to celebrate with him. They embraced in tears at the final whistle.
“Nobody can ever take this moment away from us,” Bobby Charlton was quoted as telling Jack.
Jack celebrated the victory by partying in a random person’s house in north London, ending up sleeping on the floor. That was typical of the man who kept the common touch despite his fame and remained an affable character, fond of life’s simple pleasures.
“I got a lift back the following morning and my mother was playing hell as I hadn’t been to bed all night,” Charlton recalled. “I said, ‘Mother, we’ve just won the World Cup!’”
Charlton made 35 appearances for England between 1965-70, also playing in the 1968 European Championship and the 1970 World Cup. A very different player to Bobby, who was once all-time top scorer for both England and Manchester United, Jack was in the shadow of his brother during his playing career.
It was obvious from an early age that Bobby “was going to play for England and would be a great player,” Jack recalled in a 1997 BBC interview. “He was strong, left- and right-footed, good balance, good skills. He had everything, our kid. I was over 6 foot (1.8 meters). Leggy. A giraffe, as I finished up being called.”
There were tensions in the relationship between the siblings over Bobby’s wife, Norma. But there was a public reconciliation in 2008 when Bobby received a lifetime achievement award at a BBC sports ceremony and Jack told the audience: “Bobby Charlton is the greatest player I’ve ever seen and he’s my brother.”
Of all the England World Cup winners to go into management, Jack Charlton was the most successful. He had brief but impressive spells at northeast clubs Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle before being hired by Ireland in 1986 as its first foreign coach.
Adopting a direct, physical and attack-minded style, Charlton got the best out of Ireland’s hard-working players and ensured they qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 1990 and again in 1994.
“He was an Englishman becoming the Irish national team manager at a time when it wasn’t always easy politically,” said Andy Townsend, Ireland’s captain at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. “But as Jack always did he breezed into it and took it by the scruff of the neck.”
In 1990, the Irish shocked Romania to reach the World Cup quarterfinals where they lost to host Italy.
“He brought us … to places we never thought possible,” former Ireland striker Niall Quinn said. “He changed lives. For his players, he gave us the best days of our lives.”
Ireland also played at Euro 1988 and the 1994 World Cup under Charlton.
“You get the ball forward, you compete, you close people down, you create excitement, you win balls when you shouldn’t win balls, commit yourself to the game,” Charlton said of Ireland’s style. “A lot of the pundits didn’t like it but the teams we played against hated it.”
Charlton said his best memory as Ireland coach was beating Brazil 1-0 in a friendly at Lansdowne Road in 1987. He resigned in 1995 after losing in a Euro 1996 playoff to the Netherlands.
“It was not just the success on the field of play,”Ireland president Michael D. Higgins said. “Jack’s endearing popularity also had much to do with the warmth and personality of the person who quickly became such a legendary sporting icon.”
He was awarded honorary Irish citizenship in 1996. A life-size statue of him was erected at Cork Airport, depicting him wearing fishing gear and holding a salmon - recalling Charlton’s favorite pastime of fishing.
“I am as much Irish as I am English,” said Charlton, who was given the freedom of Dublin.
Born May 8, 1935, in a gritty area of northern England, Charlton worked down the mines as a teenager before going for a trial at Leeds. He grew up in a footballing family, cousin to Newcastle great Jackie Milburn while his uncles Jack, George, Jimmy and Stan all played professionally.
“It left me no choice but to be a footballer,” Charlton said.
___
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washingtontimes--2020-07-11--Key figure in Nevada fight against nuclear dump retirees

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - The man whose name is synonymous with Nevada ’ s opposition to building a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain northwest of Las Vegas is ending a career after three decades of service under Democratic and Republican governors .
Robert Halstead , executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects , became a respected nemesis to the Department of Energy , Nuclear Regulatory Commission and nuclear energy lobby .
Although the Trump administration and Yucca Mountain advocates from other states in Congress have backed off previous proposals to store 110,000 metric tons of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Las Vegas , Halstead is reluctant to let down his guard .
Halstead allowed , however , that watching President Donald Trump flip-flop in Las Vegas on Yucca Mountain this year was a momentous occasion in the decades-old fight between the state and the federal government .
Trump had pushed for three years to jump-start licensing .
He did not do so this year , an election year in which Nevada remains a swing state and possibly pivotal to the presidential outcome .
“ I think the high point is President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Halstead said , “ because that meant we kicked his ass.
” In addition to nuclear waste , Halstead led the state ’ s legal and scientific challenge to the National Nuclear Security Administration ’ s secret shipments of weapons-grade plutonium to the Nevada National Security Site north of Las Vegas in 2018 .
“ I don ’ t want Interstate 11 to become the plutonium expressway , ” Halstead told the Review-Journal at the time .
He accused the Department of Energy of underhanded dealing in shipping the material even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motion to stop it .
The blustery rhetoric toward the Energy Department was nothing new .
Halstead for years accused the department of submitting an application that was “ bungled ” to build the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository .
Reciting memorized facts , analysis , missteps and faulty conclusions by government experts , he would often blurt out : “ You can ’ t make this stuff up.
” Congress designated Yucca Mountain as the sole site for permanent nuclear waste from power plants and Navy ships .
Under the George W. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a license to build the facility , but that was scrapped when President Barack Obama was elected and Sen. Harry Reid , D-Nev. , became Senate majority leader .
Since then , Trump and lawmakers with nuclear power plants in their states have tried to restart the licensing process .
Congress has failed to approve funding .
In a tribute to Halstead , Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto , D-Nev. , submitted to the Congressional Record on July 2 a statement that commemorated his deeds .
His last day working for the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ He has been a fierce and dedicated partner in the fight against the Yucca Mountain project.
” Halstead worked as executive director of the state ’ s nuclear projects agency since 2011 .
Prior to that , he was a consultant to the state about nuclear transportation issues in Nevada .
In all , he has over 30 years of service to the state involving nuclear waste , radioactive materials and transportation .
Cortez Masto cited Halstead ’ s institutional knowledge about the state ’ s nuclear history in her Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to helping Nevadans.
” Halstead was first hired by Bob Loux , who led the state ’ s nuclear agency for 23 years , and resigned over a controversial pay issue .
Republican Gov .
Jim Gibbons appointed Bruce Breslow , previously a Sparks mayor , to run the office .
Gov .
Brian Sandoval , a Republican , hired Halstead to run the agency in 2011 , taking over from an acting caretaker .
Halstead ’ s tenure is marked by his ability to work with Republican and Democratic governors , U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representatives .
In his lifetime , Halstead has worked for 11 governors in several states , including six in Nevada .
Public service without a public showing of political leanings is part of his family lineage .
“ They kept out of partisan issues , ” Halstead said .
His father was a U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service agent-in-charge for North Carolina .
His grandfather was the state game warden in Virginia .
His great-grandfather fought plume trade hunting of wild birds for their decorative feathers in Florida .
“ The business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Halstead said .
“ This is what I was born for.
” As his career with Nevada ends , Halstead plans to hang a shingle as a consultant for nuclear waste issues , giving the state the right of first refusal .
Other than that , he ’ s ordered a Nevada fishing license and plans to fish with wife Margaret and his two grown children back in Wisconsin , the family home .
“ One of the first things I ’ ll do when I get back there is go @ @ @ @ @ @ @

LAS VEGAS (AP) - The man whose name is synonymous with Nevada’s opposition to building a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain northwest of Las Vegas is ending a career after three decades of service under Democratic and Republican governors.
Robert Halstead, executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, became a respected nemesis to the Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and nuclear energy lobby.
Although the Trump administration and Yucca Mountain advocates from other states in Congress have backed off previous proposals to store 110,000 metric tons of spent fuel rods and radioactive waste north of Las Vegas, Halstead is reluctant to let down his guard.
“We haven’t won the battle,” Halstead, 71, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Halstead allowed, however, that watching President Donald Trump flip-flop in Las Vegas on Yucca Mountain this year was a momentous occasion in the decades-old fight between the state and the federal government.
Trump had pushed for three years to jump-start licensing. He did not do so this year, an election year in which Nevada remains a swing state and possibly pivotal to the presidential outcome.
“I think the high point is President Trump’s speech in Las Vegas,” Halstead said, “because that meant we kicked his ass.”
In addition to nuclear waste, Halstead led the state’s legal and scientific challenge to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s secret shipments of weapons-grade plutonium to the Nevada National Security Site north of Las Vegas in 2018.
“I don’t want Interstate 11 to become the plutonium expressway,” Halstead told the Review-Journal at the time. He accused the Department of Energy of underhanded dealing in shipping the material even as the state openly was preparing a legal motion to stop it.
The blustery rhetoric toward the Energy Department was nothing new.
Halstead for years accused the department of submitting an application that was “bungled” to build the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. Reciting memorized facts, analysis, missteps and faulty conclusions by government experts, he would often blurt out: “You can’t make this stuff up.”
Congress designated Yucca Mountain as the sole site for permanent nuclear waste from power plants and Navy ships. Under the George W. Bush administration, the Energy Department applied for a license to build the facility, but that was scrapped when President Barack Obama was elected and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., became Senate majority leader.
Since then, Trump and lawmakers with nuclear power plants in their states have tried to restart the licensing process. Congress has failed to approve funding.
In a tribute to Halstead, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., submitted to the Congressional Record on July 2 a statement that commemorated his deeds. His last day working for the state was technically July 5.
She said, “He has been a fierce and dedicated partner in the fight against the Yucca Mountain project.”
Halstead worked as executive director of the state’s nuclear projects agency since 2011. Prior to that, he was a consultant to the state about nuclear transportation issues in Nevada. In all, he has over 30 years of service to the state involving nuclear waste, radioactive materials and transportation.
Cortez Masto cited Halstead’s institutional knowledge about the state’s nuclear history in her Senate tribute to his “decades long commitment to helping Nevadans.”
Halstead was first hired by Bob Loux, who led the state’s nuclear agency for 23 years, and resigned over a controversial pay issue. Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons appointed Bruce Breslow, previously a Sparks mayor, to run the office.
Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican, hired Halstead to run the agency in 2011, taking over from an acting caretaker.
Halstead’s tenure is marked by his ability to work with Republican and Democratic governors, U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives. In his lifetime, Halstead has worked for 11 governors in several states, including six in Nevada.
Public service without a public showing of political leanings is part of his family lineage.
“They kept out of partisan issues,” Halstead said.
His father was a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent-in-charge for North Carolina. His grandfather was the state game warden in Virginia. His great-grandfather fought plume trade hunting of wild birds for their decorative feathers in Florida.
“The business my family has chosen is environmental protection,” Halstead said. “This is what I was born for.”
As his career with Nevada ends, Halstead plans to hang a shingle as a consultant for nuclear waste issues, giving the state the right of first refusal.
Other than that, he’s ordered a Nevada fishing license and plans to fish with wife Margaret and his two grown children back in Wisconsin, the family home.
“One of the first things I’ll do when I get back there is go fishing together,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-11--AP Week in Pictures, Global

AP Week in Pictures, Global

This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by The Associated Press from around the @ @ @ @ @ curated by AP photo editor Patrick Sison in New York .

JULY 4 - 10, 2020
This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by The Associated Press from around the world.
The selection was curated by AP photo editor Patrick Sison in New York.
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