washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Vatican faults many for McCarrick's rise but spares pope

ROME ( AP ) — A Vatican investigation into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has found that a series of bishops , cardinals and popes downplayed or dismissed reports that he slept with seminarians , and determined that Pope Francis merely continued his predecessors ’ naive handling of the predator until a former altar boy alleged abuse .
The Vatican took the extraordinary step Tuesday of publishing its two-year , 400-plus-page internal investigation into the American prelate ’ s rise and fall in a bid to restore credibility to the U.S. and Vatican hierarchies , which have been shattered by the McCarrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , last year after a Vatican investigation confirmed decades of allegations that the globe-trotting envoy and successful church fundraiser had sexually molested adults as well as children .
The Vatican had reports from authoritative figures dating back to 1999 that McCarrick ‘ s behavior was problematic , yet he continued to rise to become an influential cardinal , kingmaker and emissary of the Holy See ’ s “ soft diplomacy.
” Ahead of the report ’ s publication , the Vatican provided journalists with an introduction and executive summary of it , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame on a dead saint : Pope John Paul II , who appointed McCarrick archbishop of Washington D.C. in 2000 , despite having commissioned an inquiry that confirmed he slept with seminarians .
The summary says John Paul naively believed McCarrick ‘ s last-ditch , handwritten denial .
The findings accused bishops dead and alive of providing the Vatican with incomplete information about McCarrick ‘ s behavior , and of turning a blind eye to his repeated flouting of informal restrictions ordered up in 2006 after Pope Benedict XVI decided not to investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the findings largely gave Francis a pass , saying he never lifted or modified those restrictions , never named McCarrick a “ diplomatic agent ” for the Holy See and never received any documentation about McCarrick before 2017 .
It didn ’ t say if Francis had sought such documentation after one of his ambassadors purportedly told him in 2013 that McCarrick was a predator .
“ Pope Francis had heard only that there had been allegations and rumors related to immoral conduct with adults occurring prior to McCarrick ‘ s appointment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Believing that the allegations had already been reviewed and rejected by Pope John Paul II , and well aware that McCarrick was active during the papacy of Benedict XVI , Pope Francis did not see the need to alter the approach that had been adopted.
” Francis changed course after a former altar boy came forward in 2017 alleging that McCarrick groped him when he was a teenager during preparations for Christmas Mass in 1971 and 1972 in New York .
The allegation was the first solid claim against McCarrick involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that resulted in his defrocking .
While the summary provided new details about what the Vatican knew and when , it didn ’ t elaborate on the internal culture that allowed McCarrick ‘ s behavior to continue unchecked .
Catholic cardinals and bishops have long been considered beyond reproach and claims of homosexual behavior have used to discredit or blackmail prelates , so often are dismissed as rumors .
There has also been a widespread but unspoken tolerance of sexually active men in what is supposed to be a celibate priesthood .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with other adult men or women as sinful but consensual , with flags only raised in recent years when minors were involved .
But the McCarrick scandal , which erupted during the # MeToo era , has demonstrated that adult seminarians and priests can be sexually victimized by their superiors because of the power imbalance in their relationships .
And yet the church ’ s legal system has had no real way to address that type of abuse of authority .
James Grein , whose testimony that McCarrick abused him for two decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to McCarrick ‘ s downfall , said he was pleased the report was finally being released .
He said he was hopeful it would bring some relief as well as a chance to “ clean ” up the church .
“ There are so many people suffering out there because of one man , ” Grein said .
“ And he thinks that he ’ s more important than the rest of us .
He ’ s destroyed me and he ’ s destroyed thousands of other lives .
… It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with all of its destruction.
” Cardinal Pietro Parolin , the Vatican secretary of state whose office prepared the report , said it will have an impact going forward , especially on how bishops are selected .
“ Reading the document will show that all procedures , including the appointment of bishops , depend on the commitment and honesty of the people concerned , ” he said .
“ ( It will make ) all those involved in such choices more aware of the weight of their decisions or omissions.
” Francis commissioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. , Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano , issued a blistering expose of the two-decade-long McCarrick cover-up in 2018 , naming around two dozen U.S. and Vatican officials who knew of his misconduct but failed to effectively sanction him .
Vigano cited former seminarians who had described the harassment and abuse they endured while “ Uncle Ted , ” as McCarrick liked to call himself , was their bishop in New Jersey , forced to sleep in his bed during weekend trips to his beach house .
Vigano ’ s most explosive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions ” imposed by Benedict and made McCarrick a trusted adviser .
Vigano demanded that Francis resign , claiming he had warned the pope in June 2013 that McCarrick had “ corrupted generations of seminarians and priests.
” Several of Vigano ’ s central assertions were confirmed , but not the ones involving Francis .
“ No records support Vigano ’ s account and evidence as to what he said is sharply disputed , ” it said .
The summary also cites a previously un-reported case in which Vigano in 2012 allegedly failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new claims against McCarrick by a Brazilian-born New Jersey priest .
“ Vigano did not take these steps and therefore never placed himself in the position to ascertain the credibility , ” of the priest ’ s claims , the summary says .
The report drew on documents from five Vatican departments , four U.S. dioceses , two U.S. seminaries and the Vatican ’ s U.S. Embassy .
Investigators interviewed 90 people , including McCarrick ‘ s victims , former seminarians and priests , officials from U.S. charities and the U.S. Conference of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days before U.S. bishops gather for their annual fall meeting , which has been overshadowed by the McCarrick scandal for two years .
And it was published on the same day the Vatican faced another reckoning over an influential prelate brought down by allegations of homosexual misconduct : The former Vatican ambassador to France , Archbishop Luigi Ventura , went on trial Tuesday in Paris , accused of groping and inappropriately touching young men — charges he denies .

St. John Paul II dismissed allegations of sexual misconduct by former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick when, as pope, he appointed him archbishop of Washington in 2000, according to a long-awaited report from the Vatican released Tuesday.
Titled “Report on the Holy See’s Institutional Knowledge and Decision-Making Related to Former Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick (1930-2017),” the 449-page report notes that the Archdiocese of Washington did not find out about the sexual misconduct claims against Mr. McCarrick until his successor, Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, hired a law firm in 2018 to investigate explosive public claims by former seminarians.
But the report scrutinizes the role played by John Paul II in Mr. McCarrick’s rise to the highest echelons of the Roman Catholic Church and subsequent fall as a disgraced and defrocked clergyman.
John Paul II, when he was archbishop of Krakow, Poland, first met Mr. McCarrick when he visited New York in 1977, and they became friends, the report says. It suggests that the pontiff enabled Mr. McCarrick by dismissing multiple sexual misconduct claims against him when he was archbishop of Newark, New Jersey.
“Mr. McCarrick’s direct relationship with John Paul II also likely had an impact on the Pope’s decision-making,” the report concludes.
The report is a densely footnoted document published by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, summarizing a tranche of records scoured from Vatican archives and interviews with more than 90 witnesses, including many clerics.
SEE ALSO: Key findings in Vatican report into ex-Cardinal McCarrick
Cardinal Pietro Parolin opens the report with a letter saying that Pope Francis authorized its release “for the good of the Universal Church” and hopes to set out the “relevant facts” that help explain the rise of Mr. McCarrick, who was defrocked in early 2019, six months after allegations aired that he had sexually abused seminarians and other young men for decades.
John Paul II and Mr. McCarrick’s paths crossed occasionally over the years, and Mr. McCarrick kept a “significant volume of letters” to the Holy Father, according to one aide’s account. In 2000, when he was the archbishop of Newark and was being considered for the Archdiocese of Washington, Mr. McCarrick appealed directly to John Paul II in a letter he sent to the pope’s personal secretary, Bishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, attempting to clear his name of rampant allegations of sexual misconduct.
“In my seventy years of my life, I have never had sexual relations with any person, male or female, young or old, cleric or lay, nor have I ever abused another person or treated them with disrespect,” Mr. McCarrick wrote.
According to testimony from Bishop Dziwisz, the letter moved the pope, who believed the accusations could be dismissed as “gossip.” In November 2000, he appointed Mr. McCarrick to one of the more powerful positions in the U.S. Catholic Church, as leader of the Archdiocese of Washington.
The report also reveals that three of four New Jersey bishops contacted by the Vatican to confirm sexual misconduct allegations against Mr. McCarrick gave false information, though they did tell the Vatican that Mr. McCarrick shared a bed with young men in a New Jersey beach house owned by the Diocese of Metuchen. The report calls the bishops’ responses “inaccurate and incomplete.”
Indeed, the report finds allegations first emerged as early as the 1980s, including a series of anonymous letters sent to diocesan leaders, U.S. bishops and the apostolic nuncio in Washington. One mother of boys describes sending an anonymous letter years after walking in on Mr. McCarrick, then a priest in the Archdiocese of New York, massaging her son’s inner thighs.
“I did not have the language to explain it,” said the mother, whose anonymity is maintained with the pseudonym “Mother 1.” “I did not use any fancy words when I wrote the letters.”
“This is another tragic chapter in the Church’s long struggle to confront the crimes of sexual abuse by clergy,” Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Tuesday in a statement. “To McCarrick’s victims and their families, and to every victim-survivor of sexual abuse by the clergy, I express my profound sorrow and deepest apologies.”
The massive report released Tuesday further describes how Mr. McCarrick would befriend families with boys and often encourage children to call him “Uncle Ted.” His reported abuse of seminarians and other young men is detailed.
In one instance, a monsignor described an awkward dinner in 1990 when then-Archbishop McCarrick fondled a seminarian under the table in the presence of Auxiliary Bishop James T. McHugh.
The report also details Mr. McCarrick having sexual relations with an anonymous priest at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City and supports claims raised in a lawsuit this summer by sexual abuse victims’ attorney Jeff Anderson that Mr. McCarrick used a beach house in the 1980s owned by the New Jersey diocese to seduce young men. All the while, his rise continued.
Reaction poured in Tuesday from victims’ groups to Catholic leadership.
“This report … is historic in one particular way,” Mr. Anderson said during a news conference. “It is the first time ever that an outside nonclerical investigator has been deployed to unearth that which has been concealed and hidden … by the Vatican and all the top officials.”
Officials with Mr. Anderson’s law firm later confirmed to The Washington Times that the dossier was compiled by a Vatican attorney.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) slammed the report, saying “no child nor seminarian is safer because of this report.” It also held out John Paul II for special responsibility, noting “Pope John Paul II was aware that McCarrick had been accused of abusing both seminarians and children. The Pope promoted him anyway.”
U.S. Catholic pundits defended John Paul II’s role in Mr. McCarrick’s rise to prominence. On social media, Catholic broadcaster EWTN personality Raymond Arroyo tweeted: “The #McCarrickReport is a sad whitewash.” He said the report suggested faulty reporting by New Jersey bishops, not error by John Paul II.
The 90-year-old Mr. McCarrick was last interviewed in 2019 by Slate while living in a Kansas friary. He defended himself by saying, “I’m not as bad as they paint me.” It was announced earlier this year that he had moved to an “undisclosed location.”
Mr. McCarrick was removed from the priesthood in February 2019 after an investigation by the Roman Curia’s top canonical office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Pope Francis had ordered an investigation into Mr. McCarrick in the fall of 2018, months after reports aired in the media.
According to Tuesday’s report, the first “known allegation of sexual abuse by Mr. McCarrick of a victim under 18 years of age,” which took place in the 1970s, first came to the attention of the Archdiocese of New York in 2017.
The report also suggests that “no records support” Cardinal Carlo Maria Vigano’s claim that he raised Francis’ attention to Mr. McCarrick in 2013, five years before the news reports. Francis, who signed off on the dossier’s release, claimed ignorance of Mr. McCarrick’s reported crimes.
“Pope Francis had heard only that there had been allegations and rumors related to immoral conduct with adults occurring prior to Mr. McCarrick’s appointment to Washington,” the report said.
With respect to Pope Benedict XVI, the report says the now-retired pontiff “reversed course” and pressured Mr. McCarrick to step down in 2006 after new information came to light by a priestly accuser. But Benedict did not “initiate a formal canonical proceeding,” the report notes.
The rise and fall of Mr. McCarrick already had left an imprint on the church. In 2019, Francis issued an apostolic letter issued to shore up accountability at the centuries-old church known for secrecy and extrajudicial affairs.
But even that document, which required earlier intervention by bishops in abuse cases, but failed to demand church leaders report abuse to civil authorities and frustrated survivors groups.
“His removal from the priesthood in early 2019 after being found guilty of the sexual abuse of a minor was a necessary sanction at the time,” said Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley. “However, the release of the Vatican’s report today reveals the depth of the suspicion and the clericalism that allowed him to rise to the level of bishop and cardinal in the face of those allegations.”
For many faithful, however the report represented a relief after years of anticipation about its contents.
“The report is long and a long time coming,” John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, told The Washington Times. “I am grateful to Pope Francis, who promised this report, and those that have worked to help the truth come out.”
• Christopher Vondracek can be reached at cvondracek@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Ford adding 350 jobs at 2 plants to make electric vehicles

DETROIT ( AP ) - Ford plans to add 350 jobs at two factories to meet expected demand for electric vehicles that haven ’ t gone on sale yet .
The automaker says it will add 150 workers at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo , Missouri , to build the new E-Transit full-size van that will go on sale late next year .
Another 200 workers will be hired at Ford ‘ s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn , Michigan , which will build an all-electric F-150 pickup starting in mid-2022 .
In addition , Ford says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kansas City plant for an assembly line that will build the electric vans .
Ford President of the Americas Kumar Galhotra says the company expects strong demand for the vans as many package delivery companies try to reduce their carbon footprints .
The company also expects high demand for the electric pickup .
Galhotra says production forecasts will be released later .
Demand for the electric pickup was higher than expected after it was announced in September , Galhotra said in an interview .
“ We immediately started working on increasing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We need more people to assemble the vehicles.
” Ford will reveal details of the E-Transit electric van on Thursday .
The company says these are early investments in the first phase of its plan to build more electric vehicles .
Ford has said it will invest $ 11.5 billion in electric vehicle factories through 2022 .
Ford also announced Tuesday that it will spend about $ 150 million at a transmission plant in Sterling Heights , Michigan , to make electric motors and transaxles for new electric vehicles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investment will help keep 225 positions .
In addition to the Kansas City and Michigan plants , Ford will build electric vehicles and components in Oakville , Ontario , and Cuautitlan , Mexico , the company said .
But more factories will be added as future vehicles are announced , it said .
“ This is just the first chapter with more new electric vehicles and more investment to come , ” Galhotra said .
Ford ’ s optimism about electric vehicles may be a little ahead of where U.S. buyers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow as more new models go on sale .
Last year , automakers sold just over 236,000 fully electric vehicles , up 36 % from 2018 .
But that amounted to only 1.4 % of all new vehicles sold in the country .

DETROIT (AP) - Ford plans to add 350 jobs at two factories to meet expected demand for electric vehicles that haven’t gone on sale yet.
The automaker says it will add 150 workers at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri, to build the new E-Transit full-size van that will go on sale late next year.
Another 200 workers will be hired at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, which will build an all-electric F-150 pickup starting in mid-2022.
In addition, Ford says it will invest $100 million in the Kansas City plant for an assembly line that will build the electric vans.
Ford President of the Americas Kumar Galhotra says the company expects strong demand for the vans as many package delivery companies try to reduce their carbon footprints. The company also expects high demand for the electric pickup. Galhotra says production forecasts will be released later.
Demand for the electric pickup was higher than expected after it was announced in September, Galhotra said in an interview. “We immediately started working on increasing the capacity of the plant,” he said. “We need more people to assemble the vehicles.”
Ford will reveal details of the E-Transit electric van on Thursday.
The company says these are early investments in the first phase of its plan to build more electric vehicles. Ford has said it will invest $11.5 billion in electric vehicle factories through 2022.
Ford also announced Tuesday that it will spend about $150 million at a transmission plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, to make electric motors and transaxles for new electric vehicles. No new jobs will be added but the investment will help keep 225 positions.
In addition to the Kansas City and Michigan plants, Ford will build electric vehicles and components in Oakville, Ontario, and Cuautitlan, Mexico, the company said. But more factories will be added as future vehicles are announced, it said. “This is just the first chapter with more new electric vehicles and more investment to come,” Galhotra said.
Ford’s optimism about electric vehicles may be a little ahead of where U.S. buyers are, but analysts expect EV sales to grow as more new models go on sale. Last year, automakers sold just over 236,000 fully electric vehicles, up 36% from 2018. But that amounted to only 1.4% of all new vehicles sold in the country.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Back in Boston, Red Sox's Cora vows to be above reproach

BOSTON ( AP ) - Alex Cora wants to make one thing clear - he deserved to have his dream job as manager of the Boston Red Sox taken away earlier this year .
He also is eager to prove he is worthy of his second chance to direct the team he led to a World Series title in 2018 .
Cora was introduced as the new Red Sox manager on Tuesday , just 10 days after his one-season suspension for his role in the Astros ’ sign-stealing scheme during their 2017 championship run came to an end .
Cora @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to being hired by the Red Sox in November 2017 , and promptly led Boston to the 2018 championship after a franchise-record 108 regular-season wins .
Now he ’ s back armed with the task of rebuilding both his reputation and a team whose roster looks totally different from the one he previously oversaw .
“ It ’ s been a tough year , ” Cora said Tuesday .
“ I was spending time at home for all the wrong reasons .
For that I want to apologize .
I deserved what happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I ’ m not proud of .
We went through the whole process , , , and at the end I got my penalty and I served it .
“ I put this organization in a tough spot .
And for that , I ’ m sorry.
” Even at the time of Cora ’ s departure from the club in January , Red Sox owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner , as well as team president Sam Kennedy , didn ’ t hide their affinity for Cora while acknowledging it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with him .
Still , after manager Ron Roenicke was let go following a last-place finish in the AL East this past season , Kennedy said the team made it clear to new baseball operations chief Chaim Bloom that the process and decision for hiring their next skipper was in his hands .
That point was reiterated in a September meeting that included Bloom , general manager Brian O ’ Halloran , the ownership group and Kennedy .
“ Did we let him know how we felt about Alex ?
Absolutely , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and genuine and direct that we would be supportive of the concept of Alex coming back if ( Bloom ) felt and his teammates felt that was the right thing for the Boston Red Sox .
But that it was their decision to make.
” Bloom , who was hired in the 2019 offseason , had only worked alongside Cora for a few months before Cora departed .
So , his initial text and calls to Cora a few days after the World Series were more about getting to know him and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suspension happened , this was the last thing I was thinking , ” Cora said of the possibility of returning .
“ I needed to take care of a lot of things on a personal level , take care of my family and baseball was the farthest thing from my thoughts .
“ I never saw that day coming .
But little by little the conversations got deeper and deeper.
” He said he , Bloom and O ’ Halloran had several frank and candid conversations about not only what happened in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for building a consistent product on the field following the trades of former MVP Mookie Betts and David Price as part of the salary cap-reducing moves the team has made since Cora left .
“ It was intense .
It was genuine and it was tough , you know , because there were some tough questions , ” Cora said .
“ And then I kind of like , ’ OK , you know , there ’ s a chance.
’ ” That process eventually grew into a formal interview .
Bloom and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviewed several other candidates as well , but it became clear to them that Cora deserved a second chance .
Bloom said while he didn ’ t presume to know how every player in the organization viewed the possibility of Cora returning , he said he received several “ unsolicited ” opinions from them .
“ I have a pretty good idea of how they feel about Alex , ” Bloom said .
While MLB ’ s investigation concluded that the sign-stealing scheme Cora orchestrated in Houston wasn ’ t used during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season , Kennedy said there have been internal discussions regarding installing safeguards to ensure their baseball operations staff adheres to all league rules going forward .
That ’ s just fine by Cora , who acknowledged he must still find ways to innovate during his second stint in Boston while running an operation that remains above reproach .
“ You ’ ve still got to find ways to take advantage of the situation , ” Cora said .
“ The MLB has done an outstanding job cleaning up a few things that teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a no .
It ’ s a no for me to cross the line .
If I fail at this then I ’ m out of the game.
” But he ’ s still going to push the envelope , he said .
“ As a manager , I still going to push them to do everything possible to read the scoreboard , read the pitchers , read catchers and do all that stuff , ” Cora said .
“ I mean , that ’ s part of baseball .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that .
”

BOSTON (AP) - Alex Cora wants to make one thing clear - he deserved to have his dream job as manager of the Boston Red Sox taken away earlier this year.
He also is eager to prove he is worthy of his second chance to direct the team he led to a World Series title in 2018.
Cora was introduced as the new Red Sox manager on Tuesday, just 10 days after his one-season suspension for his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scheme during their 2017 championship run came to an end.
Cora was Houston’s bench coach prior to being hired by the Red Sox in November 2017, and promptly led Boston to the 2018 championship after a franchise-record 108 regular-season wins. Now he’s back armed with the task of rebuilding both his reputation and a team whose roster looks totally different from the one he previously oversaw.
“It’s been a tough year,” Cora said Tuesday. “I was spending time at home for all the wrong reasons. For that I want to apologize. I deserved what happened this year. It’s something that I’m not proud of. We went through the whole process,,,and at the end I got my penalty and I served it.
“I put this organization in a tough spot. And for that, I’m sorry.”
Even at the time of Cora’s departure from the club in January, Red Sox owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner, as well as team president Sam Kennedy, didn’t hide their affinity for Cora while acknowledging it was the right decision to part ways with him.
Still, after manager Ron Roenicke was let go following a last-place finish in the AL East this past season, Kennedy said the team made it clear to new baseball operations chief Chaim Bloom that the process and decision for hiring their next skipper was in his hands.
That point was reiterated in a September meeting that included Bloom, general manager Brian O’Halloran, the ownership group and Kennedy.
“Did we let him know how we felt about Alex? Absolutely,” Kennedy said. “We were honest and genuine and direct that we would be supportive of the concept of Alex coming back if (Bloom) felt and his teammates felt that was the right thing for the Boston Red Sox. But that it was their decision to make.”
Bloom, who was hired in the 2019 offseason, had only worked alongside Cora for a few months before Cora departed. So, his initial text and calls to Cora a few days after the World Series were more about getting to know him and his philosophies better.
“Honestly, when the suspension happened, this was the last thing I was thinking,” Cora said of the possibility of returning. “I needed to take care of a lot of things on a personal level, take care of my family and baseball was the farthest thing from my thoughts.
“I never saw that day coming. But little by little the conversations got deeper and deeper.”
He said he, Bloom and O’Halloran had several frank and candid conversations about not only what happened in Houston, but Cora’s vision for building a consistent product on the field following the trades of former MVP Mookie Betts and David Price as part of the salary cap-reducing moves the team has made since Cora left.
“It was intense. It was genuine and it was tough, you know, because there were some tough questions,” Cora said. “And then I kind of like, ’OK, you know, there’s a chance.’”
That process eventually grew into a formal interview. Bloom and the team’s internal search committee interviewed several other candidates as well, but it became clear to them that Cora deserved a second chance.
Bloom said while he didn’t presume to know how every player in the organization viewed the possibility of Cora returning, he said he received several “unsolicited” opinions from them.
“I have a pretty good idea of how they feel about Alex,” Bloom said.
While MLB’s investigation concluded that the sign-stealing scheme Cora orchestrated in Houston wasn’t used during the Red Sox’s 2018 World Series season, Kennedy said there have been internal discussions regarding installing safeguards to ensure their baseball operations staff adheres to all league rules going forward.
That’s just fine by Cora, who acknowledged he must still find ways to innovate during his second stint in Boston while running an operation that remains above reproach.
“You’ve still got to find ways to take advantage of the situation,” Cora said. “The MLB has done an outstanding job cleaning up a few things that teams did or were doing. And it’s a no. It’s a no for me to cross the line. If I fail at this then I’m out of the game.”
But he’s still going to push the envelope, he said.
“As a manager, I still going to push them to do everything possible to read the scoreboard, read the pitchers, read catchers and do all that stuff,” Cora said. “I mean, that’s part of baseball. And I’m going to keep pushing for that.”
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Mississippi governor says his youngest daughter has COVID-19

JACKSON , Miss .
( AP ) - Mississippi Gov .
Tate Reeves said Tuesday that he , his wife and their three daughters are in isolation after the youngest tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Republican governor said in a social media post : “ She feels OK , but could still use prayers !
Please pray for her momma too !
” Reeves also said everyone in his family is being tested for the virus .
The governor announced his daughter ’ s infection shortly after he canceled his coronavirus news conference that was scheduled for Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reeves requires children and teachers to wear masks in public and private schools .
Sixteen of Mississippi ’ s 82 counties are under a mask mandate that is set to expire Wednesday .
The state confirmed its first coronavirus cases in March .
For the first few months , Reeves set county-by-county mask mandates only in places with rapidly increasing case numbers .
His only statewide mask mandate was in place from Aug. 4 to Sept. 30 .
Like many other states , Mississippi has seen a sharp increase in virus cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health reported 933 new confirmed cases Tuesday .
The department said Tuesday that Mississippi , with a population of about 3 million , has reported more than 128,000 virus cases and at least 3,480 deaths from COVID-19 as of Monday evening .
That ’ s an increase of 37 deaths from the day before .
The department said 25 of the 37 deaths occurred between Nov. 1 and Monday .
The other 12 occurred between Oct. 23 and Nov. 3 , with information from death certificates arriving later .
The true number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick .
The virus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most but can be more severe or fatal for some , especially older adults and those with underlying health conditions .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday that he, his wife and their three daughters are in isolation after the youngest tested positive for the coronavirus.
Maddie Reeves, 8, attends a private elementary school in Jackson.
The Republican governor said in a social media post: “She feels OK, but could still use prayers! Please pray for her momma too!”
Reeves also said everyone in his family is being tested for the virus.
The governor announced his daughter’s infection shortly after he canceled his coronavirus news conference that was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
An executive order issued by Reeves requires children and teachers to wear masks in public and private schools.
Sixteen of Mississippi’s 82 counties are under a mask mandate that is set to expire Wednesday.
The state confirmed its first coronavirus cases in March. For the first few months, Reeves set county-by-county mask mandates only in places with rapidly increasing case numbers. His only statewide mask mandate was in place from Aug. 4 to Sept. 30.
Like many other states, Mississippi has seen a sharp increase in virus cases in recent weeks. The Mississippi Department of Health reported 933 new confirmed cases Tuesday.
The department said Tuesday that Mississippi, with a population of about 3 million, has reported more than 128,000 virus cases and at least 3,480 deaths from COVID-19 as of Monday evening. That’s an increase of 37 deaths from the day before. The department said 25 of the 37 deaths occurred between Nov. 1 and Monday. The other 12 occurred between Oct. 23 and Nov. 3, with information from death certificates arriving later.
The true number of virus infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick. The virus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most but can be more severe or fatal for some, especially older adults and those with underlying health conditions.
___
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Florida sees over 3000 in hospital with coronavirus

MIAMI ( AP ) - The Department of Health said Tuesday that Florida logged 4,353 new coronavirus cases , with @ @ @ @ @ number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in Florida hospitals shows continued signs of an @ @ @ @ @ of weeks .
The state ’ s online census of hospitals showed numbers hovering between @ @ @ @ @ of last month .
The state ’ s outbreak peaked over the summer , with @ @ @ @ @ in late July .
The new cases bring the state ’ s known total to @ @ @ @ @ another 69 deaths on Tuesday , bringing the resident death toll to 17,248 .

MIAMI (AP) - The Department of Health said Tuesday that Florida logged 4,353 new coronavirus cases, with 3,025 current hospitalizations.
The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in Florida hospitals shows continued signs of an upswing in the past couple of weeks. The state’s online census of hospitals showed numbers hovering between 2,000 and 2,200 for most of last month. The state’s outbreak peaked over the summer, with nearly 10,000 patients being treated in late July.
The new cases bring the state’s known total to 852,174. Officials also added another 69 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the resident death toll to 17,248.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Louisiana touts new business development effort for veterans

BATON ROUGE , La .
( AP ) - A new program launched in Louisiana is aimed at helping veterans @ @ @ @ @ the state .
Gov .
John Bel Edwards ’ office on Tuesday announced the beginning @ @ @ @ @ Veteran Entrepreneurs .
The effort includes the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs , the state @ @ @ @ @ National Guard .
The PAVE program includes introductory online courses and a “ virtual boot @ @ @ @ @ analyze the feasibility of their business plans and find needed resources .
The boot camp @ @ @ @ @ Small Business Development Center Network .

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A new program launched in Louisiana is aimed at helping veterans who start small businesses in the state.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office on Tuesday announced the beginning of the Pathway to Assist Veteran Entrepreneurs.
The effort includes the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, the state economic development department and the National Guard.
The PAVE program includes introductory online courses and a “virtual boot camp” to help veterans analyze the feasibility of their business plans and find needed resources. The boot camp is hosted by the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Arrest made in Houston police sergeant's slaying

HOUSTON ( AP ) - A suspect was arrested Tuesday and another man is sought as a person of interest in the shooting death of a Houston police sergeant , officials said .
Robert Soliz , 24 , was arrested without incident about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday during a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in west Houston on a warrant accusing him of murder in the Monday slaying of Sgt .
Sean Rios , 47 , Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said .
Soliz was initially uncooperative with detectives questioning him , he said .
Soliz was being processed at police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the Harris County Jail , Acevedo said .
It was unclear if Soliz had an attorney to speak for him .
Rios was fatally shot while driving his black KIA sedan to work on Interstate 45 in north Houston .
The 25-year veteran of the Houston force staggered into the office of a small motel bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds .
He collapsed and died about 1:30 p.m. Monday , and a manhunt ensued .
Soliz was believed to have been involved in road-rage incidents involving firearms , Acevedo said at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rios shooting was reported , police received 911 calls of gunshots being exchanged between a white pickup truck and a blue Mercedes matching the description of one belonging to Soliz .
“ And so we believe there ’ s a high probability that Sgt .
Rios saw that incident between those two vehicles and , sadly , ended up losing his life in trying to intervene , ” Acevedo said .
Another Hispanic man with a bearded chin , a mustache and a black pickup truck , was shown in surveillance video with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Monday slaying , Acevedo said .
Before showing the surveillance video of Soliz and the other man to reporters , Acevedo said , “ The ( surveillance ) video we ’ re going to show this community is clear .
The person , when they see themselves , will know who they are , but they ’ re going to know that other people will know who this person is .
We need this person in custody.
” Rios was the second Houston police officer to be killed in the past three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Sgt .
Harold Preston was shot and killed on Oct. 20 while responding to a domestic violence situation .
The 41-year veteran of the department was preparing to retire this year .

HOUSTON (AP) - A suspect was arrested Tuesday and another man is sought as a person of interest in the shooting death of a Houston police sergeant, officials said.
Robert Soliz, 24, was arrested without incident about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday during a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in west Houston on a warrant accusing him of murder in the Monday slaying of Sgt. Sean Rios, 47, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said. Soliz was initially uncooperative with detectives questioning him, he said.
Soliz was being processed at police headquarters and had not been booked yet into the Harris County Jail, Acevedo said. It was unclear if Soliz had an attorney to speak for him.
Rios was fatally shot while driving his black KIA sedan to work on Interstate 45 in north Houston. The 25-year veteran of the Houston force staggered into the office of a small motel bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds. He collapsed and died about 1:30 p.m. Monday, and a manhunt ensued.
Soliz was believed to have been involved in road-rage incidents involving firearms, Acevedo said at an afternoon news conference.
Shortly before the Rios shooting was reported, police received 911 calls of gunshots being exchanged between a white pickup truck and a blue Mercedes matching the description of one belonging to Soliz. “And so we believe there’s a high probability that Sgt. Rios saw that incident between those two vehicles and, sadly, ended up losing his life in trying to intervene,” Acevedo said.
Another Hispanic man with a bearded chin, a mustache and a black pickup truck, was shown in surveillance video with Soliz and is sought for questioning in the Monday slaying, Acevedo said.
Before showing the surveillance video of Soliz and the other man to reporters, Acevedo said, “The (surveillance) video we’re going to show this community is clear. The person, when they see themselves, will know who they are, but they’re going to know that other people will know who this person is. We need this person in custody.”
Rios was the second Houston police officer to be killed in the past three weeks and the fourth since December. Police Sgt. Harold Preston was shot and killed on Oct. 20 while responding to a domestic violence situation. The 41-year veteran of the department was preparing to retire this year.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--N Carolina city council nixes 'Black Lives Do Matter' mural

GREENVILLE , N.C. ( AP ) - A North Carolina town council rejected a proposal to have a “ Black Lives Do Matter ” mural painted on a local street , opting instead for a mural which reads “ Unite Against Racism.
” Greenville City Councilman William Litchfield used a procedural move on Monday that allowed the six-member council to vote on requiring artists who asked to paint the message to use the words “ Unite Against Racism ” or not paint at all , The Daily Reflector reports .
Mayor P.J .
Connelly cast the tie-breaking vote for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tie on a second vote to approve the mural project with the new language .
City Manager Ann Wall , said changes will be needed because city staff will have to rework the spacing of the lettering so it doesn ’ t interfere with crosswalks and can fit in the two blocks between Washington and Cotanche streets .
Discussions about painting a street mural proclaiming Black Lives Matter began in June after similar street murals were painted in other cities following nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd while in police custody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at J.H .
Rose High School , said the artists were scheduled to begin painting the lettering on Friday .

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina town council rejected a proposal to have a “Black Lives Do Matter” mural painted on a local street, opting instead for a mural which reads “Unite Against Racism.”
Greenville City Councilman William Litchfield used a procedural move on Monday that allowed the six-member council to vote on requiring artists who asked to paint the message to use the words “Unite Against Racism” or not paint at all, The Daily Reflector reports.
Mayor P.J. Connelly cast the tie-breaking vote for the new language. Connelly then broke the tie on a second vote to approve the mural project with the new language.
City Manager Ann Wall, said changes will be needed because city staff will have to rework the spacing of the lettering so it doesn’t interfere with crosswalks and can fit in the two blocks between Washington and Cotanche streets.
Discussions about painting a street mural proclaiming Black Lives Matter began in June after similar street murals were painted in other cities following nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd while in police custody.
Randall Leach, an art teacher at J.H. Rose High School, said the artists were scheduled to begin painting the lettering on Friday.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Idaho governor pledges to explain COVID-19 vaccine safety

BOISE , Idaho ( AP ) - Idaho Gov .
Brad Little pledged Tuesday to explain the safety and effectiveness of a coronavirus vaccine to Idaho residents once it becomes available .
The Republican governor made the promise during an hour-long call-in program put on by the American Association of Retired Persons of Idaho that Little has been participating in regularly since COVID-19 entered the state .
“ You have my pledge that as we get closer to having a vaccine , there will be an all-out Idaho effort to explain to everybody the safety and the efficacy of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who described himself as an 80-year-old veteran .
Health officials have warned of a “ twindemic ” this winter as coronavirus infections combined with flu infections could overwhelm the state ’ s intertwined healthcare system , which in recent weeks has shown early signs of buckling as COVID-19 cases have spiked .
Many Idaho residents view vaccinations with suspicion , and the state is near the bottom compared with other states for rates of flu vaccinations .
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , about 50 % of children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Idaho got a flu shot last flu season , the third-lowest rate in the nation .
Among adults , about 41 % got flu shots , putting Idaho ninth from the bottom .
“ We don ’ t have a ( COVID-19 ) vaccine mandate , ” Little said .
“ But it ’ s highly recommended , and we ’ re going to do all we can for the public of Idaho to be comfortable in getting the vaccine for themselves and their family members.
” Idaho Director of Health and Welfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the call-in program .
He said Idaho will get an initial batch of the vaccine along with other states that will first be used to protect healthcare workers .
“ When it first comes out , it will be limited , ” he said .
“ And so that ’ s why it will be focused on healthcare workers .
And it probably won ’ t be even enough in that first round .
And right behind that are high-risk populations.
” High-risk populations for COVID-19 are generally older adults with pre-existing health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear when the vaccine will be available .
Pfizer Inc. said Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine may be a remarkable 90 % effective , based on early and incomplete test results .
The company said it is now on track to apply later this month for emergency-use approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration .
Authorities said it is unlikely any vaccine will arrive much before the end of the year , and the limited initial supplies will be rationed .
“ It won ’ t be the case that we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger states to go in front of us , ” Jeppesen said .
“ We ’ ll get our proportionate share of the vaccine available.
” Johns Hopkins University reports that Idaho through Monday had nearly 75,000 infections and about 700 deaths .
The virus has surged in the state in recent weeks , with a healthcare facility in south-central Idaho reporting it had to send patients elsewhere because it was full due to COVID-19 patients .
Meanwhile , the Idaho Supreme Court on Monday issued an order banning jury trials in state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the percentage of counties with low enough incidence rates to allow jury trials fell from 91 % in early September to 5 % in early November , causing too many disruptions in the court system .

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Idaho Gov. Brad Little pledged Tuesday to explain the safety and effectiveness of a coronavirus vaccine to Idaho residents once it becomes available.
The Republican governor made the promise during an hour-long call-in program put on by the American Association of Retired Persons of Idaho that Little has been participating in regularly since COVID-19 entered the state.
“You have my pledge that as we get closer to having a vaccine, there will be an all-out Idaho effort to explain to everybody the safety and the efficacy of the vaccine,” Little told a caller who described himself as an 80-year-old veteran.
Health officials have warned of a “twindemic” this winter as coronavirus infections combined with flu infections could overwhelm the state’s intertwined healthcare system, which in recent weeks has shown early signs of buckling as COVID-19 cases have spiked.
Many Idaho residents view vaccinations with suspicion, and the state is near the bottom compared with other states for rates of flu vaccinations. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50% of children 6 months to 17 years old in Idaho got a flu shot last flu season, the third-lowest rate in the nation. Among adults, about 41% got flu shots, putting Idaho ninth from the bottom.
“We don’t have a (COVID-19) vaccine mandate,” Little said. “But it’s highly recommended, and we’re going to do all we can for the public of Idaho to be comfortable in getting the vaccine for themselves and their family members.”
Idaho Director of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen also took part in the call-in program. He said Idaho will get an initial batch of the vaccine along with other states that will first be used to protect healthcare workers.
“When it first comes out, it will be limited,” he said. “And so that’s why it will be focused on healthcare workers. And it probably won’t be even enough in that first round. And right behind that are high-risk populations.”
High-risk populations for COVID-19 are generally older adults with pre-existing health problems.
It’s not exactly clear when the vaccine will be available.
Pfizer Inc. said Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine may be a remarkable 90% effective, based on early and incomplete test results. The company said it is now on track to apply later this month for emergency-use approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Authorities said it is unlikely any vaccine will arrive much before the end of the year, and the limited initial supplies will be rationed.
“It won’t be the case that we’ll be waiting for other states or larger states to go in front of us,” Jeppesen said. “We’ll get our proportionate share of the vaccine available.”
Johns Hopkins University reports that Idaho through Monday had nearly 75,000 infections and about 700 deaths. The virus has surged in the state in recent weeks, with a healthcare facility in south-central Idaho reporting it had to send patients elsewhere because it was full due to COVID-19 patients.
Meanwhile, the Idaho Supreme Court on Monday issued an order banning jury trials in state courts until Jan. 4. The court said that the percentage of counties with low enough incidence rates to allow jury trials fell from 91% in early September to 5% in early November, causing too many disruptions in the court system.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Small tornado touches down in St. Helens, buildings damaged

ST HELENS , Ore. ( AP ) - The National Weather Service says a tornado touched down north of Portland @ @ @ @ @ .
The weather service confirmed the tornado at about 2 p.m. Tuesday .
It touched @ @ @ @ @ KPTV reported .
Damage to the roof of a home was reported and at least @ @ @ @ @ by large tree limbs .
No injuries were immediately reported .
The National Weather Service @ @ @ @ @ that rotating clouds were still possible in the area Tuesday afternoon .
“ If you @ @ @ @ @ especially if it starts to lower , head indoors , ” the agency said .

ST HELENS, Ore. (AP) - The National Weather Service says a tornado touched down north of Portland in St. Helens, Oregon.
The weather service confirmed the tornado at about 2 p.m. Tuesday. It touched down around 12:20 p.m., KPTV reported.
Damage to the roof of a home was reported and at least two other buildings were damaged by large tree limbs. No injuries were immediately reported.
The National Weather Service in Portland said on Twitter that rotating clouds were still possible in the area Tuesday afternoon. “If you see any cloud rotation, especially if it starts to lower, head indoors,” the agency said.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Maine climate scientist to join Biden's transition team

PORTLAND , Maine ( AP ) - A scientist who directs a climate center at a Maine marine science institute @ @ @ @ @ President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition team .
David Reidmiller is director of the Climate @ @ @ @ @ Maine Research Institute .
He was named to the White House ’ s Office of @ @ @ @ @ WCSH-TV reported .
Reidmiller has served federal government agencies in the past , including serving @ @ @ @ @ State ’ s Office of Global Change during the Obama administration .
He was also @ @ @ @ @ science and technology negotiator for the Paris Agreement , GMRI ’ s website states .
@ @ @ @ @ science center that focuses on issues such as warming oceans and sustainable seafood .

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A scientist who directs a climate center at a Maine marine science institute has signed on to join President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team.
David Reidmiller is director of the Climate Center at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. He was named to the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, WCSH-TV reported.
Reidmiller has served federal government agencies in the past, including serving in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Change during the Obama administration. He was also the U.S.’s lead science and technology negotiator for the Paris Agreement, GMRI’s website states.
GMRI is a Portland-based marine science center that focuses on issues such as warming oceans and sustainable seafood.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Hospitalizations, deaths from COVID-19 rise in Alabama

MONTGOMERY , Ala. ( AP ) - The number of people in Alabama hospitals with COVID-19 - as well as the number of daily deaths from the disease - are rising as health officials expressed concern about the trajectory of the pandemic headed into both the flu and holiday season .
“ Clearly , we are moving upward compared to where we were even a month ago but certainly compared to where we were two months ago .
It ’ s not as sharp an increase as we see right now in other parts of the country , especially the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly the Midwest , but it ’ s concerning to us , ” State Health Officer Scott Harris said Tuesday .
Harris said the Alabama numbers have been going in the wrong direction for about a month .
“ I think there are a number of reasons .
It may be that the best explanation is that all across society people are getting back to sort of normal activity .
People aren ’ t maybe being as concerned with social distancing or mask wearing as they were a few months ago.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with workplaces , a work release center , weddings and a few in schools .
Alabama ranked 27th in the nation for new cases per capita over the last two weeks , according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University .
The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Alabama has risen over the past two weeks from 11 deaths per day on Oct. 26 to 15.86 deaths per day on Nov. 9 .
Alabama Department of Public Health statistics showed 1,206 people were hospitalized Tuesday with the disease , an increase of nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The state is still far below the summer numbers when about 1,600 people were hospitalized at a time in late July and early August when the pandemic was at its worst in the state after the Fourth of July holiday .
“ What I ’ m concerned about is the trend , ” said Dr. Don Williamson , the former longtime state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association .
“ We ’ re beginning to climb at a much more rapid rate.
” At least two school systems recently announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases within the school and trouble finding substitutes to fill in for teachers and staff .
Attalla City Schools in Etowah County announced they were moving to online classes for the next two weeks .
“ This decision is based on staff illness , contact tracing , and limited availability of substitutes .
Student case numbers remain low , ” the school system said in its announcement .
Fayette County Schools also announced a move to virtual classes for one week because of the number of quarantined students , teachers and bus drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey this summer announced a statewide mask order which health officials credited with a drop in cases .
Ivey last week extended a statewide mask order into December but lifted occupancy limits on stores and restaurants in the hopes of allowing retailers to make up economic ground during the holiday shopping season .
Since the pandemic began in Alabama , more than 200,000 people have tested positive for the disease and more than 3,100 have died .
The illness causes only mild to moderate symptoms for most people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elderly and people with other , serious health problems .
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The number of people in Alabama hospitals with COVID-19 - as well as the number of daily deaths from the disease - are rising as health officials expressed concern about the trajectory of the pandemic headed into both the flu and holiday season.
“Clearly, we are moving upward compared to where we were even a month ago but certainly compared to where we were two months ago. It’s not as sharp an increase as we see right now in other parts of the country, especially the upper Midwest, Great Plains states, certainly the Midwest, but it’s concerning to us,” State Health Officer Scott Harris said Tuesday.
Harris said the Alabama numbers have been going in the wrong direction for about a month.
“I think there are a number of reasons. It may be that the best explanation is that all across society people are getting back to sort of normal activity. People aren’t maybe being as concerned with social distancing or mask wearing as they were a few months ago.” He said the state has seen outbreaks associated with workplaces, a work release center, weddings and a few in schools.
Alabama ranked 27th in the nation for new cases per capita over the last two weeks, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Alabama has risen over the past two weeks from 11 deaths per day on Oct. 26 to 15.86 deaths per day on Nov. 9.
Alabama Department of Public Health statistics showed 1,206 people were hospitalized Tuesday with the disease, an increase of nearly 400 people over the last month.
The state is still far below the summer numbers when about 1,600 people were hospitalized at a time in late July and early August when the pandemic was at its worst in the state after the Fourth of July holiday.
“What I’m concerned about is the trend,” said Dr. Don Williamson, the former longtime state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association. “We’re beginning to climb at a much more rapid rate.”
At least two school systems recently announced a move to virtual classes because of cases within the school and trouble finding substitutes to fill in for teachers and staff.
Attalla City Schools in Etowah County announced they were moving to online classes for the next two weeks. “This decision is based on staff illness, contact tracing, and limited availability of substitutes. Student case numbers remain low,” the school system said in its announcement.
Fayette County Schools also announced a move to virtual classes for one week because of the number of quarantined students, teachers and bus drivers as well as a lack of substitutes.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey this summer announced a statewide mask order which health officials credited with a drop in cases.
Ivey last week extended a statewide mask order into December but lifted occupancy limits on stores and restaurants in the hopes of allowing retailers to make up economic ground during the holiday shopping season.
Since the pandemic began in Alabama, more than 200,000 people have tested positive for the disease and more than 3,100 have died.
The illness causes only mild to moderate symptoms for most people, but it can be deadly for the elderly and people with other, serious health problems.
___
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Inside the Beltway: Veterans Day: A lone source of unity

Amid unprecedented political discord , the nation will step up in pride and appreciation on Wednesday to honor 17.4 million U.S. military veterans on Veterans Day .
Yes , there are still polished , rousing parades and salutes — many now virtual versions which bypass the coronavirus threat and make inventive use of technology .
Good will and patriotism is still intact , however — and it ’ s a national thing , without controversy and caterwaul .
Even the news media can ’ t sully this solemn , but heartfelt and uplifting , tradition .
Hundreds of local organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ POWs , MIAs , active duty folk and Gold Star families in simple events which observe social distancing and emphasize the common bonds of military service .
Dozens of major restaurant chains and retailers will honor vets with classy , free fare .
The U.S. Small Business Administration salutes the “ resilience , poise and adaptability ” of veteran-owned businesses which contribute over $ 1 trillion to the nation ’ s economy each year .
And about those events : The U.S. Navy ’ s Leap Frogs will make a precision parachute jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Midway Museum in San Diego on Wednesday .
This team is part of the U.S .
Naval Special Warfare Command ; members are active-duty Navy SEALs , Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen , and this year — a single Navy veteran and former SEAL also will make the jump .
For the 67th year in a row , there will be a Veterans Day Observance , which will be livestreamed from Arlington National Cemetery .
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley , California , salutes all branches of our military , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — both veterans — are the keynote speakers .
This is just a tiny sampling of what ’ s out there .
“ We pledge our gratitude to every man and woman currently serving this Nation in uniform , to all our veterans who helped preserve and defend our precious freedom , and to every family member who shares in the service and sacrifice of military life , ” said President Trump in a proclamation formally dedicating the month of November to vets and military families .
Vets themselves have a word or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The number of soldiers who leave American soil and never return is not lost on me .
I had just won the best lottery in the world : I came home to America , ” wrote Nathan O ’ Day , in an essay for The Epoch Times on his journey home after serving in Kuwait that simply describes himself as “ a freedom-loving veteran who enjoys and appreciates everything this amazing country has to offer.
” See noteworthy statistics about veterans at column ’ s end .
A challenge lingers on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she too faces an upcoming election — her own .
“ Nancy Pelosi refuses to denounce socialism as she seeks another term as speaker .
The leftwing ideology has become a growing wedge issue within the Democratic Party , ” writes Fox News analyst Joseph A. Wulfsohn — who wonders whether the speaker would allow self-described socialists to hold leadership positions in the House .
“ The subject of socialism is apparently becoming a growing concern among Democrats behind closed doors .
A leaked recording from a Democratic caucus call showed Rep. Abigail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialism , in addition to ‘ defund the police ’ rhetoric , were to blame for several congressional defeats , ” Mr. Wulfsohn notes .
He also cites self-described socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York .
“ The whole ‘ progressivism is bad ’ argument just doesn ’ t have any compelling evidence that I ’ ve seen , ” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez recently tweeted .
“ Progressives have assets to offer the party that the party has not yet fully leaned into , ” she later told CNN .
“ Every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All won their reelection , and so the conversation is a little bit deeper than saying anything progressive is toxic.
” NOT QUITE SO SHY Here ’ s a small revelation to track as the election drags on .
“ The biggest surprise for the mainstream media and the conventional pollsters was that there were a significant number of ‘ shy Trump voters.
’ Who were these voters ?
One segment was non-white voters , especially Hispanics but also Blacks .
Trump received the largest share of the non-white vote [ among Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spinning furiously to explain this away , ” writes Stephen Hayward , a contributor to Powerline .
“ The other group of shy Trump voters appear to have been suburban college-educated women — the group the mainstream media claimed Trump had permanently alienated .
Exit polls from both Public Opinion Strategies and the Edison Poll finds that Trump got half or more of this group .
This shift helps explain why Republicans outperformed , especially in House races , ” he advises .
“ If you want to know who really stole the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission on Presidential Debates , ” says Jo Jorgensen , the Libertarian Party ’ s nominee for president .
“ Even though my name was on every voter ’ s ballot , in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia , they excluded me from the debates .
The commission , run by Democrats and Republicans , sets rules to serve themselves , not the voters , ” she advises .
• 17.4 million : The estimated number of military veterans in the U.S. in 2019 .
The population includes 15.8 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.2 million of the total are Vietnam-era veterans ; 3.8 million served in the Gulf War from August 1990 to August 2001 ; 3.7 million served in the Gulf War from Sept. 2001 and later ; 1.1 million served in the Korean War ; 380,327 served in World War II .
• 13.2 million of the total are non-Hispanic White ; 2.1 million are Black , 1.3 million are Hispanic ; 313,348 are Asian ; 142,972 are American Indian or Alaska Native ; 35,431 are Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ; 370,882 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 236,595 are “ some other race.
” • 4.2 million are age 75 years and over ; 4.5 million of the total are 65 to 74 years ; 3.1 million are 55 to 64 ; 4 million are 35 to 54 ; 1.5 million are 18 to 34 .
Source : The U.S. Census Bureau ’ s 2019 American Community Survey .
Margin of error averages 0.1 % • Have a productive Veterans Day and thank you for reading Inside the Beltway .

NEWS AND OPINION:
Amid unprecedented political discord, the nation will step up in pride and appreciation on Wednesday to honor 17.4 million U.S. military veterans on Veterans Day.
Yes, there are still polished, rousing parades and salutes — many now virtual versions which bypass the coronavirus threat and make inventive use of technology. Good will and patriotism is still intact, however — and it’s a national thing, without controversy and caterwaul. Even the news media can’t sully this solemn, but heartfelt and uplifting, tradition.
Hundreds of local organizations will salute vets, hometown heroes, POWs, MIAs, active duty folk and Gold Star families in simple events which observe social distancing and emphasize the common bonds of military service. Dozens of major restaurant chains and retailers will honor vets with classy, free fare. The U.S. Small Business Administration salutes the “resilience, poise and adaptability” of veteran-owned businesses which contribute over $1 trillion to the nation’s economy each year.
And about those events: The U.S. Navy’s Leap Frogs will make a precision parachute jump onto the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego on Wednesday. This team is part of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command; members are active-duty Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen, and this year — a single Navy veteran and former SEAL also will make the jump.
For the 67th year in a row, there will be a Veterans Day Observance, which will be livestreamed from Arlington National Cemetery. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, salutes all branches of our military, with Republican Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Mike Garcia — both veterans — are the keynote speakers. This is just a tiny sampling of what’s out there.
“We pledge our gratitude to every man and woman currently serving this Nation in uniform, to all our veterans who helped preserve and defend our precious freedom, and to every family member who shares in the service and sacrifice of military life,” said President Trump in a proclamation formally dedicating the month of November to vets and military families.
Vets themselves have a word or two to say as well.
“The number of soldiers who leave American soil and never return is not lost on me. I had just won the best lottery in the world: I came home to America,” wrote Nathan O’Day, in an essay for The Epoch Times on his journey home after serving in Kuwait that simply describes himself as “a freedom-loving veteran who enjoys and appreciates everything this amazing country has to offer.”
See noteworthy statistics about veterans at column’s end.
THE WOES OF NANCY
A challenge lingers on the horizon for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as she too faces an upcoming election — her own.
“Nancy Pelosi refuses to denounce socialism as she seeks another term as speaker. The leftwing ideology has become a growing wedge issue within the Democratic Party,” writes Fox News analyst Joseph A. Wulfsohn — who wonders whether the speaker would allow self-described socialists to hold leadership positions in the House.
“The subject of socialism is apparently becoming a growing concern among Democrats behind closed doors. A leaked recording from a Democratic caucus call showed Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia Democrat, suggesting that socialism, in addition to ‘defund the police’ rhetoric, were to blame for several congressional defeats,” Mr. Wulfsohn notes.
He also cites self-described socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
“The whole ‘progressivism is bad’ argument just doesn’t have any compelling evidence that I’ve seen,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez recently tweeted.
“Progressives have assets to offer the party that the party has not yet fully leaned into,” she later told CNN. “Every single swing seat member that co-sponsored Medicare for All won their reelection, and so the conversation is a little bit deeper than saying anything progressive is toxic.”
So buckle up, folks.
NOT QUITE SO SHY
Here’s a small revelation to track as the election drags on.
“The biggest surprise for the mainstream media and the conventional pollsters was that there were a significant number of ‘shy Trump voters.’ Who were these voters? One segment was non-white voters, especially Hispanics but also Blacks. Trump received the largest share of the non-white vote [among Republicans] in 60 years. Liberals are spinning furiously to explain this away,” writes Stephen Hayward, a contributor to Powerline.
“The other group of shy Trump voters appear to have been suburban college-educated women — the group the mainstream media claimed Trump had permanently alienated. Exit polls from both Public Opinion Strategies and the Edison Poll finds that Trump got half or more of this group. This shift helps explain why Republicans outperformed, especially in House races,” he advises.
THE LIBERTARIAN CONCLUSION
“If you want to know who really stole the 2020 presidential election, start with the Commission on Presidential Debates,” says Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian Party’s nominee for president.
“Even though my name was on every voter’s ballot, in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, they excluded me from the debates. The commission, run by Democrats and Republicans, sets rules to serve themselves, not the voters,” she advises.
STATISTICS DU JOUR
• 17.4 million: The estimated number of military veterans in the U.S. in 2019. The population includes 15.8 million men and 1.6 million women.
• 6.2 million of the total are Vietnam-era veterans; 3.8 million served in the Gulf War from August 1990 to August 2001; 3.7 million served in the Gulf War from Sept. 2001 and later; 1.1 million served in the Korean War; 380,327 served in World War II.
• 13.2 million of the total are non-Hispanic White; 2.1 million are Black, 1.3 million are Hispanic; 313,348 are Asian; 142,972 are American Indian or Alaska Native; 35,431 are Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; 370,882 are “two or more races” and 236,595 are “some other race.”
• 4.2 million are age 75 years and over; 4.5 million of the total are 65 to 74 years; 3.1 million are 55 to 64; 4 million are 35 to 54; 1.5 million are 18 to 34.
Source: The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. Margin of error averages 0.1%
• Have a productive Veterans Day and thank you for reading Inside the Beltway.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Alison Ikley-Freeman, Oklahoma Democrat, charged in fatal crash

CHANDLER , Okla. — An Oklahoma state senator from Tulsa was charged with first-degree manslaughter after authorities say she was speeding and driving recklessly when her vehicle skidded off a rain-slickened road and crashed into a man ’ s disabled vehicle , killing him .
Democratic Sen. Alison Ikley-Freeman , 29 , who was seriously injured in the May crash , was charged Monday in Lincoln County .
According to a state trooper who investigated , Ikley-Freeman was traveling 91 mph in a 75 mph zone in rainy conditions on the Turner Turnpike .
Enrique Lopez , whose vehicle had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuck in a ditch , died at the scene .
The patrol reported Ikley-Freeman was trapped in the wreckage for 40 minutes .
Ikley-Freeman was operating the vehicle in “ complete disregard for the motoring public ” and was committing several misdemeanors when the accident occurred , including speeding , reckless driving , driving too fast for the weather and failing to stay in a single lane , Trooper Shayne Ballard wrote in an affidavit .
Ikley-Freeman ’ s attorney , John Hunsucker , said in a statement that he was still reviewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We believe that when the facts are completely vetted , it will show that this was a tragic unavoidable accident .
Our sympathies for the family of Mr. Lopez.
” If convicted of first-degree manslaughter , Ikley-Freeman faces between four years and life in prison .
Ikley-Freeman , who was elected in a special election in 2017 , lost her reelection bid last week to Republican Cody Rogers .

CHANDLER, Okla. — An Oklahoma state senator from Tulsa was charged with first-degree manslaughter after authorities say she was speeding and driving recklessly when her vehicle skidded off a rain-slickened road and crashed into a man’s disabled vehicle, killing him.
Democratic Sen. Alison Ikley-Freeman, 29, who was seriously injured in the May crash, was charged Monday in Lincoln County.
According to a state trooper who investigated, Ikley-Freeman was traveling 91 mph in a 75 mph zone in rainy conditions on the Turner Turnpike. Enrique Lopez, whose vehicle had skidded off the road earlier and was stuck in a ditch, died at the scene. The patrol reported Ikley-Freeman was trapped in the wreckage for 40 minutes.
Ikley-Freeman was operating the vehicle in “complete disregard for the motoring public” and was committing several misdemeanors when the accident occurred, including speeding, reckless driving, driving too fast for the weather and failing to stay in a single lane, Trooper Shayne Ballard wrote in an affidavit.
Ikley-Freeman’s attorney, John Hunsucker, said in a statement that he was still reviewing the allegations, but added: “We believe that when the facts are completely vetted, it will show that this was a tragic unavoidable accident. Our sympathies for the family of Mr. Lopez.”
If convicted of first-degree manslaughter, Ikley-Freeman faces between four years and life in prison.
Ikley-Freeman, who was elected in a special election in 2017, lost her reelection bid last week to Republican Cody Rogers.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Lawyer asks for probe of Nashville officers in 2018 break-in

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) - An attorney representing a Tennessee homeowner is asking the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board to investigate officers who responded to a break-in by a former New York officer during a drunken bachelor party two years ago .
Nashville attorney Daniel Horwitz is representing Conese Halliburton , the woman whose house New York City Police Department officer Michael Reynolds is accused of invading in July 2018 .
Horwitz said he believes responding Metro Nashville Police Officers committed “ significant misconduct ” while investigating the break-in , The Tennessean reported Monday .
Reynolds acknowledged breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he mistook for the Airbnb rental where he was staying , the newspaper has reported .
Reynolds , who is white , also allegedly threatened to shoot the Black family and used a racist slur , the newspaper said .
Halliburton was in the home with her four sons at the time , according to prosecutors .
In a letter to review board director Jill Fitcheard , Horwitz said Halliburton testified that a Nashville officer gave incorrect information to dispatch about what Reynolds was wearing that night and wrote false information in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter that Nashville officers tried to cover up other actions in the case and have attempted “ to intimidate ” the Halliburtons .
The oversight board did not immediately say whether they would investigate the allegations about the Nashville officers .
A police department spokesperson told The Tennessean that officials were unaware of the allegations or whether internal affairs had been notified , according to the newspaper .
Last month , a federal judge ordered Reynolds to pay $ 1 million to Halliburton to resolve a federal civil lawsuit filed by Halliburton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotional distress .
Halliburton was sentenced to 15 days in jail last December after pleading no contest to aggravated criminal trespass and three counts of assault in the home invasion .
He quit the police force a month later amid protests calling for his firing .

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - An attorney representing a Tennessee homeowner is asking the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board to investigate officers who responded to a break-in by a former New York officer during a drunken bachelor party two years ago.
Nashville attorney Daniel Horwitz is representing Conese Halliburton, the woman whose house New York City Police Department officer Michael Reynolds is accused of invading in July 2018. Horwitz said he believes responding Metro Nashville Police Officers committed “significant misconduct” while investigating the break-in, The Tennessean reported Monday.
Reynolds acknowledged breaking into Halliburton’s home, which he mistook for the Airbnb rental where he was staying, the newspaper has reported. Reynolds, who is white, also allegedly threatened to shoot the Black family and used a racist slur, the newspaper said. Halliburton was in the home with her four sons at the time, according to prosecutors.
In a letter to review board director Jill Fitcheard, Horwitz said Halliburton testified that a Nashville officer gave incorrect information to dispatch about what Reynolds was wearing that night and wrote false information in an incident report.
Horwitz also alleged in the letter that Nashville officers tried to cover up other actions in the case and have attempted “to intimidate” the Halliburtons.
The oversight board did not immediately say whether they would investigate the allegations about the Nashville officers. A police department spokesperson told The Tennessean that officials were unaware of the allegations or whether internal affairs had been notified, according to the newspaper.
Last month, a federal judge ordered Reynolds to pay $1 million to Halliburton to resolve a federal civil lawsuit filed by Halliburton accusing him of assault, trespassing and emotional distress. Halliburton was sentenced to 15 days in jail last December after pleading no contest to aggravated criminal trespass and three counts of assault in the home invasion. He quit the police force a month later amid protests calling for his firing.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Police: Man livestreamed part of fatal New Mexico shooting

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - Authorities in New Mexico have arrested a man after police say he fatally shot two people and streamed part of the assault on Facebook .
Alejandro Alirez , 23 , of Las Vegas was arrested Sunday on multiple charges including first-degree murder , aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon and shooting at an occupied building , the New Mexico State Police said in a statement Monday .
Police said his girlfriend , Cristal Cervantes , 33 , and her grandfather , Victor Cervantes , 89 , who both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting occurred , died at the scene .
San Miguel County Sheriff ’ s deputies originally responded after being called by Alirez ’ s mother who said her son was acting “ irate ” and had a handgun at the Cervantes ’ home , an affidavit said .
Arriving officers said the suspect fired shots at deputies , who then called the New Mexico State Police and the Las Vegas Police Department for backup .
No deputies were injured .
Alirez surrendered after crisis negotiators spoke with him by phone , authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the home .
New Mexico State Police said part of the shooting was livestreamed on Facebook .
“ Agents observed that Alirez livestreamed a portion of the event , including Alirez walking around inside the residence with a handgun and shooting Cristal Cervantes , ” the agency said in a statement .
He could then be heard saying he “ shot her grandpa , ” as well as , “ I killed this guy .
My girlfriend is still alive.
” Alirez allegedly waived his Miranda rights at the state police department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks prior to the fatal shooting , he began to notice he was being molested in his sleep , the Santa Fe New Mexican reported .
Alirez believed his girlfriend was allowing people to come into the residence to assault him , and that there were “ other children being molested ” and he needed to “ save ” them , the criminal complaint said .
Alirez allegedly told officers he had purchased a .45 Hi-Point pistol last week that he intended to use to kill his nieces and nephews .
Online court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Alirez who could comment on his behalf .
Alirez is scheduled for a hearing Friday to determine the possible conditions of his release , followed by a preliminary examination Nov. 24 .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Authorities in New Mexico have arrested a man after police say he fatally shot two people and streamed part of the assault on Facebook.
Alejandro Alirez, 23, of Las Vegas was arrested Sunday on multiple charges including first-degree murder, aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon and shooting at an occupied building, the New Mexico State Police said in a statement Monday.
Police said his girlfriend, Cristal Cervantes, 33, and her grandfather, Victor Cervantes, 89, who both lived at the Las Vegas home where the shooting occurred, died at the scene.
San Miguel County Sheriff’s deputies originally responded after being called by Alirez’s mother who said her son was acting “irate” and had a handgun at the Cervantes’ home, an affidavit said.
Arriving officers said the suspect fired shots at deputies, who then called the New Mexico State Police and the Las Vegas Police Department for backup. No deputies were injured.
Alirez surrendered after crisis negotiators spoke with him by phone, authorities said. Police then discovered two bodies in the home.
New Mexico State Police said part of the shooting was livestreamed on Facebook.
“Agents observed that Alirez livestreamed a portion of the event, including Alirez walking around inside the residence with a handgun and shooting Cristal Cervantes,” the agency said in a statement. He could then be heard saying he “shot her grandpa,” as well as, “I killed this guy. My girlfriend is still alive.”
Alirez allegedly waived his Miranda rights at the state police department station and told officers that a few weeks prior to the fatal shooting, he began to notice he was being molested in his sleep, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
Alirez believed his girlfriend was allowing people to come into the residence to assault him, and that there were “other children being molested” and he needed to “save” them, the criminal complaint said.
Alirez allegedly told officers he had purchased a .45 Hi-Point pistol last week that he intended to use to kill his nieces and nephews.
Online court records didn’t list an attorney for Alirez who could comment on his behalf.
Alirez is scheduled for a hearing Friday to determine the possible conditions of his release, followed by a preliminary examination Nov. 24.


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--Florida officer charged with murder after inmate's death

CLERMONT , Fla. ( AP ) - A correctional officer is facing a murder charge in connection with the death @ @ @ @ @ state prison in central Florida earlier this year , authorities said Tuesday .
A grand @ @ @ @ @ a second-degree murder charge following the death in June of the unnamed inmate at Lake @ @ @ @ @ Florida , the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a statement .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ as a result of actions taken by Riley in his capacity as a correctional officer @ @ @ @ @ .
Riley was being held at the Polk County Jail .
There was no online @ @ @ @ @ so it wasn ’ t known if he had an attorney .
“ The Florida @ @ @ @ @ tolerance for the malicious application of force , ” Florida Secretary of Corrections Mark Inch @ @ @ @ @ “ If an officer acts outside of their authority and the standards of the Department @ @ @ @ @ accountable .
”

CLERMONT, Fla. (AP) - A correctional officer is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of an inmate at a state prison in central Florida earlier this year, authorities said Tuesday.
A grand jury indicted Michael Riley on a second-degree murder charge following the death in June of the unnamed inmate at Lake Correctional Institution in Clermont, Florida, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a statement.
“The investigation shows the victim died as a result of actions taken by Riley in his capacity as a correctional officer,” the statement said.
Riley was being held at the Polk County Jail. There was no online docket for Riley yet, so it wasn’t known if he had an attorney.
“The Florida Department of Corrections has zero tolerance for the malicious application of force,” Florida Secretary of Corrections Mark Inch said in a statement. “If an officer acts outside of their authority and the standards of the Department, they will be held accountable.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-10--False claims of voting fraud, pushed by Trump, thrive online

It started months before Election Day with false claims on Facebook and Twitter that mail-in ballots cast for President Donald Trump had been chucked in dumpsters or rivers .
Now , a week after the final polls closed , falsehoods about dead people voting and ballots being thrown out by poll workers are still thriving on social media , reaching an audience of millions .
Trump and his supporters are pointing to those debunked claims on social media as reason to not accept that Democrat Joe Biden won the election .
“ These will probably persist for years or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a University of Washington professor and online misinformation expert , said of the false claims about the U.S. election process .
“ People are very motivated to both participate in them and believe them.
” There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election .
In fact , voting officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities .
The issues raised by Trump ’ s campaign and his allies are typical in every election : problems with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on mail-in ballots , as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost .
With Biden leading Trump by substantial margins in key battleground states , none of those issues would have any impact on the outcome of the election .
Many of the legal challenges brought by Trump ’ s campaign have been tossed out by judges , some within hours of their filing .
But Trump , who primed his supporters for months to doubt this election ’ s outcome with false tales of ballots being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets warning of a “ rigged election , ” has continued his assault on the U.S. vote in more than 40 Facebook and Twitter posts since Election Day .
“ This was a stolen election , ” Trump tweeted on Sunday , the day after Biden became president-elect .
Trump ’ s supporters have readily echoed the president ’ s cries of an unfair election on Facebook and Twitter .
Tweets and retweets with terms such as “ steal , ” “ fraud , ” “ rigged ” and dead ” referring to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Nov. 2 to Nov. 6 , according to an analysis by VineSight , a tech company that tracks misinformation .
The company found more than 1.6 million retweets containing some of those words on Nov. 6 alone .
The false claims have shapeshifted over the last week , ranging from misleading assertions that ballots filled out with Sharpie pens in Illinois , Arizona and Michigan were thrown out to an inaccurate social media post from Eric Trump that the number of ballots cast in Wisconsin exceeded the number of registered voters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump allies have peddled social media claims that hundreds or thousands of dead people voted in key battleground states like Pennsylvania or Michigan .
One tweet , shared more than 50,000 times , falsely claimed that a dead woman named Donna Brydges voted in the election .
Brydges is very much alive , she confirmed to the AP by phone last week .
In fact , she had “ just beat me in a game of Cribbage , ” her husband told a reporter .
Between Election Day and Monday , roughly 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stop the Steal ” were made across social media and online news sites , with most of the claims focusing on closely contested states like Pennsylvania , Georgia and Michigan , according to an analysis by media intelligence firm Zignal Labs .
Mentions of voter fraud have not waned since final votes were cast Tuesday .
Last week , as Biden pulled ahead in the race , Trump supporters quickly launched dozens of “ Stop the Steal ” groups on Facebook and began using the platform to organize “ Stop the Steal ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to rein in the false claims .
Facebook quickly shut down one “ Stop the Steal ” Facebook group , which ballooned to more than 350,000 members in just one day , after some called for violence in it , and has taken down additional “ Stop the Steal ” groups .
And over the last week , Twitter has covered nearly a dozen of the president ’ s tweets that make false or unproven claims that voter fraud occurred .
That ’ s pushed a small but vocal faction of conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which does not moderate content posted by users as closely as mainstream tech companies like Facebook , YouTube or Twitter .
Parler has fewer than 8 million users , but its reach is quickly growing .
As of Tuesday , Parler was the most downloaded app in Apple ’ s store , followed by MeWe .
Newsmax , a conservative cable network , was in fourth place .
According to Sensor Tower , which tracks such data , Parler was downloaded over 2 million times on Apple and Android in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is more than 31 times the downloads it saw in the prior week .
In that same period , Newsmax saw 583,000 installs , up more than 11 times from the previous week .
MeWe hit 218,000 installs , more than 14 times the 15,000 installs it saw in the previous week .
The conversation on Parler has centered around voter fraud and an election stolen from Trump over the last week .
“ Show the world we won ’ t let communist steal the White House , ” one Parler user @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of posts using the hashtag # StopTheSteal .
That migration of social media users could be one drawback of the good job Facebook and Twitter did fact-checking and removing false content around the U.S. election , Starbird , the misinformation expert , noted .
“ What they tried to do is commendable , which is why people are moving to other platforms , ” Starbird said .
Associated Press writer Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report .

AMANDA SEITZ, DAVID KLEPPER and BARBARA ORTUTAY

It started months before Election Day with false claims on Facebook and Twitter that mail-in ballots cast for President Donald Trump had been chucked in dumpsters or rivers.
Now, a week after the final polls closed, falsehoods about dead people voting and ballots being thrown out by poll workers are still thriving on social media, reaching an audience of millions. Trump and his supporters are pointing to those debunked claims on social media as reason to not accept that Democrat Joe Biden won the election.
“These will probably persist for years or even decades unfortunately,” Kate Starbird, a University of Washington professor and online misinformation expert, said of the false claims about the U.S. election process. “People are very motivated to both participate in them and believe them.”
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. In fact, voting officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities.
The issues raised by Trump’s campaign and his allies are typical in every election: problems with signatures, secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots, as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost. With Biden leading Trump by substantial margins in key battleground states, none of those issues would have any impact on the outcome of the election. Many of the legal challenges brought by Trump’s campaign have been tossed out by judges, some within hours of their filing.
But Trump, who primed his supporters for months to doubt this election’s outcome with false tales of ballots being “dumped in rivers” and baseless tweets warning of a “rigged election,” has continued his assault on the U.S. vote in more than 40 Facebook and Twitter posts since Election Day.
“This was a stolen election,” Trump tweeted on Sunday, the day after Biden became president-elect.
Trump’s supporters have readily echoed the president’s cries of an unfair election on Facebook and Twitter.
Tweets and retweets with terms such as “steal,” “fraud,” “rigged” and dead” referring to the election spiked more than 2,800% from Nov. 2 to Nov. 6, according to an analysis by VineSight, a tech company that tracks misinformation. The company found more than 1.6 million retweets containing some of those words on Nov. 6 alone.
The false claims have shapeshifted over the last week, ranging from misleading assertions that ballots filled out with Sharpie pens in Illinois, Arizona and Michigan were thrown out to an inaccurate social media post from Eric Trump that the number of ballots cast in Wisconsin exceeded the number of registered voters.
In recent days, prominent Republicans and Trump allies have peddled social media claims that hundreds or thousands of dead people voted in key battleground states like Pennsylvania or Michigan.
One tweet, shared more than 50,000 times, falsely claimed that a dead woman named Donna Brydges voted in the election. Brydges is very much alive, she confirmed to the AP by phone last week. In fact, she had “just beat me in a game of Cribbage,” her husband told a reporter.
Between Election Day and Monday, roughly 5 million mentions of voter fraud and “Stop the Steal” were made across social media and online news sites, with most of the claims focusing on closely contested states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan, according to an analysis by media intelligence firm Zignal Labs. Mentions of voter fraud have not waned since final votes were cast Tuesday.
Last week, as Biden pulled ahead in the race, Trump supporters quickly launched dozens of “Stop the Steal” groups on Facebook and began using the platform to organize “Stop the Steal” rallies.
The social media platforms have tried to rein in the false claims.
Facebook quickly shut down one “Stop the Steal” Facebook group, which ballooned to more than 350,000 members in just one day, after some called for violence in it, and has taken down additional “Stop the Steal” groups. And over the last week, Twitter has covered nearly a dozen of the president’s tweets that make false or unproven claims that voter fraud occurred.
That’s pushed a small but vocal faction of conservatives to lesser-known social media sites like Parler, which does not moderate content posted by users as closely as mainstream tech companies like Facebook, YouTube or Twitter.
Parler has fewer than 8 million users, but its reach is quickly growing. As of Tuesday, Parler was the most downloaded app in Apple’s store, followed by MeWe. Newsmax, a conservative cable network, was in fourth place. According to Sensor Tower, which tracks such data, Parler was downloaded over 2 million times on Apple and Android in the U.S. from Nov. 3 to Nov. 9. This is more than 31 times the downloads it saw in the prior week. In that same period, Newsmax saw 583,000 installs, up more than 11 times from the previous week. MeWe hit 218,000 installs, more than 14 times the 15,000 installs it saw in the previous week.
The conversation on Parler has centered around voter fraud and an election stolen from Trump over the last week.
“Show the world we won’t let communist steal the White House,” one Parler user wrote Tuesday, in one of many thousands of posts using the hashtag #StopTheSteal.
That migration of social media users could be one drawback of the good job Facebook and Twitter did fact-checking and removing false content around the U.S. election, Starbird, the misinformation expert, noted.
“What they tried to do is commendable, which is why people are moving to other platforms,” Starbird said.
___
Associated Press writer Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report.