washingtontimes--2020-07-06--N. Korea rejects talks ahead of US envoy's arrival in Seoul

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - North Korea on Tuesday repeated it has no immediate intent to resume dialogue with the United States hours before U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun was to arrive in South Korea for discussions on the stalled nuclear diplomacy .
In a statement released through Pyongyang ’ s official Korean Central News Agency , senior North Korean foreign ministry official Kwon Jong Gun also ridiculed South Korea ’ s “ nonsensical ” calls for revived negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang when it has lost its relevance as a mediator .
The State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s special representative for North Korea , during his meetings with officials in South Korea and Japan this week will discuss allied cooperation on a range of issues , including the “ final , fully verified denuclearization ” of North Korea .
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have met three times since embarking on their high-stakes nuclear diplomacy in 2018 .
But negotiations have faltered since their second summit in February last year in Vietnam , where the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its nuclear capability .
Amid the stalemate in talks , North Korea has repeatedly said in recent months that it would no longer gift Trump with high-profile meetings he could boast of as his foreign policy achievements unless it gets something substantial in return .
The North has also been dialing up pressure on the South , cutting off virtually all cooperation and blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office in its territory last month , following months of frustration over Seoul ’ s unwillingness to defy U.S.-led sanctions and restart joint economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Explicitly speaking once again , we have no intention to sit face to face with U.S. , ” Kwon said in the statement .
Some analysts believe North Korea will avoid serious talks with the Americans for now and instead focus on pressuring the South in a bid to increase its bargaining power before an eventual return to negotiations after the U.S. presidential election in November .
They say the North likely doesn ’ t want to make any major commitments or concessions when there is a chance U.S. leadership could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Sun Hui , whom Biegun had described as his potential counterpart when talks resume , insisted the North won ’ t resume negotiations unless Washington discards what it describes as “ hostile ” policies toward Pyongyang .
She criticized the Trump administration for considering the diplomacy with the North as “ nothing more than a tool for grappling its political crisis.
” Without naming him outright , Kwon also took a jab at South Korean President Moon Jae-in , who in a video conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump and Kim would meet again before the U.S. presidential elections .
“ ( Choe ’ s ) statement also mentioned the meddlesome man who had again indicated his intention to arbitrate between the DPRK and the U.S. , ” Kwon said , referring to North Korea by its formal name , the Democratic People ’ s Republic of Korea .
“ We feel sorry to see ( the South ) trying so hard to become the ‘ mediator ’ but it may try as much as it wants if it cherishes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end .
Time will show whether its efforts will succeed or it will only suffer a loss and ridicule.
” Biegun will meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Wednesday before leaving for Japan on Thursday , Kang ’ s ministry said .

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea on Tuesday said it has no immediate intent to resume a dialogue with the United States as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun arrived in South Korea for discussions on stalled nuclear diplomacy.
In a statement released through the North’s official Korean Central News Agency, senior North Korean foreign ministry official Kwon Jong Gun also ridiculed “nonsensical” calls by South Korea for revived negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea, saying it has lost its relevance as a mediator.
The State Department said Biegun, who is also President Donald Trump’s special representative for North Korea, will discuss cooperation on a range of issues in meetings this week with officials in South Korea and Japan, including the “final, fully verified denuclearization” of North Korea.
Kwon’s statement came hours before Biegun arrived at a U.S. air base near Seoul. The U.S. Embassy said Biegun, members of his delegation and the military air crew were being tested for COVID-19 at the base and would proceed to Seoul after confirmation that all had negative test results.
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have met three times since embarking on high-stakes nuclear diplomacy in 2018. But negotiations have faltered since their second summit in February last year in Vietnam, where the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capability.
Amid the stalemate in talks, North Korea has repeatedly said in recent months that it would no longer give Trump the gift of high-profile meetings he could boast of as foreign policy achievements unless it gets something substantial in return.
North Korea has also been dialing up pressure on the South, cutting off virtually all cooperation and blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office in its territory last month, following months of frustration over Seoul’s unwillingness to defy U.S.-led sanctions and restart joint economic projects that would help the North’s broken economy.
“Explicitly speaking once again, we have no intention to sit face-to-face with U.S.,” Kwon said in the statement.
Some analysts believe North Korea will avoid serious talks with the Americans for now and instead focus on pressuring the South in a bid to increase its bargaining power before an eventual return to negotiations after the U.S. presidential election in November. They say North Korea likely doesn’t want to make any major commitments or concessions when there is a chance U.S. leadership could change.
But Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the prospects of a fourth Trump-Kim meeting shouldn’t be ruled out.
“Normally a U.S. president wouldn’t take such a gambit ahead of an election, but down in the polls, Trump has incentive to go ever further off script,” he said.
Kim may also see a closing window of opportunity if Trump is expected to leave office and could possibly attempt to exchange reversible denuclearization steps for sanctions relief and South Korean investment, Easley said.
Kwon’s statement came days after North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Sun Hui, whom Biegun has described as his potential counterpart when talks resume, insisted the North won’t resume negotiations unless Washington discards what it describes as “hostile” policies. She criticized the Trump administration for considering diplomacy with the North as “nothing more than a tool for grappling its political crisis.”
Without naming him outright, Kwon also took a jab at Moon, who in a video conference with European leaders last week expressed hope that Trump and Kim would meet again before the U.S. elections.
“(Choe’s) statement also mentioned the meddlesome man who had again indicated his intention to arbitrate between the DPRK and the U.S.,” Kwon said, referring to North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“We feel sorry to see (the South) trying so hard to become the ‘mediator’ but it may try as much as it wants if it cherishes so strong wish to try it to the end. Time will show whether its efforts will succeed or it will only suffer a loss and ridicule.”
Biegun is to meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and other South Korean officials on Wednesday before leaving for Japan on Thursday, Kang’s ministry said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-06--Nevada court considering Wynn defamation claim against AP

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - The Nevada Supreme Court was asked Monday to reinstate a defamation lawsuit against The Associated Press and an AP reporter based on a story about accounts to Las Vegas police from two women who alleged sexual misconduct by former casino mogul Steve Wynn .
In oral arguments , a lawyer for Wynn argued that an AP article in February 2018 citing police documents failed to fully describe “ fantastical ” elements of one woman ’ s account that would have cast doubt on her claim that Wynn raped her in the 1970s in Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter in a gas station restroom .
Attorney Chad Bowman , representing AP , argued the published report was fair and included references to both the birth and the child .
“ It simply didn ’ t use the verbatim words from the police report , ” he said .
A state court judge dismissed AP from the defamation case in August 2018 , finding it reported fairly information from the police complaints .
Later , the same judge , Clark County District Court Judge Ronald Israel , ruled that Halina Kuta defamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge termed “ totally fanciful.
” In March , Israel awarded Wynn the nominal damage amount of $ 1 that the billionaire former head of Wynn Resorts and his attorneys sought from Kuta .
The seven Supreme Court justices did not issue an immediate ruling on Wynn ’ s bid to revive the AP case .
Wynn , 78 , resigned in February 2018 as chairman and chief executive of Wynn Resorts .
He has consistently denied sexual misconduct allegations , which were first reported in January 2018 by the Wall Street Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very simple , ” Wynn attorney Todd Bice said during videoconference arguments .
“ Was the defamation enhanced … by what the AP omitted in its reporting ?
The answer to that is absolutely yes.
” “ That omission was because the fanciful story about a pink doll being born , or dropping out in a thick water bag , and the mother tearing it … open with her teeth and blowing in its face would lead people to realize that the child wasn ’ t real , ” Bice told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
“ If the child isn ’ t real , the corroboration isn ’ t real , and it casts the entire rape allegation in a far different light.
” Neither accuser was identified in the AP report .
Their names and other identifiers were blacked out in documents obtained by AP under a public records request .
The AP typically does not publish names of people who say they are victims of sexual assault , but Kuta agreed to be named in later AP news reports .
The two accusers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time because Las Vegas police refused to provide additional details .
Bice also argued that Kuta ’ s complaint was not an official record that should have been made public because Las Vegas police took no action , citing the years that had passed and the unspecified time and location of the alleged encounter in Chicago .
Bowman , the AP ’ s lawyer , argued that “ taking a police report starts the proceeding ” and is sufficient to invoke fair reporting privilege .

LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Nevada Supreme Court was asked Monday to reinstate a defamation lawsuit against The Associated Press and an AP reporter based on a story about accounts to Las Vegas police from two women who alleged sexual misconduct by former casino mogul Steve Wynn.
In oral arguments, a lawyer for Wynn argued that an AP article in February 2018 citing police documents failed to fully describe “fantastical” elements of one woman’s account that would have cast doubt on her claim that Wynn raped her in the 1970s in Chicago and that she gave birth to their daughter in a gas station restroom.
Attorney Chad Bowman, representing AP, argued the published report was fair and included references to both the birth and the child.
“It simply didn’t use the verbatim words from the police report,” he said.
A state court judge dismissed AP from the defamation case in August 2018, finding it reported fairly information from the police complaints.
Later, the same judge, Clark County District Court Judge Ronald Israel, ruled that Halina Kuta defamed Wynn with her claims, which the judge termed “totally fanciful.”
In March, Israel awarded Wynn the nominal damage amount of $1 that the billionaire former head of Wynn Resorts and his attorneys sought from Kuta.
The seven Supreme Court justices did not issue an immediate ruling on Wynn’s bid to revive the AP case.
Wynn, 78, resigned in February 2018 as chairman and chief executive of Wynn Resorts. He has consistently denied sexual misconduct allegations, which were first reported in January 2018 by the Wall Street Journal.
“The question for the court is very simple,” Wynn attorney Todd Bice said during videoconference arguments. “Was the defamation enhanced … by what the AP omitted in its reporting? The answer to that is absolutely yes.”
“That omission was because the fanciful story about a pink doll being born, or dropping out in a thick water bag, and the mother tearing it … open with her teeth and blowing in its face would lead people to realize that the child wasn’t real,” Bice told the seven justices, referring to the police report. “If the child isn’t real, the corroboration isn’t real, and it casts the entire rape allegation in a far different light.”
Neither accuser was identified in the AP report. Their names and other identifiers were blacked out in documents obtained by AP under a public records request. The AP typically does not publish names of people who say they are victims of sexual assault, but Kuta agreed to be named in later AP news reports. The two accusers’ claims could not have been investigated further at the time because Las Vegas police refused to provide additional details.
Bice also argued that Kuta’s complaint was not an official record that should have been made public because Las Vegas police took no action, citing the years that had passed and the unspecified time and location of the alleged encounter in Chicago.
Bowman, the AP’s lawyer, argued that “taking a police report starts the proceeding” and is sufficient to invoke fair reporting privilege.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Pussy Riot member faces new charges in Russia

MOSCOW ( AP ) - A member of the Pussy Riot protest group has been charged with failing to properly notify Russian authorities about his Canadian citizenship , officials said Tuesday .
The charges filed Tuesday came a day after Russian activist Pytor Verzilov was released after serving 15 days in jail for swearing in public .
He said he was assaulted in what he claimed was a provocation staged by police and that there was no evidence he swore .
The 15-day sentence followed Verzilov ’ s questioning in connection with a protest against the Kremlin last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has Russian and Canadian citizenship .
Russians are required by law to inform the authorities about foreign citizenship .
Violators face a fine or community service as a penalty .
Pussy Riot was founded in 2011 as a punk rock and performance art protest group .
Verzilov attracted attention in 2018 when he and three other Pussy Riot activists wearing police uniforms entered the field at the World Cup final in Moscow to protest police brutality , an action for which they served 15 days in jail .
Two months later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members suspected was poisoning and underwent treatment in Germany .

MOSCOW (AP) - A member of the Pussy Riot protest group has been charged with failing to properly notify Russian authorities about his Canadian citizenship, officials said Tuesday.
The charges filed Tuesday came a day after Russian activist Pytor Verzilov was released after serving 15 days in jail for swearing in public. He said he was assaulted in what he claimed was a provocation staged by police and that there was no evidence he swore.
The 15-day sentence followed Verzilov’s questioning in connection with a protest against the Kremlin last year.
Verzilov, who was born in Canada, has Russian and Canadian citizenship. Russians are required by law to inform the authorities about foreign citizenship. Violators face a fine or community service as a penalty.
Pussy Riot was founded in 2011 as a punk rock and performance art protest group.
Verzilov attracted attention in 2018 when he and three other Pussy Riot activists wearing police uniforms entered the field at the World Cup final in Moscow to protest police brutality, an action for which they served 15 days in jail.
Two months later, he became severely ill from what group members suspected was poisoning and underwent treatment in Germany.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Wandering bear tranquilized, moved outside of St. Louis

ST. LOUIS ( AP ) - Wildlife officials have relocated a black bear that had wandered into a St. Louis suburb and drew a crowd of hundreds curious to see the out-of-place animal .
The has been popular on social media pages for weeks as it plodded hundreds of miles from Wisconsin , through Illinois and briefly into Iowa before wandering into Missouri .
Wildlife officials said they were spurred to take action over the weekend when the bear - dubbed “ Bruno ” on social media - found itself in the Wentzville city limits and corned between Interstate 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bear in the suburb spread , and a crowd of about 400 people gathered to see it .
“ He just kept making his way farther west , which makes sense , ” Amanda Good , Missouri state director of the Humane Society of the United States , told station KMOV .
“ I think he ’ s out of his normal range for a bear to go out looking for a mate , but we do know Missouri has black bear population south of I-44 , mainly in southwest Missouri.
” Fearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public , conservation officers decided Sunday to tranquilize the bear and moved it to an undisclosed area outside of St. Louis .

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Wildlife officials have relocated a black bear that had wandered into a St. Louis suburb and drew a crowd of hundreds curious to see the out-of-place animal.
The has been popular on social media pages for weeks as it plodded hundreds of miles from Wisconsin, through Illinois and briefly into Iowa before wandering into Missouri. Wildlife officials said they were spurred to take action over the weekend when the bear - dubbed “Bruno” on social media - found itself in the Wentzville city limits and corned between Interstate 70 and Interstate 40. Word of the bear in the suburb spread, and a crowd of about 400 people gathered to see it.
“He just kept making his way farther west, which makes sense,” Amanda Good, Missouri state director of the Humane Society of the United States, told station KMOV. “I think he’s out of his normal range for a bear to go out looking for a mate, but we do know Missouri has black bear population south of I-44, mainly in southwest Missouri.”
Fearing for the safety of the bear and the public, conservation officers decided Sunday to tranquilize the bear and moved it to an undisclosed area outside of St. Louis.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Police recover body of canoeist after apparent drowning

WARREN , N.H. ( AP ) - The body of a man whose canoe overturned on Baker Reservoir in Warren @ @ @ @ @ police said .
Just before 6:30 p.m. Monday , police received a call reporting a @ @ @ @ @ in a canoe .
A witness reported seeing the dog swim to shore , however @ @ @ @ @ and did not resurface .
The body of the victim , an adult male , @ @ @ @ @ later .
His identity is being withheld pending notification of his family .

WARREN, N.H. (AP) - The body of a man whose canoe overturned on Baker Reservoir in Warren was recovered on Monday, police said.
Just before 6:30 p.m. Monday, police received a call reporting that a man and his dog overturned in a canoe.
A witness reported seeing the dog swim to shore, but the man went underwater and did not resurface.
The body of the victim was located about an hour later. His identity is being withheld pending notification of his family.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Police: Florida boy dies days after being shot in the head

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. ( AP ) - Police are investigating the death of a 7-year-old boy who was shot at his Fort Lauderdale home last week .
Brayson Plummer was shot Thursday morning and died over the July 4th holiday weekend , Fort Lauderdale police told news outlets .
Two other children , ages 11 and 5 , were in the room when the gun went off , according to police spokeswoman Casey Liening .
She said no adults were in the room when the child was shot , and investigators are trying to determine whether the boy pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other children did .
Police haven ’ t said who owns the gun , or whether charges are expected .
In a 911 call released Monday , a woman called begged for help after the shooting.. “ My nephew got shot in the head , ” she cried .
“ Oh , I can ’ t breathe.
” The dispatcher told the woman she needed her to be calm and tell her who shot the child .
She told the dispatcher she was sleeping and the boy was with other children when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported police have been called to the boy ’ s home 82 times since January 2019 , according to records .
Most calls were noise complaints , though some were for reports of possible child and elderly abuse ; drugs ; an overdose ; injuries ; domestic disputes and fights ; a stolen car ; stalking and harassment .
Three times - March 26 , May 7 and July 2 - police visited the home because of reports of guns going off .
Neighbors told the news paper that they had encouraged child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they worried something tragic would happen to the child , adding they often saw him outside late at night .

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Police are investigating the death of a 7-year-old boy who was shot at his Fort Lauderdale home last week.
Brayson Plummer was shot Thursday morning and died over the July 4th holiday weekend, Fort Lauderdale police told news outlets.
Two other children, ages 11 and 5, were in the room when the gun went off, according to police spokeswoman Casey Liening. She said no adults were in the room when the child was shot, and investigators are trying to determine whether the boy pulled the trigger or if one of the other children did.
Police haven’t said who owns the gun, or whether charges are expected.
In a 911 call released Monday, a woman called begged for help after the shooting..
“My nephew got shot in the head,” she cried. “Oh, I can’t breathe.”
The dispatcher told the woman she needed her to be calm and tell her who shot the child. She told the dispatcher she was sleeping and the boy was with other children when the shooting happened.
The South Florida SunSentinel reported police have been called to the boy’s home 82 times since January 2019, according to records. Most calls were noise complaints, though some were for reports of possible child and elderly abuse; drugs; an overdose; injuries; domestic disputes and fights; a stolen car; stalking and harassment. Three times - March 26, May 7 and July 2 - police visited the home because of reports of guns going off.
Neighbors told the news paper that they had encouraged child welfare workers to investigate the home because they worried something tragic would happen to the child, adding they often saw him outside late at night.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--US probes fuel leaks in older Chevy Cobalt and HHR vehicles

DETROIT ( AP ) - The U.S. government ’ s road safety agency is investigating complaints of fuel leaks in @ @ @ @ @ and HHR wagons .
The probe covers more than 614,000 Cobalts from the 2008 to @ @ @ @ @ from 2008 and 2009 .
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has 208 @ @ @ @ @ leaks .
Thirty-nine owners have told the agency about gas puddles or drips from leaky @ @ @ @ @ rear wheel well .
The agency says in documents posted Tuesday that the leaks are @ @ @ @ @ fuel lines near polymer blocks that hold the lines to the body .
The leaks @ @ @ @ @ shield near the exhaust pipe and muffler .
The agency says it doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ , fires or injuries .
It says the probe will determine how often the problem @ @ @ @ @ issues .
Investigations can lead to recalls .

DETROIT (AP) - The U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating complaints of fuel leaks in older Chevrolet Cobalt small cars and HHR wagons.
The probe covers more than 614,000 Cobalts from the 2008 to 2010 model years and HHRs from 2008 and 2009.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has 208 complaints from owners about gasoline leaks. Thirty-nine owners have told the agency about gas puddles or drips from leaky fuel lines toward the left rear wheel well. The agency says in documents posted Tuesday that the leaks are caused by corrosion of metal fuel lines near polymer blocks that hold the lines to the body. The leaks are beneath an insulation heat shield near the exhaust pipe and muffler.
The agency says it doesn’t have any reports of crashes, fires or injuries. It says the probe will determine how often the problem happens and assess potential safety issues. Investigations can lead to recalls.
GM said in a statement that it’s cooperating in the investigation. The company said owners who see a leak or smell gas should contact a Chevrolet dealership.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Roanoke begins process to remove Lee memorial from downtown

ROANOKE , Va. ( AP ) - Officials in the Virginia city of Roanoke have started a process to remove a memorial marker to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee .
The Roanoke Times reports that the city council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution to remove the 60-year-old granite shaft from a downtown plaza .
The memorial has stood in the city since 1960 .
It was dedicated by a Roanoke chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy .
City officials are working under a new state law that took effect his month and gives local governments the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The council must give 30 days notice of a public hearing .
That ’ s scheduled for Aug. 17 .
The city then must wait another 30 days to consider possible offers to take the memorial from museums , battlefields or other organizations .
After that , the city could remove the memorial sometime after the middle of September .
Confederate monuments have been coming down in the wake of the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody .
Protests erupted across the country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memorials or state and city officials to remove them .

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - Officials in the Virginia city of Roanoke have started a process to remove a memorial marker to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
The Roanoke Times reports that the city council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution to remove the 60-year-old granite shaft from a downtown plaza.
The memorial has stood in the city since 1960. It was dedicated by a Roanoke chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
City officials are working under a new state law that took effect his month and gives local governments the ability to remove war memorial statues and markers.
The council must give 30 days notice of a public hearing. That’s scheduled for Aug. 17. The city then must wait another 30 days to consider possible offers to take the memorial from museums, battlefields or other organizations. After that, the city could remove the memorial sometime after the middle of September.
Confederate monuments have been coming down in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody. Protests erupted across the country, prompting some demonstrators to tear down Confederate memorials or state and city officials to remove them.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Suicide bombing, attack in Afghanistan kill 7 policemen

KABUL , Afghanistan ( AP ) - A suicide car bomber targeted an Afghan police convoy in eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday morning , killing four officers , including a police commander , a local official said .
Three other officers were killed in an attack in the country ’ s south .
The suicide bombing , which struck at a market in the district of Khewa , also wounded 11 people - nine civilians and two members of the security forces , according to Attahullah Khogyani , the spokesman for the provincial governor .
He identified the slain commander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers were Zaman ’ s bodyguards .
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack , but both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in eastern Afghanistan , especially in Nangarhar .
Afghanistan has seen a recent spike in violence , with most attacks claimed by the local IS affiliate .
Earlier in May in the same district , an IS suicide bomber targeted the funeral of a pro-government militia commander and former warlord , killing 32 people and wounding 133 .
The dead in that attack included Abdullah Lala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His father , Noor Agha , a lawmaker , was wounded in the attack .
Also Tuesday , at least three policemen were killed and three were wounded in southern Zabul province when insurgents attacked their convoy in Shinkia district , authorities said , blaming the Taliban for the attack .
The Afghan military has also been launching attacks against the Taliban the Defense Ministry has so far refused to give details .
The Taliban did not immediately comment on the attacks in Zabul .

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A suicide car bomber targeted an Afghan police convoy in eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday morning, killing four officers, including a police commander, a local official said. Three other officers were killed in an attack in the country’s south.
The suicide bombing, which struck at a market in the district of Khewa, also wounded 11 people - nine civilians and two members of the security forces, according to Attahullah Khogyani, the spokesman for the provincial governor.
He identified the slain commander as Mir Zaman; the other three officers were Zaman’s bodyguards.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in eastern Afghanistan, especially in Nangarhar. Afghanistan has seen a recent spike in violence, with most attacks claimed by the local IS affiliate.
Earlier in May in the same district, an IS suicide bomber targeted the funeral of a pro-government militia commander and former warlord, killing 32 people and wounding 133. The dead in that attack included Abdullah Lala Jan, a provincial council member. His father, Noor Agha, a lawmaker, was wounded in the attack.
Also Tuesday, at least three policemen were killed and three were wounded in southern Zabul province when insurgents attacked their convoy in Shinkia district, authorities said, blaming the Taliban for the attack.
The Afghan military has also been launching attacks against the Taliban the Defense Ministry has so far refused to give details. The Taliban did not immediately comment on the attacks in Zabul.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--The Vermont State Colleges System has a new leader

MONTPELIER , Vt. ( AP ) - The Vermont State Colleges System has a new leader , the board of @ @ @ @ @ trustees announced Monday that interim Chancellor Sophie Zdatny had been appointed to the role permanently @ @ @ @ @ veteran of the organization , has been serving as interim chancellor since late April , @ @ @ @ @ former Chancellor Jeb Spaulding .
Zdatny stepped up at a time when the organization needed @ @ @ @ @ Trustee chair J. Churchill Hindes .
“ She has exceeded our expectations as a leader @ @ @ @ @ thoughtful collaboration and openness , ” Hindes said in a statement .
“ We know @ @ @ @ @ style we need at this critical juncture.
” ’ The end of in-person instruction and @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic has taken a financial toll on the already struggling state college system , @ @ @ @ @ private on other private and public universities around the country .

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont State Colleges System has a new leader, the board of trustees announced Monday.
The trustees announced Monday that interim Chancellor Sophie Zdatny had been appointed to the role permanently.
Zdatny, a six-year veteran of the organization, has been serving as interim chancellor since late April, shortly after the resignation of former Chancellor Jeb Spaulding.
Zdatny stepped up at a time when the organization needed a steady hand, said Trustee chair J. Churchill Hindes.
“She has exceeded our expectations as a leader by bringing stakeholders together through thoughtful collaboration and openness,” Hindes said in a statement. “We know this is precisely the leadership style we need at this critical juncture.”’
The end of in-person instruction and move to online learning amid the pandemic has taken a financial toll on the already struggling state college system, as it has on other private on other private and public universities around the country.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Protective gear for medical workers begins to run low again

The personal protective gear that was in dangerously short supply during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S. is running low again as the virus resumes its rapid spread and the number of hospitalized patients climbs .
A national nursing union is concerned that gear has to be reused .
A doctors association warns that physicians ’ offices are closed because they can not get masks and other supplies .
And Democratic members of Congress are pushing the Trump administration to devise a national strategy to acquire and distribute gear in anticipation of the crisis worsening into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five months into this and there are still shortages of gowns , hair covers , shoe covers , masks , N95 masks , ” said Deborah Burger , president of National Nurses United , who cited results from a survey of the union ’ s members .
“ They ’ re being doled out , and we ’ re still being told to reuse them.
” When the crisis first exploded in March and April in hot spots such as New York City , the situation was so desperate that nurses turned plastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of equipment forced states and hospitals to compete against each other , the federal government and other countries in desperate , expensive bidding wars .
In general , supplies of protective gear are more robust now , and many states and major hospital chains say they are in better shape .
But medical professionals and some lawmakers have cast doubt on those improvements as shortages begin to reappear .
Dr. Aisha Terry , an associate professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University in Washington , said that she has good access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural health facilities have much less .
“ I think overall , production , distribution and access has improved , ” Terry said .
“ But the fear is that we will become complacent ” and allow supplies to dwindle in some places .
In a letter to Congress last week , the health department in DuPage County , Illinois , near Chicago , said all hospitals in the county are reusing protective gear “ in ways that were not originally intended and are probably less safe than the optimal use of PPE.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplier of last resort that steps in when facilities have less than two weeks ’ worth of gear .
As of Monday , it had only nine days of some supplies at the current request level .
A rise in new infections could make the supply go much faster .
The American Medical Association wrote to the Federal Emergency Management Agency , Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress calling for a coordinated national strategy to buy and allocate gear .
Rep. Carolyn Maloney , a New York Democrat , released a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee hearing that raised concerns about looming problems in the supply chain .
Her report was based on interviews with unnamed employees at medical supply companies , one of whom warned that raw material for gowns is not available at any price in the amounts needed , leading to an “ unsustainable ” situation .
Rear Adm. John Polowczyk , who is in charge of coronavirus-related supplies for the White House , told Congress last week that more than than one-fourth of the states have less than a 30-day supply .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , we ’ re going to have a real crisis , ” said Rep. Bill Foster , an Illinois Democrat .
FEMA , which manages the nation ’ s stockpile , would not break down which states have enough gear to last beyond 30 days and which do not .
In June , the government started replenishing its once-depleted stockpile with the goal of building up a two-month supply .
As of June 10 , FEMA had distributed or directed private companies to distribute more than 74 million N95 masks and 66 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other gear .
The agency said it changed its distribution method to send more equipment to hot spots .
Although all U.S. states and territories have received some protective gear from FEMA , an Associated Press analysis of the agency ’ s own data found that the amounts varied widely when measured by population and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases .
The AP analysis found that low-population , mostly rural states received the largest FEMA allocations per confirmed case .
As of mid-June , for example , Montana had received 1,125 items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 32 items per case in Massachusetts , an early hot spot .
States including California , Iowa and Nebraska , all of which have seen a surge in confirmed infections , received among the lowest amounts of protective gear from FEMA per case , according to the AP analysis .
Many states say the federal supplies make up a small part of their stockpiles after they spent millions of dollars to acquire equipment on their own .
Concerns extend beyond the amount of gear .
In New Hampshire , an association representing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FEMA in early June were unusable , including child-size gloves , surgical masks with ear loops that broke when stretched and isolation gowns with no arm openings .
A nonprofit group called # GetUsPPE was established in March by physicians to help distribute donated protective gear .
The group had a 200 % increase in requests during the last two weeks of June from medical providers in Texas , a state with a big surge in confirmed virus cases .
State officials there have said their supplies are adequate .
“ We anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a few weeks until someone else stepped in and solved this problem , ” said Dr. Megan Ranney , an emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital who was among the group ’ s founders .
“ Here we are , still getting hundreds of thousands of requests a week.
” Fassett , a data journalist based in Santa Cruz , California , is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Cherry Hill , New Jersey .
Follow him at http : //www.twitter.com/geoffmulvihill .
Follow Fassett at http : //www.twitter.com/camfassett .

The personal protective gear that was in dangerously short supply during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S. is running low again as the virus resumes its rapid spread and the number of hospitalized patients climbs.
A national nursing union is concerned that gear has to be reused. A doctors association warns that physicians’ offices are closed because they cannot get masks and other supplies. And Democratic members of Congress are pushing the Trump administration to devise a national strategy to acquire and distribute gear in anticipation of the crisis worsening into the fall.
“We’re five months into this and there are still shortages of gowns, hair covers, shoe covers, masks, N95 masks,” said Deborah Burger, president of National Nurses United, who cited results from a survey of the union’s members. “They’re being doled out, and we’re still being told to reuse them.”
When the crisis first exploded in March and April in hot spots such as New York City, the situation was so desperate that nurses turned plastic garbage bags into protective gowns. The lack of equipment forced states and hospitals to compete against each other, the federal government and other countries in desperate, expensive bidding wars.
In general, supplies of protective gear are more robust now, and many states and major hospital chains say they are in better shape. But medical professionals and some lawmakers have cast doubt on those improvements as shortages begin to reappear.
In other virus-related developments Tuesday:
- Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, said he has tested positive for COVID-19 after months of downplaying the virus’ severity. The 65-year-old populist confirmed the test results while speaking to reporters in the capital of Brasilia. Bolsonaro has often appeared in public to shake hands with supporters and mingle with crowds, at times without a mask.
- The Trump administration formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization. The move makes good on President Donald Trump’s vow to terminate U.S. participation in the WHO, which he has criticized for its response to the pandemic and accused of bowing to Chinese influence. The pullout will not take effect until next year, meaning it could be rescinded under a new administration or if circumstances change.
- Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the nation’s schools must reopen this fall and be “fully operational” even as cases of COVID-19 continue to surge around the country. She said anything short of a full reopening would fail students and taxpayers. DeVos made the comments during a call with governors. Audio of the call was obtained by The Associated Press.
Speaking about protective equipment on the call, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Tuesday that it’s important for gear to be reused and repurposed as a way to stretch the stocks and avoid shortages.
Dr. Aisha Terry said that she has good access to PPE as an associate professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University in Washington, but some non-academic and rural health facilities have much less.
“I think overall, production, distribution and access has improved,” Terry said. “But the fear is that we will become complacent” and allow supplies to dwindle in some places.
The American Medical Association wrote to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress calling for a coordinated national strategy to buy and allocate gear.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat, released a memo last week ahead of a congressional committee hearing that raised concerns about looming problems in the supply chain. Her report was based on interviews with unnamed employees at medical supply companies, one of whom warned that raw material for gowns is not available at any price in the amounts needed, leading to an “unsustainable” situation.
Rear Adm. John Polowczyk, who is in charge of coronavirus-related supplies for the White House, told Congress last week that more than than one-fourth of the states have less than a 30-day supply.
“It would seem like in less than 30 days, we’re going to have a real crisis,” said Rep. Bill Foster, an Illinois Democrat.
FEMA, one of the main federal agencies in charge of the coronavirus response, would not break down which states have enough gear to last beyond 30 days and which do not. It referred those questions to individual states. In June, the government started replenishing its once-depleted stockpile with the goal of building up a two-month supply.
As of June 10, FEMA had distributed or directed private companies to distribute more than 74 million N95 masks and 66 million pairs of gloves, along with other gear. The agency said it changed its distribution method to send more equipment to hot spots.
Although all U.S. states and territories have received some protective gear from FEMA, an Associated Press analysis of the agency’s own data found that the amounts varied widely when measured by population and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The AP analysis found that low-population, mostly rural states received the largest FEMA allocations per confirmed case. As of mid-June, for example, Montana had received 1,125 items of protective gear per case, compared with 32 items per case in Massachusetts, an early hot spot. States including California, Iowa and Nebraska, all of which have seen a surge in confirmed infections, received among the lowest amounts of protective gear from FEMA per case, according to the AP analysis.
Many states say the federal supplies make up a small part of their stockpiles after they spent millions of dollars to acquire equipment on their own. FEMA told the AP that its initial distributions were made on a per-capita basis, but also said the agency has tried to accommodate individual requests from the states.
Concerns extend beyond the amount of gear. In New Hampshire, an association representing nursing homes said most items sent by FEMA in early June were unusable, including child-size gloves, surgical masks with ear loops that broke when stretched and isolation gowns with no arm openings.
A nonprofit group called #GetUsPPE was established in March by physicians to help distribute donated protective gear.
The group had a 200% increase in requests during the last two weeks of June from medical providers in Texas, a state with a big surge in confirmed virus cases. State officials there have said their supplies are adequate.
“We anticipated that we would need to be around for a few weeks until someone else stepped in and solved this problem,” said Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital who was among the group’s founders. “Here we are, still getting hundreds of thousands of requests a week.”
___
Fassett, a data journalist based in Santa Cruz, California, is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics.
___
Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Follow him at http://www.twitter.com/geoffmulvihill. Follow Fassett at http://www.twitter.com/camfassett.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Vermont police: 'Black Lives Matter' damaged in roadways

JERICHO , Vt. ( AP ) - Vermont State Police troopers are working to determine if bias played a role @ @ @ @ @ artwork painted on roads in Jericho and Underhill .
On Monday , a state police @ @ @ @ @ had burned out their tires over the artwork .
Two of the locations , on @ @ @ @ @ roads , had “ Black Lives Matter ” painted in the roadway .
At the @ @ @ @ @ Settlement Road the art reads “ Black Trans Lives Matter , ” police said .
@ @ @ @ @ incidents are related .
The incidents have been reported to the attorney general ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Reporting System .

JERICHO, Vt. (AP) - Vermont State Police troopers are working to determine if bias played a role in damaging Black Lives Matter-themed artwork painted on roads in Jericho and Underhill.
On Monday, a state police trooper discovered evidence that vehicles had burned out their tires over the artwork.
Two of the locations, on Browns Trace and Pleasant Valley roads, had “Black Lives Matter” painted in the roadway. At the third location, on Irish Settlement Road the art reads “Black Trans Lives Matter,” police said.
Police are investigating whether the incidents are related.
The incidents have been reported to the attorney general’s office under the Bias Incident Reporting System.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Tropical Storm Cristina forms far off coast of Mexico

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - Tropical Storm Cristina has formed in the eastern Pacific far off the coast of @ @ @ @ @ U.S. National Hurricane Center said it is likely to beome that region ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ The storm centered about 535 miles ( 860 kilometers ) south-southeast of Manzanillo , Mexico @ @ @ @ @ of 40 mph ( 65 kph ) early Tuesday and it was heading to the @ @ @ @ @ 20 kph ) .
It posed no immediate threat to land .
Forecasters said it @ @ @ @ @ hurricane force on Wednesday while heading off into the Pacific .

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Tropical Storm Cristina has formed in the eastern Pacific far off the coast of Mexico and forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it is likely to beome that region’s first hurricane of the season.
The storm centered about 480 miles (770 kilometers) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico, had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) on Tuesday and it was heading to the west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph). It posed no immediate threat to land.
Forecasters said it was likely to grow to hurricane force within a day or two while heading off into the Pacific.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Mississippi board votes 'no' on moving Confederate monument

OXFORD , Miss .
( AP ) - Officials in a Mississippi county unanimously voted to keep a Confederate monument where it stands , saying moving the statue wouldn ’ t fix racial tensions .
In a 5-0 vote , the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal to relocate the Confederate statue , which stands in the middle of Oxford Square , news outlets reported .
The all white male board was not initially scheduled to vote on relocating the monument , but amended Monday ’ s meeting .
Several board members said they did not believe moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county and community .
District 4 Supervisor Chad McLarty said his African Americans friends and constituents have not told him “ the monument was an issue.
” “ I myself have been a victim of racism due to the color of my skin , ” McLarty said .
“ I ’ ve also been a victim of police brutality .
What I do know is there are a lot of bad people in this world , and no matter how many statues , flags or pancake boxes you take down , they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gillespie said he doesn ’ t “ understand how things like statues and street names can be offensive to some.
” Board President and District 5 Supervisor Mike Roberts said said the community lacks unity and protesters on both sides haven ’ t exhibited “ common sense.
” The relocation vote comes after officials allowed residents to voice their opinion on relocating the monument .
There were passionate arguments on both sides , news outlets reported .

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Officials in a Mississippi county unanimously voted to keep a Confederate monument where it stands, saying moving the statue wouldn’t fix racial tensions.
In a 5-0 vote, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors rejected a proposal to relocate the Confederate statue, which stands in the middle of Oxford Square, news outlets reported.
The all white male board was not initially scheduled to vote on relocating the monument, but amended Monday’s meeting.
Several board members said they did not believe moving the statue would cause unity in the county and community.
District 4 Supervisor Chad McLarty said his African Americans friends and constituents have not told him “the monument was an issue.”
“I myself have been a victim of racism due to the color of my skin,” McLarty said. “I’ve also been a victim of police brutality. What I do know is there are a lot of bad people in this world, and no matter how many statues, flags or pancake boxes you take down, they will still exist.”
District 2 Supervisor Larry Gillespie said he does “understand how things like statues and street names can be offensive to some.”
Board President and District 5 Supervisor Mike Roberts said said the community lacks unity and protesters on both sides haven’t exhibited “common sense.”
The relocation vote comes after officials allowed residents to voice their opinion on relocating the monument. There were passionate arguments on both sides, news outlets reported.
___
This story was first published July 7, 2020, and was updated on July 8, 2020, to correct the characterization of a partial quote from District 2 Supervisor Larry Gillespie. Gillespie said he does “understand how things like statues and street names can be offensive to some,” instead of doesn’t understand.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Ex-boyfriend charged in killing of Alabama police officer

MONTGOMERY , Ala. ( AP ) - The former boyfriend of an Alabama police officer is charged with capital murder @ @ @ @ @ weeks after a court ordered him to stay away from the woman , authorities and @ @ @ @ @ Deshawn Webster , 24 , is accused of killing detective Tanisha Pughsley at her home @ @ @ @ @ the slaying as occurring during a domestic dispute .
WSFA-TV reported that court records show @ @ @ @ @ order against the man last month .
Pughsley alleged Webster would unexpectedly come to her @ @ @ @ @ hit her on the head when she was holding her godchild , causing her to @ @ @ @ @ was charged with killing Pughsley in violation of a protective order .
He also was @ @ @ @ @ burglary and attempted murder .
Court records were not available to show whether Webster had @ @ @ @ @ speak on his behalf .
Pughsley had been with Montgomery police since 2016 .

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The former boyfriend of an Alabama police officer is charged with capital murder in her shooting death just weeks after a court ordered him to stay away from the woman, authorities and court records said.
Brandon Deshawn Webster, 24, is accused of killing detective Tanisha Pughsley at her home early Monday. Authorities described the slaying as occurring during a domestic dispute.
WSFA-TV reported that court records show Pughsley was granted a restraining order against the man last month. Pughsley alleged Webster would unexpectedly come to her house, and he once hit her on the head when she was holding her godchild, causing her to drop the child.
Webster was charged with killing Pughsley in violation of a protective order. He also was charged with murder during a burglary and attempted murder.
Court records were not available to show whether Webster had a defense attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Pughsley had been with Montgomery police since 2016.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Democrat Jaime Harrison raises close to $14 million in second quarter for S.C. Senate bid

Democrat Jaime Harrison raised nearly $ 14 million in the second quarter in his bid to unseat GOP Sen. Lindsey @ @ @ @ @ nearly doubling his personal haul from the first three months of the year even amid @ @ @ @ @ We outraised Lindsey last quarter — we will probably outraise him this quarter by raising @ @ @ @ @ which is unprecedented , ” Mr. Harrison said Tuesday on MSNBC ’ s “ Morning @ @ @ @ @ outraised Mr. Graham in the first quarter , bringing in about $ 7.3 million to @ @ @ @ @ 5.6 million .
Still , Mr. Graham had a sizable cash-on-hand advantage as of May @ @ @ @ @ million compared to Mr. Harrison ’ s $ 6.7 million in the bank .
The @ @ @ @ @ in his bid to unseat the incumbent with both parties eyeing GOP-held seats in other @ @ @ @ @ Colorado and North Carolina that are seen as more competitive for Democrats .

Democrat Jaime Harrison raised nearly $14 million in the second quarter in his bid to unseat GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina, nearly doubling his personal haul from the first three months of the year even amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“We outraised Lindsey last quarter — we will probably outraise him this quarter by raising almost $14 million, which is unprecedented,” Mr. Harrison said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Mr. Harrison also outraised Mr. Graham in the first quarter, bringing in about $7.3 million to Mr. Graham’s $5.6 million.
Still, Mr. Graham had a sizable cash-on-hand advantage as of May 20, with $13.9 million compared to Mr. Harrison’s $6.7 million in the bank.
The Democrat faces an uphill climb in his bid to unseat the incumbent with both parties eyeing GOP-held seats in other states such as Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina that are seen as more competitive for Democrats.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Russian space official charged with treason

MOSCOW ( AP ) - An adviser to the director of Russia ’ s state space corporation has been detained on treason charges , the nation ’ s top security agency said Tuesday .
Ivan Safronov , a former journalist who served as an adviser to Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin , was detained in Moscow by agents of the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) , the main KGB successor agency .
The FSB said that Safronov is accused of relaying sensitive data to a spy agency of an unspecified NATO member .
It said in a statement that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation , defense and security of the Russian Federation.
” Safronov could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted .
Roscosmos said that Safronov didn ’ t have access to state secrets , and claimed that the charges didn ’ t relate to Safronov ’ s work for the corporation , which he joined in May .
Prior to that , Safronov worked as a correspondent for the top business daily Kommersant for nearly a decade until 2019 , and after that worked for a year for another business daily , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Safronov ’ s detention isn ’ t related to his activities as a journalist .
Yelena Chernenko , a Kommersant journalist who worked with Safronov for years , was detained outside FSB headquarters in Moscow when she held a picket to protest his arrest .
Last year , the FSB reportedly opened an inquiry following Safronov ’ s article that claimed that Russia had signed a contract with Egypt for the delivery of sophisticated Su-35 fighter jets .
Kommersant later removed the report from its website , and no charges were filed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kommersant after retiring from the armed forces and covered military issues .
In 2007 , he died after falling from a window of his apartment building in Moscow .
Investigators concluded that he killed himself , but some Russian media questioned the official version , pointing at his intention to publish a sensitive report about secret arms deliveries to Iran and Syria .

MOSCOW (AP) - A former journalist who worked as an adviser to the director of Russia’s state space corporation was arrested and jailed Tuesday on charges of passing military secrets to Czech intelligence, accusations that many of his colleagues dismissed as absurd.
Ivan Safronov, who had written about military and security issues for a decade before becoming an adviser to Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin, was detained outside his apartment in Moscow by agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the main KGB successor agency.
He could be heard shouting “I’m innocent” as FSB agents led him into a courtroom where a judge considered - and ultimately granted - the FSB’s request to authorize his arrest. The judge ordered Safronov jailed for two months as the investigation continues
Safronov’s detention sent shock waves across Russian media, with many journalists questioning the treason charges and his former newspaper openly rejecting them as “absurd.”
The FSB said that Safronov is accused of relaying sensitive data to a spy agency of an unspecified NATO member. It said in a statement that the information he provided referred to “military-technical cooperation, defense and security of the Russian Federation.”
After the court hearing, Safronov’s lawyers said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that the FSB has accused Safronov of cooperating with an intelligence agency in the Czech Republic when he worked as a correspondent for top Russian business daily Kommersant.
The FSB charged that in 2017 he passed sensitive information about Russian arms sales to the Middle East and Africa to Czech intelligence, they said.
Defense lawyer Yevgeny Smirnov said the FSB alleged that the Czech intelligence agency recruited Safronov in 2012, paid him for his services and collected the information for U.S. interests.
Another lawyer, Ivan Pavlov, said the materials the FSB provided during the court hearing lacked evidence related to the passing of sensitive data, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
The FSB released video footage of plainclothes agents stopping Safronov outside his apartment building, searching him and putting him inside a minivan in handcuffs.
Safronov could face up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.
Roscosmos said that Safronov didn’t have access to state secrets, and claimed that the charges didn’t relate to Safronov’s work for the corporation, which he joined in May. Prior to that, Safronov worked for the Kommersant daily for nearly a decade until 2019, and after that worked for a year for another business daily, Vedomosti.
He covered military issues, arms trade and government affairs.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Safronov’s detention wasn’t related to his activities as a journalist. Grilled about the case during a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Peskov described Safronov, who once covered the Kremlin, as a “talented journalist.”
Kommersant put out a statement in support of Safronov, hailing him as one of the country’s top journalists and a “true patriot” who was deeply concerned about the state of the military and space industries that he covered. The newspaper described the accusations against him as “absurd.”
The paper noted that rights activists, journalists, scientists and corporate officials who faced treason accusations found it difficult to defend themselves because of secrecy surrounding their cases and lack of public access.
“As a result, the public has to rely on the narrative offered by special services, whose work has increasingly raised questions,” Kommersant said. “Journalists asking those questions find themselves under blow.”
About 20 journalists, including those who worked with Safronov for years, were detained outside FSB headquarters in Moscow when they picketed to protest his arrest. Some were handed court summons for violating a ban on street gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, an offense punishable by an administrative fine.
Many former colleagues of Safronov alleged that the authorities may have wanted to take revenge for his reporting that exposed Russian military incidents and opaque arms trade deals.
Last year, the FSB reportedly opened an inquiry following publication of an article by Safronov that claimed that Russia had signed a contract with Egypt for the delivery of sophisticated Su-35 fighter jets. Kommersant later removed the report from its website, and no charges were filed.
Safronov left the paper following another article, claiming that the speaker of the Russian parliament’s upper house was about to step down, provoked official anger.
Safronov’s father also worked for Kommersant after retiring from the armed forces and covered military issues. In 2007, he died after falling from a window of his apartment building in Moscow.
Investigators concluded that he killed himself, but some Russian media questioned the official version, pointing to his intent to publish a sensitive report about secret arms deliveries to Iran and Syria.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Russian court fines coronavirus-denying rebel monk

MOSCOW ( AP ) - A Russian court on Tuesday fined a coronavirus-denying monk who has challenged Kremlin lockdown orders for spreading false information about the pandemic .
The court in the Ural Mountains region ordered Father Sergiy to pay 90,000 rubles ( $ 1,250 ) .
The 65-year-old monk , who has attracted nationwide attention by urging followers to disobey church leadership and ignore church closures during the pandemic , didn ’ t attend the court hearing .
On Friday , a Russian Orthodox Church panel in Yekaterinburg ruled to defrock Father Sergiy for breaking monastic rules .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session and dismissed the verdict , urging his backers to come to defend the Sredneuralsk women ’ s monastery where he has holed up since last month .
In Friday ’ s video posted by his supporters , Father Sergiy denounced President Vladimir Putin as a “ traitor to the Motherland ” serving a Satanic “ world government ” and dismissed Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill and other top clerics as “ heretics ” who must be “ thrown out.
” Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When contagion engulfed Russia , Father Sergiy declared the coronavirus non-existent and denounced government efforts to stem the outbreak as “ Satan ’ s electronic camp.
” The monk has described the vaccines being developed against COVID-19 as part of a global plot to control the masses via chips .
He urged believers to disobey the closure of churches during the nationwide lockdown .
Orthodox churches across Russia were closed on April 13 amid a quick rise in COVID-19 cases and were allowed to reopen in early June as authorities eased restrictions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April , but he has continued preaching and last month took charge of the monastery outside Yekaterinburg that he had founded years ago .
Dozens of burly volunteers , including veterans of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine , helped enforce his rules , while the prioress and several nuns have left .
The police visited the monastery last month a day after Father Sergiy took over , but found no violations of public order .
Facing stiff resistance by his supporters , church officials have appeared indecisive , lacking the means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebellious monk by force .

MOSCOW (AP) - A Russian court on Tuesday fined a coronavirus-denying monk who has challenged Kremlin lockdown orders for spreading false information about the pandemic.
The court in the Ural Mountains region ordered Father Sergiy to pay 90,000 rubles ($1,250). The 65-year-old monk, who has attracted nationwide attention by urging followers to disobey church leadership and ignore church closures during the pandemic, didn’t attend the court hearing.
On Friday, a Russian Orthodox Church panel in Yekaterinburg ruled to defrock Father Sergiy for breaking monastic rules. He didn’t show up at the session and dismissed the verdict, urging his backers to come to defend the Sredneuralsk women’s monastery where he has holed up since last month.
In Friday’s video posted by his supporters, Father Sergiy denounced President Vladimir Putin as a “traitor to the Motherland” serving a Satanic “world government” and dismissed Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill and other top clerics as “heretics” who must be “thrown out.”
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin wasn’t following developments regarding the rebel monk.
When contagion engulfed Russia, Father Sergiy declared the coronavirus non-existent and denounced government efforts to stem the outbreak as “Satan’s electronic camp.” The monk has described the vaccines being developed against COVID-19 as part of a global plot to control the masses via chips.
He urged believers to disobey the closure of churches during the nationwide lockdown. Orthodox churches across Russia were closed on April 13 amid a quick rise in COVID-19 cases and were allowed to reopen in early June as authorities eased restrictions.
The church banned the monk from ministry in April, but he has continued preaching and last month took charge of the monastery outside Yekaterinburg that he had founded years ago. Dozens of burly volunteers, including veterans of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, helped enforce his rules, while the prioress and several nuns have left.
The police visited the monastery last month a day after Father Sergiy took over, but found no violations of public order. Facing stiff resistance by his supporters, church officials have appeared indecisive, lacking the means to enforce their ruling and evict the rebellious monk by force.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Police fatally shoot gunman at VA hospital in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE ( AP ) - A man armed with a shotgun was killed by police as he tried to enter a Milwaukee veterans hospital , according to Department of Veterans Affairs officials .
The man was stopped by VA police outside an entrance to the Milwaukee VA Medical Center about 8:40 p.m. Monday .
Police ordered him to drop his gun , but he refused and threatened police , who fired multiple shots , authorities said .
He was taken to the hospital ’ s emergency department , where he died , officials said .
No one else was injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm joined investigators at the scene .
The gunman was not identified and details about why he was at the hospital weren ’ t immediately released .
Police temporarily closed entrances to the federally run health care facility , which sits on 245 acres ( 99 hectares ) on Milwaukee ’ s west side .
Besides the hospital , the property also includes a nursing home and a domiciliary for inpatient substance abuse and psychiatric rehabilitation .
VA facilities have been the sites of shootings elsewhere .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicted of shooting and wounding two people inside a Florida veterans clinic last year was committed to a mental health care facility for 25 years .
In January , VA police at a hospital in Dallas fatally shot a man who came to the facility and threatened them with a knife .

MILWAUKEE (AP) - A man armed with a shotgun was killed by police as he tried to enter a Milwaukee veterans hospital, according to Department of Veterans Affairs officials.
The man was stopped by VA police outside an entrance to the Milwaukee VA Medical Center about 8:40 p.m. Monday. Police ordered him to drop his gun, but he refused and threatened police, who fired multiple shots, authorities said.
He was taken to the hospital’s emergency department, where he died, officials said. No one else was injured, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm joined investigators at the scene. The gunman was not identified and details about why he was at the hospital weren’t immediately released. In a statement, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center said Tuesday the man was not a veteran.
Police temporarily closed entrances to the federally run health care facility, which sits on 245 acres (99 hectares) on Milwaukee’s west side. Besides the hospital, the property also includes a nursing home and a domiciliary for inpatient substance abuse and psychiatric rehabilitation. The medical center remains open, operating under normal COVID-19 protocols, but only veterans with appointments or emergencies should come to the hospital.
VA facilities have been the sites of shootings elsewhere. On Monday, an Army veteran who was convicted of shooting and wounding two people inside a Florida veterans clinic last year was committed to a mental health care facility for 25 years.
In January, VA police at a hospital in Dallas fatally shot a man who came to the facility and threatened them with a knife.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Lightning strike leaves 2 men dead, 2 people injured

GRANVILLE , Pa. ( AP ) - Severe thunderstorms sparked lightning that struck 4 people in a northern Pennsylvania community @ @ @ @ @ injuring two other peoples , authorities said .
The strikes occurred around 2 p.m. Monday @ @ @ @ @ County Coroner ’ s office said all four victims were struck while they were under @ @ @ @ @ an open field .
The two men killed were pronounced dead shortly after they were @ @ @ @ @ The two injured people were taken to hospitals , but further details on their conditions @ @ @ @ @ names of the four victims have not been released .
The severe storms that roared @ @ @ @ @ , heavy rains and gusty winds that also knocked down trees , flooded roads and @ @ @ @ @

GRANVILLE, Pa. (AP) - Severe thunderstorms sparked lightning that struck four people in a northern Pennsylvania community, killing two men and injuring two other people, authorities said.
The strike occurred around 2 p.m. Monday in Granville. The Bradford County Coroner’s office said all four victims were struck while they were under a large tree stand in an open field.
The two men killed were pronounced dead shortly after they were struck, authorities said. The two injured people were taken to hospitals, but further details on their conditions were not disclosed.
The names of the four victims have not been released.
The severe storms that roared through the region brought lightning, heavy rains and gusty winds that also knocked down trees, flooded roads and caused some power outages.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Iraqis mourn expert on armed groups killed by unknown gunmen

BAGHDAD ( AP ) - Iraqi mourners and relatives on Tuesday carried the body of a respected analyst shot and killed the previous night in Baghdad after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias .
Many Iraqis expressed their shock over the slaying .
Hisham al-Hashimi , 47 , was gunned down on Monday night outside his home in Baghdad ’ s Zeyouneh neighborhood .
His casket , draped in the Iraqi flag , was taken to his family home before being driven to the burial site .
Al-Hashimi , a leading expert on the Islamic State group and other militant organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television and his expertise was often sought by government officials , journalists and researchers .
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killing , which comes weeks after he confided to close friends that he had received threats from militia groups .
The slaying also coincides with a spate of rocket attacks targeting U.S. interests that has been blamed on Iran-backed armed groups .
Authorities launched a raid last week in Baghdad , in which they detained 14 members of the powerful Kataib Hezbollah group , suspected of orchestrating the attacks .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said Iraqi security forces would “ spare no effort ” in pursuing al-Hashimi ’ s killers .
Hours after al-Hashimi ’ s killing , authorities fired the top police officer for Zeyouneh and launched an investigation into his activities , according to an order from the prime minister ’ s office , seen by The Associated Press .
Condemnations from Iraqi officials poured in as shock reverberated across the country at the news of al-Hashimi ’ s killing .
Nechirvan Barzani , president of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must find the perpetrators of this terror act and bring them to justice , ” in a tweet on Tuesday .

BAGHDAD (AP) - The killing of a prominent security analyst who had received threats from Iran-backed militias has struck fear in the hearts of outspoken Iraqis concerned that they, too, could be targeted by armed groups.
The death of Hisham al-Hashimi also highlighted the limits of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s power to reign in armed groups acting outside the state’s authority, experts and Iraqi officials said Tuesday.
Iraqi mourners and relatives of al-Hashimi carried his body in a funeral procession hours after he was gunned down Monday night outside his home in Baghdad’s Zeyouneh neighborhood. His casket, draped in the Iraqi flag, was taken to his family home before being driven to the burial site in the holy city of Najaf.
Al-Hashimi, a leading expert on the Islamic State group and other militant organizations, was a regular fixture on Iraqi television and his expertise was often sought by government officials, journalists and researchers.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killing, which comes weeks after he confided to close friends that he had received threats from militia groups. The slaying also coincides with a spate of rocket attacks targeting U.S. interests that has been blamed on Iran-backed armed groups.
Al-Kadhimi vowed to pursue al-Hashimi’s killers, saying “Iraq would not sleep” until they were brought to justice, during his weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
But critical voices in Iraq, especially those supporting anti-government protests and people outspoken against militia groups, are contemplating changing their online presence in the aftermath of al-Hashimi’s death.
Mariam, 26, an activist who participated in anti-government protests in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square that erupted in October, said she has stopped posting on social media for the time being.
“What has shocked us is that they killed someone with Hisham’s connections and influence. Activists across Iraq have been killed with impunity for years, and especially during the protests,” Mariam said, asking that her last name not be used for fear of retribution. “With his death we are in disbelief, and we are being careful.”
Al-Hashimi’s assassination was a message meant to silence critics, said Ruba Ali al-Hassani, an academic researcher at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.
“Analysts are being targeted not because of who they are but because of what they represent and what their voices represent,” she said. Al-Hassani co-manages the Iraqi Network for Social Media, a network of bloggers that tracks social media at the height of the Iraq protests.
Al-Hassani said Iraqi activists in Baghdad and the country’s south, where mass protests were held in October, are being more careful with their online presence.
“They are saying, we have to watch our words now, we can’t say everything online,” she said.
Al-Hashimi had received threats from Islamic State group militants. But close friends said he had been growing concerned about threats coming from Iran-aligned groups after being a vocal proponent of the protest movement in October. At the time, top leaders of the Popular Mobilization Forces said they could not help him ward off the threats. The PMF is a state umbrella group comprised of an array of militia groups, including Iran-backed ones.
This prompted al-Hashimi to relocate to Turkey temporarily with his family late last year. He returned in January, and as threats abated, he resumed making frequent media appearances in which he openly critcized militia groups.
Then, the menacing messages returned right as a government-imposed lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic shut down international airports.
During that time, close friends said, al-Hashimi never considered his life was in danger. “He thought they just wanted to silence him,” said Iraqi analyst Sajad Jiyad, a close friend.
Authorities launched a raid last week in Baghdad, in which they detained 14 members of the powerful Kataib Hezbollah group, suspected of orchestrating the attacks targeting U.S. interests. All but one of the detainees were released days later in what was widely seen as a capitulation by the government.
Whether his government can bring al-Hashimi’s killers to court will be a “big test for al-Kadhimi’s credibility,” said Iraq analyst Fanar Haddad.
Hours after al-Hashimi’s killing, authorities fired the top police officer for Zeyouneh and launched an investigation into his activities, according to an order from the prime minister’s office, seen by The Associated Press.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Bus in China plunges into a lake, killing 21

BEIJING ( AP ) - Authorities say 21 people were killed Tuesday when a bus ran through a roadside fence @ @ @ @ @ in a southwestern Chinese city .
Surveillance video posted by state broadcaster CCTV on its @ @ @ @ @ bus suddenly race across six lanes of traffic and through the fence .
The cause @ @ @ @ @ .
The Anshun city government in Guizhou province said in a statement that 15 people @ @ @ @ @ hospitals with injuries .
The bus was hauled out of Hongshan Lake in a large @ @ @

BEIJING (AP) - Authorities say 21 people were killed Tuesday when a bus ran through a roadside fence and plunged into a lake in a southwestern Chinese city.
Surveillance video posted by state broadcaster CCTV on its social media account show the bus suddenly race across six lanes of traffic and through the fence. The cause of the accident was unclear.
The Anshun city government in Guizhou province said in a statement that 15 people were rescued and sent to hospitals with injuries. The bus was hauled out of Hongshan Lake in a large rescue operation.
The passengers included high school students taking nationwide university entrance exams that began Tuesday.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Would-be travelers in Taiwan live out dreams of flying again

TAIPEI , Taiwan ( AP ) - Like almost every region , Taiwan has been hit hard by restrictions on international travel imposed because of the coronavirus .
Some residents have found comfort in boarding a flight that didn ’ t take off , just to revisit some memories and plan for the day when they can fly again .
The fantasy flight was organized by Taiwan ’ s Civil Aviation Administration to raise awareness of coronavirus prevention and control procedures to follow when passing through customs and boarding a plane at Taipei International Airport .
Participants won a lucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring a guest , putting the total number who boarded at 66 .
As with normal flights , they had to check in , obtain boarding passes and go through immigration and security procedures before being allowed on the plane .
“ People who want to fly abroad have long been suffering , ” said Wang Chih-ching , deputy director of the airport .
The event and the publicity generated will help future travelers better prepare for when international flights resume in earnest , Wang said .
The online draw drew 10,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the passengers - all wearing masks - were served food and drinks , participated in a pop quiz and were treated to a good luck salute from fire engines that sprayed water .
After they exited without the plane having left the ground , passengers were given a demonstration about security by customs officials accompanied by a sniffer dog .
Lucky draw winner Joyce Nieh and her friend Jessica Liu , both mobile game graphic designers , took selfies to mark the occasion .
“ Finally , we ’ re in a plane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abroad , ” Nieh said .
“ I had to cancel all my international travel plans , ” she said .
“ We were lucky to win the opportunity to participate.
” Taiwan has largely contained the spread of the coronavirus but social distancing and travel restrictions remain in place .
The government has reported 449 confirmed cases and seven deaths .
More such fantasy flights are planned for coming days .

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - Like almost every region, Taiwan has been hit hard by restrictions on international travel imposed because of the coronavirus. Some residents have found comfort in boarding a flight that didn’t take off, just to revisit some memories and plan for the day when they can fly again.
The fantasy flight was organized by Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration to raise awareness of coronavirus prevention and control procedures to follow when passing through customs and boarding a plane at Taipei International Airport.
Participants won a lucky draw held online, with each allowed to bring a guest, putting the total number who boarded at 66. As with normal flights, they had to check in, obtain boarding passes and go through immigration and security procedures before being allowed on the plane.
“People who want to fly abroad have long been suffering,” said Wang Chih-ching, deputy director of the airport.
The event and the publicity generated will help future travelers better prepare for when international flights resume in earnest, Wang said.
The online draw drew 10,000 entries. After taking their seats, the passengers - all wearing masks - were served food and drinks, participated in a pop quiz and were treated to a good luck salute from fire engines that sprayed water. After they exited without the plane having left the ground, passengers were given a demonstration about security by customs officials accompanied by a sniffer dog.
Lucky draw winner Joyce Nieh and her friend Jessica Liu, both mobile game graphic designers, took selfies to mark the occasion.
“Finally, we’re in a plane … pretending that we’re flying abroad,” Nieh said.
“I had to cancel all my international travel plans,” she said. “We were lucky to win the opportunity to participate.”
Taiwan has largely contained the spread of the coronavirus but social distancing and travel restrictions remain in place. The government has reported 449 confirmed cases and seven deaths.
More such fantasy flights are planned for coming days.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--July 14 bail hearing date set for Epstein's ex-girlfriend

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Jeffrey Epstein ’ s ex-girlfriend will appear remotely by video for a July 14 courthouse arraignment and bail hearing on charges she recruited girls for him to sexually abuse over two decades ago , a judge said Tuesday .
U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan set the date in an order as she announced special arrangements to allow limited public access to the video feed of Ghislaine Maxwell facing charges for the first time in Manhattan federal court next week .
The 58-year-old British socialite was arrested last week at a $ 1 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire , where prosecutors say she had been hiding after Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan lockup last August .
At the time , Epstein , 66 , was facing sex trafficking charges .
Maxwell was brought to New York City by the U.S .
Marshals Service on Monday , when she was housed at a Brooklyn federal detention center .
Her lawyers did not return a message seeking comment , though they said in court papers that they spoke with her Monday evening .
Prosecutors say they plan to ask that Maxwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grounds that she has the money , the overseas connections and the incentive to flee .
They said she also was a citizen of the U.S. , the United Kingdom and France .
Besides a telephone feed available to the public for the hearing , the judge said a video feed of the remote proceedings also will be set up in the courthouse jury assembly room .
“ Due to social distancing requirements , seating will be extremely limited , ” the judge wrote .
All visitors to the courthouse will also have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be required , she added .
In an indictment unsealed last week , prosecutors relied on statements by three women who alleged they were recruited by Maxwell and sexually abused by Epstein from 1994 through 1997 .
The court papers alleged that the abuse began when one of them was as young as 14 and occurred at residences in Palm Beach , Florida ; Santa Fe , New Mexico , and London .
Maxwell has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and called some of the claims against her “ absolute rubbish .
”

NEW YORK (AP) - Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend will appear remotely by video for a July 14 courthouse arraignment and bail hearing on charges she recruited girls for him to sexually abuse over two decades ago, a judge said Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan set the date in an order as she announced special arrangements to allow limited public access to the video feed of Ghislaine Maxwell facing charges for the first time in Manhattan federal court next week.
The 58-year-old British socialite was arrested last week at a $1 million estate she bought months ago in New Hampshire, where prosecutors say she had been hiding after Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan lockup last August. At the time, Epstein, 66, was facing sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell was brought to New York City by the U.S. Marshals Service on Monday, when she was housed at a Brooklyn federal detention center.
Her lawyers did not return a message seeking comment, though they said in court papers that they spoke with her Monday evening.
Prosecutors say they plan to ask that Maxwell be kept incarcerated pending trial on the grounds that she has the money, the overseas connections and the incentive to flee. They said she also was a citizen of the U.S., the United Kingdom and France.
Besides a telephone feed available to the public for the hearing, the judge said a video feed of the remote proceedings also will be set up in the courthouse jury assembly room.
“Due to social distancing requirements, seating will be extremely limited,” the judge wrote. All visitors to the courthouse will also have their temperatures checked and face masks will be required, she added.
In an indictment unsealed last week, prosecutors relied on statements by three women who alleged they were recruited by Maxwell and sexually abused by Epstein from 1994 through 1997. The court papers alleged that the abuse began when one of them was as young as 14 and occurred at residences in Palm Beach, Florida; Santa Fe, New Mexico, and London.
Maxwell has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and called some of the claims against her “absolute rubbish.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Mary Kay Letourneau dies at 58

Mary Kay Letourneau dies at 58

The former schoolteacher who became notorious for sexually abusing one of her students in the 1990s has died .
Ms. Letourneau pleaded guilty in 1997 to two counts of second-degree rape of a child over a liaison both she and the child said at the time was “ consensual.
” Vili Fualaau was her sixth-grade student at the time of the liaison .
While awaiting sentencing , Ms. Letourneau gave birth to his child .
According to a plea deal , Ms. Letourneau received a six-month sentence , though three months of it were suspended .
She and Mr. Fualaau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shortly after serving her sentence though , police discovered Ms. Letourneau and Mr. Fualaau in a car together .
As a result , the plea agreement was revoked and she was sentenced to the 7 1/2-year maximum .
Eight months after returning to prison , Ms. Letourneau gave birth to the teenager ’ s second child .
The pair were married in 2005 after her release from her second prison stint .
The couple divorced in 2019 .
Her attorney , David Gehrke , told Seattle TV station KOMO on Tuesday evening that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time and Tuesday ’ s death was not unexpected .
“ It was expected but sad anyway , ” Mr. Gehrke said .
“ She was a good person .
”

The former schoolteacher who became notorious for sexually abusing one of her students and having his children in the 1990s has died.
Mary Kay Letourneau died of cancer at age 58, NBC News reported.
BREAKING: Mary Kay Letourneau, the former teacher who was convicted of 2nd-degree rape of a child after engaging in sexual relations with her then 12-year-old student, has died of cancer, her attorney says. https://t.co/iEfsYEQ6Kg pic.twitter.com/10JgqZxz9m — NBC News (@NBCNews) July 8, 2020
Ms. Letourneau pleaded guilty in 1997 to two counts of second-degree rape of a child over a liaison both she and the boy said at the time, and have maintained ever since, was “consensual.”
At the time the liaison started, Vili Fualaau was her sixth-grade student, and she was a married woman in her 30s with four children.
While awaiting sentencing, Ms. Letourneau gave birth to his child, a daughter.
According to a plea deal, Ms. Letourneau received a six-month sentence, though three months of it were suspended. She and Mr. Fualaau were barred from contact for life.
Shortly after serving her sentence though, police discovered Ms. Letourneau and Mr. Fualaau in a car together.
As a result, the plea agreement was revoked and she was sentenced to the 7 1/2-year maximum. Eight months after returning to prison, Ms. Letourneau gave birth to the teenager’s second daughter.
The pair were married in 2005 after her release from her second prison stint. The couple divorced in 2019, though both always maintained they had done nothing wrong.
Her attorney, David Gehrke, told Seattle TV station KOMO on Tuesday evening that his client had been ill for some time and Tuesday’s death was not unexpected.
“It was expected but sad anyway,” Mr. Gehrke said. “She was a good person.”
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-07--Hawaii reports single-day record, 41 additional virus cases

HONOLULU ( AP ) - Hawaii reported 41 additional cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday , the most in one day since the pandemic began .
The increase , coming after 29-case increase on Friday , is an indicator the virus was circulating more widely and was part of a “ disturbing ” trend , said Bruce Anderson , the director of the state Department of Health .
“ This is a wake-up call for all of us that ( COVID-19 ) is still a serious threat in Hawaii , ” Anderson said at a news conference .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with known clusters of cases .
But that has increasingly not been the case , he said .
Hawaii has had the lowest infection rate per capita among the 50 states along with the lowest hospitalization and fatality rates .
The state held the numbers down in part due to stay-at-home orders maintained in March and April , mask-wearing rules and a requirement that arriving travelers quarantine themselves for 14 days .
Dr. Sarah Park , the state epidemiologist , said while most of the new cases were on Oahu , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged people to continue to wear masks , keep their distance from people not in their household and wash their hands .
“ The common theme is people are letting their guard down , ” Park said .
The previous single-day record for the state was 34 cases , recorded on April 3 .
Still , Gov .
David Ige said the increases were expected as the economy reopened and Hawaii was well-prepared for them .
Hawaii ’ s hospitals have adequate intensive care unit beds and ventilators and the healthcare system was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said any changes on whether to roll back rules allowing businesses to reopen and activities to resume would be made consulting data and talking to the state ’ s mayors .
He said health and welfare was his highest priority .
The governor said officials were monitoring the record number of cases on the mainland , including in Texas where additional daily cases topped 10,000 for the first time , as the state pursues a plan to allow travelers to be tested for COVID-19 to bypass a 14-day quarantine rule beginning Aug 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk an infected person would enter Hawaii .
He said it would be part of a layered screening system that would also include temperature checks at airports .
The state is also working with hotels to have them educate travelers about their public health responsibilities in addition to the need to protect Hawaii ’ s natural environment and respect Native Hawaiian culture , he said .
Monday ’ s increase brings the state ’ s total cases since the outbreak began to 1,071 .
Nineteen people have died of the disease on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalized .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .

HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii reported 41 additional cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the most in one day since the pandemic began.
The increase, coming after 29-case increase on Friday, is an indicator the virus was circulating more widely and was part of a “disturbing” trend, said Bruce Anderson, the director of the state Department of Health.
“This is a wake-up call for all of us that (COVID-19) is still a serious threat in Hawaii,” Anderson said at a news conference.
He said most cases in recent months had been associated with known clusters of cases. But that has increasingly not been the case, he said.
Hawaii has had the lowest infection rate per capita among the 50 states along with the lowest hospitalization and fatality rates. The state held the numbers down in part due to stay-at-home orders maintained in March and April, mask-wearing rules and a requirement that arriving travelers quarantine themselves for 14 days.
Dr. Sarah Park, the state epidemiologist, said while most of the new cases were on Oahu, the danger and risk remained statewide. She urged people to continue to wear masks, keep their distance from people not in their household and wash their hands.
“The common theme is people are letting their guard down,” Park said.
The previous single-day record for the state was 34 cases, recorded on April 3.
Still, Gov. David Ige said the increases were expected as the economy reopened and Hawaii was well-prepared for them. Hawaii’s hospitals have adequate intensive care unit beds and ventilators and the healthcare system was not threatened, he said.
He said any changes on whether to roll back rules allowing businesses to reopen and activities to resume would be made consulting data and talking to the state’s mayors. He said health and welfare was his highest priority.
The governor said officials were monitoring the record number of cases on the mainland, including in Texas where additional daily cases topped 10,000 for the first time, as the state pursues a plan to allow travelers to be tested for COVID-19 to bypass a 14-day quarantine rule beginning Aug 1.
Ige said pre-travel testing would reduce the risk an infected person would enter Hawaii. He said it would be part of a layered screening system that would also include temperature checks at airports. The state is also working with hotels to have them educate travelers about their public health responsibilities in addition to the need to protect Hawaii’s natural environment and respect Native Hawaiian culture, he said.
Monday’s increase brings the state’s total cases since the outbreak began to 1,071.
Nineteen people have died of the disease on the islands and 119 people have been hospitalized.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.