washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Tribes make new move to shut down Dakota Access Pipeline

BISMARCK , N.D. ( AP ) - Native American tribes opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline once again have asked a federal judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over the line ’ s future plays out .
The Standing Rock Sioux and other tribes succeeded on their first attempt , only to have an appeals court overturn U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ’ s shutdown order earlier this year .
Now , they ’ re asking the judge to clarify his earlier ruling to satisfy the appellate judges and then to again order the line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
The tribes argue that potential harm to their water supply outweighs any economic impacts of shutting down the line , which has been moving North Dakota oil to Illinois for more than three years .
“ The Tribes are irreparably harmed by the ongoing operation of the pipeline , through the exposure to catastrophic risk , through the ongoing trauma of the government ’ s refusal to comply with the law , and through undermining the Tribes ’ sovereign governmental role to protect their members and respond to potential disasters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in a Friday filing .
Tribes fear a spill into the Missouri River just north of the Standing Rock Reservation would pollute their water supply .
Pipeline operator Energy Transfer and the Army Corps of Engineers both maintain the pipeline is safe .
Prolonged protests in 2016 and 2017 drew thousands of people to camps near the river crossing and resulted in hundreds of arrests .
U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman Danielle Nichols declined to comment Monday on the tribes ’ filing .
The Corps and Energy Transfer have until Nov. 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is overseeing the four-year-old lawsuit filed by the tribes , ordered an extensive environmental study last spring because he felt previous , less-extensive environmental analysis by the Corps left lingering questions .
Boasberg in July revoked the easement that allows for the river crossing and ordered the pipeline shut down until its environmental soundness was proven .
A federal appeals court allowed oil to keep flowing , however , ruling that Boasberg hadn ’ t justified a shutdown .
That same appeals court is now determining whether to uphold his decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boasberg to issue an injunction to shut down the pipeline while the legal fight plays out .

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Native American tribes opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline once again have asked a federal judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over the line’s future plays out.
The Standing Rock Sioux and other tribes succeeded on their first attempt, only to have an appeals court overturn U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s shutdown order earlier this year. Now, they’re asking the judge to clarify his earlier ruling to satisfy the appellate judges and then to again order the line to cease operations, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
The tribes argue that potential harm to their water supply outweighs any economic impacts of shutting down the line, which has been moving North Dakota oil to Illinois for more than three years.
“The Tribes are irreparably harmed by the ongoing operation of the pipeline, through the exposure to catastrophic risk, through the ongoing trauma of the government’s refusal to comply with the law, and through undermining the Tribes’ sovereign governmental role to protect their members and respond to potential disasters,” attorneys Jan Hasselman and Nicole Ducheneaux wrote in a Friday filing.
Tribes fear a spill into the Missouri River just north of the Standing Rock Reservation would pollute their water supply. Pipeline operator Energy Transfer and the Army Corps of Engineers both maintain the pipeline is safe. Prolonged protests in 2016 and 2017 drew thousands of people to camps near the river crossing and resulted in hundreds of arrests.
U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman Danielle Nichols declined to comment Monday on the tribes’ filing. The Corps and Energy Transfer have until Nov. 20 to file a formal response.
Boasberg, who is overseeing the four-year-old lawsuit filed by the tribes, ordered an extensive environmental study last spring because he felt previous, less-extensive environmental analysis by the Corps left lingering questions.
Boasberg in July revoked the easement that allows for the river crossing and ordered the pipeline shut down until its environmental soundness was proven. A federal appeals court allowed oil to keep flowing, however, ruling that Boasberg hadn’t justified a shutdown. That same appeals court is now determining whether to uphold his decision regarding the study.
Tribes are asking Boasberg to issue an injunction to shut down the pipeline while the legal fight plays out.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Glenn Close to receive honorary AARP Purpose Prize award

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Glenn Close will receive an honorary AARP award for her work with a charity @ @ @ @ @ illness .
AARP announced Tuesday that Close will be the first to receive an honorary @ @ @ @ @ virtual ceremony on Dec. 3 .
The Oscar-winning actress will be recognized for her work @ @ @ @ @ , an organization that strives to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness .
@ @ @ @ @ AARP Purpose Prize , which honors people ages 50 and older who “ tap into @ @ @ @ @ The award recipients include Hope Harley with the Bronx Children ’ s Museum ; Arturo @ @ @ @ @ ; Susan Tachau with Pennsylvania Assistive Technology ; Mark Barden with Sandy Hook Promise ; @ @ @ @ @ Detroit .
Each prize winner will receive a $ 50,000 award for their organization .
@ @ @ @ @ fellows will also be honored .
Each of them will receive a $ 5,000 award @ @ @ @ @ their organization .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Glenn Close will receive an honorary AARP award for her work with a charity that brings awareness to mental illness.
AARP announced Tuesday that Close will be the first to receive an honorary Purpose Prize Award during a virtual ceremony on Dec. 3. The Oscar-winning actress will be recognized for her work with Bring Change to Mind, an organization that strives to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness.
Five individuals will awarded the AARP Purpose Prize, which honors people ages 50 and older who “tap into the power of life.” The award recipients include Hope Harley with the Bronx Children’s Museum; Arturo Noriega with Centro Community Partners; Susan Tachau with Pennsylvania Assistive Technology; Mark Barden with Sandy Hook Promise; and Cindy Eggleton with Brilliant Detroit.
Each prize winner will receive a $50,000 award for their organization.
AARP said 10 Purpose Prize fellows will also be honored. Each of them will receive a $5,000 award to further the mission of their organization.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Voters to decide whether to relocate Confederate monument

HATTIESBURG , Miss .
( AP ) - Voters will have a voice is deciding whether to relocate a Confederate @ @ @ @ @ the Forrest County courthouse .
The Hattiesburg American reports the referendum was placed on the @ @ @ @ @ Forrest County Board of Supervisors couldn ’ t agree on what to do with the @ @ @ @ @ monument question on the ballot reads : “ Please vote ‘ yes ’ or ‘ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate monument should be moved to a more suitable location.
” The non-binding measure is @ @ @ @ @ on where their constituents stand .
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker and City Council members have @ @ @ @ @ monument remaining downtown , but the city doesn ’ t have any authority to move @ @ @ @ @ monuments have been removed across the South since the police killing of George Floyd earlier @ @ @ @ @ Many Forrest County residents advocated for the removal of the memorial during protests calling for @ @

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Voters will have a voice is deciding whether to relocate a Confederate monument that’s outside the Forrest County courthouse.
The Hattiesburg American reports the referendum was placed on the Nov. 3 ballot after the Forrest County Board of Supervisors couldn’t agree on what to do with the monument in June.
The monument question on the ballot reads: “Please vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on whether the Confederate monument should be moved to a more suitable location.” The non-binding measure is meant to give supervisors guidance on where their constituents stand.
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker and City Council members have voiced their opposition to the monument remaining downtown, but the city doesn’t have any authority to move it.
Multiple other Confederate monuments have been removed across the South since the police killing of George Floyd earlier this year in Minnesota. Many Forrest County residents advocated for the removal of the memorial during protests calling for change.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--EU pledges $51 million as UN seeks $1 billion in Sahel aid

UNITED NATIONS ( AP ) - The European Union on Tuesday will pledge 43.6 million euros ( $ 51.5 million ) to help meet emergency aid and food needs to three countries in Africa ’ s Sahel region , as the United Nations sought to raise $ 1 billion to tackle a humanitarian crisis there .
The offer came as part of a virtual ministerial meeting — hosted by Denmark , Germany , the European Union and the United Nations — aimed at spotlighting one of the world ’ s fastest growing humanitarian crises in a region plagued by increasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of development .
“ The EU ’ s pledge consists of 23.6 million euro in funding for humanitarian actions in Burkino Faso , Mali and Niger , and 20 million euro in development funding to address the food crisis afflicting the central Sahel region , ” European Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari said .
He said the EU has already “ mobilized ” 8 billion euros for the region since 2014 .
The U.N. humanitarian chief told the Associated Press before the meeting that the troubling situation in Burkina Faso , Mali and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with a broad range of political , security and development challenges , as well as rapid population growth and climate change .
Mark Lowcock said the result is that a record 13 million people need humanitarian assistance across the border areas of Burkina Faso , Mali and Niger .
He said most of them are children .

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - More than 20 donors pledged nearly $1 billion for the three countries at the epicenter of a humanitarian crisis in Africa’s Sahel region for this year and over $700 million for 2021 and beyond, the United Nations announced Tuesday.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the funds will help some 10 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger for the remainder of this year and through next year with nutrition, food, health services, water and sanitation, shelter, education, protection and support to survivors of gender-based violence.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the high-level virtual donors meeting co-sponsored by the U.N., Denmark, Germany and the European Union that “the central Sahel region is at a breaking point” and humanitarian needs in the border region of the three countries “have reached record levels.”
“The security situation has deteriorated sharply, harshly affecting people’s daily lives,” he said. “Violence is rising, and women and girls are especially vulnerable. Internal displacement has increased twenty-fold in less than two years. Climate change is threatening people’s livelihoods. And COVID-19 is making all of it worse.”
The U.N. chief said this downward spiral “is a microcosm of cascading global risks converging in one region,” and needs to be reversed with a renewed push for peace and reconciliation.
U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock reiterated that “nowhere in the world worries me as much as the Sahel in the medium-term.” And he again expressed fear that the region “is very close to a tipping point, with ripple effects that could reach neighboring countries and further afield.”
Lowcock said more than 13 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger need emergency assistance to survive, including 5 million children.
Before the meeting, he told The Associated Press that the troubling situation in the three countries is a symptom of failure to deal with a broad range of political, security and development challenges, as well as rapid population growth and climate change.
Lowcock told Tuesday’s high-level meeting that these root causes “are not being properly addressed,” saying the international community has focused mainly on short-term humanitarian aid and security interventions “but much more is needed.”
He called on the international community and the Sahel governments to make far bigger investments in basic services, especially education, health, clean water, sanitation and family planning, and in adapting to the pressures of climate change and population growth. This requires improved agricultural productivity, urban planning and economic development, he said.
Both Guterres and Lowcock appealed for $2.4 billion to cover the remaining months of 2020 and 2021.
U.N. spokesman Dujarric said donors pledged $985 million for this year and $704 million for 2021 and beyond.
According to the U.N., Switzerland made the largest pledge, $464.1 million. The United States was next pledging $274.8 million followed by Denmark with $183.1 million, the European Union with $122.8 million and Germany with $118.2 million.
Rasmus Prehn, Danish minister for development cooperation, said: “Right now, more and more people in Central Sahel are caught in a vicious cycle of insecurity, displacement and lack of food.”
“We must act and extend our solidarity to all those suffering, in particular women and children,” he said. “More funding for sustained humanitarian support is essential. At the same time, we must focus much more on long-term solutions to the challenges that drive the crisis.”
___
Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Wisconsin resumes COVID-19 updates after weekend upgrade

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) - The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has restarted its daily COVID-19 update dashboard @ @ @ @ @ and reported nearly triple its normal number of negative tests as it caught up .
@ @ @ @ @ in its Monday update surpassed the previous one-day high of 18,682 results recorded 11 days @ @ @ @ @ That number was no surprise .
The department had already said the break in reporting @ @ @ @ @ spike in the numbers reported .
The break for the upgrade also allowed Rock County @ @ @ @ @ a backlog of negative tests that built up while it prioritized handling a wave of @ @ @ @ @ .
The nearly 3,800 positive tests reported Monday places it among the highest single days @ @ @ @ @ However , it remains in line with recent trends .
On Sunday , the tracker @ @ @ @ @ the current all-time high .
It was part of a stretch that saw the record @ @ @ @ @ days .

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin’s top health official warned Tuesday that people should scrap any plans for Thanksgiving gatherings because of the rampant spread of the coronavirus in the state.
Andrea Palm, who heads the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said during a teleconference with reporters that people should limit their Thanksgiving dinners to those in their households.
“We’re in a much worse place now than we were in March and April,” Palm said.
Gov. Tony Evers said during the teleconference that people should also plan to watch the University of Wisconsin’s football opener alone at home. The Badgers are scheduled to take on Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Friday night.
“We have to be very careful about what we do in the next few weeks,” Evers said. “And that includes game day.”
The disease has been spreading unchecked throughout the state for two months and shows no sign of abating. Medical experts have speculated that one of the reasons is because people have grown tired of wearing masks and social distancing.
The health department reported an additional 4,591 confirmed cases on Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 178,482 since the start of the pandemic. It also said the disease was at least a factor in another 33 deaths, bringing the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,633.
Another 218 people had been hospitalized as of Tuesday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations to 9,537 since the pandemic began.
Palm cautioned that the numbers reflect a backlog of statistics that built up while the department was upgrading its database over the weekend. She said the state’s rolling 7-day average presents the most accurate picture of the pandemic in the state.
According to the department, the 7-day average of positive tests stood at 12% as of Tuesday. The 7-day average of people who tested positive stood at 21.7%, which is about four times the national average.
Despite hospital officials’ warnings that they’ve been overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, the DHS’ field hospital on the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee had yet to accept its first patient as of Tuesday. The facility opened on Oct. 14 to provide an outlet for overflow patients.
Palm said patient transfers between hospitals and health care systems have been fluid and the field hospital stands ready.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Donald Trump backs GOP's call for AG William Barr to appoint special counsel to probe Hunter Biden

President Trump called on Attorney General William P. Barr on Tuesday to appoint a special counsel to investigate the laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden , son of Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden .
“ We ’ ve got to get the attorney general to act , he ’ s got to act fast , ” Mr. Trump said on “ Fox & Friends .
“ He ’ s got to appoint somebody .
This is major corruption , and this has to be known about before the election.
” House Republicans on Monday urged Mr. Barr to appoint a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the laptop .
The lawmakers want Mr. Barr to probe claims that the Democratic nominee played a role in his son ’ s alleged lucrative business dealings in Ukraine and China .
They say the American people deserve to know whether the former vice president “ received foreign monies during his tenure in the Obama administration ” and if he “ allowed his son to peddle access ” to him with foreign business entities .
“ If these reports about former Vice President Joe Biden and his son , Hunter , are true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short of his responsibility to uphold his constitutional oath and betrayed the sacred trust of the American people , ” the lawmakers wrote .

Dave Boyer, Jeff Mordock and Dave Boyer, Jeff Mordock

President Trump called on Attorney General William P. Barr on Tuesday to appoint a special counsel to investigate the laptop reportedly owned by Hunter Biden revealing his overseas business deals, and the top Republican on the House intelligence committee proclaimed emails from the laptop “authentic.”
“We’ve got to get the attorney general to act. He’s got to act fast,” Mr. Trump said on “Fox & Friends.” “He’s got to appoint somebody. This is major corruption, and this has to be known about before the election.”
The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden, Hunter Biden’s father, spent another day in seclusion in Delaware without commenting on the matter. He has called the story a “smear campaign,” but neither Mr. Biden nor his son has addressed whether the trove of emails is legitimate.
Mr. Trump, though, labeled the scandal “the laptop from hell” during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, calling Mr. Biden a corrupt politician.
“The Bidens got rich while Pennsylvania got robbed — like the rest of our country,” Mr. Trump told the crowd.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the top Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a vocal Trump ally, said Republican committee staffers have independently authenticated through “numerous conversations” that the emails discovered on the laptop were sent to and from Hunter Biden.
“These emails are real. They’re authentic,” Mr. Jordan told reporters on a conference call organized by the president’s reelection campaign.
Jenna Arnold, who campaigns on behalf of the Democratic nominee, said on Fox News on Sunday that nobody has claimed the emails are “inauthentic.”
Asked whether he supports a special counsel investigation, Mr. Jordan said, “I’m for whatever it takes to get to the facts and the truth. This information has just come out and shows that [Mr. Biden] misled the American people when he told us back during impeachment that he had no involvement in his son’s business dealings. Turns out that he in fact did.”
A group of Mr. Jordan’s Republican colleagues urged Mr. Barr in a letter Monday to appoint a special counsel. The president told supporters Monday that Mr. Biden would already be facing federal prosecution if Mr. Barr weren’t such a “nice” and “fair” person.
Mr. Trump also has expressed frustration with Mr. Barr over the timing of an investigation by U.S. Attorney John Durham into the origins of the Russia probe against his campaign in 2016, which will not be completed by Election Day.
The laptop abandoned at a Delaware repair shop is at the center of what the president is calling a huge influence-peddling scandal showing that Mr. Biden, while serving as vice president, knew about and facilitated millions of dollars in payments to his son from businessmen in Ukraine and China.
The Trump team claims that Mr. Biden, thought to be referred to as “big guy” in one email, received a cut of some of his son’s lucrative dealings. The email does not identify the “big guy” in the exchange.
The president said the bombshell, with two weeks remaining until voting ends on Nov. 3, has shifted the race in his favor. Mr. Biden has been leading in most state and national polls.
“It’s just going very well,” the president said. “I think he’s imploding. You look at all the corruption in his family. That laptop, nobody has ever seen anything like that. He’s gone into hiding. … And things are changing fast, and the numbers at the polls are looking really good — really, really good.”
Democrats including Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California, chairman of the House intelligence committee, accused Trump attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani of being a dupe of a Russian disinformation campaign after Mr. Giuliani brought the emails to the New York Post last week. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said Monday there is no evidence that the matter is part of a “Russian disinformation campaign.”
Fox News reported that it has viewed an $85 receipt from the repair shop with a signature thought to be that of Hunter Biden. Other documents indicate that the shop owner was contacted by the FBI.
The FBI reportedly is in possession of the laptop, seizing it through a grand jury subpoena, although the agency hasn’t commented on the matter. FBI sources agree with Mr. Ratcliffe that the emails are not part of a Russian disinformation campaign, Fox reported.
Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the FBI should brief lawmakers on the status of any investigation. The FBI reportedly seized the laptop on Dec. 17, 2019, in the midst of Mr. Trump’s impeachment, raising questions about whether any information on the device could have been relevant to the subject of Ukraine corruption that was central to Democrats’ case against the president.
In a series of tweets Tuesday, Mr. Johnson directed questions at Mr. Biden about his son’s former business partners. One of them, Bevan Cooney, is serving a 30-month prison term for fraud. The other, Devon Archer, is awaiting sentencing on his conviction in the same scheme.
“Hunter Biden’s business partner Devon Archer is now a convicted felon,” Mr. Johnson said in a Twitter post. “New emails from an independent source show he & co-conspirators planned to ‘put some honey’ from this scheme ‘in Hunter’s pocket.’ Isn’t it time reporters ask @JoeBiden a few questions?”
George Mesires, Hunter Biden’s attorney, has said Archer and Cooney used Hunter Biden’s name without his knowledge to lend credibility to their business.
Mr. Johnson also asked Mr. Biden, “Why did you meet with Devon in the White House on April 16, 2014 — 5 days before you traveled to Ukraine, 6 days before Devon joined Burisma’s board, and 28 days before Hunter joined Burisma’s board?”
Burisma Holdings is a Ukrainian energy company that hired Hunter Biden for about $4 million to serve on its board.
Mr. Johnson also tweeted at the former vice president, “And what about a Chinese national funding a $100,000 shopping spree for your son, brother and sister-in-law? Was that another example of someone ‘putting some honey’ in their pockets?”
Andrew McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor who has written books on the Russia collusion probe, said there is no need for a special prosecutor to investigate the Bidens.
“As the Obama investigation of the Trump campaign showed, there is no reason the administration of the opposite party has to appoint a special counsel to investigate people connected to the opposition party,” he said. “There is no reason to believe the Justice Department can’t handle an investigation.”
He cautioned that the results of any probe into the Bidens wouldn’t be known until after the election.
“The people I know at the Justice Department wouldn’t be looking at this in terms of the political calendar,” he said. “There are a lot of strands of foreign funding at issue here, and that would take a long time to run it down.”
Even if the Justice Department does uncover wrongdoing, it would have to keep it quiet because of guidelines that block federal prosecutors from bringing charges in a political case within 60 days of an election.
That doesn’t mean the investigators aren’t seriously looking into Hunter Biden’s actions, Mr. McCarthy said.
“From everything I can see, there is a serious investigation going on,” Mr. McCarthy said. “The FBI doesn’t issue grand jury summons for nothing.”
Federal authorities are reportedly investigating whether the emails are linked to a foreign intelligence operation.
The New York Post reported last week that the abandoned laptop hard drive contained evidence that Hunter Biden made the introduction of a Burisma executive to Vice President Biden in 2015. An email from Burisma adviser Vadym Pozharskyi thanked Hunter Biden for the “opportunity to meet your father and spen[d] some time together” in Washington.
Biden campaign officials have said his schedule for the date in question doesn’t show a meeting with Mr. Pozharskyi.
In March 2016, Mr. Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees to Ukraine unless the government fired a prosecutor with jurisdiction over investigations into Burisma. He said Ukraine needed to install a prosecutor who would pursue corruption cases.
Cooney gave Breitbart News access to his Gmail account and said he believed he was the “fall guy” for Hunter Biden’s business dealings and reported corruption. Breitbart said it has about 26,000 of Cooney’s emails.
• Alex Swoyer contributed to this report.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com. • Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--6 Russian officers charged in 'destructive' hacking campaign

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The Justice Department announced charges against Russian intelligence officers in cyberattacks that targeted a French presidential election , the Winter Olympics in South Korea and American businesses .
The case implicates the Kremlin unit that interfered in the 2016 U.S. election but is not related to the November vote .
The indictment accuses the six defendants , all said to be current and former officers in the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU , of hacks prosecutors say were aimed at furthering the Kremlin ’ s geopolitical interests and destabilizing or punishing perceived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused billions of dollars in losses and disrupted a broad cross-section of life , including health care in Pennsylvania , a power grid serving hundreds of thousands of customers in Ukraine and a French election that saw the late-stage disclosure of hacked emails .
The indictment is the most recent in a series of Justice Department prosecutions of Russian hackers , often working on behalf of the government .
Past cases have focused on attacks against targets like internet giant Yahoo and the 2016 presidential contest , when Russian hackers from the GRU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the weeks before Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton .
The attacks in this case are “ some of the most destructive , most costly , most egregious cyber attacks ever known , ” said Scott Brady , U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania , where the 50-page indictment was filed .
“ Time and again , Russia has made it clear : They will not abide by accepted norms , and instead , they intend to continue their destructive , destabilizing cyber behavior , ” said FBI Deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peskov on Tuesday rejected the accusations and said Russia and Russian special services “ have never undertaken any hacking attacks , especially against the Olympics.
” “ This resembles regularly occurring relapses of rampant Russophobia , which of course has nothing to do with the reality , ” Peskov said .
The indictment doesn ’ t charge the defendants in connection with interference in American elections , though the officers are part of the intelligence unit prosecutors say interfered in the 2016 U.S. election .
One of the six charged in the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence officers charged with hacking in special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian election interference .
The hacking targets described in Monday ’ s case are diverse , with the indictment fleshing out details about attacks that in some instances had already received significant attention because of the havoc they caused .
The indictment accuses the officers , for instance , of hacking into the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea after Russia was punished by the International Olympic Committee for a vast doping conspiracy .
It also says the Tokyo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been postponed until next year .
The Japanese government ’ s chief Cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato declined to comment on specifics .
“ We can not overlook malicious cyberattacks that could shake the foundation of democracy , ” he said .
Tokyo 2020 said in a statement “ no significant impact has been observed in our operations.
” It said it has been taking “ countermeasures ” but didn ’ t disclose them .
Prosecutors say the hackers unleashed a devastating malicious software attack during the opening ceremony in February 2018 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the event and left them inoperable .
Another attack was aimed at disrupting the 2017 presidential election in France through hacks that targeted local government entities , campaigns and political parties , including the party of current President Emmanuel Macron .
The controversy , known as the “ Macron Leaks , ” involved the leak of 20,000 emails linked to Macron ’ s campaign in the days before his victory .
The involvement of bots raised questions about the possible involvement of Vladimir Putin and the Russian government .
The leaks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were shared by WikiLeaks and several alt-right activists on Twitter , Facebook and others .
Other attacks targeted international investigators looking into the suspected nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom , as well as the country of Georgia , where 15,000 websites were defaced .
“ In many cases , ” the indictment says , “ the Conspirators replaced website home pages with an image of a former Georgian president , who was known for his efforts to counter Russian influence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ I ’ ll be back.
’ ” Beyond that , though , the hacks had harmful impacts on quality-of-life for everyday citizens .
The attacks in Ukraine disrupted the power supply in the middle of winter for hundreds of thousands of customers , officials say .
And the global malware attack known as NotPetya that infected computers across the world harmed the operations of the Heritage Valley Heath System , which prosecutors say serves tens of thousands of people in western Pennsylvania .
Work stations were locked , hard drives encrypted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Heritage Valley temporarily lost access to critical computer systems related to medical care .
Robert Lee , a security researcher who helped uncover the malware used in one of the Ukraine hacks , said U.S. and European political leaders should ’ ve done more at the time to call out Russia and make clear that attacks on power grids are unacceptable .
But Lee , CEO of security firm Dragos , welcomed the indictment as an important message before the U.S. presidential election about American officials ’ resolve to fight back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is a broad signal from U.S. intelligence to say , ‘ We ’ re watching you , and we ’ re willing to burn our resources to burn your resources , ’ ” Lee said .
The six defendants face charges including conspiracy to conduct computer fraud and abuse , wire fraud and aggravated identity theft .
None is in custody , but the Justice Department in recent years has eagerly charged foreign hackers in absentia in countries including Russia , China and Iran with the goal of creating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia , wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages as fits of spite , ” said Assistant Attorney General John Demers , the Justice Department ’ s top national security official .
Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow , Thomas Adamson in Paris , Matt O ’ Brien in Providence , Rhode Island , and Graham Dunbar in Geneva , Switzerland , contributed .

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department announced charges against Russian intelligence officers in cyberattacks that targeted a French presidential election, the Winter Olympics in South Korea and American businesses. The case implicates the Kremlin unit that interfered in the 2016 U.S. election but is not related to the November vote.
The indictment accuses the six defendants, all said to be current and former officers in the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU, of hacks prosecutors say were aimed at furthering the Kremlin’s geopolitical interests and destabilizing or punishing perceived enemies. All told, the attacks caused billions of dollars in losses and disrupted a broad cross-section of life, including health care in Pennsylvania, a power grid serving hundreds of thousands of customers in Ukraine and a French election that saw the late-stage disclosure of hacked emails.
The indictment is the most recent in a series of Justice Department prosecutions of Russian hackers, often working on behalf of the government. Past cases have focused on attacks against targets like internet giant Yahoo and the 2016 presidential contest, when Russian hackers from the GRU stole Democratic emails that were released online in the weeks before Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.
The attacks in this case are “some of the most destructive, most costly, most egregious cyber attacks ever known,” said Scott Brady, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, where the 50-page indictment was filed.
“Time and again, Russia has made it clear: They will not abide by accepted norms, and instead, they intend to continue their destructive, destabilizing cyber behavior,” said FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday rejected the accusations and said Russia and Russian special services “have never undertaken any hacking attacks, especially against the Olympics.”
“This resembles regularly occurring relapses of rampant Russophobia, which of course has nothing to do with the reality,” Peskov said.
The indictment doesn’t charge the defendants in connection with interference in American elections, though the officers are part of the intelligence unit prosecutors say interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. One of the six charged in the case announced Monday was among the Russian military intelligence officers charged with hacking in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference.
The hacking targets described in Monday’s case are diverse, with the indictment fleshing out details about attacks that in some instances had already received significant attention because of the havoc they caused.
The indictment accuses the officers, for instance, of hacking into the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea after Russia was punished by the International Olympic Committee for a vast doping conspiracy. It also says the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were targeted. Those Olympics have been postponed until next year.
The Japanese government’s chief Cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato declined to comment on specifics. “We cannot overlook malicious cyberattacks that could shake the foundation of democracy,” he said.
Tokyo 2020 said in a statement “no significant impact has been observed in our operations.” It said it has been taking “countermeasures” but didn’t disclose them.
Prosecutors say the hackers unleashed a devastating malicious software attack during the opening ceremony in February 2018 that deleted data from thousands of computers related to the event and left them inoperable.
Another attack was aimed at disrupting the 2017 presidential election in France through hacks that targeted local government entities, campaigns and political parties, including the party of current President Emmanuel Macron.
The controversy, known as the “Macron Leaks,” involved the leak of 20,000 emails linked to Macron’s campaign in the days before his victory. The involvement of bots raised questions about the possible involvement of Vladimir Putin and the Russian government. The leaks, which gained huge media attention in France, were shared by WikiLeaks and several alt-right activists on Twitter, Facebook and others.
Other attacks targeted international investigators looking into the suspected nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom, as well as the country of Georgia, where 15,000 websites were defaced.
“In many cases,” the indictment says, “the Conspirators replaced website home pages with an image of a former Georgian president, who was known for his efforts to counter Russian influence in Georgia, along with the caption, ‘I’ll be back.’”
Beyond that, though, the hacks had harmful impacts on quality-of-life for everyday citizens. The attacks in Ukraine disrupted the power supply in the middle of winter for hundreds of thousands of customers, officials say.
And the global malware attack known as NotPetya that infected computers across the world harmed the operations of the Heritage Valley Heath System, which prosecutors say serves tens of thousands of people in western Pennsylvania. Work stations were locked, hard drives encrypted, laboratory records and other files were inaccessible, and Heritage Valley temporarily lost access to critical computer systems related to medical care.
Robert Lee, a security researcher who helped uncover the malware used in one of the Ukraine hacks, said U.S. and European political leaders should’ve done more at the time to call out Russia and make clear that attacks on power grids are unacceptable.
But Lee, CEO of security firm Dragos, welcomed the indictment as an important message before the U.S. presidential election about American officials’ resolve to fight back against attacks on elections and civic infrastructure.
“This is a broad signal from U.S. intelligence to say, ‘We’re watching you, and we’re willing to burn our resources to burn your resources,’” Lee said.
The six defendants face charges including conspiracy to conduct computer fraud and abuse, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. None is in custody, but the Justice Department in recent years has eagerly charged foreign hackers in absentia in countries including Russia, China and Iran with the goal of creating a message of deterrence.
“No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia, wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages as fits of spite,” said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the Justice Department’s top national security official.
____
Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Thomas Adamson in Paris, Matt O’Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, and Graham Dunbar in Geneva, Switzerland, contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--European nations mixed in their response to virus spikes

Countries across Europe are battling coronavirus infection spikes with new lockdowns , curfews , face mask orders and virus tracking smart phone apps .
In a small sign of success , Spain ’ s government said it won ’ t extend a state of emergency in the Madrid region when it expires Saturday , but will look to more local measures .
But as the second wave of the global pandemic sweeps across the continent , local and national governments also are facing swelling opposition to the new measures .
In The Hague , bar and restaurant owners launched a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close their doors for at least four weeks .
Bar owners in Berlin instigated a similar case last week .
An outcry in Portugal has forced authorities to back away from a plan to make a tracing app mandatory nationwide .
Amid the public frustration , some countries are dangling a festive carrot in front of virus-weary populations , saying that tough action now could clear the way for an easing of measures before Christmas .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel invoked the holiday period over the weekend and other countries are following suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What winter will be like , what our Christmas will be like , will be decided in these coming days and weeks.
” Health Minister Salvador Illa said Tuesday the government won ’ t extend the state of emergency in the Madrid region when it expires Saturday , but it may begin introducing curfews at COVID-19 hotspots around the country .
Illa said the partial lockdown in the Madrid area in recent weeks had helped put a lid on community transmission that made it one of Europe ’ s most significant coronavirus clusters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madrid ’ s number of cases is still high .
The region has reported more than 29,000 cases over the past two weeks , though its tally on Tuesday was 354 new cases in 24 hours — Spain ’ s fourth-highest rate .
Illa said he is assessing with Spain ’ s regional governments the possibility of agreeing on targeted curfews , as the country approaches the milestone of 1 million officially recorded cases .
“ I want to be very clear , ” Illa said .
“ Some very hard weeks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tough new lockdown .
From midnight Wednesday , non-essential shops must close , restaurants will be limited to takeout , people must stay within five kilometers ( three miles ) of their homes and visits to other households are banned .
It ’ s a near-return to the severe restrictions imposed by the government in March , although schools , construction sites and manufacturing industries will remain open .
Martin said that if people complied with the restrictions , which will be in place until Dec. 1 , the country would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful way.
” Ireland , which has a population of almost 5 million , has recorded 1,852 coronavirus deaths .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s government is resisting a recommendation from its scientific advisory committee for a short “ circuit-breaker ” lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
Instead , it has adopted a three-tier system for England , with areas classed as medium , high of very high risk .
In the top tier , pubs have to close and people are barred from mixing with members of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liverpool and Lancashire regions of northwest England have been placed in the highest tier .
Nearby Greater Manchester , with a population of almost 3 million , has been holding out for more support for workers and businesses affected by the restrictions .
The other nations of the U.K. control their own health policies and are taking slightly different approaches .
A lawyer representing more than 60 bars and restaurants warned a court in The Hague that the Dutch hospitality industry faces “ a tidal wave of bankruptcies ” caused by a lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for at least four weeks .
Lawyer Simon van Zijll called the closure order , part of a “ partial lockdown ” imposed last week “ random and disproportionate ” as he urged a judge in a summary procedure to allow bars and restaurants to reopen .
Government lawyer Reimer Veldhuis rejected the claim that the four-week closure for bars and restaurants was arbitrary , saying it was part of a broader package of carefully considered measures that affects many other sections of society .
The Netherlands has one of Europe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of the virus .
The national government wanted to make its COVID-19 tracing app mandatory , but a broad outcry has forced it to back down from the plan which was widely criticized as unworkable and unconstitutional .
Prime Minister Antonio Costa said in a television interview late Monday that the widely contested move , which was due to go to a vote later this week in parliament , required further debate .
Parliament is expected on Friday to make the wearing of face masks mandatory outdoors .
The country recorded its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday as 38 patients succumbed to the illness , pushing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities to 1,211 .
The central government in Budapest has canceled most events planned for the Oct. 23 national holiday and called on local municipalities to follow suit .
The festive period in Hungary already has taken a hit - the Christmas Fair in the capital , one of the largest and most visited in central and eastern Europe , has also been canceled .
Facing a record surge of infections , the Czech Republic is returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic in the spring .
Health Minister Roman Prymula said that face masks will be again mandatory outdoors from Wednesday .
“ The colder the weather is , the more important it is to have a face mask outdoors , ” Prymula said .
AP journalists across Europe contributed to this report .
Follow all of AP ’ s coronavirus pandemic coverage at https : //apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Countries across Europe are battling coronavirus infection spikes with new lockdowns, curfews, face mask orders and virus tracking smart phone apps.
In a small indication of success, Spain’s government said it won’t extend a state of emergency in the Madrid region when it expires Saturday, but will look to more local measures.
But as a resurgence of the global pandemic sweeps across the continent, local and national governments also are facing swelling opposition to the new measures. Britain’s government on Tuesday said it will impose tough new measures on Greater Manchester, sparking anger from the region’s mayor.
In The Hague, bar and restaurant owners failed in a legal challenge to an order to close their doors for at least four weeks. An outcry in Portugal has forced authorities to back away from a plan to make a tracing app mandatory nationwide.
Amid the public frustration, some countries are dangling a festive carrot in front of virus-weary populations, saying that tough action now could clear the way for an easing of measures before Christmas.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel invoked the holiday period over the weekend and other countries are following suit. Merkel told her country: “What winter will be like, what our Christmas will be like, will be decided in these coming days and weeks.”
___
SPAIN
Health Minister Salvador Illa said Tuesday the government won’t extend the state of emergency in the Madrid region when it expires Saturday, but it may begin introducing curfews at COVID-19 hotspots around the country.
Illa said the partial lockdown in the Madrid area in recent weeks had helped put a lid on community transmission that made it one of Europe’s most significant coronavirus clusters.
He noted, however, that Madrid’s number of cases is still high. The region has reported more than 29,000 cases over the past two weeks, though its tally on Tuesday was 354 new cases in 24 hours — Spain’s fourth-highest rate.
Illa said he is assessing with Spain’s regional governments the possibility of agreeing on targeted curfews, as the country approaches the milestone of 1 million officially recorded cases.
“I want to be very clear,” Illa said. “Some very hard weeks are coming.”
BRITAIN
Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed strict restrictions on England’s second-largest city, after talks with officials in Greater Manchester failed to agree on financial support for people whose livelihoods will be hit by the new measures.
Johnson’s government is resisting a recommendation from its scientific advisory committee for a short “circuit-breaker” lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Instead, it has adopted a three-tier system for England, with areas classed as medium, high, and of very high risk. In the top tier, pubs have to close and people are barred from mixing with members of other households.
Greater Manchester joins the Liverpool and Lancashire regions of northwest England which have been placed in Tier 3, the highest level.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, a member of the opposition Labour Party, had been seeking more financial support for workers and businesses affected by the restrictions in his region of almost 3 million people. He blamed Johnson for walking away from negotiations.
The other nations of the U.K. control their own health policies and are taking slightly different approaches.
IRELAND
Prime Minister Micheal Martin announced a tough new lockdown. From midnight Wednesday, non-essential shops must close, restaurants will be limited to takeout, people must stay within five kilometers (three miles) of their homes and visits to other households are banned.
It’s a near-return to the severe restrictions imposed by the government in March, although schools, construction sites and manufacturing industries will remain open. Martin said that if people complied with the restrictions, which will be in place until Dec. 1, the country would be able to celebrate Christmas “in a meaningful way.”
Ireland, which has a population of almost 5 million, has recorded 1,852 coronavirus deaths.
SWEDEN
Uppsala, a university city north of Stockholm, on Tuesday became the first place in Sweden to introduce local restrictions as inhabitants were urged to avoid physical contact and parties and stay away from public transport.
“In Uppsala, you now need to be even more careful,” said Anders Tegnell, who is credited with being behind Sweden’s much debated COVID-19 approach of keeping large parts of society open.
He added that the restrictions would last two weeks and could be extended and introduced elsewhere in Sweden. Restaurants and schools in Uppsala were not affected.
THE NETHERLANDS
A judge in The Hague rejected an appeal by more than 60 Dutch bars and restaurants to overturn a government four-week closure order.
Lawyer Simon van Zijll, representing the bars and restaurants, warned in court that the Dutch hospitality industry faces “a tidal wave of bankruptcies” caused by the lockdown order, which he described as “random and disproportionate.”
The Netherlands has one of Europe’s highest rates of infections in the resurgence of the virus.
PORTUGAL
The national government wanted to make its COVID-19 tracing app mandatory, but a broad outcry has forced it to back down from the plan which was widely criticized as unworkable and unconstitutional.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa said in a television interview late Monday that the widely contested move, which was due to go to a vote later this week in parliament, required further debate.
Parliament is expected on Friday to make the wearing of face masks mandatory outdoors.
HUNGARY
The country recorded its highest ever number of coronavirus deaths on Tuesday as 38 patients succumbed to the illness, pushing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities to 1,211.
The central government in Budapest has canceled most events planned for the Oct. 23 national holiday and called on local municipalities to follow suit. The festive period in Hungary already has taken a hit - the Christmas Fair in the capital, one of the largest and most visited in central and eastern Europe, has also been canceled.
___
AP journalists across Europe contributed to this report.
___
Follow all of AP’s coronavirus pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Justice Dept. to file landmark antitrust case against Google

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The Justice Department is expected to file a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Google has been abusing its online dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers , a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press .
The litigation marks the government ’ s most significant act to protect competition since its groundbreaking case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago .
The suit could be an opening salvo ahead of other major government antitrust actions , given ongoing investigations of major tech companies including Apple , Amazon and Facebook at both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission .
Lawmakers and consumer advocates have long accused Google , whose corporate parent Alphabet Inc. has a market value just over $ 1 trillion , of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits .
Critics contend that multibillion-dollar fines and mandated changes in Google ’ s practices imposed by European regulators in recent years weren ’ t severe enough and that structural changes are needed for Google to change its conduct .
The case is expected to be filed in federal court in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been abusing its online dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers , the person familiar with the matter told the AP .
It will also allege that Google uses billions collected from advertisers to pay phone manufacturers to ensure Google is the default search engine on browsers , the person said .
The person could not discuss the matter publicly before a formal announcement expected later Tuesday morning and spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity .
The Trump administration has long had Google in its sights .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said two years ago that the White House was considering whether Google searches should be subject to government regulation .
Trump himself has often criticized Google , recycling unfounded claims by conservatives that the search giant is biased against conservatives and suppresses their viewpoints , interferes with U.S. elections and prefers working with the Chinese military over the Pentagon .
Google controls about 90 % of global web searches .
The company has been bracing for the government ’ s action and is expected to fiercely oppose any attempt to force it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses .
The company , based in Mountain View , California , has long denied the claims of unfair competition .
Google argues that although its businesses are large , they are useful and beneficial to consumers .
It maintains that its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives .
Most of its services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads .
Google insists that it holds no special power forcing people to use its free services or @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is expected to file a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Google has been abusing its online dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The litigation marks the government’s most significant act to protect competition since its groundbreaking case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. The suit could be an opening salvo ahead of other major government antitrust actions, given ongoing investigations of major tech companies including Apple, Amazon and Facebook at both the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.
Lawmakers and consumer advocates have long accused Google, whose corporate parent Alphabet Inc. has a market value just over $1 trillion, of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits. Critics contend that multibillion-dollar fines and mandated changes in Google’s practices imposed by European regulators in recent years weren’t severe enough and that structural changes are needed for Google to change its conduct.
The case is expected to be filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., and will allege it has been abusing its online dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers, the person familiar with the matter told the AP. It will also allege that Google uses billions collected from advertisers to pay phone manufacturers to ensure Google is the default search engine on browsers, the person said. The person could not discuss the matter publicly before a formal announcement expected later Tuesday morning and spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity.
The Trump administration has long had Google in its sights. A top economic adviser to President Donald Trump said two years ago that the White House was considering whether Google searches should be subject to government regulation. Trump himself has often criticized Google, recycling unfounded claims by conservatives that the search giant is biased against conservatives and suppresses their viewpoints, interferes with U.S. elections and prefers working with the Chinese military over the Pentagon.
Google controls about 90% of global web searches. The company has been bracing for the government’s action and is expected to fiercely oppose any attempt to force it to spin off its services into separate businesses.
The company, based in Mountain View, California, has long denied the claims of unfair competition. Google argues that although its businesses are large, they are useful and beneficial to consumers. It maintains that its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives.
Most of its services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads. Google insists that it holds no special power forcing people to use its free services or preventing them from going elsewhere.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--US home construction up 1.9% in September to 1.4 million

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - U.S. home construction rose a solid 1.9 % in September after having fallen in August @ @ @ @ @ of the bright spots for the economy .
The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that the @ @ @ @ @ to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.42 million homes and apartments after a 6.7 @ @ @ @ @ Applications for building permits , a good sign of future activity , rose an even @ @ @ @ @ million units .
After a plunge in the spring due to pandemic-related lockdowns , housing @ @ @ @ @ as demand for homes with more space has grown and mortgage-rates have stayed at ultra-low @ @

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home construction rose a solid 1.9% in September after having fallen in the previous month, as home building continues as one of the bright spots of the economy.
The increase last month pushed home construction to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.42 million homes and apartments after a 6.7% drop in August, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.
Applications for building permits, a good barometer of future activity, rose an even stronger 5.2% to 1.55 million units.
After a plunge in the spring due to pandemic-related lockdowns, housing has staged a solid rebound as demand for homes with more space has grown and mortgage-rates have stayed at ultra-low levels.
Construction of single-family homes in September surged by 7.8%, offsetting a 14.7% drop in the smaller apartment sector. Single-family construction is now at its highest level since 2007.
Construction was up in every region of the country except the Midwest which registered a 32.7% plunge. Construction surged 66.7% in the Northeast with smaller gains of 6.2% in the South and 1.4% in the West.
Economists believe home building will continue to thrive in the months ahead.
“Strong demand, low inventory and a record level of homebuilder confidence continue to support new home construction,” wrote Nancy Vanden Houten of Oxford Economics.
The National Association of Homebuilders reported Monday that its survey of builder confidence climbed to a new record high of 85 in October, up from a September reading of 83.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Myanmar polls body defends canceled voting in insecure areas

YANGON , Myanmar ( AP ) - Myanmar ’ s election supervisory body on Tuesday defended its decision to cancel voting in several areas of the country in next month ’ s general election , saying it could not be free and fair because of ongoing conflicts with armed ethnic rebel groups .
The Union Election Commission announced last week that it was canceling polling for the Nov. 8 election in parts of the states of Rakhine , Kachin , Kayin , Mon and Shan , as well as the Bago region , all of which are troubled by various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas can not guarantee conditions to hold free and fair elections and that is why the election is canceled , ” the UEC said in a statement Friday .
“ We have got the recommendations from the respective sub-commissions to cancel the elections in those specific areas , ” he told reporters .
“ Also , we can consider holding the elections again in some of them by the recommendations of those sub-commissions.
” The most serious fighting is in the western state of Rakhine , where the Arakan Army , a well-armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Rakhine ethnic minority , has posed a huge security challenge for government forces .
On Monday , the Arakan Army acknowledged kidnapping three election candidates from the ruling National League for Democracy party last week .
More than 1.1 million eligible voters in Rakhine state are losing their opportunity to participate in the election because of the canceled voting .
Especially in Rakhine , critics have charged , canceling voting could work to the advantage of the National League for Democracy by denying the likelihood that a Rakhine nationalist party would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Rakhine state are now already in a civil war zone and at the same time they have lost their opportunity ( to vote ) , so it ’ s like the armed resistance would be growing more than normal political practices , ” said Dr. Khin Zaw Win , a Yangon-based political activist .
He and other critics charge that the election commission lacks transparency .
Saw Zin Maung Soe , founder of C.A.N.-Myanmar , a local election observation group and an adviser at the LGBTI-Inclusive Election Observation Mission of Myanmar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society organizations , leading to a lack of trust .
“ The UEC ’ s performance right now seems like it makes an unfair playing field for all of us and the political parties , ” he said .
“ We are concerned for the credibility of the UEC and the winner of this election.
” Several other controversies have arisen .
The election commission has said the polls will be held on the planned date despite a coronavirus surge that is sweeping through parts of Myanmar .
The National League for Democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though several dozen other parties urged that it be postponed .
The country ’ s leader , State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi , was filmed by state TV on Tuesday conducting a demonstration of how to vote .
The Union Democratic Party , one of the parties with the most candidates contesting the election , was dissolved after its leader was revealed in Myanmar media to be a businessman who escaped more than two decades ago from a prison where he had been held after being convicted of economic crimes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats in previous elections and its chances of winning any this time were considered slim .

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar’s election supervisory body on Tuesday defended its decision to cancel voting in several areas of the country in next month’s general election, saying it could not be free and fair because of ongoing conflicts with armed ethnic rebel groups.
The Union Election Commission announced last week that it was canceling polling for the Nov. 8 election in parts of the states of Rakhine, Kachin, Kayin, Mon and Shan, as well as the Bago region, all of which are troubled by various levels of unrest.
“Those particular areas cannot guarantee conditions to hold free and fair elections and that is why the election is canceled,” the UEC said in a statement Friday.
UEC official Myint Naing elaborated Tuesday in a virtual news conference.
“We have got the recommendations from the respective sub-commissions to cancel the elections in those specific areas,” he told reporters. “Also, we can consider holding the elections again in some of them by the recommendations of those sub-commissions.”
The most serious fighting is in the western state of Rakhine, where the Arakan Army, a well-armed and well-trained guerrilla force fighting for self-determination for the Rakhine ethnic minority, has posed a huge security challenge for government forces.
On Monday, the Arakan Army acknowledged kidnapping three election candidates from the ruling National League for Democracy party last week.
More than 1.1 million eligible voters in Rakhine state are losing their opportunity to participate in the election because of the canceled voting.
Especially in Rakhine, critics have charged, canceling voting could work to the advantage of the National League for Democracy by denying the likelihood that a Rakhine nationalist party would win the seats.
“These people in Rakhine state are now already in a civil war zone and at the same time they have lost their opportunity (to vote), so it’s like the armed resistance would be growing more than normal political practices,” said Dr. Khin Zaw Win, a Yangon-based political activist.
He and other critics charge that the election commission lacks transparency.
Saw Zin Maung Soe, founder of C.A.N.-Myanmar, a local election observation group and an adviser at the LGBTI-Inclusive Election Observation Mission of Myanmar, said it failed to collaborate with civil society organizations, leading to a lack of trust.
“The UEC’s performance right now seems like it makes an unfair playing field for all of us and the political parties,” he said. “We are concerned for the credibility of the UEC and the winner of this election.”
Several other controversies have arisen.
The election commission has said the polls will be held on the planned date despite a coronavirus surge that is sweeping through parts of Myanmar. The National League for Democracy has said the election should go ahead, though several dozen other parties urged that it be postponed.
The country’s leader, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, was filmed by state TV on Tuesday conducting a demonstration of how to vote.
The Union Democratic Party, one of the parties with the most candidates contesting the election, was dissolved after its leader was revealed in Myanmar media to be a businessman who escaped more than two decades ago from a prison where he had been held after being convicted of economic crimes.
The UDP had failed to win any seats in previous elections and its chances of winning any this time were considered slim.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--East Carolina University announces more furloughs, pay cuts

GREENVILLE , N.C. ( AP ) - A university in North Carolina has announced temporary furloughs and pay cuts for @ @ @ @ @ budget deficits caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
The salary reductions and furloughs for coaches @ @ @ @ @ Carolina University will start next month , Jon Gilbert , the university ’ s athletic @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
They are based on salary , and will be effective through June 2021 @ @ @ @ @ easy decisions but necessary ones as we continue to manage our budget for this year @ @ @ @ @ Gilbert said .
“ I hold our staff in the highest regard , and I @ @ @ @ @ as we work to offset our financial losses and navigate a path to sustainability.
” @ @ @ @ @ recently furloughed for five days to reduce the school ’ s deficit by $ 4.7 @ @ @ @ @ .
The university estimates a $ 25 million budget shortfall this fall , The News @ @ @ @

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A university in North Carolina has announced temporary furloughs and pay cuts for its athletics staff due to budget deficits caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The salary reductions and furloughs for coaches and staff members at East Carolina University will start next month, Jon Gilbert, the university’s athletic director said in a statement Monday. They are based on salary, and will be effective through June 2021.
“These were not easy decisions but necessary ones as we continue to manage our budget for this year and future years,” Gilbert said. “I hold our staff in the highest regard, and I sympathize for all of them as we work to offset our financial losses and navigate a path to sustainability.”
The entire athletics staff was recently furloughed for five days to reduce the school’s deficit by $4.7 million, the statement said. The university estimates a $25 million budget shortfall this fall, The News & Observer reported.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--19-year-old seeks leniency in killing of Jacksonville K-9

JACKSONVILLE , Fla. ( AP ) - A 19-year-old man who fatally shot a Jacksonville Sheriff ’ s Office K-9 named Fang two years ago faces up to 35 years in prison when a judge sentences him next week .
During a two-hour hearing on Monday , the defense attorney for Jhamel Malik Paskel asked Circuit Judge Gilbert Feltel Jr. for leniency , the Florida Times-Union reported .
Paskel offered an apology , saying he was standing before the court “ as a man ready to take responsibility ” for mistakes he made as a child .
“ I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Officer Herrera for not only the killing of his K-9 partner Fang , but his best friend , ” Paskel said .
“ I want to apologize to the victims for scaring them that night .
And I owe my mother the biggest apology for letting her down.
” Paskel pleaded guilty in December to killing the police dog named Fang , along with possession of a gun by a juvenile delinquent and aggravated fleeing , according to court records show .
He also pleaded guilty to charges of the armed robbery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high-speed chase and the dog ’ s death .
Officer Matt Herrera described a 120-mph chase down Interstate 10 and how he released the dog to stop Paskel when the young man ran away .
Herrera said he heard his 3-year-old dog yelp after the first shot , before seeing Fang lifeless with head and chest wounds .
“ He ’ s still a member of my family and it wasn ’ t just sad for me ” or the department , the officer said .
“ It was my wife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and see that empty kennel in the backyard and know that there is no dog there , and to see the bloodstains in the truck that I had to clean up after he was killed.
” Paskel ’ s mother told the judge about her son ’ s learning disabilities , drug problems and her continuing efforts to help him .
Assistant State Attorney L.E .
Hutton played seven minutes of intense police radio traffic that included the shooting of Fang .
Hutton said Paskel killed Fang “ in cold blood.
” Paskel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15-year sentence with probation to follow .
But the plea agreement could give him 30 years for the robbery and kidnapping , and another five for the dog ’ s death .
The agreement allows a court review at 20 years if Paskel has exhibited good behavior .
The judge said he will sentence Paskel on Oct. 28 .

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A 19-year-old man who fatally shot a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office K-9 named Fang two years ago faces up to 35 years in prison when a judge sentences him next week.
During a two-hour hearing on Monday, the defense attorney for Jhamel Malik Paskel asked Circuit Judge Gilbert Feltel Jr. for leniency, the Florida Times-Union reported.
Paskel offered an apology, saying he was standing before the court “as a man ready to take responsibility” for mistakes he made as a child.
“I would like to offer my apologies and condolences to Officer Herrera for not only the killing of his K-9 partner Fang, but his best friend,” Paskel said. “I want to apologize to the victims for scaring them that night. And I owe my mother the biggest apology for letting her down.”
Paskel pleaded guilty in December to killing the police dog named Fang, along with possession of a gun by a juvenile delinquent and aggravated fleeing, according to court records show. He also pleaded guilty to charges of the armed robbery and kidnapping of two women that preceded a high-speed chase and the dog’s death.
Officer Matt Herrera described a 120-mph chase down Interstate 10 and how he released the dog to stop Paskel when the young man ran away. Herrera said he heard his 3-year-old dog yelp after the first shot, before seeing Fang lifeless with head and chest wounds.
“He’s still a member of my family and it wasn’t just sad for me” or the department, the officer said. “It was my wife, kids and parents … to go back and see that empty kennel in the backyard and know that there is no dog there, and to see the bloodstains in the truck that I had to clean up after he was killed.”
Paskel’s mother told the judge about her son’s learning disabilities, drug problems and her continuing efforts to help him.
Assistant State Attorney L.E. Hutton played seven minutes of intense police radio traffic that included the shooting of Fang. Hutton said Paskel killed Fang “in cold blood.”
Paskel’s defense attorney argued for a 15-year sentence with probation to follow. But the plea agreement could give him 30 years for the robbery and kidnapping, and another five for the dog’s death. The agreement allows a court review at 20 years if Paskel has exhibited good behavior.
The judge said he will sentence Paskel on Oct. 28.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Suits challenge emissions by Georgia sterilizing company

ATLANTA ( AP ) - Homeowners in Georgia have filed a lawsuit over emissions of a chemical used by a company that sterilizes medical equipment .
The Journal-Constitution reports that the attorney for the couple who filed the suit says it ’ s the first of many such cases .
The lawsuit was filed by Bridget and Andrew Kurt of Cobb County against Sterigenics .
It seeks damages for lost property value due to emissions of ethylene oxide , a toxic gas the company is legally authorized to use .
A federal report last year flagged the area for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been public criticism of the company , and the company has filed two lawsuits against Cobb County officials and tax assessors .
Assessors recently devalued over 5,000 residential properties in the area .
Eric Hertz , an attorney for the Kurts , said their claim is based on market value , not lowered tax assessments .
A spokesman for Sterigenics declined comment on the Kurts ’ lawsuit .
He noted a statement provided to the Journal-Constitution earlier this year saying the company was in full compliance with state and federal air regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many more potential plaintiffs and is prepared to file up to a thousand similar suits on behalf of property owners .

ATLANTA (AP) - Homeowners in Georgia have filed a lawsuit over emissions of a chemical used by a company that sterilizes medical equipment.
The Journal-Constitution reports that the attorney for the couple who filed the suit says it’s the first of many such cases.
The lawsuit was filed by Bridget and Andrew Kurt of Cobb County against Sterigenics. It seeks damages for lost property value due to emissions of ethylene oxide, a toxic gas the company is legally authorized to use.
A federal report last year flagged the area for an increased cancer risk.
Since then there has been public criticism of the company, and the company has filed two lawsuits against Cobb County officials and tax assessors.
Assessors recently devalued over 5,000 residential properties in the area.
Eric Hertz, an attorney for the Kurts, said their claim is based on market value, not lowered tax assessments.
A spokesman for Sterigenics declined comment on the Kurts’ lawsuit. He noted a statement provided to the Journal-Constitution earlier this year saying the company was in full compliance with state and federal air regulations.
Hertz said his law firm has many more potential plaintiffs and is prepared to file up to a thousand similar suits on behalf of property owners.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--3-vehicle crash near Kansas City, Kansas, closes I-435

LENEXA , Kan. ( AP ) - A three-vehicle crash on Interstate 435 in suburban Kansas City , Kansas , @ @ @ @ @ person and shut down parts of the area ’ s thoroughfare .
The crash happened @ @ @ @ @ authorities to shut down the southbound lanes of I-435 in Lenexa , officials said .
@ @ @ @ @ two semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle were involved in the crash .
The patrol had @ @ @ @ @ died in the crash , but later said the person was critically injured .
No @ @ @ @ @ - including the name of the person injured - were immediately available .
Southbound I-435 @ @ @ @ @ 87th Street , officials said .

LENEXA, Kan. (AP) - A three-vehicle crash on Interstate 435 in suburban Kansas City, Kansas, early Tuesday seriously injured one person and shut down parts of the area’s thoroughfare.
The crash happened around 4 a.m., leading authorities to shut down the southbound lanes of I-435 in Lenexa, officials said. The Kansas Highway Patrol said two semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle were involved in the crash. The patrol had initially reported that a person died in the crash, but later said the person was critically injured.
No other details of the crash - including the name of the person injured - were immediately available. Southbound I-435 traffic were being detoured at 87th Street, officials said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Charles Grassley probe into leaker of Michael Flynn-Russian phone calls hits

It has been one year since a court filing implied that a senior Pentagon official is the one who leaked to Washington Post ’ s David Ignatius that retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn spoke by phone to the Russian ambassador about economic sanctions .
The January 2017 column on highly classified intercepted communications became the reason for FBI agents to interview Flynn .
It ignited a media frenzy over the Trump-Russia probe just as the former Defense Intelligence Agency director assumed the national security adviser post for President Trump .
James H. Baker , the senior Pentagon official who runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , has now denied he was the source in a reply letter to Sen. Charles Grassley , Iowa Republican , a congressional source told The Washington Times .
Mr. Grassley , Finance Committee chairman , has been investigating ONA , particularly its financial ties to Stefan Halper .
He was the FBI ’ s main undercover agent in its probe of the Trump campaign and Russian election interference .
Focus on Mr. Baker as the leaker began when Sidney Powell , Flynn ’ s attorney , filed an October 2019 brief .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post Reporter David Ignatius , ” Ms. Powell said .
“ Baker is believed to be the person who illegally leaked the transcript of Flynn ’ s calls to Ignatius.
” Suspicion heightened in May when Judicial Watch , a conservative watchdog , obtained email threads that showed Mr. Baker maintained a friendly source relationship with Mr. Ignatius , whose columns focus on intelligence and foreign affairs .
In June , Mr. Grassley sent a letter asking Mr. Baker point-blank if he leaked .
Mr. Baker declined to comment publicly at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mr. Grassley , The Washington Times has learned .
A defense official told The Times there is no Justice Department probe of Mr. Baker : “ All ONA interactions with media members are conducted in accordance with DOD policy and ATSD/PA [ assistant to the secretary of defense , public affairs ] procedures .
The accusation of leaks of the Lt. Gen. ( Ret ) Flynn call stem from a note in the court filing by the defense team for Flynn , where they added a ‘ belief ’ of the source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DOJ have investigated Mr. Baker , nor given any credence to this ‘ belief.
’ Mr. Baker did not have access to NSA [ National Security Agency ] reporting regarding Flynn ’ s discussions with the Russian Ambassador , including the content of the calls , nor the transcript in question .
When queried by Senator Grassley in July , Mr. Baker notified him in writing that he did not speak to the Washington Post regarding Flynn-Kislyak.
” ONA has paid Mr. Halper over $ 1 million for various studies on Russia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Washington Times , Mr. Halper included a long list of renowned national security figures who contributed to the study .
The Times contacted a dozen of those listed .
They said they had made no contribution .
Mr. Grassley asked for a Defense Department inspector general ’ s report .
The IG reported back that Mr. Halper failed to document listed sources in either the study narrative or footnotes .
ONA failed to verify that he spoke to listed sources or visited places he said he did .
Social media posts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are linked to his FBI work , but there has been no evidence of this .
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agent Peter Strzok about whether he discussed President Obama ’ s sanctions imposed as punishment for Russian election interference .
The Ignatius column was important because Trump representatives denied sanctions were discussed and the FBI had the transcript that showed they were .
Flynn has now repudiated his guilty plea on grounds that he was entrapped .
Despite a court order , the FBI withheld favorable evidence , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any inappropriate Russian contacts in a Jan. 4 , 2017 FBI memo .
FBI agents also said they did not believe Flynn knowingly lied , their notes show .
The Justice Department moved to drop the entire case , but U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan is balking .

It has been one year since a court filing implied that a senior Pentagon official is the one who leaked to Washington Post’s David Ignatius that retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn spoke by phone to the Russian ambassador about economic sanctions.
The January 2017 column on highly classified intercepted communications became the reason for FBI agents to interview Flynn. It ignited a media frenzy over the Trump-Russia probe just as the former Defense Intelligence Agency director assumed the national security adviser post for President Trump.
James H. Baker, the senior Pentagon official who runs the Office of Net Assessment (ONA), has now denied he was the source in a reply letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, Iowa Republican, a congressional source told The Washington Times.
Mr. Grassley, Finance Committee chairman, has been investigating ONA, particularly its financial ties to Stefan Halper. He was the FBI’s main undercover agent in its probe of the Trump campaign and Russian election interference.
Focus on Mr. Baker as the leaker began when Sidney Powell, Flynn’s attorney, filed an October 2019 brief.
“ONA Director Baker regularly lunched with Washington Post Reporter David Ignatius,” Ms. Powell said. “Baker is believed to be the person who illegally leaked the transcript of Flynn’s calls to Ignatius.”
Suspicion heightened in May when Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog, obtained email threads that showed Mr. Baker maintained a friendly source relationship with Mr. Ignatius, whose columns focus on intelligence and foreign affairs.
In June, Mr. Grassley sent a letter asking Mr. Baker point-blank if he leaked.
Mr. Baker declined to comment publicly at the time but has issued a written denial to Mr. Grassley, The Washington Times has learned.
A defense official told The Times there is no Justice Department probe of Mr. Baker:
“All ONA interactions with media members are conducted in accordance with DOD policy and ATSD/PA [assistant to the secretary of defense, public affairs] procedures. The accusation of leaks of the Lt. Gen. (Ret) Flynn call stem from a note in the court filing by the defense team for Flynn, where they added a ‘belief’ of the source of information. The DoD nor the DOJ have investigated Mr. Baker, nor given any credence to this ‘belief.’ Mr. Baker did not have access to NSA [National Security Agency] reporting regarding Flynn’s discussions with the Russian Ambassador, including the content of the calls, nor the transcript in question. When queried by Senator Grassley in July, Mr. Baker notified him in writing that he did not speak to the Washington Post regarding Flynn-Kislyak.”
ONA has paid Mr. Halper over $1 million for various studies on Russia and China.
In one study obtained by The Washington Times, Mr. Halper included a long list of renowned national security figures who contributed to the study. The Times contacted a dozen of those listed. They said they had made no contribution.
Mr. Grassley asked for a Defense Department inspector general’s report. The IG reported back that Mr. Halper failed to document listed sources in either the study narrative or footnotes. ONA failed to verify that he spoke to listed sources or visited places he said he did.
Social media posts have speculated that Mr. Halper’s payments are linked to his FBI work, but there has been no evidence of this.
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agent Peter Strzok about whether he discussed President Obama’s sanctions imposed as punishment for Russian election interference.
The Ignatius column was important because Trump representatives denied sanctions were discussed and the FBI had the transcript that showed they were.
Flynn has now repudiated his guilty plea on grounds that he was entrapped. Despite a court order, the FBI withheld favorable evidence, such as the fact he was officially cleared of any inappropriate Russian contacts in a Jan. 4, 2017 FBI memo. FBI agents also said they did not believe Flynn knowingly lied, their notes show.
The Justice Department moved to drop the entire case, but U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan is balking.
• Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Stephen Neary, Marine Corps general, removed from Europe-Africa command over alleged racial slur

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps has removed a two-star general from command of Marine forces in Europe and Africa based @ @ @ @ @ that he used a racial slur during a training event , officials said Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ Gen. Stephen Neary of command of Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa , headquartered in @ @ @ @ @ the commandant of the Marine Corps , Gen. David Berger .
“ Neary was relieved @ @ @ @ @ trust and confidence in his ability to serve in command , ” the Marines said @ @ @ @ @ .
Neary had assumed command in July .
A Marine spokesman , Maj. Eric Flanagan @ @ @ @ @ acted on the basis of what had been determined in an official investigation of the @ @ @ @ @ a racial slur .
Details of those findings have not been disclosed .
The Stars @ @ @ @ @ this month that the Marines had confirmed they were investigating an allegation that Neary had @ @ @ @ @ Black people in the presence of other Marines .

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps has removed a two-star general from command of Marine forces in Europe and Africa based on an investigation into allegations that he used a racial slur during a training event, officials said Tuesday.
The decision to relieve Maj. Gen. Stephen Neary of command of Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, headquartered in Germany, was made by the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David Berger.
“Neary was relieved due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to serve in command,” the Marines said in a brief written statement. Neary had assumed command in July.
A Marine spokesman, Maj. Eric Flanagan, said separately that Berger acted on the basis of what had been determined in an official investigation of the allegation that Neary had used a racial slur. Details of those findings have not been disclosed.
The Stars and Strips newspaper reported earlier this month that the Marines had confirmed they were investigating an allegation that Neary had used a derogatory term for Black people in the presence of other Marines.


washingtontimes--2020-10-20--Pandemic World Series draws smallest crowd in over century

ARLINGTON , Texas ( AP ) - Julie and Lance Smith walked through the mostly empty concourse of Globe Life Field .
Tampa Bay infielder Joey Wendle is married to one of their cousins , and they weren ’ t going to miss his World Series debut .
“ It ’ s so weird , ” said Julie Smith , 38 , from Gadsden , Alabama .
“ It ’ s kind of nice in a way , too , ” Lance , 39 , said before they headed to their seats in the first deck behind home plate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignored the requirement for facial coverings except while eating or drinking at their ticketed seats .
A crowd of about 11,000 was expected for Tuesday night ’ s World Series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays , spread in groups of up to four , mostly in alternate rows and none directly behind each other among the forest green seats , That would be the smallest for a World Series game in about 111 years .
Major League Baseball planned to make about 11,500 tickets available for each game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity at the retractable-roof stadium of the Texas Rangers .
The new $ 1.2 billion venue opened this year and replaced Globe Life Field , the team ’ s open-air home from 1994 through 2019 .
During batting practice , through the new stadium ’ s glass walls , the sun glistened off the red brick of the old stadium across the street beyond left field , a field now used for high school football .
Behind home plate , the Dallas Cowboys ’ AT & T ; Stadium gleamed like a spaceship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , packed early with fans celebrating the dual accomplishments of their team making it to baseball ’ s ultimate stage and of their snagging hard-to-find tickets , usually displayed in plastic hanging from lanyard draped around their necks .
But this World Series had a surreal , at times somber aspect caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic .
The small crowd was supplemented with fan audio from stadium speakers .
No fans were allowed to any of the 898 regular-season games this season , which were played in empty ballparks due to governmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed starting for the 18 first-round games , the 15 Division Series games and the AL Championship Series between Tampa Bay and Houston in San Diego , with fans added for the Dodgers ’ matchup against Atlanta in the NL Championship Series in Arlington , an average of 10,835 for the seven games .
Roughly the same amount of tickets were sold for each World Series game .
Behind third base , a group of fans in Dodgers gear watched after flying in .
Brian Casey , a 29-year-old from Glendale , California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday night ’ s win over the Braves , knowing he had 24 hours to cancel without penalty , then made a decision after the Dodgers rallied for a 4-3 win .
He was in attendance when they last won the World Series in 1988 as a kid and was at Dodger Stadium when they played Boston in 2018 .
He watched Tuesday with Ryan Radenbaugh , 37 , from Burbank .
“ We just went to buy souvenirs and it was all Rangers stuff , ” Radenbaugh said .
Noah Garden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the pandemic made it difficult to get gear shipped in the short time after teams won pennants last weekend .
MLB made the decision to play with the roof open .
It was closed until the Dodgers started to warm up about 3 1/2 hours ahead of first pitch , then slid open as the public address system played Strauss ’ “ Also Sprach Zarasuthra , ” known to many as the opening music from Stanley Kubrick ’ s “ 2001 : A Space Odyssey.
” The usual pregame introductions of teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cappella group Pentatonix sang a recorded version of “ The Star-Spangled Banner ” played on the 58x150-foot video board in right field and the 40-x111-foot board in the left-field corner , about 18 Dodgers were in front of the first base dugout and on the right field line , and roughly a dozen Rays were by the third base dugout and on the left-field line .
A live flyover of four jets followed , and ceremonial first pitches were thrown by medical personnel who assisted during the pandemic : Brittney Burns , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Combs , an oncology and kidney transplant nurse at a Dallas hospital ; and Jamie Edens and Ryan Ward , nurses from Tulsa , Oklahoma , who are a married couple .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott , who was on hand , yelled “ Play Ball !
” into a microphone and retired Dodgers announcer Vin Scully delivered by video recording : “ It ’ s time for Dodger baseball !
” just before Clayton Kershaw walked to the mound .

ARLINGTON, Texas — Julie and Lance Smith walked through the mostly empty concourse of Globe Life Field.
Tampa Bay infielder Joey Wendle is married to one of their cousins, and they weren’t going to miss his World Series debut.
“It’s so weird,” said Julie Smith, 38, from Gadsden, Alabama.
“It’s kind of nice in a way, too,” Lance, 39, said before they headed to their seats in the first deck behind home plate.
They wore masks, but many fans ignored the requirement for facial coverings except while eating or drinking at their ticketed seats.
A crowd of 11,388 attended the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 8-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Tuesday night’s World Series opener, spread in groups of up to four, mostly in alternate rows and none directly behind each other among the forest green seats.
That was the smallest Series crowd since 10,535 attended Game 6 in 1909 between the Tigers and Pittsburgh at Detroit’s Bennett Park, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Major League Baseball planned to make about 28% available of the 40,518 capacity at the retractable-roof stadium of the Texas Rangers. The new $1.2 billion venue opened this year and replaced Globe Life Park, the team’s open-air home from 1994 through 2019. During batting practice, through the new stadium’s glass walls, the sun glistened off the red brick of the old stadium across the street beyond left field, a field now used for high school football.
Behind home plate, the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium gleamed like a spaceship.
World Series games are usually festive, packed early with fans celebrating the dual accomplishments of their team making it to baseball’s ultimate stage and of their snagging hard-to-find tickets, usually displayed in plastic hanging from lanyard draped around their necks.
But this World Series had a surreal, at times somber feel caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The small crowd was supplemented with fan audio from stadium speakers.
No fans were allowed into any of the 898 regular-season games this season, which were played in mostly empty ballparks due to governmental health restrictions.
Players’ families were allowed starting for the 18 first-round playoff games, the 15 Division Series games and the AL Championship Series between Tampa Bay and Houston in San Diego, with fans added for the Dodgers’ matchup against Atlanta in the NL Championship Series in Arlington, an average of 10,835 for the seven games. Roughly the same amount of tickets were sold for each World Series game.
Behind third base, a group of fans in Dodgers gear watched after flying in.
Brian Casey, a 29-year-old from Glendale, California, booked a plane ticket ahead of Sunday night’s win over the Braves, knowing he had 24 hours to cancel without penalty, then made a decision after the Dodgers rallied for a 4-3 win. He was in attendance when they last won the World Series in 1988 as a kid and was at Dodger Stadium when they played Boston in 2018. He watched Tuesday with Ryan Radenbaugh, 37, from Burbank.
“We just went to buy souvenirs and it was all Rangers stuff,” Radenbaugh said.
Noah Garden, MLB’s chief revenue officer, said the pandemic made it difficult to get gear shipped in the short time after teams won pennants last weekend.
MLB made the decision to play with the roof open. It was closed until the Dodgers started to warm up about 3 1/2 hours ahead of first pitch, then slid open as the public address system played Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarasuthra,” known to many as the opening music from Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
The usual pregame introductions of teams were dispensed with. When the a cappella group Pentatonix sang a recorded version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” played on the 58x150-foot video board in right field and the 40-x111-foot board in the left-field corner, about 18 Dodgers were in front of the first base dugout and on the right field line, and roughly a dozen Rays were by the third base dugout and on the left-field line.
A live flyover of four jets followed, and ceremonial first pitches were thrown by medical personnel who assisted during the pandemic: Brittney Burns, a nurse practitioner from San Antonio; Erika Combs, an oncology and kidney transplant nurse at a Dallas hospital; and Jamie Edens and Ryan Ward, nurses from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who are a married couple.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who was on hand, yelled “Play Ball!” into a microphone and retired Dodgers announcer Vin Scully delivered by video recording: “It’s time for Dodger baseball!” just before Clayton Kershaw walked to the mound.