washingtontimes--2020-10-11--New York Times targeted as GOP clamors for prosecution of Trump's tax leaker

A woman who , when she was an illegal immigrant , worked at one of President Trump ’ s golf courses says she paid more to the IRS than President Trump did , given what has now been reported about his finances .
Others point out that if what The New York Times wrote about Mr. Trump ’ s debt is true , then he may not even be the wealthiest candidate in the presidential race .
That might be Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden .
The newspaper said Mr. Trump , through use of tax breaks and write-offs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past 15 years .
In 2016 and 2017 , two years he did show a tax liability , it was just $ 750 each year .
“ I paid millions of dollars in taxes — millions of dollars of income tax , ” he said at last week ’ s presidential debate .
“ I paid $ 38 million one year .
I paid $ 27 million one year.
” Republicans on Capitol Hill say the fact that The Times has what it claims to be Mr. Trump ’ s tax data means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a felony crime was committed ” by someone who leaked the legally protected information .
‘ To ensure every American is protected against the illegal release of their tax returns for political reasons , I am calling for an investigation of the source and to prosecute if the law was broken , ” said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas , the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee , which oversees the IRS .
Budget watchdogs said the reports on Mr. Trump ’ s taxes should spur an overhaul of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal tactics the president may be using .
Late-night comics joked that Mr. Trump would try to sell off Air Force One or the Grand Canyon to cover his debts .
The word “ bombshell ” was frequently used to describe the reporting on Mr. Trump .
The Associated Press compared the revelations to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney ’ s “ 47 % ” gaffe in the 2012 campaign .
“ The image of a man flying around in private jets from one luxury property to another and paying less taxes than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifestyles could prompt a backlash , ” the news service speculated .
Yet little more than a week after the original story , the most striking aspect is how small of a ripple it has made .
In part that ’ s just the chaos of 2020 .
In that ensuing week , the candidates have faced off in their first debate , a battle over a vacant Supreme Court seat has begun — and , stunningly , Mr. Trump has contracted COVID-19 .
Publicly released polls that have been conducted in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to have tested the question .
That includes a pair of New York Times/ Siena College Research Institute surveys from Florida and Pennsylvania .
“ Americans aren ’ t so concerned about the president ’ s taxes , they ’ re concerned about their own , ” the House Ways and Means Committee Republicans said in a memo reviewing the week ’ s worth of Trump tax news .
Michael McKenna , a former Trump White House aide who now writes a column for The Washington Times , said there are only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Either Mr. Trump is a genius businessman who really is a billionaire , or he is a genius marketer who for years has fooled everyone into believing he is a billionaire .
“ Somebody who can understand and use the tax code to that extent must be A , pretty smart , and B , must have a lot of dollars passing through his company , ” Mr. McKenna said .
The reporting says Mr. Trump wrote off hundreds of millions of dollars in losses from operations such as his golf courses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expenses , including personal grooming , reducing his tax liabilities to Uncle Sam .
The reporting also says Mr. Trump has some $ 300 million in loans that come due over the next several years .
The New York Times has been somewhat cagey about what information it obtained .
In an editor ’ s note , the paper said it will not release the records it used in order to protect sources .
The paper does not claim Mr. Trump broke any laws , but others , citing the newspaper ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chair of Patriotic Millionaires , said Mr. Trump “ committed some amount of criminal tax evasion ” but acknowledged much of what he did was legal .
Mr. Pearl demanded that Congress step in and cancel those tax breaks .
The National Taxpayers Union Foundation , though , warned against “ knee-jerk legislative responses.
” “ Congress created the labyrinth that is our tax code , pushing specific deductions and credits to encourage various activities and opening the door to phone-book-sized tax returns .
IRS audits and New York investigations may ultimately determine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improper , ” Joe Bishop-Henchman wrote in an analysis for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation .
One thing the original newspaper report did not do was point to any previously unknown links between Mr. Trump and Russia .
Trump opponents had long speculated a reason he declined to publicize his tax returns , defying a precedent every major party nominee has followed for decades , is because it would show such ties .
Andrew Weissmann , who worked on the special counsel ’ s investigation into Mr. Trump and Russia , wondered on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are held by Russian interests .
Congressional Republicans pointed out that Mr. Trump releases a list of his creditors as part of his annual financial disclosure form , which , unlike his tax returns , is required by law .
“ This information is not hidden or secret , and it ’ s strange that some news outlets are sensationalizing these numbers , ” Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee said .

A woman who, when she was an illegal immigrant, worked at one of President Trump’s golf courses says she paid more to the IRS than President Trump did, given what has now been reported about his finances.
Others point out that if what The New York Times wrote about Mr. Trump’s debt is true, then he may not even be the wealthiest candidate in the presidential race. That might be Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden.
The newspaper said Mr. Trump, through use of tax breaks and write-offs, paid no income tax most of the past 15 years. In 2016 and 2017, two years he did show a tax liability, it was just $750 each year.
Mr. Trump says it’s all bunk.
“I paid millions of dollars in taxes — millions of dollars of income tax,” he said at last week’s presidential debate. “I paid $38 million one year. I paid $27 million one year.”
Republicans on Capitol Hill say the fact that The Times has what it claims to be Mr. Trump’s tax data means “there is a strong prospect that a felony crime was committed” by someone who leaked the legally protected information.
‘To ensure every American is protected against the illegal release of their tax returns for political reasons, I am calling for an investigation of the source and to prosecute if the law was broken,” said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees the IRS.
Budget watchdogs said the reports on Mr. Trump’s taxes should spur an overhaul of the tax code to stop the kinds of legal tactics the president may be using.
Late-night comics joked that Mr. Trump would try to sell off Air Force One or the Grand Canyon to cover his debts.
The word “bombshell” was frequently used to describe the reporting on Mr. Trump. The Associated Press compared the revelations to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s “47%” gaffe in the 2012 campaign.
“The image of a man flying around in private jets from one luxury property to another and paying less taxes than millions of Americans with far more modest lifestyles could prompt a backlash,” the news service speculated.
Yet little more than a week after the original story, the most striking aspect is how small of a ripple it has made.
In part that’s just the chaos of 2020. In that ensuing week, the candidates have faced off in their first debate, a battle over a vacant Supreme Court seat has begun — and, stunningly, Mr. Trump has contracted COVID-19.
Publicly released polls that have been conducted in the week since the revelations don’t appear to have tested the question. That includes a pair of New York Times/ Siena College Research Institute surveys from Florida and Pennsylvania.
“Americans aren’t so concerned about the president’s taxes, they’re concerned about their own,” the House Ways and Means Committee Republicans said in a memo reviewing the week’s worth of Trump tax news.
Michael McKenna, a former Trump White House aide who now writes a column for The Washington Times, said there are only two conclusions to draw from the reporting: Either Mr. Trump is a genius businessman who really is a billionaire, or he is a genius marketer who for years has fooled everyone into believing he is a billionaire.
“Somebody who can understand and use the tax code to that extent must be A, pretty smart, and B, must have a lot of dollars passing through his company,” Mr. McKenna said.
The reporting says Mr. Trump wrote off hundreds of millions of dollars in losses from operations such as his golf courses, and from what he deemed business expenses, including personal grooming, reducing his tax liabilities to Uncle Sam.
The reporting also says Mr. Trump has some $300 million in loans that come due over the next several years.
The New York Times has been somewhat cagey about what information it obtained. In an editor’s note, the paper said it will not release the records it used in order to protect sources.
The paper does not claim Mr. Trump broke any laws, but others, citing the newspaper’s data, do.
Morris Pearl, chair of Patriotic Millionaires, said Mr. Trump “committed some amount of criminal tax evasion” but acknowledged much of what he did was legal. Mr. Pearl demanded that Congress step in and cancel those tax breaks.
The National Taxpayers Union Foundation, though, warned against “knee-jerk legislative responses.”
“Congress created the labyrinth that is our tax code, pushing specific deductions and credits to encourage various activities and opening the door to phone-book-sized tax returns. IRS audits and New York investigations may ultimately determine some of these tax reductions to be improper,” Joe Bishop-Henchman wrote in an analysis for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation.
One thing the original newspaper report did not do was point to any previously unknown links between Mr. Trump and Russia. Trump opponents had long speculated a reason he declined to publicize his tax returns, defying a precedent every major party nominee has followed for decades, is because it would show such ties.
The lack of evidence didn’t stop speculation.
Andrew Weissmann, who worked on the special counsel’s investigation into Mr. Trump and Russia, wondered on Twitter whether Mr. Trump’s debts are held by Russian interests.
Congressional Republicans pointed out that Mr. Trump releases a list of his creditors as part of his annual financial disclosure form, which, unlike his tax returns, is required by law.
“This information is not hidden or secret, and it’s strange that some news outlets are sensationalizing these numbers,” Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--SKorea worries about missile shown in NKorea military parade

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - South Korea on Sunday urged North Korea to commit to its past disarmament pledges while expressing concerns over the North ’ s unveiling of a suspected new long-range missile during a military parade .
During celebrations marking the 75th birthday of its ruling party in Pyongyang on Saturday , North Korea paraded a variety of weapons systems , including two missiles that were disclosed for the first time to a foreign audience .
One is what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile that is larger than any of the North ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would likely be an upgraded version of a missile that can be fired from submarines .
While some experts say they could be mock-ups of missiles under development , their disclosures suggest North Korea has been continuously pushing to boost its weapons capability amid a stalemate in nuclear diplomacy with the United States .
South Korea ’ s Defense Ministry said Sunday it was expressing concerns about the fact that “ North Korea unveiled weapons including what was suspected to be a new long-range ballistic missile.
” A ministry statement demanded North Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lowering animosities .
South Korea ’ s Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement urging North Korea to return to talks to produce progress in its past commitment to achieving denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula .
After an emergency National Security Council meeting , council members in South Korea said they ’ ll continue to analyze the strategic significance of the North Korean weapons systems disclosed Saturday and review South Korea ’ s defense capabilities .
Ties between the Koreas remain strained amid the deadlocked nuclear diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned he would fully mobilize his nuclear force if threatened but avoided direct criticism of Washington .
The fact that Kim maintains his self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests indicates he still wants to keep chances for diplomacy with the U.S. alive .
But some experts say he ’ ll eventually carry out a major weapons test after the U.S. presidential election in November to boost his leverage in potential new negotiations with the U.S. , whoever wins the election .

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea on Sunday urged North Korea to commit to its past disarmament pledges while expressing concerns over the North’s unveiling of a suspected new long-range missile during a military parade.
During celebrations marking the 75th birthday of its ruling party in Pyongyang on Saturday, North Korea paraded a variety of weapons systems, including two missiles that were disclosed for the first time to a foreign audience. One is what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile that is larger than any of the North’s known ICBMs, and the other would likely be an upgraded version of a missile that can be fired from submarines.
While some experts say they could be mock-ups of missiles under development, their disclosures suggest North Korea has been continuously pushing to boost its weapons capability amid a stalemate in nuclear diplomacy with the United States.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Sunday it was expressing concerns about the fact that “North Korea unveiled weapons including what was suspected to be a new long-range ballistic missile.” A ministry statement demanded North Korea abide by 2018 inter-Korean deals aimed at lowering animosities.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement urging North Korea to return to talks to produce progress in its past commitment to achieving denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. After an emergency National Security Council meeting, council members in South Korea said they’ll continue to analyze the strategic significance of the North Korean weapons systems disclosed Saturday and review South Korea’s defense capabilities.
Ties between the Koreas remain strained amid the deadlocked nuclear diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington.
During a speech at the military parade, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned he would fully mobilize his nuclear force if threatened but avoided direct criticism of Washington.
The fact that Kim maintains his self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests indicates he still wants to keep chances for diplomacy with the U.S. alive. But some experts say he’ll eventually carry out a major weapons test after the U.S. presidential election in November to boost his leverage in potential new negotiations with the U.S., whoever wins the election.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--The Latest: Delta's remnants raise inland flood, storm risks

NEW ORLEANS ( AP ) - The Latest on Delta ( all times CDT ) : COLLEGE PARK , Md .
- Rain from post-tropical cyclone Delta is saturating states across the Deep South , Tennessee Valley and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States .
The Weather Prediction Center says in a 4 a.m. advisory that the once-major hurricane is expected to drop 3 to 6 inches ( 8 to 15 centimeters ) of rain on parts of Georgia , the Carolinas and Virginia .
Flash , urban and small stream flooding is forecast for those states , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in danger of moderate to major river flooding in the coming week .
The system is located early Sunday roughly 65 miles ( 105 kilometers ) east-northeast of Tupelo , Mississippi , and about 120 miles ( 190 kilometers ) south-southwest of Nashville , Tennessee .
Maximum sustained winds are around 30 mph ( 45 kph ) and expected to weaken over the next several hours .
Delta is forecast to dissipate over central Appalachian states by Sunday night .
Forecasters say a few brief tornadoes are possible in the Carolinas on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triggered heavy rainstorms in parts of the Southeast , prompting flash flood and tornado warnings in the Atlanta area and other parts of Georgia .
There were no immediate sightings of any confirmed tornadoes but fallen trees and other storm damage were reported .
WSB-TV reported one of the storms on Saturday heavily damaged a homeless shelter in Covington , east of Atlanta .
One of the station ’ s reporters visited the site and said the storm punched holes in the roof of the Rainbow Community Center .
The report said about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely and will be housed overnight in a nearby gymnasium .
Elsewhere , emergency officials said low-lying roads in parts of Atlanta and its suburbs were inundated by heavy rains and there were reports of downed trees .
BATON ROUGE , La .
- Gov .
John Bel Edwards spoke in Jennings after flying over the damage from Hurricane Delta .
He told southwest Louisiana residents on Saturday , a day after Delta ’ s landfall : “ We ’ re going to work as hard as we can as fast as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right side up again .
As if Hurricane Laura wasn ’ t enough.
” He added : “ We have tens of thousands of Louisianans today who are hurting , and we need to lift them up both in prayer , but also by our deeds.
” The governor says still no deaths have been reported from the storm .
But he continued to urge people to be cautious in their recovery work and in their use of generators .
Seven of the 32 deaths attributed to Laura came the day that hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from generators .
“ Laura was much more destructive in terms of the wind damage .
… but there was more water from this one , ” Edwards said .
MIAMI - The remnants of Hurricane Delta are now spreading rain and winds across parts of Mississippi , Arkansas and Alabama as the tropical depression heads inland .
The National Weather Service said Saturday afternoon that between 3 and 6 inches ( 7 and 15 centimeters ) of rain could fall in spots around the Southeast in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flash flooding and isolated minor river flooding .
Places in the forecast path of the storm include the Appalachian region of far northeast Georgia , the western Carolinas and western Virginia .
Forecasters say parts of northern Alabama and the Tennessee Valley into the MidAtlantic region could see between 1 and 3 inches of rain ( 2.5 and 7.6 centimeters ) of rainfall from the remnants .
Delta crashed ashore Friday evening in southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane and then began weakening quickly over land .
MIAMI - A handful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those encompassing the cities of Montgomery and Atlanta , are under a tornado watch until Saturday evening .
The National Weather Service said the watch was in place until 9 p.m. local time .
A tornado watch means weather conditions are favorable for tornadoes .
A warning means a tornado has been indicated or seen on a weather radar .
Delta stormed ashore late Friday as a Category 2 hurricane , but has weakened significantly since .
The center of the storm hit land at 6 p.m. Friday near Creole , Louisiana , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 155 kph ) .
Delta is the 10th named storm to hit the continental United State this year , breaking a century-old record .
MIAMI - A hurricane that swept ashore in Louisiana less than 24 hours ago has weakened to a tropical depression and is bringing heavy rain to western Mississippi .
The National Hurricane center says maximum sustained winds of what was once Hurricane Delta were clocked at 35 mph ( 55 kph ) at around 10 a.m. local time Saturday .
Delta was centered about 65 miles ( 105 kilometers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was moving northeast at 16 mph ( 26 kph ) .
Hurricane Delta made landfall as a Category 2 storm in southwestern Louisiana .
The center of the storm hit land at 6 p.m. Friday near Creole , with top winds of 100 mph ( 155 kph ) .
Delta is the 10th named storm to hit the continental United State this year , breaking a century-old record .
LAKE CHARLES , La .
- A Louisiana parish heavily hit by Hurricane Delta is experiencing rising waters from heavy rain .
Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early Saturday that vehicles were overturned on Interstate-10 westbound and said area residents who evacuated should not be in a rush to return .
He said the situation remains “ dangerous.
” Still , he said anyone who can not afford to be gone for more than several days can head back , but with caution .
He said people just need “ to use some good common sense.
” He said rising water is the biggest problem , and areas prone to flooding have been flooded .
MIAMI - Tropical Storm Delta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winds after dropping several inches of rain in the state .
Maximum sustained winds were at 40 mph ( 65 kph ) Saturday morning , according to the National Hurricane Center .
The system is expected to further weaken to a tropical depression later in the day .
Delta is centered about 45 miles ( 70 kilometers ) east of Monroe , Louisiana .
The storm is forecast to continue moving to the north-northeast over parts of Mississippi and into the Tennessee Valley through Sunday .
MIAMI - Wind speeds associated with Tropical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moves inland over Louisiana and Mississippi .
The National Hurricane Center says in its Saturday morning update that maximum sustained winds are at 45 mph ( 75 kph ) .
That ’ s down significantly from when the storm came ashore Friday evening as a Category 2 hurricane with top winds of 100 mph ( 155 kph ) .
All watches and warnings for Delta were discontinued in the 4 a.m. advisory .
Forecasters say the system will continue its path over northern Mississippi Saturday morning and into the Tennessee Valley throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for tornadoes remains Saturday for eastern Mississippi , Alabama , the Florida Panhandle , and western and central Georgia , forecasters said .
MIAMI - Delta has been downgraded from a once powerful hurricane to a tropical storm as it moves inland across the U.S. South .
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Delta came ashore Friday evening in southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane but quickly weakened and has become a tropical storm as it moves inland .
By Saturday morning , it had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the storm is moving to the north-northeast on a track across central and north Louisiana that is expected to continue through Saturday morning .
The system is expected to become a tropical depression later Saturday as it moves across northern Mississippi into the Tennessee Valley .
Power outages in Louisiana and neighboring Texas neared 600,000 homes and businesses early Saturday , according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us .
Almost 40,000 outages were reported in Mississippi .
Hurricane Delta is driving further inland as strong winds continue to hammer the southwest Louisiana coast .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delta was centered at 8 p.m. CDT about 20 miles ( 35 kilometers ) east-northeast of Lake Charles , the main city in the region .
Maximum sustained winds have dropped to 85 mph ( 140 kph ) and forecasters say Delta is expected to weaken to a tropical storm in coming hours as it heads deeper into the South .
The hurricane center warns heavy rainfall remains a threat in parts of Louisiana through Saturday as the storm crosses the state .
It says that could lead to major river flooding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the central Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley , according to the forecast .
LAKE CHARLES , La .
- The mayor of Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana says tarps that were put up to protect buildings damaged six weeks ago by Hurricane Laura are now flying off in Hurricane Delta ’ s strong winds .
Mayor Nic Hunter told The Associated Press tarps were being ripped away from rooftops .
He was hunkered down in a secure location in downtown Lake Charles .
“ Tarps are being blown off all throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone after Delta made landfall Friday evening as a Category 2 hurricane .
He added : “ I ’ m in a building right now with a tarp on it and just the sound of the tarp flapping on the building sounds like someone pounding with a sledge hammer on top of the building .
It ’ s pretty intense.
” He said piles of unsecured debris from Laura are also being tossed about in Delta ’ s high winds .
He said some of the debris was moving into the streets and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moves inland along Louisiana ’ s southwestern coast .
Delta made landfall as a Category 2 storm about 6 p.m. Friday near Creole , with top winds of 100 mph ( 155 km/h ) .
An hour later , its wind speed had dropped to 90 mph ( 145 km/h ) .
The storm was about 25 miles ( 40 kilometers ) west-southwest of the town of Jennings and moving north-northeast at 14 mph ( 22 km/h ) .
Delta blew ashore in an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laura , which caused at least 27 deaths in late August .
Hurricane Delta has made landfall as a Category 2 storm in southwestern Louisiana .
The center of the storm hit land at 6 p.m. Friday near Creole , with top winds of 100 mph ( 155 km/h ) .
Delta blew ashore in an area where devastation remains widely evident from Hurricane Laura , which caused at least 27 deaths in late August .
Piles of wreckage could go flying and many homes remain unrepaired , with only blue tarps on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another hurricane .
Delta is the 10th named storm to hit the continental United State this year , breaking a century-old record .
The above item has been updated to correct that Delta ’ s maximum winds were 100 mph at landfall .

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Latest on Delta (all times CDT):
5:50 p.m.
Louisiana officials have announced a second death from Hurricane Delta.
A 70-year-old woman in Iberia Parish died in a fire likely caused by a natural gas leak following damage from the storm, the state Department of Health said Sunday.
Gov. John Bel Edwards said earlier Sunday that an 86-year-old man from St. Martin Parish died in a fire that started after he refueled a power generator in a shed.
Delta made landfall Friday evening in southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane and then began weakening quickly over land.
It came weeks after Hurricane Laura battered the same region. Laura claimed 32 lives, though only seven of the deaths came the day that the hurricane struck. Many others were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from generators.
___
3:30 p.m.
BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana officials have announced a death from Hurricane Delta.
Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday an 86-year-old man from St. Martin Parish died in a fire that started after he refueled a power generator in a shed. The governor said it didn’t appear that the man had let the generator cool down before refueling it.
Earlier Sunday, officials in Florida said a 19-year-old tourist from Illinois drowned after being caught in a rip current unleashed by the remnants of Delta in the Gulf Coast.
Delta made landfall Friday evening in southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane and then began weakening quickly over land. It came weeks after Hurricane Laura battered the same region.
Laura claimed 32 lives, though only seven of the deaths came the day that the hurricane struck. Many others were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from generators.
11:15 a.m.
DESTIN, Fla. - A 19-year-old tourist from Illinois drowned and another swimmer was rescued after they were caught in a rip current unleashed by the remnants of Hurricane Delta in the Gulf Coast.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that witnesses went in to help the tourists in Destin, Florida, but also struggled with the rough waves before they were rescued by lifeguards.
Witnesses told the sheriff’s office that the pair of tourists got pulled out by a rip current Saturday and the young man was overtaken by waves.
The teenager, Dakota Pierce, was not breathing when pulled from the ocean and was later pronounced dead at an emergency room.
The other swimmer, a 22-year-old Illinois man, was rescued and taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.
Delta made landfall Friday evening in southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane and then began weakening quickly over land.
___
11:30 a.m.
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Nearly 370,000 customers in Louisiana are without power because of Hurricane Delta.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission on Sunday released its latest outage figures from the storm. In hard hit Cameron Parish, nearly three-quarters of customers don’t have power.
Utility trucks could be seen driving westward along I-10 in the early morning hours, as crews worked to restore electricity.
Gov. John Bel Edwards was scheduled to provide an update on the storm’s impacts later in the day before meeting with officials in Allen and Evangeline parishes.
Delta stormed ashore Friday evening in southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane and then began weakening quickly over land.
4 a.m.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Rain from post-tropical cyclone Delta is saturating states across the Deep South, Tennessee Valley and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.
The Weather Prediction Center says in a 4 a.m. advisory that the once-major hurricane is expected to drop 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain on parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia. Flash, urban and small stream flooding is forecast for those states, with the Calcasieu and Vermillion river basins in Louisiana in danger of moderate to major river flooding in the coming week.
The system is located early Sunday roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) east-northeast of Tupelo, Mississippi, and about 120 miles (190 kilometers) south-southwest of Nashville, Tennessee.
Maximum sustained winds are around 30 mph (45 kph) and expected to weaken over the next several hours. Delta is forecast to dissipate over central Appalachian states by Sunday night.
Forecasters say a few brief tornadoes are possible in the Carolinas on Sunday.
___
9 p.m.
ATLANTA - Remnants of Delta have triggered heavy rainstorms in parts of the Southeast, prompting flash flood and tornado warnings in the Atlanta area and other parts of Georgia. There were no immediate sightings of any confirmed tornadoes but fallen trees and other storm damage were reported.
WSB-TV reported one of the storms on Saturday heavily damaged a homeless shelter in Covington, east of Atlanta. One of the station’s reporters visited the site and said the storm punched holes in the roof of the Rainbow Community Center. The report said about 20 men eating dinner inside got out safely and will be housed overnight in a nearby gymnasium.
Elsewhere, emergency officials said low-lying roads in parts of Atlanta and its suburbs were inundated by heavy rains and there were reports of downed trees.
—
4:45 p.m.
BATON ROUGE, La. - Gov. John Bel Edwards spoke in Jennings after flying over the damage from Hurricane Delta.
He told southwest Louisiana residents on Saturday, a day after Delta’s landfall: “We’re going to work as hard as we can as fast as we can to get everybody’s lives right side up again. As if Hurricane Laura wasn’t enough.”
He added: “We have tens of thousands of Louisianans today who are hurting, and we need to lift them up both in prayer, but also by our deeds.”
The governor says still no deaths have been reported from the storm. But he continued to urge people to be cautious in their recovery work and in their use of generators.
Seven of the 32 deaths attributed to Laura came the day that hurricane struck weeks ago. But many others were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from generators.
“Laura was much more destructive in terms of the wind damage. … but there was more water from this one,” Edwards said.
—
3:45 pm.
MIAMI - The remnants of Hurricane Delta are now spreading rain and winds across parts of Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama as the tropical depression heads inland.
The National Weather Service said Saturday afternoon that between 3 and 6 inches (7 and 15 centimeters) of rain could fall in spots around the Southeast in coming hours, raising the risk of flash flooding and isolated minor river flooding.
Places in the forecast path of the storm include the Appalachian region of far northeast Georgia, the western Carolinas and western Virginia. Forecasters say parts of northern Alabama and the Tennessee Valley into the MidAtlantic region could see between 1 and 3 inches of rain (2.5 and 7.6 centimeters) of rainfall from the remnants.
Delta crashed ashore Friday evening in southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane and then began weakening quickly over land.
—
1 p.m.
MIAMI - A handful of counties in Alabama and Georgia, including those encompassing the cities of Montgomery and Atlanta, are under a tornado watch until Saturday evening.
The National Weather Service said the watch was in place until 9 p.m. local time. A tornado watch means weather conditions are favorable for tornadoes. A warning means a tornado has been indicated or seen on a weather radar.
Delta stormed ashore late Friday as a Category 2 hurricane, but has weakened significantly since. The center of the storm hit land at 6 p.m. Friday near Creole, Louisiana, with top winds of 100 mph (155 kph).
Delta is the 10th named storm to hit the continental United State this year, breaking a century-old record.
___
10 a.m.
MIAMI - A hurricane that swept ashore in Louisiana less than 24 hours ago has weakened to a tropical depression and is bringing heavy rain to western Mississippi.
The National Hurricane center says maximum sustained winds of what was once Hurricane Delta were clocked at 35 mph (55 kph) at around 10 a.m. local time Saturday.
Delta was centered about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north-northwest of Jackson, Mississippi, and was moving northeast at 16 mph (26 kph).
Hurricane Delta made landfall as a Category 2 storm in southwestern Louisiana. The center of the storm hit land at 6 p.m. Friday near Creole, with top winds of 100 mph (155 kph).
Delta is the 10th named storm to hit the continental United State this year, breaking a century-old record.
___
7:10 a.m.
LAKE CHARLES, La. - A Louisiana parish heavily hit by Hurricane Delta is experiencing rising waters from heavy rain.
Sheriff Tony Mancuso of Calcasieu Parish told KPLC-TV early Saturday that vehicles were overturned on Interstate-10 westbound and said area residents who evacuated should not be in a rush to return.
He said the situation remains “dangerous.”
Still, he said anyone who cannot afford to be gone for more than several days can head back, but with caution. He said people just need “to use some good common sense.”
He said rising water is the biggest problem, and areas prone to flooding have been flooded.
—
7 a.m.
MIAMI - Tropical Storm Delta is sliding over northern Louisiana with weakening winds after dropping several inches of rain in the state.
Maximum sustained winds were at 40 mph (65 kph) Saturday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system is expected to further weaken to a tropical depression later in the day.
Delta is centered about 45 miles (70 kilometers) east of Monroe, Louisiana. The storm is forecast to continue moving to the north-northeast over parts of Mississippi and into the Tennessee Valley through Sunday.
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3:50 a.m.
MIAMI - Wind speeds associated with Tropical Storm Delta are decreasing as the system moves inland over Louisiana and Mississippi.
The National Hurricane Center says in its Saturday morning update that maximum sustained winds are at 45 mph (75 kph). That’s down significantly from when the storm came ashore Friday evening as a Category 2 hurricane with top winds of 100 mph (155 kph).
All watches and warnings for Delta were discontinued in the 4 a.m. advisory. Forecasters say the system will continue its path over northern Mississippi Saturday morning and into the Tennessee Valley throughout the rest of the weekend.
The threat for tornadoes remains Saturday for eastern Mississippi, Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and western and central Georgia, forecasters said.
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1 a.m.
MIAMI - Delta has been downgraded from a once powerful hurricane to a tropical storm as it moves inland across the U.S. South.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Delta came ashore Friday evening in southwest Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane but quickly weakened and has become a tropical storm as it moves inland. By Saturday morning, it had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).
Forecasters say the storm is moving to the north-northeast on a track across central and north Louisiana that is expected to continue through Saturday morning.
The system is expected to become a tropical depression later Saturday as it moves across northern Mississippi into the Tennessee Valley.
Power outages in Louisiana and neighboring Texas neared 600,000 homes and businesses early Saturday, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us. Almost 40,000 outages were reported in Mississippi.
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8:15 p.m.
Hurricane Delta is driving further inland as strong winds continue to hammer the southwest Louisiana coast.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Delta was centered at 8 p.m. CDT about 20 miles (35 kilometers) east-northeast of Lake Charles, the main city in the region. Maximum sustained winds have dropped to 85 mph (140 kph) and forecasters say Delta is expected to weaken to a tropical storm in coming hours as it heads deeper into the South.
The hurricane center warns heavy rainfall remains a threat in parts of Louisiana through Saturday as the storm crosses the state. It says that could lead to major river flooding. Additional flooding is possible elsewhere this weekend around the central Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley, according to the forecast.
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7:50 p.m.
LAKE CHARLES, La. - The mayor of Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana says tarps that were put up to protect buildings damaged six weeks ago by Hurricane Laura are now flying off in Hurricane Delta’s strong winds.
Mayor Nic Hunter told The Associated Press tarps were being ripped away from rooftops. He was hunkered down in a secure location in downtown Lake Charles.
“Tarps are being blown off all throughout the city,” Hunter said by phone after Delta made landfall Friday evening as a Category 2 hurricane.
He added: “I’m in a building right now with a tarp on it and just the sound of the tarp flapping on the building sounds like someone pounding with a sledge hammer on top of the building. It’s pretty intense.”
He said piles of unsecured debris from Laura are also being tossed about in Delta’s high winds. He said some of the debris was moving into the streets and floating in water.
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7 p.m.
Hurricane Delta has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moves inland along Louisiana’s southwestern coast.
Delta made landfall as a Category 2 storm about 6 p.m. Friday near Creole, with top winds of 100 mph (155 km/h). An hour later, its wind speed had dropped to 90 mph (145 km/h).
The storm was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west-southwest of the town of Jennings and moving north-northeast at 14 mph (22 km/h).
Delta blew ashore in an area where devastation remains widely evident from Hurricane Laura, which caused at least 27 deaths in late August.
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6 p.m.
Hurricane Delta has made landfall as a Category 2 storm in southwestern Louisiana.
The center of the storm hit land at 6 p.m. Friday near Creole, with top winds of 100 mph (155 km/h).
Delta blew ashore in an area where devastation remains widely evident from Hurricane Laura, which caused at least 27 deaths in late August. Piles of wreckage could go flying and many homes remain unrepaired, with only blue tarps on rooftops to withstand the fury of yet another hurricane.
Delta is the 10th named storm to hit the continental United State this year, breaking a century-old record.
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The above item has been updated to correct that Delta’s maximum winds were 100 mph at landfall.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Hunter Biden probe report reveals Democrats sabotage efforts

The Senate Republicans ’ explosive report on Hunter Biden ’ s oligarch-linked finances includes a side narrative on how Democrats , the senators say , tried to sabotage the investigation and protect Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden .
The report , headed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson of Wisconsin , tells of intrigue and backbiting as they fought Democratic heavyweights in both chambers .
They say the Democrats concocted a story about a Ukrainian operative and then fed it to friendly “ liberal press outlets.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Department official , the Democrats inserted into the record information from pro-Russia Ukrainian politician Andrii Derkach , who the U.S. says distributes anti-Biden disinformation .
They then told the press that the inserts were proof that Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson were conspiring with a Russian propagandist .
The Sept. 23 Republican report says the senators never communicated with Mr. Derkach .
It sums up the opposition ’ s complicated media strategy : “ Democrats laundered their unclassified speculation through classified analysis of intelligence reporting to fabricate a veneer of credibility in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public scrutiny .
Those false claims were then leaked to friendly media outlets , which reported them as fact.
” Sen. Gary C. Peters of Michigan , the top Democrat on the homeland security panel , released a counterreport that did not back off the Russia angle .
He said Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson were lodging the same conflict of interest allegations against Hunter Biden that Russian disinformation specialists were throwing at presidential candidate Biden .
“ In promoting these allegations , the Chairmen have provided a successful platform for the foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Derkach , ” Mr. Peters wrote .
“ The Russian-backed propaganda of Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach is central to the Chairmen ’ s claims.
” Mr. Peters added , “ Mr .
Derkach attended the Dzerzhinsky Higher School of the KGB in Moscow and his father served as a KGB officer for decades before becoming head of independent Ukraine ’ s intelligence service in the late 1990s.
” The Dzerzhinsky school is the former name of Moscow ’ s current federal security academy .
Mr. Peters also said the Republican chairmen violated Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data .
“ The Republican Chairmen ’ s use of confidential Treasury documents to justify its unsubstantiated allegations and personal attacks against Vice President Biden ’ s family is grossly irresponsible , ” the minority report said .
“ The information in the documents cited by the Republicans has not been verified , and we are not aware of any other Congressional committee ever releasing this sort of information in this manner.
” Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson say their point is that they never spoke with the Ukrainian .
They depict themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and news media to release a documented report on how Hunter Biden “ cashed in ” on his father ’ s vice presidency .
As a lawyer and investor , Hunter Biden took in millions of dollars in consulting fees from a Russian oligarch , a corrupt Ukrainian energy magnate and wealthy Chinese investors tied to the Communist Party , according to Treasury Department documents .
Treasury reports also said Hunter Biden sent thousands of dollars to Ukrainian and Russian women linked to prostitution and human trafficking .
The Republicans ’ report spends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squabble .
In November 2019 , they requested that the Treasury Department ’ s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ( FinCEN ) provide any suspicious activity reports on Hunter Biden , the Ukrainian firm Burisma Holdings where he was a board member ; and other entities .
The suspicious activity reports paper trail showed , for example , that Hunter Biden received one wire transfer of $ 3.5 million from an oligarch whom the U.S. government views as corrupt and closely tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin .
The money arrived the same month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unleashed his invasion of Ukraine ’ s Crimea .
“ SARs often contain evidence of potential criminal activities , such as money laundering and fraud , and at the time , there was no evidence that SARs existed for the individuals mentioned in the request , ” the Republicans said .
They said they did not release the letter publicly because of its sensitivity , but a copy showed up a week later in a Reuters story .
It did not contain a Treasury stamp , meaning the letter likely came from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the homeland security panel began telling reporters that Treasury was producing documents about Hunter Biden .
Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said the evidence was of “ questionable origin.
” As a backdrop , the two Republican senators tell of episodes in which Mr. Wyden conducted a Democratic investigation and did not share material with the majority .
In addition , Mr. Wyden ’ s staff tried to tip off a State Department official about the contents of another person ’ s transcribed interview .
“ The Chairmen ’ s staff immediately interceded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that such a disclosure would negatively affect the integrity of the investigation , ” the Republican report said .
Meanwhile , House Democrats got into the Senate mix .
They requested the same State Department documents provided to Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson .
The Democrats ’ big guns acted in July .
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York , Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California , chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the target of a foreign disinformation campaign .
The letter ’ s targets were Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson and their joint Biden probe .
A classified attachment contained Democrats ’ speculation that the chairmen may have received information from the Ukrainian Mr. Derkach , whom Treasury would later sanction .
The Derkach angle was quickly leaked to news media .
An article appeared in Politico that said , “ Packets Sent to Trump allies are Part of Foreign Plot to Damage Biden.
” Republicans say the spun-up leak was false and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Derkach .
The FBI counterintelligence officials told the committee that there was no reason not to continue the investigation .
One story Mr. Derkach was peddling was that Burisma made payments to Joseph Biden through Hunter ’ s investment firm , Rosemont Seneca Partners .
The two Republican senators said , “ This claim about direct payments made to Joe Biden is not evaluated in the Committees ’ report of investigation , nor has it ever been cited as a predicate for any of the Committees ’ information requests.
” Democrats were able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a document into the record during an interview with State Department official George Kent .
Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson argued : “ Thus , the Ranking member introduced disinformation into the record , not the chairman .
The Democrats ’ July 13 , 2020 letter relied on foreign disinformation to create a false and harmful innuendo about the Chairmen ’ s oversight work .
That innuendo was then wrapped in a classified attachment in an apparent effort to fabricate a veneer of credibility and shield their analysis from public scrutiny before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported their speculation as fact.
” The Democratic media campaign was not confined to Politico .
MSNBC also carried Republican-Derkach stories .
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post that said Mr. Johnson “ is moving ahead with an investigation into presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s family using documents provided to the senator by the son of a former KGB officer.
” “ Together , these networks of Democratic offices and liberal press outlets have worked to weave fact with fiction in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and discredit the Chairmen ’ s investigation and its eventual findings , ” the Republican report said .
Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson threw allegations back at Mr. Blumenthal and a Democratic colleague , Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland .
The Republicans said that “ for years the senators peddled and pushed the now-debunked Russian collusion narrative and used the ‘ Steele dossier ’ — a Democrat bought-and-paid-for document filled with Russian disinformation — to do so.
” “ Yet Democrats had no qualms about disseminating information from the dossier far and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the Congressional Record , and using its allegations as the basis for years of investigations and false claims against the Trump administration , ” the Republicans said .

The Senate Republicans’ explosive report on Hunter Biden’s oligarch-linked finances includes a side narrative on how Democrats, the senators say, tried to sabotage the investigation and protect Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden.
The report, headed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, tells of intrigue and backbiting as they fought Democratic heavyweights in both chambers.
They say the Democrats concocted a story about a Ukrainian operative and then fed it to friendly “liberal press outlets.”
During a staff interview with a State Department official, the Democrats inserted into the record information from pro-Russia Ukrainian politician Andrii Derkach, who the U.S. says distributes anti-Biden disinformation. They then told the press that the inserts were proof that Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson were conspiring with a Russian propagandist.
The Sept. 23 Republican report says the senators never communicated with Mr. Derkach. It sums up the opposition’s complicated media strategy: “Democrats laundered their unclassified speculation through classified analysis of intelligence reporting to fabricate a veneer of credibility in an effort to shield their claims from public scrutiny. Those false claims were then leaked to friendly media outlets, which reported them as fact.”
Sen. Gary C. Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the homeland security panel, released a counterreport that did not back off the Russia angle. He said Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson were lodging the same conflict of interest allegations against Hunter Biden that Russian disinformation specialists were throwing at presidential candidate Biden.
“In promoting these allegations, the Chairmen have provided a successful platform for the foreign disinformation campaign of known Russian agent Andrii Derkach,” Mr. Peters wrote. “The Russian-backed propaganda of Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach is central to the Chairmen’s claims.”
Mr. Peters added, “Mr. Derkach attended the Dzerzhinsky Higher School of the KGB in Moscow and his father served as a KGB officer for decades before becoming head of independent Ukraine’s intelligence service in the late 1990s.”
The Dzerzhinsky school is the former name of Moscow’s current federal security academy.
Mr. Peters also said the Republican chairmen violated Treasury Department guidelines by publishing confidential wire transfer data.
“The Republican Chairmen’s use of confidential Treasury documents to justify its unsubstantiated allegations and personal attacks against Vice President Biden’s family is grossly irresponsible,” the minority report said. “The information in the documents cited by the Republicans has not been verified, and we are not aware of any other Congressional committee ever releasing this sort of information in this manner.”
Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson say their point is that they never spoke with the Ukrainian. They depict themselves as fighting through an alliance between Democrats and news media to release a documented report on how Hunter Biden “cashed in” on his father’s vice presidency.
As a lawyer and investor, Hunter Biden took in millions of dollars in consulting fees from a Russian oligarch, a corrupt Ukrainian energy magnate and wealthy Chinese investors tied to the Communist Party, according to Treasury Department documents.
Treasury reports also said Hunter Biden sent thousands of dollars to Ukrainian and Russian women linked to prostitution and human trafficking.
The Republicans’ report spends a separate section on the internal party squabble. In November 2019, they requested that the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) provide any suspicious activity reports on Hunter Biden, the Ukrainian firm Burisma Holdings where he was a board member; and other entities.
The suspicious activity reports paper trail showed, for example, that Hunter Biden received one wire transfer of $3.5 million from an oligarch whom the U.S. government views as corrupt and closely tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The money arrived the same month, February 2014, that Mr. Putin unleashed his invasion of Ukraine’s Crimea.
“SARs often contain evidence of potential criminal activities, such as money laundering and fraud, and at the time, there was no evidence that SARs existed for the individuals mentioned in the request,” the Republicans said.
They said they did not release the letter publicly because of its sensitivity, but a copy showed up a week later in a Reuters story. It did not contain a Treasury stamp, meaning the letter likely came from the Senate.
In February, Democrats on the homeland security panel began telling reporters that Treasury was producing documents about Hunter Biden. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said the evidence was of “questionable origin.”
As a backdrop, the two Republican senators tell of episodes in which Mr. Wyden conducted a Democratic investigation and did not share material with the majority. In addition, Mr. Wyden’s staff tried to tip off a State Department official about the contents of another person’s transcribed interview.
“The Chairmen’s staff immediately interceded to stop the communication and made clear that such a disclosure would negatively affect the integrity of the investigation,” the Republican report said.
Meanwhile, House Democrats got into the Senate mix. They requested the same State Department documents provided to Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson.
The Democrats’ big guns acted in July. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote to the FBI that Congress was the target of a foreign disinformation campaign.
The letter’s targets were Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson and their joint Biden probe. A classified attachment contained Democrats’ speculation that the chairmen may have received information from the Ukrainian Mr. Derkach, whom Treasury would later sanction. The Derkach angle was quickly leaked to news media.
An article appeared in Politico that said, “Packets Sent to Trump allies are Part of Foreign Plot to Damage Biden.”
Republicans say the spun-up leak was false and they had never received information from Mr. Derkach. The FBI counterintelligence officials told the committee that there was no reason not to continue the investigation.
One story Mr. Derkach was peddling was that Burisma made payments to Joseph Biden through Hunter’s investment firm, Rosemont Seneca Partners.
The two Republican senators said, “This claim about direct payments made to Joe Biden is not evaluated in the Committees’ report of investigation, nor has it ever been cited as a predicate for any of the Committees’ information requests.”
Democrats were able to insert Mr. Derkach’s name and a document into the record during an interview with State Department official George Kent.
Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson argued: “Thus, the Ranking member introduced disinformation into the record, not the chairman. The Democrats’ July 13, 2020 letter relied on foreign disinformation to create a false and harmful innuendo about the Chairmen’s oversight work. That innuendo was then wrapped in a classified attachment in an apparent effort to fabricate a veneer of credibility and shield their analysis from public scrutiny before being disseminated to news media, which reported their speculation as fact.”
The Democratic media campaign was not confined to Politico. MSNBC also carried Republican-Derkach stories.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post that said Mr. Johnson “is moving ahead with an investigation into presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s family using documents provided to the senator by the son of a former KGB officer.”
Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson called Mr. Blumenthal’s claims “baseless.”
“Together, these networks of Democratic offices and liberal press outlets have worked to weave fact with fiction in order to construct a false narrative designed to undercut and discredit the Chairmen’s investigation and its eventual findings,” the Republican report said.
Mr. Grassley and Mr. Johnson threw allegations back at Mr. Blumenthal and a Democratic colleague, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
The Republicans said that “for years the senators peddled and pushed the now-debunked Russian collusion narrative and used the ‘Steele dossier’ — a Democrat bought-and-paid-for document filled with Russian disinformation — to do so.”
“Yet Democrats had no qualms about disseminating information from the dossier far and wide, reading parts of the dossier into the Congressional Record, and using its allegations as the basis for years of investigations and false claims against the Trump administration,” the Republicans said.
• Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Black man who police led by rope sues Texas city for $1M

GALVESTON , Texas ( AP ) - A Black man who was led by a rope by two white officers on horseback has sued a southeast Texas city and its police department for $ 1 million , saying he suffered humiliation and fear during his arrest .
A lawsuit filed last week in Galveston County district court on behalf of Donald Neely , 44 , alleged the officers ’ conduct was “ extreme and outrageous , ” both physically injuring Neely and causing him emotional distress , news outlets reported , citing the court documents .
Photos of the August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officers on a rope linked to handcuffs - reminiscent of pictures showing slaves in chains .
Neely , who was homeless at the time , was sleeping on a sidewalk when he was arrested for criminal trespass and led around the block to a mounted patrol staging area .
In body-camera video , one officer could be heard twice saying that leading Neely by rope down city streets would look “ bad.
” The lawsuit accused the city and the department of negligence , and stated that the officers should have known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led on the rope “ as though he was a slave.
” “ Neely felt as though he was put on display as slaves once were , ” the lawsuit stated .
In a statement at the time , Police Chief Vernon Hale called the tactic a “ trained technique and best practice in some scenarios.
” However , he said he believed his officers “ showed poor judgment , ” adding that the department since changed its policy to prevent use of the technique .
A Texas Rangers investigation determined the officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neely ’ s criminal trespass charge was dismissed in court .
His lawsuit also alleges malicious prosecution connected to the charge .
City officials declined to comment on the lawsuit to news outlets .

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) - A Black man who was led by a rope by two white officers on horseback has sued a southeast Texas city and its police department for $1 million, saying he suffered humiliation and fear during his arrest.
A lawsuit filed last week in Galveston County district court on behalf of Donald Neely, 44, alleged the officers’ conduct was “extreme and outrageous,” both physically injuring Neely and causing him emotional distress, news outlets reported, citing the court documents.
Photos of the August 2019 encounter showed Neely being led by the officers on a rope linked to handcuffs - reminiscent of pictures showing slaves in chains.
Neely, who was homeless at the time, was sleeping on a sidewalk when he was arrested for criminal trespass and led around the block to a mounted patrol staging area. In body-camera video, one officer could be heard twice saying that leading Neely by rope down city streets would look “bad.”
The lawsuit accused the city and the department of negligence, and stated that the officers should have known Neely would consider it offensive to be led on the rope “as though he was a slave.”
“Neely felt as though he was put on display as slaves once were,” the lawsuit stated.
In a statement at the time, Police Chief Vernon Hale called the tactic a “trained technique and best practice in some scenarios.” However, he said he believed his officers “showed poor judgment,” adding that the department since changed its policy to prevent use of the technique.
A Texas Rangers investigation determined the officers didn’t break the law. Neely’s criminal trespass charge was dismissed in court. His lawsuit also alleges malicious prosecution connected to the charge.
City officials declined to comment on the lawsuit to news outlets.
A status conference was set for January.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Child injured in fall from 3rd-floor apartment window

TAKOMA PARK , Md .
( AP ) - A 2-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries in a fall from the @ @ @ @ @ apartment building on Sunday , authorities said .
The Washington Post reports that the toddler @ @ @ @ @ after falling between 30 and 40 feet around 1:30 p.m. at a residential complex in @ @ @ @ @ of Washington , D.C. Takoma Park police said the child was in critical condition and @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
Pete Piringer , a spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service @ @ @ @ @ screen on the ground and an open window above in the building .

TAKOMA PARK, Md. (AP) - A 2-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries in a fall from the third-floor window of a Maryland apartment building on Sunday, authorities said.
The Washington Post reports that the toddler was taken to a hospital after falling between 30 and 40 feet around 1:30 p.m. at a residential complex in Takoma Park, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Takoma Park police said the child was in critical condition and that the fall is under investigation.
Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, said authorities found a screen on the ground and an open window above in the building.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--NY attorney general probes death of woman hit by police car

NEW YORK ( AP ) - New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Sunday that her office is investigating the @ @ @ @ @ who was struck by a police car rushing to a call in the Bronx .
@ @ @ @ @ s Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit is looking into the crash that killed Sofia Gomez @ @ @ @ @ three days after a New York Police Department vehicle struck her Monday afternoon in an @ @ @ @ @ Police said the marked patrol car had its flashing lights and siren on as it @ @ @ @ @ s call for backup at a traffic stop on the Throgs Neck Bridge .
The @ @ @ @ @ investigate cases where a police officer causes the death of an unarmed civilian , and @ @ @ @

NEW YORK (AP) - New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Sunday that her office is investigating the death of a 20-year-old woman who was struck by a police car rushing to a call in the Bronx.
James said her office’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit is looking into the crash that killed Sofia Gomez last week. Gomez died three days after a New York Police Department vehicle struck her Monday afternoon in an intersection near her home.
Police said the marked patrol car had its flashing lights and siren on as it responded to another officer’s call for backup at a traffic stop on the Throgs Neck Bridge.
The attorney general is authorized to investigate cases where a police officer causes the death of an unarmed civilian, and prosecute if warranted.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Missouri blames database error on website for COVID-19 spike

JEFFERSON CITY , Mo .
( AP ) - A “ database extract error ” resulted in an incorrect inflation of the number of reported COVID-19 cases in Missouri going back over several days , Missouri health officials said Sunday .
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a news release that it is in the process of migrating all COVID-19 testing and case data into one new consolidated system .
The state launched a new version of its coronavirus dashboard on Sept. 28 to integrate pandemic response across public health , economic , employment and social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its coronavirus website more than 5,000 new COVID-19 cases , more than double the previous single-day record .
The agency said Sunday it is working urgently to resolve the issue and will update its website with the correct numbers once that is done .
It said the problems with the data were limited to cumulative reporting on its Show Me Strong Covid-19 Public Health Dashboard .
The revised coronavirus numbers for Missouri are pending .
“ When this issue was initially raised Saturday morning , the dashboard team began working through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working through the weekend to correct the underlying issue , ” said Dr. Randall Williams , the agency ’ s director .
“ Missourians should feel confident that we appreciate their feedback and continue to adapt our processes to ensure effective and accountable reporting to our citizens .
”

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A “database extract error” resulted in an incorrect inflation of the number of reported COVID-19 cases in Missouri going back over several days, Missouri health officials said Sunday.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a news release that it is in the process of migrating all COVID-19 testing and case data into one new consolidated system.
The state launched a new version of its coronavirus dashboard on Sept. 28 to integrate pandemic response across public health, economic, employment and social impact indicators.
Missouri incorrectly reported Saturday on its coronavirus website more than 5,000 new COVID-19 cases, more than double the previous single-day record.
The agency said Sunday it is working urgently to resolve the issue and will update its website with the correct numbers once that is done. It said the problems with the data were limited to cumulative reporting on its Show Me Strong Covid-19 Public Health Dashboard.
The revised coronavirus numbers for Missouri are pending.
“When this issue was initially raised Saturday morning, the dashboard team began working through the data to identify the problem and are working through the weekend to correct the underlying issue,” said Dr. Randall Williams, the agency’s director. “Missourians should feel confident that we appreciate their feedback and continue to adapt our processes to ensure effective and accountable reporting to our citizens.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Falcons' Ryan takes blame as loss increases heat on Quinn

ATLANTA ( AP ) - Another crucial missed opportunity for the Atlanta Falcons left even more heat on coach Dan Quinn .
Matt Ryan says the blame for the latest loss should be on him , not the coach .
Ryan especially bemoaned his poor throw on a potential tying drive in the fourth quarter that was intercepted by Carolina safety Juston Burris in the Panthers ’ 23-16 win on Sunday .
The loss left the Falcons 0-5 for the first time since 1997 .
Quinn , coming off back-to-back 7-9 finishes , needed to take Atlanta back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a third straight losing season more difficult to avoid - and make it all the less likely Quinn remains in charge .
With speculation again swirling about Quinn ’ s status , the team made no change on Sunday .
Ryan spoke to the team after the game and tried to put the loss on his shoulders .
“ I just let them know we each have to take responsibility for what ’ s going on , ” Ryan said .
“ I certainly accept the responsibility .
… We had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t pull my weight .
We all need collectively to take a look in the mirror and that ’ s what I ’ m going to do.
” The Panthers led 20-13 in the fourth quarter when Ryan moved the offense to a third-down play at the Carolina 5 .
Ryan tried to pass to Russell Gage at the back on the end zone .
Gage didn ’ t create separation from Burris .
Ryan threw behind the receiver , making it too easy for Burris to step in for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high so only Gage could have had a chance to make the catch , Ryan ’ s poor throw crushed the Falcons ‘ opportunity to tie the game .
It was only Ryan ’ s third interception of the season , but it was devastating to his team ’ s hopes of ending its losing streak .
Quinn said the pass was “ definitely one Matt would like to have back.
” “ I know he can ’ t throw that one and have any other outcome than incomplete or Russ , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his missed pass to tight end Hayden Hurst earlier in the fourth quarter .
That pass sailed too high in the end zone , leading to a field goal .
The Panthers took advantage of the turnover with a 14-play drive capped by Joey Slye ’ s 22-yard field goal that stretched the lead to 10 points .
Following the game , there were many questions about Quinn ’ s future .
Quinn is 43-42 in six seasons , including 14-23 the last three years .
“ His messaging has been on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our play has not .
I know I ’ d like to play better than I did today .
… Late in the game you ’ ve got to find a way to punch it in.
” When asked if he believes his message is still getting through to his team , Quinn said “ 100 percent I do.
” Asked if he would understand if Falcons owner Arthur Blank decides a change is necessary , Quinn said “ Honestly , it ’ s the furthest thing from my mind.
” Added Quinn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got to be able to leave our mark on the win.
” He said that included making the plays on the field and making good coaching decisions .
Quinn said he planned no changes on his staff , including with assignments .
“ We ’ re going to collectively get fixed what we need to , ” Quinn said , adding , “ it ’ s all hands on deck to help.
” He said there was “ no need in placing blame ” with one assistant .
If the Falcons make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Koetter or defensive coordinator Raheem Morris could be considered as candidates to take over on an interim basis .
Asked if he thinks Quinn will be fired , Ryan said “ I hope not .
“ I think Dan has been nothing but a great head coach since he ’ s been here .
We just haven ’ t done a good enough job as a team and as players .
It ’ s a hard business for sure , but we all love what Dan has done for this team .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job as players .
”

ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan insisted blame for the team’s latest loss rested on him.
Hours later, it was too late. Coach Dan Quinn was fired.
Ryan bemoaned his poor throw on a potential tying drive in the fourth quarter that was intercepted by Carolina safety Juston Burris in the Panthers’ 23-16 win on Sunday.
The loss left the Falcons 0-5 for the first time since 1997.
Quinn, coming off back-to-back 7-9 finishes, needed to take Atlanta back to the playoffs this season. Five consecutive losses left owner Arthur Blank feeling he had to make a coaching change, as a third straight losing season will be difficult to avoid.
Ryan spoke to the team after the game and tried to put the loss on his shoulders.
“I just let them know we each have to take responsibility for what’s going on,” Ryan said. “I certainly accept the responsibility. … We had a chance late in the game and I didn’t pull my weight. We all need collectively to take a look in the mirror and that’s what I’m going to do.”
The Panthers led 20-13 in the fourth quarter when Ryan moved the offense to a third-down play at the Carolina 5.
Ryan tried to pass to Russell Gage at the back on the end zone. Gage didn’t create separation from Burris. Ryan threw behind the receiver, making it too easy for Burris to step in for the interception.
Instead of throwing the ball high so only Gage could have had a chance to make the catch, Ryan’s poor throw crushed the Falcons’ opportunity to tie the game.
It was only Ryan’s third interception of the season, but it was devastating to his team’s hopes of ending its losing streak.
Quinn said the pass was “definitely one Matt would like to have back.”
“I know he can’t throw that one and have any other outcome than incomplete or Russ,” Quinn said.
Ryan also was critical of his missed pass to tight end Hayden Hurst earlier in the fourth quarter. That pass sailed too high in the end zone, leading to a field goal.
The Panthers took advantage of the turnover with a 14-play drive capped by Joey Slye’s 22-yard field goal that stretched the lead to 10 points.
Quinn was 43-42 in six seasons, including 14-23 the last three years.
“His messaging has been on point,” Ryan said. “Our play has not. I know I’d like to play better than I did today. … Late in the game you’ve got to find a way to punch it in.”
When asked before his firing was announced if he believes his message is still getting through to his team, Quinn said “100 percent I do.”
Asked if he would understand if Falcons owner Arthur Blank decides a change is necessary, Quinn said “Honestly, it’s the furthest thing from my mind.”
The Falcons are expected to announce an interim coach on Monday. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter or defensive coordinator Raheem Morris could be leading candidates.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff also was fired Sunday night. Team president Rich McKay is taking over football operations on an interim basis while assisting Blank in the search for a full-time coach and GM.
Ryan and other players remained supportive of Quinn to the end.
“I think Dan has been nothing but a great head coach since he’s been here,” Ryan said. “We just haven’t done a good enough job as a team and as players. It’s a hard business for sure, but we all love what Dan has done for this team. We’ve got to do a better job as players.”
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--2,262 new COVID-19 cases in Texas as state nears 800,000

AUSTIN , Texas ( AP ) - Texas on Sunday reported 2,262 new cases of the coronavirus as the state ’ s total since the pandemic began nears 800,000 .
The Texas Department of State Health Services said the state ’ s total number of cases so far is at 792,478 .
The state on Sunday reported 31 new deaths , bringing the death toll to 16,557 .
The actual number of cases in Texas is likely higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick .
Earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted the shutdown order on bars that has been in place since June , though he made the reopenings conditional on the approval of county leaders .
New cases in Texas have dramatically fallen since summer and the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has leveled off since days in July when the state was reached daily counts of more than 10,000 in hospitals .
On Sunday , there were about 3,600 hospitalizations .
For most people , the COVID-19 virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks .
But for others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing health problems , the virus can cause severe illness , including pneumonia , and be fatal .

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas on Sunday reported 2,262 new cases of the coronavirus as the state’s total since the pandemic began nears 800,000.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said the state’s total number of cases so far is at 792,478. The state on Sunday reported 31 new deaths, bringing the death toll to 16,557.
The actual number of cases in Texas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
Earlier this week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the shutdown order on bars that has been in place since June, though he made the reopenings conditional on the approval of county leaders.
New cases in Texas have dramatically fallen since summer and the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has leveled off since days in July when the state was reached daily counts of more than 10,000 in hospitals. On Sunday, there were about 3,600 hospitalizations.
For most people, the COVID-19 virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness, including pneumonia, and be fatal.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--French police station attacked with fireworks, metal bars

PARIS ( AP ) - Dozens of people attacked a police station outside Paris early Sunday with blasts of fireworks and metal bars , damaging several police cars , officials said .
No one was injured .
It was the latest action among numerous attacks against police officers , and sometimes firefighters , that Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin says are a sign that France is growing “ savage.
” Last week , two police officers in civilian clothes were pulled from their vehicle in a Paris suburb and shot multiple times with their own guns .
One officer remains in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet with police unions on Thursday to quickly find ways to protect officers , the interior minister said on a visit Sunday night to Champigny-sur-Marne , east of Paris .
“ The police are the ( French ) Republic and the Republic is the police , ” he said .
He said the attack was another sign of the “ great savageness ” he claims is undermining French values .
He linked the attack to a police crackdown on drug dealers and , using street language , said it was aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is located in a housing project with 10,000 inhabitants .
An official of the union , Unite SGP Police , Rocco Contento , said on BFMTV that the housing project is the hub of drug trafficking in the Val de Marne region , where Champigny is located .
Darmanin said he wants to add an amendment to a security bill defining fireworks as a type of arm and ban their sale , including on the internet .
In the early hours of Sunday , a gang of about 40 people showered the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with fireworks and other projectiles , Paris police headquarters , which is in charge of the region , said in a tweet .
Attackers also used metal bars to smash five police cars .
Three windows of the station were broken .
Fireworks are now routinely used by gangs to head off police in neighborhoods known for drug trafficking .
Firefighters on rescue missions also come under attack .
“ The little bosses impress no one and don ’ t discourage us in our fight against drugs , ” the interior minister tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Investigators were still trying to find the three men who shot two police officers last week after pulling them from their car and disarming them in an industrial section of the town of Herblay , in the Val d ’ Oise northwest of Paris .

PARIS (AP) - Dozens of people attacked a police station outside Paris early Sunday with blasts of fireworks and metal bars, damaging several police cars, officials said. No one was injured.
It was the latest action among numerous attacks against police officers, and sometimes firefighters, that Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin says are a sign that France is growing “savage.”
Last week, two police officers in civilian clothes were pulled from their vehicle in a Paris suburb and shot multiple times with their own guns. One officer remains in serious condition.
President Emmanuel Macron is to meet with police unions on Thursday to quickly find ways to protect officers, the interior minister said on a visit Sunday night to Champigny-sur-Marne, east of Paris.
“The police are the (French) Republic and the Republic is the police,” he said. He said the attack was another sign of the “great savageness” he claims is undermining French values. He linked the attack to a police crackdown on drug dealers and, using street language, said it was aimed at ”smashing cops.”
The police station is located in a housing project with 10,000 inhabitants. An official of the union, Unite SGP Police, Rocco Contento, said on BFMTV that the housing project is the hub of drug trafficking in the Val de Marne region, where Champigny is located.
Darmanin said he wants to add an amendment to a security bill defining fireworks as a type of arm and ban their sale, including on the internet.
In the early hours of Sunday, a gang of about 40 people showered the police station in a housing project in Champigny-sur-Marne with fireworks and other projectiles, Paris police headquarters, which is in charge of the region, said in a tweet. Attackers also used metal bars to smash five police cars. Three windows of the station were broken.
Fireworks are now routinely used by gangs to head off police in neighborhoods known for drug trafficking. Firefighters on rescue missions also come under attack.
“The little bosses impress no one and don’t discourage us in our fight against drugs,” the interior minister tweeted earlier. There were no known arrests.
Investigators were still trying to find the three men who shot two police officers last week after pulling them from their car and disarming them in an industrial section of the town of Herblay, in the Val d’Oise northwest of Paris.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--COVID-19 hospitalization hit record-high of 576

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
( AP ) - The number of people hospitalized in Arkansas with the coronavirus hit a record-high on Sunday of 576 .
The Arkansas Department of Health said the number of people hospitalized rose by 22 .
Hospitalizations from COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus , reached records levels Tuesday through Friday before dropping by six on Saturday .
The health department on Sunday reported 613 new cases for a total of 92,833 confirmed and probable cases .
With 17 more deaths , the number of confirmed and probable deaths in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Asa Hutchinson told CNN on Sunday that he was concerned about the increase in hospitalizations .
“ Right now , we do have capacity , ” Hutchinson said , adding that they ’ re “ watching it very carefully and taking it seriously.
” The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick .
For most people , the COVID-19 virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people with existing health problems , the virus can cause severe illness , including pneumonia , and be fatal .

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The number of people hospitalized in Arkansas with the coronavirus hit a record-high on Sunday of 576.
The Arkansas Department of Health said the number of people hospitalized rose by 22. Hospitalizations from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, reached records levels Tuesday through Friday before dropping by six on Saturday.
The health department on Sunday reported 613 new cases for a total of 92,833 confirmed and probable cases. With 17 more deaths, the number of confirmed and probable deaths in the state so far rose to 1,569.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson told CNN on Sunday that he was concerned about the increase in hospitalizations.
“Right now, we do have capacity,” Hutchinson said, adding that they’re “watching it very carefully and taking it seriously.”
The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
For most people, the COVID-19 virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness, including pneumonia, and be fatal.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--New Mexico reports 269 new COVID-19 cases and 4 more deaths

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - New Mexico health officials on Sunday reported 269 new confirmed COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ That increased to the state ’ s totals to 32,983 cases and 911 known deaths @ @ @ @ @ officials reported 486 additional COVID-19 cases - two short of the 488 reported Friday - @ @ @ @ @ The counties with the most additional cases reported Sunday were Bernalillo with 100 and Dona @ @ @ @ @ out-of-state travelers are required to self-quarantine upon arrival in New Mexico with exceptions for people @ @ @ @ @ , California and Washington .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or @ @ @ @ @ fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some @ @ @ @ @ people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia @ @ @ @ @ majority of people recover .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico health officials on Sunday reported 269 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and four additional deaths.
That increased to the state’s totals to 32,983 cases and 911 known deaths.
On Saturday, state officials reported 486 additional COVID-19 cases - two short of the 488 reported Friday - and five additional deaths.
The counties with the most additional cases reported Sunday were Bernalillo with 100 and Dona Ana with 40.
Bernalillo County includes Albuquerque, the state’s most populous city.
Most out-of-state travelers are required to self-quarantine upon arrival in New Mexico with exceptions for people arriving from six northeastern states, California and Washington.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
But for some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Authorities investigating prisoner's death at Virginia jail

WILLIAMSBURG , Va. ( AP ) - Authorities are investigating the death of a prisoner at a Virginia jail early @ @ @ @ @ said in a news release .
The Virginian-Pilot reports that staff at the Virginia Peninsula @ @ @ @ @ results from a preliminary autopsy report to determine the cause of the prisoner ’ s @ @ @ @ @ whose name wasn ’ t immediately released , came to the Williamsburg , Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ found dead around 1 a.m. on Sunday , according to jail spokeswoman Sara Mahayni .
@ @ @ @ @ at a hospital .
Mahayni said the state Department of Corrections is investigating the death @

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) - Authorities are investigating the death of a prisoner at a Virginia jail early Sunday, a jail spokeswoman said in a news release.
The Virginian-Pilot reports that staff at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail is awaiting test results from a preliminary autopsy report to determine the cause of the prisoner’s death.
The prisoner, whose name wasn’t immediately released, came to the Williamsburg, Virginia, jail on Friday and was found dead around 1 a.m. on Sunday, according to jail spokeswoman Sara Mahayni.
The prisoner was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Mahayni said the state Department of Corrections is investigating the death.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Alaska principal's radio station wakes up Toksook Bay

BETHEL , Alaska ( AP ) - Toksook Bay is listening to its own radio station , 91.9 FM , because the principal at the Nelson Island School put a low-power radio station on the air .
Principal Michael Robbins said that the idea for the radio station developed into a community-wide service when one of the students had a tardiness problem and asked for help getting to school on time , KYUK-AM reported .
“ He said , ‘ I really need an alarm clock , ’ ” said Robbins .
“ So we got him an alarm clock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was $ 9 ’ .
We had to buy 120 of them for the village .
So , for $ 1,000 , the price of one computer , we can be connected with everybody in the village.
” Robbins said that the total cost of the station , including the equipment to broadcast , came in around $ 1,500 .
He said that radio solves a lot of problems in the bush .
It ’ s cheap , and it doesn ’ t require a modem or other uses of the limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s also learned to adapt technology by using radio in combination with Facebook to make an effective two-way communication system that keeps people safe during the pandemic .
As an example , he pointed to a meeting held on radio and Facebook at the beginning of the school year .
“ When we went on for our Title I meeting , ” Robbins recounted , “ our back-to-school meeting , we had questions being asked on Facebook , kind of like a call-in radio show .
Parents put the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer in live , real-time on the radio.
” In Toksook Bay , radio has come to be used to do everything from broadcasting basketball games , to announcements , to keeping the community connected with the rest of the region by re-broadcasting Bethel and Chevak radio signals .
It ’ s also being used to teach kids how to make radio programs , conduct interviews , and produce stories about the community .
It also helps to teach history and culture , broadcasting traditional Yugtun stories that everyone can enjoy .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alaska Studies student can listen to do their work , because they have an assignment based on that , but everyone in the community benefits from that .
Little kids can listen to it .
Elders can listen to it .
And so it creates a community-type atmosphere , and all you have to do is hit the power button.
” The low-powered radio station is also being used to better connect with local government by broadcasting community meetings .
91.9 FM has become part of everyday life in Toksook Bay , heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the local store .

BETHEL, Alaska (AP) - Toksook Bay is listening to its own radio station, 91.9 FM, because the principal at the Nelson Island School put a low-power radio station on the air.
Principal Michael Robbins said that the idea for the radio station developed into a community-wide service when one of the students had a tardiness problem and asked for help getting to school on time, KYUK-AM reported.
“He said, ‘I really need an alarm clock,’” said Robbins. “So we got him an alarm clock radio. And I thought, ‘this was $9’. We had to buy 120 of them for the village. So, for $1,000, the price of one computer, we can be connected with everybody in the village.”
Robbins said that the total cost of the station, including the equipment to broadcast, came in around $1,500.
He said that radio solves a lot of problems in the bush. It’s cheap, and it doesn’t require a modem or other uses of the limited bandwidth available in much of the community.
He’s also learned to adapt technology by using radio in combination with Facebook to make an effective two-way communication system that keeps people safe during the pandemic.
As an example, he pointed to a meeting held on radio and Facebook at the beginning of the school year.
“When we went on for our Title I meeting,” Robbins recounted, “our back-to-school meeting, we had questions being asked on Facebook, kind of like a call-in radio show. Parents put the question into chat on Facebook that I could answer in live, real-time on the radio.”
In Toksook Bay, radio has come to be used to do everything from broadcasting basketball games, to announcements, to keeping the community connected with the rest of the region by re-broadcasting Bethel and Chevak radio signals.
It’s also being used to teach kids how to make radio programs, conduct interviews, and produce stories about the community. It also helps to teach history and culture, broadcasting traditional Yugtun stories that everyone can enjoy.
As Robbins explained, “not only the Alaska Studies student can listen to do their work, because they have an assignment based on that, but everyone in the community benefits from that. Little kids can listen to it. Elders can listen to it. And so it creates a community-type atmosphere, and all you have to do is hit the power button.”
The low-powered radio station is also being used to better connect with local government by broadcasting community meetings. 91.9 FM has become part of everyday life in Toksook Bay, heard everywhere from households, to offices and the local store.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Crash injures 8 in Northern California

Crash injures 8 in Northern California

SAN JOSE , Calif. ( AP ) - Eight people were injured Sunday after an elderly man lost control of @ @ @ @ @ an outdoor dining area in San Jose , police said .
The victims have injuries @ @ @ @ @ “ major to minor , ” according to Twitter posts by the department .
All @ @ @ @ @ hospitals .
Police said the man may have been in “ medical distress ” prior @ @ @ @ @ occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. outside the Grand Century mall .
Further information was not @ @ @

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Eight people were injured Sunday after an elderly man lost control of his vehicle and crashed into an outdoor dining area in San Jose, police said.
The victims have injuries San Jose police described as “major to minor,” according to Twitter posts by the department. All eight people were taken to hospitals.
Police said the man may have been in “medical distress” prior to the crash, which occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. outside the Grand Century mall.
Further information was not immediately available.


washingtontimes--2020-10-11--Mississippi child molestation suspect is arrested in Arizona

TUCSON , Ariz. ( AP ) - A Mississippi man accused of child molestation has been arrested in southern Arizona @ @ @ @ @ .
They announced that 62-year-old Augustus Brook was taken into custody by U.S .
Marshals @ @ @ @ @ for his arrest was issued Aug. 7 in Stone County , Mississippi .
Authorities said @ @ @ @ @ alleged incident .
Investigators in Mississippi obtained information that Brook traveled to Tucson last Thursday @ @ @ @ @ a Tucson home and arrested Friday .
Authorities said Brook was being held in the @ @ @ @ @ $ 100,000 bond and awaiting extradition to Mississippi .
It was unclear Sunday if Brook @ @ @ @ @

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A Mississippi man accused of child molestation has been arrested in southern Arizona, federal authorities said Sunday.
They announced that 62-year-old Augustus Brook was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Tucson.
Authorities said Brook allegedly molested a 4-year-old female relative.
A warrant for his arrest was issued Aug. 7 in Stone County, Mississippi .
Authorities said Brook left Mississippi after the alleged incident.
Investigators in Mississippi obtained information that Brook traveled to Tucson last Thursday. He was tracked to a Tucson home and arrested Friday.
Authorities said Brook was being held in the Pima County jail on a $100,000 bond and awaiting extradition to Mississippi.
It was unclear Sunday if Brook had a lawyer yet.