washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Ralph Northam, Larry Hogan to reopen Virginia, Maryland from coronavirus lockdowns

Maryland and Virginia governors on Wednesday announced plans to begin reopening their states ’ economies on Friday , but the Greater Washington area will remain locked down for at least two more weeks because of a high concentration of COVID-19 cases .
“ Prince George ’ s and Montgomery counties have the highest number of cases , and they have made it clear that they are not ready to move into stage one , ” Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan , a Republican , said at an afternoon news conference .
Mr. Hogan said the state has reached a 14-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections , except in the counties bordering the District of Columbia .
As of Wednesday , Prince George ’ s had treated more than 10,000 COVID-19 patients and Montgomery County more than 7,200 , accounting for almost half of Maryland ’ s nearly 35,000 cases .
Mr. Hogan said he will lift his stay-at-home order , which he implemented March 30 , for most of the state at 5 p.m. Friday .
“ The fight against this deadly disease is far from over .
But … Maryland and our nation can now at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Like his Maryland counterpart , Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam , a Democrat , said he will implement phase one of his reopening plan Friday , but Northern Virginia ’ s plan will be delayed for at least two weeks .
“ Until we can get the health crises behind us , the economy will never recover , ” Mr. Northam said at a press conference .
“ My emphasis , our administration ’ s emphasis and , I think really , Virginia ’ s emphasis is on the safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will continue to emphasize that , that will be our focus , but we also realize the economy plays a part , people have lost their jobs , people are making tremendous sacrifices , ” the governor said .
“ So we will all continue to work together to put this health crisis behind us , get it under the best control we can , and that will allow us to move forward with our economic recovery.
” Mr. Northam was joined by elected officials from Arlington , Prince William , Fairfax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Alexandria and Falls Church , all of whom expressed support for delaying phase one in Northern Virginia by two weeks .
Northern Virginia ’ s counties , which are among the state ’ s most populous and wealthiest jurisdictions , had tallied nearly 12,600 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday , almost half of the 26,700+ infections recorded throughout the commonwealth .
As Maryland and Virginia move into phase one plans , retail stores will be able to reopen with 50 % capacity , as will personal service businesses such as barber shops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pet groomers and animal shelters also can reopen .
Houses of worship can conduct religious services , and outdoor services are strongly encouraged .
Indoor services will be limited to 50 % capacity .
Protocols for social distancing , face masks and regular cleaning remain in effect .
Mr. Hogan and Mr. Northam encouraged residents to continue staying home and teleworking as much as possible .
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser extended her stay-at-home order to June 8 , citing an increase of COVID-19 cases .
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center opened as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a surge of patients this month .
Miss Bowser , a Democrat , said the city is not where it needs to be in terms of decreasing community transmission to begin reopening this week , when her order was originally set to expire .
Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt , director of the D.C. Department of Health , said she is focusing more on trends related to symptom onset to monitor community transmission instead of new daily cases .
“ Based on the data , I can revise this order at any time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bowser said at a press conference .
The mayor ’ s new order also requires face coverings during essential travel and business in the District .
The mask requirement does not apply to children younger than 9 , people experiencing homelessness , people with disabilities and people exercising , given that they keep a distance of 6 feet from others .
Miss Bowser also announced a pilot program to allow some locally owned educational and academic retail shops , such as book , music and toy stores , to open for curbside and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the program will be able to apply starting Friday .
If approved , customers won ’ t be allowed inside and the businesses will have to share with the city government data about sales , hours and how they have adjusted operations .
D.C. officials said the application will be similar to the process for farmers markets several weeks ago .
Miss Bowser said they will use this pilot as a learning opportunity for how to approach reopening .
Next week , the mayor will make announcements about the adjusted budget , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 700 million shortfall .
Mr. Hogan and Mr. Northam issued guidelines last week to allow elective medical and dental procedures to resume .
Mr. Hogan eased restrictions that allowed Marylanders to participate in golfing , fishing , boating , tennis , camping and similar outdoor activities .
Maryland schools won ’ t be back in session at least until this fall , which will be included in phase two and three of the governor ’ s plan .
On Monday , 11 Department of Motor Vehicle centers will be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern Virginia , to perform a handful of select services by appointment only .
Mr. Northam said the DMVs will fulfill requests for original driver ’ s licenses , original vehicle registrations , disabled parking permits and vital records with customers waiting in their cars .

Maryland and Virginia governors on Wednesday announced plans to begin reopening their states’ economies on Friday, but the Greater Washington area will remain locked down for at least two more weeks because of a high concentration of COVID-19 cases.
“Prince George’s and Montgomery counties have the highest number of cases, and they have made it clear that they are not ready to move into stage one,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said at an afternoon news conference.
Mr. Hogan said the state has reached a 14-day plateau and decline in hospitalizations for coronavirus infections, except in the counties bordering the District of Columbia.
As of Wednesday, Prince George’s had treated more than 10,000 COVID-19 patients and Montgomery County more than 7,200, accounting for almost half of Maryland’s nearly 35,000 cases.
In addition, Prince George’s County has registered 379 coronavirus-related deaths, and Montgomery County 397. Maryland has had a total of 1,748 COVID-19 deaths.
Mr. Hogan said he will lift his stay-at-home order, which he implemented March 30, for most of the state at 5 p.m. Friday.
“The fight against this deadly disease is far from over. But … Maryland and our nation can now at least begin to slowly recover,” he said.
Like his Maryland counterpart, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, said he will implement phase one of his reopening plan Friday, but Northern Virginia’s plan will be delayed for at least two weeks.
“Until we can get the health crises behind us, the economy will never recover,” Mr. Northam said at a press conference. “My emphasis, our administration’s emphasis and, I think really, Virginia’s emphasis is on the safety and well-being of Virginians.
“So we will continue to emphasize that, that will be our focus, but we also realize the economy plays a part, people have lost their jobs, people are making tremendous sacrifices,” the governor said. “So we will all continue to work together to put this health crisis behind us, get it under the best control we can, and that will allow us to move forward with our economic recovery.”
Mr. Northam was joined by elected officials from Arlington, Prince William, Fairfax and Loudoun counties as well as mayors from Alexandria and Falls Church, all of whom expressed support for delaying phase one in Northern Virginia by two weeks.
Northern Virginia’s counties, which are among the state’s most populous and wealthiest jurisdictions, had tallied nearly 12,600 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, almost half of the 26,700+ infections recorded throughout the commonwealth.
Additionally, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties have tallied 447 of the state’s 955 coronavirus deaths.
As Maryland and Virginia move into phase one plans, retail stores will be able to reopen with 50% capacity, as will personal service businesses such as barber shops and hair salons by appointment only. Pet groomers and animal shelters also can reopen.
Houses of worship can conduct religious services, and outdoor services are strongly encouraged. Indoor services will be limited to 50% capacity.
Protocols for social distancing, face masks and regular cleaning remain in effect. Mr. Hogan and Mr. Northam encouraged residents to continue staying home and teleworking as much as possible.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser extended her stay-at-home order to June 8, citing an increase of COVID-19 cases. The Walter E. Washington Convention Center opened as an alternate care facility Tuesday in anticipation of a surge of patients this month.
Miss Bowser, a Democrat, said the city is not where it needs to be in terms of decreasing community transmission to begin reopening this week, when her order was originally set to expire.
Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of the D.C. Department of Health, said she is focusing more on trends related to symptom onset to monitor community transmission instead of new daily cases.
“Based on the data, I can revise this order at any time to reflect a phased reopening,” Miss Bowser said at a press conference.
The mayor’s new order also requires face coverings during essential travel and business in the District.
The mask requirement does not apply to children younger than 9, people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities and people exercising, given that they keep a distance of 6 feet from others.
Miss Bowser also announced a pilot program to allow some locally owned educational and academic retail shops, such as book, music and toy stores, to open for curbside and front-door pickup sales only.
Businesses interested in the program will be able to apply starting Friday. If approved, customers won’t be allowed inside and the businesses will have to share with the city government data about sales, hours and how they have adjusted operations.
D.C. officials said the application will be similar to the process for farmers markets several weeks ago. Miss Bowser said they will use this pilot as a learning opportunity for how to approach reopening.
Next week, the mayor will make announcements about the adjusted budget, which will try to shore up a more than $700 million shortfall.
Mr. Hogan and Mr. Northam issued guidelines last week to allow elective medical and dental procedures to resume.
Mr. Hogan eased restrictions that allowed Marylanders to participate in golfing, fishing, boating, tennis, camping and similar outdoor activities. Maryland schools won’t be back in session at least until this fall, which will be included in phase two and three of the governor’s plan.
On Monday, 11 Department of Motor Vehicle centers will be able to reopen across Virginia, except in Northern Virginia, to perform a handful of select services by appointment only.
Mr. Northam said the DMVs will fulfill requests for original driver’s licenses, original vehicle registrations, disabled parking permits and vital records with customers waiting in their cars.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--House documents: John Podesta met with former Senate aide connected to Fusion GPS

Newly declassified House transcripts show that Hillary Clinton presidential campaign chairman John Podesta met with a former Senate Intelligence Committee aide who joined forces with dossier impresario Fusion GPS for the post-election phase of trying to dig up dirt on President Trump .
The ex-aide is Daniel Jones , who in 2017 formed the secretive nonprofit The Democracy Integrity Project .
For the project , Mr. Jones hired Fusion GPS , the Clinton campaign ’ s opposition research firm .
During the election , Fusion co-founder Glenn Simpson took money from the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party and retained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former British intelligence officer , Mr. Steele went on to compile a dossier filled with felony allegations against Mr. Trump and aides that turned out to be bogus .
Mr. Jones also hired Mr. Steele .
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ’ s final Russia election report revealed that Mr. Jones met with the FBI in March 2017 , a month after he met with Mr. Podesta .
He went to the FBI to brief them on his Trump findings and disclosed he had raised $ 50 million from Democratic donors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Jones , who heads the Penn Quarter Group , said seven to 10 “ wealthy donors , ” primarily in New York and California , provided money to “ continue exposing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election .
Mr. Jones ‘ plan was to share with Congress and the news media , ” an FBI report said .
Last week , the House committee released more than 50 witness transcripts , including Mr. Podesta ’ s , from its 2017-2018 Russia investigation when Republicans , headed by Rep. Devin Nunes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their report said there was no evidence of a Trump-Russia conspiracy .
Special counsel Robert Mueller in March 2019 said his team failed to establish there was such a conspiracy .
As a witness , Mr. Podesta appeared twice , in the summer and late 2017 .
During his later testimony , Republicans asked Mr. Podesta to detail his interactions with Fusion GPS .
In the campaign , Fusion had introduced Mr. Steele to a number of Washington reporters to persuade them to write of his allegations of an enormous Trump-Russia conspiracy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted in full by BuzzFeed in January 2017 , Mr. Podesta met with Mr. Simpson , Mr. Jones and Peter Fritsch , Fusion ’ s other co-founder .
“ Dan Jones … was in the process of creating a nonprofit organization , as it were , to pursue the issues around Russian intervention in the U.S. election , ” testified Mr. Podesta , one of Washington ’ s stalwart Democrats .
Mr. Podesta was President Obama ’ s chief of staff and founded the liberal activity group Center for American Progress .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russians hacked his personal Gmail account , and WikiLeaks released his messages .
Mr. Jones was a top aide to Sen. Dianne Feinstein , California Democrat , on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence .
What exactly the four anti-Trump operatives discussed that day is not revealed in the transcript .
But in the Simpson-Fritsch book “ Crime in Progress , ” they say they reached out to Mr. Podesta to help raise money .
They and Mr. Jones agreed to form the nonprofit Democracy Integrity Project .
While they billed the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Republicans say the group ’ s real target was always Mr. Trump .
Mr. Simpson and Mr. Fritsch wrote that big tech donors out West feared for their personal safety .
“ With the Trump era not yet a month old , the fear of where he might take the country hung palpably over session after session , ” they wrote .
“ A few potential donors , including some big names in the tech industry , begged off for reasons of personal safety.
” Republicans also note that the Simpson-Fritsch team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most discredited political documents ever created .
They spread it to Congress , the news media and the FBI .
Federal agents used the dossier ’ s inaccurate claims to win judges ’ approval for four wiretaps .
Mr. Steele ’ s main dossier source told the FBI he was just repeating Kremlin gossip .
In the three years since he met with the FBI , it is unclear what Mr. Jones has turned up .
It is known that Mr. Jones had a hand in at least one anti-Trump story that appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The subject was one that had already gone around the block : Alfa Bank , Moscow ’ s largest and owned by Vladimir Putin associates , and the Trump Organization , supposedly maintained a secret line of communication via a dedicated computer server .
The story ’ s prime promoter : Glenn Simpson .
Slate.com ran the first pre-election Alfa story on Oct. 31 under the headline , “ Was a Trump Server Communicating with Russia ?
” Two years later , the same allegation appeared in The New Yorker : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bank and the Trump Campaign ?
” Mr. Jones and his assemblage of secretive cyber experts were prime sources for the story , which asked more questions than it answered .
“ None of the independent experts I spoke to could be certain of what Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization were doing , ” The New Yorker story reads .
“ Some of them cautioned that it was impossible even to guess at every way that an e-mail system might malfunction.
” A Trump Organization official told The Washington Times in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cyber trail to a marketing spam dispenser outside Philadelphia .
The source said that Alfa employees likely stayed at Trump lodgings and thus were included in a database of email promotion lists .
The New Yorker article concludes : “ The enigma , for now , remains an enigma .
The only people likely to finally resolve the question of Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization are federal investigators.
” More than a year before The New Yorker story ran , the FBI concluded in February 2017 that there was no Alfa-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department inspector general ’ s report .

Newly declassified House transcripts show that Hillary Clinton presidential campaign chairman John Podesta met with a former Senate Intelligence Committee aide who joined forces with dossier impresario Fusion GPS for the post-election phase of trying to dig up dirt on President Trump.
The ex-aide is Daniel Jones, who in 2017 formed the secretive nonprofit The Democracy Integrity Project. For the project, Mr. Jones hired Fusion GPS, the Clinton campaign’s opposition research firm.
During the election, Fusion co-founder Glenn Simpson took money from the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party and retained Christopher Steele in June 2016. A former British intelligence officer, Mr. Steele went on to compile a dossier filled with felony allegations against Mr. Trump and aides that turned out to be bogus. Mr. Jones also hired Mr. Steele.
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s final Russia election report revealed that Mr. Jones met with the FBI in March 2017, a month after he met with Mr. Podesta. He went to the FBI to brief them on his Trump findings and disclosed he had raised $50 million from Democratic donors to investigate the president and Russia.
Mr. Jones, who heads the Penn Quarter Group, said seven to 10 “wealthy donors,” primarily in New York and California, provided money to “continue exposing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Mr. Jones’ plan was to share with Congress and the news media,” an FBI report said.
Last week, the House committee released more than 50 witness transcripts, including Mr. Podesta’s, from its 2017-2018 Russia investigation when Republicans, headed by Rep. Devin Nunes of California, were in control. Their report said there was no evidence of a Trump-Russia conspiracy. Special counsel Robert Mueller in March 2019 said his team failed to establish there was such a conspiracy.
As a witness, Mr. Podesta appeared twice, in the summer and late 2017. During his later testimony, Republicans asked Mr. Podesta to detail his interactions with Fusion GPS. In the campaign, Fusion had introduced Mr. Steele to a number of Washington reporters to persuade them to write of his allegations of an enormous Trump-Russia conspiracy.
A month after the Steele dossier was posted in full by BuzzFeed in January 2017, Mr. Podesta met with Mr. Simpson, Mr. Jones and Peter Fritsch, Fusion’s other co-founder.
“Dan Jones … was in the process of creating a nonprofit organization, as it were, to pursue the issues around Russian intervention in the U.S. election,” testified Mr. Podesta, one of Washington’s stalwart Democrats.
Mr. Podesta was President Barack Obama’s chief of staff and founded the liberal activist group Center for American Progress. He was also an election victim: The Russians hacked his personal Gmail account, and WikiLeaks released his messages.
Mr. Jones was a top aide to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
What exactly the four anti-Trump operatives discussed that day is not revealed in the transcript.
But in the Simpson-Fritsch book “Crime in Progress,” they say they reached out to Mr. Podesta to help raise money. They and Mr. Jones agreed to form the nonprofit Democracy Integrity Project.
While they billed the group as fighting Russian interference in U.S. democracy, Republicans say the group’s real target was always Mr. Trump.
Mr. Simpson and Mr. Fritsch wrote that big tech donors out West feared for their personal safety.
“With the Trump era not yet a month old, the fear of where he might take the country hung palpably over session after session,” they wrote. “A few potential donors, including some big names in the tech industry, begged off for reasons of personal safety.”
Republicans also note that the Simpson-Fritsch team promoted the dossier, one of the most discredited political documents ever created. They spread it to Congress, the news media and the FBI. Federal agents used the dossier’s inaccurate claims to win judges’ approval for four wiretaps. Mr. Steele’s main dossier source told the FBI he was just repeating Kremlin gossip.
In the three years since he met with the FBI, it is unclear what Mr. Jones has turned up.
It is known that Mr. Jones had a hand in at least one anti-Trump story that appeared in the New Yorker in October 2018.
The subject was one that had already gone around the block: Alfa Bank, Moscow’s largest and owned by Vladimir Putin associates, and the Trump Organization, supposedly maintained a secret line of communication via a dedicated computer server. The story’s prime promoter: Glenn Simpson.
Slate.com ran the first pre-election Alfa story on Oct. 31 under the headline, “Was a Trump Server Communicating with Russia?”
Two years later, the same allegation appeared in The New Yorker: “Was There a Connection Between a Russian Bank and the Trump Campaign?”
Mr. Jones and his assemblage of secretive cyber experts were prime sources for the story, which asked more questions than it answered.
“None of the independent experts I spoke to could be certain of what Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization were doing,” The New Yorker story reads. “Some of them cautioned that it was impossible even to guess at every way that an e-mail system might malfunction.”
A Trump Organization official told The Washington Times in 2017 that the root of suspicion lay with a cyber trail to a marketing spam dispenser outside Philadelphia. The source said that Alfa employees likely stayed at Trump lodgings and thus were included in a database of email promotion lists.
The New Yorker article concludes: “The enigma, for now, remains an enigma. The only people likely to finally resolve the question of Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization are federal investigators.”
More than a year before The New Yorker story ran, the FBI concluded in February 2017 that there was no Alfa-Trump computer hook-up, according to a Justice Department inspector general’s report.
• Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Afghanistan maternity ward attack undermines Taliban peace plan

The Trump administration ’ s hope for a lasting cease-fire in Afghanistan has dipped to a low point this week after a vicious attack on a Kabul maternity ward that shocked the world and led Afghan government officials to publicly declare that they have all but given up trying to make peace with the Taliban .
While the militant group has denied responsibility for the brutal assault that left 24 dead , including at least two newborns , Afghan leaders announced a fresh round of military offensives against the Taliban on Wednesday .
National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace negotiations .
In some of the harshest Afghan government wording against the militant group since negotiations began , Mr. Mohib suggested that the Taliban and their allies have strategically “ subcontracted ” violence to other actors to maintain plausible deniability in the face of continued bloodshed .
On the same day as the maternity ward attack , the Islamic State , not the Taliban , claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed at least 26 people at a funeral in Afghanistan ’ s Nangarhar province .
Analysts say the two incidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks that have coincided with an annual period typically known in Afghanistan as the Taliban ’ s “ spring offensive , ” underscore how U.S.-led efforts to get a delicate cease-fire to hold in the war-torn nation are failing .
Since the Trump administration finalized its long-awaited Taliban peace deal in February , there have been an average of 55 Taliban attacks per day , according to figures from the Afghan government .
The Pentagon has confirmed a strong uptick in the number of Taliban attacks against Afghan security forces in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say it ’ s foolish for the U.S. to continue on its current path , and some argue America would do best to speed up its planned withdrawal and force the Taliban and Afghan government to forge their own power-sharing arrangement , regardless of the direction it ultimately takes .
“ The war in Afghanistan is not militarily winnable .
There are no strategies we can adopt there , there are no troop levels we can employ there , there is no better way we can do things that even give us a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis , a senior fellow at Defense Priorities , a Washington foreign policy think tank that advocates a more restrained American foreign policy .
“ From the very beginning , this fell apart , ” Col. Davis , who served two tours in Afghanistan , said of the administration ’ s deal with the Taliban during a conference call with reporters Wednesday .
“ What we need to do is end the war on our terms in a way that accomplishes and safeguards America ’ s vital national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our armed forces , ” he said .
As part of the agreement reached with the Taliban in February , the U.S. said it would cut its troop presence from about 13,000 to 8,600 by mid-July .
Military officials recently told The Washington Times that the partial drawdown remains on schedule despite the uptick in violence and the spread of COVID-19 , which has slowed U.S. troop movements around the world .
The U.S. also vowed to withdraw all of its forces from Afghanistan within 14 months if the Taliban lived up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included promises by the militant group to negotiate with the American-backed government in Kabul , to deny safe havens to terrorist groups such as the Islamic State and to take other steps to bring stability to the country .
Some analysts say the very core of the peace deal appears to be hanging by a thread this week .
Not only have the Taliban and Afghan government failed to make serious progress in their direct talks , but the two sides also are on the verge of even greater conflict amid evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday that he was directing the country ’ s military to position into an “ offensive ” mode .
Although the Taliban denied involvement in the maternity ward assault , Mr. Ghani suggested that the government continues to view the Taliban as no less dangerous than the Islamic State .
“ In order to provide security for public places and to thwart attacks and threats from the Taliban and other terrorist groups , I am ordering Afghan security forces to switch from an active defense mode to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations against the enemies , ” he said in a televised address .
Whoever is ultimately responsible for the maternity ward assault , the exact motive of the violence is a subject of debate .
The area reportedly is a home to many foreigners living in Kabul , but it is not known whether that was what made the ward a target for terrorists .
On the heels of the assault , Mr. Mohib , the Afghan national security adviser , unleashed a scathing series of posts on Twitter saying peace was never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the Taliban can not control the violence , or their sponsors have now subcontracted their terror to other entities — which was one of our primary concerns from the beginning — then [ there ] seems little point in continuing to engage Taliban in ‘ peace talks , ’ ” he said .
“ The attacks of the last two months show us and the world that Taliban & their sponsors do not and did not intend to pursue peace .
Their attacks this spring against Afghans are comparable to the level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Such comments , along with the Afghan military ’ s new offensive military posture toward the Taliban , could undermine the White House ’ s yearslong effort to wind down the longest war in American history .
U.S. troops have been fighting in Afghanistan since October 2001 , when President George W. Bush ordered an American invasion to topple the Taliban and root out al Qaeda after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks .
President Trump has based much of his foreign policy on stopping “ endless wars ” in the Middle East .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressed behind the scenes for an even quicker exit from Afghanistan .
Administration officials have condemned this week ’ s violence but have said little about the broader impact on the U.S. withdrawal plan .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday called for Kabul and the Taliban to work together .
“ The United States condemns in the strongest terms the two horrific terrorist attacks in Afghanistan , ” he said in a statement .
“ We note the Taliban have denied any responsibility and condemned both attacks as heinous .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring the perpetrators to justice .
As long as there is no sustained reduction in violence and insufficient progress towards a negotiated political settlement , Afghanistan will remain vulnerable to terrorism.
” The 3½-page peace deal signed by the U.S. and the Taliban in late February spelled out limited and specific Taliban commitments , including a vow to not threaten the security of the U.S. , to not allow the country to be used by terrorists and to ultimately discuss a cease-fire with the government in Kabul .
Some analysts say there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban would slow their attacks .
“ There is nothing in the … agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban that mentions a reduction [ of ] violence , let alone a cease-fire , as some U.S. officials are demanding , ” said Bill Roggio , a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies .
“ Because of this , the Taliban will continue military operations against the Afghan government , ” Mr. Roggio wrote in a blog post Tuesday .

The Trump administration’s hope for a lasting cease-fire in Afghanistan has dipped to a low point this week after a vicious attack on a Kabul maternity ward that shocked the world and led Afghan government officials to publicly declare that they have all but given up trying to make peace with the Taliban.
While the militant group has denied responsibility for the brutal assault that left 24 dead, including at least two newborns, Afghan leaders announced a fresh round of military offensives against the Taliban on Wednesday. National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said there is “little point” in continuing peace negotiations.
In some of the harshest Afghan government wording against the militant group since negotiations began, Mr. Mohib suggested that the Taliban and their allies have strategically “subcontracted” violence to other actors to maintain plausible deniability in the face of continued bloodshed.
On the same day as the maternity ward attack, the Islamic State, not the Taliban, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed at least 26 people at a funeral in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.
Analysts say the two incidents, coupled with a wave of other attacks that have coincided with an annual period typically known in Afghanistan as the Taliban’s “spring offensive,” underscore how U.S.-led efforts to get a delicate cease-fire to hold in the war-torn nation are failing.
Since the Trump administration finalized its long-awaited Taliban peace deal in February, there have been an average of 55 Taliban attacks per day, according to figures from the Afghan government. The Pentagon has confirmed a strong uptick in the number of Taliban attacks against Afghan security forces in recent weeks.
Against that backdrop, regional analysts say it’s foolish for the U.S. to continue on its current path, and some argue America would do best to speed up its planned withdrawal and force the Taliban and Afghan government to forge their own power-sharing arrangement, regardless of the direction it ultimately takes.
“The war in Afghanistan is not militarily winnable. There are no strategies we can adopt there, there are no troop levels we can employ there, there is no better way we can do things that even give us a shot to win,” said retired Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities, a Washington foreign policy think tank that advocates a more restrained American foreign policy.
“From the very beginning, this fell apart,” Col. Davis, who served two tours in Afghanistan, said of the administration’s deal with the Taliban during a conference call with reporters Wednesday.
“What we need to do is end the war on our terms in a way that accomplishes and safeguards America’s vital national security interests and the health and well-being of our armed forces,” he said.
As part of the agreement reached with the Taliban in February, the U.S. said it would cut its troop presence from about 13,000 to 8,600 by mid-July. Military officials recently told The Washington Times that the partial drawdown remains on schedule despite the uptick in violence and the spread of COVID-19, which has slowed U.S. troop movements around the world.
The U.S. also vowed to withdraw all of its forces from Afghanistan within 14 months if the Taliban lived up to its end of the deal, which included promises by the militant group to negotiate with the American-backed government in Kabul, to deny safe havens to terrorist groups such as the Islamic State and to take other steps to bring stability to the country.
‘Offensive’ mode
Some analysts say the very core of the peace deal appears to be hanging by a thread this week.
Not only have the Taliban and Afghan government failed to make serious progress in their direct talks, but the two sides also are on the verge of even greater conflict amid evidence of increasingly violent attacks by Islamic State factions.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday that he was directing the country’s military to position into an “offensive” mode.
Although the Taliban denied involvement in the maternity ward assault, Mr. Ghani suggested that the government continues to view the Taliban as no less dangerous than the Islamic State.
“In order to provide security for public places and to thwart attacks and threats from the Taliban and other terrorist groups, I am ordering Afghan security forces to switch from an active defense mode to an offensive one and to start their operations against the enemies,” he said in a televised address.
Whoever is ultimately responsible for the maternity ward assault, the exact motive of the violence is a subject of debate. The area reportedly is a home to many foreigners living in Kabul, but it is not known whether that was what made the ward a target for terrorists.
On the heels of the assault, Mr. Mohib, the Afghan national security adviser, unleashed a scathing series of posts on Twitter saying peace was never the Taliban’s goal.
“If the Taliban cannot control the violence, or their sponsors have now subcontracted their terror to other entities — which was one of our primary concerns from the beginning — then [there] seems little point in continuing to engage Taliban in ‘peace talks,’” he said. “The attacks of the last two months show us and the world that Taliban & their sponsors do not and did not intend to pursue peace. Their attacks this spring against Afghans are comparable to the level of fighting in past fighting seasons.”
Such comments, along with the Afghan military’s new offensive military posture toward the Taliban, could undermine the White House’s yearslong effort to wind down the longest war in American history.
U.S. troops have been fighting in Afghanistan since October 2001, when President George W. Bush ordered an American invasion to topple the Taliban and root out al Qaeda after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
President Trump has based much of his foreign policy on stopping “endless wars” in the Middle East. In recent weeks, he has reportedly pressed behind the scenes for an even quicker exit from Afghanistan.
Administration officials have condemned this week’s violence but have said little about the broader impact on the U.S. withdrawal plan.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday called for Kabul and the Taliban to work together. “The United States condemns in the strongest terms the two horrific terrorist attacks in Afghanistan,” he said in a statement. “We note the Taliban have denied any responsibility and condemned both attacks as heinous. The Taliban and the Afghan government should cooperate to bring the perpetrators to justice. As long as there is no sustained reduction in violence and insufficient progress towards a negotiated political settlement, Afghanistan will remain vulnerable to terrorism.”
The 3½-page peace deal signed by the U.S. and the Taliban in late February spelled out limited and specific Taliban commitments, including a vow to not threaten the security of the U.S., to not allow the country to be used by terrorists and to ultimately discuss a cease-fire with the government in Kabul.
Some analysts say there should have been no expectation that the Taliban would slow their attacks. “There is nothing in the … agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban that mentions a reduction [of] violence, let alone a cease-fire, as some U.S. officials are demanding,” said Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“Because of this, the Taliban will continue military operations against the Afghan government,” Mr. Roggio wrote in a blog post Tuesday.
• Lauren Meier contributed to this report.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Polis meets with Trump to secure coronavirus supplies

DENVER ( AP ) - Gov .
Jared Polis said Wednesday that President Donald Trump has committed to sending 96,000 tests for the coronavirus to Colorado in the next couple of days .
Polis met with the president in the White House earlier in the day to seek federal support for Colorado ’ s response to the coronavirus and to try to secure additional testing supplies and personal protective equipment .
“ I need to pursue all possible options that can provide lifesaving supplies for the people of Colorado and make sure that our president is not just sequestered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowledge of what ’ s really going on in the states on the ground , ” Polis said after the meeting .
The Democratic governor said the supplies will help the state reach its goal of testing at least 8,500 people a day .
Meanwhile , the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to deliver masks and personal protective equipment to nursing homes and senior centers across the state Monday .
Another shipment is expected to arrive later in the month .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
Early in the pandemic , Polis criticized FEMA for swooping in to buy personal protective equipment and other supplies that Colorado , like many states , had been negotiating for with private vendors .
He also expressed frustration at the free-for-all as states competed against each other to try to buy equipment , including ventilators and testing kits .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more diplomatic approach to working with the Trump administration .
“ The president and I have had our differences on different policies .
This is not a time to air differences on unrelated policies .
This is a time for all Americans to work together because we all have a common foe , ” Polis said .
- Colorado health officials announced Wednesday the state has received its first shipment of the anti-viral drug remdesivir from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .
The state received enough doses to treat about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week to eight hospital systems .
Remdesivir appears to help patients with the coronavirus who have severe symptoms and are on ventilators .
Associated Press writer James Anderson contributed to this report .

DENVER (AP) - Gov. Jared Polis said Wednesday that President Donald Trump has committed to sending 96,000 tests for the coronavirus to Colorado in the next couple of days.
Polis met with the president in the White House earlier in the day to seek federal support for Colorado’s response to the coronavirus and to try to secure additional testing supplies and personal protective equipment.
“I need to pursue all possible options that can provide lifesaving supplies for the people of Colorado and make sure that our president is not just sequestered in the White House and really has the knowledge of what’s really going on in the states on the ground,” Polis said after the meeting.
The Democratic governor said the supplies will help the state reach its goal of testing at least 8,500 people a day.
Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to deliver masks and personal protective equipment to nursing homes and senior centers across the state Monday. Another shipment is expected to arrive later in the month.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
Early in the pandemic, Polis criticized FEMA for swooping in to buy personal protective equipment and other supplies that Colorado, like many states, had been negotiating for with private vendors. He also expressed frustration at the free-for-all as states competed against each other to try to buy equipment, including ventilators and testing kits.
More recently, he has taken a more diplomatic approach to working with the Trump administration.
“The president and I have had our differences on different policies. This is not a time to air differences on unrelated policies. This is a time for all Americans to work together because we all have a common foe,” Polis said.
In other developments:
- Colorado health officials announced Wednesday the state has received its first shipment of the anti-viral drug remdesivir from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The state received enough doses to treat about 100 patients and started distributing the drug this week to eight hospital systems. Remdesivir appears to help patients with the coronavirus who have severe symptoms and are on ventilators.
___
Associated Press writer James Anderson contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Nondenominational churches lead charge against stay-at-home orders

Nondenominational congregations — including many Baptist churches — account for the majority of the two-dozen lawsuits filed around the U.S. seeking a return to in-person worship during the coronavirus pandemic .
Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant plaintiffs are noticeably absent from legal challenges filed in federal and state courthouses from Virginia ’ s coast to eastern Oregon , an analysis of lawsuits by The Washington Times shows .
The distinction is not lost on Douglas M. Strong , dean of the School of Theology and professor of the history of Christianity at Seattle Pacific University .
“ I think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re responding to the reopening reflects the bifurcation and the divide that we see in American culture and politics and even religion more broadly , ” Mr. Strong told The Washington Times .
“ It is true that nondenominational churches theologically and politically tend to be more conservative.
” Leaders of the United Methodist Church , the Presbyterian Church ( USA ) and even the Southern Baptist Convention have exercised caution about church gatherings .
Independent churches , however , have been the most vocal opponents to shutdowns of in-person worship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Becket , the Alliance Defending Freedom and First Liberty , congregations with as few as 80 members in rural Illinois to a megachurch with campuses spread across New Mexico and northern Texas have sued with varying degrees of success .
Independent Baptist churches have been particularly active , rooted in fidelity to the King James Version ( KJV ) of the Bible and broadly grouped as “ fundamentalists.
” “ Oftentimes these churches are very closely aligned to a political vision that emphasizes individual liberty , strong patriotism , freedom and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hill , ’ ” said Jeffrey W. Barbeau , professor of theology at Wheaton College .
“ Even though a mainline church might say that the practice of our faith is one of the most important parts of our faith that we cherish in America , we believe that care for others may actually trump our individual liberties … and they ’ ll opt-out , at least temporarily.
” A spate of lawsuits alleging a violation of the First Amendment right of religious practice emerged from several unaffiliated Baptist churches in April against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southern states such as Louisiana , Mississippi and Kentucky .
Last Friday , a federal judge ruled against Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear ’ s social distancing order , saying that if people can congregate at a Home Depot , they can do so in a church .
The independent Tabernacle Baptist Church Inc. of Nicholasville had argued that online and drive-in services “ do not meet the Lord ’ s requirement that the church meet together in person for corporate worship.
” “ As a legal matter , those rights [ religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Luke Goodrich , vice president and senior counsel at Becket .
“ Just like freedom of speech doesn ’ t mean you can spread defamatory lies about your neighbors , the freedom of religion doesn ’ t mean you can spread a dangerous virus to your neighbors.
” But some states , Mr. Goodrich says , are not uniformly applying restrictions against religious and non-religious assemblies , leading to the surge of lawsuits and the feeling among some that religion is being singled out .
The last two weeks has seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as an expansion in the types of denominations .
In Oregon last week , nearly a dozen parties — including congregants of a rural Presbyterian church — challenged Gov .
Kate Brown ’ s stay-at-home order , on religious freedom grounds .
A Lutheran minister of the Missouri Synod in Idaho also joined plaintiffs suing Gov .
Brad Little and the Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare , saying the threat of criminal sanctions for “ faith-based ” gatherings while allowing for delivery by Grubhub suggest the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrimination ” of Christianity .
This week , Word of Faith churches — a charismatic sect — in Michigan joined similar churches in California who filed a lawsuit last month against stay-at-home orders .
“ Allowing one person to wield absolute power is not a republican form of government , it is tyranny , ” said the lawsuit , filed by Northern Michigan Baptist Bible Church , Word of Faith Christian Center , and Whole Life Church , as well as individuals , against Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .
One group yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic Church .
While a small group of conservative Catholics last month urged bishops to “ restore the Sacraments , ” dioceses have stayed relatively patient at returning to face-to-face worship .
On April 30 , the U.S. bishops conference sent recommendations to Catholic prelates proposing guidelines for returning to Mass , including limiting groups to 10 or fewer congregants .
“ COVID-19 takes no prisoners , ” said Father Gregory Sakowicz , rector of Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago .
“ It involves every human being of every religious denomination.
” Father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps to return to a degree of normality .
When they do , he said , “ It ’ s not going to be business-as-usual and flip the lights on .
There will be a whole new set of norms about how we come back to church.
” Mainline Protestants have largely mirrored the Catholics ’ reaction to COVID-19 , as infections continue to rise across the nation .
A document titled “ Consideration for Returning to In-person Worship ” by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America notes that for most churches , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisable to gather for in-person worship for some time.
” In an address on COVID-19 , the Most Rev .
Michael B. Curry , presiding bishop of the Episcopal church , urged congregants to rely on “ God ’ s rubric of love ” to find a “ new normal.
” “ I ’ ve seen it , even when public health concerns supersede all other considerations , including in-person worship , ” said Bishop Curry , listing off online Bible studies and socially-distant soup kitchens .
But while many of the mainline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sanctuaries , they haven ’ t stayed on the sidelines .
In fact , for more traditional denominations , with a historical emphasis on social outreach , the novel coronavirus has demonstrated their commitment to churchly mission .
“ They ’ re on the frontline of the caregiving that our communities need , ” Mr. Barbeau said .
“ For people who would be hesitant to embrace the role of the church in the community they need to look again at the way that personal needs , physical but more emotional , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people of faith .
”

Nondenominational congregations — including many Baptist churches — account for the majority of the two-dozen lawsuits filed around the U.S. seeking a return to in-person worship during the coronavirus pandemic.
Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant plaintiffs are noticeably absent from legal challenges filed in federal and state courthouses from Virginia’s coast to eastern Oregon, an analysis of lawsuits by The Washington Times shows.
The distinction is not lost on Douglas M. Strong, dean of the School of Theology and professor of the history of Christianity at Seattle Pacific University.
“I think the divide in the U.S. churches and how they’re responding to the reopening reflects the bifurcation and the divide that we see in American culture and politics and even religion more broadly,” Mr. Strong told The Washington Times. “It is true that nondenominational churches theologically and politically tend to be more conservative.”
Leaders of the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and even the Southern Baptist Convention have exercised caution about church gatherings. Independent churches, however, have been the most vocal opponents to shutdowns of in-person worship.
Backed by religious liberty law firms such as Becket, the Alliance Defending Freedom and First Liberty, congregations with as few as 80 members in rural Illinois to a megachurch with campuses spread across New Mexico and northern Texas have sued with varying degrees of success.
Independent Baptist churches have been particularly active, rooted in fidelity to the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible and broadly grouped as “fundamentalists.”
“Oftentimes these churches are very closely aligned to a political vision that emphasizes individual liberty, strong patriotism, freedom and America being a ‘city on the hill,’” said Jeffrey W. Barbeau, professor of theology at Wheaton College. “Even though a mainline church might say that the practice of our faith is one of the most important parts of our faith that we cherish in America, we believe that care for others may actually trump our individual liberties … and they’ll opt-out, at least temporarily.”
A spate of lawsuits alleging a violation of the First Amendment right of religious practice emerged from several unaffiliated Baptist churches in April against governors’ and mayors’ orders in Southern states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky.
Last Friday, a federal judge ruled against Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s social distancing order, saying that if people can congregate at a Home Depot, they can do so in a church. The independent Tabernacle Baptist Church Inc. of Nicholasville had argued that online and drive-in services “do not meet the Lord’s requirement that the church meet together in person for corporate worship.”
“As a legal matter, those rights [religious freedom] are not absolute,” said Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. “Just like freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can spread defamatory lies about your neighbors, the freedom of religion doesn’t mean you can spread a dangerous virus to your neighbors.”
But some states, Mr. Goodrich says, are not uniformly applying restrictions against religious and non-religious assemblies, leading to the surge of lawsuits and the feeling among some that religion is being singled out.
The last two weeks has seen a jump in lawsuits from across the country, as well as an expansion in the types of denominations. In Oregon last week, nearly a dozen parties — including congregants of a rural Presbyterian church — challenged Gov. Kate Brown’s stay-at-home order, on religious freedom grounds.
A Lutheran minister of the Missouri Synod in Idaho also joined plaintiffs suing Gov. Brad Little and the Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, saying the threat of criminal sanctions for “faith-based” gatherings while allowing for delivery by Grubhub suggest the Republican governor has engaged in “targeted discrimination” of Christianity.
This week, Word of Faith churches — a charismatic sect — in Michigan joined similar churches in California who filed a lawsuit last month against stay-at-home orders.
“Allowing one person to wield absolute power is not a republican form of government, it is tyranny,” said the lawsuit, filed by Northern Michigan Baptist Bible Church, Word of Faith Christian Center, and Whole Life Church, as well as individuals, against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
One group yet to join any lawsuits is the Roman Catholic Church. While a small group of conservative Catholics last month urged bishops to “restore the Sacraments,” dioceses have stayed relatively patient at returning to face-to-face worship.
On April 30, the U.S. bishops conference sent recommendations to Catholic prelates proposing guidelines for returning to Mass, including limiting groups to 10 or fewer congregants.
“COVID-19 takes no prisoners,” said Father Gregory Sakowicz, rector of Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. “It involves every human being of every religious denomination.”
Father Sakowicz says his parish has taken small steps to return to a degree of normality. When they do, he said, “It’s not going to be business-as-usual and flip the lights on. There will be a whole new set of norms about how we come back to church.”
Mainline Protestants have largely mirrored the Catholics’ reaction to COVID-19, as infections continue to rise across the nation.
A document titled “Consideration for Returning to In-person Worship” by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America notes that for most churches, “it will not be safe or advisable to gather for in-person worship for some time.”
In an address on COVID-19, the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal church, urged congregants to rely on “God’s rubric of love” to find a “new normal.”
“I’ve seen it, even when public health concerns supersede all other considerations, including in-person worship,” said Bishop Curry, listing off online Bible studies and socially-distant soup kitchens.
But while many of the mainline churches have stayed out of courthouses, and sanctuaries, they haven’t stayed on the sidelines. In fact, for more traditional denominations, with a historical emphasis on social outreach, the novel coronavirus has demonstrated their commitment to churchly mission.
“They’re on the frontline of the caregiving that our communities need,” Mr. Barbeau said. “For people who would be hesitant to embrace the role of the church in the community they need to look again at the way that personal needs, physical but more emotional, are being dealt with by our pastors and people of faith.”
• Christopher Vondracek can be reached at cvondracek@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Emmet Sullivan mulls Michael Flynn contempt charge

A federal judge late Wednesday suggested he may pursue contempt charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn for perjuring himself by abandoning an earlier guilty plea to a charge of lying to the FBI .
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan also tapped a retired federal judge to argue against the Justice Department ’ s motion to drop the charges against Flynn .
John Gleeson , who served on the bench for 22 years and before that was a federal prosecutor , will serve as a friend of the court to oppose the Justice Department ’ s push to dismiss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will argue “ whether the court should issue an Order to show Cause why Mr. Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury.
” The brief one-page order does not say why Flynn could be held in contempt for perjury .
It is likely the contempt charge stems from declaring under oath at two different court proceedings that he was guilty of lying to the FBI .
Flynn later reversed course in January and claimed he never lied .
He had pleaded guilty in late 2017 and again in 2018 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Sergey Kislyak , Russia ’ s then-ambassador to the U.S. , in the transition period before Mr. Trump took office .
Judge Sullivan , an appointee of President Clinton , said Tuesday he would allow interested third parties to weigh in on the Flynn case , a move delaying the Justice Department ’ s push to drop criminal charges against Flynn .
Also on Wednesday Judge Sullivan temporarily halted a filing by 16 former Watergate prosecutors urging him to reject the Justice Department ’ s call to dismiss the Flynn case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their brief after he adopts a schedule for third parties to comment on the case .

A federal judge late Wednesday suggested he may pursue contempt charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn for perjuring himself by abandoning an earlier guilty plea to a charge of lying to the FBI.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan also tapped a retired federal judge to argue against the Justice Department’s motion to drop the charges against Flynn.
John Gleeson, who served on the bench for 22 years and before that was a federal prosecutor, will serve as a friend of the court to oppose the Justice Department’s push to dismiss Flynn’s case.
Judge Gleeson will argue “whether the court should issue an Order to show Cause why Mr. Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury.”
The brief one-page order does not say why Flynn could be held in contempt for perjury. It is likely the contempt charge stems from declaring under oath at two different court proceedings that he was guilty of lying to the FBI.
Flynn later reversed course in January and claimed he never lied. He had pleaded guilty in late 2017 and again in 2018 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Sergey Kislyak, Russia’s then-ambassador to the U.S., in the transition period before Mr. Trump took office.
Judge Sullivan, an appointee of President Clinton, said Tuesday he would allow interested third parties to weigh in on the Flynn case, a move delaying the Justice Department’s push to drop criminal charges against Flynn.
Also on Wednesday Judge Sullivan temporarily halted a filing by 16 former Watergate prosecutors urging him to reject the Justice Department’s call to dismiss the Flynn case.
Judge Sullivan said the prosecutors can refile their brief after he adopts a schedule for third parties to comment on the case.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Louisiana prison guard fired, later charged with battery

BATON ROUGE , La .
( AP ) - A high-ranking guard at Louisiana ’ s maximum-security prison has been fired and faces charges for allegedly using excessive force against an inmate .
The Louisiana Department of Corrections , in a news release Wednesday , said Lt. Barrett Boeker violated several department rules in a March 19 incident involving an inmate .
Boeker has worked at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola since 2001 .
An investigation determined that Boeker argued with the inmate and then sprayed the man inside his cell with a fire extinguisher .
Boeker told investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fire inside the cell .
Investigators later determined there was no fire .
The department said Boeker violated several policies including using excessive force , failing to follow orders , making false statements and failing to perform his duties as an officer .
“ We will not tolerate this type of behavior , ” said Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James M. Le Blanc .
The department turned over its file to the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff ’ s Office , resulting in Boeker being charged with misdemeanor simple battery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appear before a judge on the charge .
It was unknown if Boeker has an attorney who could speak on his behalf .

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A high-ranking guard at Louisiana’s maximum-security prison has been fired and faces charges for allegedly using excessive force against an inmate.
The Louisiana Department of Corrections, in a news release Wednesday, said Lt. Barrett Boeker violated several department rules in a March 19 incident involving an inmate. Boeker has worked at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola since 2001.
An investigation determined that Boeker argued with the inmate and then sprayed the man inside his cell with a fire extinguisher. Boeker told investigators he sprayed the extinguisher because there was a fire inside the cell. Investigators later determined there was no fire.
The department said Boeker violated several policies including using excessive force, failing to follow orders, making false statements and failing to perform his duties as an officer.
“We will not tolerate this type of behavior,” said Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James M. Le Blanc.
The department turned over its file to the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office, resulting in Boeker being charged with misdemeanor simple battery. He was issued a summons Monday to appear before a judge on the charge. It was unknown if Boeker has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Developer will plead guilty in Los Angeles corruption case

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - A real estate developer accused of bribing a Los Angeles city council member and other officials has agreed to plead guilty to a federal racketeering conspiracy charge .
The plea agreement by George Chiang , 41 , of Los Angeles was filed Wednesday in federal court .
He could face up to 20 years in prison .
In the agreement , Chiang acknowleges that while serving as a consultant to a China-based real estate development company , he helped funnel tens of thousands of dollars worth of cash and services to a councilman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member and a city employee who later became a deputy mayor and then Chiang ’ s business partner .
In return , the council member - identified in court papers only as “ Councilmember A ” - agreed to support the company ’ s development project , prosecutors said .
Chiang is the third person to reach a plea agreement in an ongoing corruption investigation .
In March , former councilman Mitchell Englander agreed to plea guilty to obstructing an investigation into his acceptance of tens of thousands of dollars in cash , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A political fundraiser , Justin Jangwoo Kim , agreed to plead guilty to coordinating a $ 500,000 bribe in 2017 .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A real estate developer accused of bribing a Los Angeles city council member and other officials has agreed to plead guilty to a federal racketeering conspiracy charge.
The plea agreement by George Chiang, 41, of Los Angeles was filed Wednesday in federal court. He could face up to 20 years in prison.
In the agreement, Chiang acknowleges that while serving as a consultant to a China-based real estate development company, he helped funnel tens of thousands of dollars worth of cash and services to a councilman, a relative and several associates of the member and a city employee who later became a deputy mayor and then Chiang’s business partner.
In return, the council member - identified in court papers only as “Councilmember A” - agreed to support the company’s development project, prosecutors said.
Chiang is the third person to reach a plea agreement in an ongoing corruption investigation.
In March, former councilman Mitchell Englander agreed to plea guilty to obstructing an investigation into his acceptance of tens of thousands of dollars in cash, female escort services and other perks.
A political fundraiser, Justin Jangwoo Kim, agreed to plead guilty to coordinating a $500,000 bribe in 2017.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Utah tax revenues could fall by over $1 billion next year

SALT LAKE CITY ( AP ) - Revenues could be down more than a billion dollars in Utah ’ s budget next year due to the coronavirus pandemic ’ s devastating effects on the economy , lawmakers learned as they prepared for widespread budget cuts during a Wednesday hearing .
State agencies will face cuts of up to 10 % at a special session , likely next month amid a steep economic decline as businesses close to halt the spread of the virus .
It causes flu-like symptoms that can be fatal .
More than 6,600 people have been infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The education budget could also take a hit , likely dissipating much of a hard-fought funding increase deal announced a few months ago .
Democratic Sen. Luz Escamilla questioned the plan for widespread cuts to things like social services at a time when many families are especially in need .
Republican Rep. Brad Last acknowledged those concerns and said discussions about those and other programs will be key in coming weeks .
State analysts estimate that revenues will drop by a low of nearly $ 600 million and could mount to $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which starts in July .
This budget year could see its own losses of up to $ 600 million .
The state does have a significant rainy-day funds worth up to $ 5.4 billion , though not all that money is easily accessible .

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Revenues could be down more than a billion dollars in Utah’s budget next year due to the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating effects on the economy, lawmakers learned as they prepared for widespread budget cuts during a Wednesday hearing.
State agencies will face cuts of up to 10% at a special session, likely next month amid a steep economic decline as businesses close to halt the spread of the virus. It causes flu-like symptoms that can be fatal. More than 6,600 people have been infected in Utah, and 75 have died.
The education budget could also take a hit, likely dissipating much of a hard-fought funding increase deal announced a few months ago.
Democratic Sen. Luz Escamilla questioned the plan for widespread cuts to things like social services at a time when many families are especially in need. Republican Rep. Brad Last acknowledged those concerns and said discussions about those and other programs will be key in coming weeks.
State analysts estimate that revenues will drop by a low of nearly $600 million and could mount to $1.3 billion during fiscal year 2021, which starts in July. This budget year could see its own losses of up to $600 million.
The state does have a significant rainy-day funds worth up to $5.4 billion, though not all that money is easily accessible.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Landfill searched in case of missing ASU prof believed dead

PHOENIX ( AP ) - A landfill west of Phoenix is being searched for evidence in the case of an @ @ @ @ @ ’ s believed dead , authorities said Wednesday .
Maricopa County Sheriff ’ s officials @ @ @ @ @ earlier this year and investigators later determined he was the victim of a homicide .
@ @ @ @ @ led them to the Northwest Regional Landfill in Surprise in a search for additional evidence @ @ @ @ @ TV station KTVK reports Chae was an electrical engineering professor at ASU ’ s main @ @ @ @ @ the school ’ s faculty in 2005 .
Sheriff ’ s officials said their investigation @ @ @ @ @ detectives assumed the probe four days later .
Additional details weren ’ t being released @ @ @ @ @ because they said it could jeopardize the case .

PHOENIX (AP) - A landfill west of Phoenix is being searched for evidence in the case of an Arizona State University professor who’s believed dead, authorities said Wednesday.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s officials said Junseok Chae went missing earlier this year and investigators later determined he was the victim of a homicide.
They said their investigation has led them to the Northwest Regional Landfill in Surprise in a search for additional evidence in the case.
Phoenix TV station KTVK reports Chae was an electrical engineering professor at ASU’s main campus in Tempe and joined the school’s faculty in 2005.
Sheriff’s officials said their investigation began March 25 and homicide detectives assumed the probe four days later.
Additional details weren’t being released by sheriff’s officials because they said it could jeopardize the case.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--DOJ: Reality star spent emergency loan on Rolex, Rolls Royce

ATLANTA ( AP ) - A reality TV star in Atlanta used an emergency loan from the federal government to lease a Rolls Royce , make child support payments and purchase $ 85,000 worth of jewelry , authorities said Wednesday .
Maurice Fayne , who goes by Arkansas Mo on the VH1 show “ Love & Hip Hop : Atlanta , ” was arrested Monday on a charge of bank fraud , the Department of Justice said in a news release .
Fayne , 37 , is the sole owner of transportation business Flame Trucking and in April he applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was offering to small businesses decimated by the coronavirus pandemic , officials said .
In his application , Fayne stated his business employed 107 employees with an an average monthly payroll of $ 1,490,200 , the release said .
Fayne requested a Paycheck Protection Program loan for over $ 3 million and received a little over $ 2 million , officials said .
He used more than $ 1.5 million of the loan to purchase jewelry , including a Rolex Presidential watch and a 5.73 carat diamond ring , the release said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wraith and paid $ 40,000 in child support .
“ At a time when small businesses are struggling for survival , we can not tolerate anyone driven by personal greed , who misdirects federal emergency assistance earmarked for keeping businesses afloat , ” said Chris Hacker , Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta .
When he met with investigators last week , Fayne denied spending the loan on anything besides payroll and business expenses .
But on Monday , federal agents searched Fayne ’ s home and seized the jewelry and around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9,400 Fayne had in his pockets , the release said .
It ’ s unclear whether Fayne had an attorney who could comment on his behalf .
Fayne appeared on several episodes of “ Love & Hip Hop : Atlanta ” as the love interest of Karlie Redd , a longtime cast member , news outlets reported .

ATLANTA (AP) - A reality TV star in Atlanta used an emergency loan from the federal government to lease a Rolls Royce, make child support payments and purchase $85,000 worth of jewelry, authorities said Wednesday.
Maurice Fayne, who goes by Arkansas Mo on the VH1 show “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” was arrested Monday on a charge of bank fraud, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
Fayne, 37, is the sole owner of transportation business Flame Trucking and in April he applied for a loan that the federal government was offering to small businesses decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. In his application, Fayne stated his business employed 107 employees with an an average monthly payroll of $1,490,200, the release said.
Fayne requested a Paycheck Protection Program loan for over $3 million and received a little over $2 million, officials said.
He used more than $1.5 million of the loan to purchase jewelry, including a Rolex Presidential watch and a 5.73 carat diamond ring, the release said. Fayne also leased a 2019 Rolls Royce Wraith and paid $40,000 in child support.
“At a time when small businesses are struggling for survival, we cannot tolerate anyone driven by personal greed, who misdirects federal emergency assistance earmarked for keeping businesses afloat,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.
When he met with investigators last week, Fayne denied spending the loan on anything besides payroll and business expenses. But on Monday, federal agents searched Fayne’s home and seized the jewelry and around $80,000 in cash, including $9,400 Fayne had in his pockets, the release said.
It’s unclear whether Fayne had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Fayne appeared on several episodes of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” as the love interest of Karlie Redd, a longtime cast member, news outlets reported.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Illinois coroner blames overdose spike in part on virus

WHEATON , Ill. ( AP ) - There has been a spike in opioid overdose deaths in a northern Illinois county in recent weeks and it could be because of increased isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic , a coroner said Wednesday .
DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen said 20 people in the county have died from overdoses in the past three weeks , in comparison to 96 in all of 2019 .
“ We do not know if this is due to a change in the makeup of the drugs , drug usage on the streets or due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jorgensen said in a statement .
Many of the recent deaths were people who lived alone , were having personal or marital difficulty , depression and recent treatment for drug use , he said .
There was no demographic pattern in the new fatalities , and the overdoses were “ found in all areas of the county , ” Jorgensen said .
DuPage County State ’ s Attorney Bob Berlin said efforts to fight the illegal use of opioids should not be ignored while attention is focused on the pandemic .
The nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic that has claimed too many lives and must not be forgotten , ” Berlin said .
Jorgensen said he wants members of the public to check in on people at high risk of overdose , noting difficult times are made worse when a person misuses drugs , has mental health issues or both .

WHEATON, Ill. (AP) - There has been a spike in opioid overdose deaths in a northern Illinois county in recent weeks and it could be because of increased isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, a coroner said Wednesday.
DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen said 20 people in the county have died from overdoses in the past three weeks, in comparison to 96 in all of 2019.
“We do not know if this is due to a change in the makeup of the drugs, drug usage on the streets or due to current COVID-19-related changes in society,” Jorgensen said in a statement.
Many of the recent deaths were people who lived alone, were having personal or marital difficulty, depression and recent treatment for drug use, he said. There was no demographic pattern in the new fatalities, and the overdoses were “found in all areas of the county,” Jorgensen said.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said efforts to fight the illegal use of opioids should not be ignored while attention is focused on the pandemic. The nation is still facing a “severe opioid epidemic that has claimed too many lives and must not be forgotten,” Berlin said.
Jorgensen said he wants members of the public to check in on people at high risk of overdose, noting difficult times are made worse when a person misuses drugs, has mental health issues or both.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Beckett Cypher, Melissa Etheridge's son, dies at 21

The death was announced Wednesday on the singer ’ s Twitter account Wednesday .
No cause of death or other @ @ @ @ @ tweet said the daily Facebook Live concert Etheridge has been giving during the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re sad to inform you that Melissa ’ s son Beckett passed away @ @ @ @ @ a Concerts From Home show today , ” the tweet read .
Beckett Cypher was @ @ @ @ @ had with former partner Julie Cypher , conceived with sperm from Rock & Roll Hall @ @ @ @ @ Their daughter Bailey Jean Cypher was born in 1997 , Beckett Cypher in 1998 .
@ @ @ @ @ winner , singer-songwriter and activist , also has 13-year-old twins .
Her representatives did not @ @ @ @ @ .

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Melissa Etheridge said Wednesday that her son Beckett Cypher has died.
Etheridge released a statement saying opioid addiction was behind Cypher’s death.
“Today I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction,” the statement said. “My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today.”
No further details on the death were revealed.
Hours earlier, Etheridge’s Twitter account had announced the death of Cypher, one of two children the 58-year-old singer had with former partner Julie Cypher, conceived with sperm from Rock & Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby.
The daily Facebook Live concert Etheridge has been giving during the coronavirus outbreak was canceled.
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“My heart is broken,” Etheridge’s statement said. “We struggle with what else we could have done to save him, and in the end we know he is out of the pain now. I will sing again, soon. It has always healed me.”
Etheridge and Julie Cypher had a daughter, Bailey Jean Cypher, in 1997. Beckett Cypher was born the following year. The couple split in 2000.
Etheridge, a 58-year-old Grammy winner, singer-songwriter and activist, also has 13-year-old twins.
Crosby retweeted a news story announcing the death, but he has not commented.


washingtontimes--2020-05-13--Mike Garcia, Tom Tiffany win in California, Wisconsin special elections

After suffering a series of defeats in Trump-era special elections , Republicans say they ’ ve found their footing after notching two victories this week , including in California .
The results provided a snapshot of the political landscape less than six months before voters will decide whether to reelect President Trump and whether Republicans or Democrats will control Congress .
On Wednesday , the GOP took a victory lap , claiming wins in Wisconsin ’ s 7th congressional district and in northern Los Angeles County ’ s 25th congressional district , where Republican Mike Garcia was declared a 56 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith .
“ Last night ’ s results took a flamethrower to Democrats ’ absurd narrative that they have any chance of picking up seats , ” said Michael McAdams , spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee .
“ Voters made it crystal clear they want nothing to do with Democrats ’ socialist agenda of raising taxes and abolishing private health insurance , which is the exact opposite of what House Democrats promised voters in 2018.
” Mr. Garcia , a former Navy fighter pilot , will serve the remainder of Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms. Hill was billed as a budding star when she won the seat as part of the Democratic takeover of the House in 2018 .
But everything unraveled for Ms. Hill last year after compromising photos and purported text messages from her to a campaign staffer were published online .
The scandal led to an ethics complaint and her resignation last year .
Ms. Hill blamed political operatives and her ex-husband for weaponizing explicit private photos against her .
Mr. Garcia ’ s victory marks a shift from 2016 , when Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 points over Mr. Trump .
“ The outcome … should be of some concern to the Democrats , but that it ’ s not necessarily a major victory for the Republicans , ” said Louis DeSipio , a political science professor at the University of California , Irvine .
Mr. DeSipio said the district has been trending blue , but said it is not surprising that Democrats struggled with turnout given it is an off-cycle election and there is a pandemic .
“ The Republicans will certainly get some short-term bragging rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge that he and the Republicans will face , however , is that he will need to win again in November with an electorate that will likely be more Democratic.
” Meanwhile , the seat in Wisconsin — a state that could determine the presidential race this fall — opened up after GOP Rep. Sean Duffy resigned , citing family health matters .
Republican Tom Tiffany defeated Tricia Zunker by a 57 % -42.8 % margin in the district , which Mr. Trump carried by 20 points over Mrs. Clinton .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here but I think it would be a mistake to read too much into it , ” said Brian Fraley , a Wisconsin-based Republican strategist .
Mr. Fraley said Mr. Tiffany was a good fit for the district and said the margin of victory was widely expected .
“ Wisconsin is going to be a battleground this year with a razor-thin margin , ” he said .
“ Why ?
Something I ’ ve not seen pre-Trump .
Among white Wisconsin voters , it ’ s a battle between Joe Lunchpail and Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week found presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden leading Mr. Trump by a 4-point margin , and that the support split sharply along gender lines .
Mr. Biden led Mr. Trump among women voters by 22 points , and Mr. Trump led Mr. Biden among men by 18 points .
The races Tuesday were the first to play out since Tara Reade accused Mr. Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 .
Mr. Biden denies the charge , which the GOP has channeled into attacks against down-ticket Democrats .

After suffering a series of defeats in Trump-era special elections, Republicans say they’ve found their footing after notching two victories this week, including in California.
The results provided a snapshot of the political landscape less than six months before voters will decide whether to reelect President Trump and whether Republicans or Democrats will control Congress.
On Wednesday, the GOP took a victory lap, claiming wins in Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district and in northern Los Angeles County’s 25th congressional district, where Republican Mike Garcia was declared a 56%-44% winner over Democrat Christy Smith.
“Last night’s results took a flamethrower to Democrats’ absurd narrative that they have any chance of picking up seats,” said Michael McAdams, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “Voters made it crystal clear they want nothing to do with Democrats’ socialist agenda of raising taxes and abolishing private health insurance, which is the exact opposite of what House Democrats promised voters in 2018.”
Mr. Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot, will serve the remainder of Rep. Katie Hill’s first term.
Ms. Hill was billed as a budding star when she won the seat as part of the Democratic takeover of the House in 2018.
But everything unraveled for Ms. Hill last year after compromising photos and purported text messages from her to a campaign staffer were published online.
The scandal led to an ethics complaint and her resignation last year.
Ms. Hill blamed political operatives and her ex-husband for weaponizing explicit private photos against her.
Mr. Garcia’s victory marks a shift from 2016, when Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton carried the district by 7 points over Mr. Trump.
“The outcome … should be of some concern to the Democrats, but that it’s not necessarily a major victory for the Republicans,” said Louis DeSipio, a political science professor at the University of California, Irvine.
Mr. DeSipio said the district has been trending blue, but said it is not surprising that Democrats struggled with turnout given it is an off-cycle election and there is a pandemic.
“The Republicans will certainly get some short-term bragging rights,” he said. “The challenge that he and the Republicans will face, however, is that he will need to win again in November with an electorate that will likely be more Democratic.”
Meanwhile, the seat in Wisconsin — a state that could determine the presidential race this fall — opened up after GOP Rep. Sean Duffy resigned, citing family health matters.
Republican Tom Tiffany defeated Tricia Zunker by a 57%-42.8% margin in the district, which Mr. Trump carried by 20 points over Mrs. Clinton.
“This was a good win for the GOP here but I think it would be a mistake to read too much into it,” said Brian Fraley, a Wisconsin-based Republican strategist.
Mr. Fraley said Mr. Tiffany was a good fit for the district and said the margin of victory was widely expected.
“Wisconsin is going to be a battleground this year with a razor-thin margin,” he said. “Why? Something I’ve not seen pre-Trump. Among white Wisconsin voters, it’s a battle between Joe Lunchpail and Nancy Soccermom.”
A Marquette University poll released this week found presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden leading Mr. Trump by a 4-point margin, and that the support split sharply along gender lines.
Mr. Biden led Mr. Trump among women voters by 22 points, and Mr. Trump led Mr. Biden among men by 18 points.
The races Tuesday were the first to play out since Tara Reade accused Mr. Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993.
Mr. Biden denies the charge, which the GOP has channeled into attacks against down-ticket Democrats.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-14--Woman's body found in western Michigan hotel room

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP , Mich. ( AP ) - The body of a 52-year-old woman has been found in a western @ @ @ @ @ County sheriff ’ s deputies were called to the Holland Township hotel about 1:45 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ the victim expressed concern to authorities about her well-being , according to the sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ the Holland woman was last seen at the hotel .
Her 31-year-old son-in-law fled the @ @ @ @ @ s vehicle , the sheriff ’ s office said .
He later was arrested by @ @ @ @ @ , Indiana , area and was being held as a suspect in the case .

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - The body of a 52-year-old woman has been found in a western Michigan hotel room.
Ottawa County sheriff’s deputies were called to the Holland Township hotel about 1:45 a.m. Thursday after a relative of the victim expressed concern to authorities about her well-being, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities learned the Holland woman was last seen at the hotel.
Her 31-year-old son-in-law fled the hotel in the victim’s vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
He later was arrested by police in the South Bend, Indiana, area and was being held as a suspect in the case.
Holland Township is southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan.


washingtontimes--2020-05-14--Milwaukee twins accepted to 37 colleges, pick Marquette

MILWAUKEE ( AP ) - A set of identical twins from Milwaukee have a lot more in common than their appearances .
Arielle and Arianna Williams are graduating from high school at the top of their class .
The twins have the two highest grade point averages in their class at Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy and have each been accepted to 37 colleges .
“ Honestly we were pushing for 40 college acceptances , but we ended up getting like 37 .
I was like oh man , but we still did good , ” Arianna Williams , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other , the twins ’ relationship is the exact opposite .
“ I honestly have two chances of winning either through me or my sister , so it ’ s like either one of us is fine with me , ” Arianna said .
WTMJ-TV reports the sisters will be first generation college students and will graduate nearly debt free with the promise of hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship money .
The Williams twins say they decided to stay local and will be going to Marquette University to study nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to do as long as you put your mind to it , ” Arielle said .

MILWAUKEE (AP) - A set of identical twins from Milwaukee have a lot more in common than their appearances.
Arielle and Arianna Williams are graduating from high school at the top of their class. The twins have the two highest grade point averages in their class at Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy and have each been accepted to 37 colleges.
“Honestly we were pushing for 40 college acceptances, but we ended up getting like 37. I was like oh man, but we still did good,” Arianna Williams, said.
While siblings can be competitive with each other, the twins’ relationship is the exact opposite.
“I honestly have two chances of winning either through me or my sister, so it’s like either one of us is fine with me,” Arianna said.
WTMJ-TV reports the sisters will be first generation college students and will graduate nearly debt free with the promise of hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship money.
The Williams twins say they decided to stay local and will be going to Marquette University to study nursing.
“You can do anything you want to do as long as you put your mind to it,” Arielle said.


washingtontimes--2020-05-14--Police investigate shooting death of Kansas City man

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
( AP ) - Police in Kansas City are investigating that city ’ s latest @ @ @ @ @ late Wednesday night to the northeastern part of Kansas City for reports of gunshots , @ @ @ @ @ release .
Arriving officers found a man down in the street who had been shot @ @ @ @ @ was rushed by ambulance to a Kansas City hospital , where he later died .
@ @ @ @ @ victim ’ s name , and no arrests in the case had been reported by @ @ @ @ @ happened only blocks from where another shooting homicide took place earlier this week , but @ @ @ @ @ killings are related , police said .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Police in Kansas City are investigating that city’s latest homicide.
Officers were called late Wednesday night to the northeastern part of Kansas City for reports of gunshots, according to a police news release. Arriving officers found a man down in the street who had been shot several times. The man was rushed by ambulance to a Kansas City hospital, where he later died.
Police had not released the victim’s name, and no arrests in the case had been reported by Thursday morning.
The shooting happened only blocks from where another shooting homicide took place earlier this week, but investigators do not believe the killings are related, police said.


washingtontimes--2020-05-14--Sergeant fired in school shooting response to get job back

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. ( AP ) - A Florida sheriff ’ s sergeant fired because he sat in a parked car during a 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will get his job back along with back pay , according to a statement from the union that represents deputies .
The arbitrator dismissed the case against Brian Miller after finding that his due process rights were violated when Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony terminated him , the South Florida SunSentinel reported .
A former student gunned down 17 people and injured 17 others when he entered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Day with an assault-style rifle .
He is currently awaiting trial in Broward County .
On the day of the shooting , the deputy assigned to the high school , Scot Peterson , took cover while the gunman was inside the building shooting students , an investigation found .
He was later fired and charged with multiple counts of child neglect .
The shooting exposed widespread failures at the sheriff ’ s office , and eventually led to the ouster of Sheriff Scott Israel .
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis replaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deputies Joshua Stambaugh and Edward Eason .
Miller was the first supervisor on the scene of the shooting , arriving in time to hear three or four shots , records show .
A state commission assembled to investigate the shooting found that Miller took his time putting on a bulletproof vest and hid behind his car .
“ Miller failed to coordinate or direct deputies ’ actions and did not direct or coordinate an immediate response into the school , ” a report from the commission said .

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida sheriff’s sergeant fired because he sat in a parked car during a 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will get his job back along with back pay, according to a statement from the union that represents deputies.
The arbitrator dismissed the case against Brian Miller after finding that his due process rights were violated when Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony terminated him, the South Florida SunSentinel reported.
Miller earned around $137,000 a year in 2018.
A former student gunned down 17 people and injured 17 others when he entered the Parkland, Florida, school on Valentine’s Day with an assault-style rifle. He is currently awaiting trial in Broward County.
On the day of the shooting, the deputy assigned to the high school, Scot Peterson, took cover while the gunman was inside the building shooting students, an investigation found. He was later fired and charged with multiple counts of child neglect.
The shooting exposed widespread failures at the sheriff’s office, and eventually led to the ouster of Sheriff Scott Israel.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced Israel with Tony, who fired Miller and deputies Joshua Stambaugh and Edward Eason.
Miller was the first supervisor on the scene of the shooting, arriving in time to hear three or four shots, records show. A state commission assembled to investigate the shooting found that Miller took his time putting on a bulletproof vest and hid behind his car.
“Miller failed to coordinate or direct deputies’ actions and did not direct or coordinate an immediate response into the school,” a report from the commission said.


washingtontimes--2020-05-14--Donald Trump: Republicans would get sick at the thought of committing voter fraud

President Trump said a primary beef with House Democrats ’ new $ 3 trillion coronavirus rescue package lies in the bill ’ s expanded vote-by-mail provisions and that Republicans would become ill at the mere thought of committing voter fraud .
“ Voting by mail is very dangerous because people can grab ‘ em , people can take that proxy , sign a name , they can do all sorts of things , ” Mr. Trump said in an interview that aired Thursday on Fox Business Network .
“ The level of dishonesty with Democrat voting is unbelievable , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican to vote twice , they ’ d get sick at even the thought of it , and you have people that vote numerous times .
What ’ s happening is crazy.
” “ So now they want to send out vote by mail — who knows who ’ s signing this stuff ?
” he said .
In addition to billions more in coronavirus aid , the House Democrats ’ bill would expand access to voting by mail for federal elections .
Democrats said the move is necessary to prevent people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the polls amid the coronavirus pandemic .

President Trump said a primary beef with House Democrats’ new $3 trillion coronavirus rescue package lies in the bill’s expanded vote-by-mail provisions and that Republicans would become ill at the mere thought of committing voter fraud.
“Voting by mail is very dangerous because people can grab ‘em, people can take that proxy, sign a name, they can do all sorts of things,” Mr. Trump said in an interview that aired Thursday on Fox Business Network.
“The level of dishonesty with Democrat voting is unbelievable,” he said. “If you told a Republican to vote twice, they’d get sick at even the thought of it, and you have people that vote numerous times. What’s happening is crazy.”
“So now they want to send out vote by mail — who knows who’s signing this stuff?” he said.
Mr. Trump pointed to California, which allows a practice known as “ballot harvesting” in which volunteers can collect other people’s absentee ballots, as a prime example.
Rep. Devin Nunes said on Wednesday that Democrats have forced the GOP to adopt the tactic or get left behind.
“Even though we don’t like it, we don’t want to, but we are forced to have to ballot harvest because it’s the only way to win,” the California Republican said on Fox News.
Republican Mike Garcia defeated Democrat Christy Smith in a special congressional election in California this week that was conducted largely by mail.
“As long as we have a robust ballot harvesting operation in November — and I hate saying that because it’s illegal in 49 states — I think Mike Garcia is in good shape to hold onto that seat,” Mr. Nunes said.
In addition to billions more in coronavirus aid, the House Democrats’ bill would expand access to voting by mail for federal elections.
Democrats said the move is necessary to prevent people from being forced to physically go to the polls amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. Trump, himself, voted absentee by mail in the Florida primary earlier this year.
“You know why I voted? Because I happened to be in the White House, and I won’t be able to go to Florida and vote,” the president said last month.
Members of the military also routinely vote absentee by mail, and a handful of states have already moved to voting virtually 100% by mail.
North Carolina had to hold a special election for the state’s 9th Congressional District seat last year. The 2018 results were thrown out after a Republican operative was charged with illegally collecting absentee ballots on behalf of the GOP candidate.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.