washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Annual Lennon tribute, in 40th year, goes online

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Like many other events , an annual John Lennon tribute concert that takes place in his adopted city of New York on his Oct. 9 birthday has been forced online because of the coronavirus pandemic .
There was no way it was being canceled , not on what would have been Lennon ’ s 80th birthday , not on the tribute ’ s 40th year .
“ The idea of not celebrating John , of stopping after 39 years , never crossed my mind , ” said Joe Raiola , the tribute ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Within organization .
Raiola had booked the Town Hall venue for this year ’ s show .
With the pandemic forcing it to stream for free from 7 p.m. to midnight Eastern time on the LennonTribute.org website , the event could get more exposure than ever .
Taped performances by Jackson Browne , Patti Smith , Natalie Merchant , Rosanne Cash , Jorma Kaukonen , Shelby Lynne , Taj Mahal , Marc Cohn , Joan Osborne and others will be included - many from past shows but some new .
Without ticket sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs that benefit people affected by cancer .
Theatre Within and Gilda ’ s Club offer free workshops such as songwriting , art and meditation to cancer patients and survivors and to children who have lost parents to the disease .
Raiola and other friends began their informal tribute to Lennon in 1981 , less than a year after the former Beatle was shot to death .
It stayed small , at least until 24 years in , when Lennon ’ s widow Yoko Ono read a story about the tribute in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say , in effect , what are you doing ?
Learning more about it , she offered support , and said in a statement issued Thursday that “ this is such a wonderful way to honor John and the values he stood for.
” Cash , a fellow New Yorker who was honored with the John Lennon Real Love Award in 2018 , has performed the former Beatle ’ s songs “ I ’ m Only Sleeping ” and “ Look at Me ” at a past tribute .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t often see where the same people show up every year , ” Cash said in an interview .
“ They ’ re devoted to it .
It ’ s not just because of John , it ’ s out of respect for what they ’ re doing and the community they ’ ve created.
” Raiola believes Lennon ’ s impact was “ seismic ” and that the ideals he believed in didn ’ t die with him .
“ Peace , love , gender equality and social justice - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .

NEW YORK (AP) - Like many other events, an annual John Lennon tribute concert that takes place in his adopted city of New York on his Oct. 9 birthday has been forced online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
There was no way it was being canceled, not on what would have been Lennon’s 80th birthday, not on the tribute’s 40th year.
“The idea of not celebrating John, of stopping after 39 years, never crossed my mind,” said Joe Raiola, the tribute’s producer and artistic director of the Theatre Within organization.
Raiola had booked the Town Hall venue for this year’s show. With the pandemic forcing it to stream for free from 7 p.m. to midnight Eastern time on the LennonTribute.org website, the event could get more exposure than ever.
Taped performances by Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Natalie Merchant, Rosanne Cash, Jorma Kaukonen, Shelby Lynne, Taj Mahal, Marc Cohn, Joan Osborne and others will be included - many from past shows but some new.
Without ticket sales, organizers will ask for contributions for programs that benefit people affected by cancer. Theatre Within and Gilda’s Club offer free workshops such as songwriting, art and meditation to cancer patients and survivors and to children who have lost parents to the disease.
Raiola and other friends began their informal tribute to Lennon in 1981, less than a year after the former Beatle was shot to death.
It stayed small, at least until 24 years in, when Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono read a story about the tribute in the New York Daily News and called Raiola to say, in effect, what are you doing?
Learning more about it, she offered support, and said in a statement issued Thursday that “this is such a wonderful way to honor John and the values he stood for.”
Cash, a fellow New Yorker who was honored with the John Lennon Real Love Award in 2018, has performed the former Beatle’s songs “I’m Only Sleeping” and “Look at Me” at a past tribute.
“It’s one of those things that you don’t often see where the same people show up every year,” Cash said in an interview. “They’re devoted to it. It’s not just because of John, it’s out of respect for what they’re doing and the community they’ve created.”
Raiola believes Lennon’s impact was “seismic” and that the ideals he believed in didn’t die with him.
“Peace, love, gender equality and social justice - that stuff never gets old,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--'Grateful': Gigi Hadid welcomes baby girl with Zayn Malik

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Model Gigi Hadid and her musician boyfriend Zayn Malik took to social media to celebrate the arrival of an infant girl , with dad saying he ’ s “ grateful ” and “ thankful.
” “ To try put into words how I am feeling right now would be an impossible task .
The love I feel for this tiny human is beyond my understanding .
Grateful to know her , proud to call her mine , ” Malik wrote on Twitter .
He shared a black and white image featuring Malik and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar photo on Instagram , with the caption : “ Our girl joined us earth-side this weekend and she ’ s already changing our world .
So in love.
” Neither parent revealed the baby ’ s name .
The supermodel confirmed her pregnancy in April at Jimmy Fallon ’ s “ The Tonight Show.
” It is Hadid ’ s her first child with boyfriend Malik , a former member of One Direction .
Hadid , 25 , and Malik , 27 , have been dating off-and-on for several years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most in-demand models and he was the first to leave One Direction to strike out as a solo artist .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Model Gigi Hadid and her musician boyfriend Zayn Malik took to social media to celebrate the arrival of an infant girl, with dad saying he’s “grateful” and “thankful.”
“To try put into words how I am feeling right now would be an impossible task. The love I feel for this tiny human is beyond my understanding. Grateful to know her, proud to call her mine,” Malik wrote on Twitter.
He shared a black and white image featuring Malik and their daughter holding hands. Hadid also shared a similar photo on Instagram, with the caption: “Our girl joined us earth-side this weekend and she’s already changing our world. So in love.”
Neither parent revealed the baby’s name.
The supermodel confirmed her pregnancy in April at Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show.” It is Hadid’s her first child with boyfriend Malik, a former member of One Direction.
Hadid, 25, and Malik, 27, have been dating off-and-on for several years. She has become one of the world’s most in-demand models and he was the first to leave One Direction to strike out as a solo artist.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Man dies after trying to save daughter in rough N.C. surf

COROLLA , N.C. ( AP ) - A man has died after trying to save his daughter from what officials @ @ @ @ @ the North Carolina coast .
The Virginian-Pilot reports that the incident occurred Tuesday afternoon in @ @ @ @ @ Banks .
Currituck County spokesman Randall Edwards said the man was overcome by waves when @ @ @ @ @ Lifeguards from Corolla Beach Rescue responded within three minutes .
The unidentified man was pulled @ @ @ @ @ arrest .
The man regained a pulse after emergency personnel performed CPR .
But he @ @ @ @ @ hours later .
“ This is a sad ending to what had been a great @ @ @ @ @ , ” Edwards said .
The man ’ s daughter was rescued by lifeguards and @ @ @ @ @ said that the dangerous surf conditions are expected to continue for several days as Hurricane @ @ @ @ @ Atlantic Coast .

COROLLA, N.C. (AP) - A man has died after trying to save his daughter from what officials say was life-threatening surf on the North Carolina coast.
The Virginian-Pilot reports that the incident occurred Tuesday afternoon in Currituck County on the Outer Banks.
Currituck County spokesman Randall Edwards said the man was overcome by waves when he entered the water. Lifeguards from Corolla Beach Rescue responded within three minutes.
The unidentified man was pulled from the water in cardiac arrest. The man regained a pulse after emergency personnel performed CPR. But he died at a hospital several hours later.
“This is a sad ending to what had been a great example of teamwork and skill,” Edwards said.
The man’s daughter was rescued by lifeguards and was not injured.
Edwards said that the dangerous surf conditions are expected to continue for several days as Hurricane Teddy passes off of the Atlantic Coast.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Sweden: Bones of dog found at Stone Age burial site

STOCKHOLM ( AP ) - Archaeologists on Thursday reported finding the remains of a dog from more than 8,400 years ago at a human burial site in southern Sweden .
“ The dog is well preserved , and the fact that it is buried in the middle of the Stone Age settlement is unique , ” osteologist Ola Magnell of the Blekinge Museum said of the discovery near the town of Solvesborg .
Museum project manager Carl Persson said “ a sudden and violent increase of the sea level ” flooded the area with mud that had helped preserve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has involved removing layers of sand and mud .
The Swedish archaeologists said the dog was buried with a person , noting that survivors often leave valuable or sentimental objects with the dead .
Such findings “ makes you feel even closer to the people who lived here , ” Persson said in a statement .
“ A buried dog somehow shows how similar we are over the millennia when it comes to the feelings like grief and loss.
” The dog bones have not been removed from the ground yet but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Blekinge Museum for study .
The area where the dog was found is part of a vast site where local authorities and archaeologists are currently carrying out one of the largest archaeological digs ever undertaken in the region..
The area is believed to have been inhabited by hunters during the Stone Age .
A residential community is expected to be built on the burial site once the archaeologists are done .

STOCKHOLM (AP) - Archaeologists on Thursday reported finding the remains of a dog from more than 8,400 years ago at a human burial site in southern Sweden.
“The dog is well preserved, and the fact that it is buried in the middle of the Stone Age settlement is unique,” osteologist Ola Magnell of the Blekinge Museum said of the discovery near the town of Solvesborg.
Museum project manager Carl Persson said “a sudden and violent increase of the sea level” flooded the area with mud that had helped preserve the burial site. An ongoing archaeological excavation has involved removing layers of sand and mud.
The Swedish archaeologists said the dog was buried with a person, noting that survivors often leave valuable or sentimental objects with the dead.
Such findings “makes you feel even closer to the people who lived here,” Persson said in a statement. “A buried dog somehow shows how similar we are over the millennia when it comes to the feelings like grief and loss.”
The dog bones have not been removed from the ground yet but the archaeologists plan to eventually take them to the Blekinge Museum for study.
The area where the dog was found is part of a vast site where local authorities and archaeologists are currently carrying out one of the largest archaeological digs ever undertaken in the region..
The area is believed to have been inhabited by hunters during the Stone Age. A residential community is expected to be built on the burial site once the archaeologists are done.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Maine police chief charged with aggravated assault

DOVER-FOXCROFT , Maine ( AP ) - A Maine police chief has been arrested for aggravated assault and criminal threatening @ @ @ @ @ Ryan Reardon was charged on a warrant issued by Piscataquis County officials , the district @ @ @ @ @ .
No further information was available Thursday morning .
The district attorney didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ and it was unknown if Reardon has an attorney .
Reardon has been Dover-Foxcroft ’ @ @ @ @ @ three years and he served as sheriff of Kennebec County before that .

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (AP) - A police chief was arrested for allegedly attempting to strangle a woman with whom he was having an affair, officials said.
Dover-Foxcroft Police Chief Ryan Reardon was charged on a warrant issued by Piscataquis County officials for aggravated assault and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, and arrested Wednesday night.
The arrest warrant indicated he tried to strangle the woman and threw her to the floor last month, then twisted her arm and grabbed her by the throat and placed his hand over her mouth so she couldn’t scream, the Bangor Daily News reported. Then he pulled out a handgun and threatened to kill himself.
Reardon, 46, was being held without bail at the Penobscot County Jail pending a court appearance Friday. It was not known if he has an attorney.
Reardon has been Dover-Foxcroft’s police chief for three years and previously served as sheriff of Kennebec County.
All questions about the case were directed to the district attorney’s office for Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Facebook oversight board to start operating in October

LONDON ( AP ) - Facebook ’ s long-awaited oversight board that will act as a referee on whether specific content is allowed on the tech giant ’ s platforms is set to launch in October .
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said two years ago that he was setting up the quasi-independent board , following intense criticism that the company wasn ’ t moving fast enough to remove misinformation , hate speech and malign influence campaigns .
The board is intended to rule on thorny content issues , such as when Facebook or Instagram posts constitute hate speech .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems that will allow users to appeal and the Board to review cases , ” it said in a statement Thursday .
If those tests go to plan , the board said it would start accepting and reviewing appeals from users in mid to late October .
The board was initially expected to start operating in early 2020 but the launch was delayed .
“ Building a process that is thorough , principled and globally effective takes time and our members have been working aggressively to launch as soon as possible , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 20 members are a multinational group that includes legal scholars , human rights experts and journalists .
It will start by hearing appeals from users whose content has been taken down by Facebook before expanding to appeals from users who want the company to remove content .
Facebook can also refer cases to the board on its own .
Its decisions and the company ’ s responses will be public .
Rulings will be binding in individual cases , but broader policy findings will be advisory .

LONDON (AP) - Facebook’s long-awaited oversight board that will act as a referee on whether specific content is allowed on the tech giant’s platforms is set to launch in October.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said two years ago that he was setting up the quasi-independent board, following intense criticism that the company wasn’t moving fast enough to remove misinformation, hate speech and malign influence campaigns. The board is intended to rule on thorny content issues, such as when Facebook or Instagram posts constitute hate speech.
“We are currently testing the newly deployed technical systems that will allow users to appeal and the Board to review cases,” it said in a statement Thursday.
If those tests go to plan, the board said it would start accepting and reviewing appeals from users in mid to late October.
The board was initially expected to start operating in early 2020 but the launch was delayed.
“Building a process that is thorough, principled and globally effective takes time and our members have been working aggressively to launch as soon as possible,” the board said.
The board’s 20 members are a multinational group that includes legal scholars, human rights experts and journalists.
It will start by hearing appeals from users whose content has been taken down by Facebook before expanding to appeals from users who want the company to remove content. Facebook can also refer cases to the board on its own.
Its decisions and the company’s responses will be public. Rulings will be binding in individual cases, but broader policy findings will be advisory.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Florida wildlife refuge takes in 120 animals after hurricane

NAVARRE , Fla. ( AP ) - An animal refuge in the Florida Panhandle has taken in about 120 animals that were either injured of displaced by Hurricane Sally , which pummeled the area with wind and rain on Sept. 16 .
There are opossums , raccoons , gray foxes , fawns , eastern ground squirrels and flying squirrels , Stormey Andersen , executive director of the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge in Navarre , told the Northwest Florida Daily News .
They ’ ve also seen lots of birds , including baby hummingbirds and fully grown pelicans , ” Andersen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in less than a week is crazy , ” Andersen said .
“ Our one-day record before Hurricane Sally was 25 animals in one day .
We had 45 the day after Hurricane Sally came through.
” The sudden influx of animals has stretched the refuge ’ s resources .
“ The fist day after Sally I think we ran through a month ’ s worth of personal protective gear , ” Andersen said .
“ We ran through formula faster than I think we ever have.
” She said a 3- to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about $ 220 .
“ All donations are welcome , ” but she said they ’ re most in need of animal food including frozen beef , chicken and fish , yogurt , fresh or boiled eggs , and hard cheeses , as well as cleaning supplies .

NAVARRE, Fla. (AP) - An animal refuge in the Florida Panhandle has taken in about 120 animals that were either injured of displaced by Hurricane Sally, which pummeled the area with wind and rain on Sept. 16.
There are opossums, raccoons, gray foxes, fawns, eastern ground squirrels and flying squirrels, Stormey Andersen, executive director of the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge in Navarre, told the Northwest Florida Daily News.
They’ve also seen lots of birds, including baby hummingbirds and fully grown pelicans,” Andersen said.
“One hundred and twenty in less than a week is crazy,” Andersen said. “Our one-day record before Hurricane Sally was 25 animals in one day. We had 45 the day after Hurricane Sally came through.”
The sudden influx of animals has stretched the refuge’s resources.
“The fist day after Sally I think we ran through a month’s worth of personal protective gear,” Andersen said. “We ran through formula faster than I think we ever have.”
She said a 3- to 5-gallon bucket of baby animal formula costs about $220.
“All donations are welcome,” but she said they’re most in need of animal food including frozen beef, chicken and fish, yogurt, fresh or boiled eggs, and hard cheeses, as well as cleaning supplies.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Richard Blum, Dianne Feinstein's husband, named in admissions scandal

SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein ’ s husband , University of California Regent Richard Blum , was named Thursday by the state auditor ’ s office as one of the regents involved in admissions scandal where UC wrongly admitted dozens of wealthy , mostly white students as favors to well-connected people .
Among those “ inappropriately admitted ” were a student whose family was friends with a member of the Board of Regents , the child of a major donor and an applicant who babysat for a colleague of a former admissions director , according to the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In one case , a regent unidentified in the audit sent an “ inappropriate letter of support ” directly to the UC Berkeley chancellor on behalf of a student with only a 26 % chance of winning a spot off the wait list , despite the policy prohibiting efforts by regents to influence admissions decisions by going around the regular process .
The applicant was admitted .
Auditor ’ s spokeswoman Margarita Fernandez confirmed to The Associated Press that Blum was the regent .
Blum told the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that he has used his clout to get friends and family into the elite public system for years .
“ I did it a bunch of times , ” Blum said , adding that he has never considered it a problem to write recommendation letters bypassing the traditional admissions process .
A policy prohibiting such influence has been in place throughout Blum ’ s 18-year tenure on the Board of Regents , the newspaper reported .
Blum , a financier , told the Chronicle that “ no one ever told me it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent letters of recommendation about friends and family to chancellors at multiple UC campuses since becoming a regent in 2002 .
“ Wherever they were applying .
Wherever they wanted to get in.
” He recalled sending letters specifically to the chancellors at UC Berkeley , UC Davis , and UC Irvine , but added : “ almost everywhere.
” Regents Chair John Pérez issued a statement Thursday saying the “ UC Board of Regents takes these matters very seriously , and any violations will be promptly and appropriately addressed.
” He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compliance office is reviewing the information “ to determine whether the alleged conduct violates ” the regents policy , in place since 1996 .
The audit examined admissions policies and practices over the six academic years from 2013-2014 to 2018-2019 at four of the UC ’ s nine campuses - UCLA , UC Berkeley , UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara .
It was requested last year by state Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath in response to the national college admissions scandal , which embroiled prestigious universities nationwide , athletic coaches and dozens @ @ @ @

SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s husband, University of California Regent Richard Blum, was named Thursday by the state auditor’s office as one of the regents involved in admissions scandal where UC wrongly admitted dozens of wealthy, mostly white students as favors to well-connected people.
Among those “inappropriately admitted” were a student whose family was friends with a member of the Board of Regents, the child of a major donor and an applicant who babysat for a colleague of a former admissions director, according to the report released Tuesday by the California State Auditor.
In one case, a regent unidentified in the audit sent an “inappropriate letter of support” directly to the UC Berkeley chancellor on behalf of a student with only a 26% chance of winning a spot off the wait list, despite the policy prohibiting efforts by regents to influence admissions decisions by going around the regular process. The applicant was admitted.
Auditor’s spokeswoman Margarita Fernandez confirmed to The Associated Press that Blum was the regent.
Blum told the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday that he’s done nothing wrong and that he has used his clout to get friends and family into the elite public system for years.
“I did it a bunch of times,” Blum said, adding that he has never considered it a problem to write recommendation letters bypassing the traditional admissions process. A policy prohibiting such influence has been in place throughout Blum’s 18-year tenure on the Board of Regents, the newspaper reported.
Blum, a financier, told the Chronicle that “no one ever told me it was wrong.” He said he has sent letters of recommendation about friends and family to chancellors at multiple UC campuses since becoming a regent in 2002. “Wherever they were applying. Wherever they wanted to get in.” He recalled sending letters specifically to the chancellors at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Irvine, but added: “almost everywhere.”
Regents Chair John Pérez issued a statement Thursday saying the “UC Board of Regents takes these matters very seriously, and any violations will be promptly and appropriately addressed.”
He said that UC’s ethics and audit compliance office is reviewing the information “to determine whether the alleged conduct violates” the regents policy, in place since 1996.
Feinstein’s office declined to comment.
The audit examined admissions policies and practices over the six academic years from 2013-2014 to 2018-2019 at four of the UC’s nine campuses - UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara.
It was requested last year by state Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath in response to the national college admissions scandal, which embroiled prestigious universities nationwide, athletic coaches and dozens of wealthy parents.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--White supremacist killed after shooting California deputy

PASO ROBLES , Calif. ( AP ) - A man killed by sheriff ’ s deputies after he shot and wounded a deputy in a central California cemetery on Thursday has been identified as a convicted felon and white supremacist gang member , authorities said .
The man opened fire on deputies while hiding behind bushes after he ran from his car in Paso Robles , San Luis Obispo County ’ s Sheriff Ian Parkinson said at an afternoon news conference .
Shortly before 10:30 a.m. , a deputy on patrol noticed the suspect ’ s vehicle parked on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30,000 residents in a wine region on California ’ s central coast .
“ He recognized the vehicle as belonging to a wanted felon , ” Parkinson said .
The deputy made a U-turn and found the vehicle unoccupied , Parkinson said .
The suspect was spotted walking nearby and when the deputy asked to speak with him , the man sprinted into Templeton Cemetery and hid behind thick shrubbery , Parkinson said .
Additional deputies arrived and when they approached , the suspect ambushed them , the sheriff said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , striking one deputy in the lower leg .
And the deputies returned fire , ” Parkinson said .
By that time more deputies arrived and they “ engaged in a gun battle where the suspect was struck and pronounced dead at the scene , ” Parkinson said .
The deputy was in stable condition at a hospital , the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported .
The suspect is a convicted felon with an outstanding felony warrant , a history of weapons charges and a member of white supremacist gang , Parkinson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene .
The man ’ s name was not immediately released .
“ He was known by us , he was wanted by us and he was considered armed and dangerous , ” Parkinson said .

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (AP) - A man killed by sheriff’s deputies after he shot and wounded a deputy in a central California cemetery on Thursday has been identified as a convicted felon and white supremacist gang member, authorities said.
The man opened fire on deputies while hiding behind bushes after he ran from his car in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County’s Sheriff Ian Parkinson said at an afternoon news conference.
Shortly before 10:30 a.m., a deputy on patrol noticed the suspect’s vehicle parked on a downtown street in the city of about 30,000 residents in a wine region on California’s central coast.
“He recognized the vehicle as belonging to a wanted felon,” Parkinson said. The deputy made a U-turn and found the vehicle unoccupied, Parkinson said.
The suspect was spotted walking nearby and when the deputy asked to speak with him, the man sprinted into Templeton Cemetery and hid behind thick shrubbery, Parkinson said.
Additional deputies arrived and when they approached, the suspect ambushed them, the sheriff said.
“The suspect shot multiple rounds at the deputy, striking one deputy in the lower leg. And the deputies returned fire,” Parkinson said.
By that time more deputies arrived and they “engaged in a gun battle where the suspect was struck and pronounced dead at the scene,” Parkinson said.
The deputy was in stable condition at a hospital, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported.
The suspect is a convicted felon with an outstanding felony warrant, a history of weapons charges and a member of white supremacist gang, Parkinson said. A handgun was recovered at the scene.
The man’s name was not immediately released. “He was known by us, he was wanted by us and he was considered armed and dangerous,” Parkinson said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Australian think tank finds 380 detention camps in Xinjiang

CANBERRA , Australia ( AP ) - China appeared to be expanding its network of secret detention centers in Xinjiang , where Muslim minorities are targeted in a forced assimilation campaign , and more of the facilities resemble prisons , an Australian think tank found .
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute used satellite images and official construction tender documents to map more than 380 suspected detention facilities in the remote Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region , highlighting reeducation camps , detention centers and prisons that have been newly build or expanded since 2017 .
The report builds on evidence that China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in makeshift public buildings to constructing permanent mass detention facilities .
This is despite Chinese state news agency Xinhua reporting late last year that “ trainees ” attending “ vocational education and training centers ” meant to deradicalize them had “ all graduated.
” Regional government chairman Shohrat Zakir was quoted as saying foreign media reports of 1 million or 2 million people attending these centers were fabricated .
Predominantly Muslim minorities in the remote Xinjiang region have been locked in camps as part of a government assimilation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes violent struggle against Chinese rule .
Some have been subjected to forced sterilization and abortion , and in recent months , ordered to drink traditional Chinese medicines to combat the coronavirus .
Australian Strategic Policy Institute researcher Nathan Ruser wrote in a report released late Thursday : “ Available evidence suggests that many extrajudicial detainees in Xinjiang ’ s vast ‘ re-education ’ network are now being formally charged and locked up in higher security facilities , including newly built or expanded prisons , or sent to walled factory compounds for coerced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites had undergone new construction and expansion work in a year to July 2020 , the report said .
These included at least 14 facilities still under construction this year .
“ Of these , about 50 % are higher security facilities , which may suggest a shift in usage from the lower-security , ‘ re-education centers ’ toward higher-security prison-style facilities , ” Ruser wrote .
At least 70 facilities appeared to have lesser security by the removal of internal fencing or perimeter walls , the report said .
These included eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had possibly been closed .
Of the camps stripped of security infrastructure , 90 % were lower security facilities , the report said .

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - China appears to be expanding its network of secret detention centers in Xinjiang, where predominantly Muslim minorities are targeted in a forced assimilation campaign, and more of the facilities resemble prisons, an Australian think tank has found.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute used satellite images and official construction tender documents to map more than 380 suspected detention facilities in the far northwestern region, highlighting internment camps, detention centers and prisons that have been newly built or expanded since 2017.
The report builds on evidence that China has made a policy shift from detaining Uighurs and other largely Muslim minorities in makeshift public buildings to constructing permanent mass detention facilities.
This is despite Chinese state news agency Xinhua reporting late last year that “trainees” attending “vocational education and training centers” meant to deradicalize them had “all graduated.”
Regional government chairman Shohrat Zakir was quoted as saying that foreign media reports of 1 million or 2 million people attending these centers were fabricated, though he would not provide any figures.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday dismissed the report as “pure disinformation and slander,” saying the Australian institute had “no academic credibility.” China does not operate “so-called detention camps” in Xinjiang, Wang told reporters at a daily briefing.
Citing media reports and investigations by internet users, Wang said one of the sites in the report had been identified as an electronics manufacturing park and another as a five-star residential complex.
“So we also hope that all sectors can distinguish truth from falsehood and together resist such absurd assertions concocted by anti-China institutions,” Wang said.
Predominantly Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region have been locked in camps as part of a government assimilation campaign launched in response to decades of sometimes violent struggle against Chinese rule. Though officials described the camps as “boarding school-like” facilities meant to provide free job training, former detainees say they were subjected to brutal conditions, political indoctrination, beatings, and sometimes psychological and physical torture.
Under the assimilation drive, the state has forced Uighurs to undergo sterilizations and abortions, an Associated Press investigation found, and in recent months, has ordered them to drink traditional Chinese medicines to combat the coronavirus.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute researcher Nathan Ruser wrote in the report released late Thursday: “Available evidence suggests that many extrajudicial detainees in Xinjiang’s vast ‘re-education’ network are now being formally charged and locked up in higher security facilities, including newly built or expanded prisons, or sent to walled factory compounds for coerced labor assignments.”
At least 61 detention sites had undergone new construction and expansion work in a year to July 2020, the report said. These included at least 14 facilities still under construction this year.
“Of these, about 50% are higher security facilities, which may suggest a shift in usage from the lower-security, ‘re-education centers’ toward higher-security prison-style facilities,” Ruser wrote.
At least 70 facilities appeared to have lesser security by the removal of internal fencing or perimeter walls, the report said.
These included eight camps that showed signs of decommissioning, and had possibly been closed. Of the camps stripped of security infrastructure, 90% were lower security facilities, the report said.
The think tank’s findings align with AP interviews with dozens of relatives and former detainees that indicate many in the camps have been sentenced in secret, extrajudicial trials and transferred to high-security prisons for things like having contact with people abroad, having too many children and studying Islam. Many others deemed less of a risk, like women or the elderly, have been transferred to a form of house arrest or forced labor in factories.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--FBI analyst in texts alarmed by Crossfire Razor Michael Flynn probe

An FBI analyst working on the bureau ’ s 2016 investigation into President Trump ’ s former national security adviser Michael Flynn expressed concerns about the case ’ s validity , saying agents involved “ want a Clinton presidency , ” according to court documents unsealed late Thursday .
Analysts also discussed purchasing “ professional liability insurance ” because they feared details of the probe would be exposed to the media .
The documents detail conversations between FBI employees in the early days of the probe into Flynn ’ s links to Russia , dubbed Crossfire Razor .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says of the probe : “ I think some of these guys want a Clinton presidency….instead of a wild card like Trump.
” As the investigation into Flynn deepened two analysts questioned why the FBI was using a national security letter ( NSL ) — a secure subpoena that doesn ’ t require a judge ’ s approval — to access Flynn ’ s finances , according to other text exchanges .
In December 2016 , one analyst asked “ What do we expect to get from an nsl ” The analyst said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” referring to the start of the probe , adding “ but now it is not.
” Another FBI employee responds : “ Agreed .
We didn ’ t find anything else from the investigation about him.
” “ We put out traces , tripwires to the community and nothing , ” the first analyst says about the lack of evidence of wrongdoing by Flynn .
“ Bingo , ” the other employee says .
“ So what ’ s an nsl going to do — no content , ” the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nightmare , ” the second employee responds .
By January , an FBI analyst texts that “ Trump was right ” and the case “ was still not put together , ” “ Why do we do this to ourselves .
What is wrong with these people ?
” That text exchange occurred just days after Mr. Trump took to Twitter to decry that his campaign briefing on Russian hacking was delayed to develop a case against his 2016 team .
A few days later , an FBI employee said analysts had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leak could expose the investigation.
” “ The whole thing is pretty ugly…we shall see how things pan out , ” one FBI agent texted .
“ FBI agents knew what they were doing was so bad they bought professional liability insurance !
” she said on Twitter .
“ Used NSL as ruse to keep ‘ investigation ’ open when they did not intend to use them & knew he was innocent.
” Flynn had pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador just before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He later recanted , professing his innocence and hired a new legal team .
The Justice Department earlier this year started a political firestorm , abandoning the prosecution it had dedicated three years to pursuing .
In court filings , department lawyers said court filings in May raised questions about whether the FBI sprung a perjury trap on Flynn .

An FBI analyst working on the bureau’s 2016 investigation into President Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn expressed concerns about the case’s validity, saying agents involved “want a Clinton presidency,” according to court documents unsealed late Thursday.
Analysts also discussed purchasing “professional liability insurance” because they feared details of the probe would be exposed to the media.
The documents detail conversations between FBI employees in the early days of the probe into Flynn’s links to Russia, dubbed Crossfire Razor.
In an August 2016 text exchange, one analyst says of the probe: “I think some of these guys want a Clinton presidency….instead of a wild card like Trump.”
As the investigation into Flynn deepened two analysts questioned why the FBI was using a national security letter (NSL) — a secure subpoena that doesn’t require a judge’s approval — to access Flynn’s finances, according to other text exchanges.
In December 2016, one analyst asked “What do we expect to get from an nsl” The analyst said it was “the right call then,” referring to the start of the probe, adding “but now it is not.”
Another FBI employee responds: “Agreed. We didn’t find anything else from the investigation about him.”
“We put out traces, tripwires to the community and nothing,” the first analyst says about the lack of evidence of wrongdoing by Flynn.
“Bingo,” the other employee says.
“So what’s an nsl going to do — no content,” the first analyst responds.
“Hahah this is a nightmare,” the second employee responds.
By January, an FBI analyst texts that “Trump was right” and the case “was still not put together,”
“Why do we do this to ourselves. What is wrong with these people?”
That text exchange occurred just days after Mr. Trump took to Twitter to decry that his campaign briefing on Russian hacking was delayed to develop a case against his 2016 team.
A few days later, an FBI employee said analysts had “purchased professional liability insurance suggesting a leak could expose the investigation.”
“The whole thing is pretty ugly…we shall see how things pan out,” one FBI agent texted.
Flynn attorney Sidney Powell called the filing “explosive.”
“FBI agents knew what they were doing was so bad they bought professional liability insurance!” she said on Twitter. “Used NSL as ruse to keep ‘investigation’ open when they did not intend to use them & knew he was innocent.”
Flynn had pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador just before the transition between Obama and Trump administrations.
He later recanted, professing his innocence and hired a new legal team.
The Justice Department earlier this year started a political firestorm, abandoning the prosecution it had dedicated three years to pursuing. In court filings, department lawyers said court filings in May raised questions about whether the FBI sprung a perjury trap on Flynn.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Curfew passes in Louisville with protesters still marching in the streets amid heavy presence of pol

Louisville , Ky ( AP ) - Curfew passes in Louisville with protesters still marching in the streets amid heavy @ @ @ @ @ gear .

Louisville, Ky (AP) - Curfew passes in Louisville with protesters still marching in the streets amid heavy presence of police in riot gear.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Argentine lawmaker suspended for conduct in virtual session

BUENOS AIRES , Argentina ( AP ) - An Argentine lawmaker was suspended Thursday for inappropriate conduct with a woman during a virtual session of congress , when he appeared on camera touching his wife as she sat on his lap .
During the broadcast of the virtual session of Argentina ’ s Lower House , the images of legislators participating appeared in boxes in rows on the screen .
As other legislators debated bills , deputy Juan Emilio Ameri of the ruling Peronist party could be seen pulling down the shirt of his wife and kissing one of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the session to report “ a serious offense by a deputy.
” “ There was a situation that has nothing to do with the normal decorum and operation of this house , ” he said and called for the immediate suspension of Ameri and the creation of a five-member commission to expedite his expulsion .
The proposals were endorsed .
Ameri , from Salta province , said he did not realize he was still connected .
“ It ’ s not that I was having sex with my wife .
It was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ She came out of the bathroom and I saw her .
I told her let ’ s see how it is because she ’ d had an implant put in a few days ago.
” He said he was convinced he didn ’ t have an internet connection but was reconnected automatically .
“ We are going to listen to the explanations of the deputy , but we can not admit that this type of behavior occurs in a body of representatives in a democracy , ” Massa said .

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - An Argentine lawmaker was suspended Thursday for inappropriate conduct with a woman during a virtual session of congress, when he appeared on camera touching his wife as she sat on his lap.
During the broadcast of the virtual session of Argentina’s Lower House, the images of legislators participating appeared in boxes in rows on the screen. As other legislators debated bills, deputy Juan Emilio Ameri of the ruling Peronist party could be seen pulling down the shirt of his wife and kissing one of her breasts.
House president Sergio Massa interrupted the session to report “a serious offense by a deputy.”
“There was a situation that has nothing to do with the normal decorum and operation of this house,” he said and called for the immediate suspension of Ameri and the creation of a five-member commission to expedite his expulsion. The proposals were endorsed.
Ameri, from Salta province, said he did not realize he was still connected.
“I’m very ashamed, very bad,” Ameri told Con Vos de Buenos Aires radio.
“It’s not that I was having sex with my wife. It was a 10-second circumstance,” he said. “She came out of the bathroom and I saw her. I told her let’s see how it is because she’d had an implant put in a few days ago.”
He said he was convinced he didn’t have an internet connection but was reconnected automatically.
“We are going to listen to the explanations of the deputy, but we cannot admit that this type of behavior occurs in a body of representatives in a democracy,” Massa said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--2 hurt in crash of small plane in San Diego parking lot

SAN DIEGO ( AP ) - Two people were hurt when a single-engine plane crashed in a parking lot near @ @ @ @ @ Thursday afternoon , authorities said .
The Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 with two people on board @ @ @ @ @ Montgomery Field in the Kearny Mesa area , said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer @ @ @ @ @ taken off from the airport and tried to make an immediate emergency landing , but @ @ @ @ @ back to the runway , according to San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Dan Eddy @ @ @ @ @ with severe injuries , Eddy told the TV news station NBC 7 in San Diego @ @ @ @ @ National Transportation Safety Board will investigate .

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Two people were hurt when a single-engine plane crashed in a parking lot near a small San Diego airport Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
The Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 with two people on board went down just west of Montgomery Field in the Kearny Mesa area, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer.
The plane had just taken off from the airport and tried to make an immediate emergency landing, but couldn’t make it back to the runway, according to San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Dan Eddy.
Two people were hospitalized with severe injuries, Eddy told the TV news station NBC 7 in San Diego.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Suspect arrested in drive-by shooting that killed boy, 11

TROY , N.Y. ( AP ) - Authorities on Thursday arrested a 20-year-man in connection with a drive-by shooting that @ @ @ @ @ Troy earlier this month .
Police in the upstate New York town identified the suspect @ @ @ @ @ said he was facing a murder charge .
He had an arraignment on Thursday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ but no information on any attorney was available .
Ayshawn Davis was shot in the @ @ @ @ @ 13 after a gunman in a car fired at the crowd the boy was with @ @ @ @ @ was continuing .

TROY, N.Y. (AP) - Authorities on Thursday arrested a 20-year-man in connection with a drive-by shooting that killed an 11-year-old boy in Troy earlier this month.
Police in the upstate New York town identified the suspect as Jahquay Brown, and said he was facing a murder charge. He had an arraignment on Thursday afternoon and was in custody, but no information on any attorney was available.
Ayshawn Davis was shot in the head and killed on Sept. 13 after a gunman in a car fired at the crowd the boy was with.
Authorities said the investigation was continuing.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Christopher Steele dossier source probed as Russian agent by FBI

FBI agents knew the “ primary sub-source ” used by Christopher Steele to compile his anti-Trump dossier had been suspected of being a Russian intelligence operative , yet they still treated the dossier as valid , according to new documents declassified Thursday .
The source , who is not named , had been investigated by the FBI a decade ago after approaching foreign policy researchers and offering to pay for secrets .
The source also had numerous contacts with other Russian operatives , according to an inspector general ’ s report .
Yet none of that information was shared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI sought a secret wiretap on Trump campaign figure Carter Page .
Instead the FBI was still defending the Steele dossier as late as 2018 .
“ This is the most stunning and damning revelation the committee has uncovered , ” said Sen. Lindsey Graham , chair of the Judiciary Committee , who released the documents publicly after Attorney General William P. Barr ordered that part of the inspector general ’ s report declassified .
The Steele Dossier accused Mr. Trump of conduct ranging from grotesque to treasonous .
It has largely been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill saying it amounted to Russian disinformation .
But the dossier was used to obtain a secret spy warrant on Mr .
Page , and it was leaked to the press in the days before Mr. Trump was inaugurated , helping fuel claims that he was colluding with Russia .
Then-FBI Director James B. Comey even raised the contents of the dossier with Mr. Trump at their first meeting during the presidential transition , kicking off the bad blood that would lead to Mr. Comey ’ s firing and appointment of the special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the dossier , despite knowing it was not reliable , has become a black eye for the bureau .
Sen. Ron Johnson , Wisconsin Republican , demanded to know Thursday why FBI officials were still defending the document to the Senate intelligence committee in 2018 .
FBI Director Christopher Wray said he was “ concerned about what I ’ ve heard about that briefing.
” He said all the senior bureau employees involved with the Russia investigation are no longer with the FBI , and he said line-level employees could face discipline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusion of a criminal investigation ordered by Mr. Barr .
That investigation has already won a guilty plea from a former FBI lawyer who admitted to altering an email to make it appear as though Mr .
Page had not had a prior working relationship with a U.S. intelligence agency .
In fact he had , which if it had been known might have undercut the FBI ’ s allegation that he may have been working with Russia .
The special counsel ’ s two-year investigation did not find evidence of a conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the newly declassified information , Mr. Steele ’ s source approached some think tank employees in late 2008 , including one who worked for an influential Obama foreign policy advisor , and wondered whether he would get a job on the administration , would have access to secrets , and would be willing to “ make a little extra money.
” The FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation , discovering the person was already associated with two other counterintelligence subjects , and had contact with known Russian intelligence officers .
The FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was approved the person left the U.S .

FBI agents knew the “primary sub-source” used by Christopher Steele to compile his anti-Trump dossier had been suspected of being a Russian intelligence operative, yet they still treated the dossier as valid, according to new documents declassified Thursday.
The source, who is not named, had been investigated by the FBI a decade ago after approaching foreign policy researchers and offering to pay for secrets. The source also had numerous contacts with other Russian operatives, according to an inspector general’s report.
Yet none of that information was shared with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court when the FBI sought a secret wiretap on Trump campaign figure Carter Page.
Instead the FBI was still defending the Steele dossier as late as 2018.
“This is the most stunning and damning revelation the committee has uncovered,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, chair of the Judiciary Committee, who released the documents publicly after Attorney General William P. Barr ordered that part of the inspector general’s report declassified.
The Steele Dossier accused Mr. Trump of conduct ranging from grotesque to treasonous. It has largely been discredited, with some lawmakers on Capitol Hill saying it amounted to Russian disinformation.
But the dossier was used to obtain a secret spy warrant on Mr. Page, and it was leaked to the press in the days before Mr. Trump was inaugurated, helping fuel claims that he was colluding with Russia. Then-FBI Director James B. Comey even raised the contents of the dossier with Mr. Trump at their first meeting during the presidential transition, kicking off the bad blood that would lead to Mr. Comey’s firing and appointment of the special counsel.
The FBI’s use of the dossier, despite knowing it was not reliable, has become a black eye for the bureau.
Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, demanded to know Thursday why FBI officials were still defending the document to the Senate intelligence committee in 2018.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said he was “concerned about what I’ve heard about that briefing.”
He said all the senior bureau employees involved with the Russia investigation are no longer with the FBI, and he said line-level employees could face discipline, but they are waiting for the conclusion of a criminal investigation ordered by Mr. Barr.
That investigation has already won a guilty plea from a former FBI lawyer who admitted to altering an email to make it appear as though Mr. Page had not had a prior working relationship with a U.S. intelligence agency. In fact he had, which if it had been known might have undercut the FBI’s allegation that he may have been working with Russia.
The special counsel’s two-year investigation did not find evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump team and Russia.
According to the newly declassified information, Mr. Steele’s source approached some think tank employees in late 2008, including one who worked for an influential Obama foreign policy advisor, and wondered whether he would get a job on the administration, would have access to secrets, and would be willing to “make a little extra money.”
The FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation, discovering the person was already associated with two other counterintelligence subjects, and had contact with known Russian intelligence officers.
The FBI had sought a FISA warrant but before it was approved the person left the U.S.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Reporter arrested after deputies' shooting won't be charged

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - A radio reporter taken into custody while covering a demonstration the night two Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies were shot will not be criminally charged , the county ’ s district attorney ’ s office said Thursday .
Josie Huang , a journalist for NPR affiliate KPCC , was slammed to the ground by deputies and accused of interfering with the arrest of a protester outside a hospital Sept. 12 .
After she was released from jail , Huang tweeted she was “ filming an arrest when suddenly deputies shout ‘ back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting shoved around .
There was nowhere to back up.
” In cellphone video of the incident , Huang can be heard shouting , “ I ’ m a reporter .
… I ’ m with KPCC ” as she tumbles to the pavement .
She said she was wearing a press pass .
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Huang , 39 , was too close to the deputies during the man ’ s arrest .
But the Los Angeles County ’ s District Attorney ’ s Office said “ it does not appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the deputies , but merely trying to record ” the incident .
“ Ms .
Huang was in a public area filming a protest .
When asked to back up , she is almost immediately grabbed by deputies and taken to the ground , giving her little if any time to comply , ” prosecutors wrote in a memo declining to file criminal charges .
The Sheriff ’ s Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
A letter from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press condemning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Huang to be dropped was signed by 64 media organizations , including The Associated Press .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A radio reporter taken into custody while covering a demonstration the night two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were shot will not be criminally charged, the county’s district attorney’s office said Thursday.
Josie Huang, a journalist for NPR affiliate KPCC, was slammed to the ground by deputies and accused of interfering with the arrest of a protester outside a hospital Sept. 12.
After she was released from jail, Huang tweeted she was “filming an arrest when suddenly deputies shout ‘back up.’ Within seconds, I was getting shoved around. There was nowhere to back up.”
In cellphone video of the incident, Huang can be heard shouting, “I’m a reporter. … I’m with KPCC” as she tumbles to the pavement. She said she was wearing a press pass.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Huang, 39, was too close to the deputies during the man’s arrest. But the Los Angeles County’s District Attorney’s Office said “it does not appear that she was intentionally attempting to interfere with the deputies, but merely trying to record” the incident.
“Ms. Huang was in a public area filming a protest. When asked to back up, she is almost immediately grabbed by deputies and taken to the ground, giving her little if any time to comply,” prosecutors wrote in a memo declining to file criminal charges.
The Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A letter from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press condemning the arrest and calling for the charges against Huang to be dropped was signed by 64 media organizations, including The Associated Press.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Virus delays Rio's Carnival for first time in a century

RIO DE JANEIRO ( AP ) - Rio de Janeiro delayed its annual Carnival parade , saying Thursday night that the global spectacle can not go ahead in February because of Brazil ’ s continued vulnerability to the pandemic .
Rio ’ s League of Samba Schools , LIESA , announced that the spread of the coronavirus has made it impossible to safely hold the traditional parades that are a cultural mainstay and , for many , a source of livelihood .
“ Carnival is a party upon which many humble workers depend .
The samba schools are community institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detail of all that , ” said Luiz Antonio Simas , a historian who specializes in Rio ’ s Carnival .
“ An entire cultural and productive chain was disrupted by COVID.
” Rio ’ s City Hall has yet to announce a decision about the Carnival street parties that also take place across the city .
But its tourism promotion agency said in a statement to The Associated Press on Sept. 17 that without a coronavirus vaccine , it is uncertain when large public events can resume .
Brazil ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one day after this year ’ s Carnival ended .
As the number of infections grew , the samba schools that participate in the glitzy annual parade halted preparations for the 2021 event .
Thursday ’ s announcement removed the cloud of uncertainty that has hung over the city - one of worst hit by the pandemic in Brazil .
Nearly all of Rio ’ s samba schools are closely linked to working class communities .
Their processions include elaborate floats accompanied by tireless drummers and costumed dancers who sing at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of judges .
Tens of thousands of spectators pack the bleachers of the arena , known as the Sambadrome , while tens of millions watch on television .
Before the schools began competing in the 1930s , Carnival was celebrated in dance halls and haphazardly on the streets , Simas said .
The parades entered the Sambadrome in the 1980s , and have become Rio ’ s quintessential Carnival display .
The immense labor required for each show was already stymied by restrictions on gatherings that Rio ’ s governor imposed in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s metropolitan region , home to 13 million people , so far has recorded more than 15,000 deaths from COVID-19 .
Beneath the Sambadrome ’ s bleachers , the city created a homeless shelter for the vulnerable population during the pandemic .
Samba schools suspended float construction , costume sewing , dance rehearsals , and also social projects .
The Mangueira school ’ s program in the favela near downtown Rio that teaches music to children - keeping them away from crime , and cultivating the school ’ s future drummers - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pulse of entire suburban Rio cities like Nilopolis , whose population of 160,000 cheers the Beija-Flor samba school , has faded , Simas said .
Some performers resorted to odd jobs and gigs .
Diogo Jesús , the lead dancer referred to as “ master of ceremonies ” in the Mocidade school , couldn ’ t make rent without his income from private events .
He started driving for Uber and sewing facemasks to sell at a fair .
“ It was a blow .
We live Carnival all year round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything would stop wound up getting sick or depressed , ” Jesus said in an interview inside his house in Madureira , a neighborhood in northern Rio .
“ Carnival is our life.
” “ We must await the coming months for definition about if there will be a vaccine or not , and when there will be immunization , ” LIESA ’ s Castanheira told reporters in Rio on Thursday .
“ We don ’ t have the safety conditions to set a date.
” The last year Rio ’ s Carnival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death of the foreign relations minister .
The mayor of Rio , at the time Brazil ’ s capital , postponed by two months all licenses for the popular dance associations ’ Carnival parties , according to Luís Cláudio Villafañe , a diplomat and author of the book “ The Day They Delayed Carnival.
” The mayor also voiced opposition to unregulated celebrations , but many Rio residents partied in the streets anyway .
Revelers were undeterred during World War II .
And they poured into the street every year during more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1985 , with government censors reviewing costumes , floats and song lyrics .
The 2020 coronavirus already forced Rio ’ s City Hall to scrap traditional plans for its second-biggest party , New Year ’ s Eve , which draws millions of people to Copacabana beach for dazzling fireworks .
Earlier this month , the city ’ s tourism promotion agency Riotur announced that main tourist spots will instead display light and music shows to be broadcast over the internet .
Delay of the Carnival parade will deprive Rio state of much needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drew 2.1 million visitors and generated 4 billion reais ( $ 725 million ) in economic activity , according to Riotur .
A statement from the agency Thursday provided no further clarity on the fate of the Carnival street parties .
Some parties are small - for example one including a few dozen dog owners exhibiting their pets wearing wigs or funny hats .
But most feature amps blasting music to throngs of thousands who dance , kiss and swill booze in a crush of celebration .
The biggest one boasts more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of Os Blocos da Sebastiana , said her association already canceled its 11 street parties that together draw 1.5 million revelers .
Most others groups will follow , she said .
“ We can not be irresponsible and bring the multitudes to the street , ” she said , pointing to Europe ’ s second wave of contagion .
After several weeks of declining daily infections , Rio authorities have begun expressing concern about an uptick .
Public spaces such as beaches have been crowded in violation of pandemic restrictions .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Laudo Braz Neto , said the children he instructed before the pandemic are listless , and he knows there is no way to put on Carnival without being able to safely gather .
“ Carnival will only really happen when the whole world can travel .
It ’ s a spectacle the world watches , brings income and movement here , ” he said .
“ I have no hope for 2021.
” Associated Press videojournalist Diarlei Rodrigues contributed to this report .

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Rio de Janeiro delayed its annual Carnival parade, saying Thursday night that the global spectacle cannot go ahead in February because of Brazil’s continued vulnerability to the pandemic.
Rio’s League of Samba Schools, LIESA, announced that the spread of the coronavirus has made it impossible to safely hold the traditional parades that are a cultural mainstay and, for many, a source of livelihood.
“Carnival is a party upon which many humble workers depend. The samba schools are community institutions, and the parades are just one detail of all that,” Luiz Antonio Simas, a historian who specializes in Rio’s Carnival, said in an interview. “An entire cultural and productive chain was disrupted by COVID.”
Rio’s City Hall has yet to announce a decision about the Carnival street parties that also take place across the city. But its tourism promotion agency said in a statement to The Associated Press on Sept. 17 that without a coronavirus vaccine, it is uncertain when large public events can resume.
Brazil’s first confirmed coronavirus case was Feb. 26, one day after this year’s Carnival ended. As the number of infections grew, the samba schools that participate in the glitzy annual parade halted preparations for the 2021 event. Thursday’s announcement removed the cloud of uncertainty that has hung over the city - one of worst hit by the pandemic in Brazil.
Nearly all of Rio’s samba schools are closely linked to working class communities. Their processions include elaborate floats accompanied by tireless drummers and costumed dancers who sing at the top of their lungs to impress a panel of judges. Tens of thousands of spectators pack the bleachers of the arena, known as the Sambadrome, while tens of millions watch on television.
Before the schools began competing in the 1930s, Carnival was celebrated in dance halls and haphazardly on the streets, Simas said. The parades entered the Sambadrome in the 1980s, and have become Rio’s quintessential Carnival display.
The immense labor required for each show was already stymied by restrictions on gatherings that Rio’s governor imposed in March. Even with those measures, Rio’s metropolitan region, home to 13 million people, so far has recorded more than 15,000 deaths from COVID-19.
Beneath the Sambadrome’s bleachers, the city created a homeless shelter for the vulnerable population during the pandemic.
Samba schools suspended float construction, costume sewing, dance rehearsals, and also social projects. The Mangueira school’s program in the favela near downtown Rio that teaches music to children - keeping them away from crime, and cultivating the school’s future drummers - hasn’t held classes since March.
The pulse of entire suburban Rio cities like Nilopolis, whose population of 160,000 cheers the Beija-Flor samba school, has faded, Simas said.
Some performers resorted to odd jobs and gigs. Diogo Jesús, the lead dancer referred to as “master of ceremonies” in the Mocidade school, couldn’t make rent without his income from private events. He started driving for Uber and sewing facemasks to sell at a fair.
“It was a blow. We live Carnival all year round, and many people when they realized everything would stop wound up getting sick or depressed,” Jesus said in an interview inside his house in Madureira, a neighborhood in northern Rio. “Carnival is our life.”
The last year Rio’s Carnival was suspended was 1912, following the death of the foreign relations minister. The mayor of Rio, at the time Brazil’s capital, postponed by two months all licenses for the popular dance associations’ Carnival parties, according to Luís Cláudio Villafañe, a diplomat and author of the book “The Day They Delayed Carnival.” The mayor also voiced opposition to unregulated celebrations, but many Rio residents partied in the streets anyway.
Revelers were undeterred during World War II. And they poured into the street every year during more than two decades of military dictatorship, until 1985, with government censors reviewing costumes, floats and song lyrics.
Then came coronavirus.
“We must await the coming months for definition about if there will be a vaccine or not, and when there will be immunization,” LIESA’s president, Jorge Castanheira, told reporters in Rio on Thursday. “We don’t have the safety conditions to set a date.”
The 2020 coronavirus already forced Rio’s City Hall to scrap traditional plans for its second-biggest party, New Year’s Eve, which draws millions of people to Copacabana beach for dazzling fireworks. Earlier this month, the city’s tourism promotion agency Riotur announced that main tourist spots will instead display light and music shows to be broadcast over the internet.
Delay of the Carnival parade will deprive Rio state of much needed tourism revenue. In 2020, Carnival drew 2.1 million visitors and generated 4 billion reais ($725 million) in economic activity, according to Riotur. A statement from the agency Thursday provided no further clarity on the fate of the Carnival street parties.
Some parties are small - for example one including a few dozen dog owners exhibiting their pets wearing wigs or funny hats. But most feature amps blasting music to throngs of thousands who dance, kiss and swill booze in a crush of celebration. The biggest one boasts more than two million partygoers.
Rita Fernandes, president of Os Blocos da Sebastiana, said her association already canceled its 11 street parties that together draw 1.5 million revelers. Most others groups will follow, she said.
“We cannot be irresponsible and bring the multitudes to the street,” she said, pointing to Europe’s second wave of contagion.
After several weeks of declining daily infections, Rio authorities have begun expressing concern about an uptick. Public spaces such as beaches have been crowded in violation of pandemic restrictions.
A drummer in Mangueira’s samba school, Laudo Braz Neto, said the children he instructed before the pandemic are listless, and he knows there is no way to put on Carnival without being able to safely gather.
“Carnival will only really happen when the whole world can travel. It’s a spectacle the world watches, brings income and movement here,” he said. “I have no hope for 2021.”
____
Associated Press videojournalist Diarlei Rodrigues contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Supreme Court term limits bill to be introduced by Democrats

Democrats plan to introduce a bill next week that would abolish life tenure for Supreme Court justices .
The bill would give each president the right to pick two justices per 4-year term and limit those choices to 18 years on the high court .
Reuters news agency first reported on the Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act , which progressive Democrats say they plan to introduce Tuesday .
“ It would save the country a lot of agony and help lower the temperature over fights for the court that go to the fault lines of cultural issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tearing at our social fabric , ” said Rep. Ro Khanna , California Democrat and a co-sponsor .
The other two House sponsors are Reps. Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts and Don Beyer of Virginia.The bill comes as Democrats are fuming over President Trump ’ s plan to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , solidifying a conservative majority on the court .
This anger also has fueled demands that Democrats “ pack ” the court by expanding its size and adding their appointees .
The House Democrats ’ bill raises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life tenure to federal judges , both “ of the supreme and inferior courts.
” Judges “ shall hold their offices during good behaviour ” ( in other words unless convicted of a crime ) , Article III , Section 1 , reads .
Mr. Khanna told Reuters that his bill , which is not a Constitutional amendment as most legal scholars have argued would be needed to end life tenure for federal judges , is consistent with that provision because the appointed justices would remain federal judges once their 18-year high court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former justices would become “ senior ” judges and rotate to lower federal courts , according to Reuters .
The bill also would not affect the tenure of justices currently on the Supreme Court .
“ That ’ s perfectly consistent with their judicial independence and having a lifetime salary and a lifetime appointment , ” Mr. Khanna said .

Democrats plan to introduce a bill next week that would abolish life tenure for Supreme Court justices.
The bill would give each president the right to pick two justices per 4-year term and limit those choices to 18 years on the high court.
Reuters news agency first reported on the Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act, which progressive Democrats say they plan to introduce Tuesday.
“It would save the country a lot of agony and help lower the temperature over fights for the court that go to the fault lines of cultural issues and is one of the primary things tearing at our social fabric,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, California Democrat and a co-sponsor.
The other two House sponsors are Reps. Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts and Don Beyer of Virginia.The bill comes as Democrats are fuming over President Trump’s plan to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, solidifying a conservative majority on the court. This anger also has fueled demands that Democrats “pack” the court by expanding its size and adding their appointees.
The House Democrats’ bill raises constitutional questions, because the document grants life tenure to federal judges, both “of the supreme and inferior courts.”
Judges “shall hold their offices during good behaviour” (in other words unless convicted of a crime), Article III, Section 1, reads.
Mr. Khanna told Reuters that his bill, which is not a constitutional amendment as most legal scholars have argued would be needed to end life tenure for federal judges, is consistent with that provision because the appointed justices would remain federal judges once their 18-year high court tenure is up.
Once term-limited, the former justices would become “senior” judges and rotate to lower federal courts, according to Reuters. The bill also would not affect the tenure of justices currently on the Supreme Court.
“That’s perfectly consistent with their judicial independence and having a lifetime salary and a lifetime appointment,” Mr. Khanna said.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Demand surges for absentee ballots across New Mexcio

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - Voters across New Mexico have submitted nearly 250,000 absentee ballot requests with especially strong demand among Democrats for alternatives to in-person voting amid the pandemic , according to statistics released Thursday by state voting regulators .
In 2016 , voters cast 8,000 absentee ballots .
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said the popularity of absentee voting may translate into a lengthier process for tallying ballots that could extend beyond Election Day on Nov. 3 .
She said county clerks have been allotted more time to authenticate absentee ballots as they arrive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting process could potentially last for several days if voters wait until late in the cycle to mail or hand deliver ballots .
Absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 to be counted .
“ We are hoping that this additional time is going to give our clerks the leg up that they need to be able to get through the vast majority of those absentee ballots on Election Day , ” Toulouse Oliver said during a news conference with Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham .
“ If more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Election Day , then we probably are going to be into a multi-day , after-the-election process getting those initial counts tallied.
” Initial vote counting on Election Day can extend until 11 p.m. and resume the next morning - a precaution against extreme fatigue among election workers that might lead to errors .
Election officials will start distributing the first absentee ballots on Oct. 6 .
In-person voting starts on Saturday , Oct. 17 , at voting convenience centers .
The number of absentee ballot requests already exceeds those cast in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developments , the governor cited a slight increase in the rate of spread for COVID-19 statewide and more substantial signs of spread in areas including Albuquerque and Sandoval County .
She said no immediate changes are being made to the state ’ s emergency public health order .
The current order limits businesses , including retail outlets , private schools and indoor restaurant areas , to 25 % of capacity , while hotels and lodges can seek certification for 75 % occupancy .
Masks are mandatory in public , with a 10-person limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirement for travelers entering from high-infection rate states that currently include all five neighboring states .
Health officials announced 239 newly confirmed cases Thursday of COVID-19 , with deaths rising by two to a total of 859 statewide since the outset of the pandemic .
The Public Education Department announced six newly detected cases since the previous day , including one student in Sandoval County who was last on school property Sept. 18 .
Lujan Grisham said state health official plan to independently verify the effectiveness of future coronavirus vaccines as they become @ @

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Voters across New Mexico have submitted nearly 250,000 absentee ballot requests with especially strong demand among Democrats for alternatives to in-person voting amid the pandemic, according to statistics released Thursday by state voting regulators. In 2016, voters cast 8,000 absentee ballots.
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said the popularity of absentee voting may translate into a lengthier process for tallying ballots that could extend beyond Election Day on Nov. 3.
She said county clerks have been allotted more time to authenticate absentee ballots as they arrive ahead of Election Day, but the counting process could potentially last for several days if voters wait until late in the cycle to mail or hand deliver ballots. Absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 to be counted.
“We are hoping that this additional time is going to give our clerks the leg up that they need to be able to get through the vast majority of those absentee ballots on Election Day,” Toulouse Oliver said during a news conference with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “If more than half of these ballots come back on Election Day, then we probably are going to be into a multi-day, after-the-election process getting those initial counts tallied.”
Initial vote counting on Election Day can extend until 11 p.m. and resume the next morning - a precaution against extreme fatigue among election workers that might lead to errors.
Election officials will start distributing the first absentee ballots on Oct. 6. In-person voting starts on Saturday, Oct. 17, at voting convenience centers.
The number of absentee ballot requests already exceeds those cast in the June 2 primary.
In other pandemic developments, the governor cited a slight increase in the rate of spread for COVID-19 statewide and more substantial signs of spread in areas including Albuquerque and Sandoval County. She said no immediate changes are being made to the state’s emergency public health order.
The current order limits businesses, including retail outlets, private schools and indoor restaurant areas, to 25% of capacity, while hotels and lodges can seek certification for 75% occupancy. Masks are mandatory in public, with a 10-person limit on public gatherings and a 14-day self-quarantine requirement for travelers entering from high-infection rate states that currently include all five neighboring states.
Health officials announced 239 newly confirmed cases Thursday of COVID-19, with deaths rising by two to a total of 859 statewide since the outset of the pandemic.
The Public Education Department announced six newly detected cases since the previous day, including one student in Sandoval County who was last on school property Sept. 18.
Lujan Grisham said state health official plan to independently verify the effectiveness of future coronavirus vaccines as they become available.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Justice Dept. expected to file antitrust action vs. Google

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The Justice Department is expected to bring an antitrust action against Google in coming weeks , focusing on its dominance in online search and whether it was used to stifle competition and hurt consumers , a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press Thursday .
The department also is examining Google ’ s online advertising practices , said the person , who could not discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Antitrust officials at the department briefed state attorneys general Thursday on the planned action against Google , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that share concerns about Google ’ s conduct .
The anticipated lawsuit against Google could be the government ’ s biggest legal offensive to protect competition since the groundbreaking case against Microsoft almost 20 years ago .
Lawmakers and consumer advocates accuse Google of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits .
Spokespeople for Google , whose parent company is Alphabet Inc. , and headquarters is in Mountain View , California , declined comment Thursday .
Google has maintained that although its businesses are large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumers .
The company says its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives .
Most of its services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads .
For over a year , the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have pursued sweeping antitrust investigations of big tech companies , looking at whether Google , Facebook , Amazon and Apple have hurt competition , stifled innovation or otherwise harmed consumers .
And a bipartisan coalition of 50 U.S. states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Ken Paxton , announced a year ago on the steps of the Supreme Court that they were investigating Google ’ s business practices .
They cited “ potential monopolistic behavior.
” Now with 40 days to the presidential election , the Justice Department is approaching legal action against Google and soliciting the support of state attorneys general on an issue of rare bipartisan agreement .
Support from the states would bolster the Justice Department ’ s case against Google .
The Trump administration has long had Google in its sights .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said two years ago that the White House was considering whether Google searches should be subject to government regulation .
Trump himself has often criticized Google , recycling unfounded claims by conservatives that the search giant is biased against conservatives and suppresses their viewpoints , interferes with U.S. elections and prefers working with the Chinese military over the Pentagon .
The company has denied the claims and insists that it never ranks search results to manipulate political views .
Antitrust regulators in Europe have cracked down on Google in recent years by imposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices .
Among other things , the regulators found that Google forced smartphone makers to install Google apps , thereby expanding its reach .
Google has since allowed more options for alternative browser and search apps to European Android phones .
Google controls about 90 % of global web searches .
Its dominance in online search and advertising enables it to target millions of consumers for their personal data .
Google dwarfs other search competitors such as Microsoft ’ s Bing and Yelp , and has faced harsh criticism in the past for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top of search results .
Google also owns the leading web browser in Chrome , the world ’ s largest mobile operating system in Android , the top video site in YouTube and the most popular digital mapping system .

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department is expected to bring an antitrust action against Google in coming weeks, focusing on its dominance in online search and whether it was used to stifle competition and hurt consumers, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press Thursday.
The department also is examining Google’s online advertising practices, said the person, who could not discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Antitrust officials at the department briefed state attorneys general Thursday on the planned action against Google, seeking support from states across the country that share concerns about Google’s conduct.
The anticipated lawsuit against Google could be the government’s biggest legal offensive to protect competition since the groundbreaking case against Microsoft almost 20 years ago.
Lawmakers and consumer advocates accuse Google of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits.
Spokespeople for Google, whose parent company is Alphabet Inc., and headquarters is in Mountain View, California, declined comment Thursday.
Google has maintained that although its businesses are large, they are useful and beneficial to consumers. The company says its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives. Most of its services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads.
For over a year, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have pursued sweeping antitrust investigations of big tech companies, looking at whether Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple have hurt competition, stifled innovation or otherwise harmed consumers. And a bipartisan coalition of 50 U.S. states and territories, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, announced a year ago on the steps of the Supreme Court that they were investigating Google’s business practices. They cited “potential monopolistic behavior.”
Now with 40 days to the presidential election, the Justice Department is approaching legal action against Google and soliciting the support of state attorneys general on an issue of rare bipartisan agreement. Support from the states would bolster the Justice Department’s case against Google.
The Trump administration has long had Google in its sights. A top economic adviser to President Donald Trump said two years ago that the White House was considering whether Google searches should be subject to government regulation. Trump himself has often criticized Google, recycling unfounded claims by conservatives that the search giant is biased against conservatives and suppresses their viewpoints, interferes with U.S. elections and prefers working with the Chinese military over the Pentagon.
The company has denied the claims and insists that it never ranks search results to manipulate political views.
Antitrust regulators in Europe have cracked down on Google in recent years by imposing multibillion-dollar fines and ordering changes to its practices. Among other things, the regulators found that Google forced smartphone makers to install Google apps, thereby expanding its reach. Google has since allowed more options for alternative browser and search apps to European Android phones.
Google controls about 90% of global web searches. Its dominance in online search and advertising enables it to target millions of consumers for their personal data. Google dwarfs other search competitors such as Microsoft’s Bing and Yelp, and has faced harsh criticism in the past for favoring its own products over competitors at the top of search results.
Google also owns the leading web browser in Chrome, the world’s largest mobile operating system in Android, the top video site in YouTube and the most popular digital mapping system.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--AP Week in Pictures: Asia

AP Week in Pictures: Asia

This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Asia and @ @ @ @ @ curated by AP photo editor Shuji Kajiyama in Tokyo .

Sept. 18-24, 2020
This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Asia and Pacific.
The gallery was curated by AP photo editor Shuji Kajiyama in Tokyo.
Follow AP visual journalism:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews
AP Images on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Images
AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Trump: Revelations about FBI ties to Russian spy are 'big day' for him

President Trump exulted Thursday night in new bombshell disclosures of FBI malfeasance into the spying on his campaign in 2016 , calling it “ a big day ” for him in the long-discredited Russian collusion investigation .
“ Today a trove of text messages was release from the FBI agents involved in the Russian witch hunt , ” the president told supporters at an outdoor campaign rally in Jacksonville , Florida .
“ We caught them .
They were trying to do a coup.
” The president told the crowd of thousands , “ This was a big day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ me because I am fighting for you.
” Mr. Trump referred to a report in The Federalist , which cited previously hidden FBI text messages .
In the texts , agents said were so concerned about the agency ’ s potentially illegal behavior in probing the Trump campaign that they purchased liability insurance to protect themselves less than two weeks before Mr. Trump was inaugurated president .
“ These people are scum… we caught them spying on our nation , ” the president said .
Further , the primary source of the anti-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steele was the subject of a two-year FBI counterintelligence investigation for suspected contact with Russian intelligence officers , Attorney General William Barr revealed Thursday .
The FBI relied on the dossier to get authorization for its probe of the Trump campaign .
Mr. Barr told Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham , South Carolina Republican , in a letter on Thursday that the disclosure has been declassified from U.S. Attorney John Durham ’ s investigation into the origins of the FBI probe of the Trump campaign .
“ I have consulted with Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to my attention in the course of his investigation , and he has informed me that the disclosure of the information will not interfere with his criminal investigation , ” Mr. Barr wrote .
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reacted to the news on Twitter , “ So there was collusion with Russia to interfere in our democracy after all — between the Obama administration and a suspected Russian spy to take down President @ realDonaldTrump.
” The president traveled to Florida on the same day that Broward and Palm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 635,000 vote-by-mail ballots .
By the end of next week , ballots will have been sent to more than 4.7 million Florida voters .
“ Forty days from now we ’ re going to win Florida , we ’ re going to win four more years in the White House , ” the president said .
“ If you want to save America , you must get out and vote.
” In his campaign speech , Mr. Trump made repeated appeals to Hispanic voters .
He noted that the administration last week provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Puerto Rico for hurricane damage in 2017 .
“ I hope they remember that , ” the president said .
“ That was given by Trump , not by the Democrats.
” The president also said rioting in major cities this year over racial injustice are “ a big reason I ’ m going to win.
” “ The Democrat Party ’ s war on cops is putting the lives of innocent police officers in danger , ” he said .
The president said another reason he ’ ll win is liberal Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re not too fond of her in Minnesota .
I think she has hatred for our country , ” he said .

President Trump exulted Thursday night in new bombshell disclosures of FBI malfeasance into the spying on his campaign in 2016, calling it “a big day” for him in the long-discredited Russian collusion investigation.
“Today a trove of text messages was release from the FBI agents involved in the Russian witch hunt,” the president told supporters at an outdoor campaign rally in Jacksonville, Florida. “We caught them. They were trying to do a coup.”
The president told the crowd of thousands, “This was a big day. Never forget, they are coming after me because I am fighting for you.”
Mr. Trump referred to a report in The Federalist, which cited previously hidden FBI text messages. In the texts, agents said were so concerned about the agency’s potentially illegal behavior in probing the Trump campaign that they purchased liability insurance to protect themselves less than two weeks before Mr. Trump was inaugurated president.
“These people are scum… we caught them spying on our nation,” the president said.
Further, the primary source of the anti-Trump dossier authored by ex-British intelligence agent Christopher Steele was the subject of a two-year FBI counterintelligence investigation for suspected contact with Russian intelligence officers, Attorney General William Barr revealed Thursday. The FBI relied on the dossier to get authorization for its probe of the Trump campaign.
Mr. Barr told Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, in a letter on Thursday that the disclosure has been declassified from U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation into the origins of the FBI probe of the Trump campaign.
“I have consulted with Mr. Durham, who originally brought this information to my attention in the course of his investigation, and he has informed me that the disclosure of the information will not interfere with his criminal investigation,” Mr. Barr wrote.
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reacted to the news on Twitter, “So there was collusion with Russia to interfere in our democracy after all — between the Obama administration and a suspected Russian spy to take down President @realDonaldTrump.”
The president traveled to Florida on the same day that Broward and Palm Beach counties began sending out more than 635,000 vote-by-mail ballots. By the end of next week, ballots will have been sent to more than 4.7 million Florida voters.
“Forty days from now we’re going to win Florida, we’re going to win four more years in the White House,” the president said. “If you want to save America, you must get out and vote.”
In his campaign speech, Mr. Trump made repeated appeals to Hispanic voters. He noted that the administration last week provided $13 billion in disaster aid to Puerto Rico for hurricane damage in 2017.
“I hope they remember that,” the president said. “That was given by Trump, not by the Democrats.”
The president also said rioting in major cities this year over racial injustice are “a big reason I’m going to win.”
“The Democrat Party’s war on cops is putting the lives of innocent police officers in danger,” he said.
The president said another reason he’ll win is liberal Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat.
“They’re not too fond of her in Minnesota. I think she has hatred for our country,” he said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-24--Groups decry proposal to roll back Alaska forest protections

JUNEAU , Alaska ( AP ) - The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to exempt the country ’ s largest national forest from a ban on timber harvests and road building in roadless areas , a move conservation groups denounced Thursday .
The U.S. Department of Agriculture , under which the Forest Service falls , announced Thursday the upcoming release of a final environmental review identifying a preferred alternative to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the so-called Roadless Rule .
Once the review is released , at least 30 days must pass before a final decision is made .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25,000 square miles ( 64,750 square kilometers ) in southeast Alaska , is one of the largest , relatively intact temperate rain forests in the world , and a majority of the Tongass is in a natural condition , “ unlike most other national forests , ” the Forest Service has said .
The state in 2018 , under then-Gov .
Bill Walker , asked the federal government to consider the exemption and members of Alaska ’ s congressional delegation last fall lauded a draft proposal that listed an exemption as a preferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as increasing access to federal lands for such things as timber harvests and development of minerals and energy projects .
Critics say it could adversely affect wildlife , contribute to climate change and hurt tourism and recreation opportunities .
Randi Spivak , public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity , in a statement said the federal proposal could pour “ gasoline on the inferno of climate change .
These towering ancient trees take enormous amounts of carbon out of the air and we need them now more than ever .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep these magnificent giants standing for centuries to come.
” The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 9.2 million acres , or about 55 % of the forest , currently are designated as roadless areas .
Kate Glover , an attorney for Earthjustice , said her organization has long defended the Tongass as part of litigation , “ and we will use every tool available to continue defending this majestic and irreplaceable national forest .
”

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to exempt the country’s largest national forest from a ban on timber harvests and road building in roadless areas, a move conservation groups denounced Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, under which the Forest Service falls, announced Thursday the upcoming release of a final environmental review identifying a preferred alternative to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the so-called Roadless Rule. Once the review is released, at least 30 days must pass before a final decision is made.
The Tongass, which covers more than 25,000 square miles (64,750 square kilometers) in southeast Alaska, is one of the largest, relatively intact temperate rain forests in the world, and a majority of the Tongass is in a natural condition, “unlike most other national forests,” the Forest Service has said.
The state in 2018, under then-Gov. Bill Walker, asked the federal government to consider the exemption and members of Alaska’s congressional delegation last fall lauded a draft proposal that listed an exemption as a preferred alternative.
Supporters of the exemption see it as increasing access to federal lands for such things as timber harvests and development of minerals and energy projects. Critics say it could adversely affect wildlife, contribute to climate change and hurt tourism and recreation opportunities.
Randi Spivak, public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement said the federal proposal could pour “gasoline on the inferno of climate change. These towering ancient trees take enormous amounts of carbon out of the air and we need them now more than ever. We’ll do everything possible to keep these magnificent giants standing for centuries to come.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 9.2 million acres, or about 55% of the forest, currently are designated as roadless areas.
Kate Glover, an attorney for Earthjustice, said her organization has long defended the Tongass as part of litigation, “and we will use every tool available to continue defending this majestic and irreplaceable national forest.”