washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Ex-Indiana Gov. Kernan, who was a Vietnam POW, dies at 74

INDIANAPOLIS ( AP ) - Former Indiana Gov .
Joe Kernan , a Vietnam prisoner of war who entered politics and was thrust into the state ’ s top office when his predecessor suffered a deadly stroke , died Wednesday at age 74 .
Kernan died at a South Bend health care facility , said Mary Downes , who was his governor ’ s office chief of staff .
Kernan was diagnosed with Alzheimer ’ s disease several years ago , but his family kept his condition private until disclosing earlier this month that he had lost the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility .
Kernan , a Democrat , won three elections as South Bend ’ s mayor before being elected lieutenant governor with Gov .
Frank O ’ Bannon in 1996 and 2000 .
Kernan became governor in September 2003 after O ’ Bannon ’ s death and served for 16 months before he lost the 2004 election to Republican Mitch Daniels .
“ Distinguished isn ’ t a strong enough word to describe him , ” current Gov .
Eric Holcomb said in a statement .
“ Without regard for personal cost , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , time and again , to upholding the oath he took , and serving the country and state he loved.
” A gregarious campaigner who was a catcher on the University of Notre Dame ’ s baseball team , Kernan was widely praised for the smooth transition after the first death of an Indiana governor since 1891 .
“ This was uncharted territory , ” Republican state Sen. James Merritt said to Kernan during a ceremony just days before he left office in early 2005 .
“ This was your legacy - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enlisted in the Navy following his 1968 Notre Dame graduation and he flew as a navigator on combat missions over Laos and North Vietnam .
His reconnaissance plane was shot down during a mission over North Vietnam on May 7 , 1972 .
He ejected and was captured , beginning an 11-month ordeal as a prisoner of war that ended when he was flown out of Hanoi on March 27 , 1973 .
The worst day of captivity came early on , he said , when he talked with another POW .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost us and that we were presumed dead , ” Kernan said in a 2002 interview .
“ My family thought I was dead , and if the Navy thought I was dead , the thing that goes through your mind is that there ’ s no reason for these guys to keep me alive.
” For decades , Kernan marked every May 7 by playing golf , eating a pizza and drinking some beer .
He said he remembered the date of his capture each year “ without question , ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anniversary of his release until a day or a week later .
“ I think it ’ s because if there hadn ’ t have been a May 7th , there never would have been a March 27th , ” Kernan said .
“ It was the day my life changed.
” Kernan ’ s actions as governor included picking former state budget director Kathy Davis to replace him as lieutenant governor - making her the first woman to serve either as Indiana ’ s governor or lieutenant governor .
He also became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spare the life of a death row inmate when he stopped an execution just days before it was scheduled to occur in 2004 .
Kernan said he decided it would be unfair to execute Darnell Williams for the 1986 murders of a Gary couple when a mentally disabled accomplice got a life sentence .
Williams ’ sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole .
Kernan had decided against a 2004 run for governor the year before O ’ Bannon ’ s death .
He changed his mind two months after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office , declaring “ I don ’ t want to watch this from the sidelines.
” Republicans attacked Kernan over the state government ’ s budget deficit and tens of thousands of job losses , with Democrats blaming the problems on the 2001 national recession following the dot-com bust .
Kernan lost what was then Indiana ’ s most-expensive gubernatorial campaign to Daniels , who had been President George W. Bush ’ s federal budget director and is now Purdue University ’ s president .
Kernan grew up in the northern Indiana city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine siblings .
After his return from Vietnam , he married his wife , Maggie , and worked for local businesses before becoming city controller and then winning his first of three mayoral elections in 1987 .
The couple had no children .
No public funeral services will be held at this time because of the coronavirus pandemic , Downes said .
After leaving the governor ’ s office , Kernan led a group of investors who owned South Bend ’ s minor league baseball team for about five years before selling it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped the team from being moved away from the city , but he said the franchise never turned a profit .
“ I was not as happy about the baseball thing but to him it was like a gift for South Bend , ” Maggie Kernan told Notre Dame Magazine earlier this year .
Kernan often said he didn ’ t have many bad days after his time as a POW .
Maggie Kernan said she often saw that perspective .
“ Because of his personality and optimistic outlook , he has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of it that is positive , ” she said .
“ He will talk about doing something tough and difficult and say , ‘ What are they going to do , send me to jail ?
I ’ ve already been there .
’ ”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Former Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan, a Vietnam prisoner of war who entered politics and was thrust into the state’s top office when his predecessor suffered a deadly stroke, died Wednesday at age 74.
Kernan died at a South Bend health care facility, said Mary Downes, who was his governor’s office chief of staff. Kernan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease several years ago, but his family kept his condition private until disclosing earlier this month that he had lost the ability to speak and was living in a care facility.
Kernan, a Democrat, won three elections as South Bend’s mayor before being elected lieutenant governor with Gov. Frank O’Bannon in 1996 and 2000. Kernan became governor in September 2003 after O’Bannon’s death and served for 16 months before he lost the 2004 election to Republican Mitch Daniels.
“Joe Kernan was a steady hand of leadership at a difficult time for our state,” Vice President Mike Pence, a former Indiana governor, said in a statement. “Even though our politics differed, Joe Kernan was always kind, always willing to work together for Hoosiers, and Joe Kernan was my friend.”
A gregarious campaigner who was a catcher on the University of Notre Dame’s baseball team, Kernan was widely praised for the smooth transition after the first death of an Indiana governor since 1891.
“This was uncharted territory,” Republican state Sen. James Merritt said to Kernan during a ceremony just days before he left office in early 2005. “This was your legacy - calm leadership in a crisis.”
Current Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, said of Kernan: “Distinguished isn’t a strong enough word to describe him.”
“Without regard for personal cost, Joe Kernan devoted every ounce of his life, time and again, to upholding the oath he took, and serving the country and state he loved,” Holcomb said in a statement.
Kernan enlisted in the Navy following his 1968 Notre Dame graduation and he flew as a navigator on combat missions over Laos and North Vietnam. His reconnaissance plane was shot down during a mission over North Vietnam on May 7, 1972. He ejected and was captured, beginning an 11-month ordeal as a prisoner of war that ended when he was flown out of Hanoi on March 27, 1973.
The worst day of captivity came early on, he said, when he talked with another POW.
“He told me that our escort had lost us and that we were presumed dead,” Kernan said in a 2002 interview. “My family thought I was dead, and if the Navy thought I was dead, the thing that goes through your mind is that there’s no reason for these guys to keep me alive.”
For decades, Kernan marked every May 7 by playing golf, eating a pizza and drinking some beer. He said he remembered the date of his capture each year “without question,” but sometimes he didn’t remember the anniversary of his release until a day or a week later.
“I think it’s because if there hadn’t have been a May 7th, there never would have been a March 27th,” Kernan said. “It was the day my life changed.”
Kernan’s actions as governor included picking former state budget director Kathy Davis to replace him as lieutenant governor - making her the first woman to serve either as Indiana’s governor or lieutenant governor.
He also became the first Indiana governor in 48 years to spare the life of a death row inmate when he stopped an execution just days before it was scheduled to occur in 2004. Kernan said he decided it would be unfair to execute Darnell Williams for the 1986 murders of a Gary couple when a mentally disabled accomplice got a life sentence. Williams’ sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole.
Kernan had decided against a 2004 run for governor the year before O’Bannon’s death. He changed his mind two months after taking over the state’s top office, declaring “I don’t want to watch this from the sidelines.”
Republicans attacked Kernan over the state government’s budget deficit and tens of thousands of job losses, with Democrats blaming the problems on the 2001 national recession following the dot-com bust. Kernan lost what was then Indiana’s most-expensive gubernatorial campaign to Daniels, who had been President George W. Bush’s federal budget director and is now Purdue University’s president.
Kernan grew up in the northern Indiana city of South Bend as the oldest of nine siblings. After his return from Vietnam, he married his wife, Maggie, and worked for local businesses before becoming city controller and then winning his first of three mayoral elections in 1987. The couple had no children.
No public funeral services will be held at this time because of the coronavirus pandemic, Downes said.
After leaving the governor’s office, Kernan led a group of investors who owned South Bend’s minor league baseball team for about five years before selling it in 2011. Kernan’s group stopped the team from being moved away from the city, but he said the franchise never turned a profit.
“I was not as happy about the baseball thing but to him it was like a gift for South Bend,” Maggie Kernan told Notre Dame Magazine earlier this year.
Kernan often said he didn’t have many bad days after his time as a POW. Maggie Kernan said she often saw that perspective.
“Because of his personality and optimistic outlook, he has been able to take it and make something out of it that is positive,” she said. “He will talk about doing something tough and difficult and say, ‘What are they going to do, send me to jail? I’ve already been there.’”


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Former Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan, who was a Vietnam prisoner of war, dies at age 74, longtime aide say

INDIANAPOLIS ( AP ) - Former Indiana Gov .
Joe Kernan , who was a Vietnam prisoner of war , @ @ @ @ @ longtime aide says .

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Former Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan, who was a Vietnam prisoner of war, dies at age 74, longtime aide says.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Sisters seeking answers after nephew found wandering alone

MIRAMAR , Fla. ( AP ) - Three sisters drove from Alabama to South Florida to reunite with their 2-year-old nephew , who was found Sunday morning wandering alone in the parking lot of an apartment complex .
They met with detectives at the Miramar Police Department in hopes of learning why little Kamdyn Cavett was alone and what happened to his 21-year-old mother , Leila Cavett .
“ We just want to know that my sister is OK , ” Gina Lewis told reporters Tuesday .
“ We ’ re really not sure what ’ s going on.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the family lives in Jasper , Alabama , which is northwest of Birmingham and some 800 miles ( 1,287 kilometers ) from Miramar .
The family said Cavett didn ’ t have any known ties to South Florida .
They ’ re desperate for answers .
“ If you are OK , please let someone know , ” Lewis said .
“ She would have never just left him like that.
” The boy was spotted around 8 a.m. Sunday by Ebony Williams , who told police she had gone out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she returned .
When she realized the little boy , who was only wearing a T-shirt and a diaper , was alone she walked through the neighborhood searching for his parents .
Then she called police .
When Miramar police posted the boy ’ s picture on social media , it went viral and his family spotted it online .
Police said in a later post that they were searching for Leila Cavett , who was last seen driving a mid-to-late 90s white Chevy Silverado 3500 , with a red tailgate and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the passenger window .
Cavett ’ s family told reporters they last spoke to her about two weeks ago .
“ I FaceTimed her on July 17 .
We were on the phone for about an hour and she was fine , ” one of the sisters said .
“ She didn ’ t have any plans to come to Florida , so we ’ re very confused right now .
”

MIRAMAR, Fla. (AP) - Three sisters drove from Alabama to South Florida to reunite with their 2-year-old nephew, who was found Sunday morning wandering alone in the parking lot of an apartment complex.
They met with detectives at the Miramar Police Department in hopes of learning why little Kamdyn Cavett was alone and what happened to his 21-year-old mother, Leila Cavett.
“We just want to know that my sister is OK,” Gina Lewis told reporters Tuesday. “We’re really not sure what’s going on.”
Cavett lives in Atlanta, while the rest of the family lives in Jasper, Alabama, which is northwest of Birmingham and some 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) from Miramar.
The family said Cavett didn’t have any known ties to South Florida. They’re desperate for answers.
“If you are OK, please let someone know,” Lewis said. “She would have never just left him like that.”
The boy was spotted around 8 a.m. Sunday by Ebony Williams, who told police she had gone out for coffee and saw the child when she returned. When she realized the little boy, who was only wearing a T-shirt and a diaper, was alone she walked through the neighborhood searching for his parents. Then she called police.
When Miramar police posted the boy’s picture on social media, it went viral and his family spotted it online. Police said in a later post that they were searching for Leila Cavett, who was last seen driving a mid-to-late 90s white Chevy Silverado 3500, with a red tailgate and a “Baby on Board” sign on the passenger window.
Cavett’s family told reporters they last spoke to her about two weeks ago.
“I FaceTimed her on July 17. We were on the phone for about an hour and she was fine,” one of the sisters said. “She didn’t have any plans to come to Florida, so we’re very confused right now.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Government workers to work remotely until 2021 due to virus

SEATTLE ( AP ) - Many local government employees around the Puget Sound region will work from home until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic , officials said Tuesday .
Leaders from King , Pierce and Snohomish counties , from the cities of Everett , Kenmore , Redmond , Seattle , Shoreline and Tacoma , and from the ports of Seattle and Everett , “ are taking a united approach to slow the spread of COVID-19 and maximize physical distancing by extending teleworking for eligible employees until 2021 , ” The Seattle Times reported .
The governments collectively employ thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15,000 and the city of Seattle has more than 10,000 , according to a news release from King County Executive Dow Constantine .
King County previously had advised eligible employees they would work from home until at least Labor Day , Constantine spokesperson Chase Gallagher said .
The county ’ s mandatory teleworking policy applies to employees , “ except those where there is an operational need ” to physically be at work .
For example , bus operators can not work from home .
The coronavirus has continued to spread in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take precautions .
The seven-day average of cases in King County has reached higher levels in July than at the outbreak ’ s previous peak in April .
Google is also having most employees and contractors work remotely until July 2021 , it said Monday .
Amazon said earlier this month it would extend its work-from-home option for corporate employees to Jan. 8 .

SEATTLE (AP) - Many local government employees around the Puget Sound region will work from home until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Tuesday.
Leaders from King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, from the cities of Everett, Kenmore, Redmond, Seattle, Shoreline and Tacoma, and from the ports of Seattle and Everett, “are taking a united approach to slow the spread of COVID-19 and maximize physical distancing by extending teleworking for eligible employees until 2021,” The Seattle Times reported.
The governments collectively employ thousands of workers; King County has about 15,000 and the city of Seattle has more than 10,000, according to a news release from King County Executive Dow Constantine.
King County previously had advised eligible employees they would work from home until at least Labor Day, Constantine spokesperson Chase Gallagher said. The county’s mandatory teleworking policy applies to employees, “except those where there is an operational need” to physically be at work. For example, bus operators cannot work from home.
The coronavirus has continued to spread in the region, with health officials urging people to take precautions. The seven-day average of cases in King County has reached higher levels in July than at the outbreak’s previous peak in April.
Google is also having most employees and contractors work remotely until July 2021, it said Monday. Amazon said earlier this month it would extend its work-from-home option for corporate employees to Jan. 8.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Officials eye sedative given before death of Elijah McClain

Colorado health officials have opened an investigation into the use of a sedative given to a Black man by paramedics during a police stop in suburban Denver before his death last year .
The inquiry is the latest in a series of new reviews of the case of Elijah McClain that has received renewed attention as part of protests over police brutality and racial injustice .
Authorities have said McClain was given 500 milligrams of the sedative ketamine to calm him down , but there have been calls for a closer inquiry into what role that might have played in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year he could not determine exactly what caused McClain ’ s death .
McClain was stopped by police as he walked home from a store in Aurora after someone reported him as being suspicious .
Police placed him in a chokehold that cuts off blood to the brain , and paramedics gave him the sedative .
He suffered cardiac arrest and was later declared brain dead and taken off life support at a hospital .
His autopsy report found that that levels of the sedative in McClain ’ s blood were at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the drug could not be ruled out , along with other possibilities like an asthma attack or an irregular heartbeat .
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said Wednesday it is investigating the use of ketamine on Aug. 24 , 2019 , by paramedics from Aurora ’ s fire department and a contracted ambulance service after receiving numerous complaints .
The agency refused to say which case that involved , but it ’ s the same day those agencies were involved with treating McClain .
Department spokesperson Peter Myers declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation because it is still active .
The health department inquiry comes as the Colorado attorney general investigates whether any criminal charges should be filed and the city conducts its own investigation of its policies on the use of force and ketamine .
Federal authorities have also been looking at whether to launch a civil rights investigation .
Based on the pathologist ’ s inconclusive ruling about what role the officers ’ actions might have played , a district attorney last year declined to charge any of the three officers who confronted McClain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers were fired over photos showing police reenacting a chokehold used on McClain .
That included a white officer who helped stop McClain for wearing a ski mask and “ being suspicious.
” A spokesperson for Aurora Fire Rescue , Sherri-Jo Stowell , said it welcomed the additional attention McClain ’ s case was receiving .
“ We also welcome the forthcoming investigation , ” she said of the health department ’ s probe .
Stowell said she was not aware of any other ketamine administrations involving the department on the date cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a spokesman for the contracted ambulance company , Falck Rocky Mountain , said the company welcomed the investigation and would cooperate fully in it .
The McClain family ’ s lawyer , Mari Newman , said she was not notified of the investigation but the department should examine the role that ketamine played in McClain ’ s death .
She said he was speaking rationally to officers when he was needlessly given the drug in an amount appropriate for someone twice his size .
“ I ’ m disappointed that it takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indication of an investigation but better late than never , ” she said .

Colorado health officials have opened an investigation into the use of a sedative given to a Black man by paramedics during a police stop in suburban Denver before his death last year.
The inquiry is the latest in a series of new reviews of the case of Elijah McClain that has received renewed attention as part of protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
Authorities have said McClain was given 500 milligrams of the sedative ketamine to calm him down, but there have been calls for a closer inquiry into what role that might have played in his death. A county pathologist said last year he could not determine exactly what caused McClain’s death.
McClain was stopped by police as he walked home from a store in Aurora after someone reported him as being suspicious. Police placed him in a chokehold that cuts off blood to the brain, and paramedics gave him the sedative.
He suffered cardiac arrest and was later declared brain dead and taken off life support at a hospital.
His autopsy report found that that levels of the sedative in McClain’s blood were at tolerable levels but that an unexpected reaction to the drug could not be ruled out, along with other possibilities like an asthma attack or an irregular heartbeat.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said Wednesday it is investigating the use of ketamine on Aug. 24, 2019, by paramedics from Aurora’s fire department and a contracted ambulance service after receiving numerous complaints.
The agency refused to say which case that involved, but it’s the same day those agencies were involved with treating McClain.
Department spokesperson Peter Myers declined to offer any further details about the investigation because it is still active.
The health department inquiry comes as the Colorado attorney general investigates whether any criminal charges should be filed and the city conducts its own investigation of its policies on the use of force and ketamine.
Federal authorities have also been looking at whether to launch a civil rights investigation.
Based on the pathologist’s inconclusive ruling about what role the officers’ actions might have played, a district attorney last year declined to charge any of the three officers who confronted McClain.
Earlier this month, three Aurora officers were fired over photos showing police reenacting a chokehold used on McClain. That included a white officer who helped stop McClain for wearing a ski mask and “being suspicious.”
A spokesperson for Aurora Fire Rescue, Sherri-Jo Stowell, said it welcomed the additional attention McClain’s case was receiving.
“We also welcome the forthcoming investigation,” she said of the health department’s probe.
Stowell said she was not aware of any other ketamine administrations involving the department on the date cited by the health department.
Jeff Lucia, a spokesman for the contracted ambulance company, Falck Rocky Mountain, said the company welcomed the investigation and would cooperate fully in it.
The McClain family’s lawyer, Mari Newman, said she was not notified of the investigation but the department should examine the role that ketamine played in McClain’s death. She said he was speaking rationally to officers when he was needlessly given the drug in an amount appropriate for someone twice his size.
“I’m disappointed that it takes international outrage before there’s any indication of an investigation but better late than never,” she said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Man gets 60 years for killing girlfriend in front of son

NEW ORLEANS ( AP ) - A Louisiana man pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing his girlfriend 29 times in front of her then 1-year-old son .
Damone Ussin , 43 , pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter and obstruction of justice , The The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported .
Judicial District Judge Stephen Enright Jr. sentenced Ussin to 60 years in prison , 40 years for the manslaughter and 20 years for the obstruction charge .
The sentences will run consecutively .
Gretna police said Ussin and 35-year-old Traniel Gray dated “ off-and-on , ” but in the weeks before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson previously said Ussin left Gray to die on the street early Aug. 9 , 2018 .
The couple regularly walked the neighborhood and surveillance camera video confirmed they did so with Gray ’ s son about 4 a.m. the morning she was killed .
Lawson said Gray was stabbed 29 times in the face , neck , chest and back .
Her son was not injured .
A grand jury previously charged Ussin with second-degree murder , but he agreed to plead guilty to an amended charge @ @ @

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Louisiana man pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing his girlfriend 29 times in front of her then 1-year-old son.
Damone Ussin, 43, pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter and obstruction of justice, The The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported.
Judicial District Judge Stephen Enright Jr. sentenced Ussin to 60 years in prison, 40 years for the manslaughter and 20 years for the obstruction charge. The sentences will run consecutively.
Gretna police said Ussin and 35-year-old Traniel Gray dated “off-and-on,” but in the weeks before Gray was killed, Ussin assaulted her.
Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson previously said Ussin left Gray to die on the street early Aug. 9, 2018. The couple regularly walked the neighborhood and surveillance camera video confirmed they did so with Gray’s son about 4 a.m. the morning she was killed.
Lawson said Gray was stabbed 29 times in the face, neck, chest and back. Her son was not injured.
A grand jury previously charged Ussin with second-degree murder, but he agreed to plead guilty to an amended charge of manslaughter.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Trump campaign says undercount, hidden support skews polls

Trump campaign officials are convinced that polls showing Joseph R. Biden with a big lead are tilted left by undercounting Republican voters and are missing a hidden cache of the president ’ s supporters who are leery of pollsters .
President Trump and his campaign staff are not under the illusion that he is winning at this stage , but they think the race is much closer than polls suggest , especially in the battlegrounds of Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin .
“ They get some of these people who say they have no opinion or are undecided when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Trump campaign insider who did not want to be identified without authorization from the campaign .
“ The big thing the polls are doing is just underrepresenting Republicans , and it ’ s blatant.
” The hidden Trump voters , according to the theory , are bullied into silence by the news media ’ s daily accusations that they are racist or worse .
These voters then conceal their support for Mr. Trump for fear of being viewed as racist by the pollsters .
Mr. Biden ’ s presidential campaign refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they are taking nothing for granted and are doing everything possible to avoid the sort of Election Day that stunned Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
The numbers generally bear out claims of lopsided samplings in 2020 surveys .
A national poll released this week by Economist/YouGov showed Mr. Biden , the presumed Democratic presidential nominee , with a 9 percentage point advantage over Mr. Trump .
The unweighted polling sample was 41 % independents , 34.7 % Democrats and 24.2 % Republicans .
In 2016 , Republicans made up 31 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share of turnout in every presidential election since Ronald Reagan won the White House .
The 2016 electorate was 35 % Democrat , similar to the polling sample , and 34 % independent , which is a much smaller share than in the poll .
A national poll by ABC News/Washington Post , which gave Mr. Biden a 10-point lead , used a similar sample of 39 % independents , 30 % Democrats and 24 % Republicans .
The Real Clear Politics average of national polls , which includes the Economist/YouGov and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ahead of Mr. Trump by 8.4 points .
The same Economist/YouGov poll recorded Republicans giving Mr. Trump an 87 % approval rating .
Democratic political operatives and pollsters dismiss discrepancies in the samples as inconsequential or reflective of likely turnout this year .
“ Republicans are whistling past the graveyard when they criticize current polling , ” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon .
“ There are fewer Republicans in the samples , but that ’ s because the president has turned off so many voters over the last three-plus years.
” Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups conducted by the Trump campaign in which the participants were grouped according to party affiliation , said the campaign insider .
Members of the Democratic groups would quickly offer their disapproval of the president , but some members of the Republican groups would not offer their positive opinion of the president until they realized they were in a friendly crowd .
“ Probably because they ’ re used to keeping their opinions to themselves , ” the insider said .
“ They are out there.
” Pollsters missing these voters and underestimating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the state level , is certainly possible , said Christopher Borick , director of the Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College in Allentown , Pennsylvania .
“ But I think a systematic error on the scale of 2016 is not very likely , ” he said .
“ I think if the president ’ s campaign is banking on the polls systematically understanding his support , they are likely to be disappointed.
” Mr. Borick noted the strong performance of polling in the 2018 midterm elections and that many pollsters began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he saw as one of the primary causes of errors in 2016 .
G. Terry Madonna , director of the polling center at Franklin & Marshall College , said the relatively small number of undecided voters in most presidential preference polls , which has been around 14 % , would be higher if there were an army of hidden voters in America .
“ I don ’ t see any evidence of a huge hidden vote , ” he said .
“ I ’ m not going to tell you that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ untruthfully ] tell you they are not going to vote for him , but there ’ s not a lot of evidence that I ’ ve seen that that exists.
” Pollsters also defend their performance in 2016 by citing Mrs. Clinton ’ s lead in national polls just prior to the election averaged 3 % , close to her win the popular vote by 2 % .
The state polls in 2016 , however , missed the outcome by a wide margin .
Most state surveys that year were not conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race , when many voters made up their minds .
A poll released Wednesday reflected a tightening race in battleground states , including the “ Blue Wall ” of Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin that Mr. Trump put in the Republican column in 2016 for the first time in a generation .
The Democratic-aligned Change Research/CNBC poll showed Mr. Biden ’ s lead shrinking to an average of 3 points — 48 % to 45 % — among likely voters in Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Arizona and Pennsylvania to a 5-point lead in Wisconsin .
Two weeks ago , Mr. Biden held an average 6-point lead over Mr. Trump in the same battleground states poll .
The poll did not provide a breakdown of the survey sample by party affiliation .
Regardless of the Trump campaign ’ s dubious view of the polling , the president has shown he is sensitive about his job approval numbers , which have taken a hit as the coronavirus crisis drags on .
Mr. Trump mused this week about why his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Anthony Fauci , the administration ’ s top infectious disease expert .
“ So it sort of is curious , a man works for us , and yet they ’ re highly thought of and nobody likes me , ” Mr. Trump quipped at a news conference .
“ It can only be my personality .
”

Trump campaign officials are convinced that polls showing Joseph R. Biden with a big lead are tilted left by undercounting Republican voters and are missing a hidden cache of the president’s supporters who are leery of pollsters.
President Trump and his campaign staff are not under the illusion that he is winning at this stage, but they think the race is much closer than polls suggest, especially in the battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
“They get some of these people who say they have no opinion or are undecided when they really are Trump supporters,” said a Trump campaign insider who did not want to be identified without authorization from the campaign. “The big thing the polls are doing is just underrepresenting Republicans, and it’s blatant.”
The hidden Trump voters, according to the theory, are bullied into silence by the news media’s daily accusations that they are racist or worse. These voters then conceal their support for Mr. Trump for fear of being viewed as racist by the pollsters.
Mr. Biden’s presidential campaign refused to discuss either phenomenon, but they have said they are taking nothing for granted and are doing everything possible to avoid the sort of Election Day that stunned Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The numbers generally bear out claims of lopsided samplings in 2020 surveys.
A national poll released this week by Economist/YouGov showed Mr. Biden, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, with a 9 percentage point advantage over Mr. Trump. The unweighted polling sample was 41% independents, 34.7% Democrats and 24.2% Republicans.
In 2016, Republicans made up 31% of the electorate, similar to their share of turnout in every presidential election since Ronald Reagan won the White House. The 2016 electorate was 35% Democrat, similar to the polling sample, and 34% independent, which is a much smaller share than in the poll.
A national poll by ABC News/Washington Post, which gave Mr. Biden a 10-point lead, used a similar sample of 39% independents, 30% Democrats and 24% Republicans.
The Real Clear Politics average of national polls, which includes the Economist/YouGov and the ABC News/Washington Post surveys, shows Mr. Biden ahead of Mr. Trump by 8.4 points.
The same Economist/YouGov poll recorded Republicans giving Mr. Trump an 87% approval rating.
Democratic political operatives and pollsters dismiss discrepancies in the samples as inconsequential or reflective of likely turnout this year.
“Republicans are whistling past the graveyard when they criticize current polling,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. “There are fewer Republicans in the samples, but that’s because the president has turned off so many voters over the last three-plus years.”
Finding hidden Trump voters is more difficult.
Some of these voters emerged in recent focus groups conducted by the Trump campaign in which the participants were grouped according to party affiliation, said the campaign insider.
Members of the Democratic groups would quickly offer their disapproval of the president, but some members of the Republican groups would not offer their positive opinion of the president until they realized they were in a friendly crowd.
“Probably because they’re used to keeping their opinions to themselves,” the insider said. “They are out there.”
Pollsters missing these voters and underestimating Mr. Trump’s support, particularly at the state level, is certainly possible, said Christopher Borick, director of the Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
“But I think a systematic error on the scale of 2016 is not very likely,” he said. “I think if the president’s campaign is banking on the polls systematically understanding his support, they are likely to be disappointed.”
Mr. Borick noted the strong performance of polling in the 2018 midterm elections and that many pollsters began weighting samples by educational attainment to correct what he saw as one of the primary causes of errors in 2016.
G. Terry Madonna, director of the polling center at Franklin & Marshall College, said the relatively small number of undecided voters in most presidential preference polls, which has been around 14%, would be higher if there were an army of hidden voters in America.
“I don’t see any evidence of a huge hidden vote,” he said. “I’m not going to tell you that there aren’t some people who will [untruthfully] tell you they are not going to vote for him, but there’s not a lot of evidence that I’ve seen that that exists.”
Pollsters also defend their performance in 2016 by citing Mrs. Clinton’s lead in national polls just prior to the election averaged 3%, close to her win the popular vote by 2%.
The state polls in 2016, however, missed the outcome by a wide margin. Most state surveys that year were not conducted in the final 10 days of the race, when many voters made up their minds.
A poll released Wednesday reflected a tightening race in battleground states, including the “Blue Wall” of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin that Mr. Trump put in the Republican column in 2016 for the first time in a generation.
The Democratic-aligned Change Research/CNBC poll showed Mr. Biden’s lead shrinking to an average of 3 points — 48% to 45% — among likely voters in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
His leads ranged from 2-point edges in Arizona and Pennsylvania to a 5-point lead in Wisconsin.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Biden held an average 6-point lead over Mr. Trump in the same battleground states poll.
The poll did not provide a breakdown of the survey sample by party affiliation.
Regardless of the Trump campaign’s dubious view of the polling, the president has shown he is sensitive about his job approval numbers, which have taken a hit as the coronavirus crisis drags on.
Mr. Trump mused this week about why his approval ratings are worse than those of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the administration’s top infectious disease expert.
“So it sort of is curious, a man works for us, and yet they’re highly thought of and nobody likes me,” Mr. Trump quipped at a news conference. “It can only be my personality.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Hawaii's governor wants tighter rules after virus surge

HONOLULU ( AP ) - Hawaii Gov .
David Ige said Wednesday he wants to reimpose some limits on gatherings and bars to control the spread of the coronavirus as the state reported a record 109 new cases of the disease .
The governor said he agrees with Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell ’ s plan to close bars for three weeks .
He said the state is also working with the other counties to restrict unsafe behavior at bars , yet avoid a broad shutdown .
The governor said he also wants to limit all gatherings to no more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for schools and universities because of the safe practice protocols they will be implementing .
Officials blamed the surge in COVID-19 cases on people socializing without masks or keeping six feet ( 1.8 meters ) away from each other , particularly since the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays .
People have been spreading the disease at bars , funerals , church services , after-work outings and beach parties , officials said .
“ We all must redouble our efforts to take personal responsibility and fight against the spread of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference .
Asked how he could justify reopening schools at a time when case numbers were surging , Ige said disease was still “ within containment ” and that virus levels in Hawaii were still lower than other states .
The state Board of Education on Thursday will consider a plan to delay the beginning of the school year to Aug. 17 , two weeks later than the originally planned Aug. 4 date .
Ige and Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson said one of the challenges with bars is that you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Plus , bars are often noisy , prompting people to speak loudly into someone else ’ s face or ears so they can be heard .
This increases the potential for spreading the disease , Anderson said .
“ You often are drinking enough that you ’ re inebriated , your judgment goes down and and you ’ re not paying attention to a lot of things that you would in other venues .
So they ’ re inherently a risky activity ” Anderson said .
Two Honolulu bars are associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Anderson said the state is using existing regulatory authority over food establishments to enforce coronavirus guidelines at bars .
Bars in violation of the rules are given a warning and those that ignore the warning are issued a red placard shutting them down .
“ That ’ s a huge deterrent for any restaurant or bar , ” Anderson said .
Of the 109 cases , 98 were on Oahu , nine were on Maui and two were on Kauai .
Only a few were associated with people who had recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Anderson said the percentage of people receiving a positive result after taking a COVID-19 test is up to nearly 6 % from 1-2 % earlier in the outbreak .

HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Wednesday he wants to reimpose some limits on gatherings and bars to control the spread of the coronavirus as the state reported a record 109 new cases of the disease.
The governor said he agrees with Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s plan to close bars for three weeks. He said the state is also working with the other counties to restrict unsafe behavior at bars, yet avoid a broad shutdown.
The governor said he also wants to limit all gatherings to no more than 10 people. Exceptions would be made for schools and universities because of the safe practice protocols they will be implementing.
Officials blamed the surge in COVID-19 cases on people socializing without masks or keeping six feet (1.8 meters) away from each other, particularly since the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays. People have been spreading the disease at bars, funerals, church services, after-work outings and beach parties, officials said.
“We all must redouble our efforts to take personal responsibility and fight against the spread of COVID-19,” the governor said at a news conference.
Asked how he could justify reopening schools at a time when case numbers were surging, Ige said disease was still “within containment” and that virus levels in Hawaii were still lower than other states.
The state Board of Education on Thursday will consider a plan to delay the beginning of the school year to Aug. 17, two weeks later than the originally planned Aug. 4 date.
Ige and Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson said one of the challenges with bars is that you can’t wear a mask while drinking.
Plus, bars are often noisy, prompting people to speak loudly into someone else’s face or ears so they can be heard. This increases the potential for spreading the disease, Anderson said.
“You often are drinking enough that you’re inebriated, your judgment goes down and and you’re not paying attention to a lot of things that you would in other venues. So they’re inherently a risky activity” Anderson said.
Two Honolulu bars are associated with 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Anderson said.
Anderson said the state is using existing regulatory authority over food establishments to enforce coronavirus guidelines at bars.
Bars in violation of the rules are given a warning and those that ignore the warning are issued a red placard shutting them down.
“That’s a huge deterrent for any restaurant or bar,” Anderson said.
Of the 109 cases, 98 were on Oahu, nine were on Maui and two were on Kauai. Only a few were associated with people who had recently traveled to Hawaii from out of state.
Anderson said the percentage of people receiving a positive result after taking a COVID-19 test is up to nearly 6% from 1-2% earlier in the outbreak.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Texas gas pipeline erupts in flames after cut by contractor

MONT BELVIEU , Texas ( AP ) - A natural gas pipeline erupted in flames near Houston after it was @ @ @ @ @ a contractor , officials said .
The accident happened about 4:45 p.m. in the town @ @ @ @ @ 30 miles ( 48 kilometers ) east of Houston .
No injuries or secondary damage @ @ @ @ @ and fire on the line owned by Lone Star NGL , company officials said .
@ @ @ @ @ bring it under control closed Texas 146 , however , a Mont Belvieu spokesman said @ @ @ @ @ contained and are monitoring while flames burn themselves out , spokesman Brian Ligon said .

MONT BELVIEU, Texas (AP) - A natural gas pipeline erupted in flames near Houston after it was accidentally cut Wednesday afternoon by a contractor, officials said.
The accident happened about 4:45 p.m. in the town of Mont Belvieu, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Houston. No injuries or secondary damage was reported in the rupture and fire on the line owned by Lone Star NGL, company officials said.
The fire and efforts to bring it under control closed Texas 146, however, a Mont Belvieu spokesman said. Firefighters have the leak contained and are monitoring while flames burn themselves out, spokesman Brian Ligon said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Judge reaffirms allowing Seattle mayor recall petition

SEATTLE ( AP ) - A judge who ruled earlier this month that a recall petition against Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan could move ahead is holding to that decision .
King County Superior Court Judge Mary E. Roberts on Wednesday denied a motion by Durkan that asked Roberts to reconsider her July 10 ruling , The Seattle Times reported .
The mayor could appeal to a higher court , but the ruling marks another legal win for Durkan ’ s opponents in what would be a long process to oust her from office in a special recall election .
Roberts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the petitioners as insufficient grounds for a recall but allowed a seventh charge to advance .
If the petition survives , the mayor ’ s opponents will need to collect over 50,000 signatures from Seattle voters within 180 days .
The recall election would be a simple up-or-down vote on Durkan , and her removal would result in the City Council ’ s president , currently M. Lorena González , becoming mayor .
The petitioners - a group of Seattle residents - have accused Durkan of failing to institute policies to ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemical crowd-control agents by police “ when such use would be particularly detrimental to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
” Roberts found that charge was sufficient with respect to Durkan allegedly not stopping the weapons from being deployed after she knew about and opposed their use on peaceful protesters as a means of crowd control .
Durkan asked Roberts to reconsider , arguing the use of tear gas to disperse protesters was a decision made by Police Chief Carmen Best , not by the mayor .
The petitioners opposed the motion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the buck should stop with the mayor .
Roberts agreed Wednesday in a written ruling .
When asked about the ruling in a news conference Wednesday afternoon , Durkan said she hadn ’ t seen it yet .
“ I was elected to be mayor of Seattle , she said .
“ It ’ s a democracy and if sometime the voters decide they don ’ t want me , that ’ s alright too .
”

SEATTLE (AP) - A judge who ruled earlier this month that a recall petition against Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan could move ahead is holding to that decision.
King County Superior Court Judge Mary E. Roberts on Wednesday denied a motion by Durkan that asked Roberts to reconsider her July 10 ruling, The Seattle Times reported.
The mayor could appeal to a higher court, but the ruling marks another legal win for Durkan’s opponents in what would be a long process to oust her from office in a special recall election.
Roberts earlier this month dismissed six charges made by the petitioners as insufficient grounds for a recall but allowed a seventh charge to advance.
If the petition survives, the mayor’s opponents will need to collect over 50,000 signatures from Seattle voters within 180 days. The recall election would be a simple up-or-down vote on Durkan, and her removal would result in the City Council’s president, currently M. Lorena González, becoming mayor.
The petitioners - a group of Seattle residents - have accused Durkan of failing to institute policies to ban the use of tear gas and other chemical crowd-control agents by police “when such use would be particularly detrimental to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Roberts found that charge was sufficient with respect to Durkan allegedly not stopping the weapons from being deployed after she knew about and opposed their use on peaceful protesters as a means of crowd control.
Durkan asked Roberts to reconsider, arguing the use of tear gas to disperse protesters was a decision made by Police Chief Carmen Best, not by the mayor.
The petitioners opposed the motion, arguing that Best works for Durkan and that the buck should stop with the mayor. Roberts agreed Wednesday in a written ruling.
When asked about the ruling in a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Durkan said she hadn’t seen it yet.
“I was elected to be mayor of Seattle, she said. “It’s a democracy and if sometime the voters decide they don’t want me, that’s alright too.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--MLB doubleheaders could get shortened to 7-inning games

Baseball players just might not want to play nine innings twice in one day during this pandemic-delayed season .
While Cleveland swept the Chicago White Sox in the first doubleheader of the season on Tuesday , union head Tony Clark called Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem and said players might want to consider shortened twinbills this year .
The players ’ association is surveying members and may propose either two seven-inning games for a twinbill or nine innings for the opener and seven for the nightcap .
Major League Baseball is checking opinions at the owner and general manager levels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday to make a change or leave the rules the way the are .
Philadelphia and Toronto are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday as the Phillies resume play following a five-day layoff .
The time off was caused by waiting to make no players or staff were infected during games against the Miami Marlins last weekend .
Phillies general Matt Klentak said seven-inning games are possible for the twinbill .
“ I like nine and nine , personally , ” Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino said Wednesday .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game , Once we go seven-inning games , slippery slope there.
” Official Baseball Rules allow minor leagues to adopt a rule providing one or both games of a doubleheader be seven innings .
NCAA rules allow the options of two nine-inning games , a seven and a nine or two sevens .
The union ’ s survey was first reported by The Athletic .
“ Right now , I don ’ t think it ’ s necessary based on how this season has been set up , ” Los Angeles Angels manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubleheaders were to pile up for whatever reason , I would have it like in a contingency plan .
Given modern usage of pitchers , Maddon said the shortened game would be the equivalent of starting the games in the third inning .
He could bring in relievers earlier .
“ The sixth inning , the fifth inning play differently , ” he said .
“ You just get to that ninth inning a lot sooner .
The sixth inning , the fifth inning play differently based on the game supposed to conclude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just accelerate what you ’ re doing , just like we ’ re doing with the season .
So I get it from the perspective of expediency , if it ’ s necessary .
… I ’ m in for anything right now .
I ’ m not going to speak badly of any kind of suggestion right now that people believe is going to help us get through the season to get through the playoffs and conclude them , ” he said .
MLB already has adopted one shortening rule for 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts with a runner on second base .
There were five extra-inning games during the first six days of the season .
Four ended in 10 innings and one in 11 .

NEW YORK (AP) - Ernie Banks famously said: “Let’s play two.”
Baseball players just might not want to play nine innings twice in one day during this pandemic-delayed season.
While Cleveland swept the Chicago White Sox in the first doubleheader of the season on Tuesday, union head Tony Clark called Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem and said players might want to consider shortened twinbills this year.
The players’ association is surveying members and may propose either two seven-inning games for a twinbill or nine innings for the opener and seven for the nightcap.
Major League Baseball is checking opinions at the owner and general manager levels, and staff hopes for a decision by Saturday to make a change or leave the rules the way the are.
Philadelphia and Toronto are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday as the Phillies resume play following a five-day layoff. The time off was caused by waiting to make no players or staff were infected during games against the Miami Marlins last weekend.
Phillies general Matt Klentak said seven-inning games are possible for the twinbill.
“I like nine and nine, personally,” Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino said Wednesday. “I don’t want to be marginalized out of the game, Once we go seven-inning games, slippery slope there.”
Official Baseball Rules allow minor leagues to adopt a rule providing one or both games of a doubleheader be seven innings. NCAA rules allow the options of two nine-inning games, a seven and a nine or two sevens.
The union’s survey was first reported by The Athletic.
“Right now, I don’t think it’s necessary based on how this season has been set up,” Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “If the doubleheaders were to pile up for whatever reason, I would have it like in a contingency plan.”
Given modern usage of pitchers, Maddon said the shortened game would be the equivalent of starting the games in the third inning. He could bring in relievers earlier.
“You just get into that ninth inning a lot sooner. The sixth inning, the fifth inning play differently based on when the game is supposed to conclude,” he said.
“You just accelerate what you’re doing, just like we’re doing with the season. So I get it from the perspective of expediency, if it’s necessary. … I’m in for anything right now. I’m not going to speak badly of any kind of suggestion right now that people believe is going to help us get through the season, get through the playoffs and conclude them,” he said.
MLB already has adopted one shortening rule for 2020: Each half of each extra inning starts with a runner on second base.
There were five extra-inning games during the first six days of the season. Four ended in 10 innings and one in 11.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Glenda Jackson film to launch PBS' 'Masterpiece' anniversary

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Acclaimed actor Glenda Jackson will launch the 50th season of PBS ’ “ Masterpiece @ @ @ @ @ .
The film “ Elizabeth is Missing , ” with Jackson as a woman in @ @ @ @ @ even as she copes with dementia , will air Jan. 3 .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ novel of the same name .
Jackson , 84 , is a two-time Oscar winner @ @ @ @ @ Love ” and “ A Touch of Class.
” “ Masterpiece , ” from WGBH @ @ @ @ @ s longest-running weekly prime-time series , has been home to award-winning shows including “ Downton @ @ @ @ @ ” The anniversary season also will include “ All Creatures Great and Small , ” @ @ @ @ @ on James Herriot ’ s books about his adventures as a veterinarian in 1930s England @ @ @ @ @ for a January debut .
A 1970s adaptation of Herriot ’ s work was a @ @ @ @

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Acclaimed actor Glenda Jackson will launch the 50th season of PBS’ “Masterpiece” drama showcase next year.
The film “Elizabeth is Missing,” with Jackson as a woman in search of a vanished friend even as she copes with dementia, will air Jan. 3. It’s based on the Emma Healey novel of the same name.
Jackson, 84, is a two-time Oscar winner, for “Women in Love” and “A Touch of Class.”
“Masterpiece,” from WGBH Boston and among TV’s longest-running weekly prime-time series, has been home to award-winning shows including “Downton Abbey” and “Sherlock.”
The anniversary season also will include “All Creatures Great and Small,” a new seven-part series based on James Herriot’s books about his adventures as a veterinarian in 1930s England.
The series is set for a January debut. A 1970s adaptation of Herriot’s work was a public TV hit.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Michael Avenatti provided taxpayer-funded lawyer

Michael Avenatti , the flamboyant lawyer who used to dominate cable news shows with his threats to take down President Trump , is now so poor that he was awarded a court-appointed lawyer Wednesday .
A federal judge overseeing one of three federal criminal cases against him said he has established his “ current indigency , ” so his lawyer , H. Dean Steward , will be paid for by the public .
It ’ s yet another fall for Avenatti , who earlier this year was convicted of attempting to extort money from Nike , the sportswear company , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clients and the IRS in one case , and fraud charges in another case involving former client Stormy Daniels , the porn star Avenatti represented in her legal battle against Mr. Trump .
Avenatti is awaiting sentencing from the Nike conviction but currently free on a coronavirus release .
The Justice Department , though , says he violated the terms of that release by using a computer , and they are pushing to have him sent back to jail .
Public sources have estimated Avenatti ’ s wealth to be as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ V. Selna said he ’ s proved to the court he ’ s struggling financially .
Avenatti ’ s lawyers in the Stormy Daniels case asked the judge to withdraw from that case earlier this week , citing their client ’ s inability to pay .
In addition to looming prison time , Avenatti had his name stripped from the award he had endowed at George Washington University ’ s law school .

Michael Avenatti, the flamboyant lawyer who used to dominate cable news shows with his threats to take down President Trump, is now so poor that he was awarded a court-appointed lawyer Wednesday.
A federal judge overseeing one of three federal criminal cases against him said he has established his “current indigency,” so his lawyer, H. Dean Steward, will be paid for by the public.
It’s yet another fall for Avenatti, who earlier this year was convicted of attempting to extort money from Nike, the sportswear company, and who still faces accusations of bilking clients and the IRS in one case, and fraud charges in another case involving former client Stormy Daniels, the porn star Avenatti represented in her legal battle against Mr. Trump.
Avenatti is awaiting sentencing from the Nike conviction but currently free on a coronavirus release. The Justice Department, though, says he violated the terms of that release by using a computer, and they are pushing to have him sent back to jail.
Public sources have estimated Avenatti’s wealth to be as much as $20 million, but Judge James V. Selna said he’s proved to the court he’s struggling financially.
Avenatti’s lawyers in the Stormy Daniels case asked the judge to withdraw from that case earlier this week, citing their client’s inability to pay.
Poverty is the latest sting.
In addition to looming prison time, Avenatti had his name stripped from the award he had endowed at George Washington University’s law school.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Arizona National Guard solider collapses, dies at hospital

PHOENIX ( AP ) - An Arizona Army National Guard soldier has died after collapsing during a training event , @ @ @ @ @ name of the man was being withheld until his family could be notified .
Guard @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday and died Wednesday at a Tempe hospital .
The cause of death will @ @ @ @ @ County Medical Examiner ’ s Office .
The man was a member of the 850th @ @ @ @ @ the Papago Park Military Reservation in Phoenix .
Guard officials said the man was a @ @ @ @ @ Department in his civilian status .

PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona Army National Guard soldier has died after collapsing during a training event, authorities said Wednesday.
The name of the man was being withheld until his family could be notified.
Guard officials said the soldier collapsed on Tuesday and died Wednesday at a Tempe hospital.
The cause of death will be determined by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The man was a member of the 850th Military Police Battalion located at the Papago Park Military Reservation in Phoenix.
Guard officials said the man was a member of the Phoenix Police Department in his civilian status.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--Casino regulators seek coronavirus fines in 3 Nevada cases

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - State casino regulators are seeking fines against two casinos and a bowling alley in rural Nevada , alleging that employees and patrons failed to comply with requirements including a mandate for people to wear masks or face coverings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
Nevada Gaming Control Board spokesman Michael Lawton said Wednesday that confidentiality rules prevent the agency from making public details of 156 open investigations or names of entities unless formal complaints are filed with the state Gaming Commission .
Records showed that complaints were filed since last Friday against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall in Ely .
Representatives of each property declined telephone requests Wednesday for comment .
The complaints in each case allege that during repeat visits held several days apart state inspectors saw employees and patrons without face coverings or wearing them improperly .
At the Hotel Nevada , a regulator noted that casino employees approached customers while an agent was taking photos and appeared to tell them to don face coverings .
A third complaint filed Tuesday named Bowl Incline on the Lake Tahoe shoreline , where owner Curt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gaming control agent visited his bowling alley bar on July 11 that Gov .
Steve Sisolak had rolled back permission for bar areas to be open , effective midnight July 10 .
The regulator noted bar-top slot machines were on and available for play , the complaint said .
Wegener said he immediately complied with the closure order and felt frustrated by rule changes during the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ We ’ re trying to do everything right , keep the doors open and keep people working , ” he said .
Sisolak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties - including those encompassing Las Vegas and Reno - would remain closed until at least next week , and said the state would adopt a new approach to more closely monitor the spread of the coronavirus so that more businesses could open .
The governor also called for stricter enforcement of his orders for people to keep at least 6 feet ( 1.8 meters ) apart and wear face coverings in public .
The control board , with about 300 inspectors statewide , has conducted more than 10,000 inspections since the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more than two-month closure he imposed March 17 to prevent people from gathering and spreading illness .
Nevada has nearly 2,000 non-restricted gambling license holders like casinos , and about 450 restricted licensees like bars , gas stations and supermarkets with fewer than 15 slot machines .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @

LAS VEGAS (AP) - State casino regulators are seeking fines against two casinos and a bowling alley in rural Nevada, alleging that employees and patrons failed to comply with requirements including a mandate for people to wear face coverings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Nevada Gaming Control Board spokesman Michael Lawton said Wednesday that confidentiality rules prevent the agency from making public details of 156 open investigations or names of entities unless formal complaints are filed with the state Gaming Commission.
Records showed that complaints were filed since last Friday against C.O.D. Casino in Minden and the Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall in Ely.
Representatives of each property declined telephone requests Wednesday for comment.
The complaints in each case allege that during repeat visits held several days apart state inspectors saw employees and patrons without face coverings or wearing them improperly.
At the Hotel Nevada, a regulator noted that casino employees approached customers while an agent was taking photos and appeared to tell them to don face coverings.
A third complaint filed Tuesday named Bowl Incline on the Lake Tahoe shoreline, where owner Curt Wegener said he was unaware until a gaming control agent visited his bowling alley bar on July 11 that Gov. Steve Sisolak had rolled back permission for bar areas to be open, effective midnight July 10.
The regulator noted bar-top slot machines were on and available for play, the complaint said.
Wegener said he immediately complied with the closure order and felt frustrated by rule changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re trying to do everything right, keep the doors open and keep people working,” he said.
Sisolak on Monday announced that bars in four counties - including those encompassing Las Vegas and Reno - would remain closed until at least next week, and said the state would adopt a new approach to more closely monitor the spread of the coronavirus so that more businesses could open.
The governor also called for stricter enforcement of his orders for people to keep at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart and wear face coverings in public.
The control board, with about 300 inspectors statewide, has conducted more than 10,000 inspections since the governor allowed gambling to resume June 4 following a more than two-month closure he imposed March 17 to prevent people from gathering and spreading illness.
Nevada has about 450 non-restricted gambling license holders like casinos, and nearly 2,000 restricted licensees like bars, gas stations and supermarkets with 15 or fewer slot machines.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
____
This story corrects the number of non-restricted gambling license holders, about 450, not nearly 2,000, and the number of restricted licensees with 15 or fewer slot machines to nearly 2,000, not 450.


washingtontimes--2020-07-29--David Cicilline, Jim Jordan rip Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos over bias, antitrust violations

Lawmakers clobbered Big Tech CEOs on Wednesday with accusations of political bias and using ruthless business practices to crush and absorb competitors , knocking Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos back on their heels .
The two CEOs were joined by leaders of Apple and Google in defending their businesses via videoconference in front of the House Judiciary Committee antitrust subcommittee , where they attempted to quell calls for an anti-trust breakup of their companies and federal intervention against accused censorship of users .
The assault on the tech giants came from every direction .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the marketplace .
Republicans charged the CEOs with silencing conservative voices .
“ As gatekeepers to the digital economy , these platforms enjoy the power to pick winners and losers , to shake down small businesses and enrich themselves while choking off competitors , ” said Rep. David Cicilline , Rhode Island Democrat and chairman of the subcommittee .
“ Their ability to dictate terms , call the shots , upend entire sectors , and inspire fear represent the powers of a private government .
Our founders would not bow before a king @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emperors of the online economy.
” Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio , the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee , trained his fire on claims of censorship by the tech sites instead of antitrust and competition issues .
“ I ’ ll just cut to the chase : Big Tech ’ s out to get conservatives , ” he said .
“ That ’ s not a suspicion .
That ’ s not a hunch .
That ’ s a fact.
” Mr. Jordan accused Google of censoring and targeting conservative websites and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to testify as Republicans had requested .
Twitter ’ s clash with supporters of President Trump became a flashpoint at the hearing although no one from Twitter testified .
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner , the subcommittee ’ s top Republican , questioned Mr. Zuckerberg about why the social media presence of the president ’ s son Donald Trump Jr. “ got taken down ” after he posted about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine this week .
Mr. Zuckerberg responded by noting that it happened on Twitter , not on Facebook .
He said Facebook does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of truth ” but chooses to moderate content that it deems as leading to physical harm .
“ We do prevent content that will lead to imminent risk of harm and stating that there is a proven cure for COVID-19 when there is in fact none , might encourage someone to go take something that could have some adverse effects , ” Mr. Zuckerberg said .
“ So we do take that down .
We do not prohibit discussion around trials of drugs or people saying that they think that things might work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook , Twitter and YouTube all removed a viral video this week from a doctor touting hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the coronavirus and saying masks aren ’ t necessary .
Mr. Trump , who took the anti-malaria drug for several weeks as a preventive measure , had shared the video on social media as well .
Rep. Pramila Jayapal , Washington Democrat , did manage to elicit some uncomfortable answers from Mr. Bezos and Mr. Zuckerberg .
Mr. Bezos acknowledged that his company might have leveraged its third-party seller data to boost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t guarantee you that policy has never been violated , ” Mr. Bezos said , adding the company was looking into such reports .
The Wall Street Journal reported this year that company employees have used data about independent sellers to develop competing products — an apparent violation of company policy .
Ms. Jayapal also asked Mr. Zuckerberg directly if Facebook copies its competitors .
“ We have certainly adapted features that others have led in — as have others copied and adapted features ” from us , he said .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook has copied .
“ I can ’ t give you a number of companies , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know .
I ’ m not sure I agree with the premise here.
” The hearing also marked the first time Mr. Bezos has testified before Congress .
Mr. Bezos , who also owns The Washington Post , defended Amazon ’ s massive business footprint by touting the company ’ s role as a job creator during the coronavirus-induced economic downturn .
“ The trust customers put in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create more jobs in the United States over the past decade than any other company — hundreds of thousands of jobs across 42 states , ” Mr. Bezos said .
“ Amazon employees make a minimum of $ 15 an hour , more than double the federal minimum wage , and we offer the best benefits.
” The hearing was briefly derailed at one point with lawmakers shouting at each another after a Democratic congresswoman accused Republicans of peddling conspiracy theories .
Mr. Jordan pressed Google CEO Sundar Pichai on whether Google would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden .
Mr. Pichai said his company would conduct itself in a neutral way .
“ I ’ d like to redirect your attention to antitrust law , rather than fringe conspiracy theories , ” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon , Pennsylvania Democrat , after Mr. Jordan finished his questioning .
Mr. Jordan and Mr. Cicilline then shouted over each other while Rep. Jamie Raskin , Maryland Democrat , yelled for the Ohio Republican to wear a mask .
Mr. Jordan shouted in response about Michael Flynn , Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wednesday ’ s hearing was designed to yield information for the antitrust subcommittee ’ s investigation into Big Tech that began a year ago .
A resulting report is anticipated to become public this fall , though the coronavirus ’ impact has cast doubt that the report ’ s release will arrive on time .

Lawmakers clobbered Big Tech CEOs on Wednesday with accusations of political bias and using ruthless business practices to crush and absorb competitors, knocking Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos back on their heels.
The two CEOs were joined by leaders of Apple and Google in defending their businesses via videoconference in front of the House Judiciary Committee antitrust subcommittee, where they attempted to quell calls for an anti-trust breakup of their companies and federal intervention against accused censorship of users.
The assault on the tech giants came from every direction.
Democrats slammed the companies’ monopolistic grip on the marketplace. Republicans charged the CEOs with silencing conservative voices.
“As gatekeepers to the digital economy, these platforms enjoy the power to pick winners and losers, to shake down small businesses and enrich themselves while choking off competitors,” said Rep. David Cicilline, Rhode Island Democrat and chairman of the subcommittee. “Their ability to dictate terms, call the shots, upend entire sectors, and inspire fear represent the powers of a private government. Our founders would not bow before a king, nor should we bow before the emperors of the online economy.”
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, trained his fire on claims of censorship by the tech sites instead of antitrust and competition issues.
SEE ALSO: Jim Jordan: ‘Big tech’ is out to get conservatives
“I’ll just cut to the chase: Big Tech’s out to get conservatives,” he said. “That’s not a suspicion. That’s not a hunch. That’s a fact.”
Mr. Jordan accused Google of censoring and targeting conservative websites and lamented that Democrats did not call Twitter to testify as Republicans had requested.
Twitter’s clash with supporters of President Trump became a flashpoint at the hearing although no one from Twitter testified.
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, the subcommittee’s top Republican, questioned Mr. Zuckerberg about why the social media presence of the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. “got taken down” after he posted about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine this week.
Mr. Zuckerberg responded by noting that it happened on Twitter, not on Facebook.
He said Facebook does not want to become the “arbiters of truth” but chooses to moderate content that it deems as leading to physical harm.
SEE ALSO: Tech CEO hearing hearing briefly derails: ‘Put your mask on!’
“We do prevent content that will lead to imminent risk of harm and stating that there is a proven cure for COVID-19 when there is in fact none, might encourage someone to go take something that could have some adverse effects,” Mr. Zuckerberg said. “So we do take that down. We do not prohibit discussion around trials of drugs or people saying that they think that things might work or personal experiences with experimental drugs.”
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all removed a viral video this week from a doctor touting hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the coronavirus and saying masks aren’t necessary.
Mr. Trump, who took the anti-malaria drug for several weeks as a preventive measure, had shared the video on social media as well.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Washington Democrat, did manage to elicit some uncomfortable answers from Mr. Bezos and Mr. Zuckerberg.
Mr. Bezos acknowledged that his company might have leveraged its third-party seller data to boost an internal product.
“I can’t guarantee you that policy has never been violated,” Mr. Bezos said, adding the company was looking into such reports.
The Wall Street Journal reported this year that company employees have used data about independent sellers to develop competing products — an apparent violation of company policy.
Ms. Jayapal also asked Mr. Zuckerberg directly if Facebook copies its competitors.
“We have certainly adapted features that others have led in — as have others copied and adapted features” from us, he said.
She then asked Mr. Zuckerberg how many competitors Facebook has copied.
“I can’t give you a number of companies,” he said. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I agree with the premise here.”
The hearing also marked the first time Mr. Bezos has testified before Congress.
Mr. Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, defended Amazon’s massive business footprint by touting the company’s role as a job creator during the coronavirus-induced economic downturn.
“The trust customers put in us every day has allowed Amazon to create more jobs in the United States over the past decade than any other company — hundreds of thousands of jobs across 42 states,” Mr. Bezos said. “Amazon employees make a minimum of $15 an hour, more than double the federal minimum wage, and we offer the best benefits.”
The hearing was briefly derailed at one point with lawmakers shouting at each another after a Democratic congresswoman accused Republicans of peddling conspiracy theories.
Mr. Jordan pressed Google CEO Sundar Pichai on whether Google would tailor its features to boost presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden.
Mr. Pichai said his company would conduct itself in a neutral way.
“I’d like to redirect your attention to antitrust law, rather than fringe conspiracy theories,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania Democrat, after Mr. Jordan finished his questioning.
Mr. Jordan and Mr. Cicilline then shouted over each other while Rep. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat, yelled for the Ohio Republican to wear a mask.
Mr. Jordan shouted in response about Michael Flynn, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser.
Wednesday’s hearing was designed to yield information for the antitrust subcommittee’s investigation into Big Tech that began a year ago. A resulting report is anticipated to become public this fall, though the coronavirus’ impact has cast doubt that the report’s release will arrive on time.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com. • David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.