washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh goes on despite US mediation

STEPANAKERT , Nagorno-Karabakh ( AP ) - Rocket and artillery barrage hit residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday hours after the United States hosted top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks on settling their decades-long conflict over the region .
The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert , the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh , into shelters , as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires .
Local officials said the city was struck with Azerbaijan ’ s Smerch long-range multiple rocket systems , a devastating Soviet-designed weapon intended to ravage wide areas with explosives and cluster munitions .
Nagorno-Karabakh authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire .
There was no immediate information about casualties .
Officials in Azerbaijan claimed that the town of Terter and areas in the Gubadli region came under Armenian shelling early Saturday , killing a teenager .
They also said 13-year-old boy died Saturday of wounds from an earlier shelling of Ganja , Azerbaijan ’ s second-largest city .
Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994 .
The current fighting that started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conflict since the war ’ s end and has killed hundreds , perhaps even thousands , according to official reports .
After two failed attempts by Russia to broker a truce , the U.S. waded onto the scene on Friday , with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosting the Armenian and Azerbaijan foreign ministers for separate talks .
“ Both must implement a ceasefire and return to substantive negotiations , ” Pompeo said in a tweet after the negotiations .
Those words were ignored on the ground .
“ Just now a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgiy , a resident of Stepanakert who only gave his first name amid the war jitters , said after the overnight attack .
“ If this is the so-called cease-fire , let the whole world see this cease-fire.
” Georgiy , who was born in Stepanakert , said he would stay home despite the fighting .
“ This is my motherland , I ’ m not going to leave it , ” he said .
“ All the people will stand until the last.
” According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials , 963 of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilians also have died .
Azerbaijan hasn ’ t disclosed its military losses , but said that over 60 civilians were killed and about 300 were wounded in the four weeks of fighting .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that according to Moscow ’ s information , the death toll from the fighting was significantly higher than officially reported by the warring parties , nearing 5,000 .
Russia , the United States and France have co-chaired the so-called Minsk Group set up by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t scored any progress after nearly three decades .
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that to end hostilities Armenian forces must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh .
He has insisted that Azerbaijan has the right to reclaim its territory by force since international mediators have failed .
Turkey has thrown its weight behind Azerbaijan , vowing to support its ally “ on the battlefield or the negotiating table.
” It has trained Azerbaijani military and provided it with strike drones and long-range rocket systems that gave Azerbaijan a strong military edge on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is directly involved in the conflict and is sending Syrian mercenaries in to fight on Azerbaijan ’ s side .
Turkey has denied deploying combatants to the region , but a Syrian war monitor and Syria-based opposition activists have confirmed that Turkey has sent hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh .
Avet Demourian in Yerevan , Armenia , Aida Sultanova in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report .

STEPANAKERT, Nagorno-Karabakh (AP) - Rocket and artillery barrage hit residential areas in Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday hours after the United States hosted top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks on settling their decades-long conflict over the region.
The heavy shelling forced residents of Stepanakert, the regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, into shelters, as emergency teams rushed to extinguish fires. Local officials said the city was struck with Azerbaijan’s Smerch long-range multiple rocket systems, a devastating Soviet-designed weapon intended to ravage wide areas with explosives and cluster munitions.
Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said other towns in the region were also targeted by Azerbaijani artillery fire. There was no immediate information about casualties.
Officials in Azerbaijan claimed that the town of Terter and areas in the Gubadli region came under Armenian shelling early Saturday, killing a teenager. They also said 13-year-old boy died Saturday of wounds from an earlier shelling of Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city.
Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. The current fighting that started Sept. 27 marks the worst escalation in the conflict since the war’s end and has killed hundreds, perhaps even thousands, according to official reports.
After two failed attempts by Russia to broker a truce, the U.S. waded onto the scene on Friday, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosting the Armenian and Azerbaijan foreign ministers for separate talks.
“Both must implement a ceasefire and return to substantive negotiations,” Pompeo said in a tweet after the negotiations.
Those words were ignored on the ground.
“Just now a bomb exploded in my garden,” Georgiy, a resident of Stepanakert who only gave his first name amid the war jitters, said after the overnight attack. “If this is the so-called cease-fire, let the whole world see this cease-fire.”
Georgiy, who was born in Stepanakert, said he would stay home despite the fighting.
“This is my motherland, I’m not going to leave it,” he said. “All the people will stand until the last.”
According to Nagorno-Karabakh officials, 963 of their troops have been killed, and 37 civilians also have died. Azerbaijan hasn’t disclosed its military losses, but said that over 60 civilians were killed and about 300 were wounded in the four weeks of fighting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that according to Moscow’s information, the death toll from the fighting was significantly higher than officially reported by the warring parties, nearing 5,000.
Russia, the United States and France have co-chaired the so-called Minsk Group set up by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to mediate in the conflict, but they haven’t scored any progress after nearly three decades.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that to end hostilities Armenian forces must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh. He has insisted that Azerbaijan has the right to reclaim its territory by force since international mediators have failed.
Turkey has thrown its weight behind Azerbaijan, vowing to support its ally “on the battlefield or the negotiating table.” It has trained Azerbaijani military and provided it with strike drones and long-range rocket systems that gave Azerbaijan a strong military edge on the battlefield.
Armenian officials say Turkey is directly involved in the conflict and is sending Syrian mercenaries in to fight on Azerbaijan’s side.
Turkey has denied deploying combatants to the region, but a Syrian war monitor and Syria-based opposition activists have confirmed that Turkey has sent hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh.
____
Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia, Aida Sultanova in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Guinea’s electoral commission says President Alpha Conde has won a third term with 59.49% of the vot

CONAKRY , Guinea ( AP ) - Guinea ’ s electoral commission says President Alpha Conde has won a third @ @ @ @ @ the vote .

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) - Guinea’s electoral commission says President Alpha Conde has won a third term with 59.49% of the vote.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Second-snowiest October day on record for Spokane area

SPOKANE , Wash. ( AP ) - Roads in the Spokane area were slick and some lost power throughout the city Friday after a record-breaking 4.7 inches ( 11.9 centimeters ) of snow fell in the region .
Avista Utilities reported more than 2,100 customers without power about 3 p.m. Friday , The Spokesman-Review reported .
Most of the outages were in central Spokane .
Many outages were resolved within a few hours , but some in more rural areas of the county were taking more time .
The National Weather Service reported that snow began to fall mid-morning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The storm marks the second year in a row that Spokane has been hit by a significant October snow storm .
Friday ’ s snow easily broke the October 23 record which had been 0.2 inches .
The snowiest October day on record was Oct. 22 , 1957 , when it snowed 5.9 inches ( 14.9 centimeters ) .
Coeur d ’ Alene , Idaho , was projected to see between 4 and 6 inches of snow .
Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeff Sevigney said there were slowdowns and crashes throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motorists to drive slow or stay home if possible .
“ Most of these collisions were caused by folks just going too fast for the conditions , ” he said .
Any snow that sticks Friday night and Saturday morning will likely remain through the weekend and early next week with low temperatures Sunday and Monday predicted to be 11 degrees ( -11.7 degrees Celsius ) , which if happens would also set records .

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Roads in the Spokane area were slick and some lost power throughout the city Friday after a record-breaking 4.7 inches (11.9 centimeters) of snow fell in the region.
Avista Utilities reported more than 2,100 customers without power about 3 p.m. Friday, The Spokesman-Review reported.
Most of the outages were in central Spokane. Many outages were resolved within a few hours, but some in more rural areas of the county were taking more time.
The National Weather Service reported that snow began to fall mid-morning and accelerated to an inch-per-hour in some locations. The storm marks the second year in a row that Spokane has been hit by a significant October snow storm.
Friday’s snow easily broke the October 23 record which had been 0.2 inches. The snowiest October day on record was Oct. 22, 1957, when it snowed 5.9 inches (14.9 centimeters).
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was projected to see between 4 and 6 inches of snow.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeff Sevigney said there were slowdowns and crashes throughout the greater Spokane region and he had urged motorists to drive slow or stay home if possible.
“Most of these collisions were caused by folks just going too fast for the conditions,” he said.
Any snow that sticks Friday night and Saturday morning will likely remain through the weekend and early next week with low temperatures Sunday and Monday predicted to be 11 degrees (-11.7 degrees Celsius) , which if happens would also set records.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Man's motorcycle, stolen 4 years ago, anonymously returned

MISSOULA , Mont .
( AP ) - Miles McCarvel didn ’ t think he was ever going to get his 1972 Harley-Davidson motorcycle back after it was stolen four years ago .
On .
Oct 13 , though , he came home to find the bike leaning up against his garage .
The bike looked exactly the same as the last time McCarvel saw it : it was still missing a battery , the tires were flat and it didn ’ t have any new miles on it .
“ I was like ‘ what the hell , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe it , ” he told the Missoulian .
McCarvel hopped out of his car , took a picture of the red Aermacchi Harley-Davidson 350 Sprint and made a post on Facebook that read : “ I built this bike when I was 20 years old !
Glad to have it back .
I guess there ’ s good things happening in the world too.
” The post received over 350 reactions and over a hundred comments , including one comment from a person who said their cousin also had a stolen truck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 20 bill on the console .
Missoula Police Department public information officer Travis Welsh said it isn ’ t very often that people return items they ’ ve stolen without police intervention , and said that once a theft has already occurred , any weight given to the gesture of returning the item at a later time would be determined by a prosecutor .
McCarvel , a union representative for the Association of Bridge , Structural , Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers , said the bike went missing four years ago when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was away from home teaching welding classes on the Yakima Indian Reservation .
While he was gone , a neighbor found one of McCarvel ’ s guns in the alley behind his home and McCarvel thought he must have left the garage door unlocked and someone found their way in .
He came home briefly before making another trip to the reservation , and when he returned home for the second time , his garage door was wide open and more things were missing , including his motorcycle .
McCarvel filed police reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a couple of years ago , when police found one of his guns in California during a gang sweep .
They did a check and found that somebody else had pawned another one of McCarvel ’ s guns in Missoula , which he got back , but the motorcycle was still missing .
The thefts did have one upside , which was that they changed McCarvel ’ s outlook on life in a way .
“ It affects you to lose stuff like that that you have a hard time getting rid of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s like ‘ Well , maybe I just didn ’ t need that stuff and I wasn ’ t using it .
Like I had these guns that I ’ d never shot and a motorcycle that I didn ’ t ride .
It was something that I just kept because it had sentimental value.
” After the bike was returned , McCarvel called the detective to inform him that it was “ un-stolen.
” Some officers came by his house to take photos and told him that they were just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was returned .
McCarvel said he doesn ’ t know who broke in or stole the bike , and thousands of dollars of other items he ’ s still missing , but he said he thinks it was likely someone living close by or someone who felt guilty .
“ I think that they just took it , put it somewhere and had to look at it every day , ” he said of the bike .
Coincidentally , it wasn ’ t the first time McCarvel had stolen items returned to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southern California , he was mugged on his way to a payphone .
He didn ’ t have much on him , so the person who mugged him took his shoes .
“ They drove up two blocks and stopped and turned around and came back and I ’ m like ‘ Oh great , they ’ re going to kill me ’ and the guy runs up to me and he ’ s holding his gun and he hands me my shoes back .
Maybe it ’ s just weird stuff like @ @ @ @ @ @

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Miles McCarvel didn’t think he was ever going to get his 1972 Harley-Davidson motorcycle back after it was stolen four years ago.
On. Oct 13, though, he came home to find the bike leaning up against his garage.
The bike looked exactly the same as the last time McCarvel saw it: it was still missing a battery, the tires were flat and it didn’t have any new miles on it.
“I was like ‘what the hell,’ you know? I couldn’t believe it,” he told the Missoulian.
McCarvel hopped out of his car, took a picture of the red Aermacchi Harley-Davidson 350 Sprint and made a post on Facebook that read: “I built this bike when I was 20 years old! Glad to have it back. I guess there’s good things happening in the world too.”
The post received over 350 reactions and over a hundred comments, including one comment from a person who said their cousin also had a stolen truck returned a couple weeks later with a $20 bill on the console.
Missoula Police Department public information officer Travis Welsh said it isn’t very often that people return items they’ve stolen without police intervention, and said that once a theft has already occurred, any weight given to the gesture of returning the item at a later time would be determined by a prosecutor.
McCarvel, a union representative for the Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, said the bike went missing four years ago when his garage was broken into while he was away from home teaching welding classes on the Yakima Indian Reservation.
While he was gone, a neighbor found one of McCarvel’s guns in the alley behind his home and McCarvel thought he must have left the garage door unlocked and someone found their way in. He came home briefly before making another trip to the reservation, and when he returned home for the second time, his garage door was wide open and more things were missing, including his motorcycle.
McCarvel filed police reports and didn’t hear anything until a couple of years ago, when police found one of his guns in California during a gang sweep. They did a check and found that somebody else had pawned another one of McCarvel’s guns in Missoula, which he got back, but the motorcycle was still missing.
The thefts did have one upside, which was that they changed McCarvel’s outlook on life in a way.
“It affects you to lose stuff like that that you have a hard time getting rid of,” McCarvel said. “It’s like ‘Well, maybe I just didn’t need that stuff and I wasn’t using it. Like I had these guns that I’d never shot and a motorcycle that I didn’t ride. It was something that I just kept because it had sentimental value.”
After the bike was returned, McCarvel called the detective to inform him that it was “un-stolen.” Some officers came by his house to take photos and told him that they were just as surprised as he was that the bike was returned.
McCarvel said he doesn’t know who broke in or stole the bike, and thousands of dollars of other items he’s still missing, but he said he thinks it was likely someone living close by or someone who felt guilty.
“I think that they just took it, put it somewhere and had to look at it every day,” he said of the bike.
Coincidentally, it wasn’t the first time McCarvel had stolen items returned to him. At age 20 and living in Southern California, he was mugged on his way to a payphone. He didn’t have much on him, so the person who mugged him took his shoes.
“They drove up two blocks and stopped and turned around and came back and I’m like ‘Oh great, they’re going to kill me’ and the guy runs up to me and he’s holding his gun and he hands me my shoes back. Maybe it’s just weird stuff like that happens to me.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Study: Climate change could interrupt Yellowstone geysers

JACKSON , Wyo .
( AP ) - A team of scientists and storytellers will soon be creating futuristic murals to help Yellowstone National Park ’ s visitors understand what the park will look like late this century .
“ The temperature is going to be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius higher than it is now , but that doesn ’ t mean very much , ” University of Wisconsin ecologist Monica Turner told the Jackson Hole News & Guide this summer .
“ What we ’ d like to do is show them.
” Her research - and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lodgepole pine forests , which are projected to burn more frequently , leaving vistas more open and meadow-filled .
Other vegetation will likely shift on the landscape , as will the species that live there .
As they set the scene for the mural of Old Faithful , perhaps the famous geyser ought to be dormant .
A new study headed by U.S. Geological Survey research hydrologist Shaul Hurwitz shows that during the driest of times , Old Faithful goes dormant .
If those conditions repeat - and climate scientists forecast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle of this century - it could have major implications for Old Faithful and Yellowstone ’ s approximately 500 other geysers .
“ Eruption intervals might increase , ” Hurwitz said .
“ Or if it ’ s going to be as arid as it was … it might even stop the geyser.
” The dry period in history when Old Faithful is believed to have gone dormant fell about 650 to 800 years ago , just before the Little Ice Age .
Hurwitz and seven others recently detailed the suspected century-plus lull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geophysical Research Letters , where they published the article “ Yellowstone ’ s Old Faithful Geyser Shut Down by a Severe Thirteenth Century Drought.
” Co-authors included tree ring scientist John King , research ecologists Greg Pederson and Justin Martin , research chemist David Damby , earth and planetary science professor Michael Manga , geologist Jeff Hungerford and hydrologist Sara Peek .
Mineralized wood that former Yellowstone naturalist George Marler found near the Old Faithful eruption mound over 60 years ago is partly what inspired the study .
Building off that discovery , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permit and collected 13 additional chunks of wood from near the geyser .
“ We used radiocarbon methods to date those pieces , ” Hurwitz said , “ and they all came within like 100 years of each other.
” The similarities in age were significant because all the wood studied came from trees - likely lodgepole pine - that would have been growing during the 13th or 14th century , which was a period of severe regional drought all over the western United States .
Trees , of course , wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s orifice if the geyser was regularly showering 200-plus-degree water into the air and onto the ground .
“ The trees wouldn ’ t have been growing there if the geyser were erupting , ” Hurwitz said .
“ Today if you go to any Yellowstone geyser there are no proximate trees.
” Although it was a period of dormancy that enabled the trees to grow , it was Old Faithful ’ s return that preserved the evidence they existed .
Silica in the geothermally heated water quickly mineralized the woody remnants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fungus , bacteria and other organisms that typically break down Yellowstone ’ s trees in 300 years or less .
While an extended period of extreme drought can stop Old Faithful altogether , less dramatic swings in climate can still influence eruption frequency .
Research looking at modern conditions has also found that during wet years Old Faithful erupts slightly more often than it blows during drier times .
Hurwitz said it ’ s hard to predict with precision what ’ s ahead for 130-foot-high geyser that predictably goes off every 90 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t say that it ’ s going to happen and that Old Faithful is going to go dry , ” Hurwitz said .
“ We say that if the climate models are true , the eruption intervals will become much longer and longer , and if it ’ s really extreme for a sustained amount of time it might go dry.
” Climate change and the aridity it ’ s expected to deliver isn ’ t the only threat to Old Faithful ’ s famous reliability .
Large earthquakes like the 1959 Hebgen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quake altered the iconic geyser ’ s activity , decreasing the frequency of its eruptions , Hurwitz said .

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - A team of scientists and storytellers will soon be creating futuristic murals to help Yellowstone National Park’s visitors understand what the park will look like late this century.
“The temperature is going to be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius higher than it is now, but that doesn’t mean very much,” University of Wisconsin ecologist Monica Turner told the Jackson Hole News & Guide this summer. “What we’d like to do is show them.”
Her research - and the coming murals - is focused on Yellowstone’s lodgepole pine forests, which are projected to burn more frequently, leaving vistas more open and meadow-filled. Other vegetation will likely shift on the landscape, as will the species that live there.
As they set the scene for the mural of Old Faithful, perhaps the famous geyser ought to be dormant.
A new study headed by U.S. Geological Survey research hydrologist Shaul Hurwitz shows that during the driest of times, Old Faithful goes dormant. If those conditions repeat - and climate scientists forecast a much more arid environment come the middle of this century - it could have major implications for Old Faithful and Yellowstone’s approximately 500 other geysers.
“Eruption intervals might increase,” Hurwitz said. “Or if it’s going to be as arid as it was … it might even stop the geyser.”
The dry period in history when Old Faithful is believed to have gone dormant fell about 650 to 800 years ago, just before the Little Ice Age. Hurwitz and seven others recently detailed the suspected century-plus lull in the pages of the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters, where they published the article “Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Geyser Shut Down by a Severe Thirteenth Century Drought.” Co-authors included tree ring scientist John King, research ecologists Greg Pederson and Justin Martin, research chemist David Damby, earth and planetary science professor Michael Manga, geologist Jeff Hungerford and hydrologist Sara Peek.
Mineralized wood that former Yellowstone naturalist George Marler found near the Old Faithful eruption mound over 60 years ago is partly what inspired the study. Building off that discovery, Hurwitz and his collaborators secured a research permit and collected 13 additional chunks of wood from near the geyser.
“We used radiocarbon methods to date those pieces,” Hurwitz said, “and they all came within like 100 years of each other.”
The similarities in age were significant because all the wood studied came from trees - likely lodgepole pine - that would have been growing during the 13th or 14th century, which was a period of severe regional drought all over the western United States. Trees, of course, wouldn’t fare too well near Old Faithful’s orifice if the geyser was regularly showering 200-plus-degree water into the air and onto the ground.
“The trees wouldn’t have been growing there if the geyser were erupting,” Hurwitz said. “Today if you go to any Yellowstone geyser there are no proximate trees.”
Although it was a period of dormancy that enabled the trees to grow, it was Old Faithful’s return that preserved the evidence they existed. Silica in the geothermally heated water quickly mineralized the woody remnants, and the hot water inhibited the fungus, bacteria and other organisms that typically break down Yellowstone’s trees in 300 years or less.
While an extended period of extreme drought can stop Old Faithful altogether, less dramatic swings in climate can still influence eruption frequency. Research looking at modern conditions has also found that during wet years Old Faithful erupts slightly more often than it blows during drier times.
Hurwitz said it’s hard to predict with precision what’s ahead for 130-foot-high geyser that predictably goes off every 90 minutes or so.
“We don’t say that it’s going to happen and that Old Faithful is going to go dry,” Hurwitz said. “We say that if the climate models are true, the eruption intervals will become much longer and longer, and if it’s really extreme for a sustained amount of time it might go dry.”
Climate change and the aridity it’s expected to deliver isn’t the only threat to Old Faithful’s famous reliability.
Large earthquakes like the 1959 Hebgen Lake quake and the 1983 Borah Peak quake altered the iconic geyser’s activity, decreasing the frequency of its eruptions, Hurwitz said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Loeffler charts path to the right in Georgia Senate race

ATLANTA ( AP ) - Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler stepped out of a Humvee on a foggy morning in northwest Georgia wearing an American flag trucker hat to accept the endorsement of a congressional candidate who has expressed support for baseless QAnon conspiracy theories and made disparaging comments about Black people , Muslims and Jews .
Loeffler smiled and nodded as Marjorie Taylor Greene praised her as “ the most conservative Republican ” running in Georgia ’ s multi-candidate special election for the U.S. Senate seat Loeffler was appointed to 10 months ago .
“ What impressed me with Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of the same things that I believe , ” Greene said at the Oct. 15 event .
Loeffler was appointed to the Senate on the hope that she would help the GOP hold on to moderates - especially suburban women - uncomfortable with the party ’ s right turn under President Donald Trump .
Instead , the wealthy businesswoman has followed Trump ’ s lead and then some , embracing people like Greene , a political figure even many conservatives consider too extreme .
Her choice has many Republicans worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anticipated January runoff election in a state where Republican dominance is slipping and victory could depend on more moderate voters and independents .
Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O ’ Dea said Loeffler was not available to be interviewed for this story and declined to answer questions .
In her quest to win a spot in the runoff , Loeffler has been locked in a brutal battle for the conservative base of the Republican Party with GOP Rep. Doug Collins , a four-term congressman and one of Trump ’ s most visible defenders in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raphael Warnock , pastor of the Atlanta church where the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. preached , has been able to consolidate support among Democrats with relative ease .
A Jan. 5 , 2021 runoff between the race ’ s top two candidates - likely Warnock and either Loeffler or Collins - will be required if nobody wins more than 50 % in November .
Loeffler took office this past January after being appointed by Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp to replace retiring GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson , who was known for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the aisle to get things done .
Before her appointment , Loeffler was a relatively unknown figure - the co-owner of Atlanta ’ s WNBA basketball team , CEO of a cryptocurrency trading platform and the wife of Jeffrey Sprecher , who leads the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange .
Once her appointment was made public , Loeffler quickly moved to bolster her conservative bona fides .
“ I ’ m a lifelong conservative , pro-Second Amendment , pro-Trump , pro-military and pro-wall , ” she said at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his pick for the Senate seat .
Soon after , Collins , who sought the appointment himself but was passed over , mounted a bid to challenge her , sparking a scramble among the two top-tier candidates to shore up support from hardcore GOP voters .
“ Loeffler and Collins are essentially running in a primary within a special election , ” said Brian Robinson , a Republican strategist in Georgia .
“ If either candidate had run some play-to-the-middle , appeal-to-moderates campaign , they would be dead in the water .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right out of the gate , Loeffler introduced several anti-abortion legislative proposals .
“ Since coming to the Senate , I ’ ve co-sponsored four pro-life bills to end taxpayer funding for abortion , roll back the scope of Roe v. Wade , and increase criminal penalties for medical professionals performing illegal abortions , ” she boasted in February .
More recently , she has staunchly defended Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus , sparked a battle with WNBA players after objecting to the league ’ s initiatives to honor the Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull federal funding from schools that allow transgender girls to participate in girls ’ sports , and run a series of TV ads calling herself “ more conservative than Attila the Hun.
” On Monday , when six of the top candidates in the race met in their first debate , Loeffler was asked if she could name something Trump has said or done that she disagreed with .
She responded : “ No ” and touted a “ 100 % voting record with President Trump.
” Perhaps most striking has been Loeffler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. House candidate from northwest Georgia who has expressed support for QAnon , a baseless pro-Trump conspiracy theory , and made racist remarks in a series of online videos .
While Greene has been denounced by some Republicans - a primary opponent used the slogan “ All of the conservative , none of the embarrassment ” - Loeffler has defended her .
“ Look , I don ’ t know anything about QAnon , and I know how the media twists people ’ s words , ” Loeffler said after enthusiastically accepting Greene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree on is that we are fighting socialism .
We are promoting conservative values .
And I ’ m not going to stand for attacks on her character because she has stood for American values , ” Loeffler said .
Collins ’ campaign has sought to push back on Loeffler ’ s conservative credentials , calling her “ supposedly conservative , ” a “ pretend gun owner ” and accusing her of having supported pro-abortion groups and candidates before taking office .
Loeffler has said Collins is lying about her record .
Whichever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have just over two months to make their case to a statewide audience .
“ Whoever emerges between Collins and Loeffler will then pivot the next day to a general election message and they ’ ll be talking about different topics , ” Robinson said .
“ They won ’ t necessarily step back from the rhetoric that they ’ ve had in this phase of the campaign , but they ’ ll be talking about different issues .
”

ATLANTA (AP) - Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler stepped out of a Humvee on a foggy morning in northwest Georgia wearing an American flag trucker hat to accept the endorsement of a congressional candidate who has expressed support for baseless QAnon conspiracy theories and made disparaging comments about Black people, Muslims and Jews.
Loeffler smiled and nodded as Marjorie Taylor Greene praised her as “the most conservative Republican” running in Georgia’s multi-candidate special election for the U.S. Senate seat Loeffler was appointed to 10 months ago.
“What impressed me with Kelly is I found out that she believes a lot of the same things that I believe,” Greene said at the Oct. 15 event.
Loeffler was appointed to the Senate on the hope that she would help the GOP hold on to moderates - especially suburban women - uncomfortable with the party’s right turn under President Donald Trump. Instead, the wealthy businesswoman has followed Trump’s lead and then some, embracing people like Greene, a political figure even many conservatives consider too extreme.
Her choice has many Republicans worried about how she’d fare in an anticipated January runoff election in a state where Republican dominance is slipping and victory could depend on more moderate voters and independents.
Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea said Loeffler was not available to be interviewed for this story and declined to answer questions.
In her quest to win a spot in the runoff, Loeffler has been locked in a brutal battle for the conservative base of the Republican Party with GOP Rep. Doug Collins, a four-term congressman and one of Trump’s most visible defenders in the U.S. House. Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock, pastor of the Atlanta church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, has been able to consolidate support among Democrats with relative ease.
A Jan. 5, 2021 runoff between the race’s top two candidates - likely Warnock and either Loeffler or Collins - will be required if nobody wins more than 50% in November.
Loeffler took office this past January after being appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to replace retiring GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson, who was known for being a consensus builder willing to reach across the aisle to get things done.
Before her appointment, Loeffler was a relatively unknown figure - the co-owner of Atlanta’s WNBA basketball team, CEO of a cryptocurrency trading platform and the wife of Jeffrey Sprecher, who leads the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange.
Once her appointment was made public, Loeffler quickly moved to bolster her conservative bona fides.
“I’m a lifelong conservative, pro-Second Amendment, pro-Trump, pro-military and pro-wall,” she said at a December news conference as Kemp announced her as his pick for the Senate seat.
Soon after, Collins, who sought the appointment himself but was passed over, mounted a bid to challenge her, sparking a scramble among the two top-tier candidates to shore up support from hardcore GOP voters.
“Loeffler and Collins are essentially running in a primary within a special election,” said Brian Robinson, a Republican strategist in Georgia. “If either candidate had run some play-to-the-middle, appeal-to-moderates campaign, they would be dead in the water. There’s just no market.”
Right out of the gate, Loeffler introduced several anti-abortion legislative proposals. “Since coming to the Senate, I’ve co-sponsored four pro-life bills to end taxpayer funding for abortion, roll back the scope of Roe v. Wade, and increase criminal penalties for medical professionals performing illegal abortions,” she boasted in February.
More recently, she has staunchly defended Trump’s handling of the coronavirus, sparked a battle with WNBA players after objecting to the league’s initiatives to honor the Black Lives Matter movement, sponsored legislation to pull federal funding from schools that allow transgender girls to participate in girls’ sports, and run a series of TV ads calling herself “more conservative than Attila the Hun.”
On Monday, when six of the top candidates in the race met in their first debate, Loeffler was asked if she could name something Trump has said or done that she disagreed with. She responded: “No” and touted a “100% voting record with President Trump.”
Perhaps most striking has been Loeffler’s embrace of Greene, a U.S. House candidate from northwest Georgia who has expressed support for QAnon, a baseless pro-Trump conspiracy theory, and made racist remarks in a series of online videos. While Greene has been denounced by some Republicans - a primary opponent used the slogan “All of the conservative, none of the embarrassment” - Loeffler has defended her.
“Look, I don’t know anything about QAnon, and I know how the media twists people’s words,” Loeffler said after enthusiastically accepting Greene’s endorsement.
“What we agree on is that we are fighting socialism. We are promoting conservative values. And I’m not going to stand for attacks on her character because she has stood for American values,” Loeffler said.
Collins’ campaign has sought to push back on Loeffler’s conservative credentials, calling her “supposedly conservative,” a “pretend gun owner” and accusing her of having supported pro-abortion groups and candidates before taking office. Loeffler has said Collins is lying about her record.
Whichever Republican secures a spot in a runoff would have just over two months to make their case to a statewide audience.
“Whoever emerges between Collins and Loeffler will then pivot the next day to a general election message and they’ll be talking about different topics,” Robinson said. “They won’t necessarily step back from the rhetoric that they’ve had in this phase of the campaign, but they’ll be talking about different issues.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--No escaping from Wales: UK police to enforce travel ban

LONDON ( AP ) - A police force in England says it will try to stop people from leaving Wales , which has started a 17-day lockdown to slow a surging rate of coronavirus infections .
The Gloucestershire Constabulary will patrol routes from Wales and pull over drivers they believe are making long journeys .
Travelers without a good excuse will be asked to turn around .
If they don ’ t comply , officers will inform their Welsh counterparts so they can take action because Gloucestershire police don ’ t have the authority to fine people traveling from Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illustrates the patchwork of coronavirus restrictions imposed by authorities throughout the U.K. , which has Europe ’ s deadliest coronavirus numbers , with 44,661 confirmed virus deaths .
Some 1,756 of those occurred in Wales , which has a population of about 3 million .
Under the U.K. ’ s system of devolved authority , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland have established their own public health rules .
Meanwhile , the national government in Westminster has created a three-tiered virus alert system that applies to England alone .
South Yorkshire on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 - the tightest level of virus risk restrictions in England - following Liverpool , Greater Manchester and Lancashire .
But it is the Welsh government that has imposed one of the U.K. ’ s strictest lockdowns , including a ban on non-essential travel .
Under rules that took effect Friday evening , Wales also closed most businesses and restricted high schools to online instruction .
Another English police force , West Mercia , also said it will be working with their Welsh counterparts to “ enforce , where necessary , the relevant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ New infections are continuing to rise across Britain .
Professor Neil Ferguson , whose modelling led to the U.K. ’ s original lockdown in March , told the BBC that the current situation was “ worrying.
” “ We are in a critical time right now , ” he said .
“ The health system will not be able to cope with this rate of growth for much longer .
”

LONDON (AP) - A police force in England says it will try to stop people from leaving Wales, which has started a 17-day lockdown to slow a surging rate of coronavirus infections.
The Gloucestershire Constabulary will patrol routes from Wales and pull over drivers they believe are making long journeys. Travelers without a good excuse will be asked to turn around. If they don’t comply, officers will inform their Welsh counterparts so they can take action because Gloucestershire police don’t have the authority to fine people traveling from Wales, the department said.
The situation illustrates the patchwork of coronavirus restrictions imposed by authorities throughout the U.K., which has Europe’s deadliest coronavirus numbers, with 44,661 confirmed virus deaths. Some 1,756 of those occurred in Wales, which has a population of about 3 million.
Under the U.K.’s system of devolved authority, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have established their own public health rules. Meanwhile, the national government in Westminster has created a three-tiered virus alert system that applies to England alone.
South Yorkshire on Saturday became the latest region to enter Tier 3 - the tightest level of virus risk restrictions in England - following Liverpool, Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
But it is the Welsh government that has imposed one of the U.K.’s strictest lockdowns, including a ban on non-essential travel. Under rules that took effect Friday evening, Wales also closed most businesses and restricted high schools to online instruction.
Another English police force, West Mercia, also said it will be working with their Welsh counterparts to “enforce, where necessary, the relevant rules for the area we serve.’’
New infections are continuing to rise across Britain. Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling led to the U.K.’s original lockdown in March, told the BBC that the current situation was “worrying.”
“We are in a critical time right now,” he said. “The health system will not be able to cope with this rate of growth for much longer.”
___
Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--AP FACT CHECK: Trump and Biden in their last clash on stage

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - A more measured President Donald Trump does not necessarily mean a more truthful one .
In the final debate of the presidential campaign , he was loose with facts on the crisis of the time - the pandemic - and much else .
Trump did , though , exploit confusion sowed by Joe Biden during the primaries , when the Democrat occasionally made his position on energy sound more to the left than it actually is .
Trump accurately called out Biden when Biden denied he had ever vowed to ban fracking .
That was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it sometimes sounded that way .
TRUMP : “ We ’ re rounding the turn .
We ’ re rounding the corner .
It ’ s going away.
” THE FACTS : No , the coronavirus isn ’ t going away .
It ’ s coming back .
New cases are on the rise toward their summer peak .
Deaths have also been increasing .
The United States has hit a daily record of coronavirus cases with more than 83,000 reported infections , thousands more than the previous U.S. peak in July .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 224,00 , according to the tally published by Johns Hopkins University .
The total U.S. caseload reported Friday was 83,757 , topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16 .
The seven-day rolling average of positive test rates has risen in 40 states over the past two weeks , from Oct. 8 to Oct. 22 , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
A few states seeing rising cases have very low levels of COVID-19 , but in most states the increase comes on top of already concerning background levels of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does is talk about shutdowns .
But forget about him .
His Democrat governors - ( Andrew ) Cuomo in New York - you look at what ’ s going on in California , you look at Pennsylvania , North Carolina .
Democrats - Democrats all .
They ’ re shut down so tight , and they ’ re dying.
” BIDEN : “ Look at the states that are having such a spike in the coronavirus .
They ’ re the red states .
They ’ re the states in the Midwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s where the spike is occurring significantly.
” THE FACTS : Neither of them is right .
Coronavirus is a public health problem that affects people no matter where they live or what their politics are .
Some Republican-led states that were quick to reopen saw a surge of virus cases in the summer and are still struggling to get their transmission rates down .
Florida ’ s test positivity rate is about 12 % currently , a level indicating widespread transmission .
South Dakota is approaching 35 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were hit hard in the initial wave closed down and got their virus transmission rates down to very low levels .
But they ’ re now seeing rebounds in certain communities , prompting them to target renewed restrictions .
Nevada and Pennsylvania are two states with Democratic governors and high transmission rates at 20 % and 10 % respectively by week ’ s end , based on a 14-day trend .
TRUMP on the toll of COVID-19 in the U.S. : “ So as you know 2.2 million people , modeled out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : This was his first line in the debate , and it is false .
The U.S. death toll from the pandemic was not expected to be that high .
Such an extreme projection was merely a baseline if nothing at all were done to fight the pandemic .
Doing nothing was never an option and public health authorities did not expect over 2 million deaths .
Trump often cites the number to put the reality of more than 220,000 deaths in a better light and to attempt to take credit for reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing , when Trump and his officials discussed an actual projection of 100,000 to 240,000 deaths , the president held out hope of keeping deaths under 100,000 .
“ I think we ’ re doing better than that.
” He has repeatedly moved the goal posts to make the massive mortality and infection numbers look better .
THE FACTS : Yes he did .
But he misspoke on one occasion , prompting his campaign to correct him after , and left unclear just where he stood at least one other time .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that if he became president , there would be “ no more - no new - fracking.
” His campaign quickly clarified that Biden meant he would ban new gas and oil permits - including fracking - on federal lands only .
The vast majority of oil and gas does not come from federal lands .
That is Biden ’ s consistent position , stated frequently and in writing .
Longer term , Biden has spoken about helping the country move toward a midcentury future free of fossil fuels .
That does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his presidency .
TRUMP , speaking about children who were separated from parents at the U.S.-Mexico border : “ They are so well taken care of .
They ’ re in facilities that are so clean.
” THE FACTS : Not so .
At the height of the family separations in 2018 , Border Patrol facilities were cramped well beyond capacity with migrants who were kept in squalid conditions , according to watchdog reports and the lawyers responsible for a federal settlement that governs how children are cared for in immigration custody .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at capacity , meaning the administration held people in the small border stations for much longer than the 72 hours normally allowed by law .
The stations are hardly meant for long-term care .
Children were not provided hot meals and families slept on the floor on top of Mylar blankets .
Flu and sickness ran rampant , and hundreds of small children were kept together without adequate care .
TRUMP , on immigrants who are released from custody in the U.S. to wait out their cases being allowed to stay : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1 % of the people come back .
We have to send … Border Patrol out to find them.
” THE FACTS : That ’ s false .
There are far fewer no-shows for immigration hearings among those who are released pending their cases .
According to Justice Department statistics , a majority come back for their hearings .
BIDEN : “ Not one single person with private insurance would lose their insurance under my plan , nor did they under ‘ Obamacare , ’ they did not lose their insurance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to something else.
” THE FACTS : He ’ s wrong about the Affordable Care Act , also known as “ Obamacare.
” President Barack Obama promised if you liked your health insurance , you could keep it under his health plan , but that ’ s not what happened for some .
When the law took effect in 2014 , several million people lost individual health insurance plans that no longer met minimum standards established by the law .
A backlash forced the White House to offer a work-around , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is such a complicated area that almost any action has the potential for unintended consequences .
TRUMP : The Paris accord meant “ we were going to have to spend trillions of dollars … .
They did a great disservice .
They were going to take away our business.
” THE FACTS : The Paris accord , an international agreement that aims to halt the rise in global temperatures , is based on voluntary emission reductions .
No nation was forced to do anything .
TRUMP on his taxes : “ They keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think is a filing fee .
… Tens of millions of dollars ( in income taxes ) I prepaid.
” On his China bank account : “ I was a businessman in 2013 and I closed the account in 2015.
” THE FACTS : Trump is not being honest about his taxes .
Reporting by The New York Times , which obtained his tax records , contradicts his claims .
The IRS does not charge taxpayers a filing fee , though tax preparation services do .
The $ 750 that Trump paid in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to the federal government , not a tax preparation service .
It ’ s not clear what Trump is talking about with regard to prepaying his taxes , but what matters is what he ultimately owed the government .
Americans often have their income tax payments deducted from their paychecks .
The Times reported that Trump , starting in 2010 , claimed and received an income tax refund that totaled $ 72.9 million , which was at the core of an ongoing audit by the IRS .
The Times said a ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million or more .
Nor did Trump close his Chinese bank account , according to Alan Garten , a lawyer for Trump ’ s company .
He told the newspaper that the account remains open , though the company ’ s office in China has been inactive since 2015 .
TRUMP : “ Joe got $ 3.5 ( million ) from Russia .
And it came through Putin because he was very friendly with the former mayor of Moscow , and it was the the mayor of Moscow ’ s wife .
… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Someday you ’ re going to have to explain why.
” THE FACTS : There is no evidence of this .
Trump is falsely characterizing a recent report by Sen. Ron Johnson , R-Wis. , who investigated Biden ’ s son , Hunter , and his business dealings in Ukraine .
The report did not allege that Joe Biden himself got $ 3.5 million or that Russia President Vladimir Putin had anything to do with such a payment .
Nor does the report allege that Hunter Biden pocketed the money himself .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investment firm he co-founded .
Hunter Biden ’ s lawyer has said in a statement to reporters that his client had no interest in and was not a founder of the firm .
TRUMP to Biden : “ I know more about wind than you do .
It ’ s extremely expensive.
” THE FACTS : No it isn ’ t .
His point is outdated .
Wind-energy costs hit all-time lows as of 2019 , averaging less than 2 cents per kilowatt-hour for newly built projects , making it increasingly competitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a report by the Energy Department ’ s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab .
“ Land-based utility-scale wind is one of the lowest-priced energy sources available today , ” the department says .
Wind and solar have become much cheaper as their industries grow and technology improves .
It ’ s why solar and wind are expanding , along with cheap natural gas , while coal plants and nuclear plants are closing .
This , despite regulatory rollbacks by the Trump administration to benefit the oil , gas and coal industries and undo Obama-era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
TRUMP : “ It ’ s very intermittent .
It ’ s got a lot of problems.
” Trump ’ s opinion about wind power being unreliable isn ’ t shared by many big energy users .
By next year , renewables such as wind and solar will be providing more of Americans ’ electricity than nuclear- and coal-fired power plants do , says the government ’ s Energy Information Administration .
And it says that by 2045 , renewables will surpass even natural gas in powering U.S. electricity plants .
TRUMP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make these massive windmills is more than anything that we ’ re talking about with natural gas.
” Wind turbines produce pollution when they are manufactured and little to none when in operation , federal scientists say .
Even taking manufacturing emissions into account , wind power is far cleaner than natural gas .
Scientists in the Energy Department ’ s Natural Renewable Energy Laboratory calculate that wind turbines produce an average of 0.4 ounces of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour generated , over their lifetime .
That includes emissions from manufacturing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dioxide - at least 22.6 ounces per kilowatt-hour .
THE FACTS : That ’ s obviously not true .
But turbines do kill many .
Studies find that wind turbines kill an average of 230,000 birds a year in North America , says the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service .
The number will grow as more turbines are deployed .
Glass windows in buildings kill an estimated 599 million per year and vehicles , about 214 million a year , the agency says .
Altogether , the agency estimates that wind turbines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
So turbines are an additional threat to birds , if a comparatively small one .
Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer , Seth Borenstein , Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar , Josh Boak and Eric Tucker contributed to this report .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures .

WASHINGTON (AP) - A more measured President Donald Trump does not necessarily mean a more truthful one.
In the final debate of the presidential campaign, he was loose with facts on the crisis of the time - the pandemic - and much else.
Trump did, though, exploit confusion sowed by Joe Biden during the primaries, when the Democrat occasionally made his position on energy sound more to the left than it actually is. Trump accurately called out Biden when Biden denied he had ever vowed to ban fracking. That was never Biden’s position, but it sometimes sounded that way.
A review:
CORONAVIRUS
TRUMP: “We’re rounding the turn. We’re rounding the corner. It’s going away.”
THE FACTS: No, the coronavirus isn’t going away. It’s coming back. New cases are on the rise toward their summer peak. Deaths have also been increasing.
The United States has hit a daily record of coronavirus cases with more than 83,000 reported infections, thousands more than the previous U.S. peak in July. The U.S. death toll has grown to nearly 224,00, according to the tally published by Johns Hopkins University. The total U.S. caseload reported Friday was 83,757, topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16.
The seven-day rolling average of positive test rates has risen in 40 states over the past two weeks, from Oct. 8 to Oct. 22, according to the COVID Tracking Project. A few states seeing rising cases have very low levels of COVID-19, but in most states the increase comes on top of already concerning background levels of the coronavirus.
__
TRUMP: “All he does is talk about shutdowns. But forget about him. His Democrat governors - (Andrew) Cuomo in New York - you look at what’s going on in California, you look at Pennsylvania, North Carolina. Democrats - Democrats all. They’re shut down so tight, and they’re dying.”
BIDEN: “Look at the states that are having such a spike in the coronavirus. They’re the red states. They’re the states in the Midwest or the states in the Upper Midwest. That’s where the spike is occurring significantly.”
THE FACTS: Neither of them is right. Coronavirus is a public health problem that affects people no matter where they live or what their politics are.
Some Republican-led states that were quick to reopen saw a surge of virus cases in the summer and are still struggling to get their transmission rates down. Florida’s test positivity rate is about 12% currently, a level indicating widespread transmission. South Dakota is approaching 35%.
Democratic-led states such as New York that were hit hard in the initial wave closed down and got their virus transmission rates down to very low levels. But they’re now seeing rebounds in certain communities, prompting them to target renewed restrictions.
Nevada and Pennsylvania are two states with Democratic governors and high transmission rates at 20% and 10% respectively by week’s end, based on a 14-day trend.
___
TRUMP on the toll of COVID-19 in the U.S.: “So as you know 2.2 million people, modeled out, were expected to die.”
THE FACTS: This was his first line in the debate, and it is false. The U.S. death toll from the pandemic was not expected to be that high.
Such an extreme projection was merely a baseline if nothing at all were done to fight the pandemic. Doing nothing was never an option and public health authorities did not expect over 2 million deaths.
Trump often cites the number to put the reality of more than 220,000 deaths in a better light and to attempt to take credit for reducing projected mortality.
At an April 1 briefing, when Trump and his officials discussed an actual projection of 100,000 to 240,000 deaths, the president held out hope of keeping deaths under 100,000. “I think we’re doing better than that.” He has repeatedly moved the goal posts to make the massive mortality and infection numbers look better.
___
FRACKING
BIDEN: “I never said I oppose fracking.”
THE FACTS: Yes he did. But he misspoke on one occasion, prompting his campaign to correct him after, and left unclear just where he stood at least one other time.
In a March Democratic primary debate, Biden said that if he became president, there would be “no more - no new - fracking.” His campaign quickly clarified that Biden meant he would ban new gas and oil permits - including fracking - on federal lands only. The vast majority of oil and gas does not come from federal lands.
That is Biden’s consistent position, stated frequently and in writing. Longer term, Biden has spoken about helping the country move toward a midcentury future free of fossil fuels. That does not equate to a fracking ban during his presidency.
___
MIGRANTS
TRUMP, speaking about children who were separated from parents at the U.S.-Mexico border: “They are so well taken care of. They’re in facilities that are so clean.”
THE FACTS: Not so.
At the height of the family separations in 2018, Border Patrol facilities were cramped well beyond capacity with migrants who were kept in squalid conditions, according to watchdog reports and the lawyers responsible for a federal settlement that governs how children are cared for in immigration custody. Long-term facilities for adults and children were at capacity, meaning the administration held people in the small border stations for much longer than the 72 hours normally allowed by law.
The stations are hardly meant for long-term care. Children were not provided hot meals and families slept on the floor on top of Mylar blankets. Flu and sickness ran rampant, and hundreds of small children were kept together without adequate care.
___
TRUMP, on immigrants who are released from custody in the U.S. to wait out their cases being allowed to stay: “They say they come back, less than 1% of the people come back. We have to send … Border Patrol out to find them.”
THE FACTS: That’s false. There are far fewer no-shows for immigration hearings among those who are released pending their cases. According to Justice Department statistics, a majority come back for their hearings.
___
HEALTH CARE
BIDEN: “Not one single person with private insurance would lose their insurance under my plan, nor did they under ‘Obamacare,’ they did not lose their insurance, unless they chose they wanted to go to something else.”
THE FACTS: He’s wrong about the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.”
President Barack Obama promised if you liked your health insurance, you could keep it under his health plan, but that’s not what happened for some.
When the law took effect in 2014, several million people lost individual health insurance plans that no longer met minimum standards established by the law. A backlash forced the White House to offer a work-around, but the political damage was done.
Health insurance is such a complicated area that almost any action has the potential for unintended consequences.
___
CLIMATE CHANGE
TRUMP: The Paris accord meant “we were going to have to spend trillions of dollars …. They did a great disservice. They were going to take away our business.”
THE FACTS: The Paris accord, an international agreement that aims to halt the rise in global temperatures, is based on voluntary emission reductions. No nation was forced to do anything.
___
TRUMP’S TAXES
TRUMP on his taxes: “They keep talking about $750, which I think is a filing fee. … Tens of millions of dollars (in income taxes) I prepaid.” On his China bank account: “I was a businessman in 2013 and I closed the account in 2015.”
THE FACTS: Trump is not being honest about his taxes.
Reporting by The New York Times, which obtained his tax records, contradicts his claims.
The IRS does not charge taxpayers a filing fee, though tax preparation services do. The $750 that Trump paid in 2016 and 2017 in the income taxes was to the federal government, not a tax preparation service.
It’s not clear what Trump is talking about with regard to prepaying his taxes, but what matters is what he ultimately owed the government. Americans often have their income tax payments deducted from their paychecks. The Times reported that Trump, starting in 2010, claimed and received an income tax refund that totaled $72.9 million, which was at the core of an ongoing audit by the IRS. The Times said a ruling against Trump could cost him $100 million or more.
Nor did Trump close his Chinese bank account, according to Alan Garten, a lawyer for Trump’s company. He told the newspaper that the account remains open, though the company’s office in China has been inactive since 2015.
___
HUNTER BIDEN
TRUMP: “Joe got $3.5 (million) from Russia. And it came through Putin because he was very friendly with the former mayor of Moscow, and it was the the mayor of Moscow’s wife. … Your family got $3.5 million. Someday you’re going to have to explain why.”
THE FACTS: There is no evidence of this. Trump is falsely characterizing a recent report by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who investigated Biden’s son, Hunter, and his business dealings in Ukraine.
The report did not allege that Joe Biden himself got $3.5 million or that Russia President Vladimir Putin had anything to do with such a payment. Nor does the report allege that Hunter Biden pocketed the money himself. The report said the sum went instead to an investment firm he co-founded. Hunter Biden’s lawyer has said in a statement to reporters that his client had no interest in and was not a founder of the firm.
___
WIND POWER
TRUMP to Biden: “I know more about wind than you do. It’s extremely expensive.”
THE FACTS: No it isn’t. His point is outdated.
Wind-energy costs hit all-time lows as of 2019, averaging less than 2 cents per kilowatt-hour for newly built projects, making it increasingly competitive with other generation sources, according to a report by the Energy Department’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. “Land-based utility-scale wind is one of the lowest-priced energy sources available today,” the department says.
Wind and solar have become much cheaper as their industries grow and technology improves.
It’s why solar and wind are expanding, along with cheap natural gas, while coal plants and nuclear plants are closing. This, despite regulatory rollbacks by the Trump administration to benefit the oil, gas and coal industries and undo Obama-era efforts against climate change and air pollution.
___
TRUMP: “It’s very intermittent. It’s got a lot of problems.”
THE FACTS: He’s exaggerating the downsides.
Trump’s opinion about wind power being unreliable isn’t shared by many big energy users. By next year, renewables such as wind and solar will be providing more of Americans’ electricity than nuclear- and coal-fired power plants do, says the government’s Energy Information Administration.
And it says that by 2045, renewables will surpass even natural gas in powering U.S. electricity plants.
___
TRUMP: “The fumes coming up to make these massive windmills is more than anything that we’re talking about with natural gas.”
THE FACTS: That’s false. (Also, they’re called wind turbines. Windmills mill grain.)
Wind turbines produce pollution when they are manufactured and little to none when in operation, federal scientists say. Even taking manufacturing emissions into account, wind power is far cleaner than natural gas.
Scientists in the Energy Department’s Natural Renewable Energy Laboratory calculate that wind turbines produce an average of 0.4 ounces of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour generated, over their lifetime. That includes emissions from manufacturing. Natural gas produces 58 times more carbon dioxide - at least 22.6 ounces per kilowatt-hour.
___
TRUMP: Wind power “kills all the birds.”
THE FACTS: That’s obviously not true. But turbines do kill many.
Studies find that wind turbines kill an average of 230,000 birds a year in North America, says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The number will grow as more turbines are deployed.
Glass windows in buildings kill an estimated 599 million per year and vehicles, about 214 million a year, the agency says. Altogether, the agency estimates that wind turbines are responsible for 1 in 14,000 bird deaths. So turbines are an additional threat to birds, if a comparatively small one.
___
Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer, Seth Borenstein, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Josh Boak and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
___
EDITOR’S NOTE - A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.
___
Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck
Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--US sets coronavirus infection record; deaths near 224,000

BOISE , Idaho ( AP ) - The U.S. coronavirus caseload has reached record heights with more than 83,000 infections reported in a single day , the latest ominous sign of the disease ’ s grip on the nation , as states from Connecticut to the Rocky Mountain West reel under the surge .
The U.S. death toll , meanwhile , has grown to 223,995 , according to the COVID-19 Dashboard published by Johns Hopkins University .
The total U.S. caseload reported on the site Friday was 83,757 , topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16 .
The impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country - a lockdown starting Friday at the Oglala Sioux Tribe ’ s reservation in South Dakota , a plea by a Florida health official for a halt to children ’ s birthday parties , dire warnings from Utah ’ s governor , and an increasingly desperate situation at a hospital in northern Idaho , which is running out of space for patients and considering airlifts to Seattle or Portland , Oregon .
“ We ’ ve essentially shut down an entire floor of our hospital .
We ’ ve had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more hospital beds , ” said Dr. Robert Scoggins , a pulmonologist at the Kootenai Health hospital in Coeur d ’ Alene .
“ Our hospital is not built for a pandemic.
” In the southern Idaho city of Twin Falls , St. Luke ’ s Magic Valley Medical Center said it would no longer accept children because it is overwhelmed with coronavirus patients .
Except for newborns , all under age 18 will be sent 128 miles ( 206 kilometers ) away in Boise .
Among those in northern Idaho joining Scoggins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Panhandle Health District was board member Walk Kirby .
“ People are dying , they ’ re going to keep dying and catching this stuff , ” Kirby said .
“ How many people won ’ t wear a mask ?
The same people that won ’ t get vaccinated for it.
” Utah ’ s Gov .
Gary Herbert proclaimed Friday to be “ a record day for Utah - but not a good one ” as COVID-19 cases reached an all-time high for the state .
“ Up until now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good care to all COVID and non-COVID patients who need it , ” he said .
“ But today we stand on the brink .
If Utahans do not take serious steps to limit group gatherings and wear masks , our healthcare providers will not have the ability to provide quality care for everyone who needs it.
” By public health order , masks are required in 21 counties , said Herbert , urging Utah residents to wear one whenever they are around someone outside their immediate household .
The seven-day rolling average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. surpassed 61,140 Thursday , compared with 44,647 two weeks ago .
The record was reached July 22 when the rolling average was 67,293 in the midst of a summer outbreak driven largely by surges of the virus in Florida , Texas , Arizona and California .
The U.S. surge mirrors a similarly widespread spike in Europe , where Rome , Paris and other major cities are reining in nightlife as part of the increasingly drastic measures undertaken to slow the spread of the pandemic .
French authorities said the country had recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the pandemic , becoming the second country in Western Europe after Spain to reach that number .
The head of the World Health Organization warned that countries in the Northern Hemisphere are at a “ critical juncture ” as cases and deaths continue to rise .
“ The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track , ” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press briefing on Friday .
Some of the latest developments in the United States : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tribe ordered a one-week lockdown of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in response to a surging number of COVID-19 cases in the state .
Through the morning of Oct. 30 , all non-essential travel is banned and non-essential businesses must close .
The tribe posted on its Twitter page that there were 391 active COVID-19 cases as of Thursday on the reservation , which has about 20,000 residents .
The lockdown comes as South Dakota surpassed 9,000 active coronavirus cases on Thursday and reported an all-time high of 973 new cases in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of Florida ’ s most populous counties discouraged parents from hosting birthday parties for their children , no matter the size .
Dr. Raul Pino , a state health officer in Orange County , said half of the 30 attendees at a recent Sweet 16 party in the Orlando area came down with the virus .
Last month , an Orange County high school closed for two weeks after students who had attended a birthday party tested positive .
“ Those parties will not only affect those people participating in that activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into contact with when they leave , ” said Pino .
“ We will continue to see consequences if we don ’ t act super-responsibly.
” In Texas , Gov .
Greg Abbott is sending more medical reinforcements to the El Paso area in response to a surge of coronavirus infections .
The Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Division of Emergency Management will provide more medical personnel and equipment this week .
El Paso County reported 3,750 new coronavirus infections this week , including 1,161 on Thursday .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21,321 cases reported this week by the state ’ s 254 counties .
Even as the health-care situation worsened in northern Idaho , a regional health board voted to repeal a local mask mandate .
It acted moments after hearing how the Kootenai Health hospital in Coeur d ’ Alene had reached 99 % capacity .
Kootenai is the third-most populous county in conservative Idaho .
The state is experiencing its largest coronavirus spike since the pandemic began , with new cases increasing statewide by 46.5 % percent over the past two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican , has declined to take steps such as requiring masks statewide to slow the virus ’ spread .
Dr. Joshua Kern , vice president of St. Luke ’ s in the Magic Valley region that includes Twin Falls and Jerome , said Thursday during a virtual press conference that he and other medical professionals are scared .
“ The purpose of any intervention around coronavirus has been to prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed , and here I am today saying the hospital is being overwhelmed , ” he said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the move to send younger patients to Boise .
For a while , as new COVID-19 cases surged in the Midwest and elsewhere , the level of new cases remained low in the Northeast , which had been hit hard earlier in the pandemic .
Several states , including New Jersey and Connecticut , imposed 14-day quarantine requirements for travelers arriving from dozens of states with higher rates of positive tests .
This week , however , rates in New Jersey and Connecticut rose to the point where they qualify for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democratic governors of New Jersey , Connecticut and New York , where rates remain lower , decided to keep their travel rules in place , but not add each other to their quarantine lists .
Crary reported from New York .
Associated Press writers Amy Forliti in Minneapolis ; Dave Collins in Hartford , Connecticut , Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City and Freida Frisaro in Orlando , Florida , contributed to this report .

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The U.S. coronavirus caseload has reached record heights with more than 83,000 infections reported in a single day, the latest ominous sign of the disease’s grip on the nation, as states from Connecticut to the Rocky Mountain West reel under the surge.
The U.S. death toll, meanwhile, has grown to 223,995, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard published by Johns Hopkins University. The total U.S. caseload reported on the site Friday was 83,757, topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16.
The impact is being felt in every section of the country - a lockdown starting Friday at the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s reservation in South Dakota, a plea by a Florida health official for a halt to children’s birthday parties, dire warnings from Utah’s governor, and an increasingly desperate situation at a hospital in northern Idaho, which is running out of space for patients and considering airlifts to Seattle or Portland, Oregon.
“We’ve essentially shut down an entire floor of our hospital. We’ve had to double rooms. We’ve bought more hospital beds,” said Dr. Robert Scoggins, a pulmonologist at the Kootenai Health hospital in Coeur d’Alene. “Our hospital is not built for a pandemic.”
In the southern Idaho city of Twin Falls, St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center said it would no longer accept children because it is overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. Except for newborns, all under age 18 will be sent 128 miles (206 kilometers) away in Boise.
Among those in northern Idaho joining Scoggins at a meeting of Idaho’s Panhandle Health District was board member Walk Kirby.
“People are dying, they’re going to keep dying and catching this stuff,” Kirby said. “How many people won’t wear a mask? The same people that won’t get vaccinated for it.”
Utah’s Gov. Gary Herbert proclaimed Friday to be “a record day for Utah - but not a good one” as COVID-19 cases reached an all-time high for the state.
“Up until now, our hospitals have been able to provide good care to all COVID and non-COVID patients who need it,” he said. “But today we stand on the brink. If Utahans do not take serious steps to limit group gatherings and wear masks, our healthcare providers will not have the ability to provide quality care for everyone who needs it.”
By public health order, masks are required in 21 counties, said Herbert, urging Utah residents to wear one whenever they are around someone outside their immediate household.
The seven-day rolling average for new daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surpassed 61,140 Thursday, compared with 44,647 two weeks ago. The record was reached July 22 when the rolling average was 67,293 in the midst of a summer outbreak driven largely by surges of the virus in Florida, Texas, Arizona and California.
The U.S. surge mirrors a similarly widespread spike in Europe, where Rome, Paris and other major cities are reining in nightlife as part of the increasingly drastic measures undertaken to slow the spread of the pandemic. French authorities said the country had recorded over 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, becoming the second country in Western Europe after Spain to reach that number.
The head of the World Health Organization warned that countries in the Northern Hemisphere are at a “critical juncture” as cases and deaths continue to rise.
“The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press briefing on Friday.
Some of the latest developments in the United States:
SOUTH DAKOTA
In South Dakota, the Oglala Sioux Tribe ordered a one-week lockdown of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in response to a surging number of COVID-19 cases in the state. Through the morning of Oct. 30, all non-essential travel is banned and non-essential businesses must close.
The tribe posted on its Twitter page that there were 391 active COVID-19 cases as of Thursday on the reservation, which has about 20,000 residents.
The lockdown comes as South Dakota surpassed 9,000 active coronavirus cases on Thursday and reported an all-time high of 973 new cases in one day.
___
FLORIDA
The top health official in one of Florida’s most populous counties discouraged parents from hosting birthday parties for their children, no matter the size.
Dr. Raul Pino, a state health officer in Orange County, said half of the 30 attendees at a recent Sweet 16 party in the Orlando area came down with the virus. Last month, an Orange County high school closed for two weeks after students who had attended a birthday party tested positive.
“Those parties will not only affect those people participating in that activity, but also everyone else they come into contact with when they leave,” said Pino. “We will continue to see consequences if we don’t act super-responsibly.”
___
TEXAS
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is sending more medical reinforcements to the El Paso area in response to a surge of coronavirus infections. The Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Division of Emergency Management will provide more medical personnel and equipment this week.
El Paso County reported 3,750 new coronavirus infections this week, including 1,161 on Thursday. That number accounts for 17.5% of the 21,321 cases reported this week by the state’s 254 counties.
___
IDAHO
Even as the health-care situation worsened in northern Idaho, a regional health board voted to repeal a local mask mandate. It acted moments after hearing how the Kootenai Health hospital in Coeur d’Alene had reached 99% capacity.
Kootenai is the third-most populous county in conservative Idaho.
The state is experiencing its largest coronavirus spike since the pandemic began, with new cases increasing statewide by 46.5% percent over the past two weeks. Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, has declined to take steps such as requiring masks statewide to slow the virus’ spread.
Dr. Joshua Kern, vice president of St. Luke’s in the Magic Valley region that includes Twin Falls and Jerome, said Thursday during a virtual press conference that he and other medical professionals are scared.
“The purpose of any intervention around coronavirus has been to prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed, and here I am today saying the hospital is being overwhelmed,” he said.
A day later on Friday, his hospital announced the move to send younger patients to Boise.
__
NEW JERSEY and CONNECTICUT
For a while, as new COVID-19 cases surged in the Midwest and elsewhere, the level of new cases remained low in the Northeast, which had been hit hard earlier in the pandemic. Several states, including New Jersey and Connecticut, imposed 14-day quarantine requirements for travelers arriving from dozens of states with higher rates of positive tests.
This week, however, rates in New Jersey and Connecticut rose to the point where they qualify for their own quarantine restrictions.
After some confusion, the Democratic governors of New Jersey, Connecticut and New York, where rates remain lower, decided to keep their travel rules in place, but not add each other to their quarantine lists.
__
Crary reported from New York. Associated Press writers Amy Forliti in Minneapolis; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City and Freida Frisaro in Orlando, Florida, contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--AP PHOTOS: Virus makes Friday nights empty, quiet in Europe

ROME ( AP ) - In much of Europe , city squares and streets , be they wide , elegant boulevards like in Paris or cobblestoned alleys in Rome , serve as animated evening extensions of living rooms , places to gather and be seen , areas to laugh , chat and drink with friends .
Yet with the continent hit hard by a surge of record new daily infections , European governments have once again put limitations on how residents live and socialize .
In response , AP photographers across Europe delivered a snapshot of how Friday evening - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and feels now .
In Italy for instance , a “ passeggiata , ” or stroll , is an after-dinner ritual .
And since dinner there and in much of southern Europe often starts at 9 p.m. or even later , people are out frequently until midnight or beyond , debating politics , chatting about old times , pausing to study shop window displays , buy an ice cream or have a smoke .
Not any more .
The streets of Paris and other big French cities have been deserted at night after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. curfew to try to curb a coronavirus surge that has seen France top 1 million total infections .
The move has plunged noisy , crowed Paris streets into silence and darkness - with only a few cars and almost-empty buses and subway trains still operating .
With tourists barred from entering Italy from many countries during the pandemic , including the United States , the historic center of Rome has been cruelly desolate .
Young Romans who used to hang out until the wee hours for beers and cocktails in iconic squares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are banned from such squares from 9 p.m. to midnight , when the entire region ’ s curfew kicks in .
A cavernous , popular arcade in Brussels which for generations has drawn partiers seeking platefuls of mussels to wash down with that city ’ s famed brews sadly no longer resounds with late-evening laughter and chatter .
And forget about a night at the pub with one ’ s best buddies or office cronies in London .
Under new tighter restrictions , people can only go out to eat or drink with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who love to break loose on the dance floor have been disappointed in Britain since March , when nightclubs were closed .
Bars and restaurants in Barcelona have been shuttered for table and counter service again , as a new surge of infections pushed Spain over 1 million total cases .
In that exuberant northeastern city , only delivery or takeout business is now allowed .
Yet in Moscow , the capital of the European country with the highest number of confirmed infections – more than 1.47 million cases – streets are bustling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks or keep a safe distance , pack bars and restaurants .
Russian authorities have ordered employees and customers at places open between midnight and 6 a.m. to register for contact tracing purposes but President Vladimir Putin ’ s government appears determined to avoid any national lockdowns that could further dent his popularity .
Follow all of AP ’ s coronavirus pandemic coverage at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

ROME (AP) - In much of Europe, city squares and streets, be they wide, elegant boulevards like in Paris or cobblestoned alleys in Rome, serve as animated evening extensions of living rooms, places to gather and be seen, areas to laugh, chat and drink with friends.
Yet with the continent hit hard by a surge of record new daily infections, European governments have once again put limitations on how residents live and socialize. In response, AP photographers across Europe delivered a snapshot of how Friday evening - the gateway to the weekend - looks and feels now.
In Italy for instance, a “passeggiata,”or stroll, is an after-dinner ritual. And since dinner there and in much of southern Europe often starts at 9 p.m. or even later, people are out frequently until midnight or beyond, debating politics, chatting about old times, pausing to study shop window displays, buy an ice cream or have a smoke.
Not any more.
The streets of Paris and other big French cities have been deserted at night after authorities imposed a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew to try to curb a coronavirus surge that has seen France top 1 million total infections. The move has plunged noisy, crowed Paris streets into silence and darkness - with only a few cars and almost-empty buses and subway trains still operating.
With tourists barred from entering Italy from many countries during the pandemic, including the United States, the historic center of Rome has been cruelly desolate. Young Romans who used to hang out until the wee hours for beers and cocktails in iconic squares like the medieval-era Campo de’ Fiori are banned from such squares from 9 p.m. to midnight, when the entire region’s curfew kicks in.
A cavernous, popular arcade in Brussels which for generations has drawn partiers seeking platefuls of mussels to wash down with that city’s famed brews sadly no longer resounds with late-evening laughter and chatter.
And forget about a night at the pub with one’s best buddies or office cronies in London. Under new tighter restrictions, people can only go out to eat or drink with members of their own households. Those who love to break loose on the dance floor have been disappointed in Britain since March, when nightclubs were closed.
Bars and restaurants in Barcelona have been shuttered for table and counter service again, as a new surge of infections pushed Spain over 1 million total cases. In that exuberant northeastern city, only delivery or takeout business is now allowed.
Yet in Moscow, the capital of the European country with the highest number of confirmed infections – more than 1.47 million cases – streets are bustling as patrons, few bothering to wear masks or keep a safe distance, pack bars and restaurants.
Russian authorities have ordered employees and customers at places open between midnight and 6 a.m. to register for contact tracing purposes but President Vladimir Putin’s government appears determined to avoid any national lockdowns that could further dent his popularity.
___
Follow all of AP’s coronavirus pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--The Latest: Virus cases stall Tony Parker's women's team

The French women ’ s basketball team owned by NBA great Tony Parker had its season stalled yet again by @ @ @ @ @ Lyon team rescheduled its first five games of the league season because it had six @ @ @ @ @ s team announced this week that its latest tests were all negative and that it @ @ @ @ @ .
But the visitors reported a positive case on their roster Friday after arriving in @ @ @ @ @ isolation and the game was called off .
Parker was a four-time NBA champion with @ @ @ @ @ He retired in 2019 .
His women ’ s team won the French title in @ @ @ @ @ canceled because of the pandemic .
Parker also owns the ASVEL men ’ s basketball @ @ @ @

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
___
French Open champion Iga Swiatek said she will quarantine after meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Duda’s office announced Saturday that he tested positive for the coronavirus. The 19-year-old Swiatek met with Duda on Friday.
The Polish player said on Twitter that she has no symptoms but that she’ll quarantine due to protocols. She said she gets tested regularly and will be tested again in three days.
Duda’s spokesman said the leader feels well and is in isolation. Many of his duties are ceremonial.
Duda bestowed state honors on Iga Swiatek and her father and trainer, Tomasz Swiatek.
Duda and the Swiateks wore masks and gloves but stood close and shook hands when the president pinned the awards on them.
Swiatek earlier this month became the first Polish tennis player to win the title at Roland Garros.
___
The French women’s basketball team owned by NBA great Tony Parker had its season stalled yet again by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Lyon team rescheduled its first five games of the league season because it had six COVID-19 cases.
Parker’s team announced this week that its latest tests were all negative and that it would host Charleville-Mézières on Saturday.
But the visitors reported a positive case on their roster Friday after arriving in Lyon. They went into isolation and the game was called off.
Parker was a four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs. He retired in 2019.
His women’s team won the French title in 2019. Last season was canceled because of the pandemic.
Parker also owns the ASVEL men’s basketball team in Lyon.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Ethiopia blasts Trump remark that Egypt will 'blow up' dam

ADDIS ABABA , Ethiopia ( AP ) - Ethiopia on Saturday denounced “ belligerent threats ” over the huge dam it has nearly completed on the Blue Nile River , a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said downstream Egypt will “ blow up ” the project it has called an existential threat .
Without naming Trump or the U.S. , the statement by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ’ s office came amid an outcry in Ethiopia over Trump ’ s latest threat over the dam .
The $ 4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a source of national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people from poverty .
“ The man doesn ’ t have a clue on what he is talking about , ” Former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn tweeted , calling Trump ’ s remark reckless and irresponsible .
Trump made the comment while announcing that Sudan would start to normalize ties with Israel .
Downstream Sudan is a party to the talks with Ethiopia and Egypt over the disputed dam .
“ They ( Egypt ) will end up blowing up the dam , ” Trump said .
“ And I said it and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ll blow up that dam .
And they have to do something.
” The U.S. president earlier this year told the State Department to suspend millions of dollars in aid to Ethiopia because of the dam dispute , angering Ethiopians who had accused the U.S. of being biased during its earlier efforts to broker a deal on the project among Ethiopia , Egypt and Sudan .
Ethiopia walked away from those talks .
“ They will never see that money unless they adhere to that agreement , ” Trump said Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have Ethiopia succumb to unfair terms still abound , ” Ethiopia ’ s statement said Saturday .
“ These threats and affronts to Ethiopian sovereignty are misguided , unproductive , and clear violations of international law.
” It added : “ Ethiopia will not cave in to aggressions of any kind.
” There was no comment from the Egyptian government on Trump ’ s remarks , but pro-government media covered them extensively .
Egypt has repeatedly said it wants to settle the dispute through diplomatic means , but it has said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defend the interests of its people .
Ethiopia celebrated the first filling of the dam in August , citing heavy rains , to the dismay of Egypt .
Ethiopia later banned flights over the dam amid concerns over possible military action by Egypt .
Now , with Trump ’ s new remarks , some Ethiopians are urging Ethiopian Americans to help vote him out of office in next month ’ s election .
The statement by Abiy ’ s office said the talks with Egypt and Sudan have shown significant progress since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversee them .
Trump ’ s statement could undermine that process , said Abel Abate Demissie , an associate fellow at Chatham House , adding that it proves the U.S. wasn ’ t an honest broker from the start .
Ethiopia says the colossal dam could help it become a major power exporter .
Egypt depends on the Nile to supply its farmers and a booming population of 100 million with fresh water .
Negotiators have said key questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future disputes .
Ethiopia rejects binding arbitration at the final stage .
A military strike on the dam would be disastrous , one water expert warned .
The dam already has more than 4.9 billion cubic meters of water in its reservoir , ” Abebe Yirga told The Associated Press .
“ It will affect thousands of people along the way if this huge amount of water gushes out of the dam.
” The Blue Nile joins the White Nile in Sudan to become the Nile , and about 85 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials hope the dam , now more than three-quarters complete , will reach full power-generating capacity in 2023 .

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Ethiopia on Saturday denounced “belligerent threats” over the huge dam it has nearly completed on the Blue Nile River, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said downstream Egypt will “blow up” the project it has called an existential threat.
Ethiopia’s foreign minister summoned the U.S. ambassador to seek clarification, saying “the incitement of war between Ethiopia and Egypt from a sitting U.S. president neither reflects the longstanding partnership and strategic alliance between Ethiopia and the United States nor is acceptable in international law governing interstate relations,” a statement said.
Without naming Trump or the U.S., Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office issued a separate critical statement amid an outcry in Ethiopia over Trump’s latest threat over the dam. The $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a source of national pride, aimed at pulling millions of people from poverty.
“The man doesn’t have a clue on what he is talking about,” Former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn tweeted, calling Trump’s remark reckless and irresponsible.
Trump made the comment while announcing that Sudan would start to normalize ties with Israel. Downstream Sudan is a party to the talks with Ethiopia and Egypt over the disputed dam. “They (Egypt) will end up blowing up the dam,” Trump said. “And I said it and I say it loud and clear … they’ll blow up that dam. And they have to do something.”
The U.S. president earlier this year told the State Department to suspend millions of dollars in aid to Ethiopia because of the dam dispute, angering Ethiopians who had accused the U.S. of being biased during its earlier efforts to broker a deal on the project among Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia walked away from those talks.
“They will never see that money unless they adhere to that agreement,” Trump said Friday.
“Occasional statements of belligerent threats to have Ethiopia succumb to unfair terms still abound,” the statement by the Ethiopian prime minister’s office said. “These threats and affronts to Ethiopian sovereignty are misguided, unproductive, and clear violations of international law.”
It added: “Ethiopia will not cave in to aggressions of any kind.”
There was no comment from the Egyptian government on Trump’s remarks, but pro-government media covered them extensively. Egypt has repeatedly said it wants to settle the dispute through diplomatic means, but it has said it would use “all available means” to defend the interests of its people.
Ethiopia celebrated the first filling of the dam in August, citing heavy rains, to the dismay of Egypt. Ethiopia later banned flights over the dam amid concerns over possible military action by Egypt.
Now, with Trump’s new remarks, some Ethiopians are urging Ethiopian Americans to help vote him out of office in next month’s election.
Worried by the prospect of further friction between two of Africa’s most powerful and populous countries, European Union representative Josep Borrell said in a statement that “now is the time for action and not for increasing tensions,” adding that a deal on the dam is within reach.
The statement by Abiy’s office said the talks with Egypt and Sudan have shown significant progress since the African Union has stepped in to oversee them. Trump’s statement could undermine that process, said Abel Abate Demissie, an associate fellow at Chatham House, adding that it proves the U.S. wasn’t an honest broker from the start.
Ethiopia says the colossal dam could help it become a major power exporter. Egypt depends on the Nile to supply its farmers and a booming population of 100 million with fresh water.
Negotiators have said key questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs and how the countries will resolve any future disputes. Ethiopia rejects binding arbitration at the final stage.
A military strike on the dam would be disastrous, one water expert warned. The dam already has more than 4.9 billion cubic meters of water in its reservoir,” Abebe Yirga told The Associated Press. “It will affect thousands of people along the way if this huge amount of water gushes out of the dam.”
The Blue Nile joins the White Nile in Sudan to become the Nile, and about 85% of the river’s flow originates from Ethiopia. Officials hope the dam, now more than three-quarters complete, will reach full power-generating capacity in 2023.
___
Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed.