washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Hong Kong’s first CBD cafe opens its doors to customers

HONG KONG ( AP ) - Cannabis may be illegal in Hong Kong , but a new cafe is offering a range of food and drinks that contain parts of the cannabis plant without breaking any local laws .
The cafe , named Found , is the city ’ s first to offer a range of coffees , biscuits , beer and fruit juices that contain cannabidiol , or CBD , a substance from the cannabis plant that is said to offer therapeutic effects without getting users intoxicated .
Cannabis ’ s tetrahydrocannabinol compound - commonly known as THC - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high .
But unlike THC , CBD is typically used to help reduce stress without the high .
One Found customer , Killian Hussey , who works in finance in Hong Kong , said consuming CBD coffee is relaxing .
“ The coffee is delicious , and I like the effect that the CBD has on me , ” Hussey said .
“ Cognitively and physically , it kind of helps me get through the aches and pains of a normal day.
” A bottle of cold CBD-infused coffee costs 80 Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Found , while a can of CBD beer is HK $ 70 ( $ 9 ) .
The cafe , which had a soft opening this month , is expected to be fully operational in October .
“ Hong Kong is actually one of Asia ’ s most progressive cannabinoid markets , ” said Fiachra Mullen , co-owner of Altum International , a cannabinoids supplier in Asia that operates Found .
“ Unlike other parts of the region - Australia , New Zealand , Singapore - it ’ s actually quite a progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that he hopes the cafe can help break down the stigma surrounding CBD products , and wants to distance CBD from cannabis and the recreational use of drugs .
Found can sell cannabinoids in food as long as there is no THC in the products , he said .
According to the Hong Kong government ’ s Centre for Food and Safety , under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance , the illicit import of cannabis or any products that contain controlled cannabinoids constitutes a criminal offense .
Although CBD is a cannabinoid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug under Hong Kong law .

HONG KONG (AP) - Cannabis may be illegal in Hong Kong, but a new cafe is offering a range of food and drinks that contain parts of the cannabis plant without breaking any local laws.
The cafe, named Found, is the city’s first to offer a range of coffees, biscuits, beer and fruit juices that contain cannabidiol, or CBD, a substance from the cannabis plant that is said to offer therapeutic effects without getting users intoxicated.
Cannabis’s tetrahydrocannabinol compound - commonly known as THC - is the psychoactive ingredient that gives users a high. But unlike THC, CBD is typically used to help reduce stress without the high.
One Found customer, Killian Hussey, who works in finance in Hong Kong, said consuming CBD coffee is relaxing.
“The coffee is delicious, and I like the effect that the CBD has on me,” Hussey said. “Cognitively and physically, it kind of helps me get through the aches and pains of a normal day.”
A bottle of cold CBD-infused coffee costs 80 Hong Kong dollars ($10) at Found, while a can of CBD beer is HK$70 ($9). The cafe, which had a soft opening this month, is expected to be fully operational in October.
“Hong Kong is actually one of Asia’s most progressive cannabinoid markets,” said Fiachra Mullen, co-owner of Altum International, a cannabinoids supplier in Asia that operates Found. “Unlike other parts of the region - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore - it’s actually quite a progressive cannabinoid law in Hong Kong.”
Mullen said that he hopes the cafe can help break down the stigma surrounding CBD products, and wants to distance CBD from cannabis and the recreational use of drugs.
Found can sell cannabinoids in food as long as there is no THC in the products, he said.
According to the Hong Kong government’s Centre for Food and Safety, under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, the illicit import of cannabis or any products that contain controlled cannabinoids constitutes a criminal offense.
Although CBD is a cannabinoid, it is not classified as a dangerous drug under Hong Kong law.


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Tropical Storm Beta meandering toward Texas, Louisiana

OKLAHOMA CITY ( AP ) - Tropical Storm Beta on Sunday was making a slow crawl to the shores of Texas and Louisiana , casting worries about heavy rain , flooding and storm surge across the Gulf Coast .
Beta was one of three named storms whirling in the Atlantic basin during an exceptionally busy hurricane season .
If the system makes landfall in Texas - which forecasters predict it will sometime Monday - it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020 .
Colorado State hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coastal communities began preparing for Beta over the weekend , with both the city of Galveston and Galveston County on Saturday issuing voluntary evacuation orders .
The city of Seabrook to the north of Galveston did , too .
Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown said in a statement that high tides and up to 10 inches ( 25 centimeters ) of expected rainfall would leave roads impassable , especially along the city ’ s west end and low-lying areas .
County Judge Mark Henry said during a Saturday news conference that his concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a storm surge and that a mandatory evacuation is not expected .
“ If you can survive in your home for three or four days without power and electricity , which we ’ re not even sure that ’ s going to happen , you ’ re OK , ” Henry said .
“ If it ’ s uncomfortable or you need life support equipment , maybe go somewhere else.
” Beta was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico , 200 miles ( 320 kilometers ) southeast of Galveston , Texas , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The storm had maximum sustained winds at 60 mph ( 95 kph ) and was moving west-northwest at 3 mph ( 6 kph ) .
Little change in strength was expected as the system approaches Texas , forecasters said .
Earlier predictions showed Beta could reach hurricane strength before making landfall .
A tropical storm warning was in effect from Port Aransas , Texas , to Morgan City , Louisiana .
A hurricane watch , a tropical storm watch and a storm surge watch were all discontinued Sunday morning .
In Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people remain without power more than three weeks after Hurricane Laura slammed into the coast , there are concerns that Beta could super-soak the region once again .
Up to 20 inches of rain ( 51 centimeters ) is possible in some parts of the area , Donald Jones , a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Lake Charles , said in a Saturday briefing .
“ A lot of people have been saying , ‘ Is this going to be like Harvey ?
Is this going to be like Imelda ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not talking about rainfall totals yet that are on the orders of magnitude that we saw with that.
” Imelda , which struck southeast Texas in 2019 , was one of the wettest cyclones on record .
Harvey - which dumped more than 50 inches ( 127 centimeters ) of rain on Houston in 2017 .
However , if the storm ends up moving a bit slower than what ’ s being forecast now , rainfall totals could be even higher than 20 inches , Jones said .
“ Harvey was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are talking about the same idea in terms of very heavy , heavy rainfall , ” he said .
Forecasters were predicting up to 4 feet ( 1.2 meters ) of storm surge from Port Aransas , Texas , to Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge , Louisiana .
Strong winds , and life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were also expected with the storm .
Forecasters ran out of traditional storm names on Friday , forcing the use of the Greek alphabet for only the second time since the 1950s .
Meanwhile , Hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with maximum sustained winds at 105 mph ( 165 kph ) and moving west-northwest at 12 mph ( 19 kph ) .
Teddy was centered 320 miles ( 515 kilometers ) south-southeast of Bermuda less than a week after Hurricane Paulette made landfall in the wealthy British territory .
A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda .
Large swells from Teddy were impacting the Lesser Antilles , the Greater Antilles , the Bahamas , Bermuda , the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada , forecasters said .
Tropical Storm Wilfred was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Tuesday .
Parts of the Alabama coast and Florida Panhandle were still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sally , which roared ashore on Wednesday .
At least two deaths were blamed on the system .
Roughly 82,300 were still without power in the Florida Panhandle on Saturday .
Gulf Power said 95 % of its customers in hardest hit Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will have power restored by the end of the day Tuesday .
Meanwhile , residents in Springfield were warned to avoid contact with standing water after 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raw sewage spilled into Lake Martin , according to county health officials .
The Salvation Army was distributing roughly 10,000 meals Saturday at 10 locations throughout the Panhandle .
AP reporters Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale , Florida , and Jeff Martin in Marietta , Georgia , contributed to this report .

HOUSTON (AP) - Tropical Storm Beta trudged toward the coasts of Texas and Louisiana on Sunday, threatening to bring more rain, wind and stress to a part of the country that has already been drenched and battered during this year’s unusually busy hurricane season.
While Beta could bring up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain to some areas of Texas and Louisiana over the next several days, it was no longer expected to reach hurricane intensity, the National Weather Service said Sunday. Beta was moving a little faster Sunday afternoon and was set to make landfall along Texas’ central or upper Gulf Coast late Monday night, the National Hurricane Center said. It was then expected to move northeastward along the coast and head into Louisiana sometime mid-week, with rainfall as its biggest threat.
Forecasters said Beta was not expected to bring the same amount of rainfall that Texas experienced during either Hurricane Harvey in 2017 or Tropical Storm Imelda last year. Harvey dumped more than 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain on Houston and caused $125 billion in damage in Texas. Imelda, which hit Southeast Texas, was one of the wettest cyclones on record.
The first rain bands from Beta reached the Texas coast on Sunday, but the heaviest rain wasn’t expected to arrive until Monday into Tuesday.
In low-lying Galveston, which has seen more than its share of tropical weather over the years, officials didn’t expect to issue a mandatory evacuation order but they advised people to have supplies ready in case they have to stay home for several days if roads are flooded. The coastal city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Houston could get up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain.
“We’re not incredibly worried,” Galveston resident Nancy Kitcheo said Sunday. Kitcheo, 49, and her family had evacuated last month when forecasts suggested Hurricane Laura could make landfall near Galveston, but they’re planning to buy supplies and wait out Beta. Laura ended up making landfall in neighboring Louisiana.
Kitcheo, whose home is 18 feet above the ground on stilts, said she expected her street to be impassable as water from rising tides was already flooding neighboring roadways on Sunday.
“This has definitely been more stressful, this hurricane season,” she said.
Galveston, which has about 50,000 residents, was the site of the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history, a 1900 storm that killed an estimated 6,000 people. The city was also hit hard in 2008 by Hurricane Ike, which caused about $30 billion in damage. Kitcheo’s previous home was heavily damaged during Ike and had to be torn down.
Beta was churning slowly through the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday afternoon about 120 miles (225 kilometers) south-southeast of Galveston, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 6 mph (10 kph).
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Sunday said while Beta was not expected to bring rain like Harvey, he cautioned residents to “be weather alert.”
“Be weather aware because things can change. This is 2020 and so we have to expect the unexpected,” said Turner, adding the city expected to activate its emergency center on Monday.
In Victoria County, about 120 miles southwest of Houston, officials asked residents to prepare for up to 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of rain.
“As with any event, panic is never helpful or necessary, but preparation is, and now is the time to finalize those plans,” said County Judge Ben Zeller, the top elected official in Victoria County.
Beta is forecast to dump heavy rain on the southwestern corner of Louisiana three weeks after the same area got pounded by Hurricane Laura. More than 41,000 homes and businesses remain without electricity, and Beta could add to that figure by toppling trees that were left leaning by the previous storm, said meteorologist Donald Jones of the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Storm debris from Laura clogging draining ditches in hard-hit areas such as Lake Charles could increase the threat of flooding.
Beta was one of three named storms whirling in the Atlantic basin during an exceptionally busy hurricane season. If the system makes landfall in Texas, it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. That would tie a record set in 1916, according to Colorado State hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
Forecasters ran out of traditional storm names on Friday, forcing the use of the Greek alphabet for only the second time since the 1950s.
A stretch of the Gulf Coast from Port Aransas, Texas, about 165 miles (265 kilometers) southwest of Galveston, to Morgan City, Louisiana, 80 miles (128 kilometers) west of New Orleans, was under a tropical storm warning Sunday.
Meanwhile, Teddy remained a powerful hurricane on Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph) and moving north-northwest at 9 mph (14 kph). Teddy was centered 245 miles (394 kilometers) south-southeast of Bermuda less than a week after Hurricane Paulette made landfall in the wealthy British territory. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda.
Wilfred, which had been a tropical storm, weakened to a tropical depression earlier Sunday. It was still at sea but was expected to dissipate by Tuesday.
Parts of the Alabama coast and Florida Panhandle were still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sally, which roared ashore on Wednesday. At least two deaths were blamed on the system.
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Associated Press reporters Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.
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Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Desert communities told to evacuate as winds stoke flames

JUNIPER HILLS , Calif. ( AP ) - Strong winds stoked a wildfire burning for nearly two weeks in mountains northeast of Los Angeles , prompting authorities to issue new evacuation orders for desert communities that lost some homes a day earlier .
Meanwhile , officials were investigating the death of a firefighter on the lines of another Southern California wildfire that erupted earlier this month from a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used by a couple to reveal their baby ’ s gender .
The death occurred Thursday in San Bernardino National Forest as crews battled the El Dorado Fire about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Los Angeles , the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement .
In northern Los Angeles County , firefighters focused on protecting homes Saturday as increasingly erratic winds pushed the Bobcat Fire toward foothill communities in the Antelope Valley after churning all the way across the San Gabriel Mountains .
An evacuation order was issued Saturday for all residents in that zone as the fire burned toward Wrightwood , a mountain community of 4,000 , said fire spokesman Andrew Mitchell .
The fire grew to 142 square miles ( 368 square kilometers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flames into Juniper Hills .
Some residents fled as blowing embers sparked spot fires , hitting some homes but sparing others .
Bridget Lensing feared her family ’ s house was lost on Friday after seeing on Twitter that a neighbor ’ s house three doors down went up in flames .
The house stood when she made her way back Saturday afternoon but her neighbors ’ houses in the remote community were burned to the ground .
“ Everything around us is gone , ” she said .
The extent of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 80 kilometers ) northeast of downtown LA wasn ’ t immediately clear .
But , Los Angeles County park officials said the blaze destroyed the nature center at Devil ’ s Punchbowl Natural Area , a geological wonder that attracts some 130,000 visitors per year .
On the south side of the Bobcat Fire , firefighters continued to protect Mount Wilson , which overlooks greater Los Angeles and has a historic observatory founded more than a century ago and numerous broadcast antennas serving Southern California .
The fire that started Sept. 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
It is 15 % contained .
Officials said the fire has been challenging because it is burning in areas that have not burned in decades , and because the firestorms across California have limited resources .
There were about 1,660 firefighters on the lines .
The name of the firefighter killed in the nearby El Dorado Fire was being withheld until family members are notified .
The body was escorted down the mountain in a procession of first-responder vehicles .
No other information was released about the circumstances of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , or Cal Fire , said it was the 26th death involving wildfires besieging the state .
A new blaze sparked by a vehicle that caught fire was growing in wilderness outside Palm Springs .
To the north , a fire burning for nearly a month in Sequoia National Forest roared to life again Friday and prompted evacuation orders for the central California mountain communities of Silver City and Mineral King .
More than 7,900 wildfires have burned more than 5,468 square miles ( 14,164 square kilometers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many since a mid-August barrage of dry lightning ignited parched vegetation .
The El Dorado Fire has burned more than 34 square miles ( 89 square kilometers ) and was 59 % contained , with 10 buildings destroyed and six damaged .
Cal Fire said earlier this month that the El Dorado Fire was ignited Sept. 5 when a couple , their young children and someone there to record video staged the baby gender reveal at El Dorado Ranch Park at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains .
The device was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dry grass .
The couple frantically tried to use bottled water to extinguish the flames and called 911 .
Authorities have not released the identities of the couple , who could face criminal charges and be held liable for the cost of fighting the fire .
Throughout the Northwest , firefighters welcomed cooler weather and rain , as well as much-improved air quality and visibility that would allow some to survey fire activity with drones .
Associated Press writer John Antczak in Los Angeles and Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this @ @

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ and CHRISTOPHER WEBER

JUNIPER HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Strong winds stoked a wildfire burning for nearly two weeks in mountains northeast of Los Angeles, prompting authorities to issue new evacuation orders for desert communities that lost some homes a day earlier.
Meanwhile, officials were investigating the death of a firefighter on the lines of another Southern California wildfire that erupted earlier this month from a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used by a couple to reveal their baby’s gender.
The death occurred Thursday in San Bernardino National Forest as crews battled the El Dorado Fire about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement.
In northern Los Angeles County, firefighters focused on protecting homes Saturday as increasingly erratic winds pushed the Bobcat Fire toward foothill communities in the Antelope Valley after churning all the way across the San Gabriel Mountains. An evacuation order was issued Saturday for all residents in that zone as the fire burned toward Wrightwood, a mountain community of 4,000, said fire spokesman Andrew Mitchell.
The fire grew to 142 square miles (368 square kilometers) on Saturday when winds pushed the flames into Juniper Hills.
Some residents fled as blowing embers sparked spot fires, hitting some homes but sparing others. Bridget Lensing feared her family’s house was lost on Friday after seeing on Twitter that a neighbor’s house three doors down went up in flames.
The house stood when she made her way back Saturday afternoon but her neighbors’ houses in the remote community were burned to the ground.
“Everything around us is gone,” she said.
The extent of the destruction in the area about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of downtown LA wasn’t immediately clear. But, Los Angeles County park officials said the blaze destroyed the nature center at Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area, a geological wonder that attracts some 130,000 visitors per year.
No injuries were reported.
On the south side of the Bobcat Fire, firefighters continued to protect Mount Wilson, which overlooks greater Los Angeles and has a historic observatory founded more than a century ago and numerous broadcast antennas serving Southern California.
The fire that started Sept. 6 had already doubled in size over the last week. It is 15% contained.
Officials said the fire has been challenging because it is burning in areas that have not burned in decades, and because the firestorms across California have limited resources. There were about 1,660 firefighters on the lines.
The name of the firefighter killed in the nearby El Dorado Fire was being withheld until family members are notified. The body was escorted down the mountain in a procession of first-responder vehicles. No other information was released about the circumstances of the death.
A statement from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said it was the 26th death involving wildfires besieging the state.
A new blaze sparked by a vehicle that caught fire was growing in wilderness outside Palm Springs.
To the north, a fire burning for nearly a month in Sequoia National Forest roared to life again Friday and prompted evacuation orders for the central California mountain communities of Silver City and Mineral King.
More than 7,900 wildfires have burned more than 5,468 square miles (14,164 square kilometers) in California this year, including many since a mid-August barrage of dry lightning ignited parched vegetation.
The El Dorado Fire has burned more than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) and was 59% contained, with 10 buildings destroyed and six damaged.
Cal Fire said earlier this month that the El Dorado Fire was ignited Sept. 5 when a couple, their young children and someone there to record video staged the baby gender reveal at El Dorado Ranch Park at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains.
The device was set off in a field and quickly ignited dry grass. The couple frantically tried to use bottled water to extinguish the flames and called 911.
Authorities have not released the identities of the couple, who could face criminal charges and be held liable for the cost of fighting the fire.
Throughout the Northwest, firefighters welcomed cooler weather and rain, as well as much-improved air quality and visibility that would allow some to survey fire activity with drones.
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Associated Press writer John Antczak in Los Angeles and Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Valeri scores 2 goals, Timbers beat Earthquakes 6-1

SAN JOSE , Calif. ( AP ) - Diego Valeri had two goals , Yimmi Chará had a goal and @ @ @ @ @ Portland Timbers beat the San Jose Earthquakes 6-1 on Saturday night .
Jeremy Ebobisse , @ @ @ @ @ also scored for Portland ( 5-4-3 ) .
Valeri converted from the spot in the @ @ @ @ @ scoring after San Jose was called for a hand ball in the area .
Ebobisse @ @ @ @ @ minutes later .
Carlos Fierro scored just before halftime for San Jose ( 2-5-5 ) @ @ @ @ @ its last seven games .
Valeri ’ s shot from the top of the area @ @ @ @ @ the 57th minute to make it 3-1 .
It was his first multi-goal game since @ @ @ @ @

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Diego Valeri had two goals, Yimmi Chará had a goal and an assist, and the Portland Timbers beat the San Jose Earthquakes 6-1 on Saturday night.
Jeremy Ebobisse, Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Julio Cascante also scored for Portland (5-4-3).
Valeri converted from the spot in the 25th minute to open the scoring after San Jose was called for a hand ball in the area. Ebobisse made it 2-0 about two minutes later.
Carlos Fierro scored just before halftime for San Jose (2-5-5), which is winless in its last seven games.
Valeri’s shot from the top of the area deflected into the net in the 57th minute to make it 3-1. It was his first multi-goal game since September 24, 2017.


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Arizona Senate race could impact confirmation of new justice

PHOENIX ( AP ) - If Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly wins a seat in the U.S. Senate , he could take office as early as Nov. 30 , shrinking the GOP ’ s Senate majority at a crucial moment and complicating the path to confirmation for President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee .
Kelly has maintained a consistent polling lead over Republican Sen. Martha McSally , who was appointed to the seat held by John McCain , who died in 2018 .
Because the contest is a special election to finish McCain ’ s term , the winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results are officially certified .
Other winners in the November election won ’ t take office until January .
Trump has pledged to nominate a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a liberal icon who died Friday , and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed that Trump ’ s nominee “ will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.
” If Kelly wins , the timing when he formally takes office could be crucial in determining who replaces Ginsburg .
It could eliminate a Republican vote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP currently has 53 seats in the 100-member chamber - or require McConnell to speed up the nomination process .
With McSally in the Senate , four GOP defections could defeat a nomination , while a tie vote could be broken by Vice President Mike Pence .
McSally quickly laid down a marker , declaring on Twitter within hours of the announcement of Ginsberg ’ s death that “ this U.S. Senate should vote on President Trump ’ s next nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.
” She has not elaborated on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or after the election .
But she highlighted the renewed stakes of her race in a fundraising pitch on Saturday .
“ If Mark Kelly comes out on top , HE could block President Trump ’ s Supreme Court Nominee from being confirmed , ” she wrote .
Democrats in 2018 found success in Arizona , a state long dominated by the GOP , by appealing to Republicans and independent voters disaffected with Trump .
The Supreme Court vacancy could shake up the race and boost McSally ’ s lagging campaign by keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said late Saturday that “ the people elected to the presidency and Senate in November should fill this vacancy.
” “ When it comes to making a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court , Washington shouldn ’ t rush that process for political purposes , ” Kelly said in a statement .
Arizona law requires election results to be officially certified on the fourth Monday after the election , which falls this year on Nov. 30 .
The certification could be delayed up to three days if the state has not received election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mary O ’ Grady , a Democratic lawyer with expertise in election law , said the deadlines are firm and there ’ s little room for delay .
“ I don ’ t see ambiguity here , ” said O ’ Grady , who was Arizona ’ s solicitor general under two Democratic attorneys general .
Arizona law allows recounts and election challenges only under very limited circumstances , she said .
“ Usually , the Secretary of the Senate ’ s office goes out of its way to accommodate the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Historian Don Ritchie told The Arizona Republic , which first reported on the prospect for Kelly taking office early a day before Ginsburg ’ s death .
“ The old senator is out of their office there .
I mean , they actually literally put a lock on the door so their staff can ’ t go in .
”

PHOENIX (AP) - If Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly wins a seat in the U.S. Senate, he could take office as early as Nov. 30, shrinking the GOP’s Senate majority at a crucial moment and complicating the path to confirmation for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.
Kelly has maintained a consistent polling lead over Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who was appointed to the seat held by John McCain, who died in 2018.
Because the contest is a special election to finish McCain’s term, the winner could be sworn in as soon as the results are officially certified. Other winners in the November election won’t take office until January.
Trump has pledged to nominate a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon who died Friday, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed that Trump’s nominee “will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”
If Kelly wins, the timing when he formally takes office could be crucial in determining who replaces Ginsburg. It could eliminate a Republican vote in favor of Trump’s nominee - the GOP currently has 53 seats in the 100-member chamber - or require McConnell to speed up the nomination process.
With McSally in the Senate, four GOP defections could defeat a nomination, while a tie vote could be broken by Vice President Mike Pence.
McSally quickly laid down a marker, declaring on Twitter within hours of the announcement of Ginsberg’s death that “this U.S. Senate should vote on President Trump’s next nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.”
She has not elaborated on whether the confirmation vote should come before or after the election. But she highlighted the renewed stakes of her race in a fundraising pitch on Saturday.
“If Mark Kelly comes out on top, HE could block President Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee from being confirmed,” she wrote.
Democrats in 2018 found success in Arizona, a state long dominated by the GOP, by appealing to Republicans and independent voters disaffected with Trump. The Supreme Court vacancy could shake up the race and boost McSally’s lagging campaign by keeping those voters in her camp.
Kelly said late Saturday that “the people elected to the presidency and Senate in November should fill this vacancy.”
“When it comes to making a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, Washington shouldn’t rush that process for political purposes,” Kelly said in a statement.
Republican and Democratic election lawyers agreed that Arizona law is clear: If Kelly wins, he will take office once the results are official.
Arizona Supreme Court precedent favors putting elected officials in elected positions as soon as possible, said the Tim LaSota, the former lawyer for the Arizona Republican Party and a McSally supporter.
“Somebody who has only been appointed does not have the imprimatur of the electorate,” LaSota said. “It’s sort of intuitive that the law should favor somebody who has won an election as opposed to someone who’s just been appointed.”
Arizona law requires election results to be officially certified on the fourth Monday after the election, which falls this year on Nov. 30. The certification could be delayed up to three days if the state has not received election results from any of the 15 counties.
Mary O’Grady, a Democratic lawyer with expertise in election law, said the deadlines are firm and there’s little room for delay.
“I don’t see ambiguity here,” said O’Grady, who was Arizona’s solicitor general under two Democratic attorneys general.
Arizona law allows recounts and election challenges only under very limited circumstances, she said.
“Usually, the Secretary of the Senate’s office goes out of its way to accommodate the new senators coming in,” former Senate Historian Don Ritchie told The Arizona Republic, which first reported on the prospect for Kelly taking office early a day before Ginsburg’s death. “The old senator is out of their office there. I mean, they actually literally put a lock on the door so their staff can’t go in.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--As more work from home, future of office space is unclear

DES MOINES , Iowa ( AP ) - Mike Mallaro spent the better part of last year touring office space to lease or purchase for his growing company , VGM Group Inc. , in Waterloo .
The plan was to expand into at least 50,000 square feet of additional space , with the goal of adding hundreds of employees .
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit , and , as with workplaces across the country , 90 % of VGM ’ s staff began working from home .
VGM is an employee-owned company that offers professional services to help businesses grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planning his staff ’ s return to the office , and “ came to a realization that I didn ’ t have before that : ‘ Jeez , just about all of our jobs can be done remotely.
’ ” The Des Moines Register reports Mallaro ’ s plans to expand the company ’ s office space are on hold - indefinitely .
“ We ’ re still a growth business so I believe we ’ ll continue to add positions , and I can ’ t say we ’ ll never need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , CEO of VGM Group .
“ Whereas I would have said by 2021 we would definitely have additional office space , now I would say definitely in the next five years we will not have it .
“ We can accommodate a lot more employees without having to add space.
” As the U.S. marks the Labor Day weekend , the way Americans work is undergoing a massive change .
Companies across the country are announcing plans to reduce the size of their offices in favor of a remote workforce , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other aspects of life return to their pre-pandemic normal .
The value of teleconferencing software company Zoom has increased almost seven-fold this year , and tech companies like Facebook , Twitter , Square and Shopify have unveiled plans to let a majority of their employees work from home in the long term .
So has Nationwide , which in April announced a “ hybrid ” model where some employees will work primarily in the office at its four main campuses , including in downtown Des Moines , while others across the country will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurer is planning to bring Des Moines workers back to the office , it also is shedding an entire building downtown .
A majority of the five-story , 372,000-square-foot office at 1200 Locust St. - built by Nationwide just 12 years ago - is up for lease .
Nationwide will move employees into its main downtown office at 1100 Locust St. “ over the next couple of years , ” said Joe Case , associate vice president of corporate communications .
“ This will allow us to maximize associate collaboration , ensure health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities , ” he said .
Commercial vacancies in the Des Moines metro have ticked up slightly in the second quarter to 13.6 % , according to CBRE/Hubbell Commercial , which tracks the real estate market .
Downtown vacancies are higher , at 16.1 % , up from 12.5 % at the end of 2019 .
In addition , new lease deals are down 30 % over this time last year .
Bill Wright , senior vice president and managing director of CBRE/Hubbell Commercial , said he expects vacancies to gradually increase over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies continue to make decisions about the future of their workforces .
Because most companies have long-term leases in place , “ We really feel as though it ’ s going to be a slow , more gradual increase in vacancies because , frankly , a lot of corporate office users , it ’ s not as though they will immediately dump space on the market , ” he said .
“ They ’ re taking this time to evaluate , ” Wright said .
Should more decide to have employees work from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will need less square footage in offices across the metro and in Iowa .
That change could have ripple effects : With fewer workers downtown and elsewhere , nearby stores , restaurants and coffee shops will suffer .
So too will commercial property values .
“ There ’ s going to be kind of a multiplier effect of no longer having those employees on site , ” said Tracy Turner , associate professor of finance at Iowa State University .
When it became clear that the coronavirus was easily transmittable , companies around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential , in-person services shut down their offices and transitioned to a work-from-home model .
According to a Stanford University study , 42 % of U.S. workers are now working from home full time , accounting for more than two-thirds of all economic activity in the nation .
That ’ s up from just 3.6 % who were working from home either full- or part-time in 2018 , according to Global Workplace Analytics , a consulting firm that researches the future of work .
The question is how much of the work-from-home model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many U.S. jobs feasibly can be done from home , Global Workplace Analytics predicts 25 % to 30 % of the workforce - upwards of 47 million people - will be home for at least part of each week by the end of 2021 .
Kate Lister , president of Global Workplace Analytics , said she believes people who were working remotely a few days a week before the pandemic will likely increase their time at home , possibly to full time .
Those who were new to remote work will want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
“ The genie is out of the bottle , and it ’ s not likely to go back in , ” she said .
Given the expected shift , Moody ’ s Analytics predicts commercial vacancies will reach historic highs of nearly 20 % in the next two years - levels not seen nationally since the recession of 1991 .
Wright said it ’ s unlikely the Des Moines market will see such high vacancy rates .
Historically , the metro has had fewer vacancies than the national average because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” with less new construction and a stable workforce grounded in industries such as finance , home mortgages and insurance , he said .
“ There will be space available , that ’ s true , ” Wright said .
“ It ’ s going to take a little bit of time because you need companies to start growing again.
” For JLL Commercial Real Estate in Des Moines , 2020 was shaping up to be a record year for leasing and sales , said Justin Lossner , managing director .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipeline was at a record level , ” he said .
Many clients were looking to make “ big business decisions ” on expansion or capital expenditures .
Now , given that real estate can account for 15 % to 20 % of a company ’ s budget , that ’ s on hold .
“ Last year was a very strong year , and we had anticipated 2020 to be even stronger , ” Lossner said .
Things screeched to a halt in March , and have slowly started to regain traction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offices .
JLL recently helped usher in a lease for a call center in West Des Moines for an out-of-state company that has yet to publicly announce its plans .
The company didn ’ t reduce square footage , but it did negotiate a shorter lease - two years instead of the typical seven to 10 years for this market .
Lossner predicts that will become more common as companies face uncertain futures , particularly when it comes to their in-person head count .
As such , the Des Moines market likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help fill newly vacant space or encourage negotiation of lease terms , Wright said .
And construction of new office space in the metro will halt in the short term , he said .
“ I ’ d be surprised if anyone is going to come out of ground right now with spec construction , ” Wright said .
“ It would be an extremely bold move , and you ’ d have to have a lender on your side saying ‘ go , go , go.
’ ” But as far as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts say publicly that ’ s unlikely to happen on a large scale in the metro .
At least , leaders are reluctant to share plans or are taking their time to make a final decision .
Local companies , especially , like having the brand recognition that comes with having a physical location , Turner said .
Quite often , they occupy landmark buildings from which their departure would have broad consequences for the community - and many understand that .
Mallaro , the CEO of VGM Group , said his employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , working in the office a few days a week and at home the others .
They have particularly mentioned child care and online education as reasons to stay home .
Others want to leave behind their commute - about a third of VGM ’ s 1,000 employees live in small towns about 30 minutes outside Waterloo .
“ For them to not have to drive that , it matters , ” Mallaro said .

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Mike Mallaro spent the better part of last year touring office space to lease or purchase for his growing company, VGM Group Inc., in Waterloo.
The plan was to expand into at least 50,000 square feet of additional space, with the goal of adding hundreds of employees. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and, as with workplaces across the country, 90% of VGM’s staff began working from home. VGM is an employee-owned company that offers professional services to help businesses grow.
As businesses reopened, Mallaro started planning his staff’s return to the office, and “came to a realization that I didn’t have before that: ‘Jeez, just about all of our jobs can be done remotely.’”
The Des Moines Register reports Mallaro’s plans to expand the company’s office space are on hold - indefinitely.
“We’re still a growth business so I believe we’ll continue to add positions, and I can’t say we’ll never need more office space,” said Mallaro, CEO of VGM Group. “Whereas I would have said by 2021 we would definitely have additional office space, now I would say definitely in the next five years we will not have it.
“We can accommodate a lot more employees without having to add space.”
As the U.S. marks the Labor Day weekend, the way Americans work is undergoing a massive change. Companies across the country are announcing plans to reduce the size of their offices in favor of a remote workforce, even if a coronavirus vaccine becomes available and other aspects of life return to their pre-pandemic normal.
The value of teleconferencing software company Zoom has increased almost seven-fold this year, and tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, Square and Shopify have unveiled plans to let a majority of their employees work from home in the long term.
So has Nationwide, which in April announced a “hybrid” model where some employees will work primarily in the office at its four main campuses, including in downtown Des Moines, while others across the country will permanently work from home.
While the insurer is planning to bring Des Moines workers back to the office, it also is shedding an entire building downtown. A majority of the five-story, 372,000-square-foot office at 1200 Locust St. - built by Nationwide just 12 years ago - is up for lease.
Nationwide will move employees into its main downtown office at 1100 Locust St. “over the next couple of years,” said Joe Case, associate vice president of corporate communications.
“This will allow us to maximize associate collaboration, ensure health and safety and be efficient with our facilities,” he said.
Nationwide employs 3,000 people in the Des Moines metro.
Commercial vacancies in the Des Moines metro have ticked up slightly in the second quarter to 13.6%, according to CBRE/Hubbell Commercial, which tracks the real estate market. Downtown vacancies are higher, at 16.1%, up from 12.5% at the end of 2019.
In addition, new lease deals are down 30% over this time last year.
Bill Wright, senior vice president and managing director of CBRE/Hubbell Commercial, said he expects vacancies to gradually increase over the next year and a half as companies continue to make decisions about the future of their workforces.
Because most companies have long-term leases in place, “We really feel as though it’s going to be a slow, more gradual increase in vacancies because, frankly, a lot of corporate office users, it’s not as though they will immediately dump space on the market,” he said.
“They’re taking this time to evaluate,” Wright said.
Should more decide to have employees work from home, it’s likely they will need less square footage in offices across the metro and in Iowa.
That change could have ripple effects: With fewer workers downtown and elsewhere, nearby stores, restaurants and coffee shops will suffer. So too will commercial property values.
“There’s going to be kind of a multiplier effect of no longer having those employees on site,” said Tracy Turner, associate professor of finance at Iowa State University.
When it became clear that the coronavirus was easily transmittable, companies around the world that didn’t provide essential, in-person services shut down their offices and transitioned to a work-from-home model.
According to a Stanford University study, 42% of U.S. workers are now working from home full time, accounting for more than two-thirds of all economic activity in the nation.
That’s up from just 3.6% who were working from home either full- or part-time in 2018, according to Global Workplace Analytics, a consulting firm that researches the future of work.
The question is how much of the work-from-home model will continue post-pandemic.
Based on how many U.S. jobs feasibly can be done from home, Global Workplace Analytics predicts 25% to 30% of the workforce - upwards of 47 million people - will be home for at least part of each week by the end of 2021.
Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, said she believes people who were working remotely a few days a week before the pandemic will likely increase their time at home, possibly to full time. Those who were new to remote work will want to increase their proportion of at-home work post pandemic.
“The genie is out of the bottle, and it’s not likely to go back in,” she said.
Given the expected shift, Moody’s Analytics predicts commercial vacancies will reach historic highs of nearly 20% in the next two years - levels not seen nationally since the recession of 1991.
Wright said it’s unlikely the Des Moines market will see such high vacancy rates. Historically, the metro has had fewer vacancies than the national average because it’s a “more conservative market,” with less new construction and a stable workforce grounded in industries such as finance, home mortgages and insurance, he said.
“There will be space available, that’s true,” Wright said. “It’s going to take a little bit of time because you need companies to start growing again.”
For JLL Commercial Real Estate in Des Moines, 2020 was shaping up to be a record year for leasing and sales, said Justin Lossner, managing director.
When the pandemic hit, “our activity pipeline was at a record level,” he said. Many clients were looking to make “big business decisions” on expansion or capital expenditures. Now, given that real estate can account for 15% to 20% of a company’s budget, that’s on hold.
“Last year was a very strong year, and we had anticipated 2020 to be even stronger,” Lossner said.
Things screeched to a halt in March, and have slowly started to regain traction as companies look to bring employees back to offices.
JLL recently helped usher in a lease for a call center in West Des Moines for an out-of-state company that has yet to publicly announce its plans. The company didn’t reduce square footage, but it did negotiate a shorter lease - two years instead of the typical seven to 10 years for this market.
Lossner predicts that will become more common as companies face uncertain futures, particularly when it comes to their in-person head count.
As such, the Des Moines market likely will see a reduction in rents to help fill newly vacant space or encourage negotiation of lease terms, Wright said. And construction of new office space in the metro will halt in the short term, he said.
“I’d be surprised if anyone is going to come out of ground right now with spec construction,” Wright said. “It would be an extremely bold move, and you’d have to have a lender on your side saying ‘go, go, go.’”
But as far as shedding existing swaths of space, local experts say publicly that’s unlikely to happen on a large scale in the metro. At least, leaders are reluctant to share plans or are taking their time to make a final decision.
Local companies, especially, like having the brand recognition that comes with having a physical location, Turner said. Quite often, they occupy landmark buildings from which their departure would have broad consequences for the community - and many understand that.
Mallaro, the CEO of VGM Group, said his employees have expressed interest in a hybrid model, working in the office a few days a week and at home the others. They have particularly mentioned child care and online education as reasons to stay home.
Others want to leave behind their commute - about a third of VGM’s 1,000 employees live in small towns about 30 minutes outside Waterloo.
“For them to not have to drive that, it matters,” Mallaro said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Retired Fort Dodge teacher builds beds for children in need

FORT DODGE , Iowa ( AP ) - A retired Fort Dodge educator has been spending the final days of summer constructing bed frames from his wood shop .
It will be those frames , combined with mattresses , pillows and blankets provided through Athletics for Education and Success , that will give Fort Dodge children in need a comfortable place to lay their heads at night .
Fran Long , who had been teaching part-time for St. Edmond Catholic School and Fort Dodge Senior High , said he was inspired by a story he read online where a retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have time on my hands , I have a wood shop and it just kind of fell together , ” Long told the Fort Dodge Messenger .
“ I don ’ t sit very well , so I needed to find a project to do.
” In July , he contacted Charles Clayton , executive director of AFES , to share his idea to get beds to children in need .
“ Children need a good bed to sleep in at night , ” Clayton said .
“ AFES wants to help.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frames and figure out a system to get them out to the children .
He also plans to work with local businesses on providing the bedding .
As far as who will deliver the beds , Clayton said that will be local police officers from the Fort Dodge Police Department and members of the 133rd Test Squadron , the Iowa Air National Guard based in Fort Dodge .
“ This is really the whole community coming together again , ” Clayton said .
“ Who better to deliver the beds than our police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some bridges.
” Clayton said when Long contacted him , he immediately supported the mission .
“ Anytime something comes up in the community when it comes to kids and families in need , I am going to support it - whether Charles Clayton personally or AFES , ” Clayton said .
“ When Fran got ahold me , I said we are going to do it and we ’ ll figure it out later .
We have had programs on and off try to do this .
I don ’ t think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is , they can let us know and we can partner with them.
” Long said bunk beds take him the most time to make .
“ It ’ s about five hours , ” Long said .
“ Most of which is spent sanding.
” He added , “ It ’ s a fun project .
It ’ s mindless .
I don ’ t have to think too hard about it anymore.
” Long was quick to deflect any credit given to him for the bed project .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ There ’ s all kinds of people that volunteer in many , many different ways through churches or organizations .
This just gets me out of the house , helps fill some time and , with the virus here , it really changes what a guy can do and where a guy can be.
” Providing beds is a cause Long can get behind , though .
“ Get kids off the floor or off the couch , whatever the case may be , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready for delivery .
He hopes to have them delivered sometime this month .

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) - A retired Fort Dodge educator has been spending the final days of summer constructing bed frames from his wood shop.
It will be those frames, combined with mattresses, pillows and blankets provided through Athletics for Education and Success, that will give Fort Dodge children in need a comfortable place to lay their heads at night.
Fran Long, who had been teaching part-time for St. Edmond Catholic School and Fort Dodge Senior High, said he was inspired by a story he read online where a retired teacher made bed frames.
“I have time on my hands, I have a wood shop and it just kind of fell together,” Long told the Fort Dodge Messenger. “I don’t sit very well, so I needed to find a project to do.”
In July, he contacted Charles Clayton, executive director of AFES, to share his idea to get beds to children in need.
“Children need a good bed to sleep in at night,” Clayton said. “AFES wants to help.”
Clayton said AFES will store the bed frames and figure out a system to get them out to the children.
He also plans to work with local businesses on providing the bedding.
As far as who will deliver the beds, Clayton said that will be local police officers from the Fort Dodge Police Department and members of the 133rd Test Squadron, the Iowa Air National Guard based in Fort Dodge.
“This is really the whole community coming together again,” Clayton said. “Who better to deliver the beds than our police and National Guard? Try and build some bridges.”
Clayton said when Long contacted him, he immediately supported the mission.
“Anytime something comes up in the community when it comes to kids and families in need, I am going to support it - whether Charles Clayton personally or AFES,” Clayton said. “When Fran got ahold me, I said we are going to do it and we’ll figure it out later. We have had programs on and off try to do this. I don’t think there is one currently going. If there is, they can let us know and we can partner with them.”
Long said bunk beds take him the most time to make.
“It’s about five hours,” Long said. “Most of which is spent sanding.”
He added, “It’s a fun project. It’s mindless. I don’t have to think too hard about it anymore.”
Long was quick to deflect any credit given to him for the bed project.
“What I am doing is pretty minor,” he said. “There’s all kinds of people that volunteer in many, many different ways through churches or organizations. This just gets me out of the house, helps fill some time and, with the virus here, it really changes what a guy can do and where a guy can be.”
Providing beds is a cause Long can get behind, though.
“Get kids off the floor or off the couch, whatever the case may be,” he said.
Clayton said there’s seven beds ready for delivery. He hopes to have them delivered sometime this month.


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Michigan Tech moves 'Involvement Zone' event to campus

HOUGHTON , Mich. ( AP ) - With COVID-19 , student organizations face obstacles both in getting the word out , and in conducting their usual activities .
They got help with the first of those Sept. 11 with Michigan Technological University ’ s first K-Day event , branded “ The Involvement Zone.
” On the usual K-Day , students spend a Friday afternoon at an off-campus site visiting booths set up by campus organizations .
With COVID-19 restrictions , Tech instead moved K-Day onto campus and split it up over six sessions , according to The Daily Mining Gazette @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noon to 2 p.m. ; after everything was sanitized , a second set of groups came in from 3 to 5 p.m. “ Everything ’ s gone really well , ” said Rochelle Spencer , assistant director of student leadership and involvement .
“ People have been really great at following the social distancing expectations and still meeting different organizations and learning about how they can get involved.
” This year also added a virtual component , where club representatives on Zoom talk with interested students .
This year ’ s sessions had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have 20 , as classes will still be going on .
Clubs reported close to the same level of interest in their booths as at regular K-Days .
“ We ’ ve had lots of interesting people , ” said Clare LaLonde , a fourth-year student with Michigan Tech ’ s chapter of Circle K International .
“ The first-years seem really eager to join.
” For in-service activities , the group spreads out , uses hand sanitizer and wears gloves , LaLonde said .
While the club is still trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far have been online , LaLonde said .
“ It ’ s different , but I think we ’ re still getting the same amount of service in , ” she said .
Online activity has included Freerice , where correct trivia answers translate to donations for food , and Color a Smile , where they print off coloring paper , then send the finished drawings to groups in need of cheering up .
Fourth-year student Sarah Anderson has also been tutoring local children over Zoom .
“ I do it a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows me to help the kids in the community , ” she said .
The MTU Pep Band actually saw more interest , which president-in-training Alissa Richardson attributed to the limits on band camp and the glut of orientation events that had taken place at the same time .
For rehearsals , the band spreads out from the back half of the Rozsa Center stage to the back row .
Everyone who isn ’ t currently playing a wind instrument has to wear a mask .
Although there aren ’ t football games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been staying sharp with intramural games .
The next day the band was scheduled to play at a cornhole tournament .
They will also be playing for Tech ’ s e-sports team .
“ We ’ re all really excited about that one , ” Richardson said .
They ’ re also making their own events .
On Tuesday , two members played tennis at the courts on Garnet Street while the band played for them .
Ava Crago , a first-year biological sciences student , was one of the students stopping by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m pretty introverted , so I don ’ t get out a lot , ” she said .
“ I ’ ve been trying to make a point of getting involved in more stuff.
” Along with band , she was also interested in esports and a mechanical engineering club .
Tech ’ s Four Wheelers club had a booth in front of a backdrop of 4x4s .
Turnout may have been slightly smaller due to the smaller scope of the event , said fourth-year club member Fred Poddig .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a parking lot while wearing masks for club meetings , said fourth-year member Andrew Gryspeerd .
The group also wears masks and washes its hands regularly when out on wheeling runs , Gryspeerd said .
“ We try to put people who live in the same house together in vehicles , so we don ’ t have contamination there , ” he said .
Braden Berridge , a first-year forestry major , was interested in joining the club .
Seeing all the student organizations on display had been helpful , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get out much , so it ’ s a good opportunity to come out and see the clubs , ” he said .
Tech ’ s Mind Trekkers team held live demonstrations for the crowd , including a liquid nitrogen explosion that sent water shooting out of trash cans .
The team normally goes to local schools and also outside the area , which has been scuttled because of COVID .
Instead , the club is giving demonstrations over Zoom .
Mind Trekkers member Phillip Cauley , a fourth-year student , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They love seeing the demonstrations and everything , ” he said .
“ They were very interested in all of it .
We got a lot of people who are looking forward to working with us in the future .
”

HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) - With COVID-19, student organizations face obstacles both in getting the word out, and in conducting their usual activities.
They got help with the first of those Sept. 11 with Michigan Technological University’s first K-Day event, branded “The Involvement Zone.”
On the usual K-Day, students spend a Friday afternoon at an off-campus site visiting booths set up by campus organizations. With COVID-19 restrictions, Tech instead moved K-Day onto campus and split it up over six sessions, according to The Daily Mining Gazette.
Campus groups set up booths from noon to 2 p.m.; after everything was sanitized, a second set of groups came in from 3 to 5 p.m.
“Everything’s gone really well,” said Rochelle Spencer, assistant director of student leadership and involvement. “People have been really great at following the social distancing expectations and still meeting different organizations and learning about how they can get involved.”
This year also added a virtual component, where club representatives on Zoom talk with interested students.
This year’s sessions had 25 student groups; the subsequent ones will have 20, as classes will still be going on.
Clubs reported close to the same level of interest in their booths as at regular K-Days.
“We’ve had lots of interesting people,” said Clare LaLonde, a fourth-year student with Michigan Tech’s chapter of Circle K International. “The first-years seem really eager to join.”
For in-service activities, the group spreads out, uses hand sanitizer and wears gloves, LaLonde said.
While the club is still trying to do in-person activities, about half so far have been online, LaLonde said.
“It’s different, but I think we’re still getting the same amount of service in,” she said.
Online activity has included Freerice, where correct trivia answers translate to donations for food, and Color a Smile, where they print off coloring paper, then send the finished drawings to groups in need of cheering up. Fourth-year student Sarah Anderson has also been tutoring local children over Zoom.
“I do it a couple times a week, and it just allows me to help the kids in the community,” she said.
The MTU Pep Band actually saw more interest, which president-in-training Alissa Richardson attributed to the limits on band camp and the glut of orientation events that had taken place at the same time.
For rehearsals, the band spreads out from the back half of the Rozsa Center stage to the back row. Everyone who isn’t currently playing a wind instrument has to wear a mask.
Although there aren’t football games to play at, the band has been staying sharp with intramural games. The next day the band was scheduled to play at a cornhole tournament. They will also be playing for Tech’s e-sports team.
“We’re all really excited about that one,” Richardson said.
They’re also making their own events. On Tuesday, two members played tennis at the courts on Garnet Street while the band played for them.
Ava Crago, a first-year biological sciences student, was one of the students stopping by the band’s booth.
“I’m pretty introverted, so I don’t get out a lot,” she said. “I’ve been trying to make a point of getting involved in more stuff.”
Along with band, she was also interested in esports and a mechanical engineering club.
Tech’s Four Wheelers club had a booth in front of a backdrop of 4x4s.
Turnout may have been slightly smaller due to the smaller scope of the event, said fourth-year club member Fred Poddig.
The group spreads out in camp chairs in a parking lot while wearing masks for club meetings, said fourth-year member Andrew Gryspeerd. The group also wears masks and washes its hands regularly when out on wheeling runs, Gryspeerd said.
“We try to put people who live in the same house together in vehicles, so we don’t have contamination there,” he said.
Braden Berridge, a first-year forestry major, was interested in joining the club. Seeing all the student organizations on display had been helpful, he said.
“I haven’t been able to get out much, so it’s a good opportunity to come out and see the clubs,” he said.
Tech’s Mind Trekkers team held live demonstrations for the crowd, including a liquid nitrogen explosion that sent water shooting out of trash cans.
The team normally goes to local schools and also outside the area, which has been scuttled because of COVID. Instead, the club is giving demonstrations over Zoom.
Mind Trekkers member Phillip Cauley, a fourth-year student, said it had been a productive day.
“They love seeing the demonstrations and everything,” he said. “They were very interested in all of it. We got a lot of people who are looking forward to working with us in the future.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Ice cream plan of restaurant owners hit regulatory roadblock

SPRINGFIELD , Ill. ( AP ) - Tim and Emily Lewis built their reputation on scratch-made splurges with unique flavor profiles crafted using ingredients culled from local farms .
So it was no surprise when the couple behind Three Twigs Bakery and Biscuits & Brunch announced plans to make their own soft serve for their newest venture The Salted Lemon Market & Creamery using fresh cream and milk from the central Illinois family dairy , Kilgus Farmstead .
That is , until they bumped into the state ’ s dairy regulations which requires small businesses to use the same costly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Illinois laws just don ’ t make sense .
They wanted to treat us like a dairy farmer , ” Emily Lewis said about the red tape roadblock to her latest Montvale Junction project .
“ There should be a ( licensing ) step in between processing raw milk and mixing pre-pasteurized ingredients together .
It feels like they don ’ t want you to make anything yourself .
( The regulations ) just seem to penalize smaller businesses for no reason.
” When asked about the issue , representatives from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emailing a copy of the state ’ s dairy code , pointing to a subsection titled “ Pasteurization of Frozen Dessert Mix.
” The paragraph essentially requires the pasteurization process — heating milk to 71.7-degrees Celsius for 15 to 25 seconds — be repeated after ice cream ingredients are blended , but before flavors are added and the batch frozen .
The rule applies equally to major manufacturers mass producing ice cream destined for grocery store freezers and mom-and-pop shops selling a cup of scratch-made soft serve .
“ We do not differentiate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what products are being produced in a dairy plant , ” IDPH spokesman Cris Martinez said via email .
Tasha Bunting is the Illinois Farm Bureau ’ s associate director of commodities and livestock programs .
“ To put some of the equipment in place ( for a manufactured dairy plant license ) is fairly costly and not feasible for many smaller store fronts , ” she said .
That ’ s why it is far more common for independent ice cream shops to purchase an ice cream base from an approved source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The state regulations as well as the requirements for licensed dairy plants , date to the mid-1980s .
Lewis questions whether the step is on the books to keep consumers from getting sick or because the regulations were written well before the farm-to-table movement with its emphasis on artisanal foods made with locally raised ingredients .
“ That ’ s a good question , ” Bunting said .
“ These ( regulations ) were developed with food safety in mind .
That ’ s not to say technology hasn ’ t come a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to revisit some of those discussions.
” Molly Gleason , spokeswoman for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance , said it ’ s a conversation worth having .
“ There are lots of laws on the books that aren ’ t set up to help small businesses try to support local , or even aimed at discouraging it , ” Gleason said .
“ The expansion of the Cottage Food Act has people thinking , ‘ What else can I do ?
’ and they ’ re running into other barriers like this .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and small businesses are just discovering them.
” Illinois adopted the Cottage Food Act in 2012 .
Prior to that , small food operators were held to the same set of rules that applied to giant corporations .
The act opened the door for farmers to engage in value-added processing and entrepreneurs to start new local food businesses from their home kitchens .
The Illinois Food Freedom Act for which the Alliance lobbied went into effect in 2018 , expanding the Cottage Food Act to apply to a broader range of products .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Sarah Stahly also hit Illinois ’ regulatory roadblock with her business , Sweet Scoops — one of the original ventures out of the small business incubator , Innovate Springfield .
Stahly began selling her small-batch , scratch-made ice cream via online orders and referrals in 2019 .
Her top seller : ice cream cookie sandwiches in made-to-order custom flavor combinations like sugar cookie-lemon ice cream or peanut butter cookie-banana ice cream .
She ran into trouble when she began to research how to take her product into stores and sell to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached out to the ( Illinois ) Department of Public Health to ask for guidance and was provided with a dairy form that did not apply to me , ” she recounted in an email .
“ I do not raise dairy cows .
I do not transport raw dairy to a pasteurizing facility .
I don ’ t pasteurize raw dairy .
I don ’ t transport pasteurized dairy to stores .
End of form .
“ I told them that and asked what I should do and was told , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was kind of shocked that was the end of their assistance … .
” Stahly said she was told the regulation didn ’ t apply if she used a manufactured powder to flavor pasteurized milk , but a commitment to scratch-made ice cream would require the end product be re-pasteurized in a dairy-only commercial kitchen .
The price tag attached to meeting these requirements was more than her start-up could take on , she said .
Stahly skirted the dairy requirements by reformulating her recipe to a dairy-free , vegan-based frozen treat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stores .
But she continued to look for a way to dish up her original product .
Those efforts covered the spectrum from trying to establish a cooperative kitchen that met Illinois ’ regulations from which entrepreneurs could rent space to rewriting the state ’ s rules .
She was working with state Rep. Mike Murphy , ( R-Springfield ) , trying to identify ways to even the playing field for small start-ups while maintaining public safety .
She also was engaged with Downtown Springfield Inc. and Innovate Springfield in efforts to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 struck in March and those efforts were sidelined .
At that point , Stahly stopped taking orders for Sweet Scoops .
The Lewis didn ’ t let Illinois ’ red tape deter their plans for The Salted Lemon , though it did require the business model be tweaked .
Originally , they wanted to purchase cream from Kilgus Farmstead to use in their own soft serve recipe .
Now instead , they ’ ll purchase the basic soft serve mix from the third-generation Fairbury dairy farm .
Matt Kilgus , who co-owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the first time Kilgus Farmstead ’ s soft serve has been sold south of Livingston County .
Currently , it is only available at the farm ’ s onsite country store .
A couple Chicago restaurants served the product prior to the pandemic .
The high-fat content milk from the Jersey cows raised at Kilgus Farmstead is processed onsite in the Grade A licensed dairy plant that has operated on the farm since 2009 .
Kilgus said their milk and cream are blended with sugar to make the soft serve , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second time .
The Salted Lemon will use Kilgus Farmstead ’ s base recipe and add the Lewis ’ own flavors , ranging from the namesake salted lemon to seasonal varieties like pumpkin spice .
The store opened this week at 2671 Chatham Road .
Stahly , whose full-time job is with a state agency , hasn ’ t given up on her ice cream dream .
But , she says , she won ’ t try it again in Illinois .
“ I am just making a list of the of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws , and plan to move to one in the next couple years , ” she said .
“ Ice cream ’ s better on the beach anyway .
”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Tim and Emily Lewis built their reputation on scratch-made splurges with unique flavor profiles crafted using ingredients culled from local farms.
So it was no surprise when the couple behind Three Twigs Bakery and Biscuits & Brunch announced plans to make their own soft serve for their newest venture The Salted Lemon Market & Creamery using fresh cream and milk from the central Illinois family dairy, Kilgus Farmstead.
That is, until they bumped into the state’s dairy regulations which requires small businesses to use the same costly pasteurizing process as large manufacturers.
“The Illinois laws just don’t make sense. They wanted to treat us like a dairy farmer,” Emily Lewis said about the red tape roadblock to her latest Montvale Junction project.
“There should be a (licensing) step in between processing raw milk and mixing pre-pasteurized ingredients together. It feels like they don’t want you to make anything yourself.
(The regulations) just seem to penalize smaller businesses for no reason.”
When asked about the issue, representatives from the Illinois Department of Public Health responded by emailing a copy of the state’s dairy code, pointing to a subsection titled “Pasteurization of Frozen Dessert Mix.”
The paragraph essentially requires the pasteurization process — heating milk to 71.7-degrees Celsius for 15 to 25 seconds — be repeated after ice cream ingredients are blended, but before flavors are added and the batch frozen.
The rule applies equally to major manufacturers mass producing ice cream destined for grocery store freezers and mom-and-pop shops selling a cup of scratch-made soft serve.
“We do not differentiate a license based on size, but what products are being produced in a dairy plant,” IDPH spokesman Cris Martinez said via email.
Tasha Bunting is the Illinois Farm Bureau’s associate director of commodities and livestock programs.
“To put some of the equipment in place (for a manufactured dairy plant license) is fairly costly and not feasible for many smaller store fronts,” she said. That’s why it is far more common for independent ice cream shops to purchase an ice cream base from an approved source with a manufactured dairy plant license.
The state regulations as well as the requirements for licensed dairy plants, date to the mid-1980s.
Lewis questions whether the step is on the books to keep consumers from getting sick or because the regulations were written well before the farm-to-table movement with its emphasis on artisanal foods made with locally raised ingredients.
“That’s a good question,” Bunting said. “These (regulations) were developed with food safety in mind. That’s not to say technology hasn’t come a long way and there’s an opportunity to revisit some of those discussions.”
Molly Gleason, spokeswoman for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, said it’s a conversation worth having.
“There are lots of laws on the books that aren’t set up to help small businesses try to support local, or even aimed at discouraging it,” Gleason said.
“The expansion of the Cottage Food Act has people thinking, ‘What else can I do?’ and they’re running into other barriers like this. There are many problems on the books and small businesses are just discovering them.”
Illinois adopted the Cottage Food Act in 2012. Prior to that, small food operators were held to the same set of rules that applied to giant corporations. The act opened the door for farmers to engage in value-added processing and entrepreneurs to start new local food businesses from their home kitchens.
The Illinois Food Freedom Act for which the Alliance lobbied went into effect in 2018, expanding the Cottage Food Act to apply to a broader range of products.
Dairy, however, was not among them.
Sarah Stahly also hit Illinois’ regulatory roadblock with her business, Sweet Scoops — one of the original ventures out of the small business incubator, Innovate Springfield.
Stahly began selling her small-batch, scratch-made ice cream via online orders and referrals in 2019. Her top seller: ice cream cookie sandwiches in made-to-order custom flavor combinations like sugar cookie-lemon ice cream or peanut butter cookie-banana ice cream.
She ran into trouble when she began to research how to take her product into stores and sell to restaurants as a wholesaler.
“I reached out to the (Illinois) Department of Public Health to ask for guidance and was provided with a dairy form that did not apply to me,” she recounted in an email. “I do not raise dairy cows. I do not transport raw dairy to a pasteurizing facility. I don’t pasteurize raw dairy. I don’t transport pasteurized dairy to stores. End of form.
“I told them that and asked what I should do and was told, ‘Stop making dairy ice cream.’ I was kind of shocked that was the end of their assistance … .”
Stahly said she was told the regulation didn’t apply if she used a manufactured powder to flavor pasteurized milk, but a commitment to scratch-made ice cream would require the end product be re-pasteurized in a dairy-only commercial kitchen. The price tag attached to meeting these requirements was more than her start-up could take on, she said.
Stahly skirted the dairy requirements by reformulating her recipe to a dairy-free, vegan-based frozen treat, which she sold from a couple local stores. But she continued to look for a way to dish up her original product.
Those efforts covered the spectrum from trying to establish a cooperative kitchen that met Illinois’ regulations from which entrepreneurs could rent space to rewriting the state’s rules.
She was working with state Rep. Mike Murphy, (R-Springfield), trying to identify ways to even the playing field for small start-ups while maintaining public safety. She also was engaged with Downtown Springfield Inc. and Innovate Springfield in efforts to open a co-op dairy kitchen downtown.
Then COVID-19 struck in March and those efforts were sidelined.
At that point, Stahly stopped taking orders for Sweet Scoops.
The Lewis didn’t let Illinois’ red tape deter their plans for The Salted Lemon, though it did require the business model be tweaked.
Originally, they wanted to purchase cream from Kilgus Farmstead to use in their own soft serve recipe. Now instead, they’ll purchase the basic soft serve mix from the third-generation Fairbury dairy farm.
Matt Kilgus, who co-owns the family farm, said this will be the first time Kilgus Farmstead’s soft serve has been sold south of Livingston County. Currently, it is only available at the farm’s onsite country store. A couple Chicago restaurants served the product prior to the pandemic.
The high-fat content milk from the Jersey cows raised at Kilgus Farmstead is processed onsite in the Grade A licensed dairy plant that has operated on the farm since 2009. Kilgus said their milk and cream are blended with sugar to make the soft serve, which then goes through the pasteurization process a second time.
The Salted Lemon will use Kilgus Farmstead’s base recipe and add the Lewis’ own flavors, ranging from the namesake salted lemon to seasonal varieties like pumpkin spice. The store opened this week at 2671 Chatham Road.
Stahly, whose full-time job is with a state agency, hasn’t given up on her ice cream dream. But, she says, she won’t try it again in Illinois.
“I am just making a list of the of the coastal states that have common sense dairy laws, and plan to move to one in the next couple years,” she said. “Ice cream’s better on the beach anyway.”
___
Source: The (Springfield) State Journal-Register, https://bit.ly/3bJSB2p


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--18 sets of twins in Minden schools welcome but unusual

MINDEN , Neb .
( AP ) - Eighteen sets of twins roam the halls of Minden Public Schools .
Four sets are in elementary school and five in middle school .
The remaining nine are freshmen , sophomores or juniors in high school .
“ Nine of the 18 sets are in high school though so that ’ s kind of abnormal .
We would have one more set that were seniors but they moved away , ” Jeffrey Horner , school counselor at Minden High School , told the Kearney Hub .
For some of the students , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freshman A.J .
and Daniel Sharkey have younger twin sisters .
The 12th set of twins recently were born into freshmen Madison and Abigail Widdifield ’ s family .
Although it ’ s been a while , Horner said activities director Ed Rowse recalled a time many years ago when there were 16 sets of twins in the school system .
“ So we actually have more than that now , ” Horner added .
Upon first glance , it ’ s evident a few pairs of the high school students are twins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hairstyles or similar clothing .
It goes a step further than being identical for juniors Lilly and Carissa Buntemeyer , who are mirror twins .
Mirror twins characteristics are like looking into a mirror or having defining characteristics on opposite sides of their body .
Carissa points out they have the same mole on opposite hands .
When sophomores Alexander and Jonathan Brais were younger they ’ d have fun with their similarities and would swap places for a day in school .
As they got older , it became harder to trick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into fourth grade they started telling us apart and picking out the different features , ” said Jonathan .
Despite how similar some of the twins look , their teachers don ’ t have a lot of difficulty telling them apart , said Horner .
“ They get to know their mannerisms and such , ” said Horner .
“ The kids know them .
… They even know them by their personalities .
It ’ s funny.
” When it comes to expressing their personalities , a few are more outspoken than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or dress differently .
Most of the twins agree that they don ’ t dress alike anymore - some stopped as early as the age of 5 - but others like Carissa and Lilly share clothes all the time .
The level of connectedness amongst the twins also varies .
“ Some do everything together , some branch out a little bit more , ” said Horner .
A few grumble about having to share a room or fighting with their sibling , but they do admit there are advantages to having a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone to help with homework or to play catch .
For others , it ’ s simply having someone who understands them .
“ ( I ) always have someone to talk to , and you are the same age so you have similar issues , ” said Carissa .
“ I don ’ t think we could live without each other .
We fight some but minutes later we are fine .
”

MINDEN, Neb. (AP) - Eighteen sets of twins roam the halls of Minden Public Schools.
Four sets are in elementary school and five in middle school. The remaining nine are freshmen, sophomores or juniors in high school.
“Nine of the 18 sets are in high school though so that’s kind of abnormal. We would have one more set that were seniors but they moved away,” Jeffrey Horner, school counselor at Minden High School, told the Kearney Hub.
For some of the students, twins are common in their family. Freshman A.J. and Daniel Sharkey have younger twin sisters. The 12th set of twins recently were born into freshmen Madison and Abigail Widdifield’s family.
Although it’s been a while, Horner said activities director Ed Rowse recalled a time many years ago when there were 16 sets of twins in the school system.
“So we actually have more than that now,” Horner added.
Upon first glance, it’s evident a few pairs of the high school students are twins with identical facial features, builds, hairstyles or similar clothing.
It goes a step further than being identical for juniors Lilly and Carissa Buntemeyer, who are mirror twins. Mirror twins characteristics are like looking into a mirror or having defining characteristics on opposite sides of their body. Carissa points out they have the same mole on opposite hands.
When sophomores Alexander and Jonathan Brais were younger they’d have fun with their similarities and would swap places for a day in school. As they got older, it became harder to trick their teachers.
“Once we got into fourth grade they started telling us apart and picking out the different features,” said Jonathan.
Despite how similar some of the twins look, their teachers don’t have a lot of difficulty telling them apart, said Horner.
“They get to know their mannerisms and such,” said Horner. “The kids know them. … They even know them by their personalities. It’s funny.”
When it comes to expressing their personalities, a few are more outspoken than their twin, participate in different activities or dress differently. Most of the twins agree that they don’t dress alike anymore - some stopped as early as the age of 5 - but others like Carissa and Lilly share clothes all the time.
The level of connectedness amongst the twins also varies.
“Some do everything together, some branch out a little bit more,” said Horner.
A few grumble about having to share a room or fighting with their sibling, but they do admit there are advantages to having a sibling the same age such as having someone to help with homework or to play catch. For others, it’s simply having someone who understands them.
“(I) always have someone to talk to, and you are the same age so you have similar issues,” said Carissa. “I don’t think we could live without each other. We fight some but minutes later we are fine.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--World rejects US effort to reimpose sanctions on Iran

Allies and foes alike rejected the Trump administration ’ s effort this weekend to reimpose global economic sanctions on Iran , setting up a potential showdown at the United Nations that could leave Washington isolated on the world stage .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday night that the U.S. has officially triggered a “ snapback ” provision as part of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran .
That move , he said , will reimpose a set of harsh UN sanctions on Tehran that had been lifted as part of the Obama-era agreement .
But other parties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe — say the U.S. has no standing because President Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 , and they argue that the sanctions relief granted to Iran under the pact should remain in place .
U.S. officials , meanwhile , say that because Iran has violated the terms of the nuclear deal , and because the UN has failed to extend an arms embargo on Tehran set to expire next month , the world community should unite and reimpose all sanctions .
“ The Trump administration has always understood that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East comes from Islamic Republic of Iran , whose violent efforts to spread revolution have killed thousands and upended the lives of millions of innocent people , ” Mr. Pompeo said in a statement .
“ History shows appeasement only emboldens such regimes .
Thus today , the United States welcomes the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran , the world ’ s leading state sponsor of terror and anti-Semitism.
” “ The United States expects all UN Member States to fully comply with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
It ’ s unclear exactly what happens next .
The issue is expected to dominate discussion this week at the annual UN General Assembly , which is being held virtually this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
A previous U.S. effort to extend the arms embargo on Iran failed in a UN Security Council vote .
An American push to reimpose sanctions seems headed for a similar fate , as virtually all other stakeholders oppose Washington ’ s effort .
Britain , France and Germany wrote in a joint letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s move “ is incapable of having legal effect and so can not bring in to effect the procedure.
” “ It flows from this that any decisions and actions which would be taken based on this procedure or on its possible outcome would also be incapable of having any legal effect , ” wrote the three nations , all of which remain committed to the 2015 nuclear deal and have tried to salvage it .
Iranian officials also flatly rejected the U.S. announcement .
“ The U.S. knows that its claim is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Saeed Khatibzadeh , a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry , as quoted by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Security Council members over the weekend that he can not take any action on the issue , according to Reuters .
China and Russia also strongly oppose the administration ’ s position .

Allies and foes alike rejected the Trump administration’s effort this weekend to reimpose global economic sanctions on Iran, setting up a potential showdown at the United Nations that could leave Washington isolated on the world stage.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday night that the U.S. has officially triggered a “snapback” provision as part of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. That move, he said, will reimpose a set of harsh UN sanctions on Tehran that had been lifted as part of the Obama-era agreement.
But other parties to the deal — including staunch American allies in Europe — say the U.S. has no standing because President Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, and they argue that the sanctions relief granted to Iran under the pact should remain in place.
U.S. officials, meanwhile, say that because Iran has violated the terms of the nuclear deal, and because the UN has failed to extend an arms embargo on Tehran set to expire next month, the world community should unite and reimpose all sanctions.
“The Trump administration has always understood that the greatest threat to peace in the Middle East comes from Islamic Republic of Iran, whose violent efforts to spread revolution have killed thousands and upended the lives of millions of innocent people,” Mr. Pompeo said in a statement. “History shows appeasement only emboldens such regimes. Thus today, the United States welcomes the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and anti-Semitism.”
“The United States expects all UN Member States to fully comply with their obligations to implement these measures,” he said.
It’s unclear exactly what happens next. The issue is expected to dominate discussion this week at the annual UN General Assembly, which is being held virtually this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A previous U.S. effort to extend the arms embargo on Iran failed in a UN Security Council vote. An American push to reimpose sanctions seems headed for a similar fate, as virtually all other stakeholders oppose Washington’s effort.
Britain, France and Germany wrote in a joint letter over the weekend that the administration’s move “is incapable of having legal effect and so cannot bring in to effect the procedure.”
“It flows from this that any decisions and actions which would be taken based on this procedure or on its possible outcome would also be incapable of having any legal effect,” wrote the three nations, all of which remain committed to the 2015 nuclear deal and have tried to salvage it.
Iranian officials also flatly rejected the U.S. announcement.
“The U.S. knows that its claim is empty, illegal, and ineffective,” said Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, as quoted by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Security Council members over the weekend that he cannot take any action on the issue, according to Reuters. China and Russia also strongly oppose the administration’s position.


washingtontimes--2020-09-20--Pedestrian hit, killed on I-95 in Pawtucket

PAWTUCKET , R.I. ( AP ) - A pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and killed on I-95 in Pawtucket @ @ @ @ @ said .
The crash happened on I-95 south near Exit 27 around 9 p.m. , @ @ @ @ @ were trying to determine why the victim was walking on the highway .

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) - A pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and killed on I-95 in Pawtucket on Saturday night, police said.
The crash happened on I-95 south near Exit 27 around 9 p.m., WJAR-TV reported.
State Police were trying to determine why the victim was walking on the highway.