washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Protesters temporarily end encampment in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
( AP ) - Demonstrators who set up tents outside City Hall in Kansas City three weeks ago to demand police reform after an officer placed his knee on the back of a pregnant Black women have announced a temporary end to their encampment .
The Kansas City Star reports that Black Rainbow , one of the groups that organized the occupation , announced on Instagram they ’ d declared a “ ceasefire ” after beginning talks with public officials about divesting funds from law enforcement .
Ryan Sorrel , a leader with Black Rainbow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they don ’ t see the changes they want .
The demonstration had demanded that city leaders fire the officer seen in a video kneeling on the pregnant woman , terminate Chief of Police Rick Smith and vow to divest 50 % of the police force ’ s budget .
Sorrel said demonstrators began talking with city council members a few days ago about specific spaces where public safety funds and responsibilities , such as health crises and parking tickets , could be moved away from the police department .
“ We saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to not absolve all of our resources , ” Sorrel said .
Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement Saturday that he ’ s been meeting with such groups since May and planned to continue to do so in an effort to build trust .
“ While we will have our disagreements , all of us in Kansas City must work together to see better days ahead , ” he said .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Demonstrators who set up tents outside City Hall in Kansas City three weeks ago to demand police reform after an officer placed his knee on the back of a pregnant Black women have announced a temporary end to their encampment.
The Kansas City Star reports that Black Rainbow, one of the groups that organized the occupation, announced on Instagram they’d declared a “ceasefire” after beginning talks with public officials about divesting funds from law enforcement.
Ryan Sorrel, a leader with Black Rainbow, said the demonstrators will return if they don’t see the changes they want.
The demonstration had demanded that city leaders fire the officer seen in a video kneeling on the pregnant woman, terminate Chief of Police Rick Smith and vow to divest 50% of the police force’s budget.
Sorrel said demonstrators began talking with city council members a few days ago about specific spaces where public safety funds and responsibilities, such as health crises and parking tickets, could be moved away from the police department.
“We saw this as a very strategic move in order to not absolve all of our resources,” Sorrel said.
Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement Saturday that he’s been meeting with such groups since May and planned to continue to do so in an effort to build trust.
“While we will have our disagreements, all of us in Kansas City must work together to see better days ahead,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Arkansas virus cases rise by 1,183, 15 more deaths reported

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
( AP ) - The number of reported coronavirus cases in Arkansas has increased by @ @ @ @ @ number of deaths by 15 , according to the Arkansas Department of Health .
There @ @ @ @ @ 105,318 cases statewide and 1,797 deaths since the pandemic began in March , compared to @ @ @ @ @ on Friday .
The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many @ @ @ @ @ , and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick .
The health @ @ @ @ @ 9,535 active cases in the state and 93,977 people have recovered .
For most people @ @ @ @ @ or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in a few @ @ @ @ @ especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe @ @ @ @ @ and death .

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - An Arkansas state lawmaker running for reelection is quarantining after testing positive for the coronavirus, she said, becoming the sixth Republican in the Legislature to become infected.
State Rep. Charlene Fite, a Van Buren Republican, revealed the positive test result Saturday night in a Facebook post. She said she was experiencing mild symptoms and would be forced to quarantine for the final days of her reelection campaign.
Fite’s positive test came three days after two other lawmakers, state Sen. Missy Irvin and state Rep. Joe Cloud, tested positive for the coronavirus. Legislative leaders revealed the day before positive test results for three other state lawmakers: Sen. Terry Rice and state Reps. Michelle Gray and Stu Smith.
All of the infected are Republicans.
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said he was scaling back his public events and meetings after being exposed to someone with the virus.
Arkansas is one of 15 states that have recorded more new coronavirus cases in the past seven days than in any comparable period since tracking of the pandemic began at the start of March. In an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Hutchinson said the state’s hospitalization space “is tight.”
“We have adequate space, but we watch it very carefully. And the spike in cases that we’ve seen is a concern. I think it reflects what we’re all looking at nationwide in terms of going into the winter, combination of flu, the combination of more indoor settings,” he said.
State health officials reported 797 new coronavirus cases Sunday in Arkansas, 667 of them confirmed and 130 probable. Active Arkansas cases rose by 231 cases to 9,766. Fourteen new hospitalizations brought that total to 633. Fifteen new deaths brought the Arkansas death toll since the pandemic first hit the state to 1,812.
The number of reported coronavirus cases in Arkansas has increased by 1,183 on Saturday, and the number of deaths by 15, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
There are currently a total of 105,318 cases statewide and 1,797 deaths since the pandemic began in March, compared to 104,135 cases and 1,782 deaths on Friday. The actual number of cases in Arkansas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
The health department reported that there are 9,535 active cases in the state, and 93,977 people have recovered.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in a few weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--St. Paul police make arrest after man suffers gunshot wound

ST. PAUL , Minn. ( AP ) - Police in St. Paul , Minnesota have arrested a 73-year-old man after @ @ @ @ @ gunshot wound to his neck late Friday .
The Pioneer Press reported that officers were @ @ @ @ @ a shooting inside a home on St. Paul ’ s West Side .
They found @ @ @ @ @ paramedics transported him to the hospital for a non-life-threatening injury .
Officers arrested another man @ @ @ @ @ are investigating the circumstances of the shooting .

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Police in St. Paul, Minnesota have arrested a 73-year-old man after finding another man with a gunshot wound to his neck late Friday.
The Pioneer Press reported that officers were responding to a report of a shooting inside a home on St. Paul’s West Side. They found the injured man, and paramedics transported him to the hospital for a non-life-threatening injury.
Officers arrested another man suspected of aggravated assault and are investigating the circumstances of the shooting.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Man rescued after falling 12 to 15 feet in sidewalk collapse

NEW YORK ( AP ) - New York City firefighters rescued a man Saturday after a sidewalk partially collapsed , @ @ @ @ @ 15 feet into a hole .
The collapse happened shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Third @ @ @ @ @ of the Bronx , officials said .
Firefighters were able to get to the man @ @ @ @ @ dentist ’ s office .
The man , who was not identified , was taken @ @ @ @ @ listed in serious , but stable , condition .
The Department of Buildings said the @ @ @ @ @ disrepair and located above an extended portion of a building ’ s basement .
The @ @ @ @ @ s office was ordered vacated until repairs are made , and the owner was ordered @ @ @ @ @ around the sidewalk .

NEW YORK (AP) - New York City firefighters rescued a man Saturday after a sidewalk partially collapsed, sending him tumbling 12 to 15 feet into a hole.
The collapse happened shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Third Avenue in the Belmont section of the Bronx, officials said. Firefighters were able to get to the man from the basement of a dentist’s office.
The man, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital and was listed in serious, but stable, condition.
The Department of Buildings said the section of sidewalk was in disrepair and located above an extended portion of a building’s basement. The building containing the dentist’s office was ordered vacated until repairs are made, and the owner was ordered to immediately install a fence around the sidewalk.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--One killed in shooting by Border Patrol agent in Texas

LAREDO , Texas ( AP ) - A U.S. Border Patrol agent investigating suspected human smuggling with other agents in @ @ @ @ @ driving a vehicle carrying people believed to be in the country illegally , federal officials @ @ @ @ @ agents , Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the Webb County constable ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ Laredo Friday and found several people inside the trailer , according to a statement from @ @ @ @ @ Rick Pauza.. Another semi then arrived at the scene , according to a statement , @ @ @ @ @ and were approaching the tractor-trailer when the driver began moving in reverse , pinning a @ @ @ @ @ vehicle .
Other agents then opened fire , shooting the driver , who was pronounced @ @ @ @ @ The injured agent was taken to a hospital , where he as treated and released @ @ @ @ @ statement .
No names have been released .
The shooting is being investigated by Laredo @ @ @ @ @ the border patrol and ICE , the statement said .

LAREDO, Texas (AP) - A U.S. Border Patrol agent investigating suspected human smuggling with other agents in Texas fatally shot a person driving a vehicle carrying people believed to be in the country illegally, federal officials said Saturday.
Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the Webb County constable’s office had stopped a semi in Laredo Friday and found several people inside the trailer, according to a statement from Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Rick Pauza..
Another semi then arrived at the scene, according to a statement, and law officers identified themselves and were approaching the tractor-trailer when the driver began moving in reverse, pinning a Border Patrol agent against another vehicle.
Other agents then opened fire, shooting the driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The injured agent was taken to a hospital, where he as treated and released Saturday, according to the statement.
No names have been released.
The shooting is being investigated by Laredo police, the FBI, the border patrol and ICE, the statement said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Patrol IDs man killed by police in exchange of gunfire

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
( AP ) - Authorities have identified a homicide suspect who was killed by Kansas @ @ @ @ @ vehicle during an exchange of gunfire as a 26-year-old .
The Missouri State Highway Patrol @ @ @ @ @ killed Friday after officers stopped the vehicle in which he was riding .
Sgt .
@ @ @ @ @ for the patrol , said the other occupants exited the vehicle before the man pointed @ @ @ @ @ then shot at officers .
Officers then returned fire , striking the man , Lowe @ @ @ @ @ dead at a hospital .
No officers were hurt .
Police said officers were stopping @ @ @ @ @ killing of Shermaine Taylor , who was pronounced dead Wednesday in an alley .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Authorities have identified a homicide suspect who was killed by Kansas City police in a ride-share vehicle during an exchange of gunfire as a 26-year-old.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Ennice Ross Jr. was killed Friday after officers stopped the vehicle in which he was riding. Sgt. Bill Lowe, a spokesman for the patrol, said the other occupants exited the vehicle before the man pointed a handgun at himself and then shot at officers.
Officers then returned fire, striking the man, Lowe said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. No officers were hurt.
Police said officers were stopping the vehicle while investigating the killing of Shermaine Taylor, who was pronounced dead Wednesday in an alley.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Appeals court halts order requiring Georgia pollbook backups

ATLANTA ( AP ) - A federal appeals court on Saturday temporarily halted a lower court ’ s order that said every polling place in Georgia must have at least one updated paper backup of the electronic pollbooks that are used to check in voters .
U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg last month issued the order requiring the backup and other measures amid the context of a broader lawsuit filed by voting integrity activists that challenges Georgia ’ s voting system .
She called the order “ a limited common sense remedy ” to impediments voters have faced .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
A three-judge panel of the appeals court voted 2-1 to stay Totenberg ’ s order while the appeal is pending .
The voting integrity activists had asked Totenberg to order the paper backup .
They had argued that malfunctioning electronic pollbooks created bottlenecks that resulted in voters waiting in long lines during the state ’ s primary election in June and runoff election in August .
The KnowInk PollPads are part of the new election system the state bought last year from Dominion Voting Systems for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ruling required Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , the state ’ s top elections official , to generate and provide election superintendents in each county a list of electors updated at the close of the in-person early voting period to contain all the information in the electronic pollbook .
The secretary of state was then to instruct the election superintendents to provide at least one paper backup at each polling place on Election Day .
The paper backups were to be used to determine voter eligibility and precinct assignment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency , Totenberg wrote .
She also ordered that efforts be made to ensure that county election officials and poll workers are trained on using paper pollbook backups and emergency ballots and that a sufficient stock of emergency paper ballots be maintained .
Circuit Judges Barbara Lagoa and Andrew Brasher voted to stay Totenberg ’ s order .
The two-paragraph appeals court ruling says Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan dissented in part and would not have stayed the requirement for the state to provide county election officials with an updated pollbook that can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials provide that paper backup to each polling place to be used in case of equipment malfunction or emergency .
“ We thank the 11th Circuit for recognizing that , with record turnout and the difficulties of conducing an election during a pandemic , local election officials have enough on their plates without last minute additions from federal judges , ” Raffensperger said .
Robert McGuire a lawyer for the Coalition for Good Governance and individual voters - who had requested the paper pollbook backups as plaintiffs in the lawsuit - noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t give a reason for granting the stay .
“ Unfortunately , that means we are left to guess why two of the appellate judges felt that voters will be harmed by the common-sense protection of having a paper pollbook backup to guard against power outages and equipment malfunctions on Election Day , ” he said .
“ Murphy ’ s law says Georgia voters will soon find out why the trial court judge found that simple protection should be in place.
” The broader lawsuit challenges Georgia ’ s election system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has serious security vulnerabilities .
The activists want Totenberg to order the state to scrap its new touchscreen ballot-marking machines in favor of hand-marked paper ballots .
Totenberg said in a ruling earlier this month that she has serious concerns about the election system , but she declined to order a switch to hand-marked paper ballots for November .
A change so close to the election “ can not but cause voter confusion and some real measure of electoral disruption , ” she wrote .

ATLANTA (AP) - A federal appeals court on Saturday temporarily halted a lower court’s order that said every polling place in Georgia must have at least one updated paper backup of the electronic pollbooks that are used to check in voters.
U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg last month issued the order requiring the backup and other measures amid the context of a broader lawsuit filed by voting integrity activists that challenges Georgia’s voting system. She called the order “a limited common sense remedy” to impediments voters have faced.
The state appealed the order to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel of the appeals court voted 2-1 to stay Totenberg’s order while the appeal is pending.
The voting integrity activists had asked Totenberg to order the paper backup. They had argued that malfunctioning electronic pollbooks created bottlenecks that resulted in voters waiting in long lines during the state’s primary election in June and runoff election in August.
The KnowInk PollPads are part of the new election system the state bought last year from Dominion Voting Systems for more than $100 million.
Totenberg’s ruling required Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state’s top elections official, to generate and provide election superintendents in each county a list of electors updated at the close of the in-person early voting period to contain all the information in the electronic pollbook. The secretary of state was then to instruct the election superintendents to provide at least one paper backup at each polling place on Election Day.
The paper backups were to be used to determine voter eligibility and precinct assignment in the case of equipment malfunction or other emergency, Totenberg wrote. She also ordered that efforts be made to ensure that county election officials and poll workers are trained on using paper pollbook backups and emergency ballots and that a sufficient stock of emergency paper ballots be maintained.
Circuit Judges Barbara Lagoa and Andrew Brasher voted to stay Totenberg’s order. The two-paragraph appeals court ruling says Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan dissented in part and would not have stayed the requirement for the state to provide county election officials with an updated pollbook that can be printed and the requirement that county election officials provide that paper backup to each polling place to be used in case of equipment malfunction or emergency.
“We thank the 11th Circuit for recognizing that, with record turnout and the difficulties of conducing an election during a pandemic, local election officials have enough on their plates without last minute additions from federal judges,” Raffensperger said.
Robert McGuire a lawyer for the Coalition for Good Governance and individual voters - who had requested the paper pollbook backups as plaintiffs in the lawsuit - noted that the judges in the majority didn’t give a reason for granting the stay.
“Unfortunately, that means we are left to guess why two of the appellate judges felt that voters will be harmed by the common-sense protection of having a paper pollbook backup to guard against power outages and equipment malfunctions on Election Day,” he said. “Murphy’s law says Georgia voters will soon find out why the trial court judge found that simple protection should be in place.”
The broader lawsuit challenges Georgia’s election system, saying it is unaccountable and unverifiable and has serious security vulnerabilities. The activists want Totenberg to order the state to scrap its new touchscreen ballot-marking machines in favor of hand-marked paper ballots.
Totenberg said in a ruling earlier this month that she has serious concerns about the election system, but she declined to order a switch to hand-marked paper ballots for November. A change so close to the election “cannot but cause voter confusion and some real measure of electoral disruption,” she wrote.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Four stabbed in Chippewa Falls altercation

CHIPPEWA FALLS , Wis. ( AP ) - An altercation in Chippewa Falls , Wisconsin early Saturday has left four @ @ @ @ @ .
The Chippewa Herald reported that the Chippewa Falls Police Department responded to a call @ @ @ @ @ been stabbed .
Four people were taken from the scene by medics , including two @ @ @ @ @ critical condition .
The police said the people involved appeared to know each other , @ @ @ @ @ arrived .

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (AP) - An altercation in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin early Saturday has left four people injured by stab wounds.
The Chippewa Herald reported that the Chippewa Falls Police Department responded to a call reporting that multiple people had been stabbed. Four people were taken from the scene by medics, including two who appeared to be in critical condition.
The police said the people involved appeared to know each other, but several fled before police arrived.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Utah police fatally shoot armed man in confrontation

HUNTSVILLE , Utah ( AP ) - Police in Utah said a man armed with a gun was fatally shot @ @ @ @ @ The Weber County Sheriff ’ s Office said the incident happened about 10:40 p.m. Friday @ @ @ @ @ Salt Lake City .
A neighbor called police to report the man had fired multiple @ @ @ @ @ into a trailer parked outside .
Police said the man made “ aggressive actions ” @ @ @ @ @ county sheriff ’ s deputies who responded to the scene .
Two officers then opened @ @ @ @ @ from Weber County fatally shot the man .
Officers rendered aid immediately but the man @ @ @ @ @ No officers were hurt but the officer who shot the man has been placed on @ @ @ @ @ investigation .

HUNTSVILLE, Utah (AP) - Police in Utah said a man armed with a gun was fatally shot by authorities Friday night.
The Weber County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened about 10:40 p.m. Friday in Huntsville, north of Salt Lake City.
A neighbor called police to report the man had fired multiple shots as he was breaking into a trailer parked outside.
Police said the man made “aggressive actions” toward the Weber and Morgan county sheriff’s deputies who responded to the scene.
Two officers then opened fire, and an officer from Weber County fatally shot the man.
Officers rendered aid immediately but the man died at the scene.
No officers were hurt but the officer who shot the man has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--How the shenanigans of rogue postal workers exposes the weak link in mail-in voting

Postal employees in New Jersey and Florida have been charged this month with dumping or blocking the delivery of mail-in ballots , and a third employee was fired after investigators say they found more than 100 mail-in ballots dumped in Kentucky .
In West Virginia , a mailman pleaded guilty over the summer to meddling with ballot requests in the presidential primary , switching voters from Democrat to Republican .
In central Virginia , collection boxes outside six post offices were ransacked this month , and election officials worry that ballots may have been taken .
While most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S .
Postal Service this election year has been focused on whether it can handle the volume and timing of ballots , the spate of incidents suggests there are other reasons to worry about the Postal Service as a weak link in what is expected to be a record number of vote-by-mail ballots .
“ If you want people to be disenfranchised , make them all vote by mail , ” said J. Christian Adams , a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights .
“ Ballots get lost , ballots get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The worst thing you can do is decentralize the process.
” The matter has taken on urgency this year as officials in both Republican- and Democrat-led states rush to offer voters more options during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Some states expanded in-person voting , but by far the most popular change has been encouraging voters to cast ballots by mail .
In some states , officials are mailing ballots to every voter .
Other states are making people request a ballot but no longer require a reason for absentee voting .
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figuring that to make voters have contact with another person during the pandemic is unsafe .
Voters have set records for mail-in ballot requests in jurisdictions across the country .
President Trump is less excited .
He says mail voting will be fraudulent .
Experts doubt that the presidential election could be swung by mail-in ballot fraud , though it could play roles in close races down the ballot .
Another problem is emerging as voters and politicians alike worry that the postal system won ’ t be able to handle the load @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections warn others to be ready for tens of thousands of rejected ballots based on signature mismatches or other ballot errors .
During California ’ s presidential primary in March , more than 100,000 ballots , about 1.5 % of the total , were disqualified .
The Postal Service is gaining attention as the number of mishaps grows .
The latest charges were filed this week in Florida .
Crystal Nicole Myrie , 31 , was charged with interfering with an election after a Postal Service inspector general investigator discovered a ballot intended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her personal vehicle , along with gift cards , political flyers and other mail .
Under Florida law , the person the ballot was intended for would not have been able to cast a ballot , even in person , without bringing the mailed ballot to be canceled .
In Bergen County , New Jersey , a mail carrier was charged with mail theft this month after authorities noticed mail missing on his route .
Investigators found 99 mail-in ballots , en route to voters , dumped .
In Kentucky , a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let go after dumping 112 absentee ballots .
Each of those cases involved ballots on the way to voters .
In the West Virginia case , a mail carrier changed primary ballot requests from Democrat to Republican .
He admitted to attempted election fraud in July .
In Texas , prosecutors have brought charges in two cases of absentee ballot fraud .
In one instance , they accused a county commissioner of running a scam to harvest absentee ballots from people who were ineligible to vote that way .
The commissioner won his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those ballots .
In the other case , a mayoral candidate stands accused of forging dozens of absentee ballot requests in November ’ s election .
In every case , mischief is possible only because the ballots leave what has traditionally been a closed election system , with a voter showing up at a specified precinct , marking a ballot and then submitting it .
In no instance did the ballot leave the polling place .
With mail voting , however , the chain of custody is murkier .
Postal employees , other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with access to a home or mailbox could touch the ballot .
Some states allow ballot harvesting , by which someone collects ballots from voters and submits them on their behalf .
John C. Fortier , director of governmental studies at the Bipartisan Policy Center , said there has long been tension between the desire for voting convenience and election integrity .
He said mail-voting is popular , and convenience is winning that debate .
Some states have done it well .
Colorado runs all-mail elections .
Every voter is sent a ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it through the mail or dropping it off .
They can also show up and vote in person .
The state has secure drop boxes , bipartisan teams that collect the ballots and signature matching to verify the voter .
Colorado also has a live connection from polling places to voter databases , so officials will know when someone who shows up to vote in person has already cast a ballot , Mr. Fortier said .
Voters can also go online to see whether their ballot has been accepted .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be mitigated , but some can be mitigated by a really well-run election process , ” he said .
The problem is that so many states are rushing to expand mail voting .
They may be cutting corners , and they are throwing a new system at the electorate , too .
“ Voters themselves actually do have problems voting in a new way , voting by mail .
There are more ways you can have your ballot thrown out , ” Mr. Fortier said .
He said that ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he called “ marginal ” in terms of the total number of votes cast and counted in this election .
The Washington Times reached out to several mail-ballot voting advocates , but they either said they were too busy or didn ’ t respond .
Neither did the Postal Service or its inspector general ’ s office , which is investigating the mishaps , though the official who announced the Kentucky employees firing insisted in a statement that such incidents are “ exceedingly rare.
” Mr. Adams said there is no way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many go undetected or unreported .
He said the Texas cases should serve as a wake-up call .
“ I ’ ve always had ideas about what could happen .
If those facts are accurate , it pushes the envelope , ” he said .
Mr. Adams said pitfalls from mail-in voting are beginning to hit home with voters .
Polling suggests that while it ’ s still popular , the number of people saying they plan to vote by mail has shrunk compared with over the summer .
Even some Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which according to research are more prevalent among minority and younger voters — key groups in the party ’ s coalition .
“ This is a big ‘ I told you so ’ moment for me , ” said Mr. Adams .
“ They may lose the election over their insistence on this .
”

Postal employees in New Jersey and Florida have been charged this month with dumping or blocking the delivery of mail-in ballots, and a third employee was fired after investigators say they found more than 100 mail-in ballots dumped in Kentucky.
In West Virginia, a mailman pleaded guilty over the summer to meddling with ballot requests in the presidential primary, switching voters from Democrat to Republican.
In central Virginia, collection boxes outside six post offices were ransacked this month, and election officials worry that ballots may have been taken.
While most of the attention paid to the role of the U.S. Postal Service this election year has been focused on whether it can handle the volume and timing of ballots, the spate of incidents suggests there are other reasons to worry about the Postal Service as a weak link in what is expected to be a record number of vote-by-mail ballots.
“If you want people to be disenfranchised, make them all vote by mail,” said J. Christian Adams, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. “Ballots get lost, ballots get destroyed, ballots get hidden by postmen. The worst thing you can do is decentralize the process.”
The matter has taken on urgency this year as officials in both Republican- and Democrat-led states rush to offer voters more options during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some states expanded in-person voting, but by far the most popular change has been encouraging voters to cast ballots by mail.
In some states, officials are mailing ballots to every voter. Other states are making people request a ballot but no longer require a reason for absentee voting. Still others have scrapped witness signature requirements, figuring that to make voters have contact with another person during the pandemic is unsafe.
Voters have set records for mail-in ballot requests in jurisdictions across the country.
President Trump is less excited. He says mail voting will be fraudulent.
Experts doubt that the presidential election could be swung by mail-in ballot fraud, though it could play roles in close races down the ballot.
Another problem is emerging as voters and politicians alike worry that the postal system won’t be able to handle the load.
Jurisdictions that have experience with all-mail elections warn others to be ready for tens of thousands of rejected ballots based on signature mismatches or other ballot errors. During California’s presidential primary in March, more than 100,000 ballots, about 1.5% of the total, were disqualified.
The Postal Service is gaining attention as the number of mishaps grows.
The latest charges were filed this week in Florida. Crystal Nicole Myrie, 31, was charged with interfering with an election after a Postal Service inspector general investigator discovered a ballot intended for a voter that she kept in her personal vehicle, along with gift cards, political flyers and other mail.
Under Florida law, the person the ballot was intended for would not have been able to cast a ballot, even in person, without bringing the mailed ballot to be canceled.
In Bergen County, New Jersey, a mail carrier was charged with mail theft this month after authorities noticed mail missing on his route. Investigators found 99 mail-in ballots, en route to voters, dumped.
In Kentucky, a federal investigator announced that a postal employee was let go after dumping 112 absentee ballots.
Each of those cases involved ballots on the way to voters.
In the West Virginia case, a mail carrier changed primary ballot requests from Democrat to Republican. He admitted to attempted election fraud in July.
In Texas, prosecutors have brought charges in two cases of absentee ballot fraud.
In one instance, they accused a county commissioner of running a scam to harvest absentee ballots from people who were ineligible to vote that way. The commissioner won his seat in 2018 on the strength of those ballots.
In the other case, a mayoral candidate stands accused of forging dozens of absentee ballot requests in November’s election.
In every case, mischief is possible only because the ballots leave what has traditionally been a closed election system, with a voter showing up at a specified precinct, marking a ballot and then submitting it. In no instance did the ballot leave the polling place.
With mail voting, however, the chain of custody is murkier. Postal employees, other household residents, caretakers or anyone else with access to a home or mailbox could touch the ballot. Some states allow ballot harvesting, by which someone collects ballots from voters and submits them on their behalf.
John C. Fortier, director of governmental studies at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said there has long been tension between the desire for voting convenience and election integrity. He said mail-voting is popular, and convenience is winning that debate.
Some states have done it well. Colorado runs all-mail elections. Every voter is sent a ballot and can cast it either by sending it through the mail or dropping it off. They can also show up and vote in person.
The state has secure drop boxes, bipartisan teams that collect the ballots and signature matching to verify the voter. Colorado also has a live connection from polling places to voter databases, so officials will know when someone who shows up to vote in person has already cast a ballot, Mr. Fortier said.
Voters can also go online to see whether their ballot has been accepted.
“I’m not sure all of these issues can be mitigated, but some can be mitigated by a really well-run election process,” he said.
The problem is that so many states are rushing to expand mail voting. They may be cutting corners, and they are throwing a new system at the electorate, too.
“Voters themselves actually do have problems voting in a new way, voting by mail. There are more ways you can have your ballot thrown out,” Mr. Fortier said.
He said that’s a larger issue than Postal Service hiccups, which he called “marginal” in terms of the total number of votes cast and counted in this election.
The Washington Times reached out to several mail-ballot voting advocates, but they either said they were too busy or didn’t respond.
Neither did the Postal Service or its inspector general’s office, which is investigating the mishaps, though the official who announced the Kentucky employees firing insisted in a statement that such incidents are “exceedingly rare.”
Mr. Adams said there is no way of knowing because there is no telling how many go undetected or unreported.
He said the Texas cases should serve as a wake-up call.
“I’ve always had ideas about what could happen. If those facts are accurate, it pushes the envelope,” he said.
Mr. Adams said pitfalls from mail-in voting are beginning to hit home with voters. Polling suggests that while it’s still popular, the number of people saying they plan to vote by mail has shrunk compared with over the summer.
Even some Democratic officials are worried about disqualified ballots, which according to research are more prevalent among minority and younger voters — key groups in the party’s coalition.
“This is a big ‘I told you so’ moment for me,” said Mr. Adams. “They may lose the election over their insistence on this.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Thai protesters rally ahead of parliamentary debate

BANGKOK ( AP ) - Thousands of pro-democracy protesters gathered in Thailand ’ s capital again on Sunday , seeking to keep up pressure on the government a day ahead of a special session of Parliament called to try to ease political tensions .
The rally took place at the busy Rajprasong intersection , in the heart of Bangkok ’ s shopping district .
Few protesters turned out in the first hour of the rally , but their numbers later swelled to several thousand , who listened to rude denunciations of the government in chants , speeches and even songs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ignored the protesters ’ deadline to step down .
The protesters ’ core demands also include a more democratic constitution and reforms to the monarchy .
Public criticism of the monarchy is unprecedented is a country where the royal institution has been considered sacrosanct .
The demonstrators charge that Prayuth , who led a coup in 2014 as the army chief , was returned to power unfairly in last year ’ s general election because laws had been changed to favor a pro-military party .
The protesters also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enacted under military rule , is undemocratic .
Prayuth ’ s government last week called the Parliamentary session , expected to last two days , to seek to defuse weeks of almost daily protests .
“ The only way to a lasting solution for all sides that is fair for those on the streets as well as for the many millions who choose not to go on the streets is to discuss and resolve these differences through the parliamentary process , ” he said last week .
Prayuth also lifted a state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier that made the protest rallies illegal .
The protesters were not impressed by his efforts to appease them , declaring them insincere .
They noted on social media that the points of discussion submitted by the government for debate dealt not with their concerns but were thinly disguised criticisms of the protests themselves .
They concern the risk of the coronavirus spreading at rallies , the alleged interference with a royal motorcade by a small crowd earlier this month , and illegal gatherings and the destruction of images of the royal family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday afternoon march to the German Embassy in central Bangkok , far from the Parliament complex on the outskirts of the city .
The apparent rationale for the march is to bring attention to the protesters ’ contention that King Maha Vajiralongkorn spends much of his time in Germany .
Protesters ’ criticism of the royal institution has irked conservative Thais because it traditionally has been treated as sacrosanct .
Self-proclaimed “ defenders of the monarchy ” mobilized last week online and in rallies in several cities , in many cases led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small royalist rally in Bangkok broke into violence when a few attendees attacked anti-government student activists .

BANGKOK (AP) - Thousands of pro-democracy protesters gathered in Thailand’s capital again on Sunday, seeking to keep up pressure on the government a day before a special session of Parliament that was called to try to ease political tensions.
The rally took place at the busy Rajprasong intersection, in the heart of Bangkok’s shopping district. Few protesters turned out in the first hour of the rally, but their numbers later swelled to several thousand, who listened to rude denunciations of the government in chants, speeches and even songs.
The rally was called Saturday night after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ignored the protesters’ deadline to step down.
The protesters’ core demands also include a more democratic constitution and reforms to the monarchy. Public criticism of the monarchy is unprecedented in a country where the royal institution has been considered sacrosanct.
The demonstrators charge that Prayuth, who led a coup in 2014 as the army chief, was returned to power unfairly in last year’s general election because laws had been changed to favor a pro-military party. The protesters also say that the constitution, written and enacted under military rule, is undemocratic.
Prayuth’s government last week called the special parliamentary session to seek to defuse weeks of almost daily protests. The session begins Monday and is expected to last two days.
“The only way to a lasting solution for all sides that is fair for those on the streets as well as for the many millions who choose not to go on the streets is to discuss and resolve these differences through the parliamentary process,” Prayuth said last week.
He also lifted a state of emergency that he had imposed a week earlier that made the protest rallies illegal.
The protesters were not impressed by his efforts to appease them, declaring them insincere.
They noted on social media that the points of discussion submitted by the government for debate dealt not with their concerns but were thinly disguised criticisms of the protests themselves.
They concern the risk of the coronavirus spreading at rallies, the alleged interference with a royal motorcade by a small crowd earlier this month, and illegal gatherings and the destruction of images of the royal family.
Protest organizers have called for a Monday afternoon march to the German Embassy in central Bangkok, far from the Parliament complex on the outskirts of the city.
The apparent rationale for the march is to bring attention to the protesters’ contention that King Maha Vajiralongkorn spends much of his time in Germany.
Protesters’ criticism of the royal institution has irked conservative Thais because the monarchy traditionally has been treated as sacrosanct.
Self-proclaimed “defenders of the monarchy” mobilized last week online and in rallies in several cities, in many cases led by local civil servants. On Wednesday, a small royalist rally in Bangkok broke into violence when a few attendees attacked anti-government student activists.
On Sunday, as many as 1,000 royalists gathered peacefully outside Parliament, vowing to stay overnight so they could make known to lawmakers in the morning their opposition to any changes in the status of the monarchy.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Sore losers: Hillary Clinton operatives tried to take down Trump after he won the 2016 election

Hillary Clinton operatives continued to push false information against Donald Trump to the Justice Department ’ s No .
4 official after the Republican won the 2016 election , newly declassified FBI documents show .
Repeated Clinton-funded communications in 2016 and 2017 with then-Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr were creating a basis for Democrats to try to bring down the newly elected president .
The operatives tried to sell Mr. Ohr on election conspiracies that didn ’ t exist , such as a supposed secret trip to Prague , a Trump campaign-Kremlin liaison team and a mysterious Moscow bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Party hired Fusion GPS as its opposition research arm .
Fusion co-founder Glenn R. Simpson handled his main researcher , Christopher Steele , the former British intelligence officer who in 2016 produced what Republicans say is a hoax dossier .
When it came to engaging Mr. Ohr , Mr. Simpson and Mr. Steele ’ s anti-Trump campaign did not stop with the Nov. 8 election , according to 12 interviews an FBI agent conducted with Mr. Ohr , whose wife , Nellie , worked at Fusion .
The interview notes , known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and released by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson , Wisconsin Republican .
On Dec. 10 , 2016 , Mr. Simpson met at a Peet ’ s Coffee shop in downtown Washington with Mr. Ohr , who had become an unauthorized anti-Trump messenger from Mr. Steele and Fusion to the FBI .
Mr. Simpson told Mr. Ohr that Mr. Trump ’ s attorney Michael Cohen “ is the go-between Russia and the Trump campaign and replaced Paul Manafort and Carter Page , ” according to the FBI ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those assertions by Mr. Simpson proved to be false .
Cohen was never a campaign conduit to the Russians for election interference .
Manafort , a former campaign manager , and volunteer Carter Page never worked as liaisons with the Kremlin .
All were cleared of election interference in special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s March 2019 report .
Mr. Simpson also tried to sell Mr. Ohr on the discredited Prague story — that is , that Cohen traveled to the Czech Republic ’ s capital city in August 2016 to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and devise a cover-up of the Trump campaign ’ s role in computer hacking .
The FBI concluded that such a trip never happened .
Mr. Simpson also told Mr. Ohr that the Russians may have provided money to the National Rifle Association to aid Mr. Trump ’ s campaign .
McClatchy news service ultimately wrote a story endorsing that contention .
There has been no public evidence that the Russians funded the NRA ’ s political arm .
The NRA presented to a Senate committee information from an audit that showed no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2017 , Inauguration Day , Mr. Simpson called Mr. Ohr to tell him that someone involved in compiling the dossier may be publicly identified .
The next day , Mr. Steele began text-messaging Mr. Ohr and said an unnamed employee may be in danger and “ may need help quickly.
” On Jan. 27 , Mr. Ohr received a WhatsApp message from Mr. Steele saying the employee “ was all right.
” In a subsequent message , Mr. Ohr quoted Mr. Steele : “ Steele is beginning to worry about his business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Steele said in a February 2017 conversation that he was “ pleased ” with a CNN story reporting that the FBI was confirming his allegations against the Trump campaign .
CNN reporters repeated that claim over the next two years .
In fact , none of Mr. Steele ’ s anti-Trump claims was proved .
Peter Strzok , the lead FBI agent , told The Atlantic magazine that the dossier was “ inaccurate ” and led him down “ wild-goose chases.
” Mr. Steele also told Mr. Ohr that Alfa Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , maintained a secret computer server to convey messages to the Trump campaign .
The former spy claimed that Sergei Millian , a Belarusian who ran an American/Russian business group , used the server .
Mr. Ohr said Mr. Simpson believed Mr. Millian was the key link between the campaign and Moscow .
“ Simpson still thinks Sergei Millian is a key figure connecting Trump to Russia , ” Mr. Ohr told the FBI .
There was never any proof of this .
Trump Organization officials told The Washington Times that they did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told him to stop claiming he had .
“ Simpson believes Millian is an SVR officer , however he is deducing this from Millian ’ s alias not because he was told Millian was SVR , ” a Form 302 says .
“ Millian may have overseen many financial transfers from Russia to assist the Trump campaign.
” The Alfa bank server theory became steady lore to the political left as it sold the idea of a Trump conspiracy .
According to the FBI ’ s interview notes , Mr. Simpson told Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story from October 3 , 2016 that downplayed the connection between Alfa Bank servers and the Trump campaign was incorrect .
There was communication and it wasn ’ t spam.
” The FBI in February 2017 , as Mr. Simpson continued to sell the conspiracy , concluded there was no such server , according to a report by the Justice Department ’ s inspector general .
Mr. Mueller found no Trump-Kremlin election conspiracy to hack computers and wage information warfare against Mrs. Clinton .
Mr. Steele was outed as the dossier author shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 10 , 2017 , prompting him to go into hiding .
Mr. Steele continued to text-message Mr. Ohr into the spring of 2017 .
In May , Mr. Steele said Fusion GPS representatives “ would be visiting Steele soon and were in the process of ‘ lawyering up.
’ ” “ Steele was interested in working with the FBI and had additional information if the FBI was interested , ” the Form 302 quotes Mr. Ohr as saying .
After news broke that Mr. Ohr had inserted himself into the Steele-Fusion GPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under an internal inquiry .
He resigned from the Justice Department last month .
Senate Republicans have acquired FBI documents that show Mr. Steele relied on one main dossier source , who fed him anti-Trump anecdotes from friends in Moscow .
The information was second- and thirdhand gossip .
Intelligence agencies told the FBI that some dossier items , such as the Cohen stories , were Kremlin disinformation .
The main source later was identified as Russian national Igor Danchenko , who lives in the Washington area and has traveled to Moscow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Russian agent .

Hillary Clinton operatives continued to push false information against Donald Trump to the Justice Department’s No. 4 official after the Republican won the 2016 election, newly declassified FBI documents show.
Repeated Clinton-funded communications in 2016 and 2017 with then-Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr were creating a basis for Democrats to try to bring down the newly elected president.
The operatives tried to sell Mr. Ohr on election conspiracies that didn’t exist, such as a supposed secret trip to Prague, a Trump campaign-Kremlin liaison team and a mysterious Moscow bank server.
The Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party hired Fusion GPS as its opposition research arm. Fusion co-founder Glenn R. Simpson handled his main researcher, Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence officer who in 2016 produced what Republicans say is a hoax dossier.
When it came to engaging Mr. Ohr, Mr. Simpson and Mr. Steele’s anti-Trump campaign did not stop with the Nov. 8 election, according to 12 interviews an FBI agent conducted with Mr. Ohr, whose wife, Nellie, worked at Fusion.
The interview notes, known as a Form 302, were obtained and released by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican.
On Dec. 10, 2016, Mr. Simpson met at a Peet’s Coffee shop in downtown Washington with Mr. Ohr, who had become an unauthorized anti-Trump messenger from Mr. Steele and Fusion to the FBI.
Mr. Simpson told Mr. Ohr that Mr. Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen “is the go-between Russia and the Trump campaign and replaced Paul Manafort and Carter Page,” according to the FBI’s notes from an Ohr interview.
Both of those assertions by Mr. Simpson proved to be false.
Cohen was never a campaign conduit to the Russians for election interference. Manafort, a former campaign manager, and volunteer Carter Page never worked as liaisons with the Kremlin. All were cleared of election interference in special counsel Robert Mueller’s March 2019 report.
Mr. Simpson also tried to sell Mr. Ohr on the discredited Prague story — that is, that Cohen traveled to the Czech Republic’s capital city in August 2016 to meet with aides of Russian President Vladimir Putin and devise a cover-up of the Trump campaign’s role in computer hacking. The FBI concluded that such a trip never happened.
Mr. Simpson also told Mr. Ohr that the Russians may have provided money to the National Rifle Association to aid Mr. Trump’s campaign. McClatchy news service ultimately wrote a story endorsing that contention.
There has been no public evidence that the Russians funded the NRA’s political arm. The NRA presented to a Senate committee information from an audit that showed no such money flow.
On Jan. 20, 2017, Inauguration Day, Mr. Simpson called Mr. Ohr to tell him that someone involved in compiling the dossier may be publicly identified.
The next day, Mr. Steele began text-messaging Mr. Ohr and said an unnamed employee may be in danger and “may need help quickly.” On Jan. 27, Mr. Ohr received a WhatsApp message from Mr. Steele saying the employee “was all right.”
In a subsequent message, Mr. Ohr quoted Mr. Steele: “Steele is beginning to worry about his business” — Orbis Business Intelligence in London.
Mr. Steele said in a February 2017 conversation that he was “pleased” with a CNN story reporting that the FBI was confirming his allegations against the Trump campaign. CNN reporters repeated that claim over the next two years.
In fact, none of Mr. Steele’s anti-Trump claims was proved. Peter Strzok, the lead FBI agent, told The Atlantic magazine that the dossier was “inaccurate” and led him down “wild-goose chases.”
Mr. Steele also told Mr. Ohr that Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest commercial lender, maintained a secret computer server to convey messages to the Trump campaign.
The former spy claimed that Sergei Millian, a Belarusian who ran an American/Russian business group, used the server.
Mr. Ohr said Mr. Simpson believed Mr. Millian was the key link between the campaign and Moscow.
“Simpson still thinks Sergei Millian is a key figure connecting Trump to Russia,” Mr. Ohr told the FBI.
There was never any proof of this. Trump Organization officials told The Washington Times that they did not conduct business with Mr. Millian and told him to stop claiming he had.
“Simpson believes Millian is an SVR officer, however he is deducing this from Millian’s alias not because he was told Millian was SVR,” a Form 302 says. “Millian may have overseen many financial transfers from Russia to assist the Trump campaign.”
The Alfa bank server theory became steady lore to the political left as it sold the idea of a Trump conspiracy.
According to the FBI’s interview notes, Mr. Simpson told Mr. Ohr: “The New York Times story from October 3, 2016 that downplayed the connection between Alfa Bank servers and the Trump campaign was incorrect. There was communication and it wasn’t spam.”
The FBI in February 2017, as Mr. Simpson continued to sell the conspiracy, concluded there was no such server, according to a report by the Justice Department’s inspector general.
Mr. Mueller found no Trump-Kremlin election conspiracy to hack computers and wage information warfare against Mrs. Clinton.
Mr. Steele was outed as the dossier author shortly after BuzzFeed posted its 17 memos on Jan. 10, 2017, prompting him to go into hiding.
Mr. Steele continued to text-message Mr. Ohr into the spring of 2017.
In May, Mr. Steele said Fusion GPS representatives “would be visiting Steele soon and were in the process of ‘lawyering up.’”
“Steele was interested in working with the FBI and had additional information if the FBI was interested,” the Form 302 quotes Mr. Ohr as saying.
After news broke that Mr. Ohr had inserted himself into the Steele-Fusion GPS pipeline, he was demoted and put under an internal inquiry. He resigned from the Justice Department last month.
Senate Republicans have acquired FBI documents that show Mr. Steele relied on one main dossier source, who fed him anti-Trump anecdotes from friends in Moscow. The information was second- and thirdhand gossip.
Intelligence agencies told the FBI that some dossier items, such as the Cohen stories, were Kremlin disinformation. The main source later was identified as Russian national Igor Danchenko, who lives in the Washington area and has traveled to Moscow. The FBI has suspected him of being a Russian agent.
• Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Trump rallying Asian allies to be top gun in showdown with China

The Trump administration ’ s push for a military alliance among the major democracies of Asia to contain China showed new signs of moving ahead more rapidly than anticipated , with Australian agreeing to join U.S. , Indian , Japanese forces in historic joint naval exercises next month .
While the four have engaged in a loose diplomatic grouping known as “ the Quad ” for years , they has previously struggled to achieve major military or geopolitical coordination amid reservations from India and the uncertain reaction from Beijing .
But recent days have seen a shift in New Delhi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking part in an upcoming war game with Americans and Japanese — a development following closely on the Trump administration ’ s push for the Quad to serve as the core of a more formal “ Asian NATO ” to constrain China .
There were also fresh signs Monday that at least one key smaller nation on China ’ s periphery — communist-run Vietnam — may be increasingly eager to align with the Quad for economic and military security .
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga , in his first foreign trip since becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc inked an agreement for Japan to begin exporting defense equipment to Vietnam .
Mr. Suga said a key thrust of his four-day trip to Vietnam and Indonesia was to pursue economic and security cooperation to counter China ’ s growing power and protect sea lanes in disputed areas of the South China Sea .
It remains to be seen whether those nations or others , such as the Philippines and South Korea , might one day become members of a NATO-like security alliance in Asia , analysts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an expanded version of the “ Quad.
” Past efforts for an East Asian security alliance , such as the post-World War II Southeast Asia Treaty Organization ( SEATO ) to guard against Cold War-era communism , failed to gain lasting traction .
But that was before China ’ s emergence as a rising superpower , a reality that has prompted many to argue the Quad — a strategic forum first suggested in 2007 by Mr. Abe and later embraced by the Trump administration as part of its 2017 Indo-Pacific strategy — is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting of Quad diplomats in Tokyo this month , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing ’ s economic aggression toward smaller nations , military muscle-flexing and territorial bullying must be countered by deeper coordination among the region ’ s pro-democracy forces .
“ As partners in this Quad , it is more critical now than ever that we collaborate to protect our people and partners from the [ Chinese Communist Party ’ s ] exploitation , corruption and coercion , ” Mr. Pompeo said .
Beijing has sharply criticized the U.S. push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asserting on a recent tour of several Asian nations that the Trump administration and its Indo-Pacific strategy represent “ a huge security risk ” to the region .
During a stop in Malaysia , Mr. Yi slammed the Quad as already being an “ Indo-Pacific NATO , ” according to the South China Morning Post .
The catch is that the Quad , while gradually stepping up joint military exercises in recent years , has been hampered by the hesitation of some members who worry that a more formal NATO-like organization would invite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ranks as by far the top foreign trading partner for India and Australia , and is very close second to the U.S. for Japan .
And then there is the issue of India , which traditionally has resisted participating in formal alliances , even with powerful and like-minded democracies such as the United States .
But India ’ s official and popular thinking has been colored by recent Chinese aggressiveness , notably the deadly clash this summer along the tensely disputed Himalayan border running between the two nations .
India ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month in the so-called Malabar joint naval exercises with the U.S. , Japan and Australia — and Canberra ’ s decision to accept — “ reinforce the fact that the Quad finally has legs , ” said Michael Kugelman , deputy director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center .
“ The fact that all four countries will be participating in a major training exercise is no small matter , ” Mr. Kugelman said Monday , although he cautioned against reading too deeply into the development .
“ I would not , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inclusion in the Malabar exercise means that the Quad is evolving into something NATO-like , ” Mr. Kugelman said .
“ Let ’ s be clear : the Quad nations are not interested in an alliance , ” he said .
“ They see the Quad as a stepping stone to operational maritime security cooperation , but outside of the alliance system in which the U.S. has traditionally embedded its military cooperation with its closest defense partners.
” Still , India ’ s Economic Times newspaper said the invitation marked “ a significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
The war games , which will feature joint aircraft carrier and submarine exercises in both the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea , will demonstrate a change of stance for the first time since 2007 , the paper reported .
Australia participated in Malabar that year , but was not invited by the Indians in subsequent years after China complained .
“ It ’ s a positive sign that India has taken the initiative here by reaching out to the Australians to conduct military exercises along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maxwell , a retired U.S. Special Forces Colonel and East Asia expert with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies , said in an interview Monday .
“ It ’ s a positive sign for the potential of the Quad to be developing interoperability and trust , along with a security architecture that will be able to defend the interests of all the members against threats , including that represented by China as the 600-pound gorilla , ” Mr. Maxwell said .
However , he too was cautious about over characterizing the latest developments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like an Asian NATO .
“ I ’ m worried when we call it a ‘ NATO-like ’ architecture because it ’ s got to be Asia unique , ” he said .
“ We certainly need these relationships of like-minded countries , but not necessarily in the European style.
” He added that while Japan and Australia appear to be giving “ strong support ” to the notion of a beefed-up Quad aimed at countering China , the Indians remain the wild card .
“ The long pole in the tent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr. Maxwell said .
“ If we push it too far and India thinks they are really falling under our sphere of influence , they ’ re no longer going to be the independent India they ’ re always aspiring to be .
”

The Trump administration’s push for a military alliance among the major democracies of Asia to contain China showed new signs of moving ahead more rapidly than anticipated, with Australian agreeing to join U.S., Indian, Japanese forces in historic joint naval exercises next month.
While the four have engaged in a loose diplomatic grouping known as “the Quad” for years, they has previously struggled to achieve major military or geopolitical coordination amid reservations from India and the uncertain reaction from Beijing.
But recent days have seen a shift in New Delhi, which announced Monday Australia would be taking part in an upcoming war game with Americans and Japanese — a development following closely on the Trump administration’s push for the Quad to serve as the core of a more formal “Asian NATO” to constrain China.
There were also fresh signs Monday that at least one key smaller nation on China’s periphery — communist-run Vietnam — may be increasingly eager to align with the Quad for economic and military security.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, in his first foreign trip since becoming succeeding Shinzo Abe last month, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc inked an agreement for Japan to begin exporting defense equipment to Vietnam.
Mr. Suga said a key thrust of his four-day trip to Vietnam and Indonesia was to pursue economic and security cooperation to counter China’s growing power and protect sea lanes in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
It remains to be seen whether those nations or others, such as the Philippines and South Korea, might one day become members of a NATO-like security alliance in Asia, analysts generally agree they could be included in an expanded version of the “Quad.”
Past efforts for an East Asian security alliance, such as the post-World War II Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) to guard against Cold War-era communism, failed to gain lasting traction.
But that was before China’s emergence as a rising superpower, a reality that has prompted many to argue the Quad — a strategic forum first suggested in 2007 by Mr. Abe and later embraced by the Trump administration as part of its 2017 Indo-Pacific strategy — is ripe for expansion.
At a top-level meeting of Quad diplomats in Tokyo this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing’s economic aggression toward smaller nations, military muscle-flexing and territorial bullying must be countered by deeper coordination among the region’s pro-democracy forces.
“As partners in this Quad, it is more critical now than ever that we collaborate to protect our people and partners from the [Chinese Communist Party’s] exploitation, corruption and coercion,” Mr. Pompeo said.
Beijing has sharply criticized the U.S. push, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi asserting on a recent tour of several Asian nations that the Trump administration and its Indo-Pacific strategy represent “a huge security risk” to the region. During a stop in Malaysia, Mr. Yi slammed the Quad as already being an “Indo-Pacific NATO,” according to the South China Morning Post.
The catch is that the Quad, while gradually stepping up joint military exercises in recent years, has been hampered by the hesitation of some members who worry that a more formal NATO-like organization would invite a punitive economic backlash from Beijing.
China ranks as by far the top foreign trading partner for India and Australia, and is very close second to the U.S. for Japan.
And then there is the issue of India, which traditionally has resisted participating in formal alliances, even with powerful and like-minded democracies such as the United States. But India’s official and popular thinking has been colored by recent Chinese aggressiveness, notably the deadly clash this summer along the tensely disputed Himalayan border running between the two nations.
India’s decision to invite Australia to participate next month in the so-called Malabar joint naval exercises with the U.S., Japan and Australia — and Canberra’s decision to accept — “reinforce the fact that the Quad finally has legs,” said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center.
“The fact that all four countries will be participating in a major training exercise is no small matter,” Mr. Kugelman said Monday, although he cautioned against reading too deeply into the development.
“I would not, however, suggest that Australia’s inclusion in the Malabar exercise means that the Quad is evolving into something NATO-like,” Mr. Kugelman said.
“Let’s be clear: the Quad nations are not interested in an alliance,” he said. “They see the Quad as a stepping stone to operational maritime security cooperation, but outside of the alliance system in which the U.S. has traditionally embedded its military cooperation with its closest defense partners.”
Still, India’s Economic Times newspaper said the invitation marked “a significant shift in policy” by government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The war games, which will feature joint aircraft carrier and submarine exercises in both the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, will demonstrate a change of stance for the first time since 2007, the paper reported.
Australia participated in Malabar that year, but was not invited by the Indians in subsequent years after China complained.
“It’s a positive sign that India has taken the initiative here by reaching out to the Australians to conduct military exercises along with the U.S. and Japan,” David Maxwell, a retired U.S. Special Forces Colonel and East Asia expert with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said in an interview Monday.
“It’s a positive sign for the potential of the Quad to be developing interoperability and trust, along with a security architecture that will be able to defend the interests of all the members against threats, including that represented by China as the 600-pound gorilla,” Mr. Maxwell said.
However, he too was cautious about over characterizing the latest developments as a clear cut move toward something like an Asian NATO.
“I’m worried when we call it a ‘NATO-like’ architecture because it’s got to be Asia unique,” he said. “We certainly need these relationships of like-minded countries, but not necessarily in the European style.”
He added that while Japan and Australia appear to be giving “strong support” to the notion of a beefed-up Quad aimed at countering China, the Indians remain the wild card.
“The long pole in the tent, I think, is Indian politics,” Mr. Maxwell said. “If we push it too far and India thinks they are really falling under our sphere of influence, they’re no longer going to be the independent India they’re always aspiring to be.”
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--The end of an era: The rise of social media, cable TV has led to the demise of the October surprise

The 2020 election season already has provided enough October surprises to fill a pinata , but the would-be bombshells involving President Trump and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden have yet to pack much of a punch .
The Bob Woodward book , the Trump tax returns , the Hunter Biden laptop emails — so far none has been able to hold the public ’ s attention beyond the first few days of the news cycle , which may say more about the roller coaster news cycle than the disclosures themselves .
“ I think the October surprise is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of communications we live in , ” said Reagan biographer Craig Shirley .
“ There are so many competing avenues , there are so many competing social platforms and cable stations and blogs and websites and newspapers , so it ’ s very hard to herd everybody in one direction at the same time.
” Hard , but not impossible .
Just four years ago , FBI Director James B. Comey upended the presidential race by reopening the investigation into the private email server used by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dated Oct. 28 , 2016 — 11 days before the election — and has been credited , in retrospect , with cutting Mrs. Clinton ’ s poll lead in half and sowing the seeds of her stunning defeat .
“ At a minimum , its impact might have been only a percentage point or so , ” FiveThirtyEight elections guru Nate Silver said in a May 2017 article .
“ Still , because Clinton lost Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by less than 1 point , the letter was probably enough to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A book by political reporter Devlin Barrett released last month is aptly titled “ October Surprise : How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election.
” In many respects , the FBI email investigation was the perfect surprise .
It arrived within a fortnight of the election , before the media narrative could shift , and came from a completely unexpected source : an Obama administration figure viewed as sympathetic to Mrs. Clinton and not its beneficiary , candidate Trump .
That may be the problem with this year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming .
Nobody was particularly shocked to see the anti-Trump Mr. Woodward and The New York Times drop explosive stories about the president leading up to the election — it would have been more of a shock if they hadn ’ t — and the New York Post ’ s rightward tilt lessened the impact of the Hunter Biden email scoop .
Then there ’ s the frenetic pace of 2020 , which arrived with a pandemic and could exit with an asteroid strike — with months of protests and rioting in between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disclosures to record heights .
Floyd Ciruli , director of the University of Denver Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research , said the whirlwind year made it difficult for The New York Times ’ reporting about Mr. Trump ’ s tax returns , for example , to take root .
“ The story got some traction , but the next thing you knew you had the debate , and the story was pushed back , and then the president got the virus , and then the debate got pushed back , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s just so many events piled up that it ’ s hard to not only get traction but to affect the electorate and tighten the race.
” If the media cycle moves too quickly for such surprises to resonate with the voters , Mr. Trump may bear some of the blame with his constant changing of the conversation .
“ What we ’ re in is a completely different news cycle than even four years ago , ” Mr. Ciruli said .
“ Partially , it ’ s that our news consumption is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
Because he is so news-needy and is in the news so much , there is something every day superseding what just happened.
” Technically , the tax return story and the Woodward book , in which Mr. Trump said he sought to downplay the dangers of the novel coronavirus at first to avoid stoking alarm , were September surprises .
But that ’ s the other thing about 2020 : the expansion of ever-earlier voting means curveballs need to break sooner .
“ One of the elements of the battlefield here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re already in an election , ” said Kentucky State University associate professor Wilfred Reilly .
“ You ’ re now seeing the time frame for sketchy political antics go back weeks .
We ’ ve been in election mode much longer than we normally are.
” In fact , he said , “ You can argue that we ’ ve been in election mode all summer.
” Presidential candidates have sought to pull last-minute fast ones arguably as long as there have been elections , but the phrase “ October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Nixon aide William Casey used the term to describe President Johnson ’ s effort to negotiate a peace deal before the election to boost Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey .
“ Casey was afraid outgoing President Lyndon Johnson would engineer a Vietnam peace initiative to give Humphrey , his vice president , a boost over Nixon .
Casey privately called it an October Surprise , ” New York Times columnist William Safire wrote in 2002 , according to NPR .
The expression took off after it was used to describe a failed October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have the Iranian hostages released before the 1980 election .
“ The Reagan campaign went out there starting in August and September warning of an October surprise : that Carter was going to pull the hostages out of his hip pocket and produce them , and the theory went that the American people , in a wave of adulation and appreciation , would reelect Jimmy Carter , ” Mr. Shirley said .
In 2000 , Republican nominee George W. Bush was hit with a November surprise — a Nov. 2 report about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but went on to win the squeaker election against Democrat Al Gore after a Florida recount that went to the Supreme Court .
Not every October surprise is human-caused .
When Superstorm Sandy made landfall on Oct. 29 , 2012 , it wound up benefiting President Obama , who was at the forefront of the relief effort , to the detriment of Republican Mitt Romney , who halted his campaign for several days in the storm ’ s aftermath .
Another unexpected election-shaper : The September 2008 Lehman Bros. crash , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the Republicans — thereby hurting Republican candidate John McCain in his race against Mr. Obama .
“ The idea is that after the World Series is over , the American people start to focus on the presidential campaign , and that ’ s when you drop your bombshell , ” said Mr. Shirley .
“ And everybody ’ s expecting it , so it ’ s not really a surprise.
” Still , Mr. Trump ’ s 2016 campaign reeled after the Oct. 7 release of a 2005 “ Access Hollywood ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language to talk about his relationships with women .
He later apologized .
That revelation ’ s impact was likely blunted by WikiLeaks ’ publishing on the same day emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta that raised questions about the Democratic nominee ’ s authenticity .
The 2020 election cycle also has revealed the power of the tech giants to fuel or suppress October surprises in their treatment of the Hunter Biden email story .
Facebook limited the story ’ s distribution , and Twitter banned users from retweeting the report while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Hunter Biden story has been actively suppressed to a degree I haven ’ t previously seen in this country , ” Mr. Reilly said .
“ My own bias is center-right , but this is something where you literally saw Facebook and Twitter say that this story could not be shared .
That ’ s something I ’ ve never seen with anything , unless you ’ re talking about the plans for 3D-printed guns or child pornography .
I think that ’ s extremely bizarre.
” There are almost two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a presidential debate Thursday , which means that nobody would be surprised to see another surprise .
“ Is there something out there ?
Is there a five-point shift in Hunter or in a late October surprise ?
” Mr. Ciruli said .
“ I don ’ t know .
I ’ ve been waiting for it , the surprise that moves things .
I ’ ve seen so many things that I thought might be the surprise , and nothing ’ s moving the numbers .
”

The 2020 election season already has provided enough October surprises to fill a pinata, but the would-be bombshells involving President Trump and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden have yet to pack much of a punch.
The Bob Woodward book, the Trump tax returns, the Hunter Biden laptop emails — so far none has been able to hold the public’s attention beyond the first few days of the news cycle, which may say more about the roller coaster news cycle than the disclosures themselves.
“I think the October surprise is more difficult today because of the hyperspeed world of communications we live in,” said Reagan biographer Craig Shirley. “There are so many competing avenues, there are so many competing social platforms and cable stations and blogs and websites and newspapers, so it’s very hard to herd everybody in one direction at the same time.”
Hard, but not impossible. Just four years ago, FBI Director James B. Comey upended the presidential race by reopening the investigation into the private email server used by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. His letter to Congress was dated Oct. 28, 2016 — 11 days before the election — and has been credited, in retrospect, with cutting Mrs. Clinton’s poll lead in half and sowing the seeds of her stunning defeat.
“At a minimum, its impact might have been only a percentage point or so,” FiveThirtyEight elections guru Nate Silver said in a May 2017 article. “Still, because Clinton lost Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by less than 1 point, the letter was probably enough to change the outcome of the Electoral College.”
A book by political reporter Devlin Barrett released last month is aptly titled “October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election.”
In many respects, the FBI email investigation was the perfect surprise. It arrived within a fortnight of the election, before the media narrative could shift, and came from a completely unexpected source: an Obama administration figure viewed as sympathetic to Mrs. Clinton and not its beneficiary, candidate Trump.
That may be the problem with this year’s bombshells: You could see them coming.
Nobody was particularly shocked to see the anti-Trump Mr. Woodward and The New York Times drop explosive stories about the president leading up to the election — it would have been more of a shock if they hadn’t — and the New York Post’s rightward tilt lessened the impact of the Hunter Biden email scoop.
Then there’s the frenetic pace of 2020, which arrived with a pandemic and could exit with an asteroid strike — with months of protests and rioting in between — raising the bar for explosive election disclosures to record heights.
Floyd Ciruli, director of the University of Denver Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research, said the whirlwind year made it difficult for The New York Times’ reporting about Mr. Trump’s tax returns, for example, to take root.
“The story got some traction, but the next thing you knew you had the debate, and the story was pushed back, and then the president got the virus, and then the debate got pushed back,” said Mr. Ciruli. “So there’s just so many events piled up that it’s hard to not only get traction but to affect the electorate and tighten the race.”
If the media cycle moves too quickly for such surprises to resonate with the voters, Mr. Trump may bear some of the blame with his constant changing of the conversation.
“What we’re in is a completely different news cycle than even four years ago,” Mr. Ciruli said. “Partially, it’s that our news consumption is different, but it’s also Trump. Because he is so news-needy and is in the news so much, there is something every day superseding what just happened.”
Technically, the tax return story and the Woodward book, in which Mr. Trump said he sought to downplay the dangers of the novel coronavirus at first to avoid stoking alarm, were September surprises. But that’s the other thing about 2020: the expansion of ever-earlier voting means curveballs need to break sooner.
“One of the elements of the battlefield here this time around is this idea that we’re already in an election,” said Kentucky State University associate professor Wilfred Reilly. “You’re now seeing the time frame for sketchy political antics go back weeks. We’ve been in election mode much longer than we normally are.”
In fact, he said, “You can argue that we’ve been in election mode all summer.”
From Vietnam to Iran
Presidential candidates have sought to pull last-minute fast ones arguably as long as there have been elections, but the phrase “October surprise” first emerged in 1968, when Nixon aide William Casey used the term to describe President Johnson’s effort to negotiate a peace deal before the election to boost Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey.
“Casey was afraid outgoing President Lyndon Johnson would engineer a Vietnam peace initiative to give Humphrey, his vice president, a boost over Nixon. Casey privately called it an October Surprise,” New York Times columnist William Safire wrote in 2002, according to NPR.
The expression took off after it was used to describe a failed October surprise: President Carter’s attempt to have the Iranian hostages released before the 1980 election.
“The Reagan campaign went out there starting in August and September warning of an October surprise: that Carter was going to pull the hostages out of his hip pocket and produce them, and the theory went that the American people, in a wave of adulation and appreciation, would reelect Jimmy Carter,” Mr. Shirley said.
In 2000, Republican nominee George W. Bush was hit with a November surprise — a Nov. 2 report about his 1976 DUI arrest in Maine — but went on to win the squeaker election against Democrat Al Gore after a Florida recount that went to the Supreme Court.
Not every October surprise is human-caused. When Superstorm Sandy made landfall on Oct. 29, 2012, it wound up benefiting President Obama, who was at the forefront of the relief effort, to the detriment of Republican Mitt Romney, who halted his campaign for several days in the storm’s aftermath.
Another unexpected election-shaper: The September 2008 Lehman Bros. crash, which was largely blamed on the party in power — the Republicans — thereby hurting Republican candidate John McCain in his race against Mr. Obama.
“The idea is that after the World Series is over, the American people start to focus on the presidential campaign, and that’s when you drop your bombshell,” said Mr. Shirley. “And everybody’s expecting it, so it’s not really a surprise.”
Still, Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign reeled after the Oct. 7 release of a 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape in which the Republican used vulgar language to talk about his relationships with women. He later apologized.
That revelation’s impact was likely blunted by WikiLeaks’ publishing on the same day emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta that raised questions about the Democratic nominee’s authenticity.
The 2020 election cycle also has revealed the power of the tech giants to fuel or suppress October surprises in their treatment of the Hunter Biden email story. Facebook limited the story’s distribution, and Twitter banned users from retweeting the report while freezing the Post’s account.
“The Hunter Biden story has been actively suppressed to a degree I haven’t previously seen in this country,” Mr. Reilly said. “My own bias is center-right, but this is something where you literally saw Facebook and Twitter say that this story could not be shared. That’s something I’ve never seen with anything, unless you’re talking about the plans for 3D-printed guns or child pornography. I think that’s extremely bizarre.”
There are almost two weeks until the Nov. 3 election, and a presidential debate Thursday, which means that nobody would be surprised to see another surprise.
“Is there something out there? Is there a five-point shift in Hunter or in a late October surprise?” Mr. Ciruli said. “I don’t know. I’ve been waiting for it, the surprise that moves things. I’ve seen so many things that I thought might be the surprise, and nothing’s moving the numbers.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Spain PM works on new state of emergency to curb outbreak

BARCELONA , Spain ( AP ) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a Cabinet meeting Sunday to prepare a new state of emergency to stem surging coronavirus infections , a move that could impose curfews and other restrictions across the country .
Sánchez ’ s government said Saturday night that a majority of Spain ’ s regional leaders have agreed to a new state of emergency and the meeting Sunday was to study its terms .
The state of emergency gives the national government extraordinary powers , including the ability to temporarily restrict basic freedoms guaranteed in Spain ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free movement .
Spain ’ s government has already declared two state of emergencies during the pandemic .
The first was declared in March to apply a strict home confinement across the nation , close stores and recruit private industry for the national public health fight .
It was lifted in June after reigning in the contagion rate and saving hospitals from collapse .
The second went into effect for two weeks in Madrid to force the capital ’ s reluctant regional leaders to impose travel limits on residents to slow down an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exponentially .
It lasted until Saturday .
Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa has said his agency and regional health officials are studying how to apply nightly curfews , perhaps like the 9 p.m. ones already in place in France ’ s major cities .
The state of emergency would make it easier for authorities to take swift action , avoiding having to get many of the restrictions approved by a judge .
Some judges have rejected efforts to limit movement in certain regions , causing confusion among the public .
Government officials on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete home lockdown and industry shutdown , given the weakened state of Spain ’ s economy , which has plunged into a recession and seen its unemployment rolls skyrocket in recent months .
Spain this week became the first European country to surpass 1 million officially recorded COVID-19 cases .
But Sánchez admitted Friday in a nationally televised address that the true figure could be more than 3 million , due to gaps in testing and other factors .
Spain on Friday reported almost 20,000 new daily cases and 231 more deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the pandemic to 34,752 .

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Buckling under the resurgence of the coronavirus in Europe, the Spanish government on Sunday declared a national state of emergency that includes an overnight curfew in hopes of not repeating the near collapse of the country’s hospitals.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the decision to restrict free movement on the streets of Spain between 11 p.m.-6 a.m. allows exceptions for commuting to work, buying medicine, and caring for elderly and young family members. He said the curfew takes effect Sunday night and would likely remain in place for six months.
“The reality is that Europe and Spain are immersed in a second wave of the pandemic,” Sánchez said during a nationwide address after meeting with his Cabinet. “The situation we are living in is extreme.”
The leaders of Spain’s 17 regions and two autonomous cities will have authority to modify the curfew in their territory to start between 10:00-12:00 p.m. and end between 5:00-7:00 a.m., close regional borders to travel, and limit gatherings to six people who don’t live together, the prime minister said.
The curfew does not apply to Spain’s Canary Islands, which were recently removed from Britain’s and Germany’s list of unsafe travel destinations due to the favorable trajectory of the virus on the archipelago.
With the mainland curfew, Spain is following the example of neighboring France, where the government ordered a 9 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew for major cities and large swaths of the country this week.
Health officials have been targeting nightlife and partying as some of the main sources for the latest revival of infections.
Sánchez said he will ask Parliament’s lower house this week to extend the state of emergency until May. As dictated by the Constitution, a state of emergency can last no longer than two weeks without the endorsement of the Congress of Deputies.
Spain’s second nationwide emergency of the pandemic is not as restrictive as the mandatory home confinement that Sánchez ordered in March and lasted for six weeks before being gradually relaxed as the number of new confirmed cases fell.
“There is no home confinement in this state of emergency, but the more we stay at home, the safer we will be. Everyone knows what they have to do,” the prime minister said Sunday.
Authorities want to avoid a second complete shutdown of the country of 47 million inhabitants to avoid dealing another heavy blow to an economy that the pandemic has plunged into recession and destroyed hundreds of thousands of jobs.
But with the infection rate gaining steam ever since it started rising again in August, health experts have clamored for action at the national level, arguing that the crisis requires more than a patchwork of regional measures.
Several regional leaders, who run Spain’s decentralized health care system, had asked in recent days for the national government to declare a national state of emergency.
The state of emergency makes it easier for authorities to take swift action without having to get many types of public health restrictions approved by a judge. Some judges have rejected efforts to limit people’s movements in certain regions, causing confusion among the public.
Spain this week became the first European country to surpass 1 million officially recorded COVID-19 cases. Sánchez acknowledged Friday in a nationally televised address that the true figure could be more than 3 million, due to gaps in testing and other factors.
Spain on Friday reported almost 20,000 new daily cases and 231 more deaths, taking the country’s death toll in the pandemic to 34,752, but the true death toll is likely much higher. Confirmed cases are rising across the peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and Spain’s two African enclaves.
Under the first state of emergency, Spain’s military battalions were deployed to disinfect retirement homes and set up field hospitals. So far, this has not been necessary with Spain’s retirement homes better prepared and its hospitals seeing a slower, if steady, uptick in cases.
“The loss of life must be as low as possible, but we also must protect our economy,” Sánchez said.
___
Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Egyptians vote in second day of parliamentary elections

CAIRO ( AP ) - Egyptians on Sunday trickled into polling stations on the second day of voting for the country ’ s parliamentary election amid a slight uptick in daily recorded coronavirus cases .
The first stage of the vote for the lower chamber of parliament began a day earlier in 14 of Egypt ’ s 27 provinces , including Giza and the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria .
The second stage the vote is scheduled on Nov. 7-8 in the country ’ s 13 other provinces , including the capital Cairo and the Sinai Peninsula .
The voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is likely to produce a toothless House of Representatives packed with supporters of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi that further rubber-stamps his policies , leaving the former military general with almost unchecked powers .
A total of 568 seats in the lower chamber are up for grabs , with more than 4,000 candidates running as individuals competing for half of the seats .
Prominent , wealthy government-affiliated power brokers have an advantage .
The other half of elected seats in the chamber are reserved for the more than 1,100 candidates running on four party lists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or 5 % , bringing the total number of seats in the lower chamber to 596 .
Some 63 million voters are eligible to vote in the Arab world ’ s most population nation .
The new chamber is expected to hold its inaugural session shortly after final results are announced in December .
The election is taking place as Egypt faces a slight increase in coronavirus cases , with authorities warning that a second wave of the pandemic lies ahead .
Face masks are mandatory at polling centers , which were disinfected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Authorities urged Egyptians to take part in the vote in order to show a high turnout and lend legitimacy to the election .
Only 14.23 % of voters participated in the Senate election in August for the upper chamber , an advisory body with no powers , which was restored following a referendum last year .

CAIRO (AP) - Egyptians on Sunday trickled into polling stations on the second day of voting for the country’s parliamentary election, amid a slight uptick in daily recorded coronavirus cases.
The vote is likely to produce a toothless House of Representatives packed with supporters of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi that further rubber-stamps his policies, leaving the former military general with almost unchecked powers.
A trickle of voters wearing face masks were seen in five polling stations visited by The Associated Press in the city of Giza, part of the Greater Cairo area and home to the famed Great Pyramids, with turnout relatively higher than Saturday’s vote. Face masks are mandatory at polling centers, which were disinfected before and during the vote, authorities said.
Police forces, some armed, were also deployed outside polling centers, while others patrolled the streets. The government has deployed thousands of troops and policemen to safeguard the two-day vote.
A quota of 25% of the seats are reserved for women, according to constitutional amendments approved in a national referendum last year.
The current first stage of the vote for the lower chamber of parliament began a day earlier in 14 of Egypt’s 27 provinces, including Giza and the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. About 33.5 million voters are eligible to participate in this stage.
Polls closed Sunday at 9 p.m. local time and elections authorities immediately began counting ballots. Official results of this stage are expected later this week.
The second stage is scheduled for Nov. 7-8 in the country’s 13 other provinces, including the capital Cairo and the restive Sinai Peninsula. The voting concludes with runoff elections.
A total of 568 seats in the lower chamber are up for grabs, with more than 4,000 candidates running as individuals competing for half of the seats. Prominent, wealthy government-affiliated power brokers have an advantage.
The other half of the elected seats in the five-year chamber are reserved for the more than 1,100 candidates running on four party lists. El-Sissi will name 28 seats, or 5%, bringing the total number of seats in the lower chamber to 596.
Some 63 million voters are eligible to vote in the Arab world’s most populous nation. The new chamber is expected to hold its inaugural session shortly after final results are announced in December.
Authorities urged Egyptians to take part in the vote in order to show a high turnout and lend legitimacy to the election. In remote areas like the Kharga Oasis in the western desert, local authorities provided free transportation to encourage people to cast their ballots.
The election commission vowed to enforce a law penalizing any boycotter with a fine of up to 500 Egyptian pounds ($32). In Aug., it said it would refer to prosecutors about 54 million people who did not vote in the recent Senate election.
Only 14.23% of voters participated in the election for the upper chamber, an advisory body with no powers, which was restored following a referendum last year.