washingtontimes--2020-09-01--Judge mulls DNA tests in 33-year-old Tennessee death case

MEMPHIS , Tenn. ( AP ) - A knife , a bloody washcloth and some missing fingernail scrapings are among evidence that should be DNA tested in the case of a Tennessee man scheduled to be executed in the brutal stabbings of a mother and daughter 33 years ago , lawyers for Pervis Payne said Tuesday .
Improvements in DNA testing technology and the expansion of a national database of DNA profiles collected from convicted felons are reasons why Shelby County Judge Paula Skahan should order testing in the case of Payne , his attorneys told the judge during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled to be executed on Dec. 3 in Nashville .
Payne ’ s attorneys hope that he could be exonerated if his DNA is not found on the items , or if another man ’ s DNA is discovered on the evidence .
Payne has always maintained his innocence in the 1987 stabbing deaths of Charisse Christopher and her 2-year-old daughter , Lacie Jo .
Christopher ’ s son , Nicholas , who was 3 at the time , also was stabbed but survived .
At the time of Payne ’ s trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and no testing has ever been done in his case .
A previous request for DNA testing in 2006 was refused on the basis of a Tennessee Supreme Court ruling that has since been overturned .
Shelby County district attorney Amy Weirich is fighting the request .
Even if another person ’ s DNA was found on the evidence , it would not exonerate Payne because there would be no indication of when the other person ’ s DNA was left , she has said .
During Tuesday ’ s hearing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have been touched by many people and contaminated before , during or after Payne ’ s trial .
He suggested Payne ’ s lawyers want to delay the execution by filing the petition seeking post-conviction DNA testing in July - four months and a week before the scheduled execution .
“ There is no new evidence in this case , ” Jones said during closing arguments .
He later added that the evidence against Payne is “ remarkably strong.
” Payne told police he was at Christopher ’ s apartment building to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man in bloody clothes run past him .
Payne , who is African American , has said he found and tried to help the victims , who were white , but panicked when he saw a white policeman and ran away .
Prosecutors said Payne was high on cocaine and looking for sex when he killed Christopher and her daughter in a “ drug-induced frenzy.
” Payne ’ s petition says police focused almost exclusively on him as a suspect , although nothing in his history suggested he would commit such a crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son who was intellectually disabled and never caused problems either as a child or teenager , his lawyers say .
The filing also states there were other people with both the motive and opportunity to kill Christopher , including a drug dealer to whom Christopher allegedly owed money and Christopher ’ s abusive ex-husband .
Payne ’ s lawyers offered a list of evidence that should be tested : A knife determined to be the murder weapon , a bloody washcloth , a pair of eyeglasses , a tampon .
Lawyer Kelley Henry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNA testing technology would be used to determine whether Payne ’ s blood is on the items .
The DNA testing request is not an attempt to delay the execution , Henry said Forensic analysis expert Alan Keel said testing has become “ more sensitive and more discriminating.
” Keel also noted that the collection of DNA profiles in the national DNA database has grown to about 19 million entries , making a match with another person ’ s DNA more likely .
“ We are able to get much more information from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lawyers also want to test scrapings from Christopher ’ s fingernails , which were collected from the crime scene , but can not be found .
Authorities have not been able to locate them in two property rooms and a forensic center where evidence has been kept since the trial .
The judge said she would have a written ruling by mid-September .
The most recent execution in Tennessee was in February , when Nicholas Sutton died in the electric chair .

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A knife, a bloody washcloth and some missing fingernail scrapings are among evidence that should be DNA tested in the case of a Tennessee man scheduled to be executed in the brutal stabbings of a mother and daughter 33 years ago, lawyers for Pervis Payne said Tuesday.
Improvements in DNA testing technology and the expansion of a national database of DNA profiles collected from convicted felons are reasons why Shelby County Judge Paula Skahan should order testing in the case of Payne, his attorneys told the judge during a hearing.
Payne, 53, is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 3 in Nashville. Payne’s attorneys hope that he could be exonerated if his DNA is not found on the items, or if another man’s DNA is discovered on the evidence.
Payne has always maintained his innocence in the 1987 stabbing deaths of Charisse Christopher and her 2-year-old daughter, Lacie Jo. Christopher’s son, Nicholas, who was 3 at the time, also was stabbed but survived.
At the time of Payne’s trial, DNA testing of evidence was unavailable, and no testing has ever been done in his case. A previous request for DNA testing in 2006 was refused on the basis of a Tennessee Supreme Court ruling that has since been overturned.
Shelby County district attorney Amy Weirich is fighting the request. Even if another person’s DNA was found on the evidence, it would not exonerate Payne because there would be no indication of when the other person’s DNA was left, she has said.
During Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutor Steve Jones argued that the evidence could have been touched by many people and contaminated before, during or after Payne’s trial. He suggested Payne’s lawyers want to delay the execution by filing the petition seeking post-conviction DNA testing in July - four months and a week before the scheduled execution.
“There is no new evidence in this case,” Jones said during closing arguments. He later added that the evidence against Payne is “remarkably strong.”
Payne told police he was at Christopher’s apartment building to meet his girlfriend when he saw a man in bloody clothes run past him. Payne, who is African American, has said he found and tried to help the victims, who were white, but panicked when he saw a white policeman and ran away.
Prosecutors said Payne was high on cocaine and looking for sex when he killed Christopher and her daughter in a “drug-induced frenzy.”
Payne’s petition says police focused almost exclusively on him as a suspect, although nothing in his history suggested he would commit such a crime. He was a minister’s son who was intellectually disabled and never caused problems either as a child or teenager, his lawyers say.
The filing also states there were other people with both the motive and opportunity to kill Christopher, including a drug dealer to whom Christopher allegedly owed money and Christopher’s abusive ex-husband.
Payne’s lawyers offered a list of evidence that should be tested: A knife determined to be the murder weapon, a bloody washcloth, a pair of eyeglasses, a tampon.
Lawyer Kelley Henry said “new-age, cutting edge” DNA testing technology would be used to determine whether Payne’s blood is on the items. The DNA testing request is not an attempt to delay the execution, Henry said
Forensic analysis expert Alan Keel said testing has become “more sensitive and more discriminating.” Keel also noted that the collection of DNA profiles in the national DNA database has grown to about 19 million entries, making a match with another person’s DNA more likely.
“We are able to get much more information from less DNA,” Keel said.
Lawyers also want to test scrapings from Christopher’s fingernails, which were collected from the crime scene, but cannot be found. Authorities have not been able to locate them in two property rooms and a forensic center where evidence has been kept since the trial.
The judge said she would have a written ruling by mid-September.
The most recent execution in Tennessee was in February, when Nicholas Sutton died in the electric chair.


washingtontimes--2020-09-01--Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial removal plan ripped by White House

The White House slammed Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday night for a “ ludicrous ” plan to remove , relocate or “ contextualize ” the Washington Monument , the Jefferson Memorial and other monuments in the nation ’ s capital .
“ By publishing a plan that recommends potentially removing the Washington Monument , Christopher Columbus Statue , Andrew Jackson Statue , and Jefferson Memorial—among many other ludicrous recommendations — the radically liberal mayor of Washington , D.C. , is repeating the same left-wing narrative used to incite dangerous riots : demolishing our history and destroying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany .
She said “ as long as President Trump is in the White House , the mayor ’ s irresponsible recommendations will go absolutely nowhere , and as the mayor of our Nation ’ s capital city — a city that belongs to the American people — she ought to be ashamed for even suggesting them for consideration.
” President Trump “ believes these places should be preserved , not torn down ; respected , not hated ; and passed on for generations to come , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Commemorative Expressions working group said it was tasked with evaluating whether statues and memorials in the city should be removed or contextualized if the historical figures they represent participated in “ slavery , systemic racism , mistreatment of , or actions that suppressed equality for , persons of color , women and LGBTQ communities and violation of the DC Human Right Act.
” It recommended that Ms. Bowser , a Democrat and a member of the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission , support the removal or “ contextualization ” of eight statutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the National Mall .
Ms. Bowser said she would be guided by the recommendations as she moved forward .
The White House said Washington , D.C. , “ is rightly filled with countless markers , memorials , and statues to honor and respect the men and women who built this country .
”

The White House slammed Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday night for a “ludicrous” plan to remove, relocate or “contextualize” the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and other monuments in the nation’s capital.
“By publishing a plan that recommends potentially removing the Washington Monument, Christopher Columbus Statue, Andrew Jackson Statue, and Jefferson Memorial — among many other ludicrous recommendations — the radically liberal mayor of Washington, D.C., is repeating the same left-wing narrative used to incite dangerous riots: demolishing our history and destroying our great heritage,” said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
She said “as long as President Trump is in the White House, the mayor’s irresponsible recommendations will go absolutely nowhere, and as the mayor of our Nation’s capital city — a city that belongs to the American people — she ought to be ashamed for even suggesting them for consideration.”
President Trump “believes these places should be preserved, not torn down; respected, not hated; and passed on for generations to come,” she said.
The District of Columbia Facilities and Commemorative Expressions working group said it was tasked with evaluating whether statues and memorials in the city should be removed or contextualized if the historical figures they represent participated in “slavery, systemic racism, mistreatment of, or actions that suppressed equality for, persons of color, women and LGBTQ communities and violation of the DC Human Right Act.”
It recommended that Ms. Bowser, a Democrat and a member of the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission, support the removal or “contextualization” of eight statutes or monuments, including the iconic ones on the National Mall.
Ms. Bowser said she would be guided by the recommendations as she moved forward.
The White House said D.C. “is rightly filled with countless markers, memorials, and statues to honor and respect the men and women who built this country.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-01--Top Arizona court says gang enhancement law unconstitutional

PHOENIX ( AP ) - The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a state law that creates harsher sentences for people who threaten others only because they associate with or belong to a gang is unconstitutional .
The unanimous decision said the law violates the U.S. Constitution ’ s due process clause because it enhances criminal penalties even if gang membership is not involved in the underlying crime That is guilt by association , which is forbidden by the Constitution , Justice John Lopez wrote .
The case involved a man charged with intimidating or threatening in two different cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store clerk and the second where he threatened a police officer called to his house after a dispute with his father .
Both cases would be misdemeanors , but because Christopher Arevalo told officers he was a gang member , he was charged with felonies , according to the decision .
His attorney sought to have the charges dismissed and a Maricopa County judge agreed , saying the law was unconstitutional .
The state Court of Appeals reinstated the charges , and Arevalo then appealed to the Supreme Court .
The Maricopa County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an increased risk of violence when a threat is made by a gang member , and there only needs to be a relationship between the gang status and the crime to use that membership to increase penalties .
The high court disagreed .
“ A non-gang member ’ s threat is indistinguishable from that of a gang member if the threat is not bolstered - or connected - by gang membership , ” Lopez wrote .
“ The flaw in the State ’ s argument is that it sanctions what due process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status .
”

PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a state law that creates harsher sentences for people who threaten others only because they associate with or belong to a gang is unconstitutional.
The unanimous decision said the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s due process clause because it enhances criminal penalties even if gang membership is not involved in the underlying crime
That is guilt by association, which is forbidden by the Constitution, Justice John Lopez wrote.
The case involved a man charged with intimidating or threatening in two different cases - one where he allegedly threatened a store clerk and the second where he threatened a police officer called to his house after a dispute with his father.
Both cases would be misdemeanors, but because Christopher Arevalo told officers he was a gang member, he was charged with felonies, according to the decision. His attorney sought to have the charges dismissed and a Maricopa County judge agreed, saying the law was unconstitutional. The state Court of Appeals reinstated the charges, and Arevalo then appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office argued that there is an increased risk of violence when a threat is made by a gang member, and there only needs to be a relationship between the gang status and the crime to use that membership to increase penalties. The high court disagreed.
“A non-gang member’s threat is indistinguishable from that of a gang member if the threat is not bolstered - or connected - by gang membership,” Lopez wrote. “The flaw in the State’s argument is that it sanctions what due process forbids - punishment based solely on associational status.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Wheel-y mysterious: Hamster DNA find baffles German police

BERLIN ( AP ) - German police said Wednesday they are losing hope of finding out who left on a @ @ @ @ @ with hamster DNA , which caused alarm in the southwestern town of Heidelberg last week @ @ @ @ @ bomb squad to investigate after a train driver found the styrofoam box with three vials @ @ @ @ @ train Friday .
Forensic specialists later determined that the liquid contained genetic material from rodents @ @ @ @ @ crack the case by publicizing the unusual find , but despite intense media interest the @ @ @ @ @ far , said Jan Doering , a federal police spokesman .
Doering said police had @ @ @ @ @ as the cold chain had been broken .
Heidelberg is home to several research centers @ @ @ @ @ Biology Laboratory .

BERLIN (AP) - German police said Wednesday they are losing hope of finding out who left on a train a box of vials with hamster DNA, which caused alarm in the southwestern town of Heidelberg last week.
Federal police sent a bomb squad to investigate after a train driver found the styrofoam box with three vials of liquid on a local train Friday. Forensic specialists later determined that the liquid contained genetic material from rodents.
Officers had hoped to crack the case by publicizing the unusual find, but despite intense media interest the owner has remained elusive so far, said Jan Doering, a federal police spokesman.
Doering said police had already disposed of the vials as the cold chain had been broken.
Heidelberg is home to several research centers, including the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Congo sees increase in plague, at least 10 deaths this year

KINSHASA , Congo ( AP ) - Congo is seeing an upsurge in cases of the plague , as the vast Central African nation also battles outbreaks of COVID-19 and Ebola .
Since June , Congo has recorded at least 65 cases of the plague , including at least 10 deaths , in the eastern Ituri province according to Ituri provincial chief of health Dr. Louis Tsolu .
While the plague is endemic in Ituri province , the number of cases is increasing and has already surpassed the total recorded in 2019 which had 48 cases and eight deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak appears to have started in June when a 12-year-old girl in the Rethy health zone died with symptoms related to the plague - headache , cough , enlarged lymph nodes , and a fever .
More deaths in that area were later recorded with symptoms of the plague , which manifests in three different forms : Bubonic , septicemic and pneumonic .
The transmission of bubonic plague between humans usually occurs when people do not take preventive measures , especially in Congo when they follow traditional burial practices in which they wash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from the disease , authorities say .
The plague is initially transmitted to humans who are bitten by fleas living on rodents .
Antibiotics are usually used in treatment .
This year health workers are finding it difficult to assist people in eastern Congo because of insecurity caused by armed militias .
The plague cases have also increased while Congo is also fighting COVID-19 , which has infected more than 10,100 people and killed at least 260 .
There is also an Ebola outbreak in the western Equateur province , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congo succeeded in bringing to an end a larger Ebola outbreak in the east that lasted for nearly two years and killed nearly 2,300 people .
The plague is mostly endemic in Congo , Peru and Madagascar , which saw a large outbreak in 2017 with more than 2,300 cases and 202 deaths , according to WHO .

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - Congo is seeing an upsurge in cases of the plague, as the vast Central African nation also battles outbreaks of COVID-19 and Ebola.
Since June, Congo has recorded at least 65 cases of the plague, including at least 10 deaths, in the eastern Ituri province according to Ituri provincial chief of health Dr. Louis Tsolu.
While the plague is endemic in Ituri province, the number of cases is increasing and has already surpassed the total recorded in 2019 which had 48 cases and eight deaths, according to WHO.
The new plague outbreak appears to have started in June when a 12-year-old girl in the Rethy health zone died with symptoms related to the plague - headache, cough, enlarged lymph nodes, and a fever. More deaths in that area were later recorded with symptoms of the plague, which manifests in three different forms: Bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.
The transmission of bubonic plague between humans usually occurs when people do not take preventive measures, especially in Congo when they follow traditional burial practices in which they wash and touch the corpses of those who died from the disease, authorities say. The plague is initially transmitted to humans who are bitten by fleas living on rodents. Antibiotics are usually used in treatment.
This year health workers are finding it difficult to assist people in eastern Congo because of insecurity caused by armed militias. The plague cases have also increased while Congo is also fighting COVID-19, which has infected more than 10,100 people and killed at least 260. There is also an Ebola outbreak in the western Equateur province, which has killed 43 people, although in June Congo succeeded in bringing to an end a larger Ebola outbreak in the east that lasted for nearly two years and killed nearly 2,300 people.
The plague is mostly endemic in Congo, Peru and Madagascar, which saw a large outbreak in 2017 with more than 2,300 cases and 202 deaths, according to WHO.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Should students gamble on an income share agreement?

Students watching the COVID-19 pandemic play out have reason to be wary of taking on additional loans for college .
With what could be a slow economic recovery , signing up for an additional bill that comes each month , no matter what , might sound like a bad idea .
Federal student loan payments are currently paused .
But those repayments are scheduled to resume next year before current students can take advantage of the halt .
And while government income-based repayment plans and forbearance can offer a respite for economic hardships , interest still continues to add up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and almost always require a co-signer .
But there ’ s an alternative emerging : income share agreements , or ISAs .
With these agreements , students borrow money from their school or a third-party provider and repay a fixed percentage of their future income for a predetermined amount of time after leaving school .
Depending on the terms of the agreement and the student ’ s post-graduation salary , the total repaid could be much more or far less than the amount borrowed .
It ’ s a gamble that could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhausted federal aid and scholarships .
Here ’ s why .
Most students need a co-signer to qualify for private student loans .
Co-signers are on the hook for any missed payment , and a large balance can be a burden on their credit report .
As families look to make ends meet , they may need that borrowing leverage for themselves .
Income share agreements are co-signer-free .
Instead of credit history , students typically get an ISA based on their year in school and major .
The best terms are often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduation , like seniors studying STEM fields .
But high earners also risk having to repay a larger amount .
If an income share agreement isn ’ t the right fit for you and you need additional funding without a co-signer , consider a private student loan designed for independent students .
These loans are often based on your earning potential and don ’ t require co-signers .
They may also offer flexible repayment options based on salary or career tenure .
With an income share agreement , if you ’ re unemployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a certain threshold , which can be as low as $ 20,000 or as high as $ 40,000 - you don ’ t make payments .
No interest accrues , and the term of your agreement doesn ’ t change .
That makes these agreements an option for students in times of economic uncertainty , says Ken Ruggiero , chairman and CEO of consumer finance company Goal Structured Solutions , which is the parent company of student loan providers Ascent and Skills Fund and provides funding for school-based ISAs .
“ I like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a payment when you ’ re going into a recession or right after the recovery happened , ” he says .
If you ’ re a junior , senior or graduate student poised to enter the workforce soon , that could make an income share agreement more attractive .
Tess Michaels , CEO of income share agreement provider Stride Funding , says she ’ s seen a significant increase in inquiries since the pandemic forced schools to shut down in March .
But freshmen and sophomores have more time to wait out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further from starting your career , weigh the recession-related benefits of an income share agreement against the risk of giving up a percentage of your future income .
Remember , you won ’ t know the total cost of an ISA when you sign up .
BUT IT ’ S NOT RIGHT FOR ALL STUDENTS Some colleges offer income share agreements to all students regardless of major or tenure .
Still , many of these programs prioritize upperclassmen , making it harder for freshmen and sophomores to qualify .
But an income share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you ’ re graduating soon .
If your income is higher than average after graduation , you might pay much more than you received .
Let ’ s say you get $ 15,000 from a private ISA company and agree to pay 9 % of your salary for five years .
If you earn $ 51,000 a year ( the average starting salary for a college graduate ) for the length of your term , you ’ ll repay $ 22,950 .
That is equivalent to a 10.6 % interest rate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ loan could be a better option .
Fixed rates are hovering around 4 % , though independent students will likely pay more .
Income share agreements have fewer protections for borrowers than student loans .
Tariq Habash , head of investigations at the Student Borrower Protection Center , says that while consumer protection laws apply to these agreements , “ ISA providers will say there isn ’ t really legal clarity because they ’ re new and different.
” He said that he saw the same thing with payday loans and fears ISAs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students .
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet .
Cecilia Clark is a writer at NerdWallet .
Email : [ email protected ] NerdWallet : How to get an income share agreement for college http : //bit.ly/nerdwallet-income-share

Students watching the COVID-19 pandemic play out have reason to be wary of taking on additional loans for college. With what could be a slow economic recovery, signing up for an additional bill that comes each month, no matter what, might sound like a bad idea.
Federal student loan payments are currently paused. But those repayments are scheduled to resume next year before current students can take advantage of the halt. And while government income-based repayment plans and forbearance can offer a respite for economic hardships, interest still continues to add up. Private loans are even less forgiving and almost always require a co-signer.
But there’s an alternative emerging: income share agreements, or ISAs. With these agreements, students borrow money from their school or a third-party provider and repay a fixed percentage of their future income for a predetermined amount of time after leaving school.
Depending on the terms of the agreement and the student’s post-graduation salary, the total repaid could be much more or far less than the amount borrowed. It’s a gamble that could be worth it for students who’ve exhausted federal aid and scholarships. Here’s why.
NO CO-SIGNER REQUIRED
Most students need a co-signer to qualify for private student loans. Co-signers are on the hook for any missed payment, and a large balance can be a burden on their credit report. As families look to make ends meet, they may need that borrowing leverage for themselves.
Income share agreements are co-signer-free. Instead of credit history, students typically get an ISA based on their year in school and major. The best terms are often reserved for students in high-earning majors near graduation, like seniors studying STEM fields. But high earners also risk having to repay a larger amount.
If an income share agreement isn’t the right fit for you and you need additional funding without a co-signer, consider a private student loan designed for independent students. These loans are often based on your earning potential and don’t require co-signers. They may also offer flexible repayment options based on salary or career tenure.
UNEMPLOYMENT SAFETY NET
With an income share agreement, if you’re unemployed - or if your salary falls below a certain threshold, which can be as low as $20,000 or as high as $40,000 - you don’t make payments. No interest accrues, and the term of your agreement doesn’t change.
That makes these agreements an option for students in times of economic uncertainty, says Ken Ruggiero, chairman and CEO of consumer finance company Goal Structured Solutions, which is the parent company of student loan providers Ascent and Skills Fund and provides funding for school-based ISAs.
“I like the idea of not having to make a payment when you’re going into a recession or right after the recovery happened,” he says.
If you’re a junior, senior or graduate student poised to enter the workforce soon, that could make an income share agreement more attractive. Tess Michaels, CEO of income share agreement provider Stride Funding, says she’s seen a significant increase in inquiries since the pandemic forced schools to shut down in March.
But freshmen and sophomores have more time to wait out the economic fallout. If you’re further from starting your career, weigh the recession-related benefits of an income share agreement against the risk of giving up a percentage of your future income. Remember, you won’t know the total cost of an ISA when you sign up.
BUT IT’S NOT RIGHT FOR ALL STUDENTS
Some colleges offer income share agreements to all students regardless of major or tenure. Still, many of these programs prioritize upperclassmen, making it harder for freshmen and sophomores to qualify.
But an income share agreement might be the wrong move even if you’re graduating soon. If your income is higher than average after graduation, you might pay much more than you received.
Let’s say you get $15,000 from a private ISA company and agree to pay 9% of your salary for five years. If you earn $51,000 a year (the average starting salary for a college graduate) for the length of your term, you’ll repay $22,950. That is equivalent to a 10.6% interest rate. In that case, a private student loan could be a better option. Fixed rates are hovering around 4%, though independent students will likely pay more.
Income share agreements have fewer protections for borrowers than student loans. Tariq Habash, head of investigations at the Student Borrower Protection Center, says that while consumer protection laws apply to these agreements, “ISA providers will say there isn’t really legal clarity because they’re new and different.” He said that he saw the same thing with payday loans and fears ISAs will take advantage of the most vulnerable students.
_____________________________
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Cecilia Clark is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: cclark@nerdwallet.com.
RELATED LINKS:
NerdWallet: How to get an income share agreement for college http://bit.ly/nerdwallet-income-share


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Officials: Evicted woman set fire to apartment complex

NEW ORLEANS ( AP ) - A Louisiana woman facing eviction from her apartment has been accused of setting the 25-unit complex on fire , leaving a dog dead and 26 residents displaced , authorities said .
Jazlynn Major , 25 , was arrested Tuesday in Hunstville , Texas , and charged with 26 counts of aggravated arson , news outlets reported .
Major appeared in court Monday and received a 24-hour eviction notice , requiring her to leave the Amies Paradise apartments in New Orleans by 11:30 a.m. Tuesday , according to First City Court Clerk Austin Badon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Major left her apartment around 8:40 p.m. Monday and a glow could be seen from her window .
The glow grew brighter and witnesses realized it was a fire , officials said .
A New Orleans Fire Department spokesperson said 70 firefighters were on the scene battling the three-alarm blaze .
Twenty-six residents in 20 units left their apartments unharmed but a dog belonging to one of the residents died , the spokesperson said .
Major could face between two to 20 years in prison if convicted .
It ’ s unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment on her behalf .

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Louisiana woman facing eviction from her apartment has been accused of setting the 25-unit complex on fire, leaving a dog dead and 26 residents displaced, authorities said.
Jazlynn Major, 25, was arrested Tuesday in Hunstville, Texas, and charged with 26 counts of aggravated arson, news outlets reported.
Major appeared in court Monday and received a 24-hour eviction notice, requiring her to leave the Amies Paradise apartments in New Orleans by 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to First City Court Clerk Austin Badon.
Later that evening, witnesses told investigators that Major left her apartment around 8:40 p.m. Monday and a glow could be seen from her window.
The glow grew brighter and witnesses realized it was a fire, officials said.
A New Orleans Fire Department spokesperson said 70 firefighters were on the scene battling the three-alarm blaze. Twenty-six residents in 20 units left their apartments unharmed but a dog belonging to one of the residents died, the spokesperson said.
Major could face between two to 20 years in prison if convicted. It’s unclear whether she had an attorney who could comment on her behalf.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Snohomish County has 90 days to stop timber harvest

GOLD BAR , Wash. ( AP ) - Snohomish County has 90 days to stop a contested 160-acre timber harvest next to Wallace Falls State Park .
The Everett Daily Herald reports the state Board of Natural Resources voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the Middle May timber sale , but Commissioner Hilary Franz delayed the harvest ’ s auction from October to late November after nearly two hours of divisive public comment about the sale .
Last month , a group called Sky Valley Future requested that the county reconvey 5,300 acres in the Reiter Foothills from the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a county park .
Snohomish County owns the land , but the DNR manages it .
Reconveying it would mean the county takes back control of the forest .
The proposed area , called Wild Wallace , encompasses the Middle May harvest area .
On Tuesday , those in support of Middle May bemoaned further delays .
The forest east of Wallace Falls has been slated for harvest for years .
Tension over the Reiter Foothills Forest peaked with the Singletary harvest in 2017 , when three environmental groups sued to stop the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.7 million for the county and junior taxing districts , including local school districts , fire departments and libraries .
The Sultan School District is one of the largest beneficiaries .

GOLD BAR, Wash. (AP) - Snohomish County has 90 days to stop a contested 160-acre timber harvest next to Wallace Falls State Park.
The Everett Daily Herald reports the state Board of Natural Resources voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the Middle May timber sale, but Commissioner Hilary Franz delayed the harvest’s auction from October to late November after nearly two hours of divisive public comment about the sale.
Last month, a group called Sky Valley Future requested that the county reconvey 5,300 acres in the Reiter Foothills from the Department of Natural Resources and turn it in to a county park.
Snohomish County owns the land, but the DNR manages it. Reconveying it would mean the county takes back control of the forest.
The proposed area, called Wild Wallace, encompasses the Middle May harvest area.
On Tuesday, those in support of Middle May bemoaned further delays. The forest east of Wallace Falls has been slated for harvest for years.
Tension over the Reiter Foothills Forest peaked with the Singletary harvest in 2017, when three environmental groups sued to stop the logging.
The logging could net about $1.7 million for the county and junior taxing districts, including local school districts, fire departments and libraries. The Sultan School District is one of the largest beneficiaries.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Mike Pence: 'I don't recall' being told to be on 'stand-by' over Donald Trump's health

Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday said he doesn ’ t “ recall ” being put on alert to potentially assume the responsibilities of the presidency for a period of time when President Trump made a trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in November .
“ I don ’ t recall being told to be on stand-by .
I was informed that the president had a doctor ’ s appointment , ” Mr. Pence said on Fox News .
“ Part of this job is you ’ re always on stand-by.
” Mr. Pence said the president is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m always informed of the president ’ s movements , whether it was on that day or any other day , ” he said .
“ There was nothing out of the ordinary about that moment or that day , and I just refer any other questions to the White House physician.
” A new book from New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt said Mr. Pence was put on stand-by to temporarily assume the powers of the presidency if Mr. Trump needed to undergo a procedure that required anesthesia .
The White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump went to Walter Reed as part of his annual physical .
Mr. Trump on Tuesday repeatedly denied that he had a series of mini-strokes that prompted an emergency trip to Walter Reed .
The White House physician also confirmed the president never experienced strokes or mini-strokes , nor has he been evaluated for them .
The speculation apparently emanated from an errant tweet from former Clinton White House spokesman Joe Lockhart — not Mr. Schmidt ’ s book .

Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday said he doesn’t “recall” being put on alert to potentially assume the responsibilities of the presidency for a period of time when President Trump made a trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in November.
“I don’t recall being told to be on stand-by. I was informed that the president had a doctor’s appointment,” Mr. Pence said on Fox News. “Part of this job is you’re always on stand-by.”
Mr. Pence said the president is in “excellent health.”
“I’m always informed of the president’s movements, whether it was on that day or any other day,” he said. “There was nothing out of the ordinary about that moment or that day, and I just refer any other questions to the White House physician.”
A new book from New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt said Mr. Pence was put on stand-by to temporarily assume the powers of the presidency if Mr. Trump needed to undergo a procedure that required anesthesia.
The White House said at the time that Mr. Trump went to Walter Reed as part of his annual physical.
Mr. Trump on Tuesday repeatedly denied that he had a series of mini-strokes that prompted an emergency trip to Walter Reed. The White House physician also confirmed the president never experienced strokes or mini-strokes, nor has he been evaluated for them.
The speculation apparently emanated from an errant tweet from former Clinton White House spokesman Joe Lockhart — not Mr. Schmidt’s book.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Serbia denies meddling in tense Montenegro election

BELGRADE , Serbia ( AP ) - Serbian officials have denied that Serbia and its president have interfered in Montenegro ’ s parliamentary election that was narrowly won by pro-Belgrade and pro-Russian political groupings .
Though Montenegro ’ s long-ruling Democratic Party of Socialists garnered the most votes in Sunday ’ s election , a coalition of three opposition parties together won 41 seats in the 81-seat national parliament , enough for them to try form the next government .
Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic , who heads the ruling DPS party , has accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election that was held after months of protests by supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church over its property rights in Montenegro .
Djukanovic said that since the protests led by the influential church started in December , Belgrade had launched “ a strong media and political aggression ” against Montenegro .
“ President Vucic and the current state politics in Serbia have shown two very problematic intentions , ” Djukanovic told Nova.rs television late Tuesday .
“ The first is the desire to interfere in the internal political life of other countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to revive the policies of the greater Serbian nationalism.
” Some 150,000 people died and millions were left homeless during the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in clashes that started in Slovenia and then spread to Croatia and Bosnia and later to Kosovo .
Former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic is generally blamed for stoking the bloodshed through a desire to create a Greater Serbia via the capture of nearby lands where Serbs lived .
Vucic , who once served as information minister in Milosevic ’ s government , has repeatedly denied meddling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
His political allies on Wednesday joined him in the denials .
“ There is no way that Montenegro is in any form threatened by Serbia , ” Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said .
She added that such claims could be seen as threats on Vucic ’ s life as they were “ drawing a target on his forehead.
” Tensions have soared in Montenegro since Monday , when thousands of Serb opposition party supporters staged boisterous victory celebrations throughout the small country .
Participants waved Serbian flags and chanting derogatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite appeals by party leaders to refrain from provocations .
Several incidents were reported since then .
Windows of Muslim community offices in the town of Pljevlja , were broken and leaflets thrown in with messages that Muslims should leave Montenegro or they could end up like the 8,000 Muslim men and boys who were massacred in 1995 by Serb troops in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica .
Djukanovic , who has ruled Montenegro for 30 years either as president or prime minister , has been a key Western ally in pushing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Djukanovic defied Russia in 2017 to lead his country into NATO after gaining independence from much larger Serbia in 2006 .
There have been fears that an opposition-led government would mean a change in Montenegro ’ s stance and turn it away from NATO toward traditional allies Serbia and Russia .
The opposition leaders have sought to alleviate those fears .
They have said they want to unify the divided nation by forming a government that would respect all international agreements and continue the reforms necessary for joining the European Union .

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Serbian officials have denied that Serbia and its president have interfered in Montenegro’s parliamentary election that was narrowly won by pro-Belgrade and pro-Russian political groupings.
Though Montenegro’s long-ruling Democratic Party of Socialists garnered the most votes in Sunday’s election, a coalition of three opposition parties together won 41 seats in the 81-seat national parliament, enough for them to try form the next government.
Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, who heads the ruling DPS party, has accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his powerful state propaganda mechanism of interfering in the election that was held after months of protests by supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church over its property rights in Montenegro.
Djukanovic said that since the protests led by the influential church started in December, Belgrade had launched “a strong media and political aggression” against Montenegro.
“President Vucic and the current state politics in Serbia have shown two very problematic intentions,” Djukanovic told Nova.rs television late Tuesday. “The first is the desire to interfere in the internal political life of other countries, and the second is an attempt to revive the policies of the greater Serbian nationalism.”
Some 150,000 people died and millions were left homeless during the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in clashes that started in Slovenia and then spread to Croatia and Bosnia and later to Kosovo. Former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic is generally blamed for stoking the bloodshed through a desire to create a Greater Serbia via the capture of nearby lands where Serbs lived.
Vucic, who once served as information minister in Milosevic’s government, has repeatedly denied meddling in Montenegro’s affairs and the election. His political allies on Wednesday joined him in the denials.
“There is no way that Montenegro is in any form threatened by Serbia,” Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said.
She added that such claims could be seen as threats on Vucic’s life as they were “drawing a target on his forehead.”
Tensions have soared in Montenegro since Monday, when thousands of Serb opposition party supporters staged boisterous victory celebrations throughout the small country. Participants waved Serbian flags and chanting derogatory slogans against Djukanovic during the events, despite appeals by party leaders to refrain from provocations.
Several incidents were reported since then. Windows of Muslim community offices in the town of Pljevlja, were broken and leaflets thrown in with messages that Muslims should leave Montenegro or they could end up like the 8,000 Muslim men and boys who were massacred in 1995 by Serb troops in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.
Djukanovic, who has ruled Montenegro for 30 years either as president or prime minister, has been a key Western ally in pushing the volatile Balkans toward a more pro-Western orientation. Djukanovic defied Russia in 2017 to lead his country into NATO after gaining independence from much larger Serbia in 2006.
There have been fears that an opposition-led government would mean a change in Montenegro’s stance and turn it away from NATO toward traditional allies Serbia and Russia.
The opposition leaders have sought to alleviate those fears. They have said they want to unify the divided nation by forming a government that would respect all international agreements and continue the reforms necessary for joining the European Union.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Two vehicles stolen before pursuit ends with a standoff

WAUSAU , Wis. ( AP ) - A man stole a van from a Wausau hospital at gunpoint and later @ @ @ @ @ on a chase that ended with a standoff , according to police .
The gunman @ @ @ @ @ Wausau Hospital shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday , authorities said .
An Aspirus employee was @ @ @ @ @ the van without being hurt .
Officials said about 15 minutes later , dispatchers received @ @ @ @ @ had entered a residence , took the homeowner ’ s car keys and stole the @ @ @ @ @ abandoning the hospital van in the driveway .
A Marathon County sheriff ’ s deputy @ @ @ @ @ a-half hour later and a pursuit with speeds of more than 100 mph began .
@ @ @ @ @ to pin the stolen car against a tree in Weston and a standoff began with @ @ @ @ @ say a Marathon County sheriff ’ s lieutenant was able to convince the man to @ @ @ @ @ .

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) - A man stole a van from a Wausau hospital at gunpoint and later another vehicle before leading officers on a chase that ended with a standoff, according to police.
The gunman took the van from Aspirus Wausau Hospital shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. An Aspirus employee was able to get out of the van without being hurt.
Officials said about 15 minutes later, dispatchers received a call that the man had entered a residence, took the homeowner’s car keys and stole the homeowner’s vehicle after abandoning the hospital van in the driveway.
A Marathon County sheriff’s deputy spotted the stolen car about a-half hour later and a pursuit with speeds of more than 100 mph began.
A pursuing deputy was able to pin the stolen car against a tree in Weston and a standoff began with the armed man. Police say a Marathon County sheriff’s lieutenant was able to convince the man to surrender after about 50 minutes.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Sheriff: Traffic stop shootout leaves man dead, K-9 wounded

THORSBY , Ala. ( AP ) - Alabama deputies killed a man who was awaiting trial on charges of firearm possession and resisting arrest after he fired at officers during a traffic stop , authorities said .
Robert Earl Jackson , 54 , fled into a wooded area where the shootout continued , and wounded a K-9 after the dog was sent to find him .
Deputies then shot him , and he died at the scene Monday despite efforts to save his life , Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon told news outlets .
Thorsby Police Chief Rodney Barnett said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday afternoon after he failed to yield to a pickup truck , almost causing a crash .
When the officers approached the vehicle , Jackson fired at “ the officers without conversation or warning , ” and continued to fire as he fled into the woods , Shearon said .
Tactical deputies and a K-9 named Missile arrived at the scene , and Missile soon found Jackson hiding behind a tree .
Jackson shot the K-9 in the torso and deputies returned fire , killing Jackson , Shearon said .
Shearon said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but will still be investigated , as all shootings by police are .
Jackson , a Black man , was out on bond awaiting trial in Chilton County on drug possession , firearm possession and resisting arrest charges .
Jackson ’ s son , Jermale Phillips , said authorities had been targeting his father for weeks , and “ beat him up ” two weeks ago .
Al.com reported that the sheriff said this didn ’ t happen .

THORSBY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama deputies killed a man who was awaiting trial on charges of firearm possession and resisting arrest after he fired at officers during a traffic stop, authorities said.
Robert Earl Jackson, 54, fled into a wooded area where the shootout continued, and wounded a K-9 after the dog was sent to find him. Deputies then shot him, and he died at the scene Monday despite efforts to save his life, Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon told news outlets.
Thorsby Police Chief Rodney Barnett said his officers ordered Jackson to pull over Monday afternoon after he failed to yield to a pickup truck, almost causing a crash.
When the officers approached the vehicle, Jackson fired at “the officers without conversation or warning,” and continued to fire as he fled into the woods, Shearon said.
Tactical deputies and a K-9 named Missile arrived at the scene, and Missile soon found Jackson hiding behind a tree.
Jackson shot the K-9 in the torso and deputies returned fire, killing Jackson, Shearon said.
Missile is expected to recover.
Shearon said the shooting appears to be within departmental policy but will still be investigated, as all shootings by police are.
Jackson, a Black man, was out on bond awaiting trial in Chilton County on drug possession, firearm possession and resisting arrest charges.
Jackson’s son, Jermale Phillips, said authorities had been targeting his father for weeks, and “beat him up” two weeks ago. Al.com reported that the sheriff said this didn’t happen.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Mark Meadows rips Nancy Pelosi for salon visit

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Wednesday criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for making a trip to a San Francisco salon in apparent defiance of local coronavirus restrictions .
“ Listen , this is typical Washington , D.C. — they get on national TV , they preach to the American people that it should be one way and yet in private , when the cameras are not rolling and in this case I guess the cameras were rolling , it shows a very different story , ” Mr. Meadows said on “ Fox & Friends.
” Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the salon , which was apparently supposed to be shut down on Monday , without a face covering .
The speaker ’ s office said she always complies with local COVID-19 requirements and that she was told the business was allowed by the city to have one customer at a time .
“ It ’ s the same thing , whether it ’ s in San Francisco with her going into a salon or the privacy of a negotiating room , ” Mr. Meadows said .
“ It ’ s time that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Wednesday criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for making a trip to a San Francisco salon in apparent defiance of local coronavirus restrictions.
“Listen, this is typical Washington, D.C. — they get on national TV, they preach to the American people that it should be one way and yet in private, when the cameras are not rolling and in this case I guess the cameras were rolling, it shows a very different story,” Mr. Meadows said on “Fox & Friends.”
Fox News obtained security footage of Mrs. Pelosi in the salon, which was apparently supposed to be shut down on Monday, without a face covering.
The speaker’s office said she always complies with local COVID-19 requirements and that she was told the business was allowed by the city to have one customer at a time.
“It’s the same thing, whether it’s in San Francisco with her going into a salon or the privacy of a negotiating room,” Mr. Meadows said. “It’s time that she gets serious about helping the American people.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Thailand hits 100 days with no local virus transmissions

BANGKOK ( AP ) - Thailand ’ s prime minister on Wednesday congratulated his countrymen on the nation having achieved 100 days without a confirmed locally transmitted case of the coronavirus , even as security along the border with Myanmar is being stepped up as a measure against the disease .
Health officials did not highlight the milepost , but Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described it as a “ good accomplishment ” toward making the country safe .
He used the occasion to urge the government and people to work together to bring the country out of the COVID-19 crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help each other , none of us can move forward and the country can ’ t move forward , and the people will suffer more than they already have , ” he said .
Thailand has sustained relatively light health damage from the pandemic , even though in January it was the first country outside China to confirm a case .
But its economy has been devastated by the absence of foreign tourists , who are banned from entry , and a drop in exports .
Thai health authorities reported eight new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bringing the country ’ s total to 3,425 , including 58 deaths .
The country ’ s last locally transmitted case was confirmed on May 24 and announced on May 25 .
According to the Department of Disease Control , it involved a 56-year-old Thai woman who had end-stage kidney disease , diabetes and hypertension as underlying conditions .
She was admitted to the hospital with difficulty breathing and tested positive for the coronavirus , dying the same day as the test results .
Only one more person has been listed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Zealand and Vietnam are two other major countries that have had similar long streaks of no reported cases of local transmission .
New Zealand went 102 days before discovering new cases last month , and Vietnam went about 99 days before there was a new local outbreak .
New Zealand reinstituted restrictions after its new outbreak , including a lockdown of the city of Auckland .
Taiwan also has gone over 100 days without local transmission .
Thailand has gradually eased most of the virus-fighting restrictions it imposed starting in March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bar most foreign visitors .
The government has been wary of reopening the country , scuttling or postponing several plans .
However , there is the possibility that a pilot project allowing a small number of foreign tourists into the southern tourist island of Phuket under strict conditions may soon be implemented .
Most recently , Thai authorities have been alarmed by surges in cases in neighboring Myanmar .
Thai officials announced this week that they were temporarily closing several checkpoints on the border with Myanmar in the north and west that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ordered stepped up as well against possible illegal entry across the river that marks much of the border .
Controls were also ordered tightened at Thai camps near the border that house thousands of refugees from Myanmar .

BANGKOK (AP) - Thailand’s prime minister on Wednesday congratulated the nation for having achieved 100 days without a confirmed locally transmitted case of the coronavirus, even as security along the border with Myanmar is being stepped up as a measure against the disease.
Health officials did not highlight the achievement, but Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described it as a “good accomplishment” toward making the country safe. He used the occasion to urge the government and people to work together to bring the country out of the COVID-19 crisis.
“If we don’t help each other, none of us can move forward and the country can’t move forward, and the people will suffer more than they already have,” he said.
Thailand has sustained relatively light health damage from the pandemic, even though in January it was the first country outside China to confirm a case. But its economy has been devastated by the absence of foreign tourists, who are banned from entry, and by a drop in exports.
Thai health authorities reported eight new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, all in people arriving from abroad, bringing the country’s total to 3,425, including 58 deaths.
The country’s last locally transmitted case was confirmed on May 24 and announced on May 25. According to the Department of Disease Control, it involved a 56-year-old Thai woman who had end-stage kidney disease, diabetes and hypertension as underlying conditions. She was admitted to the hospital with difficulty breathing and tested positive for the coronavirus, dying the same day as the test results. Only one more person has been listed as dying from the disease since then.
New Zealand and Vietnam are two other major countries that have had similar long streaks of no reported cases of local transmission. New Zealand went 102 days before discovering new cases last month, and Vietnam went about 99 days before a new local outbreak. New Zealand reinstituted restrictions after its new outbreak, including a lockdown of the city of Auckland. Taiwan also has gone over 100 days without local transmission.
Thailand has gradually eased most of the virus-fighting restrictions it imposed starting in March, with the significant exception of continuing to bar most foreign visitors. The government has been wary of reopening the country, scuttling or postponing several plans. However, there is a possibility that a pilot project allowing a small number of foreign tourists into the southern tourist island of Phuket under strict conditions may soon be implemented.
Most recently, Thai authorities have been alarmed by surges in cases in neighboring Myanmar.
Thai officials announced this week that they were temporarily closing several checkpoints on the border with Myanmar in the north and west that have been open mostly for trade. Security was ordered stepped up as well against possible illegal entry across the river that marks much of the border. Controls were also ordered tightened at Thai camps near the border that house thousands of refugees from Myanmar.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Cosmic Legos: Black holes merge into never before seen size

Black holes are getting stranger - even to astronomers .
They ’ ve now detected the signal from a long ago violent collision of two black holes that created a new one of a size that had never been seen before .
“ It ’ s the biggest bang since the Big Bang observed by humanity , ” said Caltech physicist Alan Weinstein , who was part of the discovery team .
Black holes are compact regions of space so densely packed that not even light can escape .
Until now , astronomers only had observed them in two general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones called stellar black holes that are formed when a star collapses and are about the size of small cities .
And there are supermassive black holes that are millions , maybe billions , of times more massive than our sun and around which entire galaxies revolve .
According to astronomers ’ calculations , anything in between didn ’ t quite make sense , because stars that grew too big before collapse would essentially consume themselves , leaving no black holes .
Star collapses couldn ’ t create stellar black holes much bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sun , scientists thought , according to physicist Nelson Christensen , research director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research .
Then in May 2019 two detectors picked up a signal that turned out to be the energy from two stellar black holes - each large for a stellar black hole - crashing into each other .
One was 66 times the mass of our sun and the other a husky 85 times the mass of the sun .
The end result : The first ever discovered intermediate black hole , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lost in the collision was an enormous amount of energy in the form of a gravitational wave , a ripple in space that travels at the speed of light .
It was that wave that physicists in the United States and Europe , using detectors called LIGO and Virgo , captured last year .
After deciphering the signal and checking their work , scientists published the results Wednesday in Physical Review Letters and Astrophysical Journal Letters .
Because the detectors allow scientists to pick up the gravitational waves as audio signals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the violence and drama , the signal lasted only one-tenth of a second .
“ It just sounds like a thud , ” Weinstein said .
“ It really doesn ’ t sound like much on a speaker.
” This crash happened about 7 billion years ago , when the universe was about half its current age , but is only being detected now because it is incredibly far away .
Black hole collisions have been observed before , but the black holes involved were smaller to begin with and even after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the size of typical stellar black holes .
Scientists still don ’ t know how supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies formed , Christensen said , but this new discovery may offer a clue .
Perhaps , like playing Legos , smaller blocks combine to make bigger ones and those combine to make even bigger ones , said Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb , who wasn ’ t part of the study but said the results chart new astronomical territory .
And indeed the bigger of the two black holes involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an earlier merger , both Weinstein and Christensen said , further bolstering that theory .
“ It ’ s conceivable that this pair of black holes formed entirely differently , possibly in a dense system with lots of dead stars whizzing about , which allows one black hole to capture another during a fly by , ” said Barnard College astronomer Janna Levin , who wasn ’ t part of the research and is author of the book “ Black Hole Survival Guide.
” On the other hand , scientists can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , flying around the universe , would meet so many others to merge again and grow ever bigger .
It could instead be that supermassive black holes were formed in the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang .
“ In astrophysics we ’ re always faced with surprises , ” Weinstein said .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Black holes are getting stranger - even to astronomers. They’ve now detected the signal from a long ago violent collision of two black holes that created a new one of a size that had never been seen before.
“It’s the biggest bang since the Big Bang observed by humanity,” said Caltech physicist Alan Weinstein, who was part of the discovery team.
Black holes are compact regions of space so densely packed that not even light can escape. Until now, astronomers only had observed them in two general sizes. There are “small” ones called stellar black holes that are formed when a star collapses and are about the size of small cities. And there are supermassive black holes that are millions, maybe billions, of times more massive than our sun and around which entire galaxies revolve.
According to astronomers’ calculations, anything in between didn’t quite make sense, because stars that grew too big before collapse would essentially consume themselves, leaving no black holes.
Star collapses couldn’t create stellar black holes much bigger than 70 times the mass of our sun, scientists thought, according to physicist Nelson Christensen, research director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research.
Then in May 2019 two detectors picked up a signal that turned out to be the energy from two stellar black holes - each large for a stellar black hole - crashing into each other. One was 66 times the mass of our sun and the other a husky 85 times the mass of the sun.
The end result: The first ever discovered intermediate black hole, at 142 times the mass of the sun.
Lost in the collision was an enormous amount of energy in the form of a gravitational wave, a ripple in space that travels at the speed of light. It was that wave that physicists in the United States and Europe, using detectors called LIGO and Virgo, captured last year. After deciphering the signal and checking their work, scientists published the results Wednesday in Physical Review Letters and Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Because the detectors allow scientists to pick up the gravitational waves as audio signals, scientists actually heard the collision. For all the violence and drama, the signal lasted only one-tenth of a second.
“It just sounds like a thud,” Weinstein said. “It really doesn’t sound like much on a speaker.”
This crash happened about 7 billion years ago, when the universe was about half its current age, but is only being detected now because it is incredibly far away.
Black hole collisions have been observed before, but the black holes involved were smaller to begin with and even after the merger didn’t grow beyond the size of typical stellar black holes.
Scientists still don’t know how supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies formed, Christensen said, but this new discovery may offer a clue.
Perhaps, like playing Legos, smaller blocks combine to make bigger ones and those combine to make even bigger ones, said Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, who wasn’t part of the study but said the results chart new astronomical territory.
And indeed the bigger of the two black holes involved in this crash could have been the result of an earlier merger, both Weinstein and Christensen said, further bolstering that theory.
“It’s conceivable that this pair of black holes formed entirely differently, possibly in a dense system with lots of dead stars whizzing about, which allows one black hole to capture another during a fly by,” said Barnard College astronomer Janna Levin, who wasn’t part of the research and is author of the book “Black Hole Survival Guide.”
On the other hand, scientists can’t quite explain how merged black holes, flying around the universe, would meet so many others to merge again and grow ever bigger. It could instead be that supermassive black holes were formed in the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang.
“In astrophysics we’re always faced with surprises,” Weinstein said.
___
Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--In mock funerals and '42' jerseys, kids mourn Black Panther

NEW YORK ( AP ) — In their driveways or in their bedrooms , using little cardboard boxes or piles of backyard dirt , young fans of “ Black Panther ” star Chadwick Boseman paid their respects with lots of Wakanda salutes and mock funerals attended by action figures .
Soon after the shocking news of Boseman ’ s death Friday at age 43 , parents , grandparents , aunts and uncles began posting photos of funerals staged by kids for King T ’ Challa , the actor ’ s lead character from the Marvel blockbuster .
Some of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid an outpouring of grief from admirers of all ages who were unaware he had been battling colon cancer for four years .
Other young fans mourned in more private ways , watching “ Black Panther ” and “ 42 ” for the umpteenth time with their families in Boseman ’ s honor .
To many kids , his passing was a life event , driven by the change-makers he portrayed but also by his heartfelt comments in awards speeches and interviews about the need for more opportunities for people of color .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ruler of the fictional African nation of Wakanda , was introduced in 2016′s “ Captain America : Civil War.
” His “ Wakanda Forever ” salute reverberated around the world after the release of “ Black Panther ” two years ago .
The actor ’ s turn as baseball great Jackie Robinson in “ 42 ” came out in 2013 and is now being discovered by younger fans .
Nick Cummings , 11 , of Louisville , Kentucky , loves both films .
He stumbled on word of Boseman ’ s death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken the news .
“ At first when I heard it I didn ’ t believe it , ” he said Monday .
“ I felt like a part of me got erased.
” A little too old for action figure funerals , Nick , who is Black , donned his baseball jersey emblazoned with Robinson ’ s “ 42 ” and had no plans to take it off any time soon .
Twins Lenny and Bobby Homes in Mesa , Arizona , are 10 .
Their mom , Annalie , had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Filipino American , about Boseman ’ s death , but they found out on their own Sunday on YouTube .
They went the funeral route , using a black car seat for their prone Black Panther .
Dad David Homes is a big Marvel enthusiast .
He began schooling his sons in both the comics and films when they were little .
How many times have they seen “ Black Panther ” ?
“ A lot !
” the two chimed in unison .
Of Boseman ’ s death , Lenny said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was one of our favorite actors .
When we heard , we were like , the Panther needs a funeral .
He was a good king .
He was very nice and kind , and he followed the rules.
” Annalie said she wanted to shield the boys from the news because they lost a grandfather less than a month ago .
The twins have more than 100 action figures and their own YouTube channel .
They gathered up 13 of their favorite characters for the funeral Sunday , including Thor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Spider-Man .
The toys ’ arms can ’ t bend into the Wakanda salute , so the boys arranged them with arms extended , reaching out to T ’ Challa .
Djoser Burruss , 12 , of San Diego took the news hard .
One of his grandmothers died of the same type of cancer .
Djoser , who is African American , posted a tribute to Boseman on Instagram : “ R.I.P .
Chadwick Boseman , the one and only Black Panther .
We mourn your passing but you will forever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for showing us what KINGs do.
” In an interview Tuesday , Djoser added : “ I saw it on my phone and I was devastated .
We kind of owe it to ourselves to be better every day because not every day is guaranteed , just like Chadwick , but he did so much in those four years.
” His mother , Christina , said the family rewatched “ Black Panther ” last weekend , along with videos of Boseman speaking out on behalf of Black people to “ soak up all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavyn Batiste , 7 , in Lafayette , Louisiana , has seen “ Black Panther ” a half dozen times .
He invited Captain America , Thor and Hulk , among other Avengers , to the funeral he held .
He also wrote a song for T ’ Challa that goes like this : “ Black Panther is gone .
I don ’ t know what to say .
I never thought this would happen in my day .
This is sad .
I am mad .
I don ’ t know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wakanda Forever !
” Sonya Antoine , Gavyn ’ s mom , said the film offers Black children a “ sense of hope , a sense of dreaming , and to just embrace who you are in your culture and what that culture can mean to you and your family.
” Nick ’ s mother , Deedee Cummings , writes children ’ s books with diverse characters and knows how rare it is to find afrocentric fare for children like the futuristic world in “ Black Panther.
” She recalled how happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a theater with a neighbor when it first came out .
Both wore Wakanda gear .
The family watched the movie again on TV after Boseman ’ s death .
Nick sat solemnly this time around .
“ He never sits still , ” Deedee said .
“ This time he did.
” Deedee thinks parents shouldn ’ t keep the news of Boseman ’ s death from their young kids .
“ It ’ s so important to acknowledge this loss to children , especially Black children , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for children .
Her book , “ The Death of Cupcake , ” is out in November and focuses on grief among kids .
Boseman ’ s death , she said , may be difficult for parents to discuss because they ’ re reluctant to burst the larger-than-life bubble created in movies .
“ But kids actually have insights that are quite profound , ” she said .
“ We can all elevate our perspectives around death to really heal from that .
At the end of the day , those are human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to death , too , even if Hollywood doesn ’ t allow them to die .
”

NEW YORK (AP) — In their driveways or in their bedrooms, using little cardboard boxes or piles of backyard dirt, young fans of “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman paid their respects with lots of Wakanda salutes and mock funerals attended by action figures.
Soon after the shocking news of Boseman’s death Friday at age 43, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles began posting photos of funerals staged by kids for King T’Challa, the actor’s lead character from the Marvel blockbuster. Some of those posts have been shared thousands of times amid an outpouring of grief from admirers of all ages who were unaware he had been battling colon cancer for four years.
Other young fans mourned in more private ways, watching “Black Panther” and “42” for the umpteenth time with their families in Boseman’s honor.
To many kids, his passing was a life event, driven by the change-makers he portrayed but also by his heartfelt comments in awards speeches and interviews about the need for more opportunities for people of color.
Boseman’s King T’Challa, ruler of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, was introduced in 2016′s “Captain America: Civil War.” His “Wakanda Forever” salute reverberated around the world after the release of “Black Panther” two years ago. The actor’s turn as baseball great Jackie Robinson in “42” came out in 2013 and is now being discovered by younger fans.
Nick Cummings, 11, of Louisville, Kentucky, loves both films. He stumbled on word of Boseman’s death on TikTok, before his mother had broken the news.
“At first when I heard it I didn’t believe it,” he said Monday. “I felt like a part of me got erased.”
A little too old for action figure funerals, Nick, who is Black, donned his baseball jersey emblazoned with Robinson’s “42” and had no plans to take it off any time soon.
Twins Lenny and Bobby Homes in Mesa, Arizona, are 10. Their mom, Annalie, had no intention of telling the boys, who are Filipino American, about Boseman’s death, but they found out on their own Sunday on YouTube. They went the funeral route, using a black car seat for their prone Black Panther.
Dad David Homes is a big Marvel enthusiast. He began schooling his sons in both the comics and films when they were little. How many times have they seen “Black Panther”?
“A lot!” the two chimed in unison.
Of Boseman’s death, Lenny said: “We were really sad. He was one of our favorite actors. When we heard, we were like, the Panther needs a funeral. He was a good king. He was very nice and kind, and he followed the rules.”
Annalie said she wanted to shield the boys from the news because they lost a grandfather less than a month ago.
The twins have more than 100 action figures and their own YouTube channel. They gathered up 13 of their favorite characters for the funeral Sunday, including Thor, Black Widow, Rocket Raccoon, Hulk and Spider-Man. The toys’ arms can’t bend into the Wakanda salute, so the boys arranged them with arms extended, reaching out to T’Challa.
Djoser Burruss, 12, of San Diego took the news hard. One of his grandmothers died of the same type of cancer. Djoser, who is African American, posted a tribute to Boseman on Instagram: “R.I.P. Chadwick Boseman, the one and only Black Panther. We mourn your passing but you will forever live in our hearts. Thank you for showing us what KINGs do.”
In an interview Tuesday, Djoser added: “I saw it on my phone and I was devastated. We kind of owe it to ourselves to be better every day because not every day is guaranteed, just like Chadwick, but he did so much in those four years.”
His mother, Christina, said the family rewatched “Black Panther” last weekend, along with videos of Boseman speaking out on behalf of Black people to “soak up all of his energy and his wisdom.”
Gavyn Batiste, 7, in Lafayette, Louisiana, has seen “Black Panther” a half dozen times. He invited Captain America, Thor and Hulk, among other Avengers, to the funeral he held. He also wrote a song for T’Challa that goes like this:
“Black Panther is gone. I don’t know what to say. I never thought this would happen in my day. This is sad. I am mad. I don’t know how to feel. It still feels unreal. Wakanda Forever!”
Sonya Antoine, Gavyn’s mom, said the film offers Black children a “sense of hope, a sense of dreaming, and to just embrace who you are in your culture and what that culture can mean to you and your family.”
Nick’s mother, Deedee Cummings, writes children’s books with diverse characters and knows how rare it is to find afrocentric fare for children like the futuristic world in “Black Panther.” She recalled how happy her son was to see the film in a theater with a neighbor when it first came out. Both wore Wakanda gear.
The family watched the movie again on TV after Boseman’s death. Nick sat solemnly this time around.
“He never sits still,” Deedee said. “This time he did.”
Deedee thinks parents shouldn’t keep the news of Boseman’s death from their young kids.
“It’s so important to acknowledge this loss to children, especially Black children,” she said.
Susan Nicholas in Atlanta also writes for children. Her book, “The Death of Cupcake,” is out in November and focuses on grief among kids. Boseman’s death, she said, may be difficult for parents to discuss because they’re reluctant to burst the larger-than-life bubble created in movies.
“But kids actually have insights that are quite profound,” she said. “We can all elevate our perspectives around death to really heal from that. At the end of the day, those are human beings in those costumes and they succumb to death, too, even if Hollywood doesn’t allow them to die.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Book celebrates defunct newspaper on anniversary of demise

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) - The Vindicator in Youngstown , a 150-year-old paper that shut down last year because of financial struggles , is being celebrated in a new book on the anniversary of its final edition .
“ No Holds Barred ” includes hundreds of columns by the paper ’ s long-time columnist , Bertram de Souza , multiple historic photos , and reminiscences by former writers and editors at the paper , whose closing - one of the biggest U.S. papers to disappear to date - left a hole in northeastern Ohio media coverage .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angry - and unprintable - letters to the editor and web comments .
One reader was so furious they used an ice cream store ’ s sign to direct a public expletive at him in the mid-2000s .
Taking it all in stride was de Souza , 70 , a native of Uganda who earned a journalism degree at Kansas State University , worked for the Selma ( Alabama ) Times Journal and earned a political science master ’ s at Marquette University before arriving in Youngstown in 1979 .
He said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the family-owned paper , no matter how rocky the going got .
With the help of former colleagues , de Souza winnowed about 1,600 columns down to about 300 that appear in the book .
“ The columns reflect the commitment of this family to really watchdog journalism , to trail-blazing journalism , ” de Souza said .
“ They gave me free reign to write whatever I wanted to write.
” Vindicator publisher Betty Brown Jagnow and her son , Mark Brown , the general manager , announced in June 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of financial losses .
It shut down for good on Aug. 31 , 2019 .
The paper ’ s support for journalism for the public good dates to the 1920s and 1930s , when The Vindicator railed against attempts by the Ku Klux Klan to establish a foothold in the Mahoning Valley , Brown said in an interview .
The paper “ always fought for the common man , always tried to do what was right for the general public , ” Brown said .
“ No Holds Barred ” book divides de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the mafia , public corruption , General Motors - the GM plant in nearby Lordstown finally closed in 2019 - Youngstown State University and politics .
In a 1998 column , de Souza mocked an apparent mob warning to a county prosecutor to keep his mouth shut , delivered in the form of a dead finch .
“ It ’ s supposed to be a canary , stupid , ” de Souza wrote .
In a 2005 piece , as gang violence rocked the city , he suggested sending gang members convicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
“ That should be enough time for the cretin to either get killed , injured or to find God .
Any of the three outcomes would be acceptable.
” A 2012 column lambasted bonuses given to 400 Youngstown State employees for student enrollment increases as the worst idea “ in the annals of dumb decisions ” made on the university ’ s “ hallowed grounds.
” One of de Souza ’ s favorite targets was native son Jim Traficant , a sheriff turned U.S. representative who became just the second member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury convicted him in 2002 of corruption charges .
Traficant died in 2014 after a tractor accident on his farm .
In 1998 , de Souza called Traficant ’ s hiring of a economic development specialist with questionable qualifications , “ tantamount to letting a butcher perform surgery.
” The book is history told by commentary , said Robert McFerren , the paper ’ s former art director and the book ’ s designer .
“ We can ’ t let this just be forgotten , ” he said .
“ It needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it is part of our history and our job of what we did here.
” Although the paper died , its name lives on as part of a deal with The Tribune Chronicle in neighboring Trumbull County .
The Ogden Newspapers chain bought the name , subscriber list and news website from the family-owned “ Vindy ” in Youngstown .
Three TV stations still cover the area , along with the Tribune-Chronicle , the Youngstown Business Journal , and Mahoning Matters , a McClatchy and Google news initiative .
Though de Souza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their subject matter is evergreen , said the book ’ s editor , Cynthia Rickard , de Souza ’ s ex-wife and a longtime Vindicator reporter and editor .
“ Going through these columns was not just a look back into history but an eye-opener that we are still going through these same issues today , ” Rickard said .

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Vindicator in Youngstown, a 150-year-old paper that shut down last year because of financial struggles, is being celebrated in a new book on the anniversary of its final edition.
“No Holds Barred” includes hundreds of columns by the paper’s long-time columnist, Bertram de Souza, multiple historic photos, and reminiscences by former writers and editors at the paper, whose closing - one of the biggest U.S. papers to disappear to date - left a hole in northeastern Ohio media coverage.
The hard-charging columns by de Souza often elicited angry - and unprintable - letters to the editor and web comments. One reader was so furious they used an ice cream store’s sign to direct a public expletive at him in the mid-2000s.
Taking it all in stride was de Souza, 70, a native of Uganda who earned a journalism degree at Kansas State University, worked for the Selma (Alabama) Times Journal and earned a political science master’s at Marquette University before arriving in Youngstown in 1979.
He said the book celebrates the support that reporters received from the family-owned paper, no matter how rocky the going got. With the help of former colleagues, de Souza winnowed about 1,600 columns down to about 300 that appear in the book.
“The columns reflect the commitment of this family to really watchdog journalism, to trail-blazing journalism,” de Souza said. “They gave me free reign to write whatever I wanted to write.”
Vindicator publisher Betty Brown Jagnow and her son, Mark Brown, the general manager, announced in June 2019 that The Vindicator would cease publication because of financial losses. It shut down for good on Aug. 31, 2019, although a similarly named daily paper continued as part of a deal with The Tribune Chronicle in neighboring Trumbull County.
The paper’s support for journalism for the public good dates to the 1920s and 1930s, when The Vindicator railed against attempts by the Ku Klux Klan to establish a foothold in the Mahoning Valley, Brown said in an interview.
The paper “always fought for the common man, always tried to do what was right for the general public,” Brown said.
“No Holds Barred” book divides de Souza’s columns by topic, including the mafia, public corruption, General Motors - the GM plant in nearby Lordstown finally closed in 2019 - Youngstown State University and politics.
In a 1998 column, de Souza mocked an apparent mob warning to a county prosecutor to keep his mouth shut, delivered in the form of a dead finch. “It’s supposed to be a canary, stupid,” de Souza wrote.
In a 2005 piece, as gang violence rocked the city, he suggested sending gang members convicted of gun crimes to Iraq for two years. “That should be enough time for the cretin to either get killed, injured or to find God. Any of the three outcomes would be acceptable.”
A 2012 column lambasted bonuses given to 400 Youngstown State employees for student enrollment increases as the worst idea “in the annals of dumb decisions” made on the university’s “hallowed grounds.”
One of de Souza’s favorite targets was native son Jim Traficant, a sheriff turned U.S. representative who became just the second member of Congress to be expelled when a jury convicted him in 2002 of corruption charges. Traficant died in 2014 after a tractor accident on his farm.
In 1998, de Souza called Traficant’s hiring of a economic development specialist with questionable qualifications, “tantamount to letting a butcher perform surgery.”
The book is history told by commentary, said Robert McFerren, the paper’s former art director and the book’s designer.
“We can’t let this just be forgotten,” he said. “It needs to be remembered in the long term because it is part of our history and our job of what we did here.”
After the paper’s shuttering - including multiple layoffs - The Ogden Newspapers chain bought the name, subscriber list and news website from the family-owned “Vindy” in Youngstown, and now publishes a separate “Vindicator” daily newspaper serving Youngstown-area readers.
Three TV stations still cover the area, along with the Tribune-Chronicle, the Youngstown Business Journal, and Mahoning Matters, a McClatchy and Google news initiative.
Though de Souza’s columns reflect the past, their subject matter is evergreen, said the book’s editor, Cynthia Rickard, de Souza’s ex-wife and a longtime Vindicator reporter and editor.
“Going through these columns was not just a look back into history but an eye-opener that we are still going through these same issues today,” Rickard said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiates wedding, sans masks

Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiated a wedding over the weekend for a family friend , according to @ @ @ @ @ media that shows the 87-year-old justice and the couple not wearing face masks .
It @ @ @ @ @ for the justice , who has been in and out of the hospital in recent @ @ @ @ @ liver cancer .

Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiated a wedding over the weekend for a family friend, according to a photograph posted on social media that shows the 87-year-old justice and the couple not wearing face masks.
The wedding took place outdoors.
It was a rare public appearance for the justice, who has been in and out of the hospital in recent months battling a reoccurrence of liver cancer.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Israel's top court rejects alleged child sex abuser's appeal

JERUSALEM ( AP ) - Israel ’ s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by a former teacher wanted in Australia on charges of child sex abuse , saying her mental condition does not prevent her extradition .
Malka Leifer , a former educator who is accused of sexually abusing several former students , has been fighting extradition from Israel for six years .
The protracted legal battle over her extradition to Australia for trial has strained relations between the two allies .
The judges unanimously rejected Leifer ’ s appeal against a Jerusalem court ’ s ruling in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial , saying it was “ putting an end to the saga that has been drawn out for many years ” and that “ now the time has come to decide on the request to extradite her person.
” Critics , including Leifer ’ s alleged victims , have accused Israeli authorities of dragging out the case for far too long .
Australia requested Leifer ’ s extradition in 2014 on 74 charges of child sex abuse and more than 60 Israeli court hearings have followed .
Three sisters - Dassi Erlich , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused Leifer of abusing them while they were students at a Melbourne ultra-Orthodox school .
There are said to be other victims .
As accusations surfaced in 2008 , Israeli-born Leifer left the school and returned to Israel , where she has lived since .
The Associated Press does not usually identify alleged victims of sexual abuse , but the sisters have spoken publicly about their allegations against Leifer .
Manny Waks , head of Kol v ’ Oz , a Jewish group that combats child sex abuse and that has been representing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we hope and expect that we now see her swiftly sent back to Australia where she will face her accusers.
” An Australian court also ruled Wednesday that three Melbourne sisters - Erlich , Meyer and Sapper - are allowed to speak out about the alleged abuse .
Abuse survivors had said a Victorian law prevented them from speaking publicly with their real names without court permission .

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel’s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by a former teacher wanted in Australia on charges of child sex abuse, saying her mental condition does not prevent her extradition.
Malka Leifer, a former educator who is accused of sexually abusing several former students, has been fighting extradition from Israel for six years. The protracted legal battle over her extradition to Australia for trial has strained relations between the two allies.
The judges unanimously rejected Leifer’s appeal against a Jerusalem court’s ruling in May that she was fit to stand trial, saying it was “putting an end to the saga that has been drawn out for many years” and that “now the time has come to decide on the request to extradite her person.”
Critics, including Leifer’s alleged victims, have accused Israeli authorities of dragging out the case for far too long.
Australia requested Leifer’s extradition in 2014 on 74 charges of child sex abuse and more than 60 Israeli court hearings have followed.
Three sisters - Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper - have accused Leifer of abusing them while they were students at a Melbourne ultra-Orthodox school. There are said to be other victims. As accusations surfaced in 2008, Israeli-born Leifer left the school and returned to Israel, where she has lived since.
The Associated Press does not usually identify alleged victims of sexual abuse, but the sisters have spoken publicly about their allegations against Leifer.
Manny Waks, head of Kol v’Oz, a Jewish group that combats child sex abuse and that has been representing the three sisters, said that “we hope and expect that we now see her swiftly sent back to Australia where she will face her accusers.”
An Australian court also ruled Wednesday that three Melbourne sisters - Erlich, Meyer and Sapper - are allowed to speak out about the alleged abuse.
Abuse survivors had said a Victorian law prevented them from speaking publicly with their real names without court permission.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Juneteenth to become paid holiday in North Carolina county

HILLSBOROUGH , N.C. ( AP ) - A county in North Carolina has voted to make Juneteenth a paid holiday for employees .
The Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously decided on Tuesday to honor June 19 , the day in 1865 that all enslaved Black people learned they had been freed from bondage .
The holiday has reached a new level of recognition in the wake of nationwide protests against racial inequality and police brutality .
The board ’ s only Black commissioner , Renee Price , proposed the change in July , The News & Observer reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juneteenth really is a day of freedom for African Americans , ” the newspaper quoted Price as saying .
“ For years , we ’ d go along with July Fourth with other folks having that as a major holiday , but it really was not a freedom day for people of color and African descent.
” The move was expected to cost taxpayers about $ 61,000 in salaries and benefits , according to the county .
Wake County said in July that it was the first in the state to make Juneteenth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill Town Council , the Durham County Board of Commissioners and the Durham City Council are expected to consider similar proposals this year , officials said .

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (AP) - A county in North Carolina has voted to make Juneteenth a paid holiday for employees.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously decided on Tuesday to honor June 19, the day in 1865 that all enslaved Black people learned they had been freed from bondage. The holiday has reached a new level of recognition in the wake of nationwide protests against racial inequality and police brutality.
The board’s only Black commissioner, Renee Price, proposed the change in July, The News & Observer reported.
“This really is to acknowledge that Juneteenth really is a day of freedom for African Americans,” the newspaper quoted Price as saying. “For years, we’d go along with July Fourth with other folks having that as a major holiday, but it really was not a freedom day for people of color and African descent.”
The move was expected to cost taxpayers about $61,000 in salaries and benefits, according to the county.
Wake County said in July that it was the first in the state to make Juneteenth a paid county holiday. The Chapel Hill Town Council, the Durham County Board of Commissioners and the Durham City Council are expected to consider similar proposals this year, officials said.


washingtontimes--2020-09-02--Joe Biden leads Donald Trump nationally: Polls

Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden held 8- and 7-point leads , respectively , over President Trump in a pair of national polls released on Wednesday .
Mr. Biden had an 8-point , 49 % to 41 % lead over Mr. Trump among likely voters , according to a Grinnell College poll .
Mr. Trump had a 42 % approval rating , compared to 50 % who said they disapprove .
More Americans disapproved than approved of Mr. Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus crisis and “ ensuring equal treatment for African Americans in the U.S. , ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they approved of his handling of the economy .
Mr. Biden also held a 7-point , 50 % to 43 % lead over Mr. Biden in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll , though that was down from a 12-point edge for Mr. Biden in June .
Mr. Trump ’ s campaign said this week they are where they need to be when it comes to his standing in battleground states that will determine the election .
The Grinnell College poll , conducted by the firm Selzer & Company , was of 827 likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The margin of error was plus or minus 3.4 percentage points .
The Suffolk poll of 1,000 registered voters was taken from Aug. 28-31 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points .
The Republican National Convention was from Aug. 24-27 , overlapping with some of the time the Selzer poll was in the field .

Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden held 8- and 7-point leads, respectively, over President Trump in a pair of national polls released on Wednesday.
Mr. Biden had an 8-point, 49% to 41% lead over Mr. Trump among likely voters, according to a Grinnell College poll.
Mr. Trump had a 42% approval rating, compared to 50% who said they disapprove.
More Americans disapproved than approved of Mr. Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and “ensuring equal treatment for African Americans in the U.S.,” but a majority — 52% — said they approved of his handling of the economy.
Mr. Biden also held a 7-point, 50% to 43% lead over Mr. Biden in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll, though that was down from a 12-point edge for Mr. Biden in June.
Mr. Trump’s campaign said this week they are where they need to be when it comes to his standing in battleground states that will determine the election.
The Grinnell College poll, conducted by the firm Selzer & Company, was of 827 likely voters and was taken from Aug. 26-30. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
The Suffolk poll of 1,000 registered voters was taken from Aug. 28-31 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The Republican National Convention was from Aug. 24-27, overlapping with some of the time the Selzer poll was in the field.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.