washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Lebanon detains 5 Sudanese along the border with Israel

BEIRUT ( AP ) - The Lebanese military said it detained five Sudanese citizens Sunday near the border with Israel and was questioning them .
The announcement came hours after the Israeli military said it detained the five on suspicion they were trying to infiltrate the heavily-guarded border .
Israeli media said the five were job seekers who were returned to Lebanon in coordination with the United Nations .
A spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon said they are looking into the case with the parties without elaborating .
The incident comes as the Lebanon-Israel border has witnessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the militant Hezbollah group .
Last month , an Israeli drone fired two missiles near an SUV carrying Hezbollah members in Syria , close to the border with Lebanon .
No one was hurt in the attack .
Two days after the drone attack , Israel accused Hezbollah of “ provocative ” activity , including multiple attempts to breach the border along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier , and said it would complain to the U.N. Security Council .
Israel and Hezbollah fought a bruising , 34-day war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have largely refrained from direct fighting for the past 14 years .

BEIRUT (AP) - The Lebanese military said it detained five Sudanese citizens Sunday near the border with Israel and was questioning them.
The announcement came hours after the Israeli military said it detained the five on suspicion they were trying to infiltrate the heavily-guarded border. Israeli media said the five were job seekers who were returned to Lebanon in coordination with the United Nations.
A spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon said they are looking into the case with the parties without elaborating.
The incident comes as the Lebanon-Israel border has witnessed tensions in recent weeks between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group.
Last month, an Israeli drone fired two missiles near an SUV carrying Hezbollah members in Syria, close to the border with Lebanon. No one was hurt in the attack.
Two days after the drone attack, Israel accused Hezbollah of “provocative” activity, including multiple attempts to breach the border along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier, and said it would complain to the U.N. Security Council.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a bruising, 34-day war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate. Despite their deep hostility, they have largely refrained from direct fighting for the past 14 years.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Axios to return Paycheck Protection Program loan

NEW YORK — The news organization Axios says it will return the $ 4.8 million loan it received from the @ @ @ @ @ the Paycheck Protection Program passed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic .
Axios says @ @ @ @ @ source of funding and that the federal program has become more politicized since its passage @ @ @ @ @ handful of news organizations that sought the aid designed to help small businesses .
News @ @ @ @ @ independence from the government , but the pandemic has hurt the already precarious financial situations @ @ @ @ @ program has become divisive , turning into a public debate about the worthiness of specific @ @ @ @ @ said Jim VandeHei , co-founder of the Washington-area Axios , which covers the intersection of @ @ @ @ @ media .

NEW YORK — The news organization Axios says it will return the $4.8 million loan it received from the federal government as part of the Paycheck Protection Program passed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Axios says it has found a different source of funding and that the federal program has become more politicized since its passage.
It was among a handful of news organizations that sought the aid designed to help small businesses. News organizations tend to protect their independence from the government, but the pandemic has hurt the already precarious financial situations of many.
“The program has become divisive, turning into a public debate about the worthiness of specific industries or companies,” said Jim VandeHei, co-founder of the Washington-area Axios, which covers the intersection of government, business and the media.
Axios has 190 employees.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Joe Pantoliano, 'Sopranos' actor, hit by car in Wilton, Connecticut

WILTON , Conn. — Actor Joe Pantoliano , known for his roles in movies and in HBO ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ at his Connecticut home after being struck by a car while walking .
Pantoliano ’ @ @ @ @ @ 68-year-old actor was walking near his rural home in Wilton when two nearby cars crashed @ @ @ @ @ collision sent one of the cars sliding down the asphalt , where it collided with @ @ @ @ @ the ground .
The impact left him with a gash on his head and other @ @ @ @ @ Variety that Pantoliano was taken to a nearby hospital .
A post on Instagram showed @ @ @ @ @ head and giving a thumbs-up sign .
It read , “ Joey is home recovering @ @ @ @ @ head injury and some chest trauma.
” Pantoliano played mobster Ralph Cifaretto on the HBO @ @ @ @ @ “ The Matrix , ” and other films including “ Bad Boys , ” “ @ @ @ @ @ The Fugitive ” and “ Midnight Run .
”

WILTON, Conn. — Actor Joe Pantoliano, known for his roles in movies and in HBO’s “Sopranos,” is recovering at his Connecticut home after being struck by a car while walking.
Pantoliano’s agent told Variety the 68-year-old actor was walking near his rural home in Wilton when two nearby cars crashed into each other. The collision sent one of the cars sliding down the asphalt, where it collided with Pantoliano and knocked him to the ground.
The impact left him with a gash on his head and other injuries. His agent told Variety that Pantoliano was taken to a nearby hospital.
A post on Instagram showed Pantoliano with stitches in his head and giving a thumbs-up sign. It read, “Joey is home recovering. He has a severe head injury and some chest trauma.”
Pantoliano played mobster Ralph Cifaretto on the HBO series and has appeared in “The Matrix,” and other films including “Bad Boys,” “Risky Business,” “The Fugitive” and “Midnight Run.”


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Kim Jong-un didn't have surgery, other medical procedure, South Korea says

SEOUL , South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not undergo surgery or any other medical procedure , a South Korean official said Sunday , amid speculation about his health that continues to linger even after he reappeared publicly in recent days .
North Korea had said Saturday that Kim attended the completion of a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang on Friday , in his first public appearance in about 20 days .
While Kim ’ s reemergence , captured on video footage released by North Korean state media , quelled intense rumors that he might be gravely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media outlets and observers still raised questions about Kim ’ s health , citing moments when his walking looked a bit stiff at the factory .
A senior South Korean presidential official told reporters Sunday that the government has determined that Kim did not have surgery or any other procedure , according to the presidential Blue House .
South Korea has a spotty record in confirming developments in North Korea , one of the world ’ s most secretive countries .
But when rumors about Kim ’ s health surfaced in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them as baseless and maintained there were no unusual activities in the North .
It wasn ’ t the first time Kim had disappeared from public view for an extended period .
In 2014 , when he reappeared after a six-week absence , he walked with a cane and used an electric cart .
The North Korea-provided footage on Saturday showed Kim riding an electric cart similar to the one he used in 2014 , when he was reported to have an ankle injury .
Kim , 36 , is the third generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an iron fist that tolerates no dissent .
He hasn ’ t publicly anointed his successor , and rumors about his health triggered worries about the North ’ s political stability and its nuclear program .
In 2018 , Kim entered talks with President Donald Trump on the fate of his nuclear arsenal , but their diplomacy has been deadlocked in recent months .
Trump tweeted Saturday that “ I , for one , am glad to see he is back , and well !
” North Korea hasn ’ t explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he missed the April 15 commemoration of the birthday anniversary of his late grandfather and North Korea ’ s founder , Kim Il Sung .
It ’ s the North ’ s most important state anniversary , and Kim hadn ’ t skipped the event since taking power in late 2011 upon his father Kim Jong Il ’ s death .

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not undergo surgery or any other medical procedure, a South Korean official said Sunday, amid speculation about his health that continues to linger even after he reappeared publicly in recent days.
North Korea had said Saturday that Kim attended the completion of a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang on Friday, in his first public appearance in about 20 days.
While Kim’s reemergence, captured on video footage released by North Korean state media, quelled intense rumors that he might be gravely ill or even have died, some media outlets and observers still raised questions about Kim’s health, citing moments when his walking looked a bit stiff at the factory.
A senior South Korean presidential official told reporters Sunday that the government has determined that Kim did not have surgery or any other procedure, according to the presidential Blue House.
South Korea has a spotty record in confirming developments in North Korea, one of the world’s most secretive countries. But when rumors about Kim’s health surfaced in recent weeks, the South Korean government steadfastly dismissed them as baseless and maintained there were no unusual activities in the North.
It wasn’t the first time Kim had disappeared from public view for an extended period. In 2014, when he reappeared after a six-week absence, he walked with a cane and used an electric cart. The North Korea-provided footage on Saturday showed Kim riding an electric cart similar to the one he used in 2014, when he was reported to have an ankle injury.
Kim, 36, is the third generation of his family to govern North Korea with an iron fist that tolerates no dissent. He hasn’t publicly anointed his successor, and rumors about his health triggered worries about the North’s political stability and its nuclear program.
In 2018, Kim entered talks with President Donald Trump on the fate of his nuclear arsenal, but their diplomacy has been deadlocked in recent months. Trump tweeted Saturday that “I, for one, am glad to see he is back, and well!”
North Korea hasn’t explained Kim’s absence, including why he missed the April 15 commemoration of the birthday anniversary of his late grandfather and North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung. It’s the North’s most important state anniversary, and Kim hadn’t skipped the event since taking power in late 2011 upon his father Kim Jong Il’s death.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Mike Pence says he should have worn mask at Mayo Clinic

Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday night that he made a mistake by not wearing a mask on a visit to the Mayo Clinic last week .
“ I should have worn a mask when I visited the Mayo Clinic , ” Mr. Pence said during a town hall event on Fox News with President Trump at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington .
The vice president , head of the White House coronavirus task force , was heavily criticized for not wearing a mask as he toured the medical center in Minnesota and thanked health-care workers for their efforts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for visitors to wear masks during the pandemic .
Mr. Pence noted that he wore a mask on a visit later in the week to a General Motors plant in Indiana that is manufacturing ventilators for COVID-19 patients .
The vice president noted that he and the president are tested frequently for the virus .
“ From early on , the CDC has made it clear that you wear a mask to prevent you from conveying the coronavirus to other people , ” he said .
“ And since the president and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re in , we ’ re tested often … I didn ’ t think it was necessary [ at the Mayo Clinic ] , but I should have worn a mask .
”

Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday night that he made a mistake by not wearing a mask on a visit to the Mayo Clinic last week.
“I should have worn a mask when I visited the Mayo Clinic,” Mr. Pence said during a town hall event on Fox News with President Trump at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
The vice president, head of the White House coronavirus task force, was heavily criticized for not wearing a mask as he toured the medical center in Minnesota and thanked health-care workers for their efforts.
The medical center’s policy is for visitors to wear masks during the pandemic.
Mr. Pence noted that he wore a mask on a visit later in the week to a General Motors plant in Indiana that is manufacturing ventilators for COVID-19 patients.
The vice president noted that he and the president are tested frequently for the virus.
“From early on, the CDC has made it clear that you wear a mask to prevent you from conveying the coronavirus to other people,” he said. “And since the president and I are in the unique positions we’re in, we’re tested often … I didn’t think it was necessary [at the Mayo Clinic], but I should have worn a mask.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Joe Biden flips on Senate papers release by University of Delaware

So much for sunlight .
Democrats , who spent the past four years challenging , suing and eventually impeaching President Trump over his refusal to release documents , are about to march into the 2020 presidential campaign with a candidate who said Friday that he is OK with shielding his own records .
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden said he will not heed calls to have the University of Delaware release his Senate papers , which he donated years ago .
He said the speeches , position papers and documents from conversations with world leaders , amassed over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dent his chances of winning the White House , and he doesn ’ t want them public .
“ They could be really taken out of context , ” Mr. Biden told MSNBC on Friday .
The immediate demands for access to the papers stem from allegations by Tara Reade , a former Senate staffer who this year publicly revealed an incident in 1993 when she says Mr. Biden pushed her against a wall , stuck his hand under her skirt and penetrated her with his fingers .
Ms. Reade has called on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said they could shed light on her claim .
Mr. Biden vehemently denied the allegation in a public statement and said in an interview with MSNBC that “ this never happened.
” Still , he balked at agreeing to Ms. Reade ’ s request that he release the records .
Mr. Trump , Mr. Biden ’ s opponent in November , has faced allegations of sexual misdeeds and has now admitted to knowing about hush payments to silence two women who might have gone public with claims of affairs .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his tax returns , and he faced impeachment for shielding witnesses and official documents from congressional investigators who wanted to probe his interest in having Ukraine investigate Mr. Biden .
Mr. Biden ’ s stonewalling of transparency requests deprives him of the high ground in pointing out Mr. Trump ’ s furtiveness .
“ Biden ’ s deny and stonewall position guts his core message that he ’ s serious , battle-tested and an open book , ” said Kevin Sheridan , a Republican consultant .
“ Whatever you think of the charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own standards of due process and presumption of innocence .
Refusing to release his records only makes him look like a bigger hypocrite.
” Mr. Biden donated more than 1,850 boxes of records to the University of Delaware in 2012 , when he was vice president .
The university said it would make the material public two years after Mr. Biden retired from public office .
He left the vice president ’ s job on Jan. 20 , 2017 .
But the university changed its deadline last year and said it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left “ public life.
” “ We are currently curating the collection , a process that we estimate will carry at least into the spring of 2021 , ” spokeswoman Andrea Boyle said in a statement Friday .
“ As the curating process is not complete , the papers are not yet available to the public , and we are not able to identify what documents or files can be found within the collection.
” The records cover Mr. Biden ’ s Senate career from 1973 to 2009 .
For those looking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , the university tells them to contact the National Archives , look at the published proceedings of Congress or go to C-SPAN .
Fear of what could be lurking in old documents is not unwarranted .
Mr. Biden has had to fend off complaints about his Senate friendships with segregationist lawmakers .
Hillary Clinton , the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee , spent much of that campaign dealing with revelations from her once-secret emails from her time as secretary of state .
Those emails were pried loose by Freedom of Information Act requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its stride in 2015 .
The Pro-Trump Great America PAC is looking to force the university ’ s hand .
It announced last week that it would file a freedom of information request for the documents to be released because the university is public .
Mr. Biden said the records at the university do not include any personnel files .
He said those are at the National Archives .
If a complaint against him exists , he said , the archives should make it public .
Moe Vela , who served as director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is a stretch to compare Mr. Trump ’ s lack of transparency with that of his former boss .
“ Stop with the double standard , ” Mr. Vela said .
“ You want him to release documents that have nothing to do with Tara Reade , but you guys aren ’ t demanding the same of Donald Trump with his tax returns .
“ I would be willing to bet that in those tax returns are all kinds of conflicts of interest and problems much greater than Joe Biden having talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
He called the Biden documents “ a non-story ” and predicted reporters would be “ horribly bored and disappointed ” with the documents even if all of them were released .
But Steve Guest , a spokesman for the Republican National Committee , said Mr. Biden is “ covering up his University of Delaware documents to save his political future.
” “ The most transparent thing Joe Biden did this morning was admit that he is hiding documents so they can ’ t be used against him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

So much for sunlight.
Democrats, who spent the past four years challenging, suing and eventually impeaching President Trump over his refusal to release documents, are about to march into the 2020 presidential campaign with a candidate who said Friday that he is OK with shielding his own records.
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden said he will not heed calls to have the University of Delaware release his Senate papers, which he donated years ago.
He said the speeches, position papers and documents from conversations with world leaders, amassed over a quarter century on Capitol Hill, could dent his chances of winning the White House, and he doesn’t want them public.
“They could be really taken out of context,” Mr. Biden told MSNBC on Friday.
The immediate demands for access to the papers stem from allegations by Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer who this year publicly revealed an incident in 1993 when she says Mr. Biden pushed her against a wall, stuck his hand under her skirt and penetrated her with his fingers.
Ms. Reade has called on Mr. Biden to release his Senate records. She said they could shed light on her claim.
Mr. Biden vehemently denied the allegation in a public statement and said in an interview with MSNBC that “this never happened.” Still, he balked at agreeing to Ms. Reade’s request that he release the records.
Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden’s opponent in November, has faced allegations of sexual misdeeds and has now admitted to knowing about hush payments to silence two women who might have gone public with claims of affairs.
Mr. Trump also has rebuffed demands to release his tax returns, and he faced impeachment for shielding witnesses and official documents from congressional investigators who wanted to probe his interest in having Ukraine investigate Mr. Biden.
Mr. Biden’s stonewalling of transparency requests deprives him of the high ground in pointing out Mr. Trump’s furtiveness.
“Biden’s deny and stonewall position guts his core message that he’s serious, battle-tested and an open book,” said Kevin Sheridan, a Republican consultant. “Whatever you think of the charges against him, Joe Biden is violating his own standards of due process and presumption of innocence. Refusing to release his records only makes him look like a bigger hypocrite.”
Mr. Biden donated more than 1,850 boxes of records to the University of Delaware in 2012, when he was vice president.
The university said it would make the material public two years after Mr. Biden retired from public office. He left the vice president’s job on Jan. 20, 2017. But the university changed its deadline last year and said it would wait until two years after Mr. Biden left “public life.”
“We are currently curating the collection, a process that we estimate will carry at least into the spring of 2021,” spokeswoman Andrea Boyle said in a statement Friday. “As the curating process is not complete, the papers are not yet available to the public, and we are not able to identify what documents or files can be found within the collection.”
The records cover Mr. Biden’s Senate career from 1973 to 2009.
For those looking to delve into Mr. Biden’s Senate years, the university tells them to contact the National Archives, look at the published proceedings of Congress or go to C-SPAN.
Fear of what could be lurking in old documents is not unwarranted. Mr. Biden has had to fend off complaints about his Senate friendships with segregationist lawmakers.
Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, spent much of that campaign dealing with revelations from her once-secret emails from her time as secretary of state. Those emails were pried loose by Freedom of Information Act requests just as the primary season was hitting its stride in 2015.
The Pro-Trump Great America PAC is looking to force the university’s hand. It announced last week that it would file a freedom of information request for the documents to be released because the university is public.
Mr. Biden said the records at the university do not include any personnel files. He said those are at the National Archives. If a complaint against him exists, he said, the archives should make it public.
Moe Vela, who served as director of administration for Mr. Biden, called it is a stretch to compare Mr. Trump’s lack of transparency with that of his former boss.
“Stop with the double standard,” Mr. Vela said. “You want him to release documents that have nothing to do with Tara Reade, but you guys aren’t demanding the same of Donald Trump with his tax returns.
“I would be willing to bet that in those tax returns are all kinds of conflicts of interest and problems much greater than Joe Biden having talked to a president of a foreign country,” he said.
He called the Biden documents “a non-story” and predicted reporters would be “horribly bored and disappointed” with the documents even if all of them were released.
But Steve Guest, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said Mr. Biden is “covering up his University of Delaware documents to save his political future.”
“The most transparent thing Joe Biden did this morning was admit that he is hiding documents so they can’t be used against him,” Mr. Guest said Friday.
⦁ Stephen Dinan contributed to this report.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Top Georgia Democrats running for US Senate spar in debate

ATLANTA ( AP ) - Two of the top Georgia Democrats vying to take on Republican Sen. David Perdue in November took hard swipes at each other during a virtual debate Sunday as criticism of the official response to the coronavirus took center stage .
Former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson took an opening shot against former congressional candidate Jon Ossoff , citing a recent internal GOP poll that showed him struggling outside metro Atlanta against Perdue .
“ People know you , but not enough want to vote for you , ” Tomlinson said .
Ossoff fired back by saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so weak they didn ’ t even bother polling your name.
” The evening debate , conducted by online video conference with candidates joining from their homes because of the virus , was awkward at times with coughing and heavy breathing interrupting speakers and , at one point , a dog barking in the background .
“ These are different times for a debate , ” said Georgia Public Broadcasting host Donna Lowry , as she reminded candidates that their microphones were all on throughout the debate .
Perdue , a former business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , faces no Republican primary opposition as he seeks a second term .
The contest over Perdue ’ s seat is only half of the U.S. Senate battle in Georgia this year .
Georgia ’ s other Senate seat , currently held by Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler , is also up for grabs in November .
The twin races have raised Georgia ’ s political profile , as Republicans look to hold their Senate majority and the White House .
Tomlinson and Ossoff are among a handful of Democrats that Georgia voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 9 Democratic primary .
Also running for the right to face Perdue are 2018 candidate for lieutenant governor Sarah Riggs Amico , former ACLU of Georgia head Maya Dillard Smith , Air Force veteran James Knox and another hopeful , Marckeith DeJesus .
A primary runoff , required if no candidate receives more than 50 % of votes , would be held Aug. 11 .
Ossoff has led in fundraising among Democrats but Tomlinson and Amico have proven themselves to be contenders with considerable support .
The candidates also collectively criticized the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic during the debate , with several saying that Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp has moved too quickly to reopen businesses in Georgia .
“ For goodness sake don ’ t open business like massage parlors or tattoo parlors where you have to be physically touching someone else , ” Amico said .
“ I mean there ’ s a logic gap here for what Brian Kemp has done.
” Kemp has defended his push to reopen the state , one of the most aggressive in the nation , saying that testing capabilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be protected where possible .
That focus on the global pandemic comes as both of Georgia ’ s Senate races face dramatically different rules .
Unlike the race for Perdue ’ s seat , the race for Loeffler ’ s seat won ’ t be filtered by party primaries and all contenders will face off in November .
Loeffler , who took office in January after being appointed following Sen. Johny Isakson ’ s retirement , has pledged to spend $ 20 million of her own money to win the election .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from within her own party from Rep. Doug Collins , a four-term congressman popular with the Republican base in Georgia .
Top Democrats in the race for Loeffler ’ s seat include the Rev .
Raphael Warnock , pastor of the Atlanta church where the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. preached ; Ed Tarver , who served as U.S. attorney for Georgia ’ s Southern District under President Barack Obama ; and Matt Lieberman , an educator and the son of former vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman .

ATLANTA (AP) - Two of the top Georgia Democrats vying to take on Republican Sen. David Perdue in November took hard swipes at each other during a virtual debate Sunday as criticism of the official response to the coronavirus took center stage.
Former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson took an opening shot against former congressional candidate Jon Ossoff, citing a recent internal GOP poll that showed him struggling outside metro Atlanta against Perdue. “People know you, but not enough want to vote for you,” Tomlinson said.
Ossoff fired back by saying that Tomlinson’s “campaign is so weak they didn’t even bother polling your name.”
The evening debate, conducted by online video conference with candidates joining from their homes because of the virus, was awkward at times with coughing and heavy breathing interrupting speakers and, at one point, a dog barking in the background.
“These are different times for a debate,” said Georgia Public Broadcasting host Donna Lowry, as she reminded candidates that their microphones were all on throughout the debate.
Perdue, a former business executive and close ally of President Donald Trump, faces no Republican primary opposition as he seeks a second term.
The contest over Perdue’s seat is only half of the U.S. Senate battle in Georgia this year. Georgia’s other Senate seat, currently held by Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, is also up for grabs in November. The twin races have raised Georgia’s political profile, as Republicans look to hold their Senate majority and the White House.
Tomlinson and Ossoff are among a handful of Democrats that Georgia voters will get to choose from in the June 9 Democratic primary. Also running for the right to face Perdue are 2018 candidate for lieutenant governor Sarah Riggs Amico, former ACLU of Georgia head Maya Dillard Smith, Air Force veteran James Knox and another hopeful, Marckeith DeJesus.
A primary runoff, required if no candidate receives more than 50% of votes, would be held Aug. 11.
Ossoff smashed fundraising records during his 2017 special election loss to Republican Karen Handel for a metro Atlanta U.S. House seat, raking in a total of nearly $30 million. He leads in fundraising among Democrats in this race as well, but Tomlinson and Amico have proven themselves to be contenders with considerable support.
The candidates collectively criticized the state and federal response to the coronavirus pandemic during the debate, with several saying that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has moved too quickly to reopen businesses in Georgia.
“For goodness sake don’t open businesses like massage parlors or tattoo parlors where you have to be physically touching someone else,” Amico said. “I mean there’s a logic gap here for what Brian Kemp has done.”
Kemp has defended his push to reopen the state, one of the most aggressive in the nation, saying that testing capabilities are ramping up and that jobs must be protected where possible.
That focus on the global pandemic comes as both of Georgia’s Senate races face dramatically different rules. Unlike the race for Perdue’s seat, the race for Loeffler’s seat won’t be filtered by party primaries and all contenders will face off in November.
Loeffler, who took office in January after being appointed following Sen. Johny Isakson’s retirement, has pledged to spend $20 million of her own money to win the election. But she’s gained a serious challenge from within her own party from Rep. Doug Collins, a four-term congressman popular with the Republican base in Georgia.
Top Democrats in the race for Loeffler’s seat include the Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor of the Atlanta church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached; Ed Tarver, who served as U.S. attorney for Georgia’s Southern District under President Barack Obama; and Matt Lieberman, an educator and the son of former vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Trump says coronavirus downplayed by advisers in first briefing on Jan. 23

President Trump said Sunday night that he received his first intelligence briefing on the coronavirus on Jan. 23 and that his advisers told him it was “ not a big deal.
” “ I was told there could be a virus coming in , but it was of no real import , ” Mr. Trump said in a virtual town hall meeting hosted by Fox News Channel at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington .
“ It was a brief conversation .
They said it very matter-of-factly .
It was not a big deal.
” Critics have accused Mr. Trump of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 outbreak , which began in China late last year and now has killed more than 66,000 Americans .
Media reports have said Mr. Trump was told Jan. 23 that the virus would “ spread globally.
” Democrats are making a campaign issue out of the president ’ s handling of the pandemic , saying he acted too slowly .
Mr. Trump said more than 1 million people could have died in the U.S. if he hadn ’ t take the actions he did .
The president noted that he closed air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except for U.S. citizens returning from that country .
He said the White House will release the details of his intelligence briefings on the virus Monday .
Mr. Trump fielded questions submitted by people across the country on video , many of them focused on how to return to work and school safely .
SEE ALSO : Deborah Birx : U.S. ‘ underestimated ’ asymptomatic spread of coronavirus early on The president said he will push for colleges and universities to reopen for the fall semester in September , saying “ I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also predicted that the U.S. will have a vaccine “ by the end of the year.
” The president softened his recent rhetoric that Chinese officials might have allowed the virus to spread intentionally .
But he said an upcoming U.S. intelligence report will make clear that Beijing deliberately deceived the world about the danger .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s any question .
I think it [ report ] will be very conclusive , ” Mr. Trump said .
“ I think they made a horrible mistake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] .
They couldn ’ t put out the fire .
I think they were embarrassed by the problem.
” And the president laid down a marker in negotiations with Democrats on the next round of emergency economic aid , this time for states .
He vowed , “ We ’ re not doing anything unless we get a payroll tax cut.
” Asked what he ’ s told his teenage son Barron and his grandchildren about the pandemic , Mr. Trump replied , “ I said a terrible thing has happened … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong , and we ’ re going to get out of it , and our country is going to be bigger and better and stronger than ever before.
” Governors are deciding when to reopen nonessential businesses in their states , facing demonstrations from people who need paychecks and also hearing concerns of people fearing a second wave of infections if they reopen too quickly .
“ I think you can really have it both ways , ” the president said .
“ Every day you see demonstrations all over the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have some people that are very scared .
If you ’ re scared , you ’ re going to stay back a little bit and you ’ re going to watch it.
” He added , “ People are absolutely scared , but there are other people that are scared about being locked in a room and losing their job and not having any income .
These are people that want to get back to work and make a living , and they ’ re afraid that jobs aren ’ t going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit back at some of his favorite Democratic targets : Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer and Washington state Gov .
Jay Inslee .
He said Ms. Whitmer didn ’ t raise any concerns in a phone call with the White House on Friday but complained about the administration ’ s response on a Sunday TV show .
“ She ought to get back to running her state properly , ” the president said .
He said Mr. Inslee “ didn ’ t do a very good job on nursing homes , as far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the first state hit hard by the outbreak , including a wave of deaths at nursing homes .
A Democratic super PAC aired attack ads on Fox in key swing states around the town-hall event , criticizing the president ’ s response to the pandemic .
The 30-second spot in Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin accused Mr. Trump of being too slow to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak .
The coronavirus crisis and resulting stay-at-home orders by most governors have thrown more than 30 million Americans out of work in just six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response has cost taxpayers $ 3 trillion and counting .
The unemployment rate , which was at a historically low 3.5 % in February , is expected to climb near 20 % for April — a collapse of the labor market not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s .
At least 38 states have eased restrictions on businesses in recent days , and six more will follow on Monday and Tuesday .
Protesters have been gathering in state capitals to demand quicker action from governors to let people return to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Birx said Sunday that it is “ devastatingly worrisome ” to see protesters in Michigan and other states not wearing masks or practicing social distancing .
She said people “ will feel guilty for the rest of our lives ” if they become infected and unintentionally spread the virus to vulnerable family members .
“ We need to protect each other at the same time we ’ re voicing our discontent , ” she said on “ Fox News Sunday.
” The president is planning to venture outside Washington for the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norfolk , Virginia , to send off the Navy hospital ship USS Comfort to New York City .
Mr. Trump will travel Tuesday to a Honeywell aerospace facility in Phoenix that is expanding production of N95 respirator masks for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic , said White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere .
“ The visit will highlight Honeywell ’ s investment in critical medical equipment production within the United States and the addition of 500 manufacturing jobs in Arizona , ” Mr. Deere said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the coronavirus task force continue to lead the fight for Arizona and the country against this invisible enemy.
” Arizona is also a battleground in the presidential race .
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden leads Mr. Trump by 4 percentage points in the Real Clear Politics average of polls .
Republican Sen. Martha McSally is in a close race with retired astronaut Mark Kelly , husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords .
Mr. Trump said he doesn ’ t think the election will be a referendum on his handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to jam-packed campaign rallies “ in the last couple of months ” of the race .
“ My ambition is to very quickly get us back to where we were , ” he said of the U.S. economy .
“ I think we can do that very quickly — not if a Democrat comes in and raises taxes.
” The president also said he plans to travel soon to Ohio , another state crucial to his reelection campaign .
He is expected to travel June 13 to the U.S. Military Academy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Asked about criticism that cadets and their families shouldn ’ t travel to West Point , Mr. Trump said , “ There ’ s no risk .
They wanted me to speak .
The generals asked me to please do it .
I didn ’ t want to speak .
It ’ s my honor to speak .
I said I want their families to be there.
” Conservative economist and Trump ally Stephen Moore and the advocacy group FreedomWorks plan to issue a joint report Monday grading all 50 governors on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The states with governors who are opening up their economies now — quickly and safely — are going to have much swifter economic recoveries and less poverty than governors in the Northeast and Midwest with plans to keep their businesses and public places shut down for many more weeks to come , ” Mr. Moore said .
Among the governors who get high marks in the study for “ protecting their economies from devastation ” are Republicans Ron DeSantis of Florida , Brian Kemp of Georgia , Pete Ricketts of Nebraska , Kevin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Dakota , Bill Lee of Tennessee , Greg Abbott of Texas and Mark Gordon of Wyoming , and Democrat Jared Polis of Colorado .
Governors receiving lower grades for putting their states ’ “ in most economic peril ” are Democrats Phil Murphy of New Jersey , Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania , Ralph Northam of Virginia , Tony Evers of Wisconsin , Gavin Newsom of California and Andrew Cuomo of New York .
The study says the “ worst performing ” Republican governor is Larry Hogan of Maryland .
Mr. Murphy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths from COVID-19 , said an “ overwhelming ” number of New Jersey residents believe he is taking the right approach .
“ We ’ ve got to make our decisions based on the science , the data , the facts , ” Mr. Murphy said on “ Fox News Sunday.
” “ And they all suggest … we ’ re not out of this yet.
” The Senate will reconvene Monday , but Democrats and Republicans are at odds about another round of emergency relief to ease the effects of the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to “ pause ” fiscal rescue efforts but has called for a payroll tax cut for workers and a ban on federal aid to states and cities that serve as sanctuaries for illegal immigrants .
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday that the administration wants to see how the $ 3 trillion in aid already approved helps families and businesses .
He made a point on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” of saying that “ I don ’ t think anything ’ s been decided yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a ban on aid to sanctuary states .
But Mr. Kudlow wondered about another round of aid .
He noted that the Small Business Administration approved loans and grants of more than $ 175 billion last week for the Paycheck Protection Program , bringing the total of that emergency aid to more than $ 500 billion .
He said “ 175 million Americans have received federal assistance … but we also want to look at some medium-term items.
” He mentioned a payroll tax holiday for workers , “ significant ” tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full tax write-off of new business expenses for anything related to COVID-19 and a shield to protect small businesses from liability if someone is exposed to the virus and files a lawsuit .
“ Now it ’ s time to look forward to economic growth incentives , ” Mr. Kudlow said .
Governors are seeking a massive amount of state aid from Washington .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , California Democrat , has floated a proposal of $ 1 trillion for states and cities .
Mr. Hogan , also appearing on “ State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message from the White House on state aid “ seems to sort of change almost on a daily [ basis ] , sometimes several times a day.
” “ I think we are going to need more help , ” Mr. Hogan said .
“ The president , vice president and [ Treasury ] Secretary [ Steven T. ] Mnuchin have already committed to it multiple times .
And now the message seems to be changing .
I ’ m hoping we can put aside all this kind of divisiveness and partisanship because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the American people .
”

President Trump said Sunday night that he received his first intelligence briefing on the coronavirus on Jan. 23 and that his advisers told him it was “not a big deal.”
“I was told there could be a virus coming in, but it was of no real import,” Mr. Trump said in a virtual town hall meeting hosted by Fox News Channel at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. “It was a brief conversation. They said it very matter-of-factly. It was not a big deal.”
Critics have accused Mr. Trump of being slow to recognize the dangers of the COVID-19 outbreak, which began in China late last year and now has killed more than 66,000 Americans. Media reports have said Mr. Trump was told Jan. 23 that the virus would “spread globally.”
Democrats are making a campaign issue out of the president’s handling of the pandemic, saying he acted too slowly. Mr. Trump said more than 1 million people could have died in the U.S. if he hadn’t take the actions he did.
The president noted that he closed air travel from China on Jan. 31, except for U.S. citizens returning from that country. He said the White House will release the details of his intelligence briefings on the virus Monday.
Mr. Trump fielded questions submitted by people across the country on video, many of them focused on how to return to work and school safely.
SEE ALSO: Trump: Coronavirus vaccine will be available by end of year
The president said he will push for colleges and universities to reopen for the fall semester in September, saying “I want them to go back.”
Mr. Trump also predicted that the U.S. will have a vaccine “by the end of the year.”
The president softened his recent rhetoric that Chinese officials might have allowed the virus to spread intentionally. But he said an upcoming U.S. intelligence report will make clear that Beijing deliberately deceived the world about the danger.
“I don’t think there’s any question. I think it [report] will be very conclusive,” Mr. Trump said. “I think they made a horrible mistake. They tried to cover it [up]. They couldn’t put out the fire. I think they were embarrassed by the problem.”
And the president laid down a marker in negotiations with Democrats on the next round of emergency economic aid, this time for states. He vowed, “We’re not doing anything unless we get a payroll tax cut.”
Asked what he’s told his teenage son Barron and his grandchildren about the pandemic, Mr. Trump replied, “I said a terrible thing has happened … but we’re going to be strong, and we’re going to get out of it, and our country is going to be bigger and better and stronger than ever before.”
SEE ALSO: Deborah Birx: U.S. ‘underestimated’ asymptomatic coronavirus spread early on
Governors are deciding when to reopen nonessential businesses in their states, facing demonstrations from people who need paychecks and also hearing concerns of people fearing a second wave of infections if they reopen too quickly.
“I think you can really have it both ways,” the president said. “Every day you see demonstrations all over the country. Those are meaningful demonstrations. But you also have some people that are very scared. If you’re scared, you’re going to stay back a little bit and you’re going to watch it.”
He added, “People are absolutely scared, but there are other people that are scared about being locked in a room and losing their job and not having any income. These are people that want to get back to work and make a living, and they’re afraid that jobs aren’t going to be there.”
The president also hit back at some of his favorite Democratic targets: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee. He said Ms. Whitmer didn’t raise any concerns in a phone call with the White House on Friday but complained about the administration’s response on a Sunday TV show.
“She ought to get back to running her state properly,” the president said.
He said Mr. Inslee “didn’t do a very good job on nursing homes, as far as I’m concerned.” Washington was the first state hit hard by the outbreak, including a wave of deaths at nursing homes.
A Democratic super PAC aired attack ads on Fox in key swing states around the town-hall event, criticizing the president’s response to the pandemic. The 30-second spot in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin accused Mr. Trump of being too slow to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Donald Trump’s lost time cost lives,” declared the ad, funded by American Bridge.
The coronavirus crisis and resulting stay-at-home orders by most governors have thrown more than 30 million Americans out of work in just six weeks. The federal government’s response has cost taxpayers $3 trillion and counting.
The unemployment rate, which was at a historically low 3.5% in February, is expected to climb near 20% for April — a collapse of the labor market not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
At least 38 states have eased restrictions on businesses in recent days, and six more will follow on Monday and Tuesday. Protesters have been gathering in state capitals to demand quicker action from governors to let people return to work.
White House coronavirus coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said Sunday that it is “devastatingly worrisome” to see protesters in Michigan and other states not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. She said people “will feel guilty for the rest of our lives” if they become infected and unintentionally spread the virus to vulnerable family members.
“We need to protect each other at the same time we’re voicing our discontent,” she said on “Fox News Sunday.”
The president is planning to venture outside Washington for the first time since March 28, when he visited Norfolk, Virginia, to send off the Navy hospital ship USS Comfort to New York City.
Mr. Trump will travel Tuesday to a Honeywell aerospace facility in Phoenix that is expanding production of N95 respirator masks for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, said White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere.
“The visit will highlight Honeywell’s investment in critical medical equipment production within the United States and the addition of 500 manufacturing jobs in Arizona,” Mr. Deere said. “President Trump and his administration, and the coronavirus task force continue to lead the fight for Arizona and the country against this invisible enemy.”
Arizona is also a battleground in the presidential race. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden leads Mr. Trump by 4 percentage points in the Real Clear Politics average of polls. Republican Sen. Martha McSally is in a close race with retired astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Mr. Trump said he doesn’t think the election will be a referendum on his handling of the crisis. He said he hopes to return to jam-packed campaign rallies “in the last couple of months” of the race.
“My ambition is to very quickly get us back to where we were,” he said of the U.S. economy. “I think we can do that very quickly — not if a Democrat comes in and raises taxes.”
The president also said he plans to travel soon to Ohio, another state crucial to his reelection campaign. He is expected to travel June 13 to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to deliver the commencement address.
Asked about criticism that cadets and their families shouldn’t travel to West Point, Mr. Trump said, “There’s no risk. They wanted me to speak. The generals asked me to please do it. I didn’t want to speak. It’s my honor to speak. I said I want their families to be there.”
Conservative economist and Trump ally Stephen Moore and the advocacy group FreedomWorks plan to issue a joint report Monday grading all 50 governors on opening their states’ economies.
“The states with governors who are opening up their economies now — quickly and safely — are going to have much swifter economic recoveries and less poverty than governors in the Northeast and Midwest with plans to keep their businesses and public places shut down for many more weeks to come,” Mr. Moore said.
Among the governors who get high marks in the study for “protecting their economies from devastation” are Republicans Ron DeSantis of Florida, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Bill Lee of Tennessee, Greg Abbott of Texas and Mark Gordon of Wyoming, and Democrat Jared Polis of Colorado.
Governors receiving lower grades for putting their states’ “in most economic peril” are Democrats Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, Ralph Northam of Virginia, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Gavin Newsom of California and Andrew Cuomo of New York.
The study says the “worst performing” Republican governor is Larry Hogan of Maryland.
Mr. Murphy, whose state has had more than 7,700 deaths from COVID-19, said an “overwhelming” number of New Jersey residents believe he is taking the right approach.
“We’ve got to make our decisions based on the science, the data, the facts,” Mr. Murphy said on “Fox News Sunday.” “And they all suggest … we’re not out of this yet.”
The Senate will reconvene Monday, but Democrats and Republicans are at odds about another round of emergency relief to ease the effects of the economic collapse. Mr. Trump has said he wants to “pause” fiscal rescue efforts but has called for a payroll tax cut for workers and a ban on federal aid to states and cities that serve as sanctuaries for illegal immigrants.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Sunday that the administration wants to see how the $3 trillion in aid already approved helps families and businesses. He made a point on CNN’s “State of the Union” of saying that “I don’t think anything’s been decided yet” on Mr. Trump’s push for a ban on aid to sanctuary states.
But Mr. Kudlow wondered about another round of aid. He noted that the Small Business Administration approved loans and grants of more than $175 billion last week for the Paycheck Protection Program, bringing the total of that emergency aid to more than $500 billion.
He said “175 million Americans have received federal assistance … but we also want to look at some medium-term items.”
He mentioned a payroll tax holiday for workers, “significant” tax deductions for business and entertainment, a full tax write-off of new business expenses for anything related to COVID-19 and a shield to protect small businesses from liability if someone is exposed to the virus and files a lawsuit.
“Now it’s time to look forward to economic growth incentives,” Mr. Kudlow said.
Governors are seeking a massive amount of state aid from Washington. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, has floated a proposal of $1 trillion for states and cities.
Mr. Hogan, also appearing on “State of the Union,” said the message from the White House on state aid “seems to sort of change almost on a daily [basis], sometimes several times a day.”
“I think we are going to need more help,” Mr. Hogan said. “The president, vice president and [Treasury] Secretary [Steven T.] Mnuchin have already committed to it multiple times. And now the message seems to be changing. I’m hoping we can put aside all this kind of divisiveness and partisanship because we just have to get this done for the American people.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--San Francisco police chief bans 'thin blue line' face masks

SAN FRANCISCO ( AP ) - San Francisco ’ s police chief said the city ’ s rank and file will wear neutral face coverings to defuse a controversy that was sparked when officers sent to patrol a May Day protest wore masks adorned with the “ thin blue line ” flag .
The police union ordered and distributed the masks emblazoned with black-and-white American flag with a blue stripe across the middle .
The symbol is associated with the Blue Lives Matter movement , a display of unity among police officers in response to the national Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KTVU-TV , Chief Bill Scott told his officers Friday he considered the blue flag and stripe “ a meaningful expression to honor fallen officers.
” However , he worried that some may perceive the symbol as “ divisive and disrespectful.
” A retired civil rights lawyer told the San Francisco Chronicle the masks , which also includes the logo for the San Francisco Police Officers Association , violate a long-standing policy that bars police from expressing political opinions while wearing their uniforms .
“ The thin blue line is a political symbol , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a POA-branded mask .
It ’ s like wearing a political button.
” The police union president , Tony Montoya , said the union had shown the masks to Scott ’ s command staff , and several of them had asked for more than one .
The blue line “ represents law enforcement ’ s separation of order and chaos , ” he said .

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco’s police chief said the city’s rank and file will wear neutral face coverings to defuse a controversy after officers sent to patrol a May Day protest wore masks adorned with the “thin blue line” flag.
The police union ordered and distributed the masks emblazoned with black-and-white American flag with a blue stripe across the middle. The symbol is associated with the Blue Lives Matter movement, a display of unity among police officers in response to the national Black Lives Matter movement.
In an email obtained by KTVU-TV, Chief Bill Scott told his officers Friday he considered the blue flag and stripe “a meaningful expression to honor fallen officers.” However, he worried that some may perceive the symbol as “divisive and disrespectful.”
A retired civil rights lawyer told the San Francisco Examiner that the masks, which also include the logo for the San Francisco Police Officers Association, violate a long-standing policy that bars police from expressing political opinions while wearing their uniforms.
“The definition of a uniform is that its uniform,” Crew said. “There is no option to add your own statements, affiliations, whatever.”
The police union president, Tony Montoya, said the union showed the masks to Scott’s command staff and several of them had asked for more. The blue line “represents law enforcement’s separation of order and chaos,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Trump: Coronavirus vaccine will be available by end of year

WASHINGTON – President Trump says a vaccine for COVID-19 will be available by the end of the year .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ is putting its “ full power and might ” behind remdesivir , a drug that @ @ @ @ @ a treatment for the disease caused by the new coronavirus .
Trump sat inside the @ @ @ @ @ from two Fox hosts , as well as from people who submitted questions over Fox @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump responded to a Nebraska man who recovered from COVID-19 by saying : “ @ @ @ @ @ to have a vaccine by the end of this year.
” He also said his @ @ @ @ @ remdesivir .

WASHINGTON – President Trump says a vaccine for COVID-19 will be available by the end of the year.
Trump also says the U.S. government is putting its “full power and might” behind remdesivir, a drug that has shown early promise as a treatment for the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Trump commented Sunday night during a televised town hall sponsored by Fox News Channel.
Trump sat inside the Lincoln Memorial and fielded questions from two Fox hosts, as well as from people who submitted questions over Fox’s social media platforms.
Trump responded to a Nebraska man who recovered from COVID-19 by saying: “We think we are going to have a vaccine by the end of this year.”
He also said his administration was pushing hard for remdesivir.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--'60 Minutes' correspondent Stahl says she fought coronavirus

NEW YORK ( AP ) - CBS News “ 60 Minutes ” correspondent Lesley Stahl said Sunday that she ’ s finally feeling well after a battle with COVID-19 that left her hospitalized for a week .
Stahl said she was “ really scared ” after fighting pneumonia caused by the coronavirus for two weeks at home before going to the hospital .
“ One of the rules of journalism is ‘ don ’ t become part of the story , ’ ” Stahl said at the end of Sunday ’ s broadcast .
“ But instead of covering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more-than-one-million Americans who did become part of it.
” Stahl , 78 , is the dean of correspondents at television ’ s best-known newsmagazine .
She joined “ 60 Minutes ” in March 1991 , and before that was moderator of the Sunday talk show “ Face the Nation ” and a Washington correspondent .
She landed the first television interview with Donald Trump after he was elected president , and the first with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she become speaker - both in 2007 and again in 2019 .
Stahl said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minutes ” employees with the virus .
One “ had almost no symptoms while others had almost every symptom you can imagine , ” she said .
“ Each case is different.
” Stahl said she found an overworked and nearly overwhelmed staff when she was hospitalized but paid tribute to their care , and said she was wheeled out through a gauntlet of cheering medical workers when discharged .
“ In the face of so much death , they celebrate their triumphs , ” she said .
60 Minutes declined to name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , like so many other patients , I am well now , ” she said .
“ Tonight , we all owe them our gratitude , our admiration and , in some cases , our lives.
” Stahl is arguably the most prominent television journalist to disclose they had the disease .
CNN hosts Chris Cuomo and Brooke Baldwin have tested positive , the former continuing his prime-time show while fighting symptoms .
ABC “ Good Morning America ” host George Stephanopoulos had it , but like many infected , had only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.5 million people and killed more than 246,000 worldwide , including more than 66,000 dead in the United States , according to a count by Johns Hopkins University .
Experts say the numbers are likely larger .

NEW YORK (AP) - CBS News “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl said Sunday that she’s finally feeling well after a battle with COVID-19 that left her hospitalized for a week.
Stahl said she was “really scared” after fighting pneumonia caused by the coronavirus for two weeks at home before going to the hospital.
“One of the rules of journalism is ‘don’t become part of the story,’” Stahl said at the end of Sunday’s broadcast. “But instead of covering the pandemic, I was one of the more-than-one-million Americans who did become part of it.”
Stahl, 78, is the dean of correspondents at television’s best-known newsmagazine. She joined “60 Minutes” in March 1991, and before that was moderator of the Sunday talk show “Face the Nation” and a Washington correspondent.
She landed the first television interview with Donald Trump after he was elected president, and the first with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she become speaker - both in 2007 and again in 2019.
Stahl said there was a cluster of “60 Minutes” employees with the virus. One “had almost no symptoms while others had almost every symptom you can imagine,” she said. “Each case is different.”
Stahl said she found an overworked and nearly overwhelmed staff when she was hospitalized but paid tribute to their care, and said she was wheeled out through a gauntlet of cheering medical workers when discharged.
“In the face of so much death, they celebrate their triumphs,” she said.
60 Minutes declined to name the hospital involved.
“Thanks to them, like so many other patients, I am well now,” she said. “Tonight, we all owe them our gratitude, our admiration and, in some cases, our lives.”
Stahl is arguably the most prominent television journalist to disclose they had the disease. CNN hosts Chris Cuomo and Brooke Baldwin have tested positive, the former continuing his prime-time show while fighting symptoms. ABC “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos had it, but like many infected, had only mild symptoms.
The virus has infected 3.5 million people and killed more than 246,000 worldwide, including more than 66,000 dead in the United States, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. Experts say the numbers are likely larger.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Four firefighters hurt fighting blaze in Bedford home

BEDFORD , Va. ( AP ) - Four firefighters were injured while responding to a house fire near Bedford , fire officials said Sunday .
A news release from the Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue said multiple volunteer units responding to the blaze Saturday evening found heavy fire coming from a house on Joppa Mill Road .
A crew fighting the fire on the first floor reported high heat and limited visibility , so backed up to reposition .
After a “ mayday ” call came from the scene during the repositioning , a rapid intervention team was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was immediately removed from the house .
Two other firefighters were also experiencing an emergency and were helped from the home .
No one else was injured .
Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue Chief Jack Jones told The Roanoke Times that the firefighter who was found unresponsive is expected to fully recover .
She and another firefighter were expected to be released from hospitals Sunday evening .
The other two firefighters were treated and released earlier .
The department did not release their names .
The Bedford County Fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff ’ s Office are investigating both the fire and the “ mayday ” incident .

BEDFORD, Va. (AP) - Four firefighters were injured while responding to a house fire near Bedford, fire officials said Sunday.
A news release from the Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue said multiple volunteer units responding to the blaze Saturday evening found heavy fire coming from a house on Joppa Mill Road.
A crew fighting the fire on the first floor reported high heat and limited visibility, so backed up to reposition.
After a “mayday” call came from the scene during the repositioning, a rapid intervention team was sent in and found one unresponsive firefighter, who was immediately removed from the house. Two other firefighters were also experiencing an emergency and were helped from the home.
No one else was injured.
Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue Chief Jack Jones told The Roanoke Times that the firefighter who was found unresponsive is expected to fully recover. She and another firefighter were expected to be released from hospitals Sunday evening.
The other two firefighters were treated and released earlier. The department did not release their names.
The Bedford County Fire Marshal’s Office and Bedford County Sheriff’s Office are investigating both the fire and the “mayday” incident.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Chris Smith, other lawmakers target China over coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus crisis hasn ’ t derailed Rep. Chris Smith — he ’ s written six bills while Congress has been on a virus-induced recess , including a demand that airlines refund unused tickets and a trend-setting bill to punish China for mismanaging the virus .
Rep. Joe Neguse , also a prolific legislator , has written nine bills ranging from swatting price gougers to mandating that businesses pay their front-line essential workers a 25 % hazard pay boost , with the feds picking up the tab .
Another lawmaker wants to encourage Americans to start victory gardens to bolster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still another wants the FBI to report how many gun background checks it did during the crisis .
And Rep. Earl Blumenauer wants to make sure pot dealers can get their share of the small business bailout .
Congress may have been gone for six weeks , but that hasn ’ t stopped the ideas from piling up in Washington — hundreds of bills from lawmakers with suggestions for how to ease the crisis , stockpile for the future , or to punish China for fueling this one .
On Monday , senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the say-so of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who says if grocery stockers , delivery drivers and emergency-room nurses remain on the job , then so should Congress .
House Democrats had initially announced they , too , would return — then recanted , saying the Capitol ’ s top doctor said it still wasn ’ t safe to have 435 of them come back and start meeting and voting regularly .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now says she hopes to return next week .
Once in session , neither chamber will look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor could be constricted and those who are admitted will maintain distance .
And masks are strongly recommended , though they will not become dress code requirements like coat and tie are for men or covered shoulders for women .
The administration had offered to set aside a special cache of tests for Capitol Hill , but Mr. McConnell and Mrs. Pelosi declined .
It ’ s about the only area of agreement they ’ ve found recently .
Even without being in the same city , they ’ ve managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be doing .
Mrs. Pelosi wants lawmakers to tackle a $ 500 billion-plus bill to bail out states and localities who have seen their budgets busted as the virus-stricken economy has sapped tax revenue .
Mr. McConnell has been coy about the state and local bailout .
He recently said a bill may be possible , but only if it includes the GOP ’ s “ red line ” demand of liability protections to allow businesses to reopen without fearing a rash of lawsuits .
During the last six weeks , party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills long-distance .
And while other lawmakers are eager to get back and have their say , they ’ ve been busy enough .
Mr. Smith , New Jersey Republican , says he ’ s on the phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. , holding staff conference calls and working the lines to make sure his state , one of the hardest-hit , gets what it needs in terms of resources and equipment .
One coup was identifying 41 million surgical gloves which customs officials had held at port for months , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor .
Mr. Smith , a human rights champion , got the gloves released — and it turned out the company hadn ’ t used forced labor after all .
“ I never did more phone calls on one issue than that one , ” the congressman told The Washington Times .
As a human rights icon , one of Mr. Smith ’ s areas of focus is China .
So his bill to strip the Chinese government of sovereign immunity , allowing lawsuits to be brought in U.S. courts , is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same tactic Congress took to strip Saudi Arabia of immunity for lawsuits stemming from the 2001 terrorist attacks .
It would apply to any country that misleads the world about a pandemic , and Mr. Smith says that ’ s important because this won ’ t be the last one .
But China is clearly in the crosshairs .
“ Whether or not China would be held accountable with monetary damages , I would hope so , but at least we would begin establishing a record in court getting to the bottom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the lying means people in my district , the 4th District , die or lose their jobs , there needs to be an avenue for justice.
” Another of his bills would extend the paycheck protection program , designed to help small businesses keep people on their payroll right now , to include labor unions and chambers of commerce .
He says they were not covered in the original stimulus , likely an inadvertent oversight amid the rush to legislate , and he hopes the next big coronavirus bill will include his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China bill in particular could be an area of bipartisan cooperation .
Mr. Smith and Mrs. Pelosi have worked on human-rights issues in China before , and he said he has a call in to the Democratic speaker ’ s office to try to gauge her interest .
But connecting with fellow lawmakers has been one casualty of the long congressional shutdown .
No committee meetings or votes , where all members are gathered at once , means no chance to button-hole fellow members to share ideas of earn signatures for co-sponsors on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my co-sponsors , honestly , by being on the floor , giving somebody a one-pager [ bill summary ] that explains it , asking them to get back , ” Mr. Smith said .
The difference shows up in the numbers .
About 450 bills have been introduced in the weeks since the House broke camp in March , and they average about 11 co-sponsors per bill .
During the same period last year House lawmakers filed about 850 bills , and each averaged 25 co-sponsors .
Senators operate under different rules and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during their extended break from D.C .
But they ’ ve issued plenty of press releases promising what they ’ ll do .
Sen. Ted Cruz , Texas Republican , announced a bill to cut off federal assistance , such as allowing use of military equipment , to any Hollywood studios that cooperate with China ’ s censorship demands .
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and fellow Democrats say they ’ ll pursue legislation to federalize the medical supply chain , making Uncle Sam the rationer-in-chief .
Sen. Cory Booker has teamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to write the FIRST Act , legislation that would free all illegal immigrants held in detention while awaiting deportation amid a medical national emergency .
Rep. Matt Gaetz , Florida Republican , wrote a response bill , the PANDEMIC Act , that would automatically deport all illegal immigrants during an emergency .
Like most bills , few of the ideas will pass one chamber , much less both and then signed into law .
But they form the arena of legislating as lawmakers return .
Mr. Smith is among the GOP ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during coronavirus has been Mr. Neguse , a Colorado Democrat with nine pieces of legislation to his name .
His ideas range from mandatory hazard pay for workers kept on the job — something he hopes has momentum because it tracks with President Trump ’ s musings — to setting a new definition for price gouging .
Mr. Neguse also pushed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to give testing priority to first responders — a move the CDC did make .
“ Since the COVID-19 outbreak began we have been focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , state officials , local government leaders , first responders and health care workers to identify areas we can support their efforts and help legislatively address the challenges presented by this public health emergency , ” the congressman told The Washington Times in a statement .
His hazard pay bill only has Democrats as co-sponsors right now , but he wrote a bill on wildfire prevention with a Utah Republican , and his bill to earmark $ 250 billion in assistance for smaller communities has earned more than 150 co-sponsors , including Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely have to wait , though .
The Senate ’ s immediate schedule this week is votes on a series of nominees slated for confirmation , and Mr. McConnell ’ s office says the Senate may also take up a renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act , which saw some of its provisions lapse before Congress ’ s coronavirus shutdown .
Mr. McConnell ’ s decision to return on Monday is decidedly unpopular with Democrats , who complained that his chief goal in bringing back the chamber is to made headway on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Joe Manchin , a usually circumspect Democrat from West Virginia , lashed out at Mr. McConnell last week , calling the expected votes on judges “ shameful.
” “ I am eager to go back to Washington to work on the challenges our country faces with COVID-19 and the economy but not for McConnell ’ s personal agenda , ” he said .
“ The Senate is a personnel business , ” he told Fox News .
“ We have much work to do with the American people and we think we @ @ @ @ @ @

The coronavirus crisis hasn’t derailed Rep. Chris Smith — he’s written six bills while Congress has been on a virus-induced recess, including a demand that airlines refund unused tickets and a trend-setting bill to punish China for mismanaging the virus.
Rep. Joe Neguse, also a prolific legislator, has written nine bills ranging from swatting price gougers to mandating that businesses pay their front-line essential workers a 25% hazard pay boost, with the feds picking up the tab.
Another lawmaker wants to encourage Americans to start victory gardens to bolster their food supply during the outbreak. Still another wants the FBI to report how many gun background checks it did during the crisis. And Rep. Earl Blumenauer wants to make sure pot dealers can get their share of the small business bailout.
Congress may have been gone for six weeks, but that hasn’t stopped the ideas from piling up in Washington — hundreds of bills from lawmakers with suggestions for how to ease the crisis, stockpile for the future, or to punish China for fueling this one.
On Monday, senators will be back in Washington, on the say-so of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who says if grocery stockers, delivery drivers and emergency-room nurses remain on the job, then so should Congress.
House Democrats had initially announced they, too, would return — then recanted, saying the Capitol’s top doctor said it still wasn’t safe to have 435 of them come back and start meeting and voting regularly.
SEE ALSO: China ‘intentionally concealed’ coronavirus severity, Homeland Security report reveals
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now says she hopes to return next week.
Once in session, neither chamber will look anything close to normal. Access to the floor could be constricted and those who are admitted will maintain distance. And masks are strongly recommended, though they will not become dress code requirements like coat and tie are for men or covered shoulders for women.
The administration had offered to set aside a special cache of tests for Capitol Hill, but Mr. McConnell and Mrs. Pelosi declined.
It’s about the only area of agreement they’ve found recently. Even without being in the same city, they’ve managed to become deeply at odds over what Congress should be doing.
Mrs. Pelosi wants lawmakers to tackle a $500 billion-plus bill to bail out states and localities who have seen their budgets busted as the virus-stricken economy has sapped tax revenue.
Mr. McConnell has been coy about the state and local bailout. He recently said a bill may be possible, but only if it includes the GOP’s “red line” demand of liability protections to allow businesses to reopen without fearing a rash of lawsuits.
During the last six weeks, party leaders have driven the agenda, negotiating bills long-distance.
And while other lawmakers are eager to get back and have their say, they’ve been busy enough.
Mr. Smith, New Jersey Republican, says he’s on the phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., holding staff conference calls and working the lines to make sure his state, one of the hardest-hit, gets what it needs in terms of resources and equipment.
One coup was identifying 41 million surgical gloves which customs officials had held at port for months, suspecting they were the product of forced labor. Mr. Smith, a human rights champion, got the gloves released — and it turned out the company hadn’t used forced labor after all.
“I never did more phone calls on one issue than that one,” the congressman told The Washington Times.
As a human rights icon, one of Mr. Smith’s areas of focus is China. So his bill to strip the Chinese government of sovereign immunity, allowing lawsuits to be brought in U.S. courts, is a natural fit.
The bill uses the same tactic Congress took to strip Saudi Arabia of immunity for lawsuits stemming from the 2001 terrorist attacks.
It would apply to any country that misleads the world about a pandemic, and Mr. Smith says that’s important because this won’t be the last one. But China is clearly in the crosshairs.
“Whether or not China would be held accountable with monetary damages, I would hope so, but at least we would begin establishing a record in court getting to the bottom of it,” he said. “When the lying means people in my district, the 4th District, die or lose their jobs, there needs to be an avenue for justice.”
Another of his bills would extend the paycheck protection program, designed to help small businesses keep people on their payroll right now, to include labor unions and chambers of commerce.
He says they were not covered in the original stimulus, likely an inadvertent oversight amid the rush to legislate, and he hopes the next big coronavirus bill will include his legislation as a technical fix.
The China bill in particular could be an area of bipartisan cooperation. Mr. Smith and Mrs. Pelosi have worked on human-rights issues in China before, and he said he has a call in to the Democratic speaker’s office to try to gauge her interest.
But connecting with fellow lawmakers has been one casualty of the long congressional shutdown.
No committee meetings or votes, where all members are gathered at once, means no chance to button-hole fellow members to share ideas of earn signatures for co-sponsors on legislation.
“I get most of my co-sponsors, honestly, by being on the floor, giving somebody a one-pager [bill summary] that explains it, asking them to get back,” Mr. Smith said.
The difference shows up in the numbers.
About 450 bills have been introduced in the weeks since the House broke camp in March, and they average about 11 co-sponsors per bill.
During the same period last year House lawmakers filed about 850 bills, and each averaged 25 co-sponsors.
Senators operate under different rules and have not been able to introduce bills during their extended break from D.C. But they’ve issued plenty of press releases promising what they’ll do.
Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, announced a bill to cut off federal assistance, such as allowing use of military equipment, to any Hollywood studios that cooperate with China’s censorship demands.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and fellow Democrats say they’ll pursue legislation to federalize the medical supply chain, making Uncle Sam the rationer-in-chief.
Sen. Cory Booker has teamed up with fellow Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal to write the FIRST Act, legislation that would free all illegal immigrants held in detention while awaiting deportation amid a medical national emergency. Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, wrote a response bill, the PANDEMIC Act, that would automatically deport all illegal immigrants during an emergency.
Like most bills, few of the ideas will pass one chamber, much less both and then signed into law. But they form the arena of legislating as lawmakers return.
Mr. Smith is among the GOP’s most prolific bill-writers, but the champion during coronavirus has been Mr. Neguse, a Colorado Democrat with nine pieces of legislation to his name.
His ideas range from mandatory hazard pay for workers kept on the job — something he hopes has momentum because it tracks with President Trump’s musings — to setting a new definition for price gouging.
Mr. Neguse also pushed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to give testing priority to first responders — a move the CDC did make.
“Since the COVID-19 outbreak began we have been focused on working closely everyday with our constituents, state officials, local government leaders, first responders and health care workers to identify areas we can support their efforts and help legislatively address the challenges presented by this public health emergency,” the congressman told The Washington Times in a statement.
His hazard pay bill only has Democrats as co-sponsors right now, but he wrote a bill on wildfire prevention with a Utah Republican, and his bill to earmark $250 billion in assistance for smaller communities has earned more than 150 co-sponsors, including Republicans.
Even ideas with bipartisan support will likely have to wait, though.
The Senate’s immediate schedule this week is votes on a series of nominees slated for confirmation, and Mr. McConnell’s office says the Senate may also take up a renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which saw some of its provisions lapse before Congress’s coronavirus shutdown.
Mr. McConnell’s decision to return on Monday is decidedly unpopular with Democrats, who complained that his chief goal in bringing back the chamber is to made headway on Mr. Trump’s judicial nominees.
Sen. Joe Manchin, a usually circumspect Democrat from West Virginia, lashed out at Mr. McConnell last week, calling the expected votes on judges “shameful.”
“I am eager to go back to Washington to work on the challenges our country faces with COVID-19 and the economy but not for McConnell’s personal agenda,” he said.
Mr. McConnell made no apologies.
“The Senate is a personnel business,” he told Fox News. “We have much work to do with the American people and we think we can do it safely.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Washington tribe traces new outbreak to children playing

SEATTLE ( AP ) - A Washington state American Indian tribe has seen a spate of new coronavirus infections that health officials traced to children playing together .
Sixteen new cases were announced between Wednesday and Friday by the Lummi Nation health department - the tribe ’ s first new infections in weeks Tribal officials said it was apparent from the outbreak that families and children were not following orders to limit their interactions and practice social distancing .
The Lummi Indian Business Council extended its stay-at-home order through May 31 and added a curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 miles north of Seattle .
After several weeks without new cases , people had become complacent , said Dr. Dakotah Lane , the Lummi Nation ’ s health director , told The Seattle Times .
Lane said the outbreak was traced to some kids playing together , but it couldn ’ t be determined where the initial infection came from .
“ You feel things are going well , and then , boom , this happens , ” Lane said .
The Lummi were among the first to enact a strict stay-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the virus ’ s spread .
The tribe also took early steps to obtain testing supplies and educate its roughly 5,300 members about keeping apart .

SEATTLE (AP) - A Washington state American Indian tribe has seen a spate of new coronavirus infections that health officials traced to children playing together.
Sixteen new cases were announced between Wednesday and Friday by the Lummi Nation health department - the tribe’s first new infections in weeks
Tribal officials said it was apparent from the outbreak that families and children were not following orders to limit their interactions and practice social distancing.
The Lummi Indian Business Council extended its stay-at-home order through May 31 and added a curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. for residents of the reservation about 90 miles north of Seattle.
After several weeks without new cases, people had become complacent, said Dr. Dakotah Lane, the Lummi Nation’s health director, told The Seattle Times. Lane said the outbreak was traced to some kids playing together, but it couldn’t be determined where the initial infection came from.
“You feel things are going well, and then, boom, this happens,” Lane said.
The Lummi were among the first to enact a strict stay-home order, on March 22, to slow the virus’s spread. The tribe also took early steps to obtain testing supplies and educate its roughly 5,300 members about keeping apart.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Utah man gets prison after running over boy while drunk

SALT LAKE CITY ( AP ) - A Utah man with several drunk driving convictions has been sentenced to up @ @ @ @ @ for running over and killing a 4-year-old boy while driving drunk .
Carl Wayne Johnson @ @ @ @ @ after pleading guilty to automobile homicide involving DUI .
Lesser charges were dismissed under a @ @ @ @ @ He was behind the wheel of a GMC in November when he hit a mother @ @ @ @ @ .
Holden Curtis , 4 , was killed and his mother suffered a broken femur @ @ @ @ @ .
The court ordered Johnson to serve an indeterminate sentence of one-to-fifteen years in prison @ @ @ @ @ DUI convictions before the fatal crash .
Story has been corrected to show that the @ @ @ @ @ .

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Utah man with several drunk driving convictions has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for running over and killing a 4-year-old boy while driving drunk.
Carl Wayne Johnson, 57, was sentenced after pleading guilty to automobile homicide involving DUI. Lesser charges were dismissed under a plea deal with prosecutors.
He was behind the wheel of a GMC in November when he hit a mother and child in a crosswalk. Holden Curtis, 4, was killed and his mother suffered a broken femur, according to court records.
The court ordered Johnson to serve an indeterminate sentence of one-to-fifteen years in prison.
Johnson had three prior DUI convictions before the fatal crash.
__
Story has been corrected to show that the victim was 4 years old.


washingtontimes--2020-05-03--Inside the Beltway: RNC chair Ronna McDaniel: Joe Biden-friendly news outlets should be disciplined

The old tradition continues : The liberal media protects liberal Democrats .
Democratic presidential hopeful Joseph R. Biden has been shielded by a protective press after he was accused of sexual misconduct by a former staffer — in sharp contrast to the case of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh , whose life was upended by journalists during his confirmation hearings .
But the circumstances have gone beyond that now .
One observer believes that the complicit media should pay a professional price for such practices .
“ It has been appalling hypocrisy how Brett Kavanaugh was treated versus Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was put on TV , it was wall-to-wall coverage , they went into his high school yearbook , they said he needed an FBI investigation , ” Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tells ABC News .
“ Then you go to Joe Biden — five weeks of silence , 19 interviews without a single question , ” she continued , citing the fact that , Mr. Biden has participated in a multitude of recent interviews in which there is no mention or acknowledgement of the troubling situation .
“ He won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the University of Delaware , ” she continued , then alluded to a near sacred progressive cause — the # MeToo movement , which has encouraged women to step forward if they have experienced abuse .
“ It went from MeToo , MeToo , MeToo — to move on , move on , move on in a nanosecond because Biden is a Democrat .
And the hypocrisy is appalling — and it ’ s not just from the Democrats .
It ’ s from the media , ” she continued .
Should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upholding media ethics and fairness ?
“ I think any outlet that conducted those 19 interviews and didn ’ t ask a single question should be disqualified from conducting any part of a presidential debate , ” Mrs. McDaniel advised .
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “ male chauvinist pig ” in a straightforward way , noting that the term means “ a man who thinks women are not equal to men.
” It came into common use in the U.S. between 1965-70 and was a convenient rallying cry among many of the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Feminists used to call men male chauvinist pigs .
But they will have come up with a new name for politicians and others who support the politics of feminism while mistreating women .
Will they call them male feminist pigs ?
The list of such figures continues to grow .
Will Joe Biden join the list ?
” asks George Neumayr , a senior editor at The American Spectator .
Consider a terse tweet of note from DeAnna Lorraine , a self-described “ fiercely patriotic , pro-Trump ” Republican congressional candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi in California ’ s 12th District .
Ms. Lorraine addressed her Twitter missive specifically to the “ Trump is not a doctor crowd ” who have been undermining or dismissing President Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic because he is not a medical professional .
“ Bill Nye is not a scientist .
Greta Thunberg is not a climate expert .
Hillary Clinton is not a president .
AOC is not an economist .
CNN is not a news network .
Joe Biden is not winning in 2020 , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Sunday , Mr. Trump retweeted her message , a powerful retweet indeed — drawing 73,000 likes and 33 , OOO retweets within two hours after the president ’ s post .
And for anyone who may have forgotten , “ AOC ” is the acronym for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , New York Democrat .
The coronavirus pandemic has affected the spiritual lives of some Americans , says a major pollster .
“ One-quarter of U.S. adults overall ( 24 % ) say their faith has become stronger because of the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faith has become weaker , ” reports the Pew Research Center .
The highest percentage of change was among “ historically black ” Protestants ( 56 % ) , those who attend church weekly ( 48 % and evangelicals ( 42 % ) .
Other numbers : Christian in general ( 35 % ) , Catholics ( 27 % ) — and of interest — 11 % among those who have no particular faith and 2 % among atheists .
MEANWHILE IN THE ARCTIC Forget worries about dwindling populations of polar bears in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alarmism is now pointing the finger at beavers , who are apparently heading northward , building their dams and lodges — and damaging ice and tundra .
Beaver dams , in fact , have increased by 5,000 % in the last two decades .
“ Beavers are booming in some parts of the Arctic — and speeding up changes to the tundra .
‘ Beaver-driven engineering ’ is moving north , altering Arctic ecosystems — and probably accelerating climate change , ” writes Yereth Rosen , a contributor to Arctic Today .
an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s source is Environmental Research Letters , an academic journal which based its conclusions on tundra landscpae changes revealed by satellite photography in Northwest Alaska .
• 61 % of the world ’ s population now worry about the coronavirus pandemic .
• 35 % worry over unemployment 28 % about health care and 22 % about political corruption .
• 20 % worry about crime and violence , 14 % about education , 10 % about immigration control .
• 7 % worry about maintaining social programs , 6 % about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to credit .
Source : An IPSOS poll of 19,505 adult in 28 countries conducted March 20-April 3 and released Friday .
The countries were Argentina , Australia , Belgium , Brazil , Canada , Chile , China , France , Great Britain , Germany , Hungary , India , Israel , Italy , Japan , Malaysia , Mexico , Netherlands , Peru , Poland , Russia , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , Turkey and the U.S. • Helpful information to [ email protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newsletter at www.washingtontimes.com/newsletters/manage/

NEWS AND OPINION:
The old tradition continues: The liberal media protects liberal Democrats. Democratic presidential hopeful Joseph R. Biden has been shielded by a protective press after he was accused of sexual misconduct by a former staffer — in sharp contrast to the case of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose life was upended by journalists during his confirmation hearings. But the circumstances have gone beyond that now. One observer believes that the complicit media should pay a professional price for such practices.
“It has been appalling hypocrisy how Brett Kavanaugh was treated versus Joe Biden. For Brett Kavanaugh — every accuser was put on TV, it was wall-to-wall coverage, they went into his high school yearbook, they said he needed an FBI investigation,” Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tells ABC News.
“Then you go to Joe Biden — five weeks of silence, 19 interviews without a single question,” she continued, citing the fact that, Mr. Biden has participated in a multitude of recent interviews in which there is no mention or acknowledgement of the troubling situation.
“He won’t let people go into his records in the University of Delaware,” she continued, then alluded to a near sacred progressive cause — the #MeToo movement, which has encouraged women to step forward if they have experienced abuse.
“It went from MeToo, MeToo, MeToo — to move on, move on, move on in a nanosecond because Biden is a Democrat. And the hypocrisy is appalling — and it’s not just from the Democrats. It’s from the media,” she continued.
Should news organizations pay a price for not upholding media ethics and fairness?
“I think any outlet that conducted those 19 interviews and didn’t ask a single question should be disqualified from conducting any part of a presidential debate,” Mrs. McDaniel advised.
FOR THE LEXICON
“Male Feminist pig.”
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “male chauvinist pig” in a straightforward way, noting that the term means “a man who thinks women are not equal to men.” It came into common use in the U.S. between 1965-70 and was a convenient rallying cry among many of the early women’s marches of the era.
But times change.
“Feminists used to call men male chauvinist pigs. But they will have come up with a new name for politicians and others who support the politics of feminism while mistreating women. Will they call them male feminist pigs? The list of such figures continues to grow. Will Joe Biden join the list?” asks George Neumayr, a senior editor at The American Spectator.
A PELOSI CHALLENGER HAS A SAY
Consider a terse tweet of note from DeAnna Lorraine, a self-described “fiercely patriotic, pro-Trump” Republican congressional candidate who is running against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in California’s 12th District.
Ms. Lorraine addressed her Twitter missive specifically to the “Trump is not a doctor crowd” who have been undermining or dismissing President Trump‘s response to the coronavirus pandemic because he is not a medical professional.
“Bill Nye is not a scientist. Greta Thunberg is not a climate expert. Hillary Clinton is not a president. AOC is not an economist. CNN is not a news network. Joe Biden is not winning in 2020,” Ms. Lorraine tweeted on Saturday, .
On Sunday, Mr. Trump retweeted her message, a powerful retweet indeed — drawing 73,000 likes and 33,OOO retweets within two hours after the president’s post. And for anyone who may have forgotten, “AOC” is the acronym for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat.
A FAITH BOOST
The coronavirus pandemic has affected the spiritual lives of some Americans, says a major pollster.
“One-quarter of U.S. adults overall (24%) say their faith has become stronger because of the coronavirus pandemic, while just 2% say their faith has become weaker,” reports the Pew Research Center.
The highest percentage of change was among “historically black” Protestants (56%), those who attend church weekly (48% and evangelicals (42%).
Other numbers: Christian in general (35%), Catholics (27%) — and of interest — 11% among those who have no particular faith and 2% among atheists.
MEANWHILE IN THE ARCTIC
Forget worries about dwindling populations of polar bears in the far north. The latest climate alarmism is now pointing the finger at beavers, who are apparently heading northward, building their dams and lodges — and damaging ice and tundra. Beaver dams, in fact, have increased by 5,000% in the last two decades.
“Beavers are booming in some parts of the Arctic — and speeding up changes to the tundra. ‘Beaver-driven engineering’ is moving north, altering Arctic ecosystems — and probably accelerating climate change,” writes Yereth Rosen, a contributor to Arctic Today. an independent news organization.
Mr. Rosen’s source is Environmental Research Letters, an academic journal which based its conclusions on tundra landscpae changes revealed by satellite photography in Northwest Alaska.
POLL DU JOUR
• 61% of the world’s population now worry about the coronavirus pandemic.
• 35% worry over unemployment 28% about health care and 22% about political corruption.
• 20% worry about crime and violence, 14% about education, 10% about immigration control.
• 10% worry about “moral decline,” 9% environmental threat, 7% about terrorism.
• 7% worry about maintaining social programs, 6% about the rise of extremism and 2% about access to credit.
Source: An IPSOS poll of 19,505 adult in 28 countries conducted March 20-April 3 and released Friday. The countries were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S.
• Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com. Sign up for her free weekly newsletter at www.washingtontimes.com/newsletters/manage/
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.