washingtontimes--2020-08-11--What do the kids say? K-12 students sound off on school

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Parents have weighed in on reopening schools .
Teachers have weighed in .
Public health experts , too , along with cities , states and President Donald Trump .
But what about the kids themselves ?
As the grown-ups fret , kindergartners to high schoolers faced with a range of scenarios for virtual and in-person classes are expressing both fear and glee over leaving home to learn .
Many said they ’ re most worried about fellow students breaking the rules on wearing masks and keeping their distance , especially in areas that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ll be home in a month , ” said a skeptical Peter Klamka , an eighth-grader in Las Vegas , in a county that logged 95 % of new coronavirus cases reported in Nevada early last week .
The 13-year-old will return to his private school in about three weeks .
“ Some kids will be more responsible than others .
I ’ m not looking forward to it but I ’ ve got to go school so I ’ d rather be there in person , ” Peter said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Westport , Connecticut , will begin her first big-kid year on Zoom after finishing preschool at home .
That may change later in the year .
“ I ’ d rather go to school because it has more toys and it ’ s more fun , ” she said as she munched on animal crackers and sipped from a juice box .
Anxious parents around the country are looking to schools that have already opened for signs of how it might go .
One , North Paulding High School in suburban Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student who shared photos and video of crowded hallways and few students in masks after doors opened this month .
The school has since suffered an outbreak of COVID-19 , along with other schools in hard-hit Georgia .
Nearly 50 miles away in Alpharetta , Georgia , 10-year-old Collier Evans will attend school remotely when he begins fifth grade Aug. 17 .
He could have gone in person full time or picked a blended option but said he was anxious about returning to school .
“ My parents and me , we said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a classroom , get sick and then I ’ d bring it home and get my family sick , ” Collier said .
As for distance learning , he said : “ I hope it ’ s going to go better than last year .
You had to wait in a queue for like 30 minutes to ask the teacher one question.
” In Tuscon , Arizona , 10-year-old Simon Joubeaud Pulitzer returned to his private school Aug. 3 , his blue button-down uniform shirt and tie in place .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have face-to-face access to his teachers .
“ Not the first day but after , yes , I felt a bit safer , ” Simon said .
“ All kids were following the rules.
” Those rules include masks worn indoors , socially distanced desks and only two kids per outdoor picnic table at either end for lunch .
Most American parents said it was unsafe to send their children back to school , with more than 80 percent favoring school conducted at least partly online , according to a new Washington Post-Schar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many expressed displeasure at the quality of online instruction .
As summer winds down , the mixed feelings mirror the lack of consensus around the country on how to balance virus risks and schooling .
Some Scandinavian countries with far fewer cases than in the U.S. reopened schools with new safety protocols and have had no outbreaks connected to their operations .
In Israel , schools that reopened when virus activity was low ended up shutting down a few weeks later when cases spiked .
In the U.S. , some school districts plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning to help maintain social distancing .
Other districts , including those in Miami , Houston and Los Angeles , are starting classes online only .
Ella Springer , 14 , of Kenosha , Wisconsin , will start her sophomore year of high school at home after her school board rescinded an in-class option to open the fall semester .
That could change as the year progresses .
“ At first I was wanting to go back to school in person but I feel like , watching the numbers in Wisconsin , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it ’ s rising , ” she said .
“ It ’ s pretty boring at home but what can you do ?
Last year the virtual was easier for me to slack off at home because it was a loose kind of thing , but I feel like this year will go a lot better since they ’ ve had the whole summer to prepare.
” Aiden Anderson , 11 , in Orlando , Florida , will begin sixth grade at home for two weeks , then happily head out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the nation ’ s worst hot spots for the virus .
“ I don ’ t like that there ’ s two weeks online , ” he said .
“ At home it ’ s so easy to get distracted.
” In Littleton , Colorado , 8-year-old Will Asbury is going into third grade .
School starts Aug. 24 and he ’ ll be there in person .
There was a distance learning option but Will and his little sister , Luca , wanted to go .
“ I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see my friends .
Masks are a bummer but at least we get to play with our friends during recess and see them at lunch , ” he said .
Of distance learning , 6-year-old Luca got right to the point : “ I didn ’ t like it.
” She ’ s hoping for a unicorn mask to wear when she returns to the classroom .
Alec Blumberg is a high school freshman and his sister , Amelia , a high school senior in Great Neck , New York .
Their school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , at-home learning to start in September with a possible staggered approach in person later on , allowing half the students in at a time .
“ I really want to go back .
It would be nice to interact with people and have a more separate life at school and home , ” Alec said .
“ But if the school lays out a plan , will the kids follow it ?
I ’ m really not sure.
” Amelia , 17 , said exactly how responsible students will be is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what she ’ s seen among peers .
“ Some people aren ’ t as careful as others , ” she said .
“ They aren ’ t following any type of safety measures , which really scares me .
But I really want to go back .
It ’ s the last year .
We didn ’ t even get to say goodbye to any of our teachers when we left last year.
” School for Indianapolis , Indiana , seventh-grader Maria Beck started July 30 .
The 12-year-old is attending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her school district was going to offer some in-person instruction , then changed its mind .
There ’ s been a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in her area .
“ I ’ m a big extrovert , ” Maria said of missing face-to-face school .
“ But so far , it ’ s been going very well .
I do hope we get to go back some day.
” Her third-grade sister , 8-year-old Felicity , said she , too , is OK with distance learning .
Among the things she misses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ d be scared that I ’ d get sick , ” she said of returning to school , “ but I ’ d be really happy that I ’ d be able to go back .
”

NEW YORK (AP) - Parents have weighed in on reopening schools. Teachers have weighed in. Public health experts, too, along with cities, states and President Donald Trump.
But what about the kids themselves? As the grown-ups fret, kindergartners to high schoolers faced with a range of scenarios for virtual and in-person classes are expressing both fear and glee over leaving home to learn.
Many said they’re most worried about fellow students breaking the rules on wearing masks and keeping their distance, especially in areas that are hot spots for the coronavirus.
“We’ll be home in a month,” said a skeptical Peter Klamka, an eighth-grader in Las Vegas, in a county that logged 95% of new coronavirus cases reported in Nevada early last week.
The 13-year-old will return to his private school in about three weeks.
“Some kids will be more responsible than others. I’m not looking forward to it but I’ve got to go school so I’d rather be there in person,” Peter said.
Not yet 5, kindergartner Rivington Hall in Westport, Connecticut, will begin her first big-kid year in September, at least in part on Zoom after finishing preschool at home.
“I’d rather go to school because it has more toys and it’s more fun,” she said as she munched on animal crackers and sipped from a juice box.
Anxious parents around the country are looking to schools that have already opened for signs of how it might go. One, North Paulding High School in suburban Atlanta, rescinded a five-day suspension for a student who shared photos and video of crowded hallways and few students in masks after doors opened this month.
The school has since suffered an outbreak of COVID-19, along with other schools in hard-hit Georgia.
Nearly 50 miles away in Alpharetta, Georgia, 10-year-old Collier Evans will attend school remotely when he begins fifth grade Aug. 17. He could have gone in person full time or picked a blended option but said he was anxious about returning to school.
“My parents and me, we said we don’t want to go in a classroom, get sick and then I’d bring it home and get my family sick,” Collier said.
As for distance learning, he said: “I hope it’s going to go better than last year. You had to wait in a queue for like 30 minutes to ask the teacher one question.”
In Tucson, Arizona, 10-year-old Simon Joubeaud Pulitzer returned to his private school Aug. 3, his blue button-down uniform shirt and tie in place. He was happy to see his friends again and have face-to-face access to his teachers.
Did he feel safe?
“Not the first day but after, yes, I felt a bit safer,” Simon said. “All kids were following the rules.”
Those rules include masks worn indoors, socially distanced desks and only two kids per outdoor picnic table at either end for lunch.
Most American parents said it was unsafe to send their children back to school, with more than 80 percent favoring school conducted at least partly online, according to a new Washington Post-Schar School survey conducted by Ipsos. But many expressed displeasure at the quality of online instruction.
As summer winds down, the mixed feelings mirror the lack of consensus around the country on how to balance virus risks and schooling.
Some Scandinavian countries with far fewer cases than in the U.S. reopened schools with new safety protocols and have had no outbreaks connected to their operations. In Israel, schools that reopened when virus activity was low ended up shutting down a few weeks later when cases spiked.
In the U.S., some school districts plan a mix of in-person classes and online learning to help maintain social distancing. Other districts, including those in Miami, Houston and Los Angeles, are starting classes online only.
Ella Springer, 14, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, will start her sophomore year of high school at home after her school board rescinded an in-class option to open the fall semester. That could change as the year progresses.
“At first I was wanting to go back to school in person but I feel like, watching the numbers in Wisconsin, it makes more sense to go back virtual because it’s rising,” she said. “It’s pretty boring at home but what can you do? Last year the virtual was easier for me to slack off at home because it was a loose kind of thing, but I feel like this year will go a lot better since they’ve had the whole summer to prepare.”
Aiden Anderson, 11, in Orlando, Florida, will begin sixth grade at home for two weeks, then happily head out to school in a state that’s among the nation’s worst hot spots for the virus.
“I don’t like that there’s two weeks online,” he said. “At home it’s so easy to get distracted.”
In Littleton, Colorado, 8-year-old Will Asbury is going into third grade. School starts Aug. 24 and he’ll be there in person. There was a distance learning option but Will and his little sister, Luca, wanted to go.
“I’m going to feel good because I get to see my friends. Masks are a bummer but at least we get to play with our friends during recess and see them at lunch,” he said.
Of distance learning, 6-year-old Luca got right to the point: “I didn’t like it.”
She’s hoping for a unicorn mask to wear when she returns to the classroom.
Alec Blumberg is a high school freshman and his sister, Amelia, a high school senior in Great Neck, New York. Their school, for now, decided on full time, at-home learning to start in September with a possible staggered approach in person later on, allowing half the students in at a time.
“I really want to go back. It would be nice to interact with people and have a more separate life at school and home,” Alec said. “But if the school lays out a plan, will the kids follow it? I’m really not sure.”
Amelia, 17, said exactly how responsible students will be is what worries her the most, based on what she’s seen among peers.
“Some people aren’t as careful as others,” she said. “They aren’t following any type of safety measures, which really scares me. But I really want to go back. It’s the last year. We didn’t even get to say goodbye to any of our teachers when we left last year.”
School for Indianapolis, Indiana, seventh-grader Maria Beck started July 30. The 12-year-old is attending online full time. At first, her school district was going to offer some in-person instruction, then changed its mind. There’s been a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in her area.
“I’m a big extrovert,” Maria said of missing face-to-face school. “But so far, it’s been going very well. I do hope we get to go back some day.”
Her third-grade sister, 8-year-old Felicity, said she, too, is OK with distance learning. Among the things she misses most about real school? Lunch.
“I’d be scared that I’d get sick,” she said of returning to school, “but I’d be really happy that I’d be able to go back.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Police say 19 inmates, guards killed in Somalia prison riot

NAIROBI , Kenya ( AP ) - A Somali police officer says at least 19 people were killed during a @ @ @ @ @ in Somalia ’ s capital on Monday evening .
Abdiqani Mohamed Qalaf , spokesman for @ @ @ @ @ of prisons , told reporters the dead included 15 inmates and four guards .
He @ @ @ @ @ to normal , but he gave no details .
Gen. Mahad Abdirahman , commander of @ @ @ @ @ reporters that the violence started when an inmate grabbed an officer ’ s gun and @ @ @ @ @ .
In the chaos , other inmates , including some sentenced on terrorism charges , @ @ @ @ @ .
The prison holds some members of the al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab .
It was @ @ @ @ @ the prison in recent memory .

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - A Somali police officer says at least 19 people were killed during a riot in the central prison in Somalia’s capital on Monday evening.
Abdiqani Mohamed Qalaf, spokesman for the police force in charge of prisons, told reporters the dead included 15 inmates and four guards. He said the situation is back to normal, but he gave no details.
Gen. Mahad Abdirahman, commander of the custodial corps, told reporters that the violence started when an inmate grabbed an officer’s gun and went on a shooting spree.
In the chaos, other inmates, including some sentenced on terrorism charges, recovered guns from fallen guards.
The prison holds some members of the al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab.
It was the first such riot at the prison in recent memory.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--US producer prices up 0.6% in July, biggest jump since 2018

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - U.S. wholesale prices shot up an unexpected 0.6 % in July , biggest gain since October 2018 , as energy prices moved sharply higher .
The Labor Department said Tuesday that the jump last month in its producer price index - which measures inflation before it reaches consumers - followed a 0.2 % drop in June and a 0.4 % uptick in May .
The increase last month was about twice what economists had expected .
Wholesale energy prices shot up 5.3 % in July , including a 10.1 % surge in gasoline prices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the volatile food and energy prices , so-called core producer prices rose 0.5 % last month .
Over the past year , producer prices are down 0.4 % , and core prices are up 0.3 % .
Inflation has been held in check by the sharp recession caused by the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting lockdowns and fear that have kept Americans away from restaurants , airplanes and shopping centers .
Producer prices for airline services plummeted 7 % last month .
“ Core inflation readings will likely remain muted over coming months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ample excess capacity , ” Rubeela Farooqi , chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics , wrote in a research report .

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. wholesale prices shot up an unexpected 0.6% in July, biggest gain since October 2018, as energy prices moved sharply higher.
The Labor Department said Tuesday that the jump last month in its producer price index - which measures inflation before it reaches consumers - followed a 0.2% drop in June and a 0.4% uptick in May. The increase last month was about twice what economists had expected.
Wholesale energy prices shot up 5.3% in July, including a 10.1% surge in gasoline prices. Food prices slid 0.5%. Excluding the volatile food and energy prices, so-called core producer prices rose 0.5% last month.
Over the past year, producer prices are down 0.4%, and core prices are up 0.3%. Inflation has been held in check by the sharp recession caused by the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting lockdowns and fear that have kept Americans away from restaurants, airplanes and shopping centers. Producer prices for airline services plummeted 7% last month.
“Core inflation readings will likely remain muted over coming months in response to ongoing weak demand and ample excess capacity,” Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a research report.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--North Carolina AG to probe sources of 'forever chemicals'

FAYETTEVILLE , N.C. ( AP ) - North Carolina ’ s Attorney General will have his office investigate the sources @ @ @ @ @ ” that have contaminated drinking water in the southeastern part of the state .
The @ @ @ @ @ Josh Stein made the announcement on Monday .
The chemicals his office will focus on @ @ @ @ @ GenX .
The state investigation will look into manufacturers and other possible sources of the @ @ @ @ @ in industrial processes to make things like nonstick coatings and fire suppression foams .
Stein @ @ @ @ @ break down once they are released into the environment .
They also build up in @ @ @ @ @ causing harm to people ’ s health .
It became well-known after the StarNews newspaper @ @ @ @ @ N.C. State University in 2017 that found significant amounts of the pollutants in the Cape @ @ @ @ @ supplies drinking water in that area .
GenX has also been found in wells near @ @ @ @ @ Fayetteville Works plant in Bladen County .

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina’s Attorney General will have his office investigate the sources behind so-called “forever chemicals” that have contaminated drinking water in the southeastern part of the state.
The Fayetteville Observer reports that AG Josh Stein made the announcement on Monday.
The chemicals his office will focus on include substances like PFAS and GenX. The state investigation will look into manufacturers and other possible sources of the pollution.
PFAS are used in industrial processes to make things like nonstick coatings and fire suppression foams. Stein says the chemicals do not break down once they are released into the environment. They also build up in human blood and organs, causing harm to people’s health.
GenX is a type of PFAS.
It became well-known after the StarNews newspaper in Wilmington reported research by N.C. State University in 2017 that found significant amounts of the pollutants in the Cape Fear River. The river supplies drinking water in that area.
GenX has also been found in wells near the Chemours Co.’s Fayetteville Works plant in Bladen County.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Donald Trump: I hope NFL doesn't come back if players don't stand for national anthem

President Trump on Tuesday said he hopes professional football doesn ’ t return next month if players continue to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice in the U.S. “ I would say this : If they don ’ t stand for the national anthem , I hope they don ’ t open , ” Mr. Trump said on Fox Sports Radio .
“ But other than that , I ’ d love to see them open , and we ’ re doing everything possible for getting them open , ” he said .
“ They can protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t protest our flag or our country.
” Mr. Trump also said it ’ s important for college football to start up , saying younger people are less susceptible to serious adverse health effects from the new coronavirus .
“ You ’ re not going to see people dying , ” he said .
“ I think football ’ s making a tragic mistake.
” Big Ten schools reportedly voted 12-2 to cancel the upcoming football season , which would presumably prompt a cascading effect from other major conferences .
Mr. Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as the NHL and the PGA Tour , appear to be going OK , but that the jury was still out on baseball .
“ Basketball ’ s not working — I think basketball ’ s not working because of the way they treated our flag and our anthem , if you want to know the truth , ” he said .
Mr. Trump did acknowledge that his weighing in on hot-button issues frequently provokes a vocal movement in opposition to whatever he supports .
“ I ’ ve affected religion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything else , ” he said .
He took a parting shot at LeBron James , an outspoken critic of the president who is arguably the most popular basketball player in the world .
The president quickly picked Michael Jordan in the Jordan-versus-Lebron debate .
“ Plus , he wasn ’ t political so people like him better , ” Mr. Trump said .

President Trump on Tuesday said he hopes professional football doesn’t return next month if players continue to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice in the U.S.
“I would say this: If they don’t stand for the national anthem, I hope they don’t open,” Trump said on Fox Sports Radio.”
But other than that, I’d love to see them open, and we’re doing everything possible for getting them open,” he said. “They can protest in other ways — they shouldn’t protest our flag or our country.”
Trump said mixing sports and protests turns off the typical fan.”I think it’s been horrible for basketball,” he said. “Look at the basketball ratings. They’re down to very low numbers. Very, very low numbers. People are angry about it.
“I think that the NBA is in trouble — I think it’s in big trouble, bigger trouble than they understand. And frankly, ice hockey, which is doing very well, they didn’t do that … they respected what they’re supposed to be doing. And they’re actually doing very well as I understand it.”
He acknowledged that his weighing in on hot-button issues frequently provokes opposition. “I’ve affected religion, hydroxy[chloroquine] and just about anything else,” he said.
Trump also said it’s important for college football to start up, saying younger people are less vulnerable to COVID-19.
Later in the day, the Big Ten and the Pac-12, two of the Power 5 — the country’s top sports conferences — canceled fall football, a move the president earlier called an overreaction.
“You’re not going to see people dying,” he said. “I think football’s making a tragic mistake.”
He closed the interview with a parting shot at LeBron James, an outspoken critic of the president.
The president quickly picked Michael Jordan in the Jordan-versus-Lebron debate.”Plus, he wasn’t political so people like him better,” Mr. Trump said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Ilhan Omar fends off primary challenge

Ilhan Omar fends off primary challenge

MINNEAPOLIS — Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota defeats well-funded Democratic primary challenger who made issue of her high profile .

MINNEAPOLIS — Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota on Tuesday survived a stiff Democratic primary challenge from a well-funded opponent who tried to make an issue of her national celebrity.
Omar, seeking her second term in November, defeated Antone Melton-Meaux, an attorney and mediator who raised millions in anti-Omar money.
Melton-Meaux used the cash to paper the district and flood airwaves with his “Focused on the Fifth” message that portrayed Omar, a member of “The Squad” of four progressive female members of Congress, as out of touch with the Minneapolis-area 5th District.
Omar in 2018 became one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, building on a national profile that started when the onetime refugee from Somalia was elected to the Minnesota Legislature just two years earlier. Her aggressive advocacy on liberal issues, and her eagerness to take on Donald Trump, made her even more prominent.
Omar rejected Melton-Meaux’s attacks, saying they were funded by interests who wanted to get her out of Congress because she’s effective. She also downplayed Melton-Meaux’s prodigious fundraising before the vote, saying, “Organized people will always beat organized money.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and Republican challenger Jason Lewis easily won their primaries in the only statewide races on the ballot. Elsewhere, in western Minnesota’s conservative 7th District, former state Sen. Michelle Fischbach was the endorsed Republican in a three-way race for the right to challenge Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson. Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, is one of the GOP’s top targets to flip a House seat in November.
After entering Congress with fanfare, Omar hurt herself early with comments about Israel and money that even some fellow Democrats called anti-Semitic, and found herself apologizing. She also came under scrutiny when her marriage fell apart and she married her political consultant months after denying they were having an affair.
Republicans also raised questions about continuing payments to her new husband’s firm, though experts said they aren’t necessarily improper.
In the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, police reform also emerged as an issue. Omar supported a push by a majority of the Minneapolis City Council to replace the city’s police department with something new. Melton-Meaux did not support that but did support shifting some funding away from police to more social service-oriented programs. Both touched on the issue in personal ways, with Omar saying she wanted her son to grow up safely. Melton-Meaux, who is also Black, told a personal story of being detained while at the University of Virginia by police seeking an assault suspect reported to have run into his apartment building.
Progressive Democrats gained confidence in Omar’s reelection chances after primary victories last week by fellow “Squad” member Rashida Tlaib in Michigan and by Cori Bush, a Black Lives Matter activist, in a St. Louis-area congressional primary. Progressives also claimed momentum from the renewed focus on racial and economic justice after Floyd’s death.
Catherine Thornton, 36, a General Mills researcher who lives in southwest Minneapolis, said Tuesday that she voted for Melton-Meaux.
“I have a lot of respect for Ms. Omar, but I personally don’t align with just her focus on the progressive agenda. And I felt like Mr. Melton-Meaux would have more focus on our district and the people of our district’s needs.”
Wendy Helgeson, 57, a consultant, backed Omar two years ago, even installing a lawn sign in her yard, and said she was “awfully proud of her being the first Black Muslim woman that we elected.” But she said she was concerned about campaign payments to Omar’s husband’s firm as well as her national presence, and found it easy to vote for Melton-Meaux, whom she said has been her friend for 12 years.
“I admire her as a woman,” Helgeson said of Omar. “As a candidate, ehhh … I have some reservations.”
John Hildebrand, a 47-year-old teacher in Minneapolis who voted for Omar, said her national profile is an advantage.
“I think just her presence encourages other Muslims and Somalis to run for office and to seek to be represented,” he said. “I think she just engages people in the political system more and more.”
Blake Smith, 23, a parks worker who is Black and described himself as a leftist, also backed Omar. He’s concerned about climate change, Medicare for all and getting money out of politics, and he sees her as an ally.
“It’s more time for radical change than like small - I don’t think we have time for incremental change anymore,” Smith said.
• Doug Glass contributed. Ibrahim is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Mesa police officer critically injured in car crash on US 60

MESA , Ariz. ( AP ) - A Mesa police officer was critically injured in a car crash Tuesday on the U.S. 60 , authorities said .
Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said the policeman saw a ladder blocking a lane around 11 a.m. Tuesday and stopped his patrol car and activated his emergency lights so other drivers wouldn ’ t hit his vehicle .
But before the officer could get out , DPS officials said a woman driving an SUV collided with the patrol car from behind .
Authorities said it ’ s unclear if the unidentified woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of the crash .
Rescuers had to cut the police vehicle ’ s door off to get the officer out before taking him to a hospital .
DPS officials said the woman also suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital .
The name of the police officer wasn ’ t immediately released , but DPS said he ’ s in his 30s and has 10 years ’ experience in law enforcement and expected to recover from the crash .
DPS is handling the investigation into the incident and trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ladder onto the roadway .

MESA, Ariz. (AP) - A Mesa police officer was critically injured in a car crash Tuesday on the U.S. 60, authorities said.
Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said the policeman saw a ladder blocking a lane around 11 a.m. Tuesday and stopped his patrol car and activated his emergency lights so other drivers wouldn’t hit his vehicle.
But before the officer could get out, DPS officials said a woman driving an SUV collided with the patrol car from behind.
Authorities said it’s unclear if the unidentified woman driver was distracted or impaired at the time of the crash.
Rescuers had to cut the police vehicle’s door off to get the officer out before taking him to a hospital.
DPS officials said the woman also suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital.
The name of the police officer wasn’t immediately released, but DPS said he’s in his 30s and has 10 years’ experience in law enforcement and expected to recover from the crash.
DPS is handling the investigation into the incident and trying to identify the vehicle and driver that dropped the ladder onto the roadway.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Cartel member arrested in 2018 YouTube commentator killing

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - Prosecutors in southern Mexico said Tuesday they have arrested an alleged lieutenant of a drug gang for the 2018 murder of a YouTube commentator in Acapulco .
The Guerrero state prosecutors office said the suspect had once been the second in command of the Independent Cartel of Acapulco .
The office identified the man only by his first names , Edgar Saúl , in keeping with anti-incrimination rules .
The victim , Leslie Ann Pamela Montenegro , was known by her YouTube persona as “ Nana Pelucas.
” Before her death , she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her YouTube channel and its commentary on local events in the resort city .
She was shot to death by men who walked into a restaurant she ran near Acapulco ’ s tourist zone .
Montenegro used a big wig and glasses to deliver chatty , comic commentary and criticisms , some concerning the local government .
It is not the first time bloggers and other people who post on social media have been targeted by drug gangs in Mexico , for allegedly revealing information about their activities .
In 2011 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on local events was found decapitated by a drug cartel in the border city of Nuevo Laredo .

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Prosecutors in southern Mexico said Tuesday they have arrested an alleged lieutenant of a drug gang for the 2018 murder of a YouTube commentator in Acapulco.
The Guerrero state prosecutors office said the suspect had once been the second in command of the Independent Cartel of Acapulco. The office identified the man only by his first names, Edgar Saúl, in keeping with anti-incrimination rules.
The victim, Leslie Ann Pamela Montenegro, was known by her YouTube persona as “Nana Pelucas.”
Before her death, she had been threatened by a drug gang over her YouTube channel and its commentary on local events in the resort city. She was shot to death by men who walked into a restaurant she ran near Acapulco’s tourist zone.
Montenegro used a big wig and glasses to deliver chatty, comic commentary and criticisms, some concerning the local government.
It is not the first time bloggers and other people who post on social media have been targeted by drug gangs in Mexico, for allegedly revealing information about their activities.
In 2011, a woman who used social media to report on local events was found decapitated by a drug cartel in the border city of Nuevo Laredo.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Marjorie Taylor Greene, QAnon supporter, wins GOP primary in Georgia

Marjorie Taylor Greene has won the Republican nomination for Georgia ’ s 14th Congressional District .
She ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ for the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon and has been criticized for a series of racist @ @ @ @ @ John Cowan in a primary runoff for the open seat on Tuesday .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ denouncing her campaign after videos surfaced in which she expresses racist , anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim @ @ @ @ @ to the criticism by blasting “ the fake news media ” and “ the DC @ @ @ @ @ in a deep-red area in northwest Georgia .
Greene will face Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal @ @ @ @ @ Tom Graves , who did not seek reelection , last won the seat with over @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 .

Marjorie Taylor Greene has won the Republican nomination for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District.
She’s a businesswoman who has expressed support for the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon and has been criticized for a series of racist comments.
Greene beat neurosurgeon John Cowan in a primary runoff for the open seat on Tuesday.
That’s despite several GOP officials denouncing her campaign after videos surfaced in which she expresses racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views. She has responded to the criticism by blasting “the fake news media” and “the DC swamp.”
Her victory comes in a deep-red area in northwest Georgia.
Greene will face Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal in November. Republican Rep. Tom Graves, who did not seek reelection, last won the seat with over 76% of the vote in 2018.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Asia Today: S. Korea adds 54, New Zealand tracing new cases

MELBOURNE , Australia ( AP ) - The Australian state of Victoria on Wednesday reported a record 21 virus deaths and 410 new cases from an outbreak in the city of Melbourne that has prompted a strict lockdown .
State Premier Daniel Andrews said 16 of the deaths were linked to aged-care facilities .
The number of new cases in Victoria is down from the peak , giving authorities some hope the outbreak is waning .
Meanwhile , three Melbourne vloggers were fined after posting social media videos showing them breaching nighttime curfews for a McDonald ’ s run , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five-minute video , since deleted , showed the students walking through alleys , dodging police officers and dancing inside the restaurant , ABC said .
And the state of New South Wales on Wednesday reported 18 new cases , including two connected with a private school cluster in Sydney .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : - South Korea reported 54 new cases of COVID-19 as health authorities scramble to stem transmissions amid increased social and leisure activities .
The figures announced by South Korea ’ Centers for Disease Control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections , including 305 deaths .
The KCDC says 35 of the new cases were local transmissions , all but three of them reported from the Seoul area .
The other 19 cases were linked to international arrivals .
Health authorities see those as less threatening to the community since people arriving from abroad face mandatory tests and two-week quarantines .
- China ’ s new domestic coronavirus cases fell into the single digits on Wednesday , while Hong Kong saw another 102 cases .
The National Health Commission said all nine new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Xinjiang , whose capital Urumqi has been at the center of China ’ s latest major outbreak .
Another 25 cases were brought by Chinese travelers arriving from abroad .
China has largely contained the local spread of the pandemic that is believed to have originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year before spreading worldwide .
Hong Kong , a densely populated semi-autonomous southern Chinese city , also recorded another six deaths to bring its total to 58 among 4,181 cases .
Authorities have ordered mask wearing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other social distancing measures in a bid to stem its latest outbreak .
- Health authorities in New Zealand were scrambling to trace the source of a new outbreak as the nation ’ s largest city went back into lockdown .
The four cases reported from one Auckland household are New Zealand ’ s first locally transmitted cases in 102 days .
The 22 others were in mandatory quarantine after traveling abroad .
Two of the infected people had traveled to the tourist city of Rotorua last weekend while suffering symptoms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movements .

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - The Australian state of Victoria on Wednesday reported a record 21 virus deaths and 410 new cases from an outbreak in the city of Melbourne that has prompted a strict lockdown.
State Premier Daniel Andrews said 16 of the deaths were linked to aged-care facilities. The number of new cases in Victoria is down from the peak, giving authorities some hope the outbreak is waning.
Meanwhile, three Melbourne students were fined after posting social media videos showing them breaching nighttime curfews for a McDonald’s run, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The five-minute video, since deleted, showed the students walking through alleys, dodging police officers and dancing inside the restaurant, ABC said.
Victoria police confirmed each student was fined 1,652 Australian dollars ($1,178).
The state of New South Wales on Wednesday reported 18 new cases, including two connected with a private school cluster in Sydney.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
- Health authorities in New Zealand were scrambling to trace the source of a new outbreak as the nation’s largest city went back into lockdown. The four cases reported from one Auckland household are New Zealand’s first locally transmitted cases in 102 days. The 22 others were in mandatory quarantine after returning from travel abroad. Two of the infected people had visited the tourist city of Rotorua last weekend while suffering symptoms, and authorities were trying to track their movements.
- India’s coronavirus caseload topped 2.3 million after adding 60,963 new cases in the last 24 hours. India also reported 834 deaths on Wednesday, bringing its death toll to 46,091. India has the third-highest caseload after the United States and Brazil, but only the fifth-highest death toll, and authorities say the fatality rate has dropped below 2% for the first time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged leaders of 10 states that account for about 80% of India’s total cases to rigorously apply containment, surveillance and contact tracing to drive the fatality rate below 1%. Modi also urged that testing be ramped up in several states.
- Singapore’s government says most foreign workers can now resume work as their dormitories have been cleared of COVID-19 after months of lockdown and virus testing. People living in the crowded dormitories comprised the bulk of Singapore’s 55,353 cases. Only 27 deaths have been recorded in the tiny island-state. The Ministry of Manpower said late Tuesday that all the dormitories have been cleared except for 17 standalone blocks which serve as quarantine facilities. It said all foreign workers living in these dormitories have either recovered or have tested virus-free, except for 22,500 workers in isolation. It said the majority are now able to return to work including 81% of the total 387,000 workers in the construction, marine shipyard and process industries.
- South Korea reported 54 new cases of COVID-19 as health authorities scramble to stem transmissions amid increased social and leisure activities. The figures announced by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brought the total cases to 14,714, including 305 deaths. The center says 35 of the new cases were local transmissions, all but three from the Seoul area. The other 19 cases were linked to international arrivals. Health authorities see those as less threatening to the community since people arriving from abroad face mandatory tests and two-week quarantines.
- China’s new domestic coronavirus cases fell into the single digits on Wednesday, while Hong Kong reported just 33 new cases. The National Health Commission said all nine new cases were found in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, whose capital Urumqi has been at the center of China’s latest major outbreak. Another 25 cases were brought by Chinese travelers arriving from abroad. Densely populated Hong Kong also recorded another six deaths to bring its total to 58 fatalities among 4,181 cases. Authorities have ordered mask wearing in public settings, restrictions on indoor dining and other social distancing measures in a bid to stem the latest outbreak.
- A city government in China has donated 40,000 medical-grade face masks to Maryland’s capital city amid the coronavirus pandemic. The donation from Changsha, China, was first offered to Annapolis city officials in April, when the need for masks among public safety workers was high in the beginning days of the pandemic, Annapolis City Manager David Jarrell said in a statement. The two municipalities are sister cities. The masks arrived this month, with one of the boxes featuring stickers of American and Chinese flags with a message reading: “Go, City of Annapolis! Best Wishes from Changsha! True unity inspires people to work as one to overcome adversity,” The Capital Gazette newspaper reported. A note from Yani Xia, a representative of the Chinese city’s Foreign Affairs Office, accompanied the shipment. “We sincerely wish you and everyone in Annapolis continued good health, and the fortitude to persevere during this challenging period,” it read. Annapolis’ relationship with Changsha began under a former city administrator, according to Jarrell’s statement.
___
This story has been edited to correct the number of new cases reported in Hong Kong to 33 instead of 102.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--New York Times mocked for calling Kamala Harris 'pragmatic moderate'

The New York Times drew hoots on the right by describing Democratic veep pick Kamala Harris as a “ pragmatic moderate , ” even though her Senate voting record says otherwise .
The GovTrack 2018 report card ranked the California Democrat 96th out of 99 senators on a scale of most conservative to most liberal , placing her to the left of Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who ranked 87th , and slightly to the right of Sen. Bernie Sanders , who placed 98th .
The GovTrack ranker was no outlier .
Progressive Punch listed her as the fifth most progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes ” score of 96.76 out of 100 , ahead of Mr. Sanders , who scored 94.93 and ranked tenth .
On her “ overall record , ” she ranked fifth with a score of 97.18 , still to the left of Mr. Sanders , who placed eighth , but behind Ms. Warren , who placed second with a score of 98.53 .
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , announced Tuesday that he had selected Ms. Harris as his running mate .
The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen .
Kamala Harris of California is Joe Biden ’ s pick for vice president .
A pragmatic moderate , she is the first Black woman on a major party ticket.
” Among those who disputed the newspaper ’ s description was Sen. Tom Cotton , Arkansas Republican , who tweeted , “ Pragmatic moderate ?
” “ Kamala Harris supports Medicare for All and she laughed at the idea that the Constitution would prevent her from confiscating guns , ” said Mr. Cotton .
“ More fake news from the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Newsbusters called her “ the most liberal vice presidential nominee ever to be nominated , ” noting that the American Conservative Union gave her a lifetime rating of 3.03 out of 100 .
Her 2019 score was 0 .
The “ pragmatic moderate ” claim is “ just demonstrably false and absurd , ” tweeted MRC associate editor Scott Whitlock .

The New York Times drew hoots on the right by describing Democratic veep pick Kamala Harris as a “pragmatic moderate,” even though her Senate voting record says otherwise.
The GovTrack 2018 report card ranked the California Democrat 96th out of 99 senators on a scale of most conservative to most liberal, placing her to the left of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who ranked 87th, and slightly to the right of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who placed 98th.
The GovTrack ranker was no outlier. Progressive Punch listed her as the fifth most progressive senator, with a lifetime “crucial votes” score of 96.76 out of 100, ahead of Mr. Sanders, who scored 94.93 and ranked tenth.
On her “overall record,” she ranked fifth with a score of 97.18, still to the left of Mr. Sanders, who placed eighth, but behind Ms. Warren, who placed second with a score of 98.53.
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced Tuesday that he had selected Ms. Harris as his running mate.
The New York Times announced her selection by tweeting: “Sen. Kamala Harris of California is Joe Biden’s pick for vice president. A pragmatic moderate, she is the first Black woman on a major party ticket.”
Among those who disputed the newspaper’s description was Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, who tweeted, “Pragmatic moderate?”
“Kamala Harris supports Medicare for All and she laughed at the idea that the Constitution would prevent her from confiscating guns,” said Mr. Cotton. “More fake news from the New York Times.”
The conservative Media Research Center’s Newsbusters called her “the most liberal vice presidential nominee ever to be nominated,” noting that the American Conservative Union gave her a lifetime rating of 3.03 out of 100. Her 2019 score was 0.
The “pragmatic moderate” claim is “just demonstrably false and absurd,” tweeted MRC associate editor Scott Whitlock.
The New York Times IS LYING to You: Calls Harris a ‘Pragmatic Moderate’ https://t.co/POUZRGL1KK pic.twitter.com/HXB6huLaTh — Scott Whitlock (@ScottJW) August 11, 2020
Pragmatic moderate?
Kamala Harris supports Medicare for All and she laughed at the idea that the Constitution would prevent her from confiscating guns.
More fake news from the New York Times. https://t.co/AXsMs8HgyF — Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) August 11, 2020


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--DNA links Arkansas man to 1996 Alaska  strangulation death

ANCHORAGE , Alaska ( AP ) - A DNA match has solved the strangulation murder of a teenager in southeast Alaska , a case that was cold for 24 years and saw another man acquitted of the crime after confessing , Alaska State Troopers said Tuesday .
DNA obtained from Steve Branch , 66 , of Austin , Arkansas , at an autopsy matched that of a sample left at the scene where Jessica Baggen , 17 , was sexually assaulted and killed in Sitka in 1996 , troopers said .
Troopers interviewed Branch at his Arkansas home on Aug. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to voluntarily provide a DNA sample .
A half-hour after troopers left , they said he killed himself .
A warrant was obtained to collect DNA at the autopsy , which came back Monday as a positive match to the sample collected at the crime scene .
“ While Branch will never face a jury of his peers in this case , we can finally say that Jessica ’ s case is solved , ” Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner Amanda Price said at a news conference .
Baggen disappeared on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after her 17th birthday .
She vanished in the early morning hours while walking home from her sister ’ s residence .
Two days later , her body was found buried in a hollowed-out area under a fallen tree in a wooded area near the campus of the former Sheldon Jackson College , troopers said .
Within days a man confessed .
Troopers said while there was circumstantial evidence , no physical evidence connected the man to the case .
He was found not guilty of all charges .
Over the years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other potential suspects .
Hoping to give the case new life , a DNA sample was uploaded to a public genealogy database in February 2019 .
By the end of last year , Branch emerged as a new suspect , troopers said .
About the same time Baggen was killed , the investigation found that Branch was arrested in the sexual assault of another teenager in Sitka .
He was later acquitted at trial .
In 2010 , he moved to Arkansas .
Earlier this year , police in Sitka obtained discarded DNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The DNA analysis in May determined Branch was most likely the source of the DNA found on Baggen ’ s clothing and body , leading troopers to visit Branch in Arkansas .

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A DNA match has solved the strangulation murder of a teenager in southeast Alaska, a case that was cold for 24 years and saw another man acquitted of the crime after confessing, Alaska State Troopers said Tuesday.
DNA obtained from Steve Branch, 66, of Austin, Arkansas, at an autopsy matched that of a sample left at the scene where Jessica Baggen, 17, was sexually assaulted and killed in Sitka in 1996, troopers said.
Troopers interviewed Branch at his Arkansas home on Aug. 3, when he denied involvement and refused to voluntarily provide a DNA sample. A half-hour after troopers left, they said he killed himself.
A warrant was obtained to collect DNA at the autopsy, which came back Monday as a positive match to the sample collected at the crime scene.
“While Branch will never face a jury of his peers in this case, we can finally say that Jessica’s case is solved,” Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner Amanda Price said at a news conference.
Baggen disappeared on May 4, 1996, a day after her 17th birthday. She vanished in the early morning hours while walking home from her sister’s residence.
Two days later, her body was found buried in a hollowed-out area under a fallen tree in a wooded area near the campus of the former Sheldon Jackson College, troopers said.
Within days a man confessed. Troopers said while there was circumstantial evidence, no physical evidence connected the man to the case. He was found not guilty of all charges.
Over the years, DNA comparisons have cleared more than 100 other potential suspects.
Hoping to give the case new life, a DNA sample was uploaded to a public genealogy database in February 2019. By the end of last year, Branch emerged as a new suspect, troopers said. About the same time Baggen was killed, the investigation found that Branch was arrested in the sexual assault of another teenager in Sitka. He was later acquitted at trial. In 2010, he moved to Arkansas.
Earlier this year, police in Sitka obtained discarded DNA from one of Branch’s relatives. The DNA analysis in May determined Branch was most likely the source of the DNA found on Baggen’s clothing and body, leading troopers to visit Branch in Arkansas.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--1000s of Korean laborers still lost after WWII, Cold War end

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - Shin Yun-sun describes her life as a maze of dead ends .
The South Korean has spent many of her 75 years pestering government officials , digging into records and searching burial grounds on a desolate Russian island , desperately searching for traces of a father she never met .
Shin wants to bring back the remains of her presumed-dead father for her ailing 92-year-old mother , Baek Bong-rye .
Japan ’ s colonial government conscripted Shin ’ s father for forced labor from their farming village in September 1943 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 75th anniversary of the end of the war nears , the thousands of conscripted Korean men who vanished on Sakhalin Island are a largely forgotten legacy of Japan ’ s brutal rule of the Korean Peninsula , which ended with Tokyo ’ s Aug. 15 , 1945 , surrender .
Shin vows to never stop searching for her father but fears time is running out .
“ Family members ( of Sakhalin laborers ) are dying every day , and I can ’ t even put into words how impatient I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press at her Seoul home .
It ’ s unclear what happened to many of the forced Korean conscripts on Sakhalin .
They disappeared during extreme tumult .
WWII ended with the Korean Peninsula divided into a Soviet-backed north and U.S.-backed south , and the devastating 1950-53 Korean War followed .
In the ensuing decades , Cold War animosities saw the rival Koreas regularly threatening each other with war .
About 400 aging relatives like Shin hope to bring back the remains of the missing workers , seeking closure after years of emotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan forcibly mobilized around 30,000 Koreans as workers during the late 1930s and 1940s on what was then called Karafuto , or the Japanese-occupied southern half of Sakhalin , near the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido .
They endured grueling labor in coal mines and logging and construction sites as part of Imperial Japan ’ s wartime economy , which became heavily dependent on conscripted Korean labor when Japanese men were sent to war fronts .
Families thought their loved ones would return when Japan ’ s surrender in WWII cemented the Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Soviet authorities repatriated thousands of Japanese nationals from Sakhalin .
But they refused to send back the Koreans , who had become stateless after the war , apparently to meet labor shortages in the island ’ s coal mines and elsewhere .
Moscow ’ s attitude hardened further after Communist ally North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950 ; most of the Korean laborers in Sakhalin had come from the South .
South Korea and Russia established diplomatic relations in 1990 and about 4,000 Koreans have returned from Sakhalin since .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their relatives long before then have seen little progress .
“ The Soviet Union detained him , prevented him from going home and exploited his labor , ” Shin said about her father , who , according to Russian records , worked at a logging site at least until the end of 1951 .
“ ( The Russian government ) should at least find and send back his remains.
” Last year , Shin and other relatives submitted petitions to a United Nations group for help locating 25 Sakhalin Koreans .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s government to search for 10 of them first , said Ethan Hee-Seok Shin , a legal advocate from the Seoul-based Transitional Justice Working Group who has helped with the petitions .
While Soviet authorities offered the Korean workers Soviet or North Korean citizenship beginning in the 1950s , many chose to remain stateless in hopes of eventually returning to South Korea .
When some Korean workers protested for a return to South Korea in 1976 , Soviet officials responded by sending 40 of them and their families to North Korea , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1990s , it was also difficult for South Koreans to campaign for repatriation because people with family connections in communist countries were often stigmatized amid broad anti-communist sentiment .
Shin said it has only been the last two decades when relatives felt comfortable talking openly about their missing fathers .
This meant their plight got less attention than other atrocities tied to Japan ’ s colonial rule of Korea , including military sexual slavery and labor conscriptions to mainland Japan , said Bang Il-kwon , a scholar at Seoul ’ s Hankuk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family member , Lee Gwang-nam , 76 , bears a striking resemblance to his missing father , who was conscripted on the same day as Shin ’ s father from their hometown of Imsil .
Lee is eager to end a “ lifelong wait ” by his 93-year-old mother , who wants to be buried with her husband when she dies .
Lee received a letter from an ethnic Korean in Sakhalin in 1990 who claimed of hearing that his father had died , sometime in the late 1960s .
He still has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It wasn ’ t until 2011 when a South Korean government commission investigating colonial-era forced mobilization arranged joint efforts with Russia to identify and return the remains of the Koreans in Sakhalin who died before the 1990s .
After spending years examining dozens of the island ’ s poorly kept cemeteries , where stone or wooden markers were often missing , damaged or indistinguishable , South Korean researchers concluded in 2015 that at least 5,000 graves belonged to Korean forced laborers .
But the efforts lost momentum after Seoul ’ s previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mandate after 2015 .
There ’ s been little talk about reviving the activities under the liberal government of President Moon Jae-in , which has clashed with Japan over other wartime grievances but also wants engagement with North Korea .
Bang , who traveled extensively to Sakhalin in past years while helping with the South Korean searches , said the findings remain partial because Russia has refused to allow extensive access to past records of foreign residents , which it protests over privacy safeguards .
Chung Su-jin can ’ t remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw in 1942 .
He does remember the packed truck that drove away with his father and other labor conscripts from their village in Uiseong .
Chung ’ s grandfather scurried across a river in hopes of seeing his son one last time , but the workers were already gone .
Chung ’ s family , which was already poor , struggled desperately in his father ’ s absence .
Chung said he worked as a farmhand for other households from the age of 6 , so that he could eat and help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two younger siblings .
“ All I inherited was poverty , ” said Chung , who at 83 still cleans buildings to make ends meet .
While Seoul has said it hopes to reach a new agreement with Moscow that would expand efforts to find and return the remains , Lee Sang-won , an official from Seoul ’ s Ministry of the Interior and Safety , admits nothing has been fleshed out yet .
“ Who knows how long it will be before my mother is gone , too ?
” she @ @

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Shin Yun-sun describes her life as a maze of dead ends.
The South Korean has spent many of her 75 years pestering government officials, digging into records and searching burial grounds on a desolate Russian island, desperately searching for traces of a father she never met.
Shin wants to bring back the remains of her presumed-dead father for her ailing 92-year-old mother, Baek Bong-rye. Japan’s colonial government conscripted Shin’s father for forced labor from their farming village in September 1943, when Baek was pregnant with Shin.
As the 75th anniversary of the end of the war nears, the thousands of conscripted Korean men who vanished on Sakhalin Island are a largely forgotten legacy of Japan’s brutal rule of the Korean Peninsula, which ended with Tokyo’s Aug. 15, 1945, surrender.
Shin vows to never stop searching for her father but fears time is running out.
“Family members (of Sakhalin laborers) are dying every day, and I can’t even put into words how impatient I feel,” Shin recently told The Associated Press at her Seoul home.
It’s unclear what happened to many of the forced Korean conscripts on Sakhalin. They disappeared during extreme tumult.
WWII ended with the Korean Peninsula divided into a Soviet-backed north and U.S.-backed south, and the devastating 1950-53 Korean War followed. In the ensuing decades, Cold War animosities saw the rival Koreas regularly threatening each other with war.
About 400 aging relatives like Shin hope to bring back the remains of the missing workers, seeking closure after years of emotional misery and economic hardship.
Historians say Japan forcibly mobilized around 30,000 Koreans as workers during the late 1930s and 1940s on what was then called Karafuto, or the Japanese-occupied southern half of Sakhalin, near the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
They endured grueling labor in coal mines and logging and construction sites as part of Imperial Japan’s wartime economy, which became heavily dependent on conscripted Korean labor when Japanese men were sent to war fronts.
Families thought their loved ones would return when Japan’s surrender in WWII cemented the Soviet Union’s full control over Sakhalin.
Soviet authorities repatriated thousands of Japanese nationals from Sakhalin. But they refused to send back the Koreans, who had become stateless after the war, apparently to meet labor shortages in the island’s coal mines and elsewhere.
Moscow’s attitude hardened further after Communist ally North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950; most of the Korean laborers in Sakhalin had come from the South.
South Korea and Russia established diplomatic relations in 1990 and about 4,000 Koreans have returned from Sakhalin since. But people like Shin who lost track of their relatives long before then have seen little progress.
“The Soviet Union detained him, prevented him from going home and exploited his labor,” Shin said about her father, who, according to Russian records, worked at a logging site at least until the end of 1951.
“(The Russian government) should at least find and send back his remains.”
Last year, Shin and other relatives submitted petitions to a United Nations group for help locating 25 Sakhalin Koreans. The U.N. group in June asked Russia’s government to search for 10 of them first, said Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, a legal advocate from the Seoul-based Transitional Justice Working Group who has helped with the petitions.
While Soviet authorities offered the Korean workers Soviet or North Korean citizenship beginning in the 1950s, many chose to remain stateless in hopes of eventually returning to South Korea.
When some Korean workers protested for a return to South Korea in 1976, Soviet officials responded by sending 40 of them and their families to North Korea, a move that silenced further complaints.
Until the 1990s, it was also difficult for South Koreans to campaign for repatriation because people with family connections in communist countries were often stigmatized amid broad anti-communist sentiment.
Shin said it has only been the last two decades when relatives felt comfortable talking openly about their missing fathers. This meant their plight got less attention than other atrocities tied to Japan’s colonial rule of Korea, including military sexual slavery and labor conscriptions to mainland Japan, said Bang Il-kwon, a scholar at Seoul’s Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
Another searching family member, Lee Gwang-nam, 76, bears a striking resemblance to his missing father, who was conscripted on the same day as Shin’s father from their hometown of Imsil.
Lee is eager to end a “lifelong wait” by his 93-year-old mother, who wants to be buried with her husband when she dies.
Lee received a letter from an ethnic Korean in Sakhalin in 1990 who claimed of hearing that his father had died, sometime in the late 1960s. He still has no idea where his father was buried.
It wasn’t until 2011 when a South Korean government commission investigating colonial-era forced mobilization arranged joint efforts with Russia to identify and return the remains of the Koreans in Sakhalin who died before the 1990s.
After spending years examining dozens of the island’s poorly kept cemeteries, where stone or wooden markers were often missing, damaged or indistinguishable, South Korean researchers concluded in 2015 that at least 5,000 graves belonged to Korean forced laborers.
But the efforts lost momentum after Seoul’s previous conservative government refused to extend the commission’s mandate after 2015. There’s been little talk about reviving the activities under the liberal government of President Moon Jae-in, which has clashed with Japan over other wartime grievances but also wants engagement with North Korea.
Bang, who traveled extensively to Sakhalin in past years while helping with the South Korean searches, said the findings remain partial because Russia has refused to allow extensive access to past records of foreign residents, which it protests over privacy safeguards.
Chung Su-jin can’t remember the face of the father he last saw in 1942.
He does remember the packed truck that drove away with his father and other labor conscripts from their village in Uiseong. Chung’s grandfather scurried across a river in hopes of seeing his son one last time, but the workers were already gone.
Chung’s family, which was already poor, struggled desperately in his father’s absence. Chung said he worked as a farmhand for other households from the age of 6, so that he could eat and help support his mother, now dead, and two younger siblings.
“All I inherited was poverty,” said Chung, who at 83 still cleans buildings to make ends meet.
While Seoul has said it hopes to reach a new agreement with Moscow that would expand efforts to find and return the remains, Lee Sang-won, an official from Seoul’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety, admits nothing has been fleshed out yet.
Shin bristles at the slow progress.
“Who knows how long it will be before my mother is gone, too?” she said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--New Zealand scrambles to find source of new virus infections

WELLINGTON , New Zealand ( AP ) - Health authorities in New Zealand were scrambling Wednesday to trace the source of a new outbreak of the coronavirus as the nation ’ s largest city went back into lockdown .
Authorities have found four cases of the virus in one Auckland household from an unknown source , the first reported cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days .
The news came as an unpleasant surprise to many and raised questions about whether the nation ’ s general election would go ahead as planned next month .
Authorities said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive had traveled to the tourist city of Rotorua last weekend while suffering symptoms , and they were now trying to track their movements .
“ We are working with urgency to find out what places the family may have visited while in Rotorua over the weekend , ” Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said .
“ But the important thing is here , people in Rotorua and indeed around the country should be vigilant about their health and seek advice if they have symptoms.
” Auckland was moved to Alert Level 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to continue through midnight Friday .
That means that non-essential workers are required to stay home , while bars , restaurants and most businesses will be closed .
The rest of the country was moved to Alert Level 2 , meaning that mass gatherings are limited to 100 attendees and people are required to socially distance themselves .
Bloomfield said they would use genome sequencing as part of their effort to find the source of the new outbreak .
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she had worked quickly to impose the Auckland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases Tuesday afternoon .
“ We are taking a rapid response to break the chain of transmission through contact tracing , testing , and the gathering of information , ” she said .
Ardern said Aucklanders were also “ strongly encouraged ” but not mandated to wear masks , and that authorities were releasing 5 million masks from a central supply .
New Zealanders have not widely worn masks before , although authorities have been urging people to buy them or fashion them from scarves or bandannas just in case .
The nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissolved Wednesday ahead of a general election on Sept. 19 as lawmakers hit the campaign trail .
But Ardern said she was delaying the dissolution until at least Monday in case lawmakers needed to meet at short notice .
She said she was also seeking advice about options for the election .
Under New Zealand law , the government could delay the election for up to about two months .
The main candidates have already cancelled most of their planned campaign events for the rest of the week .
The outbreak was found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his doctor Monday with symptoms and was swabbed twice , testing positive both times .
Six other people in the man ’ s household were then tested , with three more testing positive .
The case has health authorities scratching their heads , as the man had not recently traveled overseas and had no immediately apparent connection with infections contained at the border .
Until Tuesday , the only known cases of the virus in New Zealand were 22 travelers held in quarantine after returning from abroad .
New Zealand has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had just celebrated reaching 100 days without any known community transmission .
The South Pacific nation of 5 million initially got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease , stopping its spread .
Life had returned to normal for many people as they attended rugby games at packed stadiums and sat down in bars and restaurants without fear of getting infected .
But some had warned that the country had become complacent .

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Health authorities in New Zealand were scrambling Wednesday to trace the source of a new outbreak of the coronavirus as the nation’s largest city went back into lockdown.
Authorities had confirmed four cases of the virus in one Auckland household from an unknown source and were awaiting the test results of four more people they suspect have infections - two work colleagues and two relatives of those in the house.
The cases this week were the first known local transmission of the virus in New Zealand in 102 days.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said more than 200 people with connections to those in the house were contacted Wednesday.
“Our plan of mass testing, rapid contact tracing and, of course, our restrictions to stop the chain of transmission has been in full swing in Auckland today,” Ardern said.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said one of the people who tested positive works at an Americold food cold-storage facility in Auckland, which was being swabbed to check if it was possible source of the infections.
“We do know from studies overseas that actually, the virus can survive in some refrigerated environments for quite some time,” he said.
The cluster came as an unpleasant surprise to many and raised questions about whether the nation’s general election would go ahead as planned next month.
Bloomfield said two of the people who had tested positive had traveled to the city of Rotorua while suffering symptoms over recent days and had visited several tourist attractions.
“People in Rotorua and indeed around the country should be vigilant about their health and seek advice if they have symptoms,” he said.
Auckland was moved to Alert Level 3 at midday Wednesday, a designation initially set to continue through midnight Friday. That means that non-essential workers are required to stay home, while bars, restaurants and most businesses will be closed.
The rest of the country was moved to Alert Level 2, meaning that mass gatherings are limited to 100 attendees and people are required to socially distance themselves.
Bloomfield said they would use genome sequencing as part of their effort to find the source of the new outbreak.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she had worked quickly to impose the Auckland lockdown measures after first learning about the cases Tuesday afternoon.
She said Aucklanders were also “strongly encouraged” but not mandated to wear masks, and that authorities were releasing 5 million masks from a central supply. New Zealanders have not widely worn masks before, although authorities have been urging people to buy them or fashion them from scarves or bandannas just in case.
The nation’s parliament was due to be dissolved Wednesday ahead of a general election on Sept. 19 as lawmakers hit the campaign trail. But Ardern said she was delaying the dissolution until at least Monday in case lawmakers needed to meet at short notice. She said she was also seeking advice about options for the election.
Under New Zealand law, the government could delay the election for up to about two months. The main candidates have already cancelled most of their planned upcoming campaign events.
The outbreak was found after a man in his 50s went to his doctor Monday with symptoms and was swabbed twice, testing positive both times. Three more people in his household tested positive later.
The case has health authorities scratching their heads, as the man had not recently traveled overseas and had no immediately apparent connection with infections contained at the border.
Until Tuesday, the only known cases of the virus in New Zealand were 22 travelers held in quarantine after returning from abroad.
New Zealand has been praised globally for its virus response and had just celebrated reaching 100 days without any known community transmission.
The South Pacific nation of 5 million initially got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease, stopping its spread.
Life had returned to normal for many people as they attended rugby games at packed stadiums and sat down in bars and restaurants without fear of getting infected. But some had warned that the country had become complacent.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Denver transit board rejects resolution to replace security

DENVER ( AP ) - The Denver-metro transit system voted against a resolution to replace security with social workers on Tuesday .
The resolution lost in a 14-1 vote in the Regional Transportation District ’ s publicly elected board of directors .
RTD operates throughout most counties in Denver , Aurora and Boulder .
Currently , their security team works alongside contracted security and police officers from other major Colorado cities like Denver , Aurora and Arvada .
The resolution , introduced by board member Shontel Lewis , seeks to terminate RTD ’ s contracts with the security company , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the end of the year and reallocate the funds .
While many board members said they appreciated the intentions of the resolution , they voiced concerns of constituent opposition , the overall safety of passengers and workers and an overstep in the scope of RTD ’ s authority .
Board member Claudia Folska said she hopes that the resolution is the beginning of a working group that “ rightly re-imagines how we do security at RTD ” but voted no because of the need for security .
Vince Buzek , another board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it “ vague , ambiguous and internally inconsistent ” because of the lack of specifics on redirecting $ 27.3 million in funds .
Buzek also referred the resolution to a national movement for reform and changes in policing that has come about in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
“ Defunding the police does not mean eliminating the police , which is what this resolution does , ” he said .
In response , Lewis rejected Buzek ’ s notions relating the resolution to defunding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was intentionally ambiguous , and her hope is to “ put communities in the driver ’ s seat.
” Measures to change security policies and practices have come up in Washington , D.C. , Los Angeles and San Francisco , but none have called for scaling back security budgets .
It also comes following a lawsuit against RTD for the April 2018 beating of Denver artist Raverro Stinnett by an Allied Universal security officer while three others stood watch outside a bathroom in an underground bus facility near Union Station in Denver .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to felony menacing and received a prison sentence .
Two Allied security guards received probation for standing watch and not stopping the attack while a fourth Allied guard , who cooperated in the investigation , was not charged .
Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues .

DENVER (AP) - The Denver-metro transit system voted against a resolution to replace security with social workers on Tuesday.
The resolution lost in a 14-1 vote in the Regional Transportation District’s publicly elected board of directors.
RTD operates throughout most counties in Denver, Aurora and Boulder. Currently, their security team works alongside contracted security and police officers from other major Colorado cities like Denver, Aurora and Arvada. The resolution, introduced by board member Shontel Lewis, seeks to terminate RTD’s contracts with the security company, Allied Universal, and those police departments by the end of the year and reallocate the funds.
While many board members said they appreciated the intentions of the resolution, they voiced concerns of constituent opposition, the overall safety of passengers and workers and an overstep in the scope of RTD’s authority.
Board member Claudia Folska said she hopes that the resolution is the beginning of a working group that “rightly re-imagines how we do security at RTD” but voted no because of the need for security.
Vince Buzek, another board member, opposed the resolution, calling it “vague, ambiguous and internally inconsistent” because of the lack of specifics on redirecting $27.3 million in funds. Buzek also referred the resolution to a national movement for reform and changes in policing that has come about in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“Defunding the police does not mean eliminating the police, which is what this resolution does,” he said.
In response, Lewis rejected Buzek’s notions relating the resolution to defunding the police. She also said the resolution was intentionally ambiguous, and her hope is to “put communities in the driver’s seat.”
Measures to change security policies and practices have come up in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco, but none have called for scaling back security budgets.
It also comes following a lawsuit against RTD for the April 2018 beating of Denver artist Raverro Stinnett by an Allied Universal security officer while three others stood watch outside a bathroom in an underground bus facility near Union Station in Denver.
The guard who beat Stinnett pleaded guilty to felony menacing and received a prison sentence. Two Allied security guards received probation for standing watch and not stopping the attack while a fourth Allied guard, who cooperated in the investigation, was not charged.
___
Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Judge orders changes to explanation of education tax measure

GLENDALE , Ariz. ( AP ) - A judge has ordered changes to the description of a proposed tax increase on the wealthy designed to fund education that will be sent to voters if the initiative makes the November ballot .
The order came after another judge blocked the Invest in Education Act from the ballot on July 31 because of what he said was a misleading 100-word summary seen by more than 400,000 people who signed qualifying petitions .
That ruling is being appealed to the state Supreme Court .
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Randall H. Warner ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initiative , language adopted by majority Republican members of the Legislative Council must be modified .
The committee backing the initiative challenged the impartiality of the description adopted by the Council .
The election publicity pamphlet mailed to voters explains the initiatives that will be up for a vote .
The proposed Invest in Education initiative backed by many educators and the state teachers union would impose a 3.5 % tax surcharge on income above $ 250,000 for an individual or above $ 500,000 for couples .
Half the new money would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest going to support staff pay increases , vocational education , teacher training and other initiatives .
The judge ordered the removal of language that would spell out that the new tax would be a “ 77.7 % increase ” from the current 4.5 % rate on high-earners .
Warner said including that figure was not impartial and was indeed confusing because “ anyone can understand that the current 4.5 % tax rate would bump up to 8 % if the proposition is passed.
” He also ordered the removal of language saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal income derived from “ typically small businesses.
” Warner called that “ a rhetorical strategy that tinges the analysis with partisan coloring ” because many medium and large businesses are organized to distribute earnings to their individual owners , which claim the income on their tax returns .
And he ordered an addition to language the council adopted that explained how the Voter Protection Act prevents the Legislature from changing the law unless it “ furthers the purpose ” of the measure and that it requires a supermajority vote .
Warner said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters could also change the new law at the ballot box .
He ordered that language added .
All four initiatives that appeared headed to the ballot have seen legal challenges this summer .
The Invest in Education Act was blocked , while judges rejected challenges to sentencing reform and marijuana legalization measures .
A trial on a measure blocking surprise medical billing , banning insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and boosting pay for medical workers is underway .
The state Supreme Court will likely review rulings on all four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 21 printing deadline for state voter publicity pamphlets .
so challenges to all four initiatives must be completed by that date .

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - A judge has ordered changes to the description of a proposed tax increase on the wealthy designed to fund education that will be sent to voters if the initiative makes the November ballot.
The order came after another judge blocked the Invest in Education Act from the ballot on July 31 because of what he said was a misleading 100-word summary seen by more than 400,000 people who signed qualifying petitions. That ruling is being appealed to the state Supreme Court.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Randall H. Warner ruled Tuesday that if the high court resurrects the initiative, language adopted by majority Republican members of the Legislative Council must be modified. The committee backing the initiative challenged the impartiality of the description adopted by the Council.
The election publicity pamphlet mailed to voters explains the initiatives that will be up for a vote. The proposed Invest in Education initiative backed by many educators and the state teachers union would impose a 3.5% tax surcharge on income above $250,000 for an individual or above $500,000 for couples. Half the new money would fund raises for teachers, with the rest going to support staff pay increases, vocational education, teacher training and other initiatives.
The judge ordered the removal of language that would spell out that the new tax would be a “77.7% increase” from the current 4.5% rate on high-earners. Warner said including that figure was not impartial and was indeed confusing because “anyone can understand that the current 4.5% tax rate would bump up to 8% if the proposition is passed.”
He also ordered the removal of language saying that the tax would be imposed on personal income derived from “typically small businesses.” Warner called that “a rhetorical strategy that tinges the analysis with partisan coloring” because many medium and large businesses are organized to distribute earnings to their individual owners, which claim the income on their tax returns.
And he ordered an addition to language the council adopted that explained how the Voter Protection Act prevents the Legislature from changing the law unless it “furthers the purpose” of the measure and that it requires a supermajority vote.
Warner said that wasn’t true, because voters could also change the new law at the ballot box. He ordered that language added.
All four initiatives that appeared headed to the ballot have seen legal challenges this summer. The Invest in Education Act was blocked, while judges rejected challenges to sentencing reform and marijuana legalization measures. A trial on a measure blocking surprise medical billing, banning insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and boosting pay for medical workers is underway.
The state Supreme Court will likely review rulings on all four. The secretary of state has an Aug. 21 printing deadline for state voter publicity pamphlets. so challenges to all four initiatives must be completed by that date.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Navajo Nation reports 19 more COVID-19 cases, but no deaths

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. ( AP ) - Navajo Nation health officials have reported 19 more cases of COVID-19 but no additional deaths .
That brings the total number of people infected to 9,334 and the known death toll remaining at 473 as of Tuesday .
Navajo Department of Health officials said 86,258 people have been tested for the coronavirus and 6,893 have recovered .
Tribal President Jonathan Nez pointed to the latest coronavirus figures as evidence that most Navajo Nation residents are complying with lockdown orders and the advice of medical experts .
The tribe has a work group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reservation .
The Navajo Nation recently changed its 57-hour weekend lockdown to a 32-hour one .
Tribal officials said the daily curfew also will be changed to those same hours on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona , New Mexico and Utah .
The majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover .
For some people it causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
But for others who contract the virus , especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions , it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) - Navajo Nation health officials have reported 19 more cases of COVID-19 but no additional deaths.
That brings the total number of people infected to 9,334 and the known death toll remaining at 473 as of Tuesday.
Navajo Department of Health officials said 86,258 people have been tested for the coronavirus and 6,893 have recovered.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez pointed to the latest coronavirus figures as evidence that most Navajo Nation residents are complying with lockdown orders and the advice of medical experts. The tribe has a work group determining a plan to gradually reopen the reservation.
The Navajo Nation recently changed its 57-hour weekend lockdown to a 32-hour one.
Tribal officials said the daily curfew also will be changed to those same hours on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover.
For some people it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.
But for others who contract the virus, especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions, it can cause more severe illness and death.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Colombia sanctions 5 soldiers in murder of ex-guerrilla

BOGOTA , Colombia ( AP ) - Colombian authorities are taking disciplinary action against five soldiers for their roles in the violent death of a former guerrilla whose murder has become one of the most notorious crimes during the nation ’ s peace process .
The attorney general ’ s office announced Tuesday that former Commander Jorge Armando Pérez will be barred from holding any public position for 20 years after being identified as the mastermind behind Dimar Torres ’ death .
The sanction is on top of criminal homicide charges Pérez and four others are facing .
A former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colombia , Torres was killed in April 2019 in the Norte de Santander department bordering Venezuela .
Soldiers tried to hide his body , but villagers eventually found his remains .
The case sparked outrage in a country where soldiers killed several thousand civilians over a decade ago during the height of the military ’ s offensive and counted them as rebels to inflate combat deaths and obtain bonuses .
Then-Defense Minister Guillermo Botero stirred additional anger by initially backing soldier accounts that Torres had been killed during a fight .
Ex-combatants have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing of the historic 2016 accord ending Latin America ’ s longest-running conflict .
According to the U.N. Verification Mission in Colombia , 31 former guerrillas have been killed thus far in 2020 and 204 total since the agreement with rebels was reached .
Most of the deaths are taking place in conflict-ridden parts of the country where armed groups compete over drug routes .
Some of the rebels have been killed after rejected attempts by dissident guerrillas to recruit them .
Earlier this year , just 23 people had been sentenced in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say Pérez gave orders before Torres ’ death to find and kill the person responsible for the death of soldier Pablo Emilio Borja .
The soldiers claimed Torres was a member of another guerrilla group , the National Liberation Army , though in fact he was working as a civilian in agriculture as part of the peace deal .
According to investigators , Daniel Eduardo Gómez shot Torres in the face and back .
He then got help from several other soldiers in hiding his body in the woods .
Gómez has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crime .
Torres ’ father , Jose Manuel Torres , testified at a truth commission hearing earlier this year , describing how he boarded plane for the first time in his life after his son ’ s death to try and find justice for his son with authorities in Bogota .
“ The pain of losing a son is very deep , ” he said .
According to the U.N. , crimes against ex-combatants , social leaders and human rights defenders have continued during the pandemic , which some illegal armed groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the state has a weak presence .

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombian authorities are taking disciplinary action against five soldiers for their roles in the violent death of a former guerrilla whose murder has become one of the most notorious crimes during the nation’s peace process.
The attorney general’s office announced Tuesday that former Commander Jorge Armando Pérez will be barred from holding any public position for 20 years after being identified as the mastermind behind Dimar Torres’ death.
The sanction is on top of criminal homicide charges Pérez and four others are facing.
A former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Torres was killed in April 2019 in the Norte de Santander department bordering Venezuela. Soldiers tried to hide his body, but villagers eventually found his remains.
The case sparked outrage in a country where soldiers killed several thousand civilians over a decade ago during the height of the military’s offensive and counted them as rebels to inflate combat deaths and obtain bonuses.
Then-Defense Minister Guillermo Botero stirred additional anger by initially backing soldier accounts that Torres had been killed during a fight.
Ex-combatants have been killed in alarming numbers since the signing of the historic 2016 accord ending Latin America’s longest-running conflict. According to the U.N. Verification Mission in Colombia, 31 former guerrillas have been killed thus far in 2020 and 204 total since the agreement with rebels was reached.
Most of the deaths are taking place in conflict-ridden parts of the country where armed groups compete over drug routes. Some of the rebels have been killed after rejected attempts by dissident guerrillas to recruit them. Earlier this year, just 23 people had been sentenced in 228 violent crimes against ex-combatants.
Authorities say Pérez gave orders before Torres’ death to find and kill the person responsible for the death of soldier Pablo Emilio Borja. The soldiers claimed Torres was a member of another guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, though in fact he was working as a civilian in agriculture as part of the peace deal.
According to investigators, Daniel Eduardo Gómez shot Torres in the face and back. He then got help from several other soldiers in hiding his body in the woods. Gómez has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for the crime.
Torres’ father, Jose Manuel Torres, testified at a truth commission hearing earlier this year, describing how he boarded plane for the first time in his life after his son’s death to try and find justice for his son with authorities in Bogota.
“The pain of losing a son is very deep,” he said.
According to the U.N., crimes against ex-combatants, social leaders and human rights defenders have continued during the pandemic, which some illegal armed groups have used to strengthen their territorial control where the state has a weak presence.


washingtontimes--2020-08-12--More tribal clashes in Sudanese port city; death toll at 25

CAIRO ( AP ) - Tribal clashes that have gripped a Sudanese port city over the past three days have killed at least 25 people and wounded scores , a doctors ’ association said on Wednesday .
The fighting in Port Sudan in the eastern province of Red Sea erupted earlier this week between the Beni Amer tribe and the displaced Nuba tribe .
It wasn ’ t the first time the two tribes clashed in Port Sudan or elsewhere in the county .
The clashes prompted local authorities on Tuesday to impose a round-the-clock curfew across the city .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops have been deployed to Port Sudan to help contain the fighting .
He urged political parties in eastern Sudan to cooperate with local authorities to “ protect security and social peace.
” The Sudan Doctors ’ Committee said the clashes continued until late Tuesday .
The death toll climbed to 25 , after 13 people were initially reported killed on Tuesday , it said .
At least 87 others were wounded .
The committee is part of the Sudanese Professionals ’ Association that spearheaded nationwide protests against longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April last year .
Local media reported that several houses and shops were set on fire amid the violence in Port Sudan .
The tensions between the two tribes date back to May 2019 in the eastern city of Qadarif , mainly over water and other resources .
The clashes flared up in August last year in Port Sudan , when at least three dozen people from both sides were killed .
They also clashed in January in the port city , when nine people were killed .
The tribal violence poses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s transitional authorities to stabilize the country amid a fragile transition to democracy .

CAIRO (AP) - Tribal clashes that have gripped a Sudanese port city over the past three days have killed at least 25 people and wounded scores, a doctors’ association said on Wednesday.
The fighting in Port Sudan in the eastern province of Red Sea erupted earlier this week between the Beni Amer tribe and the displaced Nuba tribe. It wasn’t the first time the two tribes clashed in Port Sudan or elsewhere in the county.
The clashes prompted local authorities on Tuesday to impose a round-the-clock curfew across the city. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said Wednesday that troops have been deployed to Port Sudan to help contain the fighting.
He urged political parties in eastern Sudan to cooperate with local authorities to “protect security and social peace.”
The Sudan Doctors’ Committee said the clashes continued until late Tuesday. The death toll climbed to 25, after 13 people were initially reported killed on Tuesday, it said. At least 87 others were wounded.
The committee is part of the Sudanese Professionals’ Association that spearheaded nationwide protests against longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir. The military ousted al-Bashir amid the protests in April last year.
Local media reported that several houses and shops were set on fire amid the violence in Port Sudan.
The tensions between the two tribes date back to May 2019 in the eastern city of Qadarif, mainly over water and other resources. The clashes flared up in August last year in Port Sudan, when at least three dozen people from both sides were killed. They also clashed in January in the port city, when nine people were killed.
The tribal violence poses a significant challenge to efforts of Sudan’s transitional authorities to stabilize the country amid a fragile transition to democracy.