washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Florida rapper, 2 others, accused of kidnapping couple

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. ( AP ) - A 26-year-old rising local rapper accused in the kidnapping of a South Florida couple in October can go free until his trial if he pays a $ 250,000 bond , a federal magistrate ruled Monday .
Attorney Gary Ira Rosenberg negotiated the bond Splash Zanotti , whose legal name is Kejuan Brandon Campbell , without a detention hearing , the South Florida SunSentinel reported .
However , one of Campbell ’ s associates , Dionte Alexander-Wilcox , was ordered to remain in jail pending trial during a hearing on Monday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled for a detention hearing next week .
They were arrested earlier this month , records show .
Prosecutors said Alexander-Wilcox confessed to kidnapping and rape , along with four other shootings and an armed carjacking , the newspaper reported .
The masked men forced their way into a Miramar couple ’ s home on Oct. 11 and holding them at gunpoint for almost 24 hours .
Miramar police said the trio accused the couple ’ s nephew of stealing $ 20,000 from them , and demanded the same amount from the couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime , ” Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander said during Alexander-Wilcox ’ s hearing .
“ This wasn ’ t for a couple hours or a couple minutes .
This was for a full day .
They stayed overnight , ate food , drank their liquor.
” Prosecutors said Monday that Alexander-Wilcox has confessed to raping the wife during the course of the evening .
They have not charged him with rape , but “ he admits it .
We have his statements , we have his semen , ” the prosecutor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was videotaped , was not immediately available .
Campbell ’ s attorney told the newspaper he believes his client will be freed for less than $ 250,000 once more facts about the case come to light .
“ We are investigating it on behalf of Mr. Campbell , and we believe there are certain facts that would indicate that he ’ s entitled to a much lower bond , ” Rosenberg said .
He wouldn ’ t say what those facts are .
A post on the Splash Zanotti ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shows Campbell being taken into custody and says he is trying to stay positive .
However , prosecutors said the confession by Alexander-Wilcox ’ s implicates all three men .
“ Alexander-Wilcox provided a statement to law enforcement , ” Miramar police Detective Anthony Zeller told the judge via zoom .
“ He discussed the actions of Campbell and James in the case , in detail.
” During Monday ’ s hearing , prosecutors said Alexander-Wilcox and James held the husband at gunpoint while Campbell drove the wife around town trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Federal Magistrate Judge Jared M. Strauss called the kidnapping “ violent , and indeed horrific , ” and ordered Alexander-Wilcox without bond pending trial .
Alexander-Wilcox is represented by Robert Berube , a federal public defender .
A detention hearing for James is scheduled for Monday .
His attorney , Jason Kreiss , was not available for comment .

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A 26-year-old rising local rapper accused in the kidnapping of a South Florida couple in October can go free until his trial if he pays a $250,000 bond, a federal magistrate ruled Monday.
Attorney Gary Ira Rosenberg negotiated the bond for Splash Zanotti, whose legal name is Kejuan Brandon Campbell, without a detention hearing, the South Florida SunSentinel reported.
However, one of Campbell’s associates, Dionte Alexander-Wilcox, was ordered to remain in jail pending trial during a hearing on Monday. The third man, Antonio James, is scheduled for a detention hearing next week. They were arrested earlier this month, records show.
Prosecutors said Alexander-Wilcox confessed to kidnapping and rape, along with four other shootings and an armed carjacking.
The masked men forced their way into a Miramar couple’s home on Oct. 11 and held them at gunpoint for almost 24 hours, authorities said.
Miramar police said the trio accused the couple’s nephew of stealing $20,000 from them, and demanded the same amount from the couple.
“This is an incredibly terrible crime,” Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander said during Alexander-Wilcox’s hearing. “This wasn’t for a couple hours or a couple minutes. This was for a full day. They stayed overnight, ate food, drank their liquor.”
Prosecutors said Monday that Alexander-Wilcox has confessed to raping the wife during the course of the evening. They have not charged him with rape, but “he admits it. We have his statements, we have his semen,” the prosecutor said.
A transcript of the confession, which was videotaped, was not immediately available.
Campbell’s attorney told the newspaper he believes his client will be freed for less than $250,000 once more facts about the case come to light.
“We are investigating it on behalf of Mr. Campbell, and we believe there are certain facts that would indicate that he’s entitled to a much lower bond,” Rosenberg said.
He wouldn’t say what those facts are. A post on Splash Zanotti’s Instagram page, which has 110,000 followers, shows Campbell being taken into custody and says he is trying to stay positive.
However, prosecutors said the confession by Alexander-Wilcox’s implicates all three men.
“Alexander-Wilcox provided a statement to law enforcement,” Miramar police Detective Anthony Zeller told the judge via Zoom. “He discussed the actions of Campbell and James in the case, in detail.”
During Monday’s hearing, prosecutors said Alexander-Wilcox and James held the husband at gunpoint while Campbell drove the wife around town trying to get $20,000 from her bank accounts.
Federal Magistrate Judge Jared M. Strauss called the kidnapping “violent, and indeed horrific,” and ordered Alexander-Wilcox without bond pending trial. Alexander-Wilcox is represented by Robert Berube, a federal public defender.
A detention hearing for James is scheduled for Monday. His attorney, Jason Kreiss, was not available for comment.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Famed French designer Pierre Cardin dies at 98

PARIS ( AP ) - Pierre Cardin , the French designer whose famous name embossed everything from wristwatches to bedsheets after his iconic Space Age styles shot him into the fashion stratosphere in the 1960s , has died , the French Academy of Fine Arts said Tuesday .
He was 98 .
A licensing maverick , Cardin ’ s name went on thousands of products and in the brand ’ s heyday in the 1970s and ’ 80s , while goods bearing his fancy cursive signature were sold at some 100,000 outlets worldwide .
That number dwindled dramatically in later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarded as cheaply made and his clothing - which , decades later , remained virtually unchanged from its 60s-era styles - felt almost laughably dated .
A savvy businessman , Cardin used the fabulous wealth that was the fruit of his empire to snap up top-notch properties in Paris , including the Belle Epoque restaurant Maxim ’ s , which he also frequented .
The Fine Arts Academy announced his death in a tweet Tuesday .
He had been among its illustrious members since 1992 .
The academy did not give a cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had died .
Along with fellow Frenchman Andre Courreges and Spain ’ s Paco Rabanne , two other Paris-based designers known for their Space Age styles , Cardin revolutionized fashion starting in the early 1950s .
At a time when other Paris labels were obsessed with flattering the female form , Cardin ’ s designs cast the wearer as a sort of glorified hanger , there to showcase the clothes ’ sharp shapes and graphic patterns .
Destined neither for pragmatists nor for wallflowers , his designs were all about making a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gowns and bodysuits in fluorescent spandex were fitted with plastic hoops that stood away from the body at the waist , elbows , wrists and knees .
Cardin bubble dresses and capes enveloped their wearers in oversized spheres of fabric .
Toques were shaped like flying saucers ; bucket hats sheathed models ’ entire heads , with cutout windshields at the eyes .
“ Fashion is always ridiculous , seen from before or after .
But in the moment , it ’ s marvelous , ” Cardin said in a 1970 interview with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 7 , 1922 , in a small town near Venice , Italy , to a modest , working-class family .
When he was a child , the family moved to Saint Etienne in central France , where Cardin was schooled and became an apprentice to a tailor at age 14 .
Cardin would later embrace his status as a self-made man , saying in the same 1970 interview that going it alone “ makes you see life in a much more real way and forces you to take decision and to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more difficult to enter a dark woods alone than when you already know the way through , ” he said .
After moving to Paris , he worked as an assistant in the House of Paquin starting in 1945 and also helped design costumes for the likes of Jean Cocteau .
He also was involved in creating the costumes for the director ’ s 1946 hit , “ Beauty and the Beast.
” After working briefly with Elsa Schiaparelli and Christian Dior , Cardin opened his own house in Paris ‘ tony first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cardin delivered his first real collection in 1953 .
Success quickly followed , with the 1954 launch of the celebrated “ bubble ” dress , which put the label on the map .
Cardin staged his first ready-to-wear show in 1959 at Paris ’ Printemps department store , a bold initiative that got him temporarily kicked out of the Chambre Syndicale .
Cardin ’ s relationship with the organization - the governing body of French fashion - was rocky , and he later left of his own volition to stage shows on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-profile relationship with French screen siren Jeanne Moreau , the smoky-voiced blond of “ Jules and Jim ” fame , also helped boost the brand ’ s profile .
Described by both as a “ true love , ” the relationship lasted about five years and they never married .
Cardin saw the astronomical expense of producing haute couture collections as an investment .
Even though the clothing ’ s pharaonic prices didn ’ t cover the cost of crafting the made-to-measure garments , the media coverage generated by his couture shows helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , belts and hosiery .
As Cardin ’ s fame and fortune spiked , so did his real estate portfolio .
He long lived an austere , almost monastic existence with his sister in a sprawling apartment across from the Elysee presidential palace in Paris .
He bought up so much top-flight real estate in the neighborhood that fashion insiders joked he could have mounted a coup d ’ etat .
In addition to his women ’ s and men ’ s clothing boutiques , Cardin opened a children ’ s shop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a sprawling hall in central Paris where the designer would later stage fashion shows , as well as plays , ballets and other cultural events .
Beyond clothes , Cardin put his stamp on perfumes , makeup , porcelain , chocolates , a resort in the south of France and even the velvet-walled watering hole Maxim ’ s - where he could often be seen at lunch .
The 1970s saw a huge Cardin expansion that brought his outlets to more than 100,000 , with about as many workers producing under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vanguard of recognizing the importance of Asia to the fashion world , both as a manufacturing hub and for its consumer potential .
He was present in Japan starting in the early ’ 60s and in 1979 became the first Western designer to stage a fashion show in China .
In 1986 , he inked a deal with Soviet authorities to open a showroom in the Communist nation to sell clothes locally made under his label .
In his later life , with no heir apparent , Cardin dismantled parts of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese licenses to two local firms in 2009 .
Two years later , he told the Wall Street Journal that he ’ d be willing to sell his entire company - made up at that point of an estimated 500-600 licenses - for $ 1.4 billion .

PARIS (AP) - French fashion designer Pierre Cardin possessed a wildly inventive artistic sensibility tempered by a stiff dose of business sense. He had no problem acknowledging that he earned more from a pair of stockings than from a haute-couture gown with a six-figure price tag.
Cardin, who died Tuesday at age 98, was the ultimate entrepreneurial designer. He understood the importance his exclusive haute couture shows played in stoking consumer desire and became an early pioneer of licensing. His name emblazoned hundreds of products, from accessories to home goods.
“The numbers don’t lie,” Cardin said in a 1970 French television interview. “I earn more from the sale of a necktie than from the sale of a million-franc dress. It’s counterintuitive, but the accounts prove it. In the end, it’s all about the numbers.”
The French Academy of Fine Arts announced Cardin’s death in a tweet. He had been among its illustrious members since 1992. The academy did not give a cause of death or say where the designer died.
Designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, who made his debut in Cardin’s maison, paid tribute to his mentor on Twitter: “Thank you Mister Cardin to have opened for me the doors of fashion and made my dream possible.”
Along with fellow Frenchman Andre Courreges and Spain’s Paco Rabanne, two other Paris-based designers known for their avant-garde Space Age styles, Cardin revolutionized fashion starting in the early 1950s.
At a time when other Paris labels were obsessed with flattering the female form, Cardin’s designs cast the wearer as a sort of glorified hanger, there to showcase the sharp shapes and graphic patterns of the clothes. Created for neither pragmatists nor wallflowers, his designs were all about making a big entrance - sometimes very literally.
Gowns and bodysuits in fluorescent spandex were fitted with plastic hoops that stood away from the body at the waist, elbows, wrists and knees. Bubble dresses and capes enveloped their wearers in oversized spheres of fabric. Toques were shaped like flying saucers; bucket hats sheathed the models’ entire head, with cutout windshields at the eyes.
“Fashion is always ridiculous, seen from before or after. But in the moment, it’s marvelous,” Cardin said in the 1970 interview.
A quote on his label’s website summed up his philosophy: “The clothing I prefer is the one I create for a life that does not yet exist, the world of tomorrow.”
Cardin’s name embossed thousands of products, from wristwatches to bed sheets. In the brand’s heyday, goods bearing his fancy cursive signature were sold at some 100,000 outlets worldwide.
That number dwindled dramatically in later years, as Cardin products were increasingly regarded as cheaply made and his clothing designs - which, decades later, remained virtually unchanged from its ’60s-era styles - felt dated.
A savvy businessman, Cardin used his fabulous wealth to snap up top-notch properties in Paris, including the belle epoque restaurant Maxim’s, which he also frequented. His flagship store, located next to the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, continues to showcase eye-catching designs.
Cardin was born on July 7, 1922, in a small town near Venice, Italy, to a modest, working-class family. When he was a child, the family moved to Saint Etienne in central France, where Cardin was schooled and became an apprentice to a tailor at age 14.
Cardin later embraced a status as a self-made man, saying in the 1970 TV interview that going it alone “makes you see life in a much more real way and forces you to take decisions and to be courageous.
“It’s much more difficult to enter a dark woods alone than when you already know the way through,” he said.
After moving to Paris, he worked as an assistant in the House of Paquin starting in 1945 and also helped design costumes for the likes of filmmaker Jean Cocteau. He was involved in creating the costumes for the director’s 1946 hit, “Beauty and the Beast.”
After working briefly with Elsa Schiaparelli and Christian Dior, Cardin opened his own fashion house in Paris’ posh 1st district, starting with costumes and masks.
Cardin delivered his first real collection in 1953. Success quickly followed, with the 1954 launch of the celebrated “bubble” dress, which put the label on the map.
Cardin staged his first ready-to-wear show in 1959 at Paris’ Printemps department store, a bold initiative that got him temporarily kicked out of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Cardin’s relationship with the organization - the governing body of French fashion - was rocky, and he later left of his own volition to stage shows on his own terms.
Cardin’s high-profile relationship with French actress Jeanne Moreau, the smoky-voiced blonde of “Jules and Jim” fame, also helped boost the brand’s profile. Described by both as a “true love,” the couple’s relationship lasted about five years, though they never married.
For Cardin, the astronomical expense of producing haute-couture collections was an investment. Even though the clothing’s pharaonic prices didn’t cover the cost of crafting the made-to-measure garments, media coverage generated by the couture shows helped sell affordable items, like hats, belts and underwear.
As Cardin’s fame and fortune spiked, so did his real estate portfolio. He long lived an austere, almost monastic existence with his sister in a sprawling apartment just across from the Elysee Palace and bought up so much topflight real estate in the neighborhood that fashion insiders joked he could have mounted a coup d’état.
In addition to his women’s and men’s clothing boutiques, Cardin opened a children’s shop, a furniture store and the Espace Cardin, a sprawling hall in central Paris where the designer would later stage fashion shows, as well as plays, ballet performances and other cultural events.
Beyond clothes, Cardin put his stamp on perfumes, makeup, porcelain, chocolates, a resort in the south of France and even the velvet-walled watering hole Maxim’s - where he could often be seen at lunch.
The 1970s saw a huge Cardin expansion that brought his outlets to more than 100,000, with about as many workers producing under the Cardin label worldwide.
Cardin was in the vanguard in recognizing the importance of Asia, both as a manufacturing hub and for its consumer potential. He was present in Japan starting in the early 1960s, and in 1979 became the first Western designer to stage a fashion show in China.
In 1986, he inked a deal with Soviet authorities to open a showroom in the Communist nation to sell clothes locally made under his label.
In his later life, with no heir apparent, Cardin dismantled much of his vast empire, selling dozens of his Chinese licenses to two local firms in 2009.
Two years later, he told the Wall Street Journal that he’d be willing to sell his entire company, at that point including an estimated 500-600 licenses , for $1.4 billion.
____
Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed. Former AP correspondents Suzy Patterson and Jenny Barchfield contributed biographical information to this obituary.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Police identify man killed in Christmas Eve shooting

RAPID CITY , S.D .
( AP ) - A Rapid City man killed in a shooting on Christmas Eve @ @ @ @ @ City Police spokesman Brendyn Medina says no arrests have been made .
Police responded to @ @ @ @ @ p.m. Thursday and found Marshall lying on a street with multiple gunshot wounds to his @ @ @ @ @ Marshall was taken to a hospital where he died .
The Rapid City Journal reports @ @ @ @ @ of a homicide in Rapid City this year , with nine of the victims being @ @ @ @ @ least one other death is being investigated as a possible homicide .

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - A Rapid City man killed in a shooting on Christmas Eve has been identified.
Police identified the victim as 21-year-old Vernall Marshall.
Rapid City Police spokesman Brendyn Medina says no arrests have been made.
Police responded to the shooting at about 11 p.m. Thursday and found Marshall lying on a street with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
Police said Marshall was taken to a hospital where he died.
The Rapid City Journal reports Marshall is the 12th victim of a homicide in Rapid City this year, with nine of the victims being killed since August. At least one other death is being investigated as a possible homicide.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Russia's updated stats on virus-linked deaths show increase

MOSCOW ( AP ) - Russia ’ s updated statistics on coronavirus-linked deaths showed that over 100,000 people with COVID-19 had died in the pandemic by December , a number much higher than previously reported by government officials .
According to the data released Monday by Russia ’ s state statistics agency , Rosstat , a total of 116,030 people with COVID-19 died in Russia between April and November .
The count included cases where the virus was not the main cause of death and where the virus was suspected but not confirmed .
The data also showed that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first 11 months of this year grew by 229,700 , or nearly 14 % , compared to the same period in 2019 .
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told a government meeting Monday that the increase reported by Rosstat for the most part is related to the coronavirus .
“ I would like to note that over 81 % of the increase in mortality in this period ( between January and November ) is related to COVID and the consequences of being infected with COVID , ” Golikova said .
Golikova ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be linked to the coronavirus .
Both Rosstat ’ s count and Golikova ’ s assessment are much higher than the 55,827 deaths in the pandemic that have been reported by the Russian government ’ s coronavirus task force and that include deaths that occurred in December .
The Russian task force ’ s relatively low death count , which is reflected in the numbers released by the World Health Organization , raised questions among experts at home and abroad as Russia ’ s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases became one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Western media alleged that Russian authorities might have falsified the numbers for political purposes to play down the scale of the outbreak - accusations the authorities have bristled at .
Russian officials ascribed the differences between the numbers reported by the task force and Rosstat to different counting methods .
The task force told the Interfax news agency in August that their tally only includes deaths where COVID-19 was the main cause .
Officials also said the task force uses data collected from medical facilities , while Rosstat gets its numbers from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registering a death is finalized .

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia’s updated statistics on coronavirus-linked deaths show that well over 100,000 people with COVID-19 had died in the pandemic by December, a number much higher than previously reported by government officials.
The data released Monday by Russia’s state statistics agency, Rosstat, brought the agency’s count of people with COVID-19 who died between April and November to 116,030. That included cases where the virus was not the main cause of death and where the virus was suspected but not confirmed.
The data also showed that the number of deaths from all causes in the first 11 months of this year grew by 229,700, or nearly 14%, compared to the same period in 2019.
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told a government meeting Monday that the increase reported between January and November by Rosstat for the most part is related to the coronavirus.
“I would like to note that over 81% of the increase in mortality in this period is related to COVID and the consequences of being infected with COVID,” Golikova said.
Golikova’s comment suggests that some 186,000 deaths may be linked to the coronavirus.
Both Rosstat’s count and Golikova’s assessment are much higher than the 55,827 deaths that have been reported by the Russian government’s coronavirus task force, including deaths that occurred in December.
The task force’s relatively low death count, which is reflected in the numbers released by the World Health Organization, raised questions among experts at home and abroad several months ago, as Russia’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases became one of the world’s largest.
The Kremlin credited effective response measures for Russia’s low COVID-19 mortality. But critics and Western media alleged back then that Russian authorities might have falsified the numbers for political purposes to play down the scale of the outbreak - accusations the authorities have bristled at.
Russian officials ascribe the differences between the numbers reported by the task force and Rosstat to different counting methods, saying the task force only includes deaths where COVID-19 was the main cause,
Officials also said the task force uses data collected from medical facilities, while Rosstat takes its numbers from civil registry offices where the process of registering a death is finalized.
While the task force reports COVID-19 deaths on a daily basis, Rosstat releases updated statistics every month and analyzes the data retroactively, which allows a fuller picture. The agency counted 70,921 deaths where COVID-19 was the main cause between April and November, while the task force reported only 40,464 deaths by Dec. 1.
Experts told The Associated Press that other factors, such as a tendency among officials to embellish statistics, Russia’s vast geography and the shorter life expectancy of its population, could also have contributed to the low official count.
Russia has been swept by a rapid resurgence of infections since September, with numbers of confirmed COVID-19 infections and deaths significantly exceeding those reported in the spring.
Authorities have resisted imposing a second nationwide lockdown or a widespread closure of businesses, saying the health system is largely coping with the influx of patients.
But medical workers in different parts of Russia interviewed by the AP in recent months paint a bleak picture of overwhelmed hospitals, ambulances inundated with calls and patients having to wait hours, if not days, to get medical help.
Some analysts suggest the Kremlin is betting on vaccinations against the virus to reverse the course of the outbreak and help avoid unpopular lockdown restrictions that delivered a serious blow to the weakening economy.
Earlier this month, Russian authorities started a mass vaccination campaign with the domestically developed Sputnik V shot that is still undergoing late-stage testing needed to ensure its safety and effectiveness.
____
Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Two people hurt in Waukee apartment complex fire

WAUKEE , Iowa ( AP ) - Two people are hospitalized after fire broke out an apartment complex in Waukee @ @ @ @ @ reports that the fire happened Monday .
Two people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken @ @ @ @ @ Fire Chief Tomme Tysdal said seven of the eight apartments were occupied and the families @ @ @ @ @ of the fire is under investigation .

WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) - Two people are hospitalized after fire broke out an apartment complex in Waukee.
The Des Moines Register reports that the fire happened Monday. Two people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to a hospital.
Deputy Fire Chief Tomme Tysdal said seven of the eight apartments were occupied and the families were evacuated.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--New year brings optimism for NY-area mass transit systems

NEW YORK ( AP ) - For the New York area ’ s public transit providers , 2020 was a year of existential challenges as the coronavirus pandemic caused ridership and revenues to crater , took the lives of more than 100 transit employees and created gaping budget holes whose effects may not be fully felt for years .
The new year offers some hope for a rebound : a new presidential administration considered more friendly to public transit needs ; vaccines that will slow the virus ’ spread and help bring back commuters ; federal stimulus dollars to blunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and advances in major infrastructure projects .
A look at what transit users can expect in 2021 : The federal stimulus bill recently signed by President Trump provides $ 4 billion in aid that will stave off the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ’ s so-called “ doomsday ” budget that could have resulted in deep bus and subway service cuts , fare hikes and layoffs .
Those could still be contemplated if additional aid isn ’ t made available , but the sigh of relief was evident last week when the measure passed both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year , it buys us all of 2021 and the $ 4 billion-plus covers the MTA deficit in 2021 , ” MTA CEO Patrick Foye told Bloomberg TV .
“ We ’ ll need more relief then , but to get us through this year is extraordinarily important.
” New Jersey Transit , which is also navigating ridership totals that are barely reaching 25 % of pre-pandemic levels , has enough of its federal aid from last summer to make it to the end of the fiscal year in June , CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.2 billion in the new round of funding , which will keep it on sound financial footing for the near term , he said .
PATH , operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , has been running trains at roughly 95 % of its normal scheduled even as ridership hovers below 25 % .
The system likely won ’ t get direct federal funding in the current bill , but the Port Authority is seeking about $ 3 billion to cover overall revenue losses due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over $ 3 billion in revenue losses which , if unaddressed , will have a severe impact on the agency and on the region , ” spokesman Scott Ladd said .
“ We will continue to advocate for substantial aid with elected leaders and with the incoming administration.
” The yearslong race to install and test positive train control , the emergency braking system required on all U.S. passenger railroads by this week , was largely invisible to commuters .
The effects weren ’ t , as New Jersey Transit riders in particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to trains and personnel being siphoned off to be outfitted and trained on the new system .
But after years of little progress , NJ Transit under Corbett endured the slings and arrows of irate customers for three years and overcame delays caused by a vendor ’ s software glitches to meet the deadline .
Some fixes and system upgrades will have to be made in the next several months before final certification is given , but the completion of the primary work should mean fewer delays due to train and engineer availability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engineers graduating next month , part of an accelerated three-year program , also should help .
“ It will be rare that a train will be canceled due to a shortage of engineers , ” Corbett said .
Like NJ Transit , the MTA ’ s MetroNorth and Long Island Rail Road met the federal deadline but must make some technological modifications over the next several months to receive final certification .
IN WITH THE NEW The year will start off with the opening of the $ 1.6 billion Moynihan Train Hall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Penn Station in the former Farley Post Office building .
Amtrak will move its baggage area , ticket offices and ticketed waiting area there , and the Long Island Rail Road will use the 255,000-square-foot space as well .
The effect will be to reduce crowding at Penn Station and offer a striking contrast to that facility ’ s dingy , windowless expanse .
Supporters of the Gateway project and its centerpiece , an $ 11 billion plan to build a new rail tunnel , have high hopes that President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and end a lengthy impasse between New York and New Jersey officials and the Trump administration over funding .
Gateway Development Corp. Chairman Steve Cohen called the dispute “ perpetual absurdity.
” “ We ’ re now in a different world , ” Cohen said last week .
“ These projects should not be held hostage to politics.
” A first step could be the granting of environmental approval , after a nearly three-year wait , that would kick-start the process of acquiring needed land .
The tunnel project also needs an improved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be eligible for key federal grants , a sticking point during the last three years as federal officials charged the two states weren ’ t committing enough of their own money .
An associated Gateway project overseen by NJ Transit , the replacement of the century-old Portal North Bridge between Newark and New York , has a full federal funding agreement and could begin primary construction later this year .
The pandemic isn ’ t expected to affect PATH ’ s work to repair damage in its Hudson River tunnels caused by 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand capacity at its Grove Street and Exchange Place stations to accommodate nine-car trains .

NEW YORK (AP) - For the New York area’s public transit providers, 2020 was a year of existential challenges as the coronavirus pandemic caused ridership and revenues to crater, took the lives of more than 100 transit employees and created gaping budget holes whose effects may not be fully felt for years.
The new year offers some hope for a rebound: a new presidential administration considered more friendly to public transit needs; vaccines that will slow the virus’ spread and help bring back commuters; federal stimulus dollars to blunt some of the pandemic’s effects and advances in major infrastructure projects.
A look at what transit users can expect in 2021:
‘DOOMSDAY’ CAN WAIT
The federal stimulus bill recently signed by President Trump provides $4 billion in aid that will stave off the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s so-called “doomsday” budget that could have resulted in deep bus and subway service cuts, fare hikes and layoffs. Those could still be contemplated if additional aid isn’t made available, but the sigh of relief was evident last week when the measure passed both chambers.
The money “buys us a year, it buys us all of 2021 and the $4 billion-plus covers the MTA deficit in 2021,” MTA CEO Patrick Foye told Bloomberg TV. “We’ll need more relief then, but to get us through this year is extraordinarily important.”
New Jersey Transit, which is also navigating ridership totals that are barely reaching 25% of pre-pandemic levels, has enough of its federal aid from last summer to make it to the end of the fiscal year in June, CEO Kevin Corbett said. It expects roughly $1.2 billion in the new round of funding, which will keep it on sound financial footing for the near term, he said.
PATH, operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has been running trains at roughly 95% of its normal scheduled even as ridership hovers below 25%. The system likely won’t get direct federal funding in the current bill, but the Port Authority is seeking about $3 billion to cover overall revenue losses due to the pandemic.
“The Port Authority has over $3 billion in revenue losses which, if unaddressed, will have a severe impact on the agency and on the region,” spokesman Scott Ladd said. “We will continue to advocate for substantial aid with elected leaders and with the incoming administration.”
___
SAFETY SYSTEM MILESTONE
The yearslong race to install and test positive train control, the emergency braking system required on all U.S. passenger railroads by this week, was largely invisible to commuters. The effects weren’t, as New Jersey Transit riders in particular endured month after month of delays due to trains and personnel being siphoned off to be outfitted and trained on the new system. But after years of little progress, NJ Transit under Corbett endured the slings and arrows of irate customers for three years and overcame delays caused by a vendor’s software glitches to meet the deadline.
Some fixes and system upgrades will have to be made in the next several months before final certification is given, but the completion of the primary work should mean fewer delays due to train and engineer availability. Another new class of NJ Transit engineers graduating next month, part of an accelerated three-year program, also should help.
“It will be rare that a train will be canceled due to a shortage of engineers,” Corbett said.
Like NJ Transit, the MTA’s MetroNorth and Long Island Rail Road met the federal deadline but must make some technological modifications over the next several months to receive final certification.
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IN WITH THE NEW
The year will start off with the opening of the $1.6 billion Moynihan Train Hall, across Eighth Avenue from New York’s Penn Station in the former Farley Post Office building. Amtrak will move its baggage area, ticket offices and ticketed waiting area there, and the Long Island Rail Road will use the 255,000-square-foot space as well. The effect will be to reduce crowding at Penn Station and offer a striking contrast to that facility’s dingy, windowless expanse.
Supporters of the Gateway project and its centerpiece, an $11 billion plan to build a new rail tunnel, have high hopes that President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will advance the project and end a lengthy impasse between New York and New Jersey officials and the Trump administration over funding. Gateway Development Corp. Chairman Steve Cohen called the dispute “perpetual absurdity.”
“We’re now in a different world,” Cohen said last week. “These projects should not be held hostage to politics.”
A first step could be the granting of environmental approval, after a nearly three-year wait, that would kick-start the process of acquiring needed land. The tunnel project also needs an improved rating from the Federal Transit Administration to be eligible for key federal grants, a sticking point during the last three years as federal officials charged the two states weren’t committing enough of their own money.
An associated Gateway project overseen by NJ Transit, the replacement of the century-old Portal North Bridge between Newark and New York, has a full federal funding agreement and could begin primary construction later this year.
The pandemic isn’t expected to affect PATH’s work to repair damage in its Hudson River tunnels caused by 2012’s Superstorm Sandy or its plans to expand capacity at its Grove Street and Exchange Place stations to accommodate nine-car trains.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Massachusetts to vaccinate residents of veterans homes

BOSTON ( AP ) - Residents of two Massachusetts veterans care centers that were hit hard by the pandemic are getting vaccinated against the coronavirus starting Tuesday , state officials say .
Air Force veteran Robert Aucoin , 78 , is scheduled to be the first resident of the Holyoke Soldiers ’ Home vaccinated , according to the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services .
Aucoin , who has lived at the state-run home since 2018 , served from 1961 to 1965 and during his service worked as the control tower operator at Pope Air Force Base in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dominic Pitella is scheduled to be the first resident of the Chelsea Soldiers ’ Home to be vaccinated , state officials said .
Pitella , a former cook with the 559th Air Service Group , served in the Pacific Theater during World War II in 1945 .
He has lived at the home since 2018 .
The Holyoke home had one of the country ’ s deadliest outbreaks at a long-term care facility , with nearly 80 residents dying after contracting the virus and dozens of other residents and staffers sickened .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal prosecutor hired by Gov .
Charlie Baker found that management at the home made several “ utterly baffling ” decisions that helped the disease run rampant .
Two former top administrators have pleaded not guilty to criminal negligence charges connected to the deaths .
More than 30 residents of the Chelsea home died of the disease .

BOSTON (AP) - With a thumbs up and a round of applause from staff, Air Force veteran Robert Aucoin on Tuesday became the first resident of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in Massachusetts to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
“Great, great, leading the way,” Aucoin, 78, said through his Snoopy mask after getting the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine.
Aucoin, who has lived at the state-run home since 2018, served from 1961 to 1965 and worked as the control tower operator at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina during his service, according to the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
The state has made it a priority to get the residents of both the Holyoke facility and the Chelsea Soldier’s Home vaccinated after the coronavirus tore through both facilities for veterans who require long-term care in the spring.
Staff vaccinations also started Tuesday.
“Administering vaccines to our frontline health care workers and now some of our most vulnerable residents in the Soldiers’ Home provides relief and hope that there are brighter days ahead for all,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement.
The Holyoke home had one of the country’s deadliest virus outbreaks at a long-term care facility. Seventy-six residents died after contracting the virus in the spring and a 77th died earlier this month.
More than 30 residents of the Chelsea home died after contracting the disease.
An investigation into the Holyoke outbreak by a formal federal prosecutor hired by Baker found that management at the home made several “utterly baffling” decisions that helped the disease run rampant.
Two former top administrators have pleaded not guilty to criminal negligence charges connected to the deaths.
In Chelsea, World War II veteran Dominic Pitella, 94, was the first resident to be vaccinated.
Pitella, a former corporal and cook with the 559th Air Service Group, served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He has lived at the home since 2018, according to state officials.
“I’m hopeful this will help everybody,” Pitella said in a statement.
___
BUSY FIELD HOSPITAL
The field hospital set up in the DCU Center in Worcester has treated 161 COVID-19 patients in 22 days, just one patient shy of the total treated in the six weeks the facility was open in the spring, officials said.
“What we are seeing is that the second wave is much more impactful than the first wave this past spring,” Peter Lancette, director of the field hospital’s operations and the facility’s assistant chief nursing officer, told The Telegram & Gazette for a story Monday. “We continue to stay ahead of the patient volume but are bracing for a potential drastic increase in cases due to holiday travel.”
The field hospital that operated from April 9 until May 28 treated 162 patients, Lancette said.
A UMass Memorial Medical Center spokesperson said Monday there were 38 patients in the facility.
___
EVICTION MORATORIUM
A moratorium on nonessential evictions for public housing residents in Boston is being extended until March 1, officials said Tuesday.
The Boston Housing Authority’s ban on nonessential evictions was set to expire at the end of the year, but officials said it will continue to help residents struggling during the pandemic.
“The vaccine is on its way, and there’s cause for optimism going into 2021, but now is not the time to take our foot off the gas. There were reasons we put this moratorium in place, and those reasons are still with us,” Kate Bennett, administrator of the Boston Housing Authority, said in an emailed statement.
The only evictions that will be allowed are those related to criminal activity and those necessary to “protect the health and safety” of residents, employees and others, officials said.
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VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS
State public health officials reported more than 3,600 new confirmed cases on Tuesday and 58 new confirmed deaths.
The total number of cases in Massachusetts since the pandemic began now stands at over 346,000, and the death toll has risen to 11,958.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Egypt court sentences ex-student to 3 years in #MeToo case

CAIRO ( AP ) - An Egyptian court Tuesday convicted a former student at an elite university on sexual misconduct charges and sentenced him to three years in prison , the first conviction in a case that has fueled the # MeToo movement in the Arab world ’ s most populous country .
The Cairo Economic Court convicted Ahmed Bassam Zaki , a former student at American University in Cairo , of blackmailing and sexually harassing two women .
Zaki is being tried separately in criminal court on charges of rape and attempted rape of three other women who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes , according to the court documents .
In addition , he faces drug possession charges .
Tuesday ’ s verdict can be appealed to a higher court .
The former student was arrested in July after allegations against him surfaced on social media , resulting in a firestorm of criticism .
The # MeToo movement aims to hold accountable those involved in sexual misconduct and those who cover it up .
Several attempts at the time by The Associated Press to contact Zaki ’ s family and his lawyer were unsuccessful .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Zaki would mine the pool of mutual friends on Facebook , online groups or school clubs , for females to target .
He would start with flattery , then pressure the women and girls to share intimate photos that he later used to blackmail them with if they did not have sex with him , according to the accusations .
In some instances he threatened to send compromising pictures to family members .
Zaki hails from a wealthy family and studied at the American International School , one of Egypt ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American University in Cairo .
AUC officials said he left the university in 2018 .
Zaki ’ s case , activists say , shows that misogyny cuts across Egypt ’ s stark class lines .
Many in Egypt have previously portrayed sexual harassment as a problem of poor urban youth .
Sexual assault and harassment are deep-seated problems in Egypt , where victims must also fight the undercurrent of a conservative culture that typically ties female chastity to a family ’ s reputation .
In courts , the burden of proof lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The allegations against the former student were collected by the Instagram account @ assaultpolice .
Since then , the account has played a crucial role in revealing an alleged gang rape that shook Egyptian society in recent weeks .
Allegations of sexual misconduct have also emerged against several rights activists and prominent journalists , but those allegations have not made their way to courts .

CAIRO (AP) - An Egyptian court Tuesday convicted a former student at an elite university of sexual misconduct charges and sentenced him to three years in prison, the first conviction in a case that has fueled the #MeToo movement in the Arab world’s most populous country.
The Cairo Economic Court convicted Ahmed Bassam Zaki, a former student at American University in Cairo, of blackmailing and sexually harassing two women.
Zaki is being tried separately in criminal court on charges of rape and attempted rape of three other women who were minors at the time of the alleged crimes, according to the court documents. In addition, he faces drug possession charges.
Tuesday’s verdict can be appealed to a higher court.
The former student was arrested in July after allegations against him surfaced on social media, resulting in a firestorm of criticism. The #MeToo movement aims to hold accountable those involved in sexual misconduct and those who cover it up.
Several attempts at the time by The Associated Press to contact Zaki’s family and his lawyer were unsuccessful.
According to accusations posted on social media, Zaki would mine the pool of mutual friends on Facebook, online groups or school clubs, for females to target.
He would start with flattery, then pressure the women and girls to share intimate photos that he later used to blackmail them with if they did not have sex with him, according to the accusations. In some instances he threatened to send compromising pictures to family members.
Zaki hails from a wealthy family and studied at the American International School, one of Egypt’s most expensive private high schools, and the American University in Cairo. AUC officials said he left the university in 2018.
Zaki’s case, activists say, shows that misogyny cuts across Egypt’s stark class lines. Many in Egypt have previously portrayed sexual harassment as a problem of poor urban youth.
Sexual assault and harassment are deep-seated problems in Egypt, where victims must also fight the undercurrent of a conservative culture that typically ties female chastity to a family’s reputation. In courts, the burden of proof lies heavily on the victims of such crimes.
The allegations against the former student were collected by the Instagram account @assaultpolice. Since then, the account has played a crucial role in revealing an alleged gang rape that shook Egyptian society in recent weeks.
Allegations of sexual misconduct have also emerged against several rights activists and prominent journalists, but those allegations have not made their way to courts.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Britain, Turkey reach post-Brexit free trade agreement

ANKARA , Turkey ( AP ) - Turkey and Britain signed a free-trade agreement Tuesday as the U.K. prepares to leave the European Union ’ s economic orbit at the start of the new year .
The deal , which will come into effect on Jan. 1 , aims to support trade between the two countries which was worth more than $ 25 billion in 2019 .
It is one of many post-Brexit trade deals the British government is pursuing with nations around the world and came days after it finalized a trade agreement with the EU .
The U.K. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year but remained subject to the bloc ’ s business regulations and within its customs union during a transition period that ends on Dec. 31 .
Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan and Dominick Chilcott , the British ambassador to Turkey , signed the the British-Turkish agreement .
Pekcan hailed the deal as the most significant trade pact for Turkey since the signing of a customs union agreement with the EU in 1995 .
“ The free trade agreement is a new and special milestone in the relationship between Turkey and United Kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Britain is Turkey ’ s second-largest export market .
A British government statement said the deal will secure existing preferential tariffs for some 7,600 British businesses that exported goods to Turkey in 2019 , ensuring the continued tariff-free flow of goods .
Both countries have said the deal will lead to a more comprehensive agreement in the future .

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey and Britain signed a free-trade agreement Tuesday as the U.K. prepares to leave the European Union’s economic orbit at the start of the new year.
The deal, which will come into effect on Jan. 1, aims to support trade between the two countries which was worth more than $25 billion in 2019. It is one of many post-Brexit trade deals the British government is pursuing with nations around the world and came days after it finalized a trade agreement with the EU.
The U.K. left the EU on Jan. 31 of this year but remained subject to the bloc’s business regulations and within its customs union during a transition period that ends on Dec. 31.
Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan and Dominick Chilcott, the British ambassador to Turkey, signed the the British-Turkish agreement.
Pekcan hailed the deal as the most significant trade pact for Turkey since the signing of a customs union agreement with the EU in 1995.
“The free trade agreement is a new and special milestone in the relationship between Turkey and United Kingdom,” Pekcan said during the ceremony. Britain is Turkey’s second-largest export market.
A British government statement said the deal will secure existing preferential tariffs for some 7,600 British businesses that exported goods to Turkey in 2019, ensuring the continued tariff-free flow of goods.
Both countries have said the deal will lead to a more comprehensive agreement in the future.
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Follow AP’s Brexit coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/brexit


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Report: Suspect in fatal shooting surrenders, frees hostages

TAMPA , Fla. ( AP ) - A man accused of fatally shooting a man at a Tampa mobile home @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday after barricading himself inside a house with a woman and five children , sheriff @ @ @ @ @ Hillsborough County Sheriff ’ s deputies responded to a call at the Campus Court Mobile @ @ @ @ @ Monday , and found a man with a gunshot wound , news outlets reported .
@ @ @ @ @ went into the home .
A woman and five children ranging in age from 6 @ @ @ @ @ inside .
A SWAT team and crisis negotiators made contact with the man and urged @ @ @ @ @ About 2:30 a.m. , deputies said the woman , children and the suspect came out @ @ @ @ @ man peacefully surrendered to deputies .
The sheriff ’ s office has not released the @ @ @ @ @ the incident .

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A man accused of fatally shooting a man at a Tampa mobile home park surrendered to authorities early Tuesday after barricading himself inside a house with a woman and five children, sheriff’s officials said.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call at the Campus Court Mobile Home Park around 10:30 p.m. Monday, and found a man with a gunshot wound, news outlets reported.
Deputies said the shooter then went into the home. A woman and five children ranging in age from 6 years to several months were inside.
A SWAT team and crisis negotiators made contact with the man and urged him to come outside.
About 2:30 a.m., deputies said the woman, children and the suspect came out of the house. The man peacefully surrendered to deputies.
The sheriff’s office has not released the names of those involved in the incident.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Coronavirus-denying Russian monk detained by police

MOSCOW ( AP ) - Russian riot police stormed into a monastery Tuesday to detain a rebel monk who has castigated the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church leadership and denied the existence of the coronavirus .
In the overnight showdown , police clashed with supporters of Father Sergiy at the Sredneuralsk monastery outside Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains .
The monk was quickly flown to Moscow , where a court was to approve his arrest .
Authorities charged him with inciting suicidal action through his sermons in which he urged believers to “ die for Russia.
” When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the 65-year-old monk denied its existence and denounced government efforts to stem the pandemic as “ Satan ’ s electronic camp.
” He has described the vaccines being developed against COVID-19 as part of a global plot to control the masses via chips .
The monk , who has urged followers to disobey the government ’ s lockdown measures , had holed up at the monastery near Yekaterinburg he founded years ago .
Dozens of burly volunteers , including veterans of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine , helped enforce his rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left .
The monk chastised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “ traitor to the Motherland ” serving a Satanic “ world government ” and denounced Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill and other top clerics as “ heretics ” who must be “ thrown out.
” The Russian Orthodox Church stripped Father Sergiy of his abbot ’ s rank for breaking monastic rules in July , but he rejected the ruling and ignored police investigators ’ summons .
Facing stiff resistance by hundreds of his supporters , church officials and local authorities appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian riot police stormed into a monastery Tuesday to detain a rebel monk who has castigated the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church leadership and denied the existence of the coronavirus.
In the overnight showdown, police clashed with the priest’s supporters at the Sredneuralsk monastery outside Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains.
The monk, Father Sergiy, was quickly flown to Moscow, where a court approved his arrest. Authorities charged him with inciting suicidal actions through sermons in which he urged believers to “die for Russia.” He denied the accusations.
Russia’s top investigative agency, the Investigative Committee, said Father Sergiy also faces other criminal charges related to his allegedly arbitrary action to take control of the monastery.
When the virus arrived in Russia early this year, the 65-year-old monk denied its existence and denounced government efforts to stem the pandemic as “Satan’s electronic camp.” He has described the vaccines being developed against COVID-19 as part of a global plot to control the masses via chips.
The monk, who has urged followers to disobey the government’s lockdown measures, had holed up at the monastery near Yekaterinburg he founded years ago. Dozens of burly volunteers, including veterans of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, helped enforce his rules, while the prioress and several nuns left.
The monk chastised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “traitor to the Motherland” who was serving a Satanic “world government.” He also denounced the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and other top clerics as “heretics” who must be “thrown out.”
The Russian Orthodox Church stripped Father Sergiy of his abbot’s rank for breaking monastic rules in July, but he rejected the ruling and ignored police investigators’ summons. Facing stiff resistance by hundreds of his supporters, church officials and local authorities appeared reluctant to evict him for months.
Hundreds of his supporters continued rallying at the monastery hours after he was taken away. Some wept.
Father Sergiy, who was born as Nikolai Romanov, served as a police officer during Soviet times. After leaving the ranks of law enforcement, he was convicted of murder, robbery and assault and sentenced to 13 years in prison, He joined a church school after his release and later became a monk.
The charismatic priest quickly became known for his efforts to open new churches and monasteries in the Urals. In his fiery sermons, he denounced alleged plots of the “world government” and glorified Russia’s last czar, Nicholas II, who was killed by the Bolsheviks along with his entire family in Yekaterinburg in 1918.
Father Sergiy has been the most visible and outspoken of a few ultra-conservative clerics who have challenged the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church. Observers have said the monk’s rebellious actions and now his detention undermine the authority of Patriarch Kirill.
In another sign of internal tensions within the church, an ecclesiastical panel ruled Tuesday to defrock a liberal-leaning theologian, Protodeacon Andrei Kurayev, who has been active in expressing his views online. Kurayev lamented the verdict as a punishment for sharing opinions that sometimes differed from official stance of the Moscow Patriarchate.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--US Rep. Moore isolating after testing positive for virus

MILWAUKEE ( AP ) - Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore says she has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in @ @ @ @ @ Democrat said in a statement she is “ following guidance from my doctor and am @ @ @ @ @ I am thankful to be feeling well , ” the statement said .
Moore said @ @ @ @ @ virus to affect her work and encouraged the continued wearing of masks , washing of @ @ @ @ @ distancing .
The statement did not say when she learned she had contracted the virus @ @ @ @ @ gotten it .
The Journal Sentinel reports Moore announced nearly two years ago that she @ @ @ @ @ , which she called “ a manageable cancer with proper surveillance and treatment.
” She @ @ @ @ @ been diagnosed in the spring of 2018 with small-cell lymphocytic lymphoma .
When the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ has a compromised immune system .
Moore has been in Congress since 2005 .

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore says she has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation.
The 69-year-old Milwaukee Democrat said in a statement she is “following guidance from my doctor and am isolating from others.”
“I am thankful to be feeling well,” the statement said.
Moore said she did not expect the virus to affect her work and encouraged the continued wearing of masks, washing of hands and practicing of social distancing.
The statement did not say when she learned she had contracted the virus or where she might have gotten it.
The Journal Sentinel reports Moore announced nearly two years ago that she had been diagnosed with cancer, which she called “a manageable cancer with proper surveillance and treatment.”
She said then that she had been diagnosed in the spring of 2018 with small-cell lymphocytic lymphoma.
When the pandemic began, Moore noted she has a compromised immune system.
Moore has been in Congress since 2005.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Trial in 'swatting' case delayed so suspect can pursue GED

WICHITA , Kan. ( AP ) - The trial for a Kansas gamer accused in a deadly “ swatting ” call in 2017 has been delayed by an additional year after the man failed to obtain his high school equivalency .
The Wichita Eagle reports that the defense attorney for Shane Gaskill joined prosecutors last week in asking U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren to extend Gaskill ’ s 18-month pre-trial diversion for another 12 months so he can complete a GED program .
A written motion from the attorneys said the extension “ is in the best interests of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to the request on Dec. 23 .
If Gaskill completes the terms of his deferred prosecution agreement , prosecutors can dismiss the criminal case .
Gaskill is charged with conspiracy , wire fraud and other counts in connection with a series of events on Dec. 28 , 2017 , that culminated in the fatal police shooting of an innocent 28-year-old man on the front porch of his family ’ s home in Wichita .
The death of Andrew Finch drew national attention to “ swatting , ” a form of retaliation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get authorities , particularly a SWAT team , to descend on an address .
Gaskill got into an online argument with Ohio gamer Casey Viner while they were playing the Call of Duty video game .
Authorities said Viner recruited Tyler R. Barriss to “ swat ” Gaskill , who was 19 at the time .
But the address they used was old , leading police to Finch , who was not involved in the dispute or playing the video game .
Barriss , a Los Angeles man with an online reputation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles to falsely report a shooting and kidnapping at that Wichita address .
Finch was shot by police when he opened the door to see what was happening outside .
Gaskill was charged as a co-conspirator after knowingly giving Barriss the same former address and taunting him to “ try something.
” Barriss is serving 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to 51 counts in April 2019 .
Viner received a 15-month prison sentence in September 2019 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice .

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The trial for a Kansas gamer accused in a deadly “swatting” call in 2017 has been delayed by an additional year after the man failed to obtain his high school equivalency.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the defense attorney for Shane Gaskill joined prosecutors last week in asking U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren to extend Gaskill’s 18-month pre-trial diversion for another 12 months so he can complete a GED program. A written motion from the attorneys said the extension “is in the best interests of the defendant and the United States.”
Melgren agreed to the request on Dec. 23. If Gaskill completes the terms of his deferred prosecution agreement, prosecutors can dismiss the criminal case.
Gaskill is charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and other counts in connection with a series of events on Dec. 28, 2017, that culminated in the fatal police shooting of an innocent 28-year-old man on the front porch of his family’s home in Wichita.
The death of Andrew Finch drew national attention to “swatting,” a form of retaliation in which someone reports a false emergency to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to descend on an address.
Gaskill got into an online argument with Ohio gamer Casey Viner while they were playing the Call of Duty video game. Authorities said Viner recruited Tyler R. Barriss to “swat” Gaskill, who was 19 at the time. But the address they used was old, leading police to Finch, who was not involved in the dispute or playing the video game.
Barriss, a Los Angeles man with an online reputation for “swatting,” called police from Los Angeles to falsely report a shooting and kidnapping at that Wichita address. Finch was shot by police when he opened the door to see what was happening outside.
Gaskill was charged as a co-conspirator after knowingly giving Barriss the same former address and taunting him to “try something.”
Barriss is serving 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to 51 counts in April 2019. Viner received a 15-month prison sentence in September 2019 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Nez Perce Tribe reclaims ancestral land in Eastern Oregon

JOSEPH , Ore. ( AP ) - The Nez Perce Tribe is reclaiming an ancestral village site in Eastern Oregon more than a century after being pushed out the area .
This month , the tribe purchased 148 acres of an area known as “ the place of boulders , ” or Am ’ sáaxpa , Oregon Public Broadcasting reported .
Chief Joseph once held council on the ridge above , before a sweeping view of the Wallowa Mountains .
Tribal members would camp there and catch sockeye salmon along the Wallowa River .
“ We feel fortunate to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to say that we are on our way home .
We feel the landscape misses us , and we miss the landscape , ” Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee Chairman Shannon Wheeler said .
The land was part of an 1855 treaty that granted the tribe millions of acres and the right to fish and hunt on lands ceded to the U.S. government .
But then the U.S. Army forced the Nez Perce to leave the area in 1877 , in violation of that treaty .
Nakia Williamson-Cloud , cultural resource program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said many history books are wrong in saying tribal members never returned to the area .
Those who returned were often harassed or cited for trespassing , Williamson-Cloud said .
“ It ’ s been a long struggle for our people to maintain that connection , but they did , ” he said .
The purchase consists of farmland located behind the Joseph Rodeo Grounds .
It includes Wallowa River frontage and some water rights .
The land has changed dramatically .
Now , there ’ s a dam blocking sockeye from swimming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tribe is hoping to reintroduce sockeye to the area and create fish passage into the lake .

JOSEPH, Ore. (AP) - The Nez Perce Tribe is reclaiming an ancestral village site in Eastern Oregon more than a century after being pushed out the area.
This month, the tribe purchased 148 acres of an area known as “the place of boulders,” or Am’sáaxpa, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
Chief Joseph once held council on the ridge above, before a sweeping view of the Wallowa Mountains. Tribal members would camp there and catch sockeye salmon along the Wallowa River.
“We feel fortunate to be at this juncture in time to be able to say that we are on our way home. We feel the landscape misses us, and we miss the landscape,” Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee Chairman Shannon Wheeler said.
The land was part of an 1855 treaty that granted the tribe millions of acres and the right to fish and hunt on lands ceded to the U.S. government. But then the U.S. Army forced the Nez Perce to leave the area in 1877, in violation of that treaty.
Nakia Williamson-Cloud, cultural resource program director for the Nez Perce Tribe, said many history books are wrong in saying tribal members never returned to the area. Those who returned were often harassed or cited for trespassing, Williamson-Cloud said.
“It’s been a long struggle for our people to maintain that connection, but they did,” he said.
The purchase consists of farmland located behind the Joseph Rodeo Grounds. It includes Wallowa River frontage and some water rights.
The land has changed dramatically. Now, there’s a dam blocking sockeye from swimming up to Wallowa Lake. Williamson-Cloud said the tribe is hoping to reintroduce sockeye to the area and create fish passage into the lake.


Recent Kansas editorials

As soon-to-depart President Trump flails about attempting something - anything - to change the election results from November , we should note a pillar of democracy that has stood strong .
Judges and Supreme Court justices on both the state and federal levels have given precious little oxygen to the president ’ s nonsensical claims of election malfeasance .
They have weighed evidence , considered legal arguments and , in case after case , shut down the president .
That ’ s far from a partisan verdict , by the way .
Many of these judges were appointed by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t seem to understand is that even judges of a conservative bent swear an oath to the U.S. Constitution - not the person in office .
These decisions should give us hope this holiday season .
They show our country ’ s institutions can withstand a would-be strongman .
The guardrails appear to have held , for now .
That “ for now ” is the long-term challenge we face .
If the race had been less close - if President-Elect Joe Biden hadn ’ t collected some 7 million more votes than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hadn ’ t been 306-232 - we might be looking at a different situation today .
Imagine the contest was down to a few hundred votes in one state , like it was in Florida 20 years ago .
Are we so confident that the guardrails would hold then ?
For that matter , imagine a president who was less erratic and more strategic ( or who hired competent lawyers ) .
Imagine a president who didn ’ t go off-script and alienate millions of people at a whim .
If such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tactics to overturn the election , would they be rejected in the same way ?
We must , in other words , take this election season as a warning .
The judicial system stepped up , and for that it has our thanks .
But we must be vigilant .
Our government is of the people , for the people , and by the people .
That means we bear responsibility for those we elect as leaders , and for pushing them and our government to do the right things .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people when he ran in 2016 , enough to secure an electoral ( but not popular ) vote win .
He didn ’ t this year .
The next time such a candidate appears on the public stage , we should all be more skeptical .
All of us must step up to join the judiciary as a pillar of democracy .
The next school year will be a lot closer to normal .
At least that ’ s what it ’ s beginning to look like .
The federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an additional 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine , bringing the total now to 200 million .
That will vaccinate 100 million people , since the drug requires two doses to work .
The government is forking over $ 4 billion in the deal for both allotments , with the goal of providing a free vaccination to all Americans who want one .
The government also has an option on another 400 million doses .
There ’ s also a vaccine by Moderna , a second drug company , that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was developed in closer cooperation with scientists from the National Institutes of Health .
Moderna ’ s vaccine , which also requires two doses , comes under the umbrella of the government ’ s effort , called Operation Warp Speed .
That public-private endeavor was designed to have millions of vaccine doses ready and available to ship once a shot received FDA approval .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement that the latest deal can give people confidence “ that we will have enough supply to vaccinate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021.
” That ’ s just in time to allow us to think about a more normal fall , one where kids can go to school .
Students can return to college campuses like the one in our town .
Health care workers and the elderly are the top priority , and those shots are already being administered .
Once that population is protected , the need for behavior restriction will be substantially eased .
And then once the vaccine gets broadly administered to the general public , most everything ought to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to operate more normally .
Football games won ’ t be a health risk .
People can look forward to Halloween parties without feeling ashamed .
Homecoming dance ?
Sure , why not ?
Thanksgiving could see extended families gather around a table .
Christmas ?
New Year ’ s parties ?
Yes .
Scientists supported to the hilt by government coordination and taxpayer funding are giving us a chance to get back to all that .
At least that ’ s the way it looks right now .
“ With a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting back tears at his council seat Tuesday morning , Wichita City Council member James Clendenin announced his plan to resign at the end of this year .
Kudos , at last , to the council member for acknowledging that he has “ become a distraction from the critically important work ” of the council , the city , and most importantly , the residents who elected him .
Now it ’ s time for a northeast-Kansas Democrat to follow suit , for the good of his constituents and the state .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for the resignation of Rep.-elect Aaron Coleman , a 20-year-old Democrat from Wyandotte County .
Coleman , an admitted abuser who once threatened to shoot a high school student and tweeted that he would “ call a hit out ” on Kansas Gov .
Laura Kelly , needs to join the resignation train - and soon .
It ’ s remarkable and regrettable that the community college student won a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives - and international notoriety - after admitting to circulating revenge porn and harassing girls online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a lesson from Clendenin and former Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O ’ Donnell , scandalized elected officials who cut their losses and stepped aside .
Until this week , Clendenin , who was caught on tape plotting to frame a colleague for a false-ad campaign , had ignored a growing list of allegations against him and staunchly defied repeated calls for his resignation .
Tuesday ’ s action shows that sometimes , thank goodness , honor and responsibility triumph over pride and pretense .
“ This is neither the time nor the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of allegations being made against me , ” Clendenin said .
That will - and should - still happen , because taxpayers deserve answers .
If Clendenin and his buddy Capps submitted false information to secure federal CARES Act money , as an Eagle investigation found , both should pay it back and face legal consequences .
But for now , at least Clendenin has pledged to step aside .
“ There are too many families , businesses and schools that are suffering , ” he said , “ and entirely too many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that need our city ’ s attention and laser focus.
” Indeed , there ’ s much work to be done .
Good for the long-serving Wichita City Council member for admitting , finally , that it would be “ selfish and unproductive ” to retain his elected office and taxpayer-funded salary .
The newbie Kansas lawmaker should do the same .

The Topeka Capital-Journal, Dec. 26
As soon-to-depart President Trump flails about attempting something - anything - to change the election results from November, we should note a pillar of democracy that has stood strong.
Our judicial system.
Judges and Supreme Court justices on both the state and federal levels have given precious little oxygen to the president’s nonsensical claims of election malfeasance. They have weighed evidence, considered legal arguments and, in case after case, shut down the president.
That’s far from a partisan verdict, by the way. Many of these judges were appointed by Trump himself. What the president doesn’t seem to understand is that even judges of a conservative bent swear an oath to the U.S. Constitution - not the person in office.
These decisions should give us hope this holiday season. They show our country’s institutions can withstand a would-be strongman. The guardrails appear to have held, for now.
That “for now” is the long-term challenge we face. If the race had been less close - if President-Elect Joe Biden hadn’t collected some 7 million more votes than Trump, if the electoral college margin hadn’t been 306-232 - we might be looking at a different situation today. Imagine the contest was down to a few hundred votes in one state, like it was in Florida 20 years ago.
Are we so confident that the guardrails would hold then?
For that matter, imagine a president who was less erratic and more strategic (or who hired competent lawyers). Imagine a president who didn’t go off-script and alienate millions of people at a whim. If such a man or woman tried some of Trump’s tactics to overturn the election, would they be rejected in the same way?
We must, in other words, take this election season as a warning. The judicial system stepped up, and for that it has our thanks. But we must be vigilant. Our government is of the people, for the people, and by the people. That means we bear responsibility for those we elect as leaders, and for pushing them and our government to do the right things.
Trump drew in a good percentage of the American people when he ran in 2016, enough to secure an electoral (but not popular) vote win. He didn’t this year. The next time such a candidate appears on the public stage, we should all be more skeptical.
All of us must step up to join the judiciary as a pillar of democracy.
—-
The Manhattan Mercury, Dec. 23
The next school year will be a lot closer to normal. At least that’s what it’s beginning to look like.
The federal government has cut a deal with drugmaker Pfizer for an additional 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine, bringing the total now to 200 million. That will vaccinate 100 million people, since the drug requires two doses to work.
The government is forking over $4 billion in the deal for both allotments, with the goal of providing a free vaccination to all Americans who want one. The government also has an option on another 400 million doses.
There’s also a vaccine by Moderna, a second drug company, that has been approved and is being distributed. It was developed in closer cooperation with scientists from the National Institutes of Health. Moderna’s vaccine, which also requires two doses, comes under the umbrella of the government’s effort, called Operation Warp Speed. That public-private endeavor was designed to have millions of vaccine doses ready and available to ship once a shot received FDA approval.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement that the latest deal can give people confidence “that we will have enough supply to vaccinate every American who wants it by June 2021.”
That’s just in time to allow us to think about a more normal fall, one where kids can go to school. Students can return to college campuses like the one in our town.
Health care workers and the elderly are the top priority, and those shots are already being administered. Once that population is protected, the need for behavior restriction will be substantially eased. And then once the vaccine gets broadly administered to the general public, most everything ought to be able to change. Schools should be able to operate more normally. Football games won’t be a health risk. People can look forward to Halloween parties without feeling ashamed. Homecoming dance? Sure, why not? Thanksgiving could see extended families gather around a table. Christmas? New Year’s parties?
Yes. Scientists supported to the hilt by government coordination and taxpayer funding are giving us a chance to get back to all that. At least that’s the way it looks right now.
—-
The Wichita Eagle, Dec. 22
“With a heavy heart and deep disappointment” and fighting back tears at his council seat Tuesday morning, Wichita City Council member James Clendenin announced his plan to resign at the end of this year.
Kudos, at last, to the council member for acknowledging that he has “become a distraction from the critically important work” of the council, the city, and most importantly, the residents who elected him.
Now it’s time for a northeast-Kansas Democrat to follow suit, for the good of his constituents and the state.
A group of Kansas House Democrats rightfully has called for the resignation of Rep.-elect Aaron Coleman, a 20-year-old Democrat from Wyandotte County.
Coleman, an admitted abuser who once threatened to shoot a high school student and tweeted that he would “call a hit out” on Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, needs to join the resignation train - and soon.
It’s remarkable and regrettable that the community college student won a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives - and international notoriety - after admitting to circulating revenge porn and harassing girls online.
He’d be wise to take a lesson from Clendenin and former Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell, scandalized elected officials who cut their losses and stepped aside.
(It bears repeating that state Rep. Michael Capps doesn’t deserve to hold public office either. And though he has stubbornly refused to step down, voters didn’t give him an option.)
Until this week, Clendenin, who was caught on tape plotting to frame a colleague for a false-ad campaign, had ignored a growing list of allegations against him and staunchly defied repeated calls for his resignation.
Tuesday’s action shows that sometimes, thank goodness, honor and responsibility triumph over pride and pretense.
“This is neither the time nor the place for discussing or debating the specifics of allegations being made against me,” Clendenin said.
That will - and should - still happen, because taxpayers deserve answers. If Clendenin and his buddy Capps submitted false information to secure federal CARES Act money, as an Eagle investigation found, both should pay it back and face legal consequences.
But for now, at least Clendenin has pledged to step aside.
“There are too many families, businesses and schools that are suffering,” he said, “and entirely too many of our residents living on the edge that need our city’s attention and laser focus.”
Indeed, there’s much work to be done.
Good for the long-serving Wichita City Council member for admitting, finally, that it would be “selfish and unproductive” to retain his elected office and taxpayer-funded salary.
The newbie Kansas lawmaker should do the same.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--US home prices rise at fastest pace in more than 6 years

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - U.S. home prices jumped in October by the most in more than six years as a pandemic-fueled buying rush drives the number of available properties for sale to record lows .
That combination of strong demand and limited supply pushed home prices up 7.9 % in October compared with 12 months ago , according to Tuesday ’ s S & P ; CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index .
That ’ s the largest annual increase since June 2014 .
The coronavirus outbreak has forced millions of Americans to work from home and it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , going to movies or visiting gyms .
That ’ s leading more people to seek out homes with more room for a home office , a bigger kitchen , or space to work out .
“ The data from the last several months are consistent with the view that COVID has encouraged potential buyers to move from urban apartments to suburban homes , ” said Craig Lazzara , Managing Director at S & P ; Dow Jones Indices .
All 19 cities reported larger year-over-year price gains in October than in September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t able to fully report its home sales data because of delays related to a coronavirus lockdown .
The biggest price gain was in Phoenix for the 17th straight month , where home prices rose 12.7 % from a year ago .
It was followed by Seattle with 11.7 % and San Diego at 11.6 % .
Home sales slipped in November , according to the National Association of Realtors , after rising steadily for the previous five months .
Even after the decline , sales were nearly 26 % higher last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also been boosted by low mortgage rates , which reflect the Federal Reserve ’ s moves to keep its benchmark short-term rate at nearly zero .
The number of homes for sale fell to 1.28 million in November , the Realtors said , enough to last just 2.3 months at the current pace of sales .
Both figures are record lows .

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. home prices jumped in October by the most in more than six years as a pandemic-fueled buying rush drives the number of available properties for sale to record lows.
That combination of strong demand and limited supply pushed home prices up 7.9% in October compared with 12 months ago, according to Tuesday’s S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index. That’s the largest annual increase since June 2014.
The coronavirus outbreak has forced millions of Americans to work from home and it’s curtailed other activities like eating out, going to movies or visiting gyms. That’s leading more people to seek out homes with more room for a home office, a bigger kitchen, or space to work out.
“The data from the last several months are consistent with the view that COVID has encouraged potential buyers to move from urban apartments to suburban homes,” said Craig Lazzara, Managing Director at S&P Dow Jones Indices.
All 19 cities reported larger year-over-year price gains in October than in September, Lazzara said. Detroit wasn’t able to fully report its home sales data because of delays related to a coronavirus lockdown.
The biggest price gain was in Phoenix for the 17th straight month, where home prices rose 12.7% from a year ago. It was followed by Seattle with 11.7% and San Diego at 11.6%.
Home sales slipped in November, according to the National Association of Realtors, after rising steadily for the previous five months. Even after the decline, sales were nearly 26% higher last month compared with a year ago. Sales have also been boosted by low mortgage rates, which reflect the Federal Reserve’s moves to keep its benchmark short-term rate at nearly zero.
The number of homes for sale fell to 1.28 million in November, the Realtors said, enough to last just 2.3 months at the current pace of sales. Both figures are record lows.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--State's number of coronavirus hospitalizations spikes again

DOVER , Del .
( AP ) - The number of people who are hospitalized in Delaware with the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ its third-highest total .
The Delaware State News reported Monday that the spike followed days @ @ @ @ @ .
Health officials in Delaware said that hospitalizations rose by 25 compared to the day @ @ @ @ @ of hospitalizations was at 428 as of Sunday of Sunday evening .
The Delaware Division @ @ @ @ @ 60 of the hospitalizations were considered critical .
Health officials also announced one new COVID-19-related @ @ @ @ @ report .
The state ’ s death toll is now 898 .
The most recent @ @ @ @ @ Castle County resident .
The person had underlying health conditions and was a resident of @ @ @ @ @ The state ’ s total number of positive coronavirus cases is now 55,488 .

DOVER, Del. (AP) - The number of people who are hospitalized in Delaware with the coronavirus has bounced back up to its third-highest total.
The Delaware State News reported Monday that the spike followed days of continued decreases of hospitalizations.
Health officials in Delaware said that hospitalizations rose by 25 compared to the day prior. The total number of hospitalizations was at 428 as of Sunday of Sunday evening. The Delaware Division of Public Health said that 60 of the hospitalizations were considered critical.
Health officials also announced one new COVID-19-related death in Monday’s report. The state’s death toll is now 898.
The most recent death was a 72-year-old New Castle County resident. The person had underlying health conditions and was a resident of a long-term care facility.
The state’s total number of positive coronavirus cases is now 55,488.
est result.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Police: Man was traveling 132 mph on interstate

WARNER , N.H. ( AP ) - A man arrested on drunken driving and reckless operation charges was recorded traveling @ @ @ @ @ Interstate 89 , more than double the speed limit , New Hampshire State Police said @ @ @ @ @ stop the vehicle at about 10:30 p.m. Monday in Warner .
The speed limit was @ @ @ @ @ The driver , Randher Alcantara-Bautista , 21 , of the Bronx , New York , @ @ @ @ @ drugs and possessing a false government identification .
He was awaiting arraignment .
It wasn @ @ @ @ @ he had a lawyer , and a phone number couldn ’ t be found for @ @

WARNER, N.H. (AP) - A man arrested on drunken driving and reckless operation charges was recorded traveling 132 miles an hour on Interstate 89, more than double the speed limit, New Hampshire State Police said.
Police were able to stop the vehicle at about 10:30 p.m. Monday in Warner. The speed limit was 65 miles an hour.
The driver, Randher Alcantara-Bautista, 21, of the Bronx, New York, was also charged with transporting drugs and possessing a false government identification. He was awaiting arraignment. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer, and a phone number couldn’t be found for him.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Vermont  prison on lockdown after 2 staff COVID-19 positives

ST. ALBANS , Vt. ( AP ) - A Vermont prison is on full lockdown after two staff members tested @ @ @ @ @ causes COVID-19 , the Department of Corrections said Tuesday .
One of the staff members @ @ @ @ @ Facility in St. Albans was last in the facility on Dec. 23 .
The other @ @ @ @ @ the facility during the infectious period , the department said in a news release .
@ @ @ @ @ , officials said .
Inmates at the prison were last tested for the coronavirus on @ @ @ @ @ were negative .
Testing of all staff and inmates is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ Vermont corrections staff members have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began .
@ @ @ @ @ held in Vermont prisons and 224 held out of state have tested positive during the @ @ @ @ @

The number of new cases of people infected with the coronavirus continues to drop, but officials are waiting to see if the holidays will cause a spike in cases, officials said Tuesday.
Vermonters generally stayed home during Thanksgiving, and travel data shows that with the New Year’s holiday still to come, travel is down significantly over last year.
In counties from Ohio to Virginia to Maine, eight of the 10 with the lowest rates of active infection per 1 million people are in Vermont.
“We are holding our breath a bit,” Gov. Phil Scott said during his twice-weekly virus briefing.
The relatively good news about the virus comes as Vermont health officials continues to vaccinate those at highest risk - health care workers - and those considered at the highest risk of death from COVID-19, the usually frail, elderly people living in long-term care facilities.
So far, just under 10,000 people have received the first dose of the vaccine.
Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said that by Jan. 8 the first dose of the vaccine should have been provided to those in the highest priority groups.
State officials are now planning who should receive the vaccine in the second priority group and then expanding the vaccination campaign into the general population.
Smith said that in general, there will be four locations where Vermonters will be able to be vaccinated, primary care offices, pharmacies and 12 health department district vaccination sites. Mass vaccination sites will also be set up in conjunction with the state’s COVID-19 testing sites, Smith said.
“It’s the easiest way to administer vaccines and it’s easiest for the public to understand,” Smith said.
Who gets the vaccine will be based on age and underlying health conditions, Smith said.
The process will begin focusing on people who are 75 and older and then expanding to younger people, Smith said.
___
PRISON LOCKDOWN
A Vermont prison is on full lockdown after two staff members tested positive, the Department of Corrections said Tuesday.
One of the staff members at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans was last in the facility on Dec. 23. The other staff member was not in the facility during the infectious period, the department said in a news release.
Contract tracing has been completed, officials said.
Inmates at the prison were last tested for the coronavirus on Dec. 21, and all results were negative. Testing of all staff and inmates is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
A total of 32 Vermont corrections staff members have tested positive since the pandemic began. A total of 137 inmates held in Vermont prisons and 224 held out of state have tested positive during the course of the pandemic.
___
NUMBERS
On Tuesday, the Vermont Health Department reported 82 new cases of the virus, bringing the statewide total since the pandemic began to more than 7,200.
There are currently 31 people hospitalized, including six in intensive care.
The state reported one more death, bringing the statewide fatality total to 130.
Of those fatalities 70% have been among residents of long-term care facilities.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Vermont did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 111 on Dec. 14 to 83.71 on Dec. 28.
The latest average positivity rate in Vermont is 2.06%. State health departments are calculating positivity rate differently across the country, but for Vermont the AP calculates the rate by dividing new cases by test specimens using data from The COVID Tracking Project.
The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Vermont did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 2.17% on Dec. 14 to 2.06% on Dec. 28.


washingtontimes--2020-12-29--Black photographer files complaint after police question him

ARLINGTON , Va. ( AP ) - A Black real estate photographer who was hired to take pictures of a home in Virginia has filed a complaint with police after officers questioned him and demanded his identification .
The Washington Post reported Monday that the incident occurred last week in the northern Virginia city of Arlington .
The photographer is Marlon Crutchfield .
He is a former U.S. Capitol Police officer , Army veteran and licensed real estate agent .
Crutchfield was sitting in his car and waiting for his appointment in a neighborhood that ’ s near the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Crutchfield said a white man asked what he was doing and alerted base security .
He said Arlington police officers asked for his identification .
“ That ’ s when I really got upset , ” Crutchfield said .
“ If you take someone ’ s ID , that ’ s in lieu of detaining them.
” He was not arrested .
Arlington police said that they responded a report of a suspicious person who was taking photos of a base entrance .
The police issued a statement that said they “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inclusive community willingly and without reservation.
” Crutchfield said he never left his car or took any photos from his car .
Julius D. Spain Sr. of the Arlington NAACP said he would seek a meeting with Arlington Commonwealth ’ s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti .

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - A Black real estate photographer who was hired to take pictures of a home in Virginia has filed a complaint with police after officers questioned him and demanded his identification.
The Washington Post reported Monday that the incident occurred last week in the northern Virginia city of Arlington.
The photographer is Marlon Crutchfield. He is a former U.S. Capitol Police officer, Army veteran and licensed real estate agent.
Crutchfield was sitting in his car and waiting for his appointment in a neighborhood that’s near the U.S. Army’s Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.
Crutchfield said a white man asked what he was doing and alerted base security. He said Arlington police officers asked for his identification.
“That’s when I really got upset,” Crutchfield said. “If you take someone’s ID, that’s in lieu of detaining them.”
He was not arrested. Arlington police said that they responded a report of a suspicious person who was taking photos of a base entrance. The police issued a statement that said they “take our responsibility to protect our diverse and inclusive community willingly and without reservation.”
Crutchfield said he never left his car or took any photos from his car.
Julius D. Spain Sr. of the Arlington NAACP said he would seek a meeting with Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti.