washingtontimes--2020-08-24--Rock fall at Grand Canyon reveals ancient animal footprints

FLAGSTAFF , Ariz. ( AP ) - It ’ s something like a modern-day chuckwalla , side-stepping sand dunes on an island in what now is Grand Canyon National Park .
That ’ s how Steve Rowland , a professor emeritus of geology at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas , interprets fossil footprints that were revealed in a rock fall near a popular Grand Canyon hiking trail .
He estimates they ’ re 313 million years old , give or take a half-million years .
At that age , they ’ d be among the oldest tracks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earliest evidence of vertebrate animals strolling in sand dunes , he wrote a research paper published this month .
“ I think my interpretations will hold up very well , ” Rowland said Monday .
Not everyone is convinced the footprints were created by a single , four-legged animal , moving laterally one step at a time so that it always had a triangle of support .
( Dogs or camels have the same gait in slow motion ) .
Or , that the footprints mark the point in evolution where animals were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals are called amniotes .
Still , the paper raises interesting questions , said Mark Nebel , the paleontology program manager at the Grand Canyon .
“ Some of the conclusions likely are going to be controversial , ” he said .
” There ’ s a lot of disagreement in the scientific community about interpreting tracks , interpreting the age of rocks , especially interpreting what kind of animal made these tracks.
” Rowland first heard about the footprints from a Norwegian geology professor , Allan Krill , who was hiking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students and sent Rowland a photo .
Rowland made out claw marks common among reptiles in the 28 footprints , which he said help tease out scarce skeletal record .
Some of the earliest bones of amniotes were found in Nova Scotia around the same time the creatures would have been in what ’ s now northern Arizona , Rowland said .
Similar tracks elsewhere largely are found in coal beds , not sand dunes , he said .
“ You could always learn more , and we certainly would like to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
The rock fell from the Manakacha Formation , made up of sandstone , limestone and mudstone that points to it being a onetime coastal plain when Arizona was on the western edge of the super continent , Pangaea .
Dinosaurs weren ’ t around yet .
Officials at the Grand Canyon are trying to determine what to do with the rock that weighs hundreds of pounds and is in plain view along the Bright Angel Trail .
Another part of the rock also has footprints but wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talked about creating a trail-side display or flying the rock out and into a museum , which would be costlier , Nebel said .
“ A lot of people walk by it and never see it , ” he said .
“ Scientists , we have trained eyes .
Now that they know something ’ s there , it will draw more interest .
”

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - It’s something like a modern-day chuckwalla, strolling in sand dunes on an island in what now is the Grand Canyon region.
That’s how Steve Rowland, professor emeritus of geology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and his fellow researchers interpret fossil footprints that were revealed in a rock fall near a popular Grand Canyon hiking trail. They estimate the tracks are 313 million years old, give or take a half-million years.
At that age, they’d be among the oldest tracks of animals that lay eggs with a protective hard or leathery shell and the earliest evidence of vertebrate animals walking distinctively in sand dunes, Rowland, Mario Caputo and Zachary Jensen wrote in a research paper published this month.
“I think our interpretations will hold up very well,” Rowland said Monday.
Not everyone is convinced the footprints were created by a single, four-legged animal that has a lateral-sequence walk, where the legs on one side of the body move in succession, followed by the legs on the other side. Or, that the footprints mark the point in evolution where animals were able to lay eggs with protective shells outside water.
Still, the paper raises interesting questions, said Mark Nebel, the paleontology program manager at the Grand Canyon.
“Some of the conclusions likely are going to be controversial,” he said. ”There’s a lot of disagreement in the scientific community about interpreting tracks, interpreting the age of rocks, especially interpreting what kind of animal made these tracks.”
Rowland first heard about the footprints from a Norwegian geology professor, Allan Krill, who was hiking at the Grand Canyon in 2016 with his students and sent Rowland a photo.
Rowland made out claw marks common among reptiles in the 28 footprints, which he said help tease out the scarce skeletal record. Some of the earliest bones of similar animals that lay eggs outside the water were found in Nova Scotia around the same time the creatures would have been in what’s now northern Arizona, Rowland said.
Similar tracks elsewhere largely are found in coal beds, not sand dunes, he said.
“You could always learn more, and we certainly would like to find more tracks of those same animals,” he said.
The rock fell from the Manakacha Formation, made up of sandstone, limestone and mudstone that points to it being a onetime coastal plain when Arizona was near the western edge of the super continent, Pangaea. Dinosaurs weren’t around yet.
Officials at the Grand Canyon are trying to determine what to do with the rock. It weighs hundreds of pounds and is in plain view along the Bright Angel Trail. Another part of the rock also has footprints but wasn’t studied extensively.
The Grand Canyon has talked about creating a trail-side display or flying the rock out and into a museum, which would be costlier, Nebel said.
“A lot of people walk by it and never see it,” he said. “Scientists, we have trained eyes. Now that they know something’s there, it will draw more interest.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Motorcyclist dies after collision with semitrailer in Omaha

OMAHA , Neb .
( AP ) - A motorcyclist has died after colliding with a semitrailer that had run @ @ @ @ @ Omaha , according to police .
The crash happened around 10:30 a.m. Monday when a @ @ @ @ @ ran a red light at Industrial Road , police said .
A westbound motorcycle then @ @ @ @ @ trailer , investigators said .
The motorcyclist , later identified as Bryan Wright , 24 @ @ @ @ @ rushed to a hospital , where he died a short time later , police said @ @ @ @ @ semi - George Sansing , 44 , of Belden , Mississippi - was arrested on @ @ @ @ @ homicide , police said .

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A motorcyclist has died after colliding with a semitrailer that had run a red light in southwest Omaha, according to police.
The crash happened around 10:30 a.m. Monday when a semi northbound on 132nd Street ran a red light at Industrial Road, police said. A westbound motorcycle then hit the side of the trailer, investigators said.
The motorcyclist, later identified as Bryan Wright, 24, of Omaha, was rushed to a hospital, where he died a short time later, police said. The driver of the semi - George Sansing, 44, of Belden, Mississippi - was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide, police said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Father says Black Wisconsin man shot by police is paralyzed

KENOSHA , Wis. ( AP ) — The father of Jacob Blake , a Black man who was shot by police in Kenosha , Wisconsin , says his son was left paralyzed from the waist down .
Blake ’ s father told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was told his son was shot eight times during the Sunday evening confrontation with police , which was captured on cellphone video and led to two nights of unrest in the city between Milwaukee and Chicago .
The father , who is also named Jacob Blake and who was driving from Charlotte , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his son , told the newspaper that he learned Sunday night that officers had shot his son eight times and that he saw the now-viral video of it online a few minutes later that appears to show police shoot his son in the back .
He said his son now has “ eight holes ” in his body and is paralyzed from the waist down , though doctors don ’ t know if the paralysis will be permanent .
Anger over the shooting spilled into the streets of Kenosha for a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tear gas at hundreds of protesters who defied a curfew , threw bottles and shot fireworks at law enforcement guarding the courthouse .
The southeastern Wisconsin city became the nation ’ s latest flashpoint in a summer of racial unrest after cellphone footage of police shooting Blake as he leaned into his SUV - apparently while three of his children were sitting in the vehicle - circulated widely on social media .
The 29-year-old was hospitalized in serious condition .
The shooting drew condemnation from Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers , who also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard on Monday after protesters set cars on fire , smashed windows and clashed with officers in riot gear the previous night .
Police first fired tear gas Monday about 30 minutes after the 8 p.m. curfew took effect to disperse protesters who chanted , “ No justice , no peace ” as they confronted a line of officers who wore protective gear and stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the courthouse entrance .
But hundreds of people stuck around , screaming at police and lighting fires , including to a garbage truck near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier Monday after a news conference with Kenosha Mayor John Antarmian , originally to be held in a park , was moved inside the city ’ s public safety building .
Hundreds of protesters rushed to the building and a door was snapped off its hinges before police in riot gear pepper-sprayed the crowd , which included a photographer from The Associated Press .
Police in the former auto manufacturing center of 100,000 people midway between Milwaukee and Chicago said they were responding to a call about a domestic dispute when they encountered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say whether Blake was armed or why police opened fire , they released no details on the dispute , and they did not immediately disclose the race of the three officers at the scene .
The man who said he made the cellphone video , 22-year-old Raysean White , said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell , “ Drop the knife !
Drop the knife !
” before the gunfire erupted .
He said he didn ’ t see a knife in Blake ’ s hands .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suggest Blake had a knife or other weapon , but that the case is still being investigated by the state Justice Department .
The officers were placed on administrative leave , which is standard practice in a shooting by police .
Authorities released no details about the officers and did not immediately respond to requests for their service records .
Evers was quick to condemn the bloodshed , saying that while not all details were known , “ what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.
” Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said the officers “ must be held accountable.
” “ This morning , the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force , ” he said , just over two months before Election Day in a country already roiled by the recent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis , Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta and Breonna Taylor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pierce the soul of our nation.
” Republicans and the police union accused the politicians of rushing to judgment , reflecting the deep partisan divide in Wisconsin , a key presidential battleground state .
Wisconsin GOP members also decried the violent protests , echoing the law-and-order theme that President Donald Trump has been using in his reelection campaign .
“ As always , the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident , ” Pete Deates , president of the Kenosha police union , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s statement “ wholly irresponsible.
” The shooting happened around 5 p.m. Sunday and was captured from across the street on the video posted online .
Kenosha police do not have body cameras but do have body microphones .
In the footage , Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shout at him .
As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV , an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots can be heard , though it isn ’ t clear how many struck Blake or how many officers fired .
White , who said he made the video , said that before the gunfire , he looked out his window and saw six or seven women shouting at each other on the sidewalk .
A few moments later , Blake drove up in his SUV and told his son , who was standing nearby , to get in the vehicle , according to White .
White said Blake did not say anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the window for a few minutes , and when he came back , saw three officers wrestling with Blake .
One punched Blake in the ribs , and another used a stun gun on him , White said .
He said Blake got free and started walking away as officers yelled about a knife .
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump , representing Blake ’ s family , said Blake was “ simply trying to do the right thing by intervening in a domestic incident.
” Police did not immediately confirm either man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner , Laquisha Booker , told NBC ’ s Milwaukee affiliate , WTMJ-TV , that the couple ’ s three children were in the back seat of the SUV when police shot him .
“ That man just literally grabbed him by his shirt and looked the other way and was just shooting him .
With the kids in the back screaming .
Screaming , ” Booker said .
Blake ’ s father told the Sun-Times that his son also has three other kids .
Blake ’ s grandfather , Jacob Blake Sr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights leader in the Chicago area who helped organize a march and spoke in support of a comprehensive housing law in Evanston , Illinois , days after the 1968 slaying of the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. Rachel Noerdlinger , publicist for the National Action Network , told The Associated Press that the Rev .
Al Sharpton spoke Monday to Blake ’ s father , who called the civil rights leader for his support .
Blake ’ s father will speak at Sharpton ’ s March on Washington commemoration on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field director of Movement for Black Lives , a coalition of more than 150 Black-led organizations that make up the broader Black Lives Matter movement , said the shooting was yet another example of why activists have called for defunding police departments .
“ There ’ s no amount of training or reform that can teach a police officer that it ’ s wrong to shoot a Black man in the back seven times while his children watch , ” Lewis said in a statement first shared with the AP .
Online court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 6 with sexual assault , trespassing and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse .
An arrest warrant was issued the following day .
The records contain no further details and do not list an attorney for Blake .
It was unclear whether that case had anything to do with the shooting .
Crump , who has also represented the Floyd and Taylor families , said Blake ’ s family has asked that demonstrations in response to his shooting remain peaceful .
“ They don ’ t believe violence to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For more than 100 years , Kenosha was an auto manufacturing center , but it has now largely been transformed into a bedroom community for Milwaukee and Chicago .
The city is about 67 % white , 11.5 % Black and 17.6 % Hispanic , according to 2019 Census data .
Both the mayor and police chief are white .
About 17 % of the population lives in poverty .
Webber reported from Fenton , Michigan .
Associated Press reporters Scott Bauer and Todd Richmond in Madison , Wisconsin , Jeff Baenen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City and Mike Householder in Kenosha contributed .

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — The father of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, says his son was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Blake’s father told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was told his son was shot eight times during the Sunday evening confrontation with police, which was captured on cellphone video and led to two nights of unrest in the city between Milwaukee and Chicago.
The father, who is also named Jacob Blake and who was driving from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Kenosha to be with his son, told the newspaper that he learned Sunday night that officers had shot his son eight times and that he saw the now-viral video of it online a few minutes later that appears to show police shoot his son in the back.
He said his son now has “eight holes” in his body and is paralyzed from the waist down, though doctors don’t know if the paralysis will be permanent.
Anger over the shooting spilled into the streets of Kenosha for a second night Monday, with police again firing tear gas at hundreds of protesters who defied a curfew, threw bottles and shot fireworks at law enforcement guarding the courthouse.
The southeastern Wisconsin city became the nation’s latest flashpoint in a summer of racial unrest after cellphone footage of police shooting Blake as he leaned into his SUV - apparently while three of his children were sitting in the vehicle - circulated widely on social media. The 29-year-old was hospitalized in serious condition.
The shooting drew condemnation from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who also called out 125 members of the National Guard on Monday after protesters set cars on fire, smashed windows and clashed with officers in riot gear the previous night.
Police first fired tear gas Monday about 30 minutes after the 8 p.m. curfew took effect to disperse protesters who chanted, “No justice, no peace” as they confronted a line of officers who wore protective gear and stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the courthouse entrance. But hundreds of people stuck around, screaming at police and lighting fires, including to a garbage truck near the courthouse.
Tensions had flared anew earlier Monday after a news conference with Kenosha Mayor John Antarmian, originally to be held in a park, was moved inside the city’s public safety building. Hundreds of protesters rushed to the building and a door was snapped off its hinges before police in riot gear pepper-sprayed the crowd, which included a photographer from The Associated Press.
Police in the former auto manufacturing center of 100,000 people midway between Milwaukee and Chicago said they were responding to a call about a domestic dispute when they encountered Blake on Sunday. They did not say whether Blake was armed or why police opened fire, they released no details on the dispute, and they did not immediately disclose the race of the three officers at the scene.
The man who said he made the cellphone video, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” before the gunfire erupted. He said he didn’t see a knife in Blake’s hands.
The governor said he had seen no information to suggest Blake had a knife or other weapon, but that the case is still being investigated by the state Justice Department.
The officers were placed on administrative leave, which is standard practice in a shooting by police. Authorities released no details about the officers and did not immediately respond to requests for their service records.
Evers was quick to condemn the bloodshed, saying that while not all details were known, “what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country.”
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said the officers “must be held accountable.”
“This morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force,” he said, just over two months before Election Day in a country already roiled by the recent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. “Those shots pierce the soul of our nation.”
Republicans and the police union accused the politicians of rushing to judgment, reflecting the deep partisan divide in Wisconsin, a key presidential battleground state. Wisconsin GOP members also decried the violent protests, echoing the law-and-order theme that President Donald Trump has been using in his reelection campaign.
“As always, the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident,” Pete Deates, president of the Kenosha police union, said in a statement. He called the governor’s statement “wholly irresponsible.”
The shooting happened around 5 p.m. Sunday and was captured from across the street on the video posted online. Kenosha police do not have body cameras but do have body microphones.
In the footage, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shout at him. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while Blake has his back turned. Seven shots can be heard, though it isn’t clear how many struck Blake or how many officers fired.
White, who said he made the video, said that before the gunfire, he looked out his window and saw six or seven women shouting at each other on the sidewalk. A few moments later, Blake drove up in his SUV and told his son, who was standing nearby, to get in the vehicle, according to White. White said Blake did not say anything to the women.
White said he left the window for a few minutes, and when he came back, saw three officers wrestling with Blake. One punched Blake in the ribs, and another used a stun gun on him, White said. He said Blake got free and started walking away as officers yelled about a knife.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Blake’s family, said Blake was “simply trying to do the right thing by intervening in a domestic incident.”
Police did not immediately confirm either man’s account.
Blake’s partner, Laquisha Booker, told NBC’s Milwaukee affiliate, WTMJ-TV, that the couple’s three children were in the back seat of the SUV when police shot him.
“That man just literally grabbed him by his shirt and looked the other way and was just shooting him. With the kids in the back screaming. Screaming,” Booker said.
Blake’s father told the Sun-Times that his son also has three other kids.
Blake’s grandfather, Jacob Blake Sr., was a prominent minister and civil rights leader in the Chicago area who helped organize a march and spoke in support of a comprehensive housing law in Evanston, Illinois, days after the 1968 slaying of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Rachel Noerdlinger, publicist for the National Action Network, told The Associated Press that the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke Monday to Blake’s father, who called the civil rights leader for his support. Blake’s father will speak at Sharpton’s March on Washington commemoration on Friday, Noerdlinger said.
Karissa Lewis, national field director of Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 Black-led organizations that make up the broader Black Lives Matter movement, said the shooting was yet another example of why activists have called for defunding police departments.
“There’s no amount of training or reform that can teach a police officer that it’s wrong to shoot a Black man in the back seven times while his children watch,” Lewis said in a statement first shared with the AP.
Online court records indicate Kenosha County prosecutors charged Blake on July 6 with sexual assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse. An arrest warrant was issued the following day. The records contain no further details and do not list an attorney for Blake.
It was unclear whether that case had anything to do with the shooting.
Crump, who has also represented the Floyd and Taylor families, said Blake’s family has asked that demonstrations in response to his shooting remain peaceful.
“They don’t believe violence to be the solution,” he said.
For more than 100 years, Kenosha was an auto manufacturing center, but it has now largely been transformed into a bedroom community for Milwaukee and Chicago. The city is about 67% white, 11.5% Black and 17.6% Hispanic, according to 2019 Census data. Both the mayor and police chief are white. About 17% of the population lives in poverty.
___
Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press reporters Scott Bauer and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, Jeff Baenen in Minneapolis, Aaron Morrison in New York City and Mike Householder in Kenosha contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Review: Writer Spencer Kope takes a risk but it pays off

“ Shadows of the Dead , ” by Spencer Kope ( Minotaur ) “ Shadows of the Dead , ” the third thriller in Spencer Kope ’ s “ Special Tracking Unit ” series , opens with a car crash , the discovery of a bound woman in the trunk , and the subsequent arrest of a seemly deranged driver .
Under questioning , the prisoner proclaims that he intended to “ fix ” the woman , that she is “ number eight , ” and that he is doing the bidding of “ the Onion King.
” Concluding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another bad guy out there , Magnus “ Steps ” Craig and Jimmy Donovan , partners in the FBI ’ s Special Tracking unit , set out to hunt them down .
The unit specializes in finding people , whether alive or dead , and Steps has a special ability that makes him unnaturally good at it .
When Steps was just 8 years old , he got lost in the woods and nearly died of hypothermia .
That changed his brain , causing him to see people as colors .
Kope is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the senses get mixed up , leading people to “ taste ” words or “ see ” music as colors .
However , Kope takes this to a fantastic extreme .
His hero sees every individual as a unique color , and those colors remain on everything they touch for years - a huge advantage for a man who makes his living as a tracker .
Jimmy is the only person Steps has told about this ability , figuring quite rightly that the rest of the world will think that he is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superpower , Kope has made a risky creative choice .
For one thing , it makes Steps ’ s job easy , limiting opportunities for suspense .
For another , Kope ’ s novels are , in every other respect , standard police procedurals .
Fans of such books tend to get exasperated when police work is not accurately portrayed .
However , fans who suspend disbelief enough to accept Kope ’ s risk are likely to admire the plot ’ s twists and turns , the author ’ s skillful character development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington state coastal setting vividly to life .
Although Kope does not to inspire comparisons to Joseph Wambaugh , his prose style is remarkably good for a career law enforcement official who currently works as a crime analyst for the Whatcom County , Washington , sheriff ’ s office .
He speaks to the reader in an engaging , chatty voice , as if telling the story to his best friend .
Bruce DeSilva , winner of the Mystery Writers of America ’ s Edgar Award , is the author of the Mulligan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

“Shadows of the Dead,” by Spencer Kope (Minotaur)
“Shadows of the Dead,” the third thriller in Spencer Kope’s “Special Tracking Unit” series, opens with a car crash, the discovery of a bound woman in the trunk, and the subsequent arrest of a seemly deranged driver.
Under questioning, the prisoner proclaims that he intended to “fix” the woman, that she is “number eight,” and that he is doing the bidding of “the Onion King.” Concluding that there may be seven more victims and another bad guy out there, Magnus “Steps” Craig and Jimmy Donovan, partners in the FBI’s Special Tracking unit, set out to hunt them down. The unit specializes in finding people, whether alive or dead, and Steps has a special ability that makes him unnaturally good at it.
When Steps was just 8 years old, he got lost in the woods and nearly died of hypothermia. That changed his brain, causing him to see people as colors. Kope is referencing synesthesia, a condition in which the senses get mixed up, leading people to “taste” words or “see” music as colors. However, Kope takes this to a fantastic extreme.
His hero sees every individual as a unique color, and those colors remain on everything they touch for years - a huge advantage for a man who makes his living as a tracker. Jimmy is the only person Steps has told about this ability, figuring quite rightly that the rest of the world will think that he is a nut.
By giving Steps this comic-book superpower, Kope has made a risky creative choice. For one thing, it makes Steps’s job easy, limiting opportunities for suspense. For another, Kope’s novels are, in every other respect, standard police procedurals. Fans of such books tend to get exasperated when police work is not accurately portrayed.
However, fans who suspend disbelief enough to accept Kope’s risk are likely to admire the plot’s twists and turns, the author’s skillful character development, and his ability to bring the Washington state coastal setting vividly to life.
Although Kope does not to inspire comparisons to Joseph Wambaugh, his prose style is remarkably good for a career law enforcement official who currently works as a crime analyst for the Whatcom County, Washington, sheriff’s office. He speaks to the reader in an engaging, chatty voice, as if telling the story to his best friend.
___
Bruce DeSilva, winner of the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award, is the author of the Mulligan crime novels including “The Dread Line.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Greta Thunberg returns to school in Sweden after year off

STOCKHOLM ( AP ) - After a year off school to campaign on pressing for tougher action on curbing climate change , Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg says she ’ s returning to class .
“ My gap year from school is over , and it feels so great to finally be back in school again !
” the 17-year-old said Monday on Instagram next to a photo of herself with a schoolbag on her back and her hands resting on bicycle handles .
In Sweden , high school-level classes are returning to classes this week .
It wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The teenager shot to fame after starting her solo protests outside Sweden ’ s parliament in Stockholm two years ago on Aug. 20 , 2018 .
Students around the world soon began following her lead , staging regular large protests , and Thunberg was invited to speak to political and business leaders at U.N. conferences and the annual World Economic Forum in Davos .
Last week , she and other young activists held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel regarding the climate .
But the coronavirus outbreak has prevented the Fridays for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its mass rallies in recent months , dampening its public profile .
Thunberg was named Time magazine ’ s youngest Person of the Year , and was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize , which she didn ’ t get .

STOCKHOLM (AP) - After a year off school to campaign on pressing for tougher action on curbing climate change, Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg says she’s returning to class.
“My gap year from school is over, and it feels so great to finally be back in school again!” the 17-year-old said Monday on Instagram next to a photo of herself with a schoolbag on her back and her hands resting on bicycle handles.
In Sweden, high school-level classes are returning to classes this week. It wasn’t clear which school Thunberg was attending.
The teenager shot to fame after starting her solo protests outside Sweden’s parliament in Stockholm two years ago on Aug. 20, 2018. Students around the world soon began following her lead, staging regular large protests, and Thunberg was invited to speak to political and business leaders at U.N. conferences and the annual World Economic Forum in Davos.
Last week, she and other young activists held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel regarding the climate.
But the coronavirus outbreak has prevented the Fridays for Future movement that Thunberg inspired from holding its mass rallies in recent months, dampening its public profile. Thunberg was named Time magazine’s youngest Person of the Year, and was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, which she didn’t get.
___
Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://www.apnews.com/Climate


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Crews pull body of 11-year-old girl from Kansas River

KANSAS CITY , Kan. ( AP ) - Crews have pulled the body of an 11-year-old girl from the Kansas @ @ @ @ @ missing over the weekend , police in Kansas City , Kansas , said .
The @ @ @ @ @ Par was found Monday evening after a boater spotted a body along the river ’ @ @ @ @ @ in a news release .
Authorities have said the girl was pulled under the water @ @ @ @ @ beach ball a family had been batting around on a sand bar .
Officials say @ @ @ @ @ minors tried to save the girl , but ended up having to be rescued .

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - Crews have pulled the body of an 11-year-old girl from the Kansas River, where she went missing over the weekend, police in Kansas City, Kansas, said.
The body of Rebecca Van Sui Par was found Monday evening after a boater spotted a body along the river’s shoreline, police said in a news release.
Authorities have said the girl was pulled under the water while trying to retrieve a beach ball a family had been batting around on a sand bar. Officials say an adult and two other minors tried to save the girl, but ended up having to be rescued.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--China's FM visits Italy, first foreign trip since pandemic

ROME ( AP ) - Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said he emphasized during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday that Italy would be monitoring closely the implications of new Chinese security measures in Hong Kong .
“ I reiterated that , together with all our European partners , we have emphasized that Hong Kong ’ s stability and prosperity , based on the one country , two systems principle , are essential , ” Di Maio told reporters in a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi .
It is equally essential to ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the fundamental rights and freedoms ” guaranteed to Hong Kong citizens , he said .
Rome is the first stop of Wang ’ s five-nation European tour , which includes France , Germany , the Netherlands and Norway .
It is Wang ’ s first foreign trip since the coronavirus outbreak in China that turned into a global pandemic .
Wang emphasized China ’ s support for close ties with Italy , with which it formed diplomatic relations 50 years ago .
The ministers were scheduled for a private lunch after their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s top agenda item in Europe was expected to be pushing Europeans to guarantee market access to telecom giant Huawei , and broader efforts to keep European countries quiet on Hong Kong and to take Beijing ’ s side in its tariff war with Washington .
Before the meeting , prominent Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law delivered a letter to the foreign ministry asking Di Maio to address ‘ ’ the Hong Kong problems and human rights violations ’ ’ during the meeting .
China ’ s contentious national security law for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing ’ s boldest move yet to remove the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong and the mainland ’ s authoritarian Communist Party system .
’ ’ We need to work together to form a strong alliance to go against the authoritarian nature of China″ Law said .
Italy last year was the first major democracy to sign an agreement to join China ’ s “ Belt and Road ” initiative .
The program includes major infrastructure investments to create a conduit for trade and China ’ s construction industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s European partners see it as a threat as China seeks to project its power .
This version has corrected the Chinese foreign minister ’ s full name to Wang Yi , not Wang Li .

ROME (AP) - Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said he emphasized during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday that Italy would be monitoring closely the implications of new Chinese security measures in Hong Kong.
“I reiterated that, together with all our European partners, we have emphasized that Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity, based on the one country, two systems principle, are essential,” Di Maio told reporters in a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
It is equally essential to ‘’preserve the high degree of autonomy and the fundamental rights and freedoms” guaranteed to Hong Kong citizens, he said.
Rome is the first stop of Wang’s five-nation European tour, which includes France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. It is Wang’s first foreign trip since the coronavirus outbreak in China that turned into a global pandemic.
Wang emphasized China’s support for close ties with Italy, with which it formed diplomatic relations 50 years ago.
The ministers were scheduled for a private lunch after their press statements.
The visiting diplomat’s top agenda item in Europe was expected to be pushing Europeans to guarantee market access to telecom giant Huawei, and broader efforts to keep European countries quiet on Hong Kong and to take Beijing’s side in its tariff war with Washington.
Before the meeting, prominent Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law delivered a letter to the foreign ministry asking Di Maio to address ‘’the Hong Kong problems and human rights violations’’ during the meeting.
China’s contentious national security law for Hong Kong is seen by many as Beijing’s boldest move yet to remove the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong and the mainland’s authoritarian Communist Party system.
’’We need to work together to form a strong alliance to go against the authoritarian nature of China″ Law said.
Italy last year was the first major democracy to sign an agreement to join China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. The program includes major infrastructure investments to create a conduit for trade and China’s construction industry. Both the United States and Italy’s European partners see it as a threat as China seeks to project its power.
___
This version has corrected the Chinese foreign minister’s full name to Wang Yi, not Wang Li.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Death of week-old baby girl investigated in Claremont

CLAREMONT , N.H. ( AP ) - New Hampshire authorities continue to investigate the death of a week-old baby girl @ @ @ @ @ to a 911 call Sunday morning found 7-day-old Samara Hutnick in “ medical distress , @ @ @ @ @ general ’ s office .
She later died at a hospital .
An autopsy was @ @ @ @ @ withholding the cause and manner of death pending further investigation .

CLAREMONT, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire authorities continue to investigate the death of a week-old baby girl in Claremont.
Police responding to a 911 call Sunday morning found 7-day-old Samara Hutnick in “medical distress,” according to the attorney general’s office. She later died at a hospital.
An autopsy was performed Monday but authorities are withholding the cause and manner of death pending further investigation.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Father of a Black man shot by Kenosha, Wisconsin, police tells Chicago Sun-Times that son is paralyz

KENOSHA , Wis. ( AP ) - Father of a Black man shot by Kenosha , Wisconsin , police tells @ @ @ @ @ paralyzed from waist down .

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) - Father of a Black man shot by Kenosha, Wisconsin, police tells Chicago Sun-Times that son is paralyzed from waist down.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Atlanta Police: Officer finds body in truck's back seat

ATLANTA ( AP ) - A man ’ s body was found in the back seat of an abandoned pickup @ @ @ @ @ police said .
Police spokesman Capt .
A .
B. Jackson said an officer was @ @ @ @ @ found a Dodge pickup truck near the roadway in southwest Atlanta , news outlets reported @ @ @ @ @ impound paperwork but when he approached the vehicle he smelled something odd , Jackson said @ @ @ @ @ inside the vehicle , there was a body on the floor in the back seat @ @ @ @ @ died a while ago and details surrounding his death were unclear .
“ The vehicle @ @ @ @ @ and all over it , and the man has been deceased for a minute , @ @ @ @ @ We are trying to figure out how the vehicle got here.
” Investigators said they @ @ @ @ @ the area .
Police said anyone with information should contact the department .

ATLANTA (AP) - A man’s body was found in the back seat of an abandoned pickup truck Tuesday morning, Atlanta police said.
Police spokesman Capt. A. B. Jackson said an officer was performing routine patrols when he found a Dodge pickup truck near the roadway in southwest Atlanta, news outlets reported.
The officer began preparing impound paperwork but when he approached the vehicle he smelled something odd, Jackson said. When the officer looked inside the vehicle, there was a body on the floor in the back seat.
Jackson said the man died a while ago and details surrounding his death were unclear.
“The vehicle has mud in the inside and all over it, and the man has been deceased for a minute,” Jackson said. “We are trying to figure out how the vehicle got here.”
Investigators said they were reviewing surveillance footage of the area. Police said anyone with information should contact the department.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Police: Man arrested after knocking down airport gate agent

SEATAC , Wash. ( AP ) - A man was arrested on investigation of misdemeanor assault following an altercation with @ @ @ @ @ International Airport on Monday .
KIRO-TV reports Port of Seattle police said the assault happened @ @ @ @ @ N14 as passengers were boarding an Alaska Airlines flight to Sitka , Alaska .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ go through one of the agents and knocked her on her back on the jet @ @ @ @ @ taken to the King County Jail and the agent was taken to a hospital to @ @ @ @ @ the flight was delayed about 25 minutes and said the man did have a mask @ @ @ @ @

SEATAC, Wash. (AP) - A man was arrested on investigation of misdemeanor assault following an altercation with a gate agent at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday.
KIRO-TV reports Port of Seattle police said the assault happened around 12:30 p.m. at Gate N14 as passengers were boarding an Alaska Airlines flight to Sitka, Alaska.
Officials said the man tried to go through one of the agents and knocked her on her back on the jet bridge. The man was taken to the King County Jail and the agent was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.
Officials said the flight was delayed about 25 minutes and said the man did have a mask on during the incident.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Laura has formed, projected to cause devastating damage alo

MIAMI ( AP ) - National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Laura has formed , projected to cause devastating damage along @ @ @ @

MIAMI (AP) - National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Laura has formed, projected to cause devastating damage along U.S. Gulf Coast.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Infant fatally wounded when shots enter Pittsburgh home

PITTSBURGH ( AP ) - An infant struck by bullets that went into a Pittsburgh home has died from his @ @ @ @ @ Police responding to reports of shots fired around 6 p.m. Monday were directed by residents @ @ @ @ @ found a year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his head .
The child was @ @ @ @ @ was pronounced dead there several hours later .
An initial investigation showed the shots emanated @ @ @ @ @ then traveled through a window and two walls before hitting the infant .
The child @ @ @ @ @ released .
It wasn ’ t clear if the shots were purposely fired into the @ @ @ @ @ shooting , authorities said .
No other injuries were reported in the shooting .

PITTSBURGH (AP) - An infant struck by bullets that went into a Pittsburgh home has died from his wounds, authorities said.
Police responding to reports of shots fired around 6 p.m. Monday were directed by residents to a home where they found a year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his head. The child was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead there several hours later.
An initial investigation showed the shots emanated from outside the home, then traveled through a window and two walls before hitting the infant. The child’s name was not released.
It wasn’t clear if the shots were purposely fired into the home or what spurred the shooting, authorities said.
No other injuries were reported in the shooting.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--More arrests, 2 injuries after pared-down RNC in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE , N.C. ( AP ) - At least seven people were arrested and two were hospitalized during protests after North Carolina ’ s scaled-back share of the Republican National Convention concluded .
Charlotte-Mecklenburg officers used pepper spray on demonstrators and made two arrests after a crowd surrounded a burning object in the street after 10 p.m. Monday hours after about 300 delegates met to renominate President Donald Trump , police said .
The object appeared to be an American flag , The Charlotte Observer reported .
Police accused a protester of pushing an officer off his bike as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a statement from the department posted early Tuesday morning .
Charlotte City Councilman Braxton Winston was present during the encounter and was hit by pepper spray , the Observer reported .
In a tweet to the police department , Winston disputed allegations that a protester pushed the officer .
A video posted to Twitter on Tuesday after midnight appeared to show a group of officers using their bikes to knock down demonstrators .
One ran his bike over the legs of a woman who was pepper sprayed and collapsed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers attempted to detain a person accused of cutting down a flag outside Charlotte ’ s police headquarters , the department said .
Police again used pepper spray and two people “ were injured during incident ” and taken to the hospital , according to the agency .
Police did not say how they were injured or comment on their conditions .
Monday night ’ s arrests followed about a dozen others in the three days leading up to the convention , including one person who illegally entered a secure area in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protester who was accused of assaulting a woman and an officer after the convention .
Charlotte ’ s portion of convention events , scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic , ended Monday afternoon following the roll-call vote among delegates .
The convention ’ s prime-time speakers are scheduled to deliver their remarks from Washington and elsewhere to a largely virtual audience .

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - At least seven people were arrested and two were hospitalized during protests after North Carolina’s scaled-back share of the Republican National Convention concluded.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg officers used pepper spray on demonstrators and made two arrests after a crowd surrounded a burning object in the street after 10 p.m. Monday hours after about 300 delegates met to renominate President Donald Trump, police said.
The object appeared to be an American flag, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Police accused a protester of pushing an officer off his bike as he tried to put out the fire, according to a statement from the department posted early Tuesday morning.
Charlotte City Councilman Braxton Winston was present during the encounter and was hit by pepper spray, the Observer reported. In a tweet to the police department, Winston disputed allegations that a protester pushed the officer.
A video posted to Twitter on Tuesday after midnight appeared to show a group of officers using their bikes to knock down demonstrators. One ran his bike over the legs of a woman who was pepper sprayed and collapsed in the street.
Four more arrests came as officers attempted to detain a person accused of cutting down a flag outside Charlotte’s police headquarters, the department said. Police again used pepper spray and two people “were injured during incident” and taken to the hospital, according to the agency.
Police did not say how they were injured or comment on their conditions.
Monday night’s arrests followed about a dozen others in the three days leading up to the convention, including one person who illegally entered a secure area in the hours before the event, and a protester who was accused of assaulting a woman and an officer after the convention.
Charlotte’s portion of convention events, scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ended Monday afternoon following the roll-call vote among delegates. The convention’s prime-time speakers are scheduled to deliver their remarks from Washington and elsewhere to a largely virtual audience.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Rule Britannia! BBC to play song without lyrics at concert

LONDON ( AP ) - The BBC has ditched the lyrics of “ Rule , Britannia !
” for its traditional end-of-summer concert amid a debate over the song ’ s celebration of the British Empire at a time when critics are reevaluating the nation ’ s colonial past .
Britain ’ s publicly funded broadcaster said late Monday that the final night of its Proms concert series would feature instrumental versions of “ Rule , Britannia !
” and another patriotic mainstay , “ Land of Hope and Glory , ” instead of traditional singalongs .
The BBC statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but said the decision reflected “ this extraordinary year ’ ’ and the fact that there will be no live audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Critics accused the broadcaster of caving in to political correctness and pressure from social justice campaigners .
“ The BBC will allow the tune to be played but not sung , thereby offending all shades of opinion all the time , ’ ’ music critic and author Norman Lebrecht wrote in a blog post after the BBC announced the program for the Sept. 12 concert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such cowardice .
At least one BBC head should roll.
” The controversy arose Sunday when the Sunday Times newspaper reported that the BBC was considering scrapping the songs amid concerns about their “ perceived association with colonialism and slavery.
’ ’ Dalia Stasevska , the 35-year-old Finn who will conduct the concert , was seeking to modernize the event and reduce the “ patriotic elements , ’ ’ the newspaper said , without citing a source for the information .
The BBC on Monday rejected the “ unjustified personal attacks ’ ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program were made by the corporation after consulting all the artists involved .
“ The Proms will reinvent the Last Night in this extraordinary year so that it respects the traditions and spirit of the event whilst adapting to very different circumstances at this moment in time , ″ the BBC said .
Late Tuesday , it issued a second statement saying that the lyrics would return to the program in 2021 .
The Proms is an annual series of summer concerts that was created in 1895 and has been organized by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night has traditionally featured a triumphant emotional singalong of patriotic songs like “ Rule , Britannia !
” It ’ s a flag-waving fixture on the calendar and is seen as an expression of national pride in Britain .
“ Rule , Britannia !
” was first performed in 1740 when Britain , backed by the might of the Royal Navy , was building an empire that stretched from India to South Africa and Jamaica .
While the empire is long gone , it remains embedded in the song ’ s lyrics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heaven ’ s command ’ ’ and end with the rousing chorus : “ Rule , Britannia !
Britannia rules the waves !
Britons never , never , never will be slaves.
” Kehinde Andrews , a professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University , said the line represented racist propaganda at a time when Britain was the world ’ s leading slave-trading nation .
“ If dropping racist propaganda from taxpayer-funded TV is controversial , then there is no hope for the serious work that needs to be done to address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British Prime Minister Boris Johnson waded into the controversy , saying that he couldn ’ t believe the BBC had made such a decision .
“ I think it ’ s time we stopped our cringing embarrassment about our history , about our traditions , and about our culture , and we stopped this general fight of self-recrimination and wetness , ″ Johnson said .
“ I wanted to get that off my chest.
” The Proms debate is just the latest salvo in Johnson ’ s criticism of the BBC since he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party has criticized the broadcasting corporation for refusing to fund free TV licenses for people over 75 .
Senior members of Johnson ’ s government have refused to appear on the BBC ’ s flagship morning radio program because of complaints about its alleged liberal bias .
But the real issue may lie within the BBC , which lacks confidence when dealing with issues involving race , said Trevor Phillips , a former chairman of Britain ’ s Equalities and Human Rights Commission .
“ The principle reason it has no confidence … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the top of its decision-making tree , ” Phillips told Times Radio .
“ What you have is rooms full of white men panicking that someone is going to think they are racist .
”

LONDON (AP) - The BBC has ditched the lyrics of “Rule, Britannia!” for its traditional end-of-summer concert amid a debate over the song’s celebration of the British Empire at a time when critics are reevaluating the nation’s colonial past.
Britain’s publicly funded broadcaster said late Monday that the final night of its Proms concert series would feature instrumental versions of “Rule, Britannia!” and another patriotic mainstay, “Land of Hope and Glory,” instead of traditional singalongs.
The BBC statement didn’t directly address the controversy, but said the decision reflected “this extraordinary year’’ and the fact that there will be no live audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics accused the broadcaster of caving in to political correctness and pressure from social justice campaigners.
“The BBC will allow the tune to be played but not sung, thereby offending all shades of opinion all the time,’’ music critic and author Norman Lebrecht wrote in a blog post after the BBC announced the program for the Sept. 12 concert. “There is no excuse for such cowardice. At least one BBC head should roll.”
The controversy arose Sunday when the Sunday Times newspaper reported that the BBC was considering scrapping the songs amid concerns about their “perceived association with colonialism and slavery.’’ Dalia Stasevska, the 35-year-old Finn who will conduct the concert, was seeking to modernize the event and reduce the “patriotic elements,’’ the newspaper said, without citing a source for the information.
The BBC on Monday rejected the “unjustified personal attacks’’ on Stasevska and said the changes in the program were made by the corporation after consulting all the artists involved.
“The Proms will reinvent the Last Night in this extraordinary year so that it respects the traditions and spirit of the event whilst adapting to very different circumstances at this moment in time,″ the BBC said.
Late Tuesday, it issued a second statement saying that the lyrics would return to the program in 2021.
The Proms is an annual series of summer concerts that was created in 1895 and has been organized by the BBC since 1927. The final night has traditionally featured a triumphant emotional singalong of patriotic songs like “Rule, Britannia!” It’s a flag-waving fixture on the calendar and is seen as an expression of national pride in Britain.
“Rule, Britannia!” was first performed in 1740 when Britain, backed by the might of the Royal Navy, was building an empire that stretched from India to South Africa and Jamaica. While the empire is long gone, it remains embedded in the song’s lyrics, which suggest Britain was created at “Heaven’s command’’ and end with the rousing chorus:
“Rule, Britannia! Britannia rules the waves! Britons never, never, never will be slaves.”
Kehinde Andrews, a professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University, said the line represented racist propaganda at a time when Britain was the world’s leading slave-trading nation.
“If dropping racist propaganda from taxpayer-funded TV is controversial, then there is no hope for the serious work that needs to be done to address racism,’’ Andrews tweeted.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson waded into the controversy, saying that he couldn’t believe the BBC had made such a decision.
“I think it’s time we stopped our cringing embarrassment about our history, about our traditions, and about our culture, and we stopped this general fight of self-recrimination and wetness,″ Johnson said. “I wanted to get that off my chest.”
The Proms debate is just the latest salvo in Johnson’s criticism of the BBC since he took office last year. His Conservative Party has criticized the broadcasting corporation for refusing to fund free TV licenses for people over 75. Senior members of Johnson’s government have refused to appear on the BBC’s flagship morning radio program because of complaints about its alleged liberal bias.
But the real issue may lie within the BBC, which lacks confidence when dealing with issues involving race, said Trevor Phillips, a former chairman of Britain’s Equalities and Human Rights Commission.
“The principle reason it has no confidence … is that there is no ethnic diversity at the top of its decision-making tree,” Phillips told Times Radio. “What you have is rooms full of white men panicking that someone is going to think they are racist.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Belarusian authorities crank up pressure on opposition

MINSK , Belarus ( AP ) - Authorities in Belarus on Tuesday steadily cranked up the pressure on protesters pushing for the resignation of the country ’ s authoritarian leader , jailing several opposition activists , summoning others for questioning and selectively ordering dozens of demonstrators to appear in court .
Nevertheless , the protests continued .
Courts in Minsk handed 10-day sentences to two members of a council that opposition activists established last week to negotiate a transition of power following President Alexander Lukashenko ’ s winning a sixth term in an election that critics contend was rigged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Coordination Council , which rejects the official results of the Aug. 9 vote that extended his 26-year rule .
On Tuesday , council members Sergei Dylevsky and Olga Kovalkova were each sentenced to 10 days in jail on charges of organizing an unsanctioned protest .
Pavel Latushko , a former culture minister and diplomat who joined the opposition council , was summoned for questioning over his role in the opposition body .
“ They are trying to push me out of the country , ” Latushko told The Associated Press .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prison violence , but I ’ m not planning to leave Belarus.
” Belarus ’ most famous writer , Svetlana Alexievich , who won the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature , also received a summons after joining the council .
Lukashenko has dismissed the protesters who have been demonstrating for over two weeks as Western puppets and threatened the council members with criminal charges for attempting to create what he described as a parallel government .
Prosecutors opened a criminal inquiry on charges of undermining national security , an allegation rejected by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t attempting to take power , ” Latushko said .
“ All we want is to try to find a solution for the political crisis.
” On Tuesday , hundreds of teachers and academic researchers rallied in Minsk in a show of solidarity with protesters as the demonstrations entered their 17th day .
As evening came , several thousand rallied on central Independence Square , despite heavy rain , to press for Lukashenko ’ s resignation .
“ He managed to set everyone against himself , ” said 30-year-old sales clerk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally with her husband .
“ I supported Lukashenko in the past , but now I see that his authority hinges entirely on the police , he has stopped hearing his people.
” Lyudmila Krylovich , a conductor at the Belarus State Philharmonic , said that “ Lukashenko behaves like a feudal lord who sees people as his property.
” “ Who will tolerate that ?
” she said .
The protests erupted after official results handed Lukashenko a landslide victory with 80 % of the vote .
They were galvanized by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , when police detained nearly 7,000 people .
Hundreds were injured when officers fiercely dispersed peaceful protesters with rubber bullets , stun grenades and clubs .
At least three people died .
The bodies of two other opposition supporters also were found hanged in forests .
Police declared that the deaths were suicides , but the opposition has contested the claim .
One of them , the 28-year-old Nikita Krivtsov , was buried Tuesday in the city of Molodechno , about 70 kilometers ( some 45 miles ) northwest of Minsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after taking part in protests and his body was found ten days later .
His widow , Elena Krivtsova , said she has sent a formal request to the Investigative Committee , the nation ’ s top investigative agency , to launch a criminal inquiry into his death .
“ I don ’ t believe that Nikita could have done it himself , ” she told the AP .
“ He was a cheerful and positive man , he liked his daughter very much , had a good job and a decent salary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suicide.
” Hundreds of opposition supporters waving the opposition red-and-white flag attended his funeral .
On Aug. 18 , the body of another opposition supporter , Konstantin Shishmakov , was found hanged in a forest in western Belarus .
Shishmakov , who headed a small military history museum in Volkovysk near the Polish border , was a member of an election commission who spoke against alleged falsifications in the Aug. 9 balloting .
Local police said they found no evidence of a crime , but the death has raised opposition suspicions of foul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger , helping swell the number of protesters that reached an unprecedented peak of about 200,000 for two consecutive Sundays .
The huge crowds forced the government to back off and allow the demonstrations to go largely unhindered for the past two weeks .
In a show of defiance , the 65-year-old Belarusian leader toted an assault rifle as he arrived at his residence by helicopter on Sunday while protesters rallied nearby .
Following Lukashenko ’ s directives last week to get tougher on protesters , police started beefing up their presence on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Belarusian capital .
They detained at least five protesters in Minsk and another five elsewhere in the country on Monday after days of inaction , a signal that the authorities might resort to force again to end the protests .
The Interior Ministry said Tuesday that it issued over 40 court summons to protesters the previous day .
Police in Minsk again detained several protesters on Tuesday .
As the authorities toughened their stance , Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , the main opposition challenger in the Aug. 9 vote , reaffirmed her push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech to the European Union delivered via video-link from Vilnius , the capital of Lithuania .
Belarus ’ Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected her appeal to annul the results of the Aug. 9 vote .
Tsikhanouskaya , a 37-year-old former English teacher who moved to Lithuania a day after the vote following official pressure , said she was ready for dialogue with Lukashenko ’ s government .
“ The intimidation will not work , ” she said .
“ We will not relent.
” Tsikhanouskaya met Monday with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. for supporting the Belarusian people .
On Tuesday , Biegun discussed the situation in Belarus with Russia ’ s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow .
The U.S. Embassy spokesperson , Rebecca Ross , said on Twitter that Biegun “ condemned the use of violence against the Belarusian people and expressed support for Belarus ’ sovereignty and the people ’ s right to self-determination.
” The United States and the EU have dismissed the Belarus election as neither free nor fair and urged the authorities to engage in a dialogue with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union agreement with Belarus envisaging close political , economic and military ties , has stood by Lukashenko and warned the West against interfering in Belarus ’ affairs .
Speaking after the talks , Lavrov said he warned Biegun that certain “ circles in Poland and Lithuania ” are unhappy with normalization of the situation in Belarus and are eager to foment violence .
Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed .

MINSK, Belarus (AP) - Authorities in Belarus on Tuesday steadily cranked up the pressure on protesters pushing for the resignation of the country’s authoritarian leader, jailing several opposition activists, summoning others for questioning and selectively ordering dozens of demonstrators to appear in court. Nevertheless, the protests continued.
Courts in Minsk handed 10-day sentences to two members of a council that opposition activists established last week to negotiate a transition of power following President Alexander Lukashenko’s winning a sixth term in an election that critics contend was rigged.
Lukashenko has firmly rebuffed offers of dialogue from the Coordination Council, which rejects the official results of the Aug. 9 vote that extended his 26-year rule.
On Tuesday, council members Sergei Dylevsky and Olga Kovalkova were each sentenced to 10 days in jail on charges of organizing an unsanctioned protest.
Pavel Latushko, a former culture minister and diplomat who joined the opposition council, was summoned for questioning over his role in the opposition body.
“They are trying to push me out of the country,” Latushko told The Associated Press. “I have been threatened with arrest and prison violence, but I’m not planning to leave Belarus.”
Belarus’ most famous writer, Svetlana Alexievich, who won the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature, also received a summons after joining the council.
Lukashenko has dismissed the protesters who have been demonstrating for over two weeks as Western puppets and threatened the council members with criminal charges for attempting to create what he described as a parallel government. Prosecutors opened a criminal inquiry on charges of undermining national security, an allegation rejected by the council.
“The Coordination Council isn’t attempting to take power,” Latushko said. “All we want is to try to find a solution for the political crisis.”
On Tuesday, hundreds of teachers and academic researchers rallied in Minsk in a show of solidarity with protesters as the demonstrations entered their 17th day.
As evening came, several thousand rallied on central Independence Square, despite heavy rain, to press for Lukashenko’s resignation.
“He managed to set everyone against himself,” said 30-year-old sales clerk Tatyana Gubarevskaya who turned up for the rally with her husband. “I supported Lukashenko in the past, but now I see that his authority hinges entirely on the police, he has stopped hearing his people.”
Lyudmila Krylovich, a conductor at the Belarus State Philharmonic, said that “Lukashenko behaves like a feudal lord who sees people as his property.”
“Who will tolerate that?” she said.
The protests erupted after official results handed Lukashenko a landslide victory with 80% of the vote. They were galvanized by a brutal crackdown in the initial days after the election, when police detained nearly 7,000 people. Hundreds were injured when officers fiercely dispersed peaceful protesters with rubber bullets, stun grenades and clubs. At least three people died.
The bodies of two other opposition supporters also were found hanged in forests. Police declared that the deaths were suicides, but the opposition has contested the claim.
One of them, the 28-year-old Nikita Krivtsov, was buried Tuesday in the city of Molodechno, about 70 kilometers (some 45 miles) northwest of Minsk. He went missing on Aug. 12 after taking part in protests and his body was found ten days later.
His widow, Elena Krivtsova, said she has sent a formal request to the Investigative Committee, the nation’s top investigative agency, to launch a criminal inquiry into his death.
“I don’t believe that Nikita could have done it himself,” she told the AP. “He was a cheerful and positive man, he liked his daughter very much, had a good job and a decent salary. He never expressed any thoughts about suicide.”
Hundreds of opposition supporters waving the opposition red-and-white flag attended his funeral.
On Aug. 18, the body of another opposition supporter, Konstantin Shishmakov, was found hanged in a forest in western Belarus. Shishmakov, who headed a small military history museum in Volkovysk near the Polish border, was a member of an election commission who spoke against alleged falsifications in the Aug. 9 balloting. Local police said they found no evidence of a crime, but the death has raised opposition suspicions of foul play.
The police crackdown fueled public anger, helping swell the number of protesters that reached an unprecedented peak of about 200,000 for two consecutive Sundays. The huge crowds forced the government to back off and allow the demonstrations to go largely unhindered for the past two weeks.
In a show of defiance, the 65-year-old Belarusian leader toted an assault rifle as he arrived at his residence by helicopter on Sunday while protesters rallied nearby.
Following Lukashenko’s directives last week to get tougher on protesters, police started beefing up their presence on the streets and cordoning off some areas in the Belarusian capital. They detained at least five protesters in Minsk and another five elsewhere in the country on Monday after days of inaction, a signal that the authorities might resort to force again to end the protests.
The Interior Ministry said Tuesday that it issued over 40 court summons to protesters the previous day.
Police in Minsk again detained several protesters on Tuesday.
As the authorities toughened their stance, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger in the Aug. 9 vote, reaffirmed her push for a new presidential election in a speech to the European Union delivered via video-link from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
Belarus’ Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected her appeal to annul the results of the Aug. 9 vote.
Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher who moved to Lithuania a day after the vote following official pressure, said she was ready for dialogue with Lukashenko’s government.
“The intimidation will not work,” she said. “We will not relent.”
Tsikhanouskaya met Monday with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in Vilnius, thanking the U.S. for supporting the Belarusian people.
On Tuesday, Biegun discussed the situation in Belarus with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. The U.S. Embassy spokesperson, Rebecca Ross, said on Twitter that Biegun “condemned the use of violence against the Belarusian people and expressed support for Belarus’ sovereignty and the people’s right to self-determination.”
The United States and the EU have dismissed the Belarus election as neither free nor fair and urged the authorities to engage in a dialogue with the opposition. Russia, which has a union agreement with Belarus envisaging close political, economic and military ties, has stood by Lukashenko and warned the West against interfering in Belarus’ affairs.
Speaking after the talks, Lavrov said he warned Biegun that certain “circles in Poland and Lithuania” are unhappy with normalization of the situation in Belarus and are eager to foment violence.
___
Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed.
Follow AP’s coverage of Belarus at https://www.apnews.com/Belarus


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--King County Council reverses course on Juneteenth holiday

SEATTLE ( AP ) - Weeks after the Metropolitan King County Council voted to move ahead with making Juneteenth a paid county holiday , the council has reversed itself , stalling the legislation and rendering its future uncertain .
Council Chair Claudia Balducci and Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles voted last week to send the legislation back to committee , citing the need for more research , after previously voting to move it out of that committee .
Kohl-Welles is one of the bill ’ s co-sponsors .
The legislation would give all county employees a paid day off to celebrate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas and announced that all enslaved people had been freed .
Council members had supported the measure as part of efforts to make concrete changes in response to mass protests against systemic racism that have dominated the region and the country since the police killing of George Floyd in May .
“ It hung on my mind for the entirety of break because we ’ re just not really , fully , I don ’ t think we ’ ve given it full consideration as to how to could be implemented , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trade-offs , the things that won ’ t get done or that might happen if we charge ahead without thinking it through , ” Balducci said .
Her office cited a tweet from the King County Equity Now coalition , about the Juneteenth holiday .
“ Didn ’ t ask for this , ” it reads .
Kohl-Welles said she still “ enthusiastically supports ” making Juneteenth a paid holiday , but “ there is reason to have more of a discussion.
” Making Juneteenth a paid holiday for the county ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 4.8 million a year , according to a county analysis , mostly in overtime costs for bus drivers , correctional officers and other employees who will need to continue to work on the holiday .
The county also estimates the losses in employee productivity due to the new day off at $ 6.3 million .

SEATTLE (AP) - Weeks after the Metropolitan King County Council voted to move ahead with making Juneteenth a paid county holiday, the council has reversed itself, stalling the legislation and rendering its future uncertain.
Council Chair Claudia Balducci and Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles voted last week to send the legislation back to committee, citing the need for more research, after previously voting to move it out of that committee.
Kohl-Welles is one of the bill’s co-sponsors.
The legislation would give all county employees a paid day off to celebrate the day in 1865 that Union soldiers arrived in Texas and announced that all enslaved people had been freed.
Council members had supported the measure as part of efforts to make concrete changes in response to mass protests against systemic racism that have dominated the region and the country since the police killing of George Floyd in May.
“It hung on my mind for the entirety of break because we’re just not really, fully, I don’t think we’ve given it full consideration as to how to could be implemented, the costs, the labor implications, the trade-offs, the things that won’t get done or that might happen if we charge ahead without thinking it through,” Balducci said.
Her office cited a tweet from the King County Equity Now coalition, about the Juneteenth holiday. “Didn’t ask for this,” it reads.
Kohl-Welles said she still “enthusiastically supports” making Juneteenth a paid holiday, but “there is reason to have more of a discussion.”
Making Juneteenth a paid holiday for the county’s approximately 15,000 employees would cost about $4.8 million a year, according to a county analysis, mostly in overtime costs for bus drivers, correctional officers and other employees who will need to continue to work on the holiday. The county also estimates the losses in employee productivity due to the new day off at $6.3 million.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Police: Vermont woman dies in Woodbury highway crash

WOODBURY , Vt. ( AP ) - A 55-year-old woman is dead after the car she was driving went off @ @ @ @ @ , hit a pole and then rolled onto its side , state police said Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ responded to the crash at about 11:40 p.m. Monday .
There were no witnesses to @ @ @ @ @ pronounced dead at the scene .
The preliminary investigation found that the car driven by @ @ @ @ @ of Plainfield , was headed south when the car went off the road and flipped @ @ @ @ @ officials said .

WOODBURY, Vt. (AP) - A 55-year-old woman is dead after the car she was driving went off Vermont Route 14 in Woodbury, hit a pole and then rolled onto its side, state police said Tuesday.
Vermont State Police troopers responded to the crash at about 11:40 p.m. Monday.
There were no witnesses to the crash. Sawyer was pronounced dead at the scene.
The preliminary investigation found that the car driven by Betty Sawyer, 55, of Plainfield, was headed south when the car went off the road and flipped after hitting the pole, officials said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Mike Pence: Joe Biden is 'out of step' for talking about shutting down the economy

Vice President Mike Pence says Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden ’ s willingness to shut the economy down again because of the coronavirus pandemic demonstrates that Mr. Biden is out of touch with reality .
“ You have President Trump who said that we ’ re not going to shut this economy down again and [ to hear ] Joe Biden actually talking about shutting down our country just shows how out of step he is with the progress that we ’ ve all made as a country , ” Mr. Pence said in an interview that aired Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview after the Democratic National Convention , Mr. Biden told ABC News he would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives and that he would follow the advice of scientists if they said a shutdown was needed .
“ I would shut it down , I would listen to the scientists , ” he said .
The U.S. has seen more than 5.7 million positive coronavirus cases and more than 177,000 deaths among its more than 300 million residents .
The U.S. accounts for 4 % of the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world ’ s recorded cases and deaths .
However , new daily cases have been trending down recently and dipped below 40,000 this week after a high of more than 70,000 earlier this summer .
The pandemic prompted many states to impose strict lockdown measures earlier in the year that ended up ravaging the economy .

Vice President Mike Pence says Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden’s willingness to shut the economy down again because of the coronavirus pandemic demonstrates that Mr. Biden is out of touch with reality.
“You have President Trump who said that we’re not going to shut this economy down again and [to hear] Joe Biden actually talking about shutting down our country just shows how out of step he is with the progress that we’ve all made as a country,” Mr. Pence said in an interview that aired Tuesday on Fox News.
In his first interview after the Democratic National Convention, Mr. Biden told ABC News he would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives and that he would follow the advice of scientists if they said a shutdown was needed.
“I would shut it down, I would listen to the scientists,” he said.
The U.S. has seen more than 5.7 million positive coronavirus cases and more than 177,000 deaths among its more than 300 million residents. The U.S. accounts for 4% of the world’s population and more than 20% of the world’s recorded cases and deaths.
However, new daily cases have been trending down recently and dipped below 40,000 this week after a high of more than 70,000 earlier this summer.
The pandemic prompted many states to impose strict lockdown measures earlier in the year that ended up ravaging the economy.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--AP-NORC poll: Many in US shoring up finances amid downturn

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - It ’ s the paradox of a pandemic that has crushed the U.S. economy : 12.9 million lost jobs and a dangerous rash of businesses closing , yet the personal finances of many Americans have remained strong - and in some ways have even improved .
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 45 % of Americans say they ’ re setting aside more money than usual .
Twenty-six percent are paying down debt faster than they were before the coronavirus pandemic .
In total , about half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saved more or paid down debt since the outbreak began .
The findings highlight the unique nature of the current crisis .
Nearly $ 3 trillion in government aid in the form of direct payments , expanded jobless benefits and forgivable payroll loans helped cushion against the fastest economic downturn in American history .
Meanwhile , health fears and mandated closures prompted many Americans to spend less on restaurant meals , clothing and travel .
About two-thirds say they ’ re spending less than usual during the pandemic .
Since February , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in money kept in checking accounts - a 56 % increase tracked by the Federal Reserve .
While the greater savings helps to keep families more financially secure , it may also limit the scope of any recovery in a country that relies on consumer spending for growth .
Kent Sullivan , a landscape painter from Orlando , Florida , has been making extra mortgage payments .
The 68-year-old and his wife received $ 1,200 in direct government payments and hope to own their home free and clear within 18 months .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ As an artist , it ’ s feast or famine .
You never know if you ’ re going to get a big commission or if the gallery does well.
” The findings shed light on a persistent riddle of a global pandemic in which a weakened economy has somehow spared most U.S. families from the worst of the financial toll .
Just 37 % call the national economy good , down from 67 % in January .
But at the same time , 63 % describe their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line with what it was before the pandemic began more than six months ago .
People ’ s positive feelings about their own finances might also be helping President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection this November against former Vice President Joe Biden .
About half of Americans , 47 % , approve of how Trump is handling the economy .
That ’ s significantly higher than his overall favorable rating of 35 % .
“ He ’ s a businessman , not a politician , ” said Sally Gansz , 78 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ ll get jobs back - he did it before.
” But while the initial burst of aid helped Americans , Trump - who touted his ability as a dealmaker in real estate - could not reach an agreement with Democrats to keep the money flowing after many of the benefits expired this month .
Alan Vervaeke , 59 , from Gilford , New Hampshire , said the Trump administration ’ s failure to contain COVID-19 has forced the government to take on debt , rather than investing in infrastructure and scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The American economy is going to come back , but I don ’ t think it ’ s going to be as robust , ” said Vervaeke , a military veteran who manages software engineers .
“ We need an actual statesman who can create opportunities for average Americans , instead of politicians making a lot of promises they may never keep.
” About a quarter of Americans say they ’ ve been unable to pay at least one bill because of the pandemic , including 14 % who ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payment , 14 % who have been unable to pay a credit card bill and 21 % who have been unable to pay another type of bill .
Seventeen percent have been unable to pay multiple types of bills .
The downturn has also exposed the depth of inequality in the United States .
About half of Black Americans and roughly 4 in 10 Hispanic Americans say they ’ ve been unable to pay a bill , compared with about 2 in 10 white Americans .
And 66 % of Hispanic Americans say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , compared with 50 % of Black Americans and 44 % of white Americans .
Overall , about half of Americans say they ’ ve experienced at least one form of household income loss .
That includes 23 % who say they ’ ve experienced a household layoff , 34 % who say someone in the household has been scheduled for fewer hours , 22 % who ’ ve taken unpaid time off and 25 % who ’ ve had their wages or salaries reduced .
People in households that have lost income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as likely as those who have not to say they ’ ve been spending less , saving more and paying down debt , though they are also more likely to say they ’ ve been unable to pay at least one type of bill .
Overall , 48 % of those who say someone in their household has been laid off have been unable to pay at least one type of bill , compared with 19 % of those who have not .
Those who say they ’ ve spent less during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have not to say they ’ re putting more into savings ( 58 % to 21 % ) and paying down debt faster than usual ( 32 % to 15 % ) .
Those savings might help sustain the economy if the downturn worsens or might propel growth if the coronavirus fades and people become more comfortable with venturing out .
Brynn Alexander , 36 , is cautiously optimistic .
“ It ’ s better than it was in March , a little bit better , ” said Alexander , a mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who serves in Army at Fort Benning , Georgia .
“ A lot of my friends are getting back to work.
” The AP-NORC poll of 1,075 adults was conducted Aug. 17-19 using a sample drawn from NORC ’ s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel , which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population .
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points .

WASHINGTON (AP) - It’s the paradox of a pandemic that has crushed the U.S. economy: 12.9 million lost jobs and a dangerous rash of businesses closing, yet the personal finances of many Americans have remained strong - and in some ways have even improved.
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 45% of Americans say they’re setting aside more money than usual. Twenty-six percent are paying down debt faster than they were before the coronavirus pandemic. In total, about half of Americans say they’ve either saved more or paid down debt since the outbreak began.
The findings highlight the unique nature of the current crisis. Nearly $3 trillion in government aid in the form of direct payments, expanded jobless benefits and forgivable payroll loans helped cushion against the fastest economic downturn in American history. Meanwhile, health fears and mandated closures prompted many Americans to spend less on restaurant meals, clothing and travel.
About two-thirds say they’re spending less than usual during the pandemic. Since February, there has been a $1.3 trillion jump in money kept in checking accounts - a 56% increase tracked by the Federal Reserve. While the greater savings helps to keep families more financially secure, it may also limit the scope of any recovery in a country that relies on consumer spending for growth.
Kent Sullivan, a landscape painter from Orlando, Florida, has been making extra mortgage payments. The 68-year-old and his wife received $1,200 in direct government payments and hope to own their home free and clear within 18 months.
“Everything goes into extra mortgage payments,” he said. “As an artist, it’s feast or famine. You never know if you’re going to get a big commission or if the gallery does well.”
The findings shed light on a persistent riddle of a global pandemic in which a weakened economy has somehow spared most U.S. families from the worst of the financial toll. Just 37% call the national economy good, down from 67% in January. But at the same time, 63% describe their personal financial situation as good, largely in line with what it was before the pandemic began more than six months ago.
People’s positive feelings about their own finances might also be helping President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection this November against former Vice President Joe Biden. About half of Americans, 47%, approve of how Trump is handling the economy. That’s significantly higher than his overall favorable rating of 35%.
“He’s a businessman, not a politician,” said Sally Gansz, 78, from Trinidad, Colorado. “He’ll get jobs back - he did it before.”
But while the initial burst of aid helped Americans, Trump - who touted his ability as a dealmaker in real estate - could not reach an agreement with Democrats to keep the money flowing after many of the benefits expired this month.
Alan Vervaeke, 59, from Gilford, New Hampshire, said the Trump administration’s failure to contain COVID-19 has forced the government to take on debt, rather than investing in infrastructure and scientific research that could help growth long-term.
“The American economy is going to come back, but I don’t think it’s going to be as robust,” said Vervaeke, a military veteran who manages software engineers. “We need an actual statesman who can create opportunities for average Americans, instead of politicians making a lot of promises they may never keep.”
About a quarter of Americans say they’ve been unable to pay at least one bill because of the pandemic, including 14% who’ve been unable to make a rent or mortgage payment, 14% who have been unable to pay a credit card bill and 21% who have been unable to pay another type of bill. Seventeen percent have been unable to pay multiple types of bills.
The downturn has also exposed the depth of inequality in the United States.
About half of Black Americans and roughly 4 in 10 Hispanic Americans say they’ve been unable to pay a bill, compared with about 2 in 10 white Americans. And 66% of Hispanic Americans say they’ve experienced household income loss, compared with 50% of Black Americans and 44% of white Americans.
Overall, about half of Americans say they’ve experienced at least one form of household income loss. That includes 23% who say they’ve experienced a household layoff, 34% who say someone in the household has been scheduled for fewer hours, 22% who’ve taken unpaid time off and 25% who’ve had their wages or salaries reduced.
People in households that have lost income, including a layoff, are about as likely as those who have not to say they’ve been spending less, saving more and paying down debt, though they are also more likely to say they’ve been unable to pay at least one type of bill.
Overall, 48% of those who say someone in their household has been laid off have been unable to pay at least one type of bill, compared with 19% of those who have not.
Those who say they’ve spent less during the pandemic are much more likely than those who have not to say they’re putting more into savings (58% to 21%) and paying down debt faster than usual (32% to 15%).
Those savings might help sustain the economy if the downturn worsens or might propel growth if the coronavirus fades and people become more comfortable with venturing out. Brynn Alexander, 36, is cautiously optimistic.
“It’s better than it was in March, a little bit better,” said Alexander, a mother to four girls with her husband, who serves in Army at Fort Benning, Georgia. “A lot of my friends are getting back to work.”
___
The AP-NORC poll of 1,075 adults was conducted Aug. 17-19 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
___
Online:
AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/.


washingtontimes--2020-08-25--Rap at auction: Biggie's crown and Tupac Shakur letters

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Rivals in life , the rappers Notorious B.I.G .
and Tupac Shakur are being united for an auction at Sotheby ’ s , the first-ever dedicated hip-hop auction at a major international auction house .
Bidders will be able to vie for the crown worn and signed by the Notorious B.I.G .
during a 1997 photo shoot held three days before he was killed in Los Angeles .
They ’ ll also get to bid on an archive of 22 autographed love letters written by Shakur at the age of 15-17 to a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held Sept. 15 and features over 120 hip-hop-related lots .
The items can be viewed in person - reservations are required during the pandemic - at Sotheby ’ s in New York City and the exhibition will also be available to the public online via its digital gallery .
“ The impact of hip-hop is everywhere - sneakers , clothing , jewelry , art , music .
I wanted to have a sale that really recognized how massive that impact really is , ” said Cassandra Hatton , the Sotheby ’ s senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates for the headlining lots - $ 200,000 to $ 300,000 for the crown and $ 60,000 to $ 80,000 for the letters - are low , with the hope that the auction house can attract first-time bidders and show it is not just a stuffy place for multi-million-dollar watches and paintings .
Onetime friends who became rivals in a hype-fueled war between the East and West Coast rap scenes , Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G .
- also known as Biggie Smalls - were gunned down within months of each other .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been in photographer Barron Claiborne ’ s possession since he captured Biggie for the cover of Rap Pages magazine .
Claiborne had provided the prop , hoping to portray Biggie as the king of New York .
Sean “ Diddy ” Combs , owner of Biggie ’ s label Bad Boy Entertainment , was with the rapper on the photo shoot .
“ I ’ ve seen the crown .
Everybody ’ s seen the crown .
It ’ s so famous .
It ’ s so iconic .
When I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought , ‘ Wouldn ’ t it be great to track that crown down ?
’ ” Hatton said .
“ I ’ ve sold all sorts of wild things .
But this is a little different.
” Shakur ’ s letters - many on lined stationary pages with neat hand-lettered script - were written in 1987 and 1988 to Kathy Loy , a fellow student at the Baltimore School for the Arts .
The 42 pages chronicle their approximately two-month long romance , including a letter of regret for breaking up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letters for auction .
“ I ’ ll always be there for you , ” Shakur wrote to her in one .
In a poem , we writes : “ Everything is so beautiful/since I fell in love.
” The trove also reveal his friendship with fellow student Jada Pinkett Smith , who he mentions in one letter : “ Jada told me she can see how much I love you.
” What interested Hatton most is the tone of the letters .
Unlike Shakur ’ s tough public persona , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sensitive young man.
” “ There are definitely moments that made me blush reading the letters - he is a 16-year-old boy after all , ” she added .
“ But he is very respectful .
He advocates for clear communication and boundaries and wants to define relationships.
” The auction continues Sotheby ’ s recent trend toward embracing items prized by popular culture , including hosting the first dedicated sneaker auction at one of the big auction houses in July 2019 .
A pair of Michael Jordan ’ s signed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s for a record $ 615,000 .

NEW YORK (AP) - Rivals in life, the rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur are being united for an auction at Sotheby’s, the first-ever dedicated hip-hop auction at a major international auction house.
Bidders will be able to vie for the crown worn and signed by the Notorious B.I.G. during a 1997 photo shoot held three days before he was killed in Los Angeles. They’ll also get to bid on an archive of 22 autographed love letters written by Shakur at the age of 15-17 to a high school sweetheart.
The auction will be held Sept. 15 and features over 120 hip-hop-related lots. The items can be viewed in person - reservations are required during the pandemic - at Sotheby’s in New York City and the exhibition will also be available to the public online via its digital gallery.
“The impact of hip-hop is everywhere - sneakers, clothing, jewelry, art, music. I wanted to have a sale that really recognized how massive that impact really is,” said Cassandra Hatton, the Sotheby’s senior specialist who organized the sale.
The estimates for the headlining lots - $200,000 to $300,000 for the crown and $60,000 to $80,000 for the letters - are low, with the hope that the auction house can attract first-time bidders and show it is not just a stuffy place for multi-million-dollar watches and paintings.
Onetime friends who became rivals in a hype-fueled war between the East and West Coast rap scenes, Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. - also known as Biggie Smalls - were gunned down within months of each other. Both crimes remain unsolved.
The crown has been in photographer Barron Claiborne’s possession since he captured Biggie for the cover of Rap Pages magazine. Claiborne had provided the prop, hoping to portray Biggie as the king of New York. Sean “Diddy” Combs, owner of Biggie’s label Bad Boy Entertainment, was with the rapper on the photo shoot.
“I’ve seen the crown. Everybody’s seen the crown. It’s so famous. It’s so iconic. When I was first thinking of doing this sale, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to track that crown down?’” Hatton said. “I’ve sold all sorts of wild things. But this is a little different.”
Shakur’s letters - many on lined stationary pages with neat hand-lettered script - were written in 1987 and 1988 to Kathy Loy, a fellow student at the Baltimore School for the Arts. The 42 pages chronicle their approximately two-month long romance, including a letter of regret for breaking up sent a year later. Loy provided the letters for auction.
“I’ll always be there for you,” Shakur wrote to her in one. In a poem, we writes: “Everything is so beautiful/since I fell in love.” The trove also reveal his friendship with fellow student Jada Pinkett Smith, who he mentions in one letter: “Jada told me she can see how much I love you.”
What interested Hatton most is the tone of the letters. Unlike Shakur’s tough public persona, the letters reveal a “sweet, poetic, sensitive young man.”
“There are definitely moments that made me blush reading the letters - he is a 16-year-old boy after all,” she added. “But he is very respectful. He advocates for clear communication and boundaries and wants to define relationships.”
The auction continues Sotheby’s recent trend toward embracing items prized by popular culture, including hosting the first dedicated sneaker auction at one of the big auction houses in July 2019. A pair of Michael Jordan’s signed, game-worn Nikes was recently auctioned by Christie’s for a record $615,000.
___
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits