washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Top teacher hopes more equitable system follows pandemic

SALT LAKE CITY ( AP ) - A self-described “ shy Korean boy , ” John Arthur credits his junior high and high school teachers for helping him find his voice .
“ If it wasn ’ t for them , one , I might not have made it through high school , but two , I certainly wouldn ’ t be a teacher and I wouldn ’ t have the guts to say anything that ’ s on my mind or my heart , ” said Arthur , addressing the Utah State Board of Education Thursday , moments after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Year .
Now in his eighth year of teaching , Arthur teaches sixth grade at Meadowlark Elementary School , a Title I school in the Salt Lake City School District .
It is there that he pays it forward , helping his students learn to advocate for children and immigrants through music videos that they produce together and share on their YouTube channel , 9thEvermore .
Arthur ’ s students have received national recognition for their work .
“ I feel so blessed .
Children are the best people and teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s just no better way to spend a day than working with kids , ” Arthur said .
Addressing the State School Board via Zoom , Arthur joked he was sporting a “ COVID chic ” outfit - gym shorts and a tuxedo jacket his mother bought him for his wedding .
His mother , who is from Korea , “ always had this ambition I would wear this tuxedo after my wedding when I won an Oscar or something like that .
This is as close as I ’ m ever going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she gets to see it , ” Arthur said .
While Arthur , who is teaching online as the Salt Lake City School District is solely offering remote instruction to start the school year , joked about his attire , he used his new platform to advocate for a more equitable education system .
“ This is the perfect moment for us to think about what a nation should look like when this is all said and done , because we need to take care of each during this terrible time but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps that we need to to create a more equitable educational system , ” he said .
“ We should be doing everything we can , as we think about how we get our kids connected now .
We also need to remember the students that were pushed out beforehand .
We need to make sure that the school-to-prison pipeline is such a pre-COVID thing and makes no sense in the future , ” said Arthur .
Arthur serves on the State School Board ’ s advisory committee on equity of educational services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges of teaching school during a global pandemic .
“ It ’ s hard to feel confident or sure about anything when everything feels conflicted and mixed up .
I am both incredibly excited about the future of education , especially here in Utah , but also terrified of our present moment , ” he said .
Arthur said he worried that he would feel disconnected from his students teaching online .
Instead , it ’ s pushed him out into the neighborhoods to “ find them and reach out to them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve done more home visits and called more parents and sent more texts and emails in the last seven months than I have in seven years.
” He and his students may be physically distanced , but “ I feel in a lot of ways more connected as a teacher to my community than I have before.
” Ordinarily , Utah ’ s teacher of the year is announced at a banquet .
But in the midst of the pandemic , that wasn ’ t possible .
State Superintendent of Public Instruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classroom Thursday morning to inform him he had been selected as Utah ’ s 2021 Teacher of the Year , presenting him an oversized check for $ 10,000 .
As she entered his classroom , Arthur was in the middle of an online lesson .
“ He was so worried about making sure that they ( his students ) were being taught while they were on .
It was amazing to watch him manage everything while we were punking him , ” Dickson said .
Arthur said Dickson ’ s visit was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I ’ m incredibly grateful .
I ’ m proud to bring this back to the Salt Lake City School District and Meadowlark Elementary.
” Arthur said he owes the recognition to five women : his wife , Stacey , his mother-in-law SuAnn Cannon who cares for their children while the couple works , his mom , Suka , and his current and former principals , Maggie Cummings and Heidi Greene .
The Arthurs have two young daughters .
Arthur , who was a military brat who lived on Fort Douglas as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brighton High School .
His father was a military officer who met his mother when he was serving in Korea .
The family moved to Utah when Arthur was about 8 years old .
Arthur credits his teachers for taking a personal interest in him and supporting him after his grandmother , who lived with his family , died .
“ I stopped going to school in the middle of my junior year .
Before that I was taking AP classes .
I was a model student in most ways .
But after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things , I just sort of lost sight of any meaning in any of this .
I just stopped going , ” he said .
Brighton High social studies teacher Jim Hodges supported Arthur , he said .
Instead of judging him for his frequent absences and occasional obnoxious behavior , he asked , “ Are you OK ?
” It ’ s something Arthur ’ s adopted in his own teaching , he said - checking in with his students and “ treating kids like they are complicated and also humans.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between a student reaching their goals and falling between the cracks .
For Arthur , completing high school went “ down to the wire .
I had to do packets and everything else and now I ’ m Utah Teacher of the Year .
Go figure.
” After earning a bachelor ’ s degree in English from the University of Utah , Arthur worked as a substitute teacher and discovered his passion for working with children .
He returned to college to earn a masters degrees in elementary education and special education from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board Certified Teacher , one of 438 Utah educators who have achieved that certification , according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards .
He guides his students in creating music videos that they produce together and share on their YouTube channel , 9thEvermore .
Arthur ’ s students have garnered national recognition as advocates for children and immigrants for their work .
“ Arthur allows his students to take the lead in their work , coaching them as they craft their content and providing a platform for their work , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s website states .
Meadowlark Assistant Principal Wayne Culley , in a statement , said Arthur works tirelessly to improve his teaching craft .
“ He tutors students before and after school no matter which grade or school they are enrolled in .
He helps future students in younger grades , students from Northwest ( Middle School ) and the high schools .
Students and families know his generosity , love and dedication .
He believes in all students no matter their past or current struggles , ” he said .
Felicia Raybourne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he helps students through life .
“ He makes sure his students understand everything they are learning no matter how much extra time it takes .
Mr. Arthur took my daughter to chess and debate tournaments , opportunities I never thought she ’ d have .
She also learned to take school seriously , and now she enjoys school so much , ” Raybourne said in a statement .
An adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at Westminster College , Arthur works with students training to become teachers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , specializing in students with mild/moderate disabilities , and English as a Second Language .
He presents at conferences and has spoken on panels for organizations such as the National Association for Multicultural Education and the Utah Education Association .
Arthur said teachers are professionals who dedicate their lives to educating and uplifting children .
Right now , they ’ re in survival mode .
This is a time for everyone to do their best be kind to one another , he said .
“ I ’ ve had students who have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with trauma .
Right now , it just feels like that ’ s all of us .
You know , we ’ re all in a time of crisis .
… Grace under fire doesn ’ t mean you don ’ t cry .
If you ’ re cracking jokes right now to stay happy , that ’ s good .
Just try and make sure they ’ re kind-hearted ones.
” As Utah ’ s 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year , Arthur will represent the state in the National Teacher of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers .
Copper Hills High School American Sign Language teacher Rae Boren and Eastmont Middle School career and technical education teacher Emma Moss were named Teacher of the Year runners-up and will each receive $ 4,000 .

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A self-described “shy Korean boy,” John Arthur credits his junior high and high school teachers for helping him find his voice.
“If it wasn’t for them, one, I might not have made it through high school, but two, I certainly wouldn’t be a teacher and I wouldn’t have the guts to say anything that’s on my mind or my heart,” said Arthur, addressing the Utah State Board of Education Thursday, moments after being name Utah’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.
Now in his eighth year of teaching, Arthur teaches sixth grade at Meadowlark Elementary School, a Title I school in the Salt Lake City School District. It is there that he pays it forward, helping his students learn to advocate for children and immigrants through music videos that they produce together and share on their YouTube channel, 9thEvermore. Arthur’s students have received national recognition for their work.
“I feel so blessed. Children are the best people and teaching is the best job. There’s just no better way to spend a day than working with kids,” Arthur said.
Addressing the State School Board via Zoom, Arthur joked he was sporting a “COVID chic” outfit - gym shorts and a tuxedo jacket his mother bought him for his wedding.
His mother, who is from Korea, “always had this ambition I would wear this tuxedo after my wedding when I won an Oscar or something like that. This is as close as I’m ever going to get so I’m glad she gets to see it,” Arthur said.
While Arthur, who is teaching online as the Salt Lake City School District is solely offering remote instruction to start the school year, joked about his attire, he used his new platform to advocate for a more equitable education system.
“This is the perfect moment for us to think about what a nation should look like when this is all said and done, because we need to take care of each during this terrible time but also start planning and putting into place the steps that we need to to create a more equitable educational system,” he said.
“We should be doing everything we can, as we think about how we get our kids connected now. We also need to remember the students that were pushed out beforehand. We need to make sure that the school-to-prison pipeline is such a pre-COVID thing and makes no sense in the future,” said Arthur.
Arthur serves on the State School Board’s advisory committee on equity of educational services for students.
He also addressed the challenges of teaching school during a global pandemic.
“It’s hard to feel confident or sure about anything when everything feels conflicted and mixed up. I am both incredibly excited about the future of education, especially here in Utah, but also terrified of our present moment,” he said.
Arthur said he worried that he would feel disconnected from his students teaching online.
Instead, it’s pushed him out into the neighborhoods to “find them and reach out to them in order to make things work. I’ve done more home visits and called more parents and sent more texts and emails in the last seven months than I have in seven years.”
He and his students may be physically distanced, but “I feel in a lot of ways more connected as a teacher to my community than I have before.”
Ordinarily, Utah’s teacher of the year is announced at a banquet. But in the midst of the pandemic, that wasn’t possible.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson popped into Arthur’s classroom Thursday morning to inform him he had been selected as Utah’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, presenting him an oversized check for $10,000.
As she entered his classroom, Arthur was in the middle of an online lesson.
“He was so worried about making sure that they (his students) were being taught while they were on. It was amazing to watch him manage everything while we were punking him,” Dickson said.
Arthur said Dickson’s visit was a “warm and incredible surprise this morning but I’m incredibly grateful. I’m proud to bring this back to the Salt Lake City School District and Meadowlark Elementary.”
Arthur said he owes the recognition to five women: his wife, Stacey, his mother-in-law SuAnn Cannon who cares for their children while the couple works, his mom, Suka, and his current and former principals, Maggie Cummings and Heidi Greene. The Arthurs have two young daughters.
Arthur, who was a military brat who lived on Fort Douglas as a child, is a graduate of Brighton High School. His father was a military officer who met his mother when he was serving in Korea. The family moved to Utah when Arthur was about 8 years old.
Arthur credits his teachers for taking a personal interest in him and supporting him after his grandmother, who lived with his family, died.
“I stopped going to school in the middle of my junior year. Before that I was taking AP classes. I was a model student in most ways. But after my grandma passed away and some other things, I just sort of lost sight of any meaning in any of this. I just stopped going,” he said.
Brighton High social studies teacher Jim Hodges supported Arthur, he said. Instead of judging him for his frequent absences and occasional obnoxious behavior, he asked, “Are you OK?”
It’s something Arthur’s adopted in his own teaching, he said - checking in with his students and “treating kids like they are complicated and also humans.”
He knows it can make a difference between a student reaching their goals and falling between the cracks.
For Arthur, completing high school went “down to the wire. I had to do packets and everything else and now I’m Utah Teacher of the Year. Go figure.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Utah, Arthur worked as a substitute teacher and discovered his passion for working with children. He returned to college to earn a masters degrees in elementary education and special education from Westminster College.
Arthur is a National Board Certified Teacher, one of 438 Utah educators who have achieved that certification, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
He guides his students in creating music videos that they produce together and share on their YouTube channel, 9thEvermore. Arthur’s students have garnered national recognition as advocates for children and immigrants for their work.
“Arthur allows his students to take the lead in their work, coaching them as they craft their content and providing a platform for their work,” the Utah State Board of Education’s website states.
Meadowlark Assistant Principal Wayne Culley, in a statement, said Arthur works tirelessly to improve his teaching craft.
“He tutors students before and after school no matter which grade or school they are enrolled in. He helps future students in younger grades, students from Northwest (Middle School) and the high schools. Students and families know his generosity, love and dedication. He believes in all students no matter their past or current struggles,” he said.
Felicia Raybourne, whose daughter was taught by Arthur, said he helps students through life.
“He makes sure his students understand everything they are learning no matter how much extra time it takes. Mr. Arthur took my daughter to chess and debate tournaments, opportunities I never thought she’d have. She also learned to take school seriously, and now she enjoys school so much,” Raybourne said in a statement.
An adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at Westminster College, Arthur works with students training to become teachers.
Arthur holds endorsements in K–6 special education, specializing in students with mild/moderate disabilities, and English as a Second Language. He presents at conferences and has spoken on panels for organizations such as the National Association for Multicultural Education and the Utah Education Association.
Arthur said teachers are professionals who dedicate their lives to educating and uplifting children. Right now, they’re in survival mode.
This is a time for everyone to do their best be kind to one another, he said.
“I’ve had students who have been in crisis my entire career and dealing with trauma. Right now, it just feels like that’s all of us. You know, we’re all in a time of crisis. … Grace under fire doesn’t mean you don’t cry. If you’re cracking jokes right now to stay happy, that’s good. Just try and make sure they’re kind-hearted ones.”
As Utah’s 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year, Arthur will represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year Program in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Copper Hills High School American Sign Language teacher Rae Boren and Eastmont Middle School career and technical education teacher Emma Moss were named Teacher of the Year runners-up and will each receive $4,000.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Louisiana parishes no longer getting COVID-19 patient names

BATON ROUGE , La .
( AP ) - Gov .
John Bel Edwards ’ administration has stopped sharing information about residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus with local officials in dozens of parishes .
The Louisiana Department of Health ended the data-sharing Friday .
Louisiana was one of few states still providing the patient names to local law enforcement or emergency workers , particularly after civil liberty and community activists raised privacy concerns around the country .
In Louisiana , the health department had raised worries about parishes potentially violating federal privacy laws governing the sensitive health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for us to end this practice .
This data no longer serves its original intent and in fact could lead first responders to make the wrong decisions in protecting themselves , ” the health department said in a statement to The Associated Press .
The agency began sending lists of people with positive tests and their addresses to local emergency officials in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic to help first responders know when they ’ d be interacting with someone infected with the virus .
That ’ s when first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other protective gear .
“ The original intent for sharing this personal data on residents who have tested positive for COVID with first responders was to help them decide when and how to ration their ( personal protective equipment ) , ” the health department said .
“ We are not in the same situation.
” In addition , the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus has spread across Louisiana since March , and many people don ’ t get tested even if they have it .
Some people are asymptomatic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , while others have such minor symptoms they don ’ t worry about the test .
“ We ’ re encouraging everyone to take the proper precautions .
You don ’ t need the data to tell you that anymore , ” said Edwards spokeswoman Christina Stephens .
Worries emerged months ago about misuse of the lists by some parish officials who received them .
Officials with Red River Parish ’ s homeland security office and with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff ’ s Office posted claims on Facebook in July that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents in their parishes who tested positive for COVID-19 .
The nonpartisan legislative auditor ’ s office debunked that theory and said the officials misunderstood the lists they received .
Those social media posts prompted the health department to ask parishes to sign data-sharing agreements if they wanted to continue getting the information .
Sheriffs and emergency preparedness leaders in 40 of Louisiana ’ s 64 parishes filed the documents to continue receiving the lists .
Those are the agreements the health department ended Friday .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration has stopped sharing information about residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus with local officials in dozens of parishes.
The Louisiana Department of Health ended the data-sharing Friday.
Louisiana was one of few states still providing the patient names to local law enforcement or emergency workers, particularly after civil liberty and community activists raised privacy concerns around the country. In Louisiana, the health department had raised worries about parishes potentially violating federal privacy laws governing the sensitive health care data.
“It is past time for us to end this practice. This data no longer serves its original intent and in fact could lead first responders to make the wrong decisions in protecting themselves,” the health department said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The agency began sending lists of people with positive tests and their addresses to local emergency officials in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic to help first responders know when they’d be interacting with someone infected with the virus. That’s when first responders had shortages of masks, gloves and other protective gear.
“The original intent for sharing this personal data on residents who have tested positive for COVID with first responders was to help them decide when and how to ration their (personal protective equipment),” the health department said. “We are not in the same situation.”
In addition, the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus has spread across Louisiana since March, and many people don’t get tested even if they have it. Some people are asymptomatic and don’t know they have the virus, while others have such minor symptoms they don’t worry about the test.
“We’re encouraging everyone to take the proper precautions. You don’t need the data to tell you that anymore,” said Edwards spokeswoman Christina Stephens.
Worries emerged months ago about misuse of the lists by some parish officials who received them.
Officials with Red River Parish’s homeland security office and with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office posted claims on Facebook in July that the health department was inflating the numbers of residents in their parishes who tested positive for COVID-19. The nonpartisan legislative auditor’s office debunked that theory and said the officials misunderstood the lists they received.
Those social media posts prompted the health department to ask parishes to sign data-sharing agreements if they wanted to continue getting the information. Sheriffs and emergency preparedness leaders in 40 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes filed the documents to continue receiving the lists. Those are the agreements the health department ended Friday.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Head of Thai zoos shot dead amid missing wildlife scandal

BANGKOK ( AP ) - The head of Thailand ’ s state zoological agency was shot dead Saturday as he was pursuing an investigation into the suspicious disappearance of rare animals from a zoo in a southern province .
Police Capt .
Komalpan Srithep said that Suriya Saengpong , the director-general of the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand , was shot several times in the offices of the Songkhla Zoo .
Srithep said the suspected gunman , a senior official at the zoo , fled the scene of the shooting and killed himself in his living quarters .
The motive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though Srithep said the suspected gunman was one of four senior zoo officials being investigated .
Missing animals from Songkhla Zoo became headline news in Thailand this past week when leaked documents showed that Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa was dissatisfied with an initial probe into the disappearance of a rare albino barking deer from there in February .
Songkhla Zoo director Chalermvudh Kasetsomboon had reported that he had obtained photos that indicated the deer was eaten by a Burmese python , but his assertion was received with skepticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which published the leaked documents , said there were suspicions that the missing deer , along with other animals , was sold to or stolen by wildlife traffickers .
Varawut then ordered a a new investigation , which Suriya traveled to Songkhla from Bangkok to launch Saturday .
The illegal trade in wildlife generates about $ 25 billion in criminal income each year , according to TRAFFIC , an international conservation group that monitors such activities , It is believed to be the world ’ s fourth most lucrative criminal activity after trafficking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gun-related violence is not rare in Thailand , though it is unusual for a senior official to be killed as a result of a workplace dispute .
In February in northeastern Thailand , a Thai Army soldier who believed he had been cheated by his commanding colonel in a property transaction shot dead the officer and then went on a shooting rampage that left 31 people dead , including himself .

BANGKOK (AP) - The head of Thailand’s state zoological agency was shot dead Saturday as he was pursuing an investigation into the suspicious disappearance of rare animals from a zoo in a southern province.
Police Capt. Komalpan Srithep said that Suriya Saengpong, the director-general of the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand, was shot several times in the offices of the Songkhla Zoo.
Srithep said the suspected gunman, a senior official at the zoo, fled the scene of the shooting and killed himself in his living quarters.
The motive for the killings was not immediately clear, though Srithep said the suspected gunman was one of four senior zoo officials being investigated.
Missing animals from Songkhla Zoo became headline news in Thailand this past week when leaked documents showed that Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa was dissatisfied with an initial probe into the disappearance of a rare albino barking deer from there in February.
Songkhla Zoo director Chalermvudh Kasetsomboon had reported that he had obtained photos that indicated the deer was eaten by a Burmese python, but his assertion was received with skepticism.
The online site Isra News, which published the leaked documents, said there were suspicions that the missing deer, along with other animals, was sold to or stolen by wildlife traffickers.
Varawut then ordered a a new investigation, which Suriya traveled to Songkhla from Bangkok to launch Saturday.
The illegal trade in wildlife generates about $25 billion in criminal income each year, according to TRAFFIC, an international conservation group that monitors such activities, It is believed to be the world’s fourth most lucrative criminal activity after trafficking in drugs, humans and arms.
Gun-related violence is not rare in Thailand, though it is unusual for a senior official to be killed as a result of a workplace dispute.
In February in northeastern Thailand, a Thai Army soldier who believed he had been cheated by his commanding colonel in a property transaction shot dead the officer and then went on a shooting rampage that left 31 people dead, including himself.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--8 charged in French cryptocurrency scheme to finance jihadis

PARIS ( AP ) - France ’ s anti-terrorism prosecutor ’ s office said Saturday that eight people have been charged for their alleged involvement in a complex scheme financing Islamic extremists in Syria through the use of cryptocurrencies .
Two suspects have been handed preliminary charges of financing terrorism and terrorist conspiracy in a judicial investigation opened Saturday .
The same preliminary charges have been given to another suspect in a related case .
Five other people who have been charged with financing terrorism will be sent to trial by the end of the year , the statement said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French police arrested a total of 30 people around the country in the case .
Most were released without charges .
Earlier this week , a statement from the anti-terrorism prosecutor ’ s office said search warrants are out for the two main figures in the scheme , French jihadis who have likely been in northwestern Syria since 2013 and are suspected of creating “ the architecture of this network of terrorism financing.
” The scheme was initially uncovered by a team within the French Economy Ministry that traces fiscal fraud , money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s police operation targeted a financing network that has been active since 2019 .
It was based mainly on the purchase in France of cryptocurrency coupons , details of which were transferred by secure messaging to jihadis in Syria , who could then retrieve the money through cryptocurrency platforms .
Hundreds of thousands of euros are thought to have been supplied via the network , benefiting members of al-Qaida still hiding out in Syria and also jihadis of the Islamic State group .

PARIS (AP) - France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said Saturday that eight people have been charged for their alleged involvement in a complex scheme financing Islamic extremists in Syria through the use of cryptocurrencies.
Two suspects have been handed preliminary charges of financing terrorism and terrorist conspiracy in a judicial investigation opened Saturday. The same preliminary charges have been given to another suspect in a related case.
Five other people who have been charged with financing terrorism will be sent to trial by the end of the year, the statement said.
The prosecutor’s office said French police arrested a total of 30 people around the country in the case. Most were released without charges.
Earlier this week, a statement from the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said search warrants are out for the two main figures in the scheme, French jihadis who have likely been in northwestern Syria since 2013 and are suspected of creating “the architecture of this network of terrorism financing.”
The scheme was initially uncovered by a team within the French Economy Ministry that traces fiscal fraud, money laundering and terror financing.
This week’s police operation targeted a financing network that has been active since 2019. It was based mainly on the purchase in France of cryptocurrency coupons, details of which were transferred by secure messaging to jihadis in Syria, who could then retrieve the money through cryptocurrency platforms.
Hundreds of thousands of euros are thought to have been supplied via the network, benefiting members of al-Qaida still hiding out in Syria and also jihadis of the Islamic State group.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--China's Xi sends sympathy message to Trump over infection

BEIJING ( AP ) - Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of sympathy Saturday to U.S. President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ following their coronavirus diagnosis , state TV reported .
“ My wife , Peng Liyuan @ @ @ @ @ sympathies to you and your wife and wish you a fast recovery , ” state @ @ @ @ @ the message as saying .
Chinese-U.S. relations have tumbled to their lowest point in decades @ @ @ @ @ technology , security , Beijing ’ s tightening of control over Hong Kong and complaints @ @ @ @ @ s Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang .
Trump has blamed China , where the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ of mishandling the outbreak and allowing it to spread .

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of sympathy Saturday to U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump following their coronavirus diagnosis, state TV reported.
“My wife, Peng Liyuan, and I express our sympathies to you and your wife and wish you a fast recovery,” state TV on its website cited the message as saying.
Chinese-U.S. relations have tumbled to their lowest point in decades amid disputes over trade, technology, security, Beijing’s tightening of control over Hong Kong and complaints about abuses in China’s Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang.
Trump has blamed China, where the coronavirus outbreak began in December, of mishandling the outbreak and allowing it to spread.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Israeli navy prepares for arrival of new upgraded warships

After a coronavirus-related delay , Israel ’ s navy is preparing for the long-awaited arrival of its next generation of missile boats - giving it a powerful new tool to defend its strategic natural gas industry from the threat of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah .
The first missile boat of “ Project Magen ” is scheduled to arrive by early December , with three more of the German-made corvettes scheduled to arrive over the next two years .
“ It ’ s bigger .
It ’ s newer .
It ’ s faster .
It ’ s better , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of Israeli naval operations , during a rare tour of Israel ’ s offshore Leviathan gas field .
A massive gas platform stood just a few hundred meters ( yards ) away .
The vessels , commonly known as the “ Saar 6 , ” will be at the forefront of Israeli efforts to protect its 200-mile exclusive economic zone .
The natural gas industry , seen as a national asset , is at the heart of those efforts .
Over a decade after finding sizeable reserves off its Mediterranean coast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its electricity from natural gas , according to the national electric company , and has begun to export gas to its Arab neighbors Jordan and Egypt .
Israel is also pursuing a project with Greece and Cyprus in hopes of creating an Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline to Europe .
With so much at stake , Hezbollah has identified Israeli gas installations as high-priority targets .
In a 2018 speech , the group ’ s leader , Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah , said he could destroy Israeli gas assets “ within a few hours ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so .
Hezbollah is part of an alliance that dominates Lebanese politics and government .
Israel takes such threats seriously .
During a monthlong war in 2006 , a Hezbollah cruise-missile strike on an Israeli “ Saar 5 ” warship killed four soldiers .
Lt. Col. Eitan Paz , a flotilla commander , said the new vessels would bring a welcome upgrade to the aging Saar 5 ’ s , which are nearly 30 years old .
He said they would be equipped with newer and more powerful radar and other electronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better than their predecessors .
The 90-meter ( 295-foot ) vessels are equipped with rocket and missile defense systems , anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles , torpedoes and an upgraded launching pad for Israel ’ s newest attack helicopters .
“ Physically , it ’ s not much bigger than the Saar 5 , ” he said .
“ But it adds all of these systems.
” He said the first boat , the INS Magen , or “ Shield , ” was supposed to arrive in August , but delivery was delayed due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be deployed immediately and reach full operational capacity within several months after it is outfitted with Israeli weapons systems in several phases .
Since the 2006 war , Hezbollah is believed to have greatly beefed up its arsenal with some 150,000 rockets and missiles , according to Israeli estimates .
Israel also accuses the group of trying to develop precision-guided missiles , which would make that arsenal far more lethal .
Harel said the navy ’ s main concerns are Chinese-made C-802 missiles , like the one that hit the Israeli ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” anti-ship missiles possessed by Hezbollah ’ s ally Syria .
But he said the military has learned lessons from that war .
“ We are prepared and we will be even more prepared when we have the new battleships , ” he said .
Israel agreed to buy the vessels in a 2015 deal valued at roughly 430 million euros ( $ 480 million at the time ) , with the German government covering about one quarter of the cost .
Several Israeli businessmen , including confidants of Israel ’ s Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the navy , are suspects in a graft scandal connected to the purchase of the warships and submarines from German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp .
Netanyahu , who is on trial in three other corruption cases , was not named as a suspect in the scandal and no one active in the Israeli navy has been connected .

ABOARD THE INS LAHAV (AP) - After a coronavirus-related delay, Israel’s navy is preparing for the long-awaited arrival of its next generation of missile boats - giving it a powerful new tool to defend its strategic natural gas industry from the threat of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The first missile boat of “Project Magen” is scheduled to arrive by early December, with three more of the German-made corvettes scheduled to arrive over the next two years.
“It’s bigger. It’s newer. It’s faster. It’s better,” said Rear Adm. Eyal Harel, head of Israeli naval operations, during a rare tour of Israel’s offshore Leviathan gas field. A massive gas platform stood just a few hundred meters (yards) away.
The vessels, commonly known as the “Saar 6,” will be at the forefront of Israeli efforts to protect its 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The natural gas industry, seen as a national asset, is at the heart of those efforts.
Over a decade after finding sizeable reserves off its Mediterranean coast, Israel now generates some 60% of its electricity from natural gas, according to the national electric company, and has begun to export gas to its Arab neighbors Jordan and Egypt. Israel is also pursuing a project with Greece and Cyprus in hopes of creating an Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline to Europe.
With so much at stake, Hezbollah has identified Israeli gas installations as high-priority targets. In a 2018 speech, the group’s leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, said he could destroy Israeli gas assets “within a few hours” if there was a government order to do so. Hezbollah is part of an alliance that dominates Lebanese politics and government.
Israel takes such threats seriously. During a monthlong war in 2006, a Hezbollah cruise-missile strike on an Israeli “Saar 5” warship killed four soldiers.
Lt. Col. Eitan Paz, a flotilla commander, said the new vessels would bring a welcome upgrade to the aging Saar 5’s, which are nearly 30 years old.
He said they would be equipped with newer and more powerful radar and other electronic systems, and handle rough seas much better than their predecessors. The 90-meter (295-foot) vessels are equipped with rocket and missile defense systems, anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and an upgraded launching pad for Israel’s newest attack helicopters.
“Physically, it’s not much bigger than the Saar 5,” he said. “But it adds all of these systems.”
He said the first boat, the INS Magen, or “Shield,” was supposed to arrive in August, but delivery was delayed due to the coronavirus. He said it would be deployed immediately and reach full operational capacity within several months after it is outfitted with Israeli weapons systems in several phases.
Since the 2006 war, Hezbollah is believed to have greatly beefed up its arsenal with some 150,000 rockets and missiles, according to Israeli estimates. Israel also accuses the group of trying to develop precision-guided missiles, which would make that arsenal far more lethal.
Harel said the navy’s main concerns are Chinese-made C-802 missiles, like the one that hit the Israeli ship in 2006, and Russian-made “Yakhont” anti-ship missiles possessed by Hezbollah’s ally Syria.
But he said the military has learned lessons from that war. “We are prepared and we will be even more prepared when we have the new battleships,” he said.
Israel agreed to buy the vessels in a 2015 deal valued at roughly 430 million euros ($480 million at the time), with the German government covering about one quarter of the cost.
Several Israeli businessmen, including confidants of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former commander of the navy, are suspects in a graft scandal connected to the purchase of the warships and submarines from German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp.
Netanyahu, who is on trial in three other corruption cases, was not named as a suspect in the scandal and no one active in the Israeli navy has been connected.
___
Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--9 people missing amid heavy floods in southeastern France

PARIS ( AP ) - At least nine people were missing Saturday after almost a year ’ s average rainfall fell in less than 12 hours in the mountainous area surrounding the city of Nice , in southeastern France .
Authorities said flooding damaged houses , bridges and roads overnight in the mountainous Alpes-Maritimes region , close to the border with Italy .
Nice mayor Christian Estrosi expressed his “ emotion and sympathy ” for the families of the missing .
He said over 100 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged .
Firefighters said several dozen people were evacuated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emmanuel Macron on Saturday expressed gratitude toward rescuers on Twitter .
“ Together we will get through this , ” he said .
France ’ s national weather agency , Meteo France , said that up to 500 millimeters of rain ( 19.7 inches ) were recorded in some areas , the equivalent of almost one year of average rainfall .
Meteo France had issued a danger alert on Friday and all schools in the region had been closed .
Local authorities urged people to stay at home .
French Prime Minister Jean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to arrive in the area later on Saturday .

PARIS (AP) - Italian firefighters rescued 25 people trapped on the French side of a high mountain pass by severe flooding that killed two people in Italy, while 15 were stuck in a train station for the night and eight more remained missing Saturday in France.
A storm that moved overnight across southeastern France into northwestern Italy caused major flooding on both sides of the border, destroying bridges, blocking roads and isolating communities.
In Italy, a firefighter was killed during a rescue operation in the mountainous northern region of Val d’Aosta. A search team found a body in the Piedmont region’s Vercelli province, where a man had been swept away by flood waters late Friday.
The Italian firefighters used a helicopter to ferry 17 people to safety from the French town of Vievola, including a woman with two grandchildren. A bulldozer fetched another eight people who managed to climb the Col de Tende, a high mountain pass linking France and Italy, to a tunnel.
Fifteen more people were taking shelter in the Vievola train station after the operation to rescue them was put off until daylight.
The spokesman for Italy’s firefighters, Luca Cari, said a search was ongoing for a missing shepherd who was pulled into flood waters on Col de Tende. His brother managed to grab onto a tree and was saved, while authorities were searching on the French side for the shepherd.
The situation at the tunnel on the high mountain pass was complicated by the fact that French emergency responders cannot access their side due to flood damage, Cari said.
Unrelenting rainfall overnight hit levels not seen since 1958 in northern Italy’s Piedmont region, where as much as 630 millimeters (24.8 inches) of rain fell in a 24 hour period, according to the Italian civil protection agency.
Hundreds of rescue operations were carried out. Eleven campers were saved in Vercelli province, where floodwaters hit 20-year highs. And Alpine rescue squads have evacuated by foot seven people who were in houses cut off by flooding at Terme di Valdieri; some had to be carried on stretchers due to the muddy conditions and accumulation of detritus.
On the other side of the border, in southeastern France, almost a year’s average rainfall fell in less than 12 hours in the mountainous area surrounding the city of Nice. Nice mayor Christian Estrosi said over 100 homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the area.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex, who flew over the area in an helicopter, confirmed that at least eight people were missing in France, including two firefighters whose vehicle was carried away by water when a road collapsed.
“I cannot hide our grave concern on the definitive toll,” Castex said.
Many worried families had not heard from their relatives due to cellphone services being cut off in the area.
“As I speak, priority goes to searching for victims, providing supplies and accommodation for the people affected, and restoring communications,” the prime minister said.
Rescue efforts included 871 personnel working on the ground, as well as military helicopters and troops helping with emergency assistance, Castex said.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday expressed gratitude toward rescuers on Twitter. “Together we will get through this,” he said.
France’s national weather agency, Meteo France, said that up to 500 millimeters of rain (19.7 inches) were recorded in some areas, the equivalent of almost one year of average rainfall.
Meteo France issued a danger alert on Friday and all schools in the region had been closed. Local authorities urged people to stay at home.
In central Switzerland, flooding along the Reuss River caused the closure of a stretch of the A2 highway – a major trans-Alpine route. Further east, 13 residents were evacuated from their homes in the town of Diesbach because of flooding.
____
Barry reported from Milan, Italy. Geir Moulson in Berlin, Germany contributed to the story.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Police exhume bodies of 3 Kashmir men killed by Indian army

SRINAGAR , India ( AP ) - Government investigators on Saturday exhumed the bodies of three young men in disputed Kashmir , two weeks after the Indian military in a rare admission said its soldiers exceeded their legal powers in killing the men they described as Pakistani terrorists .
A team of police and medical officials exhumed the bodies of three men in western Baramulla district and handed them over to their families for burial at their remote village in southern Rajouri district , police said .
Mohammed Yousuf , the father of one of the victims , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Our sons have been proved innocent and we are now waiting for justice , ” Yousuf said .
“ The killers must face justice.
” The Indian army on July 18 said its soldiers killed three “ unidentified Pakistani terrorists ” in Kashmir ’ s southern Shopian area .
Police , who usually participate in counterinsurgency operations , said the July 18 encounter was a solo operation by the army .
Police , however , later buried the bodies in a remote cemetery in Baramulla .
About a month later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as their missing relatives using photographs of the bodies that circulated on social media .
The families filed a complaint with police , accusing soldiers of killing their relatives in a staged gunbattle .
The families said the three men went to Shopian to work as laborers and were last heard from on July 17 .
Police ordered an investigation , the results of which have yet to be released .
On Sept. 18 , the Indian military admitted wrongdoing and said its internal probe identified the three men killed as local residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified them .
It also said an army investigation showed the soldiers had exceeded the powers granted to them under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act .
The act gives the Indian military in Kashmir sweeping powers to search , seize and even shoot suspects on sight without fear of prosecution .
Under the act , local authorities need federal approval to prosecute army or paramilitary soldiers in civilian courts .
The special powers were given to the military in 1990 , a year after an armed rebellion erupted in Kashmir seeking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with neighboring Pakistan , which also controls part of Kashmir and claims the entire region .
Kashmiri civilians and activists for years have accused Indian troops of abusing their powers and repeatedly targeting civilians .
In 2000 , the Indian army killed five men it alleged were militants responsible for the massacre of 35 Sikhs in Kashmir .
An investigation later found the five were local villagers killed in a faked firefight .
In 2010 , a massive uprising erupted in Kashmir after a police investigation found Indian soldiers had killed three civilians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the victims were militants in order to claim a reward for killing them .
The army responded by suspending two officers .
India has rejected every request since 1989 to prosecute Indian soldiers in civilian courts in Kashmir for alleged rights abuses including murder and rape , according to official documents .

SRINAGAR, India (AP) - Government investigators on Saturday exhumed the bodies of three young men in disputed Kashmir, two weeks after the Indian military in a rare admission said its soldiers exceeded their legal powers in killing the men they described as Pakistani terrorists.
A team of police and medical officials exhumed the bodies of three men in western Baramulla district and handed them over to their families for burial at their remote village in southern Rajouri district, police said.
Mohammed Yousuf, the father of one of the victims, said the three were “murdered in cold blood.”
“Our sons have been proved innocent and we are now waiting for justice,” Yousuf said. “The killers must face justice.”
The Indian army on July 18 said its soldiers killed three “unidentified Pakistani terrorists” in Kashmir’s southern Shopian area. Police, who usually participate in counterinsurgency operations, said the July 18 encounter was a solo operation by the army. Police, however, later buried the bodies in a remote cemetery in Baramulla.
About a month later, three families in Rajouri identified the victims as their missing relatives using photographs of the bodies that circulated on social media. The families filed a complaint with police, accusing soldiers of killing their relatives in a staged gunbattle.
The families said the three men went to Shopian to work as laborers and were last heard from on July 17.
Police ordered an investigation, the results of which have yet to be released.
On Sept. 18, the Indian military admitted wrongdoing and said its internal probe identified the three men killed as local residents, without explaining how the military had identified them. It also said an army investigation showed the soldiers had exceeded the powers granted to them under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The act gives the Indian military in Kashmir sweeping powers to search, seize and even shoot suspects on sight without fear of prosecution. Under the act, local authorities need federal approval to prosecute army or paramilitary soldiers in civilian courts.
The special powers were given to the military in 1990, a year after an armed rebellion erupted in Kashmir seeking the Himalayan region’s independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan, which also controls part of Kashmir and claims the entire region.
Kashmiri civilians and activists for years have accused Indian troops of abusing their powers and repeatedly targeting civilians.
In 2000, the Indian army killed five men it alleged were militants responsible for the massacre of 35 Sikhs in Kashmir. An investigation later found the five were local villagers killed in a faked firefight.
In 2010, a massive uprising erupted in Kashmir after a police investigation found Indian soldiers had killed three civilians in a staged gunbattle and then said the victims were militants in order to claim a reward for killing them. The army responded by suspending two officers.
India has rejected every request since 1989 to prosecute Indian soldiers in civilian courts in Kashmir for alleged rights abuses including murder and rape, according to official documents.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Madrid starts partial virus lockdown amid political dispute

MADRID ( AP ) - Madrid awoke Saturday to its first day under a partial lockdown , with police controlling travel in and out of the Spanish capital as the city and its suburbs have become Europe ’ s biggest hot spot in the second wave of the coronavirus .
Spain ’ s national government ordered two weeks of new restrictions that started at 10 p.m. Friday ( 2000 GMT ) despite reluctance from regional officials .
The measures prohibit all nonessential trips in and out of the capital and nine of its suburbs - affecting around 4.8 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shops at 10 p.m. , and both must limit occupancy to 50 % of their capacity .
Spain ’ s Socialist prime minister , Pedro Sánchez , said the steps were “ critical ” to stopping virus outbreaks and preventing a repeat of the horrific scenes of March and April , when hospitals were overrun with dying patients .
“ Union is the best vaccine against COVID , ” Sánchez said Saturday .
Even though the measures are light compared with the home confinement mandated across Spain during the first wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political battle between Sánchez ’ s left-wing coalition government and the Madrid administration run by a right-wing rival .
The Madrid government led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso of the conservative Popular Party said it would enforce the Spanish government ’ s orders but it also has challenged them in the National Court Ayuso and her regional ministers have said the restrictions will cause “ chaos , ” hurt an already weakened economy and violate their jurisdiction as regional authorities .
Ayuso ’ s message has reached at least some residents who see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics than public health .
“ I think we have gone to the extremes , ” said Ángel Davila , a 52-year-old engineer at Atocha train station .
“ I think that the measures they have put in place aren ’ t correct .
They are not based , according to what I have studied , on medical information .
It is a political thing now more than anything else.
” Health experts , however , have been urging Madrid to take stronger action for weeks , but Madrid ’ s health chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary .
The health ministry ordered compliance after Madrid refused to accept a set of health metrics to dictate when cities with populations of 100,000 of more need to adopt heavier restrictions to curb the virus .
The measures were approved by a majority of regional health authorities from Spain ’ s 19 regions and autonomous cities , with Madrid in the minority against them .
The government orders only allow people to cross the municipal borders to commute for work , for a medical appointment , legal errands , or appointments with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already applied similar measures to certain areas , and limited social gatherings to a maximum of six people , but the infections kept rising .
Madrid is leading the resurgence of the virus in Spain , which has Europe ’ s highest cumulative caseload - 770,000 since the onset of the pandemic .
The capital had a two-week infection rate of 695 cases per 100,000 residents Thursday , more than twice the national average of 274 cases and seven times the European average , which stood at 94 per 100,000 residents last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention .
Over 32,000 people have died from the virus in Spain , according to the Health Ministry .
The true death count is likely to be much higher given the lack of testing during the first weeks of the pandemic .

MADRID (AP) - Madrid awoke Saturday to its first day under a partial lockdown, with police controlling travel in and out of the Spanish capital as the city and its suburbs have become Europe’s biggest hot spot in the second wave of the coronavirus.
Spain’s national government ordered two weeks of new restrictions that started at 10 p.m. Friday (2000 GMT) despite reluctance from regional officials.
The measures prohibit all nonessential trips in and out of the capital and nine of its suburbs - affecting around 4.8 million people. Restaurants must close at 11 p.m. and shops at 10 p.m., and both must limit occupancy to 50% of their capacity.
Spain’s Socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the steps were “critical” to stopping virus outbreaks and preventing a repeat of the horrific scenes of March and April, when hospitals were overrun with dying patients.
“Union is the best vaccine against COVID,” Sánchez said Saturday.
The new health standards are designed to kick in once a municipality has 500 infections per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days and 30% of the intensive care units are occupied by COVID-19 patients.
Even though the measures are light compared with the home confinement mandated across Spain during the first wave of the virus, they have sparked a political battle between Sánchez’s left-wing coalition government and the Madrid administration run by a right-wing rival.
The Madrid government led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso of the conservative Popular Party said it would enforce the Spanish government’s orders but it also has challenged them in the National Court Ayuso and her regional ministers have said the restrictions will cause “chaos,” hurt an already weakened economy and violate their jurisdiction as regional authorities.
Ayuso’s message has reached at least some residents who see the issue as having more to do with politics than public health.
“I think we have gone to the extremes,” said Ángel Davila, a 52-year-old engineer at Atocha train station. “I think that the measures they have put in place aren’t correct. They are not based, according to what I have studied, on medical information. It is a political thing now more than anything else.”
Health experts, however, have been urging Madrid to take stronger action for weeks, but Madrid Health Chief Enrique Ruiz Escudero argued they were unnecessary.
Rafael Bengoa, the ex-health chief of Spain’s Basque Country region and an international consultant who was an advisor for U.S. President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform, said the measures that took effect in Madrid on Friday night are lax and late “due to inter-institutional and political disunion.”
“The indicators that the national government had to enforce onto the Madrid government yesterday are actually quite generous,” Bengoa told The Associated Press. “Most European countries would be in lockdown with the figures and trend Madrid has been having the past weeks.”
The Spanish Health Ministry ordered compliance after Madrid refused to accept a set of health metrics to dictate when cities with populations of 100,000 of more need to adopt heavier restrictions to curb the virus.
The measures were approved by a majority of regional health authorities from Spain’s 19 regions and autonomous cities, with Madrid in the minority against them.
The government orders only allow people to cross municipal borders to commute for work, for a medical appointment, legal errands, or appointments with a governmental administration.
The region had already applied similar measures to certain areas, and limited social gatherings to a maximum of six people, but the infections kept rising.
“These measures taken should start improving things since they will complement the already obligatory use of face masks and an improved track and trace system,” Bengoa said.
Madrid is leading the resurgence of the virus in Spain, which has Europe’s highest cumulative caseload - 770,000 confirmed cases since the onset of the pandemic.
The capital had a two-week infection rate of 695 cases per 100,000 residents Thursday, more than twice the national average of 274 cases and seven times the European average, which stood at 94 per 100,000 residents last week, according to the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over 32,000 people have died from the virus in Spain, according to the Health Ministry. The true death count is likely to be much higher given the lack of testing during the first weeks of the pandemic.
___
Wilson reported from Barcelona.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Pro-Trump protesters, counter-protesters clash at Bend rally

BEND , Ore. ( AP ) - Pro-Trump protesters and counter-protesters clashed Saturday in Bend at a rally and street @ @ @ @ @ support of the president , Oregon Public Broadcasting reported .
Fights broke out between the @ @ @ @ @ a Trump flag from a supporter of President Donald Trump , OPB reported .
People @ @ @ @ @ punches and someone fired mace into the crowd , video posted on social media by @ @ @ @ @ event , called the Trump Cruise rally , was to feature a potluck , guest @ @ @ @ @ Bend , organizers told KOHD-TV .

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Pro-Trump protesters and counter-protesters clashed Saturday in Bend at a rally and street cruise that was held in support of the president, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
Fights broke out between the two sides when someone took a Trump flag from a supporter of President Donald Trump, OPB reported. People on both sides started trading punches and someone fired mace into the crowd, video posted on social media by OPB showed.
The pro-Trump event, called the Trump Cruise rally, was to feature a potluck, guest speakers and a cruise through Bend, organizers told KOHD-TV.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Warner, Gade tackle questions on race, equity in 2nd debate

RICHMOND , Va. ( AP ) - Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and his Republican opponent , Daniel Gade , clashed over topics including policing and coronavirus relief legislation but also found a number of points of agreement Saturday night during their second debate .
The event , held at Norfolk State University , focused on racial disparities and inequities .
Gade , a political newcomer and retired Army officer , frequently attacked Warner as a career politician with little to show for his time in Washington .
Warner , a former governor , emphasized his background in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying at one point , “ Virginians know me.
” Although Warner is considered the heavy favorite to win reelection for a third Senate term representing Virginia , which has swung solidly blue in the Trump era , Gade has said he is undeterred by Warner ’ s advantages .
No Republican candidate has won a statewide election in Virginia since 2009 , and Democrats took full control of the legislature in January for the first time in a generation .
Warner also holds a significant fundraising advantage over Gade , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gade ’ s approximately $ 983,000 , according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project .
Gade repeatedly jabbed at Warner during the debate over his “ no ” vote on GOP coronavirus relief legislation , at one point calling Warner ’ s opposition to the measure “ stunning.
” Warner said the measure wouldn ’ t have done enough for struggling families and noted that it didn ’ t get unanimous support from Republicans .
The two were also at odds over a question about whether police chokeholds should be banned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd would be alive , Eric Garner would be alive if there were prohibitions on chokeholds.
” Gade said no : “ It ’ s a feel-good measure .
It ’ s from people who have never been on the ground , who have never had dirty boots and have never had to do the hard work that police have to do every day.
” The candidates , who were largely cordial and mostly adhered to time limits , found agreement on several issues .
Both said they would take a COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that such a vaccine shouldn ’ t be mandated for children .
Both raised concerns about the militarization of police forces around the country .
Both agreed that the Black Lives Matter movement was about social justice , not sowing discord , and both said they do not support calls to defund police .
One portion of the event involved the moderators asking a series of questions directed only at one candidate , in which Gade and Warner were asked to defend past remarks or choices they had made .
Warner was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 congressional effort to get the Washington NFL team to change its name .
“ I probably should have weighed in earlier , ” he said .
Gade was asked about a 2019 interview he gave in which he said families “ being trapped in these nasty , failing public schools is a recipe for continued degradation across our society.
” Gade vigorously defended school choice , saying , “ The most systemically failing thing for Black families is the fact that far too often they are trapped with no recourse in schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failing.
” A professor at American University in Washington , Gade was seriously injured in Iraq in 2005 , losing a leg after his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb .
He advised President George W. Bush on military and disability issues and was Trump ’ s appointee to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission , but withdrew his nomination after a lengthy delay in the Senate over his confirmation .
Warner , a businessman who co-founded the company that became Nextel , served as governor of Virginia from 2002 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 to the Senate , where he now serves as vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence .
Saturday ’ s debate was the second of three planned before Election Day .
Norfolk State and its Center for African American Public Policy partnered with TV station WAVY , The Virginia Bar Association and Visit Norfolk to host the event .
Due to the pandemic , it was closed to the broader public with only invited guests allowed , according to the school .
The first debate was held last month , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 in Richmond .

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and his Republican opponent, Daniel Gade, clashed over topics including policing and coronavirus relief legislation but also found a number of points of agreement Saturday night during their second debate.
The event, held at Norfolk State University, focused on racial disparities and inequities. Gade, a political newcomer and retired Army officer, frequently attacked Warner as a career politician with little to show for his time in Washington. Warner, a former governor, emphasized his background in business and defended his accomplishments and experience, saying at one point, “Virginians know me.”
Although Warner is considered the heavy favorite to win reelection for a third Senate term representing Virginia, which has swung solidly blue in the Trump era, Gade has said he is undeterred by Warner’s advantages.
No Republican candidate has won a statewide election in Virginia since 2009, and Democrats took full control of the legislature in January for the first time in a generation. Warner also holds a significant fundraising advantage over Gade, having raised nearly $10.6 million compared with Gade’s approximately $983,000, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
Gade repeatedly jabbed at Warner during the debate over his “no” vote on GOP coronavirus relief legislation, at one point calling Warner’s opposition to the measure “stunning.” Warner said the measure wouldn’t have done enough for struggling families and noted that it didn’t get unanimous support from Republicans.
The two were also at odds over a question about whether police chokeholds should be banned.
Warner indicated yes, saying, “George Floyd would be alive, Eric Garner would be alive if there were prohibitions on chokeholds.”
Gade said no: “It’s a feel-good measure. It’s from people who have never been on the ground, who have never had dirty boots and have never had to do the hard work that police have to do every day.”
The candidates, who were largely cordial and mostly adhered to time limits, found agreement on several issues.
Both said they would take a COVID-19 vaccine proven to be safe but agreed that such a vaccine shouldn’t be mandated for children. Both raised concerns about the militarization of police forces around the country. Both agreed that the Black Lives Matter movement was about social justice, not sowing discord, and both said they do not support calls to defund police.
One portion of the event involved the moderators asking a series of questions directed only at one candidate, in which Gade and Warner were asked to defend past remarks or choices they had made.
Warner was asked why he didn’t support a 2014 congressional effort to get the Washington NFL team to change its name.
“I probably should have weighed in earlier,” he said.
Gade was asked about a 2019 interview he gave in which he said families “being trapped in these nasty, failing public schools is a recipe for continued degradation across our society.”
Gade vigorously defended school choice, saying, “The most systemically failing thing for Black families is the fact that far too often they are trapped with no recourse in schools that are nasty and that are actually failing.”
A professor at American University in Washington, Gade was seriously injured in Iraq in 2005, losing a leg after his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. He advised President George W. Bush on military and disability issues and was Trump’s appointee to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but withdrew his nomination after a lengthy delay in the Senate over his confirmation.
Warner, a businessman who co-founded the company that became Nextel, served as governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006. He was first elected in 2008 to the Senate, where he now serves as vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence.
Saturday’s debate was the second of three planned before Election Day. Norfolk State and its Center for African American Public Policy partnered with TV station WAVY, The Virginia Bar Association and Visit Norfolk to host the event. Due to the pandemic, it was closed to the broader public with only invited guests allowed, according to the school.
The first debate was held last month, and the final debate is slated for Oct. 13 in Richmond.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Exploding Takata air bag inflator kills Arizona driver

LANSING , Mich. ( AP ) - Another person has been killed by an exploding Takata air bag inflator , bringing the worldwide death toll to at least 26 .
The latest death occurred Aug. 20 in Mesa , Arizona , in the crash of a 2002 Honda Civic , according to a statement released Saturday by Honda .
It was the 17th death reported in the United States .
Others have been reported in Malaysia and Australia .
Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash .
But the chemical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moisture in the air .
The explosion can blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment .
The problem caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history , with at least 63 million inflators recalled .
The U.S. government says that as of September , more than 11.1 million had not been fixed .
About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide .
Honda said in a statement that it inspected the Civic in the Mesa crash on Wednesday , along with the U.S. National Highway Traffic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflator in the driver ’ s side air bag had ruptured .
The inflator in the passenger air bag also ruptured .
Honda said the Civic was recalled in December 2011 for the driver ’ s side inflator and in November of 2014 for the passenger side .
The company said it mailed more than 15 notices to the owners over eight years , but the free repairs were never done .
The company said it also made numerous phone calls and even visited the current registered owner ’ s home and left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed was not the registered owner of the car , Honda said .
The company would not release further information about the driver .
Honda , which has the most Takata inflators of any manufacturer , urged owners of recalled Honda and Acura vehicles to get repairs done at a dealer as soon as possible .
Owners can check their vehicles ’ recall status at www.recalls.honda.com or www.recalls.acura.com .
Worldwide , more than 200 people have been hurt by the inflators .
Takata was charged criminally and was sold after filing for bankruptcy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this report from Detroit .
This story has been corrected to show that Honda said the Civic was recalled for the driver ’ s side inflator in December 2011 , not December 2012 .

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Another person has been killed by an exploding Takata air bag inflator, bringing the worldwide death toll to at least 26.
The latest death occurred Aug. 20 in Mesa, Arizona, in the crash of a 2002 Honda Civic, according to a statement released Saturday by Honda. It was the 17th death reported in the United States. Others have been reported in Malaysia and Australia.
Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to moisture in the air. The explosion can blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
The problem caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 63 million inflators recalled. The U.S. government says that as of September, more than 11.1 million had not been fixed. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide.
Honda said in a statement that it inspected the Civic in the Mesa crash on Wednesday, along with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and determined that the inflator in the driver’s side air bag had ruptured. The inflator in the passenger air bag also ruptured.
Honda said the Civic was recalled in December 2011 for the driver’s side inflator and in November of 2014 for the passenger side. The company said it mailed more than 15 notices to the owners over eight years, but the free repairs were never done. The company said it also made numerous phone calls and even visited the current registered owner’s home and left recall information.
The driver who was killed was not the registered owner of the car, Honda said. The company would not release further information about the driver.
Honda, which has the most Takata inflators of any manufacturer, urged owners of recalled Honda and Acura vehicles to get repairs done at a dealer as soon as possible. Owners can check their vehicles’ recall status at www.recalls.honda.com or www.recalls.acura.com.
Worldwide, more than 200 people have been hurt by the inflators. Takata was charged criminally and was sold after filing for bankruptcy.
___
AP Business Writer Dee-Ann Durbin contributed to this report from Detroit.
___
This story has been corrected to show that Honda said the Civic was recalled for the driver’s side inflator in December 2011, not December 2012.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Human remains found near abandoned mine

Human remains found near abandoned mine

SAGUACHE , Colo. ( AP ) - Human remains were discovered by hikers near an abandoned mine in a remote @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
Colorado Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Susan Medina said in a news release @ @ @ @ @ Grand Junction regional office have been requested by the Saguache County Sheriff ’ s Office @ @ @ @ @ were discovered Friday in a remote location in the western part of the county , @ @ @ @ @ the condition of the remains , authorities said it appears the body was there for @ @ @ @ @ Medina says there is no evidence at this time that connects this case with the @ @ @ @ @ neighbor reported Morphew , from the Maysville area , missing after she failed to return @ @ @ @ @ May 10 .
An autopsy on the remains has been scheduled with the Saguache County @ @ @ @ @

SAGUACHE, Colo. (AP) - Human remains were discovered by hikers near an abandoned mine in a remote location west of Pueblo, authorities said.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Susan Medina said in a news release Saturday that agents from its Grand Junction regional office have been requested by the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office to investigate.
The remains were discovered Friday in a remote location in the western part of the county, Medina said.
Based on the condition of the remains, authorities said it appears the body was there for “quite some time.”
Medina says there is no evidence at this time that connects this case with the Suzanne Morphew investigation. A neighbor reported Morphew, from the Maysville area, missing after she failed to return from a bike ride on May 10.
An autopsy on the remains has been scheduled with the Saguache County Coroner, Medina said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Trump thanks the world for its outpouring of love

President Trump late Saturday thanked his doctors and the world for its well-wishes as he remains hospitalized due to complications from the coronavirus , saying he plans to “ be back soon ” and wants to “ finish up the campaign the way it was started.
” He said the outpouring of love from both parties and many countries has been “ incredible.
” “ I came here , wasn ’ t feeling so well , I feel much better now , we ’ re working hard to get me all the way back .
I have to be back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great again .
We ’ ve done an awfully good job of that but we still have steps to go and we have to finish that job , ” he said in a four-minute video message posted to Twitter from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
The president looks a bit fatigued in the video .
He is seated at a desk in a white dress shirt and blue jacket without a tie .
His doctor , Sean P. Conley , said the president had made “ substantial progress ” since his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second dose of remdesivir , an antiviral drug from Gilead Sciences that ’ s been shown to help COVID-19 patients recover .
“ He spent most of the afternoon conducting business , and has been up and moving about the medical suite without difficultly , ” he said in a memo late Saturday .
“ While not yet out of the woods , the team remains cautiously optimistic.
” Dr. Conley said the president will remain under observation Sunday in between doses of remdesivir , while the president continues his duties .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ early Friday evening , less than 24 hours after he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus .
He is expected to spend several days at the military hospital .
In his Twitter message , the president said everyone will “ be seeing what happens ” over the next couple of days .
Mr. Trump highlighted the therapeutics he received to help him along .
Besides remdesivir , he received an “ antibody cocktail ” from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals .
“ Frankly , they ’ re miracles , if you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said .
“ Coming down from God.
” Mr. Trump characterized his hospital stay as a positive alternative to being “ locked up ” in the White House .
The president said that was an option , but he couldn ’ t stay cooped up .
“ I had to be out front , ” Mr. Trump said .
“ This is the most powerful country in the world , I can ’ t be locked up in a room upstairs and totally safe and just say , ‘ Whatever happens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you have to confront problems , ” he said .
He said Mrs. Trump is also doing “ very well ” and highlighted the fact she is “ slightly younger ” than him , at 50 years old compared to his 74 years , which puts him in a vulnerable group when it comes to COVID-19 .
“ Melania is handling it , statistically , like it ’ s supposed to be handled , ” he said .
“ That makes me very happy , and it makes the country very happy @ @

President Trump late Saturday thanked his doctors and the world for its well-wishes as he remains hospitalized due to complications from the coronavirus, saying he plans to “be back soon” and wants to “finish up the campaign the way it was started.”
He said the outpouring of love from both parties and many countries has been “incredible.”
“I came here, wasn’t feeling so well, I feel much better now, we’re working hard to get me all the way back. I have to be back because we still have to make American great again. We’ve done an awfully good job of that but we still have steps to go and we have to finish that job,” he said in a four-minute video message posted to Twitter from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The president looks a bit fatigued in the video. He is seated at a desk in a white dress shirt and blue jacket without a tie.
His doctor, Sean P. Conley, said the president had made “substantial progress” since his diagnosis late Thursday and remained fever-free after a second dose of remdesivir, an antiviral drug from Gilead Sciences that’s been shown to help COVID-19 patients recover.
“He spent most of the afternoon conducting business, and has been up and moving about the medical suite without difficultly,” he said in a memo late Saturday. “While not yet out of the woods, the team remains cautiously optimistic.”
Dr. Conley said the president will remain under observation Sunday in between doses of remdesivir, while the president continues his duties.
Mr. Trump was taken to Walter Reed early Friday evening, less than 24 hours after he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. He is expected to spend several days at the military hospital.
In his Twitter message, the president said everyone will “be seeing what happens” over the next couple of days.
Mr. Trump highlighted the therapeutics he received to help him along. Besides remdesivir, he received an “antibody cocktail” from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
“Frankly, they’re miracles, if you want to know the truth,” Mr. Trump said. “Coming down from God.”
Mr. Trump characterized his hospital stay as a positive alternative to being “locked up” in the White House.
The president said that was an option, but he couldn’t stay cooped up.
“I had to be out front,” Mr. Trump said. “This is the most powerful country in the world, I can’t be locked up in a room upstairs and totally safe and just say, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’”
“As a leader, you have to confront problems,” he said.
He said Mrs. Trump is also doing “very well” and highlighted the fact she is “slightly younger” than him, at 50 years old compared to his 74 years, which puts him in a vulnerable group when it comes to COVID-19.
“Melania is handling it, statistically, like it’s supposed to be handled,” he said. “That makes me very happy, and it makes the country very happy.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Utah records 3rd day in a row of over 1,000 new virus cases

SALT LAKE CITY , Utah ( AP ) - An increase in Utah COVID-19 cases continued Saturday with another 1,068 reported infections - making it the eighth day case numbers have jumped above 1,000 in the last two weeks .
It ’ s also the third day in a row of daily case counts topping 1,000 , with 1,107 cases Friday and 1,008 on Thursday , according to the Utah Department of Health .
State health officials are cautioning that with every increase a wave of hospitalizations and deaths will follow , The Salt Lake Tribune reported .
Two more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Saturday .
The latest deaths were a man , between the ages of 65 and 84 , in Wasatch County and another man , older than 85 , in Juab County .
Both lived in long-term care facilities .
At least 476 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began , officials said .
Schools statewide saw an additional 102 cases reported Saturday for a total of 2,603 cases since most reopened in August .
So far , 363 teachers have gotten the virus , the health department reported .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two weeks and moved instruction online because of outbreaks .

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) - An increase in Utah COVID-19 cases continued Saturday with another 1,068 reported infections - making it the eighth day case numbers have jumped above 1,000 in the last two weeks.
It’s also the third day in a row of daily case counts topping 1,000, with 1,107 cases Friday and 1,008 on Thursday, according to the Utah Department of Health.
State health officials are cautioning that with every increase a wave of hospitalizations and deaths will follow, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Two more residents died from the virus, officials said Saturday.
The latest deaths were a man, between the ages of 65 and 84, in Wasatch County and another man, older than 85, in Juab County. Both lived in long-term care facilities. At least 476 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, officials said.
Schools statewide saw an additional 102 cases reported Saturday for a total of 2,603 cases since most reopened in August. So far, 363 teachers have gotten the virus, the health department reported.
And at least 10 schools have shut down for two weeks and moved instruction online because of outbreaks.
In other developments:
- The Navajo Nation, which sprawls across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, reported 17 new coronavirus cases and no new deaths Saturday. The total number of deaths related to the virus on the huge reservation remains at 558, and the total number of cases is now 10,421.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--9-year-old girl killed in shooting in Sacramento, police say

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) - A 9-year-old girl was killed and three others were injured in a drive-by shooting Saturday in Sacramento , police told the FOX40.com TV station and the Sacramento Bee .
The shooting happened at 1:10 p.m. in a park in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood on the city ’ s north side , and a woman , man and 6-year-old girl were the people injured , police said .
Police spokesman Officer Karl Chan told the Bee that a family was gathering at Mama Marks Park when a gunman drove up and shot them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene , the Bee reported .
Police said the 6-year-old girl is in stable condition , and the woman is in critical condition .
Police told the Bee that a man had taken himself to a hospital , also suffering a gunshot wound .
He is in stable condition , police said .
Chan told the Bee that the site of the shooting is “ a very emotional scene.
” There is no information on a suspect or suspects , police told the newspaper and the TV station .
On Sept. 11 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was hit by a stray bullet , the Bee reported .
A bullet fired from the street struck her in her living room .

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A 9-year-old girl was killed and three others were injured in a drive-by shooting Saturday in Sacramento, police told the FOX40.com TV station and the Sacramento Bee.
The shooting happened at 1:10 p.m. in a park in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood on the city’s north side, and a woman, man and 6-year-old girl were the people injured, police said.
Police spokesman Officer Karl Chan told the Bee that a family was gathering at Mama Marks Park when a gunman drove up and shot them.
The 9-year-old girl died at the scene, the Bee reported. Police said the 6-year-old girl is in stable condition, and the woman is in critical condition.
Police told the Bee that a man had taken himself to a hospital, also suffering a gunshot wound. He is in stable condition, police said.
Chan told the Bee that the site of the shooting is “a very emotional scene.”
Officers are investigating a potential gang connection to the shooting, Chan told the Bee.
There is no information on a suspect or suspects, police told the newspaper and the TV station.
On Sept. 11, 2018, 3-year-old Azalya Anderson died after she was hit by a stray bullet, the Bee reported. A bullet fired from the street struck her in her living room.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Lawmaker asks for state involvement in social club death

BRIDGEPORT , Conn. ( AP ) - A Connecticut lawmaker has asked the top state prosecutor to investigate the death @ @ @ @ @ was shot inside a social club and then stumbled outside where he was struck by @ @ @ @ @ State Sen. Marilyn Moore said Saturday she wanted to ensure a fair review of the @ @ @ @ @ Nixon in Bridgeport .
No arrests have been made .
Nixon was shot inside a @ @ @ @ @ of the Bridgeport City Council , Moore said in a letter to Chief State ’ @ @ @ @ @ Moore also cited a fraud investigation that has led to corruption charges against the city @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I believe the city would benefit if your office leads the investigation , @ @ @ @ @ , wrote .
After the shooting , Democratic Councilwoman Eneida Martinez told The Connecticut Post @ @ @ @ @ been permanently closed .

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut lawmaker has asked the top state prosecutor to investigate the death of a 21-year-old man who was shot inside a social club and then stumbled outside where he was struck by a car that fled.
State Sen. Marilyn Moore said Saturday she wanted to ensure a fair review of the Sept. 27 death of Nayir Nixon in Bridgeport.
No arrests have been made.
Nixon was shot inside a club managed by a member of the Bridgeport City Council, Moore said in a letter to Chief State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr. Moore also cited a fraud investigation that has led to corruption charges against the city’s former police chief.
“I believe the city would benefit if your office leads the investigation,” Moore, a Democrat, wrote.
After the shooting, Democratic Councilwoman Eneida Martinez told The Connecticut Post that the Keystone club had been permanently closed.
Jackie Scott, Nixon’s grandmother, called the victim “a gentle, sweet soul.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Demonstrators camp in protest of pregnant woman's arrest

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
( AP ) - Protesters are pledging to camp in front of police headquarters in downtown Kansas City until the officer who kneeled on a pregnant Black woman is fired .
KCUR reports that around a dozen protesters spent the night Friday on the lawn outside the police headquarters , with their numbers growing throughout Saturday .
They also want Chief Rick Smith to resign .
Witnesses who identified themselves as legal observers and affiliated with a local group of attorneys called “ Liberty Lawyers ” stood by overnight .
The pregnant woman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer threw the woman to the ground Wednesday night when she complained that he had backed into her as she filmed a balloon release for a homicide victim .
But police said in a statement that officers were responding to a report of fighting and that the woman was interfering with officers who were trying to arrest a man .
Video shows the woman on the ground with the officer ’ s knee on her back while people in the crowd yell to stop because she is pregnant .
Some officers can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested if they don ’ t move back .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Protesters are pledging to camp in front of police headquarters in downtown Kansas City until the officer who kneeled on a pregnant Black woman is fired.
KCUR reports that around a dozen protesters spent the night Friday on the lawn outside the police headquarters, with their numbers growing throughout Saturday. They also want Chief Rick Smith to resign.
Witnesses who identified themselves as legal observers and affiliated with a local group of attorneys called “Liberty Lawyers” stood by overnight.
The pregnant woman’s lawyer, Stacy Shaw, said an officer threw the woman to the ground Wednesday night when she complained that he had backed into her as she filmed a balloon release for a homicide victim. But police said in a statement that officers were responding to a report of fighting and that the woman was interfering with officers who were trying to arrest a man.
Video shows the woman on the ground with the officer’s knee on her back while people in the crowd yell to stop because she is pregnant. Some officers can be heard telling the crowd they will be arrested if they don’t move back.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Councilman in Mississippi's capital city resigns

JACKSON , Miss .
( AP ) - A councilman in Mississippi ’ s capital city is resigning from office .
Jackson Councilman Melvin Priester Jr. announced his resignation on Friday , saying it would be effective Monday .
The councilman , who represents Ward 2 , said in a news release he is stepping down to focus his attention on his law practice .
“ In these challenging times , I am stepping down to refocus my energy and attention on my law practice as we all look to navigate the ever-changing realities presented by COVID-19 , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the council for the past seven years , described his tenure as “ among the highest honors of my life , ” The Clarion Ledger reported .
During that time , he has served as council president , vice president and chairman of the budget committee .
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba , in a statement on the city ’ s Facebook page , thanked Priester for his service and wished him well in his future endeavors .
Priester said the city is in a better position now than when he first took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplishments he is proud of , such as the passage of the 1 % sales tax in 2014 to help Jackson address its widespread infrastructure challenges .
He also noted the council ’ s role in keeping Jackson Public Schools in local control after staving off a takeover by the state and the passage of a $ 65 million bond referendum to allow major repairs to schools .
“ These actions and others over the last seven years will pay even greater dividends as time moves forward and I am proud to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen , ” he said .

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A councilman in Mississippi’s capital city is resigning from office.
Jackson Councilman Melvin Priester Jr. announced his resignation on Friday, saying it would be effective Monday.
The councilman, who represents Ward 2, said in a news release he is stepping down to focus his attention on his law practice.
“In these challenging times, I am stepping down to refocus my energy and attention on my law practice as we all look to navigate the ever-changing realities presented by COVID-19,” he said.
Priester, who has served on the council for the past seven years, described his tenure as “among the highest honors of my life,” The Clarion Ledger reported.
During that time, he has served as council president, vice president and chairman of the budget committee.
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, in a statement on the city’s Facebook page, thanked Priester for his service and wished him well in his future endeavors.
Priester said the city is in a better position now than when he first took office in 2013. He listed several accomplishments he is proud of, such as the passage of the 1% sales tax in 2014 to help Jackson address its widespread infrastructure challenges. He also noted the council’s role in keeping Jackson Public Schools in local control after staving off a takeover by the state and the passage of a $65 million bond referendum to allow major repairs to schools.
“These actions and others over the last seven years will pay even greater dividends as time moves forward and I am proud to have played a part in making these changes happen,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Education Leader: Kansas schools must find better solution

TOPEKA , Kan. ( AP ) - Kansas state education commissioner Randy Watson said schools will need to rethink the way they deliver education amid the coronavirus pandemic because what is happening now is “ not sustainable.
” The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Watson told members of the Kansas Association of School Boards on Friday that one of the best solutions is to return students for five-day-a-week learning , while keeping class sizes to fewer than 15 students while requiring masks and social distancing .
Watson said schools may need to partner with other organizations in the community , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the pandemic to get enough room to space out students .
Watson also suggested that schools look internally for backup and use non-teaching school staff - like librarians , paraeducators , substitute teachers , central office staff and reading specialists - to fill the ranks .
“ Everyone is going to have to be a teacher again , ” he said .
“ Almost everyone .
We ’ re going to have to do that in order to have enough people to pull this off.
” He said his staff also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education to make it easier for people to become substitute teachers .
“ I ’ ve been in about 45 school districts since the start of school , and I will tell you , what we ’ re doing is not sustainable , ” Watson said .
“ Teachers can ’ t do it .
”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas state education commissioner Randy Watson said schools will need to rethink the way they deliver education amid the coronavirus pandemic because what is happening now is “not sustainable.”
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Watson told members of the Kansas Association of School Boards on Friday that one of the best solutions is to return students for five-day-a-week learning, while keeping class sizes to fewer than 15 students while requiring masks and social distancing.
Watson said schools may need to partner with other organizations in the community, like churches or businesses that are closed anyway because of the pandemic to get enough room to space out students.
Watson also suggested that schools look internally for backup and use non-teaching school staff - like librarians, paraeducators, substitute teachers, central office staff and reading specialists - to fill the ranks.
“Everyone is going to have to be a teacher again,” he said. “Almost everyone. We’re going to have to do that in order to have enough people to pull this off.”
He said his staff also plans to ask the Kansas Board of Education to make it easier for people to become substitute teachers.
“I’ve been in about 45 school districts since the start of school, and I will tell you, what we’re doing is not sustainable,” Watson said. “Teachers can’t do it.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-03--Scottsdale police chief in Arizona to resign on Dec. 1

PHOENIX ( AP ) - The head of an Arizona police department announced that he is stepping down to pursue @ @ @ @ @ Police Chief Alan Rodbell said he would resign on Dec. 1 after being with the @ @ @ @ @ is the department ’ s sixth police chief and has had the second-longest tenure in @ @ @ @ @ .
Rodbell said he is leaving the department for a job in the private sector @ @ @ @ @ It is an opportunity that comes at a time when I feel confident that the @ @ @ @ @ hands , ” Rodbell said in a statement .
“ I leave feeling good about @ @ @ @ @ Department .
This opportunity allows me to move away from Law Enforcement and still work @ @ @ @ @

PHOENIX (AP) - The head of an Arizona police department announced that he is stepping down to pursue a different career.
Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell said he would resign on Dec. 1 after being with the department since 2003. He is the department’s sixth police chief and has had the second-longest tenure in the office’s history.
Rodbell said he is leaving the department for a job in the private sector, KTVK-TV reported.
“It is an opportunity that comes at a time when I feel confident that the Scottsdale community is in great hands,” Rodbell said in a statement. “I leave feeling good about the City and our Police Department. This opportunity allows me to move away from Law Enforcement and still work and stay busy.”