washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Philippines: China should comply with sea feud ruling

MANILA , Philippines ( AP ) - The Philippines on Sunday renewed its call for compliance with a 4-year-old arbitration ruling that invalidated China ’ s vast claims in the disputed South China Sea on historical grounds “ without any possibility of compromise.
” Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. issued the call on the anniversary of the July 12 , 2016 , ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague that he said “ conclusively settled the issue of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea ” based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-negotiable , ” Locsin said in a statement .
“ The tribunal authoritatively ruled that China ’ s claim of historic rights to resources within the sea … had no basis in law.
” It ’ s the strongest statement the Philippines has issued so far in marking the milestone .
China has dismissed the decision as a “ sham ” and refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings after the administration of Philippines ‘ president at the time , Benigno Aquino III , challenged in 2013 China ’ s claims to virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to defy the decision with aggressive actions that have brought it into territorial spats with Vietnam , the Philippines and Malaysia in recent years .
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte , who has nurtured close ties with China since taking office in 2016 , raised the issue last year in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart , Xi Jingping , who he said flatly told him then , “ We will not budge.
” Duterte has long been criticized by nationalists and left-wing groups for not immediately and strongly demanding Chinese compliance with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the back burner while he took steps to revive relations with China that have been strained due to the long-raging territorial conflicts .
He has turned to China for trade , investment and aid while often lashing out at U.S. security policies .
Aside from China and the Philippines , Vietnam , Malaysia , Taiwan and Brunei have also laid claims to the strategic waters .
The United States has no claims to the waters but has deployed warships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote freedom of navigation and overflight in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upheld the Philippines ’ sovereign rights over a wide stretch of waters called the exclusive economic zone , where Chinese territorial claims have delayed for years Manila ’ s plan to explore and extract potential undersea deposits of oil and gas .
Locsin said the arbitration tribunal ruled that certain actions within the Philippines ’ exclusive economic zone violated the country ’ s sovereign rights and “ were thus unlawful.
” He outlined other Chinese violations cited by the tribunal , including the large-scale reclamation and construction of artificial islands that caused severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faith with the award would be consistent with the obligations of the Philippines and China under international law , ” Locsin said .
“ We commemorate the issuance of the award as a celebration of the rule of law , as a means to settle disputes amicably … and clearly mark out who would be in the wrong to insist on claims contrary to this award .
”

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The Philippines on Sunday renewed its call for compliance with a 4-year-old arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s vast claims in the disputed South China Sea on historical grounds “without any possibility of compromise.”
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. issued the call on the anniversary of the July 12, 2016, ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague that he said “conclusively settled the issue of historic rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea” based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“The award is non-negotiable,” Locsin said in a statement. “The tribunal authoritatively ruled that China’s claim of historic rights to resources within the sea … had no basis in law.”
It’s the strongest statement the Philippines has issued so far in marking the milestone. China has dismissed the decision as a “sham” and refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings after the administration of Philippines’ president at the time, Benigno Aquino III, challenged in 2013 China’s claims to virtually the entire disputed waters.
China has continued to defy the decision with aggressive actions that have brought it into territorial spats with Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia in recent years.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has nurtured close ties with China since taking office in 2016, raised the issue last year in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jingping, who he said flatly told him then, “We will not budge.”
Duterte has long been criticized by nationalists and left-wing groups for not immediately and strongly demanding Chinese compliance with the ruling, which he initially relegated to the back burner while he took steps to revive relations with China that have been strained due to the long-raging territorial conflicts. He has turned to China for trade, investment and aid while often lashing out at U.S. security policies.
Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have also laid claims to the strategic waters. The United States has no claims to the waters but has deployed warships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the busy waterway.
The ruling also upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights over a wide stretch of waters called the exclusive economic zone, where Chinese territorial claims have delayed for years Manila’s plan to explore and extract potential undersea deposits of oil and gas.
Locsin said the arbitration tribunal ruled that certain actions within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone violated the country’s sovereign rights and “were thus unlawful.” He outlined other Chinese violations cited by the tribunal, including the large-scale reclamation and construction of artificial islands that caused severe environmental damage.
“Compliance in good faith with the award would be consistent with the obligations of the Philippines and China under international law,” Locsin said. “We commemorate the issuance of the award as a celebration of the rule of law, as a means to settle disputes amicably … and clearly mark out who would be in the wrong to insist on claims contrary to this award.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Spain holds 2 regional elections amid small virus outbreaks

ORDIZIA , Spain ( AP ) - Over 4.4 million Spaniards in two northern regions are voting in regional elections Sunday amid tight security measures to avoid more outbreaks of the coronavirus .
Regional authorities in both the Basque Country and Galicia have prohibited over 400 people who have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 from going to polling stations to vote .
They would have to vote by mail or delegate their vote to another person .
Mail-in voting has increased in both regions .
The decision has been backed by both the national electoral board and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint filed by opposition parties , saying that the restrictions were justified in times of pandemic .
Voters must wear face masks to vote and remain 1.5 meters apart in polling stations , which are equipped with hand sanitizers .
Voters place their national identity cards in trays so they do not have to be handled by those who man the polling stations .
Amaia Arregi , 23 , said that she had concerns about voting in Ordizia , a Basque town of under 10,000 residents that is the most worrying hotspot in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 69 infections in recent days .
“ I was a little afraid when I was coming to vote but seeing the security measures in place calmed my nerves , ” she said .
“ The measures taken seem correct to me.
” Early participation figures released by both regional governments showed a slight increase in Galicia compared with the last regional election in 2016 and a smaller dip in the Basque Country by noon local time .
Results are expected later on Sunday .
The conservative Popular Party in Galicia and the Basque @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in power .
Both regional governments originally called elections to be held on April 5 but postponed them due to the rapid rise in infections that Spain could only rein in by locking down the country until June .
Health authorities are watching small outbreaks in both regions , as well as in other parts of Spain .
In northeast Catalonia , over 200,000 people have spent a week unable to leave their county due to an outbreak .
Authorities are also concerned about a smaller outbreak in the municipality of Hospitalet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area and has one of the highest population densities in Spain .
These are the first elections in Spain since the start of the pandemic that has claimed at least 28,000 lives in the European country .
Problems with testing early in the health crisis means that the true count is probably significantly higher .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

ORDIZIA, Spain (AP) - Over 4.4 million Spaniards in two northern regions voted in regional elections Sunday amid tight security measures to avoid more outbreaks of the coronavirus.
Regional authorities in both the Basque Country and Galicia prohibited over 400 people who had tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 from going to polling stations to vote. They would have to vote by mail or delegate their vote to another person.
The decision was backed by both the national electoral board and the Supreme Court in response to a complaint filed by opposition parties, saying that the restrictions were justified in times of pandemic.
Voters were obliged to wear face masks to vote and remain 1.5 meters apart in polling stations, which were equipped with hand sanitizers. Voters placed their national identity cards in trays so they did not have to be handled by those who man the polling stations.
Amaia Arregi, 23, said that she had concerns about voting in Ordizia, a Basque town of under 10,000 residents that is the most worrying hotspot in the Basque Country after the detection of 69 infections in recent days.
“I was a little afraid when I was coming to vote but seeing the security measures in place calmed my nerves,” she said. “The measures taken seem correct to me.”
Mail-in voting increased in both regions, as did the abstention rate from the same election four years ago with over 47% of voters in the Basque Country and over 41% in Galicia not casting ballots.
With over 95% of the votes counted in the Basque Country, the regionalist PNV party remained the most voted party, but will likely need to repeat a coalition government with the Socialists of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The conservative Popular Party in Galicia was on pace to maintain its absolute majority according to preliminary scrutiny with over 90% of the votes counted.
The biggest losers of the night were the far-left United We Can party, which forms part of Sánchez’s national government of progressives.
The surprise was the apparent entry of the far-right Vox party in the Basque parliament with one seat.
Both regional governments originally called elections to be held on April 5 but postponed them due to the rapid rise in infections that Spain could only rein in by locking down the country until June.
These were the first elections in Spain since the start of the pandemic that has claimed at least 28,000 lives in the European country. Problems with testing early in the health crisis means that the true count is probably significantly higher.
Health authorities are watching small outbreaks in both regions, as well as in other parts of Spain.
In northeast Catalonia, regional authorities tightened the lockdown of a rural area that had been closed off to non-essential travel for a week. Starting Monday, the 138,000 residents of Lleida and those of seven other smaller towns won’t be able to leave their homes except for work and other essential activities.
Authorities are also concerned about an outbreak in the municipality of Hospitalet, which forms part of the greater Barcelona area and has one of the highest population densities in Spain.
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Wilson reported from Barcelona.
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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--It's Trump's call on what the GOP convention will look like

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - After months of insisting that the Republican National Convention go off as scheduled despite the pandemic , President Donald Trump is slowly coming to accept that the late August event will not be the four-night infomercial for his reelection that he had anticipated .
After a venue change , spiking coronavirus cases and a sharp recession , Trump aides and allies are increasingly questioning whether it ’ s worth the trouble , and some are advocating that the convention be scrapped altogether .
Conventions are meant to lay out a candidate ’ s vision for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of intrigue over the health and safety of attendees , they have argued .
Ultimately , the decision on whether to move forward will be Trump ’ s alone .
Already the 2020 event has seen a venue change –- to more Trump-friendly territory in Jacksonville , Florida , from Charlotte , North Carolina — and it has been drastically reduced in scope .
For technical reasons , the convention will be unable to formally adopt a new party platform .
And what is normally a highlight of the convention - the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president - is set to be conducted through proxy votes in the original host city .
Still , Trump and his aides had pinned their hopes on creating the pageantry of a formal acceptance speech in Jacksonville , envisioning an arena of packed with supporters , without face masks .
Outwardly , the White House and the RNC have said they ’ re full-steam ahead with the revised plan .
“ We ’ re still moving forward with Jacksonville , ” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said last week .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It will be a good event.
” But privately , concerns are mounting , and plans are being drawn up to further scale back the event or even shift it to entirely virtual .
Officials who weeks ago had looked for the convention to be a celebration of the nation ’ s vanquishing of the virus now see it as a potent symbol of the pandemic ’ s persistence .
“ I think it ’ s going to be , obviously , a little different than what would be typical of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump Jr. told reporters last week .
“ And I think that ’ s totally reasonable and understandable.
” Jacksonville , whose mayor is a former Florida Republican Party chairman , issued a public mask order two weeks ago as virus cases in the area surged .
That mandate is unlikely to be lifted before the convention .
Also , Florida has limited facilities statewide to operating at 50 % of capacity .
Organizers now plan to provide COVID-19 testing to all attendees daily , conduct frequent temperature checks and offer face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allies fear that the entire spectacle will be overshadowed by attendee concerns and already heightened media scrutiny on the potential for the convention to be a “ super-spreading ” event .
Key decisions about the event , including precisely where or if Trump will appear , need to be made in the coming days to allow sufficient time for the build-out of the space .
Increasingly , aides are pushing Trump to move his acceptance speech outdoors to minimize the risk of virus transmission .
But Trump has expressed reservations about an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same atmosphere as a charged arena .
Despite the economic downturn , GOP officials insist they will have the financial resources needed to hold the convention .
Vice President Mike Pence flew to Florida on Saturday to hold a fundraiser for the event .
“ The convention is still a month and a half away , so there is time to adjust and make the most appropriate decisions regarding venue options and an array of health precautions that will allow us to have a safe and exciting event for all , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will continue to coordinate with local leadership in Jacksonville and in Florida in the weeks ahead.
” The Trump team ’ s worries were compounded after the president ’ s embarrassing return to campaign rallies after a three-month hiatus caused by the virus .
The empty seats at his rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , brought about a shakeup to Trump ’ s campaign and renewed fears that the president would not be able to return to his signature campaign events in their traditional form before Election Day in November .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to be the president ’ s second attempt at a return to campaign travel was called off on Friday , ostensibly because of weather concerns from then-Tropical Storm Fay .
But aides acknowledged they also were worried about attracting enough of a crowd to fill the Portsmouth aircraft hangar .
The challenge in Jacksonville may be more daunting .
The administration ’ s top health officials have demurred when pressed on whether the convention could be held safely .
Many among the party ’ s leadership and the donors who attend conventions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher-risk category for the coronavirus .
Already a half-dozen Republican senators have indicated they won ’ t attend the convention .
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has expressed reservations .
“ I ’ m not going to go , and I ’ m not going to go because of the virus situation , ” 86-year-old Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said on a conference call with Iowa reporters last week .
Asked whether he ’ d want to limit the gathering if the state ’ s coronavirus cases continue to rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really depends on the timing.
” “ We ’ re always looking at different things , ” Trump said during an interview on Gray Television ’ s “ Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren.
” “ When we signed a few weeks ago , it looked good , ” the president continued .
“ And now , all of a sudden , it ’ s spiking up a little bit .
And that ’ s going to go down .
It really depends on the timing .
Look , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bauer in Madison , Wisconsin , contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) - After months of insisting that the Republican National Convention go off as scheduled despite the pandemic, President Donald Trump is slowly coming to accept that the late August event will not be the four-night infomercial for his reelection that he had anticipated.
After a venue change, spiking coronavirus cases and a sharp recession, Trump aides and allies are increasingly questioning whether it’s worth the trouble, and some are advocating that the convention be scrapped altogether. Conventions are meant to lay out a candidate’s vision for the coming four years, not spark months of intrigue over the health and safety of attendees, they have argued.
Ultimately, the decision on whether to move forward will be Trump’s alone.
Already the 2020 event has seen a venue change –- to more Trump-friendly territory in Jacksonville, Florida, from Charlotte, North Carolina — and it has been drastically reduced in scope. For technical reasons, the convention will be unable to formally adopt a new party platform. And what is normally a highlight of the convention - the roll call of the states to renominate the president - is set to be conducted through proxy votes in the original host city.
Still, Trump and his aides had pinned their hopes on creating the pageantry of a formal acceptance speech in Jacksonville, envisioning an arena of packed with supporters, without face masks. Outwardly, the White House and the RNC have said they’re full-steam ahead with the revised plan.
“We’re still moving forward with Jacksonville,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said last week. “It’ll be a safe event. It will be a good event.”
But privately, concerns are mounting, and plans are being drawn up to further scale back the event or even shift it to entirely virtual. Officials who weeks ago had looked for the convention to be a celebration of the nation’s vanquishing of the virus now see it as a potent symbol of the pandemic’s persistence.
“There’s a lot of people that want to do it. They want to be enthusiastic. But we can do that and we can do it safely,” Donald Trump Jr. said. He told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that “it’s going to be an awesome event.”
Jacksonville, whose mayor is a former Florida Republican Party chairman, issued a public mask order two weeks ago as virus cases in the area surged. That mandate is unlikely to be lifted before the convention. Also, Florida has limited facilities statewide to operating at 50% of capacity.
Organizers now plan to provide COVID-19 testing to all attendees daily, conduct frequent temperature checks and offer face coverings. Even so, Trump aides and allies fear that the entire spectacle will be overshadowed by attendee concerns and already heightened media scrutiny on the potential for the convention to be a “super-spreading” event.
Key decisions about the event, including precisely where or if Trump will appear, need to be made in the coming days to allow sufficient time for the build-out of the space.
Increasingly, aides are pushing Trump to move his acceptance speech outdoors to minimize the risk of virus transmission. But Trump has expressed reservations about an outdoor venue, believing it would lack the same atmosphere as a charged arena.
Despite the economic downturn, GOP officials insist they will have the financial resources needed to hold the convention. Vice President Mike Pence flew to Florida on Saturday to hold a fundraiser for the event.
“The convention is still a month and a half away, so there is time to adjust and make the most appropriate decisions regarding venue options and an array of health precautions that will allow us to have a safe and exciting event for all,” RNC spokesman Mike Reed said. “We will continue to coordinate with local leadership in Jacksonville and in Florida in the weeks ahead.”
The Trump team’s worries were compounded after the president’s embarrassing return to campaign rallies after a three-month hiatus caused by the virus. The empty seats at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, brought about a shakeup to Trump’s campaign and renewed fears that the president would not be able to return to his signature campaign events in their traditional form before Election Day in November.
A Saturday rally in New Hampshire that was meant to be the president’s second attempt at a return to campaign travel was called off on Friday, ostensibly because of weather concerns from then-Tropical Storm Fay. But aides acknowledged they also were worried about attracting enough of a crowd to fill the Portsmouth aircraft hangar.
The challenge in Jacksonville may be more daunting. The administration’s top health officials have demurred when pressed on whether the convention could be held safely. Many among the party’s leadership and the donors who attend conventions are older, putting them in a higher-risk category for the coronavirus.
Already a half-dozen Republican senators have indicated they won’t attend the convention. Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has expressed reservations.
“I’m not going to go, and I’m not going to go because of the virus situation,” 86-year-old Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said on a conference call with Iowa reporters last week.
Asked whether he’d want to limit the gathering if the state’s coronavirus cases continue to rise, Trump replied that the decision “really depends on the timing.”
“We’re always looking at different things,” Trump said during an interview on Gray Television’s “Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren.”
“When we signed a few weeks ago, it looked good,” the president continued. “And now, all of a sudden, it’s spiking up a little bit. And that’s going to go down. It really depends on the timing. Look, we’re very flexible.”
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Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Coronavirus surge in Eastern Europe causes new restrictions

BUDAPEST , Hungary ( AP ) - Countries in Eastern Europe are facing rising waves of coronavirus infections , leading to new restrictive measures such as the mandatory use of face masks in Croatia and travel bans or quarantines to be imposed by Hungary .
Hungarian authorities said Sunday that they would put countries in three categories - red , yellow and green - based on their rate of new coronavirus infections , and would impose restrictions , including entry bans and mandatory quarantines , depending from which country people were coming from .
“ We see worrisome signs about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the neighboring countries , Europe and the whole world , ” said Gergely Gulyas , Prime Minister Viktor Orban ’ s chief of staff .
Foreigners from countries in the red category - those with a high rate of infections , including Albania , Ukraine , Belarus and practically all of Asia , Africa and South and Central America - are banned from entering , while Hungarian citizens arriving from those locations will have to stay quarantined for two weeks or until they test negative twice , 48 hours apart .
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the yellow category - which includes , among others , Bulgaria , Portugal , Romania and Sweden , as well as Britain , Russia , Serbia , Japan , China and the United States - will have to quarantine for two weeks , but will be allowed out if they test negative for the virus : once for Hungarians , or two negative tests 48 hours apart in the case of foreigners .
Gulyas said the new rules would take effect Wednesday and would be reviewed at least once a week .
Romania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , with 698 , while 456 new cases were reported Sunday .
Serbia reported 354 new infections on Saturday , although there have been increasing doubts about the accuracy of the figures .
Officially , the country has over 18,000 confirmed infections and 382 deaths since March , with health authorities warning that Serbian hospitals are almost full due to the latest surge in cases .
Croatia , whose Adriatic Sea coast is a major tourist destination , will make wearing masks mandatory in stores from Monday , while restaurant staff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear face coverings .
Infections are also on the rise in India , which has the most cases after the United States and Brazil , with a record surge of 28,637 cases reported in the past 24 hours as authorities announced a weeklong lockdown beginning Tuesday in the key southern technology hub of Bangalore , where the offices of top tech companies like Microsoft , Apple and Amazon are located .
South Korea has also reported an uptick in infections around Seoul , its capital , and other major cities , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours .
The pandemic is also affecting elections in Europe .
In Poland , which is holding a runoff presidential vote Sunday between conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda , and Rafal Trzaskowski , the liberal , pro-European Union mayor of Warsaw , voters must wear masks and gloves , maintain social distancing and use hand sanitizer .
They even can use their own pens to mark ballots .
Ballot boxes are being disinfected regularly and the polling stations are ventilated .
Similar safety measures have been put in place for elections in two northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the Basque Country and Galicia have prohibited over 400 people who have tested positive for the virus from leaving their homes to vote .
Spain ’ s Supreme Court backed the decision in a ruling Friday in response to a complaint by opposition parties in both regions .
In the U.S. , there has been an upturn in coronavirus deaths , driven by fatalities in states in the South and West , with the seven-day rolling average for daily reported deaths increasing from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on July 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April - according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University .
A coronavirus death , when it occurs , typically comes several weeks after a person is first infected .
And experts predicted states that saw increases in cases and hospitalizations would , at some point , see deaths rise too .
Now that ’ s happening .
“ It ’ s consistently picking up .
And it ’ s picking up at the time you ’ d expect it to , ” said William Hanage , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now expect deaths to rise for at least some weeks , but some think the count probably will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring .
Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report .

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - With the United States grappling with the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, Florida hit a grim milestone Sunday, shattering the national record for a state’s largest single-day increase in positive cases.
Deaths from the virus have also been rising in the U.S., especially in the South and West, though still well below the heights hit in April, according to a recent Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.
“I really do think we could control this, and it’s the human element that is so critical. It should be an effort of our country. We should be pulling together when we’re in a crisis, and we’re definitely not doing it,” said University of Florida epidemiologist Dr. Cindy Prins.
Adm. Brett Giroir, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, called mask-wearing in public, which has been met with resistance in some U.S. states, “absolutely essential.”
Giroir, the assistant secretary at the Health and Human Services Department, told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that “if we don’t have that, we will not get control of the virus.’’
President Donald Trump wore a mask in public for the first time Saturday, something Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday showed he has “crossed a bridge.”
Pelosi told CNN’s “State of the Union” that she hopes it means the president “will change his attitude, which will be helpful in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.”
In hard-hit Houston, Texas, two top Democratic officials called for the nation’s fourth-largest city to lock back down as area hospitals strained to accommodate the onslaught of sick patients.
In Florida, where parts of Walt Disney World reopened Saturday, 15,299 people tested positive, for a total of 269,811 cases, and 45 deaths were recorded, according to state Department of Health statistics reported Sunday.
California had the previous record of daily positive cases - 11,694, set on Wednesday.
The numbers come at the end of a record-breaking week as Florida reported 514 fatalities - an average of 73 per day. Three weeks ago, the state was averaging 30 deaths per day.
Researchers expect deaths to rise in the U.S. for at least some weeks, but some think the count probably will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring because of several factors, including increased testing.
The World Health Organization, meanwhile, reported another record increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases over a 24-hour period, at over 230,000.
The U.N. health agency said the United States again topped the list among countries, with more than 66,000 cases. The figures don’t necessarily account for delays in reporting cases, and are believed to far underestimate actual totals.
Countries in Eastern Europe were among those facing rising waves of new infections, leading to riots in Serbia, mandatory face masks in Croatia and travel bans or quarantines imposed by Hungary.
“We see worrisome signs about an increase in the number of cases in the neighboring countries, Europe and the whole world,” said Gergely Gulyas, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff. “Now, we have to protect our own security and prevent the virus from being brought in from abroad.”
Hungarian authorities said Sunday they have sorted countries into three categories - red, yellow and green - based on their rates of new coronavirus infections, and will impose restrictions, including entry bans and mandatory quarantines, depending on which country people are arriving from.
Serbia, where health authorities are warning that hospitals are almost full due to the latest surge, reported 287 new infections on Sunday, although there have been increasing doubts about the accuracy of the figures. Officially, the country has over 18,000 confirmed infections and 382 deaths since March. Sunday’s report of 11 coronavirus deaths was the country’s second-highest daily death toll.
Serbian police clashed with anti-government protesters for four nights last week, demonstrations that forced the Serbian president to withdraw plans to reintroduce a coronavirus lockdown. Many of the increasing infections have been blamed on crowded soccer matches, tennis events and nightclubs.
In Bulgaria, authorities reintroduced restrictions lifted a few weeks ago because of a new surge in cases.
Albania also has seen a significant increase in infections since mid-May, when it eased lockdown measures. The Balkan nation reported 93 new cases, over twice as many as the highest daily figures in March and April, and the health ministry called the situation at the main infectious disease hospital “grave.”
Croatia, whose island-dotted Adriatic Sea coast is a major tourist destination, is making wearing masks mandatory in stores beginning Monday.
Yet the numbers of infections in Eastern Europe pale in comparison to daily coronavirus reports from India, South Africa and Brazil, whose virus-denying president has tested positive.
India, which has the most cases after the United States and Brazil, saw a record surge of 28,637 cases reported in the past 24 hours. Authorities also announced a weeklong lockdown beginning Tuesday in the key southern technology hub of Bangalore, where the offices of top tech companies like Microsoft, Apple and Amazon are located.
South Africa has reported over 10,000 new daily cases for several days in a row, including 13,497 new infections announced Saturday night. Johannesburg’s densely populated Soweto township is one of the virus hot spots. With over 264,000 cases and 3,971 deaths, South Africa accounts for over 40% of all the reported coronavirus cases in Africa.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday the country would return to a ban of alcohol sales to reduce the volume of trauma patients so that hospitals have more beds to treat COVID-19. The country is also reinstating a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents and has made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks in public.
Meanwhile, in Taiwan, which kept its coronavirus outbreak to a few hundred cases, an annual film festival wrapped up with an awards ceremony this weekend where actors and others lined up for photo shoots with no social distancing, and participants didn’t wear masks.
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Gorondi reported from Budapest, Hungary. Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.
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Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Trump, Biden try to outdo each other on tough talk on China

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - China has fast become a top election issue as President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden engage in a verbal brawl over who ’ s better at playing the tough guy against Beijing .
The Trump campaign put out ads showing Biden toasting China ’ s Xi Jinping , even though Trump did just that with Xi in Asia and hosted the Chinese leader at his Florida club .
Spots from the Biden campaign feature Trump playing down the coronavirus and praising Xi for being transparent about the pandemic , even though it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the world .
“ I think it ’ s going to be absolutely critical , but I don ’ t know who is going to have the advantage , ” said Republican pollster Frank Luntz .
He has been reviewing the ads and thinks China is one of the three leading issues along with the economy and the handling of the coronavirus .
China is not just a foreign policy issue in the November election .
It ’ s an issue that runs deeply through the troubles with the virus , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be asking themselves whether Trump or Biden can best defend the U.S. against China ’ s unfair trade practices , theft of intellectual property rights , rising aggression across the globe and human rights abuses .
“ Which person looks more subservient to the Chinese leaders is the person who ’ s in more jeopardy , ” Luntz said .
As the coronavirus spread throughout the U.S. , a Pew Research Center poll in March found Americans with increasingly negative views of China , with 66 % saying they had an unfavorable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rating since the question was first asked in 2005 .
The same poll found 62 % of Americans calling China ’ s power and influence a major threat to the U.S. , compared with 48 % two years ago .
A NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in late May and early June found registered voters about evenly divided over which of the candidates would be better at dealing with China , with 43 % saying Trump compared with 40 % for Biden .
In the poll , 5 % viewed Trump and Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be good .
Trump ’ s advisers see China as an opportunity to portray Biden as deferential to Beijing when he was President Barack Obama ’ s vice president and point person on Asia , according to three campaign officials and Republicans close to the White House .
The campaign made a push in May to link Biden with China , complete with an advertising blitz , but the effort did little to raise Trump ’ s poll numbers .
The Trump campaign credits the president with signing the first phase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which boosted stock markets and seemingly ended a bruising trade war .
Republicans want to tether Biden to past multinational agreements and trade deals blamed for an exodus of manufacturing jobs across the Midwest .
Trump campaign officials believe they missed that opportunity in trying to wrest Midwest states from the Democrats in 2016 .
The White House lists more than two dozen actions the administration has taken since April to protect U.S. jobs , businesses and U.S. supply chains from damage caused by the Chinese Communist Party ’ s policies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to impose sanctions on Chinese officials for their roles in repressing religious and ethnic minorities .
More than a few administration officials have recently delivered speeches calling out China ’ s policies .
That message could strike a chord with the increasing number of Americans who have an unfavorable view of the Asian power .
There also is rising concern about U.S. dependence on China for supplies - something that drew attention during the scramble for protective gear for U.S. health workers .
One more line of off-and-on attack by Trump , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business ties that Biden ’ s son , Hunter , has had with China .
The Biden campaign is working to portray Trump as someone who talks tough but has failed to hold China accountable for its response to the virus and has signed only the first phase of a trade deal .
The campaign says that while that deal was being negotiated , Trump was saying that COVID-19 would “ miraculously ” be gone in April and now it ’ s July and cases are surging and the death toll rising .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough on China , ” one of Biden campaign ads says .
“ He didn ’ t get tough .
He got played.
” The Biden camp highlights other Trump vulnerabilities on China that surfaced in former national security adviser John Bolton ‘ s new book , which claims Trump urged Xi to increase Chinese purchases of soybeans and wheat to help him Trump farm states in November .
Bolton also wrote that Trump told Xi that building detention camps for hundreds of thousands of Muslim and other ethnic and religious minorities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing to do.
” Trump claims he ’ s been tougher on China than any other president .
The Biden campaign says Trump has weakened relations with allies and pulled the U.S. out of international organizations , giving China more room to exert its own influence .
Biden campaign officials say that if Biden is elected , he will restore relationships with U.S. allies and rally the international community to form a united front against China .
“ What ’ s striking to me is the extent to which the Trump campaign seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a winning issue for them , ” said Jeff Prescott , a foreign policy adviser for Biden .
“ He was hiding from the warning signs coming in on the pandemic to get his trade deal done with Xi Jinping and then spent all of January and February and into March praising Xi - praising China ’ s handling of the coronavirus - and talking up his very flimsy phase one trade deal , ” Prescott said .
That first phase is smaller than the comprehensive deal Trump had hoped for and leaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two countries for future talks .
Few economists expect any resolution of the next phase before November .
Even Trump said this past week that it ’ s not a top priority before then .
Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) - China has fast become a top election issue as President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden engage in a verbal brawl over who’s better at playing the tough guy against Beijing.
The Trump campaign put out ads showing Biden toasting China’s Xi Jinping, even though Trump did just that with Xi in Asia and hosted the Chinese leader at his Florida club. Spots from the Biden campaign feature Trump playing down the coronavirus and praising Xi for being transparent about the pandemic, even though it’s clear China hid details of the outbreak from the world.
“I think it’s going to be absolutely critical, but I don’t know who is going to have the advantage,” said Republican pollster Frank Luntz. He has been reviewing the ads and thinks China is one of the three leading issues along with the economy and the handling of the coronavirus.
China is not just a foreign policy issue in the November election. It’s an issue that runs deeply through the troubles with the virus, which tanked the U.S. economy. Voters also will be asking themselves whether Trump or Biden can best defend the U.S. against China’s unfair trade practices, theft of intellectual property rights, rising aggression across the globe and human rights abuses.
“Which person looks more subservient to the Chinese leaders is the person who’s in more jeopardy,” Luntz said.
As the coronavirus spread throughout the U.S., a Pew Research Center poll in March found Americans with increasingly negative views of China, with 66% saying they had an unfavorable opinion. That was the most negative rating since the question was first asked in 2005. The same poll found 62% of Americans calling China’s power and influence a major threat to the U.S., compared with 48% two years ago.
A NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in late May and early June found registered voters about evenly divided over which of the candidates would be better at dealing with China, with 43% saying Trump compared with 40% for Biden. In the poll, 5% viewed Trump and Biden equally, while 10% said neither would be good.
Trump’s advisers see China as an opportunity to portray Biden as deferential to Beijing when he was President Barack Obama’s vice president and point person on Asia, according to three campaign officials and Republicans close to the White House. The campaign made a push in May to link Biden with China, complete with an advertising blitz, but the effort did little to raise Trump’s poll numbers.
The Trump campaign credits the president with signing the first phase of a trade deal with China in January, which boosted stock markets and seemingly ended a bruising trade war. Republicans want to tether Biden to past multinational agreements and trade deals blamed for an exodus of manufacturing jobs across the Midwest. It’s an argument they believe worked against Hillary Clinton when they tried to wrest Midwest states from the Democrats in 2016.
The White House lists more than two dozen actions the administration has taken since April to protect U.S. jobs, businesses and U.S. supply chains from damage caused by the Chinese Communist Party’s policies. That includes last week’s move to impose sanctions on Chinese officials for their roles in repressing religious and ethnic minorities. More than a few administration officials have recently delivered speeches calling out China’s policies.
Peter Navarro, one of Trump’s senior economic advisers, kept up the drumbeat on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” saying “the Chinese Communist Party basically hit us with that deadly virus, that weaponized virus” and disrupted the U.S. economy. He suggested Beijing was using social media apps such as TikTok to steal American intellectual property as part of a plan to hurt Trump for his strong stands against China.
“Trump, buy American. Joe Biden, buy China,” Navarro said.
The Trump campaign believes that could strike a chord with the increasing number of Americans who have an unfavorable view of the Asian power. There also is rising concern about U.S. dependence on China for supplies - something that drew attention during the scramble for protective gear for U.S. health workers.
One more line of off-and-on attack by Trump, despite no proof of impropriety, involves the business ties that Biden’s son, Hunter, has had with China.
The Biden campaign is working to portray Trump as someone who talks tough but has failed to hold China accountable for its response to the virus and has signed only the first phase of a trade deal. The campaign says that while that deal was being negotiated, Trump was saying that COVID-19 would “miraculously” be gone in April and now it’s July and cases are surging and the death toll rising.
“Trump said he’d get tough on China,” one of Biden campaign ads says. “He didn’t get tough. He got played.”
The Biden camp highlights other Trump vulnerabilities on China that surfaced in former national security adviser John Bolton ‘s new book, which claims Trump urged Xi to increase Chinese purchases of soybeans and wheat to help him Trump farm states in November. Bolton also wrote that Trump told Xi that building detention camps for hundreds of thousands of Muslim and other ethnic and religious minorities in western China was “exactly the right thing to do.”
Trump claims he’s been tougher on China than any other president. The Biden campaign says Trump has weakened relations with allies and pulled the U.S. out of international organizations, giving China more room to exert its own influence. Biden campaign officials say that if Biden is elected, he will restore relationships with U.S. allies and rally the international community to form a united front against China.
“What’s striking to me is the extent to which the Trump campaign seems to have thought that China would be a winning issue for them,” said Jeff Prescott, a foreign policy adviser for Biden.
“He was hiding from the warning signs coming in on the pandemic to get his trade deal done with Xi Jinping and then spent all of January and February and into March praising Xi - praising China’s handling of the coronavirus - and talking up his very flimsy phase one trade deal,” Prescott said.
___
Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Dead cat gets voter registration application in mail

ATLANTA ( AP ) - In a presidential election year , there ’ s always a push to get people registered to vote .
For one Atlanta family , that push got a little interesting .
Ron Tims said he checked his mail Wednesday and found a voter registration application addressed to Cody Tims - his cat , who died 12 years ago .
“ A great cat , indoor and outdoor , loved his family , loved his neighborhood .
He was 18 and a half when he passed away , ” Carol Tims told WAGA-TV .
The Tims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they saw what Cody received in the mail .
“ There ’ s a huge push but if they ’ re trying to register cats , I ’ m not sure who else they ’ re trying to register .
I ’ m not sure if they ’ re trying to register dogs , mice , snakes , ” Carol Tims said .
The Secretary of State ’ s Office said the application did not come from its office and that third-party groups often use mailing lists to get names and addresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country are targeting Georgia to help register qualified individuals , ” the Secretary of State ’ s Office said in a statement .
“ This group makes you wonder what these out-of-town activists are really doing .
Make no mistake about it , this office is dedicated to investigating all types of fraud.
” The Secretary of State ’ s Office said it ’ s quite sure that even if Cody were still alive and showed up at the polls , he wouldn ’ t be allowed to vote since he does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you ’ re wondering how Cody would have voted if he could go to the polls .
His owner said he was a DemoCAT .

ATLANTA (AP) - In a presidential election year, there’s always a push to get people registered to vote.
For one Atlanta family, that push got a little interesting.
Ron Tims said he checked his mail Wednesday and found a voter registration application addressed to Cody Tims - his cat, who died 12 years ago.
“A great cat, indoor and outdoor, loved his family, loved his neighborhood. He was 18 and a half when he passed away,” Carol Tims told WAGA-TV.
The Tims were surprised, and a bit amused when they saw what Cody received in the mail.
“There’s a huge push but if they’re trying to register cats, I’m not sure who else they’re trying to register. I’m not sure if they’re trying to register dogs, mice, snakes,” Carol Tims said.
The Secretary of State’s Office said the application did not come from its office and that third-party groups often use mailing lists to get names and addresses.
“Third-party groups all over the country are targeting Georgia to help register qualified individuals,” the Secretary of State’s Office said in a statement. “This group makes you wonder what these out-of-town activists are really doing. Make no mistake about it, this office is dedicated to investigating all types of fraud.”
The Secretary of State’s Office said it’s quite sure that even if Cody were still alive and showed up at the polls, he wouldn’t be allowed to vote since he does not have a license or state ID.
If you’re wondering how Cody would have voted if he could go to the polls. His owner said he was a DemoCAT.


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Chinese police blame bus driver for crash that killed 21

BEIJING ( AP ) - Investigators have concluded a bus crash that killed 21 people in southern China was caused @ @ @ @ @ was unhappy his home was to be demolished , police said Sunday .
The driver @ @ @ @ @ ’ s crash , “ intentionally targeted ” his passengers by driving across six lanes @ @ @ @ @ lake , the police department of the city of Anshun said on its social media @ @ @ @ @ identified only by the surname Zhang , was unhappy his rented home was to be @ @ @ @ @ before the crash , the statement said .
An additional 15 people were hospitalized for @ @ @ @ @

BEIJING (AP) - Investigators have concluded a bus crash that killed 21 people in southern China was caused by the driver, who was unhappy his home was to be demolished, police said Sunday.
The driver, who died in Tuesday’s crash, “intentionally targeted” his passengers by driving across six lanes of traffic and into a lake, the police department of the city of Anshun said on its social media account.
The driver, identified only by the surname Zhang, was unhappy his rented home was to be demolished and was drinking shortly before the crash, the statement said.
An additional 15 people were hospitalized for injuries, police said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Minnesota request for federal aid to repair protest damage denied

MINNEAPOLIS — The federal government has denied a request from Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz for federal funds to rebuild and repair fire damage from the unrest that followed George Floyd ’ s death .
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Walz ’ s spokesman Teddy Tschann confirmed that the request for federal aid was denied , saying the governor is “ disappointed.
” Walz had asked President Donald Trump on July 2 to declare a “ major disaster ” in a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency because of extensive damage to public infrastructure following the death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against the handcuffed Black man ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes .
Four since-fired officers have been charged in the case .
A preliminary assessment of damage found more than $ 15 million of damages directly related to the fires .
Around 1,500 businesses were damaged .
Among the public structures destroyed was a Minneapolis police station that was a focus of the protests .
“ As we navigate one of the most difficult periods in our state ’ s history , we look for support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through ” Tschann said in a statement .
Current estimates of the total damage exceed $ 500 million , the governor wrote in his disaster aid request .

MINNEAPOLIS — The federal government has denied a request from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for federal funds to rebuild and repair fire damage from the unrest that followed George Floyd’s death.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Walz’s spokesman Teddy Tschann confirmed that the request for federal aid was denied, saying the governor is “disappointed.”
Walz had asked President Donald Trump on July 2 to declare a “major disaster” in a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency because of extensive damage to public infrastructure following the death of Floyd on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against the handcuffed Black man’s neck for nearly eight minutes. Four since-fired officers have been charged in the case.
A preliminary assessment of damage found more than $15 million of damages directly related to the fires. Around 1,500 businesses were damaged. Among the public structures destroyed was a Minneapolis police station that was a focus of the protests.
“As we navigate one of the most difficult periods in our state’s history, we look for support from our federal government to help us through” Tschann said in a statement.
Current estimates of the total damage exceed $500 million, the governor wrote in his disaster aid request.


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Ghosn says he is aiding those who helped him flee to Lebanon

BEIRUT ( AP ) - Former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn says he is assisting those who helped him flee from Japan to Lebanon last year but refuses to provide details about the escape , saying such information would endanger them .
In an interview aired late Saturday by the pan-Arab Al-Arabiya TV , Ghosn refused to comment on allegations from prosecutors in the U.S. , who said last week that he wired more than $ 860,000 to a company linked to one of the men accused of helping smuggle him out of Japan in a box in December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Beret and private security specialist , and Peter Taylor , 27 , are wanted by Japan on charges they helped Ghosn escape the country in December after he was released on bail .
Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 and was expected to face trial in April 2020 .
He posted 1.5 billion yen ( $ 14 million ) bail on two separate instances after he was arrested a second time on additional charges , and released again .
When pressed to speak about the Taylors , who are under arrest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who helped him flee , Ghosn refused to speak about any specific person .
He said that after he arrived in Lebanon he vowed not to speak about how he left Japan “ because any statement I am going to make will endanger the people who helped me leave Japan.
” Asked if he is aiding those who helped him get out of Japan , Ghosn said , “ of course.
” When asked about the Taylors , Ghosn said : “ You are talking about specific people , and I will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone who stood by me as much as I can , financially and in any way I can.
” “ I made the entire plan of how to get out , but I needed information and assistance .
I am not ready to involve these people at this moment simply by talking about it , ” he said .
He is believed to have been smuggled inside a large box .
Ghosn , who holds Lebanese , Brazilian and French citizenship , said the “ only side that stood by me is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked the Japanese state , ‘ Why are you doing this to him ?
’ ” Ghosn said that when he arrived in Lebanon , Japan requested the Lebanese government hand him over .
“ Lebanon approved , if they receive the case file .
They ( Japanese ) didn ’ t send anything for six months , ” he said .
Earlier this month , a Turkish court released four pilots and a private airline official from jail , pending the outcome of their trial on charges of smuggling Ghosn out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @

BEIRUT (AP) - Former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn says he is assisting those who helped him flee from Japan to Lebanon last year but refuses to provide details about the escape, saying such information would endanger them.
In an interview aired late Saturday by the pan-Arab Al-Arabiya TV, Ghosn refused to comment on allegations from prosecutors in the U.S., who said last week that he wired more than $860,000 to a company linked to one of the men accused of helping smuggle him out of Japan in a box in December.
Michael Taylor, a 59-year-old former Green Beret and private security specialist, and Peter Taylor, 27, are wanted by Japan on charges they helped Ghosn escape the country in December after he was released on bail.
Ghosn was arrested in November 2018 and was expected to face trial in April 2020. He posted 1.5 billion yen ($14 million) bail on two separate instances after he was arrested a second time on additional charges, and released again.
When pressed to speak about the Taylors, who are under arrest in the U.S., as well as others who helped him flee, Ghosn refused to speak about any specific person. He said that after he arrived in Lebanon he vowed not to speak about how he left Japan “because any statement I am going to make will endanger the people who helped me leave Japan.”
Asked if he is aiding those who helped him get out of Japan, Ghosn said, “of course.” When asked about the Taylors, Ghosn said: “You are talking about specific people, and I will not comment. However, I am helping everyone who stood by me as much as I can, financially and in any way I can.”
“I made the entire plan of how to get out, but I needed information and assistance. I am not ready to involve these people at this moment simply by talking about it,” he said. He is believed to have been smuggled inside a large box.
Ghosn, who holds Lebanese, Brazilian and French citizenship, said the “only side that stood by me is the Lebanese state. They intervened and they asked the Japanese state, ‘Why are you doing this to him?’”
Ghosn said that when he arrived in Lebanon, Japan requested the Lebanese government hand him over. “Lebanon approved, if they receive the case file. They (Japanese) didn’t send anything for six months,” he said.
Earlier this month, a Turkish court released four pilots and a private airline official from jail, pending the outcome of their trial on charges of smuggling Ghosn out of Japan to Lebanon, via Turkey.


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Churches amid the pandemic: Some outbreaks, many challenges

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Crowded bars and house parties have been identified as culprits in spreading the coronavirus .
Meat packing plants , prisons and nursing homes are known hot spots .
Then there ’ s the complicated case of America ’ s churches .
The vast majority of these churches have cooperated with health authorities and successfully protected their congregations .
Yet from the earliest phases of the pandemic , and continuing to this day , some worship services and other religious activities have been identified as sources of local outbreaks .
They are by no means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problematic activities across the U.S. , but they have posed challenges for government leaders and public health officials whose guidelines and orders are sometimes challenged as encroachments on religious liberty .
“ If we wanted to have zero risks , the safest thing would be to never open our doors , ” said prominent Dallas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress .
“ The question is how can you balance risk with the very real need to worship.
” In the past two weeks alone , there have been two notable church-government confrontations in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent a cease-and-desist order in late June to the Roman Catholic archdiocese , alleging that some of its churches had violated a local ban on large indoor gatherings .
The archdiocese promised to comply .
A few days later , state officials temporarily banned “ indoor singing and chanting activities ” at all places of worship , prompting some pastors to defy the rule .
Evangelical pastor Samuel Rodriguez said worshippers at his Sacramento megachurch joined in singing hymns on July 5 , even as most of them wore face masks and obeyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a church is morally reprehensible , ” Rodriguez said .
“ That is how we petition heaven.
” The extent to which religious gatherings have contributed to the pandemic ’ s toll may never be known with any precision .
But there ’ s no question they have played a role throughout , internationally as well as in the United States , even as myriad houses of worship halted in-person services for safety reasons .
Of the first wave of cases in South Korea in February , several thousand were members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hundreds of other cases were linked to a Muslim missionary movement event in late February in Malaysia that was attended by about 16,000 people from numerous East Asian countries .
In the second week of March , before warnings and lockdown orders proliferated in the U.S. , 35 of the 92 people who attended events at a rural Arkansas church developed COVID-19 , and three of them died , according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report issued in May .
More recently , in mid-June , a small-town church in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s largest coronavirus outbreak when 236 people linked to the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church tested positive .
According to the Observer newspaper in nearby La Grande , the church in Island City had held religious services , a wedding and a graduation ceremony in the weeks preceding the outbreak , sometimes with more than 100 people in attendance in defiance of state restrictions on gatherings .
Union County , with a population of 25,000 people , had recorded fewer than 25 cases during the pandemic prior to the church outbreak .
Within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s highest per capita rate of coronavirus infections .
Also in June , West Virginia ’ s health department announced outbreaks linked to five churches in different parts of the state .
The biggest was at Graystone Baptist Church in Lewisburg with 51 cases , three of them fatal .
In several cases , churches that resumed in-person services opted to close again after outbreaks .
Among them : - A church and an administrative office affiliated with the Church of God in Cleveland , Tennessee , which is the home base for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count has been released , but a senior leader of the denomination , General Overseer Tim Hill , confirmed that the number of verified cases is growing , and that several church leaders were among those seriously ill. One pastor , Ernie Varner of Lenoir City , Tennessee , died Friday , six days after posting on Facebook , “ I ’ m in the ICU with COVID .
Please pray for me.
” - Calvary Chapel , an evangelical church in Universal City , Texas .
It reopened in early May only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of staff and churchgoers tested positive , including Pastor Ron Arbaugh and his wife .
Arbaugh says he regrets telling worshippers last month they could resume the tradition of hugging each other during an interlude of mid-service socializing .
- Holy Family Catholic Church in Las Vegas .
The diocese announced Thursday that the church would be closed indefinitely after a priest who celebrated Mass this week tested positive .
- First Baptist Church of Tillmans Corner in Mobile , Alabama .
It resumed in-person services May 17 after the governor gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canceled them at least through July 31 after more than 20 of the congregation ’ s 1,500 members tested positive .
Pastor Derek Allen wrote a blog post describing the outbreak as a “ harrowing and demoralizing journey , ” and offering advice to other pastors : “ Assume every sniffle is COVID-19 , and act quickly .
We ’ ve learned that the tests take too long , and false positives are possible along with false negatives.
” Another Baptist church , First Baptist Dallas , was in the spotlight June 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at its annual Freedom Sunday celebrations .
Most of the 2,400 attendees wore face masks , but some criticism surfaced after the choir sang without masks .
Jeffress , the church ’ s pastor and a prominent evangelical conservative with close ties to President Donald Trump , said the choir and orchestra had been tested for COVID-19 beforehand .
The church said a few who tested positive did not take part in the event .
Jeffress bristled at the idea that choirs should be temporarily banned .
“ Choirs will always be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ We think it ’ s possible to still have them but do it in a safe way.
” A few days after the Freedom Sunday event , Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott issued an order requiring people wear face masks in most public settings - with several exceptions , including participants in religious services .
Some churches , through their physical attributes and the decisions of their leaders , have been able to minimize risks as worship resumes .
In Incline Village , Nevada , along the north shore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Episcopal Church took advantage of a unique feature to relaunch scaled-back , in-person services this month : its outdoor mountain amphitheater chapel shaded by pine trees .
Church officials took precautionary measures such as moving the log-bench pews farther apart , capping attendance at 50 and requiring worshippers have their temperature taken , employ hand sanitizer and wear masks .
There was no Eucharist or passing of the peace , and the usual post-service coffee hour was held by video conference .
“ Good morning , children of God , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rector , said from behind a plexiglass screen , welcoming parishioners back to the socially distanced service July 5 after 16 Sundays apart .
She acknowledged feeling “ mixed emotions ” : apprehension as the virus remains a threat , but joy at being able to gather in the sacred space .
Associated Press reporters Peter Orsi in Truckee , California , Anthony Izaguirre in Charleston , West Virginia , and Sara Cline in Salem , Oregon , contributed to this report .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .

NEW YORK (AP) - Crowded bars and house parties have been identified as culprits in spreading the coronavirus. Meat packing plants, prisons and nursing homes are known hot spots. Then there’s the complicated case of America’s churches.
The vast majority of these churches have cooperated with health authorities and successfully protected their congregations. Yet from the earliest phases of the pandemic, and continuing to this day, some worship services and other religious activities have been identified as sources of local outbreaks.
They are by no means at the top of the list of problematic activities across the U.S., but they have posed challenges for government leaders and public health officials whose guidelines and orders are sometimes challenged as encroachments on religious liberty.
“If we wanted to have zero risks, the safest thing would be to never open our doors,” said prominent Dallas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress. “The question is how can you balance risk with the very real need to worship.”
In the past two weeks alone, there have been two notable church-government confrontations in California.
San Francisco’s city attorney sent a cease-and-desist order in late June to the Roman Catholic archdiocese, alleging that some of its churches had violated a local ban on large indoor gatherings. The archdiocese promised to comply.
A few days later, state officials temporarily banned “indoor singing and chanting activities” at all places of worship, prompting some pastors to defy the rule.
Evangelical pastor Samuel Rodriguez said worshippers at his Sacramento megachurch joined in singing hymns on July 5, even as most of them wore face masks and obeyed social-distancing guidelines.
“To forbid singing in a church is morally reprehensible,” Rodriguez said. “That is how we petition heaven.”
The extent to which religious gatherings have contributed to the pandemic’s toll may never be known with any precision. But there’s no question they have played a role throughout, internationally as well as in the United States, even as myriad houses of worship halted in-person services for safety reasons.
Of the first wave of cases in South Korea in February, several thousand were members of the secretive Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Hundreds of other cases were linked to a Muslim missionary movement event in late February in Malaysia that was attended by about 16,000 people from numerous East Asian countries.
In the second week of March, before warnings and lockdown orders proliferated in the U.S., 35 of the 92 people who attended events at a rural Arkansas church developed COVID-19, and three of them died, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report issued in May.
More recently, in mid-June, a small-town church in northeastern Oregon became the epicenter of the state’s largest coronavirus outbreak when 236 people linked to the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church tested positive.
According to the Observer newspaper in nearby La Grande, the church in Island City had held religious services, a wedding and a graduation ceremony in the weeks preceding the outbreak, sometimes with more than 100 people in attendance in defiance of state restrictions on gatherings.
Union County, with a population of 25,000 people, had recorded fewer than 25 cases during the pandemic prior to the church outbreak. Within two weeks, it had Oregon’s highest per capita rate of coronavirus infections.
Also in June, West Virginia’s health department announced outbreaks linked to five churches in different parts of the state. The biggest was at Graystone Baptist Church in Lewisburg with 51 cases, three of them fatal.
In several cases, churches that resumed in-person services opted to close again after outbreaks. Among them:
- A church and an administrative office affiliated with the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee, which is the home base for the Pentecostal denomination. No official case count has been released, but a senior leader of the denomination, General Overseer Tim Hill, confirmed that the number of verified cases is growing, and that several church leaders were among those seriously ill. One pastor, Ernie Varner of Lenoir City, Tennessee, died Friday, six days after posting on Facebook, “I’m in the ICU with COVID. Please pray for me.”
- Calvary Chapel, an evangelical church in Universal City, Texas. It reopened in early May only to close anew in late June after dozens of staff and churchgoers tested positive, including Pastor Ron Arbaugh and his wife. Arbaugh says he regrets telling worshippers last month they could resume the tradition of hugging each other during an interlude of mid-service socializing.
- Holy Family Catholic Church in Las Vegas. The diocese announced Thursday that the church would be closed indefinitely after a priest who celebrated Mass this week tested positive.
- First Baptist Church of Tillmans Corner in Mobile, Alabama. It resumed in-person services May 17 after the governor gave a statewide green light, but recently canceled them at least through July 31 after more than 20 of the congregation’s 1,500 members tested positive. Pastor Derek Allen wrote a blog post describing the outbreak as a “harrowing and demoralizing journey,” and offering advice to other pastors: “Assume every sniffle is COVID-19, and act quickly. We’ve learned that the tests take too long, and false positives are possible along with false negatives.”
Another Baptist church, First Baptist Dallas, was in the spotlight June 28 when it hosted Vice President Mike Pence at its annual Freedom Sunday celebrations. Most of the 2,400 attendees wore face masks, but some criticism surfaced after the choir sang without masks.
Jeffress, the church’s pastor and a prominent evangelical conservative with close ties to President Donald Trump, said the choir and orchestra had been tested for COVID-19 beforehand. The church said a few who tested positive did not take part in the event.
Jeffress bristled at the idea that choirs should be temporarily banned.
“Choirs will always be a part of worship for us,” he said. “We think it’s possible to still have them but do it in a safe way.”
A few days after the Freedom Sunday event, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order requiring people wear face masks in most public settings - with several exceptions, including participants in religious services.
Some churches, through their physical attributes and the decisions of their leaders, have been able to minimize risks as worship resumes.
In Incline Village, Nevada, along the north shore of Lake Tahoe, St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church took advantage of a unique feature to relaunch scaled-back, in-person services this month: its outdoor mountain amphitheater chapel shaded by pine trees.
Church officials took precautionary measures such as moving the log-bench pews farther apart, capping attendance at 50 and requiring worshippers have their temperature taken, employ hand sanitizer and wear masks. There was no Eucharist or passing of the peace, and the usual post-service coffee hour was held by video conference.
“Good morning, children of God,” the Rev. Sarah Dunn, the church’s rector, said from behind a plexiglass screen, welcoming parishioners back to the socially distanced service July 5 after 16 Sundays apart. She acknowledged feeling “mixed emotions”: apprehension as the virus remains a threat, but joy at being able to gather in the sacred space.
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Associated Press reporters Peter Orsi in Truckee, California, Anthony Izaguirre in Charleston, West Virginia, and Sara Cline in Salem, Oregon, contributed to this report.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Pope 'deeply pained' over Turkey's move on Hagia Sophia

VATICAN CITY ( AP ) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that he is “ deeply pained ” over the decision by Turkey to change the status of Hagia Sophia - which was originally built in Istanbul as a Christian cathedral - from a museum to a mosque .
In a very brief , improvised remark , Francis , speaking from his studio window overlooking St. Peter ’ s Square , noted that the Catholic Church marked Sunday as International Day of the Sea .
“ And the sea brings me a little far away with my thought : to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I am thinking of St. Sophia and I am deeply pained.
” Francis said no more but was clearly referring to the move by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to formally convert the monumental building back into a mosque .
The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 .
The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum .
The pope , who heads the Roman Catholic church , is adding his voice to strong objections a day earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council of Churches .
That organization described its “ grief and dismay ” in noting that Hagia Sophia has been “ a place of openness , encounter and inspiration for people from all nations.
” The council ’ s membership comprises Protestant , Orthodox and Anglican churches .
Erdogan declared the monument open for Muslim worship after a high court annulled the 1934 government decision .

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that he is “deeply pained” over the decision by Turkey to change the status of Hagia Sophia - which was originally built in Istanbul as a Christian cathedral - from a museum to a mosque.
In a very brief, improvised remark, Francis, speaking from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, noted that the Catholic Church marked Sunday as International Day of the Sea. “And the sea brings me a little far away with my thought: to Istanbul,” the pontiff said. “I am thinking of St. Sophia and I am deeply pained.”
Francis said no more but was clearly referring to the move by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to formally convert the monumental building back into a mosque. The colossal Santa Sophia cathedral was turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. The Turkish secular government in 1934 decided to make it a museum.
The pope, who heads the Roman Catholic church, is adding his voice to strong objections a day earlier by the head of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches. That organization described its “grief and dismay” in noting that Hagia Sophia has been “a place of openness, encounter and inspiration for people from all nations.” The council’s membership comprises Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches.
Erdogan declared the monument open for Muslim worship after a high court annulled the 1934 government decision.


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Zachary Smith, Creighton professor, mocks pro-police event as 'White supremacist rally'

A Creighton University religion professor ’ s tweet referring to a support-the-police rally as a white supremacist event unleashed a backlash before it was taken down Friday .
The university issue a statement saying Zachary Smith ’ s view didn ’ t represent the school .
Further , the statement said , Smith “ regrets his statement and sincerely apologizes for the offense it has caused.
” The Creighton University College Republicans condemned Smith ’ s tweet , the Omaha World-Herald reported .
The Omaha police union also expressed disappointment .
The dustup stems from an item the newspaper posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ ’ Back the Blue ’ rally in Omaha to show support for law enforcement.
” Smith responded : “ Lem me fix this headline for you … ‘ White supremacist rally in Omaha to showcase Midwestern racism.
’ ” Creighton College Republican President Tyler Henningsen of Papillion said he first saw the tweet Friday morning .
He issued a response calling Smith ’ s message “ morally repugnant , ” saying it stood in contrast with Creighton ’ s Jesuit tradition of pursuing justice .
The episode comes as nationwide protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the death of George Floyd , a black man killed while in police custody .

A Creighton University religion professor’s tweet referring to a support-the-police rally as a white supremacist event unleashed a backlash before it was taken down Friday.
The university issue a statement saying Zachary Smith’s view didn’t represent the school. Further, the statement said, Smith “regrets his statement and sincerely apologizes for the offense it has caused.”
The Creighton University College Republicans condemned Smith’s tweet, the Omaha World-Herald reported. The Omaha police union also expressed disappointment.
The dustup stems from an item the newspaper posted on its website Monday under the headline: ” ‘Back the Blue’ rally in Omaha to show support for law enforcement.” Smith responded: “Lemme fix this headline for you … ‘White supremacist rally in Omaha to showcase Midwestern racism.’ ”
Creighton College Republican President Tyler Henningsen of Papillion said he first saw the tweet Friday morning. He issued a response calling Smith’s message “morally repugnant,” saying it stood in contrast with Creighton’s Jesuit tradition of pursuing justice.
The episode comes as nationwide protests have taken place to condemn police brutality following the death of George Floyd, a black man killed while in police custody.


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--Katrina Pierson: Donald Trump 'has the policies that prove Black lives matter'

MADISON , Wis. — A pair of President Donald Trump ’ s top advisers touted him to Wisconsin Republicans on Saturday as a defender of law and order who will win over key Black voters , while casting presumed Democratic rival Joe Biden as out of touch and Biden ’ s party as a “ mob ” bent on erasing American history .
The strategists headlined the state Republican convention , which the party held in-person at a Green Bay convention center despite the risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic .
The schedule was shortened , masks and hand sanitizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept risk and liability for their health in attending .
Wisconsin set a record high in daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday , breaking records set each of the two days leading up to the convention .
Mercedes Schlapp , a Trump adviser who is Cuban American , and Katrina Pierson , who is Black and worked on Trump ’ s 2016 campaign , are among the highest-profile senior female staffers working to help him get reelected .
They participated in a women for Trump bus tour in Wisconsin leading up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both women described Trump as a “ law and order ” president .
Speaking to a mostly white audience , Pierson said Republicans have the “ moral authority to stand strong and fight back ” and win over minority voters .
“ And that is why the black voices for Trump coalition will be taking on Black Lives Matter , ” she said .
“ Because we have the candidate who has the policies that prove Black lives matter because he believes that all lives matter.
” Schlapp said Trump will keep communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrasted him with Biden and Democrats , who Schlapp said “ let the left mobs destroy our cities .
… These Democrats want to rewrite our past , they want to erase history , that ’ s why they tear these statues down.
” “ Do we want to be the next Seattle ?
Do we want to be the next Minneapolis ?
Do we want to be the next Chicago ?
” she asked as the crowd of about 300 shouted “ no !
” after each question .
Wisconsin Democratic Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ delusional conspiracy theories and outright lies that will continue to put Wisconsinites and Americans everywhere at risk and cost Trump the presidency.
” Schulman said Republicans , by holding the convention in person , were “ following Trump ’ s lead by ignoring the deadly crisis that is COVID-19 and don ’ t have the slightest understanding of the pain and suffering so many people across the badger state are experiencing because of this president ’ s gross incompetence.
” Schlapp cast Trump as a leader in the effort to fight COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding their convention in person .
Wisconsin Democrats switched to an all-virtual state convention , which they held in June .
Schlapp said Trump has worked with local , state and federal leaders to fight the coronavirus , while emphasizing the importance of reopening the economy , including schools in the fall .
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher , of Green Bay , repeatedly blamed the coronavirus on China , saying it had “ unleashed a pandemic on the world.
” In an awkward moment , U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman , of Glenbeulah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he tried to say Trump ’ s name at the start of his speech .
“ It is a disaster for this country if he loses , ” Grothman said .
Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016 and it ’ s a key battleground state in this year ’ s election , as well .
Polls have shown Biden with a lead , but the polls in 2016 also showed Democrat Hillary Clinton leading Trump at this point .
Clinton never campaigned in Wisconsin after the primary , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come .
“ Even if he were in Wisconsin , he wouldn ’ t know , ” she said .
Biden recorded a video message for the state Democratic convention and has also held virtual events targeting Wisconsin since the virus broke out .
His surrogates have also been holding virtual events .
Pierson said that the Trump campaign had far more resources this time than in 2016 , when it barely won the state .
“ This time we have an entire Army locked and loaded , ” she said .
Pierson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter fraud , an issue that Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly raised as rationale for policies making it more difficult for people to vote .
She said instead of worrying about fraud , Republicans should think about turning out a margin so large “ that any fraud won ’ t matter.
” This story was updated to correct the spelling of Phil Shulman ’ s name , which had been misspelled “ Schulman .
”

MADISON, Wis. — A pair of President Donald Trump’s top advisers touted him to Wisconsin Republicans on Saturday as a defender of law and order who will win over key Black voters, while casting presumed Democratic rival Joe Biden as out of touch and Biden’s party as a “mob” bent on erasing American history.
The strategists headlined the state Republican convention, which the party held in-person at a Green Bay convention center despite the risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The schedule was shortened, masks and hand sanitizer were made available, and guests had to accept risk and liability for their health in attending. Wisconsin set a record high in daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, breaking records set each of the two days leading up to the convention.
Mercedes Schlapp, a Trump adviser who is Cuban American, and Katrina Pierson, who is Black and worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign, are among the highest-profile senior female staffers working to help him get reelected. They participated in a women for Trump bus tour in Wisconsin leading up to them speaking at the convention.
Both women described Trump as a “law and order” president.
Speaking to a mostly white audience, Pierson said Republicans have the “moral authority to stand strong and fight back” and win over minority voters.
“And that is why the black voices for Trump coalition will be taking on Black Lives Matter,” she said. “Because we have the candidate who has the policies that prove Black lives matter because he believes that all lives matter.”
Schlapp said Trump will keep communities safe and stand by police. She contrasted him with Biden and Democrats, who Schlapp said “let the left mobs destroy our cities. … These Democrats want to rewrite our past, they want to erase history, that’s why they tear these statues down.”
“Do we want to be the next Seattle? Do we want to be the next Minneapolis? Do we want to be the next Chicago?” she asked as the crowd of about 300 shouted “no!” after each question.
Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Phil Shulman dismissed the comments as “delusional conspiracy theories and outright lies that will continue to put Wisconsinites and Americans everywhere at risk and cost Trump the presidency.”
Schulman said Republicans, by holding the convention in person, were “following Trump’s lead by ignoring the deadly crisis that is COVID-19 and don’t have the slightest understanding of the pain and suffering so many people across the badger state are experiencing because of this president’s gross incompetence.”
Schlapp cast Trump as a leader in the effort to fight COVID-19, even as Democrats mocked Republicans for holding their convention in person. Wisconsin Democrats switched to an all-virtual state convention, which they held in June.
Schlapp said Trump has worked with local, state and federal leaders to fight the coronavirus, while emphasizing the importance of reopening the economy, including schools in the fall.
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, of Green Bay, repeatedly blamed the coronavirus on China, saying it had “unleashed a pandemic on the world.”
In an awkward moment, U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, of Glenbeulah, got into a coughing fit when he tried to say Trump’s name at the start of his speech.
“It is a disaster for this country if he loses,” Grothman said.
Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016 and it’s a key battleground state in this year’s election, as well. Polls have shown Biden with a lead, but the polls in 2016 also showed Democrat Hillary Clinton leading Trump at this point. Clinton never campaigned in Wisconsin after the primary, which Schlapp mentioned when wondering whether Biden would come.
“Even if he were in Wisconsin, he wouldn’t know,” she said.
Biden recorded a video message for the state Democratic convention and has also held virtual events targeting Wisconsin since the virus broke out. His surrogates have also been holding virtual events.
Pierson said that the Trump campaign had far more resources this time than in 2016, when it barely won the state.
“This time we have an entire Army locked and loaded,” she said.
Pierson also said not to be concerned about voter fraud, an issue that Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly raised as rationale for policies making it more difficult for people to vote. She said instead of worrying about fraud, Republicans should think about turning out a margin so large “that any fraud won’t matter.”
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This story was updated to correct the spelling of Phil Shulman’s name, which had been misspelled “Schulman.”
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Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sbauerAP


washingtontimes--2020-07-12--LeBron James won't wear social justice message on jersey

LeBron James says his thoughts on social justice can ’ t be contained on the back of a basketball jersey .
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar won ’ t wear one of the NBA-approved social justice messages on the back of his jersey when the NBA resumes competition later this month in the Orlando bubble .
“ It was no disrespect to the list that was handed down to all the players , ” James said Saturday in a confernece call from Florida .
“ I commend anyone that decides to put something on the back of their jersey .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t seriously resonate with my mission , with my goal.
” As part of the NBA ’ s recognition of the nationwide invigoration of the social justice movement sparked by the death of George Floyd , NBA players are allowed to choose from a lengthy list of possible messages for their jerseys during the league ’ s restart .
James is among just a few who declined to choose one of the messages , he said .
“ I would have loved to have a say-so on what would have went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James said .
“ I had a couple of things in mind , but I wasn ’ t part of that process , which is OK. … Everything that I do has a purpose , has a meaning .
I don ’ t need to have something on the back of my jersey for people to understand my mission or know what I ’ m about and what I ’ m here to do.
” The 35-year-old superstar has a long history of social involvement and advocacy for progressive causes .
James speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility to campaign for positive social change from his powerful position in sports and pop culture .
“ This is the mission I ’ ve been on for a long time now , ” James said .
“ It ’ s great that a lot of people ’ s ears are opening .
A lot of people are understanding , a lot of people are recognizing .
A lot of people still don ’ t get it , and a lot of people are still afraid to talk about the racism that goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
… But we have some ears , and we will continue to push the envelope and let everyone know that we are human as well .
We don ’ t want to be just be used for our God-given abilities.
” JaVale McGee , the Lakers ’ veteran center , said he will wear “ Respect Us ” on his jersey in Orlando .
“ It ’ s a blessing to have this platform , ” said McGee , whose asthma has him being particularly cautious during the pandemic .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing basketball … Our fans are basketball fans over anything .
This is the biggest platform we can speak about social injustices .
That ’ s the best time to talk about it.
” James also said he didn ’ t consider not playing in the NBA ’ s restart , believing the league can be a positive force through its visibility and competition .
He expressed no concerns for his health inside the bubble .
“ I believe the NBA and ( Commissioner ) Adam Silver , they took all precautionary measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league are as safe as we can be , ” James said .
“ Obviously , in anything that you do , there can be things that can happen , so we will cross that line if it happens .
But we ’ re doing everything to make sure everyone stays safe during this pandemic .
Adam Silver has given me no reason to not believe him since he took over .
I have no concerns .
I ’ m here 100 % and in great health .
”

LeBron James says his thoughts on social justice can’t be contained on the back of a basketball jersey.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar won’t wear one of the NBA-approved social justice messages on the back of his jersey when the NBA resumes competition later this month in the Orlando bubble.
“It was no disrespect to the list that was handed down to all the players,” James said Saturday in a confernece call from Florida. “I commend anyone that decides to put something on the back of their jersey. It’s just something that didn’t seriously resonate with my mission, with my goal.”
As part of the NBA’s recognition of the nationwide invigoration of the social justice movement sparked by the death of George Floyd, NBA players are allowed to choose from a lengthy list of possible messages for their jerseys during the league’s restart. James is among just a few who declined to choose one of the messages, he said.
“I would have loved to have a say-so on what would have went on the back of my jersey,” James said. “I had a couple of things in mind, but I wasn’t part of that process, which is OK. … Everything that I do has a purpose, has a meaning. I don’t need to have something on the back of my jersey for people to understand my mission or know what I’m about and what I’m here to do.”
The 35-year-old superstar has a long history of social involvement and advocacy for progressive causes. James speaks frequently of what he feels is a responsibility to campaign for positive social change from his powerful position in sports and pop culture.
“This is the mission I’ve been on for a long time now,” James said. “It’s great that a lot of people’s ears are opening. A lot of people are understanding, a lot of people are recognizing. A lot of people still don’t get it, and a lot of people are still afraid to talk about the racism that goes on in America, especially for our people. … But we have some ears, and we will continue to push the envelope and let everyone know that we are human as well. We don’t want to be just be used for our God-given abilities.”
JaVale McGee, the Lakers’ veteran center, said he will wear “Respect Us” on his jersey in Orlando.
“It’s a blessing to have this platform,” said McGee, whose asthma has him being particularly cautious during the pandemic. “We have way more of a voice playing basketball … Our fans are basketball fans over anything. This is the biggest platform we can speak about social injustices. That’s the best time to talk about it.”
James also said he didn’t consider not playing in the NBA’s restart, believing the league can be a positive force through its visibility and competition. He expressed no concerns for his health inside the bubble.
“I believe the NBA and (Commissioner) Adam Silver, they took all precautionary measure to make sure that we as a league are as safe as we can be,” James said. “Obviously, in anything that you do, there can be things that can happen, so we will cross that line if it happens. But we’re doing everything to make sure everyone stays safe during this pandemic. Adam Silver has given me no reason to not believe him since he took over. I have no concerns. I’m here 100% and in great health.”
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