washingtontimes--2020-10-24--In the zone: Former Orioles player recalls 1970 World Series

BALTIMORE ( AP ) - Half a century later , Brooks Robinson recalls every part of the play : a bullet off the bat of Reds slugger Lee May that hugged the foul line and seemed a sure hit until - 15 feet past third base - Robinson lunged to his right to backhand the ball .
Then , off balance and in foul ground , he whirled , bounced a throw to first base and nipped the runner .
“ I didn ’ t even have time to plant my foot .
I can ’ t ever remember making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robinson , 83 , the Orioles ’ Hall of Fame third baseman .
It was Game 1 of the 1970 World Series in a week that Robinson would claim as his own .
Time and again , on a national stage , he foiled the Cincinnati Reds , killing rallies with his glove or kindling them with his bat .
He hit .429 , set or tied seven World Series records and led the Orioles to a near sweep ( four games to one ) to capture their second world championship .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Memorial Stadium crowd of 45,341 rose in unison to give Robinson a standing ovation .
Never mind that he ’ d struck out looking .
Even the Reds chimed in .
“ I would pay to watch him play , ” Cincy ’ s Pete Rose said .
In hindsight , Robinson - never one to boast - concedes he was on a roll .
“ I played a long time ( 23 years ) but I ’ d never had five games in a row like that , ” the series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Owings Mills home .
“ I was in a zone .
It was a combination of being a good fielder and being lucky , I guess .
You can play for a whole week and not have a ball hit to you.
” Determined to avenge the Orioles ’ upset loss to the New York Mets in the 1969 fall classic , he ’ d scribbled on his suitcase , “ Brooks Robinson , Baltimore Orioles , 1970 World Champions.
” So what happened ?
In Game 1 , second inning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nags at him .
“ Woody Woodward ( a .223 hitter ) hit a ground ball and I threw high to first base , ” Robinson said .
“ I thought , ‘ Oh my gosh , are you kidding me ?
First the Mets and now this ?
Here we go again.
’ A lot of things went through my mind , none of them good.
” But the miscue proved harmless and Robinson sparkled thereafter .
“ I guess I just got my error out of the way early , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he made the standout play to retire May .
Then , in the top of the seventh , he hit a changeup from Reds ace Gary Nolan for a game-winning home run in a 4-3 victory .
The AstroTurf at Riverfront Stadium didn ’ t hinder his fielding , said Robinson , who ’ d rarely played on it .
Just one American League team ( Chicago ) had a synthetic infield .
“ The ball took true hops , ” he said , “ though it moved a little faster.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stops and acrobatic stabs on quick turf ?
Robinson shrugged off the question .
“ Your reflexes are your reflexes , ” he said .
“ It ’ s just instinct , I don ’ t know what else to tell you.
” He starred again in Game 2 , a 6-5 Orioles win , with an RBI single and robbing May with another backhand catch of a ground smash that he turned into a double play .
“ I turned all the way around on that one , ” Robinson said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ often.
” In two days , the balding , 33-year-old father of four had awed the fans and numbed the Reds .
“ If Robinson isn ’ t there , we have two victories and they have none , ” Reds manager Sparky Anderson said in the losers ’ clubhouse .
“ I ’ m beginning to see him in my sleep .
If I dropped this paper plate , he ’ d pick it up on one hop and throw me out.
” “ Brooks Robinson ought to be declared illegal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d be thwarted himself in Game 3 .
In the sixth inning , he hit a line drive that Robinson speared one-handed , sprawled in the dirt with his glove raised in triumph .
At bat , he hit a two-run , bases-loaded double and later doubled again , scoring on a grand slam by pitcher Dave McNally as the Orioles won , 9-3 , at Memorial Stadium .
The Reds won the next one , 6-5 , on a game-winning three-run homer by May , who crowed afterward .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past that ‘ Hoover ’ ( vacuum cleaner ) , ” said May .
“ I hit it over him.
” Robinson , meanwhile , finished the game with a home run and three singles , with two RBIs and two runs scored .
He tacked on another single late in Game 5 , a 9-3 victory , and finished with nine hits , matching the record for most in a five-game series .
He might have set a new mark , had he not sacrificed the chance to do it in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-run lead .
“ We had a man on second base with no outs , and I needed a hit to tie that record , ” Robinson said .
“ I could have pulled the ball , but I wanted to hit it the other way ( to the right side ) to move the runner to third.
” Robinson grounded out , the runner advanced and scored on the next play .
His selfless act wasn ’ t lost on his teammates .
“ In the clubhouse , Frank Robinson paid me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was really a team player , ” Robinson said .
The crowd showed its thanks following his final at-bat in the eighth inning .
“ That ’ s the first time I got a standing ovation after striking out , ” he said .
“ The ( applause ) was nice ; it really was .
I figured people were clapping because I ’ d played here so long , and for being a person-to-person guy , and because most of them liked me - and because I ’ d met most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a backhand grab of a Bench line drive .
Fittingly , he then retired the final hitter to end the Series .
“ It was a slow grounder that took a big hop to me , ” he said .
“ I was thinking , ‘ Don ’ t mess this up ’ as I threw him out.
” “ We don ’ t have anything like him in the National League , ” Anderson said .
“ It ’ s a thrill to see plays made like that , even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I call him a ‘ long ’ third baseman because he seems to stretch everywhere , ” May said .
In the champions ’ champagne-soaked clubhouse , reporters asked the hero ’ s whereabouts .
“ He ’ s not at his locker yet , ” a team official said .
“ But four guys are over there interviewing his glove.
” “ If we knew he wanted a car so badly , we ’ d have given him one before this thing started , ” Rose said .
Amid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kangaroo Court , where judge Frank Robinson ( with a mop on his head ) proposed fining the star for “ showboating ” in the field .
“ Judge , if you fine me a buck , I won ’ t give you a ride in my new car , ” the defendant said .
The Hall of Fame approached Robinson and asked : Could it display his glove ?
Not yet , he said .
“ I told them , ‘ You ’ ll have to wait a year .
I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ” Shortly after the Series , he posed for a Norman Rockwell painting , an oil-on-canvas likeness of No .
5 signing an autograph for a youngster .
( Years later , Robinson bought the 3-foot painting at auction for $ 200,000 ) .
His savvy play would long haunt the losers .
“ A year later , in the All-Star Game , Bench hit me another bullet , WHAM !
I took one step to my left , caught it on the short hop and threw him out , ” Robinson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that play on film and realized that when I caught the ball , he pitched his bat straight up in the air , like , ‘ Oh my God , it ’ s Robinson again … ’ ” In 1975 , following his trade to the Orioles , Lee May approached No .
5 in the clubhouse .
“ The first thing he said to me was , ‘ No one would have heard of your ass if I hadn ’ t hit those balls down to you , ’ ” Robinson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cherish to the end .
“ Do I feel 83 ?
Yeah , ” said the grandfather of 10 .
“ I can ’ t make the plays anymore .
I mean , I can still dive and catch them - I just can ’ t get back up.
” Most of his baseball memorabilia - including the Rockwell painting - is gone , auctioned off years ago for charities .
And what of the sports car he received as World Series MVP ?
“ It was kind of snazzy , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I ’ m not sure what happened to it ; we already had a station wagon .
”

BALTIMORE (AP) - Half a century later, Brooks Robinson recalls every part of the play: a bullet off the bat of Reds slugger Lee May that hugged the foul line and seemed a sure hit until - 15 feet past third base - Robinson lunged to his right to backhand the ball. Then, off balance and in foul ground, he whirled, bounced a throw to first base and nipped the runner.
“I didn’t even have time to plant my foot. I can’t ever remember making another play like that,” said Robinson, 83, the Orioles’ Hall of Fame third baseman.
It was Game 1 of the 1970 World Series in a week that Robinson would claim as his own. Time and again, on a national stage, he foiled the Cincinnati Reds, killing rallies with his glove or kindling them with his bat. He hit .429, set or tied seven World Series records and led the Orioles to a near sweep (four games to one) to capture their second world championship.
After his last at-bat in Game 5, the Memorial Stadium crowd of 45,341 rose in unison to give Robinson a standing ovation. Never mind that he’d struck out looking. Even the Reds chimed in.
“I would pay to watch him play,” Cincy’s Pete Rose said.
In hindsight, Robinson - never one to boast - concedes he was on a roll.
“I played a long time (23 years) but I’d never had five games in a row like that,” the series’ Most Valuable Player said recently from his Owings Mills home. “I was in a zone. It was a combination of being a good fielder and being lucky, I guess. You can play for a whole week and not have a ball hit to you.”
Determined to avenge the Orioles’ upset loss to the New York Mets in the 1969 fall classic, he’d scribbled on his suitcase, “Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, 1970 World Champions.” So what happened? In Game 1, second inning, Robinson made an error. It still nags at him.
“Woody Woodward (a .223 hitter) hit a ground ball and I threw high to first base,” Robinson said. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? First the Mets and now this? Here we go again.’ A lot of things went through my mind, none of them good.”
But the miscue proved harmless and Robinson sparkled thereafter.
“I guess I just got my error out of the way early,” he said.
In the sixth inning, he made the standout play to retire May. Then, in the top of the seventh, he hit a changeup from Reds ace Gary Nolan for a game-winning home run in a 4-3 victory.
The AstroTurf at Riverfront Stadium didn’t hinder his fielding, said Robinson, who’d rarely played on it. Just one American League team (Chicago) had a synthetic infield.
“The ball took true hops,” he said, “though it moved a little faster.”
So how did he make the flashy stops and acrobatic stabs on quick turf? Robinson shrugged off the question.
“Your reflexes are your reflexes,” he said. “It’s just instinct, I don’t know what else to tell you.”
He starred again in Game 2, a 6-5 Orioles win, with an RBI single and robbing May with another backhand catch of a ground smash that he turned into a double play.
“I turned all the way around on that one,” Robinson said. “That doesn’t happen very often.”
In two days, the balding, 33-year-old father of four had awed the fans and numbed the Reds.
“If Robinson isn’t there, we have two victories and they have none,” Reds manager Sparky Anderson said in the losers’ clubhouse. “I’m beginning to see him in my sleep. If I dropped this paper plate, he’d pick it up on one hop and throw me out.”
Johnny Bench was more succinct.
“Brooks Robinson ought to be declared illegal,” said the Cincinnati catcher, who’d be thwarted himself in Game 3. In the sixth inning, he hit a line drive that Robinson speared one-handed, sprawled in the dirt with his glove raised in triumph. At bat, he hit a two-run, bases-loaded double and later doubled again, scoring on a grand slam by pitcher Dave McNally as the Orioles won, 9-3, at Memorial Stadium.
The Reds won the next one, 6-5, on a game-winning three-run homer by May, who crowed afterward.
“I finally found a way to get it past that ‘Hoover’ (vacuum cleaner),” said May. “I hit it over him.”
Robinson, meanwhile, finished the game with a home run and three singles, with two RBIs and two runs scored. He tacked on another single late in Game 5, a 9-3 victory, and finished with nine hits, matching the record for most in a five-game series. He might have set a new mark, had he not sacrificed the chance to do it in the third inning with the Orioles nursing a two-run lead.
“We had a man on second base with no outs, and I needed a hit to tie that record,” Robinson said. “I could have pulled the ball, but I wanted to hit it the other way (to the right side) to move the runner to third.”
Robinson grounded out, the runner advanced and scored on the next play. His selfless act wasn’t lost on his teammates.
“In the clubhouse, Frank Robinson paid me a wonderful tribute. He said I was really a team player,” Robinson said.
The crowd showed its thanks following his final at-bat in the eighth inning.
“That’s the first time I got a standing ovation after striking out,” he said. “The (applause) was nice; it really was. I figured people were clapping because I’d played here so long, and for being a person-to-person guy, and because most of them liked me - and because I’d met most of them.”
In the ninth, Robinson made a backhand grab of a Bench line drive. Fittingly, he then retired the final hitter to end the Series.
“It was a slow grounder that took a big hop to me,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘Don’t mess this up’ as I threw him out.”
The Reds left in awe.
“We don’t have anything like him in the National League,” Anderson said.
“It’s a thrill to see plays made like that, even if they hurt you,” Rose said.
“I call him a ‘long’ third baseman because he seems to stretch everywhere,” May said.
In the champions’ champagne-soaked clubhouse, reporters asked the hero’s whereabouts.
“He’s not at his locker yet,” a team official said. “But four guys are over there interviewing his glove.”
Robinson’s prize as the series’ MVP: a 1971 steel-gray Dodge Charger.
“If we knew he wanted a car so badly, we’d have given him one before this thing started,” Rose said.
Amid the hoopla, the Orioles staged their playful Kangaroo Court, where judge Frank Robinson (with a mop on his head) proposed fining the star for “showboating” in the field.
“Judge, if you fine me a buck, I won’t give you a ride in my new car,” the defendant said.
“Case dismissed,” his honor said.
The Hall of Fame approached Robinson and asked: Could it display his glove? Not yet, he said.
“I told them, ‘You’ll have to wait a year. I don’t want to give it up.’ ”
Shortly after the Series, he posed for a Norman Rockwell painting, an oil-on-canvas likeness of No. 5 signing an autograph for a youngster. (Years later, Robinson bought the 3-foot painting at auction for $200,000).
His savvy play would long haunt the losers.
“A year later, in the All-Star Game, Bench hit me another bullet, WHAM! I took one step to my left, caught it on the short hop and threw him out,” Robinson said. “Years later I watched that play on film and realized that when I caught the ball, he pitched his bat straight up in the air, like, ‘Oh my God, it’s Robinson again … ’ ”
In 1975, following his trade to the Orioles, Lee May approached No. 5 in the clubhouse.
“The first thing he said to me was, ‘No one would have heard of your ass if I hadn’t hit those balls down to you,’ ” Robinson said.
Those memories, he’ll cherish to the end.
“Do I feel 83? Yeah,” said the grandfather of 10. “I can’t make the plays anymore. I mean, I can still dive and catch them - I just can’t get back up.”
Most of his baseball memorabilia - including the Rockwell painting - is gone, auctioned off years ago for charities. And what of the sports car he received as World Series MVP?
“It was kind of snazzy, I’ll tell you that,” he said. “I’m not sure what happened to it; we already had a station wagon.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--NY deputy stabbed in leg trying to carry out court order

AURELIUS , N.Y. ( AP ) - An upstate New York sheriff ’ s deputy was stabbed in the leg @ @ @ @ @ man who then barricaded himself in his house for several hours , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ that Luke Gaffney , 39 , was arrested early Saturday after an hours-long standoff and @ @ @ @ @ a police officer .
The encounter started at 5 p.m. Friday when two deputies went @ @ @ @ @ to carry out a court order directing a man later identified as Gaffney to turn @ @ @ @ @ County Sheriff Brian Schenck said .
Gaffney refused to comply with the order and stabbed @ @ @ @ @ the leg several times during a brief struggle , Schenck said .
Gaffney then barricaded @ @ @ @ @ several hours until police negotiators persuaded him to come out , authorities said .
Schenck @ @ @ @ @ custody without further incident .
It wasn ’ t clear if Gaffney had an attorney @ @ @ @ @ .
The wounded deputy was treated at a hospital and released .

AURELIUS, N.Y. (AP) - An upstate New York sheriff’s deputy was stabbed in the leg during a confrontation with a man who then barricaded himself in his house for several hours, police said.
The Post-Standard of Syracuse reports that Luke Gaffney, 39, was arrested early Saturday after an hours-long standoff and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer.
The encounter started at 5 p.m. Friday when two deputies went to a house in Aurelius to carry out a court order directing a man later identified as Gaffney to turn over his guns, Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck said.
Gaffney refused to comply with the order and stabbed one of the deputies in the leg several times during a brief struggle, Schenck said.
Gaffney then barricaded himself inside the house for several hours until police negotiators persuaded him to come out, authorities said. Schenck said he was taken into custody without further incident.
It wasn’t clear if Gaffney had an attorney who could speak for him. The wounded deputy was treated at a hospital and released.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Another famous piece damaged on Berlin's Museum Island

BERLIN ( AP ) - A famous piece of art was vandalized at one of Berlin ’ s most famous museums only days after authorities revealed that more than 60 other art works on the city ’ s Museum Island were smeared with an oily liquid , German news agency dpa reported Saturday .
A huge granite bowl in front of the Altes Museum , which is part of the German capital ’ s museum complex , was smeared by an unknown perpetrator or perpetrators , dpa reported .
Museum Island is a UNESCO world heritage site in the heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s main tourist attractions , “ It can no longer be denied : culture is being attacked , ” Hermann Parzinger , the president of the cultural organization that oversees the Museum Island complex , said .
“ ” The prominent and world-famous granite bowl in front of Altes Museum was smeared in the most horrible way.
” It was not immediately clear if the bowl was smeared with the same oily liquid as the other art pieces that were damaged early this month .
The other targeted exhibits at the Museum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Investigators said they had watched hours of surveillance camera footage but not found any obvious sign of anyone applying the liquid .
Museum experts have said the motive remains a mystery and there appeared to be no thematic link between the targeted works .
They expressed optimism that the apparently random damage can be repaired .

BERLIN (AP) - Several teenagers sprayed graffiti on a piece of art outside one of Berlin’s most famous museums and that the vandalism was unrelated to the damaging of more than 60 other art works on the city’s Museum Island that were smeared with an oily liquid early this month, police said Saturday.
A huge granite bowl in front of the Altes Museum, which is part of the German capital’s museum complex and houses antiquities, was defaced Friday night by some teenagers and adults, Berlin police said. Two of the suspects were temporarily detained.
Museum Island is a UNESCO world heritage site in the heart of Berlin and one of the city’s main tourist attractions,
Dozens of other exhibits at the Museum Island complex were vandalized Oct. 3. Investigators said they had watched hours of surveillance camera footage but not found any obvious sign of anyone applying the liquid.
Museum experts have said the motive remains a mystery and there appeared to be no thematic link between the targeted works. They expressed optimism that the apparently random damage can be repaired.
Berlin police said the graffiti sprayed on the granite bowl did not have any political content or appear related to the damaging of the other art works.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Bulgaria signs 5G deal with US excluding Chinese firms

SOFIA , Bulgaria ( AP ) - Bulgaria has joined other Balkan countries in signing an agreement with the United @ @ @ @ @ security aimed at excluding Chinese hardware providers .
Bulgaria joined North Macedonia and Kosovo , @ @ @ @ @ the “ Clean Network ” security agreement on Friday .
It is part of a @ @ @ @ @ tech giant Huawei and other Chinese companies in 5G networks .
U.S. government officials have @ @ @ @ @ and elsewhere against the inclusion of Huawei , which has been blacklisted for posing a @ @ @ @ @ using its technology to spy on behalf of the Chinese government .
China argues that @ @ @ @ @ by commercial concerns .
The U.S. Embassy in Sofia said Bulgaria “ joins a growing @ @ @ @ @ committed to protecting their 5G networks from untrusted vendors.
” U.S .
Under Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ Krach said in a government video from Friday ’ s signing ceremony with Bulgaria that @ @ @ @ @ national security , economic prosperity and stability in the region .

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) - Bulgaria has joined other Balkan countries in signing an agreement with the United States on high-speed wireless network security aimed at excluding Chinese hardware providers.
Bulgaria joined North Macedonia and Kosovo, neighboring nations that also signed the “Clean Network” security agreement on Friday.
It is part of a Trump administration effort to exclude tech giant Huawei and other Chinese companies in 5G networks.
U.S. government officials have led a campaign across Europe and elsewhere against the inclusion of Huawei, which has been blacklisted for posing a threat to national security and using its technology to spy on behalf of the Chinese government.
China argues that the U.S. initiative is driven by commercial concerns.
The U.S. Embassy in Sofia said Bulgaria “joins a growing coalition of countries and companies committed to protecting their 5G networks from untrusted vendors.”
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth Keith Krach said in a government video from Friday’s signing ceremony with Bulgaria that the agreement is vital to national security, economic prosperity and stability in the region.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Lee Kun-Hee, force behind Samsung’s rise, dies at 78

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - Lee Kun-Hee , the ailing Samsung Electronics chairman who transformed the small television maker into a global giant of consumer electronics , has died .
He was 78 .
A Samsung statement said Lee died on Sunday with his family members , including his son and de facto company chief Lee Jae-yong , by his side .
Lee Kun-Hee had been hospitalized since May 2014 after suffering a heart attack and the younger Lee has run Samsung , the biggest company in South Korea .
“ All of us at Samsung will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the journey we shared with him , ” the Samsung statement said .
“ Our deepest sympathies are with his family , relatives and those nearest .
His legacy will be everlasting.
” Lee Kun-hee inherited control from his father and during his nearly 30 years of leadership , Samsung Electronics Co. became a global brand and the world ’ s largest maker of smartphones , televisions and memory chips .
Samsung sells Galaxy phones while also making the screens and microchips that power its rivals , Apple ’ s iPhones and Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s economy , Asia ’ s fourth-largest .
Its businesses encompass shipbuilding , life insurance , construction , hotels , amusement park operation and more .
Samsung Electronics alone accounts for 20 % of the market capital on South Korea ’ s main stock market .
Lee leaves behind immense wealth , with Forbes estimating his fortune at $ 16 billion as of January 2017 .
His death comes during a complex time for Samsung .
When he was hospitalized , Samsung ’ s once-lucrative mobile business faced threats from upstart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pressure was high to innovate its traditionally strong hardware business , to reform a stifling hierarchical culture and to improve its corporate governance and transparency .
Samsung was ensnared in the 2016-17 corruption scandal that led to then-President Park Geun-hye ’ s impeachment and imprisonment .
Its executives , including the younger Lee , were investigated by prosecutors who believed Samsung executives bribed Park to secure the government ’ s backing for a smooth leadership transition from father to son .
In a previous scandal , Lee Kun-Hee was convicted in 2008 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bribery designed to pass his wealth and corporate control to his three children .
The late Lee was a stern , terse leader who focused on big-picture strategies , leaving details and daily management to executives .
His near-absolute authority allowed the company to make bold decisions in the fast-changing technology industry , such as shelling out billions to build new production lines for memory chips and display panels even as the 2008 global financial crisis unfolded .
Those risky moves fueled Samsung ’ s rise .
Lee was born Jan. 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Daegu during Japan ’ s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula .
His father Lee Byung-chull had founded an export business there in 1938 and following the 1950-53 Korean War , he rebuilt the company into an electronics and home appliance manufacturer and the country ’ s first major trading company .
Lee Byung-chull was often called one of the fathers of modern industrial South Korea .
Lee Kun-Hee was the third son and his inheritance of his father ’ s businesses bucked the tradition of family wealth going to the eldest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brothers sued for a bigger part of Samsung but lost the case .
When Lee Kun-Hee inherited control from his father in 1987 , Samsung was relying on Japanese technology to produce TVs and was making its first steps into exporting microwaves and refrigerators .
The company was expanding its semiconductor factories after entering the business in 1974 by acquiring a near-bankrupt firm .
A decisive moment came in 1993 .
Lee Kun-Hee made sweeping changes to Samsung after a two-month trip abroad convinced him the company needed to improve the quality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samsung executives , he famously urged , “ Let ’ s change everything except our wives and children.
” Not all his moves succeeded .
A notable failure was the group ’ s expansion into the auto industry in the 1990s , in part driven by Lee Kun-Hee ’ s passion for luxury cars .
Samsung later sold near-bankrupt Samsung Motor to Renault .
The company also was frequently criticized for disrespecting labor rights .
Cancer cases among workers at its semiconductor factories were ignored for years .
In 2020 , Lee Jae-yong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , promising the management rights he inherited wouldn ’ t pass to his children .
He also said Samsung would stop suppressing employee attempts to organize unions , although labor activists questioned his sincerity .
South Koreans are both proud of Samsung ’ s global success and concerned the company and Lee family are above the law and influence over almost every corner of society .
Critics particularly note how Lee Kun-Hee ’ s only son gained immense wealth through unlisted shares of Samsung firms that later went public .
In 2007 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrongdoing in a book that became a best seller in South Korea .
Lee Kun-Hee was subsequently indicted on tax evasion and other charges .
Lee resigned as chairman of Samsung Electronics and was convicted and sentenced to a suspended three-year prison term .
He received a presidential pardon in 2009 and returned to Samsung ’ s management in 2010 .
This story contains biographical material compiled by former AP business writer YouKyung Lee .

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Lee Kun-Hee, the ailing Samsung Electronics chairman who transformed the small television maker into a global giant of consumer electronics but whose leadership was also marred by corruption convictions, died on Sunday. He was 78.
Lee died with his family members by his side, including his only son and Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the company said in a statement.
Samsung didn’t announce the cause of death, but Lee had been hospitalized since May 2014 after suffering a heart attack and the younger Lee has been running Samsung, South Korea’s biggest company.
“All of us at Samsung will cherish his memory and are grateful for the journey we shared with him,” the Samsung statement said. “His legacy will be everlasting.”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent senior presidential officials to pass a condolence message to Lee’s family at a mourning site. In the message, Moon called the late tycoon “a symbol of South Korea’s business world whose leadership would provide courage to our companies” at a time of economic difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Moon’s office said.
Lee’s family said the funeral would be private but did not immediately release details.
Lee inherited control of the company from his father, and during his nearly 30 years of leadership, Samsung Electronics Co. became a global brand and the world’s largest maker of smartphones, televisions and memory chips. Samsung sells Galaxy phones while also making the screens and microchips that power its major rivals - Apple’s iPhones and Google Android phones.
Its businesses encompass shipbuilding, life insurance, construction, hotels, amusement parks and more. Samsung Electronics alone accounts for 20% of the market capital on South Korea’s main stock exchange.
Lee leaves behind immense wealth, with Forbes estimating his fortune at $16 billion as of January 2017.
His death comes during a complex time for Samsung.
When he was hospitalized, Samsung’s once-lucrative mobile business faced threats from upstart makers in China and elsewhere. Pressure was high to innovate its traditionally strong hardware business, to reform a stifling hierarchical culture and to improve its corporate governance and transparency.
Like other family-run conglomerates in South Korea, Samsung has been credited with helping propel the country’s economy to one of the world’s largest from the rubbles of the 1950-53 Korean War. But their opaque ownership structure and often-corrupt ties with bureaucrats and government officials have been viewed as a hotbed of corruption in South Korea.
Lee Kun-Hee was convicted in 2008 for illegal share dealings, tax evasion and bribery designed to pass his wealth and corporate control to his three children. In 1996, he was convicted of bribing a former president. But in both cases, he avoided jail after courts suspended his sentences, at the time a common practice that helped make South Korean business tycoons immune from prison despite their bribery convictions.
Most recently, Samsung was ensnared in an explosive 2016-17 scandal that led to South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s ouster and imprisonment.
Lee Jae-yong was sentenced to five years in prison in 2017 for offering 8.6 billion won ($7 million) in bribes to Park and one of her confidants to help secure the government’s backing for his attempt to solidify control over Samsung. He was freed in early 2018 after an appellate court reduced his term and suspended the sentence. But last month, prosecutors indicted him again on similar charges, setting up yet another protracted legal battle.
Lee Kun-Hee was a stern, terse leader who focused on big-picture strategies, leaving details and daily management to executives.
His near-absolute authority allowed the company to make bold decisions in the fast-changing technology industry, such as shelling out billions to build new production lines for memory chips and display panels even as the 2008 global financial crisis unfolded. Those risky moves fueled Samsung’s rise.
Lee was born on Jan. 9, 1942, in the southeastern city of Daegu during Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. His father, Lee Byung-chull, had founded an export business there in 1938, and following the Korean War, he rebuilt the company into an electronics and home appliance manufacturer and the country’s first major trading company.
When Lee Kun-Hee inherited control of Samsung from his father in 1987, Samsung was relying on Japanese technology to produce TVs and was taking its first steps toward exporting microwaves and refrigerators.
A decisive moment came in 1993 when Lee Kun-Hee made sweeping changes to Samsung after a two-month trip abroad convinced him that the company needed to improve the quality of its products.
In a speech to Samsung executives, he famously urged, “Let’s change everything except our wives and children.”
Not all his moves succeeded.
A notable failure was the group’s expansion into the auto industry in the 1990s, in part driven by Lee Kun-Hee’s passion for luxury cars. Samsung later sold near-bankrupt Samsung Motor to Renault. The company also was frequently criticized for disrespecting labor rights. Cancer cases among workers at its semiconductor factories were ignored for years.
Earlier this year, Lee Jae-yong declared that heredity transfers at Samsung would end, promising the management rights he inherited wouldn’t pass to his children. He also said Samsung would stop suppressing employee attempts to organize unions, although labor activists questioned his sincerity.
The 52-year-old Lee expressed remorse for causing public concern over the 2016-17 scandal, but did not admit to wrongdoing regarding his alleged involvement.
Lee Kun-Hee resigned as chairman of Samsung Electronics before the 2008 conviction. But he received a presidential pardon in 2009 and returned to Samsung’s management in 2010.
“As South Korea’s most successful entrepreneur, (Lee Kun-Hee) received a dazzling spotlight, but he had many vicissitudes full of grace and disgrace,” the ruling Democratic Party said in a statement. “We hope a ‘new Samsung’ will be realized at an early date as Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong promised.”
___
This story contains biographical material compiled by former AP Business Writer Youkyung Lee.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--2 wounded in parking lot shootout near nightclub

BUFFALO , N.Y. ( AP ) - Buffalo police are seeking suspects in a shootout outside a nightclub that injured two people early Saturday morning .
The gun violence erupted just after 12:30 a.m. in the parking lot of an auto parts store near the Groove Lounge , the Buffalo News reported .
Police shut down the bar pending a hearing on when and if it can reopen .
A 29-year-old Buffalo man and a 32-year-old woman were shot after police say they had just left the nightclub .
The man was in critical condition at Erie County Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition at the hospital , authorities said .
Their names were not released , and it wasn ’ t clear if they knew each other .
No arrests have been announced .
The motive wasn ’ t clear .
Police described a chaotic scene as club patrons fled the gunfire , with cars being driven over lawns and nearly hitting each other , said Chief Al Wright of the Ferry-Fillmore District .
He said officers did not fire their guns .
Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said violence has been a continuing problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a homicide over the years .
No one answered the phone at the nightclub Saturday night .
An email seeking comment was sent to the the club .

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Buffalo police are seeking suspects in a shootout outside a nightclub that injured two people early Saturday morning.
The gun violence erupted just after 12:30 a.m. in the parking lot of an auto parts store near the Groove Lounge, the Buffalo News reported. Police shut down the bar pending a hearing on when and if it can reopen.
A 29-year-old Buffalo man and a 32-year-old woman were shot after police say they had just left the nightclub. The man was in critical condition at Erie County Medical Center, and the woman was in stable condition at the hospital, authorities said. Their names were not released, and it wasn’t clear if they knew each other.
No arrests have been announced. The motive wasn’t clear.
Police described a chaotic scene as club patrons fled the gunfire, with cars being driven over lawns and nearly hitting each other, said Chief Al Wright of the Ferry-Fillmore District. He said officers did not fire their guns.
Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said violence has been a continuing problem around Groove Lounge, including multiple shootings and a homicide over the years.
No one answered the phone at the nightclub Saturday night. An email seeking comment was sent to the the club.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Trump to hold rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Monday

President Trump will hold a campaign rally on Monday in Allentown , Pennsylvania , a key district in the swing @ @ @ @ @ said the president will appear at Lehigh Valley International Airport with Republican candidates .
The @ @ @ @ @ Congressional District , which Mr. Trump lost narrowly on his way to capturing the state @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
It ’ s a traditional swing district that includes Northampton County , a @ @ @ @ @ by several thousand votes .

President Trump will hold a campaign rally on Monday in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a key district in the swing state.
Trump campaign officials said the president will appear at HoverTech International, just north of the Lehigh Valley International Airport, with Republican candidates.
The airport is in the 7th Congressional District, which Mr. Trump lost narrowly on his way to capturing the state by about 44,000 votes in 2016. It’s a traditional swing district that includes Northampton County, a working-class area that he won by several thousand votes.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Wisconsin GOP's voting restrictions impact Black residents

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) - Melody McCurtis and Danell Cross start their day early on a recent sunny Sunday going door to door in their neighborhood northwest of downtown Milwaukee .
Leaders of the nonprofit Metcalfe Park Community Bridges , the mother and daughter make their way slowly along the route wearing masks and using a bullhorn to maintain distancing as they offer free food , household supplies - and information about how to vote .
At one home , the pair corner a young woman who prefers not to be named , dressed in a soiled apron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads to work .
McCurtis and Cross know that if not for their efforts , she probably will not vote on Nov. 3 .
“ I don ’ t believe in voting .
I feel like the higher-ups , they gon na pick the president , ” she says , throwing up her hands .
After a few minutes , the woman finally concedes that she may vote , if only to get the pair off her porch .
Cross tells her she will call again , and if she doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at her front door .
“ You got to get on her , ” McCurtis tells her mother .
Four years ago , lower turnout among Black voters in Milwaukee was named as a factor in President Donald Trump ’ s narrow 22,748-vote win over Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin .
McCurtis and Cross are working to ensure that what happened to Milwaukee ’ s Black voters in the 2016 election does not get repeated .
The nonprofit news outlet Wisconsin Watch provided this article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Channel 4 News of leaked data from the Trump campaign found Black voters made up a disproportionate share of the group identified as “ deterrence ” voters , or voters they sought to dissuade through Facebook ads .
In one Milwaukee voting ward , where 80 % of the inhabitants are Black , 44 % were marked for deterrence , the British news outlet found .
Of that group , only 36 % turned out to vote , according to the Channel 4 News analysis .
The Trump campaign has denied ever targeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only efforts that keep some people in the state from voting .
Wisconsin - once one of the easiest states in which to vote - has steadily made it harder in the past decade under Republican control .
Voter ID .
Shorter early voting windows .
Extra hoops for college voters to jump through .
The Republican-run Legislature passed 33 election law changes just in Gov .
Scott Walker ’ s first term , according to a 2015 analysis by the Cap Times .
The Legislature took all of these steps in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - a threat that experts agree is practically nonexistent .
Andrew Hitt , chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin , defends these new laws .
“ The policies that have been put in place are to make sure that there is no cheating , that there is no unfair practices going on , ” Hitt said .
He disputes the mountain of research showing fraud is a rare problem , saying those studies are biased .
“ We have documented instances of voter fraud over the years , ” Hitt said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with disabilities in one of four federal cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to change rules for the November election to make voting easier during the pandemic .
When asked to provide evidence of fraud , Republicans who intervened in the case were unable to do it , he said .
“ I don ’ t think they are worried about that ( fraud ) , ” Urban said .
“ They ’ re sending a message that they don ’ t want certain votes to be cast .
… More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” That is the calculation that McCurtis and Cross are fighting against .
“ I ’ m voting for Black life , ” she said .
“ I ’ m voting for public officials to understand that Black votes do matter , and that they need to pay attention .
And as we get our community invested in voting and building up that voting bloc … they gon na have to pay attention.
” As Walker ’ s time in office wound down in December 2018 , the Legislature passed additional voting restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to two weeks before an election - hampering the weeks-long Souls to the Polls event that many Black churches in Milwaukee traditionally lead .
Now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic , voters also must contend with the fear of contracting the coronavirus .
Clerks across Wisconsin are increasing safe access to voting by adding drop boxes for absentee ballots .
But Republicans are trying to block those efforts as well , citing unspecified potential voter fraud .
Wisconsin ’ s top Republican lawmakers - Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Majority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city of Madison to halt an initiative that allowed residents to register to vote and drop completed absentee ballots at city parks .
It was deemed legal by the Wisconsin Elections Commission .
Scot Schraufnagel , a professor of political science at Northern Illinois University and an expert in the ease of voting in each state , said Wisconsin no longer stands as a leader in voter accessibility .
About half of the states , including Wisconsin , have made it harder to vote since 2010 .
Under GOP control , Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ID laws in the country .
In 2018 , Schraufnagel and his research team calculated the “ cost of voting , ” or how easy or difficult it is to vote in each state .
The variables include registration deadlines , voter identification laws , number of poll hours and voting inconveniences such as no early voting or excuses required for absentee voting .
Their data show that in 10 years , from 1996 to 2016 , Wisconsin slipped from 5th place to 22nd in terms of the ease of voting .
Schraufnagel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a major part of the reason for the state ’ s drop in the ranks , another issue is that there has been no successful legislative push to make voting easier .
Analiese Eicher , former head of One Wisconsin Now , a progressive advocacy group , and current chair of the Dane County Board of Supervisors , summed up the change this way : “ We used to be like the gold standard of voting.
” Despite those hurdles , Wisconsin routinely places as one of the top states nationally for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and same-day registration at the polls .
The Civic Health Index , which measures the degree to which citizens are engaged in local and state communities , confirms a high level of voter participation in Wisconsin .
According to data from the 2016 national election , 73 % of eligible voters were registered in Wisconsin and 65 % cast their ballots .
That compared to the national average of 67 % registered with 53 % casting votes .
This put the state in second place nationwide for voter turnout .
However , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 actually was low for Wisconsin , decreasing by about 40,000 votes from 2012 - a drop that was most pronounced in non-white communities .
For example , from 2012 to 2016 , Black voter turnout fell 19 points while white voter turnout only dropped 2 points .
And in April , factors again conspired to lower turnout in Milwaukee , especially among Black voters .
Researchers from the Brennan Center for Justice estimated that closing all but five polling places and fear of contracting COVID-19 combined to cut Black voter turnout by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , a record-breaking 1.4 million Wisconsin voters had requested absentee ballots - thanks in part to the Elections Commission decision to send absentee ballot request forms to 2.6 million voters .
McCurtis is a plaintiff in one of four lawsuits pending before the U.S. Supreme Court that seek to allow mailed-in ballots to be counted if they arrive up to six days after Nov. 3 , so long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day .
Advocates for people with disabilities also worry about absentee ballot errors , which caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatures and witness addresses to be rejected on April 7 .
Wisconsin law does not require clerks to notify voters of such errors .
Jason Endres , the president of self-advocacy group People First Wisconsin , encourages people with disabilities to physically go to the polls so they can use accessible voting equipment .
With these machines “ you can ’ t go wrong - you can ’ t make a mistake , ” Endres said .
Denise Jess , CEO of the Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired , says voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who can not see , because most municipalities in Wisconsin do not offer ballots in Braille .
Visually impaired voters such as Don Natzke of Shorewood , Wisconsin , ended up not voting on April 7 because of lack of accommodation and fear of exposure to COVID-19 .
“ I ’ m very concerned that the civil rights and accommodations for people with disabilities in general may be sacrificed , ” Jess said .
Many nursing home residents rely on the help of special voting deputies to come into residential facilities and assist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Elections Commission voted to bar them from entering nursing homes for the sake of residents ’ safety .
Wendy Heyn of the Disability Vote Coalition ( DVC ) says her group has been pushing municipal clerks and facility directors to request absentee ballots on behalf of confined residents .
“ We feel really concerned that a disproportionate amount of those voters might be disenfranchised , ” Heyn said .
Urban echoed this concern , noting the long lines can deter voting : “ Somebody on oxygen can ’ t wait three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their way through streets lined with modest bungalows , McCurtis and Cross repeatedly hear from their neighbors that they do not trust the voting system , or that their votes don ’ t matter .
Metcalfe Park resident Avis Wright needed no encouragement from Cross and McCurtis to vote .
Normally a poll worker , Wright did not sign up this year because of the pandemic .
She has already voted absentee .
“ Voting is one of the most important things , ” she said , “ especially for us African-Americans … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a way , you don ’ t have no voice , you don ’ t exist .
”

CLAIRE CAMPBELL and LAURA SCHULTZ of Wisconsin Watch.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Melody McCurtis and Danell Cross start their day early on a recent sunny Sunday going door to door in their neighborhood northwest of downtown Milwaukee. Leaders of the nonprofit Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the mother and daughter make their way slowly along the route wearing masks and using a bullhorn to maintain distancing as they offer free food, household supplies - and information about how to vote.
At one home, the pair corner a young woman who prefers not to be named, dressed in a soiled apron and a black polo shirt as she heads to work. McCurtis and Cross know that if not for their efforts, she probably will not vote on Nov. 3.
“I don’t believe in voting. I feel like the higher-ups, they gonna pick the president,” she says, throwing up her hands.
After a few minutes, the woman finally concedes that she may vote, if only to get the pair off her porch. Cross tells her she will call again, and if she doesn’t pick up, they will be back at her front door.
“You got to get on her,” McCurtis tells her mother.
“I got to,” Cross says. “I gotta follow her.”
Four years ago, lower turnout among Black voters in Milwaukee was named as a factor in President Donald Trump’s narrow 22,748-vote win over Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin. McCurtis and Cross are working to ensure that what happened to Milwaukee’s Black voters in the 2016 election does not get repeated.
___
The nonprofit news outlet Wisconsin Watch provided this article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute for Nonprofit News.
___
An investigation by Channel 4 News of leaked data from the Trump campaign found Black voters made up a disproportionate share of the group identified as “deterrence” voters, or voters they sought to dissuade through Facebook ads.
In one Milwaukee voting ward, where 80% of the inhabitants are Black, 44% were marked for deterrence, the British news outlet found. Of that group, only 36% turned out to vote, according to the Channel 4 News analysis. The Trump campaign has denied ever targeting the Black community.
These are not the only efforts that keep some people in the state from voting. Wisconsin - once one of the easiest states in which to vote - has steadily made it harder in the past decade under Republican control.
Voter ID. Shorter early voting windows. Extra hoops for college voters to jump through. The Republican-run Legislature passed 33 election law changes just in Gov. Scott Walker’s first term, according to a 2015 analysis by the Cap Times. The Legislature took all of these steps in the name of preventing widespread voter fraud - a threat that experts agree is practically nonexistent.
Andrew Hitt, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, defends these new laws.
“The policies that have been put in place are to make sure that there is no cheating, that there is no unfair practices going on,” Hitt said.
He disputes the mountain of research showing fraud is a rare problem, saying those studies are biased. “We have documented instances of voter fraud over the years,” Hitt said.
Jay Urban is an attorney representing plaintiffs with disabilities in one of four federal cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to change rules for the November election to make voting easier during the pandemic. When asked to provide evidence of fraud, Republicans who intervened in the case were unable to do it, he said.
“I don’t think they are worried about that (fraud),” Urban said. “They’re sending a message that they don’t want certain votes to be cast. … More votes hurts their chances of keeping power.”
That is the calculation that McCurtis and Cross are fighting against.
“I’m voting for Black life,” she said. “I’m voting for public officials to understand that Black votes do matter, and that they need to pay attention. And as we get our community invested in voting and building up that voting bloc … they gonna have to pay attention.”
As Walker’s time in office wound down in December 2018, the Legislature passed additional voting restrictions. They included limiting in-person absentee balloting to two weeks before an election - hampering the weeks-long Souls to the Polls event that many Black churches in Milwaukee traditionally lead.
Now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, voters also must contend with the fear of contracting the coronavirus. Clerks across Wisconsin are increasing safe access to voting by adding drop boxes for absentee ballots.
But Republicans are trying to block those efforts as well, citing unspecified potential voter fraud. Wisconsin’s top Republican lawmakers - Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald - tried unsuccessfully to pressure the city of Madison to halt an initiative that allowed residents to register to vote and drop completed absentee ballots at city parks. It was deemed legal by the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Scot Schraufnagel, a professor of political science at Northern Illinois University and an expert in the ease of voting in each state, said Wisconsin no longer stands as a leader in voter accessibility. About half of the states, including Wisconsin, have made it harder to vote since 2010. Under GOP control, Wisconsin enacted one of the most restrictive photo ID laws in the country.
In 2018, Schraufnagel and his research team calculated the “cost of voting,” or how easy or difficult it is to vote in each state. The variables include registration deadlines, voter identification laws, number of poll hours and voting inconveniences such as no early voting or excuses required for absentee voting.
Their data show that in 10 years, from 1996 to 2016, Wisconsin slipped from 5th place to 22nd in terms of the ease of voting. Schraufnagel says that while the photo ID law is a major part of the reason for the state’s drop in the ranks, another issue is that there has been no successful legislative push to make voting easier.
Analiese Eicher, former head of One Wisconsin Now, a progressive advocacy group, and current chair of the Dane County Board of Supervisors, summed up the change this way: “We used to be like the gold standard of voting.”
Despite those hurdles, Wisconsin routinely places as one of the top states nationally for election turnout with its no-excuse absentee voting and same-day registration at the polls. The Civic Health Index, which measures the degree to which citizens are engaged in local and state communities, confirms a high level of voter participation in Wisconsin.
According to data from the 2016 national election, 73% of eligible voters were registered in Wisconsin and 65% cast their ballots. That compared to the national average of 67% registered with 53% casting votes. This put the state in second place nationwide for voter turnout.
However, according to the same data, turnout in 2016 actually was low for Wisconsin, decreasing by about 40,000 votes from 2012 - a drop that was most pronounced in non-white communities. For example, from 2012 to 2016, Black voter turnout fell 19 points while white voter turnout only dropped 2 points.
And in April, factors again conspired to lower turnout in Milwaukee, especially among Black voters. Researchers from the Brennan Center for Justice estimated that closing all but five polling places and fear of contracting COVID-19 combined to cut Black voter turnout by nearly 16 percentage points.
As of Tuesday, a record-breaking 1.4 million Wisconsin voters had requested absentee ballots - thanks in part to the Elections Commission decision to send absentee ballot request forms to 2.6 million voters.
McCurtis is a plaintiff in one of four lawsuits pending before the U.S. Supreme Court that seek to allow mailed-in ballots to be counted if they arrive up to six days after Nov. 3, so long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Advocates for people with disabilities also worry about absentee ballot errors, which caused more than 13,000 absentee ballots with missing signatures and witness addresses to be rejected on April 7. Wisconsin law does not require clerks to notify voters of such errors.
Jason Endres, the president of self-advocacy group People First Wisconsin, encourages people with disabilities to physically go to the polls so they can use accessible voting equipment. With these machines “you can’t go wrong - you can’t make a mistake,” Endres said.
Denise Jess, CEO of the Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired, says voting absentee can be really tough for people who cannot see, because most municipalities in Wisconsin do not offer ballots in Braille. Visually impaired voters such as Don Natzke of Shorewood, Wisconsin, ended up not voting on April 7 because of lack of accommodation and fear of exposure to COVID-19.
“I’m very concerned that the civil rights and accommodations for people with disabilities in general may be sacrificed,” Jess said.
Many nursing home residents rely on the help of special voting deputies to come into residential facilities and assist with voting. However, this year, the Elections Commission voted to bar them from entering nursing homes for the sake of residents’ safety.
Wendy Heyn of the Disability Vote Coalition (DVC) says her group has been pushing municipal clerks and facility directors to request absentee ballots on behalf of confined residents.
“We feel really concerned that a disproportionate amount of those voters might be disenfranchised,” Heyn said.
Urban echoed this concern, noting the long lines can deter voting: “Somebody on oxygen can’t wait three hours to vote.”
As they make their way through streets lined with modest bungalows, McCurtis and Cross repeatedly hear from their neighbors that they do not trust the voting system, or that their votes don’t matter.
Metcalfe Park resident Avis Wright needed no encouragement from Cross and McCurtis to vote. Normally a poll worker, Wright did not sign up this year because of the pandemic. She has already voted absentee.
“Voting is one of the most important things,” she said, “especially for us African-Americans … you know the vote is our voice. In a way, you don’t have no voice, you don’t exist.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--32 Union College students sickened by diarrheal illness

SCHENECTADY , N.Y. ( AP ) - At least 32 students at an upstate New York college have been diagnosed with a diarrheal illness commonly linked to contaminated lakes , streams and wells .
The Union College students tested positive for giardiasis , while other students showed symptoms of the intestinal disease , Fran ’ Cee Brown-McClure , the college ’ s vice president for student affairs and dean of students , wrote in an email to students Friday .
Students who live both on campus and off campus became ill .
The Schenectady school reported the first cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said they are working with the local health department to try to determine the source of the disease , which is caused by the giardia parasite .
School officials said the college ’ s water supply tested negative for the parasite .
Some students said they became ill after swimming in local bodies of water .
Brown-McClure urged students to avoid the Hans Groot ’ s Kill stream and the Plotterkill County Nature Preserve .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says giardiasis can be spread by swallowing giardia from contaminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water , swallowing contaminated water while swimming and eating uncooked food containing giardia .
Symptoms including diarrhea and nausea can last two to six weeks .

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (AP) - At least 32 students at an upstate New York college have been diagnosed with a diarrheal illness commonly linked to contaminated lakes, streams and wells.
The Union College students tested positive for giardiasis, while other students showed symptoms of the intestinal disease, Fran’Cee Brown-McClure, the college’s vice president for student affairs and dean of students, wrote in an email to students Friday. Students who live both on campus and off campus became ill.
The Schenectady school reported the first cases of the illness on Oct. 14. School officials said they are working with the local health department to try to determine the source of the disease, which is caused by the giardia parasite.
School officials said the college’s water supply tested negative for the parasite. Some students said they became ill after swimming in local bodies of water.
Brown-McClure urged students to avoid the Hans Groot’s Kill stream and the Plotterkill County Nature Preserve.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says giardiasis can be spread by swallowing giardia from contaminated surfaces including bathroom handles, drinking contaminated water, swallowing contaminated water while swimming and eating uncooked food containing giardia.
Symptoms including diarrhea and nausea can last two to six weeks.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--UN: Nuclear weapons ban treaty to enter into force

UNITED NATIONS ( AP ) - The United Nations announced Saturday that 50 countries have ratified a U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons triggering its entry into force in 90 days , a move hailed by anti-nuclear activists but strongly opposed by the United States and the other major nuclear powers .
As of Friday , the treaty had 49 signatories , and the United Nations said the 50th ratification from Honduras had been received .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the 50 states and saluted “ the instrumental work ” of civil society in facilitating negotiations and pushing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.N. chief said the treaty ’ s entry into force on Jan. 22 culminates a worldwide movement “ to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons ” and “ is a tribute to the survivors of nuclear explosions and tests , many of whom advocated for this treaty , ” he said , Guterres said the treaty “ represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons , which remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations , ” Dujarric said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons , the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition whose work helped spearhead the nuclear ban treaty , said : “ This moment has been 75 years coming since the horrific attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki , and the founding of the U.N. which made nuclear disarmament a cornerstone.
” “ The 50 countries that ratify this Treaty are showing true leadership in setting a new international norm that nuclear weapons are not just immoral but illegal , ” she said .
The 50th ratification came on the 75th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charter which officially established the United Nations and is celebrated as UN Day .
“ The United Nations was formed to promote peace with a goal of the abolition of nuclear weapons , ” Fihn said .
“ This treaty is the U.N. at its best - working closely with civil society to bring democracy to disarmament.
” The treaty requires that all ratifying countries “ never under any circumstances … develop , test , produce , manufacture , otherwise acquire , possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices - and the threat to use such weapons — and requires parties to promote the treaty to other countries .
Once it enters into force all countries that have ratified it will be bound by those requirements .
The United States had written to treaty signatories saying the Trump administration believes they made “ a strategic error ” and urging them to rescind their ratification .
The U.S. letter , obtained by The Associated Press , said the five original nuclear powers — the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and America ’ s NATO allies “ stand unified in our opposition to the potential repercussions ” of the treaty .
It says the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons , known as the TPNW , “ turns back the clock on verification and disarmament and is dangerous ” to the half-century-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty , considered the cornerstone of global nonproliferation efforts .
“ The TPNW is and will remain divisive in the international community and risk further entrenching divisions in existing nonproliferation and disarmament fora that offer the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter said .
“ It would be unfortunate if the TPNW were allowed to derail our ability to work together to address pressing proliferation.
” Fihn has stressed that “ the nonproliferation Treaty is about preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and eliminating nuclear weapons , and this treaty implements that .
There ’ s no way you can undermine the Nonproliferation Treaty by banning nuclear weapons .
It ’ s the end goal of the Nonproliferation Treaty.
” The NPT sought to prevent the spread of nuclear arms beyond the five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatory nations to not pursue atomic weapons in exchange for a commitment by the five powers to move toward nuclear disarmament and to guarantee non-nuclear states ’ access to peaceful nuclear technology for producing energy .
Rebecca Johnson , a co-founder and first president of the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons , said : “ The ban treaty is as much about just making it much more possible for people all around the world to see nobody needs nuclear weapons , and they ’ re actually an impediment , an obstacle — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealing with the real security threats we have on the ground from COVID to climate.
” She said in an AP interview that nuclear weapons can ’ t prevent or deal with conflicts like the most recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh .
“ They ’ re just in the way , and they ’ re highly expensive , and the governments that have them are distracted from the real security issues by trying to constantly pay for these arms races that they ’ re still obsessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an Associated Press interview on Wednesday : “ It is clear for me that we will only be entirely safe in relation to nuclear weapons the day where nuclear weapons no longer exist .
We know that it ’ s not easy .
We know that there are many obstacles.
” He expressed hope that a number of important initiatives , including U.S.-Russia talks on renewing the New Start Treaty limiting deployed nuclear warheads , missiles and bombers and next year ’ s review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the final objective must be to have a world with no nuclear weapons.
” The treaty was approved by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on July 7 , 2017 by a vote of 122 in favor , the Netherlands opposed , and Singapore abstaining .
Among countries voting in favor was Iran .
The five nuclear powers and four other countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons - India , Pakistan , North Korea and Israel - boycotted negotiations and the vote on the treaty , along with many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survivor of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima , who has been an ardent campaigner for the treaty , said : “ When I learned that we reached our 50th ratification , I was not able to stand.
” “ I remained in my chair and put my head in my hands and I cried tears of joy , ” she said in a statement .
“ I have committed my life to the abolition of nuclear weapons .
I have nothing but gratitude for all who have worked for the success of our @ @ @

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations announced Saturday that 50 countries have ratified a U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons triggering its entry into force in 90 days, a move hailed by anti-nuclear activists but strongly opposed by the United States and the other major nuclear powers.
As of Friday, the treaty had 49 signatories, and the United Nations said the 50th ratification from Honduras had been received.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the 50 states and saluted “the instrumental work” of civil society in facilitating negotiations and pushing for ratification, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
The U.N. chief said the treaty’s entry into force on Jan. 22 culminates a worldwide movement “to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons” and “is a tribute to the survivors of nuclear explosions and tests, many of whom advocated for this treaty,” he said,
Guterres said the treaty “represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons, which remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations,” Dujarric said.
Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition whose work helped spearhead the nuclear ban treaty, said: “This moment has been 75 years coming since the horrific attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the founding of the U.N. which made nuclear disarmament a cornerstone.”
“The 50 countries that ratify this Treaty are showing true leadership in setting a new international norm that nuclear weapons are not just immoral but illegal,” she said.
The 50th ratification came on the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the U.N. Charter which officially established the United Nations and is celebrated as UN Day.
“The United Nations was formed to promote peace with a goal of the abolition of nuclear weapons,” Fihn said. “This treaty is the U.N. at its best - working closely with civil society to bring democracy to disarmament.”
The treaty requires that all ratifying countries “never under any circumstances … develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.” It also bans any transfer or use of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices - and the threat to use such weapons — and requires parties to promote the treaty to other countries.
Once it enters into force all countries that have ratified it will be bound by those requirements.
The United States had written to treaty signatories saying the Trump administration believes they made “a strategic error” and urging them to rescind their ratification.
The U.S. letter, obtained by The Associated Press, said the five original nuclear powers — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — and America’s NATO allies “stand unified in our opposition to the potential repercussions” of the treaty.
It says the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, known as the TPNW, “turns back the clock on verification and disarmament and is dangerous” to the half-century-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, considered the cornerstone of global nonproliferation efforts.
“The TPNW is and will remain divisive in the international community and risk further entrenching divisions in existing nonproliferation and disarmament fora that offer the only realistic prospect for consensus-based progress,” the letter said. “It would be unfortunate if the TPNW were allowed to derail our ability to work together to address pressing proliferation.”
Fihn has stressed that “the nonproliferation Treaty is about preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and eliminating nuclear weapons, and this treaty implements that. There’s no way you can undermine the Nonproliferation Treaty by banning nuclear weapons. It’s the end goal of the Nonproliferation Treaty.”
The NPT sought to prevent the spread of nuclear arms beyond the five original weapons powers. It requires non-nuclear signatory nations to not pursue atomic weapons in exchange for a commitment by the five powers to move toward nuclear disarmament and to guarantee non-nuclear states’ access to peaceful nuclear technology for producing energy.
Rebecca Johnson, a co-founder and first president of the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons, said: “The ban treaty is as much about just making it much more possible for people all around the world to see nobody needs nuclear weapons, and they’re actually an impediment, an obstacle — they’re in the way of dealing with the real security threats we have on the ground from COVID to climate.”
She said in an AP interview that nuclear weapons can’t prevent or deal with conflicts like the most recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. “They’re just in the way, and they’re highly expensive, and the governments that have them are distracted from the real security issues by trying to constantly pay for these arms races that they’re still obsessed with.”
Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said: “The simple reality is that the international community could never hope to deal with the consequences of a nuclear confrontation. No nation is prepared to deal with a nuclear confrontation. What we cannot prepare for, we must prevent.”
There are over 14,000 nuclear bombs in the world, thousands of which are ready to be launched in an instant, Rocca said. The power of many of those warheads is tens of times greater than the weapons dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Secretary-General Guterres said in an Associated Press interview on Wednesday: “It is clear for me that we will only be entirely safe in relation to nuclear weapons the day where nuclear weapons no longer exist. We know that it’s not easy. We know that there are many obstacles.”
He expressed hope that a number of important initiatives, including U.S.-Russia talks on renewing the New Start Treaty limiting deployed nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers and next year’s review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, “will all converge in the same direction, and the final objective must be to have a world with no nuclear weapons.”
The treaty was approved by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on July 7, 2017 by a vote of 122 in favor, the Netherlands opposed, and Singapore abstaining. Among countries voting in favor was Iran. The five nuclear powers and four other countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons - India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel - boycotted negotiations and the vote on the treaty, along with many of their allies.
Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima, who has been an ardent campaigner for the treaty, said: “When I learned that we reached our 50th ratification, I was not able to stand.”
“I remained in my chair and put my head in my hands and I cried tears of joy,” she said in a statement. “I have committed my life to the abolition of nuclear weapons. I have nothing but gratitude for all who have worked for the success of our treaty.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Europe, U.S. watch case totals grow, debate new restrictions

CHICAGO ( AP ) - Confirmed coronavirus infections continued to soar Saturday in many parts of the U.S. and Europe .
In some cases , so did anger over the restrictions governments put in place to try to stem the tide .
Oklahoma , Illinois , New Mexico and Michigan were among states announcing new record highs in daily confirmed cases Saturday , a day after a nationwide daily record of more than 83,000 reported infections , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun , Michigan ’ s chief medical executive , said it ’ s “ now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this seriously.
” The 3,338 new COVID-19 cases in her state topped the old record by more than 1,300 .
German authorities reported a record one-day total of new coronavirus cases this weekend while leaders in Spain and Italy debated how to control the resurgent virus amid public pushback to curfews despite a global death toll topping 1.1 million people .
In Italy , officials huddled with regional authorities on Saturday to determine what new restrictions could be imposed as confirmed cases surpassed half a million .
Premier Giuseppe Conte has said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under severe lockdown again , as he did at the pandemic ’ s start .
In past days , several governors ordered overnight curfews in their regions to stop people from congregating at night outside bars and other venues .
One such curfew fueled anger in Naples , triggering a violent clash by protesters with police .
Italian media said protesters hurled rocks , pieces of broken ceramic tiles and smoke bombs at police while they battled back with tear gas .
Elsewhere in Europe , police in Warsaw , Poland , used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters angry over new virus restrictions , and anti-lockdown demonstrators gathered in London ’ s Trafalgar Square .
Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese on Saturday branded the Naples protests “ unacceptable ” and said prosecutors were investigating .
According to Health Ministry figures , Italy ’ s one-day new caseload of confirmed infections crept closer to 20,000 on Saturday , a slightly bigger daily increase than Friday .
The nation ’ s confirmed death toll , second-highest in Europe after Britain ’ s , rose to 37,210 after 151 more deaths .
Spanish Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Cabinet Sunday morning in Madrid to prepare a new state of emergency , a strategy used twice since the start of the pandemic .
The first in March ordered strict home confinement across the nation , closed stores , and recruited private industry for the national public health fight .
The second went into effect two weeks ago , focused on transit limits in the Madrid area .
In Germany , Chancellor Angela Merkel urged citizens again to reduce their number of social contacts as the nation recorded a new daily high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday includes cases from both Friday and Thursday because of a three-hour data outage at the country ’ s disease control agency Thursday .
Forty-nine more people died , bringing the overall death toll past 10,000 .
The chancellor said in her weekly podcast “ if we all obey ( to social distancing ) we will all together survive this enormous challenge posed by the virus.
” Other European countries have tightened restrictions hoping to cope with their own rising case counts .
Slovenia closed down hotels , shopping malls and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high of both new daily infections and deaths in the small country of 2 million people .
Greece unveiled a mask requirement and a mandatory nightly curfew for Athens and other areas deemed high risk .
In South America , Colombia became the eight country to reach 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday , according to the Colombian Ministry of Health .
Two of the others are also in Latin America : Argentina , which hit that mark on Monday , and Brazil , which has more than 5 million confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has claimed about 240,000 lives , according to the COVID-19 Dashboard published by Johns Hopkins .
The total U.S. caseload reported Friday was 83,757 , topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16 .
Many rural communities are bearing the brunt .
In Columbia , Tennessee , Maury Regional Medical Center said Friday it was suspending elective surgical procedures that require an overnight stay for two weeks , beginning on Monday .
The Daily Herald reported that it was treating 50 COVID-19 inpatients , 20 of whom were in the medical center ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chaney , Maury Regional ’ s chief medical officer , said small home gatherings have become the emerging threat through which the disease is being spread in the six-county region the medical center covers .
“ In our homes , we all let our guard down , ” Chaney said .
“ You think it is safe to not socially distance , and you take your masks off .
That is spreading the disease very rapidly .
”

CHICAGO (AP) - Confirmed coronavirus infections continued to soar Saturday in many parts of the U.S. and Europe. In some cases, so did anger over the restrictions governments put in place to try to stem the tide.
Oklahoma, Illinois, New Mexico and Michigan were among states announcing new record highs in daily confirmed cases Saturday, a day after a nationwide daily record of more than 83,000 reported infections, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive, said it’s “now more important than ever that people take this seriously.” The 3,338 new COVID-19 cases in her state topped the old record by more than 1,300.
German authorities reported a record one-day total of new coronavirus cases this weekend while leaders in Spain and Italy debated how to control the resurgent virus amid public pushback to curfews despite a global death toll topping 1.1 million people.
In Italy, officials huddled with regional authorities on Saturday to determine what new restrictions could be imposed as confirmed cases surpassed half a million.
Premier Giuseppe Conte has said he doesn’t want to put Italy under severe lockdown again, as he did at the pandemic’s start. In past days, several governors ordered overnight curfews in their regions to stop people from congregating at night outside bars and other venues.
One such curfew fueled anger in Naples, triggering a violent clash by protesters with police. Italian media said protesters hurled rocks, pieces of broken ceramic tiles and smoke bombs at police while they battled back with tear gas. Elsewhere in Europe, police in Warsaw, Poland, used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters angry over new virus restrictions, and anti-lockdown demonstrators gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square.
Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese on Saturday branded the Naples protests “unacceptable” and said prosecutors were investigating.
According to Health Ministry figures, Italy’s one-day new caseload of confirmed infections crept closer to 20,000 on Saturday, a slightly bigger daily increase than Friday. The nation’s confirmed death toll, second-highest in Europe after Britain’s, rose to 37,210 after 151 more deaths.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez plans to meet with his Cabinet Sunday morning in Madrid to prepare a new state of emergency, a strategy used twice since the start of the pandemic.
The first in March ordered strict home confinement across the nation, closed stores, and recruited private industry for the national public health fight. The second went into effect two weeks ago, focused on transit limits in the Madrid area.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel urged citizens again to reduce their number of social contacts as the nation recorded a new daily high for infections.
The 14,714 cases reported on Saturday includes cases from both Friday and Thursday because of a three-hour data outage at the country’s disease control agency Thursday. Forty-nine more people died, bringing the overall death toll past 10,000.
The chancellor said in her weekly podcast “if we all obey (to social distancing) we will all together survive this enormous challenge posed by the virus.”
Other European countries have tightened restrictions hoping to cope with their own rising case counts.
Slovenia closed down hotels, shopping malls and other non-essential shops as authorities reported a record high of both new daily infections and deaths in the small country of 2 million people. Greece unveiled a mask requirement and a mandatory nightly curfew for Athens and other areas deemed high risk.
In South America, Colombia became the eight country to reach 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, according to the Colombian Ministry of Health. Two of the others are also in Latin America: Argentina, which hit that mark on Monday, and Brazil, which has more than 5 million confirmed cases.
In the U.S., the virus has claimed about 240,000 lives, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard published by Johns Hopkins. The total U.S. caseload reported Friday was 83,757, topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16.
Many rural communities are bearing the brunt. In Columbia, Tennessee, Maury Regional Medical Center said Friday it was suspending elective surgical procedures that require an overnight stay for two weeks, beginning on Monday. The Daily Herald reported that it was treating 50 COVID-19 inpatients, 20 of whom were in the medical center’s 26-bed intensive care unit.
Martin Chaney, Maury Regional’s chief medical officer, said small home gatherings have become the emerging threat through which the disease is being spread in the six-county region the medical center covers.
“In our homes, we all let our guard down,” Chaney said. “You think it is safe to not socially distance, and you take your masks off. That is spreading the disease very rapidly.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--GOP asks Supreme Court again to block PA ballot extension

HARRISBURG , Pa. ( AP ) - The Pennsylvania Republican Party is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to speedily take up its case to block counties in the presidential battleground state from counting mailed-in ballots received up to three days after the Nov. 3 election .
The Republican Party ’ s late Friday filing came four days after the justices divided 4-4 on putting a hold on the extension .
That outcome left in place a state Supreme Court ruling that required county election officials to receive and count mailed-in ballots that arrive up until Nov. 6 , even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postmark , as long as there is no proof it was mailed after the polls closed .
The high court ’ s action left unresolved the legal issues Republicans raised , and the new request asks the court to take up the Republican Party ’ s case on an expedited basis .
Without an expedited consideration , the Republican Party ’ s right to appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court ’ s “ power to resolve the important constitutional and legal questions presented for this election-will be irrevocably lost , ” the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could arrive before the U.S. Supreme Court with a new , ninth justice .
President Donald Trump ’ s nominee , Amy Coney Barrett , is expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Monday .
Barrett could take part in the court ’ s consideration of the Pennsylvania case , providing a tie-breaking vote before the election .
Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are locked in a battle to win Pennsylvania ’ s 20 electoral votes .
With Democrats voting by mail at an almost 3-to-1 rate over Republicans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they arrive late presumably poses a greater threat to Biden ’ s candidacy .
Most states make Election Day the deadline for regular mail-in or absentee ballots , but more than 20 states have a post-Election Day deadline .
Pennsylvania ’ s attorney general , Democrat Josh Shapiro , suggested that reversing the state Supreme Court ’ s order would go against a principle , called the “ Purcell principle , ” that courts should not change election rules just prior to an election to avoid confusing voters and creating problems for election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fourth quarter causes confusion and disenfranchises voters , ” Shapiro said in a statement .
“ That ’ s what the Purcell Principle is designed to guard against .
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court was within their bounds to allow the three-day extension and it should stay intact.
” A Trump campaign spokesperson , Thea McDonald , said in a statement that the president and Republicans are fighting for “ a free , fair election ” in Pennsylvania .
“ The Trump campaign entirely supports the Pennsylvania GOP taking President Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election on Election Day to the Supreme Court , ” McDonald said .
In its Sept. 17 ruling ordering the three-day extension , the Democratic majority on the state ’ s divided high court cited warnings that Postal Service delays could invalidate huge numbers of ballots and surging demand for mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic .
The state ’ s top election official , Kathy Boockvar , a Democrat , as well as the Democratic Party and the liberal-leaning Alliance for Retired Americans had sought the extension .
Republicans , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an extension , arguing that it violates federal law that sets Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November and that such a decision constitutionally belongs to lawmakers , not the courts .

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Republican Party is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to speedily take up its case to block counties in the presidential battleground state from counting mailed-in ballots received up to three days after the Nov. 3 election.
The Republican Party’s late Friday filing came four days after the justices divided 4-4 on putting a hold on the extension.
That outcome left in place a state Supreme Court ruling that required county election officials to receive and count mailed-in ballots that arrive up until Nov. 6, even if they don’t have a clear postmark, as long as there is no proof it was mailed after the polls closed.
The high court’s action left unresolved the legal issues Republicans raised, and the new request asks the court to take up the Republican Party’s case on an expedited basis.
Without an expedited consideration, the Republican Party’s right to appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court’s “power to resolve the important constitutional and legal questions presented for this election-will be irrevocably lost,” the party’s court filing said.
It could arrive before the U.S. Supreme Court with a new, ninth justice. President Donald Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Monday. Barrett could take part in the court’s consideration of the Pennsylvania case, providing a tie-breaking vote before the election.
Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are locked in a battle to win Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes. With Democrats voting by mail at an almost 3-to-1 rate over Republicans, the prospect of ballots getting disqualified because they arrive late presumably poses a greater threat to Biden’s candidacy.
Most states make Election Day the deadline for regular mail-in or absentee ballots, but more than 20 states have a post-Election Day deadline.
Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Democrat Josh Shapiro, suggested that reversing the state Supreme Court’s order would go against a principle, called the “Purcell principle,” that courts should not change election rules just prior to an election to avoid confusing voters and creating problems for election administrators.
“Changing the rules late in the fourth quarter causes confusion and disenfranchises voters,” Shapiro said in a statement. “That’s what the Purcell Principle is designed to guard against. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court was within their bounds to allow the three-day extension and it should stay intact.”
A Trump campaign spokesperson, Thea McDonald, said in a statement that the president and Republicans are fighting for “a free, fair election” in Pennsylvania.
“The Trump campaign entirely supports the Pennsylvania GOP taking President Trump’s fight to protect voters and keep the election on Election Day to the Supreme Court,” McDonald said.
In its Sept. 17 ruling ordering the three-day extension, the Democratic majority on the state’s divided high court cited warnings that Postal Service delays could invalidate huge numbers of ballots and surging demand for mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic.
The state’s top election official, Kathy Boockvar, a Democrat, as well as the Democratic Party and the liberal-leaning Alliance for Retired Americans had sought the extension.
Republicans, including Trump’s campaign, have opposed such an extension, arguing that it violates federal law that sets Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November and that such a decision constitutionally belongs to lawmakers, not the courts.


washingtontimes--2020-10-24--Colombia reaches 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases

BOGOTA , Colombia ( AP ) - Colombia reached 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday , becoming the second country in Latin America to report that number in less than a week .
The nation of 50 million saw cases peak in August and has seen a decline since but still continues to register around 8,000 new infections a day .
Epidemiologists expect to see another marked increase by the end of the year , a prognosis that has put medical workers like nurse Freddy Harvey Rodríguez and his doctor son at one of Bogota ’ s largest hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s going to be worse , ” Rodríguez said on a recent afternoon .
Argentina hit 1 million confirmed cases on Monday and Peru and Mexico are expected to reach the grim marker in the weeks ahead .
Brazil ranks third worldwide in the number of virus cases and passed 1 million infections back in June .
Colombia has become the eighth country to hit 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases .
Besides Argentina and Brazil , the others are the United States , India , Russia , France and Spain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Overall , Latin America continues to register some of the highest caseloads , diagnosing more than 100,000 confirmed infections each day , though the World Health Organization reports that Europe is now seeing even larger numbers as a second virus wave strikes .
Experts say the region is experiencing a table-top like effect in which cases remain relatively high instead of dramatically dropping .
In a number of countries , the virus has begun spreading to areas that had previously registered relatively few cases .
“ The behavior of the virus is different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a public health professor at the University of the Andes in Colombia .
“ It ’ s not big resurgences but new outbreaks.
” In Colombia , a six-month lockdown helped slow contagion and gave officials time to expand the number of ICU beds .
While cases rose dramatically in Bogota , stretching hospital capacity , the city has managed to avoid the sorts of dire scenes seen elsewhere in the region of patients lined up outside hospitals , struggling to find a bed .
Nonetheless , the cost has been high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including a number of medical workers like colleagues of Rodríguez .
One count by a medical association estimates that nearly 200 physicians and other workers have died .
Rodríguez said his son spent over $ 100 buying him protective gear at the start of the pandemic .
The pair still worry about getting sick .
Both work at Bogota ’ s Kennedy Hospital , which is located in a sprawling working-class neighborhood .
The area has the highest total number of cases anywhere in the bustling capital .
Dr. Camilo Rodríguez said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes into another when he treats COVID-19 patients .
He lost a close friend and mentor to the virus and fears spreading it to his family .
As an extra precaution , he showers at the hospital before going home .
“ Infecting myself would be infecting my family , ” he said .
The path of the virus through Latin America is a consequence of weak public health systems , social factors like poverty and poor government decisions early on that resulted in flawed or limited testing and little contact tracing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 10 countries with the highest total cases around the globe .

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombia reached 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, becoming the second country in Latin America to report that number in less than a week.
The nation of 50 million saw cases peak in August and has seen a decline since but still continues to register around 8,000 new infections a day.
Epidemiologists expect to see another marked increase by the end of the year, a prognosis that has put medical workers like nurse Freddy Harvey Rodríguez and his doctor son at one of Bogota’s largest hospitals on edge.
“The fear is it’s going to be worse,” Rodríguez said on a recent afternoon.
Argentina hit 1 million confirmed cases on Monday and Peru and Mexico are expected to reach the grim marker in the weeks ahead. Brazil ranks third worldwide in the number of virus cases and passed 1 million infections back in June.
Colombia has become the eighth country to hit 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases. Besides Argentina and Brazil, the others are the United States, India, Russia, France and Spain, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Overall, Latin America continues to register some of the highest caseloads, diagnosing more than 100,000 confirmed infections each day, though the World Health Organization reports that Europe is now seeing even larger numbers as a second virus wave strikes.
Experts say the region is experiencing a table-top like effect in which cases remain relatively high instead of dramatically dropping. In a number of countries, the virus has begun spreading to areas that had previously registered relatively few cases.
“The behavior of the virus is different,” said Dr. Luis Jorge Hernández, a public health professor at the University of the Andes in Colombia. “It’s not big resurgences but new outbreaks.”
In Colombia, a six-month lockdown helped slow contagion and gave officials time to expand the number of ICU beds. While cases rose dramatically in Bogota, stretching hospital capacity, the city has managed to avoid the sorts of dire scenes seen elsewhere in the region of patients lined up outside hospitals, struggling to find a bed.
Nonetheless, the cost has been high: Nearly 30,000 people have died, including a number of medical workers like colleagues of Rodríguez. One count by a medical association estimates that nearly 200 physicians and other workers have died.
Rodríguez said his son spent over $100 buying him protective gear at the start of the pandemic. The pair still worry about getting sick. Both work at Bogota’s Kennedy Hospital, which is located in a sprawling working-class neighborhood. The area has the highest total number of cases anywhere in the bustling capital.
Dr. Camilo Rodríguez said he arrives to work in one uniform and changes into another when he treats COVID-19 patients. He lost a close friend and mentor to the virus and fears spreading it to his family.
As an extra precaution, he showers at the hospital before going home.
“Infecting myself would be infecting my family,” he said.
The path of the virus through Latin America is a consequence of weak public health systems, social factors like poverty and poor government decisions early on that resulted in flawed or limited testing and little contact tracing. Today the region is home to half the 10 countries with the highest total cases around the globe.