washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Mississippi bans abortion based on race, sex, genetic issues

JACKSON , Miss .
( AP ) - Mississippi Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves signed a law Wednesday that bans abortion based on the race , sex or genetic anomalies of a fetus , adding new limits in a state that already has some of the strictest abortion laws in the U.S .
Supporters say the new law would prevent abortion for Down syndrome or other conditions .
“ Women should not be pressured to have an abortion because their child is different : of a different ability , of a different race , of a different sex , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Mississippi Center for Public Policy , said in a statement Wednesday .
Opponents said it would unconstitutionally interfere with private medical decisions in a state with one abortion clinic .
“ The Supreme Court has consistently held that abortion before viability is an unqualified right ; the state has no reason to question women on the reason they have made this difficult choice , ” said Beth Orlansky , advocacy director for the Mississippi Center for Justice .
With the addition of conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court , several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
Some laws are aimed at spurring court challenges seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade , the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide .
Reeves signed the new law two days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law that required doctors who do abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital .
Mississippi ’ s nearly identical admitting privileges law has long been blocked by a federal judge .
The new Mississippi law that bans certain reasons for abortion took effect as soon as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prison sentence of up to 10 years for any physician or other health care worker who knowingly violates the ban .
It specifies that the woman getting the abortion would not be punished , and the ban does not apply if the woman faces a medical emergency because of the pregnancy .
Nine states ban abortion because of the sex of the fetus , two ban it because of race and two ban it because of genetic anomaly , according to the Guttmacher Institute , a research group that supports abortion rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only state that has banned all three .
Kentucky ’ s ban on all three reasons has been put on hold by court order .
Mississippi has long required a 24-hour waiting period for abortions .
Minors also must obtain permission from their parents or a judge .
In 2018 , Mississippi tried to ban most abortions at 15 weeks .
The state ’ s only abortion clinic sued , a federal district judge blocked the law and a federal appeals court agreed with his ruling .
State officials have asked the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2019 , Mississippi legislators voted to ban most abortions once fetal cardiac activity can be detected , which can be at about six weeks - before some women know they are pregnant .
A judge blocked the restriction from becoming law .

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed a law Wednesday that bans abortion based on the race, sex or genetic anomalies of a fetus, adding new limits in a state that already has some of the strictest abortion laws in the U.S.
Supporters say the new law would prevent abortion for Down syndrome or other conditions.
“Women should not be pressured to have an abortion because their child is different: of a different ability, of a different race, of a different sex,” Jameson Taylor, vice president for policy with the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, said in a statement Wednesday.
Opponents said it would unconstitutionally interfere with private medical decisions in a state with one abortion clinic.
“The Supreme Court has consistently held that abortion before viability is an unqualified right; the state has no reason to question women on the reason they have made this difficult choice,”said Beth Orlansky, advocacy director for the Mississippi Center for Justice.
With the addition of conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, several states have enacted abortion restrictions in recent years. Some laws are aimed at spurring court challenges seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.
Reeves signed the new law two days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law that required doctors who do abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Mississippi’s nearly identical admitting privileges law has long been blocked by a federal judge.
The new Mississippi law that bans certain reasons for abortion took effect as soon as the governor signed the bill. It sets a prison sentence of up to 10 years for any physician or other health care worker who knowingly violates the ban. It specifies that the woman getting the abortion would not be punished, and the ban does not apply if the woman faces a medical emergency because of the pregnancy.
Nine states ban abortion because of the sex of the fetus, two ban it because of race and two ban it because of genetic anomaly, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. Until Wednesday, Missouri was the only state that has banned all three. Kentucky’s ban on all three reasons has been put on hold by court order.
Mississippi has long required a 24-hour waiting period for abortions. Minors also must obtain permission from their parents or a judge.
In 2018, Mississippi tried to ban most abortions at 15 weeks. The state’s only abortion clinic sued, a federal district judge blocked the law and a federal appeals court agreed with his ruling. State officials have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case.
In 2019, Mississippi legislators voted to ban most abortions once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can be at about six weeks - before some women know they are pregnant. A judge blocked the restriction from becoming law.
___
Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Coronavirus could infect brain cells, Johns Hopkins researchers find

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University using “ mini-brains ” made from human stem cells have discovered that brain cells could be infected by the coronavirus , an indication that COVID-19 could cause serious neurological problems .
Virologists , neuro toxicologists and infectious disease experts from the university introduced SARS-CoV-2 particles into the mini-brains , which model the growing human brain , and found what they believe is the first evidence of the pathogen infecting cells and replicating .
“ What we don ’ t know at the moment is which cells are infected .
Is it a very specific subpopulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Dr. Thomas Hartung , the study ’ s senior author and chairman for evidence-based toxicology at Hopkins ’ Bloomberg School of Public Health .
“ Because we only see only a very few cells are infected with our low starting dose of virus particles We also don ’ t know if this is leading to a type of chronic infection.
” Earlier reports from Wuhan , China , where the COVID-19 pandemic began , suggest that 36 % of infected patients experienced neurological symptoms such as impaired consciousness and dizziness .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus can infect human brain cells .
Using organoids ( tiny tissue cultures made from human cells that simulate entire organs ) , Hopkins researchers show that certain neurons express an ACE2 receptor , the same one the coronavirus uses to enter the lungs .
They conclude that ACE2 offers a way to the brain in their study , which was published last week in the journal ALTEX : Alternatives to Animal Experimentation .
While the blood-brain barrier protects the brain from many viruses , it is unknown whether the coronavirus can break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said severe inflammation such as that observed in COVID-19 patients can weaken the barrier .
He described the brain as being “ immunoprivileged , ” which means the immune system does all it can to spare that organ from its defenses .
But it also means it is impossible for the immune system to get rid of brain infections .
For example , doctors can remove HIV from almost the entire body except the brain , Dr. Hartung said .
“ We could very well be in a situation where there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ It means this might impact a new generation of diseases like Alzheimer ’ s. ” Another concern with SARS-CoV-2 is the effect of the virus on the developing brain .
Researchers from Paris-Saclay University found that the virus can cross the placenta in pregnant women , a concern since embryos don ’ t have the blood-brain barrier in early development .
While the Hopkins researchers don ’ t have evidence showing the virus can cause developmental disorders , Dr. Hartung said the mini-brains contain the ACE2 receptor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said there is much more to learn about how the coronavirus could possibly impact the brain , including the neurodevelopment of children born to mothers with COVID-19 .
“ This study is another important step in our understanding of how infection leads to symptoms , and where we might tackle the COVID-19 disease with drug treatment , ” said Dr. William Bishai , professor of medicine at Hopkins ’ School of Medicine and leader of the infectious disease team for the study .
The mini-brain models , called BrainSpheres , were created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Public Health .
They were the first mass produced , “ highly standardized ” organoids of their kind , and have been used to model numerous diseases such as viral infections from Zika , HIV and dengue , according to a university press release .

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University using “mini-brains” made from human stem cells have discovered that brain cells could be infected by the coronavirus, an indication that COVID-19 could cause serious neurological problems.
Virologists, neuro toxicologists and infectious disease experts from the university introduced SARS-CoV-2 particles into the mini-brains, which model the growing human brain, and found what they believe is the first evidence of the pathogen infecting cells and replicating.
“What we don’t know at the moment is which cells are infected. Is it a very specific subpopulation or is it just random?” said Dr. Thomas Hartung, the study’s senior author and chairman for evidence-based toxicology at Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Because we only see only a very few cells are infected with our low starting dose of virus particles We also don’t know if this is leading to a type of chronic infection.”
Earlier reports from Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 pandemic began, suggest that 36% of infected patients experienced neurological symptoms such as impaired consciousness and dizziness. However, it has been unclear whether the virus can infect human brain cells.
Using organoids (tiny tissue cultures made from human cells that simulate entire organs), Hopkins researchers show that certain neurons express an ACE2 receptor, the same one the coronavirus uses to enter the lungs. They conclude that ACE2 offers a way to the brain in their study, which was published last week in the journal ALTEX: Alternatives to Animal Experimentation.
While the blood-brain barrier protects the brain from many viruses, it is unknown whether the coronavirus can break through, Dr. Hartung noted. But he said severe inflammation such as that observed in COVID-19 patients can weaken the barrier.
He described the brain as being “immunoprivileged,” which means the immune system does all it can to spare that organ from its defenses. But it also means it is impossible for the immune system to get rid of brain infections. For example, doctors can remove HIV from almost the entire body except the brain, Dr. Hartung said.
“We could very well be in a situation where there’s a chronic brain infection with coronavirus,” he said. “It means this might impact a new generation of diseases like Alzheimer’s.”
Another concern with SARS-CoV-2 is the effect of the virus on the developing brain. Researchers from Paris-Saclay University found that the virus can cross the placenta in pregnant women, a concern since embryos don’t have the blood-brain barrier in early development.
While the Hopkins researchers don’t have evidence showing the virus can cause developmental disorders, Dr. Hartung said the mini-brains contain the ACE2 receptor from their earliest stages of development.
He said there is much more to learn about how the coronavirus could possibly impact the brain, including the neurodevelopment of children born to mothers with COVID-19.
“This study is another important step in our understanding of how infection leads to symptoms, and where we might tackle the COVID-19 disease with drug treatment,” said Dr. William Bishai, professor of medicine at Hopkins’ School of Medicine and leader of the infectious disease team for the study.
The mini-brain models, called BrainSpheres, were created four years ago at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. They were the first mass produced, “highly standardized” organoids of their kind, and have been used to model numerous diseases such as viral infections from Zika, HIV and dengue, according to a university press release.
• Shen Wu Tan can be reached at stan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Mexico reopening uneven, as virus cases continue high

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - Mexico City ’ s reopening varied widely Wednesday , with some people wearing face masks and keeping their distance while others jostled in crowded streets .
The limited reopening of restaurants and other businesses in the capital came as cases continued to climb steadily .
On Wednesday , the number of cases nationwide rose by 5,681 to reach 231,770 , and the country added 741 confirmed COVID-19 deaths , bringing the total to 28,510 .
Mexico City has accounted for about 48,000 cases and 5,400 deaths .
As shops opened , Mexico City resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping for shoes , equipped with face masks and goggles .
But others around her wore their face masks around their necks .
“ We just had to get out , ” García said of the three-month lockdown that just began to ease this week .
Restaurants and hotels are still not allowed to serve their full capacity , and bars , nightclubs and sporting events remained closed .
On the sidewalks of the city ’ s colonial downtown district , taco stands were open and doing a brisk businesses , as promoters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district is the heart of Mexico ’ s personal electronics , telephone and computing trade , and while most of those businesses were shuttered , touts stood on the sidewalk to drum up black market business for the same items .
Restaurants are now allowed to serve customers at about 40 % capacity , but most appeared to be well under that limit .
Rosa Icela Vázquez was one of those who ventured out to eat at one of Mexico City ’ s most historic restaurants , the centuries-old Casa de los Azulejos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceramic tiles .
“ It ’ s not as if we should be going out yet , but we were getting fed up with being inside , ” said Vázquez , who was sitting at a table with her husband and her granddaughter .
The restaurant closed for the first time in memory during the lockdown .
It had remained open even during the 1910-1917 Revolution , when revolutionary leaders like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata ate there .
“ COVID accomplished what the Revolution couldn ’ t , ” noted the restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the restaurant ’ s employers wore masks and face protectors and there was hand gel and shoe-sanitizing carpets , it had received only about three dozen customers by the afternoon - a far cry from its daily average of 1,800 diners on a normal day .
“ People are starting to come out , ” Viedma said .
Police closed off some downtown streets and there were no crowds in the central square , but some of the streets leading on to it were packed .
City authorities have tried to manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses on one side of the streets to open one day , and those on the other side the next .
But that meant “ people crowd into one side of the street one day , and the other side the next , ” said policeman Edgar López .
Travel company representatives like Luis Oviedo tried to drum up business for tours of the city near the city ’ s cathedral , and while foreign tourists were rare , Oviedo noted that “ people are starting to come out , Mexicans who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Horacio Cerón , a faith healer who performs ritual “ cleanings ” against bad luck , said he was doing about 20 ceremonies per day .
“ People are coming to us because there are a lot more problems , with fewer jobs and less money , ” Cerón said .

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico City’s reopening varied widely Wednesday, with some people wearing face masks and keeping their distance while others jostled in crowded streets.
The limited reopening of restaurants and other businesses in the capital came as cases continued to climb steadily. On Wednesday, the number of cases nationwide rose by 5,681 to reach 231,770, and the country added 741 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total to 28,510. Mexico City has accounted for about 48,000 cases and 5,400 deaths.
As shops opened, Mexico City resident Zeny García and her three children went shopping for shoes, equipped with face masks and goggles. But others around her wore their face masks around their necks.
“We just had to get out,” García said of the three-month lockdown that just began to ease this week. Restaurants and hotels are still not allowed to serve their full capacity, and bars, nightclubs and sporting events remained closed.
On the sidewalks of the city’s colonial downtown district, taco stands were open and doing a brisk businesses, as promoters handed out fliers to passersby.
The district is the heart of Mexico’s personal electronics, telephone and computing trade, and while most of those businesses were shuttered, touts stood on the sidewalk to drum up black market business for the same items.
Restaurants are now allowed to serve customers at about 40% capacity, but most appeared to be well under that limit.
Rosa Icela Vázquez was one of those who ventured out to eat at one of Mexico City’s most historic restaurants, the centuries-old Casa de los Azulejos, whose exterior is covered in blue-and-white ceramic tiles.
“It’s not as if we should be going out yet, but we were getting fed up with being inside,” said Vázquez, who was sitting at a table with her husband and her granddaughter.
The restaurant closed for the first time in memory during the lockdown. It had remained open even during the 1910-1917 Revolution, when revolutionary leaders like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata ate there.
“COVID accomplished what the Revolution couldn’t,” noted the restaurant’s manager, Virginia Viedma.
While the restaurant’s employers wore masks and face protectors and there was hand gel and shoe-sanitizing carpets, it had received only about three dozen customers by the afternoon - a far cry from its daily average of 1,800 diners on a normal day. “People are starting to come out,” Viedma said.
Police closed off some downtown streets and there were no crowds in the central square, but some of the streets leading on to it were packed.
City authorities have tried to manage the partial, gradual reopening by allowing businesses on one side of the streets to open one day, and those on the other side the next.
But that meant “people crowd into one side of the street one day, and the other side the next,” said policeman Edgar López.
Travel company representatives like Luis Oviedo tried to drum up business for tours of the city near the city’s cathedral, and while foreign tourists were rare, Oviedo noted that “people are starting to come out, Mexicans who are stressed and want to get out.”
Horacio Cerón, a faith healer who performs ritual “cleanings” against bad luck, said he was doing about 20 ceremonies per day.
“People are coming to us because there are a lot more problems, with fewer jobs and less money,” Cerón said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--David Fajgenbaum, drawing from his own health scare, guides search for COVID-19 treatment

Dr. David Fajgenbaum knows firsthand how using a repurposed drug can save lives : He found an existing medication that rescued his own life from an immunity disorder he acquired in medical school .
Now the rare disease researcher — a graduate of Georgetown University — is applying his life lesson in the hunt for a treatment for COVID-19 .
The Castleman Disease Collaborative Network ( CDCN ) , which Dr. Fajgenbaum co-founded , is compiling a database of off-label and experimental drugs being used to treat COVID-19 patients in hopes of identifying treatment options with the most promise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ data for more than 150 drugs and 20,000 patients .
“ That ’ s mind-blowing , when you think that nothing is approved , but doctors and researchers are trying so hard to find drugs that could help that things are just getting thrown at COVID-19 patients , ” Dr. Fajgenbaum , now an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania , told The Washington Times .
“ And before our database , none of this had been captured.
” When he was a sophomore at Georgetown , his mother died of brain cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group for grieving students called Ailing Mothers and Fathers .
Already on the pre-med track , he made it his new goal to “ chase after diseases.
” But in his third year at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania , he came face to face with his own disease : a condition called idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease ( iMCD ) , that is caused by a herpes virus and which brought him to the brink of death five times in a few short years .
Victims of Castleman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overdrive due to “ cytokine storms ” in which the body attacks its own cells instead of the virus .
Dr. Fajgenbaum says such storms are being found in the most severely ill COVID-19 patients .
Dr. Fajgenbaum , 35 , says he felt he didn ’ t have time to wait for a drug for Castleman to be developed from scratch , so he founded the CDCN with the aim of finding an existing drug that could help .
The network ’ s research eventually identified a drug called sirolimus , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked .
July 5 will mark 6½ years of being in remission , Dr. Fajgenbaum says .
The drug also helped others who suffered from iMCD .
Dr. Fajgenbaum has an “ army ” of roughly 40 volunteers around the country working on the CDCN ’ s CORONA Project .
They scan publications for new studies , input the data and analyze it .
He has shared the database with the Food and Drug Administration , which asked him to add specific data fields , such as whether a repurposed drug appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most promising drugs at the moment is the corticosteroid dexamethasone .
A British study determined that COVID-19 patients on ventilators had a 35 % better survival rate when administered dexamethasone .
The U.S. added dexamethasone to its coronavirus treatment guidelines , Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said Friday .
Dr. Fajgenbaum says dexamethasone — an established drug that ’ s cheap and widely available — is the sort of discovery he hoped the CORONA Project would find .
The project ’ s data showed that about 20 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dexamethasone or one of its “ cousin ” steroids .
“ It ’ s possible … that many of those patients may have had their lives saved by this drug , and we didn ’ t even know it at the time , ” he said .
Some possible treatments discussed most in the news — remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine — are showing mixed results .
After a promising first study , follow-ups with randomized , controlled trials suggest that hydroxychloroquine provides no benefit , Dr. Fajgenbaum notes .
It could turn out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subgroup or demographic of coronavirus patients , though , and the doctor says “ dozens ” more studies have been launched .
“ I ’ ve not closed that book whatsoever , ” he said .
“ We need to continue to follow the data.
” Remdesivir “ probably ” has a beneficial effect , but one smaller than dexamethasone , Dr. Fajgenbaum adds .
“ We should all be cheering for every drug , ” he said .
“ We should want every drug to work .
But we should also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t look like it ’ s working — as physician-scientists , as patients — we want to make sure we find the right answers .
”

Dr. David Fajgenbaum knows firsthand how using a repurposed drug can save lives: He found an existing medication that rescued his own life from an immunity disorder he acquired in medical school.
Now the rare disease researcher — a graduate of Georgetown University — is applying his life lesson in the hunt for a treatment for COVID-19.
The Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN), which Dr. Fajgenbaum co-founded, is compiling a database of off-label and experimental drugs being used to treat COVID-19 patients in hopes of identifying treatment options with the most promise. To date, his team has compiled data for more than 150 drugs and 20,000 patients.
“That’s mind-blowing, when you think that nothing is approved, but doctors and researchers are trying so hard to find drugs that could help that things are just getting thrown at COVID-19 patients,” Dr. Fajgenbaum, now an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Washington Times. “And before our database, none of this had been captured.”
When he was a sophomore at Georgetown, his mother died of brain cancer, which prompted him to found a group for grieving students called Ailing Mothers and Fathers. Already on the pre-med track, he made it his new goal to “chase after diseases.”
But in his third year at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, he came face to face with his own disease: a condition called idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD), whose cause is still unknown and which brought him to the brink of death five times in a few short years.
Victims of Castleman disease experience their immune system going into overdrive due to “cytokine storms” in which the body attacks its own cells instead of the virus.
Dr. Fajgenbaum says such storms are being found in the most severely ill COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Fajgenbaum, 35, says he felt he didn’t have time to wait for a drug for Castleman to be developed from scratch, so he founded the CDCN with the aim of finding an existing drug that could help. The network’s research eventually identified a drug called sirolimus, which was used for kidney transplants.
It worked. July 5 will mark 6½ years of being in remission, Dr. Fajgenbaum says. The drug also helped others who suffered from iMCD.
Dr. Fajgenbaum has an “army” of roughly 40 volunteers around the country working on the CDCN’s CORONA Project. They scan publications for new studies, input the data and analyze it.
He has shared the database with the Food and Drug Administration, which asked him to add specific data fields, such as whether a repurposed drug appears to result in improvement or deterioration.
One of the most promising drugs at the moment is the corticosteroid dexamethasone. A British study determined that COVID-19 patients on ventilators had a 35% better survival rate when administered dexamethasone.
The U.S. added dexamethasone to its coronavirus treatment guidelines, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said Friday.
Dr. Fajgenbaum says dexamethasone — an established drug that’s cheap and widely available — is the sort of discovery he hoped the CORONA Project would find. The project’s data showed that about 20% of hospitalized patients already have received either dexamethasone or one of its “cousin” steroids.
“It’s possible … that many of those patients may have had their lives saved by this drug, and we didn’t even know it at the time,” he said.
Some possible treatments discussed most in the news — remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine — are showing mixed results. After a promising first study, follow-ups with randomized, controlled trials suggest that hydroxychloroquine provides no benefit, Dr. Fajgenbaum notes.
It could turn out that it’s helpful to a certain subgroup or demographic of coronavirus patients, though, and the doctor says “dozens” more studies have been launched.
“I’ve not closed that book whatsoever,” he said. “We need to continue to follow the data.”Remdesivir “probably” has a beneficial effect, but one smaller than dexamethasone, Dr. Fajgenbaum adds.
“We should all be cheering for every drug,” he said. “We should want every drug to work. But we should also be really rigorous. If it doesn’t look like it’s working — as physician-scientists, as patients — we want to make sure we find the right answers.”
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Long-serving Rochester Assemblyman David Gantt dies at 78

ROCHESTER , N.Y. ( AP ) - Assemblyman David Gantt , who served the Rochester area in New York state @ @ @ @ @ died .
He was 78 .
His office announced his death on Wednesday , and @ @ @ @ @ of accolades from elected officials , praising Gantt for his dedication and concern for those @ @ @ @ @ spent his career fighting poverty and advocating for the underserved , ” Gov .
Andrew @ @ @ @ @ .
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said Gantt , the only African American to be elected @ @ @ @ @ County , “ was a father to me .
He loved me unconditionally and inspired @ @ @ @ @ am today.
” Gantt , a Democrat , had announced earlier this year that he @ @ @ @ @ .
He had been dealing with health issues for some time .

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - Assemblyman David Gantt, who served the Rochester area in New York state government for decades, has died. He was 78.
His office announced his death on Wednesday, and it brought out a wave of accolades from elected officials, praising Gantt for his dedication and concern for those he represented.
“David spent his career fighting poverty and advocating for the underserved,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said Gantt, the only African American to be elected to state government from Monroe County, “was a father to me. He loved me unconditionally and inspired me to be who I am today.”
Gantt, a Democrat, had announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking re-election. He had been dealing with health issues for some time.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Mary Trump Donald Trump tell-all book cleared to be published

NEW YORK — A New York appeals court cleared the way Wednesday for a publisher to distribute a tell-all book by President Donald Trump ’ s niece over the objections of the president ’ s brother .
The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division said it was lifting a restraint that a judge put on Simon & Schuster a day earlier that would have blocked distribution of “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man.
” Although the book was scheduled to be published on July 28 , Simon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 75,000-copy first run of the book had already been sent to bookstores and others .
The appeals ruling , though , left in place restraints against Mary Trump , the book ’ s author and the president ’ s niece , after the president ’ s brother said in court papers that she was part of an agreement among family members not to write about their relationships without permission .
The president ’ s brother , Robert Trump , had sued Mary Trump to block publication .
An email seeking comment was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
The appeals ruling restrained Mary Trump and any agent of hers from distributing the book , but the court made clear it did not consider the publisher to be an agent , though that issue could be decided in further proceedings at the lower court .
“ The evidence submitted is insufficient for this Court to determine whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed in establishing that claim , ” the appeals court said .
In a statement , Simon and Schuster said it was gratified with the ruling , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her story .
The publisher said the book was of “ great interest and importance to the national discourse that fully deserves to be published for the benefit of the American public.
” It added : “ As all know , there are well-established precedents against prior restraint and pre-publication injunctions , and we remain confident that the preliminary injunction will be denied.
” Mary Trump ’ s lawyer , Theodore Boutrous Jr. , said in a statement it was “ very good news that the prior restraint against Simon & Schuster has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed a similar finding was necessary for Mary Trump , “ based on the First Amendment and basic contract law .
”

NEW YORK — A New York appeals court cleared the way Wednesday for a publisher to distribute a tell-all book by President Donald Trump’s niece over the objections of the president’s brother.
The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division said it was lifting a restraint that a judge put on Simon & Schuster a day earlier that would have blocked distribution of “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
Although the book was scheduled to be published on July 28, Simon & Schuster said thousands of copies of the 75,000-copy first run of the book had already been sent to bookstores and others.
The appeals ruling, though, left in place restraints against Mary Trump, the book’s author and the president’s niece, after the president’s brother said in court papers that she was part of an agreement among family members not to write about their relationships without permission.
The president’s brother, Robert Trump, had sued Mary Trump to block publication. An email seeking comment was sent to Robert Trump’s lawyer Wednesday.
The appeals ruling restrained Mary Trump and any agent of hers from distributing the book, but the court made clear it did not consider the publisher to be an agent, though that issue could be decided in further proceedings at the lower court.
“The evidence submitted is insufficient for this Court to determine whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed in establishing that claim,” the appeals court said.
In a statement, Simon and Schuster said it was gratified with the ruling, which it said would let Mary Trump tell her story. The publisher said the book was of “great interest and importance to the national discourse that fully deserves to be published for the benefit of the American public.”
It added: “As all know, there are well-established precedents against prior restraint and pre-publication injunctions, and we remain confident that the preliminary injunction will be denied.”
Mary Trump’s lawyer, Theodore Boutrous Jr., said in a statement it was “very good news that the prior restraint against Simon & Schuster has been vacated. He added that he believed a similar finding was necessary for Mary Trump, “based on the First Amendment and basic contract law.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--New Zealand's health minister resigns after virus blunders

WELLINGTON , New Zealand ( AP ) - New Zealand ’ s health minister resigned Thursday following a series of personal blunders during the coronavirus pandemic .
David Clark had earlier described himself as an “ idiot ” for breaking the nation ’ s lockdown measures and then last week appeared to blame a beloved health official for border lapses , generating an angry response from the public .
Announcing his resignation , Clark said he ’ d put all his energy into the job .
“ But it has become increasingly clear to me that my continuation in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s overall response to COVID-19 , ” he said .
Clark said he intended to remain in the parliament as a lower-ranking lawmaker .
New Zealand ’ s health response has been praised around the world after the country managed to eliminate community transmission of the virus .
But Clark himself has been widely ridiculed .
His latest gaffe came last week when he appeared to place the blame for allowing some returning travelers to leave quarantine without being tested with his top official , Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield .
Bloomfield , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke , appeared stung by the criticism as he frowned and looked away in a video captured by Newshub and viewed tens of thousands of times .
Bloomfield has been the nation ’ s trusted medical expert and public face of the virus response - similar to Dr. Anthony Fauci in the United States .
Many people were angered by Clark ’ s words , and a Twitter campaign dubbed “ Blooms for Bloomfield ” was launched to buy flowers for Bloomfield .
As hundreds of dollars poured in , Bloomfield asked that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which it was .
It was just the latest in a series of missteps by Clark .
In April , he was stripped of some of his responsibilities after defying the country ’ s strict lockdown measures .
He drove 19 kilometers ( 12 miles ) to the beach to take a walk with his family as the government was asking people to make historic sacrifices by staying at home .
“ I ’ ve been an idiot , and I understand why people will be angry with me , ” Clark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier acknowledged driving to a park near his home to go mountain biking , also in defiance of the rules .
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the time she normally would have fired Clark but that the country couldn ’ t afford massive disruption in its health sector while it was fighting the virus .
Instead , she stripped Clark of his role as associate finance minister and demoted him to the bottom of the Cabinet rankings .
But on Thursday , Ardern said she was ready to accept Clark ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our health leadership has the confidence of the New Zealand public , ” Ardern said in a statement .
“ As David has said to me , the needs of the team must come before him as an individual.
” Ardern appointed Education Minister Chris Hipkins to temporarily take over the role .
The move comes less than three months before New Zealanders vote in a general election .
Ardern , who leads the liberal Labour Party , saw her popularity soar during the early stages of the virus response , although recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , under new leader Todd Muller , is making inroads into Labour ’ s lead .

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - New Zealand’s health minister resigned Thursday following a series of personal blunders during the coronavirus pandemic.
David Clark had earlier described himself as an “idiot” for breaking the nation’s lockdown measures and then last week appeared to blame a beloved health official for border lapses, generating an angry response from the public.
Announcing his resignation, Clark said he’d put all his energy into the job.
“But it has become increasingly clear to me that my continuation in the role is distracting from the government’s overall response to COVID-19,” he said.
Clark said he intended to remain in the parliament as a lower-ranking lawmaker.
New Zealand’s health response has been praised around the world after the country managed to eliminate community transmission of the virus. But Clark himself has been widely ridiculed.
His latest gaffe came last week when he appeared to place the blame for allowing some returning travelers to leave quarantine without being tested with his top official, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.
Bloomfield, who was standing behind Clark while he spoke, appeared stung by the criticism as he frowned and looked away in a video captured by Newshub and viewed tens of thousands of times. Bloomfield has been the nation’s trusted medical expert and public face of the virus response - similar to Dr. Anthony Fauci in the United States.
Many people were angered by Clark’s words, and a Twitter campaign dubbed “Blooms for Bloomfield” was launched to buy flowers for Bloomfield. As hundreds of dollars poured in, Bloomfield asked that the money be donated instead to charities, which it was.
It was just the latest in a series of missteps by Clark.
In April, he was stripped of some of his responsibilities after defying the country’s strict lockdown measures. He drove 19 kilometers (12 miles) to the beach to take a walk with his family as the government was asking people to make historic sacrifices by staying at home.
“I’ve been an idiot, and I understand why people will be angry with me,” Clark said at the time. He also earlier acknowledged driving to a park near his home to go mountain biking, also in defiance of the rules.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the time she normally would have fired Clark but that the country couldn’t afford massive disruption in its health sector while it was fighting the virus. Instead, she stripped Clark of his role as associate finance minister and demoted him to the bottom of the Cabinet rankings.
But on Thursday, Ardern said she was ready to accept Clark’s resignation.
“It’s essential our health leadership has the confidence of the New Zealand public,” Ardern said in a statement. “As David has said to me, the needs of the team must come before him as an individual.”
Ardern appointed Education Minister Chris Hipkins to temporarily take over the role.
The move comes less than three months before New Zealanders vote in a general election. Ardern, who leads the liberal Labour Party, saw her popularity soar during the early stages of the virus response, although recent opinion polls indicate the conservative National Party, under new leader Todd Muller, is making inroads into Labour’s lead.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Appeals court lifts restraint against Trump book publisher

NEW YORK ( AP ) - A New York appeals court cleared the way Wednesday for a publisher to distribute a tell-all book by President Donald Trump ’ s niece over the objections of the president ’ s brother .
The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division said it was lifting a restraint that a judge put on Simon & Schuster a day earlier that would have blocked distribution of “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man.
” Although the book was scheduled to be published on July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of copies of the 75,000-copy first run of the book had already been sent to bookstores and others .
The appeals ruling , though , left in place restraints against Mary Trump , the book ’ s author and the president ’ s niece , after the president ’ s brother said in court papers that she was part of an agreement among family members not to write about their relationships without permission .
The president ’ s brother , Robert Trump , had sued Mary Trump to block publication .
An email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lawyer Wednesday .
The appeals ruling restrained Mary Trump and any agent of hers from distributing the book , but the court made clear it did not consider the publisher to be an agent , though that issue could be decided in further proceedings at the lower court .
“ The evidence submitted is insufficient for this Court to determine whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed in establishing that claim , ” the appeals court said .
In a statement , Simon and Schuster said it was gratified with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mary Trump tell her story .
The publisher said the book was of “ great interest and importance to the national discourse that fully deserves to be published for the benefit of the American public.
” It added : “ As all know , there are well-established precedents against prior restraint and pre-publication injunctions , and we remain confident that the preliminary injunction will be denied.
” Mary Trump ’ s lawyer , Theodore Boutrous Jr. , said in a statement it was “ very good news that the prior restraint against Simon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that he believed a similar finding was necessary for Mary Trump , “ based on the First Amendment and basic contract law.
” Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo in Washington and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this story .

NEW YORK (AP) - A New York appeals court cleared the way Wednesday for a publisher to distribute a tell-all book by President Donald Trump’s niece over the objections of the president’s brother.
The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division said it was lifting a temporary restraint that a judge put on Simon & Schuster a day earlier that sought to block distribution of “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
Although the book was scheduled to be published on July 28, Simon & Schuster said thousands of copies of the 75,000-copy first run of the book had already been sent to bookstores and others.
The appeals ruling, written by Judge Alan D. Scheinkman, left in place restraints against Mary Trump, the book’s author and the president’s niece, after the president’s brother, Robert Trump, said she agreed with family members not to write about their relationships without permission.
Robert Trump had sued Mary Trump to block publication of a book promoted to contain an “insider’s perspective” of “countless holiday meals,” “family interactions” and “family events.”
An email seeking comment was sent to Robert Trump’s lawyer Wednesday. The appeals court noted it was ruling after hearing oral arguments from lawyers for Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster and before lawyers for Robert Trump submitted opposition papers.
Scheinkman left in place a restraint that blocked Mary Trump and any agent of hers from distributing the book, but the court made clear it was not considering the publisher to be an agent, though that issue could be decided in further proceedings at the lower court.
“The evidence submitted is insufficient for this Court to determine whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed in establishing that claim,” the appeals court said in an opinion written by Judge Alan D. Scheinkman.
In court papers, the publisher said it was not aware of an agreement between Mary Trump and her relatives until she was sued.
In a statement, Simon and Schuster said it was gratified with the ruling, which it said would let Mary Trump tell her story. The publisher said the book was of “great interest and importance to the national discourse that fully deserves to be published for the benefit of the American public.”
It added: “As all know, there are well-established precedents against prior restraint and pre-publication injunctions, and we remain confident that the preliminary injunction will be denied.”
Mary Trump’s lawyer, Theodore Boutrous Jr., said in a statement it was “very good news that the prior restraint against Simon & Schuster has been vacated.” He added that he believed a similar finding was necessary for Mary Trump, “based on the First Amendment and basic contract law.”
In ruling, Scheinkman said people are free to negotiate away their First Amendment rights, especially if they are compensated well, which Robert Trump maintains that she was.
But he noted that “while parties are free to enter into confidentiality agreements, courts are not necessarily obligated to specifically enforce them.”
The judge wrote that “whatever legitimate public interest there may have been in the family disputes of a real estate developer and his relatives may be considerably heightened by that real estate developer now being President of the United States and a current candidate for reelection.”
He added: “Stated differently, the legitimate interest in preserving family secrets may be one thing for the family of a real estate developer, no matter how successful; it is another matter for the family of the President of the United States.”
____
Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo in Washington and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this story.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Protesters march on I-94 in St. Paul after singer's death

ST. PAUL , Minn. ( AP ) - Protesters apparently outraged by the killing of a popular singer in Ethiopia @ @ @ @ @ in St. Paul during Wednesday evening ’ s rush hour .
Police blocked the entrance @ @ @ @ @ before 6:30 p.m. Traffic was stopped as the group moved down the interstate .
State @ @ @ @ @ said after 8 p.m. the protesters had left the freeway , and no arrests have @ @ @ @ @ told KSTP-TV they are telling the US government to stop letting fake leaders run Ethiopia @ @ @ @ @ Hachalu Hundessa .
He had been a prominent voice in anti-government protests that led to @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
His death has also sparked angry protests in the capital , Addis Ababa @ @ @ @ @ be buried Thursday in his hometown in the Oromia region .

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Protesters apparently outraged by the killing of a popular singer in Ethiopia stopped traffic on Interstate 94 in St. Paul during Wednesday evening’s rush hour.
Police blocked the entrance ramps to the freeway shortly before 6:30 p.m. Traffic was stopped as the group moved down the interstate. State Patrol spokesman Lt. Gordon Shank said after 8 p.m. the protesters had left the freeway, and no arrests have been made.
One protester told KSTP-TV they are telling the US government to stop letting fake leaders run Ethiopia after the killing of singer Hachalu Hundessa. He had been a prominent voice in anti-government protests that led to a change in leadership in 2018. His death has also sparked angry protests in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Hachalu is set to be buried Thursday in his hometown in the Oromia region.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--4 Burlington bars warned for not following COVID rules

BURLINGTON , Vt. ( AP ) - Four Burlington bars have been warned for not following rules intended to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 , the city ’ s mayor said .
In a Wednesday statement , Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger did not identify the bars or say which of the COVID rules were not followed .
But the guidance for safe operation of bars during the pandemic include limiting indoor operations to 50 % capacity , limiting outdoor operations to a maximum of 150 people , having all patrons seated and prohibiting seating at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus in Vermont is low , but the spike in cases elsewhere in the country shows “ how fragile our success is.
” “ Going forward , we will be watching bar activity very closely , ” the statement said .
“ Bars need to comply proactively themselves , or we will be forced to take further action.
” On Wednesday , the Vermont Health Department reported two new confirmed cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 , bringing the statewide total since the pandemic began to 1,210 .
The number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained steady at 56 .

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said Thursday he’s allowing a bill to allow mail in voting during the November presidential to become law without his signature.
In a letter to members of the Vermont Legislature, Scott said there appeared to be a technical problem with the law that creates an ambiguity in how the Secretary of State deals with ballot returns.
“This is particularly concerning in light of the concerns expressed by many regarding the return process for ballots mailed to all Vermonters,” the Republican governor wrote.
Scott said he hoped the Legislature would fix the problem when lawmakers return in August to deal with economic issues.
Under the new law all voters will receive ballots in the mail and they can return them by mail, take them to their local town or city clerk or bring the ballot to their polling place on Election Day.
___
LEGISLATURE
Separately, Scott signed three bills into law Thursday that provide $575.7 million to help Vermont cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, Vermont House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, a Democrat, urged Scott to sign the bills, which were given final approval by the Legislature last Friday.
“Vermonters need this money now,” said Johnson’s statement, sent before the governor signed the bills.
On June 16, the Legislature passed a bill that contained $93 million in relief. That bill was signed by the governor June 19. The governor announced Wednesday the state would begin accepting applications July 6 for grants to businesses of up to $50,000 each.
Speaking of the money from the bill passed June 16, Scott said he’d instructed state officials to make it as easy as possible for businesses to apply for and receive the funds.
___
BARS WARNED
Four Burlington bars have been issued warnings for not following rules intended to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, the city’s mayor said.
In a Wednesday statement, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger did not identify the bars or say which of the COVID-19 rules were not followed.
But the guidance for safe operation of bars during the pandemic includes limiting indoor operations to 50% capacity, limiting outdoor operations to a maximum of 150 people, having all patrons seated and prohibiting seating at the actual bar.
Weinberger says the presence of the coronavirus in Vermont is low, but the spike in cases elsewhere in the country shows “how fragile our success is.”
“Going forward, we will be watching bar activity very closely,” the statement said. “Bars need to comply proactively themselves, or we will be forced to take further action.”
___
VIRUS NUMBERS
On Thursday, the Vermont Health Department reported 17 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total since the pandemic began to just under 1,230. The number of people who have died remained steady at 56.
The number of positive cases reported Thursday is high relative to recent trends in Vermont, but Health Department spokesman Bennett Truman said swings in the numbers, spread among six of Vermont’s 14 counties, are not unexpected.
“Some of these are among people who have a history of traveling,” Truman said in an email.
One case was connected to the ongoing outbreak in Winooski.
___
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Report: Chesapeake Bay crab population remains healthy

NEWPORT NEWS , Va. ( AP ) - A new report says that blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay are not being over harvested .
The Daily Press in Newport News reported Thursday that the bay ’ s blue crab population isn ’ t depleted and that there ’ s no need for any big changes in how many crabs watermen can catch .
The information comes from the Chesapeake Bay Program ’ s annual Blue Crab Advisory Report .
It was released on Wednesday .
The report said that crab numbers declined from 594 million last year to 405 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in line with natural variation .
The most important issue for regulators is the female crab population .
It fell by 26 % last year .
But it remains above the 70 million minimum that scientists say is needed to maintain the population .
At the same time , the region ’ s crab industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus , which closed restaurants for several weeks .
Some crab houses have also had trouble obtaining visas for foreign crab pickers that they ’ ve relied on for generations .

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) - A new report says that blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay are not being over harvested.
The Daily Press in Newport News reported Thursday that the bay’s blue crab population isn’t depleted and that there’s no need for any big changes in how many crabs watermen can catch.
The information comes from the Chesapeake Bay Program’s annual Blue Crab Advisory Report. It was released on Wednesday.
The report said that crab numbers declined from 594 million last year to 405 million this year. But the drop is in line with natural variation.
The most important issue for regulators is the female crab population. It fell by 26% last year. But it remains above the 70 million minimum that scientists say is needed to maintain the population.
At the same time, the region’s crab industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus, which closed restaurants for several weeks. Some crab houses have also had trouble obtaining visas for foreign crab pickers that they’ve relied on for generations.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--French medics sue over mask, equipment shortages amid virus

PARIS ( AP ) - A collective of French health care workers said Thursday it is seeking a broad legal inquiry into France ’ s failure to protect its members and their colleagues by providing adequate masks , gloves and other protective equipment as the coronavirus swept across the country .
The professional association , Collectif Inter Urgences , ( Inter-Emergencies Collective ) , said it was filing a four-count civil complaint alleging manslaughter , involuntary harm , voluntary failure to prevent damage and endangering the life of others .
As is common in French law , the complaint does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judicial authorities to determine who , across governments past and present , failed to renew personal protective equipment ( PPE ) stocks and adequately supply hospitals to prevent such a crisis .
More than 60 other legal complaints have been filed so far over how France , which has reported the fifth-highest number of virus deaths worldwide , managed its virus outbreak .
The collective is building a database of accounts from paramedics and hopes its complaint has farther-reaching legal impact than those targeting specific government ministers or nursing homes .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , run after PPE , which affected our ability to help people , ” said Yasmina Kettal , a nurse at the Delafontaine Hospital in Saint-Denis in the Paris suburbs .
“ But there was also a constant feeling of insecurity and gutting fear because in some services there was no PPE stock , and in many , very little PPE , which led to misuses.
” The group notably wants to know the reasoning behind the changing protocols around PPE use in France .
As French hospitals faced growing shortages of gear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff members were told they could reuse their equipment or keep it for longer periods , for example .
The changing protocols “ made us wonder as to whether they were scientific recommendations or shortage management , ” Kettal said .
The health care workers in the collective said they were also psychologically impacted by the handling of the crisis .
“ We found ourselves in situations with colleagues where we didn ’ t know what to wear , which masks , in which situations , ” Nicolas Kazolias , an emergency medic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We don ’ t ever want to live this again.
” French Health Minister Olivier Veran acknowledged Thursday that “ our country was not sufficiently stocked with masks ” during the first wave of the virus , and the government is now asking all companies to keep at least 10 weeks worth of masks for their employees in case of a second wave of infections .
France ’ s national health agency has confirmed more than 300 new virus clusters since the country started reopening May 11 , and says about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far reported a total of 29,861 deaths linked to the virus , about half of them in nursing homes .
French health care workers are already wondering whether they can make it through a second round .
“ After going through all of this , the question as to who will be here for a second wave is in the minds of all of us , even mine , ” Kettal said .

PARIS (AP) - A collective of French health care workers said Thursday it is seeking a broad legal inquiry into France’s failure to protect its members and their colleagues by providing adequate masks, gloves and other protective equipment as the coronavirus swept across the country.
The professional association, Collectif Inter Urgences, (Inter-Emergencies Collective), said it was filing a four-count civil complaint alleging manslaughter, involuntary harm, voluntary failure to prevent damage and endangering the life of others.
As is common in French law, the complaint does not target a specific perpetrator but asks judicial authorities to determine who, across governments past and present, failed to renew personal protective equipment (PPE) stocks and adequately supply hospitals to prevent such a crisis.
More than 60 other legal complaints have been filed so far over how France, which has reported the fifth-highest number of virus deaths worldwide, managed its virus outbreak. The collective is building a database of accounts from paramedics and hopes its complaint has farther-reaching legal impact than those targeting specific government ministers or nursing homes.
“We’ve had to run after stocks, run after PPE, which affected our ability to help people,” said Yasmina Kettal, a nurse at the Delafontaine Hospital in Saint-Denis in the Paris suburbs. “But there was also a constant feeling of insecurity and gutting fear because in some services there was no PPE stock, and in many, very little PPE, which led to misuses.”
The group notably wants to know the reasoning behind the changing protocols around PPE use in France. As French hospitals faced growing shortages of gear and increasing numbers of virus patients, staff members were told they could reuse their equipment or keep it for longer periods, for example.
The changing protocols “made us wonder as to whether they were scientific recommendations or shortage management,” Kettal said.
The health care workers in the collective said they were also psychologically impacted by the handling of the crisis.
“We found ourselves in situations with colleagues where we didn’t know what to wear, which masks, in which situations,” Nicolas Kazolias, an emergency medic at Tenon Hospital in Paris, said. “We don’t ever want to live this again.”
French Health Minister Olivier Veran acknowledged Thursday that “our country was not sufficiently stocked with masks” during the first wave of the virus, and the government is now asking all companies to keep at least 10 weeks worth of masks for their employees in case of a second wave of infections.
France’s national health agency has confirmed more than 300 new virus clusters since the country started reopening May 11, and says about half have been contained. France has so far reported a total of 29,861 deaths linked to the virus, about half of them in nursing homes.
French health care workers are already wondering whether they can make it through a second round.
“After going through all of this, the question as to who will be here for a second wave is in the minds of all of us, even mine,” Kettal said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Judge lifts order against the publisher of Mary Trump's 'tell-all' book

A New York judge narrowed a temporary injunction against the publisher for President Trump ’ s niece , Mary Trump ’ s , tell-all memoir that the president ’ s younger brother has tried to block from being published later this month .
The decision removes Simon & Schuster from a restraining order issued earlier this week against Ms. Trump and any “ agent ” of hers .
On appeal , Judge Alan D. Scheinkman ruled Wednesday the publisher is not an agent of Ms. Trump , and therefore should not be subject to the restraining order issued the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge said earlier this week that Simon & Schuster can ’ t publish “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man.
” The memoir allegedly details the history of the Trump family , including controversial information about the death of Fred Jr. , the president ’ s oldest brother , according to reports .
Robert Trump , the president ’ s younger brother , sued to block the publication , saying it violates a nondisclosure agreement under Fred Trump ’ s estate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Simon & Schuster was not a party to the nondisclosure agreement as he removed them from the restraining order .
The move appears to allow the publisher to continue printing and shipping the books , but the restraining order remains in place against Ms. Trump until the next court hearing on July 13 .
The book was originally scheduled to be released on July 28 .

A New York judge narrowed a temporary injunction against the publisher for President Trump’s niece, Mary Trump’s, tell-all memoir that the president’s younger brother has tried to block from being published later this month.
The decision removes Simon & Schuster from a restraining order issued earlier this week against Ms. Trump and any “agent” of hers.
On appeal, Judge Alan D. Scheinkman ruled Wednesday the publisher is not an agent of Ms. Trump, and therefore should not be subject to the restraining order issued the day prior.
The order comes after another judge said earlier this week that Simon & Schuster can’t publish “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
The memoir allegedly details the history of the Trump family, including controversial information about the death of Fred Jr., the president’s oldest brother, according to reports.
Robert Trump, the president’s younger brother, sued to block the publication, saying it violates a nondisclosure agreement under Fred Trump’s estate.
Judge Scheinkman noted in his order that Simon & Schuster was not a party to the nondisclosure agreement as he removed them from the restraining order.
The move appears to allow the publisher to continue printing and shipping the books, but the restraining order remains in place against Ms. Trump until the next court hearing on July 13.
The book was originally scheduled to be released on July 28.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Massachusetts tells fireworks seller to stop ads in state

BOSTON ( AP ) - The Massachusetts attorney general is demanding that a fireworks retailer with stores in New Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ residents of Massachusetts , where fireworks are illegal .
Attorney General Maura Healey in a @ @ @ @ @ Phantom Fireworks alleges the company is violating state consumer protection law by mailing advertisements and @ @ @ @ @ and highlighting the proximity of its New Hampshire stores .
“ Phantom Fireworks knows its @ @ @ @ @ , yet we are hearing that residents are getting their advertisements in the mail , @ @ @ @ @ statement .
Complaints about illegal fireworks being used in Massachusetts have soared during the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ has three stores in New Hampshire , all close to the Massachusetts border .
Chief @ @ @ @ @ Boston Globe the company would review Healey ’ s letter and adjust its marketing strategy @ @ @ @ @ always follow the law , ” he said .

BOSTON (AP) - The Massachusetts attorney general is demanding that a fireworks retailer with stores in New Hampshire stop targeting its advertising to residents of Massachusetts, where fireworks are illegal.
Attorney General Maura Healey in a cease-and-desist letter sent Wednesday to Phantom Fireworks alleges the company is violating state consumer protection law by mailing advertisements and discount coupons to Massachusetts addresses and highlighting the proximity of its New Hampshire stores.
“Phantom Fireworks knows its products are illegal in Massachusetts, yet we are hearing that residents are getting their advertisements in the mail,” Healey said in a statement.
Complaints about illegal fireworks being used in Massachusetts have soared during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ohio-based Phantom Fireworks has three stores in New Hampshire, all close to the Massachusetts border.
Chief Executive Bruce Zoldan told The Boston Globe the company would review Healey’s letter and adjust its marketing strategy if necessary.
“We always follow the law,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Police union contract extended, bargaining to continue

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) - The Portland City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to extend bargaining over the next @ @ @ @ @ a year to increase public involvement in the negotiations .
Negotiations over the next contract @ @ @ @ @ rank-and-file Portland Police Bureau employees started in January but have been disrupted by the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ Mayor Ted Wheeler , who also is in charge of the bureau , pushed for @ @ @ @ @ interest in reforming the contract to increase police accountability is at an all-time high .
@ @ @ @ @ the cost of living adjustment scheduled for July 1 , allowing the city to save @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s budget , while resuming negotiations in January 2021 .
Wheeler said the @ @ @ @ @ state laws that will affect the contract to take effect .

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to extend bargaining over the next Portland Police Association contract for a year to increase public involvement in the negotiations.
Negotiations over the next contract with the union that represents rank-and-file Portland Police Bureau employees started in January but have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, KOIN-TV reported.
Mayor Ted Wheeler, who also is in charge of the bureau, pushed for the extension, saying public interest in reforming the contract to increase police accountability is at an all-time high.
The union agreed to forgo the cost of living adjustment scheduled for July 1, allowing the city to save $3 million in next year’s budget, while resuming negotiations in January 2021.
Wheeler said the extension also will allow new state laws that will affect the contract to take effect.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Social media companies face revenue hit from boycotts

Verizon ’ s decision to join the growing boycott against Facebook and Twitter risks hurting the social media giants where it hurts most : their advertising revenue .
Advertising accounts for nearly all Facebook ’ s $ 70.7 billion annual revenue , and a similar share of Twitter ’ s $ 3.46 billion .
Both already faced declining ad spending as big advertisers like Ford and Coca-Cola cut their budgets amid the pandemic and recession .
The # StopHateforProfit campaign launched June 17 by the Anti-Defamation League , the NAACP and other advocacy groups seeks to pressure the social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and violent content on their websites .
So far , the campaign has signed on more than 200 companies and organizations .
Outdoor gear retailers Northface , REI and Patagonia were among the first companies to join the boycott .
Patagonia said it made the move because the social media giant failed to take steps to stop the spread on its platform of “ hateful lies and dangerous propaganda.
” But Verizon , which spent $ 3.07 billion on advertising in 2019 , appeared to tip the scales for investors , who sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shares sliding 8.4 % on June 26 after it joined the boycott .
Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg have been the main targets of the boycott .
But several large corporations are suspending all social media ad spending as the industry fumbles with how to maintain open platforms for expression while determining which posts contain hateful or offensive rhetoric and need to be flagged or deleted .
“ We ’ re pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable , ” New York-based Verizon said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the other consumer products titans to halt all their social media advertising .
Large companies are protective of their reputations , and social media already presented them a delicate balancing act of exposure versus risk .
“ We ’ re kind of going back to a much earlier mindset where advertisers seem that they are not comfortable advertising with user-generated content where they don ’ t have greater control over things that are said , ” said Nicole Perrin , principal analyst at eMarketer .
Facebook and others have faced criticism for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Facebook ’ s own employees publicly criticized Zuckerberg for leaving up posts by President Donald Trump that suggested police-brutality protesters in Minneapolis could be shot .
Facebook has faced criticism in the past over some of its practices , including the Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal , and its stock is normally resilient .
Analysts expect the company to weather this controversy too , especially if the boycott is short-lived .
Perrin said the boycotts might not have much a financial impact for Facebook , considering its more than 8 million advertisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations that need social media exposure .
The boycott movement could lead to large brands drastically scaling back their spending , however , or quitting social media companies completely .
Between the boycott and the pandemic , investors have a nearly impossible job trying to forecast Facebook and Twitter ’ s finances this year .
“ We ’ re doing this in the middle of a pandemic where advertisers of all sorts are pulling back spending and cutting back costs where they can , ” Perrin said .
“ We ’ ll never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third-quarter results are due to the boycott or due to the pandemic .
”

Verizon’s decision to join the growing boycott against Facebook and Twitter risks hurting the social media giants where it hurts most: their advertising revenue.
Advertising accounts for nearly all Facebook’s $70.7 billion annual revenue, and a similar share of Twitter’s $3.46 billion. Both already faced declining ad spending as big advertisers like Ford and Coca-Cola cut their budgets amid the pandemic and recession.
The #StopHateforProfit campaign launched June 17 by the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP and other advocacy groups seeks to pressure the social media giants into doing more to curtail racist and violent content on their websites. So far, the campaign has signed on more than 500 companies and organizations.
Outdoor gear retailers Northface, REI and Patagonia were among the first companies to join the boycott. Patagonia said it made the move because the social media giant failed to take steps to stop the spread on its platform of “hateful lies and dangerous propaganda.”
But Verizon, which spent $3.07 billion on advertising in 2019, appeared to tip the scales for investors, who sent Twitter shares plunging 7.4% and Facebook shares sliding 8.4% on June 26 after it joined the boycott.
Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg have been the main targets of the boycott. But several large corporations are suspending all social media ad spending as the industry fumbles with how to maintain open platforms for expression while determining which posts contain hateful or offensive rhetoric and need to be flagged or deleted.
“We’re pausing our advertising until Facebook can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable,” New York-based Verizon said in a statement.
Coca-Cola and Starbucks are among the other consumer products titans to halt all their social media advertising. Large companies are protective of their reputations, and social media already presented them a delicate balancing act of exposure versus risk.
“We’re kind of going back to a much earlier mindset where advertisers seem that they are not comfortable advertising with user-generated content where they don’t have greater control over things that are said,” said Nicole Perrin, principal analyst at eMarketer.
Facebook and others have faced criticism for years for their hands-off approach to content. Facebook’s own employees publicly criticized Zuckerberg for leaving up posts by President Donald Trump that suggested police-brutality protesters in Minneapolis could be shot.
Facebook has faced criticism in the past over some of its practices, including the Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal, and its stock is normally resilient. Analysts expect the company to weather this controversy too, especially if the boycott is short-lived.
Perrin said the boycotts might not have much a financial impact for Facebook, considering its more than 8 million advertisers. Many of those advertisers are small operations that need social media exposure. The boycott movement could lead to large brands drastically scaling back their spending, however, or quitting social media companies completely.
Between the boycott and the pandemic, investors have a nearly impossible job trying to forecast Facebook and Twitter’s finances this year.
“We’re doing this in the middle of a pandemic where advertisers of all sorts are pulling back spending and cutting back costs where they can,” Perrin said. “We’ll never know how much of Facebook’s third-quarter results are due to the boycott or due to the pandemic.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Somali officer sentenced to death for shooting civilians

NAIROBI , Kenya ( AP ) - A military court in Somalia sentenced a police officer to death on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ two civilians while enforcing coronavirus restrictions in April .
The shootings sparked protests in the @ @ @ @ @ more than two days , with crowds of angry young men burning tires and demanding @ @ @ @ @ was convicted of the “ deliberate ” fatal shooting of Hassan Ali Adawe and Madino @ @ @ @ @ to death by firing squad , according to Col. Hassan Alinur Shute , the military @ @ @ @ @ Somalia ’ s police chief had immediately fired the commissioner in charge of security in @ @ @ @ @ occurred .
Somalia has one of the world ’ s weakest health systems .
The @ @ @ @ @ more than 2,900 confirmed virus cases .

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - A military court in Somalia sentenced a police officer to death on Thursday in the fatal shooting of two civilians while enforcing coronavirus restrictions in April.
The shootings sparked protests in the capital, Mogadishu, for more than two days, with crowds of angry young men burning tires and demanding justice.
Hassan Aden Hassan was convicted of the “deliberate” fatal shooting of Hassan Ali Adawe and Madino Abdullahi Abdi and was sentenced to death by firing squad, according to Col. Hassan Alinur Shute, the military court’s chief.
Somalia’s police chief had immediately fired the commissioner in charge of security in Bondhere district where the shooting occurred.
Somalia has one of the world’s weakest health systems. The Horn of Africa nation has more than 2,900 confirmed virus cases.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--US peace envoy looks to start of talks to end Afghan war

ISLAMABAD ( AP ) - Washington ’ s peace envoy told Pakistani officials that Afghanistan ’ s Taliban and Kabul ’ s political leaders were close to starting negotiations to decide the face of a post-war Afghanistan , a crucial next step in a U.S. deal signed with the Taliban in February , according to a statement released Thursday by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad .
Zalmay Khalilzad was in the region to pave the way for intra-Afghan negotiations expected to begin sometime this month .
No date had been set , but Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said late Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doha , where the Taliban maintain a political office .
Both sides must still release the remainder of prisoners laid out in the deal , which calls for the Afghan government to free 5,000 Taliban and the insurgents to release 1,000 government personnel .
So far , the government has freed 3,500 and the Taliban about 700 .
“ Ambassador Khalilzad noted how close the sides are to starting intra-Afghan negotiations and the importance of resolving remaining issues quickly , underscoring the promise peace holds for regional stability and development , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan with the army chief and foreign minister .
Earlier this week , U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to Taliban chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar .
In Monday ’ s video call , Pompeo “ made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments , which include not attacking Americans , ” according to the State Department .
Khalilzad ’ s latest foray into the region comes as the White House is embroiled in a controversy over whether Russia paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants or drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan .
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied knowing about the suspected bounties .
Russia has called the charges nonsense and the Taliban said they have not needed financial incentives from foreign intelligence agencies to wage war against U.S. and NATO troops .
The New York Times first reported the bounties , which were confirmed by The Associated Press .
U.S. intelligence officials also said they were looking at whether bounties were involved in the deaths of U.S. soldiers in early 2019 , particularly , and an April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as in so-called insider attacks in which Afghan National Army soldiers turned on their U.S. allies and killed them .
Khalilzad was appointed in September 2018 to open direct peace talks with the Taliban , however until mid- 2019 both the United States and Taliban were locked in battle as both sides sought to improve their negotiating position with military victories .
The killing of a U.S. soldier in a Taliban attack on the capital Kabul in in September 2019 prompted President Trump to declare peace talks with the Taliban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Feb. 29 this year the deal was signed in Doha .
At the time , the agreement was touted as Afghanistan ’ s best chance at peace in decades of war .
Under the deal , the Taliban have committed to fighting terrorist groups , not supporting terrorist groups and ensuring Afghanistan is not used by anyone to attack the U.S. or its allies .
The Taliban also said they would not attack U.S. and NATO troops but would continue their fight against Afghan National Security Forces .
One of the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is apparently a permanent cease-fire .
Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said , however , that no talks will begin until all 5,000 Taliban listed in the agreement are freed .
However , President Ghani on Wednesday said the government will announce on Sunday the final list of Taliban who will be released , suggesting some would not be freed and instead replaced by other prisoners .
The Taliban have said there could be no exceptions to the names on their list , which was approved by the U.S. during negotiations .
Khalilzad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than travel to Kabul because of the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic .
Afghanistan has recorded more than 32,000 infections but the real number is thought to be much higher .
Khalilzad , who was also in Uzbekistan was to also travel to Doha , where he is to meet Taliban negotiators .
Associated Press Writer Tameem Akhgar contributed to this report

ISLAMABAD (AP) - Washington’s peace envoy told Pakistani officials that Afghanistan’s Taliban and Kabul’s political leaders were close to starting negotiations to decide the face of a post-war Afghanistan, a crucial next step in a U.S. deal signed with the Taliban in February, according to a statement released Thursday by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
Zalmay Khalilzad was in the region to pave the way for intra-Afghan negotiations expected to begin sometime this month. No date had been set, but Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said late Wednesday the first round would be held in Doha, where the Taliban maintain a political office.
Both sides must still release the remainder of prisoners laid out in the deal, which calls for the Afghan government to free 5,000 Taliban and the insurgents to release 1,000 government personnel. So far, the government has freed 3,500 and the Taliban about 700.
“Ambassador Khalilzad noted how close the sides are to starting intra-Afghan negotiations and the importance of resolving remaining issues quickly, underscoring the promise peace holds for regional stability and development,” the embassy statement said of his meetings in Pakistan with the army chief and foreign minister.
Earlier this week, U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to Taliban chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. In Monday’s video call, Pompeo “made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans,” according to the State Department.
Khalilzad’s latest foray into the region comes as the White House is embroiled in a controversy over whether Russia paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants or drug dealers close to the Taliban to kill U.S. and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied knowing about the suspected bounties. Russia has called the charges nonsense and the Taliban said they have not needed financial incentives from foreign intelligence agencies to wage war against U.S. and NATO troops.
The New York Times first reported the bounties, which were confirmed by The Associated Press. U.S. intelligence officials also said they were looking at whether bounties were involved in the deaths of U.S. soldiers in early 2019, particularly, and an April 2019 attack that killed three U.S. soldiers, as well as in so-called insider attacks in which Afghan National Army soldiers turned on their U.S. allies and killed them.
Khalilzad was appointed in September 2018 to open direct peace talks with the Taliban, however until mid- 2019 both the United States and Taliban were locked in battle as both sides sought to improve their negotiating position with military victories. The killing of a U.S. soldier in a Taliban attack on the capital Kabul in in September 2019 prompted President Trump to declare peace talks with the Taliban dead.
They restarted in December and on Feb. 29 this year the deal was signed in Doha. At the time, the agreement was touted as Afghanistan’s best chance at peace in decades of war.
Under the deal, the Taliban have committed to fighting terrorist groups, not supporting terrorist groups and ensuring Afghanistan is not used by anyone to attack the U.S. or its allies.
The Taliban also said they would not attack U.S. and NATO troops but would continue their fight against Afghan National Security Forces. One of the first items on the agenda of intra-Afghan negotiations is apparently a permanent cease-fire.
Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said, however, that no talks will begin until all 5,000 Taliban listed in the agreement are freed. However, President Ghani on Wednesday said the government will announce on Sunday the final list of Taliban who will be released, suggesting some would not be freed and instead replaced by other prisoners.
The Taliban have said there could be no exceptions to the names on their list, which was approved by the U.S. during negotiations.
Khalilzad will hold videoconferences with Afghan leaders rather than travel to Kabul because of the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic. Afghanistan has recorded more than 32,000 infections but the real number is thought to be much higher.
Khalilzad, who was also in Uzbekistan was to also travel to Doha, where he is to meet Taliban negotiators.
______
Associated Press Writer Tameem Akhgar contributed to this report


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--RNC seeking to make COVID-19 testing available to all convention-goers

The Republican National Committee is exploring what it takes to ready enough COVID-19 testing kits for all attendees of the party ’ s upcoming convention in Florida .
The new development comes days after the committee said it will be mandating that people wear masks indoors and where it may be difficult to social distance in public areas , if needed .
The RNC is in talks with testing companies to assess the logistics and frequency of mass testing at the convention , Reuters reported , citing two sources familiar with the matter .
Earlier this month , the committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party ’ s nomination in a ceremonial celebration in Jacksonville , Florida , after it moved its convention from North Carolina in a standoff with the Democratic governor over coronavirus restrictions .
Several hundred delegates still plan to meet in Charlotte to officially nominate Mr. Trump as the official Republican candidate .
“ The RNC is committed to holding a safe convention that fully complies with local health regulations in place at the time , ” committee spokesman Mike Reed told Reuters .
“ We are planning to offer health precautions , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited to temperature checks , available PPE , aggressive sanitizing protocols , and available COVID-19 testing .
”

The Republican National Committee is exploring what it takes to ready enough COVID-19 testing kits for all attendees of the party’s upcoming convention in Florida.
The new development comes days after the committee said it will be mandating that people wear masks indoors and where it may be difficult to social distance in public areas, if needed.
The RNC is in talks with testing companies to assess the logistics and frequency of mass testing at the convention, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
Earlier this month, the committee said President Trump will accept the Republican Party’s nomination in a ceremonial celebration in Jacksonville, Florida, after it moved its convention from North Carolina in a standoff with the Democratic governor over coronavirus restrictions.
Several hundred delegates still plan to meet in Charlotte to officially nominate Mr. Trump as the official Republican candidate.
“The RNC is committed to holding a safe convention that fully complies with local health regulations in place at the time,” committee spokesman Mike Reed told Reuters.
“We are planning to offer health precautions,” he continued, “including but not limited to temperature checks, available PPE, aggressive sanitizing protocols, and available COVID-19 testing.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Father accused of abusing son is indicted on murder charges

DAYTON , Ohio ( AP ) - A father accused of abusing his 10-year-old son , who died last year , is now facing murder charges in a new indictment that also brings more counts against his girlfriend .
Al-Mutahan McLean , 31 , faces four counts of murder , two counts of child endangerment and single counts of involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping in the indictment handed up Wednesday by a Montgomery County grand jury .
He also faces felonious assault and rape charges that he had pleaded not guilty to last December , shortly after the death of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after he was taken to Dayton Children ’ s Hospital because he was unresponsive .
His body was cut and bruised , and he had apparently been locked in a dirty attic and held under water before he died , authorities have alleged in court documents .
McLean could face life in prison without parole if convicted , but prosecutors said Wednesday he is not eligible for the death penalty .
A judge had ruled in March that he was competent to stand trial after McClean had entered a motion in court in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
McLean ’ s girlfriend , 29-year-old Amanda Hinze faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter , two counts of child endangerment and a kidnapping charge in the new indictment .
She already was charged with four additional counts of child endangerment .
Hinze ’ s lawyer did not respond to requests for comment .
County prosecutors also announced Wednesday that Hinze ’ s sister , Jennifer Ebert , pleaded guilty in May to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment counts .
She has not yet been sentenced .
Prosecutors declined comment on Ebert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sealed from the public .

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - A father accused of abusing his 10-year-old son, who died last year, is now facing murder charges in a new indictment that also brings more counts against his girlfriend.
Al-Mutahan McLean, 31, faces four counts of murder, two counts of child endangerment and single counts of involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping in the indictment handed up Wednesday by a Montgomery County grand jury. He also faces felonious assault and rape charges that he had pleaded not guilty to last December, shortly after the death of his son Takoda Collins.
The boy died after he was taken to Dayton Children’s Hospital because he was unresponsive. His body was cut and bruised, and he had apparently been locked in a dirty attic and held under water before he died, authorities have alleged in court documents.
McLean could face life in prison without parole if convicted, but prosecutors said Wednesday he is not eligible for the death penalty. A judge had ruled in March that he was competent to stand trial after McClean had entered a motion in court in January seeking an evaluation of his mental state.
McLean’s girlfriend, 29-year-old Amanda Hinze faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of child endangerment and a kidnapping charge in the new indictment. She already was charged with four additional counts of child endangerment.
Hinze’s lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.
County prosecutors also announced Wednesday that Hinze’s sister, Jennifer Ebert, pleaded guilty in May to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment counts. She has not yet been sentenced.
Prosecutors declined comment on Ebert’s case because it’s sealed from the public.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Man accused of killing 4 presses to address judge directly

MANDAN , N.D. ( AP ) - A Washburn man accused of killing four people last year interrupted a court hearing Wednesday and asked to speak directly to a judge against the advice of his attorneys .
The hearing at the Morton County Courthouse was set to address motions made by Chad Isaak ’ s attorneys on suppressing certain evidence and on a change of venue .
The 46-year-old Isaak is charged with four counts of murder in connection with the deaths of RJR Maintenance and Management co-owner Robert Fakler , 52 ; and employees Adam Fuehrer , 42 ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lois Cobb , 45 , who were married .
The victims were found shot and stabbed at the business April 1 , 2019 .
Isaak told South Central District Judge David Reich that he wished to address the court , saying he had “ waited patiently for 15 months in an isolation jail cell ” to bring up some issues , but did not specify those issues , the Bismarck Tribune reported .
One of his attorneys , Rob Quick , later said Isaak wanted to bring up issues that the defense team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reich told Isaak he could not tell his attorneys how to represent him .
The judge did not immediately rule on the change of venue motion as well as the arguments about warrants used in the search of Isaak ’ s vehicle , residence , business , person , and electronic devices .
Isaak has been jailed on $ 1 million bond since his arrest a few days after the killings .
Trial is scheduled for Nov. 30 .

MANDAN, N.D. (AP) - A Washburn man accused of killing four people last year interrupted a court hearing Wednesday and asked to speak directly to a judge against the advice of his attorneys.
The hearing at the Morton County Courthouse was set to address motions made by Chad Isaak’s attorneys on suppressing certain evidence and on a change of venue.
The 46-year-old Isaak is charged with four counts of murder in connection with the deaths of RJR Maintenance and Management co-owner Robert Fakler, 52; and employees Adam Fuehrer, 42; and William Cobb, 50, and Lois Cobb, 45, who were married. The victims were found shot and stabbed at the business April 1, 2019.
Isaak told South Central District Judge David Reich that he wished to address the court, saying he had “waited patiently for 15 months in an isolation jail cell” to bring up some issues, but did not specify those issues, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
One of his attorneys, Rob Quick, later said Isaak wanted to bring up issues that the defense team will address at a future hearing.
Reich told Isaak he could not tell his attorneys how to represent him.
The judge did not immediately rule on the change of venue motion as well as the arguments about warrants used in the search of Isaak’s vehicle, residence, business, person, and electronic devices.
Isaak has been jailed on $1 million bond since his arrest a few days after the killings. Trial is scheduled for Nov. 30.


washingtontimes--2020-07-02--Algerian major opposition figure to be released from jail

ALGIERS , Algeria ( AP ) - An Algerian court on Thursday granted prominent opposition figure and leader of the anti-government protest movement Karim Tabbou release from jail .
Tabbou ’ s lawyer , Abdelghani Badi , said in a Facebook post that the Algiers court granted his request for the release of his client , who is asking for the end of judicial proceedings against him .
Tabbou was sentenced on March 24 to a year in prison , including six months suspended , for “ weakening army morale.
” Another lawyer , Abderrahmane Salhi , told the AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release on Thursday outside Kolea ’ s prison , west of Algiers , with dozens of activists of the anti-government movement .
The court ’ s decision comes one day after President Abdelmadjid Tebboune granted an amnesty to six other anti-government activists ahead of Algeria ’ s Independence Day on Sunday , celebrating the country ’ s independence from France on July 5 , 1962 .
Mass demonstrations brought down the long-time president of Africa ’ s largest country and his entourage in April 2019 .
The pro-democracy movement is looking for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been shadowed by the army since its independence .

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) - Two of the most prominent figures in Algeria’s anti-government protest movement were released from prison Thursday following court decisions in their favor.
Activists Karim Tabbou and Amira Bouraoui were freed from the prison in Kolea, west of Algiers, and placed under judicial supervision.
The court decisions came a day after Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune granted amnesty to six other anti-government activists ahead of the country’s Independence Day, which commemorates Algeria achieving independence from France on July 5, 1962.
Mass demonstrations last year brought down the long-time president of Africa’s largest country, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and his entourage in April 2019. The pro-democracy movement is looking for more change in a nation whose rulers have been shadowed by the army since its independence.
Tabbou’s lawyer, Abdelghani Badi, said in a Facebook post that an Algiers court granted a request for the release of Tabbou, who is also asking for the end of judicial proceedings against him.
Tabbou was sentenced on March 24 to a year in prison, including six months suspended, for “weakening army morale.”
Bouraoui, a gynecologist,also was released after spending 11 days in prison, her lawyer, Mustapha Bouchachi ,said.
She had been sentenced to a year in prison on June 21 by the court of Cheraga, in the western suburb of Algiers, for “insulting the president,” “publishing information likely to harm public order” and “inciting” people to gather, amid other accusations.
Bouraoui is known as the co-funder of the “Barakat!” (Enough) group that opposed Bouteflika’s decision to run for a fourth term in 2014.
Another activist from the anti-government movement, Samir Benlarbi, was also released on Thursday.