washingtontimes--2020-06-29--U.K. judge warns Julian Assange on U.S. extradition hearing attendance

LONDON ( AP ) — A British judge said Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange must attend his next court hearing unless he can provide medical evidence to support his absence .
Lawyers for Assange said he could not attend the latest hearing on his U.S. extradition case by video link from prison for medical reasons .
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser set another hearing date of July 27 and said Assange must appear “ unless there is medical evidence ” to explain his non-attendance .
The 48-year-old Australian has been indicted in the U.S. on 18 charges over the publication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspired with U.S. army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password , hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret diplomatic cables and military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .
Last week the U.S. Justice Department added a new , superseding , indictment that alleges Assange conspired with members of hacking organizations and sought to recruit hackers to provide WikiLeaks with classified information .
The indictment does not add any new charges , but broadens the allegations against Assange .
Assange was arrested last year after being evicted from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had sought refuge to avoid being sent to Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault .
He is in London ’ s Belmarsh Prison awaiting a full extradition hearing , which has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Originally due to begin in May , it is now scheduled to start on Sept. 7 .

LONDON (AP) — A British judge said Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange must attend his next court hearing unless he can provide medical evidence to support his absence.
Lawyers for Assange said he could not attend the latest hearing on his U.S. extradition case by video link from prison for medical reasons.
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser set another hearing date of July 27 and said Assange must appear “unless there is medical evidence” to explain his non-attendance.
The 48-year-old Australian has been indicted in the U.S. on 18 charges over the publication of classified documents. Prosecutors say he conspired with U.S. army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a password, hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret diplomatic cables and military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Last week the U.S. Justice Department added a new, superseding, indictment that alleges Assange conspired with members of hacking organizations and sought to recruit hackers to provide WikiLeaks with classified information. The indictment does not add any new charges, but broadens the allegations against Assange.
Assange was arrested last year after being evicted from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had sought refuge to avoid being sent to Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault.
He is in London’s Belmarsh Prison awaiting a full extradition hearing, which has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Originally due to begin in May, it is now scheduled to start on Sept. 7.


washingtontimes--2020-06-29--Longtime Kansas State coach Snyder says he enjoys retirement

WICHITA , Kan. ( AP ) - Legendary former Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder says he misses being on the field but has no interest in returning to the sidelines more than 18 months after wrapping up a Hall of Fame career .
Snyder stepped away in 2018 after 27 seasons on the sidelines that included winning 215 games , reaching 19 bowls and claiming a pair of Big 12 titles .
He said he ’ s now mostly at home spending time with his wife and family .
“ I don ’ t wake up thinking , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Snyder told The Wichita Eagle during a recent video conference .
“ I don ’ t really think about it all that much.
” Snyder said that when he first retired in 2005 , it took him about half a year to get accustomed to the new role .
And though he returned from retirement three years later , it ’ s never bothered him since .
“ I can ’ t say that I don ’ t miss being on the field , but it ’ s not something that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Snyder said .
“ The time has come and passed and I enjoyed it.
” Snyder arrived at Kansas State in the fall of 1988 , a nondescript offensive coordinator from Iowa who once coached high school swimming before learning under legendary Hawkeyes coach Hayden Fry .
During his tenure in Manhattan , which began in the Big Eight , he weathered seismic shifts in college football .
Along the way he overcame throat cancer , sent dozens of players to the NFL and gave countless more an opportunity to succeed on and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still talks to many of his former players and recently made the case for Michael Bishop and Darren Sproles to join him in the College Football Hall of Fame Synder said he ’ s always loved mentoring young players and imparting wisdom .
He offered insight to anyone struggling with the unprecedented times we ’ re living through .
“ I would like to think that it would be virtually the same , ” Snyder said .
“ With all the turmoil that goes on , one thing that stands at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ type of person that you are and the value system that you possess .
”

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Legendary former Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder says he misses being on the field but has no interest in returning to the sidelines more than 18 months after wrapping up a Hall of Fame career.
Snyder stepped away in 2018 after 27 seasons on the sidelines that included winning 215 games, reaching 19 bowls and claiming a pair of Big 12 titles. He said he’s now mostly at home spending time with his wife and family.
“I don’t wake up thinking, ‘Boy do I miss football,’” Snyder told The Wichita Eagle during a recent video conference. “I don’t really think about it all that much.”
Snyder said that when he first retired in 2005, it took him about half a year to get accustomed to the new role. And though he returned from retirement three years later, it’s never bothered him since.
“I can’t say that I don’t miss being on the field, but it’s not something that I think about going back to,” Snyder said. “The time has come and passed and I enjoyed it.”
Snyder arrived at Kansas State in the fall of 1988, a nondescript offensive coordinator from Iowa who once coached high school swimming before learning under legendary Hawkeyes coach Hayden Fry. During his tenure in Manhattan, which began in the Big Eight, he weathered seismic shifts in college football. Along the way he overcame throat cancer, sent dozens of players to the NFL and gave countless more an opportunity to succeed on and off the field.
Snyder said he still talks to many of his former players and recently made the case for Michael Bishop and Darren Sproles to join him in the College Football Hall of Fame
Synder said he’s always loved mentoring young players and imparting wisdom. He offered insight to anyone struggling with the unprecedented times we’re living through.
“I would like to think that it would be virtually the same,” Snyder said. “With all the turmoil that goes on, one thing that stands at the top is the quality of character and the type of person that you are and the value system that you possess.”


washingtontimes--2020-06-29--Flooding in western Wisconsin makes some roads impassable

BALDWIN , Wis. ( AP ) - Flash flooding in western Wisconsin due to heavy rain is making some roads @ @ @ @ @ St. Croix County village of Baldwin say parts of Highway 63 are dangerous and should @ @ @ @ @ say some water rescues and evacuations are taking place in the community .
In the @ @ @ @ @ Ellsworth , officials say many culverts have been overwhelmed by the heavy rain and that @ @ @ @ @ including parts of Highway 10 .
Highway 29 near Spring Valley is also closed , @ @ @ @ @ of Transportation .
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the area @ @ @ @ @ of rain has fallen .

BALDWIN, Wis. (AP) - A 70-year-old man died Monday after his minivan went off the road and became submerged in a ditch as a western Wisconsin village grappled with hours of torrential rain that resulted in home evacuations and heavy floodwaters.
Gary Parent of Emerald, Wisconsin, was driving a Dodge Grand Caravan around 5:15 a.m. Monday when he drove into floodwaters that were sweeping across the road. He lost control and landed in the ditch, where the van became covered by water. Parent was rescued but later pronounced dead, the St. Croix Sheriff’s Office said.
The storms swept through the southern Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area before deluging western Wisconsin late Sunday and Monday, where eight families in the St. Croix County village of Baldwin were evacuated from houses near a creek to a community center, sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Klatt told the Star Tribune.
At least five motorists were rescued from the roofs of their flooded vehicles on Highway 63 in the Baldwin area, Klatt said.
Stretches of that highway and many other roads and bridges were made impassable, the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office said.
“We urge everyone to use extreme caution if you have to travel,” the sheriff’s office said. “Be very cautious of submerged roadways in low lying areas and blind corners.”
In nearby Pierce County village of Ellsworth, officials said the rain overwhelmed many culverts and caused localized flooding, including along parts of Highway 10.
Highway 29 near Spring Valley was also closed, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Rain totals included 9 inches (22.8 centimeters) in Glenwood City, which is near Baldwin, and 8.2 inches (20.8 centimeters) in Hammond.
The storms also flooded roads in the Twin Cities area. Water covered streets and intersections in Lakeville, Minnesota, police said.
“These roads are impassable for the time being,” police tweeted.
The water began to recede by mid-morning Monday and there were no reports of serious injuries.
In Minnesota, heavy rain caused mudslides on Highway 169 south of St. Peter and on Highway 68 near Courtland, just east of New Ulm, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said.


washingtontimes--2020-06-29--Afghan official: Bomb, mortars kill 23 civilians in Helmand

KABUL , Afghanistan ( AP ) - A car bombing and mortar shells fired at a busy market in southern Afghanistan ’ s Helmand province on Monday killed 23 people , including children , a statement from a provincial governor ’ s office said .
Both the Taliban and the Afghan military blame each other for the attack in Sangin district .
Details of the reported attack could not be independently confirmed as the area , which is under Taliban control , is remote and inaccessible to reporters .
The statement from the office of the governor , Gen. Mohammad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there was no claim of responsibility for the attack .
A Taliban spokesman , Qari Yusouf Ahmadi , denied the insurgents were involved in the bombing .
The Taliban claimed the military fired mortars into the market while the military said a car bomb and mortar shells fired by the insurgents targeted the civilians .
The army also said there was no military activity in the area on Monday and that two Taliban fighters were also killed when the car bomb detonated at the marketplace .
Livestock that the locals were selling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were also killed .
A statement from the presidential palace said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the “ brutal and inhumane act , ” and stressed that targeting civilians , especially children and adults , is against Islamic and human values .
“ The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan once again calls on the Taliban to refrain from war and violence and to accept the will of the Afghan people , which is the end of the war and the start of negotiations , ” Ghani ’ s statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports and statements has asked both sides in the conflict to be more careful of civilian casualties , saying they are on the increase .
Still , violence has continued unabated in Afghanistan , even though talks between the Taliban and Kabul representatives could start as early next month in July in Doha , Qatar , where the Taliban maintain a political office .
One of the obstacles to the start of the negotiations has been the exchange of prisoners , envisaged under a deal the Taliban signed with the United States at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - and the Afghan-Taliban talks that were meant to follow - are seen as Afghanistan ’ s best chance for peace and an opportunity for U.S. and NATO troops to leave the war-torn country after nearly two decades of fighting .
The Taliban say the Afghan government has so far released 3,500 Taliban prisoners .
The U.S.-Taliban deal calls for 5,000 Taliban prisoners to be freed by Kabul .
It also said the Taliban should free 1,000 government personnel , including military men , they hold captive .

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A car bombing and mortar shells fired at a busy market in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province on Monday killed 23 people, including children, a statement from a provincial governor’s office said.
Both the Taliban and the Afghan military blamed each other for the attack in Sangin district. Details of the reported attack could not be independently confirmed as the area, which is under Taliban control, is remote and inaccessible to reporters.
The statement from the office of the governor, Gen. Mohammad Yasin, did not provide further details and there was no claim of responsibility for the attack.
A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, denied the insurgents were involved in the bombing. The Taliban claimed the military fired mortars into the market while the military said a car bomb and mortar shells fired by the insurgents targeted the civilians.
The army said there was no military activity in the area on Monday and that two Taliban fighters were also killed when the car bomb detonated at the marketplace. Sheep and goats for sale in the market were also killed.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the “brutal and inhumane act.”
“The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan once again calls on the Taliban to refrain from war and violence and to accept the will of the Afghan people, which is the end of the war and the start of negotiations,” Ghani’s statement said.
The United Nations in recent reports and statements has asked both sides in the conflict to be more careful of civilian casualties, saying they are on the increase.
Save the Children, an aid group, condemned the attack and expressed concern about a recent uptick in violence.
“We’re horrified by the ongoing attacks in Afghanistan, which continue to take the innocent lives of children,” Country Director Milan Dinic said, calling the latest attack a “sad reminder that no child is safe in Afghanistan until the weapons are put down.”
Violence has continued unabated in Afghanistan, even though talks between the Taliban and Kabul representatives could start as early next month in July in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office.
One of the obstacles to the start of the negotiations has been the exchange of prisoners, envisaged under a deal the Taliban signed with the United States at the end of February. That accord - and the Afghan-Taliban talks that were meant to follow - are seen as Afghanistan’s best chance for peace and an opportunity for U.S. and NATO troops to leave the war-torn country after nearly two decades of fighting.
The Taliban say the Afghan government has so far released 3,500 Taliban prisoners. The U.S.-Taliban deal calls for 5,000 Taliban prisoners to be freed by Kabul. It also said the Taliban should free 1,000 government personnel, including military men, they hold captive.


washingtontimes--2020-06-29--2 Oklahoma police officers shot, in critical condition

TULSA , Okla. ( AP ) - Two police officers in Tulsa , Oklahoma , were shot and wounded on @ @ @ @ @ side Monday morning and police were searching for a suspect who is described as armed @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I can confirm that we have two officers shot and are in critical @ @ @ @ @ Pierce said in an email to The Associated Press .
The police department later posted @ @ @ @ @ pages that the officers encountered a man identified as David Ware about 3:30 a.m. Monday @ @ @ @ @ following a scuffle with him .
Ware fled the scene on foot , police said @ @ @ @ @ open fire on anyone he encounters .
“ If he is willing to shoot at @ @ @ @ @ willing to shoot at anyone , ” the posts state .
Police have not revealed @ @ @ @ @ .

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Two police officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were shot and critically wounded on the city’s east side Monday morning and police arrested the suspected gunman following a more than seven-hour search, authorities said.
David Anthony Ware, 32, was arrested about 10:45 a.m., said Capt. Richard Meulenberg.
Police had been searching for Ware since about 3:30 a.m. after he allegedly shot two officers during a traffic stop. The officers - Sgt. Craig Johnson and rookie officer Aurash Zarkeshan - remained in critical condition Monday afternoon and were “fighting for their lives,” said Police Chief Wendell Franklin.
Zarkeshan had been on patrol for less than six weeks after graduating from the police academy in the spring, Franklin said.
The two officers were attempting to remove Ware from the vehicle, and one officer had already deployed a Taser and pepper spray in an attempt to get him out.
“When they were able to get the driver out of the vehicle, the driver produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds,” Franklin said.
A motive for the shooting was unclear and Ware had no known bias toward police, Meulenberg said.
“He clearly did not want to be arrested,” Meulenberg said.
After the officers were shot, Ware walked away from the scene and was picked up by an “accomplice” who had arrived in a separate vehicle, Franklin said. That man, Matthew Hall, was arrested later in Broken Arrow, Franklin said.
“He got on the phone and called that individual while he was being stopped,” he said.
Ware has been charged with two counts of shooting with intent to kill and illegal possession of a firearm, court records show. They didn’t list an attorney who could speak on Ware’s behalf.


washingtontimes--2020-06-29--China warns of visa bans on Americans over Hong Kong

BEIJING ( AP ) - China said Monday that it would retaliate against U.S. moves to punish officials tied to political crackdowns in Hong Kong by imposing visa restrictions on Americans it considers to have “ performed badly ” on matters regarding the semi-autonomous Chinese territory .
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian gave no details in making the announcement at a daily briefing .
It wasn ’ t clear if the measure targeted only U.S. government officials or those in the private sector as well .
It comes as China ’ s legislature is expected to pass a national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics say will severely limit opposition politics and freedom of speech in the city .
The U.S. says it will respond by ending favorable trading terms granted to the former British colony after it passed to Chinese control in 1997 .
The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a bill to impose sanctions on businesses and individuals - including the police - that undermine Hong Kong ’ s autonomy or restrict freedoms promised to the city ’ s residents .
Zhao reiterated China ’ s insistence that the law was “ purely an internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country has the right to interfere.
” “ The U.S. side ’ s attempt to obstruct China from promoting Hong Kong ’ s national security legislation through the so-called sanctions will never succeed , ” Zhao said .
“ In response to the above-mentioned wrong behavior of the U.S. side , China has decided to impose visa restrictions on U.S. personnel who perform badly on Hong Kong related issues .
”

BEIJING (AP) - China said Monday that it would retaliate against U.S. moves to punish officials tied to political crackdowns in Hong Kong by imposing visa restrictions on Americans it considers to have “performed badly” on matters regarding the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian gave no details in making the announcement at a daily briefing. It wasn’t clear if the measure targeted only U.S. government officials or those in the private sector as well.
It comes as China’s legislature is expected to pass a national security law for Hong Kong on Tuesday that critics say will severely limit opposition politics and freedom of speech in the city.
The U.S. says it will respond by ending favorable trading terms granted to the former British colony after it passed to Chinese control in 1997. The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a bill to impose sanctions on businesses and individuals - including the police - that undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy or restrict freedoms promised to the city’s residents.
Zhao reiterated China’s insistence that the law was “purely an internal affair of China, and no foreign country has the right to interfere.”
“The U.S. side’s attempt to obstruct China from promoting Hong Kong’s national security legislation through the so-called sanctions will never succeed,” Zhao said. “In response to the above-mentioned wrong behavior of the U.S. side, China has decided to impose visa restrictions on U.S. personnel who perform badly on Hong Kong related issues.”


washingtontimes--2020-06-29--Boris Johnson says COVID-19 has been a disaster for Britain

LONDON ( AP ) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged Monday that the coronavirus pandemic has been a “ disaster ” for Britain , as he announced a spending splurge designed to get the country — and his faltering Conservative government — back on track .
As the U.K. emerges from a three-month lockdown , Johnson has lined up big-money pledges on schools , housing and infrastructure , in an attempt to move on from an outbreak that has left more than 43,000 Britons dead - the worst confirmed death toll in Europe .
“ This has been a disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let ’ s not mince our words .
I mean , this has been an absolute nightmare for the country and the country ’ s gone through a profound shock .
“ But in those moments , you have the opportunity to change and to do things better , ” he told Times Radio .
“ This is a moment now to give our country the skills , the infrastructure , the long-term investment that we need.
” Johnson promised a “ Rooseveltian approach , ” invoking the New Deal policies of President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States out of the Great Depression .
Johnson ’ s first announcement was 1 billion pounds ( $ 1.25 billion ) to build new schools .
The British leader plans to unveil a series of other infrastructure projects this week .
Johnson won a large majority in Parliament in December with a promise to rebalance Britain ’ s London-dominated economy and revive the long-neglected former industrial regions of central and northern England .
Those plans were thrown into turmoil by COVID-19 .
The U.K. ’ s official death toll stands at 43,550 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States and Brazil , and the true figure is likely higher .
“ What we ’ re going to be doing in the next few months , is really doubling down on our initial agenda , which was all about investment … in infrastructure , in education , in technology , to bring the country together , ” he said .
Critics want to know where the money will come from .
The economic freeze caused by the pandemic has left Britain facing a deep recession - the Bank of England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first half of 2020 around 20 % smaller than at the start of the year .
The U.K. faces another economic shock at the end of this year when a post-Brexit transition period ends , casting the country out of the 27-nation bloc ’ s vast single market .
Talks with the EU on a new trade deal have bogged down amid wide differences on major issues including fishing rights and competition .
If no agreement is struck by the end of the year , the U.K. faces tariffs and other barriers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest trading partner .
Despite the gloomy economic outlook , Johnson said it would be “ a mistake ” to return to the austerity of previous Conservative governments , which since 2010 have cut public spending in an attempt to lower a national debt that was swollen by the 2008 global financial crisis .
Despite his attempts to turn the page , Johnson , who was hospitalized in intensive care with the coronavirus in April , will likely face a reckoning over his government ’ s handling of the outbreak .
Critics accuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impose a nationwide lockdown , of failing to get enough protective equipment to medical workers and of botching the launch of a test-and-trace system to control new outbreaks .
Deaths and new infections are now declining , but slowly , and Britain lags behind its European neighbors in reopening society and the economy .
In another sign of Johnson ’ s attempt to regain control , Britain ’ s top civil servant announced late Sunday he was stepping down .
Mark Sedwill is leaving his twin jobs as head of the civil service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagreements with Johnson ’ s powerful chief adviser , Dominic Cummings .
Johnson has named David Frost , the government ’ s EU trade negotiator , to the national security post .
The appointment has raised some eyebrows because Frost is a political appointee , rather than a neutral civil servant .
Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said it was “ obvious that the prime minister wanted to move ( Sedwill ) and was determined to do so.
” “ Why you do so in the middle of a pandemic and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , is a question the prime minister needs to answer , ” he said .

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged Monday that the coronavirus pandemic has been a “disaster” for Britain, as he announced a spending splurge designed to get the country — and his faltering Conservative government — back on track.
As the U.K. emerges from a three-month lockdown, Johnson has lined up big-money pledges on schools, housing and infrastructure, in an attempt to move on from an outbreak that has left more than 43,000 Britons dead - the worst confirmed death toll in Europe.
“This has been a disaster,” Johnson acknowledged Monday. “Let’s not mince our words. I mean, this has been an absolute nightmare for the country and the country’s gone through a profound shock.
“But in those moments, you have the opportunity to change and to do things better,” he told Times Radio. “This is a moment now to give our country the skills, the infrastructure, the long-term investment that we need.”
Johnson promised a “Rooseveltian approach,” invoking the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt that helped wrench the United States out of the Great Depression. Johnson’s first announcement was 1 billion pounds ($1.25 billion) to build new schools. The British leader plans to unveil a series of other infrastructure projects this week.
Johnson won a large majority in Parliament in December with a promise to rebalance Britain’s London-dominated economy and revive the long-neglected former industrial regions of central and northern England.
Those plans were thrown into turmoil by COVID-19. The U.K.’s official death toll stands at 43,550, the third-highest in the world after the United States and Brazil, and the true figure is likely higher.
“What we’re going to be doing in the next few months, is really doubling down on our initial agenda, which was all about investment … in infrastructure, in education, in technology, to bring the country together,” he said.
Critics want to know where the money will come from. The economic freeze caused by the pandemic has left Britain facing a deep recession - the Bank of England estimates that the U.K. economy could end the first half of 2020 around 20% smaller than at the start of the year.
The U.K. faces another economic shock at the end of this year when a post-Brexit transition period ends, casting the country out of the 27-nation bloc’s vast single market.
Talks with the EU on a new trade deal have bogged down amid wide differences on major issues including fishing rights and competition. If no agreement is struck by the end of the year, the U.K. faces tariffs and other barriers to business with the EU, its biggest trading partner.
Despite the gloomy economic outlook, Johnson said it would be “a mistake” to return to the austerity of previous Conservative governments, which since 2010 have cut public spending in an attempt to lower a national debt that was swollen by the 2008 global financial crisis.
Despite his attempts to turn the page, Johnson, who was hospitalized in intensive care with the coronavirus in April, will likely face a reckoning over his government’s handling of the outbreak.
Critics accuse the government of being too slow to impose a nationwide lockdown, of failing to get enough protective equipment to medical workers and of botching the launch of a test-and-trace system to control new outbreaks.
Deaths and new infections are now declining, but slowly, and Britain lags behind its European neighbors in reopening society and the economy.
In another sign of Johnson’s attempt to regain control, Britain’s top civil servant announced late Sunday he was stepping down. Mark Sedwill is leaving his twin jobs as head of the civil service and national security adviser after reports of disagreements with Johnson’s powerful chief adviser, Dominic Cummings.
Johnson has named David Frost, the government’s EU trade negotiator, to the national security post. The appointment has raised some eyebrows because Frost is a political appointee, rather than a neutral civil servant.
Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said it was “obvious that the prime minister wanted to move (Sedwill) and was determined to do so.”
“Why you do so in the middle of a pandemic and a crisis instead of actually focusing on the crisis, is a question the prime minister needs to answer,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-06-29--Myanmar military warning of action causes thousands to flee

YANGON , Myanmar ( AP ) - Thousands of people in an area of western Myanmar where there have been clashes between the government and ethnic rebels have been fleeing from their villages over the past week after an evacuation order from officials .
The Rakhine state government in an order last Tuesday instructed village administrators in Rathedaung township to tell residents to stay away from their homes due to military plans to conduct a “ clearance operation ” against the rebels .
“ Clearance operation ” is Myanmar military parlance for counterinsurgency action .
The exodus from more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , even though the order was revoked last Friday Rakhine state ’ s security and border affairs minister .
“ Since the day the order was issued , more than 10,000 people from the operation area fled their villages , ” Khin Maung Latt , an upper house member of parliament for Rathedaung township , said Monday .
The government has been embroiled for more than a year in an intermittent conflict with the Arakan Army , a well-trained and well-armed guerrilla force representing members of the area ’ s Rakhine ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strongest military challenge to the central government of the many ethnic minority groups who for decades have sought greater autonomy .
Human rights advocates have accused Myanmar ’ s army of using undue force and targeting civilians in their operations fighting the guerrillas .
In Rakhine in 2017 , the military carried out counterinsurgency operations against insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority , but critics charge they employed a campaign of terror to drive the Rohingya out of the country .
An estimated 740,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh , where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Buddhist , the religion of almost 90 % of Myanmar ’ s people .
During the past week ’ s exodus , some people fled to villages out of the designated area , and others to Sittwe , the capital of Rakhine .
“ We have to flee the village as we don ’ t want to face the soldiers from the military .
They were shooting into the village , arresting the villagers to use as human shields , ” said Aye Mg , a 58-year-old resident of Rathedaung township ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously detained dozens of suspected Rakhine militants .
Civil society organizations and Buddhist monks are helping the newly displaced villagers find shelter .
“ People can ’ t live in their places any longer due to the fighting .
We are hosting over 300 displaced people at our monastery ; around 100 of them have arrived recently , ” Okkahta , a monk , said from the Tahtipati Sipintharyar Monastery in Rathedaung town .
“ It ’ s like doomsday for them , ” lawmaker Khin Maung Lat said , explaining why villagers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is the impact of the evacuation order to stay away from the village during the military operation.
” “ Even most of the village administrators are fleeing from the villages , ” he said .
“ Even they are scared to go back to their villages .
”

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Thousands of people in an area of western Myanmar where there have been clashes between the government and ethnic rebels have been fleeing from their villages over the past week after an evacuation order from officials.
The Rakhine state government in an order last Tuesday instructed village administrators in Rathedaung township to tell residents to stay away from their homes due to military plans to conduct a “clearance operation” against the rebels. “Clearance operation” is Myanmar military parlance for counterinsurgency action.
The exodus from more than 40 villages is continuing almost a week later, even though the order was revoked last Friday Rakhine state’s security and border affairs minister.
“Since the day the order was issued, more than 10,000 people from the operation area fled their villages,” Khin Maung Latt, an upper house member of parliament for Rathedaung township, said Monday.
The government has been embroiled for more than a year in an intermittent conflict with the Arakan Army, a well-trained and well-armed guerrilla force representing members of the area’s Rakhine ethnic group.
The guerrilla force is posing the strongest military challenge to the central government of the many ethnic minority groups who for decades have sought greater autonomy.
Human rights advocates have accused Myanmar’s army of using undue force and targeting civilians in their operations fighting the guerrillas.
In Rakhine in 2017, the military carried out counterinsurgency operations against insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority, but critics charge they employed a campaign of terror to drive the Rohingya out of the country. An estimated 740,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh, where they remain in refugee camps.
The Rakhine are Buddhist, the religion of almost 90% of Myanmar’s people.
During the past week’s exodus, some people fled to villages out of the designated area, and others to Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine.
“We have to flee the village as we don’t want to face the soldiers from the military. They were shooting into the village, arresting the villagers to use as human shields,” said Aye Mg, a 58-year-old resident of Rathedaung township’s Kyauktan village, where the government previously detained dozens of suspected Rakhine militants.
Civil society organizations and Buddhist monks are helping the newly displaced villagers find shelter.
“People can’t live in their places any longer due to the fighting. We are hosting over 300 displaced people at our monastery; around 100 of them have arrived recently,” Okkahta, a monk, said from the Tahtipati Sipintharyar Monastery in Rathedaung town.
“It’s like doomsday for them,” lawmaker Khin Maung Lat said, explaining why villagers fled. “They are in fear. This is the impact of the evacuation order to stay away from the village during the military operation.”
“Even most of the village administrators are fleeing from the villages,” he said. “Even they are scared to go back to their villages.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Shuttered West Virginia hospital reopens as temporary ER

FAIRMONT , W.Va. ( AP ) - The West Virginia University Health System has temporarily reopened portions of a hospital @ @ @ @ @ owner .
WVU Medicine held a ceremony Tuesday at Fairmont Medical Center , news outlets @ @ @ @ @ be WVU Medicine ’ s temporary home in Marion County until it constructs another facility @ @ @ @ @ within a few years .
Fairmont Medical Center will serve as an emergency department with @ @ @ @ @ inpatient beds .
The WVU Health System operates more than a dozen hospitals and is @ @ @ @ @ health system .
Former owner Alecto Healthcare closed the medical center in March , saying @ @ @ @ @ million over three years and could not find a suitable buyer .
At the time @ @ @ @ @ 600 employees .
Alecto also closed hospitals last year in Wheeling , West Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ .

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - The West Virginia University Health System has temporarily reopened portions of a hospital shut down by its former owner.
WVU Medicine held a ceremony Tuesday at Fairmont Medical Center, news outlets reported. The hospital will be WVU Medicine’s temporary home in Marion County until it constructs another facility a couple of miles away within a few years.
Fairmont Medical Center will serve as an emergency department with 12 emergency beds and 10 inpatient beds.
The WVU Health System operates more than a dozen hospitals and is the state’s largest health system.
Former owner Alecto Healthcare closed the medical center in March, saying it had lost $19 million over three years and could not find a suitable buyer. At the time the hospital had more than 600 employees. Alecto also closed hospitals last year in Wheeling, West Virginia, and Martins Ferry, Ohio.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Danish authorities: No racial motive in man's slaying

COPENHAGEN ( AP ) - Danish authorities said Wednesday that the motive behind the slaying of a biracial man on a Baltic Sea island was a personal relationship gone wrong rather than a racially motivated killing .
The 28-year-old victim , who had Danish and African roots , was found in the woods on the island of Bornholm on June 23 .
He was still alive but died hours later .
Two brothers - ages 23 and 25 - were detained on the same day on suspicion of murder .
Neither the victim nor the suspects have been named .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivated began after it emerged that his death bore some similarities to that of George Floyd , a Black man who died May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck for several minutes even as Floyd pleaded for air .
Floyd ’ s death has sparked protests around the world demanding racial justice and condemning police brutality .
People made the claim on social media that the killing was racial and drew parallels to the Floyd case .
The Danish chapter of Black Lives Matter wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a racial murder on Bornholm ” and posted a photo of a swastika tattoo , claiming it was on one suspect ’ s leg .
Benthe Pedersen Lund , the prosecutor handling the case , declined to comment on whether the suspect had such a tattoo .
Danish media reported that the other suspect reportedly had expressed support for a Danish extreme right group and for White Lives Matter on his Facebook page .
Left-wing Danish lawmaker Rosa Lund added fuel to the debate by tweeting on June 24 that “ it seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but failed to back her claim .
Investigators looked into the possibility of a racial motive but felt it didn ’ t fit the case , Pedersen Lund said Wednesday .
“ From the very clear explanations we have ( from the suspects ) , we have a good reason to believe that the killing isn ’ t racially motivated , ” she told The Associated Press .
“ We believe there is a personal relationship between the two suspects and the killer that went completely wrong.
” She wouldn ’ t elaborate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until July 22 .
John Joergensen , a lawyer for one of the suspects , said that his client hadn ’ t even been asked whether there was a racial motive .
He said the men were friends .
Tobias Brandt Kraehmer , who described himself as a friend of the victim , said the man was visiting his parents on Bornholm and went out for a party on June 22 that ended in the woods north of Roenne , Bornholm ’ s main town .
He said those who claimed there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the island .
“ For years , the three hung out .
They were best friends , ” Brandt Kraehmer told the AP .
“ Around here we all know about the motive .
It was personally related .
There is no racist motive in this.
” Brandt Kraehmer , who is white , said that last week he tore down a small banner on the main square in Roenne that said “ No lives matter until Black lives matter.
” “ To me , the text was inappropriate , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ( the killing ) is a tragedy , nothing else .
”

COPENHAGEN (AP) - Danish authorities said Wednesday that the motive behind the slaying of a biracial man on a Baltic Sea island was a personal relationship gone wrong rather than a racially motivated killing.
The 28-year-old victim, who had Danish and African roots, was found in the woods on the island of Bornholm on June 23. He was still alive but died hours later. Two brothers - ages 23 and 25 - were detained on the same day on suspicion of murder. Neither the victim nor the suspects have been named.
Speculation that the killing could be racially motivated began after it emerged that his death bore some similarities to that of George Floyd, a Black man who died May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck for several minutes even as Floyd pleaded for air. Floyd’s death has sparked protests around the world demanding racial justice and condemning police brutality.
People made the claim on social media that the killing was racial and drew parallels to the Floyd case. The Danish chapter of Black Lives Matter wrote on Facebook that “two brothers committed a racial murder on Bornholm” and posted a photo of a swastika tattoo, claiming it was on one suspect’s leg.
Benthe Pedersen Lund, the prosecutor handling the case, declined to comment on whether the suspect had such a tattoo. Danish media reported that the other suspect reportedly had expressed support for a Danish extreme right group and for White Lives Matter on his Facebook page.
Left-wing Danish lawmaker Rosa Lund added fuel to the debate by tweeting on June 24 that “it seems to have been racially motivated,” but failed to back her claim.
Investigators looked into the possibility of a racial motive but felt it didn’t fit the case, Pedersen Lund said Wednesday.
“From the very clear explanations we have (from the suspects), we have a good reason to believe that the killing isn’t racially motivated,” she told The Associated Press. “We believe there is a personal relationship between the two suspects and the killer that went completely wrong.”
She wouldn’t elaborate. The suspects have been ordered held until July 22.
John Joergensen, a lawyer for one of the suspects, said that his client hadn’t even been asked whether there was a racial motive. He said the men were friends.
Tobias Brandt Kraehmer, who described himself as a friend of the victim, said the man was visiting his parents on Bornholm and went out for a party on June 22 that ended in the woods north of Roenne, Bornholm’s main town. He said those who claimed there was a racial motive had to be from outside the island.
“For years, the three hung out. They were best friends,” Brandt Kraehmer told the AP. “Around here we all know about the motive. It was personally related. There is no racist motive in this.”
Brandt Kraehmer, who is white, said that last week he tore down a small banner on the main square in Roenne that said “No lives matter until Black lives matter.”
“To me, the text was inappropriate,” he said. “To us here, it (the killing) is a tragedy, nothing else.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Despite COVID surge, Mexico avoids overwhelmed hospitals

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - In a Mexican army barracks , hospital beds have replaced bunks .
Oxygen tanks fill the room that held assault rifles .
The building that previously housed soldiers between missions to eradicate opium poppy crops is now outfitted for up to 100 patients infected with the coronavirus .
The two-story barracks is one of more than 100 spaces converted by the military to treat COVID-19 .
But since it opened in May , only about half of its beds have been occupied .
That ’ s because Mexico ’ s health system has so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The government early on chose to invest in expanding hospital beds rather than testing for the virus .
Despite recording nearly three times more deaths than health officials initially predicted , beds are widely available .
Last week , a dozen patients lay in a ward at the barracks hospital .
Most beds were labeled with the patient ’ s name and “ PB Covid ” for possible COVID-19 .
The government now has nearly 900 designated COVID-19 hospitals around the country , up from 645 in April , said Health Undersecretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point man on the pandemic .
“ The net result is the objective that we have sought since the start , ” López-Gatell said , explaining that Mexico had successfully avoided any emergency “ where there are people who can ’ t be attended to because there isn ’ t a bed available.
” He said that means not just beds , but personnel and other equipment too .
Mexico ranks seventh globally in pandemic deaths , with more than 26,000 reported fatalities from COVID-19 , a figure considered a significant undercount because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sprawling capital of Mexico City - home to 10 million people surrounded by 10 million more in the metro area - is the country ’ s virus epicenter .
It has nearly a quarter of confirmed infections .
The city has many times more intensive care beds now than at the start of the year .
Some 6,000 people have died here .
Adding bed capacity was wise , but hospital occupancy is as high as it is because the government has not managed the pandemic well , said Gordon McCord , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California , San Diego .
Abundant testing , contact tracing and physical distancing “ must go hand-in-hand with preparing hospitals , ” said McCord , who focuses on public health and development economics .
“ No amount of the latter will be enough without the former.
” As with any disease , some deaths are inevitable regardless of the number and type of hospital beds available .
Experts say another contributing factor is the reluctance of many people to go to the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought to counter by announcing expanded testing and a door-to-door informational campaign in June .
While Mexico ’ s population is younger than those in hard-hit Western European countries like Italy and Spain , it ’ s also unhealthy .
Mexico has the highest diabetes rate among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development , and one of the highest obesity rates , with 72.5 % of adults overweight or obese .
Doctors say being obese significantly raises the risk that a person will develop a severe case of COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patients has been at lower-level facilities that are not designed to handle serious cases like a top-tier hospital , said Dr. Francisco Moreno , an infectious disease specialist and head of the COVID-19 response at ABC Medical Center in Mexico City .
While there are no reliable statistics on whether coronavirus patients are more or less likely to survive in Mexico than another country , Moreno described the death rate in lower-level hospitals as worrisome .
“ The mortality in those hospitals is very high , but the system hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds available , ” he said .
“ If you open beds in other hospitals , you not only don ’ t have intensive care services , but you also don ’ t have the doctors who are trained to attend to these patients.
” At the converted barracks on Military Base No .
1 in Mexico City , Lt. Col. Raúl Sandoval , a pulmonologist , said doctors have what they need to care for COVID-19 patients who require oxygen , but they transfer patients who require intensive care .
They have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manuel Garcia Ortegon , coordinator of Mexico City ’ s command center , oversees the people making sure patients are routed to hospitals with open beds .
“ The idea is that people aren ’ t bouncing from hospital to hospital , ” García said .
He noted that Mexico City started the year with 135 intensive care beds .
It now has 986 for intubated patients .
“ Here the name of the game is avoiding saturation , ” García said .
“ We can ’ t allow to happen here what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less prepared.
” Brazil , Chile , Peru and Ecuador , among other Latin American countries , have been fighting nearly unchecked rates of infection for months .
Cities across the region have seen intensive-care occupancy rates rise above 80 and 90 percent , well into the zones considered dangerous and overwhelming .
Dr. José Narro , a former Mexican health secretary and ex-rector of Mexico ’ s National Autonomous University , credited the government for expanding hospital capacity but said that move obscured how devastating the virus has been in Mexico .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who have delayed treatment arrive at a medical center , they are often in such critical condition that they only occupy a bed for a few days before dying .
That helps explain why services have not been overwhelmed , Narro said .
Moreno has seen it repeatedly in his hospital .
People prefer to stay at home and tolerate symptoms for a week , but they are unaware that their oxygen level is decreasing day by day .
“ And then when they come , you can ’ t save them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have to intubate , ” he said .
Despite the questions , President Andrés Manuel López Obrador praises the military for helping to expand hospital bed space .
No one with coronavirus has lacked for medical attention or “ been left without a bed , ” López Obrador said during an appearance in June .

MEXICO CITY (AP) - In a Mexican army barracks, hospital beds have replaced bunks. Oxygen tanks fill the room that held assault rifles. The building that previously housed soldiers between missions to eradicate opium poppy crops is now outfitted for up to 100 patients infected with the coronavirus.
The two-story barracks is one of more than 100 spaces converted by the military to treat COVID-19. But since it opened in May, only about half of its beds have been occupied.
That’s because Mexico’s health system has so far not been overwhelmed by the pandemic. The government early on chose to invest in expanding hospital beds rather than testing for the virus. Despite recording nearly three times more deaths than health officials initially predicted, beds are widely available.
Last week, a dozen patients lay in a ward at the barracks hospital. Most beds were labeled with the patient’s name and “PB Covid” for possible COVID-19.
The government now has nearly 900 designated COVID-19 hospitals around the country, up from 645 in April, said Health Undersecretary Hugo López-Gatell, the government’s point man on the pandemic.
“The net result is the objective that we have sought since the start,” López-Gatell said, explaining that Mexico had successfully avoided any emergency “where there are people who can’t be attended to because there isn’t a bed available.” He said that means not just beds, but personnel and other equipment too.
Mexico ranks seventh globally in pandemic deaths, with more than 26,000 reported fatalities from COVID-19, a figure considered a significant undercount because of the low testing rate.
The sprawling capital of Mexico City - home to 10 million people surrounded by 10 million more in the metro area - is the country’s virus epicenter. It has nearly a quarter of confirmed infections. The city has many times more intensive care beds now than at the start of the year. Some 6,000 people have died here.
Adding bed capacity was wise, but hospital occupancy is as high as it is because the government has not managed the pandemic well, said Gordon McCord, an associate dean and economics professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego.
Abundant testing, contact tracing and physical distancing “must go hand-in-hand with preparing hospitals,” said McCord, who focuses on public health and development economics. “No amount of the latter will be enough without the former.”
As with any disease, some deaths are inevitable regardless of the number and type of hospital beds available. Experts say another contributing factor is the reluctance of many people to go to the hospital, something Mexico City’s mayor sought to counter by announcing expanded testing and a door-to-door informational campaign in June.
While Mexico’s population is younger than those in hard-hit Western European countries like Italy and Spain, it’s also unhealthy. Mexico has the highest diabetes rate among countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and one of the highest obesity rates, with 72.5% of adults overweight or obese. Doctors say being obese significantly raises the risk that a person will develop a severe case of COVID-19.
Much of the expansion of beds for COVID-19 patients has been at lower-level facilities that are not designed to handle serious cases like a top-tier hospital, said Dr. Francisco Moreno, an infectious disease specialist and head of the COVID-19 response at ABC Medical Center in Mexico City.
While there are no reliable statistics on whether coronavirus patients are more or less likely to survive in Mexico than another country, Moreno described the death rate in lower-level hospitals as worrisome.
“The mortality in those hospitals is very high, but the system hasn’t been ‘saturated’ because you have beds available,” he said. “If you open beds in other hospitals, you not only don’t have intensive care services, but you also don’t have the doctors who are trained to attend to these patients.”
At the converted barracks on Military Base No. 1 in Mexico City, Lt. Col. Raúl Sandoval, a pulmonologist, said doctors have what they need to care for COVID-19 patients who require oxygen, but they transfer patients who require intensive care. They have not had any patients die.
Juan Manuel Garcia Ortegon, coordinator of Mexico City’s command center, oversees the people making sure patients are routed to hospitals with open beds.
“The idea is that people aren’t bouncing from hospital to hospital,” García said. He noted that Mexico City started the year with 135 intensive care beds. It now has 986 for intubated patients.
“Here the name of the game is avoiding saturation,” García said. “We can’t allow to happen here what happened to countries that the pandemic caught less prepared.”
Brazil, Chile, Peru and Ecuador, among other Latin American countries, have been fighting nearly unchecked rates of infection for months. Cities across the region have seen intensive-care occupancy rates rise above 80 and 90 percent, well into the zones considered dangerous and overwhelming.
Dr. José Narro, a former Mexican health secretary and ex-rector of Mexico’s National Autonomous University, credited the government for expanding hospital capacity but said that move obscured how devastating the virus has been in Mexico.
He cited anecdotal evidence that, when people who have delayed treatment arrive at a medical center, they are often in such critical condition that they only occupy a bed for a few days before dying. That helps explain why services have not been overwhelmed, Narro said.
Moreno has seen it repeatedly in his hospital. People prefer to stay at home and tolerate symptoms for a week, but they are unaware that their oxygen level is decreasing day by day.
“And then when they come, you can’t save them with oxygen through a mask, and you have to intubate,” he said.
Despite the questions, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador praises the military for helping to expand hospital bed space.
No one with coronavirus has lacked for medical attention or “been left without a bed,” López Obrador said during an appearance in June.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Despite coronavirus concerns, Kansas State Fair will be held

HUTCHINSON , Kan. ( AP ) - Despite opposition from the state ’ s top health official , the Kansas State Fair will be held in Hutchinson in September .
The Kansas State Fair Board on Tuesday voted to proceed with the fair Sept. 11-20 with some precautions in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Patrons will be required to wear masks at indoor commercial and competitive exhibit spaces and will be encouraged to wear them elsewhere .
Crowd sizes will not be limited , The Hutchinson News reported .
Dr. Lee Norman , secretary of the Kansas Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has steadily increased in Kansas since the state allowed most businesses to reopen and he expects that to continue .
“ I understand you ’ re sitting in the hot seat about the upcoming fair , ” said Norman , who appeared via Zoom .
“ I ’ m not an economist .
I ’ m a public health officer and a doctor .
Without question , we are seeing an immense spike in COVID-19 in this state.
” Norman said it would be difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller crowd sizes at a fair .
“ I don ’ t think there will be a magical thing with seasonality , that it will peak between now and September , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t see that .
It will continue to spread .
There will be new cases and it will be dangerous .
We ’ re going , clearly , in the wrong direction.
” Fair General Manager Robin Jennison said staff have devised a plan to address safety concerns and it will be fine-tuned as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s perspective from a health standpoint , ” Jennison said before the vote .
“ But a lot of people really love this fair .
It ’ s a tremendous boost for the economy of the area .
A lot of us feel at some point we need to get back on with our lives .
I don ’ t think we can shut down the country , or Kansas again .
We need to get on with our lives as safely as we can .
If you decided to have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair as safely as we can.
” Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam also expressed concern about having the fair , noting it would be held when students are returning to school .
He said that if cases increase dramatically in late July or August , the fair would have to be canceled , and “ that ’ s the worst-case scenario .
”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas’ top public health official predicted Wednesday that the state will face steeper increases in coronavirus cases and suggested that it blew its chance for a summer respite from the pandemic by reopening its economy too quickly.
Dr. Lee Norman, the top administrator at the state Department of Health and Environment, blamed a recent surge in new confirmed cases on gatherings over the long Memorial Day weekend and the May 26 lifting of statewide restrictions on businesses and gatherings. He said Kansas remains struck in its first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’d have to have some calm before the next wave, and we’re not there or anywhere close to it,” Norman said after a Statehouse news conference during which he described Kansas as being “in the middle of a bad convergence.”
Norman’s comments came a day before Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who appointed him, was to issue an executive order requiring people to wear masks in public. The order could be toothless in much of the state because a law enacted last month allows counties to opt out and a mask requirement might not be enforced even if counties don’t do that.
Wyandotte County in the Kansas City area and Douglas County in northeastern Kansas, which is home to the main University of Kansas campus, already require masks. The health officer in Douglas County also ordered bars there closed for two weeks, starting Friday, after reported COVID-19 cases more than doubled in the last two weeks, from 85 to 188 as of Wednesday.
Kansas has had 14,990 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started, including 547 new ones since Monday for a 3.8% increase in two days. There were also two new COVID-19 deaths since Monday, raising the state’s overall tally to 272.
One new case involved an employee of the Kansas Legislature who tested positive along with his father and stepmother. Tom Day, director of legislative administrative services, said the employee has been working from home for a week and, “There has been very little contact with anyone else” in the Statehouse.
Since Kelly lifted statewide restrictions on businesses and public gatherings immediately after Memorial Day, Kansas has had 5,653 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, which amounted to a 61% increase, and 84 deaths, for a 45% jump.
The Democratic governor’s action left the rules for businesses and gatherings to the state’s 105 counties and came after weeks of criticism from the Republican-controlled Legislature that she was reopening the economy too slowly.
“We are seeing a significant increase in clusters related to gatherings where masks are not being worn, bars in particular,” Norman said. “I’m worried about what we’re going to see happening over July Fourth.”
Norman said he’s also worried that Kansas will see another spike in cases this fall because the State Fair is still set to take place in Hutchinson despite the pandemic. The fair board voted Tuesday to hold the event Sept. 11-20, The Hutchinson News reported.
Patrons will be required to wear masks at indoor commercial and competitive exhibit spaces and will be encouraged to wear them elsewhere. But crowds won’t be limited.
Norman called the decision to proceed with the event against his recommendation “disappointing.”
Fair General Manager Robin Jennison said its safety plan will be fine-tuned as needed.
“It’s a tremendous boost for the economy of the area,” he told the Hutchinson newspaper. “A lot of us feel at some point we need to get back on with our lives.”
The novel coronavirus’ spread slowed in Kansas from mid-May until mid-June, but it has since had a resurgence.
The number of new cases a day for the two-week period ending Wednesday was 236, which was the state’s highest figure since the two weeks that ended May 15. The figure dipped to 95 for the two weeks that ended June 14.
Sixteen counties have seen reported cases more than double during the past two weeks, and another six counties that had none as of June 17 have had at least one, including Thomas County in northwest Kansas, which now has 15.
Riley County has seen its reported cases more than double, to 219 from 88 two weeks ago, something local officials attribute mainly to cases among people 18 to 24 who’ve frequented the Aggieville bar and restaurant district near the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan.
Neighboring Geary County also has seen its reported cases more than double, to 70 from 30 two weeks ago, and adjacent Pottawatomie County has seen an 85% jump, from 40 to 74.
___
Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--3 killed when Flint crash splits car into 2 pieces: police

FLINT , Mich. ( AP ) - Three people died and a fourth person was injured after a car struck @ @ @ @ @ abutment Wednesday morning on Interstate 475 in Flint , police said .
Nefertiti Adair Foster @ @ @ @ @ of a Nissan sedan , hit the median wall and then slammed into a bridge @ @ @ @ @ .
The impact split the car into two pieces .
Foster and two female juvenile @ @ @ @ @ the scene .
A third passenger was hospitalized in good condition .
Police did not @ @ @ @ @ other people in the vehicle .
Investigators are trying to determine what caused Foster to @ @ @ @ @ .

FLINT, Mich. (AP) - Three people died and a fourth person was injured after a car struck a median wall and bridge abutment Wednesday morning on Interstate 475 in Flint, police said.
Nefertiti Adair Foster, 26, lost control of a Nissan sedan, hit the median wall and then slammed into a bridge abutment, Flint police said. The impact split the car into two pieces.
Foster and two female juvenile passengers were pronounced dead on the scene. A third passenger was hospitalized in good condition.
Police did not release names of the three other people in the vehicle.
Investigators are trying to determine what caused Foster to lose control of the car.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Vegas officer shot at protest heads to spinal cord center

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - A police officer who was shot in the head during a Las Vegas Strip protest of the death of George Floyd departed Wednesday for an out-of-state medical facility .
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports a procession of police and fire vehicles escorted an ambulance taking officer Shay Mikalonis to the McCarran International Airport .
Hundreds of officers also lined the streets to see him off .
Mikalonis is heading to an undisclosed facility that specializes in spinal cord injuries .
Mikalonis , 29 , was shot June 1 during protests over the death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is paralyzed from the neck down , on a ventilator and unable to speak , according to a family statement released by police .
Prosecutors have charged 20-year-old Edgar Samaniego with deliberately shooting Mikalonis during the protest , one of hundreds being held across the nation .
A judge who reviewed evidence at June 5 court hearing said that police video shows Samaniego “ walking by , taking out a gun and firing … at officers.
” He is charged with attempted murder , battery and firearms charges and is being held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An appointed public defender , Scott Coffee , said Samaniego will plead not guilty .
Samaniego also is being held without bail on accusations that he violated the terms of release on separate misdemeanor driving under the influence and illegal drug possession charges .

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A police officer who was shot in the head during a Las Vegas Strip protest of the death of George Floyd departed Wednesday for an out-of-state medical facility.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports a procession of police and fire vehicles escorted an ambulance taking officer Shay Mikalonis to the McCarran International Airport. Hundreds of officers also lined the streets to see him off. Mikalonis is heading to an undisclosed facility that specializes in spinal cord injuries.
Mikalonis, 29, was shot June 1 during protests over the death of Floyd at the hands of police. He is paralyzed from the neck down, on a ventilator and unable to speak, according to a family statement released by police.
Prosecutors have charged 20-year-old Edgar Samaniego with deliberately shooting Mikalonis during the protest, one of hundreds being held across the nation. A judge who reviewed evidence at June 5 court hearing said that police video shows Samaniego “walking by, taking out a gun and firing … at officers.”
He is charged with attempted murder, battery and firearms charges and is being held in lieu of $1 million. An appointed public defender, Scott Coffee, said Samaniego will plead not guilty. Samaniego also is being held without bail on accusations that he violated the terms of release on separate misdemeanor driving under the influence and illegal drug possession charges.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Facebook prepares voter registration drive: 'Largest voter information campaign in U.S. history'

Facebook said Wednesday that it will begin pushing voter registration information to its users later this week as part of what it calls the “ largest voter information campaign in U.S. history.
” Facebook wants to register 4 million voters before November ’ s presidential election .
Nick Clegg , Facebook vice president of global affairs and communications , said the campaign will look to empower voters to hold political officials accountable .
“ This Friday , every Facebook user of voting age in the U.S. will be given information , prominently displayed on the top of their Newsfeed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr. Clegg wrote in an open letter published by AdAge .
“ This will be one step in the largest voter information campaign in U.S. history , with a goal of registering 4 million voters.
” Mr. Clegg ’ s touting the efforts of Facebook ’ s new voter information center comes in response to a Stop Hate for Profit campaign organized by the Anti-Defamation League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People that persuaded major advertisers such as Verizon and the Hershey Company to boycott Facebook .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the boycott argued that “ Facebook does not profit from hate.
” Mr. Clegg said Facebook recognized much of those protesting Facebook ’ s content moderation procedures involving hate speech are focused on how the social media platform addresses President Trump .
“ We understand that many of our critics are angry about the inflammatory rhetoric President Trump has posted on our platform , and others and want us to be more aggressive in removing his speech , ” he wrote .
“ As a former politician myself , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful to account is ultimately through the ballot box .
That is why we want to use our platform to empower voters to make the ultimate decision themselves , on Election Day.
” The letter from Mr. Clegg , who formerly served as deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Liberal Democrats , signals Facebook is not pursuing removing or suspending Mr. Trump ’ s presence on its platform , which other tech and social platforms have done .
Twitch , a video streaming platform , has temporarily banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media company Snapchat has removed Mr. Trump from its Discover feature that spotlights politicians ’ content .
Snapchat has allowed Mr. Trump to continue publishing on its platforms .

Facebook said Wednesday that it will begin pushing voter registration information to its users later this week as part of what it calls the “largest voter information campaign in U.S. history.”
Facebook wants to register 4 million voters before November’s presidential election. Nick Clegg, Facebook vice president of global affairs and communications, said the campaign will look to empower voters to hold political officials accountable.
“This Friday, every Facebook user of voting age in the U.S. will be given information, prominently displayed on the top of their Newsfeed, on how to register to vote,” Mr. Clegg wrote in an open letter published by AdAge. “This will be one step in the largest voter information campaign in U.S. history, with a goal of registering 4 million voters.”
Mr. Clegg’s touting the efforts of Facebook’s new voter information center comes in response to a Stop Hate for Profit campaign organized by the Anti-Defamation League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People that persuaded major advertisers such as Verizon and the Hershey Company to boycott Facebook.
His open letter was published in response to the boycott argued that “Facebook does not profit from hate.” Mr. Clegg said Facebook recognized much of those protesting Facebook’s content moderation procedures involving hate speech are focused on how the social media platform addresses President Trump.
“We understand that many of our critics are angry about the inflammatory rhetoric President Trump has posted on our platform, and others and want us to be more aggressive in removing his speech,” he wrote. “As a former politician myself, I know the only way to hold the powerful to account is ultimately through the ballot box. That is why we want to use our platform to empower voters to make the ultimate decision themselves, on Election Day.”
The letter from Mr. Clegg, who formerly served as deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Liberal Democrats, signals Facebook is not pursuing removing or suspending Mr. Trump’s presence on its platform, which other tech and social platforms have done.
Twitch, a video streaming platform, has temporarily banned Mr. Trump from its service, and social media company Snapchat has removed Mr. Trump from its Discover feature that spotlights politicians’ content. Snapchat has allowed Mr. Trump to continue publishing on its platforms.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Eviction ban nears an end with renter aid still in pipeline

HARRISBURG , Pa. ( AP ) - Federal emergency aid for renters in Pennsylvania hit hard financially during the pandemic is still in the pipeline as Gov .
Tom Wolf ’ s ban on foreclosures and evictions nears an expiration .
The application period for aid begins Monday to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency .
Five days later , Wolf ’ s moratorium expires .
Robin Wiessman , the agency ’ s CEO , said Wednesday that it will take a few days to verify the information that must be submitted to qualify for aid .
Wolf and state lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in federal coronavirus emergency relief money for rental assistance of $ 750 per month for up to six months .
Assistance is contingent on the renter losing their job after March 1 , or seeing their income drop by at least 30 % due to the pandemic .
Landlords can apply , as well .
Sen. Vincent Hughes , D-Philadelphia , said Wolf ’ s eviction moratorium does not necessarily have to end after July 10 , given the fact that new virus cases are surging across the country and Pennsylvania is seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Art Haywood , D-Montgomery , said he worried that an effort by Republican state lawmakers to end Wolf ’ s emergency disaster declaration that he declared at the beginning of the pandemic could succeed in state courts and abruptly end his moratorium on evictions .

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Federal emergency aid for renters in Pennsylvania hit hard financially during the pandemic is still in the pipeline as Gov. Tom Wolf’s ban on foreclosures and evictions nears an expiration.
The application period for aid begins Monday to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Five days later, Wolf’s moratorium expires.
Robin Wiessman, the agency’s CEO, said Wednesday that it will take a few days to verify the information that must be submitted to qualify for aid.
Wolf and state lawmakers are devoting at least $150 million in federal coronavirus emergency relief money for rental assistance of $750 per month for up to six months.
Assistance is contingent on the renter losing their job after March 1, or seeing their income drop by at least 30% due to the pandemic. An eligible renter also must make less than median income in their county.
Landlords can apply, as well.
Another $25 million was set aside for mortgage assistance, while some counties or nonprofit organizations are helping process applications.
Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia, said Wolf’s eviction moratorium does not necessarily have to end after July 10, given the fact that new virus cases are surging across the country and Pennsylvania is seeing an uptick.
The administration plans to reexamine the order as July 10 gets closer, Wolf’s office said.
Still, Hughes and 19 other Senate Democrats on Wednesday wrote to Wolf to ask that he extend the moratorium until at least Aug. 31.
More time is needed to ensure that money reaches renters or landlords before the moratorium expires, they wrote.
“Any delay in receiving payments from the program could potentially lead to mortgage companies and landlords beginning the foreclosure or eviction process while an application for assistance is pending with a county or PHFA,” they wrote.
In the meantime, the Wolf administration has been fighting legal action by landlords who say the governor overstepped his authority.
Sen. Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, said the possibility that eviction complaints filed in courts will take more time than usual to be heard because of a post-shutdown backlog on dockets is little comfort.
Some jurisdictions may not have a backlog, and an eviction complaint stays on a person’s record and makes it much more difficult for them to find housing, Street said.
Wolf’s ban on foreclosures and evictions does not cover a tenant who damages property, breaks the law or breaches the lease in some other way aside from nonpayment or overstaying a lease.
Still, property owners have complained that they will be hard-pressed to keep up with taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance and mortgage payments without the ability to enforce lease agreements.
Member organizations, however, are not recommending that landlords pursue evictions for renters who are seeking emergency aid.
Rita Dallago, executive director of the Pennsylvania Residential Owners Association, said the number of renters who are unable to pay is undoubtedly higher than prepandemic figures, with some behind on rent going back to April or March.
“The applications do include verification from the landlord, so therefore the landlord will be aware that the tenant is applying for the funds, so that may forestall some evictions,” Dallago said. “It’s going to be on a case-by-case basis.”
But all of that is little comfort for landlords, some of whom need far more than $750 a month to cover their costs for a unit, but cannot ask tenants to make up the difference over $750, Dallago said.
Another big concern for landlords is the expiration of the $600-per-week federal supplement for anyone collecting state unemployment benefits.
The $600 federal unemployment benefit runs out at the end of July, and that could bring a new wave of tenants unable to make rent.
“It is a major concern,” Dallago said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Police detective fired after anti-police social media post

SPRINGFIELD , Mass .
( AP ) - A Massachusetts police detective who posted on social media a picture of her niece at a Black Lives Matter event holding a sign that suggested shooting police officers has been fired , according to a published report .
Rookie Springfield Detective Florissa Fuentes tells The Republican newspaper for a story Wednesday that the post was made on a personal account while she was off duty .
She said she was showing pride in her niece ’ s activism at a late May protest in Atlanta and she does not advocate violence against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I started getting calls and texts from coworkers , ” Fuentes said .
“ I was initially confused , but then I realized they thought I was being anti-cop .
I wasn ’ t .
I was just supporting my niece ’ s activism .
I had no malicious intent , and I wouldn ’ t put a target on my own back.
” The head of the detective bureau wrote her up , citing a “ possible ” social media violation .
She was fired on June 19 by Commissioner Cheryl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to many of her coworkers , ” Clapprood said , noting that as a rookie Fuentes was still on probation and the post was the second issue she had .
Fuentes , 30 , was sworn in last July .

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts police detective who posted on social media a picture of her niece at a Black Lives Matter event holding a sign that suggested shooting police officers has been fired, according to a published report.
Rookie Springfield Detective Florissa Fuentes tells The Republican newspaper for a story Wednesday that the post was made on a personal account while she was off duty.
She said she was showing pride in her niece’s activism at a late May protest in Atlanta and she does not advocate violence against police.
“After I posted it, I started getting calls and texts from coworkers,” Fuentes said. “I was initially confused, but then I realized they thought I was being anti-cop. I wasn’t. I was just supporting my niece’s activism. I had no malicious intent, and I wouldn’t put a target on my own back.”
She removed the post.
The head of the detective bureau wrote her up, citing a “possible” social media violation.
She was fired on June 19 by Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood.
“That post was hurtful to many of her coworkers,” Clapprood said, noting that as a rookie Fuentes was still on probation and the post was the second issue she had.
Fuentes, 30, was sworn in last July.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Work can continue on central Idaho trail crossing ranch

BOISE , Idaho ( AP ) - A federal judge has ruled that work can continue on a public trail on an easement crossing private land that connects the popular tourist destinations of Redfish Lake and Stanley in central Idaho .
U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale on Tuesday rejected a request by David Boren and Lynn Arnone to stop work on the trail that crosses Sawtooth Mountain Ranch .
Boren and Arnone contended work should stop until the court has time to consider their environmental arguments on why the trail shouldn ’ t be built .
But Dale says she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arnone would win on the merits of their arguments centered on the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act .
The high-elevation area is one of Idaho ’ s most scenic outdoor adventure draws , with rugged mountains , rivers and streams and several mountain lakes .
The U.S. Forest Service has a conservation easement deed dating to 2005 that allows a trail 30 feet ( 9 meters ) wide to cross about 1.5 miles ( 2.4 kilometers ) of the private property on Sawtooth Mountain Ranch .
The Forest Service says Boren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they purchased the property .
Work on the trail is expected to be finished this fall .

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that work can continue on a public trail on an easement crossing private land that connects the popular tourist destinations of Redfish Lake and Stanley in central Idaho.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale on Tuesday rejected a request by David Boren and Lynn Arnone to stop work on the trail that crosses Sawtooth Mountain Ranch.
Boren and Arnone contended work should stop until the court has time to consider their environmental arguments on why the trail shouldn’t be built.
But Dale says she’s not persuaded that Boren and Arnone would win on the merits of their arguments centered on the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act.
The high-elevation area is one of Idaho’s most scenic outdoor adventure draws, with rugged mountains, rivers and streams and several mountain lakes.
The U.S. Forest Service has a conservation easement deed dating to 2005 that allows a trail 30 feet (9 meters) wide to cross about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) of the private property on Sawtooth Mountain Ranch. The Forest Service says Boren and Arnone were aware of the easement when they purchased the property.
Work on the trail is expected to be finished this fall.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Man sues for wrongful conviction after childhood in prison

A Pennsylvania man is suing a handful of retired state police investigators and officials alleging malicious prosecution after he spent most of his childhood in prison for the shotgun killing of his father ’ s pregnant fiance before the state Supreme Court overturned his conviction .
Jordan Brown was 11 years old when he was arrested in the 2009 New Beaver , Pennsylvania , killing of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk and her unborn child .
He was almost 21 when Pennsylvania ’ s highest court said prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to support a conviction .
But in the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brown and his attorneys say state police investigators manipulated interviews , evidence and procedures to push the narrative that Brown had killed his soon-to-be stepmom .
“ Not only did the individual defendants in this case fail all of us , the institution of policing failed us as well , ” Alec Wright , an attorney with the O ’ Brien Law firm in Pittsburgh who represents Brown , wrote in an emailed statement .
“ We must demand to know how the Pennsylvania State Police could establish policies that would allow this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more to the point , encourage the occurrence of tragedies like this one.
” Wright described 11-year-old Brown sitting on a bench waiting to be placed in a jail cell with the sleeves and legs of his adult prison jumpsuit rolled up at the ankles and wrists to fit , swinging his feet because they didn ’ t touch the ground .
Justices said in their 2018 decision that prosecutors presented largely circumstantial and insufficient evidence , saying among other things in trial testimony that a 20-gauge shotgun in Brown ’ s bedroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an equally reasonable conclusion ” that it was not used in the murder .
They noted there was no eyewitness , no DNA or fingerprint evidence and no blood or biological material on Brown ’ s clothing .
Wright says more than that , the evidence investigators gave to prosecutors was improperly gathered , mischaracterized or fabricated to support a theory that the then 11-year-old had committed the murder - something he would have had to do and clean up without missing anything in the space of about 120 seconds .
Brown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he hopes the lawsuit will be the definitive finding of his innocence as well as providing some compensation for his father , Chris Brown , who paid child support , taxes , lawyers ’ fees and expenses to travel more than 100 miles every day to see him while he was incarcerated .
“ I feel if we win the lawsuit it ’ ll shed a light of ( my ) innocence on people that they can ’ t really ignore , ” Brown said , noting that even after he was exonerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his innocence , which he ’ s maintained since he was 11 .
“ You don ’ t just win a lawsuit over injustice for no reason.
” Houk was found lying in bed in a pool of blood with a shotgun blast to the back of her head , according to court papers .
Brown was tried as a juvenile after his lawyers fought a judge ’ s original decision to try him as an adult .
Wright alleges in the lawsuit that investigators failed to follow protocols for interviewing children when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young daughters and when they interviewed Jordan .
Department policy says they should have recorded the first interview , not allowed multiple adults in the room , not talked about the case in front of the children and relied on the first interview as the most reliable if additional interviews were absolutely necessary .
Investigators interviewed Houk ’ s then 7-year-old daughter , only recording the fourth interview .
In her first interview , the girl said she did not hear or see anything unusual , according to the lawsuit .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandparents they believed Brown killed Houk , the girl said she saw him with guns that morning and heard a bang .
In another allegation , the lawsuit provides a transcript of an interview with a former girlfriend of Brown ’ s father , a woman who said at least twice that she was “ absolutely not ” afraid of Jordan Brown .
The summary of that interview provided by troopers is changed to claim the woman didn ’ t want her interview used against the boy because she was scared of him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen incorrect characterizations in the summary that were not in the transcript , Wright said .
The lawsuit also alleges that troopers failed to completely and properly investigate Houk ’ s ex-boyfriend who had threatened her and her family previously , had recently moved to the same area as her and had found out he was not the father of her youngest daughter .
Wright says in the lawsuit that state police investigators failed to include any exculpatory evidence that indicated someone else could have committed the murders in their affidavit to charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brown said this week from his western Pennsylvania home that he is studying computer science at a college in Ohio , but taking criminal justice classes with the idea that he might go to law school and pursue a career as a civil rights attorney .
“ What happened to me is so horrible , even though when I was young I would say I didn ’ t understand what was happening… I look back and see all the blatant injustices , and that angers me , ” he said .
“ Part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line of work to help kids… or just people in general… to prevent the injustices before they happen or at least after they happen , trying to correct them .
”

A Pennsylvania man is suing a handful of retired state police investigators and officials alleging malicious prosecution after he spent most of his childhood in prison for the shotgun killing of his father’s pregnant fiance before the state Supreme Court overturned his conviction.
Jordan Brown was 11 years old when he was arrested in the 2009 New Beaver, Pennsylvania, killing of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk and her unborn child. He was almost 21 when Pennsylvania’s highest court said prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to support a conviction.
But in the complaint filed in federal district court Wednesday, Brown and his attorneys say state police investigators manipulated interviews, evidence and procedures to push the narrative that Brown had killed his soon-to-be stepmom.
“Not only did the individual defendants in this case fail all of us, the institution of policing failed us as well,” Alec Wright, an attorney with the O’Brien Law firm in Pittsburgh who represents Brown, wrote in an emailed statement. “We must demand to know how the Pennsylvania State Police could establish policies that would allow this tragedy to occur, and, even more to the point, encourage the occurrence of tragedies like this one.”
Wright described 11-year-old Brown sitting on a bench waiting to be placed in a jail cell with the sleeves and legs of his adult prison jumpsuit rolled up at the ankles and wrists to fit, swinging his feet because they didn’t touch the ground.
Deborah Houk, Kenzie Houk’s mother, said she remains convinced Brown did it.
“Pay for the crime that you did,” Deborah Houk said in a phone interview Wednesday. “They never said he wasn’t guilty. They were saying there wasn’t enough evidence. But as far as his guiltiness, I know he is. I’m 200% sure. No question.”
Justices said in their 2018 decision that prosecutors presented largely circumstantial and insufficient evidence, saying among other things in trial testimony that a 20-gauge shotgun in Brown’s bedroom was the murder weapon actually “supported an equally reasonable conclusion” that it was not used in the murder.
They noted there was no eyewitness, no DNA or fingerprint evidence and no blood or biological material on Brown’s clothing.
Wright says more than that, the evidence investigators gave to prosecutors was improperly gathered, mischaracterized or fabricated to support a theory that the then 11-year-old had committed the murder - something he would have had to do and clean up without missing anything in the space of about 120 seconds.
A state police spokesman, Ryan Tarkowski, declined to comment on pending litigation.
Brown, now nearly 23, said this week he hopes the lawsuit will be the definitive finding of his innocence as well as providing some compensation for his father, Chris Brown, who paid child support, taxes, lawyers’ fees and expenses to travel more than 100 miles every day to see him while he was incarcerated.
“I feel if we win the lawsuit it’ll shed a light of (my) innocence on people that they can’t really ignore,” Brown said, noting that even after he was exonerated, people still expressed mixed feelings about his innocence, which he’s maintained since he was 11. “You don’t just win a lawsuit over injustice for no reason.”
Houk was found lying in bed in a pool of blood with a shotgun blast to the back of her head, according to court papers. Brown was tried as a juvenile after his lawyers fought a judge’s original decision to try him as an adult.
Wright alleges in the lawsuit that investigators failed to follow protocols for interviewing children when they talked to Houk’s two young daughters and when they interviewed Jordan. Department policy says they should have recorded the first interview, not allowed multiple adults in the room, not talked about the case in front of the children and relied on the first interview as the most reliable if additional interviews were absolutely necessary.
Investigators interviewed Houk’s then 7-year-old daughter, only recording the fourth interview. In her first interview, the girl said she did not hear or see anything unusual, according to the lawsuit. In a later interview, after investigators told her grandparents they believed Brown killed Houk, the girl said she saw him with guns that morning and heard a bang.
In another allegation, the lawsuit provides a transcript of an interview with a former girlfriend of Brown’s father, a woman who said at least twice that she was “absolutely not” afraid of Jordan Brown. The summary of that interview provided by troopers is changed to claim the woman didn’t want her interview used against the boy because she was scared of him. It was one of a half dozen incorrect characterizations in the summary that were not in the transcript, Wright said.
The lawsuit also alleges that troopers failed to completely and properly investigate Houk’s ex-boyfriend who had threatened her and her family previously, had recently moved to the same area as her and had found out he was not the father of her youngest daughter. Wright says in the lawsuit that state police investigators failed to include any exculpatory evidence that indicated someone else could have committed the murders in their affidavit to charge Brown although he said plenty existed.
Brown said this week from his western Pennsylvania home that he is studying computer science at a college in Ohio, but taking criminal justice classes with the idea that he might go to law school and pursue a career as a civil rights attorney.
“What happened to me is so horrible, even though when I was young I would say I didn’t understand what was happening … I look back and see all the blatant injustices, and that angers me,” he said. “Part of me wants to get into a line of work to help kids … or just people in general … to prevent the injustices before they happen or at least after they happen, trying to correct them.”
___
Associated Press writer Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-07-01--Bismarck police ask for help in finding shooter

BISMARCK , N.D. ( AP ) - Bismarck police are investigating a shooting after a wounded individual was dropped off @ @ @ @ @ .
The person who was injured had a gunshot wound to his upper thigh .
@ @ @ @ @ Hospital after he was dropped off about 3 a.m. , police said .
His injuries @ @ @ @ @ life threatening .
Police haven ’ t been specific about how the gunshot wound occurred @ @ @ @ @ public ’ s help if anyone heard or saw the shooting .

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Bismarck police are investigating a shooting after a wounded individual was dropped off at the hospital early Wednesday.
The person who was injured had a gunshot wound to his upper thigh. He was treated at Sanford Hospital after he was dropped off about 3 a.m., police said.
His injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
Police haven’t been specific about how the gunshot wound occurred and are asking for the public’s help if anyone heard or saw the shooting.