washingtontimes--2020-10-25--The Latest: India's cases keep downturn with 50K infections

BALTIMORE - A day after the U.S. set a daily record for new confirmed coronavirus infections , it came very close to doing it again .
Data published by Johns Hopkins University shows that 83,718 new cases in the U.S. were reported Saturday , nearly matching the 83,757 infections reported Friday .
Before that , the most cases reported in the United States on a single day had been 77,362 on July 16 .
Close to 8.6 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus since the pandemic began , and about 225,000 have died .
Both statistics are the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7.8 million infections but in recent weeks its daily number have been declining .
U.S. health officials have feared the surge of infections to come with colder weather and people spending more time indoors , especially as many flout guidelines to protect themselves and others such as mask-wearing and social distancing .
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington currently forecasts that the country ’ s COVID-19 death toll could exceed 318,000 by Jan. 1 .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bars are being walloped by new virus curfews and restrictions - Spain gets ready to impose a new state of emergency to tamp down surging virus infections - Police in England will try to stop people from leaving Wales , which has started a 17-day lockdown to slow a surging rate of coronavirus infections .
Follow all of AP ’ s coronavirus pandemic coverage at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : ROME - For at least the next month , most people outdoors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s gyms , cinemas and movie theaters will be closed , ski slopes are off-limits to all but competitive skiers and cafes and restaurants must shut down in the early evenings .
The latest restrictions came via a decree signed Sunday by Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte , who ruled against another severe lockdown despite Italy ’ s current surge in COVID-19 infections .
In several regions of the country , mask-wearing outdoors was already mandatory .
A day earlier , Italy surpassed the half-million mark in the number of confirmed coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the first country to be stricken in Europe .
The last two days have seen daily new caseloads creep close to 20,000 .
Italy has the second-most confirmed virus deaths in Europe after Britain , with 37,210 dead .
A security guard noticed the attack on the Robert Koch Institute in the German capital and was able to quickly extinguished the flames .
Nobody was injured , but one window was destroyed .
Criminal police has taken over the investigation on suspicion that the attack may have been politically motivated .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Germany ’ s coronavirus outbreak .
It publishes daily new infection figures and also advises the government and the public on how to keep the pandemic from getting out of control .
While most Germans support the country ’ s handling of the pandemic , some have tried to downplay the dangers of the virus .
On Sunday , the institute reported 11,176 new daily infections , almost double the number reported a week ago Sunday .
Another 29 people died of COVID , bringing Germany ’ s overall death toll to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s daily coronavirus cases have dropped to nearly 50,000 , maintaining a downturn over the last few weeks .
The Health Ministry says 50,129 new cases have taken the overall tally to nearly 7.9 million on Sunday .
It also reported 578 deaths in the past 24 hours , raising total fatalities to 118,534 .
The ministry also said India ’ s active coronavirus cases were below 700,000 across the country and almost 7.1 million people had recovered from COVID-19 .
India is second to the United States with the largest outbreak of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit a peak of nearly 100,000 cases in a single day , but since then daily cases have fallen by about half and deaths by about a third .
Some experts say the decline in cases suggests that the virus may have finally reached a plateau but others question the testing methods .
India is relying heavily on antigen tests , which are faster but less accurate than traditional RT-PCR tests .
MELBOURNE , Australia - A COVID-19 outbreak in the north of Melbourne has led health authorities in Australia ’ s Victoria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easing of restrictions in the beleaguered city .
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews withheld any announcement on an easing on Sunday as the state awaits results on 3,000 people who were tested in the city ’ s north in the past 24 hours .
He described it as a “ cautious pause ” - not a setback - to rule out there wasn ’ t widespread community transmission linked to the cluster .
Among the current restrictions are mandatory wearing of masks and no traveling beyond 25 kilometers ( 15 miles ) from home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of cases two months ago , Andrews instituted an overnight curfew and shut down most businesses .
“ I know it is frustrating , ” Andrews said .
“ I know people are keen to have a long and detailed list of changes to the rules .
It is not appropriate for us to do that now.
” ″ Victoria reported seven new coronavirus cases on Sunday , with six linked to the latest outbreak , which involves 39 people across 11 households .
No additional deaths kept the state toll at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
COLOMBO , Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan authorities have terminated a number of passenger trains and widened the curfew as COVID-19 cases related to a new cluster at a garment factory continue to surge .
The Railway Department canceled at least 16 trains - mostly ran through busy office hours - after the number of commuters declined due to the curfew imposed in many parts of the country .
More than a dozen villages are isolated in densely populated Western province , which includes capital Colombo .
Authorities last week closed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colombo ’ s outskirts after 49 traders tested positive for the coronavirus .
By Sunday , the number of cases from the fish market went up to nearly 900 .
Authorities say the outbreak is linked to a cluster in a garment factory early this month , which has grown to 4,052 cases , more than half the country ’ s total of 7,521 .
During the last 24 hours , 368 new cases have been detected .
In a bid to contain the spread , health authorities also closed three fishery harbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
BOGOTA , Colombia - Colombia reached 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday , its health ministry says , becoming the second country in Latin America to report that number in less than a week .
The nation of 50 million saw cases peak in August and has seen a decline since but still continues to register around 8,000 new infections a day .
Eight countries now have more than 1 million confirmed cases , and three are in Latin America .
Argentina hit 1 million confirmed cases on Monday .
Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus cases , with more than 5 million , and passed 1 million infections back in June .
Peru and Mexico are expected to reach 1 million cases each in the coming weeks .
LANSING , Mich. - Michigan has reported more than 3,000 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus - the highest daily count yet during the pandemic .
The 3,338 new COVID-19 cases reported Saturday by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services surpassed the state ’ s previous single-day record of 2,030 new cases set on Oct. 15 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ record of 1,953 from early April .
The state agency also reported Saturday 35 more deaths from COVID-19 , raising Michigan ’ s pandemic toll to 7,182 deaths .
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun , Michigan ’ s chief medical executive , said that it ’ s “ now more important than ever that people take this seriously.
” She urged Michigan residents to wear a face mask every time they are around someone outside of their own household , to practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings .
EL PASO , Texas - The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of El Paso continued Saturday with a record 1,216 new cases , nearly 20 % of the state ’ s 6,125 new cases , according to city-county health officials .
There have been 3,346 cases in the city during the past three days , according to city-county health reports .
El Paso has reported 38,554 total cases since the pandemic began in March .
“ Today ’ s spike is part of an unfortunate national surge that we have been planning and preparing for , ” public health director Angela Mora said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community to help us by doing their part and staying home , if and when possible , for the next two weeks in order to stop the rapid the spread of the virus.
” Gov .
Greg Abbott has sent medical equipment and about 500 medical personnel to the region to help fight the virus .
There have been more than 858,000 reported cases in Texas and nearly 17,500 deaths , 81 reported Saturday , since the pandemic ’ s start .
COLUMBIA , Tenn. - A Tennessee hospital is suspending all elective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surge in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 , The Daily Herald of Columbia , Tennessee , reported .
As of Friday evening , Columbia ’ s Maury Regional Medical Center was treating 50 COVID-19 inpatients , 20 of whom were in the medical center ’ s 26-bed intensive care unit .
In response , the hospital said Friday it is suspending elective surgical procedures that require an overnight stay for two weeks , beginning on Monday .
“ The time has long passed for our community to take this virus seriously , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Regional Health .
On Thursday , the Tennessee Department of Health reported that statewide hospitalizations had reached a new record of 1,300 patients with COVID-19 and had an ICU bed availability of just 11 % .
Martin Chaney , Maury Regional ’ s chief medical officer , said small home gatherings have become the emerging threat .
“ In our homes , we all let our guard down , ” Chaney said .
“ You think it is safe to not socially distance , and you take your masks off .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Maury Regional has consistently seen a surge in cases about two weeks after each major holiday .
Tennessee recorded 2,574 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday and 24 new deaths , bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 3,100 .
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis met with the Spanish prime minister at the Vatican , but neither man wore a mask during the public part of their meeting .
That ’ s despite 13 Swiss Guards and someone staying at the same Vatican City guest house where Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wore a mask when he arrived in a Vatican courtyard , but everyone sat unmasked immediately before and after his closed-door talks with Francis .
Spain this week became the first country in Western Europe with more than 1 million confirmed virus cases .

MEXICO CITY - Mexican health authorities acknowledge the country’s true death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is far higher than previously thought, saying there were 193,170 “excess” deaths in the year up to Sept. 26.
Of those, 139,153 are now judged to be attributable to COVID-19. Mexico’s official, test-confirmed death toll is only about 89,000, but officials previously acknowledged many people didn’t get tested or their tests were mishandled.
Authorities had previously presented an estimated death toll of 103,882, after taking into account mishandled tests. But the Health Department said Sunday they had analyzed databases to come up with the latest figure. The analysis picked up symptoms related to COVID-19 mentioned on death certificates even if they weren’t listed as the cause of death.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
- Fear and axiety spike in virus hotspots across the United States
- Europe’s restaurants and bars are being walloped by new virus curfews and restrictions
- Spain orders nationwide curfew to tamp down surging virus infections
- Experts question White House claims that federal rules on essential workers let Vice President Mike Pence keep campaigning after exposure to the coronavirus.
- British doctors are urging the government to reverse course and provide free meals for poor children due to increased poverty caused by the pandemic.
- Italy’s leader has imposed at least a month of new restrictions across the country to fight rising coronavirus infections.
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Follow all of AP’s coronavirus pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
DENVER - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is quarantining himself after learning that Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman tested positive for the coronavirus.
Coffman’s diagnosis on Sunday came over a week after he and the governor appeared with other officials at a press conference.
Coffman said he worked from home starting Thursday after not feeling well and his symptoms were gone by Saturday. He says he got a rapid test Sunday in hopes of being cleared to return to his office and schedule but will now quarantine at home.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises anyone who has been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient to quarantine for two weeks.
A Polis spokesperson said the governor would quarantine while waiting to hear from contact tracers.
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FRANKFORT, Ky. - Kentucky has shattered a weekly record for the number of positive coronavirus cases, Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday.
The 9,335 confirmed cases in the past week broke the mark during the pandemic of 7,675 set during the week of Oct. 5 through 11, Beshear said in a statement.
In addition, at least 1,462 cases were reported Sunday, a record for that day of the week, the statement said.
“We must do better,” Beshear said, adding that he plans to make recommendations soon for counties that have 25 or more average daily cases per 100,000 residents.
The statement said at least 1,407 people have died in Kentucky from the virus, including three deaths reported Sunday.
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JERUSALEM - Israel has decided to begin sending children back to school.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Sunday that his coronavirus cabinet voted in favor of reopening school for children in grades one through four on Nov. 1. The older children will be divided into “capsules,” and the children in younger grades will come on alternating days to minimize class sizes.
Israeli schools opened for the school year on Sept. 1 but quickly moved to distance learning as a coronavirus outbreak spread. The government subsequently imposed a month-long lockdown that closed much of the economy.
After mishandling the lifting of a first lockdown early this year, Israel is moving cautiously this time around. Preschools reopened last week, and older children are to gradually return to school in a staggered plan over the coming weeks.
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MARBLEHEAD, Mass. - A school district superintendent says a Massachusetts high school will shift to fully remote learning after students attended a house party where they didn’t wear masks and shared drinks.
Superintendent John Buckey said in a letter to families on Sunday that action comes in response to a house party Friday with young people who were not social distancing or wearing face covering, and were sharing drinks and “generally ignoring” COVID-19 rules.
Buckley wrote that he understood “young people’s desire to be together, as far away from adults as possible,” but that ignoring the rules was “potentially harming the community at large.”
Marblehead High School students will learn remotely until at least Nov. 6. Buckley said the hybrid learning model could restart Nov. 9 if no coronavirus cases are identified during that time.
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BERLIN - The head of the United Nations said Sunday that “the Covid-19 pandemic is the greatest crisis of our age.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened an online session of the World Health Summit with a call for worldwide solidarity in the global crisis and demanded that developed countries support health systems in countries that are short of resources.
The coronavirus pandemic is the overarching theme of the summit, which originally had been scheduled for Berlin. Several of the leaders and experts who spoke at the opening stressed the need to cooperate across borders.
“No one is safe from COVID-19. No one is safe until we are all safe from it,” said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “Even those who conquer the virus within their own borders remain prisoners within these borders until it is conquered everywhere.”
More than 42 million have been infected with the virus and over 1 million people have died of Covid.
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ROME - Italy’s one-day caseload of confirmed coronavirus infections jumped past 20,000 on Sunday, with more than a quarter of the new cases registered in Lombardy, the northern region which bore the brunt of the pandemic in the country earlier this year.
According to Health Ministry figures, there were 21,273 new cases since the previous day, raising Italy’s total of confirmed COVID-19 infections to 525,782.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza said the government’s latest crackdown on social freedoms, including closing restaurants in early evening and shuttering gyms, for the next 30 days, was warranted by the growth of the contagion curve worldwide, with a “very high wave” in all of Europe.
“Every choice brings sacrifices and renouncing” activities, Speranza said. “We must react immediately and with determination if we want to avoid unsustainable numbers.”
Italy’s confirmed death toll in the pandemic rose to 37,338, with 128 deaths since Saturday.
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PHOENIX — Arizona health officials on Sunday reported 1,392 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and five additional deaths. It’s the highest reported single-day coronavirus case total in the state since Sept. 17.
Arizona has continued to see a slow yet steady increase in the average number of COVID-19 cases reported each day as a decline that lasted through August and September reverses.
State Department of Health Services officials said the latest numbers increase Arizona’s totals to 238,163 known infections and 5,874 known deaths.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
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SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has tested positive for the new coronavirus as the number of infected with COVID-19 in the Balkan country has been on a steady rise in the two weeks.
Borissov made the disclosure in a Facebook message on Sunday.
“After two PCR tests, today I am positive for COVID-19,” Borissov wrote.
He said that he has a “general indisposition” and, following the recommendations of doctors, will remain at home for treatment.
The Balkan nation of 7 million people has recorded 37,562 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,084 deaths.
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MOSCOW — Russia’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 1.5 million on Sunday as authorities reported 16,710 new infections amid a rapid resurgence of the outbreak that has swept the country in recent weeks.
Russia’s caseload remains the fourth largest in the world. The government’s coronavirus task force has also registered a total of over 26,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
The task force has been reporting over 15,000 new infections every day since last Sunday, which is much higher than in the spring, when the highest number of daily new cases was 11,656.
Despite the sharp spike in daily new infections, Russian authorities have repeatedly dismissed the idea of imposing a second lockdown or shutting down businesses after most virus-related restrictions were lifted during the summer. In some Russian regions, officials urged the elderly to self-isolate at home and called on employers to have at least part of their staff work from home. Several regions have shut down nightclubs and limited the hours of restaurants and bars.
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BERLIN - Austria has tightened its coronavirus rules as the Alpine country sees new daily records of infections.
Starting Sunday, no more than six people are allowed to meet indoors, including events such as birthday parties, yoga or dance classes. Outside, a maximum of 12 people are allowed to get together. In restaurants, the number of guests has been reduced to no more than 10 per table.
People also need to wear masks in train stations, markets and nursing homes.
On Saturday, the daily virus numbers reached a new high of reported 3,614 cases. On Sunday, the figure was lower at 2,782, however not all new cases get reported on weekends.
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BALTIMORE - A day after the U.S. set a daily record for new confirmed coronavirus infections, it came very close to doing it again.
Data published by Johns Hopkins University shows that 83,718 new cases in the U.S. were reported Saturday, nearly matching the 83,757 infections reported Friday. Before that, the most cases reported in the United States on a single day had been 77,362 on July 16.
Close to 8.6 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and about 225,000 have died. Both statistics are the world’s highest. India has more than 7.8 million infections but in recent weeks its daily number have been declining.
U.S. health officials have feared the surge of infections to come with colder weather and people spending more time indoors, especially as many flout guidelines to protect themselves and others such as mask-wearing and social distancing.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington currently forecasts that the country’s COVID-19 death toll could exceed 318,000 by Jan. 1.
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BERLIN - Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn, who has tested positive for the new coronavirus, appealed to Germans on Sunday to keep obeying precautionary measures as the virus spikes across the country and the hospital intensive care units are filling up again.
Spahn, 40, posted a video on his Facebook page saying he was lucky that other than “cold symptoms,” he is not suffering any other COVID-related symptoms. He also said none of his close coworkers at the ministry had yet tested positive.
Spahn appealed to all citizens to wear masks and keep distance in light of quickly rising infection figures.
““It is serious. We know the harm this virus can cause, especially for people with preexisting illness and for the elderly and very old,” he said.
On Sunday, Germany’s national disease control center reported 11,176 new daily infections, almost double the number reported a week ago Sunday. Another 29 people died of COVID, bringing Germany’s overall death toll to 10,032.
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ROME - For at least the next month, gyms, cinemas and movie theaters in Italy will be closed, ski slopes are off-limits to all but competitive skiers, spectators are banned from professional matches including soccer games, and cafes and restaurants must shut down in early evenings.
But the decree signed on Sunday by Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte avoided another severe lockdown despite a current surge in COVID-19 infections.
The decree also continues a recent nationwide order mandating mask-wearing outdoors.
A day earlier, Italy surpassed the half-million mark in the number of confirmed coronavirus infections since the outbreak began in February, the first country to be stricken in Europe. The last two days have seen daily new caseloads creep close to 20,000.
Italy has the second-most confirmed virus deaths in Europe after Britain, with 37,210 dead.
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BERLIN - Several people attacked Germany’s national disease control center with incendiary devices early Sunday, Berlin police reported.
A security guard noticed the attack on the Robert Koch Institute in the German capital and was able to quickly extinguished the flames. Nobody was injured, but one window was destroyed. Criminal police has taken over the investigation on suspicion that the attack may have been politically motivated.
Among other things, the institute keeps track of Germany’s coronavirus outbreak. It publishes daily new infection figures and also advises the government and the public on how to keep the pandemic from getting out of control.
While most Germans support the country’s handling of the pandemic, some have tried to downplay the dangers of the virus.
On Sunday, the institute reported 11,176 new daily infections, almost double the number reported a week ago Sunday. Another 29 people died of COVID, bringing Germany’s overall death toll to 10,032.
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NEW DELHI - India’s daily coronavirus cases have dropped to nearly 50,000, maintaining a downturn over the last few weeks.
The Health Ministry says 50,129 new cases have taken the overall tally to nearly 7.9 million on Sunday. It also reported 578 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising total fatalities to 118,534.
The ministry also said India’s active coronavirus cases were below 700,000 across the country and almost 7.1 million people had recovered from COVID-19.
India is second to the United States with the largest outbreak of the coronavirus. Last month, India hit a peak of nearly 100,000 cases in a single day, but since then daily cases have fallen by about half and deaths by about a third.
Some experts say the decline in cases suggests that the virus may have finally reached a plateau but others question the testing methods. India is relying heavily on antigen tests, which are faster but less accurate than traditional RT-PCR tests.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Surging coronavirus colors White House race in closing days

WAUKESHA , Wis. ( AP ) - President Donald Trump assured supporters packed shoulder to shoulder at weekend rallies that “ we ’ re rounding the turn ” on the coronavirus and mocked challenger Joe Biden for raising alarms about the pandemic , despite surging cases around the country and more positive infections at the White House .
Trump ’ s remarks came Saturday , hours before the White House announced that a top aide to Vice President Mike Pence had tested positive for the virus .
Pence has been in close contact with the adviser , the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling and holding rallies around the country .
The revelation of another high-ranking administration official testing positive for the virus coupled with the administration ’ s decision to continue business as usual punctuated a day that marked the starkly different approaches that Trump and Biden are taking to campaigning in the age of the novel coronavirus .
Pence ’ s office confirmed late Saturday that his chief of staff , Marc Short , had tested positive - the public announcement coming just as Trump was wrapping up a day of big rallies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three battleground states that will have enormous impact on deciding the Nov. 3 election .
Trump commented on Short early Sunday after his plane landed at Joint Base Andrews , outside Washington .
“ I did hear about it just now , ” he said .
“ And I think he ’ s quarantining .
Yeah .
I did hear about it .
He ’ s going to be fine .
But he ’ s quarantining.
” Pence is considered a “ close contact ” under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his spokesman said .
“ In consultation with the White House Medical Unit , the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel , ” Pence spokesman Devin O ’ Malley said .
The guidelines require that essential workers exposed to someone with the coronavirus closely monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and wear a mask whenever around other people .
O ’ Malley added that Pence and his wife , Karen Pence , both tested negative for the virus on Saturday “ and remain in good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events in Florida on Saturday , is set to campaign in North Carolina on Sunday .
The revelation bookended a day in which Biden and Trump demonstrated remarkably different attitudes about what they saw as safe behavior in the homestretch of a campaign that , as with all aspects of American life , has been upended by the pandemic .
“ We don ’ t want to become superspreaders , ” Biden told supporters at a “ drive-in ” rally Saturday in Bucks County , Pennsylvania , picking up a term that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event in late September in which Trump announced his latest Supreme Court nominee .
More than two dozen people linked to the White House have contracted COVID-19 since that gathering , as have campaign aides .
Trump spent more than three days hospitalized at Walter Reed Military Medical Center after becoming stricken .
Biden pressed his case that Trump was showing dangerous indifference to the surging virus on a day he looked to boost his candidacy with the star power of rock legend Jon Bon Jovi , who performed before Biden took the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luzerne County , Pennsylvania .
Meanwhile , in Lumberton , North Carolina , his tongue firmly in cheek , Trump called Biden “ an inspiring guy ” for raising alarm about the pandemic .
The president said that he watched Biden ’ s Bucks County rally as he flew to North Carolina and sarcastically observed that it appeared attendees , who were in their cars , weren ’ t properly socially distancing .
Trump at his rallies repeatedly criticized the news media for focusing on the virus , which has killed about 224,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1 million across the globe .
“ It ’ s always cases , cases , cases .
They don ’ t talk about deaths , ” Trump complained to a crowd of several thousand at an outdoor rally in Circleville Ohio , where few wore masks even as they stood and sat shoulder to shoulder .
“ They ’ re trying to scare everybody , ” he said .
Trump emerged from his own illness with even greater certitude that the nation has gone too far with efforts to stem the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children should be in school and healthy Americans should get back to normal life with limited restrictions .
Pence has generally been more measured in public commentary about the virus .
Still , he has echoed Trump ’ s impatience at times and sought to contrast Trump ’ s push to reopen the economy with Biden ’ s caution , including during a campaign stop in Lakeland , Florida .
just hours before the White House confirmed his top adviser had test positive .
“ When Joe Biden is talking about shutting down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America again , ” Pence said .
Saskia Popescu , an infectious disease expert at George Mason University , called Pence ’ s decision to continue campaign travel “ grossly negligent ” and suggested that campaigning was a stretch of the CDC ’ s guidance for essential worker .
“ It ’ s just an insult to everybody who has been working in public health and public health response , ” she said .
“ I also find it really harmful and disrespectful to the people going to the rally ” and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who will accompany him .
In North Carolina on Saturday , Trump questioned the value of testing , taking a stance in opposition to public health experts across the globe .
“ You know why we have cases ?
” Trump asked .
“ ’ Cause we test so much .
And in many ways , it ’ s good .
And in many ways , it ’ s foolish .
In many ways , OK ?
In many ways it ’ s very foolish.
” The rise in coronavirus cases is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm grip on the nation that has more confirmed virus-related deaths and infections than any other in the world .
Many states say hospitals are running out of space in areas where the pandemic seemed remote only months ago .
And in addition to the spike in cases , in many parts of the country , the percentage of people who are testing positive for COVID-19 is up as well .
Trump went further , pushing a conspiracy theory that hospitals are over-classifying coronavirus deaths because “ doctors get more money and hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no evidence of that and experts say the count is likely under-reported .
The U.S. and its reporting systems , “ are really not doing it right , ” he claimed .
“ They have things a little bit backwards.
” As he dug in on his defense on the panic , Trump also criticized Biden for saying that the country was headed for a “ dark winter ” because of the pandemic - the scenario of a surge in infections that health experts have warned about for months .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he told his biggest crowd of the day at a night-time rally in Waukesha , Wisconsin .
“ How dark was that ?
How horrible was that ?
” he asked .
A record of more than 83,000 infections were reported on Friday alone .
Biden in his stop in Luzerne reminded supporters that Trump had suggested the COVID-19 mortality rate was lower outside predominantly Democratic states .
“ Where does this guy come from ?
” Biden said .
The president has repeatedly accused Biden and other Democrats of pushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself by advocating for social distancing and limits on gatherings that Trump says wreak havoc on the economy .
Biden , in an interview with Pod Save America aired Saturday , said his first priority was to “ get control of the virus ” because the economy can ’ t move forward without stemming the disease .
“ As I said before , I will shut down the virus , not the economy , ” Biden said in Bucks County .
“ We can walk and chew gum at the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weissert reported from Dallas , Pennsylvania , and Madhani from Washington .
Associated Press writer Nancy Benac in Washington contributed to this report .

JILL COLVIN, WILL WEISSERT, ZEKE MILLER and AAMER MADHANI

LONDONDERRY, N.H. (AP) - The coronavirus has reached the upper echelons of the White House again, with an outbreak among aides to Vice President Mike Pence just over a week from Election Day. A top White House official declared: “We’re not going to control the pandemic.”
Officials on Sunday also scoffed at the notion of Pence dialing back in-person campaigning despite positive tests among several people in his office. Pence, who leads the White House’s coronavirus task force, was back out on the road Sunday and has an aggressive travel schedule planned for the final days of the campaign.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, pressed to explain why the pandemic cannot be reined in, said, “Because it is a contagious virus just like the flu.” He told CNN’s ”State of the Union” that the government was focused on getting effective therapeutics and vaccines to market.
Pence, who tested negative on Sunday, according to his office, held a rain-soaked early evening rally in Kinston, North Carolina, a state that Trump won in 2016 and is crucial to his reelection hopes.
The vice president had a shout-out for supporters who braved what he called “this night of tempest, to stand in the rain and stand firm” for Trump. He gave no nod to the coronavirus infection rippling through his staff, and dismissed Democrat Joe Biden’s description of the COVID-19 threat as an unwarranted dose of gloom and doom.
The president, for his part, rallied backers in New Hampshire and visited an orchard in Levant, Maine, where he signed autographs and assured a crush of mostly unmasked supporters that a “red wave” was coming on Nov. 3. He and first lady Melania Trump wrapped up the busy weekend by hosting costumed children for a socially distanced Halloween trick-or-treating on the White House grounds.
Biden attended church and participated in a virtual get-out-the-vote concert. He said in a statement that Meadows was effectively waving “the white flag of defeat” and “a candid acknowledgement of what President Trump’s strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this crisis.”
In a brief exchange with reporters before the orchard visit, Trump demurred when asked if Pence should step off the campaign trail as a precaution. “You’d have to ask him,” Trump said.
The White House said none of the staff traveling with Trump on Sunday had been in close contact with any individuals in the vice president’s office who had tested positive. But public health experts said that Pence’s decision to keep up in-person campaigning was flouting common sense.
Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University’s law school, said Pence in his decision to forgoing quarantine was violating his own task force’s recommendations.
“It’s one standard for the vice president and another for all the rest of us,” Gostin said.
The U.S. set a daily record Friday for new confirmed coronavirus infections and nearly matched it Saturday with 83,178, data published by Johns Hopkins University shows. Close to 8.6 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and about 225,000 have died; both totals are the world’s highest. About half the states have seen their highest daily infection numbers so far at some point in October.
Trump, campaigning in Londonderry, New Hampshire, said the rising rate of infections was nothing to be concerned about. ”You know why we have cases so much?”′ Trump asked a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. “Because all we do is test.”
Entering the final full week before the Nov. 3 election, it’s clear the Trump team remains committed to full-throttle campaigning. Trump himself has resumed a hectic schedule since recovering from his own recent coronavirus case, and planned to campaign Monday in Pennsylvania. Pence will campaign in Minnesota that day and return to North Carolina on Tuesday.
Despite the rising virus numbers, the White House says the U.S. economy needs to fully reopen and it has tried to counter Biden’s criticism that Trump is not doing enough to contain the worst U.S. public health crisis in more than a century.
Trump and his aides again on Sunday lashed out on Biden, falsely asserting Biden was determined to lock down the economy, while the president is centering his attention on getting therapies and vaccines to market.
“We want normal life to resume,” Trump said. “We just want normal life.”
Biden, in fact, has said he would only shut down the country if that is what government scientists advise. He has said that if elected he would make the case for why a national mask mandate might be necessary and would go to the governors to help increase Americans’ mask-wearing.
Pence’s office says there are no plans to curtail campaigning. In addition to chief of staff Marc Short, who tested positive Saturday, a “couple” other aides also have also contracted the disease, Meadows said.
Meadows said Pence will wear a mask - “because the doctors have advised him to do that” - but take it off when he gives a speech, as the vice president did on Sunday in North Carolina.
Even with Pence’s latest negative test, symptoms, including fever, cough and fatigue, may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some asymptomatic individuals test positive two to three days before developing symptoms.
The White House says Pence was considered in “close contact” with Short under CDC guidelines. The guidelines require that essential workers exposed to someone with the coronavirus closely monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and wear a mask whenever around other people.
After consulting with the White House Medical Unit, Pence intended to maintain his schedule “in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel,” said Devin O’Malley, a Pence spokesman.
Meadows sidestepped questions about whether Pence’s campaigning fit into the spirit of the CDC’s guidelines for essential work. “He’s not just campaigning, he’s working,” Meadows said.
The candidates have demonstrated remarkably different attitudes about what they see as safe behavior in the homestretch of a campaign that, as with all aspects of American life, has been upended by the pandemic.
Trump emerged from his own illness with even greater certitude that the nation has gone too far with efforts to stem the virus, and has spoken out repeatedly that children should be in school and healthy Americans should get back to normal life with limited restrictions. Biden has relied on virtual events and small, socially-distanced gatherings to make his case to voters.
“We’re not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas,” Meadows said on CNN. He added: “We are making efforts to contain it.”
___
Jaffe reported from Wilmington, Delaware, and Madhani from Washington.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--RI's House speaker in tight race in pro-Trump district

CRANSTON , R.I. ( AP ) - Could a big political upset potentially be brewing in the littlest state ?
Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello - one of Rhode Island ’ s most powerful politicians - is in a tight race as he campaigns to hang on to his legislative seat in a district that backed Donald Trump for president in 2016 .
Mattiello , who has been tied to several scandals , faces a spirited challenge from Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung , a Republican activist and the wife of popular Cranston mayor and two-time GOP gubernatorial candidate Allan Fung .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America ’ s blue states , with an all-Democratic congressional delegation , a Democratic governor and a state assembly in firm Democratic hands .
But pockets of the state tilt decidedly conservative , including the 15th legislative district , a slice of western Cranston where voters went for Trump four years ago after backing Barack Obama in 2012 .
In 2018 , Mattiello won reelection over Republican Steven Frias by just 329 votes .
Across the U.S. , top state legislative leaders from both parties are in similarly hot races as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - Indiana ’ s newly minted Republican House speaker is in a tight race in suburban Indianapolis , in an area that ’ s transitioned from dependably red to purple .
Todd Huston took over in March from longtime speaker Brian Bosma .
- In Nevada , Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro , a Democrat , is fighting to retain what ’ s become a battleground seat in Las Vegas .
Cannizzaro , a district attorney , has seen support from law enforcement groups and police unions flip to her Republican opponent after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Georgia , Democratic House Minority Leader Bob Trammell survived a primary scare and now faces a tough challenge from Republican David Jenkins in his district southeast of Atlanta , which went for Trump in 2016 .
Fenton-Fung , 39 , has been calling attention to the scandals that have dogged Mattiello , most recently the money laundering trial of former campaign aide Jeffrey Britt .
Earlier this year , 57-year-old Mattiello himself was the subject of a grand jury investigation into why he ordered an unauthorized audit of the Rhode Island Convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using the audit as retaliation for disciplinary action against one of his campaign donors , the convention center ’ s director of security , who was put on leave .
Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio , also a Democrat , spent more than $ 630,000 in campaign funds on food , beverages and meals since they moved into leadership positions , The Public ’ s Radio reported last winter .
Mattiello , an attorney and a conservative Democrat , has been House speaker since 2014 and has represented the district since 2007 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal , Mattiello said his top priorities are phasing out the state ’ s automobile tax by 2022 , cutting taxes to stimulate job growth and increasing funding for education .
“ As a state representative for the past 14 years , and since becoming speaker in 2014 , I am in a unique position to continue to deliver on these initiatives , ” he said .
Fenton-Fung has said she ’ s voting for Trump , though she doesn ’ t approve of everything the president says and does .
Her focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhode Island ’ s long run of political scandals .
Mattiello ’ s predecessor as speaker was Democrat Gordon Fox , who resigned after federal agents raided his office and home .
Fox pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges of bribery , wire fraud and filing a false tax return , and served 2 1/2 years in prison .
“ I can ’ t do much about Washington , ” she told a recent roundtable organized by The Public ’ s Radio .
“ What I can do is try to change the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhode Island.
” Fenton-Fung served as chairwoman of the Rhode Island Young Republicans and as executive director of the Young Republican National Federation .
She has said she met her future husband at the 2012 Republican National Convention after her umbrella accidentally thumped him on his head .
Allan Fung , a popular figure who ’ s term-limited after serving as Cranston ’ s mayor since 2009 and twice challenged Democratic Gov .
Gina Raimondo , has been going door to door with his wife as she makes her case to voters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jeff Amy in Georgia and Sam Metz in Nevada contributed .
Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) - Could a big political upset potentially be brewing in the littlest state?
Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello - one of Rhode Island’s most powerful politicians - is in a tight race as he campaigns to hang on to his legislative seat in a district that backed Donald Trump for president in 2016.
Mattiello, who has been tied to several scandals, faces a spirited challenge from Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, a Republican activist and the wife of popular Cranston mayor and two-time GOP gubernatorial candidate Allan Fung.
Rhode Island is one of the bluest of America’s blue states, with an all-Democratic congressional delegation, a Democratic governor and a state assembly in firm Democratic hands.
But pockets of the state tilt decidedly conservative, including the 15th legislative district, a slice of western Cranston where voters went for Trump four years ago after backing Barack Obama in 2012. In 2018, Mattiello won reelection over Republican Steven Frias by just 329 votes.
Across the U.S., top state legislative leaders from both parties are in similarly hot races as they face a polarized and energized electorate:
- Indiana’s newly minted Republican House speaker is in a tight race in suburban Indianapolis, in an area that’s transitioned from dependably red to purple. Todd Huston took over in March from longtime speaker Brian Bosma.
- In Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat, is fighting to retain what’s become a battleground seat in Las Vegas. Cannizzaro, a district attorney, has seen support from law enforcement groups and police unions flip to her Republican opponent after criminal justice reforms were enacted.
- In Georgia, Democratic House Minority Leader Bob Trammell survived a primary scare and now faces a tough challenge from Republican David Jenkins in his district southeast of Atlanta, which went for Trump in 2016.
Fenton-Fung, 39, has been calling attention to the scandals that have dogged Mattiello, most recently the money laundering trial of former campaign aide Jeffrey Britt. Earlier this year, 57-year-old Mattiello himself was the subject of a grand jury investigation into why he ordered an unauthorized audit of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority.
He was accused of using the audit as retaliation for disciplinary action against one of his campaign donors, the convention center’s director of security, who was put on leave.
Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, also a Democrat, spent more than $630,000 in campaign funds on food, beverages and meals since they moved into leadership positions, The Public’s Radio reported last winter.
Mattiello, an attorney and a conservative Democrat, has been House speaker since 2014 and has represented the district since 2007.
In a commentary for The Providence Journal, Mattiello said his top priorities are phasing out the state’s automobile tax by 2022, cutting taxes to stimulate job growth and increasing funding for education.
“As a state representative for the past 14 years, and since becoming speaker in 2014, I am in a unique position to continue to deliver on these initiatives,” he said.
Fenton-Fung has said she’s voting for Trump, though she doesn’t approve of everything the president says and does. Her focus, she said, is addressing the Rhode Island’s long run of political scandals.
Mattiello’s predecessor as speaker was Democrat Gordon Fox, who resigned after federal agents raided his office and home. Fox pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges of bribery, wire fraud and filing a false tax return, and served 2 1/2 years in prison.
“I can’t do much about Washington,” she told a recent roundtable organized by The Public’s Radio. “What I can do is try to change the corruption and how we operate here in Rhode Island.”
Fenton-Fung served as chairwoman of the Rhode Island Young Republicans and as executive director of the Young Republican National Federation. She has said she met her future husband at the 2012 Republican National Convention after her umbrella accidentally thumped him on his head.
Allan Fung, a popular figure who’s term-limited after serving as Cranston’s mayor since 2009 and twice challenged Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo, has been going door to door with his wife as she makes her case to voters.
___
Associated Press reporters Tom Davies in Indiana, Jeff Amy in Georgia and Sam Metz in Nevada contributed. Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Fire chief: 2 killed, 7 injured in New Jersey building blaze

CAMDEN , N.J. ( AP ) - Two people were killed and seven others were injured in a blaze at @ @ @ @ @ to a fire chief in New Jersey .
Several other people jumped from the building @ @ @ @ @ officials said .
A firefighter was among those hurt at the apartment building in Camden @ @ @ @ @ Firefighters from other departments were called in to help extinguish the flames , Camden Fire @ @ @ @ @ About 20 to 30 people were displaced , officials said .
The Red Cross responded @ @ @ @ @ identities of the two people who died have not been released .
The cause of @ @ @ @ @ .

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - A man was arrested in connection with a blaze at a New Jersey apartment building that left two men dead and multiple other people injured, authorities announced late Sunday night.
Brandon Adams, 34, was charged with two counts of first-degree felony murder, a release from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said. The release said authorities determined Adams, who is homeless, “was responsible for intentionally starting the fire based in part on assistance and information provided by the community.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Adams had a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
Several people jumped from the building to escape the fire early Sunday morning, officials said, and a firefighter was among those hurt at the apartment building in Camden. At least nine people were hospitalized for treatment, the prosecutor’s office release said, and three dozen were displaced.
Firefighters from other departments were called in to help extinguish the flames, Camden Fire Chief Michael Harper said.
The identities of the two people who died have not been released. The Camden County Fire Marshal’s Office and New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office helping with the ongoing investigation.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Thousands rally in Iraq to mark one year of protests

BAGHDAD ( AP ) - Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Sunday to mark one year since mass anti-government demonstrations swept Baghdad and Iraq ’ s south , sparking calls to end to rampant corruption .
Protesters marched in the capital and several southern cities including Najaf , Nasiriyah and Basra to renew demands proclaimed a year ago to bring an end to corruption by politicians .
Mustafa Hussein , in his 20s , participated in the demonstrations last year and returned to Baghdad ’ s Tahrir Square on Sunday .
He said little had changed .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood of our martyrs are still on the lists of officials without implementation , ” he said .
More than 500 people were killed during the months-long movement that began last year , many of them protesters shot by Iraqi security forces who used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds .
In some cases , tear gas cannisters struck the heads of demonstrators , killing them instantly .
By February , the protests had petered out in the wake of coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions , prompting activists to call off mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Baghdad Operations Command , which oversees security forces in the capital , kept many hundreds more demonstrators from entering the city on Sunday from the provinces of Babylon and Diwanieh .
In Baghdad ’ s Tahrir Square , which has been the epicenter of the protest movement , Iraqi youth carried banners with portraits of those killed by Iraqi security forces .
The protesters erected tents and created their version of utopia replete with food vendors , cinemas and bookshops .
“ Today we mark the memory of the October Revolution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahmed , 25 , a graduate of economics .
“ Our demands are against corrupt parties in power and against the failed parliament.
” In October of last year , tens of thousands of Iraqis - mostly young people - marched in Baghdad and cities in the south to decry government graft , unemployment and poor services .
Demonstrators took over public squares in Baghdad and camped out for months , refusing to leave until their demands were met .
The movement had early successes .
Pressure from demonstrators lead to the resignation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mustafa al-Kadhimi assumed the premiership after months of political deadlock and after two previous candidates failed to garner enough support among elites .
Al-Kadhimi has presented himself a champion of the protesters ’ demands , appointing long-time activists among his close group of advisors .
He promised that early elections , a key demand of protesters , would be held next June .
Despite crackdowns from militias and the government , protesters say their movement is still alive .
“ We have only this revolution to achieve our goals , ” Ahmed said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iraq will be lost .
”

BAGHDAD (AP) - Thousands of people took to Iraq’s streets on Sunday to mark one year since mass anti-government demonstrations swept the country, with police firing tear gas in central Baghdad to stop protesters from crossing strategic bridges and both sides reporting injuries.
Protesters marched in the capital and several southern cities - including Najaf, Nasiriyah and Basra - to renew demands for an end to corruption by Iraq’s political establishment.
When dozens of protesters attempted to scale cement barriers on Jumhuriya and Sinak bridges, security forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Some protesters hurled Molotov cocktails, injuring at least 43 security forces, said Yahya Rasool, a military spokesman for the prime minister.
At least six protesters were also wounded, according to an security and medical officials, who requested anonymity in line with regulations.
The demonstrations Sunday were considered a test of the movement’s strength following months of inactivity on the street. Despite reaching historic numbers in late 2019 and successfully mounting pressure on elites, the protests have been largely dormant in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Activists also blamed the drop in numbers on a violent crackdown by Iraqi security forces and militia groups, as well as kidnappings and targeted assassinations.
The renewed protests were also a test for Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, just five months in power. Al-Kadhimi has been vocal about his support for the protester’s demands. His government came to power following the resignation of Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi late last year. He stepped down under pressure from protests sparked by security forces’ heavy-handed response, including the use of live rounds and the killing of demonstrators.
More than 500 people were killed during the months-long protest movement, many of them demonstrators shot by Iraqi security forces.
The current administration cannot afford to do the same, al-Kadhimi’s advisors have said. The government is also grappling with a severe liquidity crisis amid low oil prices that has slashed state coffers by half.
Mustafa Hussein, in his 20s, participated in the demonstrations last year and returned to Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Sunday. He said little had changed.
“Our demands that we wrote with the blood of our martyrs are still on the lists of officials, without implementation,” he said.
The bridges across the Tigris River where clashes broke out lead to the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies. Both bridges have been closed off by security forces since last year to prevent protesters from storming across. They were again fortified in the days leading to Sunday’s protest, with a heavy security presence on the streets.
Hundreds of demonstrators were also prevented from entering Baghdad at checkpoints on roads from the provinces of Babylon and Diwanieh, due to an order by the Baghdad Operations Command, which oversees security forces in the capital.
In Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, which has been the epicenter of the protest movement, Iraqi youth carried banners with portraits of those killed by Iraqi security forces. In some cases, tear gas cannisters struck the heads of demonstrators, killing them instantly.
“Today we mark the memory of the October Revolution, especially those fallen,” said Fadel Ahmed, 25, a graduate of economics. “Our demands are against corrupt parties in power and against the failed parliament.”
In October of last year, tens of thousands of Iraqis - mostly young people - marched in Baghdad and cities in the south to decry government graft, unemployment and poor services. Demonstrators took over public squares in Baghdad and camped out for months, refusing to leave until their demands were met.
The movement had early successes. Al-Kadhimi, the current prime minister, has presented himself a champion of the protesters’ demands, appointing long-time activists among his close group of advisors. In prerecorded address Saturday night, he promised that early elections - a key demand of protesters - would be held next June.
Despite the crackdowns from militias and the government, protesters say their movement is still alive.
“We have only this revolution to achieve our goals,” Ahmed said. “If it can’t, Iraq will be lost.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Israeli government approves Bahrain normalization deal

JERUSALEM ( AP ) - The Israeli Cabinet approved the normalization deal with the Arab Gulf state of Bahrain on Sunday , a week after the two countries agreed to establish formal diplomatic ties .
The deal next requires ratification by the Knesset , Israel ’ s 120-seat parliament .
A date for that vote has not yet been set .
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s office said the government ministers green-lit “ preparation of peaceful , diplomatic and friendly relations between the state of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
” Sunday ’ s vote was largely a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to establish diplomatic relations in the wake of signing a U.S.-brokered agreement in September .
The two countries had long harbored close , clandestine security cooperation over a shared enmity of regional rival Iran .
The United Arab Emirates , which signed a separate deal with Israel in September , and Bahrain are now the third and fourth Arab states to establish formal diplomatic ties with Israel .
Egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and 1994 , respectively .
The U.S. says Sudan is also taking steps to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Sunday that an Israeli delegation would be heading to Bahrain “ to discuss cooperation in many fields , including immigration , which we are discussing.
” Palestinians have criticized the agreements as a betrayal that erodes longstanding consensus in the Arab world that relations with Israel should only come after the establishment of an independent Palestinian state .

JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli Cabinet approved the normalization deal with the Arab Gulf state of Bahrain on Sunday, a week after the two countries agreed to establish formal diplomatic ties.
The deal next requires ratification by the Knesset, Israel’s 120-seat parliament. A date for that vote has not yet been set.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the government ministers green-lit “preparation of peaceful, diplomatic and friendly relations between the state of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
Sunday’s vote was largely a formality after the two countries last week agreed to establish diplomatic relations in the wake of signing a U.S.-brokered agreement in September. The two countries had long harbored close, clandestine security cooperation over a shared enmity of regional rival Iran.
The United Arab Emirates, which signed a separate deal with Israel in September, and Bahrain are now the third and fourth Arab states to establish formal diplomatic ties with Israel. Egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and 1994, respectively.
The U.S. says Sudan is also taking steps to start normalizing relations with Israel.
Netanyahu said Sunday that an Israeli delegation would be heading to Bahrain “to discuss cooperation in many fields, including immigration, which we are discussing.”
Palestinians have criticized the agreements as a betrayal that erodes longstanding consensus in the Arab world that relations with Israel should only come after the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Trumpeter swan cygnets released in Yellowstone National Park

BILLINGS , Mont .
( AP ) - Yellowstone National Park may be well-known for its role in rebuilding populations of large mammals like grizzly bears , wolves and bison , yet trumpeter swans have a similar story of dogged recovery that is not as well known .
“ They were reduced to only a few individuals and have made a big comeback , yet they are still struggling in Yellowstone and the Tetons , ” Evan Shields , a Montana State University graduate student who is studying the birds , told The Billings Gazette .
The reasons for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include : an increase in tourists who may disturb nesting parents , leaving eggs vulnerable to predators ; drought and climate change that has reduced the number or quality of wetlands and their food supply ; and predation .
Although he had previously worked with compelling species like mountain lions and wolves in Yellowstone , Shields sees the swans as “ awfully charismatic birds.
” After all , they are big - weighing more than 20 pounds and with wings spanning 8 feet .
That makes them the largest wild waterfowl on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long time , up to 25 years , and will mate for life .
In an attempt to understand why the birds are struggling to survive and reproduce in the park , since 2018 Shields has been talking to park scientists , collecting and collating existing data in search of answers .
He hopes to publish his findings next spring .
On Sept. 19 , staff from the park , Wyoming Wetlands Society and the Ricketts Conservation Foundation released eight young swans , called cygnets , at Alum Creek in the Hayden Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year since 2012 .
Since then , more than 40 birds have been freed .
“ This release is part of an ongoing restoration project to increase territorial pairs of swans which have undergone a decades-long decline in the park , ” according to a park press release .
“ Researchers are collecting population data such as nest success , number of territorial pairs , and the number of cygnets produced each year .
This data may help determine the reasons for the decline .
“ Recent releases and other restoration efforts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and five territorial pairs , including natural reproduction in some years , ” the park ’ s staff said .
Similar cygnet releases have taken place in the Madison , Bitterroot and Blackfoot valleys in Montana , as well as the Jackson region in Wyoming .
The idea of releasing young birds is that they will imprint on the area and return to nest .
Trumpeters won ’ t breed until they are 4 years old .
Because the park tags the cygnets on the leg , to make the identification less visible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for park staff to assess how many of the cygnets stick around or return .
Without parents to help them through the winter , survival for the big birds is difficult .
They are a target for predators , from eagles to coyotes .
Wyoming has recorded deaths of 30 to 40 swans in a year , some killed by flying into power lines .
Lead poisoning , caused by eating lead shotgun pellets which were long ago banned for waterfowl hunting , is also a cause of death .
Occasionally they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed on a pond between Belgrade and Manhattan in February .
The Yellowstone swans are part of what ’ s known as the Rocky Mountain Population , which stretches all the way north to Alaska .
By 1900 , they had been eliminated from most of their historical range in the United States and Canada , according to the U.S .
Fish and Wildlife Service .
Habitat conservation , hunting regulations , winter feeding and reintroduction efforts built the population back up from a few hundred birds to 35,000 nationwide , as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rocky Mountain Population winters on ice-free waters in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem , which is spread across the states of Montana , Wyoming and Idaho .
Only a portion of those birds remain in the GYE to nest in the spring .
Yellowstone ’ s known population of trumpeter swans peaked at 72 in 1961 and fell to only four birds in 2009 and 2010 .
In 2019 , 27 swans were counted , 21 of which were adults .
The fragmented trumpeter population in the GYE is known to be connected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent is uncertain , Shields said .
Researchers have discovered new insights into mammal , fish and bird migrations in recent years thanks to smaller , lighter tracking devices , some of which are solar powered .
Fitting Yellowstone ’ s trumpeters with such GPS monitors to see where they go and when could someday add to the database about the big birds .
The devices are expensive , however .
The release of cygnets in September is part of a public/private partnership between the National Park Service , Wyoming Wetlands Society , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Yellowstone National Park may be well-known for its role in rebuilding populations of large mammals like grizzly bears, wolves and bison, yet trumpeter swans have a similar story of dogged recovery that is not as well known.
“They were reduced to only a few individuals and have made a big comeback, yet they are still struggling in Yellowstone and the Tetons,” Evan Shields, a Montana State University graduate student who is studying the birds, told The Billings Gazette.
The reasons for the decline of trumpeters in the park could include: an increase in tourists who may disturb nesting parents, leaving eggs vulnerable to predators; drought and climate change that has reduced the number or quality of wetlands and their food supply; and predation.
Study
Although he had previously worked with compelling species like mountain lions and wolves in Yellowstone, Shields sees the swans as “awfully charismatic birds.” After all, they are big - weighing more than 20 pounds and with wings spanning 8 feet. That makes them the largest wild waterfowl on the continent. They can also live a long time, up to 25 years, and will mate for life.
In an attempt to understand why the birds are struggling to survive and reproduce in the park, since 2018 Shields has been talking to park scientists, collecting and collating existing data in search of answers. He hopes to publish his findings next spring.
Release
On Sept. 19, staff from the park, Wyoming Wetlands Society and the Ricketts Conservation Foundation released eight young swans, called cygnets, at Alum Creek in the Hayden Valley. Such releases have taken place every year since 2012. Since then, more than 40 birds have been freed.
“This release is part of an ongoing restoration project to increase territorial pairs of swans which have undergone a decades-long decline in the park,” according to a park press release. “Researchers are collecting population data such as nest success, number of territorial pairs, and the number of cygnets produced each year. This data may help determine the reasons for the decline.
“Recent releases and other restoration efforts have bolstered the population to over 20 birds and five territorial pairs, including natural reproduction in some years,” the park’s staff said.
Similar cygnet releases have taken place in the Madison, Bitterroot and Blackfoot valleys in Montana, as well as the Jackson region in Wyoming.
Survival
The idea of releasing young birds is that they will imprint on the area and return to nest. Trumpeters won’t breed until they are 4 years old.
Because the park tags the cygnets on the leg, to make the identification less visible to tourists, it can be difficult for park staff to assess how many of the cygnets stick around or return.
Without parents to help them through the winter, survival for the big birds is difficult. They are a target for predators, from eagles to coyotes. Wyoming has recorded deaths of 30 to 40 swans in a year, some killed by flying into power lines. Lead poisoning, caused by eating lead shotgun pellets which were long ago banned for waterfowl hunting, is also a cause of death. Occasionally they are shot by poachers, like seven swans killed on a pond between Belgrade and Manhattan in February.
RMP
The Yellowstone swans are part of what’s known as the Rocky Mountain Population, which stretches all the way north to Alaska. By 1900, they had been eliminated from most of their historical range in the United States and Canada, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Habitat conservation, hunting regulations, winter feeding and reintroduction efforts built the population back up from a few hundred birds to 35,000 nationwide, as of 2016. About 80% of the Rocky Mountain Population winters on ice-free waters in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which is spread across the states of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Only a portion of those birds remain in the GYE to nest in the spring.
Yellowstone’s known population of trumpeter swans peaked at 72 in 1961 and fell to only four birds in 2009 and 2010. In 2019, 27 swans were counted, 21 of which were adults.
The fragmented trumpeter population in the GYE is known to be connected to other swan populations, but to what extent is uncertain, Shields said.
Researchers have discovered new insights into mammal, fish and bird migrations in recent years thanks to smaller, lighter tracking devices, some of which are solar powered. Fitting Yellowstone’s trumpeters with such GPS monitors to see where they go and when could someday add to the database about the big birds. The devices are expensive, however.
The release of cygnets in September is part of a public/private partnership between the National Park Service, Wyoming Wetlands Society, Ricketts Conservation Foundation and Montana State University.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Malaysia's king rejects PM's proposal to declare emergency

KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia ( AP ) - Malaysia ’ s king on Sunday rejected a proposal by embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to declare a state of emergency to fight a new outbreak of the coronavirus .
The plan by Muhyiddin , which involves suspending Parliament , has sparked national outrage , with critics slamming the move as an undemocratic means for him to hang on to power amid challenges to his leadership .
The palace said in a statement that Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah “ is of the opinion that there is currently no need for His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this country or any part of Malaysia.
” Muhyiddin met with the monarch on Friday to seek royal assent but hasn ’ t made any public comment .
The palace ’ s statement came after the king conferred with other royal households earlier Sunday to discuss the prime minister ’ s proposal .
Sultan Abdullah said the government has handled the pandemic well and believes that Muhyiddin is capable of implementing measures to cope with the crisis .
But the monarch called for a halt to “ all politicking ” that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The king can declare a state of emergency that allows the country to be governed through ordinances that can not be challenged in court .
Muhyiddin took power in March after instigating the cause of the former reformist alliance , but his government is shaky , with only a two-seat majority in Parliament .
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has alleged that he has the support of a majority of lawmakers to topple Muhyiddin , but hasn ’ t managed to secure the monarch ’ s support .
Still , Muhyiddin faces a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is due to seek approval for its 2021 budget in Parliament .
If he is unable to pass the bill , pressure will build for him to resign or call new elections .
A state of emergency could allow him to delay that vote and consolidate support .
The king said there was “ no need for MPs to continue with irresponsible actions that can affect the stability of the government.
” He stressed that the budget is crucial in the fight against COVID-19 and to restore the economy , and urged Malaysians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s spread .
Malaysia ’ s coronavirus cases doubled to more than 26,000 in just three weeks following a new outbreak , mainly in Sabah state on Borneo island .
Politicians from both sides of the divide as well as the Bar Council , the medical association and other groups have said there is no need for an emergency decree because there are sufficient laws to curb public movement and impose penalties to curb the virus .
Some also have warned that declaring an emergency could plunge the country into a dictatorship and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have cited sources as saying that Muhyiddin wanted an “ economic emergency ” to merely suspend Parliament , without any curfew .
The last time emergency laws were invoked nationally was in 1969 during deadly racial riots .
Muhyiddin withdrew his party from Anwar ’ s reformist alliance that won 2018 elections and joined with the opposition to form a Malay-centric government in March .
Then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned in protest , saying he wouldn ’ t work with the corruption-tainted opposition that he ousted in 2018 polls .
Apart from Anwar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key ally in his ruling coalition , which is angry about being sidelined despite being the biggest party .

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia’s king on Sunday rejected a proposal by embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to declare a state of emergency to fight a new outbreak of the coronavirus.
The plan by Muhyiddin, which involves suspending Parliament, has sparked national outrage, with critics slamming the move as an undemocratic means for him to hang on to power amid challenges to his leadership.
The palace said in a statement that Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah “is of the opinion that there is currently no need for His Majesty to declare a state of emergency in this country or any part of Malaysia.”
Hours later, Muhyiddin said the Cabinet took note of the king’s decision and will further discuss the decree.
“The priority of the Cabinet and the government at this time is to protect citizens from the COVID-19 disease,” he said in a brief statement. He also welcomed the king’s advice to ensure his government’s stability. Local media said the Cabinet is expected to meet later Monday.
Sultan Abdullah, who earlier Sunday conferred with other royal households on the emergency proposal, said the government has handled the pandemic well and believes Muhyiddin is capable of implementing measures to cope with the crisis. But the monarch called for a halt to “all politicking” that could disrupt the government’s stability.
The king can declare a state of emergency that allows the country to be governed through ordinances that cannot be challenged in court.
Muhyiddin took power in March after instigating the cause of the former reformist alliance, but his government is shaky, with only a two-seat majority in Parliament.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has alleged that he has the support of a majority of lawmakers to topple Muhyiddin, but hasn’t managed to secure the monarch’s support.
Still, Muhyiddin faces a key test early next month when his government is due to seek approval for its 2021 budget in Parliament. If he is unable to pass the bill, pressure will build for him to resign or call new elections. A state of emergency could allow him to delay that vote and consolidate support.
The king said there was “no need for MPs to continue with irresponsible actions that can affect the stability of the government.” He stressed that the budget is crucial in the fight against COVID-19 and to restore the economy, and urged Malaysians to unite to stem the virus’s spread.
Many Malaysians praised the king’s decision on social media. Despite the king’s rebuff, his endorsement of Muhyiddin’s government may help the premier get the budget bill passed.
Malaysia’s coronavirus cases doubled to more than 26,000 in just three weeks following a new outbreak, mainly in Sabah state on Borneo island.
Politicians from both sides of the divide as well as the Bar Council, the medical association and other groups have said there is no need for an emergency decree because there are sufficient laws to curb public movement and impose penalties to curb the virus. Some also have warned that declaring an emergency could plunge the country into a dictatorship and ruin the economy.
Some media outlets have cited sources as saying that Muhyiddin wanted an “economic emergency” to merely suspend Parliament, without any curfew. The last time emergency laws were invoked nationally was in 1969 during deadly racial riots.
Muhyiddin withdrew his party from Anwar’s reformist alliance that won 2018 elections and joined with the opposition to form a Malay-centric government in March. Then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned in protest, saying he wouldn’t work with the corruption-tainted opposition that he ousted in 2018 polls.
Apart from Anwar, Muhyiddin also faces threats from the key ally in his ruling coalition, which is angry about being sidelined despite being the biggest party.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Polish women protest new abortion restriction in churches

WARSAW , Poland ( AP ) - Women ’ s rights activists in Poland staged protests during Sunday church services in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation against a tightening of the nation ’ s already restrictive abortion law .
In the fourth straight day of protests , activists held up banners during Masses in some churches , according to Polish media and posts on social media .
A young woman in one Warsaw church stood near the altar with a sign that said “ Let ’ s pray for the right to abortion.
” The actions on Sunday follow a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional court that declared that aborting fetuses with congenital defects is unconstitutional .
Poland already had one of Europe ’ s most restrictive abortion laws , and the ruling will result in a near-complete ban on abortion .
Women ’ s Strike , the organizer of the protests , argues that forcing women to give birth to badly deformed fetuses will result in unnecessary physical and mental suffering .
In Otwock , a town near Warsaw , a banner with the slogan “ Women ’ s Hell ” was hung on a church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a crucified pregnant woman intended for hanging outside churches , according to media reports , though it was not immediately clear how many were hung .
A right wing news portal , Do Rzeczy , called it a “ scandalous protests by feminists.
” Thursday ’ s ruling came as Poland ’ s nationalist conservative ruling party has politicized the courts - including the constitutional court - and used discriminatory language against LGBT people .
Last week , the president swore in a new education minister who has said that LGBT people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” has argued in support of corporal punishment and said women ’ s key purpose in life is to have children .
Health Ministry figures show that 1,110 legal abortions were carried out in Poland in 2019 , mostly because of fetal defects .
The only other legal cases remaining for abortion are rape or incest or if the pregnancy threatens the woman ’ s life or health .
Women ’ s Strike says it is planning further actions in the coming days , including blockades of cities on Monday , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street protests on Friday .

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Women’s rights activists furious over a tightening of Poland’s already restrictive abortion law staged protests outside and inside churches Sunday, disrupting Masses and finding themselves confronted with accusations of “barbaric” behavior.
With the coronavirus surging in Poland, large protests also erupted for a fourth straight night in cities large and small across the nation, including in Warsaw, Gdansk and Poznan, where police on horseback guarded a church.
In the southern city of Katowice, tensions were high as a large presence of riot police separated protesters and about 30 people with the All-Polish Youth, a far-right ultranationalist group. Police used tear gas and scuffled with the women’s rights protesters after they began to push the police toward the anti-abortion group, the RMF FM broadcaster reported.
At the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, a group of far-right nationalists blocked stairs leading to the entrance. When one woman managed to push her way through, the nationalists grabbed her and forced her down the stairs.
A video posted from the northern Polish city of Szczecinek showed young women surrounding a priest and yelling at him to “Go back to the church” and to “F— off.”
The actions on Sunday follow a ruling on Thursday by Poland’s constitutional court that declared that aborting fetuses with congenital defects is unconstitutional. Poland already had one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws, and the ruling will result in a near-complete ban on abortion.
TVN24, a private news station, broadcast images of farmers on tractors driving through the town of Nowy Dwor Gdanski in support of women’s reproductive rights. A sign on one tractor said, “We want choice, not PiS terror.” PiS is the Polish acronym for the country’s conservative governing party, Law and Justice.
Scenes of angry young women entering churches and confronting priests with obscenities signals a dramatic historical change in Poland, where the Roman Catholic Church has been venerated for centuries as the highest authority and where such events would have been unthinkable not so long ago.
The Catholic Church earned respect during the communist era for supporting pro-democracy dissidents in their struggle for freedom, and the late Polish pope St. John Paul II is held up as a national hero.
But today, its authority is being challenged as it supports the country’s right-wing government and struggles to manage a string of clerical abuse scandals.
Sunday’s events marked a further escalation of a culture war in Poland as women’s and LGBT rights activists have increasingly turned to more radical protest methods after feeling that years of lobbying for greater rights have not brought the desired results.
A young woman in one Warsaw church stood near the altar with a sign that said “Let’s pray for the right to abortion.”
An LGBT rights group, Grupa Stonewall, posted a video showing people protesting in a church in the western Polish city of Poznan, chanting “We’ve had enough!” Churchgoers replied by chanting “Barbarians!”
People also spray-painted churches with slogans and the phone number to an organization aiding women seeking abortions abroad or abortion pills.
Poznan Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, chairman of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, called for “social peace.”
“The position of the Catholic Church on the right to life is unchanged; obscenities, violence and disrupting services as well as profanation are not the right method of action,” Gadecki said in a statement. “I ask everyone to express their views in a socially acceptable way.”
Women’s Strike, the organizer of the protests, argues that forcing women to give birth to fetuses with severe defects will result in unnecessary physical and mental suffering.
The organization vowed more protests in the coming week, including blockades of cities on Monday, a nationwide strike by women on Wednesday and street protests on Friday.
The actions are planned at a time when the Polish government is struggling to contain escalating coronavirus cases and anger over restrictions causing economic pain.
Health Ministry figures show that 1,110 legal abortions were carried out in Poland in 2019, mostly because of fetal defects. The only other legal cases remaining for abortion are rape or incest or if the pregnancy threatens the woman’s life or health.


washingtontimes--2020-10-25--Pope names 13 new cardinals, includes WDC Archbishop Gregory

VATICAN CITY ( AP ) - Pope Francis on Sunday named 13 new cardinals , including Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory , who would become the first Black U.S. prelate to earn the coveted red hat .
In a surprise announcement from his studio window to faithful standing below in St. Peter ’ s Square , Francis said the churchmen would be elevated to a cardinal ’ s rank in a ceremony on Nov. 28 .
Other new cardinals include an Italian who is the long-time papal preacher at the Vatican , the Rev .
Raniero Cantalamessa , a Franciscan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Archbishop Antoine Kambanda ; the Capiz , Philippines , Archbishop Jose Feurte Advincula , and the Santiago , Chile , Archbishop Celestino Aos Braco .
Another Franciscan who was tapped is Friar Mauro Gambetti , in charge of the Sacred Convent in Assisi .
The pope , when elected in 2013 , chose St. Francis of Assisi as his namesake saint .
Earlier this month , the pontiff journeyed to that hill town in Umbria to sign an encyclical , or important church teaching document , about brotherhood .
In a reflection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in need , Francis also named the former director of the Rome Catholic charity , Caritas , the Rev .
Enrico Feroci , to be a cardinal .
Wilton , 73 , was picked by Francis to lead the prestigious diocese in the U.S. capital last year .
The prelate has his pulse on factions in the U.S. Catholic Church , which has both strong conservative and liberal veins since he served three times as the head of the U.S. Conference of Bishops .
Nine of the new cardinals are younger than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next pontiff in a secret conclave .
Some cardinals head powerful Vatican offices , and pontiffs frequently turn to cardinals for advice .
No details were immediately given by the Vatican about the concistory , as the formal ceremony to make the churchmen cardinals is known , especially in view of travel restrictions involving many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic .
As he has in other groups of cardinals he tapped in his papacy , Francis in this selection reflected the global nature of the Catholic Church and his flock of 1.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Maltese prelate , Monsignor Mario Grech ; Monsignor Marcello Semeraro , an Italian serving as prefect of the Vatican office which runs the saint-making process ; Bishop Cornelius Sim , a Brunei native who serves as apostolic vicar of Brunei ; the Italian archbishop of Siena and nearby towns in Tuscany , Augusto Lojudice ; the retired bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas , Mexico , Monsignor Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel ; and an Italian former Vatican diplomat , Archbishop Silvano Tomasi .
Churchmen over 80 who are named cardinals are chosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the church .
Those in this batch too old to vote in a conclave are Cantalamessa , Tomasi , Feroci and Arizmendi Esquivel .

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday named 13 new cardinals, including Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who would become the first Black U.S. prelate to earn the coveted red hat.
In a surprise announcement from his studio window to faithful standing below in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said the churchmen would be elevated to a cardinal’s rank in a ceremony on Nov. 28.
Francis asked for prayers so the new cardinals “may help me in my ministry as bishop of Rome for the good of all God’s faithful holy people.”
The selection of Gregory won praise from LGBTQ advocates in the United States, days after Pope Francis grabbed headlines for voicing support for civil unions for gay couples.
Other new cardinals include an Italian who is the long-time papal preacher at the Vatican, the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, who is a Franciscan friar; the Kigali, Rwanda, Archbishop Antoine Kambanda; the Capiz, Philippines, Archbishop Jose Feurte Advincula, and the Santiago, Chile, Archbishop Celestino Aos Braco.
Another Franciscan who was tapped is Friar Mauro Gambetti, in charge of the Sacred Convent in Assisi. The pope, when elected in 2013, chose St. Francis of Assisi as his namesake saint. Earlier this month, the pontiff journeyed to that hill town in Umbria to sign an encyclical, or important church teaching document, about brotherhood.
Gambetti was so surprised, at first he thought the pope was joking when he heard he was named, convent spokesperson the Rev. Enzo Fortunato said. Gambetti quickly pledged to “put himself at the service of humanity at a time so difficult to us all,” including offering compassion to the needy, Fortunato said in reference to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a reflection of the pope’s stress on helping those in need, Francis also named the former director of the Rome Catholic charity, Caritas, the Rev. Enrico Feroci, to be a cardinal.
The prestigious Washington archdiocese traditionally brings elevation to cardinal’s rank, so the appointment of Gregory, 73, last year by the pope had positioned him to be tapped for the honor.
Still, the timing of his rise to cardinal is noteworthy, coming in the thick of increased U.S. attention on racial injustice following the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minnesota this year. Gregory was publicly critical of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington a day after civil rights demonstrators were forcibly cleared from a square to facilitate the president’s visit to an Episcopal church in the U.S. capital.
Gregory has had his pulse on factions in the U.S. Catholic Church, which has both strong conservative and liberal veins since he served three times as the head of the U.S. Conference of Bishops.
Conservative prelates in the United States have openly lambasted Francis for his more liberal stands, including his support for same-sex civil unions that came out in a new documentary this week.
Gregory said in a statement that becoming a cardinal would allow him to work more closely with the pontiff in caring for the Catholic Church.
While Gregory headed the Atlanta diocese earlier in his career, he wrote positively in a column about his conversations with Catholic parents of LGBTQ children. An advocate for LGBTQ Catholics, Francis DeBernardo, told The Associated Press that choosing Gregory for a cardinal’s post signals Francis wants “LGBTQ people to be part of the church, and he wants church people to respect them.”
DeBernardo linked the appointment to Francis’ recently reported comments supporting civil unions for same-sex couples.
He also praised the elevation to cardinal’s rank of a Vatican bishop who comes from Malta, a tiny, traditionally Catholic nation which has made significant progress in LGBTQ civil rights and protections in recent years.
DeBernardo was referring to Mario Grech, 63, who serves at the Vatican as secretary general of the Synod of Bishops office and who formerly headed the diocese on the Maltese island of Gozo.
“Since naming cardinals also affects who the next pontiff will be, the pope also shows that he is planning for the future of the church to continue in this affirming posture on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity,” the U.S.-based DeBernardo said in a written statement.
Not all of the pope’s picks might stir positive recollections.
In 2010, while preaching at a Good Friday service attended by the then-pope, Benedict XVI, Cantalamessa upset both Jewish and sex abuse survivors’ groups when he likened allegations that the pontiff had covered up sex abuse cases against clerics to the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism.” The Vatican quickly distanced Benedict from Cantalamessa’s remarks.
Nine of the new cardinals are younger than 80, and thus eligible to elect the next pontiff in a secret conclave. Some cardinals head powerful Vatican offices, and pontiffs frequently turn to cardinals for advice.
No details were immediately given by the Vatican about the formal ceremony to make the churchmen cardinals, especially in view of travel restrictions involving many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As he has in other groups of cardinals he tapped in his papacy, Francis in this selection reflected the global nature of the Catholic Church and his flock of 1.2 billion Catholics.
Others receiving the honor include Monsignor Marcello Semeraro, an Italian serving as prefect of the Vatican office which runs the saint-making process; Bishop Cornelius Sim, a Brunei native who serves as apostolic vicar of Brunei; the Italian archbishop of Siena and nearby towns in Tuscany, Augusto Lojudice; the retired bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, Monsignor Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel; and an Italian former Vatican diplomat, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi.
Churchmen over 80 who are named cardinals are chosen to honor their life of service to the church. Those in this batch too old to vote in a conclave are Cantalamessa, Tomasi, Feroci and Arizmendi Esquivel.
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David Crary in New York and Elana Schor in Washington, D.C., contributed reporting.