washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Biden, Harris aim to tip battleground Arizona for Democrats

PHOENIX ( AP ) - When Dolores Novoa left Orange County , California , for her new home in a Phoenix suburb , there was one thing at the top of her to-do list .
“ As soon as I got here , I did my civic duty .
I registered , ” said Novoa , a 70-year-old Latina and retired legal secretary who now lives in Peoria , Arizona .
She immediately voted in local elections and is eager to cast a ballot for Democrat Joe Biden for president .
Newcomers lsuch as Novoa are helping turn Arizona increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a decade ago as a the epicenter of the Republican anti-illegal immigration push into the nation ’ s newest political battleground .
With early voting underway and millions of ballots in the mail , the home of pathbreaking Republicans from Barry Goldwater to John McCain to Sandra Day O ’ Connor is a top Democratic target this year .
Biden and his running mate , California Sen. Kamala Harris , were scheduled to visit the Phoenix area on Thursday , campaigning together for the first time since the Democratic convention .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Harris ’ debate performance Wednesday night and amid concerns about the Democratic ticket ’ s exposure to the coronavirus is a sign of how important the state is to their calculus .
Not to be ignored , Vice President Mike Pence planned to campaign across town in his fourth appearance in the state this year .
But some Republicans are increasingly anxious about their prospects .
“ I didn ’ t think it would happen this soon , ” said former Republican Gov .
Jan Brewer , who rose to national prominence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-illegal immigration law in 2010 and publicly feuded with then-President Barack Obama .
“ But I think we have done a bad job of trying to educate them , the new population , that they ought to be Republican.
” Veteran lawmakers and political operatives point to three main factors driving Arizona ’ s move away from Republicans : Democratic-leaning newcomers such as Novoa ; a young Latino population that was politically activated by Arizona ’ s immigration fights of the past decade and is now reaching voting age ; and the turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state appears to be following a pattern seen elsewhere in the West from solidly Republican to up for grabs .
To varying degrees , Nevada , Colorado and New Mexico have all moved closer to Democrats since the turn of the century .
Democrats point to Brewer ’ s decision a decade ago to sign SB1070 , a law that cracked down on immigrants living in the country illegally , and immigration roundups by Sheriff Joe Arpaio .
Young Latinos organized , ousting the legislator who sponsored the legislation in 2011 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process , they built a progressive infrastructure that endures .
“ It created a whole new class of activists and organizing , ” said U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego , who represents many of Phoenix ’ s Latino neighborhoods .
“ I came out of the 1070 movement .
A lot of the state reps , state senators , voter registration organizations - all were born because of SB1070.
” Brewer , who has never wavered from her support for the immigration bill , agrees that it galvanized Latinos .
“ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they utilized to bring people together , ” Brewer said .
Trump won Arizona by 3.5 percentage points in 2016 and has worked overtime to keep it in his column .
He ’ s made five trips to the state in 2020 ; plans for two more rallies this week were scuttled after his coronavirus diagnosis .
Since 1952 , a Democrat has won Arizona only once - Bill Clinton in 1996 .
But public polling has consistently shown Biden with a narrow lead .
Biden ’ s path to an Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Phoenix and its rapidly growing suburbs .
It ’ s grown 18 % in the past decade , according to Census Bureau data .
Once a reliable Republican stronghold , it went comfortably for Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2018 , a victory that got attention in Washington and opened the spigot of money for Democrats and progressive organizing groups .
Democrats have long dominated in the Tucson area .
Biden will look to run up the score there and on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona .
Trump ’ s hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburban women he ’ s alienated and picking up votes in the whiter areas of rural Arizona , where he remains popular .
Arizona is in the midst of a political transition away from the old-guard Republicans who held sway among moderate voters , such as Sens .
McCain and Jeff Flake , said Lorna Romero , a Republican consultant who worked on McCain ’ s last re-election campaign .
McCain died in 2018 and Flake walked away from politics after angering the GOP base by feuding publicly with Trump .
Now those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking around , and some are finding they ’ re open to Democrats like Biden , she said .
“ We have a group of Republicans that don ’ t really have a home , ” Romero said .
“ They ’ re trying to figure out who that is .
”

PHOENIX (AP) - Joe Biden and Kamala Harris pitched an economic message Thursday during their first joint appearance on the campaign trail, hammering President Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and a failure to address the needs of working Americans.
“You’re facing real challenges right now, and the last thing you need is a president who exacerbates them, who ignores you,” Biden told a union crowd in Phoenix, adding that Trump “looks down on you.”
“We’ve paid too high a price already for Donald Trump’s chaotic, divisive leadership.”
The Democratic presidential ticket chose Arizona to kick off a bus tour, underscoring the significance of a state whose 11 Electoral College votes could tip the scales if Trump can rebound from his fall slump. Vice President Mike Pence was campaigning in the state as well Thursday.
Harris introduced Biden by blasting Trump’s “reckless disregard for human life and for the well-being of the American people” when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. She encouraged Arizonans to vote “like your life depends on it,” because, she says, “it really does.”
Early voting began this week in Arizona, and both Biden and Harris placed a heavy emphasis on the importance of getting to the polls. Speaking of Republicans, Biden warned that “they’re setting up the argument that these votes aren’t gonna matter,” and mentioned Trump’s comments during the first presidential debate that a far-right group should “stand back and stand by.”
“This is serious stuff. We can’t just win by a vote. We have got to all turn out,” he said.
Thursday’s bus tour marked Biden’s first trip to Arizona as the presidential nominee, but it was a long time coming for a campaign that for months has singled out the state for expanding the battleground map, owing to demographic changes, new residents and a noticeable realignment away from Republicans among key suburban voters.
Arizona’s transformation seems stark for a state that just a decade ago was the epicenter of Republicans’ push against anti-illegal immigration push. But with early voting underway and millions of ballots in the mail, the home of pathbreaking Republicans from Barry Goldwater to John McCain to Sandra Day O’Connor is a top Democratic target this year, and some Republicans are anxious.
While the Trump campaign projects confidence in a state the president won by 3.5 percentage points four years ago, it’s notable that Thursday marks Pence’s fourth trip to the state this year, on top of Trump’s five trips in 2020.
“I didn’t think it would happen this soon,” said former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer of the shift. Brewer rose to national prominence when she signed the state’s anti-illegal immigration law in 2010 and publicly feuded with then-President Barack Obama. “But I think we have done a bad job of trying to educate them, the new population, that they ought to be Republican.”
Veteran lawmakers and political operatives point to three main factors driving Arizona’s move away from Republicans: Democratic-leaning newcomers such as Novoa; a young Latino population that was politically activated by Arizona’s immigration fights of the past decade and is now reaching voting age; and the turn away from the GOP by suburban women.
The state appears to be following a pattern seen elsewhere in the West, going from solidly Republican to up for grabs. To varying degrees, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico have all moved closer to Democrats since the turn of the century.
Democrats point to Brewer’s decision a decade ago to sign SB1070, a law that cracked down on immigrants living in the country illegally, and immigration roundups by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Young Latinos organized, ousting the legislator who sponsored the legislation in 2011 and Arpaio in 2016. In the process, they built a progressive infrastructure that endures.
“It created a whole new class of activists and organizing,” said U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, who represents many of Phoenix’s Latino neighborhoods. “I came out of the 1070 movement. A lot of the state reps, state senators, voter registration organizations - all were born because of SB1070.”
Brewer, who has never wavered from her support for the immigration bill, agrees that it galvanized Latinos.
“I’m sure it was probably a rallying cry that they utilized to bring people together,” Brewer said.
Trump has worked overtime to keep Arizona in his column, and he had two more rallies scuttled here this week after his coronavirus diagnosis.
Since 1952, a Democrat has won Arizona only once - Bill Clinton in 1996, with about 46% of the vote. Public polling has shown Biden with a narrow but consistent lead over Trump, who also finished shy of a majority in his victory four years ago.
Biden’s path to an Arizona victory runs through Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and its rapidly growing suburbs. It has grown 18% in the past decade, according to Census Bureau data. Once a reliable Republican stronghold, it went comfortably for Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2018, a victory that got attention in Washington and opened the spigot of money for Democrats and progressive organizing groups.
Democrats have long dominated in the Tucson area. Biden will look to run up the score there and on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.
Trump’s hopes lie in winning back some of the suburban women he’s alienated and picking up votes in the whiter areas of rural Arizona, where he remains popular.
___
Jaffe reported from Washington.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--'Empire' star Taraji P. Henson hailed for mental health work

“ Empire ” star Taraji P. Henson has enjoyed wealth , celebrity , a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination .
But behind the scenes , she ’ s battled anxiety and depression .
On Thursday , the 50-year-old actress and filmmaker - who has spoken publicly and powerfully about her private struggles - was honored by the Boston-based Ruderman Family Foundation for her work to end the stigma around mental illness .
“ It ’ s OK to not be OK , ” Henson , the latest recipient of the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Tell someone .
Your vulnerability is actually your strength.
” Henson was nominated for an Oscar for 2008 ’ s “ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
” She also won critical acclaim for 2016 ’ s “ Hidden Figures , ” about three African American mathematicians at NASA who played a key role in the early days of the U.S. space program , and won a 2016 Golden Globe for her role as Cookie Lyon in television ’ s “ Empire ” series .
In 2018 , the Washington , D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation to stop those with mental illness from being stigmatized - especially Blacks , who she says are less likely to seek treatment .
This year , with the coronavirus pandemic complicating people ’ s mental health struggles , Henson ’ s foundation has been helping African Americans - who ’ ve been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 - access free online therapy .
Henson named the foundation for her father , a military veteran whom she said “ returned broken ” from his service in Vietnam .
The organization , she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African Americans who face trauma daily simply because they are Black.
” Henson also is among several actors participating in a series of virtual panels about inclusion and equity in Hollywood hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , the organization that puts on the Oscars .
The Ruderman Family Foundation works for more inclusion and opportunities for the disabled .
Previous recipients of its award include filmmaker brothers Peter and Bobby Farrelly , Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps , Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin and former Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force behind the Americans with Disabilities Act .
“ When role models and influencers like Taraji are so vocal about their own experiences with mental illness , it has the potential to inspire millions of people to accept their own mental health issues and find healthy ways to address them , ” said Jay Ruderman , president of the group .
“ But it hasn ’ t just been words with Taraji .
She took action , ” he said .
“ We need more people like Taraji to continue to eliminate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities in America.
” Follow AP New England editor Bill Kole on Twitter at http : //twitter.com/billkole .

“Empire” star Taraji P. Henson has enjoyed wealth, celebrity, a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination. But behind the scenes, she’s battled anxiety and depression.
On Thursday, the 50-year-old actress and filmmaker - who has spoken publicly and powerfully about her private struggles - was honored by the Boston-based Ruderman Family Foundation for her work to end the stigma around mental illness.
“It’s OK to not be OK,” Henson, the latest recipient of the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion, told The Associated Press via email. “Tell someone. Your vulnerability is actually your strength.”
Henson was nominated for an Oscar for 2008’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” She also won critical acclaim for 2016’s “Hidden Figures,” about three African American mathematicians at NASA who played a key role in the early days of the U.S. space program, and won a 2016 Golden Globe for her role as Cookie Lyon in television’s “Empire” series.
In 2018, the Washington, D.C., native started the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to stop those with mental illness from being stigmatized - especially Blacks, who she says are less likely to seek treatment.
This year, with the coronavirus pandemic complicating people’s mental health struggles, Henson’s foundation has been helping African Americans - who’ve been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 - access free online therapy.
Henson named the foundation for her father, a military veteran whom she said “returned broken” from his service in Vietnam. The organization, she said, is “committed to offering support to African Americans who face trauma daily simply because they are Black.”
Henson also is among several actors participating in a series of virtual panels about inclusion and equity in Hollywood hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that puts on the Oscars.
The Ruderman Family Foundation works for more inclusion and opportunities for the disabled. Previous recipients of its award include filmmaker brothers Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps, Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin and former Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, of Iowa, a driving force behind the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“When role models and influencers like Taraji are so vocal about their own experiences with mental illness, it has the potential to inspire millions of people to accept their own mental health issues and find healthy ways to address them,” said Jay Ruderman, president of the group.
“But it hasn’t just been words with Taraji. She took action,” he said. “We need more people like Taraji to continue to eliminate the stigma around mental health across all our communities in America.”
___
Follow AP New England editor Bill Kole on Twitter at http://twitter.com/billkole.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--2 Wisconsin prisoners die after contracting COVID-19

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) - At least two inmates of a Wisconsin prison have died after contracting the coronavirus , a medical examiner has confirmed .
The Dodge County Medical Examiner ’ s Office said two prisoners at the Dodge Correctional Institution died in September , the Wisconsin State Journal reported .
The state Department of Corrections does not report the deaths because of privacy laws .
“ As it relates to the death of any person in our care , the DOC is a HIPAA-covered entity and privacy protections prevent us from sharing information related to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” DOC said in a Wednesday statement .
A 63-year-old man died Sept. 12 from COVID-19 , Dodge County Medical Examiner PJ Schoebel said .
He had preexisting health conditions , including diabetes , obesity and high blood pressure , but Schoebel said an autopsy determined that the primary cause of death was COVID-19 .
On Sept. 15 , a 62-year-old man who tested positive for COVID-19 while incarcerated at Dodge Correctional died of lung cancer .
The coronavirus infection was a contributing factor to his death , Schoebel said .
Two other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Oshkosh Correctional Institution , are in the midst of large-scale COVID-19 outbreaks .
As of Wednesday , Kettle Moraine , in Sheboygan County , had 417 active cases among inmates , which is the largest outbreak in a Wisconsin prison yet .
Sheboygan County Medical Examiner Chris Nehring said there have been no reported COVID-19 deaths , or any deaths for that matter , at Kettle Moraine within the last six months .
The Winnebago County Coroner ’ s Office declined to comment on whether any COVID-19 deaths have occurred at Oshkosh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases among inmates as of Wednesday .

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - At least two inmates of a Wisconsin prison have died after contracting the coronavirus, a medical examiner has confirmed.
The Dodge County Medical Examiner’s Office said two prisoners at the Dodge Correctional Institution died in September, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The state Department of Corrections does not report the deaths because of privacy laws.
“As it relates to the death of any person in our care, the DOC is a HIPAA-covered entity and privacy protections prevent us from sharing information related to their medical diagnoses or cause of death,” DOC said in a Wednesday statement.
A 63-year-old man died Sept. 12 from COVID-19, Dodge County Medical Examiner PJ Schoebel said. He had preexisting health conditions, including diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, but Schoebel said an autopsy determined that the primary cause of death was COVID-19.
On Sept. 15, a 62-year-old man who tested positive for COVID-19 while incarcerated at Dodge Correctional died of lung cancer. The coronavirus infection was a contributing factor to his death, Schoebel said.
Two other Wisconsin prisons, Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution and Oshkosh Correctional Institution, are in the midst of large-scale COVID-19 outbreaks.
As of Wednesday, Kettle Moraine, in Sheboygan County, had 417 active cases among inmates, which is the largest outbreak in a Wisconsin prison yet.
Sheboygan County Medical Examiner Chris Nehring said there have been no reported COVID-19 deaths, or any deaths for that matter, at Kettle Moraine within the last six months.
The Winnebago County Coroner’s Office declined to comment on whether any COVID-19 deaths have occurred at Oshkosh Correctional, which had 344 active positive cases among inmates as of Wednesday.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Police arrest man after 3 shot, wounded outside Topeka hotel

TOPEKA , Kan. ( AP ) - Police announced the arrest of a man following an overnight shooting outside a @ @ @ @ @ people .
Officers were called around 2:40 a.m. Thursday to a Holiday Inn in north @ @ @ @ @ a fight , police said in a news release .
Arriving officers found two people @ @ @ @ @ Both victims gave investigators a description of the shooter and were taken to a hospital @ @ @ @ @ be life-threatening , police said .
More than two hours later , police found a @ @ @ @ @ was also treated for injuries .
Police did not immediately release the identities of those @ @ @ @ @ Reisinger , 20 , on suspicion of two counts of aggravated robbery , three counts @ @ @ @ @ damage , according to the release .

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Police announced the arrest of a man following an overnight shooting outside a Topeka hotel that injured three people.
Officers were called around 2:40 a.m. Thursday to a Holiday Inn in north Topeka for a report of a fight, police said in a news release. Arriving officers found two people suffering from gunshot wounds.
Both victims gave investigators a description of the shooter and were taken to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, police said. More than two hours later, police found a third shooting victim, who was also treated for injuries.
Police did not immediately release the identities of those shot.
Police arrested Jacob Reisinger, 20, on suspicion of two counts of aggravated robbery, three counts of aggravated battery and criminal damage, according to the release.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--French soccer clubs face missed payments from pay TV deal

PARIS ( AP ) - French soccer clubs hit by falling revenue during the coronavirus pandemic face missed payments from @ @ @ @ @ broadcaster Mediapro .
The French league said Thursday it refused a request from Mediapro to @ @ @ @ @ a four-season pay TV contract .
The league said its priority is “ to ensure @ @ @ @ @ deadline date of October 17.
” Spain-based Mediapro is due to pay a reported 172 @ @ @ @ @ million ) in October .
The contract is worth 780 million euros ( $ 917 @ @ @ @ @ show games from the top division , and 34 million euros for the second tier @ @ @ @ @ Téléfoot .
The European Club Association revealed last month its members lost prize money from @ @ @ @ @ League last season because UEFA was paying back broadcasters 575 million euros .
Schedules were @ @ @ @ @ that started in March , and UEFA ’ s competitions were completed in August with @ @ @ @ @ rounds .

PARIS (AP) - French soccer clubs hit by falling revenue during the coronavirus pandemic face missed payments from a new television deal with broadcaster Mediapro.
The French league said Thursday it refused a request from Mediapro to delay instalments just months into a four-season pay TV contract.
The league said its priority is “to ensure payment to clubs by the deadline date of October 17.”
Spain-based Mediapro is due to pay a reported 172 million euros ($202 million) in October.
The contract is worth 780 million euros ($917 million) per season to show games from the top division, and 34 million euros for the second tier, on the subscription service Téléfoot.
The European Club Association revealed last month its members lost prize money from the Champions League and Europa League last season because UEFA was paying back broadcasters 575 million euros.
Schedules were disrupted during the soccer shutdown that started in March, and UEFA’s competitions were completed in August with fewer games in the knockout rounds.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Washington man fatally shot in Portland hotel

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) - Officers from Portland ’ s Central Precinct responded to a shooting in a @ @ @ @ @ they found an adult male , injured from a gunshot wound .
The Daily News @ @ @ @ @ to an area hospital and later died .
The victim was identified as 23-year-old Shawn @ @ @ @ @ with no further details .
The family has been notified and provided a photograph for @ @ @ @ @ Medical Examiner ’ s Office determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound and @ @ @ @ @ a homicide .
There is no suspect information at this time .

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Officers from Portland’s Central Precinct responded to a shooting in a downtown hotel early Tuesday where they found an adult male, injured from a gunshot wound.
The Daily News reports the victim was transported to an area hospital and later died.
The victim was identified as 23-year-old Shawn Fujioka from southwest Washington, with no further details. The family has been notified and provided a photograph for release.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound and the manner has been ruled a homicide.
There is no suspect information at this time.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Police: Man who pointed a gun at deputies is fatally shot

FAYETTEVILLE , N.C. ( AP ) - Authorities in North Carolina are investigating a fatal shooting of a man by @ @ @ @ @ .
The Fayetteville Observer reports that the incident occurred Tuesday night in Cumberland County .
@ @ @ @ @ director with The State Bureau of Investigation , said deputies were conducting a well-being check @ @ @ @ @ said the deputies encountered a man who pointed a firearm at them .
She said @ @ @ @ @ .
The identities of the man who died and the deputies involved had not been @ @ @ @ @ .
It was the second shooting this year that involved a Cumberland County sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ 37-year-old Adrian Roberts was fatally shot in August while deputies said he charged at them @ @ @ @

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Authorities in North Carolina are investigating a fatal shooting of a man by a sheriff’s deputy.
The Fayetteville Observer reports that the incident occurred Tuesday night in Cumberland County.
Angie Grube, public information director with The State Bureau of Investigation, said deputies were conducting a well-being check at a home. Grube said the deputies encountered a man who pointed a firearm at them. She said the man was fatally shot.
The identities of the man who died and the deputies involved had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon.
It was the second shooting this year that involved a Cumberland County sheriff’s deputy. Police said 37-year-old Adrian Roberts was fatally shot in August while deputies said he charged at them with a machete.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Asia Today: Sri Lanka expands curfew, closes gov't offices

COLOMBO , Sri Lanka ( AP ) - Authorities in Sri Lanka have closed key government offices and further expanded a curfew in an attempt to contain a surging coronavirus outbreak .
The foreign ministry closed its consular affairs office for the week and suspended all services to prevent the public from congregating .
It said Thursday it would only accept queries and documentation assistance related to deaths of Sri Lankans overseas , strictly by appointment .
Other departments providing services related to revenue , immigration , pensions , vehicle license and registrations also closed for the week , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak that surfaced this week has quickly grown to 1,034 cases , and more than 2,000 other people have been asked to quarantine at home .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : Hong Kong reported 18 new coronavirus infections on Thursday , sparking fears that the city may experience a rebound in cases as the number of locally transmitted infections continues to rise .
Of the 18 infections , 14 were local , with at least one case having an unknown source of infection , according to health officials .
Eleven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a home for the disabled , a day after the first resident was confirmed to have been infected .
“ The numbers are indeed very worrying , ” said Constance Chan , director of Hong Kong ’ s department of health .
In the last week , Hong Kong has seen clusters of infections linked to a bar , a school and pharmacies .
The city ’ s health minister , Sophia Chan , said Thursday that the government is considering making it mandatory for people to be tested for the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would apply to all people or to specific groups .
Hong Kong has reported a total of 5,162 infections , including 105 deaths .
India has registered 78,524 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours , driving its confirmed total to 6.8 million .
The Health Ministry on Thursday also reported 971 deaths in the previous 24 hours , taking the death toll to 105,526 .
India ’ s confirmed daily cases have declined steadily for three weeks , from more than 86,000 in the last two weeks of September to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far this month .
Earlier in September , daily cases averaged around 93,000 .
More than 1.1 million samples have been tested daily on an average so far in October , according to the Health Ministry .
South Korea reported 69 new coronavirus cases , most of them in the Seoul region area where health workers are struggling to track transmissions linked to hospitals , churches , schools and an army unit .
The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday brought the national total to 24,422 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new cases were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area , home to about half of the country ’ s 51 million people .
The region has been at the center of a coronavirus resurgence since mid-August .

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Authorities in Sri Lanka have closed key government offices and further expanded a curfew in an attempt to contain a surging coronavirus outbreak.
The foreign ministry closed its consular affairs office for the week and suspended all services to prevent the public from congregating. It said Thursday it would only accept queries and documentation assistance related to deaths of Sri Lankans overseas, strictly by appointment.
Other departments providing services related to revenue, immigration, pensions, vehicle license and registrations also closed for the week, and a state-sponsored exhibition was canceled.
The outbreak that surfaced this week has quickly grown to 1,034 cases, and more than 2,000 other people have been asked to quarantine at home.
___
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
Myanmar reported 1,012 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, just a day after setting a record daily total of 1,400. The country’s total confirmed cases is now 22,445, including 535 deaths after 25 new fatalities were reported. Since the beginning of the month, the country’s cases have risen by 56% and its death toll has risen by 67%, despite the imposition of tight lockdown measures in Yangon, the country’s biggest city, where the highest number of infections have been found. Myanmar had recorded just 353 virus cases as of the beginning of August, but an upsurge later that month in the western state of Rakhine quickly spread to other parts of the country. In a nationally televised speech on Monday, Myanmar’s leader, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, urged people not to be too worried that daily increases in infections had climbed above 1,000. She said the government had acquired antigen test kits to detect cases more quickly. She acknowledged there was a shortage of beds in hospitals in some areas to isolate and treat patients, but said the health ministry was arranging more facilities.
___
Hong Kong reported 18 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, sparking fears that the city may experience a rebound in cases as the number of locally transmitted infections continues to rise. Of the 18 infections, 14 were local, with at least one case having an unknown source of infection, according to health officials. Eleven of the local infections were linked to a home for the disabled, a day after the first resident was confirmed to have been infected. “The numbers are indeed very worrying,” said Constance Chan, director of Hong Kong’s department of health. In the last week, Hong Kong has seen clusters of infections linked to a bar, a school and pharmacies. The city’s health minister, Sophia Chan, said Thursday that the government is considering making it mandatory for people to be tested for the coronavirus, although she did not specify whether it would apply to all people or to specific groups. Hong Kong has reported a total of 5,162 infections, including 105 deaths.
___
India has registered 78,524 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, driving its confirmed total to 6.8 million. The Health Ministry on Thursday also reported 971 deaths in the previous 24 hours, taking the death toll to 105,526. India’s confirmed daily cases have declined steadily for three weeks, from more than 86,000 in the last two weeks of September to an average of more than 70,000 cases so far this month. Earlier in September, daily cases averaged around 93,000. More than 1.1 million samples have been tested daily on an average so far in October, according to the Health Ministry.
___
South Korea reported 69 new coronavirus cases, most of them in the Seoul region area where health workers are struggling to track transmissions linked to hospitals, churches, schools and an army unit. The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday brought the national total to 24,422 cases, including 427 deaths. Forty-nine of the new cases were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area, home to about half of the country’s 51 million people. The region has been at the center of a coronavirus resurgence since mid-August.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--U.S. seizes 92 websites running Iranian disinformation campaign, after tip from Google

The U.S. government seized 92 websites allegedly running an Iranian global disinformation campaign , including several dozen that posed as news outlets but were operated by the Iranian regime .
The federal government ’ s investigation was prompted by information it received from Google , according to San Francisco FBI Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett .
The Justice Department said four of the websites were seized pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act ( FARA ) , which requires those engaged in political activities in the U.S. at the behest of a foreign power to register with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be news outlets , but the Justice Department said they were actually run by Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian government .
Eighty-eight other websites targeted audiences outside the U.S. , particularly in Western Europe , the Middle East , and Asia , to spread disinformation on behalf of the Iranian regime .
These websites operated without licenses from the Treasury Department ’ s Office of Foreign Assets Control , which was required given sanctions on Iran .
“ We will continue to use all of our tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. companies and social media to spread propaganda covertly , to attempt to influence the American public secretly , and to sow discord , ” said John C. Demers , assistant attorney general for national security , in a statement .
“ Fake news organizations have become a new outlet for disinformation spread by authoritarian countries as they continue to undermine our democracy.
” Mr. Bennett said Google , Facebook , and Twitter collaborated with the FBI to make the federal government ’ s crackdown possible .
“ This case is a perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Division prioritizes maintaining an ongoing relationship with a variety of social media and technology companies , ” Mr. Bennett said in the statement .
“ These relationships enable a quick exchange of information to better protect against threats to the nation ’ s security and our democratic processes.
” All of the 92 domains were seized pursuant to a warrant on Wednesday , and the Justice Department published a full list of the offending websites .

The federal government seized 92 websites it says was running an Iranian global disinformation campaign, including several dozen that posed as news outlets but were operated by the Iranian regime.
The federal government’s investigation was prompted by information it received from Google, according to San Francisco FBI Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
The Justice Department said four of the websites were seized under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people engaged in political activities in the U.S. at the behest of a foreign power to register with the government.
The four websites purported to be news outlets, but the Justice Department said they were run by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian government.
Eighty-eight other websites targeted audiences outside the U.S., particularly in Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia, to spread disinformation on behalf of Tehran. The websites operated without licenses from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which was required because of U.S. sanctions on Iran.
“We will continue to use all of our tools to stop the Iranian government from misusing U.S. companies and social media to spread propaganda covertly, to attempt to influence the American public secretly, and to sow discord,” said John C. Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, in a statement. “Fake news organizations have become a new outlet for disinformation spread by authoritarian countries as they continue to undermine our democracy.”
Mr. Bennett said Google, Facebook and Twitter collaborated with the FBI to make the government’s crackdown possible.
“This case is a perfect example of why the FBI San Francisco Division prioritizes maintaining an ongoing relationship with a variety of social media and technology companies,” Mr. Bennett said in a statement. “These relationships enable a quick exchange of information to better protect against threats to the nation’s security and our democratic processes.”
All of the 92 domains were seized Wednesday under a warrant. The Justice Department published a full list of the offending websites.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Pope commits to clean finances amid scandal in backyard

ROME ( AP ) - Pope Francis told European anti-money laundering experts Thursday that the Vatican was committed to “ clean finance , ” as he denounced financial speculation amid a spiraling corruption investigation in the heart of the Holy See .
It is rare for a head of state to meet with the Council of Europe ’ s Moneyval teams , who make periodic on-site visits to member states to evaluate their adherence to international standards to fight money-laundering and terrorist financing .
But amid the Vatican ’ s own financial scandal , which has exposed the Holy See @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donations from the faithful , Francis received the dozen members of the Moneyval team in a private audience in his library in the Apostolic Palace .
Citing Jesus ’ efforts to cast out the “ merchants from the temple , ” Francis praised the evaluators ’ work and policies aimed at “ monitoring movements of money and of intervening in cases where irregular or even criminal activities are detected.
” “ The measures that you are evaluating are meant to promote a ‘ clean finance ’ , in which the merchants are prevented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in accordance with the Creator ’ s plan of love , is humanity , ” Francis said .
The pope didn ’ t mention the scandal in his own backyard , but it couldn ’ t have been far from the evaluators ’ minds given the headlines of recent weeks and months that have thrown the Vatican into chaos .
Francis last month fired the former No .
2 in the secretariat of state , Cardinal Angelo Becciu , after revelations that he wired 100,000 euros ( $ 117,000 ) in Holy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his brother .
Becciu also recommended the Italian bishops ’ conference donate some 300,000 euros to the same fund .
Becciu has admitted he sent the money and made the recommendation , but denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the money was meant for the charity , not his brother .
Becciu ’ s ouster came amid an investigation by Vatican prosecutors into the secretariat of state ’ s investment into a luxury London real estate venture that to date has cost the Vatican 350 million euros , much of it donations from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initial investment , but his successor - the current No .
2 in the secretariat of state - actually authorized payments of tens of millions of euros in fees to the allegedly unscrupulous middlemen most implicated in the venture .
Vatican prosecutors have been investigating the London investment for over a year , but haven ’ t handed down any indictments .
Given Vatican officials signed contracts giving voting control and management fees to the middlemen , it ’ s unclear what if any crimes might have been committed .
Italian newspapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vatican ’ s other financial investments , including in risky , speculative funds controlled by the middlemen .
Francis has previously defended the Vatican ’ s decision to invest donations in real estate , saying that keeping the money “ in a safe ” wouldn ’ t generate necessary interest to keep the capital from losing its value .
But Francis has also denounced the “ profit-at-all-cost ” mentality of today ’ s global economy , and cited his own documents denouncing financial speculation and the “ idolatry of money ” that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effort to amass wealth , there is little concern for where it comes from , the more or less legitimate activities that may have produced it , and the mechanisms of exploitation that may be behind it , ” he told the Moneyval evaluators Thursday .
“ Thus , situations can occur where , in touching money , we get blood on our hands , the blood of our brothers and sisters .
”

ROME (AP) - Pope Francis told European anti-money laundering experts Thursday that the Vatican was committed to “clean finance,” as he denounced financial speculation amid a spiraling corruption investigation in the heart of the Holy See.
It is rare for a head of state to meet with the Council of Europe’s Moneyval teams, who make periodic on-site visits to member states to evaluate their adherence to international standards to fight money-laundering and terrorist financing.
But amid the Vatican’s own financial scandal, which has exposed the Holy See’s ineptitude in investing and managing donations from the faithful, Francis received the dozen members of the Moneyval team in a private audience in his library in the Apostolic Palace.
Citing Jesus’ efforts to cast out the “merchants from the temple,” Francis praised the evaluators’ work and policies aimed at “monitoring movements of money and of intervening in cases where irregular or even criminal activities are detected.”
“The measures that you are evaluating are meant to promote a ‘clean finance’, in which the merchants are prevented from speculating in that sacred temple which, in accordance with the Creator’s plan of love, is humanity,” Francis said.
The pope didn’t mention the scandal in his own backyard, but it couldn’t have been far from the evaluators’ minds given the headlines of recent weeks and months that have thrown the Vatican into chaos.
Francis last month fired the former No. 2 in the secretariat of state, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, after revelations that he wired 100,000 euros ($117,000) in Holy See funds to a charity controlled by his brother. Becciu also recommended the Italian bishops’ conference donate some 300,000 euros to the same fund.
Becciu has admitted he sent the money and made the recommendation, but denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the money was meant for the charity, not his brother.
Becciu’s ouster came amid an investigation by Vatican prosecutors into the secretariat of state’s investment into a luxury London real estate venture that to date has cost the Vatican 350 million euros, much of it donations from the faithful.
Becciu was involved in the initial investment, but his successor - the current No. 2 in the secretariat of state - actually authorized payments of tens of millions of euros in fees to the allegedly unscrupulous middlemen most implicated in the venture.
Vatican prosecutors have been investigating the London investment for over a year, but haven’t handed down any indictments. Given Vatican officials signed contracts giving voting control and management fees to the middlemen, it’s unclear what if any crimes might have been committed.
Italian newspapers have been rife with reports about the Vatican’s other financial investments, including in risky, speculative funds controlled by the middlemen. Francis has previously defended the Vatican’s decision to invest donations in real estate, saying that keeping the money “in a safe” wouldn’t generate necessary interest to keep the capital from losing its value.
But Francis has also denounced the “profit-at-all-cost” mentality of today’s global economy, and cited his own documents denouncing financial speculation and the “idolatry of money” that has taken root.
“Sometimes, in the effort to amass wealth, there is little concern for where it comes from, the more or less legitimate activities that may have produced it, and the mechanisms of exploitation that may be behind it,” he told the Moneyval evaluators Thursday. “Thus, situations can occur where, in touching money, we get blood on our hands, the blood of our brothers and sisters.”
The Vatican submitted to the Moneyval evaluation process after it signed onto the 2009 European Union Monetary Convention and in a bid to shed its image as a financially shady tax haven whose bank has long been embroiled in scandal. Since then, it has passed a host of new laws criminalizing money-laundering and terror financing, created and reformed a financial watchdog agency, imposed new transparency norms for public contracts and ratified a handful of anti-crime U.N. treaties, among other measures.
The Vatican passed its inaugural Moneyval evaluation after its first on-site visits in 2011-2012, but received poor or failing grades for its financial watchdog agency and its bank. In more recent evaluations, the Vatican has received positive grades but Moneyval has faulted Vatican prosecutors for failing to bring charges as a result of suspicious transactions flagged by the watchdog agency.
Moneyval’s second on-site visit, delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, is due to wrap up Oct. 13 and its evaluation will be discussed in April during the group’s plenary assembly.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Free COVID tests will be offered to beer fest attendees

CHARLOTTE , N.C. ( AP ) - Free coronavirus testing is being offered by a brewery in Charlotte , North @ @ @ @ @ raised concerns about a potential exposure during a recent event .
The Charlotte Observer reports @ @ @ @ @ offered on Saturday to attendees of the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery ’ s Mecktoberfest .
The @ @ @ @ @ offered through a drive-thru .
The Mecktoberfest was held on Sept. 25-27 .
It attracted @ @ @ @ @ prohibit big crowds .
Health experts have said that any large crowd where social distancing @ @ @ @ @ to spread COVID-19 .
Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said the fest is @ @ @ @ @ cluster ” of COVID-19 cases .
But she said she expects more infections will be @ @ @ @ @ Fest attendees who want to get tested on Saturday should bring their ID and health @ @ @ @ @ have one .
But the test if free without insurance .
The event will be @ @ @ @ @ and is scheduled for 8-11 a.m .

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Free coronavirus testing is being offered by a brewery in Charlotte, North Carolina, after health officials raised concerns about a potential exposure during a recent event.
The Charlotte Observer reports that the tests are being offered on Saturday to attendees of the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Mecktoberfest. The tests will be free and offered through a drive-thru.
The Mecktoberfest was held on Sept. 25-27. It attracted thousands despite state rules that prohibit big crowds.
Health experts have said that any large crowd where social distancing is difficult has the potential to spread COVID-19.
Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said the fest is not yet considered a “cluster” of COVID-19 cases. But she said she expects more infections will be traced back to it.
Fest attendees who want to get tested on Saturday should bring their ID and health insurance card, if they have one. But the test if free without insurance. The event will be held at 4150 Yancey Road and is scheduled for 8-11 a.m.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Taliban welcome Trump tweet promising early troop withdrawal

ISLAMABAD ( AP ) - The Afghan Taliban on Thursday welcomed a tweet from President Donald Trump in which he promised to have the last of U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Christmas .
If that withdrawal happens , it would be months ahead of schedule and the tweet made no reference to a Taliban promise to fight terrorist groups - a previous pre-requisite for an American withdrawal .
America ’ s exit from Afghanistan after 19 years was laid out in an agreement Washington reached with the Taliban in February .
However , that agreement said U.S. troops would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , provided the Taliban honored a commitment to fight terrorist groups , with most attention seemingly focused on the Islamic State group ’ s affiliate in the country .
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said Trump ’ s statement was welcome and he considered it a positive step for the implementation of the peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban .
The Taliban are “ committed to the contents of the agreement and hope for good and positive relations with all countries , including the U.S , in the future , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Wednesday came as the Taliban and the Afghan government-appointed negotiating team are holding historic peace talks in Doha , Qatar .
Those talks have been painfully slow as both sides have become bogged down on the intricacies of how they would go forward with reaching an agreement .
Weeks have been spent discussing Islamic jurisprudence and how it will impact negotiations .
Still , both sides have stayed at the negotiating table even as Washington ’ s peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad last week returned to the region .
Little information of substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his tweet , Trump said “ we should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas.
” The Taliban have never detailed the commitments they made in the February peace agreement with the U.S. and Washington has refused to give details , citing security concerns .
Even as the warring sides meet in Doha to map out what a post-conflict Afghanistan might look like , Washington and NATO have already begun reducing their troop numbers .
Washington is now down to 8,600 troops from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement with the Taliban on Feb. 29 .
Trump ’ s comments caught most Afghan observers by surprise and the Afghan government did not immediately respond to to the tweet .
This is not the first time Trump has undercut the Pentagon with announcements about troop strength in Afghanistan .
He previously has publicly announced American troop strength without vetting by the Pentagon , which has not yet responded to Trump ’ s tweet .
Trump has long promised to end U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and the agreement with the Taliban does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal before Washington withdraws .

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. military was blindsided Thursday by President Donald Trump’s assertion that all U.S. troops will be out of Afghanistan by the end of the year, with U.S. officials saying they are not aware of such a plan and have gotten no actual order to accelerate the more gradual pullout they’ve been executing.
Trump’s comments, laid out in a confusing progression of comments and a tweet, alarmed Pentagon and State officials who fear that putting a definitive date on troop withdrawal could undercut negotiations to finalize a peace deal between the Taliban and the Afghan government. They also fear a hasty withdrawal could force the U.S. to leave behind sensitive military equipment. And they continue to stress that the Taliban has still not met requirements to reduce violence against the Afghans, a key element of the U.S. withdrawal plan.
The Taliban welcomed Trump’s announcements, which started with a tweet Wednesday saying “we should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas.” He reinforced early withdrawal plans Thursday morning, in a Fox Business Channel interview that understated the number of troops currently in Afghanistan.
“We’re down to 4,000 troops in Afghanistan. I’ll have them home by the end of the year. They’re coming home, you know, as we speak. Nineteen years is enough. They’re acting as policemen, OK? They’re not acting as troops,” Trump said.
Multiple U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive troop details, said they know of no plan for either new deadline. Instead, they pointed to comments Wednesday by National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, who told an audience in Las Vegas that “as of today, there are under 5,000 and that will go to 2,500 by early next year.”
U.S. officials said troop numbers have not yet been reduced to 4,500, but will hit that goal in November as planned. The military has also consistently said that counterterrorism troops would remain in Afghanistan for some time to deal with al-Qaida and Islamic State threats.
A senior Trump administration official said Trump, with his tweet, laid down a marker Wednesday on U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and since he is the commander in chief, the rest of the administration will follow his lead. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of troop withdrawals.
This is not the first time, however, that Trump has upended military policies or troop withdrawal plans with an abrupt tweet, only to be persuaded to adjust his thinking or give the military more time to execute a more deliberate approach. Trump’s demand to pull all troops out of Syria, for example, was eventually changed, and there are still less than 1,000 forces there.
Even before Trump’s latest pronouncement, the White House has refused to allow U.S. negotiators to base troop withdrawals on the signing of a peace deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Instead, American diplomats and military officials were able to say only that withdrawals would be based on conditions on the ground, meaning a measurable reduction in Taliban attacks, rather than any resolution to the country’s long-running internal conflicts.
“What we need to see is that they’re not going to allow al-Qaida to base there,” said Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, in a September interview with NBC News. “And that has just not yet been demonstrated to my satisfaction.”
McKenzie and other military officials have also said that the drawdown must be done responsibly, and that moving faster will make it more difficult to get sensitive and critical American military equipment out of Afghanistan.
“We’re not going to leave anything behind that somebody could use against us in another time and another place. So that’s actually a huge logistics effort and it is continuing now,” McKenzie said last month.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, asked about Trump’s comments Thursday, did not say whether he had been alerted to the new deadlines. Instead, he said NATO and all allies will coordinate their efforts and “make decisions based on the conditions on the ground, because we think it is extremely important to continue to be committed to the future of Afghanistan.”
America’s exit from Afghanistan after 19 years was laid out in a February agreement Washington reached with the Taliban. That agreement said U.S. troops would be out of Afghanistan in 18 months, provided the Taliban honored a commitment to fight terrorist groups, with most attention seemingly focused on the Islamic State group’s affiliate in the country.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed welcomed Trump’s tweet as a positive step for the implementation of the U.S.-Taliban agreement. The Taliban, he said, are “committed to the contents of the agreement and hope for good and positive relations with all countries, including the U.S., in the future.”
The Taliban and the Afghan government-appointed negotiating team are holding peace talks in Doha, Qatar, but progress has been painfully slow.
Washington’s peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met Thursday in Pakistan with Gen. Austin Miller, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff Gen. Qamar Jaaved Bajwa. Pakistan has helped shepherd the Taliban to the negotiating table and its role is seen as critical for lasting peace in Afghanistan.
Khalilzad has been keen to get both sides - particularly the Taliban - to sign on to a reduction in violence at least while the Qatar negotiations are underway and until a permanent cease-fire can be negotiated.
It’s likely Miller and Khalilzad were seeking the help of Pakistan’s powerful military to press the Taliban, who have insisted on fighting Afghan security forces even as talks are taking place. The insurgents have kept a promise from February not to attack U.S. and NATO troops.
____
Gannon reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann and Matthew Lee in Washington and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Retail pot bill will become law without Scott's signature

MONTPELIER , Vt. ( AP ) - A bill that would set up a system to legalize sales of recreational marijuana in Vermont will become law without Republican Gov .
Phil Scott ’ s signature , meaning that retail sales of marijuana could start in two years .
Scott said in a letter to the secretary of the Senate on Wednesday night that the Legislature has made substantial progress in addressing three of his key priorities but more work needs to be done to address the health and safety of kids and highway safety .
“ This new bill requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before retail establishments may open , ” he wrote , adding that it ensures local zoning applies to cannabis cultivation and production .
“ It dedicates 30 % of the excise tax , up to $ 10 million per year , to education and prevention efforts .
And the sales and use tax on cannabis would fund a grant program to expand afterschool and summer learning programs , ” he said .
The legislation includes a provision for a roadside saliva test , obtained with a warrant .
Scott had made roadside testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation .
It establishes a cannabis control board with an executive director to govern the tax and regulate market .
It would set up a 14 % excise tax on cannabis products , of which 30 % is earmarked for substance abuse prevention , and extends the 6 % sales tax to cannabis products .
“ The Legislature needs to strengthen education and prevention – including banning marketing that appeals in any way to our kids – otherwise they are failing to learn the lessons of the public health epidemic caused by tobacco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bill prioritizes licenses for women and members of marginalized communities and requires that prior marijuana-related offenses not be considered an impediment to people seeking a cannabis business license .
Scott noted that section but also encouraged the Legislature to revisit the “ concerns from communities historically most negatively affected by cannabis enforcement that the bill did not do enough to ensure more equity in this new market .
”

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A bill that would set up a system to legalize sales of recreational marijuana in Vermont will become law without Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s signature, meaning that retail sales of marijuana could start in two years.
Scott said in a letter to the secretary of the Senate on Wednesday night that the Legislature has made substantial progress in addressing three of his key priorities but more work needs to be done to address the health and safety of kids and highway safety.
“This new bill requires cities and towns to authorize these businesses before retail establishments may open,” he wrote, adding that it ensures local zoning applies to cannabis cultivation and production. It sets up a 14% excise tax on cannabis products, of which 30% — up to $10 million per year - would go to education and prevention efforts, Scott said. The sales and use tax on cannabis would fund a grant program to expand afterschool and summer learning programs, he added.
“The Legislature needs to strengthen education and prevention – including banning marketing that appeals in any way to our kids – otherwise they are failing to learn the lessons of the public health epidemic caused by tobacco and alcohol,” Scott said.
Recreational marijuana is also legal in Massachusetts and Maine.
Massachusetts is currently the only East Coast state with retail sales of recreational marijuana, but Maine expects to open its first such establishments on Friday.
The legislation includes a provision for a roadside saliva test, obtained with a warrant. Scott had made roadside testing one of his conditions for supporting the legislation.
It establishes a cannabis control board with an executive director to govern the tax and regulate market. The legislation also prioritizes licenses for women and members of marginalized communities and requires that prior marijuana-related offenses not be considered an impediment to people seeking a cannabis business license.
Scott noted that section but also encouraged the Legislature to revisit the “concerns from communities historically most negatively affected by cannabis enforcement that the bill did not do enough to ensure more equity in this new market.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Man uses CPR to revive 2-year-old boy pulled from pond

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. ( AP ) - A man who was walking down a South Florida street jumped into action on Wednesday evening when he heard screams and saw a lifeless toddler lying on the grass .
David Bain began performing CPR , a technique he ’ d learned in high school , on the 2-year-old boy who had just been pulled from a neighborhood pond .
“ I just gave him CPR , he was spitting up water , whatever he was eating and then he opened his eyes and then that is when the police came , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The boy was rushed to a hospital , where he was listed in stable condition , the station reported .
The boy had been outside and relatives and neighbors thought he ’ d gone back inside his house near Fort Lauderdale , the station reported .
Broward Sheriff ’ s Office investigators were at the scene late into Wednesday night trying to figure out how the child ended up face-down in the pond .
Relatives couldn ’ t find the boy and neighbors began searching for him .
Neighbor Terryann Buchanan told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the water .
He pulled the child from the pond and began CPR .
That ’ s when Bain happened by and took over CPR on the boy .
“ It is a kid man , you don ’ t ever want to see nobody like that , ” Bain said .

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A man who was walking down a South Florida street jumped into action on Wednesday evening when he heard screams and saw a toddler lying motionless on the grass.
David Bain began performing CPR, a technique he’d learned in high school, on the 2-year-old boy who had just been pulled from a neighborhood pond.
“I just gave him CPR, he was spitting up water, whatever he was eating and then he opened his eyes and then that is when the police came,” Bain told Miami television station WPLG.
The boy was rushed to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, the station reported.
The boy had been outside and relatives and neighbors thought he’d gone back inside his house near Fort Lauderdale, the station reported.
Broward Sheriff’s Office investigators were at the scene late into Wednesday night trying to figure out how the child ended up face-down in the pond.
Relatives couldn’t find the boy and neighbors began searching for him. Neighbor Terryann Buchanan told WPLG that her father saw a slipper in the water. He pulled the child from the pond and began CPR.
That’s when Bain happened by and took over CPR on the boy.
“It is a kid man, you don’t ever want to see nobody like that,” Bain said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Protests follow clearing of officer in killing of Black teen

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) - Residents of a Milwaukee suburb where protests turned violent after a Black police officer was cleared in the fatal shooting of a Black teenager outside a shopping mall were out early Thursday cleaning up debris from overnight damage to businesses .
Neighbors wearing masks to protect against the coronavirus used brooms to sweep up broken glass and picked up debris after a 6 a.m. curfew expired .
Windows were broken at several businesses in Wauwatosa , including a pharmacy , coffee shop , wall coverings store , cleaners and fitness center .
Protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chisholm announced Wednesday that Wauwatosa Officer Joseph Mensah would not be charged for fatally shooting 17-year-old Alvin Cole outside Mayfair Mall on Feb. 2 .
Chisholm said Mensah had a reasonable belief that deadly force was necessary after police responded to a reported disturbance at the shopping center .
On Wednesday night , about 100 protesters confronted police officers wearing tactical gear and carrying shields .
Police said some in the group were throwing rocks at law enforcement and buildings and that they used tear gas to disperse the protesters .
Footage posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crowd retreating .
Police did not immediately return a call Thursday for an assessment on damages .
Chisholm , in a 14-page letter laying out his rationale , said evidence showed Cole fled from police carrying a stolen 9 mm handgun .
He cited squad car audio evidence , along with testimony from Mensah and two fellow officers , that he said showed Cole had fired a shot while fleeing and refused commands to drop the gun .
Cole was the third person Mensah has fatally shot since becoming an officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wauwatosa and the Milwaukee area .
Gov .
Tony Evers announced earlier Wednesday that he had activated National Guard members as a precaution .
Guard spokesman Maj. Joe Trovato later said “ hundreds ” of troops were at the ready .
News of the decision comes after high-profile deaths of Black people during interactions with police sparked protests that spread around the world over the summer and led to a national reckoning on race in America .
The city of Wauwatosa issued a nightly 7 p.m. curfew after Chisholm ’ s decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
Many people ignored the curfew , marching peacefully in the city before protests turned violent .
Earlier on Wednesday , scores had surrounded the Milwaukee County Public Safety Building as Cole ’ s attorney and family members met with Chisholm , some chanting , “ Say his name !
Alvin Cole !
” and “ Justice !
When do we want it ?
Now !
” Chisholm ’ s report noted that Cole ’ s gun had a spent round in the chamber - the one that investigators believe he fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arm - and that the magazine was recovered in his sling bag , meaning the gun had no more bullets in it when he was shot .
Mensah and two other officers at the scene said Cole pointed the gun at them .
Cole ’ s sister , Taleavia Cole , insisted the shooting wasn ’ t justified because her brother could not have fired at Mensah .
She said he should not be allowed to continue working as an officer .
“ The fight continues .
It doesn ’ t end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taleavia Cole .
” … It ’ s time for DA Chisholm to retire or step down .
Chisholm also said that he didn ’ t believe the state had enough evidence to disprove that Mensah was defending himself or others , so he couldn ’ t meet the burden required to bring charges .
Kimberley Motley , a family attorney for the Coles , seized on Chisholm ’ s wording .
“ Chisholm did not say that the shooting was justified , ” Motley said .
“ And that ’ s really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the families of the two other people killed by Mensah , said if he had been fired earlier then Cole would still be alive .
“ We are not done fighting , ” she said .
“ We are still going to fight for a conviction of Officer Joseph Mensah.
” Chisholm told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an interview that he understood some people would be angry or disappointed by his decision , but he said he wouldn ’ t change his “ objective review ” because of it .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all three of his shootings , Chisholm was concerned about his involvement in so many .
“ This creates an incredible dilemma for the city of Wauwatosa and the Wauwatosa Police Department and the community , ” he told the newspaper .
“ I ’ ve never been cavalier about that.
” … What is unique about this case is that it just creates such a liability for ( shooting ) number four .
Everybody recognizes that.
” The Wauwatosa Police and Fire Commission suspended Mensah with pay in July , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired former U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic to investigate the case with an eye toward what discipline Mensah might face .
In a report released earlier Wednesday , Biskupic recommended that Mensah be fired , saying the risk he might shoot a fourth person is too great .
Biskupic also wrote that Mensah violated department policy when he spoke to the media about the shooting in July .
An attorney for Mensah didn ’ t respond to a phone message from The Associated Press .
There ’ s no body-camera video of the Cole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t equipped with them .
The city did release squad car dashcam video that shed little light on what happened .
Cole ’ s death sparked protests in Wauwatosa throughout the summer , including in and around the mall and outside a house where Mensah was staying .
Two men were charged in an August altercation at the house after a shotgun was fired .
Mensah was not charged in the 2016 death of Jay Anderson Jr. or the 2015 death of Antonio Gonzales .
Police have said Mensah shot Gonzales eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sword .
In Anderson ’ s case , Mensah approached a parked car where Anderson was sleeping and said he saw a gun and thought Anderson was reaching for it , so he shot him six times .
Associated Press writers Amy Forliti , Steve Karnowski and Doug Glass in Minneapolis and Dave Kolpack in Fargo , North Dakota , contributed to this report .

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - An attorney for the family of a Black teen killed by a suburban Milwaukee police officer vowed Thursday to keep fighting and working to prove racism pervades the officer’s department, after a prosecutor declined to file charges in the case.
Attorney Kimberley Motley said she plans to file a federal lawsuit against Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah in 17-year-old Alvin Cole’s death. Motley sued in state court on Tuesday seeking department documents that she believes will show Mensah’s supervisors are racist and that officers have racially profiled Black drivers for years. She also wants Mensah and Chief Barry Weber fired.
Meanwhile, Cole’s sister has demanded the resignation of Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm after he declined to file charges against Mensah. Cole is the third person Mensah has killed since he joined the Wauwatosa department in early 2015. He has been cleared of wrongdoing each time.
“From the family’s perspective, we just want justice,” Motley said. “We want Officer Mensah to be held accountable.”
Mensah’s attorney, Jonathan Cermele, hasn’t returned messages seeking comment.
Mensah, who is Black, shot Cole during a chase outside a Wauwatosa mall in February. According to investigators’ reports, Cole had a gun and fired it; Chisholm said it appeared he shot himself in the arm. Officers said Cole refused commands to drop the weapon, prompting Mensah to fire.
Mensah shot and killed Antonio Gonzales in 2015 after police said Gonzales refused to drop a sword. A year later Mensah shot Jay Anderson Jr. In that case, Mensah found Anderson in a car parked in a park after hours. Mensah said he saw a gun on the passenger seat and thought Anderson was reaching for it, so he shot him. Mensah wasn’t charged in either shooting. Anderson was Black. Gonzales was Hispanic.
The Cole shooting sparked protests all summer in Wauwatosa, a city of 48,000 just west of Milwaukee. The demonstrations played out against a backdrop of protests nationwide over the death in May of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes.
The decision triggered new protests Wednesday night, with some demonstrators breaking windows and looting of at least one store, a gas station. On Thursday, some protesters again stayed out past a 7 p.m. curfew, and TV footage showed some being arrested. Police tweeted only that “several” people were arrested, and said one 49-year-old woman requested medical attention and was taken to a hospital.
The Wauwatosa Police and Fire Commission suspended Mensah in July and asked former U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic to determine whether Mensah should be disciplined. Biskupic recommended that the commission terminate Mensah, calling the risk of a fourth shooting too great. Biskupic also faulted Mensah for speaking publicly about the shooting.
Hours after Biskupic released his report, Chisholm announced he wouldn’t charge Mensah. The prosecutor said Mensah would be able to successfully argue he acted in self-defense.
Motley said she plans to file a federal lawsuit alleging Mensah violated Cole’s civil rights. She’s also representing Gonzales and Anderson’s families but said she hasn’t decided whether the lawsuit will touch on those cases as well.
She has been trying to obtain documents from the Wauwatosa Police Department that she believes will show a history of racial bias. She filed record requests in June seeking Mensah’s personnel file - Biskupic noted in his report the only blemish on Mensah’s record is a 2019 reprimand for causing an accident with his squad car - as well as all department emails transmitted between the deaths of Gonzales and Cole that mention Mensah.
The requests also seek traffic-stop data from 2018 and 2019 that she believes will show officers stop Black drivers more than white drivers. They also seek emails related to 13 officers who were suspended in 1990 for attending parties derisive to Blacks in 1988 and 1989 and those officers’ personnel records. Motley said she wants to determine if any have become supervisors and trained Mensah.
She said the department hasn’t turned over anything yet. She filed a lawsuit in state court on Tuesday to force the records’ release.
She also called Thursday for Weber to be fired, saying he has “normalized” Mensah’s behavior.
Weber said on Twitter Wednesday that his department “concurs’ with the decision not to charge Mensah but “hears the message” from the public. He said an internal review of the shooting is ongoing and that Mensah remains suspended. The department has taken steps to improve policing, including more training, posting policies online and requiring body cameras by January, he said.
The police commission is scheduled to meet later this month but their position on Biskupic’s recommendation to fire Mensah and Weber’s future isn’t clear. Commission President Dominic Leone didn’t respond to an email.
Taleavia Cole told protesters on Wednesday that Chisholm must step down. She said he has shown bias against Black families in his more than 20 years as a prosecutor, but she didn’t cite examples. Chisholm is white.
“There’s too much (expletive) he’s been sweeping under the rug,” she said.
Chisholm, a Democrat, has served as a prosecutor in Milwaukee County since the mid-1990s. He won election as district attorney in 2006 and is running unopposed for reelection in November.
He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday that he understands people are angry with his decision not to charge Mensah but that won’t change his mind. Still, he worried about Mensah’s involvement in so many shootings and acknowledged it creates an “incredible dilemma” for Wauwatosa.
Chisholm brought charges in a 2016 police shooting but lost the case. In that instance, he charged Milwaukee Police Officer Dominque Heaggan-Brown with reckless homicide after he fatally shot Syville Smith during a foot chase. Both men were Black.
Smith was armed. Body-camera video showed Heaggan-Brown shooting Smith once in the arm as Smith appeared to throw his gun over a fence. The video showed a second shot 1.69 seconds later hit Smith in the chest as he lay on the ground. Defense attorneys argued Heaggan-Brown had to act quickly to defend himself and a jury acquitted him.
Calls to Chisholm’s office on Thursday were met with a recording that said no voicemail had been set up. No one at the office has responded to an email seeking comment.
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Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Amid NYC protests, Orthodox Jews urge new virus-era dialogue

After months of grappling with a pandemic that has walloped New York ’ s Orthodox Jewish communities , prompting changes to holidays , mourning and prayers , new limits on worship and other activity in some areas are pushing tensions in some neighborhoods of Brooklyn to the boiling point .
New restrictions in places where coronavirus cases are rising , including several Orthodox areas , led to street protests Tuesday night .
Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of Orthodox men gathered in the streets of Brooklyn ’ s Borough Park neighborhood , in some cases setting bonfires by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man who filmed the unrest .
On Wednesday night , crowds of men returned to the streets as police watched .
As the protests made headlines , and the Orthodox group Agudath Israel led a Thursday federal court challenge seeking to halt the constraints , some Orthodox Jews in New York urged officials and fellow believers to find a way to communicate better .
“ We need partnership .
We need government and the community to work together ” on an approach to fighting the virus that can “ respect the culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abe Friedman , an Orthodox leader and law enforcement chaplain in Brooklyn .
Friedman said he hoped the government would understand that Orthodox Jews are not “ gathering careless of the pandemic , ” but rather returning to cherished customs of communal prayer , celebration and mourning .
“ We congregate together , we pray together , and this is why social distancing is even more hard at times , and it has a greater effect , ” said Friedman , lauding community members who are heeding public health guidance .
Orthodox Jews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governing structure , but leaders at six major groups representing different sectors signed onto a unified statement in March urging their faithful to heed social distancing rules .
In the view of many Orthodox Jews in New York whose areas were hit hard and early by the pandemic , city and state officials stoked tension with their handling of restrictions on houses of worship and schools in hot spots .
On top of feeling singled out as a religious community , some Orthodox Jews can lack sufficient , reliable public health guidance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the internet - all while confronting curbs on faith practices built on social engagement that have sustained them for generations .
The spike in virus cases and resulting restrictions came soon after Jews celebrated some of the holiest days on their calendar .
After this week ’ s Sukkot holiday , the weekend ’ s Simchat Torah promises to further test Orthodox communities ’ ability to gather safely .
The Agudath Israel-led lawsuit says the state ’ s new limits “ make it impossible for Orthodox Jews to comply with both their religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Simchat Torah is normally a joyful occasion when worshippers often dance with Torah scrolls , holding and kissing them - risky behaviors during a pandemic .
Orthodox practices also involve multiple daily group prayers , something many were forced to change this spring as the virus began spreading .
Another essential aspect of Judaism , however , has proven helpful in promoting masks and social distancing : the Torah ’ s emphasis on the value of human life , to the degree that violating other tenets is permissible if it means saving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agudath Israel to distribute 400,000 masks , the Boro Park Jewish Community Council in Brooklyn reminded members that “ we have an obligation from the Torah to stay safe.
” “ Only by working with communities - treating them as partners , not problems - will the city have a chance at achieving the desired outcomes , ” Yair Rosenberg , a senior writer at Tablet Magazine , wrote in a Thursday column on how to prevent a “ looming coronavirus crisis in Hasidic Brooklyn.
” Rosenberg ’ s father is a rabbi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the city areas subject to the new restrictions .
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday the city has responded impartially to mass gatherings and violations of pandemic-related rules .
“ This is only about the data and the science , and we ’ re applying it evenly to all communities with respect , with understanding , ” de Blasio told reporters .
Orthodox Jews comprised 10 % of the total U.S. Jewish population in a 2013 Pew Research Center study .
In Israel a similar friction is ongoing over public health behaviors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 10 % of that nation ’ s population but have accounted for more than one-third of coronavirus cases .
As debate intensified in New York ’ s Orthodox neighborhoods , more than 400 rabbis and other leaders from multiple branches of Judaism released a letter supporting the city and state ’ s “ data-driven , geographically-based efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
” The letter , released by the New York Jewish Agenda , calls for dissemination of public health guidance in a way that ’ s “ both culturally appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But to be clear , ” it said , “ requiring masking and social distancing for all gatherings , including religious gatherings , is not antisemitism.
” Orthodox Jews were not alone in contesting the state ’ s new limits on in-person worship in certain areas .
A lawsuit filed Thursday by Brooklyn ’ s Roman Catholic diocese alleges that the restrictions would force more than two dozen churches to close , “ even though those churches have been reopened for months in strict adherence to all medical and governmental guidance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .

After months of grappling with a pandemic that has walloped New York’s Orthodox Jewish communities, prompting changes to holidays, mourning and prayers, new limits on worship and other activity in some areas are pushing tensions in some neighborhoods of Brooklyn to the boiling point.
New restrictions in places where coronavirus cases are rising, including several Orthodox areas, led to street protests Tuesday night. Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of Orthodox men gathered in the streets of Brooklyn’s Borough Park neighborhood, in some cases setting bonfires by burning masks, and a crowd attacking a man who filmed the unrest. On Wednesday night, crowds of men returned to the streets as police watched.
As the protests made headlines, and the Orthodox group Agudath Israel led a Thursday federal court challenge seeking to halt the constraints, some Orthodox Jews in New York urged officials and fellow believers to find a way to communicate better.
“We need partnership. We need government and the community to work together” on an approach to fighting the virus that can “respect the culture” of the faith, said Rabbi Abe Friedman, an Orthodox leader and law enforcement chaplain in Brooklyn.
Friedman said he hoped the government would understand that Orthodox Jews are not “gathering careless of the pandemic,” but rather returning to cherished customs of communal prayer, celebration and mourning.
“We congregate together, we pray together, and this is why social distancing is even more hard at times, and it has a greater effect,” said Friedman, lauding community members who are heeding public health guidance.
Orthodox Jews in the U.S. have no single faith-based governing structure, but leaders at six major groups representing different sectors signed onto a unified statement in March urging their faithful to heed social distancing rules.
In the view of many Orthodox Jews in New York whose areas were hit hard and early by the pandemic, city and state officials stoked tension with their handling of restrictions on houses of worship and schools in hot spots. On top of feeling singled out as a religious community, some Orthodox Jews can lack sufficient, reliable public health guidance, given often infrequent access to TV and the internet - all while confronting curbs on faith practices built on social engagement that have sustained them for generations.
The spike in virus cases and resulting restrictions came soon after Jews celebrated some of the holiest days on their calendar. After this week’s Sukkot holiday, the weekend’s Simchat Torah promises to further test Orthodox communities’ ability to gather safely. The Agudath Israel-led lawsuit says the state’s new limits “make it impossible for Orthodox Jews to comply with both their religious obligations and the order” imposing restrictions.
Simchat Torah is normally a joyful occasion when worshippers often dance with Torah scrolls, holding and kissing them - risky behaviors during a pandemic. Orthodox practices also involve multiple daily group prayers, something many were forced to change this spring as the virus began spreading.
Another essential aspect of Judaism, however, has proven helpful in promoting masks and social distancing: the Torah’s emphasis on the value of human life, to the degree that violating other tenets is permissible if it means saving lives. In announcing a partnership with Agudath Israel to distribute 400,000 masks, the Boro Park Jewish Community Council in Brooklyn reminded members that “we have an obligation from the Torah to stay safe.”
“Only by working with communities - treating them as partners, not problems - will the city have a chance at achieving the desired outcomes,” Yair Rosenberg, a senior writer at Tablet Magazine, wrote in a Thursday column on how to prevent a “looming coronavirus crisis in Hasidic Brooklyn.” Rosenberg’s father is a rabbi at a modern Orthodox synagogue in one of the city areas subject to the new restrictions.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday the city has responded impartially to mass gatherings and violations of pandemic-related rules.
“This is only about the data and the science, and we’re applying it evenly to all communities with respect, with understanding,” de Blasio told reporters.
Cuomo’s administration said its restrictions are designed to protect public health.
“We’ve been sued virtually every day for every action taken,” Cuomo senior adviser Rich Azzopardi said in a statement. “We’re concentrating on reducing the virus in these hot spots and saving lives, period.”
Orthodox Jews comprised 10% of the total U.S. Jewish population in a 2013 Pew Research Center study. In Israel a similar friction is ongoing over public health behaviors among the ultra-Orthodox, who make up about 10% of that nation’s population but have accounted for more than one-third of coronavirus cases.
As debate intensified in New York’s Orthodox neighborhoods, more than 400 rabbis and other leaders from multiple branches of Judaism released a letter supporting the city and state’s “data-driven, geographically-based efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.”
The letter, released by the New York Jewish Agenda, calls for dissemination of public health guidance in a way that’s “both culturally appropriate … and does not promote antisemitism.”
“But to be clear,” it said, “requiring masking and social distancing for all gatherings, including religious gatherings, is not antisemitism.”
Orthodox Jews were not alone in contesting the state’s new limits on in-person worship in certain areas. A lawsuit filed Thursday by Brooklyn’s Roman Catholic diocese alleges that the restrictions would force more than two dozen churches to close, “even though those churches have been reopened for months in strict adherence to all medical and governmental guidance, without any COVID-related incidents whatsoever.”
__
Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content.


washingtontimes--2020-10-08--Party-switching congressman, challenger spar over COVID-19

ATLANTIC CITY , N.J. ( AP ) - New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew and Democratic challenger Amy Kennedy clashed - albeit mostly politely - Thursday during a televised debate in their race for the 2nd District House seat .
Van Drew is seeking his second term after becoming a Republican over his opposition to Democrats ’ impeaching President Donald Trump , and Kennedy is seeking office for the first time .
They met at Stockton University ’ s Atlantic City campus , and contrasted sharply over how the federal government handled coronavirus .
Van Drew echoed President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for restricting travel from China and painting a positive picture .
“ We have light at the end of the tunnel , ” he said .
“ America is going to move forward.
” Kennedy faulted the president for not having a comprehensive plan to address the outbreak .
“ We ’ re six months in and we ’ re still really struggling , ” she said .
“ It ’ s really the mixed messaging that we saw throughout this pandemic.
“ The debate was mostly even-keeled , with neither candidate cutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a pointed exchange when Van Drew suggested she supported defunding the police .
Kennedy said ads Van Drew is running distorted her comments about “ having a discussion ” about more police training .
“ I said there is merit in having conversations , ” she said .
“ You took that and spun it… You ’ ve used it in every ad , ” she said .
Van Drew responded that sometimes ads are effective because “ we don ’ t want to hear the truth.
” Unlike two years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Galloway Township campus was packed with people in the audience , and food was served , Thursday ’ s debate adhered to COVID-19 protocols .
The candidates were in a separate room from reporters , and stood at least 6 feet apart and at least 6 feet from the moderators as well .
There was no audience .
About a dozen or so Kennedy supporters stood on the corner outside the debate hall , holding her campaign signs as well as Biden-Harris flags .
Kennedy met with the group and posed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There did not appear to be a similar group around the debate hall for Van Drew .
Van Drew was elected in 2018 but switched parties because he opposed impeachment of Trump .
His embrace of the GOP led to an Oval Office meeting with the president , during which he pledged his “ undying support.
” Asked Thursday what that meant , Van Drew said he supports the presidency .
He deflected concerns from Democrats angered over his party change , downplaying how much weight voters give to a candidate ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me because I ’ m Jeff Van Drew , ” he said .
“ I was concerned about standing up for South Jersey.
” The president thanked Van Drew with a rally in Wildwood , and later a prime time speaking role at the Republican National Convention .
Kennedy is former public school teacher and the spouse of former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy .
Polls have shown Kennedy with a slight lead in the swing district .
Trump carried the district in 2016 , though Van Drew won as a Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Republicans had held the congressional seat for over two decades .
The 2nd District covers much of southern New Jersey and includes parts or all of Atlantic , Burlington , Camden , Cape May , Cumberland , Gloucester , Ocean and Salem counties .
Kennedy has run ads on Philadelphia market TV focusing on her biography and as well as health care arguing in favor of protecting coverage for pre-existing illnesses .
Van Drew has been airing radio ads recently , but also had a video spot that featured Trump endorsing him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as a state lawmaker for 16 years .
He served as a conservative-leaning Democrat in the state Senate and the Assembly before that until he won the House seat two years ago .
The debate aired on statewide TV on NJ Spotlight News , formerly NJTV .

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew and Democratic challenger Amy Kennedy clashed - albeit mostly politely - Thursday during a televised debate in their race for the 2nd District House seat.
Van Drew is seeking his second term after becoming a Republican over his opposition to Democrats’ impeaching President Donald Trump, and Kennedy is seeking office for the first time. They met at Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus, and contrasted sharply over how the federal government handled coronavirus.
Van Drew echoed President Donald Trump’s message, praising him for restricting travel from China and painting a positive picture.
“We have light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “America is going to move forward.”
Kennedy faulted the president for not having a comprehensive plan to address the outbreak.
“We’re six months in and we’re still really struggling,” she said. “It’s really the mixed messaging that we saw throughout this pandemic.“
The debate was mostly even-keeled, with neither candidate cutting the other off or interrupting.
There was a pointed exchange when Van Drew suggested she supported defunding the police. Kennedy said ads Van Drew is running distorted her comments about “having a discussion” about more police training.
“I said there is merit in having conversations,” she said. “You took that and spun it… You’ve used it in every ad,” she said.
Van Drew responded that sometimes ads are effective because “we don’t want to hear the truth.”
Unlike two years ago, when the debate at Stockton’s Galloway Township campus was packed with people in the audience, and food was served, Thursday’s debate adhered to COVID-19 protocols.
The candidates were in a separate room from reporters, and stood at least 6 feet apart and at least 6 feet from the moderators as well. There was no audience.
About a dozen or so Kennedy supporters stood on the corner outside the debate hall, holding her campaign signs as well as Biden-Harris flags.
Kennedy met with the group and posed for some photos with them before the debate.
There did not appear to be a similar group around the debate hall for Van Drew.
Van Drew was elected in 2018 but switched parties because he opposed impeachment of Trump. His embrace of the GOP led to an Oval Office meeting with the president, during which he pledged his “undying support.”
Asked Thursday what that meant, Van Drew said he supports the presidency.
He deflected concerns from Democrats angered over his party change, downplaying how much weight voters give to a candidate’s political party.
“People voted for me because I’m Jeff Van Drew,” he said. “I was concerned about standing up for South Jersey.”
The president thanked Van Drew with a rally in Wildwood, and later a prime time speaking role at the Republican National Convention.
Kennedy is former public school teacher and the spouse of former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy.
Polls have shown Kennedy with a slight lead in the swing district. Trump carried the district in 2016, though Van Drew won as a Democrat two years later. Before his victory, Republicans had held the congressional seat for over two decades.
The 2nd District covers much of southern New Jersey and includes parts or all of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem counties.
Kennedy has run ads on Philadelphia market TV focusing on her biography and as well as health care arguing in favor of protecting coverage for pre-existing illnesses.
Van Drew has been airing radio ads recently, but also had a video spot that featured Trump endorsing him. Van Drew is a dentist and served as a state lawmaker for 16 years. He served as a conservative-leaning Democrat in the state Senate and the Assembly before that until he won the House seat two years ago.
The debate aired on statewide TV on NJ Spotlight News, formerly NJTV.