Editorial Roundup: Ohio

Recent editorials of statewide and national interest from Ohio newspapers : Republicans harming our democracy by cowering to Trump Enough is enough .
Facts still matter .
Evidence requires , well , evidence .
Any Republican leader who ’ s still publicly denying - or at least failing to admit - that Democrat Joe Biden is America ’ s president-elect is a coward .
They ’ re probably scared of the bully still occupying the White House and who ’ s rumored to be considering a 2024 run after losing by more than 7 million votes this year .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their jobs in the next election by avoiding President Donald Trump ’ s wrath and a potential Republican primary challenger .
When Trump upset Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election , she conceded and accepted the stinging defeat as professionally as possible while exploring her legal options in states decided by far fewer votes than 2020 .
Some liberals made noise about faithless electors in the Electoral College , but it amounted to nothing .
It was Trump who baselessly blamed fraud for his popular vote defeat .
What ’ s happened since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy .
Any losing candidate has the right to seek recounts and to challenge voter fraud if it exists .
They don ’ t have the right to lie and make wild assertions that undermine the credibility of our democracy .
Thankfully , most local and state-level Republicans who co-manage our elections with Democrats have stood tall in defending our nation from Trump ’ s attacks .
They are to be commended for protecting democracy and our Constitution .
We can ’ t say the same of attorneys general in 17 states who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporting a far-fetched lawsuit filed by Texas seeking to delay certification of election results in four swing states Trump lost .
They allege those states unlawfully changed voting rules , claims they failed to make before Trump lost .
Never mind that those elections and results were certified by local Republican election officials , who clearly would have cried foul if even a shred of notable voter fraud evidence existed .
Just ignore the fact that Republican and Democratic poll workers verified signatures on absentee ballots in most places .
Forget that William @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political and conservative attorney general , said there was no substantive fraud .
Should we also toss out the Republicans ’ impressive down ticket wins ?
Thankfully , Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost , a straight-shooting conservative , declined to lend his support to the Texas case despite pressure from more than 40 foolish Ohio Republican state representatives , including Bill Roemer of Richfield and Scott Wiggam of Wooster .
A Thursday letter to Yost claims the election lacked integrity based on unspecified “ grave allegations , ” presumably the same baloney that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even more shocking , a majority of U.S House Republicans supported Texas ’ case , including Rep. Bob Gibbs , R-Lakeville .
What Republicans were asking for would destroy our democracy if the Supreme Court had somehow saved Trump .
Justices refused to accept the case Friday night .
Any elected leader supporting the rejection of millions of votes without any evidence deserves significant scrutiny about their fitness for office .
They ’ re ignoring the rule of law and Constitution they claim to embrace .
They ’ re willing to harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in power .
Can you imagine what Roemer , Wiggam and Gibbs would be saying if the scenario were reversed ?
When the Electoral College votes Monday , Joe Biden will become the official president-elect .
Our country needs its elected leaders to come together and help all of us overcome a pandemic that ’ s sickening and killing more and more people every day .
It ’ s time to solve problems and get people back to work .
Do your job .
For racism to end , all Americans need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Out ” – a nine-part series looking at the impact of racism in central Ohio as described by Black people who have lived with it – a reader questioned why .
Why talk about those long-ago issues of the 1960s ?
Why dredge up old problems ?
The reader ’ s question demonstrates why we need more discussion and understanding of racism .
The Black Out series , which began last Sunday and concludes on Monday , starts to fill the need – precisely because people who don ’ t experience racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power or , maybe , don ’ t believe that it is still a problem .
The Black Lives Matter protests last summer following the brutal deaths of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands of police opened many Americans ’ eyes to one of the most critical dangers of racism and bias .
It is heartbreaking that , with the killing of Casey Goodson Jr. by a sheriff ’ s deputy on Dec. 4 , Columbus is facing another tragedy .
But the racial reckoning sparked by the protests also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism in many other forms .
Many are more subtle but nonetheless damaging .
Perhaps the most important message is the need to understand the lasting effects of systemic racism – not only the blatant and illegal refusals to hire , or serve , or enroll people of color , but also the racism built into our social infrastructure that held people back generations ago and still do today .
Modern American motorists who don ’ t think much about systemic racism likely give little thought as to why a particular path was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that cut through our central cities .
In Monday ’ s installment of the series on racism , reporter Erica Thompson spoke to central Ohio residents who lived in those neighborhoods before the freeways came , when they were thriving , safe and friendly places to live , with stores and restaurants and music venues and well-kept lawns , all close to the heart of the city .
What made places such as Hanford Village and Bronzeville different from other pleasant , family-oriented neighborhoods back then was simple : Most of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively little political representation or power .
That made it easy for officials to draw lines on a map that would slice neighborhoods in two and strand small clusters of homes hard up against freeway ramps .
Along with the stifling of community came falling property values , depriving Black families of the path to wealth accumulation that homeownership represents for so many Americans .
Stories about highways ruining neighborhoods tend to bear a distinct similarity to stories about redlining – the practice , dating from the New Deal , of carving up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desirability for home lenders .
Look for where the freeways carve up residential areas and you ’ ll likely be looking as well at the places that were “ redlined , ” meaning that banks were unwilling to make loans for homes in those places .
More downward impact on property values , more limits on families ’ mobility , more opportunities lost to the next generation .
What else helps determine success and social position in American society ?
Education and employment , two other endeavors where the overt racism of past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiring manager doesn ’ t have to be personally racist to perpetuate racism .
If he relies on the traditional professional networks of his predecessors , he ’ s unlikely to encounter all of the possible candidates of color .
Efforts to undo the effects of racism sometimes are themselves harmful , if inadvertently .
Kenny Morgan , who grew up on the East Side , told reporter Mike Wagner how scared he was when he learned that he was to be bused to a mostly-white middle school on the Northwest Side when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1979 .
A friendly white student at the new school , assigned to be Morgan ’ s “ buddy , ” assured him the school was nice and that people would welcome him .
But that student understood better when Morgan asked him how he would feel if he were being bused to an all-black school far away .
As it turned out , the Columbus Board of Education changed its plan and Morgan stayed at his home school , but thousands of students , Black and white , suffered the disruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bold remedy to intentional segregation , which had included equipping white schools far better than Black ones .
But it came at a cost : It hampered friendships , made it harder for parents to be involved in their kids ’ schools and diluted traditional neighborhood support .
The city school system shrank as white families moved away .
Whether motivated by their own racism or fear of their homes losing value because of others ’ racism , the result was the same .
How much healthier the city and its schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven school boards of decades past to do whatever it took to keep Black and white children apart .
A bright spot amid the pain in the “ Black Out ” series is that , on a human-to-human level , racism is easier to snuff out .
Denise Flowers , who was among the first Black students bused to the former Eastmoor Middle School , remembers how nice it felt to be befriended by a white girl who had been afraid of integration , but realized that Flowers was “ so nice.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a crime the state now admits he didn ’ t commit , Ricky Jackson used some of his monetary settlement to buy a house in a prosperous white neighborhood .
He is used to being tailed by store employees , and says his wife “ got the looks everywhere she went , ” but he also has the grace to observe that “ it ’ s better now , because people know us and we have a lot of friends who don ’ t see us for our color.
” But beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic racism remains — in lower incomes and lower household wealth for Black people , along with higher rates of illness and death , even as tiny infants .
No significant change is likely if the problem remains one that only people of color can see .
One path toward the changes required to end racism opens when individuals listen to what it feels like to experience racism , and to that end , The Dispatch will continue the effort to tell stories that build understanding .
The federal government continues to bat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at countering the economic impact of the coronavirus .
Never mind that people ’ s livelihoods and lives are at stake , given looming deadlines on unemployment benefits and relief aid in many areas .
Any chance to play politics must be seized upon with gusto , of course .
Never let a good crisis go to waste .
Talks seemed to be moving toward bipartisan agreement on most areas aside from two of the most contentious issues : a liability shield for businesses , hospitals , and schools , and funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky had floated the idea of tabling these topics in favor of passing a package and picking them back up in the new year .
Treasure Secretary Steve Mnuchin sent a proposal that would cut the $ 300-per-week unemployment enhancement in favor of sending $ 600 direct payments - half the amount of the first stimulus package - to Americans under a certain income threshold .
This is asinine .
Democrats were right to reject the proposal outright .
While the original $ 1,200 stimulus payments undoubtedly helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deposited or banked the funding .
It was overly broad , a fast , slapdash measure intended to inject some capital into the sputtering economy and assist those who needed immediate aid in paying rent or bills .
Why is another round of direct payments on the table ?
Politics , of course .
They are popular with the public .
The President has signaled that he favors such payments and continues to push for their inclusion in relief packages .
A cash infusion for those who don ’ t desperately need it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery .
But none of these reasons trump common sense .
Lawmakers should target payments to those in need .
A $ 300-per-week unemployment enhancement would help those who have already demonstrated they need it most .
That figure had bipartisan support in the Senate .
Mr. McConnell has said Congress must reach an agreement before it adjourns , and he ’ s right .
As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spike , state leaders around the country are considering further restrictions that would decimate an already tepid recovery , casting thousands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food insecurity .
Lawmakers must keep their eye on the bipartisan ball , so to speak , and not be distracted by the White House proposal .
Simultaneously , the President must sign a relief bill if it moves through the Senate .
What if you built an expensive , elaborate reviewing stand for a parade , and then on the big day , it overlooked an empty street ?
That is the question both President-elect Joe Biden and incumbent President Donald Trump must answer in just a few weeks .
Inauguration Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big deal in the past .
Hundreds of thousands of people pack the area at the U.S. Capitol where the new chief executive is being sworn in .
About 1,600 dignitaries are on the platform with him .
Then follows an enormous parade through Washington and finally , a round of inaugural balls .
Not this year ?
COVID-19 has changed everything .
Tightly packed crowds of the kind that would have attended traditional ceremonies are an invitation to new outbreaks of the disease .
It is not too much to speculate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So what to do ?
Work on both the parade reviewing stand and the inauguration platform at the capital already has begun .
For his part , Biden has made it clear he does not believe traditional Inauguration Day activities are wise .
Asked about the matter , he told a reporter he doesn ’ t know “ exactly how it ’ s all going to work out .
… The key is keeping people safe.
” It has been speculated one way to accomplish that would be to stage various inauguration-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people by television and on the internet .
That may be a partial solution , but it should not be the whole show .
Because Trump remains president until Biden takes the oath of office Jan. 20 , some arrangements will hinge on what the current White House decides .
We encourage Trump to proceed with work such as construction of the parade reviewing stand , simply to give Biden all the flexibility possible under trying circumstances .
Putting thousands , perhaps tens of thousands of people at risk through an irresponsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not be prudent .
Regardless of what Biden and his transition team decide , he is right that keeping people safe needs to be the priority .
Surely , however , the American people are innovative enough to come up with ceremonies that are both safe and in keeping with our tradition of making Inauguration Day a celebration - not just of the new president , but also of how we handle major transitions in government .
Making that happen may be especially important during the pandemic .
Isolation is wearing down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woods might not happen for Christmas this year … or for several months afterward , for that matter .
At a time of year when we most look forward to seeing far off relatives , some of whom might be a little older , it is hard for us to think about whether it is safe and right to do so .
Imagine how hard it is for them , particularly if they are living in group facilities where visits have been limited ( or forbidden ) for months up months already .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the right decisions to keep them safe over Christmas or other holiday gatherings , not to leave those folks out of the celebrations entirely .
Send cards , send gifts , make a phone call … make a video call .
In fact , if a person is unable to be part of the celebrations in person , perhaps a thoughtful gift would be a tablet or upgraded smartphone that would allow them to participate in such video calls .
Let them know you made a recipe they passed down to you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweater they gave as a gift last year .
Let them know you ’ re thinking of them , and are planning for a visit as soon as it is safe .
Let them know they are not alone and not forgotten .
Isolation is an awful thing , for those who do not choose it .
As this pandemic wears on ( and wears so many of us down ) , it is important that we look for ways to break through that isolation for the holidays without putting anyone in danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach out safely , but we can do it .

Recent editorials of statewide and national interest from Ohio newspapers:
Republicans harming our democracy by cowering to Trump
Akron Beacon Journal
Dec. 13
Enough is enough. Facts still matter. Evidence requires, well, evidence.
Any Republican leader who’s still publicly denying - or at least failing to admit - that Democrat Joe Biden is America’s president-elect is a coward.
They’re probably scared of the bully still occupying the White House and who’s rumored to be considering a 2024 run after losing by more than 7 million votes this year.
They’re likely more worried about saving their jobs in the next election by avoiding President Donald Trump’s wrath and a potential Republican primary challenger.
When Trump upset Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, she conceded and accepted the stinging defeat as professionally as possible while exploring her legal options in states decided by far fewer votes than 2020. Some liberals made noise about faithless electors in the Electoral College, but it amounted to nothing. It was Trump who baselessly blamed fraud for his popular vote defeat.
What’s happened since this year’s election threatens our democracy. Any losing candidate has the right to seek recounts and to challenge voter fraud if it exists. They don’t have the right to lie and make wild assertions that undermine the credibility of our democracy.
Thankfully, most local and state-level Republicans who co-manage our elections with Democrats have stood tall in defending our nation from Trump’s attacks. They are to be commended for protecting democracy and our Constitution.
We can’t say the same of attorneys general in 17 states who filed briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a far-fetched lawsuit filed by Texas seeking to delay certification of election results in four swing states Trump lost. They allege those states unlawfully changed voting rules, claims they failed to make before Trump lost.
Never mind that those elections and results were certified by local Republican election officials, who clearly would have cried foul if even a shred of notable voter fraud evidence existed. Just ignore the fact that Republican and Democratic poll workers verified signatures on absentee ballots in most places. Forget that William Barr, Trump’s own highly political and conservative attorney general, said there was no substantive fraud. Should we also toss out the Republicans’ impressive down ticket wins?
Thankfully, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a straight-shooting conservative, declined to lend his support to the Texas case despite pressure from more than 40 foolish Ohio Republican state representatives, including Bill Roemer of Richfield and Scott Wiggam of Wooster. A Thursday letter to Yost claims the election lacked integrity based on unspecified “grave allegations,” presumably the same baloney that even Trump-appointed judges have dismissed in courts.
Even more shocking, a majority of U.S House Republicans supported Texas’ case, including Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville.
What Republicans were asking for would destroy our democracy if the Supreme Court had somehow saved Trump. Justices refused to accept the case Friday night.
Any elected leader supporting the rejection of millions of votes without any evidence deserves significant scrutiny about their fitness for office. They’re ignoring the rule of law and Constitution they claim to embrace. They’re willing to harm our country just to keep a bully in power.
Can you imagine what Roemer, Wiggam and Gibbs would be saying if the scenario were reversed?
When the Electoral College votes Monday, Joe Biden will become the official president-elect. Our country needs its elected leaders to come together and help all of us overcome a pandemic that’s sickening and killing more and more people every day.
It’s time to solve problems and get people back to work. Do your job.
Online: https://bit.ly/3gYgg1K
___
For racism to end, all Americans need to recognize it
The Columbus Dispatch
Dec. 13
When The Dispatch launched “Black Out” – a nine-part series looking at the impact of racism in central Ohio as described by Black people who have lived with it – a reader questioned why. Why talk about those long-ago issues of the 1960s? Why dredge up old problems?
The question answers itself.
The reader’s question demonstrates why we need more discussion and understanding of racism. The Black Out series, which began last Sunday and concludes on Monday, starts to fill the need – precisely because people who don’t experience racism personally don’t understand its lasting power or, maybe, don’t believe that it is still a problem.
The Black Lives Matter protests last summer following the brutal deaths of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands of police opened many Americans’ eyes to one of the most critical dangers of racism and bias. It is heartbreaking that, with the killing of Casey Goodson Jr. by a sheriff’s deputy on Dec. 4, Columbus is facing another tragedy.
But the racial reckoning sparked by the protests also has led to a deeper examination of racism in many other forms. Many are more subtle but nonetheless damaging. Perhaps the most important message is the need to understand the lasting effects of systemic racism – not only the blatant and illegal refusals to hire, or serve, or enroll people of color, but also the racism built into our social infrastructure that held people back generations ago and still do today.
Modern American motorists who don’t think much about systemic racism likely give little thought as to why a particular path was chosen for construction of the interstate highways that cut through our central cities.
In Monday’s installment of the series on racism, reporter Erica Thompson spoke to central Ohio residents who lived in those neighborhoods before the freeways came, when they were thriving, safe and friendly places to live, with stores and restaurants and music venues and well-kept lawns, all close to the heart of the city.
What made places such as Hanford Village and Bronzeville different from other pleasant, family-oriented neighborhoods back then was simple: Most of the people who lived there were Black and had relatively little political representation or power. That made it easy for officials to draw lines on a map that would slice neighborhoods in two and strand small clusters of homes hard up against freeway ramps.
Along with the stifling of community came falling property values, depriving Black families of the path to wealth accumulation that homeownership represents for so many Americans.
Stories about highways ruining neighborhoods tend to bear a distinct similarity to stories about redlining – the practice, dating from the New Deal, of carving up city maps and labeling neighborhoods for their desirability for home lenders. Look for where the freeways carve up residential areas and you’ll likely be looking as well at the places that were “redlined,” meaning that banks were unwilling to make loans for homes in those places.
More downward impact on property values, more limits on families’ mobility, more opportunities lost to the next generation.
What else helps determine success and social position in American society? Education and employment, two other endeavors where the overt racism of past decades leaves its mark today. A hiring manager doesn’t have to be personally racist to perpetuate racism. If he relies on the traditional professional networks of his predecessors, he’s unlikely to encounter all of the possible candidates of color.
Efforts to undo the effects of racism sometimes are themselves harmful, if inadvertently. Kenny Morgan, who grew up on the East Side, told reporter Mike Wagner how scared he was when he learned that he was to be bused to a mostly-white middle school on the Northwest Side when Columbus City Schools began busing for desegregation in 1979.
A friendly white student at the new school, assigned to be Morgan’s “buddy,” assured him the school was nice and that people would welcome him.
But that student understood better when Morgan asked him how he would feel if he were being bused to an all-black school far away.
As it turned out, the Columbus Board of Education changed its plan and Morgan stayed at his home school, but thousands of students, Black and white, suffered the disruption of busing. It was intended as a bold remedy to intentional segregation, which had included equipping white schools far better than Black ones. But it came at a cost: It hampered friendships, made it harder for parents to be involved in their kids’ schools and diluted traditional neighborhood support.
The city school system shrank as white families moved away. Whether motivated by their own racism or fear of their homes losing value because of others’ racism, the result was the same. How much healthier the city and its schools could be if racism hadn’t driven school boards of decades past to do whatever it took to keep Black and white children apart.
A bright spot amid the pain in the “Black Out” series is that, on a human-to-human level, racism is easier to snuff out.
Denise Flowers, who was among the first Black students bused to the former Eastmoor Middle School, remembers how nice it felt to be befriended by a white girl who had been afraid of integration, but realized that Flowers was “so nice.”
And after spending 40 years in prison for a crime the state now admits he didn’t commit, Ricky Jackson used some of his monetary settlement to buy a house in a prosperous white neighborhood. He is used to being tailed by store employees, and says his wife “got the looks everywhere she went,” but he also has the grace to observe that “it’s better now, because people know us and we have a lot of friends who don’t see us for our color.”
But beyond personal relationships, the bitter legacy of systemic racism remains — in lower incomes and lower household wealth for Black people, along with higher rates of illness and death, even as tiny infants. No significant change is likely if the problem remains one that only people of color can see.
One path toward the changes required to end racism opens when individuals listen to what it feels like to experience racism, and to that end, The Dispatch will continue the effort to tell stories that build understanding.
Online: https://bit.ly/2KujcXs
___
Focus second stimulus
The Toledo Blade
Dec. 15
The federal government continues to bat around proposals for a second stimulus package aimed at countering the economic impact of the coronavirus.
Never mind that people’s livelihoods and lives are at stake, given looming deadlines on unemployment benefits and relief aid in many areas. Any chance to play politics must be seized upon with gusto, of course. Never let a good crisis go to waste.
Talks seemed to be moving toward bipartisan agreement on most areas aside from two of the most contentious issues: a liability shield for businesses, hospitals, and schools, and funding for state and local governments. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky had floated the idea of tabling these topics in favor of passing a package and picking them back up in the new year.
Then the White House lobbed a grenade.
Treasure Secretary Steve Mnuchin sent a proposal that would cut the $300-per-week unemployment enhancement in favor of sending $600 direct payments - half the amount of the first stimulus package - to Americans under a certain income threshold.
This is asinine. Democrats were right to reject the proposal outright.
While the original $1,200 stimulus payments undoubtedly helped huge numbers of Americans, many simply deposited or banked the funding. It was overly broad, a fast, slapdash measure intended to inject some capital into the sputtering economy and assist those who needed immediate aid in paying rent or bills.
(Then again, the Internal Revenue Service is still working to process payments for some citizens. “Immediate” isn’t really in the vocabulary of our bureaucracy.)
Why is another round of direct payments on the table? Politics, of course. They are popular with the public. The President has signaled that he favors such payments and continues to push for their inclusion in relief packages. A cash infusion for those who don’t desperately need it could encourage more spending and catalyze faster recovery.
But none of these reasons trump common sense.
Lawmakers should target payments to those in need. A $300-per-week unemployment enhancement would help those who have already demonstrated they need it most.
That figure had bipartisan support in the Senate.
Mr. McConnell has said Congress must reach an agreement before it adjourns, and he’s right. As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spike, state leaders around the country are considering further restrictions that would decimate an already tepid recovery, casting thousands of people back onto the unemployment line and into food insecurity.
Lawmakers must keep their eye on the bipartisan ball, so to speak, and not be distracted by the White House proposal.
Simultaneously, the President must sign a relief bill if it moves through the Senate.
Online: https://bit.ly/38bOE5j
___
’21 brings new president, new inauguration
The Warren Tribune Chronicle
Dec. 15
What if you built an expensive, elaborate reviewing stand for a parade, and then on the big day, it overlooked an empty street? That is the question both President-elect Joe Biden and incumbent President Donald Trump must answer in just a few weeks.
Inauguration Day for American presidents has been a really big deal in the past. Hundreds of thousands of people pack the area at the U.S. Capitol where the new chief executive is being sworn in.
About 1,600 dignitaries are on the platform with him. Then follows an enormous parade through Washington and finally, a round of inaugural balls.
Not this year? COVID-19 has changed everything. Tightly packed crowds of the kind that would have attended traditional ceremonies are an invitation to new outbreaks of the disease. It is not too much to speculate that such events would mean people die needlessly.
So what to do? Work on both the parade reviewing stand and the inauguration platform at the capital already has begun.
For his part, Biden has made it clear he does not believe traditional Inauguration Day activities are wise. Asked about the matter, he told a reporter he doesn’t know “exactly how it’s all going to work out. … The key is keeping people safe.”
It has been speculated one way to accomplish that would be to stage various inauguration-related events semiprivately, broadcasting them to the American people by television and on the internet. That may be a partial solution, but it should not be the whole show.
Because Trump remains president until Biden takes the oath of office Jan. 20, some arrangements will hinge on what the current White House decides. We encourage Trump to proceed with work such as construction of the parade reviewing stand, simply to give Biden all the flexibility possible under trying circumstances.
Putting thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people at risk through an irresponsible determination that the show must go on would not be prudent. Regardless of what Biden and his transition team decide, he is right that keeping people safe needs to be the priority.
Surely, however, the American people are innovative enough to come up with ceremonies that are both safe and in keeping with our tradition of making Inauguration Day a celebration - not just of the new president, but also of how we handle major transitions in government. Making that happen may be especially important during the pandemic.
Online: https://bit.ly/3oWvF5j
___
Isolation is wearing down many
The Marietta Times
Dec. 14
Over the river and through the woods might not happen for Christmas this year … or for several months afterward, for that matter. At a time of year when we most look forward to seeing far off relatives, some of whom might be a little older, it is hard for us to think about whether it is safe and right to do so.
Imagine how hard it is for them, particularly if they are living in group facilities where visits have been limited (or forbidden) for months up months already. It is essential, particularly if you made the right decisions to keep them safe over Christmas or other holiday gatherings, not to leave those folks out of the celebrations entirely.
Send cards, send gifts, make a phone call … make a video call. In fact, if a person is unable to be part of the celebrations in person, perhaps a thoughtful gift would be a tablet or upgraded smartphone that would allow them to participate in such video calls.
Let them know you made a recipe they passed down to you, or that you are wearing a sweater they gave as a gift last year.
Let them know you’re thinking of them, and are planning for a visit as soon as it is safe.
Let them know they are not alone and not forgotten.
Isolation is an awful thing, for those who do not choose it. As this pandemic wears on (and wears so many of us down), it is important that we look for ways to break through that isolation for the holidays without putting anyone in danger.
It may take some creativity to reach out safely, but we can do it.
Online: https://bit.ly/3oWwISN
___


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Ohio governor warns that vaccine doesn't mean quick end

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) - Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine warned Tuesday that the long-awaited arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine doesn ’ t mean the state ’ s coronavirus troubles are over .
Ohioans must continue to be vigilant in protecting against the spread of the coronavirus even as eight more hospitals received doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine , he said .
Frontline medical workers such as doctors and nurses are first in line to receive doses .
Case numbers are still at record highs , and DeWine said there were more people with COVID-19 in intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus at the peak of the summer surge .
“ The rest of December , January , February are probably going to be hell unless we turn this thing around , just to be blunt , ” the governor said .
The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases in Ohio has risen over the past two weeks from 8,251 new cases per day on Nov. 30 to 12,329 new cases per day on Dec. 14 , according to an Associated Press analysis of data provided by The COVID Tracking Project .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ohio has risen over the past two weeks from 58 deaths per day on Nov. 30 to 76 deaths per day on Dec. 14 , according to the data .

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine warned Tuesday that the long-awaited arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t mean the state’s coronavirus troubles are over.
Ohioans must continue to be vigilant in protecting against the spread of the coronavirus even as eight more hospitals received doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, he said. Frontline medical workers such as doctors and nurses are first in line to receive doses.
Case numbers are still at record highs, and DeWine said there were more people with COVID-19 in intensive care on Tuesday-1,311-than were hospitalized in total with the coronavirus at the peak of the summer surge.
“The rest of December, January, February are probably going to be hell unless we turn this thing around, just to be blunt,” the governor said.
The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases in Ohio has risen over the past two weeks from 8,251 new cases per day on Nov. 30 to 12,329 new cases per day on Dec. 14, according to an Associated Press analysis of data provided by The COVID Tracking Project.
The 7-day rolling average of daily deaths in Ohio has risen over the past two weeks from 58 deaths per day on Nov. 30 to 76 deaths per day on Dec. 14, according to the data.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Census releases data to check official count for accuracy

U.S. Census Bureau officials issued a range of population estimates Tuesday that are wholly separate from the once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident , saying the figures will help evaluate the accuracy of the official 2020 Census numbers set to be released next year .
Demographic Analysis estimates discussed by Census officials during an online news conference are based on government birth , death , international migration and Medicare enrollment records as of April 1 - not the results from questionnaires returned by residents and data gathered by Census takers this year .
They are not taken from official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the official count .
The numbers released Tuesday were organized in a series of low , middle and high estimates .
The national population estimate ranged from 330.7 million on the low end , 332.6 million in the middle , and 335.5 million on the high end .
The median age of the U.S. population was 38.4 on the low end and 38.7 on the high end of the estimates .
Those estimates and others are expected to help the Census Bureau understand the quality of its official data , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help determine whether minority groups and other populations are properly counted .
“ Demographic Analysis is a very important evaluation of the quality of the decennial Census , ” said Eric Jensen , senior technical expert for demographic analysis in the Census Bureau ’ s population division .
Information from the actual Census count will be used to determine apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and how more than $ 1.5 trillion in federal funding is distributed .
Demographic Analysis data can tell the Census about errors for specific age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups at the national level , Census officials said .
Some experts and Census watchdogs have raised concerns over the Census count , which has seen its share of challenges this year related to the coronavirus pandemic .
Advocacy groups have argued in court that a push by the Trump administration to end the count early could leave some populations undercounted .
The Census Bureau switched its deadline for wrapping up the count from the end of July to the end of October .
It also extended the deadline for turning in apportionment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of next April , giving bureau statisticians five months to crunch the numbers .
However , in late July and early August , officials at the Commerce Department announced field operations would finish at the end of September and the apportionment numbers would stick to a congressionally mandated deadline of Dec. 31 .
But documents leaked to the House committee that oversees the Census Bureau suggest the apportionment numbers won ’ t be ready until after Jan. 20 , when Trump leaves office and President-elect Joe Biden moves into the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the discovery of data irregularities in recent weeks that put the Dec. 31 deadline in jeopardy .

U.S. Census Bureau officials issued a range of population estimates Tuesday that are wholly separate from the once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident, saying the figures will help evaluate the accuracy of the official 2020 Census numbers set to be released next year.
Demographic Analysis estimates discussed by Census officials during an online news conference are based on government birth, death, international migration and Medicare enrollment records as of April 1 - not the results from questionnaires returned by residents and data gathered by Census takers this year. They are not taken from official Census response data, nor are they part of the official count.
The numbers released Tuesday were organized in a series of low, middle and high estimates. The national population estimate ranged from 330.7 million on the low end, 332.6 million in the middle, and 335.5 million on the high end.
The median age of the U.S. population was 38.4 on the low end and 38.7 on the high end of the estimates.
Those estimates and others are expected to help the Census Bureau understand the quality of its official data, which is still being analyzed, and could help determine whether minority groups and other populations are properly counted.
“Demographic Analysis is a very important evaluation of the quality of the decennial Census,” said Eric Jensen, senior technical expert for demographic analysis in the Census Bureau’s population division.
Information from the actual Census count will be used to determine apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and how more than $1.5 trillion in federal funding is distributed. Demographic Analysis data can tell the Census about errors for specific age, sex, race and Hispanic origin groups at the national level, Census officials said.
Some experts and Census watchdogs have raised concerns over the Census count, which has seen its share of challenges this year related to the coronavirus pandemic. Advocacy groups have argued in court that a push by the Trump administration to end the count early could leave some populations undercounted.
The Census Bureau switched its deadline for wrapping up the count from the end of July to the end of October. It also extended the deadline for turning in apportionment numbers from the end of December to the end of next April, giving bureau statisticians five months to crunch the numbers.
However, in late July and early August, officials at the Commerce Department announced field operations would finish at the end of September and the apportionment numbers would stick to a congressionally mandated deadline of Dec. 31.
But documents leaked to the House committee that oversees the Census Bureau suggest the apportionment numbers won’t be ready until after Jan. 20, when Trump leaves office and President-elect Joe Biden moves into the White House. The Census Bureau has acknowledged the discovery of data irregularities in recent weeks that put the Dec. 31 deadline in jeopardy.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Native American film producer/actor gets prison in rape case

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - Native American film producer and actor Redwolf Pope was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday after being convicted of sexually assaulting a Seattle woman in New Mexico in 2017 .
A jury found the 44-year-old Pope guilty of rape and voyeurism three months ago .
Prosecutors said Pope took photos and video of himself sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in a Santa Fe hotel room .
The woman was an acquaintance of Pope ’ s and she had asked him to drive her home from a party , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors she was handed a drink when she got into Pope ’ s vehicle and woke up later without any memory of what occurred that night .
At the sentencing hearing , Pope appeared by video from the Santa Fe County jail and said he rescued the victim from an unsafe party and the two had a consensual encounter that night .
Prosecutors said Pope was credited with about 2½ years of time served and will be required to register as a sex offender .
Pope also faces rape charges in two cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that city after serving time for his conviction in New Mexico .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Native American film producer and actor Redwolf Pope was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday after being convicted of sexually assaulting a Seattle woman in New Mexico in 2017.
A jury found the 44-year-old Pope guilty of rape and voyeurism three months ago.
Prosecutors said Pope took photos and video of himself sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in a Santa Fe hotel room.
The woman was an acquaintance of Pope’s and she had asked him to drive her home from a party, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
She told prosecutors she was handed a drink when she got into Pope’s vehicle and woke up later without any memory of what occurred that night.
At the sentencing hearing, Pope appeared by video from the Santa Fe County jail and said he rescued the victim from an unsafe party and the two had a consensual encounter that night.
Prosecutors said Pope was credited with about 2½ years of time served and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Pope also faces rape charges in two cases in Seattle and will stand trial in that city after serving time for his conviction in New Mexico.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Utah hospitals begin administering first COVID-19 vaccines

SALT LAKE CITY ( AP ) - An intensive care nurse in Salt Lake City became the first person in Utah to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday morning as hospitals began administering vaccinations to front-line healthcare workers with the highest risk of exposure .
Christy Mulder , a nurse at University of Utah Hospital , was the first person in the state to receive the vaccine .
Hospital leaders expect about a total of 100 doses to be administered across the state Tuesday .
Several health care workers also received the vaccine at LDS Hospital .
Sophie Woodbury , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that receiving the vaccine will help her take even better care of her patients .
“ There ’ s a lot of sick people , and we ’ re doing our very best to take care of them .
But it ’ s also really mentally draining , ” Woodbury told reporters .
“ So if I know I have protection from the coronavirus … then I ’ m going to come to work every day in a better frame of mind and be able to provide better care mentally and physically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angela Dunn voiced her excitement that vaccines were finally being distributed in Utah .
But she urged people to continue public health measures like wearing masks and social distancing .
“ I have to say though my excitement is tempered by the fact that we are leading into another holiday season and it ’ s going to get colder , ” Dunn said .
“ There is light at the end of the tunnel .
We ’ re just not there yet.
” Intensive care unit capacity at Utah ’ s hospitals best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % on Tuesday .
In Utah , 1 in 173 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 over the past week , and the state is ranked tenth in the country for new cases per capita , according to data from Johns Hopkins .
There have been more than 237,000 reported virus cases in Utah and 1,077 known deaths related to the virus , according to state data .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
Eppolito is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An intensive care nurse in Salt Lake City became the first person in Utah to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday morning as hospitals began administering vaccinations to front-line healthcare workers with the highest risk of exposure.
Christy Mulder, a nurse at University of Utah Hospital, was the first person in the state to receive the vaccine. Hospital leaders expect about a total of 100 doses to be administered across the state Tuesday.
Several health care workers also received the vaccine at LDS Hospital. Sophie Woodbury, a nurse on the surgery floor, said that receiving the vaccine will help her take even better care of her patients.
“There’s a lot of sick people, and we’re doing our very best to take care of them. But it’s also really mentally draining,” Woodbury told reporters. “So if I know I have protection from the coronavirus … then I’m going to come to work every day in a better frame of mind and be able to provide better care mentally and physically to my patients.”
State Epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn voiced her excitement that vaccines were finally being distributed in Utah. But she urged people to continue public health measures like wearing masks and social distancing.
“I have to say though my excitement is tempered by the fact that we are leading into another holiday season and it’s going to get colder,” Dunn said. “There is light at the end of the tunnel. We’re just not there yet.”
Intensive care unit capacity at Utah’s hospitals best equipped to treat COVID-19 patients reached 92.8% on Tuesday. In Utah, 1 in 173 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 over the past week, and the state is ranked tenth in the country for new cases per capita, according to data from Johns Hopkins.
There have been more than 237,000 reported virus cases in Utah and 1,077 known deaths related to the virus, according to state data.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
___
Eppolito is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Record number of journalists jailed because of their work

NEW YORK ( AP ) - A record 274 journalists were in jail at the beginning of the month because of their work , nearly three dozen of them on charges of “ false news , ” the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday .
It has been five straight years where at least 250 journalists were in custody , which the committee says illustrates a crackdown by repressive governments .
China is the top jailer , followed by Turkey and Egypt .
Political unrest in Belarus and Ethiopia have led to big increases of reporters in custody there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , 29 journalists have been killed , the committee said .
That ’ s up from 26 last year , but represents a decrease from earlier in the last decade , where 74 journalists were killed in both 2012 and 2013 .
At least in part because of the coronavirus , fewer journalists are out in conflict situations where they could be hit by crossfire , said Courtney Radsch , the committee ’ s advocacy director .
Twenty of the journalists killed so far this year were murder victims .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and none were imprisoned at the beginning of the month .
But 110 journalists in the U.S. were arrested and criminally charged in 2020 , and around 300 were assaulted , many while covering protests in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death , according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker .
The Committee to Protect Journalists has been concerned that President Donald Trump ’ s criticism of “ fake news ” in the United States has influenced autocratic leaders in other countries .
Jailings are up compared to several years past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2005 and 92 in 2000 .
The journalists ’ group hopes that President-elect Joe Biden can set a tone on the world stage by making a point of talking about press freedom .
Still , Radsch cautioned that “ the world is not going to be undone all of a sudden just because we have a new U.S. president.
” The committee has increasingly turned to Congress for help in emphasizing press freedoms worldwide , Radsch said .
She cited U.S. Sens .
Ed Markey , D-Mass.
, and Marco Rubio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adam Schiff as being supportive .
Forty-seven journalists were in jail in China , three of them for coverage related to China ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic , the committee said .
There were 27 jailings in Egypt , at least three related to coronavirus coverage .
Journalists in Egypt and Honduras died after contracting COVID while in prison , the committee said .
Nearly all of the jailed journalists were covering stories involving their own country .
The committee said 36 of the jailed journalists were women .

NEW YORK (AP) - A record 274 journalists were in jail at the beginning of the month because of their work, nearly three dozen of them on charges of “false news,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday.
It has been five straight years where at least 250 journalists were in custody, which the committee says illustrates a crackdown by repressive governments. China is the top jailer, followed by Turkey and Egypt. Political unrest in Belarus and Ethiopia have led to big increases of reporters in custody there, the committee said.
So far this year, 29 journalists have been killed, the committee said. That’s up from 26 last year, but represents a decrease from earlier in the last decade, where 74 journalists were killed in both 2012 and 2013.
At least in part because of the coronavirus, fewer journalists are out in conflict situations where they could be hit by crossfire, said Courtney Radsch, the committee’s advocacy director. Twenty of the journalists killed so far this year were murder victims.
No journalists in the United States were killed and none were imprisoned at the beginning of the month. But 110 journalists in the U.S. were arrested and criminally charged in 2020, and around 300 were assaulted, many while covering protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has been concerned that President Donald Trump’s criticism of “fake news” in the United States has influenced autocratic leaders in other countries. Jailings are up compared to several years past: the committee said there were 131 in 2005 and 92 in 2000.
The journalists’ group hopes that President-elect Joe Biden can set a tone on the world stage by making a point of talking about press freedom.
Still, Radsch cautioned that “the world is not going to be undone all of a sudden just because we have a new U.S. president.”
The committee has increasingly turned to Congress for help in emphasizing press freedoms worldwide, Radsch said. She cited U.S. Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and California Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff as being supportive.
Forty-seven journalists were in jail in China, three of them for coverage related to China’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the committee said. There were 27 jailings in Egypt, at least three related to coronavirus coverage.
Journalists in Egypt and Honduras died after contracting COVID while in prison, the committee said.
Nearly all of the jailed journalists were covering stories involving their own country. The committee said 36 of the jailed journalists were women.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Florida detective charged with evidence tampering

TAMPA , Fla. ( AP ) - A Florida police detective was arrested Tuesday for tampering with evidence after she covered up a procedural mistake she had made during an attempted murder investigation , officials said .
Tampa police Chief Brian Dugan said during a news conference that Jarda Bradford , 38 , faces two counts of evidence tampering .
The department suspended her and is in the process of firing her , Dugan said .
Bradford was working on an attempted murder case from October when she failed to cover earrings in a photo lineup before showing it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief explained that it is department procedure to mask any identifying markers such as tattoos or jewelry when presenting a photo lineup .
When another detective pointed out the mistake , Dugan said Bradford added the masking , but only after she had already shown the photos to a witness .
Bradford also initialed the lineup as accurate , Dugan said .
“ This is a procedural issue with evidence - it ’ s not crime scene evidence that was manipulated , ” Dugan said .
“ It ’ s one of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics where the cover-up is worse than the crime.
” Dugan said he is “ extremely disappointed ” in Bradford and said her actions have weakened the attempted-murder case .
Bradford was released from jail later Tuesday on $ 4,000 bond .
Jail records didn ’ t list an attorney .
Tampa ’ s police union didn ’ t immediately reply to a message seeking comment from The Associated Press .

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A Florida police detective was arrested Tuesday for tampering with evidence after she covered up a procedural mistake she had made during an attempted murder investigation, officials said.
Tampa police Chief Brian Dugan said during a news conference that Jarda Bradford, 38, faces two counts of evidence tampering. The department suspended her and is in the process of firing her, Dugan said.
Bradford was working on an attempted murder case from October when she failed to cover earrings in a photo lineup before showing it to a witness, Dugan said. The chief explained that it is department procedure to mask any identifying markers such as tattoos or jewelry when presenting a photo lineup.
When another detective pointed out the mistake, Dugan said Bradford added the masking, but only after she had already shown the photos to a witness. Bradford also initialed the lineup as accurate, Dugan said.
“This is a procedural issue with evidence - it’s not crime scene evidence that was manipulated,” Dugan said. “It’s one of those cases where you hear quite often in politics where the cover-up is worse than the crime.”
Dugan said he is “extremely disappointed” in Bradford and said her actions have weakened the attempted-murder case.
Bradford was released from jail later Tuesday on $4,000 bond. Jail records didn’t list an attorney. Tampa’s police union didn’t immediately reply to a message seeking comment from The Associated Press.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--UN: Libya’s rivals fail to agree on how to name government

CAIRO ( AP ) - Libya ’ s rivals failed to agree on a mechanism to choose a transitional government that would lead the conflict-stricken country to elections in December next year , the United Nations said on Tuesday .
U.N. acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams told an online meeting for the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum that she would form an advisory committee to help bridge the gaps among the participants and “ make concrete progress.
” The 75-member forum reached an agreement to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24 , 2021 .
However , it failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mechanism for the executive authority despite six online meetings since their face-to-face talks in Tunisia in November , Williams said .
“ So far you collectively continue to struggle to agree on a way forward , ” she told the attendees .
“ The clock is ticking , and we have a collective responsibility before the Libyan people to advance this process so as to fulfil a key objective of the roadmap , which is enabling and making a reality , the holding of the elections.
” Williams said she would announce the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the elections .
The committee is expected to convene Monday , before its face-to-face meeting next month , she said .
“ I am fully committed , the train has left the station on this process , there is no going back … Let ’ s not litigate the past .
There has been a lot of litigation of the past , but we need to look forward , ” she said .
Libya is split between a U.N.-supported government in the capital , Tripoli , and rival authorities based in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by an array of local militias , as well as regional and foreign powers .
The forum is part of the U.N. efforts to end the chaos that engulfed the oil-rich North African nation after the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Moammar Gadhafi .
These talks took place amid a heavy international push to reach a peaceful settlement to Libya ’ s conflict .
Previous diplomatic initiatives have all collapsed .
The warring sides agreed to a U.N.-brokered cease-fire in October in Geneva , a deal included the departure of foreign forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No progress was announced on the issue of foreign forces and mercenaries since they inked the cease-fire deal almost two months ago .

CAIRO (AP) - Libya’s rivals failed to agree on a mechanism to choose a transitional government that would lead the conflict-stricken country to elections in December next year, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
U.N. acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams told an online meeting for the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum that she would form an advisory committee to help bridge the gaps among the participants and “make concrete progress.”
The 75-member forum reached an agreement to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24, 2021. However, it failed to break the deadlock on the selection mechanism for the executive authority despite six online meetings since their face-to-face talks in Tunisia in November, Williams said.
“So far you collectively continue to struggle to agree on a way forward,” she told the attendees. “The clock is ticking, and we have a collective responsibility before the Libyan people to advance this process so as to fulfil a key objective of the roadmap, which is enabling and making a reality, the holding of the elections.”
Williams said she would announce the legal committee to work on constitutional arrangements for the elections. The committee is expected to convene Monday, before its face-to-face meeting next month, she said.
“I am fully committed, the train has left the station on this process, there is no going back … Let’s not litigate the past. There has been a lot of litigation of the past, but we need to look forward,” she said.
Libya is split between a U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the east. The two sides are backed by an array of local militias, as well as regional and foreign powers.
The forum is part of the U.N. efforts to end the chaos that engulfed the oil-rich North African nation after the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
These talks took place amid a heavy international push to reach a peaceful settlement to Libya’s conflict. Previous diplomatic initiatives have all collapsed.
The warring sides agreed to a U.N.-brokered cease-fire in October in Geneva, a deal included the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within three months.
No progress was announced on the issue of foreign forces and mercenaries since they inked the cease-fire deal almost two months ago.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Portland high school to be renamed for Black woman

PORTLAND , Ore. ( AP ) - A high school in Southwest Portland will be renamed after one of five history-making Black women chosen as finalists by a committee of students , educators and community members .
The renaming effort began in September after intense pressure from students and alumni amid a mass movement against racial injustice spurred by the police killing of George Floyd , a Black man in Minneapolis .
Activists have long called for the renaming of Woodrow Wilson High , in particular , because its namesake instituted segregation in federal government agencies and was an ally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school ’ s renaming committee reached its list of finalists after reviewing nearly 700 surveys .
Wilson is the first of at least two Portland Public Schools to be renamed in the next year .
Madison High Principal Adam Skyles in October announced the Northeast Portland school will divorce itself from its namesake by next fall .
The Black women Wilson may be named after include : Harriet Wilson , known as the first Black person to publish a novel in the U.S. ; Ida B .
Wells , a co-founder of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an investigative journalist ; Sojourner Truth , who recruited soldiers for the Union during the Civil War and fought for abolition and civil rights ; Mercedes Deiz , an Oregonian who was the first Black woman to practice law in the state ; and , Beatrice Morrow Cannady , a co-founder and the first vice president of the Portland chapter of the NAACP .

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A high school in Southwest Portland will be renamed after one of five history-making Black women chosen as finalists by a committee of students, educators and community members.
The renaming effort began in September after intense pressure from students and alumni amid a mass movement against racial injustice spurred by the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis.
Activists have long called for the renaming of Woodrow Wilson High, in particular, because its namesake instituted segregation in federal government agencies and was an ally of the Ku Klux Klan.
The school’s renaming committee reached its list of finalists after reviewing nearly 700 surveys.
Wilson is the first of at least two Portland Public Schools to be renamed in the next year. Madison High Principal Adam Skyles in October announced the Northeast Portland school will divorce itself from its namesake by next fall.
The Black women Wilson may be named after include: Harriet Wilson, known as the first Black person to publish a novel in the U.S.; Ida B. Wells, a co-founder of the NAACP and widely recognized for her work as an investigative journalist; Sojourner Truth, who recruited soldiers for the Union during the Civil War and fought for abolition and civil rights; Mercedes Deiz, an Oregonian who was the first Black woman to practice law in the state; and, Beatrice Morrow Cannady, a co-founder and the first vice president of the Portland chapter of the NAACP.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Vermonters rally to save college radio station

PLAINFIELD , Vt. ( AP ) - Vermonters are rallying to raise $ 50,000 to save Goddard College ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Gruen , the station ’ s director , said the station has been removed from @ @ @ @ @ ’ s community-service grant program that provided $ 70,000 to the station , the Burlington @ @ @ @ @ was removed from the program after it failed to raise the $ 275,000 required to @ @ @ @ @ Goddard is giving the station to Central Vermont Community Radio , which plans to keep @ @ @ @ @ the air .
Gruen said the station has the funding to operate through the end @ @ @ @ @ these funds to operate through the four-month transfer of ownership .
“ The station ’ @ @ @ @ @ organizing an extremely generous match to ensure that our goal is within reach , ” @ @ @

PLAINFIELD, Vt. (AP) - Vermonters are rallying to raise $50,000 to save Goddard College’s radio station WGDR-FM.
Kris Gruen, the station’s director, said the station has been removed from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s community-service grant program that provided $70,000 to the station, the Burlington Free Press reported.
WGDR was removed from the program after it failed to raise the $275,000 required to continue to receive funding.
Goddard is giving the station to Central Vermont Community Radio, which plans to keep local and national programming on the air.
Gruen said the station has the funding to operate through the end of the year but requires these funds to operate through the four-month transfer of ownership.
“The station’s major donors are already organizing an extremely generous match to ensure that our goal is within reach,” Gruen said.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--North Carolina man charged in fatal shooting in 2018

GREENSBORO , N.C. ( AP ) - A North Carolina man has been arrested in connection with a shooting at @ @ @ @ @ years ago , police said .
Greensboro police said in a news release that Joel @ @ @ @ @ of Winston-Salem was charged on Monday with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon @ @ @ @ @ the News & Record of Greensboro reported .
On Sept. 8 , 2018 , police @ @ @ @ @ shots fired found Jaylan Irvin Lassiter , 22 , of Durham and a second shooting @ @ @ @ @ a local hospital , while the other shooting victim survived .
McCarthy is jailed without @ @ @ @ @ not known if he has an attorney .

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina man has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a bar more than two years ago, police said.
Greensboro police said in a news release that Joel Adam McCarthy, 30, of Winston-Salem was charged on Monday with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, the News & Record of Greensboro reported.
On Sept. 8, 2018, police responding to a report of shots fired found Jaylan Irvin Lassiter, 22, of Durham and a second shooting victim. Lassiter died at a local hospital, while the other shooting victim survived. McCarthy is jailed without bond and it’s not known if he has an attorney.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Midweek storm to bring more snow, rain to California

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) - There ’ s a week left in fall but forecasters said Tuesday a @ @ @ @ @ roll into Northern California , carrying widespread rain and mountain snow .
The weather system @ @ @ @ @ afternoon and continue through Thursday , the National Weather Service said .
Sierra Nevada snow @ @ @ @ @ the higher pass levels and drop to as low as 4,500 feet ( 1,372 meters @ @ @ @ @ to be hazardous in the mountains .
Caltrans said it has imposed winter closures on @ @ @ @ @ 108 , Monitor Pass on State Route 89 and Ebbetts Pass on State Route 4 @ @ @ @ @ also under seasonal or storm closures .

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - There’s a week left in fall but forecasters said Tuesday a winter storm is about to roll into Northern California, carrying widespread rain and mountain snow.
The weather system is expected to arrive Wednesday afternoon and continue through Thursday, the National Weather Service said.
Sierra Nevada snow levels will start out at the higher pass levels and drop to as low as 4,500 feet (1,372 meters).
Travel is expected to be hazardous in the mountains.
Caltrans said it has imposed winter closures on Sonora Pass on State Route 108, Monitor Pass on State Route 89 and Ebbetts Pass on State Route 4. Several other roads are also under seasonal or storm closures.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Colorado lawmakers clash over election integrity hearing

DENVER ( AP ) - A top legal advisor to President Donald Trump was among those testifying at a Tuesday hearing called by Republican state lawmakers to look into any irregularities concerning Colorado ’ s mail-in voting system - a system praised by both major parties as among the nation ’ s safest and responsible for the largest turnouts in the U.S. in 2020 .
The reason for and timing of the Legislative Audit Committee hearing , called by Republican committee chair Rep. Lori Saine of Weld County , befuddled many , coming a day after the Electoral College certified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saine told fellow lawmakers its goal was to put to rest “ any doubt ” about election irregularities in the state .
“ The election belongs to the people of Colorado and that question deserves our utmost focus and attention , ” she said .
Jenna Ellis , senior legal adviser to the Trump campaign , implored the panel to investigate Dominion Voting Systems , reiterating debunked claims that the company ’ s voting machines software altered the result of the presidential election .
Elections officials have repeatedly denounced statements questioning Colorado ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuted claims about any deleted or changed votes .
Secretary of State Jena Griswold noted in written testimony that Dominion software has been widely used in Colorado since 2015 and , in some districts , going back to the 1990s .
“ No evidence of wrongdoing has been presented against Dominion concerning its use and performance in this election or any other .
Furthermore , there is no evidence that the Dominion Voting software operated in this election anyway other than flawlessly , ” Griswold said .
Colorado voting systems are routinely tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been successfully tested more than 800 times , Griswold added .
Democratic lawmakers grew angry with the lack of Colorado-specific evidence of any wrongdoing or problems presented to the panel Tuesday .
One , Sen. Rhonda Fields , said using public funds for the hearing was a waste .
“ I just think this is ridiculous , ” Fields said .
Ellis tried to link suburban Jefferson County ’ s adoption of Dominion systems with the county ’ s shift to Democratic and unaffiliated voters on recent elections - a demographic shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kraft-Tharp scoffed at Ellis ’ argument .
Pam Anderson , executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association , told the committee there were no instances of voter fraud found in Colorado after the independent audits and hand-counting processes that occurred following the election .
“ By implying that we haven ’ t done that either ignores or is ignorant of the things that take place under the law that the General Assembly set , that we are sworn to uphold , ” Anderson said .
“ Due diligence was done throughout this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a tour of ballot processing centers , noting that the county clerks received no responses to invitations extended to lawmakers last year .
Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

DENVER (AP) - A top legal advisor to President Donald Trump was among those testifying at a Tuesday hearing called by Republican state lawmakers to look into any irregularities concerning Colorado’s mail-in voting system - a system praised by both major parties as among the nation’s safest and responsible for the largest turnouts in the U.S. in 2020.
The reason for and timing of the Legislative Audit Committee hearing, called by Republican committee chair Rep. Lori Saine of Weld County, befuddled many, coming a day after the Electoral College certified Joe Biden’s presidential win. Saine told fellow lawmakers its goal was to put to rest “any doubt” about election irregularities in the state.
“The election belongs to the people of Colorado and that question deserves our utmost focus and attention,” she said.
Jenna Ellis, senior legal adviser to the Trump campaign, implored the panel to investigate Dominion Voting Systems, reiterating debunked claims that the company’s voting machines software altered the result of the presidential election.
Elections officials have repeatedly denounced statements questioning Colorado’s election integrity, and Dominion has refuted claims about any deleted or changed votes.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold noted in written testimony that Dominion software has been widely used in Colorado since 2015 and, in some districts, going back to the 1990s.
“No evidence of wrongdoing has been presented against Dominion concerning its use and performance in this election or any other. Furthermore, there is no evidence that the Dominion Voting software operated in this election anyway other than flawlessly,” Griswold said.
Colorado voting systems are routinely tested through audit procedures, and Dominion Systems have been successfully tested more than 800 times, Griswold added.
Democratic lawmakers grew angry with the lack of Colorado-specific evidence of any wrongdoing or problems presented to the panel Tuesday. One, Sen. Rhonda Fields, said using public funds for the hearing was a waste.
“I just think this is ridiculous,” Fields said.
Ellis tried to link suburban Jefferson County’s adoption of Dominion systems with the county’s shift to Democratic and unaffiliated voters on recent elections - a demographic shift seen throughout Colorado. Democratic Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp scoffed at Ellis’ argument.
Pam Anderson, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, told the committee there were no instances of voter fraud found in Colorado after the independent audits and hand-counting processes that occurred following the election.
“By implying that we haven’t done that either ignores or is ignorant of the things that take place under the law that the General Assembly set, that we are sworn to uphold,” Anderson said. “Due diligence was done throughout this process.”
Anderson encouraged the panel to take a tour of ballot processing centers, noting that the county clerks received no responses to invitations extended to lawmakers last year.
___
Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Man convicted in 2009 murder; jury to mull death penalty

EASTON , Pa. ( AP ) - A northeastern Pennsylvania jury has convicted a man of first-degree murder and conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ revenge slaying more than a decade ago .
The Northampton County panel deliberated for about @ @ @ @ @ 39-year-old Jacob Holmes .
The panel must now decide whether the defendant should be executed @ @ @ @ @ prison without possibility of parole .
Prosecutors said the Easton resident shot 24-year-old Miguel Aponte @ @ @ @ @ the back after forcing his way into the back door of the Easton Cafe in @ @ @ @ @ Houck said Holmes was seeking revenge for the 2006 murder of a friend .
Aponte @ @ @ @ @ on charges related to the slaying .
Defense attorney Brian Monahan argued that the prosecution @ @ @ @ @ witnesses and cited a lack of fingerprint or DNA evidence linking Holmes to the crime @ @ @ @ @ police he was at home on the day of the slaying .
The penalty phase @ @ @ @ @ to start Friday due to the approaching snowstorm .

EASTON, Pa. (AP) - A northeastern Pennsylvania jury has convicted a man of first-degree murder and conspiracy in what prosecutors called a revenge slaying more than a decade ago.
The Northampton County panel deliberated for about four hours Tuesday before convicting 39-year-old Jacob Holmes. The panel must now decide whether the defendant should be executed or should spend life in prison without possibility of parole.
Prosecutors said the Easton resident shot 24-year-old Miguel Aponte at least five times in the back after forcing his way into the back door of the Easton Cafe in 2009. District Attorney Terence Houck said Holmes was seeking revenge for the 2006 murder of a friend. Aponte had been released from prison on charges related to the slaying.
Defense attorney Brian Monahan argued that the prosecution case was based on unreliable witnesses and cited a lack of fingerprint or DNA evidence linking Holmes to the crime. The defendant had told police he was at home on the day of the slaying.
The penalty phase of the trial is scheduled to start Friday due to the approaching snowstorm.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Virus cases continue to rise in Texas as vaccine rolls out

AUSTIN , Texas ( AP ) - The top health official in Austin warned Tuesday that Christmas and New Year ’ s are likely to be grim as the coronavirus continues its aggressive surge in Central Texas , even as vaccinations provided a glimmer of hope in the fight against the pandemic .
Dr. Mark Escott , Austin ’ s interim health authority , told news station KVUE that the region is seeing “ dozens and dozens ” of positive cases , including entire families , that contracted COVID-19 due to Thanksgiving travel and gatherings .
Hospitals in Austin could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like in other Texas cities such as El Paso and Lubbock .
“ This is going to be a memorable Christmas for folks for the wrong reasons , ” Escott said .
“ We are going to see unprecedented levels of cases and deaths in this community between now and the end of January if we don ’ t take action right now.
” State health officials on Tuesday reported 14,569 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 , along with 2,754 probable cases and 205 deaths .
There were 9,472 people hospitalized with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care units in some regions were at or near full capacity , according to the Texas Department of State Health Services .
Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Austin Mayor Steve Adler sent a letter to area faith leaders Tuesday asking that they consider virtual holiday services or make the necessary changes to allow for masks and social distancing to protect the elderly and those with compromised immune systems .
“ We need your continued diligence to prevent reaching a crisis point , ” they said in the letter .
Meanwhile , COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas and throughout the U.S. received their allotments .
Robert Luckey , a nurse in a COVID-19 unit , was the first to receive the vaccine at Memorial Hermann Health Systems in Houston .
The occasion was met with cheers .
“ It ’ s a big moment , ” Luckey said Tuesday .
“ So many people have been touched by the virus , the disease .
I think this will be hope for a lot of people.
” Texas has reported more than 24,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 since the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopkins University .
That ’ s the second highest total number of deaths for any state in the country .
Over the past two weeks , the rolling average number of daily new coronavirus cases has increased by 2,405.4 , an increase of 20.7 % , according to the university ’ s data .
There were 703.4 new cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks in Texas , which ranks 41st in the country for new cases per capita .
One in every 292 people tested in Texas in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The top health official in Austin warned Tuesday that Christmas and New Year’s are likely to be grim as the coronavirus continues its aggressive surge in Central Texas, even as vaccinations provided a glimmer of hope in the fight against the pandemic.
Dr. Mark Escott, Austin’s interim health authority, told news station KVUE that the region is seeing “dozens and dozens” of positive cases, including entire families, that contracted COVID-19 due to Thanksgiving travel and gatherings. Hospitals in Austin could soon become overwhelmed, Escott said, like in other Texas cities such as El Paso and Lubbock.
“This is going to be a memorable Christmas for folks for the wrong reasons,” Escott said. “We are going to see unprecedented levels of cases and deaths in this community between now and the end of January if we don’t take action right now.”
State health officials on Tuesday reported 14,569 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, along with 2,754 probable cases and 205 deaths. There were 9,472 people hospitalized with the virus in the state Tuesday and intensive care units in some regions were at or near full capacity, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Austin Mayor Steve Adler sent a letter to area faith leaders Tuesday asking that they consider virtual holiday services or make the necessary changes to allow for masks and social distancing to protect the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
“We need your continued diligence to prevent reaching a crisis point,” they said in the letter.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 vaccine rollouts continued as more hospitals across Texas and throughout the U.S. received their allotments.
Robert Luckey, a nurse in a COVID-19 unit, was the first to receive the vaccine at Memorial Hermann Health Systems in Houston.
The occasion was met with cheers.
“It’s a big moment,” Luckey said Tuesday. “So many people have been touched by the virus, the disease. I think this will be hope for a lot of people.”
Texas has reported more than 24,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That’s the second highest total number of deaths for any state in the country.
Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new coronavirus cases has increased by 2,405.4, an increase of 20.7%, according to the university’s data. There were 703.4 new cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks in Texas, which ranks 41st in the country for new cases per capita. One in every 292 people tested in Texas in the past week was positive for the virus.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Japan exports slip despite uptick in trade with China

TOKYO ( AP ) - Japan ’ s exports fell more than 4 % from a year earlier in November , despite an uptick in trade with China , according to customs data released Wednesday .
Exports of vehicles , semiconductors and other manufactured items showed the biggest declines .
Imports fell by a larger margin of 11 % , led by plunges in purchases of food , oil , coal and gas .
That left a global trade surplus of 366.77 billion yen ( $ 3.5 billion ) .
Both imports and exports were weaker than forecast .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services exports , overall exports are not likely to return to pre-virus levels until the middle of next year .
Exports to China rose 3.8 % , which was weaker than the 10 % jump in October .
Imports from China climbed nearly 7 % .
Exports to the United States fell 2.5 % while imports sank 14 % , leaving a balance of 588.3 billion yen ( $ 5.7 billion ) .
China is Japan ’ s largest export market and its recovery from the shocks of the coronavirus pandemic has helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling with a resurgence of outbreaks .
The recovery in demand helped net trade boost Japan ’ s economic growth in the July-September quarter by nearly 3 % .
It may also boost growth in this quarter , though a rebound in imports is also likely , Tom Learmouth of Capital Economics said in a report .
But he said that due to weakness in services exports , overall exports are not likely to return to pre-virus levels until the middle of next year .

TOKYO (AP) - Japan’s exports fell more than 4% from a year earlier in November, the 24th straight month of declines, despite an uptick in trade with China, according to customs data released Wednesday.
Exports of vehicles, semiconductors and other manufactured items showed the biggest drops in terms of value.
Imports fell by a larger margin of 11%, led by plunges in purchases of food, oil, coal and gas. That left a global trade surplus of 366.77 billion yen ($3.5 billion). Both imports and exports were weaker than forecast.
Exports to China rose 3.8%, smaller than the 10% jump in October. Imports from China climbed nearly 7%. Exports to the United States fell 2.5% while imports sank 14%, leaving a balance of 588.3 billion yen ($5.7 billion).
China is Japan’s largest export market and its recovery from the shocks of the coronavirus pandemic has helped it and other economies that are still struggling with a resurgence of outbreaks. The recovery in demand helped net trade boost Japan’s economic growth in the July-September quarter by nearly 3%.
It may also boost growth in this quarter, though a rebound in imports is also likely, Tom Learmouth of Capital Economics said in a report.
But he said that due to weakness in services exports, overall exports are not likely to return to pre-virus levels until the middle of next year.
The long-term decline in exports reflects a variety of factors, including aggressive expansion of overseas production by Japanese manufacturers and investments in advanced technologies in China, Vietnam and other major markets. But the prolonged contraction has been decidedly worsened by the pandemic, as exports fell by nearly 30% from a year earlier in May and June.
In terms of volumes, both exports and imports rose. But lower prices caused them to fall in terms of value. That was especially true for energy prices given the steep decline in the price of crude oil and some other commodities as demand has weakened during the pandemic.
Despite weakness in trade, Japan’s economy has been on the mend after a recession that began even before the coronavirus crisis struck in the spring.
“We maintain a cautious near-term outlook as a renewed wave of COVID infections and lockdowns abroad will weigh on overseas demand, although stronger momentum in China should provide some support,” Stefan Angrick of Oxford Economics said in a report.
He noted that “prospects for 2021 have improved as the rollout of a COVID vaccine should allow for a more robust global recovery.”


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Andrew Cuomo restricts sale of Confederate flag, Nazi swastika, other 'hate symbols'

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo signed a bill limiting the sale and display of the Confederate flag and other “ hate symbols ” while acknowledging the First Amendment problems with the bill .
The new law , according to an account in the New York Post , immediately prohibits the sale of “ hate symbols ” on public grounds , including state and local fairs .
It also drastically curtails their display , absent a specific educational or historical purpose .
“ This country faces a pervasive , growing attitude of intolerance and hate , ” Mr. Cuomo wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limiting the display and sale of the Confederate flag , Nazi swastika and other symbols of hatred … this will help safeguard New Yorkers from the fear-installing effects of these abhorrent symbols.
” But Mr. Cuomo also called in his statement for “ certain technical changes , ” without which the law he was signing would violate the First Amendment .
“ While I fully support the spirit of this legislation , certain technical changes are necessary to balance the State ’ s interests in preventing the use of hate symbols on state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the First Amendment of the United States Constitution , ” he said .

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill limiting the sale and display of the Confederate flag and other “hate symbols” while acknowledging the First Amendment problems with the bill.
The new law, according to an account in the New York Post, immediately prohibits the sale of “hate symbols” on public grounds, including state and local fairs. It also drastically curtails their display, absent a specific educational or historical purpose.
“This country faces a pervasive, growing attitude of intolerance and hate,” Mr. Cuomo wrote in his approval message. “By limiting the display and sale of the Confederate flag, Nazi swastika and other symbols of hatred … this will help safeguard New Yorkers from the fear-installing effects of these abhorrent symbols.”
But Mr. Cuomo also called in his statement for “certain technical changes,” without which the law he was signing would violate the First Amendment.
“While I fully support the spirit of this legislation, certain technical changes are necessary to balance the State’s interests in preventing the use of hate symbols on state land with free speech protections embodied in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution,” he said.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Feds seek 15-month prison term for former Whiting mayor

WHITING , Ind .
( AP ) - Federal prosecutors are recommending a 15-month prison sentence for the former mayor of Whiting , who pleaded guilty to fraud and a tax crime .
The government and Joe Stahura ’ s lawyer filed memos , weeks ahead of a Jan. 13 court hearing , The Northwest ( Indiana ) Times reported .
Stahura , 64 , and his wife transferred about $ 255,000 from a campaign account to cover gambling losses , the government alleged .
He pleaded guilty in September to wire fraud and filing a false tax return .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change the perception that Lake County politicians are corrupt and self-serving , but rather only enhanced it , thereby making it more difficult for those many politicians who serve honestly to raise funds and be trusted by their constituency , ” the government said in a court filing Monday .
Defense attorney Kerry Connor , noting Stahura ’ s health problems and years of service to Whiting , is urging U.S. District Judge James Moody to decline to order a prison sentence .
“ Joseph Stahura ’ s sincere regret , acceptance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his commitment to right the wrong he has committed go substantially beyond that contemplated by the guidelines , ” Connor wrote Tuesday .

WHITING, Ind. (AP) - Federal prosecutors are recommending a 15-month prison sentence for the former mayor of Whiting, who pleaded guilty to fraud and a tax crime.
The government and Joe Stahura’s lawyer filed memos, weeks ahead of a Jan. 13 court hearing, The Northwest (Indiana) Times reported.
Stahura, 64, and his wife transferred about $255,000 from a campaign account to cover gambling losses, the government alleged. He pleaded guilty in September to wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
“Stahura’s conduct did nothing to change the perception that Lake County politicians are corrupt and self-serving, but rather only enhanced it, thereby making it more difficult for those many politicians who serve honestly to raise funds and be trusted by their constituency,” the government said in a court filing Monday.
Defense attorney Kerry Connor, noting Stahura’s health problems and years of service to Whiting, is urging U.S. District Judge James Moody to decline to order a prison sentence.
“Joseph Stahura’s sincere regret, acceptance of responsibility for his actions, and his commitment to right the wrong he has committed go substantially beyond that contemplated by the guidelines,” Connor wrote Tuesday.