washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Opposition candidate leaves Belarus, urges end to protests

MINSK , Belarus ( AP ) - The top opposition candidate in Belarus ‘ presidential vote , who initially refused to concede her defeat amid a massive police crackdown on anti-government protesters , said Tuesday she has left for Lithuania and called on her supporters to end demonstrations .
Looking haggard and distressed , Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , a former teacher and political novice , apologized to her supporters in a video statement and said it was her own choice to leave the country .
“ It was a very hard decision to make , ” she said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , many others will condemn me and some will even hate me .
But God forbid you ever face the choice that I faced.
” In another video statement released later on Tuesday , she urged her supporters to respect the law and avoid clashes with police .
Her campaign aides said she made the unexpected move under duress .
Tsikhanouskaya ’ s husband has been at a Belarusian jail since his arrest in May .
“ It ’ s very difficult to resist pressure when your family and all your inner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Maria Kolesnikova , a top figure in Tsikhanouskaya ’ s campaign .
Tsikhanouskaya previously dismissed the official results of Sunday ’ s election showing authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko winning a sixth term by a landslide .
Thousands of opposition supporters who also protested the results met with a tough police crackdown in Minsk and several other Belarusian cities for two straight nights .
On Monday , a protester died amid the clashes in Minsk and scores were injured as police used tear gas , flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim intended to throw an explosive device , but it blew up in his hand and killed him .
The ministry said Tuesday that more than 2,000 people were detained across the country for taking part in unsanctioned protests on Monday evening and overnight .
It added that 21 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters , and five of them were hospitalized .
The previous day , the ministry reported more than 3,000 detentions and said 89 people were injured , including 39 law enforcement officers .
Tsikhanouskaya , a 37-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience , entered the race after her husband , an opposition blogger who had hoped to run for president , was arrested in May .
She has managed to unite fractured opposition groups and draw tens of thousands to her campaign rallies - the largest opposition demonstrations in Belarus since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union .
In the video statement posted on her Facebook , Tsikhanouskaya thanked her supporters for backing her candidacy , but added that “ the people of Belarus have made their choice.
” “ Belarusians , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense and respect for the law , ” she said , reading a text without raising her eyes from the paper .
“ I don ’ t want blood and violence .
I ’ m asking you not to confront the police and not take to squares to put your lives in danger .
Take care of yourselves and your relatives.
” Hours before that , Tsikhanouskaya disputed the vote results and submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission .
She stayed in the commission headquarters for hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to her campaign aides .
One aide , Olga Kovalkova , said the about-face came under pressure from the authorities who made Tsikhanouskaya read a prepared statement and then drove her out of the country .
“ We don ’ t know what kind of pressure she was subjected to and how they tried to break her , ” Kovalkova said .
“ She couldn ’ t have said it on her own .
She was reading a prepared text.
” She said that Tsikhanouskaya left the country with her campaign chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained over the weekend .
Several other campaign aides have remained in custody .
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the videos posted by Tsikhanouskaya had been recorded in Belarus before her journey to Vilnius .
Lukashenko , who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994 , derided the opposition as “ sheep ” manipulated by foreign masters and vowed to continue the tough crackdown on protests despite Western rebukes .
Election officials said Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tsikhanouskaya disputed the election results on Monday and vowed to demand a recount .
“ We have official protocols from many polling stations , where the number of votes in my favor are many more times than for another candidate , ” she told the AP .
When asked Monday if she was planning to go abroad to avoid being arrested , Tsikhanouskaya said she had no such plan and saw no reason why she would be arrested .
But hours later she went to Belarus ‘ Central Election Commission to submit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t seen again until showing up in Lithuania on Tuesday .
She previously had sent her children there after receiving threats early in the campaign .
“ I thought that the campaign had tempered me and make me so strong that I could resist anything , ” Tsikhanouskaya said in the first of her two videos , her face haggard and her voice breaking .
“ But it appears that I have remained the same weak woman that I was before.
” Economic damage caused by the coronavirus and Lukashenko ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he airily dismissed as “ psychosis , ” has fueled broad anger , helping swell the opposition ranks .
The post-election protest , in which young demonstrators - many of them teenagers - confronted police , marked a previously unseen level of violence .
Rumors that Tsikhanouskaya had left the country began circulating among the protesters as they confronted police overnight , but the news didn ’ t discourage them from continuing their resistance .
“ She had a clear choice : to be in a Belarusian jail or to remain free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kulevich .
“ Tsikhanouskaya has called herself a symbol of change , but they are forcing us to continue living as before.
” Another protester , 20-year-old Anna Vitushko , said that protests will continue .
“ People are protesting against the crude falsifications , and her departure doesn ’ t mean anything , ” Vitushko said .
“ If Lukashenko won 80 % , why does he need riot police , rubber bullets and water cannon ?
They can cheat a few percent of the population , but they can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cordons on Minsk ’ s central squares and avenues didn ’ t stop the demonstrators from gathering around the downtown for the past two nights , chanting “ Freedom !
” and “ Long live Belarus !
” Motorists were blaring horns in a sign of support , and some used their cars to block police vehicles ’ passage .
The Interior Ministry responded by warning Tuesday that such vehicles will be impounded and their owners could face criminal charges .
More rallies are expected later in the evening .
The crackdown on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union and the United States and will likely complicate Lukashenko ’ s efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor , Russia .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the election was not “ free and fair , ” and added : “ We strongly condemn ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters.
” The European Union condemned the police crackdown and called for an immediate release of all those detained .
Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Liudas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this report .

MINSK, Belarus (AP) - The top opposition candidate in Belarus’ presidential election left for Lithuania Tuesday but anti-government demonstrators still turned out for a third straight night to protest the vote results, despite a massive police crackdown that prompted a warning of possible European Union sanctions.
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Minsk and several other cities on Tuesday evening. Clashes between the protesters and police using stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds continued well into the night.
Earlier on Tuesday Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, 37, a former English teacher who entered the race after her husband’s jailing in Belarus, apologized to her backers in a video statement and said it was her own choice to leave the country.
“It was a very hard decision to make,” Tsikhanouskaya said, looking haggard and distressed. “I know that many of you will understand me, many others will condemn me and some will even hate me. But God forbid you ever face the choice that I faced.”
In another video statement released later Tuesday, she urged her supporters to respect the law and to avoid clashes with police.
The statements marked an abrupt about-face for Tsikhanouskaya hours after she dismissed the official results of Sunday’s election that showed President Alexander Lukashenko winning a sixth term with a landslide 80% of the vote, and her getting just 10%.
Her campaign aides said she made the unexpected moves under duress. Tsikhanouskaya’s husband, an opposition blogger who had hoped to run for president, has been jailed since his arrest in May.
“It’s very difficult to resist pressure when your family and all your inner circle have been taken hostages,” Maria Kolesnikova, a top associate of Tsikhanouskaya’s, said.
The former candidate’s campaign put out a statement urging authorities to engage in a dialogue with protesters on a “peaceful transition of power.”
The authoritarian Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994, has derided the opposition as “sheep” manipulated by foreign masters and vowed to continue taking a tough position on protests despite Western rebukes over the election.
Thousands of opposition supporters protesting the election results encountered aggressive police tactics in the capital of Minsk and several other Belarusian cities.
On Monday, a protester died amid clashes in Minsk and scores were injured as police used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse them.
Belarus’ health officials said over 200 people have been hospitalized with injuries following the protests, and some underwent surgery.
Police moved quickly Tuesday to separate and disperse scattered groups of protesters in the capital, but new pockets of resistance kept mushrooming across downtown Minsk.
“You can shut Tsikhanouskaya up, but you won’t be able to intimidate and shut an entire nation up. We continue peaceful protests and don’t recognize Lukashenko as president,” said 24-year-old protester Denis Kruglyakov.
Officers detained dozens, including some of those who brought flowers to the place where the protester died the previous night. Human rights group Viasna also reported mass detentions in the cities of Grodno, Brest and Vitebsk.
Motorists were blaring horns in a sign of support, and some used their cars to block police vehicles’ passage. The Interior Ministry warned that such vehicles will be impounded and their owners could face criminal charges.
The ministry said Tuesday more than 2,000 people were detained across the country for taking part in unsanctioned protests on Monday evening and overnight. It added that 21 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters, and five of them were hospitalized.
The previous day, the ministry reported more than 3,000 detentions and said 89 people were injured, including 39 law enforcement officers.
Several journalists have been injured, and some were detained by police. On Tuesday, police seized memory cards from a group of photographers, including an AP photographer, as they were making shots of the crackdown.
As the Internet has remained down across the country for a third straight day in what appears to be an attempt by the authorities to make it harder for protesters to coordinate their efforts, thousands of Belarusians have struggled to find out what happened to their missing relatives.
“We are still waiting for any sign or information,” said Lena Radomanova, who has been searching for a friend who has disappeared.
The crackdown drew harsh criticism from the European Union and the United States.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Tuesday that the 27-nation bloc is mulling action against those involved in the police crackdown or against officials who might have interfered with the vote. Borrell said the elections “were neither free nor fair,” and called on Minsk to begin a dialogue with society to avoid further violence.
In 2016, the EU lifted most of the sanctions it slapped on Belarus in 2004 after Lukashenko, dubbed “Europe’s last dictator in the West,” freed political prisoners and allowed protests.
The United Nations on Tuesday expressed concern at reports of escalating violence in Belarus and again called on authorities to “exercise restraint, to ensure respect for human rights, the democratic process, the rule of law.”
Economic damage caused by the coronavirus and Lukashenko’s swaggering response to the pandemic, which he airily dismissed as “psychosis,” has fueled broad anger, helping swell the opposition ranks and prompting the Belarusian leader to unleash a renewed crackdown on dissent.
Tsikhanouskaya, who lacks any prior political experience, entered the race after her husband’s arrest. She managed to unite fractured opposition groups and draw tens of thousands to her campaign rallies - the largest opposition demonstrations in Belarus since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
In the video statement, Tsikhanouskaya thanked her supporters for backing her candidacy, but added that “the people of Belarus have made their choice.”
“Belarusians, I’m urging you to show common sense and respect for the law,” she said without emotion, reading a text without raising her eyes from the paper. “I don’t want blood and violence. I’m asking you not to confront the police and not take to squares to put your lives in danger. Take care of yourselves and your relatives.”
Hours before that, Tsikhanouskaya disputed the vote results and submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission. She stayed in the commission headquarters for hours and faced senior law enforcement officers, according to her campaign aides. She wasn’t seen again until showing up on Tuesday in Lithuania - where she had previously sent her children after receiving threats early in the campaign.
One aide, Olga Kovalkova, said the about-face came under pressure from the authorities who made Tsikhanouskaya read a prepared statement and then drove her out of the country.
“We don’t know what kind of pressure she was subjected to and how they tried to break her,” Kovalkova said. “She couldn’t have said it on her own. She was reading a prepared text.”
She said that Tsikhanouskaya left the country with her campaign chief, Maria Moroz, who had been detained over the weekend. Several other campaign aides have remained in custody.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the videos posted by Tsikhanouskaya had been recorded in Belarus before her journey to Vilnius.
“I thought that the campaign had tempered me and made me so strong that I could resist anything,” Tsikhanouskaya said in the first of her two videos, her face gaunt and her voice breaking. “But it appears that I have remained the same weak woman that I was before.”
Tsikhanouskaya’s ally Kolesnikova warned in a video statement Tuesday evening that the protests will continue and urged the authorities to stop the violent crackdown.
“We ask the government not to ignore the will of the people, not to drown it in water from water cannons, not to deafen it with grenades, not to mutilate it with bullets, not to knock it out with truncheons,” Kolesnikova said.
“These people won’t disappear. They will no longer be able to forget about what’s happening. They will no longer live like they used to. They need changes.”
___
Vladimir Isachenkov and Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Mike Corder in The Hague, Vanessa Gera in Warsaw and Edith Lederer in the United Nations contributed to this report.


Recent Missouri editorials

Missourians on Tuesday spoke their minds on Medicaid expansion .
More than 53 % of those who went to the polls endorsed it .
We urge lawmakers to accept that as the will of the people and move on .
We ’ ve seen too many recent instances where voters have spoken their minds - unambiguously - only to hear some lawmakers argue that the public has been hoodwinked , that voters didn ’ t understand what they were doing , that lawmakers know best and it is up to them to set things right for the good of everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two years ago , in August 2018 , Missourians went to the polls and by a margin of nearly 7-3 rejected a right-to-work measure .
Lawmakers that spring had passed a right-to-work measure and former Gov .
Eric Greitens signed it into law , but unions took their case directly to the people , gathering more than 300,000 signatures to force a statewide vote .
Despite that lopsided result , some Republican lawmakers vowed to resurrect the issue soon afterward , and no doubt it will be discussed in the next legislative session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Missouri was a constitutional amendment that enacted long-needed lobbying reforms as well as tighter campaign finance limits , and most controversially , it also created a new redistricting process .
More than 62 % of voters approved .
Before the final votes were even in , some lawmakers said voters just didn ’ t understand the issue and had bought a pig in a poke .
Lawmakers proposed their own alternative , which will appear as Amendment 3 on the November ballot , but already some of the state ’ s Republicans leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging voters to reject it and stick with Clean Missouri .
• Like Minimum Wage : A similar tale unfolded for the minimum wage increase that went before voters in November 2018 and was passed - again by with an approval rate 62 % .
It raises the minimum wage to $ 12 an hour by 2023 .
Come January , some lawmakers were working to repeal it .
As for Medicaid expansion , we say : Leave it alone .
It was just last fall that Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson vowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If the people of the state of Missouri - that is their will and they vote to do that - that ’ s what I ’ m supposed to do is uphold the will of the people of this state , and that ’ s what I intend to do regardless of whether I agree with the issue or whether I don ’ t. ” We urge him to remember his pledge .
Are two of Missouri ’ s top Republicans willing to risk lives to score political points ?
Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jay Ashcroft ’ s aggressive push to reopen K-12 schools , deadly pandemic be darned , has struck an increasingly callous note in recent days .
Missouri has not yet managed to slow the spread of the coronavirus , and Parson , who has declined to impose a statewide mask mandate , has shown no interest in taking even simple steps to protect public health .
But Parson and Ashcroft are willing to risk the health of teachers and students by urging them to return to in-person classes even as COVID-19 cases continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get our students back to high-quality learning , ” Parson wrote in a recent Twitter post .
“ A lack of in-person learning can deprive students , especially our most disadvantaged students , access to important services.
” The message came a week after Parson suggested schoolchildren would contract the coronavirus , and that they would eventually “ get over it.
” Ashcroft offered a similarly tone-deaf argument , suggesting that fathers should be willing to risk death to send their children back to school .
“ At some point , we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say we ’ re gon na get through it , and we definitely need to send our kids back to school , ” he said in a radio interview .
But the question remains : Why push a return-to-school agenda amid a pandemic ?
It is important to get kids back to school , but above all else , it must be done safely .
Somehow , that point keeps getting lost in the school-is-worth-dying-for message .
There ’ s nothing wrong with a little healthy skepticism regarding medical marijuana in Missouri .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ much like those of riverboat casinos 25 years ago ?
Is there enough research to really understand health benefits and potential side effects ?
That ’ s not even getting into the way that licenses were awarded .
But voters in 2018 gave convincing approval to the legalization of medical cannabis .
The constitutional amendment passed with 65 % voter approval , better than “ Clean Missouri ” ethics reform and better than Medicaid expansion .
Attitudes have evolved on marijuana , so much so that elected lawmakers and government bureaucrats seemed caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months from the passage of Clean Missouri for state lawmakers to pass a proposed amendment to the amendment , which appears on this November ’ s ballot .
Medical marijuana ?
There ’ s still no dispensary open for business , 22 months after voters approved the constitutional amendment .
Those who see medical marijuana for what it ’ s meant to be - a form of relief from immense physical pain - could be forgiven for asking , “ What ’ s taking so long ?
” Before you say COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters approved language that required the state to begin accepting applications from medical marijuana patients in June - of 2019 .
Also note that the state isn ’ t willing to keep moving the goal line on when our taxes are due , despite the economic consequences of the coronavirus .
Most of us only got a three-month reprieve .
On medical marijuana , some chalked up the the delay to resistance from Missouri elected officials .
Clearly , some are uncomfortable about liberalization and a rightly cautious of using medical cannabis as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More likely , medical marijuana is stuck in the bureaucratic tall weeds , an example of government agencies managing to over-promise and under-deliver .
Dispensaries were supposed to open this summer at the latest , but now state officials are promising September .
It would come as little surprise to see the date pushed back to later this fall .
Granted , even without a pandemic , Missouri faced the daunting regulatory task of opening its doors to a new industry that was relegated to the black market for decades .
But Missouri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spear .
There must have been playbooks in other states to examine .
Those who see false promises in medical marijuana might not be terribly confident about this product bringing Missouri much more than more marijuana .
But they might have even less confidence in our government ’ s ability to usher in and regulate this emerging industry , The voters asked for it .
At some point , you have to deliver .

The Joplin Globe, Aug. 5
Missourians on Tuesday spoke their minds on Medicaid expansion.
More than 53% of those who went to the polls endorsed it.
We urge lawmakers to accept that as the will of the people and move on.
We’ve seen too many recent instances where voters have spoken their minds - unambiguously - only to hear some lawmakers argue that the public has been hoodwinked, that voters didn’t understand what they were doing, that lawmakers know best and it is up to them to set things right for the good of everyone.
• Like Right to Work: Two years ago, in August 2018, Missourians went to the polls and by a margin of nearly 7-3 rejected a right-to-work measure. Lawmakers that spring had passed a right-to-work measure and former Gov. Eric Greitens signed it into law, but unions took their case directly to the people, gathering more than 300,000 signatures to force a statewide vote. Despite that lopsided result, some Republican lawmakers vowed to resurrect the issue soon afterward, and no doubt it will be discussed in the next legislative session.
• Like Clean Missouri: Clean Missouri was a constitutional amendment that enacted long-needed lobbying reforms as well as tighter campaign finance limits, and most controversially, it also created a new redistricting process. More than 62% of voters approved. Before the final votes were even in, some lawmakers said voters just didn’t understand the issue and had bought a pig in a poke. Lawmakers proposed their own alternative, which will appear as Amendment 3 on the November ballot, but already some of the state’s Republicans leaders - most notably John Danforth - are urging voters to reject it and stick with Clean Missouri.
• Like Minimum Wage: A similar tale unfolded for the minimum wage increase that went before voters in November 2018 and was passed - again by with an approval rate 62%. It raises the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023. Come January, some lawmakers were working to repeal it.
As for Medicaid expansion, we say: Leave it alone.
It was just last fall that Missouri Gov. Mike Parson vowed to uphold the will of the voters.
“If the people of the state of Missouri - that is their will and they vote to do that - that’s what I’m supposed to do is uphold the will of the people of this state, and that’s what I intend to do regardless of whether I agree with the issue or whether I don’t.”
We urge him to remember his pledge.
——-
The Kansas City Star, Aug. 9
Are two of Missouri’s top Republicans willing to risk lives to score political points?
Gov. Mike Parson and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s aggressive push to reopen K-12 schools, deadly pandemic be darned, has struck an increasingly callous note in recent days.
Missouri has not yet managed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and Parson, who has declined to impose a statewide mask mandate, has shown no interest in taking even simple steps to protect public health.
But Parson and Ashcroft are willing to risk the health of teachers and students by urging them to return to in-person classes even as COVID-19 cases continue to multiply.
“We have to get our students back to high-quality learning,” Parson wrote in a recent Twitter post. “A lack of in-person learning can deprive students, especially our most disadvantaged students, access to important services.”
The message came a week after Parson suggested schoolchildren would contract the coronavirus, and that they would eventually “get over it.”
Ashcroft offered a similarly tone-deaf argument, suggesting that fathers should be willing to risk death to send their children back to school.
“At some point, we need to just put our heads down and say we’re gonna get through it, and we definitely need to send our kids back to school,” he said in a radio interview.
He later backtracked.
But the question remains: Why push a return-to-school agenda amid a pandemic? It is important to get kids back to school, but above all else, it must be done safely. Somehow, that point keeps getting lost in the school-is-worth-dying-for message.
——
The St. Joseph News-Press, Aug. 10
There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy skepticism regarding medical marijuana in Missouri.
Is the promised economic boost oversold, much like those of riverboat casinos 25 years ago? Is there enough research to really understand health benefits and potential side effects? That’s not even getting into the way that licenses were awarded.
But voters in 2018 gave convincing approval to the legalization of medical cannabis. The constitutional amendment passed with 65% voter approval, better than “Clean Missouri” ethics reform and better than Medicaid expansion. Attitudes have evolved on marijuana, so much so that elected lawmakers and government bureaucrats seemed caught off guard.
It took only 19 months from the passage of Clean Missouri for state lawmakers to pass a proposed amendment to the amendment, which appears on this November’s ballot. Medical marijuana? There’s still no dispensary open for business, 22 months after voters approved the constitutional amendment.
Those who see medical marijuana for what it’s meant to be - a form of relief from immense physical pain - could be forgiven for asking, “What’s taking so long?” Before you say COVID-19, which is a reason, remember that voters approved language that required the state to begin accepting applications from medical marijuana patients in June - of 2019.
Also note that the state isn’t willing to keep moving the goal line on when our taxes are due, despite the economic consequences of the coronavirus. Most of us only got a three-month reprieve.
On medical marijuana, some chalked up the the delay to resistance from Missouri elected officials. Clearly, some are uncomfortable about liberalization and a rightly cautious of using medical cannabis as a Trojan horse for recreational legalization.
More likely, medical marijuana is stuck in the bureaucratic tall weeds, an example of government agencies managing to over-promise and under-deliver. Dispensaries were supposed to open this summer at the latest, but now state officials are promising September. It would come as little surprise to see the date pushed back to later this fall.
Granted, even without a pandemic, Missouri faced the daunting regulatory task of opening its doors to a new industry that was relegated to the black market for decades. But Missouri is not exactly at the tip of the spear. There must have been playbooks in other states to examine.
Those who see false promises in medical marijuana might not be terribly confident about this product bringing Missouri much more than more marijuana. But they might have even less confidence in our government’s ability to usher in and regulate this emerging industry,
The voters asked for it. At some point, you have to deliver.


Recent Kansas editorials

Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman acted irresponsibly when he failed to fully inform colleagues and the state that he had been treated for COVID-19 in mid-July .
Ryckman ’ s silence may have endangered others .
More importantly , his failure to announce his illness robbed colleagues of their ability to decide for themselves if meeting with Ryckman in person was safe .
In a letter to Republicans Thursday , Ryckman said he had tested positive COVID-19 in mid-July , and had been treated in a hospital .
He said he ’ s now past “ what doctors consider the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease .
We are thankful for Speaker Ryckman ’ s recovery and extend our hope for his future good health .
But there is simply no acceptable explanation for Ryckman ’ s decision to keep his illness secret from other state officials , including Gov .
Laura Kelly , for much of July and early August .
In an interview Thursday , he said the diagnosis came “ the week of ” July 13 .
He attended a meeting of the State Finance Council , which includes Kelly and other state officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They were apparently unaware of Ryckman ’ s previous diagnosis .
The governor is 70 years old and is considered at higher risk for COVID-19 .
Others who were in the room on July 29 , Republicans and Democrats , are in their 60s .
Ryckman , an Olathe Republican , said he was cleared before attending the session .
He said he had isolated himself for 16 days since his symptoms first appeared and had followed guidelines from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in returning to work .
Was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control says “ people who are severely ill with COVID-19 might need to stay home … up to 20 days ” after experiencing symptoms .
Ryckman spent time in the hospital , suggesting it wasn ’ t a routine case of the deadly virus .
A 20-day quarantine for Ryckman would have lasted into August .
He still could have participated in the July 29 meeting , remotely , while others attended in person .
At least one other attendee made that choice .
If he was determined to participate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finance council members of his treatment .
Then they could have decided for themselves if attendance was safe .
Ryckman denied them the chance to make an informed assessment of the risks .
The House speaker ’ s silence was insensitive at best , and dangerous at worst .
And what harm would have come from announcing his illness before the July 29 session ?
Nothing about the meeting would have changed .
There was no need for secrecy .
In a statement Thursday , Kelly called Ryckman ’ s actions “ reckless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speaker accused the governor of “ fear mongering ” and “ public shaming.
” This back-and-forth is disappointing .
Instead , the episode should remind Ryckman and others in the state that it will be impossible to end the COVID-19 nightmare unless everyone acts together to stop the spread of the virus .
That ’ s the whole point of masks , social distancing , remote meetings , canceled classes and other preventative measures - everyone ’ s health is important .
Does the speaker understand this ?
In his Thursday memo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to look out for each other.
” But he sent the letter only to Republicans - leaving out Democrats .
That ’ s appalling .
When historians study the nation ’ s coronavirus response a century from now , they will be aghast .
COVID-19 kills Republicans and Democrats with equal vigor , yet our every reaction seems aimed not at stopping the virus , but at making the other side look bad .
Ron Ryckman ’ s silence is part of that sad pattern of putting partisanship above public health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to school , it is easy to say we want to be as safe as we can be .
It is much harder to actually mean it .
Being as safe as we possibly can be would mean not returning to in-person classes until a vaccine is developed and administered .
Very few people actually are advocating for that .
After all , that may involve a process of several years , and even that timeline is not certain .
It is clear that coping with the pandemic involves trade-offs and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s quit saying that we want to be as safe as we can be .
That may not be a mindset helpful to making the choices that are required at this unique moment in history .
Instead , perhaps we ought to be saying we want to be as compassionate as we can be .
What would that look like as it relates to returning to school ?
Several area districts , as we have reported , are showing that compassion by giving parents a choice of whether they want their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote format or through some modified version of in-person classes .
It is compassionate to give those parents not yet comfortable with a return to classes a remote-only option .
Conversely , does that mean a decision like the one by the Lawrence school district to offer only remote learning for the first six weeks of the school year is lacking compassion ?
Not necessarily , and that is not the point of this editorial .
These are really difficult times for leaders , and there are a multitude of factors they must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for instance is also key , and in some ways more difficult . )
The public should give a fair amount of grace as leaders work to make those decisions .
But one point that can fairly be made is that we shouldn ’ t assume the most compassionate decision is to simply have remote learning .
It is a fact that the remote learning situation will mean many will be in private day care facilities when they normally would be in school .
What makes us believe those private day care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlling spread of the virus than our public schools ?
Perhaps the easiest thing our leaders can do to show compassion is to share information .
A compassionate world works hard to avoid creating groups of “ haves ” and “ have-nots ” when it comes to information .
But it appears such a situation is developing in Douglas County .
The Journal-World last week asked the local health department to share what guidelines it has related to the return of in-person classes .
It declined to share those guidelines because they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was unnecessary .
The public has seen draft documents before .
It can be trusted to digest them .
It is clear that area school districts have access to the guidelines .
Eudora school board members were discussing them in general during an open meeting recently .
That creates a situation where we have a group of leaders with information , but the people who will be forced to follow their decisions don ’ t have the same information .
That doesn ’ t create trust , and it makes achieving buy-in from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders understand that public buy-in is critically important to fighting this pandemic .
If the health department won ’ t release the draft guidelines , school districts should .
When they are released , hopefully they will show we are following a model similar to what the Harvard Global Health Institute has put together .
In conjunction with several organizations , Harvard has assigned a color code to every county in the country based on the number of new daily cases per 100,000 people that each county is generating .
Douglas County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranked yellow .
That is the second best ranking out of the four rankings assigned .
A companion piece provides guidance for schools , and it suggests that yellow communities can safely return to in-person classes at all levels K-12 , if districts are able to meet certain conditions .
That doesn ’ t mean that is automatically what we should do .
Not much is automatic in this pandemic world .
But this should be : Let ’ s share information , let ’ s pay attention to the data , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ re through primary season , but the general election still looms , and we have a word of advice for candidates across the spectrum .
Campaign ads this year were unusually abrasive and negative .
Perhaps this was to be expected .
With the pandemic disrupting normal routines , mailings and TV ads were more important than ever .
And with emotions running high , candidates likely looked for messages that tapped into those extreme emotions .
Crowded events where you could shake the hands of candidates ?
Forget it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You got it .
We would like to issue a challenge to every single candidate on the local , state and national level for the fall .
Be proactive in your advertising .
Tell us about your background , where you come from and what your values are .
Tell us about your experience and how it prepares you for the office you see .
Tell us about your stance on the issues - but not in a way that denigrates those who might have good-faith disagreements with you .
In other words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chair and have a conversation with us , if only figuratively .
And listen , we get it .
It ’ s easy for an editorial advisory board to tut-tut at negative campaigning and call for a more constructive approach .
Politicians and their advisers go negative because , despite what voters might say , negative ads work .
They seize people ’ s attention .
They motivate .
Refusing to engage in destructive politics , then , takes more than a pledge from candidates or their campaigns .
It takes effort on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to be willing to sit down and listen to those who lay out plans .
We have to be willing to engage with issues .
Most of the time , the government isn ’ t thrilling .
It ’ s about competence and good sense , about making the trains run on time .
It ’ s about working on budgets and education formulas , about ensuring the bureaucracy runs efficiently .
It ’ s about caring for the needs of the many , a good chunk of whom will never have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads are nonsense precisely because they bear no relation to what good government is like .
They ’ re from a fantasy land of politics , where greedy evildoers crawl over one another in their quest to harm honest people .
Most people in politics serve for honorable reasons .
They want to represent and serve their constituents .
And their campaigns for office should reflect that .

The Kansas City Star, Aug. 9
Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman acted irresponsibly when he failed to fully inform colleagues and the state that he had been treated for COVID-19 in mid-July.
Ryckman’s silence may have endangered others.
More importantly, his failure to announce his illness robbed colleagues of their ability to decide for themselves if meeting with Ryckman in person was safe.
In a letter to Republicans Thursday, Ryckman said he had tested positive COVID-19 in mid-July, and had been treated in a hospital. He said he’s now past “what doctors consider the contagious stage” and is recovering from the disease.
We are thankful for Speaker Ryckman’s recovery and extend our hope for his future good health.
But there is simply no acceptable explanation for Ryckman’s decision to keep his illness secret from other state officials, including Gov. Laura Kelly, for much of July and early August.
In an interview Thursday, he said the diagnosis came “the week of” July 13. He attended a meeting of the State Finance Council, which includes Kelly and other state officials, on July 29 in the Capitol. They were apparently unaware of Ryckman’s previous diagnosis.
The governor is 70 years old and is considered at higher risk for COVID-19. Others who were in the room on July 29, Republicans and Democrats, are in their 60s.
Ryckman, an Olathe Republican, said he was cleared before attending the session. He said he had isolated himself for 16 days since his symptoms first appeared and had followed guidelines from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in returning to work.
Was a 16-day self-quarantine enough? The Centers for Disease Control says “people who are severely ill with COVID-19 might need to stay home … up to 20 days” after experiencing symptoms. Ryckman spent time in the hospital, suggesting it wasn’t a routine case of the deadly virus.
A 20-day quarantine for Ryckman would have lasted into August. He still could have participated in the July 29 meeting, remotely, while others attended in person. At least one other attendee made that choice.
If he was determined to participate in person, he could have informed other finance council members of his treatment. Then they could have decided for themselves if attendance was safe. Ryckman denied them the chance to make an informed assessment of the risks.
The House speaker’s silence was insensitive at best, and dangerous at worst. And what harm would have come from announcing his illness before the July 29 session? Nothing about the meeting would have changed. There was no need for secrecy.
In a statement Thursday, Kelly called Ryckman’s actions “reckless and dangerous.” In a reply, the speaker accused the governor of “fear mongering” and “public shaming.”
This back-and-forth is disappointing. Instead, the episode should remind Ryckman and others in the state that it will be impossible to end the COVID-19 nightmare unless everyone acts together to stop the spread of the virus. That’s the whole point of masks, social distancing, remote meetings, canceled classes and other preventative measures - everyone’s health is important.
Does the speaker understand this? In his Thursday memo, he said, “We must continue to look out for each other.” But he sent the letter only to Republicans - leaving out Democrats. That’s appalling.
When historians study the nation’s coronavirus response a century from now, they will be aghast. COVID-19 kills Republicans and Democrats with equal vigor, yet our every reaction seems aimed not at stopping the virus, but at making the other side look bad.
Ron Ryckman’s silence is part of that sad pattern of putting partisanship above public health.
______
The Lawrence Journal-World, Aug. 9
When dealing with the pandemic and a return to school, it is easy to say we want to be as safe as we can be. It is much harder to actually mean it.
Being as safe as we possibly can be would mean not returning to in-person classes until a vaccine is developed and administered. Very few people actually are advocating for that. After all, that may involve a process of several years, and even that timeline is not certain.
It is clear that coping with the pandemic involves trade-offs and a series of risk-versus-reward calculations. So, let’s quit saying that we want to be as safe as we can be. That may not be a mindset helpful to making the choices that are required at this unique moment in history.
Instead, perhaps we ought to be saying we want to be as compassionate as we can be.
What would that look like as it relates to returning to school? Several area districts, as we have reported, are showing that compassion by giving parents a choice of whether they want their students to attend school entirely through a remote format or through some modified version of in-person classes. It is compassionate to give those parents not yet comfortable with a return to classes a remote-only option.
Conversely, does that mean a decision like the one by the Lawrence school district to offer only remote learning for the first six weeks of the school year is lacking compassion? Not necessarily, and that is not the point of this editorial. These are really difficult times for leaders, and there are a multitude of factors they must consider. (Showing compassion for staff, for instance is also key, and in some ways more difficult.) The public should give a fair amount of grace as leaders work to make those decisions.
But one point that can fairly be made is that we shouldn’t assume the most compassionate decision is to simply have remote learning. It is a fact that the remote learning situation will mean many will be in private day care facilities when they normally would be in school. What makes us believe those private day care facilities will do a better job of controlling spread of the virus than our public schools?
Perhaps the easiest thing our leaders can do to show compassion is to share information. A compassionate world works hard to avoid creating groups of “haves” and “have-nots” when it comes to information. But it appears such a situation is developing in Douglas County.
The Journal-World last week asked the local health department to share what guidelines it has related to the return of in-person classes. It declined to share those guidelines because they are still in draft form. That denial was unnecessary. The public has seen draft documents before. It can be trusted to digest them.
It is clear that area school districts have access to the guidelines. Eudora school board members were discussing them in general during an open meeting recently. That creates a situation where we have a group of leaders with information, but the people who will be forced to follow their decisions don’t have the same information. That doesn’t create trust, and it makes achieving buy-in from the public more difficult. Hopefully our leaders understand that public buy-in is critically important to fighting this pandemic.
If the health department won’t release the draft guidelines, school districts should. When they are released, hopefully they will show we are following a model similar to what the Harvard Global Health Institute has put together. In conjunction with several organizations, Harvard has assigned a color code to every county in the country based on the number of new daily cases per 100,000 people that each county is generating.
Douglas County, in case you are curious, is ranked yellow. That is the second best ranking out of the four rankings assigned. A companion piece provides guidance for schools, and it suggests that yellow communities can safely return to in-person classes at all levels K-12, if districts are able to meet certain conditions.
That doesn’t mean that is automatically what we should do. Not much is automatic in this pandemic world. But this should be: Let’s share information, let’s pay attention to the data, and let’s be guided by compassion.
——
Topeka Capital-Journal, Aug. 9
We’re through primary season, but the general election still looms, and we have a word of advice for candidates across the spectrum.
Calm down.
Campaign ads this year were unusually abrasive and negative. Perhaps this was to be expected. With the pandemic disrupting normal routines, mailings and TV ads were more important than ever. And with emotions running high, candidates likely looked for messages that tapped into those extreme emotions.
Crowded events where you could shake the hands of candidates? Forget it. Images of explosions and disruption? You got it.
We would like to issue a challenge to every single candidate on the local, state and national level for the fall. Be proactive in your advertising. Tell us about your background, where you come from and what your values are. Tell us about your experience and how it prepares you for the office you see. Tell us about your stance on the issues - but not in a way that denigrates those who might have good-faith disagreements with you.
In other words, stop yelling. Pull up a chair and have a conversation with us, if only figuratively.
And listen, we get it. It’s easy for an editorial advisory board to tut-tut at negative campaigning and call for a more constructive approach. Politicians and their advisers go negative because, despite what voters might say, negative ads work. They seize people’s attention. They motivate.
Refusing to engage in destructive politics, then, takes more than a pledge from candidates or their campaigns. It takes effort on behalf of voters, too. We have to be willing to sit down and listen to those who lay out plans. We have to be willing to engage with issues.
Most of the time, the government isn’t thrilling. It’s about competence and good sense, about making the trains run on time. It’s about working on budgets and education formulas, about ensuring the bureaucracy runs efficiently. It’s about caring for the needs of the many, a good chunk of whom will never have voted for you.
Ideologically driven negative ads are nonsense precisely because they bear no relation to what good government is like. They’re from a fantasy land of politics, where greedy evildoers crawl over one another in their quest to harm honest people.
Most people in politics serve for honorable reasons. They want to represent and serve their constituents. And their campaigns for office should reflect that.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--St. Louis man charged with killing over parking dispute

ST. LOUIS ( AP ) - A St. Louis man has been charged , accused of fatally shooting a neighbor @ @ @ @ @ parking , then of trying to kill the victim ’ s wife .
Troy Jackson @ @ @ @ @ was charged Monday with first-degree murder , assault and other counts for the June 16 @ @ @ @ @ the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported .
Police said Jackson shot Hicks as the two argued @ @ @ @ @ block where both men lived .
Hicks ’ wife was inside their home at the @ @ @ @ @ her husband , investigators said , and went outside to confront Jackson .
Police said @ @ @ @ @ later returned to the house .
He accused of barging through the front door and @ @ @ @ @ wife inside the home .
Police said he missed and exhausted all of the rounds @ @ @ @ @ .
Jackson is being held without bail .

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A St. Louis man has been charged, accused of fatally shooting a neighbor during an argument over street parking, then of trying to kill the victim’s wife.
Troy Jackson Jr, 28,. was charged Monday with first-degree murder, assault and other counts for the June 16 killing of Jermane Hicks, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Police said Jackson shot Hicks as the two argued over street parking on the block where both men lived. Hicks’ wife was inside their home at the time and saw Jackson shoot her husband, investigators said, and went outside to confront Jackson. Police said Jackson then fled, but later returned to the house. He accused of barging through the front door and fired shots at Hicks’ wife inside the home. Police said he missed and exhausted all of the rounds in his gun before fleeing.
Jackson is being held without bail.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Taliban warn against attacks on freed prisoners going home

ISLAMABAD ( AP ) - Ahead of an upcoming release of Taliban detainees held in Afghan prisons , the insurgent group warned the government in Kabul on Tuesday against any attacks on those released , saying such incidents would jeopardize the peace talks .
A Taliban spokesman told The Associated Press there have been at least 11 such attacks in the past several months - instances when freed Taliban figures were killed , harassed and re-arrested by government forces .
Kabul officials denied unwarranted attacks on freed Taliban .
The prisoner release is part of a deal the insurgents signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A final 400 Taliban prisoners remain in government prisons .
Over the weekend in Kabul , an Afghan traditional council , known as the Loya Jirga , agreed to free the final 400 imprisoned Taliban , paving the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghanistan ’ s warring sides .
The council agreed to an “ immediate ” release of Taliban prisoners but by Tuesday , they had not been freed .
Negotiations between Kabul ’ s political leadership and the Taliban are expected to begin within weeks - and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Qatar , where the Taliban maintain a political office .
The Taliban said the talks could begin within a week of the final prisoner releases .
Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen warned that attacks on newly freed prisoners will drive them back to the battlefield despite orders from their leaders “ to stay at home , with their families.
” Attacks on their homes will “ make it impossible for them to stay in their homes , ” Shaheen said .
“ Such incidents have happened that they have been re-arrested and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides have freed prisoners in line with the deal the Taliban signed with Washington on Feb. 29 to bring an end to decades of war .
The government was to free 5,000 - and has already released all but the last 400 .
The Taliban freed the 1,000 members of the government forces and Afghan officials they had held captive .
Shaheen said the Taliban would be ready “ within one week to sit at the negotiating table ” with Kabul ’ s political leadership to first negotiate a cease-fire and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road map of a post-war Afghanistan .
But he said the moment is critical .
For some it compares after the 9/11 attacks , when the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban in who had harbored al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden .
Then tens of thousands of Taliban who gave up arms to return to their homes at the time were targeted by Afghan groups and warlords they had once fought seeking revenge .
In December , 2001 a convoy of Afghan elders , including former Taliban , were targeted en route to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who survived that attack later rejoined the Taliban .
In southern Zabul province , more than 2,000 ethnic Pashtuns , the backbone of the Taliban movement , tried to join the newly formed Afghan army in 2002 , only to be humiliated by Kabul government forces .
Most rejoined the Taliban .
“ After 2001 , when some former Taliban attempted to join the ‘ new order , ’ they were persecuted and humiliated .
And some who were just from Taliban areas were accused of being supporters and attacked and driven out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gossman , Associate Asia director of the Human Rights Watch .
“ Many eventually joined the insurgency.
” Gossman said unless a strategy is devised and a system put in place there is a danger that attacks on the tens of thousands of former fighters on both sides of the conflict could unravel a fragile peace process .
“ Given the enormous amount of mistrust … old grievances can easily erupt into more violence , ” she said .
Sediq Sediqqi , spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani , has denied that any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause .
However , last month a government air strike in western Herat killed 14 people when hundreds of elders had gathered to greet a returning Taliban figure newly freed from prison .

ISLAMABAD (AP) - Ahead of an upcoming release of Taliban detainees held in Afghan prisons, the insurgent group warned the government in Kabul on Tuesday against any attacks on those released, saying such incidents would jeopardize the peace talks.
A Taliban spokesman told The Associated Press there have been at least 11 such attacks in the past several months - instances when freed Taliban figures were killed, harassed and re-arrested by government forces.
Kabul officials denied unwarranted attacks on freed Taliban. The prisoner release is part of a deal the insurgents signed with the United States earlier this year. A final 400 Taliban prisoners remain in government prisons.
Over the weekend in Kabul, an Afghan traditional council, known as the Loya Jirga, agreed to free the final 400 imprisoned Taliban, paving the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghanistan’s warring sides.
The council agreed to an “immediate” release of Taliban prisoners but by Tuesday, they had not been freed. Negotiations between Kabul’s political leadership and the Taliban are expected to begin within weeks - and will be held in the Mideast state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. The Taliban said the talks could begin within a week of the final prisoner releases.
Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen warned that attacks on newly freed prisoners will drive them back to the battlefield despite orders from their leaders “to stay at home, with their families.”
Attacks on their homes will “make it impossible for them to stay in their homes,” Shaheen said. “Such incidents have happened that they have been re-arrested and also killed.”
In recent months, both sides have freed prisoners in line with the deal the Taliban signed with Washington on Feb. 29 to bring an end to decades of war. The government was to free 5,000 - and has already released all but the last 400. The Taliban freed the 1,000 members of the government forces and Afghan officials they had held captive.
Shaheen said the Taliban would be ready “within one week to sit at the negotiating table” with Kabul’s political leadership to first negotiate a cease-fire and then start the complex talks to decide the road map of a post-war Afghanistan.
But he said the moment is critical.
For some it compares after the 9/11 attacks, when the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban in who had harbored al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Then tens of thousands of Taliban who gave up arms to return to their homes at the time were targeted by Afghan groups and warlords they had once fought seeking revenge. In December, 2001 a convoy of Afghan elders, including former Taliban, were targeted en route to welcome U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai. Many who survived that attack later rejoined the Taliban.
In southern Zabul province, more than 2,000 ethnic Pashtuns, the backbone of the Taliban movement, tried to join the newly formed Afghan army in 2002, only to be humiliated by Kabul government forces. Most rejoined the Taliban.
“After 2001, when some former Taliban attempted to join the ‘new order,’ they were persecuted and humiliated. And some who were just from Taliban areas were accused of being supporters and attacked and driven out of their land,” said Patricia Gossman, Associate Asia director of the Human Rights Watch. “Many eventually joined the insurgency.”
Gossman said unless a strategy is devised and a system put in place there is a danger that attacks on the tens of thousands of former fighters on both sides of the conflict could unravel a fragile peace process.
“Given the enormous amount of mistrust … old grievances can easily erupt into more violence,” she said.
Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, has denied that any released Taliban were arrested or attacked without cause.
However, last month a government airstrike in western Herat killed 14 people when hundreds of elders had gathered to greet a returning Taliban figure newly freed from prison.
“The issue of reintegration will be a significant long-term policy concern that endures long after reconciliation has been achieved,” said Michael Kugelman, Asia Program deputy director at the U.S.-based Wilson Center.
“The ideal system - and it’s unclear if the Afghan state has the capacity to bring it about - is one that provides former fighters with the tools and skills to be productive off the battlefield, and that gives the state and the economy the incentives and resources to support them,” he said.
_____
Associated Press writer Tameem Akhgar in Kabul contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Martha McSally cuts into Mark Kelly's lead in Arizona Senate race

Things are tightening up in the Arizona Senate race .
Republican Sen. Martha McSally has cut into Democrat Mark Kelly @ @ @ @ @ high-profile race among likely voters in the state , according to a poll from OH @ @ @ @ @ showed that Mr. Kelly ’ s support has slipped since last month , and the @ @ @ @ @ GOP attack ads .
“ The spending by McSally and the NRSC over the past @ @ @ @ @ started taking its toll on Mark Kelly ’ s relatively high favorability , ” said @ @ @ @ @ Predictive Insights .
“ Something the McSally campaign desperately needed given her own ever-decreasing favorability @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Kelly , an astronaut and husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords , is favored @ @ @ @ @ which is key to Democrats ’ chances of flipping control of the Senate .

Things are tightening up in the Arizona Senate race.
Republican Sen. Martha McSally has cut into Democrat Mark Kelly’s lead in the high-profile race among likely voters in the state, according to a poll from OH Predictive Insights.
Mr. Kelly holds a 48%-43% lead over Ms. McSally.
The survey showed that Mr. Kelly’s support has slipped since last month, and the pollsters attributed the drop to GOP attack ads.
“The spending by McSally and the NRSC over the past few months seems to have started taking its toll on Mark Kelly’s relatively high favorability,” said Mike Noble, of OH Predictive Insights. “Something the McSally campaign desperately needed given her own ever-decreasing favorability numbers.”
Political handicappers say Mr. Kelly, an astronaut and husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, is favored to win the seat, which is key to Democrats’ chances of flipping control of the Senate.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Sharon Stone writes memoir that doesn't 'pull any punches'

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Sharon Stone has taken on a new , real-life role - memoir writer .
“ I have learned to forgive the unforgivable , ” says Stone , whose ” The Beauty of Living Twice ” comes out in March .
“ My hope is that as I share my journey , you too will learn to do the same.
” Alfred A. Knopf announced Tuesday that the 62-year-old actor will reflect on everything from her painful childhood in Pennsylvania to such films as the star-making erotic thriller “ Basic Instinct ” and Martin Scorsese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for which she received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award .
She ’ ll also write about her two marriages , her near-fatal stroke in 2001 , and her humanitarian work on behalf of AIDS research and other causes .
“ Stone in these pages echoes the Stone who made headlines throughout her career : she is courageous , honest , and outspoken , refusing to pull any punches when discussing aspects of the trauma and violence she endured as a child and how her chosen career as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Knopf said in a statement .
Stone ’ s other movies include Albert Brooks ’ “ The Muse , ” Jim Jarmusch ’ s “ Broken Flowers , ” and “ The Laundromat , ” a Steven Soderbergh film released in 2019 .

NEW YORK (AP) — Sharon Stone has taken on a new, real-life role — memoir writer.
“I have learned to forgive the unforgivable,” says Stone, whose “The Beauty of Living Twice” comes out in March. “My hope is that as I share my journey, you too will learn to do the same.”
Alfred A. Knopf announced Tuesday that the 62-year-old actor will reflect on everything from her painful childhood in Pennsylvania to such films as the star-making erotic thriller “Basic Instinct” and Martin Scorsese’s mobster epic “Casino,” for which she received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award. She’ll also write about her two marriages, her near-fatal stroke in 2001, and her humanitarian work on behalf of AIDS research and other causes.
“Stone in these pages echoes the Stone who made headlines throughout her career: she is courageous, honest, and outspoken, refusing to pull any punches when discussing aspects of the trauma and violence she endured as a child and how her chosen career as an actress echoed many of those same assaults,” Knopf said in a statement.
Stone’s other movies include Albert Brooks’ “The Muse,” Jim Jarmusch’s “Broken Flowers,” and “The Laundromat,” a Steven Soderbergh film released in 2019.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Nigeria singer sentenced to death in north for blasphemy

LAGOS , Nigeria ( AP ) - A young musician in northern Nigeria ’ s Kano state has been sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad .
An Upper Shariah Court found Yahaya Sharif , 22 , guilty for circulating a song described as insulting Prophet Muhammad on WhatsApp in March .
He has 30 days to appeal the judgment .
Lawan Muhammad of Kano state ’ s religious police , Hisbah , told The Associated Press Tuesday he is satisfied with the judgment .
“ It was the kind of judgment we hoped for when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angry protesters burned down the singer ’ s family house after he circulated the song .
Kano is one of about 12 states in Northern Nigeria where Shariah law is in place .
Many people have been condemned to death under Shariah law since it was first introduced in Kano in 1999 , but so far only one execution has been carried out .
That was in 2002 when a man was put to death after being convicted of killing a woman and her two children .
Many people convicted of theft have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - A young musician in northern Nigeria’s Kano state has been sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.
An Upper Shariah Court found Yahaya Sharif, 22, guilty for circulating a song described as insulting Prophet Muhammad on WhatsApp in March. He has 30 days to appeal the judgment.
Lawan Muhammad of Kano state’s religious police, Hisbah, told The Associated Press Tuesday he is satisfied with the judgment.
“It was the kind of judgment we hoped for when we arrested him,” Muhammad said.
Angry protesters burned down the singer’s family house after he circulated the song.
Kano is one of about 12 states in Northern Nigeria where Shariah law is in place.
Many people have been condemned to death under Shariah law since it was first introduced in Kano in 1999, but so far only one execution has been carried out. That was in 2002 when a man was put to death after being convicted of killing a woman and her two children. Many people convicted of theft have had their limbs amputated under the law.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Carmen Best announces retirement hours after city cuts police budget

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best announced Tuesday that she will step down , hours after the city council ’ s vote to cut the police budget under pressure from Black Lives Matter activists , despite ongoing protest activity that has strained the department ’ s resources .
Chief Best , the city ’ s first Black female chief , had spoken out against the proposed cuts , which will result in the loss of 100 of the department ’ s 1,400 officers through layoffs and attrition , including the elimination of school-resource officers and reductions to specialized units such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said her retirement from the force after 28 years would be effective Sept. 2 .
She also thanked Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan , who had joined her in fighting an earlier council proposal backed by Black Lives Matter activists to gut the police budget by 50 % .
“ This was a difficult decision for me , but when it ’ s time , it ’ s time , ” said Chief Best in her statement .
“ I want to thank Mayor Durkan for her continuous support through good times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was “ confident the department will make it through these difficult times .
You truly are the best police department in the country , and please trust me when I say , the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you.
” The council had originally sought to cut her annual salary by 40 % , which would have reportedly made Chief Best the second-lowest-paid department head despite overseeing the largest department , but ended up trimming her pay from about $ 285,000 to $ 275,000 .
Ms. Durkan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chief ’ s resignation “ with a heavy heart.
” “ Carmen Best is still devoted to this department and our city , ” said Ms. Durkan .
“ I regret deeply that she concluded that the best way to serve the city and help the department was a change in leadership , in the hope that would change the dynamics to move forward with the City Council.
” The city council ended up cutting about $ 4 million from the $ 400 million police budget , characterizing the cuts as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department further .
“ Total initial cuts to SPD ’ s budget during the summer session are a down-payment for future potential reductions to the SPD budget , ” said the council in a statement .
“ These reductions equate to nearly $ 4 million in cuts , which actualized over a year will equate to an estimated $ 11 million.
” The city council also shifted its victim advocates program from the police department to the Human Resources Department , and allocated $ 17 million as part of a push to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improving community organizations , youth safety and “ participatory budgeting for public safety.
” The cuts came despite a surge in protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody , including a three-week occupation of the Capitol Hill neighborhood during which two men were shot and killed in the police-free zone .
Even so , councilmember Kshama Sawant voted against the budget , saying it “ fails working people , ” especially those in “ Black and Brown communities.
” “ This budget fails to address the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 3 million from the bloated department ’ s remaining 2020 budget of $ 170 million just weeks after 6 of the 8 other Councilmembers publicly declared they would support defunding SPD by 50 percent , as our Peoples Budget and the Justice for George Floyd movement have demanded , ” she said in a statement .
Council president M. Lorena Gonzalez said that the policing reductions came in “ response to the calls for advocating for racial justice and investments in BIPOC communities.
” “ Our inquest into SPD ’ s budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in arrest but 56 % of calls involve non-criminal activity , ” she said in a statement .
“ As a City , we can not look at this data and assume this is a best practice and cost-efficient .
”

Seattle’s first Black female police chief, in a stunning turn of events, announced her retirement Tuesday, hours after the City Council, which has no Black members, cut her budget and salary in the name of Black Lives Matter.
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best, who had defended the department for months against calls by protesters and the City Council to defund the police, said she was unwilling to stand by as the council slashed paychecks and laid off officers, including young Black officers she had worked hard to recruit.
“I really don’t want the animus that has been directed toward me to affect the people who work for me,” Chief Best said Tuesday at a press conference. “Targeting my command staff and their pay, it just felt very vindictive and very punitive. I don’t want them to be affected by that type of animus. So I had to make some decisions.”
She announced her departure hours after the City Council voted 7-1 to carve $4 million from the $170 million budget remaining in the year, as well as eliminate 100 police positions through attrition and layoffs, including all school resource officers, the SWAT team and the navigation team charged with removing homeless encampments.
The reduction was significantly less than the 50% demanded by protesters who have roiled Seattle for months, culminating in the three-week takeover of a six-block area known as the Capitol Hill Occupied Zone, or CHOP.
Even so, Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County blamed the popular chief’s exit on racism from the ultraliberal council.
“It does nothing to further our fight for authentic police accountability and the safety of Black lives, that the first Black woman to hold the position of Chief of Police of the Seattle Police Department has been forced out of her job by the Seattle City Council,” the BLM group said in a statement.
The council initially proposed slashing Chief Best’s salary by 40% but ended up trimming it from $285,000 to $275,000. It also cut the salaries of her command staff. Chief Best’s salary was the only one cut of all city department directors, even though she was leading Seattle’s largest department.
Mayor Jenny Durkan, who backed the chief, pointed out that City Council members left their own salaries intact as well as those of their staffs and argued that “they targeted only Carmen Best.”
“Racism is racism,” the Black Lives Matter statement said. “We demand the Seattle City Council stop prioritizing performative action that solely suggests the appearance of change. We demand transparency and accountability for the series of actions and inactions that led to Chief Best’s resignation. And we demand a successor that serves Black Lives.”
The sudden retirement of Chief Best illustrates the political risks for city councils bowing to protest demands to defund the police while providing another example of how the price of Black Lives Matter unrest is often paid by Black Americans.
At a Tuesday press conference, Chief Best read aloud an email she received Monday night from a young Black officer who told her he was hired after applying for five years and was “ecstatic” to work under her command.
“A great young man — tall, stout, a wonderful African-American man — and he is one of the people that will probably not keep their job here,” said Chief Best. “And that, for me — I’m done. Can’t do it.”
Some council members sought to distance themselves from the much-admired chief’s abrupt resignation. Three members — Debora Juarez, Andrew Lewis and Alex Pedersen — voted against cutting her salary in the Aug. 5 vote, while six voted in favor.
“Cutting the salary of the first black woman to serve as chief to a level below her white predecessor does not sit well with me either,” Mr. Lewis said in a press release. “It is clear from the public statements of Chief Best that these pay cuts to her and her team weighed heavily in her decision to leave public service, and it is a significant and sad loss.”
Mr. Pedersen cited the chief’s retirement as one of the “unintended consequences” of that decision.
“I did not support suddenly cutting the salary of the first Black police chief in Seattle’s history and the diverse, experienced team that she picked,” Mr. Pedersen said. “While I believe we should take a hard look at reducing excessive city government pay during budget deficits, I believe our entire City Council should be more thoughtful and methodical so we avoid unintended consequences.”
Casting the only vote against the entire budget package was council member Kshama Sawant, a self-described socialist, who repeated her support for the 50% defunding proposal “as our Peoples Budget and Justice for George Floyd movement have demanded.”
“This budget fails to shift the misplaced priorities of the Democratic political establishment,” she said in a statement. “It continues to hand more money over to the bloated police department than to eldercare, homeless services, and other human services, affordable housing, neighborhoods, and arts and culture combined.”
Ms. Sawant said a “budget that does not meet basic social needs and that continues to throw money at a racist, violent institution is a failed budget.”
During the protests after the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, Chief Best tangled with the City Council, challenging their ban on crowd control methods such as tear gas, pepper spray and blast balls that she said placed officers and the community in danger.
She declared “enough is enough” on June 29 after two Black men were fatally shot in the police-free CHOP zone. The mayor ordered the zone dismantled and cleared in an order the next day.
“Two African American men are dead, at a place where they claim to be working for Black Lives Matter,” the chief told reporters. “But they’re gone, they’re dead now.”
Last week, she called on the City Council to “forcefully call for the end of these tactics” after protesters showed up at her home.
In Washington, Attorney General William Barr praised Chief Best on Tuesday. He said her ‘leadership and demonstrated commitment to her oath of office reflected all that is good about America’s law enforcement.”
Chief Best said she refused to turn the press conference into a “wake” and stressed that her 28-year career in Seattle was filled with “great relationships, wonderful community members, great organization, wonderful command staff,” but the mayor was less restrained.
Ms. Durkan accused City Council members of refusing to consult with Chief Best and ignoring her pleas for a long-term vision for the police department. She said their move was “infuriating and deeply disappointing.”
“But it’s not about the money. That was the final straw. It’s about respect,” the mayor said. “It’s about listening to someone who is there with some answers and with the lived experience to help Seattle move forward.”
The mayor said Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz would succeed Chief Best as interim chief of the 1,400-member department. Her last day is Sept. 2.
About 1,000 demonstrators turned out Saturday to support the Seattle Police Department before the budget cuts, and Chief Best assured officers that most of the city appreciates them.
“I am confident the department will make it through these difficult times,” Chief Best said in her farewell message. “You truly are the best police department in the country, and please trust me when I say the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you.”
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this report.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--CDC team is at federal immigration facility to address virus

FARMVILLE , Va. ( AP ) - Virginia ’ s governor says that a team of federal scientists has arrived at an immigration detention center in Farmville to address the worst coronavirus outbreak at any such facility in the nation .
The Washington Post reported that the 10-person team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrived on Monday .
One detainee died at the at the privately run facility last week .
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that nearly all of the 298 detainees are being monitored for infection .
Gov .
Ralph Northam as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all Democrats , had appealed to President Trump for help last month because the center is operated under a federal contract .
“ After pushing for months , I ’ m relieved to see this necessary - and long overdue - action , ” Northam told the Post in a statement .
“ I will continue to advocate for the health and safety of all in our Commonwealth , regardless of immigration status.
” A federal lawsuit alleges that detainees were made to sleep in crowded conditions , even after some of @ @ @ @

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) - A federal judge has ordered immigration authorities to halt any transfers into a Virginia detention center that has seen the worst coronavirus outbreak at any such facility in the nation.
Government lawyers argued unsuccessfully against the injunction at a hearing Tuesday, saying they have no plans to transfer anyone into or out of the complex at Farmville, where a detainee died last week and more than 80% of the center’s 300 detainees have tested positive for the virus.
But U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema issued the injunction anyway, saying the outbreak is the result of a “bureaucratic circus.”
“The track record right now is not a good one” for those running the facility, Brinkema said.
She excoriated Immigration and Customs enforcement for its decision in June accept 74 transfers from facilities in Florida and Arizona, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and a policy at the detention center itself barring such transfers unless the incoming inmates had previously been quarantined.
Yuri Fuchs, a lawyer for the government, said the transfers were done to even out detainee populations across the country. But Brinkema said such a policy in a pandemic is foolhardy, and said the Bureau of Prisons has stopped conducting such transfers.
Brinkema’s injunction does not bar the facility from transferring inmates out of Farmville, though she said doing so would be a bad public policy and government lawyers said no such transfers are planned.
Brinkema stopped short of ordering an additional injunction sought by the activist groups that filed the lawsuit that would have ordered an expert in correctional health to inspect the facility and make recommendations.
Brinkema opted against ordering the inspection in large part because the CDC sent in a team of inspectors that began reviewing the facility Monday and will continue its review this week. She ordered that lawyers for the plaintiffs be allowed to listen in on a debrief the CDC will provide to the facility on Friday, and scheduled another hearing Monday to see if additional measures were needed.
Gov. Ralph Northam as well as both of Virginia’s U.S. senators, all Democrats, had appealed to President Donald Trump for help last month because the center is operated under a federal contract.
The lawsuit states that some detainees who contracted COVID-19 suffered serious symptoms yet were only prescribed Tylenol.
Fuchs said that while inmates might not be happy with the treatments described by the jail’s medical staff, that doesn’t form a basis to file a lawsuit.
Brinkema countered that “these are extraordinary times. traditional jurisprudence may be changing. Sometimes the law needs to change with the times.”
While most people who contract the coronavirus recover after suffering only mild to moderate symptoms, it can be deadly for older patients and those with other health problems.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Donald Trump: Joe Biden's VP pick matters more than others 'for the obvious reason'

President Trump on Tuesday said that while vice presidential picks aren ’ t the most consequential decisions in the world , presumptive Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden ’ s selection will matter a great deal because Mr. Biden has some “ pretty big things going on.
” “ People don ’ t vote for the vice president — they really don ’ t , ” Mr. Trump said on Fox Sports Radio .
“ You could pick George Washington to be your vice president .
Let ’ s pick up Abraham Lincoln coming back from the dead — they just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vice president.
” Mr. Trump and Republicans have consistently made the case that Mr. Biden , 77 , has lost his fastball .
The president has challenged Mr. Biden to take a cognitive test .
The former vice president recently dismissed that notion , likening it to a reporter ’ s taking a cocaine test before they go on air and asking a Black journalist if he was a junkie .
“ Joe ’ s got some pretty big things going on , so this is going to be a very important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In the end , I don ’ t think it ’ s going to matter — Joe ’ s going to have to stand on his own two feet , and we ’ re doing very well.
” Mr. Trump said he doesn ’ t know who Mr. Biden could pick .
A decision is expected at some point before the modified Democratic National Convention starts next week .
“ In theory , it doesn ’ t matter much , but maybe with him it probably matters much more than it normally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president said .
Mr. Biden has said he will pick a woman to be his running mate .
“ Some people would say men are insulted by that , and some people would say it ’ s fine — I don ’ t know , ” the president said .

President Trump on Tuesday said that while vice presidential picks aren’t the most consequential decisions in the world, presumptive Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden’s selection will matter a great deal because Mr. Biden has some “pretty big things going on.”
“People don’t vote for the vice president — they really don’t,” Mr. Trump said on Fox Sports Radio. “You could pick George Washington to be your vice president. Let’s pick up Abraham Lincoln coming back from the dead — they just don’t seem to vote for the vice president.”
Mr. Trump and Republicans have consistently made the case that Mr. Biden, 77, has lost his fastball.
The president has challenged Mr. Biden to take a cognitive test. The former vice president recently dismissed that notion, likening it to a reporter’s taking a cocaine test before they go on air and asking a Black journalist if he was a junkie.
“Joe’s got some pretty big things going on, so this is going to be a very important pick,” the president said. “In the end, I don’t think it’s going to matter — Joe’s going to have to stand on his own two feet, and we’re doing very well.”
Mr. Trump said he doesn’t know who Mr. Biden could pick. A decision is expected at some point before the modified Democratic National Convention starts next week.
“In theory, it doesn’t matter much, but maybe with him it probably matters much more than it normally does for the obvious reason,” the president said.
Mr. Biden has said he will pick a woman to be his running mate.
“Some people would say men are insulted by that, and some people would say it’s fine — I don’t know,” the president said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Missing toddler found in northern Wisconsin

WINTER , Wis. ( AP ) - The search for a missing toddler in northern Wisconsin has ended with her @ @ @ @ @ County Sheriff ’ s Office confirmed 3-year-old Abby Ladwig has been found , but did @ @ @ @ @ the successful search .
The girl was last seen about 6:30 pm .
Sunday outside @ @ @ @ @ Her mother , Lisa Koch , says her daughter had been playing outside and wandered @ @ @ @ @ may have followed the family dog into some woods .
Law enforcement and scores of @ @ @ @ @ s 40 acres of land following her disappearance .

WINTER, Wis. (AP) - The search for a missing toddler in northern Wisconsin has ended with her safe return.
The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office confirmed 3-year-old Abby Ladwig has been found. In a Facebook post the sheriff’s office said Abby and her dog, Peanut, were found around 7:20 p.m. Monday walking from the woods into a neighboring yard close to her home.
Authorities say the girl suffered minor scratches, insect bites and dehydration during her nearly 24 hours of being lost in the woods. She was treated at a hospital and released.
The girl was last seen about 6:30 pm. Sunday outside her home in Winter. Her mother, Lisa Koch, says her daughter had been playing outside and wandered off. Authorities believe she may have followed the family dog into some woods.
Law enforcement and scores of volunteers searched the family’s 40 acres of land following her disappearance.


washingtontimes--2020-08-11--Susan Rice not included on unveiled list of Democratic convention speakers

A number of women thought to be on the short-list of contenders to become Joseph R. Biden ’ s running mate are slated to speak at the Democratic National Convention - with a notable exception : Susan Rice .
The Democratic National Committee on Tuesday provided a preview of the lineup of speakers for the virtual convention , which is set to air live each night from August 17 to August 20 .
The schedule includes an open slot for Mr. Biden ’ s vice-presidential pick to address the crowd before former President Obama takes the stage on Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisor in the Obama administration and has been among the mentioned vice president possibilities .
But she is not on the current list of headliners .
Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan , Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico , Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Sen. Kamala Harris of California are scheduled to speak .
Mr. Biden has vowed to pick a woman running mate and is expected to make an announcement over the coming days .
Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Bill Clinton , and former First Lady Michelle Obama also have speaking slots at the virtual convention , along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York .
Mr. Biden will accept the nomination Thursday from his home state of Delaware .

A number of women thought to be on the short-list of contenders to become Joseph R. Biden’s running mate are slated to speak at the Democratic National Convention - with a notable exception: Susan Rice.
The Democratic National Committee on Tuesday provided a preview of the lineup of speakers for the virtual convention, which is set to air live each night from August 17 to August 20.
The schedule includes an open slot for Mr. Biden’s vice-presidential pick to address the crowd before former President Obama takes the stage on Wednesday.
Ms. Rice served as a national security advisor in the Obama administration and has been among the mentioned vice president possibilities.
But she is not on the current list of headliners.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Sen. Kamala Harris of California are scheduled to speak.
Mr. Biden has vowed to pick a woman running mate and is expected to make an announcement over the coming days.
Sen. Bernard Sanders, Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, and former First Lady Michelle Obama also have speaking slots at the virtual convention, along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Mr. Biden will accept the nomination Thursday from his home state of Delaware.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.