washingtontimes--2020-07-08--Rio Tinto to close New Zealand smelter and ax 1,000 jobs

WELLINGTON , New Zealand ( AP ) - Mining giant Rio Tinto said Thursday it will close its aluminum smelter in southern New Zealand , resulting in 1,000 job losses and dealing a major economic blow to the region .
But environmentalists say the closure of the Tiwai Point smelter could help New Zealand ’ s push to become cleaner and greener .
The smelter sucks up about 13 % of New Zealand ’ s electricity and its closure will mean a greater proportion of the nation ’ s energy needs can be met from renewable sources .
Rio Tinto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coming months and close the plant next August .
It said the plant lost $ 30 million last year and is no longer economically viable due to high energy costs and a challenging outlook for aluminum .
Alf Barrios , the company ’ s aluminum chief executive , said it made the decision after failing to get a power price reduction that could have helped make the smelter viable .
He said the closure will have a “ significant impact on employees , the community and our customers ” and it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impacts of the closure .
New Zealand ’ s Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the closure had been a possibility for some time , especially after the government told Rio Tinto back in 2013 that it would stop providing taxpayer subsidies .
“ Given the challenging economic situation caused by COVID-19 it is disappointing Rio Tinto has chosen to close the smelter at this time , especially given the support New Zealand has shown the company and how profitable they are globally , ” Robertson said in a release .
Greenpeace New Zealand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the closure would release a huge amount of low-carbon and affordable power back onto the nation ’ s electricity grid .
“ The Tiwai closure will mean cheaper power for New Zealand households .
It also means there is more clean , renewable energy that can be used to power our cars and industries as we move to a zero-carbon economy , ” Norman said in a release .
“ This will cut climate emissions out of the transport and industrial sectors , while simultaneously helping to reduce New Zealand ’ s current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars we spend on importing oil for the transport sector , ” Norman said .
Rio Tinto , which is based in London and Australia , said the smelter employs 1,000 people directly and creates another 1,600 indirect jobs in the region .
The New Zealand smelter is a joint venture between Rio Tinto , which owns 79 % , and the Sumitomo Chemical Company , which owns 21 % .

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Mining giant Rio Tinto said Thursday it will close its aluminum smelter in southern New Zealand, resulting in 1,000 job losses and dealing a major economic blow to the region.
But environmentalists say the closure of the Tiwai Point smelter could help New Zealand’s push to become cleaner and greener. The smelter sucks up about 13% of New Zealand’s electricity and its closure will mean a greater proportion of the nation’s energy needs can be met from renewable sources.
Rio Tinto said it will wind down operations over the coming months and close the plant next August. It said the plant lost $30 million last year and is no longer economically viable due to high energy costs and a challenging outlook for aluminum.
Alf Barrios, the company’s aluminum chief executive, said it made the decision after failing to get a power price reduction that could have helped make the smelter viable.
He said the closure will have a “significant impact on employees, the community and our customers” and it will work with the region to mitigate the impacts of the closure.
New Zealand’s Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the closure had been a possibility for some time, especially after the government told Rio Tinto back in 2013 that it would stop providing taxpayer subsidies.
“Given the challenging economic situation caused by COVID-19 it is disappointing Rio Tinto has chosen to close the smelter at this time, especially given the support New Zealand has shown the company and how profitable they are globally,” Robertson said in a release.
Greenpeace New Zealand’s executive director Russel Norman said the closure would release a huge amount of low-carbon and affordable power back onto the nation’s electricity grid.
“The Tiwai closure will mean cheaper power for New Zealand households. It also means there is more clean, renewable energy that can be used to power our cars and industries as we move to a zero-carbon economy,” Norman said in a release.
“This will cut climate emissions out of the transport and industrial sectors, while simultaneously helping to reduce New Zealand’s current account deficit by cutting the billions of dollars we spend on importing oil for the transport sector,” Norman said.
Rio Tinto, which is based in London and Australia, said the smelter employs 1,000 people directly and creates another 1,600 indirect jobs in the region. The New Zealand smelter is a joint venture between Rio Tinto, which owns 79%, and the Sumitomo Chemical Company, which owns 21%.


washingtontimes--2020-07-08--Kenai Peninsula Fair canceled due to coronavirus concerns

KENAI , Alaska ( AP ) - The Kenai Peninsula Fair scheduled for Aug. 14-16 has been canceled due to @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , its board of directors announced on Facebook .
The annual fair in Ninilchik @ @ @ @ @ from Anchorage ( 300 kilometers ) , will resume in 2021 , the Peninsula Clarion @ @ @ @ @ board voted unanimously to cancel the fair this year , the rodeo that traditionally happens @ @ @ @ @ is scheduled to continue .
The board ’ s president , Jim Stearns , stressed @ @ @ @ @ an outbreak in Seward , where cases have doubled in the last month .
“ @ @ @ @ @ to be responsible for an outbreak on the Kenai Peninsula , ” Board President Jim @ @ @ @ @ people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough @ @ @ @ @ to three weeks .
But for some - especially older adults and people with existing @ @ @ @ @ cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .

KENAI, Alaska (AP) - The Kenai Peninsula Fair scheduled for Aug. 14-16 has been canceled due to safety concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, its board of directors announced on Facebook.
The annual fair in Ninilchik, about 187 miles away from Anchorage (300 kilometers), will resume in 2021, the Peninsula Clarion reported Monday.
While the board voted unanimously to cancel the fair this year, the rodeo that traditionally happens in conjunction operates independently and is scheduled to continue.
The board’s president, Jim Stearns, stressed that a major consideration was an outbreak in Seward, where cases have doubled in the last month.
“We don’t want to be responsible for an outbreak on the Kenai Peninsula,” Board President Jim Stearns said.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.


washingtontimes--2020-07-08--Appeals Court rules in favor of nonbinary legal designations

EUGENE , Ore. ( AP ) - The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a Eugene resident ’ s right to a nonbinary gender marker .
Jones Hollister ’ s gender is nonbinary , but their petition for a nonbinary gender marker was denied by Lane County Circuit Court Judge Charles D. Carlson last year .
The Appeals Court ruled Wednesday that the circuit court erred in concluding that it lacked authority under state law to approve Hollister ’ s application for a legal change of sex from female to nonbinary .
“ I ’ m thrilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonbinary Oregonians , ” Hollister said in a news release sent by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon , which filed a brief in support of Hollister ’ s appeal .
“ When I saw that the Court of Appeals had reversed the decision to refuse me a nonbinary marker , I honestly cried.
” Groups supporting Hollister in the appeal including the ACLU and Basic Rights Oregon had argued precedent had been set in other cases across Oregon to allow people to legally change their sex designation to nonbinary .
State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had filed briefs in support .
Lorena Reynolds , Hollister ’ s attorney , told The Oregonian/OregonLive the ruling is the “ first state court of appeals decision on this in the country.
” In 2017 , Oregon became the first state in the country to allow residents to identify as nonbinary on their driver licenses and state identity cards .

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a Eugene resident’s right to a nonbinary gender marker.
Jones Hollister’s gender is nonbinary, but their petition for a nonbinary gender marker was denied by Lane County Circuit Court Judge Charles D. Carlson last year.
The Appeals Court ruled Wednesday that the circuit court erred in concluding that it lacked authority under state law to approve Hollister’s application for a legal change of sex from female to nonbinary.
“I’m thrilled for not just myself but for all nonbinary Oregonians,” Hollister said in a news release sent by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, which filed a brief in support of Hollister’s appeal. “When I saw that the Court of Appeals had reversed the decision to refuse me a nonbinary marker, I honestly cried.”
Groups supporting Hollister in the appeal including the ACLU and Basic Rights Oregon had argued precedent had been set in other cases across Oregon to allow people to legally change their sex designation to nonbinary. State Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum was among others who had filed briefs in support.
Lorena Reynolds, Hollister’s attorney, told The Oregonian/OregonLive the ruling is the “first state court of appeals decision on this in the country.”
In 2017, Oregon became the first state in the country to allow residents to identify as nonbinary on their driver licenses and state identity cards.


washingtontimes--2020-07-08--Arizona city repeals ordinance restricting police filming

TUCSON , Ariz. ( AP ) - An Arizona city repealed an ordinance restricting the public from filming police officers @ @ @ @ @ Tucson City Council voted Tuesday to repeal the ordinance establishing police restricted areas and penalties @ @ @ @ @ or enforcement activity , The Arizona Daily Star reports .
The ordinance passed in April @ @ @ @ @ nationwide trend of people arriving at crime scenes to record police and create conflicts to @ @ @ @ @ .
The council ’ s deliberations referenced a video of Tucson Police Department officers being @ @ @ @ @ experienced backlash from community members who were concerned the ordinance was created without public input @ @ @ @ @ police .
Several council members agreed adopting the ordinance without community input was a mistake @ @ @ @ @ the time for this ordinance , ” council member Paul Cunningham said .
Council member @ @ @ @ @ vote against the repeal .
Kozachik acknowledged the need for more community engagement but said @ @ @ @ @ , including enabling police to establish crime scenes without interference .

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - An Arizona city repealed an ordinance restricting the public from filming police officers at crime scenes.
The Tucson City Council voted Tuesday to repeal the ordinance establishing police restricted areas and penalties for interfering with police investigations or enforcement activity, The Arizona Daily Star reports.
The ordinance passed in April was a response to a nationwide trend of people arriving at crime scenes to record police and create conflicts to be posted online for profit.
The council’s deliberations referenced a video of Tucson Police Department officers being verbally attacked.
The council experienced backlash from community members who were concerned the ordinance was created without public input and believed it outlawed filming police.
Several council members agreed adopting the ordinance without community input was a mistake.
“Now is not the time for this ordinance,” council member Paul Cunningham said.
Council member Steve Kozachik was the lone vote against the repeal.
Kozachik acknowledged the need for more community engagement but said the ordinance met important needs, including enabling police to establish crime scenes without interference.


washingtontimes--2020-07-08--Minneapolis man charged in fatal shooting of pregnant woman

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) - Prosecutors have charged a Minneapolis man with fatally shooting a pregnant woman whose baby was delivered at a hospital .
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Wednesday that Zachary Robinson , 27 , was charged with second-degree murder , second-degree assault and being a felon in possession of a gun .
An arrest warrant has been issued , and police are looking for Robinson .
According to the complaint , police were called to a shooting in south Minneapolis on Sunday night and found 27-year-old Leneesha Columbus outside a shot-up Ford Explorer .
Columbus died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliver her baby , although the baby is in critical condition , the Hennepin County Attorney ’ s Office said .
Robinson was the baby ’ s father , the complaint said .
Witnesses told police they saw Robinson and Columbus arguing near her Explorer in a parking lot .
As Columbus started to drive away , Robinson fired several shots at the SUV and then returned to the parking lot while putting the gun in his waistband .
When a man confronted Robinson in the parking lot and asked him what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handgun from his waistband and shot the man in his right foot , according to the complaint .
Robinson has a history of felony assaults dating to 2009 and is barred from possessing any firearms or ammunition , prosecutors said .

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Prosecutors have charged a Minneapolis man with fatally shooting a pregnant woman whose baby was delivered at a hospital.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Wednesday that Zachary Robinson, 27, was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree assault and being a felon in possession of a gun. An arrest warrant has been issued, and police are looking for Robinson.
According to the complaint, police were called to a shooting in south Minneapolis on Sunday night and found 27-year-old Leneesha Columbus outside a shot-up Ford Explorer. Columbus died at a hospital but doctors were able to deliver her baby, although the baby is in critical condition, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said. Robinson was the baby’s father, the complaint said.
Witnesses told police they saw Robinson and Columbus arguing near her Explorer in a parking lot. As Columbus started to drive away, Robinson fired several shots at the SUV and then returned to the parking lot while putting the gun in his waistband.
When a man confronted Robinson in the parking lot and asked him what he was doing, Robinson pulled the handgun from his waistband and shot the man in his right foot, according to the complaint.
Robinson has a history of felony assaults dating to 2009 and is barred from possessing any firearms or ammunition, prosecutors said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Morocco to start reopening borders after strict lockdown

RABAT , Morocco ( AP ) - Morocco will start gradually reopening its air and maritime borders next week after one of the world ’ s strictest border lockdowns , which trapped tourists inside the country and left thousands of Moroccans stranded abroad and unable to come home .
Only Moroccan citizens and expatriates living in Morocco will be allowed to travel in the first stage of the reopening starting July 14 , according to a government statement Thursday .
National airlines will schedule as many flights as necessary to return Moroccans living abroad as well as foreigners living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both a PCR virus test taken within fewer than 48 hours of the flight , as well as an antibody test , before boarding planes heading for Morocco .
Ferries from the French port Sete and Italian port Genoa will be allowed to resume serving Moroccan ports .
All other ports will be excluded from this operation for now .
Moroccan citizens and foreign residents will be able to leave Morocco by air and sea .
Morocco abruptly suspended all international passenger flights and passenger ships to and from its territory on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - and Moroccans abroad struggled to come home .
While other countries also closed borders to keep out the virus , Morocco went even farther , barring its own citizens from coming home in hopes of limiting the risk of coronavirus arriving on Moroccan soil and overwhelming its under-prepared hospitals .
Under pressure from thousands of stranded Moroccans , the government started gradually letting some back in in recent weeks .
Morocco will start opening mosques next week , too , though weekly Friday prayers will remain banned .
When mosques reopen starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority called on the faithful to wear masks , use personal prayer mats and uphold social distancing during prayers and outside mosques .
Morocco hasn ’ t announced when churches and synagogues will open .
Morocco has so far recorded more than 14,000 coronavirus cases , and outbreaks within families and factories have complicated efforts to limit the spread .
Local authorities in the coastal city of Safi were forced to put their city back on lockdown earlier this week , forcing more than 308,000 citizens to stay home , after an outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also occurred in a Renault factory in Tangier and in a strawberry plant in Kenitra , where 457 strawberry pickers and workers were affected .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

RABAT, Morocco (AP) - Morocco will start gradually reopening its air and maritime borders next week after one of the world’s strictest border lockdowns, which trapped tourists inside the country and left thousands of Moroccans stranded abroad and unable to come home.
Only Moroccan citizens and expatriates living in Morocco will be allowed to travel in the first stage of the reopening starting July 14, according to a government statement Thursday.
National airlines will schedule as many flights as necessary to return Moroccans living abroad as well as foreigners living in Morocco. Passengers are required to present both a PCR virus test taken within fewer than 48 hours of the flight, as well as an antibody test, before boarding planes heading for Morocco.
Ferries from the French port Sete and Italian port Genoa will be allowed to resume serving Moroccan ports. All other ports will be excluded from this operation for now.
Moroccan citizens and foreign residents will be able to leave Morocco by air and sea.
Morocco abruptly suspended all international passenger flights and passenger ships to and from its territory on March 15. Tourists scrambled to get out - and Moroccans abroad struggled to come home.
While other countries also closed borders to keep out the virus, Morocco went even farther, barring its own citizens from coming home in hopes of limiting the risk of coronavirus arriving on Moroccan soil and overwhelming its under-prepared hospitals.
Under pressure from thousands of stranded Moroccans, the government started gradually letting some back in in recent weeks.
Morocco will start opening mosques next week, too, though weekly Friday prayers will remain banned.
When mosques reopen starting July 15, Morocco’s religious authority called on the faithful to wear masks, use personal prayer mats and uphold social distancing during prayers and outside mosques.
Morocco hasn’t announced when churches and synagogues will open.
Morocco has so far recorded more than 14,000 coronavirus cases, and outbreaks within families and factories have complicated efforts to limit the spread.
Local authorities in the coastal city of Safi were forced to put their city back on lockdown earlier this week, forcing more than 308,000 citizens to stay home, after an outbreak in a fish conservation factory. Outbreaks also occurred in a Renault factory in Tangier and in a strawberry plant in Kenitra, where 457 strawberry pickers and workers were affected.
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Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Rallies planned around Greece against new protest law

ATHENS , Greece ( AP ) - Demonstrations are being planned in Athens and around 40 other Greek cities and @ @ @ @ @ the center-right government to restrict public protests .
Many of the rallies planned for later @ @ @ @ @ the Greek Communist Party , while labor unions and Greece ’ s left-wing main opposition @ @ @ @ @ .
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ’ year-old conservative government says it is determined to stop @ @ @ @ @ traffic and commercial activity .
“ The right to hold peaceful gatherings must be protected @ @ @ @ @ done in a way that will not interrupt the activity of an entire city , @ @ @ @ @ the second and final day of debate .
Critics of the proposed reforms include the @ @ @ @ @ ’ s own legislative review committee .
They argue that plans to prosecute protesters attending @ @ @ @ @ protest organizers responsible for damage caused if rallies turn violent are legally troublesome .
The @ @ @ @ @ several clarifications to the bill to address those concerns .

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Violence broke out in Athens late Thursday during a mass demonstration against a new law to curb public protests, leaving six police officers injured. A group of protesters hurled gasoline bombs at riot police outside parliament, while police responded with tear gas and flash grenades.
Police said they arrested nine people and detained 15 others were for questioning. Demonstrations held in Athens and dozens of other Greek cities and towns to oppose the plans by the center-right government.
The bill was approved by 187-101 votes in parliament.
More than 10,000 protesters had gathered in central Athens, many supporting a labor union backed by the Greek Communist Party. A separate group of several dozen youths was involved in the violence that sent other demonstrators, including families with young children, scrambling to move away from the clouds of tear gas. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ year-old conservative government said it is determined to stop small protest gatherings from disrupting traffic and commercial activity.
“The right to hold peaceful gatherings must be protected … but it must be done in a way that will not interrupt the activity of an entire city,” Mitsotakis told parliament on the second and final day of debate.
Critics of the proposed reforms include the Athens Bar Association and parliament’s own legislative review committee. They argued that plans to prosecute protesters attending unsanctioned rallies and to hold protest organizers responsible for damage caused if rallies turn violent are legally troublesome.
The government said it added several clarifications to the bill to address those concerns.
Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, who was prime minister in 2015-2019, accused the government of introducing the measures to allow heavy-handed policing. He predicted the pandemic-driven recession would trigger large labor protests in the fall.
“You fear what is coming - the reaction of society, the anger of society - and that is why you are preparing to give us repression,” Tsipras told parliament.
Greece is expected to suffer a major recession this year due to the impact of the pandemic, losing 9% of its annual output, according to European Union projections. ___
Derek Gatopoulos on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Walgreens lost $1.7B in 3Q as global pandemic tightened grip

The coronavirus pandemic pushed Walgreens to a $ 1.7 billion loss in the third quarter with customers staying home or limiting shopping to essential supplies from grocery stores .
The drugstore chain said Thursday that the rapidly spreading virus took a bite of between $ 700 million and $ 750 million from sales , with much of the financial damage coming from outside the United States .
Sales at stores in the U.K. , where the company furloughed more than 16,000 employees at the peak of the pandemic , dropped 27.7 % on a constant currency basis .
April foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shares sank more than 4 % before the opening bell Thursday .
While stores remained open to provide pharmacy services , Walgreens ’ profitable beauty and fragrance counters were closed .
Walgreens booked non-cash impairment charges of $ 2 billion in the quarter due to its Boots UK operating loss and uncertainty created by COVID-19 .
The pandemic has accelerated changes planned for its Boots stores , which includes closing optician locations and job cuts at the U.K. support office .
Those changes could mean job cuts exceeding 4,000 .
Walgreens posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per share in the quarter , with total sales growing less than 1 % , to $ 34.63 billion .
Analysts expected per-share earnings of $ 1.19 and about $ 34.3 billion in revenue , according to FactSet .
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. , based in Deerfield , Illinois , runs more than 9,200 stores in the United States and has more than 18,750 locations internationally .

The coronavirus pandemic pushed Walgreens to a $1.7 billion loss it the most recent quarter with customers staying home or limiting shopping to essential supplies from grocery stores.
The drugstore chain said Thursday that the rapidly spreading virus took a bite of between $700 million and $750 million from sales, with much of the damage coming from outside the United States.
More companies of all sizes will begin releasing details about their financial performances over the past three months as COVID-19 seized economies in Europe, as well as North and South America. Walgreen’s quarter ended May 31, encapsulating a three-month period in which consumer activity came to a screeching halt.
Walgreens furloughed more than 16,000 employees at the peak of the pandemic in the United Kingdom. Sales at its Boots stores there dropped nearly 28% on a constant currency basis. April foot traffic plunged 85%.
While stores remained open to provide pharmacy services, Boots’ profitable beauty and fragrance counters were closed.
Industry analysts expected a substantial hit to profits, but the size of the loss exceeded those expectations. Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. slumped 9%, close to a new low for the year.
Walgreens booked non-cash impairment charges of $2 billion in the quarter due to its Boots UK operating loss and continued uncertainty about how long the pandemic will go on.
The charge illustrated “a remarkable deterioration in asset value,” said Neil Saunders, managing director for GlobalData Retail, in a research note.
Prospects for Walgreens’ business the the U.K. “are now significantly gloomier than they were at the start of the year,” Saunders wrote.
The pandemic accelerated changes planned for its Boots stores, which includes closing optician locations and reducing staff at the U.K. support office. Those changes could mean job cuts exceeding 4,000.
Walgreens posted quarterly earnings of 83 cents per share. Sales grew less than 1%, to $34.63 billion.
Analysts expected per-share earnings of $1.19 and about $34.3 billion in revenue, according to FactSet.
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., based in Deerfield, Illinois, runs more than 9,200 stores in the United States and has more than 18,750 locations internationally.
Business in the U.S. was markedly better than in the U.K. Sales at established stores climbed 3% compared with last year, and the number of prescriptions rose slightly.
But regions of the U.S., particularly in the South and West, are in the grip of a surge of infections. Governors are putting back into place restrictions that could limit the mobility of potential customers and create more unease about being in stores with other people.
Walgreens said this week that it will make a major change to some of its U.S. stores. It will add primary care clinics staffed by doctors to as many as 700 over the next few years in a bid to play a greater role in managing customer health.
The drugstore chain on Thursday introduced a forecast for the current fiscal year, which ends in August. Walgreens expects adjusted earnings of $4.65 to $4.75 per share, an estimate that includes the anticipated impact of COVID-19.
Analysts expected earnings of about $5.71 per share, according to FactSet.
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Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: @thpmurphy


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--William Barr, AG: 'Widespread phenomenon' that Black men are treated differently by police

Attorney General William P. Barr said that there ’ s a “ widespread phenomenon ” that Black men are treated differently than others by police .
In a new interview with ABC News released Thursday , Mr. Barr said that unequal treatment is something the country and his department need to address .
“ I do think it is a widespread phenomenon that African American males , in particular , are treated with extra suspicion and maybe not given the benefit of the doubt , ” Mr. Barr said .
“ I think it is wrong if people are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he added .
However , that did not go as far as to say there is systemic racism in policing , which protest groups argue .
The Trump administration has been staunchly pushing back against that charge .
Protests and outrage sparked in late May after George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , both Black and unarmed at the time , were killed by police .
Floyd , an unarmed black man , was killed after a White officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
Taylor was shot multiple times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , on the basis of a “ no-knock ” warrant .
“ Before the George Floyd incident , I thought we were in a good place , ” Mr. Barr said .
“ I think that this episode in Minneapolis showed that we still have some work to do in addressing the distrust that exists in the African American community toward law enforcement.
” The ongoing protests have put pressure on Congress to deliver some kind of policing overhaul package .
Both House Democrats and Senate Republicans have put forward proposals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill and Democrats blocking the Senate bill the issue is caught in a political stalemate .
In a press conference with the attorney general Wednesday , Sen. Tim Scott , the sole Black Republican senator and lead lawmaker on the GOP bill , said he ’ s still optimistic there could be a vote .
“ Folks are now calling me about the legislation from the other side , suggesting perhaps it is not dead , ” Mr. Scott of South Carolina told reporters .
“ We may have a Lazarus moment.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ right balance ” to curbing controversial policing practices in that same press conference .
In his interview with ABC News , Mr. Barr said that won ’ t come from the “ defund the police ” movement , which calls for radically restructuring police departments by adding social workers or eliminating certain tasks and shifting funds to invest more directly into the community .
“ We have to think about more investment in the police , ” he said .
“ So one of the things we ’ ve been talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the [ Health and Human Services ] money and grant programs and sync it up with law enforcement spending so we can enable the departments to have co-responders .
That is , social workers and mental health experts who can go on certain kinds of calls to help.
” House Democrats bucked growing calls to defund the police from far-left groups in their Justice Department spending bill that was unveiled Tuesday , instead of investing nearly $ 600 million to help local police departments implement changes to their training and policies .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s only civil rights investigation on the issue did find a pattern of excessive force .
“ We found , in that case , that there was a drug unit in the Springfield ( Mass . )
police department that was engaged in a pattern and practice of using excessive force , ” he said .

Attorney General William P. Barr said that there’s a “widespread phenomenon” that Black men are treated differently than others by police.
In a new interview with ABC News released Thursday, Mr. Barr said that unequal treatment is something the country and his department need to address.
“I do think it is a widespread phenomenon that African American males, in particular, are treated with extra suspicion and maybe not given the benefit of the doubt,” Mr. Barr said.
“I think it is wrong if people are not respected appropriately and given their due,” he added.
However, that did not go as far as to say there is systemic racism in policing, which protest groups argue. The Trump administration has been staunchly pushing back against that charge.
Protests and outrage sparked in late May after George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, both Black and unarmed at the time, were killed by police.
Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed after a White officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Taylor was shot multiple times in her apartment after officers entered at night, on the basis of a “no-knock” warrant.
“Before the George Floyd incident, I thought we were in a good place,” Mr. Barr said. “I think that this episode in Minneapolis showed that we still have some work to do in addressing the distrust that exists in the African American community toward law enforcement.”
The ongoing protests have put pressure on Congress to deliver some kind of policing overhaul package.
Both House Democrats and Senate Republicans have put forward proposals, but with the GOP rejecting the House-passed bill and Democrats blocking the Senate bill the issue is caught in a political stalemate.
In a press conference with the attorney general Wednesday, Sen. Tim Scott, the sole Black Republican senator and lead lawmaker on the GOP bill, said he’s still optimistic there could be a vote.
“Folks are now calling me about the legislation from the other side, suggesting perhaps it is not dead,” Mr. Scott of South Carolina told reporters. “We may have a Lazarus moment.”
Mr. Barr, meanwhile, called for a “right balance” to curbing controversial policing practices in that same press conference.
In his interview with ABC News, Mr. Barr said that won’t come from the “defund the police” movement, which calls for radically restructuring police departments by adding social workers or eliminating certain tasks and shifting funds to invest more directly into the community.
“We have to think about more investment in the police,” he said. “So one of the things we’ve been talking about is trying to direct some of the [Health and Human Services] money and grant programs and sync it up with law enforcement spending so we can enable the departments to have co-responders. That is, social workers and mental health experts who can go on certain kinds of calls to help.”
House Democrats bucked growing calls to defund the police from far-left groups in their Justice Department spending bill that was unveiled Tuesday, instead of investing nearly $600 million to help local police departments implement changes to their training and policies.
Mr. Barr also revealed that the DOJ’s only civil rights investigation on the issue did find a pattern of excessive force.
“We found, in that case, that there was a drug unit in the Springfield (Mass.) police department that was engaged in a pattern and practice of using excessive force,” he said.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--9 employees of Miami TV station test positive for COVID-19

PEMBROKE PARK , Fla. ( AP ) - Nine employees of a Miami area television station have tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ that the station is taking every precaution , including the testing of 147 employees and @ @ @ @ @ .
Many of the station ’ s employees are quarantined at home , including news @ @ @ @ @ reporter husband Roy Ramos , and anchor Louis Aguirre , who all tested positive .
@ @ @ @ @ she ’ s feeling cold-like symptoms and has felt run-down .
She said she ’ @ @ @ @ @ who has experienced more severe symptoms , including painful coughing and shaking .
Aguirre said @ @ @ @ @ symptoms and is taking a second test because he believes his first test may have @ @ @ @ @

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. (AP) - Nine employees of a Miami area television station have tested positive for COVID-19.
WPLG announced Wednesday that the station is taking every precaution, including the testing of 147 employees and their family members this week.
Many of the station’s employees are quarantined at home, including news anchor Nicole Perez and her reporter husband Roy Ramos, and anchor Louis Aguirre, who all tested positive.
Perez told the station that she’s feeling cold-like symptoms and has felt run-down. She said she’s concerned about her husband who has experienced more severe symptoms, including painful coughing and shaking.
Aguirre said he’s feeling no symptoms and is taking a second test because he believes his first test may have been a false positive.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Police: 9-year-old boy, 2 others wounded in Atlanta shooting

ATLANTA ( AP ) - Three people , including a 9-year-old boy , were shot and wounded in Atlanta , @ @ @ @ @ happened Wednesday night in East Atlanta Village around 9:30 p.m. , news outlets reported .
@ @ @ @ @ Grant said officers found one man with a gunshot wound in his buttocks , The @ @ @ @ @ told police more people were shot during the incident .
A man and a 9-year-old @ @ @ @ @ a hospital .
The man was shot in the hand and the boy suffered gunshot @ @ @ @ @ Police said all three victims were expected to survive .
Police believe an argument lead @ @ @ @ @ suspects were in custody .
The shooting comes after 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and @ @ @ @ @ July weekend in Atlanta .
Four other people were killed over the weekend , prompting @ @ @ @ @ to declare a state of emergency and deploy up to 1,000 National Guard troops .

ATLANTA (AP) - Three people, including a 9-year-old boy, were shot and wounded in Atlanta, police said.
The shooting happened Wednesday night in East Atlanta Village around 9:30 p.m., news outlets reported.
Atlanta police spokesman Officer Anthony Grant said officers found one man with a gunshot wound in his buttocks, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Witnesses told police more people were shot during the incident. A man and a 9-year-old boy were later found at a hospital. The man was shot in the hand and the boy suffered gunshot wounds to both legs.
Police said all three victims were expected to survive. Police believe an argument lead to the shooting. No suspects were in custody.
The shooting comes after 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and killed over the Fourth of July weekend in Atlanta. Four other people were killed over the weekend, prompting Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to declare a state of emergency and deploy up to 1,000 National Guard troops.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--WHO chief taps ex-leaders to head COVID-19 response panel

GENEVA ( AP ) - The head of the World Health Organization said Thursday that former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark will head a new panel tasked with giving “ an honest assessment ” of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic .
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , whose agency is facing a U.S. pullout following Trump administration complaints about its early handling of the virus emergency , announced the appointments to the newly created Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response .
“ I can not imagine two more strong-minded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through this critical learning process to help us understand what happened - an honest assessment - and to help us understand also what we should do to prevent such a tragedy in the future , ” Tedros said .
The WHO chief reiterated his calls for global unity and decried a general lack of leadership , but he made no reference to the Trump administration giving formal 1-year notice this week of its intent to withdraw the United States from the U.N. health agency .
The United States is the WHO ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 annually in recent years .
“ My friends , make no mistake : The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself .
Rather , it ’ s the lack of leadership and solidarity at the global and national levels , ” Tedros said at a weekly meeting of member states , which unusually was made public for the announcement of the panel appointments .
He said he would convene a special meeting of the WHO ’ s executive board in September , before hosting the assembly of its 194 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Assembly , usually held in May , was cut short and held online this year due to the pandemic .
“ We must be readying ourselves for future global outbreaks and the many other challenges of our time , such as anti-microbial resistance , inequality and the climate crisis , ” Tedros said .
“ COVID-19 has taken so much from us .
But it ’ s also giving us an opportunity to break with the past - and build back better.
” The assembly in May called for a comprehensive evaluation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world ’ s response to the outbreak , and after repeated Trump administration criticism of the U.N. health agency over its handling of the pandemic and alleged deference to China , where COVID-19 first emerged .
Tedros suggested the panel would have an independent administration , update member states regularly on its progress and hold monthly meetings .
“ This can not be another blue-ribbon panel that issues a report that goes up on the bookshelf , ” he said .
“ We must come together in a global conversation to take these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ My hope is that the defining crisis of our age will likewise remind all people that the best way forward and all the only way forward is together , ” he said .

GENEVA (AP) - The head of the World Health Organization said Thursday that former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark will head a new panel tasked with giving “an honest assessment” of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose agency is facing a U.S. pullout following Trump administration complaints about its early handling of the virus emergency, announced the appointments to the newly created Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
“I cannot imagine two more strong-minded, independent leaders to help guide us through this critical learning process to help us understand what happened - an honest assessment - and to help us understand also what we should do to prevent such a tragedy in the future,” Tedros said.
The WHO chief reiterated his calls for global unity and decried a general lack of leadership, but he made no reference to the Trump administration giving formal 1-year notice this week of its intent to withdraw the United States from the U.N. health agency.
The United States is the WHO’s biggest donor, contributing $400-$500 million annually in recent years.
“My friends, make no mistake: The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself. Rather, it’s the lack of leadership and solidarity at the global and national levels,” Tedros said at a weekly meeting of member states, which unusually was made public for the announcement of the panel appointments.
He said he would convene a special meeting of the WHO’s executive board in September, before hosting the assembly of its 194 member states in November. The World Health Assembly, usually held in May, was cut short and held online this year due to the pandemic.
“We must be readying ourselves for future global outbreaks and the many other challenges of our time, such as anti-microbial resistance, inequality and the climate crisis,” Tedros said. “COVID-19 has taken so much from us. But it’s also giving us an opportunity to break with the past - and build back better.”
The assembly in May called for a comprehensive evaluation of the WHO’s and the world’s response to the outbreak, and after repeated Trump administration criticism of the U.N. health agency over its handling of the pandemic and alleged deference to China, where COVID-19 first emerged.
Tedros suggested the panel would have an independent administration, update member states regularly on its progress and hold monthly meetings.
“This cannot be another blue-ribbon panel that issues a report that goes up on the bookshelf,” he said. “We must come together in a global conversation to take these hard-won lessons and turn them into action.”
“My hope is that the defining crisis of our age will likewise remind all people that the best way forward and all the only way forward is together,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Joe Biden tackles economy with big $700 billion spending plan

Joseph R. Biden on Thursday is rolling out a sweeping economic plan that would spend $ 300 billion on high-tech , $ 400 billion on a federal a “ Buy American ” project and empower unions .
The proposal , which he will announce at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania , is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee ’ s stab at President Trump ’ s biggest strength in the race : voter confidence in Mr. Trump ’ s ability to spur economic growth .
The former vice president leads in most polls but still needs to beat back Mr. Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was undermined by forced government shutdowns and that Mr. Trump promises to rebuild once the coronavirus crisis ends .
Mr. Biden ’ s plan hits every issue where Mr. Trump has dominated , including promises to boost U.S. manufacturing .
The Democrat ’ s strategy promises to put a particular focus on smaller manufacturers and those owned by women and people of color by providing federal resources and financing tools .
Mr. Biden would pour $ 300 billion into research and development of high-tech , including electric vehicle technology , lightweight materials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Biden campaign said it would “ unleash high-quality job creation in high-value manufacturing and technology.
” By spending another $ 400 billion of federal procurement , Mr. Biden said he would make his buy-American strategy “ real.
” Mr. Trump ran on “ Buy American ” and made it a hallmark of his administration .
The wave of spending , which would be on top of a $ 1.7 trillion clean energy and infrastructure plan , would aim to fuel new demand for American products , materials , and services and ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carriers , according to the campaign .
Mr. Biden also promises another round of coronavirus spending on top of the nearly $ 3 trillion Congress already put on the federal credit card in response to the crisis .
Much of Mr. Biden ’ s spending would be paid for with roughly $ 4 trillion in new taxes , mostly from rolling by the Trump tax cuts .

Joseph R. Biden on Thursday is rolling out a sweeping economic plan that would spend $300 billion on high-tech, $400 billion on a federal “Buy American” project and empower unions.
The proposal, which he will announce at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s stab at President Trump’s biggest strength in the race: voter confidence in Mr. Trump’s ability to spur economic growth.
The former vice president leads in most polls but still needs to beat back Mr. Trump’s claims to a roaring economy that was undermined by forced government shutdowns and that Mr. Trump promises to rebuild once the coronavirus crisis ends.
Mr. Biden’s plan hits every issue where Mr. Trump has dominated, including promises to boost U.S. manufacturing. The Democrat’s strategy promises to put a particular focus on smaller manufacturers and those owned by women and people of color by providing federal resources and financing tools.
Mr. Biden would pour $300 billion into research and development of high-tech, including electric vehicle technology, lightweight materials, 5G telecommunications and artificial intelligence.
The Biden campaign said it would “unleash high-quality job creation in high-value manufacturing and technology.”
By spending another $400 billion of federal procurement, Mr. Biden said he would make his buy-American strategy “real.”
Mr. Trump ran on “Buy American” and made it a hallmark of his administration.
The new Biden economic formula continues his tack to the left following a “unity platform” that he devised with Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, a democratic socialist and far-left champion who challenged him for the nomination.
“Biden’s bold moves recently seem less like a political hat tip to progressives and more him rising to this moment we’re living in,” Adam Green, co-founder of left-leaning Progressive Change Campaign Committee, told The Los Angeles Times.
The wave of spending, which would be on top of a $1.7 trillion clean energy and infrastructure plan, would aim to fuel new demand for American products, materials, and services and ensure that they are shipped on U.S.-flagged cargo carriers, according to the campaign.
Mr. Biden also promises another round of coronavirus spending on top of the nearly $3 trillion Congress already put on the federal credit card in response to the crisis.
Much of Mr. Biden’s spending would be paid for with roughly $4 trillion in new taxes, mostly from rolling by the Trump tax cuts.
Mr. Biden also promised legislation to expand unions, including delivering on the union’s longtime dream of “card check,” which makes it easier to unionize workplaces by doing away with secret ballots when workers vote on unionizing.
The support of union leadership has been a cornerstone of Mr. Biden’s run and his bid to win back blue-collar workers that Mr. Trump peeled away from the Democratic Party in 2016.
The Biden campaign said his union agenda would crack down on employers interfering in union organizing, expand union rights for public service workers and institute a broad definition of “employee” and tough enforcement to end the misclassification of workers as independent contractors.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Suspect indicted in triple murder in Parker

YAKIMA , Wash. ( AP ) - A 36-year-old Parker man has been charged in federal court with killing three people in Parker last month .
The Yakima Herald reports a federal grand jury indicted Clifton Frank Peter on two first-degree murder counts and a charge of second-degree murder , as well as two counts of discharging a firearm during a violent crime , according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office .
He is expected to make an initial appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke in Yakima .
It wasn ’ t immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None was listed on the federal court docket .
Yakima County sheriff ’ s deputies went to Columbia Street in Parker around 6:20 p.m. June 1 for a report that someone had been shot .
Responding officers found Omar Venegas-Mora , 31 , his wife , 32-year-old Imelda Santillan-Guevara , and Javier Luna-Gonzalez , 63 , dead at the scene , according to a sheriff ’ s office news release .
An autopsy determined the three had been shot to death .
The Yakima County ’ s Sheriff ’ s Office said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also assaulted , but was able to escape .
Peter was arrested and was booked into the Yakima County jail Wednesday on a U.S.
Marshal ’ s hold , according to jail records .
Federal authorities are handling the case because Peter is a citizen of the Yakama Nation and the killings occurred on the Yakama reservation .
The three are among 21 people killed in homicides in Yakima County this year .

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - A 36-year-old Parker man has been charged in federal court with killing three people in Parker last month.
The Yakima Herald reports a federal grand jury indicted Clifton Frank Peter on two first-degree murder counts and a charge of second-degree murder, as well as two counts of discharging a firearm during a violent crime, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
He is expected to make an initial appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke in Yakima. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had a lawyer. None was listed on the federal court docket.
Yakima County sheriff’s deputies went to Columbia Street in Parker around 6:20 p.m. June 1 for a report that someone had been shot. Responding officers found Omar Venegas-Mora, 31, his wife, 32-year-old Imelda Santillan-Guevara, and Javier Luna-Gonzalez, 63, dead at the scene, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
An autopsy determined the three had been shot to death. The Yakima County’s Sheriff’s Office said the suspect’s mother, 63, was also assaulted, but was able to escape.
Peter was arrested and was booked into the Yakima County jail Wednesday on a U.S. Marshal’s hold, according to jail records.
Federal authorities are handling the case because Peter is a citizen of the Yakama Nation and the killings occurred on the Yakama reservation.
The three are among 21 people killed in homicides in Yakima County this year.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Iowa woman pleads not guilty to fatal stabbing of rival

PELLA , Iowa ( AP ) - An Iowa woman accused of fatally stabbing her husband ’ s girlfriend has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder .
Michelle Boat , 55 , entered the plea Monday in the May 18 attack that killed Tracy Mondabough , 46 , of Ottawa , the Des Moines Register reported .
Pella police have said that Boat was recorded on camera following the victim to a Pella apartment complex before the stabbing .
Police also accused Boat of abusing her estranged husband and violating a no-contact order several times in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her husband have been married 20 years , but the two separated in March .
He was dating Mondabough , court records said .
Mondabough was found slumped in a car the night of May 18 , investigators said in charging documents .
Officers were called to the apartment complex on reports of a fight in a nearby alley , a criminal complaint says .
A person standing outside the car where two people were tussling reported hearing one person shout “ He don ’ t belong to you , ” before leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Investigators tracked down a car matching the description to Boat ’ s home .

PELLA, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa woman accused of fatally stabbing her husband’s girlfriend has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder.
Michelle Boat, 55, entered the plea Monday in the May 18 attack that killed Tracy Mondabough, 46, of Ottumwa, the Des Moines Register reported.
Pella police have said that Boat was recorded on camera following the victim to a Pella apartment complex before the stabbing. Police also accused Boat of abusing her estranged husband and violating a no-contact order several times in the months before the stabbing.
Boat and her husband have been married 20 years, but the two separated in March. He was dating Mondabough, court records said.
Mondabough was found slumped in a car the night of May 18, investigators said in charging documents. Officers were called to the apartment complex on reports of a fight in a nearby alley, a criminal complaint says.
A person standing outside the car where two people were tussling reported hearing one person shout “He don’t belong to you,” before leaving in a car, police said. Investigators tracked down a car matching the description to Boat’s home.
___
This story has been corrected to show the victim was from Ottumwa, not Ottawa.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Board: Ohio Statehouse repairs after protests cost $158,000

COLUMBUS , Ohio ( AP ) - Repairing damage to the Ohio Statehouse and surrounding Capitol Square that occurred during @ @ @ @ @ cost about $ 158,000 , according to the board that oversees the property .
That @ @ @ @ @ between May 28 and June 18 doesn ’ t include repairs for damage on other @ @ @ @ @ the Ohio State Highway Patrol , according to the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board @ @ @ @ @ Statehouse have been boarded up since protests in late May .
In June , the @ @ @ @ @ hand prints and the phrase “ hands up , don ’ t shoot ” in @ @ @ @ @ Lights , trash cans and a bench also were damaged , according to a statement @ @ @ @ @ .
It said it hired a professional service to remove graffiti from the limestone building @ @ @ @ @ .

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A group of anti-racism protesters has filed a federal lawsuit in Ohio seeking monetary damages for injuries sustained in clashes with police after the death of George Floyd.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Columbus, describes peaceful demonstrators and bystanders being beaten, fired on with wooden and rubber bullets and unlawfully arrested during protests in Ohio’s capital city in late May and June. One plaintiff said a tear gas canister fractured his fibula.
The legal action asserts that the physical harm resulted from gross negligence, under-trained personnel and violations of protesters’ constitutional rights, including those guaranteed by the First Amendment.
City Attorney Zach Klein said he couldn’t comment directly on the complaint, which also seeks 17 police and racial justice policy changes by the city.
“Overall, we need to transform the culture of justice in Columbus,” he said in an emailed statement. “That’s why I’ve been working diligently on reforms to address the city’s response to the ongoing protests as well as systemic changes needed to improve police-community relations.”
According to the lawsuit, Tammy Fournier Alsaada, lead plaintiff in the case, was pepper-sprayed without provocation after receiving permission to walk through a line of police to discuss the arrests of some protesters.
Fournier Alsaada is an organizer for the People’s Justice Project, as well as a member of Democratic Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther’s Safety Advisory Commission.
Another plaintiff, Randy Kaigler, said he was the one who appeared in a photo being pepper-sprayed at close range by a Columbus officer. Raigler said police didn’t audibly warn him before he was sprayed while standing with his hands up in Columbus’ main intersection, next to the Ohio Statehouse.
A third plaintiff, Heather Wise, said Columbus police officers poured vials of an unknown brown liquid on hers and other protesters’ eyes and faces.
Unnamed in the suit is the late Sarah Grossman, a 22-year-old recent Ohio State University graduate who had participated in Columbus protests before her death May 30. Autopsy results confirming or ruling out any connection to the protests have not yet been released.
A board that oversees the property on Tuesday placed an estimated price tag for repairing damage from the protests to the Statehouse and surrounding Capitol Square at about $158,000.
That tally from protests between May 28 and June 18 doesn’t include repairs for damage on other state property or expenses for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, according to the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board.
Windows broken at the Statehouse have been boarded up since protests in late May. In June, the Statehouse was defaced with red hand prints and the phrase “hands up, don’t shoot” in protest of police brutality. Lights, trash cans and a bench also were damaged, according to a statement from the Capitol Square board.
It said it hired a professional service to remove graffiti from the limestone building and monuments on the property.
___
Associated Press reporter Kantele Franko contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Officials: 2 men in group that stole 35 guns in Delaware

WILMINGTON , Del .
( AP ) - Two men have been accused of being part of a group that @ @ @ @ @ gun shop in Delaware .
Nahsiem McIntosh , 21 , and Derris Lloyd , 35 @ @ @ @ @ charges by a federal grand jury Tuesday , according to a news release from the @ @ @ @ @ in Delaware .
Both men allegedly participated in a burglary at American Sportsman , a @ @ @ @ @ , in May .
Federal authorities said they were in possession of those guns last @ @ @ @ @ firearm in our community is too many , ” the release said .
“ 35 @ @ @ @ @ unacceptable.
” Authorities are also offering a $ 5,000 reward for information leading to the @ @ @ @ @ wanted for the burglary .
It was not immediately clear if McIntosh and Lloyd had @ @ @ @ @ behalf .

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Two men have been accused of being part of a group that stole 35 guns from a gun shop in Delaware.
Nahsiem McIntosh, 21, and Derris Lloyd, 35, were indicted on gun charges by a federal grand jury Tuesday, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware.
Both men allegedly participated in a burglary at American Sportsman, a federal firearms dealer in Newark, in May. Federal authorities said they were in possession of those guns last month.
“One unaccounted firearm in our community is too many,” the release said. “35 guns on the street is unacceptable.”
Authorities are also offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of three other people wanted for the burglary.
It was not immediately clear if McIntosh and Lloyd had lawyers to comment on their behalf.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Man accused of driving plow truck into ex-wife's home, cars

LANCASTER , N.H ( AP ) - A man is accused of driving a plow truck into his ex-wife ’ s mobile home and two cars following a fight over yard work , prosecutors in New Hampshire said .
Coos County prosecutors said George Bell , 71 , and his ex-wife have been divorced for 15 years , but were living together , WMUR-TV reported .
Investigators said Bell was asked to leave after the two started to fight Tuesday night , and then he allegedly drove the truck into the cars and porch .
Police said Bell told them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Ms .
Bell told police and our office that this incident terrified her and that after she fell , she crawled back under her deck and back into her residence , ” prosecutor Jessica Cain said .
A judge ordered that Bell be held without bail .
His lawyer , Simon Mayo , said the request for no bail was not supported , citing a slim criminal record .
Bell ’ s most recent charge was 16 years ago .
Mayo said a person being scared was not a valid reason to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new bail hearing .

LANCASTER, N.H (AP) - A man is accused of driving a plow truck into his ex-wife’s mobile home and two cars following a fight over yard work, prosecutors in New Hampshire said.
Coos County prosecutors said George Bell, 71, and his ex-wife have been divorced for 15 years, but were living together, WMUR-TV reported. Investigators said Bell was asked to leave after the two started to fight Tuesday night, and then he allegedly drove the truck into the cars and porch.
Police said Bell told them he was drunk at the time.
“Ms. Bell told police and our office that this incident terrified her and that after she fell, she crawled back under her deck and back into her residence,” prosecutor Jessica Cain said.
A judge ordered that Bell be held without bail. His lawyer, Simon Mayo, said the request for no bail was not supported, citing a slim criminal record. Bell’s most recent charge was 16 years ago. Mayo said a person being scared was not a valid reason to hold someone. He asked for a new bail hearing.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Body of man suspected of killing 2 women found in water

TACOMA , Wash. ( AP ) - The body of a man believed to have shot to death two women Tacoma was found in the water near Vashon Island , police said .
Erik Larson , who lived with the women is suspected of killing Meghan Re , 34 , and Jonna Hart , 31 , The News Tribune reported .
Both women died of gunshot wounds to the head , according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner ’ s Office .
A roommate called 911 about 4 a.m. Sunday and said he came home and found Re and Hart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were pronounced dead at the scene .
Detectives began looking for Larson since he lived in the home and his whereabouts were unknown .
About 1 p.m. Sunday , the King County Sheriff ’ s Office notified police that a man ’ s body was found in the water off Vashon Island .
That man has been identified as Larson , according to police .
Tacoma officers also found a Jeep registered to Hart parked near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge .
Although police say Larson is suspected in the homicides , they @ @ @ @ @ @

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - The body of a man believed to have shot to death two women Tacoma was found in the water near Vashon Island, police said.
Erik Larson, who lived with the women is suspected of killing Meghan Re, 34, and Jonna Hart, 31, The News Tribune reported.
Both women died of gunshot wounds to the head, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
A roommate called 911 about 4 a.m. Sunday and said he came home and found Re and Hart unresponsive. He started CPR, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives began looking for Larson since he lived in the home and his whereabouts were unknown. About 1 p.m. Sunday, the King County Sheriff’s Office notified police that a man’s body was found in the water off Vashon Island.
That man has been identified as Larson, according to police. Tacoma officers also found a Jeep registered to Hart parked near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Although police say Larson is suspected in the homicides, they have not released a motive.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Greece: Forest fire leads to evacuation of children's camp

ATHENS , Greece ( AP ) - Hundreds of children were being evacuated from a summer camp in Greece as @ @ @ @ @ fire broke out near Corinth and strong winds fanned the blaze .
The fire department @ @ @ @ @ , two water-dropping planes and one helicopter were sent to tackle the fire near Corinth @ @ @ @ @ .
Strong winds were blowing in the area , hampering efforts to extinguish the blaze @ @ @ @ @ camp with around 400 children was being evacuated .
Wildfires fires are common in Greece @ @ @ @ @ hot , dry summers .
In 2018 , more than 100 people died when a @ @ @ @ @ the seaside settlement of Mati , northeast of the Greek capital , Athens .

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Hundreds of children were being evacuated from a summer camp in Greece as a precaution after a forest fire broke out near Corinth and strong winds fanned the blaze.
The fire department said more than 80 firefighters, two water-dropping planes and one helicopter were sent to tackle the fire near Corinth in south-central Greece on Thursday.
Strong winds were blowing in the area, hampering efforts to extinguish the blaze.
Authorities said the summer camp with around 400 children was being evacuated.
Wildfires fires are common in Greece during the country’s hot, dry summers. In 2018, more than 100 people died when a fast-moving forest fire swept through the seaside settlement of Mati, northeast of the Greek capital, Athens.
The fire department said it would be carrying out patrols by aircraft on Friday as well as joint ground patrols with the policyeand army in areas where the fire risk was elevated due to weather conditions. The areas include the wider Athens region, other parts of mainland Greece and several Greek islands.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Petition filed to recall Madison's mayor, unrest cited

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) - A petition has been filed to recall Madison ’ s mayor by a resident who says she didn ’ t do enough to protect the city during recent civil unrest .
Jon Rygiewicz and his group have 60 days to collect at least 36,203 signatures before the petition to recall Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway can move forward .
Rygiewicz , 38 , told the State Journa l Rhodes-Conway should be removed from office in part because she did not keep the city safe when demonstrators tore down statues , punched state Sen. Tim Carpenter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City-County Building on June 23 .
State law requires recall petitions to have the signatures of at least 25 % of the total votes cast during the last gubernatorial election .
A recall petition doesn ’ t automatically remove an elected official from office , but it gives voters the opportunity to require the official to run again before the end of his or her term .
Rhodes-Conway said in a statement , “ I am focused every minute on doing the job that the people of Madison elected me to do and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a small group of people who want to divide this community .
”

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A petition has been filed to recall Madison’s mayor by a resident who says she didn’t do enough to protect the city during recent civil unrest.
Jon Rygiewicz and his group have 60 days to collect at least 36,203 signatures before the petition to recall Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway can move forward.
Rygiewicz, 38, told the State Journa l Rhodes-Conway should be removed from office in part because she did not keep the city safe when demonstrators tore down statues, punched state Sen. Tim Carpenter and threw a Molotov cocktail into the City-County Building on June 23.
State law requires recall petitions to have the signatures of at least 25% of the total votes cast during the last gubernatorial election.
A recall petition doesn’t automatically remove an elected official from office, but it gives voters the opportunity to require the official to run again before the end of his or her term.
Rhodes-Conway said in a statement, “I am focused every minute on doing the job that the people of Madison elected me to do and I am not going to be distracted by a small group of people who want to divide this community.”


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Conservation study shows lemurs, whales nearing extinction

GENEVA ( AP ) - Nearly all of Madagascar ’ s much-loved lemurs are under threat , and almost one-third are just one step away from extinction , largely due to deforestation and hunting on the giant island off eastern Africa , conservationists said Thursday .
The International Union for Conservation of Nature , updating its “ red list ” of threatened species , said the lemurs are increasingly imperiled - a key finding in a broad warning about the impacts of human activity on fauna and flora across the globe .
The Swiss-based conservancy also warns that North Atlantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only are they increasingly ensnared in fishing gear but they ’ re colliding more with ships , possibly a result of climate change that drives their migratory patterns northward into shipping lanes .
The “ red list ” highlights the plight of some 6,000 species that are in the most danger , but also notes that of the 120,000 species of plants , animals and fungi assessed , more than a quarter are threatened with extinction .
“ It just helps underline the fact that we are moving into a sixth extinction era @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities , ” said Craig Hilton-Taylor , the head of the IUCN red list in a video interview from Cambridge , England .
He cited human impacts like the introduction of species to places where they don ’ t belong ; the overuse of species ; clearing of forests to make way for agriculture ; urbanization ; pollution ; “ and of course , climate change.
” The red list breaks down threatened species into vulnerable , endangered and critically endangered categories , the last involving those closest to extinction .
Some 33 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live only in Madagascar , are critically endangered - and 98 percent are threatened .
“ We now have less than 10 percent of the original forest in Madagascar left .
So naturally , this has a huge impact on species that are dependent on those forests , like lemurs , ” Hilton-Taylor said , alluding to “ slash and burn ” agriculture there .
He said more lemur species are being hunted for their meat , too .
He recommended efforts to help improve farmers ’ livelihoods so they can avoid forest-depleting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 250 mature North Atlantic Right Whales were believed to be alive in 2018 , marking a 15-percent drop since 2011 .
Nearly all of the 30 confirmed human-caused deaths or serious injuries to the whales between 2012 and 2016 were due to entanglement .
Hilton-Taylor said the whales ’ reproduction rates are falling , and cited a theory that warming sea temperatures could be driving the whales northward into the shipping lanes of the Gulf of St Lawrence in the northern hemisphere summer .
He said the Canadian and U.S. governments have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as by warning ships when the creatures are present in the area and devising fishing systems that run a lower risk of entanglement .
Overall , Hilton-Taylor said , the report suggested the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated a pause from the usually frenetic economic and human activity that impacts wildlife .
“ We need to take a hard , long , hard look at ourselves , ” he said , saying species can be saved .
“ This is our opportunity to really transform society .
”

GENEVA (AP) - Nearly all of Madagascar’s much-loved lemurs are under threat, and almost one-third are just one step away from extinction, largely due to deforestation and hunting on the giant island off eastern Africa, conservationists said Thursday.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature, updating its “red list” of threatened species, said the lemurs are increasingly imperiled - a key finding in a broad warning about the impacts of human activity on fauna and flora across the globe.
The Swiss-based conservancy also warns that North Atlantic Right Whales are nearing extinction: Not only are they increasingly ensnared in fishing gear but they’re colliding more with ships, possibly a result of climate change that drives their migratory patterns northward into shipping lanes.
The “red list” highlights the plight of some 6,000 species that are in the most danger, but also notes that of the 120,000 species of plants, animals and fungi assessed, more than a quarter are threatened with extinction.
“It just helps underline the fact that we are moving into a sixth extinction era. It is all due to human activities,” said Craig Hilton-Taylor, the head of the IUCN red list in a video interview from Cambridge, England. He cited human impacts like the introduction of species to places where they don’t belong; the overuse of species; clearing of forests to make way for agriculture; urbanization; pollution; “and of course, climate change.”
The red list breaks down threatened species into vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered categories, the last involving those closest to extinction. Some 33 of the species of lemurs, which live only in Madagascar, are critically endangered - and 98 percent are threatened.
“We now have less than 10 percent of the original forest in Madagascar left. So naturally, this has a huge impact on species that are dependent on those forests, like lemurs,” Hilton-Taylor said, alluding to “slash and burn” agriculture there. He said more lemur species are being hunted for their meat, too.
He recommended efforts to help improve farmers’ livelihoods so they can avoid forest-depleting agricultural techniques.
IUCN also said fewer than 250 mature North Atlantic Right Whales were believed to be alive in 2018, marking a 15-percent drop since 2011. Nearly all of the 30 confirmed human-caused deaths or serious injuries to the whales between 2012 and 2016 were due to entanglement.
Hilton-Taylor said the whales’ reproduction rates are falling, and cited a theory that warming sea temperatures could be driving the whales northward into the shipping lanes of the Gulf of St Lawrence in the northern hemisphere summer.
He said the Canadian and U.S. governments have presented recovery plans for the whales, such as by warning ships when the creatures are present in the area and devising fishing systems that run a lower risk of entanglement.
Overall, Hilton-Taylor said, the report suggested the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated a pause from the usually frenetic economic and human activity that impacts wildlife.
“We need to take a hard, long, hard look at ourselves,” he said, saying species can be saved. “This is our opportunity to really transform society.”
___ Brooks reported from London.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Asian American girls saw pivotal icon in 'Baby-Sitters Club'

Author Ann M. Martin had no master plan when she decided to make one of the core members of “ The Baby-Sitters Club ” a Japanese American girl named Claudia .
Claudia Kishi happened to be everything the “ model minority ” stereotype wasn ’ t .
She got bad grades .
She thrived in art and fashion .
She wasn ’ t struggling to belong .
For those reasons and more , Asian American girls in the ‘ 80s and ’ 90s idolized Claudia and felt seen in teen fiction .
Some of those now grown fans concede the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a new Netflix adaptation is bringing Claudia ( and her pals ) into the modern age .
In addition the series that ’ s available now , the streaming service on Friday is releasing “ The Claudia Kishi Club ” documentary .
It ’ s filmmaker Sue Ding ’ s love letter to Claudia-philes .
“ I want the vibe of the film to be you ’ re at a ‘ Baby-Sitters Club ’ sleepover with your closest friends and you ’ re reminiscing , ” Ding said .
In the short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writers and illustrators effuse about how influential the character was for that time .
“ For some , their parents were actively not supportive of them pursuing more artistic career choices , ” Ding said .
“ Even for those whose families were supportive , they didn ’ t necessarily see people like themselves working in media as directors or painters.
” Among those she interviewed was Naia Cucukov , one of “ The Baby-Sitters Club ” series producers .
She remembers Claudia ’ s “ aura of cool ” jumping off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kid growing up having only seen depictions of nerds , geishas , the villain , having that extra layer of someone who could be aspirational was incredible , ” Cucukov said .
Another documentary participant , Sarah Kuhn , whose fourth novel in her “ Heroine Complex ” sci-fi series came out Tuesday , called Claudia “ this connective tissue between a lot of Asian girls.
” “ Just when you mention her name on Twitter , it summons an entire generation , ” Kuhn said .
“ It speaks to her lasting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ print worldwide , “ The Baby-Sitters Club ” books were a juggernaut during their 1986-2000 run .
They follow Claudia , Kristy , Mary Anne , Stacey and Dawn and their babysitting adventures in the fictional suburb of Stoneybrook , Connecticut .
The books are often credited with showcasing teenage girls as entrepreneurs .
Martin , who wasn ’ t available for interviews , was not trying to make a statement about Claudia ’ s ethnicity , said David Levithan , an editorial director and publisher at Scholastic who ’ s worked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character on a Japanese American friend from elementary school .
In present day , Levithan thinks authors writing a protagonist of a different ethnicity would have “ to be doing it for a reason , to have a connection to it and make sure they got it right.
” It may seem odd that a white female author created an Asian American icon , but the ‘ 80s weren ’ t exactly conducive to Asian American writers .
Sarah Park Dahlen , an associate professor of library and information science at St. Catherine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a “ BSC ” fan , said Claudia is only one of two Asian American characters she can cite from her own childhood reading .
A combination of little encouragement from Asian American parents and the publishing industry contributed to that , Dahlen believes .
After decades of pushing for more diverse voices in children ’ s books , school libraries started receiving federal funding in the ‘ 60s and ’ 70s to help expand reading choices .
But then came a “ conservative backlash ” against multiculturalism , which led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ It was a combination of those things that caused this desert of diverse books in the 1980s and a little bit through the 1990s as well , ” she said .
Marie Myung-Ok Lee , founder of the Asian American Writers ’ Workshop , recalls the difficulties of getting her first young adult novel , “ Finding My Voice , ” sold in the early ‘ 90s even with the support of popular author Judy Blume .
One publisher rejected the book , about a Korean American teen in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a book about Cambodia last year , ’ ” Lee said .
Today , there are a lot more Asian Americans populating young adult fiction .
But Lee , who also teaches at Columbia University , said various studies indicate publishers doing the buying “ don ’ t seem like they ’ re getting much more diverse.
” Kuhn , the “ Heroine Complex ” author , is optimistic that female editors of color rising in the ranks will change that .
They are more likely to think broader .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authors get is someone saying ‘ I just couldn ’ t connect to it , ’ ” Kuhn said .
“ What always blows my mind about that is all of us have spent our entire lives connecting with characters who do not look like us.
” With the increased national dialogue surrounding white privilege , adult Asian American “ BSC ” readers acknowledge the books are lacking in some areas .
Claudia talks little about being Asian in an upscale , white community and probably wouldn ’ t know the term “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out some elements like a poignant scene where Claudia , played by Momona Tamada , learns her grandmother was an internment camp survivor .
In a nod to the character ’ s newfound cultural awareness , Cucukov had Tamada wear a T-shirt from “ Angry Asian Man ” blogger and activist Phil Yu - who also appears in the documentary .
Designed by artist Irene Koh , it says “ Stay Angry.
” “ Claudia is going to go through that journey and is going to learn about activism , ” Cucukov said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a season two , we ’ ve got much more growth for Claudia.
” ___ Tang reported from Phoenix and is a member of The Associated Press Race and Ethnicity team .
Follow her on Twitter at https : //twitter.com/ttangAP

Author Ann M. Martin had no master plan when she decided to make one of the core members of “The Baby-Sitters Club” a Japanese American girl named Claudia.
Claudia Kishi happened to be everything the “model minority” stereotype wasn’t. She got bad grades. She thrived in art and fashion. She wasn’t struggling to belong. For those reasons and more, Asian American girls in the ‘80s and ’90s idolized Claudia and felt seen in teen fiction. Some of those now grown fans concede the books fall short dealing with race, but a new Netflix adaptation is bringing Claudia (and her pals) into the modern age.
In addition to the series that’s available now, the streaming service on Friday is releasing “The Claudia Kishi Club” documentary. It’s filmmaker Sue Ding’s love letter to Claudia-philes.
“I want the vibe of the film to be you’re at a ‘Baby-Sitters Club’ sleepover with your closest friends and you’re reminiscing,” Ding said.
In the short documentary, a handful of Asian American writers and illustrators effuse about how influential the character was for that time.
“For some, their parents were actively not supportive of them pursuing more artistic career choices,” Ding said. “Even for those whose families were supportive, they didn’t necessarily see people like themselves working in media as directors or painters.”
Among those she interviewed was Naia Cucukov, one of “The Baby-Sitters Club” series producers. She remembers Claudia’s “aura of cool” jumping off the page.
“As an Asian American kid growing up having only seen depictions of nerds, geishas, the villain, having that extra layer of someone who could be aspirational was incredible,” Cucukov said.
Another documentary participant, Sarah Kuhn, whose fourth novel in her “Heroine Complex” sci-fi series came out Tuesday, called Claudia “this connective tissue between a lot of Asian girls.”
“Just when you mention her name on Twitter, it summons an entire generation,” Kuhn said. “It speaks to her lasting contribution.”
With 180 million copies in print worldwide, “The Baby-Sitters Club” books were a juggernaut during their 1986-2000 run. They follow Claudia, Kristy, Mary Anne, Stacey and Dawn and their babysitting adventures in the fictional suburb of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. The books are often credited with showcasing teenage girls as entrepreneurs.
Martin, who wasn’t available for interviews, was not trying to make a statement about Claudia’s ethnicity, said David Levithan, an editorial director and publisher at Scholastic who’s worked with Martin since 1992. She based the character on a Japanese American friend from elementary school. In present day, Levithan thinks authors writing a protagonist of a different ethnicity would have “to be doing it for a reason, to have a connection to it and make sure they got it right.”
It may seem odd that a white female author created an Asian American icon, but the ‘80s weren’t exactly conducive to Asian American writers.
Sarah Park Dahlen, an associate professor of library and information science at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a “BSC” fan, said Claudia is only one of two Asian American characters she can cite from her own childhood reading.
A combination of little encouragement from Asian American parents and the publishing industry contributed to that, Dahlen believes. After decades of pushing for more diverse voices in children’s books, school libraries started receiving federal funding in the ‘60s and ’70s to help expand reading choices. But then came a “conservative backlash” against multiculturalism, which led to skittish publishers and dried-up funds, Dahlen said.
“It was a combination of those things that caused this desert of diverse books in the 1980s and a little bit through the 1990s as well,” she said.
Marie Myung-Ok Lee, founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, recalls the difficulties of getting her first young adult novel, “Finding My Voice,” sold in the early ‘90s even with the support of popular author Judy Blume. One publisher rejected the book, about a Korean American teen in an all-white town, because “’We had a book about Cambodia last year,’” Lee said.
Today, there are a lot more Asian Americans populating young adult fiction. But Lee, who also teaches at Columbia University, said various studies indicate publishers doing the buying “don’t seem like they’re getting much more diverse.”
Kuhn, the “Heroine Complex” author, is optimistic that female editors of color rising in the ranks will change that. They are more likely to think broader.
“The story of rejection a lot of marginalized authors get is someone saying ‘I just couldn’t connect to it,’” Kuhn said. “What always blows my mind about that is all of us have spent our entire lives connecting with characters who do not look like us.”
With the increased national dialogue surrounding white privilege, adult Asian American “BSC” readers acknowledge the books are lacking in some areas. Claudia talks little about being Asian in an upscale, white community and probably wouldn’t know the term “micro aggression.”
The TV version fleshes out some elements like a poignant scene where Claudia, played by Momona Tamada, learns her grandmother was an internment camp survivor. In a nod to the character’s newfound cultural awareness, Cucukov had Tamada wear a T-shirt from “Angry Asian Man” blogger and activist Phil Yu - who also appears in the documentary. Designed by artist Irene Koh, it says “Stay Angry.”
“Claudia is going to go through that journey and is going to learn about activism,” Cucukov said. “God willing, if we get a season two, we’ve got much more growth for Claudia.”
___ Tang reported from Phoenix and is a member of The Associated Press Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ttangAP


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Teen riding in cart pulled by bike dies days after crash

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. ( AP ) - A Florida teenager has died more than a week after he @ @ @ @ @ while riding in a shopping cart that was being pulled by a bicycle , sheriff @ @ @ @ @ The crash occurred June 30 a few blocks from Shamal Alezie ’ s home in @ @ @ @ @ died Saturday at St. Mary ’ s Hospital , the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ , 17 , was riding in a cart attached by a plastic grocery bag to @ @ @ @ @ 16-year-old boy , the Palm Beach Post reported .
Alvardo Nathan Bauld , 28 , @ @ @ @ @ as it crossed the road , a sheriff ’ s report said .
The impact @ @ @ @ @ bike and sent Alezie onto the vehicle ’ s hood and windshield .
Neither Bauld @ @ @ @ @ bike were injured , officials said .
The report said the 16-year-old was dressed in @ @ @ @ @ no lights .

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A Florida teenager has died more than a week after he was hit by a car while riding in a shopping cart that was being pulled by a bicycle, sheriff’s officials said.
The crash occurred June 30 a few blocks from Shamal Alezie’s home in West Palm Beach. He died Saturday at St. Mary’s Hospital, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
Alezie, 17, was riding in a cart attached by a plastic grocery bag to a bicycle pedaled by a 16-year-old boy, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Alvardo Nathan Bauld, 28, hit the bike and cart as it crossed the road, a sheriff’s report said. The impact separated the cart from the bike and sent Alezie onto the vehicle’s hood and windshield.
Neither Bauld nor the teen on the bike were injured, officials said.
The report said the 16-year-old was dressed in black and his bike had no lights.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--Utah rally draws supporters, opponents of 'Dixie' nickname

ST. GEORGE , Utah ( AP ) - Residents of a Utah city that has adopted a nickname with ties to the Confederacy held a rally Thursday to support the name .
A crowd of several hundred people gathered in St. George , with most defending the use of “ Dixie ” as the community ’ s unofficial second name , The Spectrum reports .
The city in Utah ’ s southwest corner has a street called Dixie Drive and is home to Dixie State University , Dixie Technical College and Dixie Regional Medical Center .
Protests and a movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast a spotlight on lingering connections to the Confederacy in some parts of the country .
St. George Mayor Jon Pike spoke at the gathering outside St. George city hall , saying there were no plans to make changes or remove the “ Dixie ” scrawled in white across the prominent “ Sugarloaf ” rock among the city ’ s red cliffs .
“ The city is really going to have little to do with renaming anything , ” Pike said .
The crowd included supporters and opponents of the Dixie moniker .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ouster , while others said he had not sufficiently defended the name .
The city does not have direct influence over renaming properties such as the medical center , university or businesses that make decisions about their names , Pike said .
The Washington County/St .
George Interlocal Agency changed the name of the Dixie Convention Center to Greater Zion Convention Center last month , only to change it back for at least six months following community backlash .

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) - Residents of a Utah city that has adopted a nickname with ties to the Confederacy held a rally Thursday to support the name.
A crowd of several hundred people gathered in St. George, with most defending the use of “Dixie” as the community’s unofficial second name, The Spectrum reports.
The city in Utah’s southwest corner has a street called Dixie Drive and is home to Dixie State University, Dixie Technical College and Dixie Regional Medical Center.
Protests and a movement to rename and remove monuments nationwide have cast a spotlight on lingering connections to the Confederacy in some parts of the country.
St. George Mayor Jon Pike spoke at the gathering outside St. George city hall, saying there were no plans to make changes or remove the “Dixie” scrawled in white across the prominent “Sugarloaf” rock among the city’s red cliffs.
“The city is really going to have little to do with renaming anything,” Pike said.
The crowd included supporters and opponents of the Dixie moniker. Some carried signs calling for Pike’s ouster, while others said he had not sufficiently defended the name.
The city does not have direct influence over renaming properties such as the medical center, university or businesses that make decisions about their names, Pike said.
The Washington County/St. George Interlocal Agency changed the name of the Dixie Convention Center to Greater Zion Convention Center last month, only to change it back for at least six months following community backlash.


washingtontimes--2020-07-09--AP PHOTOS: AP Week in Pictures, Asia

AP PHOTOS: AP Week in Pictures, Asia

This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Asia and @ @ @ @ @ curated by AP photo editor Masayo Yoshida in Tokyo .

July 3-9, 2020
This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Asia and Pacific.
The gallery was curated by AP photo editor Masayo Yoshida in Tokyo.
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