washingtontimes--2020-10-18--UN arms embargoes on Iran expire despite US objections

TEHRAN , Iran ( AP ) - A decade-long U.N. arms embargo on Iran that barred it from purchasing foreign weapons like tanks and fighter jets expired Sunday as planned under its nuclear deal with world powers , despite objections from the United States , which insists the ban remains in place .
While Iran says it plans no “ buying spree , ” it can now in theory purchase weapons to upgrade military armaments dating back to before its 1979 Islamic Revolution and sell its own locally produced gear abroad .
In practice , however , Iran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and other nations may avoid arms deals with Tehran for fear of American financial retaliation .
The Trump administration has warned that any sales of weapons to Iran or exports from Iran will be penalized .
The Islamic Republic heralded the end of the arms embargo as “ a momentous day for the international community … in defiance of the U.S. regime ’ s effort.
” The Trump administration , meanwhile , says the expiration is moot since it reimposed all U.N. sanctions on Iran , including the arms embargo , via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdrew from in 2018 , a claim ignored by the rest of the world .
“ Today ’ s normalization of Iran ’ s defense cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region , ” Iran ’ s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flatly rejected the expiration .
“ The United States is prepared to use its domestic authorities to sanction any individual or entity that materially contributes to the supply , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to or from Iran , as well as those wto ho provide technical training , financial support and services , and other assistance related to these arms , ” he said in a statement .
“ For the past 10 years , countries have refrained from selling weapons to Iran under various U.N. measures , ” Pompeo said .
“ Any country that now challenges this prohibition will be very clearly choosing to fuel conflict and tension over promoting peace and security.
” Russia ’ s deputy U.N. ambassador , Dmitry Polyansky , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. to help Middle East peace by not provoking Iran .
“ And please change words ‘ sanctions ’ and ‘ punishment ’ in your vocabulary to ‘ dialogue ’ and ‘ engagement ’ .
That would help a lot !
Make US respected again !
” , he added .
Sunday ’ s expiration of the arms embargo was , in fact , the proximate cause for the U.S. decision last month to move forward with the so-called “ snapback ” of international sanctions in Iran .
The Americans tried unsuccessfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extend the embargo but suffered a humiliating defeat when only one country on the 15-member panel supported it .
In response , the administration announced that it had invoked “ snapback ” - a mechanism provided for in the Security Council resolution that enshrined the nuclear deal that allows any participant in the accord to restore U.N. sanctions if they determine Iran is not complying with its terms .
The rest of the council , however , rejected U.S. standing to trigger snapback , saying it had lost its right to do so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The United Nations banned Iran from buying major foreign weapon systems in 2010 amid tensions over its nuclear program .
An earlier embargo targeted Iranian arms exports .
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency predicted in 2019 that if the embargo ended , Iran likely would try to purchase Russian Su-30 fighter jets , Yak-130 trainer aircraft and T-90 tanks .
Tehran also may try to buy Russia ’ s S-400 anti-aircraft missile system and its Bastian coastal defense missile system , the DIA said .
China also could sell Iran arms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates , which have purchased billions of dollars of advanced American weaponry .
In response , Tehran turned toward developing locally made ballistic missiles .
Iran has blasted Gulf Arab purchases of U.S.-made defense equipment as “ regrettably lucrative weapon deals ” with some of those arms used in the ongoing war in Yemen .
That conflict pits a Saudi-led coalition backing the country ’ s internationally recognized government against rebel forces backed by Iran .
The U.N. arms embargoes , however , did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from assault rifles to ballistic missiles to Yemen ’ s Houthi rebels .
While Tehran denies arming the Houthis , Western governments and weapons experts repeatedly have linked Iranian arms to the rebels .
Six Gulf Arab nations that backed the extension of the arms embargoes noted arms shipments to Yemen in their objection to the resumption of any weapon sales to Iran .
They also mentioned in a letter to the U.N. Security Council that Iran mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane in January and its navy accidentally killed 19 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during an exercise .
The U.N. also linked Iran to a 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia ’ s main crude oil refinery , though Tehran denies any links and Yemen ’ s rebel Houthis claimed responsibility .
Sunday also marked the end of U.N. travel bans on a number of Iranian military and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard members .
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. reached fever pitch at the start of the year , when an American drone killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad .
Tehran retaliated with a ballistic missile attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens .
Meanwhile , Iran has steadily broken limits of the nuclear deal in an attempt to pressure Europe at salvaging the accord .
In recent months , provocations on both sides have slowed as President Donald Trump faces a re-election campaign against former Vice President Joe Biden .
Biden has said he ’ s willing to offer Iran “ a credible path back to diplomacy ” if Tehran returns to “ strict compliance ” with the deal .
Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , and Matthew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A decade-long U.N. arms embargo on Iran that barred it from purchasing foreign weapons like tanks and fighter jets expired Sunday as planned under its nuclear deal with world powers, despite objections from the United States, which insists the ban remains in place.
While Iran says it plans no “buying spree,” it can now in theory purchase weapons to upgrade military armaments dating back to before its 1979 Islamic Revolution and sell its own locally produced gear abroad.
In practice, however, Iran’s economy remains crippled by broad-reaching U.S. sanctions, and other nations may avoid arms deals with Tehran for fear of American financial retaliation. The Trump administration has warned that any sales of weapons to Iran or exports from Iran will be penalized.
The Islamic Republic heralded the end of the arms embargo as “a momentous day for the international community … in defiance of the U.S. regime’s effort.” The Trump administration, meanwhile, says the expiration is moot since it reimposed all U.N. sanctions on Iran, including the arms embargo, via a clause in the nuclear deal Trump withdrew from in 2018, a claim ignored by the rest of the world.
“Today’s normalization of Iran’s defense cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flatly rejected the expiration.
“The United States is prepared to use its domestic authorities to sanction any individual or entity that materially contributes to the supply, sale, or transfer of conventional arms to or from Iran, as well as those wto ho provide technical training, financial support and services, and other assistance related to these arms,” he said in a statement.
“For the past 10 years, countries have refrained from selling weapons to Iran under various U.N. measures,” Pompeo said. “Any country that now challenges this prohibition will be very clearly choosing to fuel conflict and tension over promoting peace and security.”
Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, responded to Pompeo with a tweet urging the U.S. to help Middle East peace by not provoking Iran. “And please change words ‘sanctions’ and ‘punishment’ in your vocabulary to ‘dialogue’ and ‘engagement’. That would help a lot! Make US respected again!”, he added.
Sunday’s expiration of the arms embargo was, in fact, the proximate cause for the U.S. decision last month to move forward with the so-called “snapback” of international sanctions in Iran. The Americans tried unsuccessfully to get the U.N. Security Council to extend the embargo but suffered a humiliating defeat when only one country on the 15-member panel supported it.
In response, the administration announced that it had invoked “snapback” - a mechanism provided for in the Security Council resolution that enshrined the nuclear deal that allows any participant in the accord to restore U.N. sanctions if they determine Iran is not complying with its terms. The rest of the council, however, rejected U.S. standing to trigger snapback, saying it had lost its right to do so when Trump pulled our of the deal.
The United Nations banned Iran from buying major foreign weapon systems in 2010 amid tensions over its nuclear program. An earlier embargo targeted Iranian arms exports.
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency predicted in 2019 that if the embargo ended, Iran likely would try to purchase Russian Su-30 fighter jets, Yak-130 trainer aircraft and T-90 tanks. Tehran also may try to buy Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft missile system and its Bastian coastal defense missile system, the DIA said. China also could sell Iran arms.
Iran long has been outmatched by U.S.-backed Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have purchased billions of dollars of advanced American weaponry. In response, Tehran turned toward developing locally made ballistic missiles.
Iran has blasted Gulf Arab purchases of U.S.-made defense equipment as “regrettably lucrative weapon deals” with some of those arms used in the ongoing war in Yemen. That conflict pits a Saudi-led coalition backing the country’s internationally recognized government against rebel forces backed by Iran.
The U.N. arms embargoes, however, did not stop Iran from sending weapons ranging from assault rifles to ballistic missiles to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. While Tehran denies arming the Houthis, Western governments and weapons experts repeatedly have linked Iranian arms to the rebels.
Six Gulf Arab nations that backed the extension of the arms embargoes noted arms shipments to Yemen in their objection to the resumption of any weapon sales to Iran. They also mentioned in a letter to the U.N. Security Council that Iran mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane in January and its navy accidentally killed 19 of its own sailors in a missile strike during an exercise. The U.N. also linked Iran to a 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia’s main crude oil refinery, though Tehran denies any links and Yemen’s rebel Houthis claimed responsibility.
Sunday also marked the end of U.N. travel bans on a number of Iranian military and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard members.
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. reached fever pitch at the start of the year, when an American drone killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. Tehran retaliated with a ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces in Iraq that injured dozens. Meanwhile, Iran has steadily broken limits of the nuclear deal in an attempt to pressure Europe at salvaging the accord.
In recent months, provocations on both sides have slowed as President Donald Trump faces a re-election campaign against former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden has said he’s willing to offer Iran “a credible path back to diplomacy” if Tehran returns to “strict compliance” with the deal.
___
Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--China's economy accelerates as virus recovery gains strength

BEIJING ( AP ) - China ’ s economic growth accelerated to 4.9 % over a year earlier in the @ @ @ @ @ recovery from the coronavirus pandemic gathered strength .
China , where the outbreak began in @ @ @ @ @ major economy to return to growth with a 3.2 % expansion in the quarter ending @ @ @ @ @ 6.8 % in the year ’ s first quarter .
The ruling Communist Party began @ @ @ @ @ factories , shops and offices in March after declaring the virus under control but has @ @ @ @ @ controls in place .
China has reported 4,634 coronavirus deaths and 85,685 confirmed cases , @ @ @ @ @ cases .

BEIJING (AP) — China’s shaky economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is gaining strength as consumers return to shopping malls and auto dealerships while the United States and Europe endure painful contractions.
Growth in the world’s second-largest economy accelerated to 4.9% over a year earlier in the three months ending in September, up from the previous quarter’s 3.2%, official data showed Monday. Retail spending rebounded to above pre-virus levels for the first time and factory output rose, boosted by demand for exports of masks and other medical supplies.
China is the only major economy that is expected to grow this year while activity in the United States, Europe and Japan shrinks.
The recovery is “broadening out and becoming less reliant” on government stimulus, Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a report. He said growth is “still accelerating” heading into the present quarter.
Most Asian stock markets rose on the news of increased activity in China, the biggest trading partner for all of its neighbors. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added 1.1% while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 0.9%. Markets in South Korea and Australia also rose.
China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.7% on expectations the relatively strong data will reduce the likelihood of additional stimulus that might boost share prices.
China, where the pandemic began in December, became the first major economy to return to growth after the ruling Communist Party declared the disease under control in March and began reopening factories, shops and offices.
The economy contracted by 6.8% in the first quarter, its worst performance since at least the mid-1960s, before rebounding.
The economy “continued the steady recovery,” the National Bureau of Statistics said in a report. However, it warned, “the international environment is still complicated and severe.” It said China faces great pressure to prevent a resurgence of the virus.
Authorities have lifted curbs on travel and business but visitors to government and other public buildings still are checked for the virus’s telltale fever. Travelers arriving from abroad must be quarantined for two weeks.
Last week, more than 10 million people were tested for the virus in the eastern port of Qingdao after 12 cases were found there. That broke a two-month streak with no virus transmissions reported within China.
Industrial production rose 5.8% over the same quarter last year, a marked improvement over the first half’s 1.3% contraction. Chinese exporters are taking market share from foreign competitors that still are hampered by anti-virus controls.
Retail sales rose 0.9% over a year earlier. That was up from a 7.2% contraction in the first half as consumers, already anxious about a slowing economy and a tariff war with Washington, put off buying. Online commerce rose 15.3%.
In a sign demand is accelerating, sales in September rose 3.3%.
“China’s recovery in private consumption is gathering momentum,” said Stephen Innes of AxiCorp in a report.
China has reported 4,634 coronavirus deaths and 85,685 confirmed cases, plus three suspected cases.
Economists say China is likely to recover faster than other major economies due to the ruling party’s decision to impose the most intensive anti-disease measures in history. Those temporarily cut off most access to cities with a total of 60 million people.
The International Monetary Fund is forecasting China’s economic growth at 1.8% this year while the U.S. economy is expected to shrink by 4.3%. The IMF expects a 9.8% contraction in France, 6% in Germany and 5.3% in Japan.
Private sector analysts say as much as 30% of China’s urban workforce, or up to 130 million people, may have lost their jobs at least temporarily. They say as many as 25 million jobs might be lost for good this year.
The ruling party promised in May to spend $280 billion on meeting goals including creating 9 million new jobs. But it has avoided joining the United States and Japan in rolling out stimulus packages of $1 trillion or more due to concern about adding to already high Chinese debt.
___
National Bureau of Statistics (in Chinese): www.stats.gov.cn


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--UN hopes meeting will raise $1 billion for key Sahel nations

UNITED NATIONS ( AP ) - The U.N. humanitarian chief is hoping a major ministerial meeting Tuesday will not only raise $ 1 billion for the three countries at the epicenter of a humanitarian crisis in Africa ’ s Sahel region but also spur leaders to address the underlying causes , including increasing conflict and insecurity , weak governance and a lack of development .
Undersecretary-General Mark Lowcock said in an interview with The Associated Press that the troubling situation in Burkina Faso , Mali and Niger is a symptom “ of failure to deal with all of those causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population growth and climate change .
As a result , he said , “ we have a record number of people , more than 13 million , needing humanitarian assistance across the border areas of Burkina Faso , Mali and Niger , and most of them are children.
” The virtual ministerial meeting Tuesday — hosted by Denmark , Germany , the European Union and the United Nations — is aimed at spotlighting one of the world ’ s fastest growing humanitarian crises , so as to increase aid funding and put a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is timely because things are deteriorating at an alarming rate , ” he said .
“ Otherwise problems will compound and there ’ ll be a lot of loss of life.
” According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , which Lowcock heads , the $ 1.4 billion humanitarian appeal for the three countries is only 39 % funded for 2020 .
An estimated 7.4 million people are facing crisis levels of food insecurity during the current lean season , three time more than a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s people who don ’ t know how they will put food on the table for their family that day or the next day , and who have got acute malnutrition problems in the family , ” Lowcock said in Thursday ’ s interview .
Compared to the average of the last five years , acute food insecurity has increased by a staggering 514 % in Burkina Faso , 130 % in Mali and 144 % in Niger , his agency said .
“ What I hope is through this conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll get up to about a billion dollars for 2020 , ” Lowcock said .
“ That will certainly enable us to keep the situation under control and contain the worst difficulties .
The question then is , are we going to sustain that into 2021-2022 ?
” He said the problems of the central Sahel will take time to address and one aim of Tuesday ’ s meeting is to “ get recognition that the wider world needs to engage for the long term in this region ” and that leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs of the people and dealing with the underlying problems.
” Lowcock said governments in the Sahel need to assert control over their territory , noting that “ large areas are now under control of extremist groups.
” But he stressed that this must be done in a way that doesn ’ t compound the problem , saying there are “ too many cases of military intervention being excessively violent , or not protecting people in this region at the moment.
” Lowcock said the Sahel is the only region in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development are getting worse .
He called for more girls to go to school and stay there , a reduction in infant and maternal mortality , and improvements in clean water availability .
Lowcock said there must also be a recognition that traditional livelihoods in the Sahel — subsistence agriculture and nomadic livestock grazing — “ will not support the number of people there will be in the region in the decades ahead , not least because of climate change.
” As an example , he pointed to the evaporation of major environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now a “ shriveled puddle.
” More than 100 countries have moved from largely subsistence-based rural agriculture economies over the past few hundred years to economies developed in relation to cities , so there are models for Sahel countries to use in dealing with these problems , “ but at the moment , they ’ re not being taken up in an effective way , ” he said .
Lowcock said he fears that in Burkina Faso , Mali and Niger as well as three other Sahel countries - Cameroon , Chad and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ a tipping point ” where “ it starts to get dramatically more difficult to deal with the underlying causes.
” “ It ’ s a bit like a snowball rolling down the hill , ” he said , pointing to a twentyfold increase in the number of displaced people between 2018 and 2020 from 70,000 to 1.5 million in Burkina Faso , Mali and Niger while this year has seen the worst floods ever recorded in the region and the highest number of people in need of humanitarian assistance .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of attacks on aid workers this year and extremist groups have expanded their areas of operation .
There must be a recognition that extremist groups have an agenda that “ is inimical to the interests or livelihoods of ordinary people in the places they control , ” he said .
“ These are not problems that can be solved in the short term , but until you face up to them , recognize what you ’ re dealing with , and start talking about what the solutions can be , obviously you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Lowcock said .
“ So you don ’ t get to choose where you have to start the journey , but you do have to take the first steps .
”

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. humanitarian chief is hoping a major ministerial meeting Tuesday will not only raise $1 billion for the three countries at the epicenter of a humanitarian crisis in Africa’s Sahel region but also spur leaders to address the underlying causes, including increasing conflict and insecurity, weak governance and a lack of development.
Undersecretary-General Mark Lowcock said in an interview with The Associated Press that the troubling situation in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is a symptom “of failure to deal with all of those causes of problems” as well as rapid population growth and climate change.
As a result, he said, “we have a record number of people, more than 13 million, needing humanitarian assistance across the border areas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and most of them are children.”
The virtual ministerial meeting Tuesday — hosted by Denmark, Germany, the European Union and the United Nations — is aimed at spotlighting one of the world’s fastest growing humanitarian crises, so as to increase aid funding and put a stronger focus on solutions, Lowcock said.
“This is timely because things are deteriorating at an alarming rate,” he said. “Otherwise problems will compound and there’ll be a lot of loss of life.”
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which Lowcock heads, the $1.4 billion humanitarian appeal for the three countries is only 39% funded for 2020.
An estimated 7.4 million people are facing crisis levels of food insecurity during the current lean season, three time more than a year ago, the agency said.
“That’s people who don’t know how they will put food on the table for their family that day or the next day, and who have got acute malnutrition problems in the family,” Lowcock said in Thursday’s interview.
Compared to the average of the last five years, acute food insecurity has increased by a staggering 514% in Burkina Faso, 130% in Mali and 144% in Niger, his agency said.
“What I hope is through this conference, for these three countries, we’ll get up to about a billion dollars for 2020,” Lowcock said. “That will certainly enable us to keep the situation under control and contain the worst difficulties. The question then is, are we going to sustain that into 2021-2022?”
He said the problems of the central Sahel will take time to address and one aim of Tuesday’s meeting is to “get recognition that the wider world needs to engage for the long term in this region” and that leaders must be focused “on meeting the needs of the people and dealing with the underlying problems.”
Lowcock said governments in the Sahel need to assert control over their territory, noting that “large areas are now under control of extremist groups.” But he stressed that this must be done in a way that doesn’t compound the problem, saying there are “too many cases of military intervention being excessively violent, or not protecting people in this region at the moment.”
Lowcock said the Sahel is the only region in the world where all the U.N. indicators of human development are getting worse.
He called for more girls to go to school and stay there, a reduction in infant and maternal mortality, and improvements in clean water availability.
Lowcock said there must also be a recognition that traditional livelihoods in the Sahel — subsistence agriculture and nomadic livestock grazing — “will not support the number of people there will be in the region in the decades ahead, not least because of climate change.” As an example, he pointed to the evaporation of major environmental assets like Lake Chad, which is now a “shriveled puddle.”
More than 100 countries have moved from largely subsistence-based rural agriculture economies over the past few hundred years to economies developed in relation to cities, so there are models for Sahel countries to use in dealing with these problems, “but at the moment, they’re not being taken up in an effective way,” he said.
Lowcock said he fears that in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger as well as three other Sahel countries - Cameroon, Chad and northeast Nigeria - there is a risk of “a tipping point” where “it starts to get dramatically more difficult to deal with the underlying causes.”
“It’s a bit like a snowball rolling down the hill,” he said, pointing to a twentyfold increase in the number of displaced people between 2018 and 2020 from 70,000 to 1.5 million in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger while this year has seen the worst floods ever recorded in the region and the highest number of people in need of humanitarian assistance.
He also noted there has been a record level of attacks on aid workers this year and extremist groups have expanded their areas of operation. There must be a recognition that extremist groups have an agenda that “is inimical to the interests or livelihoods of ordinary people in the places they control,” he said.
“These are not problems that can be solved in the short term, but until you face up to them, recognize what you’re dealing with, and start talking about what the solutions can be, obviously you’re not making any progress,” Lowcock said. “So you don’t get to choose where you have to start the journey, but you do have to take the first steps.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Japan exports fall amid slow recovery from pandemic downturn

TOKYO ( AP ) - Japan ’ s exports fell at a slower pace in September in a sign that trade damage from the coronavirus pandemic is easing , according to Finance Ministry data released Monday .
The report showed Japan ’ s exports in September declined 4.9 % from the same month a year earlier , better than the nearly 15 % drop in August .
The nation ’ s imports fell 17.2 % overall , compared with 20.8 % in August .
Exports to China jumped 14 % while shipments to the U.S. inched up 0.7 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebound .
By sector , computer exports to the world surged nearly 45 % .
Japan ’ s export-reliant economy has sunk into recession , with three straight quarters of contraction through June , as the outbreak slammed business activity and stifled trade .
But a recovery in China , where COVID-19 emerged late last year , and recoveries in some other Asian countries are helping Japan regain momentum .
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga , who took office a month ago , left Monday for Vietnam and Indonesia , where virus cases are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and trade .
His predecessor , Shinzo Abe , had tried to sustain economic growth with his “ Abenomics ” package of programs based on zero interest rates and curtailing deflation .
Suga , also from the governing Liberal Democratic Party , is expected to continue those policies .

TOKYO (AP) - Japan’s exports fell at a slower pace in September in a sign that trade damage from the coronavirus pandemic is easing, according to Finance Ministry data released Monday.
The report showed Japan’s exports in September declined 4.9%, better than the nearly 15% drop in August. The nation’s imports fell 17.2% overall, compared with 20.8% in August.
Exports to China jumped 14% while shipments to the U.S. inched up 0.7%, in another possible sign of a gradual rebound. By sector, computer exports to the world surged nearly 45%.
Japan’s export-reliant economy has sunk into recession, with three straight quarters of contraction through June, as the outbreak slammed business activity and stifled trade.
But a recovery in China, where COVID-19 emerged late last year, and recoveries in some other Asian countries are helping Japan regain momentum.
Junichi Makino, analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities, noted that auto exports were recovering as global economies rebounded, especially in Europe. He said exports overall had recovered nearly to what it had been before the pandemic.
The ministry data showed transportation equipment in general, including vehicles, motorcycles and planes, was still declining, down 7% compared to a year ago.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who took office a month ago, left Sunday for Vietnam and Indonesia, where virus cases are relatively low, to drum up business and trade.
His predecessor, Shinzo Abe, had tried to sustain economic growth with his “Abenomics” package of programs based on zero interest rates and curtailing deflation.
Suga, also from the governing Liberal Democratic Party, is expected to continue those policies.
___
Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Mold damage repairs at South Carolina schools could cost $3M

SEABROOK , S.C. ( AP ) - Officials for a South Carolina school district say it could cost up to $ 3 million to fix damage and prevent the future spread of mold that was discovered in two buildings .
Construction workers found the mold from high water activity inside the walls of a Beaufort County elementary school and a middle school while replacing classroom air-conditioning units , officials said .
District spokeswoman Candace Bruder told the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette that the mold was likely caused by “ faulty air-conditioning installations ” performed two decades ago .
Staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotely upon its discovery in late September .
An environmental consulting firm later confirmed the mold was not a danger to building occupants .
Students returned to the buildings for hybrid classes Oct. 5 .
“ A student can ’ t go anywhere near the areas of concern , and there is no air mixing from that area to the rest of the building , ” Robert Oetting , the district ’ s chief operations officer , said this week while describing the repair plan .
The plan calls for replacing outdoor facades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HVAC units , among other fixes .
Repairs at the middle school were expected to be less extensive than those at the elementary school , according to Oetting .

SEABROOK, S.C. (AP) - Officials for a South Carolina school district say it could cost up to $3 million to fix damage and prevent the future spread of mold that was discovered in two buildings.
Construction workers found the mold from high water activity inside the walls of a Beaufort County elementary school and a middle school while replacing classroom air-conditioning units, officials said.
District spokeswoman Candace Bruder told the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette that the mold was likely caused by “faulty air-conditioning installations” performed two decades ago.
Staff at both schools were asked to work remotely upon its discovery in late September. An environmental consulting firm later confirmed the mold was not a danger to building occupants. Students returned to the buildings for hybrid classes Oct. 5.
“A student can’t go anywhere near the areas of concern, and there is no air mixing from that area to the rest of the building,” Robert Oetting, the district’s chief operations officer, said this week while describing the repair plan.
The plan calls for replacing outdoor facades, installing drainage systems and working on HVAC units, among other fixes. Repairs at the middle school were expected to be less extensive than those at the elementary school, according to Oetting.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Officials: 1 hospitalized in stabbing at Seattle-area temple

RENTON , Wash. ( AP ) - One person was hospitalized and others suffered minor injuries when a fight broke @ @ @ @ @ a Sikh temple near Seattle on Sunday , according to authorities .
One patient was @ @ @ @ @ stab wounds following the brawl at Gurudwara Singh Sabha in Renton , a Valley Medical @ @ @ @ @ The hospital said it did not expect to receive any more patients connected to the @ @ @ @ @ Renton police said officers responded to a “ violent incident ” involving about 50 people @ @ @ @ @ police department spokesman said Sunday evening that the investigation remained ongoing .
The cause of @ @ @ @ @ detailed .
A video posted on social media showed a group of men gathered outside @ @ @ @ @ police officers and fire department personnel .
One man had what appeared to be blood @ @ @ @ @ Another man appeared to have a minor injury near his eye , while two other @ @ @ @ @ bandaged by responders .

RENTON, Wash. (AP) - One person was hospitalized and others suffered minor injuries when a fight broke out among dozens gathered at a Sikh temple near Seattle on Sunday, according to authorities.
One patient was taken to a hospital with stab wounds following the brawl at Gurudwara Singh Sabha in Renton, a Valley Medical Center spokesman told KOMO-TV.
The hospital said it did not expect to receive any more patients connected to the fight, KING-TV added.
Renton police said officers responded to a “violent incident” involving about 50 people at the temple. A police department spokesman said Sunday evening that the investigation remained ongoing.
The cause of the fight was not immediately detailed.
A video posted on social media showed a group of men gathered outside of the temple speaking to police officers and fire department personnel.
One man had what appeared to be blood on his white robe. Another man appeared to have a minor injury near his eye, while two other men were bleeding and being bandaged by responders.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--2 sisters die, 3 people hurt in Des Moines crash

DES MOINES , Iowa ( AP ) - Two sisters died and three other people were injured Sunday when two @ @ @ @ @ .
The crash happened around 5 a.m. Sunday after a northbound Toyota car crossed into @ @ @ @ @ with a Jeep SUV , Des Moines Police spokesman Paul Parizek said .
About one @ @ @ @ @ the area overnight , and Parizek said the weather appears to have contributed to the @ @ @ @ @ the two women who died in the crash , three other people were taken to @ @ @ @ @ women killed were identified as Jazmin Alondra Avila-Arreola , 22 , and her sister , @ @ @ @ @ , both of Des Moines .
A second passenger was in critical condition at a @ @ @ @ @ the Jeep , Balmore Antonio Funes , 44 , of Des Moines , was treated @ @ @ @ @ from a hospital .
Another passenger in the Jeep remained hospitalized .

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Two sisters died and three other people were injured Sunday when two vehicles collided in Des Moines.
The crash happened around 5 a.m. Sunday after a northbound Toyota car crossed into the southbound lanes and collided with a Jeep SUV, Des Moines Police spokesman Paul Parizek said.
About one inch of snow fell in the area overnight, and Parizek said the weather appears to have contributed to the crash.
In addition to the two women who died in the crash, three other people were taken to hospitals for treatment.
The women killed were identified as Jazmin Alondra Avila-Arreola, 22, and her sister, Daizy Sofia Arreola, 18, both of Des Moines. A second passenger was in critical condition at a hospital.
The driver of the Jeep, Balmore Antonio Funes, 44, of Des Moines, was treated for minor injuries and released from a hospital. Another passenger in the Jeep remained hospitalized.
Police arrested Funes on an unrelated Polk County warrant.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Huge numbers return ballots in King County in first days

SEATTLE ( AP ) - With King County election officials predicting voter turnout up to 90 % early indications already @ @ @ @ @ being returned as of Sunday .
KOMO reports oficials estimate that between just Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ upwards of 50,000 ballots have been dropped off in ballot boxes .
The previous record @ @ @ @ @ in on the first five days of early voting in Washington ’ s most populous @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , the county tweeted that multiple drop boxes had become so full , voters @ @ @ @ @ ballot through the slot .

SEATTLE (AP) - King County election officials are predicting voter turnout up to 90% and early indications show record-breaking numbers of ballots being returned.
King County officials estimate that from Thursday, Friday and Saturday, upwards of 50,000 ballots were dropped in ballot boxes.
In the first five days of early voting in Washington’s most populous county in 2016, only 10,659 were collected, officials said. On Saturday, the county tweeted that multiple drop boxes had become so full, voters were unable to get their ballot through the slot.
Friday was the deadline for counties to mail ballots to voters.
Washington state is one of five states, along with Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, and Utah, that conduct election entirely by mail-in voting.
Additionally, Tuesday is Washington Native Vote Day, where tribes throughout the state connect, mainly remotely this year because of the coronavirus, with each other to encourage tribal members to register to vote and to cast their ballots. It wasn’t until 1962 that every state in the nation secured the right to vote for Native people.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Longtime Minnesota sports columnist Sid Hartman dies at 100

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) - Minnesota sports columnist and radio personality Sid Hartman , an old-school home team booster who once ran the NBA ’ s Minneapolis Lakers and achieved nearly as much celebrity as some of the athletes he covered , died Sunday .
He was 100 .
Hartman , whose first newspaper column was published in 1945 , died surrounded by his family , Star Tribune sports editor Chris Carr said .
“ It ’ s a sad day , ” Carr told The Associated Press .
“ He is the Star Tribune in many ways , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaks to his amazing life that even at 100 and a half years old , he passes away and we still can ’ t believe it.
” He kept up his age-defying pace even after his 100th birthday party on March 15 was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Hartman continued to write three columns per week for the Star Tribune as a centenarian , four during football season , and served as co-host of a Sunday morning radio show on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis .
“ I have followed the advice that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you never work a day in your life , ” Hartman wrote in his column published on his 100th birthday .
“ Even at 100 , I can say I still love what I do.
” Hartman grew up poor on Minneapolis ’ tough north side , the son of a Russian immigrant father and Latvian mother who at age 9 began selling newspapers on downtown street corners .
He dropped out of high school in the 10th grade for a news run , picking up papers and leaving them in drop boxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended Hartman for an internship on the sports desk at the old Minneapolis Times .
A year later , he was in print with a roundup of news and notes , a style he continued throughout his career .
Hartman always called himself a reporter , not a writer .
After the Times folded in 1948 , Hartman went to work at the Minneapolis Tribune covering his beloved University of Minnesota .
Former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant recalled attending the university after World War II and running into Hartman on Hartman ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Grant and his wife became friends with Hartman , and when Grant announced his first retirement as Vikings coach in 1984 , he shared the scoop only with Hartman .
“ They ’ d say ‘ off-the-record , ’ and to Sid that was off-the-record .
He never broke a confidence , with anybody I ever knew , ” Grant once said .
Hartman was an unapologetic throwback to the days when the wall between sportswriters and the teams and players they covered was not as defined .
Colleagues referred to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applied to Hartman and no one else .
“ It was kind of the Wild West , and Sid was the top gunfighter , ” said Dave Mona , Hartman ’ s “ Sports Huddle ” co-host since the WCCO-AM radio program debuted in 1981 .
Often because of the favorable coverage he gave to local sports teams , Hartman was granted unparalleled behind-the-scenes access to players , coaches and executives .
He was given free rein to roam where he wanted , when he wanted .
Hartman was instrumental in helping lure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ autobiography “ Sid !
” ( co-written with fellow Star Tribune sports columnist Patrick Reusse ) , Hartman wrote that in 1947 he offered $ 15,000 to the owner of the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League for the franchise , then went to Detroit to deliver the check .
The team became the Minneapolis Lakers , and Hartman was the de facto general manager .
Led by big man George Mikan , the Lakers won the NBL championship in their first season and five NBA championships .
Hartman left the Lakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved to Los Angeles in 1960 .
He did all that while continuing his newspaper work , a blatant conflict-of-interest by today ’ s standards but an accepted practice in those days .
Yet he always tried to outwork other reporters for scoops .
He was a familiar sight at most games and news conferences , lugging a large , clunky , outdated tape recorder and a thick , black book stuffed with pages of phone numbers .
From George Steinbrenner to Bob Knight to Pete Carroll , Hartman ’ s rolodex has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sports world .
“ Sid Hartman was a singular figure of the Minnesota sports scene throughout the entire history of the Twins franchise , and a friend to so many throughout our National Pastime , ” Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred said in a statement .
“ Appropriately , he was member No .
1 one for the Baseball Writers ’ Association of America at the time of his passing , as well as the organization ’ s longest tenured member .
“ Hartman ’ s distinctive gruff , slurred speech and malaprops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media colleagues and the players and coaches he covered to imitate .
On the radio , Hartman would sometime hang up on or chastise callers - “ geniuses , ” as Hartman called them - who voiced opinions he disagreed with .
Despite his reputation as a curmudgeon , Hartman was routinely approached by fans for autographs and always obliged them .
In 2010 , to mark his 90th birthday , a statute showing Hartman holding a radio microphone , carrying an oversized tape recorder and with a Star Tribune tucked under his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Target Center , the home of the NBA ’ s Minnesota Timberwolves .
“ Part of my job was to bring him into the ’ 80s .
Sometimes he came fairly easily and sometimes he didn ’ t , ” said former Star Tribune editor Tim McGuire .
“ He always was too much of a booster , and he loved his Gophers .
But he was always a newsman.
” Hartman also was a frequent critic of women ’ s athletics , which he thought cut into expenditures for men ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s archaic , ” former Star Tribune sports editor Glen Crevier said of Hartman ’ s attitude in 2009 , “ but at least he doesn ’ t write negatively about them anymore .
He just avoids them.
” Hartman ’ s son , Chad , followed his father into sports reporting , as play-by-play announcer for the Timberwolves and a local talk show host .
When his 100th birthday column was published , the Star Tribune put his career byline count at 21,149 .
Baenen retired from the AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company .
Associated Press writers Dave Campbell in Minneapolis and Dave Kolpack in Bismarck , N.D. , contributed to this report .

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota sports columnist and radio personality Sid Hartman, an old-school home team booster who once ran the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers and achieved nearly as much celebrity as some of the athletes he covered, died Sunday. He was 100.
Hartman, whose first newspaper column was published in 1945, died surrounded by his family, Star Tribune sports editor Chris Carr said.
“It’s a sad day,” Carr told The Associated Press. “He is the Star Tribune in many ways, at least in the sports department. It speaks to his amazing life that even at 100 and a half years old, he passes away and we still can’t believe it.”
He kept up his age-defying pace even after his 100th birthday party on March 15 was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hartman continued to write three columns per week for the Star Tribune as a centenarian, four during football season, and served as co-host of a Sunday morning radio show on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis.
“I have followed the advice that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life,” Hartman wrote in his column published on his 100th birthday. “Even at 100, I can say I still love what I do.”
Hartman grew up poor on Minneapolis’ tough north side, the son of a Russian immigrant father and Latvian mother who at age 9 began selling newspapers on downtown street corners. He dropped out of high school in the 10th grade for a news run, picking up papers and leaving them in drop boxes.
In 1944, the circulation manager recommended Hartman for an internship on the sports desk at the old Minneapolis Times. A year later, he was in print with a roundup of news and notes, a style he continued throughout his career. Hartman always called himself a reporter, not a writer. After the Times folded in 1948, Hartman went to work at the Minneapolis Tribune covering his beloved University of Minnesota.
Former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant recalled attending the university after World War II and running into Hartman on Hartman’s first day as a beat writer. Grant and his wife became friends with Hartman, and when Grant announced his first retirement as Vikings coach in 1984, he shared the scoop only with Hartman.
“They’d say ‘off-the-record,’ and to Sid that was off-the-record. He never broke a confidence, with anybody I ever knew,” Grant once said.
Hartman was an unapologetic throwback to the days when the wall between sportswriters and the teams and players they covered was not as defined. Colleagues referred to “Sid’s Rules,” which applied to Hartman and no one else. “It was kind of the Wild West, and Sid was the top gunfighter,” said Dave Mona, Hartman’s “Sports Huddle” co-host since the WCCO-AM radio program debuted in 1981.
Often because of the favorable coverage he gave to local sports teams, Hartman was granted unparalleled behind-the-scenes access to players, coaches and executives. He was given free rein to roam where he wanted, when he wanted.
Hartman was instrumental in helping lure pro teams to Minnesota. In his autobiography “Sid!” (co-written with fellow Star Tribune sports columnist Patrick Reusse), Hartman wrote that in 1947 he offered $15,000 to the owner of the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League for the franchise, then went to Detroit to deliver the check. The team became the Minneapolis Lakers, and Hartman was the de facto general manager. Led by big man George Mikan, the Lakers won the NBL championship in their first season and five NBA championships. Hartman left the Lakers operation in 1957, and the team moved to Los Angeles in 1960.
He did all that while continuing his newspaper work, a blatant conflict-of-interest by today’s standards but an accepted practice in those days.
Yet he always tried to outwork other reporters for scoops. He was a familiar sight at most games and news conferences, lugging a large, clunky, outdated tape recorder and a thick, black book stuffed with pages of phone numbers. From George Steinbrenner to Bob Knight to Pete Carroll, Hartman’s rolodex has long been a who’s-who of the sports world.
“Sid Hartman was a singular figure of the Minnesota sports scene throughout the entire history of the Twins franchise, and a friend to so many throughout our National Pastime,” Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred said in a statement. “Appropriately, he was member No. 1 one for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America at the time of his passing, as well as the organization’s longest tenured member. “
Hartman’s distinctive gruff, slurred speech and malaprops made him a favorite of listeners, media colleagues and the players and coaches he covered to imitate. On the radio, Hartman would sometime hang up on or chastise callers - “geniuses,” as Hartman called them - who voiced opinions he disagreed with. Despite his reputation as a curmudgeon, Hartman was routinely approached by fans for autographs and always obliged them.
In 2010, to mark his 90th birthday, a statute showing Hartman holding a radio microphone, carrying an oversized tape recorder and with a Star Tribune tucked under his arm was unveiled on a corner outside Target Center, the home of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Part of my job was to bring him into the ’80s. Sometimes he came fairly easily and sometimes he didn’t,” said former Star Tribune editor Tim McGuire. “He always was too much of a booster, and he loved his Gophers. But he was always a newsman.”
Hartman also was a frequent critic of women’s athletics, which he thought cut into expenditures for men’s sports at the University of Minnesota. “It’s archaic,” former Star Tribune sports editor Glen Crevier said of Hartman’s attitude in 2009, “but at least he doesn’t write negatively about them anymore. He just avoids them.”
Hartman’s son, Chad, followed his father into sports reporting, as play-by-play announcer for the Timberwolves and a local talk show host.
When his 100th birthday column was published, the Star Tribune put his career byline count at 21,149.
___
Baenen retired from the AP in September after a 42-year career with the company. Associated Press writers Dave Campbell in Minneapolis and Dave Kolpack in Bismarck, N.D., contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Pandemic, politics lead to closure of storied Hong Kong bar

HONG KONG ( AP ) - Nearly 15 years ago , Grace Ma decided to name her bar Club 71 , in commemoration of a July 1 , 2003 , rally where hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers protested a proposed national security law for the semi-autonomous Chinese city .
“ I took the name Club 71 , because somehow it is more hopeful , with half a million Hong Kong people having a demonstration , a rally , to stand for themselves , not to ignore what ’ s going on in Hong Kong , ” said Ma .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as a watering hole for the city ’ s pro-democracy activists and intellectuals , who could freely engage in discussions over a round of beer or two .
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit and , in a blow to the city ’ s Western-style freedoms , the central government in Beijing in June imposed a sweeping national security law targeting political expression in response to massive anti-government protests last year .
For Ma , the troubles meant it was time to shutter the business for good .
Months of government-mandated bar closures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Club 71 ’ s finances deeper into the red , and operating the bar no longer made financial sense , she said .
The bar will close at the end of October .
“ We have closed for three months , out of the past six months , ” said Ma , who is in her 60s .
“ For our business , it ’ s impossible.
” Social distancing restrictions have also halved the capacity of the city ’ s bars and restaurants , making it more difficult for them to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have four at one table … but bars only two per table , ” she said , pointing out that bars have been subject to much stricter restrictions , compared to eateries .
In the last days of the bar , customers have shown up in force , gathering outside in the park and occasionally milling in and out as they order pints of beer .
The colorful interior walls are plastered with posters advertising art exhibitions and performances , as well as pro-democracy artwork .
“ This is a place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exchange ideas , as long as everyone respects each other , they can say whatever they want , ” said Ma .
News of the bar ’ s imminent closure was disappointing for some of its regulars , who cherished the unique atmosphere and the mix of people .
“ There are very few bars of this kind in Hong Kong .
We call it the quiet bar , which allows people to chat with each other , ” said Keung Fung , 41 , another loyal patron and a former Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very unfortunate ( that the bar is closing ) , ” he said .
“ I ’ ll need to look for another bar with similar atmosphere.
” Some of Club 71 ’ s customers also include former lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Leung Kwok-hung , known as “ Long Hair ” in Hong Kong .
Leung had been a regular in Club 71 ’ s predecessor , Club 64 .
Ma had also run Club 64 , before a skyrocketing rent forced her to move to its current location in Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was then that she renamed the bar to Club 71 .
“ It is a hub for everyone to connect and communicate with each other , sometimes sit around and discuss what to do .
So you can say it ’ s a meeting point , ” said Leung , who had visited the bar for a beer .
Other famous bargoers over the years included Hong Kong singer Denise Ho , who is known for her pro-democracy stance , as well as acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Doyle .
Although Ma is saddened at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some ways it is also a relief , she said .
“ Financially , I really couldn ’ t hang on , ” she said .
“ It ’ s time to move on , I want to do something else.
” Associated Press journalist Phoebe Lai contributed to this report .

HONG KONG (AP) - Nearly 15 years ago, Grace Ma decided to name her bar Club 71, in commemoration of a July 1, 2003, rally where hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers protested a proposed national security law for the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
“I took the name Club 71, because somehow it is more hopeful, with half a million Hong Kong people having a demonstration, a rally, to stand for themselves, not to ignore what’s going on in Hong Kong,” said Ma.
For years, the storied bar has served as a watering hole for the city’s pro-democracy activists and intellectuals, who could freely engage in discussions over a round of beer or two.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit and, in a blow to the city’s Western-style freedoms, the central government in Beijing in June imposed a sweeping national security law targeting political expression in response to massive anti-government protests last year. For Ma, the troubles meant it was time to shutter the business for good.
Months of government-mandated bar closures as part of coronavirus restrictions had pushed Club 71’s finances deeper into the red, and operating the bar no longer made financial sense, she said. The bar will close at the end of October.
“We have closed for three months, out of the past six months,” said Ma, who is in her 60s. “For our business, it’s impossible.”
Social distancing restrictions have also halved the capacity of the city’s bars and restaurants, making it more difficult for them to turn a profit.
“Restaurants are allowed to have four at one table … but bars only two per table,” she said, pointing out that bars have been subject to much stricter restrictions, compared to eateries.
In the last days of the bar, customers have shown up in force, gathering outside in the park and occasionally milling in and out as they order pints of beer. The colorful interior walls are plastered with posters advertising art exhibitions and performances, as well as pro-democracy artwork.
“This is a place in Hong Kong where people can drop by and exchange ideas, as long as everyone respects each other, they can say whatever they want,” said Ma.
News of the bar’s imminent closure was disappointing for some of its regulars, who cherished the unique atmosphere and the mix of people.
“There are very few bars of this kind in Hong Kong. We call it the quiet bar, which allows people to chat with each other,” said Keung Fung, 41, another loyal patron and a former Hong Kong student union representative.
“It is very unfortunate (that the bar is closing),” he said. “I’ll need to look for another bar with similar atmosphere.”
Some of Club 71’s customers also include former lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Leung Kwok-hung, known as “Long Hair” in Hong Kong. Leung had been a regular in Club 71’s predecessor, Club 64.
Ma had also run Club 64, before a skyrocketing rent forced her to move to its current location in Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan neighborhood. It was then that she renamed the bar to Club 71.
“It is a hub for everyone to connect and communicate with each other, sometimes sit around and discuss what to do. So you can say it’s a meeting point,” said Leung, who had visited the bar for a beer.
Other famous bargoers over the years included Hong Kong singer Denise Ho, who is known for her pro-democracy stance, as well as acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Doyle.
Although Ma is saddened at having to close Club 71, in some ways it is also a relief, she said.
“Financially, I really couldn’t hang on,” she said. “It’s time to move on, I want to do something else.”
___
Associated Press journalist Phoebe Lai contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Ralph Z. Hallow, Washington Times editor, reporter, remembered for insight into GOP political scene

He was a celebrated Washington fixture known for his good cheer and bonhomie , and yet even his closest friends knew to stay out of the way when Ralph Z. Hallow was in hot pursuit of a story , as he often was .
Nobody could pester , cajole and harangue like Hallow , the chief political correspondent for opinion and columnist for The Washington Times , who died Saturday of complications from surgery in Lewes , Delaware .
He was 82 .
“ He wanted to get the facts , he wanted to get them right , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had it right , ” said Haley Barbour , the former Mississippi governor who sparred with Hallow as Republican National Committee chairman .
Such qualities contributed to the newsroom legend of Ralph Z. Hallow — the “ Z ” stood for Zachary — who signed on as deputy editorial page editor a month before the Times was launched in 1982 and never left , jumping from desk to desk before making his reputation for his must-read coverage of GOP politics .
“ His sharp wit , contagious laughter , and world knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day the first paper came off of the press , ” said Larry Beasley , CEO of The Washington Times .
“ Ralph will be sorely missed by his loyal readers , friends , and by me professionally and personally.
” Hallow ’ s unmatched coverage of Republican inner workings was recognized by generations of Washington-watchers , including MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow and Politico .
“ When it came to Republicans , Ralph not only brought readers into the closed-door meetings , he oftentimes made it into those rooms himself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he knew everything that was going on .
I remember hearing a story about a party official who was trying to keep Ralph out , and another official told them to forget about it .
Ralph had such good sources that he would know what had happened within two minutes anyway , ” said Stephen Dinan , assistant managing editor for politics at The Times .
“ There was so much political knowledge in his head , I suspect there were one or two unclaimed Pulitzer prizes just sitting in there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cleta Mitchell said that Hallow was one of the first people she met when she arrived 30 years ago to work as a lawyer for the term-limits movement .
“ He terrified me , ” she recalled .
“ If I called him with a story about term limits , he put me through the wringer , peppering me with questions .
I needed to be multiple questions deep before I called Ralph .
But somehow , from all his bark and bluster and my discombobulated answers , he was always able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sources and contacts often became friends .
He cut a lively figure on the social scene as part of a D.C. power couple with his wife Millie Hallow , the former vice chairman of the American Conservative Union Foundation and managing director of executive operations at the National Rifle Association .
After meeting Millie Hallow , “ from that point forward , my husband and I became fast friends with the Hallows and Carolyn and Bob Meadows , ” said Ms. Mitchell .
“ We spent many years and many happy hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ralph as the kindest , most warm-hearted person imaginable , ” she said .
“ He just did not suffer fools , braggarts , or idiots well.
” Hallow was no ink-stained wretch , his shirt wrinkled and his lunch visible on his tie .
“ He dressed to the nines at all times , and he knew fabrics and tailoring from his days working in a men ’ s haberdashery , ” Ms. Mitchell said .
What stood out for Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson , who met Hallow during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There are so many qualities , but the one that for some reason floats to the top for me is his cheerfulness , ” Mr. Carlson said .
“ There are not many people who can spend a lifetime in journalism , work for a newspaper until they ’ re 82 , and stay cheerful .
There are not many people who could do anything until they ’ re 82 and stay cheerful , and I just admire that so much.
” Hallow was “ a positive , optimistic , person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I want to be like that , ” Mr. Carlson said .
Former Arkansas Gov .
Mike Huckabee recalled Hallow as a “ bigger-than-life personality who I first got to know in my leadership roles in the National Governors Association.
” “ He was doggedly fair , but never ‘ favorable , ’ in that despite a warm personal relationship , his reporting was based on the facts and never his feelings , ” Mr. Huckabee said in an email .
“ His brand of journalism is virtually non-existent today as those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over their baby-bibs and stain the level of ‘ fair to all , but favorable to none ’ reporting that Ralph lived by.
” Not everyone appreciated Hallow ’ s relentless work ethic and zest for pursuing stories .
President George H.W .
Bush referred to him as the “ horrible fellow ” in his taped diaries , and once gave him a fake karate chop as he boarded the plane while covering the 1988 campaign .
“ Bush often thought I was hard on him .
I presume he thought that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conservative and Republican newspaper , in his view — should be kind to him , ” Hallow wrote in a 2017 column .
“ I tried not to let him get away with nonsense , pulling the wool over people ’ s eyes.
” Indeed , Hallow was often tougher on Republicans than Democrats .
“ I learned never to have an unguarded moment and say something I didn ’ t want on the front page because he wouldn ’ t spare me and frankly shouldn ’ t have , ” Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the passing of Ralph is exceeded only by my deep sorrow for his devoted wife , Millie.
” It was impossible to imagine Ralph without Millie .
They met in 1982 and married in 1987 , raising together Millie ’ s son Ian Walters , now communications director of the American Conservative Union .
“ I love Millie for her spunk , her wicked sense of humor , and her many attempts to tame Ralph , ” Mr. Huckabee said .
“ Ralph wasn ’ t afraid of Presidents , Senators , Governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think he was afraid of Millie !
” Hallow ’ s six-decade journalism career included posts on the editorial board of the Times , the Chicago Tribune and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .
He would tell a story about how the first day he worked at the Chicago Tribune , they took ‘ World ’ s Greatest Newspaper ’ off the masthead , ” said Mr. Walters .
“ Then he would say , ‘ Coincidence ?
I think not.
’ ” He served as a Ford Foundation Fellow in Urban Journalism at Northwestern University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Editors Seminar .
His datelines included Berlin , Bonn , London , Paris , Geneva , Vienna , Amman , Beirut , Cairo , Damascus and Jerusalem .
A resident of Crofton , Maryland , Mr. Hallow was born and raised in Pittsburgh .
He earned his bachelor ’ s degree at the University of Pittsburgh and did graduate work at the University of Missouri School of Journalism .
He is survived by Millie , his wife of 33 years ; his stepson Ian Walters and daughter-in-law Carin Walters , and two granddaughters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Beebe Medical Center after falling while on vacation in Bethany Beach , Delaware .
“ Ralph did not go gentle into that good night .
And when he went , he did so with his beloved Millie holding him tight , ” said Ms. Mitchell .
“ Strange that there are insufficient words to describe such a man of words .
But I know one thing : God had better be on His toes now that He has Ralph in the house .
”

He was a celebrated Washington fixture known for his good cheer and bonhomie, and yet even his closest friends knew to stay out of the way when Ralph Z. Hallow was in hot pursuit of a story, as he often was.
Nobody could pester, cajole and harangue like Hallow, the chief political correspondent for opinion and columnist for The Washington Times, who died Saturday of complications from surgery in Lewes, Delaware. He was 82.
“He wanted to get the facts, he wanted to get them right, and he would bird-dog you until he felt like he had it right,” said Haley Barbour, the former Mississippi governor who sparred with Hallow as Republican National Committee chairman.
Such qualities contributed to the newsroom legend of Ralph Z. Hallow — the “Z” stood for Zachary — who signed on as deputy editorial page editor a month before the Times was launched in 1982 and never left, jumping from desk to desk before making his reputation for his must-read coverage of GOP politics.
“His sharp wit, contagious laughter, and world knowledge was a huge asset to TWT since the day the first paper came off of the press,” said Larry Beasley, CEO of The Washington Times. “Ralph will be sorely missed by his loyal readers, friends, and by me professionally and personally.”
Hallow’s unmatched coverage of Republican inner workings was recognized by generations of Washington-watchers, including MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and Politico.
“When it came to Republicans, Ralph not only brought readers into the closed-door meetings, he oftentimes made it into those rooms himself. And even when he didn’t, he knew everything that was going on. I remember hearing a story about a party official who was trying to keep Ralph out, and another official told them to forget about it. Ralph had such good sources that he would know what had happened within two minutes anyway,” said Stephen Dinan, assistant managing editor for politics at The Times.
“There was so much political knowledge in his head, I suspect there were one or two unclaimed Pulitzer prizes just sitting in there,” Mr. Dinan said.
Conservative activist Cleta Mitchell said that Hallow was one of the first people she met when she arrived 30 years ago to work as a lawyer for the term-limits movement.
“He terrified me,” she recalled. “If I called him with a story about term limits, he put me through the wringer, peppering me with questions. I needed to be multiple questions deep before I called Ralph. But somehow, from all his bark and bluster and my discombobulated answers, he was always able to weave a coherent story.”
With Hallow, sources and contacts often became friends. He cut a lively figure on the social scene as part of a D.C. power couple with his wife Millie Hallow, the former vice chairman of the American Conservative Union Foundation and managing director of executive operations at the National Rifle Association.
After meeting Millie Hallow, “from that point forward, my husband and I became fast friends with the Hallows and Carolyn and Bob Meadows,” Ms. Mitchell said.
“We spent many years and many happy hours together, and I came to know Ralph as the kindest, most warm-hearted person imaginable,” she said. “He just did not suffer fools, braggarts, or idiots well.”
Hallow was no ink-stained wretch, his shirt wrinkled and his lunch visible on his tie.
“He dressed to the nines at all times, and he knew fabrics and tailoring from his days working in a men’s haberdashery,” Ms. Mitchell said.
What stood out for Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson, who met Hallow during the Reagan administration, was his upbeat attitude.
“There are so many qualities, but the one that for some reason floats to the top for me is his cheerfulness,” Mr. Carlson said. “There are not many people who can spend a lifetime in journalism, work for a newspaper until they’re 82, and stay cheerful. There are not many people who could do anything until they’re 82 and stay cheerful, and I just admire that so much.”
Hallow was “a positive, optimistic, person always, right to the end, and I want to be like that,” Mr. Carlson said.
Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James called Hallow “one of the great fixtures of Washington politics, breaking and reporting some of the biggest stories of our time.”
“He was a true gentleman who possessed a brilliant mind and a sharp wit,” Ms. James said. “Being around him, one couldn’t help but smile as he so often delivered his keen political insights with a generous helping of humor.”
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee recalled Hallow as a “bigger-than-life personality who I first got to know in my leadership roles in the National Governors Association.”
“He was doggedly fair, but never ‘favorable,’ in that despite a warm personal relationship, his reporting was based on the facts and never his feelings,” Mr. Huckabee said in an email. “His brand of journalism is virtually non-existent today as those who write and talk spill their opinions all over their baby-bibs and stain the level of ‘fair to all, but favorable to none’ reporting that Ralph lived by.”
Not everyone appreciated Hallow’s relentless work ethic and zest for pursuing stories.
President George H.W. Bush referred to him as the “horrible fellow” in his taped diaries, and once gave him a fake karate chop as he boarded the plane while covering the 1988 campaign.
“Bush often thought I was hard on him. I presume he thought that was somewhat unfair because The Times — a conservative and Republican newspaper, in his view — should be kind to him,” Hallow wrote in a 2017 column. “I tried not to let him get away with nonsense, pulling the wool over people’s eyes.”
Indeed, Hallow was often tougher on Republicans than Democrats.
“I learned never to have an unguarded moment and say something I didn’t want on the front page because he wouldn’t spare me and frankly shouldn’t have,” Mr. Huckabee said. “My sadness in the passing of Ralph is exceeded only by my deep sorrow for his devoted wife, Millie.”
It was impossible to imagine Ralph without Millie. They met in 1982 and married in 1987, raising together Millie’s son Ian Walters, now communications director of the American Conservative Union.
“I love Millie for her spunk, her wicked sense of humor, and her many attempts to tame Ralph,” Mr. Huckabee said. “Ralph wasn’t afraid of Presidents, Senators, Governors or even Kings, but I do think he was afraid of Millie!”
Hallow’s six-decade journalism career included posts on the editorial board of the Times, the Chicago Tribune and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
He would tell a story about how the first day he worked at the Chicago Tribune, they took ‘World’s Greatest Newspaper’ off the masthead,” Mr. Walters said. “Then he would say, ‘Coincidence? I think not.’”
He served as a Ford Foundation Fellow in Urban Journalism at Northwestern University and resident at the Columbia University Editorial-Page Editors Seminar. His datelines included Berlin, Bonn, London, Paris, Geneva, Vienna, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus and Jerusalem.
A resident of Crofton, Maryland, Mr. Hallow was born and raised in Pittsburgh. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh and did graduate work at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
He is survived by Millie, his wife of 33 years; his son Ian Walters and daughter-in-law Carin Walters, and two granddaughters, Violet and Hazel.
He died at Beebe Medical Center after falling while on vacation in Bethany Beach, Delaware.
“Ralph did not go gentle into that good night. And when he went, he did so with his beloved Millie holding him tight,” Ms. Mitchell said. “Strange that there are insufficient words to describe such a man of words. But I know one thing: God had better be on His toes now that He has Ralph in the house.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Police: Man jailed in mother's slaying attacks guard, inmate

OZARK , Ala. ( AP ) - A jailed Alabama man awaiting trial in the killing and dismembering of his 58-year-old mother was accused of attacking a corrections officer and a fellow inmate with a homemade weapon , according to authorities .
The Dale County Jail correctional officer was leaving a cell block Saturday afternoon when the inmate , Chad Brogdon , 37 , used an improvised sharp object to injure the officer , Dale County Chief Deputy Mason Bynum said .
Brogdon was accused of repeatedly striking the officer , who was able to free himself and isolate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bynum said .
The inmate then also assaulted a fellow prisoner , officials said .
That inmate was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not described .
The correctional officer was also treated at a hospital and released .
Brogdon was charged with two counts of attempted murder in the Saturday attacks , in addition to a murder charge in the slaying of his mother , Penny Newton .
Newton ’ s remains were found in a burned car on a highway near the Choctawatchee River last year , news outlets @ @ @

OZARK, Ala. (AP) - A jailed Alabama man awaiting trial in the killing and dismembering of his 58-year-old mother was accused of attacking a corrections officer and a fellow inmate with a homemade weapon, according to authorities.
The Dale County Jail correctional officer was leaving a cell block Saturday afternoon when the inmate, Chad Brogdon, 37, used an improvised sharp object to injure the officer, Dale County Chief Deputy Mason Bynum said.
Brogdon was accused of repeatedly striking the officer, who was able to free himself and isolate the inmate back inside the cell block, Bynum said.
The inmate then also assaulted a fellow prisoner, officials said. That inmate was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not described. The correctional officer was also treated at a hospital and released.
Brogdon was charged with two counts of attempted murder in the Saturday attacks, in addition to a murder charge in the slaying of his mother, Penny Newton.
Newton’s remains were found in a burned car on a highway near the Choctawatchee River last year, news outlets have reported.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Liam Neeson's 'Honest Thief' notches No. 1 at box office

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Liam Neeson ’ s thriller “ Honest Thief ” stole the top spot at @ @ @ @ @ another quiet weekend of moviegoing .
The Open Roads Films movie brought in $ 3.7 @ @ @ @ @ weekend of its U.S. debut .
The film , starring Neeson as a notorious bank @ @ @ @ @ but was double crossed by two FBI agents , opened in Canada last week .
@ @ @ @ @ in markets including Miami , Chicago , San Diego and Atlanta , according to the @ @ @ @ @ ” overtook “ The War with Grandpa , ” which claimed No .
1 last @ @ @ @ @ second , the comedy starring Robert De Niro earned $ 2.5 million .
It has @ @ @ @ @ within a 10-day timespan .
Christopher Nolan ’ s “ Tenet ” came in third @ @ @ @ @ The action-thriller starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson has totaled $ 50.6 million in @ @ @

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Liam Neeson’s thriller “Honest Thief” stole the top spot at the box office in yet another quiet weekend of moviegoing.
The Open Roads Films movie brought in $3.7 million in North America the weekend of its U.S. debut. The film, starring Neeson as a notorious bank robber who turns himself in but was double crossed by two FBI agents, opened in Canada last week.
The film also played well in markets including Miami, Chicago, San Diego and Atlanta, according to the studio.
“Honest Thief” overtook “The War with Grandpa,” which claimed No. 1 last week. Despite coming in second, the comedy starring Robert De Niro earned $2.5 million. It has garnered $7.3 million domestically within a 10-day timespan.
Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” came in third with $1.6 million. The action-thriller starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson has totaled $50.6 million in the U.S.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Trump: Hunter Biden used vice president's office as a 'for-profit cash machine'

CARSON CITY , Nev. — President Trump said Sunday that Hunter Biden , son of Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden , used his father ’ s vice presidency as a “ cash machine ” to enrich himself with deals with foreign businessmen .
Speaking to thousands of supporters in this swing state , Mr. Trump said Mr. Biden ’ s family is a “ criminal enterprise.
” The president hammered his rival on news reports that a recovered laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden disclosed emails showing his foreign business deals during the Obama administration .
“ That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said .
“ A giant trove of emails show Hunter Biden making deals , setting up meetings with his father Joe , and using the Office of the Vice President for a for-profit cash machine .
That is so dishonest.
” Hunter Biden allegedly was paid $ 10 million per year by a Chinese businessman for “ introductions only , ” and earned more millions from a Ukraine energy company for little or no work .
The president said he was elected four years ago because voters were tired of such Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you voted to fire this corrupt and decrepit political establishment , ” he said .
“ And you elected an outsider as president who is finally putting America first .
Joe Biden is and always has been a corrupt politician .
Joe is far more corrupt than Hunter .
The Biden family is a criminal enterprise… ” He said of his opponent , “ People think of Joe Biden as a nice man .
He ’ s not a nice man .
He ’ s a corrupt man.
” Mr. Trump accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignoring the story .
“ Can you imagine if that were Donald Trump Jr. ’ s laptop ?
” he asked .
The president is campaigning to win in a state that he lost by more than 2 percentage points in 2016 .
He predicted a “ big red wave ” in the election , partly due to opposition to Democratic governors ’ slow pace of reopening economies from coronavirus shutdowns .
“ Normal life , that ’ s all we want , normal life , ” he said .
“ The Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will come roaring back .
.. unless somebody like Sleepy Joe Biden wants to substantially increase your taxes and your regulations.
” He said Mr. Biden “ will surrender your jobs to China , he will surrender your future to the virus , he [ wants ] a lockdown .
You guys , you want to open .
Pennsylvania has to open .
Michigan has to open .
Get the places open , let ’ s go.
” “ It ’ s between a delivering a vaccine in record time to kill the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill the economy , ” the president said .
Nevada health officials on Saturday reported 967 new cases of coronavirus , the biggest one-day jump since mid-August .
The state ’ s rate of positive tests has been slowly rising since mid-September .

CARSON CITY, Nev. — President Trump said Sunday that Hunter Biden, son of Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden, used his father’s vice presidency as a “cash machine” to enrich himself with deals with foreign businessmen.
Speaking to thousands of supporters in this swing state, Mr. Trump said Mr. Biden’s family is a “criminal enterprise.” The president hammered his rival on news reports that a recovered laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden disclosed emails showing his foreign business deals during the Obama administration.
“That’s a laptop from hell,” Mr. Trump said. “A giant trove of emails show Hunter Biden making deals, setting up meetings with his father Joe, and using the Office of the Vice President for a for-profit cash machine. That is so dishonest.”
Hunter Biden allegedly was paid $10 million per year by a Chinese businessman for “introductions only,” and earned more millions from a Ukraine energy company for little or no work.
The president said he was elected four years ago because voters were tired of such Washington insiders enriching themselves.
“In 2016, you voted to fire this corrupt and decrepit political establishment,” he said. “And you elected an outsider as president who is finally putting America first. Joe Biden is and always has been a corrupt politician. Joe is far more corrupt than Hunter. The Biden family is a criminal enterprise…”
He said of his opponent, “People think of Joe Biden as a nice man. He’s not a nice man. He’s a corrupt man.”
Mr. Trump accused the media of a double standard for ignoring the story.
“Can you imagine if that were Donald Trump Jr.’s laptop?” he asked.
The president is campaigning to win in a state that he lost by more than 2 percentage points in 2016. He predicted a “big red wave” in the election, partly due to opposition to Democratic governors’ slow pace of reopening economies from coronavirus shutdowns.
“Normal life, that’s all we want, normal life,” he said. “The Nevada tourism and hospitality industry which is fantastic will come roaring back. .. unless somebody like Sleepy Joe Biden wants to substantially increase your taxes and your regulations.”
He said Mr. Biden “will surrender your jobs to China, he will surrender your future to the virus, he [wants] a lockdown. You guys, you want to open. Pennsylvania has to open. Michigan has to open. Get the places open, let’s go.”
“It’s between a delivering a vaccine in record time to kill the virus, or a Biden shutdown to kill the economy,” the president said.
Nevada health officials on Saturday reported 967 new cases of coronavirus, the biggest one-day jump since mid-August. The state’s rate of positive tests has been slowly rising since mid-September.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com. • S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-18--Dianne Feinstein hug of Lindsey Graham angers liberals

Liberal groups erupted in anger after Sen. Dianne Feinstein praised the way Republicans ran last week ’ s confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and demanded that the senator be ousted as Democrats ’ top member on the Judiciary Committee .
Ms. Feinstein wasn ’ t the only Democrat to compliment Sen. Lindsey Graham , South Carolina Republican and committee chairman , but when she embraced him at the end of four days of hearings , it sent shock waves through the activist network that had spent weeks trying to gin up opposition to President Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as NARAL Pro-Choice America and the feminist UltraViolet said Ms. Feinstein damaged those chances .
“ Her embrace , both literal and rhetorical , of Lindsey Graham and Amy Coney Barrett after today ’ s hearings shows that she is simply not willing to stand up to the GOP ’ s depraved power grab that will upend the rights of women for decades to come , ” UltraViolet co-founder Shaunna Thomas said after Thursday ’ s hearing-ending hug .
There is little Democrats can do to stop Judge Barrett , who appears headed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week and to confirmation by the full Senate next week .
But activists said they expected more resistance than Democrats mounted over two days of questions to the judge , which she handled deftly , rebuffing attempts to get her to preview rulings on potential upcoming cases involving the Affordable Care Act or Mr. Trump ’ s executive powers .
The criticism is also seen as jockeying for next year , when Democrats hope to have control of the Senate , House and White House and an appetite to pack the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideology .
Any move to add seats would likely start in the Judiciary Committee .
Marge Baker , executive vice president of the People for the American Way , praised Ms. Feinstein ’ s performance last week and said Democrats overall did a good job of reminding voters what is at stake in filling the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a liberal icon .
“ We are actually delighted with how the hearings have gone , ” Ms. Baker told The Washington Times on Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ really used their time effectively in the questioning and at yesterday ’ s markup.
” She said she has been involved with judicial nominations for several years and this is one of the times the American people are most energized and informed .
Ms. Feinstein , who has been in office 28 years , survived a reelection challenge in the 2018 Democratic primaries but has increasingly been a target of liberal activists in California .
In the run-up to the Supreme Court hearings , even some fellow Democratic senators were quoted , anonymously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feinstein was the right person to lead the party ’ s opposition .
During the hearings , she struck the same notes as her colleagues , suggesting that Judge Barrett would be part of an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade , the landmark 1973 case giving women a national right to abortion , as well as to gut Obamacare .
But Ms. Feinstein closed the hearings by thanking Mr. Graham and calling them “ one of the best set of hearings I have participated in.
” “ I want to thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going back and forth .
It leaves one with a lot of hopes , a lot of questions and even some good ideas — perhaps some good bipartisan legislation we can put together to make this great country even better , ” she added .
At the end of questions for Judge Barrett a day earlier , Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin , Illinois Democrat , sounded a similar note .
“ Thank you for your fairness in this hearing , ” Mr. Durbin said , adding that he was speaking “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I heard no objection , nor will I , about the way you ’ ve conducted this , ” he said .
He also apologized to the judge for the pain the nomination process can cause for families .
Some liberal commentators have attacked Judge Barrett for adopting two children from Haiti .
Civility between the parties is rare on Capitol Hill with only three weeks before the Nov. 3 elections .
Though Democrats are angry that the Republican majority moved forward with Mr. Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee weeks before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respectfully between both sides .
“ That means a lot to me , and I know we have very different views about the judge and whether we should be doing all of that , but having said that my Democratic colleagues , you have challenged the judge , you have challenged us , ” Mr. Graham told Ms. Feinstein .
“ I don ’ t think anybody crossed the line.
” The hearings contrasted sharply with the 2018 dust-up over Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh , who was brought back for a second round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with accusations of sexual assault during a high school party decades ago .
Justice Kavanaugh vehemently denied Christine Blasey Ford ’ s accusations , which were contradicted by people who she said were witnesses , though many Democrats said they believed the accuser nonetheless .
More than 200 protesters were arrested during the Kavanaugh hearings , and hundreds more were arrested on the eve of his confirmation vote .
Just 29 protesters were arrested during the Barrett hearings , according to U.S. Capitol Police .
The COVID-19 pandemic , which closed the hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped lower the temperature .
“ People are really concerned about their own health and safety — wanting to be responsible , not doing large in-person gatherings , ” Ms. Baker said .
Ms. Feinstein ’ s future may be wrapped up in other looming fights .
She brushed aside questions about court-packing in the run-up to the hearings and has said she is not a fan of eliminating the filibuster , the tool that has defined the Senate for a century .
Axing the filibuster is shaping up as a major goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the chamber .
Fix Our Senate , a group dedicated to that cause , said Ms. Feinstein ’ s praise of the hearings last week showed she is not the right person to lead a key committee during that fight .
“ Sen .
Feinstein has said that the Senate works perfectly well and that she opposes eliminating the filibuster because ‘ if it ’ s not broke , don ’ t fix it.
’ These hearings and this confirmation process highlighted just how wrong she is and just how broken the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a spokesman for the group .
“ It ’ s time for a change and for committee leaders who understand what ’ s at stake and how the Senate needs to be fixed .
”

Liberal groups erupted in anger after Sen. Dianne Feinstein praised the way Republicans ran last week’s confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and demanded that the senator be ousted as Democrats’ top member on the Judiciary Committee.
Ms. Feinstein wasn’t the only Democrat to compliment Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican and committee chairman, but when she embraced him at the end of four days of hearings, it sent shock waves through the activist network that had spent weeks trying to gin up opposition to President Trump’s high court nominee.
Organizations such as NARAL Pro-Choice America and the feminist UltraViolet said Ms. Feinstein damaged those chances.
“Her embrace, both literal and rhetorical, of Lindsey Graham and Amy Coney Barrett after today’s hearings shows that she is simply not willing to stand up to the GOP’s depraved power grab that will upend the rights of women for decades to come,” UltraViolet co-founder Shaunna Thomas said after Thursday’s hearing-ending hug.
There is little Democrats can do to stop Judge Barrett, who appears headed for an affirmative vote in the committee this week and to confirmation by the full Senate next week.
But activists said they expected more resistance than Democrats mounted over two days of questions to the judge, which she handled deftly, rebuffing attempts to get her to preview rulings on potential upcoming cases involving the Affordable Care Act or Mr. Trump’s executive powers.
The criticism is also seen as jockeying for next year, when Democrats hope to have control of the Senate, House and White House and an appetite to pack the Supreme Court with justices more aligned with their ideology.
Any move to add seats would likely start in the Judiciary Committee.
Marge Baker, executive vice president of the People for the American Way, praised Ms. Feinstein’s performance last week and said Democrats overall did a good job of reminding voters what is at stake in filling the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon.
“We are actually delighted with how the hearings have gone,” Ms. Baker told The Washington Times on Friday. “We think the Democrats really, really used their time effectively in the questioning and at yesterday’s markup.”
She said she has been involved with judicial nominations for several years and this is one of the times the American people are most energized and informed.
Ms. Feinstein, who has been in office 28 years, survived a reelection challenge in the 2018 Democratic primaries but has increasingly been a target of liberal activists in California.
In the run-up to the Supreme Court hearings, even some fellow Democratic senators were quoted, anonymously, in news reports wondering whether Ms. Feinstein was the right person to lead the party’s opposition.
During the hearings, she struck the same notes as her colleagues, suggesting that Judge Barrett would be part of an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case giving women a national right to abortion, as well as to gut Obamacare.
But Ms. Feinstein closed the hearings by thanking Mr. Graham and calling them “one of the best set of hearings I have participated in.”
“I want to thank you for your fairness and the opportunity of going back and forth. It leaves one with a lot of hopes, a lot of questions and even some good ideas — perhaps some good bipartisan legislation we can put together to make this great country even better,” she added.
At the end of questions for Judge Barrett a day earlier, Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, sounded a similar note.
“Thank you for your fairness in this hearing,” Mr. Durbin said, adding that he was speaking “on behalf of the Democratic side.”
“I heard no objection, nor will I, about the way you’ve conducted this,” he said.
He also apologized to the judge for the pain the nomination process can cause for families. Some liberal commentators have attacked Judge Barrett for adopting two children from Haiti.
Civility between the parties is rare on Capitol Hill with only three weeks before the Nov. 3 elections.
Though Democrats are angry that the Republican majority moved forward with Mr. Trump’s Supreme Court nominee weeks before the election, the hearing was conducted respectfully between both sides.
“That means a lot to me, and I know we have very different views about the judge and whether we should be doing all of that, but having said that my Democratic colleagues, you have challenged the judge, you have challenged us,” Mr. Graham told Ms. Feinstein. “I don’t think anybody crossed the line.”
The hearings contrasted sharply with the 2018 dust-up over Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, who was brought back for a second round of questions after a woman came forward with accusations of sexual assault during a high school party decades ago.
Justice Kavanaugh vehemently denied Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations, which were contradicted by people who she said were witnesses, though many Democrats said they believed the accuser nonetheless.
More than 200 protesters were arrested during the Kavanaugh hearings, and hundreds more were arrested on the eve of his confirmation vote.
Just 29 protesters were arrested during the Barrett hearings, according to U.S. Capitol Police.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which closed the hearing room to the public, may have helped lower the temperature.
“People are really concerned about their own health and safety — wanting to be responsible, not doing large in-person gatherings,” Ms. Baker said.
Ms. Feinstein’s future may be wrapped up in other looming fights.
She brushed aside questions about court-packing in the run-up to the hearings and has said she is not a fan of eliminating the filibuster, the tool that has defined the Senate for a century.
Axing the filibuster is shaping up as a major goal for some Democrats if they take control of the chamber.
Fix Our Senate, a group dedicated to that cause, said Ms. Feinstein’s praise of the hearings last week showed she is not the right person to lead a key committee during that fight.
“Sen. Feinstein has said that the Senate works perfectly well and that she opposes eliminating the filibuster because ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’ These hearings and this confirmation process highlighted just how wrong she is and just how broken the Senate is,” said Eli Zupnick, a spokesman for the group. “It’s time for a change and for committee leaders who understand what’s at stake and how the Senate needs to be fixed.”
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-19--Trial in killing of Tennessee prison official moved to 2021

RIPLEY , Tenn. ( AP ) - The trial of a Tennessee convict charged with killing a corrections official before @ @ @ @ @ has been delayed until next year .
Curtis Watson had been scheduled to face trial @ @ @ @ @ of Tennessee Department of Correction administrator Debra Johnson .
Her body was found in her @ @ @ @ @ a state prison in Henning in August 2019 .
Watson is charged with premeditated murder @ @ @ @ @ He has not entered a plea .
Watson ’ s lawyer , David Stockton , @ @ @ @ @ the trial to Sept. 20 , 2021 .
Stockton said he hasn ’ t had @ @ @ @ @ March due to coronavirus-related policies at the prison where Watson is held .
Jury trials @ @ @ @ @ reset until January , at the earliest .
Authorities said Watson sexually assaulted and strangled @ @ @ @ @ Watson escaped , but was found four days later .

RIPLEY, Tenn. (AP) - The trial of a Tennessee convict charged with killing a corrections official before escaping prison on a tractor has been delayed until next year.
Curtis Ray Watson had been scheduled to face trial Oct. 26 in the killing of Tennessee Department of Correction administrator Debra Johnson. Her body was found in her home on the grounds of a state prison in Henning in August 2019.
Johnson had been a state employee for 38 years and oversaw wardens at several area prisons.
Watson is charged with premeditated murder, rape and escape. He has not entered a plea. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Watson’s lawyer, David Stockton, said a judge has moved the trial to Sept. 20, 2021. Stockton said he hasn’t had face-to-face contact with Watson since March due to coronavirus-related policies at the prison where Watson is held.
Stockton said he has filed a motion asking for access to Watson. Defense attorneys have only been able to speak with him by phone, Stockton said.
“The need to reset the trial is also related to the need to evaluate volumes of discovery and obtain the services of experts,” Stockton said.
Jury trials in Lauderdale County have been reset until January, at the earliest. The courtroom and jury room “are not able to be in compliance with the COVID-19 requirements of social distancing to keep the jurors safe during the proceedings,” assistant district attorney Julie K. Pillow said in an emailed statement.
Sequestration for the jury would also create possible risks of virus exposure, Pillow said.
Watson is serving a 15-year sentence for especially aggravated kidnapping.