washingtontimes--2020-04-19--Locally built internet provider improves Colorado service

DENVER ( AP ) - Internet outages became a distant memory this month as a good chunk of western Colorado turned on a new broadband system .
But this wasn ’ t built by a typical telecom .
It took a band of local governments and partners from 14 rural communities to stitch together the 481-mile network , dubbed “ Project Thor.
” Communities from Aspen to Meeker craved better access and affordability but also demanded reliability .
Over the years , multiple outages caused by accidental cuts in the internet line would shut them off from the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for example , medical staff couldn ’ t quickly send images of stroke patients ’ brain scans down to radiologists in Denver for review during an outage , putting “ the patient at significant risk of long-term damage , ” said Dr. Thomas Coburn , a family and emergency medicine physician and CEO of Middle Park Health .
So the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments , referred to as Northwest COG , coordinated the two-year effort of public and private organizations that couldn ’ t wait any longer for existing broadband providers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service outage is extremely taxing on our hospital operations and frustrations do run very high during a down time .
No internet means no email , no access to the outside world , and limited access to even our own networks , ” said Rob C. Wissenbach , director of information technology services for Middle Park Health clinics , which partnered with Project Thor in Kremmling and Granby .
“ So far , the partnership with Thor has proven to be successful.
” Project Thor is that “ middle mile ” of physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an internet service provider that serves consumers .
Thor doesn ’ t serve home users , but Northwest COG partners can tap it for their own communities and share it with their school districts , local institutions and even local ISPs , which , in turn , can expand service to consumers .
It ’ s been fully operational for a few weeks now , though facilities like Middle Park Health have been able to access part of the network since last summer .
While there still could be outages , Thor has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets cut , internet traffic is rerouted to another to prevent an outage for customers .
“ The other day , there was a small fiber outage that affected a few of our communities , ” said Nate Walowitz , director of Northwest COG ’ s broadband operation .
“ And Project Thor kept going .
Nobody knew.
” Project Thor represents a municipal success story in what has been a contentious battle in Colorado over who controls internet service .
Back in 2005 , state lawmakers passed a law preventing municipalities from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 with the city of Glenwood Springs , communities began voting to opt out of Senate Bill 152 .
Today , more than 100 communities are exploring or offering their own broadband service .
Criticism came - and still comes - largely from the cable and telecom industry , which supported the bill as being the fiscally responsible thing to do with taxpayer money .
“ Where you ’ re using government money to put in a duplicate network in a community that already has broadband , that I think is a waste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a finance professor at University of Denver ’ s Daniels College of Business and a consultant for the cable industry .
“ And it ’ s a conflict where you have the government competing with the private sector.
” He pointed to projects in Fort Collins , where the city is constructing a broadband network .
But Rizzuto feels differently about Thor .
“ ( Thor ) is a good example of why you need the government to be the catalyst .
The private sector is not stepping up , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help entice the private sector to participate because the private sector won ’ t act on its own.
” Northwest COG owns the Thor network .
The council is made up of local governments from Jackson , Grand , Summit , Eagle and Pitkin counties .
Not all the county governments joined the broadband project as partners , though some of their cities did .
And neighboring communities - including Glenwood Springs , Georgetown and Meeker - chose to join and help finance construction of the $ 2.6 million project .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to pay for it .
So far , neither Comcast nor CenturyLink has joined .
CenturyLink is plugging away to expand faster internet to 50,000 homes and businesses in rural Colorado by 2021 with the help of federal funds .
Last July , CenturyLink officials told The Colorado Sun that even with federal funds , it ’ s been able to get to only 60 % of the targeted population and can not reach every rural Colorado consumer .
Thor , however , isn ’ t going anywhere CenturyLink doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
The new network “ does not add any significant route diversity and , unfortunately , does not provide the last-mile facilities needed to deliver broadband to rural Colorado consumers and businesses , which are the most expensive areas to serve .
“ We hope that future taxpayer-funded projects focus on meeting the needs of unserved and underserved Coloradans , rather than competing with existing facilities and networks , ” the Monroe , Louisiana-based telecom wrote .
Meanwhile , Comcast is expanding its cable broadband service into Eagle and Gypsum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities involved in Project Thor and “ we appreciate the valuable partnerships we have in those communities , and will remain open to others that could benefit customers , ” the company said in a written statement .
Expanding broadband in rural areas has been difficult for private companies , said Chris Mitchell , director of the Community Broadband Networks at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance , which tracks municipal-owned broadband .
“ Some people believe that the existing companies can be regulated to make sure everyone has access .
I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think you can force CenturyLink to meet rural Colorado needs , ” Mitchell said .
“ In particular , CenturyLink ’ s ( former ) CFO has said they ’ re focused on urban enterprise customers and they are not trying to invest a lot in rural areas , which is a perfectly rational thing for them to do as a publicly owned company.
” That ’ s why Project Thor is “ an impressive feat , ” Mitchell said .
He believes it will pay long-term dividends for those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good system of regional collaboration that other states don ’ t have , ” Mitchell said .
“ So in Colorado , I think it makes sense for local governments to play a major role in solving this problem.
” Project Thor sprang up in 2018 and was named after the Norse god of thunder ( “ The image of the hammer and breaking down roadblocks and breaking down barriers really worked , ” Walowitz said ) .
But the project ’ s origin dates back to 2013 when the council studied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then , 76 % of Colorado ’ s households had broadband access if you counted connections of 200 kbps as broadband , which the Federal Communications Commission did .
That ’ s one-fifth of a megabit per second .
In the Front Range , speeds were about 10 mbps .
“ In sum , we find northwest Colorado broadband sits at the tail end of a middling state in a middling country , ” according to the Northwest COG ’ s report from 2013 .
“ The NWCCOG has decided that simply isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then hired Walowitz , who helped connect the dots for municipalities to get faster broadband .
It helped Jackson County attract a Wyoming broadband provider in 2017 .
It promoted the benefits of broadband in Rio Blanco County , where 1 gbps service is now available in Meeker and Rangely , with wireless service available to “ the remaining , most remote 7,000 residents.
” Red Cliff ’ s broadband service went live in December 2017 .
But there remained a major problem for every town even after their residents voted to opt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those rural communities , if a part of the fiber line inadvertently got cut , there would be no internet since there was often only one internet pipe into the region .
Hence , Project Thor would build a series of loops and provide alternate lines .
The momentum grew , attracting local governments , a school district , a medical office , an electric co-op , internet service providers and even Colorado Department of Transportation , which had existing fiber along local roadways .
“ Most of what we did was leverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the cost of this project so low comparatively .
If we had to build 400 miles of fiber , that would have been a significant investment , ” Walowitz said .
“ … We knew that if we built it on our own , it would have been unaffordable for the region.
” The state Department of Local Affairs kicked in about $ 1.3 million in grants , while participating communities matched the funds .
While reliability was the key goal , a more affordable service was also desired .
Years before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t having any luck negotiating a lower price for internet service from the town ’ s main provider , CenturyLink .
As technology director of the Steamboat Springs School District , he said the district paid about 10 times more for the same amount of data as school districts in more urban areas .
He felt helpless .
He realized he needed some political power .
So he reached out to city and county officials and together , they negotiated as a larger single customer .
It worked .
Prices came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formed Northwest Colorado Broadband , a nonprofit cooperative , that was soon joined by the local hospital , electric utility , community college and others .
But there were still reliability issues resulting in outages .
So the group built its own redundant system and acquired its own internet lines .
Eventually , they weaned themselves off of CenturyLink .
Thor was built on the same premise that as a group , they could negotiate lower prices .
With its own network , NCB also had reached its 10-gig capacity and would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accommodate more users .
So they joined the Thor effort from the start .
“ Thor is exactly what we did but just with more parties , ” Miles said .
“ And now we share that cost and so I ’ m paying less now to join Thor , and I can turn the dial to 100 gigs .
And I ’ m paying less than I was when I was paying ( NCB ) for 10 gigs.
” For the Steamboat Springs school district , Miles said he ’ s now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 times the amount of bandwidth .
And that ’ s already a major savings from what the district once paid CenturyLink years ago .
It ’ s a “ drastic change ” in how much the internet now costs for some Thor partners .
“ I ’ ll say we were paying at least 10 times more per megabit than what we ’ re currently paying ” for Thor , said Wissenbach , with the Middle Park Health clinics .
Northwest COG owns the network and splits its annual $ 1.1 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the amount of data they use .
Partners host “ Meet Me ” centers in 14 communities that opted in for internet .
For Northwest COG , it ’ s a break-even venture where partners pay per megabyte - $ 1.30 per MB for private-sector partners and $ 1.02 for public sector partners .
That ’ s about half what other middle-mile providers charge , Walowitz said .
“ Everyone pays , whether at a large or small Meet Me center , they still pay the same cost per megabyte because we aim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ Project THOR is structured to be an enterprise that covers its costs .
It is not a profit center for Northwest COG.
” Project Thor , however , isn ’ t an internet service sold directly to home users .
But because Thor now offers a reliable backbone , local internet service providers can tap into it and expand service into new communities or upgrade speeds for existing ones .
That ’ s the case for Visionary Broadband , a subsidiary of Mammoth Networks , that launched wireless broadband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broadband , part of Yampa Valley Electric Association , is expanding in Routt County .
Both parent companies are partners in Thor .
But for residents eager for faster internet , the point of Project Thor is that it ’ s already helping attract more ISPs to the region .
One is Allo Communications , which is rolling out service in the Town of Breckenridge .
The Nebraska company agreed to expand in the town because Thor provided that needed redundancy .
“ Even if it was for a maintenance period at night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cause an outage ) when you ’ re providing services to first responders or critical businesses or those types of things , ” said Brad Moline , Allo ’ s president and founder .
“ It ’ s just not how we do business.
” Summit County and Breckenridge are handling the installation to residents ’ homes , with the town expected to spend more than $ 20 million to finance the project .
Allo manages the customer side of the service .
According to Allo , its prices start at $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relies on two sources for internet : Thor and the town ’ s existing provider CenturyLink .
Without two sources , Breckenridge users would be in a bind if there was a fiber cut .
“ The biggest problem that the mountain communities have is with resiliency and redundancy and telecommunications services , especially internet services , ” said Andy Atencio , the IT director for Summit County , a Thor partner .
“ So one of the things that we ’ re getting out of Thor is the ability to really provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are able to get connected to it.
” Ultimately , Thor exists to equip rural governments with tools to help their community access services and other benefits that are disappearing if you ’ re not online , such as telemedicine , banking and even news .
Walowitz said that ’ s Northwest COG ’ s goal : helping its local governments .
“ There are increased numbers of our population that are getting either improved broadband or just getting broadband .
And I believe that will continue to expand , ” Walowitz said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments are not in the business of marketing other than , ‘ Hey come to our town , it ’ s really cool.
’ … They ’ re not in the telecom business .
We ’ re helping bring them to an understanding on how they can help enable more providers to come into town and improve broadband in their communities .
”

DENVER (AP) - Internet outages became a distant memory this month as a good chunk of western Colorado turned on a new broadband system. But this wasn’t built by a typical telecom. It took a band of local governments and partners from 14 rural communities to stitch together the 481-mile network, dubbed “Project Thor.”
Communities from Aspen to Meeker craved better access and affordability but also demanded reliability. Over the years, multiple outages caused by accidental cuts in the internet line would shut them off from the rest of the world. At a Granby clinic, for example, medical staff couldn’t quickly send images of stroke patients’ brain scans down to radiologists in Denver for review during an outage, putting “the patient at significant risk of long-term damage,” said Dr. Thomas Coburn, a family and emergency medicine physician and CEO of Middle Park Health.
So the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, referred to as Northwest COG, coordinated the two-year effort of public and private organizations that couldn’t wait any longer for existing broadband providers to fix their problem.
“A service outage is extremely taxing on our hospital operations and frustrations do run very high during a down time. No internet means no email, no access to the outside world, and limited access to even our own networks,” said Rob C. Wissenbach, director of information technology services for Middle Park Health clinics, which partnered with Project Thor in Kremmling and Granby. “So far, the partnership with Thor has proven to be successful.”
Project Thor is that “middle mile” of physical lines sitting between the greater internet and an internet service provider that serves consumers.
Thor doesn’t serve home users, but Northwest COG partners can tap it for their own communities and share it with their school districts, local institutions and even local ISPs, which, in turn, can expand service to consumers.
It’s been fully operational for a few weeks now, though facilities like Middle Park Health have been able to access part of the network since last summer. While there still could be outages, Thor has multiple redundant lines. If one line gets cut, internet traffic is rerouted to another to prevent an outage for customers.
“The other day, there was a small fiber outage that affected a few of our communities,” said Nate Walowitz, director of Northwest COG’s broadband operation. “And Project Thor kept going. Nobody knew.”
___
Government-owned internet
Project Thor represents a municipal success story in what has been a contentious battle in Colorado over who controls internet service.
Back in 2005, state lawmakers passed a law preventing municipalities from becoming internet providers. But beginning in 2008 with the city of Glenwood Springs, communities began voting to opt out of Senate Bill 152. Today, more than 100 communities are exploring or offering their own broadband service.
Criticism came - and still comes - largely from the cable and telecom industry, which supported the bill as being the fiscally responsible thing to do with taxpayer money.
“Where you’re using government money to put in a duplicate network in a community that already has broadband, that I think is a waste of money,” said Ron Rizzuto, a finance professor at University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business and a consultant for the cable industry. “And it’s a conflict where you have the government competing with the private sector.”
He pointed to projects in Fort Collins, where the city is constructing a broadband network. But Rizzuto feels differently about Thor.
“(Thor) is a good example of why you need the government to be the catalyst. The private sector is not stepping up,” he said. “The government sector can help entice the private sector to participate because the private sector won’t act on its own.”
Northwest COG owns the Thor network. The council is made up of local governments from Jackson, Grand, Summit, Eagle and Pitkin counties. Not all the county governments joined the broadband project as partners, though some of their cities did. And neighboring communities - including Glenwood Springs, Georgetown and Meeker - chose to join and help finance construction of the $2.6 million project.
The new network is available to large users who want to pay for it. So far, neither Comcast nor CenturyLink has joined.
CenturyLink is plugging away to expand faster internet to 50,000 homes and businesses in rural Colorado by 2021 with the help of federal funds. Last July, CenturyLink officials told The Colorado Sun that even with federal funds, it’s been able to get to only 60% of the targeted population and cannot reach every rural Colorado consumer.
Thor, however, isn’t going anywhere CenturyLink doesn’t already have service, the company said in a statement. The new network “does not add any significant route diversity and, unfortunately, does not provide the last-mile facilities needed to deliver broadband to rural Colorado consumers and businesses, which are the most expensive areas to serve.
“We hope that future taxpayer-funded projects focus on meeting the needs of unserved and underserved Coloradans, rather than competing with existing facilities and networks,” the Monroe, Louisiana-based telecom wrote.
Meanwhile, Comcast is expanding its cable broadband service into Eagle and Gypsum. Comcast still offers its service to communities involved in Project Thor and “we appreciate the valuable partnerships we have in those communities, and will remain open to others that could benefit customers,” the company said in a written statement.
Expanding broadband in rural areas has been difficult for private companies, said Chris Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, which tracks municipal-owned broadband.
“Some people believe that the existing companies can be regulated to make sure everyone has access. I’ve lost faith in that approach. I don’t think you can force CenturyLink to meet rural Colorado needs,” Mitchell said. “In particular, CenturyLink’s (former) CFO has said they’re focused on urban enterprise customers and they are not trying to invest a lot in rural areas, which is a perfectly rational thing for them to do as a publicly owned company.”
That’s why Project Thor is “an impressive feat,” Mitchell said. He believes it will pay long-term dividends for those rural communities.
“Colorado already has a good system of regional collaboration that other states don’t have,” Mitchell said. “So in Colorado, I think it makes sense for local governments to play a major role in solving this problem.”
___
Thor’s origins
Project Thor sprang up in 2018 and was named after the Norse god of thunder (“The image of the hammer and breaking down roadblocks and breaking down barriers really worked,” Walowitz said).
But the project’s origin dates back to 2013 when the council studied internet service in the region. Back then, 76% of Colorado’s households had broadband access if you counted connections of 200 kbps as broadband, which the Federal Communications Commission did. That’s one-fifth of a megabit per second. In the Front Range, speeds were about 10 mbps.
“In sum, we find northwest Colorado broadband sits at the tail end of a middling state in a middling country,” according to the Northwest COG’s report from 2013. “The NWCCOG has decided that simply isn’t good enough.”
Northwest COG then hired Walowitz, who helped connect the dots for municipalities to get faster broadband. It helped Jackson County attract a Wyoming broadband provider in 2017. It promoted the benefits of broadband in Rio Blanco County, where 1 gbps service is now available in Meeker and Rangely, with wireless service available to “the remaining, most remote 7,000 residents.” Red Cliff’s broadband service went live in December 2017.
But there remained a major problem for every town even after their residents voted to opt out of the 2005 law. In those rural communities, if a part of the fiber line inadvertently got cut, there would be no internet since there was often only one internet pipe into the region.
Hence, Project Thor would build a series of loops and provide alternate lines. The momentum grew, attracting local governments, a school district, a medical office, an electric co-op, internet service providers and even Colorado Department of Transportation, which had existing fiber along local roadways.
“Most of what we did was leverage existing fiber. That’s what made the cost of this project so low comparatively. If we had to build 400 miles of fiber, that would have been a significant investment,” Walowitz said. “… We knew that if we built it on our own, it would have been unaffordable for the region.”
The state Department of Local Affairs kicked in about $1.3 million in grants, while participating communities matched the funds.
Thor’s final price tag? $2.6 million.
___
The affordability factor
While reliability was the key goal, a more affordable service was also desired. Years before Thor became a project, Tim Miles wasn’t having any luck negotiating a lower price for internet service from the town’s main provider, CenturyLink. As technology director of the Steamboat Springs School District, he said the district paid about 10 times more for the same amount of data as school districts in more urban areas. He felt helpless.
He realized he needed some political power. So he reached out to city and county officials and together, they negotiated as a larger single customer. It worked. Prices came down for the school district. They formed Northwest Colorado Broadband, a nonprofit cooperative, that was soon joined by the local hospital, electric utility, community college and others.
But there were still reliability issues resulting in outages. So the group built its own redundant system and acquired its own internet lines. Eventually, they weaned themselves off of CenturyLink.
Thor was built on the same premise that as a group, they could negotiate lower prices. With its own network, NCB also had reached its 10-gig capacity and would have to invest heavily to expand capacity to accommodate more users. So they joined the Thor effort from the start.
“Thor is exactly what we did but just with more parties,” Miles said. “And now we share that cost and so I’m paying less now to join Thor, and I can turn the dial to 100 gigs. And I’m paying less than I was when I was paying (NCB) for 10 gigs.”
For the Steamboat Springs school district, Miles said he’s now paying $500 a month less for 10 times the amount of bandwidth. And that’s already a major savings from what the district once paid CenturyLink years ago.
It’s a “drastic change” in how much the internet now costs for some Thor partners. “I’ll say we were paying at least 10 times more per megabit than what we’re currently paying” for Thor, said Wissenbach, with the Middle Park Health clinics.
Northwest COG owns the network and splits its annual $1.1 million operating costs among its partners based on the amount of data they use. Partners host “Meet Me” centers in 14 communities that opted in for internet. For Northwest COG, it’s a break-even venture where partners pay per megabyte - $1.30 per MB for private-sector partners and $1.02 for public sector partners. That’s about half what other middle-mile providers charge, Walowitz said.
“Everyone pays, whether at a large or small Meet Me center, they still pay the same cost per megabyte because we aim to be fair and equitable,” he said. “Project THOR is structured to be an enterprise that covers its costs. It is not a profit center for Northwest COG.”
___
Hope for home users
Project Thor, however, isn’t an internet service sold directly to home users. But because Thor now offers a reliable backbone, local internet service providers can tap into it and expand service into new communities or upgrade speeds for existing ones.
That’s the case for Visionary Broadband, a subsidiary of Mammoth Networks, that launched wireless broadband service in Kremmling in August. Luminate Broadband, part of Yampa Valley Electric Association, is expanding in Routt County. Both parent companies are partners in Thor.
But for residents eager for faster internet, the point of Project Thor is that it’s already helping attract more ISPs to the region. One is Allo Communications, which is rolling out service in the Town of Breckenridge. The Nebraska company agreed to expand in the town because Thor provided that needed redundancy.
“Even if it was for a maintenance period at night, it’s not responsible (to cause an outage) when you’re providing services to first responders or critical businesses or those types of things,” said Brad Moline, Allo’s president and founder. “It’s just not how we do business.”
Summit County and Breckenridge are handling the installation to residents’ homes, with the town expected to spend more than $20 million to finance the project. Allo manages the customer side of the service. According to Allo, its prices start at $60 for a 500-mbps connection. Allo relies on two sources for internet: Thor and the town’s existing provider CenturyLink. Without two sources, Breckenridge users would be in a bind if there was a fiber cut.
“The biggest problem that the mountain communities have is with resiliency and redundancy and telecommunications services, especially internet services,” said Andy Atencio, the IT director for Summit County, a Thor partner. “So one of the things that we’re getting out of Thor is the ability to really provide redundant and resilient service to customers that are able to get connected to it.”
Ultimately, Thor exists to equip rural governments with tools to help their community access services and other benefits that are disappearing if you’re not online, such as telemedicine, banking and even news. Walowitz said that’s Northwest COG’s goal: helping its local governments.
“There are increased numbers of our population that are getting either improved broadband or just getting broadband. And I believe that will continue to expand,” Walowitz said. “The reality is that local governments are not in the business of marketing other than, ‘Hey come to our town, it’s really cool.’ … They’re not in the telecom business. We’re helping bring them to an understanding on how they can help enable more providers to come into town and improve broadband in their communities.”


washingtontimes--2020-04-19--How COVID-19 payment accommodations may affect your credit

If you ’ ve been affected by COVID-19 , you may be eligible for relief in paying bills .
That can help you prevent damage to your credit from late payments at a time when protecting your credit could help increase your financial resilience .
But hardship and forbearance programs are not automatic - you have to apply for most of them .
And you ’ ll want to understand how they will affect your credit reports and scores .
The Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act signed into law last month gives consumers some credit protections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data to the credit bureaus will report accounts for which consumers have payment accommodations in place .
If you have an accommodation and you live up to your end of the deal , an account that had been current previously will continue to be reported that way for both account status and payment history , credit expert John Ulzheimer says .
But it won ’ t wipe the slate clean of preexisting negatives : If the account had been delinquent , it will still be reported that way unless you bring it current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add a code to your credit report to indicate you were “ affected by a natural or declared disaster.
” FICO does not consider the codes when calculating credit scores , but VantageScore will disregard late payments for accounts with that code in effect .
A disaster code could make a difference if a lender actually reads the full credit report when making a decision , such as in hand-underwriting , says Ed Mierzwinski , senior director , Federal Consumer Program at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group , a consumer advocacy group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a financial crisis , access to credit is the next best thing to a fat emergency fund .
If you protect your credit , you ’ ll have more or better options when you need them , such as being able to qualify for a low-interest loan .
The most important factor for protecting your credit is not missing a payment .
A payment that ’ s more than 30 days late can cause your credit score to plummet , and the mark can stay on your reports for seven years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are using more of your credit limits , but that damage is more quickly fixed .
Your score will rebound once you can pay balances down .
HOW SHOULD I HANDLE MY BILLS ?
If you ’ re not going to be able to pay bills in full , you ’ ll need to prioritize and get some breathing room .
Here ’ s how : CONTACT CREDITORS AND ASK WHAT ’ S AVAILABLE : Chi Chi Wu , a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center , points out that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach out and get an agreement despite long wait times on the phone and overtaxed websites .
You may be able to get a lower payment temporarily , skip some payments or get a higher credit limit .
Terms of hardship programs vary .
Connect with your credit card issuers and lenders - for mortgage , student loans , car and personal loans , etc .
- to find out about options .
DOCUMENT TERMS OF ANY AGREEMENT : Be sure to document any agreement , whether with screenshots or copious notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you called and whom you talked with .
Save emails and other communications .
Make sure you understand all the details , such as start and end dates , and implications .
For instance , creditors could theoretically reduce your credit limit or otherwise make it harder to access credit if you ask for payment modifications .
But the risk is small , Mierzwinski says .
Credit card issuers use algorithms to help figure out how likely you are to repay them after this crisis is over , and they still want customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ REPORTS : Wu advises checking your credit reports at least 30 days after any agreements take effect to make sure that the accounts are being reported correctly .
You are entitled to at least one free annual credit report from each of the three major bureaus .
If you see accounts reported as late when you have an accommodation in place - or any other errors - dispute the information right away to protect your score .
Guidance issued April 1 by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says that because of coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correct errors on credit reports ( they usually have only 30 ) .
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER If you normally pay bills by autopay , review those .
Change them as needed so you don ’ t overpay accounts or cause an overdraft .
Though utility bills are not typically reflected on your credit reports , it ’ s smart to add utility companies to the list of creditors you call .
Like credit card issuers and lenders , many now have hardship programs for customers affected by the pandemic .
If cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are not going to be able to pay , know how to prioritize the most important bills and seek sources of help .
This article originally appeared on the personal finance website NerdWallet .
Bev O ’ Shea is a writer at NerdWallet .
Email : [ email protected ] Twitter : @ BeverlyOShea .
NerdWallet : Where to Get Financial Assistance During the COVID-19 Crisis https : //bit.ly/financial-help-during-COVID-19 NerdWallet : How to Get Your Free Annual Credit Report https : //bit.ly/free-annual-credit-report NerdWallet : What to Do When You Can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @

If you’ve been affected by COVID-19, you may be eligible for relief in paying bills. That can help you prevent damage to your credit from late payments at a time when protecting your credit could help increase your financial resilience.
But hardship and forbearance programs are not automatic - you have to apply for most of them. And you’ll want to understand how they will affect your credit reports and scores.
HOW THE CARES ACT AFFECTS CREDIT REPORTING
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act signed into law last month gives consumers some credit protections. It dictates how companies that send data to the credit bureaus will report accounts for which consumers have payment accommodations in place.
If you have an accommodation and you live up to your end of the deal, an account that had been current previously will continue to be reported that way for both account status and payment history, credit expert John Ulzheimer says. But it won’t wipe the slate clean of preexisting negatives: If the account had been delinquent, it will still be reported that way unless you bring it current.
You also can ask lenders to add a code to your credit report to indicate you were “affected by a natural or declared disaster.” FICO does not consider the codes when calculating credit scores, but VantageScore will disregard late payments for accounts with that code in effect.
A disaster code could make a difference if a lender actually reads the full credit report when making a decision, such as in hand-underwriting, says Ed Mierzwinski, senior director, Federal Consumer Program at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy group.
WHY YOUR CREDIT MATTERS RIGHT NOW
In a financial crisis, access to credit is the next best thing to a fat emergency fund. If you protect your credit, you’ll have more or better options when you need them, such as being able to qualify for a low-interest loan.
The most important factor for protecting your credit is not missing a payment. A payment that’s more than 30 days late can cause your credit score to plummet, and the mark can stay on your reports for seven years. Your score could also drop if you are using more of your credit limits, but that damage is more quickly fixed. Your score will rebound once you can pay balances down.
HOW SHOULD I HANDLE MY BILLS?
If you’re not going to be able to pay bills in full, you’ll need to prioritize and get some breathing room. Here’s how:
CONTACT CREDITORS AND ASK WHAT’S AVAILABLE: Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, points out that it’s the consumer’s responsibility to reach out and get an agreement despite long wait times on the phone and overtaxed websites.
You may be able to get a lower payment temporarily, skip some payments or get a higher credit limit. Terms of hardship programs vary. Connect with your credit card issuers and lenders - for mortgage, student loans, car and personal loans, etc. - to find out about options.
DOCUMENT TERMS OF ANY AGREEMENT: Be sure to document any agreement, whether with screenshots or copious notes about a phone call. Record when you called and whom you talked with. Save emails and other communications.
Make sure you understand all the details, such as start and end dates, and implications. For instance, creditors could theoretically reduce your credit limit or otherwise make it harder to access credit if you ask for payment modifications. But the risk is small, Mierzwinski says. Credit card issuers use algorithms to help figure out how likely you are to repay them after this crisis is over, and they still want customers, he says.
CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS: Wu advises checking your credit reports at least 30 days after any agreements take effect to make sure that the accounts are being reported correctly.
You are entitled to at least one free annual credit report from each of the three major bureaus. If you see accounts reported as late when you have an accommodation in place - or any other errors - dispute the information right away to protect your score.
Guidance issued April 1 by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says that because of coronavirus, credit bureaus will have 45 days to correct errors on credit reports (they usually have only 30).
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
If you normally pay bills by autopay, review those. Change them as needed so you don’t overpay accounts or cause an overdraft.
Though utility bills are not typically reflected on your credit reports, it’s smart to add utility companies to the list of creditors you call. Like credit card issuers and lenders, many now have hardship programs for customers affected by the pandemic.
If cash is so short that even with concessions you are not going to be able to pay, know how to prioritize the most important bills and seek sources of help.
__________________________
This article originally appeared on the personal finance website NerdWallet. Bev O’Shea is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: boshea@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @BeverlyOShea.
RELATED LINKS:
NerdWallet: What Factors Affect Your Credit Scores? http://bit.ly/credit-score-factors
NerdWallet: Where to Get Financial Assistance During the COVID-19 Crisis https://bit.ly/financial-help-during-COVID-19
NerdWallet: How to Get Your Free Annual Credit Report https://bit.ly/free-annual-credit-report
NerdWallet: What to Do When You Can’t Pay Your Bills https://bit.ly/help-with-bills


washingtontimes--2020-04-19--Battleground power plays rage as everyday politics go quiet

Local party activity ?
Some Facebook traffic , if that .
Across an arc of vital swing states , the coronavirus has put politics on an uneasy pause .
Instead , political fights among state leaders from Iowa to Pennsylvania over the handling of the pandemic ’ s impact are raging as it spreads over this electoral heartland .
Protecting public health versus restarting the economy , along with arguments over the limits of executive authority , have taken the place of the national political debate typical of presidential campaigns at this point .
They reflect , unlike the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a willingness to politicize this crisis .
It ’ s one more clear measure of a polarized era .
“ Yes , politicos and pols will always have November on their mind , ” said Iowa GOP strategist John Stineman .
“ But , in my mind , what we are seeing right now is more about each base criticizing the other side for being wrong , a product of the political environment we have allowed to take root.
” Iowa , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin , where Democratic nominees had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tipped to Trump in 2016 , sealing his victory with their combined 52 electoral votes .
While politics have slipped to an afterthought for most Americans behind a toll of mounting coronavirus deaths , lost wages and closed schools , the campaign buzz of a little more than a month ago has silenced .
In swing-voting Bay County , Michigan , Democratic activity had been humming , as it was statewide before the March 10 presidential primary when participation jumped by 32 % over 2016 .
A week later , Bay City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parade - the state ’ s largest and a Democratic tradition - was canceled .
So was the county ’ s Democratic fundraising dinner , to feature Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .
“ I see chatter on social media .
But as far as activity , it ’ s pretty much down to nothing , ” said Bay County Democratic Chairwoman Karen Tighe .
Iowa canceled Democratic conventions in its 99 counties , a setback after 2018 Statehouse and congressional gains and a yearlong parade of presidential candidates vying for support in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans for his fundraiser in Dallas County , Iowa , an emerging suburban battlefront .
“ Politics is going to be there again , ” he said .
“ But raising money now just doesn ’ t feel right.
” Democratic organizer Angela Lang ’ s door-to-door canvassing in struggling north Milwaukee had to shut down in late March , hurting her ability to reach this pivotal African American bloc before Wisconsin ’ s April 7 primary .
“ I think for most Americans , politics is taking a major back seat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this new normal for most of us , ” said former Iowa Gov .
Tom Vilsack , a Democrat .
Even as the virus raged in Pennsylvania , Republicans in Harrisburg pushed through legislation aimed at reversing the shutdown edicts of Democratic Gov .
Tom Wolf , painting him as unconcerned with struggling families .
During debate Thursday , Republican state Sen. John DiSanto said Wolf had forced “ 1.3 million Pennsylvanians out of work so far , put businesses at risk of permanent closure and imperiled the long-term health of Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Republicans were trying to throw workers back into the pandemic ’ s path .
“ Let the world know whose lives are we willing to sacrifice , ” Democratic Rep. Jordan Harris of Philadelphia said a day earlier .
In Iowa , Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand has questioned the data Republican Gov .
Kim Reynolds is using to justify allowing more freedom of movement than in neighboring states .
Reynolds ’ aides were quick to point out public affirmation from Dr. Anthony Fauci after the federal government ’ s top infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a White House event this month .
The tension is most pronounced in Michigan , where the outbreak is far worse than in any of the other northern political battlegrounds .
Republicans last week sharply trimmed the emergency order Whitmer hoped to extend to June , before she struck back with a sweeping disaster declaration .
“ Michigan ’ s recovery will take much longer and its economic impact will be much more devastating than it needed to be , ” Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield said .
Democrats accused Republicans of racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the predominantly African American Detroit area .
“ It ’ s an us-versus-them thing with the rest of the state versus Detroit , ” said Amy Chapman , an informal Whitmer adviser .
“ That ’ s another dog whistle of sorts.
” More than 1,700 people had died in Wayne , Macomb and Oakland counties , the heart of metro Detroit , as of Friday , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Whitmer ’ s criticism of the federal response in Michigan devolved into a public tiff with President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pence , his coronavirus task force leader , not call “ the woman from Michigan.
” Michigan Democrats echoed Whitmer ’ s criticism of the federal response to Detroit ’ s crisis , while GOP figures urged Trump to deescalate tension with the swing-state governor .
Meanwhile , presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has built little campaign structure across the region .
Trump is relying on state GOP headquarters for his operations , though they too have been largely empty .
Pro- and anti-Trump groups unaffiliated with the candidates have carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
Democrat-backed groups Priorities USA and American Bridge have aired millions of dollars in advertising savaging Trump ’ s handling of the crisis .
“ Only the die-hards are paying attention to election politics , ” Vilsack said .
“ However , opinions have formed and will continue to form on politics of how the administration is handling the situation.
” Associated Press writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania , and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report .

This photo provided by the Michigan Office of the Governor, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Mich., Friday, April 17, 2020. Whitmer said she hopes to gradually begin reopening the state’s economy on May …
This photo provided by the Michigan …


washingtontimes--2020-04-19--Henry McMaster, South Carolina governor, to reopen nonessential stores, beaches: Report

COLUMBIA , S.C. — South Carolina retail stores and public beach access points that had been closed to halt the spread of the coronavirus will be allowed to reopen next week , The Post and Courier reported Saturday .
Republican Gov .
Henry McMaster will issue orders Monday to allow for the reopenings to take place on Tuesday , the governor ’ s chief of staff , Trey Walker , told the newspaper .
The order will apply to numerous nonessential stores , including department stores , flea markets , florists , bookstores and music shops .
Grocery stores , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities have been allowed to stay open during the pandemic .
Occupancy in each store will be limited to five customers per 1,000 square feet of retail space or 20 % occupancy , whichever is less , the newspaper said .
Local governments will still be allowed to make their own rules about waterway access .
Sullivan ’ s Island , Isle of Palms and Folly Beach are among those that have banned access to nonresidents .
The governor ’ s stay-at-home order will remain in place , as will the ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salons and gyms will stay closed for now , although Walker said the governor is considering ways they can be safely reopened in the future .
McMaster on Friday opened public boat ramps , a small first step toward opening the state .
Even though state health officials have said they are not expecting coronavirus cases to peak until early May , infection rates have dropped enough to ease some restrictions , Walker said .
State health officials on Saturday announced 165 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and three additional deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to more than 4,200 , according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control .
At least 119 have died .
Two of the deaths involved elderly individuals with underlying health conditions from Horry County .
The other was a middle-aged individual with no known underlying health conditions who was from Aiken County .
So far , DHEC and private labs have combined to administer about 39,000 tests .
DHEC estimates the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is nine to 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be infected .
For most people , this coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms .
For some , it can cause severe illness such as pneumonia , or even death .

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina retail stores and public beach access points that had been closed to halt the spread of the coronavirus will be allowed to reopen next week, The Post and Courier reported Saturday.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will issue orders Monday to allow for the reopenings to take place on Tuesday, the governor’s chief of staff, Trey Walker, told the newspaper.
The order will apply to numerous nonessential stores, including department stores, flea markets, florists, bookstores and music shops. Grocery stores, pharmacies, home improvement stores and medical facilities have been allowed to stay open during the pandemic.
Occupancy in each store will be limited to five customers per 1,000 square feet of retail space or 20% occupancy, whichever is less, the newspaper said.
Local governments will still be allowed to make their own rules about waterway access. Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms and Folly Beach are among those that have banned access to nonresidents.
The governor’s stay-at-home order will remain in place, as will the ban on eating inside restaurants, Walker said.
Salons and gyms will stay closed for now, although Walker said the governor is considering ways they can be safely reopened in the future.
McMaster on Friday opened public boat ramps, a small first step toward opening the state.
Even though state health officials have said they are not expecting coronavirus cases to peak until early May, infection rates have dropped enough to ease some restrictions, Walker said.
State health officials on Saturday announced 165 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and three additional deaths.
This brings the total number of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in South Carolina to more than 4,200, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. At least 119 have died.
Two of the deaths involved elderly individuals with underlying health conditions from Horry County. The other was a middle-aged individual with no known underlying health conditions who was from Aiken County.
So far, DHEC and private labs have combined to administer about 39,000 tests. DHEC estimates the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is nine to 10 times the more than 4,000 people known to be infected.
For most people, this coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause severe illness such as pneumonia, or even death.


washingtontimes--2020-04-19--Laura Kelly, Kansas governor, has religious gatherings ban blocked by federal judge

TOPEKA , Kan. — A federal judge on Saturday blocked Kansas from limiting attendance at in-person religious worship services or activities to 10 people or fewer to check the spread of the coronavirus , signaling that he believes that it ’ s likely that the policy violates religious freedom and free speech rights .
The ruling from U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita prevents the enforcement of an order issued by Gov .
Laura Kelly if pastors and congregations observe social distancing .
The judge ’ s decision will remain in effect until May 2 ; he has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Kelly by two churches and their pastors .
Kelly continued to defend her order in a statement : “ This is not about religion .
This is about a public health crisis.
” Broomes ’ action comes amid strong criticism of the Democratic governor ’ s order from the Republican-controlled Legislature and increasing pressure from GOP lawmakers to lift at least part of a stay-at-home order for all 2.9 million Kansas residents that took effect March 30 and is set to continue until May 3 .
“ Churches and religious activities appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ functions for stricter treatment , ” Broomes wrote in his order .
COVID-19-related deaths rose Saturday by two , to 86 , and confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 85 to 1,790 .
Kelly ’ s office said six deaths and 80 cases are tied to religious gatherings .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness and death .
The lawsuit over church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church in Dodge City and Pastor Stephen Ormond and Calvary Baptist Church in Junction City and Pastor Aaron Harris .
The lawsuit said both churches held indoor Easter services with 20 or more members of the congregation present .
Broomes ’ order does not let the churches have services without any restrictions .
Instead , he ordered them to abide by recommendations for social distancing that people stay 6 feet apart and to continue following other practices the lawsuit said they had imposed , such as not using collection plates .
“ Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the Constitution , ” said Tyson Langhofer , senior counsel for the Christian-founded and conservative Alliance for Defending Freedom , which was involved in the case .
“ We can prioritize the health of safety of ourselves and our neighbors without harming churches and people of faith.
” Kelly ’ s order limited in-person religious services or activities to 10 congregation members but didn ’ t limit the number of pastors , choir members and others who could put on the service , so long as they practiced social distancing .
Kansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , warned that it would be unconstitutional to cite or fine churches and pastors for violating Kelly ’ s order .
“ Ultimately , the people were forced to stop her , ” Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle , a Wichita Republican , said in a statement .
Many Kansas churches have moved services online , but the pastors and churches suing Kelly said they believe God calls them to engage in “ corporate ” prayer .
They argued Kelly could have imposed less restrictive measures on churches to help slow the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Kelly ’ s stay-at-home order had exceptions for numerous “ essential ” businesses , so her policies unfairly targeted and showed “ hostility ” toward churches .
Broomes noted the exceptions for some businesses , calling the different treatment of churches “ arbitrary.
” But Kelly called the judge ’ s decision “ preliminary ” and some critics said it could be applied to only the two churches that sued .
“ There is still a long way to go in this case , ” Kelly said .
“ And we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the side of caution where Kansans ’ health and safety is at stake , ” Kelly said .
Top Republican legislative leaders moved last week to revoke Kelly ’ s order on church gatherings themselves , only to see the Democratic governor thwart their efforts by contesting their action before the Kansas Supreme Court .
The state ’ s highest court let her order stand on technical grounds , without deciding whether it violated freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. or Kansas constitutions .
Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. , a Kansas City-area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay home , but , “ the state can not and should not set up a double standard .
”

TOPEKA, Kan. — A federal judge on Saturday blocked Kansas from limiting attendance at in-person religious worship services or activities to 10 people or fewer to check the spread of the coronavirus, signaling that he believes that it’s likely that the policy violates religious freedom and free speech rights.
The ruling from U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita prevents the enforcement of an order issued by Gov. Laura Kelly if pastors and congregations observe social distancing. The judge’s decision will remain in effect until May 2; he has a hearing scheduled Thursday in a lawsuit filed against Kelly by two churches and their pastors.
Kelly continued to defend her order in a statement: “This is not about religion. This is about a public health crisis.”
Broomes’ action comes amid strong criticism of the Democratic governor’s order from the Republican-controlled Legislature and increasing pressure from GOP lawmakers to lift at least part of a stay-at-home order for all 2.9 million Kansas residents that took effect March 30 and is set to continue until May 3.
“Churches and religious activities appear to have been singled out among essential functions for stricter treatment,” Broomes wrote in his order.
COVID-19-related deaths rose Saturday by two, to 86, and confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 85 to 1,790. Kelly’s office said six deaths and 80 cases are tied to religious gatherings.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death.
The lawsuit over church gatherings was filed Thursday by First Baptist Church in Dodge City and Pastor Stephen Ormond and Calvary Baptist Church in Junction City and Pastor Aaron Harris. The lawsuit said both churches held indoor Easter services with 20 or more members of the congregation present.
Broomes’ order does not let the churches have services without any restrictions. Instead, he ordered them to abide by recommendations for social distancing that people stay 6 feet apart and to continue following other practices the lawsuit said they had imposed, such as not using collection plates.
“Public safety is important, but so is following the Constitution,” said Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel for the Christian-founded and conservative Alliance for Defending Freedom, which was involved in the case. “We can prioritize the health of safety of ourselves and our neighbors without harming churches and people of faith.”
Kelly’s order limited in-person religious services or activities to 10 congregation members but didn’t limit the number of pastors, choir members and others who could put on the service, so long as they practiced social distancing. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, warned that it would be unconstitutional to cite or fine churches and pastors for violating Kelly’s order.
“Ultimately, the people were forced to stop her,” Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, said in a statement.
Many Kansas churches have moved services online, but the pastors and churches suing Kelly said they believe God calls them to engage in “corporate” prayer.
They argued Kelly could have imposed less restrictive measures on churches to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. They also said that Kelly’s stay-at-home order had exceptions for numerous “essential” businesses, so her policies unfairly targeted and showed “hostility” toward churches.
Broomes noted the exceptions for some businesses, calling the different treatment of churches “arbitrary.”
But Kelly called the judge’s decision “preliminary” and some critics said it could be applied to only the two churches that sued.
“There is still a long way to go in this case,” Kelly said. “And we will continue to be proactive and err on the side of caution where Kansans’ health and safety is at stake,” Kelly said.
Top Republican legislative leaders moved last week to revoke Kelly’s order on church gatherings themselves, only to see the Democratic governor thwart their efforts by contesting their action before the Kansas Supreme Court. The state’s highest court let her order stand on technical grounds, without deciding whether it violated freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. or Kansas constitutions.
Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a Kansas City-area Republican, texted that people need to stay home, but, “the state cannot and should not set up a double standard.”
___
Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/apjdhanna


washingtontimes--2020-04-19--Bill Kirby, Auburn, California mayor who resigned after Donald Trump comments, dies in plane crash

AUBURN , Calif. — The former mayor of a Northern California city who stepped down after he harshly criticized President Donald Trump and his supporters died Saturday in a plane crash , the Sacramento Bee reported .
Dr. Bill Kirby , who was the mayor of Auburn , died in the crash Saturday morning near the Auburn Municipal Airport , officials told the Bee .
Kirby , a urologist , was the pilot of the plane that crashed shortly after 11 a.m. , the newspaper reported .
A passenger in the plane suffered minor injuries and was transported to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Forestry and Fire Protection .
The Bee reported that a Facebook post from Sacramento political consultant Jeff Raimundo carried a statement from the Kirby family confirming he was the victim .
“ Our family is devastated by this tragic news , ” the statement by the family said .
“ Bill devoted decades of enthusiastic and loving support to his family , his patients and the Auburn community he loved so much .
We will miss him immensely but take comfort in knowing he died while flying – one of the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 72 , had been a licensed pilot since at least 2009 , according to public records cited by the Bee .
Kirby gained notoriety last week after social media posts criticizing Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic and comparing the president ’ s supporters to KKK members .
He told the Auburn Journal a week ago that his Facebook posts were made on a personal page and that “ this has nothing to do with my job .
I reposted it.
” He added that he “ absolutely ” believes Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts and statements created an outcry and calls for his recall .
He announced during a City Council meeting Monday that he was stepping aside from his post as mayor and was expected to be succeeded by Councilman Daniel Berlant , the Bee reported .

AUBURN, Calif. — The former mayor of a Northern California city who stepped down after he harshly criticized President Donald Trump and his supporters died Saturday in a plane crash, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Dr. Bill Kirby, who was the mayor of Auburn, died in the crash Saturday morning near the Auburn Municipal Airport, officials told the Bee.
Kirby, a urologist, was the pilot of the plane that crashed shortly after 11 a.m., the newspaper reported. A passenger in the plane suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Bee reported that a Facebook post from Sacramento political consultant Jeff Raimundo carried a statement from the Kirby family confirming he was the victim.
“Our family is devastated by this tragic news,” the statement by the family said. “Bill devoted decades of enthusiastic and loving support to his family, his patients and the Auburn community he loved so much. We will miss him immensely but take comfort in knowing he died while flying – one of the other loves of his life.”
Kirby, 72, had been a licensed pilot since at least 2009, according to public records cited by the Bee.
Kirby gained notoriety last week after social media posts criticizing Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and comparing the president’s supporters to KKK members.
He told the Auburn Journal a week ago that his Facebook posts were made on a personal page and that “this has nothing to do with my job. I reposted it.”
He added that he “absolutely” believes Trump is a racist.
Kirby’s posts and statements created an outcry and calls for his recall. He announced during a City Council meeting Monday that he was stepping aside from his post as mayor and was expected to be succeeded by Councilman Daniel Berlant, the Bee reported.


washingtontimes--2020-04-19--Virus outbreak threatens Germany's tradition-laden breweries

WERNECK , Germany ( AP ) - The Werneck Brewery has survived a lot : world wars , economic crises and decades of declining beer consumption .
But after 400 years in existence it has finally met a challenge it can ’ t overcome : the coronavirus outbreak .
The brewery , which traces its history to 1617 and has been owned by the same family since 1861 , is closing for good , taking with it 15 full-time jobs and more part-time positions .
Also gone is a chunk of local history and tradition in Werneck , a town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of Bavaria .
German brewers fear its demise is the leading edge of more closures as the virus outbreak threatens the existence of the country ’ s many local producers of the national beverage - community institutions , often family owned for generations , whose buildings and affiliated taverns are regional landmarks in a country where the hometown brew is often a sentimental favorite despite competition from national brands .
Hardest hit are smaller breweries that like the one in Werneck that depend on supplying kegs to local taverns and events such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the government says mass gatherings will not resume until Sept. 1 at the earliest - and even then it may take years before they rebound to levels seen before the virus outbreak .
Retail sales are providing some support as people drink at home .
Breweries are trying things like drive-through sales and even shipping beer and glasses to customers so they can join an on-line tasting .
But for many the months without income may be more than they can handle .
Family member and brewery manager Christine Lang said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tears.
” The beer market was already hard fought with tough price competition , she said .
Then came the virus , and the restaurant customers the brewery depended on were suddenly closed , with no clarity on when they might open .
“ No one knows how long the coronavirus will last , when there will be an improvement , and whether the restaurants will open again at all , ” she said .
“ And in our business it ’ s the case that a beer that isn ’ t drunk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a couple of months , the sales revenue is gone , lost.
” According to a survey by the national brewers association some 87 % of breweries say they are putting workers on short hours , taking advantage of a government program that pays up to 60 % of net salaries during business interruptions .
The program is aimed at getting companies through a crisis , keeping workers from being laid off , and supporting consumer spending in the economy .
But other programs such as credits and delays in collecting taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Credits mean taking on new debt for the future , and the taxes will eventually have to be paid as well .
Holger Eichele , secretary general of the German Brewers Association , said that “ many breweries will not survive this crisis , that is already becoming clear.
” In addition to longtime brewers focused on restaurants , “ we also have many entrepreneurs , that is , craft breweries , that are not yet profitable , that have borrowed money to finance their startup , and it ’ s also very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes at a time when enthusiasm for craft beer and microbreweries has helped the industry overcome several decades of declining beer consumption .
The number of brewers has grown in recent years to over 1,500 , as startups introduced new products such as India pale ales into what had been a very conservative lineup based on traditional pilsners and wheat beers .
More diversified producers are better equipped to survive .
Welde , a family run brewery near Heidelberg that traces its history to 1752 , normally sells about a third to retail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply events and sports clubs , and a third to restaurants .
Managing director Max Spielmann , who represents the ninth generation of Spielmanns to run Welde , estimates that 30-40 % of sales will be lost in April , May and June .
“ If you have 85 % of your sales in keg beer to restaurants , then you only have 15 % of your revenue left , ” he said .
“ The only sales channel that is doing well is retail sales in grocery stores , one can see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken place in restaurants has shifted to home.
” He and other brewers are trying new things out of necessity .
Welde offers an on-line beer tasting on Facebook .
Participants can have six different beers and the appropriate glass delivered for 25 euros ( $ 27 ) so they can taste along with the chat on April 23 .
The Schumacher Brewery in Duesseldorf is offering drive-through service on Fridays and no-contact home delivery .
The website of the Gaffel brewery in Cologne , which makes the city ’ s trademark beer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing two neighbors on adjacent balconies enjoying what the company says is “ the best koelsch , by a good distance , ” a pun on the social distancing requirements of the moment .
Says Spielmann : “ All my forecasts say that we will get through it , with a black eye.
” He thinks the crisis could spur people to support their local brewers , food producers , restaurants and hotels , keeping international tastes for food and drink but indulging them close to home , a prospect he called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ local.
” For Lang from the Werneck Brewery , something irreplaceable has been lost .
“ My family and I will miss it very much .
The brewery has been ever-present , part of every dinner table conversation all our lives , ” he said .
“ We will be missing part of our identity , and in a way the region will too.
” Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

WERNECK, Germany (AP) - The Werneck Brewery has survived a lot: world wars, economic crises and decades of declining beer consumption. But after 400 years in existence it has finally met a challenge it can’t overcome: the coronavirus outbreak.
The brewery, which traces its history to 1617 and has been owned by the same family since 1861, is closing for good, taking with it 15 full-time jobs and more part-time positions. Also gone is a chunk of local history and tradition in Werneck, a town of 10,000 people in the brewery-rich southern state of Bavaria.
German brewers fear its demise is the leading edge of more closures as the virus outbreak threatens the existence of the country’s many local producers of the national beverage - community institutions, often family owned for generations, whose buildings and affiliated taverns are regional landmarks in a country where the hometown brew is often a sentimental favorite despite competition from national brands.
Hardest hit are smaller breweries that like the one in Werneck that depend on supplying kegs to local taverns and events such as local festivals. Restaurants are closed and the government says mass gatherings will not resume until Sept. 1 at the earliest - and even then it may take years before they rebound to levels seen before the virus outbreak.
Retail sales are providing some support as people drink at home. Breweries are trying things like drive-through sales and even shipping beer and glasses to customers so they can join an on-line tasting.
But for many the months without income may be more than they can handle.
Family member and brewery manager Christine Lang said the decision to close came with “many tears.” The beer market was already hard fought with tough price competition, she said. Then came the virus, and the restaurant customers the brewery depended on were suddenly closed, with no clarity on when they might open.
“No one knows how long the coronavirus will last, when there will be an improvement, and whether the restaurants will open again at all,” she said. “And in our business it’s the case that a beer that isn’t drunk today won’t be consumed twice in a couple of months, the sales revenue is gone, lost.”
According to a survey by the national brewers association some 87% of breweries say they are putting workers on short hours, taking advantage of a government program that pays up to 60% of net salaries during business interruptions. The program is aimed at getting companies through a crisis, keeping workers from being laid off, and supporting consumer spending in the economy. But other programs such as credits and delays in collecting taxes are less useful, brewers say. Credits mean taking on new debt for the future, and the taxes will eventually have to be paid as well.
Holger Eichele, secretary general of the German Brewers Association, said that “many breweries will not survive this crisis, that is already becoming clear.” In addition to longtime brewers focused on restaurants, “we also have many entrepreneurs, that is, craft breweries, that are not yet profitable, that have borrowed money to finance their startup, and it’s also very difficult for them.”
The unexpected shock comes at a time when enthusiasm for craft beer and microbreweries has helped the industry overcome several decades of declining beer consumption. The number of brewers has grown in recent years to over 1,500, as startups introduced new products such as India pale ales into what had been a very conservative lineup based on traditional pilsners and wheat beers.
More diversified producers are better equipped to survive. Welde, a family run brewery near Heidelberg that traces its history to 1752, normally sells about a third to retail outlets, a third to wholesalers who supply events and sports clubs, and a third to restaurants.
Managing director Max Spielmann, who represents the ninth generation of Spielmanns to run Welde, estimates that 30-40% of sales will be lost in April, May and June. “If you have 85% of your sales in keg beer to restaurants, then you only have 15% of your revenue left,” he said. “The only sales channel that is doing well is retail sales in grocery stores, one can see that the consumption that normally would have taken place in restaurants has shifted to home.”
He and other brewers are trying new things out of necessity. Welde offers an on-line beer tasting on Facebook. Participants can have six different beers and the appropriate glass delivered for 25 euros ($27) so they can taste along with the chat on April 23.
The Schumacher Brewery in Duesseldorf is offering drive-through service on Fridays and no-contact home delivery. The website of the Gaffel brewery in Cologne, which makes the city’s trademark beer dubbed koelsch, encouraged home consumption by showing two neighbors on adjacent balconies enjoying what the company says is “the best koelsch, by a good distance,” a pun on the social distancing requirements of the moment.
Says Spielmann: “All my forecasts say that we will get through it, with a black eye.” He thinks the crisis could spur people to support their local brewers, food producers, restaurants and hotels, keeping international tastes for food and drink but indulging them close to home, a prospect he called “glocal,” combining “global” and “local.”
For Lang from the Werneck Brewery, something irreplaceable has been lost.
“My family and I will miss it very much. The brewery has been ever-present, part of every dinner table conversation all our lives,” she said. “We will be missing part of our identity, and in a way the region will, too.”
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Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-04-19--Eastern Christians mark Easter in shuttered Jerusalem church

JERUSALEM ( AP ) - A handful of Eastern Orthodox priests held mass for the Christian holiday of Easter on Sunday in an empty Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem due to restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Eastern Christian rites mark Easter , the day Christians believe Jesus was resurrected after his crucifixion , a week after the Catholic calendar .
Ordinarily , the church would be filled with faithful and tourists , but travel restrictions imposed by Israel to prevent the spread of the coronavirus have prevented the arrival of pilgrims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited the gathering of worshipers at the church .
Easter mass was performed by a small group of clergy at the Holy Sepulcher , where many Christians believe Jesus was entombed .
The square outside was empty , the church ’ s large wooden doors barred shut , but a few individual worshipers came to pray outside .
Israel has recorded over 13,000 COVID-19 cases and over 170 deaths .
A day earlier a small group of clerics at the church celebrated the ancient Holy Fire ceremony , which normally draws enormous crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the globe from within a chamber where Christians believe Jesus was buried and rose from the dead .
In Egypt , Pope Tawadros II , the spiritual leader of the country ’ s Coptic Orthodox Christians , held Easter services in an empty monastery in the desert , amid coronavirus restrictions that kept faithful from gathering at churches and monasteries across the country .
The services were held at the Monastery of Saint Pishoy , in a desert valley west of Cairo known as Wadi Natrun .
A few clergymen attended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coptic Orthodox television station .
The clerics were seen practicing social distancing during the prayers .
The Coptic Orthodox Church , one the world ’ s oldest Christian communities , decided earlier this month to suspend Easter prayers and celebrations at churches and monasteries because of the spread of the deadly virus .
Christians constitute around 10 percent of Egypt ’ s more than 100 million predominantly Muslim population .
Egypt , the Arab world ’ s most populous country , has 3,032 cases including 224 deaths .

JERUSALEM (AP) - A handful of Eastern Orthodox priests held mass for the Christian holiday of Easter on Sunday in an empty Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem due to restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
Eastern Christian rites mark Easter, the day Christians believe Jesus was resurrected after his crucifixion, a week after the Catholic calendar.
Ordinarily, the church would be filled with faithful and tourists, but travel restrictions imposed by Israel to prevent the spread of the coronavirus have prevented the arrival of pilgrims to Jerusalem for the springtime holiday and limited the gathering of worshipers at the church.
Easter mass was performed by a small group of clergy at the Holy Sepulcher, where many Christians believe Jesus was entombed. The square outside was empty, the church’s large wooden doors barred shut, but a few individual worshipers came to pray outside.
Israel has recorded over 13,000 COVID-19 cases and over 170 deaths.
A day earlier a small group of clerics at the church celebrated the ancient Holy Fire ceremony, which normally draws enormous crowds as a flame is transferred to faithful around the globe from within a chamber where Christians believe Jesus was buried and rose from the dead.
In Egypt, Pope Tawadros II, the spiritual leader of the country’s Coptic Orthodox Christians, held Easter services in an empty monastery in the desert, amid coronavirus restrictions that kept faithful from gathering at churches and monasteries across the country.
The services were held at the Monastery of Saint Pishoy, in a desert valley west of Cairo known as Wadi Natrun. A few clergymen attended the services, which was aired on a Coptic Orthodox television station. The clerics were seen practicing social distancing during the prayers.
The Coptic Orthodox Church, one the world’s oldest Christian communities, decided earlier this month to suspend Easter prayers and celebrations at churches and monasteries because of the spread of the deadly virus.
Christians constitute around 10% of Egypt’s more than 100 million predominantly Muslim population.
Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, has 3,144 cases including 239 deaths.


washingtontimes--2020-04-19--UN experts want to blacklist 14 ships over NKorea sanctions

UNITED NATIONS ( AP ) - U.N. experts have recommended blacklisting 14 vessels for violating sanctions against North Korea in a report that accuses the country of increasing illegal coal exports , imports of petroleum products and continuing with cyber attacks on financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to gain illicit revenue .
The 267-page report , obtained Saturday by The Associated Press , also accused North Korea of importing luxury vehicles , watches and liquor and other sanctioned items including robotic machinery , and continuing to illegally access international banking channels “ mainly by using third party intermediaries.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions against the Democratic People ’ s Republic of Korea , the country ’ s official name , including banning most of its exports and severely limiting is imports , to pressure Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs .
The full report by the panel of experts monitoring the sanctions provides more details to the summary and some excerpts reported by AP in February .
It includes photos of ballistic missile launchers , nuclear sites and vessels recommended for blacklisting .
The panel made 39 recommendations to the Security Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vessels .
It said one vessel is registered in Sierra Leone and six were previously registered in the West African nation .
Two are North Korean , one is Chinese , one Vietnamese , one was formerly registered in Togo , one was formerly registered in St. Kitts and Nevis , and the flag of one is unknown .
China has been neighboring North Korea ’ s largest trading partner and has been considered critical to enforcing U.N. sanctions .
The panel said the Chinese-flagged Yun Hong 8 - which it recommended for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls between February and October 2019 at the North Korean port of Nampo and delivered refined petroleum .
It was also observed during that period receiving refined petroleum from other foreign-flagged vessels , which an unidentified U.N. member state said was likely for delivery to the DPRK , the experts said .
China responded to the panel ’ s inquiry about the vessel by questioning “ the serious lack of accuracy of the relevant information , ” the report said .
China ’ s Foreign Ministry and U.N. ambassador have said the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the report provided by an unnamed U.N. member state shows multiple coal-laden DPRK-flagged vessels at anchor near Lianyungang , China , which the panel said is being used to conduct ship-to-ship coal transfers .
The panel said it is investigating a Vietnam-flagged vessel , the Phuong Linh 269 , suspected of delivering coal originating in North Korea to the Chinese port of Qisha on multiple occasions .
Despite a U.N. ban , the panel said North Korea ’ s coal exports increased in 2019 .
It cited an unnamed member state saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coal between January and August 2019 , with an estimated value of $ 370 million .
The Security Council also banned the export of earth and stone , which includes sand .
The panel said an unidentified member state reported that a substantial sand-export operation from the DPRK to China has been carried out since May 2019 with over 100 illicit shipments involving at least 1 million tons of sand worth at least $ 22 million .
“ China responded that it attached great importance to the clues provided by the panel in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Democratic People ’ s Republic of Korea , ” but was unable to confirm that the sand had been transported to Chinese ports , the report said .
As for the import of refined petroleum products , which is limited 500,000 barrels annually , the panel said the addition of larger foreign-flagged tankers delivering to the DPRK has expanded its illicit imports .
It said an unidentified member state calculated that in the first 10 months of 2019 , “ foreign-flagged tankers alone had made a total of 64 deliveries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrels of refined petroleum products.
” The panel said North Korea has also continued to transfer fishing rights in violation of sanctions , which earned the country $ 120 million in 2018 , according to an unnamed member state .
Under a 2017 sanctions resolution , all DPRK nationals working overseas were to be repatriated by Dec. 22 , 2019 .
In China , Russia and elsewhere , there is strong demand for cheap North Korean workers .
The U.S. State Department previously estimated there were about 100,000 North Korean workers worldwide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the DPRK an estimated $ 200 million to $ 500 million in revenue a year .
The report said “ in multiple cases , workers were not repatriated to the Democratic People ’ s Republic of Korea but moved to a third country.
” The panel said an unnamed member state alleged that 2,000 North Koreans “ recently entered China on visitor visas for the purpose of earning income.
” In response to its inquiry , the panel said China replied that it could not verify the allegation .
On individual cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Han Kwang Song , who joined the youth wing of Italy ’ s Juventus Football Club in 2019 , joined the Qatari team al-Duhail in January , and Choe Son Hyok has been playing for Italy ’ s Societa Sportiva Arezzo since 2018 .
Austria reported that it had initiated procedures to revoke the work permit of Pak Kwang Ryong , who has played for Sportklub Niederösterreich St. Pölten since 2017 .
As for cyber attacks , the panel said North Korea is becoming “ increasingly sophisticated ” in targeting both financial institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual money like bitcoin , Ethereum and Ripple .
Last August , the panel said North Korean cyber experts illegally raised money for the country ’ s weapons of mass destruction programs “ with total proceeds to date estimated at up to $ 2 billion.
” In the new report , the panel cited a U.S. court document in which Virgil Griffith , an American who spoke at an April 2019 “ cryptocurrency conference ” in Pyongyang , said organizers told him that “ during his presentation , ( he ) should stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology .
”

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.N. experts have recommended blacklisting 14 vessels for violating sanctions against North Korea in a report that accuses the country of increasing illegal coal exports, imports of petroleum products and continuing with cyber attacks on financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to gain illicit revenue.
The 267-page report, obtained Saturday by The Associated Press, also accused North Korea of importing luxury vehicles, watches and liquor and other sanctioned items including robotic machinery, and continuing to illegally access international banking channels “mainly by using third party intermediaries.”
The U.N. Security Council has imposed increasingly tough sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the country’s official name, including banning most of its exports and severely limiting is imports, to pressure Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The full report by the panel of experts monitoring the sanctions provides more details to the summary and some excerpts reported by AP in February. It includes photos of ballistic missile launchers, nuclear sites and vessels recommended for blacklisting.
The panel made 39 recommendations to the Security Council, including on the blacklisting of 14 vessels.
It said one vessel is registered in Sierra Leone and six were previously registered in the West African nation. Two are North Korean, one is Chinese, one Vietnamese, one was formerly registered in Togo, one was formerly registered in St. Kitts and Nevis, and the flag of one is unknown.
China has been neighboring North Korea’s largest trading partner and has been considered critical to enforcing U.N. sanctions.
The panel said the Chinese-flagged Yun Hong 8 - which it recommended for sanctions - made at least 10 port calls between February and October 2019 at the North Korean port of Nampo and delivered refined petroleum. It was also observed during that period receiving refined petroleum from other foreign-flagged vessels, which an unidentified U.N. member state said was likely for delivery to the DPRK, the experts said.
China responded to the panel’s inquiry about the vessel by questioning “the serious lack of accuracy of the relevant information,” the report said.
China’s Foreign Ministry and U.N. ambassador have said the country is implementing the sanctions.
A photo in the report provided by an unnamed U.N. member state shows multiple coal-laden DPRK-flagged vessels at anchor near Lianyungang, China, which the panel said is being used to conduct ship-to-ship coal transfers. The panel said it is investigating a Vietnam-flagged vessel, the Phuong Linh 269, suspected of delivering coal originating in North Korea to the Chinese port of Qisha on multiple occasions.
Despite a U.N. ban, the panel said North Korea’s coal exports increased in 2019. It cited an unnamed member state saying the DPRK exported 3.7 million tons of coal between January and August 2019, with an estimated value of $370 million.
The Security Council also banned the export of earth and stone, which includes sand.
The panel said an unidentified member state reported that a substantial sand-export operation from the DPRK to China has been carried out since May 2019 with over 100 illicit shipments involving at least 1 million tons of sand worth at least $22 million.
“China responded that it attached great importance to the clues provided by the panel in relation to the smuggling of sand originating in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” but was unable to confirm that the sand had been transported to Chinese ports, the report said.
As for the import of refined petroleum products, which is limited 500,000 barrels annually, the panel said the addition of larger foreign-flagged tankers delivering to the DPRK has expanded its illicit imports. It said an unidentified member state calculated that in the first 10 months of 2019, “foreign-flagged tankers alone had made a total of 64 deliveries, amounting to between 560,000 and 1.531 million barrels of refined petroleum products.”
The panel said North Korea has also continued to transfer fishing rights in violation of sanctions, which earned the country $120 million in 2018, according to an unnamed member state.
Under a 2017 sanctions resolution, all DPRK nationals working overseas were to be repatriated by Dec. 22, 2019.
In China, Russia and elsewhere, there is strong demand for cheap North Korean workers. The U.S. State Department previously estimated there were about 100,000 North Korean workers worldwide, and civilian experts said those workers brought the DPRK an estimated $200 million to $500 million in revenue a year.
The report said “in multiple cases, workers were not repatriated to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea but moved to a third country.”
The panel said an unnamed member state alleged that 2,000 North Koreans “recently entered China on visitor visas for the purpose of earning income.” In response to its inquiry, the panel said China replied that it could not verify the allegation.
On individual cases, the experts said North Korean soccer player Han Kwang Song, who joined the youth wing of Italy’s Juventus Football Club in 2019, joined the Qatari team al-Duhail in January, and Choe Son Hyok has been playing for Italy’s Societa Sportiva Arezzo since 2018. Austria reported that it had initiated procedures to revoke the work permit of Pak Kwang Ryong, who has played for Sportklub Niederösterreich St. Pölten since 2017.
As for cyber attacks, the panel said North Korea is becoming “increasingly sophisticated” in targeting both financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges, which deal in virtual money like bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple.
Last August, the panel said North Korean cyber experts illegally raised money for the country’s weapons of mass destruction programs “with total proceeds to date estimated at up to $2 billion.”
In the new report, the panel cited a U.S. court document in which Virgil Griffith, an American who spoke at an April 2019 “cryptocurrency conference” in Pyongyang, said organizers told him that “during his presentation, (he) should stress the potential money laundering and sanction evasion applications of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.”