washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Trump eyes special counsel to probe Hunter Biden

WASHINGTON – President Trump is considering pushing to have a special counsel appointed to advance a federal tax investigation into the son of President-elect Joe Biden , setting up a potential showdown with incoming acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen .
Trump – angry that out-going Attorney General William Barr didn ’ t publicly announce the ongoing , two-year investigation into Hunter Biden – has consulted on the matter with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , White House counsel Pat Cipollone and outside allies .
That ’ s according to several Trump administration officials and Republicans close to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press on condition of anonymity to discuss private matters .
Beyond appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the younger Biden , the sources said Trump is interested in having another special counsel appointed to look into his own baseless claims of election fraud .
But if he ’ s expecting his newly named acting attorney general to go farther than Barr on either matter , he could end up quickly disappointed .
Barr on Monday evening announced he will resign effective late next week , revealing his plans about a week after Hunter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation related to his finances .
It is generally Justice Department policy not to disclose investigations that are in progress , though the subjects of those investigations can .
Rosen , the deputy attorney general , will step into the Justice Department ’ s top job in an acting role .
A longtime litigator , he has served as Barr ’ s top deputy since May 2019 but largely shies away from the spotlight .
He said in a statement Tuesday he was “ honored ” to serve and “ will continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s key priorities.
” Trump is still weighing his options , considering whether to pressure Rosen to make the special counsel appointment or , if needed , replace the acting attorney general with someone more likely to carry out his wishes .
He has even asked his team of lawyers , including personal attorney Rudy Giuliani , to look into whether the president has the power to appoint a special counsel himself .
A key question will be whether Rosen can stand up to presidential pressure – and potentially withering attacks – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration .
If not , Rosen could be cast aside in favor of others more willing to do Trump ’ s bidding .
Believing that a special counsel probe could wound a Biden administration before it even begins , Trump aides have urged the president to push for a special counsel , which would make it so the investigation can ’ t be easily stopped by the incoming president .
No firm decision has been made .
Trump announced that Barr would be stepping down from his position on Dec. 23 , amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney general over the Hunter Biden investigation .
Trump was angry for days after learning that Barr knew of the Hunter Biden tax investigation before the election but did not disclose it .
He also was unhappy that Barr said in a widely reported interview with the AP that the Justice Department had not uncovered widespread election fraud that would have affected the results of the election .
For much of his tenure , Barr was perceived as one of the president ’ s most loyal Cabinet members , especially after he framed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia investigation in a manner favorable to Trump even though the special counsel did not exonerate the president of obstruction of justice .
It was Barr who first appointed a U.S. attorney to review the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn and then sought to dismiss the criminal charges against Flynn , who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI .
As Barr exits , the biggest thing by far hanging over the Trump Justice Department is its investigation into Hunter Biden , which involves multiple U.S. attorneys offices and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel could prove to be complicated , requiring consolidating different investigatory angles and bringing in someone new to run the probe and get up to speed .
Under federal regulations , a special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general and for specific reasons such as misconduct , dereliction of duty or conflict of interest — reasons that must be spelled out in writing .
Appointing a special counsel for the Hunter Biden probe would also signal a more prolonged and complicated investigation than the current inquiry , so far largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking documents from the younger Biden asked for information related to more than two dozen entities , including Ukraine gas company Burisma .
Either way , the probe is complicating Joe Biden ’ s pick for attorney general , upon whose shoulders this probe would land .
Any nominee for attorney general is likely to face a mountain of questions at a confirmation hearing about how they would oversee the probe .
It could be that Rosen is left in the position for a few weeks after Biden is sworn in on Jan. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire him , that is .
Rosen has been the public face of some of the Justice Department ’ s biggest actions , including its antitrust case against Google and the criminal case against opioid maker Purdue Pharma .
Before joining the Justice Department , he worked at the Department of Transportation as general counsel and then deputy secretary .
At Rosen ’ s confirmation hearing in 2019 , he suggested that he was willing to rebuff political pressure from the White House , if necessary .
He told legislators that criminal investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law ” and that prosecutions should be “ free of improper political influences.
” “ If the appropriate answer is to say no to somebody , then I will say no , ” he said at the time .

WASHINGTON – President Trump is considering pushing to have a special counsel appointed to advance a federal tax investigation into the son of President-elect Joe Biden, setting up a potential showdown with incoming acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen.
Trump — angry that out-going Attorney General William P. Barr didn’t publicly announce the ongoing, two-year investigation into Hunter Biden — has consulted on the matter with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and outside allies.
That’s according to several Trump administration officials and Republicans close to the White House who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss private matters.
Beyond appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the younger Biden, the sources said Trump is interested in having another special counsel appointed to look into his own baseless claims of election fraud. But if he’s expecting his newly named acting attorney general to go farther than Barr on either matter, he could end up quickly disappointed.
Barr on Monday evening announced he will resign effective late next week, revealing his plans about a week after Hunter Biden publicly disclosed that he was under investigation related to his finances. It is generally Justice Department policy not to disclose investigations that are in progress, though the subjects of those investigations can.
Rosen, the deputy attorney general, will step into the Justice Department’s top job in an acting role. A longtime litigator, he has served as Barr’s top deputy since May 2019 but largely shies away from the spotlight. He said in a statement Tuesday he was “honored” to serve and “will continue to focus on the implementation of the Department’s key priorities.”
Trump is still weighing his options, considering whether to pressure Rosen to make the special counsel appointment or, if needed, replace the acting attorney general with someone more likely to carry out his wishes. He has even asked his team of lawyers, including personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, to look into whether the president has the power to appoint a special counsel himself.
A key question will be whether Rosen can stand up to presidential pressure – and potentially withering attacks – in the waning weeks of the Trump administration. If not, Rosen could be cast aside in favor of others more willing to do Trump’s bidding.
Believing that a special counsel probe could wound a Biden administration before it even begins, Trump aides have urged the president to push for a special counsel, which would make it so the investigation can’t be easily stopped by the incoming president. No firm decision has been made.
Trump announced that Barr would be stepping down from his position on Dec. 23, amid lingering tension between the president and the attorney general over the Hunter Biden investigation. Trump was angry for days after learning that Barr knew of the Hunter Biden tax investigation before the election but did not disclose it.
He also was unhappy that Barr said in a widely reported interview with the AP that the Justice Department had not uncovered widespread election fraud that would have affected the results of the election.
For much of his tenure, Barr was perceived as one of the president’s most loyal Cabinet members, especially after he framed the results of Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation in a manner favorable to Trump even though the special counsel did not exonerate the president of obstruction of justice. It was Barr who first appointed a U.S. attorney to review the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn and then sought to dismiss the criminal charges against Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
As Barr exits, the biggest thing by far hanging over the Trump Justice Department is its investigation into Hunter Biden, which involves multiple U.S. attorneys offices and FBI field offices. Appointing a special counsel could prove to be complicated, requiring consolidating different investigatory angles and bringing in someone new to run the probe and get up to speed.
Under federal regulations, a special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general and for specific reasons such as misconduct, dereliction of duty or conflict of interest — reasons that must be spelled out in writing. Appointing a special counsel for the Hunter Biden probe would also signal a more prolonged and complicated investigation than the current inquiry, so far largely centered on his taxes. A subpoena seeking documents from the younger Biden asked for information related to more than two dozen entities, including Ukraine gas company Burisma.
Either way, the probe is complicating Joe Biden’s pick for attorney general, upon whose shoulders this probe would land. Any nominee for attorney general is likely to face a mountain of questions at a confirmation hearing about how they would oversee the probe.
It could be that Rosen is left in the position for a few weeks after Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20. If Trump doesn’t fire him, that is.
Rosen has been the public face of some of the Justice Department’s biggest actions, including its antitrust case against Google and the criminal case against opioid maker Purdue Pharma. Before joining the Justice Department, he worked at the Department of Transportation as general counsel and then deputy secretary .
At Rosen’s confirmation hearing in 2019, he suggested that he was willing to rebuff political pressure from the White House, if necessary. He told legislators that criminal investigations should “proceed on the facts and the law” and that prosecutions should be “free of improper political influences.”
“If the appropriate answer is to say no to somebody, then I will say no,” he said at the time.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Big Tech companies grilled on users pirating copyrighted works

Lawmakers looking to strip Big Tech of legal liability protections have zeroed in on prosecuting those companies when their users stream copyrighted works .
Sen. Thom Tillis , who is leading the charge against online copyright infringement or “ piracy , ” grilled executives from Facebook , YouTube and other tech companies Tuesday about their complicity in the theft of intellectual property .
“ Some in Big Tech aren ’ t serious about stopping online piracy , and I ’ m not sure why that is , ” he said at a hearing .
“ Maybe it just isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are actually profiting off the piracy on their site.
” It was a shot across the bow for the looming battle over removing the host of legal protections that have been a cornerstone of the internet .
Mr. Tillis , North Carolina Republican and chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on intellectual property that hosted the hearing , said he was just trying to get to the facts .
“ I have no predisposition for any one platform , ” he said .
His bill to make platforms such as Facebook and YouTube liable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bipartisan support in the Senate .
It is estimated that the criminal streaming costs the American economy nearly $ 30 billion each year .
Many multinational and multibillion-dollar companies allegedly don ’ t use the tools they have to stop the theft .
YouTube and Facebook insisted that they work with copyright holders of all sizes to protect their work online .
Katherine Oyama , YouTube global director of business public policy , said her company is invested in its users ’ content and has paid more than $ 5.5 billion to rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed through one of its copyright management tools .
“ Our efforts to fight piracy on YouTube do not stop with our copyright management suite , ” Ms. Oyama said .
“ As the challenge of online piracy evolves we are continually working with rights holders to improve our policies , tools , features , and functionality.
” Despite YouTube and Facebook claiming that they are working to better serve users and copyright holders , a reckoning from lawmakers is headed their way .
If the lawmakers ’ felony streaming proposal is enacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and video streaming platforms could mirror copyright legal battles that bankrupted Napster , an online music store , in 2002 .
Twitter , which has been a focus of Mr. Tillis ‘ effort , refused to attend the hearing .
Recording Industry Association of America CEO Mitch Glazier testified about Twitter ’ s inattention to copyright complaints .
“ Over the past two years , the music industry has sent Twitter notices of over 3 million infringements for over 20,000 works — so this is piracy at an industrial , massive scale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is not some small problem and unlike Facebook and YouTube , they have done nothing to at least build tools or to help prevent what is by its nature a viral system where pirates can spread literally in microseconds.
” Twitter did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times .
The felony copyright proposal could take effect before 2021 begins , as efforts to ensure its inclusion in the end-of-year spending package are underway .
Regardless of whether Mr. Tillis ‘ crackdown on Big Tech succeeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intent on pursuing the large technology companies for the next six years .
“ Everyone knows legislating takes time , it ’ s painstaking and it involves many years of negotiations and compromise , ” he said .
“ It is probably going to take my entire second term to get this bill across the finish line .
”

Lawmakers looking to strip Big Tech of legal liability protections have zeroed in on prosecuting those companies when their users stream copyrighted works.
Sen. Thom Tillis, who is leading the charge against online copyright infringement or “piracy,” grilled executives from Facebook, YouTube and other tech companies Tuesday about their complicity in the theft of intellectual property.
“Some in Big Tech aren’t serious about stopping online piracy, and I’m not sure why that is,” he said at a hearing. “Maybe it just isn’t a priority or maybe some companies are actually profiting off the piracy on their site.”
It was a shot across the bow for the looming battle over removing the host of legal protections that have been a cornerstone of the internet.
Mr. Tillis, North Carolina Republican and chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on intellectual property that hosted the hearing, said he was just trying to get to the facts.
“I have no predisposition for any one platform,” he said.
His bill to make platforms such as Facebook and YouTube liable for users’ pirating has already gained bipartisan support in the Senate.
It is estimated that the criminal streaming costs the American economy nearly $30 billion each year. Many multinational and multibillion-dollar companies allegedly don’t use the tools they have to stop the theft.
YouTube and Facebook insisted that they work with copyright holders of all sizes to protect their work online.
Katherine Oyama, YouTube global director of business public policy, said her company is invested in its users’ content and has paid more than $5.5 billion to rights’ holders in ad revenue from content claimed through one of its copyright management tools.
“Our efforts to fight piracy on YouTube do not stop with our copyright management suite,” Ms. Oyama said. “As the challenge of online piracy evolves we are continually working with rights holders to improve our policies, tools, features, and functionality.”
Despite YouTube and Facebook claiming that they are working to better serve users and copyright holders, a reckoning from lawmakers is headed their way.
If the lawmakers’ felony streaming proposal is enacted, the copyright battles with Big Tech and video streaming platforms could mirror copyright legal battles that bankrupted Napster, an online music store, in 2002.
Twitter, which has been a focus of Mr. Tillis’ effort, refused to attend the hearing.
Recording Industry Association of America CEO Mitch Glazier testified about Twitter’s inattention to copyright complaints.
“Over the past two years, the music industry has sent Twitter notices of over 3 million infringements for over 20,000 works — so this is piracy at an industrial, massive scale,” said Mr. Glazier at the hearing. “This is not some small problem and unlike Facebook and YouTube, they have done nothing to at least build tools or to help prevent what is by its nature a viral system where pirates can spread literally in microseconds.”
Twitter did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
The felony copyright proposal could take effect before 2021 begins, as efforts to ensure its inclusion in the end-of-year spending package are underway.
Regardless of whether Mr. Tillis’ crackdown on Big Tech succeeds this month, he said he is intent on pursuing the large technology companies for the next six years.
“Everyone knows legislating takes time, it’s painstaking and it involves many years of negotiations and compromise,” he said. “It is probably going to take my entire second term to get this bill across the finish line.”
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--California virus surge brings body bags, makeshift morgues

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) - California is distributing 5,000 body bags mostly to the hard-hit Los Angeles and San Diego areas and has 60 refrigerated trailers standing by as makeshift morgues in anticipation of a surge of coronavirus deaths from hospitalizations that now are double the summertime peak and threaten to overwhelm the hospital system , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Tuesday .
The number of average daily deaths has quadrupled from 41 a month ago to 163 now , while positive cases have surged to more than 32,500 each day .
Of those new cases , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital and 12 % of those hospitalized will crowd already stretched intensive care units .
That means one day ’ s worth of cases can be expected to produce a staggering 3,900 hospitalizations and nearly 500 ICU patients .
“ We are in the middle of the most acute peak , ” Newsom said , urging residents to take precautions to slow the spread .
In Southern California ’ s Orange County , health officials said mobile field hospitals would be rolled out to three hospitals that already need more space .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tents with hard flooring add an extra 125 beds .
Dr. Clayton Chau , the county ’ s public health officer .
told the county ’ s Board of Supervisors that “ emergency rooms have no capacity to triage people as quick as they can.
” He pleaded with residents to avoid gathering with people from outside their households .
“ I have never been so afraid of Christmas and New Year ’ s in my life , ” Chau said .
“ I can ’ t imagine what it would be like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening.
” At the meeting where Chau spoke , dozens of residents didn ’ t wear masks and demanded businesses be allowed to reopen .
To the north , Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso said in a statement the county is “ reaching a point where we can see on the horizon our health care system being overrun .
We must take immediate action as our decisions are now seeing the price to be paid , and it is costing the lives and wellbeing of our community members.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is forcing an urgent scramble for more staff and space , a crush that Newsom and the state ’ s top health official said might not abate for two months despite the arrival of the first doses of vaccines this week .
The surge already has prompted an easing of normal nurse-to-patient ICU ratios and quarantine standards for health care workers , and the opening of more alternative care facilities .
State officials are reaching out to the Department of Defense and overseas staffing services for desperately needed medical workers .
The California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICU nursing care , saying in a statement that it “ will inevitably lead to more patient , nurse , and other health care worker infections and deaths.
” Newsom said it is part of “ a very dynamic effort ” to get more staffing , particularly in intensive care units .
Newsom announced a new shutdown order nearly two weeks ago that is based on ICU capacity .
Nearly the entire state now is under the most severe restrictions .
California has brought in 507 extra staff and deployed them around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the skills to help in ICUs .
The state is seeking a total of 3,000 contracted medical staff .
“ Two weeks from now we are concerned about what our ability to provide the same level of high quality care will be , ” said Dr. Mark Ghaly , California ’ s secretary of health and human services .
He said hospitals have been planning for the worst , including updating what are called “ crisis care guidelines ” in case they must start triaging which patients get what level of treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged situation right now , ” said Carmela Coyle , president and CEO of the California Hospital Association .
“ That will only get worse , and potentially far worse in the next 30 days or so.
” In a rare bit of good news , Newsom said that nearly 394,000 more doses of Pfizer vaccines could arrive in California next week on top of the nearly 328,000 doses being distributed at 33 locations this week .
Even the joyful first inoculations at one of Northern California ’ s biggest hospitals were tinged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 47 , a clinical nurse in the University of California , Davis Medical Center ’ s emergency department for the last 10 years , called it the “ hero vaccine ” as she spread her arms wide upon becoming the hospital ’ s first employee to receive the vaccine .
She said she ’ s never seen anything as bad as the coronavirus , which has forced people to die without their families by their sides .
“ These past few weeks , it ’ s really different , ” she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her colleagues ’ faces .
“ It ’ s like burnout .
We get tired , you know … the pressure , the stress.
” For Shashi Kant , a senior custodian in the hospital ’ s ICU , getting the vaccine was even more personal .
His adult daughter , a radiology technician at a Modesto hospital , died from the virus several months ago .
“ This is just like a lifeline , ” he said about getting the vaccine .
“ I ’ m protecting myself and the patient.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first vaccines could help hospitals deal with the surge because they won ’ t lose so many workers to quarantines or the illness , said health policy professor Joanne Spetz , the associate director of research at the Healthforce Center at the University of California , San Francisco .
The health care system has also made strides in learning new treatments and ways to divert some patients from needing the most intensive care .
Yet she said in an interview that all those may come into play now particularly if cases surge even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who land in the ICU with COVID are just really , really sick and can be there for quite a long time , ” she said .
“ So I think that adds to the alarm bells around this and the concern about the potential overwhelming of the facilities.
” Associated Press writers John Antczak in Los Angeles , Amy Taxin in Orange County and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento contributed to this story .

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California is distributing 5,000 body bags mostly to the hard-hit Los Angeles and San Diego areas and has 60 refrigerated trailers standing by as makeshift morgues in anticipation of a surge of coronavirus deaths from hospitalizations that now are double the summertime peak and threaten to overwhelm the hospital system, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.
The number of average daily deaths has quadrupled from 41 a month ago to 163 now, while positive cases have surged to more than 32,500 each day. Of those new cases, an anticipated 12% will wind up in the hospital and 12% of those hospitalized will crowd already stretched intensive care units.
One day’s worth of cases can be expected to produce a staggering 3,900 hospitalizations and nearly 500 ICU patients.
“We are in the middle of the most acute peak,” Newsom said, urging residents to take precautions.
In Southern California’s Orange County, health officials said mobile field hospitals would be rolled out to three hospitals that already need more space. The large, heavy-duty, temperature-controlled canvas tents with hard flooring add 125 beds.
The county of 3 million people has seen rising virus cases, hospital beds filling and emergency rooms stressed, said Dr. Clayton Chau, the county’s public health officer.
He pleaded with residents to avoid gathering with people from outside their households.
“I have never been so afraid of Christmas and New Year’s in my life like I am now,” Chau said. “I can’t imagine what it would be like after the holidays if people are not listening.”
At the county supervisors board meeting where Chau spoke, dozens of maskless residents demanded businesses be allowed to reopen.
To the north, Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso urged immediate action, saying in a statement the county is “reaching a point where we can see on the horizon our health care system being overrun.”
The surge in cases throughout much of California is forcing a scramble for staff and space, a crush that Newsom and the state’s top health official said might not abate for two months despite the first vaccine doses arriving this week.
The surge already has prompted an easing of normal nurse-to-patient ICU ratios and quarantine standards for health care workers, and the opening of more alternative care facilities. State officials are reaching out to the Department of Defense and overseas staffing services for desperately needed medical workers.
The California Nurses Association denounced reducing the ICU nursing care ratio, saying in a statement that it “will inevitably lead to more patient, nurse, and other health care worker infections and deaths.”
Newsom said it is part of “a very dynamic effort” to get more staffing, particularly in intensive care units.
“Let’s deal with some sober realities,” Newsom said, recounting that he’s talked with his wife about the state beginning to coordinate aid among coroners. He said he felt an obligation to publicly share details of bringing in body bags and refrigerated trailers.
He used the news to introduce a stark public service announcement in which a tearful woman describes losing her father to the virus, urging people to take precautions.
“Dad, I wish I could hug you one last time,” she concludes.
Newsom announced a shutdown order nearly two weeks ago based on ICU capacity. Nearly the entire state is under the most severe restrictions.
California has deployed 507 extra staff around the state, though most don’t have the skills to help in ICUs. The state is seeking 3,000 contracted medical staff.
“Two weeks from now we are concerned about what our ability to provide the same level of high-quality care will be,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s secretary of health and human services. He said hospitals have been planning for the worst, including updating what are called “crisis care guidelines” in case they must start triaging which patients get what level of treatment.
“Hospitals are in a very challenged situation right now,” said Carmela Coyle, California Hospital Association president and CEO. “That will only get worse, and potentially far worse in the next 30 days or so.”
In a rare bit of good news, Newsom said that nearly 394,000 more doses of Pfizer vaccines could arrive in California next week on top of the nearly 328,000 doses being distributed at 33 locations this week.
Even the joyful first inoculations at one of Northern California’s biggest hospitals were tinged with sadness Tuesday.
Eva Teniola, 47, a clinical nurse in the University of California, Davis Medical Center’s emergency department for 10 years, called it the “hero vaccine” as she spread her arms wide upon becoming the hospital’s first employee to receive the vaccine. She said she’s never seen anything as bad as the coronavirus, which has forced people to die without families by their sides.
“These past few weeks, it’s really different,” she said, adding that she can see the toll on colleagues’ faces. “It’s like burnout. We get tired, you know … the pressure, the stress.”
For Shashi Kant, a senior custodian in the hospital’s ICU, getting the vaccine was even more personal. His adult daughter, a radiology technician at a Modesto hospital, died from the virus several months ago.
“This is just like a lifeline,” he said about the vaccine. “I’m protecting myself and the patient.”
Protecting health care workers with the first vaccines could help hospitals avoid losing so many workers to quarantines or illness, said health policy professor Joanne Spetz, associate research director at the University of California, San Francisco’s Healthforce Center.
The health care system has also made strides in learning new treatments and ways to divert some patients from needing the most intensive care. Yet she said that all may come into play, particularly if cases surge even higher with the holidays.
“People who land in the ICU with COVID are just really, really sick and can be there for quite a long time,” she said. “So I think that adds to the alarm bells around this and the concern about the potential overwhelming of the facilities.”
___
Associated Press writers John Antczak in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Orange County and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento contributed to this story.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Navajo Nation reports 160 new COVID-19 cases, 5 more deaths

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. ( AP ) - Navajo Nation health officials on Tuesday reported 160 new COVID-19 cases and five more related deaths .
In all , the tribe now has reported 19,929 coronavirus cases resulting in 727 deaths since the pandemic began .
Health officials say more than 185,000 people on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona , New Mexico and Utah have been tested and nearly 11,000 have recovered from COVID-19 .
Navajo Department of Health officials say 77 communities on the reservation still have uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus .
Tribal officials have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reservation are being used as COVID-19 cases surge .
On Monday , Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer visited the Gallup Indian Medical Center as the first vaccine shipment arrived .
The tribe expected a total of 3,900 coronavirus vaccine doses to be delivered Tuesday with about 7,900 more doses arriving next week .
Those vaccines will cover healthcare workers , emergency medical staff , traditional practitioners working in Indian Health Service facilities , and the staff and patients in long-term nursing facilities .
The Navajo Nation has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus .

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) - Navajo Nation health officials on Tuesday reported 160 new COVID-19 cases and five more related deaths.
In all, the tribe now has reported 19,929 coronavirus cases resulting in 727 deaths since the pandemic began.
Health officials say more than 185,000 people on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have been tested and nearly 11,000 have recovered from COVID-19.
Navajo Department of Health officials say 77 communities on the reservation still have uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus.
Tribal officials have said nearly all intensive care unit beds on the reservation are being used as COVID-19 cases surge.
On Monday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer visited the Gallup Indian Medical Center as the first vaccine shipment arrived.
The tribe expected a total of 3,900 coronavirus vaccine doses to be delivered Tuesday with about 7,900 more doses arriving next week.
Those vaccines will cover healthcare workers, emergency medical staff, traditional practitioners working in Indian Health Service facilities, and the staff and patients in long-term nursing facilities.
The Navajo Nation has extended its stay-at-home order though Dec. 28 in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Nevada QB Strong MWC's first soph offensive player of year

RENO , Nev. ( AP ) - Nevada quarterback Carson Strong became the first sophomore Tuesday to be named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year .
Strong completed 69 % of his passes for 2,587 yards , 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions in eight games this season .
He led the league in completions , completion percentage , touchdowns and passing yards .
He ranked second in yards per game , passing efficiency and total offense .
San Jose State Coach Brent Brennan , who led the Spartans to a 6-0 record and first 6-0 start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s top coach and his star lineman Cade Hall the Defensive Player of the Year .
Boise State ’ cornerback Avery Williams won best special teams player and UNLV wide receiver Kyle Williams was named the best freshman .
Strong of Vacaville , California was joined on the All-Mountain West first team by three Wolf Pack teammates - junior wide receiver Romeo Doubs , junior tight end Cole Turner and sophomore kicker Brandon Talton .
Doubs caught 53 passes for 960 yards and nine touchdowns - all league bests .
The Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receptions per game and yards per game .

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Nevada quarterback Carson Strong became the first sophomore Tuesday to be named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Strong completed 69% of his passes for 2,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions in eight games this season.
He led the league in completions, completion percentage, touchdowns and passing yards. He ranked second in yards per game, passing efficiency and total offense.
San Jose State Coach Brent Brennan, who led the Spartans to a 6-0 record and first 6-0 start since 1939, was named the league’s top coach and his star lineman Cade Hall the Defensive Player of the Year.
Boise State’ cornerback Avery Williams won best special teams player and UNLV wide receiver Kyle Williams was named the best freshman.
Strong of Vacaville, California was joined on the All-Mountain West first team by three Wolf Pack teammates - junior wide receiver Romeo Doubs, junior tight end Cole Turner and sophomore kicker Brandon Talton.
Doubs caught 53 passes for 960 yards and nine touchdowns - all league bests. The Los Angeles native also led the league in receptions per game and yards per game.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Don Beyer pushes to strip Robert E. Lee name from Arlington Cemetery mansion

Congressional Democrats announced legislation Tuesday to strip Robert E. Lee ’ s name from Arlington House — once his own home , and now the centerpiece of the hallowed military cemetery that occupies his former plantation .
Northern Virginia ’ s three Democratic House members , as well as Washington ’ s non-voting delegate , are sponsoring the bill , saying they ’ re doing it at the request of descendants of people who were enslaved there .
The lawmakers said it was part of a national reckoning over Lee , and the announcement comes just a day before a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replacement for the Lee statue that is one of Virginia ’ s contributions to the U.S. Capitol ’ s Statuary Hall collection .
Rep. Don Beyer , the Democrat whose district includes Arlington , said he has buy-in from the Arlington Historical Society , too .
“ Robert E. Lee himself opposed erecting Confederate monuments , and the site was chosen to punish his insurrection against the lawful government of the United States , ” Mr. Beyer said .
He said having the mansion named after Lee distracts from the “ larger history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is administered by the National Park Service .
It was built by George Washington Parke Custis , son of Martha Custis Washington , wife of the first president .
Lee would marry Martha Washington ’ s granddaughter and thus took ownership of the home .
During the Civil War the Union seized the property and Montgomery C. Meigs , the Union ’ s quartermaster general , declared it should become a cemetery for Union soldiers , preventing Lee from resuming control once the war concluded with the Confederacy ’ s defeat .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it gave its name to the surrounding county .
Mr. Beyer says Congress in the 1950s officially dubbed the mansion after Lee in order to honor him , but the congressman says it ’ s now time to erase that and return the home to its original name of Arlington House .

Congressional Democrats announced legislation Tuesday to strip Robert E. Lee’s name from Arlington House — once his own home, and now the centerpiece of the hallowed military cemetery that occupies his former plantation.
Northern Virginia’s three Democratic House members, as well as Washington’s non-voting delegate, are sponsoring the bill, saying they’re doing it at the request of descendants of people who were enslaved there.
The lawmakers said it was part of a national reckoning over Lee, and the announcement comes just a day before a Virginia panel is due to recommend a replacement for the Lee statue that is one of Virginia’s contributions to the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall collection.
Rep. Don Beyer, the Democrat whose district includes Arlington, said he has buy-in from the Arlington Historical Society, too.
“Robert E. Lee himself opposed erecting Confederate monuments, and the site was chosen to punish his insurrection against the lawful government of the United States,” Mr. Beyer said.
He said having the mansion named after Lee distracts from the “larger history” of the place.
The home is administered by the National Park Service.
It was built by George Washington Parke Custis, son of Martha Custis Washington, wife of the first president. Lee would marry Martha Washington’s granddaughter and thus took ownership of the home.
During the Civil War the Union seized the property and Montgomery C. Meigs, the Union’s quartermaster general, declared it should become a cemetery for Union soldiers, preventing Lee from resuming control once the war concluded with the Confederacy’s defeat.
The plantation was known as Arlington, and it gave its name to the surrounding county.
Mr. Beyer says Congress in the 1950s officially dubbed the mansion after Lee in order to honor him, but the congressman says it’s now time to erase that and return the home to its original name of Arlington House.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--US Marshals arrest West Virginia man in fatal bar shooting

HUNTINGTON , W.Va. ( AP ) - Federal and state authorities have arrested a man in Ohio who was wanted @ @ @ @ @ shooting that killed two people , the U.S .
Marshals Service announced Tuesday .
Law @ @ @ @ @ Marshals Service for the Southern District of West Virginia took Devon Maurice Carey , 26 @ @ @ @ @ Columbus , Ohio , the federal agency said .
Carey was accused of fatally shooting @ @ @ @ @ , and Marcus D. Graham , 29 , at a Huntington , West Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ He was taken to an Ohio jail following his arrest Tuesday .
Formal charges were @ @ @ @ @ police , the Cabell County Sheriff ’ s Office and the Ironton Police Department assisted @ @ @ @

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Federal and state authorities have arrested a man in Ohio who was wanted in a West Virginia bar shooting that killed two people, the U.S. Marshals Service announced Tuesday.
Law enforcement officers and U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of West Virginia took Devon Maurice Carey, 26, into custody Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, the federal agency said.
Carey was accused of fatally shooting Audra J. Perry, 28, and Marcus D. Graham, 29, at a Huntington, West Virginia, bar on Sept. 3.
He was taken to an Ohio jail following his arrest Tuesday. Formal charges were not immediately announced.
Huntington police, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office and the Ironton Police Department assisted in the arrest.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Indiana man fleeing cops dies after being shot with Taser

GREENFIELD , Ind .
( AP ) - A man wanted in a stolen car investigation hit his head and @ @ @ @ @ him with a Taser , authorities said .
Greenfield police went into a Home Depot @ @ @ @ @ man , but he fled into the parking lot , state police said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ one officer utilized a less-lethal weapon commonly referred to as a Taser .
After the @ @ @ @ @ the suspect fell to the ground and struck his head on the concrete , ” @ @ @ @ @ was pronounced dead at a hospital .
The man ’ s name wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ and the Hancock County coroner ’ s office are investigating the incident .

GREENFIELD, Ind. (AP) - A man wanted in a stolen car investigation hit his head and died Tuesday after police shot him with a Taser, authorities said.
Greenfield police went into a Home Depot store to look for the man, but he fled into the parking lot, state police said.
“While chasing the suspect, one officer utilized a less-lethal weapon commonly referred to as a Taser. After the deployment of the Taser, the suspect fell to the ground and struck his head on the concrete,” state police said.
He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The man’s name wasn’t immediately released.
State police and the Hancock County coroner’s office are investigating the incident.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Google hires new personnel head amid rising worker tensions

Google has hired a top executive from pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to oversee its personnel policies amid ongoing tensions with many employees who are upset with the company ’ s policies .
The hiring of Fiona Cicconi also comes while Google sets up plans to allow people to continue to work from home for at least eight more months .
The Mountain View , California , internet search giant announced late Tuesday that Cicconi is leaving AstraZeneca to become its head of people operations during a meeting with employees .
Cicconi will replace Eileen Naughton , who disclosed in February she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told its workers to start working from home to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 .
London-based AstraZeneca is one of several companies rolling out a vaccine to help put an end to the worst global pandemic in more than century , but it ’ s expected to take many more months before the health crisis passes .
That ’ s one reason Google has decided to allow its roughly 130,000 employees to continue to work from home until Sept. 1 if they want , extending a previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the office until July .
Cicconi will face the challenge of making sure those workers have their needs met while remaining productive , and then oversee the eventual transition to their return to Google offices scattered throughout the world , in addition to its Silicon Valley hub .
The company currently envisions relying on a system that designates certain days that workers on the same teams will come into the office while remaining at home or other remote locations on other days .
“ COVID has changed many aspects of how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our highest priorities in 2021 , ” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai , who also runs its corporate parent , Alphabet Inc. “ The role of people operations is central to this work , and I look forward to working closely with Fiona as we enter the new year.
” Overseeing a massive workforce during the pandemic won ’ t be Cicconi ’ s only challenge .
She is also walking into a company that has seen its relationship with its workforce change dramatically in the past few years as more employees have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from the “ Don ’ t Be Evil ” motto that co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin embraced in its early years .
In 2018 , thousands of Google employees walked off the job and staged public protests in a backlash spurred by concerns about how the company had been handling sexual harassment claims against top executives and managers .
Google has also faced employee outrage about potential bids on military contracts and , more recently , the murky circumstances surrounding the abrupt departure of a respected artificial intelligence scholar , Timnit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research paper examining the societal dangers of an emerging branch of artificial intelligence , Gebru said Google fired her earlier this month .
Google maintains the company accepted her off to resign .
The rift incensed hundreds of Google employees who have signed a public letter of protest .
Pichahi last week told employees that Google is beginning a thorough review into Gebru ’ s exit , a process that now seems likely to involve Cicconi .

Google has hired a top executive from pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to oversee its personnel policies amid ongoing tensions with many employees who are upset with the company’s policies.
The hiring of Fiona Cicconi also comes while Google sets up plans to allow people to continue to work from home for at least eight more months.
The Mountain View, California, internet search giant announced late Tuesday that Cicconi is leaving AstraZeneca to become its head of people operations during a meeting with employees.
Cicconi will replace Eileen Naughton, who disclosed in February she would step down, just before Google told its workers to start working from home to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
London-based AstraZeneca is one of several companies rolling out a vaccine to help put an end to the worst global pandemic in more than century, but it’s expected to take many more months before the health crisis passes.
That’s one reason Google has decided to allow its roughly 130,000 employees to continue to work from home until Sept. 1 if they want, extending a previous plan to allow people to stay away from the office until July.
Cicconi will face the challenge of making sure those workers have their needs met while remaining productive, and then oversee the eventual transition to their return to Google offices scattered throughout the world, in addition to its Silicon Valley hub.
The company currently envisions relying on a system that designates certain days that workers on the same teams will come into the office while remaining at home or other remote locations on other days.
“COVID has changed many aspects of how we work, and this is one of our highest priorities in 2021,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who also runs its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc. “The role of people operations is central to this work, and I look forward to working closely with Fiona as we enter the new year.”
Overseeing a massive workforce during the pandemic won’t be Cicconi’s only challenge. She is also walking into a company that has seen its relationship with its workforce change dramatically in the past few years as more employees have become convinced that it has strayed far away from the “Don’t Be Evil” motto that co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin embraced in its early years.
In 2018, thousands of Google employees walked off the job and staged public protests in a backlash spurred by concerns about how the company had been handling sexual harassment claims against top executives and managers. Google has also faced employee outrage about potential bids on military contracts and, more recently, the murky circumstances surrounding the abrupt departure of a respected artificial intelligence scholar, Timnit Gebru.
After a dispute over a research paper examining the societal dangers of an emerging branch of artificial intelligence, Gebru said Google fired her earlier this month. Google maintains the company accepted her off to resign. The rift incensed hundreds of Google employees who have signed a public letter of protest.
Pichahi last week told employees that Google is beginning a thorough review into Gebru’s exit, a process that now seems likely to involve Cicconi.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Lawyer: Family to release autopsy of Black man killed by cop

LA MARQUE , Texas ( AP ) - The attorney for the family of a young , Black man who was fatally shot last week by a police officer in a Houston suburb said Tuesday that the family is planning to release results of an independent autopsy in the death .
Autopsy results in the killing of Joshua Feast , 22 , will be released Wednesday , civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a news conference Tuesday .
Crump continued his call for a thorough investigation of the killing and for police to release body camera footage from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles ( 64 kilometers ) southeast of Houston .
The lawyer also said at the news conference in Texas City that the officer who killed Feast should be fired .
Few details have been released about the Dec. 9 shooting .
The officer who killed Feast has been identified as La Marque police Officer Jose Santos , who is currently on paid leave .
Crump added that witnesses have said Feast was shot in the back .
La Marque Police Chief Kirk Jackson said Feast was a person of interest in several recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edge of Houston and that weapons were found at the scene of his fatal shooting .
The Galveston County sheriff ’ s office and district attorney ’ s office are investigating Feast ’ s death .
Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset told the Galveston County Daily News last week that Santos approached Feast because he was wanted on a felony warrant .
The sheriff told the newspaper that investigators told him that video evidence showed Feast had pointed a handgun at Santos , but at that time Trochesset said he hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been corrected to show that the news conference took place in Texas City , not in La Marque .

LA MARQUE, Texas (AP) - The attorney for the family of a young, Black man who was fatally shot last week by a police officer in a Houston suburb said Tuesday that the family is planning to release results of an independent autopsy in the death.
Autopsy results in the killing of Joshua Feast, 22, will be released Wednesday, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a news conference Tuesday.
Crump continued his call for a thorough investigation of the killing and for police to release body camera footage from the shooting in La Marque, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Houston. The lawyer also said at the news conference in Texas City that the officer who killed Feast should be fired.
Few details have been released about the Dec. 9 shooting. The officer who killed Feast has been identified as La Marque police Officer Jose Santos, who is currently on paid leave.
Crump added that witnesses have said Feast was shot in the back.
La Marque Police Chief Kirk Jackson said Feast was a person of interest in several recent shootings in the city on the southern edge of Houston and that weapons were found at the scene of his fatal shooting.
The Galveston County sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office are investigating Feast’s death.
Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset told the Galveston County Daily News last week that Santos approached Feast because he was wanted on a felony warrant.
The sheriff told the newspaper that investigators told him that video evidence showed Feast had pointed a handgun at Santos, but at that time Trochesset said he hadn’t seen body camera video.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the news conference took place in Texas City, not in La Marque.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Montana man acknowledges fraud on virus aid application

BILLINGS , Mont .
( AP ) - A Montana contractor acknowledged lying on an application for federal coronavirus relief money .
Matthew Jason Welch said he planned to use the money to pay off restitution in a separate criminal case , the Billings Gazette reported Tuesday .
He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Billings .
Under his plea agreement , prosecutors will dismiss a second count of wire fraud .
The newspaper said Welch had applied for roughly $ 35,000 in Payroll Protection Program funds in April on behalf of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds were provided by Congress to aid businesses struggling due to the pandemic .
Businesses are ineligible for the funds if they are owned by someone with an active criminal case , on probation or parole , or someone with a felony conviction within the past five years .
Welch said Tuesday that when he applied for the funds , he knew he had been charged with a felony for deceptive practices in Stillwater County District Court .
He was accused of taking almost $ 32,000 from three separate households for home repairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Welch pleaded not guilty in that case .
Welch has additional cases active in Wyoming .
He has denied these charges , the Gazette reported .

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A Montana contractor acknowledged lying on an application for federal coronavirus relief money.
Matthew Jason Welch said he planned to use the money to pay off restitution in a separate criminal case, the Billings Gazette reported Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Billings.
Under his plea agreement, prosecutors will dismiss a second count of wire fraud.
The newspaper said Welch had applied for roughly $35,000 in Payroll Protection Program funds in April on behalf of his company, Welch Sole Proprietorship. The funds were provided by Congress to aid businesses struggling due to the pandemic.
Businesses are ineligible for the funds if they are owned by someone with an active criminal case, on probation or parole, or someone with a felony conviction within the past five years.
Welch said Tuesday that when he applied for the funds, he knew he had been charged with a felony for deceptive practices in Stillwater County District Court. He was accused of taking almost $32,000 from three separate households for home repairs without starting or completing the work. Welch pleaded not guilty in that case.
Welch has additional cases active in Wyoming. He has denied these charges, the Gazette reported.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--William Barr probes of Obama-era officials reveal nothing

Attorney General William Barr will exit the Justice Department leaving behind a string of probes into misconduct by Obama-era officials that have mostly come up empty and sorely disappointed President Trump and his allies .
During his tenure , Mr. Barr repeatedly tasked U.S. attorneys from offices across the country to probe politically treacherous investigations .
Mr. Barr initiated four of those probes and inherited two more from his predecessor , Jeff Sessions .
As each investigation began , Democrats fumed that Mr. Barr was using the Justice Department as a weapon against Mr. Trump ’ s enemies .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ones seething when nearly all the investigations were busts .
Combined , the six probes generated one criminal charge and none has produced a public report .
“ The Justice Department , in terms of enforcing the rule of law , has been an absolute , unmitigated failure because there is no evidence that any of those probes did a serious or substantial investigation of their purported targets , ” said Tom Fitton , president of Judicial Watch , a conservative watchdog group .
The only investigation that has proven fruitful so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeff Jensen ’ s review of the criminal case against Michael Flynn , Mr. Trump ’ s first national security adviser .
Mr. Jensen uncovered previously undisclosed documents that provided exculpatory information , leading the Justice Department to drop the charges against Mr. Flynn .
U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham ’ s probe into the origins of the Russia collusion investigation has dragged on nearly two years with little to show for it .
Mr. Trump had high hopes the investigation would expose wrongdoing by Obama-era officials , including Democratic presidential rival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sway the election .
Repeated delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and bureaucratic issues forced Mr. Barr to appoint Mr. Durham as a special counsel so his work could continue into the Biden administration .
The slow pace angered Mr. Trump , who lashed out against Mr. Barr and Mr. Durham earlier this year .
Saying Mr. Durham had had “ plenty of time ” to finish his investigation , Mr. Trump insisted “ the facts are on the table.
” Justice Department officials declined to comment for this article .
Some conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will produce results .
“ I just don ’ t feel like most of my conservative friends would consider the Durham probe a failure , ” said Curt Levey , president of the Committee for Justice , which advocates for appointment of conservative judges .
“ They are hopeful that because the probe is still open , something will come of it.
” The only action from the Durham probe has been the prosecution of Kevin Clinesmith , a former FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty to falsifying a document to justify the wiretapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Fitton dismissed the Clinesmith prosecution as “ low-hanging fruit , ” noting that the criminal conduct was uncovered by the Justice Department ’ s inspector general nearly a year before Mr. Durham brought charges .
“ The Clinesmith prosecution was handed to them on a silver platter a year ago and in his plea deal he says he didn ’ t do anything wrong , ” Mr. Fitton said .
“ What a sham !
” Andrew Leipold , a former member of independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr ’ s team during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s allies should accept the possibility that the probes didn ’ t uncover any wrongdoing .
However , he said each U.S. attorney should have been required to report his or her conclusions .
“ Conservatives are not entitled to certain findings , but we as Americans are , ” he said .
“ This is our Congress , our president and our Justice Department , and we are paying for this .
Conservatives have nothing distinctive to complain about.
” Mr. Barr selected the U.S. attorneys because they were outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They could therefore be touted as outsiders , giving the public and Mr. Trump confidence in their findings .
Much of their efforts were aimed at the work of special counsel Robert Mueller and the early stages of the Russia probe .
Ordering U.S. attorneys to conduct probes is unusual , but not unprecedented .
But it is rare to do it as much as Mr. Barr did .
Eric H. Holder Jr. , President Obama ’ s attorney general , only once appointed a U.S. attorney , for an investigation into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , Mr. Barr arrived at the Justice Department inheriting a probe started nearly two years earlier by John Huber , the U.S. attorney for Utah .
Mr. Huber had been tapped to look into corruption accusations against former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and the Justice Department ’ s actions in the Russia probe .
Republicans soon became angry over Mr. Huber ’ s refusals to update them on his work and key witnesses complaining that he refused to hear their testimony .
The probe closed in January with Mr. Huber privately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth pursuing .
In April 2018 , Mr .
Sessions appointed John Lausch , U.S. attorney for Chicago , to review the FBI and Justice Department ’ s response to congressional requests for documents related to Mrs. Clinton ’ s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state .
Congressional Republicans had been accusing the FBI and Justice of slow-walking their requests .
He was also asked to look into alleged FBI surveillance abuses targeting members of the Trump campaign .
It is not clear whether Mr. Lausch is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or whether his review uncovered anything .
The Durham probe was the first that began on Mr. Barr ’ s watch .
It will continue into the Biden administration , vexing Republicans and Mr. Trump with its length .
Another probe was started in February 2020 when Mr. Barr tapped Scott Brady , U.S. attorney for Pittsburgh , to manage open investigations into wrongdoing in Ukraine related to Mr. Biden ’ s son , Hunter .
Mr. Brady was reviewing information passed along by Mr. Trump ’ s personal attorney , former New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but nothing emerged publicly from the probe .
The inaction drew howls from Mr. Barr ’ s critics when Hunter Biden recently confirmed that he is under federal investigation in Delaware for an unspecified tax issue .
He is also being investigated by federal prosecutors in New York .
Mr. Barr reportedly was aware of the two probes but shielded them from the public and lawmakers .
“ These investigations have been worse under Barr and Sessions [ than in the Obama administration ] because they have been less transparent and more contemptuous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May , Mr. Barr appointed two prosecutors to review matters related to the Flynn case .
The first probe , overseen by Mr. Jensen , did yield some results .
John Bash , the U.S. attorney for San Antonio , led the second probe into whether Obama-era officials improperly requested the identity of Mr. Flynn , whose name appeared redacted on intelligence documents .
Mr. Bash resigned from the department in early October and concluded his probe without criminal charges or a public report .
The Justice Department declined to release his findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Mr. Durham ’ s probe .
Mr. Brady , Mr. Bash , Mr. Huber all refused to comment .
A spokesperson for Mr. Lausch did not respond to a request for comment .

Attorney General William P. Barr will exit the Justice Department leaving behind a string of probes into misconduct by Obama-era officials that have mostly come up empty and sorely disappointed President Trump and his allies.
During his tenure, Mr. Barr repeatedly tasked U.S. attorneys from offices across the country to probe politically treacherous investigations. Mr. Barr initiated four of those probes and inherited two more from his predecessor, Jeff Sessions.
As each investigation began, Democrats fumed that Mr. Barr was using the Justice Department as a weapon against Mr. Trump’s enemies. In the end, however, conservatives were the ones seething when nearly all the investigations were busts.
Combined, the six probes generated one criminal charge and none has produced a public report.
“The Justice Department, in terms of enforcing the rule of law, has been an absolute, unmitigated failure because there is no evidence that any of those probes did a serious or substantial investigation of their purported targets,” said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group.
The only investigation that has proven fruitful so far was U.S. Attorney for St. Louis Jeff Jensen’s review of the criminal case against retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Mr. Trump’s first national security adviser.
Mr. Jensen uncovered previously undisclosed documents that provided exculpatory information, leading the Justice Department to drop the charges against Mr. Flynn.
Durham probe
U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham’s probe into the origins of the Russia collusion investigation has dragged on nearly two years with little to show for it.
Mr. Trump had high hopes the investigation would expose wrongdoing by Obama-era officials, including Democratic presidential rival Joseph R. Biden, in time to sway the election. Repeated delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and bureaucratic issues forced Mr. Barr to appoint Mr. Durham as a special counsel so his work could continue into the Biden administration.
The slow pace angered Mr. Trump, who lashed out against Mr. Barr and Mr. Durham earlier this year.
Saying Mr. Durham had had “plenty of time” to finish his investigation, Mr. Trump insisted “the facts are on the table.”
Justice Department officials declined to comment for this article.
Some conservatives remain optimistic that the Durham probe eventually will produce results.
“I just don’t feel like most of my conservative friends would consider the Durham probe a failure,” said Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice, which advocates for appointment of conservative judges. “They are hopeful that because the probe is still open, something will come of it.”
The only action from the Durham probe has been the prosecution of Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty to falsifying a document to justify the wiretapping of Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
Mr. Fitton dismissed the Clinesmith prosecution as “low-hanging fruit,” noting that the criminal conduct was uncovered by the Justice Department’s inspector general nearly a year before Mr. Durham brought charges.
“The Clinesmith prosecution was handed to them on a silver platter a year ago and in his plea deal he says he didn’t do anything wrong,” Mr. Fitton said. “What a sham!”
No reports
Andrew Leipold, a former member of independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr’s team during investigations into President Bill Clinton, said the president’s allies should accept the possibility that the probes didn’t uncover any wrongdoing.
However, he said each U.S. attorney should have been required to report his or her conclusions.
“Conservatives are not entitled to certain findings, but we as Americans are,” he said. “This is our Congress, our president and our Justice Department, and we are paying for this. Conservatives have nothing distinctive to complain about.”
Mr. Barr selected the U.S. attorneys because they were outside the chain of command in Washington. They could therefore be touted as outsiders, giving the public and Mr. Trump confidence in their findings.
Much of their efforts were aimed at the work of special counsel Robert Mueller and the early stages of the Russia probe.
Ordering U.S. attorneys to conduct probes is unusual, but not unprecedented. But it is rare to do it as much as Mr. Barr did.
Eric H. Holder Jr., President Obama’s attorney general, only once appointed a U.S. attorney, for an investigation into the treatment of detained terrorism suspects.
Clinton, FBI and Hunter Biden
In 2019, Mr. Barr arrived at the Justice Department inheriting a probe started nearly two years earlier by John Huber, the U.S. attorney for Utah.
Mr. Huber had been tapped to look into corruption accusations against former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and the Justice Department’s actions in the Russia probe.
Republicans soon became angry over Mr. Huber’s refusals to update them on his work and key witnesses complaining that he refused to hear their testimony.
The probe closed in January with Mr. Huber privately telling the Justice Department he found nothing worth pursuing.
Mr. Trump called Mr. Huber a “garbage disposal” who did “absolutely nothing.”
In April 2018, Mr. Sessions appointed John Lausch, U.S. attorney for Chicago, to review the FBI and Justice Department’s response to congressional requests for documents related to Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. Congressional Republicans had been accusing the FBI and Justice of slow-walking their requests.
He was also asked to look into alleged FBI surveillance abuses targeting members of the Trump campaign.
It is not clear whether Mr. Lausch is still reviewing document production and responsiveness, or whether his review uncovered anything.
The Durham probe was the first that began on Mr. Barr’s watch. It will continue into the Biden administration, vexing Republicans and Mr. Trump with its length.
Another probe was started in February 2020 when Mr. Barr tapped Scott Brady, U.S. attorney for Pittsburgh, to manage open investigations into wrongdoing in Ukraine related to Mr. Biden’s son, Hunter.
Mr. Brady was reviewing information passed along by Mr. Trump’s personal attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, but nothing emerged publicly from the probe.
The inaction drew howls from Mr. Barr’s critics when Hunter Biden recently confirmed that he is under federal investigation in Delaware for an unspecified tax issue. He is also being investigated by federal prosecutors in New York.
Mr. Barr reportedly was aware of the two probes but shielded them from the public and lawmakers.
“These investigations have been worse under Barr and Sessions [than in the Obama administration] because they have been less transparent and more contemptuous,” Mr. Fitton said.
In May, Mr. Barr appointed two prosecutors to review matters related to the Flynn case. The first probe, overseen by Mr. Jensen, did yield some results.
John Bash, the U.S. attorney for San Antonio, led the second probe into whether Obama-era officials improperly requested the identity of Mr. Flynn, whose name appeared redacted on intelligence documents.
Mr. Bash resigned from the department in early October and concluded his probe without criminal charges or a public report.
The Justice Department declined to release his findings, some of which have been folded into Mr. Durham’s probe.
Mr. Brady, Mr. Bash, Mr. Huber all refused to comment. A spokesperson for Mr. Lausch did not respond to a request for comment.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Vietnam vet buried months after dying in nursing home

ELGIN , Ill. ( AP ) - A Vietnam War veteran who died in September was given a funeral with @ @ @ @ @ passed and no family members emerged .
Stephen Myerson , 72 , was living at @ @ @ @ @ when he died .
Laird Funeral Home donated its services , The Daily Herald reported @ @ @ @ @ was brought out here from Chicago and put in a nursing home down the street @ @ @ @ @ family , nobody , ” said Steven Laird , who owns the business with his @ @ @ @ @ buried at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood .
He served in the Marine Corps @ @ @ @ @ earned a National Defense Service Medal and a Vietnam Service Medal with one star .
@ @ @ @ @ Elgin said he attended the funeral to “ pay my respects to a brother.
” @ @ @ @ @ , ” Bolding said .
“ I would hope he would have done the same @ @ @ @ @ had happened that way .
”

ELGIN, Ill. (AP) - A Vietnam War veteran who died in September was given a funeral with military honors Tuesday after months passed and no family members emerged.
Stephen Myerson, 72, was living at a nursing home in Elgin when he died. Laird Funeral Home donated its services, The Daily Herald reported.
“This poor guy was brought out here from Chicago and put in a nursing home down the street - no friends, no family, nobody,” said Steven Laird, who owns the business with his brother Rob.
Myerson was buried at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood. He served in the Marine Corps from 1968 to 1970 and earned a National Defense Service Medal and a Vietnam Service Medal with one star.
Army veteran Herbert Bolding of Elgin said he attended the funeral to “pay my respects to a brother.”
“It’s heartbreaking,” Bolding said. “I would hope he would have done the same thing for me if it had happened that way.”


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--LA police won't face charges in 2018 Trader Joe's shooting

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) - Two Los Angeles police officers acted lawfully in 2018 when they opened fire outside a Trader Joe ’ s supermarket during a gunfight with a suspect and fatally shot the assistant store manager , prosecutors said Tuesday .
LAPD Officers Sinlen Tse and Sarah Winans will not face criminal charges in the death of Melyda “ Mely ” Corado , the Los Angeles County District Attorney ’ s Office said in a Nov. 30 report released on Tuesday .
The suspect , Gene Evin Atkins , took employees and shoppers hostage for three hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity , court records show “ The fact that Corado was struck accidentally by Tse ’ s gunfire is tragic , however , it does not negate the lawfulness of the officers ’ actions in using deadly force to stop a dangerous fleeing felon , ” the report states .
Corado ’ s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and the officers , claiming they failed to follow the department ’ s deadly force policy when they began firing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s killing , even though he did not shoot her , as well as the attempted killings of his grandmother and girlfriend , and other offenses .
The case returns to court on Dec. 23 .
John Taylor , the Corado family ’ s attorney , said Tuesday the DA ’ s decision was expected .
“ The family ’ s disappointed , but we ’ re not surprised , ” he told The Associated Press .
The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled in June 2019 that the officers did not violate department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they fired toward a crowded store .
The LAPD did not have a comment regarding the DA ’ s decision on Tuesday .
Taylor alleged the city has treated the Corado family poorly as the civil lawsuit goes through court .
He said city officials have acted as if Corado was a criminal “ although she was an innocent bystander ” when she was killed .
On July 21 , 2018 , Atkins had led police on a pursuit through Hollywood and Silver Lake after allegedly shooting his grandmother and girlfriend .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe ’ s in Silver Lake and then opened fire at officers , police said .
Tse and Winans returned fire , wounding Atkins and fatally shooting Corado , 27 , as she ran toward the store ’ s entrance upon hearing the car crash .
Authorities have said the officers did not see Corado and believed the area to be clear of bystanders .
Police did not know Corado had been struck by gunfire for 18 minutes , when Atkins told a negotiator that she had been hit .
The report is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tenure .
A spokesman for new DA George Gascón , who was sworn in Dec. 7 and has pledged to reevaluate at least four cases where Lacey declined prosecutions against police officers , declined to comment Tuesday .

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two Los Angeles police officers acted lawfully in 2018 when they opened fire outside a Trader Joe’s supermarket during a gunfight with a suspect and fatally shot the assistant store manager, prosecutors said Tuesday.
LAPD Officers Sinlen Tse and Sarah Winans will not face criminal charges in the death of Melyda “Mely” Corado, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a Nov. 30 report released on Tuesday.
The suspect, Gene Evin Atkins, took employees and shoppers hostage for three hours before surrendering, authorities said. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, court records show
“The fact that Corado was struck accidentally by Tse’s gunfire is tragic, however, it does not negate the lawfulness of the officers’ actions in using deadly force to stop a dangerous fleeing felon,” the report states.
Corado’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and the officers, claiming they failed to follow the department’s deadly force policy when they began firing.
Atkins is charged with Corado’s killing, even though he did not shoot her, as well as the attempted killings of his grandmother and girlfriend, and other offenses. The case returns to court on Dec. 23.
John Taylor, the Corado family’s attorney, said Tuesday the DA’s decision was expected. “The family’s disappointed, but we’re not surprised,” he told The Associated Press.
The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled in June 2019 that the officers did not violate department policy in the shooting, even though they fired toward a crowded store. The LAPD did not have a comment regarding the DA’s decision on Tuesday.
Taylor alleged the city has treated the Corado family poorly as the civil lawsuit goes through court. He said city officials have acted as if Corado was a criminal “although she was an innocent bystander” when she was killed.
On July 21, 2018, Atkins had led police on a pursuit through Hollywood and Silver Lake after allegedly shooting his grandmother and girlfriend.
He crashed the car next to the Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake and then opened fire at officers, police said.
Tse and Winans returned fire, wounding Atkins and fatally shooting Corado, 27, as she ran toward the store’s entrance upon hearing the car crash. Authorities have said the officers did not see Corado and believed the area to be clear of bystanders.
Police did not know Corado had been struck by gunfire for 18 minutes, when Atkins told a negotiator that she had been hit.
The report is dated during former DA Jackie Lacey’s tenure. A spokesman for new DA George Gascón, who was sworn in Dec. 7 and has pledged to reevaluate at least four cases where Lacey declined prosecutions against police officers, declined to comment Tuesday.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Myon Burrell, Black man sentenced to life in prison as a teenager, walks out of Minnesota prison aft

BAYPORT , Minn. ( AP ) - Myon Burrell , Black man sentenced to life in prison as a teenager @ @ @ @ @ prison after nearly 2 decades .

BAYPORT, Minn. (AP) - Myon Burrell, Black man sentenced to life in prison as a teenager, walks out of Minnesota prison after nearly 2 decades.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Hawaii teachers face furloughs as pandemic hits tax revenue

HONOLULU ( AP ) - The Hawaii state Department of Education plans to furlough public school teachers a total of six days through June as part of Gov .
David Ige ’ s effort to cut spending to cope with a pandemic-induced plunge in state tax revenue .
Superintendent Christina Kishimoto outlined the plan to staff in a memo emailed late Monday .
Ige had announced furlough plans for other state workers last week .
The first furlough day for teachers would be Jan. 4 , which had previously been scheduled as a teacher work day when students would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t immediately clear how many instructional days students might lose under the plan .
Ige last week announced state employee furloughs to save $ 300 million over a 12-month period .
The governor said the furloughs would cut worker salaries by 9.2 % and help plug a $ 1.4 billion hole in the budget .
About 10,000 state employees of executive agencies would stay home two days a month to achieve the savings , Ige said .
He ordered the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii to develop their own furlough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the academic calendar into account .
The Department of Education ’ s furloughs will affect 22,000 employees .
That includes 13,000 people who are covered by Hawaii State Teachers Association contracts and who work 10 months out of the year .
The department plans six furlough days for teachers through June .
Department employees who work in other capacities all year would have 10 furlough days through June .
The state ’ s biggest unions , including the HSTA , last week sharply criticized Ige ’ s furloughs , calling them “ drastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they vowed to “ pursue all legal avenues to stop the unilateral implementation ” of the furloughs .
Hawaii statute calls for a 180-day school year , but the number of instructional days dropped to 171 with this year ’ s late start due to the pandemic .
The department didn ’ t immediately respond to a question on how many instructional days students would have during the 2020-2021 school year as a result of both furloughs and the late start to the school year .

HONOLULU (AP) - The Hawaii state Department of Education plans to furlough public school teachers a total of six days through June as part of Gov. David Ige’s effort to cut spending to cope with a pandemic-induced plunge in state tax revenue.
Superintendent Christina Kishimoto outlined the plan to staff in a memo emailed late Monday. Ige had announced furlough plans for other state workers last week.
The first furlough day for teachers would be Jan. 4, which had previously been scheduled as a teacher work day when students would not be in school.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many instructional days students might lose under the plan.
Ige last week announced state employee furloughs to save $300 million over a 12-month period.
The governor said the furloughs would cut worker salaries by 9.2% and help plug a $1.4 billion hole in the budget.
About 10,000 state employees of executive agencies would stay home two days a month to achieve the savings, Ige said. He ordered the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii to develop their own furlough schedules because the institutions need to take the academic calendar into account.
The Department of Education’s furloughs will affect 22,000 employees. That includes 13,000 people who are covered by Hawaii State Teachers Association contracts and who work 10 months out of the year.
The department plans six furlough days for teachers through June. Department employees who work in other capacities all year would have 10 furlough days through June.
The state’s biggest unions, including the HSTA, last week sharply criticized Ige’s furloughs, calling them “drastic and rash.” In a joint statement, they vowed to “pursue all legal avenues to stop the unilateral implementation” of the furloughs.
Hawaii statute calls for a 180-day school year, but the number of instructional days dropped to 171 with this year’s late start due to the pandemic.
The department didn’t immediately respond to a question on how many instructional days students would have during the 2020-2021 school year as a result of both furloughs and the late start to the school year.


washingtontimes--2020-12-15--Groups seek to block lease plans for Alaska refuge

JUNEAU , Alaska ( AP ) - Indigenous and conservation groups asked a federal judge Tuesday to block the Trump administration from issuing oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge .
The groups in separate filings requested a decision by Jan. 6 , the date of a scheduled lease sale .
They say the issuance of leases and proposed seismic exploration should be halted pending resolution of their claims challenging the adequacy of environmental reviews on which the sale and exploration plans are based .
Karlin Itchoak , Alaska state director for The Wilderness Society , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ relentless pursuit of a lease sale and destruction of the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge ” forced groups to seek an injunction .
An email seeking comment was sent to the U.S .
Interior Department press office .
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management , which falls under the Interior Department , earlier this month announced plans to hold the lease sale Jan. 6 , weeks before President-elect Joe Biden , who has opposed drilling in the region , is set to take office .
Last month , the land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to nominate or comment on land that could be available in a sale .
The sale date was announced before the end of the comment period , and groups criticized the process as rushed .
Alaska political leaders for years have pushed to open the refuge ’ s coastal plain to exploration .
But the Indigenous Gwich ’ in people have opposed development in the area , citing concern about the impacts on caribou on which they have relied for subsistence .
Conservation groups also have fought drilling in the refuge .

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Indigenous and conservation groups asked a federal judge Tuesday to block the Trump administration from issuing oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The groups in separate filings requested a decision by Jan. 6, the date of a scheduled lease sale.
They say the issuance of leases and proposed seismic exploration should be halted pending resolution of their claims challenging the adequacy of environmental reviews on which the sale and exploration plans are based.
Karlin Itchoak, Alaska state director for The Wilderness Society, in a statement said the Trump administration’s “relentless pursuit of a lease sale and destruction of the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge” forced groups to seek an injunction.
An email seeking comment was sent to the U.S. Interior Department press office.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which falls under the Interior Department, earlier this month announced plans to hold the lease sale Jan. 6, weeks before President-elect Joe Biden, who has opposed drilling in the region, is set to take office.
Last month, the land agency announced a 30-day period for parties to nominate or comment on land that could be available in a sale. The sale date was announced before the end of the comment period, and groups criticized the process as rushed.
Alaska political leaders for years have pushed to open the refuge’s coastal plain to exploration. But the Indigenous Gwich’in people have opposed development in the area, citing concern about the impacts on caribou on which they have relied for subsistence. Conservation groups also have fought drilling in the refuge.


washingtontimes--2020-12-16--Gov warns of COVID-19 testing site closures ahead of storm

PROVIDENCE , R.I. ( AP ) - Rhode Island ’ s governor is warning about impacts to the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ region braces for a major winter storm .
Democratic Gov .
Gina Raimondo said in @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 test scheduling has been suspended for Thursday .
She also urged residents to check @ @ @ @ @ closed Thursday if they already have a test scheduled .
Closures well be posted on @ @ @ @ @ ’ s social media channels , Raimondo said .
Some outdoor testing sites may close @ @ @ @ @ covered sites will stay open during the storm , she said .
If a site @ @ @ @ @ come back at any time once it reopens to get tested .
Rhode Island is @ @ @ @ @ foot of snow .
A winter storm warning has been issued for Providence and Kent @ @ @ @ @ through 1 p.m. Thursday .

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island has closed all state-run coronavirus testing sites as the region braces for a major winter storm.
Gov. Gina Raimondo’s office said Wednesday that all indoor and outdoor sites booked through the state’s testing portal will be shuttered on Thursday.
Anyone with a Thursday appointment will not need to make new ones when sites reopen, the office said. They can simply go to their original appointment site at any time with their confirmation notice.
Rhode Island is expecting as much as a foot of snow. A winter storm warning has been issued for Providence and Kent counties from 7 p.m. Wednesday through 1 p.m. Thursday.
State health officials, meanwhile, reported 20 coronavirus-related deaths and nearly 1,000 additional cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The state Department of Health also said there were 469 patients in Rhode Island hospitals with the virus, with 62 of them in intensive care.
There have been 1,590 deaths and more than 76,000 known cases of the virus in the state since the pandemic started.
Rhode Island’s 7-day rolling average of the positivity rate has hovered around 7% the past two weeks. It’s average of daily new cases has risen, from 926 new cases per day on Dec. 1 to 1,167 a day on Dec. 15.


washingtontimes--2020-12-16--Police: Maine man with chain saw robs fast-food restaurant

WESTBROOK , Maine ( AP ) - A Maine man has been charged with robbing a fast-food restaurant while wielding @ @ @ @ @ were summoned Tuesday afternoon after receiving reports of someone with a chain saw inside a @ @ @ @ @ .
The assailant went behind the counter while revving the chain saw and took some @ @ @ @ @ police said .
Alice Sweet , 26 , of Portland , was captured by Westbrook @ @ @ @ @ to Police Capt .
Steve Goldberg .
Sweet allegedly used the chain saw to damage @ @ @ @ @ lot , police said , but there were no injuries .
Sweet was taken to @ @ @ @ @ , Sweet said .
It was unclear Wednesday if he had an attorney .

WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) - A Maine man has been charged with robbing a fast-food restaurant while wielding a chain saw.
Police were summoned Tuesday afternoon after receiving reports of someone with a chain saw inside a McDonald’s in Westbrook. The assailant went behind the counter while revving the chain saw and took some food and a drink, police said.
Alice Sweet, 26, of Portland, was captured by Westbrook police after fleeing, according to Police Capt. Steve Goldberg.
Sweet allegedly used the chain saw to damage two cars in the parking lot, police said, but there were no injuries.
Sweet was taken to a Portland hospital for evaluation, Sweet said. It was unclear Wednesday if he had an attorney.


washingtontimes--2020-12-16--Kamala Harris: 'I don't understand the hesitation' on COVID-19 relief

Vice President-elect Sen. Kamala D. Harris said in an interview that aired Wednesday that she doesn ’ t understand what ’ s taking so long to pass another round of COVID-19 relief .
“ I don ’ t understand the hesitation .
The people are suffering , ” Ms. Harris said on ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America.
” “ The moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures are about to end , ” she said .
“ The people here in Washington , D.C. , have got to stop living in a bubble.
” Congressional leaders are reportedly closing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion after months of painstaking , on-again , off-again negotiations .
Late Tuesday , after the interview with Ms. Harris was taped , the Congressional Progressive Caucus indicated that any package must include another round of direct stimulus payments .
In October , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had pushed back strongly against the notion that Democrats should have accepted a larger , $ 1.8 trillion offer from the White House .
Mrs. Pelosi also dismissed a question this month about whether it was a mistake not to accept “ half a loaf ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a mistake , it was a decision , ” the California Democrat said .
“ And it has taken us to a place where we can do the right thing without other , shall we say , considerations in the legislation that we don ’ t want .
”

Vice President-elect Sen. Kamala D. Harris said in an interview that aired Wednesday that she doesn’t understand what’s taking so long to pass another round of COVID-19 relief.
“I don’t understand the hesitation. The people are suffering,” Ms. Harris said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
“The moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures are about to end,” she said. “The people here in Washington, D.C., have got to stop living in a bubble.”
Congressional leaders are reportedly closing in on a deal totaling roughly $900 billion after months of painstaking, on-again, off-again negotiations.
Late Tuesday, after the interview with Ms. Harris was taped, the Congressional Progressive Caucus indicated that any package must include another round of direct stimulus payments.
In October, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had pushed back strongly against the notion that Democrats should have accepted a larger, $1.8 trillion offer from the White House.
Mrs. Pelosi also dismissed a question this month about whether it was a mistake not to accept “half a loaf” several months ago.
“That was not a mistake, it was a decision,” the California Democrat said. “And it has taken us to a place where we can do the right thing without other, shall we say, considerations in the legislation that we don’t want.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-12-16--Boy in car knocked unconscious by rock thrown from overpass

FLORENCE , S.C. ( AP ) - A 15-year-old knocked unconscious after a rock was thrown from an overpass and @ @ @ @ @ the car he was in , authorities said .
It happened Dec. 10 near an @ @ @ @ @ reported .
The boy was unconscious when he was taken to a hospital , Darlington @ @ @ @ @ said .
No other information on his condition was immediately available .
Another woman reported @ @ @ @ @ struck on the windshield by a rock , authorities said .
Sheriff ’ s officials @ @ @ @ @ rig was struck by debris reported seeing two youths throwing objects from the overpass .

FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) - A 15-year-old knocked unconscious after a rock was thrown from an overpass and smashed through the windshield of the car he was in, authorities said.
It happened Dec. 10 near an overpass in Florence, WMBF-TV reported.
The boy was unconscious when he was taken to a hospital, Darlington County sheriff’s officials said. No other information on his condition was immediately available.
Another woman reported that her vehicle was also struck on the windshield by a rock, authorities said. Sheriff’s officials say a truck driver whose rig was struck by debris reported seeing two youths throwing objects from the overpass.


washingtontimes--2020-12-16--Paris court convicts former Vatican envoy of sexual assault

PARIS ( AP ) - A Paris court on Wednesday convicted a former Vatican ambassador to France of sexually assaulting @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , and handed him a suspended 8-month prison sentence .
The path for the @ @ @ @ @ was cleared after the Vatican lifted his immunity in July 2019 .
His trial in @ @ @ @ @ .
He was not present for the verdict .
The sentence imposed Wednesday was more @ @ @ @ @ the prosecution had sought .
Five men alleged that they had suffered Ventura ’ s @ @ @ @ @ ” during his public diplomatic duties in France .
The case erupted in February 2019 @ @ @ @ @ the Catholic Church .
Ventura has repeatedly denied wrongdoing .
Sexual assault is punishable in @ @ @ @ @ years ’ imprisonment and fines in France .
The former envoy had produced a doctor @ @ @ @ @ was too dangerous for him to travel from Rome to Paris for the trial amid @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic .

PARIS (AP) - A Paris court on Wednesday convicted a former Vatican ambassador to France of sexually assaulting five men in 2018 and 2019, and handed him a suspended 8-month prison sentence.
Retired Archbishop Luigi Ventura, 76 - who was not present in court - was “shattered” by the verdict, according to his lawyer, Solange Doumic. She said she was uncertain whether he would lodge an appeal because the procedure “has been extremely painful for him.”
Ventura has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Sexual assault is punishable in France by up to five years’ imprisonment and fines in France.
The path for the prosecution of Ventura was cleared after the Vatican lifted his immunity in July 2019. His trial in absentia was held Nov. 10.
The sentence imposed Wednesday was more lenient than the suspended 10 months the prosecution had sought.
Doumic said her client had “explained himself multiple times,” over what the defense has described as “minor” accusations.
But the court decision “shows he wasn’t heard, despite a 7-hour hearing on gestures which are simple, light,” she said after the verdict.
Five men alleged that they had suffered Ventura’s “hands on the buttocks” during his public diplomatic duties in France. The case erupted in February 2019 amid multiple sex scandals affecting the Catholic Church.
Among the accusers was a former seminarian, Mahe Thouvenel, who said he was grabbed repeatedly by the clergyman when they celebrated Mass in December 2018. Another, Mathieu De La Souchere, alleged that Ventura touched his behind repeatedly during a reception at Paris City Hall.
Thouvenel said his seminary kicked him out after he filed a police complaint. Under questioning from Ventura’s lawyer, he put his right hand on the top of his right buttock to show one of the spots where he was allegedly groped.
“It’s violent,” Thouvenel said during the trial. “It sticks in your memory.”
The judge said at the time that, during prior questioning, Ventura had explained his behavior by saying he had a “Latin” temperament and that there was nothing sexual about his gestures.
“These types of verdicts, when it involves a Vatican ambassador, can give other victims the courage to come forward in other cases potentially involving the church,” said Antoinette Frety, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. “They know now that they will be heard no matter what the rank of the aggressor is within the church. And that’s very important.”
Another lawyer for the plaintiffs, Edmond-Claude Frety, said the verdict should encourage potential victims not to give up.
“It means that victims have to be brave, have to leave the silence and to talk,” he said. Ventura “will not be in jail tonight, of course, but it’s quite an important conviction because it means that these facts are now considered very severely by the courts.”
The former envoy had produced a doctor’s note saying it was too dangerous for him to travel from Rome to Paris for the November trial amid France’s resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic.
___
Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-12-16--Man's death from fall in Grand Canyon National Park reported

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK , Ariz. ( AP ) - Grand Canyon National Park officials say a 23-year-old Phoenix man @ @ @ @ @ 80 feet ( 24 meters ) while hiking on a trail below the South Rim @ @ @ @ @ to be day hiking when he fell from the South Kaibab Trail above the Black @ @ @ @ @ in the canyon ’ s inner gorge Tuesday morning , park offices announced Wednesday in @ @ @ @ @ investigation is being conducted by the National Park Service in coordination with the Coconino County @ @ @ @ @ , the statement said .

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) - Grand Canyon National Park officials say a 23-year-old Phoenix man died when he fell approximately 80 feet (24 meters) while hiking on a trail below the South Rim.
Jaiquan Carter was believed to be day hiking when he fell from the South Kaibab Trail above the Black Bridge across the Colorado River in the canyon’s inner gorge Tuesday morning, park offices announced Wednesday in a brief statement.
An investigation is being conducted by the National Park Service in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Officer, the statement said.
No additional information was released.