washingtontimes--2020-10-10--After coronavirus, Trump aims to get campaign back on track

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - Looking to shove his campaign back on track , President Donald Trump and his team laid out an aggressive return to political activities , including a big White House event on Saturday and a rally in Florida on Monday , a week after his hospitalization for a virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans .
As questions linger about his health - and Democratic opponent Joe Biden steps up his own campaigning - Trump planned to leave the Washington area for the first time since he was hospitalized .
He is also increasing his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hoping to make up for lost time with just over three weeks until Election Day and millions already voting .
The president has not been seen in public - other than in White House-produced videos - since his return days ago from the military hospital where he received experimental treatments for the coronavirus .
Two weeks after his Rose Garden event that has been labeled a “ superspreader ” for the virus , Trump is planning to convene another large crowd outside the White House on Saturday for what his administration calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order.
” More than two dozen people linked to the White House have contracted COVID-19 since the president ’ s Sept. 26 event announcing Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to the Supreme Court .
Trump will address the Saturday group , expected to be at least several hundred supporters , from the White House balcony .
All attendees are required to bring masks or will be provided with them , and also will be given temperature checks and asked to fill out a brief questionnaire .
Attendees will be strongly encouraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask-wearing and social distancing .
Trump ’ s Monday rally in Sanford , Florida , was originally scheduled to be held on Oct. 2 , the day after he tested positive .
Announcement of the new event came as Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious-disease expert , cautioned the White House again to avoid large-scale gatherings of people without masks .
He said of the Barrett event in an interview with The Associated Press , “ I was not surprised to see a superspreader event given the circumstances.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not wearing masks .
It is not surprising to see an outbreak , ” he said .
District of Columbia virus restrictions prohibit outdoor gatherings larger than 50 people , although that rule has not been strictly enforced .
Masks are mandatory outdoors for most people , but the regulations don ’ t apply on federal land , and the Trump White House has openly flouted them for months .
And next week in Florida ?
Trump tweeted on Friday that he would be in Sanford “ for a very BIG RALLY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s town hall-style Trump-Biden debate was officially canceled , a few days after Trump backed away when the sponsoring commission switched it from face-to-face to virtual following Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis .
Trump said the Commission on Presidential Debates was protecting Biden from having to take on the president in person .
But Biden ’ s team said the one demanding protection was Trump .
“ It ’ s shameful that Donald Trump ducked the only debate in which the voters get to ask the questions - but it ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bates .
“ Everyone knows that Donald Trump likes to bully reporters , but obviously he doesn ’ t have the guts to answer for his record to voters at the same time as Vice President Biden.
” Trump is now making the rounds of friendly conservative media , calling in to Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night and spending two hours live on air with radio host Rush Limbaugh on Friday in what his campaign billed as a “ radio rally.
” Holding court on his reelection battle , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Democrats to pass an economic stimulus bill , Trump was making a direct appeal to his base of loyal supporters , whom he needs to turn out to the polls in droves .
He following with a taped appearance on Tucker Carlson ’ s Fox News show Friday evening .
In that interview , Trump was asked if he has been retested for COVID-19 .
“ I have been retested , and I haven ’ t even found out numbers or anything yet .
But I ’ ve been retested , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottom of the scale or free , ” he said .
Fauci said in his AP interview , “ Let me just tell you what the CDC guidelines are for getting people to be able to go back into society .
It generally is 10 days from the onset of your symptoms.
” That onset for Trump was Oct. 1 , according to his doctors .
The president ’ s White House doctor , Navy Cmdr .
Sean Conley , said that means Trump , who has been surrounded by minimal staffing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House residence and the Oval Office , could return to holding events on Saturday .
Conley added that Trump was showing no evidence of his illness progressing or adverse reactions to the aggressive course of therapy he has received .
While reports of reinfection in COVID-19 victims are rare , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that even people who recover from the disease continue to wear masks , stay distanced and follow other precautions .
It was unclear if Trump , who has refused mask wearing in most settings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interview with Limbaugh , Trump again credited the experimental antibody drug he received last week with speeding his recovery .
“ I was not in the greatest of shape , ” he said .
“ A day later I was fine.
” He promised to expedite distribution of the drug to Americans in need , though that would require action by the Food and Drug Administration .
He speculated to Limbaugh that without the drug , “ I might not have recovered at all.
” However , there is no way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus .
Despite public and private surveys showing him trailing Biden , Trump predicted a greater victory in 2020 than four years ago .
He won a majority in the Electoral College in 2016 , though he lost the national popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton .
As for economic aid to businesses and individuals harmed by the pandemic , he said , “ I would like to see a bigger stimulus package frankly than either the Democrats or the Republicans are offering.
” He made that comment just days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi “ until after the election ” because the GOP balked at the high price tag of the aid she was calling for .
Associated Press writer Ashraf Khalil contributed to this report .

ZEKE MILLER, JONATHAN LEMIRE and JILL COLVIN

WASHINGTON (AP) -
President Donald Trump on Sunday declared he was healthy enough to return to the campaign trail, a day after the White House doctor said he was no longer at risk of transmitting the coronavirus but did not say explicitly whether Trump had tested negative for it.
Trump, who was poised Monday to host his first rally after his COVID-19 diagnosis, declared he was now “immune” from the virus, a claim that was impossible to prove and comes amid a series of outstanding questions about the president’s health.
“I’m immune,” Trump said in an interview on Fox News. “The president is in very good shape to fight the battles.”
In a memo released Saturday night by the White House, Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley said Trump met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for safely discontinuing isolation and that by “currently recognized standards” he was no longer considered a transmission risk. The memo did not declare Trump had tested negative for the virus.
But sensitive lab tests - like the PCR test cited in the doctor’s statements - detect virus in swab samples taken from the nose and throat. Some medical experts had been skeptical that Trump could be declared free of the risk of transmitting the virus so early in the course of his illness. Just 10 days since an initial diagnosis of infection, there was no way to know for certain that someone was no longer contagious, they said.
The memo followed Trump’s first public appearance since returning to the White House after being treated for the coronavirus at a military hospital. Hundreds of people gathered Saturday afternoon on the South Lawn for a Trump address on his support for law enforcement from a White House balcony.
Trump took off a mask moments after he emerged on the balcony to address the crowd on the lawn below, his first step back onto the public stage with just more than three weeks to go until Election Day. He flouted, once more, the safety recommendations of his own government days after acknowledging that he was on the brink of “bad things” from the virus and claiming that his bout with the illness brought him a better understanding of it.
His return was a brief one. With bandages visible on his hands, likely from an intravenous injection, Trump spoke for 18 minutes, far less than his normal hour-plus rallies. He appeared healthy, if perhaps a little hoarse, as he delivered what was, for all intents and purposes, a short version of his campaign speech despite the executive mansion setting.
“I’m feeling great,” Trump told the crowd, adding that he was thankful for their good wishes and prayers as he recovered. He then declared that the pandemic, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans, was “disappearing” even though he is still recovering from the virus.
In either an act of defiance or simply tempting fate, officials organized the event just steps from the Rose Garden, where exactly two weeks ago the president held another large gathering to formally announce his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. That gathering is now being eyed as a possible COVID-19 superspreader as more than two dozen people in attendance have contracted the virus.
His return to full-fledged rallies will be in Florida on Monday, a comeback that comes with the president facing stubborn deficits in the polls. The Trump campaign and White House has not indicated that any additional safety measures will be taken to prevent the transmission of the virus among those traveling on Air Force One or at the rally site.
As Trump returned to the public stage, Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist and department chairman at the Yale School of Public Health, said that the White House appeared to be following CDC guidelines for when it is appropriate to end isolation after mild to moderate cases of COVID-19.
But Ko cautioned that those who have had severe cases of the diseases should isolate for 20 days. He noted that Trump was treated with the steroid dexamethasone, which is normally reserved for patients with severe COVID. Ko added that White House had issued “convoluted” statements about Trump’s health that left many questions unanswered, including whether the president ever had pneumonia.
The memo stated that Trump had reached day 10 from the onset of symptoms, had been free of fever for well over 24 hours, and that all symptoms had improved. People who have had COVID-19 can continue to test positive for weeks or longer after they are no longer infectious.
Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease epidemiologist at George Mason University, said the tight time frame laid out by the White House made it appear that “they’re really just pushing to get him out of isolation” and back to campaigning.
Trump will follow the Florida rally with trips to Pennsylvania and Iowa on subsequent days. The White House has steadfastly refused to say when his last negative test was before his October 2 diagnosis, raising questions as to how frequently the president was tested and if he potentially was carrying the virus for days before it was detected, potentially including his first debate two days earlier with Democrat Joe Biden.
Biden’s campaign said the nominee again tested negative on Saturday for COVID-19. Biden was potentially exposed to the coronavirus during his Sept. 29 debate with Trump, who announced his positive diagnosis barely 48 hours after the debate.
The president had not been seen in public - other than in White House-produced videos - since his return last Monday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he received experimental treatments for the coronavirus.
District of Columbia virus restrictions prohibit outdoor gatherings larger than 50 people, although that rule has not been strictly enforced. Masks are mandatory outdoors for most people, but the regulations don’t apply on federal land, and the Trump White House has openly flouted them for months.
White House officials have declined to answer when Trump last tested negative for the virus before his diagnosis or release detailed information about lung scans taken while Trump was hospitalized.
While reports of reinfection in COVID-19 victims are rare, the CDC recommends that even people who recover from the disease continue to wear masks, stay distanced and follow other precautions. It was unclear if Trump, who has refused mask wearing in most settings, would abide by that guidance.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Aid group says Libyan militia is holding hostage 60 migrants

CAIRO ( AP ) - A Libyan armed group is holding hostage at least 60 migrants , including two dozen children , in “ appalling ” conditions after abducting them almost two weeks ago , an aid group said on Saturday .
Masked militiamen abducted the migrants on Sept. 28 from the town of al-Ajaylat , around 80 kilometers west of the capital , Tripoli , according to Medecins Sans Frontieres .
The statement said that the armed group initially took hostage around 350 migrants , mainly from West Africa , but that most of the migrants managed to escape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid group said that it had notified the Libyan government ’ s agency for combatting illegal migration two days after the abduction , and later visited the warehouse where the migrants were held .
“ We found over 350 women , children , and men sleeping on the ground in appalling living conditions without access to water , showers , or toilets , ” said Guillaume Baret , MSF ’ s head of mission in Libya .
The militia stole valuable items and identification documents from the migrants , before taking them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nearby coastal city of Sabratha , the biggest launching point for the mainly African migrants who make the dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean Sea , the group said .
The Switzerland-based organization , also known as Doctors Without Borders , said that the remaining hostages are being held by the militia at a former military base .
Two Sabratha residents and one migrant said most of the armed men belong to a militia known as Al-Ammu , which the U.N. Panel of Experts on Libya identified in 2017 as main facilitators of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militiamen are likely seeking ransom from families of the held migrants , or to sell them to other traffickers .
Al-Ammu and another militia , called the Brigade 48 , are headed by two brothers from the area ’ s large al-Dabashi family .
Both militias are affiliated with the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli .
The residents and migrant spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals .
A spokesman for the Tripoli-based interior ministry did not answer phone calls and messages seeking comment .
The aid group said its medics were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children among the captive migrants , and they were not allowed to treat men .
A shooting reportedly broke out following an attempted escape on Oct. 2 , and at least three people were killed , it said .
“ The situation at the warehouse was tense , with armed men firing shots into the air , ” the group ’ s statement added .
The migrants ’ abduction shows the perils that refugees and migrants face in war-torn Libya , with those trapped in the country unable to “ escape violence or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Libya has emerged as a major transit point for African and Arab migrants fleeing violence and poverty to Europe , after the North African country collapsed into civil war following the overthrow and killing in 2011 of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi .

CAIRO (AP) - A Libyan armed group is holding hostage at least 60 migrants, including two dozen children, in “appalling” conditions after abducting them almost two weeks ago, an aid group said on Saturday.
Masked militiamen abducted the migrants on Sept. 28 from the town of al-Ajaylat, around 80 kilometers west of the capital, Tripoli, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres. The statement said that the armed group initially took hostage around 350 migrants, mainly from West Africa, but that most of the migrants managed to escape while some others were released.
The aid group said that it had been notified by the Libyan government’s agency for combatting illegal migration two days after the abduction, and later visited the warehouse where the migrants were held.
“We found over 350 women, children, and men sleeping on the ground in appalling living conditions without access to water, showers, or toilets,” said Guillaume Baret, MSF’s head of mission in Libya.
The militia stole valuable items and identification documents from the migrants, before taking them to a warehouse guarded by armed men in the nearby coastal city of Sabratha, the biggest launching point for the mainly African migrants who make the dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean Sea, the group said.
The Switzerland-based organization, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said that the remaining hostages are being held by the militia at a former military base.
Two Sabratha residents and one migrant said most of the armed men belong to a militia known as Al-Ammu, which the U.N. Panel of Experts on Libya identified in 2017 as main facilitators of human trafficking. The migrant said the militiamen are likely seeking ransom from families of the held migrants, or to sell them to other traffickers.
Al-Ammu and another militia, called the Brigade 48, are headed by two brothers from the area’s large al-Dabashi family. Both militias are affiliated with the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli.
The residents and migrant spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. A spokesman for the Tripoli-based interior ministry did not answer phone calls and messages seeking comment.
The aid group said its medics were only allowed to consult with women and children among the captive migrants, and they were not allowed to treat men. A shooting reportedly broke out following an attempted escape on Oct. 2, and at least three people were killed, it said.
“The situation at the warehouse was tense, with armed men firing shots into the air,” the group’s statement added.
The migrants’ abduction shows the perils that refugees and migrants face in war-torn Libya, with those trapped in the country unable to “escape violence or find safety,” according to MSF.
Libya has emerged as a major transit point for African and Arab migrants fleeing violence and poverty to Europe, after the North African country collapsed into civil war following the overthrow and killing in 2011 of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
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This story was first published on Oct. 10, 2020. It was updated on Oct. 12, 2020, to correct how the incident of abducting migrants was flagged. It was the Libyan government agency that notified the aid group about the incident, not the other way around.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Kyrgyzstan bans rallies, imposes curfew to end turmoil

MOSCOW ( AP ) - Authorities in Kyrgyzstan on Saturday arrested a former president , banned rallies and imposed a curfew in the Central Asian nation ’ s capital , seeking to end a week of turmoil sparked by a disputed parliamentary election .
The declaration of the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. curfew in Bishkek followed President Sooronbai Jeenbekov ’ s decree on Friday announcing a state of emergency in the city until Oct. 21 .
He also ordered the military to deploy troops to the capital to enforce the measure .
Convoys of military trucks were seen driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls to step down from thousands of protesters who stormed government buildings a night after pro-government parties reportedly swept parliamentary seats in Sunday ’ s vote .
The demonstrators also freed former President Almazbek Atambayev , who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in June on charges of corruption and abuse of office that he and his supporters described as a political vendetta by Jeenbekov .
Atambayev was arrested again on Saturday on charges of organizing riots , the State Security Committee said in a statement .
The turmoil marks a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved to topple a government in Kyrgyzstan , a Central Asian nation of 6.5 million that is one of the poorest to emerge from the former Soviet Union .
As in the uprisings that ousted Kyrgyz presidents in 2005 and 2010 , the current protests have been driven by clan rivalries that play a dominant role in the country ’ s politics .
After an initial attempt to break up protesters in the hours after the vote , police have pulled back and refrained from intervening with the demonstrations .
Residents of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looting that accompanied previous uprisings in the country .
Under pressure from protesters , the Central Election Commission has overturned the parliamentary vote results and protest leaders have moved quickly to form a new government .
An emergency parliament session on Tuesday named lawmaker Sadyr Zhaparov as new prime minister , but the move was immediately contested by other protest groups , plunging the country into chaos .
On Friday , supporters of Zhaparov assailed pro-Atambayev demonstrators on Bishkek ’ s central square , hurling stones and bottles .
A man with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s car as it sped away , but the former president was unhurt .
Two other politicians affiliated with Atambayev also had their cars shot at as they left the square , their party said .
They weren ’ t injured .
Another politician was badly injured amid the clashes on the square , and several other people were also hurt .
Jeenbekov , who kept a low profile for most of the past week , used the infighting between his foes to dig in .
He met with the new chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he relies on the armed forces to help restore order .
“ We are witnessing a real threat to the existence of our state , ” Jeenbekov said in a statement late Friday .
“ The peaceful life of our citizens mustn ’ t be sacrificed to political passions.
” Kyrgyzstan is strategically located on the border with China and once was home to a U.S. air base used for refueling and logistics for the war in Afghanistan .
The country is a member of Russia-dominated economic and security alliances , hosts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow ’ s economic support .
The Kremlin voiced concern about the turmoil in Kyrgyzstan , emphasizing the need to quickly stabilize the situation to prevent chaos .

MOSCOW (AP) - Authorities in Kyrgyzstan on Saturday arrested a former president, banned rallies and imposed a curfew in the Central Asian nation’s capital, seeking to end a week of turmoil sparked by a disputed parliamentary election.
The declaration of the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. curfew in Bishkek followed President Sooronbai Jeenbekov’s decree on Friday announcing a state of emergency in the city until Oct. 21. On his orders, troops deployed to the capital on Saturday to enforce the measure, but it’s unclear whether the military and the police would obey the president’s orders or side with his rivals if the political infighting escalates.
Jeenbekov has faced calls to step down from thousands of protesters who stormed government buildings a night after pro-government parties reportedly swept parliamentary seats in last Sunday’s vote. The demonstrators also freed former President Almazbek Atambayev, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in June on charges of corruption and abuse of office that he and his supporters described as a political vendetta by Jeenbekov.
Atambayev was arrested again on Saturday on charges of organizing riots, the State Security Committee said in a statement.
The turmoil marks the third time in 15 years that protesters have moved to topple a government in Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian nation of 6.5 million people that is one of the poorest to emerge from the former Soviet Union.
As in the uprisings that ousted Kyrgyz presidents in 2005 and 2010, the current protests have been driven by clan rivalries that play a dominant role in the country’s politics.
After an initial attempt to break up protesters in the hours after the vote, police have pulled back and refrained from intervening with the demonstrations. Residents of the capital began forming vigilante groups to prevent looting that accompanied previous uprisings in the country.
Under pressure from protesters, the Central Election Commission has overturned the parliamentary vote results and protest leaders have moved quickly to form a new government. An emergency parliament session on Tuesday nominated lawmaker Sadyr Zhaparov as new prime minister, but the move was immediately contested by other protest groups, plunging the country into chaos.
On Friday, supporters of Zhaparov assailed pro-Atambayev demonstrators on Bishkek’s central square, hurling stones and bottles. A man with a pistol fired several shots at Atambayev’s car as it sped away, but the former president was unhurt. Two other politicians affiliated with Atambayev also had their cars shot at as they left the square, their party said. They weren’t injured.
Lawmakers voted again Saturday to seal Zhaparov’s appointment, using proxy votes by those who were in the hall to achieve the necessary quorum.
Zhaparov told the session that the president promised him he would submit his resignation within several days. Amid the political infighting, Jeenbekov said Thursday he could step down, but only after the situation stabilizes.
The presidential decree introducing the state of emergency needs to be approved by parliament, but lawmakers didn’t consider the issue at Saturday’s session in apparent defiance of the president.
Jeenbekov, who kept a low profile for most of the past week, used the infighting between his foes to dig in. He met with the new chief of the military General Staff on Friday, saying that he relies on the armed forces to help restore order.
“We are witnessing a real threat to the existence of our state,” Jeenbekov said in a statement late Friday. “The peaceful life of our citizens mustn’t be sacrificed to political passions.”
Kyrgyzstan is strategically located on the border with China and once was home to a U.S. air base used for refueling and logistics for the war in Afghanistan. The country is a member of Russia-dominated economic and security alliances, hosts a Russian air base and depends on Moscow’s economic support.
The Kremlin voiced concern about the turmoil in Kyrgyzstan, emphasizing the need to quickly stabilize the situation to prevent chaos.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--The Latest: 3 Czechs test positive ahead of Israel match

PRAGUE ( AP ) - Three members of the Czech Republic national team tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of @ @ @ @ @ Israel .
The Czechs are scheduled to face Israel in Haifa on Sunday .
The @ @ @ @ @ not identified and were in isolation .
The Czech team says 16 others have to @ @ @ @ @ of their tests were inconclusive .
The Czechs were scheduled to fly to Israel on @ @ @ @ @ hosted the Czech team in a friendly match Wednesday .
The soccer association said nine @ @ @ @ @ members and coaches were “ on their way to Israel ” as scheduled after they @ @ @ @ @ remained in Cyprus , waiting for the results of the new tests ; those are @ @ @ @ @ association was ready to fly in replacement players from the Czech league so the match @ @ @ @ @ of the tests are positive .

The Chicago Bears moved offensive lineman Badara Traore from their practice squad to the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday.
Because he is a practice squad player, Traore would not have been allowed on the sideline for Chicago’s win over Tampa Bay at Soldier Field on Thursday night.
The Bears have the weekend off and are not scheduled to practice until Monday.
Players on the COVID-19 list have tested positive for the coronavirus or are quarantining because they were in close contact with an infected person. Teams are forbidden by an agreement between the league and union to say if a player has the virus.
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Two Minnesota United players, an Orlando City player and two Columbus Crew staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the postponement of two MLS games.
Major League Soccer said Saturday the Crew’s match at Orlando City and Minnesota’s match at FC Dallas on Sunday were postponed because of the positive tests.
Orlando City said earlier Saturday that the first-team player that tested positive did not have symptoms and was isolating.
The league earlier postponed Saturday’s match between the Colorado Rapids and the LA Galaxy after a Rapids player tested positive for the coronavirus. It was the fourth Rapids match in a row to be postponed because of positive tests.
Twelve Rapids staff members and five players have tested positive since Sept 24.
The dates for the rescheduled games have not been announced.
___
Three members of the Czech Republic national team tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of a Nations League game against Israel.
The Czechs are scheduled to face Israel in Haifa on Sunday.
The three who tested positive were not identified and were in isolation. The Czech team says 16 others have to be re-tested after the results of their tests were inconclusive.
The Czechs were scheduled to fly to Israel on Saturday from Cyprus, which hosted the Czech team in a friendly match Wednesday.
The soccer association said nine players as well as staff members and coaches were “on their way to Israel” as scheduled after they tested negative.
The rest remained in Cyprus, waiting for the results of the new tests; those are anticipated late Saturday.
The association was ready to fly in replacement players from the Czech league so the match can go ahead if any of the tests are positive.
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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Police detain protesters in Russian city of Khabarovsk

MOSCOW ( AP ) - Police in a far eastern Russian city detained several dozen protesters on Saturday , the first such crackdown since rallies against the arrest of the provincial governor started three months ago .
Khabarovsk Gov .
Sergei Furgal was arrested on July 9 on suspicion of involvement in murders and taken to jail in Moscow .
Furgal , a former businessman , denied the charges , which his supporters say are a vendetta by his rivals .
Since his arrest thousands of demonstrators have regularly rallied in Khabarovsk , a city of 600,000 near the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekends .
They protested Furgal ’ s jailing and demanded that his trial is held in the city .
The protests are a strong challenge to the Russian government , which usually doesn ’ t hesitate to disperse unsanctioned demonstrations .
The authorities ’ reluctance to use force appeared to reflect concerns of provoking even wider discontent as well as hopes that the demonstrations will eventually fizzle .
But the regular demonstrations in Khabarovsk have continued , and their participants have increasingly adopted a broader agenda challenging President Vladimir Putin ’ s rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t intervene while thousands of protesters marched across the city , but later detained about 30 demonstrators when they set up tents on Khabarovsk ’ s central square .
For the Russian authorities , any such encampments are a reminder of massive protests that toppled Ukraine ’ s former Moscow ’ s friendly leader in 2014 .
The Kremlin responded by annexing Ukraine ’ s Crimea and supporting a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine , the actions that triggered Western sanctions .
As the evening fell Saturday , several hundred protesters again gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police warned them that the demonstration wasn ’ t authorized and they could be dispersed but didn ’ t immediately move to break up the rally .

MOSCOW (AP) - Police in a far eastern Russian city detained several dozen protesters on Saturday, the first such crackdown since rallies against the arrest of the provincial governor started three months ago.
Khabarovsk Gov. Sergei Furgal was arrested on July 9 on suspicion of involvement in murders and taken to jail in Moscow. Furgal, a former businessman, denied the charges, which his supporters say are a vendetta by his rivals.
Since his arrest thousands of demonstrators have regularly rallied in Khabarovsk, a city of 600,000 near the border with China, with attendance peaking on weekends. They protested Furgal’s jailing and demanded that his trial is held in the city.
The protests are a strong challenge to the Russian government, which usually doesn’t hesitate to disperse unsanctioned demonstrations. The authorities’ reluctance to use force appeared to reflect concerns of provoking even wider discontent as well as hopes that the demonstrations will eventually fizzle.
But the regular demonstrations in Khabarovsk have continued, and their participants have increasingly adopted a broader agenda challenging President Vladimir Putin’s rule.
On Saturday, police didn’t intervene while thousands of protesters marched across the city, but later detained about 30 demonstrators when they set up tents on Khabarovsk’s central square.
For the Russian authorities, any such encampments are a reminder of massive protests that toppled Ukraine’s former Moscow’s friendly leader in 2014. The Kremlin responded by annexing Ukraine’s Crimea and supporting a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine, the actions that triggered Western sanctions.
As the evening fell Saturday, several hundred protesters again gathered on Khabarovsk’s central square. Police warned them that the demonstration wasn’t authorized and they could be dispersed but didn’t immediately move to break up the rally.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Freed Malian politician details months as al-Qaida hostage

BAMAKO , Mali ( AP ) - Malian politician Soumaila Cisse ’ s captors kept him constantly on the move in the inhospitable desert , he told French television , describing his six months with al-Qaida-linked militants as “ near permanent physical and moral isolation.
” His interview with TV5 Monde came as Swiss authorities confirmed that another hostage held by the same group was dead .
The militants freed Cisse in the past week along with French hostage Sophie Petronin and Italians Nicola Chiacchio and the Rev .
Pierluigi Maccalli days after Mali ’ s government released nearly 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Late Friday , the Swiss Foreign Ministry said French authorities had informed them that Swiss hostage Beatrice Stoeckli had been killed about a month ago .
Authorities had been trying to negotiate her release since she was kidnapped four years ago .
There was no immediate information about the four other foreign hostages still being held by the group known as JNIM : Australian doctor Ken Elliott , Colombian nun Gloria Cecilia Narváez Argoti , South African national Christo Bothma and Romanian citizen Julian Ghergut .
It was not known whether a ransom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have long funded their operations with such payments from European governments .
Cisse , 70 , who was abducted while campaigning in northern Mali for re-election as a parliament member , told TV5 Monde that his captors moved them by motorcycle , boat , even camel .
“ I was detained most of the six months in the Sahara , in more than 20 different locations , I can ’ t tell you exactly where - south and north , west and east , ” he said .
While he said he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described extremely difficult conditions in the desert , and said he lacked the medication he needed .
He said he was kept apart from the European hostages .
Cisse said he was able to listen to the radio and was angered by news of the Aug. 18 military coup that overthrew Mali ’ s democratically elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita .
On Friday , the French and Italian hostages returned to Europe , where they were greeted by dignitaries and family members .
Petronin , 75 , said she had been treated well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a Muslim going by the name Mariam , not Sophie .
“ I was always highly respected during my captivity , ” she told TV5 Monde .
Petronin has said she was allowed to listen to the radio , and her guards shared messages and videos with her , including one from her son .
“ I hung on - I prayed a lot because I had a lot of time , ” Petronin told reporters at the French Embassy in Bamako .
“ I transformed detention … into a spiritual retreat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) - Malian politician Soumaila Cisse’s captors kept him constantly on the move in the inhospitable desert, he told French television, describing his six months with al-Qaida-linked militants as “near permanent physical and moral isolation.”
His interview with TV5 Monde came as Swiss authorities confirmed that another hostage held by the same group was dead.
The militants freed Cisse in the past week along with French hostage Sophie Petronin and Italians Nicola Chiacchio and the Rev. Pierluigi Maccalli days after Mali’s government released nearly 200 jailed jihadists in an apparent exchange.
Late Friday, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said French authorities had informed them that Swiss hostage Beatrice Stoeckli had been killed about a month ago. Authorities had been trying to negotiate her release since she was kidnapped four years ago.
There was no immediate information about the four other foreign hostages still being held by the group known as JNIM: Australian doctor Ken Elliott, Colombian nun Gloria Cecilia Narváez Argoti, South African national Christo Bothma and Romanian citizen Julian Ghergut.
It was not known whether a ransom had been paid, though extremist groups have long funded their operations with such payments from European governments.
Cisse, 70, who was abducted while campaigning in northern Mali for re-election as a parliament member, told TV5 Monde that his captors moved them by motorcycle, boat, even camel.
“I was detained most of the six months in the Sahara, in more than 20 different locations, I can’t tell you exactly where - south and north, west and east,” he said.
While he said he was not abused physically or verbally, he described extremely difficult conditions in the desert, and said he lacked the medication he needed. He said he was kept apart from the European hostages.
Cisse said he was able to listen to the radio and was angered by news of the Aug. 18 military coup that overthrew Mali’s democratically elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
On Friday, the French and Italian hostages returned to Europe, where they were greeted by dignitaries and family members. Petronin, 75, said she had been treated well by her captors, and identified herself as a Muslim going by the name Mariam, not Sophie.
“I was always highly respected during my captivity,” she told TV5 Monde.
Petronin has said she was allowed to listen to the radio, and her guards shared messages and videos with her, including one from her son.
“I hung on - I prayed a lot because I had a lot of time,” Petronin told reporters at the French Embassy in Bamako. “I transformed detention … into a spiritual retreat, if one can say that.”
___
Associated Press writer Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Meeting the moment: Queen Elizabeth honors pandemic's heroes

LONDON ( AP ) - Queen Elizabeth II has used her delayed birthday honors list to celebrate the selfless work of people - some more famous than others - in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic .
In addition to honoring the work of doctors and nurses , the queen handed awards late Friday to delivery drivers , fundraisers and volunteers .
In total , 1,495 honours make up this year ’ s list , with health and social care workers making up 14 % .
The list is also the most diverse ever , with 13 % of recipients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kwaku , 52 , was awarded an OBE for her services to nursing during the pandemic , making her an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire .
She said it is “ timely and appropriate ” that people from ethnic backgrounds are being recognised for their efforts during what is Black History Month in the U.K .
The U.K. has experienced Europe ’ s deadliest outbreak with more than 42,500 deaths .
The pandemic has disproportionately affected people from Black , Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds , particularly those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kwaku , an associate director of nursing at King ’ s College NHS Foundation Trust in London , supported nurses from ethnic backgrounds during the pandemic by delivering webinars and raising issues surrounding personal protective equipment .
“ You can ’ t ignore the fact people have laid down their lives during this pandemic , ” she said .
“ It is only right , proper and fitting to honor them and honor those who continue to serve.
” Mustafa Kemal Koksal received a Medal of the Order of the British Empire for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 63-year-old completed at least one volunteer duty every day over the two months he couldn ’ t work as a bus supervisor , totalling more than 80 trips to fetch shopping or collect prescriptions for elderly and disabled people in York .
Though more people from ethnic backgrounds are being recognized , the honors system continues to draw criticism over the lack of diversity .
Kehinde Andrews , professor of Black studies at Birmingham City University , said the honors system reflected “ how we think history works by picking out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birthday list was postponed from June in order to include people battling the virus .
British honors are also awarded at New Year ’ s .
The winners are actually chosen by civil servants committees based on nominations from the government and the public .
The awards are usually given out by the queen or a senior royal acting in her place during investitures at Buckingham Palace , but the pandemic has changed all that , not least because the queen is self-isolating at Windsor Castle .
Sports coach Joe Wicks , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trainer during the lockdown through his popular YouTube videos , received an MBE award that makes him a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire .
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford , 22 , also received an MBE for his campaign to ensure children in need could receive meals across the summer during the pandemic .
His efforts prompted the government to announce a policy change .
“ This is a very special moment for myself and my family , but particularly my mum who is the real deserving recipient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The fight to protect our most vulnerable children is far from over.
” Also honored was Mary Berry , the food writer and former judge of the hugely popular Great British Bake Off , who became a dame .
Berry said she was “ absolutely overwhelmed ” at receiving a damehood .
Phil Redmond , the creator of some of the most popular television shows of the past four decades , such as “ Grange Hill , ” “ Brookside ” and “ Hollyoaks ” , has been knighted for services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tommy Steele , widely known as Britain ’ s “ first rock n roll star , ” was also knighted for services to entertainment and charity , as has David Suchet , who played Agatha Christie ’ s Hercule Poirot on television for almost 25 years .

LONDON (AP) - Queen Elizabeth II has used her delayed birthday honors list to celebrate the selfless work of people - some more famous than others - in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to honoring the work of doctors and nurses, the queen handed awards late Friday to delivery drivers, fundraisers and volunteers.
In total, 1,495 honours make up this year’s list, with health and social care workers making up 14%. The list is also the most diverse ever, with 13% of recipients from a minority ethnic background.
Felicia Kwaku, 52, was awarded an OBE for her services to nursing during the pandemic, making her an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
She said it is “timely and appropriate” that people from ethnic backgrounds are being recognised for their efforts during what is Black History Month in the U.K.
The U.K. has experienced Europe’s deadliest outbreak with more than 42,500 deaths. The pandemic has disproportionately affected people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, particularly those working in hospitals and nursing homes.
Kwaku, an associate director of nursing at King’s College NHS Foundation Trust in London, supported nurses from ethnic backgrounds during the pandemic by delivering webinars and raising issues surrounding personal protective equipment.
“You can’t ignore the fact people have laid down their lives during this pandemic,” she said. “It is only right, proper and fitting to honor them and honor those who continue to serve.”
Mustafa Kemal Koksal received a Medal of the Order of the British Empire for services to the community during the pandemic. The 63-year-old completed at least one volunteer duty every day over the two months he couldn’t work as a bus supervisor, totalling more than 80 trips to fetch shopping or collect prescriptions for elderly and disabled people in York.
Though more people from ethnic backgrounds are being recognized, the honors system continues to draw criticism over the lack of diversity.
Kehinde Andrews, professor of Black studies at Birmingham City University, said the honors system reflected “how we think history works by picking out the winners.”
This year’s birthday list was postponed from June in order to include people battling the virus. British honors are also awarded at New Year’s.
The winners are actually chosen by civil servants committees based on nominations from the government and the public. The awards are usually given out by the queen or a senior royal acting in her place during investitures at Buckingham Palace, but the pandemic has changed all that, not least because the queen is self-isolating at Windsor Castle.
Sports coach Joe Wicks, who effectively became the U.K.’s personal trainer during the lockdown through his popular YouTube videos, received an MBE award that makes him a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, 22, also received an MBE for his campaign to ensure children in need could receive meals across the summer during the pandemic. His efforts prompted the government to announce a policy change.
“This is a very special moment for myself and my family, but particularly my mum who is the real deserving recipient of the honour,” he said. “The fight to protect our most vulnerable children is far from over.”
Also honored was Mary Berry, the food writer and former judge of the hugely popular Great British Bake Off, who became a dame. Berry said she was “absolutely overwhelmed” at receiving a damehood.
Phil Redmond, the creator of some of the most popular television shows of the past four decades, such as “Grange Hill,” “Brookside” and “Hollyoaks”, has been knighted for services to broadcasting and arts in the regions.
Tommy Steele, widely known as Britain’s “first rock n roll star,” was also knighted for services to entertainment and charity, as has David Suchet, who played Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot on television for almost 25 years.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Fans cheer return of NBA broadcasts in China

BEIJING ( AP ) - Basketball fans in Beijing cheered national broadcaster CCTV ’ s decision to resume broadcasts of NBA games Saturday after a year-long absence brought on by a dispute over politics in Hong Kong .
CCTV aired Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat - the first time the league appeared on the network since the rift that started when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for anti-government protesters in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory .
Eighteen-year-old high school student Li Xinyu said he considered the timing meaningful following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this year and his former team ’ s subsequent playoff run .
“ Yes , I am really surprised , ” Li said .
“ It is really shocking and significant for us that we can watch the NBA final again on CCTV ’ s sports channel.
” Yang Haoyu , also 18 , said basketball was bigger than anything one person had said or done .
“ The NBA is an organization for all basketball fans and individual behaviors should not have big impact ( s ) on the sport and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffer , ” Yang said .
And like most fans , 22-year-old migrant worker Deng Jinqi was just tired of watches games on his phone .
“ Now we can watch the game on a large TV screen and you can even lie on the sofa comfortably to enjoy , ” he said .
CCTV quickly halted its relationship with the NBA after Morey ’ s tweet , even though the post was quickly deleted .
China ’ s Communist leaders are extremely sensitive to anything they view as outside interference in domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former British colony where protests broke out last year over deteriorating civil liberties .
NBA games have been available to Chinese fans on the streaming service Tencent , another of the league ’ s broadcast partners .
CCTV ’ s operator said it had taken note of good wishes extended to Chinese fans during the recently passed Chinese National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival , as well as “ the goodwill continuously expressed by the NBA for some time , ” including more than $ 1 million in medical supplies sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief efforts there .
The Heat held off the Los Angeles 111-108 to cut the Lakers ’ lead in the series to 3-2 .

BEIJING (AP) - Basketball fans in Beijing cheered national broadcaster CCTV’s decision to resume broadcasts of NBA games Saturday after a year-long absence brought on by a dispute over politics in Hong Kong.
CCTV aired Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat - the first time the league appeared on the network since the rift that started when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for anti-government protesters in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Eighteen-year-old high school student Li Xinyu said he considered the timing meaningful following the death of Lakers great Kobe Bryant earlier this year and his former team’s subsequent playoff run.
“Yes, I am really surprised,” Li said. “It is really shocking and significant for us that we can watch the NBA final again on CCTV’s sports channel.”
Yang Haoyu, also 18, said basketball was bigger than anything one person had said or done.
“The NBA is an organization for all basketball fans and individual behaviors should not have big impact(s) on the sport and make the majority of the fans to suffer,” Yang said.
And like most fans, 22-year-old migrant worker Deng Jinqi was just tired of watches games on his phone.
“Now we can watch the game on a large TV screen and you can even lie on the sofa comfortably to enjoy,” he said.
CCTV quickly halted its relationship with the NBA after Morey’s tweet, even though the post was quickly deleted. China’s Communist leaders are extremely sensitive to anything they view as outside interference in domestic political affairs, including in Hong Kong, a former British colony where protests broke out last year over deteriorating civil liberties.
NBA games have been available to Chinese fans on the streaming service Tencent, another of the league’s broadcast partners.
CCTV’s operator said it had taken note of good wishes extended to Chinese fans during the recently passed Chinese National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as “the goodwill continuously expressed by the NBA for some time,” including more than $1 million in medical supplies sent to China by the league to assist coronavirus relief efforts there.
The Heat held off the Los Angeles 111-108 to cut the Lakers’ lead in the series to 3-2.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--With Americans anxious to go out, walking tours pick up pace

CINCINNATI ( AP ) - With an eerily quiet and empty stadium plaza behind him , the tour guide tried to help people picture what they would have seen there more than 160 years earlier .
His audience of eight , all on foot , peered over masks at maps as he described hundreds of groceries , saloons , blacksmiths and 100,000 people living across two square miles - one of the pre-Civil War United States ’ most congested areas .
The area had an open secret then : It was filled with stations on the Underground Railroad for slaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were walking those paths .
For so many Americans , this is a time of being cooped up , of being unable to interact with fellow humans and , in many cases , with the landscape itself .
COVID-19 and its impact - more than 200,000 Americans dead - have kept many away from air travel , cruise ships and crowded beaches .
Enter a decidedly unplugged alternative , a very concrete antidote to a suddenly more virtual life : the walking tour .
Maybe not the most exciting outlet , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same four walls .
“ Our mental health matters also , and it ’ s very important for us … when we ’ re really feeling extremely alienated from each other and feeling trapped in our homes , to walk our streets , in the safest way possible , ” said Rebecca Manski of Social Justice Tours in New York City .
Such tours have picked up in popularity for people seeking outdoor social activity while maintaining health safety precautions and staying in small groups .
The Cincinnati walking tour , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months by the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum .
The goal : to offset a pandemic-abbreviated baseball season that didn ’ t allow fans in the ballpark .
Normally , Bob Doherty , 61 , said , his family would have been inside the stadium that Sunday afternoon , rooting for the Reds in their playoff-race game against the Chicago White Sox .
The tour , which combined the roots of professional baseball and the city ’ s abolitionist history , “ is the next best thing , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s refreshing to get outside and be with family , ” said Mack Doherty , 28 .
They were in a group of five including his father , his sister and her boyfriend .
His girlfriend , Avery Helwig , 28 , concurred : “ So nice to get out.
” Manski ’ s New York group , like many tour companies , halted in-person tours as the pandemic took hold in March .
She said the jarring sound of ambulance sirens as new COVID-19 victims were rushed to hospitals added to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly to virtual offerings , and other groups have been offering small , private group tours or self-guided tours with audio and GPS information provided .
“ It ’ s an interesting time to be in the travel industry , ” said Riley Pearce , of Berkeley , California-based Backroads Tours .
“ Nobody knows what people are going to want , because people don ’ t really don ’ t know what they want yet.
” With pandemic worry reducing participants on Backroads ’ walking , hiking and bike tours by as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are rebuilding business with family- and private-group expeditions with a variety of approaches .
The Reds Hall of Fame Museum , in the city that pioneered professional baseball in 1869 , has also done walking tours about the 1919 “ Black Sox ” World Series betting scandal and about the former Riverfront Stadium that hosted the “ Big Red Machine ” teams of the 1970s .
For fall , it ’ s launched “ Brunch , Brews and Baseball ” that includes a brewery tour .
But executive director Rick Walls said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to conduct popular ballpark tours or reap the visits and merchandise purchases by fans coming to games in the adjacent stadium .
“ It ’ s been a pretty big hit , ” Walls said .
The museum couldn ’ t host its popular ballpark tours this summer , although they are resuming now that the Reds ’ season has ended .
The museum has replaced in-person autograph sessions and discussions for its 5,000-strong membership base with Zoom calls with former Reds stars Walls said have “ really stepped up ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ items for the museum to sell .
Like other visitor-dependent businesses , the museum is hoping for a normal 2021 , but making contingency plans in case the pandemic continues .
“ We will be better coming out of this , ” Walls said .
“ We ’ ll have created some new ways we operate internally and ultimately , we ’ ll have a successful season.
” Pearce said his company believes there is a lot of pent-up demand for visiting places such as Grand Teton National Park because they remind people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmed by COVID , ” there are still spectacular sites , some thousands of years old , that have been untouched by the pandemic .
So while the walking tours are in small groups for now , they could well become very big when the world comes back .
“ I think that ’ s the same thing that a lot of people are craving right now , ” Pearce said .
“ When everything else feels totally upside down , going into nature and going for a hike , sleeping under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminder that there is just this incredible world out there to explore .
And it ’ s going to be waiting for us , as soon we ’ re ready .
”

CINCINNATI (AP) - With an eerily quiet and empty stadium plaza behind him, the tour guide tried to help people picture what they would have seen there more than 160 years earlier.
His audience of eight, all on foot, peered over masks at maps as he described hundreds of groceries, saloons, blacksmiths and 100,000 people living across two square miles - one of the pre-Civil War United States’ most congested areas. The area had an open secret then: It was filled with stations on the Underground Railroad for slaves trying to reach freedom. Today, they were walking those paths.
For so many Americans, this is a time of being cooped up, of being unable to interact with fellow humans and, in many cases, with the landscape itself. COVID-19 and its impact - more than 200,000 Americans dead - have kept many away from air travel, cruise ships and crowded beaches.
Enter a decidedly unplugged alternative, a very concrete antidote to a suddenly more virtual life: the walking tour. Maybe not the most exciting outlet, but far better than being surrounded by the same four walls.
“Our mental health matters also, and it’s very important for us … when we’re really feeling extremely alienated from each other and feeling trapped in our homes, to walk our streets, in the safest way possible,” said Rebecca Manski of Social Justice Tours in New York City.
Such tours have picked up in popularity for people seeking outdoor social activity while maintaining health safety precautions and staying in small groups. The Cincinnati walking tour, for example, was among several offered in recent months by the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum. The goal: to offset a pandemic-abbreviated baseball season that didn’t allow fans in the ballpark.
Normally, Bob Doherty, 61, said, his family would have been inside the stadium that Sunday afternoon, rooting for the Reds in their playoff-race game against the Chicago White Sox. The tour, which combined the roots of professional baseball and the city’s abolitionist history, “is the next best thing,” he said. Others concurred.
“It’s refreshing to get outside and be with family,” said Mack Doherty, 28. They were in a group of five including his father, his sister and her boyfriend. His girlfriend, Avery Helwig, 28, concurred: “So nice to get out.”
Manski’s New York group, like many tour companies, halted in-person tours as the pandemic took hold in March. She said the jarring sound of ambulance sirens as new COVID-19 victims were rushed to hospitals added to the obstacles of education-focused tours. Hers shifted quickly to virtual offerings, and other groups have been offering small, private group tours or self-guided tours with audio and GPS information provided.
“It’s an interesting time to be in the travel industry,” said Riley Pearce, of Berkeley, California-based Backroads Tours. “Nobody knows what people are going to want, because people don’t really don’t know what they want yet.”
With pandemic worry reducing participants on Backroads’ walking, hiking and bike tours by as much as 90% this year, they are rebuilding business with family- and private-group expeditions with a variety of approaches.
The Reds Hall of Fame Museum, in the city that pioneered professional baseball in 1869, has also done walking tours about the 1919 “Black Sox” World Series betting scandal and about the former Riverfront Stadium that hosted the “Big Red Machine” teams of the 1970s. For fall, it’s launched “Brunch, Brews and Baseball” that includes a brewery tour.
But executive director Rick Walls said the nonprofit museum hasn’t been able to conduct popular ballpark tours or reap the visits and merchandise purchases by fans coming to games in the adjacent stadium.
“It’s been a pretty big hit,” Walls said. The museum couldn’t host its popular ballpark tours this summer, although they are resuming now that the Reds’ season has ended.
The museum has replaced in-person autograph sessions and discussions for its 5,000-strong membership base with Zoom calls with former Reds stars Walls said have “really stepped up” to help with free or discounted autographing of items for the museum to sell. Like other visitor-dependent businesses, the museum is hoping for a normal 2021, but making contingency plans in case the pandemic continues.
“We will be better coming out of this,” Walls said. “We’ll have created some new ways we operate internally and ultimately, we’ll have a successful season.”
Pearce said his company believes there is a lot of pent-up demand for visiting places such as Grand Teton National Park because they remind people that while “modern life seems totally overwhelmed by COVID,” there are still spectacular sites, some thousands of years old, that have been untouched by the pandemic.
So while the walking tours are in small groups for now, they could well become very big when the world comes back.
“I think that’s the same thing that a lot of people are craving right now,” Pearce said. “When everything else feels totally upside down, going into nature and going for a hike, sleeping under the stars; it’s all a reminder that there is just this incredible world out there to explore. And it’s going to be waiting for us, as soon we’re ready.”
___
Follow Dan Sewell at https://www.twitter.com/dansewell


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--New Zealand PM votes early in general election

WELLINGTON , New Zealand ( AP ) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has voted in the nation ’ s general election , two weeks before polls officially close .
Ardern cast her vote in her Auckland district on Oct. 3 after visiting a market in the heavily Polynesian south Auckland suburb of Otara , where she was thronged by supporters .
Ardern ’ s Labour Party has governed since the 2017 general election , when it was able to forge a narrow majority in New Zealand ’ s 120-seat Parliament in a coalition with the left-wing Greens and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls show a more comfortable result this year , with the Labour Party leading the National Party , led by 61-year-old conservative Judith Collins , by as many as 13 points .
Ardern ’ s visit to Otara was an effort to get out the vote in an electorate in which Labour out-polls National by around four votes to one .
“ We ’ re seeing really high turnout at the moment for advance voting , ” Ardern said .
“ We want to make sure everyone uses their voice until election day.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
They are picking a candidate to represent their electorate and choosing which party to give their “ party vote.
” Seats in Parliament are allocated on the basis of seats won and the percentage of the vote won by each party .
Voters also face two referendums .
They will vote on the decriminalization of cannabis and on the legalization of “ assisted dying ” in limited cases .
This story has been corrected to show that Ardern voted on Oct. 3 , not Oct. 10 .

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has visited supporters in an area that is especially popular with her Labour Party, encouraging them to vote in the Oct. 17 general election.
Ardern was thronged by supporters during her visit Saturday to a market in the heavily Polynesian south Auckland suburb of Otara.
Her Labour Party has governed since the 2017 general election, when it was able to forge a narrow majority in New Zealand’s 120-seat Parliament in a coalition with the left-wing Greens and right-wing New Zealand First parties.
Recent polls show a more comfortable result this year, with the Labour Party leading the National Party, led by 61-year-old conservative Judith Collins, by as many as 13 points.
Ardern’s visit to Otara was an effort to get out the vote in an electorate in which Labour out-polls National by around four votes to one.
“We’re seeing really high turnout at the moment for advance voting,” said Ardern, who cast her vote in her Auckland district on Oct. 3, two weeks ahead of the official polling day. “We want to make sure everyone uses their voice until election day.”
Voters have four choices to make this year. They are picking a candidate to represent their electorate and choosing which party to give their “party vote.” Seats in Parliament are allocated on the basis of seats won and the percentage of the vote won by each party.
Voters also face two referendums. They will vote on the decriminalization of cannabis and on the legalization of “assisted dying” in limited cases.
___
This story has been corrected to show that Ardern visited the market on Oct. 10, not Oct. 3.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Israel to 'immediately' bring over 2,000 Ethiopian Jews

ADDIS ABABA , Ethiopia ( AP ) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his Ethiopian counterpart that his country has the intention to “ immediately ” bring over some 2,000 Ethiopian Jews .
The announcement came Friday after a phone call with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed .
Netanyahu ’ s office said the decision comes “ out of his commitment to the continued aliyah of Jews to Israel.
” Some 13,000 Ethiopian Jews are in the capital , Addis Ababa , and in Gondar , most of them waiting to be taken to Israel , which they call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have threatened to stage a hunger strike if they ’ re not allowed to travel to their “ homeland.
” Many say they have family members who have settled in Israel .
“ Some 250 people have left for Israel within the past year until COVID-19 came .
Now the travel has stopped , but Israeli officials are conducting interviews online , ” Nigusie Alemu Eyasu , program director for the Ethiopian Jews Community , told The Associated Press .
Activists say Israel ’ s government in 2015 pledged to bring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1991 while Ethiopia was in the midst of civil war , Israel carried out the dramatic Operation Solomon , airlifting out some 14,500 Ethiopian Jews in less than two days .
Ethiopian Jews are often referred to in Ethiopia as “ Falashas , ” a derogatory word which translates into “ strangers ” or “ migrants .
”

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his Ethiopian counterpart that his country has the intention to “immediately” bring over some 2,000 Ethiopian Jews. The announcement came Friday after a phone call with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Netanyahu’s office said the decision comes “out of his commitment to the continued aliyah of Jews to Israel.”
Some 13,000 Ethiopian Jews are in the capital, Addis Ababa, and in Gondar, most of them waiting to be taken to Israel, which they call home. Most live in dire conditions and have threatened to stage a hunger strike if they’re not allowed to travel to their “homeland.” Many say they have family members who have settled in Israel.
“Some 250 people have left for Israel within the past year until COVID-19 came. Now the travel has stopped, but Israeli officials are conducting interviews online,” Nigusie Alemu Eyasu, program director for the Ethiopian Jews Community, told The Associated Press.
Activists say Israel’s government in 2015 pledged to bring the remaining Ethiopian Jews to Israel. In 1991 while Ethiopia was in the midst of civil war, Israel carried out the dramatic Operation Solomon, airlifting out some 14,500 Ethiopian Jews in less than two days.
Ethiopian Jews are often referred to in Ethiopia as “Falashas,” a derogatory word which translates into “strangers” or “migrants.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--China classical music festival to feature Wuhan musicians

BEIJING ( AP ) - China is holding its first classical music festival since the start of the coronavirus pandemic , featuring musicians from the outbreak ’ s initial epicenter in an attempt to aid in the psychological and emotional healing process .
Zou Ye , a composer from Wuhan , the central Chinese city where the virus was first detected late last year , said that Saturday night ’ s concert is part of an effort to work through frustration and helplessness on the way toward love and tolerance and , hopefully , some meaning to what he calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Musicians from the Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra will present a choral symphony “ To 2020 ” dedicated to the victims of COVID-19 , co-written by Zou and two partners .
More than 11 million people in Wuhan and its surrounding area underwent a draconian 76-day lockdown at the start of the pandemic .
The city accounts for 3,869 of China ’ s 4,634 deaths from the virus and the bulk of its more than 85,000 cases .
The end of the lockdown on April 8 was seen as a key turning point in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has now been contained , with no cases of local transmission reported in more than two months .
The emotional trauma still lingers for many survivors , victims ’ families and front-line health workers , and music can offer another medium for exploring such feelings , Zou said .
“ All we want to do is to tell the story of this historic event that we experienced and that has changed the world , and how we should face the reality and reflect on ourselves , ” Zou told The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information in the work - there is frustration , helplessness , eulogization and hope.
” Zou said the festival also seeks to offer a ray of hope to musicians who have suffered economically from the pandemic through a lack of performing opportunities .
“ When the musicians of the world are losing jobs , we can start working with orchestras , ” he said .
“ This is not easy ( and ) we are grateful for this.
” Amid government efforts to promote its successes in fighting the virus , Zou said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ doing this for official propaganda.
” “ The work was not even asked for by the authorities , ” he said .
“ It was totally out of our own intention .
”

BEIJING (AP) - China is holding its first classical music festival since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, featuring musicians from the outbreak’s initial epicenter in an attempt to aid in the psychological and emotional healing process.
Zou Ye, a composer from Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the virus was first detected late last year, said that Saturday night’s concert is part of an effort to work through frustration and helplessness on the way toward love and tolerance and, hopefully, some meaning to what he calls “nature’s tremendous revenge.”
Musicians from the Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra will present a choral symphony “To 2020” dedicated to the victims of COVID-19, co-written by Zou and two partners.
More than 11 million people in Wuhan and its surrounding area underwent a draconian 76-day lockdown at the start of the pandemic. The city accounts for 3,869 of China’s 4,634 deaths from the virus and the bulk of its more than 85,000 cases.
The end of the lockdown on April 8 was seen as a key turning point in China’s battle against the virus, which has now been contained, with no cases of local transmission reported in more than two months.
The emotional trauma still lingers for many survivors, victims’ families and front-line health workers, and music can offer another medium for exploring such feelings, Zou said.
“All we want to do is to tell the story of this historic event that we experienced and that has changed the world, and how we should face the reality and reflect on ourselves,” Zou told The Associated Press. “There is a lot of information in the work - there is frustration, helplessness, eulogization and hope.”
Zou said the festival also seeks to offer a ray of hope to musicians who have suffered economically from the pandemic through a lack of performing opportunities.
“When the musicians of the world are losing jobs, we can start working with orchestras,” he said. “This is not easy (and) we are grateful for this.”
Amid government efforts to promote its successes in fighting the virus, Zou said the festival’s organizers were not “doing this for official propaganda.”
“The work was not even asked for by the authorities,” he said. “It was totally out of our own intention.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--AP Week in Pictures, Global

AP Week in Pictures, Global

This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published in the past week by The Associated @ @ @ @ @ .
The selection was curated by AP photo editor Patrick Sison in New York .

OCT. 3 - 9, 2020
This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published in the past week by The Associated Press from around the world.
The selection was curated by AP photo editor Patrick Sison in New York.
Follow AP visual journalism:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews
AP Images on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Images
AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Report: 29 million girls, women victims of modern slavery

UNITED NATIONS ( AP ) - A new report estimates that 29 million women and girls are victims of modern slavery , exploited by practices including forced labor , forced marriage , debt-bondage and domestic servitude .
Grace Forrest , co-founder of the Walk Free anti-slavery organization , said Friday that means one in every 130 women and girls is living in modern slavery today , more than the population of Australia .
“ The reality is that there are more people living in slavery today than any other time in human history , ” she told a U.N. news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ as the systematic removal of a person ’ s freedom , where one person is exploited by another for personal or financial gain , ” she said .
Forrest said the global estimate of one in 130 women and girls living in modern slavery was made based on work by Walk Free , the International Labor Organization and the International Organization for Migration , both U.N. agencies.. “ What this report has shown is that gender stacks the odds against girls from conception throughout their lives , ” she said .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Odds , ” women account for 99 % of all victims of forced sexual exploitation , 84 % of all victims of forced marriage , and 58 % of all victims of forced labor .
Forrest said the face of modern slavery “ has radically changed.
” “ We ’ re seeing normalized exploitation in our economy in transnational supply chains and also in migration pathways , ” she said .
“ The world ’ s most vulnerable people have been pushed even further into this practice of modern slavery because of COVID-19.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and girls in modern slavery is conservative because it doesn ’ t account for what ’ s happened during the pandemic , which has seen “ sharp increases of forced and child marriage and exploited work conditions around the world.
” Forrest said Walk Free and the U.N. ’ s Every Woman Every Child program are launching a global campaign to demand action to eliminate modern slavery .
The campaign urges an end to child and forced marriage , which 136 countries have yet to criminalize .
It urges the elimination of legalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which legally binds a migrant worker ’ s immigration status to an employer or sponsor for their contract period .
The campaign also urges transparency and accountability for multinationals .
“ We know that women and girls are experiencing unprecedented levels of exploitation and forced labor in supply chains of the goods we buy and use every day - clothing , coffee , techncology , ” Forest said .

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - A new report estimates that 29 million women and girls are victims of modern slavery, exploited by practices including forced labor, forced marriage, debt-bondage and domestic servitude.
Grace Forrest, co-founder of the Walk Free anti-slavery organization, said Friday that means one in every 130 women and girls is living in modern slavery today, more than the population of Australia.
“The reality is that there are more people living in slavery today than any other time in human history,” she told a U.N. news conference.
Walk Free defines modern slavery “as the systematic removal of a person’s freedom, where one person is exploited by another for personal or financial gain,” she said.
Forrest said the global estimate of one in 130 women and girls living in modern slavery was made based on work by Walk Free, the International Labor Organization and the International Organization for Migration, both U.N. agencies..
“What this report has shown is that gender stacks the odds against girls from conception throughout their lives,” she said.
According to the report, titled “Stacked Odds,” women account for 99% of all victims of forced sexual exploitation, 84% of all victims of forced marriage, and 58% of all victims of forced labor.
Forrest said the face of modern slavery “has radically changed.”
“We’re seeing normalized exploitation in our economy in transnational supply chains and also in migration pathways,” she said. “The world’s most vulnerable people have been pushed even further into this practice of modern slavery because of COVID-19.”
She said the estimate of women and girls in modern slavery is conservative because it doesn’t account for what’s happened during the pandemic, which has seen “sharp increases of forced and child marriage and exploited work conditions around the world.”
Forrest said Walk Free and the U.N.’s Every Woman Every Child program are launching a global campaign to demand action to eliminate modern slavery.
The campaign urges an end to child and forced marriage, which 136 countries have yet to criminalize.
It urges the elimination of legalized systems of exploitation such as kefala, which legally binds a migrant worker’s immigration status to an employer or sponsor for their contract period.
The campaign also urges transparency and accountability for multinationals.
“We know that women and girls are experiencing unprecedented levels of exploitation and forced labor in supply chains of the goods we buy and use every day - clothing, coffee, techncology,” Forest said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--AP Exchange: Las Vegas casino bids adieu to classic carpet

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - Countless were the tears spilled here - both in joy and sadness .
Immeasurable were the scattered ashes of celebratory cigars and bummed cigarettes .
Each was a scar .
A scratch on a favorite record .
A blemish beneath the feet of millions who walked across this worn pattern of gold leaves and red roses .
On Sept. 27 , El Cortez replaced the casino carpeting .
It was 13 .
The gaudy , beloved and timeless carpet ’ s end has left Las Vegas locals in mourning , steeped in longing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence .
“ Every day a sign or some beautiful , amazing element of Old Vegas disappears , ” said Holly Rae Vaughn , an artist who spent her early twenties at El Cortez , where the rug was a familiar face , a backdrop for many sun-down-to-sun-up adventures .
A hideout for hip , young locals and the retirees who ignore them , the Downtown hotel is a low-key clubhouse far from the opulence of The Strip .
In this town of constant demolition and reinvention , El Cortez is a rare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postcard spirit of the 1940s , when gangster Benjamin “ Bugsy ” Siegel and mob accountant Meyer Lansky owned the property .
Las Vegas is a place where people get hurt if they get too attached .
Change is the safest bet .
Cool detachment is the wisest .
“ I ’ ve become kind of numb to it , ” Vaughn said .
“ It can be really exhausting caring too much all the time.
” In memory of the carpeting she fancied most , Vaughn crafted a chunky , square lapel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its memory for future generations - or those simply curious about what once was .
“ I found some solace in keeping it alive , ” she said .
A wedding minister on the side , Vaughn one time married a couple in the El Cortez casino .
A random stranger playing a slot machine signed as a witness .
The marriage unfolded between all those gold leaves and red roses .
When she learned of the impending demise , Vaughn took her film camera to shoot the carpet in the yellow-tinted light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few final snapshots of this city ’ s latest disappearing act .
The Brintons carpet was woven in Spain .
El Cortez installed it in June 2007 .
That same year , Apple sold the first iPhone .
The last episode of “ The Sopranos ” aired .
Kurt Vonnegut died at 84 .
The average life expectancy of a casino carpet is five to six years .
This one lasted 13 .
Carpet years are like dog years .
For every human year , tack on a few more for extra wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ El Cortez rug was Wayne Newton ’ s Rhodesian ridgeback dog , it would be 82 .
El Cortez bosses knew the carpet would be missed , but there was no saving it .
“ The carpet was definitely tired , ” general manager Adam Wiesberg said .
“ It gets harder to get it to shine.
” Local artist Alexander Meschi was there the night the carpet died .
He felt the cruel grip of nostalgia , a flashback to Parlour Bar nights , when he spent many a Happy Hour in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dreams .
A melting pot of everyone and anyone - both locals and tourists - passing through El Cortez and across that carpet , an eavesdropping companion that kept every secret safe .
Meschi fought the rising sentimentality and spent a few moments being present with the gold leaves and red roses - a muse to many , a friend to all .
“ It ’ s symbolic for all of the day and the night , ” he said .
El Cortez tossed the old carpet in the trash .
But somewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fresh roll the hotel kept for patching holes .
With no use now , the carpet roll is a record .
Proof the gold leaves and red roses lived long and well , surrounded by loyal friends and many visitors , before leaving Las Vegas as quietly as it arrived .

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Countless were the tears spilled here - both in joy and sadness.
Bottomless were the toppled drinks.
Immeasurable were the scattered ashes of celebratory cigars and bummed cigarettes.
Each was a scar. A scratch on a favorite record. A blemish beneath the feet of millions who walked across this worn pattern of gold leaves and red roses.
On Sept. 27, El Cortez replaced the casino carpeting. It was 13.
The gaudy, beloved and timeless carpet’s end has left Las Vegas locals in mourning, steeped in longing for nights passed in its quiet, comforting presence.
“Every day a sign or some beautiful, amazing element of Old Vegas disappears,” said Holly Rae Vaughn, an artist who spent her early twenties at El Cortez, where the rug was a familiar face, a backdrop for many sun-down-to-sun-up adventures.
A hideout for hip, young locals and the retirees who ignore them, the Downtown hotel is a low-key clubhouse far from the opulence of The Strip.
In this town of constant demolition and reinvention, El Cortez is a rare time capsule. Preserved there is a postcard spirit of the 1940s, when gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and mob accountant Meyer Lansky owned the property.
Las Vegas is a place where people get hurt if they get too attached. Change is the safest bet. Cool detachment is the wisest.
“I’ve become kind of numb to it,” Vaughn said. “It can be really exhausting caring too much all the time.”
In memory of the carpeting she fancied most, Vaughn crafted a chunky, square lapel pin with the same pattern to preserve its memory for future generations - or those simply curious about what once was.
“I found some solace in keeping it alive,” she said.
A wedding minister on the side, Vaughn one time married a couple in the El Cortez casino. A random stranger playing a slot machine signed as a witness. The marriage unfolded between all those gold leaves and red roses.
When she learned of the impending demise, Vaughn took her film camera to shoot the carpet in the yellow-tinted light filtering through the casino doors - a few final snapshots of this city’s latest disappearing act.
The Brintons carpet was woven in Spain. El Cortez installed it in June 2007.
That same year, Apple sold the first iPhone. The last episode of “The Sopranos” aired. Kurt Vonnegut died at 84.
The average life expectancy of a casino carpet is five to six years. This one lasted 13.
Carpet years are like dog years. For every human year, tack on a few more for extra wear and tear.
That means if the El Cortez rug was Wayne Newton’s Rhodesian ridgeback dog, it would be 82.
El Cortez bosses knew the carpet would be missed, but there was no saving it.
“The carpet was definitely tired,” general manager Adam Wiesberg said. “It gets harder to get it to shine.”
Local artist Alexander Meschi was there the night the carpet died.
He felt the cruel grip of nostalgia, a flashback to Parlour Bar nights, when he spent many a Happy Hour in conversations on creativity, purpose, moonshot dreams.
“The hub,” Meschi called it. “The hideout.”
A melting pot of everyone and anyone - both locals and tourists - passing through El Cortez and across that carpet, an eavesdropping companion that kept every secret safe.
Meschi fought the rising sentimentality and spent a few moments being present with the gold leaves and red roses - a muse to many, a friend to all.
“It’s symbolic for all of the day and the night,” he said.
El Cortez tossed the old carpet in the trash. But somewhere in the back of the house is a fresh roll the hotel kept for patching holes.
With no use now, the carpet roll is a record.
Proof the gold leaves and red roses lived long and well, surrounded by loyal friends and many visitors, before leaving Las Vegas as quietly as it arrived.


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Laid-off Disney World employees find unity in Facebook group

ORLANDO , Fla. ( AP ) - Feeling survivor ’ s guilt that she kept her job during the economic crisis , Disney World employee Maxine Wild wanted to make a difference .
“ I needed to help .
I needed to do something , ” Wild said as she watched colleagues get furloughed during the pandemic .
The situation worsened as Walt Disney Co. announced last week it will lay off 28,000 employees , including at least 6,700 in Central Florida .
That ’ s why Wild started a Facebook group for out of work Disney employees to advertise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chef selling pastries made at home to the Imagineer who can do interior decorating .
For some , working at Disney had been a dream job .
The “ Ear For Each Other ” page , which isn ’ t affiliated with the company , has helped them connect with each other as they figure out what ’ s next with their lives , some said .
“ It makes you realize you are not alone , sitting at home figuring out what to do , ” said Jennifer Padley , a furloughed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been working on photo albums for couples married at Disney World .
The Facebook page has grown to more than 11,000 followers as of Monday .
It has quickly become a marketplace for people to inquire if any unemployed Disney employees know how to fix a car or want odd jobs during yard work .
An author needed a voice actor to record an audiobook .
Voila !
There is bound to be a Disney voice actor who can handle that , Wild said , as that one business connection could pay off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to say , ’ Let me help a cast member before I go to a corporate grocery store or I go to the corporate mechanics , ” said Brittney Jones , a furloughed server at BoardWalk Resort ’ s ESPN Club who advertises her baked goods on the Facebook page .
Jones said she prayed for her phone to ring for seven months , the call to go back to work .
Now , she dreads anytime it rings .
She worries it ’ s her layoff notification as the unions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s definitely been very nerve-wracking , ” said Jones , 32 , of Orlando .
“ You ’ re anxious all the time.
” She finds distraction in the kitchen as she bakes cupcakes for the homemade do-it-yourself decorating kits and pumpkin moon pies she sells .
One day , she made 30 porch deliveries alone .
Her growing side project got a boost from the Facebook page , said Jones , who is studying to be a pastry chef at Valencia College .
The money helps , although Jones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned her that you have to sell a lot of cupcakes to keep the lights on .
Fortunately , her husband , who works in technology at Universal , is still employed as they raise their two children .
Scroll along the Facebook page , and you might see Padley offering to paint a mural for a baby ’ s nursery or an accent wall .
She shows a picture of her own living room that ’ s an homage to Epcot ’ s Spaceship Earth as proof of her talent .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker , Jack Keller who is selling his homemade wooden Mickey Mouse-inspired lawn chairs and other items .
Since he was furloughed from his job , he spends six to eight hours a day in his garage crafting them .
He has produced 40 orders so far during the pandemic , which helped the 68-year-old retiree kept busy during the months without his old job .
The week she found out she was losing her job , Kelly-Anne Salazar baked 144 cookies to sell for her growing side business , Pinch of Purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salazar , 32 , was part of the Disney team who handled the logistics and costumes for entertainers at the Disney Marathon and other special events .
She hasn ’ t gone back to work since March and doesn ’ t expect to return since her job is axed effective Dec. 4 .
She got the news Friday .
Through it all , Salazar baked .
“ I don ’ t know what I would have done not without baking , ” said Salazar , a Mexican-Salvadoran who grew up celebrating food with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders three days a week and then spends her weekends , dropping off her special fuchsia-colored brownie-style cookies - the special ingredient is beets - and other flavors she invented .
One customer stood out .
It was a Disney employee who wanted to buy cookies to cheer up her boss who was distraught after laying off her staff on Zoom meetings .
Salazar included a Mary Poppins quote with the order : “ Keep your head up , and your feet beneath you .
”

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Feeling survivor’s guilt that she kept her job during the economic crisis, Disney World employee Maxine Wild wanted to make a difference.
“I needed to help. I needed to do something,” Wild said as she watched colleagues get furloughed during the pandemic. The situation worsened as Walt Disney Co. announced last week it will lay off 28,000 employees, including at least 6,700 in Central Florida.
That’s why Wild started a Facebook group for out of work Disney employees to advertise their side hustles, from the Disney chef selling pastries made at home to the Imagineer who can do interior decorating.
For some, working at Disney had been a dream job. The “Ear For Each Other” page, which isn’t affiliated with the company, has helped them connect with each other as they figure out what’s next with their lives, some said.
“It makes you realize you are not alone, sitting at home figuring out what to do,” said Jennifer Padley, a furloughed employee from Haines City whose job had been working on photo albums for couples married at Disney World.
The Facebook page has grown to more than 11,000 followers as of Monday. It has quickly become a marketplace for people to inquire if any unemployed Disney employees know how to fix a car or want odd jobs during yard work.
An author needed a voice actor to record an audiobook. Voila! There is bound to be a Disney voice actor who can handle that, Wild said, as that one business connection could pay off already.
“It’s a way to say, ’Let me help a cast member before I go to a corporate grocery store or I go to the corporate mechanics,” said Brittney Jones, a furloughed server at BoardWalk Resort’s ESPN Club who advertises her baked goods on the Facebook page.
Jones said she prayed for her phone to ring for seven months, the call to go back to work. Now, she dreads anytime it rings. She worries it’s her layoff notification as the unions and Disney negotiate over the company cuts.
“It’s definitely been very nerve-wracking,” said Jones, 32, of Orlando. “You’re anxious all the time.”
She finds distraction in the kitchen as she bakes cupcakes for the homemade do-it-yourself decorating kits and pumpkin moon pies she sells. One day, she made 30 porch deliveries alone.
Her growing side project got a boost from the Facebook page, said Jones, who is studying to be a pastry chef at Valencia College. The money helps, although Jones remembers the advice from a chef who warned her that you have to sell a lot of cupcakes to keep the lights on. Fortunately, her husband, who works in technology at Universal, is still employed as they raise their two children.
Scroll along the Facebook page, and you might see Padley offering to paint a mural for a baby’s nursery or an accent wall. She shows a picture of her own living room that’s an homage to Epcot’s Spaceship Earth as proof of her talent.
And there’s seasonal Magic Kingdom merchandise worker, Jack Keller who is selling his homemade wooden Mickey Mouse-inspired lawn chairs and other items.
Since he was furloughed from his job, he spends six to eight hours a day in his garage crafting them. He has produced 40 orders so far during the pandemic, which helped the 68-year-old retiree kept busy during the months without his old job.
The week she found out she was losing her job, Kelly-Anne Salazar baked 144 cookies to sell for her growing side business, Pinch of Purpose Vegan Baking.
In happier times, Salazar, 32, was part of the Disney team who handled the logistics and costumes for entertainers at the Disney Marathon and other special events.
She hasn’t gone back to work since March and doesn’t expect to return since her job is axed effective Dec. 4. She got the news Friday.
Through it all, Salazar baked.
“I don’t know what I would have done not without baking,” said Salazar, a Mexican-Salvadoran who grew up celebrating food with her family.
The Windermere resident takes orders three days a week and then spends her weekends, dropping off her special fuchsia-colored brownie-style cookies - the special ingredient is beets - and other flavors she invented.
One customer stood out. It was a Disney employee who wanted to buy cookies to cheer up her boss who was distraught after laying off her staff on Zoom meetings.
Salazar included a Mary Poppins quote with the order: “Keep your head up, and your feet beneath you.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-10--Egypt’s president signs strategic maritime deal with Greece

CAIRO ( AP ) - Egypt ’ s president Saturday ratified a maritime deal setting its Mediterranean Sea boundary with Greece and demarcating an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights , the state-run news agency reported , in a move that has angered Turkey .
The bilateral agreement is widely seen as a response to a rival deal between Turkey and Libya ’ s Tripoli-based government that spiked tensions in the East Mediterranean region , along with Turkey ’ s disputed oil and gas exploration in the seawaters .
The MENA news agency said that the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was published by the official gazette on Saturday .
The ratification came over two months after the Egyptian and Greek foreign ministers signed the deal in Cairo .
The Egypt-Greece deal establishes “ partial demarcation of the sea boundaries between the two countries , and that the remaining demarcation would be achieved through consultations.
” Egyptian Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Al had in August called the deal with Greece “ very significant.
” The Ankara-Tripoli maritime deal was dismissed by the governments of Egypt , Cyprus and Greece as infringing on their economic rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Egypt-Greece agreement “ worthless , ” vowing to keep his disputed pact with the Tripoli government in place .

CAIRO (AP) - Egypt’s president Saturday ratified a maritime deal setting its Mediterranean Sea boundary with Greece and demarcating an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas drilling rights, the state-run news agency reported, in a move that has angered Turkey.
The bilateral agreement is widely seen as a response to a rival deal between Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli-based government that spiked tensions in the East Mediterranean region, along with Turkey’s disputed oil and gas exploration in the seawaters.
The MENA news agency said that the deal, signed by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, was published by the official gazette on Saturday.
The ratification came over two months after the Egyptian and Greek foreign ministers signed the deal in Cairo.
The Egypt-Greece deal establishes “partial demarcation of the sea boundaries between the two countries, and that the remaining demarcation would be achieved through consultations.”
Egyptian Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Al had in August called the deal with Greece “very significant.”
The Ankara-Tripoli maritime deal was dismissed by the governments of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece as infringing on their economic rights in the gas-rich Mediterranean Sea.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Egypt-Greece agreement “worthless,” vowing to keep his disputed pact with the Tripoli government in place.