washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Virtual nominating conventions deflate balloon-drop tradition

Among the coronavirus ’ s non-human victims in 2020 can be slotted the balloon-filled Big Finale .
In place of their traditional festive parties , Democrats and Republicans are offering virtual , balloon-free nominating conventions , which means COVID-19 has claimed another celebration and left those who design and rig the complicated systems that shower celebrants at the gleeful climax with nothing to do but watch glumly .
When it comes to the big time with balloons , “ those ” is practically one guy , a man in Newport Beach , California , who invented just about every balloon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been doing the balloon finale for the Republican Party since it nominated George H.W .
Bush in the New Orleans Superdome in 1988 .
Treb Heining is the man and , in balloon circles , the legend .
“ Oh , man , it ’ s been something , ” Mr. Heining said from his California base .
“ I do know I ’ m not going to be involved .
And I guess in some ways the traditional celebration finale , something I look forward to every four years , is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened anyway.
” Mr. Heining declined to comment on whether he would have released the thousands of balloons at the Republican and Democretic national conventions this year , saying he had signed non-disclosure agreements with both parties .
Still , the balloon drop is so ingrained in the image of the conventions that it is taken for granted , right up to the time it doesn ’ t happen .
Before this year , the most infamous example of that occurred at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 , as presidential candidate John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boston Garden and a CNN producer dropped an F-bomb on a live microphone while wondering why all the balloons were still in the ceiling .
Unlike this year , Mr. Heining was happy not to be involved and watching that convention on television .
“ They ’ re always the most important thing when balloons become paramount in the moment , ” he said .
“ Beforehand , they ’ re the worst , just taking up space and getting in the way.
” The coronavirus has definitely impeded balloon flight .
Marla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barack Obama ’ s campaign ’ s Los Angeles victory party balloons in 2008 and 2012 , has been forced to lay off 29 full-time employees as celebrations have been crimped or canceled .
But she wouldn ’ t even have such an enterprise were it not for Mr. Heining and his “ constant creative input into the industry over the 40 or so years he has been creating mind-blowing balloon designs.
” “ Treb is an icon in our industry , ” Ms. Borokoff said .
“ I know how much he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry .
He is a real trailblazer , and we appreciate him so much.
” The balloon columns and spirals that form the backdrop for political events , graduations and the like sprang from Mr. Heining ’ s imagination , ideas he came up with while running the balloon carousel at Costa Mesa ’ s upscale South Coast Plaza shopping mall , Glass House Balloons .
The Glass House Balloon is another a Heining invention , an inflatable with a protective outer-coating over the usual latex that makes balloons re-inflatable and more like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the Disney parks ’ most popular balloons — one in which an inflated Mickey Mouse is encased in another balloon — is a Heining invention , as is the balloon arch , a gimmick he unveiled at a birthday party Cher threw for her son on a Malibu tennis court in 1979 .
Mr. Heining owns the patents for some of these inventions , such as the lit balloons that are the biggest seller annually in Disney ’ s worldwide parks .
Indeed , it is the contracts with Disney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Shanghai , that form the heart of his business now , deals that have him Asia some 20 times a year and his son running its Shanghai trading post .
With the exception of the political conventions and New Year ’ s Eve in Times Square , Mr. Heining said , “ I ’ ve been out of the event business for a while now.
” But relying on Disney for his main revenue stream means Mr. Heining ’ s business took a big COVID-19 hit beyond the conventions .
In his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the man , handling Olympic ceremonies , Super Bowl halftime shows , the Academy Awards , and three decades of his confetti falling on Manhattan to ring in the New Year .
“ Well , it ’ s an amazing American success story , I guess , ” he said .
“ I was a music major in college and said to myself , ‘ I can ’ t do anything in this world except tie balloons real fast.
’ ” By 1984 , the man who began selling balloons by hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing in more than $ 1 million a year in balloon sales .
The coronavirus shuttered South Coast Plaza and Disney parks for long stretches , which was a devastating but not fatal blow to Mr. Heining ’ s balloon empire .
He has streamlined his personnel over the years to the point he said the pandemic did not force him into any layoffs .
“ We really took a hit at the beginning of all this , but it ’ s come back very well , ” he said .
The balloon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 people involved in the industry worldwide .
Deann Allen , a sales representative with A2Z Balloon wholesalers , said “ we ’ ve been crazy , crazy busy , ” and credited the inventiveness of customers .
For Ms. Borokoff and other balloon enthusiasts , the Republicans ’ 2016 convention in Cleveland was “ simply legendary , ” she said .
But Mr. Heining said he retains a soft spot for the GOP ’ s Houston convention in 1992 , where his introduction of “ a couple hundred thousand ” 9-inch balloons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The Astrodome — man , what a great venue : high ceilings , ” he said .
“ That was in my press kit for years.
” A typical convention balloon shower involves between 100,000 and 150,000 balloons of various sizes , said Mr. Heining , who exclusively inflates Qualatex balloons out of Wichita , Kansas .
As a former high school trumpeter , he likes to hire local high school bands to fill the balloons , a process that takes hours and involves people in the upper deck of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valve , and tossing them over their shoulders into giant funnels that lead to custom-designed net pockets .
The pockets are then hoisted to the ceiling by around 5 p.m. , where trip lines — much shorter than the ones used in Boston that infamous year — are strung to await the signal .
“ It ’ s got to be just right — you wait until the moment Mr. and Mrs. Bush meet , that kind of thing , ” Mr. Heining said .
“ But something can always happen , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s no do-over .
”

Among the coronavirus’s non-human victims in 2020 can be slotted the balloon-filled Big Finale.
In place of their traditional festive parties, Democrats and Republicans are offering virtual, balloon-free nominating conventions, which means COVID-19 has claimed another celebration and left those who design and rig the complicated systems that shower celebrants at the gleeful climax with nothing to do but watch glumly.
When it comes to the big time with balloons, “those” is practically one guy, a man in Newport Beach, California, who invented just about every balloon trick party planners have and who has been doing the balloon finale for the Republican Party since it nominated George H.W. Bush in the New Orleans Superdome in 1988.
Treb Heining is the man and, in balloon circles, the legend.
“Oh, man, it’s been something,” Mr. Heining said from his California base. “I do know I’m not going to be involved. And I guess in some ways the traditional celebration finale, something I look forward to every four years, is not in keeping with all that’s happened anyway.”
Mr. Heining declined to comment on whether he would have released the thousands of balloons at the Republican and Democretic national conventions this year, saying he had signed non-disclosure agreements with both parties.
Still, the balloon drop is so ingrained in the image of the conventions that it is taken for granted, right up to the time it doesn’t happen.
Before this year, the most infamous example of that occurred at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, as presidential candidate John Kerry shook hands with delegates in the Boston Garden and a CNN producer dropped an F-bomb on a live microphone while wondering why all the balloons were still in the ceiling.
Unlike this year, Mr. Heining was happy not to be involved and watching that convention on television.
“They’re always the most important thing when balloons become paramount in the moment,” he said. “Beforehand, they’re the worst, just taking up space and getting in the way.”
The coronavirus has definitely impeded balloon flight. Marla Borokoff, whose Balloonzilla company handled President Barack Obama’s campaign’s Los Angeles victory party balloons in 2008 and 2012, has been forced to lay off 29 full-time employees as celebrations have been crimped or canceled.
But she wouldn’t even have such an enterprise were it not for Mr. Heining and his “constant creative input into the industry over the 40 or so years he has been creating mind-blowing balloon designs.”
“Treb is an icon in our industry,” Ms. Borokoff said. “I know how much he has brought meaning to our sometimes under-appreciated industry. He is a real trailblazer, and we appreciate him so much.”
The balloon columns and spirals that form the backdrop for political events, graduations and the like sprang from Mr. Heining’s imagination, ideas he came up with while running the balloon carousel at Costa Mesa’s upscale South Coast Plaza shopping mall, Glass House Balloons. The Glass House Balloon is another a Heining invention, an inflatable with a protective outer-coating over the usual latex that makes balloons re-inflatable and more like a reusable toy than a happy moment.
One of the Disney parks’ most popular balloons — one in which an inflated Mickey Mouse is encased in another balloon — is a Heining invention, as is the balloon arch, a gimmick he unveiled at a birthday party Cher threw for her son on a Malibu tennis court in 1979.
Mr. Heining owns the patents for some of these inventions, such as the lit balloons that are the biggest seller annually in Disney’s worldwide parks.
Indeed, it is the contracts with Disney parks from Orlando to Anaheim, Tokyo to Shanghai, that form the heart of his business now, deals that have him Asia some 20 times a year and his son running its Shanghai trading post.
With the exception of the political conventions and New Year’s Eve in Times Square, Mr. Heining said, “I’ve been out of the event business for a while now.”
But relying on Disney for his main revenue stream means Mr. Heining’s business took a big COVID-19 hit beyond the conventions.
In his event-business heyday, however, Mr. Heining was the man, handling Olympic ceremonies, Super Bowl halftime shows, the Academy Awards, and three decades of his confetti falling on Manhattan to ring in the New Year.
“Well, it’s an amazing American success story, I guess,” he said. “I was a music major in college and said to myself, ‘I can’t do anything in this world except tie balloons real fast.’”
By 1984, the man who began selling balloons by hand at Disneyland when he was 15 was bringing in more than $1 million a year in balloon sales. The coronavirus shuttered South Coast Plaza and Disney parks for long stretches, which was a devastating but not fatal blow to Mr. Heining’s balloon empire. He has streamlined his personnel over the years to the point he said the pandemic did not force him into any layoffs.
“We really took a hit at the beginning of all this, but it’s come back very well,” he said.
The balloon has bounced back favorably for the roughly 50,000 people involved in the industry worldwide. Deann Allen, a sales representative with A2Z Balloon wholesalers, said “we’ve been crazy, crazy busy,” and credited the inventiveness of customers.
For Ms. Borokoff and other balloon enthusiasts, the Republicans’ 2016 convention in Cleveland was “simply legendary,” she said.
But Mr. Heining said he retains a soft spot for the GOP’s Houston convention in 1992, where his introduction of “a couple hundred thousand” 9-inch balloons drew an appreciative comment from Walter Cronkite.
“The Astrodome — man, what a great venue: high ceilings,” he said. “That was in my press kit for years.”
A typical convention balloon shower involves between 100,000 and 150,000 balloons of various sizes, said Mr. Heining, who exclusively inflates Qualatex balloons out of Wichita, Kansas. As a former high school trumpeter, he likes to hire local high school bands to fill the balloons, a process that takes hours and involves people in the upper deck of the venue filling balloons, four to a valve, and tossing them over their shoulders into giant funnels that lead to custom-designed net pockets.
The pockets are then hoisted to the ceiling by around 5 p.m., where trip lines — much shorter than the ones used in Boston that infamous year — are strung to await the signal.
“It’s got to be just right — you wait until the moment Mr. and Mrs. Bush meet, that kind of thing,” Mr. Heining said. “But something can always happen, and the thing with the balloon drop is, there’s no do-over.”
• James Varney can be reached at jvarney@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Trump campaign's election lawsuit in Pennsylvania halted

HARRISBURG , Pa. ( AP ) - A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Sunday put a high-profile election case on hold , telling President Donald Trump ’ s campaign that its claims must wait , at least until October , for state courts in the presidential battleground to clear up crucial fights , including over collecting and counting mail-in ballots .
U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan put the case on hold until Oct. 5 to see whether state courts decide , or at least narrow , the issues raised by Trump ’ s campaign and the national Republican Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismiss the case under a U.S. Supreme Court precedent that matters of state law should be left to state courts to interpret .
Ranjan agreed , said Witold J. Walczak , legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania , which along with election officials across Pennsylvania is a party to the case .
“ At its heart , the Trump campaign ’ s lawsuit is an attempt to make it more difficult for people in Pennsylvania to vote safely during the pandemic , ” Walczak said .
“ We and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every eligible voter has the chance to vote safely in this election , whether they vote by mail or in person at the polls.
” In its lawsuit , filed in June , Trump ’ s campaign claims the state ’ s election officials had “ chosen a path that jeopardizes election security and will lead - and has already led - to the disenfranchisement of voters , questions about the accuracy of election results , and ultimately chaos ” ahead of the Nov. 3 general election .
Ranjan , who was appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case on hold after which parties can ask him to resume it .
One claim in Trump ’ s lawsuit , filed in June , seeks to outlaw drop boxes or other collection sites that some counties used in the June 2 primary to help gather a record-smashing number of mail-in ballots .
Those drop boxes were used especially by Philadelphia and its heavily populated suburbs in the primary - places where Trump lost badly .
Trump ’ s campaign also wants to stop counties from counting ballots that lack secrecy envelopes - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration advised counties to count them - and it also wants to throw out a state law that restricts poll watchers to county residents .
Meanwhile , the Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in state courts that takes the opposite position on those issues .
Last week , Wolf ’ s administration , in a nod to the urgency of the matter with the election less than two months away , asked the state Supreme Court to use its extraordinary authority to take over the lawsuit .

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Sunday put a high-profile election case on hold, telling President Donald Trump’s campaign that its claims must wait, at least until October, for state courts in the presidential battleground to clear up crucial fights, including over collecting and counting mail-in ballots.
U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan put the case on hold until Oct. 5 to see whether state courts decide, or at least narrow, the issues raised by Trump’s campaign and the national Republican Party.
Opponents had argued that Ranjan should dismiss the case under a U.S. Supreme Court precedent that matters of state law should be left to state courts to interpret.
“At its heart, the Trump campaign’s lawsuit is an attempt to make it more difficult for people in Pennsylvania to vote safely during the pandemic,” said Witold J. Walczak, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which along with election officials across Pennsylvania is a party to the case. “We and our clients want to be sure that every eligible voter has the chance to vote safely in this election, whether they vote by mail or in person at the polls.”
In its lawsuit, filed in June, Trump’s campaign claims the state’s election officials had “chosen a path that jeopardizes election security and will lead - and has already led - to the disenfranchisement of voters, questions about the accuracy of election results, and ultimately chaos” ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
“The federal court is simply going to reserve its judgment on this in the hopes that the state court will resolve these serious issues and guarantee that every Pennsylvanian has their vote counted-once,” Justin Clark, a Trump campaign deputy campaign manager, said in a statement.
After Oct. 5, parties can ask Ranjan to resume claims in the case.
Ranjan is a Trump appointee. State courts, where Democrats hold a 5-2 majority on the state Supreme Court, could be less friendly territory for Trump’s campaign.
One claim in Trump’s lawsuit, filed in June, seeks to outlaw drop boxes or other collection sites that some counties used in the June 2 primary to help gather a record-smashing number of mail-in ballots. Those drop boxes were used especially by Philadelphia and its heavily populated suburbs in the primary - places where Trump lost badly.
Trump’s campaign also wants to stop counties from counting ballots that lack secrecy envelopes - Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration advised counties to count them - and it also wants to throw out a state law that restricts poll watchers to county residents.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in state courts that takes the opposite position on those issues. Last week, Wolf’s administration, in a nod to the urgency of the matter with the election less than two months away, asked the state Supreme Court to use its extraordinary authority to take over the lawsuit.
___
Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/timelywriter.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Trump hispanic support increases in spite of immigration policy

President Trump has overseen the strictest immigration policy of any president in modern political times , and Hispanic community leaders have said that will kill his chances to attract Hispanic voters .
Instead , Mr. Trump enters the home stretch of his reelection campaign poised to keep , and perhaps even increase , his share of the Hispanic vote , according to the latest round of national opinion polls .
Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden is certain to carry the Hispanic vote overall , but Mr. Trump polls anywhere from about a quarter of the Hispanic vote up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average , he hovers in the low 30s .
That would be an improvement over his showing in 2016 , when exit polls suggested that he won the vote of 28 % of Hispanics who turned out .
Pollsters offer plenty of caveats .
The Hispanic numbers are subsamples of larger polls , and the margin of error can be substantial for such a breakout .
But the consistency of the numbers suggests that the president ’ s handling of the coronavirus hasn ’ t cost him his chance among Hispanic voters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Latino voters since being elected , ” said Ali Pardo , a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign .
“ The president has consistently delivered for our community , creating jobs , boosting income , and standing up to socialism and communism.
” At one point this year , Mr. Trump was looking even stronger with the economy soaring and the Hispanic employment rate setting records .
The president frequently reminds Hispanic voters of that .
In January and February , before the COVID-19 pandemic , several polls showed Mr. Trump topping 40 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 % in matchups against potential Democratic opponents .
At that time , there was no clear front-runner .
That 40 % threshold is an important yardstick .
In 2004 , President George W. Bush won 40 % to 44 % of the Hispanic vote — the total remains contested — setting the modern high-water mark for the Republican Party in a presidential election .
Mr. Trump no longer hits Bush-like numbers in polling among Hispanics .
Over the past few weeks , his ratings have ranged from 24 % in a YouGov/Economist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College poll .
Analysts said his handling of the coronavirus is a likely explanation for his slide .
Latino Decisions , a leading pollster with deep ties to Democrats and liberal causes , has released a poll showing that 22 % of Hispanics say they trust Mr. Trump on his handling of COVID-19 .
Nearly three-quarters said Mr. Trump ignored early warning signs of the coronavirus and imperiled the U.S. as a result , the poll found .
“ Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic puts him at an extreme disadvantage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latino Decisions .
James Henson , director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas , said the disapproval is broad .
“ Under the circumstances , many don ’ t like what they see in terms of the pandemic , the economy and government response , ” Mr. Henson said .
“ We ’ re beginning to pick up more negative sentiment as people pay more attention.
” The relief packages Congress has approved haven ’ t always penetrated the community .
Market Watch reported that only about 20 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paycheck Protection Program received funding .
The relief packages pointedly deny stimulus payments to illegal immigrants even if their children are U.S. citizens .
The Hispanic community , which makes up most of the that population , feels the economic effects the most .
That is particularly damaging to Mr. Trump in Sun Belt states such as Arizona and Texas , which have been hit hard by COVID-19 and are seemingly in play this year .
“ It is more competitive between the parties in Texas now than it has been for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Latino Decisions said its sampling of Hispanics in Texas found them breaking for Mr. Biden by 66 % to 21 % — a 45-point advantage .
Mr. Biden holds a 34-point advantage with Hispanics in Arizona and a 37-point lead in North Carolina .
Mr. Trump ’ s best swing state with a sizable Hispanic population is Florida , where Mr. Biden ’ s lead is just 55 % to 41 % .
The Trump campaign says the trend is going his way .
They point to Fox News polling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among Hispanics this month , up from 21 % in June .
Mr. Henson , who tracks polling in Texas , said surveys heading into an election usually show higher Hispanic support for Republicans than actual numbers on Election Day , suggesting Republicans end up underperforming .
He said part of the reason is errors in sampling Hispanic voters .
“ It ’ s hard to get a good sample of Latino voters , and Latino voter turnout is so low and fluctuates , so it is hard to gauge who is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Latino Decisions found that nearly two-thirds of Hispanic voters had not heard from either campaign or even from civic groups about the election .
About 24 % said they had been contacted by the Biden team , 14 % said they had heard from Trump folks , and 6 % said they had heard from civic groups .
Mr. Segura said he expects those engagement numbers to grow in September and October as the campaign reaches the final stages but added that some damage have already may been done .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a much bigger turnout , ” he said .

President Trump has overseen the strictest immigration policy of any president in modern political times, and Hispanic community leaders have said that will kill his chances to attract Hispanic voters.
Instead, Mr. Trump enters the home stretch of his reelection campaign poised to keep, and perhaps even increase, his share of the Hispanic vote, according to the latest round of national opinion polls.
Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden is certain to carry the Hispanic vote overall, but Mr. Trump polls anywhere from about a quarter of the Hispanic vote up to 38% in one survey. On average, he hovers in the low 30s.
That would be an improvement over his showing in 2016, when exit polls suggested that he won the vote of 28% of Hispanics who turned out.
Pollsters offer plenty of caveats. The Hispanic numbers are subsamples of larger polls, and the margin of error can be substantial for such a breakout. But the consistency of the numbers suggests that the president’s handling of the coronavirus hasn’t cost him his chance among Hispanic voters.
“President Trump has only gained support with Latino voters since being elected,” said Ali Pardo, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign. “The president has consistently delivered for our community, creating jobs, boosting income, and standing up to socialism and communism.”
At one point this year, Mr. Trump was looking even stronger with the economy soaring and the Hispanic employment rate setting records. The president frequently reminds Hispanic voters of that.
In January and February, before the COVID-19 pandemic, several polls showed Mr. Trump topping 40% approval among Hispanics and flirting with 40% in matchups against potential Democratic opponents. At that time, there was no clear front-runner.
That 40% threshold is an important yardstick. In 2004, President George W. Bush won 40% to 44% of the Hispanic vote — the total remains contested — setting the modern high-water mark for the Republican Party in a presidential election.
Mr. Trump no longer hits Bush-like numbers in polling among Hispanics. Over the past few weeks, his ratings have ranged from 24% in a YouGov/Economist survey to 38% in an Emerson College poll.
Analysts said his handling of the coronavirus is a likely explanation for his slide.
Latino Decisions, a leading pollster with deep ties to Democrats and liberal causes, has released a poll showing that 22% of Hispanics say they trust Mr. Trump on his handling of COVID-19. Nearly three-quarters said Mr. Trump ignored early warning signs of the coronavirus and imperiled the U.S. as a result, the poll found.
“Trump’s handling of the pandemic puts him at an extreme disadvantage,” said Gary Segura, co-founder of Latino Decisions.
James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, said the disapproval is broad.
“Under the circumstances, many don’t like what they see in terms of the pandemic, the economy and government response,” Mr. Henson said. “We’re beginning to pick up more negative sentiment as people pay more attention.”
The relief packages Congress has approved haven’t always penetrated the community. Market Watch reported that only about 20% of Hispanic-owned businesses that applied for the Paycheck Protection Program received funding.
The relief packages pointedly deny stimulus payments to illegal immigrants even if their children are U.S. citizens. The Hispanic community, which makes up most of the that population, feels the economic effects the most.
That is particularly damaging to Mr. Trump in Sun Belt states such as Arizona and Texas, which have been hit hard by COVID-19 and are seemingly in play this year.
“It is more competitive between the parties in Texas now than it has been for more than a decade,” Mr. Henson said.
Latino Decisions said its sampling of Hispanics in Texas found them breaking for Mr. Biden by 66% to 21% — a 45-point advantage. Mr. Biden holds a 34-point advantage with Hispanics in Arizona and a 37-point lead in North Carolina.
Mr. Trump’s best swing state with a sizable Hispanic population is Florida, where Mr. Biden’s lead is just 55% to 41%.
The Trump campaign says the trend is going his way.
They point to Fox News polling, which showed him with 34% support among Hispanics this month, up from 21% in June.
Mr. Henson, who tracks polling in Texas, said surveys heading into an election usually show higher Hispanic support for Republicans than actual numbers on Election Day, suggesting Republicans end up underperforming.
He said part of the reason is errors in sampling Hispanic voters.
“It’s hard to get a good sample of Latino voters, and Latino voter turnout is so low and fluctuates, so it is hard to gauge who is going to show up and vote,” he said.
Latino Decisions found that nearly two-thirds of Hispanic voters had not heard from either campaign or even from civic groups about the election. About 24% said they had been contacted by the Biden team, 14% said they had heard from Trump folks, and 6% said they had heard from civic groups.
Mr. Segura said he expects those engagement numbers to grow in September and October as the campaign reaches the final stages but added that some damage have already may been done.
“Early and frequent contact would produce a much bigger turnout,” he said.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Joe Biden confronts mental fitness questions in first post-DNC interview

Joe Biden pushed back against the notion he is not fit to be president on Sunday after President Trump and his Republican allies have repeatedly questioned the former vice president ’ s mental capacity .
Mr. Trump ’ s campaign released an ad last week showing clips of Mr. Biden appearing to lose his train of thought while campaigning in 2020 — comparing the blunders to older clips of Mr. Biden speaking pointedly about five years ago .
The ad , which was released during the Democratic National Convention , is titled , “ What happened to Joe Biden.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the suggestion he ’ s lost any of his mental capabilities .
“ Watch me , ” Mr. Biden told the American people in an interview on Sunday with ABC News .
The Democratic presidential nominee would be the oldest president to be sworn in on Inauguration Day at 78 if he defeats Mr. Trump in November .
He said it ’ s fair to question a candidate ’ s age — but Mr. Biden pushed back against questions about his mental fitness .
The former vice president also pledged to listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is elected , saying he ’ s willing to shut the country down again and issue a nationwide mask mandate if that ’ s what scientists suggested .
The comments came during Mr. Biden ’ s first joint interview Sunday with his running mate California Sen. Kamala Harris , where they criticized the Trump administration ’ s handling of the pandemic .
The president is not to blame for the coronavirus , Mr. Biden said , but he suggested Mr. Trump has failed to get the pandemic under control .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until we control the virus — that is the fundamental flaw of this administration ’ s thinking , ” Mr. Biden told ABC .
He went on to say if Mr. Trump would have acted a week earlier , about 37,000 lives could have been saved , pointing to an analysis by Columbia University Medical School .
However , in January Mr. Biden called the president ’ s decision to ban travel from China — where the virus originated in January — xenophobic .
The former director of the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the travel ban against China made a difference , giving more time for the U.S. to prepare for COVID cases .
Still , Mr. Biden stressed the next president must listen to scientists when handling the outbreak , saying the incoming administration will determine the trajectory of the U.S. for the next decade .
“ I have an overwhelming sense of obligation , ” Mr. Biden said .
“ The character of the country is on the ballot .
So much is at stake.
” More than 176,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of January , and there ’ s currently 5.68 million infected with the virus .
Ms. Harris , meanwhile , told ABC that between Mr. Biden ’ s nearly five decades political career and her experience as a prosecutor and former attorney general of California , they ’ re ready to take on the nation ’ s problems as soon as they enter the White House .
“ Between us , we have the ability to really meet the American people — where they are and address their fears and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
The California Democrat joined Mr. Biden ’ s campaign despite criticizing him during the Democratic primary for his handling of racial issues like busing .
“ I believe in his perspective , ” Ms. Harris said of her support of Mr. Biden , adding he ’ s “ progressive ” and was one of the first Democrats to support gay marriage and to tap a black woman as a running mate .
She also addressed Mr. Biden ’ s comment during a campaign interview earlier this year , where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t support him , “ You ain ’ t Black.
” “ When Joe and I talked about the state of Black America , he has a deep sense of awareness and knowledge about racial disparities , ” she said .
“ Joe speaks the words — and actually knows how to say the words — Black Lives Matter .
Contrary to what the current president of the United States says , who sews hate and division , ” Ms. Harris added .

Joseph R. Biden pushed back against the notion he is not fit to be president on Sunday after President Trump and his Republican allies have repeatedly questioned the former vice president’s mental capacity.
Mr. Trump’s campaign released an ad last week showing clips of Mr. Biden appearing to lose his train of thought while campaigning in 2020 — comparing the blunders to older clips of Mr. Biden speaking pointedly about five years ago.
The ad, which was released during the Democratic National Convention, is titled, “What happened to Joe Biden.”
Mr. Biden, though, just laughed off the suggestion he’s lost any of his mental capabilities.
“Watch me,” Mr. Biden told the American people in an interview on Sunday with ABC News.
The Democratic presidential nominee would be the oldest president to be sworn in on Inauguration Day at 78 if he defeats Mr. Trump in November. He said it’s fair to question a candidate’s age — but Mr. Biden pushed back against questions about his mental fitness.
The former vice president also pledged to listen to scientists about the COVID-19 pandemic if he is elected, saying he’s willing to shut the country down again and issue a nationwide mask mandate if that’s what scientists suggested.
The comments came during Mr. Biden’s first joint interview Sunday with his running mate California Sen. Kamala D. Harris, where they criticized the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic.
The president is not to blame for the coronavirus, Mr. Biden said, but he suggested Mr. Trump has failed to get the pandemic under control.
“We can’t get the country moving until we control the virus — that is the fundamental flaw of this administration’s thinking,” Mr. Biden told ABC.
He went on to say if Mr. Trump would have acted a week earlier, about 37,000 lives could have been saved, pointing to an analysis by Columbia University Medical School.
However, in January Mr. Biden called the president’s decision to ban travel from China — where the virus originated in January — xenophobic. The former director of the Centers for Disease Control Dr. Tom Frieden, however, acknowledged the travel ban against China made a difference, giving more time for the U.S. to prepare for COVID cases.
Still, Mr. Biden stressed the next president must listen to scientists when handling the outbreak, saying the incoming administration will determine the trajectory of the U.S. for the next decade.
“I have an overwhelming sense of obligation,” Mr. Biden said. “The character of the country is on the ballot. So much is at stake.”
More than 176,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since the first case hit the nation at the end of January, and there’s currently 5.68 million infected with the virus.
Ms. Harris, meanwhile, told ABC that between Mr. Biden’s nearly five decades political career and her experience as a prosecutor and former attorney general of California, they’re ready to take on the nation’s problems as soon as they enter the White House.
“Between us, we have the ability to really meet the American people — where they are and address their fears and their hopes and their dreams,” she said.
The California Democrat joined Mr. Biden’s campaign despite criticizing him during the Democratic primary for his handling of racial issues like busing.
“I believe in his perspective,” Ms. Harris said of her support of Mr. Biden, adding he’s “progressive” and was one of the first Democrats to support gay marriage and to tap a black woman as a running mate.
She also addressed Mr. Biden’s comment during a campaign interview earlier this year, where he said if a Black voter doesn’t support him, “You ain’t Black.”
“When Joe and I talked about the state of Black America, he has a deep sense of awareness and knowledge about racial disparities,” she said.
“Joe speaks the words — and actually knows how to say the words — Black Lives Matter. Contrary to what the current president of the United States says, who sews hate and division,” Ms. Harris added.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Police: 3 officers shot in Maryland were 'ambushed'

HYATTSVILLE , Md .
( AP ) - Three police officers were shot while responding to a call Sunday evening @ @ @ @ @ .
The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. in Hyattsville , a city about 32 miles @ @ @ @ @ of Baltimore , the Prince George ’ s County Police Department said on its Twitter @ @ @ @ @ , and two men were in custody .
The men were not struck , police @ @ @ @ @ have been transported to a hospital for treatment .
The conditions of the officers were @ @ @

HYATTSVILLE, Md. (AP) - Three police officers who were shot while responding to a call Sunday evening in Maryland were ambushed, authorities said.
“Within seconds of arriving, they were under fire,” Prince George’s County Interim Police Chief Hector Velez told reporters at a news conference Sunday night.
The officers were responding to a reported home invasion about 6:30 p.m. at an address in Hyattsville, a city about 32 miles (52 kilometers) southwest of Baltimore, police said.
Two of the three officers shot were “saved” by their vests, Velez said. One officer was struck in the chest and had injuries to an arm and a leg. Another officer was shot in the back. The third officer was wounded in the foot.
The officers returned gunfire, and two men were in custody. The men were not injured, police said.
Velez also said the officers provided themselves with “self-care” after being shot, which allowed them to be transported to a hospital for further treatment.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Lisa Clemons, Mother's Love Initiative, fights to save Minneapolis police force

The cry of “ defund the police ” may be ringing loud in Minneapolis and other cities during this summer of discontent , but that doesn ’ t mean it is resonating on the street .
“ Black hating Blue — that sells , ” said Lisa Clemons , the founder of A Mother ’ s Love Initiative , a community outreach and education nonprofit , in the Minnesota metropolis she calls home .
“ But you can ’ t ‘ reimagine Minneapolis ‘ with crime gone.
” Ms. Clemons , 57 , has emerged from the chaos in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected officials ’ left-wing approach to law enforcement .
She knows about the reality of policing and crime in urban neighborhoods .
Before starting her group in 2014 , she spent 13 years wearing the badge of the Minneapolis Police Department .
While most of the national media attention has dissipated , Minneapolis remains a city on edge .
The streets are rife with crime , and residents are still digging through the rubble in neighborhoods that burned during protests over the May 25 death of George Floyd .
The crime seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The Washington Times over a hands-free phone in her car , a police chase blew by her .
The suspect ’ s car passed in a bike lane going 90 miles per hour with patrol cars in hot pursuit .
“ It ’ s brazen out there now , ” said Ms. Clemons , who has five children , including two she adopted .
“ There ’ s no fear at this point , a lawlessness that ’ s been around .
There used to be safe places downtown , elsewhere .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t the Minneapolis she once knew , said Ms. Clemons .
That city , she said , perished with Floyd .
“ I ’ m a Democrat , but it was the Democrats who didn ’ t come through for us , ” she said .
“ When this council was elected , the city was on fire .
And everything changed after George .
The city was on fire , and now they are talking about dismantling and abolishing the police , and it hasn ’ t stopped burning since.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the effort to “ reimagine ” the city ’ s police .
She has popped up on social media and in multiple Twin Cities news reports as a neighborhood voice opposed to the City Council ’ s plan to disband the police department and replace it with , according to a sympathetic account in The Wedge , “ a department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention [ that ] would have a ‘ holistic , public health ’ orientation , and be led by a director with public health or restorative justice experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” She has been featured going toe-to-toe with some of Minneapolis ‘ left-wing council members who have moved aggressively — sometimes over even the mayor ’ s objections — to cut the police department budget and , eventually , have fewer cops .
On July 24 , the council sliced $ 10 million from the department ’ s $ 193 million budget .
In July , A Mother ’ s Love called a community center press conference after a pregnant woman was fatally shot in her car .
Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ms. Clemons exchanged sharp words .
“ It is time to stand up in this city .
It is time to tell the City Council that utopia is a bunch of B.S.
, ” Ms. Clemons said .
“ We are not in Mayberry ; we are in the wild , wild West , and it is time for some answers.
” The members of A Mother ’ s Love spend considerable time on the city streets talking with people whom Ms. Clemons said the theorists don ’ t know .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s northern side , where four people had been shot , she demanded the resignation of Council President Lisa Bender .
Her message is neither isolated nor radical .
A Gallup poll this month found that an overwhelming 81 % of Black Americans prefer the same police presence or an increased presence in their neighborhoods .
For most of its existence , A Mother ’ s Love has not been overtly activist .
Ms. Clemons and a handful of friends , many of whom had lost sons or other loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 by offering classes on life skills , such as how to improve credit scores , shop smart and discipline children .
A Mother ’ s Love worked hard , she said , to get more Black fathers involved in their children ’ s lives .
Ms. Clemons recalled her mother “ with pink rollers in her hair and a house gown ” confronting gang members on Chicago ’ s streets .
Her mom physically dragging her brother back into the house .
The possibility a child “ may get a butt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chuckled .
She put her three biological children through college and is working on her two young adopted children .
A Mother ’ s Love expanded its mission after Ms. Clemons received a call from Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo , a former head of the department ’ s internal affairs division who remembered her from training classes .
Chief Arradondo asked for help on the streets , and Ms. Clemons ‘ group was happy to oblige .
Ms. Clemons acknowledged that “ historically , police have developed a bad relationship ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is convinced that Chief Arradondo would be up to the job if he weren ’ t hamstrung by the council and what she says are local media enthralled with the loudest , most radical voices .
She declined to comment on the four former officers charged in Floyd ’ s death .
She said she did not know them .
“ There ’ s always an element that hates the police , but people have never worn the blue or been out there at midnight , ” she said .
“ Why don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re the one who always says you know what kind of police you want .
Why don ’ t you apply ?
Everyone wants to cripple the chief , but no one wants to go on a ride-along.
” Last week , two more people died in shootings in Minneapolis to bring the year ’ s homicide total to 49 , surpassing the 48 homicides reported in all of 2019 .
Ms. Clemons noted that nearly all of the victims were Black and two-thirds were ages 17 to 31 .
“ I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .

The cry of “defund the police” may be ringing loud in Minneapolis and other cities during this summer of discontent, but that doesn’t mean it is resonating on the street.
“Black hating Blue — that sells,” said Lisa Clemons, the founder of A Mother’s Love Initiative, a community outreach and education nonprofit, in the Minnesota metropolis she calls home. “But you can’t ‘reimagine Minneapolis’ with crime gone.”
Ms. Clemons, 57, has emerged from the chaos in her city as a prominent Black critic of elected officials’ left-wing approach to law enforcement.
She knows about the reality of policing and crime in urban neighborhoods. Before starting her group in 2014, she spent 13 years wearing the badge of the Minneapolis Police Department.
While most of the national media attention has dissipated, Minneapolis remains a city on edge. The streets are rife with crime, and residents are still digging through the rubble in neighborhoods that burned during protests over the May 25 death of George Floyd.
The crime seems to be everywhere.
As Ms. Clemons spoke to The Washington Times over a hands-free phone in her car, a police chase blew by her. The suspect’s car passed in a bike lane going 90 miles per hour with patrol cars in hot pursuit.
“It’s brazen out there now,” said Ms. Clemons, who has five children, including two she adopted. “There’s no fear at this point, a lawlessness that’s been around. There used to be safe places downtown, elsewhere. That’s gone now.”
This isn’t the Minneapolis she once knew, said Ms. Clemons. That city, she said, perished with Floyd.
“I’m a Democrat, but it was the Democrats who didn’t come through for us,” she said. “When this council was elected, the city was on fire. And everything changed after George. The city was on fire, and now they are talking about dismantling and abolishing the police, and it hasn’t stopped burning since.”
Ms. Clemons is pushing back against the effort to “reimagine” the city’s police.
She has popped up on social media and in multiple Twin Cities news reports as a neighborhood voice opposed to the City Council’s plan to disband the police department and replace it with, according to a sympathetic account in The Wedge, “a department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention [that] would have a ‘holistic, public health’ orientation, and be led by a director with public health or restorative justice experience [not a police chief].”
She has been featured going toe-to-toe with some of Minneapolis’ left-wing council members who have moved aggressively — sometimes over even the mayor’s objections — to cut the police department budget and, eventually, have fewer cops. On July 24, the council sliced $10 million from the department’s $193 million budget.
In July, A Mother’s Love called a community center press conference after a pregnant woman was fatally shot in her car. Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins happened to be nearby, and she and Ms. Clemons exchanged sharp words.
“It is time to stand up in this city. It is time to tell the City Council that utopia is a bunch of B.S.,” Ms. Clemons said. “We are not in Mayberry; we are in the wild, wild West, and it is time for some answers.”
The members of A Mother’s Love spend considerable time on the city streets talking with people whom Ms. Clemons said the theorists don’t know. At a crime scene in June on the city’s northern side, where four people had been shot, she demanded the resignation of Council President Lisa Bender.
Her message is neither isolated nor radical.
A Gallup poll this month found that an overwhelming 81% of Black Americans prefer the same police presence or an increased presence in their neighborhoods.
For most of its existence, A Mother’s Love has not been overtly activist. Ms. Clemons and a handful of friends, many of whom had lost sons or other loved ones to gun violence, started the group in 2014 by offering classes on life skills, such as how to improve credit scores, shop smart and discipline children.
A Mother’s Love worked hard, she said, to get more Black fathers involved in their children’s lives.
Ms. Clemons recalled her mother “with pink rollers in her hair and a house gown” confronting gang members on Chicago’s streets. Her mom physically dragging her brother back into the house.
The possibility a child “may get a butt tap” was real, Ms. Clemons chuckled.
She put her three biological children through college and is working on her two young adopted children.
A Mother’s Love expanded its mission after Ms. Clemons received a call from Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, a former head of the department’s internal affairs division who remembered her from training classes.
Chief Arradondo asked for help on the streets, and Ms. Clemons’ group was happy to oblige. Ms. Clemons acknowledged that “historically, police have developed a bad relationship” with much of the city, but she is convinced that Chief Arradondo would be up to the job if he weren’t hamstrung by the council and what she says are local media enthralled with the loudest, most radical voices.
She declined to comment on the four former officers charged in Floyd’s death. She said she did not know them.
“There’s always an element that hates the police, but people have never worn the blue or been out there at midnight,” she said. “Why don’t you apply? You’re the one who always says you know what kind of police you want. Why don’t you apply? Everyone wants to cripple the chief, but no one wants to go on a ride-along.”
Meanwhile, crime is surging.
Last week, two more people died in shootings in Minneapolis to bring the year’s homicide total to 49, surpassing the 48 homicides reported in all of 2019.
Ms. Clemons noted that nearly all of the victims were Black and two-thirds were ages 17 to 31.
“I feel like this is rock bottom,” she said.
• James Varney can be reached at jvarney@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Two secret documents disprove claims about Paul Manafort, his attorney says

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence ’ s final report on Russian election interference contains a fundamentally inaccurate claim about Paul Manafort , his attorney says , and he claims that two secret documents can prove it .
“ It ’ s really sloppy , ” attorney Kevin Downing said of the expansive Aug. 18 report .
The report makes the former Trump campaign manager and his longtime business associate in Ukraine , Konstantin Kilimnik , the centerpieces of a 900-plus-page report on counter-intelligence threats .
Going much further than the FBI ’ s public assessment of Mr. Kilimnik , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operative “ is a Russian intelligence officer.
” The truth or falsity of that designation is important .
The bipartisan Senate report used it to cast unproven suspicion on President Trump ’ s campaign and to suggest Manafort was in cahoots with Moscow intelligence .
The special counsel report cleared him of that suggestion .
The senators also call Mr. Kilimnik “ central ” to their overall investigation — a lofty status not found in other Trump-Russia inquiries .
Mr .
Downing , who defended Manafort in two tax fraud and foreign lobbying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Mr. Kilimnik is not a Russian agent .
Mr .
Downing said that there are two government documents still under seal in the Manafort court-case file that , if declassified , would prove his point .
“ These two documents if unsealed will completely refute the conjecture contained in Senate intel report regarding Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik , ” Mr .
Downing said .
He added , “ This whole idea that he was some type of Russian intelligence officer is just total nonsense.
” For example , the report says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the GRU ’ s ” hacking into Democratic Party computers in 2016 — the billboard Kremlin election-interference claim .
The implication is that since Manafort and Mr. Kilimnik were decades-long associates , the American must have known too .
But the Senate report offers no evidence that Mr. Kilimnik was involved in hacking .
What ’ s more , the Senate report ’ s implication about Manafort is at odds with special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s findings , the product of nearly a three-year FBI investigation .
It cleared Manafort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t suggest Mr. Kilimnik participated in the hacking .
“ It ’ s really sloppy , ” Mr .
Downing said .
“ You read something salacious and when you get to the facts it ’ s not there .
This is Senate intel .
They ’ re supposed to be the real deal .
They are putting out something that looks like the Steele dossier.
” That is a reference to the discredited anti-Trump dossier by British ex-spy Christopher Steele , which was financed by the Democratic Party and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the FBI never sought a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) warrant to wiretap Manafort because it lacked evidence to present to a judge .
The Mueller team repeatedly interviewed Manafort and found he violated his plea agreement by misleading prosecutors on his interactions with Mr. Kilimnik .
A judge agreed .
The Senate report finds much significance in this .
“ Manafort ’ s true motive in deciding to face more severe criminal penalties rather than provide complete answers about his interactions with Kilimnik is unknown , but the result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kilimnik remain hidden , ” it says .
Mr .
Downing always has maintained that Manafort didn ’ t mislead the Mueller team .
Prosecutors alleged Manafort lied about two Kilimnik interactions : he provided internal Trump polling data to Mr. Kilimnik to give to Oleg Deripaska , a Russian oligarch and his one-time employer , and to Ukraine politicians .
Manafort ’ s business partner told the Mueller team that Manafort shared the data to smooth over a financial dispute with the Mr. Deripaska and to win new consulting business in Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he also lied about his involvement in Mr. Kilimnik pushing a Crimea peace plan favorable to Russia and backed by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych , a Moscow favorite .
The Mueller report said Manafort did not share the plan with the campaign , the candidate , or the Trump administration .
There is no indication from Mr. Mueller that Manafort lied about any knowledge of Russian computer hacking .
“ The office did not identify evidence of a connection between Manafort ’ s sharing polling data and Russia ’ s interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been reported by the U.S. media outlets at the time of the August 2 [ Manafort-Kilimnik ] meeting , ” the Mueller report said .
“ The investigation did not establish that Manafort otherwise coordinated with the Russian government on its election-interference efforts.
” During pre-trial evidence discovery , Mr .
Downing asked the Mueller lawyers for any information that Mr. Manafort had Russian government contacts .
Mr .
Downing said they reported back that they had none .
Manafort ’ s business relationship with the Ukrainian-speaking Kilimnik began in 2005 , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for office and Manafort joined the campaign as adviser and then manager .
Mr. Kilimnik began working on a peace plan in 2015 , a year before Mr. Manafort joined Trump .
Manafort was told to leave in August 2016 amid negative media reports about his relationships with pro-Russia figures in Ukraine .
Mr .
Downing argues that Mr. Kilimnik ’ s frequent consulting with the U.S. embassy in Kiev is further proof he is not an officer with the GRU , Russia ’ s military-intelligence branch .
The Senate report confirms that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consultant .
“ Kilimnik was in regular contact with personnel serving in the embassy ’ s political section , ” the report said .
After the 2014 revolution forced Mr. Yanukovych to flee Kiev , the report said , “ Kilimnik ’ s ability to navigate the ouster of Yanukovych , and his transition to power broker within the OB [ pro-Russia Opposition Bloc ] made him a valuable resource to the Embassy.
” But while the report called him a “ valuable resource , ” it immediately downgraded the assessment by saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Overall , the Senate report portrays him negatively as a behind-the-scenes influencer , trying to plant inaccurate pro-Russian news and social media stories .
Manafort garnered millions of dollars in consulting fees in Ukraine , principally from the pro-Russian Party of Regions .
Mr. Kilimnik , a Russian national who did a seven-year Army stint as a translator , ran Manafort ’ s Kiev office .
The FBI ’ s official judgement on Mr. Kilimnik is the general term that he has “ ties ” to Russian intelligence , a designation that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian intelligence officer and official spy for the GRU .
At a February 2019 pre-sentencing hearing , U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the FBI had not presented evidence that Mr. Kilimnik was a Russia spy .
“ Whether Kilimnik is tied to Russian intelligence or he ’ s not , I think the specific representation by the Office of Special Counsel was that he had been , quote , ‘ assessed by the FBI , quote , to have a relationship with Russian intelligence , ’ close quote , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Whether that ’ s true , I have not been provided with the evidence that I would need to decide nor do I have to decide because it ’ s outside the scope of this hearing.
” Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats would not go along with a pointed statement that its three-year investigation and five reports did not find a Trump-Russia conspiracy .
Republicans added this sentence to their “ additional views ” section : “ After more than three years of investigation by this Committee , we can now say with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Manafort was sentenced to a combined 73 months in prison on convictions of tax fraud , failing to register as a lobbyist for a foreign entity and tampering with a witness regarding his lack of registration .
He was released from prison in May amid the coronavirus outbreak and is confined to home detention .

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s final report on Russian election interference contains a fundamentally inaccurate claim about Paul Manafort, his attorney says, and he claims that two secret documents can prove it.
“It’s really sloppy,” attorney Kevin Downing said of the expansive Aug. 18 report.
The report makes the former Trump campaign chairman and his longtime business associate in Ukraine, Konstantin Kilimnik, the centerpieces of a 900-plus-page report on counter-intelligence threats. Going much further than the FBI’s public assessment of Mr. Kilimnik, the Senate report flatly states the political operative “is a Russian intelligence officer.”
The truth or falsity of that designation is important. The bipartisan Senate report used it to cast unproven suspicion on President Trump’s campaign and to suggest Manafort was in cahoots with Moscow intelligence.
The special counsel report cleared him of that suggestion. The senators also call Mr. Kilimnik “central” to their overall investigation — a lofty status not found in other Trump-Russia inquiries.
Mr. Downing, who defended Manafort in two tax fraud and foreign lobbying criminal convictions, told The Washington Times that Mr. Kilimnik is not a Russian agent. Mr. Downing said that there are two government documents still under seal in the Manafort court-case file that, if declassified, would prove his point.
“These two documents if unsealed will completely refute the conjecture contained in Senate intel report regarding Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik,” Mr. Downing said.
He added, “This whole idea that he was some type of Russian intelligence officer is just total nonsense.”
For example, the report says Mr. Kilimnik “may have been connected to the GRU’s” hacking into Democratic Party computers in 2016 — the billboard Kremlin election-interference claim. The implication is that since Manafort and Mr. Kilimnik were decades-long associates, the American must have known too.
But the Senate report offers no evidence that Mr. Kilimnik was involved in hacking.
What’s more, the Senate report’s implication about Manafort is at odds with special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings, the product of nearly a three-year FBI investigation. It cleared Manafort of any collusion in Moscow election interference and doesn’t suggest Mr. Kilimnik participated in the hacking.
“It’s really sloppy,” Mr. Downing said. “You read something salacious and when you get to the facts it’s not there. This is Senate intel. They’re supposed to be the real deal. They are putting out something that looks like the Steele dossier.”
That is a reference to the discredited anti-Trump dossier by British ex-spy Christopher Steele, which was financed by the Democratic Party and the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.
In addition, the FBI never sought a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to wiretap Manafort because it lacked evidence to present to a judge.
The Mueller team repeatedly interviewed Manafort and found he violated his plea agreement by misleading prosecutors on his interactions with Mr. Kilimnik. A judge agreed.
The Senate report finds much significance in this.
“Manafort’s true motive in deciding to face more severe criminal penalties rather than provide complete answers about his interactions with Kilimnik is unknown, but the result is that many interactions between Manafort and Kilimnik remain hidden,” it says.
Mr. Downing always has maintained that Manafort didn’t mislead the Mueller team.
Prosecutors alleged Manafort lied about two Kilimnik interactions: he provided internal Trump polling data to Mr. Kilimnik to give to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch and his one-time employer, and to Ukraine politicians.
Manafort’s business partner told the Mueller team that Manafort shared the data to smooth over a financial dispute with the Mr. Deripaska and to win new consulting business in Ukraine by showing he was well-connected.
Prosecutors said he also lied about his involvement in Mr. Kilimnik pushing a Crimea peace plan favorable to Russia and backed by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a Moscow favorite.
The Mueller report said Manafort did not share the plan with the campaign, the candidate, or the Trump administration. There is no indication from Mr. Mueller that Manafort lied about any knowledge of Russian computer hacking.
“The office did not identify evidence of a connection between Manafort’s sharing polling data and Russia’s interference in the election, which had already been reported by the U.S. media outlets at the time of the August 2 [Manafort-Kilimnik] meeting,” the Mueller report said. “The investigation did not establish that Manafort otherwise coordinated with the Russian government on its election-interference efforts.”
During pre-trial evidence discovery, Mr. Downing asked the Mueller lawyers for any information that Mr. Manafort had Russian government contacts. Mr. Downing said they reported back that they had none.
Manafort’s business relationship with the Ukrainian-speaking Kilimnik began in 2005, more than 10 years before Mr. Trump ran for office and Manafort joined the campaign as adviser and then manager. Mr. Kilimnik began working on a peace plan in 2015, a year before Mr. Manafort joined Trump.
Manafort was told to leave in August 2016 amid negative media reports about his relationships with pro-Russia figures in Ukraine.
Mr. Downing argues that Mr. Kilimnik’s frequent consulting with the U.S. embassy in Kiev is further proof he is not an officer with the GRU, Russia’s military-intelligence branch.
The Senate report confirms that American diplomats often met with the pro-Russian consultant.
“Kilimnik was in regular contact with personnel serving in the embassy’s political section,” the report said.
After the 2014 revolution forced Mr. Yanukovych to flee Kiev, the report said, “Kilimnik’s ability to navigate the ouster of Yanukovych, and his transition to power broker within the OB [pro-Russia Opposition Bloc] made him a valuable resource to the Embassy.”
But while the report called him a “valuable resource,” it immediately downgraded the assessment by saying the State Department viewed him warily.
Overall, the Senate report portrays him negatively as a behind-the-scenes influencer, trying to plant inaccurate pro-Russian news and social media stories.
Manafort garnered millions of dollars in consulting fees in Ukraine, principally from the pro-Russian Party of Regions. Mr. Kilimnik, a Russian national who did a seven-year Army stint as a translator, ran Manafort’s Kiev office.
The FBI’s official judgement on Mr. Kilimnik is the general term that he has “ties” to Russian intelligence, a designation that is quite different than saying he is a Russian intelligence officer and official spy for the GRU.
At a February 2019 pre-sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the FBI had not presented evidence that Mr. Kilimnik was a Russia spy.
“Whether Kilimnik is tied to Russian intelligence or he’s not, I think the specific representation by the Office of Special Counsel was that he had been, quote, ‘assessed by the FBI, quote, to have a relationship with Russian intelligence,’ close quote,” Judge Jackson said at the hearing. “Whether that’s true, I have not been provided with the evidence that I would need to decide nor do I have to decide because it’s outside the scope of this hearing.”
Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats would not go along with a pointed statement that its three-year investigation and five reports did not find a Trump-Russia conspiracy.
Republicans added this sentence to their “additional views” section: “After more than three years of investigation by this Committee, we can now say with no doubt, there was no collusion.”
Manafort was sentenced to a combined 73 months in prison on convictions of tax fraud, failing to register as a lobbyist for a foreign entity and tampering with a witness regarding his lack of registration. He was released from prison in May amid the coronavirus outbreak and is confined to home detention.
• Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Joe Biden would shut down economy if health advisors say so

ATLANTA — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would follow public health advisers ’ advice if they called for a national shutdown should he take office and the coronavirus had not abated .
“ I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives .
We can not get the country moving until we control the virus , ” Biden said in an interview broadcast Sunday night on ABC News .
Asked specifically whether he ’ d push a national shutdown if scientists said it was necessary , Biden replied : “ I would shut it down.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for the nation ’ s governors to impose mask mandates in their states , effectively a national mask mandate .
But when he made that call , Biden avoided saying he ’ d attempt to use a nationally applicable executive order himself .
Biden ’ s remarks came as part of his first joint interview with vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris .
The pair accepted their party ’ s nominations during a virtual convention last week .
On Monday , Republicans begin their convention to nominate Trump and Vice President Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @

ATLANTA — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would follow public health advisers’ advice if they called for a national shutdown should he take office and the coronavirus had not abated.
“I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives. We cannot get the country moving until we control the virus,” Biden said in an interview broadcast Sunday night on ABC News.
Asked specifically whether he’d push a national shutdown if scientists said it was necessary, Biden replied: “I would shut it down.”
The former vice president has previously called for the nation’s governors to impose mask mandates in their states, effectively a national mask mandate. But when he made that call, Biden avoided saying he’d attempt to use a nationally applicable executive order himself.
Biden’s remarks came as part of his first joint interview with vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The pair accepted their party’s nominations during a virtual convention last week. On Monday, Republicans begin their convention to nominate Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for a second term.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Biden says he'd shut down economy if scientists recommended

ATLANTA ( AP ) - Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would follow public health advisers ’ advice if they called for a national shutdown should he take office and the coronavirus had not abated .
“ I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives .
We can not get the country moving until we control the virus , ” Biden said in an interview broadcast Sunday night on ABC News .
Asked specifically whether he ’ d push to shutter economic activity if scientists said it was necessary , Biden replied : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president ’ s remarks came as part of his first joint interview with vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris .
The pair accepted their party ’ s nominations during a virtual convention last week .
On Monday , Republicans begin their convention to nominate Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for a second term .
Biden and Harris , once primary rivals who sparred on the debate stage , sought during their sit-down with ABC to project a united front on policy issues from race to health care .
Harris , the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticket , vouched for Biden , a 77-year-old white man , when asked whether she ’ s privately addressed some of his missteps when discussing race .
He declared in May that any Black American having trouble deciding who to support “ ain ’ t Black , ” a comment he walked back the same day and said again Sunday he regretted .
Harris described Biden as possessing “ a deep sense of awareness and knowledge about racial disparities , inequities and systematic racism.
” She added that Biden “ actually knows how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter , ’ ” contrary to Trump , who “ will never speak those words.
” The running mates downplayed their bitter debate encounter last summer , when Harris leveled deeply personal criticism against Biden over his opposition in the 1970s to federally mandated busing to desegregate public schools and for remarks he ’ d made about having worked amicably alongside racist senators when he first came to Washington .
Harris noted enduring racial wealth gaps in the U.S. and the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on Black and Hispanic communities .
Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truths , he speaks these truths.
” Biden said , looking back , he understands how Harris , who was among the minority students bused in the 1970s , would criticize him so harshly .
But he said she and others may not have known his full record on civil rights .
He said he , as a white man , can not understand her lived experiences and that she , a 55-year-old daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants , can ’ t understand his .
But , he said they “ have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ on same exact page about what the possibilities are right now.
” They put similar framing on their primary-campaign differences on health care .
Biden has consistently backed adding a “ public option ” to existing private insurance markets .
Harris signed on to Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ bill that would create a single-payer government insurance system to replace private insurance .
“ I signed on to bills that were about great ideas to fix the problem , ” Harris told ABC , arguing she and Biden “ are completely aligned on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden called any differences “ tactical ” but said , “ We both believe that health care is a right , not a privilege.
” Pressed about her record as a prosecutor , Harris tacitly acknowledged that some critics see her as part of the same criminal justice system she and Biden want to overhaul amid ongoing protests over the killings of Black Americans by police .
Biden repeated that , contrary to Trump ’ s assertion , they do not support defunding police departments around the country .
The interview was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national journalists since Trump , who is just three years younger than Biden , mocked his Democratic rival as unable to handle such a venue .
Trump has repeatedly suggested Biden is mentally unfit for the presidency .
Biden smiled when asked about Trump ’ s characterization and said he remains eager to debate the president .
Biden said he has no problem with voters questioning his fitness .
“ It ’ s a legitimate question to ask ” about his and Trump ’ s ages , Biden said .
“ Watch me.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s recent statement that the only way he ’ d lose was if the election were rigged , and the Democratic challenger dismissed any notions that Trump wouldn ’ t leave the White House voluntarily if he loses .
“ The American people will not let that happen , ” he said .
“ No one ’ s going to allow that to happen .
”

ATLANTA (AP) - Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would follow public health advisers’ advice if they called for a national shutdown should he take office and the coronavirus had not abated.
“I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives. We cannot get the country moving until we control the virus,” Biden said in an interview broadcast Sunday night on ABC News.
Asked specifically whether he’d push to shutter economic activity if scientists said it was necessary, Biden replied: “I would shut it down.”
The former vice president’s remarks came as part of his first joint interview with vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The pair accepted their party’s nominations during a virtual convention last week. On Monday, Republicans begin their convention to nominate Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for a second term.
Biden and Harris, once primary rivals who sparred on the debate stage, sought during their sit-down with ABC to project a united front on policy issues from race to health care.
Harris, the first Black woman to join a major-party presidential ticket, vouched for Biden, a 77-year-old white man, when asked whether she’s privately addressed some of his missteps when discussing race. He declared in May that any Black American having trouble deciding who to support “ain’t Black,” a comment he walked back the same day and said again Sunday he regretted.
Harris described Biden as possessing “a deep sense of awareness and knowledge about racial disparities, inequities and systematic racism.” She added that Biden “actually knows how to say the words ‘Black Lives Matter,’” contrary to Trump, who “will never speak those words.”
The running mates downplayed their bitter debate encounter last summer, when Harris leveled deeply personal criticism against Biden over his opposition in the 1970s to federally mandated busing to desegregate public schools and for remarks he’d made about having worked amicably alongside racist senators when he first came to Washington.
Harris noted enduring racial wealth gaps in the U.S. and the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on Black and Hispanic communities. Biden, she said, “is addressing these truths, he speaks these truths.”
Biden said, looking back, he understands how Harris, who was among the minority students bused in the 1970s, would criticize him so harshly. But he said she and others may not have known his full record on civil rights.
He said he, as a white man, cannot understand her lived experiences and that she, a 55-year-old daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, can’t understand his. But, he said they “have the same value set” and are “on same exact page about what the possibilities are right now.”
They put similar framing on their primary-campaign differences on health care. Biden has consistently backed adding a “public option” to existing private insurance markets. Harris signed on to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ bill that would create a single-payer government insurance system to replace private insurance.
“I signed on to bills that were about great ideas to fix the problem,” Harris told ABC, arguing she and Biden “are completely aligned on … making sure everyone has health care.”
Biden called any differences “tactical” but said, “We both believe that health care is a right, not a privilege.”
Pressed about her record as a prosecutor, Harris tacitly acknowledged that some critics see her as part of the same criminal justice system she and Biden want to overhaul amid ongoing protests over the killings of Black Americans by police. Biden repeated that, contrary to Trump’s assertion, they do not support defunding police departments around the country.
The interview was Biden’s first extended sit-down with national journalists since Trump, who is just three years younger than Biden, mocked his Democratic rival as unable to handle such a venue. Trump has repeatedly suggested Biden is mentally unfit for the presidency. Biden smiled when asked about Trump’s characterization and said he remains eager to debate the president. Biden said he has no problem with voters questioning his fitness. “It’s a legitimate question to ask” about his and Trump’s ages, Biden said. “Watch me.”
Biden also laughed when asked about Trump’s recent statement that the only way he’d lose was if the election were rigged, and the Democratic challenger dismissed any notions that Trump wouldn’t leave the White House voluntarily if he loses.
“The American people will not let that happen,” he said. “No one’s going to allow that to happen.”


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Marist suspends 15 students who attended off-campus party

POUGHKEEPSIE , N.Y. ( AP ) - Marist College has suspended 15 students who attended an off-campus party last week and did not follow coronavirus precautions , according to school President Dennis Murray .
Murray announced the suspensions in a notice Friday to students of the upstate New York liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie .
“ If this trend continues , we ’ ll have no choice but to completely close the campus and require students to finish the semester online , ” Murray wrote .
“ None of us wants this outcome to occur , so please help us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The suspended students attended a house party on Wednesday night , did not wear masks and did not social distance , said Deb DiCaprio , vice president of student affairs and dean of students .
She said all 15 students are temporarily suspended pending an investigation and face the possibility of being sent home for the semester for not following the school ’ s coronavirus policies .
DiCaprio noted that several colleges across the country have moved all classes online and sent students home after seeing spikes in coronavirus infections since students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marist has nearly 6,700 students , including more than 5,000 traditional undergraduates .

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (AP) - Marist College has suspended 15 students who attended an off-campus party last week and did not follow coronavirus precautions, according to school President Dennis Murray.
Murray announced the suspensions in a notice Friday to students of the upstate New York liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie.
“If this trend continues, we’ll have no choice but to completely close the campus and require students to finish the semester online,” Murray wrote. “None of us wants this outcome to occur, so please help us to ensure it doesn’t happen.”
The suspended students attended a house party on Wednesday night, did not wear masks and did not social distance, said Deb DiCaprio, vice president of student affairs and dean of students. She said all 15 students are temporarily suspended pending an investigation and face the possibility of being sent home for the semester for not following the school’s coronavirus policies.
DiCaprio noted that several colleges across the country have moved all classes online and sent students home after seeing spikes in coronavirus infections since students returned to campus earlier this month.
Marist has nearly 6,700 students, including more than 5,000 traditional undergraduates.


washingtontimes--2020-08-23--Protesters in Belarus gather to call for Alexander Lukashenko to step down as president

An estimated 200,000 protesters gathered in the heart of the capital of Belarus on Sunday contesting the continuation of President Alexander Lukashenko ’ s rule , as calls for the authoritarian leader to step down grow after a dispute election earlier this month .
Critics of Mr. Lukashenko , who has rule the landlocked former Soviet republic for more than 25 years , have accused him of creating tension in the streets in an effort to distract from the ongoing political crisis .
Video Sunday showed the embattled president stepping off of a helicopter that he reportedly flew over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was wearing a bulletproof vest and held a rifle as he arrived back at the Palace of Independence — a sign he could be digging in for an outright confrontation .
The protesters dispersed in the evening amid rain , and there were no immediate reports of arrests , The Associated Press reported .
Earlier this month , some 7,000 people were arrested at protests , many of them badly beaten with clubs or wounded by rubber bullets , violence that only caused public outrage to swell .
The Trump administration has stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and calls for “ the aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their leaders and to choose their own path , free from external intervention.
” In a statement last week , the State Department said it remains “ deeply concerned by serious flaws in the August 9 presidential election in Belarus and strongly condemn the violence carried out against peaceful protesters and journalists , the arrest of opposition candidates and peaceful protesters , the blockage of Belarus ‘ internet service , and the abuse of detainees.
” Deputy Secretary of State Stephen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second highest-ranking diplomat , left Sunday for a European trip including stops in to Lithuania , Russia , Ukraine and Austria this week .
While arms control and Russian-U.S. relations are a prime focus of the trip , Mr. Biegun is expected to hold face-to-face talks with officials on the expanding political crisis in Belarus and the fate of Mr. Lukashenko .
The State Department said Sunday that Mr. Biegun would participate in talks on “ a range of regional and international issues ” during the first leg of his trip .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consult with other members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on “ regional security and human rights.
” More than 100,000 protesters met in Minsk on Sunday and took over 17 acres in the massive Independence Square , marking an unprecedented gathering for Belarus , which is home to 9.5 million people , and is a sign that government efforts to intimidate the opposition were falling short..
Protests erupted after Mr. Lukashenko was handed a sixth term in office when election officials announced he had received over 80 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejects as fraudulent .
The results have also been disputed by the European Union , which has not recognized Mr. Lukashenko as the victor .
Russia , which has had an off-again , on-again relations with Mr. Lukashenko , last week pointed out discrepancies with the outcome of the election as a Kremlin spokesperson said “ the election was not ideal .
Of course not.
” The 65-year-old Lukashenko , who was first elected to office in 1994 , has consistently blamed Western interference for the unrest .
He has said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and accused NATO of beefing up its troop presence in Poland and Lithuania to intimidate Belarus .
“ We are seeing a serious movement of NATO forces in the immediate vicinity of our borders in the territories of Poland and Lithuania , ” Mr. Lukashenko claimed Saturday .
He directed the Ministry of Defense to “ take the strictest measures to defend the territorial integrity of our country.
” NATO press secretary Oana Lungescu said Sunday that “ any claims about a NATO buildup on the border with Belarus are baseless.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO poses no threat to Belarus or any other country and has no military buildup in the region .
Our posture is strictly defensive , ” she said .
Mr. Lukashenko has also dismissed all opposition to his reign throughout his time in office as well as the country ’ s declining economy .
But the reaction to the vote earlier this month presents perhaps the gravest challenge to his authority yet .
“ Belarus has changed , ” protester Slava Chirkov told the AP .
“ Lukashenko has been able to unify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the demand for change.
” Mr. Chirkov attended the protest with his family , who held up a sign that said , “ Lukashenko , your milk has gone sour , ” pointing to the president ’ s former job as the director of a Soviet-era collective farm .
Mr. Lukashenko ’ s main election challenger , Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , fled to Lithuania the day after the election .
Several other possible challengers also left the country prior to the election .
— This article was based in part on wire service @ @

An estimated 200,000 protesters gathered in the heart of the capital of Belarus on Sunday contesting the continuation of President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule, as calls for the authoritarian leader to step down grow after a dispute election earlier this month.
Critics of Mr. Lukashenko, who has rule the landlocked former Soviet republic for more than 25 years, have accused him of creating tension in the streets in an effort to distract from the ongoing political crisis.
Video Sunday showed the embattled president stepping off of a helicopter that he reportedly flew over the crowds in Minsk for hours. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and held a rifle as he arrived back at the Palace of Independence — a sign he could be digging in for an outright confrontation.
The protesters dispersed in the evening amid rain, and there were no immediate reports of arrests, The Associated Press reported. Earlier this month, some 7,000 people were arrested at protests, many of them badly beaten with clubs or wounded by rubber bullets, violence that only caused public outrage to swell.
The Trump administration has stepped up its support of the ongoing protests and calls for “the aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their leaders and to choose their own path, free from external intervention.”
In a statement last week, the State Department said it remains “deeply concerned by serious flaws in the August 9 presidential election in Belarus and strongly condemn the violence carried out against peaceful protesters and journalists, the arrest of opposition candidates and peaceful protesters, the blockage of Belarus’ internet service, and the abuse of detainees.”
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E. Biegun, the nation’s second highest-ranking diplomat, left Sunday for a European trip including stops in to Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and Austria this week. While arms control and Russian-U.S. relations are a prime focus of the trip, Mr. Biegun is expected to hold face-to-face talks with officials on the expanding political crisis in Belarus and the fate of Mr. Lukashenko.
The State Department said Sunday that Mr. Biegun would participate in talks on “a range of regional and international issues” during the first leg of his trip. In Vienna, the department said he would consult with other members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on “regional security and human rights.”
More than 100,000 protesters met in Minsk on Sunday and took over 17 acres in the massive Independence Square, marking an unprecedented gathering for Belarus, which is home to 9.5 million people, and is a sign that government efforts to intimidate the opposition were falling short..
Protests erupted after Mr. Lukashenko was handed a sixth term in office when election officials announced he had received over 80% of the vote, an outcome the opposition rejects as fraudulent.
The results have also been disputed by the European Union, which has not recognized Mr. Lukashenko as the victor. Russia, which has had an off-again, on-again relations with Mr. Lukashenko, last week pointed out discrepancies with the outcome of the election as a Kremlin spokesperson said “the election was not ideal. Of course not.”
The 65-year-old Lukashenko, who was first elected to office in 1994, has consistently blamed Western interference for the unrest. He has said that the U.S. has been responsible for the demonstrations and accused NATO of beefing up its troop presence in Poland and Lithuania to intimidate Belarus.
“We are seeing a serious movement of NATO forces in the immediate vicinity of our borders in the territories of Poland and Lithuania,” Mr. Lukashenko claimed Saturday. He directed the Ministry of Defense to “take the strictest measures to defend the territorial integrity of our country.”
NATO press secretary Oana Lungescu said Sunday that “any claims about a NATO buildup on the border with Belarus are baseless.”
“As we have already made clear, NATO poses no threat to Belarus or any other country and has no military buildup in the region. Our posture is strictly defensive,” she said.
Mr. Lukashenko has also dismissed all opposition to his reign throughout his time in office as well as the country’s declining economy. But the reaction to the vote earlier this month presents perhaps the gravest challenge to his authority yet.
“Belarus has changed,” protester Slava Chirkov told the AP. “Lukashenko has been able to unify everybody, from workers to intelligentsia, in the demand for change.”
Mr. Chirkov attended the protest with his family, who held up a sign that said, “Lukashenko, your milk has gone sour,” pointing to the president’s former job as the director of a Soviet-era collective farm.
Mr. Lukashenko’s main election challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, fled to Lithuania the day after the election. Several other possible challengers also left the country prior to the election.
— This article was based in part on wire service reports.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.