washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Forest Service wants to sell, raze old ranger stations

SALT LAKE CITY ( AP ) - Lacking the resources to properly maintain all of its historic properties , the Ashley National Forest is proposing to get rid of its two oldest structures , both dating back nearly to the birth of the U.S. Forest Service more than a century ago .
The deteriorating , rodent-infested Indian Canyon Ranger Station , along with its outbuildings , are to be razed , under the proposal posted earlier this month and open for public comment through Oct. 23 .
And the Stockmore Ranger Station , nestled on the Duchesne River confluence with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sold to the highest bidder without restriction .
The Forest Service hasn ’ t had a use for these facilities in years and their locations aren ’ t well suited for the Ashley ’ s popular cabin rental program , according to Duchesne District Ranger Kristy Groves .
Located just outside the forest boundary on State Route 35 where the road to the Grandview Trailhead meets the highway , the Stockmore station “ helps portray the significance of early Forest Service administrative sites and how they helped the fledgling Forest Service manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the proposal .
Named for a fake town established at this location as part of suspected land fraud , it served as the headquarters for Ashley ’ s Hanna and Granddaddy districts .
“ In the past we reached out to organizations to see if they wanted to use it as a scout camp .
The conditions of the buildings are in disrepair , ” Groves said .
“ It ’ s a hazard for employees to enter because of hantavirus ( transmitted through rodents ) .
It is an odd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s surrounded by private homes.
” Both ranger stations , added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 , were built a few years after President Theodore Roosevelt established the Ashley National Forest in 1908 , according to Cory Jensen , an architectural historian with the Utah State Historic Preservation Office .
“ ( The Forest Service ) didn ’ t get into a broader building program until the Civilian Conservation Corps helped build ranger stations ” during the Great Depression of the 1930s , said Jensen , who wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites .
“ Both are completely different in their design because they didn ’ t have a standard plan.
” At the time of its construction in 1914 , the Indian Canyon Station was in the Uinta National Forest and it soon became a vital outpost .
Forest ranger Fred Johnson lived in the three-room building and used the property as a base to manage national forest lands from Anthro Mountain to Indian Canyon , according to the Forest Service decommissioning proposal .
As Utah ’ s road network improved , the station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was no longer used as a summer headquarters and the building hasn ’ t been used at all for 50 years , although its pastures remained in use for several more years .
The Forest Service resisted calls for demolishing the station because of its historic importance , yet put little effort into maintaining its structures even after the site was listed on the National Register .
Flooding following the 2012 Church Camp Fire destroyed the station ’ s barn .
After decades of “ benign neglect , ” the station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete rebuild to be preserved .
“ Its roof is collapsing ( and ) the floors are collapsing , ” Groves said .
“ It is a safety hazard .
People keep trying to break in there.
” The Stockmore station is in better shape and officials hope a new owner will preserve its main single-story crossing structure and the bunkhouse .
The station ’ s wood frame and drop siding construction rests on a foundation of fieldstone and mortar .
Wood shingles , with their original distinctive green paint , cover the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the rear and some interior modifications , “ the building appears probably much as it did during the historic period.
” Preservation had once been a goal for the Stockmore station .
An agreement was reached with the Tabiona Natural History Society to manage the property as a visitor center and museum back in the early 2000s .
The group installed a new roof and repaired the foundation , but the funds never materialized to realize these plans and the society went defunct , according to the Forest Service .
“ Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an active use by the Forest Service , the land and buildings would best be managed as private property , ” the proposal states .
The Ashley National Forest team reviewed several options for the ranger station , and decided an unrestricted sale offers the best hope for saving the historic site .
“ Local interest in the property suggests that a private owner may purchase the property and repair and maintain the structures for their historic value and appearance , ” the proposal states .
“ Because the Ranger Station is listed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner would be eligible for tax incentives to repair and maintain the historic structures.
” Still , no restrictions would be placed on how the building ’ s used .
“ The ( new ) land owner could potentially modify , remove , or demolish the historic structures , therefore this alternative could potentially result in an adverse effect of the historic property , ” the proposal cautioned .
The Forest Service holds an 80-acre parcel straddling the highway .
It would sell the 26 acres south of the road , and retain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Tabiona Field Station , on the north side .
The property has not been appraised , but its sale is expected to generate a decent windfall that the Forest Service will use to shore up other historic properties in the Ashley National Forest , according to Groves .
These include Summit Springs and Colton ranger stations and the Trout Creek , Lake Fork and Paradise Park guard stations , which are already in the cabin rental program ; the Yellowstone Ranger Station and Uinta Park Guard Station , which are to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the historic Altonah Ranger Station , which is used as a work center .

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Lacking the resources to properly maintain all of its historic properties, the Ashley National Forest is proposing to get rid of its two oldest structures, both dating back nearly to the birth of the U.S. Forest Service more than a century ago.
The deteriorating, rodent-infested Indian Canyon Ranger Station, along with its outbuildings, are to be razed, under the proposal posted earlier this month and open for public comment through Oct. 23. And the Stockmore Ranger Station, nestled on the Duchesne River confluence with its West Fork near Hanna, would be sold to the highest bidder without restriction.
The Forest Service hasn’t had a use for these facilities in years and their locations aren’t well suited for the Ashley’s popular cabin rental program, according to Duchesne District Ranger Kristy Groves.
Located just outside the forest boundary on State Route 35 where the road to the Grandview Trailhead meets the highway, the Stockmore station “helps portray the significance of early Forest Service administrative sites and how they helped the fledgling Forest Service manage broad swaths of public lands,” according to the proposal.
Named for a fake town established at this location as part of suspected land fraud, it served as the headquarters for Ashley’s Hanna and Granddaddy districts.
“In the past we reached out to organizations to see if they wanted to use it as a scout camp. The conditions of the buildings are in disrepair,” Groves said. “It’s a hazard for employees to enter because of hantavirus (transmitted through rodents). It is an odd place for a rental cabin because it’s surrounded by private homes.”
Both ranger stations, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, were built a few years after President Theodore Roosevelt established the Ashley National Forest in 1908, according to Cory Jensen, an architectural historian with the Utah State Historic Preservation Office.
“(The Forest Service) didn’t get into a broader building program until the Civilian Conservation Corps helped build ranger stations” during the Great Depression of the 1930s, said Jensen, who wrote the National Register nominations for the two sites. “Both are completely different in their design because they didn’t have a standard plan.”
At the time of its construction in 1914, the Indian Canyon Station was in the Uinta National Forest and it soon became a vital outpost. Forest ranger Fred Johnson lived in the three-room building and used the property as a base to manage national forest lands from Anthro Mountain to Indian Canyon, according to the Forest Service decommissioning proposal.
As Utah’s road network improved, the station’s usefulness dwindled. By 1950, it was no longer used as a summer headquarters and the building hasn’t been used at all for 50 years, although its pastures remained in use for several more years.
The Forest Service resisted calls for demolishing the station because of its historic importance, yet put little effort into maintaining its structures even after the site was listed on the National Register. Flooding following the 2012 Church Camp Fire destroyed the station’s barn. After decades of “benign neglect,” the station’s surviving buildings would require a complete rebuild to be preserved.
“Its roof is collapsing (and) the floors are collapsing,” Groves said. “It is a safety hazard. People keep trying to break in there.”
The Stockmore station is in better shape and officials hope a new owner will preserve its main single-story crossing structure and the bunkhouse. The station’s wood frame and drop siding construction rests on a foundation of fieldstone and mortar. Wood shingles, with their original distinctive green paint, cover the gable ends. Other than an addition off the rear and some interior modifications, “the building appears probably much as it did during the historic period.”
Preservation had once been a goal for the Stockmore station. An agreement was reached with the Tabiona Natural History Society to manage the property as a visitor center and museum back in the early 2000s. The group installed a new roof and repaired the foundation, but the funds never materialized to realize these plans and the society went defunct, according to the Forest Service.
“Because the buildings and land no longer have an active use by the Forest Service, the land and buildings would best be managed as private property,” the proposal states. The Ashley National Forest team reviewed several options for the ranger station, and decided an unrestricted sale offers the best hope for saving the historic site.
“Local interest in the property suggests that a private owner may purchase the property and repair and maintain the structures for their historic value and appearance,” the proposal states. “Because the Ranger Station is listed on the National Register, the potential owner would be eligible for tax incentives to repair and maintain the historic structures.”
Still, no restrictions would be placed on how the building’s used.
“The (new) land owner could potentially modify, remove, or demolish the historic structures, therefore this alternative could potentially result in an adverse effect of the historic property,” the proposal cautioned.
The Forest Service holds an 80-acre parcel straddling the highway. It would sell the 26 acres south of the road, and retain the acreage and newer facilities, known as the Tabiona Field Station, on the north side.
The property has not been appraised, but its sale is expected to generate a decent windfall that the Forest Service will use to shore up other historic properties in the Ashley National Forest, according to Groves.
These include Summit Springs and Colton ranger stations and the Trout Creek, Lake Fork and Paradise Park guard stations, which are already in the cabin rental program; the Yellowstone Ranger Station and Uinta Park Guard Station, which are to be added to the rental program; and the historic Altonah Ranger Station, which is used as a work center.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Graham: Senate Judiciary Committee to vote by Oct. 22 on Barrett nomination

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that the Senate Judiciary Committee will approve Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court by Oct. 22 , setting up a timeline that could see President Trump ’ s pick confirmed before November .
“ So , we ’ ll start on October 12 , and more than half of the Supreme Court justices who have had hearings were done within 16 days or less , ” Mr. Graham , the committee ’ s chairman , said on Fox News ’ ‘ Sunday Morning Futures.
’ “ We ’ ll have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll have two days of questioning , Tuesday and Wednesday , and on the 15th we ’ ll begin to markup , we ’ ll hold it over for a week , and we ’ ll report her nomination out of the committee on October 22.
” “ Then it will be up to [ Senate Majority Leader Mitch ] McConnell as to what to do with the nomination once it comes out of committee , ” the South Carolina Republican added .
Democrats are accusing Republicans of peak hypocrisy for pushing through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election after having blocked President Barack Obama ’ s pick in 2016 because it was an election year .
Republicans defended themselves by arguing their party has control of both the White House and Senate , which precedent supports .
Sen. John Kennedy , Louisiana Republican , said ultimately , it really just comes down to politics .
“ On both sides , there ’ s been a lot of circumlocution and attempted Churchillian rhetoric about the precedent to be followed during an election year to fill a vacancy , ” Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the Democrats are in charge of the process , they do what they think is right … when the Republicans are in charge of the process , they do what they think is right.
” In the wake of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s death , Democrats vowed to oppose a swift Republican nomination process , with some on the left threatening impeachment .
However , they have shifted that response to focus more on driving their base to the polls in less than 40 days .
Sen. Dick Durbin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that while they may be able to drag out the process , it won ’ t be enough to extend it beyond the November election .
“ We can slow it down , perhaps a matter of hours , maybe days at the most , but we can ’ t stop the outcome .
What we should do is to address this now respectfully , ” the Illinois Democrat said on ABC ’ s “ This Week .
”

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that the Senate Judiciary Committee will approve Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court by Oct. 22, setting up a timeline that could see President Trump’s pick confirmed before November.
“So, we’ll start on October 12, and more than half of the Supreme Court justices who have had hearings were done within 16 days or less,” Mr. Graham, the committee’s chairman, said on Fox News’ ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’ “We’ll have a day of introduction. We’ll have two days of questioning, Tuesday and Wednesday, and on the 15th we’ll begin to markup, we’ll hold it over for a week, and we’ll report her nomination out of the committee on October 22.”
“Then it will be up to [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell as to what to do with the nomination once it comes out of committee,” the South Carolina Republican added.
Democrats are accusing Republicans of peak hypocrisy for pushing through a nominee less than 40 days before the election after having blocked President Barack Obama’s pick in 2016 because it was an election year.
Republicans defended themselves by arguing their party has control of both the White House and Senate, which precedent supports.
Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana Republican, said ultimately, it really just comes down to politics.
“On both sides, there’s been a lot of circumlocution and attempted Churchillian rhetoric about the precedent to be followed during an election year to fill a vacancy,” Mr. Kennedy said on Fox News. “When the Democrats are in charge of the process, they do what they think is right … when the Republicans are in charge of the process, they do what they think is right.”
In the wake of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, Democrats vowed to oppose a swift Republican nomination process, with some on the left threatening impeachment. However, they have shifted that response to focus more on driving their base to the polls in less than 40 days.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate Democratic whip, said Sunday that while they may be able to drag out the process, it won’t be enough to extend it beyond the November election.
“We can slow it down, perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at the most, but we can’t stop the outcome. What we should do is to address this now respectfully,” the Illinois Democrat said on ABC’s “This Week.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Firefighters' union sues state, city over virus handling

ATLANTIC CITY , N.J. ( AP ) - The Atlantic City firefighters ’ union filed a lawsuit against the city and state over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic , saying scores of firefighters have been exposed to the virus .
The Press of Atlantic City reports that lawyers for Local 198 allege in a complaint in Atlantic County Superior Court that the “ ineffective approach ” of government officials to containing the virus spread has jeopardized the health and safety of firefighters , their families and the public .
The suit says the number of city firefighters exposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It alleges breach of contract as well as violation of state constitutional due process and equal protection rights as well as the law under which the state administers the cash-strapped seaside resort city .
The union is calling for those exposed to be placed on paid leave and to self-quarantine for 14 days and for stations to be disinfected between shifts .
The union also wants training of new hires , which is scheduled to begin next week , to be postponed .
On Friday , the firefighters ’ union posted an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page to “ residents , businesses and visitors ” that firefighters directly exposed to the virus would be responding to their calls for service .
“ Please wear a mask and social distance for your safety , ” the union wrote in the post .
The state Department of Community Affairs , which oversees the city , responded by outlining procedures currently in place but didn ’ t comment directly on the court filings .
Spokeswoman Lisa Ryan said firefighters who work with colleagues who have tested positive are immediately quarantined until they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test negative and are asymptomatic are once again scheduled for work .
“ All firefighters who have been contacted about possible exposure to COVID-19 have been cooperative and have followed the procedures as directed in order to control the spread of the virus , ” Ryan said , adding that the department “ quickly adopted ” safety protocols once the pandemic began .
Those actions , she said , have included “ taking temperature readings of on-duty firefighters twice a day , social distancing and wearing masks in fire stations , eating in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 feet apart , wearing full PPE on fire calls , doing daily cleaning regimens of equipment and fire stations , and conducting a heavy cleaning at least once a week .
”

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - The Atlantic City firefighters’ union filed a lawsuit against the city and state over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying scores of firefighters have been exposed to the virus.
The Press of Atlantic City reports that lawyers for Local 198 allege in a complaint in Atlantic County Superior Court that the “ineffective approach” of government officials to containing the virus spread has jeopardized the health and safety of firefighters, their families and the public.
The suit says the number of city firefighters exposed to the coronavirus has ballooned to about 65. It alleges breach of contract as well as violation of state constitutional due process and equal protection rights as well as the law under which the state administers the cash-strapped seaside resort city.
The union is calling for those exposed to be placed on paid leave and to self-quarantine for 14 days and for stations to be disinfected between shifts. The union also wants training of new hires, which is scheduled to begin next week, to be postponed.
On Friday, the firefighters’ union posted an “urgent” warning on its Facebook page to “residents, businesses and visitors” that firefighters directly exposed to the virus would be responding to their calls for service. “Please wear a mask and social distance for your safety,” the union wrote in the post.
The state Department of Community Affairs, which oversees the city, responded by outlining procedures currently in place but didn’t comment directly on the court filings.
Spokeswoman Lisa Ryan said firefighters who work with colleagues who have tested positive are immediately quarantined until they can be tested, while those who test negative and are asymptomatic are once again scheduled for work.
“All firefighters who have been contacted about possible exposure to COVID-19 have been cooperative and have followed the procedures as directed in order to control the spread of the virus,” Ryan said, adding that the department “quickly adopted” safety protocols once the pandemic began.
Those actions, she said, have included “taking temperature readings of on-duty firefighters twice a day, social distancing and wearing masks in fire stations, eating in shifts, keeping sleeping bunks at least 6 feet apart, wearing full PPE on fire calls, doing daily cleaning regimens of equipment and fire stations, and conducting a heavy cleaning at least once a week.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Federal judge Carl Nichols blocks Trump TikTok ban

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ordered a temporary block of the Trump administration ’ s decision to prevent TikTok from being distributed via app stores operated by Apple and Google .
Judge Nichols , a President Trump appointee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2019 , said in a brief order that he was granting a preliminary injunction relating to the app store ban of the Chinese-owned video app .
The judge ’ s full opinion is sealed and a determination will be made on Monday regarding whether it will become unsealed , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injunction does not affect the Commerce Department ’ s full actions against TikTok , as Judge Nichols declined to take action against additional restrictions that would begin on November 12 .
A TikTok spokesperson said Sunday that the company was pleased with the judge ’ s decision .
“ We will continue defending our rights for the benefit of our community and employees , ” said a TikTok spokesperson .
“ At the same time , we will also maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal , which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend , into an agreement.
” TikTok ’ s working deal with Oracle and proposal to form a new company , TikTok Global , based in the U.S. to better resolve the federal government ’ s national security concerns has not been finalized .
China has signaled opposition to any deal with an American company in an editorial published last week in Chinese state-run media .
The Commerce Department said Sunday it would fully comply with the injunction and took quick action to do so , but promised to “ vigorously defend ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s implementation of restrictions placed on TikTok .
The judge ’ s full opinion is sealed and a determination will be made on Monday regarding whether it will become unsealed , according to Judge Nichols ’ order .

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ordered a temporary block of the Trump administration’s decision to prevent TikTok from being distributed via app stores operated by Apple and Google.
Judge Nichols, a President Trump appointee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2019, said in a brief order that he was granting a preliminary injunction relating to the app store ban of the Chinese-owned video app.
The judge’s full opinion is sealed and a determination will be made on Monday regarding whether it will become unsealed, according to Judge Nichols’ order.
The preliminary injunction does not affect the Commerce Department’s full actions against TikTok, as Judge Nichols declined to take action against additional restrictions that would begin on November 12.
A TikTok spokesperson said Sunday that the company was pleased with the judge’s decision.
“We will continue defending our rights for the benefit of our community and employees,” said a TikTok spokesperson. “At the same time, we will also maintain our ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the president gave his preliminary approval to last weekend, into an agreement.”
TikTok’s working deal with Oracle and proposal to form a new company, TikTok Global, based in the U.S. to better resolve the federal government’s national security concerns has not been finalized. China has signaled opposition to any deal with an American company in an editorial published last week in Chinese state-run media.
The Commerce Department said Sunday it would fully comply with the injunction and took quick action to do so, but promised to “vigorously defend” against legal claims thwarting the federal government’s implementation of restrictions placed on TikTok.
The judge’s full opinion is sealed and a determination will be made on Monday regarding whether it will become unsealed, according to Judge Nichols’ order.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Pandemic playoffs: Brewers, Astros in despite losing records

Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers got off to a ragged start this year .
They never got above .500 .
And they dropped their last game to finish with a losing record .
Guess what ?
They ’ re going to the playoffs .
“ Weird .
I guess that ’ s the only way to describe it .
It ’ s fitting for 2020 , ” Yelich said Sunday .
A pandemic-altered , 60-game regular season that many believed would never get completed and saw games postponed because of virus outbreaks , racial injustice protests and a hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single playoff matchup set .
Then , in a flurry and fury , the entire , expanded 16-team postseason field was full .
Not a bad way to start , either : Gerrit Cole vs. Shane Bieber in a mega-watt duel as the New York Yankees face the Cleveland Indians in the best-of-three wild-card round Tuesday .
On Wednesday , the NL gets going .
That ’ s when the Brewers , at 29-31 , open their series against Los Angeles ace Walker Buehler at Dodger Stadium .
In a win-and-you ’ re-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee 5-2 .
But the Brewers also made it when San Francisco lost 5-4 to San Diego for the last wild-card spot .
Yelich , the former MVP who hit .205 this year after winning the last two NL batting titles , and the Brewers happily posed for a team picture in their playoff-clinch T-shirts on the Busch Stadium field .
The Astros and first-year manager Dusty Baker also are in at 29-31 .
Houston got its spot by finishing second in the AL West , drawing an automatic berth .
The only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach the playoffs with a losing record was the 1981 Kansas City Royals - at 50-53 overall , they made it by winning the second half in a strike-split season .
“ It ’ s a celebration .
We ’ re in .
We ’ re in the playoffs .
That ’ s how you see it , ” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said .
“ There ’ s no reason to apologize for getting into the playoffs.
” “ The record ’ s kind of irrelevant in my opinion , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Top-seeded Tampa Bay-No .
8 Toronto , No .
2 Oakland-No .
7 Chicago White Sox and No .
3 Minnesota-No .
6 Houston , with all openers Tuesday .
In the NL , it ’ s No .
1 Dodgers-No .
8 Brewers , No .
2 Atlanta-No .
7 Cincinnati , No .
3 Chicago Cubs-No .
6 Miami and No .
4 San Diego-No .
5 St. Louis on Wednesday .
Yadier Molina and the Cardinals claimed their spot despite missing 2 1/2 weeks into August after the club was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louis played a total of 58 games - it was prepared for a doubleheader in Detroit on Monday if needed to settle the playoff picture .
“ You had to throw some of the expectations out the window not knowing what to expect after taking those couple weeks off and all those doubleheaders and so many new guys , ” Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said .
“ It was very different , very fulfilling to make the playoffs.
” All matchups are best-of-three , with every game hosted by the top seed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days off , pitching strategies will be paramount , particularly how managers use their bullpens .
Following the wild-card rounds , the remaining clubs will move to neutral site bubbles in Texas and Southern California to crown a champion .
The biggest losers Sunday were Philadelphia and the Giants .
As it turned out , either team would ’ ve gotten in with a win .
“ It ’ s tough sitting here and not thinking ( about the playoffs ) , ” Phillies slugger Bryce Harper said after a 5-0 loss at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win games and we just didn ’ t get it done.
” October on deck means the end of seven-inning games and no more automatic runners at second base to begin the 10th , but other new rules implemented this season apply : designated hitters in the National League and relievers must face three batters or end the inning .
Nothing else kooky in this 16-team tournament , though .
Like , no penalty at-bats to decide extra long games .
“ It ’ s going to be wild , everything about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said as the playoffs approached .
“ Anything can happen , we all know that , and that ’ s why I think it ’ s going to be must-see TV throughout both leagues .
It is .
I think there ’ s going to be a lot of surprises , American League , National League , just with the three-game format for the first round , ” he said .
Nothing scheduled for Monday , but the day after the season is typically busy , too , especially for managers on shaky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Ron Roenicke won ’ t be back next year , and the Angels fired general manager Billy Eppler .
Every team , meanwhile , hopes to be healthy .
Star outfielders Mookie Betts of the Dodgers and Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves are ailing , Marlins outfielder Starling Marte and pitcher José Ureña left Sunday ’ s game with injuries .
“ Kind of your biggest fear on a day like today , ” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after a 5-0 win at Yankee Stadium .
“ You hate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newcomer David Price , Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks and White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech are among the players who opted out before the season began and will be absent in the playoffs .
Atlanta outfielder Nick Markakis chose not to play , then returned in early August .
NL batting champion Juan Soto and the World Series champion Washington Nationals missed the playoffs , as did three-time AL MVP Mike Trout .
The most dynamic player of his generation , Trout has reached the postseason just once in a 10-year career , getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It could have been a different story if we ’ d have a full season , ” the 29-year-old Angels star offered .
Said with 20-20 hindsight , of course .

Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers got off to a ragged start this year. They never got above .500. And they dropped their last game to finish with a losing record.
Guess what? They’re going to the playoffs.
“Weird. I guess that’s the only way to describe it. It’s fitting for 2020,” Yelich said Sunday.
A pandemic-altered, 60-game regular season that many believed would never get completed and saw games postponed because of virus outbreaks, racial injustice protests and a hurricane went into the final day without a single playoff matchup set.
Then, in a flurry and fury, the entire, expanded 16-team postseason field was full.
Not a bad way to start, either: Gerrit Cole vs. Shane Bieber in a mega-watt duel as the New York Yankees face the Cleveland Indians in the best-of-three wild-card round Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the NL gets going. That’s when the Brewers, at 29-31, open their series against Los Angeles ace Walker Buehler at Dodger Stadium.
In a win-and-you’re-in game, St. Louis clinched by beating Milwaukee 5-2. But the Brewers also made it when San Francisco lost 5-4 to San Diego for the last wild-card spot.
Yelich, the former MVP who hit .205 this year after winning the last two NL batting titles, and the Brewers happily posed for a team picture in their playoff-clinch T-shirts on the Busch Stadium field.
The Astros and first-year manager Dusty Baker also are in at 29-31. Houston got its spot by finishing second in the AL West, drawing an automatic berth.
The only other team in major league history to reach the playoffs with a losing record was the 1981 Kansas City Royals - at 50-53 overall, they made it by winning the second half in a strike-split season.
“It’s a celebration. We’re in. We’re in the playoffs. That’s how you see it,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “There’s no reason to apologize for getting into the playoffs.”
“The record’s kind of irrelevant in my opinion,” he said.
The other AL pairings: Top-seeded Tampa Bay-No. 8 Toronto, No. 2 Oakland-No. 7 Chicago White Sox and No. 3 Minnesota-No. 6 Houston, with all openers Tuesday.
In the NL, it’s No. 1 Dodgers-No. 8 Brewers, No. 2 Atlanta-No. 7 Cincinnati, No. 3 Chicago Cubs-No. 6 Miami and No. 4 San Diego-No. 5 St. Louis on Wednesday.
Yadier Molina and the Cardinals claimed their spot despite missing 2 1/2 weeks into August after the club was hit by a virus outbreak. St. Louis played a total of 58 games - it was prepared for a doubleheader in Detroit on Monday if needed to settle the playoff picture.
“You had to throw some of the expectations out the window not knowing what to expect after taking those couple weeks off and all those doubleheaders and so many new guys,” Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. “It was very different, very fulfilling to make the playoffs.”
All matchups are best-of-three, with every game hosted by the top seed in ballparks without fans. With no days off, pitching strategies will be paramount, particularly how managers use their bullpens. Following the wild-card rounds, the remaining clubs will move to neutral site bubbles in Texas and Southern California to crown a champion.
The biggest losers Sunday were Philadelphia and the Giants. As it turned out, either team would’ve gotten in with a win.
“It’s tough sitting here and not thinking (about the playoffs),” Phillies slugger Bryce Harper said after a 5-0 loss at Tampa Bay. “We had opportunities to win games and we just didn’t get it done.”
October on deck means the end of seven-inning games and no more automatic runners at second base to begin the 10th, but other new rules implemented this season apply: designated hitters in the National League and relievers must face three batters or end the inning.
Nothing else kooky in this 16-team tournament, though. Like, no penalty at-bats to decide extra long games.
“It’s going to be wild, everything about it,” Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier said as the playoffs approached.
“Anything can happen, we all know that, and that’s why I think it’s going to be must-see TV throughout both leagues. It is. I think there’s going to be a lot of surprises, American League, National League, just with the three-game format for the first round,” he said.
Nothing scheduled for Monday, but the day after the season is typically busy, too, especially for managers on shaky ground. The Red Sox said Sunday that Ron Roenicke won’t be back next year, and the Angels fired general manager Billy Eppler.
Every team, meanwhile, hopes to be healthy.
Star outfielders Mookie Betts of the Dodgers and Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves are ailing, Marlins outfielder Starling Marte and pitcher José Ureña left Sunday’s game with injuries.
“Kind of your biggest fear on a day like today,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after a 5-0 win at Yankee Stadium. “You hate to be playing your guys almost.”
Dodgers newcomer David Price, Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks and White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech are among the players who opted out before the season began and will be absent in the playoffs. Atlanta outfielder Nick Markakis chose not to play, then returned in early August.
NL batting champion Juan Soto and the World Series champion Washington Nationals missed the playoffs, as did three-time AL MVP Mike Trout. The most dynamic player of his generation, Trout has reached the postseason just once in a 10-year career, getting swept in his lone appearance.
“It could have been a different story if we’d have a full season,” the 29-year-old Angels star offered.
Said with 20-20 hindsight, of course.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Dick Durbin dings Amy Coney Barrett on ending Obamacare

Democrats have no way to stop Senate Republicans confirming Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett , but on Sunday , they labored to make her a punching bag in the health care debate , which they hope will propel them to victory in the November elections .
Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin of Illinois , the No .
2 Democrat in the chamber and a member of the Judiciary Committee that will grill Judge Barrett , said there was no hope of derailing the nominee .
“ We can slow it down , perhaps a matter of hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we can ’ t stop the outcome .
What we should do is to address this now respectfully , ” the Illinois Democrat said on ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” He quickly pivoted to health care , saying he ’ d ask Judge Barrett “ point-blank ” about her stance on ending Obamacare .
President Obama ’ s signature health care law has become the left ’ s rallying cry for 2020 , with the fate of the Affordable Care Act going before the high court Nov. 10 .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 2017 tax cuts that eliminated individual mandate ’ s tax penalties , saying it effectively killed the health care law .
Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden said the rush to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is “ all about health care.
” “ It ’ s no mystery about what ’ s happening here .
President Trump was trying to throw out the Affordable Care Act .
He ’ s been trying to do it for the last four years , ” Mr. Biden said in a speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all of a sudden this administration believes they found a loophole : the tragedy of Justice Ginsburg ’ s death.
” Health care was the tip of the spear but Democrats and liberal groups also accused Judge Barrett , who currently sits on the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals , of being a threat to abortion .
Along with complaints about the nomination coming too close to the election , these have been the chief lines of attack .
“ If confirmed , right-wing judicial activist Barrett would reshape the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She is a detriment to our democracy , ” said Aimee Allison , the founder of the feminist group She the People .
Still , Democrats and their left-wing allies have little hope of blocking Judge Barrett .
Her confirmation would grow the 5-4 conservative majority on the high court to 6-3 .
“ The American people should make no mistake — a vote by any senator for Judge Amy Coney Barrett is a vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act and eliminate protections for millions of Americans with preexisting conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E. Schumer , New York Democrat .
“ As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage unabated by this administration , health care was already the number one issue on the ballot in November.
” His office pointed to a tweet from the president on Sunday to bolster Democrats ’ position .
“ Obamacare will be replaced with a MUCH better , and FAR cheaper , alternative if it is terminated in the Supreme Court .
Would be a big WIN for the USA !
” Mr. Trump tweeted .
Mr. Trump ran on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not put forward an alternative to Obamacare that can get through Congress .
At the White House , Mr. Trump told reporters that he needs to eliminate the remainder of Obamacare before moving forward with a replacement .
“ It ’ s no good .
It ’ s too expensive .
It ’ s bad coverage .
You don ’ t get your doctor .
You don ’ t get your plan .
Those are the things President Obama said and you don ’ t get [ them ] .
Biden , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can eliminate it , we will have a much better plan and you will have your doctor … you will have a lot of things you don ’ t get with Obamacare.
” Mr. Biden also urged Senate Republicans to hold up the nomination until after the election , giving him a crack at being the president who picks Justice Ginsburg ’ s replacement .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , Kentucky Republican , has the votes to move forward with Judge Barrett ’ s nomination swiftly .
Mr. McConnell is set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol Hill .
Former White House Counsel Don McGahn , who helped Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh through his confirmation hearing , said gaming how a judge would rule on a case is “ unfair one way or another.
” “ You can not guarantee results with judges .
What you can guarantee is that they are going to approach the task of judging as a judge , ” Mr. McGahn told the CBS program “ Face the Nation.
” “ They ’ re going to try to play it straight and read the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found in the Constitution , not based upon what they think it ought to be but what it is.
” Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham , South Carolina Republican , scheduled confirmation hearings for Oct. 12 , which would place the timeline for a final Senate vote by the end of October , days before the Nov. 3 election .
Judge Barrett would be Mr. Trump ’ s third Supreme Court appointee — the most of any president since Ronald Reagan — and potentially tilts the high court ’ s balance dramatically in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She would be the fifth woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the second to be nominated by a Republican president .
Sandra Day O ’ Connor , appointed by President Ronald Reagan , was the first .
Judge Barrett , 48 , would be the youngest justice on the high court .
She also would be the first female justice with school-aged children .
The judge has seven children , two of them adopted from Haiti .
Her youngest , Benjamin , 8 , has Down syndrome .
Announcing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Trump lauded Judge Barrett as a legend and a towering legal mind , who he said possessed strong “ loyalty ” to the Constitution .
“ I looked and I studied and you are very eminently qualified for this job .
You are going to be fantastic , ” Mr. Trump said to Judge Barrett .
He urged Democrats on Capitol Hill to be respectful of his pick , referencing the controversial hearing of his second nominee , Justice Kavanaugh .
She has a judicial reputation for being an “ originalist ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the late Justice Antonin Scalia , for whom she clerked after she graduated from law school .
“ I love the United States and I love the United States Constitution .
I am truly humbled by the prospect of serving on the Supreme Court , ” Judge Barrett said .
“ I will be mindful of who came before me.
” The judge praised the late Justice Ginsburg ’ s impact on women in the legal profession and touted her friendship with the late Justice Scalia — despite them being from different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If confirmed , I would not assume that role for the sake of those in my own circle and certainly not for my own sake .
I would assume this role to serve you , ” she said to the American people .
Before her nomination to the 7th Circuit , Judge Barrett taught at Notre Dame Law School , where she also attended and graduated at the top of her class .
Her Catholic faith became a sticking point for Democrats during her confirmation hearing for the appeals court seat when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the church ’ s teachings on abortion and other matters from her judicial responsibilities .
Sen. Dianne Feinstein , California Democrat , told her the “ dogma lives loudly within you ” — a statement that has become a rallying cry for conservatives who charge Judge Barrett will be a strong jurist that would uphold the Constitution as written .
Of the eight justices currently on the high court , there are five Catholics : Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Kavanaugh , Alito , Clarence Thomas , and Sonia Sotomayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but is now Episcopalian .
Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan are Jewish .
The Senate confirmed her to the 7th Circuit by a 55-43 vote on Oct. 31 of 2017 .
Three Democrats — Sens .
Joe Manchin III of West Virginia , Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Tim Kaine of Virginia — voted with the GOP in support of the judge .
This time , though , Mr. Kaine and Mr. Manchin have said they don ’ t support the president filling the seat this close to an election — saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vacancy .
Mr. Donnelly is no longer in the Senate , after being voted out in 2018 in favor of a Republican .
In the roughly three years that Judge Barrett has been sitting on the 7th Circuit , she has weighed in on legal disputes involving the Second Amendment , immigration and due process .
She disagreed with a panel decision to uphold a law that prohibited a convicted felon from possessing a firearm .
The felon in question was nonviolent , having been convicted of mail fraud , but still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law Judge Barrett voted to strike down .
The judge also dissented from a majority ruling on the 7th Circuit which issued an injunction halting the president ’ s “ public charge rule ” that increased the requirements for a noncitizen to obtain a green card .
In 2019 Judge Barrett reinstated a lawsuit brought by a male college student who had been suspended after facing accusations of sexual assault by Purdue University .
The student had sued the school , arguing he was discriminated against based on his sex and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present evidence in his defense , upending his rights to due process .
Judge Barrett and the 7th Circuit panel sided with the student and allowed his case against Purdue to move forward .
The “ Me Too ” issue is likely to come up during her confirmation hearing , as it ’ s been an issue raised by Senate Democrats in the past who have peppered Mr. Trump ’ s judicial picks with questions involving women ’ s rights and decades-old sexual misconduct accusations that were never proven .
During her appeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett vowed to follow precedent as a circuit judge .
“ She is a rock-solid conservative , who demonstrated in her hearing for the 7th Circuit that she has a backbone of steel .
Judge Barrett is young , brilliant , and exceptionally well-qualified .
And she is an everyday American from the Heartland , who is a working mother of seven children — including a child with disabilities and two children adopted from Haiti , ” said Mike Davis , president of the Article III Project which backs Mr. Trump ’ s @ @ @

Democrats have no way to stop Senate Republicans confirming Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, but on Sunday, they labored to make her a punching bag in the health care debate, which they hope will propel them to victory in the November elections.
Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber and a member of the Judiciary Committee that will grill Judge Barrett, said there was no hope of derailing the nominee.
“We can slow it down, perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at the most, but we can’t stop the outcome. What we should do is to address this now respectfully,” the Illinois Democrat said on ABC’s “This Week.”
He quickly pivoted to health care, saying he’d ask Judge Barrett “point-blank” about her stance on ending Obamacare.
President Barack Obama’s signature health care law has become the left’s rallying cry for 2020, with the fate of the Affordable Care Act going before the high court Nov. 10. In the case, states challenged the GOP’s 2017 tax cuts that eliminated individual mandate’s tax penalties, saying it effectively killed the health care law.
Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden said the rush to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is “all about health care.”
“It’s no mystery about what’s happening here. President Trump was trying to throw out the Affordable Care Act. He’s been trying to do it for the last four years,” Mr. Biden said in a speech in Wilmington, Delaware. “Now, all of a sudden this administration believes they found a loophole: the tragedy of Justice Ginsburg’s death.”
Health care was the tip of the spear but Democrats and liberal groups also accused Judge Barrett, who currently sits on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, of being a threat to abortion. Along with complaints about the nomination coming too close to the election, these have been the chief lines of attack.
“If confirmed, right-wing judicial activist Barrett would reshape the law and society for generations to come. She is a detriment to our democracy,” said Aimee Allison, the founder of the feminist group She the People.
Still, Democrats and their left-wing allies have little hope of blocking Judge Barrett.
Her confirmation would grow the 5-4 conservative majority on the high court to 6-3.
“The American people should make no mistake — a vote by any senator for Judge Amy Coney Barrett is a vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act and eliminate protections for millions of Americans with preexisting conditions,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage unabated by this administration, health care was already the number one issue on the ballot in November.”
His office pointed to a tweet from the president on Sunday to bolster Democrats’ position.
“Obamacare will be replaced with a MUCH better, and FAR cheaper, alternative if it is terminated in the Supreme Court. Would be a big WIN for the USA!” Mr. Trump tweeted.
Mr. Trump ran on a repeal-and-replace promise in 2016 but has not put forward an alternative to Obamacare that can get through Congress.
At the White House, Mr. Trump told reporters that he needs to eliminate the remainder of Obamacare before moving forward with a replacement.
“It’s no good. It’s too expensive. It’s bad coverage. You don’t get your doctor. You don’t get your plan. Those are the things President Obama said and you don’t get [them]. Biden, too,” he said. “If we can eliminate it, we will have a much better plan and you will have your doctor … you will have a lot of things you don’t get with Obamacare.”
Mr. Biden also urged Senate Republicans to hold up the nomination until after the election, giving him a crack at being the president who picks Justice Ginsburg’s replacement.
That’s highly unlikely.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, has the votes to move forward with Judge Barrett’s nomination swiftly. Mr. McConnell is set to meet with her this week on Capitol Hill.
Former White House Counsel Don McGahn, who helped Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh through his confirmation hearing, said gaming how a judge would rule on a case is “unfair one way or another.”
“You cannot guarantee results with judges. What you can guarantee is that they are going to approach the task of judging as a judge,” Mr. McGahn told the CBS program “Face the Nation.” “They’re going to try to play it straight and read the law as passed by Congress and as found in the Constitution, not based upon what they think it ought to be but what it is.”
Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, scheduled confirmation hearings for Oct. 12, which would place the timeline for a final Senate vote by the end of October, days before the Nov. 3 election.
Judge Barrett would be Mr. Trump’s third Supreme Court appointee — the most of any president since Ronald Reagan — and potentially tilts the high court’s balance dramatically in favor of conservatives for years to come.
She would be the fifth woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the second to be nominated by a Republican president. Sandra Day O’Connor, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, was the first.
Judge Barrett, 48, would be the youngest justice on the high court. She also would be the first female justice with school-aged children.
The judge has seven children, two of them adopted from Haiti. Her youngest, Benjamin, 8, has Down syndrome.
Announcing the nomination Saturday from the Rose Garden, Mr. Trump lauded Judge Barrett as a legend and a towering legal mind, who he said possessed strong “loyalty” to the Constitution.
“I looked and I studied and you are very eminently qualified for this job. You are going to be fantastic,” Mr. Trump said to Judge Barrett.
He urged Democrats on Capitol Hill to be respectful of his pick, referencing the controversial hearing of his second nominee, Justice Kavanaugh.
She has a judicial reputation for being an “originalist” and a “textualist,” similar to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, for whom she clerked after she graduated from law school.
“I love the United States and I love the United States Constitution. I am truly humbled by the prospect of serving on the Supreme Court,” Judge Barrett said. “I will be mindful of who came before me.”
The judge praised the late Justice Ginsburg’s impact on women in the legal profession and touted her friendship with the late Justice Scalia — despite them being from different sides of the political spectrum.
“If confirmed, I would not assume that role for the sake of those in my own circle and certainly not for my own sake. I would assume this role to serve you,” she said to the American people.
Before her nomination to the 7th Circuit, Judge Barrett taught at Notre Dame Law School, where she also attended and graduated at the top of her class.
Her Catholic faith became a sticking point for Democrats during her confirmation hearing for the appeals court seat when they raised questions about if she could separate the church’s teachings on abortion and other matters from her judicial responsibilities.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, told her the “dogma lives loudly within you” — a statement that has become a rallying cry for conservatives who charge Judge Barrett will be a strong jurist that would uphold the Constitution as written.
Of the eight justices currently on the high court, there are five Catholics: Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Kavanaugh, Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Neil Gorsuch was raised Catholic but is now Episcopalian. Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan are Jewish.
The Senate confirmed her to the 7th Circuit by a 55-43 vote on Oct. 31 of 2017. Three Democrats — Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Tim Kaine of Virginia — voted with the GOP in support of the judge.
This time, though, Mr. Kaine and Mr. Manchin have said they don’t support the president filling the seat this close to an election — saying the winner of the election should fill the vacancy. Mr. Donnelly is no longer in the Senate, after being voted out in 2018 in favor of a Republican.
In the roughly three years that Judge Barrett has been sitting on the 7th Circuit, she has weighed in on legal disputes involving the Second Amendment, immigration and due process.
She disagreed with a panel decision to uphold a law that prohibited a convicted felon from possessing a firearm. The felon in question was nonviolent, having been convicted of mail fraud, but still had his Second Amendment rights stripped under the law Judge Barrett voted to strike down.
The judge also dissented from a majority ruling on the 7th Circuit which issued an injunction halting the president’s “public charge rule” that increased the requirements for a noncitizen to obtain a green card.
In 2019 Judge Barrett reinstated a lawsuit brought by a male college student who had been suspended after facing accusations of sexual assault by Purdue University. The student had sued the school, arguing he was discriminated against based on his sex and was unable to cross-examine the alleged victim and present evidence in his defense, upending his rights to due process.
Judge Barrett and the 7th Circuit panel sided with the student and allowed his case against Purdue to move forward.
The “Me Too” issue is likely to come up during her confirmation hearing, as it’s been an issue raised by Senate Democrats in the past who have peppered Mr. Trump’s judicial picks with questions involving women’s rights and decades-old sexual misconduct accusations that were never proven.
During her appeals court confirmation hearing in 2017, Judge Barrett vowed to follow precedent as a circuit judge.
Conservative groups have cheered Mr. Trump’s pick, praising Judge Barrett’s judicial philosophy.
“She is a rock-solid conservative, who demonstrated in her hearing for the 7th Circuit that she has a backbone of steel. Judge Barrett is young, brilliant, and exceptionally well-qualified. And she is an everyday American from the Heartland, who is a working mother of seven children — including a child with disabilities and two children adopted from Haiti,” said Mike Davis, president of the Article III Project which backs Mr. Trump’s judicial nominees.
• Gabriella Muñoz contributed to this report.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--NY Times: Trump paid $750 in US income taxes in 2016, 2017

President Donald Trump paid just $ 750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for president and in his first year in the White House , according to a report Sunday in The New York Times .
Trump , who has fiercely guarded his tax filings and is the only president in modern times not to make them public , paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years .
The details of the tax filings complicate Trump ’ s description of himself as a shrewd and patriotic businessman , revealing instead a series of financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come into conflict with his responsibilities as president .
The president ’ s financial disclosures indicated he earned at least $ 434.9 million in 2018 , but the tax filings reported a $ 47.4 million loss .
The tax filings also illustrate how a reputed billionaire could pay little to nothing in taxes , while someone in the middle class could pay substantially more than him .
Roughly half of Americans pay no income taxes , primarily because of how low their incomes are .
But IRS figures indicate that the average tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , about 16 times more than what the president paid .
The disclosure , which the Times said comes from tax return data it obtained extending over two decades , comes at a pivotal moment ahead of the first presidential debate Tuesday and weeks before a divisive election against Democrat Joe Biden .
Speaking at a news conference Sunday at the White House , Trump dismissed the report as “ fake news ” and maintained he has paid taxes , though he gave no specifics .
He also vowed that information about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” but he offered no timeline for the disclosure and made similar promises during the 2016 campaign on which he never followed through .
In fact , the president has fielded court challenges against those seeking access to his returns , including the U.S. House , which is suing for access to Trump ’ s tax returns as part of congressional oversight .
During his first two years as president , Trump received $ 73 million from foreign operations , which in addition to his golf properties in Scotland and Ireland included $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.3 million from India and $ 1 million from Turkey , among other nations .
The president in 2017 paid $ 145,400 in taxes in India and $ 156,824 in the Philippines , compared to just $ 750 in U.S. income taxes .
The Times said the tax records did not reveal any unreported connections to Russia .
Trump found multiple ways to reduce his tax bills .
He has taken tax deductions on personal expenses such as housing , aircraft and $ 70,000 to style his hair while he filmed “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solely owned and managed by Trump appear to have offset income from his stake in “ The Apprentice ” and other entities with multiple owners .
During the first two years of his presidency , Trump relied on business tax credits to reduce his tax obligations .
The Times said $ 9.7 million worth of business investment credits that were submitted after Trump requested an extension to file his taxes allowed him to offset his obligations and pay just $ 750 each in 2016 and 2017 .
Income tax payments help finance the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting in 2010 , claimed and received an income tax refund that totaled $ 72.9 million , which the Times said was at the core of an ongoing audit by the IRS .
The Times said a ruling against Trump could cost him $ 100 million or more .
He also has more than $ 300 million in loans due to be repaid in the next four years .
Richard Neal , D-Mass.
, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee who has tried unsuccessfully to obtain Trump ’ s tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it even more essential for his committee to get the documents .
“ It appears that the President has gamed the tax code to his advantage and used legal fights to delay or avoid paying what he owes , ” Neal wrote in a statement .
“ Now , Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary .
It is essential that the IRS ’ s presidential audit program remain free of interference.
” A lawyer for the Trump Organization , Alan Garten , and a spokesperson for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request for comment from The Associated Press on the report .
Garten told the Times that “ most , if not all , of the facts appear to be inaccurate.
” He said in a statement to the news organization that the president “ has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government , including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015.
” The New York Times said it declined to provide Garten with the tax filings in order to protect its sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal access to the records .
During his first general election debate against Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 , Clinton said that perhaps Trump wasn ’ t releasing his tax returns because he had paid nothing in federal taxes .
Trump interrupted her to say , “ That makes me smart .
”

President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for president and in his first year in the White House, according to a report Sunday in The New York Times.
Trump, who has fiercely guarded his tax filings and is the only president in modern times not to make them public, paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years.
The details of the tax filings complicate Trump’s description of himself as a shrewd and patriotic businessman, revealing instead a series of financial losses and income from abroad that could come into conflict with his responsibilities as president. The president’s financial disclosures indicated he earned at least $434.9 million in 2018, but the tax filings reported a $47.4 million loss.
The tax filings also illustrate how a reputed billionaire could pay little to nothing in taxes, while someone in the middle class could pay substantially more than him. Roughly half of Americans pay no income taxes, primarily because of how low their incomes are. But IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than what the president paid.
The disclosure, which the Times said comes from tax return data it obtained extending over two decades, comes at a pivotal moment ahead of the first presidential debate Tuesday and weeks before a divisive election against Democrat Joe Biden.
Speaking at a news conference Sunday at the White House, Trump dismissed the report as “fake news” and maintained he has paid taxes, though he gave no specifics. He also vowed that information about his taxes “will all be revealed,” but he offered no timeline for the disclosure and made similar promises during the 2016 campaign on which he never followed through.
In fact, the president has fielded court challenges against those seeking access to his returns, including the U.S. House, which is suing for access to Trump’s tax returns as part of congressional oversight.
During his first two years as president, Trump received $73 million from foreign operations, which in addition to his golf properties in Scotland and Ireland included $3 million from the Philippines, $2.3 million from India and $1 million from Turkey, among other nations. The president in 2017 paid $145,400 in taxes in India and $156,824 in the Philippines, compared to just $750 in U.S. income taxes. The Times said the tax records did not reveal any unreported connections to Russia.
Trump found multiple ways to reduce his tax bills. He has taken tax deductions on personal expenses such as housing, aircraft and $70,000 to style his hair while he filmed “The Apprentice.” Losses in the property businesses solely owned and managed by Trump appear to have offset income from his stake in “The Apprentice” and other entities with multiple owners.
During the first two years of his presidency, Trump relied on business tax credits to reduce his tax obligations. The Times said $9.7 million worth of business investment credits that were submitted after Trump requested an extension to file his taxes allowed him to offset his obligations and pay just $750 each in 2016 and 2017.
Income tax payments help finance the military and domestic programs.
Trump, starting in 2010, claimed and received an income tax refund that totaled $72.9 million, which the Times said was at the core of an ongoing audit by the IRS. The Times said a ruling against Trump could cost him $100 million or more. He also has more than $300 million in loans due to be repaid in the next four years.
Richard Neal, D-Mass., the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee who has tried unsuccessfully to obtain Trump’s tax records, said the Times report makes it even more essential for his committee to get the documents.
“It appears that the President has gamed the tax code to his advantage and used legal fights to delay or avoid paying what he owes,” Neal wrote in a statement. “Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary. It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”
A lawyer for the Trump Organization, Alan Garten, and a spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on the report.
Garten told the Times that “most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate.”
He said in a statement to the news organization that the president “has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015.”
The New York Times said it declined to provide Garten with the tax filings in order to protect its sources, but it said its sources had legal access to the records.
During his first general election debate against Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, Clinton said that perhaps Trump wasn’t releasing his tax returns because he had paid nothing in federal taxes.
Trump interrupted her to say, “That makes me smart.”


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Authorities: Man requested money to shoot Louisville police

LOUISVILLE , Ky. ( AP ) - A Kentucky man who authorities accuse of requesting $ 30,000 to shoot police officers in Louisville in a social media video while he was brandishing a gun has been arrested .
According to a criminal complaint , Cortez Lamont Edwards , of Louisville , made the statements Wednesday on a Facebook Live video , the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Western District of Kentucky said in a statement .
Authorities said Edwards , 29 , was requesting the money to shoot officers who were in the street in front of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local authorities executed a search warrant on Edward ’ s home on Sunday and found him sleeping on a couch .
The statement said authorities also found a gun on that couch , and a toddler in the house .
An investigation revealed that Edwards was a convicted felon , and he has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm .
It is not clear if Edwards had an attorney who could comment .
“ Louisville needs healing and safety for its citizens , not armed felons seeking bids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russell Coleman said in the statement .
Louisville police thanked authorities on Twitter after Edwards ’ arrest was announced , saying “ the actions of this person were unacceptable !
” If convicted , Edwards could face up to 10 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine .
Two officers were shot and wounded Wednesday night during the demonstrations in Louisville expressing anger over the killings of Black people at the hands of police .
Other cities across the U.S. have also seen protests after a Kentucky grand jury brought no charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death .
Taylor , a Black emergency medical worker , died when she was shot multiple times by white officers who entered her home during a narcotics investigation in March .

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky man who authorities accuse of requesting $30,000 to shoot police officers in Louisville in a social media video while he was brandishing a gun has been arrested.
According to a criminal complaint, Cortez Lamont Edwards, of Louisville, made the statements Wednesday on a Facebook Live video, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky said in a statement.
Authorities said Edwards, 29, was requesting the money to shoot officers who were in the street in front of his residence during a disturbance.
Federal and local authorities executed a search warrant on Edward’s home on Sunday and found him sleeping on a couch. The statement said authorities also found a gun on that couch, and a toddler in the house.
An investigation revealed that Edwards was a convicted felon, and he has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. It is not clear if Edwards had an attorney who could comment.
“Louisville needs healing and safety for its citizens, not armed felons seeking bids to shoot police,” U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman said in the statement. Louisville police thanked authorities on Twitter after Edwards’ arrest was announced, saying “the actions of this person were unacceptable!”
If convicted, Edwards could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Two officers were shot and wounded Wednesday night during the demonstrations in Louisville expressing anger over the killings of Black people at the hands of police. Other cities across the U.S. have also seen protests after a Kentucky grand jury brought no charges against Louisville police for Breonna Taylor’s death.
Taylor, a Black emergency medical worker, died when she was shot multiple times by white officers who entered her home during a narcotics investigation in March.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Supreme Court nomination battles get nastier

President Trump hadn ’ t even announced his Supreme Court pick this weekend yet a whisper campaign had already developed against Judge Amy Coney Barrett questioning whether her adoption of two Haitian children was on the up-and-up .
Tactics formerly reserved for only the nastiest of political campaigns have in recent years bled over into battles for the judiciary , breaking down one of the last walls of decency in a town not known for it .
It used to be quite different .
One of President Kennedy ’ s nominees was announced in late March 1962 , and about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high court .
Even as late as the Clinton administration , a former ACLU lawyer — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — could win confirmation to the Supreme Court on a 96-3 vote in the Senate , just 42 days after her nomination was submitted .
Republicans , who control the chamber now , have vowed to try to match that pace , though they have no hope of coming close to that near-unanimous vote of support for Judge Barrett .
The Congressional Research Service says things have gotten worse since the late 1960s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nominees of President Richard Nixon ushered in a new era .
Over nearly 200 years before that , it took about a week for the Senate to receive a nominee , sometimes hold hearings , then vote .
Since 1967 , that time has soared to an average of 68 days .
And it ’ s not just because of big-time showdowns .
While blowups over Judge Robert Bork and Justice Clarence Thomas are well-remembered , there were also legislative knife fights over picks like Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who waited 82 days for confirmation and had to survive an attempted filibuster .
Curt Levey , president of the Committee for Justice , said as the court has inserted itself deeper into social issues , Americans — and the politicians they elect — have grown more combative over picking who ’ s making those decisions .
“ There ’ s a lot more at stake , ” he said .
The battle over Justice Ginsburg ’ s seat was raging even before Judge Barrett was announced Saturday as the nominee to fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her approved , with a timeline of acting before the Nov. 3 election .
Democrats say that timetable ’ s a thing of the past , and it should take months to approve a nominee .
And in this case they say any action at all is hypocritical after Senate Republicans just four years ago refused to act on President Obama ’ s nominee , Judge Merrick Garland , citing the looming election in blocking him for almost a year .
The treatment of Judge Garland is still very fresh in the minds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extension of how politicized the court has become .
It was a naked abuse of the process to deny a good man even a hearing , ” said Jim Manley , a veteran Democratic operative who worked for Sens .
Edward M. Kennedy and Harry Reid when they were involved in fights over judges .
Mr. Manley said after what the GOP did to Judge Garland , if they now speed Judge Barrett through , Democrats must “ strongly consider ” expanding the high court , should they take control of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s elections .
Republicans say they won ’ t be lectured on treatment of judges .
Indeed , analysts looking for a start to the nastiness often point to how Democrats approached Bork ’ s nomination in 1987 .
A high-powered legal mind and appeals court judge , Bork was deemed “ well-qualified ” for the high court by the American Bar Association .
But Kennedy delivered a withering repudiation of his judicial philosophy in a famous floor speech , challenging Democrats , who controlled the chamber , to reject him .
Everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video-rental history became fodder .
Bork ’ s nomination was defeated on a 58-42 vote , and “ to bork ” joined the lexicon as a term for unfair treatment of a nominee .
Four years after the first borking , Justice Thomas ’ s nomination arose and then-Sen. Joseph R. Biden led the Senate in a set of hearings over allegations of sexual harassment .
Justice Thomas survived the process and was confirmed on a 52-48 vote .
“ Compare the treatment of Robert Bork , Clarence Thomas , Samuel Alito and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg , Sonia Sotomayor , and Elena Kagan , and it ’ s clear that there already is one set of rules for a Republican president and one set of rules for a Democrat president , ” said Sen. Lindsey Graham , South Carolina Republican .
Mr. Graham , who as Judiciary Committee chairman will oversee Judge Barrett ’ s confirmation process , said four years ago that he would never move forward with a nominee in a presidential election year .
The treatment of Justice Kavanaugh changed his mind , he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court pick was forced to go through a second round of hearings after a woman came forward saying he ’ d sexually assaulted her in high school .
Other women followed .
None of the major accusations was substantiated , and the first woman ’ s own account was disputed by those she said were present .
Justice Kavanaugh squeaked by on a 50-48 vote .
Judging by the numbers , GOP picks have indeed had a rougher go than Democratic nominees .
Since 1980 , Republican presidents have submitted 11 high court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve lingered an average of 73 days , and earned an average of 71 votes in support .
Democrats over that time have submitted four high court nominees .
All of them have been confirmed , they were pending for an average of 67 days , and they were approved with an average of 79 votes in support .
And no Democratic president ’ s picks have ever faced an attempted filibuster .
Six Republican picks have .
“ For better or worse , Democratic presidents have usually tried to thread the needle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court .
Republicans on the other hand oftentimes have picked very controversial nominees with very conservative views , ” he said .
Mr. Levey saw a different explanation : “ The Democrats are just better at , or more prone to , I ’ m not sure which , the politics of personal destruction.
” He said Republicans have been more deferential to Democratic presidents in the past , but he said that may have been undone by the treatment of Justice Kavanaugh .
“ We may look at the days between Bork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old days , because a lot of people are angry about Kavanaugh on both sides of the aisle , ” he said .
“ We maybe in for a period that makes 1987 through a few years ago look tame.
” Mr. Levey said there have been some windows of intense court battles before .
The years before the Civil War saw a number of presidential picks defeated or forced to withdraw .
And during the New Deal era the court was also a battleground .
Then , as now , Democrats talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to change the playing field .
Today ’ s nastiness can be broken into two categories : the norm-breaking , and the rule-rewriting .
An example of norm-breaking began in 2003 , when Democrats launched filibusters of President George W. Bush ’ s appeals court nominees .
The first target was Miguel Estrada , a young superstar lawyer whom Democrats called “ dangerous ” because he was on track to become the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice .
After waiting more than two years , Mr. Estrada withdrew his nomination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered a miscarriage .
Democrats would go on to filibuster nine other Bush picks for appeals court seats , then attempt to filibuster Justice Alito .
A decade later , the GOP used the same tactic on some of President Obama ’ s nominees .
Then-Majority Leader Harry Reid , Nevada Democrat , engaged in rule-rewriting , using the “ nuclear option ” to defang the filibuster for all presidential nominees save Supreme Court picks .
When Mr. Trump took office and Democrats launched the first-ever successful partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lead and used the nuclear option to complete the rules change for high court picks , too .

President Trump hadn’t even announced his Supreme Court pick this weekend yet a whisper campaign had already developed against Judge Amy Coney Barrett questioning whether her adoption of two Haitian children was on the up-and-up.
Tactics formerly reserved for only the nastiest of political campaigns have in recent years bled over into battles for the judiciary, breaking down one of the last walls of decency in a town not known for it.
It used to be quite different.
One of President John F. Kennedy’s nominees was announced in late March 1962, and about two weeks later was sitting on the high court.
Even as late as the Clinton administration, a former ACLU lawyer — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — could win confirmation to the Supreme Court on a 96-3 vote in the Senate, just 42 days after her nomination was submitted.
Republicans, who control the chamber now, have vowed to try to match that pace, though they have no hope of coming close to that near-unanimous vote of support for Judge Barrett.
The Congressional Research Service says things have gotten worse since the late 1960s, when a series of fights over the nominees of President Richard Nixon ushered in a new era.
Over nearly 200 years before that, it took about a week for the Senate to receive a nominee, sometimes hold hearings, then vote. Since 1967, that time has soared to an average of 68 days.
And it’s not just because of big-time showdowns. While blowups over Judge Robert Bork and Justice Clarence Thomas are well-remembered, there were also legislative knife fights over picks like Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., a nominee of President George W. Bush, who waited 82 days for confirmation and had to survive an attempted filibuster.
Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice, said as the court has inserted itself deeper into social issues, Americans — and the politicians they elect — have grown more combative over picking who’s making those decisions.
“There’s a lot more at stake,” he said.
The battle over Justice Ginsburg’s seat was raging even before Judge Barrett was announced Saturday as the nominee to fill it.
Republicans are speeding to get her approved, with a timeline of acting before the Nov. 3 election. Democrats say that timetable’s a thing of the past, and it should take months to approve a nominee.
And in this case they say any action at all is hypocritical after Senate Republicans just four years ago refused to act on President Obama’s nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, citing the looming election in blocking him for almost a year.
The treatment of Judge Garland is still very fresh in the minds of Democrats.
“Garland was simply an extension of how politicized the court has become. It was a naked abuse of the process to deny a good man even a hearing,” said Jim Manley, a veteran Democratic operative who worked for Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and Harry Reid when they were involved in fights over judges.
Mr. Manley said after what the GOP did to Judge Garland, if they now speed Judge Barrett through, Democrats must “strongly consider” expanding the high court, should they take control of the White House and Senate in November’s elections.
Republicans say they won’t be lectured on treatment of judges.
Indeed, analysts looking for a start to the nastiness often point to how Democrats approached Bork’s nomination in 1987.
A high-powered legal mind and appeals court judge, Bork was deemed “well-qualified” for the high court by the American Bar Association.
But Kennedy delivered a withering repudiation of his judicial philosophy in a famous floor speech, challenging Democrats, who controlled the chamber, to reject him. Everything from his legal writings to his personal video-rental history became fodder.
Bork’s nomination was defeated on a 58-42 vote, and “to bork” joined the lexicon as a term for unfair treatment of a nominee.
Four years after the first borking, Justice Thomas’s nomination arose and then-Sen. Joseph R. Biden led the Senate in a set of hearings over allegations of sexual harassment. Justice Thomas survived the process and was confirmed on a 52-48 vote.
“Compare the treatment of Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh to that of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan, and it’s clear that there already is one set of rules for a Republican president and one set of rules for a Democrat president,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican.
Mr. Graham, who as Judiciary Committee chairman will oversee Judge Barrett’s confirmation process, said four years ago that he would never move forward with a nominee in a presidential election year.
The treatment of Justice Kavanaugh changed his mind, he says.
Mr. Trump’s previous high court pick was forced to go through a second round of hearings after a woman came forward saying he’d sexually assaulted her in high school. Other women followed.
None of the major accusations was substantiated, and the first woman’s own account was disputed by those she said were present. Justice Kavanaugh squeaked by on a 50-48 vote.
Judging by the numbers, GOP picks have indeed had a rougher go than Democratic nominees.
Since 1980, Republican presidents have submitted 11 high court nominations to the Senate. They’ve lingered an average of 73 days, and earned an average of 71 votes in support.
Democrats over that time have submitted four high court nominees. All of them have been confirmed, they were pending for an average of 67 days, and they were approved with an average of 79 votes in support.
And no Democratic president’s picks have ever faced an attempted filibuster. Six Republican picks have.
Mr. Manley said Republican presidents make more controversial picks.
“For better or worse, Democratic presidents have usually tried to thread the needle by nominating relatively moderate candidates for the court. Republicans on the other hand oftentimes have picked very controversial nominees with very conservative views,” he said.
Mr. Levey saw a different explanation: “The Democrats are just better at, or more prone to, I’m not sure which, the politics of personal destruction.”
He said Republicans have been more deferential to Democratic presidents in the past, but he said that may have been undone by the treatment of Justice Kavanaugh.
“We may look at the days between Bork and Thomas and Gorsuch as the good old days, because a lot of people are angry about Kavanaugh on both sides of the aisle,” he said. “We maybe in for a period that makes 1987 through a few years ago look tame.”
Mr. Levey said there have been some windows of intense court battles before.
The years before the Civil War saw a number of presidential picks defeated or forced to withdraw. And during the New Deal era the court was also a battleground. Then, as now, Democrats talked of stacking the panel with more justices in order to change the playing field.
Today’s nastiness can be broken into two categories: the norm-breaking, and the rule-rewriting.
An example of norm-breaking began in 2003, when Democrats launched filibusters of President George W. Bush’s appeals court nominees. The first target was Miguel Estrada, a young superstar lawyer whom Democrats called “dangerous” because he was on track to become the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.
After waiting more than two years, Mr. Estrada withdrew his nomination. During the confirmation fight, his wife suffered a miscarriage.
Democrats would go on to filibuster nine other Bush picks for appeals court seats, then attempt to filibuster Justice Alito.
A decade later, the GOP used the same tactic on some of President Obama’s nominees. Then-Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, engaged in rule-rewriting, using the “nuclear option” to defang the filibuster for all presidential nominees save Supreme Court picks.
When Mr. Trump took office and Democrats launched the first-ever successful partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee, the GOP followed Mr. Reid’s lead and used the nuclear option to complete the rules change for high court picks, too.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-09-27--Gun sale surge aimed at defense set to break record

Pistols , revolvers , rifles and shotguns are flying off the shelves this year , with gun shops reporting huge demand for models geared toward self-defense .
The run on guns coincides with the coronavirus crisis and deadly riots that have put Americans on guard .
Nearly 26 million background checks were run through the FBI ’ s national instant check system through August , and this month ’ s totals could push the numbers past the record 28.3 million checks from all of 2019 .
“ They ’ re buying everything , ” said Steve Clark , who owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Virginia .
Some of his customers are opting for less popular firearms , figuring it will be easier to find ammunition for those models amid reports of ammo shortages among some retailers .
“ It ’ s across the board — it ’ s everything , ” he said .
“ You can ’ t get near enough shotguns because people are looking for those for house defense.
” For ammunition , he said interest in some calibers that had lost popularity , like the Smith & Wesson .40 , have picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have always been popular , but the .40 had kind of dropped off after the police stopped [ using it for ] their primary caliber , ” he said .
Anecdotal evidence suggests that there has been an uptick in interest in gun safety classes , including some parents bringing their young children along to learn how to shoot properly .
“ We have five times as many people as normal — it ’ s off the charts , ” Rick Green , who teaches self-defense courses in Austin , Texas , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s people from every walk of life , young , old .
More than half are females.
” Joe Hawk , the owner of Guns & Roses in Toms River , New Jersey , said he has seen potential customers become crestfallen when they learn guns are out of stock and on back-order because of soaring demand .
“ It ’ s almost a scale of desperation you see on these people ’ s faces .
You can ’ t help them .
You can ’ t supply them with something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Roses has seen high demand for all types of firearms , but in particular the Glock 17 and Glock 19 , two of the company ’ s popular 9 mm handguns .
Mr. Hawk , though , said the stores has been trying to steer new customers into buying revolvers or weapons with a built-in safety mechanism .
“ On the long gun end , they ask for a home-protection shotgun , ” he said .
He said customers are asking for Remington and Mossberg brands , but Remington ’ s bankruptcy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s barrel line are affecting the supply chain .
“ So then the next brand after that — it ’ s mostly Turkish guns , and a lot of those parts have been coming in and flooding the market , ” he said .
Those name brands include European American Armory and Garaysar .
Smith & Wesson indicated this month that it plans to ramp up production to accommodate the increased demand .
During the first half of the year , the Glock G19 and G19 GEN4 models both ranked in the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation , the trade group for the gun industry .
Others included the Sig Sauer P320 , Smith & Wesson M & P and Beretta M9A3 .
The P320 is the civilian version of the Marine Corps ’ new M18 sidearm .
For new pump-action shotguns , the Mossberg 590 , Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 were all top sellers .
In August , there were an estimated 1.8 million gun sales — a 58 % increase from last year , according to Small Arms Analytics & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single handgun sales ticked up a bit more ( 66 % ) than did single long gun sales ( 46.5 % ) , the company found .
“ With the hunting season about to begin in earnest and the presidential election season about to start in earnest as well , 2020 will , without doubt , exceed the previous high of 16.6 million units sold in 2016 , ” said Jurgen Brauer , the group ’ s chief economist .
Mr. Hawk said there have been supply chain issues when it comes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months ago , his store was able to get 25 cases of 9 mm ammo , the most popular round , but then that dipped to 10 cases and then one case .
“ Now , that ’ s what we ’ re allowed to sell whenever they get it in stock , which is usually once a month .
So we went from 25,000 to 10,000 to 1,000 , ” he said .
“ That goes so fast — that ’ s in one day , 1,000 rounds .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective.
” Mark Oliva , a spokesman for the shooting sports group , said materials , labor and resources exist for manufacturers to produce ammo , but demand is outpacing supply .
“ NSSF estimates that there are nearly 5 million first-time gun buyers in 2020 , ” he said .
“ That means there are also 5 million first-time ammunition buyers and 5 million first-time recreational shooters attending classes and filling ranges .
These are all unprecedented demands that the entire industry is working to absorb and service.
” Gun-control groups warn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to an increase in the number of background checks that reveal banned buyers who can slip through cracks in the system .
Between March and July , there was a 54 % increase in the number of background checks that were delayed past three days compared to the same period in 2019 , translating to nearly 300,000 sales that could have proceeded before a check was finished , according to the group Everytown for Gun Safety .
“ At the beginning of the pandemic , the [ Justice Department ] warned President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be overwhelmed — but rather than addressing it , Trump added fuel to the fire by making it even easier to buy guns , ” said Rob Wilcox , deputy director of policy and strategy at Everytown .
“ Thousands of guns have likely fallen into the wrong hands due [ to ] the Charleston loophole , and there ’ s no end in sight.
” That ’ s a reference to the 2015 shooting in South Carolina in which a White supremacist shot and killed nine people at a Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtain his weapon because of a breakdown in the background check system .
Dealers generally have to wait three days to hear back from the FBI when they run background checks before proceeding with a sale .

Pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns are flying off the shelves this year, with gun shops reporting huge demand for models geared toward self-defense.
The run on guns coincides with the coronavirus crisis and deadly riots that have put Americans on guard.
Nearly 26 million background checks were run through the FBI’s national instant check system through August, and this month’s totals could push the numbers past the record 28.3 million checks from all of 2019.
“They’re buying everything,” said Steve Clark, who owns Clark Brothers Gun Shop in Fauquier County, Virginia.
Some of his customers are opting for less popular firearms, figuring it will be easier to find ammunition for those models amid reports of ammo shortages among some retailers.
“It’s across the board — it’s everything,” he said. “You can’t get near enough shotguns because people are looking for those for house defense.”
PHOTOS: Top 10 handguns in the U.S.
For ammunition, he said interest in some calibers that had lost popularity, like the Smith & Wesson .40, have picked up again.
“9s and .45s have always been popular, but the .40 had kind of dropped off after the police stopped [using it for] their primary caliber,” he said.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that there has been an uptick in interest in gun safety classes, including some parents bringing their young children along to learn how to shoot properly.
“We have five times as many people as normal — it’s off the charts,” Rick Green, who teaches self-defense courses in Austin, Texas, told The Washington Times this month. “It’s people from every walk of life, young, old. More than half are females.”
Joe Hawk, the owner of Guns & Roses in Toms River, New Jersey, said he has seen potential customers become crestfallen when they learn guns are out of stock and on back-order because of soaring demand.
“It’s almost a scale of desperation you see on these people’s faces. You can’t help them. You can’t supply them with something,” Mr. Hawk said.
PHOTOS: Best concealed carry handguns
Guns & Roses has seen high demand for all types of firearms, but in particular the Glock 17 and Glock 19, two of the company’s popular 9 mm handguns.
Mr. Hawk, though, said the stores has been trying to steer new customers into buying revolvers or weapons with a built-in safety mechanism.
“On the long gun end, they ask for a home-protection shotgun,” he said.
He said customers are asking for Remington and Mossberg brands, but Remington’s bankruptcy filing and logistics issues in Mossberg’s barrel line are affecting the supply chain.
“So then the next brand after that — it’s mostly Turkish guns, and a lot of those parts have been coming in and flooding the market,” he said.
Those name brands include European American Armory and Garaysar.
Smith & Wesson indicated this month that it plans to ramp up production to accommodate the increased demand.
During the first half of the year, the Glock G19 and G19 GEN4 models both ranked in the top 10 best-selling new semiautomatic pistols online, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade group for the gun industry.
Others included the Sig Sauer P320, Smith & Wesson M&P and Beretta M9A3.
The P320 is the civilian version of the Marine Corps’ new M18 sidearm.
For new pump-action shotguns, the Mossberg 590, Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 were all top sellers.
In August, there were an estimated 1.8 million gun sales — a 58% increase from last year, according to Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting, a research firm.
Estimated single handgun sales ticked up a bit more (66%) than did single long gun sales (46.5%), the company found.
“With the hunting season about to begin in earnest and the presidential election season about to start in earnest as well, 2020 will, without doubt, exceed the previous high of 16.6 million units sold in 2016,” said Jurgen Brauer, the group’s chief economist.
Mr. Hawk said there have been supply chain issues when it comes to ammunition.
He said two or three months ago, his store was able to get 25 cases of 9 mm ammo, the most popular round, but then that dipped to 10 cases and then one case.
“Now, that’s what we’re allowed to sell whenever they get it in stock, which is usually once a month. So we went from 25,000 to 10,000 to 1,000,” he said. “That goes so fast — that’s in one day, 1,000 rounds. It’s very tight, to put it in perspective.”
Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the shooting sports group, said materials, labor and resources exist for manufacturers to produce ammo, but demand is outpacing supply.
“NSSF estimates that there are nearly 5 million first-time gun buyers in 2020,” he said. “That means there are also 5 million first-time ammunition buyers and 5 million first-time recreational shooters attending classes and filling ranges. These are all unprecedented demands that the entire industry is working to absorb and service.”
Gun-control groups warn that the explosion in sales also has led to an increase in the number of background checks that reveal banned buyers who can slip through cracks in the system.
Between March and July, there was a 54% increase in the number of background checks that were delayed past three days compared to the same period in 2019, translating to nearly 300,000 sales that could have proceeded before a check was finished, according to the group Everytown for Gun Safety.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, the [Justice Department] warned President Trump that the background check system was going to be overwhelmed — but rather than addressing it, Trump added fuel to the fire by making it even easier to buy guns,” said Rob Wilcox, deputy director of policy and strategy at Everytown. “Thousands of guns have likely fallen into the wrong hands due [to] the Charleston loophole, and there’s no end in sight.”
That’s a reference to the 2015 shooting in South Carolina in which a White supremacist shot and killed nine people at a Black church. The shooter was able to obtain his weapon because of a breakdown in the background check system.
Dealers generally have to wait three days to hear back from the FBI when they run background checks before proceeding with a sale.
⦁ Dave Boyer contributed to this report.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.