washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Georgia runoffs to determine Senate control

Joseph R. Biden claimed the White House for Democrats this weekend .
Whether he will be able to get much accomplished depends on what happens in two months in Georgia .
Two Senate runoff elections are slated for Jan. 5 , and they are expected to determine whether Republicans will keep control of the chamber , and the ability to derail Mr. Biden ’ s plans , or whether Democrats will take control .
“ Now we take Georgia , then we change America , ” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer , New York Democrat , said in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although Mr. Schumer pointedly highlighted what ’ s at stake , it ’ s not clear whether his nationalizing of the race helps the Democrats in the state race .
Political analysts said they expect the two Democrats , Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , to try to avoid getting too deep in the politics at the national level , where Mr. Biden will be choosing his Cabinet members and plotting his first moves after four years of President Trump ’ s executive actions .
The two Republican incumbents , Sens .
David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make the Democrats sweat each Biden move by demanding to know whether Mr. Ossoff and Mr. Warnock support the incoming president .
“ Now , more than ever , we NEED to keep the Senate in Republican hands , ” Ms. Loeffler said in a Twitter post after Mr. Biden ’ s declaration of victory .
She said she and Mr. Perdue are “ the last line of defense against the radical left.
” The Democrats are likely to counter with the same accusations of corruption they fired at the Republicans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the exact same campaigns we saw in the general election , with the same messaging : socialists versus crooks , ” said one veteran Georgia political operative .
That framework worked for Mr. Perdue in the general election — just not by enough .
He led Mr. Ossoff 49.8 % to 47.9 % as of Sunday afternoon , putting him just shy of the 50 % threshold that would have avoided a runoff .
The other race featured a larger field , including two high-profile Republicans , Ms. Loeffler and Rep. Doug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split the party ’ s vote and allowed Mr. Warnock to emerge with the most votes at 32.9 % .
Ms. Loeffler was second with 25.9 % , giving her the right to face off against Mr. Warnock .
The two races have quickly fused into one .
Ms. Loefler and Mr. Perdue are portraying themselves as a package deal , and so are the Democrats , who have set up a joint fundraising operation .
Andra Gillespie , a political scientist at Emory University , said she expects the elections to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters better .
“ Given the near parity of Democratic and Republican voters in the state and the fact that turnout will decline in January , whichever party has the best GOTV operation wins , ” she said .
Georgia is one of a couple of states that require a candidate to win a majority of votes in order to be declared the winner .
The state has had two other Senate runoffs .
The last one was in 2008 , when Sen. Saxby Chambliss , a Republican , was held below 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama was at the top of the Democratic ticket , and nearly 3.8 million people voted .
For the runoff , just 2.1 million voted .
Mr. Chambliss kept about 66 % of his support , but his Democratic opponent lost nearly half of his supporters , delivering an easy win to the Republican .
Of course , the stakes weren ’ t so high in that election .
Democrats were guaranteed control of the Senate , though the Georgia seat could have given them a 60-vote filibuster-proof majority .
Georgia now looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 .
For one thing , Mr. Biden appears to have won the state — the first time a Democrat has carried it in a presidential election since 1992 .
Republicans went into elections last week with 53 Senate seats .
As of Sunday , they were guaranteed to control 48 and were expected to win two other elections where vote-counting was slow .
If they prevail in those races , they will have 50 seats and the two Georgia seats in question .
A Republican win in even one of the Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chamber .
If Democrats win both Georgia races , then presumptive Vice President Kamala D. Harris , as president of the Senate , would break any tie votes .
With those stakes , national interest groups that didn ’ t give the races in Georgia more than a nod during the general election are now expected to pour tens of millions of dollars into the campaigns .
The full panoply of Democratic groups , fearing their investment in Mr. Biden may be hampered by a Republican-led Senate , is leaning into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Democracy for America and causes championed by the likes of Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York .
Democracy for America , which advocates for government-sponsored health care , was an early supporter of Mr. Warnock but now backs Mr. Ossoff , who campaigns as more of a moderate .
“ Victories for Rev .
Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in their respective Senate runoffs would not only underscore the political revolution that has taken place in Georgia this year , it could save President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of obstruction that Mitch McConnell is hoping to construct in the United States Senate , ” said Charles Chamberlain , chair of Democracy for America .
Jeffrey Lazarus , a political science professor at Georgia State University , said he doubts the two Democrats tack far left over the next two months .
“ Georgia isn ’ t a very liberal state in the aggregate , so the idea of winning votes by invoking prominent names in the progressive movement doesn ’ t play the same way down here as it does in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lazarus said .
He said he does expect the Democratic candidates to wrap themselves in Mr. Biden , who has a reputation as a centrist .
Still , he said , it ’ s an uphill climb for both .
“ I ’ m skeptical of Democrats ’ chances in the runoff , ” he said .

Joseph R. Biden claimed the White House for Democrats this weekend. Whether he will be able to get much accomplished depends on what happens in two months in Georgia.
Two Senate runoff elections are slated for Jan. 5, and they are expected to determine whether Republicans will keep control of the chamber, and the ability to derail Mr. Biden’s plans, or whether Democrats will take control.
“Now we take Georgia, then we change America,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said in the minutes after Mr. Biden declared victory.
Although Mr. Schumer pointedly highlighted what’s at stake, it’s not clear whether his nationalizing of the race helps the Democrats in the state race.
Political analysts said they expect the two Democrats, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, to try to avoid getting too deep in the politics at the national level, where Mr. Biden, the presumptive president-elect, will be choosing his Cabinet members and plotting his first moves after four years of President Trump’s executive actions.
The two Republican incumbents, Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, are likely to make the Democrats sweat each Biden move by demanding to know whether Mr. Ossoff and Mr. Warnock support the incoming president.
“Now, more than ever, we NEED to keep the Senate in Republican hands,” Ms. Loeffler said in a Twitter post after Mr. Biden’s declaration of victory. She said she and Mr. Perdue are “the last line of defense against the radical left.”
The Democrats are likely to counter with the same accusations of corruption they fired at the Republicans in recent months.
“It will probably be the exact same campaigns we saw in the general election, with the same messaging: socialists versus crooks,” said one veteran Georgia political operative.
That framework worked for Mr. Perdue in the general election — just not by enough. He led Mr. Ossoff 49.8% to 47.9% as of Sunday afternoon, putting him just shy of the 50% threshold that would have avoided a runoff.
The other race featured a larger field, including two high-profile Republicans, Ms. Loeffler and Rep. Doug Collins, who battled each other, split the party’s vote and allowed Mr. Warnock to emerge with the most votes at 32.9%. Ms. Loeffler was second with 25.9%, giving her the right to face off against Mr. Warnock.
The two races have quickly fused into one.
Ms. Loefler and Mr. Perdue are portraying themselves as a package deal, and so are the Democrats, who have set up a joint fundraising operation.
Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University, said she expects the elections to become a battle over who can mobilize base voters better.
“Given the near parity of Democratic and Republican voters in the state and the fact that turnout will decline in January, whichever party has the best GOTV operation wins,” she said.
Georgia is one of a couple of states that require a candidate to win a majority of votes in order to be declared the winner.
The state has had two other Senate runoffs. The last one was in 2008, when Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a Republican, was held below 50% in the general election. Barack Obama was at the top of the Democratic ticket, and nearly 3.8 million people voted.
For the runoff, just 2.1 million voted.
Mr. Chambliss kept about 66% of his support, but his Democratic opponent lost nearly half of his supporters, delivering an easy win to the Republican.
Of course, the stakes weren’t so high in that election. Democrats were guaranteed control of the Senate, though the Georgia seat could have given them a 60-vote filibuster-proof majority.
Georgia now looks decidedly different from what it did in 2008.
For one thing, Mr. Biden appears to have won the state — the first time a Democrat has carried it in a presidential election since 1992.
Republicans went into elections last week with 53 Senate seats. As of Sunday, they were guaranteed to control 48 and were expected to win two other elections where vote-counting was slow.
If they prevail in those races, they will have 50 seats and the two Georgia seats in question. A Republican win in even one of the Georgia races would give the party control of the chamber.
If Democrats win both Georgia races, then presumptive Vice President Kamala D. Harris, as president of the Senate, would break any tie votes.
With those stakes, national interest groups that didn’t give the races in Georgia more than a nod during the general election are now expected to pour tens of millions of dollars into the campaigns.
The full panoply of Democratic groups, fearing their investment in Mr. Biden may be hampered by a Republican-led Senate, is leaning into the race. They include gun control groups, Democracy for America and causes championed by the likes of Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Democracy for America, which advocates for government-sponsored health care, was an early supporter of Mr. Warnock but now backs Mr. Ossoff, who campaigns as more of a moderate.
“Victories for Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in their respective Senate runoffs would not only underscore the political revolution that has taken place in Georgia this year, it could save President-elect Joe Biden’s agenda from the brick wall of obstruction that Mitch McConnell is hoping to construct in the United States Senate,” said Charles Chamberlain, chair of Democracy for America.
Jeffrey Lazarus, a political science professor at Georgia State University, said he doubts the two Democrats tack far left over the next two months.
“Georgia isn’t a very liberal state in the aggregate, so the idea of winning votes by invoking prominent names in the progressive movement doesn’t play the same way down here as it does in, say, Massachusetts,” Mr. Lazarus said.
He said he does expect the Democratic candidates to wrap themselves in Mr. Biden, who has a reputation as a centrist.
Still, he said, it’s an uphill climb for both.
“I’m skeptical of Democrats’ chances in the runoff,” he said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com. • James Varney can be reached at jvarney@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Inside the Beltway: Media uses psychological tricks to 'depress and silence' Trump voters

Yes , many voters were taken aback by those news organizations that immediately declared that Joseph R. Biden had suddenly and magically turned into “ President-elect Biden.
” The change in title was unnerving and dismissive , suggesting that fair play , professional standards and decorum had simply imploded during the 2020 presidential election .
“ More or less unnoticed for decades , the media habit of ‘ calling ’ elections — presidential or otherwise — is not only a betrayal of the democratic process , it has become a leading factor in a new form of post-modern fascism in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports Roger Simon , a columnist for The Epoch Times and an Oscar-nominated screenplay writer who knows manufactured drama when he sees it .
“ Saturday morning at 11:45 a.m. , while President Trump was off playing golf , CNN , NBC , ABC , CBS , the AP and USA Today , virtually in unison as if operating on some sort of pre-arranged cue , all made the call for Joe Biden with Fox News joining them all of ten minutes later , ” Mr. Simon writes .
“ It was like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they assured the Soviet public was their own good .
Moments after that , horns were honking with joy and people dancing in the streets from Los Angeles to New York , ” he continues .
“ Of course , this was nonsense .
The election is still on-going , still undecided , and will be for several weeks of legal challenges , many of them justified .
What occurred at 11:45 was basically a media psyop — a psychological operation — designed to depress and silence the roughly 71 million who voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if they indeed exist , who voted for Biden , ” the columnist says .
“ The truth is , in a democracy and/or a democratic republic , no media organization has the right to ‘ call ’ an election .
Period , ” declares Mr. Simon , echoing a similar sentiment recently voiced by Mr. Trump .
The decision among some social media companies to censor or edit user posts has prompted a backlash .
“ Trump supporters are flocking to alternative social networks to plan election-office protests after Facebook banned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members , ” reports Business Insider , which cites Parler as an example .
Founded in 2018 , the conservative alternative to Twitter vows free speech and no censorship and is getting significant notice .
Parler is currently listed “ No .
1 in News ” among free apps at the Apple.com online store — besting such entities as Zoom , TikTok , Snapchat , YouTube , Instagram and other providers , summarized in a colorful graphic .
“ It is a picture worth a thousand words .
People have seen the consequence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Parler told Inside the Beltway in a statement .
“ Parler continues to stand with the people and against techno authoritarianism , ” John Matze , CEO of Parler tells Fox Business Network .
Whipped up any homemade banana bread , cookies or bread lately ?
This title tells all : “ Butter sales are booming as we anxiety-bake our way through the nine circles of hell , ” reports Eater.com on political , social and health-related stressors that continue to rattle the nation .
“ Butter producers seem to be doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channeling their anxiety into baking .
Land O ’ Lakes said in a statement that net earnings were way up this year , and that it expects butter sales to reach 275 million to 300 million pounds in 2020 , an increase of more than 20 % from a normal year , ” the news organization says .
“ Land O ’ Lakes typically stores butter made over the summer , the slowest baking season , for the holidays , but this year Americans have baked right on through the heat , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” President Trump ’ s campaign has launched an aggressive fundraising effort to support the president ’ s challenge to the 2020 election results .
An outreach for the “ Official Election Defense Fund ” articulates much of what troubles Mr. Trump ’ s fans .
“ This election is far from over .
We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner , and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him : They don ’ t want the truth to be exposed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states , let alone any highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts , or any states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor , ” the notice said .
“ Legal votes decide who is president , not the media .
The American people are entitled to an honest election ; that means counting all legal ballots , and not counting any illegal ballots .
This is the only way to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , ” it noted .
Several news organizations are now taking the fundraiser outreach to task , citing fine print in the campaign ’ s online donation page which said half of the donation would go to “ federal debt retirement.
” In the meantime , Mr. Biden ’ s campaign has also launched a fundraising effort to respond to Mr. Trump ’ s legal challenge , according to multiple news organizations .
“ The Biden campaign framed its solicitations as an effort to fundraise to ensure every vote is counted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of U.S. adults agree that the health of our economy depends on the strength of our democracy ; 83 % of conservatives , 82 % of moderates and 85 % of liberals agree .
• 75 % overall think media companies should prioritize providing citizens with facts about the election ; 71 % of conservatives , 74 % of moderates and 80 % of liberals agree .
• 71 % overall think companies should voice opposition to advertising on social media that do not actively combat misinformation ; 69 % of conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of liberals agree .
• 63 % overall say corporate leaders should advocate for “ a peaceful post-election period even if there ’ s no clear winner ” ; 58 % of conservatives , 62 % of moderates and 68 % of liberals agree .
Source : A Just Capital/Harris Poll survey of 2,055 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 20-22 and released Nov. 1 .

NEWS AND OPINION:
Yes, many voters were taken aback by those news organizations that immediately declared that Joseph R. Biden had suddenly and magically turned into “President-elect Biden.” The change in title was unnerving and dismissive, suggesting that fair play, professional standards and decorum had simply imploded during the 2020 presidential election.
“More or less unnoticed for decades, the media habit of ‘calling’ elections — presidential or otherwise — is not only a betrayal of the democratic process, it has become a leading factor in a new form of post-modern fascism in which we are apparently living,” reports Roger Simon, a columnist for The Epoch Times and an Oscar-nominated screenplay writer who knows manufactured drama when he sees it.
“Saturday morning at 11:45 a.m., while President Trump was off playing golf, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, the AP and USA Today, virtually in unison as if operating on some sort of pre-arranged cue, all made the call for Joe Biden with Fox News joining them all of ten minutes later,” Mr. Simon writes.
“It was like Pravda and Izvestia working together for what they assured the Soviet public was their own good. Moments after that, horns were honking with joy and people dancing in the streets from Los Angeles to New York,” he continues.
“Of course, this was nonsense. The election is still on-going, still undecided, and will be for several weeks of legal challenges, many of them justified. What occurred at 11:45 was basically a media psyop — a psychological operation — designed to depress and silence the roughly 71 million who voted for Trump and rally the 70-something million, if they indeed exist, who voted for Biden,” the columnist says.
“The truth is, in a democracy and/or a democratic republic, no media organization has the right to ‘call’ an election. Period,” declares Mr. Simon, echoing a similar sentiment recently voiced by Mr. Trump.
PARLER HITS THE RADAR
The decision among some social media companies to censor or edit user posts has prompted a backlash.
“Trump supporters are flocking to alternative social networks to plan election-office protests after Facebook banned groups that attracted hundreds of thousands of members,” reports Business Insider, which cites Parler as an example. Founded in 2018, the conservative alternative to Twitter vows free speech and no censorship and is getting significant notice.
Parler is currently listed “No. 1 in News” among free apps at the Apple.com online store — besting such entities as Zoom, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and other providers, summarized in a colorful graphic.
“It is a picture worth a thousand words. People have seen the consequence of agenda-driven content curation and moderation,” Parler told Inside the Beltway in a statement.
“Parler continues to stand with the people and against techno authoritarianism,” John Matze, CEO of Parler tells Fox Business Network.
OUR BUTTER FIX
Whipped up any homemade banana bread, cookies or bread lately? This title tells all:
“Butter sales are booming as we anxiety-bake our way through the nine circles of hell,” reports Eater.com on political, social and health-related stressors that continue to rattle the nation.
“Butter producers seem to be doing fine, thanks to everyone who is channeling their anxiety into baking. Land O’ Lakes said in a statement that net earnings were way up this year, and that it expects butter sales to reach 275 million to 300 million pounds in 2020, an increase of more than 20% from a normal year,” the news organization says.
“Land O’ Lakes typically stores butter made over the summer, the slowest baking season, for the holidays, but this year Americans have baked right on through the heat, because literally what else were we doing?”
‘CAN’T SAVE AMERICA WITHOUT YOU’
President Trump‘s campaign has launched an aggressive fundraising effort to support the president’s challenge to the 2020 election results. An outreach for the “Official Election Defense Fund” articulates much of what troubles Mr. Trump’s fans.
“This election is far from over. We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: They don’t want the truth to be exposed,” advised a public notice released Sunday.
“Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or any states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,” the notice said.
“Legal votes decide who is president, not the media. The American people are entitled to an honest election; that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots. This is the only way to ensure the public has full confidence in our election,” it noted.
“We can’t save America without you,” said a banner headline.
Several news organizations are now taking the fundraiser outreach to task, citing fine print in the campaign’s online donation page which said half of the donation would go to “federal debt retirement.”
In the meantime, Mr. Biden’s campaign has also launched a fundraising effort to respond to Mr. Trump’s legal challenge, according to multiple news organizations.
“The Biden campaign framed its solicitations as an effort to fundraise to ensure every vote is counted,” The Hill said.
POLL DU JOUR
• 83% of U.S. adults agree that the health of our economy depends on the strength of our democracy; 83% of conservatives, 82% of moderates and 85% of liberals agree.
• 75% overall think media companies should prioritize providing citizens with facts about the election; 71% of conservatives, 74% of moderates and 80% of liberals agree.
• 71% overall think companies should voice opposition to advertising on social media that do not actively combat misinformation; 69% of conservatives, 72% of moderates and 73% of liberals agree.
• 63% overall say corporate leaders should advocate for “a peaceful post-election period even if there’s no clear winner”; 58% of conservatives, 62% of moderates and 68% of liberals agree.
Source: A Just Capital/Harris Poll survey of 2,055 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 20-22 and released Nov. 1.
• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Virus sends Allegany County students back to online school

CUMBERLAND , Md .
( AP ) - All students in Maryland ’ s Allegany County Public Schools will return to remote learning Monday because of a shortage of staff available to teach in person as a result of a rising number of coronavirus cases in the area .
The school district announced the change Saturday , the Cumberland Times-News reported Sunday .
The district said 101 staff members could not work during the week of Nov. 2 because they had either tested positive for COVID-19 or were quarantining after coming into contact with an infected person .
The number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had risen to 110 by Saturday , the district said .
COVID-19 cases have been increasing in the county since the beginning of October .
The newspaper reported the county saw 129 new cases on Friday , the most it has ever reported at one time .
As of Sunday , the county had reported 1,051 cases and 26 deaths since the pandemic began , according to state figures .
In Maryland , there have been 153,996 cases and 4,063 deaths .
The U.S. set another record for daily number of coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 126,000 positive cases and more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
It marked the fourth day in a row that new cases topped more than 100,000 .

CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) - All students in Maryland’s Allegany County Public Schools will return to remote learning Monday because of a shortage of staff available to teach in person as a result of a rising number of coronavirus cases in the area.
The school district announced the change Saturday, the Cumberland Times-News reported Sunday. The district said 101 staff members could not work during the week of Nov. 2 because they had either tested positive for COVID-19 or were quarantining after coming into contact with an infected person.
The number of people unable to work in person had risen to 110 by Saturday, the district said.
COVID-19 cases have been increasing in the county since the beginning of October. The newspaper reported the county saw 129 new cases on Friday, the most it has ever reported at one time.
As of Sunday, the county had reported 1,051 cases and 26 deaths since the pandemic began, according to state figures. In Maryland, there have been 153,996 cases and 4,063 deaths.
The U.S. set another record for daily number of coronavirus cases Saturday. The country reported more than 126,000 positive cases and more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. It marked the fourth day in a row that new cases topped more than 100,000.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Extended Missouri police chase ends with exchange of gunfire

BUFFALO , Mo .
( AP ) - An extended police chase through several counties ended with the suspect exchanging gunfire with police before he was arrested .
The Greene County Sheriff ’ s office said the chase began around 2 a.m. Saturday in Buffalo , Missouri , when officers tried to arrest a man on outstanding warrants at a convenience store .
Officials say the man fired shots at officers and stole a vehicle before ramming into a Buffalo police car and fleeing .
Authorities said the suspect abandoned the first stolen vehicle and stole a truck before continuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man fired his gun at police during the chase .
At one point in the chase , the suspect forced a Dallas County Sheriff ’ s deputy off the road and also backed into another Buffalo police vehicle .
The chase continued into Greene County where the tires of the stolen truck were deflated by authorities , but the suspect then stole a third vehicle .
The suspect fled north back into Dallas County on U.S. Highway 65 before turning east on a state highway and then pulling into a driveway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchanged gunfire with deputies from Dallas and Greene counties .
The suspect was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment .
No officers were injured .
Authorities did not identify the suspect .

BUFFALO, Mo. (AP) - An extended police chase through several counties ended with the suspect exchanging gunfire with police before he was arrested.
The Greene County Sheriff’s office said the chase began around 2 a.m. Saturday in Buffalo, Missouri, when officers tried to arrest a man on outstanding warrants at a convenience store. Officials say the man fired shots at officers and stole a vehicle before ramming into a Buffalo police car and fleeing.
Authorities said the suspect abandoned the first stolen vehicle and stole a truck before continuing to flee through Dallas and Polk counties. The man fired his gun at police during the chase.
At one point in the chase, the suspect forced a Dallas County Sheriff’s deputy off the road and also backed into another Buffalo police vehicle.
The chase continued into Greene County where the tires of the stolen truck were deflated by authorities, but the suspect then stole a third vehicle.
The suspect fled north back into Dallas County on U.S. Highway 65 before turning east on a state highway and then pulling into a driveway.
At that point, the suspect exchanged gunfire with deputies from Dallas and Greene counties. The suspect was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment. No officers were injured.
Authorities did not identify the suspect.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--New Mexico reports 1,214 new COVID-19 cases, 14 more deaths

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - For the third consecutive day , New Mexico health officials reported nearly 1,300 additional COVID-19 cases on Sunday .
State Department of Health officials said there was 1,214 new coronavirus cases Sunday .
There was 1,287 additional cases Saturday , a one-day record that was the same number reported Friday .
But they said Saturday that 10 of the cases reported Friday had turned out to be duplicates or not lab-confirmed .
With those adjustments and the latest reported cases , the statewide case total now has reached 54,881 with 1,118 known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested .
Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick .
New Mexico officials have warned that new records would be set over the coming weeks as the rate of spread remains high .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death .
The vast majority of people recover .

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - For the third consecutive day, New Mexico health officials reported nearly 1,300 additional COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
They also reported 14 additional deaths.
State Department of Health officials said there was 1,214 new coronavirus cases Sunday.
There was 1,287 additional cases Saturday, a one-day record that was the same number reported Friday. But they said Saturday that 10 of the cases reported Friday had turned out to be duplicates or not lab-confirmed.
With those adjustments and the latest reported cases, the statewide case total now has reached 54,881 with 1,118 known deaths.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
New Mexico officials have warned that new records would be set over the coming weeks as the rate of spread remains high.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
But for some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Renovated veterans museum expected to open early next year

ATHENS , Ala. ( AP ) - Construction has begun on the new Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives , and @ @ @ @ @ be completed as early as January .
The museum is being built into half of @ @ @ @ @ Center in Athens , The Decatur Daily reported .
The renovated 20,000-square-foot facility will offer @ @ @ @ @ museum ’ s growing collection , a library , meeting space and gift shop .
@ @ @ @ @ building will be available for event rental .
It will seat up to 300 , @ @ @ @ @ ’ s director , told The Decatur Daily .
The museum first opened in the @ @ @ @ @ small rooms in a 100-year-old former L & N ; freight depot across the parking @ @ @ @ @ building .
It has expanded to become the top tourist attraction in Limestone County .
@ @ @ @ @ is $ 750,000 , Thompson said .
Around $ 900,000 has been raised so far @ @ @ @ @ the state of Alabama .

ATHENS, Ala. (AP) - Construction has begun on the new Alabama Veterans Museum and Archives, and officials say the project could be completed as early as January.
The museum is being built into half of the former Limestone County Event Center in Athens, The Decatur Daily reported. The renovated 20,000-square-foot facility will offer a larger space for the museum’s growing collection, a library, meeting space and gift shop.
The other half of the building will be available for event rental. It will seat up to 300, Sandra Thompson, the museum’s director, told The Decatur Daily.
The museum first opened in the early 2000s with just two small rooms in a 100-year-old former L&N freight depot across the parking lot from the event center building. It has expanded to become the top tourist attraction in Limestone County.
The cost of the project is $750,000, Thompson said. Around $900,000 has been raised so far, including $650,000 from the state of Alabama.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Trump's election night party adds to virus scrutiny

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - It was supposed to be a scene of celebration .
Instead , the Trump campaign ’ s election night watch party in the White House East Room has become another symbol of President Donald Trump ’ s cavalier attitude toward a virus that is ripping across the nation and infecting more than 100,000 people a day .
Polls suggest that attitude was a serious drag on the president ’ s reelection bid as voters chose to deny Trump a second term in favor of his Democratic rival , now President-Elect Joe Biden .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing - is now under additional scrutiny after the president ’ s chief of staff , Mark Meadows , became the latest top White House official to contract the virus , which has now killed more than 237,000 people in the U.S. alone .
The White House has repeatedly refused to say who else has tested positive , even as the virus continues to spread .
The latest White House cluster , coming just a month after Trump ’ s own diagnosis and hospitalization , includes a top Trump campaign official as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House staff , officials said .
The White House has been increasingly secretive about outbreaks .
Many White House and campaign officials , as well as those who attended the election watch party , were kept in the dark about the diagnoses , unaware until they were disclosed by the press .
That the virus would continue to spread in the White House - even though senior staff and those who come into close contact with the president and vice president are frequently tested - has come as no surprise to public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House ‘ s lax approach .
“ The administration was cavalier about the risks of the virus for themselves and for the country .
And that ’ s one reason why we have so many cases , ” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein , a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University ’ s school of public health .
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he has been avoiding the White House since August “ because my impression was their approach to how to handle this was different from mine and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate , which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing , ” Meadows in particular has long tried to play down the severity of the virus .
He rarely wore a mask in public , except during the period immediately following Trump ’ s infection .
At one point , he refused to speak to reporters on Capitol Hill after they requested he wear a mask .
He was again without one during Tuesday evening ’ s East Room event , where more than 100 of Trump ’ s most loyal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in and see him deliver what they had hoped would be a victory speech .
It was a festive atmosphere , with half-empty glasses of wine and other beverages strewn across cocktail tables in front of news cameras .
Meadows , who spent time with Trump ’ s family before-hand , was seen working the room , including giving several fist-bumps to those in attendance , before Trump took the stage early Wednesday morning .
While everyone who attended the East Room event had been tested in advance for the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask-wearing .
Earlier that day , Meadows had also accompanied the president to his campaign ’ s headquarters in Virginia , where Trump received rousing cheers from several dozen staff and volunteers .
Meadows did not wear a mask , nor did other White House staffers .
Campaign aides largely did .
If Meadows tested positive Wednesday - as Bloomberg News reported - he would likely have been infectious during both events , said Saskia Popescu , an epidemiologist who teaches at George Mason University .
Meadows had also traveled with Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of rallies where he was frequently seen interacting with supporters without masks .
Trump ’ s refusal to abide by his own government ’ s public health guidelines throughout the campaign was a major source of frustration for local governments as he scheduled rally after rally in defiance of local caps on crowd sizes , even in pandemic hot zones .
While Trump had hoped his efforts to downplay the virus in a bid to revive a limping economy would help him with voters , many Republicans now believe that Trump might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differently .
Still , Trump ’ s approach reflected the priorities of his supporters .
AP VoteCast , a national survey of the electorate , found that about half of Trump voters called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation , versus just 1 in 10 Biden voters .
A majority of Biden voters , meanwhile - about 6 in 10 - said the pandemic was the most important issue facing the country .
The White House did not respond to specific questions about the current outbreak , but said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House Medical Unit , consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines .
“ Appropriate notifications and recommendations have been made , ” the White House said .
The CDC defines “ close contact ” as spending at least 15 minutes within 6 feet of an infected person beginning two days before they test positive or exhibit symptoms .
But Popescu called the party , in particular , “ a ripe environment for transmission to occur , ” and said anyone in attendance should have been informed and asked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not meet CDC guidelines for exposure , I think when we ’ re looking at an indoor event with a lot of people for a prolonged period who are unmasked , out of an abundance of caution , everyone should be notified and encouraged to stay home , ” she said .
“ Now is not the time to be cavalier about the risks , ” Sharfstein said .
Ohio pastor Darrell Scott , a close ally of the president who attended the party , said he was unaware any White House officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a reporter and had not been contacted by any tracer .
While Scott , like many in Trump ’ s orbit , continued to insist fraud was to blame for the president ’ s loss - despite no credible evidence supporting those claims - he also blamed Trump for several “ unforced errors ” during the campaign , including the way he talked about the virus .
“ I can ’ t be upset if we shoot ourselves in the foot , ” he said .
The latest outbreak came less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Mike Pence , including his chief of staff , tested positive for the virus .
And it came a month after Trump , first lady Melania Trump and at least two dozen others tested positive after Trump held large gatherings of people not wearing facemasks , including the ceremony announcing the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Kevin Freking contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was supposed to be a scene of celebration.
Instead, the Trump campaign’s election night watch party in the White House East Room — with few masks and no social distancing — is being eyed as a potential coronavirus super-spreading event and yet another symbol of President Donald Trump’s cavalier attitude toward a virus that is ripping across the nation and infecting more than 100,000 people a day.
Ben Carson, the secretary for Housing and Urban Development, is the latest attendee to test positive, a department spokesman confirmed. The event has been under scrutiny since another attendee, the president’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, contracted the virus, which has now killed more than 237,000 people in the U.S. alone.
Carson’s deputy chief of staff Coalter Baker said the secretary “is in good spirits” and “feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery.”
The White House has repeatedly refused to say who else has tested positive, even as the virus continues to spread. The latest White House cluster, coming just a month after Trump’s own diagnosis and hospitalization, includes a top Trump campaign official as well as a handful of undisclosed White House staff, officials said.
The White House has been increasingly secretive about outbreaks. Many White House and campaign officials, as well as those who attended the election watch party, were kept in the dark about the diagnoses, unaware until they were disclosed by the press.
That the virus would continue to spread in the White House - even though senior staff and those who come into close contact with the president and vice president are frequently tested - has come as no surprise to public health officials who have balked at the White House’s lax approach.
And polls suggest that attitude was a serious drag on the president’s reelection bid as voters chose to deny Trump a second term in favor of his Democratic rival, now President-Elect Joe Biden.
“The administration was cavalier about the risks of the virus for themselves and for the country. And that’s one reason why we have so many cases,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University’s school of public health.
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he has been avoiding the White House since August “because my impression was their approach to how to handle this was different from mine and what I insisted that we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing,”
Trump had long claimed, without basis, that the virus was being hyped by Democrats to hurt his reelection chances and would miraculously “disappear” after Nov. 3.
Meadows in particular has long tried to play down the severity of the virus. He rarely wore a mask in public, except during the period immediately following Trump’s infection. At one point, he refused to speak to reporters on Capitol Hill after they requested he wear a mask.
He was again without one during Tuesday evening’s East Room event, where more than 100 of Trump’s most loyal supporters, family members and Cabinet secretaries gathered to watch the election results come in and see him deliver what they had hoped would be a victory speech.
It was a festive atmosphere, with half-empty glasses of wine and other beverages strewn across cocktail tables in front of news cameras. Meadows, who spent time with Trump’s family beforehand, was seen working the room, including giving several fist-bumps to those in attendance, before Trump took the stage early Wednesday morning.
Carson was there, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar - who did wear a mask.
While everyone who attended the East Room event had been tested in advance for the virus, there was no social distancing and minimal mask-wearing.
Earlier that day, Meadows had also accompanied the president to his campaign’s headquarters in Virginia, where Trump received rousing cheers from several dozen staff and volunteers. Meadows did not wear a mask, nor did other White House staffers. Campaign aides largely did.
If Meadows tested positive Wednesday - as Bloomberg News reported - he would likely have been infectious during both events, said Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist who teaches at George Mason University.
Meadows had also traveled with Trump in the run-up to Election Day, attending dozens of rallies where he was frequently seen interacting with supporters without masks.
Trump’s refusal to abide by his own government’s public health guidelines throughout the campaign was a major source of frustration for local governments as he scheduled rally after rally in defiance of local caps on crowd sizes, even in pandemic hot zones.
While Trump had hoped his efforts to downplay the virus in a bid to revive a limping economy would help him with voters, many Republicans now believe that Trump might have won reelection had he handled things differently.
Still, Trump’s approach reflected the priorities of his supporters. AP VoteCast, a national survey of the electorate, found that about half of Trump voters called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, versus just 1 in 10 Biden voters. A majority of Biden voters, meanwhile - about 6 in 10 - said the pandemic was the most important issue facing the country.
The White House did not respond to specific questions about the current outbreak, but said that contact tracing had been conducted by the White House Medical Unit, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
“Appropriate notifications and recommendations have been made,” the White House said.
The CDC defines “close contact” as spending at least 15 minutes within 6 feet of an infected person beginning two days before they test positive or exhibit symptoms.
But Popescu called the party, in particular, “a ripe environment for transmission to occur,” and said anyone in attendance should have been informed and asked to take precautions.
“While they might not meet CDC guidelines for exposure, I think when we’re looking at an indoor event with a lot of people for a prolonged period who are unmasked, out of an abundance of caution, everyone should be notified and encouraged to stay home,” she said.
“Now is not the time to be cavalier about the risks,” Sharfstein said.
Ohio pastor Darrell Scott, a close ally of the president who attended the party, said he was unaware any White House officials beyond Meadows had tested positive until informed by a reporter and had not been contacted by any tracer.
While Scott, like many in Trump’s orbit, continued to insist fraud was to blame for the president’s loss — despite no credible evidence supporting those claims — he also blamed Trump for several “unforced errors” during the campaign, including the way he talked about the virus.
“I can’t be upset if we shoot ourselves in the foot,” he said.
The latest outbreak came less than two weeks after several aides to Vice President Mike Pence, including his chief of staff, tested positive for the virus. And it came a month after Trump, first lady Melania Trump and at least two dozen others tested positive after Trump held large gatherings of people not wearing facemasks, including the ceremony announcing the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
___
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--5 more parishes approved for federal disaster assistance

BATON ROUGE , La .
( AP ) - The federal government has approved Louisiana ’ s request for FEMA individual assistance for five more parishes that were affected by Hurricane Delta , the governor ’ s office announced Sunday .
The parishes are Beauregard , Lafayette , Rapides , St. Landry and St. Martin .
Five parishes have already been approved for aid so Sunday ’ s announcement brings the total number of parishes receiving aid to ten .
The announcement means that homeowners and renters can apply for federal disaster assistance for uninsured or underinsured losses that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 9 as a Category 2 hurricane not far from where Category 4 Hurricane Laura came ashore in late August and ripped through western Louisiana .
“ Including these additional parishes is critical to the recovery of our people in Southwest Louisiana who are working hard to pick up the pieces from Delta ’ s damage and restore their lives , ” said Gov .
John Bel Edwards in a news release Sunday .
“ Delta was the second blow to areas that were already recovering from Hurricane Laura , which makes this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to apply is December 16 .

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The federal government has approved Louisiana’s request for FEMA individual assistance for five more parishes that were affected by Hurricane Delta, the governor’s office announced Sunday.
The parishes are Beauregard, Lafayette, Rapides, St. Landry and St. Martin. Five parishes have already been approved for aid so Sunday’s announcement brings the total number of parishes receiving aid to ten.
The announcement means that homeowners and renters can apply for federal disaster assistance for uninsured or underinsured losses that are linked to Delta.
Delta made landfall Oct. 9 as a Category 2 hurricane not far from where Category 4 Hurricane Laura came ashore in late August and ripped through western Louisiana.
“Including these additional parishes is critical to the recovery of our people in Southwest Louisiana who are working hard to pick up the pieces from Delta’s damage and restore their lives,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards in a news release Sunday. “Delta was the second blow to areas that were already recovering from Hurricane Laura, which makes this help even more necessary.”
The deadline to apply is December 16.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Australian media on trial for breaching order in Pell case

CANBERRA , Australia ( AP ) - High-profile Australian journalists and large media organizations went on trial on Monday on charges that they breached a gag order on reporting about Cardinal George Pell ’ s sex abuse convictions in 2018 that have since been overturned .
A total of 18 individual journalists , editors and broadcasters face potential prison sentences and 12 organizations face fines if they are found guilty in the Victoria state Supreme Court of breaching a judge ’ s suppression order on Pell ’ s case .
They have all pleaded not guilty .
Justice John Dixon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and via video links due to pandemic restrictions .
The trial is expected to take two to three weeks .
Such suppression orders are common in the Australian and British judicial systems .
But the enormous international interest in an Australian criminal trial with global ramifications highlighted the difficulty in enforcing such orders in the digital age .
Pell was convicted on Dec. 11 , 2018 , of sexually abusing two choirboys in a Melbourne cathedral when he the city ’ s archbishop in the late 1990s .
The trial of Pope Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior Catholic to be charged with child sex abuse had not been reported in the news media because of a suppression order that forbid publication of details in any format that could be accessed from Australia .
Details were suppressed to prevent prejudicing jurors in a second child abuse trial that Pell was to face three months later .
That second trial was cancelled due to a lack of evidence and Australia ’ s High Court in April overturned all convictions after Pell had spent 13 months in prison .
In opening her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the judge that the morning after Pell ’ s convictions , Australians could read about it on overseas websites , with U.S.-based The Daily Beast among the first to break the news .
No foreign news organization has been charged with breaching the suppression order .
The U.S. Constitution ’ s First Amendment would prevent such censorship in the United States , so attempting to extradite an American for breaching an Australian suppression order would be futile .
“ The world is reading a very important story that is relevant to Victorians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents of Victoria state .
The newspaper said it was prevented from “ publishing details of this significant news.
” “ But trust us , it ’ s a story you deserve to read , ” the newspaper said .
An online story that referenced overseas reporting led to the newspaper ’ s owner and staff being charged .
“ A high-profile Australian known across the world has been convicted of a serious crime but the details can not be published in any media in the country , ” the online report began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story we can ’ t report.
” The media defendants have not said what their defense is to be in the court case .
De Ferrari said some of the individuals charged had said they were not aware that a suppression order existed .

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - High-profile Australian journalists and large media organizations went on trial on Monday on charges that they breached a gag order on reporting about Cardinal George Pell’s sex abuse convictions in 2018 that have since been overturned.
A total of 18 individual journalists, editors and broadcasters face potential prison sentences and 12 media organizations face fines if they are found guilty in the Victoria state Supreme Court of breaching a judge’s suppression order on Pell’s case. They have all pleaded not guilty.
Justice John Dixon is hearing the trial without a jury and via video links due to pandemic restrictions. The trial is expected to take two to three weeks.
Such suppression orders are common in the Australian and British judicial systems. But the enormous international interest in an Australian criminal trial with global ramifications highlighted the difficulty in enforcing such orders in the digital age.
Pell was convicted on Dec. 11, 2018, of sexually abusing two choirboys in a Melbourne cathedral when he was the city’s archbishop in the late 1990s.
The trial of Pope Francis’ former finance minister and the most senior Catholic to be charged with child sex abuse was not reported in the news media because of a suppression order that forbade publication of details in any format that could be accessed from Australia.
Details were suppressed to prevent prejudicing jurors in a second child abuse trial that Pell was to face three months later.
That second trial was canceled due to a lack of evidence, and Australia’s High Court in April overturned all convictions after Pell had spent 13 months in prison.
In opening her case, prosecutor Lisa De Ferrari told the judge that the morning after Pell’s convictions, Australians could read about it on overseas websites, with U.S.-based The Daily Beast among the first to break the news.
No foreign news organization has been charged with breaching the suppression order. The U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment would prevent such censorship in the United States, so attempting to extradite an American for breaching an Australian suppression order would be futile.
Melbourne’s most popular newspaper, Herald Sun, published a white headline “CENSORED” across a black front page.
“The world is reading a very important story that is relevant to Victorians,” the newspaper said, referring to residents of Victoria state.
The newspaper said it was prevented from “publishing details of this significant news.”
“But trust us, it’s a story you deserve to read,” the newspaper said.
An online story that referenced overseas reporting led to the newspaper’s owner and staff being charged.
“A high-profile Australian known across the world has been convicted of a serious crime but the details cannot be published in any media in the country,” the online report began, under the headline, “The story we can’t report.”
Sydney radio broadcaster Chris Smith, whom De Ferrari described as a “commentator rather than a journalist,” referred to similar cryptic reports in Sydney newspapers during his morning program.
He’s been charged for telling his audience that two of the top three results of Google searches for the “suppressed name” were websites that reported the crimes.
“I can’t tell you who it is,” Smith said. “But I can also encourage you to get on to Google and start asking these questions: high-profile Australian, worldwide reputation, conviction of an awful crime - and you’ll find out who it is.”
Alex Lavelle, a former editor of Melbourne’s The Age newspaper, has been charged over an article that explained that a suppression order prevented his newspaper from reporting that “a high-profile figure” had been “convicted of a serious crime.”
Prosecutors have tendered into evidence an email from senior The Age journalist Selma Milovanovic sent a day after Pell’s conviction in which she urged Lavelle not to breach the suppression order.
She reminded him that the newspaper had “sat on convictions for years” of Melbourne serial killer Peter Dupas because of suppression orders.
Lavelle replied that he was “very sympathetic” to Milovanovic’s view and that “there are valid arguments on both sides.”
“I think one of the things that is different now is that the stories are everywhere and easily accessible, which was not the case with Dupas presumably,” Lavelle wrote. “We are not breaching the suppression order, just explaining why we can’t report on the story.”
The media defendants have not said what their defense is to be in the court case. De Ferrari said some of the individuals charged had said they were not aware that a suppression order existed.
Some won’t admit to writing contentious articles, relying on a privilege against self-incrimination. Prosecutors will have to prove their roles in publication.
The trial was adjourned until Tuesday.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Asian shares, US futures surge on relief US election decided

TOKYO ( AP ) - Asian shares and U.S. futures rose Monday on relief the U.S. presidential election results were finally decided , with Joe Biden the president-elect .
Strong Chinese trade data released over the weekend also helped .
Many in the region expect trade tensions to de-escalate under a Biden presidency , a plus for Asian markets and economies .
Japan ’ s Nikkei 225 surged 1.9 % to 24,794.44 .
Australia ’ s S & P ; /ASX 200 added 1.6 % to 6,291.10 .
South Korea ’ s Kospi added 1.1 % to 2,444.13 .
Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % to 26,037.96 , while the Shanghai Composite gained 1.2 % to 3,350.34 .
As votes gradually were counted in the closely watched U.S. presidential election , Biden crossed the winning threshold of 270 Electoral College votes with a win in Pennsylvania .
However , President Donald Trump ’ s refusal to concede and threats of legal action remain a cause for uncertainty “ Asia markets can be seen cheering the elimination of some of the uncertainties with the U.S. presidential election outcome wait put to an end , ” said Jingyi Pan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Singapore .
If Congress is split between a Democratic controlled House and a Republican-controlled Senate , it might be difficult for Biden to raise taxes .
That remains to be seen , with two run-off votes in the state of Georgia remaining .
Currently , the two parties each hold 48 seats in the 100-seat Senate .
A divided legislature also is expected to temper any pushback against deregulation , prolonging Trump ’ s relatively business-friendly policies .
Customs data released Saturday showed China ’ s export growth accelerated in October , boosting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above pre-coronavirus levels for the first time .
Exports in October rose 11.4 % over a year earlier to $ 237.2 billion , up from September ’ s 9.9 % gain , while imports rose 4.7 % by value to $ 178.7 billion , decelerating from the previous month ’ s 13.2 % surge .
Wall Street finished last week on a mixed note although the election results were still undecided .
The S & P ; 500 inched lower 0.1 % to 3,509.44 , leaving its blockbuster gain for the week at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Average slipped 0.2 % , to 28,323.40 .
The Nasdaq composite edged less than 0.1 % higher , to 11,895.23 .
Analysts are cautioning that more volatility may lie ahead .
Biden has vowed to move decisively to try to counter the worsening coronavirus pandemic , that has sapped economic growth , trade and travel , as the U.S. and Europe face a troubling rise in infections .
Even if the strictest lockdowns don ’ t return in the United States , the worsening pandemic may dampen consumption and erase profits .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.01 to $ 38.15 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
It fell $ 1.65 on Friday to $ 37.14 per barrel .
Brent crude , the international standard , rose $ 1.03 to $ 40.48 a barrel .
The dollar inched down to 103.33 Japanese yen from 103.35 yen late Friday .
The euro cost $ 1.1892 , up from $ 1.1875 .

BEIJING (AP) - Asian stock markets rose for second day Tuesday on hopes for progress toward a possible coronavirus vaccine that might allow the world to revive manufacturing, shopping and normal life.
Benchmarks in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney rose by more than 1% while Shanghai and Seoul also advanced.
On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index closed 1.2% higher on Monday after Pfizer Inc. said early data on a vaccine under development suggest it might be it might be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, though that doesn’t mean its release is imminent.
“This offers a ray of hope that the market did not hesitate to take advantage of,” Tai Hui of J.P. Morgan Asset Management said in a report.
Also Tuesday, China reported October inflation fell to its lowest level in a decade. That gives Beijing room to spend more heavily and ease access to credit further if necessary to support an economic recovery that is gathering strength.
The Nikkei 225 rose 1.1% to 25,108.21 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 1.1% to 26,299.06. The Shanghai Composite Index gained less than 0.1% to 3,375.42.
The S&P-ASX 200 in Sydney advanced 1.2% to 6,375.60. The Kospi in Seoul was off 0.2% at 2,443.86. New Zealand, Singapore and Jakarta also rose.
Markets also were relieved by the resolution to the extended uncertainty about the battle for the U.S. presidency. Over the weekend, Democrat Joe Biden clinched the final Electoral College votes to unseat President Donald Trump, though Trump has yet to concede.
Congress may be split between Democratic control of the House of Representatives and Republicans in the Senate. Investors appear to be encouraged by that, which they hope will constrain a Biden administration’s possible moves on tax increases and regulatory changes.
On Wall Street, S&P 500 rose to 3,550.50. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 2.9% to 29,157.97.
Pfizer rose 7.7% after indicating the company and its German partner, BioNTech, are on track to file an emergency application for use of their vaccine with U.S. regulators.
Chevron rose 11.6% and The Walt Disney Co. gained 11.9% on hopes people might drive more and visit theme parks again.
Big Tech companies declined. They had surged during the pandemic on expectations they would thrive regardless of whether workers and consumers stayed home. Apple Inc. fell 2% and Microsoft Corp. lost 2.4%. Zoom Video Communications, whose online meetings allow millions of remote students and workers to communicate, sank 17.4%.
The Nasdaq composite, dominated by tech stocks, lost 1.5% to 11,713.78.
The impact of Pfizer’s vaccine announcement highlighted the virus’s economic dominance, temporarily overshadowing concerns over who controls the U.S. government. The number of confirmed U.S. virus cases passed 10 million on Monday, the world’s highest total.
Potential legislative gridlock also makes chances of a rescue package for the economy from Congress likely to be smaller than if Democrats had swept control of all of Washington.
In energy markets, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 39 cents to $39.90 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract soared $3.15 on Monday to $40.29. Brent crude, the price standard for international oils, shed 27 cents to $42.13 per barrel in London. It rose $2.95 the previous session to $42.40.
The dollar declined to 104.84 yen from Monday’s 105.45 yen. The euro was little-changed at $1.1830.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Crowds across country celebrate Joe Biden's projected win

Celebrations erupted in cities across the country this weekend as news organizations projected a win for Joseph R. Biden over President Trump , in a revelry that remained mostly peaceful .
Law enforcement across the country braced for let-wing violence if Mr. Trump prevailed in the election or the results remained more in doubt , which wasn ’ t the feeling on the street even though the Trump campaign is pursuing a slew of lawsuits over alleged voter fraud in key states .
Supporters of the presumed president-elect flocked to the streets , popping champagne , chanting and honking car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a crowd marched to the White House singing “ nah nah nah nah , hey hey , goodbye.
” A large crowd waving Biden flags emerged in front of Philadelphia ’ s City Hall , celebrating his win in Pennsylvania , which would clinch the presidency .
Chanting “ Stop the steal , ” and “ This isn ’ t over , ” Mr. Trump ’ s supporters protested at state capitals in Michigan , Pennsylvania and elsewhere where the election results remain contested .
A minor skirmish broke out in Lansing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matters counter-protesters tussled .
Police broke up an incident after one BLM supporter tried to handcuff himself to a Trump backer and the two men began wrestling to the ground .
The Black Lives Matter supporter was put into a police squad car , according to multiple social media videos .
It is not clear whether he was arrested .
Fears that violence would flare up this weekend were fueled by a series of disturbing incidents at the close of last week .
In Philadelphia , two Trump supporters were arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permits outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center .
The suspects were identified as Joshua Macias , 42 , and Antonio LaMotta , 61 , both of Chesapeake , Virginia .
Mr. Marcias is co-founder of a veterans group that supports President Trump and Mr. LaMotta is a member , according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner .
The two have been charged with felony and misdemeanor weapons offenses , Mr. Krasner said Friday night .
At their arraignment , bail was set at $ 750,000 each ; there was no indication in court records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted it .
“ This alarming incident is still very much under investigation , ” Mr. Krasner said .
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a press conference Friday that FBI agents in Norfolk , Virginia , were tipped off Thursday that individuals were headed from Virginia Beach to Philadelphia with weapons .
The pair were arrested outside the convention center as poll workers continue to count ballots in this week ’ s presidential election .
Around 10:20 , police noticed a silver Hummer with Virginia tags covered in stickers supporting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , bicycle patrol officers spotted the men .
Both men were armed with handguns .
Mr. LaMotta told officers he didn ’ t have a permit and was placed under arrest while Mr. Macias had a Virginia permit , which was not recognized in Pennsylvania , according to Commissioner Outlaw .
Authorities also found an AR-15 rifle in the Hummer , along with 160 rounds of ammunition , Mr. Krasner said at a news conference .
The Hummer ’ s stickers included a large “ Q ” for QAnon and # WWG1WGA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we go one we go all.
” QAnon followers believe Mr. Trump is fighting a secret war against satanic pedophiles in the federal government and that several prominent leftist politicians will be arrested and executed .
The Pennsylvania Convention Center has become a flashpoint in the 2020 election , including bomb threats called in during the ballot counting .
Elsewhere , a man in New York shoved an NYPD officer to the ground and tried to strangle him with a chain during protests in Manhattan , police in that city said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was among 18 arrested in the city .
The NYPD tweeted out a photo of the chain with the message , “ Violence — in any form — is unacceptable .
We will be reviewing this incident and bring any additional perpetrators to justice.
” Portland , Oregon , is the one city that has consistently reported violence since Election Day .
Ahead of the weekend , protesters in that city vandalized a city commissioner ’ s home and set fire to city hall , the Multnomah County Sheriff ’ s Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people marched through the city toward the home of Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan .
Once they reached the house , the protesters broke a window , threw burning flares and paint-filled balloons at the house and broke potted plants , according to the sheriff ’ s office .
Portland Fire and Rescue got a call Saturday night that city hall was on fire .
The fire is believed to have started when a burning object was thrown or placed at the door .
On-site security extinguished the blaze before it could spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigator is probing the incident and police are looking for a suspect .
Two people were arrested .

Celebrations erupted in cities across the country this weekend as news organizations projected a win for Joseph R. Biden over President Trump, in a revelry that remained mostly peaceful.
Law enforcement across the country braced for let-wing violence if Mr. Trump prevailed in the election or the results remained more in doubt, which wasn’t the feeling on the street even though the Trump campaign is pursuing a slew of lawsuits over alleged voter fraud in key states.
Supporters of the presumed president-elect flocked to the streets, popping champagne, chanting and honking car horns.
In the District of Columbia, a crowd marched to the White House singing “nah nah nah nah, hey hey, goodbye.”
A large crowd waving Biden flags emerged in front of Philadelphia’s City Hall, celebrating his win in Pennsylvania, which would clinch the presidency.
Demonstrations by Mr. Trump’s supporters also remained calm.
Chanting “Stop the steal,” and “This isn’t over,” Mr. Trump’s supporters protested at state capitals in Michigan, Pennsylvania and elsewhere where the election results remain contested.
A minor skirmish broke out in Lansing, Michigan, where Trump backers and Black Lives Matters counter-protesters tussled.
Police broke up an incident after one BLM supporter tried to handcuff himself to a Trump backer and the two men began wrestling to the ground.
The Black Lives Matter supporter was put into a police squad car, according to multiple social media videos. It is not clear whether he was arrested.
Fears that violence would flare up this weekend were fueled by a series of disturbing incidents at the close of last week.
In Philadelphia, two Trump supporters were arrested Thursday night for carrying firearms without proper permits outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The suspects were identified as Joshua Macias, 42, and Antonio LaMotta, 61, both of Chesapeake, Virginia. Mr. Marcias is co-founder of a veterans group that supports President Trump and Mr. LaMotta is a member, according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
The two have been charged with felony and misdemeanor weapons offenses, Mr. Krasner said Friday night. At their arraignment, bail was set at $750,000 each; there was no indication in court records as of Sunday that either man had posted it.
“This alarming incident is still very much under investigation,” Mr. Krasner said.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a press conference Friday that FBI agents in Norfolk, Virginia, were tipped off Thursday that individuals were headed from Virginia Beach to Philadelphia with weapons.
The pair were arrested outside the convention center as poll workers continue to count ballots in this week’s presidential election.
Around 10:20, police noticed a silver Hummer with Virginia tags covered in stickers supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory. A few minutes later, bicycle patrol officers spotted the men.
Both men were armed with handguns. Mr. LaMotta told officers he didn’t have a permit and was placed under arrest while Mr. Macias had a Virginia permit, which was not recognized in Pennsylvania, according to Commissioner Outlaw.
Authorities also found an AR-15 rifle in the Hummer, along with 160 rounds of ammunition, Mr. Krasner said at a news conference.
The Hummer’s stickers included a large “Q” for QAnon and #WWG1WGA,” which is shorthand for “where we go one we go all.”
QAnon followers believe Mr. Trump is fighting a secret war against satanic pedophiles in the federal government and that several prominent leftist politicians will be arrested and executed.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center has become a flashpoint in the 2020 election, including bomb threats called in during the ballot counting.
Elsewhere, a man in New York shoved an NYPD officer to the ground and tried to strangle him with a chain during protests in Manhattan, police in that city said.
The man, who was not identified, was among 18 arrested in the city.
The NYPD tweeted out a photo of the chain with the message, “Violence — in any form — is unacceptable. We will be reviewing this incident and bring any additional perpetrators to justice.”
Portland, Oregon, is the one city that has consistently reported violence since Election Day.
Ahead of the weekend, protesters in that city vandalized a city commissioner’s home and set fire to city hall, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office reported.
A group of about 60 people marched through the city toward the home of Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan. Once they reached the house, the protesters broke a window, threw burning flares and paint-filled balloons at the house and broke potted plants, according to the sheriff’s office.
Portland Fire and Rescue got a call Saturday night that city hall was on fire. The fire is believed to have started when a burning object was thrown or placed at the door.
On-site security extinguished the blaze before it could spread, according to police. A fire investigator is probing the incident and police are looking for a suspect. Two people were arrested.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Trump to hold campaign rallies in bid to contest election results

Those massive Trump campaign rallies will continue even after the election .
President Trump plans to hold them as part @ @ @ @ @ contest the election results , a Trump administration official told The Washington Times on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ , the official said , the president will , among other things , display obituaries @ @ @ @ @ voted .
Axios first reported the details of the legal strategy , including the Trump @ @ @ @ @ announce its recount teams in key states this week .
The demands for recounts and @ @ @ @ @ irregularities is likely to step up this week — vote-counting is expected to finish this @ @ @ @ @ Joseph R. Biden is projected as having won That litigation will be at the center @ @ @ @ @ as the Trump campaign plans to present publicly the evidence it has of voting fraud @ @ @ @ @

Those massive Trump campaign rallies will continue even after the election.
President Trump plans to hold them as part of his legal strategy to contest the election results, a Trump administration official told The Washington Times on Sunday evening.
At the rallies, the official said, the president will, among other things, display obituaries of people recorded as having voted.
Axios first reported the details of the legal strategy, including the Trump team’s plans to announce its recount teams in key states this week.
The demands for recounts and legal filings charging fraud and irregularities is likely to step up this week — vote-counting is expected to finish this week and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden is projected as having won.
That litigation will be at the center of the planned rallies, as the Trump campaign plans to present publicly the evidence it has of voting fraud, the official said.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Alabama man gets 17 years on federal armed robbery charges

An Alabama man was sentenced to nearly two decades in federal prison in a string of armed robberies that took place during the span of one week , according to prosecutors .
DeGregory Deon Lee , 24 , was found guilty this month of committing 10 robberies across Montgomery in October 2016 , Al.com reported , citing an announcement from Middle District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell .
The robberies happened at a number of businesses , including multiple restaurants , a convenience store , a hotel and a health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee was accused of using a gun and pointing it at victims during the robberies , officials said .
He pleaded guilty in November 2019 and was sentenced this month to 17 years in prison , three years of supervised release and was also ordered to pay nearly $ 7,000 in restitution to the victims , the announcement said .
A co-defendant , Diamond Markayla Mathis , 24 , was also accused of involvement in six of the robberies , Al.com reported .
Prosecutors said she sprayed one victim with pepper spray and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February to 11 years in prison .

An Alabama man was sentenced to nearly two decades in federal prison in a string of armed robberies that took place during the span of one week, according to prosecutors.
DeGregory Deon Lee, 24, was found guilty this month of committing 10 robberies across Montgomery in October 2016, Al.com reported, citing an announcement from Middle District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell.
The robberies happened at a number of businesses, including multiple restaurants, a convenience store, a hotel and a health services store, according to prosecutors. Lee was accused of using a gun and pointing it at victims during the robberies, officials said.
He pleaded guilty in November 2019 and was sentenced this month to 17 years in prison, three years of supervised release and was also ordered to pay nearly $7,000 in restitution to the victims, the announcement said.
A co-defendant, Diamond Markayla Mathis, 24, was also accused of involvement in six of the robberies, Al.com reported. Prosecutors said she sprayed one victim with pepper spray and struck another. She was sentenced in February to 11 years in prison.


washingtontimes--2020-11-08--Pedestrian fatally dragged by shoplifting suspects in U-Haul

SUWANEE , Ga. ( AP ) - Police in Georgia are searching for two suspects accused of fatally dragging a @ @ @ @ @ while trying to escape from an alleged shoplifting incident .
Suwannee police were called to @ @ @ @ @ p.m. Saturday where witnesses reported seeing two men shoplifting from the store then running into @ @ @ @ @ outlets reported .
Witnesses told investigators the suspects got into a U-Haul van with Arizona @ @ @ @ @ , the agency said .
The victim was dragged into the street and was killed @ @ @ @ @ pedestrian was not immediately identified .
Police said it was not clear where the suspects @ @ @ @ @ anyone with information to contact authorities .

SUWANEE, Ga. (AP) - Police in Georgia are searching for two suspects accused of fatally dragging a pedestrian behind a U-Haul van while trying to escape from an alleged shoplifting incident.
Suwannee police were called to a Walmart at around 9 p.m. Saturday where witnesses reported seeing two men shoplifting from the store then running into the parking lot, news outlets reported.
Witnesses told investigators the suspects got into a U-Haul van with Arizona tags and hit a pedestrian, the agency said. The victim was dragged into the street and was killed, police said.
The pedestrian was not immediately identified.
Police said it was not clear where the suspects were headed. Officials asked anyone with information to contact authorities.


washingtontimes--2020-11-09--School district resumes in-person classes amid pushback

CHESTERFIELD , Va. ( AP ) - The final cohort of students in a Virginia school district will begin in-person classes Monday amid pushback from teachers and staff about the decision .
About 34,000 middle school and high school students from Chesterfield County Public Schools will be separated in two groups for the in-person classes .
One group will meet on Mondays and Tuesdays , while the second group is scheduled to meet Thursdays and Fridays , WRIC-TV reported .
Students are scheduled to have virtual classes on Wednesdays .
Families also have the choice of keeping their children entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the school system had previously resumed in-person classes , but a recent survey of the school district ’ s staff showed that nearly 900 staff members felt “ uneasy ” about more students heading back to the classroom .
The school district said they are working with employees to reiterate their “ commitment to a safe and working learning environment , ” but Emma Clarke , a middle school teacher , said the district is “ willfully ignoring the thoughts and feelings of their staff members.
” There have been 50 confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contractor and a visitor since September , the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported .

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) - The final cohort of students in a Virginia school district will begin in-person classes Monday amid pushback from teachers and staff about the decision.
About 34,000 middle school and high school students from Chesterfield County Public Schools will be separated in two groups for the in-person classes. One group will meet on Mondays and Tuesdays, while the second group is scheduled to meet Thursdays and Fridays, WRIC-TV reported.
Students are scheduled to have virtual classes on Wednesdays. Families also have the choice of keeping their children entirely in virtual learning.
About 28,600 students from the school system had previously resumed in-person classes, but a recent survey of the school district’s staff showed that nearly 900 staff members felt “uneasy” about more students heading back to the classroom.
The school district said they are working with employees to reiterate their “commitment to a safe and working learning environment,” but Emma Clarke, a middle school teacher, said the district is “willfully ignoring the thoughts and feelings of their staff members.”
There have been 50 confirmed coronavirus cases among school employees, a contractor and a visitor since September, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.


washingtontimes--2020-11-09--Prosecutor in Alabama indicted on multiple charges

OPELIKA , Ala. ( AP ) - An east Alabama prosecutor was indicted on five felony charges of using his office for personal gain by allegedly using his position to benefit his family and conspiring to steal a pickup truck , the state said Monday .
Lee County District Attorney Brandon M. Hughes was charged with ethics violations , perjury and conspiracy to commit theft , Attorney General Steve Marshall ’ s office said in a statement .
Hughes was charged with illegally hiring his three children to work for his office and paying private lawyers with public funds to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his wife , according to the statement .
He was also charged with issuing a subpoena to a company to gather evidence for his own potential defense .
The state said Hughes also allegedly tried to steal a 1985 Ford Ranger pickup truck from a business in neighboring Chambers County by hatching a plan to use a search warrant to to make a business give up the vehicle .
Hughes , who also was accused of lying to a special grand jury , surrendered at the Lee County jail on Sunday afternoon and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news outlets reported .
Hughes , who did not immediately comment publicly on the case , told the Opelika-Auburn News he would release a statement Monday .
Elected in 2016 , Hughes previously said he had reported a possible ethics violation to the Alabama Ethics Commission , which decided in April to refer the matter to the state .
Hughes denied doing anything wrong intentionally at the time , although its unclear whether the indictment related to the referral .
” I want to be clear that I have never , not once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my 18 years as a prosecutor , ” he said .
“ I have always put doing what is right above all else in my career .
”

OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) - An east Alabama prosecutor was indicted on multiple charges of using his office for personal gain by allegedly using his position to benefit his family and conspiring to steal a pickup truck, the state said Monday.
Lee County District Attorney Brandon M. Hughes was charged with ethics violations, perjury and conspiracy to commit theft, Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office said in a statement.
Hughes previously has denied intentionally breaking any laws. Richard White, Hughes’ defense attorney, told WSFA that while he couldn’t speak to the specific counts, his client is innocent and looking for to his day in court.
Hughes was charged with illegally hiring his three children to work for his office and paying private lawyers with public funds to settle a matter that helped him and his wife, according to the statement. He was also charged with issuing a subpoena to a company to gather evidence for his own potential defense.
The state said Hughes also allegedly tried to steal a 1985 Ford Ranger pickup truck from a business in neighboring Chambers County by hatching a plan to use a search warrant to to make a business give up the vehicle.
Hughes, who also was accused of lying to a special grand jury, surrendered at the Lee County jail on Sunday afternoon and was released on $31,000 bond, news outlets reported.
He also was charged with one count of perjury in Montgomery County. Prosecutors said he lied to the Alabama Ethics Commission during its investigation.
Hughes, who did not immediately comment publicly on the case, told the Opelika-Auburn News he would release a statement Monday.
Elected in 2016, Hughes previously said he had reported a possible ethics violation to the Alabama Ethics Commission, which decided in April to refer the matter to the state. Hughes denied doing anything wrong intentionally at the time, although it is unclear whether the indictment related to the referral.
”I want to be clear that I have never, not once, knowingly violated any ethical standard in my 18 years as a prosecutor,” he said. “I have always put doing what is right above all else in my career.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-09--Putin won't congratulate Biden until legal action resolved

MOSCOW ( AP ) - Russian President Vladimir Putin won ’ t congratulate President-elect Joe Biden until legal challenges to the U.S. election are resolved and the result is official , the Kremlin announced Monday .
Putin is one of a handful of world leaders who have not commented on Biden ’ s victory , which was called by major news organizations on Saturday .
But President Donald Trump ’ s team has promised legal action in the coming days and refused to concede his loss , while alleging large-scale voter fraud , so far without proof .
When Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in offering congratulations - but Trump ’ s challenger in that election , Hillary Clinton , also conceded the day after the vote .
Putin ’ s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that this year is different .
“ Obviously , you can see that certain legal procedures are coming there , which were announced by the incumbent president - therefore this situation is different , so we consider it correct to wait for the official announcement , ” he said .
The leaders of China , Brazil and Turkey also are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also said he would wait to comment until the legal challenges over the vote were resolved .
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday offered a similar explanation of why President Xi Jinping has stayed silent .
“ We understand the presidential election result will be determined following U.S. laws and procedures , ” he said .
Peskov suggested that when the time comes , a congratulations message from Putin would come with all the expected protocol .
“ I remind you that Vladimir Putin said more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice of American people , and will be ready to work with any chosen president of the United States , ” he said .
For now , Putin ’ s holding back allows a delay in addressing that fraught question of how to improve relations .
Although Russian politicians widely lauded Trump ’ s election in 2016 , expecting him to make good on his promises of improving relations , his administration disappointed Moscow by enacting sanctions , expelling scores of Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of double agent Sergei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine .
But Russia is characteristically wary of Democratic U.S. administrations because they tend to be more forward about criticizing Russia on human rights and democracy issues .
Biden , in a 2011 trip to Russia while vice president , epitomized that approach in a speech at Moscow Statue University , the country ’ s most prestigious higher education institute .
“ Don ’ t compromise on the basic elements of democracy .
You need not make that Faustian bargain , ” he told students .

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t congratulate President-elect Joe Biden until legal challenges to the U.S. election are resolved and the result is official, the Kremlin announced Monday.
Putin is one of a handful of world leaders who have not commented on Biden’s victory, which was called by major news organizations on Saturday. But President Donald Trump’s team has promised legal action in the coming days and refused to concede his loss, while alleging large-scale voter fraud, so far without proof.
When Trump won in 2016, Putin was prompt in offering congratulations - but Trump’s challenger in that election, Hillary Clinton, also conceded the day after the vote. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that this year is different.
“Obviously, you can see that certain legal procedures are coming there, which were announced by the incumbent president - therefore this situation is different, so we consider it correct to wait for the official announcement,” he said.
The leaders of China, Brazil and Turkey also are holdouts in offering congratulations. And Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also said he would wait to comment until the legal challenges over the vote were resolved.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Monday offered a similar explanation of why President Xi Jinping has stayed silent.
“We understand the presidential election result will be determined following U.S. laws and procedures,” he said.
Peskov suggested that when the time comes, a congratulations message from Putin would come with all the expected protocol.
“I remind you that Vladimir Putin said more than once that he will respect any choice of American people, and will be ready to work with any chosen president of the United States,” he said.
For now, Putin’s holding back allows a delay in addressing that fraught question of how to improve relations. Although Russian politicians widely lauded Trump’s election in 2016, expecting him to make good on his promises of improving relations, his administration disappointed Moscow by enacting sanctions, expelling scores of Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal and authorizing lethal weapons sales to Ukraine.
But Russia is characteristically wary of Democratic U.S. administrations because they tend to be more forward about criticizing Russia on human rights and democracy issues.
Biden, in a 2011 trip to Russia while vice president, epitomized that approach in a speech at Moscow Statue University, the country’s most prestigious higher education institute.
“Don’t compromise on the basic elements of democracy. You need not make that Faustian bargain,” he told students.


washingtontimes--2020-11-09--Bridge over Kansas River in Topeka closed because of fire

TOPEKA , Kan. ( AP ) - Officials shut down a bridge Monday that spans the Kansas River in Topeka @ @ @ @ @ it .
The Sardou Bridge that connects north Topeka to the Oakland neighborhood is closed @ @ @ @ @ station KSNT reported .
Firefighters were called to the bridge just before 2 a.m. Monday @ @ @ @ @ east end of the bridge , police said .
Officials have not indicated how the @ @ @ @ @ the blaze , but the bridge will remain closed until officials can determine it is @ @ @ @

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Officials shut down a bridge Monday that spans the Kansas River in Topeka after a fire erupted underneath it.
The Sardou Bridge that connects north Topeka to the Oakland neighborhood is closed until further notice, televisions station KSNT reported. Firefighters were called to the bridge just before 2 a.m. Monday for a blaze under the east end of the bridge, police said.
Officials have not indicated how the fire started.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the bridge will remain closed until officials can determine it is safe to use.


washingtontimes--2020-11-09--Cities return to normal after no widespread election violence reported

U.S. cities are taking steps to return to normal after fears of widespread post-election civil unrest turned out to be unfounded .
Officials and law enforcement across the country took drastic steps to protect businesses and other venues , fearing outrage over the election results could surpass the violence witnessed during the summer ’ s racial justice protests .
In some cities , businesses and restaurants boarded up their doors and windows in anticipation of riots and unrest .
But no unrest followed the election with several media outlets calling the race for presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to normal In Washington , D.C. , the mayor ’ s office asked downtown businesses to take down the plywood they used to board up windows and doors .
“ Given our threat environment , they should take down all the boards , ” Christopher Rodriguez , the city ’ s director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management , told reporters Sunday .
City officials said there is no indication there will be any violence and will put out containers for businesses to throw away their boards .
Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required the Oregon State Police and the Multnomah County Sheriff ’ s Office to command the response to any violent election protests in Portland .
The executive order was set to expire at 5 p.m. Sunday , but Ms. Brown ended it more than five hours early because the response to Mr. Biden ’ s win had been peaceful .
“ I would like to thank Oregonians for expressing their free speech rights largely through joyful celebrations yesterday , ” Ms. Brown said in a statement Sunday .
“ I ’ d also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and state law enforcement officers , as well as the Oregon National Guard volunteers , who worked over the past several days and nights to keep the peace and protect free speech in Portland.
” Portland has endured more than 100 nights of protests since the summer ’ s racial justice .
Although the city has been peaceful since Sunday , there was plenty of chaos ahead of the election results .
On Thursday , agitators vandalized a city commissioner ’ s house and set fire to city hall .

U.S. cities are taking steps to return to normal after fears of widespread post-election civil unrest turned out to be unfounded.
Officials and law enforcement across the country took drastic steps to protect businesses and other venues, fearing outrage over the election results could surpass the violence witnessed during the summer’s racial justice protests.
In some cities, businesses and restaurants boarded up their doors and windows in anticipation of riots and unrest.
But no unrest followed the election with several media outlets calling the race for presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden on Saturday.
Now cities are preparing to return to normal
In Washington, D.C., the mayor’s office asked downtown businesses to take down the plywood they used to board up windows and doors.
“Given our threat environment, they should take down all the boards,” Christopher Rodriguez, the city’s director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, told reporters Sunday.
City officials said there is no indication there will be any violence and will put out containers for businesses to throw away their boards.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Sunday rescinded an executive order that required the Oregon State Police and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office to command the response to any violent election protests in Portland.
The executive order was set to expire at 5 p.m. Sunday, but Ms. Brown ended it more than five hours early because the response to Mr. Biden’s win had been peaceful.
“I would like to thank Oregonians for expressing their free speech rights largely through joyful celebrations yesterday,” Ms. Brown said in a statement Sunday. “I’d also like to thank the city, county, and state law enforcement officers, as well as the Oregon National Guard volunteers, who worked over the past several days and nights to keep the peace and protect free speech in Portland.”
Portland has endured more than 100 nights of protests since the summer’s racial justice.
Although the city has been peaceful since Sunday, there was plenty of chaos ahead of the election results. On Thursday, agitators vandalized a city commissioner’s house and set fire to city hall.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.