washingtontimes--2020-08-20--Latin American policy, immigration loom as Trump-Biden flash point

U.S. policy toward Latin America is having an outsized impact on the election , as Democrat Joseph R. Biden woos Hispanic voters in key swings states by vowing to reverse President Trump ’ s hardline immigration policies and offer refuge for some 200,000 Venezuelans who have fled to the U.S. With the exception of Mr. Trump ’ s NAFTA renegotiation , which Mr. Biden and other Democrats have backed , the two candidates differ almost across the board on issues tied to the region , with the former vice president likely to seek a return to Obama-era rapprochement with Cuba @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , and push fighting climate change as a hemispheric rallying point .
But analysts say immigration looms as the flash point issue .
In addition to giving “ temporary protected status ” for Venezuelans , the Biden campaign says it would immediately reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children illegally , and establish a pathway to some form of legal status for more than 10 million people .
A number of central and South American countries have spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration ’ s hard lines on immigration and trade , taking umbrage with a variety of issues including Mr. Trump ’ s wall building , his methods in cracking down on refugees and illegal border crossings .
“ The immigration issue resonates across Latin America , ” said Michael Shifter , who heads the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue think tank and teaches at Georgetown University .
“ The whole ‘ children in cages ’ and family separation issue , all those images , were very powerful and distressing to Latin Americans.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ tremendous outrage ” in several countries that has “ eroded good will toward the United States and set back U.S. relationships.
” Some say the ill feelings have hampered a key Trump objective in the region — curbing rising Chinese and Russian influence in the hemisphere and confronting leftist authoritarian regimes in Venezuela , Cuba and Nicaragua .
“ U.S .
soft power in the region has taken a serious hit under Trump because of his bad treatment of immigrants and because of his denial of climate change , ” said Christopher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London-based think tank Chatham House .
“ Latin Americans see Trump ’ s border wall as a symbolic middle finger not just to immigrants but to the region as a whole , and this matters on things like China , ” said Mr. Sabatini .
“ It essentially neuters the president ’ s ability to build truly trustworthy alliances around U.S. national interests such as that of countering China ’ s rise in the region.
” “ As a result , most of our countering China policy in the region amounts to finger-wagging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Mr. Trump took office , Washington has struggled to deliver an effective alternative for investment-starved Latin American countries to state-backed , low-interest development loans from China — loans that can come with significant political strings .
In 2017 , Mr. Trump signed into law consolidating a key credit agency of the U.S. Agency for International Development with a newly revitalized Overseas Private Investment Corporation to boost overseas U.S. development financing .
The catch , according to Mr. Sabatini , is that the funding vehicle hasn ’ t yet delivered in volumes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Latin American development projects , such as bridges and railroads and the expanded Panama Canal .
Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have had their successes beyond NAFTA — Venezuela is isolated and bankrupt due in large part to U.S. sanctions , relations with new leftist Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador have been unexpectedly warm , and Central American nations have signed on to a new regime to accept their nationals caught trying to cross into the U.S. illegally .
In the Trump administration ’ s ill-fated push at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military sanctions on Iran , the lone vote in support at the Security Council was cast by the Dominican Republic .
A Biden administration would be widely expected to use U.S. aid and financial clout to pressure Latin American and other nations into aligning with his climate change agenda .
His campaign website vows that a President Biden would ensure that OPIC and other U.S. lending arms “ significantly reduce the carbon footprints of their portfolios.
” But Mr. Biden may face trouble just where Mr. Trump has found some unexpected allies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pro-market leaders .
Exhibit A : Mr. Bolsonaro .
Known as the “ Trump of the Tropics , ” Mr. Bolsonaro ran on a boldly pro-American and pro-Trump platform in 2018 , even emulating Mr. Trump in style and rhetorical tone .
Both countries have been staggered by the coronavirus crisis , but at a presidential level , Mr. Trump had clearly bolstered ties with what is by far the Latin America ’ s most powerful economy .
Mr. Trump last year designated Brazil a “ major non-NATO ally , ” allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pursue deeper military-to-military coordination with Washington .
“ The Trump and Bolsonaro administrations seem to be mutually supportive , and that goes to the heart of things like building the economic relationship , as well as defense and space cooperation , ” said Eric Farnsworth , vice president of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society .
“ These are things that have , on a bipartisan basis , been on the U.S. agenda for a long time.
” The relationship is likely to take a hit if Mr. Biden wins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Another obvious area of difference is Cuba .
Mr. Trump moved swiftly in 2017 to re-impose limits on U.S. travel to Cuba that the Obama administration had loosened as part of its historic detente with the Communist Caribbean leadership .
The Trump administration has also increased the number of Cubans deported from the U.S. tenfold , according to The Associated Press .
“ The Biden people — and many are the same literally as were in the Obama administration — want to reverse Trump ’ s Cuba policy , ” said Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be less punitive to Cuba , ” the argument goes , “ it would help the U.S. engaged more positively with other countries in the region.
” But Mr. Farnsworth added he was skeptical , noting that Latin American countries — like nearly all others around the world — generally pursue their own interests whether they agree with a particular U.S. policy or not .
He added that the past four years have demonstrated the region ’ s willingness to work with Mr. Trump as a “ very transactional ” U.S. leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the few countries to join the U.S. in relocating its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem .
While Mr. Farnsworth said there is no proof of a quid pro quo , the Trump administration was noticeably quiet when Guatemala subsequently closed a U.N.-backed anti-corruption commission , to heavy criticism from private rights groups .
More broadly , analysts said , Mr. Trump ’ s Latin American policy — even on issues such as drugs , transnational crime and terrorism — was viewed heavily through the lens of immigration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with instability in the North Triangle countries of Guatemala , El Salvador and Honduras specifically to win concessions on immigration .
A President Biden will clearly be looking through a very different lens , and his campaign website even highlights a $ 750 million aid package to those countries Mr. Biden helped pass when he was vice president .
“ The Trump administration has delayed , reduced , or diverted assistance to Central America — a counterproductive policy that has been rejected by congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle , ” @ @ @ @

U.S. policy toward Latin America is having an outsized impact on the election, as Democrat Joseph R. Biden woos Hispanic voters in key swings states by vowing to reverse President Trump’s hardline immigration policies and offer refuge for some 200,000 Venezuelans who have fled to the U.S.
With the exception of Mr. Trump’s NAFTA renegotiation, which Mr. Biden and other Democrats have backed, the two candidates differ almost across the board on issues tied to the region, with the former vice president likely to seek a return to Obama-era rapprochement with Cuba, move away from conservative populists like Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and push fighting climate change as a hemispheric rallying point.
But analysts say immigration looms as the flash point issue.
In addition to giving “temporary protected status” for Venezuelans, the Biden campaign says it would immediately reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children illegally, and establish a pathway to some form of legal status for more than 10 million people.
A number of central and South American countries have spent the past three years bristling at the Trump administration’s hard lines on immigration and trade, taking umbrage with a variety of issues including Mr. Trump’s wall building, his methods in cracking down on refugees and illegal border crossings.
“The immigration issue resonates across Latin America,” said Michael Shifter, who heads the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue think tank and teaches at Georgetown University. “The whole ‘children in cages’ and family separation issue, all those images, were very powerful and distressing to Latin Americans.”
The result, he said, has been “tremendous outrage” in several countries that has “eroded good will toward the United States and set back U.S. relationships.”
Some say the ill feelings have hampered a key Trump objective in the region — curbing rising Chinese and Russian influence in the hemisphere and confronting leftist authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.
“U.S. soft power in the region has taken a serious hit under Trump because of his bad treatment of immigrants and because of his denial of climate change,” said Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow with the London-based think tank Chatham House.
“Latin Americans see Trump’s border wall as a symbolic middle finger not just to immigrants but to the region as a whole, and this matters on things like China,” said Mr. Sabatini. “It essentially neuters the president’s ability to build truly trustworthy alliances around U.S. national interests such as that of countering China’s rise in the region.”
“As a result, most of our countering China policy in the region amounts to finger-wagging,” Mr. Sabatini added.
Even before Mr. Trump took office, Washington has struggled to deliver an effective alternative for investment-starved Latin American countries to state-backed, low-interest development loans from China — loans that can come with significant political strings.
In 2017, Mr. Trump signed into law consolidating a key credit agency of the U.S. Agency for International Development with a newly revitalized Overseas Private Investment Corporation to boost overseas U.S. development financing.
The catch, according to Mr. Sabatini, is that the funding vehicle hasn’t yet delivered in volumes that could counter China as the go-to funder of Latin American development projects, such as bridges and railroads and the expanded Panama Canal.
Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have had their successes beyond NAFTA — Venezuela is isolated and bankrupt due in large part to U.S. sanctions, relations with new leftist Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador have been unexpectedly warm, and Central American nations have signed on to a new regime to accept their nationals caught trying to cross into the U.S. illegally.
In the Trump administration’s ill-fated push at the United Nations last week to extend military sanctions on Iran, the lone vote in support at the Security Council was cast by the Dominican Republic.
A Biden break
A Biden administration would be widely expected to use U.S. aid and financial clout to pressure Latin American and other nations into aligning with his climate change agenda. His campaign website vows that a President Biden would ensure that OPIC and other U.S. lending arms “significantly reduce the carbon footprints of their portfolios.”
But Mr. Biden may face trouble just where Mr. Trump has found some unexpected allies, including a crop of more socially conservative, pro-market leaders. Exhibit A: Mr. Bolsonaro.
Known as the “Trump of the Tropics,” Mr. Bolsonaro ran on a boldly pro-American and pro-Trump platform in 2018, even emulating Mr. Trump in style and rhetorical tone. Both countries have been staggered by the coronavirus crisis, but at a presidential level, Mr. Trump had clearly bolstered ties with what is by far the Latin America’s most powerful economy.
Mr. Trump last year designated Brazil a “major non-NATO ally,” allowing Brasilia to purchase more sophisticated U.S. weapons and pursue deeper military-to-military coordination with Washington.
“The Trump and Bolsonaro administrations seem to be mutually supportive, and that goes to the heart of things like building the economic relationship, as well as defense and space cooperation,” said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society. “These are things that have, on a bipartisan basis, been on the U.S. agenda for a long time.”
The relationship is likely to take a hit if Mr. Biden wins in November, according to Mr. Farnsworth.
Another obvious area of difference is Cuba.
Mr. Trump moved swiftly in 2017 to re-impose limits on U.S. travel to Cuba that the Obama administration had loosened as part of its historic detente with the Communist Caribbean leadership. The Trump administration has also increased the number of Cubans deported from the U.S. tenfold, according to The Associated Press.
“The Biden people — and many are the same literally as were in the Obama administration — want to reverse Trump’s Cuba policy,” said Mr. Farnsworth. If Washington is “seen to be less punitive to Cuba,” the argument goes, “it would help the U.S. engaged more positively with other countries in the region.”
But Mr. Farnsworth added he was skeptical, noting that Latin American countries — like nearly all others around the world — generally pursue their own interests whether they agree with a particular U.S. policy or not.
He added that the past four years have demonstrated the region’s willingness to work with Mr. Trump as a “very transactional” U.S. leader. Guatemala, he noted, was one of the few countries to join the U.S. in relocating its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
While Mr. Farnsworth said there is no proof of a quid pro quo, the Trump administration was noticeably quiet when Guatemala subsequently closed a U.N.-backed anti-corruption commission, to heavy criticism from private rights groups.
More broadly, analysts said, Mr. Trump’s Latin American policy — even on issues such as drugs, transnational crime and terrorism — was viewed heavily through the lens of immigration. The administration held up aid to deal with instability in the North Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras specifically to win concessions on immigration.
A President Biden will clearly be looking through a very different lens, and his campaign website even highlights a $750 million aid package to those countries Mr. Biden helped pass when he was vice president.
“The Trump administration has delayed, reduced, or diverted assistance to Central America — a counterproductive policy that has been rejected by congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle,” the website says.
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-20--Goodyear backs off 'Blue Lives Matter' ban after Trump calls for boycott

Goodyear has partially backed off a diversity-training session that drew accusations of a political double standard and calls by President Trump for a boycott of the iconic American company ’ s tires .
In a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday , Goodyear Chairman and CEO Rich Kramer said that apparel supporting law enforcement is acceptable and blamed an unnamed employee at the Topeka , Kansas , plant for the slide that became a national political topic earlier this week .
The diversity-training slide , first reported by Topeka TV station WIBW , listed under the headline “ zero tolerance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support , including the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ community .
Listed as unacceptable included “ Blue Lives Matter , ” “ All Lives Matter , ” “ MAGA Attire , ” and “ Political Affiliated Slogans or Material.
” Mr. Kramer said Thursday evening that the slide “ was not approved or distributed by Goodyear Corporate or anyone outside of that facility.
” He said Goodyear has clarified its policy to inform employees that they can “ express support for law enforcement through apparel at Goodyear facilities.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks associates to refrain from workplace expressions in support of any candidate or political party.
” Mr. Kramer noted in his statement that the company , which saw its stock drop 6 % Wednesday after Mr. Trump ’ s call for Americans not to buy Goodyear tires , does a considerable amount of business with law enforcement and other first-responders .
“ Goodyear strongly supports our law enforcement partners and deeply appreciates all they do to put their lives on the line each and every day for our communities .
We have proudly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more than 100 years and that relationship is foundational to our company , ” he said .
Mr. Trump had noted the double standard in calling “ Black Lives Matter ” acceptable speech but MAGA hats and “ Blue Lives Matter ” apparel unacceptable .
“ When they say that you can ’ t have Blue Lives Matter , you can ’ t show a blue line , you can ’ t wear a MAGA hat , but you can have other things that are Marxist in nature , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said at the White House on Wednesday .

Goodyear has partially backed off a diversity-training session that drew accusations of a political double standard and calls by President Trump for a boycott of the iconic American company’s tires.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday, Goodyear Chairman and CEO Rich Kramer said that apparel supporting law enforcement is acceptable and blamed an unnamed employee at the Topeka, Kansas, plant for the slide that became a national political topic earlier this week.
A message from Rich Kramer: By now, you are aware of a visual from our Topeka factory that has been circulating in the media. I want to personally clear the record on what you are seeing and hearing. pic.twitter.com/UqqFeFQn6t — Goodyear (@goodyear) August 20, 2020
The diversity-training slide, first reported by Topeka TV station WIBW, listed under the headline “zero tolerance,” several groups it considered acceptable to support, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ community. Listed as unacceptable included “Blue Lives Matter,” “All Lives Matter,” “MAGA Attire,” and “Political Affiliated Slogans or Material.”
Mr. Kramer said Thursday evening that the slide “was not approved or distributed by Goodyear Corporate or anyone outside of that facility.”
He said Goodyear has clarified its policy to inform employees that they can “express support for law enforcement through apparel at Goodyear facilities.”
He also said that the company also “asks associates to refrain from workplace expressions in support of any candidate or political party.”
Mr. Kramer noted in his statement that the company, which saw its stock drop 6% Wednesday after Mr. Trump’s call for Americans not to buy Goodyear tires, does a considerable amount of business with law enforcement and other first-responders.
“Goodyear strongly supports our law enforcement partners and deeply appreciates all they do to put their lives on the line each and every day for our communities. We have proudly supplied tires to police and fire personnel for more than 100 years and that relationship is foundational to our company,” he said.
Mr. Trump had noted the double standard in calling “Black Lives Matter” acceptable speech but MAGA hats and “Blue Lives Matter” apparel unacceptable.
“When they say that you can’t have Blue Lives Matter, you can’t show a blue line, you can’t wear a MAGA hat, but you can have other things that are Marxist in nature, there’s something wrong with the top of Goodyear,” he said at the White House on Wednesday.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-20--Dozens of California elementary schools allowed to reopen

Dozens of California elementary schools have been approved to reopen with in-person instruction under special waivers approved by health officials in counties that were placed on a state monitoring list because of high numbers of coronavirus infections .
State health authorities haven ’ t said how many have been approved statewide .
But data from San Diego and Orange counties on Thursday showed together they have had 50 schools approved , all of them private and mostly religious , along with two small public school districts .
And a small public school in rural San Bernardino County that was first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
Dr. Clayton Chau , Orange County ’ s acting health officer , said he has trepidation about allowing children back into the classroom but knows keeping them home takes an emotional toll and that online instruction isn ’ t optimal for their educational growth .
He implored adults to wear masks , practice physical distancing and wash their hands to keep the community ’ s children safe as they return to classrooms .
“ I wake up every night in the middle of the night and the first thing that comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing our children back for in-person education .
Do I have fear and anxiety ?
Of course I do , ” Chau told reporters .
“ I don ’ t think it is too much to ask the adults in the community to do this.
” Danyelle Knight , a spokeswoman for Fairmont Schools in Orange County , said students started the academic year online this week .
With the waiver , the school will welcome those who opt for in-person instruction back to campus next Wednesday while continuing to offer online learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We know some families aren ’ t going to feel comfortable because of whatever their issues may be , whether it ’ s health problems or elderly folks in the home , ” Knight said .
“ But we ’ re able to offer both options again , which is what we intended to do from the beginning.
” The Lucerne Valley Unified School District was the first and so far only waiver approved in San Bernardino County .
Most of the students at the district ’ s lone elementary school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them splitting time between classroom and at-home instruction while the rest will continue only distance learning .
Students have their temperatures checked before entering school and their classrooms have sneeze guards separating desks .
Personal water bottles are being given to pupils so they don ’ t have to use water fountains , Principal Ricky Anderson said .
“ Having them come in even though it ’ s only two days a week is huge , and our teachers saw that too , ” said Superintendent Peter Livingston told KABC-TV in Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules last month that would keep nearly all the state ’ s K-12 schools closed for classroom instruction at the start of this academic year .
He said schools in counties on the state ’ s monitoring list can ’ t resume in-person learning until their county is off the list for 14 consecutive days .
But he created a waiver process to let elementary schools seek to reopen sooner .
School officials must create a safety plan and show there is support from teachers and parents to reopen and then win approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Only kindergarten through 6th-grade students are eligible because it ’ s believed older students are more apt to contract and spread the virus .
Chau said two dozen private schools were approved so far in his county , along with the Los Alamitos Unified School District , which has 3,500 elementary schoolchildren .
In neighboring San Diego County , 26 individual schools have been approved , along with the Rancho Santa Fe School District , which operates two schools on a single site - one for elementary children and the other for middle-schoolers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s monitoring list have also been receiving waiver applications , including Marin and Kern .
Santa Clara County said it approved some , but it did not say how many or whether they also were approved by the state .
Others are not taking waiver applications , including Alameda in the San Francisco Bay Area .
“ We will consider implementing a process adapted to Alameda County elementary schools when local indicators improve and in alignment with the state ’ s guidance , ” said Neetu Balram , a spokesperson for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Diego County , the state ’ s second largest with about 3.3 million residents , is among four counties that came off the monitoring list this week .
Neighboring Orange County , the state ’ s third-largest with a population of 3.2 million , has seen its virus cases fall and could come off soon .
Los Angeles , San Bernardino and virtually every other large county remains on the list .

Dozens of California elementary schools have been approved to reopen with in-person instruction under special waivers approved by health officials in counties that were placed on a state monitoring list because of high numbers of coronavirus infections.
State health authorities haven’t said how many have been approved statewide. But data from San Diego and Orange counties on Thursday showed together they have had 50 schools approved, all of them private and mostly religious, along with two small public school districts.
And a small public school in rural San Bernardino County that was first approved last week opened its classrooms on Thursday.
Dr. Clayton Chau, Orange County’s acting health officer, said he has trepidation about allowing children back into the classroom but knows keeping them home takes an emotional toll and that online instruction isn’t optimal for their educational growth. He implored adults to wear masks, practice physical distancing and wash their hands to keep the community’s children safe as they return to classrooms.
“I wake up every night in the middle of the night and the first thing that comes to my mind is this business of bringing our children back for in-person education. Do I have fear and anxiety? Of course I do,” Chau told reporters. “I don’t think it is too much to ask the adults in the community to do this.”
Danyelle Knight, a spokeswoman for Fairmont Schools in Orange County, said students started the academic year online this week. With the waiver, the school will welcome those who opt for in-person instruction back to campus next Wednesday while continuing to offer online learning to those who prefer to stay home.
“We know some families aren’t going to feel comfortable because of whatever their issues may be, whether it’s health problems or elderly folks in the home,” Knight said. “But we’re able to offer both options again, which is what we intended to do from the beginning.”
The Lucerne Valley Unified School District was the first and so far only waiver approved in San Bernardino County. Most of the students at the district’s lone elementary school opted for a hybrid model that has them splitting time between classroom and at-home instruction while the rest will continue only distance learning.
Students have their temperatures checked before entering school and their classrooms have sneeze guards separating desks. Personal water bottles are being given to pupils so they don’t have to use water fountains, Principal Ricky Anderson said.
“Having them come in even though it’s only two days a week is huge, and our teachers saw that too,” said Superintendent Peter Livingston told KABC-TV in Los Angeles.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued rules last month that would keep nearly all the state’s K-12 schools closed for classroom instruction at the start of this academic year. He said schools in counties on the state’s monitoring list can’t resume in-person learning until their county is off the list for 14 consecutive days. But he created a waiver process to let elementary schools seek to reopen sooner.
School officials must create a safety plan and show there is support from teachers and parents to reopen and then win approval from county and state health officials. Only kindergarten through 6th-grade students are eligible because it’s believed older students are more apt to contract and spread the virus.
Chau said two dozen private schools were approved so far in his county, along with the Los Alamitos Unified School District, which has 3,500 elementary schoolchildren. In neighboring San Diego County, 26 individual schools have been approved, along with the Rancho Santa Fe School District, which operates two schools on a single site - one for elementary children and the other for middle-schoolers.
Some other counties on the state’s monitoring list have also been receiving waiver applications, including Marin and Kern. Santa Clara County said it approved some, but it did not say how many or whether they also were approved by the state.
Others are not taking waiver applications, including Alameda in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“We will consider implementing a process adapted to Alameda County elementary schools when local indicators improve and in alignment with the state’s guidance,” said Neetu Balram, a spokesperson for the county’s public health department.
San Diego County, the state’s second largest with about 3.3 million residents, is among four counties that came off the monitoring list this week. Neighboring Orange County, the state’s third-largest with a population of 3.2 million, has seen its virus cases fall and could come off soon.
Los Angeles, San Bernardino and virtually every other large county remains on the list.


washingtontimes--2020-08-20--Wisconsin keeps Kanye West off ballot

Wisconsin keeps Kanye West off ballot

MADISON , Wis. — Wisconsin election officials decided Thursday to keep rapper Kanye West off the battleground state ’ s presidential ballot in November because his campaign turned his nomination papers in minutes after the deadline .
West announced in July he ’ s running for president on a ticket he calls the “ Birthday Party.
” West has since been gathering signatures to get on the ballot in several states .
Democrats allege that Republicans are pushing West ’ s candidacy in several swing states to siphon Black votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden .
Wisconsin is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deciding the election after President Donald Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 .
A group of voters filed a complaint with the state Elections Commission earlier this month alleging that West campaign workers missed the 5 p.m. filing deadline on Aug. 4 , the last day day for independent presidential candidates to submit the required 2,000 signatures from Wisconsin voters to get on the ballot .
West campaign attorney , Michael Curran , argued during a hearing before the commission that West campaign workers didn ’ t enter the commission ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Aug. 5 but commission staff still accepted the papers , constituting a timely filing .
Commission staffer Cody Davies told the panel that the building was locked due to the coronavirus pandemic but he was waiting in the lobby to let filers in as 5 p.m. approached .
He said West ’ s representatives called him at 4:57 p.m. and said they were three minutes away .
He said he let them in 14 seconds after 5 p.m. and accompanied them on the elevator ride up to the commission ’ s offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elevator 50 seconds past 5 p.m. , he said .
Another commission staffer , Riley Willman , said he was in the commission ’ s lobby to accept papers .
He said West ’ s representatives placed the papers on the counter one minute past 5 p.m. but had to organize them and he didn ’ t take possession until several minutes past 5 p.m. Commissioner Robert Spindell , a Republican , pushed the panel to give West the benefit of the doubt , saying the pandemic has made life harder and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission in time if the building doors had been open .
He also argued that Democrats are unfairly trying to keep a Black candidate off the ballot and the commission should give Black voters a choice .
“ We are talking a matter of seconds here , ” Spindell said .
But the rest of the commission said common sense dictates that 5 p.m. is 5 p.m. , not 5:00:14 .
“ This is one of the closest call cases I ’ ve seen but consistency requires me to treat all candidates the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their color or any other characteristics , ” Commissioner Dean Knduson , a Republican , said .
“ I think the complainants have ( presented clear ) evidence that he was late.
” In the end the commission voted 5-1 to keep Kanye and running mate Michelle Tidball off the ballot .
Spindell was the only commissioner who voted to put them on .
West could challenge the decision in court .
Curran didn ’ t immediately respond to an email sent after the hearing .

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin election officials decided Thursday to keep rapper Kanye West off the battleground state’s presidential ballot in November because his campaign turned his nomination papers in minutes after the deadline.
West announced in July he’s running for president on a ticket he calls the “Birthday Party.” West has since been gathering signatures to get on the ballot in several states. Democrats allege that Republicans are pushing West’s candidacy in several swing states to siphon Black votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Wisconsin is expected to play a key role in deciding the election after President Donald Trump narrowly won the state in 2016.
A group of voters filed a complaint with the state Elections Commission earlier this month alleging that West campaign workers missed the 5 p.m. filing deadline on Aug. 4, the last day day for independent presidential candidates to submit the required 2,000 signatures from Wisconsin voters to get on the ballot.
West campaign attorney, Michael Curran, argued during a hearing before the commission that West campaign workers didn’t enter the commission’s building until 14 seconds after 5 p.m. on Aug. 5 but commission staff still accepted the papers, constituting a timely filing.
Commission staffer Cody Davies told the panel that the building was locked due to the coronavirus pandemic but he was waiting in the lobby to let filers in as 5 p.m. approached. He said West’s representatives called him at 4:57 p.m. and said they were three minutes away. He said he let them in 14 seconds after 5 p.m. and accompanied them on the elevator ride up to the commission’s offices. The group was still in the elevator 50 seconds past 5 p.m., he said.
Another commission staffer, Riley Willman, said he was in the commission’s lobby to accept papers. He said West’s representatives placed the papers on the counter one minute past 5 p.m. but had to organize them and he didn’t take possession until several minutes past 5 p.m.
Commissioner Robert Spindell, a Republican, pushed the panel to give West the benefit of the doubt, saying the pandemic has made life harder and his people might have made it to the commission in time if the building doors had been open. He also argued that Democrats are unfairly trying to keep a Black candidate off the ballot and the commission should give Black voters a choice.
“We are talking a matter of seconds here,” Spindell said.
But the rest of the commission said common sense dictates that 5 p.m. is 5 p.m., not 5:00:14.
“This is one of the closest call cases I’ve seen but consistency requires me to treat all candidates the same, regardless of their party or their color or any other characteristics,” Commissioner Dean Knduson, a Republican, said. “I think the complainants have (presented clear) evidence that he was late.”
In the end the commission voted 5-1 to keep Kanye and running mate Michelle Tidball off the ballot. Spindell was the only commissioner who voted to put them on.
West could challenge the decision in court. Curran didn’t immediately respond to an email sent after the hearing.


washingtontimes--2020-08-20--Goodyear: Attire supporting police OK, but no political wear

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The CEO of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. said Thursday that it will allow employees to wear attire supporting law enforcement , though it will continue to ask them not to express support for any political candidates while on the job .
In a letter Thursday addressed to “ Goodyear Customers , ” CEO Rich Kramer wrote that the company “ strongly supports our law enforcement partners.
” He said the company has clarified its policy “ to make it clear associates can express support for law enforcement through apparel at Goodyear facilities.
” President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boycott Goodyear tires , tweeting that the Ohio-based company had “ announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS.
” But the company didn ’ t announce such a specific ban .
It asks employees to refrain from workplace expressions involving political campaigns and “ forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of racial justice and equity issues.
” “ Make America Great Again , ” or “ MAGA , ” is a Trump campaign slogan .
“ Get better tires for far less !
( This is what the Radical Left Democrats do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we have to start playing it now ! )
, ” Trump tweeted .
Kramer reiterated Thursday that Goodyear has “ a longstanding corporate policy that asks associates to refrain from workplace expressions in support of any candidate or political party.
” Trump ’ s tweet followed a report from WIBW-TV in Topeka , Kansas , based on an anonymous Goodyear employee ’ s screenshot that listed Black Lives Matter and Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual , Transgender Pride messages as acceptable while politically affiliated slogans and material , including “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter , ” in support of police , were listed as unacceptable .
The screenshot was described in the report as part of the company ’ s diversity training .
Kramer wrote that the visual was created by an employee at the company ’ s Topeka factory and “ was not approved or distributed by Goodyear corporate or anyone outside of that facility.
” Trump ’ s presidential limousine , referred to as “ The Beast , ” uses Goodyear tires .

WASHINGTON (AP) - The CEO of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. said Thursday that it will allow employees to wear attire supporting law enforcement, though it will continue to ask them not to express support for any political candidates while on the job.
In a letter Thursday addressed to “Goodyear Customers,” CEO Rich Kramer wrote that the company “strongly supports our law enforcement partners.” He said the company has clarified its policy “to make it clear associates can express support for law enforcement through apparel at Goodyear facilities.”
President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged supporters to boycott Goodyear tires, tweeting that the Ohio-based company had “announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS.”
But the company didn’t announce such a specific ban. It asks employees to refrain from workplace expressions involving political campaigns and “forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of racial justice and equity issues.” “Make America Great Again,” or “MAGA,” is a Trump campaign slogan.
“Get better tires for far less! (This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!),” Trump tweeted.
Kramer reiterated Thursday that Goodyear has “a longstanding corporate policy that asks associates to refrain from workplace expressions in support of any candidate or political party.”
Trump’s tweet followed a report from WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas, based on an anonymous Goodyear employee’s screenshot that listed Black Lives Matter and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride messages as acceptable while politically affiliated slogans and material, including “MAGA Attire” and “Blue Lives Matter,” in support of police, were listed as unacceptable. The screenshot was described in the report as part of the company’s diversity training.
Kramer wrote that the visual was created by an employee at the company’s Topeka factory and “was not approved or distributed by Goodyear corporate or anyone outside of that facility.”
Trump’s presidential limousine, referred to as “The Beast,” uses Goodyear tires.


washingtontimes--2020-08-20--Court lets public see complaint data on 81,000 NYPD officers

NEW YORK ( AP ) - New York City police officers have faced more than 320,000 complaints from the public since the mid-1980s , but less than 3 % resulted in penalties , according to newly released data that offers a rare glimpse into the long-veiled realm of police misconduct and accountability .
The New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday published data on complaints against more than 81,000 current or former NYPD officers after prevailing in a fight with public safety unions that had sought to keep the records secret .
They include more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” cursing or ethnic and homophobic slurs ; 2,200 allegations of officers using flashlights , radios or guns to beat people ; 5,400 instances of guns allegedly being pulled or pointed ; and more than 1,700 complaints of officers using chokeholds , which have long been banned by the department and were recently outlawed .
There were also more than two dozen complaints about conduct regarding animals .
The complaints touch virtually every part of the department , from beat cops to men and women who ’ ve ascended to top leadership posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes three substantiated complaints stemming from a vehicle stop in August 2003 , when he was working his way up from captain to deputy inspector .
He was ordered to receive extra instructions as punishment .
Crime Control Strategies Chief Michael LiPetri has been the subject of 25 complaints since he started at the NYPD in 1994 - but only three were substantiated , leading to minor punishment .
The NYCLU posted the records to its website after the 2nd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a stay that had been blocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a change in state law meant to promote transparency in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd .
“ History has shown the NYPD is unwilling to police itself , ” NYCLU legal director Christopher Dunn said .
“ The release of this database is an important step towards greater transparency and accountability and is just the beginning of unraveling the monopoly the NYPD holds on public information and officer discipline.
” A spokesperson for the unions , which represent city police officers , firefighters and jail guards , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in no way means the battle to permit constitutionally guaranteed right to due process for public safety workers ceases.
” “ In fact , we continue to fight the de Blasio administration and the improper dumping of thousands of documents containing unproven , career damaging , unsubstantiated allegations that put our members and their families at risk .
And we ’ re not done , ” said the spokesperson , Hank Sheinkopf .
While it ’ s difficult to draw any conclusions from the data - for example , one officer was listed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but all seemed to stem from one incident - there are some broader takeaways .
According to the data , 8,699 complaints led to a penalty , 19,833 officers were named in five or more complaints , and 12 officers were terminated as a result of complaints lodged during the decades-long span covered by the records .
Those officers include Damian Marcaida , who had no complaints before he was charged in 1999 with beating a woman who asked for his name and badge number after the police killing of Amadou Diallo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exonerated of using excessive force less than a year before a videotaped beating in 2002 that led to his conviction on criminal charges .
A federal district court judge is expected to rule Friday in another aspect of the union lawsuit : whether to keep barring the city ’ s police watchdog agency , as well as the police department and other entities from releasing disciplinary records .
The unions sued the city July 15 to block Mayor Bill de Blasio from taking advantage of last month ’ s repeal of a decades-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records secret , by starting to post misconduct complaints on a government website .
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla initially sided with the unions , pausing the release of disciplinary records and barring the NYCLU from publicly releasing records it obtained from the watchdog agency , the Civilian Complaint Review Board .
Failla later reversed herself on the NYCLU , saying it was impossible for her to reach back and prevent the release of records that the organization received before the unions filed their lawsuit .
That led to the union ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor of the NYCLU .
Scores of disciplinary records have already reached public view since the repeal last month of a law that had kept them secret for decades .
ProPublica published a database last month containing complaint information for thousands of officers , while news outlets including the AP have published numerous stories based on newly public disciplinary documents .
On Twitter , follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Jennifer Peltz at twitter.com/jennpeltz

NEW YORK (AP) - New York City police officers have faced more than 320,000 complaints from the public since the mid-1980s, but less than 3% resulted in penalties, according to newly released data that offers a rare glimpse into the long-veiled realm of police misconduct and accountability.
The New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday published data on complaints against more than 81,000 current or former NYPD officers after prevailing in a fight with public safety unions that had sought to keep the records secret.
They include more than 18,000 complaints about “nasty words,” cursing or ethnic and homophobic slurs; 2,200 allegations of officers using flashlights, radios or guns to beat people; 5,400 instances of guns allegedly being pulled or pointed; and more than 1,700 complaints of officers using chokeholds, which have long been banned by the department and were recently outlawed. There were also more than two dozen complaints about conduct regarding animals.
The complaints touch virtually every part of the department, from beat cops to men and women who’ve ascended to top leadership posts.
Commissioner Dermot Shea’s record includes three substantiated complaints stemming from a vehicle stop in August 2003, when he was working his way up from captain to deputy inspector. He was ordered to receive extra instructions as punishment.
Crime Control Strategies Chief Michael LiPetri has been the subject of 25 complaints since he started at the NYPD in 1994 - but only three were substantiated, leading to minor punishment.
A message seeking comment was left with a police spokesperson.
The NYCLU posted the records to its website after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a stay that had been blocking the organization from making them public despite a change in state law meant to promote transparency in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
“History has shown the NYPD is unwilling to police itself,” NYCLU legal director Christopher Dunn said. “The release of this database is an important step towards greater transparency and accountability and is just the beginning of unraveling the monopoly the NYPD holds on public information and officer discipline.”
A spokesperson for the unions, which represent city police officers, firefighters and jail guards, said the appeals court’s decision “in no way means the battle to permit constitutionally guaranteed right to due process for public safety workers ceases.”
“In fact, we continue to fight the de Blasio administration and the improper dumping of thousands of documents containing unproven, career damaging, unsubstantiated allegations that put our members and their families at risk. And we’re not done,” said the spokesperson, Hank Sheinkopf.
While it’s difficult to draw any conclusions from the data - for example, one officer was listed as having 64 substantiated complaints against her, but all seemed to stem from one incident - there are some broader takeaways.
According to the data, 8,699 complaints led to a penalty, 19,833 officers were named in five or more complaints, and 12 officers were terminated as a result of complaints lodged during the decades-long span covered by the records.
Those officers include Damian Marcaida, who had no complaints before he was charged in 1999 with beating a woman who asked for his name and badge number after the police killing of Amadou Diallo, and Charles Dorcent, who was exonerated of using excessive force less than a year before a videotaped beating in 2002 that led to his conviction on criminal charges.
A federal district court judge is expected to rule Friday in another aspect of the union lawsuit: whether to keep barring the city’s police watchdog agency, as well as the police department and other entities from releasing disciplinary records.
The unions sued the city July 15 to block Mayor Bill de Blasio from taking advantage of last month’s repeal of a decades-old state law, which had kept disciplinary records secret, by starting to post misconduct complaints on a government website.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla initially sided with the unions, pausing the release of disciplinary records and barring the NYCLU from publicly releasing records it obtained from the watchdog agency, the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
Failla later reversed herself on the NYCLU, saying it was impossible for her to reach back and prevent the release of records that the organization received before the unions filed their lawsuit. That led to the union’s appeal and the ruling Thursday in favor of the NYCLU.
Scores of disciplinary records have already reached public view since the repeal last month of a law that had kept them secret for decades.
ProPublica published a database last month containing complaint information for thousands of officers, while news outlets including the AP have published numerous stories based on newly public disciplinary documents.
___
On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Jennifer Peltz at twitter.com/jennpeltz


washingtontimes--2020-08-20--Cooney has more cash left as Gianforte spends in gov's race

HELENA , Mont .
( AP ) - Democrat Lt. Gov .
Mike Cooney has more money in the bank than his opponent heading into the final months of Montana ’ s governor ’ s race .
But he has been far outspent to date as Republican Greg Gianforte pumps his personal fortune into the contest , according to their campaigns .
Republican U.S. Rep. Gianforte had $ 330,000 remaining , after spending more than $ 1.7 million in the past two months , according to campaign filings posted Thursday .
Cooney has more than twice as much cash on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending just $ 209,000 in the same time period , his campaign said .
Gianforte reported raising $ 582,000 from donors during that time , versus $ 725,000 for Cooney .
But Gianforte ’ s campaign was boosted by an additional $ 1 million loan from the candidate himself .
The Republican ’ s total amount raised to date is over $ 5 million , including $ 2.5 million in personal loans to his campaign .
Cooney ’ s fundraising total is $ 1.8 million .
Political action committees contributed $ 12,000 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting period and over $ 100,000 to Gianforte ’ s campaign .
Cooney ’ s campaign communications director Ronja Abel said in a statement that “ Montanans are fired up and ready to elect Mike Cooney as our next governor.
” Travis Hall , spokesperson for the Gianforte campaign , said “ the record-breaking support Montanans have given Greg in his race for governor has helped him continue to build momentum and get out his positive , hopeful vision for Montana.
” Gianforte also spent heavily from his fortune as the founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a failed bid to unseat Gov .
Steve Bullock .
Bullock is prevented from seeking re-election to a third term and is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines .

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Democrat Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney has more money in the bank than his opponent heading into the final months of Montana’s governor’s race. But he has been far outspent to date as Republican Greg Gianforte pumps his personal fortune into the contest, according to their campaigns.
Republican U.S. Rep. Gianforte had $330,000 remaining, after spending more than $1.7 million in the past two months, according to campaign filings posted Thursday.
Cooney has more than twice as much cash on hand - almost $670,000 - after spending just $209,000 in the same time period, his campaign said.
The reports cover June 15 to Aug. 15.
Gianforte reported raising $582,000 from donors during that time, versus $725,000 for Cooney. But Gianforte’s campaign was boosted by an additional $1 million loan from the candidate himself.
The Republican’s total amount raised to date is over $5 million, including $2.5 million in personal loans to his campaign. Cooney’s fundraising total is $1.8 million.
Political action committees contributed $12,000 to Cooney’s campaign during the recent reporting period and over $100,000 to Gianforte’s campaign.
Cooney’s campaign communications director Ronja Abel said in a statement that “Montanans are fired up and ready to elect Mike Cooney as our next governor.”
Travis Hall, spokesperson for the Gianforte campaign, said “the record-breaking support Montanans have given Greg in his race for governor has helped him continue to build momentum and get out his positive, hopeful vision for Montana.”
Gianforte also spent heavily from his fortune as the founder of a tech firm in 2016, during a failed bid to unseat Gov. Steve Bullock.
Bullock is prevented from seeking re-election to a third term and is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.


washingtontimes--2020-08-20--California delays endangered species status for Joshua trees

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( AP ) - California officials have postponed a decision on whether to grant the western Joshua @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Endangered Species Act .
The Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to delay @ @ @ @ @ more study .
The vote came after a virtual meeting during which commissioners heard comments @ @ @ @ @ affording “ threatened ” status to Joshua trees .
The commission is considering a petition @ @ @ @ @ Diversity that says the trees are in danger from climate change and habitat destruction .
@ @ @ @ @ amid rising concern about the future of the crazy-limbed trees with spikey leaves that have @ @ @ @ @ Desert and draw visitors to Joshua Tree National Park .

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California officials have postponed a decision on whether to grant the western Joshua tree protection under the state’s Endangered Species Act.
The Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to delay action until September to allow more study. The vote came after a virtual meeting during which commissioners heard comments from people for and against affording “threatened” status to Joshua trees.
The commission is considering a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity that says the trees are in danger from climate change and habitat destruction.
The petition came last year amid rising concern about the future of the crazy-limbed trees with spikey leaves that have come to symbolize the Mojave Desert and draw visitors to Joshua Tree National Park.


washingtontimes--2020-08-20--Phoenix man calls 911 to report shooting his wife, who dies

PHOENIX ( AP ) - A man has been arrested after calling 911 to report he allegedly shot his wife @ @ @ @ @ found dead inside a Phoenix apartment .
Police said 22-year-old Elijah Coffman was booked into @ @ @ @ @ second-degree murder .
They said a man later identified as Coffman called the police department @ @ @ @ @ report that he had shot his wife during a fight .
Responding officers found Coffman @ @ @ @ @ 22-year-old woman dead inside .
Police said the victim ’ s name was being withheld @ @ @ @ @ .

PHOENIX (AP) - A man has been arrested after calling 911 to report he allegedly shot his wife, who police said was found dead inside a Phoenix apartment.
Police said 22-year-old Elijah Coffman was booked into jail Thursday on suspicion of second-degree murder.
They said a man later identified as Coffman called the police department about 12:30 a.m. Thursday to report that he had shot his wife during a fight.
Responding officers found Coffman outside the apartment and a 22-year-old woman dead inside.
Police said the victim’s name was being withheld until her relatives are notified.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Navy civilian employee pleads guilty to child porn charge

PROVIDENCE , R.I. ( AP ) - A civilian employee of Naval Station Newport has pleaded guilty to storing hundreds @ @ @ @ @ a Navy-owned computer drive , federal prosecutors say .
Donald Sly , Jr. , 58 @ @ @ @ @ civilian public works employee , stored a total of 487 images of child pornography in @ @ @ @ @ drive used by Navy personnel throughout the East Coast , according to the U.S. attorney @ @ @ @ @ Island .
Upon discovery of the images by authorities , Sly ’ s access to @ @ @ @ @ He later told Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents that he knowingly possessed the images of @ @ @ @ @ computer drive , prosectors said .
He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison @ @ @ @ @ 13 .

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A civilian employee of Naval Station Newport has pleaded guilty to storing hundreds of child pornography images on a Navy-owned computer drive, federal prosecutors say.
Donald Sly, Jr., 58, of Portsmouth, a civilian public works employee, stored a total of 487 images of child pornography in his directory on a computer drive used by Navy personnel throughout the East Coast, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island.
Upon discovery of the images by authorities, Sly’s access to the drive was suspended. He later told Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents that he knowingly possessed the images of child pornography discovered on the computer drive, prosectors said.
Sly pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of child pornography.
He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison at sentencing scheduled for Nov. 13.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Tropical Storm Laura forms in the Atlantic, becoming the latest in an active storm season

MIAMI ( AP ) - Tropical Storm Laura forms in the Atlantic , becoming the latest in an active storm @ @

MIAMI (AP) - Tropical Storm Laura forms in the Atlantic, becoming the latest in an active storm season.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Peace envoy, ex-Sen. George Mitchell diagnosed with leukemia

PORTLAND , Maine ( AP ) - Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell of Maine , a famed peace envoy in Northern Ireland in the 1990s , is starting treatment for leukemia at a Boston hospital on Friday , a day after his 87th birthday .
The Portland Press Herald obtained an email outlining the diagnosis and treatment from the president and CEO of the Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute .
Meg Baxter wrote in the email to the staff and board that the goal of treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is to achieve remission , the newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return a message Friday from The Associated Press .
Mitchell , also a peace envoy in the Middle East focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during President Barack Obama ’ s administration , is a consultant and former chairman of the global law firm DLA Piper .
He brokered the historic 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 .
He also was tapped by Major League Baseball to investigate steroid use by players , leading to the eponymous Mitchell Report .
Mitchell , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. senator and served as majority leader after first being appointed to fill a position left vacant when the late Edmund Muskie was tapped to serve as secretary of state under President Jimmy Carter .
Before that , the Waterville native and Bowdoin College graduate served as a U.S. attorney and federal judge .
Mitchell was previously diagnosed with what was termed “ small , low-grade and localized ” prostate cancer in 2007 .

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell of Maine, a famed peace envoy in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, is starting treatment for leukemia at a Boston hospital on Friday, a day after his 87th birthday.
The Portland Press Herald obtained an email outlining the diagnosis and treatment from the president and CEO of the Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute.
Meg Baxter wrote in the email to the staff and board that she’d spoken to Mitchell and that treatment for the cancer of the bone marrow was starting Friday at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the newspaper reported.
“With the help of his good doctors and a very supportive family he hopes to achieve remission,” Baxter said Friday in an email confirming the diagnosis and treatment. She declined further comment.
Mitchell, also a peace envoy in the Middle East focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during President Barack Obama’s administration, is a consultant and former chairman of the global law firm DLA Piper. He brokered the historic 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999. He also was tapped by Major League Baseball to investigate steroid use by players, leading to the eponymous Mitchell Report.
Mitchell, a Democrat, won election twice as a U.S. senator and served as majority leader after first being appointed to fill a position left vacant when the late Edmund Muskie was tapped to serve as secretary of state under President Jimmy Carter.
Before that, the Waterville native and Bowdoin College graduate served as a U.S. attorney and federal judge.
Mitchell was previously diagnosed with what was termed “small, low-grade and localized” prostate cancer in 2007.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Kansas state police investigating after trooper shoots man

MAYETTA , Kan. ( AP ) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting of a man @ @ @ @ @ in northeastern Kansas .
The shooting happened Wednesday evening near Mayetta , after a Jackson @ @ @ @ @ tried to stop a car with a stolen license plate in a casino parking lot @ @ @ @ @ , according to a KBI news release .
The deputy gave chase , and the @ @ @ @ @ later .
The driver - later identified by police as Shanon Wren , 41 , @ @ @ @ @ woman fled from the car on foot , officials said .
The Kansas Highway Patrol @ @ @ @ @ pair after a search , and officials said a trooper shot Wren during a confrontation @ @ @ @ @ with a knife .
Wren remained in critical condition Thursday at a Kansas City , @ @ @ @ @ said .
The woman was taken to a hospital in Topeka and treated for a @ @ @ @ @ before being released , officials said .

MAYETTA, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting of a man accused of wielding a knife in northeastern Kansas.
The shooting happened Wednesday evening near Mayetta, after a Jackson County Sheriff’s deputy tried to stop a car with a stolen license plate in a casino parking lot, and the car fled, according to a KBI news release. The deputy gave chase, and the car crashed a short time later.
The driver - later identified by police as Shanon Wren, 41, of Topeka - and a woman fled from the car on foot, officials said. The Kansas Highway Patrol and deputies later found the pair after a search, and officials said a trooper shot Wren during a confrontation in which Wren was armed with a knife.
Wren remained in critical condition Thursday at a Kansas City, Kansas, hospital, officials said.
The woman was taken to a hospital in Topeka and treated for a condition unrelated to the incident before being released, officials said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Man shot to death, Providence's 5th homicide this month

PROVIDENCE , R.I. ( AP ) - A man shot in the parking lot of a public housing high rise @ @ @ @ @ in Providence has died , police said , making the victim the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ two weeks .
Police received a report of two gunshots at around 7:30 p.m. Thursday @ @ @ @ @ said .
The victim , a 29-year-old man , was conscious when officers arrived and @ @ @ @ @ Hospital for emergency surgery , but did not survive , police said .
His name @ @ @ @ @ no arrests have been announced .
The shooting took place near a Providence Housing Authority @ @ @ @ @ but police do not think the victim was a resident of the building .
There @ @ @ @ @ the city this year , but five since Aug. 8 .

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A man shot in the parking lot of a public housing high rise for the aging and disabled in Providence has died, police said, making the victim the city’s fifth homicide in less than two weeks.
Police received a report of two gunshots at around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Capt. Roger Aspinall said.
The victim, a 29-year-old man, was conscious when officers arrived and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for emergency surgery, but did not survive, police said.
His name was not made public and no arrests have been announced.
The shooting took place near a Providence Housing Authority building called Parenti Villa, but police do not think the victim was a resident of the building.
There have been 10 homicides in the city this year, but five since Aug. 8.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Pence criticizes DNC, previews themes for RNC convention

Vice President Mike Pence said Friday next week ’ s Republican Party convention “ will make sure the American people @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden .
Previewing themes for the Republican gathering , @ @ @ @ @ about how the GOP will support law and order , and the men and women @ @ @ @ @ wrapped their four-day convention Thursday night after nominating Biden for president and California Sen. Kamala @ @ @ @ @ Appearing on Fox Business Network , Pence described the Democrats ’ convention as “ negative @ @ @ @ @ ’ t watch much of it because of the “ ad hominem ” attacks on @ @ @ @ @ also criticized Biden and other Democratic speakers for not mentioning violence taking place in some @ @ @ @ @ cities .
Pence promised a “ great lineup of leaders ” speaking at next week @ @ @ @ @ Carolina .

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - President Donald Trump sought to cast a more positive light on his presidency Friday after four days of bashing at the Democratic National Convention, saying that where Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden sees “American darkness,” he sees “American greatness.”
Trump was anxious for his turn in the spotlight after the four-day Democratic National Convention, which was culminated by Biden describing “a perfect storm” hitting the nation under Trump’s watch as a result of the pandemic, the jolt to the economy that it delivered and racial unrest after the killing of George Floyd. It comes as Republicans are still finalizing plans for Trump’s four-night show next week - in part in response to the virtual Democratic event.
“Over the last week, the Democrats held the darkest and angriest and gloomiest convention in American history,” Trump said in a speech to the GOP-aligned Council for National Policy in Arlington. “They spent four straight days attacking America as racist, a horrible country that must be redeemed. ”
Biden, in his nomination acceptance speech, portrayed Trump as someone who tries to divide Americans. “United we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America,” he said.
Trump, in recent speeches, has sought to find political advantage in images of unrest and violence in American cities and has positioned himself as a defender of law and order. He did so again on Friday, saying that if he loses, “no one will be safe in our country and no one will be spared.”
Trump and the Democrats agreed on one thing, however. Just as the Democrats had repeatedly contended Thursday night, Trump declared, “The future of our country and indeed our civilization is at stake on Nov. 3.”
He chided the Democrats, saying their convention did not address the threat that China posed to the U.S. or bringing safety to Democratic-run cities. He also jabbed at former President Barack Obama, saying, “You can’t be a great president when much of what he has done we have undone.”
As preparations for Trump’s unprecedented acceptance speech were underway on the South Lawn of the White House, Republican Party planners were still finalizing the sequencing of next week’s Republican National Convention. Organizers and Trump himself were said to be closely monitoring the Democratic event for what worked and what didn’t, hoping that will provide them an advantage in putting together the Republican convention.
While most of the program has yet to be announced, some details were emerging. First lady Melania Trump is to speak on Tuesday evening from the White House Rose Garden, while Vice President Mike Pence will speak Wednesday from Baltimore’s Fort McHenry. Other speakers include Trump-allied GOP lawmakers, as well as the St. Louis couple who waved firearms at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home in June.
Patricia and Mark McCloskey, who are white, have claimed they were protecting themselves from protesters marching on their private street, but they were each charged by a local prosecutor with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon. Trump has been critical of their treatment and has spoken out in defense of the couple.
Trump, a former reality television host, has high production standards, though meeting them will be a challenge for the GOP. Trump resisted efforts to move to a virtual convention, going so far as to shift venues in an effort to carry on with an in-person gathering, so Republicans have had less time to plan than their rivals did.
Trump repeatedly criticized Democrats’ reliance on pretaped videos, rather than live addresses, and GOP organizers were adjusting their plans to accommodate. “Live, by the way, is always much more exciting,” he said Tuesday.
Pence said in an interview Friday that the RNC next week will focus on what Trump has accomplished, including on the economy and with his coronavirus response.
Pence promised a heavy focus on GOP support for law and order and said the Democrats had failed to acknowledge violence plaguing some U.S. cities.
“We’re going to make sure that the American people see the choice here,” Pence said.
Both Trump and Pence have blamed outbreaks of violence on a radical left, which they have sought to associate with Biden and his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris.
Trump made clear after the killing of Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis, and the protests that called for changes to policing that he sides with law enforcement. He said there are always going to be “bad apples.”
“We’re with them and they’re with us, and they’ve done a fantastic job,” Trump said.
Trump also gave his starkest warnings yet about the impact that mail-in voting could have on the election, saying the final results may not be known for an extended period.
“I don’t think you’ll know two weeks later. I don’t think you’ll know four weeks later,” Trump said.
Pence appeared on morning TV talk shows to counter Democrats and promote the Republican viewpoint hours after Democrats wrapped their four-day convention. He promised a “great lineup of leaders” next week, along with a “great number of voices from all across the country to talk about what this president has done.”
The Democrats argued at their convention that Trump is unfit to lead the country for another four years. Obama, a frequent target of Trump’s broadsides, warned that democracy itself is at risk under Trump.
Pence said, “I didn’t watch much of it and, frankly, I couldn’t watch much of it. There was so much negativity, nothing but ad hominem attacks.”
___
Superville reported from Florida and Miller from Washington.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Mike Pence: DNC painted a 'grim vision for America'

Vice President Mike Pence said Friday the Democratic National Convention presented a “ grim vision for America.
” While making the rounds on the morning news shows , Mr. Pence pushed back on the closing message from the DNC and presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden that the Trump administration has “ cloaked America in darkness.
” “ I found not just those words by Joe Biden last night , but so many of the speeches at the Democratic National Convention were so negative , ” Mr. Pence said on CBS “ This Morning.
” “ They presented such a grim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to counter that next week at their convention by focusing on how they ’ ve invested in the military , victories against terrorists , and their plan to rebuild the strong economy they had before the coronavirus pandemic hit .
Meanwhile , Mr. Pence said they ’ re going to emphasize that the Democrats have been “ taken over by the radical left ” by supporting higher taxes , government-run health care plans , looser border policies , and easing up on abortion restrictions .
The Republican National Convention kicks off on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Vice President Mike Pence said Friday the Democratic National Convention presented a “grim vision for America.”
While making the rounds on the morning news shows, Mr. Pence pushed back on the closing message from the DNC and presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden that the Trump administration has “cloaked America in darkness.”
“I found not just those words by Joe Biden last night, but so many of the speeches at the Democratic National Convention were so negative,” Mr. Pence said on CBS “This Morning.” “They presented such a grim vision for America.”
He said Republicans plan to counter that next week at their convention by focusing on how they’ve invested in the military, victories against terrorists, and their plan to rebuild the strong economy they had before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pence said they’re going to emphasize that the Democrats have been “taken over by the radical left” by supporting higher taxes, government-run health care plans, looser border policies, and easing up on abortion restrictions.
The Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday and will wrap up on Thursday.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Minneapolis plans to rent space to replace burned precinct

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) - The city of Minneapolis plans to spend $ 4.8 million to temporarily rent an office building and adapt it to replace the police precinct headquarters burned during unrest that followed the death of George Floyd .
A City Council committee on Thursday approved spending $ 3.6 million to sublease the building for three years and $ 1.2 million to renovate it .
The building is about a half-mile ( 0.8 kilometers ) from the 3rd Precinct headquarters that burned May 28 after officers were ordered to evacuate .
Officers and staff have been working remotely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then .
City Council member Cam Gordon said that renting temporary space will give city leaders time to figure out what to do with the old headquarters , Minnesota Public Radio News reported .
“ One of the things I think this lease will give us is some space and some breathing room in terms of what we ’ ll do with the 3rd Precinct building itself , and that ’ s been a topic of great discussion , ” Gordon said .
The lease agreement comes as city leaders continue to debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of protests that erupted into chaos following Floyd ’ s death .
Floyd , a handcuffed Black man , died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes even as Floyd said he could not breathe .
The full City Council at an Aug. 28 meeting is expected to consider the agreement for the building that ’ s owned by Lothenbach Properties .

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The city of Minneapolis plans to spend $4.8 million to temporarily rent an office building and adapt it to replace the police precinct headquarters burned during unrest that followed the death of George Floyd.
A City Council committee on Thursday approved spending $3.6 million to sublease the building for three years and $1.2 million to renovate it. The building is about a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) from the 3rd Precinct headquarters that burned May 28 after officers were ordered to evacuate.
Officers and staff have been working remotely and at the Minneapolis Convention Center since then.
City Council member Cam Gordon said that renting temporary space will give city leaders time to figure out what to do with the old headquarters, Minnesota Public Radio News reported.
“One of the things I think this lease will give us is some space and some breathing room in terms of what we’ll do with the 3rd Precinct building itself, and that’s been a topic of great discussion,” Gordon said.
The lease agreement comes as city leaders continue to debate the future of the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of protests that erupted into chaos following Floyd’s death. Floyd, a handcuffed Black man, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes even as Floyd said he could not breathe.
The full City Council at an Aug. 28 meeting is expected to consider the agreement for the building that’s owned by Lothenbach Properties.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Slovakia condemns Belgian police brutality against citizen

BRATISLAVA , Slovakia ( AP ) - Slovakia ’ s foreign minister on Friday condemned the violent treatment of a Slovak citizen by police officers at a Belgian airport and demanded a thorough investigation .
The man , who was in distress , later died .
Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok commented on the case after a Belgian newspaper this week published a 2018 video of an officer sitting on top of a man at Brussels South Charleroi Airport and another officer apparently making a Hitler salute .
“ There ’ s no place for such practices in the democratic society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference with German Foreign Minister counterpart Heiko Maas .
Korcok said the security video recorded in an airport detention room showed an “ inadequate and absolutely unacceptable police brutality ” that shocked all of Slovakia .
He said his ministry sent a note to Belgian authorities with a request to investigate .
The Slovak man , Jozef Chovanec , had been prevented from boarding a plane at the airport after he didn ’ t show a ticket and was disruptive .
The security video shows him repeatedly banging his head against the wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came in , they put him on a bed and forcefully restricted his movements , with one officer sitting on him for a long time .
Another officer made an apparent Nazi salute .
Chovanec died after emergency health officials took him to a hospital .
On Thursday , the No .
2 Belgian federal police official , André Desenfants , temporarily stepped aside from his post until an investigation is carried out .
Korcok said he appreciated the move .
Belgium ’ s government itself reacted vigorously after the video from an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Minister Koen Geens called the recording “ unseemly and totally shocking.
” Interior Minister Pieter De Crem said , “ The circumstances need to be clarified and an investigation is ongoing.
’ ’ Police brutality has gained renewed attention as an issue after the police killing of George Floyd in the U.S. state of Minneapolis in May .
Floyd , a handcuffed Black man , died after a white officer pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he couldn ’ t breathe .

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) - Slovakia’s foreign minister on Friday condemned the violent treatment of a Slovak citizen by police officers at a Belgian airport and demanded a thorough investigation. The man, who was in distress, later died.
Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok commented on the case after a Belgian newspaper this week published a 2018 video of an officer sitting on top of a man at Brussels South Charleroi Airport and another officer apparently making a Hitler salute.
“There’s no place for such practices in the democratic society,” Korcok said during a news conference with German Foreign Minister counterpart Heiko Maas.
Korcok said the security video recorded in an airport detention room showed an “inadequate and absolutely unacceptable police brutality” that shocked all of Slovakia. He said his ministry sent a note to Belgian authorities with a request to investigate.
The Slovak man, Jozef Chovanec, had been prevented from boarding a plane at the airport after he didn’t show a ticket and was disruptive. The security video shows him repeatedly banging his head against the wall of the detention room.
When officers came in, they put him on a bed and forcefully restricted his movements, with one officer sitting on him for a long time. Another officer made an apparent Nazi salute. Chovanec died after emergency health officials took him to a hospital.
On Thursday, the No. 2 Belgian federal police official, André Desenfants, temporarily stepped aside from his post until an investigation is carried out.
Korcok said he appreciated the move.
Belgium’s government itself reacted vigorously after the video from an ongoing investigation came to light Wednesday. Justice Minister Koen Geens called the recording “unseemly and totally shocking.”
Interior Minister Pieter De Crem said, “The circumstances need to be clarified and an investigation is ongoing.’’
Police brutality has gained renewed attention as an issue after the police killing of George Floyd in the U.S. state of Minneapolis in May. Floyd, a handcuffed Black man, died after a white officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Police arrest man in Pioneer Square fatal shooting

SEATTLE ( AP ) - A man was arrested and booked into jail on investigation of murder Thursday in connection @ @ @ @ @ man in Pioneer Square last month , police said .
The Seattle Times reports that @ @ @ @ @ woman into custody in North Seattle and interviewed them at Seattle Police Department headquarters , @ @ @ @ @ police .
They released the woman , and booked the man into King County Jail @ @ @ @ @ Pioneer Square around 10:25 p.m. July 17 , police said .
Officers found the wounded @ @ @ @ @ They performed first aid , but he died at the scene .
No further information @ @ @ @ @ shooting was immediately available , and police continued to investigate .

SEATTLE (AP) - A man was arrested and booked into jail on investigation of murder Thursday in connection with the shooting of a man in Pioneer Square last month, police said.
The Seattle Times reports that detectives took a man and woman into custody in North Seattle and interviewed them at Seattle Police Department headquarters, according to a statement from police.
They released the woman, and booked the man into King County Jail.
The shooting occurred in Pioneer Square around 10:25 p.m. July 17, police said. Officers found the wounded man on the ground. They performed first aid, but he died at the scene.
No further information about what led to the shooting was immediately available, and police continued to investigate.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Boy drowns at Waterbury Reservoir

Boy drowns at Waterbury Reservoir

WATERBURY , Vt. ( AP ) - A 5-year-old boy has died of an apparent drowning in the Waterbury Reservoir @ @ @ @ @ .
Police received a call shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday for help in finding a @ @ @ @ @ camping with his parents at the Little River State Park .
He was found a @ @ @ @ @ the reservoir , police said .
When troopers arrived , rescue crews were giving him @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
Henry Beaird , of Burlington , was pronounced dead at the @ @ @ @ @ crews and a helicopter medical crew tried to save the boy , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ to determine the cause and manner of death .

WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) - A 5-year-old boy has died of an apparent drowning in the Waterbury Reservoir, Vermont State Police said.
Police received a call shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday for help in finding a missing boy who had been camping with his parents at the Little River State Park. He was found a short time later unresponsive in the reservoir, police said.
When troopers arrived, rescue crews were giving him life-saving measures but were unsuccessful, police said. Henry Beaird, of Burlington, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bystanders, rescue crews and a helicopter medical crew tried to save the boy, police said.
An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause and manner of death.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Kenyan police teargas anti-corruption protesters in Nairobi

NAIROBI , Kenya ( AP ) - Kenya ’ s police have teargassed protesters holding a peaceful demonstration against alleged corruption including the theft of supplies for the fight against COVID-19 At least 12 demonstrators from a group of 100 protesting in different parts of Nairobi , the capital , were arrested by police , said central business district police chief Mark Wanjala .
Picketing and protesting are rights guaranteed by the Kenyan constitution but police argue that they dispersed Friday ’ s demonstrations because of concerns that large gatherings could lead to the spread of the coronavirus .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who runs a consumer watchdog site on Twitter called ‘ Buyer beware , ” charged that police were being used to silence demonstrators .
“ We can not continue like this .
Others are balling ( enjoying ) from proceeds of theft and we are dying , ” she said .
“ The reason we are being overtaxed is because they ( government leaders ) want to cover this big hole in the economy caused by theft of public resources.
” Independent rights activist Ndungi Githuku , lamented that activists were being treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime is treated as committing a crime ; it ’ s because we are being ruled by criminals , ” he said .
Kenyans have expressed outrage throughout the week on social media platforms over the announcement that the anti-corruption agency is investigating the theft of millions of dollars of supplies from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority .
Officials are investigating the alleged theft of supplies of personal protective equipment worth millions of dollars donated by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma , according to the announcement .
reports .
Kenya is ranked as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world with a position of 137 out of 180 countries on the annual survey by the global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International .
Kenyan anti-corruption activists say the country loses as much as 30 % of its $ 27 billion annual budget to graft .
Separately Friday , doctors in Nairobi started a strike over working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of health insurance .
Nairobi governor Mike Sonko appealed to the doctors to resume work saying that COVID-19 is a challenge to all health workers and urged their union to @ @ @ @

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Kenya’s police have teargassed protesters holding peaceful demonstrations against alleged corruption including the theft of supplies for the fight against COVID-19
At least 12 demonstrators from a group of 100 protesting in different parts of Nairobi, the capital, were arrested by police, said central business district police chief Mark Wanjala.
Picketing and protesting are rights guaranteed by the Kenyan constitution but police argue that they dispersed Friday’s demonstrations because of concerns that large gatherings could lead to the spread of the coronavirus.
However, protest organizer, Wanjeri Nderu, who runs a consumer watchdog site on Twitter called ‘Buyer beware,” charged that police were being used to silence demonstrators.
“We cannot continue like this. Others are balling (enjoying) from proceeds of theft and we are dying,” she said. “The reason we are being overtaxed is because they (government leaders) want to cover this big hole in the economy caused by theft of public resources.”
Independent rights activist Ndungi Githuku, lamented that activists were being treated like criminals.
“When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime; it’s because we are being ruled by criminals,” he said.
Kenyans have expressed outrage throughout the week on social media platforms over the announcement that the anti-corruption agency is investigating the theft of millions of dollars of supplies from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority.
Officials are investigating the alleged theft of supplies of personal protective equipment worth millions of dollars donated by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, according to the announcement. reports.
Kenya is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world with a position of 137 out of 180 countries on the annual survey by the global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International.
Kenyan anti-corruption activists say the country loses as much as 30% of its $27 billion annual budget to graft.
Separately Friday, doctors in Nairobi started a strike over working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of health insurance. Nairobi governor Mike Sonko appealed to the doctors to resume work saying that COVID-19 is a challenge to all health workers and urged their union to engage in talks.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Report: Lack of diversity in conservation police agencies

RICHMOND , Va. ( AP ) - A state inspector general ’ s report has found that law enforcement departments within Virginia ’ s conservation and marine resources agencies are overwhelmingly white and male .
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Thursday that Gov .
Ralph Northam had asked the Office of the State Inspector General to examine recruitment and hiring among the agencies ’ law enforcement staff .
The agencies are the Department of Wildlife Resources , the Department of Conservation and the Marine Resources Commission .
“ We can expect to build a more inclusive commonwealth and broader support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stewards look much more like the people they serve , ” the Democratic governor said in a statement .
Northam directed his chief diversity officer to carry out various recommendations .
They include better outreach to underrepresented communities and strategic planning to improve diversity .
The inspector general found that law enforcement staff at the Department of Wildlife Resources is 95 % white , non-Hispanic and 94 % are men .
The Department of Conservation and Recreation has a law enforcement staff that is 96 % white and 90 % male .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % white and 98 % male .

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A state inspector general’s report has found that law enforcement departments within Virginia’s conservation and marine resources agencies are overwhelmingly white and male.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Thursday that Gov. Ralph Northam had asked the Office of the State Inspector General to examine recruitment and hiring among the agencies’ law enforcement staff.
The agencies are the Department of Wildlife Resources, the Department of Conservation and the Marine Resources Commission.
“We can expect to build a more inclusive commonwealth and broader support for conservation only when our most visible environmental stewards look much more like the people they serve,” the Democratic governor said in a statement.
Northam directed his chief diversity officer to carry out various recommendations. They include better outreach to underrepresented communities and strategic planning to improve diversity.
The inspector general found that law enforcement staff at the Department of Wildlife Resources is 95% white, non-Hispanic and 94% are men. The Department of Conservation and Recreation has a law enforcement staff that is 96% white and 90% male. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission staff is 97% white and 98% male.


washingtontimes--2020-08-21--Turkey discovers large natural gas reserve off Black Sea

ANKARA , Turkey ( AP ) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the discovery of a large natural gas reserves off the Black Sea coast , days after he promised “ good news ” that would usher in a “ new era ” for the energy dependent country .
Erdogan said Friday that the amount of gas discovered is 320 billion cubic meters , adding that he hopes to start extracting and using the gas by 2023 .
If confirmed as recoverable resources , the reserves could ease the country ’ s dependence on costly energy imports and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen the country ’ s currency plummet to record lows this summer .
The Turkish drilling ship , Fatih , had been carrying out exploration operations in the Tuna-1 sector in the western Black Sea for the past month .
The sector is near where Romania has also found gas reserves .
The discovery comes as tensions between NATO allies Turkey and Greece are running high over oil and gas exploration in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean .
Greek and Turkish warships have been shadowing each other after Turkey sent a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil and gas deposits .
The Turkish ship is scheduled to search for energy reserves there until Aug. 23 .
Separately , Turkey is also at odd with Cyprus over energy exploration around the island .
It has dispatched warship-escorted vessels off Cyprus ’ s coast to drill for gas , insisting that it ’ s acting to protect its interests and those of Turkish Cypriots to the area ’ s natural resources .
The Greek Cypriot government of the ethnically split island has slammed Turkey for encroaching in its waters and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas reserve would come as a welcome respite for the country which is dependent on Iran , Iraq and Russia for its energy and is grappling with economic woes .
Last year , energy imports cost the country $ 41 billion .
The Turkish lira has tumbled to record lows this months , fueled by high inflation , a wide current account deficit and the Turkish government ’ s push for cheap credit to drive an economy that was already fragile before the COVID-19 pandemic hit .
The currency however , recovered some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas deposits .

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Friday the discovery of a large natural gas reserve off the Black Sea coast that will help ease the country’s dependence on imports.
Erdogan said the amount of gas discovered is 320 billion cubic meters, a sum industry analysts said was notable but not a “game-changer” that might turn the country into a regional energy hub or materially alter its financial fortunes.
Turkey hopes to start extracting and using the gas by 2023, when Turkey marks the centenary of the founding of the republic, Erdogan said.
“Turkey has realized the greatest natural gas discovery in its history,” he said. “We are determined to solve our energy issue. We will not stop until we become a net exporter of energy.”
Berat Albayrak, the economy minister and Erdogan’s son-in-law, said the government hopes it will eliminate Turkey’s current account deficit.
Independent experts were less convinced of that claim.
Ulrich Leuchtmann, head of foreign exchange research at Commerzbank, said the discovery is positive news for Turkey, “but it’s not the game changer that some were expecting” after earlier reports suggested the find would meet Turkey’s energy needs for the next two decades.
He also noted that it usually takes up to a decade to extract gas from a new discovery and that investors seem skeptical about the claim that the find would eliminate Turkey’s current account deficit.
While the find is significant, it’s smaller than other discoveries in the nearby eastern Mediterranean. It’s about a third of Egypt’s Zohr field, one of the largest discovered in the Mediterranean, which is estimated to hold 850 billion cubic meters, or 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
The Turkish drilling ship, Fatih, had been carrying out exploration operations in the western Black Sea for the past month.
The discovery comes as tensions between NATO allies Turkey and Greece are running high over oil and gas exploration in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean. Greek and Turkish warships have been shadowing each other after Turkey sent a research ship to look for potential undersea oil and gas deposits. France has also sent ships to monitor the eastern Mediterranean in support of Greece.
The Turkish ship is scheduled to search for energy reserves there until Aug. 23.
Turkey is also at odd with Cyprus over energy exploration around the island. It has dispatched warship-escorted vessels off Cyprus’s coast to drill for gas, insisting that it’s acting to protect its interests and those of Turkish Cypriots. The Greek Cypriot government of the ethnically split island has slammed Turkey for encroaching in its waters and economic rights.
The discovery of the natural gas in the Black Sea comes as a welcome respite for the country, which depends on Iran, Iraq and Russia for its energy and is grappling with economic woes. Last year, energy imports cost the country $41 billion.
The Turkish lira has tumbled to record lows this months, fueled by high inflation, a wide current account deficit and the Turkish government’s push for cheap credit to drive an economy that was already fragile before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The fact that gas has been found in the Black Sea where Turkey has already delimited its border with coastal neighbors, was also seen as a positive development.
“It’s incredibly significant for Turkey because the find was in the Black Sea, unlike the eastern Mediterranean, which is riddled with all kinds of geopolitical problems,” said John Bowlus of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University.”
Bowlus said however: “Turkey will need to raise a lot of capital to invest in building this field. Alongside that, they’re going to have to partner with some kind of international company in the sense that they don’t have experience developing an offshore gas field of their own.”
The news was broadcast with some fanfare in Turkey and people greeted it with some hope for the economy.
“Natural gas or oil weren’t found in our country for years,” said Ayhan Ozkan, 58. “I am unbeliavably happy. I hope it will be beneficial for our country.”
Meanwhile, French Defense Minister Florence Parly defended the stepped-up French military presence in the region, saying it’s not aimed at “stoking the coals” of conflict. “The goal is to show our support for our Greek and Cypriot partners … and our attachment to international law and freedom of navigation.”
She expressed hope in German mediation efforts between Turkey and Greece and hope in restoring a “positive agenda with Turkey” after Turkish “excesses.”
___
Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, and Ayse Wieting in Istanbul contributed to this report.