washingtontimes--2020-06-17--Temperature checks to return at N.C. legislature entrances

RALEIGH , N.C. ( AP ) - People trying to enter the two buildings operated by the North Carolina General Assembly will get their temperatures checked again after the COVID-19 protocol was discontinued this week .
Senate Democrats complained to chamber leader Phil Berger after the checks by General Assembly police and nurses were discontinued .
No one ever registered a temperature high enough to warrant a medical referral since the process began several weeks ago , according to Paul Coble , the legislative complex administrator .
He said on Tuesday that staff would instead emphasize deep cleaning , personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus ’ spread .
But in a letter Wednesday to Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue , Coble said temperature checks would resume next week while the House and Senate are in session .
“ I can appreciate your concern that the procedure provided an extra level of safety , ” Coble told Blue .
Coble said the cleaning and safety initiatives and other operating adjustments have resulted in well over $ 1 million in added expenses to the General Assembly ’ s budget .
Senate Democrats also asked Berger to reinstitute Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 feet ( 2 meters ) apart .
Berger said on Wednesday that senators are free to sit where they choose , but that separation would not be mandated .

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - People trying to enter the two buildings operated by the North Carolina General Assembly will get their temperatures checked again after the COVID-19 protocol was discontinued this week.
Senate Democrats complained to chamber leader Phil Berger after the checks by General Assembly police and nurses were discontinued.
No one ever registered a temperature high enough to warrant a medical referral since the process began several weeks ago, according to Paul Coble, the legislative complex administrator. He said on Tuesday that staff would instead emphasize deep cleaning, personal protective equipment and other initiatives to discourage the virus’ spread.
But in a letter Wednesday to Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, Coble said temperature checks would resume next week while the House and Senate are in session.
“I can appreciate your concern that the procedure provided an extra level of safety,” Coble told Blue. Coble said the cleaning and safety initiatives and other operating adjustments have resulted in well over $1 million in added expenses to the General Assembly’s budget.
Senate Democrats also asked Berger to reinstitute Senate chamber seating that keeps lawmakers at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart. Berger said on Wednesday that senators are free to sit where they choose, but that separation would not be mandated.


washingtontimes--2020-06-17--Justice agency opposes high-speed cable link to Hong Kong

The Justice Department on Wednesday asked the Federal Communications Commission to block a high-speed underwater cable linking the United States and Hong Kong , citing concerns about Chinese electronic spying .
Team Telecom , the Justice Department ’ s unit in charge of monitoring telecommunications deals that affect U.S. national security , said it was recommending against granting permission for a proposed Pacific Light and Cable Network ( PLCN ) , a plan backed by social media giants Google and Facebook , to create a direct high-speed cable link between Hong Kong and the United States .
The unit said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Taiwan , Philippines and the United States — as long as no Chinese companies are involved and safeguards against spying were in place .
The underwater cable application has pending for several years and would be the highest capacity data link between the United States and Asia .
The network also would be the first direct connection between the United States and Hong Kong , which until recently Washington recognized as a semi-autonomous entity operating under a 1997 agreement to allow its relatively free political and economic system to continue apart from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced it will rescind Hong Kong ’ s special trading status after China ’ s legislature approved the writing of new national security laws for the former British colony .
The Justice Department said Wednesday that the proposed undersea link to Hong Kong “ raised national security concerns , because a significant investor in the PLCN is Pacific Light Data Co. Ltd. , a Hong Kong company and subsidiary of Dr. Peng Telecom & Media Group Co. Ltd. ( Dr. Peng Group ) , the fourth largest provider of telecommunications services in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are involved in the undersea cable links to Taiwan and Philippines .
The recommendation to block the Hong Kong cable was based in part on the Chinese government ’ s “ sustained efforts to acquire the sensitive personal data of millions of U.S. persons ” and Beijing ’ s access to other countries ’ data through both digital infrastructure investments , the Justice Department said in a statement .
Chinese intelligence and cybersecurity laws that require all Chinese companies to provide the government access to data and equipment also was a factor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exploitation , ” the statement said .
According to the Justice Department , the Chinese owners of the PLCN have links to Chinese intelligence and security services .
The companies also are tied to the state-owned China Unicom .
The fiber optic network connection could make Hong Kong a dominant hub in the Asia Pacific for global information and communications technology and infrastructure .
That would mean large amounts of American internet , data and telecommunications traffic would pass through China where it could be exploited by Chinese intelligence , the statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct link “ would expose U.S. communications traffic to collection by the PRC , ” the statement said .
FCC documents say that the high-capacity digital fiber optic cable would involve five locations , one each in El Segundo , California , Hong Kong and Toucheng , Taiwan and two in the Philippines , at Aurora and Fernando La Union .
The main trunk between California and Hong Kong would include six fiber pairs .
Overall , the network would allow the transfer of 120 terabits per second over a total distance of @ @ @ @

The Justice Department on Wednesday asked the Federal Communications Commission to block a high-speed underwater cable linking the United States and Hong Kong, citing concerns about Chinese electronic spying.
Team Telecom, the Justice Department’s unit in charge of monitoring telecommunications deals that affect U.S. national security, said it was recommending against granting permission for a proposed Pacific Light and Cable Network (PLCN), a plan backed by social media giants Google and Facebook, to create a direct high-speed cable link between Hong Kong and the United States.
The unit said the FCC should allow underwater cable links between Taiwan, Philippines and the United States — as long as no Chinese companies are involved and safeguards against spying were in place.
The underwater cable application has pending for several years and would be the highest capacity data link between the United States and Asia. The network also would be the first direct connection between the United States and Hong Kong, which until recently Washington recognized as a semi-autonomous entity operating under a 1997 agreement to allow its relatively free political and economic system to continue apart from communist China.
The State Department recently announced it will rescind Hong Kong’s special trading status after China’s legislature approved the writing of new national security laws for the former British colony.
The Justice Department said Wednesday that the proposed undersea link to Hong Kong “raised national security concerns, because a significant investor in the PLCN is Pacific Light Data Co. Ltd., a Hong Kong company and subsidiary of Dr. Peng Telecom & Media Group Co. Ltd. (Dr. Peng Group), the fourth largest provider of telecommunications services in the PRC.”
Subsidiaries of Google and Facebook are involved in the undersea cable links to Taiwan and Philippines.
The recommendation to block the Hong Kong cable was based in part on the Chinese government’s “sustained efforts to acquire the sensitive personal data of millions of U.S. persons” and Beijing’s access to other countries’ data through both digital infrastructure investments, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Chinese intelligence and cybersecurity laws that require all Chinese companies to provide the government access to data and equipment also was a factor, leaving the undersea cable project “vulnerable to exploitation,” the statement said.
According to the Justice Department, the Chinese owners of the PLCN have links to Chinese intelligence and security services. The companies also are tied to the state-owned China Unicom.
The fiber optic network connection could make Hong Kong a dominant hub in the Asia Pacific for global information and communications technology and infrastructure. That would mean large amounts of American internet, data and telecommunications traffic would pass through China where it could be exploited by Chinese intelligence, the statement said.
Also, the Hong Kong direct link “would expose U.S. communications traffic to collection by the PRC,” the statement said.
FCC documents say that the high-capacity digital fiber optic cable would involve five locations, one each in El Segundo, California, Hong Kong and Toucheng, Taiwan and two in the Philippines, at Aurora and Fernando La Union. The main trunk between California and Hong Kong would include six fiber pairs.
Overall, the network would allow the transfer of 120 terabits per second over a total distance of around 8,000 miles.
• Bill Gertz can be reached at bgertz@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-06-17--UAE minister Anwar Gargash: Region's dangers demand 'activist' stance

The hard realities of the modern Middle East requires a more “ activist ” foreign policy approach to contain hostile forces , United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash said Wednesday as he laid out why his small nation has played an outsized role in conflicts in Libya and Yemen and why the UAE intends to be a regional force .
In a wide-ranging online forum hosted by the Middle East Institute , Mr. Gargash mounted a vehement defense of the UAE ’ s new interventionist outlook , arguing that it ’ s driven by growing chaos in the theater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Turkey — who he said appear bent on expanding both their influence and their territory .
He also called for a new international pact with Iran to replace the Obama-era multinational nuclear deal , warned that Turkey ’ s adventurism could destabilize the region , and said Israel ’ s possible imminent annexation of lands in the West Bank and Jordan Valley would be a major setback for the peace process .
On those matters and many others , Mr. Gargash made clear the UAE , a country of under 10 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s large proven reserves of oil , is no longer content to be a passive observer .
“ The UAE is not activist because it chooses to be an activist state , ” he said .
“ It is an activist state because the world is changing around us , because the fundamentals that the international system depended on 30 years ago , 20 years ago , are no longer as stable as they were.
” “ The old model of a Gulf state where you try and not rock the boat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think the international system does not allow us anymore to play that role , ” he added .
As one of the richest countries in the Middle East , the UAE long has been an economic powerhouse and an influential player in global finance .
A strong ally of the U.S. , the UAE also has contributed a small number of troops to the war in Afghanistan and was a key member of the Trump administration ’ s alliance of Sunni Arab states looking to contain Iran .
But that activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most notably , the UAE has partnered with Saudi Arabia for a years-long campaign in Yemen , where they battled Iran-backed Houthi rebels , a campaign that has fueled a massive humanitarian crisis in Yemen and international condemnation for the brutality of some of its tactics .
Right now , Mr. Gargash said there are fewer than 100 UAE soldiers still on the ground in Yemen .
He called on all stakeholders — the anti-Saudi Houthi rebels , the Yemeni government , and others — to adopt a Saudi-backed cease-fire plan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversial role in Libya , partnering with Egypt in aggressively backing Gen. Khalifa Haftar ’ s insurgent Libyan National Army ( LNA ) in its fight against the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli .
The civil war in Libya has spiraled downward in the decade since the death of strongman Moammar Gadhafi , and today there are numerous actors jockeying for position inside the country .
Turkish-backed fighters have slowed the LNA ’ s advance in recent weeks despite an influx of Russian mercenaries and military equipment to prop up Gen. Haftar ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are pushing a cease-fire agreement in Libya .
Top United Nations officials on Wednesday blasted the confusing mix of foreign involvement in the countries .
“ Parties to the conflict in Libya and the states supporting them should immediately stop recruiting , funding and deploying mercenaries and related actors to sustain hostilities , ” the U.N. ’ s working group on the use of mercenaries said in a statement .
“ The deployment of mercenaries to Libya only adds to the multitude and opacity of armed groups and other actors operating in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the UAE has been involved in trying to bring stability to Libya for the past 10 years and that it simply can not give up now .
“ You can ’ t press a country on and press a country off , ” he said .
“ You ’ re involved .
There is an issue of legacy.
” On Iran , Mr. Gargash also said the UAE believes Middle Eastern nations can play a pivotal role in any future nuclear negotiations .
The Iran nuclear deal struck by former President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia and Britain , but was greeted coldly by the leading Sunni Arab states .
“ This time around , countries like ours , countries like Saudi Arabia , should be part of this process , ” he said .

The hard realities of the modern Middle East requires a more “activist” foreign policy approach to contain hostile forces, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash said Wednesday as he laid out why his small nation has played an outsized role in conflicts in Libya and Yemen and why the UAE intends to be a regional force.
In a wide-ranging online forum hosted by the Middle East Institute, Mr. Gargash mounted a vehement defense of the UAE’s new interventionist outlook, arguing that it’s driven by growing chaos in the theater and by other actors — including Iran and Turkey — who he said appear bent on expanding both their influence and their territory.
He also called for a new international pact with Iran to replace the Obama-era multinational nuclear deal, warned that Turkey’s adventurism could destabilize the region, and said Israel’s possible imminent annexation of lands in the West Bank and Jordan Valley would be a major setback for the peace process.
On those matters and many others, Mr. Gargash made clear the UAE, a country of under 10 million people sitting on one of the world’s large proven reserves of oil, is no longer content to be a passive observer.
“The UAE is not activist because it chooses to be an activist state,” he said. “It is an activist state because the world is changing around us, because the fundamentals that the international system depended on 30 years ago, 20 years ago, are no longer as stable as they were.”
“The old model of a Gulf state where you try and not rock the boat and you try and just get by, I think the international system does not allow us anymore to play that role,” he added.
As one of the richest countries in the Middle East, the UAE long has been an economic powerhouse and an influential player in global finance. A strong ally of the U.S., the UAE also has contributed a small number of troops to the war in Afghanistan and was a key member of the Trump administration’s alliance of Sunni Arab states looking to contain Iran.
But that activist role has led to controversy as well.
Most notably, the UAE has partnered with Saudi Arabia for a years-long campaign in Yemen, where they battled Iran-backed Houthi rebels, a campaign that has fueled a massive humanitarian crisis in Yemen and international condemnation for the brutality of some of its tactics.
Right now, Mr. Gargash said there are fewer than 100 UAE soldiers still on the ground in Yemen. He called on all stakeholders — the anti-Saudi Houthi rebels, the Yemeni government, and others — to adopt a Saudi-backed cease-fire plan.
The UAE is playing a leading and controversial role in Libya, partnering with Egypt in aggressively backing Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s insurgent Libyan National Army (LNA) in its fight against the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli.
The civil war in Libya has spiraled downward in the decade since the death of strongman Moammar Gadhafi, and today there are numerous actors jockeying for position inside the country.
Turkish-backed fighters have slowed the LNA’s advance in recent weeks despite an influx of Russian mercenaries and military equipment to prop up Gen. Haftar’s army. Egypt and other players now are pushing a cease-fire agreement in Libya.
Top United Nations officials on Wednesday blasted the confusing mix of foreign involvement in the countries.
“Parties to the conflict in Libya and the states supporting them should immediately stop recruiting, funding and deploying mercenaries and related actors to sustain hostilities,” the U.N.’s working group on the use of mercenaries said in a statement. “The deployment of mercenaries to Libya only adds to the multitude and opacity of armed groups and other actors operating in a context of impunity.”
Mr. Gargash argued that the UAE has been involved in trying to bring stability to Libya for the past 10 years and that it simply cannot give up now.
“You can’t press a country on and press a country off,” he said. “You’re involved. There is an issue of legacy.”
On Iran, Mr. Gargash also said the UAE believes Middle Eastern nations can play a pivotal role in any future nuclear negotiations. The Iran nuclear deal struck by former President Barack Obama included major world powers such as Russia and Britain, but was greeted coldly by the leading Sunni Arab states.
“This time around, countries like ours, countries like Saudi Arabia, should be part of this process,” he said.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-06-17--Wisconsin seeking pandemic aid to help disabled residents

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) - After issuing a slew of denials , state regulators are now pushing to give federal pandemic aid to laid-off Wisconsinites with disabilities .
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development ( DWD ) is asking the U.S. Department of Labor to allow it to issue Pandemic Unemployment Assistance - a program under Congress ’ disaster stimulus bill - to unemployed workers who also receive federal disability benefits .
DWD spokesman Ben Jedd on Tuesday said the agency had yet to hear the labor department ’ s response .
The request signals a possible about-face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WPR/Wisconsin Watch report about the DWD ’ s denials of aid under the program to such part-time workers .
The report profiled Jessica Barrera , a single mother in Eau Claire with rare blood disorder and depression and anxiety .
Her $ 1,000 to $ 1,200 monthly Social Security Disability Insurance ( SSDI ) checks cover little more than rent for herself and her son , meaning she must also work part time .
After COVID-19 hit , she was laid off from her job and denied additional pandemic unemployment payments .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute for Nonprofit News .
About 175,000 working-age Wisconsinites rely on SSDI to supplement their income , a vast majority of whom work .
SSDI guidelines allow - and even encourage - part-time work so long as an employee does not earn more than $ 1,260 per month .
The federal program serves people who have worked and paid Social Security taxes but can no longer perform “ substantially gainful activity.
” But Wisconsin ’ s Republican-controlled Legislature in 2013 passed a law barring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance after losing work .
DWD staff has cited that law in blocking Barrera and other SSDI recipients from receiving benefits under PUA - separate funds Congress earmarked for people who lost their jobs because of the pandemic but “ would not qualify for regular unemployment compensation.
” DWD Secretary Caleb Frostman is now asking the federal government to allow Wisconsin to change course .
“ If Wisconsin SSDI recipients otherwise meet COVID-related eligibility , they should not be disqualified from PUA benefits , ” Frostman wrote in a June 9 letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter came two weeks after Amy Banicki , DWD unemployment insurance deputy administrator , sought federal guidance on the issue , noting the DWD staff believed SSDI recipients were ineligible for pandemic aid , while Frostman thought they might be eligible .
DWD staff said the 2013 law , coupled with Congress ’ lack of specificity on how to handle SSDI claims , left the agency with no choice but to deny such claims .
In a May 29 reply , Jeffrey Haluska , a federal labor department unemployment insurance specialist , agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Frostman called the interpretation flawed and possibly discriminatory against people with disabilities .
“ I am concerned that the interpretation could be viewed as denying benefits based on disability using SSDI as a proxy or as having a disparate impact on individuals with disabilities because all SSDI recipients - by definition - have disabilities , ” Frostman wrote .
He added : “ The Department ardently protects against discrimination and such an interpretation would run counter to that policy.
” Frostman ’ s letter came after WPR and Wisconsin Watch reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 138 SSDI recipients between March 16 and May 29 .
Jedd said DWD lacked data on how many SSDI recipients applied for PUA .
The issue could potentially affect thousands of workers as the economy struggles to rebound during the pandemic , considering that more than 158,000 SSDI recipients in Wisconsin also worked as of 2018 , according to federal statistics .
Victor Forberger , supervising attorney for the University of Wisconsin ’ s Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic , represents about 20 SSDI recipients in appeals of their denied claims .
He cheered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers of people affected by this policy it ’ s just phenomenal , ” he said .
“ I ’ m hoping that something can be done here , and that they follow through on this.
” Barrera is among those who could benefit from the shift , along with her 10-year-old son Niko .
DWD denied her claims for regular unemployment insurance and pandemic aid after an airport shuttle service laid her off in March .
Spurred by the news report , a reader offered to pay the car insurance bill Barrera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It was a retired couple .
They had taken their stimulus money and put it aside , and they were giving portions of it to different people that they thought it would help , ” Barrera said .
But Barrera said she accumulated nearly $ 4,000 in debt since March - paying for rent , internet , utilities and clothes for fast-growing Niko , among other expenses .
She appealed her PUA denial but has yet to receive a hearing date .
Unable to wait any longer , she found a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month .
The prospect of retroactively receiving federal aid - if the state reverses its policy and its overwhelmed unemployment insurance system resolves her appeal - offered additional hope .
“ I ’ m at a loss for words , ” she said of Frostman ’ s letter .
“ I prayed so hard …Today , out of all the days , I was thinking , ‘ What am I gon na do ?
There are three months of income gone , how do I recover this money ?
’ ” Forberger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s letter , given that just last week , an unemployment judge denied the appeal from one of his SSDI clients based on the 2013 state law .
On June 9 - the date of Frostman ’ s letter - a DWD attorney pushed Forberger to drop that appeal .
The client “ is ineligible for each week of each month that she receives SSDI - this is well-settled .
It is questionable to me what purpose her appeal serves , ” Andy Rubsam , the DWD attorney , wrote to Forberger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me know whether she intends to withdraw ( or please contact the hearing office to withdraw the appeal ) .
” The mixed messages coming from the agency “ indicate there may be some obstacles down the road ” for SSDI recipients seeking unemployment benefits , Forberger said .
He calls the 2013 law discriminatory .
“ It ’ s pretty obvious to anyone who does employment discrimination law - that if you had a private employer taking these actions , they would be in serious trouble , ” Forberger said .
Jedd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labor opinion will give Wisconsin wiggle room to issue pandemic benefits to SSDI recipients , despite the 2013 state law .
But DWD will not update its approach until that guidance arrives , he said .

Bram Sable-Smith of WPR/Wisconsin Watch.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - After issuing a slew of denials, state regulators are now pushing to give federal pandemic aid to laid-off Wisconsinites with disabilities.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is asking the U.S. Department of Labor to allow it to issue Pandemic Unemployment Assistance - a program under Congress’ disaster stimulus bill - to unemployed workers who also receive federal disability benefits. DWD spokesman Ben Jedd on Tuesday said the agency had yet to hear the labor department’s response.
The request signals a possible about-face in practice, and it follows a WPR/Wisconsin Watch report about the DWD’s denials of aid under the program to such part-time workers.
The report profiled Jessica Barrera, a single mother in Eau Claire with rare blood disorder and depression and anxiety. Her $1,000 to $1,200 monthly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) checks cover little more than rent for herself and her son, meaning she must also work part time. After COVID-19 hit, she was laid off from her job and denied additional pandemic unemployment payments.
___
The nonprofit news outlet Wisconsin Watch provided this article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute for Nonprofit News.
___
About 175,000 working-age Wisconsinites rely on SSDI to supplement their income, a vast majority of whom work. SSDI guidelines allow - and even encourage - part-time work so long as an employee does not earn more than $1,260 per month. The federal program serves people who have worked and paid Social Security taxes but can no longer perform “substantially gainful activity.”
But Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature in 2013 passed a law barring that group from simultaneously receiving state unemployment insurance after losing work.
DWD staff has cited that law in blocking Barrera and other SSDI recipients from receiving benefits under PUA - separate funds Congress earmarked for people who lost their jobs because of the pandemic but “would not qualify for regular unemployment compensation.”
DWD Secretary Caleb Frostman is now asking the federal government to allow Wisconsin to change course.
“If Wisconsin SSDI recipients otherwise meet COVID-related eligibility, they should not be disqualified from PUA benefits,” Frostman wrote in a June 9 letter to U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia.
The letter came two weeks after Amy Banicki, DWD unemployment insurance deputy administrator, sought federal guidance on the issue, noting the DWD staff believed SSDI recipients were ineligible for pandemic aid, while Frostman thought they might be eligible. DWD staff said the 2013 law, coupled with Congress’ lack of specificity on how to handle SSDI claims, left the agency with no choice but to deny such claims.
In a May 29 reply, Jeffrey Haluska, a federal labor department unemployment insurance specialist, agreed with DWD staff.
Writing to Scalia, Frostman called the interpretation flawed and possibly discriminatory against people with disabilities.
“I am concerned that the interpretation could be viewed as denying benefits based on disability using SSDI as a proxy or as having a disparate impact on individuals with disabilities because all SSDI recipients - by definition - have disabilities,” Frostman wrote.
He added: “The Department ardently protects against discrimination and such an interpretation would run counter to that policy.”
Frostman’s letter came after WPR and Wisconsin Watch reported that DWD had denied regular unemployment insurance to 138 SSDI recipients between March 16 and May 29.
Jedd said DWD lacked data on how many SSDI recipients applied for PUA. The issue could potentially affect thousands of workers as the economy struggles to rebound during the pandemic, considering that more than 158,000 SSDI recipients in Wisconsin also worked as of 2018, according to federal statistics.
Victor Forberger, supervising attorney for the University of Wisconsin’s Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic, represents about 20 SSDI recipients in appeals of their denied claims. He cheered the possible change.
“Given the numbers of people affected by this policy it’s just phenomenal,” he said. “I’m hoping that something can be done here, and that they follow through on this.”
Barrera is among those who could benefit from the shift, along with her 10-year-old son Niko. DWD denied her claims for regular unemployment insurance and pandemic aid after an airport shuttle service laid her off in March.
Spurred by the news report, a reader offered to pay the car insurance bill Barrera had let lapse after she lost income.
“It was a retired couple. They had taken their stimulus money and put it aside, and they were giving portions of it to different people that they thought it would help,” Barrera said.
But Barrera said she accumulated nearly $4,000 in debt since March - paying for rent, internet, utilities and clothes for fast-growing Niko, among other expenses. She appealed her PUA denial but has yet to receive a hearing date.
Unable to wait any longer, she found a new job working weekends at Menards beginning this month. The prospect of retroactively receiving federal aid - if the state reverses its policy and its overwhelmed unemployment insurance system resolves her appeal - offered additional hope.
“I’m at a loss for words,” she said of Frostman’s letter. “I prayed so hard …Today, out of all the days, I was thinking, ‘What am I gonna do? There are three months of income gone, how do I recover this money?’”
Forberger said he was surprised to see Frostman’s letter, given that just last week, an unemployment judge denied the appeal from one of his SSDI clients based on the 2013 state law. On June 9 - the date of Frostman’s letter - a DWD attorney pushed Forberger to drop that appeal.
The client “is ineligible for each week of each month that she receives SSDI - this is well-settled. It is questionable to me what purpose her appeal serves,” Andy Rubsam, the DWD attorney, wrote to Forberger in an email. “Please let me know whether she intends to withdraw (or please contact the hearing office to withdraw the appeal).”
The mixed messages coming from the agency “indicate there may be some obstacles down the road” for SSDI recipients seeking unemployment benefits, Forberger said. He calls the 2013 law discriminatory.
“It’s pretty obvious to anyone who does employment discrimination law - that if you had a private employer taking these actions, they would be in serious trouble,” Forberger said.
Jedd said DWD hopes a formal Department of Labor opinion will give Wisconsin wiggle room to issue pandemic benefits to SSDI recipients, despite the 2013 state law. But DWD will not update its approach until that guidance arrives, he said.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--2 Garrison Keillor books set for release this fall

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Garrison Keillor will have two books out this fall - a novel and a memoir - marking his first releases since sexual harassment allegations were made against the author and humorist three years ago .
Arcade Publishing announced Thursday that Keillor ’ s “ The Lake Wobegon Virus , ” which continues his popular “ Lake Wobegon ” series and ties it to the current pandemic , is coming Sept. 8 .
Two months later , Arcade will release “ That Time of Year , ” a reflection on his childhood and “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a few medical adventures.
” In his memoir , the 77-year-old Keillor will address the harassment allegations , which led to his being dropped by Minnesota Public Radio and The Washington Post .
Keillor was long known for his wry depictions of small-town life in his “ Lake Wobegon ” novels and in “ A Prairie Home Companion , ” the radio program that was the basis for Robert Altman ’ s movie of the same name , which came out in 2006 .
The recipient of a National Humanities Medal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the podcast “ The Writer ’ s Almanac , ” which began as a radio show in the 1990s , Keillor is one of many prominent public figures who has been accused of sexual misconduct since the start of the # MeToo movement in 2017 .
“ The novel was fun to write , the memoir not so much , ” Keillor said in a statement .
“ The people of Lake Wobegon were waiting for the chance to go wild and so the book wrote itself .
With the memoir , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I try to do it with some humor and grace and also talk about The New Yorker , Chet Atkins , Bob Altman , the three women who ran the show , and the time I sang to the U.S. Supreme Court .
Arcade and Skyhorse are bold and fearless publishers and I ’ m proud to be an old draft horse in their barn.
” Kathleen Schmidt , publicity director of Skyhorse Publishing , Arcade ’ s parent company , told The Associated Press that Keillor is an “ important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who deserves to tell his story .
“ We don ’ t believe in cancel culture and take the strongest possible stance against censorship , ” she said .
In April , Arcade published Woody Allen ’ s memoir “ Apropos of Nothing ” after it was dropped by Hachette Book Group .
Allen ’ s daughter Dylan Farrow has alleged that he molested her when she was 7 , in the early 1990s .
Employees at Hachette openly rebelled against releasing his book .
Allen has denied the allegations and no charges @ @ @ @ @ @

NEW YORK (AP) - Garrison Keillor will have two books out this fall - a novel and a memoir - marking his first releases since sexual harassment allegations were made against the author and humorist three years ago.
Arcade Publishing announced Thursday that Keillor’s “The Lake Wobegon Virus,” which continues his popular “Lake Wobegon” series and ties it to the current pandemic, is coming Sept. 8. Two months later, Arcade will release “That Time of Year,” a reflection on his childhood and “a good life, including mistakes, regrets, and a few medical adventures.”
In his memoir, the 77-year-old Keillor will address the harassment allegations, which led to his being dropped by Minnesota Public Radio and The Washington Post. Keillor was long known for his wry depictions of small-town life in his “Lake Wobegon” novels and in “A Prairie Home Companion,” the radio program that was the basis for Robert Altman’s movie of the same name, which came out in 2006.
The recipient of a National Humanities Medal in 1999 and currently the host of the podcast “The Writer’s Almanac,” which began as a radio show in the 1990s, Keillor is one of many prominent public figures who has been accused of sexual misconduct since the start of the #MeToo movement in 2017.
“The novel was fun to write, the memoir not so much,” Keillor said in a statement. “The people of Lake Wobegon were waiting for the chance to go wild and so the book wrote itself. With the memoir, I had to address my mistakes and regrets, and I try to do it with some humor and grace and also talk about The New Yorker, Chet Atkins, Bob Altman, the three women who ran the show, and the time I sang to the U.S. Supreme Court. Arcade and Skyhorse are bold and fearless publishers and I’m proud to be an old draft horse in their barn.”
Kathleen Schmidt, publicity director of Skyhorse Publishing, Arcade’s parent company, told The Associated Press that Keillor is an “important, relevant, great American writer” who deserves to tell his story.
“We don’t believe in cancel culture and take the strongest possible stance against censorship,” she said.
In April, Arcade published Woody Allen’s memoir “Apropos of Nothing” after it was dropped by Hachette Book Group. Allen’s daughter Dylan Farrow has alleged that he molested her when she was 7, in the early 1990s. Employees at Hachette openly rebelled against releasing his book. Allen has denied the allegations and no charges were pressed after two investigations.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Victim of grain bin accident near Adams identified

GRAFTON , N.D. ( AP ) - Authorities have identified the man who died when he was buried in a @ @ @ @ @ Dakota .
Thomas Shirek , 50 , of Park River , was trying to break @ @ @ @ @ in the bin when he became trapped Monday afternoon , according to Walsh County Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ departments responded to the call south of Adams .
Shirek was pronounced dead at First @ @ @ @ @ River .

GRAFTON, N.D. (AP) - Authorities have identified the man who died when he was buried in a grain bin in northeastern North Dakota.
Thomas Shirek, 50, of Park River, was trying to break a crust that had developed in the bin when he became trapped Monday afternoon, according to Walsh County Sheriff Ron Jurgens.
Four fire departments responded to the call south of Adams. Shirek was pronounced dead at First Care Health Center in Park River.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Jean Kennedy Smith, last surviving sibling of JFK, dies

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Jean Kennedy Smith , the youngest sister and last surviving sibling of President John @ @ @ @ @ 92 , her daughter confirmed to The New York Times .
Smith died Wednesday at @ @ @ @ @ daughter Kym told the Times .
Smith served as ambassador to Ireland for five years @ @ @ @ @ She also founded an arts education program that supports artists with physical or mental disabilities @

NEW YORK (AP) — Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy and a former ambassador to Ireland, died Wednesday, her daughter confirmed to The New York Times. She was 92.
Smith died at her home in Manhattan, her daughter Kym told The Times.
Smith was the eighth of nine children born to Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy, and she tragically outlived several of them by decades. Her siblings included older brother Joseph Kennedy Jr., killed in action during World War II; Kathleen “Kick’ Kennedy, who died in a 1948 plane crash; the president, assassinated in 1963 and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, slain in 1968. Sen. Edward Kennedy, the youngest of the Kennedy siblings, died of brain cancer in August 2009, the same month their sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver died.
Smith, who married Kennedy family financial adviser and future White House chief of staff Stephen Edward Smith in 1956, was viewed for much of her life as a quiet sister who shunned the spotlight. In her memoir “The Nine of Us,” published in 2016, she wrote that for much of the time her childhood seemed “unexceptional.”
“It is hard for me to fully comprehend that I was growing up with brothers who eventually occupy the highest offices of our nation, including president of the United States,” she explained. “At the time, they were simply my playmates. They were the source of my amusement and the objects of my admiration.”
Though she never ran for office, she campaigned for her brothers, traveling the country for then-Sen. John F. Kennedy as he sought the presidency in 1960. In 1963, she stepped in for a traveling Jacqueline Kennedy and co-hosted a state dinner for Ireland’s president. The same year, she accompanied her brother — the first Irish Catholic president — on his famous visit to Ireland. Their great-grandfather, Patrick Kennedy, was from Dunganstown in County Wexford in southeastern Ireland.
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Three decades later, she was appointed ambassador to Ireland by President Bill Clinton, who called her “as Irish as an American can be.”
During her confirmation hearing, she recalled the trip with her brother, describing it as “one of the most moving experiences of my own life.”
As ambassador, she played a role in the Northern Ireland peace process. She helped persuade Clinton to grant a controversial visa in 1994 to Gerry Adams, chief of the Irish Republican Army-linked Sinn Fein party. The move defied the British government, which branded Adams as a terrorist.
She later called criticism of her actions toward the IRA “unfortunate” and said she thought history would credit the Clinton administration with helping the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said in 1998 that “it is not an understatement to say that if (the visa for Adams) didn’t happen at the time, perhaps other events may not have fallen into place.”
In 1996, though, Smith had been reprimanded by Secretary of State Warren Christopher for punishing two of her officers who objected to the visa for Adams.
In December 1998, Smith again risked controversy by taking communion in a Protestant cathedral in Dublin, going against the bishops of her Roman Catholic church.
Her decision was a strong personal gesture of support for Irish President Mary McAleese, a fellow Catholic who had been criticized by Irish bishops for joining in the Protestant communion service.
“Religion, after all, is about bringing people together,” Smith told The Irish Times. “We all have our own way of going to God.”
When she stepped down as ambassador in 1998, she received Irish citizenship for “distinguished service to the nation.”
Diplomacy, along with politics, also ran in the Kennedy family. Her father was ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1940. Niece Caroline Kennedy served as ambassador to Japan during the Obama administration.
“We’re the first father-daughter ambassadors,” Smith told The Irish Times in 1997. “So I can’t remember a time when we were not an actively political family.”
In 1974, Smith founded Very Special Arts, an education program that supports artists with physical or mental disabilities. Her 1993 book with George Plimpton, “Chronicles of Courage: Very Special Artists,” features interviews with disabled artists. The program followed in the footsteps of her sister Eunice’s creation of the Special Olympics for disabled athletes.
Smith and her husband had four children, Stephen Jr., William, Amanda and Kym. Her husband died in 1990.
Her son, Dr. William Kennedy Smith, made headlines in 1991, when he was charged with rape at the Kennedy estate in Palm Beach, Florida. He was acquitted after a highly publicized trial that included testimony from his uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy, who had roused his nephew and son to go to some nightclubs that Easter weekend.
Among Smith’s other siblings, Rosemary died in 2005; and Patricia in 2006.
“Certainly a distinct characteristic of our family was its size,” Smith wrote in her memoir. “A child in a big family constantly feels surrounded and supported. For me, there was always someone to play with or someone to talk to just around the corner, out on the porch, or in the next bedroom. I never felt alone.”


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Former ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, last surviving sibling of JFK, dies at 92, her daughter tells

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Former ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith , last surviving sibling of JFK , dies at @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times .

NEW YORK (AP) - Former ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, last surviving sibling of JFK, dies at 92, her daughter tells The New York Times.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--St. Paul man killed by sister's ex-boyfriend, officials say

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) - A St. Paul man was fatally shot by his sister ’ s ex-boyfriend in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ to prosecutors in Hennepin County .
Ryan Frazier Jr. , 23 , of Minneapolis faces @ @ @ @ @ in the death of 27-year-old Brandon Salter .
According to a criminal complaint , Salter @ @ @ @ @ home June 4 when Frazier arrived with his new girlfriend .
The woman identified only @ @ @ @ @ ’ s sister come out and fight her , the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported @ @ @ @ @ says Frazier drew a handgun from his waistband as she fought with Kayla and as @ @ @ @ @ four to six gunshots , the complaint said .
By the time Minneapolis police arrived @ @ @ @ @ had fled and Salter was lying on his back with two gunshot wounds to his @ @ @ @ @ left arm , the complaint said .
It was not clear whether Frazier has an @ @ @ @ @ his behalf .

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A St. Paul man was fatally shot by his sister’s ex-boyfriend in Minneapolis earlier this month, according to prosecutors in Hennepin County.
Ryan Frazier Jr., 23, of Minneapolis faces one count of second-degree murder in the death of 27-year-old Brandon Salter.
According to a criminal complaint, Salter’s sister was at home June 4 when Frazier arrived with his new girlfriend. The woman identified only as Kayla demanded that Salter’s sister come out and fight her, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
Salter’s sister says Frazier drew a handgun from his waistband as she fought with Kayla and as she ran inside she heard four to six gunshots, the complaint said.
By the time Minneapolis police arrived on the scene, Frazier had fled and Salter was lying on his back with two gunshot wounds to his chest and one to his left arm, the complaint said.
It was not clear whether Frazier has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--UEFA eases club finance rules for 1 year due to the pandemic

NYON , Switzerland ( AP ) - UEFA has eased its rules for monitoring spending by Europe ’ s top soccer clubs due to financial instability caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
The European soccer industry is losing hundreds of millions of euros ( dollars ) in income from playing games without fans and disruption to broadcast contracts .
UEFA announced changes on Thursday effectively combining two accounting years for clubs into one that will be assessed next year in the Financial Fair Play program .
“ The adverse impact of the pandemic is neutralized by averaging the combined deficit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing specific COVID-19 adjustments , ” Europe ’ s soccer body said in a statement after an executive committee meeting .
In other decisions prompted by the pandemic delaying the current season , UEFA advised member federations to close the player transfer window on Oct. 5 .
The deadline is typically around Aug. 31 .
The new suggested date is one day before UEFA ’ s deadline for registering squads to play in the Champions League and Europa League .
The group stages begin from Oct. 20-22 , one month later than usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clubs who qualify for European competitions to approach breaking even on their spending on transfers and wages against commercial income .
Club owners are allowed unlimited spending on stadium projects and youth training , but not to bail out debts .
In the most severe cases , rule-breaking clubs can be suspended from a future competition .
The FFP rules are being tested in Manchester City ’ s appeal against a two-year ban .
A Court of Arbitration for Sport verdict is due next month .
UEFA said on Thursday it is committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of financial fair play for football ’ s long-term viability.
” Clubs also were given one month extra , to the end of July , to show they have no outstanding debts for wages , transfers and social taxes .

NYON, Switzerland (AP) - UEFA has eased its rules for monitoring spending by Europe’s top soccer clubs due to financial instability caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The European soccer industry is losing hundreds of millions of euros (dollars) in income from playing games without fans and disruption to broadcast contracts.
UEFA announced changes on Thursday effectively combining two accounting years for clubs into one that will be assessed next year in the Financial Fair Play program.
“The adverse impact of the pandemic is neutralized by averaging the combined deficit of 2020 and 2021 and by further allowing specific COVID-19 adjustments,” Europe’s soccer body said in a statement after an executive committee meeting.
In other decisions prompted by the pandemic delaying the current season, UEFA advised member federations to close the player transfer window on Oct. 5. The deadline is typically around Aug. 31.
The new suggested date is one day before UEFA’s deadline for registering squads to play in the Champions League and Europa League. The group stages begin from Oct. 20-22, one month later than usual.
UEFA’s FFP program requires clubs who qualify for European competitions to approach breaking even on their spending on transfers and wages against commercial income. Club owners are allowed unlimited spending on stadium projects and youth training, but not to bail out debts.
In the most severe cases, rule-breaking clubs can be suspended from a future competition.
The FFP rules are being tested in Manchester City’s appeal against a two-year ban. A Court of Arbitration for Sport verdict is due next month.
UEFA said on Thursday it is committed to “retaining the spirit and intent of financial fair play for football’s long-term viability.”
Clubs also were given one month extra, to the end of July, to show they have no outstanding debts for wages, transfers and social taxes.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Birthplace of Stonewall Jackson will not remove his statue

CLARKSBURG , W.Va. ( AP ) - Commissioners in the West Virginia county where Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson was born voted to keep his statue outside the courthouse after hearing public comments on a proposal to remove it .
The Harrison County Commission rejected the motion in a 2-1 vote Wednesday , news outlets reported .
If adopted , the motion would have returned the equestrian statue to the Daughters of Confederacy , which gifted it to the county in 1953 , West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported .
Commissioner David Hinkle voted in favor of removing it , and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backbone ” of the commission following the vote .
Nearly 20 people asked commissioners to let the statue stand or have voters decide its fate , while about a dozen others called for its removal , including two speakers who said they were Jackson ’ s relatives , The Exponent Telegram reported .
“ I ’ m a lifelong Civil War buff and I understand the fascinating history of Jackson and tragedy of the Civil War , ” said Colin Grant Jackson , who joined the meeting virtually from Illinois .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his cause in front of the courthouse sends a very specific message of white supremacy against the black population of the county.
” Another speaker , Ryan DeBarr , said he was a distant relative of Gen. Jackson ’ s grandfather , George Jackson .
He said the statue is an “ intentional slap in the face ” to the state and its black citizens .
“ What does it say that a statue of a slave owner went up in 1953 at the height of the desegregation conflict ?
It says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” DeBarr said .
Commissioners voted to let the statue remain after County Administrator Willie Parker noted the measure did not qualify to appear on a ballot .

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - Commissioners in the West Virginia county where Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson was born voted to keep his statue outside the courthouse after hearing public comments on a proposal to remove it.
The Harrison County Commission rejected the motion in a 2-1 vote Wednesday, news outlets reported.
If adopted, the motion would have returned the equestrian statue to the Daughters of Confederacy, which gifted it to the county in 1953, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported.
Commissioner David Hinkle voted in favor of removing it, and said he was “very ashamed of the backbone” of the commission following the vote.
Nearly 20 people asked commissioners to let the statue stand or have voters decide its fate, while about a dozen others called for its removal, including two speakers who said they were Jackson’s relatives, The Exponent Telegram reported.
“I’m a lifelong Civil War buff and I understand the fascinating history of Jackson and tragedy of the Civil War,” said Colin Grant Jackson, who joined the meeting virtually from Illinois. “But I also believe that a heroic statue of his cause in front of the courthouse sends a very specific message of white supremacy against the black population of the county.”
Another speaker, Ryan DeBarr, said he was a distant relative of Gen. Jackson’s grandfather, George Jackson. He said the statue is an “intentional slap in the face” to the state and its black citizens.
“What does it say that a statue of a slave owner went up in 1953 at the height of the desegregation conflict? It says it’s not really about history,” DeBarr said.
Commissioners voted to let the statue remain after County Administrator Willie Parker noted the measure did not qualify to appear on a ballot.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--John Bolton: Trump isn't 'fit for office,' lacks 'competence' to carry out the job of president

John R. Bolton , President Trump ’ s former national security adviser , said in a new interview that he doesn ’ t think the president is “ fit for office ” or that he has the “ competence ” to do the job .
“ I don ’ t think he ’ s fit for office — I don ’ t think he has the competence to carry out the job , ” Mr. Bolton told ABC News in an excerpt of a forthcoming interview that was released on Thursday .
“ There really isn ’ t any guiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other than what ’ s good for Donald Trump ’ s re-election , ” Mr. Bolton said .
“ I think he was so focused on the re-election that longer-term considerations fell by the wayside.
” The Trump administration is trying to block Mr. Bolton from publishing an explosive new book , saying it contains classified information .
“ He broke the law , very simple , ” Mr. Trump said on Fox News on Wednesday .
“ This is highly classified information , and he did not have approval.
” In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed the electoral importance of trade policy to Chinese President Xi Jinping and that Mr. Trump praised Mr. Xi ’ s plan to build “ concentration camps ” in Xinjiang for China ’ s Uighur minority population .
The president has fired back , telling the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that Mr. Bolton is a liar and that Mr. Bolton ’ s recollection of his conversation with Mr. Xi about the camps is wrong .

John R. Bolton, President Trump’s former national security adviser, said in a new interview that he doesn’t think the president is “fit for office” or that he has the “competence” to do the job.
“I don’t think he’s fit for office — I don’t think he has the competence to carry out the job,” Mr. Bolton told ABC News in an excerpt of a forthcoming interview that was released on Thursday.
“There really isn’t any guiding principle that I was able to discern other than what’s good for Donald Trump’s re-election,” Mr. Bolton said. “I think he was so focused on the re-election that longer-term considerations fell by the wayside.”
The Trump administration is trying to block Mr. Bolton from publishing an explosive new book, saying it contains classified information.
“He broke the law, very simple,” Mr. Trump said on Fox News on Wednesday. “This is highly classified information, and he did not have approval.”
In the book, Mr. Bolton said Mr. Trump stressed the electoral importance of trade policy to Chinese President Xi Jinping and that Mr. Trump praised Mr. Xi’s plan to build “concentration camps” in Xinjiang for China’s Uighur minority population.
The president has fired back, telling the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that Mr. Bolton is a liar and that Mr. Bolton’s recollection of his conversation with Mr. Xi about the camps is wrong.
The president on Thursday called Mr. Bolton a “wacko” whose book “is made up of lies & fake stories.”
In a tweet shortly after midnight, the president said Mr. Bolton “said all good about me, in print, until the day I fired him.”
“A disgruntled boring fool who only wanted to go to war,” Mr. Trump said of the man he appointed national security adviser in April 2018. “Never had a clue, was ostracized & happily dumped. What a dope!
He added, “President Bush fired him also. Bolton is incompetent!”
Mr. Bolton served as U.N. Ambassador under President George W. Bush for about 17 months.
• Dave Boyer contributed to this report.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Nepal to deport 5 foreigners who protested pandemic response

KATHMANDU , Nepal ( AP ) - Five foreign nationals who took part in a protest in Nepal against the @ @ @ @ @ will be deported as soon as international flights resume , the country ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ The three Chinese , one American and one Australian were not being detained but are @ @ @ @ @ regularly until they leave the country , immigration chief Ramesh Kumar KC said .
The @ @ @ @ @ taking part in Saturday ’ s protests against the government ’ s handling of the @ @ @ @ @ will be banned from returning to Nepal for two years .

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) - Five foreign nationals who took part in a protest in Nepal against the government’s pandemic response will be deported as soon as international flights resume, the country’s top immigration official said Thursday.
The three Chinese, one American and one Australian were not being detained but are required to report to officials regularly until they leave the country, immigration chief Ramesh Kumar KC said.
The five were also fined for taking part in Saturday’s protests against the government’s handling of the coronavirus situation.
All five will be banned from returning to Nepal for two years.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Democrat McClellan announces bid to be Virginia governor

RICHMOND , Va. ( AP ) - A Virginia state senator is launching a bid to be the state ’ s next governor , which if successful would make her the nation ’ s first African American woman to lead a state .
Sen. Jennifer McClellan announced Thursday that she ’ s running for governor in 2021 , saying she has the right skill set and track record to rebuild the state ’ s economy , safety nets and communities amid a coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest over police violence and systematic racism .
In an interview with The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said she ’ s a proven problem solve and a “ compassionate listener ” who will work to build a more inclusive state .
“ I have the understanding of where we are in this moment in time , how we got here … and the vision to take Virginia forward , ” McClellan said .
McClellan is one of several Democrats either officially running or eyeing a possible campaign for their party ’ s nomination to succeed Gov .
Ralph Northam , who is barred by law from seeking re-election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lt. Gov .
Justin Fairfax , Attorney General Mark Herring and Del .
Jennifer Carroll-Foy , who like McClellan is also a black woman .
If she were to win the 2021 contest , McClellan would be Virginia ’ s first woman governor , the first African American female governor in the United States and only the second woman ever elected to statewide office in Virginia .
McClellan said black women have been the “ backbone ” of this country while often being overlooked , but she ’ s not interested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m not running to make history , I am running to set Virginia on the course I think we need to go , ” she said .
The 47-year-old has served in the state legislature for more than 14 years , first as a House delegate and more recently as a senator representing Richmond .
A mother of two , she was the first delegate to serve while pregnant .
She works as a corporate attorney for Verizon in her day job .
At the legislature , McClellan is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a hand in high profile legislation and issues such as ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment and ethics reform .
She ’ s been a strong advocate for abortion rights and was a lead sponsor on a sweeping energy overhaul this year that lays out a plan to get Virginia to 100 % renewable generation .
McClellan also leads the Virginia Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. Memorial Commission .
McClellan has long been active in the state Democratic party and is married to Democratic operative David Mills .
They were married by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and adviser of McClellan .
Quentin Kidd , a political science professor at Christopher Newport University , said McClellan ’ s personal background and long track record at the legislature give her broad appeal among both liberal and moderate Democrats .
“ She ’ s the Kamala Harris of Virginia politics , ” Kidd said , referring to the former presidential hopeful and senator from California who could be picked as former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s running mate .
The party primaries are not until 2021 , but Virginia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention and interest because they serve as a stand-in for the national mood .
Northam easily won in 2017 , riding a wave of voter unhappiness with President Donald Trump .
On the Republican side , Sen. Amanda Chase , a populist who is outspoken on gun rights and often clashes with members of her own party , announced her candidacy in February , and businessman Pete Snyder has indicated an interest in running .
No Republican has won a statewide race in Virginia in more than a decade .

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia state senator is launching a bid to be the state’s next governor, which if successful would make her the nation’s first African American woman to lead a state.
Sen. Jennifer McClellan announced Thursday that she’s running for governor in 2021, saying she has the right skill set and track record to rebuild the state’s economy, safety nets and communities amid a coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest over police violence and systematic racism.
In an interview with The Associated Press ahead of her formal announcement, she said she’s a proven problem solver and a “compassionate listener” who will work to build a more inclusive state.
“I have the understanding of where we are in this moment in time, how we got here … and the vision to take Virginia forward,” McClellan said.
McClellan is one of several Democrats either officially running or eyeing a possible campaign for their party’s nomination to succeed Gov. Ralph Northam, who is barred by law from seeking re-election. They include former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, Attorney General Mark Herring and Del. Jennifer Carroll-Foy, who like McClellan is also a black woman.
If she were to win the 2021 contest, McClellan would be Virginia’s first woman governor, the first African American female governor in the United States and only the second woman ever elected to statewide office in Virginia.
McClellan said black women have been the “backbone” of this country while often being overlooked, but she’s not interested in shattering glass ceilings for its own sake.
“I’m not running to make history, I am running to set Virginia on the course I think we need to go,” she said.
The 47-year-old has served in the state legislature for more than 14 years, first as a House delegate and more recently as a senator representing Richmond. A mother of two, she was the first delegate to serve while pregnant. She works as a corporate attorney for Verizon in her day job.
At the legislature, McClellan is known as a soft-spoken pragmatist who often has a hand in high profile legislation and issues such as ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment and ethics reform.
She’s been a strong advocate for abortion rights and was a lead sponsor on a sweeping energy overhaul this year that lays out a plan to get Virginia to 100% renewable generation. McClellan also leads the Virginia Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission.
McClellan has long been active in the state Democratic party and is married to Democratic operative David Mills. They were married by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, a mentor and adviser of McClellan.
Quentin Kidd, a political science professor at Christopher Newport University, said McClellan’s personal background and long track record at the legislature give her broad appeal among both liberal and moderate Democrats.
“She’s the Kamala Harris of Virginia politics,” Kidd said, referring to the former presidential hopeful and senator from California who could be picked as former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate.
The party primaries are not until 2021, but Virginia’s off-year gubernatorial contests typically draw outsized national attention and interest because they serve as a stand-in for the national mood. Northam easily won in 2017, riding a wave of voter unhappiness with President Donald Trump.
On the Republican side, Sen. Amanda Chase, a populist who is outspoken on gun rights and often clashes with members of her own party, announced her candidacy in February, and businessman Pete Snyder has indicated an interest in running. No Republican has won a statewide race in Virginia in more than a decade.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Many more likely sought US jobless aid even as layoffs slow

WASHINGTON ( AP ) - The U.S. government will issue its latest snapshot Thursday of the layoffs that have left @ @ @ @ @ as businesses have increasingly reopened and rehired some of their laid-off workers .
The pace @ @ @ @ @ declined in the three months since the coronavirus struck hard , forcing business closures and @ @ @ @ @ .
The dwindling rate of jobless claims suggests that the devastation inflicted on the job @ @ @ @ @ bottomed out .
Still , even by historical standards the number of weekly applications remains @ @ @ @ @ appears to have begun a slow recovery .
Employers added 2.5 million jobs last month @ @ @ @ @ declined from 14.7 % to a still-high 13.3 % .
In addition , shoppers increased @ @ @ @ @ , retracing some of the record-setting plunges of the previous two months .
Many economists @ @ @ @ @ the economy will likely struggle to sustain its recent gains .

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, a historically high number, even as the economy increasingly reopens and employers bring some people back to work.
The latest figure from the Labor Department marked the 11th straight weekly decline in applications since they peaked at nearly 7 million in March as the coronavirus shut down much of the economy and caused tens of millions of layoffs. The decline was much smaller, though, than in recent weeks, falling just 58,000.
The total number of people receiving unemployment aid also fell slightly, reflecting the return of many to their old jobs.
The job market appears to have begun a slow recovery. In May, employers added 2.5 million jobs, an increase that suggested that the job market has bottomed out. The unemployment rate declined from 14.7% to a still-high 13.3%.
Even with the May hiring gain, nearly 21 million people are officially classified as unemployed. And including people the government said had been erroneously categorized as employed in May and those who lost jobs but didn’t look for new ones, 32.5 million people are out of work, economists estimate.
Thursday’s report also showed that an additional 760,000 people applied for jobless benefits last week under a new program for self-employed and gig workers that made them eligible for aid for the first time. These figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal variations, so the government doesn’t include them in the official count.
The steady decline in jobless claims follows some other encouraging reports that suggest that the lifting of shutdown orders has sparked some pent-up demand from consumers, whose spending largely drives the economy. Most economic gauges remain far below their pre-pandemic levels, though, and some analysts question whether the recent gains can be sustained, especially if the virus were to surge back.
Last month, retail and restaurant sales jumped nearly 18%, the government said Tuesday, retracing some of the record plunges of the previous two months. Even so, retail purchases remain a sizable 6% below their year-ago levels.
Furniture store sales nearly doubled, and clothing sales nearly tripled, though both remain far below their levels before the coronavirus struck. Clothing store sales are still down 60% compared with a year earlier.
With nearly record-low mortgage rates, applications for home loans reached an 11-year high last week. But even though the number of homes under construction rose in May, they remain substantially below last year’s pace.
The economy and the job market face a raft of uncertainties that could slow or even derail a recovery. Business re-openings have caused spikes of viral infections in nearly half of states, a trend that could lead consumers to pull back again on shopping and dining out and reverse any economic gains.
Restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theaters will likely rehire only a portion of their workforces. Many consumers won’t fully resume their previous habits of shopping, traveling and going out until a vaccine is available.
One key reason why consumer spending has rebounded is that government aid programs, from one-time $1,200 stimulus checks to $600-a-week in supplemental federal unemployment aid, have helped offset the loss of income for laid-off Americans. Yet nearly all the stimulus checks have been issued. And the supplemental federal jobless aid is set to expire July 31.
“Recently, some indicators have pointed to a stabilization, and in some areas a modest rebound, in economic activity,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday in testimony to a Senate committee. Yet “until the public is confident that the disease is contained, a full recovery is unlikely.”
Corinne Cook, who lives in Kissimmee, near Orlando, felt a huge relief to finally receive her unemployment benefits last week after a month and a half of battling Florida’s bureaucracy.
Cook, 28, had moved to the area in September for an 18-month contract position as a 3-D modeler for Walt Disney, a job involving sculpting character prototypes that were printed on 3-D printers. But she was laid off in mid-April after the parks closed down.
She is receiving the minimum state unemployment benefit from Florida, $125 a week, because the state has no record of her prior earnings in New Jersey, even though she said she has uploaded, mailed and faxed her documents from her job there. If her previous earnings were properly credited, her state benefits would more than double. She is grateful, though, for the extra $600 in federal unemployment benefits, which have allowed her to pay off some bills.
“It was very stressful,” she said. “I definitely lost it a few times.”
She is applying for a new job and hopes to stay in the area. But there aren’t a lot of open positions in her field.
“The future is very unknown at this point,” Cook said.
Other data paints a picture of an economy slowly on the mend. A weekly survey of small businesses by the Census Bureau found that in the week that ended June 6, nearly 10% of small firms said they were hiring. That’s double what it was five weeks ago. About 13% said they were still cutting jobs, less than half of what the figure was in late April.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Union calls out 'sick system' after slaughterhouse outbreak

BERLIN ( AP ) - A German labor union called Thursday for an end to the practice of using subcontractors in Germany ’ s meat industry , after a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 sickened hundreds at one of the country ’ s biggest slaughterhouses .
Authorities in the western region of Guetersloh said Wednesday that at least 657 people at the Toennies Group plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck had tested positive for the virus .
“ It ’ s no coincidence that the Toennies slaughterhouse has become the next hotspot of coronavirus infections , ” said Freddy Adjan , the deputy chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the food and drinks industry .
Adjan said workers employed by subcontractors face “ catastrophic working and living conditions.
” Following a series of earlier coronavirus clusters at abattoirs , the German government pledged to crack down on the practice of subcontracting by the end of the year , though some lawmakers have warned this could result in jobs being moved abroad .
“ This sick system needs to finally end , ” Adjan said .
“ The government ’ s decision that includes a ban on contract work needs to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toennies has said the outbreak could be linked to recent travel by workers , especially from Eastern Europe , after borders started to reopen .
But experts questioned whether such a large outbreak - resulting in more cases than the entire country normally reports in a day - could have been caused by travel alone .
“ The working conditions in slaughterhouses doesn ’ t seem to be very compatible with the currently required hygiene measures , ” said Isabella Eckerle , who heads the center for emerging viral diseases at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the large number of ( infected ) employees indicates an undetected ‘ super-spreading event ’ in the company that has been going on for some time , ” she said .

BERLIN (AP) - Germany’s agriculture minister said Thursday that conditions at a slaughterhouse where hundreds of workers tested positive for COVID-19 were untenable and backed an official investigation into the outbreak.
Authorities in the western region of Guetersloh said that 730 people at the Toennies Group meatpacking plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck had tested positive for the new coronavirus, an increase of 73 since Wednesday.
“Hundreds of infections in one plant. These conditions aren’t tenable,” Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner said in a statement. She added it was right for officials in North Rhine-Westphalia state, where the plant is located, to have launched a probe into the source of the infections.
Following a series of earlier coronavirus clusters at abattoirs, the German government pledged to crack down on the practice of using subcontractors, who often hire migrant workers and house them in cramped accommodation. But some lawmakers have warned of the risk that jobs might move abroad.
Coronavirus outbreaks have also affected meatpacking plants in other countries, including in the United States. The United Food and Commercial Workers union said recently that at least 44 slaughterhouse workers in the U.S. have died from the virus and another 3,000 have tested positive.
Labor campaigners said the outbreak at one of Germany’s biggest slaughterhouses, which employs about 7,000 people, showed the need for change.
“It’s no coincidence that the Toennies slaughterhouse has become the next hot spot of coronavirus infections,” said Freddy Adjan, the deputy chairman of the NGG union that represents workers in the food and drinks industry.
Adjan said workers employed by subcontractors face “catastrophic working and living conditions.”
“This sick system needs to finally end,” Adjan said. “The government’s decision that includes a ban on contract work needs to be fully implemented in the legislative process.”
Toennies has said the outbreak could be linked to recent travel by workers, especially from Eastern Europe, after borders started to reopen.
But experts questioned whether such a large outbreak - resulting in more cases than the entire country normally reports in a day - could have been caused by travel alone.
“The working conditions in slaughterhouses don’t seem to be very compatible with the currently required hygiene measures,” said Isabella Eckerle, who heads the center for emerging viral diseases at the University of Geneva.
“In my view the large number of (infected) employees indicates an undetected ‘super-spreading event’ in the company that has been going on for some time,” she said.
A spokesman for the company, Andre Vielstaedte, said conditions in the areas where carcasses are carved up could also have played a role, saying temperatures are “5 to 12 degrees Celsius (41 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit) in a humid atmosphere where aerosols are formed and the virus can then spread through the air.”
Karl-Josef Laumann, the health minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, said the scale the outbreak at Toennies was “intense,” noting that about two-thirds of all tests had come back positive so far.
“Of course I’m a bit worried about what will turn up when we test the other 6,000 in the next days,” he said.
Officials said a further 10 people from southeastern and Eastern Europe had also tested positive in Guetersloh county, though they didn’t work at the meat plant.
The region has asked the German army to assist in the mass testing of further slaughterhouse workers.
Meanwhile, dozens of parents protested the decision to close schools and child care centers in the county because of the outbreak.
Germany’s daily reported number of infections rose back above 500 for the first time in a week Thursday. While the figure didn’t yet include the cases from Guetersloh, it did capture about 100 infections reported from an apartment building in the central German city of Goettingen.
Germany has recorded almost 190,000 cases of COVID-19 and 8,868 deaths since the outbreak began, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
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Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--UK companies with historic slave ties fund minority programs

LONDON ( AP ) - Two of Britain ’ s largest companies have promised to financially support projects assisting minorities @ @ @ @ @ with its role in the slave trade .
Insurance giant Lloyd ’ s of London @ @ @ @ @ King made the pledges after they were included in a University College database of companies @ @ @ @ @ trade .
The pub chain was founded in 1799 by Benjamin Greene .
He was @ @ @ @ @ received compensation intended for slave owners when the British Empire abolished slavery in 1833 .
@ @ @ @ @ the West Indies for the equivalent of 500,000 pounds ( $ 628,000 ) in today @ @ @ @ @ database showed that Simon Fraser , a founder subscriber member to Lloyds , was given @ @ @ @ @ ) in today ’ s currency , to surrender an estate in Dominica .

LONDON (AP) - Two of Britain’s largest companies have promised to financially support projects assisting minorities as Britain continues to reckon with its role in the slave trade.
Insurance giant Lloyd’s of London and the pub chain Greene King made the pledges after they were included in a University College database of companies with ties to the slave trade.
“Lloyd’s has a long and rich history dating back over 330 years, but there are some aspects of our history that we are not proud of,” Lloyd’s said in a prepared statement. “In particular, we are sorry for the role played by the Lloyd’s market in the eighteenth and nineteenth Century slave trade. This was an appalling and shameful period of English history, as well as our own, and we condemn the indefensible wrongdoing that occurred during this period.”
The pub chain was founded in 1799 by Benjamin Greene. He was among the 47,000 people who received compensation intended for slave owners when the British Empire abolished slavery in 1833. Greene surrendered three plantations in the West Indies for the equivalent of 500,000 pounds ($628,000) in today’s currency.
The database showed that Simon Fraser, a founder subscriber member to Lloyds, was given 400,000 pounds ($502,00) in today’s currency, to surrender an estate in Dominica.
The companies have taken action in the wake of the May 25th death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. A video surfaced of a white police officer pressing a knee to Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. U.S. racial equality protests have spread overseas.
Protesters in the English city of Bristol hauled down a statue of Edward Colston, a 17th-century slave trader and philanthropist, and dumped in the city’s harbor.
There are revived calls for Oxford University to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes, a Victorian imperialist in southern Africa who made a fortune from mines and endowed Oxford University’s Rhodes scholarships.
Greene King’s chief executive Nick Mackenzie told the Daily Telegraph that the company would update its website to mention past connections to slavery. He also offered an apology.
“It is inexcusable that one of our founders profited from slavery and argued against its abolition in the 1800s,” he told the newspaper. “We don’t have all the answers, so that is why we are taking time to listen and learn from all the voices, including our team members and charity partners, as we strengthen our diversity and inclusion work.”


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Worker burned in flash fire at Georgia pyrotechnic plant

BYRON , Ga. ( AP ) - An explosion and flash fire badly burned the head , face and hands @ @ @ @ @ pyrotechnic plant in Georgia , an official said .
The unidentified employee at Pyrotechnic Specialties @ @ @ @ @ airlifted Wednesday to a hospital in Atlanta to be treated for the burns , Peach @ @ @ @ @ told news outlets .
The worker ’ s condition wasn ’ t immediately released .
@ @ @ @ @ turning potassium nitrate into pellets , Doles said .
The chemical is used in fireworks @ @ @ @ @ powder and more .
This isn ’ t the first time a worker has been @ @ @ @ @ news outlets reported .
In 2016 , an employee was hurt in an explosion , @ @ @ @ @ the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found seven violations that resulted in a more than @ @ @ @ @ 2008 , the company was accused of manufacturing a faulty grenade that injured an FBI @ @ @ @ @ later thrown out by a judge , news outlets reported .

BYRON, Ga. (AP) - An explosion and flash fire badly burned the head, face and hands of a worker at a pyrotechnic plant in Georgia, an official said.
The unidentified employee at Pyrotechnic Specialties, Inc. in Byron was airlifted Wednesday to a hospital in Atlanta to be treated for the burns, Peach County Fire Chief Jeff Doles told news outlets. The worker’s condition wasn’t immediately released.
The man was injured while turning potassium nitrate into pellets, Doles said. The chemical is used in fireworks, rocket propellants, gun powder and more.
This isn’t the first time a worker has been injured at the plant, news outlets reported. In 2016, an employee was hurt in an explosion, and a subsequent investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found seven violations that resulted in a more than $176,000 fine.
In 2008, the company was accused of manufacturing a faulty grenade that injured an FBI agent. The case was later thrown out by a judge, news outlets reported.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Vatican: pandemic makes environment's care ever more urgent

VATICAN CITY ( AP ) - Pope Francis ’ impassioned appeal to protect nature is increasingly urgent as the global pandemic alters lifestyles and makes painfully plain the fragility of life , the Vatican said Thursday .
The worldwide COVID-19 outbreak struck as various Vatican departments were well into drafting a document calling on the faithful to carry out concrete local actions to mark the fifth anniversary of Francis ’ encyclical that denounced the environment ’ s exploitation and strongly recommended caring for the Earth .
The coronavirus crisis , the Vatican said in Thursday ’ s anniversary appeal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years from its publication , the value ” of the pope ’ s encyclical .
The 227-page anniversary document says that while the poor “ are the least responsible for global warming , they are the most vulnerable in respect to its effects.
” Decrying widening gaps between rich and poor , the Vatican said that the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the need to rethink political policies that have been aimed at reducing welfare programs .
It didn ’ t identify specific countries .
The document says that , provoked by the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solitude , the isolation to combat contagion , have put us suddenly face-to-face with our fragility as finite creatures.
” The pandemic “ reminds us to discover or rediscover that which is essential in our lives , ” the Vatican said .
Essentially , the document takes stock of how Catholics worldwide have responded to the pope ’ s encyclical .
It is thick with examples of concrete projects and grass-roots initiatives taken in recent years by local churches , charities or parishes to prevent environmental damage or save natural resources .
Tiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are held up by way of encouragement , including recycling water flowing through monumental fountains and having Holy See employees bring their own mugs or cups to use in the Vatican cafeteria instead of throwaway plastic drink containers .
Vatican officials pointed out on Thursday that solar panels have been installed at the Holy See ’ s astronomical observatory in Arizona , in the United States .

VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican stressed Thursday that the movement to combat climate change is unstoppable and worldwide, although it said it would welcome a U.S. return to the Paris agreement.
The Holy See’s foreign minister, Monsignor Paul Gallagher, at a news conference marking five years since Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’” decrying human damage to the environment, insisted that “humanity will not be blown off course” by any one player’s decision.
Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration formally began the process to exit the climate deal, in which nearly 200 nations pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and assist poor nations struggling with the consequences of a warming Earth.
“We do believe that U.S. engagement in many fields is vital to the future of the world’s environment,” Gallagher said in response to a question about the U.S. pullout.
Still, as efforts on climate change go, “it’s an irresistible world movement, a social movement, a movement of faith,” and so “humanity will not be blown of course by any decision” to withdraw from the accords, he said.
Gallagher added: “But obviously we welcome anybody coming back to the table.”
The current pandemic has shown how problems such as climate change “don’t respect borders,” Gallagher said. The COVID-19 outbreak, devastating in many places in the world, “has highlighted the many, many areas in which we have a lot of work to do.”
He cited social justice issues “across the board,” including for indigenous peoples.
“The church will be encouraging states and governments and the church itself to work on these issues,” said Gallagher, one of the Holy See’s top officials.
In the encyclical and in many public speeches, Francis has repeatedly noted that the poor suffer greatly due to climate change and pollution.
In a 227-page document issued on Thursday to mark the five years since the encyclical’s publication, the Vatican said the pope’s impassioned appeal to protect nature is increasingly urgent as the global pandemic alters lifestyles and makes painfully plain the fragility of life.
The worldwide COVID-19 outbreak struck as various Vatican departments were well into drafting a document calling on the faithful to carry out concrete local actions to mark the fifth anniversary of the encyclical that denounced the environment’s exploitation and strongly recommended caring for the Earth.
In the anniversary document, the Vatican said the pandemic also laid bare the need to rethink political policies that have been aimed at reducing welfare programs. It didn’t identify specific countries.
The document says that, provoked by the pandemic, “the health emergency, the solitude, the isolation to combat contagion, have put us suddenly face-to-face with our fragility as finite creatures.”
Essentially, the document takes stock of how Catholics worldwide have responded to the pope’s encyclical. The Vatican cites examples of concrete projects and grass-roots initiatives taken in recent years by local churches, charities or parishes to prevent environmental damage or save natural resources. Among them is a charity’s project in Mongolia to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and another to help small-scale farmers in India reduce use of excessive fertilizer.
Tiny Vatican City State’s own measures are held up by way of encouragement, including recycling water flowing through monumental fountains and having Holy See employees bring their own mugs or cups to use in the Vatican cafeteria instead of throwaway plastic drink containers.
Vatican officials pointed out on Thursday that solar panels have been installed at the Holy See’s astronomical observatory in Arizona, in the United States.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--Hungary law on NGOs' foreign funding found to break EU rules

BUDAPEST , Hungary ( AP ) - Restrictions imposed by Hungary on the foreign funding of non-governmental organizations do not comply with EU law , the Court of Justice of the European Union said Thursday .
The Luxembourg-based court said that Hungarian regulations - in effect since 2017 and nominally meant to increase transparency of NGO finances and combat money laundering , “ introduced discriminatory and unjustified restrictions ” on both the civic groups and their backers .
The court found that the Hungarian law was in violation of EU rules on the free movement of capital and EU fundamental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private and family life , the right to freedom of association and the right to protection of personal data .
The rules , backed by the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban , were seen targeting mainly groups at least partially financed by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros , like rights advocate the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and corruption watchdog Transparency International .
Orban has made total opposition to immigration a key policy issue .
He began targeting the foreign funding of NGOs soon after his return to power in 2010 , but his hostility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migration crisis , as some of the NGOs provide legal assistance to asylum-seekers or help refugees with their integration efforts in Hungary .
The EU court upheld the European Commission ’ s action against Hungary , launched after the government refused to repeal the regulations .
Without commenting in detail on the ruling , Orban ’ s chief of staff , Gergely Gulyas , said the government would comply with the court ’ s decision .
Reacting to Thursday ’ s ruling , the European Commision said that “ a strong , vibrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the common European values of the rule of law , fundamental rights and democracy.
” “ This is an important ruling which protects the freedom of association , of civil society organizations in the EU and reaffirms the internal market rules , ” European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said during a press briefing in Brussels .
According to the law , Hungarian civic groups getting more than 7.2 million forints ( $ 23,500 ) a year from foreign donors have to register the fact with the courts and announce on their online and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The groups also have to list any foreign sponsors giving them more than 500,000 forints ( $ 1,630 ) a year .
NGOs welcomed the EU court ruling , as did the Soros organization supporting civic groups in Hungary and elsewhere .
“ Today ’ s landmark decision deals a blow to the Hungarian authorities ’ efforts to stigmatize and undermine civil society organizations who criticize government policy , ” said David Vig , director of Amnesty International Hungary .
“ The law … is a blatant attempt to muzzle critical voices and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting for human rights , justice and equality.
” According to Patrick Gaspard , the president of Soros ’ Open Society Foundations , “ repealing the law would mark a welcome step towards restoring both the rule of law , and pluralism in public life.
” Twenty-three NGOs had requested a review of the law by Hungary ’ s Constitutional Court , but the court had suspended its procedure pending the EU court decision .

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - Restrictions imposed by Hungary on the foreign funding of non-governmental organizations do not comply with EU law, the Court of Justice of the European Union said Thursday.
The Luxembourg-based court said that Hungarian regulations - in effect since 2017 and nominally meant to increase transparency of NGO finances and combat money laundering, “introduced discriminatory and unjustified restrictions” on both the civic groups and their backers.
The court found that the Hungarian law was in violation of EU rules on the free movement of capital and EU fundamental rights like the right to respect for private and family life, the right to freedom of association and the right to protection of personal data.
The rules, backed by the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, were seen targeting mainly groups at least partially financed by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, like rights advocate the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and corruption watchdog Transparency International.
Orban has made total opposition to immigration a key policy issue. He began targeting the foreign funding of NGOs soon after his return to power in 2010, but his hostility to their activities intensified after the 2015 migration crisis, as some of the NGOs provide legal assistance to asylum-seekers or help refugees with their integration efforts in Hungary.
The EU court upheld the European Commission’s action against Hungary, launched after the government refused to repeal the regulations. Without commenting in detail on the ruling, Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, said the government would comply with the court’s decision.
Reacting to Thursday’s ruling, the European Commision said that “a strong, vibrant and civil society is key to upholding the common European values of the rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy.”
“This is an important ruling which protects the freedom of association, of civil society organizations in the EU and reaffirms the internal market rules,” European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said during a press briefing in Brussels.
According to the law, Hungarian civic groups getting more than 7.2 million forints ($23,500) a year from foreign donors have to register the fact with the courts and announce on their online and printed publications that they are foreign-funded.
The groups also have to list any foreign sponsors giving them more than 500,000 forints ($1,630) a year.
NGOs welcomed the EU court ruling, as did the Soros organization supporting civic groups in Hungary and elsewhere.
“Today’s landmark decision deals a blow to the Hungarian authorities’ efforts to stigmatize and undermine civil society organizations who criticize government policy,” said David Vig, director of Amnesty International Hungary.
“The law … is a blatant attempt to muzzle critical voices and chip away at public support for organizations fighting for human rights, justice and equality.”
According to Patrick Gaspard, the president of Soros’ Open Society Foundations, “repealing the law would mark a welcome step towards restoring both the rule of law, and pluralism in public life.”
Twenty-three NGOs had requested a review of the law by Hungary’s Constitutional Court, but the court had suspended its procedure pending the EU court decision.


washingtontimes--2020-06-18--5 Things to Know for Today

5 Things to Know for Today

Your daily look at late-breaking news , upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today : 1 .
BOLTON BLASTS TRUMP ’ S MOVES IN OFFICE A scathing new book by the former national security adviser alleges that the U.S. president “ pleaded ” with China ’ s Xi Jinping during a 2019 summit to help his reelection prospects .
2 .
ATLANTA OFFICER CHARGED WITH MURDER As Rayshard Brooks lay dying in a Wendy ’ s parking lot , prosecutors say the white Atlanta police officer who shot him in the back kicked him and delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ALLOCATION OF VACCINES COULD BE MESSY Rich countries are rushing to place advance orders for the inevitably limited supply to guarantee their citizens get immunized first , leaving developing nations at a disadvantage .
4 .
INDIA CAUTIONS CHINA OVER BORDER CLAIM New Delhi calls Beijing ’ s claim to the Galwan Valley area “ exaggerated and untenable ” even as both nations try to end the Himalayan territorial dispute .
5 .
‘ THAT ’ 70S SHOW ’ ACTOR CHARGED WITH RAPE Prosecutors in Los Angeles say Danny Masterson raped three women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rare arrest of a famous Hollywood figure in the # MeToo era .

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
1. BOLTON BLASTS TRUMP’S MOVES IN OFFICE A scathing new book by the former national security adviser alleges that the U.S. president “pleaded” with China’s Xi Jinping during a 2019 summit to help his reelection prospects.
2. ATLANTA OFFICER CHARGED WITH MURDER As Rayshard Brooks lay dying in a Wendy’s parking lot, prosecutors say the white Atlanta police officer who shot him in the back kicked him and delayed giving him medical attention.
3. ALLOCATION OF VACCINES COULD BE MESSY Rich countries are rushing to place advance orders for the inevitably limited supply to guarantee their citizens get immunized first, leaving developing nations at a disadvantage.
4. INDIA CAUTIONS CHINA OVER BORDER CLAIM New Delhi calls Beijing’s claim to the Galwan Valley area “exaggerated and untenable” even as both nations try to end the Himalayan territorial dispute.
5. ‘THAT ’70S SHOW’ ACTOR CHARGED WITH RAPE Prosecutors in Los Angeles say Danny Masterson raped three women in the early 2000s, leading to a rare arrest of a famous Hollywood figure in the #MeToo era.