washingtontimes--2020-10-26--UN investigator says Belarus must stop repressing its people

UNITED NATIONS ( AP ) - The U.N. human rights investigator for Belarus demanded Monday that the government “ stop repressing its own people , ” saying at least 20,000 were detained in August and September and hundreds reported beaten , intimidated , tortured or ill-treated in custody .
Anais Marin quoted sources in the Interior Ministry and non-governmental groups for those figures and said most detainees have ended up facing administrative or criminal charges , citing over 400 criminal cases against protesters since disputed elections Aug. 9 .
That appeal was echoed in a statement to the committee later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Union .
They also called for an end to violence against peaceful demonstrators , abuses against those in the pro-democracy movement , and intimidation of opposition leaders , journalists , human rights defenders and protesters .
Belarus has been rocked by big demonstrations against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko ’ s re-election to a sixth term in the Aug. 9 vote that the opposition argues was rigged .
Lukashenko , who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation with an iron fist for more than 26 years , has accused the United States and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s rally in the capital Minsk was one of the largest in weeks and drew nearly 200,000 people .
On Monday , factory workers , students and business owners began a strike to demand that Lukashenko resign in response to a call by opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , but most state-run enterprises continued to operate .
Marin urged Belarus ’ authorities to release all those still detained “ for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and expression , and to allow all those forced to exile to safely return ” so a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be held “ to jointly overcome the current political crisis.
” Dave Elseroad , head of advocacy at the Oslo-based Human Rights House Foundation , said , “ Autocrats all over the region are watching to see if it ’ s possible to get away with violating human rights to stay in power.
” In a report written before the election , Marin was highly critical of Belarus ’ judicial system , which gives Lukashenko power over the appointment , tenure and removal of judges and prosecutors .
She said licensing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlled by the executive.
” “ The threat of being disbarred is used to arbitrarily pressure those lawyers who are perceived as being critical of the government because of the type of clients they defend , ” Marin said .
“ This often leaves human rights defenders without a lawyer to defend them in court.
” She cited the example of Aliaksandr Pylchenka , a lawyer who was defending detained opposition leaders Viktar Babaryka and Marya Kalensnikava and had his license withdrawn Oct. 15 .
“ Establishing an independent judicial system should top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marin said .
The United States and the EU have rejected the August election as neither free nor fair and introduced sanctions against top Belarusian officials accused of vote manipulation and a crackdown on peaceful protesters .
The EU has warned it is ready to sanction Lukashenko himself if he fails to enter talks with the opposition .
The president has ignored demands to negotiate and relied instead on political and economic support from Russia , his main ally and sponsor .
The statement from the 52 countries and EU supported “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose their own path through free and fair elections ” and strongly condemned the “ crackdown carried out by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters.
” The statement , read by Estonia ’ s U.N. ambassador , Sven Jurgenson , expressed alarm at reports of “ more than 500 cases of torture and other severe abuses including sexual violence in the post-election period ” and at a number of arrested or detained people who remain unaccounted for .
The signatories — also including the U.S. , Canada , Japan , Liberia , South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Zealand - urged Belarusian authorities to open a dialogue with opposition leaders and civil society .
“ The Belarusian people have spoken and we support them in their calls for unrestricted dialogue , free and fair elections , accountability for human rights violations and buses and the release of all those arbitrarily detained , ” the statement said .

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. human rights investigator for Belarus demanded Monday that the government “stop repressing its own people,” saying at least 20,000 were detained in August and September and hundreds reported beaten, intimidated, tortured or ill-treated in custody.
Anais Marin quoted sources in the Interior Ministry and non-governmental groups for those figures and said most detainees have ended up facing administrative or criminal charges, citing over 400 criminal cases against protesters since disputed elections Aug. 9.
That appeal was echoed in a statement to the committee later from 52 mainly European countries and the European Union. They also called for an end to violence against peaceful demonstrators, abuses against those in the pro-democracy movement, and intimidation of opposition leaders, journalists, human rights defenders and protesters.
Belarus has been rocked by big demonstrations against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko’s re-election to a sixth term in the Aug. 9 vote that the opposition argues was rigged. Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation with an iron fist for more than 26 years, has accused the United States and its allies of fueling the protests.
Sunday’s rally in the capital Minsk was one of the largest in weeks and drew nearly 200,000 people. On Monday, factory workers, students and business owners began a strike to demand that Lukashenko resign in response to a call by opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, but most state-run enterprises continued to operate.
Marin urged Belarus’ authorities to release all those still detained “for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and expression, and to allow all those forced to exile to safely return” so a dialogue with all representatives of civil society can be held “to jointly overcome the current political crisis.”
Dave Elseroad, head of advocacy at the Oslo-based Human Rights House Foundation, said, “Autocrats all over the region are watching to see if it’s possible to get away with violating human rights to stay in power.”
In a report written before the election, Marin was highly critical of Belarus’ judicial system, which gives Lukashenko power over the appointment, tenure and removal of judges and prosecutors. She said licensing and activities of lawyers are also “tightly controlled by the executive.”
“The threat of being disbarred is used to arbitrarily pressure those lawyers who are perceived as being critical of the government because of the type of clients they defend,” Marin said. “This often leaves human rights defenders without a lawyer to defend them in court.”
She cited the example of Aliaksandr Pylchenka, a lawyer who was defending detained opposition leaders Viktar Babaryka and Marya Kalensnikava and had his license withdrawn Oct. 15.
“Establishing an independent judicial system should top the agenda for future reforms,” Marin said.
The United States and the EU have rejected the August election as neither free nor fair and introduced sanctions against top Belarusian officials accused of vote manipulation and a crackdown on peaceful protesters.
The EU has warned it is ready to sanction Lukashenko himself if he fails to enter talks with the opposition. The president has ignored demands to negotiate and relied instead on political and economic support from Russia, his main ally and sponsor.
The statement from the 52 countries and EU supported “the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people to choose their own path through free and fair elections” and strongly condemned the “crackdown carried out by Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters.”
The statement, read by Estonia’s U.N. ambassador, Sven Jurgenson, expressed alarm at reports of “more than 500 cases of torture and other severe abuses including sexual violence in the post-election period” and at a number of arrested or detained people who remain unaccounted for.
The signatories — also including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Liberia, South Korea, Brazil, Chile, Australia and New Zealand - urged Belarusian authorities to open a dialogue with opposition leaders and civil society.
“The Belarusian people have spoken and we support them in their calls for unrestricted dialogue, free and fair elections, accountability for human rights violations and buses and the release of all those arbitrarily detained,” the statement said.


washingtontimes--2020-10-26--Coronavirus case-fatality rate down despite surge in cases

Deaths from COVID-19 are ticking up slightly in the U.S. alongside record highs for recorded cases , with California , Texas and Florida reporting the most fatalities overall in the past week while the Dakotas and Montana report the most deaths as a share of their populations .
Roughly 800 people are dying from the virus per day in the U.S. , according to the seven-day rolling average .
It ’ s a far better picture than the 2,200-plus who died during the spring crush in the Northeast and 1,200-plus who were victims of the “ Sun Belt surge ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll is up 12 % compared to two weeks ago .
As winter approaches , experts warn that increased transmission will follow a familiar pattern , with greater transmission leading within weeks to more hospitalizations and more deaths .
“ Our national political leadership keeps saying we ’ ve turned the corner .
Well , it looks like an upward turn to me , ” said William Schaffner , an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt University .
The good news is the share of people who are dying after testing positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Known as the case-fatality rate , the number is a marked improvement from the 3.4 % in late July and about 6 % during the initial crush in April and May , when states such as New York and New Jersey reported eye-popping numbers of problems in nursing homes .
Some of the decline is a mathematical issue — as testing capacity improves , there is a larger denominator of non-fatal cases .
But the decline also can be explained by improving treatment and care , and the fact that transmission has trended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recoveries .
Federal and state officials have taken efforts to protect residents of congregate living facilities — the Trump administration dispatched rapid tests to nursing homes across the country — but they haven ’ t been able to shut out the disease completely .
“ Nursing homes in some states have been better-fortified but there are still cases coming from them in select areas , ” said Amesh Adalja , senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security .
People of all ages with underlying conditions such as heart disease and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
“ The deaths are still very much clustered among people of advanced age and people with serious underlying health conditions , ” Dr. Schaffner said .
Texas reported the most deaths in the past seven days , at roughly 500 , followed by Florida at 462 , according to a New York Times tracker .
But the Dakotas are the key worry spot when controlling for population , with North Dakota seeing 6.8 deaths per 100,000 residents and South Dakota tallying 5.9 per 100,000 over the last week .
The case-fatality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths among known cases .
Because they were slammed early on , states like New York , New Jersey and Massachusetts have case-fatality rates of 7 % while new hotspots like Wisconsin and both Dakotas are at 1 % each .
Those figures can be misleading , however , given the large number of asymptomatic cases that go undetected .
The real case-fatality rate for the disease is probably closer to 0.6 % , experts say , which doesn ’ t sound so bad but is worse than the annual flu , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. ’ s known case-fatality rate of 2.6 % is better than the 10 % in Mexico , 7.1 % in Italy or 3.1 % in France , which is seeing a record spike in daily cases , according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker .
French President Emmanuel Macron recently imposed nightly curfews to stem the spread of the virus .
As the virus spreads far and wide , the raw number of deaths mounts over time , with the U.S. tallying a world-leading 225,000 deaths from the disease .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 of the U.S. population , a rate slightly better than the 74-per-100,000 in Brazil or Spain , which declared a new state of emergency to deal with the pandemic , according to Johns Hopkins .
But it is roughly on par with the U.K. , at 68 , and worse than France ( 52 ) , Israel ( 27 ) , Germany ( 12 ) or South Korea , which recorded its first cases around the same time as the U.S. but is recording less than one death per 100,000 people .

Deaths from COVID-19 are ticking up slightly in the U.S. alongside record highs for recorded cases, with California, Texas and Florida reporting the most fatalities overall in the past week while the Dakotas and Montana report the most deaths as a share of their populations.
Roughly 800 people are dying from the virus per day in the U.S., according to the seven-day rolling average. It’s a far better picture than the 2,200-plus who died during the spring crush in the Northeast and 1,200-plus who were victims of the “Sun Belt surge” in mid-summer.
But the average daily death toll is up 12% compared to two weeks ago. As winter approaches, experts warn that increased transmission will follow a familiar pattern, with greater transmission leading within weeks to more hospitalizations and more deaths.
“Our national political leadership keeps saying we’ve turned the corner. Well, it looks like an upward turn to me,” said William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.
The good news is the share of people who are dying after testing positive for the virus is down to 2.6%.
Known as the case-fatality rate, the number is a marked improvement from the 3.4% in late July and about 6% during the initial crush in April and May, when states such as New York and New Jersey reported eye-popping numbers of problems in nursing homes.
Some of the decline is a mathematical issue — as testing capacity improves, there is a larger denominator of non-fatal cases. But the decline also can be explained by improving treatment and care, and the fact that transmission has trended younger, meaning a greater share of recoveries.
“The administration is sparing no effort or expense to save millions of lives. While the coronavirus poses unique challenges to public health and our hospital systems, through the ingenuity and dedication of our frontline medical workers, clinicians, and scientists we now have more information on how to better treat patients and protect the most vulnerable through increased care, life-saving therapeutics, and state-of-the-art testing,” White House spokesman Michael Bars said. “We continue harnessing the full power of the federal government in an unprecedented public-private effort to deliver a safe and effective vaccine and treatments to market in record time.”
Federal and state officials have taken efforts to protect residents of congregate living facilities — the Trump administration dispatched rapid tests to nursing homes across the country — but they haven’t been able to shut out the disease completely.
“Nursing homes in some states have been better-fortified but there are still cases coming from them in select areas,” said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
People of all ages with underlying conditions such as heart disease and diabetes remain susceptible to bad outcomes from COVID-19.
“The deaths are still very much clustered among people of advanced age and people with serious underlying health conditions,” Dr. Schaffner said.
Texas reported the most deaths in the past seven days, at roughly 500, followed by Florida at 462, according to a New York Times tracker.
But the Dakotas are the key worry spot when controlling for population, with North Dakota seeing 6.8 deaths per 100,000 residents and South Dakota tallying 5.9 per 100,000 over the last week.
The case-fatality rate is based on the share of deaths among known cases. Because they were slammed early on, states like New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts have case-fatality rates of 7% while new hotspots like Wisconsin and both Dakotas are at 1% each.
Those figures can be misleading, however, given the large number of asymptomatic cases that go undetected. The real case-fatality rate for the disease is probably closer to 0.6%, experts say, which doesn’t sound so bad but is worse than the annual flu, which is often closer to 0.1%.
The U.S.’s known case-fatality rate of 2.6% is better than the 10% in Mexico, 7.1% in Italy or 3.1% in France, which is seeing a record spike in daily cases, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker. French President Emmanuel Macron recently imposed nightly curfews to stem the spread of the virus.
As the virus spreads far and wide, the raw number of deaths mounts over time, with the U.S. tallying a world-leading 225,000 deaths from the disease.
The virus is killing about 69 people per 100,000 of the U.S. population, a rate slightly better than the 74-per-100,000 in Brazil or Spain, which declared a new state of emergency to deal with the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins.
But it is roughly on par with the U.K., at 68, and worse than France (52), Israel (27), Germany (12) or South Korea, which recorded its first cases around the same time as the U.S. but is recording less than one death per 100,000 people.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-26--Nevada to vaccinate frontline medical workers first

CARSON CITY , Nev. ( AP ) - As the pandemic surges throughout the state , Nevada Gov .
Steve Sisolak announced Monday that the initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines the state receives will go toward frontline medical workers and individuals at high risk of exposure .
Sisolak said he is confident in the Federal Drug Administration ’ s approval process and the state ’ s capacity to distribute a vaccine , despite fears about the possible politicization of the vaccine and uncertainty about when it will be made available .
“ There ’ s a lot of speculation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for when one may be approved , ” he said .
The state ’ s plan anticipates there will initially be a limited supply of vaccines and outlines a tiered priority system .
The first available dosages will go to health care workers and vulnerable populations , including residents ages 65 or older .
The second tier includes retail workers , teachers and some university staff .
The third tier includes the incarcerated , individuals experiencing homelessness and people with underlying health conditions .
Nevada ultimately hopes to inoculate 80 % of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That could be difficult , though , because of routine struggles to vaccinate its population .
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that during last year ’ s flu season the state vaccinated only 44 % of residents for influenza - 7 % greater than the year prior - but still the lowest in the entire country .
By contrast , Rhode Island vaccinated 61 % of its residents for influenza during last year ’ s season .
Compounding the difficulty , the state has only received $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or about 60 cents per resident - as part of the $ 200 million the CDC has allocated toward vaccine distribution .
Dr. Robert Redfield , the agency ’ s director , estimates it will require from $ 5.5 to $ 6 billion to distribute a vaccine nationwide .
“ We need to get resources to states now , ” Redfield told Congress on Sept. 16 .
Sisolak said he hoped Congress would eventually pass another relief package , but in its absence , is still confident in the state ’ s ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becomes available , he urged residents to get flu shots in order to prevent Nevada ’ s hospitals from reaching capacity as they fill with coronavirus patients .
Of the state ’ s hospital beds , 72 % are currently occupied , including 77 % in Clark County .
The number of individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen as Nevada has experienced a fall surge in new cases .
State officials reported 475 new confirmed cases on Monday , bringing the statewide total to 96,178 since the start of the pandemic .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 counties as “ high risk ” on Monday due to rising case counts and infection rates .
Sisolak said he hopes to lift limits and allow conventions to return at 50 % capacity by Jan. 2021 , but said he couldn ’ t do so unless the pandemic reversed course .
Bringing conventions back to Las Vegas , he said , will help businesses , laid-off workers and replenish the tax revenue lost from closures .
Despite current trends , he added it was important to signal to convention organizers that Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow large events to return .
“ Whether or not we get there is not about luck .
It ’ s not a matter of chance .
It ’ s not a matter of ‘ We ’ ll see what happens , ’ ” he said .
“ It ’ s a matter of each and every one of you .
We need the public ’ s help and cooperation to make this possible.
” The governor said he was not prepared to roll back recent reopening measures , which raised the capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and allowed bars to reopen .
He implored residents to follow prevention measures but said gatherings of up to 250 people allowed by the state were safe .
“ You have to make a choice today , this week and in the months ahead of us : Do you care more about your child returning to in-person learning than you do attending that Halloween party ?
” Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on undercovered issues .

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - As the pandemic surges throughout the state, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Monday that the initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines the state receives will go toward frontline medical workers and individuals at high risk of exposure.
Sisolak said he is confident in the Federal Drug Administration’s approval process and the state’s capacity to distribute a vaccine, despite fears about the possible politicization of the vaccine and uncertainty about when it will be made available.
“There’s a lot of speculation, but there’s no definitive timeline for when one may be approved,” he said.
The state’s plan anticipates there will initially be a limited supply of vaccines and outlines a tiered priority system. The first available dosages will go to health care workers and vulnerable populations, including residents ages 65 or older. The second tier includes retail workers, teachers and some university staff. The third tier includes the incarcerated, individuals experiencing homelessness and people with underlying health conditions.
Nevada ultimately hopes to inoculate 80% of all residents against COVID-19 once a vaccine is available. That could be difficult, though, because of routine struggles to vaccinate its population.
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that during last year’s flu season the state vaccinated only 44% of residents for influenza - 7% greater than the year prior - but still the lowest in the entire country. By contrast, Rhode Island vaccinated 61% of its residents for influenza during last year’s season.
Compounding the difficulty, the state has only received $1.8 million in federal relief dollars - or about 60 cents per resident - as part of the $200 million the CDC has allocated toward vaccine distribution. Dr. Robert Redfield, the agency’s director, estimates it will require from $5.5 to $6 billion to distribute a vaccine nationwide.
“We need to get resources to states now,” Redfield told Congress on Sept. 16.
Sisolak said he hoped Congress would eventually pass another relief package, but in its absence, is still confident in the state’s ability to distribute a vaccine. Before one becomes available, he urged residents to get flu shots in order to prevent Nevada’s hospitals from reaching capacity as they fill with coronavirus patients. Of the state’s hospital beds, 72% are currently occupied, including 77% in Clark County.
The number of individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen as Nevada has experienced a fall surge in new cases. State officials reported 475 new confirmed cases on Monday, bringing the statewide total to 96,178 since the start of the pandemic. Officials flagged eight of the state’s 17 counties as “high risk” on Monday due to rising case counts and infection rates.
Sisolak said he hopes to lift limits and allow conventions to return at 50% capacity by Jan. 2021, but said he couldn’t do so unless the pandemic reversed course. Bringing conventions back to Las Vegas, he said, will help businesses, laid-off workers and replenish the tax revenue lost from closures. Despite current trends, he added it was important to signal to convention organizers that Nevada intended to contain the virus enough to allow large events to return.
“Whether or not we get there is not about luck. It’s not a matter of chance. It’s not a matter of ‘We’ll see what happens,’” he said. “It’s a matter of each and every one of you. We need the public’s help and cooperation to make this possible.”
The governor said he was not prepared to roll back recent reopening measures, which raised the capacity on public gatherings from 50 to 250 people and allowed bars to reopen. He implored residents to follow prevention measures but said gatherings of up to 250 people allowed by the state were safe.
“You have to make a choice today, this week and in the months ahead of us: Do you care more about your child returning to in-person learning than you do attending that Halloween party?”
___
Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


washingtontimes--2020-10-26--AOC calls for Supreme Court expansion after Amy Coney Barrett confirmation

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had a terse message immediately after the Senate voted Monday to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ @ @ @ @ @ Pack the court .
“ Expand the court , ” tweeted the New York Democrat @ @ @ @ @ Her response came as another indication that Democrat presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden if elected @ @ @ @ @ from the left to add seats to the court to dilute the high court ’ @ @ @ @ @ Ocasio-Cortez accused Republicans of voting to approve Ms. Barrett ’ s nomination “ because they @ @ @ @ @ have the stones to play hardball like they do.
” “ And for a long @ @ @ @ @ correct .
But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is @ @ @ @ @ ’ t , ” she tweeted .
“ There is a legal process for expansion.
@ @ @ @ @ had nine members since 1869 , but Mr. Biden said last week that he would @ @ @ @ @ make recommendations on changes to the court system .

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had a terse message immediately after the Senate voted Monday to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation: Pack the court.
“Expand the court,” tweeted the New York Democrat following the 52-48 vote.
Her response came as another indication that Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden if elected would come under considerable pressure from the left to add seats to the court to dilute the high court’s conservative majority.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez accused Republicans of voting to approve Judge Barrett’s nomination “because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do.”
“And for a long time they’ve been correct. But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal but a response isn’t,” she tweeted. “There is a legal process for expansion.”
The Supreme Court has had nine members since 1869, but Mr. Biden said last week that he would appoint a bipartisan commission to make recommendations on changes to the court system.
Republicans do this because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do. And for a long time they’ve been correct. But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal but a response isn’t. There is a legal process for expansion. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 27, 2020
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Developer drops plans for large wind farm in Green County

TOWN OF JEFFERSON , Wis. ( AP ) - The developer of a controversial wind farm in Green County has scrapped plans for the project .
EDF Renewables had planned to build 24 turbines in the town of Jefferson near the Illinois border .
The wind farm , one of only a handful under of development in Wisconsin , would have been the sixth-largest in the state , with a capacity of 65 megawatts .
Participating landowners have received letters notifying them that EDF Renewables was terminating its lease agreements .
The developer did not say why .
“ Unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t always cooperate , and the project is no longer viable , ” EDF executive Sandi Briner said .
“ Therefore , we felt it was best to release the lease and agreements associated with this wind project in order to facilitate pursuit of future opportunities to continue development of their land.
” The project was expected to generate about $ 250,000 a year in tax revenue for the town and county in addition to some $ 300,000 a year in rent for participating landowners , the State Journal reported .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would affect property values and health .
In June , the Public Service Commission denied a request to stop the project .

TOWN OF JEFFERSON, Wis. (AP) - The developer of a controversial wind farm in Green County has scrapped plans for the project.
EDF Renewables had planned to build 24 turbines in the town of Jefferson near the Illinois border. The wind farm, one of only a handful under of development in Wisconsin, would have been the sixth-largest in the state, with a capacity of 65 megawatts.
Participating landowners have received letters notifying them that EDF Renewables was terminating its lease agreements. The developer did not say why.
“Unfortunately, the nature of development doesn’t always cooperate, and the project is no longer viable,” EDF executive Sandi Briner said. “Therefore, we felt it was best to release the lease and agreements associated with this wind project in order to facilitate pursuit of future opportunities to continue development of their land.”
The project was expected to generate about $250,000 a year in tax revenue for the town and county in addition to some $300,000 a year in rent for participating landowners, the State Journal reported.
It also generated opposition from some residents who feared it would affect property values and health.
In June, the Public Service Commission denied a request to stop the project.


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Hong Kong arrests 3 activists under national security law

HONG KONG ( AP ) - Three members of a former student group advocating independence for Hong Kong were arrested Tuesday under the city ’ s new national security law on suspicion of publishing content inciting secession on social media platforms .
The three include former Studentlocalism leader Tony Chung and former members William Chan and Yanni Ho .
The arrests of the three were confirmed on the now-disbanded group ’ s Facebook page .
Police said they arrested two men and one woman between the ages of 17 and 21 on secession charges , but did not name them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consulate in Hong Kong on Tuesday morning , a police official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media .
The other two were detained while reporting to police stations , Studentlocalism said .
The three had previously been arrested under the national security law in July , on charges of inciting secession .
Studentlocalism was a student group in the city that advocated localism , and aimed to set up a “ Republic of Hong Kong.
” Hong Kong , a former British colony , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now runs as a semi-autonomous Chinese territory under the “ one country , two systems ” framework that allows Hong Kong certain freedoms not found on the mainland .
In June , the group announced that it ceased activities in the city in light of the national security legislation .
The law , which was imposed on Hong Kong by the central Chinese government and took effect on June 30 , is widely seen as a means to curb dissent after anti-government protests rocked the city for months last year .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acts , as well as collusion with foreign forces in the city ’ s internal affairs .
The maximum punishment for serious offenders is life imprisonment .
Others who have been arrested under the legislation include media tycoon Jimmy Lai , who founded the pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily , and prominent pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow .

HONG KONG (AP) - Three members of a former student group advocating independence for Hong Kong were arrested Tuesday under the city’s new national security law on suspicion of publishing content inciting secession on social media platforms.
The three include former Studentlocalism leader Tony Chung and former members William Chan and Yanni Ho. The arrests of the three were confirmed on the now-disbanded group’s Facebook page.
Police said they arrested two men and one woman between the ages of 17 and 21 on secession charges, but did not name them.
Chung was arrested near the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong on Tuesday morning, a police official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The other two were detained while reporting to police stations, Studentlocalism said.
The three had previously been arrested under the national security law in July, on charges of inciting secession.
Studentlocalism was a student group in the city that advocated localism, and aimed to set up a “Republic of Hong Kong.” Hong Kong, a former British colony, was handed over to China in 1997 and now runs as a semi-autonomous Chinese territory under the “one country, two systems” framework that allows Hong Kong certain freedoms not found on the mainland.
In June, the group announced that it ceased activities in the city in light of the national security legislation.
The law, which was imposed on Hong Kong by the central Chinese government and took effect on June 30, is widely seen as a means to curb dissent after anti-government protests rocked the city for months last year.
The legislation outlaws secessionist, subversive and terrorist acts, as well as collusion with foreign forces in the city’s internal affairs. The maximum punishment for serious offenders is life imprisonment.
Others who have been arrested under the legislation include media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who founded the pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, and prominent pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow.


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Strong sales of drugs, vaccines, propel Merck in 3Q

KENILWORTH , N.J. ( AP ) - Drugmaker Merck boosted its third-quarter profit by 55 % and blew past Wall Street expectations , due to slightly higher sales , restrained spending and a small , one-time gain .
The Kenilworth , New Jersey , company said it ’ s making progress on three efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic : two different vaccines and an antiviral drug .
The maker of cancer blockbuster Keytruda on Tuesday reported net income of $ 2.94 billion , or $ 1.16 per share , up from $ 1.9 billion , or 74 cents per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adjusted for non-recurring costs and costs related to mergers and acquisitions , came to $ 1.74 per share .
Analysts only expected $ 1.44 per share , according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research .
Merck reported revenue of $ 12.55 billion , also easily beating analyst projections for $ 12.26 billion .
Sales of prescription drugs totaled $ 11.32 billion , up 2 % .
Keytruda brought in nearly one-third of that at $ 3.72 billion , up 21 % from a year ago .
Januvia and Janumet diabetes pills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 % .
Sales of its pneumonia vaccine , Pneumovax 23 , jumped 58 % to $ 375 million , because people concerned about catching COVID-19 and suffering complications have been getting flu and pneumonia shots to help protect themselves .
Merck narrowed and raised its full-year profit forecast .
It now expects full-year earnings in the range of $ 5.91 to $ 6.01 per share , with revenue in the range of $ 47.6 billion to $ 48.6 billion .
Merck shares have dropped 13 % since the beginning of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 index has climbed slightly more than 5 % .
The stock has declined 4.5 % in the last 12 months .
A portion of this story was generated by Automated Insights ( http : //automatedinsights.com/ap ) using data from Zacks Investment Research .
Access a Zacks stock report on MRK at https : //www.zacks.com/ap/MRK

Drugmaker Merck, bouncing back from a $1.6 billion hit from the coronavirus pandemic in the second quarter, boosted its third-quarter profit by 55% and blew past Wall Street expectations. The strong result was due to sales slightly higher than a year ago, plus restrained spending.
The Kenilworth, New Jersey, company on Tuesday said it’s making progress on three efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic: two vaccines and an antiviral drug.
Merck entered the race to fight COVID-19 later than other top drugmakers, but is focusing on creating medicines that are easier to administer and based on proven technologies. For instance, the company and partner Ridgeback Bio have begun two large late-stage trials of an experimental treatment called molnupiravir that’s in capsule form, rather than injected, which would allow COVID patients who aren’t hospitalized to take the drug at home.
Meanwhile, Merck is developing two experimental vaccines that only require one dose, unlike the many two-dose vaccines further along in human testing. The company said it’s begun an early-stage study in volunteers of a vaccine known as V591 based on measles vaccine technology. It’s also about to start early-stage human testing of V590, which uses the same technology as Merck’s approved Ebola vaccine.
Research head Roger Perlmutter, who is retiring at year-end, told analysts on a conference call that the treatment, given to several hundred COVID patients so far, “seems to be extremely well tolerated.”
The maker of cancer blockbuster Keytruda reported net income of $2.94 billion, or $1.16 per share, up from $1.9 billion, or 74 cents per share, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings came to $1.74 per share, a whopping 30 cents more than analysts expected.
Merck reported revenue of $12.55 billion, also easily beating analyst projections for $12.26 billion.
“This was a good quarter for Merck, and we think the company is executing well,” Edward Jones analyst Ashtyn Evans wrote to investors, adding she’s “encouraged by the improving trends and volumes, although an increase in COVID cases across the U.S. could impact future results.”
Merck shares jumped 1.4% in early trading, but reversed to a 3 cent decline, to $78.82, by late afternoon as most of the broader markets fell.
Sales of prescription drugs totaled $11.32 billion, up 2%. Keytruda brought in nearly one-third of that at $3.72 billion, up 21% from a year ago. Januvia and Janumet diabetes pills brought in $1.33 billion, up 1%.
But sales of its Gardasil vaccine, given to adolescents and adults to prevent a sexually transmitted cancer, dropped 10% to $1.9 billion because of reduced back-to-school visits for checkups.
Sales of its pneumonia vaccine, Pneumovax 23, jumped 58% to $375 million, because people concerned about catching COVID-19 and suffering complications have been getting flu and pneumonia shots to help protect themselves.
Veterinary medicine sales jumped 9%, to $1.22 billion.
Analyst Derek Burkhard of Informa Pharma Intelligence noted that Merck still expects the spinoff of its Organon women’s health business in the second quarter of 2021. That “will result in Merck becoming a slimmer, oncology-focused company,” he wrote to investors.
Merck narrowed and raised its full-year profit forecast. It now expects full-year earnings in the range of $5.91 to $6.01 per share, with revenue in the range of $47.6 billion to $48.6 billion.
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Follow Linda A. Johnson at https://twitter.com/LindaJ_onPharma


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Snowfall temporarily stalls fall harvest in Minnesota

Combines are quiet and corn is in limbo for now as farmers wait for dry , warmer temperatures .
University of Minnesota Extension crop scientist Tom Hoverstad says that in his 40 years of work he doesn ’ t remember a fall like this where farmers are waiting for snow to thaw and fall of the corn stalks .
“ Because that seven and a half inches of snow contains over an inch of liquid water , it ’ s going to be muddy .
It ’ s going to be muddy , ” said Hoverstad .
The good news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most farmers were ahead of schedule , WCCO-TV reported .
Hoverstad says the early planting season was followed by an ideal growing season .
With prices now looking up , a banner year for some corn growers isn ’ t out of the question .
“ October 2009 , was miserable .
We didn ’ t have this much snow .
Probably three inches of snow , but a lot more rain and it was very cold .
November that year was warmer and drier than normal and that ’ s what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hoverstad .
“ As soon as fields are fit and the snow is off the stalks , they can go get that corn .
”

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The October snowfall has temporarily stalled Minnesota’s fall harvest.
Combines are quiet and corn is in limbo for now as farmers wait for dry, warmer temperatures. University of Minnesota Extension crop scientist Tom Hoverstad says that in his 40 years of work he doesn’t remember a fall like this where farmers are waiting for snow to thaw and fall of the corn stalks.
“Because that seven and a half inches of snow contains over an inch of liquid water, it’s going to be muddy. It’s going to be muddy,” said Hoverstad.
The good news is before the October snow fell, most farmers were ahead of schedule, WCCO-TV reported.
Hoverstad says the early planting season was followed by an ideal growing season. With prices now looking up, a banner year for some corn growers isn’t out of the question.
“October 2009, was miserable. We didn’t have this much snow. Probably three inches of snow, but a lot more rain and it was very cold. November that year was warmer and drier than normal and that’s what I’m hoping for,” said Hoverstad. “As soon as fields are fit and the snow is off the stalks, they can go get that corn.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Demand for equipment falls, but Caterpillar has strong 3Q

Caterpillar ’ s sales fell 23 % in the third quarter as the pandemic throttled demand for construction equipment and a trade war with China continues to create headwinds .
The company still managed to top Wall Street expectations , despite rising COVID-19 infections that hamper almost all sectors , including construction .
Revenue declined to $ 9.88 billion from $ 12.76 billion a year earlier as dealers decreased inventories in all regions during the quarter , except for the Asia/Pacific region .
Still , Caterpillar managed to beat the $ 9.67 billion analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research forecast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 , Caterpillar Inc. earned $ 668 million , or $ 1.22 per share , down more than 50 % from the same period last year .
Stripping out one-time costs , earnings were $ 1.34 per share , easily beating the $ 1.15 per that Wall Street was looking for .
Yet the company has yet to issue guidance to investors , and shares dropped almost 2 % before the opening bell Tuesday .
The construction industry has been constrained by the unchecked spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upward trajectory , especially in the Midwest and Plains , home building and commercial projects planned for the winter are under increasing threat .
Sales of new homes fell by 3.5 % in September , the Commerce Department reported this week .
While new home sales are up 32.1 % after a strong summer when many states managed outbreaks , the latest report could signal trouble in the months ahead .
A portion of this story was generated by Automated Insights ( http : //automatedinsights.com/ap ) using data from Zacks Investment Research .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at https : //www.zacks.com/ap/CAT

Caterpillar’s sales fell 23% in the third quarter as the pandemic throttled demand for construction equipment and a trade war with China continues to create headwinds.
The company still managed to top Wall Street expectations, despite rising COVID-19 infections that hamper almost all sectors, including construction.
Revenue declined to $9.88 billion from $12.76 billion a year earlier as dealers decreased inventories in all regions during the quarter, except for the Asia/Pacific region.
Still, Caterpillar managed to beat the $9.67 billion analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research forecast.
For the three months ended Sept. 30, Caterpillar Inc. earned $668 million, or $1.22 per share, down more than 50% from the same period last year. Stripping out one-time costs, earnings were $1.34 per share, easily beating the $1.15 per that Wall Street was looking for.
Yet the company has yet to issue guidance to investors, and shares dropped almost 2% before the opening bell Tuesday.
The construction industry has been constrained by the unchecked spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., which is now setting record highs. With the upward trajectory, especially in the Midwest and Plains, home building and commercial projects planned for the winter are under increasing threat.
Sales of new homes fell by 3.5% in September, the Commerce Department reported this week. While new home sales are up 32.1% after a strong summer when many states managed outbreaks, the latest report could signal trouble in the months ahead.
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A portion of this story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CAT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CAT


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Pfizer tops 3Q earnings views, makes progress on COVID shot

Drugmaker Pfizer saw its third-quarter profit plunge 71 % , mainly due to an $ 8.1 billion gain a year earlier from selling its consumer health care business to a GlaxoSmithKline joint venture , but managed to top Wall Street expectations .
Meanwhile , the New York-based company on Tuesday said disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic reduced medicine sales in the U.S. and China by about $ 500 million .
Still , Pfizer raised and narrowed its profit forecasts slightly for all of 2020 .
Pfizer , one of the leaders in the race to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine candidate has now enrolled nearly all of the planned 44,000 participants worldwide .
Nearly 36,000 had received the second shot of the two-dose vaccine as of Monday .
The company could seek approval for emergency use from U.S. regulators in late November .
Pfizer already has contracts with the United States , the European Union and about 10 countries to supply hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine next year , assuming it wins approval .
The maker of the world ’ s top-selling vaccine , Prevnar 13 for preventing pneumonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income of $ 2.2 billion , or 39 cents per share , down from $ 7.7 billion , or $ 1.36 per share , in 2019 ’ s third quarter .
Excluding one-time items , adjusted income came to $ 4.1 billion , or 72 cents per share .
That beat Wall Street expectations by 2 cents , according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research .
Revenue totaled $ 12.1 billion , down 4 % from $ 12.7 billion in the year-ago quarter .
Pfizer said it now expects 2020 adjusted earnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tweaked from its July forecast of $ 2.85 to $ 2.95 .
It expects revenue of $ 48.8 billion to $ 49.5 billion , narrowed from its previous forecast of $ 48.6 billion to $ 50.6 billion .
The biggest U.S. drugmaker by revenue is in the process of spinning off its established products business , which sells mostly off-patent medicines , to combine it with generic drug maker Mylan .
That deal is expected to close by year-end , leaving Pfizer roughly 20 % smaller , nimbler and more focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to grow revenue at least 6 % annually through 2025 as a result of the transformation .
Pfizer shares have decreased 3 % since the beginning of the year , while the S & P ; 500 index has increased slightly more than 5 % .
The stock has climbed 4 % in the last 12 months .
A portion of this story was generated by Automated Insights ( http : //automatedinsights.com/ap ) using data from Zacks Investment Research .
Access a Zacks stock report on PFE at https : //www.zacks.com/ap/PFE

Drugmaker Pfizer, one of the leaders in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, is tweaking its timeline for when it will know if its experimental two-dose vaccine works.
Pfizer executives had expected data from their 44,000-person international study would show by Oct. 31 how well it prevents coronavirus infections. But on a conference call Tuesday to discuss the company’s third-quarter results, Chief Executive Albert Bourla said the answer may not come until next week.
Bourla said the independent committee monitoring its final-stage human study still hasn’t done the first interim analysis of data because the study hasn’t reached the predetermined point for that analysis - when 32 of the study volunteers, who’ve received either Pfizer’s vaccine or a dummy shot, become infected. He added that the monitoring committee has not yet unblinded the data to reveal which of the infected participants got the vaccine versus the placebo.
Analysts peppered Bourla and other Pfizer executives with so many questions about the study that he repeatedly asked for their patience.
“We all have our fingers crossed all have our fingers crossed,” he said.
Pfizer said the final-stage trial has now enrolled nearly all of the planned participants. Nearly 36,000 had received their second shot as of Monday. The company could seek approval for emergency use from U.S. regulators in late November.
Bourla said Pfizer still estimates it will have safety data from a two-month follow up on the first 22,000 patients in the third week of November, and will have manufacturing quality data before that. Pfizer can apply shortly after that for emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In an interview, Bourla said he doesn’t know whether Pfizer will be the first company to get that authorization. Rival Moderna appears to be running neck and neck with Pfizer.
If it gets emergency use approval this year, Pfizer might have enough vaccine for about 15 million people. It’s made hundreds of thousands of doses so far, banking on the vaccine being approved.
UBS analyst Navin Jacob, in a note to investors, speculated the apparent data delay could be due to a slow infection rate or very high vaccine efficacy. He wrote that several drugs brought in lower sales than expected, but called the quarter’s result “fine.”
Pfizer reported its third-quarter profit plunged 71%, mainly due to an $8.1 billion gain a year earlier from giving its consumer health care business to a GlaxoSmithKline joint venture. Pfizer will own 32% of that.
The New York-based company on Tuesday said disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic reduced medicine sales in the U.S. and China by about $500 million. Still, Pfizer managed to top Wall Street expectations, and it raised and narrowed its profit forecasts slightly for all of 2020.
The maker of the world’s top-selling vaccine, Prevnar 13 for preventing pneumonia and related bacterial diseases, reported net income of $2.2 billion, or 39 cents per share, down from $7.7 billion, or $1.36 per share, in 2019’s third quarter.
Excluding one-time items, adjusted income came to $4.1 billion, or 72 cents per share. That beat Wall Street expectations by 2 cents, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research.
Revenue totaled $12.1 billion, down 4% from $12.7 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Pfizer said it now expects 2020 adjusted earnings per-share of $2.88 to $2.93, tweaked from its July forecast of $2.85 to $2.95. It expects revenue of $48.8 billion to $49.5 billion, narrowed from its previous forecast of $48.6 billion to $50.6 billion.
Chief Financial Officer Frank D’Amelio noted the forecast includes costs of research on COVID-19 but not any medicine sales. He noted that Pfizer has “lots of firepower” and will continue to invest in acquisitions.
Separately, competitor Novavax announced Tuesday that its long-awaited 30,000-person vaccine study in the U.S. is expected to start by the end of November, a few weeks’ delay. Novavax already has enrolled a third of 15,000 planned participants in a similar test in Britain.
The biggest U.S. drugmaker by revenue, Pfizer is in the process of spinning off its established products business, which sells mostly off-patent medicines, to combine it with generic drug maker Mylan, creating a new generic drug giant called Viatris. Pfizer will receive about $12 billion in return and its shareholders will get roughly one Viatris share for each Pfizer share they own.
That deal is expected to close by year-end, leaving Pfizer roughly 20% smaller, nimbler and more focused on developing innovative medicines. Pfizer expects to be able to grow revenue at least 6% annually through 2025 as a result of the transformation.
Pfizer shares rose 10 cents to $38.02 in afternoon trading.
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Follow Linda A. Johnson at https://twitter.com/LindaJ_onPharma


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--EU agency launches probe after reports of migrant pushbacks

BRUSSELS ( AP ) - The European Union ’ s border and coast guard agency Frontex said Tuesday that it has launched an internal inquiry after media reports suggested that it is complicit in illegal pushbacks aimed at preventing migrants and refugees from entering Europe through the Greek islands .
Media outlet Bellingcat reported that video and other data suggest Frontex “ assets were actively involved in one pushback incident at the Greek-Turkish maritime border in the Aegean Sea , were present at another and have been in the vicinity of four more since March.
” Bellingcat said that while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four incidents , “ the signature of a pushback is distinctive , and would likely have been visible on radar , with visual tools common on such vessels or to the naked eye.
” Its findings were part of a joint investigation with Lighthouse Reports , Der Spiegel , ARD and TV Asahi .
“ We are looking into the accusations levelled by several news organizations related to our activities at Greece ’ s external borders , ” Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri said in a statement .
He said that the EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fundamental rights in any of our activities.
” “ So far , no documents or other materials have been found to substantiate any accusations of violations of the law or the Frontex Code of Conduct by deployed officers , ” Leggeri said .
The media outlets said their investigation was based on open source data , including Turkish coast guard video imagery .
Pushbacks are considered contrary to international refugee protection agreements .
Under the principle of “ non-refoulement , ” people should not be expelled or returned a country where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger due to their race , religion , nationality or being members of a social or political group .
Frontex said that its work in the eastern Aegean has been complicated by a dispute between Turkey and Greece over their maritime borders .
Greek and Turkish coast guard ships are routinely involved in standoffs and threats in the relatively narrow stretch of water that separates the two countries .

BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union’s border and coast guard agency Frontex said Tuesday that it has launched an internal inquiry after media reports suggested that it is complicit in illegal pushbacks aimed at preventing migrants and refugees from entering Europe through the Greek islands.
Media outlet Bellingcat reported that video and other data suggest Frontex “assets were actively involved in one pushback incident at the Greek-Turkish maritime border in the Aegean Sea, were present at another and have been in the vicinity of four more since March.”
Bellingcat said that while Frontex was not present at the other four incidents, “the signature of a pushback is distinctive, and would likely have been visible on radar, with visual tools common on such vessels or to the naked eye.”
Its findings were part of a joint investigation with Lighthouse Reports, Der Spiegel, ARD and TV Asahi.
“We are looking into the accusations levelled by several news organizations related to our activities at Greece’s external borders,” Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri said in a statement. He said that the EU agency does “not tolerate any violations of the fundamental rights in any of our activities.”
“So far, no documents or other materials have been found to substantiate any accusations of violations of the law or the Frontex Code of Conduct by deployed officers,” Leggeri said. The media outlets said their investigation was based on open source data, including Turkish coast guard video imagery.
Pushbacks are considered contrary to international refugee protection agreements. Under the principle of “non-refoulement,” people should not be expelled or returned a country where their life and safety might be in danger due to their race, religion, nationality or being members of a social or political group.
Frontex said that its work in the eastern Aegean has been complicated by a dispute between Turkey and Greece over their maritime borders. Greek and Turkish coast guard ships are routinely involved in standoffs and threats in the relatively narrow stretch of water that separates the two countries.


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Maryland man charged in father-in-law's 2019 death

WESTMINISTER , Md .
( AP ) - A Maryland man has been charged with murder in the death of @ @ @ @ @ year after the man was found fatally shot at his workplace .
Carroll County State @ @ @ @ @ Office said Michael Anthony Brown was arrested Monday , several days after a grand jury @ @ @ @ @ murder charge for the May 2019 death of his father-in-law , Robert Gurecki , Carroll @ @ @ @ @ ’ s body was discovered at Retro Environmental Inc. , a remediation and demolition business @ @ @ @ @ obituary said Gurecki had been the president of that company since 2011 .
Gurecki , @ @ @ @ @ a partner at Rath Enterprises , a Washington , D.C.-based construction company , along with @ @ @ @ @ obituary .
Brown , of Mount Airy , has also been charged with use of @ @ @ @ @ of a violent crime .
It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney @ @ @ @ @ behalf .

WESTMINISTER, Md. (AP) - A Maryland man has been charged with murder in the death of his father-in-law more than a year after the man was found fatally shot at his workplace.
Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office said Michael Anthony Brown was arrested Monday, several days after a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge for the May 2019 death of his father-in-law, Robert Gurecki, Carroll County Times reported.
Gurecki’s body was discovered at Retro Environmental Inc., a remediation and demolition business, in Eldersburg. His obituary said Gurecki had been the president of that company since 2011.
Gurecki, of Hagerstown, was also a partner at Rath Enterprises, a Washington, D.C.-based construction company, along with Brown, according to his obituary.
Brown, of Mount Airy, has also been charged with use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Lilly misses profit projects as sales of diabetes drug slow

INDIANAPOLIS ( AP ) - Eli Lilly and Co. is reporting third-quarter net income of $ 1.21 billion .
On @ @ @ @ @ Indianapolis company said it had profit of $ 1.33 .
Earnings , adjusted for asset @ @ @ @ @ 1.54 per share .
That ’ s far short of the per-share earnings of $ @ @ @ @ @ looking for , according to a survey of analysts by Zacks Investment Research .
Lilly @ @ @ @ @ range of $ 7.20 to $ 7.40 per share , with revenue in the range @ @ @ @ @ $ 24.2 billion .
Lilly shares have risen 8 % since the beginning of the @ @ @ @ @ & Poor ’ s 500 index has increased slightly more than 5 % .
The @ @ @ @ @ in the last 12 months .
A portion of this story was generated by Automated @ @ @ @ @ ) using data from Zacks Investment Research .
Access a Zacks stock report on LLY @ @ @ @

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Eli Lilly and Co. is reporting third-quarter net income of $1.21 billion.
On a per-share basis, the Indianapolis company said it had profit of $1.33. Earnings, adjusted for asset impairment costs, were $1.54 per share. That’s far short of the per-share earnings of $1.76 that Wall Street was looking for, according to a survey of analysts by Zacks Investment Research.
Revenue was $5.74 billion.
Lilly expects full-year earnings in the range of $7.20 to $7.40 per share, with revenue in the range of $23.7 billion to $24.2 billion.
Lilly shares have risen 8% since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has increased slightly more than 5%. The stock has risen 32% in the last 12 months.
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A portion of this story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LLY at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LLY


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--AMD buying Xilinx in all-stock deal valued at $35B

SAN JOSE , Calif. ( AP ) - AMD is buying Xilinx for $ 35 billion in an all-stock deal that will combine the two Silicon Valley chip makers .
The deal announced Tuesday puts AMD in a place it wants to be ; competing more fiercely with Intel .
Xilinx stockholders will receive 1.7234 shares of AMD stock for each Xilinx share they hold , or approximately $ 143 per share of Xilinx stock .
AMD stockholders will own about 74 % of the combined company , with Xilinx stockholders owning approximately 26 % .
The transaction will give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processor technologies , combining CPUs , GPUs , FPGAs , Adaptive SoCs and deep software expertise to enable leadership computing platforms for cloud , edge and end devices .
“ Joining together with AMD will help accelerate growth in our data center business and enable us to pursue a broader customer base across more markets , ” Xilinx CEO Victor Peng said in a prepared statement .
AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su will lead the combined company as CEO .
Peng will join AMD as president , responsible for the Xilinx business and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xilinx directors will join the AMD ’ s board once the transaction is complete .
The deal is expected to close by the end of next year .
It still needs approval from shareholders of both companies .
Shares of Xilinx fell nearly 2 % before the market open on Tuesday , while AMD ’ s stock rose slightly .

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Advanced Micro Devices is buying Xilinx for $35 billion in an all-stock deal that will combine the two Silicon Valley chip makers and accelerate an already rapid-fire pace of mergers and buyouts in the industry.
The deal announced Tuesday puts AMD in a place it wants to be; competing more fiercely with Intel at a time when a global pandemic is driving demand for tech ever higher.
More Zoom meetings, more orders online, and more upgrades for companies trying to meet new demands of millions staying at home has led to a seemingly insatiable appetite for computer chips.
“Joining together with AMD will help accelerate growth in our data center business and enable us to pursue a broader customer base across more markets,” Xilinx CEO Victor Peng said in a prepared statement Tuesday.
AMD and Xilinx is a huge tie-up in a season of massive buyouts for the semiconductor industry.
Just last month, Nvidia said it would buy Arm Holdings for up to $40 billion and set up an artificial intelligence research center in Cambridge, England, where Arm is headquartered.
In July, Maxim Integrated Products was snapped up by Analog Devices for more than $20 billion.
Xilinx stockholders will receive 1.7234 shares of AMD stock for each Xilinx share they hold, or approximately $143 per share of Xilinx stock.
AMD stockholders will own about 74% of the combined company, with Xilinx stockholders owning approximately 26%.
AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su will lead the combined company as CEO. Peng will join AMD as president, responsible for the Xilinx business and strategic growth initiatives. At least two Xilinx directors will join the AMD’s board.
The deal is expected to close by the end of next year, but still needs approval from regulators and shareholders of both companies.
Shares of Xilinx jumped 10% Tuesday, while AMD’s stock slipped about 2%.


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Taiwan says new arms purchases to boost credible defense

TAIPEI , Taiwan ( AP ) — Taiwan said Tuesday that recently proposed purchases of U.S. missiles and other arms systems will boost the island ’ s ability to credibly defend itself amid rising threats from China .
The comments from defense ministry spokesperson Shih Shun-wen came a day after China said it would exact unspecified retaliation against companies that make the weapons systems , including Lockheed Martin Corp. , Raytheon Technologies Corp. and Boeing Co. ’ s defense division , the lead contractor on a $ 2.37 billion sale of Harpoon missile systems to Taiwan .
Facing a potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , soldiers , ships and planes , Taiwan has struggled to assure its own people and its key ally , the U.S. , that it is capable of and willing to see to its own defense .
The sides split during a civil war in 1949 and China considers Taiwan its own territory , to be brought under its control by force if necessary .
“ The purchase of these weapons will enhance Taiwan ’ s credible combat capabilities and asymmetric combat capabilities , ” Shih told reporters at a briefing , using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foe with precision weapons and advanced tactics .
“ This will also enhance our overall combat capabilities to contribute to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
” In Beijing , foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Tuesday again accused the U.S. of violating its commitments to China while bolstering the confidence of those such as the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of President Tsai Ing-wen who favor the island ’ s independence from China .
Washington should “ revoke the arms sale plan to Taiwan so as to avoid further damage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Taiwan Strait , ” Wang told reporters .
“ China will take legitimate and necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security interests.
” The Trump administration on Monday notified Congress of plans for the sale of the Harpoon system , whose missiles are capable of striking ships and land targets .
Boeing says the missile uses GPS-aided inertial navigation and delivers a 500-pound blast warhead .
It can target coastal defense sites , surface-to-air missile sites , exposed aircraft , ships in port , and port and industrial facilities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 of $ 1.8 billion worth of weaponry , including missile and rocket systems , and upgraded equipment for Taiwan ’ s F-16 jet fighters .
Taiwan has long been an irritant in U.S.-China relations .
Washington has no formal relations with the island ’ s democratically elected government but is its main ally .
U.S. law requires the government to ensure Taiwan can defend itself .
In recent years , weapons sales to the island have increased in quantity and quality , as China builds the world ’ s second most powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieving its goal of annexation .
Stepped-up patrols by Chinese warplanes this year have put Taiwan ’ s forces under greater strain , increasing the importance of developing new weapons systems or buying them from abroad .
Beijing regularly pressures American companies including Boeing in an effort to influence U.S. policy .
China is one of Boeing ’ s biggest markets for commercial aircraft , which might make it vulnerable to a boycott , but China ’ s defense ministry mentioned only Boeing ’ s military arm , Boeing Defense , not its @ @ @ @

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan said Tuesday that recently proposed purchases of U.S. missiles and other arms systems will boost the island’s ability to credibly defend itself amid rising threats from China.
The comments from defense ministry spokesperson Shih Shun-wen came a day after China said it would exact unspecified retaliation against companies that make the weapons systems, including Lockheed Martin Corp., Raytheon Technologies Corp. and Boeing Co.’s defense division, the lead contractor on a $2.37 billion sale of Harpoon missile systems to Taiwan.
Facing a potential Chinese foe with overwhelming superiority in missiles, soldiers, ships and planes, Taiwan has struggled to assure its own people and its key ally, the U.S., that it is capable of and willing to see to its own defense.
The sides split during a civil war in 1949 and China considers Taiwan its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary.
“The purchase of these weapons will enhance Taiwan’s credible combat capabilities and asymmetric combat capabilities,” Shih told reporters at a briefing, using a term for countering a much stronger foe with precision weapons and advanced tactics. “This will also enhance our overall combat capabilities to contribute to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Tuesday again accused the U.S. of violating its commitments to China while bolstering the confidence of those such as the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of President Tsai Ing-wen who favor the island’s independence from China.
Washington should “revoke the arms sale plan to Taiwan so as to avoid further damage to China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Wang told reporters. “China will take legitimate and necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security interests.”
The Trump administration on Monday notified Congress of plans for the sale of the Harpoon system, whose missiles are capable of striking ships and land targets. Boeing says the missile uses GPS-aided inertial navigation and delivers a 500-pound blast warhead. It can target coastal defense sites, surface-to-air missile sites, exposed aircraft, ships in port, and port and industrial facilities.
That followed another proposed sale announced Oct. 21 of $1.8 billion worth of weaponry, including missile and rocket systems, and upgraded equipment for Taiwan’s F-16 jet fighters.
Taiwan has long been an irritant in U.S.-China relations. Washington has no formal relations with the island’s democratically elected government but is its main ally. U.S. law requires the government to ensure Taiwan can defend itself.
In recent years, weapons sales to the island have increased in quantity and quality, as China builds the world’s second most powerful military dedicated largely to defeating Taiwan and achieving its goal of annexation.
Stepped-up patrols by Chinese warplanes this year have put Taiwan’s forces under greater strain, increasing the importance of developing new weapons systems or buying them from abroad.
Beijing regularly pressures American companies including Boeing in an effort to influence U.S. policy. China is one of Boeing’s biggest markets for commercial aircraft, which might make it vulnerable to a boycott, but China’s defense ministry mentioned only Boeing’s military arm, Boeing Defense, not its civilian jetliner business.


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Poland's PM defends abortion ruling, condemns protests

WARSAW , Poland ( AP ) - Poland ’ s prime minister on Tuesday defended the tightening of the country ’ s abortion law and condemned massive nationwide protests led by women ’ s rights activists , saying they shouldn ’ t be happening amid heightened coronavirus restrictions and decrying “ acts of aggression.
” The country ’ s top court on Thursday ruled that abortions due to fetal congenital defects are unconstitutional .
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded to the five days of massive protests that have followed , and tensions also erupted in parliament on Tuesday .
Parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conservative governing party ’ s leader , Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski , from angry opposition lawmakers .
Speaker Ryszard Telecki , a close ally of Kaczynski , caused more anger by likening the red lightning symbol of the protests to the runes of Nazi Germany ’ s brutal SS .
On Monday , thousands of protesters led by women ’ s rights activists blocked traffic for hours in most cities and also gathered outside churches , chanting obscenities against Poland ’ s influential Catholic Church leaders , who condemn abortions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right of choice .
“ In order to have the freedom of choice you first must be alive , ” Morawiecki , whose government backs tight restrictions , said in a statement defending the court ’ s ruling .
Morawiecki added that “ the situations that we are seeing in the streets and which amount to acts of aggression , vandalism , attacks , are absolutely inadmissible , should not be taking place at all.
” The prime minister urged everyone to observe restrictions that ban gatherings of more than five people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spike in coronavirus cases , which hit a new high of some 16,300 new confirmed cases Tuesday .
The Constitutional Tribunal ’ s ruling on Thursday tightened what was already one of Europe ’ s most restrictive abortion laws .
When it takes effect , which is expected with its official publication in the coming days or weeks , abortion will be permitted only when a pregnancy threatens the woman ’ s health or is the result of crime like rape or incest .
More protests are planned during the week .

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Poland’s powerful ruling party leader urged his supporters Tuesday to defend the predominantly Catholic nation’s churches, potentially setting the stage for clashes with demonstrators angry at a court ruling that severely restricts abortions.
The call Tuesday by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a conservative, drew strong condemnation from the main opposition head who accused him of deepening the nation’s divide, inciting hatred and civil war. Poland’s archbishop appealed for calm and respect for churches.
The country’s top court on Thursday ruled that abortions due to fetal congenital defects are unconstitutional, further tightening one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws and triggering protests.
The ensuing massive demonstrations - in violation of pandemic restrictions - entered their sixth day Tuesday and have included angry gatherings and obscene chants before churches and even disruptions of Masses.
In a Facebook video message Kaczynski insisted that the ruling was in line with the constitution and said the protests were marked by anti-church “nihilism.”
“We must defend Polish churches, we must defend them at every price,” Kaczynski said, in an appeal to members and supporters of his ruling Law and Justice party.
Opposition Civic Coalition leader Borys Budka reacted by saying that words calling for “hatred, inciting civil war and using party forces to attack citizens are a crime.”
He warned that the opposition could seek to bring Kaczynski before a special court for politicians.
In his message, Kaczynski also said the protesters were “committing a serious crime” by breaching the anti-COVID-19 nationwide ban on gatherings larger than five people.
“In the current situation these demonstrations will surely cost the lives of many people,” said Kaczynski whose right-wing party won power in 2015 on a platform that included a promise to tighten the abortion law.
Kaczynski spoke as people across Poland took strolls in a form of protest that blocked traffic. A general strike that would see all women stay off work is planned Wednesday and a major protest march will be held in the capital city of Warsaw on Friday.
Earlier in the day, the head of Poland’s Catholic Church, Archbishop Wojciech Polak, called for calm and respect for churches.
“It is a moral obligation of every Christian to take steps to de-escalate a conflict, not to intensify it,” Polak wrote in a letter to his diocese of Gniezno.
Tensions involving Kaczynski also erupted in parliament.
Parliament’s speaker called guards to protect Kaczynski, a deputy prime minister, from angry opposition lawmakers. Speaker Ryszard Telecki, a close ally of Kaczynski, caused more anger by likening the red lightning symbol of the protests to the runes of Nazi Germany’s SS forces.
On Monday, thousands of protesters led by women’s rights activists blocked traffic for hours in most cities and also gathered outside churches, chanting obscenities against Poland’s influential Catholic Church leaders, who condemn abortions. They called for the women to have the right of choice.
Early Tuesday, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose government backs the tight restrictions, defended the court verdict said that “In order to have the freedom of choice you first must be alive.”
He urged everyone to observe restrictions in an effort to fight a sudden spike in coronavirus cases, which hit a new high of some 16,300 daily confirmed cases Tuesday.
The Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling on Thursday tightened what was already one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws. When it takes effect, which is expected with its official publication in the coming days or weeks, abortion will be permitted only when a pregnancy threatens the woman’s health or is the result of crime like rape or incest.
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Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Yemeni officials say armed men kill rebel official in Sanaa

SANAA , Yemen ( AP ) - Yemeni officials said armed men shot dead a rebel official Tuesday as he was heading to his office in the capital Sanaa , the most senior Houthi to be killed in more than two years .
Hassan Zaid , who leads the rebel-run Youth and Sports Ministry , died of his wounds immediately after armed men opened fire on his car in the Haddah neighborhood in central Sanaa , the Houthi rebels said .
The minister ’ s daughter , who was driving the car , was also wounded , the Houthi-run Interior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no immediate claim of responsibility , but the Iranian-backed Houthis claimed that the Saudi-led coalition fighting them since 2015 was behind the killing .
The rebels did not provide evidence .
A spokesman for the coalition was not immediately available for comment .
The killing came amid tight security in Sanaa ahead of the Prophet Muhammad ’ s birthday on Friday , an event the Houthis use to hold mass celebrations .
Zaid , 66 , was the most senior Houthi official killed in Sanaa since the 2017 clashes that led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saleh by the rebels .
He was also the first top official killed since an airstrike in 2018 by the Saudi-led coalition killed Saleh al-Samad , president of the Houthi-backed political body .
The Houthi minister was wanted by Saudi Arabia for plotting attacks and in 2017 it offered a $ 10 million bounty to anyone who provided information leading to his arrest .
He was better known for his 2017 call to send school children and teachers in Houthi-held areas to front lines to fight against forces of the internationally recognized government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war when the Houthi rebels took over the capital , Sanaa , in 2014 from the internationally recognized government .
A Saudi-led coalition allied with the government has been fighting the Houthis since March 2015 .
The war in Yemen has spawned the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis , leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages .
It has killed over 112,000 people , including fighters and civilians , according to a database project that tracks violence .
The United Nations meanwhile warned Tuesday that at least 98,000 children under five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ malnutrition .
An analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization , UNICEF and the World Food Program , revealed that in the worst hit areas in the southern provinces of Abyan , Lahij and Taiz , around one in five children suffer from acute malnutrition .
The analysis also said at least 250,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women need malnutrition treatment .
The actual number is likely higher , according to U.N. experts .
It showed an increase of about 10 % in cases of acute malnutrition in 2020 , and a rise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 133 southern districts with 1.4 million children under five .
Lise Grande , the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen , said the latest data showed that acute malnutrition among children hit highest levels not seen since the beginning of Yemen ’ s civil war .
“ We ’ ve been warning since July that Yemen is on the brink of a catastrophic food security crisis .
If the war doesn ’ t end now , we are nearing an irreversible situation and risk losing an entire generation of Yemen ’ s young children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies said more than $ 50 million are urgently required to “ save lives and avert a further worsening situation .
”

SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Yemeni officials said armed men shot dead a rebel official Tuesday as he was heading to his office in the capital Sanaa, the most senior Houthi to be killed in more than two years.
Hassan Zaid, who leads the rebel-run Youth and Sports Ministry, died of his wounds immediately after armed men opened fire on his car in the Haddah neighborhood in central Sanaa, the Houthi rebels said.
The minister’s daughter, who was driving the car, was also wounded, the Houthi-run Interior Ministry said in a statement.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Iranian-backed Houthis claimed that the Saudi-led coalition fighting them since 2015 was behind the killing. The rebels did not provide evidence.
A spokesman for the coalition was not immediately available for comment.
The killing came amid tight security in Sanaa ahead of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday on Friday, an event the Houthis use to hold mass celebrations.
Zaid, 66, was the most senior Houthi official killed in Sanaa since the 2017 clashes that led to the killing of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh by the rebels.
He was also the first top official killed since an airstrike in 2018 by the Saudi-led coalition killed Saleh al-Samad, president of the Houthi-backed political body.
The Houthi minister was wanted by Saudi Arabia for plotting attacks and in 2017 it offered a $10 million bounty to anyone who provided information leading to his arrest.
He was better known for his 2017 call to send school children and teachers in Houthi-held areas to front lines to fight against forces of the internationally recognized government.
Yemen plunged into chaos and civil war when the Houthi rebels took over the capital, Sanaa, in 2014 from the internationally recognized government. A Saudi-led coalition allied with the government has been fighting the Houthis since March 2015.
The war in Yemen has spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, leaving millions suffering from food and medical shortages. It has killed over 112,000 people, including fighters and civilians, according to a database project that tracks violence.
The United Nations meanwhile warned Tuesday that at least 98,000 children under five in Yemen could die from severe acute malnutrition.
An analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF and the World Food Program, revealed that in the worst hit areas in the southern provinces of Abyan, Lahij and Taiz, around one in five children suffer from acute malnutrition.
The analysis also said at least 250,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women need malnutrition treatment. The actual number is likely higher, according to U.N. experts.
It showed an increase of about 10% in cases of acute malnutrition in 2020, and a rise of 15.5% in severe acute malnutrition in 133 southern districts with 1.4 million children under five.
Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said the latest data showed that acute malnutrition among children hit highest levels not seen since the beginning of Yemen’s civil war.
“We’ve been warning since July that Yemen is on the brink of a catastrophic food security crisis. If the war doesn’t end now, we are nearing an irreversible situation and risk losing an entire generation of Yemen’s young children,” she said.
The U.N. agencies said more than $50 million are urgently required to “save lives and avert a further worsening situation.”


washingtontimes--2020-10-27--Hurricane warning for New Orleans as Zeta swirls over Mexico

CANCUN , Mexico ( AP ) - Storm-weary Louisiana is once again under a hurricane warning , with Zeta leaving Mexico ’ s Yucatan Peninsula on a path that could hit New Orleans Wednesday night .
Zeta , the 27th named storm in a very busy Atlantic season , made landfall as a hurricane just north of the ancient Mayan city of Tulum with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph ( 130 kph ) .
It weakened to a tropical storm as it crossed over land , but it was expected to regain its strength over the Gulf of Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 mph ( 110 kmh ) early Tuesday , centered about 560 miles ( 905 kmh ) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River .
If Zeta makes landfall in Louisiana , it will be the fifth named storm to hit the state this year , joining Cristobal , Laura , Marco and Delta .
Zeta was still drenching the northern Yucatan as its center moved over the water .
Quintana Roo state Gov .
Carlos Joaquín warned that “ nobody should be on the streets … you shouldn ’ t go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Playa del Carmen , between Tulum and Cancun , Mexican tourist Elsa Márquez held up her beach towel Monday so it flapped in the wind , rattling with the strong gusts Monday a few hours before Zeta ’ s arrival .
“ This is our first experience ( in a hurricane ) and the truth is we are a little afraid because we don ’ t know what will happen , but here we are , ” said Márquez , who was visiting the resort from the north-central state of Queretaro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the western state of Michoacan , looked at the rising waves , noting : “ I didn ’ t plan for this , but it looks like it is going to get complicated.
” Some boats that normally carry tourists in Cancun took refuge in a nearby lagoon channel , anchored among the mangroves to avoid the battering wind , waves and storm surge .
Boat captain Francisco Sosa Rosado noted they had to perform the same maneuver barely three week ago , when the area was hit by a stronger Hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winds of 110 mph ( 175 kph ) .
“ With Delta , the gusts of wind were very strong … the anchor lines were at risk of breaking , ” Sosa Rosado said .
“ I hope it won ’ t be as bad with this hurricane.
” Trees felled by Delta littered parts of Cancun , stacked along roadsides and in parks and there was concern they could become projectiles when Zeta blew through .
A number of stoplights around the vacation destination remained unrepaired since Delta .
Quintana Roo state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state as of midweek .
They said 71 shelters were readied for tourists or residents who might need them , though the governor said he hoped it would not be necessary to move guests out of their hotels .
Zeta broke the record for the previous earliest 27th Atlantic named storm that formed Nov. 29 , 2005 .
It ’ s also the 11th hurricane of the season .
An average season sees six hurricanes and 12 named storms .
There have been so many storms this season that the hurricane center had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running out of assigned names .
Zeta is the furthest into the Greek alphabet the Atlantic season has gone .
There was also a Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005 , but that year had 28 storms because meteorologists later went back and found they missed one , which then became an “ unnamed named storm .
”

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Residents of the storm-pummeled Gulf Coast steeled themselves Tuesday for yet another tropical weather strike as Tropical Storm Zeta took aim at southeast Louisiana, fraying the nerves of evacuees from earlier storms and raising concerns in New Orleans about the low-lying city’s antiquated drainage pump system.
Zeta, the 27th named storm of a very busy Atlantic hurricane season, was a hurricane when it began raking across Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Tuesday. It emerged in the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm but was expected to regain hurricane strength before landfall south of New Orleans on Wednesday evening.
Already this year, Louisiana has been hit by two tropical storms and two hurricanes: Laura, blamed for at least 27 Louisiana deaths after it struck in August, and Delta, which exacerbated Laura’s damage in the same area weeks later. New Orleans has been in the warning area for potential tropical cyclones seven times this year but has seen them veer to the east or west.
“I don’t think we’re going to be as lucky with this one,” city emergency director Colin Arnold said at a news conference with Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday he asked President Donald Trump to issue a disaster declaration ahead of the storm. Trump approved the declaration Tuesday evening.
One worry among New Orleans officials: a turbine that powers the city’s street drainage pumps broke down Sunday, according to officials of the agency that runs the system. There was enough power to keep the pumps operating if needed, but it left authorities with little excess power to tap should a breakdown of other turbines occur.
Officials said they were running through contingencies to provide power and make repairs where needed should there be other equipment problems. Forecasts, meanwhile, called for anywhere from 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 centimeters) of rain in the New Orleans area. Officials noted that Zeta is expected to be a relatively fast-moving storm, minimizing the flood threat.
Zeta had sustained winds of 65 mph (105 kph) winds and was centered 410 miles (655 kilometers) south-southwest of the Mississippi River’s mouth Tuesday afternoon. Its approach toward New Orleans meant more worries for evacuees left homeless by Laura who are sheltered in hotels. The state is sheltering about 3,600 Laura and Delta evacuees, most of them in New Orleans area hotels.
“It really is scary, and I don’t know what to do,” said Yolanda Lockett, who evacuated her Lake Charles apartment - now a rain-soaked, moldy mess - ahead of Laura at the end of August. “I’m physically and mentally tired,” she said, standing outside a New Orleans hotel.
A hurricane warning stretched from the central Louisiana coast to the Alabama state line. Edwards and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey both declared emergencies ahead of the storm.
And commercial fishermen began a familiar hurricane preparation ritual.
“We’re getting pretty good at it for doing it five times this season so far,” said Robert Campo as he readied his marina at Shell Beach for the storm. The routine includes removing gas pumps used to fuel boats, loading frozen bait onto old school buses that have been converted into mobile freezer units and tying down trash cans to keep them from floating off.
“The downfall of it is, when … we’re down for four or five days, that’s four or five days nobody’s fishing. That’s four or five days nobody is shrimping. That’s four or five days, no economic wheels are turning.”
On Dauphin Island, off the Alabama coast, workers at Dauphin Island Marina prepared for Zeta on Tuesday even though little remained of the business to protect after it was pummeled by Sally in September.
“Right now we’re packing stuff up just to be safe,” said marina employee Jess Dwaileebe. “We don’t have any docks or fuel pumps at this point. Sally took it all out.”
In Waveland, Mississippi, hardware store operator David Hubbard didn’t see the usual rush of people buying storm supplies. Most have what they need because Zeta is only the latest threat, he said.
Officials in two Mexican states hit by Zeta reported power outages and damage caused by downed trees, but no deaths. The storm left sand blocking the boulevard through Cancun’s hotel strip. Pounding surf destroyed many turtle nests on Playa Ballenas, leaving eggs scattered along the beach.
Zeta broke the record for the previous earliest 27th Atlantic named storm that formed Nov. 29, 2005. It’s also the 11th hurricane of the season. An average season sees six hurricanes and 12 named storms.
There have been so many storms this season that the hurricane center had to turn to the Greek alphabet after running out of assigned names.
The extraordinarily busy hurricane season has focused attention on the role of climate change, which scientists say is causing wetter, stronger and more destructive storms.
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Santana reported from Shell Beach, Louisiana. Associated Press reporters Jay Reeves, in Birmingham, Alabama; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Kevin McGill in New Orleans and Gabriel Alcocer in Cancun, Mexico, contributed to this report.