washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Asia Today: S. Korea's cases jump again, lower in Victoria

SEOUL , South Korea ( AP ) - SEOUL , South Korea — South Korea has reported 166 newly confirmed case of the coronavirus , it ’ s highest daily jump in five months , as health authorities fear transmissions are getting out of control in the greater capital area that ’ s home to half of the country ’ s 51 million people .
The figures announced by South Korea ’ s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Saturday brought the national caseload to 15,039 , including 305 deaths .
The KCDC said 155 of the new infections were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seoul metropolitan area where authorities scurried to shut down thousands of churches , which have emerged as a major source of COVID-19 cases .
Many of them had failed to properly enforce preventive measures , allowing worshippers to take off their masks , sing in choirs or eat together in diners .
Other clusters have been tied to nursing homes , schools , restaurants , outdoor markets and door-to-door salespeople .
Government officials have expressed concern that transmissions could worsen due to demonstrations planned by anti-government protesters and labor unionists in Seoul on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s liberation from Japanese rule at the end of World War II .
The spike could result in stronger social distancing measures at major cities , which they have so far been reluctant to take because of economic concerns .
They could include a ban on public gatherings , shutdowns of entertainment venues , and removing fans from baseball and other professional sports , which began to partially let in spectators only in late July .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : - The Australian state of Victoria continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the hard-hit area .
It reported four more deaths and 303 new cases in the past 24 hours .
It ’ s the second-lowest daily figure in Victoria this month after 278 cases on Thursday .
Victoria ’ s daily numbers are gradually decreasing , with the seven-day average down to 344 from 521 a week ago .
But authorities warn there is more progress needed before lockdown restrictions in the city of Melbourne can be eased .
Melbourne residents and those in a nearby shire remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits on outdoor exercise , distance allowed from home , mandatory public mask wearing and shutdowns of non-essential industries .
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says , “ We could not conceive of opening up with 200 cases a day .
We couldn ’ t do it with 100 cases a day .
We have to head for the lowest possible number.
” The four deaths announced Saturday take the state ’ s toll to 293 and the Australian COVID-19 death total to 379 .

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea on Saturday announced stronger social distancing restrictions for its greater capital area where a surge in COVID-19 cases has threatened to erase the hard-won gains against the virus.
The two-week measures starting Sunday will allow authorities in Seoul and towns in neighboring Gyeonggi Province to shut down high-risk facilities such as nightclubs, karaoke rooms, movie theaters and buffet restaurants if they fail to properly enforce preventive measures, including distancing, temperatures checks, keeping customer lists and requiring masks.
Fans will once again be banned from professional baseball and soccer, just a few weeks after health authorities allowed teams to let in spectators for a portion of their seats in each game.
Gatherings of more than 50 people will be discouraged. Churches will be advised to shift their services online.
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo revealed the measures hours after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 166 newly confirmed cases, the highest daily jump in five months.
Park expressed concern that transmissions are getting out of control in the Seoul metropolitan areas, where health authorities have found it increasingly difficult to track infection routes.
“The current situation looks like an early stage of a massive round of transmissions,” Park said. “If we fail to properly control the spread now, a broader and quicker spread of the virus would spike the number of patients and reach nationwide.”
Officials have previously resisted calls to enforce stronger distancing measures, citing concerns for the fragile economy that policymakers say could possibly shrink for the first time in two decades.
South Korea’s caseload is now at 15,039, including 305 deaths.
The KCDC said 155 of the new infections were local, mostly from the densely populated Seoul area where authorities scurried to shut down thousands of churches.
Many of them had failed to properly enforce preventive measures, allowing worshipers to take off their masks, sing in choirs or eat together in diners.
Other clusters have been tied to nursing homes, schools, restaurants, outdoor markets and door-to-door salespeople.
Officials also worried about demonstrations by thousands of anti-government protesters in Seoul on Saturday, the 75th anniversary of the country’s liberation from Japanese rule at the end of World War II.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
- India’s confirmed coronavirus cases have crossed 2.5 million with another biggest single-day spike of 65,002 in the past 24 hours. India is behind the United States and Brazil in the number of cases. The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported another 996 deaths for a total of 49,036. The average daily reported cases jumped from around 15,000 in the first week of July to more than 50,000 at the beginning of August. The Health Ministry said the rise shows the extent of testing with 800,000 carried out in a single day. But experts say India needs to pursue testing more vigorously. India’s two-month lockdown imposed nationwide in late March kept infections low. But it has eased and is now largely being enforced in high-risk areas. The new cases spiked after India reopened shops and manufacturing and allowed hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to return to their homes from coronavirus-hit regions. Subways, schools and movie theaters remain closed.
- The Australian state of Victoria continues to flatten the curve in its wave of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the hard-hit area. It reported four more deaths and 303 new cases in the past 24 hours. It’s the second-lowest daily figure in Victoria this month after 278 cases on Thursday. Victoria’s daily numbers are gradually decreasing, with the seven-day average down to 344 from 521 a week ago. But authorities warn there is more progress needed before lockdown restrictions in the city of Melbourne can be eased. Melbourne residents and those in a nearby shire remain subject to strict nighttime curfews, time limits on outdoor exercise, distance allowed from home, mandatory public mask wearing and shutdowns of non-essential industries. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says, “We could not conceive of opening up with 200 cases a day. We couldn’t do it with 100 cases a day. We have to head for the lowest possible number.” The four deaths announced Saturday take the state’s toll to 293 and the Australian COVID-19 death total to 379.
- China’s government reported 22 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday. Eight were acquired locally, including seven in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, the National Health Commission reported. The rest were found in travelers who arrived from abroad. The raised the number of confirmed cases on China’s mainland, where the pandemic began in December, to 84,808, with 4,634 deaths.
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Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--75 years later, can Asia shake off shackles of the past?

TOKYO ( AP ) - Northeast Asia doesn ’ t so much repeat history as drag it along like an anchor .
The bombs stopped falling 75 years ago , but it is entirely possible - crucial even , some argue - to view the region ’ s world-beating economies , its massive cultural and political reach and its bitter trade , territory and history disputes through a single prism : World War II and Japan ’ s aggression in the Pacific .
Even as Northeast Asia ’ s tangle of interlinking economic and political webs grows denser by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may loom as large now as at any time since 1945 .
Japan in 2020 is unrecognizable to the fascist military machine that once rolled across Asia .
Its military is now legally constrained as a “ self-defense force.
” Its constitution demands peaceful cooperation with the world .
Postwar Japan has pumped trillions of yen ( tens of billions of dollars ) into regional development .
So how does this peaceful , generous , stable nation still enrage so many ?
Why do the crimes of long-dead Japanese politicians and soldiers still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind ?
For many Koreans and Chinese , there ’ s a dogged perception , long encouraged by their national leaders , that Japan has failed to fully address past atrocities , including the sexual enslavement of Asian women by Japanese troops , the forced labor of Asian men in Japanese factories and mines , and a host of other unresolved insults lingering from Japan ’ s brutal early 20th century push for regional dominance .
Many in Japan , meanwhile , are frustrated that repeated and explicit high-level apologies for wartime actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of aid sent to former enemies over the years - have seen so little goodwill in return .
It ’ s useful to put the immense scale of the war ’ s horrors in context when examining why , 75 years later , Japan and its neighbors still can ’ t come to terms with what ’ s euphemistically referred to as their “ history problems.
” With its millions dead , injured and displaced , with its grand ideological narratives belying some of the worst brutality in the history of warfare , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then , almost as shockingly , rebuilt as glittering , high-tech showpieces , the war in Asia has seared itself into the world ’ s collective consciousness .
Because Japan played such a central role in those years it is jarring to remember what a neglected afterthought it was - isolated , feudal , deeply wary of the outside world - when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry ’ s warships forced the ruling shoguns to open up to trade and commerce with the West in 1854 .
A little less than a century later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his top hat to sign surrender papers on the deck of the USS Missouri as it floated in Tokyo Bay .
Japan ’ s breathtaking rise and fall , in that comparatively short period of time , was , according to John Dower ’ s masterful study of the postwar U.S. occupation of Japan , “ swifter , more audacious , more successful , and ultimately more crazed , murderous and self-destructive than anyone had imagined possible .
In retrospect , it seemed almost an illusion - a 93-year dream become nightmare that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Updated versions of those U.S. warships still patrol the same waters , dispatched from permanent American bases in South Korea and Japan .
This infuriates North Korea and China , who use it to justify their own fast-increasing arsenals .
But the anger in North Asia can seem most incandescent when directed at Japan .
The reason the war continues to play such an out-sized role in regional ties is because political leaders in Seoul and Beijing “ see the advantage in keeping these memories alive , not just to honor the dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political advantage , ” Ralph Cossa , president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think tank in Hawaii , said in an email interview .
Most Koreans and Chinese alive today didn ’ t experience the war , and memories of what happened are fading with each passing year .
But “ the narratives of oppression and victimization are central to an identity and cemented through education and popular culture , ” said Daniel Sneider , an expert on East Asia at Stanford University .
“ In that sense , the wartime historical memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region.
” In comparison to Asia , Europe has more successfully moved past the trauma of World War II , with Germany now working mostly in partnership with France and Britain , for instance .
This may be because the Soviet threat during the Cold War forced the former European foes to cooperate .
The postwar years in Asia , instead , saw a split that killed collaboration and healing , with Japan and South Korea in the U.S. camp and China and North Korea in the Soviet camp .
The Korean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north and U.S.-backed south .
The war debate has also divided Japan .
Progressives acknowledge Japan ’ s responsibility for its crimes .
Conservatives , however , say Japan , as it struggled against Western imperialism , was boxed into war by resentful Western powers and then punished by unfair postwar trials .
Those divisions have complicated efforts to address the past and compensate victims .
Many are also exasperated over what ’ s seen in Japan as an unwillingness of China and the Koreas to recognize the efforts Tokyo has made to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korean and Southeast Asian tigers ( and their ) economic miracles would not have happened as quickly , and perhaps not even at all , if Japan had not led the way and provided generous assistance , ” Cossa said .
“ History did not end in 1945 .
There is a second half of the 20th century where no nation was as generous as Japan in helping others.
” Conservative Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe often plays to Japanese frustration with its neighbors .
And much of the anger in South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Abe , questioning past apologies and crimes and pushing for a stronger military .
So how will Northeast Asia heal its ancient wounds ?
Political leaders , for one , will have to “ resist the temptation to use the past for their own ends .
It also requires a readiness by Japan , and by others , to more fully confront that legacy and reassure Asians and others that they have learned the lessons of the past , ” said Sneider , author of “ Divided Memories : History Textbooks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 75 years are any basis for judgment , dealing with the still-painful legacy will not be any easier as a riven Asia moves into the remaining decades of this century .
Foster Klug , AP ’ s news director for Japan , the Koreas , Australia and the South Pacific , has covered Asia since 2005 .
Follow him at www.twitter.com/apklug

TOKYO (AP) - Northeast Asia doesn’t so much repeat history as drag it along like an anchor.
The bombs stopped falling 75 years ago, but it is entirely possible - crucial even, some argue - to view the region’s world-beating economies, its massive cultural and political reach and its bitter trade, territory and history disputes through a single prism: World War II and Japan’s aggression in the Pacific.
Even as Northeast Asia’s tangle of interlinking economic and political webs grows denser by the day, the potential for an unraveling may loom as large now as at any time since 1945.
Japan in 2020 is unrecognizable to the fascist military machine that once rolled across Asia. Its military is now legally constrained as a “self-defense force.” Its constitution demands peaceful cooperation with the world. Postwar Japan has pumped trillions of yen (tens of billions of dollars) into regional development.
So how does this peaceful, generous, stable nation still enrage so many? Why do the crimes of long-dead Japanese politicians and soldiers still loom so large in its neighbors’ eyes?
For many Koreans and Chinese, there’s a dogged perception, long encouraged by their national leaders, that Japan has failed to fully address past atrocities, including the sexual enslavement of Asian women by Japanese troops, the forced labor of Asian men in Japanese factories and mines, and a host of other unresolved insults lingering from Japan’s brutal early 20th century push for regional dominance.
Many in Japan, meanwhile, are frustrated that repeated and explicit high-level apologies for wartime actions - not to mention the huge amounts of aid sent to former enemies over the years - have seen so little goodwill in return.
It’s useful to put the immense scale of the war’s horrors in context when examining why, 75 years later, Japan and its neighbors still can’t come to terms with what’s euphemistically referred to as their “history problems.”
With its millions dead, injured and displaced, with its grand ideological narratives belying some of the worst brutality in the history of warfare, with its cities pounded to rubble and then, almost as shockingly, rebuilt as glittering, high-tech showpieces, the war in Asia has seared itself into the world’s collective consciousness.
Because Japan played such a central role in those years it is jarring to remember what a neglected afterthought it was - isolated, feudal, deeply wary of the outside world - when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry’s warships forced the ruling shoguns to open up to trade and commerce with the West in 1854.
A little less than a century later, Japan’s foreign minister doffed his top hat to sign surrender papers on the deck of the USS Missouri as it floated in Tokyo Bay.
Japan’s breathtaking rise and fall, in that comparatively short period of time, was, according to John Dower’s masterful study of the postwar U.S. occupation of Japan, “swifter, more audacious, more successful, and ultimately more crazed, murderous and self-destructive than anyone had imagined possible. In retrospect, it seemed almost an illusion - a 93-year dream become nightmare that began and ended with American warships.”
And now?
Updated versions of those U.S. warships still patrol the same waters, dispatched from permanent American bases in South Korea and Japan. This infuriates North Korea and China, who use it to justify their own fast-increasing arsenals.
But the anger in North Asia can seem most incandescent when directed at Japan.
The reason the war continues to play such an out-sized role in regional ties is because political leaders in Seoul and Beijing “see the advantage in keeping these memories alive, not just to honor the dead, which everyone does, but for political advantage,” Ralph Cossa, president emeritus of the Pacific Forum think tank in Hawaii, said in an email interview.
Most Koreans and Chinese alive today didn’t experience the war, and memories of what happened are fading with each passing year.
But “the narratives of oppression and victimization are central to an identity and cemented through education and popular culture,” said Daniel Sneider, an expert on East Asia at Stanford University. “In that sense, the wartime historical memory also undermines the stability and prosperity of the region.”
In comparison to Asia, Europe has more successfully moved past the trauma of World War II, with Germany now working mostly in partnership with France and Britain, for instance. This may be because the Soviet threat during the Cold War forced the former European foes to cooperate.
The postwar years in Asia, instead, saw a split that killed collaboration and healing, with Japan and South Korea in the U.S. camp and China and North Korea in the Soviet camp. The Korean Peninsula was literally split into a Soviet-backed north and U.S.-backed south.
Germany “solved” its war issues by squarely facing up to is past, said Wang Shaopu, a Japanese studies professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and honorary president of the Japan Society of Shanghai.
“To a large extent, Japan’s foreign policies are following the United States,” Wang said. “Japan should learn a lesson from World War II to correctly deal with the issue of history, which is good for the world and for Japan.”
The war debate has also divided Japan.
Progressives acknowledge Japan’s responsibility for its crimes. Conservatives, however, say Japan, as it struggled against Western imperialism, was boxed into war by resentful Western powers and then punished by unfair postwar trials. Those divisions have complicated efforts to address the past and compensate victims.
Many are also exasperated over what’s seen in Japan as an unwillingness of China and the Koreas to recognize the efforts Tokyo has made to make amends.
“The Chinese, Korean and Southeast Asian tigers (and their) economic miracles would not have happened as quickly, and perhaps not even at all, if Japan had not led the way and provided generous assistance,” Cossa said. “History did not end in 1945. There is a second half of the 20th century where no nation was as generous as Japan in helping others.”
Conservative Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe often plays to Japanese frustration with its neighbors.
And much of the anger in South Korea and China centers on Japanese conservatives, including Abe, questioning past apologies and crimes and pushing for a stronger military.
So how will Northeast Asia heal its ancient wounds?
Political leaders, for one, will have to “resist the temptation to use the past for their own ends. It also requires a readiness by Japan, and by others, to more fully confront that legacy and reassure Asians and others that they have learned the lessons of the past,” said Sneider, author of “Divided Memories: History Textbooks and the Wars in Asia.”
If the last 75 years are any basis for judgment, dealing with the still-painful legacy will not be any easier as a riven Asia moves into the remaining decades of this century.
___
Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report.
___
Foster Klug, AP’s news director for Japan, the Koreas, Australia and the South Pacific, has covered Asia since 2005. Follow him at www.twitter.com/apklug


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Demonstrators demand arrest in fatal boat accident

MINEOLA , N.Y. ( AP ) - Demonstrators on Friday rallied outside the Nassau County police headquarters to demand an arrest in connection with a boat crash that killed a 25-year-old man earlier this month .
Assemblyman Phil Ramos , a Democrat from Brentwood , spoke at the rally and said the driver of one of the two boats involved in the Aug. 1 crash was operating recklessly , caused the wreck and has been favorably treated by police , Newsday reported .
The boat operator has not been identified by police because he is not charged with any crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Soto , of Freeport , and wounded six other people in Freeport Creek near Cow Meadow Park .
Ramos said police also have not met with Soto ’ s family or kept them updated on the investigation , which remains pending .
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder denied that investigators have mistreated Soto ’ s family or given preferential treatment to the boat operator .
He said everyone involved in the accident was tested for alcohol , the investigation has been thorough and impartial and police would take any evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soto ’ s father , Jose Soto Monge , said police have not helped his family .
“ We need the truth , ” he said in Spanish .

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) - Demonstrators on Friday rallied outside the Nassau County police headquarters to demand an arrest in connection with a boat crash that killed a 25-year-old man earlier this month.
Assemblyman Phil Ramos, a Democrat from Brentwood, spoke at the rally and said the driver of one of the two boats involved in the Aug. 1 crash was operating recklessly, caused the wreck and has been favorably treated by police, Newsday reported.
The boat operator has not been identified by police because he is not charged with any crime.
The accident killed Jorge “Tito” Soto, of Freeport, and wounded six other people in Freeport Creek near Cow Meadow Park.
Ramos said police also have not met with Soto’s family or kept them updated on the investigation, which remains pending.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder denied that investigators have mistreated Soto’s family or given preferential treatment to the boat operator. He said everyone involved in the accident was tested for alcohol, the investigation has been thorough and impartial and police would take any evidence of a crime to the district attorney.
Soto’s father, Jose Soto Monge, said police have not helped his family.
“We need the truth,” he said in Spanish.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Advocates for NY veterans seek help, answers amid pandemic

ALBANY , N.Y. ( AP ) - Lawmakers and advocates are calling on New York to better protect the state ’ s estimated 800,000 veterans struggling with challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Advocates for veterans acknowledge New York ’ s estimated $ 14 billion revenue drop through March , but called on lawmakers Friday to protect funding for veterans from potential cuts .
Legal service groups , mental health providers and veterans service providers warned that New York could lose progress made in helping veterans increasingly facing eviction , trouble accessing mental health treatment through telehealth and challenges from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have spoken with too many veterans who have lost their jobs or have had to drop out of school , too many veterans concerned about whether they will have housing next month or who have suddenly been tasked with serving as caretakers for their elderly and ailing family members , ” Logan Campbell , project coordinator of the City Bar Justice Center ’ s Veterans Assistant Project , which helps low-income disabled veterans in New York City , said in written testimony .
James Fitzgerald , an Army veteran and deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alliance , said it took until late April for the city to organize services for veterans .
“ We got referrals from both city and state veterans ’ services agencies , asking us to support veterans when they could not , ” Fitzgerald said in written testimony .
“ Veterans were getting shut-off notices on their utility bills .
They could not get out to pick up food at distribution sites , so we got deliveries to hem.
” As the coronavirus took hold in New York City and elsewhere , some state-operated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Health reported 146 residents who had or likely had COVID-19 died in New York state veterans ’ nursing homes .
The state hasn ’ t reported how many nursing home residents died at hospitals or how many residents tested positive for COVID-19 .
“ There is a real concern over the veterans and the number of deaths at nursing homes , ” state Sen. Patty Ritchie , a Republican who represents part of the state ’ s North Country abutting Lake Ontario , said Friday .
The state Department of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the state will better protect veterans in particular in case of another wave of infections .
New state regulations require nursing homes to provide 60-day supplies of personal protective gear , but shortages of gear persist and nurses question whether the supplies will be enough to better protect patients and residents in a surge .
Several states , including Massachusetts and New Jersey , have seen dozens of deaths at veterans homes where the virus took hold among vulnerable residents .
“ COVID-19 has had a drastic impact on the residents at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , vice president of the New York State Veterans Nursing Home Board of Visitors , said .
Griffin and others Friday called for New York to let all nursing homes , including veterans homes , offer restricted visits once their facility is COVID-free for 14 days .
The current rule is 28 days .
“ Once you get depressed enough from the lack of human contact , you ’ re just going to give up , ” Griffin said .
“ They get their hopes up , they ’ re almost ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dashed again .
This has got to change , it ’ s got to stop .
We have to help these people to see their loved ones and to see their families.
” Department of Health officials didn ’ t respond to a question about changing the policy , which the state health commissioner has defended as protecting the most vulnerable .

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Lawmakers and advocates are calling on New York to better protect the state’s estimated 800,000 veterans struggling with challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Advocates for veterans acknowledge New York’s estimated $14 billion revenue drop through March, but called on lawmakers Friday to protect funding for veterans from potential cuts. Legal service groups, mental health providers and veterans service providers warned that New York could lose progress made in helping veterans increasingly facing eviction, trouble accessing mental health treatment through telehealth and challenges from joblessness to hunger to social isolation.
“We have spoken with too many veterans who have lost their jobs or have had to drop out of school, too many veterans concerned about whether they will have housing next month or who have suddenly been tasked with serving as caretakers for their elderly and ailing family members,” Logan Campbell, project coordinator of the City Bar Justice Center’s Veterans Assistant Project, which helps low-income disabled veterans in New York City, said in written testimony.
James Fitzgerald, an Army veteran and deputy director of the New York City Veterans Alliance, said it took until late April for the city to organize services for veterans.
“We got referrals from both city and state veterans’ services agencies, asking us to support veterans when they could not,” Fitzgerald said in written testimony. “Veterans were getting shut-off notices on their utility bills. They could not get out to pick up food at distribution sites, so we got deliveries to hem.”
As the coronavirus took hold in New York City and elsewhere, some state-operated veteran homes were particularly hard-hit. The Department of Health reported 146 residents who had or likely had COVID-19 died in New York state veterans’ nursing homes. The state hasn’t reported how many nursing home residents died at hospitals or how many residents tested positive for COVID-19.
“There is a real concern over the veterans and the number of deaths at nursing homes,” state Sen. Patty Ritchie, a Republican who represents part of the state’s North Country abutting Lake Ontario, said Friday.
The state Department of Health didn’t provide answers Friday about how the state will better protect veterans in particular in case of another wave of infections. New state regulations require nursing homes to provide 60-day supplies of personal protective gear, but shortages of gear persist and nurses question whether the supplies will be enough to better protect patients and residents in a surge.
Several states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, have seen dozens of deaths at veterans homes where the virus took hold among vulnerable residents.
“COVID-19 has had a drastic impact on the residents at the nursing homes,” Daniel Griffin, vice president of the New York State Veterans Nursing Home Board of Visitors, said.
Griffin and others Friday called for New York to let all nursing homes, including veterans homes, offer restricted visits once their facility is COVID-free for 14 days. The current rule is 28 days.
“Once you get depressed enough from the lack of human contact, you’re just going to give up,” Griffin said. “They get their hopes up, they’re almost ready to come in, and they’re dashed again. This has got to change, it’s got to stop. We have to help these people to see their loved ones and to see their families.”
Department of Health officials didn’t respond to a question about changing the policy, which the state health commissioner has defended as protecting the most vulnerable.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Navajo woman sues tribal government over canceled primary

FLAGSTAFF , Ariz. ( AP ) - A member of the Navajo Nation is suing the tribal government to try to force a primary election that was canceled because of the coronavirus .
Eloise Brown alleged in the complaint filed in Window Rock District Court that tribal lawmakers don ’ t have the authority to change election dates .
She said that power is reserved for the Navajo people .
“ We have to stand up for the people , otherwise they ( elected officials ) are just going to go out of control , ” she said Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ we are the voters , you need to listen to the voters.
’ ” The lawsuit seeks to postpone the November general election until a primary election can be held , and extend the time for people to file for elected offices , such as school boards and community leadership positions .
If the elections aren ’ t held before the end of the year , the lawsuit proposes extending the terms of elected officials .
Brown ’ s attorneys , David Jordan and Justin Jones , questioned the logic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election but maintain the general election date .
They said it sets a dangerous precedent .
Jordan said counties that set up polling sites on the reservation for the statewide primary ensured social distancing , and had people wear masks and wash their hands .
“ There ’ s a ton of things you could do and keep the election , ” Jordan said .
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Seth Damon ’ s office didn ’ t respond directly to the lawsuit , saying it hadn ’ t received a copy .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council had established a record of discussion leading up to its action .
Navajo Attorney General Doreen McPaul didn ’ t respond to a request for comment left after regular business hours Friday .
The Tribal Council approved legislation to cancel the tribe ’ s Aug. 4 primary that ’ s typically held in line with the Arizona primary election over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus .
Tribal President Jonathan Nez vetoed the measure and urged lawmakers and election officials to come up with alternatives to preserve tribal members ’ rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the veto , sending all candidates to the general election ballot for the races to be decided by plurality vote .
The deadline to file for the positions was Monday .
Brown is seeking re-election as a grazing official in Sanostee on the New Mexico portion of the reservation , which also extends into Arizona and Utah .

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - A member of the Navajo Nation is suing the tribal government to try to force a primary election that was canceled because of the coronavirus.
Eloise Brown alleged in the complaint filed in Window Rock District Court that tribal lawmakers don’t have the authority to change election dates. She said that power is reserved for the Navajo people.
“We have to stand up for the people, otherwise they (elected officials) are just going to go out of control,” she said Friday. “We need to tell the council, ‘we are the voters, you need to listen to the voters.’”
The lawsuit seeks to postpone the November general election until a primary election can be held, and extend the time for people to file for elected offices, such as school boards and community leadership positions.
If the elections aren’t held before the end of the year, the lawsuit proposes extending the terms of elected officials.
Brown’s attorneys, David Jordan and Justin Jones, questioned the logic in using the pandemic to cancel the primary election but maintain the general election date. They said it sets a dangerous precedent.
Jordan said counties that set up polling sites on the reservation for the statewide primary ensured social distancing, and had people wear masks and wash their hands.
“There’s a ton of things you could do and keep the election,” Jordan said.
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Seth Damon’s office didn’t respond directly to the lawsuit, saying it hadn’t received a copy. In a statement, it said the Tribal Council had established a record of discussion leading up to its action.
Navajo Attorney General Doreen McPaul didn’t respond to a request for comment left after regular business hours Friday.
The Tribal Council approved legislation to cancel the tribe’s Aug. 4 primary that’s typically held in line with the Arizona primary election over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. Tribal President Jonathan Nez vetoed the measure and urged lawmakers and election officials to come up with alternatives to preserve tribal members’ rights to vote.
The Tribal Council overturned the veto, sending all candidates to the general election ballot for the races to be decided by plurality vote.
The deadline to file for the positions was Monday. Brown is seeking re-election as a grazing official in Sanostee on the New Mexico portion of the reservation, which also extends into Arizona and Utah.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Democrats boast convention 'jam' session for Biden

That ’ s the message the Democratic National Committee sent out Friday promising that next week ’ s nomination celebration @ @ @ @ @ ” In a blast email , the DNC urged people to tune in to the @ @ @ @ @ Monday for the livestream of musical acts , if not to see Mr. Biden pick @ @ @ @ @ nomination .
The lineup included Billie Eilish , John Legend and The Chicks , who @ @ @ @ @ “ Dixie ” from the band name .
Other musicians performing at the virtual DNC @ @ @ @ @ Rogers , Jennifer Hudson , Billy Porter , Prince Royce , Stephen Stills and Common @ @ @ @ @ will help tell the story of where we are as a country and the promise @ @ @ @ @ should be with Joe Biden as president , ” the convention organizers said in the @ @ @ @ @ t wait to jam out together .
”

C’mon, man, Joe Biden is groovy.
That’s the message the Democratic National Committee sent out Friday promising that next week’s nomination celebration would be “a jam.”
In a blast email, the DNC urged people to tune in to the virtual political convention that opens Monday for the livestream of musical acts, if not to see Mr. Biden pick up the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
The lineup included Billie Eilish, John Legend and The Chicks, who garnered a spot after dropping “Dixie” from the band name.
Other musicians performing at the virtual DNC include Leon Bridges, Maggie Rogers, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Prince Royce, Stephen Stills and Common.
“These incredible artists will help tell the story of where we are as a country and the promise of where we can and should be with Joe Biden as president,” the convention organizers said in the email. “Can’t wait to jam out together.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Health official thinks the coronavirus has peaked in Mexico

MEXICO CITY ( AP ) - Mexico ’ s point man for the coronavirus pandemic said Friday that he thinks the country reached its peak of infections over the last three weeks .
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell had previously wrongly predicted that infections would peak in May and June , but on Friday he said , “ We have now had a maximum point in the curve.
” But he also predicted that second waves of infections would continue occurring around the world for some time .
“ This is a phenomenon that is going to be with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico rose by 5,618 on Friday to reach 511,369 .
The Health Department reported 615 newly confirmed deaths from COVID-19 , bringing the country ’ s total deaths to 55,908 .
For the first time during the pandemic , Mexico declared one of its state , the Gulf coast state of Campeche , as a medium or moderate-risk area .
New infections in Campeche , one of Mexico ’ s least populated states , have fallen to around 20 per day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since the pandemic began , the state of 900,000 inhabitants has seen just over 5,000 confirmed cases and 646 deaths .
The moderate-risk rating will allow more Campeche businesses to re-open .
Of the remaining states , 25 will continue under a high-risk designation and six have a maximum-risk designation , with tighter restrictions on businesses .

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico’s point man for the coronavirus pandemic said Friday that he thinks the country reached its peak of infections over the last three weeks.
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell had previously wrongly predicted that infections would peak in May and June, but on Friday he said, “We have now had a maximum point in the curve.”
But he also predicted that second waves of infections would continue occurring around the world for some time. “This is a phenomenon that is going to be with us in the whole world for several years,” he said.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico rose by 5,618 on Friday to reach 511,369. The Health Department reported 615 newly confirmed deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country’s total deaths to 55,908.
For the first time during the pandemic, Mexico declared one of its state, the Gulf coast state of Campeche, as a medium or moderate-risk area.
New infections in Campeche, one of Mexico’s least populated states, have fallen to around 20 per day or less over the last week. Since the pandemic began, the state of 900,000 inhabitants has seen just over 5,000 confirmed cases and 646 deaths. The moderate-risk rating will allow more Campeche businesses to re-open.
Of the remaining states, 25 will continue under a high-risk designation and six have a maximum-risk designation, with tighter restrictions on businesses.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Officials: 2nd Oregon inmate dies after contracting COVID-19

ONTARIO , Ore. ( AP ) - A person imprisoned at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario died Wednesday after contracting COVID-19 , officials said .
The death marks the second of an inmate who tested positive for the virus in custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections , The Oregonian/OregonLive reported .
The person who died , a man between the ages of 60 and 70 , was tested Tuesday , officials said .
His test results came back Friday confirming that he had contracted the virus .
The prison is in Malheur County , where cases have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Gov .
Kate Brown moved the county from phase two of reopening back to phase one , effective Monday .
The Department of Corrections did not release the man ’ s name or exact cause of death .
The state generally discloses the deceased person ’ s name , county of conviction and length of sentence , but officials have changed that practice for inmates who contract the virus .
The first inmate to succumb to the disease in the state , a man between 50 and 60 years old , died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May .
“ In order to balance the desire for transparency with our legal obligation to protect personal health information , we have changed the ( inmate ) death notification process when someone dies who has tested positive for COVID , ” the agency said in a statement .
As of Thursday , 527 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Of those , 447 have recovered , according to a Department of Corrections website .
Among prison staff , 144 people have tested positive and 87 have recovered .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 institutions statewide , officials said .

ONTARIO, Ore. (AP) - A person imprisoned at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario died Wednesday after contracting COVID-19, officials said.
The death marks the second of an inmate who tested positive for the virus in custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
The person who died, a man between the ages of 60 and 70, was tested Tuesday, officials said. His test results came back Friday confirming that he had contracted the virus. The prison is in Malheur County, where cases have increased so much in the past month that Gov. Kate Brown moved the county from phase two of reopening back to phase one, effective Monday.
The Department of Corrections did not release the man’s name or exact cause of death. The state generally discloses the deceased person’s name, county of conviction and length of sentence, but officials have changed that practice for inmates who contract the virus.
The first inmate to succumb to the disease in the state, a man between 50 and 60 years old, died at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem in May.
“In order to balance the desire for transparency with our legal obligation to protect personal health information, we have changed the (inmate) death notification process when someone dies who has tested positive for COVID,” the agency said in a statement.
As of Thursday, 527 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 447 have recovered, according to a Department of Corrections website. Among prison staff, 144 people have tested positive and 87 have recovered.
More than 14,000 people are currently in custody across 14 institutions statewide, officials said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Judge boots surprise billing initiative from Arizona ballot

PHOENIX ( AP ) - A judge Friday ordered a citizen ’ s initiative that would have banned surprise medical billing and barred insurers from discriminating against people with pre-existing medical conditions blocked from appearing on Arizona ’ s November ballot .
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Pamela S. Gates tossed the initiative after determining that more than 150,000 of the voter signatures initiative proponents collected to quality it for the ballot were invalid for various reasons .
They include faulty registrations for paid circulators , other technical issues and a large number of circulators who failed to appear at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
That left proponents , who the Secretary of State ’ s office determined had turned in more than 385,000 signatures that could be checked using a random sample , below the 237,635 needed to make the ballot .
Gates also found that the 100-word summary of the initiative that voters who signed petitions were shown was materially misleading and created a significant danger of confusion .
She wrote that the summary said the initiative would ban insurers from “ discriminating based on pre-existing conditions ” but was misleading because it only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group policies provided by employers , who insure the majority of people with private insurance .
Gates also found that a provision requiring raises for direct-care hospital workers was misleading because it said it would set new “ minimum wages ” for those workers by requiring 5 % raises in each of the next four years .
That was misleading because many workers already earn well above the state ’ s minimum wage .
“ The remedy for failure to satisfy statutory prerequisites is to enjoin the measure from appearing on the ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initiative cheered the ruling , which proponents said they will appeal directly to the Arizona Supreme Court .
“ The proponents attempted to jam a number of health care related items into one initiative that , if passed , would have forced tremendous cost increases onto patients and hospitals , ” said Garrick Taylor , an executive with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry who was speaking for a coalition of opponents .
“ At a time when our health care system is under severe strain due to the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations that would only drive up the cost of health care , resulting in the elimination of critical health care jobs and risked hospital closures.
” The measure was supported by a committee mainly backed by the Service Employees International Union-Union Healthcare Workers West , a California-based union that funded most of the $ 6.7 million raised to promote the initiative .
“ We are disappointed by the ruling .
Arizonans continue to suffer with millions of dollars of surprise medical bills and remain vulnerable to a lawsuit that could eliminate pre-existing condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman for the committee , Healthcare Rising Arizona .
“ That is why we plan to appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court.
” Besides barring insurers from charging people with pre-existing conditions higher rates , the Stop Surprise Billing and Protect Patients Act would ban higher charges if a patient uses an out-of-network provider , requires 5 % raises per year for four years for workers in private hospitals and would set hospital safety standards for infection control .
All four initiatives that appeared to have filed enough signatures for the November ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked an initiative that would tax wealthier Arizonans to boost school funding from the ballot , while two other judges rejected challenges to measures that would implement criminal sentencing reform and legalize recreational marijuana .
Those three rulings also are being appealed directly to the Supreme Court , which faces an Aug , 21 deadline to rule because of a Secretary of State deadline to print election publicity pamphlets that are mailed to voters .

PHOENIX (AP) - A judge Friday ordered a citizen’s initiative that would have banned surprise medical billing and barred insurers from discriminating against people with preexisting medical conditions blocked from appearing on Arizona’s November ballot.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Pamela S. Gates tossed the initiative after determining that more than 150,000 of the voter signatures initiative proponents collected to quality it for the ballot were invalid for various reasons. They include faulty registrations for paid circulators, other technical issues and a large number of circulators who failed to appear at a five-day trial that ended earlier this week.
That left proponents, who the Secretary of State’s office determined had turned in more than 385,000 signatures that could be checked using a random sample, below the 237,635 needed to make the ballot.
Gates also found that the 100-word summary of the initiative that voters who signed petitions were shown was materially misleading and created a significant danger of confusion.
She wrote that the summary said the initiative would ban insurers from “discriminating based on pre-existing conditions” but was misleading because it only applied to individual insurance policies and not group policies provided by employers, who insure the majority of people with private insurance.
Gates also found that a provision requiring raises for direct-care hospital workers was misleading because it said it would set new “minimum wages” for those workers by requiring 5% raises in each of the next four years. That was misleading because many workers already earn well above the state’s minimum wage.
“The remedy for failure to satisfy statutory prerequisites is to enjoin the measure from appearing on the ballot,” Gates wrote.
Opponents of the initiative cheered the ruling, which proponents said they will appeal directly to the Arizona Supreme Court.
“The proponents attempted to jam a number of health care related items into one initiative that, if passed, would have forced tremendous cost increases onto patients and hospitals,” said Garrick Taylor, an executive with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry who was speaking for a coalition of opponents. “At a time when our health care system is under severe strain due to the pandemic, out-of-state labor interests sought to impose duplicative regulations that would only drive up the cost of health care, resulting in the elimination of critical health care jobs and risked hospital closures.”
The measure was supported by a committee mainly backed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, a California-based union that funded most of the $6.7 million raised to promote the initiative.
“We are disappointed by the ruling. Arizonans continue to suffer with millions of dollars of surprise medical bills and remain vulnerable to a lawsuit that could eliminate preexisting condition protections,” said Rodd McLeod, spokesman for the committee, Healthcare Rising Arizona. “That is why we plan to appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court.”
Besides barring insurers from charging people with preexisting conditions higher rates, the Stop Surprise Billing and Protect Patients Act would ban higher charges if a patient uses an out-of-network provider, requires 5% raises per year for four years for workers in private hospitals and would set hospital safety standards for infection control.
All four initiatives that appeared to have filed enough signatures for the November ballot have faced legal challenges.
A judge blocked an initiative that would tax wealthier Arizonans to boost school funding from the ballot, while two other judges rejected challenges to measures that would implement criminal sentencing reform and legalize recreational marijuana.
Those three rulings also are being appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which faces an Aug, 21 deadline to rule because of a Secretary of State deadline to print election publicity pamphlets that are mailed to voters.
___
This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the name of the union backing the initiative.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Prosecutors in El Salvador file charges against ex-president

SAN SALVADOR , El Salvador ( AP ) - Prosecutors in El Salvador presented charges of bribery , money laundering @ @ @ @ @ former President Mauricio Funes , who has fled to Nicaragua .
The charges allege that @ @ @ @ @ Ada Mitchell Guzmán , and several others defrauded the government of almost $ 50 million @ @ @ @ @ president in 2009-2014 , allegedly paid the Italian construction company ASTALDI too much money after @ @ @ @ @ the El Chaparral dam .
Funes denies the allegations .
He wrote in his Twitter @ @ @ @ @ he had not decided on the contract or the payments .
In 2019 , Nicaragua @ @ @ @ @ who had been in that country under political asylum since 2016 and was already wanted @ @ @ @ @ illicit enrichment and embezzlement .
Funes previously faced four arrest warrants for alleged corruption and @ @ @ @ @ total of $ 351 million in state money .

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - Prosecutors in El Salvador presented charges of bribery, money laundering and criminal conspiracy Friday against former President Mauricio Funes, who has fled to Nicaragua.
The charges allege that Funes, his companion, Ada Mitchell Guzmán, and several others defrauded the government of almost $50 million. Funes, who was president in 2009-2014, allegedly paid the Italian construction company ASTALDI too much money after it stopped contracted work on the El Chaparral dam.
Funes denies the allegations. He wrote in his Twitter account that as president, he had not decided on the contract or the payments.
In 2019, Nicaragua granted citizenship to Funes, who had been in that country under political asylum since 2016 and was already wanted back home on allegations of illicit enrichment and embezzlement.
Funes previously faced four arrest warrants for alleged corruption and the purported diversion of a total of $351 million in state money.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Group vows to stage twin beams of light for NYC 9/11 tribute

NEW YORK ( AP ) - Plans are back on to beam twin columns of light into the Manhattan sky to represent the World Trade Center during next month ’ s anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks .
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Friday that it is working on plans to shine the twin beams during its alternative 9/11 ceremony .
The move comes a day after the National September 11 Memorial & Museum , which organizes the main annual tribute at the trade center site , canceled the light display over concerns about work crews during the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light that shine over lower Manhattan in silent tribute to those lost on 9/11 are an iconic symbol of hope visibly showing that light will always triumph over darkness , ” said Frank Siller , chairman and chief executive of the foundation .
Last week , the foundation decided to hold an alternative 9/11 Never Forget ceremony after the National September 11 Memorial & Museum announced that family members won ’ t read the names of the nearly 3,000 victims this year because of the pandemic .
The foundation ’ s tribute will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plaza and relatives will read the victims ’ names , with mask-wearing enforced and podiums being sanitized after each speaker .
The exact location of the twin beams display has yet to be determined , said officials with the foundation , a charity founded to honor the memory of New York City firefighter Stephen Siller , who died in the attacks and was Frank Siller ’ s brother .
It ’ s not clear yet where exactly the light display will be located , foundation officials said .

NEW YORK (AP) - Plans are back on to beam twin columns of light into the Manhattan sky to represent the World Trade Center during next month’s anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Friday that it is working on plans to shine the twin beams during its alternative 9/11 ceremony. The move comes a day after the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which organizes the main annual tribute at the trade center site, canceled the light display over concerns about work crews during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The twin beams of light that shine over lower Manhattan in silent tribute to those lost on 9/11 are an iconic symbol of hope visibly showing that light will always triumph over darkness,” said Frank Siller, chairman and chief executive of the foundation.
Last week, the foundation decided to hold an alternative 9/11 Never Forget ceremony after the National September 11 Memorial & Museum announced that family members won’t read the names of the nearly 3,000 victims this year because of the pandemic.
The foundation’s tribute will be held just south of the memorial plaza and relatives will read the victims’ names, with mask-wearing enforced and podiums being sanitized after each speaker.
The exact location of the twin beams display has yet to be determined, said officials with the foundation, a charity founded to honor the memory of New York City firefighter Stephen Siller, who died in the attacks and was Frank Siller’s brother.
It’s not clear yet where exactly the light display will be located, foundation officials said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Despite caseload decrease, Texas coronavirus still spreads

AUSTIN , Texas ( AP ) - Despite a slow but steady shrinkage in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by Texas health officials , the virus is still spreading geographically .
A Sterling County resident was reported Thursday as testing positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 , making the sparsely populated West Texas county near San Angelo the 251st of the state ’ s 254 counties to have a confirmed coronavirus case , according to the Department of State Health Services .
The DSHS reported 7,018 new confirmed cases Friday , bringing the total to at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early March .
Even so , the true number of Texas cases is likely higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick .
Meanwhile , COVID-19 deaths have been reported in 211 counties .
With 313 fatalities reported Friday , a figure state health officials say is subject to change as the state ’ s overall COVID-19 death toll is approaching 10,000 with 9,602 fatalities tallied by the state .
An estimated 127,274 confirmed cases were still active Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recoveries .
Of those active cases , 6,632 required hospitalization , 247 fewer than Thursday and continuing a downward trend that began with a peak of 10,893 reported July 22 .
A rolling seven-day positive test rate of 16.06 % reported Thursday was a dramatic decrease from a peak of 24.5 % reported Tuesday .
However , the positive test rate remained well above the state ’ s target positivity rate of 10 % and the 5 % threshold set by the World Health Organization .

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Despite a slow but steady shrinkage in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by Texas health officials, the virus is still spreading geographically.
A Sterling County resident was reported Thursday as testing positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, making the sparsely populated West Texas county near San Angelo the 251st of the state’s 254 counties to have a confirmed coronavirus case, according to the Department of State Health Services.
The DSHS reported 7,018 new confirmed cases Friday, bringing the total to at least 520,593 since the state began tracking cases in early March. Even so, the true number of Texas cases is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 deaths have been reported in 211 counties. With 313 fatalities reported Friday, a figure state health officials say is subject to change as the state’s overall COVID-19 death toll is approaching 10,000 with 9,602 fatalities tallied by the state.
An estimated 127,274 confirmed cases were still active Friday, a tally that excludes COVID-19 deaths and recoveries. Of those active cases, 6,632 required hospitalization, 247 fewer than Thursday and continuing a downward trend that began with a peak of 10,893 reported July 22.
A rolling seven-day positive test rate of 16.06% reported Thursday was a dramatic decrease from a peak of 24.5% reported Tuesday. However, the positive test rate remained well above the state’s target positivity rate of 10% and the 5% threshold set by the World Health Organization.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--5 more people charged in public corruption investigation

Five more people have been charged in the ongoing corruption investigation that already involves a former state Assemblyman and a Jersey City school board president , according to officials .
According to a press release from the attorney general , the defendants allegedly donated $ 239,000 to political parties and candidates and were later secretly reimbursed by a law firm , NJ Advance Media reported .
The law firm then claimed it made no notable contributions in municipalities where it sought contracts .
New Jersey law prohibits making political donations on the behalf of others and those five people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement that his office is determined to hold those who would “ seek to distort the political process ” accountable .
“ New Jersey ’ s campaign finance and pay-to-play laws are designed to ensure that law firms and other contractors can not purchase an unfair advantage in the competition for public contracts by making undisclosed or overly large campaign contributions , ” Grewal said .
Vanessa Brown , 40 , and Christopher Brown , 37 , both of West Caldwell , Ricardo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erin O ’ Reilly , who is also known as Erin DeMauro , 41 , of Lincoln Park , and Suzanne P. Gayet , 63 , of Boonton all face up to $ 10,000 in fines and up to a year-and-a-half in prison if convicted , according to officials .
It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers .
Calls made to numbers listed for the defendants either went unanswered or were disconnected after several rings .
Balanzateguimaldo could not immediately be reached .

Five more people have been charged in the ongoing corruption investigation that already involves a former state Assemblyman and a Jersey City school board president, according to officials.
According to a press release from the attorney general, the defendants allegedly donated $239,000 to political parties and candidates and were later secretly reimbursed by a law firm, NJ Advance Media reported.
The law firm then claimed it made no notable contributions in municipalities where it sought contracts.
New Jersey law prohibits making political donations on the behalf of others and those five people were charged fourth-degree concealment or misrepresentation of contributions on Thursday.
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement that his office is determined to hold those who would “seek to distort the political process” accountable.
“New Jersey’s campaign finance and pay-to-play laws are designed to ensure that law firms and other contractors cannot purchase an unfair advantage in the competition for public contracts by making undisclosed or overly large campaign contributions,” Grewal said.
Vanessa Brown, 40, and Christopher Brown, 37, both of West Caldwell, Ricardo Balanzateguimaldo, 40, of Bogota, Erin O’Reilly, who is also known as Erin DeMauro, 41, of Lincoln Park, and Suzanne P. Gayet, 63, of Boonton all face up to $10,000 in fines and up to a year-and-a-half in prison if convicted, according to officials.
It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers. Calls made to numbers listed for the defendants either went unanswered or were disconnected after several rings. Balanzateguimaldo could not immediately be reached.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Trump gets endorsement of NYC police union

BEDMINSTER , N.J. ( AP ) - Seeking to amplify his law-and-order message , President Donald Trump on Friday told hundreds of New York Police Department officers that “ no one will be safe in Biden ’ s America ” if the former Democratic vice president defeats him in November .
“ This guy has been taking your dignity away and your respect , ” ” Trump said of former Vice President Joe Biden .
“ And I ’ m telling you on Nov. 3 you ’ re going to be getting it back.
” Trump spoke to members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association , the union representing some 24,000 rank-and-file officers as he steps up his attacks on Biden and his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris .
The president ’ s campaign is looking to raise doubts about the Biden-Harris ticket ’ s ability to keep the peace in the nation ’ s biggest metropolises .
Trump was formally endorsed by the union during the event at his New Jersey golf course .
Trump is ripping a page out of Richard Nixon ’ s law-and-order campaign playbook from 1968 - when American streets were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vowing to crack down and restore order in an appeal tailored to white voters .
At a moment when the nation has been jarred by sometimes violent protests over police brutality , Trump has repeatedly blamed big city mayors in Democratic-strongholds - including New York , Portland , Seattle , Chicago - for undermining police officers .
“ In New York , you have New York ’ s finest , but they ’ ve totally taken away their incentive , ” Trump said earlier this week .
“ They ’ ve taken away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they don ’ t allow them to do their job.
” “ In recent weeks , Trump has repeatedly and falsely asserted that Biden supports defunding the police .
His campaign has aired advertising in battleground states showing a woman calling police for help as an intruder breaks into her home and getting a voice recording informing her that , because the police have been defunded , no one is available to take her call .
Trump has also tweeted warnings to “ Suburban Housewives ” that Biden will shatter their communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing as part of new development .
Trump recently revoked an Obama-era housing regulation designed to eliminate racial disparities in the suburbs .
The president , in his speech , also took sharp aim at Harris , a former California attorney general , as being hostile to police , and suggested that she and Biden were at the center of “ a left wing war on cops ”

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) - Seeking to amplify his law-and-order message, President Donald Trump on Friday told hundreds of New York Police Department officers that “no one will be safe in Biden’s America” if the former Democratic vice president defeats him in November .
“This guy has been taking your dignity away and your respect,”” Trump said of former Vice President Joe Biden. “And I’m telling you on Nov. 3 you’re going to be getting it back.”
Trump spoke to members of the City of New York Police Benevolent Association, the union representing some 24,000 rank-and-file officers as he steps up his attacks on Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris. The president’s campaign is looking to raise doubts about the Biden-Harris ticket’s ability to keep the peace in the nation’s biggest metropolises. Trump was formally endorsed by the union during the event at his New Jersey golf course.
Trump is ripping a page out of Richard Nixon’s law-and-order campaign playbook from 1968 - when American streets were rife with racial protests and Nixon campaigned vowing to crack down and restore order in an appeal tailored to white voters.
At a moment when the nation has been jarred by sometimes violent protests over police brutality, Trump has repeatedly blamed big city mayors in Democratic-strongholds - including New York, Portland, Seattle, Chicago - for undermining police officers.
“In New York, you have New York’s finest, but they’ve totally taken away their incentive,” Trump said earlier this week. “They’ve taken away their lives, in a sense, because they don’t allow them to do their job.”“
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly and falsely asserted that Biden supports defunding the police. His campaign has aired advertising in battleground states showing a woman calling police for help as an intruder breaks into her home and getting a voice recording informing her that, because the police have been defunded, no one is available to take her call.
Trump has also tweeted warnings to “Suburban Housewives” that Biden will shatter their communities by requiring communities to build lower income housing as part of new development. Trump recently revoked an Obama-era housing regulation designed to eliminate racial disparities in the suburbs.
The president, in his speech, also took sharp aim at Harris, a former California attorney general, as being hostile to police, and suggested that she and Biden were at the center of “a left wing war on cops”
“Probably she’s a step worse, Kamala,” Trump said.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--5 recent Alaska ferry passengers test positive for COVID-19

JUNEAU , Alaska ( AP ) - Five people who traveled together on a state ferry in southeast Alaska have tested positive for COVID-19 , a system spokesperson said Friday .
The individuals boarded the ferry Matanuska in Kake Monday morning , with the vessel arriving in Juneau late that night after passing through Sitka , according to a release from the state transportation department .
The state health department believes the individuals were “ likely infectious ” while on the ship , the release states , and the ferry system is notifying the public “ out of an abundance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travelers on the Matanuska get tested if any symptoms arise ; wear masks in public ; and maintain physical distance from non-household members .
Ferry system spokesperson Sam Dapcevich said the Alaska Marine Highway System has a policy of only allowing passengers to get off at their ports of destination .
He said the five individuals with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were considered close contacts “ only with each other.
” He said the epidemiological investigation of the case continues .
The ship arrived Friday morning in Bellingham , Washington , and crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system release .

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Five people who traveled together on a state ferry in southeast Alaska have tested positive for COVID-19, a system spokesperson said Friday.
The individuals boarded the ferry Matanuska in Kake Monday morning, with the vessel arriving in Juneau late that night after passing through Sitka, according to a release from the state transportation department. The state health department believes the individuals were “likely infectious” while on the ship, the release states, and the ferry system is notifying the public “out of an abundance of caution.”
Officials are recommending recent travelers on the Matanuska get tested if any symptoms arise; wear masks in public; and maintain physical distance from non-household members.
Ferry system spokesperson Sam Dapcevich said the Alaska Marine Highway System has a policy of only allowing passengers to get off at their ports of destination. He said the five individuals with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were considered close contacts “only with each other.”
He said the epidemiological investigation of the case continues.
The ship arrived Friday morning in Bellingham, Washington, and crew members will be tested, according to the system release.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Trump accepts endorsement from NYPD union

A top New York City Police Department union endorsed President Trump after its members were feted at the president ’ s New Jersey golf retreat late Friday .
“ We need your strong voice across the country , ” said Patrick Lynch , president of the NYPD Benevolent Association .
Mr. Trump slammed his November opponents during the meetup in Bedminster and said he will try to win the state of New York — despite extremely long odds — on Election Day .
“ We ’ re gon na give New York a real shot , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance is winning New York.
” In wide-ranging remarks , Mr. Trump slammed those who would “ defund ” the police in the wake of the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a white officer in Minneapolis , Minnesota , kneeled on his neck area for an extended period .
“ It may be just a bad apple , we ’ ve seen it , ” the president said of poorly performing officers .
“ But that doesn ’ t mean we ’ re going to close up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke in apocalyptic terms about the upcoming election , saying the suburbs would be ruined and cities would be upended by violence if his opponents win .
“ We have to bring law and order back to our cities , back to our country , ” he said .
“ If they win this election , every city in America will be under siege.
” Mr. Trump said he , by contrast , will be “ pro-cop ” in a second term .
“ They ’ re not treating you right , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right , ” he said .
Mr. Biden , who leads the president in many polls , says Mr. Trump is distorting his record .
“ While I do not believe federal dollars should go to police departments violating people ’ s rights or turning to violence as the first resort , I do not support defunding police , ” Mr. Biden wrote in a June op-ed for USA Today .

A top New York City Police Department union endorsed President Trump after its members were feted at the president’s New Jersey golf retreat late Friday.
“We need your strong voice across the country,” said Patrick Lynch, president of the NYPD Benevolent Association.
Mr. Trump slammed his November opponents during the meetup in Bedminster and said he will try to win the state of New York — despite extremely long odds — on Election Day.
“We’re gonna give New York a real shot,” he said. “I think we have a real chance is winning New York.”
In wide-ranging remarks, Mr. Trump slammed those who would “defund” the police in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, kneeled on his neck area for an extended period.
“It may be just a bad apple, we’ve seen it,” the president said of poorly performing officers. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to close up our police departments.”
Mr. Trump also spoke in apocalyptic terms about the upcoming election, saying the suburbs would be ruined and cities would be upended by violence if his opponents win.
“We have to bring law and order back to our cities, back to our country,” he said. “If they win this election, every city in America will be under siege.”
Mr. Trump said he, by contrast, will be “pro-cop” in a second term.
“They’re not treating you right, but we’re gonna treat you right,” he said.
Mr. Biden, who leads the president in many polls, says Mr. Trump is distorting his record.
“While I do not believe federal dollars should go to police departments violating people’s rights or turning to violence as the first resort, I do not support defunding police,” Mr. Biden wrote in a June op-ed for USA Today.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Trump to NYC cops: You like 'Sleepy' or 'Slow Joe?'

President Trump used a rally-like meet up with New York City cops Friday to road-test his favored nicknamed for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden , saying foreign leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping aren ’ t “ sleepy ” so the U.S. leader can not be , either .
“ Who likes slow Joe ?
Who likes Sleepy Joe ?
” Mr. Trump said to cheers from the New York Police Department Benevolent Association at his golf property in Bedminster , New Jersey .
“ That ’ s what I thought !
” Mr. Trump responded .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are never labeled “ sleepy ” or “ slow.
” “ We can ’ t have slow , sleepy people dealing with them , either , ” he said .
“ Because we were doing very well against all of them , all of them.
” Mr. Trump has boasted about sanctions and other pressure-tactics on Russia , his phase-one trade deal with China and his ability to avoid long-range missile attacks or an outright war with North Korea .
His critics , however , point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say anything bad about Mr. Putin — despite evidence Russia meddled in U.S. elections — his early support for Mr. Xi ’ s response to the coronavirus that began in Wuhan , China , and his friendly summits with Mr. Kim , which did not result in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula .

President Trump used a rally-like meet up with New York City cops Friday to road-test his favored nicknamed for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, saying foreign leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping aren’t “sleepy” so the U.S. leader cannot be, either.
“Who likes slow Joe? Who likes Sleepy Joe?” Mr. Trump said to cheers from the New York Police Department Benevolent Association at his golf property in Bedminster, New Jersey. “That’s what I thought!” Mr. Trump responded.
Mr. Trump said Mr. Putin, Mr. Xi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are never labeled “sleepy” or “slow.”
“We can’t have slow, sleepy people dealing with them, either,” he said. “Because we were doing very well against all of them, all of them.”
Mr. Trump has boasted about sanctions and other pressure-tactics on Russia, his phase-one trade deal with China and his ability to avoid long-range missile attacks or an outright war with North Korea.
His critics, however, point to the president’s recurring inability to say anything bad about Mr. Putin — despite evidence Russia meddled in U.S. elections — his early support for Mr. Xi’s response to the coronavirus that began in Wuhan, China, and his friendly summits with Mr. Kim, which did not result in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Navajo Code Talkers honored in virtual ceremony

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. ( AP ) - Hundreds of Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allied forces covertly communicate @ @ @ @ @ honored in a ceremony Friday .
Code Talkers Day is celebrated annually on Aug. 14 @ @ @ @ @ Japanese surrender marking the end of the war .
The ceremony is typically held in @ @ @ @ @ this year because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Hundreds of Navajos serving in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ a code based on the Navajo language .
The code developed by an original group @ @ @ @ @ to confound Japanese forces .
It was never broken .
Only a handful of Code @ @ @ @ @

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) - Hundreds of Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allied forces covertly communicate during World War II were honored in a ceremony Friday.
Code Talkers Day is celebrated annually on Aug. 14, the date of the Japanese surrender marking the end of the war. The ceremony is typically held in person but was taken online this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hundreds of Navajos serving in the U.S. Marine Corps transmitted messages using a code based on the Navajo language. The code developed by an original group of 29 Navajos was used to confound Japanese forces. It was never broken. Only a handful of Code Talkers are still alive.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Nevada inmates at prison in Arizona test positive for virus

LAS VEGAS ( AP ) - A prison official in Nevada said Friday that 17 state inmates being held at a private prison in Arizona have tested positive for the new coronavirus for the second time in about a month .
State Department of Corrections spokesman Scott Kelley said the 17 were among 69 inmates from Nevada found to have COVID-19 during a first round of testing July 8 at the Saguaro Correctional Center run by CoreCivic .
The other 52 inmates who initially tested positive retested negative , and none of the 30 who had initially tested negative came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Las Vegas Review-Journal .
Nevada has 99 inmates being held at the for-profit prison in Eloy , Arizona .
The facility between Phoenix and Tucson houses nearly 2,000 inmates .
Nevada prisons officials say the Nevada inmates are housed in one unit , with no contact with those from other states , and those who tested positive were in cells separate from those who tested negative .
In Nevada , Kelley said 26 of the 12,109 inmates at the department ’ s 18 prison , camp and transitional housing facilities have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 86 staff members .
No deaths have been reported .

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A prison official in Nevada said Friday that 17 state inmates being held at a private prison in Arizona have tested positive for the new coronavirus for the second time in about a month.
State Department of Corrections spokesman Scott Kelley said the 17 were among 69 inmates from Nevada found to have COVID-19 during a first round of testing July 8 at the Saguaro Correctional Center run by CoreCivic.
The other 52 inmates who initially tested positive retested negative, and none of the 30 who had initially tested negative came up positive during new testing, Kelley told the Las Vegas Review-Journal .
Nevada has 99 inmates being held at the for-profit prison in Eloy, Arizona. The facility between Phoenix and Tucson houses nearly 2,000 inmates.
Nevada prisons officials say the Nevada inmates are housed in one unit, with no contact with those from other states, and those who tested positive were in cells separate from those who tested negative.
In Nevada, Kelley said 26 of the 12,109 inmates at the department’s 18 prison, camp and transitional housing facilities have tested positive for the new coronavirus, and 86 staff members. No deaths have been reported.


washingtontimes--2020-08-14--Kemp order won't let governments order masks in businesses

ATLANTA ( AP ) - Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s administration says numbers show the state is making progress in its fight against COVID-19 , despite a leaked federal report urging the state to take stronger steps , a per capita infection rate that is third-worst in the country over the past two weeks and soaring death totals after weeks of high illness levels .
Kemp spokesperson Candice Broce said Friday that Kemp will sign an executive order Saturday that will give cities and counties the power to require masks on government property under certain conditions but not on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus task force was obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
It advises Georgia to impose a statewide mask mandate ; close bars , nightclubs and gyms in some counties ; reduce capacity for in-restaurant dining ; and limit social gatherings to 10 people instead of the state ’ s current 50-person cap .
Spokesperson Cody Hall said the Republican governor is relying on data and advice from Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey .
“ As the governor has said many times before , this fight is about protecting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgians , ” Hall said in a statement .
Broce said local governments could order face coverings on public property “ if they meet specific health-related metrics , ” but said the order would contain exceptions and limit penalties .
It ’ s not exactly clear what the order will say , and previous orders have contained unanticipated surprises .
Broce said Kemp ’ s new order would not let cities require masks on private property and that if owners do impose a face-covering requirement , they can decide whether police will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been that cities and counties don ’ t have the power to order masks on their own , although a number have done so .
Kemp sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council after Bottoms made statements that some interpreted as orders for restaurants to close and ordered masks .
The question of whether local governments would impose mask requirements on businesses and send in police to force compliance led to a collapse in settlement talks between the state and Atlanta officials , Broce said .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business owners and private property , ” Broce wrote in an email .
Cities have said they believe they do have the power to enforce local mask orders , said Rusi Patel , a lawyer for the Georgia Municipal Association .
“ GMA believes in local control and believes Georgia laws provide a large degree of local control , even in times of emergency .
We filed a brief in the litigation supporting this concept a few weeks ago , ” Patel wrote in an email .
“ However , the question of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the day.
” Georgia ’ s total number of confirmed coronavirus infections rose above 230,000 Friday , although the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Georgia has fallen 7 % in the past two weeks , according to figures kept by The Associated Press .
The nationwide new confirmed case average has fallen 20 % in that time , although there have been questions about decreased testing .
Georgia ’ s rate of positive teats has also fallen during the past two weeks , averaging 10.9 % on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of newly reported cases has been above 3,000 since July 11 , a level that has filtered through to high numbers of hospitalizations and deaths .
Hospitalizations have been falling for about two weeks , but deaths from the summer spike are still being reported .
More than 4,500 people have died from COVID-19 so far in Georgia , with the 7-day death average reaching an all-time high of 73 per day on Thursday before falling Friday .
Among those deaths are longtime Augusta Utilities Director Tom Wiedmeier , who died Wednesday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County school district announced Friday that it was delaying athletics , marching bands and cheerleading until the end of September , although the groups will continue to train .
Fulton County announced Thursday it was delaying athletic competition until Sept. 14 .
At least four other school districts have postponed or canceled some athletics .
High school football teams elsewhere in the state are supposed to start playing on Sept. 4 .
The Savannah-Chatham County school district said Friday that a football player at Beach High in Savannah tested positive for COVID-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

ATLANTA (AP) - Gov. Brian Kemp’s administration says numbers show the state is making progress in its fight against COVID-19, despite a leaked federal report urging the state to take stronger steps, a per capita infection rate that is third-worst in the country over the past two weeks and soaring death totals after weeks of high illness levels.
Kemp spokesperson Candice Broce said Friday that Kemp will sign an executive order Saturday that will give cities and counties the power to require masks on government property under certain conditions but not on private property.
The report from President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force was obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It advises Georgia to impose a statewide mask mandate; close bars, nightclubs and gyms in some counties; reduce capacity for in-restaurant dining; and limit social gatherings to 10 people instead of the state’s current 50-person cap.
Spokesperson Cody Hall said the Republican governor is relying on data and advice from Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey.
“As the governor has said many times before, this fight is about protecting the lives – and livelihoods – of all Georgians,” Hall said in a statement.
Broce said local governments could order face coverings on public property “if they meet specific health-related metrics,” but said the order would contain exceptions and limit penalties. It’s not exactly clear what the order will say, and previous orders have contained unanticipated surprises.
Broce said Kemp’s new order would not let cities require masks on private property and that if owners do impose a face-covering requirement, they can decide whether police will help enforcement. Kemp’s current position has been that cities and counties don’t have the power to order masks on their own, although a number have done so.
Kemp sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council after Bottoms made statements that some interpreted as orders for restaurants to close and ordered masks. The question of whether local governments would impose mask requirements on businesses and send in police to force compliance led to a collapse in settlement talks between the state and Atlanta officials, Broce said.
“This order will contain very strong protections for business owners and private property,” Broce wrote in an email.
Cities have said they believe they do have the power to enforce local mask orders, said Rusi Patel, a lawyer for the Georgia Municipal Association.
“GMA believes in local control and believes Georgia laws provide a large degree of local control, even in times of emergency. We filed a brief in the litigation supporting this concept a few weeks ago,” Patel wrote in an email. “However, the question of legality is one for the courts at the end of the day.”
Georgia’s total number of confirmed coronavirus infections rose above 230,000 Friday, although the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Georgia has fallen 7% in the past two weeks, according to figures kept by The Associated Press. The nationwide new confirmed case average has fallen 20% in that time, although there have been questions about decreased testing.
Georgia’s rate of positive teats has also fallen during the past two weeks, averaging 10.9% on Thursday.
Georgia’s seven-day average of newly reported cases has been above 3,000 since July 11, a level that has filtered through to high numbers of hospitalizations and deaths. Hospitalizations have been falling for about two weeks, but deaths from the summer spike are still being reported. More than 4,500 people have died from COVID-19 so far in Georgia, with the 7-day death average reaching an all-time high of 73 per day on Thursday before falling Friday.
Among those deaths are longtime Augusta Utilities Director Tom Wiedmeier, who died Wednesday after contracting COVID-19 in July.
The DeKalb County school district announced Friday that it was delaying athletics, marching bands and cheerleading until the end of September, although the groups will continue to train. Fulton County announced Thursday it was delaying athletic competition until Sept. 14. At least four other school districts have postponed or canceled some athletics. High school football teams elsewhere in the state are supposed to start playing on Sept. 4.
The Savannah-Chatham County school district said Friday that a football player at Beach High in Savannah tested positive for COVID-19 and the whole team and coaches are in quarantine.
___
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.


washingtontimes--2020-08-15--Former Illinois Gov. James Thompson, 'Big Jim,' dies at 84

CHICAGO ( AP ) - Former Illinois Gov .
James R. Thompson , known as “ Big Jim ” during a long career that eventually made him the state ’ s longest-serving chief executive , has died .
He was 84 .
Thompson died shortly after 8 p.m. Friday at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago , his wife , Jayne , told the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times .
The Tribune , citing a police report , reported Thompson had been recovering there for several weeks after suffering heart problems .
“ It was very sudden , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was told that his heart simply stopped.
” Thompson , a Republican from Chicago , was first elected in 1976 and eventually served four terms before leaving office in 1991 .
A moderate , he managed the state through recession years in the 1980s .
He also helped put together a plan to help the Chicago White Sox get a new stadium to head off a potential move out of state .
Thompson was an assistant attorney general and a U.S. attorney before that , making a name for himself with anti-corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Otto Kerner Jr .

CHICAGO (AP) - Former Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson, whose prosecutions of public officials - including a predecessor - helped catapult him to become the state’s longest-serving chief executive, has died. He was 84.
Thompson, known as “Big Jim,” died shortly after 8 p.m. Friday at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, his wife, Jayne, told the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. The Tribune, citing a police report, reported Thompson had been recovering there for several weeks after suffering heart problems. His longtime press secretary, serving as a family spokesperson, confirmed the death to The Associated Press.
“It was very sudden,” his wife told the Tribune. “I was told that his heart simply stopped.”
Thompson was a prosecutor known for taking on Chicago’s Democratic machine in a state infamous for political corruption when he was first elected governor in 1976. He led the state through a recession in the 1980s and served four terms before leaving office in 1991.
A moderate Republican from Chicago, he worked across the political aisle to push through the construction of miles of highways and rebuild scores of bridges. He had a hand in the expansion of Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center and the construction of what is now the United Center, home to the NBA’s Bulls and the NHL’s Blackhawks. He also helped put together a plan to help the White Sox get a new stadium to head off a potential move to Florida.
“He was always willing to take the call and make the call to the other side of the aisle,” said longtime press secretary Jim Prescott. “He never demonized the other side.”
His work earned him praise from Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who issued a statement saying Thompson “was known to treat people he encountered with kindness and decency” and that he “set an example for public service of which Illinoisans should be proud.”
As a prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and later as U.S. attorney, the 6-foot-6-inch Thompson had become known for anti-corruption cases, including the prosecutions of major figures in the Democratic machine that had dominated Chicago politics for half a century. That reputation followed him into office, where he pushed to make political appointments based on talent, rather than based on past political or financial support.
“One of the things he will be most remembered for was getting away from making patronage appointments for top positions in state agencies and bringing in people based on their expertise,” said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois-Springfield. “He really helped shape the modernization and professionalism of state government.”
But Thompson also made headlines when, as a leader of the law firm Winston & Strawn, he agreed to defend Republican former Gov. George Ryan, a longtime friend, on a pro bono basis in a corruption case that eventually landed Ryan in prison. In a 2015 article about Thompson’s retirement from the firm after a quarter century, Crain’s Chicago Business noted that Thompson’s decision to represent Ryan without receiving payment ultimately cost the firm more than $10 million.
While working in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in the early 1960s, Thompson fought obscenity and prosecuted Lenny Bruce after the comedian held up a photograph of a woman’s breast while on stage at a Chicago nightclub.
After he was appointed U.S. attorney for the northern Illinois district by President Richard Nixon, Thompson and his staff uncovered massive voter fraud in 1972, an effort that led to 83 indictments and 66 convictions or guilty pleas. He headed prosecutions that led to the conviction of a powerful Chicago alderman and Democratic former Gov. Otto Kerner Jr., by then a federal appeals judge. He also took part in the investigation of Republican Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, who eventually pleaded no contest to tax evasion.
Widely respected across Illinois, Thompson was honored in 1993 when the state government building in downtown Chicago that he could see from his law office was named after him. He also later served as a member of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States to examine the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
“He was a great guy, no question about that,” said Ryan, who was governor from 1999 to 2003 before being indicted on corruption charges.
Prescot said in a statement that because of COVID-19 restrictions that limit the size of gatherings, a memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.