courthousenews--2020-08-09--Mauritius Races to Contain Oil Spill, Protect Coastline

JOHANNESBURG ( AP ) — Thousands of students , environmental activists and residents of Mauritius were working around the clock Sunday , trying to reduce the damage to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef .
An estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship ’ s cargo of 4 tons has already escaped into the sea , officials said .
Workers were seeking to stop more oil from leaking , but with high winds and rough seas on Sunday there were reports of new cracks to the ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jugnauth has declared a state of emergency and appealed for international help .
He said the spill “ represents a danger ” for the country of 1.3 million people that relies heavily on tourism and has been hurt by travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
Satellite images show a dark slick spreading in the turquoise waters near wetlands that the government called “ very sensitive.
” Wildlife workers and volunteers , meanwhile , ferried dozens of baby tortoises and rare plants from an island near the spill , Ile aux Aigrettes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no longer a threat to our environment , it is a full-blown ecological disaster that has affected one of the most environmentally important parts of Mauritius , the Mahebourg Lagoon , ” said Sunil Dowarkasing , an environmental consultant and former member of parliament .
“ The people of Mauritius , thousands and thousands , have come out to try to prevent as much damage as possible , ” said Dowarkasing , who spoke from the relief efforts at Bois des Amourettes by the lagoon .
He said people have created long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread into the lagoon and onto the coast .
The hastily made fabric booms are stuffed with sugar cane leaves and straw and kept afloat with plastic bottles , he said .
People are also using empty oil drums to scoop up as much oil as possible from shallower waters .
University students and members of the local Lions and Rotary clubs are among the volunteers , he said .
“ We are working flat out .
It ’ s a major challenge , because the oil is not only floating in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ washing up on the shore , ” said Dowarkasing .
“ The booms are really working in many spots.
” He said the steady winds and waves have spread the fuel across the eastern side of the island .
“ We ’ ve never seen anything like this in Mauritius , ” he said .
The lagoon is a protected area , created several years ago to preserve an area in Mauritius as it was 200 years ago .
“ The coral reefs had begun to regenerate and the lagoon was getting back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Now this might all be killed again by the oil spill.
” A French military transport aircraft was carrying pollution control equipment to Mauritius and a navy vessel with additional material planned to sail from the nearby French island of Reunion .
Residents and environmentalists alike asked why authorities didn ’ t act more quickly after the ship , the MV Wakashio , ran aground on a coral reef on July 25 .
“ That ’ s the big question , ” Jean Hugues Gardenne with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship has been sitting for long on that coral reef and nothing being done.
” For days , residents peered out at the precariously tilted ship as a salvage team arrived and began to work , but ocean waves kept battering the ship .
Cracks in the hull were detected a few days ago and the salvage team was quickly evacuated .
Some 400 sea booms were deployed to contain the spill , but they were not enough , he said .
In Japan , officials of the company that owns the ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s operator , Mitsui O.S.K .
Lines , apologized Sunday for the oil leak .
At their first news conference since the ship ran aground two weeks ago , the officials said they have sent experts to Mauritius to join in the cleanup effort .
They are trying to do so in an environmentally safe way , without using emulsifiers and other environmentally harmful chemicals , said Kiyoaki Nagashiki , president of the shipowner Nagashiki Shipping .
“ First of all , we are doing the utmost to prevent further oil spill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Akihiko Ono , vice president of Mitsui O.S.K .
Lines .
“ We are aware of a potential major impact on the tourism in the area and we take it very seriously.
” The officials said the Wakashio left China on July 14 and was on its way to Brazil .
The ship was about 1 mile off the southeast coast of Mauritius when it went aground , even though it was supposed to be 10 to 20 miles ( 16 to 32 kilometers ) away from the island , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is investigating why the ship went off course .
The officials said the companies were continuing to remove fuel from the ship using a vessel small enough to safely operate in the shallow waters .
They said the operation is time-consuming because of rough waves .
The shipowner and operator are working with a salvage ship to lift the tanker while trying to prevent any further oil leaks .
The ship ’ s engine room and ballast tank were damaged and had water seeping inside , but its 20 crew members have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ANDREW MELDRUM and MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius were working around the clock Sunday, trying to reduce the damage to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius were working around the clock Sunday, trying to reduce the damage to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef.
An estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship's cargo of 4 tons has already escaped into the sea, officials said. Workers were seeking to stop more oil from leaking, but with high winds and rough seas on Sunday there were reports of new cracks to the ship's hull.
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has declared a state of emergency and appealed for international help. He said the spill "represents a danger" for the country of 1.3 million people that relies heavily on tourism and has been hurt by travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Satellite images show a dark slick spreading in the turquoise waters near wetlands that the government called "very sensitive." Wildlife workers and volunteers, meanwhile, ferried dozens of baby tortoises and rare plants from an island near the spill, Ile aux Aigrettes, to the mainland.
"This is no longer a threat to our environment, it is a full-blown ecological disaster that has affected one of the most environmentally important parts of Mauritius, the Mahebourg Lagoon," said Sunil Dowarkasing, an environmental consultant and former member of parliament.
"The people of Mauritius, thousands and thousands, have come out to try to prevent as much damage as possible," said Dowarkasing, who spoke from the relief efforts at Bois des Amourettes by the lagoon.
He said people have created long floating oil booms to try to slow the spread into the lagoon and onto the coast. The hastily made fabric booms are stuffed with sugar cane leaves and straw and kept afloat with plastic bottles, he said. People are also using empty oil drums to scoop up as much oil as possible from shallower waters.
University students and members of the local Lions and Rotary clubs are among the volunteers, he said.
"We are working flat out. It's a major challenge, because the oil is not only floating in the lagoon, it's already washing up on the shore," said Dowarkasing. "The booms are really working in many spots."
He said the steady winds and waves have spread the fuel across the eastern side of the island.
"We've never seen anything like this in Mauritius," he said.
The lagoon is a protected area, created several years ago to preserve an area in Mauritius as it was 200 years ago.
"The coral reefs had begun to regenerate and the lagoon was getting back its coral gardens," said Dowarkasing. "Now this might all be killed again by the oil spill."
A French military transport aircraft was carrying pollution control equipment to Mauritius and a navy vessel with additional material planned to sail from the nearby French island of Reunion.
Residents and environmentalists alike asked why authorities didn't act more quickly after the ship, the MV Wakashio, ran aground on a coral reef on July 25.
"That's the big question," Jean Hugues Gardenne with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation told The Associated Press. "Why that ship has been sitting for long on that coral reef and nothing being done."
For days, residents peered out at the precariously tilted ship as a salvage team arrived and began to work, but ocean waves kept battering the ship. Cracks in the hull were detected a few days ago and the salvage team was quickly evacuated. Some 400 sea booms were deployed to contain the spill, but they were not enough, he said.
In Japan, officials of the company that owns the ship, Nagashiki Shipping, and the ship's operator, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, apologized Sunday for the oil leak.
At their first news conference since the ship ran aground two weeks ago, the officials said they have sent experts to Mauritius to join in the cleanup effort. They are trying to do so in an environmentally safe way, without using emulsifiers and other environmentally harmful chemicals, said Kiyoaki Nagashiki, president of the shipowner Nagashiki Shipping.
"First of all, we are doing the utmost to prevent further oil spill and to remove it from the sea," said Akihiko Ono, vice president of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. "We are aware of a potential major impact on the tourism in the area and we take it very seriously."
The officials said the Wakashio left China on July 14 and was on its way to Brazil. The ship was about 1 mile off the southeast coast of Mauritius when it went aground, even though it was supposed to be 10 to 20 miles away from the island, Mitsui executive Masanori Kato said. Mitsui is investigating why the ship went off course.
The officials said the companies were continuing to remove fuel from the ship using a vessel small enough to safely operate in the shallow waters. They said the operation is time-consuming because of rough waves. The shipowner and operator are working with a salvage ship to lift the tanker while trying to prevent any further oil leaks.
The ship's engine room and ballast tank were damaged and had water seeping inside, but its 20 crew members have been safely evacuated, officials said.
By ANDREW MELDRUM and MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press


courthousenews--2020-08-09--Puerto Rico’s Primaries Marred by Lack of Ballots

SAN JUAN , Puerto Rico ( AP ) — Puerto Rico ’ s primaries were marred on Sunday by a lack of ballots in a majority of centers across the U.S. territory , forcing frustrated voters who braved a spike in Covid-19 cases to turn around and go back home .
The situation infuriated voters and politicians of all stripes as they blamed Puerto Rico ’ s elections commission and demanded an explanation for ballots reaching only a handful of voting centers by the afternoon .
“ This has been a crass administrative incompetence by the president of the elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position , ” said Aníbal José Torres , president of the main opposition Popular Democratic Party .
He , along with Thomas Rivera Schatz , president of the governor ’ s Progressive New Party , called on the commission to hold a partial primary on Aug. 16 for voting centers that have not received their ballots .
An incredulous Schatz noted that there were still trucks with ballots inside parked at the commission ’ s headquarters as they spoke there .
“ The question is , why haven ’ t they left ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has yet to make a formal announcement .
Meanwhile , officials from the two parties scrambled to find solutions as they urged voters outside the metropolitan area to wait until the afternoon to visit voting centers , even though lines had already formed early across the island .
Voters wore face masks and some stood in sweat-soaked shirts , but hundreds of them gave up and left .
“ Please come back , ” said Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia , who is seeking to become the gubernatorial nominee for the Popular Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pedro Pierluisi , who is running against Gov .
Wanda Vázquez , to become the nominees for the pro-statehood New Progressive Party .
“ What ’ s important is that voters persist in their right.
” The elections commission announced it would keep all affected voting centers open later than scheduled to guarantee a full eight hours of access as required .
But many who stood in line early Sunday were elderly people not expected to return to voting centers once they opened .
Yadira Pizarro , a 44-year-old teacher , was running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center in Carolina where she had already waited four hours .
“ I can not believe this .
This is some serious negligence , ” she said .
“ I ’ m leaving soon and I won ’ t be back.
” She was among the more than 200 voters whom electoral official Griselle Hernández apologized to as she explained that the ballots were now expected to arrive in the early afternoon .
While nearly all voters left after hearing the ballots had yet to arrive , Alfredo Pérez , a 64-year-old retiree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here at 6:30 a.m .
If I have to stay here until 5 a.m. , I will , ” he said .
Gireliz Zambrana , a 31-year-old federal employee who stood in line at a center in the north coastal town of Río Grande , said half of the roughly 20 people waiting left upon learning the center would not open on time and said they would not come back .
He said he would stay in line as long as needed because Puerto Rico ’ s situation had to change .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hurricane Maria and a series of strong earthquakes amid a pandemic and a 13-year economic recession .
“ We need help , ” he said .
“ Puerto Rico can ’ t take it anymore.
” One of the most closely watched races on Sunday is that of the pro-statehood Progressive New Party , which pits two candidates who served as replacement governors following last year ’ s political turmoil .
Vázquez faces Pierluisi , who represented Puerto Rico in Congress from 2009 to 2017 .
Pierluisi briefly served as governor after Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following widespread street protests over a profanity-laced chat that was leaked and government corruption .
But Puerto Rico ’ s Supreme Court ruled that Vázquez , then the justice secretary , was constitutionally next in line because there was no secretary of state .
Meanwhile , the main opposition Popular Democratic Party , which supports Puerto Rico ’ s current political status as a U.S. territory , is holding a primary for the first time in its 82-year history .
Three people are vying to become governor — San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with U.S. President Donald Trump following the devastation of Hurricane Maria ; Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia ; and Carlos Delgado , mayor of the northwest coastal town of Isabela .
The winning nominees of both parties will be among six gubernatorial candidates in November ’ s general election .

Puerto Rico's primaries were marred on Sunday by a lack of ballots in a majority of centers across the U.S. territory, forcing frustrated voters who braved a spike in Covid-19 cases to turn around and go back home.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's primaries were marred on Sunday by a lack of ballots in a majority of centers across the U.S. territory, forcing frustrated voters who braved a spike in Covid-19 cases to turn around and go back home.
The situation infuriated voters and politicians of all stripes as they blamed Puerto Rico's elections commission and demanded an explanation for ballots reaching only a handful of voting centers by the afternoon.
"This has been a crass administrative incompetence by the president of the elections commission who should not be in that position," said Aníbal José Torres, president of the main opposition Popular Democratic Party.
He, along with Thomas Rivera Schatz, president of the governor's Progressive New Party, called on the commission to hold a partial primary on Aug. 16 for voting centers that have not received their ballots.
An incredulous Schatz noted that there were still trucks with ballots inside parked at the commission's headquarters as they spoke there.
"The question is, why haven't they left?" he said.
The elections commission has yet to make a formal announcement.
Meanwhile, officials from the two parties scrambled to find solutions as they urged voters outside the metropolitan area to wait until the afternoon to visit voting centers, even though lines had already formed early across the island. Voters wore face masks and some stood in sweat-soaked shirts, but hundreds of them gave up and left.
"Please come back," said Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia, who is seeking to become the gubernatorial nominee for the Popular Democratic Party.
"Persevere," said Pedro Pierluisi, who is running against Gov. Wanda Vázquez, to become the nominees for the pro-statehood New Progressive Party. "What's important is that voters persist in their right."
The elections commission announced it would keep all affected voting centers open later than scheduled to guarantee a full eight hours of access as required. But many who stood in line early Sunday were elderly people not expected to return to voting centers once they opened.
Yadira Pizarro, a 44-year-old teacher, was running out of patience at a shuttered voting center in Carolina where she had already waited four hours.
"I cannot believe this. This is some serious negligence," she said. "I'm leaving soon and I won't be back."
She was among the more than 200 voters whom electoral official Griselle Hernández apologized to as she explained that the ballots were now expected to arrive in the early afternoon.
While nearly all voters left after hearing the ballots had yet to arrive, Alfredo Pérez, a 64-year-old retiree, stayed put.
"I got here at 6:30 a.m. If I have to stay here until 5 a.m., I will,'' he said.
Gireliz Zambrana, a 31-year-old federal employee who stood in line at a center in the north coastal town of Río Grande, said half of the roughly 20 people waiting left upon learning the center would not open on time and said they would not come back.
He said he would stay in line as long as needed because Puerto Rico's situation had to change. The island is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria and a series of strong earthquakes amid a pandemic and a 13-year economic recession.
"We need help," he said. "Puerto Rico can't take it anymore."
One of the most closely watched races on Sunday is that of the pro-statehood Progressive New Party, which pits two candidates who served as replacement governors following last year's political turmoil.
Vázquez faces Pierluisi, who represented Puerto Rico in Congress from 2009 to 2017. Pierluisi briefly served as governor after Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resigned in August 2019 following widespread street protests over a profanity-laced chat that was leaked and government corruption.
But Puerto Rico's Supreme Court ruled that Vázquez, then the justice secretary, was constitutionally next in line because there was no secretary of state.
Meanwhile, the main opposition Popular Democratic Party, which supports Puerto Rico's current political status as a U.S. territory, is holding a primary for the first time in its 82-year history.
Three people are vying to become governor — San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, known for her public spats with U.S. President Donald Trump following the devastation of Hurricane Maria; Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia; and Carlos Delgado, mayor of the northwest coastal town of Isabela.
The winning nominees of both parties will be among six gubernatorial candidates in November's general election.
By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press


courthousenews--2020-08-11--Passing Threshold for California Bar Exam Lowered, But It Won’t Be Retroactive

( CN ) — The California Supreme Court finalized plans Monday to permanently lower the passing score for the state bar exam and has decided the new passing threshold will not be applied retroactively .
After a lengthy and hotly contested debate , California ’ s highest court officially laid to rest a myriad of issues over how and when law students can take the exam every lawyer must pass before being admitted to their state bar .
Chief among them is California ’ s finalization of the changes to the lowest score a student must reach to pass the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum score was previously 1440 , the second-highest minimum passing score in the nation behind Delaware , that minimum score will now be 50 points lower at 1390 .
The new threshold , however , comes with one crucial caveat .
While the new score change is permanent and will apply to all California bar exams moving forward , the new change will not apply retroactively to previous test takers despite a wave of petitions from law school graduates , deans and legislators asking for the standards to apply to those who took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The petitioners claimed students who would have passed under the new threshold should be held to the new standards in the interest of fairness , with the letter noting the uncertainty of the current times and the dismaying nature of coming so close to a passing score .
“ For these students , the near miss is surely demoralizing enough , ” one letter signed by a series of law professors stated .
“ When coupled by the extended period between exams , the uncertainty of how an online exam will work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results and the possibility of having to take the exam yet again in February 2021 , this is likely to be exceptionally demoralizing.
” Some even sought to apply the lower threshold going back five years .
Mark Stone , California Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair , said in a letter that if the newly lowered passing threshold is enough for law students today , then there is no good reason why the standard is not be good enough for those who took the bar exam in recent years .
“ If a 1390 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law today , it certainly did so in the past , ” Stone wrote .
“ Moreover , scores in the last five years are recent enough to ensure that applicants will still retain much of the knowledge they demonstrated on the exam.
” But the California Supreme Court disagreed .
According to Monday ’ s order , the court is not aware of any jurisdiction in the nation — except one — that has lowered the bar exam ’ s minimum passing score and applied that decision retroactively .
The Montana Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but California ’ s justices noted the circumstances between then and now are much too different to compare .
“ Although the Supreme Court of Montana in 2016 made its decision to lower the passing score retroactive to 2013 examinees , that determination was designed to offset the effect of that court ’ s 2013 decision to increase the passing score , ” according to a letter attached to Monday ’ s ruling directed to the State Bar of California Board of Trustees .
“ No similar circumstances are present here.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court confirmed Monday that law students will also be able to take their bar examinations online this year .
In an effort to adapt testing needs to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic , the exam will be conducted online Oct. 5-6 , with the court strongly urging law schools to help provide their students with the resources and space needed to complete the test .
California is not the only state in the nation to move the critical exam for prospective lawyers online .
At least 25 other jurisdictions around the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exams administered online .
A series of other states have also taken measures to accommodate law students during a pandemic , such as a recent decision by the Georgia Supreme Court to allow those already licensed in other states to practice law in Georgia on a provisional basis .
The letter by the court to the State Bar Board of Trustees noted the court appreciates the board ’ s efforts during this time and that more judicial orders on how to proceed going forward will be issued after the October exams .

The California Supreme Court finalized plans Monday to permanently lower the passing score for the state bar exam and has decided the new passing threshold will not be applied retroactively.
(CN) — The California Supreme Court finalized plans Monday to permanently lower the passing score for the state bar exam and has decided the new passing threshold will not be applied retroactively.
After a lengthy and hotly contested debate, California’s highest court officially laid to rest a myriad of issues over how and when law students can take the exam every lawyer must pass before being admitted to their state bar.
Chief among them is California’s finalization of the changes to the lowest score a student must reach to pass the test. While California’s required minimum score was previously 1440, the second-highest minimum passing score in the nation behind Delaware, that minimum score will now be 50 points lower at 1390.
The new threshold, however, comes with one crucial caveat.
While the new score change is permanent and will apply to all California bar exams moving forward, the new change will not apply retroactively to previous test takers despite a wave of petitions from law school graduates, deans and legislators asking for the standards to apply to those who took the bar exam in February 2020.
The petitioners claimed students who would have passed under the new threshold should be held to the new standards in the interest of fairness, with the letter noting the uncertainty of the current times and the dismaying nature of coming so close to a passing score.
“For these students, the near miss is surely demoralizing enough,” one letter signed by a series of law professors stated. “When coupled by the extended period between exams, the uncertainty of how an online exam will work, and the foreshortened time between the October results and the possibility of having to take the exam yet again in February 2021, this is likely to be exceptionally demoralizing.”
Some even sought to apply the lower threshold going back five years.
Mark Stone, California Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair, said in a letter that if the newly lowered passing threshold is enough for law students today, then there is no good reason why the standard is not be good enough for those who took the bar exam in recent years.
“If a 1390 passing score supports minimum competency to practice law today, it certainly did so in the past,” Stone wrote. “Moreover, scores in the last five years are recent enough to ensure that applicants will still retain much of the knowledge they demonstrated on the exam.”
But the California Supreme Court disagreed. According to Monday’s order, the court is not aware of any jurisdiction in the nation — except one — that has lowered the bar exam’s minimum passing score and applied that decision retroactively. The Montana Supreme Court did so four years ago, but California’s justices noted the circumstances between then and now are much too different to compare.
“Although the Supreme Court of Montana in 2016 made its decision to lower the passing score retroactive to 2013 examinees, that determination was designed to offset the effect of that court’s 2013 decision to increase the passing score,” according to a letter attached to Monday’s ruling directed to the State Bar of California Board of Trustees. “No similar circumstances are present here.”
On top of the lower passing threshold, the court confirmed Monday that law students will also be able to take their bar examinations online this year. In an effort to adapt testing needs to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the exam will be conducted online Oct. 5-6, with the court strongly urging law schools to help provide their students with the resources and space needed to complete the test.
California is not the only state in the nation to move the critical exam for prospective lawyers online. At least 25 other jurisdictions around the United States have also ordered that their state bar exams administered online.
A series of other states have also taken measures to accommodate law students during a pandemic, such as a recent decision by the Georgia Supreme Court to allow those already licensed in other states to practice law in Georgia on a provisional basis.
The letter by the court to the State Bar Board of Trustees noted the court appreciates the board’s efforts during this time and that more judicial orders on how to proceed going forward will be issued after the October exams.


courthousenews--2020-08-10--Feds Propose Habitat Reduction for Endangered Spotted Owl

( CN ) — The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service wants to remove protections for the spotted owl inhabiting more than 200,000 acres of forested land in Oregon , according to a proposed revision released Monday .
As part of a settlement between the Trump administration and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters , a trade union , Fish and Wildlife proposed to remove 209,000 acres across 15 Oregon counties from an area of more than 9 million acres designated as critical habitat for the spotted owl .
“ These proposed exclusions are based on new information that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habitat designation for the northern spotted owl , ” the service said in its proposed rule revision .
Any movement on critical habitat designations related to the northern spotted owl will be a flashpoint after the service declared the bird ’ s dwindling population was due to eradication of old-growth forest caused primarily by the timber industry .
“ The owl nests in old tree structures , broken tops and snags , ” said Noah Greenwald , endangered species director for the Center for Biological Diversity .
“ It also needs the high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the old-growth forests to hunt.
” The designation of 9 million acres of critical habitat gutted the timber industry in the Pacific Northwest and set off a tempest of litigation from environmentalists , county agencies , timber industry advocates and citizens after the spotted owl was added to the Endangered Species List in 1990 .
Some estimates say the designation caused the timber industry to lose as many as 168,000 jobs and shuttered timber mills throughout the region .
The timber industry has also sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered by the 1936 O & C Act , which mandates swaths of land in Oregon must be managed as timber harvest land .
Timber industry advocates sued the BLM saying the plan to withdraw some lands from protection did not go far enough .
The lawsuit is pending .
Greenwald said Fish and Wildlife ’ s proposal is not apocalyptic for the bird , since it only represents a small percentage of the over 9 million acres of critical habitat .
“ In a sense , it ’ s not a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But the bird is declining so it needs all the protection it can get.
” There are only about 2,200 breed pairs of Northern spotted owls throughout its range of Northern California , Oregon and Washington state , an estimated drop of 90 % in population by some estimates .
More conservative estimates for the decline peg the bird ’ s numbers at closer to 40 % .
The bird population continues to decline by about 7.4 % per year .
Regardless , the bird ’ s population has declined and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forests as a result of timber production combined with natural causes like fires are the main causes .
However , others have insisted the spotted owl is declining because of competition from the barred owl , which is a better hunter and not as fastidious about its nesting locations .
Some federal wildlife officials have proposed killing a segment of barred owls to keep the spotted owl population in balance .
Such a move is criticized by some animal rights activists and has yet to be fully implemented .
Greenwald said the barred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the spotted owl ’ s decline .
“ The spotted owl was declining before the barred owl arrived on the scene , ” he said .
The northern spotted owl is a medium-sized bird , with a barred tail and spots on its head and chest .
It mates infrequently and take a long time to reach maturity ( 2 years ) .
The owls are mostly nocturnal but sometimes will hunt during the day if the opportunity presents .

The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service wants to remove protections for the spotted owl inhabiting more than 200,000 acres of forested land in Oregon, according to a proposed revision released Monday.
(CN) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to remove protections for the spotted owl inhabiting more than 200,000 acres of forested land in Oregon, according to a proposed revision released Monday.
As part of a settlement between the Trump administration and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, a trade union, Fish and Wildlife proposed to remove 209,000 acres across 15 Oregon counties from an area of more than 9 million acres designated as critical habitat for the spotted owl.
Northern spotted owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, Deschutes forest, Oregon, (c) Kris Hennings/USDA Forest Service
“These proposed exclusions are based on new information that has become available since our 2012 revised critical habitat designation for the northern spotted owl,” the service said in its proposed rule revision.
Any movement on critical habitat designations related to the northern spotted owl will be a flashpoint after the service declared the bird’s dwindling population was due to eradication of old-growth forest caused primarily by the timber industry.
“The owl nests in old tree structures, broken tops and snags,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the Center for Biological Diversity. “It also needs the high canopy structure and the multi-layered canopies of the old-growth forests to hunt.”
The designation of 9 million acres of critical habitat gutted the timber industry in the Pacific Northwest and set off a tempest of litigation from environmentalists, county agencies, timber industry advocates and citizens after the spotted owl was added to the Endangered Species List in 1990.
Some estimates say the designation caused the timber industry to lose as many as 168,000 jobs and shuttered timber mills throughout the region.
The timber industry has also sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in federal court over its withdrawal from some land covered by the 1936 O&C Act, which mandates swaths of land in Oregon must be managed as timber harvest land.
Timber industry advocates sued the BLM saying the plan to withdraw some lands from protection did not go far enough. The lawsuit is pending.
Greenwald said Fish and Wildlife’s proposal is not apocalyptic for the bird, since it only represents a small percentage of the over 9 million acres of critical habitat.
“In a sense, it’s not a huge loss of protection,” Greenwald said. “But the bird is declining so it needs all the protection it can get.”
There are only about 2,200 breed pairs of Northern spotted owls throughout its range of Northern California, Oregon and Washington state, an estimated drop of 90% in population by some estimates. More conservative estimates for the decline peg the bird’s numbers at closer to 40%.
The bird population continues to decline by about 7.4% per year.
Regardless, the bird’s population has declined and most scientists say the reduction of old-growth forests as a result of timber production combined with natural causes like fires are the main causes.
However, others have insisted the spotted owl is declining because of competition from the barred owl, which is a better hunter and not as fastidious about its nesting locations.
Some federal wildlife officials have proposed killing a segment of barred owls to keep the spotted owl population in balance. Such a move is criticized by some animal rights activists and has yet to be fully implemented.
Greenwald said the barred owl is not the main contributing factor to the spotted owl’s decline.
“The spotted owl was declining before the barred owl arrived on the scene,” he said.
The northern spotted owl is a medium-sized bird, with a barred tail and spots on its head and chest. It mates infrequently and takes two years, long in the bird world, to reach maturity. The owls are mostly nocturnal but sometimes will hunt during the day if the opportunity presents.


courthousenews--2020-08-10--Attorney Launches Probe Into Disappearance of ‘Tiger King’ Star’s Husband

The main subject of the Netflix series , Joe Exotic , has without evidence repeatedly accused a rival zookeeper of killing her late husband and feeding him to tigers .
( CN ) — An attorney for the family of missing millionaire Don Lewis of “ Tiger King ” fame announced Monday an independent investigation into the Florida man ’ s 1997 disappearance , after the hit Netflix show drew widespread attention to the mystery .
Questions surrounding Lewis ’ mysterious disappearance resurfaced after being featured in the series “ Tiger King : Murder , Mayhem and Madness , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely watched as millions of Americans stayed at home during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic .
Jacksonville-based attorney John Phillips of Phillips & Hunt said at a press conference in Tampa on Monday that Lewis ’ family is offering $ 100,000 to witnesses in exchange for information that may help solve the case .
In addition to the investigation , Phillips said he filed a lawsuit against Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin – Lewis ’ second wife and a main focus of “ Tiger King ” who became a subject of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The documentary series was centered around an eccentric and controversial former Oklahoma zookeeper named Joseph Maldonado-Passage , known popularly as Joe Exotic .
Throughout the show , Maldonado-Passage repeatedly accused Baskin , an outspoken critic of his business and rival , of killing Lewis and feeding him to her tigers .
Baskin , however , has repeatedly refuted these accusations and has not been charged with any crime .
She defended herself in a blog post after the series first aired .
“ Don was not easy to live with and like most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she wrote .
“ But I never threatened him and I certainly had nothing to do with his disappearance .
When he disappeared , I did everything I could to assist the police.
” Phillips said the goal of the lawsuit against Baskin , which the family filed on Friday in Hillsborough County Circuit Court , is to have her speak on the record about Lewis ’ disappearance .
Lewis was declared dead in 2002 after having been missing for several years .
Just a few weeks after the viral Netflix show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chronister began seeking new leads in a law enforcement investigation into the case .
Thanks to Phillips and Lewis ’ family , the Tampa area now is dotted with billboards requesting more information .
“ Amazingly , our little family tragedy has become your tragedy .
Our search for closure and truth has become your mission also , ” Lewis ’ youngest daughter Gale Rathbone said during the press conference Monday .
Rathbone was one of three of Lewis ’ surviving daughters who attended the press conference .
“ We all know by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man .
But do only the perfect among us deserve justice ?
” she added .

An attorney for the family of missing millionaire Don Lewis of “Tiger King” fame announced Monday an independent investigation into the Florida man’s 1997 disappearance, after the hit Netflix show drew widespread attention to the mystery.
(CN) — An attorney for the family of missing millionaire Don Lewis of “Tiger King” fame announced Monday an independent investigation into the Florida man’s 1997 disappearance, after the hit Netflix show drew widespread attention to the mystery.
Questions surrounding Lewis’ mysterious disappearance resurfaced after being featured in the series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” released in March. The show was widely watched as millions of Americans stayed at home during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jacksonville-based attorney John Phillips of Phillips & Hunt said at a press conference in Tampa on Monday that Lewis’ family is offering $100,000 to witnesses in exchange for information that may help solve the case.
In addition to the investigation, Phillips said he filed a lawsuit against Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin — Lewis’ second wife and a main focus of “Tiger King” who became a subject of public speculation after the show aired.
The documentary series was centered around an eccentric and controversial former Oklahoma zookeeper named Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known popularly as Joe Exotic.
Throughout the show, Maldonado-Passage repeatedly accused Baskin, an outspoken critic of his business and rival, of killing Lewis and feeding him to her tigers.
Baskin, however, has repeatedly refuted these accusations and has not been charged with any crime. She defended herself in a blog post after the series first aired.
“Don was not easy to live with and like most couples, we had our moments,” she wrote. “But I never threatened him and I certainly had nothing to do with his disappearance. When he disappeared, I did everything I could to assist the police.”
Phillips said the goal of the lawsuit against Baskin, which the family filed on Friday in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, is to have her speak on the record about Lewis’ disappearance.
Lewis was declared dead in 2002 after having been missing for several years.
Just a few weeks after the viral Netflix show was released, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister began seeking new leads in a law enforcement investigation into the case.
Thanks to Phillips and Lewis’ family, the Tampa area now is dotted with billboards requesting more information.
"Amazingly, our little family tragedy has become your tragedy. Our search for closure and truth has become your mission also," Lewis' youngest daughter Gale Rathbone said during the press conference Monday.
Rathbone was one of three of Lewis’ surviving daughters who attended the press conference.
"We all know by now that he was not a perfect man. But do only the perfect among us deserve justice?" she added.


courthousenews--2020-08-10--California Courts Covid Update

California Courts Covid Update

Aug. 6 , 2020 : Expansion of remote appearances for Criminal and Family Law cases Aug. 6 , 2020 : @ @ @ @ @ to public , hearings by telephone or video , no jury trials for civil or @ @ @ @ @ and other operations updates Aug. 3 , 2020 : Court extends order for new counsel @ @ @ @ @ cases Aug. 6 , 2020 : All Central District courthouses closed to public , hearings @ @ @ @ @ no jury trials for civil or criminal until further notice , and other operations updates @ @ @ @ @ Notice , closing some courthouses due to budget shortfalls as a result of Covid-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ All Central District courthouses closed to public , hearings by telephone or video , no @ @ @ @ @ criminal until further notice , and other operations updates Aug. 4 , 2020 : Attorney @ @ @ @ @ to conduct hearing Aug. 4 , 2020 : Implementation of check-in and assignment procedures for @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 6 , 2020 : Innovations for the court during Covid-19

The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.


courthousenews--2020-08-10--Trump Whisked Out of Briefing After Shooting Outside White House

WASHINGTON ( CN ) — An incident involving gunfire unfolded outside the White House during a press briefing by President Donald Trump on Monday evening , leading the Secret Service to escort the president out of the room for a time .
The president was only minutes into a regular White House coronavirus press conference and lamenting the use of mail-in ballots and reports of possible interference in the 2020 election by “ Russia or China or Iran or others ” when a member of the Secret Service approached the podium and asked the president to leave .
Just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podium and thanked the service for their “ always quick and very effective work.
” “ But there was an actual shooting , and somebody ’ s been taken to the hospital , ” Trump told reporters still gathered in the locked-down briefing room .
“ I don ’ t know the condition of the person and that person was shot by Secret Service , so we ’ ll see what happens.
” According to initial reports , the shooting occurred on Pennsylvania Avenue NW and 17th Street .
In a statement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service said an investigation into the shooting is ongoing .
“ A male subject and a USSS officer were both transported to a local hospital .
At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger , ” the agency said .
Once returning to the briefing room , Trump deflected a question on whether the interruption shook him .
“ I don ’ t know , do I seem rattled ?
” Trump asked before saying he felt safe with the “ fantastic people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They just wanted me to step aside for a little while just to make sure that everything was clear outside , ” Trump said after the incident .
Moments before the shooting , the president claimed half a million incorrect ballot applications for the November election were sent to people in Virginia , calling it a “ disaster ” and that the White House did not “ want to have a rigged election.
” In truth , last week incorrect mailers — not ballots — were sent to half a million voters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by the nonprofit Center for Voter Information .
The reply envelopes were misprinted with the wrong mailing address for jurisdictions .
“ In a recent mailing for CVI in Virginia we made a major error in our printing .
We sent voters in eight Virginia jurisdictions a vote by mail applications with a reply envelope that was addressed to the wrong jurisdiction .
The mistake occurred because we incorrectly aligned a spreadsheet that matched the voter with their local election office , ” Smith Edwards Dunlap Company , the nonprofit ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
Trump also fielded questions on Monday night after the dust settled about when Americans hamstrung by the Covid-19 pandemic could expect to see unemployment insurance benefits re-issued after they ran out last week .
Relief negotiations in Congress stalled at the end of last week and lawmakers have yet to strike a deal despite moratoriums on evictions expiring and unemployment insurance allotted from the Cares Act has also run out .
Trump issued a series of executive actions Saturday , one to waive student loan payments , another to defer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment benefits at a rate of $ 400 per week through the creation of another program .
That program could take weeks to be formed and approved by Congress .
Additionally , the $ 400 per week benefit under the Saturday order also asks states to subsidize 25 % of the cost , a challenge for a host of states scrambling now for months to fill in revenue shortfalls triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic .
The action Trump signed Saturday from his golf club in New Jersey was one he said would allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eviction.
” That order however , does not outline any specific terms of renewal on the actual moratorium approved by Congress this spring under the Cares Act and that expired at the end of July .
Trump ’ s directive instead only recommends the Department of Housing and Urban Development , or HUD , review existing funding that could be used to shore up struggling renters and homeowners .
Much criticism has been heaped on the orders since they were issued , including from inside the president ’ s own party .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unconstitutional slop , ” Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska said this weekend .
Sasse and other critics of the executive actions — Democrat and Republican alike — took issue with the president because the orders were seen as an attempt to side-step Congress .
For example , lawmakers balked over Trump ’ s attempt to defer payroll taxes since only Congress can delay or levy taxes , not the executive branch .
Trump responded to Sasse ’ s recent criticism on Monday , tweeting about the lawmaker and calling him a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Name Only.
’ “ This foolishness plays right into the hands of Radical Left Dems !
” Trump tweeted .
[ Emphasis original ] Over 5 million Americans are infected with the novel coronavirus and the death toll is approaching 165,000 while more than 30 million are unemployed and waiting for Congress to act .
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , a Maryland Democrat , announced Monday that the House would not hold any votes until Sept. 14 .
If a deal is brokered lawmakers from both bodies will be expected to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @

An incident involving gunfire unfolded outside the White House during a press briefing by President Donald Trump on Monday evening, leading the Secret Service to escort the president out of the room for a time.
WASHINGTON (CN) — An incident involving gunfire unfolded outside the White House during a press briefing by President Donald Trump on Monday evening, leading the Secret Service to escort the president out of the room for a time.
The president was only minutes into a regular White House coronavirus press conference and lamenting the use of mail-in ballots and reports of possible interference in the 2020 election by “Russia or China or Iran or others” when a member of the Secret Service approached the podium and asked the president to leave.
Just a few moments later, Trump returned to podium and thanked the service for their “always quick and very effective work.”
“But there was an actual shooting, and somebody’s been taken to the hospital,” Trump told reporters still gathered in the locked-down briefing room. “I don’t know the condition of the person and that person was shot by Secret Service, so we’ll see what happens.”
According to initial reports, the shooting occurred on Pennsylvania Avenue NW and 17th Street. In a statement on Twitter late Monday, the U.S. Secret Service said an investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
"A male subject and a USSS officer were both transported to a local hospital. At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger," the agency said.
Once returning to the briefing room, Trump deflected a question on whether the interruption shook him.
“I don’t know, do I seem rattled?” Trump asked before saying he felt safe with the “fantastic people” of the Secret Service.
“They just wanted me to step aside for a little while just to make sure that everything was clear outside,” Trump said after the incident.
Moments before the shooting, the president claimed half a million incorrect ballot applications for the November election were sent to people in Virginia, calling it a “disaster” and that the White House did not “want to have a rigged election.”
In truth, last week incorrect mailers — not ballots — were sent to half a million voters in Fairfax City and Fairfax County, Virginia, by the nonprofit Center for Voter Information.
The reply envelopes were misprinted with the wrong mailing address for jurisdictions.
“In a recent mailing for CVI in Virginia we made a major error in our printing. We sent voters in eight Virginia jurisdictions a vote by mail applications with a reply envelope that was addressed to the wrong jurisdiction. The mistake occurred because we incorrectly aligned a spreadsheet that matched the voter with their local election office,” Smith Edwards Dunlap Company, the nonprofit’s hired printer, said in a statement last week.
Trump also fielded questions on Monday night after the dust settled about when Americans hamstrung by the Covid-19 pandemic could expect to see unemployment insurance benefits re-issued after they ran out last week.
Relief negotiations in Congress stalled at the end of last week and lawmakers have yet to strike a deal despite moratoriums on evictions expiring and unemployment insurance allotted from the Cares Act has also run out.
Trump issued a series of executive actions Saturday, one to waive student loan payments, another to defer payroll taxes and another still that approved unemployment benefits at a rate of $400 per week through the creation of another program. That program could take weeks to be formed and approved by Congress.
Additionally, the $400 per week benefit under the Saturday order also asks states to subsidize 25% of the cost, a challenge for a host of states scrambling now for months to fill in revenue shortfalls triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The action Trump signed Saturday from his golf club in New Jersey was one he said would allow him to begin “protecting people from eviction.”
That order however, does not outline any specific terms of renewal on the actual moratorium approved by Congress this spring under the Cares Act and that expired at the end of July.
Trump’s directive instead only recommends the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, review existing funding that could be used to shore up struggling renters and homeowners.
Much criticism has been heaped on the orders since they were issued, including from inside the president’s own party.
““The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop," Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska said this weekend.
Sasse and other critics of the executive actions — Democrat and Republican alike — took issue with the president because the orders were seen as an attempt to side-step Congress.
For example, lawmakers balked over Trump’s attempt to defer payroll taxes since only Congress can delay or levy taxes, not the executive branch.
Trump responded to Sasse’s recent criticism on Monday, tweeting about the lawmaker and calling him a “RINO” or ‘Republican in Name Only.’
Sasse, Trump said, had “gone rogue.”
“This foolishness plays right into the hands of Radical Left Dems!” Trump tweeted. [Emphasis original]
Over 5 million Americans are infected with the novel coronavirus and the death toll is approaching 165,000 while more than 30 million are unemployed and waiting for Congress to act.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, announced Monday that the House would not hold any votes until Sept. 14. If a deal is brokered lawmakers from both bodies will be expected to return for a vote within 24 hours.


courthousenews--2020-08-10--Newsom: Trump Unemployment Plan Will Cost California $700 Million a Week

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( CN ) — Along with added stress for struggling businesses and a failing unemployment agency , California Governor Gavin Newsom estimated Monday it would cost the state $ 700 million per week to implement President Donald Trump ’ s proposed unemployment boost .
Newsom said Trump ’ s offer , which would require states to pick up 25 % of the cost , would cause further delays at the state ’ s beleaguered unemployment department and force harsh new cuts in a state saddled with a record $ 54 billion deficit .
“ There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Newsom told reporters .
“ It would create a burden the likes which even a state as large as California can never absorb ” After negotiations for a new round of coronavirus relief broke down in Congress , Trump issued a host of executive actions over the weekend including one that would provide millions of unemployed workers with an extra $ 400 per week .
Trump called the order “ generous ” and said the federal government ’ s share would be pulled from an $ 8 billion pool of unspent funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations .
“ This is the money they need , this is the money they want , this gives them a great incentive to go back to work , ” Trump said .
But along with questions about the legality of Trump ’ s various orders , critics are warning it places an undue burden on states that have gone broke due to the pandemic .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the offer “ laughable ” and said it would be impossible for the Empire State to implement .
Newsom echoed Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conference , saying Trump ’ s bridge deal falls short of governors ’ requests for aid and bemoaned Congress ’ failure to pass the $ 3 trillion Heroes Act .
He claimed California has already spent its stake of the first federal relief and warned contributing $ 100 per week , per person would cost the state billions and trickle down in the form of budget cuts and potentially added responsibility for employers .
Hit with a record number of claims , California ’ s Employment Development Department has left scores of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Residents have been unable to reach claims handlers on the phone due to understaffing and some have been without a source of income for months .
Lawmakers have bashed the agency and called on Newsom to scrap its management team .
While he has deployed a “ strike team ” to address the department ’ s failures , Newsom acknowledged Monday executing Trump ’ s unemployment boost could cause California workers awaiting relief new delays .
“ The reality is , reprogramming that system from $ 600 down to $ 400…would create time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those that would seek those benefits , ” Newsom said .
The Democratic governor did issue a bit of good news Monday , claiming the state over the weekend was able to clear a 295,000-case backlog that has clouded the true scope of the coronavirus ’ spread in the nation ’ s most populous state .
Caused by a server outage that prohibited a major commercial lab from reporting test results , the IT snafu ultimately caused the state ’ s top public health official to abruptly resign over the weekend .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the cases have been sent back to individual counties for processing .
He expects it will take counties 2-3 days to go through the results and that the state ’ s confirmed case numbers will then become accurate .
Newsom tried to place the majority of the blame for the backlog — which left counties in the dark for weeks as to just how many active Covid-19 cases they had — on the state ’ s infamous technological woes , and not potential mistakes made by his political appointee , Dr. Sonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day , the buck stops with me , ” said Newsom .
Over 5,500 Californians are currently hospitalized due to Covid-19 , a 19 % decrease from two weeks ago .
Meanwhile patients in intensive care have similarly dropped 13 % compared to July 27 , trends Newsom called “ encouraging ” and “ favorable.
” Nationwide , California leads with over 561,000 confirmed cases , ahead of Florida ( 536,000 ) and Texas ( 504,000 . )
According to Johns Hopkins University , California ’ s death toll is 10,382 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average for daily deaths is 137 .
Due to inaccurate information , California officials have been forced to freeze the coronavirus watch list that encompasses nearly 40 counties and over 95 % of the state ’ s population .
Asked how the watch list might change once the state finally accounts for the backlogged test results later this week , Newsom said he didn ’ t expect “ dramatic changes.
” Counties placed on the list are prohibited from allowing indoor dining and shopping and can ’ t open schools unless they apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Los Angeles County ’ s public health officer said Monday that schools there won ’ t reopen anytime soon due to the current rate of transmission , though the number of confirmed cases and hospitalizations have declined .
State guidelines require the rate of infection per 100,000 people to be less than 200 cases , while LA County ’ s average is closer to 320 .
School officials must work with public health officials when in-person classes resume to better track the spread of the virus , but there have been no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their classrooms .
The county will offer one-on-one tutoring to 500 students in the LA Unified School District .
The pilot program by the nation ’ s second largest school district — with about 600,000 students — will target children struggling with virtual learning .
Hospitalizations and the death rate have fallen in the county , trends health officials said they were “ cautiously optimistic ” about .
“ I want to emphasize the word ‘ cautiously , ’ ” said LA County Public Health director Barbara Ferrer at a briefing Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bringing the death toll to 4,996 .
At the end of July , LA County averaged 41 deaths and that is now down to 31 , according to Ferrer .
Officials reported 1,920 new infections Monday and said the figure represented a fairly accurate estimate of confirmed tests .
Over 210,424 Angelenos have been infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 since the pandemic began .
A month ago , there were over 2,000 hospitalizations a day and that figure has dropped to around 1,600 , which Ferrer called “ significant progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with people taking the necessary infection control precautions .
LA County has had less than stellar luck with contract tracing , with just 40 % of people who have tested positive giving information of people they have had contact with to tracers .
Nearly 2 million tests have been administered in LA County , with 10 % returning positive .
At the height of the pandemic , LA County accounted for more than half of all infections in California .
In recent days that has dropped to 37 % , but Ferrer said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be filled in later this week when the extent of the backlog is known .
In neighboring Orange County , health officials reported 886 new positive cases on Monday .

Along with added stress for struggling businesses and a failing unemployment agency, California Governor Gavin Newsom estimated Monday it would cost the state $700 million per week to implement President Donald Trump’s proposed unemployment boost.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — Along with added stress for struggling businesses and a failing unemployment agency, California Governor Gavin Newsom estimated Monday it would cost the state $700 million per week to implement President Donald Trump’s proposed unemployment boost.
Newsom said Trump’s offer, which would require states to pick up 25% of the cost, would cause further delays at the state’s beleaguered unemployment department and force harsh new cuts in a state saddled with a record $54 billion deficit.
“There is no money sitting in the piggy bank,” Newsom told reporters. “It would create a burden the likes which even a state as large as California can never absorb”
After negotiations for a new round of coronavirus relief broke down in Congress, Trump issued a host of executive actions over the weekend including one that would provide millions of unemployed workers with an extra $400 per week. Trump called the order “generous” and said the federal government’s share would be pulled from an $8 billion pool of unspent funds leftover from the last round of relief negotiations.
“This is the money they need, this is the money they want, this gives them a great incentive to go back to work,” Trump said.
But along with questions about the legality of Trump’s various orders, critics are warning it places an undue burden on states that have gone broke due to the pandemic.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the offer “laughable” and said it would be impossible for the Empire State to implement.
Newsom echoed Cuomo’s concerns on Monday during a press conference, saying Trump’s bridge deal falls short of governors’ requests for aid and bemoaned Congress’ failure to pass the $3 trillion Heroes Act. He claimed California has already spent its stake of the first federal relief and warned contributing $100 per week, per person would cost the state billions and trickle down in the form of budget cuts and potentially added responsibility for employers.
Hit with a record number of claims, California’s Employment Development Department has left scores of unemployed in the dark since March.
Residents have been unable to reach claims handlers on the phone due to understaffing and some have been without a source of income for months. Lawmakers have bashed the agency and called on Newsom to scrap its management team.
While he has deployed a “strike team” to address the department’s failures, Newsom acknowledged Monday executing Trump’s unemployment boost could cause California workers awaiting relief new delays.
“The reality is, reprogramming that system from $600 down to $400…would create time delays and more consternation for millions of those that would seek those benefits,” Newsom said.
The Democratic governor did issue a bit of good news Monday, claiming the state over the weekend was able to clear a 295,000-case backlog that has clouded the true scope of the coronavirus’ spread in the nation’s most populous state.
Caused by a server outage that prohibited a major commercial lab from reporting test results, the IT snafu ultimately caused the state’s top public health official to abruptly resign over the weekend. But Newsom said the glitch has been addressed and the cases have been sent back to individual counties for processing. He expects it will take counties 2-3 days to go through the results and that the state’s confirmed case numbers will then become accurate.
Newsom tried to place the majority of the blame for the backlog — which left counties in the dark for weeks as to just how many active Covid-19 cases they had — on the state’s infamous technological woes, and not potential mistakes made by his political appointee, Dr. Sonia Angell.
“At the end of the day, the buck stops with me,” said Newsom.
Over 5,500 Californians are currently hospitalized due to Covid-19, a 19% decrease from two weeks ago. Meanwhile patients in intensive care have similarly dropped 13% compared to July 27, trends Newsom called “encouraging” and “favorable.”
Nationwide, California leads with over 561,000 confirmed cases, ahead of Florida (536,000) and Texas (504,000.) According to Johns Hopkins University, California’s death toll is 10,382 and Newsom said the state’s 14-day average for daily deaths is 137.
Due to inaccurate information, California officials have been forced to freeze the coronavirus watch list that encompasses nearly 40 counties and over 95% of the state’s population.
Asked how the watch list might change once the state finally accounts for the backlogged test results later this week, Newsom said he didn’t expect “dramatic changes.”
Counties placed on the list are prohibited from allowing indoor dining and shopping and can’t open schools unless they apply and receive a waiver from the state.
Los Angeles County’s public health officer said Monday that schools there won’t reopen anytime soon due to the current rate of transmission, though the number of confirmed cases and hospitalizations have declined. State guidelines require the rate of infection per 100,000 people to be less than 200 cases, while LA County’s average is closer to 320.
School officials must work with public health officials when in-person classes resume to better track the spread of the virus, but there have been no concrete plans on students physically returning to their classrooms. The county will offer one-on-one tutoring to 500 students in the LA Unified School District. The pilot program by the nation’s second largest school district — with about 600,000 students — will target children struggling with virtual learning.
Hospitalizations and the death rate have fallen in the county, trends health officials said they were “cautiously optimistic” about.
“I want to emphasize the word ‘cautiously,’” said LA County Public Health director Barbara Ferrer at a briefing Monday.
LA County reported 19 new deaths Monday, bringing the death toll to 4,996. At the end of July, LA County averaged 41 deaths and that is now down to 31, according to Ferrer.
Officials reported 1,920 new infections Monday and said the figure represented a fairly accurate estimate of confirmed tests. Over 210,424 Angelenos have been infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 since the pandemic began.
A month ago, there were over 2,000 hospitalizations a day and that figure has dropped to around 1,600, which Ferrer called “significant progress” in slowing the spread of infections with people taking the necessary infection control precautions.
LA County has had less than stellar luck with contract tracing, with just 40% of people who have tested positive giving information of people they have had contact with to tracers.
Nearly 2 million tests have been administered in LA County, with 10% returning positive.
At the height of the pandemic, LA County accounted for more than half of all infections in California. In recent days that has dropped to 37%, but Ferrer said the giant asterisk hanging over LA County could be filled in later this week when the extent of the backlog is known.
In neighboring Orange County, health officials reported 886 new positive cases on Monday.


Top Eight

Your Monday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News Top eight CNS stories for today including President Donald Trump ’ s attorneys complained that New York prosecutors have yet to specify the scope of their financial probe ; Uber and Lyft must start classifying more than 100,000 California drivers as employees instead of independent contractors ; Chicago ’ s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods were ransacked by looters , and more .
Sign up for CNS Top Eight , a roundup of the day ’ s top stories delivered directly to your email Monday through Friday .
1 . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ overbroad and “ illegally harassing , ” Trump ’ s attorneys complained Monday that New York prosecutors have yet to specify the scope of their financial probe .
2 . )
Denying criticism that Republicans keep the Kremlin happy by questioning the origins of the Russia probe , Senator Ron Johnson announced Monday the first of at least 30 subpoenas he will serve the FBI .
3 . )
Saying the ex-CEO it fired last year for sexting a subordinate lied about the extent of his misconduct , McDonald ’ s filed suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
4 . )
Uber and Lyft must start classifying more than 100,000 California drivers as employees instead of independent contractors and give them full employment benefits , including overtime and unemployment insurance , a state court judge ruled Monday .
5 . )
Chicago ’ s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods were ransacked by looters late Sunday and early Monday in what police believe to be an organized attack .
6 . )
Amid a surge of coronavirus infections and deaths in California , the state ’ s top health official announced her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage of George Floyd ’ s apprehension , arrest and death was made public Monday after the judge overseeing criminal cases against four former police officers ordered it to be released late Friday .
8 . )
New York City ’ s attorneys astonished a judge Monday in a suit over the death of Eric Garner , saying their police force is not obligated to discipline officers who kill , injure or violate the rights of civilians .

Top eight CNS stories for today including President Donald Trump’s attorneys complained that New York prosecutors have yet to specify the scope of their financial probe; Uber and Lyft must start classifying more than 100,000 California drivers as employees instead of independent contractors; Chicago’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods were ransacked by looters, and more.
Your Monday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News
Top eight CNS stories for today including President Donald Trump’s attorneys complained that New York prosecutors have yet to specify the scope of their financial probe; Uber and Lyft must start classifying more than 100,000 California drivers as employees instead of independent contractors; Chicago’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods were ransacked by looters, and more.
Sign up for CNS Top Eight, a roundup of the day’s top stories delivered directly to your email Monday through Friday.
National
1.) Calling the subpoenas of President Donald Trump overbroad and “illegally harassing,” Trump’s attorneys complained Monday that New York prosecutors have yet to specify the scope of their financial probe.
FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2020, file photo Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., leaves the Harvey Weinstein rape trial, in New York. The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, July 9, that Vance can obtain President Donald Trump's tax returns for a criminal investigation, but sent a second request by Congress for the records back to lower courts. Here are some key questions and answers stemming from the decision. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
2.) Denying criticism that Republicans keep the Kremlin happy by questioning the origins of the Russia probe, Senator Ron Johnson announced Monday the first of at least 30 subpoenas he will serve the FBI.
President Donald Trump stops to greet Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, left, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. at a luncheon with GOP leadership, Wednesday, July 19, 2017, in the State Dinning Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
3.) Saying the ex-CEO it fired last year for sexting a subordinate lied about the extent of his misconduct, McDonald’s filed suit Monday to recoup millions in severance payments.
FILE - This Oct. 17, 2019, file photo shows the exterior of a McDonald's restaurant in Mebane, N.C. The National Labor Relations Board has ruled in McDonald's favor in a long-running case filed by 20 workers who faced retaliation for trying to unionize. The board says it favors a settlement that will require McDonald's franchisees to pay back wages to the affected workers. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
Regional
4.) Uber and Lyft must start classifying more than 100,000 California drivers as employees instead of independent contractors and give them full employment benefits, including overtime and unemployment insurance, a state court judge ruled Monday.
FILE - In this May 8, 2019, file photo Uber and Lyft drivers carry signs during a demonstration outside of Uber headquarters in San Francisco. A California law that makes it harder for companies to treat workers as independent contractors takes effect next week, forcing small businesses in and outside the state to rethink their staffing. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
5.) Chicago’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods were ransacked by looters late Sunday and early Monday in what police believe to be an organized attack.
Yogi Dalal hugs his daughter Jigisha Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, after she arrived at the family food and liquor store and as his other daughter Kajal, left, bows her head after the family business was vandalized in downtown Chicago. Chicago’s police commissioner says more than 100 people were arrested following a night of looting and unrest that left several officers injured and caused damage in the city’s upscale Magnificent Mile shopping district and other parts of the city. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
6.) Amid a surge of coronavirus infections and deaths in California, the state’s top health official announced her resignation Sunday.
People wait in line for coronavirus testing at Dodger Stadium Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
7.) Body-camera footage of George Floyd’s apprehension, arrest and death was made public Monday after the judge overseeing criminal cases against four former police officers ordered it to be released late Friday.
Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane, right, walks out of the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility on Monday afternoon June 20, 2020, in Minneapolis with his attorney, Earl Gray, after a hearing. Lane is one of four former officers charged in the death of George Floyd. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP)
8.) New York City’s attorneys astonished a judge Monday in a suit over the death of Eric Garner, saying their police force is not obligated to discipline officers who kill, injure or violate the rights of civilians.


courthousenews--2020-08-10--Ex-Victoria’s Secret CEO Takes Center Stage in Alan Dershowitz Fight

MANHATTAN ( CN ) — Shadowed by his longtime association with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein , ex-Victoria ’ s Secret CEO Les Wexner has been dragged into bitter litigation between attorney Alan Dershowitz and prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre .
Often cited as a key source of Epstein ’ s fortune , Wexner installed Epstein as a trustee of his eponymous foundation in 1991 and granted him power of attorney when the latter was a little-known money manager .
The reason for Wexner ’ s trust in and professional association with Epstein has long been unclear , and executives for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L Brands reportedly raised alarms decades ago that Epstein abused his position by posing as a recruiter to exploit young models .
Court documents released on Monday could throw Wexner ’ s association with Epstein into the public glare .
Those letters appear to show Wexner ’ s legal team undermining one of Dershowitz ’ s central claims against Giuffre .
The records are part of countersuit Dershowitz filed against Giuffre after she accused the Harvard professor of defamation .
For his part , Dershowitz says Giuffre has a history of extorting prominent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circle — among them , Wexner .
Claiming their requests are “ directly relevant to the central allegation ” that Giuffre “ falsely accused Professor Dershowitz of sexual abuse as part of a scheme to extort Wexner , ” Dershowitz ’ s attorney Howard Cooper issued broad subpoenas to the billionaire Wexner and Wexner ’ s attorney John Zeiger .
Dershowitz wants any communications between Wexner or Zeiger and Giuffre ’ s attorneys , including the firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and attorneys Bradley Edwards , Paul Cassell , or Stanley Pottinger .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any confidentiality or settlement agreements entered into between Wexner and Giuffre , or any help the clothing tycoon gave to any Epstein accuser in exchange for avoiding depositions in the sprawling litigations .
Giuffre ’ s attorney Charles Cooper slammed what he called Dershowitz ’ s efforts to “ put Mr. Wexner at the heart of false and defamatory ” smears of his client .
“ For this reason , [ Giuffre ] was likewise planning on seeking relevant documents and testimony from Mr. Wexner and Mr. Zeiger , ” Cooper wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the firm Zeiger , Tigges & Little LLP , already has undermined Dershowitz ’ s claim that Giuffre extorted him , in a document backing the Epstein accuser ’ s position .
“ While many of these are discovery subjects that should be , in the first instance , explored with Ms. Giuffre and Mr. Boies , Mr. Zeiger did have communications with Mr. Boies and can readily confirm that : no extortion demand was ever made , no settlement was entered into , and not a penny ( or other consideration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in a 4-page letter .
“ Just the opposite is true for Mr. Wexner , however , ” the letter continues .
“ He had no involvement , and thus lacks any personal knowledge relating to , [ Dershowitz ] ’ s so-called ‘ Extortion Claim.
’ ” Even if Wexner had the requested information , his counsel claims that Dershowitz sought it for an improper purpose .
“ [ Dershowitz ] has candidly conceded the sole purpose for Mr. Wexner ’ s deposition is to collaterally attack , with extrinsic evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Little wrote , arguing that such evidence would be inadmissible at any trial .
“ If such evidence were permitted here , the resolution of the parties ’ claims would involve a series of mini-trials where the jury… would be forced to render de facto verdicts as to non-parties not before the court and who are not presenting their case , ” Little ’ s letter states .
Arguing that any evidence should be subject to a protective order , Little cited a tweet by The Miami Herald ’ s Julie Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Alan Dershowitz ’ s attorney confirms that his client has access to Virginia Giuffre ’ s sealed depositions , ” Brown tweeted on June 23 , referring to a revelation from a hearing on that day .
Those depositions reveal that she was directed by Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with former Israeli PM Ehud Barak & Victoria ’ s Secret ’ s Les Wexner.
” For Wexner ’ s counsel , this showed the need for an enforcement mechanism for contempt of court for the leak of information “ given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ client has sought to litigate his disputes with Ms. Giuffre.
” Attorneys for Wexner , Dershowitz and Giuffre did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Unsealed this afternoon , their dueling legal briefs were dated late last month .
Setting a hearing over the matter for Aug. 17 , U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska ordered attorneys for Dershowitz and Giuffre to apprise her of their discussions over the scope of their requests on Thursday .
Wexner said he severed ties with Epstein in 2007 , the year of the disgraced financier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a minor .
Following Epstein ’ s sex-trafficking indictment more than a decade later , Wexner claimed that the dead pedophile swiped “ vast sums ” of money from his fortune .
The clothing tycoon stepped down as a L Brands chairman earlier this year .

Shadowed by his longtime association with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, ex-Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner has been dragged into bitter litigation between attorney Alan Dershowitz and prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre.
MANHATTAN (CN) — Shadowed by his longtime association with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, ex-Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner has been dragged into bitter litigation about the scandal by attorney Alan Dershowitz.
No sooner did Wexner enter the fight than he contradicted the legal defense Dershowitz is asserting against a prominent Epstein accuser.
Often cited as a key source of Epstein’s fortune, Wexner installed Epstein as a trustee of his eponymous foundation in 1991 and granted him power of attorney when the latter was a little-known money manager.
The reason for Wexner’s trust in and professional association with Epstein has long been unclear, and executives for Victoria’s Secrets’ parent company L Brands reportedly raised alarms decades ago that Epstein abused his position by posing as a recruiter to exploit young models.
Three letters released on Monday could throw Wexner’s association with Epstein into the public glare. In one, Wexner's legal team appears to undermine one of Dershowitz's central claims against his prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre.
“This is a smoking gun, as far as the case against Dershowitz is concerned,” Giuffre’s powerful attorney David Boies said in a phone interview.
After Giuffre accused Dershowitz of sexually abusing her, the Harvard professor drew a defamation suit for calling her a "certified, complete, total liar."
Dershowitz sought Wexner's evidence for his countersuit in which he claims Giuffre has a history of extorting prominent men in the dead pedophile’s circle — among them, Wexner.
Depicting Giuffre’s lawsuit as an elaborate extortion scam, Dershowitz’s attorney Howard Cooper issued broad subpoenas to the billionaire Wexner and Wexner’s attorney John Zeiger, who swiftly contradicted the Harvard professor’s theory.
“Mr. Zeiger did have communications with Mr. Boies and can readily confirm that: no extortion demand was ever made, no settlement was entered into, and not a penny (or other consideration) was ever paid,” Marion Little, from the firm Zeiger, Tigges & Little, wrote in a 4-page letter.
“Just the opposite is true for Mr. Wexner, however,” the letter continues. “He had no involvement, and thus lacks any personal knowledge relating to, [Dershowitz]’s so-called ‘Extortion Claim.’”
For Giuffre and her lawyers, Wexner’s flat denial is powerful support of their lawsuit against Dershowitz and hobbles the professor's countersuit.
“Dershowitz's assertion that there was an extortion attempt was a smokescreen,” Boies said in the interview. “It was always a smokescreen. There was never any evidence of it at all. And now, we have confirmation from the source that was supposedly extorted, that there's no extortion. This is devastating to Dershowitz.”
Known for representing the gay couples who overturned California’s Proposition 8 in 2010, Boies has found himself locked in one of the legal community’s most storied feuds since naming Dershowitz in a court filing half a decade ago.
Dershowitz went to war with the chairman of firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner for accusing him of sexually abusing his client, filing a bar complaint that has since been dismissed and as well as active litigation in Manhattan.
“I think the people who've been following this understood that what Dershowitz was doing was simply trying to distract attention from his own misconduct,” Boies commented. “But, having said that, I've got to be vindicated and feel vindicated, now that you have clear proof that the charges that Dershowitz was recklessly making simply were unfounded.”
In an email to Courthouse News, Dershowitz characterized Wexner's denials as predictable and not credible.
"Extorted individuals almost always deny they were extorted because they don’t want the public to know they were accused of the wrongdoing that is the basis of the extortion," Dershowitz wrote. "We have hard evidence that Boies accused Wexner of sexual improprieties with Guiffre including making her wear Victoria’s Secret lingerie while having sex. We have hard evidence that Boies met with Wexner’s lawyers, who called their demands a 'shakedown.'"


courthousenews--2020-08-10--Illinois Republicans Sue to Stop Expansion of Mail-In Voting

CHICAGO ( CN ) — A group of Illinois Republicans sued the state ’ s Democratic governor and others in federal court Monday over a law they claim is designed to expand voting by mail to dilute Republican votes and tilt elections in favor of Democrats , while also risking a spike in voter fraud .
The Cook County Republican Party targeted Governor J.B. Pritzker in its 20-page complaint filed in Chicago federal court , along with members of the Illinois State Board of Elections and Chicago Board of Election Commissioners as well as Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow more people ” to vote absentee without fear of contracting Covid-19 when he signed it in June .
Republicans bringing the lawsuit say Pritzker violated Illinoisans ’ voting rights “ by signing into law a partisan voting scheme that is designed to harvest Democratic ballots , dilute Republican ballots , and , if the election still doesn ’ t turn out the way he wants it , to generate enough Democratic ballots after election day to sway the result.
” The law in question began as SB 1863 , a bill the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims was “ snuck through ” the Illinois General Assembly in five days between May 18 and May 22 “ by hijacking a bill about the Freedom of Information Act , amending it to advance their partisan election agenda , and rushing it to passage before the people of Illinois could weigh in with their opposition.
” The bill , originally introduced in February 2019 , was suddenly rewritten and plowed through the Illinois General Assembly with support from only one Republican representative before being signed into law by Pritzker on June 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which point he claimed the new law was a temporary expansion of voting by mail in order to address fears people may have about voting in person due to the coronavirus pandemic .
This rationale was pretextual , the lawsuit states , since Illinois law already allows every voter the right to vote by mail and because the governor ’ s real intent was to “ implement a partisan voting scheme that will open the door to voter fraud.
” Governor Pritzker ’ s offices in Chicago and Springfield did not immediately respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit Monday .
According to the complaint , the scheme begins by mailing out roughly 5 million mail-in ballot applications to every voter who participated in the 2018 general election , 2019 consolidated election or the 2020 general election , even though “ a high likelihood exists that applications were sent to people who may no longer be eligible to vote in Illinois.
” The Republicans , represented by attorneys with the Chicago-based conservative nonprofit Liberty Justice Center , allege that by rushing ahead with a statewide expansion to mail-in voting , Pritzker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developmental steps taken over time by other states that have expanded absentee voting , such as Oregon .
This leaves the Illinois state government – which Monday ’ s suit refers to as “ one of the most inept in the union ” – unprepared for the myriad potential problems caused by such a haphazardly expanded vote-by-mail system , which the Cook County Republicans say the public has no reason to suspect will “ work any more smoothly than a variety of projects Illinois has stumbled through in recent years.
” The Cook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter registration provision enacted in 2017 which reportedly resulted in thousands of non-eligible voters being registered as a recent example of the state government bungling an expansion to voting rights .
The lawsuit also avows that the new Illinois law will lead to heightened voter fraud by allowing for a practice known as ballot harvesting , “ in which a paid , partisan operative may collect Democratic mail-in applications and ballots to ensure that they are turned in and counted and may collect Republican mail-in ballot applications and ballots to ensure that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a prominent example of fraud made possible by ballot harvesting , the complaint points to a now infamous 2018 congressional race in North Carolina which had its results overturned after an investigation uncovered absentee ballot tampering by a paid operative of Republican candidate Mark Harris .
The Illinois Republicans also allege in their lawsuit that Pritzker gave all government employees Election Day off of work in order to create “ an army of workers to harvest the ballots.
” This includes public sector union members with Chicago Public Schools , the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a voter profile of 60 % Democratic versus a little over 4 % Republican , according to the complaint .
“ Allowing overwhelmingly Democratic public sector employees the day off to collect ballots , while private sector employees will be at work , will dilute the votes of the Republican Party , ” the lawsuit states .
The county GOP also notes changes to provisional balloting and the powers of election judges to disqualify certain applications and ballots as provisions of Pritzker ’ s election law that will further exacerbate fraud and disenfranchisement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an injunction declaring that SB 1863 violates the First and 14th Amendments and the Illinois Constitution and enjoining enforcement of the law .
The Illinois State Board of Elections declined to comment on the pending litigation Monday , and the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners could not be immediately reached for comment .
In a press release from Liberty Justice Center , Cook County Republican Party chairman Sean Morrison stated that “ more than any other state in the nation , Illinois has a track record of both corruption and incompetence—and its residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government can conduct an honest and accurate vote-by-mail in the upcoming election.
” “ The best way to proceed this November without inviting massive potential for fraud and disenfranchisement is for people who are uncomfortable voting in person—a perfectly reasonable position—to request absentee ballots , ” Morrison said .
In the same release , Liberty Justice Center president and co-founder Pat Hughes said Monday ’ s lawsuit is intended “ to ensure the accuracy and integrity of Illinois ’ elections.
” He added , “ While there has always been a certain cynicism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago , we must fight to ensure the will of the people is honored , and that Illinois voters can be confident in the election process .
”

A group of Illinois Republicans sued the state’s Democratic governor and others in federal court Monday over a law they claim is designed to expand voting by mail to dilute Republican votes and tilt elections in favor of Democrats, while also risking a spike in voter fraud.
CHICAGO (CN) — A group of Illinois Republicans sued the state’s Democratic governor and others in federal court Monday over a law they claim is designed to expand voting by mail to dilute Republican votes and tilt elections in favor of Democrats, while also risking a spike in voter fraud.
The Cook County Republican Party targeted Governor J.B. Pritzker in its 20-page complaint filed in Chicago federal court, along with members of the Illinois State Board of Elections and Chicago Board of Election Commissioners as well as Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, over a law Pritzker claimed would “allow more people” to vote absentee without fear of contracting Covid-19 when he signed it in June.
Republicans bringing the lawsuit say Pritzker violated Illinoisans’ voting rights “by signing into law a partisan voting scheme that is designed to harvest Democratic ballots, dilute Republican ballots, and, if the election still doesn’t turn out the way he wants it, to generate enough Democratic ballots after election day to sway the result.”
The law in question began as SB 1863, a bill the Cook County Republican Party’s lawsuit claims was “snuck through” the Illinois General Assembly in five days between May 18 and May 22 “by hijacking a bill about the Freedom of Information Act, amending it to advance their partisan election agenda, and rushing it to passage before the people of Illinois could weigh in with their opposition.”
The bill, originally introduced in February 2019, was suddenly rewritten and plowed through the Illinois General Assembly with support from only one Republican representative before being signed into law by Pritzker on June 16, according to the complaint, at which point he claimed the new law was a temporary expansion of voting by mail in order to address fears people may have about voting in person due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This rationale was pretextual, the lawsuit states, since Illinois law already allows every voter the right to vote by mail and because the governor’s real intent was to “implement a partisan voting scheme that will open the door to voter fraud.”
Governor Pritzker’s offices in Chicago and Springfield did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit Monday.
According to the complaint, the scheme begins by mailing out roughly 5 million mail-in ballot applications to every voter who participated in the 2018 general election, 2019 consolidated election or the 2020 general election, even though “a high likelihood exists that applications were sent to people who may no longer be eligible to vote in Illinois.”
The Republicans, represented by attorneys with the Chicago-based conservative nonprofit Liberty Justice Center, allege that by rushing ahead with a statewide expansion to mail-in voting, Pritzker’s administration is skipping safeguards and developmental steps taken over time by other states that have expanded absentee voting, such as Oregon.
This leaves the Illinois state government – which Monday’s suit refers to as “one of the most inept in the union” – unprepared for the myriad potential problems caused by such a haphazardly expanded vote-by-mail system, which the Cook County Republicans say the public has no reason to suspect will “work any more smoothly than a variety of projects Illinois has stumbled through in recent years.”
The Cook County Republican Party pointed to an automatic voter registration provision enacted in 2017 which reportedly resulted in thousands of non-eligible voters being registered as a recent example of the state government bungling an expansion to voting rights.
The lawsuit also avows that the new Illinois law will lead to heightened voter fraud by allowing for a practice known as ballot harvesting, “in which a paid, partisan operative may collect Democratic mail-in applications and ballots to ensure that they are turned in and counted and may collect Republican mail-in ballot applications and ballots to ensure that they are not turned in and counted.”
As a prominent example of fraud made possible by ballot harvesting, the complaint points to a now infamous 2018 congressional race in North Carolina which had its results overturned after an investigation uncovered absentee ballot tampering by a paid operative of Republican candidate Mark Harris.
The Illinois Republicans also allege in their lawsuit that Pritzker gave all government employees Election Day off of work in order to create “an army of workers to harvest the ballots.” This includes public sector union members with Chicago Public Schools, the largest government employer in Illinois, which maintains a voter profile of 60% Democratic versus a little over 4% Republican, according to the complaint.
“Allowing overwhelmingly Democratic public sector employees the day off to collect ballots, while private sector employees will be at work, will dilute the votes of the Republican Party,” the lawsuit states.
The county GOP also notes changes to provisional balloting and the powers of election judges to disqualify certain applications and ballots as provisions of Pritzker’s election law that will further exacerbate fraud and disenfranchisement.
Monday’s complaint asks for an injunction declaring that SB 1863 violates the First and 14th Amendments and the Illinois Constitution and enjoining enforcement of the law.
The Illinois State Board of Elections declined to comment on the pending litigation Monday, and the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners could not be immediately reached for comment.
In a press release from Liberty Justice Center, Cook County Republican Party chairman Sean Morrison stated that “more than any other state in the nation, Illinois has a track record of both corruption and incompetence — and its residents have no reason to believe that the government can conduct an honest and accurate vote-by-mail in the upcoming election.”
“The best way to proceed this November without inviting massive potential for fraud and disenfranchisement is for people who are uncomfortable voting in person—a perfectly reasonable position—to request absentee ballots,” Morrison said.
In the same release, Liberty Justice Center president and co-founder Pat Hughes said Monday’s lawsuit is intended “to ensure the accuracy and integrity of Illinois’ elections.”
He added, “While there has always been a certain cynicism about elections in Illinois and particularly in Chicago, we must fight to ensure the will of the people is honored, and that Illinois voters can be confident in the election process.”