courthousenews--2020-06-25--As Cases Rise, Poll Finds Growing Partisan Divide on Virus Risks

( CN ) — On the heels of an estimate that up to 8 % of all Americans have contracted Covid-19 , the Pew Research Center reported Thursday that people are becoming more divided along party lines over their concerns about the pandemic and comfort in engaging in public activities again .
As positive cases spike in states like Arizona , California and Texas , researchers found in a survey of 4,708 adults between June 16 and June 22 that while 59 % of respondents are still concerned about a worsening pandemic , such concern has fallen from 73 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % ) are still concerned about what is to come , but 23 % believe Covid-19 to be in decline — a 10 % increase from April .
A majority of Republicans , however , have reversed course since the last survey , and 61 % believe that the U.S. has seen the worst of the pandemic already .
Only 38 % of Republican respondents maintained their level of concern .
Partisanship played a key role in how respondents were reacting to the pandemic .
Though fewer Democrats were worried that the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their concern about the virus ’ health impacts .
In contrast , Republican concern regarding virus contraction and spread fell from 47 % to 35 % and 58 % to 45 % , respectively .
People on opposite sides of the aisle also differed greatly when asked about their comfort level with certain public activities , such as shopping , visiting friends , visiting salons , eating at restaurants , as well as larger events such as concerts and crowded house parties .
Though majorities from both major political parties were comfortable going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Democrats and 87 % of Republicans ) and visiting close friends and family at home ( 68 % of Democrats and 88 % of Republicans ) , partisans differed the most on restaurants and hair salons .
Seventy-two percent of Republicans said that they felt comfortable going to a hair salon , whereas only 37 % of Democrats said the same .
Sixty-five percent of Republicans were felt comfortable dining inside a restaurant , compared to only 28 % of Democrats .
Though only minorities of respondents from either party felt comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or attending a crowded party , Democrats were significantly more hesitant at 11 % and 8 % , respectively , compared to 40 % and 31 % of Republicans , respectively .
The survey was released the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that between 5 % and 8 % of the total U.S. population has been infected with the new coronavirus , based on antibody test surveys that suggest the actual rate of infection is about 10 times higher than the number of confirmed cases .
Pew researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans ’ responses and Democrats ’ responses , and the schism has grown in the last two months .
A notable example was that between April and June , Republicans flipped on feeling comfortable eating at restaurants , from a 29 % minority to a 65 % majority in the latest survey .
Though Democrats ’ comfort with public activities has grown , their stance on any given activity has not switched to majority support .
Democrats and Republicans also differed significantly on use of face coverings , which has become politicized after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage widespread mask use or wear one himself .
Sixty-three percent of Democrats said that people should always wear a mask in public spaces , whereas only 29 % of Republicans said the same .
Nonetheless , most respondents ( 55 % ) believed that seeing mask use in public would be met with approval from others , while only a slim minority ( 4 % ) expected to see disapproval .
Respondents were also divided along party lines on specific aspects of economic aid as the markets fell into recession during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported eviction and foreclosure protection due to layoffs ( 93 % of Democrats and 82 % of Republicans ) , as well as tax cuts and loans for small businesses to supplement payroll ( 89 % of Republicans and 87 % of Democrats ) .
However , only 58 % of Republicans supported financial assistance to local governments , compared to 91 % of Democrats .
Republicans and Democrats seemed to differ most on extending the $ 600 increase in unemployment benefits during the pandemic .
Seventy-seven percent of Democrats supported the measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the same .
Though most of the public does not believe that the economy is doing well – only 46 % of Republicans see “ excellent ” or “ good ” economic conditions and only 9 % of Democrats said the same – Republicans were more optimistic about the country ’ s economic future .
More Republicans think the economy is doing well now and 67 % think the economy will be doing better in a year .
In contrast , 38 % of Democrats believe the economy will improve soon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32 % said it will stay the same .

On the heels of an estimate that up to 8% of all Americans have contracted Covid-19, the Pew Research Center reported Thursday that people are becoming more divided along party lines over their concerns about the pandemic and comfort in engaging in public activities again.
(CN) — On the heels of an estimate that up to 8% of all Americans have contracted Covid-19, the Pew Research Center reported Thursday that people are becoming more divided along party lines over their concerns about the pandemic and comfort in engaging in public activities again.
As positive cases spike in states like Arizona, California and Texas, researchers found in a survey of 4,708 adults between June 16 and June 22 that while 59% of respondents are still concerned about a worsening pandemic, such concern has fallen from 73% in April.
Most Democrats (76%) are still concerned about what is to come, but 23% believe Covid-19 to be in decline — a 10% increase from April.
A majority of Republicans, however, have reversed course since the last survey, and 61% believe that the U.S. has seen the worst of the pandemic already. Only 38% of Republican respondents maintained their level of concern.
Partisanship played a key role in how respondents were reacting to the pandemic. Though fewer Democrats were worried that the pandemic will get worse, they largely maintained their concern about the virus’ health impacts. In contrast, Republican concern regarding virus contraction and spread fell from 47% to 35% and 58% to 45%, respectively.
People on opposite sides of the aisle also differed greatly when asked about their comfort level with certain public activities, such as shopping, visiting friends, visiting salons, eating at restaurants, as well as larger events such as concerts and crowded house parties.
Though majorities from both major political parties were comfortable going to the grocery store (73% of Democrats and 87% of Republicans) and visiting close friends and family at home (68% of Democrats and 88% of Republicans), partisans differed the most on restaurants and hair salons. Seventy-two percent of Republicans said that they felt comfortable going to a hair salon, whereas only 37% of Democrats said the same. Sixty-five percent of Republicans were felt comfortable dining inside a restaurant, compared to only 28% of Democrats.
Though only minorities of respondents from either party felt comfortable attending an indoor sporting event or concert or attending a crowded party, Democrats were significantly more hesitant at 11% and 8%, respectively, compared to 40% and 31% of Republicans, respectively.
The survey was released the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that between 5% and 8% of the total U.S. population has been infected with the new coronavirus, based on antibody test surveys that suggest the actual rate of infection is about 10 times higher than the number of confirmed cases.
Pew researchers found an average 26% difference between Republicans’ responses and Democrats’ responses, and the schism has grown in the last two months. A notable example was that between April and June, Republicans flipped on feeling comfortable eating at restaurants, from a 29% minority to a 65% majority in the latest survey. Though Democrats’ comfort with public activities has grown, their stance on any given activity has not switched to majority support.
Democrats and Republicans also differed significantly on use of face coverings, which has become politicized after President Donald Trump resisted public pressure to encourage widespread mask use or wear one himself.
Sixty-three percent of Democrats said that people should always wear a mask in public spaces, whereas only 29% of Republicans said the same. Nonetheless, most respondents (55%) believed that seeing mask use in public would be met with approval from others, while only a slim minority (4%) expected to see disapproval.
Respondents were also divided along party lines on specific aspects of economic aid as the markets fell into recession during the pandemic. Majorities from both major parties supported eviction and foreclosure protection due to layoffs (93% of Democrats and 82% of Republicans), as well as tax cuts and loans for small businesses to supplement payroll (89% of Republicans and 87% of Democrats). However, only 58% of Republicans supported financial assistance to local governments, compared to 91% of Democrats.
Republicans and Democrats seemed to differ most on extending the $600 increase in unemployment benefits during the pandemic. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats supported the measure, while only 39% of Republicans said the same.
Though most of the public does not believe that the economy is doing well – only 46% of Republicans see “excellent” or “good” economic conditions and only 9% of Democrats said the same – Republicans were more optimistic about the country’s economic future.
More Republicans think the economy is doing well now and 67% think the economy will be doing better in a year. In contrast, 38% of Democrats believe the economy will improve soon, 30% think it will worsen and 32% said it will stay the same.


courthousenews--2020-06-25--California Courts Covid Update

California Courts Covid Update

Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window )

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--2020-06-25--Biden Slams Trump Efforts to Dismantle Obamacare

LANCASTER , Pa. ( CN ) — Speaking to families Thursday who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act , former Vice President Joe Biden called President Donald Trump cruel and heartless for asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the landmark health care legislation known as Obamacare .
“ I can not comprehend the cruelty that ’ s driving him to inflict this pain on the very people he is supposed to serve , ” Biden said .
Indeed , the Trump administration is expected to file a brief Thursday to invalidate the act after the justices agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March .
In his nearly 20-minute speech , Biden called out the president for calling Covid-19 testing a double-edged sword during a campaign rally in Tulsa on Saturday .
“ Let ’ s be crystal clear about what he means by that .
Testing unequivocally saves lives and widespread testing is the key to opening the economy , that ’ s one edge , ” said Biden .
“ The other edge is that he thinks that finding out more Americans are sick will make him look bad.
” Biden also stressed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is “ the single most effective thing we can do.
” While Biden said he will be unveiling more specifics about his health care plan , he noted that if elected he would move for universal coverage quickly .
“ Here ’ s the bottom line , my plan lowers health care costs and gets us universal coverage quickly when Americans desperately need it now , ” Biden said .
He also said that his plan will add a public option and lower premiums and drug costs .
Biden stressed the importance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care right with 20 million Americans out of work .
“ They don ’ t need a president to go into court to deny them the health care they now have , ” said Biden .
“ They need a president who will go into the White House and fight like hell to make sure they get the health care they need.
” Biden added that health care is personal for him , mentioning the death of his son Beau from cancer in 2015 .
Ending the speech , Biden said there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care .
“ That ’ s what the presidency is , the duty to care , ” said Biden .
“ No trust is more sacred , no responsibility more solemn , no purpose more fundamental than for a president to do absolutely everything to protect American lives.
” A coalition of 23 Democratic attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Letitia James all endorsed Biden Thursday , noting his commitment to “ aggressively defend Americans ’ access to quality , affordable health coverage.
” “ There is only one person on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defend the Affordable Care Act , fight to rebuild our economy , and fight for the American people , and that man is Joe Biden , ” said James .
In an open letter , the attorneys general condemned the president for his handling of the pandemic and his attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act .
“ The Trump administration continues to back the Republican attorneys general lawsuit to destroy the Affordable Care Act wholesale , as states across the country are confronting the harrowing reality of the Covid-19 pandemic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 122,000 Americans , ” said the coalition .
“ Donald Trump ’ s efforts to strip health care away from tens of millions of Americans , including those with preexisting conditions , is immoral and unlawful ; his mismanagement of the pandemic has been incompetent and catastrophic.
” The other attorneys general endorsing Biden come from Maine , Massachusetts , Minnesota , Nevada , New Mexico , North Carolina , Oregon , Rhode Island , Vermont , Virginia , Washington state , Wisconsin and the District of Columbia .
Biden was previously endorsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connecticut , Colorado , Delaware , Illinois , Iowa , Maryland , Michigan and Pennsylvania .

Speaking to families Thursday who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act, former Vice President Joe Biden called President Donald Trump cruel and heartless for asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the landmark health care legislation known as Obamacare.
LANCASTER, Pa. (CN) — Speaking to families Thursday who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act, former Vice President Joe Biden called President Donald Trump cruel and heartless for asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the landmark health care legislation known as Obamacare.
“I cannot comprehend the cruelty that's driving him to inflict this pain on the very people he is supposed to serve,” Biden said.
Indeed, the Trump administration is expected to file a brief Thursday to invalidate the act after the justices agreed to take up the lawsuit in early March.
In his nearly 20-minute speech, Biden called out the president for calling Covid-19 testing a double-edged sword during a campaign rally in Tulsa on Saturday.
“Let’s be crystal clear about what he means by that. Testing unequivocally saves lives and widespread testing is the key to opening the economy, that’s one edge,” said Biden. “The other edge is that he thinks that finding out more Americans are sick will make him look bad.”
Biden also stressed the importance of wearing a mask, saying it is “the single most effective thing we can do.”
While Biden said he will be unveiling more specifics about his health care plan, he noted that if elected he would move for universal coverage quickly.
“Here’s the bottom line, my plan lowers health care costs and gets us universal coverage quickly when Americans desperately need it now,” Biden said.
He also said that his plan will add a public option and lower premiums and drug costs.
Biden stressed the importance for Americans to have access to health care right with 20 million Americans out of work.
“They don’t need a president to go into court to deny them the health care they now have,” said Biden. “They need a president who will go into the White House and fight like hell to make sure they get the health care they need.”
Biden added that health care is personal for him, mentioning the death of his son Beau from cancer in 2015.
Ending the speech, Biden said there is nothing he takes more seriously than health care.
“That’s what the presidency is, the duty to care,” said Biden. “No trust is more sacred, no responsibility more solemn, no purpose more fundamental than for a president to do absolutely everything to protect American lives.”
A coalition of 23 Democratic attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Letitia James all endorsed Biden Thursday, noting his commitment to “aggressively defend Americans’ access to quality, affordable health coverage.”
“There is only one person on the ballot this fall who will fight to defend the Affordable Care Act, fight to rebuild our economy, and fight for the American people, and that man is Joe Biden,” said James.
In an open letter, the attorneys general condemned the president for his handling of the pandemic and his attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
“The Trump administration continues to back the Republican attorneys general lawsuit to destroy the Affordable Care Act wholesale, as states across the country are confronting the harrowing reality of the Covid-19 pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 122,000 Americans,” said the coalition. “Donald Trump’s efforts to strip health care away from tens of millions of Americans, including those with preexisting conditions, is immoral and unlawful; his mismanagement of the pandemic has been incompetent and catastrophic.”
The other attorneys general endorsing Biden come from Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington state, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Biden was previously endorsed by the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan and Pennsylvania.


courthousenews--2020-06-25--Mars Rover Mission Will Use AI to Help Scientists Sort Out Findings

An A.I .
system based on Earth will automatically analyze and prioritize data coming back from rock samples that the rover collects to determine what data is worth paying attention to .
( CN ) — A planned space probe mission to Mars in 2022 will use artificial intelligence to help scientists prioritize their time and attention as they try to figure out if there has ever been life on the planet , researchers at NASA said Thursday .
While the space agency already uses A.I .
to help its Curiosity rover navigate around Mars , the researchers described the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upcoming mission as a significant step toward an ultimate goal of having more autonomous probes explore farther reaches of the solar system .
Reaching that goal could be crucial for the future of the nation ’ s space program .
Without automating much of the mechanics , the missions could become too expensive to justify .
“ I do believe that these new missions won ’ t be possible if we don ’ t use machine learning or artificial intelligence , ” Victoria Da Poian , an engineer and researcher at NASA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an interview .
Da Poian , a self-described “ space geek , ” has been helping develop the A.I .
that will be used on the 2022 ExoMars mission , a project led by the European and Russian space agencies .
The mission ’ s Rosalind Franklin Rover was set to launch this year , but the agencies in March decided to delay the launch so that engineers could make sure the rover was fully prepared to fly .
During the mission , an A.I .
system based on Earth will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from rock samples that the rover collects .
The system will help scientists sort out what data is worth paying attention to and what data is boring background noise from things like the rover ’ s calibration readings , Da Poian said .
Da Poian presented the first results from a series of tests using the technology during a virtual version of the Goldschmidt Geochemistry conference , an annual science gathering that was set to be held in Hawaii this year before moving online because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Eric Lyness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the project .
The tests showed promising results , the researchers said .
The A.I .
was able to analyze samples from an unknown compound and categorize it with up to 94 % accuracy .
The system also correctly matched new samples with previous samples 87 % of the time , they said .
The team plans to further “ refine ” the system before incorporating it into the 2022 Mars mission .
The desire for space probes that are more autonomous in how they explore and study distant planets has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to launch a probe called Dragonfly to an icy moon of Saturn in 2026 .
The Titan moon is similar to a very young Earth , the space agency says , and could give scientists a better understanding of how life developed here at home .
Because of the distance , communications between Earth and the probe will be slow , but the science can ’ t necessarily afford to wait .
“ In the future , as we move to explore the moons of Jupiter such as Europa , and of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will need real-time decisions to be made onsite , ” Lyness said in a statement about the team ’ s research .
“ With these moons it can take 5 to 7 hours for a signal from Earth to reach the instruments , so this will not be like controlling a drone , with an instant response , ” he said .
“ We need to give the instruments the autonomy to make rapid decisions to reach our science goals on our behalf.
” Using A.I .
to sort out data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a proof of concept , Da Poian said , as the time demands for that particular mission won ’ t be that intense .
It only takes about 20 minutes to get data back from Mars .
But developing the technology for use in deeper space missions could be essential to the space program ’ s future .
Time is money , as they say .
The basic process of gathering and analyzing data from a distant probe can get expensive , so if an A.I .
system is able to know when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sending back and can be disregarded , that ’ s a potential cost saver .
Still , also because of how expensive these missions are , Da Poian said researchers have to be fully confident that the technology will work before deploying it .
She noted that NASA ’ s planned mission to Titan in 2026 is a billion-dollar project .
“ We still have six years to be able to develop all these tools to be able to put this on board , ” she said .
“ If we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not going to send back the science , we ’ re not going to take any risks.
” Da Poian stressed that the goal with the technology is not to replace the human role in space exploration .
“ We always want scientists to be in the loop , because machines will never be better than scientists , ” she said .
“ It ’ s more all those small tasks that can be done by automation , we don ’ t want the scientists to waste time .
We want scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a science question to answer .
”

A planned space probe mission to Mars in 2022 will use artificial intelligence to help scientists prioritize their time and attention as they try to figure out if there has ever been life on the planet, researchers at NASA said Thursday.
(CN) — A planned space probe mission to Mars in 2022 will use artificial intelligence to help scientists prioritize their time and attention as they try to figure out if there has ever been life on the planet, researchers at NASA said Thursday.
While the space agency already uses A.I. to help its Curiosity rover navigate around Mars, the researchers described the way the technology will be used in the upcoming mission as a significant step toward an ultimate goal of having more autonomous probes explore farther reaches of the solar system.
Reaching that goal could be crucial for the future of the nation’s space program. Without automating much of the mechanics, the missions could become too expensive to justify.
“I do believe that these new missions won’t be possible if we don’t use machine learning or artificial intelligence,” Victoria Da Poian, an engineer and researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said in an interview.
Da Poian, a self-described “space geek,” has been helping develop the A.I. that will be used on the 2022 ExoMars mission, a project led by the European and Russian space agencies. The mission’s Rosalind Franklin Rover was set to launch this year, but the agencies in March decided to delay the launch so that engineers could make sure the rover was fully prepared to fly.
During the mission, an A.I. system based on Earth will automatically analyze and prioritize data coming back from rock samples that the rover collects. The system will help scientists sort out what data is worth paying attention to and what data is boring background noise from things like the rover’s calibration readings, Da Poian said.
Da Poian presented the first results from a series of tests using the technology during a virtual version of the Goldschmidt Geochemistry conference, an annual science gathering that was set to be held in Hawaii this year before moving online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Eric Lyness, another NASA engineer, has also worked on the project.
The tests showed promising results, the researchers said. The A.I. was able to analyze samples from an unknown compound and categorize it with up to 94% accuracy. The system also correctly matched new samples with previous samples 87% of the time, they said.
The team plans to further “refine” the system before incorporating it into the 2022 Mars mission.
The desire for space probes that are more autonomous in how they explore and study distant planets has a lot to do with efficiency.
NASA plans to launch a probe called Dragonfly to an icy moon of Saturn in 2026. The Titan moon is similar to a very young Earth, the space agency says, and could give scientists a better understanding of how life developed here at home.
Because of the distance, communications between Earth and the probe will be slow, but the science can’t necessarily afford to wait.
“In the future, as we move to explore the moons of Jupiter such as Europa, and of Saturn such as Enceladus and Titan, we will need real-time decisions to be made onsite,” Lyness said in a statement about the team’s research.
“With these moons it can take 5 to 7 hours for a signal from Earth to reach the instruments, so this will not be like controlling a drone, with an instant response,” he said. “We need to give the instruments the autonomy to make rapid decisions to reach our science goals on our behalf.”
Using A.I. to sort out data from the upcoming Mars mission will be mostly a proof of concept, Da Poian said, as the time demands for that particular mission won’t be that intense. It only takes about 20 minutes to get data back from Mars.
But developing the technology for use in deeper space missions could be essential to the space program’s future. Time is money, as they say.
The basic process of gathering and analyzing data from a distant probe can get expensive, so if an A.I. system is able to know when a particular data set is not worth sending back and can be disregarded, that’s a potential cost saver.
Still, also because of how expensive these missions are, Da Poian said researchers have to be fully confident that the technology will work before deploying it. She noted that NASA’s planned mission to Titan in 2026 is a billion-dollar project.
“We still have six years to be able to develop all these tools to be able to put this on board,” she said. “If we’re not 100% sure the intelligence systems are not going to send back the science, we’re not going to take any risks.”
Da Poian stressed that the goal with the technology is not to replace the human role in space exploration.
“We always want scientists to be in the loop, because machines will never be better than scientists,” she said. “It’s more all those small tasks that can be done by automation, we don’t want the scientists to waste time. We want scientists to make decisions when it will be a science question to answer.”


courthousenews--2020-06-25--Lobbyist Abramoff Charged in Cryptocurrency Case

( CN ) — Former Washington insider and longtime lobbyist Jack Abramoff was charged Thursday for his role in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme , but has already made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty .
Abramoff is accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud alongside Rowland Marcus Andrade , the head of a National AtenCoin Foundation , which developed a new cryptocurrency called AML BitCoin that Andrade claims to have created .
Andrade touted it as a new and improved bitcoin with anti-money laundering , anti-terrorism , and theft-resistant properties .
None of the features existed , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission on Thursday .
According to the Justice Department ’ s indictment against Andrade unsealed June 22 , Andrade began raising money for his new currency in 2017 , and along with Abramoff orchestrated a false campaign that claimed the National Football League rejected an ad they wanted to run during the 2018 Super Bowl extolling AML BitCoin as impervious to North Korea ’ s hacking efforts , because its unflattering depiction of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was too politically controversial .
In fact , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submitted the ad for review by the NFL because they knew the NAC Foundation didn ’ t have the money to buy airtime .
Yet the pair still spread the fabricated story on social media , in press releases and paid op-ed articles in order to promote their bitcoin to potential buyers .
Andrade ’ s indictment also says he misappropriated the funds he raised from investors , stealing more than $ 730,000 to buy a new house , $ 69,000 to buy a Cadillac Escalade , $ 60,000 to buy a Ford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy property for his father .
AML BitCoin ’ s initial offering raised at least $ 5.6 million from 2017 through 2018 , according to the SEC ’ s complaint .
Andrade and Abramoff also claimed in 2017 that NAC Foundation had been talking with the Panamanian government about incorporating AML BitCoin into its transit fee payment system , telling prospective investors that NAC had a deal in place with the Panama Canal Authority where AML BitCoin would be the only digital currency accepted for passage fees through the canal .
This turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to both the indictment and SEC complaint .
Authorities arrested Andrade on June 23 in Texas .
He is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco on July 1 .
He faces a maximum of 20 years for one count of money laundering and 20 years for wire fraud .
Abramoff has a storied reputation as a crook .
In 2008 , he was sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion and bribing public officials .
Among his most disreputable exploits was a scheme to defraud several Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for lobbying services , padding their bills while disparaging them to his secret partner Michael Scanlon .
In addition to conspiracy to commit wire fraud , Abramoff was also charged Thursday with failing to register as a lobbyist when he was retained by a marijuana industry client .
The Justice Department also says an undercover agent posed as a businessperson in June 2017 to retain Abramoff ’ s services , and he lobbied a federal elected official without having first registered as a lobbyist .
Abramoff faces up to five years in prison @

Former Washington insider and longtime lobbyist Jack Abramoff was charged Thursday for his role in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme, and has already made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty.
(CN) — Former Washington insider and longtime lobbyist Jack Abramoff was charged Thursday for his role in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme, and has already made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty.
Abramoff is accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud alongside Rowland Marcus Andrade, the head of a National AtenCoin Foundation, which developed a new cryptocurrency called AML BitCoin that Andrade claims to have created. Andrade touted it as a new and improved bitcoin with anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism, and theft-resistant properties. None of the features existed, according to a separate complaint filed against Andrade by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission on Thursday.
According to the Justice Department’s indictment against Andrade unsealed June 22, Andrade began raising money for his new currency in 2017, and along with Abramoff orchestrated a false campaign that claimed the National Football League rejected an ad they wanted to run during the 2018 Super Bowl extolling AML BitCoin as impervious to North Korea’s hacking efforts, because its unflattering depiction of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was too politically controversial.
In fact, the indictment says, Abramoff and Andrade never submitted the ad for review by the NFL because they knew the NAC Foundation didn't have the money to buy airtime. Yet the pair still spread the fabricated story on social media, in press releases and paid op-ed articles in order to promote their bitcoin to potential buyers.
Andrade’s indictment also says he misappropriated the funds he raised from investors, stealing more than $730,000 to buy a new house, $69,000 to buy a Cadillac Escalade, $60,000 to buy a Ford F250 truck, and $226,150 to buy property for his father. AML BitCoin’s initial offering raised at least $5.6 million from 2017 through 2018, according to the SEC’s complaint.
Andrade and Abramoff also claimed in 2017 that NAC Foundation had been talking with the Panamanian government about incorporating AML BitCoin into its transit fee payment system, telling prospective investors that NAC had a deal in place with the Panama Canal Authority where AML BitCoin would be the only digital currency accepted for passage fees through the canal. This turned out to be quite an overstatement, according to both the indictment and SEC complaint.
Authorities arrested Andrade on June 23 in Texas. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco on July 1. He faces a maximum of 20 years for one count of money laundering and 20 years for wire fraud.
Abramoff has a storied reputation as a crook. In 2008, he was sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion and bribing public officials. Among his most disreputable exploits was a scheme to defraud several Native American tribes out of millions of dollars for lobbying services, padding their bills while disparaging them to his secret partner Michael Scanlon.
In addition to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Abramoff was also charged Thursday with failing to register as a lobbyist when he was retained by a marijuana industry client. The Justice Department also says an undercover agent posed as a businessperson in June 2017 to retain Abramoff’s services, and he lobbied a federal elected official without having first registered as a lobbyist.
Abramoff faces up to five years in prison.


courthousenews--2020-06-25--Wisconsin Court Finds Blood Test for Passed-Out Drivers Unconstitutional

A similar case out of the Badger State made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court , but the justices did not rule on the constitutionality of the law at issue .
MADISON , Wis. ( CN ) — A provision allowing for an unconscious driver to have their blood drawn and tested was declared unconstitutional by a Wisconsin appeals court Thursday , marking a consequential turn in the ongoing debate on implied consent laws .
A three-judge panel of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals ’ District IV in Madison concluded in a 43-page decision that “ the incapacitated driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that incapacitated drivers are deemed to have given and presumed not to have withdrawn does not satisfy any exception to the Fourth Amendment ’ s warrant requirement.
” The ruling penned by Judge Rachel Graham , who was appointed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers last year , notes that “ we are not alone in reaching this conclusion.
” “ Indeed , the clear majority of state courts to consider this issue within the last decade agree with the conclusion we reach today , ” Graham wrote , highlighting the tricky balance implied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact-finding work of police and the Fourth Amendment rights of individuals against warrantless searches .
Wisconsin ’ s implied consent statute provides that drivers in the state are “ deemed to have given consent ” to have their blood drawn and tested when they drive on a state road and if police have probable cause to believe a crime has been committed .
All 50 states in the U.S. have some kind of implied consent law on the books .
In the Badger State , the statute contains a provision laying out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have withdrawn ” the consent implied by the statute , even if they are unconscious .
That was the case for Dawn Prado , the defendant in the case at the heart of Thursday ’ s decision .
On Dec. 12 , 2014 , Prado was severely injured in a car accident which resulted in the death of the other car ’ s driver .
While Prado was intubated in her hospital bed , a police officer had a nurse draw a sample of her blood for analysis after reading the unconscious Prado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laid out in Wisconsin ’ s implied consent statute to ask for consent to draw her blood .
Since she was unconscious , Prado did not answer .
The officer , believing he was acting in good faith according to the law , drew her blood without applying for a warrant , and the analysis revealed a controlled substance and an unlawful concentration of alcohol in Prado ’ s blood .
Later , Prado moved to suppress the blood test results in court on the grounds that the incapacitated driver provision is unconstitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after determining that the officer did not have the authority to direct the blood draw without getting a warrant .
Graham explained in Thursday ’ s decision that the appeals court then stayed resolution of the state ’ s appeal for more than two years pending resolution of other Wisconsin appeals raising the same question about whether the incapacitated driver provision is constitutional .
Chief among those appeals was a Wisconsin case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court , which ruled 5-4 last summer that exigent circumstances “ almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if a suspected drunk driver is unconscious , even though the court ’ s liberal wing pointed out that the state never brought up exigency in arguing its case .
That lawsuit ascended to the nation ’ s highest court after the Wisconsin Supreme Court found that , in that case , the driver ’ s extreme intoxication gave the police probable cause to carry out a blood test .
Graham noted in Thursday ’ s decision that even though the Wisconsin Supreme Court has dealt with the incapacitated driver provision on at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly answered the question of the provision ’ s constitutionality , and “ the answer is of significant importance to the functioning of the Wisconsin court system.
” That answer arrived Thursday .
Graham wrote that “ because the incapacitated driver provision purports to authorize warrantless searches that do not fit within any exception to the warrant requirement , the searches it authorizes will always violate the Fourth Amendment , ” unless some other warrant exception exists .
However , the appeals court ’ s decision also found that since the officer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good faith on the understanding that the incapacitated driver provision was constitutional , the circuit court should not have suppressed the test results as evidence .
Graham was joined on the panel by Judges JoAnne Kloppenburg and Brian Blanchard rounded out the appeals court panel .
Anthony Jurek , whose namesake firm operates out of Middleton , represented Prado and applauded the appeals court ’ s decision in an email Thursday .
“ I ’ m delighted that a precedent-setting court has finally stepped up to the plate and done its job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this recurring constitutional issue as it ’ s been repeatedly presented is something both the Wisconsin and U.S. Supreme Courts have been unable or unwilling to do .
It ’ s a politically loaded issue in a number of ways , and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals showed bravery by finally deciding it.
” Despite being happy with the ruling on the constitutionality of the incapacitated driver provision , Jurek said he was disappointed in the court ’ s good-faith finding , as “ the circuit court ’ s rejection of ‘ good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and should not have been reversed.
” In terms of the impact of Thursday ’ s decision , Jurek said “ we ’ ve finally got a clear precedent that the fictitious consent supposedly granted by the ‘ implied consent ’ statute is unconstitutional as the sole justification absent any other exception to the Fourth Amendment.
” Sarah Schmeiser , vice president of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers , also spoke to the impact of Thursday ’ s decision in a phone interview Thursday , saying that the ruling helps settle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows arresting officers to skip the kind of constitutional analysis the Wisconsin Court of Appeals has now crystallized .
Schmeiser commented that “ Wisconsin is the first state to explicitly state that this provision is a Fourth Amendment violation , ” which alters the state ’ s implied consent statute and will change how those cases are handled going forward in that “ it makes clear that there is now a requirement for a warrant or an already established reason not to get a warrant.
” Madison District Attorney Ismael Ozanne , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , could not be immediately reached for comment on the ruling Thursday .

A provision allowing for an unconscious driver to have their blood drawn and tested was declared unconstitutional by a Wisconsin appeals court Thursday, marking a consequential turn in the ongoing debate on implied consent laws.
MADISON, Wis. (CN) — A provision allowing for an unconscious driver to have their blood drawn and tested was declared unconstitutional by a Wisconsin appeals court Thursday, marking a consequential turn in the ongoing debate on implied consent laws.
A three-judge panel of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals’ District IV in Madison concluded in a 43-page decision that “the incapacitated driver provision is unconstitutional because the implied consent that incapacitated drivers are deemed to have given and presumed not to have withdrawn does not satisfy any exception to the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement.”
The ruling penned by Judge Rachel Graham, who was appointed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers last year, notes that “we are not alone in reaching this conclusion.”
“Indeed, the clear majority of state courts to consider this issue within the last decade agree with the conclusion we reach today,” Graham wrote, highlighting the tricky balance implied consent laws must strike between enabling the fact-finding work of police and the Fourth Amendment rights of individuals against warrantless searches.
Wisconsin’s implied consent statute provides that drivers in the state are “deemed to have given consent” to have their blood drawn and tested when they drive on a state road and if police have probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. All 50 states in the U.S. have some kind of implied consent law on the books.
In the Badger State, the statute contains a provision laying out that incapacitated drivers are “presumed not to have withdrawn” the consent implied by the statute, even if they are unconscious.
That was the case for Dawn Prado, the defendant in the case at the heart of Thursday’s decision.
On Dec. 12, 2014, Prado was severely injured in a car accident which resulted in the death of the other car’s driver. While Prado was intubated in her hospital bed, a police officer had a nurse draw a sample of her blood for analysis after reading the unconscious Prado the “informing the accused” script laid out in Wisconsin’s implied consent statute to ask for consent to draw her blood.
Since she was unconscious, Prado did not answer. The officer, believing he was acting in good faith according to the law, drew her blood without applying for a warrant, and the analysis revealed a controlled substance and an unlawful concentration of alcohol in Prado’s blood.
Later, Prado moved to suppress the blood test results in court on the grounds that the incapacitated driver provision is unconstitutional. The trial court granted the motion after determining that the officer did not have the authority to direct the blood draw without getting a warrant.
Graham explained in Thursday’s decision that the appeals court then stayed resolution of the state’s appeal for more than two years pending resolution of other Wisconsin appeals raising the same question about whether the incapacitated driver provision is constitutional.
Chief among those appeals was a Wisconsin case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled 5-4 last summer that exigent circumstances “almost always” justify a warrantless blood test if a suspected drunk driver is unconscious, even though the court’s liberal wing pointed out that the state never brought up exigency in arguing its case.
That lawsuit ascended to the nation’s highest court after the Wisconsin Supreme Court found that, in that case, the driver’s extreme intoxication gave the police probable cause to carry out a blood test.
Graham noted in Thursday’s decision that even though the Wisconsin Supreme Court has dealt with the incapacitated driver provision on at least three occasions, no court has directly answered the question of the provision’s constitutionality, and “the answer is of significant importance to the functioning of the Wisconsin court system.”
That answer arrived Thursday. Graham wrote that “because the incapacitated driver provision purports to authorize warrantless searches that do not fit within any exception to the warrant requirement, the searches it authorizes will always violate the Fourth Amendment,” unless some other warrant exception exists.
However, the appeals court’s decision also found that since the officer who ordered Prado’s blood drawn relied in good faith on the understanding that the incapacitated driver provision was constitutional, the circuit court should not have suppressed the test results as evidence.
Graham was joined on the panel by Judges JoAnne Kloppenburg and Brian Blanchard rounded out the appeals court panel.
Anthony Jurek, whose namesake firm operates out of Middleton, represented Prado and applauded the appeals court’s decision in an email Thursday.
“I’m delighted that a precedent-setting court has finally stepped up to the plate and done its job,” Jurek said. “Deciding this recurring constitutional issue as it’s been repeatedly presented is something both the Wisconsin and U.S. Supreme Courts have been unable or unwilling to do. It’s a politically loaded issue in a number of ways, and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals showed bravery by finally deciding it.”
Despite being happy with the ruling on the constitutionality of the incapacitated driver provision, Jurek said he was disappointed in the court’s good-faith finding, as “the circuit court’s rejection of ‘good faith’ was clear, cogent, and should not have been reversed.”
In terms of the impact of Thursday’s decision, Jurek said “we’ve finally got a clear precedent that the fictitious consent supposedly granted by the ‘implied consent’ statute is unconstitutional as the sole justification absent any other exception to the Fourth Amendment.”
Sarah Schmeiser, vice president of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, also spoke to the impact of Thursday’s decision in a phone interview Thursday, saying that the ruling helps settle a longstanding argument over whether the statute allows arresting officers to skip the kind of constitutional analysis the Wisconsin Court of Appeals has now crystallized.
Schmeiser noted that “Wisconsin is not the first state to explicitly state that this provision is a Fourth Amendment violation,” but Thursday's decision alters the state’s implied consent statute and will change how those cases are handled going forward in that “it makes clear that there is now a requirement for a warrant or an already established reason not to get a warrant.”
Madison District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, who represented the state in the Prado case, could not be immediately reached for comment on the ruling Thursday.


courthousenews--2020-06-26--Another Year Done Gone

Another Year Done Gone

Another birthday gone , and when a old horse see the end of the track ahead , and already forgot how far back the gate was , he bound to ask himself , no matter what place he in : “ Why they keep whipping me ?
” Right up front : I ’ m not talking about working for Courthouse News .
I ’ m talking about being an old workhorse — and what I seen in our summaries of millions of lawsuits in the past 16 years .
And if you think I ’ m faking black English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lem me tell you this : I ain ’ t faking it .
I learned it fair and square , on the South Side of Chicago and in Harlem and on the bandstand , and I prefer it , like Sam Clemens did , and Mezz Mezzrow and Stan Getz .
I ’ m speaking it like I heard it , and learned it , and if y ’ all don ’ t like to hear it , y ’ all don ’ t have to listen nor read no further .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you all alone and apart and try to attempt an anatomical impossibility .
Since I quit the music business , 42 years ago , I been unemployed for maybe six months — and they were the worst , miserable months of my life .
Except for some others , which I could tell you about but won ’ t .
Many moons ago , when I was on the bum ( back before those 42 years ago ) , a black family took me in when I was hurtin ’ — me and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole lot real quick before they booted me out .
One thing I remember was the young man who saw me , alone and forlorn , on a street corner in Berkeley .
He took me to his house half a block away , and introduced me to his mom and sisters , and they showed me into a room where I could lay down my weary head .
He was younger than I was , and I was a young young man .
I remember their living room , where that wonderful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could remember their names , but I don ’ t .
The whole house was immaculately clean , with religious photos and icons on the walls and in ever ’ corner .
And Mama and her daughters bustling in the kitchen .
My savior and I were the privileged sons .
That ’ s right : savior .
The Talmud says , if a man save one life , it is as though he has saved the whole human race .
( Emergency update for today : And if you destroy one life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” my savior told me , showing me around , “ black folks like to have things nice.
” That was news to me .
I didn ’ t know that black folks liked to have things nice .
I ’ d never thought about it .
I suppose if I had thought about it I coulda guessed , but I ’ d never thought about it .
So what ’ s the point of this rambling story ?
Nothin ’ , I guess .
‘ cept that if you ain ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t gon na understand nothing about it .
Whatever It is .
And that is my point .
I know : This is a news page .
But this is an op-ed column — an opinion , not the neutral editorial function .
That ’ s what op-ed means .
You white folks out there , you Confederate battle flag-loving , Evangelical , so-called Christian supporters of a lying , whore-mongering vindictive , greedy , little-guy stiffing , racist neo-Fascist of a president : What do you know about any of this ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it , here is my suggestion for you on November 3 : Don ’ t vote .
Stay home .
Protect yourselves from the virus .
All kinds of viruses out there .

Another birthday gone, and when a old horse see the end of the track ahead, and already forgot how far back the gate was, he bound to ask himself, no matter what place he in: “Why they keep whipping me?”
Another birthday gone, and when a old horse see the end of the track ahead, and already forgot how far back the gate was, he bound to ask himself, no matter what place he in: “Why they keep whipping me?”
Right up front: I’m not talking about working for Courthouse News. I’m talking about being an old workhorse — and what I seen in our summaries of millions of lawsuits in the past 16 years.
And if you think I’m faking black English, to be cool or something, lemme tell you this: I ain’t faking it. I learned it fair and square, on the South Side of Chicago and in Harlem and on the bandstand, and I prefer it, like Sam Clemens did, and Mezz Mezzrow and Stan Getz.
I’m speaking it like I heard it, and learned it, and if y’all don’t like to hear it, y’all don’t have to listen nor read no further. You might could want to go off where you all alone and apart and try to attempt an anatomical impossibility.
Since I quit the music business, 42 years ago, I been unemployed for maybe six months — and they were the worst, miserable months of my life. Except for some others, which I could tell you about but won’t.
Many moons ago, when I was on the bum (back before those 42 years ago), a black family took me in when I was hurtin’ — me and my saxophone. They taught me a whole lot real quick before they booted me out.
One thing I remember was the young man who saw me, alone and forlorn, on a street corner in Berkeley. He took me to his house half a block away, and introduced me to his mom and sisters, and they showed me into a room where I could lay down my weary head. He was younger than I was, and I was a young young man.
I remember their living room, where that wonderful family greeted me. I wisht I could remember their names, but I don’t. The whole house was immaculately clean, with religious photos and icons on the walls and in ever’ corner. And Mama and her daughters bustling in the kitchen. My savior and I were the privileged sons.
That’s right: savior. The Talmud says, if a man save one life, it is as though he has saved the whole human race. (Emergency update for today: And if you destroy one life … ?)
“You know,” my savior told me, showing me around, “black folks like to have things nice.”
That was news to me. I didn’t know that black folks liked to have things nice.
I’d never thought about it.
I suppose if I had thought about it I coulda guessed, but I’d never thought about it.
So what’s the point of this rambling story?
Nothin’, I guess. ‘cept that if you ain’t never been there, you ain’t gonna understand nothing about it.
Whatever It is.
And that is my point.
I know: This is a news page. But this is an op-ed column — an opinion, not the neutral editorial function. That’s what op-ed means.
You white folks out there, you Confederate battle flag-loving, Evangelical, so-called Christian supporters of a lying, whore-mongering vindictive, greedy, little-guy stiffing, racist neo-Fascist of a president: What do you know about any of this?
If you don’t know nothing about it, here is my suggestion for you on November 3: Don’t vote.
Stay home. Protect yourselves from the virus. All kinds of viruses out there.


courthousenews--2020-06-26--Salvadoran Army Helps the Poor While Coronavirus Spreads

SAN SALVADOR , El Salvador ( CN ) — With Covid-19 cases increasing in El Salvador after the supreme court and Legislative Assembly overturned President Nayib Bukele ’ s strict quarantine orders , the Salvadoran army is delivering emergency care packages to remote villages , where landless people rent land to gamble on the corn harvest .
There is no crop insurance in El Salvador so a crop failure can be disastrous .
By spring planting time these families have no money to buy seeds or fertilizer so the national government hands out free seeds and fertilizer to the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care package consists of 4 pounds of pasta , 4 pounds of pricey black beans , 8 pounds of powdered milk , 10 pounds of corn flour , four cans of tuna from Mexico , 4 pounds of rice , cooking oil , canned chicken breast , sugar and coffee .
In a relatively prosperous neighborhood in a small city the army trucks were just as welcome as they were in the zones of squalor .
Delmy was thrilled : her house was given three portions of food because there are three generations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a welcome change of diet for most of us , ” the 42-year-old mother of two adolescents said .
“ The towns have fared better than the villages , but the villages live in collectivism , so food is shared and folks take care of everybody.
” The army applied a sticker to the houses affirming the delivery of food : three bags , three stickers .
People in this small rural city are exhausted by the three-month lockdown .
As of Thursday , El Salvador had confirmed 5,336 cases of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and churches remain shut .
President Bukele ’ s early , tough constraints were working , but as the founder of a new political party , Nuevas Ideas , with no members in the Assembly , the national legislature pried the country open — to the virus .
The constitutional wing of the supreme court declared Bukele acted in violation of the human rights of Salvadoran people and the rule of law and invalidated his measures against Covid-19 .
Although cars and trucks can be confiscated if their driver has no license , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a helmet , the court found that use of quarantine to seize a vehicle to protect public health violated the Salvadoran Constitution .
The court also ruled that home confinement was unlawful , as were shopping restrictions and forced use of face-coverings .
Now the right-wing constitutional court seems ready to declare business closures a human rights violation .
Nobody talks yet about opening the schools , so the nation ’ s 35,000 teachers are expected to educate remotely .
Silvia Martinez , a veteran high school teacher in San Salvador who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s prisons , says that social inequality “ means that I have students who have top-shelf laptops with large download capacity and I have students who don ’ t have a phone or a tablet or wi-fi .
As a result , very little educating is taking place.
” Eugenia , who has taught rural elementary students for 30 years , blames long-term failures on educating the agricultural underclass .
“ My students rarely have another person in the household who is literate .
I field at least 20 calls a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homework I assign refers to .
These are people with no money , with no books , with no pencils .
“ To deal with the lack of internet access among half the population , the ministry of education has put classes on public television , starting for kindergartners at 7 in the morning .
Many people don ’ t have televisions or cable access or even money for an antenna.
” In the early stages of the pandemic , Bukele made El Salvador one of the Americas ’ few success stories , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uruguay .
Then everything he advocated was been stricken down .
The president , who remains extremely popular , advocates a very gradual return to normal .
He wants buses to stay off the roads for two more weeks .
He urges everyone to wear masks outside their homes .
But he no longer has executive authority .
His role has been subsumed by the courts and the national legislature .
National elections are scheduled for February 2021 , in which Bukele is expected to consolidate political power .
His unprecedented popularity has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
That may be why the national press is reporting that his political opposition is calling for postponement of the elections for a year , due to the pandemic .

With Covid-19 cases increasing in El Salvador after the supreme court and Legislative Assembly overturned President Nayib Bukele’s strict quarantine orders, the Salvadoran army is delivering emergency care packages to remote villages, where landless people rent land to gamble on the corn harvest.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (CN) — With Covid-19 cases increasing in El Salvador after the supreme court and Legislative Assembly overturned President Nayib Bukele’s strict quarantine orders, the Salvadoran army is delivering emergency care packages to remote villages, where landless people rent land to gamble on the corn harvest.
There is no crop insurance in El Salvador so a crop failure can be disastrous. By spring planting time these families have no money to buy seeds or fertilizer so the national government hands out free seeds and fertilizer to the most destitute of a destitute population.
The care package consists of 4 pounds of pasta, 4 pounds of pricey black beans, 8 pounds of powdered milk, 10 pounds of corn flour, four cans of tuna from Mexico, 4 pounds of rice, cooking oil, canned chicken breast, sugar and coffee.
In a relatively prosperous neighborhood in a small city the army trucks were just as welcome as they were in the zones of squalor. Delmy was thrilled: her house was given three portions of food because there are three generations living under one roof.
"It was a welcome change of diet for most of us," the 42-year-old mother of two adolescents said. "The towns have fared better than the villages, but the villages live in collectivism, so food is shared and folks take care of everybody."
Izalco Volcano in El Salvador. (Photo via Wikipedia)
The army applied a sticker to the houses affirming the delivery of food: three bags, three stickers. People in this small rural city are exhausted by the three-month lockdown.
Schools, universities and churches remain shut. President Bukele’s early, tough constraints were working, but as the founder of a new political party, Nuevas Ideas, with no members in the Assembly, the national legislature pried the country open — to the virus.
The constitutional wing of the supreme court declared Bukele acted in violation of the human rights of Salvadoran people and the rule of law and invalidated his measures against Covid-19.
Although cars and trucks can be confiscated if their driver has no license, and motorcycles can be seized for lack of a helmet, the court found that use of quarantine to seize a vehicle to protect public health violated the Salvadoran Constitution.
The court also ruled that home confinement was unlawful, as were shopping restrictions and forced use of face-coverings. Now the right-wing constitutional court seems ready to declare business closures a human rights violation.
Nobody talks yet about opening the schools, so the nation’s 35,000 teachers are expected to educate remotely. Silvia Martinez, a veteran high school teacher in San Salvador who has taught high school in the country's prisons, says that social inequality "means that I have students who have top-shelf laptops with large download capacity and I have students who don't have a phone or a tablet or wi-fi. As a result, very little educating is taking place."
Eugenia, who has taught rural elementary students for 30 years, blames long-term failures on educating the agricultural underclass.
"My students rarely have another person in the household who is literate. I field at least 20 calls a day from parents who ask me what the homework I assign refers to. These are people with no money, with no books, with no pencils.
"To deal with the lack of internet access among half the population, the ministry of education has put classes on public television, starting for kindergartners at 7 in the morning. Many people don’t have televisions or cable access or even money for an antenna."
In the early stages of the pandemic, Bukele made El Salvador one of the Americas’ few success stories, along with Costa Rica, Paraguay and Uruguay. Then everything he advocated was stricken down.
On May 12, the country had reported 1,037 confirmed cases and 20 deaths. The courts and Assembly declared an end to Bukele’s restrictions on May 15. As of Thursday, El Salvador had confirmed 5,336 cases and 126 deaths.
The president, who remains extremely popular, advocates a very gradual return to normal. He wants buses to stay off the roads for two more weeks. He urges everyone to wear masks outside their homes. But he no longer has executive authority. His role has been subsumed by the courts and the national legislature.
National elections are scheduled for February 2021, in which Bukele is expected to consolidate political power. His unprecedented popularity has not softened after his first year in office. That may be why the national press is reporting that his political opposition is calling for postponement of the elections for a year, due to the pandemic.
Courthouse News correspondent Miguel Patricio is based in El Salvador.


courthousenews--2020-06-26--Environmental Activists Decry Felony Arrests as Intimidation

Environmentalists were charged with terrorizing for leaving a box of plastic pellets and a protest note on the doorstep of an oil lobbyist in Louisiana .
BATON ROUGE ( CN ) — Two environmental activists with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade bonded out of jail Thursday evening after being arrested on felony terrorizing charges that stem from a December incident in which they left a sealed box containing plastic pellets on the doorstep of an oil and gas lobbyist .
Anne Rolfes , founder of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade , and Kate McIntosh were identified from video footage taken from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general counsel for Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association .
The video showed three people running to a rental car after dropping something on the porch , according to the affidavit of arrest .
Inside the plastic filebox they left on Gray ’ s doorstep were nurdles —small , white , BB-sized pellets used for manufacturing plastics .
Nurdles are toxic .
They can poison fish and other wildlife .
The nurdles in the box were collected from the waters around Formosa Plastics ’ Lavaca Bay , Texas plastic manufacturing plant .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Texas for $ 50 million for dumping millions of nurdles into the water around its refinery .
Rolfes and McIntosh also left boxes filled with nurdles on the doorsteps of other oil and gas lobbyists and the doorstep of Formosa executives , to call attention to plastic pollution , their organization said .
Affixed to the boxes were notes that said the pellets should not be removed from their packaging , left around children or pets , and should be responsibly recycled .
“ These are just some of the billions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coastal waters of the state of Texas , ” the note said , according to a copy provided to The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate newspaper .
“ These were used as evidence in a landmark lawsuit filed against Formosa under the Clean Water Act.
” The incident happened Dec. 11 .
The affidavit for arrest is dated April 16 , and the two were notified of the warrant for their arrest through their attorney last Friday , Juneteenth , on their way to a contested event on Formosa ’ s property .
The timeline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights who represents the women .
The day before , Formosa lost its request to a state judge to prevent members of the community from going onto its property for an hourlong prayer ceremony at a slave burial ground in commemoration of Juneteenth .
Formosa has said it plans to remove all slave burial grounds from its site before it builds its plastic manufacturing complex .
State Judge Emile R. St. Pierre affirmed from the bench of the 23rd Judicial District courthouse the day before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members to enter Formosa ’ s property for a prayer ceremony .
“ This is empty land .
These rights are sacred , and we need healing , ” St. Pierre said .
“ We should have some good citizenry from our corporate neighbors.
” But on the drive to the Juneteenth celebration , Spees received a phone call .
It was a Baton Rouge homicide detective calling to alert her that a warrant for arrest had been issued for Rolfes and McIntosh stemming from the Dec. 11 incident .
The boxes were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nurdlefest 2019 , ” staged by the Bucket Brigade and others to raise awareness of plastic pollution on the eve of a decision by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality over whether to grant Formosa Plastics , a multibillion dollar Taiwanese-owned corporation , an air quality permit to operate the proposed massive plastic manufacturing complex in St. James Parish in a mostly black , rural community .
The permit has been granted .
Ten years before the lawsuit over nurdles , the EPA fined Formosa $ 13 million for air and water quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but did not complete the pollution reductions it was supposed to make at its operations in Louisiana and Texas , according to the Texas Observer , and for which it had to pay another $ 1.5 million a few years later .
After the box of nurdles was found on Gray ’ s doorstep , “ Hazmat was called and responded to the scene and it was discovered the package contained trash and plastic , ” according to the affidavit supporting the warrant , signed by Det .
Logan Collins on April 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doorbell camera showed three people placing the package at the front door and running away to a rental car that was subsequently traced to Rolfes in New Orleans .
“ It was obvious that by indicating the contents of the container were hazardous that the individuals were attempting to cause the homeowners to be in fear for their safety to intimidate the homeowners , ” the affidavit said .
The arrest warrant , signed by 19th Judicial District Judge Anthony Marabella , said the note triggered the charges for terrorizing .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under Louisiana statute 14:40.1 , which defines terrorizing as intentionally making it appear as if violence is imminent or that circumstances are dangerous to human life with the intention of causing fear or the evacuation of a building or other serious disruption to the public .
The charges are punishable by up to 15 years in prison .
Gray told Picayune/Advocate that his wife filed a police report about the box while he was out of town .
Jim Harris , a spokesman for Formosa Plastics , told the newspaper that he “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about ” when he also received a box of plastic pellets on his doorstep , and that he did not call the police .
Greg Bowser , president of the Louisiana Chemical Association , also confirmed to the Picayune/Advocate that he received a box of plastic pellets at his house .
Spees , who represents the women , said Thursday that the charges have “ zero legal merit.
” “ They do not even pass the laugh test , ” Spees said .
“ We ask the district attorney to look carefully at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these two dedicated advocates as soon as possible.
” Don Coppola , a Baton Rouge police spokesman , said police waited so long to arrest Rolfes and McIntosh because detectives wanted to “ respect the investigative process , ” and also that Covid-19 had slowed things down .
Formosa Plastics did not reply to an emailed request for comment .
Ann Rolfes , second from left , protests Formosa Plastics outside Louisiana ’ s 23rd Judicial District courthouse on June 18 , seeking entrance to an old slave cemetery for a Juneteenth observance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her left .
( Sabrina Canfield photo/Courthouse News )

Two environmental activists with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade bonded out of jail Thursday evening after being arrested on felony terrorizing charges that stem from a December incident in which they left a sealed box containing plastic pellets on the doorstep of an oil and gas lobbyist.
BATON ROUGE (CN) — Two environmental activists with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade bonded out of jail Thursday evening after being arrested on felony terrorizing charges that stem from a December incident in which they left a sealed box containing plastic pellets on the doorstep of an oil and gas lobbyist.
Anne Rolfes, founder of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and Kate McIntosh were identified from video footage taken from the doorstep of Tyler Gray, president and general counsel for Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association. The video showed three people running to a rental car after dropping something on the porch, according to the affidavit of arrest.
Inside the plastic filebox they left on Gray’s doorstep were nurdles — small, white, BB-sized pellets used for manufacturing plastics. Nurdles are toxic. They can poison fish and other wildlife. The nurdles in the box were collected from the waters around Formosa Plastics’ Lavaca Bay, Texas plastic manufacturing plant.
Last October, Formosa settled with the state of Texas for $50 million for dumping millions of nurdles into the water around its refinery.
Rolfes and McIntosh also left boxes filled with nurdles on the doorsteps of other oil and gas lobbyists and the doorstep of Formosa executives, to call attention to plastic pollution, their organization said.
Affixed to the boxes were notes that said the pellets should not be removed from their packaging, left around children or pets, and should be responsibly recycled.
“These are just some of the billions of nurdles that Formosa Plastics dumped into the coastal waters of the state of Texas,” the note said, according to a copy provided to The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate newspaper. “These were used as evidence in a landmark lawsuit filed against Formosa under the Clean Water Act.”
The incident happened Dec. 11. The affidavit for arrest is dated April 16, and the two were notified of the warrant for their arrest through their attorney last Friday, Juneteenth, on their way to a contested event on Formosa’s property.
Oilfield and plastics plants sit in Louisiana's so-called Cancer Alley on old plantation lands once worked by slaves, who are buried there. (Sabrina Canfield/Courthouse News)
The timeline is significant, according to Pam Spees, an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights who represents the women. The day before, Formosa lost its request to a state judge to prevent members of the community from going onto its property for an hourlong prayer ceremony at a slave burial ground in commemoration of Juneteenth.
Formosa has said it plans to remove all slave burial grounds from its site before it builds its plastic manufacturing complex.
State Judge Emile R. St. Pierre affirmed from the bench of the 23rd Judicial District courthouse the day before Juneteeth his previous decision to allow community members to enter Formosa’s property for a prayer ceremony.
“This is empty land. These rights are sacred, and we need healing,” St. Pierre said. “We should have some good citizenry from our corporate neighbors.”
But on the drive to the Juneteenth celebration, Bill Quigley, a Loyola University New Orleans law professor and colleague of Spees, received a phone call. It was a Baton Rouge homicide detective calling to alert him that a warrant for arrest had been issued for Rolfes and McIntosh stemming from the Dec. 11 incident.
The boxes were delivered to doorsteps a day after “Nurdlefest 2019,” staged by the Bucket Brigade and others to raise awareness of plastic pollution on the eve of a decision by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality over whether to grant Formosa Plastics, a multibillion-dollar Taiwanese-owned corporation, an air-quality permit to operate the proposed massive plastic-manufacturing complex in St. James Parish in a mostly black, rural community. The permit has been granted.
Ten years before the lawsuit over nurdles, the EPA fined Formosa $13 million for air- and water-quality violations. The company paid the fine but did not complete the pollution reductions it was supposed to make at its operations in Louisiana and Texas, according to the Texas Observer, and for which it had to pay another $1.5 million a few years later.
After the box of nurdles was found on Gray’s doorstep, “Hazmat was called and responded to the scene and it was discovered the package contained trash and plastic,” according to the affidavit supporting the warrant, signed by Detective Logan Collins on April 16.
The affidavit said video footage from a doorbell camera showed three people placing the package at the front door and running away to a rental car that was subsequently traced to Rolfes in New Orleans.
“It was obvious that by indicating the contents of the container were hazardous that the individuals were attempting to cause the homeowners to be in fear for their safety to intimidate the homeowners,” the affidavit states.
The arrest warrant, signed by 19th Judicial District Judge Anthony Marabella, said the note triggered the charges for terrorizing.
The two women were charged with felony terrorizing under Louisiana statute 14:40.1, which defines terrorizing as intentionally making it appear as if violence is imminent or that circumstances are dangerous to human life with the intention of causing fear or the evacuation of a building or other serious disruption to the public. The charges are punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Gray told Picayune/Advocate that his wife filed a police report about the box while he was out of town.
Jim Harris, a spokesman for Formosa Plastics, told the newspaper that he “quickly figured out what the stunt was about” when he also received a box of plastic pellets on his doorstep, and that he did not call the police.
Greg Bowser, president of the Louisiana Chemical Association, also confirmed to the Picayune/Advocate that he received a box of plastic pellets at his house.
Spees, who represents the women, said Thursday that the charges have “zero legal merit.”
“They do not even pass the laugh test,” Spees said. “We ask the district attorney to look carefully at these arrests and reject the charges against these two dedicated advocates as soon as possible.”
Don Coppola, a Baton Rouge police spokesman, said police waited so long to arrest Rolfes and McIntosh because detectives wanted to “respect the investigative process,” and also that Covid-19 had slowed things down.
Formosa Plastics did not reply to an emailed request for comment.


courthousenews--2020-06-26--Arizona Governor Warns Worst of Virus Has Yet to Come

TUCSON , Ariz. ( CN ) – With his state among eight facing record numbers of Covid-19 cases daily , hospitals nearing capacity , and 1,490 people dead from the coronavirus , Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey warned Thursday that the worst is yet to come .
Almost 90 % of the state ’ s intensive care beds are full , leaving hospitals to consider the possibility of field hospitals in tents or churches , and the virus is spreading , not slowing .
“ We expect that our numbers will be worse next week and the week following , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ducey said during a news conference .
Statewide , 2,455 people were in hospitals with Covid-19 by Wednesday , 611 in intensive care and 415 on ventilators , the Arizona Department of Health Services reported .
Only 198 of the state ’ s 1,443 intensive care beds were available .
The state reported 3,056 new cases Thursday with a hospitalization rate of 7 % .
Arizona ’ s largest hospital provider , Banner Health , is in a patient surge and beds are “ starting to get full , ” Chief Clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
Banner has struggled with staffing but kept schedules full by turning to outside agencies .
Bessell did not give numbers , but said plans are in place should the state exceed surge capacity , including field hospitals and alternate care sites such as churches .
People should not assume the increase in cases is only because of increased testing , said University of Arizona associate professor Purnima Madhivanan , an epidemiologist .
The positivity rate , or the proportion of tests that come back positive , is more important .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , ” Madhivanan said .
“ It ’ s not .
It ’ s going up.
” The only way to get a clear picture of the disease in Arizona is more testing , but that has been difficult on several levels .
Some places have had trouble finding people to administer the tests , labs are taking a week to return results , and people who want testing don ’ t always get it .
“ It ’ s a nightmare .
People are waiting six hours , eight hours to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be tested , ” Madhivanan said .
Banner is prioritizing inpatients and people with symptoms over others , and test results are averaging five to seven days .
The health care group is scheduling 1,000 Covid-19 test appointments daily statewide , Bessell said .
“ We need more testing , ” Bessell said .
“ We ’ ve needed more testing for a long period of time.
” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 34,313 new Covid-19 cases nationwide on Wednesday , for a total of 2.3 million with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers are compiled from health departments in all 50 states , the District of Columbia , Guam , Puerto Rico , Northern Mariana Islands , and the U.S. Virgin Islands .
Arizona has been largely open for business with some restrictions since Ducey gradually lifted a stay-at-home order to expire in May .
Restaurants , bars and gyms have been open for dine-in service since May 11 , although many businesses have ignored social distancing and mask requirements .
A Scottsdale bar , Riot House , was charged this week with social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses that violate mask or other requirements “ bad actors ” that are in the minority .
The governor reached out to Arizona ’ s younger residents to do their part , even though their risk is lower than older people .
“ I know many young people out there feel invincible , and statistically , on some of these worst-case scenarios , maybe you have some reason to feel that way , ” Ducey said .
“ But your parents are not invincible.
” He urged everyone to wear masks in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially if they are sick .
Although other states , such as New York , were hit harder earlier , Arizona is just now seeing the main impact of the virus , and we can ’ t afford to let up efforts to contain it , Ducey said .
“ This is Arizona ’ s first wave , and this will not be our last wave .
”

With his state among eight facing record numbers of Covid-19 cases daily, hospitals nearing capacity, and 1,490 people dead from the coronavirus, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey warned Thursday that the worst is yet to come.
TUCSON, Ariz. (CN) — With his state among eight facing record numbers of Covid-19 cases daily, hospitals nearing capacity, and 1,490 people dead from the coronavirus, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey warned Thursday that the worst is yet to come.
Almost 90% of the state's intensive care beds are full, leaving hospitals to consider the possibility of field hospitals in tents or churches, and the virus is spreading, not slowing.
“We expect that our numbers will be worse next week and the week following, in terms of cases and hospitalizations,” Ducey said during a news conference.
Statewide, 2,455 people were in hospitals with Covid-19 by Wednesday, 611 in intensive care and 415 on ventilators, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported. Only 198 of the state’s 1,443 intensive care beds were available. The state reported 3,056 new cases Thursday with a hospitalization rate of 7%.
Arizona’s largest hospital provider, Banner Health, is in a patient surge and beds are “starting to get full,” Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Marjorie Bessell said Thursday in a statement.
Banner has struggled with staffing but kept schedules full by turning to outside agencies. Bessell did not give numbers, but said plans are in place should the state exceed surge capacity, including field hospitals and alternate care sites such as churches.
People should not assume the increase in cases is only because of increased testing, said University of Arizona associate professor Purnima Madhivanan, an epidemiologist. The positivity rate, or the proportion of tests that come back positive, is more important.
“That positivity rate should be going down,” Madhivanan said. “It’s not. It’s going up.”
The only way to get a clear picture of the disease in Arizona is more testing, but that has been difficult on several levels. Some places have had trouble finding people to administer the tests, labs are taking a week to return results, and people who want testing don’t always get it.
“It’s a nightmare. People are waiting six hours, eight hours to be tested, and they still can’t be tested,” Madhivanan said.
Banner is prioritizing inpatients and people with symptoms over others, and test results are averaging five to seven days. The health care group is scheduling 1,000 Covid-19 test appointments daily statewide, Bessell said.
“We need more testing,” Bessell said. “We've needed more testing for a long period of time.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 34,313 new Covid-19 cases nationwide on Wednesday, for a total of 2.3 million with 121,117 deaths from 56 jurisdictions. The numbers are compiled from health departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Arizona has been largely open for business with some restrictions since Ducey gradually lifted a stay-at-home order to expire in May. Restaurants, bars and gyms have been open for dine-in service since May 11, although many businesses have ignored social distancing and mask requirements.
A Scottsdale bar, Riot House, was charged this week with social distancing violations, Ducey said, calling the businesses that violate mask or other requirements “bad actors” that are in the minority. The governor reached out to Arizona’s younger residents to do their part, even though their risk is lower than older people.
“I know many young people out there feel invincible, and statistically, on some of these worst-case scenarios, maybe you have some reason to feel that way,” Ducey said. “But your parents are not invincible.”
He urged everyone to wear masks in public, wash hands frequently and stay home, especially if they are sick.
Although other states, such as New York, were hit harder earlier, Arizona is just now seeing the main impact of the virus, and we can’t afford to let up efforts to contain it, Ducey said.
“This is Arizona’s first wave, and this will not be our last wave.”


courthousenews--2020-06-26--LA County Officials Vote to Explore Alternatives to Transportation Police

LOS ANGELES ( CN ) — Spurred by mass protests demanding an end to racism and police violence in Los Angeles County , officials from the third-largest transportation agency in the nation voted Thursday to probe transit police ’ s use of force standards and pursue alternatives to armed officers patrolling buses , trains and platforms .
The move by the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors begins to disentangle transit policing from the criminal justice system and instead grounds it in a model that shifts resources to health professionals and community members who can support riders in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is about three years into a 5-year contract worth nearly $ 800 million with multiple police agencies who respond to crisis calls across its network .
Public transportation advocates such as the Alliance for Community Transit LA have long demanded Metro acknowledge that armed police have disproportionately handed citations to riders who are predominantly black and Latino .
A 2017 study by the LA Labor/Community Strategy Center found black people comprised only 19 % of rail riders on Metro but made up nearly 50 % of riders issued police citations .
“ With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime in the region has significantly decreased and riders ’ concerns regarding safety are firmly focused on public health interventions : ability to socially distance , sanitation stations and vehicle cleanliness , ” ACT LA and other advocates said in a June 22 letter to Metro .
“ This further demonstrates that dollars spent on police could be better spent on improving transit reliability and frequency , scaling up social workers and sanitation on transit and at stations , piloting a transit ambassador program , and making transit fare-free.
” Advocates have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public transportation free in order to avoid having police respond to fare evasion , which could potentially lead to criminalization or other harms for riders .
In response to advocates ’ demands , Metro board member and LA City Councilman Mike Bonin introduced a motion to develop alternatives to having police respond to nonviolent incidents and health emergencies on public transportation networks .
Metro ’ s 13-member board approved the motion and established the Transit Public Safety Advisory Committee which will explore having social workers , medical professionals and mediators respond to crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to be at the forefront of that , and make changes that assure that all of its passengers feel safe , ” Bonin said in a statement .
“ That starts by acknowledging that we can not rely on an armed police presence for every issue , and we need smarter , more effective solutions.
” The board also approved LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn ’ s motion ordering a 90-day probe into use of force standards adopted by Metro security contractors , the LAPD , the Long Beach Police Department and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency calls .
“ While law enforcement agencies play an important role in protecting public safety , it is imperative that Metro review the use of force policies that the agencies we contract with and guards we employ follow , in order to protect the lives of the transit riders that they encounter , ” the motion states .
Ahead of the board meeting , no member had recommended cutting the regional agency ’ s overall funding for policing , as has been proposed with budgets for the LA Police Department and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Inglewood Mayor James Butts told the panel he believes police have a vital role in making public transportation safe for riders and that elected officials should adhere to their oversight duties instead of calling for cuts to policing funds .
“ We don ’ t have to change police officers , it ’ s not the number of officers assigned that ’ s making a difference in the perception of public safety , we need to change the culture of policing , ” said Butts , a former police officer .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that ’ s why we need police officers.
” Bonin said more than the “ culture ” of policing must be changed and that seeking better medical emergency training for police misses the point of protesters ’ demands .
“ There could be better training for police officers but why do that when we could have actual professionals be doing the work , ” Bonin said .
“ It would be less expensive and more effective.
” Butts and incoming Metro board chair and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing resources on restoring the public ’ s confidence that riding public transportation is safe during the Covid-19 pandemic .
The agency is facing a nearly $ 2 billion revenue shortfall stemming from a more than 70 % drop in ridership across Metro ’ s transportation network after stay-at-home orders were issued in March .

Spurred by mass protests demanding an end to racism and police violence in Los Angeles County, officials from the third-largest transportation agency in the nation voted Thursday to probe transit police’s use of force standards and pursue alternatives to armed officers patrolling buses, trains and platforms.
LOS ANGELES (CN) — Spurred by mass protests demanding an end to racism and police violence in Los Angeles County, officials from the third-largest transportation agency in the nation voted Thursday to probe transit police’s use of force standards and pursue alternatives to armed officers patrolling buses, trains and platforms.
The move by the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors begins to disentangle transit policing from the criminal justice system and instead grounds it in a model that shifts resources to health professionals and community members who can support riders in an emergency.
The regional transit agency is about three years into a 5-year contract worth nearly $800 million with multiple police agencies who respond to crisis calls across its network.
Public transportation advocates such as the Alliance for Community Transit LA have long demanded Metro acknowledge that armed police have disproportionately handed citations to riders who are predominantly black and Latino.
A 2017 study by the LA Labor/Community Strategy Center found black people comprised only 19% of rail riders on Metro but made up nearly 50% of riders issued police citations.
“With the COVID-19 outbreak in LA County, crime in the region has significantly decreased and riders’ concerns regarding safety are firmly focused on public health interventions: ability to socially distance, sanitation stations and vehicle cleanliness,” ACT LA and other advocates said in a June 22 letter to Metro.
“This further demonstrates that dollars spent on police could be better spent on improving transit reliability and frequency, scaling up social workers and sanitation on transit and at stations, piloting a transit ambassador program, and making transit fare-free.”
Advocates have also called on Metro to make rides on public transportation free in order to avoid having police respond to fare evasion, which could potentially lead to criminalization or other harms for riders.
In response to advocates’ demands, Metro board member and LA City Councilman Mike Bonin introduced a motion to develop alternatives to having police respond to nonviolent incidents and health emergencies on public transportation networks.
Metro’s 13-member board approved the motion and established the Transit Public Safety Advisory Committee which will explore having social workers, medical professionals and mediators respond to crisis events in the future.
“Metro needs to be at the forefront of that, and make changes that assure that all of its passengers feel safe,” Bonin said in a statement. “That starts by acknowledging that we cannot rely on an armed police presence for every issue, and we need smarter, more effective solutions.”
The board also approved LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn’s motion ordering a 90-day probe into use of force standards adopted by Metro security contractors, the LAPD, the Long Beach Police Department and other law enforcement agencies who respond to emergency calls.
“While law enforcement agencies play an important role in protecting public safety, it is imperative that Metro review the use of force policies that the agencies we contract with and guards we employ follow, in order to protect the lives of the transit riders that they encounter,” the motion states.
Ahead of the board meeting, no member had recommended cutting the regional agency’s overall funding for policing, as has been proposed with budgets for the LA Police Department and the LA Unified School District.
Board chair and Inglewood Mayor James Butts told the panel he believes police have a vital role in making public transportation safe for riders and that elected officials should adhere to their oversight duties instead of calling for cuts to policing funds.
“We don't have to change police officers, it's not the number of officers assigned that’s making a difference in the perception of public safety, we need to change the culture of policing,” said Butts, a former police officer. “There are bad people in the world and that’s why we need police officers.”
Bonin said more than the “culture” of policing must be changed and that seeking better medical emergency training for police misses the point of protesters’ demands.
“There could be better training for police officers but why do that when we could have actual professionals be doing the work,” Bonin said. “It would be less expensive and more effective.”
Butts and incoming Metro board chair and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a joint press conference last week the agency is focusing resources on restoring the public’s confidence that riding public transportation is safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The agency is facing a nearly $2 billion revenue shortfall stemming from a more than 70% drop in ridership across Metro’s transportation network after stay-at-home orders were issued in March.