courthousenews--2020-07-07--Trump Tell-All Chronicles a Lifetime of Cheating, From SATs to Taxes to Inheritance

( CN ) — Not even waiting for Chapter 1 to depict her uncle Donald as a sociopath whose family has grown cynical of his public illusions , the clinical psychologist Mary Trump prefaces her memoir with a scene from the 2016 campaign trail .
“ Does anybody even believe the bullshit that he ’ s a self-made man ?
” Mary Trump recalls asking one of the future president ’ s sisters .
“ What has he even accomplished on his own ?
” The reply from Maryanne Barry , a former federal judge , is cutting : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as dry as the Sahara , ‘ he has had five bankruptcies.
’ ” Obtained by Courthouse News one week before publication , an advance copy of “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man ” unveils author Mary Trump as the source behind a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigation that accused President Trump two years ago of using complicated tax frauds as the foundation for the fictional portrait of himself as a self-made success .
The book posits “ cheating as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , tracing the time he paid a friend to take his SATs to a lifetime of tax swindling and a thwarted attempt to rip off his siblings .
One of two children of president ’ s elder brother , Fred Trump Jr. , Mary Trump says Donald Trump tried to use the 1999 passing of his father , Fred Trump Sr. , to pull off a brazen inheritance “ scheme ” that would have left his surviving siblings , Maryanne , Elizabeth and Robert , at his financial mercy .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is quoted as saying years later .
“ Elizabeth would have been begging on a street corner .
We would have had to beg Donald for a cup of coffee.
” In a more lucid moment of Fred Trump Sr. ’ s struggle with Alzheimer ’ s , according to the book , the family patriarch refused to sign a codicil that would have legitimized the power grabs .
Invoking a 2001 nondisclosure agreement , the future president ’ s other brother , Robert Trump , would later take Mary Trump to court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeating those family secrets .
Even as reporters dissect her book , a restraining order forbids “ Mary L. Trump , together with any agent ” from describing its contents .
Her publishers at Simon & Schuster , which a New York appeals court ruled are not specifically bound by the deal , paint it as an affront to protections against prior restraint of the press .
Backed by high-profile First Amendment attorneys , they argue that Mary Trump ’ s rights to free expression matter most when writing about her uncle in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evident before her book technically begins .
“ If he is afforded a second term , it will be the end of American democracy , ” Mary Trump declares in the prologue .
But ultimately , true to her profession , Mary Trump ’ s book is a psychological portrait and a family drama .
“ Child abuse is , in some sense , a matter of ‘ too much ’ or ‘ not enough , ’ ” she observes , in an explanation of the book ’ s title .
The psychologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his father ’ s neglect in pursuit of his real estate empire and his mother ’ s illness as a toddler .
“ Any story about Donald was really a story about Fred , ” Mary Trump writes at one point , referring to New York media narrative surrounding the future president .
It might also be described as the thesis encapsulating the book , as well as the shaky foundation of all of the president ’ s achievements : “ Fred also knew that if that secret was uncovered , the ruse @ @ @ @ @

Not even waiting for Chapter 1 to depict her uncle Donald as a sociopath whose family has grown cynical of his public illusions, the clinical psychologist Mary Trump prefaces her memoir with a scene from the 2016 campaign trail.
(CN) — Not even waiting for Chapter 1 to depict her uncle Donald as a sociopath whose family has grown cynical of his public illusions, the clinical psychologist Mary Trump prefaces her memoir with a scene from the 2016 campaign trail.
"Does anybody even believe the bullshit that he's a self-made man?” Mary Trump recalls asking one of the future president’s sisters. “What has he even accomplished on his own?”
The reply from Maryanne Barry, a former federal judge, is cutting: “‘Well,’ Maryanne said, as dry as the Sahara, ‘he has had five bankruptcies.’”
Obtained by Courthouse News one week before publication, an advance copy of “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” unveils author Mary Trump as the source behind a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigation that accused President Trump two years ago of using complicated tax frauds as the foundation for the fictional portrait of himself as a self-made success.
When the story first broke in 2018, the Times exposé credited the breakthrough into the murky Trump fortune to tax records sent anonymously by mail, but Mary Trump narrates a far more hands-on relationship with journalists and their source.
As the president’s niece tells it, investigative reporter Susanne Craig landed unwelcome at her doorstep months after Trump’s inauguration and was turned away. The Times journalist persisted a few weeks later with a letter asserting that the documents that she was seeking could help “rewrite the history of the President of the United States.”
Mary Trump recalls being laid up in her house with a foot fracture watching what she describes as “democracy disintegrating and people’s lives unraveling because of my uncle’s policies,” before agreeing to share records from an old inheritance dispute and communicating with the three reporters who shared the Times bylines in person and via a “burner phone.”
“Through the extraordinary reporting of the Times team, I learned more about my family’s finances than I’d ever known,” she recounts, rattling off the findings of the nearly 14,000-word report.
For Mary Trump, one of the investigation’s most “mind boggling” revelations revealed her grandfather’s fortune to be up to four times the size asserted by her aunt and uncles, whom she claims gave an “absurdly low” valuation to defraud her into her settlement.
The book posits “cheating as a way of life” for Donald Trump, tracing the time he paid a friend to take his SATs to a lifetime of tax swindling and a thwarted attempt to rip off his siblings.
One of two children of president’s late elder brother, Fred Trump Jr., Mary Trump says Donald Trump tried to pull off a brazen inheritance “scheme” over the fortune of his father, Fred Trump Sr., that would have left his surviving siblings, Maryanne, Elizabeth and Robert, at his financial mercy.
“We would have been penniless,” Maryanne is quoted as saying years later. “Elizabeth would have been begging on a street corner. We would have had to beg Donald for a cup of coffee.”
In a more lucid moment of Fred Trump Sr.’s struggle with Alzheimer’s, according to the book, the family patriarch refused to sign a codicil that would have legitimized the power grabs. When he died in 1999, that act ensured that three of his children remained co-executors of the estate.
“In 1992, only two years after Donald’s attempt to attach the codicil to my grandfather’s will, effectively cutting his siblings out, the four of them suddenly needed one another: after a lifetime of their father’s playing them off one another, they finally had a common purpose — to protect their inheritance from the government,” the book claims.


courthousenews--2020-07-07--All Eyes on High Court as Ruling Looms in Trump Taxes Case

WASHINGTON ( CN ) — With the coronavirus pandemic pushing the whirlwind conclusion of the Supreme Court ’ s term into July for the first time since 1996 , the justices still must decide a handful of highly anticipated cases , including over Obamacare , religious exceptions to employment laws and access to President Donald Trump ’ s tax returns .
The court will next release opinions on Wednesday and still has five undecided cases .
All of those cases were argued in May , when the court held its first-ever remote arguments due to concerns about Covid-19 .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court ’ s term , the remaining decisions are among the biggest the court heard over the last nine months and figure to have weighty legal and political consequences ahead of the 2020 presidential election .
Chief among the unresolved cases is a pair of legal battles in which Trump is seeking to keep his financial records from Congress and his tax returns from a New York City prosecutor .
Probing the limits of presidential privilege , federalism and the relationship between the White House and Congress , the May oral arguments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indication of how the court might resolve the hotly contested issue .
However , Chief Justice John Roberts , in his usual position as the anticipated swing vote in the case , appeared skeptical of House Democrats ’ argument that Congress can justify any subpoena so long as it might lead to future , undefined legislation .
“ That ’ s what I ’ m suggesting , that your test is really not much of a test , it ’ s not a limitation , ” Roberts said at arguments .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to take account of the fact that we ’ re talking about a coordinate branch of government — the executive branch.
” The dispute over Congress ’ ability to access the president ’ s personal and corporate financial records dates to subpoenas issued in 2019 by the new Democratic majorities on the House Oversight , Financial Services and Intelligence Committees that seek broad swaths of financial information from Trump and his businesses .
The committees , who say the subpoenas are part of investigations into foreign interference , money laundering and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at both the D.C .
Circuit and Second Circuit , with the appeals courts holding they had valid reasons for pursuing he documents .
The Trump administration has meanwhile said the committee subpoenas are invalid because they do not serve a valid legislative purpose .
With election day just four months away , the decision figures to have major political implications .
If the court comes down in favor of the committees , House Democrats will have their hands on a trove of investigatory materials at a critical time in the campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , would restrict Congress ’ ability to investigate Trump and future presidents .
Erwin Chemerinsky , the dean of Berkeley Law School , said the looming election will clearly be on the minds of the justices as they decide the case , but some of the more fundamental and enduring questions are more likely to occupy their time .
“ They live in the society , they know there ’ s a November election , they know that the financial information , especially the tax records , could be very important , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ On the other hand , I don ’ t think that ’ s what they ’ re going to be focused on .
I think they ’ re going to be focused on the separation of powers questions.
” The second battle over Trump ’ s finances concerns the efforts of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance , who issued a grand jury subpoena nearly identical to the House Oversight Committee ’ s but with the added ask of Trump ’ s tax returns .
Also victorious in the lower courts , Vance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longtime accounting firm Mazars as part his office ’ s investigation into alleged hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels .
While arguing the case , Vance has said it is key to receive the documents at this stage in the investigation while memories are still fresh and records easy to find .
He also assured the justices it would not necessarily spark a wave of politically motived investigations launched by state and local prosecutors .
But Trump has taken a broad view of presidential power in seeking to dodge the Vance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all forms of criminal process while in office .
Aside from the financial records subpoenas , the court will again weigh in on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ’ s so-called contraceptive mandate .
That provision of the federal health care law better known as Obamacare requires employers with more than 50 employees to include free contraception as part of their health insurance packages .
The mandate was narrowed in rounds of litigation during the Obama administration and then even more with a Trump executive action in 2017 that allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ object to providing contraception to their workers .
Pennsylvania and New Jersey challenged the Trump order , winning an injunction that the Third Circuit upheld .
The Trump administration is joined in challenging the mandate by the Little Sisters of the Poor , a Catholic religious order that was involved in an earlier challenge to the mandate called Zubik v. Burwell .
In that case , the Little Sisters said the form they were required to sign in order to opt out of providing the coverage made them complicit in sin .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was clearly skeptical of the Trump administration ’ s action at oral arguments , which she joined by phone from the hospital .
In another challenge that raises questions of how generally applicable laws apply to religious organizations , the court will also decide whether to broaden a general exception to employment discrimination law to cover teachers at religious schools .
Known as the ministerial exception , the doctrine dates back to 1985 and generally exempts religious groups from federal anti-discrimination laws when making decisions about hiring .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2012 , though it left vague which employees the exception covers .
The court must now fill in some of those gaps and decide whether the ministerial exception applies to two Los Angeles-area Catholic schools that fired teachers .
It was difficult after oral arguments to forecast how the court might come down in the case , as the justices struggled to find a line that would make the exception generally applicable across a variety of religions with different hierarchies and titles .
Facing a steady barrage of hypothetical questions from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools said his version of the ministerial exception would apply to a nurse at a religious hospital who tends to the religious needs of sick patients , but likely would not to a math teacher who only leads a short prayer at the beginning of class .
Chemerinsky said previous actions on religion cases from the court ’ s conservative majority , including its decision last week in a case out of Montana over state tax credits for private schools , are good signs for both the Little Sisters and the Catholic schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives on the current court want to greatly decrease the role of the establishment clause and greatly increase protection of free exercise of religion , ” the Berkeley Law School dean said .
The final case the court has yet to decide does not come with the same significant political implications of the other disputes but raises intriguing questions of criminal jurisdiction and the historical legacy of the U.S. government ’ s mistreatment of Native Americans .
In the case , Jimcy McGirt seeks to dodge his 1997 rape convictions on the grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is tribal land , for legal purposes .
McGirt , who is a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma , says because Congress never did away with the boundaries of a tribal reservation when it granted Oklahoma statehood , his case should have been tried in federal , rather than state court .
In a 2017 decision in a separate case concerning the conviction of Patrick Murphy , the 10th Circuit ruled the land is indeed a tribal reservation .
The Supreme Court initially heard that case in 2018 , but announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would need to rehear the dispute .
But instead of setting Murphy ’ s case for argument this year , the court took on McGirt ’ s , possibly because Justice Neil Gorsuch was recused from Murphy ’ s case , which came up through his old court .
At arguments in both the 2018 case and in McGirt ’ s challenge , the justices appeared hesitant to deem a significant segment of Oklahoma , including the city of Tulsa , a reservation , which could have cascading effects on already resolved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current legal and regulatory regime .

With the coronavirus pandemic pushing the whirlwind conclusion of the Supreme Court’s term into July for the first time since 1996, the justices still must decide a handful of highly anticipated cases, including over Obamacare, religious exceptions to employment laws and access to President Donald Trump’s tax returns.
WASHINGTON (CN) — With the coronavirus pandemic pushing the whirlwind conclusion of the Supreme Court’s term into July for the first time since 1996, the justices still must decide a handful of highly anticipated cases, including over Obamacare, religious exceptions to employment laws and access to President Donald Trump’s tax returns.
The court will next release opinions on Wednesday and still has five undecided cases. All of those cases were argued in May, when the court held its first-ever remote arguments due to concerns about Covid-19.
As is common with the end of the court’s term, the remaining decisions are among the biggest the court heard over the last nine months and figure to have weighty legal and political consequences ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Chief among the unresolved cases is a pair of legal battles in which Trump is seeking to keep his financial records from Congress and his tax returns from a New York City prosecutor.
Probing the limits of presidential privilege, federalism and the relationship between the White House and Congress, the May oral arguments in the cases did not provide a clear indication of how the court might resolve the hotly contested issue.
However, Chief Justice John Roberts, in his usual position as the anticipated swing vote in the case, appeared skeptical of House Democrats’ argument that Congress can justify any subpoena so long as it might lead to future, undefined legislation.
“That’s what I’m suggesting, that your test is really not much of a test, it’s not a limitation,” Roberts said at arguments. “And it doesn’t seem in any way to take account of the fact that we’re talking about a coordinate branch of government — the executive branch.”
The dispute over Congress’ ability to access the president’s personal and corporate financial records dates to subpoenas issued in 2019 by the new Democratic majorities on the House Oversight, Financial Services and Intelligence Committees that seek broad swaths of financial information from Trump and his businesses.
The committees, who say the subpoenas are part of investigations into foreign interference, money laundering and the president’s personal conduct, won at both the D.C. Circuit and Second Circuit, with the appeals courts holding they had valid reasons for pursuing he documents.
The Trump administration has meanwhile said the committee subpoenas are invalid because they do not serve a valid legislative purpose.
President Donald Trump smiles at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2020, near Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
With election day just four months away, the decision figures to have major political implications. If the court comes down in favor of the committees, House Democrats will have their hands on a trove of investigatory materials at a critical time in the campaign.
A ruling in the other direction, however, would restrict Congress’ ability to investigate Trump and future presidents.
Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of Berkeley Law School, said the looming election will clearly be on the minds of the justices as they decide the case, but some of the more fundamental and enduring questions are more likely to occupy their time.
“They live in the society, they know there’s a November election, they know that the financial information, especially the tax records, could be very important,” Chemerinsky said in an interview. “On the other hand, I don’t think that’s what they’re going to be focused on. I think they’re going to be focused on the separation of powers questions.”
The second battle over Trump’s finances concerns the efforts of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who issued a grand jury subpoena nearly identical to the House Oversight Committee’s but with the added ask of Trump’s tax returns.


courthousenews--2020-07-07--Biden Touts Plan to Bring Manufacturing Back to US

( CN ) — Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden previewed a plan Tuesday to manufacture a range of products critical to national security in the United States after the pandemic revealed America ’ s crippling reliance on other countries — particularly China — for goods .
Biden said modern manufacturing in the United States will provide jobs for the American workforce while ensuring a stockpile of critical goods like medical supplies that ran dangerously low during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak .
“ The goal here is not pure self-sufficiency , but broad-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a release issued Tuesday .
While Biden ’ s camp cited the coronavirus and the medical supply shortage , they said their plan to restore manufacturing to America ’ s shores would also include an array of products that could help the nation respond to a rapidly dynamic global community .
“ The critical supplies America needs today may be different from the critical supplies needed in the future as technologies and markets evolve , ” the campaign said .
Biden plans to purloin a central plank from then-candidate Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vowed to redo trade deals he claimed hollowed out America ’ s manufacturing and its good-paying jobs .
Trump has said the coronavirus should prompt American manufacturers to make gowns , face masks , ventilators and testing materials at home .
Trump has also hit Biden for supporting trade deals he said were responsible for the flight of American manufacturing .
But Biden said Trump has given lip service to an “ America First ” agenda and has failed to produce .
“ Trump tweets about “ America First ” but his policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden camp said in a separate statement .
“ For American workers , Trump ’ s policies have led to more offshoring , a U.S. manufacturing recession , and vulnerable U.S. supply chains.
” The trend has become particularly salient in relation to the pharmaceutical industry , the campaign said .
Imports of pharmaceuticals have risen by 40 % during Trump ’ s 3 ½ years in office .
The issue is likely to be a critical factor in swing states throughout the American Midwest .
States like Ohio , Michigan , Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — went for Trump in 2016 , likely because voters thought he was attuned to their issues .
As American companies moved manufacturing plants oversees , where environmental and labor laws are laxer , plants closed throughout the Midwest .
Many social critics point out the exodus of manufacturing hurt rural communities that were often built around manufacturing plants in the Midwest and cast the ensuing flight to urban areas and opioid addiction problems as symptoms of this deeper problem .

Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden previewed a plan Tuesday to manufacture a range of products critical to national security in the United States after the pandemic revealed America’s crippling reliance on other countries — particularly China — for goods.
(CN) — Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden previewed a plan Tuesday to manufacture a range of products critical to national security in the United States after the pandemic revealed America’s crippling reliance on other countries — particularly China — for goods.
Biden said modern manufacturing in the United States will provide jobs for the American workforce while ensuring a stockpile of critical goods like medical supplies that ran dangerously low during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.
“The goal here is not pure self-sufficiency, but broad-based resilience,” Biden’s campaign said in a release issued Tuesday.
While Biden’s camp cited the coronavirus and the medical supply shortage, they said their plan to restore manufacturing to America’s shores would also include an array of products that could help the nation respond to a rapidly dynamic global community.
“The critical supplies America needs today may be different from the critical supplies needed in the future as technologies and markets evolve,” the campaign said.
Biden plans to purloin a central plank from then-candidate Donald Trump’s 2016 platform in which he vowed to redo trade deals he claimed hollowed out America’s manufacturing and its good-paying jobs. Trump has said the coronavirus should prompt American manufacturers to make gowns, face masks, ventilators and testing materials at home.
Trump has also hit Biden for supporting trade deals he said were responsible for the flight of American manufacturing.
But Biden said Trump has given lip service to an “America First” agenda and has failed to produce.
“Trump tweets about “America First” but his policies put outsourcing corporations first,” the Biden camp said in a separate statement. “For American workers, Trump’s policies have led to more offshoring, a U.S. manufacturing recession, and vulnerable U.S. supply chains.”
The trend has become particularly salient in relation to the pharmaceutical industry, the campaign said. Imports of pharmaceuticals have risen by 40% during Trump’s 3 ½ years in office.
The issue is likely to be a critical factor in swing states throughout the American Midwest. States like Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — reliably blue for decades — went for Trump in 2016, likely because voters thought he was attuned to their issues.
As American companies moved manufacturing plants oversees, where environmental and labor laws are laxer, plants closed throughout the Midwest. Many social critics point out the exodus of manufacturing hurt rural communities that were often built around manufacturing plants in the Midwest and cast the ensuing flight to urban areas and opioid addiction problems as symptoms of this deeper problem.


courthousenews--2020-07-07--States Sue DeVos Over Covid Relief Handouts to Swanky Private Schools

SACRAMENTO , Calif. ( CN ) — Accusing the Trump administration of propping up private schools in the pandemic aid sweepstakes , California and four other states sued Tuesday to freeze a plan they claim reduces federal relief meant for cash-strapped public schools .
The coalition says rules approved by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos divert from longstanding federal education funding laws by allowing private schools to apply for aid earmarked for low-income students .
In a federal lawsuit , the states claim DeVos ’ plan strays from both Title 1 and Congress ’ intent when it allocated $ 13 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security ( CARES ) Act funding for K-12 education .
The move allows private institutions with steep tuition rates to access relief at a time when public schools across the country are buckling due to the coronavirus pandemic , said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra .
“ Ultimately , it ’ s a shakedown of low-income schools across the country , ” Becerra told reporters Tuesday .
California is joined in the federal lawsuit by Michigan , Maine , New Mexico , Wisconsin and the District of Columbia .
The states argue guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CARES Act money should be distributed wrongly limits the ability of public schools with large amounts of poor students to access and use the money .
Congress and President Donald Trump approved the $ 2 trillion CARES Act in late March and set aside nearly $ 31 billion for education , including $ 13 billion for K-12 learning .
In late April , the U.S. Department of Education announced education agencies should apportion funds for “ equitable services ” using a school ’ s total number of students rather than just low-income students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CARES Act equitable funding extends to all students and is not hamstrung by traditional Title 1 provisions .
“ There is nothing in the law Congress passed that would allow districts to discriminate against children and teachers based on private school attendance and employment , ” DeVos said on June 25 .
“ There is no reasonable explanation for debating the use of federal funding to serve both public and private K-12 students when federal funding , including CARES Act funding , flows to both public and private higher education institutions.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many private schools serve low and middle-income families and have experienced financial strain like public schools .
She contends more than 100 private schools have been forced to close and that “ hundreds more are facing a similar fate.
” Critics fought the change , saying it opens the door for private schools to receive pandemic relief for all of its students as opposed to just the total number of low-income or at-risk students .
Despite the pushback , the department published the interim rule and it went into effect July 1 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ guidance clashes with Congress ’ intent and could cut $ 16 million available to Michigan public schools .
“ At a time when Michigan schools are facing an unprecedented crisis , every single child deserves the chance to succeed , ” Nessel said in a statement .
“ But , yet again , Secretary DeVos has decided to tip the scales in favor of private schools , leaving the state ’ s public school students behind.
” Filed in the Northern District of California , the 44-page complaint claims the rule violates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intent for the distribution of the education funds .
The states also raise ultra vires and Administrative Procedure Act claims and ask the federal court to preliminarily and permanently toss DeVos ’ rules .
As for California , which has now sued the Trump administration 85 times , Becerra warns the rules could redirect millions intended for programs benefitting disabled students , English learners and homeless children to private students coming from wealthy families .
He accused the Trump administration of “ stealing from the poor to give to the rich ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could get a slice of California ’ s $ 1.5 billion education share .
“ That ’ s about as much as the average poor-working family in California might earn in an entire year , ” Becerra said .
“ It ’ s not just sinful , it ’ s against the law .
”

Accusing the Trump administration of propping up private schools in the pandemic aid sweepstakes, California and four other states sued Tuesday to freeze a plan they claim reduces federal relief meant for cash-strapped public schools.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — Accusing the Trump administration of propping up private schools in the pandemic aid sweepstakes, California and four other states sued Tuesday to freeze a plan they claim reduces federal relief meant for cash-strapped public schools.
The coalition says rules approved by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos divert from longstanding federal education funding laws by allowing private schools to apply for aid earmarked for low-income students. In a federal lawsuit, the states claim DeVos’ plan strays from both Title 1 and Congress’ intent when it allocated $13 billion in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for K-12 education.
The move allows private institutions with steep tuition rates to access relief at a time when public schools across the country are buckling due to the coronavirus pandemic, said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
“Ultimately, it’s a shakedown of low-income schools across the country,” Becerra told reporters Tuesday.
California is joined in the federal lawsuit by Michigan, Maine, New Mexico, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
The states argue guidance issued to local education agencies dictating how CARES Act money should be distributed wrongly limits the ability of public schools with large amounts of poor students to access and use the money.
Congress and President Donald Trump approved the $2 trillion CARES Act in late March and set aside nearly $31 billion for education, including $13 billion for K-12 learning.
In late April, the U.S. Department of Education announced education agencies should apportion funds for “equitable services” using a school’s total number of students rather than just low-income students. DeVos and the department believe the CARES Act equitable funding extends to all students and is not hamstrung by traditional Title 1 provisions.
“There is nothing in the law Congress passed that would allow districts to discriminate against children and teachers based on private school attendance and employment,” DeVos said on June 25. “There is no reasonable explanation for debating the use of federal funding to serve both public and private K-12 students when federal funding, including CARES Act funding, flows to both public and private higher education institutions.”
In defense of the rule, DeVos notes many private schools serve low and middle-income families and have experienced financial strain like public schools. She contends more than 100 private schools have been forced to close and that “hundreds more are facing a similar fate.”
Critics fought the change, saying it opens the door for private schools to receive pandemic relief for all of its students as opposed to just the total number of low-income or at-risk students. Despite the pushback, the department published the interim rule and it went into effect July 1.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel claims DeVos’ guidance clashes with Congress’ intent and could cut $16 million available to Michigan public schools.
“At a time when Michigan schools are facing an unprecedented crisis, every single child deserves the chance to succeed,” Nessel said in a statement. “But, yet again, Secretary DeVos has decided to tip the scales in favor of private schools, leaving the state’s public school students behind.”
Filed in the Northern District of California, the 44-page complaint claims the rule violates separation of powers by changing Congress’ intent for the distribution of the education funds. The states also raise ultra vires and Administrative Procedure Act claims and ask the federal court to preliminarily and permanently toss DeVos’ rules.
As for California, which has now sued the Trump administration 85 times, Becerra warns the rules could redirect millions intended for programs benefitting disabled students, English learners and homeless children to private students coming from wealthy families. He accused the Trump administration of “stealing from the poor to give to the rich” and speculated schools charging $20,000 or more could get a slice of California’s $1.5 billion education share.
“That’s about as much as the average poor-working family in California might earn in an entire year,” Becerra said. “It’s not just sinful, it’s against the law.”


Discovery

DAYTON , Ohio — Papa John ’ s detailed the difficulties of operating pizza restaurants during a pandemic but did @ @ @ @ @ not possible to produce records of hours employees worked and their delivery miles and compensation @ @ @ @ @ Ohio ruled , granting a class of delivery drivers such records in their wage dispute @

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.


Sex Trafficking

PHILADELPHIA — Marriott can bring third-party claims against franchisees and sex traffickers in a suit against the hotel chain brought @ @ @ @ @ trafficking , a federal court in Pennsylvania ruled .


Judge’s Retaliation Suit

NEW ORLEANS — Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other defendants are entitled to absolute prosecutorial immunity in a case brought @ @ @ @ @ Wooten , the Fifth Circuit ruled .
Wooten claims law enforcement officials unconstitutionally investigated and @ @ @ @ @ unseating an incumbent judge .


Rent Laws

BALTIMORE — A federal court in Maryland denied landlords ’ motion for an injunction to block new city and county @ @ @ @ @ increasing rent during the pandemic .


Summer Camps

ALBANY , N.Y. — A federal court in New York denied the Association of Jewish Camp Operators ’ motion for @ @ @ @ @ Governor Andrew Cuomo from prohibiting the operation of overnight children ’ s camps anywhere in @ @ @


courthousenews--2020-07-08--San Diego Voters Will Consider New Police Accountability Board

SAN DIEGO ( CN ) — San Diego voters will decide in November whether to approve a new police accountability commission with the authority to independently investigate alleged misconduct and subpoena witnesses , after the City Council Tuesday approved the addition of the proposed charter amendment to the November ballot .
The proposed Commission on Police Practices would have more teeth than the current iteration — the Community Review Board on Police Practices — by granting members independent investigatory power on in-custody deaths and police shootings .
In addition to subpoena powers , the commission — made up of City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel and city staff outside the police department and mayor ’ s office .
While the council ’ s vote Tuesday coincided with the national debate on police use of force on black Americans and people of color , sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May , San Diego ’ s ballot measure has been years in the making .
Sparked by the arrest of Occupy Wallstreet protester Stephanie Jennings outside City Hall in downtown San Diego , whose complaint about the handling of her arrest was never investigated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years for the City Council to revamp its police oversight .
Women Occupy San Diego , an advocacy organization formed after months-long protests in 2011 , partnered with the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association , an African American legal association , to bring forward the proposed charter amendment in June 2019 .
Tuesday ’ s vote also follows a study last year that found black residents were stopped at a 219 % higher rate than white residents by the San Diego Police Department .
After making its way through several City Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city and several employee unions , including the San Diego Police Officers Association , the City Council heard public comment from 117 speakers — in addition to dozens of written comments in favor of the measure — Tuesday before voting unanimously to include the measure on the November ballot .
Councilwoman Monica Montgomery , who helped shepherd the ballot measure through the necessary City Council approval process , said “ it is time to shift the power to the hands of the community.
” “ I believe this is a step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Council President Georgette Gómez said “ it took a lot of time , but it shouldn ’ t have ” to get the ballot measure approved .
“ These issues are coming from real incidents and real complaints in our communities .
Just because we don ’ t see them , doesn ’ t mean they aren ’ t happening , ” Gomez said .
“ This is a moment of community victory .
People might feel government is not listening — we are .
We are doing the work to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gomez added .
Andrea St. Julian , president of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association and principal author of the charter amendment , told council members Tuesday she worked alongside many San Diego police reform advocates for years to get the measure on the ballot .
“ The success of this charter amendment is squarely based on the support of the community , ” St. Julian said .
St. Julian told Courthouse News that Jennings was part of a group of 17 people arrested and held on a bus for eight hours without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests in San Diego .
While her lawsuit for mistreatment by the San Diego Police Department resulted in a settlement , her complaint was never investigated by the current Community Review Board on Police Practices because it was not forwarded to the board for investigation by the SDPD .
Jennings ’ experience and that of other people arrested during the Occupy Wallstreet protest prompted police reform advocates to push for the creation of a police oversight commission with more independence , St. Julian said .
“ It ’ s pretty verifiable it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last six weeks , we have been making it through City Council for one and a half years , the meet-and-confer which led to the final ballot measure was two days before George Floyd ’ s death , ” St. Julian said , noting the recent protests and calls for police reform .
“ The community has been in favor of this kind of reform for decades , going back to 1988 .
The community has always wanted it and it is not about recent events , ” she added .
San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a phone interview the union has taken a neutral position on the ballot measure .
“ We ’ re going to work with whatever they give us , ” he said .
While he thinks the Community Review Board on Police Practices has been “ successful ” compared to other police oversight agencies across the country , Schaeffer said he hopes if the new oversight board is approved by voters in November , it can also be effective .
“ There ’ s a lot of ways to do oversight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pick what type they get , ” Schaeffer said .
“ Regardless of the way it ’ s done , I hope it ’ s done well .
It would be a shame to have something out there that doesn ’ t work as well as what we already had , ” he added .

San Diego voters will decide in November whether to approve a new police accountability commission with the authority to independently investigate alleged misconduct and subpoena witnesses, after the City Council Tuesday approved the addition of the proposed charter amendment to the November ballot.
SAN DIEGO (CN) — San Diego voters will decide in November whether to approve a new police accountability commission with the authority to independently investigate alleged misconduct and subpoena witnesses, after the City Council Tuesday approved the addition of the proposed charter amendment to the November ballot.
The proposed Commission on Police Practices would have more teeth than the current iteration — the Community Review Board on Police Practices — by granting members independent investigatory power on in-custody deaths and police shootings.
In addition to subpoena powers, the commission — made up of City Council-appointed residents — would have independent legal counsel and city staff outside the police department and mayor’s office.
While the council’s vote Tuesday coincided with the national debate on police use of force on black Americans and people of color, sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May, San Diego’s ballot measure has been years in the making.
Sparked by the arrest of Occupy Wallstreet protester Stephanie Jennings outside City Hall in downtown San Diego, whose complaint about the handling of her arrest was never investigated, several community organizations have been pushing for years for the City Council to revamp its police oversight.
Women Occupy San Diego, an advocacy organization formed after months-long protests in 2011, partnered with the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, an African American legal association, to bring forward the proposed charter amendment in June 2019.
Tuesday’s vote also follows a study last year that found black residents were stopped at a 219% higher rate than white residents by the San Diego Police Department.
After making its way through several City Council committees last year and labor negotiations between the city and several employee unions, including the San Diego Police Officers Association, the City Council heard public comment from 117 speakers — in addition to dozens of written comments in favor of the measure — Tuesday before voting unanimously to include the measure on the November ballot.
Councilwoman Monica Montgomery, who helped shepherd the ballot measure through the necessary City Council approval process, said “it is time to shift the power to the hands of the community.”
“I believe this is a step in that direction,” Montgomery said.
City Council President Georgette Gómez said “it took a lot of time, but it shouldn’t have” to get the ballot measure approved.
“These issues are coming from real incidents and real complaints in our communities. Just because we don’t see them, doesn’t mean they aren’t happening,” Gomez said.
“This is a moment of community victory. People might feel government is not listening — we are. We are doing the work to ensure we are uplifting our communities,” Gomez added.
Andrea St. Julian, president of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association and principal author of the charter amendment, told council members Tuesday she worked alongside many San Diego police reform advocates for years to get the measure on the ballot.
“The success of this charter amendment is squarely based on the support of the community,” St. Julian said.
St. Julian told Courthouse News that Jennings was part of a group of 17 people arrested and held on a bus for eight hours without food or water during the Occupy Wallstreet protests in San Diego.
While her lawsuit for mistreatment by the San Diego Police Department resulted in a settlement, her complaint was never investigated by the current Community Review Board on Police Practices because it was not forwarded to the board for investigation by the SDPD.
Jennings’ experience and that of other people arrested during the Occupy Wallstreet protest prompted police reform advocates to push for the creation of a police oversight commission with more independence, St. Julian said.
“It’s pretty verifiable it has little to do with the events of the last six weeks, we have been making it through City Council for one and a half years, the meet-and-confer which led to the final ballot measure was two days before George Floyd’s death,” St. Julian said, noting the recent protests and calls for police reform.
“The community has been in favor of this kind of reform for decades, going back to 1988. The community has always wanted it and it is not about recent events,” she added.
San Diego Police Officers Association President Jack Schaeffer said in a phone interview the union has taken a neutral position on the ballot measure.
“We’re going to work with whatever they give us,” he said.
While he thinks the Community Review Board on Police Practices has been “successful” compared to other police oversight agencies across the country, Schaeffer said he hopes if the new oversight board is approved by voters in November, it can also be effective.
“There’s a lot of ways to do oversight, we want the voters to be able to pick what type they get,” Schaeffer said.
“Regardless of the way it’s done, I hope it’s done well. It would be a shame to have something out there that doesn’t work as well as what we already had,” he added.


courthousenews--2020-07-08--Judge Blocks Montana Ballot Collection Law Challenged by Native American Tribes

( CN ) — A Montana judge Tuesday blocked a state law that restricts who can collect ballots , finding it likely violates Native Americans ’ right to vote .
In a state where over 73 % of voters cast ballots by mail , the Ballot Interference Prevention Act , enacted by Montana ’ s 2017 Legislature , restricts who can collect ballots and dictates that caregivers , family members and others can collect no more than six ballots per election .
Several Native American tribes and advocacy groups claim in their suit challenging the law that Native Americans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated , and tribal members often must rely on someone else to collect or transport their ballots to the post office .
The law also mandates that only household members , personal friends , postal workers , election officials or caregivers can carry a tribal member ’ s ballot to be mailed , and prohibited third-party ballot-collection organizations from helping tribal members cast their mail-in ballots .
Due to social restrictions from Covid-19 , Montana ’ s 2020 primary election was conducted entirely by mail — the first time the state had done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to rely on the collection and conveyance of their ballot , many Native Americans living on rural reservations will be effectively unable to vote , ” the lawsuit said .
The suit also claims that the law infringes on plaintiffs ’ freedom of speech , by restricting “ core political speech and expressive conduct in communicating their belief in the importance of civic engagement and voter participation in the Native American community.
” Yellowstone County District Court Judge Jessica Fehr on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of the law .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no legitimate purpose ; it fails to enhance the security of absentee voting ; it does not make absentee voting easier or more effective ; it does not reduce the cost of conducting elections and it does not increase voter turnout , ” Fehr wrote in her 11-page ruling .
Fehr added that the state “ failed to demonstrate through any evidence the existence of any compelling state interest that would warrant the interference of the right to vote created by BIPA.
” “ If a preliminary injunction were not granted , BIPA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by preventing absentee ballot voters from voting with the assistance of ballot collection organizations , ” she said .
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union , ACLU of Montana , and Native American Rights Fund on behalf of Western Native Voice and Montana Native Vote — two organizations focused on increasing civic participation in the Native American community .
Other plaintiffs are the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck , the Blackfeet Nation , the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes , the Crow Tribe , and the Fort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy to function , Indigenous people living on rural reservations must have access to the fundamental right to vote .
BIPA , however , was contributing instead to the disenfranchisement that Indigenous people have experienced since the beginning of colonization , ” ACLU legal fellow Lillian Alvernaz said .
Natalie Landreth , staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund , said the Ballot Interference Prevention Act “ is totally unnecessary , as there never was evidence that ballot collection caused any problems in the past.
” The Montana Secretary of State ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request for comment Tuesday .

A Montana judge ruled Tuesday blocked a state law that restricts who can collect ballots, finding it likely violates Native Americans’ right to vote.
(CN) — A Montana judge Tuesday blocked a state law that restricts who can collect ballots, finding it likely violates Native Americans’ right to vote.
In a state where over 73% of voters cast ballots by mail, the Ballot Interference Prevention Act, enacted by Montana’s 2017 Legislature, restricts who can collect ballots and dictates that caregivers, family members and others can collect no more than six ballots per election.
Several Native American tribes and advocacy groups claim in their suit challenging the law that Native Americans in Montana’s seven reservations are particularly isolated, and tribal members often must rely on someone else to collect or transport their ballots to the post office.
The law also mandates that only household members, personal friends, postal workers, election officials or caregivers can carry a tribal member’s ballot to be mailed, and prohibited third-party ballot-collection organizations from helping tribal members cast their mail-in ballots.
Due to social restrictions from Covid-19, Montana’s 2020 primary election was conducted entirely by mail — the first time the state had done an all-mail ballot.
“Without being able to rely on the collection and conveyance of their ballot, many Native Americans living on rural reservations will be effectively unable to vote,” the lawsuit said.
The suit also claims that the law infringes on plaintiffs’ freedom of speech, by restricting “core political speech and expressive conduct in communicating their belief in the importance of civic engagement and voter participation in the Native American community.”
Yellowstone County District Court Judge Jessica Fehr on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of the law.
“The Court finds that BIPA serves no legitimate purpose; it fails to enhance the security of absentee voting; it does not make absentee voting easier or more effective; it does not reduce the cost of conducting elections and it does not increase voter turnout,” Fehr wrote in her 11-page ruling.
Fehr added that the state “failed to demonstrate through any evidence the existence of any compelling state interest that would warrant the interference of the right to vote created by BIPA.”
“If a preliminary injunction were not granted, BIPA would cause irreparable harm to Montana voters by preventing absentee ballot voters from voting with the assistance of ballot collection organizations,” she said.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Montana, and Native American Rights Fund on behalf of Western Native Voice and Montana Native Vote — two organizations focused on increasing civic participation in the Native American community. Other plaintiffs are the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck, the Blackfeet Nation, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Crow Tribe, and the Fort Belknap Indian Community.
“For our democracy to function, Indigenous people living on rural reservations must have access to the fundamental right to vote. BIPA, however, was contributing instead to the disenfranchisement that Indigenous people have experienced since the beginning of colonization,” ACLU legal fellow Lillian Alvernaz said.
Natalie Landreth, staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, said the Ballot Interference Prevention Act “is totally unnecessary, as there never was evidence that ballot collection caused any problems in the past.”
The Montana Secretary of State’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.


courthousenews--2020-07-08--University of California Appoints Its First Black President

( CN ) — The University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve Michael Drake , former president of Ohio State University and the University of California , Irvine , as the first black UC president in the 152-year history of the higher education system .
“ Today is one of the most momentous events in our history , ” said Board of Regents Chair John Perez .
Drake will replace outgoing UC President Janet Napolitano , who announced her departure three weeks ago .
Napolitano was the first woman to serve as president of the UC system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color to lead the university , ” Napolitano said during the meeting of the UC Regents .
“ It ’ s an important moment , one more step for our university system in its ongoing effort to ensure university reflects the rich diversity of our state.
” Drake , who will turn 70 on Thursday , is currently the president of The Ohio State University , a position he has served in since 2014 .
Drake was the chancellor of the University of California , Irvine , from 2005 to 2014 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the United States and its various institutions , including higher education , continue to confront its past of racial inequality .
The UC system , widely considered to be one of the most prestigious public higher education systems in the world , has grappled with accusations of racial bias , as the demographics of those admitted to the system have not reflected the demographics of the state .
Specifically , black people and non-Hispanic Latinos are underrepresented in the university system when compared with their broader population in the state of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Asian-Americans and white students both consistently have a higher share of incoming freshman population versus the share of high school graduation in the state .
“ Michael Drake shares our values and his record on diversity and access is extraordinary , ” said Sherry Lansing , a UC Regent who helped launch the search committee that landed Drake .
Drake announced his retirement from Ohio State in June and intended to resume the duties of a regular faculty member until UC began to recruit him for the position .
“ I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we move forward , ” Drake said after the vote was taken .
Drake said the university and the greater public it serves will have to face challenges in the short- and long-term .
“ We are amid a global pandemic that is still spreading and we are dealing with the yawning wounds of social injustice , ” he said .
“ There are longer-term threats like environmental degradation and climate change that must be addressed if we are to continue as a species.
” Drake said the UC system is poised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the near term , the UC system is faced with an imminent decision about whether to allow students to return to campus this fall .
California continues to struggle amid the throes of a coronavirus resurgence , with Southern California , in particular , exhibiting signs of being one of the worst virus hot spots in the country .
The system is currently planning to provide most classes via online platforms , with some exceptions for in-person labs and small discussion seminars that are difficult to execute remotely .
Additionally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students to return to on-campus housing , but plans remain fluid .
Drake was born in New York City and grew up in New Jersey , but moved his family to Sacramento , California when still young .
He attended Stanford University and received advanced degrees from the University of California , San Francisco .
He is an ophthalmologist by trade .

The University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve Michael Drake, former president of Ohio State University and the University of California, Irvine, as the first black UC president in the 152-year history of the higher education system.
(CN) — The University of California Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve Michael Drake, former president of Ohio State University and the University of California, Irvine, as the first black UC president in the 152-year history of the higher education system.
Michael Drake, the new president of the University of California, on The Ohio State University campus. (Gmartineau86 via Wikipedia)
“Today is one of the most momentous events in our history,” said Board of Regents Chair John Perez.
Drake will replace outgoing UC President Janet Napolitano, who announced her departure three weeks ago. Napolitano was the first woman to serve as president of the UC system.
“Michael is the first person of color to lead the university,” Napolitano said during the meeting of the UC Regents. “It’s an important moment, one more step for our university system in its ongoing effort to ensure university reflects the rich diversity of our state.”
Drake, who will turn 70 on Thursday, is currently the president of The Ohio State University, a position he has served in since 2014. Drake was the chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, from 2005 to 2014.
Drake’s appointment takes on significance as the United States and its various institutions, including higher education, continue to confront its past of racial inequality. The UC system, widely considered to be one of the most prestigious public higher education systems in the world, has grappled with accusations of racial bias, as the demographics of those admitted to the system have not reflected the demographics of the state.
Specifically, black people and non-Hispanic Latinos are underrepresented in the university system when compared with their broader population in the state of California and the demographics of high school graduates.
Asian-Americans and white students both consistently have a higher share of incoming freshman population versus the share of high school graduation in the state.
“Michael Drake shares our values and his record on diversity and access is extraordinary,” said Sherry Lansing, a UC Regent who helped launch the search committee that landed Drake.
Drake announced his retirement from Ohio State in June and intended to resume the duties of a regular faculty member until UC began to recruit him for the position.
“I am excited to join the UC family as we move forward,” Drake said after the vote was taken.
Drake said the university and the greater public it serves will have to face challenges in the short- and long-term.
“We are amid a global pandemic that is still spreading and we are dealing with the yawning wounds of social injustice,” he said. “There are longer-term threats like environmental degradation and climate change that must be addressed if we are to continue as a species.”
Drake said the UC system is poised to help confront those problems and offer solutions.
In the near term, the UC system is faced with an imminent decision about whether to allow students to return to campus this fall. California continues to struggle amid the throes of a coronavirus resurgence, with Southern California, in particular, exhibiting signs of being one of the worst virus hot spots in the country.
The system is currently planning to provide most classes via online platforms, with some exceptions for in-person labs and small discussion seminars that are difficult to execute remotely. Additionally, the system is poised to allow some students to return to on-campus housing, but plans remain fluid.
Drake was born in New York City and grew up in New Jersey, but moved his family to Sacramento, California when still young. He attended Stanford University and received advanced degrees from the University of California, San Francisco.
He is an ophthalmologist by trade.


courthousenews--2020-07-08--LA County Sets New Daily Record for Coronavirus Cases

( CN ) — Marking a new daily high , Los Angeles County health officials on Tuesday reported 4,015 new coronavirus cases along with continued increases in hospitalizations and testing positivity rates in California ’ s most populous county .
County officials attributed part of the spike to a backlog of tests conducted over the weekend but warned the nearly 2,000 people currently hospitalized — up from 1,350 three weeks ago — reflects the virus ’ persistent spread in the county of 10 million .
LA County Public Health director Barbara Ferrer implored people to wear masks and avoid crowded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Choosing to not practice physical distancing or objecting to wearing cloth face coverings when around others can be a life-altering decision .
Everyone shares the collective responsibility to slow the spread of Covid-19 , to prevent an overwhelming surge of Covid-19 , to save lives , ” Ferrer said during a pandemic briefing .
Ferrer said the county ’ s seven-day positivity rate — the number of positive cases among residents receiving Covid-19 tests , a key indicator of community spread of the virus — has risen to 11.6 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.2 million tests conducted since the pandemic began have been positive .
Along with 531 infected people currently in county intensive care units , the public health department also announced 46 new deaths , raising the county ’ s coronavirus death toll to 3,579 .
According to county statistics , 93 % of people who died from the virus had an underlying condition .
The virus has also hit the Latino community hard — they account for 44 % of the county ’ s deaths .
White residents account for 27 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Asian residents and black residents account for 16 % and 11 % of the deaths , respectively .
LA has been a hotspot for several months with more confirmed cases and deaths than any of California ’ s 58 counties , but the virus has also ravaged neighboring Orange County which also set a daily record Monday with 1,028 confirmed new cases .
Orange County ’ s positivity rate currently sits at 14.2 % with a majority of its 18,890 cases attributed to people under the age of 45 .
Both counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state watchlist due to their recent spike in cases and in some cases shrinking hospital capacity .
“ This pandemic is still in front of us and continues to spread at rates we have not experienced in the state of California since the beginning of this pandemic , ” Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday .
In the northern part of the state , San Francisco officials put the brakes on reopening plans Tuesday as infections and hospitalizations rise .
Bars , restaurants and other businesses were slated to begin offering indoor services on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed their reopening .
The city says the decision was made to keep San Francisco off the governor ’ s watchlist , noting the number of new cases per day per 100,000 residents had risen to 6.1 — above the target of 1.8 .
Several other San Francisco Bay Area counties have been placed on the list , including Contra Costa , Marin and Solano .
“ We know the pause on reopening is disappointing , but it is in the best interest of public health , ” said Mayor London Breed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to make decisions based on the data and the situation in our city , and in the meantime , we all need to do our part to keep each other safe and healthy .
That means wearing face coverings , keeping your distance from others , and getting tested .
We know that is what is needed in order to get us to a place where we can safely resume reopening.
” San Francisco has reported a total 4,020 Covid-19 cases and 50 deaths and says its hospital capacity is “ within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t give a press briefing Tuesday , but that didn ’ t keep the California Department of Public Health from releasing another grim statewide update .
The state identified 6,090 new cases in the past 24 hours with a total of 5,989 hospitalizations .
The state reported 111 new deaths , up from 24 who died over the holiday weekend .
California now has over 282,000 confirmed coronavirus cases , according to Johns Hopkins University — second to New York with 398,000 .

Marking a new daily high, Los Angeles County health officials on Tuesday reported 4,015 new coronavirus cases along with continued increases in hospitalizations and testing positivity rates in California’s most populous county.
(CN) — Marking a new daily high, Los Angeles County health officials on Tuesday reported 4,015 new coronavirus cases along with continued increases in hospitalizations and testing positivity rates in California’s most populous county.
County officials attributed part of the spike to a backlog of tests conducted over the weekend but warned the nearly 2,000 people currently hospitalized — up from 1,350 three weeks ago — reflects the virus’ persistent spread in the county of 10 million.
LA County Public Health director Barbara Ferrer implored people to wear masks and avoid crowded spaces to help stunt the escalating outbreak.
“Choosing to not practice physical distancing or objecting to wearing cloth face coverings when around others can be a life-altering decision. Everyone shares the collective responsibility to slow the spread of Covid-19, to prevent an overwhelming surge of Covid-19, to save lives,” Ferrer said during a pandemic briefing.
Ferrer said the county’s seven-day positivity rate — the number of positive cases among residents receiving Covid-19 tests, a key indicator of community spread of the virus — has risen to 11.6%, and that 9% of the over 1.2 million tests conducted since the pandemic began have been positive.
Along with 531 infected people currently in county intensive care units, the public health department also announced 46 new deaths, raising the county’s coronavirus death toll to 3,579. According to county statistics, 93% of people who died from the virus had an underlying condition.
The virus has also hit the Latino community hard — they account for 44% of the county’s deaths. White residents account for 27% of the county’s Covid deaths, while Asian residents and black residents account for 16% and 11% of the deaths, respectively.
LA has been a hotspot for several months with more confirmed cases and deaths than any of California’s 58 counties, but the virus has also ravaged neighboring Orange County which also set a daily record Monday with 1,028 confirmed new cases. Orange County’s positivity rate currently sits at 14.2% with a majority of its 18,890 cases attributed to people under the age of 45.
Both counties are among the 23 currently on a state watchlist due to their recent spike in cases and in some cases shrinking hospital capacity.
“This pandemic is still in front of us and continues to spread at rates we have not experienced in the state of California since the beginning of this pandemic,” Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday.
In the northern part of the state, San Francisco officials put the brakes on reopening plans Tuesday as infections and hospitalizations rise.
Bars, restaurants and other businesses were slated to begin offering indoor services on July 13, but officials have temporarily delayed their reopening.
The city says the decision was made to keep San Francisco off the governor’s watchlist, noting the number of new cases per day per 100,000 residents had risen to 6.1 — above the target of 1.8. Several other San Francisco Bay Area counties have been placed on the list, including Contra Costa, Marin and Solano.
“We know the pause on reopening is disappointing, but it is in the best interest of public health,” said Mayor London Breed in a statement. “We’ll continue to make decisions based on the data and the situation in our city, and in the meantime, we all need to do our part to keep each other safe and healthy. That means wearing face coverings, keeping your distance from others, and getting tested. We know that is what is needed in order to get us to a place where we can safely resume reopening.”
San Francisco has reported a total 4,020 Covid-19 cases and 50 deaths and says its hospital capacity is “within acceptable range.”
Governor Newsom didn’t give a press briefing Tuesday, but that didn’t keep the California Department of Public Health from releasing another grim statewide update.
The state identified 6,090 new cases in the past 24 hours with a total of 5,989 hospitalizations. The state reported 111 new deaths, up from 24 who died over the holiday weekend. California now has over 282,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University — second to New York with 398,000.


courthousenews--2020-07-08--Polls Close in Mostly Mail-In Primary in New Jersey

TRENTON , N.J. ( CN ) — Polls are officially closed in New Jersey , where results for a mostly mail-in primary may drag through the week for at least one key race .
As per an executive order by Governor Phil Murphy , the primary — originally scheduled for May 12 — was held primarily by mail-in ballot , with a handful of polling places offering provisional ballots .
Mail-in ballots must have been postmarked by Tuesday but they may be received by election officials for up to a week .
The delays in counting those ballots could lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Republicans are likely to challenge the Democrats that were ushered into three competitive House seats two years ago during the “ blue wave.
” In the 2nd Congressional District , Democrat-turned-Republican Jeff Van Drew beat former Trump administration official Bob Patterson .
As of 10 p.m. Eastern time , Van Drew had received almost 80 % of the vote .
Van Drew , originally a conservative Democrat , switched parties last year after rebuking his colleagues ’ impeachment of the president .
After joining the GOP , Van Drew declared his “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The switch allowed Democrats to try to usher in a candidate more in line with the party ’ s views .
Amy Kennedy , the wife of Rhode Island U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy , won the Democratic primary , fending off establishment Democrat Brigid Harrison , who conceded shortly after polls closed .
Kennedy , who received about 55 % of the vote as of 9 p.m. , is a former public school teacher and mental health advocate .
She was able to gain endorsements from U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district , the 3rd District , voted for President Barack Obama twice but went for Trump in 2016 .
Democrat Andy Kim — a Rhodes scholar and former Obama administration official who eked by his opponent to win in 2018 — ran uncontested and will face off against either Kate Gibbs , a former Burlington County freeholder , or construction company CEO David Richter .
As of 10 p.m. , Richter led Gibbs by almost a 4-to-1 ratio but only 30 % of the votes had been counted .
The Gibbs-Richter race has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richter a “ carpetbagger ” who was initially going to run in the 2nd District race against Van Drew .
Richter has criticized Gibbs for her criminal background , noting she was arrested in 2006 for shoplifting from a Kohl ’ s store , faced charges for marijuana possession and drinking on a beach , and has been sued nine times for not paying her bills .
Richter likened her to Jersey Shore star Snooki in campaign ads .
Another seat Republicans hope to flip back to red is in the 7th District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago .
Tom Kean Jr. , the minority leader in the state Senate and son of former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean Sr. , reportedly won his primary and will be on the opposite side of the ballot facing Malinowski come November .
As of 11 p.m. , only 20 % of the votes in the district had been counted , however .
During a webcast Tuesday evening , Malinowski took shots at Van Drew — who he is not running against — and said Kean was just interested in running for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
“ We ’ re one election away from not thinking about elections every day , ” Malinowski told supporters .
Democratic luminaries like Hoyer and Murphy threw their support behind Malinowski during the webcast .
Murphy said “ it ’ s going to be a tough race ” to keep the 7th District Democratic .
“ This is not a lay-down hand , ” he said .
According to an April poll by FiveThirtyEight , Kean and Malinowski have near-equal support among voters , with 39 % to 38 % support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Joe Biden won their respective parties ’ nominations .
Senator Cory Booker , a Democrat , also won his primary against several contenders .

Polls are officially closed in New Jersey, where results for a mostly mail-in primary may drag through the week for some races.
TRENTON, N.J. (CN) — Polls are officially closed in New Jersey, where results for a mostly mail-in primary may drag through the week for at least one key race.
As per an executive order by Governor Phil Murphy, the primary — originally scheduled for May 12 — was held primarily by mail-in ballot, with a handful of polling places offering provisional ballots.
Mail-in ballots must have been postmarked by Tuesday but they may be received by election officials for up to a week.
The delays in counting those ballots could lead to a week-long wait to find out which Republicans are likely to challenge the Democrats that were ushered into three competitive House seats two years ago during the “blue wave.”
In the 2nd Congressional District, Democrat-turned-Republican Jeff Van Drew beat former Trump administration official Bob Patterson. As of 10 p.m. Eastern time, Van Drew had received almost 80% of the vote.
Van Drew, originally a conservative Democrat, switched parties last year after rebuking his colleagues’ impeachment of the president. After joining the GOP, Van Drew declared his “undying support” for President Donald Trump.
The switch allowed Democrats to try to usher in a candidate more in line with the party’s views.
Amy Kennedy, the wife of Rhode Island U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy, won the Democratic primary, fending off establishment Democrat Brigid Harrison, who conceded shortly after polls closed.
Kennedy, who received about 55% of the vote as of 9 p.m., is a former public school teacher and mental health advocate. She was able to gain endorsements from U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Governor Murphy.
Another competitive congressional district, the 3rd District, voted for President Barack Obama twice but went for Trump in 2016.
Democrat Andy Kim — a Rhodes scholar and former Obama administration official who eked by his opponent to win in 2018 — ran uncontested and will face off against either Kate Gibbs, a former Burlington County freeholder, or construction company CEO David Richter.
As of 10 p.m., Richter led Gibbs by almost a 4-to-1 ratio but only 30% of the votes had been counted.
The Gibbs-Richter race has become particularly nasty, with Gibbs calling Richter a “carpetbagger” who was initially going to run in the 2nd District race against Van Drew.
Richter has criticized Gibbs for her criminal background, noting she was arrested in 2006 for shoplifting from a Kohl’s store, faced charges for marijuana possession and drinking on a beach, and has been sued nine times for not paying her bills. Richter likened her to Jersey Shore star Snooki in campaign ads.
Another seat Republicans hope to flip back to red is in the 7th District, which Democrat Tom Malinowski won two years ago.
Tom Kean Jr., the minority leader in the state Senate and son of former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean Sr., reportedly won his primary and will be on the opposite side of the ballot facing Malinowski come November. As of 11 p.m., only 20% of the votes in the district had been counted, however.
During a webcast Tuesday evening, Malinowski took shots at Van Drew — who he is not running against — and said Kean was just interested in running for a seat and would not stand against Trump.
“We’re one election away from not thinking about elections every day,” Malinowski told supporters.
Democratic luminaries like Hoyer and Murphy threw their support behind Malinowski during the webcast. Murphy said “it’s going to be a tough race” to keep the 7th District Democratic. “This is not a lay-down hand,” he said. According to an April poll by FiveThirtyEight, Kean and Malinowski have near-equal support among voters, with 39% to 38% support respectively.
Both Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden won their respective parties' nominations. Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat, also won his primary against several contenders.


courthousenews--2020-07-09--Testimony Wraps in Trial of Accused Russian Hacker

SAN FRANCISCO ( CN ) — Prosecutors tied up their case Wednesday against Yevgeniy Nikulin , a Russian man accused of hacking tech companies LinkedIn , DropBox and Formspring in 2012 .
With FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Miller on the stand , Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Kane walked the jury , in meticulous detail , through a Byzantine web of connections that seemed to point to Nikulin as the hacker behind the intrusions who made off with more than 100 million user credentials .
Nikulin was arrested in the Czech Republic in 2016 and extradited to the U.S. in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intrusion , causing damage to a protected computer , aggravated identity theft , trafficking , and conspiracy .
The FBI believes Nikulin infiltrated the LinkedIn network in March 2012 by first compromising a computer belonging to one of its engineers , Nick Berry .
Prosecutors say he installed malicious software on the computer that allowed him to take control of it remotely .
Using Berry ’ s credentials , Nikulin allegedly gained access to LinkedIn ’ s servers and obtained a copy of a database containing its users ’ login information .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logins from Berry ’ s VPN — a system he could use to log into LinkedIn from his home computer — from IP addresses tied to Russia .
But Berry had been in the San Francisco Bay Area the entire time .
The same kind of intrusion happened to filesharing company Dropbox that same year , after which lists of user passwords showed up on the Russian internet forum Insiderpro .
Like LinkedIn , DropBox kept logs and were able to trace the origin of the attack to a Russian IP address belonging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The FBI also found another email account tied to an IP address used in the LinkedIn attack that was registered under r00talka @ mail.ru , which was controlled by the same person who controlled chinabig01 .
Investigators connected Nikulin to the r00talka address through automated email notifications sent to r00talka from the social networking site VK.com — the Russian equivalent of Facebook — that revealed photos of Nikulin as the supposed owner of the account , along with VK messages sent to him by his girlfriend Anna Shebdova .
On Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind chinabig01 @ gmail.com , evidenced by Skype chat logs with Oleksander Ieremenko , a Ukrainian national from whose apartment the U.S. Secret Service recovered a hard drive in November 2012 during a separate cybercrime investigation .
The logs , which were shown to the jury but not to the members of the press and public viewing the trial on Zoom , reveal an individual with the Skype name dex.007 giving another individual with the Skype moniker Vaiobro a list of LinkedIn member email addresses , usernames and password hashes in October 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a link to the password “ Zopaqwe1 , ” which Miller traced to the chinabig01 Gmail account .
The individual known as “ dex.007 ” has been identified as Yevgeniy Lomovich , which the FBI believes is Nikulin ’ s alias , though his lawyers argue Lomovich could be someone else ’ s surname .
The FBI also believes Vaiobro is Ieremenko operating under the alias Sergey Shalyapin .
Miller talked the jury through a spreadsheet he compiled showing the overlap between the IP address for dex.007 ’ s Skype chat and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts for Formspring and Dropbox , as well as a browser cookie tied to the LinkedIn intrusion .
Other information contained in the chat seems to tie Nikulin to dex.007 .
“ Thanks a lot for the accounts , ” Ieremenko ( Viaobro ) says , adding , “ Don ’ t be sad about Anya , it will be ok ” in reference to Nikulin ’ s girlfriend .
On Oct. 18 , 2012 , Ieremenko wishes dex.007 happy birthday and encourages him to buy himself a $ 10,000 watch as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Why not $ 25K ?
25 years old= $ 25K.
” Miller told the jury that Nikulin was born on Oct. 19 , 1987 , making him 25 years old at the time of the chat .
The FBI agent also testified a Russian hacker named Nikita Kislitsin brokered the sale of the pilfered Formspring credentials through Alexsey Belan , another hacker who prosecutors say put him in touch with Nikulin .
“ Hi are you going to contact my guy and his partner ?
” Belan asked Kislitsin in a July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s done , I got in touch with him.
” Belan then said “ I can completely vouch for him , ” and asked what the database contains .
Kislitsin replied , “ It ’ s Formspring.
” Emails also show Kislitsin selling the Formspring credentials , for which he received $ 7,100 through a two wire transfers in September 2012 from someone named “ Rais.
” On cross-examination , Nikulin ’ s defense attorney Adam Gasner argued Miller ’ s desire to solve the case caused him to fixate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all other possible suspects like Ieremenko , indicted for hacking the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission , or Evgeniy Bogachev , a hacker wanted by the FBI for the GameOverZeus malware hack that infected more than 1 million computers .
Bogachev was indicted in 2012 but remains at large in Russia .
Gasner reminded Miller that Evgeniy is another spelling of Yevgeniy and has the same diminutive “ Zhenya , ” which also shows up in chat logs and transcripts as Nikulin ’ s purported nickname .
Miller vehemently denied any bias against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggests that Nikulin committed the hacks .
Kane ’ s direct examination of Miller on Tuesday took far longer than expected , forcing closing arguments to be pushed back to Thursday .

Prosecutors tied up their case Wednesday against Yevgeniy Nikulin, a Russian man accused of hacking tech companies LinkedIn, DropBox and Formspring in 2012.
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Prosecutors tied up their case Wednesday against Yevgeniy Nikulin, a Russian man accused of hacking tech companies LinkedIn, DropBox and Formspring in 2012.
With FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Miller on the stand, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Kane walked the jury, in meticulous detail, through a Byzantine web of connections that seemed to point to Nikulin as the hacker behind the intrusions who made off with more than 100 million user credentials.
Nikulin was arrested in the Czech Republic in 2016 and extradited to the U.S. in 2018 to face nine criminal counts of computer intrusion, causing damage to a protected computer, aggravated identity theft, trafficking, and conspiracy.
The FBI believes Nikulin infiltrated the LinkedIn network in March 2012 by first compromising a computer belonging to one of its engineers, Nick Berry. Prosecutors say he installed malicious software on the computer that allowed him to take control of it remotely. Using Berry’s credentials, Nikulin allegedly gained access to LinkedIn’s servers and obtained a copy of a database containing its users’ login information.
An internal investigation by the company revealed suspicious logins from Berry’s VPN — a system he could use to log into LinkedIn from his home computer — from IP addresses tied to Russia. But Berry had been in the San Francisco Bay Area the entire time.
The same kind of intrusion happened to filesharing company Dropbox that same year, after which lists of user passwords showed up on the Russian internet forum Insiderpro. Like LinkedIn, DropBox kept logs and were able to trace the origin of the attack to a Russian IP address belonging to the email account [email protected]
The FBI also found another email account tied to an IP address used in the LinkedIn attack that was registered under [email protected], which was controlled by the same person who controlled chinabig01.
Investigators connected Nikulin to the r00talka address through automated email notifications sent to r00talka from the social networking site VK.com — the Russian equivalent of Facebook — that revealed photos of Nikulin as the supposed owner of the account, along with VK messages sent to him by his girlfriend Anna Shebdova.
On Wednesday, Miller testified that Nikulin was the person behind [email protected], evidenced by Skype chat logs with Oleksander Ieremenko, a Ukrainian national from whose apartment the U.S. Secret Service recovered a hard drive in November 2012 during a separate cybercrime investigation.
The logs, which were shown to the jury but not to the members of the press and public viewing the trial on Zoom, reveal an individual with the Skype name dex.007 giving another individual with the Skype moniker Vaiobro a list of LinkedIn member email addresses, usernames and password hashes in October 2012. It also shows dex.007 sending Vaiobro a link to the password “Zopaqwe1,” which Miller traced to the chinabig01 Gmail account.
The individual known as “dex.007” has been identified as Yevgeniy Lomovich, which the FBI believes is Nikulin’s alias, though his lawyers argue Lomovich could be someone else’s surname. The FBI also believes Vaiobro is Ieremenko operating under the alias Sergey Shalyapin.
Miller talked the jury through a spreadsheet he compiled showing the overlap between the IP address for dex.007’s Skype chat and the IP address used to log into employee accounts for Formspring and Dropbox, as well as a browser cookie tied to the LinkedIn intrusion.
Other information contained in the chat seems to tie Nikulin to dex.007. “Thanks a lot for the accounts,” Ieremenko (Viaobro) says, adding, “Don’t be sad about Anya, it will be ok” in reference to Nikulin’s girlfriend. On Oct. 18, 2012, Ieremenko wishes dex.007 happy birthday and encourages him to buy himself a $10,000 watch as a gift, to which dex.007 replies, “Why not $25K? 25 years old= $25K.”
Miller told the jury that Nikulin was born on Oct. 19, 1987, making him 25 years old at the time of the chat.
The FBI agent also testified a Russian hacker named Nikita Kislitsin brokered the sale of the pilfered Formspring credentials through Alexsey Belan, another hacker who prosecutors say put him in touch with Nikulin.
“Hi are you going to contact my guy and his partner?” Belan asked Kislitsin in a July 2012 email, to which Kislitsin responded “It's done, I got in touch with him.”
Belan then said “I can completely vouch for him,” and asked what the database contains. Kislitsin replied, “It’s Formspring.”
Emails also show Kislitsin selling the Formspring credentials, for which he received $7,100 through a two wire transfers in September 2012 from someone named “Rais.”
On cross-examination, Nikulin’s defense attorney Adam Gasner argued Miller’s desire to solve the case caused him to fixate on Nikulin, to the exclusion of all other possible suspects like Ieremenko, indicted for hacking the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, or Evgeniy Bogachev, a hacker wanted by the FBI for the GameOverZeus malware hack that infected more than 1 million computers. Bogachev was indicted in 2012 but remains at large in Russia.
Gasner reminded Miller that Evgeniy is another spelling of Yevgeniy and has the same diminutive “Zhenya,” which also shows up in chat logs and transcripts as Nikulin’s purported nickname.
Miller vehemently denied any bias against Nikulin, saying he believes the evidence suggests that Nikulin committed the hacks.
Kane’s direct examination of Miller on Tuesday took far longer than expected, forcing closing arguments to be pushed back to Thursday.


courthousenews--2020-07-09--Americans Split on Whether Racial Justice Protests Will Bring Change

( CN ) — While a majority of Americans believe racial discrimination is a huge problem in the United States , the public is split on whether race relations will be improved by recent racial justice demonstrations according to a poll released Wednesday .
The Monmouth University poll shows that despite the recent wave of protest sweeping across the county in response to the death of George Floyd and other people of color at the hands of white police officers , the public is not convinced such demonstrations will help race relations moving forward .
The poll reports that just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement will help race relations a lot , while nearly a third think it will only help a little .
Around a quarter think nothing will change at all and 18 % believe that race relations will actually get worse due to recent events .
While Americans are largely divided on how the protests will move the needle on race relations , most concede they will have at least some recognizable impact on the county .
Over half ( 55 % ) say the current movement will have a long-term effect on race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % believe it will at least have a short-term effect .
Nearly 1 in 10 believes the current movement will have no real impact at all .
Regardless of how the protests will help to improve race relations in America , a sizeable majority of Americans can agree on one thing : the problem is real .
Nearly 7 in 10 Americans say racial or ethnic discrimination in the nation is a big issue , while just 17 % say they don ’ t believe it ’ s a problem at all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ real but don ’ t think it ’ s a particularly large one .
Wednesday ’ s numbers on racial discrimination is not the highest it ’ s been .
In early June , shortly after many of the racial equality demonstrations began in earnest , 76 % of Americans thought discrimination is a big problem and only 7 % felt it isn ’ t a problem at all .
According to Wednesday ’ s poll , the downward trend is largely due to growing partisanship on the racial equality issue .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans and independents that lean Republican believed that racial discrimination was a big problem but Wednesday ’ s poll reports that just 40 % of them still feel the same .
Republicans are also the least likely to believe the current racial equality movement will improve race relations while 35 % think race discrimination isn ’ t even a problem .
These numbers stand in stark contrast to the nearly 9 in 10 people who don ’ t lean Republican who believe racial discrimination is a big problem — a figure virtually unchanged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray , director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute , said that while the initial events of late spring may have brought people around on the issue of race relations , many Republicans adopted a different approach when the protests got underway .
“ The events of late May sparked a reckoning with racial discrimination for many non-Republicans , but Republican opinion swung in the opposite direction since the protests started , ” Murray said with the release of the poll .
“ It almost seems that even acknowledging the existence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the party or the president.
” Similar partisan splits appear when respondents were asked specifically about the Black Lives Matter movement and its role in racial equality .
While 71 % of Americans agree the Black Lives Matter movement has brought some much-needed attention to racial disparity in the United States , just 48 % of Republicans feel the same .
Regarding President Donald Trump ’ s role in these issues , a majority of Americans ( 62 % ) feel the president ’ s handling of the protests and demonstrations has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 % of Americans feel like Trump has improved the situation , including 40 % of Republicans .
Despite what Americans think about how the president has influenced race relations , most agree the country is bitterly divided .
Just 18 % of Americans feel like the county is united in its most important values , while 78 % say the country is greatly divided .
“ This is just one more sign that the president ’ s approach to governing increasingly pushes Americans to take sides , ” Murray said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of an opportunity to find a middle ground anymore.
” Wednesday ’ s poll of 867 adults has a 3.3 % margin of error .

While a majority of Americans believe racial discrimination is a huge problem in the United States, the public is split on whether race relations will be improved by recent racial justice demonstrations according to a poll released Wednesday.
(CN) — While a majority of Americans believe racial discrimination is a huge problem in the United States, the public is split on whether race relations will be improved by recent racial justice demonstrations according to a poll released Wednesday.
The Monmouth University poll shows that despite the recent wave of protest sweeping across the county in response to the death of George Floyd and other people of color at the hands of white police officers, the public is not convinced such demonstrations will help race relations moving forward.
The poll reports that just 21% of Americans think the current movement will help race relations a lot, while nearly a third think it will only help a little. Around a quarter think nothing will change at all and 18% believe that race relations will actually get worse due to recent events.
While Americans are largely divided on how the protests will move the needle on race relations, most concede they will have at least some recognizable impact on the county. Over half (55%) say the current movement will have a long-term effect on race relations in the United States while 32% believe it will at least have a short-term effect. Nearly 1 in 10 believes the current movement will have no real impact at all.
Regardless of how the protests will help to improve race relations in America, a sizeable majority of Americans can agree on one thing: the problem is real. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans say racial or ethnic discrimination in the nation is a big issue, while just 17% say they don’t believe it’s a problem at all. Another 14% acknowledge the problem is real but don’t think it’s a particularly large one.
Wednesday’s numbers on racial discrimination is not the highest it’s been. In early June, shortly after many of the racial equality demonstrations began in earnest, 76% of Americans thought discrimination is a big problem and only 7% felt it isn’t a problem at all.
According to Wednesday’s poll, the downward trend is largely due to growing partisanship on the racial equality issue. A few weeks ago, 54% of Republicans and independents that lean Republican believed that racial discrimination was a big problem but Wednesday’s poll reports that just 40% of them still feel the same. Republicans are also the least likely to believe the current racial equality movement will improve race relations while 35% think race discrimination isn’t even a problem.
These numbers stand in stark contrast to the nearly 9 in 10 people who don’t lean Republican who believe racial discrimination is a big problem — a figure virtually unchanged from the early June poll.
Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said that while the initial events of late spring may have brought people around on the issue of race relations, many Republicans adopted a different approach when the protests got underway.
“The events of late May sparked a reckoning with racial discrimination for many non-Republicans, but Republican opinion swung in the opposite direction since the protests started,” Murray said with the release of the poll. “It almost seems that even acknowledging the existence of racial inequity can be seen as disloyalty to the party or the president.”
Similar partisan splits appear when respondents were asked specifically about the Black Lives Matter movement and its role in racial equality. While 71% of Americans agree the Black Lives Matter movement has brought some much-needed attention to racial disparity in the United States, just 48% of Republicans feel the same.
Regarding President Donald Trump’s role in these issues, a majority of Americans (62%) feel the president’s handling of the protests and demonstrations has only made the problems worse. Only 20% of Americans feel like Trump has improved the situation, including 40% of Republicans.
Despite what Americans think about how the president has influenced race relations, most agree the country is bitterly divided. Just 18% of Americans feel like the county is united in its most important values, while 78% say the country is greatly divided.
“This is just one more sign that the president’s approach to governing increasingly pushes Americans to take sides,” Murray said. “There doesn’t seem to be much of an opportunity to find a middle ground anymore.”
Wednesday’s poll of 867 adults has a 3.3% margin of error.


True Crime

GREENBELT , Md .
— A federal court in Maryland dismissed as time-barred several tort claims brought against a cable @ @ @ @ @ husband ’ s murder was depicted in a true crime show called “ Fatal Attraction @ @


Pollution Policy

NEW YORK — Environmental advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council lacks standing to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s @ @ @ @ @ businesses that fail to comply with pollution monitoring requirements because of the pandemic , a @ @ @ @ @ ruled .


Gun Shop Closures

ALBANY , N.Y. — A firearms seller and two of its customers lost their suit in a federal court in @ @ @ @ @ ’ s closure of gun shops during the Covid-19 pandemic .
The governor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ non-essential businesses survives intermediate scrutiny .