NBC New York - Local

Man Nabbed in Hammer Attack on NYC Grocery Store Worker Linked to 2nd Unprovoked Assault: Cops

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 12:43:39 GMT

Authorities have arrested a 27-year-old man in connection with a terrifying hammer attack on a grocery store manager in Chelsea in late June.

Oscar Apronti, of Manhattan, was initially cuffed Sunday on charges of assault and criminal possession over an early April attack on Eighth Avenue in which he allegedly walloped a deli clerk opening up shop with some sort of blunt object.

Authorities say they then linked him to the June 23 attack on grocery store manager Ramon Acevedo, who was also opening up the store — in his case, the Gristedes supermarket on Ninth Avenue — when he was ambushed.

Acevedo told News 4 he had noticed a man who allegedly previously shoplifted and sexually harassed a cashier outside as he opened the supermarket. It’s unclear if words were exchanged but surveillance video shows the man, allegedly Apronti, pick up a hammer from the street and swing at the 65-year-old’s head.

Acevedo says he tried to dodge the attack but the suspect smashed him in the forehead, leaving a “humungous gash.” Still conscious even after the blow, Acevedo tried to chase after his attacker with a coworker but the man got away.

“One inch to the right maybe I wouldn’t be here talking about it,” Acevedo said.

The grandfather of five, who celebrated a birthday shortly after the attack, says he has worked for the supermarket for 46 years, and 12 stitches to his head won’t stop him from returning to work. He said he wouldn’t be afraid, either.

“I shouldn’t have to worry about it. I’ll be paying more attention myself, now I know what this guy is capable so I’ll take a different stance,” Acevedo said.

Apronti faces charges of assault, stalking and criminal possession of a weapon in the most recent case. It wasn’t immediately clear if police were investigating him for other potential unprovoked attacks against store workers in the neighborhood.

The victim in the first attack was treated for a head laceration at a hospital but was expected to be OK. No information on a possible attorney for Apronti was available.

Federal Judge Speaks Out for First Time After Son's Murder; Read Her Full Statement

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 10:41:25 GMT

What to Know

Judge Esther Salas released her first public statement Monday, two weeks after her son was murdered and her husband gravely wounded at their NJ home
Federal authorities believe a disgruntled attorney, Roy Den Hollander, committed the attack before dying by suicide
Salas is calling for more protection of the privacy of federal judges

Two weeks after a disgruntled lawyer allegedly killed her son and severely wounded her husband at their New Jersey home, a federal judge is speaking out publicly for the first time.

Judge Esther Salas released a statement Monday, calling for more privacy for federal judges in the wake of the attack, which left her son Daniel dead and her husband Mark with multiple gunshot wounds that required several surgeries.

Federal authorities believe Roy Den Hollander, a “men’s rights” lawyer and frequent litigant, shot Mark and Daniel Anderl just days after killing another lawyer in Caliornia. He was found dead by suicide the next day, with a list of what authorities believe were potential targets, including other judges.

Read Judge Salas’ full statement below, as transcribed by spokespeople working on her behalf.

Two weeks ago, my life as I knew it changed in an instant, and my family will never be the same. A madman, who I believe was targeting me because of my position as a federal judge, came to my house.

Our family had just finished a weekend celebration in honor of our son Daniel Mark’s 20th birthday. Daniel always wanted to spend his birthdays with his dad and me, so he asked we host a party for a few of his Catholic University of America friends. Because of the pandemic, his father, Mark, and I had some concerns; however, we thought we could adhere to safety guidelines and we agreed to allow his friends to come spend the weekend. The weekend was a glorious one. It was filled with love, laughter, and smiles. As Daniel’s last friend departed on Sunday, we decided to give Daniel a pass on his usher duties. When Mark and I returned from church, Daniel was upstairs sleeping, and we decided to give him a little rest.

As the afternoon progressed, it was time to clean up from the weekend festivities; Daniel and I went downstairs to the basement and we were chatting, as we always do. And Daniel said “Mom, let’s keep talking, I love talking to you, Mom”. It was at that exact moment that the doorbell rang, and Daniel looked at me and said, “Who is that?”

And before I could say a word, he sprinted upstairs. Within seconds, I heard the sound of bullets and someone screaming, “No!”

I later learned that this monster, who had a FedEx package in his hand, opened fire, but Daniel being Daniel, protected his father and he took the shooter’s first bullet directly to the chest. The monster then turned his attention to my husband and began to shoot at my husband, one shot after another. Mark was shot three times: one bullet entered his right chest, the other his left abdomen, and the last one in the right forearm.

While my husband is still in the hospital recovering from multiple surgeries, we are living every parent’s worst nightmare — making preparations to bury our only child, Daniel.

My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure. And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain. We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down.

As a federal judge, I took an oath to administer justice without respect to a person’s race, gender, or economic status. As I speak to you today, I can honestly say that I have worked tirelessly to uphold that pledge. As federal judges, we understand that our decisions will be scrutinized, and some may disagree strongly with our rulings. We know that our job requires us to make tough calls, and sometimes those calls can leave people angry and upset.

That comes with the territory and we accept that.

But what we cannot accept is when we are forced to live in fear for our lives because personal information, like our home addresses, can be easily obtained by anyone seeking to do us or our families harm.

Unfortunately, for my family, the threat was real and the free flow of information from the Internet allowed this sick and depraved human being to find all our personal information and target us.

Currently, federal judges’ addresses and other information is readily available on the Internet. In addition, there are companies that will sell your personal details that can be leveraged for nefarious purposes.

In my case, this monster knew where I lived and what church we attended and had a complete dossier on me and my family. At the moment there is nothing we can do to stop it, and that is unacceptable.

My son’s death cannot be in vain, which is why I am begging those in power to do something to help my brothers and sisters on the bench.

Now, more than ever, we need to identify a solution that keeps the lives of federal judges private. I know this is a complicated issue, and I don’t pretend to know or have all answers, but together we can find a way. Let’s commence a national dialogue, let’s work collaboratively to find a solution that will safeguard the privacy of federal judges.

Let me be clear and tell you firsthand—this is a matter of life and death. And we can’t just sit back and wait for another tragedy to strike.

Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to thank the people who have done their part to try and relieve a little bit of this unfathomable pain that we are experiencing. Mark and I want to express our heartfelt appreciation to all the first responders, to the doctors, including, but not limited to Drs. Choron, Flippin, Gupta, and Littlejohn, the countless nurses, too many to name but you know we love you, staff and leadership at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital who have helped to treat Mark and me over the last two weeks. Thank you to all law enforcement agencies – federal, local, and state. I know I spoke with many of you last week and you prefer to remain nameless, but I need you to know that you’re in our hearts and we can’t thank you enough for all that you do.

And to everyone who reached out, and to everyone who said a prayer, and to everyone who is keeping my family in your thoughts – thank you. The outpouring of love has been overwhelming and I can tell you it has lifted us during our darkest hours.

I just want to say thank you to you all and I love you.

New Jersey Jul 25

New Evidence Ties Suspected NJ Judge Gunman to Shooting of Men's Right Activist: Officials

New Jersey Jul 22

Officials: Suspect in Judge Family Shootings Took Cross-Country Train To Kill Another Men's Rights Activist

Virus Relief Bill Remains Up in Air as Negotiations Resume

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 10:35:49 GMT

Slow, grinding negotiations on a huge COVID-19 relief bill are set to resume, but the path forward promises to be challenging. Both the Trump administration negotiating team and top Capitol Hill Democrats reported progress over the weekend even as they highlighted their differences.

Ahead of Monday’s talks, all sides predict a long slog ahead despite the lapse of a $600-per-week supplemental COVID-19 jobless benefit, the beginning of school season and the call of lawmakers’ cherished August recess. Several more days of talks are expected, if not more.

The White House is seeking opportunities to boost President Donald Trump, like another round of $1,200 stimulus payments and extending the supplemental jobless benefit and partial eviction ban. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democratic negotiator, appears intent on an agreement as well, but she’s made it clear she needs big money for state and local governments, unemployment benefits and food aid.

Appearances by the principal negotiators on Sunday’s news shows featured continued political shots by White House chief of staff Mark Meadows at Pelosi for turning down a one-week extension of the $600 benefit in talks last week.

Meadows, however, is understaffed during the talks and seems to struggle with his read on Pelosi. He spent much of his time on CBS’ “Face The Nation” attacking her for opposing a piecemeal approach that would revive jobless benefits immediately but leave other items like food stamps and aid to states for later legislation. She is insisting on a complete package.

Areas of agreement already include the $1,200 direct payment and changes to the Paycheck Protection Program to permit especially hard-hit businesses to obtain another loan under generous forgiveness terms.

But the terms and structure of the unemployment benefit remains a huge sticking point, negotiators said Sunday, and Meadows hasn’t made any concessions on the almost $1 trillion Pelosi wants for state and local governments grappling with pandemic-related revenue losses.

“We still have a long ways to go,” Meadows said, adding, “I’m not optimistic that there will be a solution in the very near term.”

Pelosi said she’d consider reducing the $600 benefit for states with lower unemployment rates. Republicans want to cut the benefit to encourage beneficiaries to return to work and say it is bad policy since it pays many jobless people more money than they made at their previous jobs.

“But in this agreement it’s $600,” Pelosi said on ABC’s ‘This Week.” “Yes, they might anecdotally have examples, but the fact is, is that they’re subjecting somebody who gets $600 to scrutiny they won’t subject some of the people that are getting millions of dollars” through the loan program for small businesses that keep employees on their payrolls.

Another sticking point is that Republicans want to give more school aid to systems that are restarting with in-school learning, even as Dr. Deborah Birx, Trump’s top coronavirus adviser, cautioned that schools in areas with spikes in cases should delay reopening

“In the areas where we have this widespread case increase, we need to stop the cases, and then we can talk about safely reopening,” Birx said on “This Week.”

The House passed a $3.5 trillion measure in May, but Republicans controlling the Senate have demanded a slower approach, saying it was necessary to take a “pause” before passing additional legislation. Since they announced that strategy, however, coronavirus caseloads have spiked and the economy has absorbed an enormous blow.

New York Man Dies After Being Found in Car With Gunshot Wound on I-95 in West Haven, Conn.: PD

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 10:31:49 GMT

A man who was found with a gunshot wound in a car on Interstate 95 in West Haven late Sunday night has died and state police are investigating the shooting as a homicide.

State police and West Haven police responded to the exit 43 on ramp on I-95 southbound around 10 p.m. after getting a report of a shooting.

When police arrived, they said they found 39-year-old Jawara Stennett, of New York, unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his right torso.

EMS and firefighters arrived to the scene and performed lifesaving efforts, but Stennett was later pronounced dead, authorities said.

No other passengers in the vehicle were injured, officials said.

According to state police, Stennett was visiting his dad for a birthday celebration and was driving back to his home in New York.

Detectives are investigating the incident. State police said the suspect vehicle is described as a white SUV with unknown registration and an unknown driver.

Anyone with information about the shooting should contact Troop G at (203) 696-2500. All information will remain confidential.

Retail Rout Goes On, Lord & Taylor, Tailored Brands, Falter

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 08:19:40 GMT

Lord & Taylor, America’s oldest retailer, is seeking bankruptcy protection, as is the owner of Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank, lengthening the list of major retail chains that have faltered in the pandemic.

Companies, some with roots dating to the early 19th century, were already suffering with the things that people buy, and where they buy them, underwent a radical reformation.

Thousands of store closures forced by the arrival of COVID-19 has proved too much.

Lord & Taylor, which began as a Manhattan dry goods store in 1824, was sold to the French rental clothing company Le Tote Inc. last year. Both filed for bankruptcy protection, separately, in the Eastern Court of Virginia on Sunday.

Lord & Taylor says it’s looking for a buyer.

The company last year, before the emergence of coronavirus, sold its 11-story flagship building on New York’s Fifth Avenue which it’s owned for more than a century.

Tailored Brands, which owns Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank stores, was struggling even before shelter-in-place orders smothered any demand for suits or ties. It wasn’t alone.

Last month, Brooks Brothers, the 200-year-old company that dressed nearly every U.S. president, filed for bankruptcy protection. Its rival, Barneys New York, is being dismantled after filing for bankruptcy last year.

Tailored Brands filed for Chapter 11 protection Sunday in the Southern District of Texas.

Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank stores, along with K&G Fashion Superstore and Moores Clothing for Men, all owned by Tailored, with continue to operate during restructuring. The company expects to reduce it’s funded debt by at least $630 million.

Dozens of retailers, big and small, have filed for Chapter 11 protection this year. The pace through the first half of 2020 far exceeds the number of retail bankruptcies for all of last year. About two dozen stores have sought bankruptcy protection since the pandemic started.

Others include J. Crew, J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, Stage Stores, and Ascena Retail Group, which owns Lane Bryant in addition to Ann Taylor.

Queens Mother Crossing Street Killed by Hit-And-Run Driver: NYPD

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 21:25:35 GMT

A 29-year-old mother of three children was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver early Sunday morning walking across a Manhattan street, NYPD officials said.

Police officials say Maria Villacres was crossing 7th Avenue in Chelsea around 5 a.m. at the time of the hit-and-run. She worked at the Whole Foods store in the neighborhood and was commuting home at the time, her brother Victor told News 4.

First responders found Villacres unconscious and unresponsive before transporting her to Bellevue Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police did not release a description of the vehicle that left the scene.

The NYPD’s Highway Collision Investigation Squad is investigating the crime.

Mass. Girl, 4, Drowns in River After Wandering From Home: Police

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 19:47:42 GMT

A four-year-old girl who wandered off from her home Sunday afternoon drowned in a nearby river in Danvers, Massachusetts, authorities say.

Danvers police officers were dispatched to River Drive around 12:15 p.m. for a report of a missing four-year-old. Police were told the girl had wandered away from the family’s home.

While searching the area, responding officers found the child submerged in water along the river bank, Danvers police said.

She was not showing any signs of life when she was pulled from the water, according to police. CPR was immediately performed by an officer, until Danvers firefighters and ambulance personnel arrived to take over the girl’s care.

The little girl was taken to Beverly Hospital as CPR continued, police said, but she was later pronounced dead “after many extensive efforts to save her.”

“The Danvers Police Department would like to extend out our deepest condolences to her family,” the department said in a statement. “They will be in our thoughts and prayers.”

Danvers police and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the incident.

The girl’s name is being withheld for her family’s privacy, police said.

Black Bear Euthanized After Attack on NJ Man in Garage

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 18:39:04 GMT

A black bear has been euthanized after an attack on an 82-year-old man in the garage of his North Jersey home last month, authorities said.

Fish and wildlife workers trapped and killed the suspected problem bear on Tuesday in West Milford, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement Friday.

State officials said the bear, which had entered multiple homes in the past week, is believed to have been the same one responsible for the attack on the night of July 24.

Chief James DeVore of the West Milford police department said the man left the garage open while walking his dog, and the bear was inside behind the refrigerator door when he returned, NorthJersey.com reported. Police said the animal took a swipe at the man, who needed more than 30 stitches to his face.

“It must have been a young bear because it only stood about 5 feet while on its hinds,” DeVore said.

Black bear attacks on humans are rare, but can be deadly. In 2014, 22-year-old Rutgers University student Darsh Patel was killed by a black bear while hiking with friends in the Apshawa Preserve, which is also in West Milford.

State officials say there have been 200 bear sightings around New Jersey so far this year, about a 90% increase from the same period last year. There have been at least nine home entries by bears from Jan. 1 to July 21, which doesn’t include the most recent one, compared to four during the same period last year.

Officials said earlier this year that the increase in bear sightings may be due to the fact that more people are home because of the coronavirus.

“This is the time of year when bears are looking for habitat, particularly younger males that have left their mothers,” department spokesman Larry Hajna said at the start of July, NJ.com reported. “Reports may have increased due to more people being at home seeing bears as they disperse into habitats.”

The increase in sightings and incidents has been cited by hunting advocates such as the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance in calling for an expansion of the annual bear hunting season. Gov. Phil Murphy ran for office vowing to end the hunt as animal rights activists and some environmental groups have advocated, but such action requires approval by the New Jersey Fish and Game Council. The governor banned bear hunting on state lands in 2018.

To reduce the risk of bear encounters, state environmental officials urge residents to secure trash and eliminate obvious sources of food, such as pet food, easy-to-reach bird feeders, or food residue in barbecue grills, and to wash trash containers frequently with a disinfectant solution to remove odors.

Anyone encountering a bear should remain calm, avoid direct eye contact, make the bear aware of their presence by making noise and speaking assertively and make sure the bear has an escape route, officials said.

SpaceX Capsule and NASA Crew Make 1st Splashdown in 45 Years

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 17:48:20 GMT

Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years, with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year.

Test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken rode the SpaceX Dragon capsule back to Earth less than a day after departing the International Space Station and two months after blasting off from Florida. The capsule parachuted into the calm gulf waters about 40 miles off the coast of Pensacola, hundreds of miles from Tropical Storm Isaias pounding Florida’s Atlantic coast.

“Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX,” said Mission Control from SpaceX headquarters.

“It was truly our honor and privilege,” replied Hurley.

More than an hour after splashdown, the astronauts emerged from their capsule on the deck of a recovery ship, both signaling a thumbs-up as they headed for medical exams.

Their ride home in the capsule dubbed Endeavour was fast, bumpy and hot, at least on the outside.

The spacecraft went from a screaming orbital speed of 17,500 mph (28,000 kph) to 350 mph (560 kph) during atmospheric reentry, and finally to 15 mph (24 kph) at splashdown. Peak heating during descent was 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,900 degrees Celsius). The anticipated top G forces felt by the crew: four to five times the force of Earth’s gravity.

Within a half-hour of splashdown, the scorched and blistered 15-foot capsule was on board a SpaceX recovery ship with a staff of more than 40, including doctors and nurses. To keep the returning astronauts safe in the pandemic, the recovery crew quarantined for two weeks and were tested for the coronavirus.

The opening of the hatch was held up briefly by extra checks for toxic rocket fumes outside the capsule. After medical exams, the astronauts were expected to fly home to Houston for a reunion with their wives and sons.

Hurley offered final thanks just before he exited the capsule. “Anybody who’s touched Endeavour, you should take a moment to just cherish the day, especially given all the things that have happened this year.”

The last time NASA astronauts returned from space to water was on July 24, 1975, in the Pacific, the scene of most splashdowns, to end a joint U.S.-Soviet mission known as Apollo-Soyuz. The Mercury and Gemini crews in the early to mid-1960s parachuted into the Atlantic, while most of the later Apollo capsules hit the Pacific. The lone Russian “splashdown” was in 1976 on a partially frozen lake amid a blizzard following an aborted mission; the harrowing recovery took hours.

SpaceX made history with this mission, which launched May 30 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. It was the first time a private company launched people into orbit and also the first launch of NASA astronauts from home turf in nearly a decade. Hurley came full circle, serving as pilot of NASA’s last space shuttle flight in 2011 and the commander of this SpaceX flight.

Musk monitored the descent and splashdown from SpaceX Mission Control in Hawthorne, California.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who both watched the launch in Florida, sent congratulations..

“Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth after very successful two month mission. Thank you to all!” Trump tweeted.

NASA turned to SpaceX and also Boeing to build capsules and ferry astronauts to and from the space station, following the retirement of the shuttles. Until Hurley and Behnken rocketed into orbit, NASA astronauts relied on Russian rockets. SpaceX already had experience hauling cargo to the space station, bringing those capsules back to a Pacific splashdown.

“This is the next era in human spaceflight where NASA gets to be the customer,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said from Johnson Space Center in Houston shortly before the astronauts’ return.

SpaceX needs six weeks to inspect the capsule before launching the next crew around the end of September. This next mission of four astronauts will spend a full six months aboard the space station. Hurley and Behnken’s capsule will be refurbished for another flight next spring. A Houston company run by a former NASA official, meanwhile, has partnered with SpaceX to send three customers to the space station in fall 2021.

Boeing doesn’t expect to launch its first crew until next year. The company encountered significant software problems in the debut of its Starliner capsule, with no one aboard, last year. Its capsules will touch down in the U.S. Southwest desert.

By beating Boeing, SpaceX laid claim to a small U.S. flag left at the space station by Hurley and the rest of the last shuttle crew. The flag — which also flew on the first shuttle flight — was carefully packed aboard the Dragon for the homecoming.

Also on board: a toy dinosaur named Tremor, sent into space by the astronauts’ young sons.

The boys recorded a wake-up call for their fathers Sunday morning, urging them to “rise and shine” and “we can’t wait to see you.”

“Don’t worry, you can sleep in tomorrow,” said Behnken’s 6-year-old son Theo, who was promised a puppy after the flight. “Hurry home so we can go get my dog.”

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

1 Dead, 6 Injured After Boats Collide in Long Island Waters

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 16:21:06 GMT

Investigators believe speed was a factor when two boats collided in the waters off Long Island Saturday evening, killing at least one man and seriously injuring several others.

Nassau County police confirmed the death of a 25-year-old man Sunday morning as well as serious injuries to two other riders. In total, at least six people were injured.

The U.S. Coast Guard said one of the boats was speeding when it collided with the second boat, splitting it in half. The incident unfolded around 7 p.m. in Freeport near Cow Meadow Park.

A number of witnesses to the crash on nearby jet skis rushed to the crash site and helped pull to shore riders thrown from the boat.

First responders rushed a handful of passengers to a nearby hospital after two boats collided in waters off Long Island.

“We jumped in the water but I was scared because the propeller was still running,” Geuris Duran told News 4.

“It just sounded like a bomb exploded,” one neighbor described hearing the crash.

First responders credit the group of witnesses for aiding the injured boaters and keeping the tragedy from getting any worse.

“The guys on the jet skis did a phenomenal jobs, they really did. They were able to get the people in here while we were pulling up,” one of the first responders said.

Nassau County Police continue to investigate the crash.

Ginsburg Waited 4 Months to Say Her Cancer Had Returned

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 14:24:36 GMT

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is perhaps the most forthcoming member of the Supreme Court when it comes to telling the public about her many health issues. But she waited more than four months to reveal that her cancer had returned and that she was undergoing chemotherapy.

One big difference from her past battles with cancer is that Ginsburg and the rest of the court have been out of the public eye since early March because of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s when they decided to close the building except for official business, then later postponed arguments and agreed to meet by telephone.

In some ways, the court was more accessible to the public than ever with its decision to provide live audio of telephone arguments in May. But the inability to see the justices and, after arguments concluded on May 13, hear them, made what went on in the late spring and early summer even harder to read than usual.

In an institution that zealously guards the justices’ privacy, only a justice can decide when an injury or illness should be made public. And because life tenure comes with the job, it’s also up to them alone to decide when to retire.

Ginsburg, who was in and out of the hospital last week, said she intends to remain on the court, a decision that likely was influenced by the conservative nominee President Donald Trump would put up to replace her if she were to retire.

“If there is one iron rule that the court tries to follow more than any other, it is that the justices do all that they can to protect their institution from political attacks during presidential election years when public scrutiny of government is heightened. Ginsburg may simply be trying, to the extent she can, to protect the court and herself, from becoming a campaign issue in 2020,” said Artemus Ward, a political scientist at Northern Illinois University who has written about the politics of court retirements.

Ginsburg started receiving chemotherapy in May, a time of year when the justices typically take the bench at least once a week to announce decisions, and when the public can observe them in the courtroom.

Similarly, Chief Justice John Roberts suffered a forehead injury that required stitches on Father’s Day. In a normal year, the court would have met in public the next day and Roberts’ wound would have been easy to see.

Instead, opinions were released electronically, as they were throughout the spring and early summer. Only after inquiries from The Washington Post did the court confirm that Roberts had taken a fall that kept him in the hospital overnight.

Ginsburg issued a statement on July 17 saying that a medical scan in February revealed lesions on her liver, which a subsequent biopsy determined were cancerous. She declined an interview request from The Associated Press.

The lesions are the fifth time Ginsburg has dealt with cancer since 1999, when she first underwent surgery for colorectal cancer.Surgeries for tumors on her pancreas and lung took place in 2009 and 2018, respectively, and Ginsburg underwent radiation therapy for a new growth on her pancreas last year.

By Supreme Court standards, Ginsburg was downright speedy in her most recent public announcement.Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired in 2018, said nothing publicly when he had a stent inserted to restore blood flow in an artery after experiencing mild chest pain in 2005. The court revealed the procedure 10 months later, when Kennedy returned to the hospital to have the stent replaced.

In July 2007, Roberts suffered a seizure while on vacation in Maine. The court issued an initial statement little more than an hour after the incident, saying only that Roberts had fallen and was taken to a hospital. Several hours later, the court confirmed that he had suffered a seizure, but has never provided details of what tests Roberts underwent or whether he was prescribed medication. He had a similar episode in 1993, long before he was a justice. The court said doctors had ruled out a seizure in the June fall.

Only after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in 2016 did the public learn that he had coronary artery disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and several other ailments that probably contributed to the heart attack that killed him, according to his doctor.

“The lack of health information about individual justices is a glaring problem. Declining, even incapacitated, justices hold their offices until they die. And because justices play politics with their departure decisions, trying to retire under a politically favorable president and Senate if possible, the court’s history has been filled with declining justices who compromised the court’s work because they refused to depart for political or personal reasons,” Ward said.

Like other Americans, Supreme Court justices live and work with a range of ailments. Justice Sonia Sotomayor has had diabetes since childhood. Also, both she and Justice Stephen Breyer injured their shoulders so badly they needed replacement surgery. Sotomayor had a fall at home and Breyer suffered a bicycle accident. Both made prompt announcements of those incidents.

Her frail appearance may fool people, but Ginsburg has been remarkably resilient through her many health crises, which also have included broken ribs, infections and her own artery-clearing stent.

She had no surgery to remove the latest cancerous growth, and her treatment is ongoing. She has said she will receive doses of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine every two weeks.

Ginsburg’s statement came 10 days after she said another medical scan “indicated significant reduction of the liver lesions and no new disease.”

In that same period, the court also issued the last of its opinions and Ginsburg was in and out of the hospital for treatment of an infection that she said was unrelated to the cancer. She maintained that she kept up with opinion writing and all other court work throughout her treatment and hospital stays.

Portland Police Declare Unlawful Assembly During Protest

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 08:36:12 GMT

The Portland Police Bureau declared an unlawful assembly Saturday night when people gathered outside a police precinct in Oregon’s largest city and threw bottles towards officers, police said.

Until that point, federal, state and local law enforcement had been seemingly absent from the protests Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The demonstrations — that for weeks ended with tear gas, fireworks shot towards buildings, federal agents on the street and injuries to protesters and officers — have recently ended with chanting and conversations.

Activists and Oregon officials urged people at Saturday night’s protest in Portland to re-center the focus on Black Lives Matter, three days after the Trump administration agreed to reduce the presence of federal agents.

Groups gathered Saturday evening in various areas around downtown Portland to listen to speakers and prepare to march to the Justice Center and Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse.

One of the more popular events, “Re-centering why we are here – BLM,” was hosted by the NAACP. Speakers included activists as well as Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty.

Merkley and Hardesty spoke about policies they are putting forward, including to cut police funding and restrict chokeholds.

“The next thing we need you to do is vote like your life depends on it, because guess what, it does,” Hardesty said.

For the first time since the presence of federal agents in Portland diminished law enforcement and protesters noticeably clashed Saturday night.

As one group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse another marched to a precinct for the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Police Bureau.

Police stated that protesters threw glass bottles and directed lasers at officers. Just before 10 p.m., Portland police declared an unlawful assembly and told people to disperse or they may be subject to use of force or be arrested. Police could be seen charging, multiple times, at protesters in the area.

At the courthouse, the scene was different. Around 11:30 p.m. hundreds of people remained, standing and listening to speakers.

By midnight, protesters again began to march through the streets downtown.

Thursday and Friday’s protests also attracted more than 1,000 people — both nights were relatively peaceful. In a news release early Saturday, the Portland Police Bureau described Friday’s crowd as subdued and said there was no police interaction with protesters.

At one point during Friday’s protest, a lone firework was shot at the courthouse. In the weeks past the action would be met with more fireworks or teargas canisters being dropped over the fence into the crowd. This time, protesters chastised the person who shot the firework, pleading to keep the demonstration peaceful.

The relative calm outside a federal courthouse that’s become ground zero in clashes between demonstrators and federal agents had come after the U.S. government began drawing down its forces under a deal between Democratic Gov. Kate Brown and the Trump administration.

Portland had seen more than two months of often violent demonstrations following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In early July, President Donald Trump sent more federal agents to the city to protect the federal courthouse, but local officials said their presence made things worse.

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Sara Cline is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Dumba Kneels, NHL Puts Focus on Black Lives Matter Movement

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 23:45:09 GMT

Minnesota’s Matt Dumba became the first NHL player to kneel during the U.S. national anthem when he did so before the opening playoff game between Edmonton and Chicago in Edmonton, Alberta.

Dumba knelt at center ice Saturday while fellow Black players Malcolm Subban of Chicago and Darnell Nurse of Edmonton each stood with a hand on one of his shoulders. Several teams this week stood together during the U.S. and Canadian anthems, with some players locking arms to show solidarity.

With the message “END RACISM” on the video screens around him, the Wild defenseman made a passionate speech about racial injustice on behalf of the league and the Hockey Diversity Alliance.

“Racism is everywhere, and we need to fight against it,” Dumba said. “We will fight against injustice and fight for what is right. I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans because Black lives matter, Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a great game, but it could be a whole lot greater, and it starts with all of us.”

Dumba and a handful of other Black hockey players formed the Hockey Diversity Alliance in June in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in policy custody in Minnesota. Dumba, who is Filipino-Canadian, wore a Hockey Diversity Alliance sweatshirt while making the speech and kneeling.

“I just wanted to kind of show support,” Nurse said. “We’re all in this, fighting this same fight. It was good that the message was heard and needs to continue to be spread and actions need to speak louder than words.”

Afterward, Dumba received support from around the hockey community.

“I think everyone in the league stands with those guys,” Colorado forward Matt Nieto said. “There’s just no room for racism in our sport or any sports or just in general for that matter.”

J.T. Brown, who raised his right fist during the anthem prior to a game in 2017 when with the Tampa Bay Lightning, said on Twitter he applauded “this great start” from Dumba.

“Moving forward, teammates shouldn’t let teammates fight this battle alone,” Brown tweeted. “We always show up for each other on the ice, this shouldn’t be any different.”

Earlier this week, Avalanche center Nazem Kadri said standing together with Minnesota players prior to an exhibition game was a good sign of solidarity, but he called for more than just gestures.

“We’re trying to make the game more diverse, and the diversity in the game doesn’t happen with racism still going on, so that’s an important thing for us to address,” Kadri said. “As players we have addressed that. From a league standpoint, I think we’d maybe like to see a little more acknowledgement and having them address the situation and know that they stand with their players.”

Asked about Kadri’s comments, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told The Associated Press on Friday, “We’re in complete agreement as to the ultimate goal.”

The league is made up of over 95% white players and has no people of color as coaches or general managers. The recent national debate on racism caused many of those white players to speak out about the subject.

“I’ve said how I feel, and other players are getting comfortable to say how they feel, as well,” said Stars forward Tyler Seguin, who marched in a peaceful protest in Dallas.

When the playoffs began Saturday, one banner in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena read, “#WeSkateFor Black Lives.” Before the nightcap between Pittsburgh and Montreal, an anti-racism video montage played on the video screens.

“In hockey, we often let our effort, our determination and passion to win do the talking,” the video said. “But when an issue is bigger than the game, we must speak out, starting with three words we need to get comfortable saying: Black Lives Matter.”

Arizona coach Rick Tocchet said he received a call from Vegas forward Ryan Reaves prior to the exhibition game between the Coyotes and Golden Knights about players locking arms and is glad to see the league prioritizing diversity.

“I’m all in on that stuff,” Tocchet said. “I thought it was terrific. I watched all the other teams do different things. To show that awareness is terrific.”

Reaves wanted to do something to bring awareness during the anthem, and teammates told him they’d be supportive. He chose not to kneel because he wanted to do something the entire team could be a part of.

“For a lot of guys, kneeling isn’t the way they would want to show support, and if we wanted to do something as a team, my big thing was I didn’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable in what they wanted to do,” Reaves said. “I know that if I said I wanted everybody to kneel, at least one guy was going to feel uncomfortable and I didn’t want that. So I think this was the best way to be able to include everybody in it and have everybody comfortable with what we were doing.”

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AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow in Toronto contributed to this report.

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Defiant NJ Gym Again Opens Despite Closure Order Amid Virus

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 21:40:22 GMT

The owners of a New Jersey gym that has repeatedly defied Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order to remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic have once again reopened the facility less than a week after their arrests on contempt charges.

After kicking down plywood boards covering Atilis Gym in Bellmawr on Saturday, the owners let 40 to 50 customers in for workouts, the latest move in a standoff over coronavirus-related restrictions. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that many customers waiting in line said they couldn’t wait to get back to their regular workouts.

Owners Ian Smith, 33, of Delanco Township, and Frank Trumbetti, 51, of Williamstown had been arrested Monday and charged with contempt, obstruction and violating the Disaster Control Act.

The gym opened its doors in May, starting a legal battle over whether Murphy’s order for non-essential businesses to remain closed was constitutional. The owners have said they have taken steps to ensure social distancing, including taping off workout stations and operating at 20% of capacity and were also taking patrons’ temperatures and requiring them to wear masks unless they were in the middle of lifting weights.

Smith acknowledged that law enforcement would likely force them to close again, and he said he had received a letter indicating that Bellmawr officials are to consider Tuesday revoking the gym’s business license.

On Saturday, Gov. Phil Murphy said in a message on Twitter that almost 400 new positive COVID-19 cases had been recorded in the state, pushing the total above 182,000, and another 11 deaths were associated with the virus, bringing the toll in the state to 13,955 lives lost.

AP Sources: Jets LB C.J. Mosley Opting Out of NFL Season

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 21:34:01 GMT

New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley has opted out of playing this season because of family health concerns, two people familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The 28-year-old Mosley was entering his second season with New York after signing as a free agent in 2019 following five years in Baltimore. He played in just two games last year for the Jets while dealing with a groin/core muscle injury.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Saturday because the team hadn’t announced Mosley’s decision. ESPN first reported that Mosley was opting out.

Mosley joins a growing list of players who are choosing to not play this season — if there is a season — amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

He is the second Jets player to opt out of the season. Offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi also decided earlier this week to not play this year.

New England has had several players do so, including star linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Chiefs starting running back Damien Williams, a key to their Super Bowl run last season, said he wouldn’t play. Giants tackle Nate Solder is also among those opting out.

The decision by Mosley leaves the Jets without arguably their two best defensive players. New York traded safety Jamal Adams to Seattle last Saturday along with a 2022 fourth-round draft pick for safety Bradley McDougald, first-rounders in 2021 and 2022, and a third-rounder in 2021.

Mosley signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the Jets in March 2019, but his decision means the deal will now run through the 2024 season instead of 2023.

He was off to a great start in his regular-season debut with New York when he got hurt. He had five tackles and intercepted a pass from Buffalo’s Josh Allen and returned it for a touchdown in the opener. But, he injured his groin late in the third quarter of the game while breaking up a pass.

Mosley missed the next four games before coming back against New England. He acknowledged he still wasn’t totally healthy in that game, and missed the rest of the season before eventually having surgery in December.

Mosley said in June he had been “cleared for everything” and was looking forward to having no limitations during training camp. So, this was likely an extremely tough decision to make for Mosley.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will now have to plan his defense to be without Mosley, something he needed to do for much of last season. One positive is the Jets have several backups who saw lots of playing time a year ago in Mosley’s absence.

Neville Hewitt, James Burgess, Blake Cashman, B.J. Bello and newcomer Patrick Onwuasor — who replaced Mosley in Baltimore last year — could all be in the mix to help make up for the loss of the four-time Pro Bowl selection.

The Jets also have veteran Avery Williamson returning from a torn ACL that sidelined him for all of last season. He was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list earlier this week but is expected to be ready to play when the regular season begins.

There had been some speculation that New York could cut Williamson, who’s due to make $8.5 million against the salary cap this season. But Mosley’s decision to opt out will likely mean Williamson will remain on the roster — and likely take over as the signal-calling quarterback on defense.

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Swimming Restricted ‘Until Further Notice' at Long Island Beaches After Latest Shark Sighting

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 19:19:29 GMT

Swimming at a number of Long Island beaches has been limited once again after lifeguards spotted another shark not far from the coastline.

Hempstead Town beaches were temporarily closed to swimming between Civic and Lido West beaches Saturday afternoon after lifeguards spotted a “large dark fin” in waters at Lido Beach Town Park just after 1 p.m. By 3 p.m., swimming resumed but was restricted to knee deep access until further notice.

Hempstead’s new “Shark Patrol” spotted a shark almost 24 hours earlier, prompting the lifeguards to suspend swimming for the rest of the day.

The patrol will continue monitoring the ocean waters throughout the weekend, Clavin says. Updates will continue to come from the town’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Sightings throughout the week prompted a variety of swimming restrictions and partial suspensions.

On Monday, swimmers were ordered out of the water at Lido West and Nickerson beaches in Hempstead after a pair of shark sightings. There were reports it was a large bull shark between 7 and 10 feet long. Town officials say they haven’t seen a shark that size in the area in at least four years.

The shark may have chomped on a sea skate but hasn’t been blamed for any attacks on humans. It wasn’t clear if both sightings were the same shark. Nassau County is using helicopters to better monitor its beaches for potential threats.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo even addressed the recent spate of shark sightings on Long Island on Wednesday, telling reporters on a conference call the state would look into it, but he was confident New York could handle anything that comes its way.

“I’ve learned through COVID there is no crisis we can’t handle,” he said.

Separately, a New York City woman was killed in a rare great white shark attack off the coast of Maine earlier this week. She was identified as 63-year-old Julie Dimperio Holowach, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said. The shark attacked her about 60 feet off Bailey Island Monday while she was swimming in a wetsuit.

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Cuomo Ready to Make Decision on Schools Next Week, Says Schools Should Plan on Reopening

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 17:05:52 GMT

The deadline set for New York school districts to submit their plans to resume instruction in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic has passed, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he’s ready to make an initial decision on reopening schools next week.

“Schools should plan on reopening,” Cuomo said via conference call Saturday morning, one day after his July 31 deadline for the districts.

Its now been five months since the state’s first recorded case of the coronavirus, and New York continues the churn further into reopening practices while keeping some measures in place to protect the progress made since the pandemic’s peak in the tri-state just a couple months ago.

Whether or not New York schools resume in-person instruction in the fall, a number parents are expected to keep their children home to continue instruction through the remote learning started at the beginning of the pandemic. Anecdotally, Cuomo says his office has received a flood of phone calls from parents concerned about plans to reopen schools.

“The discussion assumes if the schools open all the parents will send their kids back to school. That is not the case,” Cuomo said.

Remote learning may not be the perfect answer to safety concerns, however, as each district deploys different strategies and resources for its students.

“Remote learning, if not done well, can be a vehicle of division. Remote learning tends to work better in the wealthier school districts and tends to work less well in poorer school districts,” Cuomo reflected on the call.

Cuomo gave all school districts until July 31 to submit their plans to safely resume instruction and mitigate the spread of the virus. Of the 700 districts in the state, around 50, including New York City, had not formally submitted their plans, the governor said Saturday.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza detailed the city’s proposal at the end of the week, focused on reopening schools if the percentage of citywide positive tests is less than 3 percent over a seven-day rolling average. If that percentage is equal to 3 percent or higher, schools will close. The city, along with the rest of the state, has seen just a 1 percent seven-day rolling positive test rate for weeks now.

The plan the city has drafted includes closing a classroom if one or more students from that class test positive for coronavirus and switching to remote learning for 14 days. If two or more students in different classrooms test positive, officials will close the entire school and enact remote learning for the same time period. If at least two children are infected and the link is unclear, the school will be closed pending the outcome of an investigation.

Daily Percentage of Positive Tests by New York Region

With all of New York state in some phase of reopening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is shifting his focus to monitoring test results on a daily basis across each region to identify potential hotspots before they emerge. Here’s the latest tracking data by region. For the latest county-level results statewide, click here

Source: ny.gov

82,737 New Yorkers were tested for the coronavirus on Friday, a milestone for the state and daily record, Cuomo said. The positive rate of testing held at just below one percent.

Four additional people died from the virus, bringing the state total to 25,164.

Bar and restaurant compliance continues to be an issue for downstate officials. On Friday, 41 establishments across New York City and Long Island were issued violations related to the governor’s coronavirus safety executive orders. Of the 41 bars and restaurants to receive violations, Cuomo said 27 were in Manhattan.

Seven more suspensions were ordered Friday, all within New York City.

Man Shot, Killed at Late-Night NYC Playground Cookout: NYPD

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 16:11:30 GMT

Police officials say a 34-year-old man was shot and killed at a late-night cookout at a playground in the Bronx early Saturday morning.

Forest Byrd, identified by the NYPD, was found with gunshot wounds in the chest and left arm. He was taken to Jacobi Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

The shooting occurred in the first hours of Saturday inside the Eastchester Playground in the Allerton section of the Bronx.

Elsewhere in the Bronx, a 21-year-old was shot in the 43rd precinct of the borough shortly before 11 p.m. Friday, police reported. Shaiquan Wilson was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

In both fatal shootings, police had made no arrests through Saturday morning and the investigations were ongoing.

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NY Eyes Pain for Wealthy, Working Class to Help Right Budget

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 15:10:50 GMT

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he opposes raising taxes on the wealthy to help the state weather the coronavirus economic crisis, but it is clear that federal aid alone won’t solve the state’s fiscal woes.

COVID-19 shutdowns have decimated consumer spending and tourism in New York and observers warn of a slow recovery. Cuomo’s administration is projecting a $13 billion drop in tax revenues through next April and a potential $61 billion hole over the next four years.

Democrats in the state Assembly and liberal groups including VOCAL-NY have proposed tax hikes on the ultra-rich as a way of dealing with the crisis. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among those who have urged Cuomo to get on board, telling the governor in a recent videothat “it’s time to stop protecting billionaires, and it’s time to start working for working families.”

Cuomo, though, remains unconvinced, saying that the state’s roughly 100 billionaires can’t make up the gap alone, and that overtaxing them will simply cause them to move elsewhere.

“You have 100 billionaires. You will have to tax every billionaire half a billion dollars to make it up. You know what that means? That means you have no billionaires,” Cuomo said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. He noted that New York already has among the nation’s highest taxes on the wealthy.

Supporters of such measures, though, see an opening in the state Senate, where Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has said that “this crisis calls for multimillionaires and billionaires to help our state shoulder this extraordinary burden.”

Activists waved pitchforks Thursday outside the homes of some of Cuomo’s billionaire donors, including hedge fund billionaire Dan Loeb and real estate investors Steven Roth and Stephen Ross, saying the nation’s most wealthy are doing fine in a pandemic that’s landed hardest on the neediest.

“The governor has a choice: he can either cut funding from students, nurses, seniors and working families who keep our city running — or he can tax the rich,” said protest attendee Alicé Nascimento, a policy director at the advocacy group New York Communities for Change.

New York has put its hopes on Congress for months now to bail out the state. But the House and Senate departed for the weekend at odds over key issues: House Democrats propose $1 trillion in state and local aid, while the Republican Senate proposal didn’t include any such aid.

Cuomo is demanding Congress end anti-“blue state” politics and send New York more federal aid.

No federal aid will force the state to cut state spending by 20%, Cuomo said. That would mean about $8.2 billion less in spending on schools, hospitals and local governments, halted airport renovations, and fare hikes for subway, train and bus riders.

Some cuts have already begun. State spending was down $4 billion in April, May and June as Cuomo’s administration froze state workers’ pay raises, halted hiring and new contracts and began holding back 20% of state payments to local governments, according to budget division spokesman Freeman Klopott.

Lawmakers have taken other steps to make up for lost tax revenue, including borrowing $4.5 million and using $2.5 billion in emergency federal aid for schools and the Medicaid program.

New York could slash spending by 10% even if Congress sends $7 billion, Cuomo told New York’s Congressional delegation Wednesday. Options for cuts, observers said, include freezing planned pay increases for public employees including teachers this fall, nixing tax credits for movie production companies or halting the sales tax exemption for clothing purchases up to $110.

Local governments across the state — from hard-hit New York City, to college towns upstate — are also debating painful cuts and layoffs. Some experts warned austerity measures could hurt the economic recovery.

“To cut anything right now, is the stupidest thing one can do,” said University of Albany economics professor Kajal Lahiri. “The economy goes down even more as you cut more.”

New York raised taxes on individuals earning at least $500,000 to close a budget deficit in 2009.

The Fiscal Policy Institute, a liberal-leaning group, has floated several options for taxing the rich, including hikes for those earning above $5 million, reinstating a tax on stock transfers, taxing second homes valued at $5 million and above or taxing high earners on annual increases in the value of their assets.

“An extreme, extraordinary situation requires that we don’t approach it in the usual way,” said the group’s chief economist, Jonas Shaende.

New York must “be very careful about doing anything,” said Cuomo budget director Robert Mujica. He referenced fears — also voiced by Republicans — that tax hikes in a crisis could jeopardize at least some revenue by driving away many of the 1% of taxpayers who pay nearly 50% of all personal income taxes collected in New York.

E.J. McMahon, research director at the fiscally conservative Empire Center for Public Policy, questioned the practicality and constitutionality of taxing high earners for annual increases in the value of their self-reported assets.

McMahon said no one solution will fix the state’s economy going forward, and said lawmakers and Cuomo have to try ideas that save money, even if they are only partial solutions.

“The later this goes, the bigger the problem gets and the more difficult it gets to fix,” McMahon said.

Virtual School: Teachers Want to Improve But Training Varies

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 13:19:07 GMT

After a rocky transition to distance learning last spring, Georgia teacher Aimee Rodriguez Webb is determined to do better this fall. She bought a dry-erase board and a special camera to display worksheets, and she set up her dining room to broadcast school lessons.

“I’m getting myself geared up for what I feel will prepare me and allow me to teach remotely with more fidelity now that I know what I want it to look like,” Rodriguez Webb said.

She and other teachers from suburban Atlanta’s Cobb County School District recently started three weeks of training as they prepare to launch the school year virtually.

With remote learning part of an increasing number of fall reopening plans, districts are facing pressure to improve after many students got left behind this spring in the scramble to close schools during the coronavirus pandemic. But investment in training varies widely. While some school systems have offered new guidance on teaching from afar, many educators feel like they’re on their own.

More affluent school districts have used the summer to train teachers both on technology and getting the most from students who are learning at least partly online, according to Richard Ferdig, an education technology researcher at Kent State University. Teachers in those districts will perform well, he said.

“For the ‘have-nots,’ I’m concerned — not that they couldn’t do it, but that they weren’t necessarily given the right things to do it,” said Ferdig, who edits the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, which released a special issue and online book dedicated to professional development during the pandemic. “They’ve either been given nothing or they’ve been told, ‘Here’s the tools we bought for you,’ with very little support on how to integrate those tools into” teaching.

Many teachers were frustrated by the unplanned experiment in distance learning, a change most weren’t prepared for given how few schools had virtual components and how little their own college education focused on teaching both in person and online.

A poll of 1,500 Washington state teachers said 79% wanted more professional development or training before the start of the school year, with 23% of those saying they need significant training to be more effective in the fall, said Linda Mullen, spokeswoman for the Washington Education Association, which surveyed its members.

“They want to do better,” Mullen said.

In New York, polls indicated that parent dissatisfaction with distance learning increased as school closures persisted. That was especially true among families in high-needs districts, where instruction was less likely to mirror a typical classroom.

“We kind of just threw them out there and gave them a Zoom link or gave them a Google Hangout or a Google Classroom,” said Dia Bryant, deputy director for The Education Trust-New York, which conducted the polls. “Our teachers deserve better, and we need better professional learning for them.”

Some districts are adding days at the start of the school year for training in distance learning.

Portland, Oregon, public schools are relying on in-house learning and technology teams as they set aside part of the first two weeks of school for training. In western New York, more than 500 teachers from 27 districts signed up for online sessions offered by a public education collaborative body. Texas officials offered 8,000 principals and other school leaders training on how to guide teachers through the shift to remote or blended learning.

Rodriguez Webb said her district brought teachers back three weeks before students, instead of the usual one week. She is optimistic the new school year will go better than the spring, when she worked long hours and taught herself skills like modifying worksheets into Google Slides only to see a small percentage of students engage regularly.

“We winged it,” she said of the shutdown that was expected to last weeks but stretched for months. The district’s guidance consisted of long emails pointing out resources she had little time to explore.

A Cobb County schools statement said the district is committed to ensuring “teachers have the tools, resources, and training to help students succeed, no matter the classroom setting.”

In New Haven, Connecticut, Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans said officials know teachers weren’t prepared to deliver “high-quality, equitable instruction in a hybrid or a remote learning environment.” Early on, no one knew how much work to give or how long students should spend on computers, she recalled.

The district contracted with a company to provide virtual training and has held “summer institutes” on topics like “building a digital toolbox,” Redd-Hannans said.

She said teachers are “clamoring for additional professional learning,” some of which will happen under a $269,000 contract with Learning Innovation Catalyst, a company that says it provides online and live coaching to districts in 14 states and several countries.

Some districts weathered the spring shutdown better than others. Kiski Area School District officials in Pennsylvania plan to pick up where they left off as they start the school year fully online.

Administrators credit steps taken over several years, including being designated a Google Reference District in 2017 — meaning teachers regularly incorporate technology into learning.

“We mapped out the day, starting from eight o’clock to three o’clock. Teachers had prep in the morning, then they had to have assignments posted by nine o’clock,” said Brian Swartzlander, principal of Kiski Area Upper Elementary School. They also built in half-hour blocks for team meetings and one-on-one Google meetings with students.

Some parents have pleaded for schools to reopen fully, saying distance learning is no substitute, no matter what resources teachers receive.

“They can train them all that they want. They could give them the millions of dollars and tools … for online learning. They could do six weeks of intense training,” said Christina Higley, a mother of three in Webster, New York. “There is still going to be children who can’t learn that way, and the teachers aren’t going to be able to change that — no matter what they do from afar, period.”

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Thompson reported from Buffalo, New York.