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SHOWERS 54 • 44 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | theworldlink.com
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Oregon Revenue Forecast shows encouragement Jeremy C. Ruark Country Media
While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused deep economic impacts across the state, the latest Oregon Revenue Forecast suggest an improving outlook. “Corporate excise tax collections, lottery sales and taxes on investment forms of income have shown the strongest recoveries,” according to the Oregon Revenue Forecast executive summary. “While those sources stand out, all major forms of revenue have bounced back, including labor-related income taxes.” Governor Kate Brown issued the following statement Wednesday, Nov. 18, about the state’s November revenue forecast: “Today’s forecast projects relatively stable state revenues,” Brown said. “While this provides some sense of relief in uncertain times, we know that the sacrifices Oregon’s businesses are making right now to prevent the rapid
community spread of COVID-19 will not be reflected until the next revenue forecast is released in January. “We continue to face uncertainty about Oregon’s economy moving forward. What is abundantly clear, however, is that our state — like so many others across the country — needs another round of federal stimulus money. This is a worldwide public health crisis, and it demands a coordinated, national response. And we simply cannot wait until Congress convenes in January. “Our workers who are facing unemployment and the discontinuation of federal benefits programs at the end of the year — and employers who have had to close businesses for the betterment of public health — need help. And they need it right now. “I am calling on Congress to put aside their partisan differences and deliver on a coronavirus relief package, including another round of Federal Pandemic Unem-
ployment Compensation and an extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. There is no time to waste. We urgently need congressional action to provide direct help to local governments, businesses, and families so that we can all continue to provide critical services to Oregonians during this crisis. “In addition, this year’s wildfires have burned over 4,000 homes and structures in communities across Oregon. The state faces significant costs as we work to remove debris and rebuild wildfire-impacted communities. We cannot recover from these fires alone — we will need substantial federal support. “I remain committed to exploring additional state-level solutions to assist Oregonians and Oregon’s businesses, especially those that have been hard hit by the pandemic, including the hospitality industry, small businesses,
and women, Black, Indigenous, People of Color and Tribal-owned and operated businesses. “I also remain committed to making prudent financial decisions and to position our state to manage unforeseen economic challenges that may come our way.” Reaction Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek is calling for Gov. Brown to declare a catastrophic disaster and convene a special session. “The COVID-19 pandemic is raging like never before in Oregon. Our economic recovery is fully dependent on getting this virus under control. As the state’s budget situation has stabilized and since Congress is unlikely to pass another relief package this year, I urge the governor to declare a catastrophic disaster so the legislature can convene a remote special session in December. “We need to utilize some portion of the state’s reserves as soon as possible to help struggling
Zack Demars, The World
The sky lights up as the sun sets over Coos Bay’s Fourth Street roadwork project Tuesday afternoon. Crews have reconstructed some of the road’s sidewalk and drainage improvements and are continuing work on the road’s crosswalks and traffic signal replacements.
FAA clears Boeing 737 Max to fly again “Those regulators have indicated that Boeing’s design changes, together with the changes to crew procedures and training enhancements, will give them the confidence to validate the aircraft as safe to fly in their respective countries and regions,” the FAA said in a statement. The move came after numerous congressional hearings on the crashes that led to criticism of the FAA for lax oversight and Boeing for rushing to implement a new software system that put profits over safety and ultimately led to the firing of its CEO. Investigators focused on anti-stall software that Boeing had devised to counter the plane’s tendency to tilt nose-up because of the size and placement of the engines. That software pushed the nose down repeatedly on both planes that crashed, overcoming the pilots’ struggles to regain control. In each case, a single faulty sensor triggered the nose-down pitch. Boeing’s redemption comes
in the middle of a pandemic that has scared away passengers and decimated the aviation industry, limiting the company’s ability to make a comeback. Air travel in the U.S. alone is down about 65% from a year ago. Boeing sales of new planes have plunged because of the Max crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. Orders for more than 1,000 Max jets have been canceled or removed from Boeing’s backlog this year. Each plane carries a sticker price between $99 million and $135 million, although airlines routinely pay far less than list price. John Hansman, an aeronautics professor at MIT, said that people typically avoid airplanes for a few months after there are problems. But the Max case is unusual, and were it not for the novel coronavirus, Hansman said he would feel safe flying on a Max. “This whole thing has had more scrutiny than any airplane in the world,” he said. “It’s
Please see Revenue, Page 2
Executive order makes Oregon ‘freeze’ enforceable by law
Roadwork Sunset
After nearly two years and a pair of deadly crashes, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has cleared Boeing’s 737 Max for flight. The nation’s air safety agency announced the move early Wednesday, saying it was done after a comprehensive and methodical 20-month review process. Regulators around the world grounded the Max in March 2019, after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet. That happened less than five months after another Max flown by Indonesia’s Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea. A total of 346 passengers and crew members on both planes were killed. The planes won’t return to the skies for a while. The FAA says it must approve pilot training changes for each U.S. airline and airlines must perform required maintenance on the planes. The FAA says the move was made in cooperation with air safety regulators worldwide.
Oregonians and small businesses through the winter months. I am particularly interested in seeing the state spend $100 million to keep Oregonians housed and stabilize the rental market as the pandemic continues into 2021.” House Republican Leader Christine Drazan said if the state wants to see the economy improve, leaders must lift the “freeze.” “Today’s forecast shows that our state economy is stable, but this is not a reflection of reality for most Oregonians who have been impacted by these shutdowns,” Drazan said. “The most recent ‘freeze’ will hurt Oregonians and business owners and make an already tenuous recovery even harder for families. Now more than ever we must protect jobs, support business growth, manage our reserves and control spending to ensure a long-term recovery for all of Oregon.”
probably the safest airplane to be on.” American is the only U.S. airline to put the Max back in its schedule so far, starting with one round trip daily between New York and Miami beginning Dec. 29. Nearly 400 Max jets were in service worldwide when they were grounded, and Boeing has built and stored about 450 more since then. All have to undergo maintenance and get some modifications before they can fly. Pilots must also undergo simulator training, which was not required when the aircraft was introduced. Hansman said pilot training for qualified 737 pilots shouldn’t take long because Boeing has fixed problems with the Max’s software. It no longer automatically points the plane’s nose down repeatedly, and doesn’t override commands from the pilot, according to Boeing. The company posted a summary of changes to the plane.
SALEM (AP) — Gov. Kate Brown made her statewide twoweek ‘freeze’ official Tuesday with an executive order that makes the measures enforceable by law. The freeze will take effect starting Wednesday and aims to limit group activities and slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon where cases have reached a record high. As part of the freeze, social gatherings can not exceed more than six people. Restaurants are limited to take-out only, while gyms and fitness centers, museums, pools, sports courts, movie theaters, zoos, gardens, aquariums and venues will be closed. Grocery stores, pharmacies and retail stores are limited to a maximum capacity of 75%. All of the freeze measures are enforceable by law. Workplace violations should be reported Oregon OSHA and restaurant violations to OSHA or OLCC. In the past social gathering limits were “self-enforced.” Now, if caught violating this restriction, a person can be cited, fined or arrested. “The Oregon State Police will be working with local law enforcement to enforce the Governor’s orders, in the same way local law enforcement officers respond to noise complaints for loud parties, for example, and issue citations,” Charles Boyle, a spokesperson from the governor’s office said. Oregon State Police released a statement shortly after the executive order was issued, saying “with the issuance of the latest Executive Order, Oregon Law enforcement will continue to follow an education first approach. Oregon Law Enforcement will only take enforcement action (criminal citations) as a last resort.”
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Oregon has 13 more COVID-19 deaths The World
The Oregon Health Authority reported another 13 deaths due to COVID-19 on Tuesday. In addition, 935 new confirmed and presumptive cases were reported statewide as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 58,570. The new cases included five in Coos County and four in Curry County. Douglas County had 37 new cases. The new cases are in the following counties: Baker (4), Benton (15), Clackamas (85), Clatsop (5), Columbia (7), Coos (5), Curry (4), Deschutes (30), Douglas (37), Harney (5), Hood River (4), Jackson (60), Jefferson (28), Josephine (2), Klamath (25), Lake (4), Lane (45), Lincoln (2), Linn (16), Malheur (7), Marion (151), Morrow (1), Multnomah (208), Polk (21), Tillamook (3), Umatilla (41), Union (6), Wallowa (1), Wasco (5), Washington (88), and Yamhill (20). The new deaths raise Oregon’s toll since the pandemic started to 778. Oregon’s 766th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Umatilla County who tested positive on Oct. 29 and died on Nov. 8, at Trios Health Center in Washington. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 767th COVID-19 death is an 84-year-old woman in
Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 7 and died on Nov. 16, in her residence. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 768th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Multnomah County who died on Nov. 9. The location of his tests and underlying conditions are being confirmed. Oregon’s 769th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman in Lane County who tested positive on Nov. 4 and died on Nov. 16, at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 770th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old woman in Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Oct.27, at Samaritan Albany General Medical Center. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 771st COVID-19 death is a 69-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 24 and died on Nov. 1, in his residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 772nd COVID-19 death is a 64-year-old man in Washington County who tested positive on Oct. 31 and died on Nov.15, in his residence.
Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed. Oregon’s 773rd COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old woman in Douglas County who tested positive on Nov. 8 and died on Nov. 16, at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed. Oregon’s 774th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Nov. 6 and died on Nov. 9, in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 775th COVID-19 death is a 52-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 27 and died on Oct. 31, in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 776th COVID-19 death is a 67-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on Oct. 26 and died on Nov. 13, at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 777th COVID-19 death is a 98-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on Oct. 13 and died on Nov. 8, in his residence. He had underlying conditions. Oregon’s 778th COVID-19 death is an 85-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on Nov. 1 and died on Nov. 9, at Providence Portland Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.
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Grand jury finds Salem officer justified in fatal shooting SALEM (AP) — A grand jury has unanimously found a Salem police officer justified in killing 30-year-old Rudy Martinez-Cortez in October. The hearing involving officer Andrew Parsons included testimony from Oregon State Police detectives, Salem police officers and civilian witnesses, the Statesman Journal reported. According to a summary of the grand jury findings provided by the Marion County District Attorney’s Office Parsons on Oct. 29 saw a Honda Civic with no front license plate and when Parsons made a turn to follow the Civic pulled away
“at a high rate of speed.” Parsons followed as the Civic continued until the front axle broke, making the car stop. The driver, Martinez-Cortez, fled on foot and as Parsons he chased him, he said he saw that Martinez-Cortez had a handgun. Parsons ordered Martinez-Cortez to get on the ground, but the man kept running and entered someone’s backyard, according to the summary. Parsons drew his weapon as he entered the backyard. Parsons reported seeing Martinez-Cortez pointing his gun at him before Martinez-Cortez fired and a bul-
let grazed Parsons’ ankle, going through his pant leg. Parsons then fired 27 times, hitting Martinez-Cortez seven times, according to the grand jury. According to the summary, a pistol was found near Martinez-Cortez’s body and all of its ammunition had been fired. “Bullets recovered at the scene were consistent with Martinez and Parsons firing at each other,” according to the summary. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office said investigators found drug paraphernalia and about a pound of methamphetamine in the Honda Civic.
The World
College campus. This year’s holiday food lineup available to order includes: Pumpkin pie: $15 (2 for $27) Apple pie: $15 (2 for S27) Blue cheese dressing: $8/pint Salted caramel cheesecake with chocolate pretzel crust: $25 Fresh cranberry sauce: $4/cup Homemade turkey gravy: $10/quart Half dozen soft rolls
(brown & serve): $4 OCCI turkey spice blend: $5 Proceeds from sales support the OCCI competition team and the Junior Chamber of Commerce Club and provide an experience for students to learn the business side of the culinary field. For more information or to place an order, contact Shawn Warren by phone at 541-888-7309 or by email at lapatisserie@socc.edu.
not breach capacity. When the weak labor market and spreading virus is combined with months of federal inaction regarding both the pandemic and the economy, it brings the recovery to its most challenging point yet. Even so, expectations remain that the economic expansion will endure. The recovery will be faster overall than in past severe recessions. This is due to a key assumption regarding a widely available medical treatment by next fall. After that, economic growth should accelerate. Schools will reopen, workers will return to the office in greater numbers, and travel and tourism will pick up. With the end of the pandemic likely in sight, the key macroeconomic risk remains minimizing
the amount of permanent damage done the economy in the meantime. As such, additional federal aid to support small businesses and the laid off workers who face dim job prospects until the pandemic is over will ensure the recovery is faster, and disparities do not widen. Oregon’s economy is expected to return to health by mid-2023. Oregon’s primary revenue sources have tracked very closely with expectations since the previous forecast was released. Even so, a considerable amount of uncertainty remains due to the virus and government policy responses. Despite the uncertainty, general fund revenue collections have been surprisingly healthy since the recession began.
Oregon Coast Culinary Institute taking orders for holiday bazaar Woman gets life in prison for fundraiser stabbing husband’s ex-wife PORTLAND (AP) — A 38-year-old woman who fatally stabbed her husband’s ex-wife in Oregon was sentenced to life in prison on Monday. Angela McCraw-Hester pleaded guilty to the murder of Annastasia Hester, who was 34 when she died, The Oregonian/ OregonLive reported. McCraw-Hester will be eligible for parole after 25 years. Early on June 10, 2016, Hester called 911. Police arrived at her apartment in the Portland suburb of Gresham, where they found Hester with at least 60 stab wounds on her body. She died at a hospital. Annastasia Hester and Matthew Hester were married for five years before
divorcing in 2012, court records show. Police said they believe McCraw-Hester, who is married to Matthew Hester, broke into Annastasia Hester’s apartment by removing a window-mounted air conditioning unit. Investigators found McCraw-Hester’s DNA on a kitchen knife block inside the apartment. Surveillance video showed a car that matches McCraw-Hester’s leaving the apartment shortly after the 911 call. U.S. Marshals found McCraw-Hester in 2017 in Pocatello, Idaho. In 2019, police arrested McCraw-Hester’s husband, Matthew Hester, in Kennewick, Washington. Matthew Hester is awaiting trial, charged with con-
spiring to help his current wife kill his ex-wife. Court records show that Matthew Hester, 38, told police that he and his wife talked about killing his ex-wife, but they didn’t follow through. Matthew and Annastasia Hester had gone through a child custody dispute, according to Gresham, Oregon police reports. Reports show that while Matthew Hester initially denied his wife’s involvement in the killing, he later told investigators that she was guilty. Hester’s brother, Nathaniel Holmes, said the turmoil of his sister’s murder has had severe effects on the family, according to a statement provided by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
The Southern Coos Health District will review open board positions and elect new officers at its regular monthly meeting Thursday. The meeting, scheduled
to begin at 6:30 p.m. and be available to the public by live stream video, also will include a reviewing the CEO contract draft, considering employee end-of-year recognition, reviewing
Governance Institute Training Curriculum and hearing staff reports for October. To access the live stream video link, visit the Southern Coos Hospital website or Facebook page.
Southern Coos Health District Board meets Nov. 19
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The Oregon Coast Culinary Institute is again offering its Thanksgiving Fundraising Bazaar to raise money for the OCCI competition team and Junior Chamber of Commerce Club. Orders can be placed until Friday, Nov. 20, with curbside, no-contact pickup on Nov. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at OCCI on the Southwestern Oregon Community
Revenue From Page 1
The following is the executive summary of the Oregon Revenue Forecast prepared by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services. Executive Summary While the economic recovery continues, the virus remains in control. Expectationså were already that growth would slow noticeably over the colder, wetter months ahead. The latest surge in COVID cases all but ensures it. Businesses and consumers are likely to pull back out of fear of the virus, and more restrictive public health policies are being implemented so the health care system does
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US judge blocks Trump Administration rule inhibiting unions SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a Trump Administration rule that opponents said would have harmed the bargaining rights of more than 500,000 home healthcare workers in California and several hundred thousand additional workers across the nation. San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria found that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule changing Medicaid state payment
requirements would have made it tougher for states to deduct employee benefits and union dues from workers’ paychecks. That in turn would have made it tougher for Medicaid in-home workers to unionize and seek higher wages and better conditions as they help low-income seniors and people with disabilities bath, eat, get dressed, take medication and move about, said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
Chhabria denied the federal agency’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit and instead issued a summary judgment blocking the rule adopted in 2018, which had not yet been enforced. The challenge was filed in May 2019 by Becerra and attorneys general in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington. Spokesmen for the federal agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency had said it
Agreement paves way for dam removal on Klamath River PORTLAND (AP) — An agreement announced Tuesday paves the way for the largest dam demolition in U.S. history, a project that promises to reopen hundreds of miles of waterway along the Oregon-California border to salmon that are critical to tribes but have dwindled to almost nothing in recent years. If it goes forward, the deal would revive plans to remove four massive hydroelectric dams on the lower Klamath River, emptying giant reservoirs and reopening potential fish habitat that’s been blocked for more than a century. The massive project would be at the vanguard of a trend toward dam demolitions in the U.S. as the structures age and become less economically viable amid growing environmental concerns about the health of native fish. Previous efforts to address problems in the Klamath Basin have fallen apart amid years of legal sparring that generated distrust among tribes, fishing groups, farmers and environmentalists. Opponents of dam removal worry about their property values and the loss of a water source for fighting wildfires. “It is bleak, but I want to have hope that with dam removal and with all the prayers that we’ve been sending up all these years, salmon could come back. If we just give them a chance, they will,” said Chook Chook Hillman, a Karuk tribal member who’s been fighting for the dam removal for years. “If you provide a good place for salmon, they’ll always come home.” A half-dozen tribes spread across Oregon and California, fishing groups and environmentalists had hoped to see demolition work begin as soon as 2022. But in July, U.S. regulators stalled those plans when they questioned whether the nonprofit entity formed to oversee the project could adequately respond if there were cost overruns or accidents. The new plan makes Oregon and California equal partners in the demolition with the nonprofit entity, called the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, and adds $45 million to the project’s $450 million budget to ease those concerns. Oregon, California and the utility PacifiCorp, which operates the hydroelectric dams and is owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway, will each provide one-third of the additional funds.
Parties to the new agreement shared details with The Associated Press in documents and interviews ahead of a news conference scheduled Tuesday. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must approve the deal. If accepted, it would allow PacifiCorp and Berkshire Hathaway to walk away from aging dams that are more of an albatross than a profit-generator, while addressing regulators’ concerns. Oregon, California and the nonprofit would jointly take over the hydroelectric license from PacifiCorp until the dams are decommissioned, while the nonprofit will oversee the work. Buffett called the reworked deal a solution to a “very complex challenge.” “I recognize the importance of Klamath dam removal and river restoration for tribal people in the Klamath Basin,” Buffett said in a statement. “We appreciate and respect our tribal partners for their collaboration in forging an agreement that delivers an exceptional outcome for the river, as well as future generations.” Removed would be the four southernmost dams in a string of six constructed in southern Oregon and far Northern California beginning in 1918. They were built solely for power generation. They are not used for irrigation, not managed for flood control and have no “fish ladders,” or concrete chutes that fish can pass through. They have blocked hundreds of miles of potential fish habitat and spawning grounds, and fish populations have dropped precipitously in recent years. Salmon are at the heart of the culture, beliefs and diet of a half-dozen regional tribes, including the Yurok and Karuk — both parties to the agreement — and they have suffered deeply from that loss. Coho salmon from the Klamath River are listed as threatened under federal and California law, and their population in the river has fallen anywhere from 52% to 95%. Spring chinook salmon, once the Klamath Basin’s largest run, has dwindled by 98%. Fall chinook, the last to persist in any significant numbers, have been so meager in the past few years that the Yurok canceled fishing for the first time in the tribe’s memory. In 2017, they bought fish at a grocery store for their annual salmon
festival. “At its heart, dam removal is about healing and restoration for the river, for the salmon, and for our people,” Yurok Tribe chairman Joseph James said. “We have never wavered from this obligation, and we are pleased to see dam removal come closer to reality through this agreement.” PacifiCorp has been operating the dams under an extension of its expired hydroelectric license for years. The license was originally granted before modern environmental laws and renewing it would mean costly renovations to install fish ladders. The utility has said energy generated by the dams no longer makes up a significant part of its portfolio. In the original deal, PacifiCorp was to transfer its license and contribute $200 million to bow out of the removal project and avoid further costs and liability. An additional $250 million comes from a voter-approved California water bond. U.S. regulators, however, agreed only on the condition that PacifiCorp remain a co-licensee along with the Klamath River Renewal Corporation — a nonstarter for the utility. Residents have been caught in the middle. As tribes watched salmon dwindle, some homeowners around a huge reservoir created by Copco Dam, one of those slated for removal, have sued to stop the demolition. They say their waterfront property values are already declining because of news coverage associated with demolition and they worry about losing a water source for fighting wildfires in an increasingly fire-prone landscape. Many also oppose the use of ratepayer funds for the project. On Tuesday, some Oregon lawmakers issued statements saying Gov. Kate Brown had violated her authority by authorizing the deal without legislative approval. Further upstream, farmers who rely on two other dams are watching carefully. The removal of the lower four dams won’t affect them directly, but they worry it could set a precedent for dam removal on the Klamath. More than 1,720 dams have been dismantled around the U.S. since 2012, according to American Rivers, and 26 states undertook dam removal projects in 2019 alone. The Klamath River project would be the largest such project by far if it proceeds.
was required to make the change because the old system was barred by federal law, but Chhabria said that “action was based on an erroneous interpretation of the Medicaid statute.” Despite providing what the judge called “physically and psychologically demanding” home care services, the workers are paid a median $10.49 an hour nationwide, which he said makes it hard to hire and retain workers even as demand increases.
The federal agency’s “interpretation appears contrary to the overall purpose of the Medicaid statute,” Chhabria found. The states’ practices, he wrote, “improv(e) conditions for home care workers, which in turn improves the quality of care those workers provide to Medicaid patients themselves.” California for nearly 30 years has allowed participants in the In-Home Supportive Services Medicaid program to unionize, which Becerra, a Democrat,
said has meant workers are better trained and have less turnover. “When the President attacks unionized healthcare workers, he puts the care of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Californians at risk,” Becerra said in a statement. Although much of their cost is reimbursed by the federal government, unions representing the workers negotiate wages and benefits directly with the state in California and elsewhere.
NEW YORK (AP) — Worries about the worsening pandemic pushed Wall Street to tap the brakes Tuesday on its big November rally, which had vaulted stocks back to record heights. Treasury yields also dipped after a report showed U.S. shoppers spent less at retailers last month than economists expected. The numbers underscore how the coronavirus pandemic is worsening and threatens to drag the economy lower, at least in the near term. Stocks that stormed higher this month on hopes that a vaccine or two may get the global economy back to normal next year receded amid the worries. The S&P 500 fell 17.38 points, or 0.5%, from its record to close at 3,609.53. It was the first loss for the index in three days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also fell from a record, down 167.09, or 0.6%, to 29,783.35. The Nasdaq composite slipped 24.79, or 0.2%, to 11,899.34. “Today is a good example of how the markets have been pricing in a lot of the good news,” said David Trainer, CEO of investment research firm New Constructs.
Stocks in the pharmacy business were among the biggest drags on the market after Amazon targeted them as the latest industry it’s trying to upend. The retailing behemoth opened an online pharmacy Tuesday that allows customers to have prescriptions delivered to their door in a couple days. CVS Health fell 8.6%, Walgreens Boots Alliance dropped 9.6% and Rite-Aid lost 16.3%. Amazon, meanwhile, ticked up 0.1%. On the winning side was Tesla, which rose 8.2% following an announcement that it will join the S&P 500 index next month. The index is hugely influential, and nearly $4.6 trillion at the end of last year was in funds that mimic the S&P 500. The electric-vehicle company had already soared 388.8% in 2020 before Monday evening’s index announcement. With a total market value rivaling Johnson & Johnson’s and Visa’s, it’s set to become one of the biggest stocks in the S&P 500. The broader stock market slowed Tuesday, though, and the majority of stocks in the S&P 500 were lower. Boston Scientific dropped 7.9% for one of the largest
losses in the index after it issued a voluntary recall for its LOTUS Edge aortic valve system. Analysts said problems with its delivery system essentially mean an end to what was once a promising business. Sales at U.S. retailers rose 0.3% last month, a sharp slowdown from September’s 1.6% growth. The figure also fell short of economists’ expectations for 0.5% growth. Part of the shortfall is likely because laid-off workers are no longer getting extra unemployment benefits from the U.S. government following the expiration of several financial-support programs from Congress. Democrats and Republicans in Washington have talked about renewing some of the programs, but progress has been painfully slow amid deep partisanship in Washington. That’s layering on top of the accelerating pandemic, which is pushing governments across the United States and Europe to bring back varying degrees of restrictions on daily life in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus. Health experts are warning of a bleak winter on the way.
Stocks fall Tuesday as virus worries force pause in big rally
DEAR ABBYBy Abigail Van Buren CONFESSION TO DECADES-OLD INFIDELITY DEVASTATES WIFE DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, my husband of 50 years confessed that 46 years ago, shortly after our son was born, he had a one-night stand with a total stranger he gave a ride to. She offered sex to him, and they went to a hotel for the brief encounter. He said he had totally forgotten about it until recently. He said he was very upset when he remembered, to the point that he felt sick. He decided to tell me because he didn’t want any secrets between us, and he asked me to forgive him. I forgave him, but I have been devastated ever since. He was a virgin when we married, and he has been unfaithful only that one time. Abby, I cannot get over the fact that he did this to me. Not a single day goes by without the pain and the images of him being unfaithful in a marriage that I considered to be nearly perfect until then, take hold of me and make me very sad. I don’t cry as much anymore, but the intensity of the pain hasn’t subsided. I haven’t talked to anyone else about this. My husband loves me and has been very supportive, but it hasn’t been enough to heal this pain. Your words of wisdom will be appreciated. -WOUNDED IN FLORIDA DEAR WOUNDED: So your husband chose to ease his guilty conscience about this one-time infidelity 46 years ago and lay it on you. It would have been kinder had he “confessed” to his spiritual adviser. Focus on the fact that what happened (once) four years into your marriage is less relevant than the quality of the relationship you have shared during the ensuing nearly half-century. Because it has been two years since your husband told you and you are still in emotional pain, consider enlisting the help of a licensed marriage and family therapist.
Talking it out may help these feelings to dissipate so you will no longer be haunted by the images in your head. Please do not wait to do this. Your physician is the first person to ask for a referral. DEAR ABBY: I have read about how narcissistic, angry, depressed people shame others and spread lies on social media. May I take a moment to remind your readers that they do not HAVE to have social media? I stopped looking at it two years ago, after the death of my sister. People said some horrible things, so I decided enough is enough -- I’m done. Not only have I not missed it, I’m much more peaceful and less stressed. I connect with people I love through email, texting and sometimes good old-fashioned letter-writing. That works for me. -- FREEDOM REGAINED IN CALIFORNIA DEAR FREEDOM REGAINED: I have received an increasing number of letters from people about problems in which there is a social media element. For those who have become overwhelmed, I recommend limiting time spent online. For people who have been victimized by trolls, another solution is to simply block or delete them. I’m sharing your suggestion for anyone who might need it -- and I suspect there may be quite a few. However, disconnecting from social media does take more effort because the dropouts must decide not only who they wish to communicate with but also by what means to do it. ------------------------------Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
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SHOWERS 54 • 44 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | theworldlink.com
Delayed NBA draft is tonight Follow us online:
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BRIAN MAHONEY
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NBA approves play-in tourney for playoffs
Associated Press
There was no dancing on the court after a March Madness victory. No bounding onto the stage in a spiffy suit to meet the commissioner in June. The coronavirus pandemic wiped out the traditional end of a college career and the usual start of a pro one. Players such as Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman should be about a month into their rookie seasons by now, but their plans were put on hold. After multiple delays, the NBA draft finally arrives Wednesday. Like everyone else in 2020, this year’s class of players has tried to make the best of their difficult circumstances. “I feel like it was better for me,” Edwards said. “I haven’t complained, I haven’t tripped about it at all. I just felt like it was better for me because more time for me to get better and get ready for the NBA.” The freshman guard from Georgia is one of the leading candidates to be picked first by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ball, a guard who skipped college to play professionally overseas, and 7-foot-1 Memphis freshman center Wiseman are the other headliners in the class. The draft is usually held in June in New York, where Adam Silver announces the first-round picks. The top players sit at tables in the front of the arena and when their names are called, put on a hat with the logo of the team that picked them and walk onto the stage for a handshake and a photo with the commissioner. This time, Silver will be announcing the picks from the ESPN campus in Bristol, Connecticut. Players have been shipped boxes of hats for wherever they will be watching to choose the one they need when their name is called. It’s not the draft night they wanted, but the excitement of becoming a pro player won’t diminish. Not when they’ve been waiting since March, when sports stopped just days before the selection of the NCAA Tournament field, to start playing ball again. “I mean, playing in games, I missed it a
NEW YORK (AP) — The 202021 NBA schedule will feature a playin tournament and an NBA Finals that could run all the way until July 22 — keeping some players from competing in the Olympics. The league’s 75th season, delayed and shortened because of the coronavirus pandemic, will begin Dec. 22 and look like none other. The NBA announced Tuesday how it will make up the 72-game schedule, which won’t be entirely known until well after it’s started. Teams will play 42 intraconference games, with each club facing the others within its conference three times apiece. Teams will play the remaining 30 games against the opposite conference — one at home and one on the road in a return to cross-country travel and playing in arenas after completing last season in a “bubble” environment. When that’s finished, the play-in tournament, approved Tuesday by the board of governors on a one-year basis, follows involving the teams with the seventh through 10th-best records in each conference. They will play for the final two playoff spots in the East and the West. The league debuted the play-in tournament this year at Walt Disney World, though it only featured the Nos. 8-9 teams in the Western Conference. Portland knocked out Memphis to earn the final seed in the
playoffs. This time, the team with the seventh-best record in each conference will host No. 8 in one game. The winner secures the No. 7 seed, while the loser hosts the winner of a game between No. 9 and No. 10. The winner of that game gets the final playoff spot. The league plans to announce the first half of the schedule around the start of training camp in early December. The second half will be unveiled during the latter part of the first half, featuring the remaining games along with any that needed to be postponed because of the virus. If all goes according to plan, preseason games will be held Dec. 11-19. The first half of the season then runs Dec. 22 through March 4, followed by an All-Star break March 5-10 — though the All-Star Game in Indianapolis was scrapped. The second half is March 11 to May 16, with the play-in tournament May 18-21. The postseason could then last for two months from May 22 to July 22. That almost certainly eliminates a number of players from considering going to Tokyo for the postponed 2020 Olympics. The Summer Games are set to begin July 23, with the qualifying tournaments for the remaining four spots in the men’s field scheduled to run from June 29 to July 4.
lot. But at the same time, this extra time, it’s only helping me,” said forward Obi Toppin, the national college player of the year from Dayton. “I feel like I’m more prepared and mentally prepared for when the time comes, and I feel like when I’m on the court and that jump ball goes up, I feel like I’ve been waiting so long that it’s going to be an amazing feeling.” The Golden State Warriors have the No.
2 pick, a chance to add a top young player to a team that reached five straight NBA Finals before tumbling to the bottom of the league when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were injured. Charlotte picks third, followed by Chicago and Cleveland. The teams lacked some resources to evaluate players, without the normal draft combine in Chicago or the ability to invite players to their facilities for meetings and workouts. Perhaps that’s partly the reason
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there is no consensus No. 1 pick this year like Zion Williamson in 2019. “I would say the analysis is fair. There is no guy that has separated themself from the pack, from public or external view,” Timberwolves President Gersson Rosas said. Edwards believes the lack of an NCAA Tournament hurt the players. They couldn’t make a final collegiate statement like Ja Morant did when he turned in a triple-double in an upset victory for Murray State in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. That helped secure him as the No. 2 pick behind Williamson and he was a runaway winner of the Rookie of the Year award after nearly leading Memphis to the playoffs. Wiseman wouldn’t have had that chance anyway. He averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in three games after arriving as the nation’s No. 1 recruit, then was suspended by the NCAA for eligibility reasons and announced he was leaving the program to prepare for the draft. “Of course I wanted to win a national championship, of course I wanted to establish that situation with my teammates,” he said. “I love my teammates, I actually text them every day. But you know how life happens. Like, stuff hits you out of nowhere, but I feel that me just being there gave me a lot of mental toughness, gave me a lot of maturity as a person.” He worked out for only the Warriors and Hornets, suggesting the Wolves may be choosing between Edwards and Ball with 2015 No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns entrenched as their man in the middle. If it’s Ball, he ends a run a 10 straight one-and-dones to be the No. 1 pick. Blake Griffin in 2009 is the last non-college freshman to be the top selection. Ball didn’t do college at all, playing professionally in Lithuania and Australia. It certainly wasn’t the smoothest path to the NBA, which perhaps makes him the perfect player to handle a year when everything else about the draft process has been upended. “I feel like I’m just the right man for it,” Ball said. “Like I said, I feel like I’m born for this whole thing going on.”
Committee wants to bring Winter Olympics back to Utah
NFL will have all-Black officiating crew Monday night
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A committee preparing a bid for Salt Lake City to host a future Winter Olympics has watched closely as the coronavirus pandemic upended carefully crafted plans and postponed the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. But members said Tuesday that their desire to bring the Olympics back to Utah in 2030 or 2034 is unwavering. The COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder of the risks that come with hosting the Olympics, but also offers an opportunity to learn valuable lessons from how Tokyo and Beijing organizers adapt, said Salt Lake City committee CEO Fraser Bullock. Bullock was a key player in the team that organized Salt Lake City’s 2002 Olympics that had to overcome a bribery scandal and reshape security plans after the 9/11 attacks. “Risk is part of any Olympics Games and it’s very much integrated into the planning,” Bullock said. “But this is a different dimension. . . . We have to broaden our sights in terms of potential risk that could happen, which we’ve done.” He added: “It hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm. It recommits us to be able to bring the world together.” The pandemic is also expected to delay when the International Olympic Committee will choose hosts for the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics, said Salt Lake City committee chair Cindy Crane. The IOC is consumed with reshaping the Tokyo Games, now planned to start in July 2021, and preparing for the 2022 Bejing Winter Olympics, she said. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the IOC abandoned its old practice of awarding Olympics every two years and seven years ahead of when the games are held. “With this new process there really are no timelines,” said Crane, adding that the Salt Lake committee hasn’t set any internal deadlines either to finish the bid.
“Until there is clarity on .... what we’re bidding for and a reasonably known timeline we are not setting hard and fast deadlines.” The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee chose Salt Lake City two years ago over Denver and Reno, Nevada, as the next U.S. city to bid for a Winter Olympics, but hasn’t chosen which year it wants Utah to pursue. Sapporo, Japan, has said it will bid for the 2030 Games and Los Angeles has already been chosen to host the 2028 Summer Olympics — factors that could lead Salt Lake City to bid for 2034. The Salt Lake City committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee recently sent letters to the IOC reiterating Salt Lake City’s desire and committee to host another Winter Olympics. They promoted Salt Lake City as fitting perfectly under the IOC’s new blueprint called “Agenda 2020” for future Olympic sites to spend less on new venues and infrastructure. Utah has estimated it could host the games for about $1.4 billion, a figure that would be far less than other cities since Utah would use venues built in 2002 that have been maintained. “A future Salt Lake City Games will be able to focus more on innovation rather than large capital projects,” wrote U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Chair Susanne Lyons and CEO Sarah Hirshland in the Oct. 30 letter to IOC President Thomas Bach. Bach responded that the IOC has “great memories” of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and will maintain dialogue with promoters of Salt Lake City’s effort, according to a copy of the Nov. 3 letter provided Tuesday by Utah organizers. “It is also very promising to see that the project to bring future Olympic Winter Games to Salt Lake City enjoys political support at all levels and has such high public support,” Bach wrote.
The NFL will have an allBlack officiating crew for the first time in league history when the Rams play the Buccaneers on Monday night. “This historic Week 11 crew is a testament to the countless and immeasurable contributions of Black officials to the game, their exemplary performance, and to the power of inclusion that is the hallmark of this great game,” said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations.
The crew consists of: referee Jerome Boger, umpire Barry Anderson, down judge Julian Mapp, line judge Carl Johnson, side judge Dale Shaw, field judge Anthony Jeffries and back judge Greg Steed. Five members of the crew work together regularly. Johnson and Steed will join the group for this game. The crew has a combined 89 seasons in the league and has worked six Super Bowls. “I am proud of my heritage and excited about my participation in this historic game,”
Boger said. “The opportunity to work with a great group of Black officials and exhibit our proficiency in executing our assignment is something I am really looking forward to.” The league has assigned crews based on geography this season to limit travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Crew assignment guidelines have also been relaxed to assign officials to games closer to their homes when feasible. The first Black official in any major sport was Burl Toler, hired by the NFL in 1965.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall resigned Tuesday following an investigation into allegations of verbal and physical abuse, ending a tenure that soared to the Final Four and crashed on the eve of the upcoming season. Marshall, who has long been known for his combustible sideline persona, came under scrutiny when former player Shaq Morris claimed he’d been struck twice by his coach during an October 2015 practice. Morris also claimed that he’d seen Marshall choke assistant coach Kyle Lindsted, who soon departed to become an assistant at Minnesota. Marshall denied the claims. The school said Marshall agreed to a settlement of $7.75 million to be paid over the next six years. “This was a difficult decision, but one I feel was necessary for my family, the university and, most importantly, the student-athletes,” Marshall said. “I wish to thank the coaches, student-athletes, the university, the community, and all of Shocker Nation for their unending dedi-
cation, support and loyalty. I am incredibly proud of this men’s basketball program and all it has achieved over the past 14 years.” Shockers assistant coach Isaac Brown, who has been with the program since 2014, will serve as interim coach. Their season begins Nov. 25 against Utah State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “I know this is a difficult time for our kids, but we will come together as a team and continue to compete,” Brown said. “We have a great group of kids and staff, and we will work hard each day to represent our school and our city.” Wichita State athletic director Darron Boatright said “the university acknowledges the success of the basketball program under Coach Marshall,” but that it was in the best interest of the program to part ways. “What the program needs right now is stability,” Boatright said. “Isaac has been here for seven years and has good rapport and relationships with the players and staff. I think he is the natural choice.”
Marshall had steadfastly denied any accusation that he had struck a player or choked an assistant, though five players told The Wichita Eagle they saw him hit Morris during the 2015-16 season. Eight other players told The Eagle they saw him put his hands around Lindsted’s throat during the 2016-17 season. Wichita State launched an inquiry in October, hiring St. Louis-based law firm Tueth Kenney to handle the probe. “Many players thrive in the system we have created and are energized by our team culture,” Marshall said soon after the allegations surfaced. “For those players, I am a motivator, a pusher, someone who can tap into their greatest potential. For others, I can be demanding, harsh or strict. I don’t argue with those descriptions. “What I am not is demeaning or abusive. I have deep respect for all my players,” Marshall added. “I believe unequivocally in their value as athletes, as students and as people. Any portrayal of me to the contrary is wrong.”
Associated Press
Wichita State coach Marshall resigns after misconduct probe