Page 11 - HOH OCT 16 2020_Neat

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 16 OctOber 2020
Jewish leaders call COVID rules 'blatantly anti-Semitic'

By LARRY NEUMEISTER they should be exempt
Associated Press from these government
NEW YORK (AP) — Three operations." Cuomo also
Rockland County Jewish said it seems the spread of
congregations are suing new infections in clusters
New York state and Gov. where he imposed restric-
Andrew Cuomo, saying tions has leveled off some-
he engaged in a "streak of what, though it remains
anti-Semitic discrimination" higher than in the rest of
with a recent crackdown the state. And the number
on religious gatherings to of New Yorkers hospitalized
reduce the state's corona- with the virus has dipped
virus infection rate. slightly, to 897 patients on
The Manhattan federal Wednesday. The lawsuit
court lawsuit filed late comes nearly a week after
Wednesday accused the an Albany federal judge
Democrat of making nega- cited the state's interest in
tive, false, and discrimina- protecting public safety in
tory statements about the ruling in the governor's fa-
Jewish Orthodox commu- vor in a lawsuit by rabbis
nity as he imposed new and synagogues that ar-
coronavirus measures to gued the restrictions were
counter the state's rising unconstitutional.
infection rate in so-called In this Oct. 12, 2020 photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a ceremony unveiling In that lawsuit, brought by
a statue of Mother Frances Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants, in Battery Park in New York.
"red zone" areas. Associated Press rabbis, leaders of syna-
Cuomo's statements and gogues and the national
actions were painful for well as Broome, Orange zones directed towards ties. He said red zones are Orthodox Jewish group
residents in an area north and Rockland counties, particular Jewish communi- based on addresses of resi- Agudath Israel, lawyers for
of New York City where a necessitating the closing ties." The lawsuit said his ac- dences where more indi- Cuomo argued in court pa-
man invaded a Hanukkah of schools and nonessen- tion "not only flagrantly flies viduals are testing positive pers that "the right to prac-
celebration in December tial businesses and limits on directly in the face of scien- for COVID-19. tice religion freely does not
and stabbed or slashed five gatherings. The new mea- tific evidence" and a court He blamed a lack of local include liberty to expose
people, the lawsuit said. sures announced Oct. 6 order limiting what mea- government enforcement the community … to com-
Grafton Thomas awaits trial have resulted in temporarily sures the state can take. It for some in the Orthodox municable disease." Those
after pleading not guilty. limiting the size of religious also "specifically singles out Jewish community failing to sentiments were echoed
The attack occurred in gatherings in the COVID-19 the Orthodox Jewish com- follow COVID-19 gathering Thursday when New York
Monsey — near the New hot spots to 25% capacity, munity in what has proven restrictions since the spring. City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a
Jersey state line about 35 or a maximum of 10 peo- to be the latest extension of He noted houses of worship Democrat, defended the
miles (56 kilometers) north ple. The limits prompted Governor Cuomo's streak can at least open in red governor's moves hours
of New York City — where several federal lawsuits, in- of anti-Semitic discrimina- zones, where non-essential before a hearing in a law-
two congregations in the cluding two in Brooklyn and tion," the lawsuit added. businesses cannot. suit in which the Roman
new lawsuit are based. one in Albany. Cuomo, who has said he "The majority of Ultra Ortho- Catholic Diocese of Brook-
The state said six corona- The latest lawsuit said Cuo- has "respect and love" for dox groups I've spoken with lyn fought restrictions. He
virus clusters in areas com- mo's order was "blatantly the Orthodox community, have been cooperative," said the state was trying to
prising 2.8% of the state's anti-Semitic, creating reli- told reporters Thursday that he said. "There's a relatively stop a "full-blown second
population have appeared gious-observance based he was not targeting Or- small number that's unco- wave" like those occurring
in Brooklyn and Queens, as color coded 'hot-spot' thodox Jewish communi- operative, and just believe worldwide.q

Former roommate of accused Capital One hacker sentenced

accused of hacking Capi- account Quan's age and At least one of the semi-
tal One banking company health issues that were di- automatic rifles was load-
and at least 30 other or- agnosed while he was in ed. Officials also seized
ganizations has been sen- prison. ammunition, high-capacity
tenced to four years in Quan was sharing a home magazines, flare launch-
prison for illegally possess- with Paige Thompson in ers, containers of explo-
ing firearms, according to July 2019 when FBI agents sive powder, and two
federal prosecutors. searched the home and bump stocks, which Quan
Park Quan, 67, was sen- discovered a cache of claimed to have pur-
tenced Wednesday in U.S. weapons. Thompson was chased before the devices
District Court in Seattle after being investigated for were outlawed.
pleading guilty to being a data theft. She has been Quan has a 1983 federal
felon in possession of guns, charged with wire fraud conviction in Washington
according to U.S. Attorney and computer fraud and for being a felon in pos-
In this July 31, 2019, file photo, vehicles are parked outside Brian Moran. abuse and has pleaded session of explosives and
the home of Paige A. Thompson, who uses the online handle Quan has been in custody not guilty. a 1991 federal conviction
"erratic," in Seattle. since his arrest and plea in The cache of weapons in- in Texas for possessing an
Associated Press June. In imposing the four- cluded four semi-automat- unregistered machine gun.
year sentence, U.S. District ic handguns, six semi-auto- Those convictions mean
By MARTHA BELLISLE SEATTLE (AP) — The former Judge John Coughenour matic rifles, and two addi- Quan is prohibited from
The Associated Press roommate of a woman said he was taking into tional rifles, Moran said. possessing firearms.q