thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Asian stocks mixed after Wall Street health-care-led rally

TOKYO - Asian shares were mixed after some benchmarks lost earlier gains Tuesday , following a rally in U.S. stocks that mostly was spurred by health care companies ’ announcements of developments that could aid in the coronavirus outbreak .
Japan ’ s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose in morning trading but reversed course to dip nearly 0.9 % , finishing at 18,917.01 .
Australia ’ s S & P/ASX 200 also fell back , losing 2.0 % to 5,076.80 , while South Korea ’ s Kospi picked up 2.0 % to 1,751.84 .
Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng stood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Shanghai Composite inched up 0.1 % to 2,750.88 .
India ’ s Sensex jumped 3.4 % to 29,412.21 .
Shares rose in Thailand , Indonesia and Singapore but fell in Malaysia .
“ Despite some respite for markets overnight , uncertainty remains as the spread of the COVID-19 virus continues , ” said Zhu Huani at Mizuho Bank , warning against too much optimism .
“ Central banks and authorities continue to step up measures to support the economy.
” In Asia , the Monetary Authority of Singapore eased policy Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also cut a key interest rate .
The overnight rally on Wall Street tacked more gains onto a recent upswing for the market , which is coming off the best week for the S & P 500 in 11 years , albeit after falling into bear market territory .
Optimism is budding that the worst of the selling may be approaching , but markets around the world are still wary as leaders work to nurse their economies through the pandemic .
The S & P 500 remains 22.4 % below its record set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an 18-year low .
The S & P 500 rose 3.4 % Monday for its fourth gain in the last five days .
A surge for health care stocks led the way at the week ’ s open .
Johnson & Johnson leaped 8 % after saying it expects to begin human clinical studies on a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 by September .
Abbott Laboratories jumped 6.4 % after saying it has a test that can detect the new coronavirus in as little as five minutes .
Stocks jumped last week after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treasurys as it takes to get lending markets running smoothly and Capitol Hill reached a deal on a $ 2.2 trillion rescue package for the economy .
“ The market wants to see everything line up , and last week everything lined up , ” said Nela Richardson , investment strategist at Edward Jones , referring to the unprecedented aid from the Fed and Congress .
Now , she said , President Donald Trump also appears to be in sync with health experts about the need to restrict the economy to slow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday extended social-distancing guidelines , which recommend against group gatherings larger than 10 , through the end of April .
Earlier , he had said he wanted the economy open by Easter .
“ Now that message is in line , ” said Richardson .
“ All these things line up coming into this week , and that ’ s why you saw strong performance last week continuing today.
” The S & P 500 rose 85.18 points to 2,626.65 .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.2 % to 22,327.48 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7,774.15 .
Forced selling by investors needing to raise cash is easing , according to Morgan Stanley strategists .
They say another pullback in stocks is likely , but current levels offer some buying points for investors willing to wait six to 12 months .
“ Our base case is that the lows are in for this bear market for most stocks , ” they wrote in a report .
The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 0.70 % from 0.65 late Monday .
Economists expect a number of weak reports on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
The lowlight will likely be Friday ’ s jobs report , where economists expect to see the steepest drop in the nation ’ s payrolls since the Great Recession .
The number of known infections around the world has topped 780,000 , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The United States has the highest number in the world , more than 160,000 .
Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms , which can include fever and cough .
But for others , especially older adults and people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause pneumonia and require hospitalization .
More than 37,000 have died worldwide due to COVID-19 , but more than 160,000 have also recovered .
ENERGY : Benchmark U.S. crude added $ 1.23 to $ 21.32 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
It fell 6.6 % to $ 20.09 a barrel on Monday , after touching its lowest price since 2002 .
Oil started the year above $ 60 and has plunged on expectations that a weakened economy will burn less fuel .
The world is awash in oil , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more of it out of the ground .
Brent crude , the international standard , picked up 30 cents to $ 26.72 per barrel .
CURRENCIES : The dollar was trading at $ 108.54 , up from $ 107.76 on Monday .
The euro rose to $ 1.1041 from $ 1.0995 .
AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Alex Veiga contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Crammed in filthy cells, political prisoners fear infection

CAIRO - Reza Khandan got the word from friends locked away in Iran ’ s most feared prison , Evin .
A prisoner and a guard in their cell block had been removed because they were suspected of having coronavirus , and two guards in the women ’ s ward had shown symptoms .
It was frightening news .
Khandan ’ s wife , Nasrin Sotoudeh , one of Iran ’ s most prominent human rights lawyers , is imprisoned in that ward in close quarters with 20 other women .
Only days earlier , the 56-year-old Sotoudeh — known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women prosecuted for removing their headscarves — had held a five-day hunger strike demanding prisoners be released to protect them from the virus .
“ The virus has entered the jail , but we don ’ t know the extent of it , ” Khandan , who had until recently been imprisoned in Evin as well , told The Associated Press by phone from Tehran .
“ It will be impossible to control , ” Khandan warned .
Tens of thousands of political prisoners are jailed in Iran , Syria and other countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything from advocating for democracy and promoting women ’ s or workers ’ rights to holding Islamist views , protesting or simply criticizing autocratic leaders on Facebook or YouTube .
Alarm is growing over the danger the coronavirus pandemic poses to prisoners : if one guard , visitor or new inmate introduces the infection , the virus could race rampant through a captive population unable to protect itself .
Conditions are prime for the disease to spread rapidly .
Inmates are often packed by the dozens into dirty cells with no access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor nutrition and other abuses leave prisoners weaker and more vulnerable .
So far , Iran , which faces the Mideast ’ s biggest outbreak with thousands infected and hundreds dead , has not confirmed any coronavirus cases in its prisons .
But Khandan ’ s is one of several reports of cases that have emerged from Iranian facilities .
Egypt and Syria , which have large numbers of political detainees , also have not reported any cases within prisons .
The concern over prisons is worldwide .
Multiple countries — including Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowding .
Others say they are sterilizing cells , halting family visits or increasing monitoring of guards and staff .
Riots have broken out in prisons in several countries among inmates fearful not enough is being done .
In authoritarian nations , ensuring protections for detainees is even more difficult .
Activists , rights organizations and aid groups have grown bolder in pressing governments in the area to take action .
Amnesty International called on Iran to free more prisoners , particularly rights defenders and peaceful protesters .
“ They should not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” it said .
Egypt last week briefly detained four women — including three relatives of a prominent jailed activist — who called for prisoner releases .
Mohsen Bahnasi , an Egyptian lawyer who also called for prisoner releases , was arrested from his home , though it was not clear why , according to the Arab Network for Human Rights Information .
The International Committee of the Red Cross — one of the few organizations that sometimes gets access to prisons in the region — is stepping up efforts to help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent it from entering places of detention .
Trying to contain it after the fact will be almost impossible , ” said Fabrizio Carboni , the ICRC ’ s Near and Middle East regional director .
He said the ICRC has already begun distributing soap , disinfectant and protective equipment at prisons in several places in the Mideast .
It has requested permission from Syria to do the same in its facilities and is hopeful it will get access , he said .
Syria is the darkest black hole in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of activists , protesters and others have been swallowed with hardly a trace into prisons run by President Bashar Assad ’ s government .
Syria has confirmed nine cases of coronavirus and one death , none of them in its prisons .
If coronavirus were spreading within prison walls , it ’ s doubtful the outside world would find out , said Dr. Amani Ballour , who previously ran a hospital in a rebel-held enclave near the Syrian capital , Damascus .
“ The regime doesn ’ t care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ( an outbreak ) , they won ’ t declare it because they ’ re killing detainees anyway — or trying to.
” Ballour has searched in vain for her brother and brother-in-law in Syrian prisons for nine years .
“ I don ’ t imagine anyone surviving the regime prisons , ” she said .
Conditions inside are perhaps the most terrifying in the region .
Rights groups and former detainees describe Syria ’ s detention facilities as slaughterhouses where detainees undergo constant torture , including beatings , burnings , electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost never confirm arrests , and detainees are kept incommunicado out of the regular prison system .
As many as 50 people are locked in a 4-by-6-meter cell for weeks , month and years — sleeping on top of each other , almost never allowed to bathe , given meagre and rotten food and dirty water .
Amnesty International estimated 17,723 people were killed in custody across Syria between 2011 and 2015 , with the actual number likely higher .
There ’ s no reason to believe conditions have changed since , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a “ deliberate policy of letting people die of illness , ” said Mohammad al-Abdallah , head of the Washington-based Syria Justice and Accountability Center .
The overcrowded , dirty cells are “ exactly the formula a disease like corona needs to grow , ” he said .
The U.S. State Department last week warned that an outbreak in the Syria ’ s prison would “ have devastating impact ” and demanded Damascus free all arbitrarily detained civilians — including Americans .
Among the detained Americans is Majd Kamalmaz , who vanished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 to visit family for the first time in six years .
A 62-year-old clinical psychologist from Virginia , he was not involved in politics and was engaged in international humanitarian work .
“ To this day we don ’ t know why they detained him , ” his daughter Maryam said .
At her home outside Dallas , Texas , Maryam ’ s family are taking all precautions against the pandemic : she and her children haven ’ t left the house for days and her husband goes out only to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , alone in an apartment nearby .
Majd ’ s disappearance “ truly affected her health and she gets sick very easily now , ” Maryam said .
“ We are very , very concerned ” that her father could contract coronavirus , she said .
He is diabetic and had a stroke and a heart attack .
In January , a contact in Syria told the family that Kamalmaz had been moved from his prison , but they have no idea why or where to .
He may have been put under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European officials for his release .
“ We know that the Syrian regime doesn ’ t care much about human life and the idea of them saying oh yes he might have passed with the coronavirus and not really caring much is very worrisome to us , ” Maryam said .
In Iran , authorities say they have temporarily freed some 100,000 inmates — around half the prison population , in a sign of their alarm at the outbreak .
But hundreds of prisoners of conscience and other dissidents remain imprisoned , Amnesty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple reports of coronavirus cases within Iran ’ s prisons , including two deaths , though the government has not confirmed any .
Siamak Namazi , an Iranian-American businessman who was not among those released , has reported “ multiple cases on his hallway ” in Evin Prison , his Washington-based lawyer , Jared Genser , has said .
One furloughed prisoner , Babak Safari , said in an online video that immediately after leaving prison he began having fevers , chills and difficulty breathing and had to be hospitalized .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison .
“ All the political prisoners being held in Tehran prison are in great danger .
Save them , ” Safari said .
In some places , prisoners appear to be lashing out in fear of the virus .
Italy , Colombia and Jordan have all seen riots by inmates complaining of insufficient protections , and a string of prison riots has broken out in Iran .
Palestinians in Israeli prisons have threatened hunger strikes after one guard tested positive .
In eastern Syria , Islamic State group militants rioted in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesman for Kurdish-led forces , Mustafa Bali , said there did not appear to be a connection to coronavirus fears .
But overcrowding has plagued the more than two dozen facilities where the Kurds are holding some 10,000 IS militants , including 2,000 foreigners whose home countries have refused to repatriate them .
Afghanistan ’ s largest prison , Pul-e-Charkhi , was built in the 1970s to house 5,000 prisoners but now holds 10,500 .
Keeping a safe distance is impossible “ with two persons sleeping together in a one-meter space , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 3,000 Taliban in the prison , speaking by telephone from his cell .
He said promises of extra soap and disinfectant had not materialized .
“ Everyone here is worried .
If you see inside the cells , the bars , the locks , everything is all dirty , ” he said .
In Egypt , families are desperate for information on loved ones in prisons , where rights groups say overcrowding , abuses and poor hygiene are rampant .
Tens of thousands have been jailed in crackdowns since 2013 that expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics of the government .
Over that time , the government has built more than a dozen new prisons and it repeatedly has said conditions are humane .
In recent weeks , a handful of activists and other prisoners have been released .
But former prisoners have said cells are still often packed tightly .
One meme circulating online showed a photo of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi sitting 2.5 metres from his ministers — and noted that in the prisons , that space might be filled by 10 detainees .
Former president Mohammed Morsi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapsed in court and subsequently died last year , and his family and lawyers blamed poor conditions and lack of medical care .
Celine Lebrun Shaath said her husband , Palestinian-Egyptian activist Ramy Shaath , is kept in a 25 square meter cell with 18 others , and any illness or scabies passes easily among them .
Ramy Shaath , the son of a former Palestinian foreign minister , was detained last summer but has not been charged , and his wife , a French citizen , was deported .
She noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other supplies to prisoners is forbidden , guards and other staff move in and out to their homes and neighbourhoods , taking crowded public transportation .
“ The doors are open for them .
We are worried about the entire system.
” El Deeb reported from Beirut .
Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai , United Arab Emirates ; Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah , West Bank ; Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem ; Zarar Khan in Islamabad and Tameem Akhgar in Kabul contributed to this report .

Maggie Michael, Sarah El Deeb And Lee Keath - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Brazilian pews become trenches in fight against quarantine

RIO DE JANEIRO - Like every Sunday , Brazilian Pastor Silas Malafaia took the stage of his Pentecostal temple in a middle-class Rio de Janeiro neighbourhood .
But this week , he wore a T-shirt instead of a blazer and , behind the three cameras broadcasting to his legion of YouTube followers , were thousands of empty seats .
Brazil ’ s churches have landed on the front lines of a battle between state governors , who have introduced quarantine measures designed to contain spread of the new coronavirus , and President Jair Bolsonaro , who is actively undermining them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroy Brazil ’ s economy .
Brazil ’ s politically powerful evangelicals helped bring the far-right president to power in the 2018 election and Bolsonaro is letting them know they aren ’ t forgotten , political analysts said .
The most influential pastors are backing the president ’ s radical coronavirus stance while begrudgingly respecting governors ’ orders , and either cancelling services or moving them online .
There are signs some churches are disobeying .
“ I ’ m asking , which is worse : coronavirus or social chaos ?
” Malafaia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent pastors who leads the Assembly of God Victory in Christ Church , told The Associated Press .
“ I can guarantee you that social convulsion is worse.
” It mirrors the argument of Bolsonaro , who has urged governors to abandon lockdown and likened COVID-19 to a “ little flu ” that mainly threatens the elderly and those with preexisting health problems .
On Sunday , he hit the streets wearing no gloves or mask and joined multiple gatherings , in defiance of recommendations from his own health ministry .
Bolsonaro , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a service Malafaia administered , has zeroed in on the need to reopen the churches .
“ God is Brazilian , ” he told people on Sunday , O Globo newspaper reported .
Some religious organizations , such as the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops , have welcomed measures in Rio and Sao Paulo , where all non-essential businesses shut down .
Their leader Pope Francis warned in a letter , parts of which were published Monday , of “ viral genocide ” if countries prioritize economies over people .
In contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brazil have voiced outrage at governors ’ decisions , warning they would only co-operate under court order .
“ The media say thousands and thousands of people are going to die , ” Malafaia said in the interview .
“ All these catastrophic predictions , I want to reject them.
” Malafaia argued European-style confinement measures can not be replicated in Brazil , where millions survive in the informal sector and a day without work can mean a day without food .
On social media , some pastors downplayed health risks posed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus inside a house of God , but could be infected at home if failing to attend services .
From March 16 to 25 , Rio state prosecutors received dozens of complaints from citizens who said they had seen churches welcome parishioners even after the state imposed quarantine measures .
They are looking into the complaints and could file civil suits .
“ My mother is 74 and has hypertension and goes almost every day to the church that encourages even at-risk people , ” read one of the anonymous complaints reviewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real indeed , and not sparing religious communities .
The leader of a South Korean church , which claims 200,000 members , bowed in apology after receiving blame for an outbreak of infections .
In France , local media reported a large evangelical gathering in Mulhouse transformed the surrounding area into the country ’ s largest concentration of cases .
In Washington state , a Presbyterian choir rehearsal attended by 60 people , all seemingly without symptoms , apparently produced 45 infections and two deaths , the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially those in at-risk groups , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
Brazil reported 4,579 confirmed cases and 159 deaths as of Monday afternoon .
On Thursday , Bolsonaro passed a decree that added religious activities to the list of “ essential services , ” meaning temples could remain open even though citizens were asked to stay home .
The decree was overruled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , on the streets , he again defended people getting back to work .
“ Open the churches , please , we need them , ” one woman begged repeatedly in one of the videos he posted to social media .
He replied with reassuring words .
Analysts say Bolsonaro is addressing his electoral base .
Brazil is home to the world ’ s largest number of Catholics — some 123 million , according to the latest census , in 2010 .
But evangelicals are a growing force , with 42 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total population .
“ No political party in Brazil manages to bring together as many people , in as many places , as many times a week as churches do , ” said Carlos Melo , a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo .
“ And people tend to follow the pastors ’ directions.
” Growth is particularly fast among Pentecostals , and Brazil has outpaced the U.S. to become the world ’ s largest population , said Andrew Chesnut , a professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just a test sent by Satan and that we all just need to gather together and pray and we ’ ll be able to repel it , ” said Chesnut .
“ It ’ s specifically evangelicals that are anti-science and it ’ s the same thing in the U.S .
They always have been .
It goes back to having a literal , fundamentalistic interpretation of the Bible.
” Rio ’ s governor has extended lockdown measures for another 15 days .
As such , Malafaia ended his service by informing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed the following Sunday .
“ Lord , have mercy on our nation .
Lord , illuminate our authorities , give them the direction to do the right thing , ” he said .
“ That is what I ’ m praying and what I ’ m asking.
” He lifted his hand and shouted a blessing , as though his temple were packed as usual , but was met with no rapturous ‘ hallelujahs.
’ It was so silent one could hear his microphone thud lightly as he placed it upon his @ @


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Stranded cruise ship hit by virus begs Florida to dock

MIAMI - As a cruise ship stranded at sea with dozens sick and four dead makes for Florida , passengers who have been confined to their rooms for more than a week are anxious for relief , hoping Gov .
Ron DeSantis will change his mind and allow them to disembark despite confirmed coronavirus cases aboard .
Orlando technical writer Laura Gabaroni and her husband , Juan Huergo , have wanted to explore the southernmost tip of South America for years — to see the penguins on the Falkland Islands and the glacial landscapes of the Strait of Magellan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shunned them and people fell ill. “ It ’ s been a trying time , especially because of the many ups and downs we ’ ve seen along the way , ” Gabaroni said .
“ We are unable to leave our rooms , haven ’ t had fresh air in days.
” Hundreds of passengers and crew members from the Zaandam have not stepped on dry land for 15 days as the novel coronavirus prompted authorities around the world to seal borders , implement checkpoints and force people into quarantines .
Passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leave their drapes closed when they passed through the Panama Canal on Sunday night after days of wrangling with local authorities .
The Zaandam ’ s plans to dock as early as Wednesday in Florida are still up in the air but have already been rebuked by local officials and DeSantis , who says health care resources are stretched too thin .
The governor said he has been in contact with the Coast Guard and the White House about diverting the ship .
Broward County officials will meet Tuesday to decide whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Port Everglades cruise ship terminal , where workers who greet passengers were among Florida ’ s first confirmed coronavirus cases .
Dozens on board the Holland America Line ship have reported flu-like symptoms and four people have died , with at least two of the deaths blamed on the coronavirus by Panamanian authorities .
The company said eight others have tested positive for COVID-19 but 2,300 passengers and crew members are in good health .
Gabaroni and hundreds of others who were fever free and not showing any symptoms were transferred to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week with supplies and staff to replenish the stranded boat .
The Zaandam was originally scheduled to travel on March 7 from Buenos Aires to San Antonio , Chile , and then depart on March 21 for a 20-day cruise to arrive in Fort Lauderdale in early April .
But beginning March 15 , the Zandaam was denied entry by South American ports , even before passengers reported their first flu-like symptoms on March 22 .
The ship approached the coast of Panama last week and negotiated permission to cross the famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to Florida .
Canal administrator Ricaurte Vásquez said the country is not allowing any vessels with positive coronavirus cases through but made an exception for the ships .
“ That case ( the Zaandam ) was simply for humanitarian reasons , ” Vásquez said .
Passenger Emily Spindler Brazell , of Tappahannock , Virginia , said the company has been accommodating , offering passengers extravagant meals , wine and unlimited phone calls .
At the same time , it has been clear they have to stay in their rooms and not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The captain said something like , ‘ This is not a trip anymore .
This is not a cruise .
This is a humanitarian mission , ’ “ said Brazell , who was transferred to the Rotterdam on Saturday .
The Rotterdam now has nearly 800 guests and more than 600 crew members .
Holland America said 450 guests and 602 crew members are left on the Zaandam , with more than 190 reported influenza-like illness symptoms .
More than 300 U.S. citizens are on both ships combined .
Holland America President Orlando @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Florida Sun Sentinel to plead with officials and residents to let the passengers disembark .
“ Already four guests have passed away and I fear other lives are at risk , ” Ashford wrote .
“ The COVID-19 situation is one of the most urgent tests of our common humanity .
To slam the door in the face of these people betrays our deepest human values.
” Passenger Gabaroni , 48 , says she hopes her elected officials do the right thing .
Gabaroni wrote a letter to DeSantis imploring him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Florida continues to receive flights from New York , and it allowed spring break gatherings to go on as planned .
Why turn their backs on us ?
“ Gabaroni said .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

Adriana Gomez Licon - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--UN adopts 4 resolutions, voting by email because of COVID-19

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted four resolutions on Monday , with its 15 members voting by email for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Members voted to keep troops in Sudan ’ s restive Darfur region until the end of May and maintain the U.N. political mission in Somalia until June 30 .
They extended the mandate of the U.N. panel of experts monitoring sanctions against North Korea until April 30 , 2021 , and they stressed the importance of supporting the U.N. ’ s far-flung peacekeeping operations .
The U.N. ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by video because of COVID-19 , which has hit New York City , where the U.N. has its headquarters , exceedingly hard .
The last council meeting in the headquarters complex was on March 12 , when a resolution was adopted extending the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan and welcoming “ encouraging developments ” toward peace .
A resolution sponsored by the United Kingdom and Germany extends the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur known as UNAMID until May 31 when the council said it will decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of UNAMID .
The council said it also intends to establish “ a follow-on presence to UNAMID ” at the same time .
The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when ethnic Africans rebelled , accusing the Arab-dominated Sudanese government of discrimination .
The government in Khartoum was accused of retaliating by arming local nomadic Arab tribes and unleashing them on civilian populations — a charge it denies .
In recent years , as the result of a successful government military campaign , the rebellion has been reduced to a single rebel faction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Trump administration , to scale down the UNAMID force in response to reduced fighting and security conditions .
It was established in 2007 and was one of the U.N. ’ s most expensive operations , with a ceiling of 15,845 military personnel and 3,403 police in June 2016 .
In July 2018 , the Security Council voted to dramatically cut the force , with a target to end the mission on June 30 , 2020 , but the mass street protests by a pro-democracy movement which began in late 2018 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Al-Bashir and a military-civilian transitional government caused a delay .
As of January , UNAMID had over 4,300 military personnel , more than 2,100 international police , and about 1,500 civilian staff .
The resolution adopted Monday will maintain that force for two months .
A proposed U.N. Security Council resolution obtained by AP earlier this month would replace UNAMID with a U.N. political and peace-building mission whose primary aim would be to support Sudan ’ s fragile transition to democracy including in drafting a new constitution and preparing for elections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the council makes a final decision on UNAMID and a follow-on mission at the end of May .
China , which holds the rotating council presidency in March , sponsored a resolution adopted unanimously stressing “ the crucial role ” that U.N. peacekeepers play “ in achieving conditions for stability and a lasting peace , ” and urging countries where they are deployed to ensure their freedom of movement .
U.N. peacekeeping currently has over 100,000 field personnel including military , police and civilians from over 120 countries deployed in 13 active missions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ grave concern about security threats and targeted attacks ” against peacekeepers in many missions , condemns “ in the strongest terms ” all violence and killings of peacekeeping personnel , and calls for prompt investigation and prosecution of those responsible for attacks against them .


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--The countdown clock is clicking again for the Tokyo Olympics

TOKYO - The countdown clocks have been reset and are ticking again for the Tokyo Olympics .
The model outside Tokyo Station , and others across the Japanese capital were switched on almost immediately after organizers announced the new dates — July 23 to Aug. 8 , 2021 .
The clocks read 479 days to go .
This seems a long way away , but also small and insignificant compared with the worldwide fallout from the coronavirus .
Then again , it ’ s not much time to reassemble the first Olympics to be postponed since the modern games began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympic athletes , 4,400 Paralympic athletes — and not for sponsors , broadcasters , the fans that have already bought tickets , and Japanese organizers and taxpayers who have spent billions , and will have to come up with billions more to pay for the setback .
“ I believe that these Olympics are going to have great historical significance , ” Yoshiro Mori , the president of the Tokyo organizing committee , said after confirming the new dates .
Mori , an 82-year-old former Japanese prime minister , also recalled there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be under control a year from now .
That includes the new dates for the Paralympics now set for Aug. 24-Sept. 5 .
“ This is a prayer that we have and I do believe that someone is going to listen to our prayers , “ Mori said .
After cursory talk about an Olympics in the spring , the new summer dates overlap perfectly with the same time slot that was picked for 2020 .
Organizers are hoping to overlay the old plans with new plans , keeping venues in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Athletes Village , deploying the same volunteers , and letting people who bought tickets keep them .
The summer date also avoids conflicts with the crowded North American and European sports schedules .
But summer in Tokyo also means grappling with intense heat and humidity , the major worry for games organizers before the pandemic .
“ Obviously in the summer there might be typhoons and the heat problems , ” Mori said .
“ However , this situation is the same .
We always had those problems so we will be prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sports federations went along with the new dates , some like the International Triathlon Union preferred the cooler spring during Japan ’ s cherry blossom season .
But that was overridden by the easiest route to lining up venues .
“ We are having discussions with all the venues at the moment , “ said Toshiro Muto , the CEO of the organizing committee .
“ At this point we don ’ t have a final decision .
However , some problems have already become apparent.
” Muto said organizers haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescheduled Olympic events can ’ t be staged there next year .
“ There are a lot of venues that can ’ t make a decision yet .
So we have to negotiate with them , “ he said .
“ If we have to make a change to the venues , then we might have to change the competition schedule as well.
” “ I personally don ’ t think there are going to be many major changes to the ( competition ) schedule , “ he added .
“ But our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet.
” David Wallechinsky , the president of the International Society of Olympic Historians , said the Olympics in 2021 — they will still be officially called the 2020 Olympics — could become a symbol for a world pulling together after the pandemic .
“ I see this postponement as more of an opportunity for the Olympic Movement , rather than a setback , ” he said in an email to the Associated Press .
He said an outright cancellation , rather than postponement , probably was not feasible .
“ From a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a viable option , ” he said .
“ The repercussions would have been complex and widespread.
” Mori and Muto have both acknowledged rejiggering the Olympics will incur “ massive costs.
” Estimates range between an added $ 2-6 billion .
And Japanese taxpayers will pick up most of the bills , as they have for most of the preparations so far .
Muto promised transparency in calculating the costs , and testing times deciding how they are divided up .
“ There will be costs and we will need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muto said .
“ I think that will be the tougher process.
” Japan is officially spending $ 12.6 billion to organize the Olympics .
However , an audit bureau of the Japanese government says the costs are already twice that much .
When it won the bid in 2013 , Tokyo said the Olympics could cost $ 7.3 billion .
All of the spending is public money except for $ 5.6 billion from a privately funded operating budget .
About $ 3.3 billion in that budget has been raised from local sponsorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s giant advertising and public relations company .
That amount is almost three times more than any previous Olympics .
“ The current sponsor contracts will expire this year , ” Muto said .
“ And since the games will be extended until next year , we would like to ask them for extensions .
I ’ m not hearing they have any specific objections to this .
And whether we would like to ask them for more contributions — nothing has been decided.
“ The Switzerland-based International Olympic Committee is contributing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to organizing committee documents .
The IOC ’ s contribution goes into the operating budget .
The IOC had income in the latest four-year Olympic cycle of $ 5.7 billion , and 73 % was from selling broadcast rights with 18 % from long-term sponsor revenue .
The American broadcaster NBC makes up half of the IOC ’ s broadcast revenue and pays more than $ 1 billion for the rights to each Olympics .
The IOC also has almost $ 2 billion in reserve funds and insurance to cover emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a lot to say , ” Wallechinsky , the historian , said .
“ That ’ s why the games are scheduled for the summer , which is not ideal for athletes competing in outdoors sports .
The 1964 Tokyo Olympics took place in October , when the weather was more favourable.
“ The Olympics planned for 1940 in Tokyo were cancelled because of Japan ’ s war with China .
So were Olympics in 1916 and 1944 .
And these Olympics have had a bumpy time , which included the resignation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japanese Olympic Committee amid a bribery scanda l. “ Even the 1940 Tokyo Olympics were planned for September-October , “ Wallechinsky said .
” For 2020-2021 , you see the power of television .
”

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Four Australian tourists and two Indonesians were rescued after being missing for two days in the waters off Indones…


thetorontostar--2020-03-30--China state media reports 19 people killed in forest fire

BEIJING - Nineteen people have died while fighting a raging forest fire in southwestern China and hundreds of reinforcements were sent to fight the blaze and evacuate nearby residents , officials and state media reported Tuesday .
The area threatened by the fire in Sichuan province is thinly populated , but there was no estimate on how many people were leaving the evacuation zone .
State media have described villages , a school , a chemical plant and other places as under threat .
It wasn ’ t exactly clear when the deaths occurred , but an information officer in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the fire started on a farm Monday afternoon and quickly spread to nearby mountains due to strong winds .
It said one of those killed was a guide and the rest were firefighters .
An emergency evacuation was initiated , and more than 300 professional firefighters and another 700 militiamen were sent to help , while Xinhua said another 885 firefighters from other cities in Sichuan were being deployed to Xichang , along with 142 fire engines , six remote water supply systems and extensive firefighting equipment .
It said drones would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s progress .
Along with fighting the flames and evacuating residents , those force have also been deployed to protect key industrial infrastructure .
Almost exactly a year ago in the same area , a blaze high in the rugged forested mountains killed 30 people , 27 of them firefighters and three helpers .
That was China ’ s worst death toll among firefighters since 2015 , when an explosion at a chemical warehouse in the port of Tianjin killed 173 people , most of them firefighters and other first responders .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater number of more deadly forest fires as a result of climate change , habitat destruction and human encroachment into formerly wild areas .
Weak industrial safety standards and enforcement has also led to frequent deadly accidents .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-30--Asian stocks rise after Wall Street health-care-led rally

TOKYO - Asian shares surged Tuesday after a rally in U.S. stocks , mostly spurred by health care companies ’ announcements of developments that could aid in the coronavirus outbreak .
Japan ’ s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 % in morning trading to 19,243.91 .
Australia ’ s S & P/ASX 200 added 2.0 % to 5,285.50 , while South Korea ’ s Kospi picked up 1.6 % to 1,743.84 .
Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng stood at 23,517.68 , up 1.5 % and the Shanghai Composite gained 06 % to 2,764.16 .
“ Despite some respite for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the COVID-19 virus continues , ” said Zhu Huani at Mizuho Bank , warning against too much optimism .
“ Central banks and authorities continue to step up measures to support the economy.
” In Asia , the Monetary Authority of Singapore eased policy Monday , and the central bank of China has also cut a key interest rate .
The overnight rally on Wall Street tacked more gains onto a recent upswing for the market , which is coming off the best week for the S & P 500 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bear market territory .
Optimism is budding that the worst of the selling may be approaching , but markets around the world are still wary as leaders work to nurse their economies through the pandemic .
The S & P 500 remains 22.4 % below its record set last month , and oil tumbled to an 18-year low .
The S & P 500 rose 3.4 % Monday for its fourth gain in the last five days .
A surge for health care stocks led the way at the week ’ s open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after saying it expects to begin human clinical studies on a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 by September .
Abbott Laboratories jumped 6.4 % after saying it has a test that can detect the new coronavirus in as little as five minutes .
Stocks jumped last week after the Federal Reserve promised to buy as many Treasurys as it takes to get lending markets running smoothly and Capitol Hill reached a deal on a $ 2.2 trillion rescue package for the economy .
“ The market wants to see everything line up , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Nela Richardson , investment strategist at Edward Jones , referring to the unprecedented aid from the Fed and Congress .
Now , she said , President Donald Trump also appears to be in sync with health experts about the need to restrict the economy to slow the spread of the virus .
Trump on Sunday extended social-distancing guidelines , which recommend against group gatherings larger than 10 , through the end of April .
Earlier , he had said he wanted the economy open by Easter .
“ Now that message is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ All these things line up coming into this week , and that ’ s why you saw strong performance last week continuing today.
” The S & P 500 rose 85.18 points to 2,626.65 .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.2 % to 22,327.48 , and the Nasdaq gained 3.6 % , to 7,774.15 .
“ We have to look at this rally suspiciously , ” said Sam Stovall , chief investment strategist for CFRA .
He pointed to prior bear markets where stocks rallied more than 20 % only to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this bear is like no other , ” he said .
“ There are too many uncertainties out there for the market masses to have concluded that March 23 was the ultimate bottom.
” Still , the 17.4 % surge for stocks since last Monday has brought the first green shoots of optimism .
Forced selling by investors needing to raise cash is easing , according to Morgan Stanley strategists .
They say another pullback in stocks is likely , but current levels offer some buying points for investors willing to wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base case is that the lows are in for this bear market for most stocks , ” they wrote in a report .
In a sign of increased caution , the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 0.70 % from 0.74 % late Friday .
Economists expect a number of weak reports on the economy to come in through the week .
The lowlight will likely be Friday ’ s jobs report , where economists expect to see the steepest drop in the nation ’ s payrolls since the Great Recession .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ world has topped 780,000 , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The United States has the highest number in the world , more than 160,000 .
Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms , which can include fever and cough .
But for others , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , the virus can cause pneumonia and require hospitalization .
More than 37,000 have died worldwide due to COVID-19 , but more than 160,000 have also recovered .
ENERGY : Benchmark U.S. crude added $ 1.44 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % to $ 20.09 a barrel Monday , after touching its lowest price since 2002 .
Oil started the year above $ 60 and has plunged on expectations that a weakened economy will burn less fuel .
The world is awash in oil , meanwhile , as producers continue to pull more of it out of the ground .
CURRENCIES : The dollar was trading at $ 108.50 , down from $ 107.57 Monday .
The euro inched down to $ 1.1028 from $ 1.1094 .
AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Alex @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-03-30--Mexico broadens one-month shutdown as virus cases top 1,094

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s government broadened its shutdown of “ non-essential activities ” to the private sector and prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people to fight the spread of the new coronavirus .
The one-month emergency measures will be in effect from March 30 to April 30 .
Mexico had previously stopped non-essential government services and banned mass gatherings .
The move came as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico reached 1,094 , with 28 deaths .
Health Undersecretary Hugo López-Gatell said Mexicans would be urged to stay off the streets for one month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so .
Mexico will ask older people who are at greater risk to stay at home , even if they work in so-called essential sectors like health care or law enforcement .
“ Million of people have to restrict their movements , ” López-Gatell said , adding “ Stay at home , stay at home , stay at home.
” He said traffic in recent days appears to have fallen by about 60 % , but added that more was needed .
He confirmed that a cluster of health workers at a clinic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but said they were not infected by patients .
He said they were infected by a doctor who apparently brought the infection in from his private practice .
The measures appeared to be largely voluntary and did not appear to prohibit the street markets that remain active in Mexico .
But some state governors seemed more willing to use force .
Gov .
Mauricio Vila of Yucatan state said that violating bans of public movement and gathering would be punished with fines or jail time .
Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which appeared to involve largely logistical measures at present .
But he suggested that businesses that don ’ t obey the relatively vague outlines could face fines or closure .
Dr. Miguel Betacourt , president of the Mexican Society of Public Health , said the federal government measures “ are late and insufficient.
” But , Betacourt added , “ we still have time to avoid an outbreak that gets out of hand , but we all have to do our part .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-30--Hawaii governor orders quarantine for travel between islands

HONOLULU - Hawaii Gov .
David Ige further tightened travel restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus on Monday by ordering people moving between islands to adhere to a 14-day self-quarantine .
The order , which takes effect at midnight on Wednesday , won ’ t apply to essential workers like health care workers travelling to other islands .
The order comes a week after Ige ordered people arriving from other states or overseas to follow the same two-week quarantine .
He ’ s also ordered all residents to stay at home for the next month .
Earlier , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic has plunged the state ’ s economy into a recession that ’ s unprecedented for people alive in Hawaii today .
“ We know Hawaii is already in a deep recession .
That recession will surpass anything we ’ ve seen in our lifetimes , ” Carl Bonham told members of a House committee on the economic and financial effects of the virus .
“ There ’ s really not any comparison that you can make to an economy where you basically shut down hospitality and tourism — and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down much of the local economy , ” Bonham said .
He and the other committee members spoke to each other over a video conference as they practiced social distancing .
The state capitol building was closed earlier this month when a senator tested positive for COVID-19 .
Olelo Community Media broadcast the video conference online and on television .
Bonham said it ’ s difficult to predict what ’ s in store for the economy because it ’ s not known how long the health crisis will last and how long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he ’ s currently forecasting that the state ’ s unemployment rate will likely peak at 25 % in the April-June quarter .
Income will not drop as much because of new federal legislation providing extra unemployment benefits and direct payments to people .
State general fund tax revenues , meanwhile , are likely to drop between 10 % to 25 % , Bonham said .
When asked about this projected decline , Gov .
David Ige told a news conference that his administration has been examining ways to cut spending .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to reserve funds , and that money provided to the state by recent federal legislation will help .
For the full year , which includes strong performances in January and February and a predicted recovery later in the year , Bonham said the number of travellers to Hawaii will likely be 41 % lower than 2019 .
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz told the meeting the federal legislation includes at least $ 4 billion for Hawaii .
Of that , $ 1.14 billion will go toward unemployment insurance claims and $ 1.24 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The funds also include $ 1.25 billion for state and county governments .
Hawaii on Monday reported 29 new cases of the disease , bringing the state ’ s total to 204 .
No one has died in the islands to date , though 12 have been hospitalized .
State Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson said until recently most people testing positive in Hawaii contracted the disease while travelling or from someone who had travelled .
But he said many people newly testing positive had contracted the illness in the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed with steps to help the economy that were outlined in a University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization report last week .
It called for stemming the influx of new infections , which the state has done by imposing a 14-day quarantine on travellers to the islands , and slowing the virus ’ spread in the local population , which it is doing through the governor ’ s statewide stay-at-home order .
The report also called for wider testing of those with symptoms and at elevated risk , plus proactive efforts to trace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Saiki said after the meeting he hopes alternative testing methods in development will provide ways to test more people and identify positive cases more quickly .
And he believes federal stimulus funds will help support testing and tracking .
Saiki said it was important to keep residents ’ safety net and economy intact amid the upheaval .
He said it was especially critical that Hawaii keep its residents in the islands .
“ We need to focus immediately on a couple of things : How to keep people in their homes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ Because we ’ re going to need everyone here once the economy starts to turn.
” This story has been corrected to show the dollar figure for Hawaii unemployment insurance claim money included in federal legislation is $ 1.14 billion .


thetorontostar--2020-03-30--Abortion providers sue Texas over virus outbreak order

AUSTIN , Texas - Planned Parenthood joined other abortion providers Wednesday in suing Texas over moving to ban abortions during the coronavirus outbreak , including one clinic owner saying Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott ’ s weekend order has already resulted in more than 150 cancelled appointments .
The federal lawsuit filed in Austin , Texas , is among the most high-profile challenges to a government response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Abortion providers accused Republican leaders in Texas of exploiting the pandemic for politics after Abbott on Sunday halted nonessential surgeries in order to free up medical supplies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
That was followed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton , a Republican , saying the order banned “ any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother.
” The order in Texas is in effect until at least April 21 .
“ Abortion is essential healthcare , and it is a time-sensitive service , ” said Amy Hagstrom Miller , president of Whole Woman ’ s Health .
She said the 150-plus cancellations across her three clinics in Texas left some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed.
“ Hours before the lawsuit was filed , Paxton said in an interview with a conservative group called Texas Values that the state would be watching all medical procedures and that any unnecessary procedures needed to be stopped , which he said included abortion .
In a statement released Wednesday night , Paxton called it “ unconscionable that abortion providers are fighting against the health of Texans and withholding desperately needed supplies and personal protective equipment in favour of a procedure that they refer to as a ‘ choice.
’ “ My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Order to ensure that necessary supplies reach the medical professionals combating this national health crisis , ” the attorney general said .
He has previously said that failure to comply with the order can result in penalties of up to $ 1,000 or 180 days of jail time .
“ This is obviously going to save some lives , which we hope would continue on , “ Paxton said .
“ I don ’ t even see how people who are on the other side of this issue at this time would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take care of the really sick.
” The lawsuit disputed that view , saying that the “ ” COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout do not reduce patients ’ needs for abortion ; if anything , they make timely access to abortion even more urgent.
“ Texas has more than 1,200 cases of coronavirus , according to a running count kept by Johns Hopkins University .
At least a dozen people have died .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
Texas has been a battleground over abortion rights for a decade .
Whole Woman ’ s Health had also sued Texas over a sweeping 2013 anti-abortion law that resulted in more than half of Texas ’ abortion clinics shuttering before it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court .
The issue over abortion during the pandemic also has also flared during the pandemic also has flared in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday from Republican Attorney General Dave Yost ordering them to cease all “ non-essential ” surgical abortions .
Yost wrote that the procedures violate a March 17 order issued by the state health director .
However , representatives of Ohio clinics said that they were in compliance with the health director ’ s order and planned to continue providing abortions .


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--White House projects 100K to 240K US deaths from virus

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Americans to brace for a “ hell of a bad two weeks ” ahead as the White House projected there could be 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic even if current social distancing guidelines are maintained .
Public health officials stressed that the number could be less if people across the country bear down on keeping their distance from one another .
“ We really believe we can do a lot better than that , ” said Dr. Deborah Birx , the co-ordinator of the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all Americans to take seriously their role in preventing the spread of disease , she said .
Trump called American efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus “ a matter of life and death ” and urged the public to heed his administration ’ s guidelines .
He predicted the country would soon see a “ light at the end of the tunnel ” in the pandemic that has killed more than 3,500 Americans and infected 170,000 more .
“ I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is going to be one of the roughest two or three weeks we ’ ve ever had in our country , ” Trump added .
“ We ’ re going to lose thousands of people.
” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious disease expert , said the numbers are “ sobering ” and called on Americans to “ step on the accelerator ” with their collective mitigation efforts .
“ We are continuing to see things go up , ” Fauci said .
“ We can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is actually working and will work.
“ Birx said pandemic forecasts initially predicted 1.5 million to 2.2 million deaths in the U.S .
But that was a worst-case scenario , without efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus through social distancing .
Birx said states that have not yet seen a spike in cases as New York has could take action to flatten the curve of rising hospitalizations and deaths .
As for the projection of 100,000-240,000 deaths , Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said : “ We don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what it ’ s going to be .
... We want to do much better than that.
” It ’ s not only social distancing that could make a difference , but also the frantic efforts by hospitals around the country to prepare for an onslaught of seriously ill patients .
The better prepared hospitals are , the greater the chances of lives being saved .
There ’ s also a wild card when it comes to treatment : whether the drug combination Trump has touted — a medicine for malaria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difference .
That combination is already being used on thousands of patients , and Fauci said he would want to see a rigorous test of its effectiveness .
Trump ’ s comments came after he announced Sunday that he was extending to April 30 the social distancing guidelines that urged Americans to cease large gatherings , work from home , suspend onsite learning at schools and more in a nationwide effort to stem the spread of the virus .
It was an abrupt reversal for Trump , who spent much of last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wanted to see Americans “ pack the pews ” for Easter Sunday services .
Trump called the data “ very sobering , ” saying it was his understanding that the 100,000 deaths was a minimum that would be difficult to avoid .
He also sought to rewrite his past minimization of the outbreak , saying he rejected those who compared the new coronavirus to the flu — when in fact he repeatedly did so publicly .
“ This could be hell of a bad two weeks , ’ ” Trump said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , according to modeling , a very low number .
In fact , when I first saw the number ... they said it was unlikely you ’ ll be able to attain that .
We have to see but I think we ’ re doing better than that.
” Trump played down concerns from New York ’ s Andrew Cuomo and other governors that their states ’ hospitals don ’ t have enough ventilators to treat an anticipated crush of patients .
Trump said the federal government currently has a stockpile of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as needed .
“ Now , when the surge occurs , if it occurs fairly evenly , we ’ ll be able to distribute them very quickly before they need them , ” Trump said .
“ But we want to have a reserve right now .
It ’ s like having oil reserves.
” Birx said the experiences of Washington state and California give her hope that other states can keep the coronavirus under control through social distancing .
That ’ s because they moved quickly to contain the early clusters of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work from home , banning large gatherings and taking other measures now familiar to most Americans , she noted .
“ I am reassured by looking at the Seattle line , ” she added .
“ California and Washington state reacted very early to this.
” Many other states and local governments already have stiff controls in place on mobility and gatherings .
Trump said he would also ask Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis to allow the docking of two cruise ships with passengers who have had contact with patients suffering from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once they reach Florida , but DeSantis said the state ’ s health care resources are already stretched too thin to take on a ship ’ s coronavirus caseload .
“ They ’ re dying on the ship , ” Trump said .
“ I ’ m going to do what ’ s right , not only for us for but humanity.
” Trump spoke after another troubling day for the stock market , which has been in a free fall as the cononavirus ground the economy to a near-halt and left millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plunged more than 400 points , or roughly 1.9 % , to seal the worst first-quarter finish of its 135-year history .

Aamer Madhani, Kevin Freking And Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Florida docking plan in the works for ill-fated cruise ships

MIAMI - Passengers from an ill-fated South American cruise are eager to disembark once they reach Florida , but Gov .
Ron DeSantis said the state ’ s health care resources are already stretched too thin to take on the ships ’ coronavirus caseload .
The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday that the decision would be punted to Washington if authorities can ’ t agree .
With the Zaandam and Rotterdam ships set to arrive later this week and at least two people on board needing emergency attention , a “ unified command ” of state , local and federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detailed docking plan requiring the cruise line , Holland America , to handle all medical issues without impacting South Florida ’ s already-stressed hospitals .
“ There are no great choices left .
These are all tough outcomes , ” Coast Guard Captain Jo-Ann Burdian told Broward County commissioners at an emergency meeting Tuesday .
Two of the four deaths on board the Zaandam have been blamed on COVID-19 and nine people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus , the company said .
Holland America said the Rotterdam took on nearly 1,400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its sister ship , leaving 450 guests and 602 crew members on the Zaandam , including more than 190 who said they are sick .
More than 300 U.S. citizens are on both ships combined .
The governor said Tuesday he had been in contact with the White House about getting medical supplies to the ships .
“ Just to drop people off at the place where we ’ re having the highest number of cases right now just doesn ’ t make a whole lot of sense , “ DeSantis said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Tuesday that he would speak to DeSantis about the ships .
“ They ’ re dying on the ship , ” Trump said .
“ I ’ m going to do what ’ s right .
Not only for us , but for humanity.
” Holland America President Orlando Ashford penned an opinion column in the South Florida Sun Sentinel to plead with officials and residents to let the passengers disembark .
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony called the situation a “ humanitarian crisis ” and asked commissioners at the Tuesday meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allowing the ship to dock would burden the local health care system and put residents at risk of additional exposure , he warned .
“ This ship has been turned away from several countries already , “ Tony said .
” We are in some very , very critical circumstances where we as a county are going to have to determine are we willing to take on this responsibility.
” William Burke , chief maritime officer for Carnival , which owns Holland America , told commissioners “ we are coming to the place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his staff had worked through the night on a docking plan .
Four people on board have already died .
Burke said he hopes two others who are severely ill “ will survive the transit.
” Despite the pleas for help , commissioners appeared frustrated with the company when they learned that Coral Princess , another Carnival-owned ship , with people presenting flu-like symptoms was sailing toward Fort Lauderdale and scheduled to arrive in April .
Most of the commissioners were sympathetic and felt badly that the passengers aboard the Zaandam and Rotterdam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broward County Commissioner Nan Rich urged officials to quickly hammer out a plan , “ do the best we can and get these people to their homes.
” “ These people have been turned away from so many countries , one after the other .
We are their last hope .
What are we going to do ?
Let this ship go back out to sea and float around and let people die ?
I don ’ t think so , “ Rich said .
The meeting ended Tuesday without a decision as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details to dock the ship taking all the precautions advised by the CDC and other agencies .
The Zaandam and other ships became pariahs as countries sealed borders in response to the pandemic .
Zaandam passengers said they were asked to keep their rooms dark and leave their drapes closed as they passed through the Panama Canal .
While many have reported feeling ill , most of the passengers and crew on both ships appear to be in good health .
Laura Gabaroni and her husband Juan Huergo , who work for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dream vacation turn harrowing as countries shunned them and people fell ill. Fever-free and without symptoms , she and her husband were transferred to the Rotterdam .
She wrote DeSantis imploring her governor to let them off .
“ Florida continues to receive flights from New York , and it allowed spring break gatherings to go on as planned .
Why turn their backs on us ?
“ Gabaroni said .
The Zaandam originally departed from Buenos Aires on March 7 — a day before the U.S. State Department advised to avoid cruise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place in Florida .
The ship had been scheduled to stop in San Antonio , Chile , and then depart on another 20-day cruise to arrive in Fort Lauderdale in April .
But beginning March 15 , the Zaandam was denied entry port after port .
Passenger Emily Spindler Brazell , of Tappahannock , Virginia , said they ’ ve been treated to unlimited phone calls , wine and nice meals including lamb chops and salmon .
But they have had to isolate in their rooms .
“ The captain said something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trip anymore .
This is not a cruise .
This is a humanitarian mission , ’ “ she said .
This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Zaandam throughout .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

Adriana Gomez Licon And Kelli Kennedy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--McConnell: Impeachment ‘diverted attention’ from coronavirus

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial distracted the federal government from the coronavirus as it reached the United States in January , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday , despite warnings at the time from public health experts and members of Congress about the spread of the deadly virus .
The outbreak “ came up while we were tied down on the impeachment trial .
And I think it diverted the attention of the government , because everything every day was all about impeachment , ’ ’ McConnell told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its slow response to the pandemic , especially for the shortage of coronavirus testing kits when the infection first spread to the U.S. from China .
Trump initially downplayed the virus , comparing it to the seasonal flu and declaring it may go away on its own .
The administration also has been criticized for not supplying needed protective medical gear for health care workers .
McConnell ’ s argument breaks sharply with assurances that the Trump administration made early on about the virus .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 , said at the time that the public “ can be assured the full weight of the U.S. government is working to safeguard the health and safety of the American people.
” And weeks after his Feb. 5 acquittal in the impeachment trial , Trump continued to minimize fears as he insisted the U.S. was “ very , very ready ” for whatever the outbreak brings .
On Feb. 25 , he told business leaders in India : “ I think that ’ s a problem that ’ s going to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment , Trump said Tuesday that he “ certainly devoted a little time to thinking about “ impeachment , but added : “ I don ’ t think I would have done any better had I not been impeached .
...
I don ’ t think I would have acted any faster.
” As the pandemic has worsened in recent weeks , Trump has ramped up the federal response .
He announced Sunday that he is extending social distancing guidelines through April 30 at least , backing away from an earlier call to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raring to go ” by Easter , April 12 .
Congress has approved three bills responding to the outbreak , including an unprecedented $ 2.2 trillion package Trump signed last week .
McConnell said Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas was among the first in Congress to raise an alarm .
Cotton , an outspoken critic of China ’ s communist government , has said he does not trust China to act truthfully about the virus .
“ He was first , and I think Tom was right on the mark , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Tom figured this out early , and he was absolutely right.
” Cotton , in a separate interview with Hewitt on Tuesday , said he had been studying the virus since mid-January .
“ Unfortunately , Washington , especially the Congress , was consumed with another matter ... the partisan impeachment of the president , ’ ’ he said .
“ I was focused at the time on what I thought was going to be a growing crisis coming out of Wuhan .
And , unfortunately , it ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The virus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan .
The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus has climbed past 3,500 , eclipsing China ’ s official count .
The Trump administration briefed the Senate on Jan. 24 — during the impeachment trial — and again on Feb. 5 , the day Trump was acquitted .
Still , the threat posed by the virus was not widely understood , and some lawmakers complained that Trump wasn ’ t taking the growing threat seriously .
For weeks after the first U.S. case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government missteps caused a shortage of reliable laboratory tests for the coronavirus , leading to delays in diagnoses .
Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate health and foreign relations committees issued a joint statement after the Jan. 24 briefing , declaring , “ We are monitoring the outbreak of a novel coronavirus closely and are in close communication with United States government agencies on actions and precautions needed to prevent further spread of this virus.
“ The statement said China “ has taken steps to share information with international health experts ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an update .
Two days later , Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called on the administration to declare the coronavirus a public health emergency , freeing up $ 85 million for federal agencies .
Azar , in declaring the public health emergency for the entire U.S. on Jan. 31 , said : “ While this virus poses a serious public health threat , the risk to the American public remains low at this time , and we are working to keep this risk low.
” That same day , Trump imposed travel restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most major airlines had already suspended flights to China , following the lead of several major international carriers .
An earlier State Department advisory told Americans not to travel to China because of the outbreak .
Despite those actions , the administration — and Trump himself — downplayed the virus for weeks before taking more drastic steps this month .
Trump speculated last week that the country could reopen by Easter , but now says distancing guidelines should remain in place through April .
Cotton called Trump ’ s decision to impose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single most important thing the U.S. government has done over the last two months.
’ ’ But Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Conn. , said Trump has been slow to respond from the start .
“ Just left the Administration briefing on Coronavirus .
Bottom line : they aren ’ t taking this seriously enough , ” he tweeted Feb. 5 .
His opinion remains unchanged .
“ Unfortunately , the Trump administration has completely botched the response to COVID-19 so far , ’ ’ Murphy wrote Tuesday in Foreign Policy magazine .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for weeks , failed to ramp up testing measures ... and Americans are paying the price for it .
The next virus is not going to wait for the U.S. government to get its act together.
“ The virus has caused a global pandemic that has sickened about 800,000 people and killed tens of thousands , according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health problems , it can cause more severe illness or death .
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Kevin Freking contributed to this story .


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Donald Trump should take a lesson from Justin Trudeau — and even Doug Ford — on coronavirus leadersh

Donald Trump should take a lesson from Justin Trudeau — and even Doug Ford — on coronavirus leadership

WASHINGTON , DC— “ Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory has been won , ” President Donald Trump said Sunday — continuing his gradual U-turn from earlier attempts to declare victory over COVID-19 .
Trump has stopped talking about reopening the country by Easter and extended social distancing until the end of April ; he ’ s turned from predicting minimal casualties to saying anything fewer than 200,000 deaths would be a tremendous success .
They are rare climbdowns for a president resistant to correction .
But the COVID-19 crisis is exposing leaders ’ false promises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while exposing their weaknesses and strengths .
And for America that is happening with lightning speed .
By Tuesday , the death toll in the country had tripled since Thursday to more than 3,000 , now surpassing the number killed in the 9/11 attacks .
While there is admiration for the leadership of U.S. governors like New York ’ s Andrew Cuomo and Maryland ’ s Larry Hogan , and Canadian leaders Justin Trudeau and Doug Ford , Trump ’ s daily press briefings remain points of conflict and confusion .
He continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame from himself .
Leaders are often defined by their response to a crisis .
Trump ’ s moment in this crisis is his mid-March insistence that : “ I take no responsibility at all.
” It is at odds with what experts say is the most important thing in a crisis : be accountable .
After accountability , historians looking at great world leaders and business management consultants advise empathy .
“ Deal with the human tragedy as the first priority , ” Gemma D ’ Auria and Aaron De Smet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McKinsey & Company wrote recently .
Franklin Delano Roosevelt dictated his Depression-era radio addresses while “ trying to visualize the individuals he was seeking to help : a mason at work on a new building , a girl behind a counter , a man repairing an automobile , a farmer in his field , ” Arthur Schlesinger Jr. once wrote .
Empathy is not a quality Trump is known for and that has been on full display during this crisis .
Trudeau ’ s caring for his children while in isolation as his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of shared experience .
Cuomo has been a father figure for a suffering New York family .
Ford jumped in his truck to deliver a donated shipment of ventilator masks .
“ A leader puts himself into the action and brings the people and resources to bear , ” Baldoni wrote in the Harvard Business Review almost a decade ago .
Baldoni and the McKinsey consultants also say leadership means taking a moment to figure out the situation before acting ( “ leaders should not resort to using their intuition alone , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Yet , Trump ’ s approach has been to improvise in front of the entire world , speculating about untested medicines and sometimes ignoring medical expertise .
Other common pieces of crisis leadership advice common in expert writing on the subject— the value of preparation , early recognition and accountability , the setting aside of partisan fights and ability to rally a team of rivals — show qualities the U.S. president has lacked .
But the most consistent piece of advice demonstrates Trump ’ s most obvious failing thus far : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the challenge .
Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin recently wrote in the New York Times that Roosevelt followed his famous “ Nothing to fear but fear itself ” pronouncement with an acknowledgment of hard times that lay ahead , saying “ only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.
” Celebrated moments of leadership often show plenty of resolve but few rosy projections .
Winston Churchill famously offered his public nothing but “ blood , toil , tears and sweat.
” During the Cuban missile crisis , John F. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sacrifice and self-discipline lie ahead.
” Cuomo ’ s celebrated reassurances have not been sugar-coated .
On Tuesday he said he expected that the peak of the virus in New York was still weeks away and he anticipated “ many thousands ” of deaths ahead .
Early on , the Republican governor of Ohio warned people , when there were only two confirmed cases of community spread there , to assume 100,000 people in the state had the virus .
But Trump has spent weeks minimizing potential costs .
Only now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has he begun acknowledging the severity of what the U.S. faces .
When asked why it took so long on Monday , Trump said he hadn ’ t wanted to panic the nation , “ Those statements I made — I want to keep the country calm.
” Much expert advice on crisis management says people are calmed when leaders display understanding and demonstrate they have planned to deal with the worst .
A good summary of that advice might sound something like , “ Nothing could be worse than declaring victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president belatedly offered some good advice this week .
His country may be reassured if he shows he ’ s heeding it .


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--US warship captain seeks crew isolation as virus spreads

WASHINGTON - The captain of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier facing a growing outbreak of the coronavirus is asking for permission to isolate the bulk of his roughly 5,000 crew members on shore , which would take the warship out of duty in an effort to save lives .
In a memo to Navy leaders , the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt said that the spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating and that removing all but 10 % of the crew is a “ necessary risk ” in order to stop the spread of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy leaders on Tuesday were scrambling to determine how to best respond to the extraordinary request as dozens of crew members tested positive .
“ We are not at war .
Sailors do not need to die .
If we do not act now , we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset our sailors , “ said Navy Capt .
Brett Crozier in a memo obtained by The Associated Press .
A Navy official said Crozier alerted commanders on Sunday evening of the continuing challenges in isolating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations , said that Crozier wants more isolated housing for the crew and that Navy leadership is reviewing options to ensure the health and safety of the crew .
U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. John Aquilino told reporters on Tuesday that the Navy is working to get as many sailors as possible on shore , while still maintaining a core crew to monitor the nuclear reactors and keep the ship running .
He said the pace may not be as fast as the commander would like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rotation , with sailors staying on shore in isolation for 14 days , then returning to the ship virus-free so that others can go ashore .
Asked about efforts to isolate sailors on shore , he said the Navy is doing what it can with facilities that are available .
Officials are working with the government of Guam to try to get hotel rooms that will allow for greater isolation , Aquilino said .
Aquilino would not discuss exact numbers or timelines , but agreed with Navy Secretary Thomas Modly ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken off the ship so far .
He added that no sailors are currently hospitalized .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough , that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
In Asia , a carrier presence is central to what the Pentagon has identified as a fundamental shift from fighting insurgent and extremist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to “ great power competition.
“ That means , principally , a bigger focus on China , including its militarization of disputed areas of the South China Sea .
The outbreak on the carrier may be the Navy ’ s most dramatic , but it tracks an accelerating upward trend across the military .
The Pentagon said the number of cases in the military reached 673 on Tuesday morning , a jump of 104 from the day before and up from 174 a week ago .
Since March 20 , the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon has taken many steps to try to limit the spread , including halting nearly all movement of troops overseas .
The carrier , like other Navy ships , is vulnerable to infectious disease spread given its close quarters .
The massive ship is more than 1,000 feet long ( 305 metres long ) ; sailors are spread out across a labyrinth of decks linked by steep ladder-like stairs and narrow corridors .
Enlisted sailors and officers have separate living quarters , but they routinely grab their food from crowded buffet lines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of those problems , Crozier ’ s memo , which was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle , warns that the close quarters means that thousands of sailors now require quarantine .
He said sailors have been moving off the ship into shore-based quarters , but much of that is also not adequate .
He said much of the off-ship locations available so far are group quarantine sites , and already two sailors housed in an auditorium have tested positive for the virus .
To stop the spread of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must take a methodical approach , move the majority of the sailors off the ship , isolate them and completely clean it .
He said about 10 % of the crew would have to stay on board to secure the vessel , run critical systems and sanitize everything .
Aquilino declined to confirm that estimate but said he is working with commanders to get people quarantined and tested as quickly as possible .
While removing that many may seem like an extraordinary measure , Crozier said it is a necessary risk .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing to get back underway as quickly as possible while ensuring the health and safety of our sailors , ” Crozier said , adding that finding appropriate isolation for the crew “ will require a political solution , but it is the right thing to do.
” Modly told CNN that efforts are underway to help the ship while ensuring that the Navy and the U.S. military continue to protect the country .
“ This is a unique circumstance , ” he said .
“ And we ’ re working through it and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that our friends and allies , and most importantly our foes and adversaries out there , understand that we are not standing down the watch .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Regulators mull reversing $462M increase in PG&E fire fines

BERKELEY , Calif. - California power regulators are weighing a recommendation to back off plans to fine Pacific Gas and Electric an additional $ 462 million over a series of deadly Northern California wildfires rather than risk that the harsher punishment might scuttle the utility ’ s plan to get out of bankruptcy .
The state ’ s Public Utilities Commission is mulling whether to pare the penalties faced by PG & E as the result of a proposed revision floated by one of agency ’ s five commissioners , Clifford Rechtschaffen .
A document detailing the proposal was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PG & E announced it took steps to ensure it will not have to tap into a $ 13.5 billion fund set up for wildfire victims to pay a separate $ 4 million fine that will be imposed for the company ’ s guilty plea to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from a 2018 inferno triggered by its outdated electrical grid .
Last week , PG & E disclosed its bankruptcy plan required that financial penalties for the crimes would come from the victims ’ fund .
Now that it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PG & E is trying to clear another hurdle that could block its attempt to emerge from one of the most complex bankruptcy cases in U.S. history by June 30 .
In documents made public Monday , Rechtschaffen made a case for the public utilities commission to reverse a decision issued last month requiring PG & E to pay a $ 2.1 billion fine for neglecting the maintenance of equipment blamed for causing the wildfires that killed nearly 130 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Butte and Sonoma counties and other parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory during 2017 and 2018 .
The proposed penalty added $ 462 million to a roughly $ 1.7 billion settlement that PG & E negotiated with regulators in December .
The utility ’ s critics argued that deal was too lenient , prompting the public utilities commission to impose an additional $ 200 million fine and other measures costing the company another $ 262 million .
But requiring PG & E to come up with the extra $ 200 million to deposit in California ’ s general fund would violate agreements that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to secure commitments to sell $ 9 billion worth of its stock to help fund $ 25.5 billion in settlements reached in its bankruptcy proceedings .
The settlements include the $ 13.5 billion victims fund to be used to pay more than 81,000 claims for losses suffered in the the wildfires that drove PG & E into bankruptcy last year .
PG & E warned that requiring the company to pay the additional $ 200 fine would set off a chain of financial dominoes and upend its entire bankruptcy plan , depriving wildfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from its $ 13.5 billion fund .
Rechtschaffen recommended that the public utilities commission permanently suspend the plan to fine PG & E the extra $ 200 million .
“ This is appropriate due to the unique situation of PG & E ’ s bankruptcy , its indebtedness to hundreds of wildfire claimants for loss of life and property , and the current upheaval in the financial markets , “ .Rechtschaffen wrote in a five-page explanation .
Like most companies , PG & E ’ s stock has fallen sharply over the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the coronavirus .
PG & E ’ s stock sank 68 cents to close Tuesday at $ 8.99 , less the half of what the shares were worth on Feb. 11 when they reached a six-month high of $ 18.34 .
The recommendations also propose revisions to the tax benefits that PG & E could claim from its original settlement with regulators .
If adopted , those changes could further chip away from last month ’ s proposal to force PG & E shareholders to shoulder a heavier burden .
An administrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline for comments about Rechtschaffen ’ s recommendation .
A final decision is expected later in the spring .
PG & E managed to avoid using the wildfire victims fund to pay its $ 4 million criminal fine by negotiating a deal with 110 insurers receiving a $ 11 billion cash settlement as part of its bankruptcy fund .
The insurers will pay the $ 4 million fine using interest income and other investment gains generated from the $ 11 billion that PG & E is paying them .
PG & E also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Bill Johnson last year .
He got a pay package valued at $ 18.5 million for his first eight months on the job .
That was roughly double the $ 9.3 million that Johnson ’ s predecessor , Geisha Williams , received during her final year on the job in 2018 .
Most of Johnson ’ s package consisted of a previously disclosed $ 3 million bonus paid to him as part of his hiring last April in addition to long-term incentives designed to push him to improve the company ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price .


thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Police: Officer fatally shoots armed man in East Baltimore

BALTIMORE - Two shootings in the streets of Baltimore just before Maryland ’ s stay-at-home directive took effect led to the fatal shooting of an armed man by a police officer .
A report in The Baltimore Sun said the officer has shot and killed four other people in the past 10 years .
The department ’ s gunfire detection system alerted to shots being fired around 6 p.m. Monday in East Baltimore , Commissioner Michael Harrison said at a news conference .
Responding officers encountered an armed man who they believed had been firing a weapon at a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another man earlier that evening , according to Harrison .
“ This all stems from an argument that turned bad where one person was shot , “ Harrison said , according to The Sun .
The suspect “ was running down the street firing at that group.
” An officer shot him , and the man later died at a hospital , the commissioner said .
Police had not released the man ’ s identity Tuesday evening , and a department spokesman didn ’ t immediately respond to an email seeking comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attorney identified the officer as Sgt .
Joe Wiczulis .
Wiczulis was involved in shootings in 2010 , 2013 , and 2016 , the latter involving 56 rounds being fired that killed a father and son .
In all five shootings , police said Wiczulis and other officers came upon a suspect who was carrying a gun .
In the previous instances , prosecutors cleared him of criminal wrongdoing each time .
Police said Wiczulis was not wounded in the latest shooting , and an internal investigation was opened .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in “ stable condition , “ Harrison said .
Gov .
Larry Hogan ’ s stay-at-home directive in response to the coronavirus pandemic went into effect at 8 p.m. on Monday , mandating that residents leave their homes only for “ essential and necessary things.
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thetorontostar--2020-03-31--Louisiana spillway may open for record 3rd consecutive year

NEW ORLEANS - A major flood control structure on the Mississippi River may have to soon be opened up to ease pressure on New Orleans levees , federal authorities said Tuesday .
The river is expected to crest above 17 feet ( 5.2 metres ) at a key New Orleans gauge as early as Friday , the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a news release .
That would likely lead to the opening of a structure that diverts water through the Bonnet Carré Spillway .
It would be the first time the structure has been used three years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from damaging New Orleans ’ levees .
The spillway was created to limit the river ’ s rush past New Orleans , keeping it below 1.25 million cubic feet ( 35,400 cubic meters ) per second .
But opening the spillway has environmental effects , sending river water and the pollutants it carries into brackish Lake Pontchartrain north of New Orleans and the Mississippi Sound , dropping their normal salinity levels .
Two extended openings of the structure last year were blamed by Mississippi authorities for feeding toxic algae blooms and killing oysters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. Commerce Department declared an economic disaster in Louisiana , Mississippi and Alabama because of “ extreme flooding events in the Gulf of Mexico.
” A federal lawsuit filed in Mississippi in December by several cities , counties and groups accuses the corps and commission of violating federal law by opening the spillway more frequently .
They say the defendants hurt wildlife and localities by opening it for prolonged periods of time without considering the consequences .
Joe Spraggins , who heads the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources , told The Sun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he hopes the Bonnet Carré will be opened for fewer days this year .
He said damage would be less if the spillway could be closed by the end of April .
He expects problems if the fresh water flow continues as the sound grows warmer .
The Corps said Tuesday ’ s announcement was the result of an unexpectedly high forecast for the river ’ s crest .
The statement stressed that the forecast could change .
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