thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Woman hurls racial slurs at Black landscapers in viral video

ORLANDO , Fla. - A video of an Orlando woman cursing and shouting racial slurs at Black landscapers as they finished up a job at her neighbour ’ s house has gone viral .
Brandon Cordova told the Orlando Sentinel that he and his crew were almost done with their shift last Thursday when the woman approached two of his coworkers .
Cordova said he pulled out his cellphone and started filming .
He later posted the video on Facebook .
The woman approached twins Antonio and Antione Harris , a foreman and supervisor with A Cut Above The Rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t tell the crew what she was upset about before her rant began .
” She was in my coworkers ’ face ... just going off .
... She was trying to say all those hateful things , and they weren ’ t even being bothered — they were joking around .
The more they were joking around , the more she got mad , ” Cordova said .
In the video , the woman hurled racial slurs at the Harris brothers , who are Black .
“ We tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Orlando Sentinel .
Added his brother , “ The more we tried to calm her down , the more irate she got.
” As she got closer , one twin touched the other — warning “ corona ( virus ) ” — before they stepped back .
In the video , one of the twins wished the woman “ a blessed day , “ before walking toward their truck .
They said the woman ’ s behaviour surprised them .
“ We don ’ t look at colour , ” Antonio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and my twin brother are mixed … we are African-American , but at the same time , this wouldn ’ t be the first time that we ’ ve dealt with ( racism ) , this is the most extreme time that we ’ ve dealt with it.
” While a neighbour encouraged them to report the incident to police , neither Cordova nor the Harris twins said they filed a report .
“ I hope that the message isn ’ t , ‘ Look at this crazy lady ’ or something to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more to show that there ’ s people that think this way that are outdated .
...
If you just ignore them in the end , what are they going to do to you ?
” Cordova said .
The Harris brothers said their boss is “ distraught ” after seeing the video , and has been supportive .
Antione Harris said he was “ shocked ” the video went viral .
But he and his brother do not consider their actions noteworthy .
“ We ain ’ t looking to get nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t trying to blow up on the mainstream , ” Antonio Harris said .
“ We ’ re just simple guys who go to work every day , doing 9 to 5 , and try to make the best out of it , even with the COVID going on .
...
I think we did do the right thing .
… We didn ’ t need anybody to see it .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Lebanese confront devastation after massive Beirut explosion

BEIRUT - Residents of Beirut confronted a scene of utter devastation Wednesday , a day after a massive explosion at the port rippled across the Lebanese capital , killing at least 100 people , wounding thousands and leaving entire city blocks blanketed with glass and rubble .
Smoke still rose from the port , where a towering building of silos was half destroyed , spilling out grain .
Hangars around it were completely toppled .
The blast knocked out a crater some 200 metres ( yards ) across that filled with seawater — it was as if the sea had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , swallowing buildings with it .
Much of downtown was littered with damaged vehicles and debris that had rained down from the shattered facades of buildings .
An official with the Lebanese Red Cross said at least 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 were wounded .
George Kettaneh said the toll could rise further .
The blast appeared to have been triggered by a fire that touched off a cargo of ammonium nitrate that had been stored at the port for years , though it was unclear what sparked the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earthquake , it was the most powerful explosion ever seen in the city , which was split in half by the 1975-1990 civil war and has endured conflicts with neighbouring Israel and periodic bombings and terror attacks .
Scores of people were missing , with relatives pleading on social media for help locating loved ones .
An Instagram page called “ Locating Victims Beirut ” sprang up with photos of missing , and radio presenters read names of missing or wounded people throughout the night .
Many residents moved in with friends or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treated their own injuries because hospitals were overwhelmed .
Lebanon was already on the brink of collapse amid a severe economic crisis , and its capacity to deal with the disaster is crippled .
With buildings severely damaged , potentially large numbers are now homeless at a time when many have lost their jobs and seen their savings evaporate because of a currency crisis .
Food security is a worry , since Lebanon imports nearly all its vital goods and its main port is devastated .
The health system is confronting a coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus could spread further as people flooded into hospitals .
Even as politicians vowed to help Lebanese recover , the government is strapped for cash , and the disaster threatens to further stoke public fury in a country that saw mass protests in recent months .
There was no evidence the explosion was an attack .
Instead , many Lebanese blamed it on decades of corruption and poor governance by the entrenched political class that has ruled the tiny Mediterranean country since the civil war .
Saint George University Hospital , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been receiving COVID-19 patients , was out of commission Wednesday after suffering major damage .
Patients were evacuated to a nearby field for primary care while staff worked on sending them to other facilities , Dr. Kamal Haddad said .
Another doctor , Emile , said 16 staff and patients , including four nurses , were killed in the blast .
He declined to give his last name out of privacy concerns .
The blast also wounded a number of U.N. peacekeepers at the port , including 21 Bangladeshis and one Italian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were known to be among the dead .
Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi told a local TV station that it appeared the blast was caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse ever since it was confiscated from a cargo ship impounded in 2013 .
Explosives experts and video footage suggested the ammonium nitrate may have been ignited by a fire at what appeared to be a nearby warehouse containing fireworks .
Ammonium nitrate is a common ingredient in fertilizer as well as explosives .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1995 , when a truck bomb containing 2,180 kilograms ( 4,800 pounds ) of fertilizer and fuel oil ripped through a federal building , killing 168 people and wounding hundreds more .
Security forces cordoned off the port area Wednesday as a bulldozer helped clear away debris .
A young man begged troops to allow him to enter and search for his missing father .
He was directed to a port official who wrote down his details .
In Beirut ’ s hard-hit Achrafieh district , civil defence workers and soldiers worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least one man was still pinned under stones from an old building that had collapsed .
Volunteers hooked him up to an oxygen tank to help him breathe while others tried to free his leg .
“ There are no words to describe the catastrophe that hit Beirut last night , ” President Michel Aoun said at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday .
He vowed an investigation and that those responsible will be punished .
Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the government will help find shelter for those who lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was damaged .
Diab , in a short televised speech , appealed for international aid , saying : “ We are witnessing a real catastrophe.
” There were signs of public anger already brewing .
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri visited the grave of his late father who was killed in a suicide truck bomb in February 2005 , telling reporters , “ They killed Beirut yesterday.
” After he left , protesters chanted slogans against Lebanon ’ s entire political class , including Hariri , and fistfights broke out between his supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid nationwide protests .
The government sought to reassure fears over the food supply , a top concern in a country where some 80 % of the wheat is imported and which is also hosting over 1 million Syrians displaced by civil war there .
Drone footage shot Wednesday by The Associated Press showed the blast tore open the silo building , dumping its contents into the debris and earth thrown up by the blast .
Estimates suggest some 85 % of the country ’ s grain was stored at the now-wrecked silos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said all the wheat stored there was contaminated and unusable .
But he insisted Lebanon had enough wheat for its immediate needs and would import more , according to the state news agency .
Several countries have pledged aid , with even Israel offering humanitarian assistance .
The two countries have been in conflict for decades , and Israel fought a 2006 war with the Hezbollah militant group .
Lebanon ’ s economic crisis is rooted in decades of systemic corruption by political factions that exploit public institutions for the benefit of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , residents endure frequent power outages and poor public services .
French President Emmanuel Macron was to travelling to Beirut on Thursday to offer support and meet with Lebanese leaders .
Lebanon is a former French protectorate and the countries retain close political and economic ties .
Beirut ’ s port and the customs authority are notoriously corrupt .
Like nearly all public institutions , they are controlled by political factions , including Hezbollah .
Associated Press writers Sarah El Deeb and Hassan Ammar in Beirut , Jon Gambrell in Dubai , United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jerusalem contributed to this report .

Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-08-05--‘Save Space Camp’ drive prompted by virus reaches $1.5M goal

HUNTSVILLE , Ala. - A fundraising drive has reached its goal of bringing in $ 1.5 million to save Space Camp from closing because of the coronavirus pandemic , organizers said .
A corporate donation of $ 250,000 by the technology company SAIC Inc. pushed the effort over the top , officials said in a statement Tuesday .
Nearly 8,000 people and companies from three dozen countries contributed to the “ Save Space Camp ” drive in the week it took to reach the goal , and donations will continue to be accepted .
Located in Huntsville , Alabama , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program run by the state-owned U.S. Space and Rocket Center .
Leaders said the pandemic has hurt revenues so badly that donations were needed to continue operating the museum and to reopen Space Camp in the spring .
Nearly 1 million youths and adults have attended Space Camp since it opened in 1982 , and a dozen people who went on to become astronauts or cosmonauts participated .
The Space and Rocket Center was closed from mid-March through late May because of the shutdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 , and Space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups on simulated space missions , did not reopen until late June with a limited capacity .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Police: Chicago police officer shot, suspect in custody

CHICAGO - A Chicago police officer was shot and seriously wounded early Wednesday on the city ’ s West Side by a suspect who fired at officers from a third-floor window , the city ’ s police superintendent said .
Officers called to the scene about a domestic incident were on the ground outside a home speaking to the suspect after they noticed the man “ peering out “ of third floor windows and began trying to deescalate the situation , said Police Superintendent David Brown .
“ But almost immediately the suspect began firing at the officers from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third floor , striking one of our officers in the leg , ” Brown said .
The officer was transported to a hospital , where he was in serious condition with injuries not considered life-threatening , police said .
A woman and child who were inside the home are doing OK , Brown said .
Police said officers didn ’ t return fire and the suspect was taken into custody following the shooting about 3:45 a.m. in the North Lawndale neighbourhood .
Brown said the male is a felony gun offender .
Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago officer to be struck by gunfire from suspects in the past week , following last Thursday ’ s shooting of three officers outside a police station .
“ It just speaks to the courage , bravery and dedication of the Chicago Police Department and its officers during this unprecedented time and challenging time not only with the pandemic and civil unrest but also the push against police and yet our officers are continuing to risk everything to protect their city , ” the superintendent said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--French president travelling to Lebanon after deadly explosion

PARIS - As Lebanon reeled in shock a day after the massive blast in Beirut and counted the dead , nations around the world promised it would not be alone .
French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would fly to the shattered Lebanese capital , and two planeloads of French rescue workers and aid were expected to touch down on Wednesday afternoon .
Other countries were sending search teams , stunned by the explosion that killed at least 100 people , injured thousands and left smoking rubble strewn for blocks around Beirut ’ s port .
But the pledges of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose economic and political crisis has made donors wary in recent years .
It was unclear what caused the blast , which appeared to have been triggered by a fire and struck with the force of an earthquake .
It was the most powerful explosion ever seen in the city .
Macron ’ s office told The Associated Press that the French leader will meet with Lebanese political leaders but provided no further details .
Lebanon is a former French protectorate and the countries retain close political and economic ties .
Several other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sending aid .
The European Union is activating its civil protection system to round up emergency workers and equipment from across the 27-nation bloc .
The EU commission said the plan is to urgently dispatch over 100 firefighters with vehicles , sniffer dogs and equipment designed to find people trapped in urban areas .
The Czech Republic , France , Germany , Greece , Poland and the Netherlands are taking part in the effort and other countries are expected to join .
The EU ’ s satellite mapping system will be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent of the damage .
The French emergency workers travelling to Lebanon include members of a special unit with chemical and other technological expertise trained to intervene in damaged industrial sites .
Among their tasks will be to identify specific risks for products stored in the area and other risks resulting from the explosion , said national civil security spokesman Michael Bernier .
Others have experience in dealing with the aftermath of earthquakes , forest fires and other international disasters .
In Paris , a special vigil will be held Wednesday for blast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the Eiffel Tower will go dark at midnight to mourn them .
Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Lockdown reimposed in Scottish city over virus ‘cluster’

LONDON - Officials in Scotland ordered bars , cafes and restaurants in the city of Aberdeen to close Wednesday , reimposing anti-virus restrictions after a cluster of 54 COVID-19 cases in the area was linked to a single bar .
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the new cases raised wider alarm of a “ significant outbreak ” of the coronavirus emerging in the northeastern port city .
Aberdeen officials published a list of 28 bars and restaurants , three golf clubs and a soccer club visited by about 200 people so far traced from the cluster .
Sturgeon said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 229,000 residents need to be closed by the end of business Wednesday .
Visitors were advised not to travel to the city , and residents should not travel more than 5 miles ( 8 kilometres ) from their homes unless for work or essential trips .
Entering other people ’ s houses was also prohibited as part of the local lockdown .
Extra police officers will be on the streets in Aberdeen to ensure residents comply with the renewed restrictions , which will be reviewed in one week and may be extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing we want to do is to reimpose these restrictions , but this outbreak is reminding us just how highly infectious COVID is , ” Sturgeon said .
Sturgeon has taken a much more cautious approach to easing lockdown measures than British Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
The official coronavirus death toll in the U.K. as a whole stands at 46,299 .
England has seen the largest increase in death rates in Europe .
Across Scotland , Sturgeon said a total 18,781 people have tested positive for the virus , up by 64 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a scathing report by British lawmakers said that the scale and pace of infections in the U.K. could have been slowed down had the government imposed quarantine restrictions on travellers earlier on during the pandemic .
The report by the Home Affairs Committee said some 10,000 people with COVID-19 may have entered or returned to the country in March - when the infection rate in Spain , Italy and France was rapidly increasing .
Lawmakers slammed the British government ’ s “ completely inexplicable ” decision to lift all border restrictions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique in having no border checks or quarantine arrangements at that time , ” committee chair Yvette Cooper said .
Britain asked travellers from some countries to voluntarily self-quarantine in February and early March , but the government lifted all border restrictions on March 13 .
A mandatory quarantine was introduced in June , but many countries were later added to a “ safe list ” exempted from the requirement .
A government spokeswoman said the committee ’ s claims were “ incorrect ” and that all public health policy has been “ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Lawyer: Michael Cohen has offer to be a political consultant

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump ’ s former personal lawyer has been offered work as a consultant and to make media appearances for a political action committee , his lawyer said Wednesday .
Michael Cohen hopes to accept the offer to work on the committee ’ s behalf , attorney Danya Perry told U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein in a letter aimed at ensuring the judge does not object .
She did not identify the committee .
She wrote that Cohen also plans to have discussions with his editor and publisher “ as quickly as possible ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical of Trump before November ’ s election .
The judge ordered Cohen released from prison two weeks ago , saying the government returned him to prison in July in retaliation after Cohen said publicly that he planned to publish the book titled “ Disloyal : The True Story of Michael Cohen , Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump.
” The Bureau of Prisons denied that Cohen was imprisoned for retaliatory reasons .
Cohen is serving the majority of his three-year prison sentence in home confinement after a coronavirus outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent record getting out from behind bars .
After getting out in May , Cohen was returned to prison after Probation Department employees said he refused to sign a form that would have banned him from publishing the book and speaking with the media .
Prosecutors dropped their media objections last week .
Cohen , 53 , began serving the sentence in May 2019 after pleading guilty to campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress , among other charges .
Campaign finance fraud charges stemmed from his efforts to arrange payouts during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actress Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal from making public claims of extramarital affairs with Trump .
Trump has denied the affairs .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--New Zealand man appeals guilt in British backpacker slaying

WELLINGTON , New Zealand - A New Zealand man found guilty of murdering a British backpacker appealed his conviction and punishment on Thursday , with his new lawyer arguing he didn ’ t get a fair trial and his sentence was too harsh .
A jury had earlier determined that tourist Grace Millane was strangled to death on her 22nd birthday in December 2018 by a man she had met through the dating app Tinder .
She went out for drinks with him before returning to his hotel apartment in central Auckland , where he killed her .
He stuffed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a forest and buried it in a shallow grave , where police found it a week later .
Prosecutors argued in the trial that the man deliberately strangled Millane to death , while defence lawyers claimed the death was accidental after the pair engaged in consensual erotic choking that went too far .
The jury found the man guilty and a judge sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years .
Lawyer Rachael Reed told the Court of Appeal judges that she wasn ’ t seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” actions after Millane ’ s death , according to news organization Stuff .
But she said the judge placed too much weight on those actions in determining the man ’ s sentence .
Reed also said the conviction had problems , including questions around the issue of consent , some of the expert evidence , and negative evidence given by other women about the man ’ s character .
The name of the 28-year-old man convicted of murder is being kept secret for now by court order , a restriction that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system for reasons such as another pending trial .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--No hoopla: Virus upends Trump, Biden convention plans

WASHINGTON - At the last minute , President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival , Joe Biden , are searching for places to impressively yet safely accept their parties ’ presidential nominations as the spread of the coronavirus adds fresh uncertainty to the campaign for the White House .
Trump said Wednesday he ’ s considering giving his Aug. 27 acceptance speech on the grounds of the White House , a move that could violate ethics law .
Biden , meanwhile , scrapped plans to accept the Democratic nomination on Aug. 20 in Milwaukee , where the party has spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention .
Presidential conventions are a staple of American politics and have played out against national traumas as significant as the Civil War and World War II .
But the pandemic ’ s potency is proving to be a tougher obstacle , denying both candidates crucial opportunities to connect with supporters in the final stretch before the Nov. 3 election .
The campaigns are looking for alternative ways to deal with the virus and still reach millions of Americans through television and virtual events .
Longtime convention attendees say they ’ ll miss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health priorities .
“ I was looking forward to going to Milwaukee and having a lot of beer and other snacks , ” said Donna Brazile , who managed Al Gore ’ s campaign in 2000 and served as Democratic National Committee chair in 2016 .
But “ if you ask a majority of voters , they ’ d tell you they ’ re more anxious about when the NFL season starts .
… What ’ s best for the public should be best for the politicians at this point.
” Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman , has enjoyed several Republican conventions as unifying efforts following bruising primary battles in states like his .
But the general election audience , he said , doesn ’ t see it the same way .
“ As long as they can watch it on Facebook , most voters don ’ t care if the conventions are in Siberia or Sheboygan , ” he said .
Trump originally planned to accept the GOP nomination in Charlotte , North Carolina , the largest city in a critical battleground state .
But he sparred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat , who wouldn ’ t guarantee the state would lift restrictions on large crowds like the scenes inside a presidential convention arena .
Frustrated , Trump declared he ’ d abandon North Carolina for Republican-run Florida .
But then coronavirus cases spiked there and across the Sun Belt , forcing him to retreat again .
In a phone interview with Fox & Friends on Wednesday , Trump said the first night of GOP programming would originate from Charlotte but the rest would be shown from various locations , including potentially the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do mine live from the White House , ” Trump said , but he also said it was not locked in .
He provided few other details on the convention whose programming , like its location , has been in flux .
Trump said first lady Melania Trump would speak , as well as pro-Trump Reps. Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz .
Holding such an event at the White House would mark the latest test to both norms and laws prohibiting the use of government property and personnel in campaign activities .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which limits the political activities of federal employees .
It also does not cover “ rooms in the White House or in the residence of the vice-president , which are part of the residence area or which are not regularly used solely in the discharge of official duties.
” Still , the event in the White House complex would surely raise ethical and legal concerns , including for staff members who would be involved .
“ If for some reason somebody had difficulty with it , I could go someplace else , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , least expensive , and I think very beautiful would be live from the White House.
” Trump continued to defend the idea to reporters during a press briefing late Wednesday , again citing costs .
“ If I use the White House , we save tremendous amounts of money for the government in terms of security , travelling , “ he said .
Biden hasn ’ t been so publicly reluctant to scale back his convention , expressing doubts about a full arena even before Democratic National Committee officials made the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who know him say a lost convention still has to rank as a personal disappointment for a man who calls himself a “ tactile politician ” and who first sought the presidency in 1988 .
Biden has been on the convention stage twice as the vice-presidential nominee for Barack Obama .
In late April , when Democrats first started acknowledging the likelihood of a drastically altered convention , Biden ’ s team put together a slickly produced 45-minute show marking the one-year anniversary of his campaign launch .
It featured top supporters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some biographical tidbits about the candidate and then Biden addressing supporters alongside his wife , Jill Biden .
Those kinds of effects and approaches could be repeated even without a traditional convention stage in an arena or stadium .
The major parties have always convened every four years , even in 1864 and 1944 during wrenching wars that affected the entire nation .
However , the political extravaganzas have been declining in practical importance and viewership in recent decades .
The modern primary process , developed over the 1960s and 1970s , ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proverbial if not literal smoke-filled rooms where nominees were chosen , often taking multiple ballots cast into the wee hours of the morning .
Still , conventions have remained as opportunities for tens of thousands of delegates , elected officials , party bosses , rank-and-file activists and media to gather , even if the nomination vote was a formality .
Nominees have used the affairs to shape their messages and identities for the general electorate .
George H.W .
Bush came to New Orleans in 1988 to establish a brand separate from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-president .
Four years later , Gov .
Bill Clinton ’ s campaign unveiled his famous biographical video as he dubbed himself a “ boy from Hope , ” his Arkansas hometown .
Keynote speakers , chosen by the nominees , have used the convention stage as launchpads , too , most notably when Obama , then a state senator running for the U.S. Senate , took the stage in Boston in 2004 .
Four years later , he walked out to a full outdoor stadium — a remarkable scene in the annals @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Bill Barrow And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Homemade bombs damage ATM at New Zealand mall

WELLINGTON , New Zealand - Would-be thieves apparently detonated two homemade bombs at a New Zealand mall ATM early Thursday and left other unexploded bombs behind , according to police .
Authorities closed the Chartwell Shopping Centre in Hamilton and some nearby streets while they searched the area to make sure it was safe .
A military bomb disposal team was called to the site .
Police said they found several homemade explosive devices including two that appeared to have exploded .
They said the bombs had damaged the ATM and the immediate area around it but hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exterior wall of the shopping centre at an ANZ bank branch .
Police initially declined say what the devices were made from or to confirm that no money had been stolen , saying they would release more details later in the day .
Yolanda Julius , who lives across from the mall , told news agency RNZ that a loud bank woke up her and her husband at about 3:45 a.m. and she saw two people wearing black clothes running across the mall ’ s parking lot .
She said their faces @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--5 things to know as Hiroshima marks 75th A-bomb anniversary

HIROSHIMA , Japan - The city of Hiroshima in western Japan marks the 75th anniversary of the world ’ s first nuclear attack on Thursday .
Three days after its Aug. 6 , 1945 , bombing of Hiroshima , the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki .
Japan surrendered on Aug. 15 , ending World War II and , more broadly , its aggression toward Asian neighbours that had lasted nearly half a century .
Here ’ s a look at that day in Hiroshima 75 years ago .
Q .
Why was Hiroshima chosen as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japanese military hub with factories , military bases and ammunition facilities .
Historians say the United States picked it as a suitable target because of its size and landscape , and carefully avoided fire bombing the city ahead of time so American officials could accurately assess the impact of the atomic attack .
The United States said the bombings hastened Japan ’ s surrender and prevented the need for a U.S. invasion of Japan .
Some historians today say Japan was already close to surrendering , but there is still debate in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack ?
A .
At 8:15 a.m. , the U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped a 4-ton “ Little Boy ” uranium bomb from a height of 9,600 metres ( 31,500 feet ) on the city centre , targeting the Aioi Bridge .
The bomb exploded 43 seconds later , 600 metres ( 2,000 feet ) above the ground .
Seconds after the detonation , the estimated temperature was 3,000-4,000 degrees Celsius ( 5,400-7,200 degrees Fahrenheit ) at ground zero .
Almost everything within 2 kilometres ( 1.2 miles ) of ground zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rays .
Within one hour , a “ black rain ” of highly radioactive particles started falling on the city , causing additional radiation exposure .
Q .
How many people were killed ?
A .
An estimated 140,000 people , including those with radiation-related injuries and illnesses , died through Dec. 31 , 1945 .
That was 40 % of Hiroshima ’ s population of 350,000 before the attack .
Everyone within a radius of 500 metres ( 1,600 feet ) from ground zero died that day .
To date , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from radiation-related cancers , is about 300,000 .
Hiroshima today has 1.2 million residents .
Q .
What effect did radiation have ?
A .
Many people exposed to radiation developed symptoms such as vomiting and hair loss .
Most of those with severe radiation symptoms died within three to six weeks .
Others who lived beyond that developed health problems related to burns and radiation-induced cancers and other illnesses .
Survivors have a higher risk of developing cataracts and cancer .
About 136,700 people certified as “ hibakusha , ” as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support program are still alive and entitled to regular free health checkups and treatment .
Health monitoring of second-generation hibakusha began recently .
Japan ’ s government provided no support for victims until a law was finally enacted in 1957 under pressure from them .
Q .
What are those colorful folded paper cranes for ?
A .
“ Origami ” paper cranes can be seen throughout the city .
They became a symbol of peace because of a 12-year-old bomb survivor , Sadako Sasaki , who , while battling leukemia , folded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an old Japanese story that those who fold a thousand cranes are granted one wish .
Sadako developed leukemia 10 years after her exposure to radiation at age 2 , and died three months after she started the project .
Former U.S. President Barack Obama brought four paper cranes that he folded himself when he visited Hiroshima in May 2016 , becoming the first serving American leader to visit .
Obama ’ s cranes are now displayed at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Death toll rises, mass power outages after storm destruction

WINDSOR , N.C. - At least nine people , including a 5-year-old girl with autism , were killed as Tropical Storm Isaias battered the U.S. East Coast with rain and fierce winds after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina .
Millions of people were without power on Wednesday after felled trees downed power lines .
The sound of generators and chainsaws punctuated the sunrise in New Jersey , where more than 1 million homes and businesses were without electricity .
NJ Transit train service remained suspended while crews cleared about 150 trees and repair signals and overhead wires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Philadelphia after Isaias raised the Schuylkill River and sent an unsecured construction barge into a bridge .
Inspectors were checking for damage .
Interstate 676 , which crosses the bridge , was also closed in both directions .
Patrick Foye , chairman of New York ’ s Metropolitan Transportation Authority , said more than 2,000 trees fell across the system ’ s train and bus network .
“ This storm caused severe damage , ” Foye said Wednesday .
“ Not since Superstorm Sandy has our system experienced this type of wind.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off a tornado that struck a North Carolina mobile home park .
Another person died in Pennsylvania when their vehicle was overtaken by water and swept downstream .
The 5-year-old girl had gone missing from her Philadelphia-area home during the height of the storm Tuesday and was found dead Wednesday .
Authorities said they believed she was swept away by floodwaters in the creek behind her house .
Three others were killed by falling trees toppled by the storm in Maryland , Connecticut and New York City , and another person died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , authorities said .
A woman was found dead inside a New Hampshire house Tuesday evening .
Isaias sustained top winds of up to 65 mph ( 105 kph ) more than 18 hours after coming ashore , but it was down to 40 mph max winds as of early Wednesday , according to the National Hurricane Center .
Isaias toggled between hurricane and tropical storm strength as it churned toward the East Coast .
Fueled by warm ocean waters , the storm got a late burst of strength as a rejuvenated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mph ( 136 km/h ) before coming ashore late Monday near Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina .
Its tropical storm status was sustained , but weakened , as it headed north into Canada on Tuesday night .
Before making landfall late Monday , Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and battered the Bahamas before brushing past Florida .
Tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service in Virginia , Maryland , Delaware and New Jersey .
Power outages also spread as trees fell , with more than 2.1 million customers without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , according to PowerOutage.US , which tracks utility reports .
With many people facing several days in the dark , New York and Connecticut ’ s governors called for investigations into how utilities responded to the storm .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo blasted the companies for showing “ reckless disregard ” for storm planning and said it can ’ t happen again .
Con Ed , the New York City power utility that saw more outages from Isaias than from any storm except Superstorm Sandy in 2012 , set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who were still without power .
In Doylestown , Pennsylvania , officials said four children were treated for minor injuries after high winds partially tore the roof off a day care centre .
Also in the Philadelphia suburbs , rescue workers in Delaware County were searching for a young person who fell or jumped into the fast-moving water of a swollen creek , said Timothy Boyce , the county emergency services director .
Some of the worst damage seemed to be east and north of where the hurricane ’ s eye struck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this storm was fast-moving and has already left our state , ” Gov .
Roy Cooper said Tuesday .
Morgan reported from North Myrtle Beach , South Carolina .
Associated Press contributors include science writer Seth Borenstein in Kensington , Maryland ; Gerry Broome in Southport , North Carolina ; Jonathan Drew in Durham , North Carolina ; Michelle Liu in Columbia , South Carolina ; Michael Kunzelman in College Park , Maryland ; Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River , New Jersey ; Shawn Marsh in Trenton , New Jersey ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anderson is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
“

Bryan Anderson And Sarah Blake Morgan - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Survivors mark 75th anniversary of world’s 1st atomic attack

HIROSHIMA , Japan - The dwindling witnesses to the world ’ s first atomic bombing marked its 75th anniversary Thursday , with Hiroshima ’ s mayor and others noting as hypocritical the Japanese government ’ s refusal to sign a nuclear weapons ban treaty .
Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged world leaders to more seriously commit to nuclear disarmament , pointing out Japan ’ s failures .
“ I ask the Japanese government to heed the appeal of the ( bombing survivors ) to sign , ratify and become a party to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As the only nation to suffer a nuclear attack , Japan must persuade the global public to unite with the spirit of Hiroshima.
” His speech highlights what survivors feel is the hypocrisy of Japan ’ s government , which hosts 50,000 American troops and is protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella .
Tokyo has not signed the nuclear weapons ban treaty adopted in 2017 , despite its non-nuclear pledge , a failure to act that atomic bombing survivors and pacifist groups call insincere .
The U.S. dropped its first atomic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1945 , destroying the city and killing 140,000 people .
The U.S. dropped a second bomb three days later on Nagasaki , killing another 70,000 .
Japan surrendered Aug. 15 , ending World War II and its nearly half-century of aggression in Asia .
Survivors , their relatives and other participants marked the 8:15 a.m. blast anniversary with a minute of silence .
Thursday ’ s peace ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was scaled down because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The fewer than 1,000 attendees was one-tenth of those attending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their relatives prayed at the park ’ s cenotaph before the ceremony .
The registry of the atomic bombing victims is stored at the cenotaph , whose inscription reads “ Let all the souls here rest in peace for we shall not repeat the mistake.
” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe , in his speech at the ceremony , said Japan is committed to nuclear weapons ban but a nuclear free world can not be achieved overnight and that it has to start from dialogue between opposite sides .
“ Japan ’ s position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different sides and patiently promote their dialogue and actions to achieve a world without nuclear weapons , ” Abe said .
Nuclear policies are divided amid a harsh security environment , so it is necessary to create common ground first , he said .
An aging group of survivors , known as hibakusha , feel a growing urgency to tell their stories , in hopes of reaching a younger generation .
On the 75th anniversary , elderly survivors , whose average age now exceeds 83 , lamented the slow progress of nuclear disarmament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said was the Japanese government ’ s reluctance to help and listen to those who suffered from the atomic bombing .
“ Abe ’ s words and actions don ’ t seem to match , “ said Manabu Iwasa , 47 , who came to the park to pray for his father , a survivor who died at age 87 in March .
“ Japan apparently sides with the U.S. and make more effort toward nuclear weapons ban , ” he said .
“ It ’ s frustrating , but there is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ogura , 84 , who survived the atomic bombing at age 8 , wants non-nuclear states to pressure Japan into signing the nuclear weapons prohibition treaty .
“ Many survivors are offended by the prime minister of this country who does not sign the nuclear weapons prohibition treaty , ” she said .
Matsui urged world leaders , especially those from nuclear weapons states , to visit Hiroshima and see the reality of the atomic bombing .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Mechanical failure, human error cited in Guard copter crash

ST. PAUL , Minn. - Mechanical failure and human error led to the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter that killed three Minnesota National Guard members last December , according to a Guard summary released Wednesday .
According to the summary of results from a military investigative board , the crew was conducting a maximum power check on the number one engine near St .
Cloud .
That engine failed during the check , and the number two engine was in the idle setting , causing a dual engine-out condition .
The number one engine failed because the hydromechanical unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unit ’ s installation did not follow published installation procedure , the summary said .
The summary also said the maintenance test pilot failed to respond to a critical situation during the routine maintenance test flight , and the pilot at the controls failed to execute an autorotative descent and landing .
“ It is critical for us to determine what caused this tragic loss of life — not so that we can place blame , but so that we can do everything possible to ensure nothing like this ever happens again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , interim adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard , said in a news release .
The summary did not include names of any of the positions listed , the St .
Cloud Times reported .
The UH-60L took off from the St .
Cloud Army Aviation Support Facility on Dec. 5 and went missing for almost two hours .
The crashed helicopter was found in a field about 16 miles ( 25.7 kilometres ) southwest of St .
Cloud .
The three Guard members who died were Sgt .
Kort M. Plantenberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Chief Warrant Officer 2 James A. Rogers Jr. , 28 , of Winsted , Minnesota ; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles P. Nord , 30 , of Perham , Minnesota .
The families of the three have been individually briefed on the results and have requested no media contact , the release said .
The military investigation board was appointed by the adjutant general “ to provide an accurate account ” of the crash , according to the release .
The investigation also made recommendations to the Minnesota National Guard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and additional training for all pilots about responding to emergency procedures .
The Guard ’ s investigation is in addition to a safety investigation conducted by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker , Those results provide recommendations to prevent future accidents and are not made public .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Charges filed in deadly shooting at Seattle protest zone

SEATTLE - Prosecutors filed first-degree murder charges Wednesday for a suspect accused of killing a man in a fatal June @ @ @ @ @ s occupied protest area .
KOMO reports Marcel Levon Long faces murder charges with a @ @ @ @ @ of 19-year-old Lorenzo Anderson .
Prosecutors approved a warrant for $ 2 million for Long @ @ @ @ @ fled Washington state following the deadly shooting at what was known as “ Capitol Hill @ @ @ @ @ Authorities said Long was caught on video chasing Anderson with a gun as the Anderson @ @ @ @ @ investigating a second fatal CHOP shooting June 29 , which killed a 16-year-old boy and @ @ @ @ @ Police cleared the several-block protest area east of downtown on July 1 after demonstrators occupied @ @ @ @ @ following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Virus lockdown shuts Kashmir year after India lifts autonomy

SRINAGAR , India - Authorities enforced security restrictions in many parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday , a year after New Delhi revoked the disputed region ’ s semi-autonomy in a decision that set off anger and economic ruin amid a harsh security clampdown .
Officials lifted a curfew in the restive region ’ s main city of Srinagar late Tuesday , but said restrictions on public movement , transport and commercial activities would continue because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Government forces placed steel barricades and razor wire across many roads , bridges and intersections .
Shops and businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents at checkpoints , only letting an occasional vehicle or pedestrian pass .
Several residents said government forces stopped them at checkpoints , saying the curfew was still in place .
“ You call it a curfew or virus lockdown , the fact is that we ’ re under a brutal siege and this siege is a year old now , ” said Ishfaq Ahmed , a Srinagar resident .
On Aug. 5 , 2019 , Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Hindu nationalist government stripped Jammu and Kashmir ’ s statehood , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protections on land and jobs .
The region was also split into two federal territories — Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir .
Following the move , Indian authorities enforced an information blackout and a security clampdown in Kashmir for months .
Thousands of Kashmiri youths and pro-independence leaders , as well as pro-India Kashmiri politicians , were arrested .
Hundreds are still incarcerated .
As some of the restrictions were eased , India enforced another harsh lockdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus , deepening the economic crisis in the region .
In Ladakh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have resented India ’ s move , religious and political groups demanded revocation of the order , calling Aug. 5 a “ black day.
” Businesses and shops remained closed in most of the district .
China on Wednesday called India ’ s action in Kashmir “ illegal “ and said it hoped Pakistan and India would resolve their differences through dialogue .
“ China pays great attention to the situation in Kashmir , ” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at daily briefing in Beijing .
“ Any unilateral change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region is illegal and invalid.
” India ’ s foreign ministry responded late Wednesday , saying China has no standing in the matter “ and is advised not to comment on the internal affairs of other nations.
” Chinese and Indian soldiers are locked in a military standoff along their disputed border in Ladakh region since May .
During one confrontation on June 15 , 20 Indian soldiers were killed and dozens wounded when the two nations ’ soldiers fought hand to hand .
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan demanded Wednesday that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its present course against the Kashmiri people.
” “ Pakistan will always be with its brothers and sisters ” in Indian-controlled Kashmir , Khan said in a statement .
On Tuesday , Khan unveiled a new map of Pakistan that includes Indian-held Kashmir and Junagadh , part of the western Indian state of Gujrat , within the Muslim-majority country ’ s boundaries for the first time in 70 years .
India rejected the move as “ an exercise in political absurdity.
” On Wednesday , Pakistan ’ s military accused Indian troops of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan-controlled Kashmir , killing a teenage girl and wounding six others .
In a statement , it said a combination of mortars and heavy fire hit the village of Hot Spring , and Pakistani troops retaliated .
Pakistan ’ s foreign ministry summoned a senior diplomat at the Indian Embassy to protest , another Pakistani statement said .
There was no immediate comment from India .
While most Kashmiris were confined to their homes Wednesday , over a dozen activists from Modi ’ s Hindu-nationalist governing party assembled in Srinagar to celebrate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Today we ’ re celebrating because ever since Bharatiya Janata Party came into being its slogan always has been one constitution , one leader and one flag .
That has been completed , ” said Altaf Thakur , the party ’ s regional spokesman .
Authorities barred some pro-India Kashmiri leaders who have opposed the decision from meeting in Srinagar .
“ BJP displaying its hypocrisy .
They can gather & celebrate , ” tweeted Omar Abdullah , the region ’ s former top elected official who was released after about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of us can ’ t even meet to discuss what ’ s happening ” in the region , he said .
In Pakistan , several anti-India rallies were organized to denounce last year ’ s changes by India .
In the capital , Islamabad , President Arif Alvi addressed a rally and sought a solution to the Kashmir issue under 1948 U.N. resolutions .
The anti-India rallies were peaceful , but in port city of Karachi , someone threw a powerful cracker at the rally of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan on Wednesday , wounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said one person was listed in critical condition at a hospital .
It was unclear who targeted Islamists at the rally .
The status of Kashmir has been a key point of dispute between Pakistan and India since the two split after the end of British colonial rule .
They each control part of Kashmir and have fought two wars over their rival claims .
Initially , the anti-India movement in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir was largely peaceful , but after a series of political blunders , broken promises and a crackdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed revolt in 1989 .
Meanwhile , 18 U.N. human rights experts urged India and the international community on Wednesday to take urgent action to address the “ alarming ” human rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir .
They asked India to allow U.N. teams to visit the disputed region .
“ If India will not take any genuine and immediate steps to resolve the situation , meet their obligations to investigate historic and recent cases of human rights violations and prevent future violations , then the international community should step up , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad , Pakistan , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Wisconsin water park closes for season after COVID confirmed

LAKE DELTON , Wis. - A popular Wisconsin Dells attraction will remain closed for the rest of the season after @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
Noah ’ s Ark Waterpark announced Wednesday that it has decided to @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the 2020 season .
Noah ’ s Ark says the health of @ @ @ @ @ the Wisconsin Dells community is its top priority .
All 2020 single-day tickets can be @ @ @ @ @ 2020 season passes will be extended to include the 2021 season .
Noah ’ s @ @ @ @ @ its 2021 season on Memorial Day weekend .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Trump says he’ll listen to both sides on Alaska mine project

JUNEAU , Alaska - President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would “ listen to both sides ” after his eldest son and a campaign adviser urged him to intervene to block a proposed copper and gold mine in Alaska ’ s Bristol Bay region .
Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday agreed with a tweet from Nick Ayers , a former aide to Vice-President Mike Pence and a senior adviser to the Trump campaign , expressing hope the president would direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to block the proposed Pebble Mine .
Trump Jr. , in response , wrote : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of time in the area I agree 100 % .
The headwaters of Bristol Bay and the surrounding fishery are too unique and fragile to take any chances with.
” The EPA has said the Bristol Bay watershed supports the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world and contains significant mineral resources .
An environmental review released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last month — and assailed by critics as deficient — stated that under normal operations , the alternatives it looked at “ would not be expected to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result in long-term changes to the health of the commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay.
” The corps has yet to make a permitting decision .
When it does , it could issue a permit , approve a permit with conditions or issue a denial .
The project , should it advance , also would face a state permitting process .
On Wednesday , the president told reporters his son “ has some very strong opinions and he is very much of an environmentalist.
“ Trump said there was an upcoming briefing , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be involved or what it would entail .
The White House said it was not in a position at this time to comment further .
“ I ’ ve done a lot for Alaska .
I love Alaska .
It ’ s a special place , ” Trump said .
Tom Collier , CEO of the Pebble Limited Partnership , which is seeking to build the mine , has hailed the corps ’ review as thorough and a positive for the project .
The Pebble partnership is owned by Canada-based Northern Dynasty Minerals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the Trump administration “ has already spoken ” about the project through that review process .
“ Recall that this administration is the one that brought the Pebble issue away from the political route pursued by the preemptive veto of the Obama-era EPA and back to the traditional regulatory review process , ” he said by email .
The EPA under the Obama administration proposed restricting development in the Bristol Bay region but never finalized the restrictions .
The agency retains the option to invoke that so-called veto process again if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EPA responded to questions Wednesday with a statement answering none of them .
Daniel Cheyette , a vice-president for lands and natural resources for Bristol Bay Native Corp. , which opposes the mine , said he thinks people are weighing in now because the project faces a key decision point .
“ We encourage President Trump and his administration to listen to the science and the diverse voices who oppose Pebble mine and deny the project a Clean Water Act permit , ” he said in a statement .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--NYC prosecutor sought records from Trump’s bank

NEW YORK - The New York prosecutor who has been fighting , unsuccessfully so far , to get President Donald Trump ’ s tax returns had better luck last year getting a bank to turn over his financial records .
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance sent a subpoena last year to Deutsche Bank as part of its investigation into Trump ’ s business dealings , The New York Times reported Wednesday , citing four people familiar with the inquiry .
The bank complied with the subpoena , turning over records including financial statements Trump gave the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two of those people told the Times .
Vance ’ s office declined to comment on the report .
Attorneys for Trump and for Deutsche Bank didn ’ t immediately respond to requests for comment .
The Manhattan prosecutor , who is a Democrat , was among several authorities in New York who launched investigations last year after Trump ’ s former personal lawyer , Michael Cohen , told congress that the president had a practice of misleading business associates and tax officials about the value of his assets .
Vance hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but his lawyers told a federal judge this week that it was a “ complex financial investigation ” that followed public reports of “ extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization.
” As part of the investigation , Vance asked Trump ’ s accountants to turn over eight years of his personal and corporate tax records .
The accounting firm has yet to comply as Trump and Vance have battled in court over the validity of the subpoena .
Other investigators have requested records from Deutsche Bank , which was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump after a series of corporate bankruptcies starting in the early 1990s .
Two congressional committees , both controlled by Democrats , subpoenaed the bank for documents related to Trump , who sued to block their release .
New York Attorney General Letitia James , also a Democrat , also subpoenaed the bank for records related to Trump last year following Cohen ’ s testimony .
Trump has said the investigations are all politically motivated .
Earlier this week , he called Vance ’ s investigation “ a continuation of the witch @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--What footage of the Beirut explosion tells us about the blast

The massive explosion in Beirut ’ s port Tuesday shattered windows more than one kilometre away and sent a plume of smoke and debris soaring above the city ’ s tallest buildings .
It was so intense that the blast was felt at least 240 kilometres away in Cyprus .
It killed at least 135 people , injured at least 5,000 and left dozens missing .
Some 300,000 other people have been displaced from their homes .
The Times reviewed more than 70 videos of the incident and satellite images of its aftermath to better understand what happened .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells us about the blast and the devastation it left behind .
The explosion that ripped through large parts of Beirut was preceded by a raging fire in a port warehouse .
A correspondent for The Los Angeles Times first reported the fire around 5:54 p.m. local time , posting an image of the smoke on Twitter and noting the sound of an explosion .
For the next 14 minutes , the fire blazed as emergency workers responded .
A video filmed from a nearby highrise captured what happened next .
Emergency vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the fire and smoke , and other videos posted on social media showed firefighters in action at the warehouse at roughly the same time .
Then , the blaze appears to rapidly accelerate , followed by a large explosion .
Thirty-five seconds later , at around 6:08 p.m. local time , a final , massive blast completely envelops the area .
According to the Lebanese government , the source of the explosion was 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate , an explosive chemical often used as fertilizer and sometimes in bombs , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being confiscated from an abandoned Russian-owned ship in 2014 .
In the following years , court records show , senior customs officials had tried and failed to win court permission to remove the dangerous stockpile by donating it to the Lebanese army or selling it to the privately owned Lebanese Explosives Company .
Such a stockpile , if ignited , could easily cause the kind of blast and devastation seen in Beirut .
Lebanon ’ s National News Agency reported that the fire first ignited fireworks , and some videos showed flashes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been caused by ammonium nitrate .
Another news channel , LBCI , reported that welding work being conducted on the warehouse started the fire .
Whatever caused it , the fire apparently spread to the ammonium nitrate .
The dark and reddish colour of the debris and smoke cloud that towered above the blast suggests two things : that ammonium nitrate was present and that it was not military grade , according to Dr. Rachel Lance , an explosives expert .
Explosions with extremely dark smoke plumes indicate that not all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was not a military explosive , and ammonium nitrate burns reddish , she wrote in an email .
Satellite images taken one day later show the scale of the explosion and confirm its exact location , a warehouse next to the Beirut Port grain silos .
Only a gaping hole filled with water , approximately 140 metres in diameter , is left where the warehouse stood .
The images show how the explosion destroyed or damaged most structures in the port , over an area of about 65 hectares .
Only the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain largely intact .
The explosion was so intense that it capsized a large ship 457 metres to its east .
The 119-metre-long passenger ship , Orient Queen , can be seen flipped to its side in satellite images .
Outside the commercial port area , an entertainment arena collapsed , and debris from damaged buildings litters the street .
The most dramatic videos of the blast show a white dome expanding rapidly through the air .
This is an overpressure wave caused by the mass of exploding ammonium nitrate pushing molecules of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moves .
The wave reflects and bounces , destroying some buildings while leaving others relatively undamaged .
Some people on social media misinterpreted it as an atomic “ mushroom cloud.
” While we don ’ t know how the ammonium nitrate was stored in the warehouse , which would affect its explosive power , the chemical can be as much as 40 per cent as powerful as TNT .
The detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate would make the Beirut event one of the most powerful accidental industrial explosions on record and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two kilometres away .
Beirut ’ s port is centrally located , and thousands of people live in residential neighbourhoods along the seaside within a mile of the blast .
Videos showed the pressure wave flattening cars and speeding destructively through churches , mosques , apartments and shopping malls , including the Beirut Souks , which opened in 2009 after being rebuilt following the civil war .
At least five hospitals were located within two kilometres of the explosion , and around a dozen more were close enough to feel its effects .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooms at the American University in Beirut Hospital , three kilometres away .
At BMG Bikhazi Medical Group , about the same distance from the blast , a doctor said the ceiling had fallen on some patients .
“ The pressure was horrific .
We heard a boom , then everything was shaking , ” he said .
Nurses and doctors at some hospitals were forced to turn patients away and treat others in dark parking lots by the light of their phones .
Inside the port itself , the blast ruined the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spilling 15,000 tons of their contents onto the ground , according to the economy minister .
Lebanon now has less than a month of grain reserves but is expecting enough imports to avoid a crisis , the minister said .
Beirut was not the first place to suffer horrific damage from an ammonium nitrate explosion .
In 2015 , 800 tons of ammonium nitrate ignited in one of China ’ s busiest seaports , in Tianjin , causing a blast that killed 173 people and injured nearly 800 .

Evan Hill, Stella Cooper and Christiaan Triebert - The New York Times,Christoph Koettl


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Alaska governor recall campaign not on track to be on ballot

JUNEAU , Alaska - A vote to recall Alaska Gov .
Mike Dunleavy will not be on the state ’ s general election ballot in November .
The group Recall Dunleavy needed roughly 30,000 more signatures by Tuesday to ensure a spot on the Nov. 3 ballot .
The group has reported gathering 42,680 out of the 71,252 valid signatures needed to hold an election , KTOO-FM reported Tue sday .
A recall election can still happen .
If Recall Dunleavy submits the requisite signatures by the middle of April 2021 , a special election would be held .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure that he ’ s listening to the people , and to embolden the people and force him to listen , ” Recall Dunleavy chair Meda DeWitt said .
DeWitt said the pandemic has prevented the organization from maximizing its signatures .
The organization said it gathered 30,200 signatures in the first 28 days after it received signature booklets in February .
Over the next four months , Recall Dunleavy gathered just 12,480 valid signatures as the coronavirus pandemic caused statewide stay-at-home orders .
DeWitt said the organization has been forced to gather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request by mail , as well as outdoor and drive-through events .
Recall Dunleavy will not reach 71,252 signatures before the April 2021 deadline if the rate of signatures received remains the same as it has since March .
DeWitt said she is hopeful that despite the numbers , her campaign will reach its goal .
“ The people still want to move forward , ” she said .
“ And so we ’ re just moving at a pace that is slow but steady .
And the numbers keep increasing , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than that.
” Alaska Republican Party Chairman Glenn Clary said the governor ’ s actions have helped prevent a recall .
“ It speaks to the governor ’ s character , his leadership and his integrity , ” Clary said .
“ And the people of Alaska see that , they see what he ’ s doing for the state of Alaska , and his leadership ability .
And I think it ’ s become clear to them that this governor cares for the state of Alaska and he ’ s putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--5 found dead in suspected arson fire at Denver home

DENVER - Five people were found dead Wednesday after an early morning fire destroyed a suburban Denver home — a blaze authorities said they suspect was intentionally set .
Three people escaped the fire by jumping from the home ’ s second floor .
Investigators believe the victims were a toddler , an older child and three adults , Denver Fire Department Capt .
Greg Pixley said .
Their bodies were discovered after firefighters extinguished the fire , which was first reported by a Denver police officer at 2:40 a.m. , Pixley said .
The three survivors were hospitalized with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Casillas said .
Pixley spoke outside the charred house in the Green Valley Ranch neighbourhood , a relatively new development of tightly packed homes near Denver International Airport .
A police officer attempting to rescue people on the first floor was pushed back by the fire ’ s heat , and it appears that those who died were all on the first floor , he said .
Police are investigating the fire along with firefighters because there are indications that it was arson , said Joe Montoya , division chief of investigations for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the evidence because he said he did not want to compromise the investigation .
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives was assisting the investigation , ATF spokesman Matthew Deasaro said .
The ATF frequently assists agencies in arson investigations .
“ This is a devastating time for Denver and this community .
Our heart and our prayers go out to this community , ” Pixley said .
Abou Djibril , who said he was a relative of the victims , told The Denver Post the people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had immigrated from Senegal .
Another friend , Ousmane Ndiaye , told the newspaper the father was an engineer with Kiewit , a construction and engineering firm .
An email sent to Kiewit for comment wasn ’ t immediately returned .
Amadou Ba , a friend of the father , stood outside the charred home with a group of other men from West Africa “ to bring my respect for the people who passed away ” and to support the family and the community .
“ He was a very good guy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ help the community and do a lot of things for everybody , ” Ba said of the father .
Ba said he is working with officials in Senegal and raising money to send the bodies back to the West African country .
“ It ’ s tradition because everybody wants to see their family come back home , ” he said .
Neighbour Maria Mendoza said she was awakened by noise and someone screaming , “ Get the baby out !
Get the baby out !
” at 2:40 a.m. She ran to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of smoke rising from the home just down the street .
“ I awoke my husband , and he ran outside to see if he could help but there was nothing he could do .
The fire was too big , ” Mendoza said .
“ It all happened so fast , less than 10 minutes .
These are big houses but they ’ re all made of wood , ” Mendoza said , holding back tears .
“ May God and the community help this family.
” Mendoza said she didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or say “ Hi ” whenever she saw the children .
She said the neighbourhood was built about two years ago .
Investigators erected a white tent outside the nearly destroyed home , its frame blackened in stark contrast to neighbouring beige houses with neatly manicured lawns .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Mexico inaugurates dam that is flooding Indigenous sites

MEXICO CITY - President Andrés Manuel López Obrador inaugurated a dam in northern Mexico on Wednesday even though work was symbolically suspended by anthropologists because it is flooding thousand-year-old Indigenous sites containing rock carvings and the remains of pre-Hispanic dwellings .
The Los Pilares dam is the latest in a series of government infrastructure projects that López Obrador has promoted but that have caused divisions and anger in Indigenous communities .
The area round the Mayo river in Sonora state is home to the Guarijío people , who also call themselves Macorahui .
The Guarijío , of whom only a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the dam .
In a strange turn of events late Tuesday , authorities of the National Institute of Anthropology and History put suspension stickers on the Los Pilares dam , a move used to close building projects that threaten archaeological remains .
However , the 73-yard ( meter ) high flood-control dam , which has cost about $ 75 million since construction started in 2013 , is already built and water levels are rising behind it .
“ As a serious institution , we had to send a warning that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said anthropologist José Luis Perea , director of the institute ’ s office in Sonora .
Of the 44 sites identified in the area , 34 hold remains of homes or temporary camps .
Eleven sites hold about 140 ancient rock carvings , which depict human , animal and abstract forms .
During an inspection of the sites at the beginning of August , “ we realized that the dam has already flooded 10 sites with petroglyphs ” and as many as 20 sites in total may soon be under water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were largely symbolic because archaeologists reached an agreement with local and federal water agencies to wait until Mexico ’ s rainy season ends in October to allow water levels behind the dam to fall and rescue what they can from the ancient sites .
Archaeologists will study and remove 1,100-year-old ceramics and stone tools from the river valley and make three-dimensional models of the petroglyphs before water levels rise again .
The models will be used to make reproductions .
Removing the carvings appears out of the question .
Because water levels will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always be under water in the future , but some for only part of the year .
Experts hope to apply some protective treatment to the rock carvings to help them survive better .
The Guarijío , many of whom raise cattle , were promised benefits in return for allowing the dam , but it is unclear how much has reached them .
“ Part of the ( Guarijíoi ) authorities and people are in agreement with it , and part of the authorities and people don ’ t agree with it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Guarijío representative who spoke at the inauguration of the dam , said , “ I think it will benefit the tribe.
” But he pointedly asked for help “ with all the promises that have been left hanging , ” mentioning housing , schools and health care .
López Obrador said too much government money had already been invested in the dam by the time he took office in 2018 to halt the project .
The president , who fiercely argues against wasting government money , has used a similar argument to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
“ Don ’ t worry , we are going to fulfil all the promises ... so that you don ’ t remain on the margins of development , ” López Obrador told the Guarijío representatives .
It is not the first time that López Obrador ’ s love of government infrastructure projects has put him at odds with Indigenous communities .
In July , he inaugurated the start of construction on the “ Maya ” train , which would run some 950 miles ( about 1,500 kilometres ) in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The train will run from Caribbean beaches to the peninsula ’ s interior while stimulating economic development around its 15 stations .
The government says it will cost as much as $ 6.8 billion , but others say it will be much more .
Some Mayan communities have filled court challenges against the train project , arguing that it will cause environmental damage .
They also say they were not adequately consulted about it or they will not share in its benefits .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--California’s growing virus data collection headache

LOS ANGELES - California has stopped removing or adding to a list of counties facing more restrictions on businesses and schools as it tries to determine the impact from an unresolved technical problem with the state ’ s coronavirus testing database , health officials said Wednesday .
The state has recorded a highest-in-the-nation 525,000 positive tests .
But California health officials say the true number is even higher .
They don ’ t know how much so until they can add backlogged testing data and fix the problem with the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange ( CalREDIE ) .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most populous state has hampered public health officials ’ ability to follow up with those who test positive and contact people who have been around them to limit the spread .
“ Back in February and March when we didn ’ t have enough testing , I would say we felt blind , ” said Dr. Sara Cody , Santa Clara County ’ s public health director .
“ I would say now we ’ re back to feeling blind .
We don ’ t know how the epidemic is trending.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter of the state ’ s 40 million residents , public health officials have reached out to labs to get testing data directly so they don ’ t depend on the state .
Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s health director , said she hopes to have an updated case count by the end of the week .
The CalREDIE system collects data from testing labs around California .
The state uses data such as infection rates to determine which counties land on a watch list .
Counties must come off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen certain businesses and offer in-classroom instruction for elementary students .
There are 38 counties on the list , including Los Angeles and every other major county .
In a statement , the state Department of Public Health said as it works to “ ” assess the impact of the data issues on disease transmission metrics , “ no counties would be moved on or off the list “ until further notice.
” The problem comes as California appears to be making progress against a surge of infections that led Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and indoor restaurant dining statewide and shutter school campuses in much of the state .
On Wednesday , the state reported only about 5,300 new virus cases , a far cry from the peak of nearly 13,000 reported about two weeks ago .
The state ’ s infection rate , a harbinger of how much hospitalizations are likely to increase , has dropped rapidly in the last week , when the data problem became apparent .
It stood at 5.5 % on Wednesday , but it ’ s unclear if when the additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as pronounced .
Meantime , the data on hospitalizations has shown improvement .
It ’ s collected differently , and in the last two weeks has fallen by more than 12 % to 6,184 patients .
County health officials say without knowing how many cases are missing it ’ s hard to know where the virus is heading .
In Riverside County , public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said the county ’ s virus case rate now is frozen at a level that ’ s too high for elementary schools to seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told school officials in a letter that the state won ’ t accept waivers until the county has a reliable case rate and it ’ s below the level mandated by the state — 200 cases for every 100,00 residents .
Riverside ’ s rate now is 202 .
In San Francisco , public health officials receive test reports directly from labs so they don ’ t depend on the state to track or trace cases , said Dr. George Rutherford , epidemiologist at University of California , San Francisco .
But long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a critical tool to stop the spread of disease — futile , he said .
“ From a disease control standpoint , the more time people have walking around who are infected and infectious without getting isolated , the more people that are going to get exposed , ” he said .
In Los Angeles County , Ferrer urged anyone who tests positive to call county health officials so they can conduct a contact tracing interview and identify those who may have been exposed so they can avoid infecting others .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ re losing some cases , and that that may in fact result in some small increases in transmission in the weeks ahead , ” she said .
Associated Press writer Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco and Adam Beam in Sacramento contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-05--Judge upholds corruption convictions of Lindberg, consultant

CHARLOTTE , N.C. - A federal judge has upheld the convictions of two men found to be trying to bribe North Carolina ’ s top insurance regulator with large political contributions so that scrutiny of a defendant ’ s businesses would be eased .
A jury in March found Greg E. Lindberg , an insurance magnate and big political donor , and Lindberg consultant John Gray guilty of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and bribery .
No sentencing dates have yet been set .
The two men asked U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn , who presided over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new trial , challenging a host of elements within the three-week trial , including jury instruction and evidence .
Late Tuesday , Cogburn denied their motions , writing that “ contrary to the defendants ’ assertions , the law and evidence supported that verdict.
” Gray and Lindberg also challenged their attorneys ’ limitations in questioning state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey , who evidence showed was the intended beneficiary of the political donations .
Causey , who wasn ’ t accused of wrongdoing , alerted authorities and co-operated in the case against Lindberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others .
Evidence showed Lindberg offered to funnel money for Causey ’ s 2020 reelection campaign in exchange for the removal of an official regulating his insurance companies .
The recording transcripts show Lindberg supporting the establishment of two independent expenditure committees funded with $ 1.5 million to support Causey ’ s campaign , according to Cogburn ’ s ruling .
The judge also rejected the defendants ’ arguments that they were unlawfully entrapped by Causey and the government .
Prosecutors “ presented ample evidence for the jury to find that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as they were ready and willing to offer a bribe when given an opportunity , ” Cogburn wrote .
In a separate ruling Tuesday , Cogburn also ordered the forfeiture of $ 1.45 million within the independent expenditure committees .
Lindberg wrote $ 1.5 million in checks for the accounts , according to evidence .
Appeals are possible .
Former Lindberg company employee John Palermo , who also was indicted in the case , was acquitted by the trial jurors .
A fourth person indicted in early 2019 , ex-state GOP Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lying to investigators and is awaiting sentencing .
Prosecutors said Hayes caused the transfer of another $ 250,000 in Lindberg contributions from the party ’ s coffers to benefit Causey , a Republican .


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Alaska produced more July oil than it had since 2013

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - The Alaska North Slope region produced more oil in July than it had since 2013 .
The area ’ s final production averaged 477,896 barrels per day in July , the highest monthly figure since 497,300 barrels were pumped daily in July 2013 , the Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday .
Roughly 466,000 barrels per day were produced in North Slope in July 2019 , according to Revenue Department records .
The summer months are traditionally a time when producers administer facility maintenance that can require them to curtail or outright stop production .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said it would slow production by roughly 100,000 barrels per day for about six weeks in May as a response to low oil prices .
The company returned to normal production levels in July .
ConocoPhillips reported a decrease in production of about 45,000 barrels per day in the second quarter .
Hilcorp ’ s production at Prudhoe field generated an average of 287,341 barrels per day in July , more than 30,000 barrels per day greater than July 2019 , according to Revenue records .
The company became the field ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over from BP .
One month into the 2021 fiscal year , the average oil price of $ 43.38 per barrel for Alaska North Slope Crude is 17 % higher than the state ’ s official forecast of $ 37 per barrel for the year .


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--Poland’s leader sworn in for 2nd term as critics stay away

WARSAW , Poland - Poland ’ s conservative President Andrzej Duda was sworn in for a second five-year term Thursday , but many opposition lawmakers and former presidents and prime ministers broke with tradition and stayed away from the ceremony .
The political figures missing as Duda took the oath of office — including predecessors Lech Walesa and Bronislaw Komorowski — signalled disapproval of what they see as Duda ’ s disregard for the Polish Constitution and near-total acceptance of the right-wing ruling party ’ s policies during his first term .
Many of the Law and Justice party ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the European Union , which is concerned that government efforts to reshape the judiciary and other actions have eroded the rule of law and democracy in the EU member country .
The government — and Duda — remain popular with many Poles after introducing welfare payments and focusing on national pride .
Seeking to put a bitter election campaign behind him , the 48-year-old president vowed at his swearing-in ceremony to maintain openness to all groups and political parties .
But he also stressed the role of the family in Polish society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The comments echoed one of his key campaign messages , which depicted LGBT rights as a threat to Polish families .
“ The key things are family , security , work , investment and dignity , ” Duda said .
Family , he said , is “ the highest good , and we must do everything to protect family and care for its development.
“ Left-wing lawmakers wore brightly colored clothes that evoked the rainbow and some wore rainbow masks to protest what they consider to be the homophobia of Duda and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the constitution to signal their belief that the president has violated the country ’ s legal protections .
Parliament Speaker Elzbieta Witek swore in Duda , who took his oath of office with his wife by his side .
Polish presidents can only serve two terms .
Duda told the chamber that “ every person is owed respect ” and that the government in power since 2015 does “ not make a division between better or worse Poles because of their earnings , their level of education , their views or their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed the need to focus on economic development in central and eastern Europe and the value of close co-operation with NATO and the United States on security issues .
Duda won 51 % of the vote in a July 12 runoff against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski , who received 49 % .
Almost 65 % of eligible voters cast ballots in the nation of 38 million .
Duda said the high turnout was a sign that democracy Poland ’ s democracy was in good shape .
Trzaskowski did not attend the ceremony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other events , including a Mass at Warsaw ’ s cathedral and a ceremony in which the president , who is Poland ’ s commander in chief , had his authority over the armed forces renewed .

Monika Scislowska - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--San Francisco apologizes to artist over Maya Angelou monument

The decision to build a monument honouring poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was supposed to jump-start San Francisco ’ s planned diversification of city sculptures ; instead , an opaque selection process has opened new wounds between public officials and local artists .
In 2019 , the San Francisco Arts Commission announced that artist Lava Thomas had been chosen to design the monument , but officials soon rescinded the offer after City Supervisor Catherine Stefani — the legislative sponsor behind the project — quickly rejected the design because she disliked its nonfigurative elements .
Thomas ’ design featured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s portrait on one side and her words on the other .
Stefani then requested that the commission restart the selection process , focusing on artist proposals that included traditional statues of Angelou .
That reversal came as a shock to Thomas , who said she had spent the last year seeking answers from the commission , which did not respond to her questions and requests for information through the city ’ s freedom of information laws .
And when she tried to address the controversy in a public hearing with the commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the end of her speech and refused extra time .
“ Uproar ensued , ” Thomas , 61 , said in an interview .
“ The commission broke trust with the public and stonewalled me from asking questions.
” At a time when classical bronze statues of men are falling out of favour across the country , some artists see the scrapped Angelou monument , which was intended for a spot outside the city ’ s central library , as an example of politicians ’ thwarting visions of a more diverse future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s arts commission enact reforms to prevent another controversy .
“ Lava ’ s monument is a challenge to conventional representations of Black women , ” said Angela Hennessy , an artist who helped found the collective See Black Womxn , which has been an advocate of Thomas over the last year .
“ It ’ s quite subversive in a poetic way .
That monument would be in production right now in the context of all these other colonial monuments being reconsidered and removed.
” Acknowledging the problem , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologized to Thomas on Monday .
“ I want to remind us all that when there are systems failures , the individuals and communities that end up experiencing the most harm as a result of said failures are those of us who experience oppression and marginalization , ” he said during a public meeting .
“ Due to our failures , we have caused significant harm to an incredibly talented Black woman artist , and we have caused deep pain to members of the Black artist community.
” For Thomas and her supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right direction .
But the group is demanding additional measures , including the resignations of the art commission ’ s visual arts committee chair , Dorka Keehn , and Stefani ; a meeting with Mayor London Breed ; and the suspension of the reissued call for proposals .
The commission complied with the latter request , voting unanimously to pause the selection process to engage stakeholders and promote clarity and transparency moving forward .
Officials have yet to determine a new timeline for the project , which started with a $ 180,000 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 250,000 .
“ Until the city can prove that it truly cares about the ideals and principles of Maya Angelou , San Francisco doesn ’ t deserve her monument , ” said Thomas , who is now planning to bring her dedication to the author elsewhere .
“ But it ’ s not yet time .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--The Latest: Denmark donates $1.9 million to Lebanon

BEIRUT - The Latest on the explosion in Beirut ( all times local ) : Denmark is donating 12 million kroner ( $ 1.9 million ) to Lebanon , chiefly to be channeled via the Red Cross , and 600 chemical protection suits .
Development Minister Rasmus Prehn said Tuesday ’ s explosions in Beirut come “ at the worst possible time ” for Lebanon .
“ The country ’ s economy and health care are already completely on their knees , ” he said .
“ And COVID-19 just makes the situation worse .
At the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refugees who also need support.
” So far this year , Denmark has provided 32 million kroner ( $ 5.1 million ) in humanitarian aid to Lebanon , mainly to help refugees in the Middle Eastern country .
Italy has sent 8.5 tons of medical equipment to Lebanon in a second aid flight following the massive explosion in Beirut .
The foreign ministry says the flight left from Brindisi on Thursday morning following a request from Lebanese authorities .
On board were surgical and trauma kits .
Earlier , a team of firefighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flew in to help .
In a statement , the foreign ministry said the Italian assistance “ represents a new show of friendship and solidarity toward the Lebanese people and authorities.
” Two Jordanian Air Force military aircraft are flying to Lebanon carrying material for a field hospital that ’ s expected to be set up within the next 24 hours in Beirut .
The military field hospital will be staffed by 160 medics and other staff and will include 45 beds , 10 intensive care beds and 2 surgery rooms .
Switzerland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engineers and logistics experts to Lebanon to help with the aftermath of the explosion in Beirut .
The Alpine nation says it is responding to a request from Lebanese authorities .
The Swiss team , which also includes telecom engineers and a psychologist , will assist in securing the country ’ s damaged embassy and ambassadorial residence .
Switzerland ’ s Foreign Ministry says the experts also will be available to examine the condition of Lebanon ’ s public buildings such as schools and hospitals .
The Foreign Ministry says it has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims of Tuesday ’ s explosion .
China says it is sending a medical team and supplies to Lebanon in the aftermath of the port explosion that injured more than 5,000 people .
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Thursday that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had conveyed a message of condolence to Lebanese President Michel Aoun following the blast , which killed at least 135 people .
“ As a friendly country to Lebanon , China is willing to continue to provide assistance within its capacity for Lebanon to tide over the difficulties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily briefing .
China has long been a major customer for Middle Eastern oil and gas , and in recent years has sought to boost its influence in the area as an alternative to the U.S. and Europe .
For many years , China has also contributed soldiers to the United Nations peacekeeping operation in southern Lebanon .
Germany ’ s foreign minister says an employee of the German Embassy in Beirut was killed in the huge blast that devastated the Lebanese capital earlier this week .
Heiko Maas says in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ the consequences of the explosion in her apartment.
” He has offered his condolences to embassy staff .
The embassy building was damaged in the blast .
Tuesday ’ s explosion appeared to have been caused by an accidental fire that ignited a stockpile of ammonium nitrate at Beirut ’ s port .
It killed at least 135 people , injured more than 5,000 and caused widespread destruction .
Britain is sending a Royal Navy ship to Beirut to help the city recover from Tuesday ’ s devastating port explosion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vessel HMS Enterprise , currently in Cyprus , will assess damage and help Lebanese authorities prepare to rebuild the port .
Britain has pledged a 5 million pound ( $ 6.6 million ) humanitarian support package for Lebanon and says it will send search and rescue teams and expert medical support .
A French presidential official says French President Emmanuel Macron is arriving in Beirut following Tuesday ’ s deadly port explosion and will be greeted by Lebanese President Michel Aoun .
The official says Macron will go directly to the port and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster area .
The official spoke anonymously in accordance with the presidency ’ s practices .
Later in the day , Macron will head to the presidential palace for meetings with top officials .
He will also meet with members of different political factions and civil society .
The French official says Macron ’ s trip is meant to show that Lebanon is not alone and to give the Lebanese people confidence .
Macron has said his role is to show that he believes in the country .


thetorontostar--2020-08-06--1.2 million seek jobless aid after $600 federal check ends

WASHINGTON - Nearly 1.2 million laid-off Americans applied for state unemployment benefits last week , evidence that the coronavirus keeps forcing companies to slash jobs just as a critical $ 600 weekly federal jobless payment has expired .
The government ’ s report Thursday did offer a smidgen of hopeful news : The number of jobless claims declined by 249,000 from the previous week , after rising for two straight weeks , and it was the lowest total since mid-March .
Still , claims remain at alarmingly high levels : It is the 20th straight week that at least 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Before the pandemic hit hard in March , the number of Americans seeking unemployment checks had never surpassed 700,000 in a week , not even during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 .
Rubeela Farooqi , chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics , called the drop in weekly claims “ a move in the right direction.
’ ’ But in a research note , she added : “ Repeated shutdowns for virus containment remain a threat to the labour market , which is already weak .
The possibility of mounting layoffs that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus containment , the recovery remains at risk from ongoing job losses that could further restrain incomes and spending.
’ ’ The pandemic , the lockdowns meant to contain it and the wariness of many Americans to venture back out to eat , shop or travel have delivered a devastating blow to the economy despite the government ’ s emergency rescue efforts .
The nation ’ s gross domestic product , the broadest measure of economic output , shrank at an annual rate of nearly 33 % from April through June .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on record , though the economy has rebounded somewhat since then .
On Friday , the government is expected to report a sizable job gain for July — 1.6 million .
Yet so deeply did employers slash payrolls after the pandemic paralyzed the economy in March that even July ’ s expected gain would mean that barely 40 % of the jobs lost to the coronavirus have been recovered .
And the pace of hiring is clearly slowing .
A resurgence of cases in the South and the West has spread elsewhere and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as bars , restaurants and other businesses have had to delay or reverse plans to reopen and rehire staff .
All told , 16.1 million people are collecting traditional unemployment benefits from their state .
For months , the unemployed had also been receiving the $ 600 a week in federal jobless aid on top of their state benefit .
But the federal payment expired last week .
Congress is engaged in prolonged negotiations over renewing the federal benefit , which would likely be extended at a reduced level .
In the meantime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less money to pay for essentials .
Many of them are among the 23 million people nationwide who are at risk of being evicted from their homes , according to The Aspen Institute , as moratoriums enacted because of the coronavirus expire .
Last week , an additional 656,000 people applied for jobless aid under a program that has extended eligibility for the first time to self-employed and gig workers .
That figure isn ’ t adjusted for seasonal trends , so it ’ s reported separately .
The Labor Department said Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now receiving some form of unemployment benefits , though the figure may be inflated by double-counting by some states .
A study released Monday by Cornell University found that 31 % of those laid off or furloughed because of the pandemic had been laid off a second time .
An additional 26 % of people who were called back to work reported being told that they might lose their jobs again .
After the springtime lockdowns , restaurants and bars had begun to reopen .
Yet many soon had to re-close as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sun Belt .
In Texas , for instance , just 26 % of bars were closed on June 21 .
Two weeks later , the figure had shut up to 74 % , though it has since come down slightly , according to the data firm Womply .
In Florida , whose tourism industry has been pummeled by the pandemic , John Brenner has lost his position as a hotel manager .
A 38-year-old from Plantation , Florida , Brenner has now been out of work for four months .
Florida ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 275 a week , so “ I ’ m quite reliant on that extra $ 600 , ” Brenner said .
“ That extra $ 600 put me at just about what I was making when I was working , ” he said .
“ And I ’ d much rather be working .
I ’ m going very stir-crazy.
” The stress , fear and sadness over prolonged unemployment , Brenner said , have diminished everything from his diet to his ability to sleep .
He said he ’ s angry that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extra unemployment aid at its current level .
“ The anxiety the Senate is giving me isn ’ t helping much , ’ ’ Brenner said .
Clover Williams , a teacher in Gallup , New Mexico , said she was laid off “ right when the thing runs out — the extra $ 600 runs out.
’ ’ She received one unemployment check that included the $ 600 payment .
Without it , Williams , 63 , worries that she won ’ t be able to pay her utility bills or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale , Florida , contributed to this report .