thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Governor: New Jersey election will be done mostly by mail

TRENTON , N.J. - Saying it won ’ t be a “ regular election year ” because of the coronavirus outbreak , New Jersey will move to a nearly all-mail election this November following the model the state used in its July primary , Gov .
Phil Murphy said Friday .
Murphy , a Democrat , said during a news conference that he will sign an executive order calling for all registered voters to get a ballot beginning Oct. 5 along with a prepaid return envelope .
Though , he didn ’ t mention Republican President Donald Trump by name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s comments about starving the U.S .
Postal Service of cash to make it harder to process millions of mailed ballots .
The postal service , the governor said , was “ being turned into a political football ” by people who don ’ t believe in getting people to turn out to vote .
To address concerns over the service ’ s reliability , Murphy said voters will have several options to return their ballots : They can mail them , as long as they ’ re postmarked by Election Day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 10 official drop boxes throughout each county , Murphy said .
There will be a new option for the fall , Murphy said : Voters can bring their mail-in ballots in person to a polling place and hand deliver it to a poll worker .
Ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 will be accepted up to a week later , Murphy said .
New Jersey moved its primary from June 2 to July 7 because of the coronavirus outbreak .
On Friday , the governor cited the outbreak as the reason for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We must recognize that this is not a regular election year , “ he said .
In-person voting won ’ t look like it usually does .
Voters can either hand deliver their ballots , or vote by provisional ballot , which means the vote will be counted only after officials determined a mail-in ballot wasn ’ t already cast .
Murphy indicated there will be fewer polling places open , with each county required to have at least 50 % of its polling places open .
Each town must have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor said .
“ I know all of this may be new for people but I am confident that New Jersey voters , that all of us can do this , “ Secretary of State Tahesha Way said .
The state Republican Party voiced strong concerns over going to a nearly all-mail election in July .
It petitioned the U.S. attorney in New Jersey to install election monitors over concerns of “ disenfranchisement.
“ On Friday , Republican state Sen. Michael Testa said the change will cause “ chaos ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five or ten minutes casting their ballots in person to protect the integrity of a presidential election doesn ’ t seem like such a great risk , ” he said in a statement .
Some Democrats have also voiced concerns .
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh has said he wants there to be traditional in-person voting , saying that he was a “ purist ” and there was a sense of accomplishment after voting in person .
Paterson is at the centre of criminal election fraud charges brought by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary there .
Grewal charged a Paterson city councilman , a councilman-elect and two other men with voting fraud .
He cast the charges as a warning ahead of last month ’ s first-ever nearly all-mail election statewide .
Grewal ’ s investigation began when the U.S .
Postal Service ’ s law enforcement arm told the attorney general ’ s office about hundreds of mail-in ballots located in a mailbox in Paterson , along with more found in nearby Haledon .
Three of the four defendants ’ attorneys said last month that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Paterson example showed that law enforcement was closely watching for any issues .
“ If you screw around with voting you ’ re going to be caught , ” he said .
Five states — Colorado , Hawaii , Oregon , Washington and Utah — relied on mail-in ballots even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person this coming November .
In June , California ’ s Democratic governor signed legislation requiring county officials to mail ballots to voters ahead of the presidential election in response to the @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-14--Ponzi king Madoff’s brother released from home confinement

WASHINGTON - The younger brother of Ponzi king Bernard Madoff has been released from home confinement and from federal custody @ @ @ @ @ said Friday .
Peter Madoff , who had served about nine years of his sentence @ @ @ @ @ confinement on Thursday , said Justin Long , a spokesman for the federal Bureau of @ @ @ @ @ transferred to home confinement from the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami in November 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ 74 , had pleaded guilty to falsifying documents and lying to regulators as part of @ @ @ @ @ scheme and was sentenced to 10 years in prison .
His brother , Bernard Madoff @ @ @ @ @ fraud charges after his multi-decade fraud cost thousands of investors roughly $ 20 billion they @ @ @ @ @ The fraud was first exposed in December 2008 .
The older Madoff , 82 , @ @ @ @ @ was immediately ordered to begin serving his 150-year sentence .
A judge in June denied @ @ @ @ @ to be released early from federal prison .

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thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Forecasters look to learn from deadly Midwest wind storm

DES MOINES , Iowa - The unusual wind storm that damaged farms , homes and cities across the Midwest this past week could offer lessons for forecasters and the public on how to better prepare for something that packed the power of a category 3 hurricane but lacked the days of warning a typical hurricane offers .
The land hurricane , known as a derecho , caught farmers in fields , bicyclists on trails and travellers on highways — unaware that a series of thunderstorms that had formed the night before in South Dakota had picked up strength as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in Iowa and one in Indiana were killed , including a bicyclist on a trail and a woman sitting on her front porch — both struck by trees .
Forecasters had predicted thunderstorms and in some communities tornado sirens sounded 20 to 30 minutes before the winds began .
But for many people , there was no sense that the day would be different from any other muggy Monday in August .
Farmer Dave Struthers was driving to his parents ’ farm a few miles away when waves of blinding rain and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pickup off the road .
“ I sure didn ’ t hear anything about it , ” he said .
“ It blew strong for 10 or more minutes .
Just solid .
It just kept going.
“ His corn crop was damaged , and he lost two 8,000-bushel corn storage bins and seven hog buildings .
His 800 animals are now staying at his sister ’ s farm .
Eric Fish , 33 , was napping at his Cedar Rapids home when the wind began to blow .
He said he didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have time to get to the basement .
He took cover in a closet .
“ I felt like I was going to die alone , ” he said .
Fish hopes forecasters and local officials can find a better way to warn people about such major storms .
Scientists say it ’ s difficult to give advance warning about a derecho because , unlike a more distant hurricane forming over the ocean , its formation is not readily apparent .
Even had forecasters provided warnings , it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thunderstorms and tornadoes are common in the Midwest , and many residents are desensitized to severe weather warnings .
“ Severe thunderstorms in general need to be taken seriously , ” Patrick Marsh , chief of science support at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman , Oklahoma , said .
“ Severe thunderstorms can be just as dangerous to a person as a derecho can be to a series of communities , but we don ’ t think about severe thunderstorms in that regard.
” The National Weather Service and the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools that would assist forecasters in making predictions that consider a range of possibilities .
In the future , a forecast for the next day might say that a thunderstorm is a likely scenario , with a chance for a derecho given the right conditions , Marsh said .
Scientists now believe Monday ’ s derecho travelled 1,000 miles ( 1,610 kilometres ) from South Dakota to northwest Ohio .
It appears the storm began picking up strength in Nebraska , gaining power as it moved across Iowa before weakening as it approached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift at at the Storm Prediction Center Sunday night and acknowledges that all the weather prediction models suggested the storms would move east with no immediate sign they would be as intense as a derecho .
“ Obviously the fact that it happened , it should have been in the realm of possibility and we need to continue to work to evolve our tools to be able to identify the entire range of possibilities , ” Marsh said .
More typical thunderstorm development clusters work like a group of people in a rowboat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around .
There is some propulsion in one direction , but it doesn ’ t really go anywhere , Marsh said .
“ What happened on Monday was everything was working in concert with one another and you got this feedback mechanism where it allowed the air to accelerate , surge out , strengthen and push across Iowa recording the winds that you saw , ” he said .
A wind gust of 112 mph ( 180 kph ) was recorded north of Des Moines , placing the storm at the strength of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage to power lines , buildings and crops was because the winds were prolonged .
“ When you ’ re in a derecho you can have these winds lasting for much longer than you would see in a tornado , so the damage that can be caused by 100 mph blowing on you for 10 minutes is going to be different than 100 mph blowing on you for two minutes like with a tornado , ” Marsh said .
Jerry Frajman , 66 , said more notice might have allowed people to board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on food .
He was on a city bus in Cedar Rapids when storm sirens started blaring .
Frajman said he has been living only on snack food for days .
“ It ’ s been a hectic week for everybody , ” he said .
Associated Press reporter Ryan J. Foley contributed to this story from Cedar Rapids , Iowa .


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Former Illinois Gov. James Thompson, ‘Big Jim,’ dies at 84

CHICAGO - Former Illinois Gov .
James R. Thompson , known as “ Big Jim ” during a long career that eventually made him the state ’ s longest-serving chief executive , has died .
He was 84 .
Thompson died shortly after 8 p.m. Friday at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago , his wife , Jayne , told the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times .
The Tribune , citing a police report , reported Thompson had been recovering there for several weeks after suffering heart problems .
“ It was very sudden , ” Jayne Thompson told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his heart simply stopped.
” Thompson , a Republican from Chicago , was first elected in 1976 and eventually served four terms before leaving office in 1991 .
A moderate , he managed the state through recession years in the 1980s .
He also helped put together a plan to help the Chicago White Sox get a new stadium to head off a potential move out of state .
Widely respected across the state , Thompson was honoured in 1993 when the state government building in downtown Chicago was named after him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois history , ‘ Big Jim ’ was known to treat people he encountered with kindness and decency , ” Democratic Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said in a statement .
“ Jim dedicated himself to building positive change for Illinois , and he set an example for public service of which Illinoisans should be proud .
He will be remembered and revered as one of the titans in the history of state government.
” “ He was a great guy , no question about that , ” said Republican former Gov .
George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of good things for Illinois.
” Before becoming governor , Thompson was an assistant attorney general and a U.S. attorney , making a name for himself with anti-corruption cases that included prosecuting former Gov .
Otto Kerner Jr .


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Fewer tourists more than an inconvenience in Williamsburg

WILLIAMSBURG , Va. - They call them the dark ages — winter months in the Historic Triangle — when tourists have long departed and restaurants , hotels and stores need to live on their humps .
This year , the dark ages look like they ’ ll be gloomier than ever .
To many , it feels as if Gov .
Ralph Northam ’ s order last month limiting hours on restaurants and bars and capping the size of social gatherings in Hampton Roads pretty much closed the door on the summer tourism season , despite Busch Gardens ’ plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekends this month .
Only about one in five Williamsburg area hotel rooms were occupied in June ; normally at this time of year the area ’ s hotels average two-thirds full , said Ron Kirkland , executive director of the Williamsburg Hotel & Motel Association .
It ’ s not just hotels hurting , either .
“ I just lost a gig ; 150 people at Kingsmill , ” said Jim Kennedy , who owns the FoodATude catering company .
“ I ’ d had 102 events cancelled ...
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Kennedy said his friends in the restaurant business are seeing sales down 60 to 80 % ; he said some hotels are down 90 % .
“ You need the summer to make it through the winter , ” he said .
“ Some people aren ’ t going to make it.
” For those who do , Kennedy figures it will be at least two to three years to recover .
“ I don ’ t think we ’ ll ever get back to where we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner in the Center Street Grill .
It ’ s been local regulars who have kept her business going as tourist traffic dried up and the restaurant ’ s back room — where hosting graduation parties and other celebrations has been a major money earner — remains dark .
“ When I answer the phone , it ’ s just ‘ cancel , cancel , cancel , ‘ ” she said .
Over the past few weeks , as restrictions on indoor dining eased , longtime customers — many of them older people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risks of getting the new coronavirus — started coming back .
But , she worries that won ’ t last .
“ People who ’ ve been feeling homebound and just started venturing out with their masks are going to be scared again , ” Ramos said .
In a community where nearly 14,000 normally are directly employed by hotels , restaurants and tourist attractions — roughly one out of every five working adults — it can be devastating when people stay home .
For many of the roughly 9,000 who work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their main job .
One measure of the impact of the virus is tax collections .
In York County , for instance , hotel tax revenue was down 65 % in June compared to the year before , Deputy County Administrator Vivian McGettigan said .
Hotel visits were off from 2019 levels by 64 % in March , 92 % in April and 87 % in May .
In April , 51 restaurants in the county reported no revenue , while 32 did in May .
James City County ’ s meals tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when halfway through the month , the state limited restaurants to seating no more than 10 diners quickly followed by an order closing indoor and outdoor dining .
With only takeout and delivery allowed in April , meals tax revenue was off by 70 % in April .
Permission to offer outdoor dining midway through May allowed a modest , $ 82,000 increase in tax collections from April ’ s level — representing a roughly $ 2 million increase in all the county restaurants ’ receipts — down 58 % from 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Williamsburg , hotel tax collections were down 89 % in April , 91 % in May and 86 % in June .
Meals tax collections dropped 52 % in March , 60 % in April , 64 % in May and 52 % in June .
Even though the area ’ s oldest tourist draw — Colonial Williamsburg — reopened in June , closed doors so far this summer at Busch Gardens and Water Country USA have hurt .
The impact is stark at Historic Triangle hotels , Kirkland said .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooms that would normally be full this time of year .
That , in turn , adds up to pretty close to the numbers of people who visit Busch Gardens on a typical summer day , once you consider those who stay in campgrounds , time shares or bed-and-breakfasts , he said .
Northam ’ s March stay-at-home order closed amusement parks closed , a shuttering only eased on July 1 by allowing them to open to no more than 1,000 people at a time .
That felt arbitrary to Historic Triangle hoteliers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Memorial Day , the traditional start of summer vacations .
Virginia Beach Oceanfront hotels saw a 63 % occupancy rate in June , compared to Williamsburg ’ s 21 % , Kirkland said .
With occupancy running at less than one third the usual June levels , Kirkland figures hoteliers ’ revenues are off by nearly 85 % .
“ It ’ s been devastating , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know if some will really be able to stick it out.
” That ’ s because hotels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winter .
“ You get by in January , February and the first half of March , doing what you can ; with spring break you ’ re breaking even ... summer is when you pull in the money , stash it away for the winter , ” he said .
What ’ s unfair about that , in his view , is that enforcement of social distancing standards would be a lot easier at Busch Gardens than at the beach , since the park ’ s owner , Sea World , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face coverings and intensified cleaning that work at its facilities in other states , Kirkland said .
He ’ s not expecting much of a bounce from the limited opening at Busch Gardens for those two weeks in August .
“ There is something of a symbiotic relationship as visitors cross pollinate and do not restrict their experiences in the Historic Triangle to just one venue , ” said state Sen. Thomas K. Norment , R-James City , a lifelong resident of the Williamsburg area and former board member at Colonial Williamsburg .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , Colonial Williamsburg the next day and enjoy an evening concert on the Yorktown waterfront that night , ” he said .
“ The economic ripple effect then impacts the restaurants , gift shops , campgrounds , Harris Teeter , the gas station , Wawas , timeshares , ” he said .
“ The local economy is hemorrhaging and the severity of that impact will really not be fatally felt until the off season winter months.
” And , he added , the Historic Triangle is suffering more than just financial pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychological impact associated with stress of : ‘ how am I going to pay my mortgage on my hotel or restaurant , how am I going to pay my bills and feed our family if I have no job , ’ ” Norment said .
“ Then overlay on that stress the pandemic situation and you have a horrific intersection of the perfect financial and emotional storm .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Iran threatens ‘dangerous future’ for UAE after Israel deal

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran ’ s powerful Revolutionary Guard vowed Saturday there would be dangerous consequences for the United Arab Emirates after it announced a historic deal with Israel to open up diplomatic relations .
The UAE is the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to establish normalized relations with Israel , Iran ’ s regional archenemy .
The Iranian Guard called the deal a “ shameful ” agreement and an “ evil action “ that was underwritten by the U.S. , according to the group ’ s statement on a website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard warned that the deal with Israel will set back American influence in the Middle East , and bring a “ dangerous future “ for the Emirati government .
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has also condemned the Emirati move .
In a televised speech Saturday , he warned that the United Arab Emirates has made a “ huge mistake ” in reaching a deal toward normalizing ties with Israel .
Rouhani warned the Gulf state against allowing Israel to have a “ foothold in the region.
” Iran ’ s foreign minister , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a painful betrayal of Arab and other countries in the region , during a trip to Lebanon on Friday .
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state .
The UAE presented its controversial decision as a way of encouraging peace efforts and taking Israel ’ s planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank off the table .
But Israeli Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pause in annexation was “ temporary.
” Trump has presented the U.S.-brokered agreement as a major diplomatic achievement and said he expects more Arab and Muslim countries to follow suit .
Israel has quietly cultivated ties with the UAE and other Gulf countries for several years as they have confronted a shared enemy in Iran .


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Delaware thrust into unlikely starring role in 2020 campaign

WILMINGTON , Del .
- Delaware isn ’ t a swing state .
It has three electoral votes .
Driving its entire length , from Pennsylvania to Maryland , takes only a little more than an hour and a half .
But the state has an unexpected starring role in the presidential race as the coronavirus keeps presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden away from traditional campaigning and close to home in his bid to unseat President Donald Trump in November .
Biden announced California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate this past week in Wilmington and they made their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Biden votes .
The campaign then operated for three days from the opulent Hotel DuPont downtown , where Biden had announced his first run for Senate , for the 1972 race .
In a ballroom converted to a makeshift web studio , Biden and Harris held video conferences with health and economic advisers and signed documents to formally become the Democratic presidential ticket .
“ We ’ ve never had a campaign like this , where essentially he ’ s probably going to be campaigning from Wilmington because of COVID-19 , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocate who worked as a staff assistant for Biden in his Senate office in Wilmington from 1978 to 1995 .
“ It ’ s going to be a learning curve for all of us as to how you campaign for national office and you can ’ t be close to people.
” There has never been an American president from Delaware , though Rutherford B. Hayes was born in Delaware , Ohio .
The spotlight on Delaware could be even brighter if Biden is elected .
In addition to his Wilmington home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rehoboth Beach , which could become a summer retreat on par with George W. Bush ’ s ranch in Crawford , Texas or Trump ’ s golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey .
Biden ’ s presence so far hasn ’ t caused much of a stir , partly because many people are still working from home or otherwise avoiding going out .
Waiting at a bus stop near the Hotel DuPont , Cara Davis , a 23-year-old drug store employee , had no idea the political circus was in town .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit of a mess , ” she said of November ’ s election .
She added , however , that she once waited on Biden ’ s daughter , Ashley , while working at a department store makeup counter , and plans to vote for Biden because not doing so “ is like a vote for Trump.
“ A block away , parked police cruisers and shipping containers blocked traffic by the hotel entrance where Biden comes and goes .
Police patrolled on foot and Segway .
There were Secret Service agents at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sidewalk across the street , and tents protected reporters from the frequent rains during live broadcasts .
Inside the hotel , police dogs helped screen bags in the lobby , the normally bustling food court was shuttered and the stately Green Room Bar had been converted into a holding area for journalists who cleared Secret Service security and awaited events with Biden .
Having Biden is town has reverberated beyond the hotel walls .
“ It ’ s wonderful to have him back around , ” said August Muzzi , owner of Angelo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since his father , Angelo , first opened it in 1967 .
There ’ s a framed placard advertising Biden ’ s announcement of his first campaign for president in June 1987 and a 2012 letter to Muzzi signed by the then-vice-president .
As they grew up , Biden ’ s sons , Beau and Hunter , often had breakfast at the restaurant on Saturday mornings , usually occupying the third booth from the door .
Mayor Mike Purzycki said Wilmington got a healthy dose of attention during Biden ’ s frequent trips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an awful lot of vice-president stuff going on around here ... .
a lot of big , black Tahoes driving around , ” Purzycki said .
“ We ’ re used to the Secret Service .
We adapt more to the roadblocks than most people would.
” Biden spent decades riding Amtrak on commutes between Washington and Delaware .
The train station in Wilmington now bears his name .
He once took President Barack Obama to a well-known Wilmington diner , the Charcoal Pit , and Biden hit Gianni ’ s Pizza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
On the city ’ s east side is a pool where he once served as a lifeguard .
It was renamed the Joseph R. Biden Aquatic Center in 2017 .
Purzycki doesn ’ t expect a lot of Biden public sightings , even though the Chase Center on Wilmington ’ s riverfront will command the spotlight at the upcoming virtual Democratic National Convention .
“ He ’ s so bottled up right now , for a whole variety of reasons , ” said Purzycki , a football star at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same dorm as Biden .
It seems Biden ’ s time as a running back for the school didn ’ t go as well .
“ He always looked like he was going on a job interview , ” Purzycki recalled .
“ I remember thinking , ‘ Who is this guy ?
‘ ” Biden , known for his hands-on style of politicking , spent months at his lakeside home in Greenville during the early stages of the pandemic — so much so that Trump ’ s campaign branded him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has more recently been giving speeches and holding small , socially distanced meetings with voters in places an easy drive from his front door , including Philadelphia , about 45 minutes away .
Normally , running mate rollouts are done in battleground states .
But being home has allowed Biden to reconnect with his roots .
Campaign spokesman Michael Gwin said Biden was “ honoured “ to make the Harris announcement in Wilmington .
“ Whether you ’ re a Democratic or a Republican , whether you like Biden or not , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody from Delaware is running for president , ” said Flaherty , Biden ’ s former staff assistant .
“ He has been able to navigate all the political shoals out there , and now it looks like he ’ s going to have an even shot at the presidency .
”

Will Weissert And Randall Chase - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--The Latest: Germany defends calling Spain virus ‘risk area’

BERLIN — Germany ’ s health minister has defended the decision to declare all of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands “ risk areas ” for coronavirus infection .
Travellers must undergo compulsory testing and two-week quarantine after arriving from there .
Health Minister Jens Spahn told Bild on Saturday that he knows “ how much Germans love Spain as a vacation destination .
But the numbers there are rising quickly , too quickly.
” The travel classification also includes the Spanish island of Mallorca , a popular destination for German tourists .
Germany is providing free testing for coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can avoid quarantining for the full 14 days .
The Robert Koch Institute says Spain ’ s Canary Islands weren ’ t deemed a risk area .
That designation now covers most non-EU countries , including the United States , and several regions within the 27-nation bloc .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK : — By sea , rail or air , Brits scramble to get out of France — Popular tourist destinations on the Navajo Nation , including Canyon de Chelly , can start welcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s reopening plan .
— Mexico ’ s point man for the coronavirus pandemic says he believes the country has reached its peak of infections over the last three weeks .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : PARIS — Pressure is growing on the French government to require masks in all workplaces and in public as coronavirus infections surge .
Paris police stepped up mask patrols Saturday as the French capital expanded the zones where face coverings are required in public , including neighbourhoods around the Louvre Museum and Champs-Elysees shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly fast , police can now shut down cafes or any gathering of more than 10 people where distancing and other hygiene measures aren ’ t respected .
Masks are currently required outdoors in hundreds of French towns , but rules vary widely .
In an appeal published in the daily Liberation , a collective of medical workers urged a nationwide return to working at home , which France largely abandoned after two months of strict lockdown .
France recorded more than 2,800 new cases Friday , up from a few hundred daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise is partly attributed to increased testing , the rate of positive tests is also growing , and is now at 2.4 % .
However , the number of virus patients in French hospitals and intensive care units has not risen so far .
The rising infections prompted Britain to impose quarantine on vacationers returning from France starting on Saturday .
SEOUL , South Korea -- South Korea on Saturday announced stronger social distancing restrictions for its greater capital area where a surge in COVID-19 cases threatens to erase the hard-won gains against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday will allow authorities in Seoul and towns in neighbouring Gyeonggi Province to shut down high-risk facilities such as nightclubs , karaoke rooms , movie theatres and buffet restaurants if they fail to properly enforce preventive measures , including distancing , temperatures checks , keeping customer lists and requiring masks .
Fans will once again be banned from professional baseball and soccer , just a few weeks after health authorities allowed teams to let in spectators for a portion of their seats in each game .
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo revealed the steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control and Prevention reported 166 newly confirmed cases , the country ’ s highest daily jump in five months .
NEW DELHI — India ’ s confirmed coronavirus cases have crossed 2.5 million with another biggest single-day spike of 65,002 in the past 24 hours .
India is behind the United States and Brazil in the number of cases .
The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported another 996 deaths for a total of 49,036 .
The average daily reported cases jumped from around 15,000 in the first week of July to more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Health Ministry said the rise shows the extent of testing with 800,000 carried out in a single day .
But experts say India needs to pursue testing more vigorously .
India ’ s two-month lockdown imposed nationwide in late March kept infections low .
But it has eased and is now largely being enforced in high-risk areas .
The new cases spiked after India reopened shops and manufacturing and allowed hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to return to their homes from coronavirus-hit regions .
SEOUL , South Korea — New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest level in five months , and authorities fear infections are getting out of control in the Seoul region , which is home to half the country ’ s 51 million people .
Officials reported 166 newly confirmed cases Saturday .
That was the highest since March 11 , when South Korea reported 242 amid an outbreak in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby towns .
With 103 new cases reported Friday , this is the first time since late March that the daily increase surpassed 100 two days in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new cases were local transmissions , and most were in the Seoul area .
FLAGSTAFF , Ariz. — Popular tourist destinations in the Navajo Nation , including Canyon de Chelly , can start welcoming back tourists Monday under the tribe ’ s reopening plan .
Much of the reservation has been closed since March as the new coronavirus swept through .
The tribe released a plan this week that allows parks and marinas to reopen with safeguards .
Businesses can operate at limited capacity .
Tribal President Jonathan Nez says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully reopen , recognizing that cases could spike if residents become complacent .
Employees at tribal and national parks on the reservation say they will be busy this weekend preparing for tourists .
MELBOURNE , Australia — The Australian state of Victoria continues to flatten the curve in its wave of coronavirus infections and deaths .
The state on Saturday reported four more COVID-19 deaths and 303 newly confirmed cases in the previous 24 hours .
It is the second-lowest daily figure reported in Victoria this month after 278 cases Thursday .
Victoria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decreasing , with the seven-day average down to 344 from 521 a week ago .
But authorities warn there is more progress needed before lockdown restrictions in the city of Melbourne can be eased .
Melbourne residents and those in a nearby shire remain subject to strict night-time curfews , time limits on outdoor exercise , distance allowed from home , mandatory public mask wearing and shutdowns of non-essential industries .
MEXICO CITY — Mexico ’ s number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen to 511,369 , as health officials say they believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They reported 5,618 new confirmed cases Friday , and said 615 more deaths from COVID-19 had raised the pandemic death toll to 55,908 .
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell says Mexico had reached its peak of infections over the last three weeks , saying that “ we have now had a maximum point in the curve.
” However , he predicts that second waves of outbreaks will continue around the world for time .
He says that “ this is a phenomenon that is going to be with us in the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris is expanding the areas of the city where pedestrians will be obliged to wear masks starting Saturday morning , with health officials saying the coronavirus is “ active ” in the French capital and the Mediterranean city of Marseille , The Champs-Elysees Avenue and the area around the Louvre museum are among zones where masks will be mandatory .
Paris police checks ensuring respect for mask wearing in designated areas are to be reinforced .
Bars and restaurants could be ordered closed if distancing and other barriers to virus transmission aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national figures on infections also rising , Britain late Thursday ordered a quarantine for people entering the United Kingdom from France .
France responded Friday by saying it would do the same for travellers from Britain .
HONOLULU — Hawaii ’ s teachers union is challenging the state ’ s school reopening plans by filing a labour complaint .
The Hawaii State Teachers Association filed a complaint with the state Labor Relations Board over a change in working conditions from increasing COVID-19 infections .
Most public schools will start the academic year Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking that all schools be online until at least the end of the first quarter .
The union says some schools are going forward with in-person instruction .
The state Department of Education disputes that statement .
The union is asking teachers to wear black on Monday .


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Thousands rally against SKorea leader despite virus warning

SEOUL , Korea , Republic Of - Thousands of anti-government protesters , armed with umbrellas and raincoats , marched through the soggy streets of South Korea ’ s capital on Saturday , ignoring official pleas to stay home amid a surge in coronavirus infections .
It appeared that at least several were detained after scuffles with police , which deployed about 6,000 officers to closely follow the protesters in streets near Seoul ’ s presidential palace .
There were no immediate reports of major clashes or injuries .
Officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency did not immediately say how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The protests came as the government moved to impose stronger social distancing restrictions in the city and nearby towns following a spike in coronavirus infections .
Municipal officials in Seoul had sought to forbid the slew of rallies planned by conservative activists and Christian groups for a holiday celebrating the 75th anniversary of the nation ’ s liberation from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II .
But a court allowed some of them to go on , citing civil liberties after protesters challenged the city ’ s administrative order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of them wearing masks and carrying the South Korean flag , paraded through rain near Seoul ’ s presidential palace , calling for liberal President Moon Jae-in to step down over what they see as kowtowing to North Korea , policy failures , corruption and election fraud .
Some South Korean conservatives insist that the April parliamentary elections convincingly won by Moon ’ s party were rigged , although most experts see such claims as false conspiracy theories .
Some of the marchers came from a church in northern Seoul that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of infections .
Health officials are planning to isolate and test some 4,000 members of the church , led by ultra-conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hun , a vocal critic of Moon who has emerged as a leader of anti-government protests over the past months .
“ We gathered together today to take back the Republic of Korea ” from “ criminal ” Moon , Jun shouted from a stage during Saturday ’ s protest , referring to South Korea ’ s formal name .
While announcing stronger distancing measures for the Seoul metropolitan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that transmissions stemming from religious gatherings were now spreading more broadly across the capital region .
Churches have been a major source of infections in past weeks , with many of them failing to enforce properly enforce preventive measures , allowing worshipers to take off their masks , sing in choirs or eat together in diners .
The two-week measures starting Sunday will allow authorities in Seoul and towns in neighbouring Gyeonggi Province to shut down high-risk facilities such as nightclubs , karaoke rooms , movie theatres and buffet restaurants if they fail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing , temperatures checks , keeping customer lists and requiring masks .
Fans will once again be banned from professional baseball and soccer , just a few weeks after health authorities allowed teams to let in spectators for a portion of their seats in each game .
The 166 new infections the country reported Saturday represented its highest daily jump in five months .


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--UK remembers Far East war on 75th anniversary of V-J Day

LONDON - The U.K. marked Saturday the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Japan during World War II , with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip leading tributes to those who fought during the six-year campaign .
In a special message on Victory over Japan Day , the queen and Philip offered their “ grateful thanks ” to those involved in a campaign that has been widely overlooked in the decades since .
The war cost the lives of some 50,000 British and Commonwealth troops , nearly half of whom perished in brutal prison camps .
“ Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Far East campaign , whether on active service overseas , or waiting for news at home , will never forget the jubilant scenes and overwhelming sense of relief , “ said the 94-year-old queen , who remains in quarantine at her residence in Windsor Castle because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Amongst the joy at the end of the conflict , we also remembered , as we do today , the terrible devastation that it brought , and the cost borne by so many , “ she added .
Following the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 1945 , Victory in Europe Day , Allied troops carried on fighting the Japanese until an armistice was declared on Aug. 15 , 1945 in the wake of the U.S. ’ s dropping of two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki .
Japan formally surrendered on Sept. 2 , 1945 , but many Pacific War veterans felt their efforts were not fully recognized and forgotten in the fog of the mushroom clouds .
They dubbed themselves the “ forgotten army.
” They were being remembered Saturday across the U.K. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Memorial Arboretum in central England and a two-minute silence .
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson , Prince Charles and his wife , the Duchess of Cornwall .
They all spoke with some of the around 40 veterans present , carefully observing social distancing guidelines to remain at least 2 metres apart .
And all those present looked skyward in wonder after the official ceremony to see a special Battle of Britain flypast .
Richard Day , 93 , who was involved in the decisive 1944 Battle of Kohima @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions everyone had to contend with , and of how he contracted malaria and dysentery at the same time , while fighting a highly determined enemy .
“ I think the worse part was crossing rivers at night , it was cold at night , then all night in wet clothes and wet equipment , still having to move about , ” he said .
“ It was a glory for them ( the Japanese troops ) to die for their emperor .
They didn ’ t appear to have any fear at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London 2012 Olympic Games In London , the Royal Air Force ’ s Red Arrows scheduled a U.K.-wide tour with flypasts over the four nation ’ s capital cities .
However , due to poor weather the flypast over the Scottish capital of Edinburgh was cancelled and the Red Arrows flew over Glasgow Prestwick Airport instead .
The pilots landed there to greet three veterans .
In an open V-J Day anniversary letter addressed to “ Veterans of the Far East Campaign , ” Johnson hailed the courage of those who fought in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were the last to come home but your achievements are written in the lights of the glittering capitals of the dynamic region we see today , “ he said .
Johnson acknowledged their war-time experiences had been “ overshadowed in popular imagination by the conflict in Europe , “ but he stressed that their service had brought WWII to an end and inaugurated a period of peace and prosperity across southeast Asia that remains intact to this day .
Britain , which had been a colonial power across much of the region , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japanese forces in the early years of the war .
Overwhelmed troops had to retreat from Malaysia , Singapore and Burma in some of the most inhospitable conditions imaginable .
“ These blows were so heavy that many feared they would break your will to fight on , “ Johnson said in his tribute letter .
“ But you survived the longest retreat in British history , marching almost 1,000 miles from Burma to India , and then you regrouped and reformed.
” The prime minister also highlighted the creation of the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force that was made up of nearly a million soldiers , including from India and Africa , and which helped “ turn defeat into victory.
“


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Mexico’s Acapulco hopes for rebound as virus, violence drop

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s Pacific coast resort of Acapulco is putting its hopes on a return of tourists as the number of coronavirus cases drops and the violence that drove travellers away slowly declines .
The governor of the state of Guerrero said Friday that hotels will now be allowed to accept guests at 40 % capacity , up from 30 % previously under pandemic restrictions .
Gov .
Hector Astudillo bragged that Acapulco has reduced the number of COVID-19 deaths to an average of 9.6 per day and alleviated the overcrowding that plagued the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city , once ranked as the fifth most deadly in Mexico , has fallen to 44th place .
Homicides were down about 20 % in the first half of 2020 , compared to the same period of 2019 .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador visited the once-glamorous resort Friday and pledged to fix pollution problems that affect the resort ’ s famous bay .
“ We are going to clean up Acapulco , we are going to clean up the bay so that there is no more pollution .
That is my commitement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , heavy rains caused storm drains to overflow , sending sewage and waste into the bay .
Unlike most experts , López Obrador predicted a quick end to the pandemic .
“ What I feel — my prediction — is that soon , very soon , we will return to normality , ” the president said .
“ Economic activity is returning , tourism is returning to Acapulco , but I predict that in a month , two months , we will have very favourable conditions.
” Even if those predictions are fulfilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road back for Mexico ’ s battered tourism industry .
In the first quarter , tourism revenues were down 51.5 % and figures for the second quarter are certain to be worse .
With about 800,000 hotel rooms , Mexico ’ s has the world ’ s seventh-largest hotel infrastructure .
In 2018 , tourism accounted for 8.7 % of Mexico ’ s GDP and provided about 2.3 million jobs .
Many of those jobs have evaporated in the pandemic .
Even under the best case scenario , if travel alerts were lifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not travel ” alert from the U.S. State Department — hotels in Mexico would end the year with only about 47 % occupancy , on average .
Mexico has also suffered from some clumsy efforts at tourism promotion .
In early August , the country ’ s VisitMexico.com site was plagued by systematic bad translations of place names , with the state of Nuevo Leon becoming “ New Lion ” and the well-known Caribbean resort of Tulum somehow became “ Jumpsuit.
” The website has since been replaced by an online image @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 20 .
A few days earlier , officials took down a pair of Acapulco video ads touting the faded resort ’ s reputation as a nightclubbing spot — despite the fact that nightclubs are currently closed to enforce social distancing .
They said the ads weren ’ t appropriate during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We have stopped being a postcard from the past , today we have changed the rules , ” says a narrator in one of the videos .
“ In fact , there are no rules , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be seen eating bizarre meals and going out to nightclubs .
“ Eat whatever you want , have fun day and night and into the early morning hours ... find new friends and new loves.
” Acapulco was once a glamorous getaway that attracted an international jet set .
It was during a vacation there in the 1960s that novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez came up with the idea for “ 100 Years of Solitude.
” In 1975 , Bill Clinton came with a young woman named Hillary for their honeymoon in Acapulco .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the resort ’ s infrastructure crumbled and poor , crowded settlements sprang up inland from the bay , sparking rising problems of unemployment , crime and pollution .
Starting around 2006 , drug gang violence made Acapulco one of Mexico ’ s most violent cities .
López Obrador stressed that authorities would have to continue fighting crime and violence .
“ There may or may not be a pandemic , and you may have very beautiful beaches , but if there isn ’ t safety , you can ’ t have progress @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Ronan native uses photojournalism to reveal Native stories

MISSOULA , Mont .
- When Tailyr Irvine applied for funding to tell a story her community on the Flathead Reservation , and Native communities across the country , had been living with for more than a century , she thought she ’ d maybe get one response to get her project off the ground .
Instead , she heard back from both global media titans she pitched to , National Geographic and the Smithsonian Institute , who wanted her work .
The first installment of Irvine ’ s project on blood quantum requirements for tribal enrolment was recently published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the American Indian through its “ Developing Stories : Native Photographers in the Field ” series , reaching an international audience and garnering attention on social media .
“ Reservation Mathematics : Navigating Love in Native America , ” a photo essay , tells the story of how the blood quantum system affects everything from dating to health care to who you choose to marry and have children with .
A blood quantum is a fraction that Native Americans get assigned at birth showing how much Native blood from a specific tribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine enrolment , and many tribes require a certain amount of blood to be a member .
“ This story has been in my brain for a really long time , ” Irvine told the Missoulian in a recent interview in Missoula .
The University of Montana graduate has been working on the project for a year and a half and said she ’ s proud to have a story Native Americans have been grappling with for decades reach a wider audience .
“ It shows the complexities of Native life outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that ’ s what I really am excited about with this project , ” she said .
“ It lines up with my goal to show Native Americans in a contemporary sense.
” Irvine grew up in Ronan on the Flathead Reservation surrounded by her extended family .
“ It ’ s a small community , so I really liked growing up the way I did , where everyone knows everyone and everyone kind of raises each other , ” she said .
It wasn ’ t until she left the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she realized her people were often misrepresented .
“ I was the only Native on my dorm room floor , I was the only Native some people had ever met in their life , and it was just a really big culture shock for me , ” she said .
“ It wasn ’ t until I left for college that I realized , oh wow , no one thinks Natives exist , and that ’ s because no one sees them , and when they do , it ’ s like poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not really what I grew up around , and so it ’ s kind of pushed me to how I cover tribal communities and why I cover them.
” After a tough semester , she returned to the reservation and eventually decided to go to UM .
She applied to the journalism program , where she realized she could actually effect change for her community and fill a gap in storytelling with her real-world perspective .
In September 2016 , after seeing Native friends on social media posting rumblings around growing protests against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rock Reservation , she questioned why it wasn ’ t getting more widespread attention outside the Native community .
“ I ’ d been hearing about this thing , and I hadn ’ t seen a lot in the media about it yet , so I just wanted to check it out , ” she said , adding she visited three times to report and photograph , each time the media presence growing .
“ That was the first time I really felt like a journalist I think , and I felt like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe more than other journalists there.
” While most of the nation was getting fed reports of violence and protest , Irvine spent her time telling a different story .
“ ( It was ) less about the protest and the dog biting and all the violence that you ’ ve seen a lot , and it was more about , what does life look like in a camp that you ’ ve been staying at for six months ?
What did the schools look like ?
” she said .
Through college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent time at daily newspapers , including the Flathead Reservation ’ s Char-Koosta News , where she said she was able to “ cut her teeth ” in her own community , The Billings Gazette , the Dallas Morning News and finally the Tampa Bay Times .
Last year , after layoffs decimated the photo staff in Tampa Bay , she decided to take what many would consider a giant leap early in her career and go freelance .
“ Daily jobs at newspapers don ’ t really feel that safe anymore , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave .
When I started , there were 20-something photographers , and when I left they were in the single digits , ” she said , adding the daily grind also didn ’ t allow her to do the bigger , in-depth projects she got a glimpse of at Standing Rock .
“ I really wanted to tell my own stories.
” It also didn ’ t hurt that ESPN had been in contact with her about taking photos for a story on the Blackfeet Reservation .
Her images appeared in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary , “ Blackfeet Boxing : Not Invisible , ” which screened at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival .
During the same period , she met Daniella Zalcman , founder of Women Photograph and co-founder of Natives Photograph , organizations that create databases of women , nonbinary and Native American photographers .
“ She really created a pipeline for me to come from Montana and go into the national scene with photography and editors , ” Irvine said .
Zalcman said the Natives Photograph database is an effort to help elevate voices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities .
It ’ s also a response to editors claiming they want to hire Native photographers , but don ’ t know who or where they are .
“ Photojournalism is a tricky business to get into , it ’ s a tricky business to sustain once you ’ re in it , ” Zalcman said .
“ It ’ s still a very privileged , classist industry where so much of success is predicated on who you know.
” Irvine said Zalcman has since been a mentor , helping her navigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading fine print contracts from big-wig corporate lawyers and filing taxes .
Introducing the issue of blood quantum to people outside of Native communities would be difficult without a direct understanding like Irvine has , Zalcman said .
“ It ’ s a complicated thing with roots in colonialism and ramifications that we ’ re seeing still today .
There ’ s so many levels , it requires such a degree of care , nuance and context , ” she said .
“ Tailyr is perfect for it because she deeply understands the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and she ’ s also telling it from such a personal perspective as well.
” With the first chapter published , Irvine is now working on a second chapter with funding from National Geographic .
Her decision to go freelance has paid off .
Her work has been published with HuffPost , Buzzfeed , High Country News , The Washington Post and The New York Times .
She ’ s also currently reporting a Nat Geo-funded project that ’ s taken her across the country , photographing Native Americans participating in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and another article about COVID-19 in the national parks is also in the works .
She also loves shooting sports and sprinkles in those assignments when she has time .
She understandably doesn ’ t want to get pigeon-holed into only getting calls for Native assignments , but said she hopes she can continue to cover Native issues and culture so she can start to shift the narrative around her people .
“ How I grew up and what that looked like for me looks really different in the media , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story , but it ’ s not really my story .
It ’ s their story .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--The Ultimate Recovery: Cycles of pain anchor Biden’s moment

WASHINGTON - A young lawyer bounds across a parking lot in New Castle , Delaware , a blur of long sideburns , wide lapels and self-assurance .
He throws open a door to a beauty salon , and the ladies inside whoop with surprise .
It ’ s clear from the grainy footage that the stylists don ’ t know this 29-year-old candidate – yet .
“ I ’ m Joe Biden , Democratic candidate for United States Senate , ” he announces , shaking the hand of a grinning beautician .
“ Maybe if you get a chance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now and November.
” The pitch , captured in an October 1972 broadcast by WPVI in Philadelphia , is one Biden has made repeatedly since , winning seven terms in the Senate and two as vice-president .
But throughout his lifetime in politics , his eye has been on the next rung — the presidency -- in a quest that failed spectacularly in his first two tries .
On this , his third attempt , the White House is within Biden ’ s reach at what in some ways seems an improbable moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too old to even be called a Baby Boomer at a time when Democrats are prioritizing youth and diversity .
But he ’ s vowing to reset the nation ’ s compass after four turbulent years under President Donald Trump , staking his claim on the pillars of competence , experience and empathy .
“ The moment has met him , right now , ” says former Sen. Barbara Boxer , D-Calif. “ People know he ’ s been there , and he ’ s not going to just stand there .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it better .
We need that desperately right now .
People are scared.
” So Biden is hoping voters will choose him over Trump , like a comfortable blanket , bonded to people by that empathy — and his own history of grief .
“ In another time , it might be too late for Joe , ” said former defence secretary Bill Cohen , who served as a Republican senator from Maine .
“ When you see what is happening in our lives , the chaos , they ’ re looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of equanimity.
” Biden ’ s moment accepting the Democratic nomination will be nothing like he imagined when his campaign began .
There won ’ t be thousands of supporters in an arena cheering while he holds Kamala Harris ’ hand aloft .
With the pandemic ’ s U.S. death toll nearing 170,000 , the event is expected to be a far more sombre and smaller affair .
Still , that moment will mark a peak — for now — of a career politician who will try to make the case that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is so disruptive and divisive , that voters will see the president ’ s rival as a calming alternative .
How Biden developed from a childhood in Scranton , Pennsylvania , to that striving candidate in 1972 and into the nation ’ s pastoral “ Uncle Joe ” is a story of cycles of loss , and , most of all , the practice of recovery .
“ Get up , ” was the motto of Joe Biden ’ s father , Joe , Sr .
It became Biden ’ s through his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his wife and baby daughter , a pair of brain aneurysms , and , in 2015 , the loss of his eldest son , Beau .
“ After the surgery , Senator , you might lose the ability to speak ?
Get up !
” Biden writes in Promises to Keep .
“ The newspapers are calling you a plagiarist , Biden ?
Get up !
Your wife and daughter – I ’ m sorry , Joe , there was nothing we could do to save them ?
Get up !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a snapshot of a candidate rushing toward what seems an unbounded future .
Husband of Neilia , father of three – and owner of a sweet 1967 Corvette in Goodwood Green , a wedding gift from his father , a car dealer - Biden did as many as 10 meet-and-greet events a day .
He cast himself in a way that he can ’ t in 2020 : as a new kind of leader , an outsider representing young Americans .
Then , as now , he was betting that voters wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting Republican incumbent .
At the time , it was popular GOP Sen. J. Caleb Boggs , who had been endorsed by President Richard Nixon .
“ He was old hat , “ William F. Hildenbrand , Boggs ’ Senate assistant , described his former boss in an oral history interview in 1985 .
On Election Day , Biden wasn ’ t old enough to serve in the Senate .
He would turn 30 on Nov. 20 .
A photograph from the party in Wilmington captured Neilia helping her husband cut the birthday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hover inches away , ready to dig in .
He had won the seat by just over 3,100 votes , 51 per cent to 49 per cent .
A few weeks later , sitting by the fire in their home , Neilia told her husband : “ Things are too good.
” The next day — Dec. 18 , 1972 — Biden ’ s world collapsed .
The senator-elect was in Washington setting up his Senate office when a tractor-trailer broadsided Neilia ’ s car .
She had been taking the kids to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also 30 , and Naomi , 1 , were dead .
Beau and Hunter , a year and a day apart at 4 and 3 , were seriously injured .
Except for the memorial service , their father did not leave the hospital .
And at least initially , he wanted no part of the Senate .
“ For the first time in my life , I understood how someone could consciously decide to commit suicide , ” he later revealed .
But he relented to the urging of elder senators .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center just a few feet from Beau ’ s bed .
The tragedy meant the Senate ’ s youngest member arrived on Capitol Hill saddled with pain and loss that came to define him .
The combination would ground Biden ’ s operating philosophy in politics and in life , even as it lived alongside his own presidential dreams .
A signature search for “ connection ” animated Biden ’ s approach .
It helped him identify people who were struggling , and informed his sense of how to call out opponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the now-quaint notion of working with members of the opposing party .
“ People would have disagreements with him , but he was very likable , “ recalls former Vice-President Dan Quayle , a Republican from Indiana who served with Biden in the Senate .
Quayle , who served as President George H.W .
Bush ’ s vice-president , is backing Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence , a fellow Hoosier .
He and other Republicans have suggested that Biden ’ s long reputation of affability is one reason Trump has had trouble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Corrupt Joe , ” or as a man who “ hurt God.
” “ Nobody really dislikes Joe Biden , ” Quayle said , calling him an “ honest guy.
” But Biden ’ s style has gotten him in trouble , too .
His habit as a hugger drew more serious accusations during the 2020 Democratic primaries when a series of women accused him of getting too close .
One said Biden assaulted her during his time in the Senate , an accusation he has denied .
His style in many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view of appropriate behaviour .
When primaries began , Biden was the best known among dozens of hopefuls .
But he was not the favourite , particularly given a perception that the party had moved well to his left and his brand of politics had become a relic .
In the end though , largely on the strength of support from Black voters , Biden at last toppled enough opponents to capture the nomination .
Now , the crises over public health , economic collapse and racial justice have created a climate where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s , and so far , he has maintained a perceptible edge in polls .
Biden has accentuated the differences .
He attended a memorial service for George Floyd in Houston .
He wears a protective mask in public .
And he meets with small groups of Americans brought low by the crises .
Decades before President Bill Clinton said he could “ feel your pain , ” Biden already had lived it .
It ’ s where he matured as a father , a lawmaker and a politician .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal story into politics .
He also took onboard the relationships and lessons as he rebuilt his life .
Lesson No .
One : Other people can help .
The old bulls — Hubert Humphrey , Ted Kennedy , Mike Mansfield , Ernest Hollings , Tom Eagleton , Ted Stevens — invited their new colleague to join them at monthly power dinners that were then a mainstay of Washington social rituals .
“ I was a kid , I was single , and they included me , ” Biden recalled from the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departed for the Obama administration .
“ They went a long way toward saving my life.
” Biden was not eager for the dinner circuit ; he spent his evenings commuting home by train to Wilmington to keep watch on his sons .
In the Senate , he was difficult to label .
He was a civil rights advocate in a chamber brimming with segregationists .
A year in , he had supported a bill to subsidize federal general election campaigns and place a cap on campaign contributions and spending .
In 1975 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school busing , winning Senate endorsement of an amendment forbidding the government from requiring busing except in certain cases .
Along the way , he had begun to rise with a reputation for listening and believing that the Senate can do important things .
In 1977 , he married Jill Tracy Jacobs , an English professor at Delaware Technical and Community College .
President Jimmy Carter chose him to lead a Senate delegation to Moscow for the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty .
In 1981 the Bidens welcomed a daughter , Ashley .
Throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to read people and when necessary , disarm them .
“ ’ Don ’ t bullshit a bullshitter , ’ ” Biden told a Russian official during private talks in 1984 , recalled Cohen , the Republican senator from Maine .
They were in Moscow at the height of the Cold War , and Cohen had spoken before the USSR Academy of Sciences about reducing nuclear warheads .
Cohen ’ s speech wasn ’ t entirely well received .
In a private meeting , a Soviet official began criticizing Cohen ’ s plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became his signature , salty style .
A tense pause ensued .
“ ’ Joe is going to blow it for me , ’ ” Cohen said he thought at the time .
“ ’ They ’ re going to throw us out.
’ ” Instead , the Russian “ just started laughing , ” an acknowledgement , perhaps , that they were all politicians with agendas .
Biden wanted to be the youngest president since John F. Kennedy , and by his third Senate term he was travelling to the early primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate Judiciary Committee , charged with running the confirmation hearing of President Ronald Reagan ’ s nominee , Judge Robert Bork Jr. , to the Supreme Court .
Though Trump likes to ridicule Biden ’ s speaking ability , early in his Senate career he was considered one of the best orators in his party .
So it was particularly jarring that a speech essentially ended Biden ’ s initial White House run .
In Iowa , Biden had used a British politician ’ s words without attribution .
He dropped out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successfully , to blocking Bork ’ s confirmation .
“ He ’ s said himself he wasn ’ t ready , “ said Boxer , a Biden supporter that year .
“ When he made his big mistake , he just said , ‘ Okay , I ’ m moving on .
The hurdle is too great.
” ’ But there was another life-or-death crisis - this time for Biden himself - and another recovery .
In Rochester , New York , after a February 1988 speech , he felt “ lightning flashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor of his hotel room .
He was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm , then another , and endured two surgeries .
He was , he wrote , “ determined to get back up faster than anybody expected.
“ The doctor told law student Tony Russo that he might never wake up .
It was 1994 .
Russo was in school facing an arduous , two-year treatment to knock back his diagnosis of leukemia .
The chemotherapy , he was warned , would be brutal .
Then Biden called .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice that ’ s obviously very calming .
And he was like , ‘ Tony , it ’ s Joe , ’ ” said Russo , now 52 , and vice-president for legislative affairs at T-Mobile Wireless .
It was a point in Biden ’ s story where his public and private lives diverged .
“ He didn ’ t ask me , how are you , how you feeling ?
” said Russo , whose story hasn ’ t widely been shared .
“ It was more like , ‘ OK , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to get through this.
’ ” The treatments were debilitating .
“ I was literally , like , this is going to kill me , “ Russo recalled .
He and Biden talked a few times a week for the duration .
Sometimes he would call Biden in the middle of the night “ and he always picked up.
” “ If felt like I could tell him anything .
With your family you ’ ve got to be a little more careful , because they ’ re dying inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Marty , was a congressman from Illinois .
“ With Joe there was no pity .
You could just talk .
There was no judgment .
You felt like it was almost like a therapy type thing.
” Biden thought 2008 was his year .
He was chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and had voted for the Iraq War .
But he had come to see that as a mistake .
This second presidential campaign , too , cratered in a crowded field .
This time it included Hillary Clinton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t help that Biden made another embarrassing gaffe by describing Obama in an interview as “ articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.
” The Delaware senator finished the Iowa caucuses with 1 per cent of the vote .
Obama won the nomination — and then asked Biden to be his vice-president .
Biden said he had one ask of Obama : that he would be the last person in the room at decision time .
He was named to oversee the massive economic stimulus plan to counter the Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signature Affordable Care Act through Congress , and had a seat at the table in the famous Situation Room photo watching special forces take out Osama bin Laden .
Throughout , Biden honed a “ three-dimensional ” technique blending policy expertise , tactical manoeuvrs and “ the human element of what ’ s going to bring somebody our way , ” said Jen Palmieri , former White House communications director .
The Biden approach didn ’ t always work .
After the murder of elementary school students in Newtown , Connecticut , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass gun control laws failed .
But on other issues , his credibility was such that he even taught fellow senators lessons .
Harry Reid , the former Democratic majority leader from Nevada , recalled in a recent interview that Biden urged patience at a messy , key moment for Obamacare .
“ ’ Let that committee work this thing for as long as they feel it ’ s necessary , ’ “ Reid recalled Biden telling him .
“ ’ They ’ ll let air out of the tires , they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent enough time on it .
... “ I did that , ” Reid said , “ and it turned out just the way he said it would.
” Beau Biden , the son his father had called “ Joe 2.0 , ” died from brain cancer on May 30 , 2015 , at 7:51 p.m. “ It happened , ” Biden wrote in his diary .
“ My god , my boy .
My beautiful boy.
” An excruciating moment is captured in a photograph from the funeral a week later.
, @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past the grieving vice-president .
Biden ’ s hand is over his heart , his eyes shaded by his signature aviator sunglasses .
His face is clenched .
In those moments , he wrote , he understood his role as a grieving vice-president was different from what it had been as a senator-elect four decades earlier .
He sought to show “ millions of people facing the same awful reality that it was possible to absorb real loss and make it through.
” Through his grief , Biden still heard the call of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not to be for the devastated clan .
Four years later , he has made the ultimate recovery as the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting — with onetime rival Harris , a friend of Beau ’ s , as his running mate .
Introducing her on Wednesday , Biden argued that the two understand what Americans want at this time of crisis — but he might as well have been describing himself .
“ All folks are looking for , as my dad would say , is an even shot , “ Biden said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a fair shot .
A shot at making it.
” Associated Press researcher Jennifer Farrar contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--FBI team arrives this weekend to take part in Beirut probe

BEIRUT - A team of FBI investigators is due to arrive in Lebanon this weekend to take part in the probe of Beirut ’ s massive explosion , a senior U.S official said on Saturday after visiting the location of the blast .
David Hale , U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs , called for a thorough and transparent investigation .
He said the FBI team is taking part at the invitation of Lebanese authorities in order to find answers about what caused the Aug. 4 explosion which killed nearly 180 people and wounded thousands .
The cause of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ammonium nitrate at Beirut ’ s port remains unclear .
Documents have emerged showing the country ’ s top leadership and security officials were aware of the chemicals stored at the port .
French investigators are also taking part in the Lebanese-led probe .
“ We really need to make sure that there is a thorough , a transparent and credible investigation .
I know that is what everyone is demanding , ” Hale said .
Search and rescue crews flew in from around the world in the immediate aftermath .
Hale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanese army officers .
Many Lebanese want the probe taken out of the hands of their government , fearing that bickering among the long-entrenched political factions , notorious for corruption , won ’ t allow any results to come to light that are damaging to their leadership .
Top Lebanese officials , including President Michel Aoun , have rejected calls for an independent probe , describing it as “ a waste of time ” that would be politicized .
Late Friday , the leader of the powerful Hezbollah group said that he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear reference to the FBI assistance .
Hassan Nasrallah said the cause of the explosion is still unclear , adding that any international probe would also have to clear Israel of any responsibility in the port explosion .
Nasrallah added that Israel will be met “ with an equally devastating response ” if the investigation points to its involvement .
Israel has denied involvement and so far no evidence has emerged suggesting otherwise .
However , Aoun , who is supported by Hezbollah , has said it ’ s one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French investigators were seen in boats and on the ground near the scene of the blast .
A French helicopter carrier was docked at the port as French troops were unloading equipment .
French troops on foot and in vehicles were moving around the port .
At a commercial part of the port that was not damaged by the blast , workers were unloading wheat .
The U.N says 30 % of the port remains operational .
Hale also stressed the need for full state control over ports and borders , in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence over both in Lebanon .
“ We can never go back to an era in which anything goes at the port or borders of Lebanon , ” he said .
Under pressure , Lebanon ’ s government resigned on Aug.10 .
For now , there are no formal consultations underway on who will replace Hassan Diab as prime minister and no likely candidate has emerged .
But the flurry of diplomatic visits appeared designed to influence the forming of the new government .
Popular anger has swelled over the ruling elite ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Western leaders have said they will send aid directly to the Lebanese people and that billions of dollars will not be pumped into the country before major reforms take place .
On Friday , the United Nations launched a $ 565 million appeal for Lebanon with immediate humanitarian assistance and initial recovery efforts .
Washington and its allies consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization , and have accused the Iran-backed group of abusing government funds .
Local media have speculated that Hale would be pushing for a government that excludes Hezbollah .
Also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ralph Malahi , a 23-year old firefighter who was among 10 firefighters killed in the explosion .
Malahi was given a hero ’ s funeral , starting from the firefighter centre .
Lifting Malahi ’ s coffin , thousands paraded through different parts of the city , shooting in the air in commemoration .
His body finally arrived at a church in Furn el-Chebak neighbourhood in Beirut where prayers were held for Malahi .
Malahi is the seventh firefighter to be retrieved from under the debris in the port at the scene of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Malahi ’ s mother , weeping , blamed the government for her son ’ s death .
“ Why did you not evacuate the port ?
” she said , in reference to the government ’ s knowledge that highly explosive material was stored at the port .

Bassem Mroue And Andrea Rosa - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--AP FACT CHECK: Trump skews record on Biden-Harris, economy

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump greeted the Democratic presidential ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this past week with a litany of distortion and falsehoods , raging against cases of voting fraud where they didn ’ t exist and declining to quash conspiracy theories about Harris ’ eligibility for office .
Trump also misrepresented Biden ’ s position on taxes , again minimized the coronavirus threat and exaggerated his own record on the economy .
A look at some of the past week ’ s rhetoric and the facts : TRUMP : “ If Biden would win ... he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody ’ s taxes.
” — news conference Wednesday .
THE FACTS : Trump is exaggerating .
Wildly so .
Biden would raise taxes , primarily on the wealthy .
But a July estimate by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget finds that the increase is a small fraction of what Trump claimed .
The former vice-president ’ s plan would raise “ taxes for the top 1 per cent of earners by 13 to 18 % of after-tax income , while indirectly increasing taxes for most other groups by 0.2 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
To put that in perspective , tax collections would increase by $ 3.4 trillion to $ 3.7 trillion over the next decade .
That is a lot of money .
But it ’ s not a doubling or tripling .
The government is on pace to collect $ 47 trillion over the next decade , so the Biden plan would be roughly be a 7.8 % increase in revenues .
TRUMP , asked about social media claims that Harris is not eligible to run for vice-president because her parents were immigrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it today that she doesn ’ t meet the requirements .
...
I have no idea if that ’ s right .
I would have assumed that the Democrats would have checked that out.
” — news conference Thursday .
THE FACTS : Harris , a senator from California , is without question eligible .
Harris , 55 , was born in Oakland , California , making her a natural-born U.S. citizen and eligible to be president if Biden were unable to serve a full term .
Her father , an economist from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer researcher from India , met at the University of California , Berkeley , as graduate students .
The Constitution requires a vice-president to meet the eligibility requirements to be president .
That includes being a natural-born U.S. citizen , at least 35 years old and a resident in the U.S. for at least 14 years .
“ I can ’ t believe people are making this idiotic comment , ” Laurence Tribe , a Harvard University professor of constitutional law , told The Associated Press in 2019 , when similar false claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ She is a natural born citizen and there is no question about her eligibility to run , ” Tribe said .
Harris is the first Black woman and Asian American to compete on a major party ’ s presidential ticket .
Trump in past years indulged in the false conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was born abroad .
TRUMP CAMPAIGN : “ Not long ago , Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received.
” -- statement Tuesday from Katrina Pierson , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She never called Biden a racist .
Pierson appears to be referring to Harris ’ remarks during a Democratic primary debate in Miami in June 2019 when the California senator challenged Biden ’ s record of opposing busing as a way to integrate schools in the 1970s .
Harris prefaced her criticism by telling Biden at that time , “ I do not believe you are a racist .
I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground.
” She then went on : “ It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country .
It was not only that but you also worked with them to oppose busing .
“ There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools , “ Harris said .
” She was bused to school every day .
That little girl was me.
” It was a breakthrough moment for Harris at the candidates ’ first debate , stunning Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not praise racists ” and provided a hairsplitting defence of his position on busing .
But she did not accuse him of being racist .
TRUMP : “ At the end of the year , the assumption that I win , I ’ m going to terminate the payroll tax ... We ’ ll be paying into Social Security through the general fund.
” — news conference Wednesday .
THE FACTS : Under Trump ’ s proposal , Social Security would lose its dedicated funding source .
Payroll taxes raise about $ 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president was unconcerned about the loss of those revenues .
Trump campaign officials stressed that the general fund consists of assets and liabilities that finance government operations and could do so for Social Security .
The general fund is nicknamed “ America ’ s Checkbook ” on the Treasury Department ’ s website .
The risk is that the loss of a dedicated funding source could destabilize an anti-poverty program that provides payments to roughly 65 million Americans .
It also could force people to cut back on the spending that drives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own retirement and health care needs if they believe the government backstop is in jeopardy .
A 12.4 % payroll tax split between employers and workers funds Social Security , while a 2.9 % payroll tax finances Medicare .
The Social Security tax raised roughly $ 1 trillion last year , according to government figures .
Over a 10-year period , Trump ’ s idea would blow a $ 13 trillion hole in a U.S. budget that is already laden with rising debt loads .
Trump announced a payroll tax deferral through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a series of moves to bypass Congress after talks on a broader coronavirus relief bill that has stalled .
He says he will make it a permanent tax cut with the help of Congress .
Democrats have described that idea as a nonstarter .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday suggested to reporters that Trump misspoke when he said he would eliminate the payroll tax if reelected .
She said the president would only push to make the payroll tax deferrals permanent .
But Trump clearly said that he would eliminate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday press briefing and even answered a question about “ permanently ” rescinding it .
TRUMP , asked how the general fund can sustain the payments : “ We ’ re going to have tremendous growth .
... You will see growth like you have not seen in a long time.
” — news conference Wednesday .
THE FACTS : It is highly unlikely that economic growth would be enough to offset the loss of the payroll tax .
Trump has a record of making wildly improbable growth projections .
He suggested that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic growth as high as 6 % annually .
That never happened .
Growth reached 3 % in 2018 , then slumped to 2.2 % and the U.S. economy crumbled into recession this year because of the coronavirus .
TRUMP , on COVID-19 : “ Nobody understood it because nobody has ever seen anything like this .
The closest thing is , in 1917 , they say — right ?
The great — the great pandemic certainly was a terrible thing , where they lost , anywhere from 50 to 100 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; all the soldiers were sick.
” — news briefing Monday .
THE FACTS : He got the year wrong for the Spanish flu , as he routinely does , and may have overstated deaths from it .
The pandemic spread from early 1918 to late 1920 .
It killed an estimated 50 million worldwide , with about 675,000 of the deaths in the U.S. , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
That pandemic did not end World War II , which came two decades later .
TRUMP : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , which will be going away , as I say , it will be going away .
And they scream , how you can you say that ?
I said , because it ’ s going to be going away.
” — interview Thursday on Fox Business Network .
THE FACTS : No matter how many times he says it , the virus is not going to just magically disappear .
The virus is now blamed for more than 166,000 deaths and more than 5.2 million confirmed infections in the U.S. — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the past week , the average number of new cases per day was on the rise in eight states , and deaths per day were climbing in 26 , according to an Associated Press analysis .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious diseases official , has warned that increased cases across the South and West in particular put “ the entire country at risk.
” On Thursday , for instance , the rate of positive virus cases in Texas soared to the highest levels of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus tests coming back positive .
Nevada had its biggest daily jump in coronavirus fatalities to date .
In February , Trump asserted coronavirus cases were going “ very substantially down , not up , ” and said it will be fine because “ in April , supposedly , it dies with the hotter weather.
” Fauci says there “ certainly ” will be coronavirus infections in the fall and winter .
TRUMP , on whether he still thinks kids are essentially immune from COVID-19 : “ Yeah , I think that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very well .
I mean , they — they don ’ t get very sick .
They don ’ t catch it easily.
” — news briefing Tuesday .
THE FACTS : They aren ’ t immune , and he ignores racial disparities among those kids who get infected .
Although it ’ s true that children are less likely than adults to develop COVID-19 , the CDC has nevertheless counted more than 250,000 infections by the virus in Americans younger than 18 , or roughly 7 % of all cases .
Racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to children , with Hispanic and Black children with COVID-19 more likely to be hospitalized than white kids .
The total number of kids who have been infected but not confirmed is almost certainly far higher than the CDC figures , experts say , because those with mild or no symptoms are less likely to get tested .
Trump also glosses over the fact that kids can spread disease without showing symptoms themselves .
The CDC in May also warned doctors to be on the lookout for a rare but life-threatening inflammatory reaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
The condition had been reported in more than 100 children in New York , and in some kids in several other states and in Europe , with some deaths .
One of the CDC reports looked at children with COVID-19 who needed hospitalization .
Hispanic children were hospitalized at a rate eight times higher than white kids , and Black children were hospitalized at a rate five times higher , it found .
The second report examined cases of the rare virus-associated syndrome in kids .
It found that nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were either Hispanic or Black , well above their representation in the general population .
TRUMP : “ The manufacturing sector is booming and the production index is at the highest reading since October of ‘ 18 , which was an extraordinary period of time.
” — news conference Wednesday .
THE FACTS : The pandemic crushed U.S. factories and the damage persists .
There is no boom .
Even after three months of job gains , the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the manufacturing sector has 740,000 fewer jobs than before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gains under Trump have disappeared .
There were 257,000 more manufacturing jobs on the day Trump became president than now .
More important , the jobs recovery has shown signs of stalling .
Just 26,000 factory jobs were added in July , down from 357,000 added jobs in June .
The sector has been recovering .
Yet after increases in production in June , the Federal Reserve said U.S. factory output was running 11.1 % below pre-pandemic levels .
Trump cited one component of an index composed by the Institute for Supply Management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
It was the best reading since August of 2018 , not October as claimed by the president .
But that same report showed that manufacturers are also cutting back on employment , suggesting that a boom has yet to begin .
TRUMP , on tariffs on China : “ We ’ ve taken in tens of billions of dollars from China .
We never took 10 cents from China , never -- not even 10 cents.
” — news conference Monday .
THE FACTS : It ’ s false to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in tariffs on Chinese goods before he took action .
They are simply higher in some cases than they were before .
It ’ s also wrong to suggest that the tariffs are being paid by China .
Tariff money coming into the treasury is mainly from U.S. businesses and consumers , not from China .
Tariffs are primarily if not entirely a tax paid domestically .
TRUMP : Universal mail-in voting is “ a system riddled by fraud and corruption.
” — news conference Wednesday .
THE FACTS : Voting fraud actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Justice in 2017 ranked the risk of ballot fraud at 0.00004 % to 0.0009 % , based on studies of past elections .
Five states relied on mail-in ballots even before the coronavirus pandemic raised concerns about voting in person .
“ Trump is simply wrong about mail-in balloting raising a ‘ tremendous ’ potential for fraud , ” Richard L. Hasen , an elections expert at the University of California , Irvine , School of Law , wrote recently .
“ While certain pockets of the country have seen their share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rare in the five states that rely primarily on vote-by-mail , including the heavily Republican state of Utah.
” TRUMP : “ You just look at what happened with the Carolyn Maloney race .
They should do that race over , by the way .
...
When you look at the ballot , the ballots that are missing , and the ballot frauds — nobody knows what ’ s going on with that race , and yet they declared her a winner.
” — news conference Wednesday .
THE FACTS : There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic congressional primary in New York City that was won by Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney .
Nor did Trump offer any proof of fraud .
New York State decided to allow anyone to vote by mail in the June primary because of the pandemic .
More than 400,000 people voted by absentee ballot in New York City , a figure that was 10 times the number of absentee ballots cast in the 2016 primary .
Opening and counting those ballots by elections officials took weeks , leading to a legal dispute over nonfraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Candidates observing the count say that thousands of ballots were disqualified because of technical errors voters wouldn ’ t have encountered if they had voted in person , like problems with their signature .
New York City ’ s Board of Elections ultimately certified the results six weeks after the election .
Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz in Chicago , and Lauran Neergaard , Aamer Madhani and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE — A look at the veracity of claims by political figures .

Hope Yen And Josh Boak - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Pompeo inks deal for US troop move from Germany to Poland

WARSAW , Poland - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday sealed a defenceco-operation deal with Polish officials that will pave the way for the redeployment of American troops from Germany to Poland .
In Warsaw at the end of a four-nation tour of central and eastern Europe , Pompeo and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed an Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement that sets out the legal framework for the additional troop presence .
“ This is going to be an extended guarantee : a guarantee that in case of a threat our soldiers are going to stand arm-in-arm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duda said during the signing ceremony .
“ It will also serve to increase the security of other countries in our part of Europe , ” Duda said .
The deal would also further other aspects of U.S.-Polish co-operation , he added , citing primarily investment and trade ties .
The pact supplements an existing NATO Status of Forces Agreement and allows for the enhancement and modernization of existing capabilities and facilities by allowing U.S. forces to access additional Polish military installations .
It also sets out a formula for sharing the logistical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence in the country .
President Donald Trump said in a statement that the pact was the culmination of months of negotiations with Poland .
“ The agreement will enhance our military co-operation and increase the United States ’ military presence in Poland to further strengthen NATO deterrence , bolster European security , and help ensure democracy , freedom , and sovereignty , ” Trump ’ s statement said .
Some 4,500 U.S. troops are currently based in Poland , but about 1,000 more are to be added , under a bilateral decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in line with Trump ’ s demand to reduce troop numbers in Germany , the Pentagon announced that some 12,000 troops would be withdrawn from Germany with about 5,600 moving to other countries in Europe , including Poland .
In addition , several U.S. military commands will be moved out of Germany , including the U.S. Army V Corps overseas headquarters that will relocate to Poland next year .
Trump has long and loudly complained that Germany does not spend enough on defence and has repeatedly accused Germany of failing to pay NATO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue .
NATO nations have pledged to dedicate 2 % of their gross domestic product .
After the signing ceremony , Pompeo joined Duda and other Polish leaders at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to mark the centennial of Poland ’ s landmark victory against the Russian Bolsheviks in 1920 during the Polish-Soviet war .
In the Battle of Warsaw , often called the “ Miracle on the Vistula , ” outnumbered Polish troops led by Marshal Jozef Pilsudski defeated an advancing Red Army .
The battle is credited with stopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains a source of huge national pride in Poland .
Saturday ’ s signing came just a day after the Trump administration suffered an embarrassing diplomatic loss at the United Nations when its proposal to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran was soundly defeated in a UN Security Council vote that saw only one country side with the U.S. Pompeo will visit that country , the Dominican Republic , on Sunday for the inauguration of its new president .
Pompeo has used his Europe trip to warn the region ’ s young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China and has received a warm welcome .
In Poland , the reception was particularly kind given the friendship between Trump and conservative Polish President Duda , who was sworn in for a second five-year term earlier this month after a hotly contested election .
Many of Duda ’ s Law and Justice party ’ s policies have put Poland at odds 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 @


thetorontostar--2020-08-15--Thai student leader freed on bail, vows to keep up protest

BANGKOK - A student leader of Thailand ’ s anti-government movement vowed to continue his protesting after being released on bail Saturday , a day after his arrest on a sedition charge .
The arrest Friday of Parit “ Penguin ” Chiwarak came as the government tries to deal with a wave of pro-democracy protests , mainly consisting of students who have rallied in schools and on campuses in many Thai cities .
The students are demanding the dissolution of parliament , fresh elections , a new constitution and an end to intimidation of the government ’ s opponents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crowd of journalists and supporters after being freed by the Bangkok Criminal Court .
He had been allowed to walk free on condition he did not repeat his alleged offences .
He immediately spoke in more provocative terms than he had at the July 18 protest for which he was charged with sedition .
Parit read out a list of proposals for reforming the monarchy that was first launched at a university rally on Monday , rocking the country because public criticism of the royal institution is virtually unprecedented and traditionally taboo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the protest movement support the proposals .
“ I don ’ t regret being arrested because ever since joining the movement I knew it might happen , but it won ’ t be in vain .
Everyone should have the courage to talk about the monarchy , ” he said .
Mainstream media in Thailand have by and large refrained from reporting the demands about the monarchy because of their sensitivity .
A strict law against defaming the monarchy carries a punishment of three to 15 years in prison , and criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under several other statutes mainly covering national security .
After his release , Parit declared on his Facebook page that he would see his followers at a major rally planned for Sunday in Bangkok .
The sudden and brazen criticism of the monarchy has drawn swift reaction from the government and its conservative supporters , with many warning the students to change course .
It presents Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha with the challenge of how to avoid a violent crackdown that might only draw more supporters to the protest movement .
Parit said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a police unit – unit 904 – trailing me , so I am not sure about my safety , ” he said .
“ But tomorrow there is a big rally so I needed to get bail to be out , to lead it.
” The protests have heaped pressure on Prayuth and his government at a time when the economy is struggling to cope with the huge economic impact of the coronavirus .
On Thursday , he made a televised appeal for people to unite and reject the politics of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prayuth , a former army chief , came to power in a coup in 2014 .
He retained it in a 2019 election widely seen as so heavily rigged in his favour that victory was all but guaranteed .
Associated Press writer Busaba Sivasomboon contributed to this report .