thetorontostar--2020-06-24--DA: Walmart mass shooting suspect will face new charges

EL PASO , Texas - The man accused of killing 22 people and wounding two dozen more at a Walmart in Texas is expected to be reindicted Thursday as he faces another murder charge in the mass shooting that targeted Mexicans , prosecutors said .
Patrick Crusius of Allen , Texas , is currently being held without bond on one count of capital murder of multiple people under Texas state law .
The 21-year-old has also been charged with several federal hate crimes related to the shooting , according to a 90-count indictment unsealed in February .
District Attorney Jaime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account for 36-year-old Guillermo “ Memo ” Garcia , who died nine months after the Aug. 3 massacre in the Texas border of El Paso that ’ s considered one of the deadliest attacks on Latinos in recent U.S. history .
Esparza said Crusius will also face more counts in relation to the dozens of people injured in the shooting .
The new charges will be added to the indictment prior to the grand jury ’ s term ending on June 30 , Esparza said .
“ We ’ re reindicting the defendant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include all of those injured in the Walmart shooting in order to give the next DA all of their options , ” Esparza added .
“ We just want to cover all our bases.
” The upcoming reindictment comes more than 10 months after the mass shooting in the majority Latino and Hispanic city federal prosecutors say was sparked by militant racism .
They have said Crusius carried out the attack to scare Latinos into leaving the U.S. , a plot they allege he outlined in a racist screed published online before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting and suffered from injuries .
Some underwent surgery , and one remains in the hospital .
Hundreds more have suffered psychological trauma either because they were present or because a loved one was wounded , according to local officials .
Esparza , who ’ s set to retire after 28 years in office , said he hopes that the added charges will help provide continuity in the case and eventually lead to justice should the DA succeeding him decide to pursue the state case against Crusius .
Voters will pick a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 14th .
It ’ s one of several factors that will help answer some legal and financial questions , including the trial ’ s start date and location .
The Department of Justice will prosecute on a parallel track with Texas officials .
Crusius already faces the death penalty on a state capital murder charge to which he pleaded not guilty last year .


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--3 charged after medical examiner rules teen’s death homicide

KALAMAZOO , Mich. - Three staff members of a Michigan youth centre have been charged in the death of a Black teenager who died while being restrained after throwing a sandwich , Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Gettings announced Wednesday .
Cornelius Fredericks , 16 , died May 1 , two days after he lost consciousness while being restrained by staff at Lakeside Academy .
The Kalamazoo County Medical Examiner ’ s office confirmed Fredericks ’ manner and cause of death was a homicide .
Michael Mosley of Battle Creek , Zachary Solis of Lansing and Heather McLogan of Kalamazoo are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse .
Mosley and Solis are also accused of restraining Fredericks in a “ grossly negligent manner , ” Gettings said .
McLogan is accused of gross negligence for allegedly failing to seek medical care for the teen in a timely manner .
Gettings , who called Fredericks ’ death a “ tragedy beyond description , ” said the accused employees are expected to turn themselves in for arraignment but didn ’ t say when that would happen .
Dr. Ted Brown , who performed the autopsy , said Fredericks had been restrained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In my opinion , the complications of him being restrained , on the ground in a supine position by multiple people , is ultimately what led to his death , ” Brown said .
In a statement issued late Wednesday , Lakeside Academy operator Sequel Youth and Family Services said company officials support the decision to bring charges against their former employees , calling Fredericks ’ death “ tragic and senseless.
” “ We will continue to fully co-operate throughout this process to ensure justice is served , ” the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are committed to making the necessary changes to ensure something like this never happens again within our organization.
” Efforts to contact Mosley , Solis and McLogan for comments on the charges filed against them were unsuccessful Wednesday because telephone numbers for the three couldn ’ t immediately be found .
Sequel said it fired the three workers involved in Fredericks ’ death and relieved the executive director of Lakeside Academy of his duties .
Earlier Wednesday , attorney Geoffrey Fieger , who represents Fredericks ’ family , called for charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death .
He said the attorney for the Sequel Youth Services of Michigan has refused to provide the Fredericks family the video of the incident that resulted in the teen ’ s death .
“ It is time for the perpetrators to come clean , ” Fieger said in a statement .
In a civil lawsuit filed Monday against Lakeside Academy and Sequel Youth and Family Services , the family said the teen screamed “ I can ’ t breathe ” as staff members placed their weight on his chest for nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest April 29 .
At the time , authorities said he was being restrained by staff after throwing a sandwich .
“ The excessive use of restraints and the lack of concern for Cornelius ’ life draw an eerily similar comparison to that of George Floyd ’ s death , ” according to the lawsuit , which alleges negligence and says Lakeside staff improperly and wrongfully used restraints on Fredericks .
The lawsuit seeks damages allowed under the Michigan Wrongful Death Act .
No financial amount was specified .
Lakeside Academy , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week lost its contract with the state of Michigan to care for youth in the state ’ s foster care and juvenile justice systems and its license to operate .

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thetorontostar--2020-06-24--Tucson police chief offers resignation after man’s death

PHOENIX - The Tucson , Arizona , police chief on Wednesday offered his resignation two months after a 27-year-old man died while handcuffed and placed face-down , resulting in the resignation of three officers the chief said had violated department policy .
Chief Chris Magnus offered his resignation during a news conference a day after the death of Carlos Ingram-Lopez on April 21 became public , acknowledging the department had failed to disclose the death in a timely manner .
The city council and city manager have to approve the resignation .
The medical examiner ’ s office didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Ingram-Lopez had died of sudden cardiac arrest while intoxicated by cocaine and physically restrained .
Ingram-Lopez was face-down on the ground with a blanket over his head when he stopped breathing .
Police had gone to his home after his grandmother called them because he was acting erratically .
Mayor Regina Romero said she was surprised by Magnus ’ resignation offer and needed to think about it , adding that he has been “ an honest and great ” police chief .
Romero , a Democrat , said she was deeply troubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a video of the incident .
She said Ingram-Lopez was clearly in distress and police must be held accountable .
“ Events like this remind us that even some of the most progressive police departments with some of the most forward-thinking policies and rigorous training are not immune to failure , ” Romero said .
The case emerged as Americans around the country protest police brutality , which disproportionately affects Black Americans and Hispanics .
This week , activists have called on authorities to further investigate the shooting death of a young Hispanic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles .
Police say 18-year-old Andres Guardado was shot by a sheriff ’ s deputy last Thursday .
Ingram-Lopez was also Hispanic .
Magnus , who was appointed chief in 2016 , said three of the officers who responded “ committed multiple policy violations and failed to handle the incident consistent with their training.
” The three officers resigned but would have been fired anyway , Magnus said .
“ I can ’ t say enough , this is a terrible tragedy and I had a chance to meet with the family earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let them know how much I sympathize with the loss of Carlos , ” Magnus said .
The criminal investigation into Ingram-Lopez ’ s death was sent to the county attorney ’ s office , which has yet to determine whether it will file criminal charges against the officers .
A video shown to the press on Wednesday shows Ingram-Lopez running around a dark garage hysterically before officers handcuff him , yelling at him to calm down .
The video quality is low due to poor lighting , but Ingram-Lopez can be heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and whimpering as he lays face-down on the ground .
At one point he says he can ’ t breathe , Magnus said .
Eventually , an officer puts what appears to be a yellow plastic blanket over his entire body , and adds another blanket soon after .
Ingram-Lopez is heard crying over and over and saying “ no ” repeatedly as he ’ s on the ground and covered .
After a few minutes , he stops making noise or moving .
Officers administered chest compressions before emergency medical personnel declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has asked the FBI to investigate .
He said that although he was briefed the day after Ingram-Lopez ’ s death , nobody in his administration viewed the video then .
He called the failure to make the death public a misstep but said it was not done with malicious intent .


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--Mexican president’s plan to meet with Trump draws criticism

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Wednesday he plans to travel to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump , an announcement that was met with a storm of criticism in Mexico .
López Obrador said he wants to make his first trip abroad in the first week of July to mark the start of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade accord , which was negotiated with the Trump administration .
Trump is deeply unpopular in Mexico because of his remarks about the country .
And Mexicans remember former President Enrique Peña Nieto ’ s ill-starred meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a candidate in the 2016 election .
Mexico ’ s Foreign Relations Department then issued a statement saying López Obrador ’ s administration wants to steer clear of the U.S. elections .
The two leaders have displayed surprisingly cordial relations despite ideological differences .
Trump said of López Obrador on Tuesday : “ He ’ s really a great guy .
I think he ’ ll be coming into Washington pretty soon.
” López Obrador has called Trump a friend and said his administration has shown respect for Mexico Roberto Velasco Álvarez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of North American affairs , wrote in his Twitter account that “ Mexican diplomacy is based on building bridges with all people.
” “ The main objective of the meeting proposed by President López Obrador is promoting our interests , and is not related to internal ( U.S. ) political processes , ” Velasco Alvarez wrote .
The critics were out in force , though .
Mexico ’ s former ambassador to the U.S. , Arturo Sarukhán , called the trip “ a colossal political , electoral , diplomatic and long-term strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in using the Mexican president as a theatrical prop for the elections , ” wrote Sarukhán .
“ For broad sectors of U.S. society , visiting Trump now , when the country is experiencing its deepest social and ideological crisis in 50 years ... will be interpreted by many here as a show of support for the most polarizing president in modern U.S. history.
” Though he is famous in Mexico for declining international travel , López Obrador said early Wednesday that he wants to go to Washington .
He said he hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , “ but at any rate we will go because it is very important to participate at the launch of an agreement that I consider historic.
” The president has studiously avoided conflict with Mexico ’ s much larger neighbour , even after Trump threatened to put crippling tariffs on Mexican goods imported into the U.S. unless Mexico did more to stop migrant caravans .
Mexico effectively blocked the caravans .
Trump angered many Mexicans when as a candidate in 2016 , he said Mexicans crossing the border brought drugs , crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S.. At the time , critics said Peña Nieto gave him a pulpit when he invited both U.S. candidates to Mexico City in 2016 , but only Trump accepted .
After taking office , Trump continued to promise to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it .
In a recent piece for the Washington Post , Mexican columnist León Krauze wrote about the 2016 meeting , “ Why would López Obrador , who was so critical of Peña Nieto ’ s decision to prop up Trump during a contentious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home over the exact same mistake ?
” “ It could simply be another step in the Mexican president ’ s strange appeasement of the American president , a plan that has led him to embrace controversial immigration measures far from the humanitarian approach he promised as a candidate , ” Krauze wrote .


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--Alaska transportation department revises ferry travel rules

JUNEAU , Alaska - The Alaska transportation department revised rules Wednesday for travelling on state-run ferries , changing coronavirus testing requirements announced just days earlier .
The department , in a release , said passengers already in Alaska who choose longer-duration routes must show a negative result from a test taken within five days of departure or provide a sworn statement that they had quarantined for at least two weeks before the scheduled travel .
Longer-duration travel includes itineraries with a voyage across the Gulf of Alaska ; to or from the Aleutian Chain , including Kodiak ; or starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington .
Protocols announced Sunday had called for all passengers over age 2 on the mainline ferries Kennicott , Matanuska and Tustumena to provide a negative test result within 72 hours before boarding .
A ferry system spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about why the protocols were changed .
Passengers leaving Bellingham must show a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours of departure .
All in-state passengers must complete a screening form , and face coverings will be required for all crew and passengers over age 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is scheduled to resume service July 2 following “ COVID-19 mitigation.
” The ship faced a recent outbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--At age 24, N.C. Congress runoff victor may be rising star

RALEIGH , N.C. - After nearly dying in a car crash six years ago , western North Carolina congressional candidate Madison Cawthorn already has learned many life lessons by age 24 .
“ There is no time to wait , ” Cawthorn said in a recent interview .
“ Life is precious and it can be taken away at any time.
” So when Rep. Mark Meadows shocked Republican activists by announcing the day before filing ended in December that he wouldn ’ t run , Cawthorn jumped in the race at the last minute to succeed him .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s jolted the political establishment , winning the GOP nomination in a Tuesday runoff by soundly beating the candidate endorsed by both Trump and Meadows , who is now the president ’ s chief of staff .
Cawthorn , who now uses a wheelchair because he ’ s partially paralyzed , has built a strong following rapidly with a compelling story , a Libertarian-style focus on freedom and hopes among Republicans that he can attract millennial voters .
“ We just have a much more compelling message that resonated with people , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 2-to-1 victory over Lynda Bennett on Tuesday .
Cawthorn , who reaches the constitutionally-mandated minimum age of 25 to serve in the House on Aug. 1 , would become one of its youngest members in U.S. history if he wins the general election in the Republican-leaning 11th District against Democratic nominee Moe Davis and others .
The youngest current member of Congress , Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York , is 30 .
Cawthorn blitzed Bennett on Tuesday , even though she had been the top vote-getter in the original 12-candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political arms of the House Freedom Caucus that Meadows once led .
While Cawthorn got support from a super PAC run by allies of Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky , supporters said it was his ground game and personality that made the runoff a rout .
“ Madison connects with people .
He listens to them and people like him .
It ’ s not magic , “ Merry Guy , chairwoman of the Republican Party in Henderson County , where Cawthorn lives , said on Wednesday .
“ When you talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone through a lot of things none of us hopefully ever have to go through.
” Cawthorn was 18 when he was critically injured in 2014 in Daytona Beach , Florida , after a car he was riding in struck a concrete pylon .
Now paralyzed from the abdomen down , Cawthorn has started a real estate investment company and gives motivational talks .
Cawthorn pointed to Meadows as a mentor , someone who had nominated him for a Naval Academy appointment before the accident and whom he worked for later .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate described himself as an eighth-generation resident of the district who also knew how to attract young people to the GOP .
“ I represent an emerging generation of Americans who are tomorrow ’ s leaders , most of whom think the Republicans don ’ t care about the disenfranchised , the hurting and those less fortunate .
But nothing can be farther from the truth , “ he said .
Bennett and Cawthorn basically had the same conservative platform on abortion and gun rights and both were ardent supporters of Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it was Bennett who got the president ’ s endorsement .
That wasn ’ t surprising given that Meadows is now his top White House adviser and once closest ally in Congress .
The president ’ s campaign tried quickly on Wednesday to jettison his runoff decision : “ The campaign is excited to see a strong candidate and rising star have such a strong result last night , ” spokesman Tim Murtaugh said .
“ We are excited to stand side by side with him to fight for the future of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bennett got into the race likely contributed to Cawthorn ’ s resounding victory , said Chris Cooper , a political science professor at Western Carolina University .
Meadows ’ 11th-hour announcement that he wouldn ’ t run shut out candidates already running for other offices .
Bennett , a friend of Meadows ’ wife and Haywood County GOP official , announced her candidacy within a few hours of his announcement .
Trump ’ s endorsement failed to help Bennett because it reminded local activists of the candidacy flap , Cooper said .
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s a dynamic speaker , he ’ s got a good story , ” Cooper said .
Others believe Bennett ’ s defeat is an electoral warning for Trump , who won North Carolina by 4 percentage points in 2016 .
Mike Madrid , a Republican strategist and adviser for the anti-Trump Lincoln Project , said while Cawthorn may become a notable part of the conservative movement , Madrid said , his victory wasn ’ t “ ideological at all .
This was about Trump.
” Cawthorn still has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can promote his long career as an Air Force officer , including time as the former chief prosecutor for military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba .
Davis said in a statement after Cawthorn ’ s victory : “ No one in the service starts at the top and I don ’ t think the people of western North Carolina believe a congressional seat should be handed to someone like a graduation present.
” Associated Press writers Bryan Anderson in Raleigh and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report .

Gary D. Robertson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--Prosecutor decides not to charge officer who shot Black teen

COLUMBIA , S.C. - A South Carolina prosecutor said Wednesday that he will not file charges against the white police officer who fatally shot a Black teenager who pointed a gun at the officer as he ran away .
Josh Ruffin , 17 , was an immediate threat to the safety of the officers and others when he stopped during the chase and pointed a gun at Columbia police Officer Kevin Davis , Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson said at a news conference .
Davis had reason to chase the teen because he was outside during the COVID-19 shutdown order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported suspicious activity in an area with a higher than average crime rate , Gipson said .
The Ruffin family ’ s lawyer , state Rep. Todd Rutherford , said they would have preferred for the officer face charges .
They reviewed the body camera footage and weren ’ t convinced that the blurry video ever showed the teen point a gun at the officer .
“ What we saw as a child running away from police .
We saw no reason for arresting Josh , no reason to have stopped him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting had become a focal point of protests over racial injustice in Columbia since the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer who put a knee on Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes .
Gipson , who is Black , opened the news conference speaking several minutes about historic injustices against Blacks by white police officers and society in general .
“ There is no joy in this room having this conversation , “ Gipson said .
The prosecutor said that after getting the text about young people “ messing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis saw Ruffin duck behind a house as he drove by , then saw the teen come back into view with a bag on his shoulder , prosecutors said .
The teen walked away as Davis stopped to talk , then started running , Gipson said .
The prosecutor narrated body camera video that starts with Davis chasing the teen .
The officer ’ s gun is not in his hands as he chases the teen for about 30 seconds .
The video shows Ruffin stop , stoop down and pick up what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Davis then draws his weapon and demands that the teen drop the gun on the video .
After one shot , Ruffin runs out of the video ’ s frame and the officer fires nine more shots .
Gipson said Ruffin was hit in the forehead , which shows he was turned toward the officer when he was struck .
Ruffin never fired , authorities said .
The footage showed a gun and a handbag on the ground beside a bleeding Ruffin as officers rushed up after the shooting .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s intentions were .
But he was armed .
He pointed the gun at the officer and he tried to evade the officer , ” Gipson said .
Prosecutors stopped the body camera footage just as the officers ran up to Ruffin .
The footage released did not show if they immediately gave him first aid .
Ruffin ’ s family doesn ’ t think the did and Rutherford said he doesn ’ t know .
Davis remains on administrative leave as the police department reviews whether he broke any of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Skip Holbrook said .
“ It ’ s a heavy burden that he carries for the rest of his life , “ Holbrook said of Davis , who has worked for the agency for more than four years .
” If he was standing here , he would say this is a tragedy.
” Holbrook defended his agency , saying it is transparent and accountable and he told as much as he knew about the shooting the day after Ruffin was killed .
“ Their training is exceptional .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and respect .
We value that sanctity of life , first and foremost , “ Holbrook said .
Ruffin ’ s shooting has been brought up at several rallies to fight racial injustice in Columbia , with demonstrators shouting , “ Justice for Josh !
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Tanzanian miner is overnight millionaire with large gem find

DODOMA , Tanzania - A small-scale miner in Tanzania has become an overnight millionaire after unearthing two of the biggest rough tanzanite gemstones ever found .
Tanzania ’ s government bought the book-sized stones weighing 20 pounds ( 9 kg ) and 11 pounds ( 5 kg ) from miner Saniniu Laizer for $ 3.4 million .
Minerals Minister Doto Biteko said on state television Wednesday the government is buying the rare minerals for preservation .
“ We ’ re signing agreements today in public to facilitate the cash transfer ... and the government recognizes Laizer is a new billionaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of the local currency .
Laizer said in a televised interview he plans to open a shopping mall and a school for his community .
“ The money that I have received today , I will allocate it to more development activities , ” he said .
Tanzania is a rich country , President John Magufuli said when congratulating him .
Tanzanite is found only in the East African country .
Mining activities accounted for 17 % of the East African country ’ s GDP in 2019 .
Magufuli ’ s administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smuggling and increase revenue collection in the sector .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Belgian, UK police bust migrant smugglers; 12 arrested

BRUSSELS - Belgian police on Thursday arrested 10 people suspected of smuggling migrants into Britain during a major operation linked @ @ @ @ @ human trafficking .
Police officers carried out 12 house searches in the Liege area as @ @ @ @ @ dismantle the trafficking network , Belgium ’ s federal public prosecutor ’ s office said @ @ @ @ @ to an investigating judge who will decide whether they should be kept in detention .
@ @ @ @ @ officers arrested two people during searches carried out simultaneously , the prosecutor ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ ’ s operations , the Belgian prosecutor ’ s office said migrants were housed in @ @ @ @ @ the Netherlands .
Once there , they were put on rental boats from the small @ @ @ @ @ December , British authorities intercepted 14 people during one of the trips upon their arrival @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor ’ s office said the investigations would continue in both countries .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Maine releases checklists for businesses reopening on July 1

PORTLAND , Maine - The administration of Democratic Gov .
Janet Mills has released checklists for businesses allowed to reopen July 1 during the third phase of the state ’ s economic reopening plan .
The rules cover movie theatres , bowling alleys , amusement parks and entertainment venues .
A 50-person limit remains on shared spaces with strict rules intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
Bars , tasting rooms and breweries , however , will not be allowed to reopen for indoor service .
Outdoor service is allowed , however .
The Mills administrations contends Maine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northeastern states in its reopening plan .
“ These reopenings represent a positive step forward for Maine and our economy , but Maine people and businesses must remain vigilant , ” the governor Wednesday said in a statement .
She noted that there are growing and “ in some instances record high ” numbers of COVID-19 cases in other states and that those serve as “ cautionary tales ” as Maine continues to reopen .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Belarus leader alleges election meddling from Russia, Poland

MINSK , Belarus - The president of Belarus has accused unidentified forces in Russia and Poland of interfering in the country ’ s presidential election , in which he is seeking a sixth term .
Speaking at a meeting with diplomats on Thursday , Alexander Lukashenko alleged that “ puppet masters “ in the two countries are behind those campaigning to run against him in the upcoming election .
The president added that “ hideous ” fake stories about him and his family are being spread in Belarus as part of the meddling campaign .
“ We will talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir ) Putin soon , when we meet , but this situation is very complicated .
The most sophisticated fake ( news ) technologies are being used , ” Lukashenko said .
The Kremlin on Thursday rejected the accusations .
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia “ has never meddled , does not meddle and doesn ’ t plan to meddle ” in elections in other countries , and added that Minsk should provide “ arguments ” in support of the allegations .
As the Aug. 9 presidential election approaches , Belarusian authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , detaining about 360 opposition activists amid mass protests across the country .
They included including popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovski , who was collecting signatures for his wife ’ s nomination as a presidential candidate .
His wife said she was threatened along with their children .
Last week , authorities detained Viktor Babariko , a potential presidential candidate and the former head of a Russia-owned bank , Belgazprombank .
Babariko , who claimed to have gathered 435,000 signatures in support of his candidacy — four times more than the minimum needed — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to challenge Lukashenko .
Lukashenko , 65 , has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since July 1994 and relentlessly cracks down on the political opposition and independent media .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--‘Faces of the conquerors’: Trump trip to Rushmore draws fire

SIOUX FALLS , S.D .
- President Donald Trump ’ s plans to kick off Independence Day with a showy display at Mount Rushmore are drawing sharp criticism from Native Americans who view the monument as a desecration of land violently stolen from them and used to pay homage to leaders hostile to native people .
Several groups led by Native American activists are planning protests for Trump ’ s July 3 visit , part of Trump ’ s “ comeback ” campaign for a nation reeling from sickness , unemployment and , recently , social unrest .
The event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the 79-year-old stone monument in South Dakota ’ s Black Hills and the first fireworks display at the site since 2009 .
But it comes amid a national reckoning over racism and a reconsideration of the symbolism of monuments around the globe .
Many Native American activists say the Rushmore memorial is as reprehensible as the many Confederate monuments being toppled around the nation .
“ Mount Rushmore is a symbol of white supremacy , of structural racism that ’ s still alive and well in society today , ” said Nick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lakota tribe and the president of a local activist organization called NDN Collective .
“ It ’ s an injustice to actively steal Indigenous people ’ s land then carve the white faces of the conquerors who committed genocide.
” While some activists , like Tilsen , want to see the monument removed altogether and the Black Hills returned to the Lakota , others have called for a share in the economic benefits from the region and the tourists it attracts .
Trump has long shown a fascination with Mount Rushmore .
South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 that he had once told her straight-faced it was his dream to have his face carved into the monument .
He later joked at a campaign rally about getting enshrined alongside George Washington , Thomas Jefferson , Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln .
And while it was Noem , a Republican , who pushed for a return of the fireworks on the eve of Independence Day , Trump joined the effort and committed to visiting South Dakota for the celebration .
The four faces , carved into the mountain with dynamite and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shrine to democracy.
” The presidents were chosen by sculptor Gutzon Borglum for their leadership during four phases of American development : Washington led the birth of the nation ; Jefferson sparked its westward expansion ; Lincoln preserved the union and emancipated slaves ; Roosevelt championed industrial innovation .
And yet , for many Native American people , including the Lakota , Cheyenne , Omaha , Arapaho , Kiowa and Kiowa-Apache , the monument is a desecration to the Black Hills , which they consider sacred .
Lakota people know the area as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything that is.
” As monuments to Confederate and colonial leaders have been removed across U.S. cities , conservatives have expressed concern that Mount Rushmore could be next .
Commentator Ben Shapiro this week suggested that the “ woke historical revisionist priesthood ” wanted to blow up the monument .
Noem responded by tweeting , “ Not on my watch.
” Tim Giago , a journalist who is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe , said he doesn ’ t see four great American leaders when he looks at the monument , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made racist remarks or initiated actions that removed Native Americans from their land .
Washington and Jefferson both held slaves .
Lincoln , though he led the abolition of slavery , also approved the hanging of 38 Dakota men in Minnesota after a violent conflict with white settlers there .
Roosevelt is reported to have said , “ I don ’ t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians , but I believe nine out of every ten are.. ” The monument has long been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliaferro , author of “ Great White Fathers , ” a history of the monument .
” All sorts of people can go there and see it in different ways.
” The monument often starts conversations on the paradox of American democracy — that a republic that promoted the ideals of freedom , determination and innovation also enslaved people and drove others from their land , he said .
“ If we ’ re having this discussion today about what American democracy is , Mount Rushmore is really serving its purpose because that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Is it fragile ?
Is it permanent ?
Is it cracking somewhat ?
” The monument was conceived in the 1920s as a tourist draw for the new fad in vacationing called the road trip .
South Dakota historian Doane Robinson recruited Borglum , one of the preeminent sculptors at the time , to abandon his work creating the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial in Georgia , which was to feature Robert E. Lee , Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson .
Borglum was a member of the Ku Klux Klan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tom Griffith .
Borglum joined the Klan to raise money for the Confederate memorial , and Griffith argues his allegiance was more practical than ideological .
He left that project and instead spent years in South Dakota completing Mount Rushmore .
Native American activists have long staged protests at the site to raise awareness among the history of the Black Hills , which were taken from them despite treaties with the United States protecting the land .
Fifty years ago this summer a group of activists associated with an organization called United Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monument and occupied it .
Quanah Brightman , who now runs United Native Americans , said the activism in the 1970s grew out of the civil rights movement of the 1960s .
He hopes a similar movement for Native Americans comes from the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ What people find here is the story of America — it ’ s multidimensional , it ’ s complex , ” Griffith said .
“ It ’ s important to understand it was people just trying to do right as best they knew it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to show the name of the group is Ku Klux Klan , not Klu Klux Klan .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Thai police say they have busted major money-laundering ring

BANGKOK - Police in Thailand say they have broken up a money-laundering ring that transferred a total of 10 billion baht ( $ 323 million ) , much of it linked to drug trafficking .
A Chinese businessman arrested in Bangkok , Qaing Ma , is believed to be a key figure in the operation , police Maj. Gen. Veerachon Boontawee said Thursday .
The suspect was flown by police to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and was unavailable for comment .
Veerachon , head of the investigation division in the police region incorporating Chiang Mai , said Ma owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools and machines and send back Thai agricultural products such as frozen chicken .
The businesses were used to carry out illegal money transfers , he said by telephone .
Ma “ created a very complex network of money transfers to cover the origin of the money , ” Veerachon said .
Arrest warrants were issued for 109 suspects in the June 16-22 police operation to shut down the network , he said .
Police apprehended 74 suspects , including 13 already in prison , while 35 remain at large .
Veerachon said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baht ( $ $ 323 million ) in 2018–2020 , most of it linked to drug traffickers in Thailand and neighbouring Myanmar .
Myanmar is a major source of illegal drugs , most notably methamphetamine , for which Thailand is a major market and transit point .
Police began the money-laundering investigation after a seizure in January last year of 9 million methamphetamine tablets .
They found bank books in the car from which they seized the drugs , and traced the accounts .
They found Ma ’ s accounts served as both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flows .
Ma ’ s companies also acted as an “ underground bank ” for more conventional Chinese businesspeople seeking to avoid fees by concealing money transfers , Veerachon said .
The suspects in the case include minor participants who each allegedly received 2,000-3,000 baht ( $ 65-97 ) for allowing the ring to use their bank accounts .
All those involved face two charges so far : involvement with a transnational crime organization and money laundering .
Each carries a penalty of 5-15 years in prison term and a 200,000 baht ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further arrests are expected .

Busaba Sivasomboon - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Reporters Without Borders condemns arrest of Egyptian editor

CAIRO - A leading media watchdog group condemned on Thursday the arrest this week of the editor of one of Egypt ’ s few remaining independent news outlets , and urged authorities to immediately release her and drop all charges .
Nora Younis , editor of the al-Manassa news website , was arrested Wednesday after security forces raided her office in Cairo .
She faces charges of managing a news website without an operating license , al-Manassa said .
After spending the night in police custody , Younis was expected to appear before prosecutors on Thursday , the outlet also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrative stalling , the authorities prevented Al-Manassa from legalizing its situation , so that the lack of an official permit to operate became a pretext for judicial proceedings , ” Reporters Without Borders said .
Media outlets are required to have permission to work in Egypt , but withholding accreditation is often used as a pretext to silence reporting the state sees as critical .
Al-Manassa has said in previous statements that it applied for a license in October 2018 but has not received a response .
Younis is a rights activist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a managing editor at Al-Masry Al-Youm , Egypt ’ s most popular daily .
Younis founded Al-Manassa in 2015 , but authorities blocked the website in 2017 , one of hundreds of sites banned or blocked in recent years .
The outlet , however , continued to publish through mirror sites .
Egypt ’ s government , under general-turned-president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi , has overseen an unprecedented political crackdown , silencing critics and jailing thousands .
In recent years , Egypt has imprisoned dozens of reporters and occasionally expelled some foreign journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s worst jailers of journalists , along with Turkey and China , according to the Committee to Protect Journalists .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--US GDP fell at 5.0% rate in Q1; worse is likely on the way

WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy shrank at a 5.0 % rate in the first quarter with a much worse decline expected in the current three-month economic period , which will show what happened when the pandemic began spread across the U.S .
The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the decline in the gross domestic product , the total output of goods and services , in the January-March quarter was unchanged from the estimate made a month ago .
The 5 % drop was the sharpest quarterly decline since an 8.4 % fall in the fourth quarter of 2008 during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Great Depression .
The first quarter period captured just two weeks of the shutdowns that began in many parts of the country in mid-March .
Economists believe that GDP plunged around 30 % from April through the end of this month .
That would be the biggest quarterly decline on record , three times bigger than the current record-holder , a 10 % drop in the first quarter of 1958 .
Forecasters believe the economy will rebound in the second half of the year .
The Congressional Budget Office is predicting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July-September quarter followed by a 10.4 % gain in the fourth quarter .
However , a handful of states , particularly in the South , have begun to report surging infections .
And even with a rebound in growth if it does materialize in July , it would come after seismic losses that would mean a decline in economic output for the entire year .
While the overall GDP figure was unchanged for the first quarter , the composition shifted slightly with downward revisions to consumer spending , exports and business inventories offset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Thursday report was the government ’ s third and final look at first quarter GDP .
The panel of economists who have the job of declaring U.S. recessions announced on June 8 that the country had entered a downturn in February , ending the longest economic expansion in U.S. history , 128 months of uninterrupted growth that had begun in June 2009 following the downturn triggered by the 2008 financial crisis .
President Donald Trump , who has to face voters in November , has declared that the economy will come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this summer .
Economists are no where near that optimistic .
They are worried about the devastating impact a second serious wave of the coronavirus could have if it forced widespread shutdowns again .
Financial markets took a nosedive Wednesday , reflecting new worries about reports of rising coronavirus cases as states have re-opened .
“ I can ’ t remember the economy facing this much uncertainty , ” said Sung Won Sohn , a business and economics professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles .
He said that until a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high uncertainty can be expected to last .
Mark Zandi , chief economist at Moody ’ s Analytics , said for the country to avoid a double-dip recession , an effective vaccine needs to be available next year and new waves of coronavirus cases will need to do less damage than the first wave .
Congress needs to soon pass another package of at least $ 1 trillion in further support for laid-off workers and struggling businesses , Zandi said .
“ If any of these three things don ’ t happen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Zandi said .
“ I think we are in a recovery mode right now but the economy is very fragile .
”

Martin Crutsinger - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Pandemic throws Greece’s budget off-target, hurts recovery

ATHENS , Greece - Greece ’ s budget deficit has widened due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic , which has slammed the key tourism sector and is pushing the country into recession .
The Finance Ministry said Thursday that the primary deficit figure for the state budget , the balance before debt servicing costs , stood at 4.84 billion euros ( $ 5.41 billion ) in the first five months of the year .
In the first four months , it was 1.52 billion ( $ 1.7 billion ) .
Greece has delivered primary budget surpluses for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitments to European Union bailout lenders , but creditors have agreed to relax those conditions this year due to the crisis .
With its strong reliance on tourism , Greece is headed back into a major recession this year .
Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said Wednesday that the government expected the country to suffer a contraction of 8 % of gross domestic product in 2020 with a whopping 16 % downturn in the second quarter of the year .
Greece had originally expected its economy to grow by 2.8 % with the recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and recession .
State budget calculations do not include budgets for local government and social security .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Bus crash in Polish capital kills 1, injures about 20 others

WARSAW , Poland - A Warsaw city bus crashed through a barrier on a highway overpass on Thursday and fell @ @ @ @ @ , killing at least one person and injuring about 20 others , authorities said .
@ @ @ @ @ were hospitalized in serious condition , Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski said .
Warsaw Mayor Rafal @ @ @ @ @ a weekend presidential election , suspended his campaigning outside of the capital and went to @ @ @ @ @ .
The articulated bus appeared to split in half , with the front section resting @ @ @ @ @ embankment after it slammed through the barrier and plunged several meters below .
The back @ @ @ @ @ dangling above on the railings with a gaping tear in the middle section .
Trzaskowski @ @ @ @ @ driver might have lost control after suddenly becoming weak , but warned that the investigation @ @ @ @ @ said the driver was young and the bus was a year old .
The driver @ @ @ @ @ ’ t in serious condition , police said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Maryland to award $300K for newspaper shooting memorial

ANNAPOLIS , Md .
- Maryland is set to award $ 300,000 for the construction of a memorial honouring the @ @ @ @ @ at a newspaper office .
The state plans to award the funds next week for @ @ @ @ @ located in an Annapolis park and pay tribute to slain Capital Gazette employees John McNamara @ @ @ @ @ Winters , Rob Hiaasen and Rebecca Smith , the newspaper reported .
The memorial , @ @ @ @ @ Speech , ” will include five pillars in front of the text of the First @ @ @ @ @ the newspaper said .
The project is set to be unveiled in June 2021 on @ @ @ @ @ shooting in which authorities said a man with a history of harassing people at the @ @ @ @ @ newsroom and opened fire .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Atlanta reality TV star charged with misusing relief funds

ATLANTA - A reality television star who appeared on the show “ Love & Hip Hop : Atlanta ” was indicted Wednesday for allegedly using coronavirus relief funds intended to help small businesses survive to pay for luxuries such as a Rolls-Royce and custom jewelry , federal officials said .
In a news release , the Department of Justice said Maurice Fayne , 37 , was charged with bank fraud , making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution and money laundering .
The charges are related to the Paycheck Protection Program , a federal program designed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were closed or severely restricted because of the coronavirus .
He ’ s also charged with wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi scheme , the release said .
“ Despite the difficult times the recent Coronavirus pandemic has caused , the FBI and our federal partners continue to be vigilant in making sure funds provided by programs like PPP are used as intended , ” Chris Hacker , the special agent in charge of the Atlanta FBI office , said in the news release .
Fayne , who also goes by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality show , was arrested May 11 .
According to court records , he ’ s out on bond .
Fayne ’ s attorney listed on court records did not immediately return a request for comment .
Fayne denied in an interview with federal officials that he misused the PPP money , according to the news release .
Federal officials said Fayne posed as the owner of a profitable trucking business from August 2014 through May 2020 .
But in reality the business never made enough money to cover expenses .
Fayne is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then using their money to pay for his extravagant lifestyle .
In April 2020 , he applied for a $ 3.7 million PPP loan , saying he had 107 employees at his trucking company , Flame Trucking , and that he ’ d use the money to pay expenses and retain staff .
Instead , federal officials say , he used the money for things like leasing a Rolls-Royce for $ 136,000 , buying $ 85,000 in custom-made jewelry , and restitution in a previous fraud case .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Applications for jobless aid fall to still-high 1.48 million

WASHINGTON - The number of laid-off workers who applied for unemployment benefits declined slightly to 1.48 million last week , the 12th straight drop and a sign that layoffs are slowing but are still at a painfully high level .
The steady decline in claims suggests that the job market has begun to slowly heal from the pandemic , which shuttered businesses and sent the unemployment rate up to 14.7 % in April , its highest level since the Great Depression .
The total number of people who are receiving jobless aid also fell last week , evidence that employers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been laid off since mid-March .
Yet the latest figure also coincides with a sudden resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the United States , especially in the South and West , that ’ s threatening to derail a nascent economic rebound .
On Wednesday , the nation set a record high of new coronavirus cases .
Many states are establishing their own records for daily infections , including Arizona , California , Mississippi , Nevada , Texas and Oklahoma .
Cases of coronavirus have also jumped in Florida and Georgia .
Should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some limits on businesses that would likely trigger job cuts .
Whether by choice or by government order , fewer consumers would shop , travel , eat out and visit bars or gyms .
All those scenarios would result in renewed layoffs and hinder the economy .
Nervous investors sent stock prices plummeting Wednesday over escalating fears that the economy will suffer further damage from the disease .
“ The health crisis continues to cast a dark shadow over the economic landscape , ” said Bob Schwartz , a senior economist at Oxford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week ’ s heightened worries about the pandemic , many economists had been relatively optimistic .
In May , the unemployment rate unexpectedly declined , though to a still-high 13.3 % .
Consumers began spending again , sending retail sales jumping by a record amount .
And sales of new homes rose as record-low mortgage rates fueled buyer interest .
In May , employers added 2.5 million jobs , a surprise gain .
Still , that hiring represented just one-ninth of all the jobs that have been lost since the pandemic struck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployed .
The economy shrank at a 5 % annual rate in the first three months of the year , the government estimated Thursday .
Yet economists envision a much sharper plunge in the April-June quarter -- a rate of up to 30 % , which would be the worst since record-keeping began in 1948 .
Analysts expect the economy to rebound in the second half of this year before potentially regaining its pre-pandemic level in late 2021 at the earliest .
Yet all that assumes that the pandemic doesn ’ t intensify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set the job market and the economy even further back .
If it does , the damage could be dire .
For now , real time data on small businesses suggests that the economy ’ s improvement slowed in June compared with May and then stalled in the past week in some states that had reopened their economies the earliest .
Homebase , a company that provides scheduling and time-tracking software to small companies , says the proportion of small businesses that have reopened has levelled off .
As of Monday , 78 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracks were open , little changed from a week earlier .
In Florida and Texas , the proportion of small businesses that have closed has actually risen as a result of the resurgent viral outbreaks .
Apple said late Wednesday that it would re-close seven of its stores in the Houston area , which is suffering a spike in cases .
Last week , it had said would re-close 11 other stores in four states .
Economists at Goldman Sachs have upgraded their economic forecasts for the rest of this year and next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gains and other positive data .
But they warned that a “ significant ” second wave of cases this fall that would force business closures could slash growth next year by more than half .
For the unemployed , the federal government has been providing $ 600 in weekly benefits , on top of whatever state jobless aid recipients are receiving .
This federal money has pumped nearly $ 20 billion a week into the economy and enabled many of the unemployed to stay afloat .
A majority of recipients are even earning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs , raising concerns that this could discourage some of them from returning to work .
But the $ 600 a week in aid will expire after July , and Trump administration officials have said they oppose an extension .
Republicans and Democrats in Congress have introduced compromise measures .
The $ 600 a week has been a major help to Alexis O ’ Neill , who was laid off in March from an accounting job at an aviation fuel company .
O ’ Neill , 49 , who lives with her mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking for a job that would allow her to work from home so she could avoid putting her mother at risk of contracting the virus .
She has applied for at least a dozen jobs but has received no responses except an acknowledgement of her application .
Many open jobs now seem to offer lower pay than before the pandemic struck .
Compounding the dilemma for O ’ Neill , Michigan is stuck with the nation ’ s second-highest state unemployment rate , 21.2 % .
“ The job market is terrible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pays so badly or doesn ’ t come with benefits .
”

Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Targeted sculptures linked to Wisconsin, Civil War history

CHICAGO - Protesters have defaced and torn down statues of historic figures during recent demonstrations against racial injustice in cities across the nation .
Most of those pieces have explicit ties to colonialism , slavery and the Confederacy , including imagery of Christopher Columbus and former U.S. presidents who owned slaves .
In Madison , Wisconsin , protesters tore down two sculptures with no obvious links to that history : one depicting an abolitionist Union military official and another of a female form representing the state motto “ Forward.
“ Protesters said in media interviews that the state and city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressive values represented by the “ Forward ” and Col. Hans Christian Heg sculptures that were torn down Tuesday night .
Jean Pond Miner ’ s “ Forward ” bronze statue represented Wisconsin at the 1893 World ’ s Columbian Exposition in Chicago .
A pamphlet for the event said the female figure was standing at the prow of a boat surging through the water .
It was later installed outside an entrance to the Capitol building and remained there until 1995 when the weather-damaged original was removed and replaced by a bronze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a silent participant in Madison protests for a variety of causes , serving as a place to hang signs and a climbing post for people leading chants .
Nada Elmikashfi , a Black resident who ’ s running for one of the state Senate districts representing Madison , said the statue doesn ’ t have the same meaning to everyone , particularly people of colour .
“ The symbolism of lady Forward and that word Forward has really been only for white Wisconsinites , ” she said .
“ I think that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found hard to swallow.
” Wisconsin women raised the money to have Miner ’ s statue cast for the exposition in Chicago and women also led the effort to pay for the replica ’ s creation decades later .
That history has made it a favourite among women ’ s rights supporters .
In a tribute to that legacy , artists Brenda Baker and Bird Ross photographed nearly 200 women mirroring the sculpted figure ’ s pose for a 2017 art show during festivities for the Capitol building ’ s 100th anniversary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sculpture ’ s removal but “ have empathy for anybody trying to be heard right now.
” “ Art is such a powerful tool for us to celebrate and talk about who we are as a society , ” Baker said .
“ This is just another example.
” Paul Fjelde ’ s statue was the result of a years-long campaign by Norwegian Americans to mark their contributions to American history and honour the political abolitionist and Union colonel who died during the Civil War .
The Norwegian Society of America collected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the installation of identical copies of Heg ’ s statue in Racine County , Wisconsin , and in Lier , Norway , said Kristin Risley , a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Stout who has studied the campaign .
The Madison sculpture was the society ’ s gift to the state .
It was installed outside the Capitol building in 1926 .
Risley said Heg ’ s position as colonel of the 15th Wisconsin Regiment , largely made up of immigrants , and his death at the Battle of Chickamauga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans seeking a way to mark the contributions of their ancestors after immigrating to the U.S. “ For the people that wanted to build this monument , Heg was viewed as a man of principle , who was willing to act on that and uphold the ideals of the U.S. as a new American , ” she said .
But it seems likely that few Wisconsinites know Heg ’ s biography , despite the sculpture ’ s presence outside the Capitol .
Risley , who grew up in Madison and has Norwegian American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew almost nothing about him until undertaking a research project about the Heg sculpture during graduate school .
This story has been corrected to show that the society that donated the Col. Hans Christian Heg sculpture was the Norwegian Society of America , not the Norwegian American Society .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Police overhaul dims, but House Democrats push ahead on vote

WASHINGTON - With a policing overhaul stalled in the Senate , House Democrats are returning to Washington for a daylong debate and vote on their sweeping proposal to address the global outcry over the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans .
The House is set to vote Thursday evening on the Justice in Policing Act , perhaps the most ambitious proposed changes to police procedures and accountability in decades .
Backed by the nation ’ s leading civil rights groups , it is a legislative effort that tries to match the moment of massive demonstrations filling city streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance of becoming law .
On the eve of the vote , President Donald Trump ’ s administration signalled he would veto the bill .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also said it will not pass the Republican-held chamber .
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has summoned lawmakers who have been working from home during the COVID-19 crisis to the Capitol for a day that will almost certainly resonate with symbolism , one month after Floyd ’ s death .
“ If nothing happens with it , it ’ s one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” We have different philosophies.
” Congress is now at a familiar impasse despite polling that shows Americans overwhelmingly want changes after the deaths of Floyd , Breonna Taylor and others in interactions with law enforcement .
But in the stalemate , Democrats and Republicans are blaming each other as a generational crisis over racial injustice and police tactics sweeps the country .
The parties are settled into their political zones .
Republicans are lined up squarely behind their effort , led by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina , the lone Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his personal experience of racism at the hands of police .
Democrats , led by Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , are standing with progressive and civil rights activists rejecting the Republican bill as insufficient and pushing for more .
Now , Congress appears to be leaving it to voters to decide in the fall election that will determine control of the presidency , the House and the Senate .
“ I ’ m frustrated , ” said Scott after his bill was blocked by Democrats .
“ The issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he asked , echoing the words of the Black Lives Matter movement , during an impassioned Senate speech that drew applause from his colleagues .
“ We said no today.
” But Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. , a co-author of the Democrats ’ package , brushed aside his bill as inadequate “ crumbs ” that don ’ t respond to a movement that stretches through U.S. history from Emmett Till to Rodney King to today .
“ We are part of a movement that started a long time ago and this movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
She urged colleagues to “ let the beginning be today ” and start new talks toward a better bill .
Both bills share common elements that could be grounds for a compromise .
They would create a national database of use of force incidents , restrict police chokeholds and set up new training procedures .
The Democratic bill goes much further , mandating many of those changes , while also revising federal statute for police misconduct and holding officers personally liable to damages in lawsuits .
As talks potentially continue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the negotiating table .
The two bills , the House and Senate versions , would ultimately need to be the same to become law .
Neither bill goes as far as some activists want with calls to defund the police and shift resources to other community services .
Republicans and Democrats brought their bills forward as a starting point in the broader debate over how best to change policing practices .
Scott insisted he was open to many of the broader changes proposed by Democrats .
But the depth of Democrats ’ distrust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate is deep , and most Democratic senators were unwilling to take that chance .
Instead , Senate Democrats are withholding their votes as leverage , believing once the House Democrats pass their bill , Senate Republicans facing the groundswell of public sentiment will have no choice but to negotiate .
With just a few months before the fall election , that seems increasingly unlikely .
Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman , Andrew Taylor and Jill Colvin contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Indonesia surpasses 50,000 virus cases as business resumes

JAKARTA , Indonesia - The number of coronavirus cases in Indonesia surpassed 50,000 on Thursday , an increase that is worrying experts at a time when the government is allowing businesses to reopen amid increasing economic pressure .
The surging cases in the world ’ s fourth-most populous country align with its increasing testing capacity , which has averaged close to the government ’ s daily target of 20,000 over the past week , said Achmad Yurianto , spokesman for the National COVID-19 Task Force .
But skepticism remains over the ability of the government to conduct enough tests to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Southeast Asian nation , home to more than 270 million people living on thousands of islands .
The task force said the coronavirus has infected 50,187 people and killed at least 2,620 , the highest number of cases and fatalities in Southeast Asia .
That ’ s up from just two positive cases in early March .
A total of 20,449 patients have recovered from the illness nationwide .
Since the first cases were confirmed , Indonesia has tested fewer than 430,000 people , according to government data .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s recommendation of testing 1 % to 1.5 % of a country ’ s population , said Laura Navika Yamani , an epidemiology expert at Airlangga University .
“ In terms of epidemiological measures , the situation in Indonesia is indeed not safe , ” Yamani said .
“ Without sufficient testing , the full extent of COVID-19 transmission will remain unknown.
” The soaring number of cases is deepening Indonesia ’ s economic gloom .
Planning Minister Suharso Monoarfa recently said that up to 5.5 million Indonesians may lose their jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9.4 % of the population lived below the national poverty line last year .
He said the poverty rate is expected to rise to 10.2 % .
President Joko Widodo said his administration wants Indonesia ’ s economy back on track but safe from the virus , and started the country ’ s reopening earlier this month .
Offices , restaurants and shopping centres have reopened with 50 % of their employees and customers .
Public transportation has also resumed .
Many people are worried about the reopening .
The government plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel as the restrictions are gradually lifted through July .
Working at a private hospital in Jakarta , Dr. Yesika Nadya contracted the virus while treating a patient who was seriously ill with COVID-19 .
She said there used to be a shared desire to curb coronavirus transmission , but now things have changed with the focus now on reopening , with people more concerned about making money for food instead of observing health guidelines .
“ I am worried because this impact can harm a wider community and for some people it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Indonesia ’ s economy grew just 2.9 % in January-March , its slowest rate in almost two decades , as the pandemic made its effects felt .
Forecasts are more grim .
The World Bank expects no growth for Indonesia this year , while the Asian Development Bank projected Indonesia ’ s gross domestic product will shrink 1 % this year , its worst performance since the 1998 Asian financial crisis .
On June 16 the government unveiled a third stimulus package worth 695.2 trillion rupiah ( $ 49.6 billion ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rupiah ( $ 47.9 billion ) and 641.2 trillion rupiah ( $ 45.3 billion ) .
“ We are hoping that this stimulus can maintain our economic growth at above zero per cent , ” Finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said at a news conference .
Health experts have warned that Indonesia ’ s fight against COVID-19 is far from over , emphasizing that its limited testing capabilities make it harder to obtain an accurate picture of the pandemic , and saying that reopening the economy prematurely could trigger a second wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be reached , ” said Yamani , the epidemiologist .
“ The number of ( confirmed ) COVID-19 cases in Indonesia is just the tip of the iceberg of an outbreak with those low testing rates .
”

Niniek Karmini And Edna Tarigan - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Man runs 218 miles to virus-stricken ‘Nana’s’ nursing home

SCRANTON , Pa. - Endurance athlete Corey Cappelloni once ran six days through the Sahara Desert in what ’ s considered the most grueling foot race on Earth .
But a 218-mile run to grandma after she was sickened with COVID-19 turned out to be the longest , toughest and most rewarding of his life .
Cappelloni spent seven days covering the distance from his home in Washington , D.C. , to the nursing home where 98-year-old Ruth Andres , lives in his hometown of Scranton , Pennsylvania , arriving June 19 to cheers , flags and purple balloons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Allied Services Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center applauded as he crossed the finish line .
Out of breath but smiling , he pointed to “ Nana ’ s ” fourth-floor room , where she peered through the window .
A sign hung outside read , “ I Love You Corey.
” “ Nana , you ’ re a strong person , ” Cappelloni said into a cellphone and microphone , as a nurse held up the other end of the line to Andres .
“ You ’ re going on 99 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Unable to visit in person out of safety concerns for residents , he promised to give her a long-awaited hug soon .
Cappelloni ’ s “ Run for Ruth ” has raised more than $ 24,000 so far for smartphones and tablets to help older adults isolated due to the pandemic communicate with loved ones .
It also aimed to raise awareness about residents and caregivers in such facilities , many of which have been hit hard by the coronavirus , and to honour the lives lost , including Cappelloni ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 .
Andres was diagnosed in early June .
She began running a high fever , was too weak to talk some days and had to get supplemental oxygen .
Cappelloni , who was calling daily , noticed she was becoming more and more afraid .
“ She was no longer able to have family , visitors , friends visit her , ” he said .
“ And she became a little depressed , so I knew that I had to do something to try to uplift her spirits.
” At first he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
Then his girlfriend , Susan Kamenar , had an idea : What if he ran to her ?
So he set out northward along trails and streets , through forests and residential neighbourhoods .
Kamenar followed behind in an RV the couple rented to better maintain social distancing while eating and sleeping .
Cappelloni had been training for an ultramarathon scheduled for mid-March , but he pulled out because of the pandemic .
He ran an ultramarathon in Peru in December , and was still in good shape .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races like the more than 150-mile ( 251-kilometre ) Marathon des Sables in Morocco , he wasn ’ t sure he could endure the equivalent of seven ultramarathons of 31.2 miles ( 50.2 kilometres ) , longer than a standard 26.2-mile ( 42.2- kilometre ) marathon , in as many days .
He started strong and was posting good daily times , but on day six he hit the wall .
Exhausted and hurting , he slowed to a walk .
Then came a text message and a huge mental lift : Nana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She had some very rough days , ” Cappelloni said that day in a video he posted online .
“ But you know , she fought through them , and that ’ s what I ’ m doing today.
” Cappelloni said Andres was there when he took his first steps and he often refers to her as his second mother .
“ Why I decided to do this was to show my grandmother that I ’ m here for her and that I really care for her , Cappelloni said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me from when I was born.
” Associated Press video journalist Jessie Wardarski contributed to this report .
While nonstop news about the effects of the coronavirus has become commonplace , so , too , have tales of kindness .
“ One Good Thing ” is a series of AP stories focusing on glimmers of joy and benevolence in a dark time .
Read the series here : https : //apnews.com/OneGoodThing

Luis Andres Henao - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Orders for US big-ticket factory goods surge 15.8% in May

WASHINGTON - Orders to American factories for big-ticket goods rebounded last month from a disastrous April as the U.S. economy @ @ @ @ @ The Commerce Department said that orders for manufactured goods meant to last at least three @ @ @ @ @ in May after plunging 18.1 % in April .
Economists expected a rebound , but @ @ @ @ @ than expected .
A category that tracks business investment — orders for nondefense capital goods @ @ @ @ @ % after plunging 6.5 % in April .
The lockdowns , travel restrictions and social @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 brought economic activity to a near standstill across the United States in March and @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Germany increases donation to WHO but demands reforms

GENEVA - Germany on Thursday announced that it is giving half a billion euros to support the World Health Organization amid the COVID-19 pandemic , but said reforms are necessary to make the agency more transparent and accountable .
German Health Minister Jens Spahn , said the country remains a “ critical friend ” of the World Health Organization .
Speaking at a meeting of some member states at WHO headquarters in Geneva on Thursday , Spahn said Germany would do its part to give WHO the political , financial and technical backing it required .
He said most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the agency ’ s plan to stop the coronavirus pandemic .
Part of the money — 110 million euros — had been announced previously .
“ This comes with the clear expectation that remaining challenges are adequately addressed and needed reforms are pushed forward , ” Spahn said .
Last month , WHO bowed to member countries ’ request for an independent probe of how it managed the global response to coronavirus .
“ We need a strong , efficient , transparent and accountable WHO today more than ever , ” Spahn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have “ decision-making processes driven by the facts , and not by politics.
” In recent weeks , WHO has come under siege from U.S. President Donald Trump and others , who have blasted its performance during COVID-19 and accused the agency of colluding with China to hide the extent of the outbreak when the virus first emerged .
Trump had previously declared he was suspending U.S. funding to WHO and pulling his country out ; it provides about $ 450 million a year as the agency ’ s single biggest donor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed sharing critical information with WHO for weeks and that the agency publicly praised China while voicing internal frustrations at Chinese officials ’ lack of co-operation .
In addition to the cash , Spahn said Germany would also be providing medical equipment including masks for countries struggling to deal with the pandemic .
“ This is a clear sign for our dedication to the work of WHO , ” Spahn said , warning that “ isolated national answers to international problems are doomed to fail.
” French health minister Olivier Veran said France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 million euros to build an academy in Lyon , in addition to another 50 million announced by President Emmanuel Macron .
He also said France would be providing 100 million masks .
“ The French contribution is not aimed to replace the U.S. contribution .
The French contribution is there to remind the World Health Organization that it can count on the friendship of the European Union , “ Veran said .
Spahn said it was unclear how Trump ’ s announcement of suspended American funding would affect WHO .
WHO director-general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their support , saying “ we are getting all the support we need , political and financial.
” Both Spahn and Veran said they were committed to making a COVID-19 vaccine accessible to all people who need it , but did not specify how that might be done .

Jamey Keaten And Maria Cheng - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Thiem apologizes for playing in Djokovic’s tennis event

VIENNA - Third-ranked tennis player Dominic Thiem apologized Thursday for taking part in an exhibition series hosted by Novak Djokovic in which four players tested positive for the coronavirus .
Thiem wrote on Instagram : “ Our behaviour was a mistake , we acted too euphorically .
I am extremely sorry.
” The top-ranked Djokovic tested positive on Tuesday .
Grigor Dimitrov , Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki have also said they tested positive after taking part in the Adria Tour exhibition series in Serbia and Croatia .
Thousands of spectators attended the matches in Belgrade and the Adriatic resort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was observed .
Thiem won the opening event in Belgrade on June 14 .
“ We played without an audience for weeks , so we have been more than happy about the fans at the event , ” the Austrian wrote .
“ We trusted the Serbian government ’ s corona rules , but we have been too optimistic.
“ Thiem , a two-time French Open finalist who lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open final this year , said he has been tested five times in the last 10 days but is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the event in Croatia was cancelled and subsequent matches in other countries were also called off .
Djokovic said on Tuesday that he and his wife tested positive and admitted it was “ too soon ” to host such an event .
The coronavirus outbreak led to the suspension of the ATP and WTA professional tennis tours in March .
Plans were announced last week for the sport ’ s sanctioned events to return in August .
But the infections have raised questions about the full-fledged return of competitive tennis , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin on Aug. 31 without spectators .
Djokovic has called the rules to keep everyone safe at the U.S. Open “ extreme .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Seattle protesters: We are here to dismantle systemic racism

SEATTLE - Protesters that have been active in an “ occupied ” protest zone near downtown Seattle held a news conference Thursday saying the goal of their movement is to dismantle systemic racism .
“ We fight for equality and human rights including those of Indigenous peoples , immigrants , LGBTQ+ communities and the differently-abled , ” said Naudia Miller of Black Collective Voice .
The collective of protesters , activists , educators and volunteers in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest was born after clashes with police who tear-gassed people protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , people met each other , camped in the park , grew gardens and provided food , security and medical care , Miller said .
“ Our shared experience of police brutality and media misrepresentation — instead of generating fear — brought us closer together .
The truth is even if they force activists out of CHOP it will not stop us or this movement , ” Miller said .
She , along with other collective representatives Jesse Miller and Marcus Henderson , said the group wants its demands met , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least half and using that money to fund community restorative justice , housing , and healthcare , as well as releasing all jailed protesters .
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said earlier this week she believes a community-led re-envisioning of community safety — and the police department ’ s role in it — is needed and that the department is committed to doing this work .
Mayor Jenny Durkan has expressed support for the protest , calling it “ a peaceful expression of our community ’ s collective grief and their desire to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city has provided barricades to better protect participants .
She has asked the police department to prepare models of what 20 % , 30 % and 50 % budget cuts would look like .
But following several recent shootings in the area , Durkan said this week the city would wind down the protest zone , at first by encouraging demonstrators to leave , and that police would return to the precinct .
But neither she nor Best have given specifics on when that would happen .
Naudia Miller said Thursday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police brutality caused the recent crime she said has always been prevalent around Cal Anderson Park .
“ Homelessness , substance abuse and gun violence are long standing issues in the area , across our city and our nation , ” she said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--As party leaders age, progressive Black Democrats take stage

WASHINGTON - Yearning for change , a group of progressive Black Democratic congressional hopefuls is rushing toward the national stage , igniting rank-and-file enthusiasm in a party dominated by aging white leaders .
Charles Booker , 35 , a first-term Kentucky state legislator who grew up poor , is vying for a Senate nomination against a rival who ’ s outraised him 40 to 1 and is backed by national Democratic leaders .
Jamaal Bowman , 44 , an educator and political neophyte , is seeking a New York congressional seat held by the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi .
They and others ran in Tuesday ’ s Democratic primaries in New York , Kentucky and Virginia , and it remains unclear how many of them will win .
But the day ’ s message was clear : A fresh set of candidates of colour wants to steer Democrats leftward , even as presumed presidential nominee Joe Biden sets a more centrist course to woo moderate voters this November .
“ The leadership of the party has to catch up with public opinion , which is largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fighting for a vacant seat from a tony district in New York City ’ s northern suburbs , said in an interview .
Jones said he enthusiastically backs Biden but the former vice-president must “ advance a vision of America that is more progressive than what he ’ s set forth ” if he wants to energize liberal voters .
“ The world has changed , “ Bowman said in a statement .
“ Congress needs to change , too.
” As election officials count boatloads of mail-in ballots prompted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t declared winners in many close primaries .
But one victor was Cameron Webb , a Black physician and lawyer who defeated three white rivals in a GOP-held Virginia district Democrats hope to capture in November .
Tuesday ’ s primaries occurred in a Democratic Party led by Biden , 77 , Pelosi , 80 , and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , who ’ s 69 .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , a self-described democratic socialist and progressive leader who lost his bid for the presidential nomination this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the left , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , is only 30 .
And in one indication of the party ’ s sensitivities , Biden has already said he will choose a woman as his vice-presidential running mate and faces pressure to pick a person of colour .
Booker , Bowman and Jones have gained momentum from the Black Lives Matter movement and the nationwide protests following last month ’ s killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis .
Their strong showings have spotlighted that candidates who can tap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from African Americans and white progressives .
While each has emphasized social justice , they and others say their appeal goes beyond racial issues .
All , for example , have supported the Green New Deal and “ Medicare for All ” proposals dear to many liberal voters .
Sean McElwee , a political analyst for progressive candidates , says liberal-leaning millennials are entering the age when people tend to vote more often .
That produces increasingly successful progressive candidates , especially people of colour who can appeal to liberal and minority voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York state director of the progressive Working Families Party , said candidates of colour also gain appeal from their authenticity .
“ They have lived experiences , “ Nnaemeka said .
“ There ’ s no translation needed for Jamaal Bowman to talk about the crisis of police brutality.
” Bowman , challenging 16-term veteran Rep. Eliot Engel in a district covering parts of the Bronx and Westchester County , grew up in public housing in New York .
Despite Tuesday ’ s races , Rep. Daniel Lipinski , D-Ill. , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is the only Democratic incumbent to lose this year .
And moderates dispute that Democrats are becoming controlled by progressives and that Black voters inevitably skew to the left .
They note that the moderate Biden decisively clinched the presidential nomination over Sanders with lopsided support from African American voters .
They say the dozens of Democratic freshmen elected in 2018 , giving them House control , included centrist lawmakers of colour such as Reps. Colin Allred , D-Texas , and Xochitl Torres Small , D-N.M. “ There is a new generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Jim Kessler , an executive vice-president of the centrist Democratic group Third Way .
“ But it would be a mistake to say the next generation only represents the far left of the party.
” According to AP VoteCast , a survey of voters , about 2 in 10 people who voted for Democratic candidates in 2018 were Black and about 1 in 10 was Hispanic .
About half identified as liberal , including 2 in 10 who said they were very liberal , with most of the rest moderates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate in Kentucky against former Marine combat pilot Amy McGrath .
Schumer has backed the centrist as his party ’ s best chance to defeat Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , in the GOP-heavy state .
Other candidates of colour seeking Democratic congressional nominations Tuesday included Ritchie Torres , a New York City council member running for an open seat from a diverse Bronx district .
Suraj Patel is a businessman trying to oust 14-term Rep. Carolyn Maloney in New York City .
Former Rep. Steven Israel , D-N.Y. , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely attributed progressives ’ energy to the antipathy in the party to President Donald Trump .
“ Trump has unleashed a tremendous intensity and energy among activists , and they have no patience in waiting their turn ” to run for higher office , Israel said .
Associated Press writers Alan Suderman in Richmond , Va. , Karen Matthews in New York and Emily Swanson and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Asia Today: China reports further decline in new virus cases

BEIJING - China reported a further decline in newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Friday , with 13 cases .
Eleven were in Beijing , where mass testing has been carried out following an outbreak that appears to have been largely brought under control .
The other two cases were brought by Chinese travellers from overseas , according to the National Health Council .
No new deaths were reported and 389 people remained in treatment for COVID-19 , with another 107 in isolation .
Case numbers both nationally and in Beijing were down from Thursday .
China has reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This month ’ s outbreak in Beijing has seen 260 people infected , most of them with links to the city ’ s biggest wholesale market , leading authorities to lock down some communities and cancel classes .
Since then , 3 million test samples have been taken from 2.43 million people in the city .
New regulations on managing risks to prevent additional outbreaks issued by China ’ s Cabinet , the State Council , include a demand that unreasonable restrictions beyond regular prevention and control measures in localities should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that cause “ vile influence ” will be exposed in the media , the regulations state .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — South Korea reported 39 new cases , mostly from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area where officials have been struggling to stem transmissions amid increased public activity and eased attitudes on social distancing .
South Korea was considered an anti-virus success story after containing an outbreak during February and March surrounding the southeastern city of Daegu .
However , the country has been seeing an uptick in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing guidelines and reopen schools starting in May .
The update from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday brought national totals to 12,602 cases , including 282 deaths .
Twelve of the new cases were linked to international arrivals .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--House passes sweeping police overhaul after Floyd’s death

WASHINGTON - The House approved a far-reaching police overhaul from Democrats on Thursday , a vote heavy with emotion and symbolism as a divided Congress struggles to address the global outcry over the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gathered with members of the Congressional Black Caucus on the Capitol steps , challenging opponents not to allow the deaths to have been in vain or the outpouring of public support for changes to go unmatched .
But the collapse of a Senate Republican bill leaves final legislation in doubt .
“ Exactly one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final words — ‘ I can ’ t breathe ’ — and changed the course of history , ” Pelosi said .
She said the Senate faces a choice “ to honour George Floyd ’ s life or to do nothing.
” The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is perhaps the most ambitious set of proposed changes to police procedures and accountability in decades .
Backed by the nation ’ s leading civil rights groups , it aims to match the moment of demonstrations that filled streets across the nation .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the eve of the vote , President Donald Trump ’ s administration said he would veto the bill .
And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also said it would not pass the Republican-held chamber .
After the GOP policing bill stalled this week , blocked by Democrats , Trump shrugged .
“ If nothing happens with it , it ’ s one of those things , “ Trump said .
” We have different philosophies.
” Congress is now at a familiar impasse despite protests outside their door and polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deaths of Floyd , Breonna Taylor and others in interactions with law enforcement .
The two parties are instead appealing to voters ahead of the fall election , which will determine control of the House , Senate and White House .
“ We hear you .
We see you .
We are you , ” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries , D-N.Y. , during the debate .
It has been a month since Floyd ’ s May 25 death sparked a global reckoning over police tactics and racial injustice .
Since then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Black man shot and killed by police in Atlanta .
Thursday is also what would have been the 18th birthday of Tamir Rice , a Black boy killed in Ohio in 2014 .
Lawmakers who have been working from home during the COVID-19 crisis were summoned to the Capitol for an emotional , hours-long debate .
Dozens voted by proxy under new pandemic rules .
During the day , several Democratic lawmakers read the names of those killed , shared experiences of racial bias and echoed support of Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus , said hundreds of thousands of people “ in every state in the union ” are marching in the streets to make sure Floyd “ will not be just another Black man dead at the hands of the police.
” Republican lawmakers countered the bill goes too far and failed to include GOP input .
“ All lives matter , ” said Rep. Debbie Lesko , R-Ariz. New York Rep. Pete King said it ’ s time to stand with law enforcement , the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP leader Kevin McCarthy decried the “ mob ” of demonstrators .
At one point Rep. Barry Loudermilk , R-Ga. , stood up to say he just didn ’ t understand what was happening in the country — from Floyd ’ s death to the protests that followed .
Several Black Democratic lawmakers rose to encourage him to pick up a U.S. history book or watch some of the many films now streaming about the Black experience in America .
Later , Rep. Bennie Thompson , D-Miss.
, noting the legacy of Emmett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my shoes.
” In the stalemate over the policing overhaul , the parties are settled into their political zones , almost ensuring no legislation will become law .
While there may be shared outrage over Floyd ’ s death , the lawmakers remain far apart on the broader debate over racial bias in policing and other institutions .
The 236-181 House vote was largely on party lines .
Three Republicans joined Democrats in favour of passage and no Democrats were opposed .
Both bills share common elements that could be grounds for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the creation of a national database of use-of-force incidents , which is viewed as a way to provide transparency on officers ’ records if they transfer from one agency to another .
The bills would restrict police chokeholds and set up new training procedures , including beefing up the use of body cameras .
The Democratic bill goes much further , mandating many of those changes , while also revising the federal statute for police misconduct and holding officers personally liable for damages in lawsuits .
It also would halt the practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement agencies .
Neither bill goes as far as some activists want with calls to defund the police and shift resources to other community services .
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina , the only Black Republican senator , who drafted the GOP package , said the bill is now “ closer to the trash can than it ’ s ever been.
” “ I ’ m frustrated , ” he said on Fox News Channel .
Scott insisted he was open to amending his bill with changes proposed by Democrats .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate , and instead blocked the GOP bill .
Senate Democrats believe Senate Republicans will face mounting public pressure to open negotiations and act .
But ahead of the November election , that appears uncertain .
Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman , Andrew Taylor , Darlene Superville and Jill Colvin contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Birthday party leaves 18 in Texas family with coronavirus

CARROLLTON , Texas - A surprise birthday party that resulted in 18 people testing positive for the coronavirus has left a North Texas man horrified as his father continues to fight for his life in a hospital intensive care unit .
Ron Barbosa , who is married to a doctor and refused to attend the May 30 party for his daughter-in-law because of safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic , said those hospitalized included his parents , both in their 80 ’ s , and his sister , who is also battling breast cancer .
Barbosa said his nephew , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month ’ s gathering of 25 people that only lasted a few hours and followed the state ’ s latest health standards .
During the party , he said the nephew interacted with seven relatives , who subsequently contracted the virus and spread it to 10 other family members , including two young children .
“ When people started getting sick , we really let everyone have it , ” Barbosa told WFAA-TV .
“ We knew this was going to happen , I mean , this whole time this has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Gov .
Greg Abbott on Thursday said Texas would halt its aggressive reopening as it deals with a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations that has made the state a virus hot spot .
Statewide , the number of COVID-19 patients has more than doubled in two weeks .
Texas has reported more than 11,000 new cases in the previous two days alone .
Barbosa ’ s mother , Carole , who stopped by the function to drop something off , tested positive for coronavrius June 6 and was admitted to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his father , Frank , who didn ’ t attend the get-together but later contracted COVID-19 , was hospitalized June 17 .
He said his dad is currently “ hanging on by a thread ” in the ICU while on life support .
Frank received a plasma donation Wednesday from a recovered coronavirus patient , according to Barbosa ’ s Facebook page .
Barbosa said he hopes the procedure will save his dad ’ s life .
“ Prayers were answered today , “ Barbosa wrote on Facebook .
“ Now he ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mom and the Barbosa Family.
” Barbosa said his family remains united despite feeling a pendulum of emotions over the past few weeks .
“ We were horrified .
People couldn ’ t believe that they took it to a family member , ” he said .
“ But now , we ’ re holding on together.
” Carole has returned home to recover , according to a Facebook page the family created , which indicated that Barbosa ’ s sister , Kathy , is feeling better and back home to recuperate .


thetorontostar--2020-06-25--Lobbyist Abramoff charged in cryptocurrency fraud case

SAN FRANCISCO - Jack Abramoff , a once-powerful lobbyist who spent time in federal prison for fraud and corruption , has been charged in a San Francisco court in an investor fraud case involving cryptocurrency and lobbying disclosure , federal authorities announced Thursday .
U.S. Attorney David Anderson said Abramoff , 61 , of Silver Spring , Maryland , has agreed to plead guilty to criminal conspiracy charges and a criminal violation of the Lobbying Disclosure Act in the case involving a cryptocurrency called AML BitCoin .
Anderson said the charges were the first brought since Congress in 2007 amended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undisclosed influence that came to light during the early 2000s lobbying scandal involving Abramoff .
Abramoff pleaded guilty in 2006 to a wide-ranging influence peddling probe that involved Capitol Hill , the Interior Department and members of President George W. Bush ’ s administration .
He was convicted of conspiracy , mail fraud and tax evasion and served nearly four years in prison .
He was released in 2010 .
Prosecutors said in 2017 Abramoff lobbied members of Congress on behalf of a California-based marijuana industry client without registering as a lobbyist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to register as a lobbyist in part because Congress amended provisions of the Lobbying Disclosure Act in 2007 in part as a reaction to Abramoff ’ s past conduct as a lobbyist , ” court documents say .
The investor fraud charges stem from a separate lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission , which claimed Abramoff and an associate , Roland Marcus Andrade , made false claims when they promoted AML BitCoin .
Andrade , 42 , of Missouri City , Texas , was charged with fraud and money laundering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grand jury on June 20 and unsealed Thursday , Anderson said .
He said Abramoff has agreed to plead guilty and could face up to five years in prison .
Anderson said Andrade is pleading not guilty .
Abramoff and Andrade could not immediately be reached for comment .
Andrade said his cryptocurrency called AML BitCoin used technologies that complied with the federal government ’ s anti-money laundering laws and announced an initial offering of AML BitCoin in the amount of $ 100 million , federal officials said .
In July 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began selling AML BitCoin and raised at least $ 5 million through the end of 2018 , prosecutors said .
“ As alleged today , AML BitCoin did not have the features claimed by the defendants , ” said John Bennett , special agent in charge of the San Francisco Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigations .
Abramoff and Andrade are accused of making a series of false statements to potential investors about AML BitCoin , including that the government of Panama and the Panama Canal Authority were in talks to adopt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said They also engineered a publicity stunt by saying that a Super Bowl ad touting AML BitCoin as non-hackable had been rejected by the National Football League on the grounds that it was too politically controversial , the officials said .
“ In truth , the defendants never intended to air the Super Bowl ad .
The defendants used paid editorials , social media and press releases in an effort to create a false controversy and generate unearned publicity , ” Bennett said .

Olga R. Rodriguez - The Associated Press