thetorontostar--2020-09-18--Peru president faces impeachment vote amid pandemic turmoil

LIMA , Peru - Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra ’ s job went on the line Friday as opposition lawmakers pushed through an impeachment hearing criticized as a hasty and poorly timed ouster attempt in one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic .
Lawmakers appeared to be far short of the two-thirds majority vote required to remove Vizcarra from office , but even if he dodged the impeachment attempt , analysts warned that he would not escape the ordeal entirely unscathed .
It remained unclear Friday night when a vote would be held .
Vizcarrra ’ s ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has sought to make the hallmark of his short administration could be further jeopardized if Vizcarra is perceived as having engaged in influence peddling himself .
“ His credibility in carrying through that agenda is already problematic , ” said Jo-Marie Burt , a senior fellow with the Washington Office on Latin America .
“ This really hangs in the balance.
” The political turmoil rocking Peru has briefly distracted attention from one of the world ’ s worst coronavirus outbreaks and involves a cast of characters that could easily fit into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ordeal is Vizcarra ’ s relationship with a little-known musician known as Richard Swing and nearly $ 50,000 in questionable contracts that he was given by the Ministry of Culture for activities like motivational speaking .
A covert audio recording shared by Edgar Alarcón — a lawmaker himself charged with embezzlement — appears to show Vizcarra co-ordinating a defence strategy with two aides , trying to get their stories straight on how many times the musician had visited him .
In remarks before Congress Friday , Vizcarra asked for forgiveness for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has committed no crime .
He called for a proper investigation and urged lawmakers not to aggravate the nation ’ s already precarious situation by rushing through an impeachment proceeding .
“ Let ’ s not generate a new crisis , unnecessarily , that would primarily affect the most vulnerable , ” he said During a long day of debate , many lawmakers expressed frustration with Vizcarra , blasting his apology as a weak attempt to make amends and demanding a thorough investigation .
But numerous legislators also said they couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rushed and full of flaws , held before an official probe reaches any conclusions .
“ It ’ s not the moment to proceed with an impeachment which would add even more problems to the tragedy we are living , ” lawmaker Francisco Sagasti said .
Vizcarra became president in 2018 after Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned the presidency under pressure by Congress after the discovery of about $ 782,000 in undisclosed payments to his private consulting firm by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht , which is at the centre of a regionwide corruption scandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 800 million in bribes to officials across Latin America , and nearly every living former Peruvian president has been implicated in the scandal .
Vizcarra , at the time a vice-president serving as Peru ’ s ambassador to Canada , is an engineer by training and was considered an unknown political novice .
But he has managed to become a highly popular president , recently getting a 57 % approval rating in a poll despite Peru ’ s severe economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis and the high infection rate .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has taken on corruption , dismissing Congress last year in a brash move cheered by citizens as a victory against a dishonest class of politicians and pushing through initiatives to reform how judges are chosen and bar politicians charged with crimes from running for office .
“ He ’ s the only president who — without a lot of power — has faced off against those shameless people , ” said Pedro Quispe , a retired teacher out selling face masks on a recent day .
Steve Levitsky , a Harvard University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ some modest steps forward ” when it comes to corruption .
“ He hasn ’ t been able to carry out all the political reform that he and his allies hope to , ” Levitsky said .
“ But corruption in middle-income countries is never eliminated in a single presidency.
” Vizcarra tried to halt the impeachment by filing a lawsuit with the constitutional Tribunal , but magistrates ruled Thursday that the process could proceed , under the belief that lawmakers would not actually be able to oust him .
While analysts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impeachment proceeding was initiated within hours of the audio ’ s release , many agreed that the president owes Peruvians an explanation .
Vizcarra didn ’ t delve into details in his statement Friday , though he did point to inconsistencies in statements by a former aide who made the audios and said the only proven misconduct is having been illicitly recorded .
“ The best thing the president could do is go to Congress , explain the audios and go hibernate , ” said Alonso Cárdenas , a politics professor at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lima .
“ Let his ministers take the spotlight until his government is up.
” To what degree the current scandal could nonetheless taint the seven months he has left in office remains to be seen .
The president has no majority in Congress , a pandemic still to deal with and an economic contraction that has thrown millions into poverty .
His presidency , it appears , will be book-ended by crises .
“ He is very isolated , very alone , ” Burt said .
“ I really don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Associated Press writer Christine Armario reported from Bogota , Colombia , and AP writer Franklin Briceño reported in Lima , Peru .

Christine Armario And Franklin BriceñO - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--Ex-California attorney sentenced for killing wife on cruise

SANTA ANA , Calif. - A former Southern California lawyer was sentenced Friday to life without the possibility of parole for strangling his ex-wife and throwing her body off a cruise ship in the Mediterranean in 2006 .
Lonnie Loren Kocontes , 62 , of Safety Harbor , Florida , was convicted in June of first-degree murder with a special circumstances enhancement of murder for financial gain .
Prosecutors said Kocontes killed Micki Kanesaki in order to inherit more than $ 1 million from their bank accounts and the sale of a Southern California home they jointly owned .
Kocontes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement after the sentencing .
“ Except for the fact that he strangled her to death before he threw her body overboard .
Because she died before she hit the water her lungs were filled with air , not water .
So she floated .
And by a miracle , her body was discovered .
That miscalculation allowed us to convict him of murder , “ Spitzer said .
Kocontes was divorced from Kanesaki , had remarried and then divorced again when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at trial that the couple had reconciled and were planning to remarry .
But Kocontes actually was scheming to kill Kanesaki , 52 , and make it appear to be an accident , prosecutors said .
The cruise from Spain to Italy began on May 21 , 2006 , and Kanesaki was last seen alive the night of May 25 , authorities said .
Kocontes reported Kanesaki missing and returned to California .
Her body was found floating off the coast of Paola , Italy , on May 27 , prosecutors said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken a sleeping pill on the ship and woke to find Kanesaki missing .
An FBI investigation into possible illegal activity began in 2008 after Kocontes tried to transfer $ 1 million between various bank accounts , according to the U.S. attorney ’ s office .
Kocontes was indicted for murder in 2013 and has been jailed since then .

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thetorontostar--2020-09-18--Alaska Supreme Court rejects appeal to reprint 800K ballots

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Alaska elections officials succeeded in two court challenges Friday , surviving efforts from a nonpartisan candidate seeking to force the state to reprint 800,000 ballots after the design of the document was changed .
The Alaska Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling , which said forcing the reprinting of the ballots would cause harm to the state .
The high court heard the case on an expedited basis after Superior Court Judge Jennifer Henderson issued her ruling early Friday afternoon .
U.S. House candidate Alyse Galvin sued after the newly designed general election ballot dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead listed her only as the “ Democratic nominee.
” “ We are pleased the Superior Court understood the detrimental impacts to the election process and voters to reprint 800,000 ballots , delay sending ballots to uniformed officers and overseas voters , and retrieve materials that have already been sent to regional offices all over the state , ” said Alaska Assistant Attorney General Maria Bahr .
“ We are further pleased the Alaska Supreme Court upheld the lower court .
What is important at this point is to ensure a successful and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Division is focused on , and this helps ensure it can carry out its duty , ” she said .
Galvin ’ s Anchorage-based attorney , Kevin Feldis deferred comment to Galvin ’ s campaign , which didn ’ t immediately return a message Friday .
Feldis argued to the Alaska Supreme Court that 800,000 ballots must be reprinted to avoid a “ hanging chad ” situation after the state changed the ballot design .
Feldis appealed the lower court ruling earlier in the day in which the judge said Galvin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state that harm would be done to the state in reprinting ballots .
The state , under Republican-appointed Elections Director Gail Fenumiai , changed the ballot this year to remove party affiliation and instead only lists how people got to the ballot .
Galvin is a nonpartisan candidate who ran and won the Democratic primary for U.S. House , as she did in 2018 , the year the Democrats opened their primaries .
That year , she was listed on the ballot with a U behind her name , when she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s general election ballot , she ’ s listed as “ Democratic nominee “ after changing her party affiliation .
She sued to seek to have the ballots reprinted with an N for nonpartisan behind her name , saying her independence is a defining characteristic for her .
“ In this political climate , we know that the major parties , the Republicans and Democrats , are trying to align the unaffiliated voters with those opposition parties , “ Feldis said , noting there is an ad on a city bus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , a California Democrat .
“ You know what ?
This ballot does exactly that.
” He said the changes made by the Division of Elections are unconstitutional and violate state law .
“ Both Gavin ’ s statutory and her constitutional claim are wrong on the merits , ” countered Alaska Assistant Attorney General Laura Fox .
“ But the more pressing issue right now is that even assuming her claims had merit , the remedies she seeks is drastically out of proportion to any small harm she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registration printed on the ballot , ” she said .
Mitigating remedies mentioned could include providing informational fliers describing the party affiliation for Galvin and others mailed with absentee ballots , handing out such fliers or posting signs at polling places .
Feldis rejected those options , saying they are fraught with possibilities of error .
Instead , he said the only good option is reprinting the ballots , despite the state ’ s predictions of it possibly delaying the election .
“ The state has used lots of lots of words like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they allege we ’ ve created but that ’ s of their own making to the extent any of that exists , ” he said , adding the problem is the state ’ s own making .
“ The cleanest path here is to reprint the ballots so we avoid adding another element here , another hanging chad , into this election , ” he said .
The state received the ballots Sept. 10 from a contracted printer in Homer .
The changes only became known when a sample ballot was posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website .
Time , supplies and equipment seem to be the biggest stumbling blocks to reprinting the ballots .
Getting the proper paper to the printer would be one of the holdups .
Fenumiai testified during the earlier hearing that the contractor has enough paper on hand to reprint 390,000 ballots .
To finish the printing run , they would have to secure a shipment of additional printing paper from the Lower 48 .
The printer has a hold on a supply now , but it would be delivered at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply expired Friday .
Fox said there are other issues involved with reprinting the ballots , including having voting machines statewide shipped back to Juneau for reprogramming .
The state also face a Friday afternoon deadline to get about 8,000 overseas ballots in the mail .


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--NYC mayor ‘very confident’ in new school reopening timeline

NEW YORK - Mayor Bill de Blasio is confident that New York City will meet a revised timeline to bring public school students back to classrooms within the next two weeks , following closures because of the coronavirus pandemic , he said Friday .
“ I feel very confident about that date , ” de Blasio said on MSNBC ’ s “ Morning Joe.
” De Blasio on Thursday delayed the reopening plan for the nation ’ s largest school district for the second time since it was announced in July , citing a shortage of staff and supplies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it wouldn ’ t have been safe to open all the school sites next week .
Under the revised timeline , most elementary school students will return to in-person learning starting Sept. 29 , while middle and high school students will do the same Oct. 1 .
De Blasio told aggrieved parents calling into his weekly public radio appearance that restarting in-person learning was “ a greater challenge than anyone foresaw.
” De Blasio told MSNBC that he needs “ the health care situation to co-operate ” to make the schools plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how well New York has fought to keep the virus at bay , such as through social distancing and wearing of masks .
The unions had pressed for more staff , as well as additional protective equipment and other supplies to protect against the virus .
De Blasio promised Thursday to hire 2,500 more teachers in addition to the 2,000 additional teachers he had previously announced .
He told MSNBC the city will use substitute teachers , student teachers and adjunct professors from the city university system to fill staffing needs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of its more than 1 million public school students to be in the classroom one to three days a week and learning remotely the rest of the time .
Early childhood education and special education students will return to in-person learning next week , de Blasio said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--Trump and Biden hit unlikely battleground state of Minnesota

DULUTH , Minn. - A solidly blue state for the past half century , Minnesota became an unquestioned presidential battleground on Friday as President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden fought for working-class voters in dueling events that marked the beginning of early voting .
Their campaigning was knocked off front pages and broadcasts in the state and nationally Friday night by the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , But before that , their contrasting styles and stances during the day and evening gave fresh signs of the campaign to come in the final weeks before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state ’ s most populated areas near Minneapolis to focus on blue-collar voters , some of whom shifted to Republicans for the first time in 2016 .
Trump went to Bemidji , about 200 miles ( 320 kilometres ) north of Minneapolis , while Biden campaigned in a suburb of Duluth , on the banks of Lake Superior and close to the Wisconsin border .
Biden railed against Trump ’ s inability to control the pandemic , casting the president ’ s reluctance to embrace more serious social distancing safeguards as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American lives .
Trump , before leaving the White House , said as he has many times that “ we ’ ve done a phenomenal job ” against the virus and predicted mass vaccinations by spring .
Biden , at a carpenter union ’ s training hall in Minnesota , emphasized his plans to boost American manufacturing .
“ It ’ s time to reward hard work in America and not wealth , ” Biden declared with roughly a dozen workers looking on .
“ When the government spends taxpayers ’ money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American products made by American workers and American supply chains to generate American growth , “ Biden said .
He promised to invest $ 400 billion in federal money over his first term to ensure more products are made in America .
Trump , meanwhile , predicted victory in Minnesota in November despite the state ’ s long history of backing Democratic candidates .
“ Forty-six days from now we ’ re going to win Minnesota and we ’ re going to win four more years in the White House , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airport in Bemidji .
Since narrowly losing Minnesota in 2016 , Trump has emphasized the state in hopes that a victory this year could offset losses in other states .
He has visited regularly and kept a close eye on issues of particular importance to rural corners of the state .
He ’ s reversed an Obama administration policy prohibiting the development of copper-nickel mining and has bailed out soybean , corn and other farmers who have been hurt by trade clashes with China .
More recently , he ’ s embraced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationally at white suburban and rural voters who may be concerned by protests that have sometimes become violent .
That ’ s especially true in Minnesota , where the May killing of George Floyd by a police officer sparked a national reckoning on racism .
But for all the work Trump has put into the state , it may elude him again in November .
A series of polls over the past week show Biden has built a consistent lead in Minnesota .
And in the 2018 midterms , Democratic turnout surged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iron Range , across the blue-collar mining towns that were once labour strongholds but had been trending Republican .
David McIntosh , president of the conservative Club for Growth , which has produced anti-Biden ads , said Minnesota may help the Trump campaign build momentum .
“ They ’ re looking beyond the poll numbers and seeing the potential there , ” said McIntosh , a former congressman from Indiana .
“ It ’ s always smart strategy to go on offence somewhere.
” In 2018 , Democrats flipped two suburban congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state House by winning suburban Trump-voting areas and came within one seat of winning control of the state Senate .
Democrats won every statewide race that year , even as they lost a rural congressional district .
Trump ’ s path to Minnesota success likely depends on finding more votes in rural , conservative areas –- running up the score beyond his 2016 tally .
It ’ s a strategy he ’ s trying to pull off in other states and it depends on a robust field operation with the money and time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That could be a tall order since Minnesota already has one of the nation ’ s highest voter turnout rates .
“ I don ’ t think they ’ re there , ” said Joe Radinovich , a Democrat who lost a bid for a northern Minnesota congressional district in 2018 .
Radinovich noted the major organizational challenge and expense in tracking new voters , making sure they ’ re registered and getting them to vote – especially during a pandemic .
“ We have relatively high turnout already .
Most people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s there .
I think those people showed up in 2016 , ” he said .
In 2016 , Trump won that district , which includes the Democratic city of Duluth , by 15 percentage points .
But in the midterms two years later , Radinovich lost by just under 6 percentage points .
Still , Trump has spent more than a year building a sizable Minnesota ground game .
Republicans are out knocking on doors and interacting personally with voters in ways that Democrats mostly have not , preferring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president ’ s reelection campaign announced this week a $ 10 million ad buy in a series of states , including Minnesota .
It has spent nearly $ 17 million on advertising in the state since last October , compared with almost $ 6.3 million for Biden over the same period , according to a review of Kantar/CMAG data by The Associated Press .
Democrats warn that Biden still may have his work cut out for him .
Duluth Mayor Emily Larson said the Trump campaign has far outpaced Biden in local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not ultimately affect the outcome .
“ One of the things the Trump campaign has been very good about is visibility in Duluth , but also in areas around Duluth , ” Larson said .
After Biden ’ s speech , his motorcade rolled into downtown Duluth , where he stepped out onto a brick plaza in front of Little Angie ’ s Cantina and Grill and began to elbow bump and chat with passersby .
Within minutes , a crowd of around 200 gathered , virtually all of them in masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was the largest in-person crowd Biden has had since the pandemic exploded in March .
One man yelled from a deck above the plaza , “ Go home , Joe !
” Two women closer to Biden responded , “ You are home , Joe.
” Peoples reported from New York .
Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis and Aamer Madhani in Bemidji , Minn. , contributed to this report .

Will Weissert And Steve Peoples - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--Dems drop Pompeo contempt threat after records turned over

WASHINGTON - The House Foreign Affairs Committee has dropped a threat of contempt against Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after the State Department turned over 16,000 pages of records related to a Senate investigation of Democrat Joe Biden ’ s son .
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel , D-N.Y. , had subpoenaed Pompeo and threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress after months of requesting the records , which had already been turned over to the Republican-led Senate .
The GOP probe by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee is looking at Hunter Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Democrats say is an effort to boost President Donald Trump ’ s reelection bid .
The chairman of that committee , Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson , has said he will issue a final report in the coming weeks .
“ It shouldn ’ t have taken a subpoena , let alone the threat of contempt , for Secretary Pompeo to comply with the Committee ’ s oversight request , ” Engel said in a statement .
“ Nevertheless , I ’ m gratified that we ’ ve received these materials and can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report.
” The State Department ’ s decision to turn over the records is a rare win for House Democrats who have been repeatedly frustrated by Trump administration officials who have defied or outright ignored their requests .
While congressional subpoenas are legally binding , officials who have rebuffed Congress have faced little consequence for defying them , while Trump has fired or demoted federal employees who have complied with requests individually .
Contempt itself is largely a symbolic gesture that has generally been used to embarrass officials who refuse congressional requests , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s refusals have been drawn out in lengthy court battles .
The committee did not make the State Department documents available and it was unclear if or when they would release them .
Engel said in his statement that the committee is “ going to make sure the American people see the whole picture.
” There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens , and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence as a board member for a gas company in Ukraine with his father , who was vice-president at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had previously said that the committee had not shown that its demand on the Ukraine documents was for a legitimate legislative purpose and suggested that it was entirely partisan .
The department had said it would turn over the documents if the House panel was investigating , like the Senate , “ identical or very similar corruption issues involving Ukraine and corrupt influence related to U.S. foreign policy.
” The committee had said it was preparing a contempt resolution that would have also included Pompeo ’ s refusal to comply with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
The House impeached Trump in December — and the Senate acquitted him in February — for his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden as Joe Biden was running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Trump .
The president and his associates asked Ukraine for the probes as he was withholding military aid to the country .
Engel said that subpoena is still in effect .

Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--Stopgap bill to prevent shutdown held up over farm funding

WASHINGTON - Efforts to fashion a temporary spending bill needed to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month ran aground Friday amid a fight over farm bailout funding that ’ s a key priority of President Donald Trump and Capitol Hill Republicans .
A House Appropriations Committee spokesman said the measure , which aides had predicted would be released Friday evening , won ’ t be unveiled until next week .
The measure needs to be passed by the end of the budget year on Sept. 30 to prevent a shutdown of nonessential government functions .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to permit Trump to keep awarding agricultural funds this campaign season in exchange for food aid for the poor ran into severe turbulence with both House and Senate Democrats .
The evolving measure is a lowest-common-denominator , bare-minimum bill that befits a deeply polarized Congress .
Even so , it took intense efforts at the highest levels of Washington to get the measure this far , but a negotiating flurry Friday fell apart .
Neither side wants a partial government shutdown .
Aides following the talks closely said Pelosi initially denied an administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governing Trump ’ s farm bailout efforts , which would freeze his ability to dole out subsidy payments until after the election .
Trump is using the funding , over which he has much control , to try to shore up his support in farm country , which has been hit hard by low commodity prices and higher tariffs he himself imposed .
The battle prompted Trump on Friday to blast his nemesis on Twitter : “ Pelosi wants to take 30 Billion Dollars away from our great Farmers .
Can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversed course Friday afternoon to briefly approve the Trump-sought change — only to again change her mind , Democratic and GOP aides said , speaking on condition of anonymity to publicly characterize behind-the-scenes dealings .
Pelosi was also seeking a higher food benefit for families whose children are unable to receive free or reduced lunches because schools are closed over the coronavirus .
It ’ s unclear what happens next , but Pelosi retains the option to try to jam the measure through without the farm provision and try to cast blame on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Senate .
Earlier , Republicans denied Democratic requests involving the census and election administration grants .
What remains is not controversial and includes provisions that would extend federal highway and flood insurance programs , along with a variety of other low-profile items .
As previously announced , the bill does not contain COVID-19 relief , leaving that issue in all likelihood for a post-election lame duck session — or for the next administration .
The temporary funding measure comes as some Democrats are increasingly upset that an impasse over coronavirus relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Trump agitates for a deal that ’ s more generous than other Republicans would like .
But with COVID-19 rescue negotiations dead in the water , the stopgap spending bill is likely to be the only measure of note that passes before the election .
Not long ago , such measures barely attracted notice , but there have been a handful of government shutdowns over the past few years .
Congress has become so dysfunctional that crafting stopgap measures now requires more attention from top leaders .
Pelosi , D-Calif. , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which would keep the government open through Dec. 11 .
Democrats had proposed next February , apparently to avert any need to reconvene Congress after the election to deal with Trump , who they predict will lose his bid for a second term in November .
In conversations Friday , Pelosi and Mnuchin abandoned efforts to iron out wrinkles involving the census and election administration grants to states , though a heavily lobbied package to extend a number of health programs was likely to be included .
Democrats , meanwhile , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states to help them carry out elections this fall .
Republicans also rejected a push by Pelosi to delay the once-a-decade apportionment of House seats after the census until the next administration .
The House is slated to pass the stopgap funding bill — called a continuing resolution , or CR in Washington-speak — next week .
They are likely to then recess for the campaign .
Earlier this week , Pelosi said the House would stay in session until a COVID-19 deal was reached .
Instead , lawmakers appear likely to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours ’ notice to return if there is a coronavirus relief deal to vote on .
Such a situation would surely create angst among Democrats who are increasingly vocal that Pelosi should do more to ease a weekslong standoff in bipartisan COVID-19 relief talks .
Pelosi has staked out a hard line for a COVID-19 package of at least $ 2.2 trillion , while Republicans controlling the Senate aren ’ t willing to come close to that .
The resulting chasm would only be bridgeable if both sides were to make embarrassing retreats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neither side has been willing to do .
Instead , they have been devoting their energies to posturing and finger-pointing , much to the dismay of lawmakers who believe a flawed deal is better than none at all .
“ We can argue about what the specifics of a plan should look like .
But the important thing is that we get back to the negotiating table and hammer out a deal that can be passed into law , “ said Rep. Stephanie Murphy , D-Fla. “ Identify the things that you agree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery resources to the American people as soon as possible.
” Trump said this week that he wants his GOP allies to go for “ higher numbers “ that would permit another round of $ 1,200 direct stimulus payments that would be sent out under his name .
Senate Republicans for the most part dismissed the idea .
While Trump is seen as pushing for a deal — any deal — his top negotiators on COVID-19 relief , Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , have been taking a hard @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--Ruth Bader Ginsburg dead at 87, remembered as ‘a jurist of historic stature’

WASHINGTON—U.S .
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a diminutive yet towering women ’ s rights champion who became the court ’ s second female justice , died Friday at her home in Washington .
She was 87 .
Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer , the court said .
Her death just over six weeks before Election Day is likely to set off a heated battle over whether U.S. President Donald Trump should nominate , and the Republican-led Senate should confirm , her replacement , or if the seat should remain vacant until the outcome of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known .
Chief Justice John Roberts mourned Ginsburg ’ s passing .
“ Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature .
We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague .
Today we mourn , but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice , ” Roberts said in a statement .
Ginsburg announced in July she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver , the latest of her several battles with cancer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vowed to stay on the court as long as her health held and she stayed mentally sharp .
“ I have often said I would remain a member of the court as long as I can do the job full steam , ” she said in July .
“ I remain fully able to do that.
” Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court ’ s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirers .
Young women especially seemed to embrace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her defence of the rights of women and minorities , and the strength and resilience she displayed in the face of personal loss and health crises .
Those health issues included five bouts with cancer beginning in 1999 , falls that resulted in broken ribs , insertion of a stent to clear a blocked artery and assorted other hospitalizations after she turned 75 .
She resisted calls by liberals to retire during Barack Obama ’ s presidency at a time when Democrats held the Senate and a replacement with similar views could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost certainly try to push Ginsburg ’ s successor through the Republican-controlled Senate — and move the conservative court even more to the right .
Her appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1993 was the first by a Democrat in 26 years .
He was at first reluctant ; “ The women are against her , ” he grumbled .
But after a 90-minute private meeting with Ginsburg , the president made up his mind .
He called her at 11:33 p.m. that night to tell her that she was his choice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead she will be able to be a force for consensus-building on the Supreme Court , just as she has been on the Court of Appeals , ” Clinton said at the announcement ceremony the next day .
“ Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books .
She has already done that.
” The appointment proved highly popular with the public , and she was confirmed on Aug. 3 , 1993 , over the dissenting votes of three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Addressing the Senate Judiciary Committee , Ginsburg said her approach to judging was “ neither ‘ liberal ’ nor ‘ conservative.
’ ” She did , however , make clear that her support for the right to abortion , despite her criticism of Roe v. Wade , was unequivocal .
In answer to a question from Sen. Hank Brown , a Colorado Republican , she said : “ This is something central to a woman ’ s life , to her dignity .
It ’ s a decision that she must make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that decision for her , she ’ s being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices.
” Ginsburg initially found a comfortable ideological home somewhere left of centre on a conservative court dominated by Republican appointees .
Her liberal voice grew stronger the longer she served .
Ginsburg was a mother of two , an opera lover and an intellectual who watched arguments behind oversized glasses for many years , though she ditched them for more fashionable frames in her later years .
At argument sessions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for digging deep into case records and for being a stickler for following the rules .
She argued six key cases before the court in the 1970s when she was an architect of the women ’ s rights movement .
She won five .
On the court , where she was known as a facile writer , her most significant majority opinions were the 1996 ruling that ordered the Virginia Military Institute to accept women or give up its state funding , and the 2015 decision that upheld independent commissions some states use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , Ginsburg took an interest in capital punishment , voting repeatedly to limit its use .
During her tenure , the court declared it unconstitutional for states to execute the intellectually disabled and killers younger than 18 .
In addition , she questioned the quality of lawyers for poor accused murderers .
In the most divisive of cases , including the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000 , she was often at odds with the court ’ s more conservative members — initially Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas .
She was perhaps personally closest on the court to Scalia , her ideological opposite .
Ginsburg once explained that she took Scalia ’ s sometimes biting dissents as a challenge to be met .
“ How am I going to answer this in a way that ’ s a real putdown ?
” she said .
Ginsburg ’ s pointed and powerful dissenting opinions attracted growing attention as the court turned further to the right .
She was anointed the “ Notorious R.B.G.
, ” a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ B.I.G.
, a famous rapper who was Brooklyn-born , like the justice .
Soon the name , and Ginsburg ’ s image — her expression serene yet severe , a frilly lace collar adorning her black judicial robe , her eyes framed by oversized glasses and a gold crown perched at a rakish angle on her head — became an internet sensation .
Young women had the image tattooed on their arms ; daughters were dressed in R.B.G .
costumes for Halloween .
“ You Can ’ t Spell Truth Without Ruth ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The adulation accelerated after the election of Trump , whom Ginsburg had had the indiscretion to call “ a faker ” in an interview during the 2016 presidential campaign .
( She later said her comment had been “ ill advised.
” ) Scholars of the culture searched for an explanation for the phenomenon .
Dahlia Lithwick , writing in The Atlantic in early 2019 , offered this observation : “ Today , more than ever , women starved for models of female influence , authenticity , dignity , and voice hold up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope for an empowered future.
” Reached by phone late Friday , Sen. Lindsey Graham declined to disclose any plans for what will happen in the Supreme Court now that she is gone .
He called Ginsburg a “ trailblazer ” and said , “ While I had many differences with her on legal philosophy , I appreciate her service to our nation.
” Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer tweeted : “ The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice .
Therefore , this vacancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new president.
” Ginsburg authored powerful dissents of her own in cases involving abortion , voting rights and pay discrimination against women .
She said some were aimed at swaying the opinions of her fellow judges while others were “ an appeal to the intelligence of another day ” in the hopes that they would provide guidance to future courts .
“ Hope springs eternal , ” she said in 2007 , “ and when I am writing a dissent , I ’ m always hoping for that fifth or sixth vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more often than not.
” She wrote memorably in 2013 that the court ’ s decision to cut out a key part of the federal law that had ensured the voting rights of Black people , Hispanics and other minorities was “ like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.
” Change on the court hit Ginsburg especially hard .
She dissented forcefully from the court ’ s decision in 2007 to uphold a nationwide ban on an abortion procedure that opponents call partial-birth abortion .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on it , had struck down a similar state ban seven years earlier .
The “ alarming ” ruling , Ginsburg said , “ can not be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this court — and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women ’ s lives.
” In 1999 , Ginsburg had surgery for colon cancer and received radiation and chemotherapy .
She had surgery again in 2009 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and in December 2018 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Following the last surgery , she missed court sessions for the first time in more than 25 years on the bench .
Ginsburg also was treated with radiation for a tumour on her pancreas in August 2019 .
She maintained an active schedule even during the three weeks of radiation .
When she revealed a recurrence of her cancer in July 2020 , Ginsburg said she remained “ fully able ” to continue as a justice .
Joan Ruth Bader was born in Brooklyn , New York , in 1933 , the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older sister , who gave her the lifelong nickname “ Kiki , ” died at age 6 , so Ginsburg grew up in Brooklyn ’ s Flatbush section as an only child .
Her dream , she has said , was to be an opera singer .
Ginsburg graduated at the top of her Columbia University law school class in 1959 but could not find a law firm willing to hire her .
She had “ three strikes against her ” — for being Jewish , female and a mother , as she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ married her husband , Martin , in 1954 , the year she graduated from Cornell University .
She attended Harvard University ’ s law school but transferred to Columbia when her husband took a law job there .
Martin Ginsburg went on to become a prominent tax attorney and law professor .
Martin Ginsburg died in 2010 .
She is survived by two children , Jane and James , and several grandchildren .
Ginsburg once said that she had not entered the law as an equal-rights champion .
“ I thought I could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than any other , ” she wrote .
“ I have no talent in the arts , but I do write fairly well and analyze problems clearly .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--4 Louisiana police officers charged in Black man’s death

SHREVEPORT , La .
- Four police officers in northwest Louisiana have been charged with negligent homicide and malfeasance in connection with the death last April of a 44-year-old Black man following a video-recorded altercation , a prosecutor ’ s office announced Friday .
The four Shreveport police officers were indicted by a grand jury looking into the death of Tommie McGlothen , the Caddo Parish District Attorney ’ s Office said in a news release .
Shreveport is the seat of Caddo Parish .
The statement said that McGlothen , who had mental health issues , had three encounters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the day he died .
The statement said there was evidence of excessive force used on McGlothen , and that officers failed to summon medical help for him .
The officers were identified as Treona McCarter , Brian Ross , D ’ Marea Johnson and James LeClare .
The police department declined comment , according to The Shreveport Times .
KSLA-TV said the officers turned themselves in Friday .
The Caddo Sheriff ’ s Office told The Associated Press the officers were released on $ 20,000 bond each .
At a brief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members , attorney James Carter said they believed the grand jury made “ the appropriate decision “ in charging the four with negligent homicide and malfeasance .
“ I just want to say thank you , ” McGlothen ’ s father said .
One violent encounter with police was recorded on the cellphone of a bystander who witnessed it from a distance , KSLA TV reported when it aired the recording in June .
Officers can be seen wrestling with a man on the ground , one of them punching him repeatedly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baton .
Caddo Parish Coroner Todd Thoma initially said the death was the result of an underlying heart condition and “ excited delirium , ” but also said the death was “ possibly preventable.
” Thoma has said McGlothen was left on the back seat of a police car for 48 minutes after his April 5 struggle with officers before it was discovered that he wasn ’ t breathing .
He was declared dead at the hospital the next day , the coroner said .
The Caddo District Attorney ’ s release said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and experts on police use of force reviewed the case .
The release said the investigation confirmed the “ excited delirium ” determination , and that excessive force was used on McGlothen by the Shreveport Police Department officers .
The district attorney ’ s statement said officers used unnecessary physical force and violated department policy regarding use of Tasers .
It also said they failed to take McGlothen to the hospital or call paramedics .
Friday ’ s announcement of charges marks the second time in recent months that a group of Shreveport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force .
In June , eight officers were charged with malfeasance for the use of force against two men following a traffic chase .
McGlothen ’ s death in police custody , the police custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other incidents sparked protests in Shreveport during the summer .


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--US sends troops, armoured vehicles to Syria to counter Russia

WASHINGTON - The U.S. has deployed additional troops and armoured vehicles into eastern Syria after a number of clashes with Russian forces , including a recent vehicle collision that injured four American service members .
Navy Capt .
Bill Urban , spokesman for U.S. Central Command , said the U.S. has also sent in radar systems and increased fighter jet patrols over the region to better protect American and coalition forces .
“ The United States does not seek conflict with any other nation in Syria , but will defend Coalition forces if necessary , ” said Urban .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting vehicles and fewer than 100 additional troops were sent in to eastern Syria .
The official , who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the military move , said the reinforcements are meant to be a clear signal to Russia to avoid any more unsafe and provocative actions against the U.S. and its allies there .
There have been a number of escalating incidents this year between U.S. and Russian forces who patrol in eastern Syria .
The most serious was last month , when officials said Russian vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuring four Americans .
A U.S. official said at the time that two Russian helicopters also flew above the Americans , and one of the aircraft was within about 70 feet ( 20 metres ) of the vehicle .
The deployment of the armoured vehicles was first reported by NBC News .
Russia , which backs the Syrian government , has long opposed American presence in the country .
The Russian Defence Ministry blamed the U.S. for the vehicle collision .
The ministry said Russia had notified the U.S.-led coalition about the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the U.S tried to block the Russian patrol .
Gen. Frank McKenzie , head of U.S. Central Command , said , however , that the Russian troops “ were in an area they were not supposed to be .
They were not in an area that they had received permission to go to .
And their actions were frankly reckless at the tactical level.
” In recent remarks to a small group of reporters , he said that while the U.S. has a “ pretty effective de-confliction channel with the Russians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us “ on that patrol .
He added that the U.S. would “ take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that when we ’ re out there patrolling our men and women are going to be safe and they ’ re going to be able to do the task that they were sent there to do.
” The four American service members injured in the crash received concussions .
U.S. troops are usually accompanied by members of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces on the patrols , and they have stayed in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The crash last month took place near Dayrick , in northeast Syria , where Russian troops should generally not be present .
National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said the U.S. patrol left the area “ to deescalate the situation.
” While there have been several other recent incidents between the American and Russian troops in eastern Syria , officials have described the August crash as the most concerning .
This is the second time that Bradleys have been sent into Syria .
They were used last October in operations with U.S.-backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the remnants of the Islamic State group and protect oil fields in that area .
The Bradley units are from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team , 1st Armored Division , based at Fort Bliss , Texas .
“ The mechanized infantry assets will help ensure the force protection of coalition forces in an increasingly complex operating environment in northeast Syria , ” said Col. Wayne Marotto , spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition .
“ The Coalition forces remain steadfast in our commitment of ensuring the enduring defeat of Daesh .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-18--Jury convicts Indiana man accused of killing, cannibalism

JEFFERSONVILLE , Ind .
- A southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body was convicted of a murder charge Friday .
Jurors deliberated for about five hours before announcing the guilty verdict against Joseph Oberhansley of Jeffersonville in Tammy Jo Blanton ’ s death .
The 46-year-old victim ’ s body was found at her home the morning of Sept. 11 , 2014 , badly mutilated with more than 25 sharp force injuries and multiple blunt force injuries , authorities have said .
The jury convicted Oberhansley of murder and burglary , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges against him .
Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull in his closing statement challenged Oberhansley ’ s testimony Thursday as the lone defence witness that he was suffering from head injuries when he was coerced into a confession after nearly three hours of police interrogation following the discovery of Blanton ’ s body .
Oberhansley testified “ two Black guys ” had been at her home when he arrived around 4 a.m. that day and said they were responsible for Blanton ’ s death and knocking him out .
He awoke when police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim .
Mull asked the jury to consider why the men would have violently killed Blanton but left Oberhansley unconscious without further injury .
“ We all know they didn ’ t do that , ” Mull said .
“ We all know Joseph Oberhansley killed Tammy Blanton.
” Defence attorney Bart Betteau argued Oberhansley ’ s account was reasonable and the prosecutor hadn ’ t presented evidence to prove Oberhansley committed the crime .
“ You have to be aware that there ’ s a thought out there that you shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) take anything I say seriously , ” he said .
“ There might be a thought out there that that ’ s what people want you to do .
“ But you don ’ t have that luxury .
You took an oath , ” Betteau said .
Oberhansley faces a possible sentence of life in prison without parole .
Prosecutors dropped an attempt to seek the death penalty last year .
Jurors were drawn from Allen County in northeastern Indiana because of the intense media coverage the case has received in @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Walmart, Amazon among donors to QAnon-promoting lawmaker

Walmart , Amazon and other corporate giants donated money to a Tennessee state lawmaker ’ s reelection campaign after she used social media to amplify and promote the QAnon conspiracy theory , according to an Associated Press review of campaign finance records and the candidate ’ s posts .
The corporate support for a QAnon-promoting politician is another example of how the conspiracy theory has penetrated mainstream politics , spreading beyond its origins on internet message boards popular with right-wing extremists .
Dozens of QAnon-promoting candidates have run for federal or state offices during this election cycle .
Collectively , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of donors .
Individually , however , most of them have run poorly financed campaigns with little or no corporate or party backing .
Unlike state Rep. Susan Lynn , who chairs the Tennessee House finance committee , few are incumbents who can attract corporate PAC money .
Lynn told the AP in an interview Friday that she does not support QAnon .
Walmart did not respond to repeated requests for comment made by email and through its website .
An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment .
A spokeswoman for another donor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distillery company Brown-Forman , which has a facility in Tennessee , said the company didn ’ t know about Lynn ’ s QAnon posts and wouldn ’ t have donated to her campaign through its Jack Daniel ’ s PAC if it had .
“ Now that our awareness is raised , we will reevaluate our criteria for giving to help identify affiliations like this in the future , ” Elizabeth Conway said in a statement .
Corporate PAC managers typically decide which candidates to support on the basis of narrow , pragmatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Anthony Corrado , a Colby College government professor and campaign finance expert .
“ In many instances , you don ’ t have any kind of corporate board oversight or any kind of accountability in terms of review of contributions before they ’ re made , ” Corrado said .
“ Some corporations now have adopted policies about the supervision of PAC contributions because of the reputational risks involved in this.
” At least 81 current or former congressional candidates have supported the conspiracy theory or promoted QAnon content , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s general election ballot , according to the liberal watchdog Media Matters for America .
As of Friday , the candidates collectively had raised nearly $ 5 million in contributions for this election cycle , but only eight had raised over $ 100,000 individually , according to the AP ’ s review of Federal Election Commission data .
The FEC ’ s online database doesn ’ t have any fundraising reports for 30 of the candidates , the vast majority of whom are running as Republicans .
Congress is virtually certain to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Marjorie Taylor Greene , whose campaign has raised over $ 1 million , appeared to be coasting to victory in a deep-red congressional district in Georgia even before her Democratic opponent dropped out of the race .
At the state level , the AP and Media Matters have identified more than two dozen legislative candidates who have expressed some support or interest in QAnon .
QAnon centres on the baseless belief that President Donald Trump is waging a secret campaign against enemies in the “ deep state ” and a child sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cannibals .
Trump has praised QAnon supporters and often retweets accounts that promote the conspiracy theory .
QAnon has been linked to killings , attempted kidnappings and other crimes .
In May 2019 , an FBI bulletin mentioning QAnon warned that conspiracy theory-driven extremists have become a domestic terrorism threat .
Lynn said her social media posts do not indicate any support for the conspiracy theory .
“ This is the United States of America , and I am absolutely free to tweet or retweet anything I want , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is even an issue .
Believe me , I am not in the inside of some QAnon movement.
” But in October 2019 , Lynn retweeted posts by QAnon-promoting accounts with tens of thousands of followers .
One of the posts she retweeted praised Trump and included the hashtag # TheGreatAwakening , a phrase commonly invoked by QAnon followers .
Between Oct. 31 , 2019 , and Jan. 9 , 2020 , her campaign received $ 4,750 in donations from Amazon.com Services LLC , BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee ’ s PAC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co. Freedom Fund and Walmart Inc. “ Like many other companies , our PAC periodically contributes to elected officials in Tennessee , including those serving in leadership like Rep. Lynn , ” BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee spokeswoman Dalya Qualls said in a statement .
In April , Lynn updated her Facebook page with a cover photo that included a flag with stars forming a “ Q ” above the abbreviation “ WWG1WGA , ” which stands for the QAnon slogan “ Where we go one , we go all.
” In May and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same abbreviation .
And when a leading QAnon supporter nicknamed “ Praying Medic ” tweeted the message , “ Is it time to Q the Trump rallies ?
” Lynn responded , “ It is time !
” in a May 31 tweet of her own .
Lynn said she viewed “ Where we go one , we go all ” as a “ very unifying slogan ” and didn ’ t know it was a QAnon motto .
However , a handful of Facebook users who replied to her updated cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection .
The flag is no longer her cover photo but could still be seen in the feed on her page on Friday .
In July , AT & T Tennessee PAC , Cigna Corporation PAC and Jack Daniel ’ s PAC contributed a total of $ 4,000 to Lynn ’ s campaign .
The PACs linked to BlueCross BlueShield , AT & T Tennessee , Cigna , Southwest Airlines and Jack Daniel ’ s had also previously donated to Lynn ’ s campaign before she amplified QAnon-promoting Twitter accounts last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this story .
Some did not respond to requests for comment and others declined to comment .
Associated Press data journalist Andrew Milligan in New Haven , Connecticut ; and Adrian Sainz in Memphis , Tennessee , contributed to this report .

Michael Kunzelman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--McConnell vows quick vote on next justice; Biden says wait

WASHINGTON - The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg just six weeks before the election cast an immediate spotlight on the crucial high court vacancy , with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell quickly vowing to bring to a vote whoever President Donald Trump nominates .
Democratic nominee Joe Biden vigorously disagreed , declaring that “ voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice to consider.
” McConnell , who sets the calendar in the Senate and has made judicial appointments his priority , declared unequivocally in a statement not long after Ginsburg ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee would receive a confirmation vote in the chamber .
In 2016 , McConnell refused to consider President Barack Obama ’ s choice for the high court months ahead of the election , eventually preventing a vote .
The impending clash over the vacant seat — when to fill it and with whom — is sure to significantly affect the stretch run of the presidential race , further stirring passions in a nation already reeling from the pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 people , left millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reporters after learning of Ginsburg ’ s death , called her “ an amazing woman who led an amazing life.
” He had continued with a campaign speech in Minnesota for about an hour and a half after the nation — as well as aides and many in his audience with cellphones — had learned of her death .
He seemed surprised when he spoke with reporters afterward , saying he did not know she had died .
Trump had noted in his rally speech that the next presidential term could offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nine-member court , whose members are confirmed for life .
“ This is going to be the most important election in the history of our country and we have to get it right , ” he added .
Biden said it must be up to the next president , whether himself or Trump , to choose a successor to be submitted for Senate confirmation .
“ This was the position that the Republican Senate took in 2016 , when there were nearly nine months before the election , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ States Senate must take now , when the election is less than two months away .
We are talking about the Constitution and the Supreme Court .
That institution should not be subject to politics .
A confirmation vote in the Senate is not guaranteed , even with a Republican majority .
Typically it takes several months to vet and hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee , and time is short ahead of the election .
Key senators may be reluctant to cast votes so close to the election .
With a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 100-member chamber , Trump ’ s choice could afford to lose only a few .
McConnell did not specify the timing , but trying for confirmation in a post-election lame-duck session if Trump had lost to Biden or Republicans had lost the Senate would carry further political complications .
Democrats immediate denounced McConnell ’ s move as hypocritical , pointing out that he refused to call hearings for Merrick Garland , Obama ’ s pick , 237 days before the 2016 election .
The 2020 election is 46 days away .
Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet , echoed word for word what McConnell said in 2016 about the Garland nomination : “ The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice .
Therefore , this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.
“ Both Trump and McConnell have pointed to appointments to the federal judiciary , including two Supreme Court justices , part of their legacy .
Trump said last month that he would “ absolutely ” try to fill a vacancy if one came up before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I would move quickly , ” Trump said in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt .
“ Why not ?
I mean , they would .
The Democrats would if they were in this position.
” While plans were still being formalized , Trump was expected to announce a choice sooner rather than later and may meet with members of his short list in coming days , according to a White House official not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Trump last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates he ’ s pledged to choose from if he has future vacancies to fill .
He contrasted his list with unnamed “ radical justices ” he claimed Biden would nominate who would “ fundamentally transform America without a single vote of Congress.
“ Trump released a similar list in 2016 in a bid to win over conservative and evangelical voters who had doubts about his conservative credentials .
Among those on his current list : Sens .
Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton , former Solicitor General Noel Francisco and Judge Amy Coney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court of Appeals , in Chicago , long a favourite of conservatives .
The average number of days to confirm a justice , according to the Congressional Research Service , is 69 , which would be after the election .
But some Republicans quickly noted that Ginsburg was confirmed in just 42 days .
Four GOP defections could defeat a nomination , while a tie vote could be broken by Vice-President Mike Pence .
Among the senators to watch are Republicans Susan Collins of Maine , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , Mitt Romney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a tight race for her own reelection , as are several other GOP senators , including Cory Gardner in Colorado .
Murkowski and Romney have been critical of Trump and protective of the institution of the Senate .
Some Republicans , including Collins and Murkowski , have suggested previously that hearings should wait if a seat were to open .
And because the Arizona Senate race is a special election , that seat could be filled as early as November 30 — which would narrow the window for McConnell if the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his lead .
In a note to his GOP colleagues Friday night , McConnell urged them to “ keep their powder dry ” and not rush to declare a position on whether a Trump nominee should get a vote this year .
“ Over the coming days , we are all going to come under tremendous pressure from the press to announce how we will handle the coming nomination .
For those of you who are unsure how to answer , or for those inclined to oppose giving a nominee a vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powder dry , ” McConnell wrote .
“ This is not the time to prematurely like yourselves into a position you may later regret.
” McConnell argued that there would be enough time to fill the vacancy and he restated his argument that the 2016 Senate precedent — in which a GOP-held Senate blocked Obama ’ s election-year nomination — did not establish a rule that applies to the Ginsburg case .
A top aide to a GOP senator confirmed the authenticity of McConnell ’ s email to his fellow senators , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under McConnell , the Senate changed the confirmation rules to allow for a simple majority .
The Senate ’ s No .
2 Republican , Sen. John Thune , supported McConnell ’ s plan Friday night , though the Judiciary Commtitee chairman , Lindsey Graham , did not weigh in .
Obama called for Republicans to wait , saying “ a basic principle of the law – and of everyday fairness – is that we apply rules with consistency and not based on what ’ s convenient or advantageous in the moment.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite the vacancy resulting from Ginsburg ’ s death , conservatives have a working majority of five justices on a range of issues .
When Antonin Scalia died four years ago , the court was divided between four liberals and four conservatives .
The next pick could shape important decisions , including on abortion rights , as well as any legal challenges that may stem from the 2020 election .
The 2018 hearings on Trump ’ s second pick , now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh , turned into a bitter partisan battle after sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised to nominate a Black woman to the high court if given the chance .
He has said he ’ s also working on a list of potential nominees , but the campaign has given no indication that it will release names before the election .
Democrats believe doing so would unnecessarily distract from Biden ’ s focus on Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic and the economy , while also giving the president and his allies fresh targets to attack .
In the hours before Ginsburg ’ s death , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race was much tighter in battleground states .
Lemire reported from New York .
Associated Press writers Alan Fram , Darlene Superville and Andrew Taylor in Washington , Aamer Madhani in Bemidji , Minnesota , and Will Weissert in Wilmington , Delaware , contributed to this report .

Jonathan Lemire And Lisa Mascaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Police: 2 dead, 14 wounded at party in Rochester, New York

ROCHESTER , N.Y. - Gunfire at a backyard party killed two people and wounded 14 others early Saturday in Rochester , New York , a city that has been roiled in recent weeks by outrage over the suffocation death of Daniel Prude .
As many as 100 people were at the gathering when the shooting started just before 12:30 a.m. , Acting Police Chief Mark Simmons told reporters .
Police were still trying to piece together who opened fire and why .
Simmons said it was too early to say whether more than one person was shooting or whom the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man and woman , estimated to be in their late teens or early 20s , were killed , Simmons said .
Their names weren ’ t immediately released .
The 14 wounded by gunfire were not believed to have life-threatening injuries .
The acting chief said no suspects were in custody .
“ This is truly a tragedy of epic proportions , ” Simmons said in a news conference held near the home .
“ I mean 16 victims is unheard of , and for our community , who ’ s right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be dealt with this tragedy , needlessly , for people who decide to act in a violent manner is unfortunate and shameful , and we ’ re going to do everything that we can as a department to bring those people involved to justice.
” The shooting comes as the city in Western New York has been rocked by days of protests over Prude ’ s death , caused when Rochester police officers put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting , then pushed his face into the pavement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathing .
On Monday , the city ’ s mayor fired Police Chief La ’ Ron Singletary , who she said initially misled her about the circumstances of the March death .
Other senior police officials announced they would retire or leave top command positions .
The acting police chief , Simmons , expressed frustration early Saturday that someone had held a large , late-night party amid that tumult , apparently in defiance of a state ban on large gatherings because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ This is yet another tragedy where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house parties taking place in these properties , which — number one — is not safe because of COVID , because of the conditions , “ Simmons said .
“ And then you add in alcohol and violence and it just becomes a recipe for disaster.
” Officers responding to calls of shots fired found “ approximately 100 people ” running from the scene , Simmons said .
Before the call , police were not aware of the party and had received no complaints about noise , he said .
The wounded were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more people were hurt while fleeing , the Major Crimes Unit said in a tweet .
Despite the lack of arrests , Simmons said there was no reason to believe the neighbourhood was unsafe .
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren issued a statement asking for “ prayers and support for all involved.
” “ I ’ m begging everyone to remain calm and exercise deep restraint as RPD investigates what happened here and seeks those responsible , “ she said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Underwater and on fire: US climate change magnifies extremes

America ’ s worsening climate change problem is as polarized as its politics .
Some parts of the country have been burning this month while others were underwater in devastating extreme weather disasters .
The already parched West is getting drier and suffering deadly wildfires because of it , while the much wetter East keeps getting drenched in mega-rainfall events , some hurricane related and others not .
Climate change is magnifying both extremes , but it may not be the only factor , several scientists told The Associated Press .
“ The story in the West is really going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting worse and the fire compounded by decreasing precipitation , ’ ’ said Columbia University climate scientist Richard Seager .
“ But in the eastern part more of the climate change impact story is going to be more intense precipitation .
We see it in Sally.
” North Carolina State climatologist Kathie Dello , a former deputy state climatologist in Oregon , this week was talking with friends abut the massive Oregon fires while she was huddled under a tent , dodging 4 inches ( 10 centimetres ) of rain falling on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I worry about are completely different now , ” Dello said .
“ We know the West has had fires and droughts .
It ’ s hot and dry .
We know the East has had hurricanes and it ’ s typically more wet .
But we ’ re amping up both of those.
” In the federal government ’ s 2017 National Climate Assessment , scientists wrote a special chapter warning of surprises due to global warming from burning of coal , oil and natural gas .
And one of the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ We certainly are getting extremes at the same time with climate change , ” said University of Illinois climate scientist Donald Wuebbles , one of the main authors .
Since 1980 , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has tracked billion-dollar disasters , adjusting for inflation , with four happening in August including the western wildfires .
NOAA applied meteorologist Adam Smith said that this year , with at least 14 already , has a high likelihood of being a record .
Fifteen of the 22 billion-dollar droughts in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rockies , while 23 of the 28 billion-dollar non-hurricane flooding events were to the east .
For more than a century scientists have looked at a divide — at the 100th meridian — that splits the country with dry and brown conditions to the west and wet and green ones to the east .
Seager found that the wet-dry line has moved about 140 miles ( 225 kilometres ) east — from western Kansas to eastern Kansas — since 1980 .
And it ’ s getting more extreme .
Nearly three-quarters of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. Drought Monitor .
Scientists say the West is in about the 20th year of what they call a “ megadrought , ” the only one since Europeans came to North America .
Meager summer rains are down 26 % in the last 30 years west of the Rockies .
California ’ s anemic summer rain has dropped 41 % in the past 30 years .
In the past three years , California hasn ’ t received more than a third of an inch ( 0.8 centimetres ) of rain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to NOAA records .
California also is suffering its worst fire year on record , with more than 5,300 square miles ( 13,760 square kilometres ) burned .
That ’ s more than double the area of the previous record set in 2018 .
People have been fleeing unprecedented and deadly fires in Oregon and Washington with Colorado also burning this month .
“ Climate change is a major factor behind the increase in western U.S. wildfires , ” said A .
Park Williams , a Columbia University scientist who studies fires and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , California ’ s annual wildfire extent increased fivefold , punctuated by extremely large and destructive wildfires in 2017 and 2018 , ” a 2019 study headed by Williams said , attributing it mostly to “ drying of fuels promoted by human-induced warming.
” During the western wildfires , more than a foot rain fell on Alabama and Florida as Hurricane Sally parked on the Gulf Coast , dropping as much as 30 inches ( 76 centimetres ) of rain at Orange Beach , Alabama .
Studies say hurricanes are slowing down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The week before Sally hit , a non-tropical storm dumped half a foot of rain on a Washington , D.C. , suburb in just a few hours .
Bigger downpours are becoming more common in the East , where the summer has gotten 16 % wetter in the last 30 years .
In August 2016 , a non-tropical storm dumped 31 inches ( nearly 79 centimetres ) of rain in parts of Louisiana , killing dozens of people and causing nearly $ 11 billion in damage .
Louisiana and Texas had up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rain in March of 2016 .
In June 2016 , torrential rain caused a $ 1 billion in flood damage in West Virginia .
In the 1950s , areas east of the Rockies averaged 87 downpours of five inches or more a year .
In the 2010s , that had soared to 149 a year , according to data from NOAA research meteorologist Ken Kunkel .
It ’ s simple physics .
With each degree Celsius ( 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit ) that the air warms , it holds 7 % more moisture that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East has warmed that much since 1985 , according to NOAA .
While climate change is a factor , Seager and Williams said what ’ s happening is more extreme than climate models predict and there must be other , possibly natural weather phenomenon also at work .
Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann said that La Nina — a temporary natural cooling of parts of the equatorial Pacific that changes weather worldwide — is partly responsible for some of the drought and hurricane issues this summer .
But that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together they make for “ dual disasters playing out in the U.S. , ” Mann said .
As for where you can go to escape climate disasters , Dello said , “ I don ’ t know where you can go to outrun climate change anymore.
” “ I ’ m thinking Vermont , ” she said , then added Vermont had bad floods from 2011 ’ s Hurricane Irene .
Read stories on climate issues by The Associated Press at https : //apnews.com/hub/climate .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Delaware museum uncovers artwork by ‘hidden gem’ Jack Lewis

DOVER , Del .
- Taylor Collins got the surprise of a lifetime early in her artistic career .
While looking at art books at the Dover Public Library back in the mid-70s , she came across works by famed Delaware artist Jack Lewis .
“ I loved what he did .
He had the painting and then he told a story about the scene .
The whole thing with the Delaware scene just really appealed to me , ” she said .
“ The books were in the Delaware reference section .
You had to get a key and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not like today .
But I assumed he had died way back in the 50s and 60s or something .
One of his books had an introduction by N.C. Wyeth.
” Although thinking he was no longer around , she came to think of Mr. Lewis as a mentor for her own work .
So it came as quite a shock to her when reading in the Delaware State News a few years later that he was giving a workshop at the Rehoboth Art League .
“ I said ‘ Oh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ms. Collins said with a laugh .
“ Here ’ s this person that you really idolized and all of a sudden you find that he ’ s still among the living.
” Thus began a 20-year education and friendship with the renowned painter until his death in 2012 at the age of 99 .
“ He was a real gem .
There was no one like him , ” said Ms. Collins , the owner of Parke Green Galleries in downtown Dover..
The Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis in an exhibit appropriately called “ Delaware ’ s Hidden Gem.
” The exhibition is a rare look at Mr. Lewis ’ s work from private collections .
The core of the exhibition is drawn from gifts given to the Biggs Museum and the Rehoboth Art League from area collectors such as Paul Baker and Sam Profetta .
The other half of this exhibition was curated from private collections throughout Kent and Sussex counties .
The works were selected to highlight areas in the Mid-Atlantic Region — most from the Delmarva Peninsula @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Lewis ’ artistic career from his early years on the peninsula in the 1930s to works he completed in the late 1980s .
As often as possible , the original Lewis painting drawn from this 50-year period is compared to photographs of the same areas as they appear today .
The Biggs is also offering a driving tour available to download featuring some of Mr. Lewis ’ favourite places to paint and the venues he painted .
Born in Baltimore in 1912 , Mr. Lewis moved to Delaware in the 1930s to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corps — a federal program to employ workers during the Great Depression .
He painted the daily activities of three CCC camps doing mosquito control in Lewes , Magnolia and Leipsic .
Every day he would pick a destination and drive until he found a scene that would cause him to stop and make a plein air painting from the side of the road .
He enlisted in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1942 and was sent to the Pacific .
Upon his return , he earned a master ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in public schools and Delaware Technical Community College from 1949 to 1976 .
After retiring , he taught in many venues in the community , including the Delaware Correctional Center , the Dover Art League and the Rehoboth Art League .
In 1986 , Mr. Lewis was commissioned by Delaware ’ s Legislative Council to create murals celebrating the bicentennial of Delaware ’ s ratification of the Constitution .
The murals still hang in Legislative Hall in Dover .
Mr. Lewis moved to Maine with his wife in the 1990s to be closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 90s , he made the trek by himself from Maine to exhibit his work at the Rehoboth Art League Outdoor Show each August .
Ms. Collins said she always appreciated the “ earthiness of Mr. Lewis ’ work .
“ What he really captured lies in what he called the elementals , which are the people of the earth .
How they make their living from the land and how they lived on the land and heat and that ’ s what I wanted to capture in my work .
I wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s folk history and not the fancy DuPont history or that kind of thing , but just the regular little events and things that Delaware people like , ” she said .
“ Because we ’ re just never going to be New York City .
We just aren ’ t .
And so that ’ s one of the things that really attracted me to him was he just had this earthiness to him.
” Working for the USDA for 30 years , Ms. Collins would take off mornings and drive down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis .
“ I had always wanted to be an artist but I was just doing the pen and ink stuff and making these into prints .
So when I took the class with Jack , it was watercolour , which I knew nothing about , ” she said .
“ I knew I could pick his brain .
He had written all these books .
He was so engaging .
He was just this true gentleman but so quirky .
He wore a beret .
He was an artist ’ s artist.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of writing a book about the value of mentoring in art and highlighting Mr. Lewis ’ influence on her and her career .
“ He actually taught you how to be an artist , which isn ’ t something that is really taught .
He just gave you this mindset of you live the role .
It ’ s more like it ’ s not a profession .
It ’ s a way of living .
And he personified it.
’ she said .
“ That ’ s so different than learning how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper .
He was such a philosopher .
He would get off on these tangents .
He was always going off on the deep end on some subject .
I loved that because I ’ m a talker and anybody who digresses like that , I just love .
So he was the perfect person to learn from .
But he was just a gem .
He was so open and warm .
I can ’ t ever say enough about him as a person and as an artist .
He was just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for you.
” Ms. Collins said he put her in the proper mindset of being an artist .
“ It ’ s just different being an artist .
If you ’ re going to be an artist , you ’ ve got to be that artist and it really changes your whole outlook .
I was always self conscious and worried like , ‘ Oh , is somebody ’ s going to like it or are the not gon na like it ?
” she said .
“ What he taught you was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepts you or not .
It ’ s about the work , What he really liked about me is I had something to say .
Because so many artists , they just want to paint a flower .
They want to paint a lighthouse or they want to paint whatever .
But they don ’ t ever really have anything they want to say .
They don ’ t have that artistic passion .
And he knew my whole goal was to capture the Delaware scene on my own , the folk art @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ms. Collins fondly recalls the trips they would take to the National Gallery of Art in Washington after each session was over .
“ We would all pile in his van and go analyze paintings from real masters .
You can ’ t get that from books .
You need to see the paintings in person .
I always looked forward to going over there just to do the critiques and figure out how they painted the paintings and all that , ” she said .
After he left Delaware with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Maine , Ms. Collins still saw him a handful of times .
“ I always said Dorothy kidnapped him to Maine .
But I did get to see him about five times in Maine .
When I worked for the government , we had some training up in New Hampshire every other year .
And so every time I went to Manchester , I would scoot over to Maine and see him .
I did get to see him right before he died.
” Ms. Collins recalled that final time that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis in a retirement community .
At 99 years old , she figured it would be the last time she would see him and she was worried about what kind of shape he would be in .
When they arrived , she was told he was in the dining hall .
“ When we walked in , he was in there by himself playing ‘ Lady of Spain ’ on the harmonica .
We immediately knew it was him , ” she said .
“ He was in a sports jacket dressed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was OK .
I was dreading the visit but it was great .
Although when we got in the car , we bawled our eyes out .
It was so emotional .
I knew I was never going to get back up there.
” Ms. Collins did have one regret about the visit .
“ He loved doing jigsaw puzzles .
The last time I was at his house he must have had 500 jigsaw puzzles stacked up .
I bought him this 2,000-piece puzzle of a Monet painting .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He loved all of impressionists .
I figured ‘ This will keep him busy for a while.
’ But I forgot it and just figured I would mail it to him about a week before his birthday , ” she said .
“ Then I found out he died and I was so sad .
I had already wrapped it to go to the post office.
” Mr. Lewis died Aug. 19 , 2012 , 11 days shy of his 100th birthday .
The jigsaw puzzle remains in Ms. Collins ’ house — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around here somewhere .
I don ’ t have the heart to open it , ” she said .
This period piece is of Cooch ’ s Bridge in New Castle County .
The 1986 work is an acrylic on sheetrock .
The Jack Lewis exhibit runs at the Biggs until Nov. 22 .
Social distancing rules and mask wearing are in effect .

Craig Horleman, Delaware State News - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Court weighs allowing courtroom cameras in George Floyd case

MINNEAPOLIS - The trial of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd ’ s death will generate massive public interest when it begins in March , but as it stands , most people who want to watch the proceedings will be out of luck .
The judge overseeing the case has yet to decide whether cameras will be allowed .
Supporters of audio and visual coverage say the high-profile nature of Floyd ’ s death , the outrage that led to worldwide protests , and courtroom restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic make this the right time and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the state attorney general ’ s office , which is prosecuting the case , opposes them , saying cameras would only create more problems .
“ I just can ’ t think of a situation where it ’ s more important than a case like this for the public to see what ’ s actually transpiring in the courtroom , ” said Jane Kirtley , director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law .
“ Justice that can not be observed can not really be considered justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they can ’ t see , ” she added .
In June , Judge Peter Cahill decided against allowing audio and visual coverage of pretrial proceedings because he said it would risk tainting the possible jury pool and the state opposed it .
But Cahill , who is still weighing requests to try the defendants separately , said he would rule on trial audio and video coverage at a later date .
It ’ s unclear when that ruling will come .
Floyd , a Black man who was handcuffed , died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white officer , pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck even as Floyd said he couldn ’ t breathe .
Floyd ’ s death was captured in widely seen bystander video that set off protests around the world .
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder , third-degree murder and manslaughter .
Thomas Lane , J. Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter .
All four officers were fired .
Unlike many other states , Minnesota does not allow cameras at criminal trials before sentencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys agree to them .
The former officers have consented to cameras , but prosecutors have resisted , saying they may revisit the issue as the trial nears .
Defence attorneys say cameras would help ensure the trial is fair and open during the pandemic , when courtroom attendance has been limited to allow for social distancing .
They have asked Cahill to grant camera access regardless of whether prosecutors agree .
Prosecutor Matthew Frank wrote in July that the state was concerned that live audio and visual coverage “ may create more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , Frank wrote , broadcast coverage of the trial could alter the way lawyers present evidence , force participants to endure even more media scrutiny or intimidate witnesses .
Earl Gray , Lane ’ s attorney , said in a written response that it was “ obvious ” Frank and Attorney General Keith Ellison have never tried a televised high-profile case .
“ I have tried a handful in Wisconsin and there is absolutely no issue .
You do not even know the cameras are there.
” A coalition of media organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requested camera access , arguing that cameras would increase transparency , especially during the pandemic .
Kirtley , who is part of the coalition , said any concerns that cameras would be disruptive can be managed by the judge .
Although overflow courtrooms can increase access , they are often small , their closed-circuit monitors may not provide the best quality and the experience is usually diminished .
She said meaningful access is key , and there should be a presumption that the public has a right to see everything that happens in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court ’ s YouTube channel could be an option as well , she said .
Other states have chosen to do that during the pandemic .
“ It ’ s frankly time for us to move into the 21st century , ” Kirtley said .
Raleigh Hannah Levine , a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law , said many states have used cameras in the courtroom for years and concerns raised by Ellison ’ s team have been largely non-issues .
Most of the concerns , she said , stemmed from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys , the judge and witnesses were criticized for apparently performing for the camera .
She said the world has come a long way since then and that the widespread use of social media , not to mention the increase in videoconferencing during the pandemic , has changed many people ’ s views about being captured on video .
Levine also said the Supreme Court — which made history in May by hearing arguments by phone and allowing the world to listen in for the first time — has long recognized that open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible abuses and can prevent vigilantism .
“ If people see how the trial is proceeding , they have less reason to take the matter into their own hands , ” she said .
If people can see how the judge handles a trial , how evidence is presented and hear witnesses for themselves , it can increase their confidence in the judicial system .
“ Whichever way it comes out , people won ’ t be as outraged by a verdict that they dislike because they might understand how it was reached @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--How Ginsburg’s death could reshape the presidential campaign

NEW YORK - A presidential campaign that was already tugging at the nation ’ s most searing divides has been jolted by the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , potentially reshaping the election at a moment when some Americans were beginning to cast ballots .
For months , the contest has largely centred on President Donald Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus , the biggest public health crisis in a century that has badly damaged his prospects for reelection as the U.S. death toll nears 200,000 people .
But in a flash , Ginsburg ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , with the potential that Trump or his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , could pick a successor who could decide abortion access , environmental regulations and the power of the presidency for a generation .
With early voting underway in five states and Election Day just over six weeks away , Democrats and Republicans were largely unified late Friday in praising Ginsburg as a leading legal thinker and advocate for women ’ s rights .
But strategists in both parties also seized on the moment to find an advantage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House and the Senate , some Republicans viewed the Supreme Court vacancy as one of the few avenues remaining for Trump to galvanize supporters beyond his most loyal core of supporters , particularly suburban women who have abandoned the GOP in recent years .
“ It ’ s hard to see how this doesn ’ t help Trump politically , ” said veteran Republican strategist Alex Conant .
“ Biden wants this election to be a referendum on Trump .
Now it ’ s going to be a referendum on whoever he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans close to the White House believe that Trump will likely nominate a woman , who could serve as a counterweight of sorts to Biden ’ s choice of running mate Kamala Harris , who would be the first woman to serve as vice-president .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , pledged to quickly bring to a vote whomever Trump nominates .
But he faces potential division within his own ranks , including from Sens .
Mitt Romney of Utah , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , Susan Collins of Maine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gardner are in particularly tight races for reelection this fall .
That ’ s fueling optimism among Democrats that the vacancy could drive home the significance of the election to their base .
“ The implications for Senate races could be profound , ” said Democratic strategist Bill Burton .
“ The presidential race will see some immediate churn as activists on both sides will be newly energized , ” he continued .
“ The persistent question will be whether huge protests around the Capitol and the country will inflame such vigorous energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell , in a note to his GOP colleagues Friday night , urged them to “ keep their powder dry ” and not rush to declare a position on whether a Trump nominee should get a vote this year .
“ This is not the time to prematurely like yourselves into a position you may later regret , ” he said .
Biden , who has already pledged to appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court , told reporters late Friday that “ voters should pick the president and the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats are enraged by McConnell ’ s pledge to move forward , especially after he blocked President Barack Obama from appointing a justice to replace Antonin Scalia nine months before the 2016 election .
That decision cast a long political shadow , prompting Pete Buttigieg , the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor who mounted a spirited bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination , to make expansion of the Supreme Court a centerpiece of his campaign .
Biden rejected the idea .
Some Democrats privately concede that the Supreme Court vacancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has been a central element of Biden ’ s campaign .
Trump took the unprecedented step in 2016 of releasing a list of Supreme Court picks before he was elected , a move that was credited with unifying skeptical conservative voters to unite behind him .
Republicans also believe that the high-profile debate over Trump ’ s last Supreme Court pick , Brett Kavanaugh , helped the GOP retain the Senate during the 2018 midterms , when the party lost control of the House .
The president , seeking to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 2016 bid , released another list of potential Supreme Court nominees last week .
But some Democrats said the political environment is already overheated , with partisan divides over everything from wearing a mask to curb the pandemic to addressing climate change .
Ginsburg ’ s death , they say , may not change that .
“ It ’ s already pretty ugly out there , ” said Megan Jones , a Democratic strategist who worked for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid .
“ I do not know how this does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor in Washington , Michelle Price in Las Vegas , Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-19--Ethiopia charges prominent opposition figure with terrorism

ADDIS ABABA , Ethiopia - Ethiopia ’ s most prominent opposition figure , Jawar Mohammed , and 23 other people have been charged with terrorism-related offences , telecom fraud and other criminal activities , the attorney general ’ s office announced Saturday .
The office said they will appear in court on Monday .
The charges relate to deadly violence that erupted in July in parts of the capital , Addis Ababa , and the Oromia region after the killing of singer Hachalu Hundessa , a prominent voice in anti-government protests that led to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed coming to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 180 people were killed in the July unrest .
Jawar , a media mogul-turned-politician , has huge support among youth in the Oromia region and returned to Ethiopia after Abiy came to power and urged exiles to come home amid sweeping political reforms that led to him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize .
The Oromo make up Ethiopia ’ s largest ethnic group but had never held the country ’ s top post until they helped bring Abiy to power .
Now ethnic tensions and intercommunal violence are posing a growing challenge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical of the Ethiopian leader over the postponement of the general election once planned for August because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The government ’ s mandate expires late next month , and a new election date has not been set .
Jawar has been detained since the July unrest .
His lawyers have repeatedly asserted he was locked up because of his political views and have called for his release .
Human rights groups have warned that such arrests show that Abiy ’ s political reforms are slipping .
Youth in Oromia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for the release of political prisoners , including one in late August that left “ scores ” of people dead , according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and witnesses who spoke to The Associated Press .
Abiy in a opinion piece published this week in The Economist wrote that “ individuals and groups , disaffected by the transformations taking place , are using everything at their disposal to derail them .
They are harvesting the seeds of inter-ethnic and inter-religious division and hatred.
” He rejected “ dangerous demagogues.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security forces during the bouts of unrest , saying that “ given the institutions we have inherited , we realize that law-enforcement activities entail a risk of human-rights violations and abuse.
” Security reforms take time , he said .