thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Erdogan demands stand against ‘blood and chaos’ in Libya

ANKARA , Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the international community to stand against “ the merchants of blood and chaos ” as he headed Sunday to a Berlin summit seeking to resolve the Libya conflict .
Erdogan supports the U.N.-backed administration in Tripoli led by Fayez Sarraj and sent troops to Libya earlier this month to help them in their battle with eastern-based forces led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter .
He will join leaders from Russia , the West and Arab countries , as well as the heads of the opposing Libyan factions , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine months of fighting around the Libyan capital of Tripoli .
Speaking at Istanbul ’ s Ataturk Airport , Erdogan said the world had failed to respond adequately to Hifter ’ s “ reckless attacks.
” He added : “ Hopes that flourish again with the cease-fire and the Berlin summit should not be sacrificed to the ambitions of the merchants of blood and chaos.
” A truce sponsored by Turkey and Russia was imposed a week ago but sporadic fighting has continued .
On Friday , tribal groups loyal to Hifter seized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s eastern coast as well as southern oil fields in another challenge to the Tripoli government , Germany is bringing together key players in Libya ’ s long-running conflict in a bid to curb foreign military meddling , solidify the cease-fire and help relaunch a political process to determine Libya ’ s future .
Serraj ’ s government is backed by Turkey , Qatar and Italy while Hifter is supported by Egypt , the United Arab Emirates , Saudi Arabia and France .
Russian military contractors have been fighting alongside Hifter ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to both sides in the conflict .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--New avalanches in Nepal interrupt search for 7 trekkers

KATHMANDU , Nepal - New avalanches falling on a popular trekking route in Nepal forced rescuers to halt their search for four South Korean trekkers and three Nepali guides who were believed to have been swept by a snowslide , an official said Sunday .
Some 200 climbers have been rescued from other parts of the trekking trail and flown to safety by helicopters over the weekend , Department of Tourism official Meera Acharya said .
Acharya said that new , smaller avalanches made it dangerous for rescuers to approach the area where the missing trekkers were last seen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the missing South Koreans and local guides but it would have to wait for snow and ice to stop falling before the operation resumes .
The Friday avalanche hit along the popular Mount Annapurna circuit trekking route following rains and snow earlier in the week .
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the avalanche hit at an altitude of 3,230 metres ( 10,600 feet ) before noon Friday .
It said five other South Korean members of the same team were safe and taking shelter in a lodge .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30s and 50s and two men in their 50s - were teachers who were staying in Nepal for volunteer work , the ministry said , according to the Yonhap news agency .
The agency said South Korea has dispatched an emergency response team of two government workers along with officials from an education body and a tourism agency to Kathmandu to assist in the search operations .
The South Korean consul based in the Nepalese capital departed for the accident site to call for the continuation of the rescue operation , Yonhap reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upmost efforts to find the missing trekkers in a Facebook message posted on Sunday , the agency said .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--China reports 17 new cases in viral pneumonia outbreak

BEIJING - Seventeen more people in central China have been diagnosed with a new form of viral pneumonia that has killed two patients and placed other countries on alert as millions of Chinese travel for Lunar New Year holidays .
In total , 62 cases of the novel coronavirus have been identified in the city of Wuhan , where the virus appears to have originated .
The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission reported the new cases in a statement Sunday .
Nineteen of those individuals have been discharged from the hospital , while two men in their 60s — one with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the illness .
Eight are in critical condition .
At least a half-dozen countries in Asia and three U.S. airports have started screening incoming airline passengers from central China .
The list includes Thailand and Japan , which have together reported three cases of the disease in people who had come from Wuhan .
In the most recently diagnosed group , ages ranged between 30 and 79 , Wuhan ’ s health commission said .
Their initial symptoms were fever and cough .
The health commission ’ s statement did not say whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wholesale Market , which has been suspended after many infected individuals reported having either worked at or visited the venue .
Li Gang , director and chief physician of the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention , told state broadcaster CCTV that “ the infectivity of the new coronavirus is not strong.
” Infectivity refers to how rapidly the virus may spread between individuals .
Most patients are experiencing mild symptoms , Li said , and no related cases have been found in more than 700 people who came into close contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not rule out the possibility of limited human-to-human transmission , but the risk of continuous human-to-human transmission is low , ” Li said .
“ With the implementation of our various prevention and control measures , the epidemic can be prevented and controlled.
“ The Chinese government is keen to avoid a repeat of SARS , or severe acute respiratory syndrome , another coronavirus that started in southern China in late 2002 and spread to more than two dozen countries , killing nearly 800 people .


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Officer shoots robbery suspect outside Atlanta mall

ATLANTA - A police sergeant foiled an armed robbery and shot one of the suspects outside of one of Atlanta ’ s largest malls , authorities said Saturday night .
Two suspects were arrested after they tried to rob someone in a parking garage outside of Lenox Square Mall , Atlanta police said in a statement .
A witness who saw the robbery occurring had flagged down a police sergeant , Deputy Chief Jeff Glazier told news outlets .
The sergeant then shot one of the suspects who refused to drop his gun twice , the police statement said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stable condition .
Even though the altercation occurred in a parking garage , social media footage showed terrified shoppers scrambling for cover inside the mall .
No officers were injured and the robbery victim was unharmed , police said .
Police did not release the names of the two suspects , but said they appeared to be in their early 20s .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Colombian senators seek protection after surveillance report

BOGOTA - Colombian Sen. Antonio Sanguino moves around town in a bullet-proof vehicle , with three pistol-packing bodyguards watching over him as he attends meetings and political rallies .
But the leftist senator says that while the bodyguards protect him from assassination attempts , they have been unable to neutralize another type of threat : Sanguino believes Colombia ’ s intelligence services have been intercepting his phone calls , looking at his emails and tracking his WhatsApp chats since early last year , and sending that information to the nation ’ s governing party .
On Friday , he joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of alleged illegal espionage to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and seeking protective measures from the Washington-based organization .
The senators claim rogue officers in the military worked with conservative President Ivan Duque ’ s party to spy on numerous civilian targets in the largest espionage scandal in a decade .
“ We want ( the commission ) to pressure the Colombian government into carrying out a rigorous investigation , that also reveals who has ordered our communications to be intercepted , ” Sanguino said in his Bogota office .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said the senator , who in his youth was an urban militant for a left-wing guerrilla group .
“ But this is the first time that I realize my communications are being reviewed by someone else.
” The legal steps taken by Sanguino and senators Ivan Cepeda and Roy Barreras follow a report by a Colombian news magazine saying that several members of the opposition , high court judges and journalists were spied on by the military last year .
In an article published last Sunday , Semana magazine reported on interviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit who say their superiors ordered them to use software and equipment purchased for spying on terrorist groups to eavesdrop on high-ranking members of the opposition and on a judge who was overseeing a witness-tampering case involving former President Álvaro Uribe .
The magazine claims that knowledge of the espionage scandal within some sectors of the government forced the commander of Colombia ’ s army to resign in late December .
Gen. Nicacio Martinez said he was stepping down to spend more time with his family , and his lawyer told news outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no knowledge of the purported illegal espionage operation .
Defence Minister Carlos Trujillo said he had no knowledge of phone tapping and email interceptions prior to the Semana report and promised an internal investigation .
Trujillo also said that in early December when he became defence minister , he ordered subordinates to carry out an “ inventory ” of the nation ’ s intelligence activities over the past decade .
Colombia ’ s attorney general also launched an investigation into the espionage scandal after the report .
Incidents of phone tapping and illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade .
In 2011 , the country ’ s largest intelligence agency was disbanded after an investigation found that its agents for years had been tapping the phones of journalists and opposition leaders with the approval of the agency ’ s director .
The phone tapping occurred under the presidency of Uribe , who is now a senator and an influential member of the current president ’ s Democratic Center party .
In 2014 , computer technicians working for the Democratic Center ’ s presidential candidate were arrested for spying on government negotiators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Colombia as they undertook peace negotiations .
Senior party members claimed the technicians acted without their consent .
“ These denunciations of illegal interceptions happen year after year in Colombia , ” said Jose Miguel Vivanco , the Americas director at Human Rights Watch .
“ There is a serious risk that these practices , which violate privacy and democracy , will become normal in the country.
” Sen. Ivan Cepeda , who went to Washington to discuss the surveillance uncovered by Semana , said he will meet with members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitor U.S. funding for Colombian intelligence agencies .
Cepeda believes officials in the military and the governing party are targeting politicians and journalists who support the 2016 peace deal with the FARC rebels and are critical of how Duque has handled its implementation .
Another politician who was spied on , according to Semana , is the governor of a rural province who has criticized the national government ’ s plans to fight cocaine production with a herbicide that can cause cancer .
Sanguino , who was elected to the Senate on behalf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outspoken critic of the military and early last year opposed the naming of Martinez as army chief , citing his poor human rights record .
He said he worries that information taken from his communications could be used to launch “ libelous ” campaigns against him or even to stage physical attacks .
“ The consequences of being spied on are unpredictable ” he said .
“ We are in a country were members of the opposition have long been persecuted .
”

Manuel Rueda And Christine Armario - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Saving history: Couple turns antebellum home into B&B

STARKVILLE , Miss .
- When Jennifer and Lee Carson were architecture majors at Mississippi State University in the early 1990s , they were intrigued by the old Montgomery place on Old West Point Road in Starkville .
Not long after they graduated in 1996 , the antebellum house came up for sale and they made an offer on it with the hopes of turning it into a bed and breakfast .
“ Twenty-two years ago , we had it under contract when the Eschees bought it , ” Jennifer said .
“ We had to let the contract go.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ came available again .
This time , the Carsons were able to buy it and turn it into The Montgomery B & B .
“ With God ’ s timing , here we are again , ” Jennifer said .
“ That ’ s a lot of patience.
” Jennifer , a licensed architect and real estate agent , and Lee , a licensed contractor , began work on the home in May .
“ For general living purposes , the house was in excellent shape , ” she said .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and breakfast , we had to add bathrooms , a sprinkler system , a security system and we had to redo the stairway.
” The home was built around 1837 by David Montgomery , a prominent planter and a member of the state Legislature .
Members of the Montgomery family lived in the home until 1999 , when Judge William Eshee and his wife , Judy , bought it .
They lived there for 20 years before selling it to the Carsons last year .
The home was originally called The Cedars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing around the original home site .
Built in the Classic Greek Revival style , it ’ s notable for having its second floor as the main floor .
This raised-cottage style home was made popular on the Gulf Coast for ventilation purposes and to avoid flooding .
“ This is one of only two antebellum homes in Starkville , ” Jennifer said .
“ Jackson House on the corner of Louisville Street and Highway 12 is the other.
” The two-story Montgomery home has a bit over 5,000 square feet .
Downstairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a kitchen and breakfast room , a sunroom that doubles as a lobby , and Oakwood , one of the home ’ s four bedrooms/baths .
Oakwood has a king bed and a daybed with a trundle .
The B & B ’ s manager , Lynn Berth , also has living quarters on the first floor .
Jennifer and Lynn met at church in Starkville in the early 2000s and stayed friends even after Lynn moved to Mexico .
“ I was living out of the country and coming back into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked her if she knew of any jobs , ” Lynn said .
“ She called two weeks later and said she had a proposition for me – it was the B & B .
This was meant to be for the Carsons and for me.
” Upstairs , where the ceilings are more than 12 feet high , are three more bedrooms and a ballroom .
Windsor , named after a home in Port Gibson , has two queen Murphy beds , a bath with a handpainted mural and pocket doors that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named for the plantation in West Point , has two full beds with half-testers from Columbus , a bath and a private balcony .
And Longwood , named for a home in Natchez , is the largest of the four bedrooms .
It has two queen beds – one a half-tester – and a large master bath .
It also has a private balcony .
The rooms rent from $ 129 to $ 249 , depending on the size and the season .
The whole house can also be rented .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we also host weddings , showers , parties , receptions , bunco groups , bridge groups and Sunday school classes , ” Lynn said .
“ So far , we haven ’ t had a single bad review.
” Outside the lobby are a covered walkway and outdoor seating areas .
The original smokehouse , a log cabin moved from the back of the property to the front in the early 1980s , is currently being turned into a honeymoon suite for guests .
Most of the antiques in the house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jennifer said .
Others came from Annabelle ’ s and Mawmaw ’ s antiques shops in West Point and Horsefeathers in Starkville , among other places .
“ I ’ ve always loved antiques , but I had no place to put them before so I didn ’ t buy them , ” Jennifer said .
“ I ’ ve had so much fun furnishing this place .
I ’ m now an auction addict.
” Of course , The Montgomery wouldn ’ t be a B & B without the breakfast and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skills shine .
She managed the MSU cafeteria for years and she used to sell her breads at the Starkville Community Farmers Market .
“ Guests get a full , hot breakfast , ” Lynn said .
“ That might be eggs , grits , sausage , biscuits and a sweet bread , or a breakfast casserole , potatoes and fruit , or maybe even eggs with breakfast tamales with homemade salsa.
” Jennifer said early on , nearby residents were a little hesitant about the home being used as a business , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
“ Overall , I think the town in general is glad we saved it , ” she said .
“ They ’ re glad we ’ ve saved some of the history of Starkville and didn ’ t let it be turned into some kind of commercial development .
”

Ginna Parsons, The Daily Journal - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--ExhibitBE: Fearless graffiti masterpiece 5 years later

NEW ORLEANS - ExhibitBE came to a triumphant close on Martin Luther King Day , five years ago .
Some of the original murals that crowded the walls of the derelict five-story DeGaulle Manor apartment building are still intact , though some have been tagged over or altered .
The building itself is still a sprawling unoccupied shell , sprouting weeds and strewn with trash , old mattresses and other debris .
The hazardous site is no longer open to the public .
ExhibitBE ( sometimes spelled Exhibit Be ) remains the most important New Orleans artwork of the 21st-century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 29-year-old mastermind behind the project , billed it as the largest street art exhibit in the American South .
But it came to represent much more .
The random collision of dozens of enormous artworks by area graffiti writers and street artists transformed the forlorn architecture into a collaborative surrealist masterpiece that no museum could contain .
More importantly , Odums ’ portraits of civil rights heroes from Harriet Tubman to Martin Luther King Jr. to Muhammad Ali , made it a Crescent City icon of the Black Lives Matter movement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hurricane Katrina , the ruined building tapped into the post-flood gestalt perfectly .
It symbolized the displacement of much of the population , particularly of lower-income African Americans .
During the creation of ExhibitBE , Odums said that it was very characteristic of New Orleans to change a blighted environment into something beautiful .
“ Whether it ’ s the food , the music , the jazz funerals , we find ways to make something out of nothing .
That ’ s true to street art .
That ’ s true to graffiti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hip hop in general , but I feel like New Orleans has always done it with a certain effortlessness.
” When ExhibitBE was created in 2014 , thousands made a pilgrimage to the desolate site to see the wild , monumental artwork and acknowledge all it represented .
Erykah Badu sang at the official closing of the show .
Odums , a NOCCA grad and former UNO student , instantly became a New Orleans star .
As he planned the big project , Odums said he ’ d been advised that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lone wolves ” of the graffiti scene to co-operate .
Happily , the paint-spattered renegades must have recognized that the moment had come to prove once and for all that graffiti was the most important contemporary visual art form .
“ I ’ m happy for what it represented ; what can happen when the community and creative people come together , ” said Odums in a recent telephone conversation .
Odums said he ’ s not surprised that some of the original art has been painted over .
“ That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ That ’ s to be expected.
” One of the most striking images in all of ExhibitBE was Odums ’ haunting 50-foot painting of a teenage murder victim .
In recent years , someone has replaced the realistic eyes in Odums ’ mega-portrait with cartoonishly doleful eyes that turn what was poignant into something maudlin .
Odums said he thinks the face may have been altered for a movie shoot .
His magnificent suite of portraits in the apartment complex ’ s former rec room remain untouched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complex , which is owned by Granaio LLC , according to the New Orleans Assessor ’ s office website , is unknown .
Odums has moved on to other projects , such as his current solo exhibit at the Newcomb Art Museum on the Tulane University campus .
Looking back on ExhibitBE after five years , he was a bit rueful .
“ If anyone can go back to their younger self , they ’ d see they had a lot more courage .
There was a lot of fearlessness in that moment @ @

Doug MacCash, The Times-Picayune/ The New Orleans Advocate - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-01-18--Small earthquake felt in Anchorage, Eagle River, centre says

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - People in Anchorage and Eagle River reported feeling a minor earthquake Saturday , the Alaska Earthquake @ @ @ @ @ 3.4 earthquake hit at 4:48 p.m. in the Cook Inlet region , the centre said @ @ @ @ @ depth of about 30 miles ( 48 km ) .
The centre said it believes @ @ @ @ @ of the magnitude 7.1 Anchorage quake that struck Nov. 30 .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-18--Clemson linebacker Simmons giving up senior year for NFL

Simmons is a 6-foot-4 , 230-pound defender from Olathe , Kansas .
He announced his decision Saturday on social media .
Simmons won the Butkus Award as the nation ’ s top linebacker .
He was also a first-team All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year .
He led Clemson with 107 tackles , 16 tackles for loss and eight sacks this season .
He also led the team in quarterback pressures and was tied for lead in pass breakups .
At the end of Monday night ’ s national championship loss to LSU , Simmons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ band in the stands and slapped their hands as he left the field .
He thanked head coach Dabo Swinney and defensive co-ordinator Brent Venables for helping him during college .
But , he said , it was time for him “ to take the next step in my journey.
“ Simmons is projected among the top players who ’ ll be selected at the NFL draft next spring .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--No astrovans for SpaceX, crews riding to rockets in Teslas

CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. - Astronauts launched by SpaceX in coming months will ride to their rockets in high fashion .
Instead of using a retro-style astrovan , SpaceX crews will travel to the launch pad in Tesla sports cars .
Elon Musk , who also runs both SpaceX and the electric car company , used Teslas to get around Kennedy Space Center for Sunday ’ s launch escape test .
No one was aboard for the test flight , just two mannequins .
But during a launch dress rehearsal Friday , the two NASA astronauts assigned to the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pad in a Tesla Model X .
The sleek white and black spacesuits worn by astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken for Friday ’ s practice matched the white Tesla roadster with wing-like doors waiting for them outside Kennedy ’ s crew quarters .
A SpaceX employee drove them to the pad .
A second white Model X carried SpaceX support staff .
A SpaceX spokesman confirmed Sunday that this will be the transport for crew missions moving forward .
The first SpaceX crew launch , with Hurley and Behnken , could occur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is part of the game of us learning to work with a commercial provider , ” said NASA spokesman Joshua Santora .
Boeing , which also aims to fly NASA astronauts this year , is sticking with the vintage look .
It plans to use a shiny new Airstream van similar to the astrovans used for decades by NASA .
Two years ago next month , Musk launched his own cherry-red Tesla Roadster on the debut flight of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket .
The convertible — with a spacesuited mannequin named Starman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an orbit stretching past Mars .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Trump defenders push ‘no crime’ as Democrats seek removal

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s lawyers on Sunday previewed their impeachment defence with the questionable assertion that the charges against him are invalid , adopting a position rejected by Democrats as “ nonsense ” as both sides sharpened their arguments for trial .
“ Criminal-like conduct is required , ” said Alan Dershowitz , a constitutional lawyer on Trump ’ s defence team .
Dershowitz said he will be making the same argument to the Senate and if it prevails , there will be “ no need “ to pursue the witness testimony or documents that Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a multi-pronged strategy the president ’ s team is developing ahead of its impeachment trial brief , which is due Monday .
Trump asserts that his Ukraine pressure was “ perfect ” and that he is the victim of a witch hunt .
But the “ no crime , no impeachment ” approach has been roundly dismissed by scholars and Democrats , who were fresh off a trial brief that called Trump ’ s behaviour the “ worst nightmare ” of the country ’ s founders .
In their view , the standard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is vague and open-ended in the Constitution and meant to encompass abuses of power that aren ’ t necessarily illegal .
The White House is pushing an “ absurdist position , “ said Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , the lead Democratic prosecutor of the impeachment case .
“ That ’ s the argument I suppose you have to make if the facts are so dead set against you.
” Rep. Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , another impeachment prosecutor , called it “ arrant nonsense ” and said evidence of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as all concerned agitated for the Senate to get on with the third impeachment trial in the nation ’ s history .
Behind the scenes Sunday , the seven House managers were meeting on strategy with staff and shoring up which prosecutor will handle which parts of the case .
They were expected to do a walk-through of the Senate chamber on Monday around lunchtime , according to multiple Democrats working on impeachment who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans .
The White House , meanwhile , was working on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlining the charges .
No senators were more eager to get going than the four Democratic presidential candidates facing the prospect of being marooned in the Senate ahead of kickoff nominating votes in Iowa and New Hampshire .
“ I ’ d rather be here , ” said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on New Hampshire Public Radio while campaigning Sunday in Concord .
During the trial , Sanders and other senators are required to sit mutely for perhaps six grueling hours of proceedings daily — except Sundays , per Senate rules — in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they pledged to pursue .
But there was scant evidence that anyone ’ s mind was really open about whether Trump ’ s pressure on Ukraine to help him politically amounted to impeachable conduct or removal from office .
Mystery , however , abounded over the trial ’ s ground rules .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , shed no light on how the proceedings will follow — and differ from — the precedent of President Bill Clinton ’ s impeachment trial in 1999 .
“ The president deserves a fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair trial .
So let ’ s have that fair trial , ” said Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado , one of the seven impeachment prosecutors .
But what ’ s fair is as vigorously disputed as the basic question of whether Trump ’ s pressure on Ukraine to help him politically merits a Senate conviction and removal from office .
The stakes are enormous , with historic influence on the fate of Trump ’ s presidency , the 2020 presidential and congressional elections and the future of any presidential impeachments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , has said , Trump will “ be impeached forever.
” Members of Trump ’ s team countered that if they win a vindication for Trump , it means “ there will be an acquittal forever as well , ” Trump attorney Robert Ray said Sunday .
“ That is the task ahead.
” For all of the suspense over the trial ’ s structure and nature , some clues on what ’ s to come sharpened on Sunday .
The president ’ s lawyers bore down on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless the accused violated U.S. law .
Dershowitz ’ s argument , backed up by Ray , refers to an 1868 speech by Benjamin Curtis , who after serving as a Supreme Court justice acted as the chief lawyer for Andrew Johnson at his Senate impeachment trial .
“ There can be no crime , there can be no misdemeanour , without a law , written or unwritten , express or implied , ” Curtis told the Senate .
“ There must be some law ; otherwise there is no crime .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ high crimes and misdemeanours ’ means ‘ offences against the laws of the United States.
’ ” Johnson was ultimately acquitted by the Senate .
“ The core of the impeachment parameters allege that crimes have been committed , treason , bribery , and things like that , in other words , other high crimes and misdemeanours , ” Ray said Sunday .
Republicans have long signalled the strategy , which has , in turn , been disputed by other scholars .
“ Rubbish , ” said Frank Bowman , a University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own book about the history of impeachment for the Trump era .
“ It ’ s comically bad .
Dershowitz either knows better or should , ” said Bowman , who said he had been Dershowitz ’ s student as a law professor at Harvard .
“ It ’ s a common argument , and it ’ s always wrong.
” Even as he made the case for Trump ’ s acquittal , Dershowitz on Sunday distanced himself from the rest of Trump ’ s defence team and said he would merely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He refused to endorse the strategy pursued by other members of that team or defend Trump ’ s conduct and said he didn ’ t sign onto the White House left brief filed Saturday , which called impeachment a “ brazen ” attempt to overturn the 2016 election .
“ I ’ m a liberal Democrat ...
I ’ m here as a constitutional lawyer , ” Dershowitz said .
“ I ’ m here to lend my expertise on that issue and that issue alone.
” Democrats , meanwhile , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t part of the House proceedings .
A few Republicans said they want to know more before deciding .
It ’ s relevant because new information from Lev Parnas , an indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , is being incorporated in the House case .
At the same time , Senate Democrats want to call John Bolton , the former national security adviser , among other potential eyewitnesses , after the White House blocked officials from appearing in the House .
With Republicans controlling the Senate 53-47 , they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four Republicans could join with Democrats to change course .
As for being forced back to the Senate in the heat of the nomination fight , Sanders pointed out in New Hampshire that he is “ not the only senator who ’ s going to be stuck in the impeachment.
” Also off the campaign trail will be Sens .
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Michael Bennet of Colorado .
“ I can ’ t tell you how long I ’ m going to be in Washington .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks ?
Is it three weeks ?
” Sanders said on NPR .
“ So it creates a difficult political situation.
” The House on Dec. 18 voted mostly along party lines to impeach , or indict , Trump .
The president rejects both charges as the products of a “ witch hunt ” and a “ hoax , ” and has cast himself as a victim of Democrats who opposed him from the beginning of his administration .
Crow spoke on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ This Week.
” Ray was on Fox News Channel ’ s “ Sunday Morning Futures.
” Schiff appeared on ABC and Nadler appeared on CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation.
” Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Hunter Woodall in Manchester , N.H. , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--AP sources: Security probe targets Trump’s Russia adviser

WASHINGTON - A White House adviser on Europe and Russia issues has been placed on administrative leave pending a security-related investigation , two people with knowledge of his exit said Sunday .
Andrew Peek was escorted off the White House compound on Friday , according to one of those familiar with his departure .
In response to questions , the National Security Council , the foreign policy unit at the White House , said in a statement that “ we do not discuss personnel matters.
” Peek , former deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His two predecessors in that position — Tim Morrison and Fiona Hill — both testified in the House impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump .
Before joining the State Department , Peek was a fellow at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas .
He graduated from Princeton University in 2003 , received a master ’ s degree from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2005 and earned a doctorate in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies .
Peek was a U.S. Army intelligence officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marine Corps Gen. John Allen on several matters , including intelligence and Pakistani aspects of the war .
Before Afghanistan , he was an adviser to Sens .
Gordon Smith of Oregon and Mike Johanns of Nebraska .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--US VP Pence honours Martin Luther King Jr. at church service

MEMPHIS , Tenn. - Vice-President Mike Pence gave a speech Sunday in remembrance of the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. at a church service in Tennessee .
Pence spoke at the Holy City Church of God in Memphis the day before the federal holiday named after the civil rights leader .
“ I ’ m here to pay a debt of honour and respect to a man who from walking the dirt roads of the Deep South , to speaking to hundreds of thousands on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial , touched the hearts of the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triumph over Jim Crow , “ Pence said .
Before the service , Pence toured the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel , where King was fatally shot on April 4 , 1968 , while standing on a balcony .
“ But we ’ re not here today to speak about that terrible day , but about a life of consequence and a life well lived , ” Pence said .
Pence spoke about King ’ s religion and how he “ challenged the conscience of a nation to live up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our common foundation of faith .
The vice-president added : “ ” He touched the hearts of millions of Americans and his words continue to inspire through this day.
” Acknowledging the nation ’ s deep rift , Pence said that if Americans rededicate themselves to the ideals that King advanced while striving to open opportunities for everyone , “ we ’ ll see our way through these divided times and we ’ ll do our part in our time to form a more perfect union.
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Civil rights activist tweet: Was asked to give up train seat

BALTIMORE - Amtrak has apologized to civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill after she said she was asked to give up her seat on a train at the start of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend .
Ifill described the incident — which sparked outrage from observers who drew comparisons of the indignities black civil rights icons faced — in a series of tweets over the weekend .
“ I ’ m being asked to leave my seat on train 80 which I just boarded in D.C .
There are no assigned seats on this train .
The conductor has asked me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” other people coming who she wants to give this seat.
” Can you please explain ?
” she tweeted late Friday afternoon to some 166,000 followers .
The internationally known attorney , scholar and activist who lives in Baltimore added in another tweet : “ is it 1950 ?
” Jason Abrams , an Amtrak spokesman , told The Baltimore Sun the company apologized for the incident and its slow response .
“ Amtrak is looking into the matter more closely so that we can prevent situations like this going forward , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not immediately respond to requests for comment from the newspaper .
She went on to tweet that Amtrak officials who called her Saturday morning were “ forthright , respectful & apologetic.
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Governor: 2 police officers die after Hawaii shooting

HONOLULU - Two police officers were killed in a shooting Sunday in the normally peaceful Honolulu , Hawaii ’ s governor said in a statement .
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that officers had responded to an assault call when they encountered a male with a firearm , who then opened fire , striking two officers .
“ Our entire state mourns the loss of two Honolulu Police officers killed in the line of duty this morning , ” Governor David Ige said .
The neighbourhood where the shooting occurred is at the far end of the Waikiki Beach between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Monument .
The area would be packed with tourists and locals , especially on a weekend .
“ It sounded like a lot of shots , or a lot of popping , loud noises going on , ” said Honolulu resident Peter Murray .
“ So hope everybody is all right .
Some people got hurt today.
” Some residents said they smelled smoke before hearing gunshots .
“ A little bit before 10 , we started smelling some smoke , we were in our condominium which is just across the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think much about it , so we walked downstairs and went outside to go on down to Waikiki and obviously we started noticed all the emergency vehicles responding and then we started hearing sporadic gunshots , ” said resident Robert Brassfield , who also lives part time in California .
“ That went on for several minutes.
” Officials across the state began releasing statements mourning the lost lives .
“ We grieve with HPD and other first-responders who put their lives on the line to keep us safe , ” said Honolulu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home the suspected gunman was believed to be inside caught fire and was quickly engulfed by flames .
The fire at the home has since spread to several neighbouring homes and a parked police vehicle .
The Honolulu Fire Department was battling the blazes .
No arrests have been made .
Police have closed several streets nearby .
The public has been asked to avoid the area .
Associated Press freelance photographer Marco Garcia contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Adam Schiff accuses NSA, CIA of withholding documents on Ukraine

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is accusing U.S. intelligence agencies of withholding documents from Congress on Ukraine that could be significant to President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
“ They appear to be succumbing to pressure from the administration , ” Rep. Adam Schiff said Sunday on ABC ’ s “ This Week.
’ ’ Schiff was selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , as the lead impeachment manager for Trump ’ s Senate trial .
Schiff , D-Calif. , contended that the National Security Agency “ in particular is withholding what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibilities on Ukraine , but also withholding documents potentially relevant that the senators might want to see during the trial .
That is deeply concerning.
“ He also said ” there are signs that the CIA may be on the same tragic course.
” The intelligence community said it is working to respond to the committee ’ s requests .
“ The intelligence community is committed to providing Congress with information and intelligence it needs to carry out its critical oversight role , ” Amanda Schoch , assistant national intelligence director for strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The intelligence community is working in good faith with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to respond to requests on a broad range of topics and will continue to do so.. ” Democrats have previously criticized the State Department for withholding relevant documents to the impeachment inquiry .
In the weeks since Trump was impeached , Democrats have sought to focus on new evidence about Trump ’ s effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals and are pushing the Senate to consider new documents and testimony , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolton .
During the ABC interview , Schiff was asked about a Politico report that said intelligence officials were pushing the House and Senate Intelligence committees to drop the public portion of an annual briefing on world security threats following last year ’ s session in which Trump lashed out over the assessments on North Korea , Iran and the Islamic State .
The request was reportedly being made in a bid to avoid a repeat in which intelligence officials might publicly disagree with Trump on the security risks .
“ Perhaps Intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump tweeted after that Jan. 29 hearing , before abruptly reversing course and saying he and the intelligence community ” are all on the same page.
“ On Sunday , Schiff described the news reports as “ all too accurate.
” “ The intelligence community is reluctant to have an open hearing , something that we had done every year prior to the Trump administration , because they ’ re worried about angering the president , ” he said .
Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Trump touts Soleimani’s death as he seeks to burnish credentials for re-election campaign

WEST PALM BEACH , FLA.—U.S .
President Donald Trump has quickly turned the U.S. drone killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani into a boast for the campaign trail , regaling supporters with tales of his role in the operation as he seeks to burnish his commander-in-chief credentials in an election year .
At a campaign rally in Milwaukee last week and in a private event with Republican donors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach , Fla. , this weekend , Trump has cast Maj. Gen. Soleimani ’ s death this month as overdue justice for a man who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosives to kill and maim .
In doing so , Trump has not bothered to vigorously defend the legal justification for the drone strike he ordered — the administration has said Soleimani was planning “ imminent ” attacks on U.S. assets but has failed to put forward detailed evidence .
Trump also seems to have abandoned his unfounded claim that up to four U.S. embassies were threatened after Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other top officials acknowledged they were not aware of such a threat .
Rather , Trump has focused on placing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In leaked audio from the GOP fundraiser , Trump described listening in the White House Situation Room to live updates from a U.S. official who counted down the seconds until the strike on Soleimani was carried out .
“ Then , all of a sudden , boom , ” the president said .
Other presidents have made the demise of high-profile national security threats a feature of their talking points for the campaign trail , including former president Barack Obama , who used the killing of al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him feckless during his run for re-election in 2012 .
But Trump ’ s focus on Soleimani , as well as the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U.S. miliary raid in Syria this past fall , comes at a particularly fraught moment for a president who faces an impeachment trial in the Senate and has faced consistent criticism from Democrats , and some Republicans , for lacking the temperament to lead the country .
Last month , former vice president Joe Biden , a leading Democratic presidential candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viral video of foreign leaders laughing while privately talking about Trump at a NATO gathering .
A group of prominent GOP political strategists launched a major fundraising effort to help defeat him in crucial swing states in 2020 .
And a new book — “ A Very Stable Genius , ” written by two Washington Post reporters — has offered alarming details of Trump dressing down U.S. military leaders and his own national security aides as “ a bunch of dopes and babies ” during a private briefing at the Pentagon in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Soleimani and Baghdadi , Trump appeals “ to an electorate who likes to hear those sorts of things , ” said Bryan McGrath , a retired naval officer who helped organize one of two “ Never Trump ” letters signed by Republican national security experts in 2016 .
“ Most importantly , he ’ s putting himself out there as a man of action , and I think that is appealing to his base.
” McGrath said he retains deep misgivings about Trump ’ s leadership , but , he added : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
I ’ m not exactly sure about all the planning that went into it .
But I won ’ t hold that one against him.
” Since announcing Soleimani ’ s death , Trump has touted the operation as a measure of his resolve , criticizing Obama and former president George W. Bush for having passed up chances to kill the Iranian general .
Both of them reportedly were concerned that such an act would lead to a war .
At his rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday , Trump spent much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boasting of his “ bold and decisive action to defend American lives and deliver American justice ” against “ the world ’ s No .
1 terrorist.
” Soleimani “ was the king of the roadside bombs , ” Trump said .
“ Great percentages of people don ’ t have legs right now and arms because of this son of a bitch , OK ?
” He hammered Democrats who questioned the rationale for the strike and his overall Iran strategy , saying his political rivals “ should be outraged by Soleimani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to end his wretched life.
” As he did in his remarks at the private GOP fundraiser , Trump at the rally re-created a purported conversation he had with another unnamed official — this one on the night that Iran responded to Soleimani ’ s killing by launching a dozen ballistic missiles at Iraqi military bases that house U.S. troops .
“ I said , ‘ How many killed ?
’ ‘ Nobody , sir.
’ I said , ‘ How many hurt ?
’ They said , ‘ Nobody , sir.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just saved themselves $ 1 trillion and a lot of lives , ’ “ Trump said , suggesting he would have escalated the conflict with additional sanctions and military strikes if U.S. personnel had been injured .
Despite Trump ’ s public statements that no Americans were wounded , at least eight U.S. troops suffered signs of concussions in the attack , officials said .
Robert Spalding , a retired Air Force general who served on Trump ’ s National Security Council , said the president ’ s use of Soleimani ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent with what ’ s been done in the past.
” “ I don ’ t see it as something outside the realm of what other people have done , ” he said .
“ Does talking about things like that burnish his credentials as a military leader ?
Well , I think that ’ s up to whoever is listening to it.
” Polls suggest Trump has not won over the public on his Iran strategy .
According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll , 56 percent of the public disapprove of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 43 percent who approve .
And 52 percent feel less safe after the strike on Soleimani vs. 25 percent who feel safer , the poll found .
A Reuters poll taken before Iran ’ s missile attack found that 71 percent of the public believe war with Iran is very or somewhat likely over the next few years .
Just 51 percent held that view in May .
Trump supporters have pointed to Iran ’ s public statements that it does not seek to further escalate the crisis as evidence that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out Tehran ’ s top military strategist with minimal costs to U.S. personnel .
But critics have noted that the confrontation led Iraq ’ s government to temporarily suspend counter-terrorist operations against the Islamic State and vote to expel U.S. troops from the country , a demand Trump opposed this month .
Last week , Douglas London , a retired CIA officer , wrote in Just Security , a national security journal , that he feared Trump was focusing on big-name “ celebrity ” targets instead of more strategic operations .
Along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s son Hamza , who was killed this past summer in an operation in which the United States played a role .
“ I am of the mind , knowing what a bad guy Soleimani was and the intelligence collection the U.S. is capable , that it was quite probable that we had the intelligence case to justify this kind of operation ” on Soleimani , said Ned Price , a former CIA officer who served as a spokesman for the National Security Council under Obama .
“ What worries me is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an eye more to the politics than to the strategic context .
This , to me , sounds like a president who wants to look and act tough as he enters the election cycle .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--As protests in South America surged, so did Russian trolls on Twitter, U.S. finds

WASHINGTON—Watching political unrest explode across South America this fall , officials at the State Department noticed an eerily similar pattern in anti-government protests that otherwise had little in common .
In Chile , nearly 10 per cent of all tweets supporting protests in late October originated with Twitter accounts that had a high certainty of being linked to Russia .
In Bolivia , immediately after President Evo Morales resigned Nov. 10 , the number of tweets associated with those type of accounts spiked to more than 1,000 a day , up from fewer than five .
And in Ecuador , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over one 30-day period , Russia-linked accounts posted strikingly similar messages within 90 minutes of one another .
State Department analysts concluded that an influence campaign was underway , the latest evidence of a global disinformation war that is more insidious and efficient than traditional propaganda of years past .
The department routinely monitors Twitter traffic worldwide with an eye toward malign activities , like the proliferation of fake pages and user accounts or content that targets the public with divisive messages .
A set of analyses was provided to The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department had seen during and after the fall protests in South America .
“ We are noting a thumb on the scales , ” said Kevin O ’ Reilly , the deputy assistant secretary of state overseeing issues in the Western Hemisphere .
“ It has made the normal dispute resolutions of a democratic society more contentious and more difficult.
” The Russian effort in South America — the details of which have not been previously reported — appears aimed at stirring dissent in states that have demanded the resignation of President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
In Colombia , where Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to visit this week , hundreds of thousands of protesters demonstrated in November against pension changes , corruption and rising violence .
The protests have since ebbed , and in December , Colombia ’ s vice president , Marta Lucía Ramírez , accused Russia and its allies in Venezuela of fomenting protests through social network campaigns .
In Ecuador , the interior minister , María Paula Romo , said an anti-government campaign that surfaced online during two weeks of protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come from Venezuela and Russia .
Officials and experts said Russian influence campaigns on social media have disrupted elections in the U.S. and Europe , sowed anti-Western sentiment and false reporting in Africa , and inspired China and Iran to adopt similar tactics against protesters and political adversaries .
The unrest in Latin America this fall can not be attributed to any single factor , and it is unclear how effective the Russia-linked influence campaign on Twitter was .
Demonstrators across the countries spanned the political spectrum , protesting government corruption and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Department officials said the vast majority of protest-related posts on Twitter and other social media appeared to be legitimate .
With the support of more than 50 other countries , the Trump administration has imposed bruising economic sanctions against Maduro ’ s government in Venezuela over the last year .
The coalition is backing Juan Guaido , leader of the Venezuelan opposition , whom most of Latin America and the rest of the West views as the country ’ s legitimate president .
But Maduro ’ s grip on the country appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what critics have described as illicit oil revenue from Russia and gold sales to Turkey .
Russia is “ playing a geopolitical role in this hemisphere against what they consider its main enemy : the United States , ” said Carlos Vecchio , the Venezuelan envoy in Washington who is representing the opposition movement against Maduro .
“ It ’ s crucial that the international community understands that Russia has become an important ally to support Maduro , and we need to deal with this , ” Vecchio told reporters this month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin America began to surface a decade ago , surging with new technology and the proliferation of social media .
In particular , the Spanish-language arms of two news organizations in Russia have been accused of spreading disinformation , conspiracy theories and , in some cases , outright falsehoods to undermine liberal democratic policies , mostly in the West .
One , the state-financed RT Español , said it reaches 18 million people every week across 10 countries in Latin America and has more than one billion views on YouTube .
The other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcasting in the last several years and is produced in part in Montevideo , Uruguay .
Together , experts said , the companies have been the main source of information for Twitter bots and so-called troll accounts that have targeted Guaido ’ s movement in Venezuela .
Bret Schafer , a disinformation and media expert at the Alliance for Securing Democracy , an initiative of the German Marshall Fund of the United States , said some Twitter accounts spreading disinformation in Venezuela could be traced to the Internet Research Agency , the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to President Vladimir Putin and is accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign .
The influence campaigns of Russian-linked Twitter accounts in South America “ are proxy elements to conquer the influence of the United States or the liberal democracies , ” said another expert , Javier Lesaca Esquiroz , a visiting scholar at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University .
“ At some point , we can say this is the continuation of the Cold War that never ended , ” Esquiroz said .
The analyses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove that the Twitter accounts that stoked the South American protests were direct conduits of the Russian government .
Instead , they were described as “ likely linked to the Russian state ” through computer-generated or other data mining analyses that support other government conclusions that tie them to Moscow .
A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Washington , Nikolay Lakhonin , declined to comment Thursday , asking only for “ real evidence ” of a Russian-linked disinformation campaign in South America .
In Chile , President Sebastián Piñera has said foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and acts of vandalism that began in late October , plunging the country into a months-long crisis .
But he did not blame a specific government or region .
A “ foreign hand ” had worked to fuel the unrest online , disseminating false reports on social media during the early days of the upheaval , he said in a December interview with CNN en Español : “ It ’ s an attack against the political system.
” The rate of posts by Russian-linked Twitter accounts during anti-government protests in Chile was 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary campaigns last year in the U.S. — usually a topic of high interest , the State Department analyses found .
The analyses showed that the Twitter accounts posted in Spanish and English , targeting the Chilean public and foreign audiences .
A Twitter campaign of # chile , which was the fifth-most popular hashtag among 3,300 Russian-linked Twitter accounts from Oct. 23 to Oct. 29 , the peak of the protests , was not even in the top 100 by late December , according to the State Department data .
Piñera ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which asserted that 31 per cent of social media posts during an intense period of the crisis were disseminated from outside Chile .
Analysts said the Chilean public greeted the report with criticism and mockery , saying that it failed to offer convincing evidence that foreign actors played a leading role in inciting the protests .
“ There hasn ’ t been any proof that there was foreign meddling , ” said Marta Lagos , director of Latinobarómetro , which studies public opinion across Latin America .
“ Until now , they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal activity.
” In neighbouring Bolivia , the State Department analyses found that the most shared tweet among Russian-linked accounts in the 24 hours after Morales ’ resignation was one by the former president himself — denouncing a “ coup ” that he said had taken over .
That tweet has since been deleted , but not before it was shared more than 85,000 times .
The network of Russian-linked Twitter accounts usually generates fewer than five posts about Bolivia daily , the State Department analyses found .
That surged to more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and after Morales ceded to violent protests and accusations of fixed elections to keep himself in power .
A Russian state energy company reportedly worked to bolster Morales ’ campaign — and attacked his opponents — on social media months before the election Oct. 20 .
The influence campaign has outlasted the protests .
One of the accounts being monitored by the State Department — @ FriendsofPutin — criticized the Trump administration ’ s continued pressure campaign against Maduro ’ s government in Venezuela in a Dec. 12 tweet .
“ Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their course for ousting the legitimate Venezuelan government , ” it said in English .
The State Department analyses said the post was retweeted the same day by accounts like @ RussianHeroe and @ Putintrump , though those tweets no longer appear on the accounts .
The State Department concluded that all three accounts most likely are Russian proxies or bots and trolls trying to amplify their message without being flagged as fake .
This month , the State Department ’ s special envoy for Venezuela issues , Elliott Abrams , told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underestimated the level of Russian and Cuban support that had helped Maduro remain in power .
“ We think all the time about how to do better , ” Abrams said .


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Bloomberg offers plan to tackle racial economic inequality

TULSA , Okla. - Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg made a pitch to African American voters the day before the national holiday honouring Martin Luther King Jr. , visiting the site of a race massacre nearly 100 years ago that left hundreds dead and the city ’ s thriving African American community in rubble .
The former New York City mayor spoke out against an American history of race-based economic inequality from slavery to segregation to redlining , and outlined an proposal aimed at increasing the number of black-owned homes and businesses .
The plan includes a $ 70 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disadvantaged neighbourhoods .
“ For black Americans , there was nothing that white landowners , businesses , banks , and politicians might not take : Their wages and their homes , their businesses and their wealth , their votes and their power , and even their lives , “ Bloomberg said during a speech to several hundred people at the Greenwood Cultural Center , which houses artifacts and other memorabilia from the 1921 Tulsa race massacre .
Bloomberg described the initiative as a “ plan for righting what I think are historic wrongs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities.
” The plan offers incentives for investment in underserved communities , increases support for black-owned banks and ties federal housing money to progress in reducing segregation .
It would require bias training for police , teachers and federal contractors , and address voter disenfranchisement practices such as ID requirements , poll purging and gerrymandering .
“ As someone who has been very lucky in life , I often say my story would only have been possible in America , and I think that ’ s true , “ Bloomberg said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have turned out very differently if I had been black , and that more black Americans of my generation would have ended up with far more wealth , had they been white.
” Bloomberg also pledged to back a commission to study whether black Americans should receive reparations for slavery .
Bloomberg faced some criticism in November for visiting a black church in Brooklyn just days before launching his presidential bid , when he apologized for his longstanding support of the controversial “ stop-and-frisk ” police strategy he embraced as mayor that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit to Oklahoma , a Super Tuesday state whose primary is March 3 , keeps with Bloomberg ’ s strategy of skipping early voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire and focusing on delegate-rich Texas , California and others .
Danyelle Solomon , vice-president for race and ethnicity policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund , said she was glad to see Bloomberg give the speech in Tulsa and show his awareness of how racism has had an impact over time , and was pleased that he announced policies specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ he hit some of the key points that need to be talked about , “ she said , “ the devil is in the details.
“ Theodore Johnson , who studies race , politics and policy as as senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice , said Bloomberg ’ s pitch of calling for economic justice wasn ’ t a new one , but that his record of business success could make people more inclined to listen .
“ Because he ’ s so successful ... that when he talks about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually knows what he ’ s talking about , ” Johnson said .
But Johnson said black voters would be watching to see what else he did , or if it appeared that Sunday ’ s event would be a one-time speech .
In the massacre , white mobs killed an estimated 300 black residents and injured 800 more .
About 8,000 residents were left homeless after firebombs , including some dropped from airplanes , destroyed movie theatres , churches and hotels and decimated the economic and cultural mecca that had become known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community rebuilt in the decade that followed , but urban renewal programs in the 1950s and 1960s wiped out much of that progress , and the city remains largely segregated .
“ Although it ’ s been nearly 100 years since the massacre took place , we are still dealing with issues of racism and inequality in our city , ” said Mechelle Brown , program co-ordinator at the centre .
“ I think our community , especially , is dealing with the historical trauma to that has been passed down from generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the history of the massacre .
“ Those feelings of fear , anger , bitterness , resentment have been passed down.
” In the past year , several presidential candidates visited the Greenwood district , including former Texas Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke , New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren .
It was the first time that Brown could recall any major presidential candidate visiting the area .
O ’ Rourke and Booker have seen quit the 2020 race .
While those campaign stops are undoubtedly an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a critically important segment of the party ’ s electorate , they also present an opportunity for residents to meet the candidates firsthand , said Judy Eason McIntyre , who represented the district in the state Legislature for a decade .
“ Yes , some will say it ’ s pandering , but I ’ m not one of those , ” McIntyre said .
“ It allows people to get to know them up close .
It also maybe generates some excitement and knowledge about getting out to vote.
” Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first campaign stop in Oklahoma , Bloomberg Philanthropies last year granted a $ 1 million grant to the city to commission temporary works of art accessible to the public .

Sean Murphy And Deepti Hajela - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Facebook apologizes for vulgar translation of China President Xi Jinping’s name

Facebook apologized Saturday after its platform translated Xi Jinping , the name of the Chinese leader , from Burmese to a vulgar word in English .
The mistranslation caught the company ’ s attention when Aung San Suu Kyi , the de facto civilian leader of Myanmar , wrote on her official Facebook page about Xi ’ s two-day visit to her country .
When the Burmese posts were translated into English on Facebook , Xi ’ s name repeatedly appeared as “ Mr .
S—-hole.
” It was not clear how long the issue lasted , but Google ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same error , Reuters reported .
“ We fixed a technical issue that caused incorrect translations from Burmese to English on Facebook , ” Stone said .
“ This should not have happened and we are taking steps to ensure it doesn ’ t happen again.
” Xi ’ s visit to Myanmar , the first by a Chinese leader in nearly two decades , was designed to celebrate Beijing ’ s expanding presence in the region .
During Xi ’ s two-day visit , the governments agreed to 33 projects designed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when Myanmar is facing global criticism for its violent campaign against Rohingya Muslims .
The embassies of the People ’ s Republic of China and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment Saturday .
News of the vulgar translation appeared to be censored in China , where major news websites and social media platforms were silent about it .
In China , citizens have been detained , and even convicted and imprisoned , for much milder derision of Xi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a word that does not have a translation , it makes a guess and replaces it with a word with similar syllables , Stone said .
After running tests , Facebook found that multiple Burmese words starting with “ xi ” and “ shi ” translated to the vulgarity in English .
U Po Myint , the chairman of the China Myanmar Friendship Association , said he thought that Facebook may have intentionally mistranslated Xi ’ s name because there are other more likely renderings of his given name in Burmese .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we can forgive , ” Po Myint said .
Kenneth Wong , a Burmese language instructor at the University of California , Berkeley , said when he first saw the translation he thought someone intentionally made it to embarrass Xi .
But on closer inspection of the original Burmese post , Wong said , he could see how a machine would make that error .
Xi ’ s name sounds similar to “ chi kyin phyin , ” which roughly translates to “ feces hole buttocks ” in Burmese , Wong said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game design and development at Quinnipiac University in Hamden , Connecticut , said there were multiple explanations for how this might have occurred .
When the translation system finds a word that doesn ’ t have a direct translation , it should put in a replacement word using the context of the rest of the sentence and data from millions of Facebook users .
Excluding malicious intent , Garvey said the vulgarity would have been used only if the system ’ s algorithm found it made sense based on Facebook ’ s trove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garvey said , would be if there were words that corresponded in Burmese to the vulgarity — a happenstance that Wong and Facebook said did , in fact , occur .


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Yemeni president condemns rebel attack as death toll rises

SANAA , Yemen - Yemen ’ s president condemned on Sunday an attack by Houthi rebels on a government military camp , as authorities said fatalities had risen to at least 79 troops .
Ballistic missiles smashed into a mosque in the training camp in the central province of Marib late Saturday , wounding 81 others during evening prayers , according to Abdu Abdullah Magli , spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces .
The U.N. envoy to Yemen delivered a stern warning about the recent spike in military activity across multiple provinces , noting with “ particular concern ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The hard-earned progress that Yemen has made on de-escalation is very fragile .
Such actions can derail this progress , ” said Martin Griffiths .
Yemen ’ s Foreign Ministry estimated the death toll reached at least 100 .
The oil-rich province of Marib lies about 115 kilometres ( 70 miles ) east of the Houthi-controlled capital , Sanaa .
The city is a stronghold of the Saudi-led , U.S.-backed coalition .
The missile strike was the bloodiest attack in Marib since the beginning of Yemen ’ s long-running civil war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spot of relative stability .
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi described Saturday ’ s assault on Muslim worshipers as an act of “ blatant aggression ” that underscored Houthis ’ “ lawlessness ” and “ unwillingness ” to make peace , according to Saudi Arabia ’ s state-run news agency .
He denounced the Houthis as “ a cheap Iranian tool in the region.
” The Houthi faction , for its part , defended its deadly strike as the latest in a series of embarrassing defeats for the Yemeni government .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not learned the lessons of five years of fierce military confrontation , ” said Sharaf Lokman , a Houthi official .
“ Coalition forces have failed politically , militarily and morally.
” Yemen ’ s defence ministry placed the military on heightened alert at nearby bases , directing troops to “ take precautions ” ahead of imminent battle .
“ This attack will be answered harshly , ” Magli warned in a televised statement .
Coalition forces said they launched “ massive assaults ” on rebel targets northeast of the capital , killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yemen ’ s civil war erupted in 2014 when Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels seized Sanaa , and much of the country ’ s north , ousting President Hadi .
The conflict became a regional proxy war months later as a Saudi-led coalition intervened to try and restore Hadi ’ s internationally-recognized government , which rules in exile in Riyadh , the Saudi capital .
Both Houthi rebels and Saudi-led coalition forces have been accused of war crimes and rampant human rights abuses in Yemen .
Indiscriminate coalition air strikes and rebel shelling have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hitting non-military targets and undermining peace efforts .
The grinding war in the Arab world ’ s poorest country has killed more than 10,000 people , displaced over 3 million and pushed the country to the brink of famine .
Meanwhile , fighting has settled into a bloody stalemate .
Associated Press journalist Isabel DeBre in Cairo contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--National Archives says `wrong’ to blur anti-Trump signs

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. - The National Archives said Saturday it made a mistake when it blurred images of anti-Trump signs used in an exhibit on women ’ s suffrage .
The independent agency is charged with preserving government and historical records and said it has always been committed to preserving its holdings “ without alteration.
” But the archives said in a statement Saturday “ we made a mistake.
“ The archives ’ statement came one day after The Washington Post published an online report about the altered images .
The archives said the photo in question is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but rather was licensed for use as a promotional graphic in the exhibit .
“ Nonetheless , we were wrong to alter the image , ” the agency said .
The current display has been removed and will be replaced as soon as possible with one that uses the original , unaltered image , the archives said .
The exhibit about the 19th Amendment , which gave women the right to vote , blurred some anti-Trump messages on protest signs in a photo of the 2017 Women ’ s March in Washington .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ private parts , which also were widespread during the march , which was held shortly after Trump took office , also were altered .
The archives said it will immediately begin a “ thorough review “ of its policies and procedures for exhibits “ so that this does not happen again.
” T he American Civil Liberties Union called on the archives to issue a more detailed , explanation .
“ Apologizing is not enough , ” Louise Melling , the organization ’ s deputy legal director , said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public why it took the Orwellian step of trying to rewrite history and erasing women ’ s bodies from it , as well as who ordered it.
” Archives spokeswoman Miriam Kleiman told the Post for its report that the nonpartisan , nonpolitical federal agency blurred the anti-Trump references “ so as not to engage in current political controversy.
” References to female anatomy in the signs were obscured in deference to student groups and young people who visit the archives , Kleiman told the newspaper .
Kleiman did not respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press .
The public affairs office at the archives emailed the statement .
The archives issued the apology as thousands again gathered in Washington and in cities across the country Saturday for Women ’ s March rallies focused on issues such as climate change , pay equity and reproductive rights .

Darlene Superville - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Sanders and Warren try to tone down rift. Some of their supporters seem less willing to do so

EXETER , N.H.—Sen .
Bernie Sanders had just finished addressing supporters here Saturday afternoon , reprising his stump speech standards about raising the minimum wage , addressing climate change and implementing universal health care when a voter raised her hand to ask about a topic he didn ’ t mention but which had increasingly loomed over the race .
How do Democratic presidential candidates , the voter asked without directly mentioning Sanders ’ clash with Sen. Elizabeth Warren , avoid infighting ?
Sanders , of Vermont , briefly criticized the news media — which he said “ often wants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not targeted any of his rivals in his remarks .
“ The best thing for all the Democratic candidates , ” he said , was to “ focus on issues of the working families of America.
” Yet after Sanders and Warren , of Massachusetts , angrily accused each other of lying about whether he had told her a woman could not defeat U.S. President Donald Trump , and with just over two weeks until the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses , supporters of the two progressives and erstwhile political allies remained upset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Jayne Cousins , an ardent Sanders supporter who attended his rally here .
She predicted Warren ’ s claim , which Sanders denies , would adversely impact Warren because , she said , it was so implausible .
But when Warren returned to Iowa for the first time since her confrontation with Sanders on the debate stage in Des Moines , it was not difficult to find voters who said the opposite : that Sanders would pay a price for what they saw as his insensitivity on one of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have a lot of friends who said they won ’ t vote for him , ” because of the incident , said David Jansen , who attended Warren ’ s town-hall-style meeting in Newton , Iowa , on Friday .
The tensions between the two candidates began a week ago , after a report that Sanders ’ campaign had told its field organizers to characterize Warren ’ s base as affluent and elite , which caused the Massachusetts senator to say she was “ disappointed ” in Sanders .
The next step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement that during a private meeting in 2018 between the two senators , Sanders told her that a woman could not win the presidency .
Sanders vehemently denied he had said that , which prompted Warren to confront him after the debate .
It is too soon to know the political fallout , but it comes as Sanders appears to be gaining strength and Warren is struggling to reignite her campaign .
If those trajectories are accelerated or reversed , it may be traced back to the moment their long-standing non-aggression pact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempting to douse the flames .
Warren repeatedly declined to address the rift with Sanders when she spoke to reporters after her Iowa event Friday .
And Sanders declined to answer a question from a reporter Saturday in New Hampshire before alluding only glancingly to the matter when the voter brought it up Yet he is clearly taking steps to inoculate himself with female voters .
Recognizing the risk the accusation poses , his campaign began airing an ad in Iowa and New Hampshire that highlights his support of women ’ s rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side , and he always has been , ” a female narrator says in the commercial , trumpeting the senator ’ s support for abortion rights , for family leave guarantees and for equal-pay legislation .
In New Hampshire , he added a stop at the Women ’ s March in Portsmouth to his schedule and was introduced there by author Naomi Klein .
In Exeter , Sanders saluted female leaders of the resistance to Trump and added a promise to his stump speech .
“ I want to thank the women of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump at every level , ” he said .
He then vowed : “ I will never nominate any individual to the Supreme Court or the federal courts who is not 100 per cent pro Roe v. Wade.
” Warren did not add new remarks about gender in her trip to Iowa , but one of her campaign co-chairs , Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico , introduced her with a nod toward her history-making potential .
“ Elizabeth Warren runs through airports and runs through train stations — she ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ And if you haven ’ t heard , ” she added , “ she ’ s a woman that will win the White House.
” Warren ’ s supporters in Iowa said the episode with Sanders , which had prompted his supporters to hurl attacks at her online and even refer to her with a snake emoji , was all too reminiscent of his treatment of Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
At a Planned Parenthood event with Warren in Des Moines Saturday , two women mentioned the back and forth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was getting flashbacks to the last presidential race .
One woman asked Warren what her plans were for “ shutting him down and winning his supporters over.
” She said Warren ’ s disagreement with Sanders gave her “ PTSD ” to Sanders ’ feud with Clinton in 2016 .
“ I believe you 100 per cent because I looked at you and I looked at him and I thought , ‘ He did that , ’ ” the woman told Warren .
“ I know Bernie Sanders did those things to you.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , Bernie and I have been friends for a long time , ” she said .
“ We fight for the same issues .
We ’ ve been allies in these panels long before I ever got into politics .
That ’ s all I want to say about that topic.
” At Warren ’ s events , voters said that they felt she projected strength and could win over undecided caucus-goers or more moderate voters currently backing candidates like former vice president Joe Biden or former mayor Pete Buttigieg of South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s personality more than the issues , ” said Susan Hawk , a retired teacher .
“ She can work with others , and Bernie doesn ’ t work with others.
” Hawk and her husband , Ron , who are both leaning toward caucusing for Warren , even said they would rather vote for the moderate Biden than back Sanders .
“ I kind of blame him for Trump , ” Hawk said .
“ He didn ’ t have his followers to vote and talk about Hillary in a positive way.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge , pointing to all of the events he did on behalf of Clinton in 2016 .
But they are now more upset at what they see as the betrayal of Warren .
They are quick to point out that she never endorsed Sanders when he ran for president four years ago .
Taking refuge from the -8 C cold in a Portsmouth coffee shop after the Women ’ s March , Ashley Kerhig , a painter from Kittery , Maine , said it was clear that Warren was orchestrating a smear campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t trust Elizabeth Warren , ” Kerhig said , calling the back-and-forth a “ set up ” by the Massachusetts senator .
“ She didn ’ t shake his hand , and it was right in front of the cameras , ” she said .
As for who is being honest , Sanders ’ supporters overwhelmingly argued that Warren was distorting his remarks while those more inclined to Warren said they believed her .
Democrats still deciding between the two just seem to want the sniping to end .
“ I hope it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affect either of them , ” said Katherine Szuplat , a librarian in Dover , N.H. , who also came to the Women ’ s March in Portsmouth .
She said she was worried the rift could hurt both of them and would help one of the moderate candidates in the race .

Jonathan Martin - The New York Times,Astead W. Herndon


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--On the edge of America, census begins in a tiny Alaska town

TOKSOOK BAY , Alaska - There are no restaurants in Toksook Bay , Alaska .
No motels or movie theatre , either .
There also aren ’ t any factories .
Or roads .
But the first Americans to be counted in the 2020 census live in this tiny community of 661 on the edge of the American expanse .
Their homes are huddled together in a windswept Bering Sea village , painted vivid lime green , purple or neon blue to help distinguish the signs of life from a frigid white winterscape that makes it hard to tell where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begins .
Fish drying racks hang outside some front doors , and you ’ re more likely to find a snowmobile or four-wheeler in the driveway than a truck or SUV .
In this isolated outpost that looks little like other towns in the rest of the United States , the official attempt to count everyone living in the country will begin Tuesday .
The decennial U.S. census has started in rural Alaska , out of tradition and necessity , ever since the U.S. purchased the territory from Russia in 1867 .
Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empties as many residents scatter for traditional hunting and fishing grounds , and the frozen ground that in January makes it easier to get around by March turns to marsh that ’ s difficult to traverse .
The mail service is spotty and the internet connectivity unreliable , which makes door-to-door surveying important .
For those reasons , they have to start early here .
The rest of the country , plus urban areas of Alaska such as Anchorage , will begin the census in mid-March .
Some of the biggest challenges to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay , one of a handful of villages on Nelson Island , which is about 500 miles ( 805 kilometres ) west of Anchorage and only accessible by boat or plane .
Some people speak only Alaska Native languages such as Yup ’ ik , or speak one language but don ’ t read it .
The U.S. census provides questionnaires in 13 languages , and other guides , glossaries and materials in many more .
But none is one of 20 official Alaska Native languages .
So local groups are bringing together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ census wording and intent so local community leaders could trust , understand and relay the importance of the census .
It wasn ’ t an easy task .
Language can be very specific to a culture .
For example , there ’ s no equivalent for “ apportionment ” -- the system used to determine representation in Congress — in the language Denaakk ’ e , also known as Koyukon Athabascan .
So translators used terms for divvying up moose meat in a village as an example for finding cultural relevancy , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency partner Alaska Public Interest Research Group When the official count begins this week , the Census Bureau has hired four people to go door-to-door .
At least two of them will be fluent in English and Yup ’ ik .
Places such as Toksook Bay that run this risk of being under-counted also desperately need the federal funds assigned based on population for health care , education and general infrastructure .
Yet mistrust of the federal government is high .
That ’ s true in many parts of the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have strong libertarian views , and even more in a rural community where everyone knows everyone , and someone asking for personal information is seen with suspicion .
“ The No .
1 barrier to getting an accurate count throughout Alaska is concern about privacy and confidentiality and an inherent distrust of the federal government , ” said Gabriel Layman , chairman of the Alaska Census Working Group .
“ And that attitude is fairly pervasive in some of our more rural and remote communities.
” The census is entirely confidential , Layman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t give information to any law enforcement , immigration official to even to a landlord if you report if you have 14 people living in your rental .
Violating that privacy could land a Census worker behind bars with a hefty fine .
When the count begins on Tuesday , a Yup ’ ik elder who is part of a well-known Eskimo dancing group will be the first one counted .
Lizzie Chimiugak , whose age isn ’ t known because records weren ’ t kept but is anywhere from 89 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the whole community , ” said Robert Pitka , the tribal administrator of the Nunakauyak Traditional Council in Toksook Bay .
Steven Dillingham , the director of the U.S. Census Bureau , will be on hand for Tuesday ’ s start .
Village officials will greet him at the town ’ s airstrip and bring him to the school , where community members will bring traditional food , which could include seal , walrus , moose or musk ox .
They ’ ll have a ceremony with the dance group that includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school and dance in her wheelchair if the weather allows .
Mary Kailukiak , a town councilwoman , said she ’ s one of the cooks .
“ I ’ m thinking of maybe cooking up dried fish eggs , herring fish eggs , ” she said , pausing to speak to a reporter while ice fishing for tomcod and smolt on the Bering Sea , dressed in a black parka and snow pants and sporting a hat made by her daughter from sealskin and beaver .
The eggs will be soaked overnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dillingham will conduct the first official census count , or enumeration as it known , with Chimiugak , out of earshot of others to satisfy federal privacy laws .
Pitka is hoping for nice weather — it ’ s been as cold as -20 Fahrenheit ( -29 Celsius ) lately — as the nation ’ s eyes turn west for the event : “ It ’ s going to be a very special moment.
” Simeon John , who leads a youth suicide prevention group , stood before about 120 people at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church .
In Yup ’ ik , he told parishioners to expect strangers in town this week and why .
Beyond helping prepare for Tuesday ’ s kickoff , he also encouraged them to take part in the census when a worker knocks on their door .
“ That was one of the reasons why we encourage people to participate in as much as we can because of the benefits that we will be getting , ” said John , a community census helper .
Responses in the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get improvements to the water facility , airport , port and even roads .
Besides announcements at church services , community leaders will repeat the same message this week to townspeople over marine VHF radio and through more modern means , including texting .


thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Some lawmakers favour a moose hunt at Isle Royale

LANSING , Mich. - Some Michigan lawmakers believe the federal government should open Isle Royale National Park to moose hunters .
MLive.com reports that the House Natural Resources Committee heard testimony last week on a resolution supporting a limited moose hunt on the Lake Superior island .
A vote could come at the next meeting .
There could be more than 2,000 moose on Isle Royale .
Wolves are the main predator , but the wolf population is struggling .
“ You can continue to establish that wolf pack , but why not do a moose hunt in the meantime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help manage that population , so you don ’ t destroy the vegetation on the island , ” said Rep. Steven Johnson , a Wayland Republican .
Any hunt would be up to the National Park Service .
A 2018 report dismissed the idea , MLive said .
The park is accessible only by boat or seaplane .
“ It ’ s likely that the survival in moose is lower this year , just because of that hard winter they experienced , ” said Sarah Hoy , a researcher at Michigan Tech University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population has slowed.
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--New commuter line exceeds 1 million passengers

HARTFORD , Conn. - More than a million riders have travelled the commuter line between New Haven , Connecticut and Springfield , Massachusetts that opened in June 2018 .
Connecticut Gov .
Ned Lamont said last week that the Hartford Line has seen 1,075,559 passenger rides in the past 19 months .
The one-millionth ride happened around the busy Thanksgiving holiday in late November , his office said .
Ridership on the line , which also serves Connecticut ’ s capital city of Hartford , has been growing at a rate of 25 % year-over-year , Lamont ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track to exceed 750,000 passenger trips in its second year , outpacing forecasts , the office said .
“ Central and northern Connecticut should have had a commuter rail line for decades — quite frankly it ’ s astounding that it wasn ’ t until a year and a half ago that the region finally got one , and these numbers show that people want more options to travel by rail , ” the Democratic governor said in a statement .
Lamont has proposed expanding the commuter line as part of a ten-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state lawmakers .
Among the proposed upgrades are adding a second line of rail tracks to increase service frequency , adding real-time , digital travel information displays at its train stations , and adding new train stations in Enfield and Windsor Locks .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--4.5 magnitude earthquake shakes southern Kansas

HUTCHINSON , Kan. - A small earthquake was reported in southern Kansas on Sunday .
The U.S. Geological Survey said @ @ @ @ @ about 2 miles ( 3 kilometres ) southwest of Hutchinson shortly after 1 p.m .
@ @ @ @ @ that it was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake , but later upgraded it .
No damage @ @ @ @ @ earthquake happened near where several others have happened before in Reno County , The Hutchinson @ @ @ @ @ seeing a spike in earthquakes in 2014 that were blamed on wastewater injection wells from @ @ @ @ @ The number of quakes began tampering off after oil prices dropped and regulations were enacted @ @ @ @ @ Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-19--Venezuela’s Guaido to meet Pompeo in Colombia

MIAMI - Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaidó has travelled to Colombia to participate alongside U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a regional counter-terrorism meeting — a new show of support by the Trump administration for the man it says is the country ’ s legitimate leader .
From Bogota , Guaidó plans to travel to Europe and then possibly the U.S. , two people close to the opposition leader said .
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss his travel plans .
While Guaidó ’ s itinerary in Europe is unknown , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald J. Trump is scheduled to attend Jan. 21-22 the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland .
That could set the stage for a first meeting between Guaidó and Trump on the sidelines of the annual gathering of the world ’ s business and political elite .
Colombian President Iván Duque welcomed Guaidó in a tweet on Sunday and said he would hold a “ working meeting ” with him later .
Pompeo , meanwhile , told reporters en route back from a meeting in Berlin that he hoped Guaidó would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the duly elected leader of Venezuela.
” It wasn ’ t clear how Guaidó left Venezuela .
But it ’ s only the second time that he has defied a travel ban imposed by Venezuela ’ s pro-government supreme court and secretly moved across the border .
In his role as president of the National Assembly , Guaidó is recognized as Venezuela ’ s rightful leader by the U.S. and more than 50 nations that consider Nicolás Maduro ’ s reelection invalid .
Last February , after a 10-day tour of Latin American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Vice-President Mike Pence , he risked arrest and returned home on a commercial flight with several foreign diplomats waiting for him at the Caracas international airport .
Since then , he has struggled to maintain the momentum of his campaign to oust socialist leader Nicolás Maduro .
Street protests have mostly fizzled and his call for a military uprising in April failed to break Maduro ’ s hold on the armed forces .
Meanwhile , Maduro has found ways to circumvent U.S. oil sanctions , limiting their impact by dollarizing wide swaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currency and customs controls .
“ I think everyone understood the challenge , the challenge of restoring democracy to Venezuela was going to be difficult , ” Pompeo said Sunday .
But he said “ real progress ” had been made toward removing Maduro .
He said the U.S. is working to convince Cuba not to continue supporting Maduro .
“ And if those around him from a security perspective will ultimately make the conclusion that Venezuela ’ s better off with Maduro having departed , then I think we can get our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s visit to Colombia comes days after government loyalists attempted to engineer a takeover of the National Assembly .
In an interview Friday with the Washington Post , Maduro offered to negotiate directly with the Trump administration in a bid to end the country ’ s political stalemate and address a humanitarian crisis that has led millions of Venezuelans to migrate .
“ The gap between Guaidó ’ s legitimacy and international support and his lack of real power on the ground is growing larger , ” said Geoff Ramsey of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The international community can play an important role , but ultimately any transition will have to be led by Venezuelans themselves.
” The meeting Monday in Colombia ’ s capital of Bogota is to include Pompeo and foreign ministers from several Latin American nations to discuss ways of cutting off funding and activities of regional and global groups designated as terrorist organizations , like Iranian-backed Hezbollah .
There ’ s also pressure by conservatives to add Cuba and the Maduro government to the list of state sponsors of terror for their alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @