thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Japan, New Zealand march to mourn George Floyd, seek change

TOKYO - Holding handmade signs that read “ Black Lives Matter , ” hundreds of people marched peacefully in Tokyo on Sunday , highlighting the outrage over the death of George Floyd even in a country often perceived as homogeneous and untouched by racial issues .
Mitsuaki Shidara , standing in the crowd at Yoyogi Park , where the march began , said Japan has plenty of discrimination problems , but they ’ re overlooked .
“ We are all human first , but we are divided by nationality , gender , religion , skin colour , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character for “ love , ” which he said was his favourite word .
“ What ’ s happening in the U.S. shows racism is going on , even after 400 years , ” said Shidara , who works for a food maker .
Mio Kosaka , another participant , said she had been a victim of discrimination at times while growing up in Beijing and Tokyo , because her parents were Japanese and Chinese .
“ I think it is so wrong to discriminate based on appearance , and I wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have allies in Japan , ” said Kosaka , who is studying design at a U.S. college .
“ Some people don ’ t even know there is discrimination .
Awareness needs to be raised , ” she added .
Protests have continued across the U.S. but also in Europe , including Belgium , Germany and Britain , as well as Australia , where people have been confronting racism and demanding change .
The demonstrators were pushed into action by the May 25 death of Floyd , a black man who said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officer pushed his knee against his neck for nearly 9 minutes .
In New Zealand , thousands protested in Auckland and Wellington on Sunday .
The Auckland protest began at the central Aotea Square and ended at the U.S. Consulate , where people took a knee and observed a minute of silence for Floyd .
“ When George Floyd took his last breath , it allowed the rest of us to breathe , ” social activist Julia Whaipooti told the crowd , according to the news organization Stuff .
Whaipooti said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in the U.S. , highlighting discrimination at home was critical .
In Wellington , New Zealand ’ s capital , protesters marched from Civic Square to the grounds of Parliament , chanting “ Black Lives Matter ” and holding placards with slogans including “ Racism is a pandemic , let ’ s fight it !
” Sunday ’ s turnout in Tokyo underlined how Japan has historically been reticent in dealing with diversity and is now trying to understand the Black Lives Matter movement and grapple with its own history of discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feudal era , with the Buraku underclass , and include more recently the offspring of marriages between Japanese and non-Japanese .
The children are called “ hafu , ” derived from “ half , ” which critics resent as discriminatory .
Kyodo News agency reported that more than 1,000 people took part in Sunday ’ s march , which went from the park through the streets of Tokyo ’ s Shibuya area .
The event ’ s organizers put the turnout at 3,500 , while police did not give a crowd estimate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ themes in Tokyo drew several hundred people , and one in Osaka , in central Japan , drew about 2,000 .
More Black Lives Matter gatherings are planned for next week , in the southwestern city of Fukuoka and the central city of Nagoya .
The rallies reflect how more people of various backgrounds are becoming part of a rapidly globalizing Japan .
Although Japan is not reputed for police brutality , people have come forward recently , complaining that police have treated foreigners , especially black people , unfairly , stopping them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with unneeded force .
“ There is no country without racism , and I think the countries that don ’ t portray it are just because people are ignorant of the problem , ” said Kazuna Yamamoto , a Japanese woman living in Chile who was taking part in Sunday ’ s rally in Tokyo .
“ There is inequality because certain people are definitely profiting or benefiting from it , ” she said .
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka , the world ’ s highest-paid female athlete , has also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan and has gotten some flak on social media .
Osaka , who has Haitian and Japanese parents , has expressed empathy for the Black Lives Matter movement , and posted a photo of Colin Kaepernick , the NFL player who knelt during the U.S. national anthem , in protest of racism and police brutality .
“ I hate when random people say athletes shouldn ’ t get involved with politics and just entertain .
Firstly , this is a human rights issue .
Secondly , what gives you more right to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you work at IKEA you are only allowed to talk about the GRÖNLID , ” Osaka said in a recent tweet , referring to a type of sofa sold at the furniture chain .
Associated Press writer Nick Perry in Wellington , New Zealand , contributed to this report .
He is on Twitter at https : //twitter.com/nickgbperry Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https : //twitter.com/yurikageyama


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Trump rally called ‘dangerous move’ in age of coronavirus

WASHINGTON - After months away from the campaign trail , President Donald Trump plans to rally his supporters this coming Saturday for the first time since most of the country was shuttered by the coronavirus .
Trump will head to Tulsa , Oklahoma — a state that has seen relatively few COVID-19 cases .
But health experts question the decision , citing the danger of infection spreading among the crowd and sparking outbreaks when people return to their homes .
The Trump campaign itself acknowledges the risk in a waiver attendees must agree to absolving them of any responsibility should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally will be held indoors , at a 19,000-seat arena that has cancelled all other events through the end of July .
Scientists believe the virus spreads far more easily in crowded enclosed spaces than it does outdoors , where circulating air has a better chance of dispersing virus particles .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines the highest risk events for transmission of the coronavirus this way : “ Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommends cloth masks in places where people might shout or chant .
Trump ’ s rallies typically draw tens of thousands of supporters .
They usually stand outside in line for hours before passing through airport-style security and cramming into an arena , where they sit side by side or stand shoulder to shoulder .
The rallies are typically raucous , with much shouting , cheering and chanting .
Some people dance and jeer at reporters .
Sometimes protesters are met with violence before they are removed by security .
Many attendees are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 .
It ’ s not unusual for several individuals in the crowd to require medical attention when the temperature rises .
The rallies also typically draw supporters from surrounding towns and states .
Some die-hard fans travel across the country from rally to rally like groupies for a band .
Dr. Ashish Jha , director of Harvard ’ s Global Health Institute , called the upcoming Trump rally “ an extraordinarily dangerous move for the people participating and the people who may know them and love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters coming from neighbouring cities and states could carry the virus back home , Jha said .
“ I ’ d feel the same way if Joe Biden were holding a rally.
” In its final phase of reopening , Oklahoma now allows public gatherings of any size as long as organizers consider social distancing .
Participants at any large gathering should stay 6 feet ( 1.8 metres ) apart and wear a cloth face covering when distancing is a challenge , the state health department said .
The state has a relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nation , but new cases are rising .
In Tulsa , cases are increasing , with 71 new cases reported Friday .
The Tulsa Health Department already was investigating an outbreak linked to an indoor gathering of a large group of people .
“ I have concerns about large groups of people gathering indoors for prolonged lengths of time , “ Bruce Dart , executive director of the Tulsa Health Department , said in a statement Friday .
“ It is imperative that anyone who chooses to host or attend a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Dart said the risk of spreading the virus increases with higher numbers of people congregating for longer periods of time .
Oklahoma health authorities said that anyone who attends a large public event should get tested for COVID-19 shortly afterward .
Shelley Payne , director of the LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease at the University of Texas at Austin , said the Trump rally meets every criteria for the riskiest type of event .
“ I would certainly recommend that people wear masks and try to keep as much distance as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an associate research professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University , said the event could have wide repercussions for the country .
“ With a little bad luck , that scenario could end in the seeding of community outbreaks of COVID-19 across the U.S. , ” she said .
The Trump campaign has declined to respond to repeated questions about whether it will require attendees to wear masks , socially distance or take other measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission .
Trump has made clear that he believes empty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t imagine a rally where you have every fourth seat full .
Every — every six seats are empty for every one that you have full .
That wouldn ’ t look too good , ” he said in April .
Trump also insisted that the marquee event of the Republican National Convention — his acceptance of his party ’ s nomination for reelection — be moved from Charlotte , North Carolina , to Jacksonville , Florida , after North Carolina ’ s Democratic governor refused to promise he would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resume the rallies that are the centerpiece of his campaign .
The president revels in his large crowds .
The events let him vent and gauge the kind of rhetoric that will appeal to his ardent political base .
They also help his campaign expand its voter databases and will serve as a contrast to Democratic challenger Biden , who has suspended campaign events because of the virus and hasn ’ t attracted the same size of crowds .
But the decision to pull the trigger now was driven , in large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have taken place across the country in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis .
Campaign and White House officials say the protests — and the limited public health outcry they generated — gave them cover .
If it was OK for tens of thousands of people to march through the streets , demanding racial justice , why can ’ t Trump rally his supporters , too ?
Of course , the protests were held outside , with many participants wearing masks .
“ Any large gathering , whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Jha said .
But infection is less likely at an outdoors moving march than at a crowded event in an enclosed space , he said , citing the air flow .
The Trump campaign , in recognition of the risk , has tried to protect itself from lawsuits with waiver language on its registration website .
“ By clicking register below , you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present , ” the campaign advised those signing up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rally , you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President , Inc. ” liable for illness or injury .

Carla K. Johnson And Jill Colvin - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of black man

ATLANTA - An Atlanta police officer was fired following the fatal shooting of a black man and another officer was placed on administrative duty , the police department announced early Sunday .
The moves follows the Saturday resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields , who stepped down as the Friday night killing of Rayshard Brooks , 27 , sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police had simmered down .
The terminated officer was identified as Garrett Rolfe , who was hired in October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrative duty is Devin Brosnan , who was hired in September 2018 , according to a release from police spokesperson Sgt .
John Chafee .
The police department also released body camera and dash camera footage from both officers .
More than 40 minutes elapses between the time Brosnan first knocks on Brooks ’ car door while he ’ s in Wendy ’ s drive-thru and when gunshots ring out ; Rolfe arrives on scene about 16 minutes in .
The shooting is audible in footage from Rolfe ’ s dash camera and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t captured on any of the four recordings provided by police .
Both body cameras fall off during the struggle that ensues when Rolfe moves to handcuff Brooks after speaking to him for about 20 minutes , although Brooks is briefly glimpsed being Tased before he ’ s shot .
Protesters on Saturday night set fire to the Wendy ’ s restaurant where Brooks was fatally shot the night before and blocked traffic on a nearby highway .
The fire was out by 11:30 p.m. , but video from local news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. Sunday .
Atlanta police said 36 people were arrested at protests as of midnight .
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the police chief ’ s resignation at a Saturday afternoon news conference , and had called for the immediate firing of the officer who opened fire .
“ I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force , “ Bottoms said .
She said it was Shields ’ own decision to step aside and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role .
Interim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interim police chief .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation , which is probing the shooting , said the deadly confrontation started with a complaint that a man was sleeping in a car blocking the restaurant ’ s drive-thru lane .
The GBI said Brooks failed a field sobriety test and then resisted officers ’ attempts to arrest him .
Rolfe is seen on body camera video administering the field sobriety test , followed by a Breathalyzer test with Brooks ’ permission .
He moves to arrest Brooks after the Breathalyzer test ; while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result , the machine displays a 0.108 in video captured by Rolfe ’ s own body camera .
The GBI released security camera video of the shooting Saturday , which does not show Brooks ’ initial struggle with police .
The footage shows a man running from two white police officers as he raises a hand , which is holding an object , toward an officer a few steps behind him .
The officer draws his gun and fires as the man keeps running , then falls to the ground in the parking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brooks had grabbed a Taser from one officer and appeared to point it at the officer as he fled .
The officer fired an estimated three shots .
L. Chris Stewart , an attorney for Brooks ’ family , said the officer who shot him should be charged for “ an unjustified use of deadly force , which equals murder.
” “ You can ’ t have it both ways in law enforcement , “ Stewart said .
“ You can ’ t say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon ... but when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it , now it ’ s some kind of deadly , lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody.
” He said Brooks was a father of four and had celebrated a daughter ’ s eighth birthday Friday before he was killed .
The shooting came at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the U.S. following the May 25 death of Floyd in Minneapolis .
Demonstrators , including members of Brooks ’ family , gathered Saturday outside the restaurant where he was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who said she is Rayshard Brooks ’ sister-in-law .
“ He wasn ’ t causing anyone any harm , ” she said .
“ The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him.
” She added : “ He did grab the Taser , but he just grabbed the Taser and ran.
” Shields , Atlanta ’ s police chief for under four years , was initially praised in the days following Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should go to prison and told demonstrators she understood their frustrations and fears .
She appeared at Bottoms ’ side as the mayor made an impassioned plea for protesters to go home when things turned violent with smashed storefronts and police cruisers set ablaze .
Days later , Shields fired two officers and benched three others caught on video in a hostile confrontation with two college students whose car was stuck in traffic caused by protests .
The officers fired Tasers at the pair and dragged them from the vehicle .
When prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , Shields openly questioned the charges .
The shooting of Brooks two weeks later raised further questions about the Atlanta department .
“ It is time for the city to move forward and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve , ” Shields said in a statement .
Reynolds said his agents will turn over results of their investigation to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard , whose office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against either officer .
Howard said Saturday his office “ has already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident.
” Brooks died after being taken to an Atlanta hospital .
One of the officers was treated and released for unspecified injuries .
This story has been corrected to report that the last name of the officer placed on administrative duty is Brosnan , not Bronsan as Atlanta police initially announced .
Bynum reported from Savannah , Georgia .
Associated Press writer Pat Eaton-Robb in Hartford , Connecticut , contributed to this report .

Russ Bynum And Brynn Anderson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Egypt: Ethiopia rejecting ‘fundamental issues’ on Nile dam

CAIRO - Egypt , Sudan and Ethiopia said Sunday they would resume talks this week over a contentious , massive Nile dam , even as Egypt accused Ethiopia of trying to hinder progress on a resolution to disagreements over the project .
The construction of the $ 4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile , which is over 70 % complete and promises to provide much-needed electricity to Ethiopia ’ s 100 million people , has been a friction point between Ethiopia , Sudan and Egypt , the three main Nile Basin countries .
The three countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without reaching a deal .
Those talks came to an acrimonious halt in February when Ethiopia rejected a U.S.-crafted deal and accused the Trump administration of siding with Egypt .
Egypt ’ s Irrigation Ministry on Saturday accused Ethiopia of bogging down the talks with a new proposal that it called “ worrisome.
” “ The Ethiopian proposal aims to scrap all the agreements and understandings reached by the three countries during the negotiations spanning nearly a decade , ” said ministry spokesman Mohammed el-Sebaei .
Ethiopia wants to begin filling the dam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Egypt has raised concerns that filing the reservoir behind the dam too quickly could significantly reduce the amount of Nile water available to Egypt .
After months of deadlock , Sudanese , Egyptian and Ethiopian water and irrigation ministers resumed talks last week , with observers attending from the U.S. , the European Union and South Africa , which is the current head of the African Union .
Sudan ’ s Irrigation Ministry said Saturday ’ s talks focused on technical matters of the operation of the dam and the filling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , droughts and prolonged droughts .
It said it will craft a draft paper based on Egyptian and Ethiopian notes to be discussed on Monday .
In a statement , Egypt ’ s Irrigation Ministry said last week ’ s talks revealed the differences that remain with Ethiopia .
The ministry said the contentious issues included Ethiopia ’ s “ total ” rejection of addressing technical issues related to the mitigation of droughts .
It also said Ethiopia rejected “ the inclusion of a legally binding dispute resolution mechanism , “ it said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential components in any agreement that relates to an existential matter that affects the lives of over 150 million citizens of Egypt and Sudan , ” the statement said .
Ethiopia ’ s Water and Energy ministry said the talks have achieved progress and they will result in “ finalizing the process with a win-win outcome.
” It said the three countries reached an understanding on the first stage of filling and the approach to drought management rules .
The Ethiopian ministry however said “ any attempt to confuse the international community or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept colonial based treaties ... .
is unacceptable.
“ Egypt has received the lion ’ s share of the Nile ’ s waters under decades-old agreements seen by other Nile basin nations as unfair .
Past Egyptian presidents have warned that any attempt to build dams along the Nile will be met with military action , but Egypt ’ s current leader , President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi , has ruled that out .
El-Sebaei said Ethiopia rejected a Sudanese proposal last week that could be a basis for negotiations between the three countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal that included its vision for the dam ’ s operation .
He said Ethiopia lacks the “ political will ” to compromise on a deal , and wants Egypt and Sudan to “ abandon their water rights and to recognize Ethiopia ’ s right to use the Blue Nile waters unilaterally and to fill and operate the Renaissance Dam in accordance with its vision.
” “ The proposal is not legally and technically sound , ” he told reporters in Cairo .
“ It is a clear attempt to impose a fait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Egypt and Sudan rejected the Ethiopian proposal , he said .
The Ethiopian ministry said el-Sebaei ’ s comments were “ regrettable.
” It said that if the ongoing negotiations failed it would be because of “ Egypt ’ s obstinacy to maintain a colonial based water allocation agreement that denies Ethiopia and all the upstream countries their natural and legitimate rights.
” The Blue Nile flows from Ethiopia into Sudan where it joins the White Nile near the capital , Khartoum , to form the Nile River .
Eighty-five per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue Nile , which is one of the Nile ’ s two main tributaries .
Egypt last week called for Ethiopia to “ clearly declare that it had no intention of unilaterally filling the reservoir ” and that a deal that was prepared by the U.S. and the World Bank in February serves as the starting point of the resumed negotiations .
The U.S. had crafted a draft deal in February after more than four months of talks , and said the final testing and filling of the dam “ should not take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the dam became increasingly bitter in recent months , with Egypt saying it would use “ all available means ” to defend “ the interests ” of its people .
Ethiopia ’ s deputy army chief on Friday said his country will strongly defend itself and will not negotiate its sovereignty over the disputed dam .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Not magic? Disney sues Florida county over property taxes

ORLANDO , Fla. - One thing that is not magic to Walt Disney World is the property taxes it must @ @ @ @ @ .
Disney is once again suing the Orange County property appraiser over 2019 tax assessments @ @ @ @ @ resorts , employee buildings and other structures .
The company has filed similar lawsuits in @ @ @ @ @ Sentinel reports that Property Appraiser Rick Singh says the Disney complex has been undervalued for @ @ @ @ @ is challenging errors in the assessments .
According to the Disney lawsuits , Singh listed @ @ @ @ @ Magic Kingdom — the world ’ s busiest theme park — at $ 504 million @ @ @ @ @ was set at about $ 539 million .
Hollywood Studios was assessed at nearly $ @ @ @ @ @ came in at about $ 435 million .
Disney World has been closed due to @ @ @ @ @ a phased reopening starting July 11 .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--GOP congressman who officiated gay wedding loses primary

LYNCHBURG , Va. - A freshman Virginia GOP congressman who angered social conservatives in his district when he officiated a gay wedding lost his party ’ s nomination .
U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman lost a GOP convention Saturday that was done via drive-thru because of the coronavirus pandemic .
He was defeated by Bob Good , a former official in the athletics department at Liberty University .
While the convention ended at 7 p.m. , the vote tally was not announced until after 1 a.m. Sunday .
Good won 58 % of the vote , campaign manager Nancy Smith told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee Chair Melvin Adams said 2,537 of the more than 3,500 registered delegates voted , news outlets reported .
Riggleman , a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus , upset many Republicans in his district last summer when he officiated the wedding of two male campaign aides .
The convention was held at a Lynchburg-area church near Good ’ s home and was the only place delegates could cast a ballot in a district that stretches from northern Virginia to the North Carolina border .
Riggleman has said a small coterie of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contest against him forcing the nomination process to be decided with a convention instead of a primary .
Conventions favour more conservative candidates and have been used for years by Virginia Republicans to block moderate Republicans from winning office .
“ Voting irregularities and ballot stuffing has been reported in multiple counties in the # VA05 .
Voter fraud has been a hallmark of this nomination process and I will not stand for it , ” Riggleman tweeted a little over an hour before results were announced .
“ @ VA_GOP needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all our options at this time.
” President Donald Trump endorsed Riggleman , as did Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. Good is now the Republican nominee for Virginia ’ s 5th Congressional District .
Four Democrats are vying to challenge him in the fall , with the winner picked later this summer .
“ That ’ s what losers say , “ Good told reporters , commenting on Riggleman ’ s allegations of irregularities .
Good has pledged to restore “ Judeo-Christian ” values to Congress .
He ’ s also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the official language of the U.S. His victory could make national Democrats and outside groups more likely to spend money in the district , which easily went for Trump in 2016 .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Thai entrepreneur connects Michelin bistros to those in need

BANGKOK - Natalie Bin Narkprasart ’ s business was in Paris .
But she was locked down by COVID-19 restrictions and stuck in Thailand .
Her heart was in Thailand , too -- and it ached for her compatriots who were suffering in the pandemic .
She thought of her own grandmother .
“ She ’ s 94 years old , and then I really worried about her during COVID , like how is she going to cope and do things , so I just thought about all the people who are struggling during this time who might not even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
So she recruited a network of volunteers , including Michelin-starred chefs , to help those in her homeland whose already modest incomes were shattered by the pandemic restrictions .
Her group , COVID Thailand Aid , says it has reached more than 30,000 people in more than 100 locations with care packages and freshly cooked food .
On a recent afternoon , the 28-year-old was front and centre in the Bangkok heat , helping distribute meals in a small , low-income community beside a railway line .
In bright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressed boxes of spicy minced chicken and rice into the hands of residents .
They also gave essential items like clothing , hand sanitizers and face masks .
Most residents are employed as maids , street vendors or shop assistants , and many haven ’ t worked for around two months .
“ It means a lot to us .
We are facing difficulties , ” said Jintana Jantornsri , one of the community elders .
“ We can ’ t even pay rent .
Many have no jobs and can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Narkprasart decided to help after flight bans stopped her returning to France , where she runs property and e-commerce businesses .
She started out small , buying groceries for neighbourhoods in need , but now has more than 450 volunteers who pull together food donations and care packages in more than 32 provinces .
Narkprasart is kept busy making appeals and fielding requests for help , then matching skills with needs , and sourcing goods , facilities and transport .
The results are impressive .
Included in her network is a string of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mission , chefs from five eateries gathered at Bo.lan , which offered up its kitchen .
They prepared 300 servings of pad krapow gai , spicy minced chicken , for the rail-side community .
Three of the restaurants involved have earned Michelin stars , though that isn ’ t the point , said Megan Leon , a Mexican-American cook and food writer who is the project leader for the food donation drives .
“ It ’ s just about getting together to try to feed people and make sure people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make them feel good about themselves and help families that are in need , ” she said .
Narkprasart ’ s business career has come to a sudden halt , and she hasn ’ t seen her husband for months .
But she says she has no regrets .
She even thinks returning to her old life may be a challenge .
This is , she said , “ a really hard time to go back to it just because I still have this goal of helping more people.
” “ I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just want to keep helping people for now and then we will see how it goes , ” she said .
Associated Press video journalist Tassanee Vejpongsa contributed to this report .
While nonstop news about the effects of the coronavirus has become commonplace , so , too , have tales of kindness .
“ One Good Thing ” is a series of AP stories focusing on glimmers of joy and benevolence in a dark time .
Read the series here : https : //apnews.com/OneGoodThing


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--China, Korea, Egypt report rise in virus cases as curbs ease

BEIJING - China reported its highest daily total of new coronavirus cases in two months on Sunday and infections in South Korea also rose , showing how the disease can come back as curbs on business and travel are lifted .
Meanwhile , Egypt reported its biggest daily increase on Saturday .
Infections were rising in some U.S. states as President Donald Trump pushed for businesses to reopen despite warnings by public health experts .
China had 57 new confirmed cases in the 24 hours through midnight Saturday , the National Health Commission reported .
That was the highest since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Beijing , a city of 20 million people .
Beijing ’ s cases all were linked to its biggest wholesale food market , which was shut down Saturday , the official China News Service reported , citing the city ’ s disease control agency .
It said 27 worked there and nine had direct or indirect exposure to it .
The Xinfadi market was closed after 50 people tested positive for the virus in the Chinese capital ’ s first confirmed cases in 50 days .
The world is seeing more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
China , where the pandemic began in December , and other countries that suffered early on including South Korea , Italy and Spain have seen numbers of new infections decline .
Brazil , India , the United States and other countries are seeing large increases .
China responded to the outbreak with the world ’ s most intensive anti-disease controls , isolating cities with some 60 million people and shutting down much of its economy in steps that later were imitated by some other governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits on business and travel after declaring victory over the disease in March .
Some curbs still are in place including a ban on most foreign travellers arriving in the country .
On Saturday , authorities in Beijing locked down 11 residential communities near the Xinfadi market .
White fencing sealed off a road leading to apartment buildings and drivers were required to show identification to enter the area .
South Korea ’ s government reported 34 more coronavirus cases , adding to an upward trend in infections .
The Korea Centers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new cases were in the greater Seoul area , where half of the country ’ s 51 million people live .
New cases have been linked to nightlife establishments , church services , a large-scale e-commerce warehouse and door-to-door sellers .
The Egyptian Health Ministry announced 1,677 new confirmed cases .
Egypt is the Arab world ’ s most populous country and has its highest coronavirus death toll .
The country has reported 1,484 deaths and 42,980 confirmed cases .
In the United States , the number of new cases in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 1,000 per day from fewer than 400 when the state ’ s shutdown was lifted in mid-May , according to an analysis by The Associated Press .
Gov .
Doug Ducey is not requiring Arizona residents to wear masks in public despite warnings by public health experts outside the government .
Elsewhere , bar owners in New Orleans were preparing to reopen .
San Francisco restaurants resumed outdoor seating Friday and the California government allowed hotels , zoos , museums and aquariums to reopen .
The states of Utah and Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a spike in cases .
The latest Chinese cases raised the mainland ’ s total to 83.132 , with 4,634 deaths , according to the Health Commission .
South Korea has reported 12,085 cases and 277 deaths .
Also Sunday , China ’ s air regulator announced China Southern Airlines was required to suspend flights between Dhaka , Bangladesh , and the southern city of Guangzhou for four weeks after 17 passengers on Thursday ’ s flight tested positive for the virus .
Beijing allows each airline to make one flight per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced June 4 , a route will be suspended for one week if five passengers on a flight test positive and four weeks if the number rises to 10 .
In Europe , France ’ s highest administrative court ruled Saturday that virus concerns no longer justify banning public protests .
The Council of State ’ s decision allows for demonstrations and marches as long as health protections are respected .
Events must be declared in advance to local authorities and not deemed a risk to public order .
The ruling came as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial injustice wound down in Paris .
Police had stopped at least 15,000 protesters from a planned march through the city Saturday , citing virus-related restrictions on any gathering of more than 10 people .
Associated Press writer Hyung-Jin Kim in Seoul , South Korea , and AP journalists worldwide contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--18 dead, 189 hurt as tanker truck explodes on China highway

BEIJING - A tanker truck exploded on a highway in southeastern China on Saturday , killing 18 people and injuring @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
The explosion caused extensive damage to nearby buildings .
One photo showed @ @ @ @ @ of buildings with blown-out facades well into the night .
The truck carrying liquefied gas @ @ @ @ @ the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway south of Shanghai in Zhejiang province , the official Xinhua News Agency @ @ @ @ @ .
A second explosion followed when the truck fell onto a factory workshop , Xinhua @ @ @ @ @ government information office said on its social media account that houses and workshops collapsed and @ @ @ @ @ six hospitals .
A worker at a nearby restaurant told Xinhua that the blast shattered @ @ @ @ @ , but that her mother and brother were unharmed .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--2 Philippine police killed, 2 wounded in station attack

ZAMBOANGA , Philippines - Two men on a motorcycle opened fire on a police station in the southern Philippines , killing two officers and wounding two others in a far-flung province long plagued by terrorism , police said Sunday .
Police investigator Nizar Bakun said one of the suspects armed with an M16 rifle fired at least seven times at the police station in Parang town in Sulu province Saturday night then fled .
Two of four police who were hit in the attack died on the way to a hospital .
Bakun told The Associated Press by telephone that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abu Sayyaf militants and local drug traffickers were among the main suspects .
A stronger anti-terror legislation , which Congress passed and sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing into law , targets such groups as the Abu Sayyaf , a small but violent group blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for ransom kidnappings , beheadings and bombings .
Opponents , however , have raised alarm over the legislation , which would allow the detention of suspects for up to 24 days without a warrant or criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom of the press and ordinary dissent with its broad definition of terrorism .
A few hundred Abu Sayyaf militants still remain in impoverished Sulu and outlying island provinces , mostly on the run from constant military offensives .
Many have surrendered or have been killed or captured in recent years .


thetorontostar--2020-06-13--Protesters call attention to deaths of two more black men

SAVANNAH , Ga. - Anti-racism protesters on Saturday sought to call attention to the deaths of two more black men — one who was found hanging from a tree in California and another who was fatally shot by police outside an Atlanta restaurant .
The Atlanta police chief resigned hours later .
Meanwhile in Europe , far-right activists scuffled with police in London and Paris as more Black Lives Matter demonstrations unfolded nearly three weeks after George Floyd , another black man , died at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer who pressed a knee to his neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a man said to be sleeping in a car blocking a Wendy ’ s restaurant drive-thru .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was investigating reports that 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks failed a sobriety test and was shot in a struggle over a police Taser .
By Saturday evening , Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that she had accepted the resignation of Police Chief Erika Shields .
The announcement came as roughly 150 protesters marched outside the restaurant .
The mayor also called for the immediate firing of the officer who opened fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that this was a justified use of deadly force , ” Bottoms said .
She said it was Shields ’ decision to step aside and that she would remain with the city in an undetermined role .
Stacey Abrams , the Georgia Democrat who gained national prominence running for governor in 2018 , tweeted that “ sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death.
” In Palmdale , California , hundreds of people marched to demand an investigation into the death of 24-year-old Robert Fuller , who was found hanging from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The protesters marched from where the body was found to a sheriff ’ s station , with many carrying signs that said “ Justice for Robert Fuller.
” Authorities said the death appeared to be a suicide , but an autopsy was planned .
The city said there were no outdoor cameras that could have recorded what happened .
Fuller ’ s death has brought to light the death of another black man found hanging from a tree on May 31 in Victorville , a desert city 45 miles ( 72 kilometres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s spokeswoman , Jodi Miller , told Victor Valley News foul play was not suspected in 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch ’ s death but the man ’ s family said they were concerned it will be ruled a suicide to avoid further attention .
Protesters in New Orleans tore down a bust of a slave owner who left part of his fortune to New Orleans ’ schools and then took the remains to the Mississippi River and rolled it down the banks into the water .
The police did not identify the bust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bust of John McDonogh .
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a tweet that the city “ rejects vandalism and destruction of City property .
It is unlawful.
” Members of the Clemson University football team led hundreds of demonstrators on the school ’ s campus in South Carolina .
The march came a day after Clemson trustees voted to rename its honours college , stripping from the program the name of former vice-president and slavery proponent John C. Calhoun .
European protesters sought to show solidarity with their American counterparts and to confront @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations also posed a challenge to policies intended to limit crowds to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
In Paris , police stopped protesters from confronting far-right activists who unfurled a huge banner from a building denouncing “ anti-white racism.
” The banner was partly torn down by residents in the building , with one raising a fist in victory .
A Black Lives Matter group in London called off a demonstration , saying the presence of counter-protesters would make it unsafe .
Right-wing activists and soccer fans descended on the U.K. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historical monuments that have been targeted by anti-racism protesters .
Many gathered around the statue of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Cenotaph war memorial , which were boarded up Friday to protect them from vandalism .
Officials feared far-right activists would seek confrontations with anti-racism protesters under the guise of protecting statues .
The statue of Churchill had been daubed with the words “ was a racist.
” Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Churchill a hero but acknowledged that he “ sometimes expressed opinions that were and are unacceptable to us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cans at officers , while others tried to push through police barriers .
The mostly white crowd chanted “ England ” and sang the national anthem while riot police on horses pushed them back .
A rally in Paris drew 15,000 , led by supporters of Adama Traore , a French black man who died in police custody in 2016 .
No one has been charged in his death .
Police fired tear gas and blocked people from marching .
An enormous portrait showed one face with images of Floyd and Traore .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bore the names of dozens of others who have died or suffered violence at the hands of French police .
Myriam Boicoulin , 31 , who was born on the French Caribbean island of Martinique , said she marched because she wanted to be heard .
As a black woman living in mainland France , she said , “ I ’ m constantly obliged to adapt , to make compromises , not make waves — to be almost white , in fact.
” “ It ’ s the first time people see us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us breathe.
” White reported from Detroit .
Associated Press writers Sylvia Hui in London and Arno Pedram in Paris also contributed to this report .

Russ Bynum And Ed White - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-13--Venezuela demands release of businessman connected to Maduro

MIAMI - Venezuela on Saturday demanded the release of a government-connected businessman who was detained in Cape Verde on U.S. corruption charges , calling his arrest an illegal act of aggression by the Trump administration aimed at piling new hardships on the crisis-wracked oil nation .
Alex Saab ’ s arrest Friday while en route to Iran was a major blow to President Nicolás Maduro ’ s government .
U.S. officials believe he holds many secrets about how the socialist leader , his family and top aides allegedly siphoned off millions of dollars in government contracts amid widespread hunger in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how American authorities , who had been targeting the Colombian businessman for years , finally caught up with him .
The Justice Department declined to comment as did Saab ’ s American lawyer , Maria Dominguez .
A person familiar with the situation said the 48-year-old Saab was detained in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago when his San Marino-registered jet made a refuelling stop on a flight to Tehran , where he was believed to be negotiating deals to exchange Venezuelan gold for Iranian gasoline .
The person was not authorized to discuss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Flight tracking data shows the aircraft , which the once globe-trotting Saab had used in the past , departed Friday from Venezuela ’ s capital , Caracas .
Adding to the intrigue , a private jet belonging to Presidential Aviation , a U.S. government contractor formerly owned by the Blackwater private security firm , was standing ready for a chartered flight Sunday from Cape Verde to Miami ’ s private Opa Locka airport .
Venezuela ’ s government energetically protested the arrest of Saab , who it said was travelling on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humanitarian mission ” to buy food and medical supplies .
In a statement issued Saturday night , it said an Interpol arrest notice for Saab wasn ’ t issued until a day after his detention , violating international norms and disregarding the diplomatic immunity he enjoys as an “ agent of a sovereign government.
” It said it would initiate all legal and diplomatic actions to secure his release .
But coronavirus restrictions frustrated an attempt by Maduro ’ s nearest ambassador , in Senegal , to travel to Cape Verde .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its faltering campaign to oust Maduro and install opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela ’ s president , it is increasingly going after top officials and business people connected to the embattled leader .
In March , it indicted Maduro and more than a dozen other individuals on narcoterrorist , corruption and other criminal charges .
Saab came onto the radar of U.S. authorities a few years ago after amassing a large number of contracts with Maduro ’ s government .
Federal prosecutors in Miami indicted him and a business partner last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an alleged bribery scheme that pocketed more than $ 350 million from a low-income housing project for the Venezuelan government that was never built .
Separately , Saab had been sanctioned by the Trump administration for allegedly utilizing a network of shell companies spanning the globe — in the United Arab Emirates , Turkey , Hong Kong , Panama , Colombia and Mexico — to hide huge profits from no-bid , overvalued food contracts obtained through bribes and kickbacks .
“ Saab engaged with Maduro insiders to run a wide-scale corruption network they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starving population , ” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said at the time of the sanctions .
“ They use food as a form of social control , to reward political supporters and punish opponents , all the while pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars through a number of fraudulent schemes.
” In private , U.S. officials have long described Saab as a front man for Maduro although he is not identified as such in court filings .
The U.S. Treasury Department alleges some of Saab ’ s contracts were obtained by paying bribes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lady Cilia Flores , — Yoswal , Yosser and Walter Flores .
Commonly known in Venezuela as “ Los Chamos , ” slang for “ the kids , ” the three men are also under investigation by prosecutors in Miami for allegedly forming part of a scheme to siphon $ 1.2 billion from Venezuela ’ s state-owned oil company , two people familiar with the U.S. investigation told The Associated Press .
News of the possible arrest broke late Friday but initially officials in the U.S. and Saab ’ s native Colombia were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verde has no extradition treaty with the U.S. and fresh on officials ’ minds is the 2014 saga involving another high priority Venezuelan target , the late Hugo Chávez ’ s longtime spy chief , retired Gen. Hugo Carvajal .
Carvajal was arrested in 2014 on the Caribbean island of Aruba , where he had been named Maduro ’ s consul , but managed to flee a U.S. drug warrant after intense diplomatic pressure from Caracas .
Carvajal remains at large after having been jailed and later released in Spain .
Saab is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuela ’ s vital oil industry as the OPEC nation ’ s economic crisis has deepened .
Iran sent Venezuela several tankers of gasoline last month that government opponents say were purchased with gold and by shell companies controlled by Saab .
Last week , prosecutors in Colombia froze eight properties allegedly belonging to Saab , including a mansion in his Caribbean hometown of Barranquilla valued at more than $ 7 million , as part of their own money laundering investigation .
Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report @


thetorontostar--2020-06-13--Australia ‘disheartened’ by death sentence in China

SYDNEY , Australia - Australia on Sunday described as “ deeply disheartening ” a death sentence China imposed on an Australian man accused of drug smuggling , and the trade minister said it shouldn ’ t be linked to ongoing friction over trade and the pandemic .
Cam Gillespie was arrested in 2013 at Baiyun Airport in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on charges of attempting to board an international flight with more than 7.5 kilograms ( 16.5 pounds ) of methamphetamine in his check-in luggage .
The Guangzhou Intermediate People ’ s Court on Saturday announced Gillespie had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confiscation of all of his personal property .
Australia ’ s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was “ deeply saddened to hear of the verdict.
“ “ Australia opposes the death penalty , in all circumstances for all people , ” it said .
“ We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us.
” Trade Minister Simon Birmingham called the sentence “ distressing ” but said it shouldn ’ t necessarily be linked to disputes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very distressing for Mr. Gillespie and his loved ones and our government will continue to provided consular assistance , ” Birmingham told Sky News Sunday .
“ This is a reminder to all Australians ... that Australian laws don ’ t apply overseas , that other countries have much harsher penalties , particularly in relation to matters such as drug trafficking.
” Australia has led calls for an inquiry into China ’ s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan .
In response China , Australia ’ s largest trading partner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exports and issued travel warnings to Chinese students planning to study in Australia , citing racism .
Gillespie has 10 days to appeal his sentence .


thetorontostar--2020-06-13--Coronavirus cases spike across southern U.S. as state economies lurch into motion

CHICAGO—The warning has echoed ominously for weeks from epidemiologists , small-town mayors and county health officials : once states begin to reopen , a surge in coronavirus cases will follow .
That scenario is now playing out in states across the country , particularly in the Sun Belt and the West , as thousands of Americans have been sickened by the virus in new and alarming outbreaks .
Hospitals in Arizona have been urged to activate emergency plans to cope with a flood of coronavirus patients .
On Saturday , Florida saw its largest single-day count of cases since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain the spread of the virus in many places , leading the governor Thursday to pause what had been a gradual reopening .
And in Texas , cases are rising swiftly around the largest cities , including Houston , San Antonio and Dallas .
“ I ’ m very concerned about it , ” said Mayor Eric Johnson of Dallas , noting that after months of warnings and isolation , many residents had stopped wearing masks and maintaining social distance out of sheer fatigue .
“ They ’ ve been asked for quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they love , and that they want to spend time with .
Wearing a mask is not pleasant .
And I think people are tired.
” For close to a month , much of the United States has looked like a country open or beginning to open , and increasingly unfettered by restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
With many government limits removed and people left to make individual choices about precautions , Americans have gone back to salons and restaurants , crowded into public parks and , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations protesting police misconduct .
Overall , daily coronavirus cases across the U.S. are essentially steady , stuck on a plateau .
More than two million people have now contracted the virus in this country , according to a New York Times database , and every day , about 21,100 new known cases are reported , not much lower than the numbers from a month ago .
About 800 people die from it each day .
Those figures have both dropped significantly since peaking in April .
But as of Saturday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climbing in 22 states , shifting course from what had been downward trajectories in many of those places .
The spikes in cases bring leaders in these states to a new crossroads : accept the continued rise in infections as an expected cost of reopening economies or consider slowing the lifting of restrictions aimed at stopping the spread or even imposing a new set of limits .
In Houston on Thursday , the county ’ s top elected official warned that the community was “ on the precipice of a disaster ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 300 new cases have been identified in that county on each recent weekday .
But at the city ’ s Galleria mall , there were few signs of concern : people stood in a tightly spaced line for pretzels at an Auntie Anne ’ s kiosk .
At California Nails , two women sat maskless during pedicures .
Signs urged social distancing , but in crowded walkways outside stores , shoppers brushed past one another , only inches apart .
Throughout most of Florida , the reopening of public life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operate at half capacity and gyms at full capacity .
On June 5 , the state loosened restrictions further , even as the caseload was beginning to go up .
In Salt Lake City , some people are now behaving as they did before the coronavirus pandemic , even amid a rise in cases , said Teresa Kehl , a Utah resident who runs summer soccer camps with her husband .
“ We went to a restaurant the other night and none of the employees had masks on , ” Kehl said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Angela Dunn , the Utah state epidemiologist , has traced the state ’ s resurgence in the coronavirus to the state ’ s reopenings , which began before Memorial Day .
“ The timing directly correlates with our loosening up restrictions , ” Dunn said .
“ That definitely has something to do with it.
” There is ample reason to tie the latest surge of infections to relatively early reopenings .
Clusters of infections in food-processing facilities , jails and nursing homes continue to create hot spots in some places , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pattern .
Most of the 10 hardest-hit states that have seen rising case levels started reopening on or before May 8 .
Louisiana , where cases have started rising again after extended declines , began reopening on May 15 .
Another hard-hit state with growing cases , California , has reopened in a more incremental way , with continuing restrictions in some regions .
Many states that were slowest to reopen have seen a different trajectory , at least so far .
Most of the 10 states hit hard overall in the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus — began reopening in mid-May or later .
Only two of those states , Pennsylvania and Indiana , began reopening before May 15 .
Some of the others , New Jersey and Michigan , only began reopening in earnest in June .
And two others , New York and Illinois , kept restrictions in their worst-hit areas while reopening less populous regions .
As testing capacity has increased , so has the number of cases being counted , and officials in places like Arizona and Florida say the increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partly , by the growing availability of tests .
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci , the country ’ s top infectious-disease expert , said Friday in an interview with ABC News that it was important to look both at case numbers and the percentage of positive tests to understand whether upticks in cases reflected broader transmission in American cities .
“ If you test more , you will likely pick up more infections , ” Fauci said .
He added , “ Once you see that the percentage is higher , then you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because then you really are seeing additional infections that you weren ’ t seeing before.
” But epidemiologists said that even taking into account a rise in testing , the increase in confirmed cases in Sun Belt states suggested increased transmissions .
Other measures , such as the percentage of positive tests and hospitalizations , reflect that worsening outlook .
In Florida , more than 4.5 per cent of those who tested between May 31 and June 6 had the virus , compared with about 2.3 per cent of people who sought tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the percentage of people testing positive in Florida was higher , but that was during a period when testing was far more limited .
Similar rates in Arizona and Texas have also risen in recent weeks .
In Arizona , more than 1,400 people who were believed to have the virus were hospitalized Friday , up from 755 a month earlier and higher than at any other point in the pandemic .
In Texas , the 2,166 coronavirus patients hospitalized Friday were the most yet in that state .
For states with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived at the same conclusion : the rise in infections is unfortunate but inevitable .
“ We are not going to be able to stop the spread , ” said Dr. Cara Christ , the Arizona state health director .
“ And so we can ’ t stop living as well.
” But the outbreaks have also prompted frantic and repeated pleas to the public , asking that people wear masks and practise social distancing to limit transmission of the virus .
On Thursday , Pat Gerard , the chair of the Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fla. , raised the spectre of another clampdown on businesses to contain the latest outbreaks .
“ I think it ’ s only a matter of time before the public sees those numbers and starts emailing us that we need to shut down again , ” Gerard said during a board meeting .
For many business owners , the continued uncertainty about the path and the intensity of the pandemic has been vexing .
In Arizona , Gov .
Doug Ducey , a Republican , moved energetically to reopen the state in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gyms and Little League fields have opened in recent weeks .
Arizona officials reported more than 1,600 cases in a day for the first time Friday .
Carla Logan , the owner of a bistro near downtown Phoenix , said that she was trying to save her business while making sense of Arizona ’ s rising number of cases .
Theories by some scientists that the virus might diminish amid warmer weather were fading fast .
“ We were hoping and praying the Arizona heat would kill the virus , but that didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ A second shutdown for us would be catastrophic.
” In Florida , the number of new coronavirus cases has topped 1,000 for all but one of the past seven days .
Most of the state began to reopen May 4 , though South Florida is still under tighter restrictions .
Miami ’ s beaches only reopened Wednesday .
Gov .
Ron DeSantis , a Republican , has attributed the uptick to more widespread testing .
Retail stores , including Publix supermarkets and Home Depot , now offer tests at a handful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody to get tested , regardless of age or symptoms , without a doctor ’ s prescription .
Even then , demand at some sites is low , and more than half of the available tests a day do not get used , the governor said .
In some ways , life in the state feels like it is getting back to normal .
The Kennedy Space Center hosted the SpaceX launch .
Jacksonville has been eager to host the Republican National Convention .
Orlando has allowed the filming of professional wrestling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MLS .
Despite the uptick in cases in some states , there are also states that have been reopened for weeks where the number of new known virus cases has slowed .
Pennsylvania , Indiana and Colorado — which all began reopening in late April or early May — have seen hopeful signs .
It is possible that the full effect of reopening may be hidden from view .
Certain states and counties are testing less than others .
And reopening has looked different in different places , partly depending on varying habits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are standard and people are adhering to social distancing — both recommended by public health experts — transmission may be slower .
In Douglas County , Kan. , home to 122,000 people , only 82 cases of the coronavirus have been identified , an exceedingly low number for a place of its size .
The county , which includes the college town of Lawrence , kept in place restrictions on businesses even after statewide mandates were dropped .
Residents have continued to wear masks and stay far apart , said Dan Partridge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The worry I have is that fatigue will set in and compliance will slip , ” Partridge said .
Epidemiologists point to another factor that could result in even more coronavirus outbreaks in the coming days : the widespread demonstrations across the country , where protesters are packed shoulder-to-shoulder , often without masks .
Minneapolis , where protests erupted after the death of George Floyd , is being watched especially closely , though health officials say that it is too soon to know what effect the demonstrations had on the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard members mobilized for the protests have tested positive and new testing sites have been established for demonstrators .
At least 30 cases nationally have been linked to protests , including 10 National Guard members and one police officer in Nebraska who have been infected .
Contract tracers in Chicago and elsewhere have begun asking people who are positive for the coronavirus whether they have attended protests .

Julie Bosman - The New York Times,Mitch Smith


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Book Critics Circle officials resign, citing privacy breach

NEW YORK - The president and five other board members of the National Book Critics Circle have resigned amid allegations of racism and violations of privacy .
Laurie Hertzel , who had served as president since 2019 , announced over the weekend she was leaving the 24-member board .
Her departure came two days after another board member , Ugandan-American writer Hope Wabuke , posted redacted screenshots on Twitter of an email exchange that included correspondence from Hertzel and board member Carlin Romano .
The NBCC had been crafting a response to the worldwide protests against police racism and violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board were trying to work out the wording of a statement in support of Black Lives Matter and against racism , especially in our own realm of publishing , private exchanges were made public on Twitter , which made it impossible to continue with this discussion in good faith , ” Hertzel wrote .
“ I , along with five of our board members resigned , though not in a co-ordinated fashion .
I can only speak for myself when I say that such a breach of confidence precludes the sort of deliberations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mission as a critical organization.
” Romano , a former NBCC president , had raised objections in his email to the proposed statement from the NBCC board , notably that “ White gatekeepers ” in publishing “ stifle black voices.
” Romano responded that many black writers had benefited from “ good-willed white editors and publishers ” and that he had seen “ far more of white people helping black writers than of black people helping white writers.
” Romano , whose name was redacted in Wabuke ’ s screenshot , confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written it but otherwise declined comment .
As of Sunday evening , he was still listed as a board member on the book critic website , bookcritics.org .
Wabuke also tweeted that she had resigned from the NBCC .
“ It is not possible to change these organizations from within , and the backlash will be too dangerous for me to remain , ” she wrote .
Like virtually every other major publishing institution , the NBCC is predominantly white .
It was founded in 1974 , has hundreds of members nationwide and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from fiction to best first book .
Winners this year included a diverse range of works , among them Edwidge Danticat ’ s “ Everything Inside ” for fiction , Chantel Miller ’ s “ Know My Name ” for autobiography and Morgan Parker ’ s “ Magical Negro ” for poetry .
The NBCC has not announced a replacement for Hertzel , and no board member is currently authorized to speak for the organization .
The falling out at the NBCC continues an industry reckoning that pre-dates the recent protests .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Romance Writers of America leaving or being forced out because of criticism over its lack of diversity .
One of the year ’ s bestselling novels , Jeanine Cummins ’ “ American Dirt , ” was strongly criticized for offering a stereotypical portrait of Mexican immigrants .
The publisher , Macmillan , has promised to hire and publish more Latinos .
Last week , two top officials at the Poetry Foundation resigned after more than 1,000 poets endorsed an opened letter calling for a boycott of the foundation ’ s Poetry magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago-based organization devoted “ significantly greater allocation of financial resources toward work which is explicitly anti-racist in nature ” .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of Black man

ATLANTA - One minute , Rayshard Brooks was chatting co-operatively with Atlanta police , saying he ’ d had a couple of drinks to celebrate his daughter ’ s birthday and agreeing to a breath test .
The next , they were wrestling on the ground and grappling over a Taser before Brooks took the weapon and ran .
Seconds later , three gunshots sounded and Brooks fell mortally wounded .
Atlanta police video released Sunday showing a seemingly routine sobriety check outside a Wendy ’ s restaurant that quickly spun out of control , ending in gunfire .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an encounter with two white officers late Friday rekindled fiery protests in Atlanta and prompted the police chief ’ s resignation .
Police said Sunday the department terminated Officer Garrett Rolfe , who fired the fatal shots , and officer Devin Brosnan was placed on administrative duty .
Rolfe had worked for the department since October 2013 , and Brosnan since September 2018 .
Meanwhile , authorities announced a $ 10,000 reward for information finding those responsible for setting fire to the Wendy ’ s restaurant at the shooting scene .
Flames gutted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turbulent .
The protests prompted 36 arrests .
More than 100 people , some sporting umbrellas and rain gear after on-and-off rain , protested peacefully at the site Sunday evening .
Police blocked some side streets , slowing traffic in the area as people held up signs .
The two officers ’ body cameras and the dash-mounted cameras in their patrol cars showed they spent more than 40 minutes peacefully questioning Brooks .
The fighting erupted when they tried to handcuff Brooks .
Andy Harvey , chief of police of Ennis , Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training on community policing , said such moments can turn in a split second .
“ The moment you put your hands on someone is when someone will decide whether to comply or resist , “ Harvey said .
” That ’ s what happened in Atlanta.
” The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will present the findings of its investigation to prosecutors .
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said in a statement Sunday he hopes to reach a decision by midweek on whether to bring charges against the officers .
The officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a car blocking the restaurant ’ s drive-thru lane .
Brosnan arrived first and found Brooks alone in the car , apparently asleep .
Brooks agreed to move the car , showed his license , and Rolfe arrived minutes later to conduct a sobriety check .
“ I know you ’ re just doing your job , ” Brooks says on video after consenting to a breath test .
He mentions celebrating his daughter ’ s birthday and says : ” I just had a few drinks , that ’ s all.
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results though his body camera recorded a digital readout of 0.108 — higher than the 0.08-gram blood alcohol content considered too intoxicated to drive in Georgia .
“ All right , I think you ’ ve had too much to drink to be driving , “ Rolfe tells Brooks .
“ Put your hands behind your back.
” The video shows each officer take hold of one of Brooks ’ wrists as Rolfe tries to handcuff him .
Brooks tries to run and the officers take him to the ground .
One of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Brooks fights to stand , Brosnan presses a Taser to his leg and threatens to stun him .
Brooks grabs the Taser and pulls it away .
He struggles to his feet , the Taser in his hand , and starts running .
Rolfe fires his Taser and a yelp can be heard above the weapon ’ s electric crackle .
Rolfe runs after Brooks , and seconds later three gunshots sound .
Both officers ’ body cameras were knocked to the ground in the struggle , and none of the four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released from a Wendy ’ s security camera showed Brooks turn and point an object in his hand at one of the officers , who was steps behind him .
The officer draws his gun and fires .
“ As I pursued him , he turned and started firing the Taser at me , ” Rolfe told a supervisor after the shooting in a videotaped conversation .
“ ...
He definitely did shoot it at me at least once.
” GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said Sunday she could not confirm whether Brooks fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bottoms said Saturday she doesn ’ t believe the shooting was justified .
Police Chief Erika Shields , who joined the department as a beat officer in 1995 , resigned .
Brooks ’ death inflamed raw emotions in Atlanta and across the U.S. following the May 25 police custody killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Some public officials questioned whether shooting of Brooks was as clearly an abuse as Floyd ’ s death after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck .
“ The question is when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what should the officer have done ?
” U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina , said on CBS ’ “ Face The Nation.
” Scott , the Senate ’ s only black Republican , said Brooks ’ s death “ is certainly a far less clear one than the ones that we saw with George Floyd and several other ones.
” Stacey Abrams , the former Democratic lawmaker who gained national prominence while running for governor in 2018 , said “ there ’ s a legitimacy to this outrage ” over Brooks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Brooks family attorney , said the officer who shot him should be charged for “ an unjustified use of deadly force , which equals murder.
” Stewart said that Brooks , a father of four , on Friday had celebrated the eighth birthday of one of his daughters .
Bynum reported from Savannah , Georgia .
Associated Press writers Mallika Sen in New York , Regina Garcia Cano in Washington , D.C. , and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Police: Colorado man arrested after people held at gunpoint

DENVER - Authorities have arrested a Colorado man they say held two roofing-company salesmen at gunpoint who had been knocking on doors in his neighbourhood .
Both were wearing blue polo shirts with a local roofing company logo when Scott Gudmundsen forced them to the ground on Thursday , police told KUSA-TV .
Gudmundsen , 65 , was dressed in fatigues and armed with two pistols , one of which had been converted into a longer weapon that looked like a carbine rifle , authorities said .
Gudmundsen had called 911 saying he was going to confront two men wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police Lt. Bob Shaffer said .
Gudmundsen said he believed they were antifa — shorthand for anti-fascists — which is an umbrella term describing far-left groups that resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations and other events .
The workers were wearing white surgical-style masks during the pandemic as they visited the neighbourhood following a recent hailstorm , Shaffer said .
Colorado State University officials said in a statement that one of the victims is a football player for the school and a person of colour .
The race of the second employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the person with the gun was white .
“ They were pretty rattled — both of them were , ” Shaffer said .
Police determined the workers were doing nothing wrong and arrested Gudmundsen on suspicion of felony menacing and false imprisonment .
He is scheduled to appear in court June 18 .
No attorney was listed for Gudmundsen in court records , but a man identifying himself as his son apologized on the family ’ s behalf and said Gudmundsen was undergoing treatment at a mental health facility .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Rethinking police: How Camden, NJ, reimagined its force

CAMDEN , N.J. - To Scott Thomson , changing the culture of policing in America is a relatively simple process .
It ’ s just not an easy one .
Thomson led a tumultuous police department makeover in Camden , New Jersey — a poor city of mostly brown and black residents just across the river from Philadelphia — in 2013 .
After state officials disbanded the old department and started anew , Thomson transformed policing in Camden from the law-and-order , lock- ‘ em-up approach of the 1990s to a holistic , do-no-harm philosophy that ’ s put the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national reckoning over race and police brutality .
While police elsewhere clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters outraged by the latest death of a black man detained by police , Camden officers marched calmly with residents and activists .
“ Our actions can accelerate situations .
What we should be trying to do is de-escalate them , ” said Thomson , a past president of the Police Executive Research Forum who retired from the Camden job last year .
“ The last thing we want is for the temperature to rise , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse because of our failed tactics.
” But if the recent protest was peaceful , the county takeover of the Camden Police Department was contentious .
More than 300 officers lost their jobs .
Only half joined the new force .
Along with the switch to community policing came a reliance on high-tech , city-wide surveillance , more patrols , and younger , cheaper , less diverse officers who often aren ’ t from Camden .
Their average age today is 26 .
“ That is a very different vision of what a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re hearing from protesters , who want less policing , ” said Stephen Danley , a professor of public policy at Rutgers University-Camden .
Ashly Estevez-Perez , 21 , has spent most of her life in Camden , which is now about half Hispanic and 40 % black .
She remembers when children were rarely allowed to leave their front stoops given the threat of gunfire .
“ The new police force came in , and you saw cars everywhere .
... Everyone was kind of taken aback , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ “ Growing up in the city , I don ’ t see what other alternative works , ” said Estevez-Perez , a recent Rutgers-Camden graduate .
Activist and entrepreneur Sean Brown , 37 , who is black , said the surveillance solves the wrong problem .
“ If we had economic justice in our community , where anybody who needed a job could get a job , we would be in a different space , ” said Brown , who is raising two young sons in the city .
Once a busy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few years has added enviable lustre to its commercial corridor as generous state tax breaks lured Subaru , American Water and the Philadelphia 76ers ( who built a practice facility ) to town .
They join earlier development that transformed Camden ’ s downtown and southern waterfront , including a concert venue .
The estimated $ 3 billion in development attracts suburbanites and employs some Camden residents .
But locals debate just how many .
“ I don ’ t know one person who works in any 76er job , any Holtec ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said teachers ’ union president Keith Eric Benson .
” Neighbourhoods have looked really similar today as they did 10 years ago.
“ The police changeover followed state budget cuts that had forced Camden to slash municipal services in 2011 .
Nearly half of its 360 officers were laid off .
Crime surged .
Then-Gov .
Chris Christie , R-N.J. , joined local Democratic power brokers in engineering a plan to eliminate the department , shed its costly union contract and create the Camden County Police Department .
Over time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ window ” approach that famously saw the department cite people for failing to have bicycle horns to a friendlier approach that sends officers into the community to host barbecues , hand out ice cream and shoot hoops .
“ I think we ’ re received a lot better than we used to be , ” said Sgt .
Dekel Levy , 41 , as he helped distribute diapers to a steady stream of young mothers Thursday afternoon at Guadalupe Family Services in North Camden .
The neighbourhood , long one of the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows signs of progress .
The state prison that dominated the nearby waterfront has been replaced with a park .
Aging schools have been spruced up .
Crime rates have fallen — whether due to the police engagement , the increased investment , the booming Philadelphia economy or the national decline in violent crime .
According to police department data , Camden ’ s annual homicide tally has fallen from 67 in 2012 to 25 last year ; robberies from 755 to 304 ; and assault with a gun from 381 to 250 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents , spends $ 68 million per year on policing , far more than some comparable cities .
“ There is no doubt that Camden is safer than it was in the austerity era .
There ’ s a lot of doubt about whether that ’ s directly due to the new police force , ” Danley said .
As Estevez-Perez marched in Camden ’ s Black Lives Matter protest May 30 , Police Chief Joe Wysocki helped carry the banner at the front of the pack .
“ I just felt I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s death was very difficult to watch , and it was horrifying what he went through , ” Wysocki , who is white , told The Associated Press on Thursday .
“ I think every cop that watched that — every good cop — had a knot in their stomach.
” Across the bridge , Philadelphia police in riot gear that day clashed with protesters as police cruisers were set on fire and storefronts vandalized .
“ It ’ s a huge sigh of relief that the city of Camden was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Sister Helen Cole , a Roman Catholic nun who runs Guadalupe Family Services .
Cole , the daughter of a Philadelphia police officer , has seen tensions erupt and the city set ablaze during nearly 30 years in Camden .
Today , she cheers officers who work with troubled teens and department figures that show a sharp drop in excessive force complaints — in the wake of a strict use of force policy — from 65 in 2014 to three last year .
“ It ’ s not like officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Still , Brown , the activist and entrepreneur , laments that too few Camden residents make it onto the new force , which is 54 % minority .
Wysocki concurred , saying state civil service rules thwart his efforts .
He hopes a recent salary boost , to $ 51,000 annually after training , will help with retention .
“ The same political will that went to dismantling and rebuilding the police department has to go into these other issues — job development and housing , as well , ” Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue for us to get where we need to go .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Woman apologizes after backlash from confronting homeowner

SAN FRANCISCO - The CEO of a cosmetics company issued an apology Sunday after a video was widely shared online showing her and her husband confronting a man and threatening to call police because he stenciled “ Black Lives Matter ” in chalk on his San Francisco property .
The video , which has been retweeted 155,000 times , has sparked accusations of racism and led a cosmetics distributor to cut ties with Lisa Alexander , founder and CEO of LaFace Skincare .
“ There are not enough words to describe how truly sorry I am for being disrespectful to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to question him about what he was doing in front of his home , “ Alexander said in a statement .
“ I should have minded my own business.
” The video , which first appeared Tuesday on the Facebook page of James Juanillo , shows a couple asking him whether he lives in the house before asserting that they know he doesn ’ t live there and is therefore breaking the law .
Juanillo doesn ’ t answer the couple , but invites them to call the police .
The couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Yes , we will do so.
” The video stops short of showing what happens next .
Juanillo summed up the encounter on Twitter : “ A white couple call the police on me , a person of colour , for stenciling a # BLM chalk message on my own front retaining wall.
” He added that Alexander “ lies and says she knows that I don ’ t live in my own house , because she knows the person who lives here.
” Juanillo , who is Filipino , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of defacing private property because they didn ’ t think he belonged in the wealthy Pacific Heights neighbourhood .
He said a police officer pulled up several minutes after the encounter and drove away after recognizing Juanillo as a longtime resident .
The social media furor over the video led Birchbox , which distributes beauty products via a subscription service , to announce Saturday that it has cut ties with the company over Alexander ’ s “ racist actions.
” “ When I watch the video I am shocked and sad that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexander ’ s statement said .
She said she was committed to learn from the experience and wants to apologize to Juanillo in person .
Juanillo said Saturday that if Alexander comes knocking on his door , he would be open to talking with her .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--California police kill suspect after report of armed man

SAN BERNARDINO , Calif. - Police in Southern California shot and killed a man they believed was armed with a gun , authorities said Sunday .
Officers responded to a gas station convenience store in San Bernardino on Saturday night following a report of a man “ waving around a handgun , ” the city ’ s police department said in a statement .
“ Patrol officers arrived and located a suspect matching the description , and the suspect was still carrying what appeared to be a black handgun in his hand .
An officer-involved shooting occurred and the suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement said .
The man was taken to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
Police said he was Hispanic , but the initial report they received described him as white .
He was not immediately identified .
Cellphone video taken from a passing car and posted to YouTube captured officers pointing their weapons at a suspect near a gas pump and shouting for him to “ drop the gun !
” The vehicle rounds a corner and the camera shot is obstructed as a flurry of shots are heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page several frame grabs from videos at the scene .
One from an officer ’ s body-worn camera shows a man with his arms extended pointing an object toward a parked police cruiser .
It ’ s unclear if he ’ s holding a gun and police didn ’ t say if one was recovered .
Delina Miranda , who witnessed the incident , said she saw the man earlier rummaging through garbage cans with a flashlight .
Miranda , a cashier at a convenience store across the street , told the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Virginia museums begin to reopen after coronavirus shutdowns

BLACKSBURG , Va. - Museums in Virginia have started reopening after being shuttered for three months because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Phase 2 of Gov .
Ralph Northam ’ s reopening plan began on June 5 , allowing museums to reopen with restrictions , including the wearing of face masks inside buildings .
The Roanoke Times reports that guides at Historic Smithfield , a re-creation of 18th-century frontier life in Appalachia , added face masks to their Colonial outfits of petticoats and caps for the reopening on Saturday .
“ We ’ re just really excited to have people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spencer said .
Blacksburg Museum & Cultural Foundation also reopened its Alexander Black House museum and art gallery Wednesday with social distancing measures in place But not all cultural attractions appear ready for visitors .
According to their websites , both Roanoke ’ s Taubman Museum of Art and Harrison Museum of African American Culture remain closed .
Spencer said volunteers and staff have been preparing for visitors with training , not just in historical interpretation but how to sanitize surfaces , deep clean bathrooms and encourage visitors to comply with social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the private , non-profit historic site to lose a significant share of its income .
“ The majority of people assume that museums don ’ t need assistance , ” Spencer said .
“ They think we ’ re supported by state and federal government , but most museums are private.
” The Virginia Museum of Transportation reopened Thursday , but has had to change some of its offerings , Director Don Moser said .
Under the governor ’ s guidelines , hands-on exhibits are prohibited to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days a week initially , instead of the normal seven days .
Spencer said it will take a lot of community support for museums to rebuild their finances .
“ We want to remind people that museums help give perspective , ” he said , “ and it ’ s a place that contributes to the overall health of the community .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Police officer shot during Las Vegas protest paralyzed

LAS VEGAS - A police officer who was shot in the head during a Las Vegas Strip protest of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis is paralyzed from the neck down , on a ventilator and unable to speak , his family said in a statement released by police .
Officer Shay Mikalonis , 29 , was shot June 1 during protests over the death of Floyd at the hands of police .
The family statement released on twitter by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Saturday said he is expected to stay on the ventilator .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre .
The family thanked doctors , nurses and staff at University Medical Center in Las Vegas for their care and the community for support and fundraising .
“ Again , our family can never express our gratitude for all the support for Shay , ” the unsigned family statement said .
“ We are always Las Vegas Strong and so proud of our community , ” Prosecutors have charged a 20-year-old man with deliberately shooting Mikalonis during the protest , one of hundreds being held across the nation .
A judge who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that police video shows Edgar Samaniego “ walking by , taking out a gun and firing ... at officers.
” He is charged with attempted murder , battery and firearms charges and is being held in lieu of $ 1 million .
An appointed public defender , Scott Coffee , said after the hearing that Samaniego will plead not guilty .
Samaniego also is being held without bail on accusations that he violated the terms of release on separate misdemeanour driving under the influence and illegal drug possession charges .
Protests of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued across the nation on Saturday night , including one in Las Vegas .
The Las Vegas Review Journal reported that officers issued orders to disperse at a protest involving about 150 people and used pepper spray before the arrests .
The Metropolitan Police Department declined to provide information on arrests Saturday night .
The Las Vegas National Lawyers Guild said in a tweet that six of its legal observers were detained but later released .


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Legacy of late Italian journalist stained by colonial past

MILAN - The colonial past of a highly revered Italian journalist has become a flashpoint in Italy ’ s Black Lives Matters protests , as detractors defaced a statue in his honour and seek its removal from a city park near where he was once attacked by the far-left Red Brigades .
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala on Sunday resisted calls to remove the statue of the late Indro Montanelli , who had acknowledged having had a 12-year-old Eritrean bride during Italy ’ s colonial occupation in the 1930s .
Sala said in a Facebook video that he was perplexed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had confessed to having bought the child bride from her father , in a widely circulated video of a 1969 talk show appearance .
But he said “ lives should be judged in their totality.
” “ Montanelli was more than that .
He was a great journalist , a journalist who fought for the liberty of the state , an independent journalist .
Maybe for these reasons he was shot in the legs , ” Sala said , referring to the 1977 attack on Montanelli by two members of the Red Brigades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bears his name .
“ For these reasons , I think the statue should remain.
” Black Lives Matters protests has put a renewed focus on Italy ’ s colonial past , with calls to remove the Montanelli statue and rename the park .
Activists also are pushing for automatic citizenship to foreigners born in Italy to parents with permanent residency and to do away with laws that limit immigration .
Over the weekend , protesters covered the statue with red paint and scrawled “ racist ” and “ rapist ” on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously in pink paint in feminist protests , but this is the first time that Montanelli ’ s past has faced a serious reckoning .
On Sunday , city workers and volunteers removed the graffiti and paint and covered the statue with plastic .
Italian special operations police were investigating who was responsible , the LaPresse news agency reported .
Later , a group calling itself the Milan Student Network claimed responsibility in a video showing two people wearing hoods and gloves defacing the statue .
Montanelli , who died in 2001 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most revered journalists , honoured by the Vienna-based International Press Institute in 2000 as among the 50 World Press Freedom Heroes .
A noted foreign and war correspondent , Montanelli chronicled contemporary Italy from its colonial era through fascism , Italy ’ s postwar reconstruction and the anti-corruption scandals that overturned Italy ’ s political class in the 1990s .
He worked for many years at Corriere della Sera , before becoming founding editor of Silvio Berlusconi ’ s il Giornale .
He famously quit the paper when the media mogul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of today ’ s top Italian journalists .
But his legacy is being challenged by his having taken a child bride when he 24 years old and leading a battalion of 100 Eritreans during the Fascist regime ’ s colonial rule .
One of his protégé ’ s , Beppe Severgnini , wrote in Corriere della Sera this week that “ while toppling a statue of a dictator can be a gesture of liberation , removing the statue of a free journalist stinks of fanaticism.
” Montanelli himself , on several public occasions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girl named Desta .
“ I think I chose well .
She was a beautiful girl of 12 years , ” Montanelli told the 1969 talk show appearance , adding a smiling “ excuse me .
But in Africa it was another thing.
” The Eritrean-born journalist , Elvira Banotti , who was in the audience , challenged his romantic account , accusing him of rape and of “ violent ” colonialist behaviour .
He defended himself , saying there was no rape because girls in Eritrea married at the age of 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been considered rape in Europe .
“ What difference is there physically , or psychologically ?
” Banotti pressed .
Montanelli , writing in Corriere della Sera in 2000 in response to a letter from a reader , put the girl ’ s age at 14 and said she married an Eritrean after he left , and named her first of three children Indro .
He travelled to Eritrea in 1952 , and she “ received me like a father , ” he wrote .
“ I hope I haven ’ t scandalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conclusion , to the 18-year-old who solicited the account .
“ If I have , it ’ s your fault .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-14--Oklahoma father arrested after 2 children die in hot vehicle

TULSA , Okla. - An Oklahoma man whose son and daughter died when he left them inside his hot truck @ @ @ @ @ arrested on two second-degree murder warrants , police said .
Dustin Dennis , 31 , @ @ @ @ @ in Tulsa Saturday , police said .
Dennis told officers that he had taken his @ @ @ @ @ to a convenience store around noon .
Upon arriving home , he went inside and @ @ @ @ @ five hours .
When he awoke he found the children inside the vehicle .
Dennis @ @ @ @ @ children inside the house and called authorities .
Police said surveillance video from a neighbouring @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle and locking it up , then walking inside his house without the children @ @ @ @ @ the low 90s in Tulsa on Saturday , according to the National Weather Service .
@ @ @ @ @ in custody Sunday , but do not list an attorney who could speak on his @ @ @ @ @ at $ 750,000 .
He is due in court on Friday .