thetorontostar--2020-06-22--As virus spikes, Pakistan says there’s no choice but to open

ISLAMABAD - The coronavirus is spreading in Pakistan at one of the fastest rates in the world , and overwhelmed hospitals are turning away patients .
But the government is pushing ahead with opening up the country , trying to salvage a near-collapsed economy where millions have already slid into poverty from pandemic restrictions .
Further complicating the dilemma , as the government pins its main hope for stemming the virus ’ rampage on social distancing and masks , many in the public ignore calls to use them .
Millions crowd markets and mosques .
Hard-line clerics tell followers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many call the virus a hoax .
Even some government officials dismiss warnings , saying traffic accidents kill more people .
“ I am nervous when I go out because I see our people are still not taking it seriously , ” said Diya Rahman , a broadcaster at Radio Pakistan in the capital , Islamabad .
Two of her colleagues have died of the virus and more than 20 others have tested positive .
She fears that “ until they see their families are dying they won ’ t understand that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the guidelines , to wear masks.
” Pakistan is a prime example of fragile developing countries that say they ’ ll just have to live with rising infections and deaths because their economies can not withstand an open-ended strict lockdown .
But the rapid acceleration in infections in Pakistan this month could be an indicator of what faces other countries in Asia , Africa and Latin America .
The rate of new cases in Pakistan leaped from around 2,000-3,000 a day in late May to as high as 6,800 a day in mid-June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So far , more than 180,000 people have been infected in this country of 220 million , and the government on Sunday said that the number could total 1.2 million people in August .
Authorities have reported 3,590 deaths .
Pakistan butted heads with the World Health Organization over the spike .
Earlier in June , the WHO warned the government in a letter that Pakistan was in the top 10 countries in the speed of the virus ’ spread and faced devastating effects from opening prematurely .
It urged the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two weeks of opening .
The Associated Press acquired a copy of the letter , which was partially reported in the press .
The government rejected the proposal .
One lawmaker this week even accused the WHO of “ imperialism ” in dictating to Pakistan .
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the refusal to impose a complete lockdown saved the country from economic collapse .
In televised speeches , he has taken to pleading with Pakistanis to wear masks , ignore countless conspiracy theories and take the virus seriously .
As cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down some districts in Islamabad and other cities where fresh outbreaks have been identified .
But otherwise it has largely continued with lifting coronavirus restrictions .
The restrictions were initially imposed in mid-March , but within weeks , they were lifted bit by bit .
Now , most businesses are reopened , including markets and malls , as is public transportation .
Schools , restaurants and wedding halls remain closed , gyms had to be shut down again , but mosques never closed because of clerics ’ refusal .
Last week , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of the first infections here — was reopened for trade only .
At the same time , hospital beds are filling up .
Zeeshan Hassan , a local businessman , said his uncle was turned away from three hospitals in the southern city of Multan , an area heavily affected by COVID-19 cases .
Administrators said they had neither a bed nor the medicines to treat him , Hassan said .
His uncle was finally admitted to a government hospital , where he died within 15 hours .
A few family members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bury him .
“ Now we are all afraid we will get this COVID-19 , ” said Hassan .
Health professionals are being infected at an alarming rate — more than 3,000 testing positive so far with more reported each day , said Dr. Qaiser Sajjad , secretary-general of the Pakistan Medical Association .
Even before the pandemic , Pakistan lacked enough trained health personnel to administer equipment like ventilators .
With fewer than 3,000 acute care beds for a population of 220 million people , Sajjad warned the system was teetering on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get scared and the government is now taking it seriously , but I think we are too late because COVID-19 has already spread massively everywhere in the country , ” he told the AP .
He said misinformation is rampant , and many Pakistanis believe doctors made up the coronavirus to explain deaths caused by an inept and failing health care system .
It also doesn ’ t help that some government officials have gone on TV to downplay the impact of the new virus , said Sajjad .
“ The poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t believe the virus exists .
They think it is some conspiracy , all between the government and doctors , ” he said .
Pakistan is dealing with serious economic issues .
Economic growth has been slowing since 2018 but the pandemic sent it for the first time ever into contraction : this month , the country recorded negative growth of minus 0.38 .
“ Pakistan is officially in a recession , ” said Haroon Sharif , a former economic adviser who still counsels the prime minister on economic issues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has risen to 40 % from 30 % since the pandemic began .
Massive job losses could spark unrest , Sharif warned .
Sharif said the Pakistani prime minister ’ s focus is on helping the poorest , while his Cabinet ministers — many of whom are wealthy industrialists and landowners — focus on the elite .
Ignored in government help schemes are middle-income earners and small businesses that employ 15 people or less , said Sharif .
They have little savings , and much of their business is in cash and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the banking system .
So now they have been hit hard .
“ I know examples of teachers who are selling fruit , ” said Sharif .
Associated Press writer Asim Tanvir in Multan , Pakistan , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--2020 Watch: Trump navigates chaos after his Oklahoma rally

NEW YORK - Presidential politics move fast .
What we ’ re watching heading into a new week on the 2020 campaign : Days to next set of primaries ( New York and Kentucky ) : 1 President Donald Trump ’ s campaign relaunch is off to a rocky start , and his Republican critics are getting louder as coronavirus infections continue to surge .
There were thousands of empty seats at the Oklahoma arena where Trump hosted his comeback rally on Saturday , an embarrassing development at an event designed to showcase the Republican president ’ s strength .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor optics as they juggled damaging headlines on other fronts .
Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton ’ s much-anticipated book will be formally released this week .
Bolton becomes the latest in a long line of former Trump aides to raise dire warnings about the president ’ s job performance .
At the same time , the president is trying to distance himself from Attorney General William Barr ’ s firing of the U.S. attorney in Manhattan , who was forced out in the midst of investigating Trump ’ s allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters in New York and Kentucky head to the polls on Tuesday in another set of primary elections that will test the nation ’ s ability to host fair elections in the age of the coronavirus .
The political world was genuinely surprised to see thousands of empty seats at Trump ’ s comeback rally in Oklahoma over the weekend .
Critics often question the president ’ s grasp of policy , his discipline and his character , but before Tulsa , few people questioned his ability to pack an arena .
Was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by fears of protests , the pandemic or social media trolls ?
Or was it a legitimate sign that the energy behind Trump ’ s reelection is fading ?
For a president obsessed with crowd size , this is clearly an embarrassing development that will linger into the week , even if Joe Biden might well have struggled to draw a crowd like Trump did .
And perhaps more importantly , the finger-pointing inside Trump ’ s campaign will intensify ahead of a possible staff shakeup .
Primary voters across New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the nation ’ s election system amid continued coronavirus concerns .
After a series of disturbing recent trends in states like Georgia , Pennsylvania and Nevada , election experts are worried .
Georgia voters waited as long as five hours to cast ballots earlier in the month , a problem that disproportionately affected voters of colour .
And a surge in mail balloting created days-long delays in reporting final results in Pennsylvania , among other states .
Trump and Biden face no real opposition this week , so we ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key Democratic congressional primaries .
In Kentucky , Democrats will decide if establishment favourite Amy McGrath or underdog progressive state Rep. Charles Booker takes on Mitch McConnell this fall .
And in New York , former school principal Jamaal Bowman has a legitimate chance to defeat 16-term incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel .
As Trump ’ s chaotic presidency continues , Democrats are increasingly under pressure to guard against overconfidence .
That ’ s easier said than done , especially as Trump ’ s own advisers privately worry about his reelection prospects and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Biden victory .
Biden ’ s numbers may be strong more than four months out , but it ’ s easy to forget that he struggled badly to energize voters in early primary contests .
And few progressive activists seem genuinely excited about his candidacy .
Biden ’ s campaign and its allies will have their hands full in the coming weeks and months maintaining a real sense of urgency in its supporters .
History suggests that fear of Trump alone is not enough .
How much damage will Bolton do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been reported , Bolton ’ s book , “ The Room Where It Happened , ” is scheduled for formal release on Tuesday .
That means Trump is far from past the negative attention related to the book , which he ensured would remain a bestseller by suing unsuccessfully to block its publication .
Bolton , who worked alongside Trump in the White House for nearly a year and a half , has already called the president unfit for office .
He tops a remarkable list of people who have worked closely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In recent weeks alone , former Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis called Trump a threat to the Constitution ; Trump ’ s longest-serving chief of staff John Kelly agreed ; and one of the administration ’ s highest ranking African Americans , Mary Elizabeth Taylor , resigned to protest Trump ’ s stance on racial justice .
Lest anyone think some things might be off limits in 2020 , the Trump campaign ramped up its attacks on Biden ’ s age , health and mental capacity last week by launching a website suggesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among a series of the gaffe-prone Biden ’ s career lowlights , the site notes that Biden forgot when he had a brain aneurysm : “ Both of his brain aneurysms were in 1988.
” Trump ’ s campaign is well aware that Biden has siphoned away some of his support among older Americans , a trend that could prove extremely detrimental for Trump in several states come November , especially in Florida .
Is this the kind of message that might help Trump win back older voters ?
One thing is clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pillar of Trump ’ s 2020 strategy , and the president ’ s team has the money and the willingness to take it as far as it needs to .
As bad as it looks for Trump ’ s reelection right now , 134 days is a lifetime in presidential politics .
His team has only begun to spend its tremendous resources to persuade swing state voters , the candidates have yet to debate and Biden ’ s flaws aren ’ t going away .
2020 Watch runs every Monday and provides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 election .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-06-22--AP Interview: Egypt wants UN to avert unilateral fill of dam

CAIRO - Egypt wants the United Nations Security Council to “ undertake its responsibilities ” and prevent Ethiopia from starting to fill its massive , newly built hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile next month without an agreement , Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry told The Associated Press on Sunday , accusing Ethiopian officials of stoking antagonism between the countries .
Ethiopia announced Friday that it would begin filling the dam ’ s reservoir in July even after the latest round of talks with Egypt and Sudan failed last week to reach an accord governing how the dam will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Security Council to intervene in a letter the same day .
“ The responsibility of the Security Council is to address a pertinent threat to international peace and security , and certainly the unilateral actions by Ethiopia in this regard would constitute such a threat , ” Shukry said in an interview with the AP .
Filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam would potentially bring the years-long dispute between Egypt , Sudan and Ethiopia over the $ 4.6 billion mega-project to a critical juncture .
Ethiopia said the electricity that will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifeline to bring millions out of poverty .
With the start of the rainy season in July bringing more water to the Blue Nile , the Nile ’ s main tributary , Ethiopia wants to start filling the reservoir .
Egypt , which relies on the Nile for more than 90 % of its water supplies , fears a devastating impact if the dam is operated without taking its needs into account .
Sudan , which also largely depends on the Nile for water , has been caught between the competing interests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to broker a deal , but Ethiopia did not attend the signing meeting in February and accused the Trump administration of siding with Egypt .
Last week , the U.S. National Security Council tweeted that “ 257 million people in east Africa are relying on Ethiopia to show strong leadership , which means striking a fair deal.
” Shukry warned that filling the reservoir without an accord would violate the 2015 declaration of principles governing their talks — and rule out a return to negotiations .
“ We are not seeking any coercive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
In a three-page letter to the council , Egypt asked it to call Ethiopia back into talks for a “ fair and balanced solution ” and to urge it refrain from unilateral acts , warning that filling the dam without a deal “ constitutes a clear and present danger to Egypt ” with repercussions that “ threaten international peace and security.
” Hanging over the dispute has been the fear it could escalate into military conflict , especially as Egypt — facing what it calls an existential threat — repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike a deal .
Commentators in Egypt ’ s pro-government media have often called for action to stop Ethiopia .
One commentator , Moustafa al-Saeed said in a Facebook post that starting to fill the reservoir would be a “ declaration of war ” and urged the government to block Ethiopian traffic through the Suez Canal .
Shukry underlined that the Egyptian government has not threatened military action , has sought a political solution , and has worked to convince the Egyptian public that Ethiopia has a right to build the dam to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has never , never over the past six years even made an indirect reference to such possibilities , ” he said of military action .
But , he said , if the Security Council can not bring Ethiopia back into negotiations and filling begins , “ we will find ourselves in a situation that we will have to deal with , ” he said .
“ When that time is upon us , we will be very vocal and clear in what action we will take.
” He called on the U.S and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African nations , to help reach a deal that “ takes into account the interests of all three countries.
” Sticking points in the talks have been how much water Ethiopia will release downstream from the dam if a multi-year drought occurs and how Ethiopia , Egypt and Sudan will resolve any future disputes .
William Davison , senior analyst at the International Crisis Group , said the Security Council taking up the issue likely won ’ t change Ethiopia ’ s stance .
“ The U.S. , EU , Gulf powers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties to make the necessary final compromise to get an agreement over the line , ” he said .
This month , ministers from the three countries held seven days of negotiations by video conference , but talks ended Wednesday with no deal .
No date was set for a return to the table .
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew told the AP on Friday that filling the dam would begin with the rainy season in July and dismissed the need for an agreement .
He accused Egypt of trying to “ dictate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ river.
” Egypt ’ s Shukry on Sunday countered that Ethiopia was backing out of previously agreed-upon points .
“ We have on many occasions been flexible and been accommodating .
But I can ’ t say that there is a similar political will on the side of Ethiopia , ” he said .
He called Andargachew ’ s comments “ disappointing , ” pointing to “ the escalation of antagonism that has been intentionally created.
” Starting to fill the reservoir now , he said , would demonstrate “ a desire to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have effective sole determination ” of the water that reaches Egypt and Sudan .
After the end of talks on Wednesday , Sudan ’ s irrigation minister said his country and Egypt rejected Ethiopia ’ s attempts to introduce articles on water sharing in the dam deal .
Egypt has received the lion ’ s share of the Nile ’ s waters under decades-old agreements dating back to the British colonial era .
Eighty-five per cent of the Nile ’ s waters originate in Ethiopia from the Blue Nile .
Shukry said Egypt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that it “ has to be negotiated in good faith.
” He said any future deal on shares of the Nile ’ s water should take into account that Ethiopia has other water sources besides the Nile .

Lee Keath And Samy Magdy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Another shooting in Seattle protest zone leaves 1 wounded

SEATTLE - One person was wounded in what was the second shooting in Seattle ’ s protest zone in less than 48 hours , police said .
The shooting happened late Sunday night in the area near Seattle ’ s downtown that is known as CHOP , for “ Capitol Hill Occupied Protest , ” police tweeted , adding that one person was at a hospital with a gunshot wound .
The person arrived in a private vehicle and was in serious condition , Harborview Medical Center spokesperson Susan Gregg said in a statement .
The zone evolved after weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutality and racism , sparked by the police killing of George Floyd , a Black man , in Minneapolis .
The Sunday shooting followed a pre-dawn shooting on Saturday in a park within the zone that left a 19-year-old man dead and a 33-year-old man critically injured .
The suspect or suspects in that first shooting fled the scene , and no arrests had been made as of Sunday , Detective Mark Jamieson had said .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear where within the zone Sunday night ’ s shooting took place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scene at 10:46 p.m. and went to a staging area near the zone ’ s perimeter , fire department spokesperson David Cuerpo told the Seattle Times .
The fire department was soon notified that the injured person has already been taken away .
Both victims in Saturday ’ s shooting — whose identities hadn ’ t yet been released — were also transported to the same hospital via private car .
Seattle police tweeted that they had heard of a second shooting that they were unable to verify , given “ conflicting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday night weren ’ t immediately available .
It wasn ’ t clear whether anyone was in custody .
The CHOP zone is a several-block area cordoned off by protesters near a police station in the city ’ s Capitol Hill neighbourhood .
President Donald Trump , a Republican , has criticized Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Gov .
Jay Inslee , both Democrats , for allowing the zone .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--World shares slip as global virus tally approaches 9 million

BANGKOK - World shares sagged Monday as reports of new coronavirus infections in the U.S. and worldwide surged , with the global total approaching 9 million .
Britain ’ s FTSE 100 lost 0.3 % to 6,275.24 .
The CAC 40 in Paris edged 0.2 % lower to 4,967.73 , while Germany ’ s DAX slipped 0.1 % to 12,315.63 .
U.S. futures augured a strong start to the week , with the contracts for both the S & P 500 and the Dow up 0.8 % .
Sydney ’ s S & P/ASX 200 was almost unchanged at 5,944.50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending has rebounded more quickly from the pandemic shock than expected , analysts said .
“ However , that partly reflects pent-up demand and the strong support from government initiatives .
Employment income has slumped and we only expect spending to return to pre-virus levels next year , ” Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a report .
Tokyo ’ s Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.2 % to 22,437.27 , while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong sank 0.5 % to 24,515.23 .
The Kospi in South Korea slipped 0.7 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.1 % lower to 2,965.27 , while India ’ s Sensex jumped 0.9 % .
Shares rose in Taiwan and Singapore but fell in Jakarta and Bangkok .
Investors appear cautious with prices already relatively high and “ out of whack “ with earnings expectations , Mizuho Bank said in a commentary .
“ And so , investors may be increasingly nervous about being caught on the wrong side of ‘ irrational exuberance , ’ “ it said .
On top of that , the “ sheer speed and amplitude of the equity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the March sell-off may also counsel some patience rather than haste ; prudently pausing to take profits for the quarter , “ it said .
The World Health Organization on Sunday reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases by its count , at more than 183,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours .
The UN health agency said on Sunday that Brazil led the way with 54,771 cases and the US next at 36,617 .
India confirmed 15,400 new cases .
The United States also reported more than 30,000 new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daily totals their highest since May 1 .
A large share of the cases are in the South , West and Midwest , where hospitals in some areas are becoming overwhelmed .
Case numbers in South Korea and China have appeared to be moderating after recent outbreaks centred in their capitals .
Great uncertainty remains over whether countries that have been relaxing pandemic-fighting restrictions on travel and business might end up re-imposing broader controls that would slow a recovery from the worst global downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic slows economic recovery could increasingly come into focus .
These shifting dynamics are always challenging to equate , “ Stephen Innes of AxiCorp said in a commentary .
On Friday , the S & P 500 ended a wobbly day down 0.6 % at 3,097.74 after mounting worries about the rising coronavirus infections undercut an early rally .
The simultaneous expiration of contracts for stock options and futures , an occasional occurrence that can drive bouts of buying and selling and is known as “ quadruple witching day , “ added to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t happen , the fear is that scared shoppers may still shy away from stores and businesses may pull back on their own spending .
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was steady Monday at 0.70 % after climbing as high as 0.74 % on Friday .
It tends to move with investors ’ expectations for the economy and inflation .
A barrel of U.S. crude oil for delivery in July gained 6 cents to $ 39.81 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 39.75 on Friday .
Brent crude , the international standard , picked up 15 cents to $ 42.34 per barrel .
In currency trading , the U.S. dollar was at 106.94 Japanese yen , up from 106.87 on Friday .
The euro rose to $ 1.1214 from $ 1.1178 .

Elaine Kurtenbach - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Protesters try to pull down Andrew Jackson statue in DC

WASHINGTON - Protesters tried to pull down a statue of President Andrew Jackson near the White House Monday night before @ @ @ @ @ WUSA-TV in Washington reported that police used pepper spray to move protesters out of Lafayette @ @ @ @ @ statue is located .
Videos posted on social media showed that the protesters had climbed @ @ @ @ @ ropes around it , then tried to pull it off its pedestal .
The statue @ @ @ @ @ uniform , riding a horse that is rearing on its hind legs .
The 19th @ @ @ @ @ treatment of Native Americans has made his statue a target of demonstrators protesting the United @ @ @ @ @ injustice .
The Jackson statue remained on its pedestal Monday night .
On June 1 @ @ @ @ @ cleared peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square so President Donald Trump could stage a photo op @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Mail voting: Pence, aides embrace practice panned by Trump

WASHINGTON - Vice-President Mike Pence and a half-dozen other senior advisers to President Donald Trump have repeatedly voted by mail , according to election records obtained by The Associated Press .
That undercuts the president ’ s argument that the practice will lead to widespread fraud this November .
More than three years after leaving the Indiana governor ’ s residence , Pence still lists that as his official residence and votes absentee accordingly .
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has permanent absentee voting status in her home state of Michigan .
Brad Parscale , Trump ’ s campaign manager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t vote in the general election two years earlier when Trump ’ s name was on the ballot .
Two other senior Trump campaign officials — chief operating officer Michael Glassner and deputy campaign manager Bill Stepien — have repeatedly voted by mail in New Jersey .
And Nick Ayers , a senior campaign adviser who was previously chief of staff to Pence , has voted by mail in Georgia since 2014 .
In most election years , voting by mail is an unremarkable event .
But this year is different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand access to mail-in voting as an alternative to waiting in lines at polling places during a pandemic .
He has argued without evidence that mail-in voting will lead to fraud and warned Monday that foreign countries could print ballots .
That , some experts say , is a double standard that amounts to voter suppression .
“ These are people who are taking advantage of — which is perfectly legal — their right to vote absentee , “ said Trevor Potter , the president of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on both of John McCain ’ s Republican presidential campaigns .
” But they don ’ t want other people to do the same thing.
” Trump himself voted by mail in the Florida primary earlier this year .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has a lengthy history of voting by mail , which has been detailed in recent news stories .
And Attorney General William Barr , who has also raised concern about the practice , voted absentee in Virginia in 2012 and 2019 , The Washington Post previously reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s communications director , defended the Trump aides who have voted by mail .
In a statement , he said there ’ s a “ vast difference between voting absentee by mail when you can ’ t get to the polls on Election Day versus mailing every registered voter a ballot , even those who didn ’ t request one.
” Amid the pandemic , some states — governed by both Democrats and Republicans — sent applications for absentee ballots to voters , but not ballots themselves .
Six states will send ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatic steps .
“ The media thinks they ’ re playing ‘ gotcha ’ by purposefully ignoring that difference , ” Murtaugh continued .
“ Voter rolls are notorious for having bad addresses or even listing dead people as active voters.
” The campaign declined to make the Trump advisers who vote by mail available for interviews .
The coronavirus has upended primaries across the U.S. this year , leading to postponed elections , shortages of poll workers , the shuttering of some polling locations and hours-long lines at some that have remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears that similar complications in November could alter the outcome of the contest between Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden .
Justin Clark , the Trump campaign ’ s top attorney , told Republicans during a meeting in Wisconsin last year that the GOP relies on voter suppression to be competitive in swing states , while calling for the party to “ start playing offence a little bit , ” according to a recording that was previously obtained by the AP .
While instances of voter fraud are rare , Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how a Philadelphia election judge recently pleaded guilty to stuffing ballot boxes in exchange for bribes between 2014 and 2016 .
In Texas , where Parscale voted by mail in 2018 , there are stiff absentee ballot laws , requiring a person to be over 65 , disabled , or out of the county where they are registered during early voting , as well as on Election Day .
Parscale was in Houston for a Trump rally on Oct. 22 , 2018 , the day early voting began in San Antonio , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to records and several tweets he sent .
The day after , he signed a statement of residence that was submitted to county election officials to clarify his address .
Yet it ’ s unclear if he travelled to San Antonio , where his presence would have disqualified him from voting absentee .
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that fear of contracting the coronavirus does not make voters eligible to cast their ballot by mail .
Parscale acknowledged the difficulty he faced casting an absentee ballot in 2016 , when he wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was in New York working to elect Donald Trump and encountered a series of problems receiving my absentee ballot from Texas and missed the deadline , ” Parscale said in a statement to CBS News , which first reported that he didn ’ t vote that year .
“ Just further proof that vote-by-mail is not the flawless solution Democrats and the media pretend it is.
” DeVos , the education secretary , has voted absentee in all but three Michigan elections over the past decade , according to records .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Michigan ’ s Democratic secretary of state mailed out absentee ballot applications to registered voters .
DeVos ’ family has donated millions of dollars to Republican causes , including groups that are now part of a fierce court fight to limit the expansion of vote-by-mail .
Glassner and Stepien have both voted repeatedly by mail in New Jersey , where Glassner has voted absentee four times since 2016 .
That includes a general election ballot that was rejected by election officials in 2019 .
Stepien has voted seven times by mail since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans question the wisdom of Trump ’ s anti-vote-by-mail strategy .
Former Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Ridge , a Republican , said it is “ counterproductive.
” “ You ’ re the incumbent president of the United States .
You have a bully pulpit , you ’ ve got this massive war chest , and you ’ ve got a huge electronic following , “ he said .
” Why would you not encourage them to vote , number one , and say , well if you can ’ t get to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you fill out that absentee ballot and vote for me ?
” Associated Press writer Alexandra Jaffe contributed to this report from Washington .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Trump to celebrate border wall milestone in Arizona

PHOENIX - President Donald Trump is set to mark 200 miles ( 322 kilometres ) of wall along the southwest border in Arizona on Tuesday , in an area where crews have built dozens of miles of new fencing amid a coronavirus breakout and protests from opponents who say construction is destroying important habitats .
Trump will be accompanied by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf , who was in Yuma in January to celebrate the competition of 100 miles ( 161 kilometres ) .
Wolf called the wall system an “ undeniable impediment to smugglers , traffickers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of effective border infrastructure to smuggle drugs , illicit goods and engage in human trafficking.
” It ’ s unclear where exactly within the Yuma Sector , which is near the California-Arizona border , Trump will visit , and the Border Patrol declined to give specifics on Monday .
But Yuma has been an important place in Trump ’ s promise to build a wall along the southern border .
The president tweeted on Monday afternoon that he will celebrate the “ 212th plus mile of completion , “ offering a different number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release earlier .
The agency says it has completed 61 miles ( 98 kilometres ) of border wall and plans on building another 109 miles ( 175 kilometres ) in that rugged area of mostly desert .
Most of the new fencing that ’ s gone up is 30 feet ( 9 metres ) high .
The Trump administration has promised to build 450 miles ( 724 kilometres ) of border wall by the end of the year , aided by relaxed procurement laws that allow the government to award contracts to construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has awarded over $ 6.1 billion in construction contracts since April 2019 , according to a tally by The Project On Government Oversight , a nonpartisan and independent watchdog .
Construction has continued despite a coronavirus outbreak that ’ s hit the Yuma area hard , and amid opposition from environmentalists and Native American tribes .
“ Trump ’ s racist border wall has scarred our public lands , destroyed cultural sites for Indigenous people , and pushed wildlife closer to extinction , ” said Brett Hartl , chief political strategist at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ With the country ’ s economy wrecked and coronavirus cases spiking in Arizona , his visit is a cheap political campaign stunt that only reveals how out of touch he is.
” The pandemic isn ’ t stopping plans for more border barriers anywhere .
In South Texas , where most border land is privately owned , the Justice Department has sued dozens of landowners to survey or seize their property for wall construction , including an orphanage operated by nuns in Laredo .
Crews have built several small sections but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Laredo or the Rio Grande Valley , the southernmost point of Texas .
Almost all of the U.S. land next to the Rio Grande , the river that separates Texas and Mexico , does not yet have a wall .
Even without a wall , border crossings have fallen drastically in the Rio Grande Valley since late last year due to a series of policy changes enacted by the Trump administration .
On the southern side of the Rio Grande , thousands of asylum-seekers live in shelters , churches , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court cases .
Others have been expelled to their countries of origin without due process under an emergency border closure enacted in the coronavirus pandemic .
Following his border wall tour on Tuesday , Trump will head to Phoenix to speak at a Students for Trump convention at Dream City Church .
Trump ’ s last appearance in Yuma was in 2017 when he visited with U.S. Marines and Customs and Border Protection agents .
Associated Press reporter Nomaan Merchant in Houston contributed to this report .
This story has been corrected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not Tuesday .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Surging US virus cases raise fear that progress is slipping

ST. PETERSBURG , Fla. - Alarming surges in coronavirus cases across the U.S. South and West raised fears Monday that the outbreak is spiraling out of control and that hard-won progress against the scourge is slipping away because of resistance among many Americans to wearing masks and keeping their distance from others .
Confirming predictions that the easing of state lockdowns over the past month and a half would lead to a comeback by the virus , cases surpassed 100,000 in Florida , hospitalizations are rising dramatically in Houston and Georgia , and a startling 1 in 5 of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected .
Over the weekend , the virus seemed to be everywhere at once : Several campaign staff members who helped set up President Donald Trump ’ s rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , tested positive , as did 23 Clemson University football players in South Carolina .
At least 30 members of the Louisiana State University team were isolated after becoming infected or coming into contact with someone who was .
Meatpacking plants were also hit with outbreaks .
“ It is snowballing .
We will most certainly see more people die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Dr. Marc Boom , CEO and president of Houston Methodist Hospital , noting that the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions has tripled since Memorial Day to more than 1,400 across eight hospital systems in the Houston metropolitan area .
He warned that hospitals could be overwhelmed in three weeks , and he pleaded with people to cover their faces and practice social distancing .
“ It is possible to open up at a judicious pace and coexist with the virus , but it requires millions and millions of people to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Texas is among a number of states — including Arizona , Alabama , Florida and South Carolina — whose governors have resisted statewide mask requirements , leaving the matter to local authorities .
The number of new coronavirus cases across the country per day has reached more than 26,000 , up from about 21,000 two weeks ago , according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
Over 120,000 deaths in the U.S. have been blamed on the virus , the highest toll in the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalized because of COVID-19 rose to 1,000 , erasing a month ’ s worth of progress .
Infections are at their highest level since the outbreak began , nearly two months after Georgia began lifting restrictions on businesses .
Gov .
Brian Kemp has required face coverings by waiters , barbers and others working face-to-face with customers but has largely let businesses decide whether customers must wear masks .
In Orlando , 152 coronavirus cases were linked to one bar near the University of Central Florida campus , said Dr. Raul Pino , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city .
“ A lot of transmission happened there , ” Pino said .
“ People are very close .
People are not wearing masks .
People are drinking , shouting , dancing , sweating , kissing and hugging , all the things that happen in bars .
And all those things that happen are not good for COVID-19.
” Although he asked health officials to renew calls for people to wear masks and keep their distance , Gov .
Ron DeSantis has not signalled he will retreat from reopening the state after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott said reimposing lockdown orders would be a last resort and reemphasized , but stopped short of mandating , people wear masks to curtail sobering trends .
Monday marked the 11th consecutive day Texas set a new high for COVID-19 hospitalizations .
In Louisiana , however , Gov .
John Bel Edwards extended restrictions on businesses because of a troubling uptick in cases , following the example set by Utah and Oregon last week .
Louisiana has recorded more than 3,000 deaths .
“ There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are done with this virus .
Well , the virus isn ’ t done with us , “ Edwards said .
Countries such as Brazil , India and Pakistan are also seeing surging cases .
Dr. Michael Ryan , the World Health Organization ’ s emergencies chief , said the outbreak is “ definitely accelerating ” in the U.S. and a number of other countries , dismissing the notion that the record-breaking daily levels of new cases simply reflect more testing .
He noted that numerous countries have seen marked increases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic is now peaking or moving towards a peak in a number of large countries , “ he warned .
In the U.S. , Arizona , in particular , is seeing disturbing trends in several benchmarks , including the percentage of tests that prove positive for the virus .
Arizona ’ s is the highest in the nation .
The state ’ s positive test rate is at a seven-day average of over 20 % , well above the national average of 8.4 % and the 10 % level that public health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive test rate rises , it means that an outbreak is worsening — not just that more people are getting tested .
At Maryland ’ s Fort Washington Medical Center on the outskirts of the nation ’ s capital , workers described a scramble to find beds , heartbreaking encounters with family members of critically ill patients and frustration with Americans who do not believe the coronavirus threat is real .
“ Everybody is out lounging on the beaches .
Just thinking that it ’ s over .
And it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s far from being over .
And unfortunately , it ’ s those people that will keep this pandemic going.
” Meanwhile , New York City , once the most lethal hot spot in the U.S. , lifted more of its restrictions , moving a big step closer to normal .
Restaurants can serve diners outdoors , customers can browse through stores and get a haircut , and children can return to playgrounds .
Eve Gonzalez , a 27-year-old food industry worker in New York whose job had not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon : “ I ’ m dying to go out , but people ’ s health is more important.
“ Worldwide , over 9 million people have been confirmed infected by the virus and more than 470,000 have died , according to Johns Hopkins .
Experts say the true numbers are much higher because of limited testing and cases in which patients had no symptoms .
Amid the global surge , the head of the World Health Organization warned that world leaders must not politicize the outbreak but unite to fight it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump , said during a videoconference for the Dubai-based World Government Summit that it took over three months for the world to see 1 million confirmed infections , but just eight days to see the most recent 1 million cases .
Tedros did not mention Trump by name but warned : “ The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself ; it ’ s the lack of global solidarity and global leadership.
” Trump has criticized the WHO over its early response to the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of China , where the outbreak began .
He has threatened to pull the U.S. out of the agency .
Brazil , with over 50,000 deaths , the second-highest toll in the world , registered a record 54,000 new coronavirus cases in its latest single-day count .
And nearly 1 in 3 people tested overall have turned up positive , according to the WHO ’ s Ryan , who said the startlingly high number suggests cases are going either unreported or undetected because of a low rate of testing .
Saudi Arabia said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hajj , to Islam ’ s holy sites will not be cancelled , but only “ very limited numbers ” of people will be allowed to take part .
The hajj traditionally draws around 2 million Muslims from around the world for five intense days of worship and rituals in Mecca .
India ’ s health care system has been slammed by the virus , with the caseload in the country of more than 1.3 billion people climbing by nearly 15,000 Monday to over 425,000 .
The number of deaths climbed past 13,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hospitals turning away patients , with new cases up to 6,800 a day .
The government has relaxed its coronavirus restrictions , hoping to salvage a near-collapsed economy in the country of 220 million people .
Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed .

Tamara Lush, Nathan Ellgren And Tammy Webber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Police: Tennessee woman shoots man she suspected of stealing

NASHVILLE - An 88-year-old white woman in Tennessee who was arrested for allegedly shooting a man she suspected to be taking alcohol from her liquor store said she was “ fed up ” with people stealing from her .
The shooting happened last week after two Black men walked into May Boyce ’ s Murfreesboro Road Liquor and Wines in Nashville , according to an affidavit obtained by the Associated Press .
Boyce grabbed her gun and put it next to the register after the men walked to the back of the store , where the alcohol was located , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a manner that she felt ” they were going to steal , the affidavit said .
Boyce said one of the men , identified as Ramon Fisher , started grabbing liquor bottles .
When she approached Fisher out of suspicion that he was stealing , Boyce said he “ lunged ” at her , making her think he was going to “ push her down ” before he turned around and started running to the exit , according to an affidavit .
Boyce said that ’ s when she fired a gunshot toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shooting him and leading him to fall into a stack of bottles before the other man helped him out of the store , the affidavit said .
His blood trail shows he walked away from the store and onto the street before he was picked up by an unknown person and dropped off at another store before he was transported to the hospital , according to the affidavit .
When officers visited him in a hospital after the shooting , Fisher told them he had been intoxicated and using drugs , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends from Boyce ’ s store , the affidavit said .
The next day , Fisher retracted his earlier comments and told police he was planning to pay for the liquor and had been walking , not running , to the exit when he was shot by Boyce in the back .
After Boyce was released on a $ 10,000 bond following her arrest for aggravated assault , she told the New York Post her store had been robbed several times , and she did what she “ had to do ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been played for a fool by people stealing from you for years , you get fed up , ” she told the newspaper .
Boyce added that she “ aimed at the floor to scare ” Fisher and had not intended to shoot him .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--At least 15 dead in southern Mexico wind-farm feud killings

MEXICO CITY - A longstanding feud over a wind-power project has boiled over into grisly violence , after at least 15 people were bludgeoned to death with stones and cement blocks , and some bodies were partly burned .
The government of the Pacific coast community of San Mateo del Mar in Oaxaca state said Monday that 13 men and two women were killed in what he described as an attack by a group of dissident townspeople on Sunday .
But dissidents who successfully opposed wind power projects in the largely Indigenous area say the mayor ’ s followers ambushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting .
The dissidents said “ several ” people were wounded but did not provide an exact figure on those wounded by gunshots .
The prosecutors office in the southern state confirmed the figure of 15 dead , and said a detachment of four detectives , 80 state police and 39 National Guard members had been sent to the scene of the killings .
It was not clear whether the confrontations Saturday and Sunday in San Mateo del Mar began at one of the “ sanitary ” checkpoints that have sprung up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
The area has been coveted for its open , windy coast , and the two sides have been feuding for years .
The conflicts date back to 2012 when a consortium of companies tried to build a huge , 396-megawatt off-shore wind farm planned for a narrow spit of land in a lagoon near San Mateo .
The opponents managed to block the project , arguing it would affect their fishing , farming and sacred spaces .
Many residents belong to the Ikoots Indigenous group , sometimes known as the Huaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same day that Public Safety Secretary Alfonso Durazo praised the south-eastern part of the country , where Oaxaca is located , as the safest part of the country .
“ The southeast is particularly giving the best results in public safety , which is not easy anywhere , but specifically in the southeast the crime rate is much , much less serious than in the rest of the country , ” Durazo said .
That was in part because , before Sunday , the most spectacular violence was occurring in the north , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounts for about 15 % to 20 % of all the country ’ s homicides .
Attention was dominated by a weekend roundup of gang members in Guanajuato , which unleashed reprisal burning of vehicles by the Santa Rosa de Lima gang .
That gang is fighting a bloody turf battle against the Jalisco cartel for control of the state .
On Monday , President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the crackdown on the gang was carried out becaue “ we can not let the situation fall into chaos , anarchy ... Guanajuato @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some time now , and we had to act to prevent more bloodshed .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--MLB plans 60-game slate, shortest since 1878, as union balks

NEW YORK - Major League Baseball plans to unilaterally issue a 60-game schedule for its shortest season since 1878 after the players ’ association rejected a negotiated deal of the same length , putting the sport on track for a combative return to the field amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Six days after Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark negotiated to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 16 , widen use of the designated hitter to National League games and introduce an experiment to start extra innings with a runner on second base , the deal was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association ’ s executive board in a 33-5 vote .
“ Needless to say , we are disappointed by this development , ” MLB said in a statement .
“ The framework provided an opportunity for MLB and its players to work together to confront the difficulties and challenges presented by the pandemic .
It gave our fans the chance to see an exciting new post-season format .
And , it offered players significant benefits.
” MLB ’ s control owners approved going unilaterally with the 60-game schedule if the final arrangements can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ familiar with the decision told The Associated Press .
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made .
MLB asked the union to respond by 5 p.m. EDT Tuesday as to whether players can report to training by July 1 and whether the players ’ association will agree on the operating manual of health and safety protocols .
The schedule would be the shortest since the National League ’ s third season .
Given the need for three days of virus testing and 21 days of workouts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final week of July .
MLB already has started to investigate charter flights that could bring players back from Latin America , another person told the AP , also on condition of anonymity because no announcements were made .
The union announced its rejection , and the vote total was confirmed by a person familiar with that meeting who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the balloting was not made public .
The decision likely will provoke what figures to be lengthy and costly litigation over the impact of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the collusion cases that sent baseball spiraling to a spring training lockout in 1990 and a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that wiped out the World Series for the first time in nine decades .
It also eliminates a $ 25 million post-season players ’ pool , meaning players will not get paid anything above meal money during the playoffs and World Series , and $ 33 million in advance salary that would have been forgiven for 769 players at the bottom of the salary scale with lower rates of pay while in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolute death for this industry to keep acting as it has been .
Both sides , ” Cincinnati pitcher Trevor Bauer tweeted in a rare instance of a player criticizing the union .
“ We ’ re driving the bus straight off a cliff .
How is this good for anyone involved ?
Covid 19 already presented a lose lose lose situation and we ’ ve somehow found a way to make it worse .
Incredible.
” The union said in a statement that the “ board reaffirmed the players ’ eagerness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safely as possible.
“ “ To that end we anticipate finalizing a comprehensive set of health and safety protocols with Major League Baseball in the coming days , and we await word from the league on the resumption of spring training camps and a proposed 2020 schedule , ” the union said .
With the collapse of a negotiated deal , playoffs are set to remain at 10 teams rather than expand to 16 .
The framework had included the expanded playoffs for both 2020 and 2021 , and Manfred offered to drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players feared it would decrease their future bargaining leverage .
Spring training was suspended on March 12 , two weeks ahead of scheduled openers , and the sides have reverted to the familiar financial infighting that fractured the sport in the past .
An initial deal March 26 called for players to receive prorated salaries and gave Manfred power to set the schedule , but that agreement did not require MLB to play in ballparks without fans .
Players refused to budge from their insistence on prorated salaries , and MLB finally agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting between Manfred and Clark .
While Manfred called it a framework for an agreement , Clark said it was merely a proposal and further angered MLB .
At that point , the sides remained about $ 275 million apart after weeks of talks .
MLB offered 60 games and $ 1.48 billion from salaries that originally totalled $ 4 billion , plus a $ 25 million post-season players ’ pool .
The union wanted 70 games and $ 1.73 billion plus a $ 50 million pool .
Players are expected to file @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provision in the March agreement requiring both sides to “ work in good faith to as soon as is practicable commence play , and complete the fullest 2020 championship season and post-season that is economically feasible ” consistent with several provisions .
MLB is expected to file a grievance accusing the union of negotiating in bad faith .
Arbitrator Mark Irvings would hear the case .
If the union proves a longer schedule had been feasible , each game on the schedule would be worth $ 25 million in salary across the 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus upended plans of many clubs to resume training at their Florida facilities due to a rise in virus cases in the state .
Twenty-nine teams intend to work out in their regular-season ballparks , with Toronto awaiting additional talks with the Canadian federal and Ontario provincial governments .
The sides have discussed expanding rosters to 30 active players during the season ’ s first two weeks , and 28 during the third and fourth weeks before settling in at the new 26-player limit .
Because there are no minor league affiliates playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around .
More bickering and turmoil lies ahead .
Baseball ’ s collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1 , 2021 , and the virus damaged the already deteriorated relationship and became just another of the financial issues that point toward a spring training lockout ahead of the 2022 season .
“ If there ’ s going to be a fight the time for that fight is after the ’ 21 season when a new CBA is negotiated .
5 years of potential change , ” Bauer tweeted .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now over rules that last AT MOST 16 months.
” This dispute has played out following five straight years of relatively flat salaries , a failed grievance alleging the Chicago Cubs manipulated the service time of Kris Bryant to delay the free agency of the star third baseman and accusations some teams did not use revenue sharing money as the labour contract specified , part of the union ’ s claim teams are “ tanking.
” MLB says clubs have the right to determine when prospects are ready for the majors and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for rebuilding .
Further , the failed negotiations sparked criticism of Clark and union chief negotiator Bruce Meyer by agents , though there is no evidence yet that the displeasure has extended to players .
Until now , the latest openers were on May 1 during five seasons in the 1800s , according to the Elias Sports Bureau , but since 1900 it had been April 25 following the end of the 1994-95 strike .
Players interrupted the 1981 season with a strike that started June 12 , and the second half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Michigan asks judge to shut Enbridge pipeline in Great Lakes

MACKINAW CITY , Mich. - Michigan ’ s attorney general on Monday asked a judge to shut down a pipeline in the Great Lakes after an energy company discovered that an anchor support had shifted deep below the surface .
Enbridge Inc. insists the Line 5 pipeline itself was not damaged , and the company resumed the flow of oil and natural gas liquids in the west leg of the twin system Saturday .
The east line , where the anchor support assembly had moved , remains closed in the Straits of Mackinac .
But state attorneys said both should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is conducted .
They asked for a restraining order and an injunction as part of ongoing litigation between Enbridge and Attorney General Dana Nessel , who wants Line 5 permanently shut down .
“ Enbridge ’ s prevention and detection measures have failed to prevent or detect the source of this damage , and that failure has created a risk of irreparable harm to the Great Lakes , ” state attorneys said .
Line 5 carries oil and natural gas liquids used in propane from Superior , Wisconsin , to Sarnia , Ontario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divides into two pipes that lie on the bottom of the straits , which connect Lake Huron and Lake Michigan between Michigan ’ s Upper and Lower peninsulas .
Enbridge said it would vigorously oppose Nessel ’ s legal moves .
The company said it has kept federal pipeline regulators informed of the situation since last week .
“ I have directed the responsible individuals at Enbridge to ensure we provide regular and fulsome briefings to state officials and discuss current plans with your administration and with you personally , if desired , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday letter to Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .
But Whitmer said Enbridge restarted the west leg of Line 5 without sharing enough information about the incident .
She called it a “ brazen disregard for the people of Michigan ” and the safety of the Great Lakes .
Enbridge wants to ultimately put the twin pipes in a tunnel to protect them .
The project was approved in 2018 before Whitmer and Nessel took office .
Line 5 delivers 65 % of the propane that heats Upper Peninsula homes and 55 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Enbridge .
It has been operating since 1953 .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Trump administration extends visa ban to non-immigrants

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration on Monday extended a ban on green cards issued outside the United States until the end of the year and added many temporary work visas to the freeze , including those used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations .
The administration cast the effort as a way to free up jobs in an economy reeling from the coronavirus .
A senior official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity predicted it will open up to 525,000 jobs for Americans , a claim that was immediately challenged by critics .
The ban , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration on a scale that had eluded the administration before the pandemic .
Long-term changes that would prevent many asylum seekers from getting work permits and would allocate high-tech worker visas differently are also being sought .
Business groups pressed hard to limit the changes , but got little of what they wanted , marking a victory for immigration hardliners as Trump seeks to further solidify their support ahead of the November election .
The ban on new visas , which takes effect Wednesday , applies to H-1B visas , which are widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies , H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers , J-1 visas for cultural exchanges and L-1 visas for managers and other key employees of multinational corporations .
There will be exemptions for food processing workers , which make up about 15 % of H-2B visas , the official said .
Health care workers assisting with the coronavirus fight will continue to be spared from the green-card freeze , though their exemption will be narrower .
“ In the administration of our Nation ’ s immigration system , we must remain mindful of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States labour market , particularly in the current extraordinary environment of high domestic unemployment and depressed demand for labour , ” Trump wrote in his presidential proclamation .
Trump imposed a 60-day ban on green cards issued abroad in April , which was set to expire Monday .
That announcement , which largely targeted family members , drew a surprisingly chilly reception from immigration hardliners , who said the president didn ’ t go far enough .
The new steps to include non-immigrant visas went a long toward appeasing hardliners .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration to protect American jobs , ” said Mark Krikorian , executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies , which advocates for restrictions .
“ Not all the items on our checklist of needed actions are included in today ’ s announcement , but the corporate lobbyists who were desperately fighting for exceptions to protect their clients ’ access to cheap foreign labour have largely been rebuffed.
“ Thomas J. Donohue , the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ’ s chief executive officer , said the measures will harm , not help , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ‘ not welcome ’ sign for engineers , executives , IT experts , doctors , nurses and other workers won ’ t help our country , it will hold us back , ” he said .
“ Restrictive changes to our nation ’ s immigration system will push investment and economic activity abroad , slow growth , and reduce job creation.
” BSA , a group that represents major software companies , urged the administration to reconsider , particularly changes to the H-1B program , saying they will hinder economic recovery by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Filling these roles that are more abundant than the number of U.S. employees qualified to fill them means these jobs can be kept in the U.S. , “ the group said .
” This allows companies based in the U.S. to remain globally competitive , which in turn boosts the U.S. economy , creating jobs for millions of Americans.
“ The freezes on visas issued abroad are designed to take effect immediately .
Other changes , including restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers , will go through a formal rule-making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is proposing a new way of awarding H-1B visas , the official said , awarding them by highest salary instead of by lottery .
H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 a year for people with “ highly specialized knowledge ” and minimum of a bachelor ’ s degree , often in science , technology , engineering , teaching and accounting .
Critics say high-tech companies have used the visas as a tool to outsource jobs to foreigners , replacing Americans .
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. was the largest H-1B employer in the 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services Ltd. , Infosys Ltd. , Deloitte Consulting LLP and Microsoft Corp. Other major employers include Amazon.com Inc. , Apple Inc. , Google and Facebook Inc .
The rule against asylum seekers , scheduled to take effect Aug. 25 , would make it much more difficult for them to get work permits by , among other things , lengthening the waiting time to apply from 150 days to a year and barring applicants who cross the border illegally .
The 328-page regulation — signed by Chad Mizelle , the Homeland Security Department ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered an ally of White House adviser Stephen Miller — says limiting work permits will remove a major incentive for people to come to the United States for asylum .
It is the latest in a long string of measures that make asylum more difficult to get — almost unattainable , according to some immigrant advocacy groups .
“ The rule will prevent many refugees from feeding , supporting , and housing themselves and their families , “ said Eleanor Acer , Human Rights First ’ s senior director for refugee protection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle to survive under existing work authorization wait times .
But this rule will make survival impossible for many.
” Perhaps the only major consolation for business and academic institutions is the preservation — at least for now — of the Optional Practical Training program that allows college graduates to stay in the United States up to three years after completing study .

Deb Riechmann And Elliot Spagat - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Seattle will move to dismantle protest zone, mayor says

SEATTLE - Faced with growing pressure to crack down on an “ occupied ” protest zone following two weekend shootings , Seattle ’ s mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago that President Donald Trump asserted is run by “ anarchists.
“ Mayor Jenny Durkan said the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters opposing racial inequity and police brutality .
She said at a news conference that the city is working with the community to bring the “ Capitol Hill Occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an end and that police soon would move back into a precinct building they had largely abandoned in the area .
Durkan also vowed to address some of the protesters ’ demands , including investing more in Black communities , reimagining policing in co-operation with community leaders , and pushing for accountability measures and statewide reform of police unions .
The mayor did not give an immediate timeline for clearing out the occupation but said “ additional steps ” would be examined if people don ’ t leave voluntarily .
With scores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protest zone , Durkan said peaceful demonstrations could continue , but nighttime disorder had to stop .
“ The cumulative impacts of the gatherings and protests and the nighttime atmosphere and violence has led to increasingly difficult circumstances for our businesses and residents , ” Durkan said .
“ The impacts have increased and the safety has decreased.
” A shooting Sunday night was the second in less than 48 hours at the edge of the zone , which is named for the Capitol Hill neighbourhood near downtown Seattle and emerged during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
The 17-year-old victim was shot in the arm and declined to speak with detectives , police said .
Gunfire early Saturday left a 19-year-old man dead and another person critically wounded .
The victims were taken to a hospital by volunteer medics in private cars , and police said they were met by a hostile crowd that prevented them from immediately getting to the scene .
It was not apparent if the shootings had anything to do with the protest — gunfire sometimes occurs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nights .
Protesters cordoned off the several-block area near the police ’ s East Precinct after Seattle riot squads unleashed tear gas , pepper spray and flash-bangs on large crowds of mostly peaceful protesters , drawing condemnation from many city leaders and a federal court order temporarily banning the use of the weapons on demonstrators .
After police largely abandoned the building , protesters took over the area — with demonstrators painting a large “ Black Lives Matter ” mural on the street , handing out free food , playing music and planting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , who criticized Durkan and Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee , both Democrats .
Peace has prevailed during the day .
On Monday , people lounged on the turf at a park , while volunteers handed out food , water and toiletries .
Artists painted designs on wooden barricades , and a few candles burned in front of a sign on the police building listing people killed by officers .
At night , however , the atmosphere has become more charged , with demonstrators marching and armed volunteer guards keeping watch .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ here , people are free to do whatever they want to do , “ said Bobby Stills , a Seattle resident who has spent time volunteering at the protest zone .
“ You never know who ’ s going to show up .
That ’ s why people here are on such high alert — they don ’ t know who ’ s who or what ’ s what or their intentions.
” Durkan , who has faced calls from protesters and even some City Council members to resign over her handling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best said they did not immediately have a timeline for returning officers to the East Precinct , which was established to better respond to emergency calls in the city ’ s historically Black district .
They said officers would return safely and in the near future .
Best noted that some other crimes , including rape , arson and burglary , had been reported in or near the protest zone .
Demonstrators who had marched to the West Precinct police building downtown were returning to the zone when Sunday night ’ s shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who founded of the anti-police-shooting organization Not This Time !
after his brother was killed by Seattle police in 2016 , said Monday that he had warned protest organizers that the city would need to retake the area because of the violence .
“ That CHOP area is attracting this kind of activity and it ’ s unsafe , ” Taylor said in a Facebook video .
“ I told them , ‘ All those people that were supporting you guys , they ’ re going to start walking away from you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were following you .
...
They don ’ t want to be associated with any part of that violence.
” Former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert , a Republican who previously served as sheriff in the county where Seattle is located , also called on the city to take back control .
“ Elected officials have abandoned the rule of law and their oath to protect and defend our communities , ” he wrote in an opinion piece for Washington State Wire , a website devoted to state political news .
“ They have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cowardly bullied into surrendering the East Precinct – and multiple city blocks .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Police in, then out, as Georgia hate crimes bill moves ahead

ATLANTA - In an abrupt turn , Republicans in the Georgia Senate removed protections for police from hate crimes legislation on Monday night , just days after adding them in over the objection of civil rights groups and Democrats .
First responders were removed as a protected class from the bill by the Senate Rules Committee after lawmakers said they struck a deal between parties .
“ We ’ ve had ongoing discussions with the minority party for the large part of two days and within our own Republican caucus and we ’ ve reached a compromise that I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Sen. Bill Cowsert of Athens , who introduced the change .
Calls for Georgia to remove itself from the list of four U.S. states without a hate crimes law have grown following the death of Ahmaud Arbery , a Black man pursued and fatally shot near Brunswick , Georgia , in February .
Three white men , including a father and son , are charged in his death .
The calls have intensified further amid nationwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality .
Passed over a year ago by the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional penalties for crimes motivated by the victim ’ s race , colour , religion , national origin , sexual orientation , gender or disability .
Many supporters of the bill were angered when Republicans added “ status of being or having been a first responder ” in committee on Friday .
The ACLU and NAACP , as well as the state House and Senate Democratic caucuses were among those opposed to the bill with law enforcement included .
The Rev .
James Woodall , state president of the Georgia NAACP , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protecting police was “ toxic and a poison pill.
” State Sen. David Lucas , a Democrat from Macon , said Saturday on the Senate floor that it would be wrong to include police as a protected class amid protests over wrongdoing by law enforcement .
“ In a hate crime bill , that ’ s been brought on by incidents by police , and then to take them and put them in as a protected class ...
I would never vote for it .
Never , ” Lucas said .
But Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of that opposition .
“ I believe we ’ ll be recommending the bill to our caucus , ” Senate Minority Leader Steve Henson , a Democrat from Stone Mountain , said during the committee meeting Monday after first responders were removed .
In addition to removing first responders from the bill , senators added “ sex ” as a protected factor and limited the crimes that enhancements can be applied to .
They also added data collection and reporting requirements for law enforcement agencies investigating hate crimes , something that Woodall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bill could soon move to the Senate floor for a vote .
Time is running short , with the state ’ s legislative session set to wrap up Friday .
Proponents have tried for several years to get hate crimes legislation passed , after the Georgia Supreme Court in 2004 struck down a state hate crime statute for being too broad .
But efforts have languished , with some conservatives cool to the idea .
Some of that apprehension may still linger .
“ I don ’ t want for a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as is on the floor by not opposing it here in this committee , ” said Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan , a Republican from Carrollton .
“ I do have some questions and concerns about it .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--With unsubstantiated claim, Trump sows doubt on US election

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump opened a new front Monday in his fight against mail-in voting , making unsubstantiated assertions that foreign countries will print up millions of bogus ballots to rig the results and create what he called the “ scandal of our times.
” The claims not only ignore safeguards that states have implemented to prevent against widespread fraud but they also risk undermining Americans ’ faith in the election , spreading the very kind of disinformation U.S. authorities have warned foreign adversaries could exploit to foment doubt in the voting process .
Trump accelerated his attacks following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when a lower-than-expected turnout at a rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , left him seething , and as he fights for a second term during the worst unemployment since the Great Depression .
The rhetoric , coming as states scramble to adjust voting processes because of the coronavirus pandemic , represents a two-track approach of trying to both block mail-in balloting in advance and setting the stage for challenging the results once it ’ s over .
“ It ’ s a way of trying to turn the foreign interference claims that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Richard Hasen , an election law expert at the University of California , Irvine .
“ Typically we ’ ve heard that the Russian government and others were working to help elect Trump , and here is Trump using fears of foreign interference as a way of bolstering his own side.
” “ This potentially lays the groundwork , ” he added , “ for him contesting election results.
” Though election records obtained by The Associated Press show that a half-dozen senior advisers to the president have voted by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoted the notion that states could be inundated with fraudulent ballots from overseas .
Attorney General William Barr raised that prospect in interviews in recent weeks with The New York Times Magazine and Fox News .
“ Right now , a foreign country could print up tens of thousands of counterfeit ballots , and ( it would ) be very hard for us to detect which was the right and which was the wrong ballot , ” Barr told Fox in an interview that aired Sunday .
The president tweeted Monday a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as a separate message that said : “ RIGGED 2020 ELECTION : MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES , AND OTHERS .
IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES !
” Biden ’ s campaign issued a statement Monday night calling Trump ’ s tweets “ a desperate attempt to rewrite reality to revive this President ’ s faltering re-election campaign.
” “ We will not stand by while Donald Trump recklessly undermines faith in our democratic process , ” campaign manager Jen O ’ Malley Dillon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ignorance of by-mail voting and the technology associated with how it actually works , ” said Eddie Perez , global director of technology development at the OSET Institute , a non-profit election technology research corporation .
“ There are more protocols than people are probably aware of , which would make such an attack rather difficult , ” he added .
Though fraud in absentee balloting is rare , that ’ s not to say there aren ’ t more pedestrian problems that could arise as people vote by the mail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mailbox and tampered with .
The National Conference of State Legislatures lists on its website multiple disadvantages to the process , including slower reporting of results and the possibility that voters could be coerced by family members .
But the list doesn ’ t broach the idea of foreign countries manufacturing their own ballots — a type of fraud that would encounter significant practical obstacles , not least because states say they are adept at differentiating legitimate ballots from inauthentic ones .
The ballots used by Colorado ’ s 64 individual counties are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distinguished by specific colours and target areas and processed through sensitive scanners designed to weed out the inauthentic , said Secretary of State Jena Griswold .
A bipartisan team of election judges conducts signature verification and refers for further investigation suspected instances of double-voting .
And in Washington state , each county is responsible for printing its own ballots , which are placed inside a security envelope or sleeve .
Voters ’ signatures on return ballots are cross-checked against the signature on voter registration applications .
The state says if a signature is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter registration record , voters are contacted .
“ My experience doing this is that usually when people get creative with things like that , you can tell , ” Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman said in an interview .
Five states — Colorado , Hawaii , Oregon , Utah and Washington — conduct elections entirely by mail , according to the NCSL .
But nearly all states , led by Democratic and Republican governors alike , offer some form of the option .
With health officials saying that voting by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , many states are moving ahead with plans that ease access to mail-in ballots .
Wisconsin recently decided to send absentee ballot requests to nearly all voters .
Michigan , another swing state , has taken that step as well .
That trend has agitated Trump , who even before Monday has openly railed against absentee voting .
He told Politico in an interview published Friday that the “ biggest risk ” to his reelection is the growing use of mail-in ballots , and suggested that his chances may hinge on whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make absentee voting easier .
By Monday , he was tweeting that this year would be the “ most RIGGED election ” in American history and blasted unspecified people or states who he said were “ using Covid in order to cheat by using Mail-Ins !
” It was the type of rhetoric that alarmed election security experts , but was even cautioned against by a Republican-led Senate committee in a report earlier this year on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
“ Sitting officials and candidates should use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they are considering publicly calling the validity of an upcoming election into question , ” the report said .
Associated Press reporters Brian Slodysko in Washington and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--1 city, 1 voting place: Kentucky braces for lines in primary

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - With only one polling place designated for Louisville on Tuesday , voters who didn ’ t cast mail-in ballots or show up early could face long lines in Kentucky ’ s primary election , the latest to unfold in a pandemic that has triggered unprecedented election disruptions across the country .
The outcome of a competitive Democratic U.S. Senate primary could hang in the balance if Election Day turnout is hampered in Louisville — the hometown of Charles Booker , who has mounted a strong late challenge against presumed frontrunner Amy McGrath .
“ If Charles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity of that election is in question , ” Republican state Rep. Jason Nemes said Monday .
The winner of the primary will go against Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell , who isn ’ t expected to see a serious GOP primary challenge , in November .
The state ’ s Republican secretary of state , Michael Adams , said he ’ s “ cautiously optimistic “ that long lines won ’ t force people in Louisville to wait hours before voting .
Early voting opened statewide two weeks ago .
That , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , could spare people in Louisville or elsewhere from long waits , Adams said Monday .
Nemes sued to get more in-person voting locations in the state ’ s most populous counties .
A federal judge denied the request several days before the election .
The surge of absentee ballots could cause waits of another sort Tuesday , as some counties have said they won ’ t release vote totals before June 30 .
Kentucky turned to widespread mail-in absentee voting in an agreement between the Democratic governor and Adams in response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not requesting absentee ballots will head to the polls Tuesday .
Each county submitted a plan to the state on how many polling places to open .
The state ’ s primary is typically in late May but was delayed .
Many states pushed their elections back to manage an onslaught of poll worker cancellations and consolidation of polling places .
They also sought time to push more voters to cast absentee ballots .
New York also has a primary Tuesday and has consolidated some polling sites .
Erie County — home to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buffalo — will see 40 % fewer polling sites .
State board of elections spokesman John Conklin said he hopes the consolidation plan will have a “ minimal ” impact on voter turnout and access .
State election workers were trying to get 1.8 million absentee ballots into the hands of New Yorkers .
County boards of elections have scrambled to process 11 times as many ballot applications as they did for the 2016 primaries without any extra state funding , Conklin said .
In Louisville , a city of 600,000 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at the state fairgrounds .
Despite waves of mail-in voting , some were bracing for long lines and frustration .
“ There will be a number of people who want to vote tomorrow but will be discouraged from voting because it ’ s much too difficult , ” Nemes said .
That ’ s of particular concern for Booker , who is Black and is counting on a high turnout in Louisville .
He said his campaign would “ keep a watchful eye “ and stands ready to mount a legal challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have only been one location , ” Booker said .
“ That will just naturally disenfranchise folks.
” McGrath tried to join the suit demanding more than one in-person voting location on Election Day in Louisville and other population centres , but a federal judge denied her campaign ’ s motion to intervene .
McGrath also pushed to extend the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot .
For voters unable to get an absentee ballot , “ you are forced to now stand in line in the one polling location in the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If you ’ re 82 years old , are you going to do that ?
” In Lexington , the state ’ s second-largest city , the voting location is at the University of Kentucky ’ s football stadium .
Louisville Metro Council member Barbara Sexton Smith said she ’ s worried about the prospect of long lines at the fairgrounds .
“ In a 21st-century America , it ’ s a shame that we are making people go to such great , dangerous lengths , with the COVID pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ she said .
Richard Beliles , Common Cause Kentucky board chairman , said offering “ so few polling places for the primary is irresponsible and unacceptable , and sadly it was avoidable.
“ Georgia delayed its primary twice to give election officials more time to prepare , sending absentee ballot applications to every active registered voter in the state .
But that wasn ’ t enough .
When Georgia held its primary June 9 , metro Atlanta voters had waits of up to 10 hours .
As in Milwaukee and Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in minority communities , sparking objections from voting rights advocates .
Even in Nevada , where absentee ballots were sent to every registered voter for the June 9 primary , large-scale consolidation caused problems .
The last voter in Las Vegas to cast a ballot did so at 3 a.m. , eight hours after polls were supposed to close .
In Kentucky , Adams said : “ There are going to be lines -- 30 , 45 minutes , maybe an hour , maybe longer.
“ He added : “ We don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the fairgrounds in Louisville , after being directed into the large hall , voters will wait in line spaces about six feet apart by chalk markings on the floor , before heading to cast their votes .
Hand sanitizing stations are available when exiting the voting area .
Jefferson County , which includes Louisville , sent out 218,404 absentee ballots to voters who requested them by the June 15 deadline , according to the county clerk ’ s office .
As a comparison , about 125,000 people voted in the 2016 U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The county also allowed early in-person voting beginning June 15 at the state fairgrounds .
Last week nearly 7,500 people walked in and voted early between Monday and Friday , county clerk spokesman Nore Ghibaudy said .
Voters have also been allowed to vote early in-person at the county ’ s election centre near downtown since June 8 .
More than 883,000 absentee ballots were requested statewide , with slightly more than half filled out and sent in , Gov .
Andy Beshear said .
More than 88,000 Kentuckians voted in-person early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlanta .
Associated Press writers Dylan Lovan and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn in Louisville and Marina Villeneuve in Albany , New York , contributed to this story .

Bruce Schreiner And Christina A. Cassidy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Embattled Johnsen resigns as University of Alaska president

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Jim Johnsen , the embattled University of Alaska president whose term has been marked by no-confidence votes from the faculty amid deep budget cuts , has resigned , the university announced Monday .
The change in leadership was a mutual decision made after Johnsen consulted with the Board of Regents , according to a statement .
His biography was immediately removed from the university ’ s web page .
A university vice-president , Michelle Rizk , will immediately become acting president and will serve until an interim president is named , no later than July 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available to help with the transition through July 1 .
“ While the board understands that a change in leadership can be unsettling , it is confident that this decision , though difficult , is the correct one for the university , ” said Sheri Buretta , the chair of the Board of Regents .
Johnsen ’ s resignation announcement came a week after the faculty union demanded he quit and less than two weeks after he withdrew his candidacy to become the president of the University of Wisconsin even though he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became president of the Alaska system , which includes about 30,000 students at three universities and 13 community campuses .
But his tenure was mired by run-ins with faculty and the fallout of Alaska ’ s state budget problems .
Republican Gov .
Mike Dunleavy , who faces a recall effort , had proposed an unprecedented $ 135 million cut to state funding for the system last year , about a 41 % reduction .
But an agreement between the university system and Dunleavy in August sought to lessen the blow .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million cut spread over three years , including a $ 25 million cut in the current academic year .
Earlier this month , the Board of Regents voted to cut or reduce more than 40 academic programs to help meet the cuts .
The faculty union ’ s petition calling for him to resign said he “ failed in all areas that matter to the academic mission.
” “ It has been a real challenge leading the university over the last five years , but we made a lot of progress , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institution more important for creating opportunities for Alaskans than the university , ” Johnsen said in a statement .
He would not be available for an interview , university spokeswoman Roberta Graham said in an email to The Associated Press .
“ Jim Johnsen served the University of Alaska under historically challenging circumstances , “ House Speaks Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham said .
” He was saddled with the impossible task of managing a university system facing a 44 per cent cut in state funding .
I thank Jim for his service to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buretta said it ’ s imperative that everyone recognizes the state and university ’ s current fiscal situation will require significant change .
“ To thrive , UA must come together to address our significant challenges — working to transform , reversing declining enrolment , and adapting to declining state support , ” Buretta said .
“ The board also asks our community to move forward together and to work with the Board and university leadership as we address these challenges.
” Dunleavy issued a statement in which he thanked Johnsen and wished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to working with the University of Alaska as it goes through the process of selecting a new president and ensuring it continues to deliver educational services to Alaskans , ” Dunleavy said .
“ My administration is committed to assisting the university as it goes through this transition.
” Johnsen previously received no-confidence votes from the university faculty in 2017 and 2019 over plans to consolidate programs and combine the three university system into a single accredited institute to absorb budget cuts .
Other University of Wisconsin presidential candidates dropped out over concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff and students complained they had no representative on the search committee , When he withdrew , Johnsen said his calling remained in Alaska .
He also signalled that Wisconsin ’ s search process was flawed .
The University of Alaska faculty petition calling for his resignation was issued after he withdrew from the Wisconsin job .
It claimed he sought to advance his own career instead of leading the university .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Mexican triplets test positive for virus on day of birth

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s novel coronavirus cases mounted and added their youngest infections Monday , when triplets tested positive for the virus on the day they were born .
Monica Rangel , the health secretary of the northern state of San Luis Potosi , said the triplets were born May 8 to a mother who was also positive but asymptomatic .
Rangel said the triplets are not believed to be in danger .
She said the case was being studied to see whether the triplets were infected before or after birth was being conducted , but said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the womb so quickly .
It is not the first time newborns have tested positive for the virus , but it is rare .
Nationwide , Mexico ’ s confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 4,577 to 185,122 , and the confirmed death toll rose by 759 to 22,584 .
Both numbers are considered significant undercounts due to Mexico ’ s very low levels of testing .
Officials said that levels of infections appear to have stabilized , and held out hopes , as they have many times before , that the numbers @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--US Army soldier charged in plot to ambush his unit overseas

NEW YORK - The new top federal prosecutor in Manhattan on Monday announced her first case since the weekend ’ s upheaval : the arrest of a U.S. Army soldier charged with plotting a deadly ambush of his unit in Turkey by extremists .
In a release , Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss called Private Ethan Melzer , 22 , of Louisville , Kentucky , “ the enemy within.
” Strauss said he plotted to let members of an extremist group descend on his unit by providing details about its location and security arrangements .
She identified the group he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Nine Angles , also known as O9A , described in the release as an occult-based neo-Nazi and racially motivated violent extremist group .
Court papers also said he researched terrorist groups , including the Islamic State .
“ Melzer was motivated by racism and hatred as he attempted to carry out this ultimate act of betrayal , ” Strauss said .
William F. Sweeney Jr. , head of the FBI ’ s New York office , said : “ Melzer declared himself to be a traitor against the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to treason .
We agree.
“ Strauss became the acting head of the Manhattan federal prosecutor ’ s office when Geoffrey S. Berman resigned after Attorney General William Barr told him in a letter Saturday that he wanted him out and so did President Donald Trump .
Berman stepped down only after he was assured that Strauss , his second-in-command , would replace him and that the office ’ s ongoing probes would not be disturbed .
Meltzer , who enlisted in the Army in December 2018 and allegedly reached out to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 10 .
He faces charges including trying to support terrorists and conspiring to murder military members .
If convicted , he could face life in prison .
A criminal complaint in Manhattan federal court said Melzer used the internet to communicate his unit ’ s size , anticipated travel routes in Turkey , weaponry , and defensive capabilities to someone he believed was working with the extremist group to carry out a mass casualty attack .
The complaint said that during a May 30 interview , Melzer confessed to his role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it to cause the deaths of as many of his fellow service members as possible .
The complaint said he also declared himself to be a traitor against the United States whose conduct was tantamount to treason .
The complaint said Melzer wrote online at one point : “ ( y ) ou just got ta understand that currently I am risking my literal free life to give you all this ” and “ expecting results.
” After he was pressed about whether he understood that an attack on his convoy could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Your kidding right .
... My life would be absolutely meaningless “ compared to what the attack would cause , the complaint said .
He estimated an attack could destroy a platoon , generally composed of 16 to 44 soldiers , according to court documents .


thetorontostar--2020-06-22--Medicare data: Blacks likelier to be hospitalized for COVID

WASHINGTON - Blacks were nearly four times more likely than whites to be hospitalized with COVID-19 among people with Medicare , the government said Monday .
The analysis from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also found that having advanced kidney disease was an even more severe risk indicator for hospitalization than race , ethnicity , or being poor .
“ It reconfirms long-standing issues around disparities and vulnerable populations , ” said Medicare administrator Seema Verma , adding that “ race and ethnicity are far from the only story.
’ ’ Medicare ’ s analysis confirms what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have previously reported about African Americans and Latinos bearing the brunt of the pandemic , while adding new details .
The group covered by Medicare is considered the most vulnerable to the coronavirus .
Most of its 60 million enrollees are age 65 and older .
Also covered are younger people who qualify because of disabilities .
From Jan. 1-May 16 , more than 325,000 Medicare recipients were diagnosed with COVID-19 , and nearly 110,000 were hospitalized , according to the analysis of claims data .
Medicare spent $ 1.9 billion for hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23,000 per case for people enrolled in the traditional fee-for-service part of the program .
— Black people with Medicare were hospitalized at a rate of 465 per 100,000 enrollees , or nearly four times the rate for whites , which was 123 per 100,000 .
— The rate for Hispanics was 258 per 100,000 , or about twice the rate of whites .
Asians were about one-and-a-half times more likely than whites to be hospitalized for COVID-19 .
— Low-income Medicare recipients who are also covered by their state Medicaid programs had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the rate for African Americans .
— There were fewer COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations among Medicare recipients in rural areas , when compared to cities and suburbs .
But all in all , having advanced kidney disease was by far the biggest risk factor , the study found .
People whose kidneys have stopped working to the point where they can ’ t live without dialysis or a transplant had a hospitalization rate of 1,341 per 100,000 , or nearly three times higher than the rates for low-income beneficiaries and African-Americans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people with advanced kidney disease generally also suffer from other medical problems that worsen COVID-19 outcomes , such as diabetes .
Patients typically have to travel to a special facility to get dialysis , and the treatment can bring them together with others who may have been exposed .
Medical problems such as high blood pressure and heart conditions also tend to be more prevalent among Blacks and Latinos , increasing their risks for severe coronavirus infections .
Taken together , the Medicare data call for a greater focus on social conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , as well as continuing to expand co-ordinated care for patients trying to cope with several chronic conditions at a time .
The Medicare data released Monday lack complete information about deaths , since they only record those who passed away in a hospital .

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar - The Associated Press