thetorontostar--2020-08-17--The Latest: Kasich says it’s time to ‘put our nation first’

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo says his state found a way to bring the coronavirus under control by following scientific guidelines and coming together -- an example that he says the Trump administration has refused to follow .
Cuomo addressed the opening night of the virtual Democratic National Convention late Monday , saying New York was “ ground zero ” for the early outbreak in the U.S .
He said the Trump administration “ watched New York suffer ” without learning from it .
“ For all the suffering and tears , our way worked and it was beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Americans ’ eyes have been opened and we ’ ve seen the truth : That government matters and leadership matters.
” He said that the rest of the country will follow New York ’ s lead by wearing masks and practicing social distancing to slow the spread of the virus -- despite inconsistent messaging from the White House .
Cuomo also contrasted Trump with presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , saying that Biden can be the kind of leader “ who can build us up , not tear us down.
” HERE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION : — Takeaways from first night of Democratic National Convention — DNC Chair Tom Perez says primaries should replace caucuses by 2024 — Democrats claim ‘ big tent ’ in first convention in pandemic HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : George Floyd ’ s brothers led a moment of silence during the first night of the Democratic National Convention to honour the Black Americans who had been killed by police .
Philonese Floyd , sitting next to his brother Rodney Floyd , said that George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up on streets around our nation ” as Americans have protested systemic racism and police brutality in recent months .
Philonese Floyd said , “ George should be alive today.
” He then listed the names of Black Americans who were killed by law enforcement officers or in police custody .
George Floyd , a Black man who was handcuffed , was killed May 25 after a white police officer pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd said he couldn ’ t breathe .
Philonese Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight for justice , ” adding , “ Our actions will be their legacies.
” Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser is harshly criticizing President Donald Trump before introducing the family of George Floyd at the Democratic National Convention ’ s opening night .
Standing on an outlook above Black Lives Matter Plaza , Bowser said it was time to elect a president who “ doesn ’ t fan the flames of racism.
” Bowser ordered her city government to paint the words “ Black Lives Matter ” on the street leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington and around the U.S. Trump and Bowser have had a strained relationship for much of his time in Washington .
That ’ s especially been the case in the wake of protests that erupted over Floyd ’ s killing by Minneapolis police .
During her remarks , Bowser specifically criticized the use of chemical irritants by law enforcement who cleared protesters from Lafayette Square in June .
After the crowd was cleared , Trump emerged from the White House for a photo op with a Bible in front of a nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were peacefully protesting , Trump was “ plotting.
” The St. Louis couple who waved firearms at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home in June will appear virtually at next week ’ s Republican National Convention to express their support for President Donald Trump .
A Trump adviser on Monday confirmed the participation of Patricia and Mark McCloskey .
The news was first reported by The Washington Post .
The McCloskeys , who are white , have claimed they were protecting themselves from protesters marching on their private street , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon .
Trump has been critical of their treatment and has spoken out in defence of the couple .
The first night of the Democratic National Convention has begun .
The event is being held virtually after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered plans for an in-person convention in Milwaukee .
Actor Eva Longoria Baston served as master of ceremonies of Monday ’ s event .
Making early appearances in a montage of voices were labour leader Dolores Huerta , soccer player Megan Rapinoe and Parkland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s grandchildren recited the Pledge of Allegiance .
Among the night ’ s speakers were Republican John Kasich , the former governor of Ohio , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former first lady Michelle Obama .
Bernie Sanders will use his Democratic National Convention speech to urge those who supported his progressive presidential bid -- or who may have voted Republican four years ago -- to unite behind Joe Biden in November .
According to excerpts released before Sanders ’ Monday night speech , he plans to say that the country needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ unprecedented set of crises we face.
” Many of Sanders ’ top advisers and supporters have spent months working with Biden ’ s campaign on joint task forces that devised common policy goals for use in the Democratic platform .
The idea was to promote party unity in a way that did not happen in 2016 , when many Sanders supporters remained unenthusiastic about Hillary Clinton .
Sanders plans to say that Americans must “ come together ” to defeat President Donald Trump and elect Biden .
He will say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too great to imagine.
” Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez says the handful of 2020 presidential caucuses should be the last the party ever holds .
He didn ’ t specifically name Iowa , which for decades has led off the nominating calendar , but his position would represent a seismic shift in the party ’ s traditions .
Perez ’ s term as chairman will end before the 2024 nominating calendar is determined .
But he told The Associated Press on opening day of the Democratic National Convention that he plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former chair “ to make needed changes .
Iowa ’ s caucuses this year were disastrous , with state and national party officials spending days trying to determine the winner .
Because of the irregularities , The Associated Press decided against declaring a winner .
The first two nominating states , Iowa and New Hampshire , are overwhelmingly white , while the national party is much more diverse .
That gap was underscored this year when eventual nominee Joe Biden did poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire , only to dominate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more diverse states voted .
Perez wouldn ’ t comment on whether he thinks Iowa or New Hampshire should give up their leadoff spots .
But he said the demographics “ will undoubtedly come up ” in future party discussions .
President Donald Trump is accusing his 2020 opponent Joe Biden of being a “ puppet of left-wing extremists “ hours before the start of the Democratic National Convention .
Trump was in Minnesota on Monday to press his law and order reelection rhetoric as part of counterprogramming to the DNC .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Biden a “ puppet of left-wing extremists trying to erase our borders , eliminate our police , indoctrinate our children , vilify our heroes , take away our energy.
“ Trump says a Biden victory would “ replace American freedom with left-wing fascism.
” However , fascism is a form of right-wing authoritarianism .
He went so far as to say Biden probably doesn ’ t know where Minnesota is .
Trump has pushed a message that the 77-year-old Biden is in cognitive decline , while critics have raised the same accusation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently tried to demonstrate his mental fitness by reciting five words in order in a television interview .
Joe Biden will accept the Democratic presidential nomination in a live speech Thursday night , but he ’ ll be seen and heard every night of the convention in some form .
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez tells The Associated Press on Monday that Biden will be part of the virtual convention ’ s prime-time programming leading up to his Thursday address .
For example , Perez said Monday ’ s programming will include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform .
Perez said viewers this week also will see the former vice-president talking about the COVID-19 pandemic and his health care proposals and having conversations with everyday Americans about the economy .
During traditional conventions , the nominee is often mentioned from the speaker ’ s podium but is largely shielded from view as the convention builds to the acceptance speech on Thursday night .
There have been rare exceptions .
Al Gore greeted his then-wife , Tipper Gore , for a very public kiss after her speech in 2000 .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former President Bill Clinton after his speech 2012 .
An adviser to Michelle Obama says the former first lady will speak from the heart about Democrat Joe Biden ’ s competency and character .
Mrs. Obama is scheduled to give a speech Monday on the first night of the Democratic National Convention .
Aide Valerie Jarrett says the speech will draw sharp contrasts between the Republican incumbent seeking reelection and the man who was her husband ’ s two-term vice-president .
Jarrett says , “ This election is very personal for her.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 and promptly set out to undo many of Obama ’ s achievements on health care , the environment and foreign policy , among others .
Trump also routinely criticizes Obama ’ s job performance .
Biden ’ s sense of empathy will also be a focus of Mrs. Obama ’ s speech .
Mrs. Obama , who leads an effort to help register people to vote , will also speak about the importance of voting in the Nov. 3 election .
The election will take place amid a deadly coronavirus that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sickened more than 5 million others .
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez says he ’ s making the most of a virtual convention and that the new framework will allow him to visit with more delegates than he could with a traditional convention .
Perez told The Associated Press on Monday that he expects to attend “ 50 or 55 ” delegation and party caucus meetings online this week .
There are 57 delegations representing the 50 states , six territories and Democrats Abroad , plus regional caucuses and other demographic-based caucuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , a chairman might get to “ a dozen or so.
” That ’ s because the delegation breakfast meetings take place in and around the host city , all at the same time .
That makes it logistically impossible to hop to more than a few each morning .
This time , Perez is in the host city of Milwaukee , but he ’ s based at the party ’ s control centre in what amounts to a remote broadcast studio that allows him to hopscotch across DNC meetings and media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven gatherings , including the Virginia , Pennsylvania and Maryland delegations and the DNC Labor Council .
He had several more on his list Monday afternoon ahead of the first night of prime-time programming .
Presumptive nominee Joe Biden ’ s campaign also is dispatching top surrogates to delegation and caucus meetings and evening watch parties .
Wisconsin Democrats are marking the start of the Democratic National Convention by blaming President Donald Trump for botching the response to the coronavirus pandemic .
They say that has forced them to cancel the in-person gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Milwaukee .
Instead , when the convention starts on Monday night it will be delivered virtually , with speakers offering prerecorded or live comments online .
State Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler says the Republican president ’ s failure to adequately respond to the pandemic is why Democrats had to move to an all-virtual event .
Trump ’ s Wisconsin campaign spokeswoman hasn ’ t responded to a request for comment .
Wisconsin Democrats tried to put a positive spin on the situation during an online “ Welcome to Wisconsin ” convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tom Barrett noted the beautiful weather that would have greeted delegates had the convention gone as initially planned .
Barrett said from his home : “ I wish you were here spending all of your money , but you can come back any time .
We will leave the lights on .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Biden ally Clyburn brings civil rights legacy to DNC

WASHINGTON - In October 1960 , a young James Clyburn gathered with other students and the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. as frustrations mounted over civil rights protests in what was becoming a tumultuous , dangerous year .
John Lewis was there .
Marion Barry , too .
The one-hour meeting at Atlanta ’ s Morehouse College stretched to 4 a.m. Clyburn , who said he had not “ bought into nonviolence , ” emerged to view it as a valuable tactic in the struggle , and a King “ disciple.
” Clyburn is now the highest-ranking Black lawmaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and with so many of his contemporaries gone , one of the few leaders of the civil rights movement still in elective office today .
He brought that connection to the virtual Democratic National Convention on Monday , speaking to a country in a new , contentious chapter in its pursuit of racial justice and to a party on the verge of nominating the first Black woman for vice-president .
“ We will need a president who see unifying people as a requirement of the job .
A president who understands the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in his address , slamming President Donald Trump for falling short on both counts .
“ We need a president who understands both profound loss and what it takes to bounce back.
” During an earlier interview with The Associated Press , Clyburn said , “ This country moves like a pendulum on the clock.
?
“ It goes to the right for a while and it goes back left for a while , ” he said .
Whether it shifts again , he said , depends on “ how we participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sumter County has lived and worked through those swings , and remained an often quiet political force throughout .
Earlier this year , he used his sway to help deliver his home state for Joe Biden .
It was a moment that revived the former vice-president ’ s campaign and set him on a path to the nomination he is due to receive later this week , along with running mate Sen. Kamala Harris of California .
Clyburn is pressing many of the same issues he has for decades — particularly focusing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Clyburn is also a close confidant of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and has been a prominent congressional critic of President Donald Trump .
“ Sixty years ago , 19-year-old Jim Clyburn was seeking a better future for himself and those around him , ” said Bobby Donaldson , a professor of history at the University of South Carolina who heads the Center for Civil Rights History and Research .
“ So it ’ s ironic now , 60 years later , two generations later , he is now one of the architects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be aspiring toward.
” The son of a reverend and a beauty shop operator , Clyburn early on wanted to pursue a career in public service , only to be warned off by teachers as not the place for a Black boy from the South , he recounts in his autobiography , “ Blessed Experiences : Genuinely Southern , Proudly Black.
” As a South Carolina State University student he quickly engaged in the 1960 student boycotts that sparked the civil rights movement .
Within weeks of the Greensboro , North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s classmates organized a 1,000-student march in rural Orangeburg , South Carolina , with hundreds arrested , jailed in an outdoor stockyard .
A decade later he made his first run for elective office .
He describes racial disparities that resonate to this day — boarding an airplane in “ the most expensive suit I ever bought in my life , ” flanked by the Capitol Police security detail that are assigned to House leaders .
The flight attendant mistook him for a prisoner transport , he said .
Clyburn is seen by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina ; he earned Bill Clinton ’ s wrath for tipping the scales to Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in the state ’ s 2008 primary .
Clyburn was instrumental in positioning the Palmetto State after Iowa and New Hampshire for the early vote .
This time around , Clyburn said , he didn ’ t want to just back Biden .
He wanted to ensure “ the lift he needed ” for the campaign .
“ Joe Biden was limping along.
” Clyburn told the AP .
“ What we had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow him to take on the aura of a winner.
” Clyburn said he recorded radio ads and calls to flood South Carolina with his endorsement .
Some Democrats downplay the influence , arguing South Carolina ’ s robust Black electorate was already inclined to vote for Biden .
But Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright , an ally , said Clyburn ’ s push gave Black voters the assurance “ their vote would be worth it.
” A younger generation of rising leaders both in South Carolina and in the halls of Congress is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
Clyburn , Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer have held the top three leadership positions in the House for more than a decade .
Clyburn was long seen as possibly stepping aside if Hillary Clinton had won in 2016 , much the way Pelosi has since said she was ready to do .
Now they all seem poised to win their own reelections and remain — regardless of who wins the White House in November .
Biden ’ s campaign is leaning into Clyburn ’ s longtime priorities , including his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 per cent of federally appropriated funds in places where 20 per cent of the population or more has spent 30 years in poverty .
Clyburn ’ s decade-long push for rural broadband — so critical now during the coronavirus pandemic for remote education , employment and health care — is gaining fresh currency , approved as part of an infrastructure bill and being eyed as part of a COVID-19 aid package .
One of Clyburn ’ s longtime colleagues in the civil rights movement and Congress was Lewis , who died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Georgia congressman on the House floor was discussing Black Lives Matter and the protest movements now pushing for police reform .
Clyburn said they talked about “ all of this yelling about ‘ defund the police ’ ” and his own worry that it would undercut the movement ’ s effectiveness .
Clyburn marveled over polling showing Black Lives Matters ’ widespread public support .
“ I want them to keep that support.
“ And , he said : “ I just wish we had the benefit back then .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Son , experience is the best teacher .
Nothing teaches better than experience .
’ ”

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Postal Code


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--The Latest: Philippine president eases lockdown in capital

SEOUL , South Korea -- South Korea has reported 246 new cases of the coronavirus , its fifth consecutive day of a triple-digit increase , as the virus continues to spread quickly in the greater capital area where churches have emerged as major clusters .
The figures announced by South Korea ’ s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday pushed the five-day total to 959 and the national caseload to 15,761 , including 306 deaths .
The KCDC said 202 of the new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area , home to half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where health workers have been struggling to track transmissions stemming from church gatherings , restaurants , schools and workers .
A northern Seoul church led by a bitter critic of South Korean President Moon Jae-in has emerged as a major cluster of infections , with health workers as of Monday afternoon detecting more than 300 infections linked to its members .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK : — New Zealand delays election by four weeks after virus outbreak in Auckland — Federal virus money slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S.
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : MELBOURNE — Australia ’ s coronavirus hot spot Victoria state on Tuesday reported its lowest tally of new infections in a month .
Victoria ’ s Health Department reported 222 news cases , the lowest daily tally since 217 were recorded on July 18 .
The state also reported 17 deaths following a daily record of 25 fatalities on Monday .
Infections have been trending down after a second lockdown came into force in the state capital Melbourne in early August that included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Tate Reeves said Monday that he believes voters will be safe going to the polls in person in November for the U.S. presidential elections amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Reeves said those who work in the polls will be required to wear PPE , and voters will need to wear masks and social distance .
In Mississippi , those over the age of 65 can vote with absentee ballots and those who have a tested positive for coronavirus can get an absentee ballot , provisions that cover the most vulnerable people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Reeves said .
“ Just simply saying , ‘ I don ’ t want to go vote in person this year ’ is not a reason , ’ ” Reeves said of why someone might apply for an absentee ballot .
On Sunday , when asked on CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation ” if he is confident all mail-in ballots in the state of Mississippi will be counted in November , Reeves said he ’ s confident that the ballots that are “ legally cast ” will be counted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he understands “ it ’ s kind of the neat thing ” among national media to “ focus on this fight about the U.S .
Postal Service , and to attack President Trump because he is opposed to mail-in voting , universal mail-in voting.
” “ I simply meant that Mississippi has election laws , and I anticipate that those election laws will be followed – nothing more , nothing less .
If you legally cast a ballot in the state of Mississippi under the laws of our state , I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with our secretary of state and our state elections board , will count every ballot that is legally cast , ” he said .
ST. PAUL , Minn. — Minnesota health officials on Monday reported six newly confirmed deaths from COVID-19 , raising the state ’ s death toll to 1,712 since the pandemic began .
Of the new deaths , five were in private homes and one in a nursing home or assisted-living facility .
All of those deaths were people 60 or older .
The Minnesota Department of Health also reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That raises the total of confirmed infections in the state to 65,716 .
Health officials also reported 286 patients were hospitalized Monday , with 155 of them in intensive care .
The Star Tribune reports total hospitalizations in Minnesota dropped below 300 for the first time this month on Sunday .
LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
— President Donald Trump ’ s top coronavirus adviser says families and friends holding parties is helping fuel the virus ’ spread , issuing the warning as some colleges are dealing with outbreaks tied to parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House coronavirus task force , urged people to wear masks and socially distance after visiting with Gov .
Asa Hutchinson and state health officials , pointing to the gatherings as a particular concern .
“ We ’ re finding that the majority of community spread right now is happening from parties , either indoors or outdoors , where people are with their families or friends and believe there ’ s no one there ... ( who ) has COVID , ” Birx told reporters outside the Arkansas Governor ’ s Mansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there that has the virus and they don ’ t know they have the virus because a significant number are asymptomatic.
” JACKSON , MISS .
- The state of Mississippi is expanding access to free coronavirus testing for teachers and school-based emergency telehealth coverage after more than 70 of the state ’ s 82 counties have reported outbreaks during their first few weeks back in the classroom .
The Mississippi State Department of Health has reported 245 cases of coronavirus in teachers and 199 in students since some districts began returning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students and around 600 teachers at the start of this week are in quarantine after being exposed to the virus , Mississippi ’ s state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said .
To curb the spread of the virus , Dobbs announced Monday that K-12 teachers in the state will now have access to free testing , whether or not they have symptoms or know they ’ ve been exposed .
They will be able to be tested at the state ’ s two community testing sites , as well as 16 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up early next week .
Additionally , the Mississippi Division of Medicaid said that it has expanded its coverage to allow schools without nurses or school-based clinics to access telehealth services .
That change began Aug. 1 and will continue through the end of the pandemic , officials said .
Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves said the two measures will ensure that Mississippi ’ s schools “ will remain safe , ” adding that he hopes expanding testing for teachers , in particular , will give educators confidence and “ peace of mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has seen declining cases in recent weeks after a surge of new cases and deaths in July .
On July 29 , the state ’ s seven-day average peaked at 1,390 cases .
On Monday , the state ’ s seven-day average was below 700 .
AUSTIN , Texas — Texas has surpassed 10,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths as the lingering toll of a massive summer outbreak continues .
Texas on Monday joined New York , New Jersey and California as the other states to reach the grim milestone .
Florida is also close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those deaths in Texas were reported after June 1 .
Texas embarked on one of the fastest reopenings in the country in May before an ensuing surge in cases forced Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott to backtrack and impose a statewide mask order .
August has seen an improving outlook , including a sharp decline in hospitalizations .
But Texas officials are now concerned that not enough people are seeking tests .
Health experts have also expressed concerns that recent encouraging trends could be fragile as Texas schools begin reopening for 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mont .
— Actress Sharon Stone is criticizing the availability of COVID-19 testing in Montana , where her sister and brother-in-law are hospitalized with the respiratory virus .
Stone posted a video on Instagram Sunday expressing frustration that there aren ’ t enough tests for front-line workers and people who have had direct contact with someone who has COVID-19 , “ like my mother , who ’ s had two heart attacks , five stents and a pacemaker in the past five months.
” Her mother wasn ’ t tested because she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underlying health conditions , Stone said .
Stone ’ s sister , Kelly Stone , also has lupus , “ and is not doing well , ” the actress said .
Kelly Stone has been posting videos on Instagram from her hospital bed , where she is on oxygen .
Sharon Stone has not said where her sister is hospitalized .
NEW ORLEANS -- A federal judge in New Orleans has refused to block the state from closing bars amid the coronavirus pandemic .
U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman issued his ruling Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bar owners in southeast Louisiana .
Even as his ruling was issued , a similar lawsuit in southwest Louisiana was being argued in Lafayette .
Gov .
John Bel Edwards issued the closure order last month .
He was expected to testify in that hearing , where 11 bar owners were challenging the closure order .
At the heart of the arguments has been whether statistics support the closures of on-site consumption at bars while restaurants that contain bars are not closed .
CHAPEL HILL , North Carolina — The University of North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s switching all undergraduate classes to remote learning after the coronavirus spread in the first week since classes began .
University leaders posted online that all undergraduate classes will shift to online learning starting on Wednesday .
The university said that it was working on plans to transition students who want to leave out of campus housing .
University leaders said in the statement : “ We expect the majority of our current undergraduate residential students to change their residential plans for the fall.
” The statement added : “ We have emphasized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to change plans – take an off-ramp – we would not hesitate to do so , but we have not taken this decision lightly.
” On Monday , UNC-Chapel Hill reported 130 new positive cases among students and 5 among university employees for the week ending Sunday .
HARRISBURG , Penn .
-- Pennsylvania plans to launch a coronavirus exposure-notification app in early September in an effort to more quickly break chains of transmission by using the new technology to notify people who may have been exposed , officials said Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract , using federal grant dollars , to deploy and maintain the app with software developer NearForm Ltd , the Ireland-based company whose app there has been downloaded by more than one-fourth of that country ’ s residents .
The app is based on smartphone technology developed by Apple and Google , and will undergo a pilot project next week , using state government employees and public health students , staff and faculty , officials told The Associated Press in an interview .
The app will be interoperable with the state of Delaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to be interoperable with those of two other states , although Pennsylvania state officials declined to name those states because they are still in discussions with the app developer .
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma ’ s Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt announced Monday that he has submitted an application for unemployed Oklahomans to receive an additional $ 300 in federal unemployment benefits .
Once the Federal Emergency Management Agency approves the state ’ s grant application , the federal government will fund the $ 300-per-week benefit and Oklahoma will fulfil the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits , Stitt said .
“ As we are months ahead of other states in our recovery and Oklahoma is open for business , many Oklahomans have returned to work or are in training to take on a new career , ” Stitt said in a statement .
“ However , we also want to continue to help those who are still working to secure employment.
” For months , on top of their state benefit , unemployed Americans also collected $ 600 a week in federal jobless aid , but that expired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiations in Congress to extend it collapsed .
Earlier this month , President Donald Trump issued an executive order that would provide $ 300 a week to replace the expired $ 600 .
CHICAGO — Illinois public health officials have launched a COVID-19 hotspot map for travellers to check before leaving the state .
The online map of the United States shows which states have an average daily case rate of at least 15 cases per 100,000 people , which are considered higher risk areas .
The Illinois Department of Public Health says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their risk before they travel outside the state .
Health officials announced 1,773 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12 additional deaths .
QUEEN CREEK , Ariz. — The first day of school , a normally happy ritual , was fraught with conflict Monday at some schools opening in Arizona , echoing debates across the country over the risks of holding all in-person instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic .
In some districts , worried teachers resigned or called in sick .
While Queen Creek Unified School District opened its doors , J.O .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County cancelled its planned reopening Monday after an overwhelming number of staff said they planned to be absent .
The school board in the town of Queen Creek , about 40 miles ( 64 kilometres ) southeast of Phoenix , voted last week to offer in-person instruction full-time .
Jacob Frantz , a chemistry teacher at the high school and head of the local education association , resigned soon after the vote .
Frantz said he knows of a dozen others who quit since the vote and said roughly 30 others have left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed doing all in-person instruction .
Stephanie Ingersoll , a spokeswoman for the district , said media reports have inaccurately reported the number of teachers resigning .
She said “ a small number ” gave notice after the school board vote .
FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. — Florida reported its lowest number of new coronavirus cases since mid-June on Monday as the number of people hospitalized continued to fall .
The state reported 2,678 new confirmed cases , a level the state hasn ’ t seen since June 17 just as Florida began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaked at 15,300 on July 12 .
The seven-day average for new cases is now about 3,600 , down from 11,000 a month ago .
Also , the number of people being treated in Florida hospitals for COVID-19 has been declining since highs above 9,500 on July 23 .
The number of patients in the late morning Monday stood at 5,657 , according to a tally posted online by the state .
Still , since Aug. 1 , Florida has been averaging 150 coronavirus deaths per day , which would make the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killer — cancer and heart disease each kill about 125 people per day on average , according to the state health department .
Coronavirus deaths typically occur weeks or more after the disease is contracted and diagnosed .
TOPEKA , Kan. — Kansas has reported its biggest seven-day increase in novel coronavirus cases since the pandemic began .
The state Department of Health and Environment said Monday that Kansas had another 1,282 confirmed and probable cases since Friday for an increase of 3.8 % and a total of 35,167 .
The state reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a seven-day average of 491 new cases a day .
Kansas has seen reported cases double over the past six weeks .
However , fewer cases appear to be resulting in COVID-19-related deaths .
The state health department reported an additional three deaths Monday to bring the pandemic total to 405 .
Those deaths represent 1.15 % of the total reported confirmed and probable cases , the lowest percentage since the state reported its first death in March .
SALT LAKE CITY — Hispanics and other people of colour in Utah were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Monday .
From March to early June , 12 % of the state ’ s coronavirus cases were tied to workplace outbreaks , mostly in manufacturing , construction and wholesale trade .
The report found that 73 % of the cases in these outbreaks affected Hispanic or other people of colour , even though they only make up 24 % of the workers in those industries .
The report noted that minority workers typically have less flexible work schedules and fewer telework @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of flexibility along with unpaid sick leave policies may prevent workers from staying home when they ’ re ill , resulting in more workplace exposures and increased virus spread .
These racial disparities in work-related outbreaks in Utah are similar to those seen in meat processing facility outbreaks in other states throughout the U.S. , according to the report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--FDA flags accuracy issue with widely used coronavirus test

WASHINGTON - Potential accuracy issues with a widely used coronavirus test could lead to false results for patients , U.S. health officials warned .
The Food and Drug Administration issued the alert Monday to doctors and laboratory technicians using Thermo Fisher ’ s TaqPath genetic test .
Regulators said issues related to laboratory equipment and software used to run the test could lead to inaccuracies .
The agency advised technicians to follow updated instructions and software developed by the company to ensure accurate results .
The warning comes nearly a month after Connecticut public health officials first reported that at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results for the coronavirus .
Most of those receiving the false results were residents of nursing homes or assisted living facilities .
A spokeswoman for Thermo Fisher said the company was working with FDA “ to make sure that laboratory personnel understand the need for strict adherence to the instructions for use.
” She added that company data shows most users “ follow our workflow properly and obtain accurate results.
” The FDA said one possible problem was related to the incorrect use of equipment that rapidly spins samples in preparation for processing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lab workers to follow new instructions developed by the company for this step .
A second issue relates to the software used on Thermo Fisher ’ s testing platform .
FDA said labs must upgrade the software to a new version .
Dr. Albert Ko of Yale ’ s School of Public Health said the potential accuracy problems have “ pretty serious implications ” given that Thermo Fisher ’ s test is used widely both in the U.S. and around the world to screen for coronavirus .
The FDA statement did not provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have been affected by the problem .
Lab tests are the backbone of U.S. screening for coronavirus , accounting for more than half of the roughly 750,000 tests developed daily .
The tests look for traces of coronavirus ’ genetic material in nasal swabs taken from patients .
Thermo Fisher ’ s test was granted emergency use by the FDA in mid-March .
The test runs on a large , automated machine used in hospital , government and commercial labs to look for diseases such as HIV , hepatitis and flu .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to OK more than 200 tests for coronavirus since February .
No test is perfect and all are expected to give at least a small percentage of false negatives and false positives .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--2 men charged in ‘02 killing of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay

NEW YORK - Nearly two decades after the slaying of Run-DMC star Jam Master Jay , federal prosecutors said Monday they have solved one of New York City ’ s most enduring mysteries , charging two men from his neighbourhood with murder and suggesting that the hip-hop artist — celebrated for his anti-drug stance — was ambushed over a cocaine deal .
The suspects were identified in court papers as Ronald Washington , 56 , who is currently serving a federal prison sentence stemming from a string of robberies while on the run from police after Jay ’ s 2002 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36 , who is also charged with engaging in a cocaine distribution conspiracy in 2017 .
Jason “ Jay ” Mizell , known professionally as Jam Master Jay , formed Run-DMC with Joseph “ Run ” Simmons and Darryl “ DMC ” McDaniel in the early 1980s .
Together , they helped take hip-hop mainstream with hits like “ It ’ s Tricky ” and the Aerosmith remake collaboration “ Walk This Way.
“ Jay ’ s death , following the long unsolved slayings of rappers Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in 1996 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Los Angeles in 1997 , shook the hip-hop world .
Chuck D of Public Enemy compared his death to that of John Lennon .
More than $ 60,000 in rewards was offered , but witnesses refused to come forward and the case languished .
“ This is a case about a murder that for nearly two decades had gone unanswered , ” Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said at a news conference announcing the charges .
“ Today , we begin to answer that question of who killed Jason Mizell , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we can prove those charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
” Washington , who had reportedly been living on a couch at Jay ’ s home in the days before the killing , was publicly named as a possible suspect or witness as far back as 2007 .
Prosecutors allege he waved a handgun and ordered another person at the recording studio to lie on the ground while Jordan shot Jay in the head Oct. 30 , 2002 .
According to prosecutors , Jay would bring in bulk amounts of cocaine to sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cutting Washington out of a plan to distribute 10 kilograms in Maryland .
“ They walked in and murdered him in cold blood , ” DuCharme said .
A message seeking comment was left with a publicist for Run-DMC .
The group performed anti-drug concerts , established scholarships and held voter registration drives at its live shows .
In Hollis , the Queens neighbourhood where he grew up , Jay was seen as a role model .
Friends were puzzled by his death , thinking him an unlikely target for violence .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison , or the death penalty .
Prosecutors said in court papers that Attorney General William Barr had not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty .
Jordan pleaded not guilty at an arraigned held Monday by teleconference because of coronavirus-related precautions .
His lawyer declined comment .
Washington , who is imprisoned in Kentucky , will be arraigned later this week , prosecutors said .
Prosecutors have asked that both be jailed pending trial .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head with a .40-calibre bullet by a masked assailant at his studio in Hollis .
Police identified at least four people in the studio with Jay when he was killed , including the two armed gunmen .
At Jay ’ s funeral , McDaniels remembered his friend and fellow Run-DMC star as “ the embodiment of hip-hop.
“ He was also a husband and a father of three children .
“ Jam Master Jay was not a thug , ” McDaniels said .
“ Jam Master Jay was not a gangster .
Jam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prosecutors , though , now say Jay had been bringing cocaine into the New York area since 1996 .
At the time , Jay ’ s acquaintance with Washington — a repeat offender with convictions dating in 1982 — worried and upset his family .
Before ending up on Jay ’ s couch , Washington served prison time for grand larceny , assault , criminal use of a firearm , heroin possession and other charges .
He was been linked to the 1995 fatal shooting of Randy Walker , a close associate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors said , Washington hopped from motel-to-motel and robbed businesses including supermarkets and a Burger King while detectives pursued him in connection with Jay ’ s killing .
He remained at large for nearly three months until police on Long Island nabbed him for robbing a motel .
Last month , as prosecutors were preparing to seek a grand jury indictment against him for Jay ’ s death , Washington filed a handwritten petition asking to immediately be released to home confinement , arguing his medical history put him at risk for complications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking for more time to respond , delaying any decision until after Washington was charged .
Jordan , just a teenager when Jay was killed , was declared a juvenile delinquent after a 1999 robbery arrest and had a firearm case dismissed when the complaining witness refused to co-operate with law enforcement .
In recent years , prosecutors said , he ’ s been caught on audio and video surveillance six times selling cocaine to an undercover federal agent .
This story has been corrected to show Christopher “ Biggie Smalls ” Wallace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City .
Balsamo reported from Washington .
Associated Press writer Jennifer Lehman contributed to this report .

Jim Mustian, Michael Balsamo, Tom Hays And Michael R. Sisak - The Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Putting 19 people on trial at the same time is a difficult assignment for any prosecutor — whether or not one of those defendan…


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Universities scramble to deal with virus outbreaks

North Carolina ’ s flagship university cancelled in-person classes for undergraduates just a week into the fall semester Monday as college campuses around the U.S. scramble to deal with coronavirus clusters linked in some cases to student housing , off-campus parties and packed bars .
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said it will switch to remote learning on Wednesday and make arrangements for students who want to leave campus housing .
“ We have emphasized that if we were faced with the need to change plans — take an off-ramp — we would not hesitate to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this decision lightly , ” it said in a statement after reporting 130 confirmed infections among students and five among employees over the past week .
UNC said the clusters were discovered in dorms , a fraternity house and other student housing .
Before the decision came down , the student newspaper , The Daily Tar Heel , ran an editorial headlined , “ UNC has a clusterf—k on its hands , “ though without the dashes .
The paper said that the parties that took place over the weekend were no surprise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ semester with online-only instruction at the university , which has 19,000 undergraduates .
“ We all saw this coming , ” the editorial said .
Outbreaks earlier this summer at fraternities in Washington state , California and Mississippi provided a glimpse of the challenges school officials face in keeping the virus from spreading on campuses where young people eat , live , study — and party — in close quarters .
The virus has been blamed for over 170,000 deaths and 5.4 million confirmed infections in the U.S .
In Boone , North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State University — part of the 17-member UNC system — passed a vote of no-confidence in school chancellor Sheri Everts on Monday , in large part for failing to shut down the campus after a recent COVID-19 outbreak .
Professors have “ moved from a concern about people ’ s livelihoods and the institution ’ s reputation to , now , a concern for people ’ s lives , ” the declaration read .
Everts said in a letter to faculty Monday night that she has received support from the school ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 resolution of confidence in her leadership .
Meanwhile , officials at another UNC school — East Carolina University — said Monday that they had identified a COVID-19 cluster at a dorm .
They didn ’ t say whether they were considering switching to online classes .
At Oklahoma State in Stillwater , where a widely circulated video over the weekend showed maskless students packed into a nightclub , officials confirmed 23 coronavirus cases at an off-campus sorority house .
The university placed the students living there in isolation and prohibited them from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m frustrated as hell , ” said Ryan Novozinsky , a junior from Allentown , New Jersey , and editor of the student newspaper .
“ These are people I have to interact with.
“ And , he added , ” there will be professors they interact with , starting today , that won ’ t be able to fight this off.
” OSU has a combination of in-person and online courses .
Students , staff and faculty are required to wear masks indoors and outdoors where social distancing isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dame reported 58 confirmed cases since students returned to the South Bend , Indiana , campus in early August .
At least two off-campus parties over a week ago have been identified as sources , school officials said .
Paul J. Browne , vice-president for public affairs at Notre Dame , said the university is prepared to suspend or otherwise discipline the hosts of such parties .
“ We believe we have a very strong chain of health protection , but these parties represent the weak link in that chain , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
University officials in Tennessee , Georgia and Alabama were likewise frustrated by the lack of social distancing and scenes of crowded bars and other nightspot areas on the first weekend many students returned to school .
In Tuscaloosa , the home of the football-mad University of Alabama , Mayor Walt Maddox appealed to students ’ love of the game in urging them to take precautions .
“ If you don ’ t want to protect yourself and you don ’ t want to protect your family and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends and thousands of jobs , maybe , just maybe , you would want to protect football season so we can have it this fall , ” Maddox said .
Many schools already have flipped from in-person classes to mainly online in recent weeks , and more are expected to do so , said David Long of Tuscany Strategy Consulting , which teamed up with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to develop reopening recommendations for colleges and universities .
“ It ’ s because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these systems where everybody is essentially behaving appropriately , meaning social distancing , wearing PPE and not gathering in groups , ” he said , referring to personal protective equipment .
“ It ’ s challenging when you ’ re trying to control behaviour in young adults , particularly in areas that are outside the classroom and off campus.
” Some schools are opting for social contracts and strict codes of conduct as a way for students to keep pressure on their classmates , he said .
Among universities moving ahead with in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Illinois , where a dozen students tested positive last month after an off-campus gathering .
Classes start Aug. 26 and students are moving into dorms this weekend .
“ We have tweaked the move in process this year and are requiring students to sign up for a time slot so we can keep things spaced out and distanced , ” university spokeswoman Renee Charles said .
Balancing the health risks with educating students has been keeping university presidents up at night , said Mildred García , head of the American Association of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many are reconsidering their plans as things change rapidly .
“ They are doing the best they can with their staff and trying to educate the students about masks and social distancing and the effects of this virus , ” she said .
“ They ’ re doing all they can — and yet these are young people .
When we think back about when we were young , sometimes you think you ’ re invincible.
” Associated Press writers Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City ; Jay Reeves in Birmingham , Alabama ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Boston ; Dave Kolpack in Fargo , North Dakota ; and Jonathan Drew in Durham , North Carolina , contributed to this report .

Susan Montoya Bryan - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Stay-at-home order lifted as Navajo Nation starts reopening

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. - The Navajo Nation has lifted its stay-at-home order but is encouraging residents to leave their homes only for emergencies or essential activities .
The stay-at-home order was rescinded Sunday , when 24 additional coronavirus cases and zero deaths were reported .
Tribal officials on Monday reported 12 new COVID-19 cases but zero deaths again .
The numbers are a vast change from earlier this year when the tribe had one of the highest per-capita rates of infection in the U.S .
The tribe ’ s executive branch released its reopening plan last week .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government reopened Monday , tribal officials discouraged visitors from off the reservation .
The National Park Service said it is working within the tribe ’ s guidelines but could not police who visits Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Chinle , Navajo National Monument near Shonto and Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Ganado .
Limited services such as restrooms , self-guided trails and overlooks were open .
Tribal parks such as Monument Valley and the Four Corners Monument were not open , Navajo President Jonathan Nez said Monday .
Representatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests for further comment .
Much of the Navajo Nation has been closed since March as the coronavirus swept through the reservation that extends into New Mexico , Utah and Arizona .
A Navajo Nation Council resolution approved in late March has been loosely characterized as “ banning tourists , “ but council spokesman Byron Shorty said the verbiage doesn ’ t necessarily accomplish that .
The resolution closes Navajo-owned and maintained roads , about 5,000 miles , to outside tourists and visitors .
County , state , federal roads aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be construed as an invitation for tourism .
“ At this point , we ’ re trying to prevent a second wave , ” Shorty said .
“ The president ’ s comments should be taken in that context.
” In all , the Navajo Nation has recorded nearly 9,5000 cases of the coronavirus and 480 deaths since the pandemic began .
The majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover .
For some people it causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
But for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who are older or have underlying health conditions , it can cause more severe illness and death .
— Nez approved more than $ 476 million in spending from a federal coronavirus relief funds , about 72 % of what was in a bill passed by the Navajo Nation Council .
The tribe received more than $ 714 million from the Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security Act .
The tribe previously approved about $ 62 million in spending , leaving more than $ 176 million that Congress said must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Review cites ‘operational failures’ in Smollett prosecution

CHICAGO - A special prosecutor in Chicago accused Cook County State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx and her office on Monday of repeatedly abusing their discretion and making false public statements in the case against actor Jussie Smollett last year , but he concluded they did nothing criminal .
In his 12-page outline of his conclusion released Monday , Dan Webb criticized Foxx and her staff for how they decided on March 26 last year to toss charges that the former “ Empire ” actor staged a racist , homophobic attack against himself and how they explained the move as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement said his investigation “ did not develop evidence that would support any criminal charges against State ’ s Attorney Foxx or any individual working at ( her office ) “ but “ did develop evidence that establishes substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures ” in the case .
Among the false public statements by Foxx ’ s office amid intensifying scrutiny last year , Webb said , was the assertion that the dropping of charges against Smollett was the kind of thing that state prosecutors had done thousands of times before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( or , arguably any ) similar cases ” resolved by Foxx ’ s office the way they resolved Smollett ’ s case , Webb said .
Webb said the terms of the deal dismissing the case were exceptionally lenient , including the requirement that Smollett forfeit only his $ 10,000 bond as restitution .
Webb said that was a fraction of the $ 130,000 in overtime paid to officers investigating Smollett ’ s claims .
And Smollett , Webb noted , was able to walk away without admitting any wrongdoing .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later Monday said it welcomed Webb ’ s findings that no one on the staff committed a crime and that no undue outside influences affected prosecutors ’ decisions .
But it added it “ categorically rejects … characterizations of its exercises of prosecutorial discretion and private or public statements as ‘ abuses of discretion ’ or false statements to the public.
” Smollett ’ s attorney , Mark Geragos , contended in a statement that the report “ reveals the real political and electoral motivation of Dan Webb and his cohorts .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take down a black , progressive , female prosecutor who does not fit within the white power structure , ” Geragos said .
Webb in February restored charges against Smollett , saying the tossing of charges was unjustified , including because the evidence against the 38-year-old was overwhelming .
The revived criminal case has stalled as Illinois courts have scaled back operations amid the pandemic .
The black , openly gay actor has continued to stand by his claim that two men attacked him early on Jan. 29 , 2019 , in downtown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rope around his neck .
Webb said Monday he is seeking permission from the judge who appointed him , Michael Toomin , to release a fuller , 60-page summary report .
Among the focuses of Webb ’ s inquiry was whether Foxx acted improperly by speaking to a Smollett relative and a onetime aide of former first lady Michelle Obama , Tina Tchen , before the charges were dropped , and in how she recused herself early in the investigation after news broke about those communications .
Webb , a former U.S. attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office often in disarray and unduly worried about perceptions of the office as the Smollett case quickly became headline news nationwide .
He offered Foxx ’ s recusal a month after Smollett reported an attack as a prime example .
Once Foxx understood she may have had a conflict of interest or a perception of one because of her communications , Webb said Foxx and her entire staff should have been pulled off the case and replaced by a special prosecutor .
Instead , Foxx simply told a top deputy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
Her office quickly realized the procedural error , Webb said , but “ Foxx made the decision to ignore this major legal defect seemingly because they did not want to admit that they had made such a major mistake of judgment.
“ Webb Monday disclosed for the first time the identity of the relative Foxx spoke with : Jurnee Smollett , Jussie Smollett ’ s sister .
Webb said Foxx began speaking to her before suspicions were raised that Jussie Smollett may have staged the attack on himself .
But Webb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it became clear Smollett could be charged with allegedly filing a false police report .
“ State ’ s Attorney Foxx then made false statements to the media claiming she ceased all communications with Ms. Smollett , ” Webb concluded .
The alleged false statements started to pile up .
Webb said Foxx and Magats made at least six false or misleading statements regarding the dismissal of charges in possible violation of professional-conduct rules .
He said Monday that his findings would be forwarded to the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged false statements amounted to serious ethical violations .
Despite alleging Foxx misled the public , Webb said his investigation found no evidence Foxx ’ s conversations with Jurnee Smollett or others outside her office influenced the decision to drop the charges .
And he said while Foxx was updated on the investigation , he found no evidence she was directly involved in key decisions after she recused herself .
Webb also criticized Foxx ’ s office for trying to keep the decision to drop the charges from the public for as long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t even give the Chicago Police Department a heads-up about the decision until minutes before a March , 26 , 2019 , hearing formalizing the dismissal .
Foxx , the first black woman to hold Chicago ’ s top law enforcement job , defeated her Democratic primary opponents earlier this year even as they made her handling of the Smollett case central to their campaigns .
In overwhelmingly Democratic Chicago , the primary invariably determines who wins the general election .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--AP survey: States uncommitted to Trump’s unemployment boost

President Donald Trump ’ s plan to offer a stripped-down boost in unemployment benefits to millions of Americans amid the coronavirus outbreak has found little traction among the states , which would have to pay a quarter of the cost to deliver the maximum benefit .
An Associated Press survey finds that as of Monday , 18 states have said they will take the federal grants allowing them to increase unemployment checks by $ 300 or $ 400 a week .
The AP tally shows that 30 states have said they ’ re still evaluating the offer or have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s slimmed-down benefits .
Two have said no .
The uncertainty is putting some families ’ finances in peril .
Tiana Chase , who runs a community game room and store in Maynard , Massachusetts , said the extra $ 600 she and her partner had been receiving under the previous federal benefit helped keep them afloat after the pandemic caused many businesses to shutter .
For the past few weeks , she ’ s been getting less than $ 300 in unemployment .
If that ’ s boosted by another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be a lot tighter , but at least I can vaguely manage , ” she said .
“ I can cover my home expenses.
” Many governors say the costs to states to receive the bigger boost offered by Trump is more than their battered budgets can bear .
They also say the federal government ’ s guidelines on how it will work are too murky .
Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf , a Democrat , called it a “ convoluted , temporary , half-baked concept ( that ) has left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more questions.
” New Mexico was the first state to apply for the aid last week and one of the first to be announced as a recipient by the Federal Emergency Management Agency .
But Bill McCamley , secretary of the state ’ s Department of Workforce Solutions , said it ’ s not clear when the money will start going out , largely because the state needs to reprogram benefit distribution systems to make it work .
“ People need help and they need it right now , ” McCamley said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only to the claimants , but because the claimants turn that money around , sometimes immediately to pay for things like rent , child care , utilities.
” In March , Congress approved a series of emergency changes to the nation ’ s unemployment insurance system , which is run by state governments .
People who were out of work got an extra federally funded $ 600 a week , largely because the abrupt recession made finding another job so difficult .
The boost expired at the end of July , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to three weeks .
With Democrats , Republicans and Trump so far unable to agree to a broader new coronavirus relief plan , the president signed an executive order Aug. 8 to extend the added weekly benefit , but cut it to $ 300 or $ 400 a week , depending on which plan governors choose .
States are required to chip in $ 100 per claimant to be able to send out the higher amount , something few have agreed to do , according to the AP tally .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place until late December , though it will be scrapped if Congress comes up with a different program .
It also will end early if the money for the program is depleted , which is likely to happen within a few months .
Governors from both parties have been pushing for Congress to make a deal , even after previous talks for a sweeping new coronavirus relief bill , including an unemployment boost , broke off earlier this month .
When Congress finally reaches an agreement , “ I have every reason to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust deal that is struck , “ said Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott , a Republican who has been noncommittal about accepting Trump ’ s plan .
One reason for the states ’ hesitancy is that they fear they will go through the complex steps required to adopt Trump ’ s plan , only to have it usurped by one from Congress , according to a spokeswoman for Republican Wyoming Gov .
Mark Gordon .
So far , most states that have said they are taking Trump up on his offer have chosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not decided which plan to take .
In North Carolina , for instance , Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper has pushed for the $ 400 plan , but Republican lawmakers have not committed to kick in a share of state money for that .
Mississippi ’ s Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves has spurned the deal altogether , saying it ’ s too expensive .
State leaders who say they can ’ t afford to chip in point to the widespread closure of businesses , which has hammered government tax revenue .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help , as a record number of claims have left their unemployment trust funds in rough shape .
Most states expect to exhaust their funds and need federal loans to keep paying benefits during the recession .
So far , 10 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands have done so , including California , which has borrowed $ 8.6 billion .
Another eight states have received authorization for loans but had not used them as of last week .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , a Democrat , is among governors who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to take the deal anyway .
“ As I say , don ’ t look a gift horse in the mouth , ” Newsom said last week .
The federal Department of Labor reported last week that 963,000 people applied for unemployment benefits for the first time .
It was the first time since March that the number dropped below 1 million .
The government says more than 28 million people are receiving some kind of unemployment benefit , although that figure includes some double counting as it combines counts from multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own generally fall far short of replacing a laid off worker ’ s previous income .
Chris Wade , who lives in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg , is a server at a high-end restaurant .
He was laid off in March when dine-in restaurants were closed in the state .
While he ’ s since returned , he ’ s working only a few shifts a week and his unemployment checks are reduced by the amount he ’ s paid .
The now-expired $ 600 weekly unemployment supplement came out to about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rent , he said .
When his first check came in April , he was eight days behind on rent , but with the help , he ’ s been able to keep paying since then .
“ The extra money , no matter what they give me , is all going to rent anyway , or other bills , ” said Wade , 45 .
“ Every dollar actually counts.
” AP statehouse reporters across the U.S. contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Former CIA officer charged with giving China classified info

WASHINGTON - A former CIA officer and contract linguist for the FBI has been charged with spying for China , including by disclosing tradecraft and information on sources to Chinese intelligence officers who had co-opted him , according to documents unsealed Monday .
Alexander Yuk Ching Ma , 67 , was arrested last week after an undercover operation in which prosecutors say he accepted thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for his past espionage activities .
He told a law enforcement officer who was posing as a Chinese intelligence officer that he wanted to see the “ motherland ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resume helping China after the coronavirus pandemic subsided , prosecutors said .
“ The trail of Chinese espionage is long and , sadly , strewn with former American intelligence officers who betrayed their colleagues , their country and its liberal democratic values to support an authoritarian communist regime , ” Assistant Attorney John Demers , the Justice Department ’ s top national security official , said in a statement .
An FBI affidavit accuses Ma , who worked for the CIA from 1982 to 1989 , of revealing government secrets to at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong hotel room over a three-day period in March 2001 .
Those secrets included information about CIA sources and assets , international operations , secure communication practices practices and operational tradecraft .
Prosecutors say Ma ’ s meeting with the Chinese officers included a relative and fellow CIA employee who was not named in court documents and who is not being charged because , officials say , the now 85-year-old suffers from advanced and debilitating cognitive diseases .
A video recording of the hotel meeting shows the men receiving payments of $ 50,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
By that point , the FBI says , Ma had become a compromised asset of China ’ s Ministry of State Security , which collects intelligence information of value and interest to the Chinese government — a relationship that endured for years and carried over into Ma ’ s next job .
Ma remained in touch with the Chinese intelligence officers after he joined the FBI as a contract linguist in 2004 , at which point he used his work computer to copy images of documents related to missiles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next several years , prosecutors say , he repeatedly brought a digital camera into a secure FBI work area and photographed translation documents , and also stole secret records that he took with him to Asia , it was alleged .
Some of Ma ’ s travel drew attention , prosecutors said .
In 2006 , he returned home from Honolulu after a trip to Shanghai and was found to be carrying $ 20,000 and a set of golf clubs that he did not previously own .
The Justice Department alleges that Ma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers identify suspected human sources .
At one point , according to an FBI affidavit , Ma received an email message from a Chinese intelligence contact that included as an attachment a photograph of five puppies sitting on a park bench .
The FBI believes the photo was meant to prompt Ma to arrange for his relative and former CIA colleague to provide information on five people who were suspected of being informants .
The FBI undercover investigation took shape in January 2019 when an official posing as a Chinese intelligence officer met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed him a video recording of the 2001 meeting in Hong Kong and asked for help identifying people who were present .
Ma , apparently convinced that the undercover officer was an actual intelligence officer , provided the help and met again with the officer two months later , when he accepted $ 2,000 for his work on China ’ s behalf , according to court papers .
He offered to do more work for China , prosecutors said , and met again last week with the undercover officer , accepting a red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wanted “ the motherland ” to succeed .
A naturalized U.S. citizen born in Hong Kong , Ma was charged in federal court in Honolulu with conspiring to gather and communicate national defence information for a foreign nation .
He faces up to life in prison if convicted , and is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday .
A phone message left for a lawyer listed as Ma ’ s federal defender was not immediately returned Monday .
Another former CIA officer , Jerry Chun Shing Lee , was sentenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an espionage conspiracy in which prosecutors say he received more than $ 840,000 from China to divulge the names of human sources and his knowledge of spycraft .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Victims to tell Golden State Killer about trauma, healing

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - Jane Carson-Sandler says she has served the equivalent of a life sentence in the more than four decades since she became one of the first rape victims of Joseph James DeAngelo — a one-time police officer who eventually became known as the Golden State Killer .
Now it ’ s DeAngelo ’ s turn to do his time .
Carson-Sandler will be among nearly three dozen survivors and family members of victims who plan to confront DeAngelo during an extraordinary four days of court hearings before the 74-year-old is sentenced to life in prison .
Beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their pain , others of their healing .
It ’ s the culmination of a plea deal that will spare DeAngelo the death penalty for 13 murders and numerous sadistic rapes and burglaries that terrorized California for more than a decade .
His reign of terror mystified investigators until they used a new form of DNA tracking to arrest him in 2018 .
“ Our wounds heal and our scars remain , ” Carson-Sandler said .
Certain things always trigger flashbacks of the night in 1976 when DeAngelo confronted Carson-Sandler with a butcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 3-year-old son after her husband left for work at a nearby military base .
She can ’ t go skiing , for fear she ’ ll see someone in a ski mask like the one DeAngelo wore .
The sound of a helicopter is another trigger , because “ after the attack the helicopters would fly over every night with spotlights on the ground , looking for DeAngelo , ” she recalled .
DeAngelo pleaded guilty in June to 13 counts of murder and admitted dozens of rapes that were too old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to a request for comment .
Prosecutors said then that he acknowledged a total of 161 crimes involving 48 people .
In a court filing made public Monday , they said he harmed 87 victims — an increase in the number of victims previously cited .
The higher figure includes victims of crimes that DeAngelo did not publicly admit , Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten said .
Testimony from DeAngelo ’ s rape victims in Sacramento County alone will consume a full day .
Other rape victims will speak Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak Thursday before Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Bowman formally sentences DeAngelo on Friday .
Kris Pedretti was 15 when the Golden State Killer attacked her just before Christmas in 1976 .
“ This kid who liked to go shopping and do cartwheels on the lawn , that girl was gone , ” she said about her life after the attack .
She said she lost her friends , her once profound faith in God , switched schools three times , had two failed marriages , and “ did a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mechanisms.
” It wasn ’ t until DeAngelo ’ s arrest that she sought therapy and changed her life .
She ’ s now happily married and described by other survivors as the “ den mother “ who helps organize pot luck dinners after each of DeAngelo ’ s court appearances .
This year she started a Facebook group for sexual assault survivors that now has more than 300 members .
“ He didn ’ t win , I ’ m not a lost girl .
I want to make that clear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pedretti , DeAngelo escalated his attacks from targeting single women and girls to humiliating their husbands and boyfriends .
He would tie up men and pile dishes on their backs , then threaten to kill both victims if he heard the plates rattle while he raped the woman .
That ’ s what happened to Bob and Gay Hardwick , who were living together in Stockton in 1978 .
“ That ’ s been with me for 42 years now , and in my view that ’ s a long life sentence for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserve to serve it , “ Gay Hardwick said .
“ Not one of us , the survivors , deserved to have this kind of violence and hatred and desecration put upon them.
” Victor Hayes , who with his then-girlfriend endured a similar assault in 1977 , is now more angry with police and prosecutors than he is with DeAngelo .
At the least , Hayes said , DeAngelo should have been forced to publicly admit that he acted under colour of authority by using his knowledge of police procedures to avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first six years of his onslaught — the first three years when he was known as the Visalia Ransacker for about 100 burglaries and one slaying in that San Joaquin Valley farm town ; the next three years in the Sierra foothills city of Auburn northeast of Sacramento , until he was fired for shoplifting dog repellent and a hammer .
DeAngelo killed two more people in Sacramento — a couple out walking their dog — but committed most of his murders after he left the police force and moved to Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Original Night Stalker .
Some survivors plan to use props in court to try to break through to DeAngelo , who they think is malingering as a feeble old man in a wheelchair to hide that he remains a mentally and physically sharp , soulless killer .
Carson-Sandler wore a T-shirt with “ Victim Survivor Thriver ” to his previous court hearings , and drew applause and laughter during his guilty plea when a prosecutor included her observation that DeAngelo “ had a small penis.
” This week , she plans to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Itsy-Bitsy.
’ “ Two families plan videos or slideshows to illustrate their losses .
Counter-intuitively , Jennifer Carole said she will concentrate on what she called the “ silver linings ” — the survivors who have grown so close .
She is the daughter of victim Lyman Smith , a lawyer who was slain at 43 in Ventura County in 1980 .
His wife , 33-year-old Charlene Smith , was raped and killed .
Carole plans to urge everyone to “ find a way to do good .
I think it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and take care of each other .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Genevieve grows into Category 2 hurricane off Mexico’s coast

MEXICO CITY - A tropical storm watch was issued Monday for southern parts of Mexico ’ s Baja Peninsula as @ @ @ @ @ Category 2 hurricane off the country ’ s Pacific coast .
The U.S. National Hurricane @ @ @ @ @ storm had sustained winds of 100 mph ( 160 kmh ) and was moving west-northwest @ @ @ @ @ kmh ) .
Genevieve was located about 225 miles ( 360 km ) south-southwest of @ @ @ @ @ is forecast to become a major hurricane Tuesday .
But it is not expected to @ @ @ @ @ near the tip of Baja California Sur on Wednesday night and Thursday .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Strong quake jolts central Philippines, no damage known yet

MANILA , Philippines - A powerful and shallow earthquake struck a central Philippine region Tuesday , prompting people to dash @ @ @ @ @ but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage .
The Philippine Institute @ @ @ @ @ it was expecting damage and aftershocks from the 6.5 magnitude quake that hit an area @ @ @ @ @ miles ) from the coastal town of Cataingan in Masbate province at a depth of @ @ @ @ @ a mile ) .
Renato Solidum , who heads the government institute , said there @ @ @ @ @ tsunami from the earthquake , which was set off by movement in the Philippine Fault @ @ @ @ @ the Pacific “ Ring of Fire , ” an arc of faults around the Pacific @ @ @ @ @ world ’ s earthquakes occur .
It ’ s also lashed by about 20 typhoons @ @ @ @ @ making it one of the world ’ s most disaster-prone countries .
A magnitude 7.7 @ @ @ @ @ in the northern Philippines in 1990 .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Lockdown deaths in India ignite debate on police brutality

NEW DELHI - For two and a half minutes the popular Indian radio DJ described in graphic detail what she said was the torture and killing of a father and son in police custody .
The father was arrested for flouting coronavirus lockdown rules by keeping his mobile phone shop in southern India open past curfew , Suchitra Ramadurai alleged in a video posted to her Instagram .
The man ’ s son went to check on him at the police station and both were beaten so badly they were still bleeding when they appeared before a judge the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 23 , they were both dead .
“ Please share this story , ” Ramadurai told her followers .
“ Let ’ s fight the system.
” The video , which was viewed 20 million times before police ordered Ramadurai to take it down , sparked an extraordinary groundswell of public outrage at the deaths with local opposition politicians marching in the streets , Bollywood stars voicing their condemnations and television stations holding hourslong debates on police brutality .
Even more rare , 10 police officers were arrested in a federal investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came as global attention was focused on police abuse following the death of George Floyd in custody in the United States .
It has renewed calls in India for reform of what human rights advocates have described as a culture of abuse and impunity within the country ’ s police system .
The response to the deaths of the father and son , if not unprecedented , was far from the norm in India , where police “ routinely use torture and flout arrest procedures with little or no accountability , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bound by Brotherhood , ” a 2016 report on custodial deaths in India .
“ Often the entire system is complicit in shielding the police responsible for such abuses instead of ensuring accountability , ” said Bajoria .
According to the New Delhi-based National Campaign Against Torture , 125 people died in police custody due to torture or other abuses in 2019 .
In internal reports police typically attribute such deaths to other causes such as suicide , preexisting illnesses or natural causes .
However , in many cases documented by rights groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined to be the result of torture .
The country ’ s National Human Rights Commission said in its 2017 annual report that violence in custody was so rampant “ that it has become almost routine , ” adding that many custodial deaths were reported after a considerable delay or not reported at all .
India ’ s Home Ministry , which is responsible for law and order , did not respond to requests for comment on the issue .
In India , suspected criminals are often killed in what police and military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as one last month when a suspect wanted in connection with the deaths of eight police officers was fatally shot after police said he snatched a gun while trying to flee .
Activists were quick to cast doubt on that account .
Yet unlike the deaths of the father and son , that case was met with little public anger .
Because the country ’ s clogged judicial system is slow to ensure prosecutions and punishments , such killings are often encouraged by politicians , celebrated in popular Bollywood films , overwhelmingly supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials with out-of-turn promotions and gallantry prizes to the police involved .
Last December , on a visit to the crime scene , police shot dead four men suspected in the high-profile rape and killing of a young woman whose body had been set on fire .
Hours after the shootings , about 2,000 people gathered at the site to celebrate , passing out sweets and showering police with flower petals .
The slow pace of the Indian judicial system means it often takes years , even decades , for cases to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of pending court cases have significantly eroded the public faith in the system .
“ It is this declining faith in the system that has led many in India to demand and support instant justice , “ said sociologist Kalpana Kannabiran .
Indian courts and multiple human rights commissions have set out detailed procedures to prevent and punish such killings , but prosecution is rare .
Between 2001 and 2018 , 26 police officers were convicted of custodial deaths .
“ There are serious gaps in both outside accountability mechanisms and internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive director of the New Delhi-based rights organization Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative .
“ These cases expose long-term structural frailties and weakness that are allowed to remain within the system and repeatedly end in tragedies , ” she said .
Despite repeated demands for police reform , activists say education and training for police about human rights issues and proper investigatory techniques is woefully lacking .
They also say police implicated in abuses , regardless of rank , must be prosecuted .
Activists are also repeating their demands for India to ratify the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its provisions into the country ’ s domestic laws .
India is among very few countries that have not ratified the convention .
“ India can only boast of rule of law if those charged with enforcing it are held accountable , ” Bajoria said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Is Zoom the place where the Democrats can take on Donald Trump?

MILWAUKEE—An older man in a “ Biden 2020 ” T-shirt was leaning against a concrete barrier across the street from the Wisconsin Center on Monday afternoon , talking into a TV camera about coming to the Democratic National Convention .
“ I ’ ve always wanted to attend one , ” he said , “ And in the past , I heard about all the parties and socializing … ” Well , that isn ’ t happening this year .
As he spoke , on the kickoff day of the convention that will make Joe Biden the official Democratic nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were virtually empty .
An estimated 50,000 party members were expected to flood into the city before the COVID-19 pandemic hit ; now almost everything is going to take place virtually .
It ’ s a bit incongruous , then , that blocks of downtown Milwaukee around the convention centre are fenced off , with a heavy police presence along the fenceline .
There were more kayakers in the river passing under a nearby bridge than there were pedestrians on the streets on Monday .
When the police looked out from behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of wandering reporters and that guy in the Biden shirt , longing for a party .
Only a handful of delegates are inside the building .
“ This is not a normal convention .
It ’ s the complete opposite of it , ” the campaign co-chair , Rep. Cedric Richmond , told a media briefing — via Zoom , naturally .
For two hours a night through Thursday , speakers will appear from their home states in a mixture of live speeches and pre-recorded video segments .
Harris will speak Wednesday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Delaware .
If the prospect of a presidential convention on Zoom seems very of the moment in a country that ’ s recently become overfamiliar with video conferencing , it still seems slightly absurd to shut down a big chunk of a city around what is essentially the broadcast headquarters of a four-day-long national TV commercial .
But it highlights the strange role that modern political conventions play in U.S. politics , even before COVID-19 .
It ’ s been generations since a nominee was actually selected on the convention floor ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been essentially long prime-time ads .
Still , the halls full of cheering party faithful have set a particular script and soundtrack for that kind of ad , and a convention where everyone ’ s appearing from their homes presents a bit of a challenge .
In the absence of giant crowds punctuating speeches with wild applause , the trick will be to make two hours of presidential politicking into compelling TV .
The Democrats have made it pretty clear that their core message is “ beat Trump.
” According to campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan was to highlight the diverse coalition within and beyond the party that shares that goal .
Figures from across the political spectrum — from Bernie Sanders on the left , to Michelle Obama from the Democratic mainstream , to disaffected Republicans including former Ohio governor John Kasich — were to deliver messages trying to show a united front , and pressing the point-by-point case that Trump has been a disaster in handling the coronavirus , in handling the protest movement that has sprung up around racism in policing , on the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his recent approach to the post office and mail voting .
The prepared text of Sanders ’ s keynote address summed up the message : “ The future of our democracy is at stake .
The future of our economy is at stake .
The future of our planet is at stake .
We must come together , defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice-president.
” Trump himself went on the offensive .
He aimed to highlight the absentee convention by making an in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the road in the city of Oshkosh .
There , several blocks were shut down by mid-afternoon as sidewalks were flooded with people waving Trump-Pence signs .
Residents sat out in their yards — nearly as many bearing Biden lawn signs as Trump ones — taking in the spectacle .
“ We ’ re gon na fight for the survival of our nation and civilization itself , ” Trump told his supporters in his characteristically heated late-afternoon speech .
He attacked Biden as being “ pro-crime and anti-cop , ” said Democrats would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s decision to hold a virtual convention .
“ Joe Biden has no enthusiasm and you can ’ t win without enthusiasm , ” Trump said .
He ’ s right that enthusiasm will likely be vital in this campaign .
But recent polls show supporters of both candidates report being very enthusiastic — even if Biden ’ s supporters , according to a recent CBS News battleground poll , are mainly motivated by opposition to Trump .
Only two per cent of respondents to that CBS poll reported being unsure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As many political experts have been saying for months , the election might turn on who can get their supporters to the polls .
The job isn ’ t persuasion , but motivation .
Which is another challenge of a virtual convention .
Those crowded rooms and screaming crowds and all the partying and socializing don ’ t just provide a TV backdrop — they get party members together to whip themselves up , get focused on the task of the election , and leave fired up to work on the campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and how , a purely broadcast spectacle can accomplish that .
Or if , for those in Biden ’ s corner , Trump is already providing all the motivation they need .


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Land grab blamed in attack on Guatemala Indigenous community

GUATEMALA CITY - Guatemala ’ s president said Monday that a group of attackers trying to take possession of a @ @ @ @ @ weekend attack on an Indigenous community that left about 15 houses burned .
President Alejandro @ @ @ @ @ been identified and that warrants have been issued for their arrest .
On Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ of Cubilgüitz , near the northern town of Cobán .
They forced out about 40 @ @ @ @ @ Indigenous group and burned their homes .
There were no reported injuries .
The ranch @ @ @ @ @ because of legal conflicts .
The families lost most of their possessions .
The country @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor , Jordán Rodas , has called for a rapid investigation and government aid for @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Virginia state senator charged with ‘injury’ to Confederate monument

NORFOLK , Va. - A Virginia state senator has been charged with damaging a Confederate monument in Portsmouth during protests that also led to a demonstrator being critically injured when a statue was torn down , authorities said Monday .
Sen. Louise Lucas faces charges of of conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $ 1,000 ( U.S. ) , Portsmouth police Chief Angela Greene said during a news conference .
The protest occurred in June .
Lucas is a longtime Democratic legislator and a key power broker in the state Senate , joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were filed the same week Virginia lawmakers are taking up dozens of criminal justice reforms during a special legislative session .
The reaction from some of her fellow Democrats was swift .
“ It ’ s deeply troubling that on the verge of Virginia passing long-overdue police reform , the first Black woman to serve as our Senate Pro Tempore is suddenly facing highly unusual charges , ” Gov .
Ralph Northam , a Democrat , tweeted on Monday evening .
The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia called for the charges against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The ACLU said the charges constitute a stark overreach by police because they were not approved by the local prosecutor ’ s office .
Lucas did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment .
Her lawyer , Don Scott , told WAVY-TV that Lucas will “ vigorously ” fight the case and be vindicated .
Lucas is being charged at a time when many memorials to the Confederacy are being taken down , whether by demonstrators opposed to racial injustice or by authorities seeking to dismantle them through official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewed by many as symbols of white supremacy .
But they ’ ve drawn increasing attention following the death of George Floyd , a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody .
The monument in Portsmouth consists of a large obelisk and statues of four Confederate military personnel .
During protests that drew hundreds of people in June , heads were ripped off some of the statues while one was pulled down , critically injuring a demonstrator .
Greene , the Portsmouth police chief , said that “ several individuals conspired and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as summon hundreds of people to join in felonious acts.
” Greene said those acts “ not only resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the monument , but also permanent injury to an individual.
” Greene did not detail exactly what Lucas or several other people are accused of doin did to merit the charges that have been filed against them .
Other people facing charges include members of the local NAACP chapter , a local school board member and members of the public defenders office , the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made to state and federal authorities to conduct an independent investigation .
And she said that a discussion with the Portsmouth Commonwealth ’ s Attorney “ did not yield any action.
” “ It was the duty of the Portsmouth Police Department to begin a thorough and comprehensive investigation , ” Greene said .
Stephanie Morales , the Portsmouth Commonwealth ’ s Attorney , told The Associated Press in an email that her office did not sign off on the police department ’ s charges .
Claire G. Gastañaga , executive director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the few states in which a felony warrant can be filed without a prosecutor ’ s approval .
“ These charges are political , and I think they ’ re discriminatory , ” she said .
“ The police department is making decisions about who should be charged in a circumstance in which the elected ( prosecutor ) is being bypassed , ” Gastañaga added .
“ The police want a different result ” and that is alarming .
Meanwhile , Republican Party of Virginia chair Rich Anderson said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Felony charges levelled against a sitting state senator are to be taken seriously , and should not be sought out for political gain , ” he said in a statement .
“ It is for that reason that the Republican Party of Virginia calls for Senator Lucas to turn herself in .
Immediately .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-17--Alaska ferry cancels trips over passengers with coronavirus

JUNEAU , Alaska - Travel on an Alaska ferry was temporarily suspended after the vessel transported passengers who tested positive for COVID-19 , officials said .
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities announced sailings by the M/V Matanuska are suspended until Aug. 21 , The Juneau Empire reported Saturday .
The transportation department said in a statement that five passengers who travelled aboard the Matanuska last week tested positive for the virus .
The ferry ’ s crew was required to receive negative test results before the ship resumes service , the department said .
On Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crew members returned negative .
Passengers who had tickets for the cancelled sailings this week were being notified and either rescheduled or refunded , the department said .
The passengers are believed to have been infectious while travelling on the Matanuska , which embarked from Kake , travelled through Sitka and arrived in Juneau Aug. 10 .
While the ship was in transit , the crew learned some passengers had been in close contact with an individual in Kake who had tested positive , the department said .
The passengers were quarantined in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arriving in Juneau , in accordance with protocols , the department said .
The passengers informed the department they had tested positive and the department informed other passengers and the public out of an abundance of caution .
State health officials recommended recent travellers on the Matanuska self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and take extra precautions .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some — especially older adults and people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick .