thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Brazen ambush of Mexico police chief leaves few options

MEXICO CITY - The dramatic assassination attempt on Mexico City ’ s police chief was just the latest and clearest sign that Mexico ’ s powerful criminal element is bringing the violence it has unleashed on the general population directly to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ’ s door .
More than 35,000 Mexicans were murdered last year , the highest number on record and a grave threat to the president ’ s ambitious agenda .
Police Chief Omar García Harfuch was nearly added to this year ’ s murder total Friday when more than two-dozen gunmen executed a carefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at dawn with grenades , assault rifles and a .50 calibre sniper rifle on the capital ’ s grand boulevard .
García survived with three bullet wounds and within hours blamed the Jalisco New Generation Cartel for the attempt that killed two of his bodyguards and a bystander .
It came less than two weeks after a federal judge and his wife were gunned down in their home in the western state of Colima .
The Jalisco gang is also suspected in that attack .
“ The cartel declared war on the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ González , a security analyst and the man who established the Attorney General ’ s Office special organized crime unit .
“ He doesn ’ t have any other option than to go after them , ” because otherwise attacks on high-level government officials could continue .
It didn ’ t take long for López Obrador to disagree .
“ We ’ re not going to declare war on anyone , ” he said Saturday afternoon in a video broadcast through his social media .
“ We ’ re not going to violate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to allow massacres .
But we ’ re going to stop these attacks from being orchestrated , and we ’ re not going to make any agreements with organized crime as we did before.
” The president said the key will be perseverance , with help from the intelligence services , which reportedly gave some warning that García might be targeted by an attack .
“ Now we have given great importance to intelligence , “ López Obrador said .
” Before , the CISEN ( National Intelligence Center ) was used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over .
Now we have an intelligence centre to prevent , and that is why these attacks have been prevented or the most regrettable and serious results of these attacks have been avoided.
” Last year this intelligence showed some problems .
In October , a botched operation to capture a son of Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzmán in Culiacan , Sinaloa , resulted in the young drug capo ’ s release after cartel gunmen wreaked havoc on the city .
López Obrador said this month that he ordered the release to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , López Obrador pushed aside criticism that it was a sign of weakness that organized crime would continue to exploit .
The president responded that his government will not be forced into a drug war .
“ This is pacifying the country by convincing , persuading without violence , offering well-being , alternative options , better living conditions , working conditions , strengthening values , ” he said then .
He asked for one more year to “ completely change this.
” Eight months later here we are .
On June 17 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of Mexico ’ s largest newspapers , wrote in a column that Mexican intelligence had intercepted a conversation between Jalisco gang operators in which it was clear they were planning to hit a major target in the city .
Rodríguez wrote that two unnamed security officials had confirmed the information and that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had confirmed the authenticity of the conversation .
No names were mentioned , but analysts determined that the four potential targets were three members of López Obrador ’ s cabinet and García .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicate with governments to tell them , ‘ You touch me and we ’ re going to kill your most important officials , ’ ” said Edgardo Buscaglia , an organized crime expert at Columbia University .
“ When this happens , organized crime understands that the government is taking measures that are going to hurt its business and they begin to kill members of the political elite , ” Buscaglia said .
Earlier this month , Santiago Nieto , the head of Mexico ’ s Financial Intelligence Unit , announced that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was freezing nearly 2,000 accounts believed to be used by the Jalisco gang .
Nieto was mentioned as one of the potential cabinet-level targets of the cartel this month .
There are also nearly a dozen pending extraditions of Jalisco gang associates , Buscaglia said .
The administration should continue to pressure the cartel while increasing security to protect its political elite , starting with López Obrador who continues to fly commercial and travel with little security , he said .
On Saturday , Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum shared a photo with García smiling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was doing well and had “ more energy than ever.
” She praised Mexico City ’ s police for a rapid response that likely saved his life .
Since the attack , authorities had made 19 arrests in the case , she said , including the alleged mastermind of the plot .
López Obrador had not made any comments since early Friday .
Later , Ulises Lara , spokesman for the capital ’ s prosecutor ’ s office , confirmed the arrests and listed the weaponry recovered .
It included 34 rifles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calibre sniper rifles .
Mexico ’ s security strategy — some question whether it is coherent enough to merit the label — bears little resemblance to the “ hugs , not bullets ” slogan that López Obrador campaigned on .
Last year ’ s soaring murder rate already challenged his longer-term goal of attacking the root causes of violence .
The economic devastation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic is making clear those policies will have little chance as more Mexicans are pushed into poverty .
“ All that ’ s in place now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy , but one that is very much almost exclusively reliant on force , on militarized force specifically , ” said Franko Ernst , senior analyst with the International Crisis Group .
He warned that increasing military pressure on the Jalisco gang , which has already suffered from internal rifts and splintering , could lead it to break apart into warring factions as has happened with other dominant cartels in recent years .
Ernst noted that last month the government decreed that the military will continue policing the country , a task López @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was supposed to take over but has shown itself incapable doing .
Now the Jalisco gang ’ s leader , Nemesio Oseguera , aka “ El Mencho , ” “ has finally established himself very firmly as the inevitable public enemy of the Fourth Transformation , ” López Obrador ’ s term for his administration .
“ It ’ s just going to push some other more integrated , more sound security policies further into the future , “ he said .

MaríA Verza And Christopher Sherman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Opposition wins historic rerun of Malawi’s presidential vote

BLANTYRE , Malawi - The opposition has won Malawi ’ s historic rerun of the presidential election , the first time a court-overturned vote in Africa has led to the defeat of an incumbent leader .
Lazarus Chakwera ’ s victory late Saturday was a result of months of determined street protests in the southern African nation , and of a unanimous decision by the constitutional Court that widespread irregularities in the May 2019 election — including the use of correction fluid on ballots —could not stand .
President Peter Mutharika , who had sought a second five-year term , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election “ the worst in Malawi ’ s history.
” He alleged his party ’ s monitors had been beaten and intimidated during Tuesday ’ s election , but the Malawi Human Rights Commission , an observer , called the vote peaceful and transparent .
Chakwera won with 58 % of the vote , or 2.6 million votes out of 4.4 million cast .
Mutharika received 1.7 million .
Flag-waving supporters erupted in cheers as the results were read out , and some street celebrations began .
Fireworks popped .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , ” Chakwera , former leader of the Malawi Assemblies of God church , told reporters .
“ This is a win for Malawians , a win for democracy.
“ Malawi ’ s drama was just the second time in Africa that a court has overturned a presidential election , following a ruling on Kenya ’ s vote in 2017 .
In Kenya ’ s fresh election , the president won while the opposition boycotted .
As Malawi prepared for its new vote , incumbent Vice-President Saulos Chilima , who split last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided instead to stand as his running mate in a bid to maximize chances of unseating Mutharika .
Some celebrations began Thursday night when Malawi ’ s state broadcaster reported that Chakwera was well ahead with all votes in .
But the electoral commission , revamped since the court ’ s ruling , indicated it was taking time to meet legal requirements in verifying results .
The commission ’ s new chair , judge Chifundo Kachale , while announcing the results acknowledged that “ it has been a very interesting journey.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million registered voters .
An attempt by Mutharika ’ s government to get Malawi ’ s chief justice to step down just days before the new election had failed amid an outcry .
Now the chief justice is expected to swear in Chakwera on Sunday .
Aware that time was running out , the 79-year-old Mutharika on Saturday asked the country to “ move on peacefully ” and respect the presidency .

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thetorontostar--2020-06-27--Alabama officer fired over post of protester in rifle scope

HOOVER , Ala. - An Alabama police chief says one of his officers has been fired after posting a photo on social media that depicted a protester in the crosshairs of a rifle scope .
Former Officer Ryan Snow was fired Friday , Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said .
The officer posted the image on Facebook Tuesday in response to an article about protesters at the Wendy ’ s restaurant in Atlanta where Rayshard Brooks was killed , AL.com reported .
Protesters torched the restaurant June 13 , the night after police killed Brooks , a 27-year-old Black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he resisted arrest and fired a Taser while he was running away .
Snow admitted to posting the image , which also included the comment : “ Exhale .
Feel .
Pause .
Press steadily .
That ’ s what ’ s next , ” Derzis said .
“ When I saw the post and the image , it sickened me , “ Derzis said .
“ It certainly did not adhere to the standards expected of every officer who wears our uniform.
” “ This type of conduct will not be tolerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the professionalism expected by all of our officers , “ Derzis added .
Hoover is just south of Birmingham and home to about 86,000 residents .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Trump denies briefing on reported bounties against US troops

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Sunday denied that he had been briefed on reported U.S. intelligence that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan , and he appeared to minimize the allegations against Moscow .
American intelligence officials concluded months ago that Russian officials offered rewards for successful attacks on American service-members last year , at a time when the U.S. and Taliban were holding talks to end the long-running war , according to The New York Times .
Trump , in a Sunday morning tweet , said “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice-President Mike Pence or chief of staff Mark Meadows about “ the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians.
” “ Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us , ” he said .
The White House had issued a statement Saturday denying that Trump or Pence had been briefed on such intelligence .
“ This does not speak to the merit of the alleged intelligence but to the inaccuracy of the New York Times story erroneously suggesting that President Trump was briefed on this matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s director of national intelligence , John Ratcliffe , also said neither the president nor vice-president was “ ever briefed on any intelligence alleged ” in the Times ’ report and he said the White House statement was “ accurate.
” Trump ’ s tweet came a day after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said that the report , if accurate , was a “ truly shocking revelation ” about the commander in chief and his failure to protect U.S. troops in Afghanistan and stand up to Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ low intellectual abilities of the propagandists of American intelligence , who instead of inventing something more plausible have to make up this nonsense , ” the Russian Foreign Ministry said .
A Taliban spokesman said the militants “ strongly reject this allegation ” and are not “ indebted to the beneficence of any intelligence organ or foreign country.
” John Bolton , a former national security adviser who was forced out by Trump last September and has now written a tell-all book about his time at the White House , said Sunday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s going out of his way to say he hasn ’ t heard anything about it , one asks , why would he do something like that ?
” Bolton told NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” that he thinks the answer “ may be precisely because active Russian aggression like that against the American service members is a very , very serious matter and nothing ’ s been done about it , if it ’ s true , for these past four or five months , so it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But of course , he can disown everything if nobody ever told him about it.
” The Times , citing unnamed officials familiar with the intelligence , said the findings were presented to Trump and discussed by his National Security Council in late March .
Officials developed potential responses , starting with a diplomatic complaint to Russia , but the White House has yet to authorize any step , the report said .
Trump responded to Biden on Twitter , saying “ Russia ate his and Obama ’ s lunch during their time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama administration , along with international allies , that suspended Russia from the Group of Eight after its unilateral annexation of Crimea from Ukraine — a move that drew widespread condemnation .
Biden criticized Trump for “ his embarrassing campaign of deference and debasing himself ” before Russian leader Vladimir Putin .
Trump tweeted that “ Nobody ’ s been tougher ” on Russia than his administration .

Lynn Berry And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--‘Glamping’ resort proposed near Zion National Park

SALT LAKE CITY - A sprawling network of camping resorts soon could begin unfolding in the Kolob highlands on Zion National Park ’ s northern boundary , potentially resulting in an influx of overnight use in a remote and scenic part of southern Utah .
Late last year , Ian Crowe , a St. George real estate broker , filed applications with Washington County officials to develop up to nearly 3,000 camping sites , including yurts , tents , vintage trailers , shipping containers , even treehouses , near Kolob Reservoir and the park ’ s Lava Point , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Road from the town of Virgin .
But the project was largely kept under wraps until about a month ago , when a Kolob property owner named Justin Heideman saw a small notice posted by a road , announcing a May 12 hearing before the Washington County Planning Commission .
“ Everyone feels this is pretty sneaky in the way it was done , ” said Heideman , a St. George lawyer who had been hunting turkeys near his family ’ s property at Kolob Reservoir when he saw the sign about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and helped launch a Facebook group called Preserve Kolob Mountain , which in turn alerted the National Park Service and the Washington County Water Conservancy District to the project for the first time .
Crowe ’ s filings in support of the 1,200-acre Above Zion resort and three other smaller resorts indicate their purpose is to relieve pressure on Utah ’ s most popular national park by providing campsites , which would be supplied with millions of gallons of culinary water from the district .
But park and water district officials were unaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous concerns , according to Heideman .
For about the past century , Kolob Mountain has been used mostly for ranching with about 270 seasonal homesites scattered around the juniper-covered draws above the famed Narrows of the Virgin River .
At 8,000 feet in elevation , the Kolob area is snowbound in winter and inaccessible , but the summer population can reach as high as 800 on busy days , according to the county ’ s general plan .
The lack of easy access and utilities has prevented the area from becoming another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles to the north on State Road 14 .
A dam on Kolob Creek , built in 1956 , formed Kolob Reservoir , a favourite fishing and camping destination for residents of Cedar City , Hurricane and other nearby communities .
The resort proposal hopes to make this landscape available for more people to enjoy its natural wonders and serene views , according to Bruce Baird , a Salt Lake City lawyer for Crowe ’ s Zions Gate Management Co. “ The public spaces such as Zion and Bryce ( Canyon ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just being smashed with overcrowding , ” said Baird , one of Utah ’ s most prominent land-use lawyers .
“ The theory is to provide a place under controlled and appropriate circumstances where people can appreciate the lovely outdoors of southern Utah , like some of the people who already live there.
” Above Zion builds on the concept of “ glamping , ” which is catching on at private resorts near national parks and other protected lands where visitors can experience the area without relying on public resources , he explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and glamour , glamping refers to well-appointed outdoor accommodations in canvas yurts or other temporary structures that provide the joys of camping but without the trouble of setting up a cozy camp .
Above Zion proponents are seeking a conditional-use permit from the unelected Planning Commission , whose decision can be appealed to the Washington County Commission .
Some 12,000 have signed a petition on Change.org asking the county to reject or at least scale back the proposal .
“ It ’ s unknown if the county has any answers to these issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rectify all of these issues , which would almost certainly come at a high cost to taxpayers , ” property owner Jonathan Bowman wrote in an email .
“ Building all these facilities and the influx of people would destroy the rural nature of Kolob.
” The May 12 hearing was conducted online , but after nearly 700 people unsuccessfully tried to join , the Planning Commission was forced to terminate the meeting because legally it had to accommodate everyone who wanted to participate .
Because the meeting was cut short , Baird @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fully present how it would solve the access and utilities concerns , so the public has only a partial picture .
“ So a lot of people are speculating on what reality is and , in many ways , it ’ s wrong , ” Baird said .
“ They fill in the blanks with fear.
” A tentatively rescheduled meeting for Tuesday , June 23 , is likely to be scratched , and Zions Gate plans to submit additional documents addressing issues that have surfaced in recent weeks .
Glamping-style resorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kane and Garfield counties , whose commissioners have raised concerns they evade regulations that normally apply to tourist accommodations and would tax county services .
But none of these projects , such as the nearby Under Canvas , approach the magnitude of Above Zion ’ s four resorts , which would combine for 1,731 aces and various sites to accommodate a full array of camping flavours .
Some would be full-tilt glamping , while others would be primitive and RV sites .
Sites would be clustered in groups of six to 30 around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a network of 26-foot-wide roads .
Open fires would be forbidden and the surrounding land would be stripped of dead vegetation .
The operating season would run May to October , and Crowe expects to see an 80 % occupancy rate with 2.5 campers per site .
That means Above Zion could be hosting as many as 4,000 people at a time if it achieves full buildout of 2,000 sites .
Zions Gate ’ s proposed smaller resorts nearby are called Above Zion South Shore , Above Zion Highlands and Above Zion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ varying terrain allows seclusion of one campsite from another as does the natural vegetation , ” wrote Above Zion ’ s architect Richard Kohler .
“ The drive up Kolob Mountain road is in itself a not-to-be-missed scenic drive unknown to most Zion National Park visitors.
” That ’ s putting it mildly , critics counter .
The 25-mile Kolob Terrace Road , which cuts in and out of the park ’ s western and northern periphery , has no shoulder or guardrails , even in places where it skirts sheer drop-offs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunset Canyon Hill and Maloney Hill , the latter named for the first motorist to die on the road after he drove off the 200-foot drop at the curve ’ s apex , Heideman explained .
“ You couldn ’ t build that road under today ’ s codes ( because those stretches ) are too steep .
I don ’ t know if a firetruck can make it around Maloney Hill.
” On behalf of other troubled landowners , Heideman penned a 10-page memo dated June 2 to the Planning Commission explaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s many legal and practical pitfalls .
Besides the access question , the memo states , other key stumbling blocks include the lack of services and the huge volume of wastewater the resorts would produce .
“ There ’ s no infrastructure , no power , no water .
There ’ s only three spots where you can get a cellphone signal , ” Heideman said .
“ If you have an emergency , you are in big trouble.
” The nearest fire , law enforcement and emergency medical services are based an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property owners allied with Heideman , at least four prominent environmental groups are raising objections .
Washington County Water Conservancy District General Manager Zach Renstrom learned of the project from a recent Facebook page , according to a May 13 email exchange between Renstrom and county planning boss Scott Messel .
“ I have several technical and legal questions concerning the feasibility of this ( project ’ s ) proposed culinary water system .
At the very least , the developer should have met with the district so we could have review ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided a will-serve letter if it was determined that the district could provide the culinary water , ” Renstrom wrote .
“ In general , the state has been strongly opposed to any new private water systems.
” The district maintains several wells and springs throughout Kolob , each with wellhead protection zones that have not been addressed in the resort proposal , his email added .
Nor has the issue of wastewater been adequately addressed .
“ With the vast number of individuals this development will bring to Kolob , ” Renstrom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( how ) the wastewater could affect the headwaters of the Virgin River and the drinking wells.
” Baird said such issues would be worked out as the proposal develops .
“ As a matter of law , we can not pollute the Virgin River .
It won ’ t happen .
We will comply with all health department , water quality and legal requirements , ” he said .
“ We are providing more detailed plans to the county regarding the roads , and obviously the roads will be used in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water needs would be so high , supplemental water would have to be piped up to Kolob , Heideman reasoned .
This would require a water line under the Kolob Terrace Road , which winds in and out of designated wilderness associated with the park .
“ That would be an expansion of the easements that are there , ” Heideman said .
“ It can not be done.
” Meanwhile , the National Parks Conservation Association fears that running utilities up the road will increase pressure to develop the many remote private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contend they have a right to develop their land as long as their project complies with existing rules .
Negative public opinion is no legal basis for rejecting the permits , Baird said .
Crowe hopes to begin construction this year , phasing in the project over several years .
“ It ’ s small , an exploratory kind of thing to see how it works , ” Baird said .
“ It ’ s such a beautiful area , and we think it should be shared with people rather than people just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we get to keep everybody out .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--A divided Poland holds presidential vote delayed by pandemic

WARSAW , Poland - Poles voted in a presidential election Sunday that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and was taking place amid deep cultural and political divisions in the European Union nation .
President Andrzej Duda , a 48-year-old conservative backed by the nationalist ruling Law and Justice party , was running against 10 other candidates as he sought a second 5-year term .
Whether Duda wins or not will determine whether the ruling party keeps its near-monopoly on political power in Poland .
Turnout at noon was 24.08 % which the State Electoral Commission said was a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 30 years of democracy .
It could have been helped by the fact that people were advised to vote early in the day and avoid last-moment lines amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Still , in many places there were lines .
Most recent polls showed that no single candidate was likely to reach the 50 % required to avoid a runoff given the crowded field of candidates , all of whom are male .
In that case , the two top vote-getters will face each other on July 12 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was postponed in a chaotic political and legal battle as the ruling party pressed to hold it despite the pandemic .
Exit polls will be announced immediately after polling stations close Sunday at 9 p.m. ( 1900 GMT , 3 p.m. EDT ) .
The final official results are expected by late Wednesday , after all votes sent from abroad are counted .
Polling ahead of Sunday ’ s vote suggested Duda was the front-runner but might not win the required majority needed to win outright .
Polls also showed that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a runoff given that many opposition votes would be expected to unite against him .
Duda ’ s strongest challenge comes from the Warsaw mayor , Rafal Trzaskowski , also 48 , who is backed by the centrist Civic Platform party .
Trzaskowski entered the race late after the May election date was scrapped .
Duda ’ s once-strong support , bolstered by adulatory coverage in state media , began to slip once virus lockdown restrictions were lifted and other candidates could campaign .
Poland has not been as badly hit by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and most people were voting in person , though required to wear masks and observe other hygiene rules .
There was also a mail-in voting option , and thousands of voters in some southwestern regions with higher virus infection numbers were required to vote by mail .
As of Sunday , Poland had nearly 34,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among its 38 million people , with over 1,400 deaths .
Stanislaw Tasiemski , a 69-year-old office worker , joined many others voting early in Warsaw .
He cast his ballot for Duda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in a time of crisis .
“ In the face of what is happening , stability is needed , ” he said .
Duda ’ s campaign focused on defending traditional values in the mostly Catholic nation while promising to keep raising living standards to Western European levels .
He took a position against same-sex marriage and adoption and denounced the LGBT rights movement as a dangerous “ ideology.
” That kind of rhetoric — along with laws that have given the Law and Justice party much greater control over the justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public media to promote the government ’ s image — have raised concerns among some that Poland is following Hungary in eroding democratic norms established after communism collapsed three decades ago .
On the campaign trail , Trzaskowski promised to keep the ruling party ’ s popular social welfare spending programs while vowing to restore constitutional norms .
That message resonated with Iwona Goge , a 79-year-old who voted for Trzaskowski in Warsaw and was encouraged to see so many others voting .
“ It ’ s bad .
Poland is terribly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
Other presidential candidates include Szymon Holownia , a TV personality and journalist who had once studied to be a priest .
Holownia is unaffiliated with any party and has generated some enthusiasm among those tired of years of bickering between Law and Justice and Civic Platform , the country ’ s two main parties .
Also in the running are a left-wing politician who is Poland ’ s first openly gay presidential contender , Robert Biedron ; the head of an agrarian party , Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz ; and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krzysztof Bosak .
Follow all of AP ’ s pandemic coverage at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Vanessa Gera And Monika Scislowska - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Prosecutors: Woman burned home in attempt to destroy records

FORT WORTH , Texas - A woman burned down her $ 1.6 million suburban Fort Worth mansion while trying to destroy documents from her husband ’ s health care clinic as authorities were investigating the couple for fraud , prosecutors allege .
A seven-count federal indictment , filed June 17 , charges Mark and Melissa Kuper with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud aiding and abetting .
They both have pleaded not guilty to allegations that they submitted more than 100,000 claims to federal health care programs for “ sham ” physical therapy , psychotherapy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to court records .
Mark Kuper operated the Texas Center for Orthopedic and Spinal Disorders , with clinics in Fort Worth and Weatherford .
The indictment alleges that his wife started a fire to burn clinic records in the outdoor fireplace of the couple ’ s Benbrook mansion in October 2017 , then left it unattended , destroying their home .
After the blaze , firefighters said they found charred and burned documents in the fireplace that were still legible , the indictment says .
Travis Couey , a physical therapist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit health fraud for allegedly preparing false medical records .
The trio allegedly submitted $ 10 million of false claims to Medicare , Medicare or TRICARE , which covers military members and their families , for services they didn ’ t performed , the indictment says .
Attorneys for Melissa Kuper and Couey didn ’ t respond to requests for comment .
Mark Kuper ’ s attorney declined to comment .
Mark Kuper forced patients to attend frequent physical therapy and substance abuse programs — even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those sessions at a higher cost than they were worth , according to court documents .
He also “ used the lure of opioids ” to make sure his patients kept returning for “ worthless services ” for which he could bill the government , authorities allege .
Kuper also required his patients to get painful and unneeded injections before they could obtain pain pills , prosecutors said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Israel orders US-based Christian TV channel off air

JERUSALEM - Israeli regulators on Sunday announced they ordered a U.S.-based evangelical broadcaster taken off the air , saying the channel hid its missionary agenda when it applied for a license .
In his decision , Asher Biton , the chairman of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council , said he had informed “ GOD TV ” on Thursday that it had seven days to stop broadcasting .
“ The channel appeals to Jews with Christian content , “ he wrote .
“ Its original request , ” he said , stated that it was a “ station targeting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported by the Haaretz daily .
The controversy over GOD TV ’ s “ Shelanu ” station has put Israel and its evangelical Christian supporters in an awkward position , exposing tensions the two sides have long papered over .
Evangelical Christians , particularly in the United States , are among the strongest supporters of Israel , viewing it as the fulfilment of biblical prophecy .
Some see it as the harbinger of a second coming of Jesus Christ and the end of days .
Israel has long welcomed evangelicals ’ political and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the White House has risen during the Trump administration , and it has largely shrugged off concerns about any hidden religious agenda .
But most Jews view any effort to convert them to Christianity as deeply offensive , a legacy of centuries of persecution and forced conversion at the hands of Christian rulers .
In part because of those sensitivities , evangelical Christians , who generally believe salvation can only come through Jesus and preach the Gospel worldwide , rarely target Jews .
In a statement , Shelanu said it was stunned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unprofessional decision.
” It said its existing license “ stated unequivocally ” that it would broadcast its content in Hebrew to the Israeli public .
Most Christians in the Holy Land speak Arabic .
“ Therefore it is not at all clear what was wrong beyond political considerations , ” it said .
Ron Cantor , Shelanu ’ s Israeli spokesman , said the station would reapply for a license .
He said the station ’ s management hopes the council will approve the request “ and thus avoids a severe diplomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evangelical Christians worldwide.
” When GOD TV reached its seven-year contract with Israel ’ s main cable provider earlier this year , it presented itself as producing content for Christians .
But in a video message that was later taken down , GOD TV CEO Ward Simpson suggested its real aim was to convince Jews to accept Jesus as their messiah .
“ God has supernaturally opened the door for us to take the Gospel of Jesus into the homes and lives and hearts of his Jewish people , ” Simpson said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Simpson apologized for any offensive remarks and said GOD TV would comply with all regulations .
Freedom of religion is enshrined in Israeli law , and proselytizing is allowed as long as missionary activities are not directed at minors and do not involve economic coercion .
GOD TV was founded in the U.K. in 1995 and eventually grew into a 24-hour network with offices in several countries .
Its international broadcasting licenses are held by a Florida-based non-profit .
It claims to reach 300 million households worldwide .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Construction halted for Aon Center observatory in Chicago

CHICAGO - Construction of an observatory atop Chicago ’ s third-tallest skyscraper will not start for almost another year due to the pandemic .
Aon Center property owner 601W Cos. and tourist attraction operator Legends plan to begin work on the observatory in the second quarter of 2021 , further delaying the opening date , the Chicago Tribune reported .
The $ 185 project is expected to open in 2023 , said building general manager Matthew Amato .
The Tribune reported in February that construction was supposed to start this fall , with plans to open in 2022 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tower , a pavilion for guest entry and a two-level observatory featuring a partial 83rd floor for entering the thrill ride , Sky Summit , which will lift visitors over the building ’ s edge for 30 to 40 seconds .
Many businesses in Chicago were shut down to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
But Democratic Gov .
J.B. Pritzker designated construction an essential industry and some Chicago projects continued .
The Aon Center delayed construction to provide more time for a potential treatment or cure for the coronavirus and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redesigned , said Amato of real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle .
“ It involves putting a lot of people into elevators to get them to the observatory , which isn ’ t possible right now , ” Amato said .
“ Because of the pandemic and the social distancing requirements that would be necessary for a venue such as that , we have to make sure before we have to make any changes that we would understand what they might be.
” New York-based 601W had planned to build an observatory overlooking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for $ 712 million in 2015 .
The developer estimates the project will generate annual revenue of $ 30 million to $ 40 million .
Once the project is completed , Chicago will have three observatories like New York , the only U.S. city to have that many .
Chicago also has Skydeck Chicago in Willis Tower and 360 Chicago in the former John Hancock Center .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Lebanon’s FM to summon US envoy over comments on Hezbollah

BEIRUT - Lebanon ’ s foreign minister summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beirut over comments she made recently in which she criticized the militant Hezbollah group , state-run National News Agency reported Sunday .
The agency gave no further details other than saying that the meeting between Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti and Ambassador Dorothy Shea is scheduled for Monday afternoon .
Local media said the minister will tell the ambassador that according to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties , an ambassador has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of another country and should not incite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Saturday , a Lebanese judge banned local and foreign media outlets in the country from interviewing the U.S. ambassador for a year saying that her criticism of Hezbollah was seditious and a threat to social peace .
The judge ’ s ruling came a day after Shea told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath that Washington has “ great concerns ” over Hezbollah ’ s role in the government .
The move was harshly criticized by many in Lebanon , which enjoyed one of the more freer media landscapes in the Arab world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments deemed an interference in Lebanon ’ s internal affairs Since the ban by the judge was imposed on Saturday , several local TV stations aired fresh comments from Shea in which she described the judge ’ s decision as “ unfortunate.
” She added that a senior Lebanese government official , whom she did not name , apologized to her .
“ I was contacted yesterday afternoon by a very high-ranking and a well-placed official in the Lebanese government and this official expressed apologies , conveyed that this ruling did not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local MTV station on Sunday .
Shea added that the official told her that the government “ will take the necessary step to reverse it.
” The court decision reflected the rising tension between the U.S. and Hezbollah .
It also revealed a widening rift among groups in Lebanon , which is facing the worst economic crisis in its modern history .
Hezbollah legislator Hassan Fadlallah on Sunday called Shea ’ s comments “ a flagrant aggression on the sovereignty of our country and its national dignity.
” He called on the foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect international law.
” Lebanon is gripped by a deepening financial crisis and talks with the International Monetary Fund for assistance has been complicated by political infighting .
Shea said Lebanon is reeling from years of corruption of successive governments and accused Hezbollah of siphoning off government funds for its own purposes and of obstructing needed economic reforms .
Hezbollah , the Iran-backed Shiite group , and its allies are dominant in parliament and back the current government .
It is designated by Washington as a terrorist group and the U.S. has continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , Washington is one of the largest donors to the Lebanese army , making for one of the more complicated diplomatic balancing acts in the region .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Bangladesh’s northern regions brace for monsoon floods

DHAKA , Bangladesh - With the monsoon setting in and waters from India rushing downstream , Bangladesh is facing a serious threat of floods that could cause extensive damage to farmlands across the delta nation ’ s vast northern regions , officials said Sunday .
The country ’ s Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said water levels in many rivers were continuing to rise , posing threats to flood protection embankments that could burst , potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people in more than 20 districts .
Abdur Rahim , a disaster management official in northern Sirajganj district , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected after the Jamuna River swelled .
“ If the waters continue to rise , many areas will go underwater , ” he said .
“ The signs are not good.
” In other parts of the north , water levels in some major rivers , including the Teesta and the Dharla , have risen due to heavy rainfall in the last few days , inundating many areas in Lalmonirhat , Nilphamari , Gaibandha and Kurigram districts , according to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center .
The region is impoverished and most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bhuiyan , an engineer with the warning centre , said Sunday that waters would continue to inundate low-lying areas over the next week , affecting croplands and homes .
He said officials were monitoring the situation so that the government can take action to try to mitigate the impact .
Heavy rainfall in India ’ s Meghalaya and Assam states and in nearby parts of Bangladesh have triggered flash floods .
Bangladesh and India share 54 transboundary rivers .
Bangladesh , a delta nation of 160 million people , has experienced devastating floods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of people losing their homes and land .
The country , which is crisscrossed by 230 rivers , is prone to tropical cyclones and receives monsoon rains between June and October every year , often leading to floods .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Asia Today: Sri Lanka lifts coronavirus curfew

COLOMBO , Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka ’ s government on Sunday lifted a curfew imposed to contain the spreading of the coronavirus .
The curfew was first imposed on March 20 and was in effect 24 hours a day for more than a month across the country .
The government began to ease the curfew after health authorities said the virus was under control in the Indian Ocean island nation .
Since April , it was mostly confined to nighttime .
The curfew had been in effect from midnight to 4 a.m. since June 13 .
Sri Lankan health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the coronavirus and new patients belong to two known clusters .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — South Korea has confirmed 62 additional cases of the coronavirus over a 24-hour period , as the country continues to grapple with new clusters after easing social distancing rules .
The additional cases reported Sunday took the total to 12,715 with 282 deaths .
Officials said 40 of the new cases were from domestic infections , while the other 22 came from overseas .
Twenty-six of the 40 domestic cases were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area .
South Korea has been struggling to suppress a spike in new cases since it eased up on its rigid social distancing rules in early May .
The new cases have been linked to nightclubs , church services , a huge e-commerce warehouse and low-income workers .
— China reported 17 new cases , all but three of them from domestic transmission in Beijing , which has seen a recent spike in coronavirus infections .
But authorities in the capital say a campaign to conduct tests on employees at hair and beauty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive cases so far , in a further sign that the recent outbreak has been largely brought under control .
No new deaths were reported Sunday , leaving China ’ s reported total at 4,634 among 83,500 confirmed cases .
Tens of millions of Chinese travelled during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival that ended Saturday , but anti-crowding measures were in force nationwide .
Tourist sites were required to cap visitor numbers at 30 % of capacity .
— Australia ’ s Victoria state has stepped up efforts to contain a spike in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all travellers returning from overseas .
The state government said Sunday that travellers in mandatory quarantine will be tested twice — on the third and 11th days of their 14-day isolation .
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said those who refuse to comply will be required to remain in quarantine for a further 10 days to ensure they pose no risk to the wider community .
A total of 49 new cases of the coronavirus were recorded in Victoria on Sunday , continuing a sharp rise in recent days .
Australia ’ s most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday reported three new cases while Western Australia reported just one .
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India must focus on bolstering the economy as it exits the lockdown phase , even as the number of coronavirus cases continues to climb .
On Sunday , India reported additional 19,906 confirmed cases , taking the total to 528,859 with 16,095 deaths .
Modi told a radio address that during the post-lockdown period , Indians have to stay more vigilant compared to the lockdown and only alertness can save them from the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask and observe social distancing norms and other precautions , or else would be putting others at risk , especially the elderly and children at home .
Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--In NYC, marking 50th anniversary of Pride, no matter what

NEW YORK - There will be protest , and rainbow flags and performances — it is LGBTQ Pride , after all .
But what is normally an outpouring on the streets of New York City is going to look a little different this year , thanks to social distancing rules required by the coronavirus .
With the city ’ s massive Pride parade cancelled , the performances Sunday will be virtual , the flags will be flying in emptier than normal spaces , and the protesters will be masked .
The disruption caused by the virus would be an aggravation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this one , the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march in New York City .
That June 28 , 1970 , event itself was a marker of the Stonewall uprisings of the year before in New York City ’ s West Village that helped propel a global LGBTQ movement .
Initially called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March , it looked much like the protests that have streamed through the streets of New York City daily in recent weeks over racial injustice .
Marchers trooped to Central Park , chanting “ Gay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proud !
” Cities around the world in subsequent years followed New York ’ s lead , hosting commemorative events .
Organizers of this year ’ s event in New York City are determined to showcase some of that spirit , with a TV broadcast honouring the front line workers who have been so necessary in the fight against the virus as well as people and institutions of the LGBTQ community .
The show is scheduled to have performers including Janelle Monáe , Deborah Cox , and Billy Porter , and appearances from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not the only event .
At least one will be in person , billed as the Queer Liberation March for Black Lives and Against Police Brutality , and marching from lower Manhattan to Washington Square Park .
The organizers are activists who held a protest march last year as an alternative to the main Pride parade , saying it had become too corporate .
Other celebrations of the day will be visual .
At Rockefeller Center , more than 100 rainbow flags have been placed around the centre rink , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rainbow colours .
In the West Village , a rainbow light art installation next to the Stonewall Inn will illuminate the sky in tribute to the uprising and the original march , as well as those who have marched and fought through the years .
Gatherings of large groups of people are still barred in New York City as part of an effort to control the spread of the coronavirus .
Other parades cancelled this spring included the St. Patrick ’ s Day parade and Puerto Rican Day parade .
Still , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late-May death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota .
One of the largest demonstrations was a June 14 demonstration in Brooklyn , where thousands gathered for a Black Trans Lives Matter protest .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Lazarus Chakwera inaugurated as Malawi’s new president

BLANTYRE , Malawi - Lazarus Chakwera has been sworn in as Malawi ’ s new president Sunday after the announcement the previous night that he had won the southern African country ’ s rerun elections .
Chakwera is Malawi ’ s sixth president after winning the historic election held last week , the first time a court-overturned vote in Africa has resulted in the defeat of an incumbent leader .
Following a hard-fought campaign , Chakwera urged national reconciliation in his inaugural speech in the capital , Lilongwe , and spoke directly to supporters of defeated incumbent president Peter Mutharika @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency fills you with fear and grief .
I want you to remember one thing , that this new Malawi is a home to you , too , “ said Chakwera .
” So long as I am its president it will be a home in which you , too , will prosper.
” Chakwera won with 58.57 % of votes cast , beating the incumbent president Peter Mutharika , according to official results announced by the Malawi Electoral Commission Saturday night .
There were night-long celebrations in the cities and towns across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said said it was an honour to stand before inaugural crowd as their president .
“ It ’ s an honour that feels me with unspeakable joy and immense gratitude .
It ’ s an honour forged in the furnace of your desire and your demand for change , ” he said .
Chakwera ’ s election came after months of determined street protests against the results of the election more than a year ago , in May 2019 , in which Mutharika had been declared the winner .
The constitutional Court struck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the use of correction fluid on ballots .
It was just the second time in Africa that a court has overturned a presidential election , following a ruling on Kenya ’ s vote in 2017 .
The Malawi Human Right Commission , one of the observers , endorsed the the rerun election as peaceful and transparent .
The defeated incumbent Mutharika criticized the rerun election as “ the worst in Malawi ’ s history ” but he urged the country to “ move on peacefully ” speaking to the media in Blantyre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Progressive Party issued a statement on Saturday calling on the electoral commission to annul the results of the second vote and declare a third election , but Mutharika did not call for that when he spoke to the press .
Acknowledging the discontent of Mutharika ’ s supporters , Chakwera asked them in his inaugural speech to give him a chance to earn their trust and to make his election a win for all Malawians .
“ Those of you that celebrate , celebrate with a humanness that all Malawians deserve so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory that is not for one man , not for one woman , not for one party , not for one group , but for all of us together , “ said Chakwera .
” That is how we will fulfil the dream of a new Malawi that will be for everyone .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Black candidates push race debate into GOP-held districts

COLUMBUS , Ind .
- It was a scene Jeannine Lee Lake never would have imagined when she first ran against Greg Pence , Vice-President Mike Pence ’ s brother , for a rural Indiana congressional seat two years ago : an almost entirely white crowd of more than 100 people marching silently in the Pences ’ hometown this month , offering prayers for Black people killed by police and an end to systemic racism .
Leading them was Lake , who is in rematch against Pence .
She is the only Black woman running for federal office in Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost badly in 2018 and again faces long odds in the deeply conservative district , has spent much of the past few weeks at events such as the one in Columbus on Juneteenth .
In communities across a district that is 93 % white , Lake has talked about seeing her children pulled over by police and “ harassed for no reason.
” She has spoken the names of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and other Black people killed by police , telling crowds “ we ’ re here to call for change.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or form is 2018 the same as the 2020 race in regard to the grassroots effort and the galvanization of the movement that is now Black Lives Matter , ” said Lake , 50 .
“ It ’ s just a total shift.
” The reenergized movement against racial inequality has amplified the voices of Black candidates , in some cases pushing the political debate over race into Republican-leaning areas .
Democrats say they ’ ve seen a significant boost in fundraising and other engagement for candidates running on racial justice issues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flip some Republican-held districts in November .
Polls show usually broad bipartisan support for some change to the nation ’ s criminal justice system .
But lawmakers in Washington are at an impasse after far-reaching federal legislation passed the Democrat-led House on Thursday over objections from Republicans .
Pence voted no , saying he opposes changes to the qualified immunity system that shields officers from liability .
In Arkansas , Democratic state Sen. Joyce Elliott says she ’ s seeing new momentum in her bid to unseat GOP Rep. French Hill and become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected to Congress .
She began running digital ads shortly after Floyd ’ s death last month .
In them , she spoke about her experience integrating a school in the 1960s where she and other Black students weren ’ t wanted .
It was the kind of fundraising appeal that typically would bring in about $ 1.50 for every $ 1 a congressional campaign spent on the ad buy .
This ad cost Elliott ’ s campaign about $ 2,500 and raised $ 24,000 within one week , said Julia Ager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm for Elliott ’ s campaign .
Other Black candidates are seeing a similar trend , she said .
“ The environment is different , and that environment has created a boon of support , ” Ager said .
For people who are tired of inaction and want to see more Black people in Congress , “ it seems like a clear place to direct money.
” Elliott , 69 , has also been travelling to Black Lives Matter protests around the district , which includes Little Rock and its suburbs and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a decade .
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic , the kidney donor speaks to crowds from the back of a pickup truck , often to predominantly white audiences .
She tells her story of overcoming adversity , mentioning the people in school who didn ’ t want her or other Black students there .
At one recent event , the crowd gathered in the shadow of a Confederate statue , where the discussion turned to trying to have it removed .
After a lifetime of feeling like she had to “ push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ now it feels like this is a big warm embrace.
” Her campaign has been backed by EMILY ’ s List , which supports women in politics , and the Congressional Black Caucus PAC .
“ I ’ m feeling now as if a door has opened , ” Elliott said .
“ People can look at someone like me and say , ‘ Why not Joyce Elliott ?
Isn ’ t she the right person for this moment ?
’ ” In North Carolina , Democrats saw Pat Timmons-Goodson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redrawn congressional district held by Republican Rep. Richard Hudson even before the discussion over policing and racial inequality was reinvigorated .
Timmons-Goodson was the first Black woman on the Supreme Court of North Carolina and served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights , where she helped write recommendations on policing .
In 2016 , President Barack Obama nominated her to the federal court , though the nomination was among those blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , and other Republicans .
Timmons-Goodson received national attention during that debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left vacant for years and became part of a national fight over the courts .
But her campaign says support for her candidacy exploded in recent weeks .
Timmons-Goodson reported fewer than 1,000 individual contributions for the first quarter of 2020 .
In the quarter that ends Tuesday , the campaign expects to report some 20,000 contributions .
Lake may have a tougher fight ahead in Indiana , but she ’ s had to order more campaign signs and more than doubled her ranks of campaign volunteers .
Pence ’ s campaign largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell Lake they ’ re considering running for office , too .
Her campaign also is organizing “ Candidates for Change ” events , which will be held in more than half the district ’ s 19 counties and will focus on issues of policing , inequality and systemic racism — conversations that may not have occurred before in some places .
Even as the pandemic has cancelled much campaigning , the protests have gone on .
“ I ’ m going to keep on going , as long as they do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago .
Smith is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

Sara Burnett And Casey Smith - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--DC mayor caught between activists, police in funding battle

WASHINGTON - Muriel Bowser ’ s national profile had never been higher , thanks to a Twitter beef with President Donald Trump and a renewed push to turn the nation ’ s capital into the 51st state .
Now Washington ’ s mayor must pull off a public juggling act as the city budget becomes a battleground for the country ’ s debate on overhauling law enforcement .
An activist collective led by Black Lives Matter is trying to capitalize on shifting public opinion , and the demands include major cuts in funding for the Metropolitan Police Department .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would push for up to $ 15 million in cuts , but Bowser is defending her 2021 budget proposal , which includes a 3.3 % increase in police money .
With conservatives painting her as a radical riot-supporter , Bowser must thread this needle with both Black Lives Matter and the White House watching her every move .
It ’ s a similar dilemma to that faced by other urban mayors of protest hot spots who must balance competing pressures without alienating either the activists or the police .
In Los Angeles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going far enough on law enforcement changes while the police union has called him “ unstable.
” In Atlanta , Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is dealing with mass police no-shows over her handling of police violence cases .
Bowser is also finding herself one of the public faces of Washington ’ s quest to be a state .
The House of Representatives on Friday , voting largely along party lines , approved a bill to grant statehood .
It was the first time a chamber of Congress had approved such a measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP-controlled Senate , where Sen. Tom Cotton , R-Ark.
, singled out Bowser out on Thursday as a reason that Washington can not be trusted with statehood .
He called her “ a left wing politician … who frequently takes the side of rioters against law enforcement.
” Cotton lumped Bowser in with the late Marion Barry , a former mayor who was caught on video smoking crack cocaine in a 1990 FBI sting .
Barry , who died in 2014 , remains a beloved figure in many parts of the district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve additional terms as both a mayor and a councilman .
A statue of him was erected in front of the D.C. government administration building in 2018 .
“ Would you trust Mayor Bowser to keep Washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor ?
Would you trust Marion Barry , ” Cotton asked .
Granting the predominantly Democratic city statehood would likely increase the party ’ s numbers in Congress .
In the early days of the protests , Bowser publicly sided with the demonstrators as Trump usurped local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security response .
Bowser responded by renaming the protest epicenter , within sight of the White House , as Black Lives Matter Plaza .
She also commissioned a mural with Black Lives Matter painted on 16th Street across from the White House in yellow letters large enough to be seen from space .
For Trump and his supporters , Bowser may as well have declared herself a dues-paying member of the movement ’ s local chapter .
But that chapter didn ’ t feel the same , immediately dismissing it as “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s a stunt .
It was always a stunt , ” said activist Joella Roberts .
“ We don ’ t need a street sign to tell us we matter .
We ’ re here in the streets because we already know we matter.
” April Goggans , a core organizer with Black Lives Matter DC , rejected Bowser ’ s moves as “ taking advantage of national attention , ” and added , “ She would never even say the words ‘ Black Lives Matter ’ until recently.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ordered the changes .
“ Black Lives Matter is very critical of police .
They ’ re critical of me , ” Bowser said , not long after hanging the new street sign .
“ That doesn ’ t mean that I don ’ t see them and support the things that will make our community safe.
” The street mural in particular became the subject of a cat-and-mouse game that underscores the complexities of Bowser ’ s position .
The original mural also bore a yellow outline of the D.C. flag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stars .
Within days , activists had erased the stars to create the appearance of an equal sign and added their own message , turning the mural into “ Black Lives Matter=Defund The Police.
” Clearly not wanting to antagonize the street activists , Bowser ’ s government has allowed the “ Defund the Police ” addition to remain .
But city crews did repaint the stars on the D.C. flag image .
Now that struggle moves into the district ’ s decision-making corridors as Bowser finds herself caught between the D.C. Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community and her own police department .
Relations between the City Council and the police are already fragile thanks to legislation that was quickly and unanimously passed on June 9 .
It prohibits police from using tear gas or riot gear to break up protests , bans the use of choke-holds , strengthens disciplinary procedures and speeds up the release of body camera footage and names of officers involved in fatal shootings .
Both Bowser and the police chief , Peter Newsham , were critical of the move , saying lawmakers reacted rashly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough input before passing the measure .
A local TV station obtained a recording of Newsham telling fellow officers that the department felt “ completely abandoned ” by the D.C. Council .
A new showdown is looming over the 2021 budget .
Council member Charles Allen , head of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety , said the committee received 15,000 calls , messages and video testimonials before a budget hearing this month — an exponential increase in interest from previous years .
A draft report from the committee reportedly includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts to the police budget .
Bowser on Thursday said that she hadn ’ t read the police funding proposal yet and would wait until the Council formally submitted its proposed changes to her .
She insisted that her 3.3 % increase — bringing the total police budget up to $ 533 million — was the correct assessment of what was needed to keep the city safe .
“ We sent them the budget that we need , ” she said .
Goggans , the local Black Lives Matter organizer , dismissed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the proposed cuts amount to far less than they seem .
“ There ’ s not a compromise to made on our side .
That just can ’ t happen , ” Goggans said .
“ We ’ re going to keep putting up a massive amount of pressure and escalating our tactics and intensity .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--China reviews heavily criticized Hong Kong security bill

BEIJING - China ’ s legislature on Sunday began reviewing a controversial national security bill for Hong Kong that critics worldwide say will severely compromise human rights in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory .
The National People ’ s Congress Standing Committee took up the bill at the start of a three-day session , China ’ s official Xinhua News Agency reported .
China has said it is determined to enact the law , and its passage is expected by Tuesday .
The U.S. says it will respond by ending favourable trading terms granted to the former British colony after it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a bill to impose sanctions on businesses and individuals — including the police — that undermine Hong Kong ’ s autonomy or restrict freedoms promised to the city ’ s residents .
The Senate bill targets police units that have cracked down on Hong Kong protesters , as well as Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for imposing the national security law .
The measure also would impose sanctions on banks that do business with entities found to violate the law .
Last week , a former United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N. special envoys urged the body ’ s secretary-general to appoint a special envoy on Hong Kong over what they said is a pending “ humanitarian tragedy.
” Britain has said it would grant passports to as many as 3 million of Hong Kong ’ s 7.8 million people .
Beijing has denounced all such moves as gross interference in its internal affairs .
The law would criminalize secession , subversion of state power , terrorist activities and colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security .
Critics say Hong Kong ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that Beijing is determined to use the law to pursue political opponents .
The central government in Beijing also would set up a national security office in Hong Kong to collect and analyze intelligence and deal with criminal cases related to national security .
Few details have been released , but it appears that Beijing will have ultimate power over government appointments , further reducing the relative independence it promised to Hong Kong in a 1984 joint declaration with Britain that is considered an international treaty .
The measures have been widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date of Hong Kong ’ s British-style rule of law and high degree of autonomy that China promised Hong Kong would have under a “ one country , two systems ” principle .
China has long demanded such a law for Hong Kong , but efforts were shelved in the face of massive protests in 2003 .
Beijing appeared to have lost its patience in the face of widespread and often violent anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong last year , moving to circumvent the city ’ s own legislative council and enact the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics say are weak legal grounds .
On Sunday , opponents of the bill staged a protest in Hong Kong , with police using pepper spray and arresting 53 people “ on suspicion of unlawful assembly , ” according to Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--AP Interview: US envoy calls for Iran arms embargo renewal

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - An expiring United Nations weapons embargo on Iran must remain in place to prevent it from “ becoming the arms dealer of choice for rogue regimes and terrorist organizations around the world , ” the U.S. special representative to Iran said Sunday .
Brian Hook told The Associated Press that the world should ignore Iran ’ s threats to retaliate if the arms embargo set to expire in October is extended , calling it a “ mafia tactic.
” Among its options , the Islamic Republic could expel international inspectors monitoring Iran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrawing from Tehran ’ s 2015 atomic accord with global powers .
The U.N. arms embargo so far has stopped Iran from purchasing fighter jets , tanks , warships and other weaponry , but has failed to halt its smuggling of weapons into war zones .
Despite that , Hook argued both an import and export ban on Tehran must remain in place to secure the wider Mideast .
“ If we let it expire , you can be certain that what Iran has been doing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daylight and then some , ” Hook said .
Iran ’ s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Hook ’ s remarks .
Hook made the comments while on a visit to Abu Dhabi , the capital of the U.S.-allied United Arab Emirates , as part of a Mideast tour .
Hook met Saturday with Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and planned Sunday to meet with other officials .
Hook declined to say where else he would travel on his trip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dubai via videoconference as Abu Dhabi ’ s borders remain closed to the UAE ’ s six other sheikhdoms over the coronavirus pandemic .
The United Nations banned Iran from buying major foreign weapon systems in 2010 amid tensions over its nuclear program .
That blocked Iran from replacing its aging equipment , much of which had been purchased by the shah before the 1979 Islamic Revolution .
An earlier embargo targeted Iranian arms exports .
If the embargo is lifted , the U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency predicted in 2019 that Iran likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jets , Yak-130 trainer aircraft and T-90 tanks .
Tehran also may try to buy Russia ’ s S-400 anti-aircraft missile system and its Bastian coastal defence missile system , the DIA said .
Iran long has been outmatched by U.S.-backed Gulf nations like the UAE , which have purchased billions of dollars of advanced American weaponry .
In response , Tehran turned toward developing ballistic missiles as a deterrent .
Hook declined to discuss an explosion Friday in Iran near an area analysts believe hides an underground tunnel system and missile production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new , foreign weapons systems , however , remains in question .
U.S. sanctions imposed after Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal have crushed Iran ’ s oil sales , a major source of revenue .
Energy prices have also collapsed amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Asked about how Iran would pay for the new weapons , Hook said Tehran ’ s lowered revenues represented “ a good thing for the region ” and affected its ability to back its regional proxies , like Syria .
“ We have put this regime through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dilemma , ” Hook said .
“ They have to choose between guns in Damascus or butter in Tehran.
” That financial pressure has led to sporadic anti-government protests in Iran , including nationwide demonstrations in November that Amnesty International says saw over 300 people killed .
While the Trump administration has maintained it doesn ’ t seek to overthrow Iran ’ s government , its pressure campaign has exacerbated public anger against its Shiite theocracy .
Since Trump ’ s withdrawal from the nuclear deal , Iran has broken all the accord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s International Atomic Energy Agency , which monitors Iranian nuclear activity as part of the deal , says Tehran ’ s stockpile of low-enriched uranium continues to grow .
While not at weapons-grade levels , the growing stockpile and increased production shortens the one-year timeline analysts believe Iran would need to have enough material for a nuclear weapon if it chose to pursue one .
Iran long has denied seeking atomic bombs , though the IAEA previously said Iran had done work in “ support of a possible military dimension to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late 2003 .
Iran has threatened to expel IAEA inspectors and withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty amid the U.S. pressure campaign .
North Korea , which now has nuclear weapons , is the only country to ever withdraw from the treaty .
“ If we play by Iran ’ s rules , Iran wins , ” Hook said .
“ It is a mafia tactic where people are intimidated into accepting a certain kind of behaviour for fear of something far worse.
” Hook maintained that the U.N. ’ s ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain in place , even though it has not prevented Tehran from smuggling arms .
Iranian arms in particular have turned up in Yemen , where Tehran-backed Houthi rebels fight a Saudi-led coalition .
“ I don ’ t think anyone believes that Iran ’ s behaviour merits loosening restrictions on their ability to move weapons , ” Hook said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Israeli court releases anti-Netanyahu activist after arrest

JERUSALEM - A Jerusalem court early on Sunday ordered the release of a former Air Force general and leading activist opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s rule whose arrest prompted hundreds to protest outside the Israeli leader ’ s residence .
Retired Brig .
Gen. Amir Haskel has been a leader of the protest movement against Netanyahu , demanding that the long-time leader step down while facing charges of fraud , breach of trust and accepting bribes .
Haskel and several others were detained on Friday in what police said was an “ illegal ” demonstration because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former top Israeli Air Force general , has become a symbol of the protest movement that opposes Netanyahu ’ s continued rule .
Demonstrations have been held regularly around the country , with protesters waving signs reading “ crime minister “ and calling for Netanyahu to resign .
“ No one will prevent us from protesting anywhere , ” Haskel said upon his release , adding a barb toward Netanyahu about his own brief experience in jail .
“ We were in Hadarim prison for 15 hours .
It wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible.
” The arrests drew angry denunciations from prominent Israelis and sent hundreds out to protest outside Netanyahu ’ s residence on Saturday , with many slamming the police for making what they viewed as politically-motivated arrests .
Police said they offered to release Haskel and others if they agreed to refrain from returning to the scene of the protests .
Haskel and two others refused the conditions and remained in detention .
Gabi Lasky , the lawyer representing Haskel , told Israeli Army Radio that the court eventually released him without conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy .
The country ’ s acting police chief said the force would learn a lesson from the incident .
“ The role of the police is to allow freedom of expression and demonstration to every person and to keep the public peace and security , this regardless of the protest ’ s subject , the identity of the protesters or their opinions , “ acting commissioner Motti Cohen said .
Netanyahu is on trial for a series of scandals in which he allegedly received lavish gifts from billionaire friends and traded regulatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage of himself and his family .
The trial is set to resume next month .
Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing , calling the charges a witch-hunt against him by a hostile media and a biased law enforcement system .
The scandals , and Netanyahu ’ s indictment , featured prominently in three Israeli election campaigns over the course of a year .
The political stalemate finally ended last month when Netanyahu reached a power-sharing agreement with his chief challenger , retired military chief Benny Gantz .
But tensions were still evident at Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the defence minister and alternate prime minister , noted Haskel ’ s arrest and said the right to protest was a “ sacred right.
” Netanyahu , seated alongside him , retorted that the right to protest was never in question and that Israel allowed it even amid the most restrictive of times during the recent coronavirus outbreak .
“ The argument that are looking to limit it is absurd and has no place , ” he said .
“ At the same time , the laws and regulations of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not the prerogative of one side to say they support the rule of law and then to trample it.
“


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Women ‘on precipice’ in developing countries amid COVID-19

KAMPALA , Uganda - Rebecca Nakamanya rolls her eyes , dismissing a question about school fees .
What really worries her is how to feed three children and a jobless partner on a daily wage of less than $ 3 , minus transport to and from her job as a cook .
“ We have not even started thinking about school fees , ” she says .
“ When we don ’ t have what to eat ?
When the landlord is also waiting ?
” In the usually bustling labyrinth of shops surrounding a bus terminal in Uganda ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other women sit idle in their open-air restaurant , waiting for customers who rarely come .
They are fortunate to be working at all .
Business has been so poor under coronavirus lockdown measures that their nearest rivals have shut down .
Their restaurant remains open mainly because the landlord deferred rent payments , a rare gesture of goodwill .
The COVID-19 pandemic means that millions of women in Africa and other developing regions could lose years of success in contributing to household incomes , asserting their independence and expanding financial inclusion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of each day , a hand-to-mouth existence that has consequences for the whole family when business is bleak .
Now many are increasingly under pressure as they deplete their savings and landlords threaten eviction .
The impact of COVID-19 “ has the face of the women , ” especially in Africa , Bineta Diop , an African Union special envoy , told reporters this month .
Although lockdown measures have affected 81 % of the global workforce , “ women ’ s economic and productive lives will be affected disproportionately and different than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April .
“ Across the globe , women earn less , save less , hold less secure jobs , are more likely to be employed in the informal sector .
They have less access to social protections and are the majority of single-parent households .
Their capacity to absorb economic shock is therefore less than that of men.
” More than 70 % of African women in non-agricultural jobs are employed in the informal sector such as street and market vending , work that requires no diplomas , resumes or formal approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but in difficult times that means they ’ re not likely to benefit from government relief .
In Uganda , which had 848 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Sunday , authorities say restrictions on close-contact businesses such as beauty salons are necessary to prevent a sharp rise in infections .
Many men also work in the informal sector but vehicle mechanics , metal fabricators , taxi operators and carpenters — who are often men — are now allowed to operate .
The sectors seen as being at high risk of job losses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; real estate , business and administrative services ; manufacturing and the wholesale/retail trade — employ 527 million women worldwide , representing 41 % of total female employment , compared to 35 % of total male employment , the International Labor Organization said last month .
The numbers suggest “ women ’ s employment is likely to be hit more severely than men ’ s by the current crisis , “ it added .
Many women face further distress as some local authorities in Africa , claiming to be improving infrastructure and protecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrict access to public spaces in which women are more likely to work .
Such demolitions have been reported in Congo , Zimbabwe and Kenya .
In a report this month the humanitarian group CARE said the pandemic has “ a disproportionate impact on the very women entrepreneurs who have worked hard so hard to lift themselves out of poverty.
” It cited Guatemala , where 96 % of women entrepreneurs benefiting from the group ’ s programs can no longer afford basic food items .
The international response to the pandemic “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic justice and rights of women “ to retain progress made over decades in gender equality , said Reintje van Haeringen , a CARE official .
Grace Twisimire , 25 , operates a once-thriving shop in Kampala .
She said she now can go hours without selling even a pair of plastic clogs that go for less than $ 2 .
She quickly rises to her feet when a potential customer passes by , then slowly settles into her seat when they walk away .
Dust has settled over the jeans hanging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no money now , ” she said .
“ There are no people .
I don ’ t know , but if business does not improve I may go back to the village.
” In the streets of Kampala women squat on curbs , selling everything from passion fruit to undergarments .
But they must look out for law enforcement officials who occasionally swoop in to confiscate goods sold in undesignated markets .
Recently there was public anger after men in military uniform were seen whipping women carrying baskets of fruit on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Otherwise they will take our things , ” said Gladys Afoyocan , a basket heaped with passion fruit in her lap .
“ I do this for my children .
Our children must stay alive.
” The mother of five now needs a week or longer to sell a single bag of fruit .
Before the outbreak , two days were usually enough .
“ What can I do now ?
” she said .
“ This is my business.
” Even relatively comfortable entrepreneurs such as Marion Namutebi , who runs a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down operations and furloughed workers until further notice .
This is the first time she ’ s had to close since since the restaurant opened in 2014 .
“ Business was just not adding up , ” she said .
“ For many people , going to the restaurant is now a luxury.
“


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--China virus cases stabilize as Italy sees drop in deaths

BEIJING - China has extended COVID-19 tests to newly reopened salons amid a drop in cases , while South Korea continues to face new infections after it eased social distancing rules to lift the economy .
In the U.S. , Vice-President Mike Pence called off off a planned campaign bus tour in Florida following a surge in confirmed cases there .
Hard-hit Italy , meanwhile , registered the lowest day-to-day tally of COVID-19 deaths Saturday in nearly four months .
No positive cases were found in Beijing ’ s beauty and barber shops in a further sign that the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought under control .
Beijing officials have temporarily shut a huge wholesale food market where the virus spread widely , reclosed schools and locked down some neighbourhoods .
Anyone leaving Beijing is required to have a negative virus test result within the previous seven days .
Tens of millions of Chinese travelled during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival that ended Saturday , with no outbreaks reported immediately .
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 40 of the newly reported cases were domestically infected , while 22 others came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases were detected in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area , linked to nightclubs , church services , a huge e-commerce warehouse and low-income workers .
In Hawaii , the city of Honolulu announced that campgrounds will reopen for the first time in three months with limited permits to ensure social distancing .
In contrast , Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee put a hold on plans to move counties to the fourth phase of his reopening plan as cases continue to increase .
In a further sign of the impact on the U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 371 employees at its chicken processing plant in the far southwestern corner of Missouri have tested positive for COVID-19 .
Pence cancelled a planned bus tour in Florida to benefit his and President Donald Trump ’ s reelection , as state health officials on Saturday reported more than 9,500 new cases , surpassing the previous day ’ s total by more than 600 confirmed cases .
The figures come as officials move to reclose beaches and discourage bar gatherings .
Kansas , Idaho and Oklahoma were also among U.S. states seeing a sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partly reflects expanded testing , experts say there is ample evidence the scourge is making a comeback , including increasing deaths and hospitalizations in parts of the country and higher percentages of virus tests coming back positive .
According to Italy ’ s Health Ministry data , there were eight deaths of infected patients since Friday , raising the nation ’ s known toll in the pandemic to 34,716 .
There were 175 new cases , bringing the overall count of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country where Europe ’ s outbreak first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country was emerging from the crisis , fewer than 100 infected patients were occupying ICU beds nationwide for the first time since the very early days of the outbreak , European leaders were taking no chances , however .
German authorities renewed a lockdown in a western region of about 500,000 people in the past week after about 1,300 slaughterhouse workers tested positive for COVID-19 .
Serbia ’ s government says Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin tested positive for the coronavirus .
Known for his highly pro-Russian stance , Vulin was part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aleksandar Vucic that attended a Victory Day parade this week in Moscow .
Vucic met face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin , but it was not clear whether Vulin did so as well .
Britain ’ s government is expected to scrap a 14-day quarantine requirement that forced people to self-isolate upon returning home from abroad .
India ’ s confirmed coronavirus cases crossed half a million on Saturday with another record 24-hour jump of 18,552 infections .
Egypt has largely reopened .
In Cairo , a metropolis of some 20 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-house customers but the smoking of “ sheesha ” from hookah waterpipes was still on hold .
Deaths in the U.S. are running at about 600 per day , down from a peak of around 2,200 in mid-April .
Some experts have expressed doubt that deaths will return to that level because of advances in treatment and because many infections are happening in younger adults , who are more likely than older ones to survive .
The virus is blamed for more than 125,000 deaths and over 2.5 million confirmed infections nationwide in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count .
But health officials believe the true number of infections is about 10 times higher .
Worldwide , the virus has claimed close to a half-million lives with nearly 10 million cases .
The resurgence in the U.S. has drawn concern from abroad .
The European Union seems almost certain to bar Americans in the short term from entering the bloc , which is currently drawing up new travel rules , EU diplomats said .
Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report .
Follow AP news coverage of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--2 dead after shooting at business centre in California

RED BLUFF , Calif. - A man drove into a distribution centre and started shooting at people Saturday , killing an employee and wounding four others before he was killed by police , authorities said .
The shooting by the 31-year-old man with a semi-automatic rifle started about 3:30 p.m. at the Walmart distribution centre south of Red Bluff , Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said in a news conference .
Tehama County Sheriff ’ s Office deputies have determined the shooter circled the parking lot four times before crashing into the building and opening fire with the rifle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers shot the suspected shooter at the distribution centre , the KHSL TV station reported .
The suspect has a history with the workplace , Johnston said .
The identity of the suspected shooter is being withheld pending notification of relatives .
The employee who was killed is Martin Haro-Lozano , 45 , of Orland , California , Johnston said .
The two deceased people and the four injured ones were taken to St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff , spokeswoman Allison Hendrickson told The Associated Press .
She declined to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire at the distribution centre , authorities said .
There were about 200 workers inside the facility , some of whom locked themselves in a room , employees at the centre told the KHSL TV station .
The suspect was described as being in a white vehicle , the Sacramento Bee reported .
The suspect was shot in the chest about 3:45 p.m. , dispatchers told the newspaper .
Scott Thammakhanty , an employee at the facility ’ s receiving centre , said he heard the shooter fire from the rifle .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t even know how many times he fired , ” Thammakhanty said .
“ I just know it was a lot.
” Thammakhanty and others started running for their lives , and he saw people lying on the ground as he went , he said .
Thammakhanty told the newspaper that he didn ’ t know his identity .
Fellow employee Franklin Lister , 51 , told the New York Times he had just started work when a coworker ran down the hallway shouting : “ Active gunfire !
Active shooter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his wife and son work at the facility .
They weren ’ t hurt , but Krick was waiting at the distribution centre to be reunited with them .
“ It was real crazy , because , you know , you can ’ t do nothing , ” Krick said .
Krick was on the way to pick up his wife when he saw the flames , he said .
His wife texted that she was OK , but told him not to come to the front entrance , the newspaper reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least one woman had been shot .
A man had also reported his leg getting run over when the shooter rammed a vehicle into the store , but the man wasn ’ t sure whether he had been shot , dispatchers said .
Walmart spokesman Scott Pope told the Record-Searchlight that the company is “ aware of the situation ” and working with law enforcement .
“ We don ’ t have any additional information to share at this time , ” Pope said .
Red Bluff is a city of about 14,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) north of Sacramento , California .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--Mississippi set to remove Confederate emblem from its flag

JACKSON , Miss .
- Mississippi is on the verge of changing its state flag to erase a Confederate battle emblem that ’ s broadly condemned as racist .
The flag ’ s supporters resisted efforts to change it for decades , but rapid developments in recent weeks have changed dynamics on this issue in the tradition-bound state .
As protests against racial injustice recently spread across the U.S. , including Mississippi , leaders from business , religion , education and sports have spoken forcefully against the state flag .
They have urged legislators to ditch the 126-year-old banner for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state with a 38 % Black population .
Legislators are expected to start voting Sunday to remove the current flag from state law .
A commission would design a new flag that can not include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words “ In God We Trust.
” The state House and Senate met Saturday and took a big step : By two-thirds margins , they suspended legislative deadlines so a flag bill could be filed .
Spectators cheered as each chamber voted , and legislators seeking the change embraced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .
There are issues involving football or whatever , ” Republican Lt. Gov .
Delbert Hosemann said Saturday .
“ But this vote came from the heart .
That makes it so much more important.
” Democratic Sen. David Jordan , who is African American , has pushed for decades to change the flag .
He smiled broadly after Saturday ’ s vote and said , “ This is such a metamorphosis.
“ Mississippi has the last state flag with the Confederate battle emblem — a red field topped by a blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag has been divisive for generations .
All of the state ’ s public universities have stopped flying it , as have a growing number of cities and counties .
White supremacists in the Mississippi Legislature set the state flag design in 1894 during backlash to the political power that African Americans gained after the Civil War .
In 2000 , the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that the flag lacked official status .
State laws were updated in 1906 , and portions dealing with the flag were not carried forward .
Legislators set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters kept the rebel-themed design .
Former Ole Miss basketball player Blake Hinson told his hometown Daytona Beach ( Florida ) News-Journal that the Mississippi flag played a part in his decision to transfer to Iowa State .
“ It was time to go and leave Ole Miss , ” Hinson said .
“ I ’ m proud not to represent that flag anymore and to not be associated with anything representing the Confederacy.
” Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves said Saturday for the first time that he would sign a bill to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sends him one .
Reeves and many other politicians have said people should get to vote on a flag design in another statewide election .
The new design — without the Confederate symbol — will be put on the ballot Nov. 3 , but it will be the only choice .
If a majority voting that day accept the new design , it will become the state flag .
If a majority reject it , the commission will design a new flag using the same guidelines .

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--At least 12 killed in flooding in southwestern China

BEIJING - Authorities in southwestern China ’ s Sichuan province say at least 12 people have died and 10 are missing following heavy rains , adding to a grow toll from summer flooding across the country .
Sichuan ’ s Mianning county was battered by storms on Friday and Saturday , with flooding especially bad in Yihai township , the county government reported .
Two vehicles plunged into a river along a flood-damaged highway , and 7,705 people were evacuated in the area .
The area lies on a plain at the foot of steep hills that eventually rise to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s major rivers .
Nationally , flooding since the start of June has left 78 people dead or missing , destroyed or damaged more than 100,000 homes and caused direct economic losses estimated at more than 25 billion yuan ( $ 3.5 billion ) , the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Sunday .
Seasonal flooding hits much of China each year , and authorities have sought to mitigate the damage through the use of dams , particularly the massive Three Gorges structure on the Yangtze .
China ’ s worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when more than 2,000 people died and almost 3 million homes were destroyed .


thetorontostar--2020-06-28--3 apprehended in attempted arson of Civil War monument base

DENVER - Police in Denver have apprehended three suspects in connection with an attempt to set fire to the pedestal of a Civil War statue that was toppled last week , authorities announced Sunday .
About 75 protesters had been demonstrating peacefully around the Capitol late Saturday night when a small group broke off and went to the statue site , a Colorado State Patrol spokesperson told KUSA_TV .
Just before 11 p.m. a fire was set atop the mostly concrete pedestal using wood and other materials .
the spokesperson said .
The Denver Fire Department extinguished the blaze within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was minimal .
Gov .
Jared Polis said three suspects were later apprehended .
They included a 22-year-old who was being held on suspicion of second-degree arson , according to the Denver Police Department .
“ We hope this also provides a breakthrough into other ongoing investigations regarding destruction of public property , ” Polis said in a statement .
“ There is a right way and a wrong way to have an open and honest conversation about our history .
Destruction and vandalism are not the answer.
“ The statue , erected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
It recognized a Union cavalry regiment that fought Confederate forces but also acknowledged the soldiers ’ role in an 1864 massacre of Native Americans .
Its toppling came as protesters across the nation have defaced and torn down statues of historic figures during recent demonstrations against racial injustice .
Most of those pieces have explicit ties to colonialism , slavery and the Confederacy , including imagery of Christopher Columbus and former U.S. presidents who owned slaves .
Polis has said the Denver statute will be repaired .