thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Yemen’s south in turmoil after separatists’ self-rule bid

CAIRO - A bid by separatists funded by the United Arab Emirates to assert control over southern Yemen has reopened a dangerous new front in Yemen ’ s civil war and pushed it closer to fragmentation at a time when the coronavirus pandemic poses a growing threat .
The separatists ’ recent declaration of self-rule over the key port city of Aden and other southern provinces also further pits Saudi Arabia and the UAE on opposing sides in the conflict , now in its sixth year .
A separatist leader made the declaration from the UAE — a clear sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The two Gulf states had been partners in a coalition waging war against Iran-linked Houthi rebels who seized the northern part of Yemen in 2014 .
The two allies have conflicting interests in the south , though , and are aligned with rival sides .
The UAE backs the separatists , and Saudi Arabia sides with Yemen ’ s internationally recognized government , led by exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi .
The intensifying split in the south could further impede the Saudis ’ efforts to find a way out of the costly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Saudi Arabia has accelerated its exit strategy in recent months , including conducting back channel talks with the rebels .
Last month , the Saudis declared a unilateral cease-fire , but it was rebuffed by the Houthis as a purported ploy , and fighting continued .
The UAE , meanwhile , is interested in securing shipping lanes along the Red Sea corridor and the crucial Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint off Yemen ’ s shoreline .
The UAE is both a major oil exporter and home to DP World , a global shipping and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the UAE also ensures that the Saudi-backed Islah party — the transnational Muslim Brotherhood ’ s branch in Yemen — won ’ t grow too powerful .
The UAE opposes Brotherhood affiliates throughout the Middle East .
“ It ’ s becoming a conflict by proxy between the UAE and Saudis , ” said Fernando Carvajal , a former member of the U.N. Security Council Panel of Experts .
Yemen ’ s conflict has split the country along tribal , regional and political lines .
It started with the Houthis taking Sanaa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the spring of 2015 , Saudi Arabia , the UAE and other Arab states formed a coalition to battle the rebels and curb Iran ’ s influence in what turned into a regional proxy war .
Since then , more than 100,000 people — fighters and civilians — have been killed .
Airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition and Houthis ’ ground fighting has displaced more than 3 million people and left millions of others unable to meet basic needs , pushing them to near-famine conditions .
The bid for southern self-rule comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brink of a devastating virus outbreak .
Yemen has only reported 21 confirmed cases of the virus , including three fatalities , most of them in Aden , according to the internationally recognized government ’ s Health Ministry .
Aden residents claimed the hospitals shut their doors as medical staffers feared contracting the virus while lacking protective equipment .
The World Health Organization warned Saturday that the virus is actively circulating in Yemen and that it ’ s preparing for the possibility of half the population getting infected .
In the south , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to areas that had been largely untouched by violence , threatening further displacement .
Late last week , explosions and artillery fire echoed through the valleys of the island of Socotra , a UNESCO world heritage site and home to species not found elsewhere .
Separatists fought with forces loyal to Hadi ’ s government on the island , a former UAE stronghold .
The UAE officially pulled troops out of southern Yemen last summer , but it continues to exert control through its proxies to ensure it holds onto key areas on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles ) of coastline .
Separatist leader Aydarous al-Zubaidi delivered the April 25 declaration of self-rule from the UAE ’ s seat of government , Abu Dhabi .
Al-Zubaidi heads the Southern Transitional Council , an umbrella group of heavily armed and well- financed militias propped up by the UAE since 2015 .
The council hopes to restore an independent southern Yemen , which existed from 1967-1990 .
The southern fighting leaves Hadi ’ s government in a much weaker position amid efforts to end the conflict with the Houthis .
The self-rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary capital , Aden .
Hadi has been living in exile in the Saudi capital of Riyadh for several years , but his government maintained a presence in Aden .
His government called the announcement a “ blatant coup ” against a peace deal with the separatists signed in Riyadh in November .
The Saudis had brokered the agreement after deadly battles between the separatists and Hadi-allied forces .
The fighting left the separatists in firm control of Aden , with the help of air cover from Emirati jets .
The Saudi-led coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strange action ” and called for the implementation of the Riyadh power-sharing deal , which stipulated the handover of heavy weapons , withdrawal of rival forces , and formation a new government .
The Hadi government said it had largely upheld the November power-sharing agreement and accused the separatists of failing to meet their obligations .
In an interview with The Associated Press , the foreign minister in Hadi ’ s government , Mohammed al-Hadhrami , appealed to the UAE to stop its support for the separatists ’ council .
Derailing the November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a comprehensive and just peace deal , ” he said .
It ’ s unclear if Saudi Arabia has the stamina for more manoeuvring in Yemen .
The Saudis are already embroiled in an international oil price war and a coronavirus outbreak of their own .
Consolidating Yemen ’ s south to only continue their stalemate with the Houthis might prove too great a task , some observers say .
“ It ’ s like a bullet-riddled boat and Saudis have to use all their 10 fingers and 10 toes to plug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sink , ” said Carvajal .
Associated Press writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--French doctors: First virus case may have been in December

LONDON - French scientists say they may have identified a possible case of the new coronavirus dating back to December — about a month before the first cases were officially confirmed in Europe .
In a study published in the International Journal of Microbial Agents , doctors at a hospital north of Paris reviewed retrospective samples of 14 patients treated for atypical pneumonia between early December and mid-January .
Among those were the records of Amirouche Hammar , a fishmonger in his 40s from Algeria who has lived in France for years and had no recent travel history .
Hammar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he drove himself to a hospital emergency unit at 5 a.m. one morning in late December because he felt very sick , with chest pains and breathing difficulties .
“ They said , ‘ Perhaps you have an infection , a pulmonary infection , although it ’ s not certain .
But what you have is very serious , very serious , because you are coughing blood .
It ’ s not normal flu , ’ ” he said .
Hammar was admitted to the hospital with symptoms doctors say were consistent with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of his children had also gotten sick with an unusual pneumonia shortly before Hammar fell ill .
When doctors retested Hammar ’ s old sample , they found it was positive for the coronavirus .
“ Identifying the first infected patient is of great epidemiological interest as it changes dramatically our knowledge ” regarding the spread of the coronavirus , wrote Dr. Yves Cohen , one of the French researchers .
An intensive care specialist , Cohen works in the northern suburbs of Paris where Hammar lives and which have been particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cohen told BFM-TV that when Hammar sought treatment in December , they figured he was simply suffering from a form of viral pneumonia that they couldn ’ t put their finger on .
“ We told ourselves , ‘ It ’ s a virus that we haven ’ t discovered , ’ but we stopped there.
” There doesn ’ t appear to have been any further transmission of the virus from Hammar , who later recovered after being treated with antibiotics in the ICU .
Cohen and colleagues suggested their results showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases from before the disease was officially detected in Europe .
Still , the scientists acknowledged that because the study , which was published online Sunday , was done retrospectively , “ medical records were not exhaustive and some relevant information might have been missing.
” Other experts said the results were interesting , but hardly conclusive .
Jonathan Ball , a professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham , said it was possible the results were due to lab contamination .
“ If he was infected ( with COVID-19 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapid and earlier spread of the virus in France than was seen , ” he said in a statement .
Ball wasn ’ t connected to the published study .
“ Sequencing any virus in the sample might give you insight into whether or not the virus truly was an early isolate or likely contamination , but it looks from the data that the amount of virus in the sample was low , so would be difficult to analyse further , ” he said .
Rowland Kao , an epidemiologist at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in the early days of the disease ’ s emergence , there were many instances in which infected people travelled around the world but that the virus wasn ’ t spread any further .
Christian Lindmeier , a spokesman for the World Health Organization , described the findings as “ exciting news ” and said they could help scientists better understand the evolution of the new coronavirus .
“ This gives us a whole new picture on everything , and yes of course , it would be great if all countries who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent months , and even in December , and in even in November , would check them against COVID-19 , “ he said .
John Leicester in Paris , and Jamey Keaten in Geneva , contributed to this report .
This story has deleted a paragraph that stated incorrectly that doctors in Italy have also reported finding retrospective cases of the coronavirus in the country long before the disease was officially identified .

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thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Report: Israeli airstrikes on eastern Syria kill 14 fighters

BEIRUT - Israeli airstrikes in eastern Syria killed 14 Iranian and Iraqi fighters and wounded others , some seriously , an opposition war monitoring group said Tuesday .
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the late Monday strikes in eastern Deir el-Zour province targeted positions of Iranian and Iran-backed fighters .
There was no immediate comment from Israel .
Syria ’ s state news agency reported late Monday that Israeli strikes targeted military depots in the region of Safira , south of the northern city of Aleppo .
It did not mention the strikes on Deir el-Zour province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently been several reports of suspected Israeli strikes inside Syria , the most recent one last week , when the Syrian military and state media said Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near the Syrian capital , Damascus , killing three civilians .
Israel rarely comments on such reports , although it has acknowledged carrying out airstrikes inside Syria on numerous occasions in the course of Syria ’ s nine-year conflict , saying it was going after Iranian military targets in the country .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anywhere and that the Israeli military forces “ will act — and currently are acting — against them.
” This story has been corrected to show that that the eastern Syrian province of Deir el-Zour borders Iraq , not Iran .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--German court asks ECB to justify key stimulus program

FRANKFURT - Germany ’ s highest court has cast doubts on key eurozone stimulus efforts by ruling that the European Central Bank must demonstrate within three months that a key bond-buying program is needed and appropriate .
It it fails to do so , Germany ’ s national central bank must stop participating in the program , the country ’ s top court said Tuesday .
The euro fell after the decision by a half-cent to $ 1.0850 .
Analysts said the implications were not all clear but raised concerns the ruling could end up putting limits on key central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 19 countries that use the euro as they struggle to rebound from the shutdowns caused by the virus outbreak .
Doubts alone could complicate the ECB ’ s efforts since it relies on markets believing that its measures will be effective .
The judges of the Karlsruhe-based Federal constitutional Court ruled that Germany ’ s central bank , the Bundesbank , must stop buying bonds as part of an ECB stimulus program begun in 2015 unless the ECB reaches a “ new decision ” on the program that demonstrates its effects on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said the Bundesbank should sell the bonds , but only in accord with the ECB and over the long term .
The ECB has bought more than 2.6 trillion euros ( $ 2.9 trillion ) in corporate and government bonds in an attempt to raise inflation and weak economic growth in the 19 countries that use the euro .
The program faced objections from conservative German academics that it exceeds the bank ’ s authority and violates a legal ban in the EU treaty on financing governments .
The court found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on central banks financing government spending .
In its ruling , the German court broke with the European Court of Justice , which had approved the bond purchases , called quantitative easing , or QE .
Such purchases have become common among central banks and the U.S. Federal Reserve , the Bank of England and Bank of Japan have all resorted to similar programs .
Carsten Brzeski , economist at at ING Germany bank , said that “ an optimistic interpretation could be this is lots of barking without biting and that everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrates that it has thought through the economic consequences of its decisions but a pessimistic interpretation could be , no amount of additional ECB analysis will convince German judges and could , therefore spell the end of QE.
” The court said that “ the Bundesbank is barred , after a transitional period of at most three months , from participating in the implementation and carrying out of the decisions at issue , unless the ECB council demonstrates in a comprehensible and substantiated way in a new decision that the goals sought by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their economic and budgetary effects.
“ The bank has more recently also announced 750 billion euros in new purchases to cushion the blow from the virus outbreak .
Tuesday ’ s court decision did not apply to that new program , but analysts have been keeping an eye on the court case in case it calls into question the ECB ’ s ability to intervene in markets to support the economy .
Andrew Kenningham , chief Europe economist at Capital Economics , said the decision could lead to future challenges : “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring the ECB ’ s asset purchase programme to a sudden end .
But it highlights that a successful legal challenge to the its policies in the future could contribute to increased tensions in the bond markets and to a renewed risk of eurozone break-up .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--The Latest: 2 premier camping spots won’t open overnight

INTERNATIONAL FALLS , Minn. - The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Minnesota ( all times local ) : Minnesota ’ s two premier camping destinations will remain closed to overnight visitors for the duration of Gov .
Tim Walz ’ s stay-at-home order .
Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness announced Monday that they will be open for day recreation , but will not issue camping or houseboat mooring permits through May 17 .
The decision to restrict access to the Boundary Waters during what is typically the start of the season was “ particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Superior National Forest supervisor .
“ I ’ m looking forward to the day when we can safely reopen sites for overnight use , ” she said .
Billy Dougherty , owner of Rainy Lake Houseboats in International Falls , says the governor ’ s decision to include restrictions on public and private campgrounds in his stay-at-home emergency order makes little sense to the businesses and communities of northern Minnesota that rely on spring and summer tourism , the Star Tribune reported .
The U.S. Forest Service said that it will refund all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Superior National Forest that were made through May 17 .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Vatican urges internal migrants get same rights as refugees

ROME - The Vatican says internal migrants should have the same legal protections as refugees and says their children should have the right to birth certificates , education and being reunited with their parents if separated .
The Vatican on Tuesday published a booklet of pastoral guidelines to care for internally displaced people — migrants who are forced to flee their homes because of conflict , natural disasters or persecution but don ’ t cross international borders to seek asylum elsewhere .
More than 40 million people are believed to be displaced within their own countries .
Pope Francis has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his papacy , calling for countries to welcome , protect , promote and integrate anyone who is forced to leave their homes .
The new guidelines apply that appeal to internal migrants and lay out ways the Catholic Church can help through advocacy , education , aid and spiritual assistance .
The guidelines call for internal migrants to receive the same U.N.-sanctioned humanitarian protections as refugees , noting that the same forces , dangers and vulnerabilities are at play .
It says the church should advocate for family reunifications when children are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new generations of stateless children , it calls for the church to press governments to issue birth certificates for children of internal migrants , and says the church itself can step in to issue its own forms of identification via school documents or baptismal certificates for Catholics .
Cardinal Michael Czerney , Francis ’ top adviser on migration , presented the new guidelines Tuesday , noting they follow on similar ones issued for the pastoral care of refugees and victims of human trafficking .
Amaya Valcárcel , international co-ordinator for the Jesuit Refugee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internally displaced people is their “ invisibility , ” and that outside aid groups often have difficulty reaching them because of government restrictions on access inside their own borders .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Philippines orders leading TV network to halt operations

MANILA , Philippines - A Philippine government agency on Tuesday ordered the country ’ s leading broadcast network , which the president has targeted for its critical news coverage , to halt operations .
The National Telecommunications Commission ordered ABS-CBN Corp. to stop operations after its 25-year congressional franchise ended Monday .
The network ’ s application for a renewal has been pending in Congress but hearings have been partly delayed by a massive lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic .
One of the country ’ s oldest and most influential news networks , ABS-CBN continued its TV and radio news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would stop operating later in the day .
“ Millions of Filipinos will lose their source of news and entertainment when ABS-CBN is ordered to go off-air on TV and radio tonight when people need crucial and timely information as the nation deals with the COVID-19 pandemic , ” the media giant said in a statement .
Media watchdogs have accused President Rodrigo Duterte and his aides of muzzling independent media like ABS-CBN that have critically reported on issues including the president ’ s bloody anti-drugs crackdown , which has left thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have denied the closure was a press freedom issue and stressed everybody should comply with the law .
Congressional leaders have asked the telecommunications commission to grant ABS-CBN a temporary license to operate while its franchise renewal request is pending , but the government ’ s solicitor general , Jose Calida , has warned the TV and radio network can not operate without an approved franchise .
The government also has accused an online news organization , Rappler , of violating the constitutional ban on foreign ownership and sought its closure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to operate .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Money for worldwide AIDS fight at issue in Supreme Court

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ’ s second day of arguments by phone is devoted to a new version of a case it decided seven years ago involving federal money to fight AIDS around the world .
The justices are taking up the Trump administration ’ s appeal to force the foreign affiliates of U.S.-based health organizations to denounce prostitution as a condition of receiving taxpayer money .
As they did Monday , the justices and two lawyers representing the administration and the organizations will meet by telephone , with live audio available to the public .
The court scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic .
The court ruled in 2013 that the anti-prostitution pledge , contained in a 2003 law , improperly restricts the U.S. groups ’ constitutional rights .
The new question is whether the administration can subject the foreign organizations to the pledge .
Lower federal courts ruled that there is no real difference between the U.S. and foreign-based groups , which do AIDS prevention work in more than 100 countries .
The administration argues that the foreign groups don ’ t have the same rights as their domestic counterparts .
Former lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican , and Tom Daschle , a Democrat , took issue with the administration ’ s stance .
“ Congress understood that an effective HIV/AIDS-fighting strategy requires not only collaboration with foreign governments and organizations , but also efforts by certain organizations to work directly with sex workers .
These relationships require trust , “ they said in a court filing .
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court ’ s 2013 opinion that the governments could not force the U.S. groups to “ pledge allegiance to the government ’ s policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other justices in the majority remain on the court .
They are : Justices Samuel Alito , Stephen Breyer , Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor .
Justice Elena Kagan is not taking part , presumably because she worked on an earlier version of the case when she served in the Justice Department before joining the court .
Follow AP ’ s Supreme Court Twitter feed at https : //twitter.com/AP_Courtside .
And Supreme Court reporters Mark Sherman at https : //twitter.com/shermancourt and Jessica Gresko at https : //twitter.com/jessicagresko .

Mark Sherman And Jessica Gresko - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Biden pressed to choose a black woman as his running mate

DETROIT - After a devastating start to the Democratic primary , Joe Biden ’ s campaign was revived when black voters in South Carolina and throughout the South overwhelmingly sided with him .
Now that he ’ s the presumptive Democratic nominee , black voters and leaders are pressing for him to pick a black woman as his running mate .
Biden launched a committee last week to begin vetting possible candidates for the vice presidency , a process he has said will likely last through July .
He has already committed to picking a woman .
But black voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further and pick a black woman .
They argue that Biden ’ s success — and that of the Democratic Party as a whole — depends on black people turning out to vote in November .
They want a tangible return for their loyalty , not just a thank you for showing up on Election Day .
“ Black people want an acknowledgement of the many years of support they have given the Democratic Party , ” said Niambi Carter , a Howard University political science professor .
House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely credited with helping widen Biden ’ s winning margin and start his avalanche of March primary victories , said “ clearly ” he would prefer a black woman .
But he insisted he ’ s not pushing Biden in that direction .
“ I ’ m the father of three grown African American women .
So naturally I prefer an African American woman , but it doesn ’ t have to be , ” Clyburn said .
“ I ’ ve made that very clear.
” Biden has been unusually vocal about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mates .
He ’ s referenced two black women , Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Stacey Abrams , the former Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia .
Other black women , including Rep. Val Demings of Florida and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , have also been mentioned .
But Biden is also thought to be considering several white women , including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .
President Donald Trump said his November opponent owes the spot to Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have won every single state on Super Tuesday ” if Warren had dropped out of the primary race earlier .
In an interview Monday with the New York Post , Trump dismissed Abrams while claiming responsibility for her defeat in the 2018 Georgia governor ’ s race .
Zerlina Maxwell , a political analyst and former director of progressive media for Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign , said this is an opportunity for Biden to recognize the political force of black women .
“ The Democratic nominee needs to make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that they understand that black women are the foundation of a successful Democratic Party at every level , ” Maxwell said .
Adrianne Shropshire , executive director of Black PAC , said black voters are looking for “ authenticity.
” “ When folks have talked to us about what they want in a candidate , it is someone who can relate to them , “ Shropshire said , noting the coronavirus ’ s disparate impact on black Americans .
But she said that doesn ’ t mean that a vice-presidential nominee has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Having a black running mate checks that box for a lot of people , but I would also say in the same way that black voters weren ’ t simply during the primary contest saying , ‘ Who ’ s the black candidate ?
’ I don ’ t think black voters are doing that for the vice-presidential choice either , ” she said , later adding the bottom line : “ Ultimately , people want to win.
” Tharon Johnson , a prominent black strategist who worked for Barack Obama ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s focus should be on “ energy , ” not necessarily on race .
“ I am totally , 100 % behind the narrative that it ’ s time for a black woman on the ticket , ” Johnson said .
“ But he has to consider a lot of metrics .
Who can he bring on that will increase enthusiasm and drive turnout in those states that matter most in November ?
And what characteristics are there that will bring that excitement ?
” Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond , a Louisiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman , is a forceful advocate for African Americans within Democratic politics .
But he ’ s also absolute in his assertion that Biden can not be forced to check a demographic box .
“ I ’ m not sure that the VP is going to throw names out there just to appease people , ” Richmond said .
Symone Sanders is the highest-ranking black woman on Biden ’ s staff and played a key role in shoring up Biden ’ s campaign in South Carolina .
But he also has an older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicated calculations in putting together a winning coalition .
Kenneth Walden , a 26-year-old black man who lives in the battleground state of North Carolina , said the pick must be a black woman .
“ And if not , I believe that it would be a repeat of 2016 , where we had an all-white ticket and everybody was not energized , “ said Walden , who works in telecommunications and on a YouTube show .
” Black people are going to feel betrayed .
We ’ re not just voting based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conerly , a 32-year-old entrepreneur and small-business owner , said she ’ s torn about whom she wants to see on the ticket , but she said it needs to be someone who can identify strongly with diverse groups .
“ I ’ m African American , I ’ m a woman , I ’ m a business owner and I ’ m also LGBTQ ” said Conerly , who lives in Arizona , another state Democrats hope to flip .
“ All of those aspects are really important and I want someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak to those.
” Taylor Harrell , the political director for Mothering Justice , a non-profit that advocates for mothers , said Biden ’ s choice shouldn ’ t be all that complicated : Choose a black woman .
“ It ’ s become a cute catchphrase to say ‘ trust black women ’ or that black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party , so if we ’ re truly the backbone , being the backbone should essentially mean being the vice-president , ” Harrell , a Detroit resident , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice for so long and having a black woman will allow us to feel like our voices are going to continue to be heard after they ’ ve been put on pause for these past four years.
” Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”

Kat Stafford And Bill Barrow - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Virus-afflicted 2020 looks like 1918 despite science’s march

WASHINGTON - Despite a century ’ s progress in science , 2020 is looking a lot like 1918 .
In the years between two lethal pandemics , one the misnamed Spanish flu , the other COVID-19 , the world learned about viruses , cured various diseases , made effective vaccines , developed instant communications and created elaborate public-health networks .
Yet here we are again , face-masked to the max .
And still unable to crush an insidious yet avoidable infectious disease before hundreds of thousands die from it .
As in 1918 , people are again hearing hollow assurances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and morgues filling up and bank accounts draining .
The ancient common sense of quarantining is back .
So is quackery : Rub raw onions on your chest , they said in 1918 .
How about disinfectant in your veins now ?
mused President Donald Trump , drawing gasps instead of laughs over what he weakly tried to pass off as a joke .
In 1918 , no one had a vaccine , treatment or cure for the great flu pandemic as it ravaged the world and killed more than 50 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coronavirus , either .
Modern science quickly identified today ’ s new coronavirus , mapped its genetic code and developed a diagnostic test , tapping knowledge no one had in 1918 .
That has given people more of a fighting chance to stay out of harm ’ s way , at least in countries that deployed tests quickly , which the U.S. didn ’ t .
But the ways to avoid getting sick and what to do when sick are little changed .
The failure of U.S. presidents to take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past to present .
Trump all but declared victory before infection took root in his country and he ’ s delivered a stream of misinformation ever since .
President Woodrow Wilson ’ s principal failure was his silence .
Not once , historians say , did Wilson publicly speak about a disease that was killing Americans grotesquely and in huge numbers , even though he contracted it himself and was never the same after .
Wilson fixated on America ’ s parallel fight in World War I like “ a dog with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , author of “ The Great Influenza.
” The suspected ground zero of the Spanish flu ranges from Kansas to China .
But it was clear to U.S. officials even in 1918 that it didn ’ t start in Spain .
The pandemic took on Spain ’ s name only because its free press ambitiously reported the devastation in the disease ’ s early 1918 wave while government officials and a complicit press in countries at war — the U.S. among them — played it down in a time of jingoism , censorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1918 pandemic came from a respiratory virus that jumped from animals to people , was transmitted the same way , and had similar pathology , Barry said by email .
Social distancing , hand-washing and masks were leading control measures then and now .
Medical advice from then also resonates today : “ If you get it , stay at home , rest in bed , keep warm , drink hot drinks and stay quiet until the symptoms are past , “ said Dr. John Dill Robertson , Chicago health commissioner in 1918 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for the greatest danger is from pneumonia or some kindred disease after the influenza is gone.
” In the manner of the day , there just had to be a catchy rhyme in circulation , too : “ Cover up each cough and sneeze .
If you don ’ t you ’ ll spread disease.
” But there were also marked differences between the viruses of 1918 and 2020 .
The Spanish flu was particularly dangerous to healthy people aged 20 to 40 — the prime generation of military service — paradoxically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When such people got infected , their antibodies went after the virus like soldiers spilling from the trenches of Europe ’ s killing fields .
“ The immune system was throwing every weapon it had at the virus , ” Barry said .
“ The battlefield was the lung .
The lung was being destroyed in that battle.
” Young soldiers and sailors massed at military camps in the U.S. , sailed for Europe on ships stuffed to the gunwales with humanity , fought side by side in the trenches and came home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll was enormous , on them and the people they infected .
The Spanish flu could just as easily have been called the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy flu instead .
Or the German or British flu , for that matter .
Among those who died in the pandemic was Friedrich Trump , Donald Trump ’ s paternal grandfather .
Among those who contracted it and recovered were the wartime leaders of Britain and Germany as well as of the United States , British and Spanish kings and the future U.S. president , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy secretary .
But the toll was heavier on average people and the poor , crowded in tenements , street cars and sweaty factories .
They could not all live by the words of the 1918 U.S. surgeon general , Rupert Blue : “ Keep out of crowds and stuffy places as much as possible .
...
The value of fresh air through open windows can not be overemphasized .
... Make every possible effort to breath as much pure air as possible.
” An estimated 675,000 Americans died in the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the global population .
In 1918 , the surgeon general noted in a handbill that “ a person who has only a mild attack of the disease himself may give a very severe attack to others.
“ The warning is just as applicable to the coronavirus , especially as scientists learned large numbers of people with COVID-19 may spread it despite no obvious symptoms .
Exactly how often the new virus kills can ’ t be determined without better counts of the infected ; some estimates put the 1918 flu ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s public notice also warned people to avoid charlatans and only get medicine from doctors .
Physicians , though , didn ’ t always know what they were doing .
Medical journals at the time describe a rash of unusual treatments , some in the league of Trump ’ s amateur theories about disinfectant , blasts of lights and an unapproved drug that has both potential benefits and risks .
One 1918-era doctor recommended that people sniff a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate ( baking soda ) powder to rinse out nasal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation , as well as drugs derived from iodine for “ internal disinfection , ” according to Laura Spinney , who wrote the 2017 book “ Pale Rider : The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.
” Popular theories spread that warming your feet would prevent infection , or gobbling brown sugar , or getting the onion rubdown .
A “ clean heart ” was one supposed preventive , though it is not clear whether that meant the organ or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no Tony Fauci back then , “ Barry said in a remote Library of Congress interview in April .
We have Fauci now — a federal immunologist who has been regarded as the truth-teller in White House briefings , singularly immune to Trump ’ s positive spin and falsehoods .
Plus , we know so much more than people did in 1918 .
Yet we ’ re still hearing lots of Dark Ages nonsense .
Conspiracy theorists have blamed COVID-19 on the development of 5G networks , just as they say radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently torched more than a dozen British cell towers after that falsehood circulated .
Over the months of this pandemic , The Associated Press has debunked a series of bogus remedies that spread on Facebook , Twitter and the like .
No , blasting hot air up your nose from a hair dryer won ’ t protect you .
Nor will drinking tonic water , eating high-alkaline foods , stuffing antibiotic ointment up your nose , downing vodka or any home elixir .
No , it ’ s not true that if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long , you have COVID-19 .
Or that a vaccine from a lab only works on a disease created by a lab .
Social distancing has not come with social-media distancing .
Over a century of science , we haven ’ t gone back to the future , but ahead to the past .
In September 1918 , as the Spanish flu ’ s second and by far deadliest wave hit in the U.S. , Philadelphia ’ s public health chief disregarded advisers and let a massive war-bond parade proceed through downtown .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in what has been called the world ’ s deadliest parade .
As officials insisted there was nothing to be alarmed about , people were seeing neighbours sicken and die with astonishing speed and mass graves being dug .
“ It ’ s just the flu “ had worn thin as the mantra of officialdom .
Late that November , sirens wailed in San Francisco to sound the all-clear after six weeks of lockdown and tell people they could remove their masks .
San Francisco , like many cities in the West , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spent the interval preparing for Round 2 , mandating masks and jailing people who didn ’ t comply .
They had a rhyme for that , too , of course : “ Obey the laws , and wear the gauze .
Protect your jaws from septic paws.
” The precautions paid off with a death rate lower than in afflicted cities elsewhere .
But the city relaxed too soon .
In December , thousands of new cases erupted .
A wave spilling into the new year was underway .
San Francisco ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 .
It was the last lashing by the Spanish flu , and a less lethal one .
The brutal lessons of 1918 and 1919 ?
To Barry , who was enlisted 15 years ago in a Bush administration drive to prepare all levels of government for pandemics , they are to respond early , relax cautiously , tell people the truth .
Instead he has seen denial followed by a chaotic federal response and leadership vacuum as Washington and the states compete for the same medical essentials and now move fitfully toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even war-gamed the plans , spent billions preparing for just what is happening , federal agencies have been tasked to handle all these things , and we get ... next to nothing , ” he said .
Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Lauran Neergaard in Washington , Amanda Seitz in Chicago and Karen Mahabir in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Trump’s anti-China rhetoric aimed at boosting US leverage

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is making ever louder pronouncements casting blame on China for the COVID-19 pandemic , aiming to sidestep domestic criticism of the president ’ s own response , tarnish China ’ s global reputation and give the U.S. leverage on trade and other aspects of U.S.-China competition .
President Donald Trump has vowed to penalize China for what U.S. officials have increasingly described as a pattern of deceit that denied the world precious time to prepare for the pandemic .
The opening salvo isn ’ t in the form of tariffs or sanctions but in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could yank the Chinese lower on the global reputation meter .
The State Department , the Department of Homeland Security and the White House have all launched public efforts in recent days to lay bare what they say is clear evidence that China tried to mask the scale of the outbreak and then refused to provide critical access to U.S. and global scientists that could have saved lives .
More than 250,000 people have died globally from COVID-19 , including more than 68,000 in the U.S .
The Trump administration , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convince the world that China isn ’ t playing by the same rules as everyone else , and that may be the biggest punishment for an intensely proud emerging superpower .
The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue and spoke only on condition of anonymity .
To that end , the administration has pushed its China criticism beyond the bounds of established evidence .
Trump and allies repeat and express confidence in an unsubstantiated theory linking the origin of the outbreak to a possible accident at a Chinese virology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still exploring the subject and describe the evidence as purely circumstantial .
But Trump , aides say , has embraced the notion to further highlight China ’ s lack of transparency .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told ABC ’ s “ This Week with George Stephanopoulos ” that there is “ enormous evidence ” that the virus began in the Wuhan Institute of Virology .
The institute , which is run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences , is about 8 miles , or 13 kilometres , from a market that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It has done groundbreaking research tracing the likely origins of the SARS virus , finding new bat viruses and discovering how they could jump to people .
Pompeo said China has denied the U.S. and World Health Organization access to the lab .
But Trump says he has seen information that gives him a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan institute is the origin of the virus .
Asked why he has such confidence , Trump said : “ I can ’ t tell you that .
I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From our perspective , this remains speculative , ” WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan says of the lab theory .
“ But like any evidence-based organization , we would be very willing to receive any information that purports to the origin of the virus.
” Trump ’ s ouster of more than a handful of top intelligence officials has given him an additional credibility problem when it comes to the administration ’ s pronouncements based on intelligence .
“ These purges have already , I fear , politicized the intelligence community ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mike Morell , a former acting CIA director under President Barack Obama who now hosts the “ Intelligence Matters ” podcast .
One of our institutions critical to the pursuit of the truth has a large crack in it.
” On Monday , China ’ s official Global Times newspaper said Pompeo was making “ groundless accusations ” against Beijing by suggesting the coronavirus was released from a Chinese laboratory .
The populist tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party mouthpiece People ’ s Daily said the claims were a politically motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and divert attention from the U.S. administration ’ s own failures in dealing with the outbreak .
While Trump ’ s and Pompeo ’ s critical statements have been at the forefront of the administration ’ s anti-China rhetoric , U.S. government agencies , including the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security , have been compiling often publicly available information to try to support the allegations .
DHS documents , obtained by The Associated Press on Sunday and Monday , accuse the Chinese government of intentionally downplaying the scope and severity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to buy up international stocks of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies needed to combat the disease .
Although any country might be expected to purchase large quantities of materials necessary to combat a major threat to public health , the administration has sought to portray China ’ s actions as secret , irresponsible and dangerous for the rest of the world .
One such document , drawing from open source material , emphasizes reports about the disappearance of Chinese doctors who raised early alarms about the virus and the response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppression and destruction of virus samples and closure of relevant laboratories .
It also reports on China ’ s early resistance to acknowledging human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 , the failure of authorities to immediately block domestic or international travel out of Wuhan and China ’ s opposition to calls for an international inquiry into the pandemic .
The focus on China comes as Trump ’ s own record has faced persistent scrutiny .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , told the AP on Monday that Trump was first briefed by intelligence agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then again on Jan 28 .
Providing a rare glimpse into one of the most sensitive U.S. government practices , the highly classified presidential daily briefing , McEnany said it was only in that second briefing that Trump was told that the virus was spreading outside China .
Trump , she added , was told that all the deaths were still occurring inside China and that Beijing was not sharing key data .
Days later , Trump moved to severely curtail travel to the U.S. from China .
The White House ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence , a spokesperson said .
But reference to the coronavirus was included in at least passing mention in the written version of the intelligence briefing on Jan. 11 and Jan. 14 , according to a senior U.S. government official within the intelligence community , who said that other officials , including Defence Secretary Mark Esper , were briefed .
Officials emphasized that much of the U.S. government ’ s attention during that period was on Iran , after the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 U.S. drone strike and the subsequent downing of Ukrainian airliner over Tehran .
Associated Press writers James LaPorta and Matthew Lee contributed to this report .

Deb Riechmann And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Pint-sized driver surprises Utah trooper during traffic stop

OGDEN , Utah - A Utah Highway Patrol trooper got a pint-sized surprise when he pulled over a 5-year-old driver who was swerving so badly he thought the driver needed medical attention .
Trooper Rick Morgan said the boy did not respond to his lights but pulled over when he hit his siren on Interstate 15 in Ogden on Monday .
“ I approached the vehicle and I was expecting to find somebody who needed an ambulance or paramedics , “ Morgan said .
But when the window came down Morgan said it was pretty clear that it was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wheel.
” The boy was sitting on the edge of his seat to reach the brake pedal , the trooper said .
When asked , Morgan said the boy told him he was going to his sister ’ s house — in California .
The boy told another trooper that he wanted to buy a Lamborghini when he got there and then flashed open his wallet showing his cash to purchase his dream car : $ 3 .
His parents were contacted and they came and took custody of their son and @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Kenya questions deadly plane crash in Somalia that killed 6

NAIROBI , Kenya - Kenyan authorities are looking into the deadly crash of a plane carrying medical supplies in Somalia , while one Somali official asserts that the aircraft was shot down .
Six people on board were killed .
The Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday said the Kenyan-registered twin-engine plane with African Express crashed Monday afternoon on approach to Bardale “ under circumstances we are yet to confirm.
” A projectile fired from the ground hit the plane as it approached the airstrip in Bay region , Ahmed isaq , a local official with the Southwestern State regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The airstrip is a base for the Ethiopian military under the multinational African Union mission , which is combating the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group .
The group controls parts of rural southern and central Somalia .
There was no immediate comment from Ethiopian authorities Tuesday .
The plane had left Somalia ’ s capital , Mogadishu , and stopped in Baidoa before going on toward Bardale , the Kenyan statement said .
Kenyan authorities said they were in contact with the Somali Civil Aviation Authority .
Somalia ’ s transport ministry called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the government was investigating .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Former Hong Kong leaders launch pro-Beijing coalition

HONG KONG - Two of Hong Kong ’ s former leaders launched a pro-Beijing alliance Tuesday to uphold China ’ s “ one country , two systems ” policy and work to revive the city ’ s economy following months of anti-government protests .
The move by former chief executives Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying comes ahead of key legislative elections in September .
The ruling pro-Beijing government took a drubbing in district elections held last year amid demonstrations calling for greater democracy .
Tung and Leung said the new Hong Kong Coalition will support employment by creating jobs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fresh graduates .
They did not provide details of how they would do that .
“ We will give full play to ‘ One Country , Two Systems ’ and recover our economy , and continue to safeguard the rule of law so that we can achieve stability and prosperity in Hong Kong , “ said Tung , who led the city from 1997 to 2005 .
Hong Kong was riven by anti-government protests last year against what critics see as growing Chinese influence in the city ’ s affairs .
The former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1997 under the “ one-country , two-systems “ framework in which Hong Kong was given freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland and promised a high degree of autonomy over local affairs for 50 years .
During the protests , hundreds of thousands took to the streets and violent clashes erupted between police and hard-line demonstrators .
Among the protesters demands was the direct election of the city ’ s leader , currently picked by a committee .
The launch of the coalition comes a day after Hong Kong said its economy contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of 2020 , the largest decline on record .
The city ’ s unemployment rate in March hit 4.2 % , the highest in over nine years and an increase for the sixth consecutive month .
The city ’ s economy has taken a battering since the protest movement , which affected the tourism , retail and restaurant industries , and has been further battered by the coronavirus pandemic .
“ If we look back to the history of Hong Kong , we see that our people are resilient and we always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was the city ’ s chief executive from 2012 to 2017 .
“ I believe , with joint effort , we will solve every one of these social problems.
” The coalition says it has 1,545 members from all walks of society , including health workers responding to COVID-19 and young people .
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam said Tuesday that the economic contraction was “ worse than expected.
” but pledged to keep up government expenditure and investment to safeguard the economy .
Lam said Hong Kong would relax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing businesses such as gyms , cinemas and beauty salons to reopen and doubling the number of individuals at public gatherings to a maximum of eight .
Some students will also resume classes from the end of May .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Asian shares advance following rebound on Wall Street

BANGKOK - Shares advanced in Asia on Tuesday , lifted by a surge in oil prices and an overnight rebound on Wall Street thanks to a solid showing from big technology companies .
Shares rose in Hong Kong , Sydney and Singapore .
Markets in Tokyo , Shanghai and Seoul were closed for a holiday .
A recovery in oil prices was helping drive gains in Asia on Tuesday as the U.S. benchmark added $ 1.79 , or nearly 9 % , to $ 22.18 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
It climbed 61 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brent crude , the standard for international pricing , picked up $ 1.58 to $ 28.78 per barrel .
“ The feeling on the floor is that energy is in a better spot , and while it ’ s not brilliant , the supply/demand equation is starting to shift in a more positive direction , “ Chris Weston of Pepperstone said in a report .
Oil prices had collapsed as demand plummeted amid business shutdowns and travel restrictions due to the pandemic .
A price war between Russia and other oil producers further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , U.S. benchmark crude was priced so low that producers would have been paying customers to take the oil away .
The glut of oil threatened to exceed storage capacity .
But the lifting of lockdowns and other restrictions to contain outbreaks of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 , at least in some places , has raised hopes for at least some recovery in demand .
Weston noted that interest was shifting to July futures for U.S. crude .
The current benchmark is for June delivery .
“ Brent crude is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the $ 30-level is a clear target , “ he said .
In share trading , Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng added 1 % to 23,839.21 , while the S & P/ASX 200 in Australia climbed 1.6 % to 5,407.10 .
India ’ s Sensex bounced back from a plunge on Monday to gain 0.3 % to 31,815.82 .
Singapore ’ s benchmark jumped 0.7 % , while Bangkok ’ s fell 1.4 % .
“ With Japan , China and South Korea away and no headlines of note , passively following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the path of least resistance , “ Jeffrey Halley of Oanda said in a commentary .
This is another busy week for markets , with a slew of corporate earnings reports due , including more than 150 companies in the S & P 500 .
On Friday , the government will also show how many jobs were lost during April .
Overnight , the S & P 500 ended 0.4 % higher , at 2,842.74 , after erasing an early loss of 1.2 % .
The Dow Jones Industrial average edged 0.1 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is loaded with technology stocks , rose 1.2 % to 8,710.71 .
Microsoft climbed 2.4 % .
Airline stocks sank after famed investor Warren Buffett ’ s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it sold all its stakes in American Airlines Group , Delta Air Lines , Southwest Airlines and United Airlines .
Buffett is one of the stock market ’ s most famous bargain hunters , and investors around the world parse every clue he gives about investing .
Over the weekend , he said he ’ d made a mistake in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell 10.6 % for the largest loss in the S & P 500 .
United , Delta and Southwest all lost 7.4 % or more .
Also potentially weighing on markets was Buffett saying that he ’ s hanging onto his cash and hasn ’ t made any big deals recently because he hasn ’ t seen any on attractive terms .
In other trading , the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 0.67 % from 0.64 % on Monday .
It ‘ s still well below the 1.90 % it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yields tend to fall when investors are downgrading their expectations for the economy and inflation .
The dollar was at 106.72 Japanese yen , down from 106.75 yen on Monday .
The euro weakened to $ 1.0904 from $ 1.0908 .

Elaine Kurtenbach - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Carrier prepares to go back to sea after virus outbreak

WASHINGTON - It ’ s time to get back to work .
On board the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt , the crew is getting the aircraft carrier ready to head back out to sea .
For the ship ’ s commander , Capt .
Carlos Sardiello , the road to recovery has been a challenge .
For the crew sidelined in Guam for more than a month , it ’ s been an emotional roller coaster .
Sardiello was a former Roosevelt captain when he abruptly returned to the ship in early April to take command after Capt .
Brett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stem the virus outbreak onboard .
In an Associated Press interview from the ship late Monday night , Sardiello said he had a simple message to the crew when he came aboard : “ We have an unprecedented mission that we have never faced before .
We ’ re gon na face it together.
” More than 4,000 crew members went ashore last month .
While more than 2,000 are back on board , at least 1,000 are still testing positive for the virus and remain on land .
And the close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protecting and running the Roosevelt and systems aboard have now moved into hotels and other facilities on the island for their quarantine .
When it ’ s time to return to the ship , boarding takes place in slow , meticulous waves .
Wearing gloves and masks , the crew members climb onto sterile buses only after they ’ ve had two negative tests for the virus .
They are screened and checked when they get on the bus and again before they board the ship .
And even a simple sniffle can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had stayed on the ship did deep cleaning four times a day .
And as they left the ship to go onto Guam for their own quarantine period , the turnover to the clean crew was a bit of a dance .
According to Sardiello , those leaving the ship backed out like painters , cleaning as they stepped out of their workspaces .
And as they left by one door , the virus-free crew came in another , cleaning as they moved aboard .
The mechanics of the turnover was only one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to Guam and take over , he contacted a couple of mentors for advice and then used the flight from Norfolk , Virginia , to formulate the message he would give to the crew .
Just days before he left for Guam , thousands of Roosevelt sailors had moved off the ship into quarantine .
And those still on board had watched as their beloved captain strode off the ship , fired for trying to speak up for their well-being .
Videos of sailors chanting Crozier ’ s name as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part for the crew , said Air Traffic Controller 1st Class Daniel Wright , was having Crozier pulled out , particularly when the crew believed he was fighting for them .
“ It was definitely a bit of a roller coaster with morale and emotions .
There was a lot of uncertainty in the beginning .
when we were trying to figure out what the plan of action would be , ” Wright said .
“ I think everyone ’ s kind of recovering .
I know everyone ’ s goal is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been captain of the Roosevelt until last November , knew the morale problem and mapped out his message on the plane .
When he took the microphone on the ship , he said , he told them that “ they knew me from before .
I had their back then , and I have their back now .
And we ’ re going to move out.
“ Wright , who ’ s been in the Navy for 10 years , did three weeks of quarantine at a hotel on Guam , watching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs , and talking to his family in California .
He said information about Crozier and the ship was getting to the news media “ faster than we could get in contact with our families , “ so it was a relief to let them know the sailors were all safe .
Wright said it was also fortunate that Sardiello was able to come back and take charge of a ship that he was familiar with “ and get us back on track.
” Sardiello said the crew just needed to know there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve just got to give them direction and give them the tools that they need , ” he said .
“ Then , whatever you put in front of them — they ’ re going to knock it out of the park.
” The Roosevelt is expected to head out to sea in a couple of weeks to do training , check the systems and re-certify the air crews .
The sailors still in quarantine will be left behind in Guam , Sardiello said , but the ship will return and pick them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be done methodically , he said , based on the conditions on the ship .
On the ship , there is a new normal .
“ We ’ re not bunching up like little kids ’ soccer .
We ’ re wearing masks .
We look like we ’ re going off to surgery , ” said Sardiello , who did 16 days of quarantine in his quarters after he got on the ship .
“ And we ’ re mindful of cleaning at a very high level.
” He said chairs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they serve meals almost continuously so that smaller numbers of sailors can eat in shifts .
And , still , uncertainty hangs over the crew .
Adm. Mike Gilday , the Navy ’ s top officer , recommended late last month that Crozier be reinstated as ship captain .
But after presenting that plan to Defence Secretary Mark Esper , the Navy decided to conduct a broader investigation into how the virus spread onto the carrier , how commanders in the region communicated about the crisis and how quickly they reacted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ done by the end of the month , and it effectively delays a decision on Crozier ’ s reinstatement .
Wright said Crozier still has the support of the crew .
Asked what his message to Crozier would be , he said : “ Captain Crozier , I would just like to say thank you .
Thank you for everything you ’ ve done for us.
” Wright added , “ He started with us and we ’ re looking forward to meeting up with him in the future .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Prosecutor says ICC is working on new Libya arrest warrants

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The International Criminal Court ’ s prosecutor said Tuesday her office is working on new arrest warrants in Libya , pointing to the high number of civilian casualties from airstrikes and artillery fire while stressing that military commanders may be held responsible for crimes committed by their forces .
Fatou Bensouda told the U.N. Security Council that Libya remains a priority for her office .
She noted the offensive launched over a year ago by eastern-based forces under military commander Khalifa Hifter trying to take the capital , Tripoli , has not abated .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilian casualties from airstrikes and shelling and incidents that may constitute crimes under the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court .
Bensouda did not identify any individuals as possibly facing arrest warrants .
But she said intentionally targeting the civilian population “ is a war crime under the Rome Statute , ” which also prohibits the targeting of hospitals and other health , education and religious buildings .
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 , when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi , who was later killed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrations in the east and the west , each backed by armed groups .
Hifter ’ s offensive is also backed by France , Russia , Jordan , the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries , the U.N.-supported government in Tripoli is backed by Turkey , Italy and Qatar .
Libya ’ s U.N .
Ambassador Taher El-Sonni accused Hifter of committing the “ war crimes ” that Bensouda cited and told the council the government ’ s military prosecutor has issued arrest warrants for Hifter and other leaders under his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiting for to hold accountable all those responsible for these violations that was indicated today that have been committed by the so-called National Army ” led by Hifter ?
he asked .
He also said there must also be accountability for countries and officials outside Libya who support and finance the violations and mercenaries from several nations who carry them out .
Speaking via a video connection , Bensouda said her office also is pursuing investigations involving the “ grave and persistent problem ” of arbitrary detentions as well as serious mistreatment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libya .
She said information indicates that people detained without proper protection have been tortured and murdered and that men , women and children have been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence .
“ Former detainees report brutal methods of torture , ” she said .
“ Detainees have died from injuries sustained through torture , and from the failure to provide proper and timely medical care.
” Bensouda said reports received by her office also indicate “ increasing numbers of cases of enforced disappearance , committed with close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crime against humanity .
She cited the case of Siham Sergewa , a member of the Libyan House of Representatives , as “ emblematic of this disturbing trend.
” Sergewa has been missing since July 17 , when armed men reportedly kidnapped her from her home in the eastern city of Benghazi , the prosecutor said .
Last November , Bensouda said her office had reliable information on the locations of three people subject to arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court .
She said then that Seif al-Islam Gadhafi , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed to be in the Libyan town of Zintan ; Mahmoud al-Werfalli , a commander in Hifter ’ s forces , was in the Benghazi area ; and Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled , former head of the Libyan Internal Security Agency , was in Cairo .
She said Tuesday that all three remain fugitives .
Bensouda told the council Tuesday that “ Gadhafi is a wilful fugitive , actively evading justice both in Libya and before the International Criminal Court , ” and that al-Werfalli and Khaled have not been arrested .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Cambodian leader meets rival who faces treason charges

PHNOM PENH , Cambodia - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met Tuesday with an opposition leader whose political party was dissolved after he was charged with treason .
They met when Kem Sokha , who led the Cambodia National Rescue Party , paid his respects at Hun Sen ’ s residence for the death of the prime minister ’ s mother-in-law .
Government spokesman Phay Siphan said they did not discuss political issues or Kem Sokha ’ s court case .
“ This is Cambodian culture , even if one is a rival or opponent , when one side has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side should come to pay respects , ” he said .
Photos published on Fresh News , an online news agency close to the government , showed Kem Sokha in a black business suit and Hun Sen in loose white clothing that is traditional mourning attire .
The two men were pictured side by side and talking for what Fresh News said was 50 minutes .
Kem Sokha ’ s lawyer , Meng Sopheary , confirmed the meeting but declined to say what the men discussed .
Although the meeting was said to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News , which showed both parties in a flattering light , is likely to fuel talk of some kind of reconciliation .
Hun Sen , who has been in power for 35 years , is an adroit political operator who has a history of allowing his once-bitter opponents to operate if they no longer pose a serious threat to him .
Kem Sokha was head of the Cambodia National Rescue Party when he was arrested in September 2017 on the basis of an old video showing him at a seminar where he spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His party was dissolved by Cambodia ’ s Supreme Court in November 2017 on the same basis .
The actions were widely seen as a way to ensure a victory by Hun Sen ’ s Cambodian People ’ s Party in the 2018 general election .
Hun Sen ’ s party won all the seats in the National Assembly in the polls , but drew condemnation from human rights groups and Western nations , which charged that the election was neither free nor fair .
Kem Sokha ’ s trial started in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the coronavirus outbreak .
He could be imprisoned for up to 30 years if found guilty .
The courts late last year allowed Kem Sokha to be released on bail after a period of tightly restricted house arrest , but he is still banned from political activity .
Sam Rainsy , the co-founder of the Cambodia National Rescue Party , is in exile , avoiding criminal convictions he says are politically inspired .
He was the de facto leader of the party while Kem Sokha was in prison before his release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters of the two opposition leaders because some feel Kem Sokha had to face severe pressure from Hun Sen ’ s government while Sam Rainsy was free in exile .
Sam Rainsy on his Facebook account posted a May 4 letter from Paris in which he also gave his condolences for the death of Hun Sen ’ s mother in-law .
He recalled that Hun Sen had expressed his condolences in 2016 after the death of his own mother-in-law .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Justice Ginsburg in hospital with infection, court says

WASHINGTON - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized Tuesday with an infection caused by a gallstone , but plans to take part in the court ’ s arguments by telephone Wednesday , the Supreme Court said .
The 87-year-old justice underwent non-surgical treatment for what the court described as acute cholecystitis , a benign gall bladder condition , at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore .
She is resting comfortably and expects to be in the hospital for a day or two , the court said .
Ginsburg took part in the court ’ s telephone arguments Monday and Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the gallstone was first diagnosed .
She has been treated four times for cancer , most recently in August , when she underwent radiation for a tumour on her pancreas .
Her most recent hospital stay was in November , when she spent two nights at Johns Hopkins Hospital with a likely infection after suffering from chills and fever .
The frail-looking liberal icon also bounced back from lung surgery to remove cancerous growths in December 2018 .
Her recovery from that surgery forced her to miss court arguments for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1993 , appointed by President Bill Clinton .
She has been doing her usual workout with a personal trainer at the court , even as the justices have cancelled courtroom arguments in favour of telephone sessions because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Ginsburg has said she would like to serve until she ’ s 90 , if her health allows .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Fitness clubs, sports, make case to re-open, masks in courts

CONCORD , N.H. - Representatives of fitness clubs , amusement parks and youth baseball on Tuesday told a task force on reopening New Hampshire ’ s economy that they are prepared to make a variety of health and safety adjustments so they can operate during the coronavirus pandemic .
Health clubs , which have a relationship with its members , can rearrange floor plans , cordon off areas , lower group exercise participants , and stagger appointments , said Mike Benton , CEO of the Executive Health & Sports Center and owner of other facilities .
Saunas , steam rooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as basketball and racquetball would be closed .
Overall occupancy would be reduced by half and visits would be limited to New Hampshire members .
The hope is that clubs could re-open May 18 , Benton said .
Charyl Reardon , president of the White Mountains Attractions Association , suggested a “ soft re-opening ” of outdoor attractions that naturally provide for physical distancing requirements , like Lost River Gorge and the Polar Caves ; canoe , kayak and bike rentals ; standalone driving ranges and mini-golf courses ; zip lines , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be limited by group size and just to New Hampshire residents , at first .
The next phase would allow the opening of attractions such as Canobie Lake Park , Santa ’ s Village and the Cog Railway , allowing for social distancing , face masks for workers and guests , more hand-washing areas , and more visible “ clean teams.
” Rick Harvey , chairman of the New Hampshire American Legion Baseball Program , proposed a season starting June 20 .
He said players ’ temperatures could be taken before a game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dugout .
But he said a number of teams haven ’ t yet bought accident liability insurance for the summer and are waiting for more guidance on whether children will be able to play .
“ We don ’ t want these kids in the field to be in danger , ” he said .
More developments in New Hampshire : New Hampshire ’ s Supreme Court has issued an order requiring people to wear a face covering when they enter a court because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ This rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judicial Branch as well as litigants , lawyers , members of the media , and members of the public , “ according to the order issued Monday .
Judicial branch staff and judges aren ’ t required to wear masks when they can consistently maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing , the order said .
It remains in effect until at least Monday , May 25 .
The annual sand sculpting competition at Hampton Beach in June has been rescheduled for Labor Day weekend , Sept. 3-5 .
New Hampshire ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of March when Gov .
Chris Sununu announced his stay-at-home order because of the pandemic .
As of Tuesday , 2,636 people in New Hampshire have tested positive for the virus , an increase of 50 .
Ninety-two people have died .
For most people , the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough , that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and the infirm , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , or death .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Leading TV network goes off air under Philippine gov’t order

MANILA , Philippines - The leading broadcast network in the Philippines went off the air under government order Tuesday , sparking shock over the loss of a major news provider during the coronavirus pandemic and accusations of targeting a presidential critic .
The National Telecommunications Commission ordered ABS-CBN Corp. to stop operating after its 25-year congressional franchise ended Monday .
The network ’ s application for a renewal has been pending in Congress , which is controlled by President Rodrigo Duterte ’ s allies , but hearings have been delayed , in part by a coronavirus lockdown .
ABS-CBN , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and most influential networks , broadcast on TV and radio for most of Tuesday but later went off the air .
“ Millions of Filipinos will lose their source of news and entertainment ... when people need crucial and timely information as the nation deals with the COVID-19 pandemic , ” the media giant said in a statement .
Company President Carlo Katigbak appealed to people to let their feelings on the closure be “ felt , expressed and heard ” for the benefit of the network ’ s more than 11,000 employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need the network ’ s services “ specially now in the worst time of sickness and hunger.
” Media watchdogs accused Duterte and his government of muzzling independent media like ABS-CBN that have reported critically on issues including the president ’ s anti-drug crackdown , in which thousands of mostly poor drug suspects have been killed .
Government officials denied the closure was a press freedom issue , insisting that everyone must comply with the law .
“ The order to shut ABS-CBN effectively unplugs one of the Philippines most trusted , independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crushing blow to press freedom , one that was obviously ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to silence critical reporting on his government , ” said Shawn Crispin , a Bangkok-based representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists .
“ If he can shut down a media outfit as influential and powerful as ABS-CBN , then no independent media group is safe .
The message is clear.
” Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros said it was alarming that ABS-CBN was ordered to stop its operations in the middle of the pandemic .
“ The delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our COVID-19 response .
This shutdown order goes against public welfare , ” Hontiveros said .
The telecommunication commission ’ s order caused shock and confusion among lawmakers because the agency ’ s top officials had agreed to grant a temporary operating license to ABS-CBN while Congress weighs its franchise renewal .
Rep. Franz Alvarez , who heads the congressional committee on legislative franchises , told ABS-CBN that he was surprised that the commission backtracked on its pledge .
Many senators and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra have agreed that the broadcaster could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its franchise .
Alvarez added that the company ’ s franchise renewal application would remain active , and the network said it will pursue efforts to reopen .
“ ABS-CBN remains committed to being in the service of the Filipino and we will find ways to continue providing meaningful service to them , ” the company said .
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said ABS-CBN was free to seek legal solutions and added that Duterte has left its fate to Congress .
But ahead of the franchise expiration , Solicitor-General Jose Calida asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the operating franchises of ABS-CBN and a subsidiary in a separate attempt to shut down the company for allegedly abusing its franchises and violating a constitutional prohibition on foreign investment in Philippine media .
ABS-CBN denied the allegations .
At least two other media organizations , including a leading newspaper , the Philippine Daily Inquirer , have come under attack from Duterte for critical reporting .
The government separately accused an online news organization , Rappler , of violating the ban on foreign ownership and sought its closure .
Rappler denied the allegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist Kiko Rosario in Bangkok contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Pelosi pushes new virus package as McConnell hits ‘pause’

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed ahead Tuesday with the next coronavirus aid , a sweeping package that is expected to be unveiled soon even as the House stays closed while the Senate reopens in the pandemic .
Key to any plan to reopen the economy , Democrats say , is robust testing .
They are also expected to propose another round of direct cash aid for anxious Americans , funds for states to prevent layoffs and more money to shore up businesses in the stay-home economy .
The amount of funding has yet to be determined .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national testing strategy that is adequate , ” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said .
“ It ’ s life and death.
” The contours of the next package are taking shape despite Republican resistance to more spending and a deepening debate over how best to confront the deadly pandemic and its economic devastation .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday it ’ s time to push “ pause ” on more aid .
President Donald Trump is encouraging states to reopen and Republicans hope the gradual comeback will kick-start the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid .
“ Now it ’ s time to go back to work , ” Trump said at the White House .
Under strict social distancing guidelines , the Senate reconvened Monday for the first time since March , while the House is staying away due to the health risks .
The Washington area remains a virus hot spot under stay-home rules .
McConnell has focused the chamber ’ s workload on confirming Trump ’ s nominees , with several committees meeting remotely this week .
The GOP leader insists that any new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospitals , health care providers and businesses that are operating and reopening in the pandemic .
He said Tuesday he wants to prevent “ an epidemic of lawsuits.
” But McConnell also signalled an interest in beefed-up virus testing strategies as central to the nation ’ s ability to take steps “ back toward normalcy.
” By reconvening , Senate Republicans are trying to set the terms of debate , frustrated that Pelosi was able to fill up earlier aid bills with Democratic priorities .
They ’ re reluctant to unleash federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress already approved in virus relief and hope Trump ’ s push to re-open will reduce the need for more aid .
“ I just don ’ t think we need to act as quite urgently as we did last time , ” Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas told reporters at the Capitol .
The No .
2 Republican , Sen. John Thune of South Dakota , said Washington had already “ flooded the zone ” with virus relief and should assess “ what ’ s working and what ’ s not.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new guidelines , including the recommendation that senators wear masks , though not all of them were complying .
Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky. , who tested positive for the virus in March , asserted he no longer needs to cover his face because he has “ immunity ” — even though health officials warn there is no guarantee that infected people can ’ t contract the virus again .
It ’ s not just lawmakers and the Capitol ’ s workers at risk .
Sen. Lamar Alexander , R-Tenn. , said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decline Trump ’ s offer of instant virus testing , warning that lawmakers should be screened on exit .
“ Members of Congress would represent sort of a virus-spreading machine , coming in here to a coronavirus hot spot and then going home , ” Alexander said .
Senators were encouraged to keep their distance and leave most staff at home , though Republican senators gathered as a large group for their traditional luncheon .
Public access to the Capitol is limited , including at public hearings .
The Capitol itself remains closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first , the Banking Committee convened with most of the Democratic senators appearing remotely for a hearing to consider two nominations , including Brian Miller to be the inspector general of the pandemic recovery .
“ We ’ re making a little bit of history here , ” said Sen. Mike Crapo , R-Idaho , the chairman .
With Democrats eyeing a new aid package , Pelosi outlined the governors ’ requests for $ 500 billion , with the counties and cities seeking as much as $ 300 billion , which she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next several years .
Trump said any new package must have a payroll-tax holiday .
But Republicans are divided on that approach , with some questioning whether it helps the 30 million jobless Americans .
“ I ’ ve never thought that really would be very effective , ” Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine .
Collins is part of a bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers , including Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia , who met to discuss a state and local aid package .
The White House , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid .
White House Legislative Affairs Director Eric Ueland said before the administration commits to new spending , “ the president and his team would like to assess how successful we ’ ve been as these resources have gone out the door.
” In the Senate , McConnell has loaded up the schedule with consideration of Trump ’ s nominees , including a hearing Tuesday on John Ratcliffe , the Texas Republican congressman who is Trump ’ s choice to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence .
Associated Press writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kevin Freking and Laurie Kellman contributed to this report .
This story has been corrected by deleting a reference to $ 800 billion in funding in the next relief bill ; the amount of funding has yet to be determined .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Giant cinnamon rolls raise money, feed ‘bellies and souls’

WINTER PARK , Fla. - Scared for friends who had contracted the new coronavirus and worried about her daughter ’ s schooling and husband ’ s work , Whitney Rutz cried and screamed into her pillow .
What began as an effort to cheer herself up ended up lifting the spirits of many others , raising money for thousands of meals and nourishing “ the bellies and souls ” of health care workers — one giant cinnamon roll at a time .
Rutz ’ s rolls have raised more than $ 35,000 for the Oregon Food Bank , enough for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she was auctioning the rolls off — the first went for $ 300 .
Now , Rutz , with some help , bakes a giant roll—12 inches across and weighing more than five pounds—for every $ 500 raised .
The highest contributor of the day decides where the roll goes .
Since a friend asked for her roll to be donated to health care workers instead of delivered to her , the vast majority have gone to hospitals and health or assisted-living facilities .
“ If I didn ’ t have this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know the state I would be in right now emotionally , ” Rutz said on a recent weekend when she woke up before 6 a.m. and spent most of her day in the kitchen kneading , slicing and rolling dough and spreading the filling .
Once the operation grew , the food bank set up a fundraising page for the donations .
Oregon Food Bank CEO Susannah Morgan said the rolls bring something to the table besides food : joy “ We ’ re all scared and hunkered down and worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved ones and some of us have lost our jobs and hunger is spiking through the roof , ” she said .
“ Trying to tackle this sort of massive , enormous situation by baking giant cinnamon rolls just makes you smile.
” Others have been inspired to roll up their sleeves , too .
As the number of donations increased , Rutz ’ s twin sister and a friend of hers started baking rolls for the fundraiser in their own kitchens .
An acquaintance — a mother of three whose husband lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic — donated money and launched her own fundraiser in North Carolina .
Rutz ’ s husband , a painter , decorated some of the rolls ’ boxes , a job that initially was their daughter ’ s .
Artists and local celebrities have stepped in to help .
One performer has been bedecking the boxes with colorful drawings and helping with deliveries .
“ So many people are getting really creative , ” she said .
“ There ’ s many ways that you can contribute and you don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enriquez took two rolls to emergency room nurses to surprise them after a particularly rough shift .
“ It just made their day .
They cried , ” she said .
Her voice cracked with emotion .
“ I think that they felt , like , really moved and that people are still out there cheering them on.
” While nonstop global news about the effects of the coronavirus have become commonplace , so , too , are the stories about the kindness of strangers and individuals who have sacrificed for others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP continuing series reflecting these acts of kindness .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Intel nominee faces skeptics, vows to resist Trump pressure

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s nominee for national intelligence director sought at his confirmation hearing Tuesday to shed his reputation as a loyalist to the president , insisting to skeptical Democrats that he would carry out the job free of political influence or partisan bias .
The comments from Rep. John Ratcliffe , a Texas Republican , were aimed at quelling Democratic fears that he would be vulnerable to pressure from a president who is often perceived as politicizing intelligence and who publicly disputes intelligence conclusions at odds with his personal views .
Those concerns are amplified at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politically sensitive issues , including election meddling and the cause of the coronavirus pandemic .
Senators repeatedly pressed Ratcliffe on whether he could stand up to Trump by presenting him with analysis he did not like .
They also asked if he agreed with the president ’ s assertions that intelligence agencies had “ run amok ” and were infiltrated by the “ deep state.
“ Ratcliffe refused to endorsed either claim and insisted he would not shape intelligence findings to meet the desires of anyone .
“ Let me be very clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence to reflect , the intelligence I will provide , if confirmed , will not be impacted or altered as a result of outside influence , ” he told the Senate Intelligence Committee .
Republican Sen. Richard Burr , the committee chairman , said after the hearing that he was satisfied Ratcliffe would serve “ in an independent capacity.
“ He promised a quick vote on his nomination .
But Sen. Chuck Schumer , speaking on the Senate floor as the hearing was underway , spoke for many Democrats by dismissing Ratcliffe as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , a yes man in every sense of the phrase.
” The confirmation hearing , the first in-person one held under drastic new distancing rules for the coronavirus , comes at a tumultuous time for the intelligence agencies .
About a half dozen intelligence community leaders have resigned or been ousted over the last year and agencies already grappling with the prospect of Russian interference in November ’ s election are now probing the politically charged question of whether the coronavirus is man-made or originated in a Chinese laboratory .
Ratcliffe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similarly topsy-turvy , with the original nomination withdrawn after bipartisan criticism he was unqualified to oversee the 17 organizations that make up the U.S. intelligence community .
Trump unexpectedly renominated him in February .
His chances of securing the job appear better this time around .
Democrats revealed their skepticism in occasionally contentious questioning , with Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California pressing Ratcliffe over past comments about whistleblowers and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich asking for instances of when Ratcliffe had ever “ spoken truth to power , ” particularly involving the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt at this hearing , I don ’ t see what has changed since last summer when the president decided not to proceed with your nomination , ” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner , the panel ’ s top Democrat .
Ratcliffe took pains to break with the president , including by saying he believed Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election , a conclusion Trump has often resisted .
And he answered “ of course ” when asked by Republican Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump the intelligence community ’ s findings even if he knew Trump disagreed with them and might fire him .
When it comes to investigating the coronavirus origins , Ratcliffe pledged that he would be “ laser-focused ” in that task — a key concern to Trump and other administration officials who have raised the idea that it could have emerged from a Chinese lab , perhaps accidentally .
Ratcliffe initially said he had not seen intelligence that it had come from a lab , but under questioning later in the hearing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence that it had originated from a Chinese market either .
As a caveat , he noted that he had not received a recent classified briefing on the subject .
Tuesday ’ s hearing tested the Senate ’ s ability to conduct business safely with coronavirus cases still on the rise in the Washington area .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , called his chamber back to work Monday , while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , kept the House away , saying she had been advised by the Capitol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convene .
Attendance at the session was restricted , with members encouraged to watch as much as possible from their offices and come to the room when it was time for their questions .
No more than two dozen people were there at any point , with the public barred from the Capitol complex .
With seats spaced at least six feet apart , Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , joked that he could barely see Ratcliffe across the cavernous hearing room .
Lawmakers concerned by turnover within intelligence community leadership are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Dan Coats , who left the DNI post last summer and had bipartisan support .
About a half dozen officials have either resigned or been fired in the last year , including the intelligence community inspector general who advanced a whistleblower complaint that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
The DNI position is currently held in an acting capacity by Trump loyalist Richard Grenell , the U.S. ambassador to Germany .
Some senators who previously seemed cool to Ratcliffe ’ s nomination appeared to soften .
Collins , a critical GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last summer that she had never heard of Ratcliffe before his nomination .
But last week she said she had spoken with him and concluded that he has the experience “ to meet the statutory standard ” for the position .
Ratcliffe sits on the House intelligence , judiciary and ethics committees and has been a fierce defender of Trump .
He forcefully questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller last summer when Mueller testified about the Russia investigation .
He was also a member of Trump ’ s impeachment advisory team last fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearings .
Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report .

Mary Clare Jalonick And Eric Tucker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-05--Navy SEAL recruits resume training while social distancing

SAN DIEGO - Navy SEAL recruits and their instructors are being tested for the coronavirus as the candidates in one of the military ’ s most grueling programs return to training with new social distancing guidelines , a top official said Tuesday .
Everyone in the first phase of training will be tested to try to detect if anyone is infected but asymptomatic , Capt .
Bart Randall said .
The rapid tests to be administered this week to 170 recruits and instructors are part of a defence department pilot project .
“ Ideally we ’ ll get any asymptomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the rest of the guys safe , “ said Randall , the Naval Special Warfare Center ’ s commodore .
The recruits returned to training Monday after classes were paused March 16 as leaders established safety standards amid the pandemic .
Each recruit is checked daily for symptoms of the virus .
Instructors are wearing masks and surgical gloves and shouting into megaphones rather than recruits ’ faces .
Only a limited number of SEAL trainees are allowed into classrooms at a time or during swims and runs .
No positive cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ training school for the SEAL recruits or candidates for special warfare boat operators , Randall said .
Anyone showing symptoms of the virus will be immediately pulled from training and evaluated by a medical team and placed into quarantine if determined to be a potential case , Randall said .
The basic SEAL training program in Coronado , across the bay from San Diego , tests participants ’ physical and psychological strength along with water competency and leadership skills .
The program is the first in-person evaluation of a candidate who desires to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it allows sailors to compete against peers in an equitable training environment .
The 65-week program is so grueling that 75 % of candidates drop out by the end of the first month .
That ’ s when trainees undergo what is known as Hell Week when recruits are pushed to the limit with little sleep .
Medical crews will be watching closely this year to ensure any coughs or other flu-like symptoms that often are produced by the strenuous workouts are not a sign of the coronavirus , Randall said .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
The vast majority of people recover .