thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Two officers killed in shootout in south Texas border town

MCALLEN , Texas - Two police officers were shot and killed Saturday in a South Texas border town after reportedly responding to a disturbance call , authorities said .
The McAllen police officers were shot on the south side of the city and transported to an area hospital , said Lt. Christopher Olivarez , spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety .
A suspect in the shooting was also shot , though that person ’ s condition was not immediately available .
“ We have lost two brave public servants who sought only to keep peace in our City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The ( McAllen ) Monitor .
Olivarez said DPS sent troopers to secure the scene after the McAllen Police Department asked them for assistance .
He said his agency received a call about the incident around 4:30 p.m. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted that his office will provide the McAllen Police Department with any help needed .
“ Our prayers and full support are with the valiant men and women of the # CityofMcAllen PD this evening , ” the tweet read .
“ We are grateful for police in McAllen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen said in a statement that receiving news of the officers ’ deaths was “ devastating.
” “ This is devastating news to our community .
My heart breaks for these fallen officers and their families , ” Gonzalez said in the statement .
“ They served McAllen bravely and honourably and I will keep them in my prayers.
” An investigation is ongoing .
No further information was immediately available .


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Trump’s defiant help for Stone adds to tumult in Washington

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s intervention into a criminal case connected to his own conduct drew fierce rebukes Saturday from Democrats and a few lonely Republicans , with calls for investigations and legislation .
But it remained to be seen if Trump ’ s most recent defiance of the conventions of his office to commute the sentence of political confidant Roger Stone , just four months before Election Day , would matter to voters grappling with a deadly COVID-19 surge and a national discourse on racial justice .
Shortly before heading out Saturday morning for his Virginia golf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his political foes while taking another swipe at special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation , which led to convictions for six Trump aides or advisers , including Stone , a larger-than-life political character who embraced his reputation as a dirty trickster .
“ Roger Stone was targeted by an illegal Witch Hunt that never should have taken place , ” Trump tweeted .
“ It is the other side that are criminals , including Biden and Obama , who spied on my campaign - AND GOT CAUGHT !
” Trump has long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped define his first two years in office .
And now that the coronavirus pandemic has imperiled his reelection chances by crushing the economy and sending his poll numbers sliding , he has taken to testing the limits of his power in order to reward loyalty and fire up his conservative base .
Mueller himself spoke out — a rarity for the former FBI director — in an op-ed posted Saturday by The Washington Post in which he defended his investigation as “ of paramount importance “ and added : ” Stone was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes .
He remains a convicted felon , and rightly so.
” The decision to commute the sentence of the 67-year-old Stone , who was convicted of lying to help the president and set to report to prison on Tuesday , was loudly celebrated by some in Trump ’ s orbit as a triumph over deep state prosecutorial overreach .
But the move announced Friday evening came over the advice of a number of the president ’ s senior advisers , who warned him it would be politically self-destructive to reward Stone for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea of clemency for Stone — as well as for other associates in legal trouble , including his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and campaign chairman Paul Manafort — which itself was viewed by some as witness tampering by encouraging them not to co-operate with prosecutors .
The reaction from Democrats was swift and furious .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday called it “ an act of staggering corruption , ” saying legislation is needed to prevent a president from pardoning or commuting the sentence of someone who acted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff called it “ offensive to the rule of law and principles of justice.
” And Trump ’ s Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , resurfaced a 2019 tweet in which he said that “ Trump has surrounded himself with people who flout our laws — we shouldn ’ t be surprised that he thinks he is above the law.
” He added : “ Still true.
” Republicans largely stayed silent on the issue Saturday , reluctant again to challenge a president who remains very popular with rank-and-file @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , who was also the lone GOP senator to vote to convict the president during his impeachment trial earlier this year .
“ Unprecedented , historic corruption : an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president , ” Romney tweeted Saturday .
Sen. Pat Toomey , a Pennsylvania Republican , signalled dismay with the commutation , saying in a statement Saturday that it was a mistake while calling the Russia investigation “ badly flawed “ and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that Stone had been duly convicted and that any objections to the conviction and trial “ should be resolved through the appeals process.
” Mark Sanford , the former South Carolina congressman who made a short-lived primary challenge to Trump , wrote : “ So much for the Republican Party being the party of law and order .
Have we not lost our minds in not condemning as a party the president ’ s corruption by Roger Stone.
” But most of Republicans who did speak out about the decision supported it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidant , said Stone was convicted of a “ nonviolent , first-time offence ” and the president was “ justified ” in commuting the sentence .
Advisers who had previously talked Trump out of acting on Stone ’ s behalf awaited the possible fallout , but they considered that Congress may be too consumed with virus relief packages while wondering if the electorate long ago tuned out any talk of the complicated Russia investigation , particularly during a pandemic .
But Trump likely could not afford more political damage .
He is decidedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s own private admissions , and his effort to reboot his reelection bid took another blow when his planned rally Saturday night in New Hampshire was postponed .
Campaign officials had deeply worried about low turnout .
While an impending storm was blamed for the cancellation , sunny skies were seen in Portsmouth an hour before the president had been due to arrive .
By commuting Stone ’ s sentence , Trump evoked other controversial acts of clemency by his predecessors , though his was done in the height of an election year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Defence Secretary Caspar Weinberger on Christmas Eve 1992 , six weeks after he was defeated for reelection , prompting an uproar from Democrats and the independent counsel investigating the Iran-Contra affair .
And President Bill Clinton waited until his final hours in office in 2001 to issue a raft of pardons , including of financier Marc Rich .
But one president who resisted the use of pardon was Richard Nixon , who privately discussed acts of clemency but never followed through even as many of his associates faced legal trouble during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resigning , Nixon himself received a pardon from his successor Gerald Ford .
Stone , a former Nixon aide , told the AP he expressed his gratitude to Trump in a phone call .
“ You know , he has a great sense of fairness , ” Stone said .
“ We ’ ve been friends for many , many years , and he understands that I was targeted strictly for political reasons.
” Associated Press writers Jill Colvin , Eric Tucker and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Mueller defends Russia probe, says Stone remains a felon

WASHINGTON - Former special counsel Robert Mueller sharply defended his investigation into ties between Russia and Donald Trump ’ s 2016 presidential campaign , writing in a newspaper opinion piece Saturday that the probe was of “ paramount importance ” and asserting that a Trump ally , Roger Stone , “ remains a convicted felon , and rightly so “ despite the president ’ s decision to commute his prison sentence .
The op-ed in The Washington Post marked Mueller ’ s first public statement on his investigation since his congressional appearance last July .
It represented his firmest defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come under attack and even been partially undone by the Trump administration , including the president ’ s extraordinary move Friday evening to grant clemency to Stone just days before he was due to report to prison .
Mueller said that though he had intended for his 448-page report on the investigation to speak for itself , he felt compelled to “ respond both to broad claims that our investigation was illegitimate and our motives were improper , and to specific claims that Roger Stone was a victim of our office .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes .
He remains a convicted felon , and rightly so , “ Mueller wrote .
Mueller did not specify who was making the claims , but it appeared to be an obvious reference to Trump , who as recently as Saturday derided the investigation as this “ whole political witch hunt and the Mueller scam.
” The mere publication of the op-ed was striking in itself for a former FBI director who was tight-lipped during the investigation , refusing to respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or to even make public appearances explaining or justifying his work .
In his first public statement after the conclusion of his investigation , Mueller had said that he had hoped his report would speak for itself .
When he later testified to House lawmakers , he was similarly careful not to stray beyond the report ’ s findings or offer new evidence .
But that buttoned-up approach created a void for others , including at the Justice Department , to place their own stamp on his work .
Even before the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a four-page summary document that Mueller privately complained did not adequately capture the gravity of his team ’ s findings .
In the months since , Barr assigned a U.S. attorney to investigate the origins of the Russia probe , and the Justice Department moved to dismiss the criminal case against former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn even though Flynn had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contacts with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period .
The op-ed traced the basis for the Stone prosecution , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tampered with a witness but also lied repeatedly about his efforts to gain inside information about Democratic emails that Russian intelligence operatives stole and provided to WikiLeaks , which published them in the run-up to the election .
Those efforts , including his discussions with Trump campaign associates about them , cut to the heart of Mueller ’ s mandate to determine whether anyone tied to the campaign co-ordinated with Russia in the hacking or disclosure of the stolen Democratic emails .
Stone was particularly critical to the investigation , Mueller writes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ release of the stolen emails and because he communicated during the campaign with people known to be Russian intelligence officers .
He also communicated with members of the Trump campaign about the timing of the WikiLeaks releases , something that he denied .
“ We did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government in its activities , ” Mueller wrote .
“ The investigation did , however , establish that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.
” Stone was found guilty last fall of witness tampering , false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian election interference .
He was sentenced in February to 40 months in prison and was due to surrender on Tuesday , until the president commuted his sentence .
“ Roger Stone was treated horribly .
Roger Stone was treated very unfairly , ” Trump told reporters on Saturday .
He was one of six former Trump associates or advisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In total , the investigation produced charges against 34 individuals , including 25 Russians accused either of hacking into Democratic email accounts of engaging in a covert social media campaign to divide American public opinion ahead of the election .


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Mitt Romney slams Trump for ‘unprecedented, historic corruption’ in commuting Roger Stone’s sentence

Even as most other Republicans held their tongues , the Utah senator slammed Trump for trying to save his own skin by protecting Stone from punishment .
“ Unprecedented , historic corruption : an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president , ” Romney tweeted .
Stone was convicted last year of lying to Congress , witness tampering and obstruction of an official proceeding .
He lashed out at Romney on Saturday , and claimed that he was prosecuted for refusing to turn on Trump .
“ Mitt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your hair colour , ” Stone said in a video posted on Twitter .
Romney joined a chorus of critics outraged at the commutation , which Trump issued Friday night .
A commutation reduces or completely removes a sentence but does not absolve a guilty person of their crime .
The former GOP presidential nominee has long been a thorn in Trump ’ s side and was the only Republican lawmaker to vote in favour of his removal in the impeachment trial .
But most Republican lawmakers pointedly kept quiet about the commutation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report to prison next week for a three-year sentence .
Sen. Pat Toomey , who occasionally criticizes Trump , said it was a “ mistake ” for the president to commute Stone ’ s sentence .
Trump acolytes like Sen. Lindsey Graham supported the decision , noting that Stone had not previously been convicted of any major crimes and is a nonviolent offender .
Since taking office , Trump has commuted sentences for 11 people including Stone .
By the end of his second term , President Obama had granted 1,715 commutations .


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Fire destroys much of 249-year-old church in California

SAN GABRIEL , Calif. - A fire early Saturday destroyed the rooftop and most of the interior of a Catholic church in California that was undergoing renovation to mark its upcoming 250th anniversary celebration .
Fire alarms at the San Gabriel Mission rang around 4 a.m .
When firefighters arrived , they saw smoke rising from the wooden rooftop in one corner of the historic structure , San Gabriel Fire Capt .
Paul Negrete said .
Firefighters entered the church and tried to beat back the flames , but they had to retreat when roofing and other structural materials began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We were trying to fight it from the inside .
We weren ’ t able to because it became unsafe , ” he said .
After evacuating the church , the crew was joined by up to 50 firefighters who tried to douse water on the 50-foot-high structure from ladder trucks , he said .
“ The roof is completely gone , ” the captain said .
“ The fire traversed the wood rapidly .
The interior is pretty much destroyed up into the altar area.
” The cause of the fire was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the recent toppling of monuments to Junipero Serra , the founder of the California mission system who has long been a symbol of oppression among Indigenous activists , will be a factor in the investigation .
“ This will be another box that they ’ re going to check off , ” Negrete said .
Robert Barron , the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles , tweeted that he was “ deeply troubled ” by the fire as he awaits further information about its cause .
The church was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across California by Serra during the era of Spanish colonization .
The Franciscan priest has long been praised by the church for bringing Roman Catholicism to what is now the western United States , but critics highlight a darker side to his legacy .
In converting Native Americans to Catholicism , they said he forced them to abandon their culture or face brutal punishment .
Depictions of Serra have been protested and vandalized over the years , and Pope Francis ’ decision in 2015 to elevate him to sainthood reopened old wounds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights and historical struggle of Black and Indigenous people led activists to topple statues of Serra in San Francisco , Sacramento and Los Angeles .
In response , the San Gabriel Mission recently moved a bronze statue of Serra from the church entrance to its garden , away from public view , Terri Huerta , a spokeswoman for San Gabriel Mission , told the Los Angeles Times .
Police increased patrol and officials stepped security around the mission ’ s grounds about two weeks ago , she said .
The interior wall of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Crews had just finished installing the pews as part of a larger renovation of the property to mark the anniversary of the founding of the mission in 1771 , Huerta said .
The firefighters ’ aggressive stance and “ a little bit of a miracle ” kept the flames from reaching the altar , she said .
The church had been preparing to reopen next weekend following a four-month closure to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Selena Quezada , 26 , was in tears when she drove to the mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said she grew up in the parish and attended the elementary school on the church ’ s grounds .
“ I was baptized here , I had my first communion here ...
I was getting ready to get married here next year so this hurts , ” Quezada said .
“ It ’ s just really sad to see such a historic place burned down because this place means a lot to us.
” The church , built of stone , brick and mortar , originally had a vaulted ceiling that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1800s , Huerta said .
Franciscan fathers replaced the ceiling with a wood-paneled ceiling , and the roof was last repaired following damage caused by the 1994 Northridge earthquake , she said .
This version corrects the spelling of the church member ’ s name to Selena Quezada , not Casada .

Marcio Sanchez And Daisy Nguyen - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Justice Dept. seeks to overturn order halting execution

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department filed an emergency motion with a federal appeals court on Saturday seeking to move forward with the first federal execution in nearly two decades .
Daniel Lee , 47 , had been scheduled to die by lethal injection on Monday at a federal prison in Indiana .
He was convicted in Arkansas of the 1996 killings of gun dealer William Mueller , his wife , Nancy , and her 8-year-old daughter , Sarah Powell .
But Chief District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled Friday in Indiana that the execution would be put on hold because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more than 130,000 people and is ravaging prisons nationwide .
The Justice Department is seeking to immediately overturn that ruling .
In the emergency motion to the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals , it argues that the judge ’ s order “ misconstrues both federal and state law and has no basis in equity ” and asks the appeals court to permit the government to carry out the execution on Monday afternoon .
“ The capital sentence at issue here — imposed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents during a robbery to fund a white supremacist movement — has been repeatedly upheld by federal courts , and the inmate ’ s own efforts to halt its implementation have very recently been rejected by this Court and the Supreme Court , ” prosecutors wrote in the filing .
In response , lawyers for the victims ’ family said the relatives “ need no reminder of the gruesome details of those crimes.
” The Justice Department also argues that while the Bureau of Prisons has taken measures to accommodate the family and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , the family ’ s concerns “ do not outweigh the public interest in finally carrying out the lawfully imposed sentence in this case.
” The relatives would be travelling thousands of miles and witnessing the execution in a small room where the social distancing recommended to prevent the virus ’ spread is virtually impossible .
There are currently four confirmed coronavirus cases among inmates at the Terre Haute prison , according to federal statistics , and one inmate there has died .
The family argues it isn ’ t trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead they “ seek to exercise their lawful rights to attend the execution of Lee , so that they can be together at that moment in time as they grieve their losses , ” according to the filing .
The family hopes there won ’ t be an execution , ever .
They have asked the Justice Department and President Donald Trump not to move forward with the execution and have long asked that he be given a life sentence instead .
The relatives , including Earlene Branch Peterson , who lost her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have argued that their grief is compounded by the push to execute Lee in the middle of a pandemic .
Peterson , who is 81 and has not left the county where she lives since February , was told by her doctor she should not travel and should avoid contact with others as much as possible to during the pandemic , the filing said .
“ Plaintiffs face the unacceptable choice between exercising their right to witness the execution and risking exposure to a deadly disease , ” the lawyers wrote .
Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week that he believes the Bureau of Prisons could “ carry out these executions without being at risk.
” The agency has put a number of additional measures in place , including temperature checks and requiring witnesses to wear masks .
The injunction that was imposed late Friday delays the execution until there is no longer such an emergency .
The court order applies only to Lee ’ s execution and does not halt two other executions that are scheduled for later next week .
The decision to resume executions has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Critics argue that the government is creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency around a topic that isn ’ t high on the list of American concerns right now .
The federal prisons system has struggled in recent months to stem the exploding coronavirus pandemic behind bars .
As of Friday , more than 7,000 federal inmates had tested positive ; the Bureau of Prisons said 5,137 of them had recovered .
There have also been nearly 100 inmate deaths since late March .


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Protesters demand reopening of Delaware police shooting

WILMINGTON , Del .
- Dozens of people marched Saturday in Wilmington to demand the reopening of the case in the 2015 fatal police shooting of a Black man in a wheelchair .
The demonstration for Jeremy McDole moved through the city , making stops at the Wilmington Police headquarters and a state office building , the News Journal of Wilmington reported .
The march was led by the man ’ s sister .
McDole , 28 , was sitting in his wheelchair when he was shot and killed in September 2015 in Wilmington , after police received a 911 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A bystander ’ s cellphone footage showed officers repeatedly telling McDole to drop his weapon and raise his hands , with McDole reaching for his waist area before shots erupted .
A federal judge in 2017 approved the city ’ s $ 1.5 million settlement with McDole ’ s family .
The protesters Saturday shouted , “ Justice for Jeremy McDole ” and “ Shotgun Joe has got to go , ” referring to Senior Cpl .
Joseph Dellose , who shot McDole .
A report from then-Attorney General Matt Denn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firearm created uncertainty among other responding officers who , not knowing where the gunfire came from , also opened fire on McDole .
Denn ’ s office criticized Dellose for “ extraordinarily poor police work ” and said he should not carry a firearm .
None of the four officers who were involved are still with the Wilmington Police Department .


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Child recovering after being shot 4 times during drive-by

ATLANTA - A 9-year-old who was shot four times Wednesday night in Atlanta has undergone surgery and is recovering , his mother said Saturday .
Keyona Carson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that her son Javonni Carson was filming TikTok videos in East Atlanta when someone drove by and fired into a crowd , injuring Javonni and two adults .
She said Javonni was shot four times in his left leg and his father rushed him to a hospital .
“ My other two kids were there , too , and they saw everything , ” Keyona Carson said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Police said all three victims were expected to survive .
Police believe an argument led to the shooting .
Authorities said officers recovered 42 shell casings from the scene .
No arrests have been made .
The shooting came days after 8-year-old Secoriea Turner was shot and killed over the Fourth of July weekend in Atlanta .
Carson said she was heartbroken when she heard about Turner ’ s death and felt fortunate her son survived .
“ I just thank God that he ’ s still here , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even have their baby any more .
I can ’ t imagine .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Church asks Utah Mormons to wear face coverings in public

SALT LAKE CITY - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has asked all its members in Utah to wear face coverings when in public , a request that comes as confirmed infections in the state increase .
The Deseret News reports that the Utah Area Presidency sent out the request in an email on Friday evening .
The area presidency operates under the authority of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles .
“ Now we ask all Latter-day Saints in the Utah Area to be good citizens by wearing face coverings when in public , ” the email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote the health and general welfare of all.
” About 62 % of Utah ’ s 3.1 million residents are members of the church .
Nearly 900 new cases were reported in the state on Friday , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
Overall , Utah had 28,223 confirmed cases and 207 deaths due to the virus as of Saturday .
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Even during pandemic beekeeping remains an essential service

WASHINGTON - “ Excuse me , can I ask what you ’ re doing here ?
” a resident in a southeast Washington neighbourhood asks as Sean Kennedy and Erin Gleeson get out of their truck and scour the streets .
The sign on their back windshield , “ Bees Onboard , ” gives them away .
Kennedy , 58 , and Gleeson , 36 , are beekeepers .
They and their colleagues have been deemed essential workers by the District of Columbia government in the middle of a pandemic .
On this day April , the pair is responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of honeybees .
At first glance it appears as if it might be a bad tip .
Kennedy looks down a fence line while Gleeson walks across the street and past a few houses .
“ Let ’ s check the alley , ” Kennedy says , and quickly they ’ re back in their truck .
The truck moves slowly as they scan fences , trees , and rooflines — all places where bee swarms might stop .
As they reach the end of the alley , they find what they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 feet long that most casual observers would walk by without noticing .
Upon closer inspection , this brown mass moves with quiet activity , thousands of bees huddling with no nest to protect them .
Within two hours , this cluster of bees will be collected , driven across town and given a new home on some of the most desirable real estate in the city .
If a hive is thriving and becomes too large for its own space , the queen will take half the hive and set off to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new hive .
If this swarm isn ’ t collected up by a beekeeper , the new hive can settle into backyards , attics , crawlspaces , office buildings , or high traffic public spaces , creating a nuisance that can alarm some people .
“ Bees are not aggressive unless you invade their home or step on them , ” Kennedy says .
“ But they do put people off .
Some people are just innately afraid of things that sting and maybe that ’ s primal and necessary , but if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or you have them in your tourist spots , they become a problem .
So , it ’ s good to catch them in that middle step when we can just put them somewhere where they are welcome.
” For the past five years , the D.C. Beekeepers Alliance has responded to calls from residents about bee swarms .
These beekeepers call themselves the “ Swarm Squad ” and will come to all areas of the region to take away unwanted bees and give them a home , with the added benefit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded to just 12 calls ; this year has been especially busy .
“ We had on the first swarm call day of this year , as many calls as we had in all of last year , ” says Toni Burnham , the group ’ s president , who estimates receiving calls so far about 60 to 75 swarms .
The coronavirus outbreak coincided with the start of warmer weather , when bees naturally begin separating from their hives .
When district officials began looking at the possibility of shutting down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached out to her contact at the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment .
“ When I saw the lockdown happening and really scary quarantining things , I called up our regulators and said essentially , ‘ If we ’ re going to catch swarms we need to not be arrested.
’ They took care of it , she said .
“ Beekeepers needed to be essential because often the hives that they keep are not on their property , ” says Tommy Wells , the department ’ s director and a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , they need to be able to travel and get to their bee colonies.
” Wells and his team at the agency also are looking at the broader picture and whether there are enough bee colonies in the region .
He said if there are colony collapses elsewhere , D.C. bees can be moved where necessary .
Over the past year , beekeepers in the U.S. lost 43.7 per cent of their honeybee colonies , according to the Bee Informed Partnership .
Back out on the street , Kennedy and Gleeson collected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cardboard box .
The box hums and vibrates as they load it into the back of their truck next to their bee suits and tools .
They make their way across town though light traffic in record time .
Jacques Pitteloud , the Swiss ambassador to the U.S. , opens the gate to the embassy grounds .
They exchange pleasantries as Kennedy and Gleeson don their bee suits .
Pitteloud , wearing a gray sweatshirt with “ Washington , D.C ” in big block letters across the front , says he was working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn parts of the property into a biodiversity reserve when he was approached about beekeeping .
“ I said , ‘ Of course.
’ ” “ Because you know these beautiful gardens that embassies usually have are ecological deserts , ” he says .
“ They are beautiful to look at , but they do not offer the kind of environment that ’ s conducive to wildlife .
Collecting swarms of bees is challenging at any time , even more so during a pandemic .
“ Erin and I are both very careful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Kennedy .
“ So when we work together we don ’ t worry about having masks on.
” He adds , “ Being around a swarm of bees deters a crowd .
You don ’ t want a lot of people gathering and it sort of creates a dynamic that encourages social distancing no matter what ’ s going on with pandemics in the world .
So , it ’ s a perfect activity to encourage social distancing.
” Even with the virus , seeing someone out on the street in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and look .
“ We do look pretty funny and we are doing some pretty strange things , ” says Gleeson .
“ Pre-corona , people would have hurried past , ” she says .
“ And now they say , ‘ Whoa , what are you doing , can I have a look ?
’ They stick their heads in the bee box and go , ‘ Oh my God.
’ It ’ s great to be able to show them , ’ Hey here ’ s a queen or a drone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has helped him combat boredom during the pandemic .
“ There were a lot of swarms this year and it gave life for the last few months some purpose , ” he says .
He calls saving bees “ a fairly noble endeavour ” that people are enthused about .
“ It ’ s a way in difficult times to make a small difference .
It ’ s probably , in the time of social distancing , the best way I could have spent the past few months .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Q&A: US government not as prolific an executioner as states

CHICAGO - Executions carried out by federal authorities have stopped , restarted and stopped again for long stretches since the first one in 1790 , when U.S. marshals hanged a mariner in Maine for fatally shooting the captain of a slave ship .
After a 17-year hiatus , the Trump administration wants to restart federal executions this month in Terre Haute , Indiana .
The first was supposed to happen Monday , but it was delayed by an Indiana federal judge ’ s ruling .
The Justice Department appealed that decision .
Some questions and answers about the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MANY FEDERAL EXECUTIONS HAVE THERE BEEN ?
A : .
The federal government has never been a prolific executioner .
It has carried out no more than a few hundred executions since Congress first codified which federal crimes called for capital punishment more than 200 years ago .
Just 37 people were executed for federal crimes between 1927 and 2003 , according to the Death Penalty Information Center .
Thirty-four were executed between 1927 and 1963 , including Julius and Ethel Rosenberg , who were put to death in 1953 for passing nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal executions were carried out from 1963 to 2001 .
Only three happened from 2001 to 2003 , all by lethal injection in Terre Haute .
Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was among them .
The last was the March 2003 execution of Louis Jones , a decorated Gulf War veteran who said exposure to Iraqi nerve gas caused him to rape and kill a female soldier .
Q : WHAT ABOUT EXECUTIONS BY STATES ?
A : From the colonial days to the present , states have put to death more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by leading death-penalty researchers M. Watt Espy and John Ortiz Smykla .
Virginia has had the most executions , with more than 1,380 .
Wisconsin has had just one , when John McCaffary was publicly hanged in 1851 for drowning his wife in a barrel .
Since it became a state , Hawaii has had no executions .
Since 1977 , Texas has carried out the most , with 570 .
A : A 1624 Virginia Assembly report described settlers being “ putt to sundry deathes as by hanginge , shooting and breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Virginia retained an eye-for-an-eye clause , which meant that those who shot their victims were shot and those who used poison were poisoned .
In recent decades , the vast majority of executions ( more than 1,200 ) have been carried out by lethal injection .
That ’ s the only method currently authorized for federal executions .
But most executions since the 1700s have been by hanging .
Espy and Smykla put the number at around 9,000 .
The second-most prevalent mode has been electrocution , with more than 4,400 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early 1900s .
Q : WHAT HAVE PEOPLE BEEN EXECUTED FOR ?
A : Among the acts that carried the death penalty in colonies and states in the years before and after independence was using the Lord ’ s name in vain and children striking their parents .
From colonial days to the mid-1800s , 35 people were executed for witchcraft , 20 for aiding runaway slaves and two for adultery , according to the Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy .
Congress in 1790 made the death penalty mandatory for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piracy and forgery , according to the Fordham Urban Law Journal .
In 1897 , Congress rescinded the death penalty for all but five federal crimes .
Capital punishment could also no longer be mandatory and was left to juries to impose .
The list of federal crimes that carried the possibility of death got longer over the years .
Providing illegal drugs to minors was added in 1956 and a 1988 law made drug kingpins eligible .
Acts of terrorism were added in 1994 .
Q : WHO WERE THE FIRST TO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documented execution in the colonies occurred in 1608 , when Capt .
George Kendall was shot for working as a spy for Spain .
The first federal execution was the 1790 hanging of Thomas Bird .
The mariner unsuccessfully sought clemency from President George Washington after shooting a captain with a reputation for brutality on “ the Mary , ” a small vessel that ferried captured Africans to slave ships anchored off of Africa ’ s coast , according to the book , “ Portland Neck : The Hanging of Thomas Bird.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE DEATH PENALTY BEGIN ?
A : There were few detectable movements immediately after independence .
The American Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment was founded in 1845 .
Criticism of the death penalty grew in Wisconsin after McCaffary reportedly took five minutes to die by hanging .
Two years later , in 1853 , Wisconsin became the first state to permanently end executions .
To date , 20 states have abolished the death penalty .
Q : WHEN DID THE SUPREME COURT WEIGH IN ?
A : A 1972 landmark ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , citing racial bias and arbitrariness in applying it .
That essentially voided all existing capital punishment laws .
But the court followed with a 1976 decision clarifying that states could rewrite laws to render the death penalty constitutional .
A year later , Utah became the first state since that ruling to carry out an execution , when serial killer Gary Gilmore was killed by firing squad .
Federal capital punishment was restored by law in 1988 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Serbia police detain 71 after 4th night of virus protests

BELGRADE , Serbia - Serbian police detained 71 people after clashes during the fourth night of anti-government protests against the Serbian president that were initially sparked by his plans to reintroduce a coronavirus lockdown .
Fourteen policemen were injured in the rioting Friday evening when hundreds of right-wing demonstrators tried to storm the parliament building in downtown Belgrade , police director Vladimir Rebic said Saturday .
Many demonstrators and several reporters were also injured in the protests .
Hundreds gathered on Saturday for another night of protests when no incidents were reported .
Serbian media reported that among the detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the leaders of the violent protesters , pro-Russian far-right politician Srdjan Nogo .
The protesters , defying an anti-virus ban on gatherings , threw bottles , rocks and flares at police who were guarding the parliament building , and police responded with tear gas to disperse the angry crowds .
Similar clashes erupted twice earlier this week .
The protests first started when populist President Aleksandar Vucic announced a strict curfew for this weekend to curb a surge in new coronavirus cases in the Balkan country Vucic later scraped the plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings of more than 10 people in Belgrade , the capital , and shortened the working hours of indoor businesses .
Many in Serbia accuse the increasingly authoritarian Vucic and his government of letting the virus crisis spin out of control in order to hold a parliamentary election on June 21 that tightened the ruling party ’ s grip on power .
Vucic has denied this , although authorities had relaxed the rules prior to the vote , allowing massive crowds at soccer games , tennis matches and nightclubs .
Authorities reported 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new infections , although there have been increasing doubts about the accuracy of the official figures .
The country officially has over 18,000 confirmed infections and 382 deaths since March .
Health authorities have warned that Serbian hospitals are almost full due to the latest surge in cases .
Vucic has claimed that unspecified foreign security services were involved in the unrest and pledged he won ’ t be toppled in the streets .
Some opposition leaders , meanwhile , are blaming the rioting on groups they say are controlled by the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign citizens are among those detained , including people from Montenegro , Bosnia , Britain and Tunisia .
He said police are looking into “ foreign element in the radicalization of the protests.
” Pro-government tabloids in Serbia have claimed that Russian intelligence services were behind the unrest that is designed to destabilize the country as Western efforts mount to negotiate an deal normalizing relations with Kosovo , Serbia ’ s former province whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade still does not recognize .
Serbia is a rare Russian ally in Europe with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is bidding to join the European Union after years of crisis and wars in the 1990s .
Nationalist and far-right groups in Serbia are opposed to EU membership and want closer ties with Russia instead .
The Russian foreign ministry has vehemently denied any involvement in the latest protests in Serbia .

Jovana Gec And Dusan Stojanovic - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Fear and anger as teachers in the U.S. feel pressure to return to class

Many of the nation ’ s 3.5 million teachers found themselves feeling under siege this week as pressure from the White House , pediatricians and some parents to get back to physical classrooms intensified — even as the coronavirus rages across much of the country .
On Friday , the teachers ’ union in Los Angeles , the nation ’ s second-largest district , demanded full-time remote learning when the academic year begins on Aug. 18 , and called President Donald Trump ’ s push to reopen schools part of a “ dangerous , anti-science agenda that puts the lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our families at risk.
” Teachers say crucial questions about how schools will stay clean , keep students physically distanced and prevent further spread of the virus have not been answered .
And they feel that their own lives , and those of the family members they come home to , are at stake .
“ I want to serve the students , but it ’ s hard to say you ’ re going to sacrifice all of the teachers , paraprofessionals , cafeteria workers and bus drivers , ” said Hannah Wysong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School in Tempe , Arizona , where virus cases are increasing .
School systems struggling to meet the financial and logistical challenges of reopening safely will need to carefully weigh teachers ’ concerns .
A wave of leave requests , early retirements or resignations driven by health fears could imperil efforts to reach students learning both in physical classrooms and online .
On social media , teachers across the country promoted the hashtag # 14daysnonewcases , with some pledging to refuse to enter classrooms until the coronavirus transmission rate in their counties falls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , educators are using some of the same organizing tactics they employed in walkouts over issues of pay and funding in recent years to demand that schools remain closed , at least in the short term .
It ’ s a stance that could potentially be divisive , with some district surveys suggesting that more than half of parents would like their children to return to classrooms .
Big districts like San Diego and smaller ones , like Marietta , Georgia , are forging ahead with plans to open schools five days per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in New York City and Seattle , hope to offer several days per week of in-person school .
Adding to the confusion , optional guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in May set out ambitious safety precautions for schools .
But the president , and many local school system leaders , have suggested they do not need to be strictly followed , alarming teachers .
Many doctors , education experts , parents and policy-makers have argued that the social and academic costs of school closures on children need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus itself .
The heated national debate about how and whether to bring students back to classrooms plays upon all the anxieties of the teaching profession .
The comparison between teachers and other essential workers currently laboring outside their homes rankles some educators .
They note that they are paid much less than doctors — the average salary nationwide for teachers is about $ 60,000 per year — but are more highly educated than delivery people , restaurant workers or most staffers in child care centres , many of whom are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers listen to a national conversation about reopening schools that many believe elevates the needs of the economy and working parents above the concerns of the classroom workforce , many are fearful and angry .
They point out that so far Congress has dedicated less than 1 % of federal pandemic stimulus funds to public schools stretching to meet the costs of reopening safely .
The message to teachers , said Christina Setzer , a preschool educator in Sacramento , is , “ Yes , you guys are really important and essential and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorry , we don ’ t have the money.
” Earlier in the shutdown , Trump acknowledged the health risks to teachers over the age of 60 and those with underlying conditions , saying at a White House event in May that “ they should not be teaching school for a while , and everybody would understand that fully.
” But this week , as the administration launched a full-throated campaign to pressure schools to reopen in the fall — a crucial step for jump-starting the economy — it all but ignored the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-quarter of public schoolteachers are over the age of 50 .
Teachers say many of their questions about how schools will operate safely remain unanswered .
They point out that some classrooms have windows that do not reliably open to promote air circulation , while school buildings can have aging heating and cooling systems that lack the filtration features that reduce virus transmission .
Although many districts are spending millions this summer procuring masks , sanitizers and additional custodial staff , many teachers say they have little faith that limited resources will stretch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry about access to tests and contact tracing to confirm COVID-19 diagnoses and clarify who in a school might need to isolate at home in the event of a symptomatic student or staff member .
The CDC has advised against regular testing in K-12 schools , but Wednesday , Dr. Deborah L. Birx , the White House coronavirus response co-ordinator , said the Trump administration was exploring whether testing being developed for other vulnerable environments , like nursing homes , could be used in schools .
Indeed , educators have had to process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety guidelines from Washington , states and medical experts .
The CDC has recommended that when schools reopen , students remain 6 feet apart “ when feasible , ” while the American Academy of Pediatrics released guidelines suggesting that 3 feet could be enough space if students wore masks .
But after major pushback from educator groups , who felt there was too little attention on the health risks for adults who work in schools , the Academy joined with the two national teachers ’ unions Friday to release a statement saying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 community spread should not be compelled to reopen against the judgment of local experts.
” In Arizona , Wysong , 30 , said she was willing to return to her Tempe classroom ; she is not in a high-risk category for complications from COVID-19 and her school caps classes at 15 students .
But given the long-term teacher and substitute shortage in Arizona , which has some of the lowest educator salaries in the nation , she said she believed the overall system could not reopen safely with small enough class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support reopening schools have sometimes questioned the need for strict physical distancing , pointing in recent weeks to emerging research suggesting that children may be not only less likely to contract COVID-19 , but also less likely to transmit it to adults .
In interviews , many teachers said they were unaware of or skeptical of such studies , arguing that much about the virus remains unknown , and that even if teachers do not catch coronavirus in large numbers from children , it could be spread among adults working in a school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from schools via public transit .
The education systems in Germany and Denmark have successfully reopened , but generally only after local virus transmission rates were brought under control .
American schools currently have a variety of plans for welcoming students back to campuses , ranging from regular , five-day schedules with children using desk partitions to stay distanced , to hybrid approaches that seek to keep students physically distanced by having them attend school in-person only a few days per week , and spend the rest of their time learning online from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the nation ’ s largest school system would reopen only part-time for students this fall , but teachers would most likely be back in classrooms five days a week .
The teachers ’ union president , Michael Mulgrew , has said he does not believe schools can reopen at all if the city does not receive additional federal funding this summer .
With many teachers reluctant to return to work , according to polls , staffing will be a major challenge for districts across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 in 5 of its teachers will receive a medical exemption to teach remotely this fall .
Matthew Landau , a history teacher at Democracy Prep Charter High School in Harlem , hopes he will be one of them .
He survived stage four cancer several years ago and said he does not feel comfortable going back to his classroom .
“ I feel there ’ s no way to keep immunocompromised teachers safe , ” he said .
Kevin Kearns , a high school English teacher at the High School of Fashion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last few weeks wrestling with his own dilemma .
Kearns and his wife became parents in March , and need child care for their infant son .
Their only option is to have Kearns ’ mother-in-law , who is in her 70s , stay with them .
Kearns is terrified of bringing the virus home .
“ I don ’ t want to go back , I don ’ t think it ’ s safe to go back , but I don ’ t know that I necessarily have a choice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he feels a duty to the mostly low-income , Black and Latino students he teaches .
“ It puts me in a very difficult moral conundrum , ” he said , “ to choose between supporting my community , students , colleagues and my own family ’ s safety .
”

Dana Goldstein - The New York Times,Eliza Shapiro


thetorontostar--2020-07-11--Video calls, separate bedrooms: Bolsonaro’s first COVID week

BRASILIA , Brazil - After months in which Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro downplayed COVID-19 by flouting social distancing recommendations and mostly shunning masks , both coronavirus precautions became part of his cloistered life this week at the official residence in capital Brasilia .
Bolsonaro , 65 , announced on Tuesday that he tested positive for the virus and had experienced fever , aches and malaise .
He scrapped a trip he had planned to northeastern Piauí state , and all his meetings for the week were converted to video calls .
One was with former congressman Roberto Jefferson , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Associated Press that he went to the presidential Planalto Palace and sat in front of a large television where he could see Bolsonaro in a makeshift office at his residence .
“ I found the president well , flushed , willing .
In very good health , ” Jefferson said Saturday .
“ I only saw him cough once , when I made a joke.
” Since his diagnosis , Bolsonaro has held virtual meetings almost every day with Jorge Oliveira , secretary-general of government , to sign official documents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a protocol was created so work could be carried out digitally .
This was also how Bolsonaro interviewed candidates to head the education ministry , he said on Facebook on Thursday .
The following day , he named to the post Milton Ribeiro , a former deputy dean of Mackenzie University in Sao Paulo who preaches at a Presbyterian church in Santos , outside the metropolis .
Only a few aides who were previously infected by the new coronavirus could get close to Bolsonaro during the week , one of them said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named , citing lack of authorization to speak with journalists .
Bolsonaro also spent some time in the afternoons in front of the palace with photojournalists 400 yards away , on the other side of a garden .
He had met his supporters by that garden until his diagnosis , but no longer .
The new routine marks a stark change for Bolsonaro , who spent months attending rallies with his fans , heading out to bakeries and food trucks to mix and mingle .
He sometimes declined to wear a mask .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and governors implemented to contain the spread of the virus , arguing their economic impacts would cause more suffering than the virus , which he repeatedly called “ a little flu.
” Bolsonaro took hydroxychloroquine pills for five days , Monday through Friday , according to a member of the presidential medical team who asked to not be identified , citing patient confidentiality and because the person isn ’ t authorized to speak publicly .
The drug has no proven effect on the treatment of COVID-19 and can cause side effects such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As a result , Bolsonaro was subjected to electrocardiograms and blood tests , the person said .
Brazil ’ s presidential press office said in a statement that the president has experienced no medical problems with his treatment .
The aide who spoke on condition of anonymity said Bolsonaro slept in a different bedroom to keep the first lady , Michelle Bolsonaro , safe .
He lives with her , his daughter and step-daughter .
On Saturday , the first lady shared a photo of her COVID-19 test results showing she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I tested negative for COVID-19 , ” she wrote in the post on her verified Instagram account .
“ I appreciate the prayers.
” On Thursday , Jair Bolsonaro held his weekly live broadcast on Facebook .
This time , he was not accompanied by a minister or a sign language interpreter , as usual .
Despite saying he felt well , he said he should still be isolated next week , so as to avoid contaminating anyone .
“ I ’ m sorry I can ’ t interact with you here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible , because I think I will not yet be completely free of the virus , so I will not have anyone on my side here , ” Bolsonaro said on the broadcast .
During the broadcast , he wasn ’ t wearing a mask .
But the aide said Bolsonaro now regularly wears the equipment to protect both his family and the more than 100 employees who work at the residence .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--UK official suggests masks won’t be required in shops

LONDON - People in England won ’ t be required to wear masks in shops , a British official suggested on Sunday , comments that caused confusion after Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier indicated a tougher line was needed for face coverings indoors .
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove encouraged people to use masks while inside but stopped short of endorsing their mandatory use in England , saying he trusted people to use “ common sense.
” His remarks came after Johnson indicated on Friday that the government was considering “ stricter ” rules for mask use inside , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Face coverings are required on public transport across Britain except for Wales , but Scotland has also now made them mandatory in shops .
They ’ re widely used in mainland European countries that suffered big outbreaks but less so in in Britain .
“ I think that it is basic good manners , courtesy and consideration , to wear a face mask if you are , for example , in a shop , ” Gove told the BBC .
“ Tough measures will be taken ” if necessary , but ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense , ” he said .
Lawmakers from the opposition Labour party called for more clarity .
“ We do need to get a lot more confidence back in the system and if the mandatory wearing of face masks in shops will help to do that then we absolutely support it , ” Lucy Powell , the shadow minister for business and consumers , told Sky News .
Johnson had said in an online question-and-answer session with the British public that his government was following expert opinion on face coverings , which had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the course of the pandemic .
“ I do think we need to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces where they are meeting people they don ’ t normally meet , ” he said .
“ We are looking at ways of making sure that people really do have face coverings in shops , for instance , where there is a risk of transmission .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Bollywood’s Amitabh Bachchan, 3 family members test positive

NEW DELHI - Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan , his son and two other family members have tested positive for the coronavirus in Mumbai , India ’ s financial and entertainment capital , a government minister said Sunday .
The Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital said that Amitabh Bachchan was in stable condition with mild symptoms in an isolation unit .
Bachchan , 77 , said in a tweet Saturday that he had tested positive and appealed to those who were in close proximity to him in the past 10 days to get themselves tested .
His son , Abhishek Bachchan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also had tested positive and was in a hospital .
“ Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to the hospital , ” he wrote .
“ I request all to stay calm and not panic.
” Maharashtra state Health Minister Rajesh Tope tweeted Sunday that Abhishek Bachchan ’ s wife , Aishwarya Rai Bachchan , and their 8-year-old daughter had also tested positive .
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is a top Bollywood actress .
Those two are asymptomatic and can be quarantined at home or admitted to a hospital , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tope as saying .
The elder Bachchan has acted in more than 200 Indian films over the past five decades .
He is also a former politician and a television host .
The Bachchans are often called Bollywood ’ s first family .
His wife , Jaya , is also an actress and a one-time member of Parliament .
The Press Trust of India cited Tope as saying that Amitabh Bachchan and his son had a cough and fever .
“ They underwent rapid antigen test and ( results ) came positive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the actor revealed that he had been treated for Hepatitis B for more than two decades and lost more than 75 % of his liver to the disease .
Since he is comorbid , he got himself admitted to the hospital , Tope said .
The elder Bachchan ’ s breakthrough performance came in the 1973 film “ Zanjeer , ” or “ The Chain , ” and he rose to superstardom playing bold characters , inspiring fans to copy his hairstyle , clothes and deep voice .
He briefly entered politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parliament midterm when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ’ s administration became ensnared in corruption .
Bachchan returned to film in the 1990s and made a rare Hollywood appearance in Baz Luhrmann ’ s 2013 version of “ The Great Gatsby.
“ He embraced social media , engaging with fans using Twitter and Tumblr , and served as host of “ Kaun Banega Crorepati , “ India ’ s version of “ Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
” Mumbai is among the Indian cities worst hit by the coronavirus .
On Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached near 850,000 , with 28,637 new cases announced , a new single-day high for India .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Serbia, Kosovo leaders agree agenda for Brussels talks

BRUSSELS - The European Union praised the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo Sunday for getting long-stalled talks on normalizing their tense relations back on the rails and for setting up a face-to-face meeting in Brussels later this week .
It came after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti held video talks mediated by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell , aimed at resuscitating the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue process , which been frozen since November 2018 .
“ The EU-facilitated dialogue on ( a ) comprehensive normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is back on track after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miroslav Lajcak , who also took part in the meeting , said in a video statement after it had ended .
“ We agreed on the main elements of the process .
We also agreed on the agenda of our next meeting that will take place this coming Thursday , in Brussels , in person .
I want to thank our partners for their constructive engagement today , ” Lajcak said .
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 , around a decade after Belgrade sent troops into its former territory to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo ’ s statehood , and tensions have simmered ever since .
In talks on Friday , Vucic and Hoti held firm to their positions .
Vucic said the EU-backed process will be “ meaningless ” if they focus on whether Belgrade should recognize Kosovo ’ s independence ; Hoti said “ mutual recognition between the two countries is the only way to normalize relations.
” The negotiations , which the Europeans say is the only way to address their membership aspirations , started in March 2011 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of them have not been observed .
Just ahead of Sunday ’ s meeting , Borrell said that clinching an agreement on normalizing ties “ is crucial for a better future for the people of Kosovo and Serbia .
It is crucial for their European perspective , and for the security and stability of the region .
“ These talks will require political courage from both sides .
It will require commitment and engagement , in the spirit of compromise and pragmatism , “ he said .
” It is not an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but there is urgency to work towards peace and prosperity for the sake of a common future .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--‘Moving target’: Schools deal with new plans, Trump demands

TOLEDO , Ohio - With little more than a month before millions of U.S. schoolchildren go back to class , much is still up in the air - and not just because of the surging number of coronavirus cases nationwide .
Last week , President Donald Trump and his administration demanded schools fully reopen right away , calling for new guidance from federal health officials and slamming schools that want to bring students back for only a few days a week .
At the same time , some states are just now issuing their own directives , and school district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be revised again before the classroom bells ring .
While there ’ s no indication school administrators are changing their plans yet because of the latest word from the White House , they are working on multiple reopening scenarios .
Those cover everything from where students will eat lunch to navigating online learning .
Here is a look at what several school districts are planning and discussing .
Like many schools , the Forth Worth Independent School District in Texas will give parents a choice between in-person and remote learning .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual school , said Clint Bond , district spokesman .
The district is designing its plan with guidance released by the Texas Education Agency on Tuesday , but administrators are paying attention to the debate in Washington and waiting to see whether any new rules or clarified guidance comes from the Centers for Disease Control , Bond said .
“ It hasn ’ t caused us to do anything right now , ” he said .
Schools will adjust to allow for social distancing depending on the number of students who opt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separators for multi-student desks , separating individual desks and even using gyms , cafeterias and auditoriums as spaces distancing students .
“ This is a dance we ’ re learning as we go , ” Bond said .
In suburban Cincinnati , the Lakota School District ’ s reopening framework has four different outlines , from nearly all students returning to their classrooms to entirely online instruction .
While the intent now is for classrooms to reopen fully next month , Superintendent Matthew Miller ’ s message to parents has been this : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now could change in an hour.
” The district ’ s decisions , he said , are being based on advice from education and health experts , not politicians .
A lot of what ’ s coming out of Washington and the state capital isn ’ t helping , he said .
“ It just puts us in a bad situation because we know how polarizing this can be , ” Miller said .
For now , the district is “ in a holding pattern ” while it waits to see if there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is probably going to change two or three times before school starts.
” All students in Tennessee ’ s second-biggest district will start the year virtually , an announcement made Thursday on the heels of Trump ’ s threat to hold back federal money if districts don ’ t open their buildings .
Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle said students won ’ t return to classrooms until at least after Labor Day .
“ This will allow social distancing , mask mandates and other measures to take effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of students and staff return to our schools , ” she said .
Nashville has seen some of its worst daily totals for COVID-19 confirmed cases in the past week .
In northeastern Tennessee , schools in Sullivan County are on schedule to fully open as long as the coronavirus cases don ’ t rise , said David Cox , the director of schools .
The district is working off a plan it devised with local health officials and is modeled after the Nashville district ’ s plan , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think any plan is rigid , ” he said .
Davis School District , just outside Salt Lake City , is working to reconfigure its classrooms to allow more space between students , but that ’ s proving to be a challenge .
“ You know , we don ’ t have the ability , unfortunately , to move our classroom walls , ” said spokesman Chris Williams .
There will be no salad bars at lunch and students will no longer be able to spoon out their own food servings in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” eaten during multiple periods so fewer students are mingling in the cafeteria .
The district , he said , hasn ’ t altered its plans because of the Trump administration ’ s recent statements , but it now will require masks after Utah Gov .
Gary Herbert announced a mandate .
“ It ’ s an ever-moving target , ” Superintendent Chris Knutsen said about the reopening framework for the Florence Unified School District , southeast of Phoenix .
He , too , said Trump ’ s comments haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he does want more guidance from state officials , especially on wearing masks when social distancing isn ’ t possible in classrooms or on buses , he said .
The district , which has students coming from across 1,000 square miles , can ’ t reduce capacity on its buses .
“ We would have to run our buses 24 hours a day to try to get our kids back to school , ” he said .
Classrooms pose a similar problem , trying to space desks six feet apart , Knutsen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on everybody on the bus and in the classroom and you try to go back to school as normal , ” he said .
“ So , I don ’ t know .
I mean , it ’ s a mess.
” Kelleher reported from Honolulu .
Associated Press writers Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo , New York , and Jonathan Mattise in Nashville , Tennessee , contributed .

John Seewer And Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Spain holds 2 regional elections amid small virus outbreaks

ORDIZIA , Spain - Over 4.4 million Spaniards in two northern regions are voting in regional elections Sunday amid tight security measures to avoid more outbreaks of the coronavirus .
Regional authorities in both the Basque Country and Galicia have prohibited over 400 people who have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 from going to polling stations to vote .
They would have to vote by mail or delegate their vote to another person .
Mail-in voting has increased in both regions .
The decision has been backed by both the national electoral board and the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition parties , saying that the restrictions were justified in times of pandemic .
Voters must wear face masks to vote and remain 1.5 metres apart in polling stations , which are equipped with hand sanitizers .
Voters place their national identity cards in trays so they do not have to be handled by those who man the polling stations .
Amaia Arregi , 23 , said that she had concerns about voting in Ordizia , a Basque town of under 10,000 residents that is the most worrying hotspot in the Basque Country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent days .
“ I was a little afraid when I was coming to vote but seeing the security measures in place calmed my nerves , ” she said .
“ The measures taken seem correct to me.
” Early participation figures released by both regional governments showed a slight increase in Galicia compared with the last regional election in 2016 and a smaller dip in the Basque Country by noon local time .
Results are expected later on Sunday .
The conservative Popular Party in Galicia and the Basque regionalist party PNV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both regional governments originally called elections to be held on April 5 but postponed them due to the rapid rise in infections that Spain could only rein in by locking down the country until June .
Health authorities are watching small outbreaks in both regions , as well as in other parts of Spain .
In northeast Catalonia , over 200,000 people have spent a week unable to leave their county due to an outbreak .
Authorities are also concerned about a smaller outbreak in the municipality of Hospitalet , which forms part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the highest population densities in Spain .
These are the first elections in Spain since the start of the pandemic that has claimed at least 28,000 lives in the European country .
Problems with testing early in the health crisis means that the true count is probably significantly higher .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

áLvaro Barrientos And Joseph Wilson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--It’s Trump’s call on what the GOP convention will look like

WASHINGTON - After months of insisting that the Republican National Convention go off as scheduled despite the pandemic , President Donald Trump is slowly coming to accept that the late August event will not be the four-night infomercial for his reelection that he had anticipated .
After a venue change , spiking coronavirus cases and a sharp recession , Trump aides and allies are increasingly questioning whether it ’ s worth the trouble , and some are advocating that the convention be scrapped altogether .
Conventions are meant to lay out a candidate ’ s vision for the coming four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the health and safety of attendees , they have argued .
Ultimately , the decision on whether to move forward will be Trump ’ s alone .
Already the 2020 event has seen a venue change –- to more Trump-friendly territory in Jacksonville , Florida , from Charlotte , North Carolina -- and it has been drastically reduced in scope .
For technical reasons , the convention will be unable to formally adopt a new party platform .
And what is normally a highlight of the convention — the roll call of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is set to be conducted through proxy votes in the original host city .
Still , Trump and his aides had pinned their hopes on creating the pageantry of a formal acceptance speech in Jacksonville , envisioning an arena of packed with supporters , without face masks .
Outwardly , the White House and the RNC have said they ’ re full-steam ahead with the revised plan .
“ We ’ re still moving forward with Jacksonville , ” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said last week .
“ It ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a good event.
” But privately , concerns are mounting , and plans are being drawn up to further scale back the event or even shift it to entirely virtual .
Officials who weeks ago had looked for the convention to be a celebration of the nation ’ s vanquishing of the virus now see it as a potent symbol of the pandemic ’ s persistence .
“ I think it ’ s going to be , obviously , a little different than what would be typical of other conventions , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters last week .
“ And I think that ’ s totally reasonable and understandable.
” Jacksonville , whose mayor is a former Florida Republican Party chairman , issued a public mask order two weeks ago as virus cases in the area surged .
That mandate is unlikely to be lifted before the convention .
Also , Florida has limited facilities statewide to operating at 50 % of capacity .
Organizers now plan to provide COVID-19 testing to all attendees daily , conduct frequent temperature checks and offer face coverings .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the entire spectacle will be overshadowed by attendee concerns and already heightened media scrutiny on the potential for the convention to be a “ super-spreading ” event .
Key decisions about the event , including precisely where or if Trump will appear , need to be made in the coming days to allow sufficient time for the build-out of the space .
Increasingly , aides are pushing Trump to move his acceptance speech outdoors to minimize the risk of virus transmission .
But Trump has expressed reservations about an outdoor venue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a charged arena .
Despite the economic downturn , GOP officials insist they will have the financial resources needed to hold the convention .
Vice-President Mike Pence flew to Florida on Saturday to hold a fundraiser for the event .
“ The convention is still a month and a half away , so there is time to adjust and make the most appropriate decisions regarding venue options and an array of health precautions that will allow us to have a safe and exciting event for all , ” RNC spokesman Mike Reed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-ordinate with local leadership in Jacksonville and in Florida in the weeks ahead.
” The Trump team ’ s worries were compounded after the president ’ s embarrassing return to campaign rallies after a three-month hiatus caused by the virus .
The empty seats at his rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , brought about a shakeup to Trump ’ s campaign and renewed fears that the president would not be able to return to his signature campaign events in their traditional form before Election Day in November .
A Saturday rally in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s second attempt at a return to campaign travel was called off on Friday , ostensibly because of weather concerns from then-Tropical Storm Fay .
But aides acknowledged they also were worried about attracting enough of a crowd to fill the Portsmouth aircraft hangar .
The challenge in Jacksonville may be more daunting .
The administration ’ s top health officials have demurred when pressed on whether the convention could be held safely .
Many among the party ’ s leadership and the donors who attend conventions are older , putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
Already a half-dozen Republican senators have indicated they won ’ t attend the convention .
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has expressed reservations .
“ I ’ m not going to go , and I ’ m not going to go because of the virus situation , ” 86-year-old Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said on a conference call with Iowa reporters last week .
Asked whether he ’ d want to limit the gathering if the state ’ s coronavirus cases continue to rise , Trump replied that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timing.
” “ We ’ re always looking at different things , ” Trump said during an interview on Gray Television ’ s “ Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren.
” “ When we signed a few weeks ago , it looked good , ” the president continued .
“ And now , all of a sudden , it ’ s spiking up a little bit .
And that ’ s going to go down .
It really depends on the timing .
Look , we ’ re very flexible.
” Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Iran blames bad communication, alignment for jet shootdown

TEHRAN , Iran - A misaligned missile battery , miscommunication between troops and their commanders and a decision to fire without authorization all led to Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guard shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner in January , killing all 176 people on board , a new report says .
The report released late Saturday by Iran ’ s Civil Aviation Organization comes months after the Jan. 8 crash near Tehran killed 55 Canadian citizens , 30 permanent residents and dozens more with ties to Canada .
Authorities had initially denied responsibility , only changing course days later after Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot down the plane .
The report may signal a new phase in the investigation into the crash , as the aircraft ’ s black box flight recorder is due to be sent to Paris , where international investigators will finally be able to examine it .
The flight was on the first leg of a trip to Canada via Kyiv , Ukraine at the time .
The shootdown happened the same night Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. soldiers in Iraq , its response to the American drone strike that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Jan. 3 .
At the time , Iranian troops were bracing for a U.S. counterstrike and appear to have mistaken the plane for a missile .
The civil aviation report does not acknowledge that , only saying a change in the “ alertness level of Iran ’ s air defence ” allowed previously scheduled air traffic to resume .
The report detailed a series of moments where the shootdown of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 could have been avoided .
The report said the surface-to-air missile battery that targeted the Boeing 737-800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reoriented .
Those manning the missile battery could not communicate with their command centre , they misidentified the civilian flight as a threat and opened fire twice without getting approval from ranking officials , the report said .
“ If each had not arisen , the aircraft would not have been targeted , ” the report said .
Western intelligence officials and analysts believe Iran shot down the aircraft with a Russian-made Tor system , known to NATO as the SA-15 .
In 2007 , Iran took the delivery of 29 Tor M1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an estimated $ 700 million .
The system is mounted on a tracked vehicle and carries a radar and a pack of eight missiles .
The report did not say why the Guard moved the air defence system , though that area near the airport is believed to be home to both regular military and bases of the paramilitary Guard .
The report notes that the Ukrainian flight had done nothing out of the ordinary up until the missile launch , with its transponder and other data being broadcast .
“ At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aircraft was flying at a normal altitude and trajectory , ” the report said .
The plane had just taken off from Imam Khomeini International Airport when the first missile exploded , possibly damaging its radio equipment , the report said .
The second missile likely directly struck the aircraft , as videos that night show the plane exploding into a ball of fire before crashing into a playground and farmland on the outskirts of Tehran .
The report put the blame entirely on the crew of the missile battery .
Already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the incident have been arrested , judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili reportedly said in June .
He said at the time three had been released on bail while the other three remained held .
In recent months , Iran has repeatedly delayed releasing the aircraft ’ s so-called black box , which includes data and communications from the cockpit leading up to the shootdown .
The U.S. , under international regulations , has a right to be part of the investigation as the plane involved was a Boeing .
Iran is to send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 , where Ukrainian and French experts are expected to examine it , Iran ’ s state-run IRNA news agency recently reported .
Iranian officials did not have the equipment on hand to read data from the box .
The plane , en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv , was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries , including 82 Iranians , 57 Canadians — including many Iranians with dual citizenship — and 11 Ukrainians , according to officials .
The route was popular with those travelling onward @ @ @

Amir Vahdat And Jon Gambrell - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Coronavirus surge in Eastern Europe causes new restrictions

BUDAPEST , Hungary - Countries in Eastern Europe are facing rising waves of coronavirus infections , leading to new restrictive measures such as the mandatory use of face masks in Croatia and travel bans or quarantines to be imposed by Hungary .
Hungarian authorities said Sunday that they would put countries in three categories — red , yellow and green — based on their rate of new coronavirus infections , and would impose restrictions , including entry bans and mandatory quarantines , depending from which country people were coming from .
“ We see worrisome signs about an increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries , Europe and the whole world , ” said Gergely Gulyas , Prime Minister Viktor Orban ’ s chief of staff .
Foreigners from countries in the red category — those with a high rate of infections , including Albania , Ukraine , Belarus and practically all of Asia , Africa and South and Central America — are banned from entering , while Hungarian citizens arriving from those locations will have to stay quarantined for two weeks or until they test negative twice , 48 hours apart .
Both Hungarians and foreigners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which includes , among others , Bulgaria , Portugal , Romania and Sweden , as well as Britain , Russia , Serbia , Japan , China and the United States — will have to quarantine for two weeks , but will be allowed out if they test negative for the virus : once for Hungarians , or two negative tests 48 hours apart in the case of foreigners .
Gulyas said the new rules would take effect Wednesday and would be reviewed at least once a week .
Romania announced a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 698 , while 456 new cases were reported Sunday .
Serbia reported 354 new infections on Saturday , although there have been increasing doubts about the accuracy of the figures .
Officially , the country has over 18,000 confirmed infections and 382 deaths since March , with health authorities warning that Serbian hospitals are almost full due to the latest surge in cases .
Croatia , whose Adriatic Sea coast is a major tourist destination , will make wearing masks mandatory in stores from Monday , while restaurant staff , but not patrons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverings .
Infections are also on the rise in India , which has the most cases after the United States and Brazil , with a record surge of 28,637 cases reported in the past 24 hours as authorities announced a weeklong lockdown beginning Tuesday in the key southern technology hub of Bangalore , where the offices of top tech companies like Microsoft , Apple and Amazon are located .
South Korea has also reported an uptick in infections around Seoul , its capital , and other major cities , with 44 new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic is also affecting elections in Europe .
In Poland , which is holding a runoff presidential vote Sunday between conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda , and Rafal Trzaskowski , the liberal , pro-European Union mayor of Warsaw , voters must wear masks and gloves , maintain social distancing and use hand sanitizer .
They even can use their own pens to mark ballots .
Ballot boxes are being disinfected regularly and the polling stations are ventilated .
Similar safety measures have been put in place for elections in two northern regions in Spain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Country and Galicia have prohibited over 400 people who have tested positive for the virus from leaving their homes to vote .
Spain ’ s Supreme Court backed the decision in a ruling Friday in response to a complaint by opposition parties in both regions .
In the U.S. , there has been an upturn in coronavirus deaths , driven by fatalities in states in the South and West , with the seven-day rolling average for daily reported deaths increasing from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on July 10 — still well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University .
A coronavirus death , when it occurs , typically comes several weeks after a person is first infected .
And experts predicted states that saw increases in cases and hospitalizations would , at some point , see deaths rise too .
Now that ’ s happening .
“ It ’ s consistently picking up .
And it ’ s picking up at the time you ’ d expect it to , ” said William Hanage , a Harvard University infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rise for at least some weeks , but some think the count probably will not go up as dramatically as it did in the spring .
Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Trump, Biden try to outdo each other on tough talk on China

WASHINGTON - China has fast become a top election issue as President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden engage in a verbal brawl over who ’ s better at playing the tough guy against Beijing .
The Trump campaign put out ads showing Biden toasting China ’ s Xi Jinping , even though Trump did just that with Xi in Asia and hosted the Chinese leader at his Florida club .
Spots from the Biden campaign feature Trump playing down the coronavirus and praising Xi for being transparent about the pandemic , even though it ’ s clear China hid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I think it ’ s going to be absolutely critical , but I don ’ t know who is going to have the advantage , ” said Republican pollster Frank Luntz .
He has been reviewing the ads and thinks China is one of the three leading issues along with the economy and the handling of the coronavirus .
China is not just a foreign policy issue in the November election .
It ’ s an issue that runs deeply through the troubles with the virus , which tanked the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves whether Trump or Biden can best defend the U.S. against China ’ s unfair trade practices , theft of intellectual property rights , rising aggression across the globe and human rights abuses .
“ Which person looks more subservient to the Chinese leaders is the person who ’ s in more jeopardy , ” Luntz said .
As the coronavirus spread throughout the U.S. , a Pew Research Center poll in March found Americans with increasingly negative views of China , with 66 % saying they had an unfavourable opinion .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question was first asked in 2005 .
The same poll found 62 % of Americans calling China ’ s power and influence a major threat to the U.S. , compared with 48 % two years ago .
A NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in late May and early June found registered voters about evenly divided over which of the candidates would be better at dealing with China , with 43 % saying Trump compared with 40 % for Biden .
In the poll , 5 % viewed Trump and Biden equally , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s advisers see China as an opportunity to portray Biden as deferential to Beijing when he was President Barack Obama ’ s vice-president and point person on Asia , according to three campaign officials and Republicans close to the White House .
The campaign made a push in May to link Biden with China , complete with an advertising blitz , but the effort did little to raise Trump ’ s poll numbers .
The Trump campaign credits the president with signing the first phase of a trade deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ markets and seemingly ended a bruising trade war .
Republicans want to tether Biden to past multinational agreements and trade deals blamed for an exodus of manufacturing jobs across the Midwest .
Trump campaign officials believe they missed that opportunity in trying to wrest Midwest states from the Democrats in 2016 .
The White House lists more than two dozen actions the administration has taken since April to protect U.S. jobs , businesses and U.S. supply chains from damage caused by the Chinese Communist Party ’ s policies .
That includes last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese officials for their roles in repressing religious and ethnic minorities .
More than a few administration officials have recently delivered speeches calling out China ’ s policies .
That message could strike a chord with the increasing number of Americans who have an unfavourable view of the Asian power .
There also is rising concern about U.S. dependence on China for supplies — something that drew attention during the scramble for protective gear for U.S. health workers .
One more line of off-and-on attack by Trump , despite no proof of impropriety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s son , Hunter , has had with China .
The Biden campaign is working to portray Trump as someone who talks tough but has failed to hold China accountable for its response to the virus and has signed only the first phase of a trade deal .
The campaign says that while that deal was being negotiated , Trump was saying that COVID-19 would “ miraculously ” be gone in April and now it ’ s July and cases are surging and the death toll rising .
“ Trump said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” one of Biden campaign ads says .
“ He didn ’ t get tough .
He got played.
” The Biden camp highlights other Trump vulnerabilities on China that surfaced in former national security adviser John Bolton ‘ s new book , which claims Trump urged Xi to increase Chinese purchases of soybeans and wheat to help him Trump farm states in November .
Bolton also wrote that Trump told Xi that building detention camps for hundreds of thousands of Muslim and other ethnic and religious minorities in western China was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump claims he ’ s been tougher on China than any other president .
The Biden campaign says Trump has weakened relations with allies and pulled the U.S. out of international organizations , giving China more room to exert its own influence .
Biden campaign officials say that if Biden is elected , he will restore relationships with U.S. allies and rally the international community to form a united front against China .
“ What ’ s striking to me is the extent to which the Trump campaign seems to have thought that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , ” said Jeff Prescott , a foreign policy adviser for Biden .
“ He was hiding from the warning signs coming in on the pandemic to get his trade deal done with Xi Jinping and then spent all of January and February and into March praising Xi — praising China ’ s handling of the coronavirus — and talking up his very flimsy phase one trade deal , “ Prescott said .
That first phase is smaller than the comprehensive deal Trump had hoped for and leaves many of the thorniest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks .
Few economists expect any resolution of the next phase before November .
Even Trump said this past week that it ’ s not a top priority before then .
Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report .

Deb Riechmann And Jonathan Lemire - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Games maker Ubisoft shakes up staff amid misconduct probe

PARIS - French gaming giant Ubisoft is parting ways with its creative director and two other executives and promising zero tolerance for “ toxic “ staff behaviour following an internal investigation of misconduct and media reports of sexual harassment and other workplace abuse .
In a statement Sunday , Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the developer of “ Assassin ’ s Creed ” and other games “ has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees.
” “ This is unacceptable , as toxic behaviours are in direct contrast to values on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never will , ” Guillemot said .
Ubisoft announced the immediate resignation of Serge Hascoet as the firm ’ s powerful chief creative officer .
Hascoet joined Ubisoft in 1987 , the year after Guillemot founded the company with his four brothers .
Ubisoft had previously described Hascoet as its “ creative leader ” whose “ unique vision has infused every game released by the company.
” The director of Ubisoft ’ s Canadian studios , Yannis Mallat , is also leaving immediately , because “ recent allegations that have come to light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible for him to continue in this position , ” the company said .
Cecile Cornet is being replaced as Ubisoft ’ s global head of human resources .
Guillemot also promised further “ profound changes across the company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture.
“ Investigations by French daily Liberation and other media reports have pointed to alleged sexual harassment targeting women employees , and other workplace misconduct , and a growing willingness by some in the industry to speak up against abuses in the wake of the # MeToo movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its announcement in June of an internal investigation and an apology “ to everyone affected by this.
” “ We must do better , ” it said then .


thetorontostar--2020-07-12--Chinese police blame bus driver for crash that killed 21

BEIJING - Investigators have concluded a bus crash that killed 21 people in southern China was caused by the driver @ @ @ @ @ home was to be demolished , police said Sunday .
The driver , who died @ @ @ @ @ , “ intentionally targeted “ his passengers by driving across six lanes of traffic and @ @ @ @ @ police department of the city of Anshun said on its social media account .
The @ @ @ @ @ the surname Zhang , was unhappy his rented home was to be demolished and was @ @ @ @ @ , the statement said .
An additional 15 people were hospitalized for injuries , police @ @