thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Pakistani doctor arrested in Minnesota on terrorism charge

MINNEAPOLIS - A Pakistani doctor and former Mayo Clinic research co-ordinator was arrested Thursday in Minnesota on a terrorism charge , after prosecutors say he told paid FBI informants that he had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State group and wanted to carry out lone wolf attacks in the United States .
Muhammad Masood , 28 , was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursday by FBI agents and was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization .
Prosecutors say Masood was in the U.S. on a work visa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Masood made several statements to paid informants — whom he believed were members of the Islamic State group — pledging his allegiance to the group and its leader .
He also allegedly expressed his desire to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS and a desire to carry out lone wolf attacks in the U.S. At one point , Masood messaged an informant “ there is so much I wanted to do here .. .lon wulf stuff you know ... but I realized I should be on the ground helping brothers sisters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affidavit .
Prosecutors say Masood bought a plane ticket on Feb. 21 to travel from Chicago to Amman , Jordan , and then planned to go to Syria from there .
He had planned to leave at the end of March .
But on March 16 , he had to change his travel plans because Jordan closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Masood and one of the informants then developed a plan for him to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet with that informant , whom Masood believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship into Islamic State territory .
Masood was arrested Thursday at the airport after he checked in for his flight to Los Angeles .
His attorney , Manny Atwal , had no immediate comment .
Court documents do not name the clinic where Masood worked , but a LinkedIn page for a man with the same name and work history says Masood has worked at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minnesota , since February of 2018 , first as a research trainee , but has been a clinical research co-ordinator since May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has done research in cardiology ; he was scheduled to present his research for the Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development in October 2018 , according to an online calendar of the event .
Mayo Clinic spokeswoman Ginger Plumbo said Masood formerly worked at the medical centre , but “ was not employed by Mayo Clinic at the time of his arrest.
” According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint , Masood said in February that he was going to notify his employer that his last day of work would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI began investigating in January , after learning that someone , later determined to be Masood , had posted messages on an encrypted social media platform indicating an intent to support ISIS .
On Jan. 24 , Masood contacted one of the informants on the encrypted platform and said he was a medical doctor with a Pakistani passport and wanted to travel to Syria , Iraq or the northern region of Iran stretching to Afghanistan “ to fight on the frontline as well as help the wounded brothers , ” the affidavit said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the trip because he “ hates smiling at the passing kuffar just to not make them suspicios.
“ The affidavit said kuffar is an Arabic term meaning nonbeliever or non-Muslim .
Masood also allegedly told the informant he wanted help getting to the front lines .
When the informant said Masood might have to kill people , Masood replied , “ i want to kill and get killed ... and kill and get killed.
” At one point , the informant set up a video conference with the second informant , whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who could vet Masood to fight for ISIS .
Masood allegedly told that informant he wanted to be a combat medic and fight , and had been ready to go for some time .
Roughly three dozen Minnesotans — mostly men from the state ’ s large Somali community — have left Minnesota since 2007 to join al-Shabab in Somalia or militant groups in Syria , including the Islamic State group .
Several others have been convicted on terrorism-related charges for plotting to join or provide support to those groups .


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Cuomo emerges as Democratic counter to Trump virus response

NEW YORK - Before President Donald Trump stepped into the White House briefing room on Thursday to provide an update on the coronavirus , an opening act was broadcast across cable news of another chief executive calmly reciting statistics and safety tips .
For the second straight day , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s matter-of-fact and slightly scolding demeanour from an epicenter of the pandemic was a stark contrast to the often haphazard and hyperbolic messages coming from Trump .
“ I tell my daughters : Make decisions based on risk versus reward , ” the Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For young people to go out in crowds on spring break is so unintelligent and reckless , I can ’ t even begin to express it .
Stay home .
Stop the spread .
Save lives.
” Through daily briefings and scores of media appearances , Cuomo has emerged as one of the key faces responding to the pandemic .
He is one of several governors thrust into the spotlight as cases surge , forcing a reordering of American life without schools , sporting events or large crowds .
The decisions to cancel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallen to governors , like Ohio ’ s Mike DeWine , a Republican , who postponed the state ’ s primary this week , and Michigan ’ s Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat , who drew Trump ’ s ire for criticizing the federal response .
But it has been Cuomo ’ s daily briefings that have become must-see TV .
Twice this week , the White House ’ s own coronavirus briefing was delayed until Cuomo concluded his own update , providing vital information to a public largely shut in at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His appearances drew praise from some unlikely sources .
“ I continue to be impressed with the briefings given by @ realDonaldTrump and his world-class experts , ” tweeted Rudy Giuliani , the president ’ s personal attorney .
“ Similarly , my Governor , Andrew Cuomo who is keeping us well informed.
” Meanwhile , an unexpected online fan club has popped up , full of adoring Twitter posts during the governor ’ s briefings and one Jezebel article Thursday titled “ Help , I Think I ’ m In Love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s a remarkable show of affection for a governor who has long been more respected than loved , one who is in his third term in an overwhelmingly Democratic state yet has never been embraced by the party ’ s liberal base , who at times have grown frustrated with his centrist approach .
He has twice toyed with running for president but never launched a campaign .
Still , his very public tactics have positioned him as the Democratic counter to Trump even as the party begins to coalesce around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , who has a nearly insurmountable delegate lead in the Democratic contest , has largely kept a low profile limited to short speeches , remarks and other events livestreamed to supporters who are being advised to stay home for the foreseeable future .
As Cuomo conducts briefings from the state capital in Albany , he has vacillated between being Trump ’ s foil and his unlikely ally .
The two Queens natives have traded barbs on Twitter while also conferring in late-night phone calls placed from the White House residence .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nation ’ s Governors .
Went very well .
Cuomo of New York has to ‘ do more , ’ ’ ’ Trump tweeted Monday .
A short time later , Cuomo responded : “ I have to do more ?
No -- YOU have to do something !
You ’ re supposed to be the President.
” But the two men spoke several times the next few days and Cuomo made a point , in national television interviews , of expressing his appreciation for Trump ’ s responsiveness even as he urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The best news is , I think the federal government has now really gotten this and they ’ re engaged , ” Cuomo said Thursday on MSNBC ’ s “ Morning Joe.
” “ I said to the president , you step up , you help my state , you help my people , you help this country , and I will put my hand out in partnership 100 % because politics be darned right now , right ?
” The president , hours later from the White House briefing room , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo is being very , very generous , saying such nice things about us.
” Cuomo has steered his state through crisis before , including the devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 .
He has long been drawn to proposing sweeping government projects and taking a hands-on approach to emergency responses .
He worked for his father , three-term Gov .
Mario Cuomo , and oversaw the response to numerous disasters as secretary of housing and urban development for President Bill Clinton .
He long has feuded with New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat who once worked for Cuomo at HUD .
Ruthless when wielding political power , Cuomo has at times appeared to quash de Blasio ’ s policy proposals out of sport , and the two men have continued their rivalry during the coronavirus crisis .
Cuomo upstaged and undermined de Blasio by ordering the city ’ s schools to close mere minutes before the mayor was set to make the announcement , and , this week , the governor took pains to rebut the mayor ’ s plan for the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst of the outbreak .
Cuomo ’ s performance this week , to some , echoed how another polarizing New York politician commanded the national stage when the commander-in-chief was missing in action .
Giuliani , then mayor of New York City , was the face of American grief and resolve on Sept. 11 , 2001 , when President George W. Bush was being scrambled to safety on Air Force One in the hours after the terror attacks .
Cuomo ’ s leadership this week has been reminiscent of Giuliani in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Arzt , a New York Democratic consultant who was Mayor Ed Koch ’ s press secretary and has worked with both Cuomo and Trump .
“ People are yearning for leadership , and they are not getting it from the Oval Office , ” said Arzt .
“ Andrew really does well in a crisis .
And here he is , someone taking the lead and showing on the state level what needs to be done nationally .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Virus case reduces operations at Las Vegas airport tower

LAS VEGAS - The Las Vegas airport was running Thursday with reduced operations after an air traffic controller tested positive for the coronavirus , temporarily closing the airport ’ s control tower , the Federal Aviation Administration said .
Airplanes coming into McCarran International Airport were being guided by other nearby air traffic controllers , the FAA said in a statement .
Southwest Airlines , one of the biggest carriers at the airport , said it had cancelled 230 flights because of the closure .
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air said it cancelled one flight Wednesday night and diverted two others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any cancellations on Thursday .
The closure of the Las Vegas tower because of the virus was the second of its kind in the U.S .
The FAA closed the control tower at Chicago ’ s Midway International Airport on Tuesday after several technicians tested positive .
Airport officials acknowledged flight delays and cancellations , but didn ’ t directly attribute them to the tower closure .
FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the air traffic system is resilient with multiple backups and that the shift in air traffic control was part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our staff and the travelling public is the FAA ’ s top priority , ” Gregor said in a statement .
Las Vegas visitors hoping to see the city ’ s famous casinos were met with closures and barricades in front of some of casino resorts after Nevada ’ s governor ordered gambling to stop on Wednesday , along with the closure of non-essential businesses for 30 days .
Gov .
Steve Sisolak urged people to stay home and help contain the coronavirus .
On Thursday , the governor signed an executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their gambling areas closed , they can keep their hotel portions open in order to avoid displacing guests or for emergency reasons .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if any of the casino resorts were attempting to keep their hotel operations running .
Sisolak said earlier that salons , gyms , nightclubs , bars , bowling alleys , movie theatres and malls should close , along with strip clubs and legal brothels , which are scattered across rural Nevada .
The Nevada Brothel Association initially balked , but issued a statement Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close in the Reno area , Elko and Pahrump “ until further notice.
“ “ We want to be part of the solution , not the problem , ” said Louis Goldberg , owner of two Elko bordellos .
The month-long freeze on gambling shut down the well-known casinos of Las Vegas and Reno along with slot machines and other devices found in grocery and convenience stores .
The broad directive also closed non-essential businesses such as bars , movie theatres and gyms .
Restaurants must shutter their dining rooms and only offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was left to local officials .
The city of Reno said non-essential businesses that violate the 30-day closure could be subject to $ 1,000 daily fines or lose their business licenses .
But officials said they didn ’ t know when they would start enforcing the shutdown .
Las Vegas police said Thursday they will not respond to calls about businesses staying open because they have not yet received a formal executive order from the governor .
Nevada has more than 95 reported cases of the virus , including one death .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough , and recover in about two weeks .
But many will need hospitalization — particularly vulnerable are older adults and those with existing health problems who can develop severe complications , including pneumonia .
The governor released a list of businesses considered essential , like grocery stores and pharmacies , and non-essential , like salons and movie theatres .
Sisolak ’ s office did not respond to a request for comment .
Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said he couldn ’ t rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would adopt shelter-in-place policies like those ordered in the San Francisco Bay Area and other parts of California .
“ We are going to look at that on a daily basis with the health district and the state , “ he said .
There were still some visitors to Nevada , including Ashley Grams of Oakland , who said she travelled to Reno on Wednesday to “ get out of California and hunker down with a friend.
” “ Reno seems to be four or five days behind the vibe in the Bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said while playing with her dog at a dog park near the mostly shuttered main casino drag .
“ It doesn ’ t seem like people still are taking it quite as seriously.
“ Nevada has not made public data about how many applications for unemployment benefits have been filed in recent days .
The governor ’ s office on Wednesday waived a seven-day waiting period for people to begin receiving benefits and requirements that people receiving unemployment benefits search for new jobs .
Associated Press photographer John Locher in Las Vegas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Scott Sonner in Reno , and Airlines Writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report .

Michelle L. Price - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Italian death toll overtakes China’s as virus spreads

ROME - Italy ’ s death toll from the coronavirus outbreak eclipsed China ’ s on Thursday as the scourge extended its march across the West , where the United States and other countries increasingly enlisted the military and improvised at every turn to get ready for an onslaught of patients .
In the U.S. , the Army prepared mobile military hospitals for deployment in major cities .
In Madrid , a four-star hotel was turned into a hospital .
Medical centres around the United States set up drive-thru testing sites that drew long lines of motorists waiting for nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak spread westward , it infected at least one European head of state : Monaco ’ s 62-year-old Prince Albert II , who continued to work from his office .
And it appeared to be opening an alarming new front in Africa , where health care in many countries is already in sorry shape .
At the United Nations in New York , Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world is “ at war with a virus ” and warned that “ a global recession , perhaps of record dimensions , is a near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus spread like wildfire — especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world -- it would kill millions of people , ” he said .
Italy , with 60 million citizens , recorded a total of at least 3,405 deaths , or roughly 150 more than in China , a country with a population over 20 times larger .
At the same time Italy reached its bleak milestone , Wuhan , the Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged three months ago , recorded no new infections , a sign that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked .
Health authorities cited a variety of reasons for Italy ’ s high toll , key among them its large population of elderly people , who are particularly susceptible to serious complications from the virus .
Italy has the world ’ s second-oldest population , and the vast majority of its dead — 87 % — were over 70 .
Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit , a virologist at Germany ’ s Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine , offered another reason for Italy ’ s high death rate : “ That ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a measure of how the fortunes of East and West have shifted , New York officials were sent to China to buy more ventilators .
And in Italy , the leader of a delegation from the Chinese Red Cross openly castigated Italians for failing to take the country ’ s national lockdown seriously .
On a visit to the hard-hit city of Milan , Sun Shuopeng said he was shocked to see so many people walking around , using public transportation and eating out in hotels .
“ Right now we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to stop the mobility of people , ” he said .
“ All people should be staying at home in quarantine.
” Worldwide the death toll crept toward 10,000 and the total number of infections topped 240,000 , including nearly 85,000 people who have recovered .
In the U.S. , where deaths reached at least 178 , and infections climbed past 11,000 , Army officials announced plans to deploy two hospitals , probably to Seattle and New York City .
Washington state had the highest death toll , 74 .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would send a Navy hospital ship to the West Coast as well as one to New York City , which is rapidly becoming a U.S. epicenter , with more than 4,000 cases .
Damage to the world ’ s largest economy kept piling up , with the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits surging by 70,000 last week .
On Wall Street , though , stocks rose modestly amid optimism over efforts by the Federal Reserve and other central banks to shore up the economy .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
Congress is weighing a proposed $ 1 trillion emergency package that would dispense relief checks to households in as many as two rounds , the first of which would consist of payments of $ 1,000 per adult and $ 500 for each child .
Around the country , governors and mayors sounded increasingly alarmed and took ever more drastic measures to fend off the crisis .
Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf ordered the closing of all “ non-life-sustaining ” businesses in the state , with exceptions for gas stations , grocery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and warned that violators could be subject to fines or imprisonment .
At a video conference with Trump , governors complained that they were having difficulty obtaining such things as swabs and protective gear for doctors and nurses .
And New York Mayor Bill de Blasio lashed out at the president as “ the Herbert Hoover of your generation , “ referring to the man who was president when the stock market crashed in 1929 and the Depression set in .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said the state does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patients in need of help breathing , and needs to acquire thousands before the outbreak overwhelms hospitals .
“ Every state is shopping for ventilators .
We ’ re shopping for ventilators .
We literally have people in China shopping for ventilators which is one of the largest manufacturers .
So this is a major problem , ” he said .
A Houston hospital that opened its doors to drive-thru testing quickly saw a line of hundreds of vehicles back up for more than a mile .
At a white tent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swabbed motorists .
Petra Sanchez waited to find out whether she had the virus .
“ I have an 80-year-old dad , and I haven ’ t been around him for the same reason , ” she said .
” I don ’ t know what I have.
“ The U.S. State Department , meanwhile , warned Americans in the strongest terms yet not to travel abroad under any circumstances .
Around the world , the British government , criticized as slow to react to the virus , shifted gears and drew up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and restrict gatherings .
The bill is expected to be approved by Parliament next week .
The British supermarket chain Sainsbury ’ s reserved the first hour of shopping for vulnerable customers .
Among them was Jim Gibson , 72 , of London , who was concerned that the country wasn ’ t ramping up testing fast enough .
“ You can ’ t go on ignoring World Health Organization guidelines — if they ’ re wrong , who the hell is right ?
” he said .
“ Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edouard Philippe pleaded with people to keep their distance from one another to avoid spreading the virus , even as the crisis pushed them to seek comfort .
“ When you love someone , you should avoid taking them in your arms , ” he said in Parliament .
In China , Thursday marked the first time since Jan. 20 that the locked-down city of Wuhan , where thousands once lay sick or dying in hurriedly constructed hospitals , reported no new locally transmitted cases .
Authorities said all 34 new cases recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abroad .
“ Today , we have seen the dawn after so many days of hard effort , ” said Jiao Yahui , a senior inspector at the National Health Commission .
The World Health Organization warned , though , that the virus is spreading quickly in Africa , from about five countries a week and a half ago to 35 of the continent ’ s 54 nations — an “ extremely rapid evolution , ” said WHO ’ s Africa chief , Dr. Matshidiso Moeti .
Sullivan reported from Minneapolis .
Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Nicole Winfield And Tim Sullivan - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Governors raise alarm as coronavirus taxes health systems

BATON ROUGE , La .
- U.S. governors told the president Thursday that their states are in dire need of federal help as they expand measures to contain the new coronavirus , with Louisiana ’ s governor saying his state ’ s health system could be overwhelmed in a week .
Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards said a surge in new cases filling hospital beds could push past the state ’ s capacity to deliver health care in seven to 10 days as New Orleans becomes one of the nation ’ s virus hot spots .
In a conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump of the “ worst-case scenario ” modeling .
But he also told reporters that Louisiana was on track for that “ sobering ” reality if the state ’ s residents don ’ t actively work to decrease contact with others — staying home more and distancing themselves from people .
Louisiana had nearly 400 positive tests for COVID-19 Thursday , up from 280 a day earlier , Edwards said .
Ten people have died .
“ Our trajectory is basically the same as what they had in Italy .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today that ought to get people ’ s attention , it is that , ” the Democratic governor said .
“ If we are not going to look like Italy in 10 days or two weeks , it will only be because of these mitigation measures.
” In their teleconference with Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence , governors pressed for more supplies — masks and other protective equipment for medical professionals , test kits and life-saving supplies such as ventilators .
New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham said she wanted better co-ordination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding the supply chain for essential medical equipment .
“ Where is it , who is making it and where is it getting deployed ?
” said Grisham ’ s spokesman , Tripp Stelnicki .
“ There really needs to be more clear communication.
” The White House disputed governors ’ claims that they could not get equipment but offered help to states that were struggling to acquire materials such as test swabs and processing agents .
Governors also asked for additional oversight of their National Guard units , mostly to have more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They want Guard units to help run mobile screening facilities , disinfect public spaces and distribute medical supplies such as gloves , gowns and face shields .
“ We need all levels of government working together to get through this crisis , ” said Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan , chairman of the National Governors Association .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Thursday asked congressional leaders for $ 1 billion in initial federal funding to help the nation ’ s most populous state fight the virus .
In a letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate was doubling every four days in some parts of the state .
He asked for the federal government to deploy the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship to the port of Los Angeles to help the state “ decompress ” its health care system .
Developments in the states came fast Thursday , as more governors made sweeping recommendations for residents to avoid public spaces or greatly limit their exposure to others .
In Pennsylvania , Gov .
Tom Wolf tightened his directives to businesses to shut down , issuing a dire warning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state must close their physical locations by 8 p.m. to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Enforcement actions against businesses that do not close their physical locations will begin Saturday , Wolf said in a statement .
South Carolina Gov .
Henry McMaster issued an executive order calling on all nonessential state employees to stay home .
Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz ordered health care providers to postpone elective surgeries and other medical procedures so they can focus on responding to the anticipated surge of coronavirus cases .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic is overwhelming our health care systems and limiting their ability to respond to emerging cases , ” Walz said in a statement .
Hogan said governors also are requesting a delay or greater flexibility for completing the 2020 census and the transition to Real ID .
Maryland has waived state requirements so driver ’ s licenses won ’ t expire during the state of emergency to prevent crowds at Motor Vehicle Administration offices , he said .
However , federal law requires Real ID compliance by Oct. 1 .
Hogan said governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MVAs with the documents they need to present in person to be in compliance .
“ Other governors all agreed and said , ‘ Yes , that ’ s a big problem for all of us.
’ So , we ’ re just asking to push the pause button on all these things that require interaction with people where they would spread the disease , ” Hogan said .
Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Washington , D.C. ; David Eggert in Lansing , Michigan ; Susan Haigh in Hartford , Connecticut ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meg Kinnard in Columbia , South Carolina ; Marc Levy in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania ; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe , New Mexico ; and Kathleen Ronayne and Don Thompson in Sacramento , California , contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Melinda Deslatte And Brian Witte - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Citing pandemic, judge agrees to free ex-Peru leader on bail

LIMA , Peru - The coronavirus pandemic has provided a silver lining for a former Peruvian president who has been in U.S. custody while he fights extradition back home to face trial on corruption charges .
A U.S. judge ruled Thursday that Alejandro Toledo should be released on $ 1 million bail because the pandemic has reduced his flight risk .
“ The court ’ s concern was that Toledo would flee the country , ” Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson wrote in his decision .
“ But international travel is hard now.
” The judge had previously denied Toledo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found a suitcase with $ 40,000 in cash when he was arrested .
But noting that Toledo is 74 , Hixson agreed the virus could present a risk of serious illness or death .
“ The risk that this vulnerable person will contract COVID-19 while in jail is a special circumstance that warrants bail , ” Hixson ruled .
For most people , the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , like a fever and cough .
But it can cause more severe illness for some , especially older adults and those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that a treaty requires U.S. authorities to “ deliver him to Peru alive.
” “ Maybe the risk of COVID-19 is worth it if he can make a run for it and get away , ” Hixson wrote .
“ The government says he faces the prospect of life in prison if he is convicted in Peru .
But escape is riskier and more difficult now.
” The former president is wanted in his home country on accusations of taking million in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht .
He denies the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president from 2001 to 2006 and has lived in California in recent years , defying orders from Peru ’ s courts to return to face charges .
The Odebrecht scandal has upended politics in Peru , putting some of the country ’ s most prominent politicians behind bars .
The company acknowledged in a 2016 plea agreement with the U.S. Justice Department that it paid $ 800 million to officials largely in Latin America in exchange for lucrative public works contracts .
In order to be released from jail , Hixson said Toledo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail and his wife must surrender her passports .
It was not immediately clear how quickly Toledo ’ s bail might be posted .
Friends have promised to help with part of the bail .
Authorities in California have ordered about 7 million people in the San Francisco area to stay home in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Toledo will thus be required to stay inside his home , with one addition — he will have to wear a GPS tracking device so authorities can monitor his movement @


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--US seeks $3 billion to boost oil producers as prices plunge

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration said Thursday that it is seeking $ 3 billion from Congress to top up the country ’ s strategic petroleum reserves , potentially propping up U.S. oil producers after crude prices crashed globally .
President Donald Trump had directed the Energy Department last week to fill the United States ’ emergency stash of crude oil to the top , over objections from congressional Democrats who said he was favouring climate-damaging fossil fuels and the profits of oil giants .
Plummeting crude prices benefited U.S. consumers filling up their cars , Trump said Thursday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurts a great industry , and a very powerful industry , “ Trump told reporters .
West Texas crude prices fell below $ 21 a barrel Wednesday after oil producers Russia and Saudi Arabia stepped up pumping , threatening the market share of U.S. oil , and as the coronavirus moved the world toward recession and tamped-down consumer demand for energy .
Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette told reporters Thursday that the move was about filling up the country ’ s 713.5 million barrel Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a time of cheap oil , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifeline in rough markets .
The reserves are stashed underground in Texas and Louisiana .
“ It ’ s a common-sense move .
Everyone who ’ s done any personal investment knows you do your best to buy low and sell high , ” Brouillette said .
Brouillette also denied the United States was intervening against market forces to boost U.S. oil prices .
Pointing to Russia and Saudi Arabia ’ s surge of production , he said the purpose of the nation ’ s strategic oil reserves is “ to mitigate this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry ’ s major trade association , the American Petroleum Institute , says it does not want a government bailout , some in the industry are pushing for embargoes or tariffs .
Harold Hamm , executive chairman of Continental Resources , a major shale oil company , asked the Commerce Department to investigate what he contends is illegal dumping of below-cost crude oil onto the market by Saudi Arabia and Russia .
He also asked for an embargo , hoping that would halt some of the flow of cheap oil onto the market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the two countries are trying to put America ’ s shale oil drillers out of business .
“ It ’ s unfortunate that both of these countries chose -- and this was an action they thought about -- this particular time , while we have this global pandemic , to do something like this , ” Hamm said .
Hamm has close ties to Trump , having donated to Trump ’ s campaign and served on a team of economic advisers .
Trump said Thursday that Saudi Arabia and Russia were “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and output .
“ And at the appropriate time , I ’ ll get involved , ” he said .
He did not say how .
Congress has to approve the money for the administration ’ s petroleum buy .
The administration must overcome opposition from some Democratic lawmakers .
House energy committee Chairman Frank Pallone , a New Jersey Democrat , said the Trump administration was using the coronavirus as cover to try to save U.S. oil producers from the results of their own market-flooding overproduction .
“ I refuse to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescuing oil companies from a crisis that they themselves had a hand in creating , ” Pallone said .
The U.S. has been selling down some of its reserves , so filling the reserves back up when oil is cheap makes sense , said Ryan Fitzmaurice , energy strategist at Rabobank .
But it won ’ t have much impact on the imbalance of supply and demand because Saudi Arabia is ready to ramp up production by 3 million barrels per day next month .
“ It ’ s not going to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudis are going to increase supply by far much more than we can buy , ” Fitzmaurice said .
The U.S. would seek to buy 30 million barrels of U.S.-produced crude initially and a total of 77 million barrels eventually , Brouillette said .
Because the price is so low , the U.S. will use less taxpayer money to fill up the reserves .
But the question is whether , with everything else that ’ s going on , it ’ s a good idea to spend $ 2 billion of taxpayer money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Columbia University ’ s Center on Global Energy Policy .
“ I would be targeting high unemployment , ” he said .

Ellen Knickmeyer And Cathy Bussewitz - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--National parks are free, but some oppose that amid the virus

SALT LAKE CITY - Most national parks are open as a refuge for Americans tired of being stuck at home during a pandemic , but despite now being free to visit , people may find it more difficult to enjoy them as parks close visitor centres , shuttles , lodges and restaurants to fight the spread of the coronavirus .
Parks are trying to keep up with ever-changing rules and recommendations from government officials who are urging people to avoid gathering in large groups but allowing them to get outside for fresh air and exercise as long as they keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park Service says it ’ s adhering to the latest guidelines from the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , vowing to keep outdoor spaces open while giving park superintendents the power to close or modify operations .
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt this week temporarily waived entrance fees at national parks , monuments and wildlife refuges to make it easier for people to get outdoors and “ implement some social distancing.
“ “ Getting out into the wilderness is perfect for what we call the ‘ shack nasties ’ — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Trish Jacob , an employee of a backcountry guiding company near Rocky Mountain National Park .
But not everyone is on board with the idea of people descending on parks and their gateway towns to escape the virus .
Making parks free will lead to overcrowding and put staffers and visitors at greater risk of being exposed to the virus , according to a group representing park service employees .
“ It is irresponsible to urge people to visit national park sites when gathering at other public spaces is no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chairman of the Coalition to Protect America ’ s National Parks .
Executives at a hospital in Moab , Utah , also have implored state officials to slow the flow of people coming to see the red rocks and unique formations at Arches and Canyonlands national parks over fears the city ’ s hospital couldn ’ t handle an outbreak .
In response , officials this week limited hotel stays to people in town for work and banned dining in restaurants .
Nationally , park superintendents are devising ways to stay open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one another and trying to ensure park employees stay healthy .
Many parks closed visitor centres , museums and entrance booths while rangers are stationed outside to field visitors ’ questions .
Though rangers are working , some parks warned people to be extra cautious and prepared , especially in places with wintry weather , because resources are strained amid the pandemic and rescues may be more difficult .
Zion National Park in southern Utah halted shuttles used by most people visiting its red rock vistas nestled in a narrow canyon .
Tourists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free up before driving in .
Grand Canyon National Park stopped its shuttles and closed its restaurants .
In Northern California , visitor centres at several destinations managed by the park service , such as Muir Woods National Monument , Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge , are closed .
Yosemite National Park closed its campgrounds .
Chris Brunell , who spent most of the past three weeks camped in Yosemite shooting nature photos , said he was told he had to pack up and leave Thursday , two days before he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was laid off from a Silicon Valley technology job before the virus outbreak , said the park emptied noticeably after the historic Ahwahnee Hotel and other lodging and restaurants closed Tuesday .
“ Compared to the usual numbers , it ’ s just a trickle , ” he said Thursday as he drove away from the park .
“ There are probably 100 people in the park right now.
” Yellowstone National Park , Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado followed suit .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spans parts of Wyoming , Montana and Idaho — and Rainier normally are closed this time of year because of deep snow .
The Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island in New York are closed entirely .
Workers at Grand Canyon have shifted away from duties that put them close to tourists .
“ We ’ re just coming up with different ways for them to do their jobs that ’ s mindful of the CDC guidelines , ” park spokeswoman Lily Daniels said .
For most people , the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But for the elderly and people with existing conditions , it can cause more severe illness .
The vast majority of those who are infected recover .
The Utah hospital ’ s concerns aren ’ t related to being in the wilderness but rather the social interactions before and afterward at hotels , bars , restaurants and often crowded trailheads or entrance gates .
Expecting thousands of tourists this weekend , Moab Regional Hospital executives urged the governor to ban visitors .
A subsequent prohibition on tourists staying at area hotels complicated matters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people stay home and stay in their residences and to wait out this two weeks and hopefully things will return to some kind of normal , ” said Elaine Gizler , executive director of the Moab Area Travel Council .
Like the interior secretary , U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah has encouraged people to enjoy the parks and open spaces where they can keep distance from others .
That ’ s just what Katarina Takahashi of Longmont , Colorado , did in Rocky Mountain National Park .
Takahashi trudged through fresh snow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week , passing other alpine lakes surrounded by towering peaks .
The 3-mile ( 5-kilometre ) trek was a much-needed escape .
“ It ’ s a very refreshing time to be outdoors , to get the health benefits of exercising , be in the sunshine , and get away as well from the anxiety I ’ ve felt , that we ’ re all feeling , about the virus , “ said Takahashi , a 32-year-old freelance Japanese language translator who blogs about the outdoors .
Businesses in Estes Park , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park , are watching virus developments warily .
The town of 6,000 relies heavily on the park , which drew a record 4.6 million visitors in 2018 .
“ We are open for business until the city tells us otherwise , ” said Jacob , who works for Kirk Mountain Adventures , which offers snowshoeing , fly fishing , hiking , backpacking and other excursions into the park .
Kirk employees were leading snowshoeing and fly fishing trips this week — each limited to three people , not because of the virus but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience in nature .
But spring break business is slightly down , Jacob said .
Like its Moab counterpart , the Estes Park Chamber of Commerce is focusing more on helping its members deal with the virus than promoting tourism .
The town ’ s already been hit by a statewide ban on dining at restaurants and bars .
“ We ’ re not encouraging visitation to Estes Park right now , “ chamber executive director Keith Pearson said .
If there ’ s any silver lining , Pearson said , it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the coronavirus are hitting now , rather than during the peak summer season .
He noted that Estes Park has bounced back before : It was isolated by devastating flooding in 2013 .
“ By Memorial Day , if the worst can be in the rear-view mirror , that would be fantastic , “ Pearson said .
Anderson reported from Denver .
Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City , Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff , Arizona , and Brian Melley in Los Angeles contributed to this story .

Brady McCombs And James Anderson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Thousands stranded when Morocco shuts borders call for help

RABAT , Morocco - Thousands of travellers are stranded in Morocco , which has closed its borders , gone into lockdown and is shuttering hotels in major cities to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus .
France , which is the biggest source of tourists in Morocco , managed to evacuate up to 13,000 of its citizens since Friday and is working on getting out up to 7,000 more still in the former colony , according to the Foreign Ministry .
Besides getting airlines to put on hundreds of extra flights , French officials announced a special site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get home .
American tourists and students , in contrast , say the U.S. government has done little to help them , forcing them to figure things out on their own .
Several hundred are scattered in cities around the country , sleeping on floors in the Marrakech airport , holed up in one of the last hotels open in Rabat and banding together on a Facebook group — U.S. Citizens Trapped in Morocco .
Some say they are running out of blood pressure pills and other medicines .
“ The airport in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoulder to shoulder and many are sleeping on the floor , ” said student Corrine Schmaedeke , who managed to get a ticket Thursday to fly home after eight cancellations .
“ The U.S. Embassy did nothing to help us , ” she said , adding that information was coming instead from the British Embassy .
Word from American officials began dribbling in late Thursday , in a video tweeted by U.S .
Ambassador David Fischer .
“ We ’ ve received your phone calls , emails .
We ’ ve heard the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Embassy and State Department “ are exploring all options and working around the clock to get every American home safely , ” Fischer said .
He said that information would be posted on the embassy ’ s website and Twitter account .
That is not the message heard by Kendice Kunce , a teacher from the Orlando , Florida , area whose 11-year-old was at home awaiting her return .
She said she was told by the U.S. consulate that “ I just have to wait.
” Catherine Ferguson , a 77-years-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been staying in one of Rabat ’ s last open hotels with her husband and 10 other Americans .
Nearly all over age 60 , they are running out of their medications and say they spend their days on iPads trying to find flights to book and even get permission from the Morocco government to charter a flight to the United States .
“ We really don ’ t want to be here when things get worse in Morocco , ” Ferguson said .
Not long after those comments , Morocco ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barring anyone from being outside except for going to work or to shop at groceries or pharmacies and requiring that they present a document to justify their movement to police .
In its latest figures , Morocco lists 63 confirmed coronavirus cases , including two deaths .
Morocco suspended all international passenger flights and passengers ships to and from its territory beginning Sunday .
Since then , citizens from all over the world found themselves caught in the country .
It ’ s not just a problem in Morocco .
There are stranded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honduras and other places , with some Americans stuck on remote Easter Island .
Asked Thursday about stranded Americans , President Donald Trump suggested the military could come to their aid , at least of a large group of some 300 in Peru .
Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--2 Americans imprisoned in Iran, Lebanon released

WASHINGTON - An American jailed for months in Lebanon was released from custody Thursday , while a Navy veteran was granted medical furlough from an Iran prison as the country struggles to curb the spread of coronavirus , U.S. officials said .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Michael White , imprisoned more than a year ago for insulting Iran ’ s supreme leader , was released to the Swiss Embassy as part of a furlough that will require him to remain in Iran .
The U.S. will work for his full release , Pompeo said .
The other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire restaurant owner who had faced decades-old murder and torture charges in Lebanon that he denies .
He was ordered released by a judge because more than 10 years had passed since the crimes he was accused of committing .
The Trump administration trumpeted the twin releases , though done in different countries and for different reasons , as part of its efforts to secure the release of Americans held hostage or imprisoned abroad .
Officials including President Donald Trump used the occasion to name additional Americans they want released , including journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria in 2012 .
“ I want to let everyone know that recovering Americans held captive and imprisoned abroad continues to be a top priority for my administration , “ Trump said at a news conference .
White ’ s release , though temporary for the moment , came as Iran has furloughed tens of thousands of prisoners while struggling with a coronavirus that Iranian officials fear could kill millions .
White , of Imperial Beach , California , was detained in Iran while visiting a girlfriend there in July 2018 .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for insulting Iran ’ s supreme leader and posting private information ; the State Department said he was serving a 13-year sentence .
His mother had called for White ’ s immediate release in an interview with The Associated Press this month , saying she was concerned about the well-being of her son and that he had been battling cancer .
“ He is in very good spirits , but has some pretty sustained health conditions that are going to require some attention , ” Brian Hook , the U.S. special envoy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hook said White would be evaluated by doctors .
Fakhoury was on his way back to the U.S. after a judge in Lebanon ordered him released .
Fakhoury had been accused of torturing prisoners at a jail run by an Israeli-backed militia two-decades ago .
He had been imprisoned since September after returning to Lebanon to visit family .
His case had put a significant strain on already troubled ties between the U.S. and Lebanon .
Lawmakers in Washington had threatened to withhold critical aid to the country and impose sanctions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Trump administration as a bulwark against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement .
“ Anytime a U.S citizen is wrongfully detained by a foreign government , we must use every tool at our disposal to free them , ” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen , D-N.H , who had worked for his release .
“ I ’ m very glad that Amer is finally coming home and will be reunited with his family .
No family should have to go through what the Fakhoury family has gone through.
“ His oldest daughter , Guila @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ We are so happy .
It ’ s a dream.
“ Fakhoury was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma and had been hospitalized in Lebanon .
Trump said Fakhoury “ will now be able to receive the much needed care and treatment in the United States.
“ “ We ’ ve been working very hard to get him freed , and he ’ s finally able to have his entire family at his side , ” Trump said .
Fakhoury was ordered to be released Monday because more than 10 years had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jail run by the South Lebanon Army militia .
But he was not immediately allowed to leave the country after a Lebanese military judge on Tuesday appealed the decision , asking a military tribunal to strike down the decision to free Fakhoury .
The parliamentary bloc of Hezbollah criticized the military tribunal for what it called “ succumbing ” to U.S. demands to release Fakhoury , describing him as “ an agent who betrayed his country.
” Hezbollah lawmakers called on concerned authorities to hold the tribunal accountable .
Hours before Shaheen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Marine Osprey was seen taking off from the U.S. Embassy compound northeast of Beirut .
He was being returned to the U.S. in a State Department medical plane , said Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker .
Separately , hours after the release , the U.S. embassy announced that all of its non-essential personnel had been ordered to leave Lebanon .
An official in Washington said the decision to move to ordered departure was not connected to the release and was instead made due to the spread of the coronavirus and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be operating with only emergency consular services available for American citizens for the foreseeable future .
Fakhoury is a former SLA member who became a U.S. citizen last year .
His case has been closely followed in New Hampshire , where Shaheen and other officials have called for imposing sanctions on Lebanon to pressure Beirut to release him .
Fakhoury was jailed last year after returning to Lebanon on vacation to visit family .
Lebanon ’ s intelligence service said he confessed during questioning to being a warden at Khiam Prison , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon .
Human rights groups have described the prison as a centre for torture .
Fakhoury ’ s family and lawyer , however , said he had no direct contact with inmates and was never involved in any interrogation or torture .
Fakhoury ’ s family said in a statement said they have been through a nightmare “ that we would never wish on anyone.
“ They thanked Trump and members of his administration and said Fakhoury “ considers Shaheen his hero.
” Lebanon and Israel have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s creation in 1948 .
Lebanon bans its citizens from travelling to Israel or having contact with Israelis .
Fakhoury ’ s lawyer and family say he fled Lebanon in 2001 through Israel and eventually to the United States because of death threats he and many other SLA members received after Israel ended its occupation of Lebanon in 2000 .
Fakhoury was formally charged in February by a military judge with the murder and torture of inmates at Khiam Prison .
McCormack reported from Concord , New Hampshire .
Associated Press writers Aamer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report .

Kathy McCormacK, Matthew Lee And Eric Tucker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Iran furloughs imprisoned US Navy vet amid virus concerns

WASHINGTON - Iran has granted a medical furlough to a U.S. Navy veteran who has been imprisoned in for more than a year , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday .
Michael White of Imperial Beach , California , is now in the custody of the Swiss Embassy and must remain in Iran as a condition of his furlough , which was granted as the Islamic republic works to curb the spread of coronavirus .
The U.S. government will seek his full release , Pompeo said , as he called on Iran to free other Americans who remain jailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family said the family was grateful to the Iranian government for an “ interim humanitarian step.
” “ We continue to urge them to release Michael unconditionally so that he can return to the United States to receive the advanced medical care he needs , ” spokesman Jon Franks said in a statement .
Iran has granted temporary release to tens of thousands of prisoners in recent weeks to try to contain a virus that officials fear could kill millions in the country .
White , who had been imprisoned since July 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he was detained and was later convicted of insulting Iran ’ s supreme leader and posting private information .
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison , though the State Department said Thursday that he was serving a 13-year sentence .
In an interview with The Associated Press this month , White ’ s mother called on Iran to immediate release her son , saying she was especially concerned for his well-being because he has been battling cancer .
Iran this week issued its most dire warning about the outbreak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republic if people keep travelling and ignore health guidance .
Roughly 9 out of 10 of the 18,000-plus confirmed cases of the virus in the Middle East come from Iran .
Before Friday ’ s announcement , Iran had released 85,000 prisoners on temporary leave , including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe , an Iranian-British dual national long held on internationally criticized charges .
Iran ’ s judiciary this week denied a furlough request for Siamak Namazi , an Iranian-American national convicted along with his father , Baquer , a former representative for the U.N. children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a hostile power .
Baquer Namazi now is on a prison furlough .
But the Namazis say he remains unable to leave Iran .
Pompeo on Thursday called for the release on humanitarian grounds of the Namazis as well as of Morad Tahbaz , who was part of a group of environmental activists sentenced last month on espionage charges .
Pompeo also urged Iran to “ honour the commitment it made to work with the United States for the return of Robert Levinson.
“ The former FBI agent vanished in Iran in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran has not acknowledged holding Levinson , though a federal judge in Washington last week held the country liable for his disappearance in a lawsuit brought by Levinson ’ s family .


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Trump calls off June G-7 meeting because of virus

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Thursday called off the G-7 meeting at Camp David scheduled for June , citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , the White House said .
The leaders of seven major industrial nations — Britain , Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan and the United States — will instead huddle by video conference , White House spokesman Judd Deere said .
Trump spoke with G-7 leaders Monday by video conference in a meeting convened by French President Emmanuel Macron .
Deere said Trump , who takes on the leadership of the group this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monthly as the world struggles to response to the virus outbreak and its economic repercussions .
Deere said White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow informed his colleagues of the change to allow “ each country to focus all of its resources on responding to the health and economic challenges of COVID-19.
“ The announcement comes as nations across the globe have implemented stiff travel restrictions and distancing measures to try to curb the spread of the virus .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear how long those restrictions would be kept in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summit at his private golf resort outside Miami before moving it to Camp David after a public uproar .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Pressure grows on Trump as hospitals sound virus alarms

WASHINGTON - Insisting the federal government is not a “ shipping clerk , ” President Donald Trump on Thursday called on states to do more to secure their own critically needed masks , ventilators and testing supplies as the pressure mounted on hospitals struggling to cope with a rising number of coronavirus patients .
During another fast-moving day in the capital , Trump and his administration took additional , once-unthinkable steps to try to contain the pandemic .
The State Department issued a new alert urging Americans not to travel abroad under any circumstances .
And Trump said the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out during the pandemic , a step that would mark an extraordinary federal reach into the private sector .
Hoping to inject some good news into the dreary outlook , Trump held a White House briefing trying to highlight new efforts underway to find treatments for COVID-19 as infections in the country climbed past 11,000 , with at least 168 deaths .
He offered an upbeat promotion of therapeutic drugs in early testing that he said could be “ a game-changer ” in treating those suffering .
But critics quickly accused him of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the head of the Food and Drug Administration made clear that the drugs Trump discussed were still being tested for their effectiveness and safety .
That process takes months and may or may not yield any results .
The FDA later reminded the public in a statement that there are “ no FDA-approved therapeutics or drugs to treat , cure or prevent COVID-19.
” On Capitol Hill , lawmakers worked urgently toward a $ 1 trillion aid package to prop up households and the U.S. economy that would put money directly into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Mitch McConnell has proposed making direct payments of $ 1,200 per person , $ 2,400 for couples and $ 500 for each child , according to a copy of the legislation obtained by The Associated Press .
Congress has also been discussing loans that would have to be paid back to shore up airlines and other industries and was working to increase production of medical supplies and build temporary field hospitals under new authorities unlocked when Trump invoked the Defence Production Act Wednesday .
At the White House , where temperature checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from one another as they practiced social distancing , Trump also stepped up his criticism of China , chastising the country he had previously praised for not warning the world earlier about a disease that started in Wuhan , but has since spread across the globe .
Indeed , the death toll in Italy from the coronavirus overtook China ’ s on Thursday , with at least 3,405 deaths in a country with a population of 60 million.
“ “ If people would have known about it , it could have ... been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been stopped right where it came from , ” Trump said .
“ But now the whole world almost is inflicted with this horrible virus and it ’ s too bad , “ he added , lamenting how the U.S economy was healthy “ just a few weeks ago.
” Trump grew agitated when one reporter noted the economy had essentially ground to a halt .
“ We know that , “ Trump snapped .
“ Everybody in the room knows that.
” More than eight weeks after the first U.S. case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is still struggling to respond .
Testing in the U.S. lags dramatically behind other developed nations , and states still say they can not conduct wide-scale testing because they don ’ t have the swabs or other materials necessary to process them .
And as the number of confirmed cases mounts , doctors and nurses are sounding warnings about the shortage of crucial supplies , including masks and other gear needed to protect health care workers , along with ventilators to treat respiratory symptoms of the virus .
Indeed , the Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued guidance telling health care workers that if no masks are available , they could turn to “ homemade ” options “ ( e.g.
, bandana , scarf ) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort.
” But Trump insisted against the evidence Thursday that there are more than enough supplies available to meet needs .
And he said that it was up to states to obtain them .
While willing to “ help out wherever we can , ” he said “ governors are supposed to be doing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government ’ s not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping , “ Trump said .
“ You know , we ’ re not a shipping clerk.
” After the briefing , Trump travelled to the Federal Emergency Management Agency , which has now been tasked with leading the national coronavirus response , for a teleconference with governors — some of whom have complained about a lack of guidance from Washington .
Again and again during the call , governors said they were having difficulty securing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process tests , with some sounding panicked .
Some said they were competing with the federal government for purchases .
Officials in the room , however , insisted there was plenty available on the market to purchase .
Among those expressing concern was Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards , who told Trump he feared the state would begin to exceed its capacity to deliver health care in as soon as a week .
“ I ’ m asking for help in terms of surging our medical capacity here in Louisiana , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state was “ going to do everything we can to mitigate and slow the spread , but in the time that we have , we ’ ve got to increase our surge capacity .
That is my biggest concern.
” For most people , COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
As the virus threat has become more acute , Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wartime president.
“ As he and members of Congress craft bailout packages , Trump said he believed the government should take partial ownership of some companies hard hit by the pandemic and aided by taxpayers .
Some Republicans in Congress have pushed back on the idea , saying it amounts to the government picking winners and losers , as they criticized President Barack Obama of doing after the 2008 financial crisis .
On the medical front , Trump and Dr. Stephen Hahn , the Food and Drug Administration commissioner , described several existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see if they can help those with COVID-19 .
Among them : chloroquine , a drug long used to treat malaria ; remdesivir , an experimental antiviral that ’ s being tried in at least five separate studies ; and antibodies culled from the blood of COVID-19 patients when they recover .
Chloroquine is widely available already and could be used off-label , but Hahn said officials want a formal study to get good information on whether it helps people with COVID-19 and is safe .
No new and imminent treatments were announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re looking at drugs that are already approved for other indications ” as a potential bridge or stopgap until studies are completed on drugs under investigation , Hahn said .
Social distancing has proved to be a challenge in the tight quarters of the White House briefing room .
When task force members walked out for the briefing , they spread out widely .
“ We practice what we preach , ” Surgeon General Jerome Adams said .
But moments later , the vice-president ’ s press secretary popped out into the briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together , presumably to make room for her boss .
Trump , who is at increased risk of serious illness because of his age , stood so close to some of the officials answering questions at the podium that they could not stand fully in front of it .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Trump took note of the cramped quarters , too , and claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ nicer.
” Yet he later laced into reporters , suggesting he would like to limit briefings to two or three of his favourite supporters .
And he assailed some of his coverage , slamming as “ fake news ” outlets whose reporters have worked to hold his administration accountable for its delayed response .
Associated Press writer Matthew Perrone contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

Jill Colvin And Deb Riechmann - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Despite virus threat, Georgia Republican meetings to proceed

ATLANTA - Even after some states have postponed their presidential primaries because of the threat of coronavirus , at least a few Georgia Republicans will get together Saturday in each of more than 100 county conventions to elect delegates .
They , in turn , will go to congressional district and state conventions that will choose delegates for the Republican National Convention expected to nominate Donald Trump for a second term .
It ’ s not that the state GOP is blind to the threat of infection from coronavirus in public gatherings .
Leaders are actually discouraging people from coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegate slates ahead of time .
They say only a handful of people need to show up in counties across Georgia to officially elect delegates .
“ Some of the conventions may take place in parking lots , ” state Chairman David Shafer wrote to The Associated Press in a Thursday text message .
“ These are pro forma meetings conducting the minimally necessary business to preserve our ability to participate in the national convention.
” But because Georgia elects those delegates through conventions , unlike states that choose them on primary election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers have advised the party it can ’ t scrub the county meetings .
When asked if the state had sought a reprieve , he wrote “ We are following the guidance we were given.
“ Spokespersons for the Republican National Committee did not respond Thursday to emails , phone calls and texts seeking comment .
Some other states are pushing back party meetings .
The Missouri Republican Party has cancelled county caucuses .
Instead , county Republican committees will meet by phone on April 4 to vote on slates of delegates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Texas GOP said this week it intends to move its state convention from May to July , pending approval by the state party committee Not everything is going on as planned .
Some county parties have been kicked out of their original venues .
Cobb County , the suburban Atlanta county which elects more delegates than any other to the state party convention , was going to meet in a church .
Now it will meet at the smaller party office .
“ The show has to go on , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ What we ’ ve been trying to do is limit attendance as much as possible.
” Shepherd said he ’ s going to email delegate slates in advance for feedback , but said some people who may be unhappy with those selections may show up seeking to change the slates .
“ There are people who will say ‘ I ’ m an alternate , but I want to be a delegate , ’ or ‘ I want to challenge delegate so-and-so , ’ ” Shepherd said .
Fears about coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes could continue to be an issue for the party on April 18 , when it ’ s scheduled to host 14 separate congressional district conventions , as well as May 29 and 30 , when the state convention is scheduled for suburban Atlanta .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The vast majority of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few counties already held their conventions last week T.J. Dearman , chairman of the Jackson County Republican Party northeast of Atlanta , said about 10 people came .
“ We were telling people they didn ’ t have to come , ” Dearman said ,


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Judge: Arkansas man to get third trial in son’s death

BENTONVILLE , Ark .
- A state judge on Thursday said he won ’ t reconsider the mistrial he granted to an Arkansas man convicted of killing his 6-year-old son by sexually assaulting the child with a stick .
Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren rejected a request by prosecutors to limit the mistrial he granted Mauricio Torres to the sentencing phase , the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported .
Prosecutors had asked that Karren let Torres ’ conviction stand .
Karren declared a mistrial earlier this month when Torres ’ stepson , who testified his stepfather physically abused him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged after Torres when a prosecutor asked about sexual abuse .
It was not clear if the stepson had been sexually abused .
The Associated Press doesn ’ t usually name alleged victims of sexual assault .
A Benton County jury found Torres , 50 , of Bella Vista , guilty of capital murder and battery during his retrial in the 2015 death of Isaiah Torres .
He faced death or life in prison without parole .
Mauricio Torres ’ 2016 conviction and death sentence were overturned by the Arkansas Supreme Court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities couldn ’ t use rape as a justification for the murder conviction because the assault occurred in Missouri .
Torres ’ son died at an Arkansas hospital a day after the assault .
Torres is being held without bond in the Benton County jail .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Houston pleads for more tests, gear as cars pack hospital

HOUSTON - Cars lined up for more than a mile outside a Houston hospital Thursday as the nation ’ s fourth-largest city began drive-thru testing for the coronavirus , but officials warned they don ’ t have enough kits or protective gear to meet demand .
“ I don ’ t want to create false hope that we are ready right now to have a radical increase in testing , “ said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo , the top county official in Houston .
” We are unfortunately not.
” Hours after the drive-thru testing began , Texas Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 5 million students and shuttered restaurant dining rooms .
Texas has confirmed more than 140 cases and five deaths related to the virus that causes COVID-19 .
About 2,500 testing kits were available at the drive-thru at United Memorial Medical Center and only those showing symptoms would be screened for the virus , said U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee .
She said the hospital had administered fewer than 200 tests within the first six hours .
The Democrat said the state is running out of personal protective equipment and that more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say how long the existing supply would last .
“ I am not happy with where we are in the nation , ” she said .
One of the first vehicles through was a red pickup truck containing a woman who could be heard loudly coughing .
Health workers in blue protective gear removed her from the truck and put her on a stretcher , then wheeled her into a nearby tent .
For most people , the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The vast majority of people recover from the virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild cases recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe ones can take three to six weeks to recover .
Nationwide , public frustrations over the difficulties of getting tested for the new virus have been building since the first U.S. case was confirmed Jan. 20 .
Early missteps with test kits developed by the Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with strict government criteria about who qualified for screening , have led to widespread reports of people struggling to get tested .
Texas health officials reported that the state had administered more than 2,300 tests as of Thursday .
Abbott told mayors and county officials a week ago that the supply of tests exceeded demand , and on Thursday said the state will soon have the capacity to test around 15,000 people a week .
Abbott had lagged behind other governors nationwide in ordering school and business closures , having until now left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That resulted in a patchwork of restrictions that had varied starkly even between big neighbouring cities such as Dallas and Fort Worth , frustrating and confusing some local officials .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

John L. Mone And Paul J. Weber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Europeans sing health workers’ praises nightly from windows

PARIS - At a time of isolation , people in many European cities hit hard by the new coronavirus are taking at least a minute each night to come together in gratitude .
They stand at open windows or on balconies in Rome , Madrid , Paris , Athens and Amsterdam , singing , cheering and applauding even though they know their intended audience is too busy to listen .
The adulation is for the doctors , nurses and other health care workers putting themselves at risk on the front lines of the pandemic that is forcing most residents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday became the first medical professional in Spain to die of COVID-19 .
In Italy , where the number of virus-related deaths surpassed those in China , 2,900 health care providers have been infected , or 10 % of the country ’ s total .
Italian broadcasters regularly feature exhausted doctors and nurses begging people to stay home and expressing a sense of abandonment over inadequate protective gear .
The Dutch health minister collapsed from exhaustion in the midst of a parliamentary session on Wednesday .
“ We ’ re clapping tonight out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all the health care workers in the Netherlands who are protecting us against this horrible coronavirus , ” King Willem-Alexander said while observing the ritual Tuesday night with his family at Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague .
The word spread mostly through the WhatsApp messaging service .
In France , where the head of the national doctors ’ federation picked up the virus from a diabetic patient , the call went out seemingly spontaneously by text messages hours after a nationwide lockdown went into effect Tuesday .
Windows opened promptly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
“ In this period of crisis , we are going to see the most beautiful things humanity has to offer , but also perhaps the darkest , ” French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said .
In Brussels and other cities , the intended audience for the nightly chorus of thanks was expanded to everyone working to keep essential services running in Belgium , such as firefighters , supermarket workers and trash collectors .
In Spain , people are singing Mónica Naranjo ’ s popular cover of the disco-era tune “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say , “ I will survive/I ’ ll look for a home/Among the rubble of my loneliness/Strange paradise/Where you are missed.
” Workers at one hospital responded with a video recorded in the facility ’ s corridors .
Standing in a small group and wearing masks , they held up one sign after another with messages that included , “ We are all in this together.
” Then , they gave a minute of applause for their home-bound admirers .
While nonstop global news about the effects of the coronavirus have become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stories about the kindness of strangers and individuals who have sacrificed for others .
“ One Good Thing ” is an AP continuing series reflecting these acts of kindness .
Associated Press writers Nicole Winfield in Rome , Aritz Parra in Madrid and Bram Janssen in Johannesburg contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--29 soldiers killed in attack on army post in northern Mali

BAMAKO , Mali - Armed men attacked a Malian army camp in the Gao region in the north , killing @ @ @ @ @ the army said Thursday .
The attack on the post in Tarkint also wounded at @ @ @ @ @ an army spokesman , Lt. Col. Diarran Kone .
This is the biggest attack on @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
Though responsibility for the attack has not yet been claimed , it bears @ @ @ @ @ in the region .
A French-led military operation ousted jihadists from power in northern Mali @ @ @ @ @ dispersed and regrouped .
They have also been pushing farther south .
Last year saw @ @ @ @ @ on Mali ’ s military posts .
The extremists add to their weapons stockpile with @ @ @ @ @ of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-19--Joe Biden, nominee-in-waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

WASHINGTON - In the three weeks since his blowout win in the South Carolina primary , Joe Biden has emerged as the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting .
But , amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic , put the emphasis on waiting .
Biden holds an essentially insurmountable delegate lead over his last remaining rival , Bernie Sanders , yet the Vermont senator remains in the race .
And with several states delaying their primaries to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus , Biden can ’ t reach the required majority of pledged convention delegates until May or June .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls himself a “ tactile politician , ” can ’ t chase those votes in public because he ’ s essentially confined to his Delaware home like any other American in a quasi-national quarantine .
His new campaign manager and her staff are working from home , too .
For now , Biden ’ s campaign has little choice but to embrace an unprecedented political purgatory .
“ Three weeks ago , we were on the verge of collapse as a campaign , so this is a very recent phenomenon , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the 77-year-old candidate remains focused on playing a productive role in the coronavirus response and sewing up a nominating fight that he doesn ’ t see as finished .
“ We will figure out how to put together a general election campaign for this difficult time , ” Dunn said .
Biden is confident enough in his position , campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond said , that he ’ s started to consider possibilities for a running mate .
But Richmond said no vetting process has begun in earnest .
His former Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
On Wednesday alone , Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of the race and threw her full support behind Biden , and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said on Twitter that Biden had the “ right experience , empathy , and character to lead.
” Biden announced Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , a veteran Democratic operative , as his new campaign manager on March 12 , two days after another round of primary victories widened his lead over Sanders .
But in the same gathering where O ’ Malley Dillon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the staff they were shuttering the Philadelphia headquarters and all other Biden offices .
With social distancing already taking hold nationally , Biden and his wife , Jill , addressed the group by telephone from their Wilmington home .
The campaign has promised the expected build-out from a relative shoestring staff – growth having been hampered by Biden ’ s inconsistent fundraising until his recent primary victories – into a national footprint befitting a nominee .
But as O ’ Malley Dillon plots general election strategy , there ’ s little evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who runs Biden ’ s “ rapid response ” communications unit , said the campaign is recruiting “ talented people from other presidential campaigns and from elsewhere.
” Yet some staffers from defunct campaigns told The Associated Press they ’ ve had only initial conversations , with no follow-up , and others said they were told the campaign isn ’ t hiring for their roles in the immediate future .
The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their job prospects .
Digital fundraising efforts continue , with the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for small-dollar contributions .
But high-dollar fundraising events are on hold , including any possibility of a joint fundraising agreement with the Democratic National Committee .
That deal , typically forged between nominees and the party , would allow individual megadonors to contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars each to the party and certain Biden operations , exponentially multiplying the usual $ 2,800 limits on individual contributions to the Biden campaign .
But the hooks of that fundraising approach are swanky in-person events that allow donors close contact with a would-be president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
Meanwhile , Biden and his aides must also react to President Donald Trump and developments in the coronavirus outbreak and response .
While challengers to incumbent presidents always play a reactionary role , that ’ s especially true for Biden , who has built his entire campaign as a juxtaposition with Trump .
But now Trump and his team have an even more dominant media megaphone with an endless loop of White House briefings and congressional machinations in response to the crisis .
As an example , Biden has used two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response as slow and inadequate .
Yet since then , the president has signed an initial aid package and endorsed a massive program for direct aid to every adult American — a turn that underscores the difficulty Biden may face countering Trump with a “ front-porch campaign ” from Delaware .
“ I think you ’ ve seen in the last week , certainly , that the vice-president is going to put policy considerations ahead of political considerations , ” Dunn said .
The immediate wild cards for Biden , though , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Though a lengthy primary could afford Biden media spotlights and fundraising hooks he might not otherwise get , Sanders ’ lingering presence also delays any effort to unify a party that was damaged in 2016 by a long primary fight between Sanders and Hillary Clinton .
Mathematically , there aren ’ t enough delegates up in April for Biden to claim the nomination .
But more likely , he ’ d need to win 75 % of the delegates from scheduled contests to win the nomination outright on May 19 with Sanders still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t , June 2 would become his more likely clinching date .
At the least , Biden and Sanders have indicated they won ’ t descend into a bitter fight .
Sanders was at home in Vermont on Thursday , beginning to speak to top supporters about his campaign going forward .
His team understands he has virtually no chance at the nomination , but they also said Sanders wants to leave on his own terms .
Aides who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the campaign ’ s thinking said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his timeline .
In a Thursday email to supporters , Sanders didn ’ t ask for campaign contributions for the second straight day — an indication he won ’ t be in the race much longer — but instead sought input on how best to combat the public health and economic effects of the coronavirus .
Barrow reported from Atlanta .
Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
@

Bill Barrow, Alexandra Jaffe And Will Weissert - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-19--No family, fanfare for NASA astronaut launching next month

CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. - A NASA astronaut who ’ s about to leave the planet for six months will blast off without any family or fanfare because of the coronavirus .
Chris Cassidy said Thursday that he won ’ t have any guests at his April 9 launch from Kazakhstan .
He expects to say goodbye in Russia to his wife on Friday , three weeks earlier than planned .
Because of the coronavirus outbreak , she ’ s going back home to Houston .
One of his three children , meanwhile , is trying to get back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be a smaller team than usual at the launch pad , too .
“ It really is going to be strange , “ Cassidy told The Associated Press from cosmonaut headquarters in Star City , Russia .
He said he ’ s already in quarantine ahead of his launch to the International Space Station .
“ The things that are stressing the rest of the world and the rest of America , are the same things that are stressing me right now , ” said Cassidy .
“ It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a generation , really , right ?
’ said the 50-year-old Navy captain and former Navy SEAL .
“ I ’ ll have my own interesting story to tell in years to come.
” Cassidy is also dealing with a rare late-in-the-game crew switch .
He ’ ll spend 6 1/2 months on the space station with two Russians assigned to the flight just a month ago , after one of the original cosmonauts suffered an eye injury .
While training together to catch up , Cassidy , Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ germ free , frequently washing their hands and keeping a safe distance from others .
The space station crew will drop from six to three a week after his arrival .
It will remain at three people until SpaceX launches two NASA astronauts , as early as May , or another crew arrives on a Russian Soyuz capsule in the fall .
With only three people on board , it promises to be extraordinarily busy .
“ That doesn ’ t bother me at all , “ Cassidy told the AP .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bring it on.
” Cassidy , Ivanishin and Vagner leave Tuesday for the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan .
They will be isolated there in a special hotel for astronauts , as is customary .
But on launch day , there won ’ t be the usual cheering , back-slapping throngs of well-wishers or journalists either .
Their families , bosses and dozens of others normally jam a special room behind a glass wall while the astronauts put on their spacesuits before liftoff .
“ We ’ ll be looking through the glass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like this and then we ’ ll get on the bus ” to go to a launch pad with a minimal team there , Cassidy said .
As for the Feb. 19 crew switch , Cassidy , from York , Maine , initially was “ crushed ” by the news .
The former chief of NASA ’ s astronaut corps and two-time space flier , Cassidy already knew the backup cosmonauts.. “ So no issues there , “ he said .
However , ” my heart hurt for my two friends who thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch and were not going to get one , ” he told the AP .
Invanishin , like Cassidy an experienced spaceman , said earlier this week that he ’ s surprised to be suddenly rocketing away , “ but life happens.
” He said the crew swap could have occurred even closer to launch and so the three have had “ some time for the news to settle in.
” Cassidy acknowledges his stress level is higher than usual right now from worrying about his loved ones .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and we ’ ll work through it and be fine.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Official says 25 Afghan forces killed in insider attack

KABUL - At least 25 police and army personnel were killed in an apparent insider attack at a joint military and police base early Friday , Afghan officials said .
The attack took place in southern Zabul province , a Taliban stronghold .
Assadullah Kakar , a provincial council member , said the Taliban carried out the attack , but with the assistance of Afghan police and army personnel inside the base .
Ministry of Interior spokesman Tariq Arian , however , said the attack was still under investigation and refused to give the numbers of casualties or details of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility , but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said he would look into the allegation..
The attack comes as U.S. and NATO start a staged withdrawal of its troops in keeping with a peace deal signed last month between the United States and the Taliban .
The troop pullout is tied to promises by the Taliban to fight terrorism , including the Islamic State affiliate , headquartered in eastern Afghanistan .
However , Washington has struggled to get Afghanistan ’ s squabbling politicians to unite behind a single leader to start intra-Afghan negotiations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal .
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival in last year ’ s presidential polls both declared themselves president in rival ceremonies earlier this month .
Since then Washington ’ s peace envoy who brokered the U.S.-Taliban deal has been meeting the two leaders seeking a compromise .
Until now the squabbling has only intensified .
Meanwhile , Washington has also been critical of the violent attacks carried out be the Taliban targeting Afghan security forces but not U.S. or NATO personnel .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Africa’s busiest airport says foreigners can’t disembark

JOHANNESBURG - Anxiety rose in Africa ’ s richest nation Friday as South Africa announced coronavirus cases jumped to 202 , the most in the sub-Saharan region , while the country ’ s largest airport announced that foreigners would not be allowed to disembark .
And state-owned South African Airways suspended all international flights until June .
“ The aircraft will be contained at an isolated bay with all officials ensuring the utmost care is taken , ” O.R .
Tambo International Airport said , following up on the government ’ s announcement of travel restrictions days ago while declaring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working with the airline to ensure that foreign nationals return to the country of origin.
” The Johannesburg airport is the busiest in Africa .
Foreigners across the continent have faced the increasing chance of being stranded as countries close borders and block flights .
The financially troubled South African Airways said the immediate suspension of all international flights through May 31 was because of coronavirus-related travel restrictions and the “ substantial decline in demand ” for air travel .
“ It is all our responsibility , not just government , to curb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Zuks Ramasia said in a statement .
” In addition , the increasing risks to our crew of contracting the virus , including the possibility of being trapped in foreign destinations as a consequence of increasing travel bans , can not be ignored.
” SAA flies to New York , London , Frankfurt , Munich and Washington — all in what South Africa now considers high-risk countries .
Also Friday another African nation announced its first case , Cape Verde .
Thirty-seven countries on the continent now have cases , with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of South Africa ’ s new patients is a hospital worker , health officials said , as concerns about local transmission grew .
So far most of the cases in Africa have been linked to overseas travel .
But overnight Niger in announcing its first case highlighted possible regional spread inside the continent .
Its citizen had travelled via the West African capitals of Togo , Ghana , Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-03-20--Iran’s leaders strike upbeat tone as virus toll climbs

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran ’ s leaders vowed to overcome the new coronavirus outbreak in upbeat messages marking the Persian New Year on Friday , even as the Health Ministry announced 149 more fatalities , bringing the country ’ s death toll to 1,433 .
Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East , with nearly 20,000 confirmed cases , and has been widely criticized for its slow response .
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , who has final say on all state matters , called the new year “ the year of leaps in production ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been under heavy U.S. sanctions since President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord .
President Hassan Rouhani also marked the new year , known as Nowruz , by promising a better economy .
“ We will put the coronavirus behind us soon with unity , with hard work and with co-operation , ” he said .
Most people who come down with the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus experience only minor symptoms and recover within weeks .
But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe illness , including pneumonia , particularly in sick or elderly patients .
More than 240,000 people have been infected worldwide .
More than 10,000 have died , while more than 85,000 have recovered .
Rouhani has defended his government ’ s response to the coronavirus outbreak in the face of widespread criticism that officials acted too slowly and may have even covered up initial cases before infections rapidly spread across the country .
He also sought to highlight what he viewed as the achievements of the past year , including the downing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Iran ’ s top general in Baghdad .
Rouhani assured Iranians that his administration will prioritize health in the coming year and said it had stockpiled basic supplies .
Nowruz is a major holiday in Iran , when shoppers typically pack into local markets and take extended vacations .
This year most shops are closed , and those merchants who are still working can be seen warily accepting cash or debit cards from customers wearing face masks .
Khamenei issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel and authorities have restricted travel between cities .
After weeks of heavy criticism , authorities finally closed two major religious shrines in recent days .
Other countries in the region have imposed far stricter measures to contain the virus , including cancelling flights , sealing borders and forcing all non-essential businesses to close .
Saudi Arabia announced early Friday it would shut down domestic air travel , buses , taxis and trains for the next two weeks , beginning on Saturday morning .
The monarchy has reported 274 confirmed cases , eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address late Thursday , King Salman said “ we are living through a difficult phase of the world ’ s history.
” “ However , we are completely certain that this phase will end and pass , despite its harshness and bitterness and its difficulties , ” he said .
King Salman assured Saudis that the country had sufficient medical care and supplies to get through the crisis .
Pakistan meanwhile reported its third death from the coronavirus , a 77-year-old cancer patient , in its southern Sindh province .
Pakistan has reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel to neighbouring Iran .
Pakistan closed its borders with Iran and Afghanistan weeks ago , but Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday asked authorities to allow trucks carrying food and other essential items to cross into landlocked Afghanistan , where infections are also on the rise .
Pakistan closed its border with India near Lahore on Thursday .
It is also placing hundreds of returning religious pilgrims into quarantine .
Associated Press writer Fay Abuelgasim in Dubai , United Arab Emirates ; Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .