thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Family members of murder victims assail Golden State Killer

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - Tearful family members of people killed by Joseph DeAngelo assailed him Thursday for stealing away their loved ones as he escalated his attacks from burglaries and rapes to a series of horrific murders that terrorized California four decades ago .
“ Today the devil loses and justice wins , ” Debbi Domingo McMullan ?
, the daughter of one victim , said during the third day of a sentencing hearing for the 74-year-old man known as the Golden State Killer .
Earlier in the week , a judge heard testimony from rape victims who endured sadistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former police officer whose serial crimes began in Northern California .
He later moved to Southern California , where his rapes followed the same pattern of binding couples he surprised while they slept and assaulting the woman as the man lay helpless .
By then , his assaults routinely ended in murder and his identity — hidden behind a ski mask — remained a mystery until investigators used a new form of DNA tracking to arrest him in 2018 .
DeAngelo ’ s ex-wife broke her silence in the case when she submitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had been deceived by her husband and that living with the knowledge that his attacks harmed so many people has “ had a devastating and pervasive affect on my life and my family.
“ Many victims have wondered how Sacramento attorney Sharon Huddle could not have known about her husband ’ s double life , but she said he simply lied to her .
“ I trusted the defendant when he told me he had to work , or was going pheasant hunting , or going to visit his parents hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeAngelo pleaded guilty in June to 13 murders and 13 rape-related charges stemming from crimes in the 1970s and 1980s .
A plea deal with prosecutors will spare him the death penalty when he is formally sentenced Friday to consecutive life prison sentences .
The sentencing will follow days of excruciating testimony from his victims and their loved ones .
Prosecutors walked through his slayings in near-chronological order on Thursday in what one relative called a “ timeline of horror ” — from three early Northern California victims killed when they interfered with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 known Southern California murders .
DeAngelo was dubbed the Visalia Ransacker when he killed 45-year-old Claude Snelling on Sept. 11 , 1975 .
The journalism professor in the San Joaquin Valley was slain while thwarting the attempted kidnapping of his 16-year-old daughter , Elizabeth Hupp .
“ My dad died saving my life that night and he is my hero , ” Hupp said as she broke down in tears .
DeAngelo was known as the East Area Rapist by Feb. 2 , 1978 , when he fatally shot Katie Maggiore , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as they walked their dog around their Rancho Cordova neighbourhood in Sacramento County .
“ You lurked in the dark so you could prey on innocent victims , ” Katie ’ s brother , Ken Smith , told DeAngelo .
“ Well , now you are prey , DeAngelo , and you can look over your shoulder the rest of your life ” in prison .
Debra Manning , 35 , was raped and killed along with 44-year-old Robert Offerman on Dec. 30 , 1979 , in Santa Barbara County .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s friends Natasha Holliday and Roseanne Howard remembered her as a “ beautiful and brilliant ” doctor while blasting DeAngelo for the “ ’ obsessive madness ” that led him to beat and shoot the couple before he bizarrely ate some of their Christmas turkey leftovers .
Cheri Domingo , 35 , and Gregory Sanchez , 27 , were killed on July 27 , 1981 , also in Santa Barbara County .
“ I had watched my mom and Greg dance carefree across our living room for the last time , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was just 15 at the time , recalled through tears while DeAngelo sat expressionless , as he has throughout the hearings .
The bodies of Charlene Smith , 33 , and Lyman Smith , 43 , were found March 16 , 1980 , in their Ventura County home .
They are part of DeAngelo ’ s “ legacy of sadism , cruelty , moral and physical depravity , ” Jennifer Carole , the daughter of Lyman Smith , told the court even as she urged people to focus on making positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slayings in Orange County .
Keith Harrington , 24 , and Patrice Harrington , 27 , were young newlyweds living in Dana Point when his father found them bludgeoned to death on Aug. 21 , 1980 .
Ron Harrington , a brother of the victim , called DeAngelo “ the poster child for the death penalty ” and criticized Gov .
Gavin Newsom for imposing a moratorium on executions .
The slayings led Bruce Harrington , another brother , to champion Proposition 69 , passed by California voters in 2004 , that expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and those arrested for felonies and has since led to more than 81,000 suspect identifications .
In DeAngelo ’ s case , however , investigators pioneered a new technique that builds family trees from publicly available DNA websites as investigators try to identify a suspect .
Manuela Witthuhn , 28 , of Irvine was raped and murdered on Feb. 6 , 1981 .
Her brother-in-law , Drew Witthuhn , said in court that DeAngelo pounced on the tiny woman in her bed “ as if she was nothing more than prey to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youngest known murder victim was 18-year-old Janelle Cruz of Irvine .
She was raped and killed on May 5 , 1986 , after a five-year gap that DeAngelo has never explained .
“ He ’ s a selfish , sadistic , calculating , cruel , pathetic piece of scum , ” she said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Street honouring Confederate icon renamed for HBCU president

NEW ORLEANS - A New Orleans thoroughfare named for the former president of the Confederacy will be renamed next year to honour a local civil rights icon and longtime president of a historically Black university , the City Council decided Thursday .
Jefferson Davis Parkway will become Norman C. Francis Parkway in January .
Francis was the first Black graduate of the law school at Loyola University of New Orleans .
The street being named for him runs by Xavier University of Louisiana , a historically Black university that was founded by Catholic nuns .
Francis served as Xavier ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The vote to rename the street was 7-0 , with council members , meeting online , expressing their happiness that the honour was being bestowed on Francis , 89 , while he is alive to see it .
Members also made clear they will be looking at other streets and memorials that honour Confederates .
“ We have a duty collectively , not just in silos , to look at other streets that we know are problematic , ” council member Joseph Giarrusso III said .
In a statement , the university ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ always knew that education is the pathway to social justice.
“ “ His unwavering commitment and courage in the face of adversity spanned 50 plus years at Xavier and taught us all many lessons on how we must serve and lead our community , ” he said .
Thursday ’ s vote came more than three years after workers removed statues honouring Davis and Confederate Gens .
Robert E. Lee and P.G.T .
Beauregard from prominent places on the city landscape .
That was the culmination of a nearly two-year legal battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honoured Southern heritage .
Then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu drew blistering criticism from supporters of Confederate memorials and iconography when he led that effort , which gained steam after the murder of nine Black worshipers at a South Carolina church .
The killer , Dylann Roof , was an avowed racist who brandished Confederate battle flags in photos .
Outrage over this year ’ s police custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis again recharged efforts to remove Confederate icons in New Orleans and nationwide .
Months after protests in New Orleans and other cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the street name .
There was one public comment read opposing the move during Thursday ’ s meeting .

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thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Minnesota wins NBA draft lottery, rights to No. 1 pick

The NBA draft lottery was delayed three months .
The Minnesota Timberwolves are certainly feeling like the wait was worthwhile .
The Timberwolves won the lottery Thursday night , giving them the No .
1 pick .
The lottery was conducted virtually because of the pandemic , with NBA officials doing the actual draw in Secaucus , New Jersey .
Golden State holds the No .
2 pick , Charlotte got the No .
3 pick and Chicago will pick fourth .
The Hornets and Bulls both bucked some odds to move into the upper echelon .
“ We know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the opportunity to draft an impact player who could immediately complement our young , strong core , ” Timberwolves President Gersson Rosas said .
Chicago had a 32 % chance of moving into the top four spots , Charlotte about a 26 % chance .
They leapfrogged four teams that had better top-four odds — Cleveland , Atlanta , Detroit and New York .
“ I ’ m pretty sure whoever we get , it ’ s going to be exciting , “ Hornets guard Devonte ’ Graham said .
The draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for Oct. 16 .
But nobody knows yet when the new draft picks will make their NBA debuts , since the start of the 2020-21 season is not yet determined .
The NBA had been hoping for a Dec. 1 start to the 2020-21 season , though Commissioner Adam Silver said on the ESPN telecast of that draft lottery that date now “ is feeling a little bit early to me.
” Without fans at games , a major revenue stream is obviously lost for the league and its teams .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one or multiple bubbles , like the one where the league is playing now at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista , Florida , but the obvious preference is to have fans returning to games .
“ Our No .
1 goal is to get fans back in our arenas , ” Silver said on the telecast .
“ My sense is , in working with the players association , if we could push back even a little longer and increase the likelihood of having fans in arenas , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Timberwolves were 19-45 this season , marking the 14th time in 15 years that they failed to make the playoffs and finished with a losing record .
And a month ago , Glen Taylor — who has owned the franchise since 1994 — said he “ will entertain ” offers for the Timberwolves WNBA ’ s Minnesota Lynx .
It ’ ll be Minnesota ’ s first time holding the No .
1 pick since 2015 , when it took Karl-Anthony Towns .
The Warriors have another asset — either to trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look toward next season .
The Warriors went from five-time defending Western Conference champions to an NBA-worst 15-50 this season , having two-time MVP Stephen Curry for only five games largely because of injury and not having Klay Thompson at any point while he recovered from the ACL tear he suffered in the last game of the 2019 NBA Finals .
“ I have no idea what the value is of that pick , how much people covet it and I don ’ t think I ’ ll know that anytime soon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But usually the No .
2 pick is pretty good .
So I think we ’ ll be happy what whatever options , whatever route we take.
” Unlike a year ago , when Zion Williamson was clearly going to be the first selection , there is no consensus about the No .
1 pick .
Top candidates include Georgia ’ s Anthony Edwards , Memphis ’ James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball — the brother of New Orleans guard Lonzo Ball .
Edwards , a 6-foot-5 guard , averaged 19.1 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lone college season .
Wiseman , a 7-foot-1 centre , played in only three games for Memphis and averaged 19.7 points before giving up what had been a lengthy fight with the NCAA over his eligibility .
Ball , a 6-foot-7 guard , averaged 17 points in 12 games while playing in Australia ’ s top pro league this past season .
Cleveland got the fifth pick , followed by Atlanta , Detroit , New York , Washington , Phoenix , San Antonio , Sacramento and New Orleans at No .
13 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning the No .
1 pick and was 97.6 % certain of finishing 14th , ended up in exactly that spot — a pick that will now be conveyed to Boston as part of a trade that happened in 2015 .
It means the Celtics could have three first-round picks on draft night , barring any moves by Boston beforehand .
The rest of the first-round order , starting with the No .
15 pick and going to No .
30 , as of now is : Orlando , Portland , Minnesota , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Denver , Utah , Milwaukee , Oklahoma City , Boston , New York , the Los Angeles Lakers , Toronto and Boston .


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Court lets public see complaint data on 81,000 NYPD officers

New York City police officers have faced more than 320,000 complaints from the public since the mid-1980s , but less than 3 % resulted in penalties , according to newly released data that offers a rare glimpse into the long-veiled realm of police misconduct and accountability .
The New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday published data on complaints against more than 81,000 current or former NYPD officers after prevailing in a fight with public safety unions that had sought to keep the records secret .
They include more than 18,000 complaints about “ nasty words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slurs ; 2,200 allegations of officers using flashlights , radios or guns to beat people ; 5,400 instances of guns allegedly being pulled or pointed ; and more than 1,700 complaints of officers using chokeholds , which have long been banned by the department and were recently outlawed .
There were also more than two dozen complaints about conduct regarding animals .
The complaints touch virtually every part of the department , from beat cops to men and women who ’ ve ascended to top leadership posts .
Commissioner Dermot Shea ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vehicle stop in August 2003 , when he was working his way up from captain to deputy inspector .
He was ordered to receive extra instructions as punishment .
Crime Control Strategies Chief Michael LiPetri has been the subject of 25 complaints since he started at the NYPD in 1994 — but only three were substantiated , leading to minor punishment .
The NYCLU posted the records to its website after the 2nd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a stay that had been blocking the organization from making them public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to promote transparency in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd .
“ History has shown the NYPD is unwilling to police itself , ” NYCLU legal director Christopher Dunn said .
“ The release of this database is an important step towards greater transparency and accountability and is just the beginning of unraveling the monopoly the NYPD holds on public information and officer discipline.
” A spokesperson for the unions , which represent city police officers , firefighters and jail guards , said the appeals court ’ s decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to permit constitutionally guaranteed right to due process for public safety workers ceases.
” “ In fact , we continue to fight the de Blasio administration and the improper dumping of thousands of documents containing unproven , career damaging , unsubstantiated allegations that put our members and their families at risk .
And we ’ re not done , ” said the spokesperson , Hank Sheinkopf .
While it ’ s difficult to draw any conclusions from the data — for example , one officer was listed as having 64 substantiated complaints against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from one incident — there are some broader takeaways .
According to the data , 8,699 complaints led to a penalty , 19,833 officers were named in five or more complaints , and 12 officers were terminated as a result of complaints lodged during the decades-long span covered by the records .
Those officers include Damian Marcaida , who had no complaints before he was charged in 1999 with beating a woman who asked for his name and badge number after the police killing of Amadou Diallo , and Charles Dorcent , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a year before a videotaped beating in 2002 that led to his conviction on criminal charges .
A federal district court judge is expected to rule Friday in another aspect of the union lawsuit : whether to keep barring the city ’ s police watchdog agency , as well as the police department and other entities from releasing disciplinary records .
The unions sued the city July 15 to block Mayor Bill de Blasio from taking advantage of last month ’ s repeal of a decades-old state law , which had kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post misconduct complaints on a government website .
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla initially sided with the unions , pausing the release of disciplinary records and barring the NYCLU from publicly releasing records it obtained from the watchdog agency , the Civilian Complaint Review Board .
Failla later reversed herself on the NYCLU , saying it was impossible for her to reach back and prevent the release of records that the organization received before the unions filed their lawsuit .
That led to the union ’ s appeal and the ruling Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disciplinary records have already reached public view since the repeal last month of a law that had kept them secret for decades .
ProPublica published a database last month containing complaint information for thousands of officers , while news outlets including the AP have published numerous stories based on newly public disciplinary documents .
On Twitter , follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Jennifer Peltz at twitter.com/jennpeltz

Michael R. Sisak And Jennifer Peltz - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Ex-Trump aide Bannon pleads not guilty in border wall scheme

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump ’ s former chief strategist , Steve Bannon , was pulled from a luxury yacht and arrested Thursday on allegations that he and three associates ripped off donors trying to fund a southern border wall , making him the latest in a long list of Trump allies to be charged with a crime .
The organizers of the “ We Build The Wall ” group portrayed themselves as eager to help the president build a “ big beautiful ” barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border , as he promised during the 2016 campaign .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of donors and pledged that 100 % of the money would be used for the project .
But according to the criminal charges unsealed Thursday , much of the money never made it to the wall .
Instead , it was used to line the pockets of group members , including Bannon , who served in Trump ’ s White House and worked for his campaign .
He allegedly took over $ 1 million , using some to secretly pay co-defendant Brian Kolfage , an Air Force veteran who lost both legs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the founder of the project , and to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal expenses .
“ This case should serve as a warning to other fraudsters that no one is above the law , not even a disabled war veteran or a millionaire political strategist , ” said Philip R. Bartlett , inspector-in-charge of the New York office of the U.S .
Postal Inspection Service , which arrested Bannon aboard a luxury yacht at 7 a.m .
Hours after his arrest , Bannon , 66 , of Washington , D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Manhattan federal court .
He is the latest addition to a startlingly long list of Trump associates who have been prosecute d , including his former campaign chair , Paul Manafort , whom Bannon replaced , his longtime lawyer , Michael Cohen , and his former national security adviser , Michael Flynn .
Trump has also made clear that he is willing to use his near-limitless pardon power to help political allies escape legal jeopardy , most recently commuting the sentence of longtime political adviser Roger Stone .
Bannon was taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) yacht called Lady May , which was off the coast of Connecticut , authorities said .
The boat is owned by exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui and currently for sale for nearly $ 28 million .
According to Marine Traffic , a commercial tracking service , the vessel ’ s transponder signal went dark on June 17 , shortly after it departed a port in Connecticut en route to Miami , potentially indicating its beacon was inoperable or had been turned off .
At his hearing , Bannon appeared by video with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a white mask covering most of his face .
He rocked back and forth on a chair in a holding cell with his lawyers on the telephone .
The magistrate judge approved Bannon ’ s release on $ 5 million bail , secured by $ 1.75 million in assets .
When he emerged from the courthouse , Bannon tore off his mask , smiled and waved to news cameras .
As he went to a waiting vehicle , he shouted , “ This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of Miramar Beach , Florida , did not respond to requests for comment .
Also charged were Andrew Badolato , 56 , of Sarasota , Florida , and Timothy Shea , 49 , of Castle Rock , Colorado , the owner of an energy drink company called Winning Energy .
The company ’ s cans feature a cartoon superhero image of Trump and claim to contain “ 12 oz .
of liberal tears.
” Shea appeared at a brief virtual hearing in Denver .
Other prominent members of the wall group included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its general counsel ; Erik Prince , founder of the controversial security firm Blackwater ; former Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado ; and former major league baseball pitcher Curt Schilling .
They were not named in the indictment .
After the arrest , Trump quickly distanced himself from Bannon and the project .
“ When I read about it , I didn ’ t like it .
I said this is for government , this isn ’ t for private people .
And it sounded to me like showboating , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An immigration plan unveiled by Trump last year included a proposal to allow the public to donate toward his long-promised wall , as the Kolfage group had originally said was its mission before shifting its focus to private construction .
But Trump later denounced the project publicly , tweeting last month that he “ disagreed with doing this very small ( tiny ) section of wall , in a tricky area , by a private group which raised money by ads ” and claiming , “ It was only done to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr told The Associated Press he had been made aware of the investigation into Bannon months ago but did not say whether the president had been informed .
According to the indictment , the defendants used fake invoices , another non-profit and sham vendor arrangements to try to hide their efforts to siphon money .
Under the arrangement , Bannon and his co-defendants allegedly paid Kolfage $ 100,000 up front and an additional $ 20,000 monthly , all while claiming they served as volunteers and that Kolfage was not paid .
The indictment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send mass emails to his donors asking them to purchase coffee from his unrelated business , telling donors the coffee company was the only way he ‘ keeps his family fed and a roof over their head.
’ ” Kolfage eventually spent some of the over $ 350,000 he received on home renovations , payments toward a boat , a luxury SUV , a golf cart , jewelry , cosmetic surgery , personal tax payments and credit card debt .
All four were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison .
Originally called “ We the People Build the Wall , ” the campaign launched in December 2018 and raised approximately $ 17 million in its first week .
But it soon drew scrutiny , according to the indictment .
The crowdfunding site that hosted the campaign suspended it and threatened to return donations unless the money was transferred to a legitimate non-profit .
Bannon was brought in around that time .
Dustin Stockton , who helped start the campaign and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming presidential election , said it seemed clear that prosecutors were “ attacking political infrastructure that supports President Trump right before the election.
“ He was not charged in the case .
Benjamin Harnwell , who with Bannon launched an institute in Italy to train future populists , called the indictment “ spurious ” and evidence that the “ forces of darkness ” would stop at nothing to destroy the combative Bannon .
A voice of nationalist , outsider conservatism , Bannon led the conservative Breitbart News before being tapped to serve as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign in its critical final months .
He later served as chief strategist during the turbulent early days of Trump ’ s administration and was at the forefront of many of its most contentious policies , including its travel ban on several majority-Muslim countries .
But Bannon , who clashed with other top advisers , was pushed out after less than a year .
And his split with Trump deepened after he was quoted in a 2018 book making critical remarks about some of Trump ’ s adult children .
Bannon apologized and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bannon , who served in the Navy and worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs and as a Hollywood producer before turning to politics , now hosts a pro-Trump podcast called “ War Room , ” which began during the president ’ s impeachment proceedings and has continued during the pandemic .
A day before the indictment was unsealed , Kolfage was a featured guest on the show and solicited donations .
Long and Colvin reported from Washington .
Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York ; Nomaan Merchant in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santa Fe , New Mexico ; Dave Collins in Hartford , Connecticut ; Mike Balsamo in Cleveland ; Nicole Winfield in Rome and Michael Biesecker in Washington contributed to this report .

Larry Neumeister, Colleen Long And Jill Colvin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Police say Muslim man wasn’t mocked during fatal arrest

PHOENIX - An advocacy group released what they say is previously unseen body camera footage Thursday showing Phoenix police mocking the religion of a Black Muslim man who later died in their custody .
Muslim Advocates , a national civil rights organization , released video from the 2017 death of Muhammad Abdul Muhaymin Jr. in which he can be heard crying out in pain and calling for Allah , the Arabic word for God .
An officer appears to say “ Allah ?
He ’ s not going to help you right now ...
Relax dude .
Stop moving .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Phoenix Police Department is disputing that interpretation , Sgt .
Mercedes Fortune said .
He said the police were trying to defuse the situation as per their training .
“ In fact , the officers did not mock or target Mr. Muhaymin based on his religion , race , or any other factor , ” Fortune said in an email .
“ When Mr. Muhaymin is heard to say ‘ Please Allah , ’ the officer responded , ‘ Allah ?
We ’ re trying to help you right now dude so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the police included Muhaymin ’ s plea that he couldn ’ t breathe , but left out the statements related to his faith .
David Chami , the attorney representing the Muhaymin family in a lawsuit against the city , said he ’ s certain that police deliberately left out this portion of the video when it was initially given to the media .
“ We think this type of information will help maybe get somebody to take a second look whether these officers should still be patrolling this neighbourhood , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no doubt that the city manipulated the narrative.
” Any records related to the incident were released to media and other parties the first time they requested them , Fortune said .
Muhaymin ’ s sister was left angered by the footage .
“ The city of Phoenix and the Phoenix police targeted my brother for his race , they mocked him for his religion and disability , and then brutally killed him , “ Muhaymin ’ s sister , Mussallina Muhaymin , said in a statement .
“ Muhammad Muhaymin Jr. was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved him.
” She has said her brother was homeless and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia .
None of the officers have been criminally charged or faced internal discipline for their actions .
Daniel O ’ Connor , a lawyer defending the officers in the suit , said in an email Thursday that he is prohibited from discussing ongoing litigation .
Fortune also said she could not comment on other specifics of the case citing the same reason .
Muhaymin ’ s family , who have filed a $ 10 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see echoes of his killing in George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May .
It will likely not go to trial until early next year , Chami said .
Attorneys are also looking into opening a federal investigation to see if Muhaymin ’ s civil rights were violated .
The incident began when police were called to the community centre in the city ’ s Maryvale neighbourhood in January 2017 after a dispute arose over whether Muhaymin could bring his service dog into a public bathroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the bathroom .
But officers ran a records check and discovered he had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court for a misdemeanour drug-paraphernalia possession charge .
Once outside the community centre , tensions rose as an officer told Muhaymin to put down his dog because he was under arrest .
An officer knocked the dog out of Muhaymin ’ s hands after he said he didn ’ t have anyone to care for the animal , according to the lawsuit .
Muhaymin was forced to the ground after police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screamed in pain as officers handcuffed him .
An officer made a profane , belittling comment to Muhaymin that he was now facing a felony .
After officers brought Muhaymin to a police SUV in the parking lot , officers again urged Muhaymin to stop moving .
Still , the struggle continued , with officers again forcing him to the ground .
“ I can ’ t breathe , ” Muhaymin said .
“ I can ’ t breathe.
” Minutes later , the 43-year-old Muhaymin went into cardiac arrest , began vomiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After a review , the Maricopa County Attorney ’ s Office declined in February 2018 to criminally charge the officers involved , saying it didn ’ t believe the officers committed acts that warranted prosecution .
Transcripts and video from depositions in the case became available after a federal judge in June denied a request made by the city of Phoenix to bar their release .
The request was made after attorneys for the city accused a lawyer representing Muhaymin ’ s sister of using social media to garner news coverage and incite @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Police officer charged with murder under new Washington law

SEATTLE - A suburban Seattle police officer with a long history of using force , including three fatal shootings , was charged with murder and assault Thursday for one of those killings , the first case brought against an officer since Washington voters made it easier to prosecute police for using deadly force .
Auburn Police Officer Jeff Nelson , an Iraq war veteran who joined the department in 2008 , shot and killed Jesse Sarey , 26 , outside a convenience store last year while trying to arrest him for disorderly conduct in an interaction that lasted just 67 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Thursday that Nelson escalated the situation with Sarey , failed to wait for backup before confronting him , and that the level of force he used was unreasonable : Nelson repeatedly punched Sarey in the head after grappling with him , shot him once in the upper abdomen and then , as the wounded Sarey reclined on the ground about 7 feet away , Nelson cleared a jammed round out of his gun , glanced at a nearby witness , turned back to Sarey and fired again into Sarey ’ s forehead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun at one point in the struggle , but there was no indication he was armed when Nelson shot him — contrary to statements Nelson made afterward in which he said Sarey had grabbed a utility knife from Nelson ’ s pocket , prosecutors wrote in charging documents filed in King County Superior Court .
Nelson also claimed Sarey was kneeling and in position to attack when he fired the second shot — a claim disproved by video evidence and a witness statement , prosecutors said .
“ Officer Nelson created the very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly force , ” special deputy prosecutor Mark Larson wrote .
After shooting him , Nelson knelt on the sidewalk beside Sarey without rendering first aid , prosecutors wrote .
Backup officers who arrived two minutes later were able to restore Sarey ’ s pulse , but he died at a hospital .
Sarey was found to have methamphetamine in his system .
Nelson ’ s attorney , Alan Harvey , said his client ’ s arrest of Sarey was lawful and that the officer acted in self-defence .
Nelson , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a beat in Auburn , frequently found himself in situations where he was one-on-one with suspects and needed to use force , but he has never been found to have done so unlawfully , Harvey said .
“ My client has been a member in good standing of the Auburn Police Department for 11 years , ” he said .
The government of Auburn , a city of 82,000 between Seattle and Tacoma , issued a statement saying it could not comment on the case , but expressing sympathy for the Sarey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Auburn , acknowledge that this is an important time to do internal work and reflection coupled with community engagement , ” the statement read .
The case is the first filed against an officer since voters in Washington passed legislation in 2019 , which was amended by the Legislature , that makes it easier to prosecute police for using deadly force .
Previously , prosecutors had to prove the officer acted with malice — an almost impossible standard , and one no other state had .
Under the new law , prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not have found deadly force necessary .
Satterberg said prosecutors had experts sync up surveillance video from nearby businesses with audio and video recorded by the recording system in Nelson ’ s patrol car to understand what happened .
Prosecutors also retained policing experts to review the case , and they agreed the deadly force was not necessary .
Prosecutors did not intend to have Nelson taken into custody pending trial , but they would seek to prevent him from possessing firearms , Satterberg said .
Nelson ’ s repeated uses of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 , many of them instances where he sicced his dog on a suspect , according to court records — have been questioned in other cases .
In a settlement announced separately Thursday , the city of Auburn agreed to pay $ 1.25 million to the family of a different man killed by Nelson , Isaiah Obet , even though the Auburn Police Department had recently defended Nelson ’ s actions in that case .
Obet had been reportedly breaking into houses and attempting to carry out a carjacking with a knife when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released his police dog , which bit Obet , and then shot him in the torso .
Obet , on the ground and still fighting off the police dog , started to try to get back up , and Nelson shot him again , in the head , police said .
Lawyers for Obet ’ s family said he posed no threat to anyone when he was shot .
But in a statement on its Facebook page in June , after the family sued , the police department disagreed .
“ If Officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect the community , there could have been additional victims , ” Auburn Police Chief Dan O ’ Neil said .
Nelson also shot and killed Brian Scaman , a Vietnam veteran with mental issues and a history of felonies including possession of stolen property , in 2011 after pulling Scaman over for a burned-out headlight .
Scaman got out of his car with a knife and refused to drop it .
In another case , Nelson used his patrol car in 2018 to strike Joseph Loren Allen , a man suspected of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firearm who was running away from police .
At the time Nelson struck him , pinning him against a fence and breaking both his ankles , Allen was neither armed nor posing a threat to anyone , his lawyer argued .
In asking the court for a lenient sentence , Allen ’ s attorney , Mohammad Hamoudi , compiled a document summarizing what he described as Nelson ’ s rampant use of force .
Nelson is white ; in nearly half the cases , those targeted were minorities .
The summary included about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Nelson sent his police dog after suspects and about a dozen times when he used neck restraint holds to render suspects unconscious .
In one 2014 case , Nelson was recorded asking another officer , “ Are you ready to ( expletive ) this guy up ?
” before using a Taser and chokehold on a jaywalker who began cursing at them .
He was reportedly disciplined for that .
Hamoudi argued that while Nelson had been a decorated member of the military , the rules of engagement were different in Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The records show that Nelson has a penchant towards violence and that the Auburn Police Department has been aware of it for some time , ” Hamoudi wrote .


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Barr: Feds to appeal ruling, seek death for Boston bomber

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department will seek to reinstate a death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , the man who was convicted of carrying out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing , Attorney General William Barr said Thursday .
In an interview with The Associated Press , Barr said the Justice Department would appeal the court ’ s ruling last month that tossed Tsarnaev ’ s death sentence and ordered a trial to determine whether he should be executed for the attack that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others .
Barr said the Justice Department would take the matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will do whatever ’ s necessary , ” Barr said .
“ We will take it up to the Supreme Court and we will continue to pursue the death penalty.
” Under Barr , the Justice Department has again begun carrying out federal executions , putting three men to death so far and scheduling at least three others next week and in September , despite the coronavirus pandemic and waning public support for the death penalty .
Barr has said it is the Justice Department ’ s duty to carry out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death penalty — and to deliver justice for the families of the victims .
A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S .
Circuit court found in July that the judge who oversaw the 2015 trial did not adequately question potential jurors about what they had read or heard about the highly publicized case .
The defence acknowledged that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother , Tamerlan Tsarnaev , carried out the attack on April 15 , 2013 , but sought to portray his brother as the radicalized mastermind who they said lured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tamerlan Tsarnaev , 26 , died following a gunfight with police and being run over by his brother as he fled .
Police captured a bloodied and wounded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hours later in the Boston suburb of Watertown , where he was hiding in a boat parked in a backyard .
Tsarnaev , now 27 , was convicted of all 30 charges against him , including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction and the killing of an MIT police officer during the Tsarnaev brothers ’ getaway attempt .
The appeals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his convictions .
An attorney for Tsarnaev , David Patton , declined to comment Thursday .
Patton said after the 1st Circuit ’ s decision that “ it is now up to the government to determine whether to put the victims and Boston through a second trial , or to allow closure to this terrible tragedy by permitting a sentence of life without the possibility of release.
” Prosecutors told jurors that Tsarnaev was just as culpable in the attack they say was meant to punish the U.S. for its wars in Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was found hiding , he wrote , “ Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop.
” Killed in the bombing were Lingzi Lu , a 23-year-old Boston University graduate student from China ; Krystle Campbell , a 29-year-old restaurant manager from Medford ; and 8-year-old Martin Richard , who had gone to watch the marathon with his family .
Massachusetts Institute of Technology police Officer Sean Collier was shot to death in his cruiser days later .
Describing media attention in the case as “ unrivaled in American legal history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judge George O ’ Toole fell short in running a jury selection process “ sufficient to identify prejudice.
” The 1st Circuit also found that O ’ Toole erred in refusing to let the defence tell jurors about evidence tying Tamerlan Tsarnaev to the killings of three people in the Boston suburb of Waltham in 2011 .
“ If the judge had admitted the Waltham evidence — evidence that shows ( like no other ) that Tamerlan was predisposed to religiously-inspired brutality before the bombings and before Dzhokhar ’ s radicalization — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ’ s claim that the brothers had a ‘ partnership of equals , ’ ” Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson wrote in the ruling .
President Donald Trump tweeted after the decision that the federal government “ must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial.
” The ruling came as the U.S. government recently resumed federal executions following a 17-year pause .

Michael Balsamo And Alanna Durkin Richer - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--West African leaders call on Mali junta to free president

BAMAKO , Mali - West African leaders escalated pressure on Mali ’ s ruling junta late Thursday , calling on them to allow President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita ’ s return to power as the mutinous soldiers who overthrew him insisted his midnight resignation had been his own decision .
The junta behind Tuesday ’ s military takeover said the 75-year-old Keita was only being held at army barracks for his own protection , and denied he had been ousted in the first place .
“ There was no coup d ’ état because the constitutional order is still in force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press in an interview late Thursday .
“ The president of the republic resigned on his own after making an analysis of the country ’ s situation.
” Keita was last seen by Malians late Tuesday on state broadcaster ORTM where he announced his immediate resignation and the dissolution of his government and the National Assembly .
His speech came just hours after mutinous soldiers had surrounded his house and fired shots into the air before detaining him and the prime minister .
Heads of state from the regional bloc known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobilizing of a standby regional military force , saying Keita must be allowed to serve out the three years left in his term after this week ’ s “ coup attempt.
” They warned that the junta was responsible for the safety of Keita and all other detained government officials .
The United Nations and France also urged a return to constitutional order in Mali , amid fears that Islamic extremists could once again gain ground amid the political upheaval , derailing more than seven years of effort to stabilize the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coup “ against a president who was democratically elected by his people.
” “ We asked for him to be released as quickly as possible , and for no violence to be committed , “ Macron said , speaking Thursday evening alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
ECOWAS previously invoked the potential use of its standby military force in 2017 after then-Gambian President Yahya Jammeh refused to acknowledge defeat in an election .
Jammeh ultimately agreed to go into exile and no military action was taken .
ECOWAS said it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to help restore constitutional order .
The bloc already had suspended Mali ’ s membership , closed its borders with the country and promised other financial sanctions against the junta leaders .
French , U.N. and West African partners have been trying to stabilize Mali after a similar 2012 coup created a power vacuum that allowed jihadists to seize control of northern towns until a French-led military operation the following year .
“ Mali has not only descended into political chaos , but also socioeconomic and security disaster with potential tragic consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said .
Analysts saw few signs that political opposition leaders were aware of the coup in advance , though they now stand to benefit through an opportunity to serve in the transitional government promised by the junta .
Observers fear the political upheaval will allow Islamic extremists in Mali to expand their reach once again .
Wagué , the junta spokesman , said the new military rulers were doing everything possible to be sure that was not the case .
“ It is possible that some may take advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we are in contact with the operational units on the ground so that they can continue their work , ” he told AP .
“ We know how difficult it is for them because all of us come from the field and we will do everything we can to increase their operational capacity.
” After al-Qaida-linked militants took over the major towns in northern Mali , they implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law , including amputating hands for those accused of theft .
France , which maintains strong economic and political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervention to force them from power .
But those jihadists have since regrouped and launched relentless attacks on the Malian military , as well as U.N. peacekeepers and regional forces trying to stabilize the country .
The extremists also have moved south , inflaming tensions between ethnic groups in central Mali .
Col. Assimi Goita , the country ’ s new strongman , had been head of a special military unit based in central Mali .
He also had taken part in the annual Flintlock training organized by the U.S. military to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremists .
Marc-André Boisvert , a member of the U.N. panel of experts for Mali and an independent researcher on the Malian armed forces , said that was nothing unusual .
“ Everybody in the armed forces who wants to become an officer and wants to progress needs foreign training , “ he said .
This coup appeared well-organized by a group of officers with experience in the field , he said .
There was quick communication , little to no bloodshed , and statements of reassurance directed at the international community .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-oiled machine , ” he said .
Keita , the toppled president , had won the 2013 election in a landslide , emerging from a field of more than two dozen candidates to get more than 77 % of the vote .
He won reelection five years later , but his political fortunes have tumbled in the past year .
While Mali ’ s Islamic insurgency started before Keita took office , many felt his government did not do enough to end the violence .
Opposition to Keita ’ s government rose after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of candidates disputed .
In a conciliatory gesture , Keita said he was open to holding the vote again in contested areas .
But by June , demonstrators were taking to the streets en masse calling for his ouster .
Larson reported from Dakar , Senegal .
AP writers Lori Hinnant and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report .

Baba Ahmed And Krista Larson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--US demands restoration of UN sanctions against Iran

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The Trump administration on Thursday formally notified the United Nations of its demand for all U.N. sanctions on Iran to be restored , setting off an immediate confrontation with Russia and other Security Council members , including America ’ s European allies , who called the U.S. move illegal .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered the notification to the president of the U.N. Security Council , citing significant Iranian violations of the 2015 nuclear deal , a requirement to “ snap back ” U.N. sanctions .
“ The United States will never allow the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to freely buy and sell planes , tanks , missiles and other kinds of conventional weapons ... ( or ) to have a nuclear weapon , “ Pompeo told a U.N. press conference .
He said the U.S. action will extend the arms embargo , which is set to expire Oct. 18 , and also prohibit Iran from ballistic missile testing and enrichment of nuclear material .
Russia ’ s deputy ambassador to the U.N. , Dmitry Polyansky , shot back on Twitter : “ Looks like there are 2 planets .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do whatever it wants without ‘ cajoling ’ anyone , breach and leave deals but still benefit from them , and another one where the rest of the world lives and where intl law and diplomacy reign.
” At the heart of the dispute is President Donald Trump ’ s 2018 withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between six global powers and Iran .
The U.S. maintains that under the Security Council resolution endorsing the agreement it retains the right as an initial party to invoke the provision to “ snap back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain , France and virtually all other council members say the Trump administration does not have the right since it is no longer a party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action , or JCPOA .
The U.S. action sets the stage for a showdown that could lead to a crisis of credibility for the Security Council .
In a letter presented to Indonesia ’ s ambassador to the U.N. , Dian Triansyah Djani , whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the council , Pompeo said the U.S. was notifying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran related to the nuclear deal .
As a result , Pompeo said the process leading to the re-imposition of U.N. sanctions had been initiated .
The U.N. ’ s nuclear watchdog , the International Atomic Energy Agency , has reported some Iranian violations of the agreement , but Tehran says those are the result of the U.S. violating the accord by withdrawing from it and then re-imposing harsh unilateral sanctions .
Pompeo noted that the European participants in the deal had attempted to bring Iran back into compliance .
But he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the part of those member states , Iran ’ s significant non-performance persists.
“ “ As a result , the United States is left with no choice but to notify the council that Iran is in significant non-performance of its JCPOA commitments , ” Pompeo wrote .
Pompeo ’ s letter was accompanied by a six-page explanation of why the U.S. believes it retains the right to invoke snapback .
The U.S. insistence that it can authorize snapback has already been rejected by virtually all other members of the 15-nation council .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal , is currently serving a two-year term on the council , and is also opposed .
“ France , Germany and the United Kingdom note that the US ceased to be a participant to the JCPOA following their withdrawal from the deal on May 8 , 2018 , ” the group said in a statement released after Pompeo presented the letter .
“ We can not therefore support this action which is incompatible with our current efforts to support the JCPOA.
” Pompeo lashed out at the Europeans , accusing them of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lacking the courage to say so publicly .
“ Instead they chose to side with ayatollahs , ” he said .
“ Their actions endanger the people of Iraq , of Yemen , of Lebanon , of Syria and indeed their own citizens as well.
” Iran ’ s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif , meanwhile , told U.N. chief António Guterres in a Thursday phone call that the Security Council must resist the U.S. demand .
“ This would have dangerous consequences for international law , it will bring nothing but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discredit the Security Council , ” Zarif said .
Under the terms of the Security Council resolution that enshrined the nuclear deal , Thursday ’ s notification starts a 30-day clock after which pre-2015 U.N. sanctions on Iran that were eased will be re-imposed unless a resolution specifically extending their suspension is passed .
The U.S. , however , would use its veto power to block any resolution extending the sanctions relief .
Pompeo said a Security Council resolution will be introduced as required under snapback , but he wouldn ’ t say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the legal debate over U.S. standing , it is possible that the snapback demand will simply be ignored by the other members , which could call into question the Security Council ’ s relevance and ability to enforce its own legally binding decisions .
Security Council president Djani is holding one-on-one consultations with members on the legality of the U.S. action , council diplomats said , and the vast majority of members are virtually certain to agree that the U.S. not legally entitled to invoke snapback — meaning snapback has not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no effect .
In these circumstances , the Security Council president would not be obliged to introduce a resolution to extend sanctions relief , which would face a U.S. veto , the diplomats said , speaking on condition of anonymity because consultations have been private .
Russia asked for an open council meeting Friday to discuss implementation of the resolution endorsing the nuclear deal .
But deputy ambassador Polyansky tweeted Thursday evening , “ After groundlessly claiming that they triggered # snapback our US colleagues objected to holding a SC meeting to discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Resolution 2231.
” Trump and Pompeo had made no secret of their intention to pursue snapback , particularly after the administration ’ s embarrassing defeat last week at the Security Council on extending the arms embargo on Iran that expires in October .
The U.S. won just one other “ yes ” vote , with China and Russia opposed and the 11 other members abstaining .
The Europeans are hoping to preserve the nuclear deal in the event Trump loses his bid for a second term in November ’ s presidential election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to revive the agreement .
The Europeans fear that the re-imposition of sanctions may lead Iran to quit the deal entirely and plow ahead with efforts to develop atomic weapons .
The Trump administration says it withdrew precisely because the deal eased sanctions , opening major revenue streams for Iran while gradually easing restrictions on its nuclear activities that money could pay for .

Edith M. Lederer And Matthew Lee - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-20--Tropical storm whips Mexico’s Baja, new storms in Atlantic

CABO SAN LUCAS , Mexico - Hurricane Genevieve weakened to a tropical storm Thursday after lashing Mexico ’ s Los Cabos tourist resorts with hurricane-force gusts and heavy rains .
And two new tropical depressions formed in the Atlantic Basin — both on potential tracks toward the United States .
Genevieve had a been a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130 mph ( 215 kph ) on Tuesday , but weakened as it pushed past the Los Cabos region , the U.S. National Hurricane Center said .
The centre said the hurricane was expected to stay out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baja coast and weakening Thursday and Friday .
But it was raking the shore with powerful winds and up to 4 to 8 inches ( 10 to 20 centimetres ) of rain , creating the potential for dangerous flooding .
High surf had already claimed two lives in the area .
Police in Cabo San Lucas said a 15-year-girl was trapped by a large wave and an adult tried to save her Tuesday .
Both died .
The hurricane centre said Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph ( 110 kph ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 miles ( 110 kilometres ) south-southwest of Cabo San Lazaro , Mexico .
It was moving to the northwest at 12 mph ( 19 kph ) .
The storm knocked out power and phone service to a large part of the Los Cabos area , flooded flooded streets in poor neighbourhoods and toppled palms in the tourist zone .
Los Cabos Mayor Armida Castro said more than 800 people had gone to shelters in Cabo San Lucas and another 250 in San Jose del Cabo , where distancing measures were in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning hours the fire department received multiple calls to rescue people from cars surrounded by floodwaters and from inundated homes .
Baja California Sur state officials said 15,000 foreign tourists were in the state , most in the Los Cabos region , which earlier had almost been emptied of visitors by pandemic restrictions .
Meanwhile , two new tropical depressions formed Thursday in the Atlantic Basin , and tropical storm watches were posted for several Caribbean islands and parts of Honduras .
The Hurricane Center said Tropical Depression 13 was likely to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skirt the Leeward Islands , Puerto Rico , the Dominican Republic and Cuba .
The early , still uncertain track showed it potentially reaching Florida by Monday as a hurricane .
On Thursday , it was centred about 505 miles ( 815 kilometres ) east of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph ( 55 kph ) and it was headed briskly to the west-northwest at 21 mph ( 33 kph ) .
Tropical Depression 14 was forecast to graze the Atlantic coast of Honduras , then curve across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head for Texas or Louisiana coast .
It is expected to become a tropical storm on Friday .
On Thursday , it was centred about 100 miles ( 165 kilometres ) east of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Honduras-Nicaragua border , with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph ( 55 kph ) .
It was headed west at 17 mph ( 29 kph ) .

Ignacio MartíNez De JesúS - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Peace envoy, ex-Sen. George Mitchell diagnosed with leukemia

PORTLAND , Maine - Former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell of Maine , a famed peace envoy in Northern Ireland in the 1990s , is starting treatment for leukemia at a Boston hospital on Friday , a day after his 87th birthday .
The Portland Press Herald obtained an email outlining the diagnosis and treatment from the president and CEO of the Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute .
Meg Baxter wrote in the email to the staff and board that the goal of treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is to achieve remission , the newspaper reported .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday from The Associated Press .
Mitchell , also a peace envoy in the Middle East focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during President Barack Obama ’ s administration , is a consultant and former chairman of the global law firm DLA Piper .
He brokered the historic 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 .
He also was tapped by Major League Baseball to investigate steroid use by players , leading to the eponymous Mitchell Report .
Mitchell , a Democrat , won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as majority leader after first being appointed to fill a position left vacant when the late Edmund Muskie was tapped to serve as secretary of state under President Jimmy Carter .
Before that , the Waterville native and Bowdoin College graduate served as a U.S. attorney and federal judge .
Mitchell was previously diagnosed with what was termed “ small , low-grade and localized ” prostate cancer in 2007 .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Minneapolis plans to rent space to replace burned precinct

MINNEAPOLIS - The city of Minneapolis plans to spend $ 4.8 million to temporarily rent an office building and adapt it to replace the police precinct headquarters burned during unrest that followed the death of George Floyd .
A City Council committee on Thursday approved spending $ 3.6 million to sublease the building for three years and $ 1.2 million to renovate it .
The building is about a half-mile ( 0.8 kilometres ) from the 3rd Precinct headquarters that burned May 28 after officers were ordered to evacuate .
Officers and staff have been working remotely and at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council member Cam Gordon said that renting temporary space will give city leaders time to figure out what to do with the old headquarters , Minnesota Public Radio News reported .
“ One of the things I think this lease will give us is some space and some breathing room in terms of what we ’ ll do with the 3rd Precinct building itself , and that ’ s been a topic of great discussion , ” Gordon said .
The lease agreement comes as city leaders continue to debate the future of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protests that erupted into chaos following Floyd ’ s death .
Floyd , a handcuffed Black man , died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes even as Floyd said he could not breathe .
The full City Council at an Aug. 28 meeting is expected to consider the agreement for the building that ’ s owned by Lothenbach Properties .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--After 5 months, AMC Theaters reopens its doors, cautiously

BOROUGH OF WEST HOMESTEAD , Pa. - The doors to the AMC Waterfront 22 were locked .
They had been for five months , along with most indoor theatres in the U.S. because of COVID-19 .
But in 20 minutes that was about to change and four people in masks were already gathered outside the theatre 8 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in eager anticipation .
They were there to see the Vin Diesel movie “ Bloodshot ” for 15 cents a ticket .
After so many months , 20 extra minutes didn ’ t seem like all that long to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back on in theatres nationwide Thursday with AMC Theaters , the country ’ s largest chain , leading the charge .
AMC opened some 113 locations across the U.S. , advertising retro pricing and retro screenings to entice audiences back to the movies .
Regal , the second largest exhibitor , is following suit Friday .
It ’ s been a long-time coming for the beleaguered businesses , which had several false starts due to coronavirus spikes .
When the doors at the West Homestead theatre finally opened , masked employees stood in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them navigate the new safety protocols inside , where masks are required ( except when eating and drinking concessions ) and the sick are asked to stay home .
Pretty soon , the number of customers had doubled and in time there was a steady stream of people of all ages coming through the doors ready to experience the big screen again .
“ My son and I counted the days until it reopened .
We love coming to the movies .
That ’ s why we ’ re here , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 15 cents , so that was another incentive.
” The “ 1920s pricing ” was a main draw for most of those early customers .
One 58-year-old man , Jerome Heslin , said he hadn ’ t been to a theatre in over 40 years , but the price got him back .
After opening day , the back-catalogue films from “ Black Panther ” to “ Grease ” will cost $ 5 a ticket .
For others , it was something to do with their children .
Leslie Lopez came out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live-action “ Beauty and the Beast , ” as did Lindsey Adams with her 3-year-old , bedecked in Belle ’ s golden ball gown .
Neither were concerned about COVID-19 .
“ We have our masks on and our hand sanitizer and we ’ re taking our precautions , ” Adams said .
“ We ’ re sure the theatre has done everything they could.
” There was a bit of a learning curve for some patrons when it came to the new safety and social distancing protocols .
Some wandered in with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee quickly approached them to ask that they cover their faces ) .
Others were surprised that concessions were cash only .
And at least one family was extremely disappointed to find out that the movie they wanted to see was already sold out .
But others had already mastered the art of ordering concessions online , like Eileen Nucci and her husband , who simply told the employees their name and were handed their food and cups in a paper shopping bag .
“ It was easy , ” Nucci said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be here.
” They weren ’ t alone .
Even without a new movie in the bunch , within 30 minutes , 17 of the 20 showtimes had sold out and all that remained were a few tickets for “ The Goonies , ” “ Jumanji : The Next Level ” and the Christian film “ I Still Believe.
” Tickets for “ The Empire Strikes Back ” and “ Back to the Future ” had already been gone for days .
A sellout , however , isn ’ t exactly what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling to 30 % capacity , which in this location meant about 25 people per screen .
Each film only gets two screenings a day to give employees ample time to clean .
And showtimes are also being staggered to help prevent too many people from congregating in the lobby .
New movies are soon to follow , though , which the theatres are counting on for survival .
Disney ’ s much-delayed “ New Mutants ” will debut on Aug. 28 and Christopher Nolan ’ s “ Tenet ” will follow soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Aug. 31 .
At least one patron was a little reticent to come back .
“ I wasn ’ t sure if I wanted to , but then I saw they were playing ‘ The Empire Strikes Back , ’ one of my all-time favourites , and I ’ m like , ‘ I ’ ll see how bad it is with the mask .
It ’ s only a couple of hours , ’ ” said Jason Parks .
It ’ d been a few years since he ’ d seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the big screen .
He even wore his Luke and Vader lightsaber fight t-shirt for the occasion .
But he ’ s not entirely sure yet if he ’ ll be rushing to the theatre again soon .
“ It all depends on how I feel after today , ” Parks said .
“ If this is a little too much , maybe not , but as of right now it ’ s not too bad .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Venice Film Festival to require face masks during screenings

ROME - The Venice Film Festival , the first major in-person cinema showcase of the COVID-19 era , is requiring participants to wear face masks during screenings and take a coronavirus test if they are arriving from outside Europe .
According to guidelines published Thursday , fans and the general public will be kept away from the red carpet during the Sept. 2-12 festival , and movie-goers will have to buy tickets and reserve seats online to ensure every other seat is left vacant .
Nine gates set up at various points around the Venice Lido will take temperatures of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have transport and red carpet arrivals arranged by festival organizers to prevent crowds from forming even within official delegations .
Festival-goers attending indoor events will be tracked to guarantee contact tracing if necessary .
The film festival will be the first in-person movie event since the pandemic began and it is one of the first major international events that Italy is hosting after becoming the onetime COVID-19 epicenter in Europe .
After getting infections under control with a strict , 10-week national lockdown that ended in May , Italy is now dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of summer vacation travel .
The Toronto and New York film festivals that follow Venice will be largely virtual this year , and the Telluride festival has been reborn as a drive-in series in Los Angeles .
In Italy , movie-goers must wear face masks to enter movie theatres but can remove them once seated .
Biennale , organizers however , are requiring masks indoors and out as well as throughout the screenings .
In addition , anyone arriving from outside Europe ’ s open-border Shengen area must take a virus test before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Biennale once in Venice , the guidelines said .
Biennale organizers said the guidelines were worked out with local health care officials .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Slovakia condemns Belgian police brutality against citizen

BRATISLAVA , Slovakia - Slovakia ’ s foreign minister on Friday condemned the violent treatment of a Slovak citizen by police officers at a Belgian airport and demanded a thorough investigation .
The man , who was in distress , later died .
Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok commented on the case after a Belgian newspaper this week published a 2018 video of an officer sitting on top of a man at Brussels South Charleroi Airport and another officer apparently making a Hitler salute .
“ There ’ s no place for such practices in the democratic society , ” Korcok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister counterpart Heiko Maas .
Korcok said the security video recorded in an airport detention room showed an “ inadequate and absolutely unacceptable police brutality ” that shocked all of Slovakia .
He said his ministry sent a note to Belgian authorities with a request to investigate .
The Slovak man , Jozef Chovanec , had been prevented from boarding a plane at the airport after he didn ’ t show a ticket and was disruptive .
The security video shows him repeatedly banging his head against the wall of the detention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they put him on a bed and forcefully restricted his movements , with one officer sitting on him for a long time .
Another officer made an apparent Nazi salute .
Chovanec died after emergency health officials took him to a hospital .
On Thursday , the No .
2 Belgian federal police official , André Desenfants , temporarily stepped aside from his post until an investigation is carried out .
Korcok said he appreciated the move .
Belgium ’ s government itself reacted vigorously after the video from an ongoing investigation came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geens called the recording “ unseemly and totally shocking.
” Interior Minister Pieter De Crem said , “ The circumstances need to be clarified and an investigation is ongoing.
’ ’ Police brutality has gained renewed attention as an issue after the police killing of George Floyd in the U.S. state of Minneapolis in May .
Floyd , a handcuffed Black man , died after a white officer pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he couldn ’ t breathe .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Wisconsin election officials: Kanye off presidential ballot

MADISON , Wis. - Wisconsin election officials decided Thursday to keep rapper Kanye West off the battleground state ’ s presidential ballot in November because his campaign turned his nomination papers moments after the deadline .
West announced in July he ’ s running for president on a ticket he calls the “ Birthday Party.
” West has since been gathering signatures to get on the ballot in several states .
Democrats allege that Republicans are pushing West ’ s candidacy in several swing states to siphon Black votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden .
Wisconsin is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election after President Donald Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 .
A group of voters filed a complaint with the state Elections Commission earlier this month alleging that West campaign workers missed the 5 p.m. filing deadline on Aug. 4 , the last day day for independent presidential candidates to submit the required 2,000 signatures from Wisconsin voters to get on the ballot .
West campaign attorney , Michael Curran , argued during a hearing before the commission that West campaign workers didn ’ t enter the commission ’ s building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 5 but commission staff still accepted the papers , constituting a timely filing .
Commission staffer Cody Davies told the panel that the building was locked due to the coronavirus pandemic but he was waiting in the lobby to let filers in as 5 p.m. approached .
He said West ’ s representatives called him at 4:57 p.m. and said they were three minutes away .
He said he let them in 14 seconds after 5 p.m. and accompanied them on the elevator ride up to the commission ’ s offices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 seconds past 5 p.m. , he said .
Another commission staffer , Riley Willman , said he was in the commission ’ s lobby to accept papers .
He said West ’ s representatives placed the papers on the counter one minute past 5 p.m. but had to organize them and he didn ’ t take possession until several minutes past 5 p.m. Commissioner Robert Spindell , a Republican , pushed the panel to give West the benefit of the doubt , saying the pandemic has made life harder and his people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in time if the building doors had been open .
He also argued that Democrats are unfairly trying to keep a Black candidate off the ballot and the commission should give Black voters a choice .
“ We are talking a matter of seconds here , ” Spindell said .
But the rest of the commission said common sense dictates that 5 p.m. is 5 p.m. , not 5:00:14 .
“ This is one of the closest call cases I ’ ve seen but consistency requires me to treat all candidates the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colour or any other characteristics , ” Commissioner Dean Knduson , a Republican , said .
“ I think the complainants have ( presented clear ) evidence that he was late.
” In the end the commission voted 5-1 to keep Kanye and running mate Michelle Tidball off the ballot .
Spindell was the only commissioner who voted to put them on .
West could challenge the decision in court .
Curran didn ’ t immediately respond to an email sent after the hearing .
State GOP Executive Director Mark Jefferson issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to clear any liberal competition out of Biden ’ s path , even though two of the commission ’ s three Republican members — Dean Knudson and Marge Bostelmann — voted to keep West off the ballot .
The commission deadlocked 3-3 twice on whether to allow Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins on the ballot , which means he also won ’ t appear on it .
Hawkins ’ presence on the ballot could pull liberal-leaning voters from Biden as well .
The Green Party ’ s 2016 presidential candidate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state , more than Trump ’ s 22,177-vote margin over Democrat Hillary Clinton .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Carol Burnett seeks to be guardian of teen grandson

LOS ANGELES - Carol Burnett is seeking to become the legal guardian of her teenage grandson as his mother struggles with substance abuse .
The 87-year-old television comedy legend and her husband , Brian Miller , filed documents in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday to take custody of her 52-year-old daughter Erin Hamilton ’ s son Dylan .
“ Due to addiction issues and other circumstances that my daughter , Erin , has been struggling with impacting her immediate family dynamic , my husband and I have petitioned the court to be appointed legal guardian of my 14-year-old grandson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Guardianship will be for oversight purposes concerning his health , education and welfare and not intended to deny him nor the parents proper visitation with one another .
We look forward to recovery being the next stepping stone towards normalization and ask for privacy at this time to allow that process to occur.
“ Hamilton , a singer , is the youngest of Burnett ’ s three children , all of them daughters with Burnett ’ s second husband , TV producer Joe Hamilton .
Burnett has been married to Miller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An email seeking comment sent to a representative for Erin Hamilton was not immediately returned .
Another of Burnett ’ s daughters , actor and writer Carrie Hamilton , spoke publicly about her own struggles with addiction , and her subsequent sobriety .
She died of cancer at age 38 in 2002 .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Gaza militants fire 12 rockets, Israel strikes Hamas targets

JERUSALEM - Palestinian militants fired 12 rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip overnight , nine of which were intercepted , and Israel responded with three airstrikes on targets linked to the territory ’ s militant Hamas rulers , the Israeli military said early Friday .
It was the most serious exchange of fire along the Gaza frontier in months , but there were no reports of casualties .
Police said buildings and vehicles in Israel were damaged , and that bomb-disposal units had been dispatched to pick up shrapnel and rocket parts .
In recent weeks , groups affiliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel , igniting farmland in a bid to pressure Israel to ease the blockade it imposed on Gaza when the Islamic militants seized power in 2007 .
The rocket fire marks a significant escalation .
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and several smaller battles over the last 13 years .
Neither side is believed to be seeking war , but any casualties could ignite a wider conflict .
“ We will not stand by while Hamas is out of control , ” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and determination , sortie after sortie , and will continue even if it requires patience and time.
” Israel has closed Gaza ’ s only commercial crossing , causing the territory ’ s sole power plant to shut down for lack of fuel and limiting the territory ’ s 2 million residents to around four hours of electricity a day .
Israel has also banned fishing in Gaza ’ s coastal waters , measures it says are in response to the incendiary balloons .
Egyptian mediators were in Gaza earlier this week to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but left without announcing any progress .
Israel has allowed the Gulf nation of Qatar to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Gaza in recent years to keep the economy from collapsing and preserve calm .
“ We will not allow the enemy to continue the unjust siege on our people , who have the right to express their rejection to this siege by all means , “ Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups said in a joint statement .
Describing the incendiary balloons as “ peaceful tools ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded and will respond ” to any Israeli airstrikes on militant sites .
The latest exchange began late Thursday when militants fired two rockets that landed near the security fence .
A few hours later , a volley of three rockets was intercepted by Israeli missile defences .
Another seven rockets were fired early Friday , six of which were shot down .
The Israeli military said it carried out airstrikes targeting Hamas military infrastructure , including a compound used to manufacture rocket ammunition , in response .
It was the most serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller Islamic Jihad militant group fired around 80 rockets into Israel after one of its fighters was killed near the border while allegedly planting explosives .
Israel struck dozens of targets across the territory .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--2 Caribbean storms pose potential hurricane threats to US

MEXICO CITY - Two tropical depressions at opposite ends of the Caribbean were projected to become tropical storms — perhaps even hurricanes — that could hit the United States after drenching much of the region .
Tropical Depression 14 was nearing the coast of Honduras Friday morning , and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was expected to veer northwest and cut across the tip of Mexico ’ s Yucatan Peninsula Sunday , possibly at or near hurricane force .
A hurricane watch was in effect for the strip of coast containing Tulum , Playa del Carmen and Cancun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From there , the long-term forecast track would carry it to the U.S. Gulf Coast , perhaps Texas or Louisiana , by Tuesday or Wednesday — again , possibly , as a hurricane En route , it ’ s likely to soak flood-prone eastern Honduras , the Cayman Islands and parts of the Yucatan .
On Friday morning , it was centred about 160 miles ( 255 kilometres ) east of the Honduran resort island of Roatan with 35 mph ( 55 kph ) winds .
It was headed west-northwest at 12 mph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tropical Depression 13 was nearing the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico as a disorganized storm with a very uncertain future .
The Hurricane Center said it might degenerate , or it might blow up into a major hurricane headed for Florida and the Gulf Coast .
The current forecast track , also highly uncertain , would carry it just north of Puerto Rico , the Dominican Republic and Cuba , across the Bahamas and then to southern Florida by Monday or Tuesday and the Gulf Coast .
On Friday morning , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) east of the northern Leeward Islands and was heading west-northwest at 21 mph ( 33 kph ) .
It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph ( 55 kph ) .
In the Pacific , former Category 4 Hurricane Genevieve was weakening and heading further out to sea after a glancing blow to the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula , where it caused at least two deaths and knocked out power to a large part of the Los Cabos area .
The Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Genevieve had maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kph ) and was centred about 145 miles ( 235 kilometres ) west of Cabo San Lazaro , Mexico .
It was heading west-northwest at 9 mph ( 15 kph ) .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Mali’s junta spokesman promises transition to civilian rule

BAMAKO , Mali - The military junta ruling Mali following this week ’ s coup is seeking a transitional president to return the country civilian rule , the group ’ s spokesman said .
Ismael Wague told The Associated Press that the newly formed National Committee for the Salvation of the People will meet with political parties and civil society groups to determine the duration and composition of the transition .
His words come as West African leaders are escalating pressure on the junta and urging them to restore President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to power .
Wague , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coup d ’ etat , saying that Mali still has constitutional order and the 75-year-old Keita was only being held at army barracks for his own protection .
He denied that the president had been ousted .
“ The president of the republic resigned on his own after making an analysis of the country ’ s situation , ” Wague said .
“ For us , this is a civil transition , not a military one , and the president of the transition must reach a consensus among the forces of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s opposition coalition , the M5-RFP , has not yet said if it will be part of the transition , though experts say it is likely .
It is holding marches Friday in Bamako , the capital , “ to pay tribute to the Malian people for their heroic struggle , ” they said in a statement .
The coalition called on the West African regional bloc , ECOWAS , “ the African Union and the international community as a whole to better understand the situation in Mali apart from questions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their quest for peace and reconciliation .
national , genuine democracy and better living.
” The M5-RFP welcomed Keita ’ s resignation and the dissolution of the National Assembly , it said in a statement Friday .
Though the M5-RFP was not involved in the overthrow , they led mass demonstrations starting in June calling for Keita ’ s ouster .
ECOWAS has called for the creation of a standby regional military force for possible intervention in Mali , saying Keita must be allowed to serve out the three years left in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ coup attempt.
” ECOWAS leaders , after an urgent summit meeting on Thursday , warned that Mali ’ s junta was responsible for the safety of Keita and all other detained government officials .
U.N. human rights officials were able to meet overnight with Keita and others being held by the junta since Tuesday , according to Guillaume Ngefa , the Mali representative for the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights .
He gave no further details on the meeting , nor on the condition of the detainees .
He said Mali @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been released .
The regional bloc said it would soon send a delegation to Bamako to try to help restore constitutional order .
The ECOWAS leaders have already suspended Mali ’ s membership , closed its borders with the country , and said that financial sanctions would be imposed against the junta leaders .
The United Nations and France have also urged a return to constitutional order in Mali , amid fears that Islamic extremists could once again gain ground amid the political upheaval , derailing more than seven years of effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Florence Parly , speaking in Paris on Friday , said the coup has not stopped the work of French and Malian military forces in counterterrorism operations .
While firmly condemning the coup , she said the French-led Barkhane military operation “ is continuing , ” and France is working with European and regional forces “ to find a solution to this grave crisis.
” “ The Malian army forces are continuing to work since Tuesday ” on counterterrorism operations , notably in the region where the borders of Mali , Niger and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been active .
“ Their commitment hasn ’ t stopped , ” she said .
“ It is important that we continue our combat against terrorism in the region , ” for the security of the Sahel and of Europe , she said .
“ We will continue our fight against terrorism , which is far from being completed.
” French and U.N. soldiers patrolled the streets in Mali ’ s northern city of Gao on Friday , where there was worry of more chaos .
The U.N. has a mission of 15,600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,000 troops in its Operation Barkhane , both to try to stabilize the country amid increasing attacks from Islamic extremists .
Mali had a similar coup in 2012 which created a power vacuum that allowed jihadists to seize control of key northern cities until a French-led military operation pushed the rebels out of the urban centres the following year .
Observers fear Mali ’ s current political upheaval will give extremists another chance to expand their reach .
Wague , the junta spokesman , said the new military rulers were doing everything possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
“ It is possible that some may take advantage of the situation to plan things , but we are in contact with the operational units on the ground so that they can continue their work , ” he told AP .
“ We know how difficult it is for them because all of us come from the field and we will do everything we can to increase their operational capacity.
” After extremists allied to al-Qaida took over the major centres in northern Mali , they implemented their strict interpretation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those accused of theft .
Since being pushed out of the northern cities , the jihadists have regrouped in rural areas and launched relentless attacks on the Malian military , as well as the U.N. , French and regional forces in the country .
The extremists have moved south , inflaming tensions between ethnic groups in central Mali .
Col. Assimi Goita , Mali ’ s new strongman , had been head of a special military unit based in central Mali .
He also had taken part in the annual Flintlock training organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other Sahel countries better fight extremists .
While Mali ’ s Islamic insurgency started before Keita took office , many felt his government did not do enough to end the violence .
Associated Press writers Carley Petesch and Krista Larson in Dakar , Senegal , and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-21--Postmaster to testify in Senate on mail, Mnuchin denies role

WASHINGTON - Facing public backlash , Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is set to testify Friday about disruptions in mail delivery as a Senate committee digs into changes in postal operations being made just as millions of Americans will be relying on mail-in ballots for the November election .
President Donald Trump praises the new head of the Postal Service , a Republican donor and ally .
But Democrats warn DeJoy ’ s cost-cutting initiatives since arriving in June are causing an upheaval that threatens the election .
Trump raised the stakes by saying he wants to block agency funds to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to handle the expected surge of mail-in ballots during the COVID-19 crisis .
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson , the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee , will gavel open the session dismissing the “ false political narrative ” that DeJoy is trying to “ sabotage ” the election .
“ It is Postmaster DeJoy ’ s commendable attempt to reduce those excess costs that are now being cynically used to create this false political narrative , ” the Wisconsin senator will say , according to prepared remarks .
Treasury Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations is being questioned by Senate Democrats , said in a letter to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that he had no hand in “ recruiting or suggesting ” DeJoy for the job .
“ In fact , I was surprised to learn that Mr. DeJoy was a candidate for the position , ” Mnuchin wrote in a letter late Thursday to Schumer .
The morning hearing will be held remotely as Congress is on recess and lawmakers have been conducting much of their business during the coronavirus outbreak in virtual settings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris of California , the Democratic vice-presidential nominee , will be among those beaming into the session as the week-long Democratic National Convention comes to a close .
The outcry over mail delays and warnings of political interference have put the Postal Service at the centre of the nation ’ s tumultuous election year , with Americans rallying around one of the nation ’ s oldest and more popular institutions .
With mounting pressure , DeJoy abruptly reversed course this week , vowing to postpone any further changes until after the election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ perception ” of any interference .
Blue mailboxes were being been removed , back-of-shop sorting equipment shutdown and overtime hours kept in check .
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said DeJoy told her in a subsequent phone call he had no intention of restoring the equipment .
An internal directive to postal staff said , “ They are not to reconnect/reinstall machines , ” according to an email obtained by The Associated Press .
House Democrats are pushing ahead with a rare Saturday session to pass legislation that would prohibit the actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up postal operations .
Some 20 states , along with voting rights advocates , have sued to reverse the changes .
During an interview Thursday on Washington Post Live , Pelosi said Republicans “ have been after the post office for a while ” as they try to run it more like a profitable business .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is eyeing a $ 10 billion postal rescue as part of the next COVID-19 relief package .
“ The Post Office is not in trouble , ” the GOP leader said Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ky. “ We ’ re going to make sure that they are able to deliver our ballots on time.
” The White House has said it would be open to more postal funding as part of a broader virus aid package .
The Postal Service is struggling financially under a decline in mail volume , rising costs from the coronavirus pandemic and a rare , and some say cumbersome congressional requirement to fund in advance its retiree health care benefits .
For many , the Postal Service provides a lifeline , sending not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug delivery , financial statements and other items that are especially needed by mail during the pandemic .
The choice of DeJoy to lead the service , the first postmaster general in nearly two decades who is not a career postal employee , is coming under increased scrutiny .
The postal service board of governors , appointed by Trump , selected DeJoy in May to take the job .
A GOP donor , he previously owned a logistics business that was a longtime Postal Service contractor .
He maintains significant financial stakes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency , raising conflict of interest questions .
In a statement , the Postal Service said DeJoy has made all required financial disclosures but that he might have to divest some holdings if conflicts arise .
Schumer said this week he has asked for an accounting of how DeJoy was selected , but was previously told by the board of governors some information remains confidential .
Schumer had said Mnuchin played a role in the process .
David C. Williams , the former vice chairman of the U.S .
Postal Service Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he resigned from the board , in part , over DeJoy ’ s selection , and because he believed the White House was taking extraordinary steps to turn the independent agency into a “ political tool.
” He said , “ I was convinced that its independent role had been marginalized.
” Williams , who resigned in April , told members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus at an online forum that DeJoy “ didn ’ t strike me as a serious candidate.
” Associated Press writer Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort , Ky. @ @ @ @ @ @

Lisa Mascaro And Anthony Izaguirre - The Associated Press