thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Conservation study shows lemurs, whales nearing extinction

GENEVA - Nearly all of Madagascar ’ s much-loved lemurs are under threat , and almost one-third are just one step away from extinction , largely due to deforestation and hunting on the giant island off eastern Africa , conservationists said Thursday .
The International Union for Conservation of Nature , updating its “ red list ” of threatened species , said the lemurs are increasingly imperiled — a key finding in a broad warning about the impacts of human activity on fauna and flora across the globe .
The Swiss-based conservancy also warns that North Atlantic Right Whales are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly ensnared in fishing gear but they ’ re colliding more with ships , possibly a result of climate change that drives their migratory patterns northward into shipping lanes .
The “ red list ” highlights the plight of some 6,000 species that are in the most danger , but also notes that of the 120,000 species of plants , animals and fungi assessed , more than a quarter are threatened with extinction .
“ It just helps underline the fact that we are moving into a sixth extinction era .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Craig Hilton-Taylor , the head of the IUCN red list in a video interview from Cambridge , England .
He cited human impacts like the introduction of species to places where they don ’ t belong ; the overuse of species ; clearing of forests to make way for agriculture ; urbanization ; pollution ; “ and of course , climate change.
” The red list breaks down threatened species into vulnerable , endangered and critically endangered categories , the last involving those closest to extinction .
Some 33 of the species @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madagascar , are critically endangered — and 98 per cent are threatened .
“ We now have less than 10 per cent of the original forest in Madagascar left .
So naturally , this has a huge impact on species that are dependent on those forests , like lemurs , ” Hilton-Taylor said , alluding to “ slash and burn ” agriculture there .
He said more lemur species are being hunted for their meat , too .
He recommended efforts to help improve farmers ’ livelihoods so they can avoid forest-depleting agricultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 250 mature North Atlantic Right Whales were believed to be alive in 2018 , marking a 15-per cent drop since 2011 .
Nearly all of the 30 confirmed human-caused deaths or serious injuries to the whales between 2012 and 2016 were due to entanglement .
Hilton-Taylor said the whales ’ reproduction rates are falling , and cited a theory that warming sea temperatures could be driving the whales northward into the shipping lanes of the Gulf of St Lawrence in the northern hemisphere summer .
He said the Canadian and U.S. governments have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as by warning ships when the creatures are present in the area and devising fishing systems that run a lower risk of entanglement .
Overall , Hilton-Taylor said , the report suggested the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated a pause from the usually frenetic economic and human activity that impacts wildlife .
“ We need to take a hard , long , hard look at ourselves , ” he said , saying species can be saved .
“ This is our opportunity to really transform society .
”

Jamey Keaten And James Brooks - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Heavy rain hits scenic central Japan, more damage in south

TOKYO - Flooding and mudslides have stranded hundreds of people in scenic hot springs and hiking areas in central Japan , while rescue workers searched Thursday for more people missing in rain-related disasters that have already killed more than 60 people .
Parts of Nagano and Gifu , including areas known for scenic mountain trails and hot springs , have been flooded by massive downpours that have lasted for nearly a week .
More than 300 people , including hotel employees and visitors , were trapped in Kamikochi , as floods and mudslides hit a main road connecting the town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nagano .
All of the stranded people were safe , prefectural officials said .
In neighbouring Gifu , hundreds were also isolated in the hot spring towns of Gero and Ontake .
As of Thursday evening , the death toll from the heavy rains that started over the weekend had risen to 63 , most of them from hardest-hit Kumamoto prefecture on Japan ’ s third largest island of Kyushu .
Fourteen of the victims were residents at a riverside nursing home .
Searching continued for a dozen people still missing in Kumamoto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Oita prefecture , a family of four running an inn in the famous hot spring town of Yufuin was missing .
Floodwaters also ravaged local produce ready for shipment to consumers .
An eel farm in Kagoshima was hit by rains just before Japan ’ s “ unagi ” season later this month .
“ I can ’ t ship them , or even go near the place to feed them or change the water , “ eel grower Kazuya Kusuda told TBS television .
The floods are a further blow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , just as Japan was returning to business as usual .
Kumamoto on Thursday started accepting dozens of volunteers to help residents clean their homes , but they could only be from within the prefecture and temperature checks and masks were required due to the coronavirus concerns .
Hundreds of thousands of people were in areas under evacuation advisories , but leaving wasn ’ t mandatory and the number who sought shelter was not known .
Japan is at high risk of heavy rain in early summer when wet and warm air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a seasonal rain front above the country .
In July 2018 , more than 200 people , about half of them in Hiroshima , died from heavy rain and flooding in southwestern Japan .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Germany sees rise in number of right-wing extremists

BERLIN - Germany recorded a significant rise in the number of right-wing extremists last year , after security agencies added thousands of members of the country ’ s main far-right party to the count .
An annual report on extremism in Germany released Thursday estimates the number of right-wing extremists in the country at 32,080 last year .
This is an increase of almost 8,000 compared to the figure of 24,100 recorded in 2018 .
The report , released by the BfV domestic intelligence agency , includes for the first time around 7,000 members of the Alternative for Germany party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faction known as The Wing .
Both have come under heightened scrutiny from the BfV because of their perceived extremist tendencies .
German authorities vowed to step up measures against far-right extremism following the killing of a regional politician by a suspected neo-Nazi , an attack on a synagogue in Halle and the fatal shooting of nine people in Hanau over the past year .
“ ( Far-right extremism ) is the biggest security policy challenge in our country , ” Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told reporters at the presentation of the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they have searched premises linked to 12 German citizens in three states and neighbouring Austria on suspicion of smuggling weapons into the country .
The suspects are affiliated with the far right and the Reich Citizens movement , a loose grouping that denies the legitimacy of the current German state .
The number of far-left extremists increased by 1,500 to 33,500 last year , according to the report .
More than two-thirds of those are classified as “ not violence-oriented.
” The report also counts about 28,020 people in Germany with tendencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Global stocks mostly rise ahead of US jobless data

BEIJING - Global stocks were mostly higher on Thursday though market sentiment appeared fragile as coronavirus contagions remained high in many countries , including the U.S. Shares in most of Europe rose after indexes in Shanghai , Tokyo and Hong Kong and Australia closed higher .
Wall Street futures were down slightly ahead of the open .
U.S. stocks have recovered most of this year ’ s losses , helping to push up global prices , despite rising numbers of American coronavirus infections that threaten to derail economic improvement .
Investors are buying technology and other companies they expect to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Wednesday , Wall Street turned in its sixth gain in seven days when the benchmark S & P 500 index closed up 0.8 % .
Amazon , Apple and Microsoft accounted for half that rise .
Investors on Thursday will look to the latest snapshot of layoffs in the U.S. , which have remained stuck at an elevated weekly pace above 1 million since the coronavirus erupted in March .
Though the weekly toll of job cuts has gradually dropped , the pace of improvement has essentially stalled as companies continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viral cases is threatening to derail what had looked like the start of an economic recovery .
Futures for the S & P 500 were down 0.1 % while those for the Dow were off 0.2 % .
The DAX in Frankfurt was up 1.3 % to 12,659 and the CAC 40 in Paris advanced 0.1 % to 4,985 .
The FTSE 100 in London dropped 0.6 % to 6,122 after the Treasury chief warned about the depth of the recession there and more big retailers said they had to cut jobs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in markets in Asia .
In a sign of investor enthusiasm , a maker of communications security technology , QuantumCTek Co. Ltd. , rose 924 % on its first day of trading on the Shanghai exchange ’ s board for tech companies .
The Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.4 % to close at 3,450.59 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo added 0.4 % to 22,529.29 .
In Hong Kong , the Hang Seng gained 0.3 % to 26,210.16 despite U.S.-Chinese tensions over a security law imposed on the territory .
The Kospi in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sydney ’ s S & P-ASX 200 advanced 0.6 % to 5,955.50 .
Benchmark U.S. crude lost 15 cents to $ 40.75 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
The contract rose 28 cents on Wednesday to settle at $ 40.90 .
Brent crude , the international price benchmark , shed 7 cents to $ 43.22 per barrel in London .
It added 21 cents the previous session to $ 43.29 .
The dollar declined to 107.26 yen from Wednesday ’ s 107.31 yen .
The euro @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Son says dad was killed asking for directions in California

DANVILLE , Calif. - A San Francisco Bay Area doctor who was on an off-roading trip with his 15-year-old son was shot and killed after he stopped to ask a man for directions , his son and other relatives said .
Dr. Ari Gershman of Danville was shot on the Fourth of July near Downieville in rural Sierra County .
Gershman and his son , Jack , had never been to the remote Tahoe National Forest and pulled over at a fork when a man came up behind their Jeep on an ATV .
“ My dad suggested that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gershman told CBS News Thursday .
“ The shooter pulls out a pistol and starts shooting.
” The teenager said he ran from the car into the surrounding woods and got lost .
When he was finally able to call his mom , Paige Gershman , he barely had reception and his phone was running out of power .
“ I said , ‘ Where ’ s Dad ?
’ And he ’ s like , ‘ He ’ s been shot.
’ And I said , ‘ What do you — what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paige Gershman told CBS News .
Ari Gershman , 45 , died at the scene and his son spent 30 hours alone and lost in the dense woods , drinking from a stream , wearing only shorts and a T-shirt .
He was covered in bug bites and scratches when he was rescued , the San Francisco Chronicle reported .
John Thomas Conway was arrested following a police chase on his ATV .
Ari Gershman , a doctor of internal medicine , bought the Jeep a day before the shooting to share his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sons and daughter .
He had hoped to retire in the Downieville area , according to a GoFundMe fundraising account..
It had already been a difficult year for the Gershman family .
Paige Gershman , a speech and language therapist for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District , was diagnosed with Hodgkin ’ s lymphoma six weeks ago , said a cousin , Marlo Meyers-Barer .
Police said they captured Conway , 40 , of Oroville after he tried to run through a checkpoint on an ATV .
The Sierra County Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unspecified threat , and at least one officer fired a weapon and a police dog was released .
Conway was taken to a hospital in Chico where he is recovering from a gunshot wound , the Chronicle reported .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether Conway had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf .
Messages left with the Sierra County district attorney ’ s office weren ’ t immediately returned .
Moments before the shooting of Ari Gershman , Conway also shot and injured two other people nearby who survived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Butte County Sheriff ’ s Office listed Conway as one of its most wanted fugitives as he had outstanding felony warrants for vandalism , battery and two counts of making terrorist threats .
A judge held a mental competency hearing and the case was allowed to continue , according to court records .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Schools or bars? Opening classrooms may mean hard choices

PROVIDENCE , R.I. - President Donald Trump insists that schools reopen this fall .
Many parents , educators , doctors and economists want the same thing .
But getting children back to school safely could mean keeping high-risk spots like bars and gyms closed .
A growing chorus of public health experts is urging federal , state and local officials to reconsider how they are reopening the broader economy , and to prioritize K-12 schools — an effort that will likely require closing some other establishments to help curb the virus spread and give children the best shot at returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think about what our priorities are as a society , and some other things may just have to wait , ” said Helen Jenkins , an infectious disease epidemiologist at Boston University .
“ I think there are hard choices having to be made by decision makers.
” Schools are crucial to communities in ways that go beyond basic learning .
They also provide children with friends , food and other support systems .
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports children physically returning to classrooms .
Schools are also a key part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Rothschild , an economist at Microsoft Research .
“ It ’ s what allows so many adults , especially people without much means , to get back to work , ” Rothschild said .
“ There ’ s this huge downstream effect in the short run of getting people back into school , which you may not be able to say in the same sort of way for bars and restaurants.
” — The total number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has passed 3 million , meaning nearly 1 in every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
— Several U.S. states on Thursday reported record levels of confirmed coronavirus cases , hospitalizations or deaths .
Florida announced a record daily death toll of 120 , while Texas reported a record death toll of more than 100 .
Arizona officials reported a record 3,437 patients hospitalized as of Wednesday , and a record number of those , 575 , on ventilators .
If a U.S. community has a high level of infection , public health experts say reopening classrooms will be risky , even if schools try to require masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of children and staff have been infected in COVID-19 outbreaks tied to graduation ceremonies and summer camps , including in Missouri , Texas , Louisiana , Georgia , North Carolina , Tennessee , New York and Florida .
Organizers of at least one of the camps said they were following guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
That ’ s why it ’ s so important , experts say , to consider the wider community and not think of schools as closed systems , unaffected by what the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are less likely to become seriously ill than adults , and there ’ s not much evidence that children are driving transmission , said Jennifer Nuzzo , an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University ’ s COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative .
Still , there is a risk they could transmit the virus to others , including teachers or vulnerable people they live with .
“ That is a reason to think about how to improve safety and to reduce the risk in school environments , ” Nuzzo said .
“ Those measures and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the higher risk environments “ like bars , restaurants , gyms and other indoor spaces ” where adults are packed together and they have a hard time social distancing.
” If transmission can be reduced in the wider community , she said , it will make it safer for schools to reconvene .
“ We should be prioritizing the reopening of those public spaces that have known benefits and low risks , “ Nuzzo said .
” And we think that schools are one of those.
” Even before Trump ’ s push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts were already talking about how important it is for children to return to classrooms .
When Democratic Kansas Gov .
Laura Kelly issued an executive order last week requiring masks , she told legislative leaders it was because she wanted to reopen classrooms .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat , made similar remarks when she shut down indoor seating in bars in some areas after outbreaks .
And Democratic New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham cited schools when she said there would be more aggressive enforcement and fines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mask requirement .
“ The children of this state and the students deserve a chance to go back to school , ” Grisham said .
Republicans have also been talking about it .
Vice-President Mike Pence , visiting Arizona last week , praised Republican Gov .
Doug Ducey ’ s closure of bars , gyms and movie theatres .
Pence tied the steps to economic growth and getting “ kids back to school.
” White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News last week that schools are essential to getting people back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open the bars now or do you want to open the schools and the day care centres in a few short weeks ?
I vote for the latter , “ Conway said .
On Twitter and at a White House event , the president this week claimed without evidence that Democrats want to keep schools closed for political reasons and not health reasons .
In a call with governors Tuesday , Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the nation ’ s schools must “ fully reopen and fully operate.
” A recording of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press .
But school leaders and teachers ’ groups said that message is not helpful without thoughtful reopening plans and federal support , including additional money to pay for extra cleaning , masks and social spacing .
So far , schools are not getting what they need , said Dan Domenech , executive director of AASA , The School Superintendents Association .
“ What we ’ re hearing — it ’ s almost like a setup to open schools at all costs , ” Domenech said of DeVos ’ remarks .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I hope that she can reconcile her guidance with that.
“ Public health experts hope the conversation can stay focused on the mechanics of opening schools .
Some of them are parents who have seen their children struggle with online education .
Nuzzo was able to buy her 7-year-old son a laptop .
Her mother , who has a doctorate in child development , talked him through his assignments .
“ We are incredibly lucky compared to many other people , “ Nuzzo said .
“ And I really do worry about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to be involved with their kids ’ education at the level that remote education requires.
” Said Nuzzo : “ I ’ m an epidemiologist , but I ’ m a mom , too .
”

Michelle R. Smith And Carla K. Johnson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Tropical Storm Fay threatens mid-Atlantic coast, New England

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Fay , the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season , began to edge away from the North Carolina coast Thursday evening , its sights set on the mid-Atlantic coast and southern New England .
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Fay was about 70 miles ( 115 km ) east of Cape Hatteras in its 8 p.m. advisory , only hours after forecasters announced the storm ’ s formation .
The storm had top sustained winds of 45 mph ( 75 kph ) and was moving to the north at 8 mph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm warning was issued Thursday afternoon from Cape May , New Jersey , to Watch Hill , Rhode Island .
The warning area includes Long Island and the Long Island Sound in New York , forecasters said .
According to forecasters , Fay will undergo slight strengthening into Friday before the centre moves inland and weakens .
The hurricane centre said the storm will produce between 3 and 5 inches of rain along and near its track , creating the potential for flash flooding where the heaviest rain falls .
Fay ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sixth-named storm on record , according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
The previous record was Franklin on July 22 , 2005 , Klotzbach tweeted .
Two named storms formed before the official June 1 start of the hurricane season .
None of this season ’ s previous five named storms strengthened into hurricanes .
This story has been corrected to show that Fay , not Edouard , is the earliest sixth-named storm on record .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Safety protocol, job fears, family feud in Singapore polls

SINGAPORE - Some 2.65 million Singaporeans will cast their ballot Friday with strict safety protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ’ s long-ruling party is expected to extend its unbroken rule , bolstered by the pandemic and fears of a severe economic recession .
What you need to know about the vote : Lee ’ s People ’ s Action Party has been criticized for holding polls amid the pandemic , just weeks after Singapore emerged from two months of virus lockdown and daily virus cases still topping 100 .
The tiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 45,000 cases , most of them foreign workers living in crowded dormitories that were overlooked in the early phase of its crisis management .
The government has increased polling stations from 880 to 1,100 and implemented strict safety measures including the use of masks , hand sanitizer and gloves .
Election workers are wearing full protection gear .
All voters were assigned a two-hour window to cast their ballots to reduce crowding .
Voters older than 65 have priority during the first four hours polls are open .
COVID-19 patients and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbering around 350 , can not vote to reduce the risk of community transmission .
Another 360 Singaporeans who have been given stay-home notices and those with fever are allowed to vote only during the last hour , with extra precautions being taken .
Those serving their stay-home notices at hotels can cast their vote without leaving their rooms , with mobile polling teams delivering ballots to them .
This is Singapore ’ s second general election where the opposition is contesting all parliamentary seats .
The PAP faces a one-on-one contest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grabs .
Ten small opposition parties contesting the polls have urged Singaporeans to reduce the PAP ’ s overwhelming majority in parliament , and give them a louder voice to ensure more transparency and accountability .
The Workers Party , the only opposition that won seats in 2015 , and the new Progress Singapore Party led by a veteran former PAP stalwart are leading the challenge .
Still , it will be a tall task .
The PAP has been in power since 1959 , and its popular vote has never slipped below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won nearly 70 % of total votes and 93 % of parliamentary seats .
Lee , who is the country ’ s third prime minister since 2004 , faced new pressure when his estranged younger brother joined an opposition party last month .
Lee Hsien Yang , 62 , is not contesting the polls but has actively campaigned against the PAP , co-founded by his father and first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who turned the tiny island into one of the world ’ s wealthiest nations during his 31-year rule .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an elitist party with no checks and balances under his brother , and urged Singaporeans to vote fearlessly to deny the PAP a “ blank check.
“ The Lee brothers have been engaged in a public spat in the last few years over the fate of their family home .
Lee Hsien Loong says the election is not about his family dispute but the future of Singapore .
Concerns about the prolonged pandemic and an economic slump may push voters to stick to the tried and tested .
The affluent city-state is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , with its economy expected to shrink by up to 7 % .
Lee ’ s government has unveiled several economic assistance packages totalling nearly 100 billion Singapore dollars ( $ 71.7 billion ) but warned the economic impact hasn ’ t been fully felt yet .
Issues raised during campaigning focused on jobs and securing Singapore ’ s future in a post-COVID world .
Lee plans to retire in two years at age 70 , thought it may be delayed if the economy is not back on its feet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confidence in the new leadership led by his designated successor , deputy and finance minister Heng Swee Keat .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen back in federal prison

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump ’ s former personal lawyer and fixer , Michael Cohen , was returned to federal prison Thursday , after balking at certain conditions of the home confinement he was granted because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Records obtained by The Associated Press said Cohen was ordered into custody after he “ failed to agree to the terms of Federal Location Monitoring in Manhattan.
” But Cohen ’ s attorneys disputed that , saying Cohen took issue with a condition of his home confinement that forbid him from speaking with the media and publishing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal prison .
The rules also prohibited him from “ posting on social media , ” the records show .
“ The purpose is to avoid glamorizing or bringing publicity to your status as a sentenced inmate serving a custodial term in the community , ” the document says .
Cohen has written a tell-all book that he had been preparing to publish about his time working for the Trump Organization , his lawyers said .
“ Cohen was sure this was written just for him , ” his attorney , Jeffrey Levine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ ve never seen anything like this.
” A Justice Department official pushed back on that characterization and said Cohen had refused to accept the terms of home confinement , specifically that he submit to wearing an ankle monitor .
The official could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity .
Cohen legal adviser Lanny Davis called that “ completely false , ” adding that “ at no time did Michael ever object to the ankle bracelet.
” Cohen later agreed to accept all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken into custody nevertheless , Davis said .
“ He stands willing to sign the entire document if that ’ s what it takes ” to be released .
Cohen was being held late Thursday at the Metropolitan Correction Center in Manhattan , Levine said .
His legal team , meanwhile , was preparing an emergency appeal to spring him from custody .
Cohen , who pleaded guilty to tax evasion , campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress , had been released May 21 on furlough as part of an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in federal prisons .
Cohen , 53 , began serving his sentence in May 2019 and had been scheduled to remain in prison until November 2021 but was permitted to serve the remainder of this three-year term at home .
The conditions restricting the publication of his book would only extend through the end of his term .
Cohen was once one of Trump ’ s closest advisers but became a loud critic after pleading guilty .
Cohen ’ s convictions were related to crimes including dodging taxes on $ 4 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during congressional testimony about the timing of discussions around an abandoned plan to build a Trump Tower in Russia , and orchestrating payments to two women to keep them from talking publicly about alleged affairs with Trump .
Prosecutors said the payments amounted to illegal campaign contributions .
Trump , who denied the affairs , said any payments were a personal matter .
Roger Adler , one of Cohen ’ s attorneys , told the AP that the FBI had agreed to return to Cohen two smartphones it seized as part of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pick them up Thursday after an appointment at the federal courthouse in Manhattan concerning his home confinement .
Davis added the appointment with federal authorities was intended to finalize the conditions of Cohen ’ s home confinement .
Cohen also had been expected to receive an ankle bracelet , he said .
“ It was nothing other than routine , ” Davis said , adding the appointment with his probation officers had nothing to do with him being photographed dining out .
Days before Cohen ’ s return to prison , the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his wife enjoying an outdoor meal with friends at a restaurant near his Manhattan home .
“ It ’ s not a crime to eat out and support local businesses , ” Adler said , adding Cohen had been “ thrown back into a petri dish of coronavirus.
” A federal judge had denied Cohen ’ s attempt for an early release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison and said in a May ruling that it “ appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can move prisoners to home confinement without a judicial order .
Prison advocates and congressional leaders had pressed the Justice Department to release at-risk inmates , arguing that the public health guidance to stay 6 feet ( 2 metres ) away from other people is nearly impossible behind bars .
Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates , beginning at three prisons identified as coronavirus hot spots .
Otisville , where Cohen was housed , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported from Little Rock , Arkansas .
AP investigative researcher Randy Herschaft contributed to this report .

Jim Mustian And Michael Balsamo - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Official: Feds feared Epstein confidant might kill herself

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
- Federal officials were so worried Jeffrey Epstein ’ s longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell might take her own life after her arrest that they took away her clothes and bedsheets and made her wear paper attire while in custody , an official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press .
The steps to ensure Maxwell ’ s safety while she ’ s locked up at a federal jail in New York City extend far beyond the measures federal officials took when they first arrested her in New Hampshire last week .
The Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal officials outside the Bureau of Prisons in charge of ensuring there is adequate protection for Maxwell .
That ’ s to help prevent other inmates from harming her and to stop her from harming herself , the official said .
The concern comes in part because Epstein , 66 , killed himself in a federal jail in Manhattan last summer while in custody on sex trafficking charges , spawning conspiracy theories over his death despite a medical examiner ruling it a suicide .
The sprawling case against him ensnared British royalty and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mansions .
Whispers over who knew what and when about Epstein even reached the White House , after video surfaced of President Donald Trump and the financier chatting at a Mar-a-Lago party in 1992 .
The case appeared dormant until Maxwell was arrested last Thursday on charges she helped lure at least three girls — one as young as 14 — to be sexually abused by Epstein , who was accused of victimizing dozens of girls and women over many years .
Maxwell , the daughter of the late British publishing magnate Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longtime close associate of Epstein .
She is accused of facilitating his crimes and even joining him in sexually abusing the girls , according to the indictment against her .
Several Epstein victims have described Maxwell as his chief enabler , recruiting and grooming girls for abuse .
She has denied wrongdoing and called claims against her “ absolute rubbish.
” Maxwell was arrested by a team of federal agents last week at a $ 1 million estate she had purchased in New Hampshire .
The investigators had been keeping an eye on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in various locations in New England .
She had switched her email address , ordered packages under someone else ’ s name and registered at least one new phone number under an alias “ G Max , ” prosecutors have said .
When the agents swooped in to arrest her , they weren ’ t sure that she was even at the home , the official said .
Some investigators believed she may have already fled the United States to avoid prosecution , the official added .
Maxwell was not sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn , just over the Brooklyn Bridge from where Epstein was held .
The other protocols put in place for Maxwell ’ s confinement include ensuring that she has a roommate in her cell , that she is monitored and that someone is always with her while she ’ s behind bars , the official said .
The official could not discuss the ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity .
The Bureau of Prisons has been the subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death , with staff shakeups and leadership changes .
Attorney General William Barr said his death was the result of the “ perfect storm of screw ups.
” The Bureau of Prisons has been plagued for years by serious misconduct , violence and staffing shortages so severe that guards often work overtime day after day or are forced to work mandatory double shifts .
It has also struggled recently with an exploding number of coronavirus cases in prisons across the U.S .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Storm off Mexico likely to be east Pacific’s first hurricane

MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Cristina formed Thursday off Mexico ’ s western coast and was forecast to grow into @ @ @ @ @ eastern Pacific season by Friday morning , though it was unlikely to pose any threat @ @ @ @ @ National Hurricane Center said the storm had near hurricane-force winds by mid-afternoon Thursday and was @ @ @ @ @ soon , but would begin weakening by Friday night .
At mid-afternoon Thursday , Cristina @ @ @ @ @ 70 mph ( 110 kph ) and was centred about 344 miles ( 570 kilometres @ @ @ @ @ tip of Mexico ’ s Baja California peninsula .
It was moving to the west-northwest @ @ @ @ @ kph ) .
The hurricane centre said the storm was expected to turn westward over @ @ @ @ @ into the Pacific .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Man charged in death of Indiana teen last seen in 1986

CONNERSVILLE , Ind .
- A man has been charged with manslaughter in the death of an Indiana teenager who was last seen in 1986 , authorities said Thursday .
The Fayette County sheriff ’ s department identified the man as Shawn McClung .
Denise Pflum , an 18-year-old high school senior , disappeared after telling her family that she was returning to the site of a bonfire where she had misplaced her purse the previous night .
“ The information and probable cause alleges that McClung previously claimed that Pflum was still alive , but has recently admitted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the sheriff ’ s department said in a statement .
“ No further comments will be made at this time , as the investigation is ongoing regarding the involvement of other parties , ” the department said .
Online court records show McClung , 55 , pleaded not guilty during a court appearance .
Bond was set at $ 500,000 .
Defence attorney Jud McMillin declined to comment .
McClung was Pflum ’ s former boyfriend at the time she disappeared , her mother , Judy , told NBC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our daughter was a special person whom we will never forget , and we know that this community will not forget , ” the family said .
“ We are so grateful for all of those who have followed her story , who have helped with the investigation and who have shown support and love.
” Judy Pflum said Denise had planned to attend Miami University in Ohio .
“ She had everything going for her , ” Judy Pflum told “ Dateline.
” “ If she were here today , she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer .
Or , well , maybe even a cure for this coronavirus .
She just wanted to help people .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Tucson police reveal suspect died in March arrest attempt

PHOENIX - Authorities have concluded that Tucson police officers used an appropriate amount of force in a violent struggle three months ago with a man who died while resisting arrest and told officers several times that he couldn ’ t breathe .
The Tucson Police Department on Wednesday revealed for the first time that 29-year-old Damien Alvarado died on March 22 as officers were trying to arrest him for fleeing from the scene of a hit-and-run crash on foot .
The agency said it previously wasn ’ t in the practice of doing news releases on such deaths , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and release videos of those incidents within 72 hours .
It also released videos of other in-custody deaths Wednesday .
Alvarado struck two vehicles in an intersection before exiting his car and running to a church parking lot , where two men tried to prevent him from fleeing until police arrived , according to police reports .
The videos show Alvarado struggle with the men and officers , trying to scale a cinder block wall , being forced to the ground and ignoring officer ’ s commands to calm down .
An officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he kept moving .
Medical examiners determined Alvarado ’ s cause of death was cardiac arrest while intoxicated on methamphetamine and being physically restrained .
Efforts to reach the Alvarado family by phone for comment on the police department ’ s conclusions were unsuccessful .
During the struggle , police say , Alvarado grabbed a pistol magazine from an officer ’ s belt , and an officer punched Alvarado three times with no apparent effect .
Alvarado yelled at officers during the incident , told them not to touch him and can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
At one point , an officer can be seen pressing a knee on either Alvarado ’ s neck or upper back as officers tried to control him .
“ If you can complain , you can breathe , ” an officer responded .
Some officers used profane language in asking Alvarado to co-operate and one of them used an expletive to refer to Alvarado .
Paramedics initially cleared Alvarado to be brought back to jail but had to be called back to the scene after his breathing became shallow and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CPR on Alvarado , who was later pronounced dead at a hospital .
Prosecutors are reviewing the case to determine whether criminal charges should be brought .
The police department said the comments that the officers made during the arrest attempt violated the agency ’ s policies and that they could face discipline .
Two weeks ago , the Tucson Police Department acknowledged that it had failed to disclose another in-custody death .
Carlos Ingram-Lopez , 27 , died on April 21 while handcuffed , placed face-down and covered with a thin blanket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his grandmother , who said he had been acting erratically at her home .
The medical examiner ’ s office didn ’ t determine a manner of death but said Ingram-Lopez died of sudden cardiac arrest while intoxicated by cocaine and physically restrained .
The death of Ingram-Lopez led three officers who violated departmental policy to resign .
Kevin Hall , an assistant police chief in Tucson , said the move to release videos on a timely basis was part of the changes at police agencies across the country since George Floyd died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Message received loud and clear , and we have changed our procedures moving forward , ” Hall said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--US Army chief welcomed to Thailand with coronavirus test

BANGKOK - A U.S. Army delegation led by chief of staff Gen. James McConville on Thursday became the first official visitors to Thailand since entry rules were eased as part of the lifting of coronavirus restrictions .
A photo released by the Thai Army shows a medical team wearing hazmat suits taking a nose swab from McConville on his arrival from Singapore .
Thai officials had said they were told he also would be tested before departing Singapore .
The visit caused a mild brouhaha on local social media with claims the delegation was allowed to shortcut a required 14-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were false , because regulations for VIP guests of the government include provisions for skipping the quarantine at state facilities for short visits by delegations of 10 members or less .
VIPs must still observe other regulations , including holding certificates that they tested negative for the coronavirus , having Thai liaison officials accompany them , keeping to a fixed itinerary and utilizing only their own specially arranged transport .
McConville met Thai army chief Gen. Apirat Kongsompong on Thursday and is to meet Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Friday .
He flies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thai political activist Srisuwan Janya vowed earlier this week to file an official complaint charging the government with malfeasance for allowing the visit .
He alleged , without producing evidence , that the VIP rules were established solely to facilitate the U.S. delegation ’ s visit .
Thailand has long been one of the U.S. ’ s closest allies in Asia , though relations have been strained over Washington ’ s statements of concern over the status of democracy in Thailand , particularly following military coups in 2006 and 2014 .
The fuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second this week involving the United States and the coronavirus .
Photos of the U.S. Embassy ’ s 4th of July reception showed U.S .
Ambassador Michael George DeSombre posing for photos with guests including Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul .
None wore masks in the group photos , in which they stood side by side .
Anutin was the main target of local criticism , as he is supposed to be a leader in the fight against COVID-19 .
Thailand is proud of having largely contained the coronavirus , with 3,202 total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There have been no local infections for 45 days , with the only new cases being Thais repatriated from abroad .
The government has not settled when it will allow tourists to return after banning scheduled passenger flights from abroad in April .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Singaporeans vote in polls expected to return ruling party

SINGAPORE - Wearing masks and plastic gloves , Singaporeans began voting Friday in a general election that is expected to return Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ’ s long-governing party to power .
About 1,100 polling stations across the city-state were open at 8 a.m. , with strict safety measures in place for Southeast Asia ’ s first national election since the coronavirus pandemic began .
Older voters were given priority in the early morning hours as protection against the virus , and people being treated for COVID-19 or under quarantine at home were not allowed to vote .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession are a bonanza for Lee ’ s People ’ s Action Party , with voters likely to opt for stability .
It faces 10 small opposition parties that are contesting the 93 parliamentary seats mostly on a one-on-one basis against the PAP .
The opposition has said it does not want to govern , but urged the 2.65 million eligible voters to reduce the PAP ’ s overwhelming majority in parliament and deny it a “ blank check.
” The PAP has dominated politics since 1959 , when Lee ’ s father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s first prime minister and built the resource-poor city-state into one of the world ’ s richest nations during 31 years in office .
In 2015 , the party won 69.9 % of the total vote and 93 % of parliamentary seats .
But it has also been criticized for tight government control , media censorship and use of oppressive laws and civil lawsuits against dissidents .
Lee has also faced opposition from his estranged younger brother , Lee Hsien Yang , who said the PAP had turned into an elitist party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party last month but is not running in the election .
The prime minister has said the polls are about securing the country ’ s future , not his family feud .
“ Our economy has been badly hit , though the full economic impact of the outbreak is still ahead of us , ” Lee said in a televised message late Thursday .
“ We need a strong and capable government .
Not only to take decisive action to prevent another major outbreak , but also to save businesses and jobs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s minds.
” Singapore ’ s election follows polls in Mongolia last month and in South Korea in April , when governing parties in both countries scored resounding victories .
The polls come just weeks after the country emerged from a two-month lockdown aimed at controlling one of Asia ’ s worst virus outbreaks .
The tiny nation of 5.8 million people has reported more than 45,000 cases , most of them foreign workers living in crowded dormitories that were overlooked in the early phase of its crisis management .
With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 7 % , Lee ’ s government has unveiled several economic assistance packages totalling nearly 100 billion Singapore dollars ( $ 71.7 billion ) .
While coronavirus cases have mostly declined , new daily cases still top 100 .
The government says the elections can be held safely with the number of polling stations increased from 880 to 1,100 and other safety measures .
All voters are required to wear masks and be screened for fever and respiratory symptoms upon arrival .
They must use hand sanitizer and disposable gloves when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yard ) away from others .
Voters are allocated a two-hour time band to cast their ballots to reduce crowding .
People aged 65 and above receive priority in voting during the first four hours .
Election officials wear full personal protective gear and polling booths are sanitized every half hour .
COVID-19 patients and those under quarantine at home were not allowed to vote .
Polls will be open 12 hours and results are expected to begin arriving late Friday ,

Eileen Ng And Ee Ming Toh - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Alaska judge hears arguments in virus relief aid case

JUNEAU , Alaska - A state court judge should block disbursement of federal coronavirus relief aid to small businesses under a reinterpretation of program rules by Alaska Gov .
Mike Dunleavy ’ s administration , an attorney argued Thursday , saying a failure to do so could invite “ mischief.
” The request is part of a lawsuit brought by Juneau resident Eric Forrer .
Attorney Joe Geldhof , who represents Forrer , asked Superior Court Judge Philip Pallenberg to require the administration to adhere to rules it proposed and lawmakers ratified .
Since the program outline was ratified , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules as a way to provide additional aid to businesses .
Geldhof argued if Pallenberg did not require the administration to follow the standards ratified by the Legislature , “ you will be inviting not just mischief but perhaps corruption.
“ Geldhof said he is trying to avoid a “ standard-free ” allocation of funds .
The state designated $ 290 million of the more than $ 1 billion it received in federal coronavirus relief aid toward a small business program .
The program , proposed by the Dunleavy administration and ratified by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds directly available to them under a federal relief law would not qualify .
Forrer , who argues the ratification process itself was problematic , sought a court order that either would halt distributing funds set aside for businesses until lawmakers approve a “ valid expenditure ” or block spending that does not adhere to the “ express terms ” lawmakers ratified .
Arguments , held by teleconference Thursday , focused on the latter .
Attorneys for the state , in court documents , said Forrer relies on a “ literal application of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they say runs counter to the program ’ s purposes and ignores the legislative history and context of the coronavirus pandemic .
They also say Forrer lacks standing in the case .
Assistant Attorney General Margaret Paton Walsh said the program description also references estimates that businesses could need an average of $ 30,000 to $ 50,000 and said it was expected that the least an eligible business could need is $ 5,000 .
When the program plan was drafted , the first round of federal loan funds had been depleted and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glenn Hoskinson , a special assistant to Alaska ’ s commerce commissioner , has said .
Hoskinson said the state Department of Commerce , Community and Economic Development also was not aware then that businesses were getting partial amounts of funds requested from the federal programs .
The department last month announced eligibility changes intended to help more businesses .
The changes include allowing businesses that received $ 5,000 or less in certain federal relief funds to become eligible for the state ’ s grant program , provided they meet other requirements .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes , Hoskinson said , citing the litigation .
“ It is the State ’ s position that the changes are permissible and lawful adjustments to the administration of the small business relief program , and we hope to be able to move forward very soon , ” she said by email .
The program has gotten off to a slower start than expected .
In a recent report to the Legislature , the department cited incomplete applications and a high volume of unnecessary documentation submitted as part of applications as a primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rep. Ivy Spohnholz , chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee , which has been monitoring the program , said the program is too restrictive .
In a statement , the Anchorage Democrat also expressed concern with the time it ’ s taking for applications to be approved .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--New sex abuse charges against former USC campus gynecologist

LOS ANGELES - New charges have been filed against a former University of Southern California campus gynecologist accused of sexually assaulting young women who were his patients , Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said Thursday .
The additional charges involve five new alleged victims of Dr. George Tyndall , who has previously pleaded not guilty to criminal charges involving 16 women .
The amended complaint adds five counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and one count of sexual battery by fraud that allegedly occurred while Tyndall , 73 , worked at a USC health centre between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tyndall takes every allegation seriously , “ said his attorney , Leonard Levine .
“ However , he continues to be adamant that he has treated every patient within the standard of care and always for a state medical purpose .
He is confident when all the evidence is presented and tested in a court of law that he will be totally exonerated.
” Tyndall was initially charged in June 2019 with 18 counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and 11 counts of sexual battery by fraud , all felonies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility for annual exams or for other treatment dating back to 2009 , prosecutors said .
Tyndall resigned in 2017 and allegations against him became public in 2018 through a Los Angeles Times investigation .
If convicted as charged , Tyndall now faces a possible maximum sentence of 64 years in state prison .
In February , the U.S. Department of Education said it found systemic failures in USC ’ s treatment of allegations of sexual abuse by Tyndall and ordered the school to overhaul its procedures for preventing sex discrimination and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded .
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos called it a “ total and complete failure to protect students.
” USC ’ s new president , Carol L. Folt , pledged to protect the safety of students , faculty and staff and to restore trust in the university .
A federal judge has approved a $ 215 million class-action settlement between USC and about 18,000 women who saw Tyndall at the university .
Payments would range from $ 2,500 to $ 250,000 , with specific sums decided by a panel of experts .
Hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court settlement and many are pursuing separate lawsuits in state court .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Bolivian president has COVID-19 as virus hits region’s elite

LA PAZ , Bolivia - Bolivia ’ s interim president and Venezuela ’ s No .
2 leader announced Thursday that they have been infected with the new coronavirus , just days after Brazil ’ s leader tested positive as the pandemic hits hard at some of Latin America ’ s political elite .
Three Cabinet ministers in the administration of Bolivian leader Jeanine Áñez have also tested positive for the virus , including Health Minister Eidy Roca and Presidency Minister Yerko Nuñez , who is hospitalized .
The infections in Venezuela , Brazil and Bolivia , which is seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández tested positive in June and was briefly hospitalized .
Áñez said she will remain in isolation for 14 days when another test will be done , but she will continue to work remotely from the presidential residence .
“ I feel good , I feel strong , ” she wrote on her Twitter account .
Bolivia ’ s Health Ministry says the Andean country has 42,984 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,577 deaths , and is seeing a rebound in the number of new cases amid reports that hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the highland city of Cochabamba , scenes have emerged of bodies lying in the streets and coffins waiting for days in homes to be taken away .
Bolivia is scheduled to hold a presidential election Sept. 6 .
Áñez is running third in opinion polls .
Former Economy Minister Luis Arce , who represents the party of ousted President Evo Morales , is in front , with ex-President Carlos Mesa in second .
In Venezuela , meanwhile , socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distressed South American nation thus far to come down with the virus .
Cabello is considered the second-most powerful person in Venezuela after President Nicolás Maduro and made the announcement on Twitter , stating that he is isolated , getting treatment and will overcome the illness .
“ We will win !
” he wrote in conclusion .
Economically struggling Venezuela is considered one of the world ’ s least prepared countries to confront the pandemic .
Hospitals are routinely short on basic supplies like water , electricity and medicine .
The nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others in the region , but the number of infections has grown in recent weeks .
As of Wednesday , the government had reported 8,010 confirmed cases and 75 deaths .
Cabello was last seen Tuesday , when he met with South Africa ’ s ambassador , Joseph Nkosi .
Photographs released by the government showed him standing alongside and bumping fists with the diplomat while wearing a black mask .
The 57-year-old politician is head of the National Constituent Assembly , an all-powerful legislative body created by Maduro ’ s government in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television program Wednesday , stating at the time that he was “ fighting against a strong allergy ” and resting .
Maduro said in a broadcast Thursday that Cabello ’ s diagnosis was confirmed with a molecular exam — a test that is usually conducted with a nasal swab sample .
Venezuela has done far fewer of these tests than neighbouring countries , instead largely deploying rapid blood antibody tests .
Some experts fear that relying so heavily on the rapid tests , which don ’ t detect signs of illness early in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missed .
“ Venezuela is with Diosdado , ” Maduro said .
“ I am sure soon enough we will continue on in this fight.
” In Brazil , President Jair Bolsonaro was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Tuesday .
He appeared Thursday on an online broadcast from the presidential residence as defiant as on previous occasions .
He coughed once , but did not show other symptoms of the disease that has killed more than 69,000 people in the South American nation .
Bolsonaro repeated his view that the economic crisis brought on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus itself .
He insisted that mayors and governors need to reopen the country for business .
“ We need governors and mayors , within their responsibilities , to reopen commerce .
Otherwise the consequences will be harmful for Brazil , ” Bolsonaro said , wearing a gray shirt and sitting comfortably in front of two national flags .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Nevada church appeals virus attendance cap to Supreme Court

RENO , Nev. - Leaders of a rural Nevada church are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend the state ’ s 50-person cap on religious gatherings while an appellate court considers their claim that COVID-19 restrictions treating casinos and others more leniently violate their constitutional right to freely exercise their beliefs .
Gov .
Steve Sisolak ’ s June 4 directive allowing casinos , restaurants , bowling alleys and amusement parks to reopen at 50 % of capacity while maintaining a hard cap for church services “ simply turns the First Amendment on its head , ” lawyers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request to the high court for an emergency injunction .
“ The Free Exercise Clause protects the exercise of religion .
No constitutional provision protects the right to gamble at casinos , eat at restaurants , or frolic at indoor amusement parks , ” they said .
The church east of Reno appealed to the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals last month after a federal judge in Nevada upheld the state ’ s policy .
Last week , the appellate court in San Francisco denied the church ’ s request for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the appeal .
The three-sentence ruling pointed to the Supreme Court ’ s refusal in May to strike down California ’ s limit on the size of religious gatherings .
Calvary Chapel ’ s lawyers said in the request filed late Wednesday at the Supreme Court that it will take several months to obtain a ruling from the 9th Circuit , “ by which time the legal landscape may have changed but the irreparable harm to the church ’ s First Amendment rights will be irreversible.
” “ Only this court can halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better than the exercise of religion , ” they said .
The state has until July 15 to respond at the Supreme Court .
Nevada ’ s lawyers maintain the right to practice religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community to communicable disease .
“ Temporarily narrowing restrictions on the size of mass gatherings , including for religious services , does not outbalance the health and well-being of Nevada citizens , ” they said in their most recent filings in the 9th Circuit .
The Lyon County church said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appellate review that it wants to follow the same 50 % capacity limit at a sanctuary that typically holds up to 200 people .
Others allowed to operate at 50 % of capacity include bars , gyms , arcades , water parks and swimming pools .
Movie theatres are subject to the 50-person cap — but that applies to individual theatres within a multiplex , which means as many 900 people could be present inside a building with 18 screens .
“ Calvary Chapel only seeks to host about 90 people at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows hundreds to thousands of people to gamble and enjoy entertainment at casinos , ” the 59-page filing states .
“ The governor allows this mix of shared handles , cards , tokens , tables , servers , drinks , restrooms , and seats by hundreds to thousands in casinos at 50 % capacity , while forbidding more than 50 people to sit — masked , and socially distanced — in places of worship.
” The church said the state clearly favours “ speaking a commercial message to live audiences over communicating religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court has long held that commercial speech occupies a “ subordinate position in the scale of First Amendment values.
” “ The Constitution forbids the governor from privileging commercial messages about gambling , fitness , entertainment , and liquor over Calvary Chapel ’ s fully-protected religious speech , ” the church said .
Calvary Chapel said it agrees Gov .
Sisolak has broad discretion to address the COVID-19 outbreak .
“ What the governor may not do is favour secular assemblies in COVID-19-ridden , urban areas by allowing many — if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 50 % of building capacity , while sharply limiting gatherings at places of worship in rural counties with a small number of COVID-19 infections to 50 people max .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Mexican president’s US visit cordial, lacking in substance

MEXICO CITY - President Andrés Manuel López Obrador returned to Mexico on Thursday buoyed by a cordial first encounter with President Donald Trump that successfully distracted from multiple crises at home but produced few tangible results .
As they have done since López Obrador took office in December 2018 , the two leaders refrained from the heated rhetoric both regularly employ against other targets , instead asserting their friendship and mutual respect .
Absent from the carefully scripted White House meeting Wednesday were any of the slurs against Mexico that Trump used during his campaign , such as when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ rapists ” — or any mention of how he has taken repeated steps as president to seal off the U.S. to all migration , both legal and illegal .
Nor was there any sign of the fiery López Obrador who defended migrants from the U.S. president ’ s attacks during his own campaign in a book titled , “ Hey , Trump.
” During their appearances at the White House , neither president indicated that they had had discussions about immigration or security .
“ They needed this trip for both to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” from what ’ s going on with the economy and from the security crisis in Mexico , ” said Gladys McCormick , an associate professor in history at Syracuse University ’ s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs .
“ And certainly Trump is going into a very , very tough electoral campaign.
” Two years into his six-year term , López Obrador ’ s ambitious domestic agenda — getting control of Mexico ’ s runaway violence , battling corruption and raising millions out of poverty — is in jeopardy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have ever been recorded before .
Earlier this month , Mexico City ’ s police chief was nearly assassinated in a brazen attack on a major city thoroughfare , and last week 27 people were killed by gunmen in a drug rehabilitation centre .
Meanwhile , the International Monetary Fund has projected Mexico ’ s economy will contract 10.5 % this year .
If that weren ’ t enough , on Wednesday , the government announced nearly 7,000 new confirmed COVID-19 infections , the highest single day total yet .
The stated purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington was to celebrate the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement , the new free trade accord that is replacing NAFTA and which went into effect on July 1 .
Yet Democratic U.S. legislators , who played a large role in passing the law , were not included in the visit .
The other central topic of the meeting was the pandemic , according to Mexico Ambassador Martha Bárcena .
A year ago , Trump threatened crippling tariffs on Mexican imports unless Mexico did more to slow the flow of migrants over the border .
Mexico responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop them from advancing to the U.S. border and accepted the U.S. expansion of its “ Remain in Mexico ” policy , which forced asylum seekers to wait out the process in Mexico .
Yet on Wednesday , López Obrador stood smiling beside Trump and thanked him for respecting Mexicans and not trying to impose U.S. will on his country .
The words of both presidents yesterday were not representative of their actions and López Obrador ’ s comments “ show the absolute subordination of Mexico ’ s foreign policy to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Silvia Núñez García , a researcher at the Research Center on North America at the National Autonomous University of Mexico .
Ultimately , the visit that drew global attention turned out to be “ trivial ” for the rest of the world , Núñez García said .
“ The two were speaking exclusively to their audiences.
” The reaction from the Mexican president ’ s political rivals was also swift .
“ I had the hope that he would act with dignity , that he would put Trump in his place for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our people , ” Silvano Aureoles , governor of Michoacan state , from the leftist opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party , wrote on Twitter .
“ Mexico has dignity , Mexico has memory , even though you have forgotten it crossing the border.
” Bárcena and her U.S. counterpart , Ambassador Christopher Landau , said Thursday that the goals of the visit were always very limited and thus its accomplishments modest .
Landau said the most important outcome was that the two leaders met face to face and spent time together .
Both countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprises and as a result “ there was not a lot of drama , ” he said during a forum hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington .
Asked about López Obrador praising Trump for respecting Mexico , Bárcena cited Trump ’ s remarks about Mexicans being important contributors to the U.S. “ This change of words , it ’ s very important , ” Bárcena said .
“ I think this shows progress on how the perception of each other has changed.
” There is value for Mexico in having good relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump helped Mexico obtain 600 ventilators when they were needed to confront the pandemic and offered to make up the difference when oil-producing nations were looking for a deeper production cut from Mexico than López Obrador was willing to make .
“ So far , I would say that López Obrador can count this visit as a win , ” said María Fernanda Pérez Arguello , associate director at the Atlantic Council ’ s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center .
“ He appeared next to President Trump and they didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s something that President López Obrador wanted to avoid at all costs .
”

Christopher Sherman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--UN says Latin America and Caribbean are COVID-19 `hot spot’

TANZANIA , Tanzania - Latin America and the Caribbean have become “ a hot spot ” for the COVID-19 pandemic , with several countries now having one of the highest per capita infection rates and absolute number of cases in the world , U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday .
The U.N. chief said in a video and briefing report that a 9.1 % contraction in GDP is expected this year in the region , which would be the “ largest in a century.
” “ COVID-19 represents a massive health , social and economic shock with an immense human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Caribbean , ” the report said .
“ It is expected to result in the deepest recession in living memory.
” According to the report , unemployment in the region is expected to rise to 13.5 % from 8.1 % last year , affecting more than 44 million people , compared to over 18 million in 2019 .
The poverty rate is expected to rise to 37.2 % from 30.2 % , meaning 230 million people will be affected compared to 185 million last year , it said .
Guterres said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ gaping inequalities , ” high levels of informal labour and fragmented health services — and the region ’ s most vulnerable people “ are once again being hit the hardest ” by COVID-19 .
“ Women , who make up the majority of the workforce in economic sectors being most affected , now must also bear the brunt of additional care-giving , ” Guterres said .
“ Older persons and persons with disabilities are at much higher risk of death from the virus .
” He said Indigenous peoples , those of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also suffering disproportionately.
” “ Urban transmission of COVID-19 is of special concern to Latin America and the Caribbean as the world ’ s most urbanized developing region , ” the report said , .
Some 80 % of the region ’ s population lives in cities , the U.N. chief said , pointing to slums especially in the largest ones as potential breeding grounds .
With fragmented and unequal health systems , countries most affected by the pandemic — which Guterres didn ’ t name — “ are ill-prepared to handle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale , ” his report said .
“ In a region which experienced a significant number of political crises and protests in 2019 , “ Guterres warned that “ increasing inequalities , exclusion and discrimination in the context of COVID-19 affect adversely the enjoyment of human rights and democratic developments , potentially even leading to civil unrest , if left unaddressed.
” He called on governments to do more to reduce poverty , food insecurity and malnutrition .
In the short-term , Guterres said , governments should consider providing people living in poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This could include the possibility of providing the equivalent income of the national poverty line , or about $ 140 per month for the region , the report said .
The estimated cost for six months would amount to 1.9 % of regional GDP , it said .
At the same time , Guterres said , greater international support is urgently needed .
“ For Latin America and the Caribbean , the international community must provide liquidity , financial assistance and debt relief , ” he said .
The U.N. chief called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Caribbean to reduce inequality that “ has become untenable.
” “ It means developing comprehensive welfare systems that are accessible to all , ” Guterres said .
“ It means creating a fair taxation system , promoting decent jobs , strengthening environmental sustainability , and reinforcing social protection mechanisms .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Venezuela socialist party boss announces he has COVID-19

CARACAS , Venezuela - Venezuelan socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello revealed Thursday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 , making him the highest-ranking leader in the distressed South American nation thus far to come down with the virus .
Cabello is considered the second-most powerful person in Venezuela after President Nicolás Maduro and made the announcement on Twitter , stating that he is isolated , getting treatment and will overcome the illness .
“ We will win !
” he wrote in conclusion .
Venezuela is considered one of the world ’ s least prepared countries to confront the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic supplies like water , electricity and medicine .
The nation has registered considerably fewer COVID-19 cases than others in the region , though the number of infections has grown in recent weeks .
As of Wednesday , officials had reported 8,010 confirmed cases and 75 deaths .
Cabello was last seen Tuesday , when he met with South Africa ’ s ambassador , Joseph Nkosi .
Photographs released by the government showed him standing alongside and bumping fists with the envoy while wearing a black mask .
The 57-year-old politician is head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-powerful legislative body created by Maduro ’ s government in 2017 .
He had missed his weekly television program Wednesday , stating at the time that he was “ fighting against a strong allergy ” and resting .
Maduro said in a broadcast Thursday that Cabello ’ s diagnosis was confirmed with a molecular exam — a test that is usually conducted with a nasal swab sample .
Venezuela has done far fewer of these tests than neighbouring countries , instead largely deploying rapid blood antibody tests .
Some experts fear that relying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which don ’ t detect signs of illness early in an infection , means cases are being missed .
“ Venezuela is with Diosdado , ” Maduro said .
“ I am sure soon enough we will continue on in this fight .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Judge blocks removal of more Confederate statues in Richmond

RICHMOND , Va. - A judge issued an injunction Thursday barring the city of Richmond from removing any more Confederate monuments , a process that began last week after Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the statues cleared away amid weeks of protests over police brutality and racism .
Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley Cavedo issued the decision after a hearing in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by an unnamed plaintiff , local media outlets reported .
The lawsuit asked for an emergency injunction to halt the removal of the statues and alleged that Stoney violated state law by ordering their immediate removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re disappointed .
We did the right thing , ” Jim Nolan , Stoney ’ s spokesman , said in a statement after Cavedo issued his 60-day injunction .
During Thursday ’ s hearing , lawyers for Stoney said all the city ’ s Confederate statues have been removed in recent days , with the exception of one of A.P .
Hill , the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported .
Hill ’ s remains are interred beneath the statue , which sits in the middle of a traffic circle .
Some sites where statues have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remnants of the larger monument .
Also Thursday , Nolan said that family members of Black humanitarian and tennis legend Arthur Ashe have requested that his statue be removed from Richmond ’ s prestigious Monument Avenue .
“ Ashe family members made the request during the recent period of civil unrest .
The matter is still under consideration and we continue to have discussions with the family regarding their wishes , ” he said in a statement .
Work to remove the Confederate tributes that dot this former capital of the Confederacy began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new state law took effect granting local authorities control over war memorials on their property .
Stoney said he was invoking his emergency powers to immediately remove the statues instead of following a lengthy process outlined in the law .
He said he was concerned about public safety amid continuing protests and fears that protesters could get hurt if they tried to bring down the enormous statues themselves .
The judge criticized Stoney ’ s handling of the protests and his decision to remove the monuments , according to the newspaper .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were a threat to the public ’ s safety , not the monuments .
The judge also referred to Hill , as an “ American war hero , ” TV station WRIC reported .
Among the figures already removed are statues of Gens .
J.E.B .
Stuart and Stonewall Jackson , and Confederate naval commander and scientist Matthew Fontaine Maury .
Richmond ’ s largest statue left intact is on state land — a massive monument to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue .
Its planned removal , under the orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been blocked at least temporarily by a court injunction also issued by Cavedo .
On Wednesday , an amended complaint was filed in that case .
Cavedo had dismissed the first one but said he wanted the plaintiff ’ s attorney to have “ another shot ” at addressing issues of legal standing .
The amended complaint lays out in greater detail the family history of the plaintiff — a descendant of a couple who were among the grantors of the land the statue now sits on , which eventually became state property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 69-year-old William C. Gregory , would face “ irreparable harm ” if the statue were removed .
A hearing in the case is expected later this month .
The statues were erected decades after the Civil War , during an era when Southern states were crushing attempts to achieve equality for Black people .
After years of little change , a growing number of these Confederate symbols are being removed , prompted by nationwide protests against police brutality and racism that appear to have inspired a profound shift in American thinking .


thetorontostar--2020-07-09--Milley: Confederate names on Army bases divide the military

WASHINGTON - Confederate Army symbols within the military , including prominent Army bases named for rebel generals , are divisive and can be offensive to Black people in uniform , the nation ’ s top officer said Thursday .
“ The American Civil War was fought and it was an act of rebellion , it was an act of treason at the time , against the Union , against the Stars and Stripes , against the U.S. Constitution , and those officers turned their backs on their oaths , ” Army Gen. Mark Milley told a House Armed Services Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Joint Chiefs of Staff , noted that some see it differently .
“ Some think it ’ s heritage .
Others think it ’ s hate.
” He said he has recommended creating a commission to study the matter .
The House and Senate versions of the National Defence Authorization Act for the budget year starting Oct. 1 include provisions for changing the names of 10 Army bases named for Confederate generals .
President Donald Trump says he would veto the defence bill if the version that reaches his desk includes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage , and a. history of Winning , Victory , and Freedom , ” Trump wrote on Twitter last month .
“ The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds , and won two World Wars .
Therefore , my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.
” Milley did not explicitly say the base names should be changed , but he noted that the Army is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For those young soldiers that go onto a base — a Fort Hood , a Fort Bragg or a fort wherever named after a Confederate general — they can be reminded that that general fought for the institution of slavery that may have enslaved one of their ancestors , ” Milley said .
He recalled an enlisted soldier told him , early in Milley ’ s career while serving at Fort Bragg , North Carolina , that “ he went to work every day on a base that represented a guy who had @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-10--Wisconsin high court gives mixed ruling on partial vetoes

MADISON , Wis. - The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday overturned three of four partial vetoes issued by Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers , although the justices could not agree on a reason why they were unconstitutional .
The court also upheld one of his vetoes and declined to consider a challenge to a pair of partial vetoes issued by Republican Gov .
Scott Walker , saying the lawsuit was filed too late .
The court did not rein in future governors ’ abilities to use the partial veto to eliminate words and digits in spending bills .
Wisconsin ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful vetoes in the country .
The ruling comes after the court on Thursday upheld laws that the Legislature passed during a lame-duck session to weaken Evers ’ powers before he took office .
The governor ’ s veto power , which is spelled out in the Wisconsin Constitution , isn ’ t as extensive for regular bills that don ’ t spend money .
For those , he can only either veto the entire proposal or sign it into law .
Wisconsin governors , both Republican and Democratic , have long used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state budget .
It ’ s an act of gamesmanship between the governor and Legislature , as lawmakers try to craft bills in a way that are largely immune from creative vetoes .


thetorontostar--2020-07-10--Dutch government to take Russia to European court over MH17

THE HAGUE , Netherlands - The Dutch government is taking Russia to the European Court of Human Rights for its @ @ @ @ @ down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine six years ago , the foreign @ @ @ @ @ move is intended to support individual cases being brought to the European court by relatives @ @ @ @ @ people who were killed when a Buk surface-to-air missile fired from territory controlled by pro-Moscow @ @ @ @ @ Lumpur flight out of the sky on July 17 , 2014 .
“ Achieving justice @ @ @ @ @ downing of Flight MH17 is and will remain the government ’ s highest priority , @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ By taking this step today ... we are moving closer to this @ @ @ @ @ denied involvement in the downing of the Boeing 777 .
An international team of prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ however , charged three Russians and a Ukrainian with involvement in bringing down the plane @ @ @ @ @ on board .


thetorontostar--2020-07-10--Anchorage School District plan begins with limited reopening

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - The Anchorage School District announced a plan to begin holding in-person classes two days per week when schools reopen in the fall .
The district announced Thursday that in-person classes are expected to resume a five-day schedule after two and a half weeks of reopening , The Anchorage Daily News reported .
District officials scheduled Aug. 20 as the first day of classes since schools closed in March at the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic .
Schools likely will switch to a medium- to low-risk level in September , with students in school five days per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day rather than the previous school day of 6 1/2 hours , the district plan said .
Deputy superintendent Mark Stock said during a briefing Thursday that the shortened schedule calls for students at each school to be separated into two groups , or cohorts , attending on opposite days of the week .
The district will also offer a virtual school program in which parents concerned about exposure to the coronavirus can register children with neighbourhood schools and participate in online classes with support from teachers .
“ Our goal was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks and provide parents options , ” Stock said .
“ We recognize that every plan isn ’ t perfect for every family.
” Students , teachers , staff and families experience different risks from the virus , district Superintendent Deena Bishop said Thursday .
The plan focuses on “ rigorous health and safety protocols , ” Bishop said .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
But for some — especially older adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-07-10--US wholesale prices fell 0.2% in June as food costs plunged

WASHINGTON - U.S. wholesale prices fell 0.2 % in June as food costs dropped sharply , offsetting a big increase in energy prices .
The drop in the Producer Price Index , which measures inflation pressures before they reach consumers , followed a 0.4 % gain in May , the Labor Department reported Friday .
Wholesale prices have fallen in four of the past five months .
The country has been pushed into a deep recession that is expected to lead to an unprecedented contraction of the economy in the April-June quarter .
It is likely the downturn , triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflation muted .
“ The June decline in producer prices underscores that price pressures in the broader economy remain extremely tame , ” said Lydia Boussour , senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics .
“ The expected gradual recovery in demand , along with a strong dollar and depressed oil prices , will keep a lid on price inflation for months to come.
” The absence of inflation has given the Federal Reserve the leeway to cut interest rates to a record low and make other moves to try to bolster the eonomy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % drop in wholesale prices in June reflected a 5.2 % decline in food costs which helped to offset a 7.7 % jump in energy prices .
The price of gasoline jumped 26.3 % .
The price of services fell sharply although hospital inpatient care rose by 0.8 % , likely reflecting the added pressures on a hospital system burdened by dealing with a surge in coronavirus cases .
Over the past year , wholesale prices have fallen 0.8 % .
Core wholesale prices , which exclude food and energy , were down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny 0.1 % over the past year .

Martin Crutsinger - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-10--Tapping into crime fears, GOP conflates mayhem with protests

WASHINGTON - Apocalyptic images of blazing buildings and window-smashing protesters pop on the TV screen as a caller to a 911 emergency line reaches voicemail .
The computer offers to take reports of rapes , murders or home invasions , adding , “ Our estimated wait time is five days.
” The 30-second ad by President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign ends with “ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America ” emblazoned across a flickering hellscape .
It blames a push by progressive activists to defund the police as “ violent crime has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed children and dozens of others in cities with large Black populations like New York , Atlanta and Chicago , the GOP is trying to play offence , ominously .
Ads like Trump ’ s and other Republican messaging insinuate that the rare looting and violence that marred largely peaceful social justice protests are spreading and foretell a wave of mayhem that they claim Democrats would abet with anti-police policies .
Trump emphasized that menacing theme at the White House Thursday , calling proponents of defunding the police “ crazy.
” Telling a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants had fled dangerous countries , Trump added , “ They know what happens when the police can not protect the innocent , when the rule of law is destroyed.
” Democrats call the GOP drive an obvious diversion from issues they say voters care most about : the coronavirus pandemic that Trump has failed to control , the economic shutdown , recession-level unemployment , racial justice and health care .
They say Biden , the party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee , has a well-honed moderate record that makes Republican efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And they say the GOP is fanning the flames of racism , preying on white suburbanites worried that televised scenes of burning buildings mean their neighbourhoods are next .
“ It ’ s not even subtle .
We ’ re well beyond dog whistle , ” said Ian Russell , a Democratic consultant .
The GOP spearhead comes with polls showing that Trump ’ s reelection and Republican control of the Senate may be in jeopardy in November ’ s voting .
It also follows weeks of protests following the killing of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period that ’ s seen Trump call the phrase “ Black Lives Matter ” a “ symbol of hate , ” defend Confederate commanders and retweet a supporter yelling , ” White power !
” Biden supports overhauling police practices and budgets but has repeatedly disavowed calls for defunding the police , as have most congressional Democrats .
Republicans often suggest the term means that proponents want to abolish entire departments — and some far-left Democrats do — but most in the party consider it a call to shift some police resources to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aides say it ’ s a fantasy to cast the former vice-president as seeking to dismantle police departments or ready to heed those who would .
“ Donald Trump is a chronic liar “ who is “ desperate to run against a fictitious opponent instead of Joe Biden , ” said Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates .
Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh called it “ ridiculous ” for Democrats to say the GOP tactic is racist .
“ All Americans , no matter who they are or where they live , should be concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets with the tacit approval of Joe Biden and the Democrats , ” Murtaugh said .
Republican strategists say the issue will help woo suburban voters , a pivotal bloc that ’ s abandoned Trump over his caustic divisiveness .
“ They want to be able to call 911 and know someone ’ s coming , ” said Sarah Chamberlain , president of the centrist Republican Main Street Coalition .
But they also acknowledge that the tactic is designed to reorient what ’ s so far been a difficult campaign season .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ referendum on the president , and more to a contest between the two parties , ” said GOP consultant Robert Blizzard .
Experts say there is scant evidence to connect the protests or activists ’ calls to defund the police to recent urban shootings .
But in one of the few congressional races where Republicans have pressed the issue , Sen. Kelly Loeffler , R-Ga. , has done just that .
Loeffler , facing a difficult reelection with rivals to her left and right , said on Fox News ’ “ America ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defunding movement has “ resulted in the death of a child.
” She was referring to Secoriea Turner , 8 , who was fatally shot near the site of recent protests in Atlanta .
Police are seeking the shooter .
Loeffler , part owner of the WNBA ’ s Atlanta Dream , has also opposed the basketball league ’ s plan to incorporate Black Lives Matter messaging on uniforms and courts .
In a letter to the league , she said the movement favours “ the disruption of the nuclear family structure ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” One of her Democratic opponents , Rev .
Raphael Warnock , said Loeffler had surrendered to “ the narrow impulses of tribalism and bigotry.
” Homicides and shootings routinely rise in spring and summer as days get longer and people spend more time outdoors , academics say .
Other factors include gang violence , and this year ’ s spike could be fed by stress related to the virus , sky-high unemployment , stay-at-home orders and anger over police brutality .
Recent polling suggests Republicans have work to do to win over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 in 4 people believe defund the police means revamping how police departments work , not erasing them , according to a Monmouth University Poll conducted last month .
Six in 10 Americans say Trump ’ s handling of the protests worsened the situation .
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey last month found major increases since 2015 in the number of white Americans who consider police violence a serious problem .
Seven in 10 people back a complete reshaping or major changes to the criminal justice system , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding .
In the 2018 congressional elections , Trump vaulted immigration and supposedly dangerous “ caravans “ of Central Americans streaming toward the U.S. border a major GOP issue .
Democrats focused on health care .
AP VoteCast , a nationwide survey of American voters , showed large majorities bucked Trump and thought immigrants arriving illegally should have a chance for citizenship .
Associated Press writers Emily Swanson and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-10--Serbia’s leader not worried about losing power amid protests

BELGRADE , Serbia - Serbia ’ s president said Friday he ’ s not worried about losing political power amid large protests against his handling of the coronavirus crisis and hard-line rule , but instead expressed his fear about the spread of the virus by the demonstrators .
“ It is so irresponsible to call upon people to gather and demonstrate when we are faced with the most horrific numbers of infections from the coronavirus , “ President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters during his state visit to France .
“ I beg people , please let ’ s keep our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take power by force .
Power is taken at the elections .
You can protest as much as you want when the epidemic is over , “ Vucic said .
“ If you don ’ t understand this , and you want to bring some tycoons to power — let me tell you — this is not going to happen.
“ After two nights of violent protests and clashes with police , peaceful demonstrations were held in the capital of Belgrade and several other Serbian towns on Thursday .
A few people wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass gatherings passed by the government on Thursday , many protesters wore white T-shirts with the inscription , “ Sit Down , Don ’ t Be Set Up ” — referring to widespread reports that the violence the previous nights that played into the government ’ s hands was staged by far-right groups close to the authorities .
The opposition Alliance for Serbia coalition said in a statement that Vucic ’ s regime on Thursday apparently “ gave hooligans a night off ’ ’ while he attended a summit in Paris that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its breakaway province of Kosovo .
“ With the peaceful protests last night , people showed in what kind of a country they want to live , ” the statement said .
“ We had an almost normal day when Vucic was not in town , without him playing around with the protests , the pandemic and our lives.
” Vucic denied that “ hooligans , ” who were seen beating up the protesters , are under his control , claiming they were brought in by the opposition .
The spontaneous protests started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be placed under a new three-day lockdown following a second wave of confirmed coronavirus infections .
The protests then mushroomed into wider frustration with Vucic ’ s increasingly authoritarian rule .
The unrest , considered the most intense since the overthrow of former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic in 2,000 , continued although Vucic suspended his decision to enforce a second shutdown .
After initially handling the pandemic relatively well , Vucic and his government have been accused of allowing the crisis to spin out of control in order to hold a June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power .
Opponents blame the president for contributing to the large spike in deaths and new cases after he entirely lifted previous very tight lockdown measures .
Mass gatherings at soccer and tennis matches and at nightclubs were allowed despite warnings by experts that this could lead to a spike in infections .
Serbian officials denounced the protests as an attempt to overthrow the government and weaken Vucic ’ s position in the European Union-mediated negotiations on Kosovo , a former province whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade doesn ’ t recognize .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-07-10--California firm to buy assets of Alaska’s RavnAir for $8M

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Large airplanes and regional service certificates owned by Alaska ’ s RavnAir Group are expected to be purchased by a Southern California firm for $ 8 million .
Float Shuttle plans to take over six of the Dash-8 aircraft and two federal operating certificates owned by RavnAir ’ s services , Corvus and PenAir , Alaska Public Media reported Thursday .
The carriers flew passengers from Anchorage to the Aleutian Islands , the Kenai Peninsula and various rural Alaska destinations .
RavnAir cited the economic impact of the coronavirus when the company halted operations April 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bankruptcy protection .
The company previously operated more than 400 flights per day , using a fleet of 72 aircraft .
After the coronavirus outbreak , passenger traffic dropped more than 90 % .
“ This is a way for us to do what we had hoped to do which is be able to resume Part 121 operations in the state of Alaska and get employees rehired , ” RavnAir attorney Jane Kim said after a bankruptcy hearing Thursday .
Float Shuttle plans to take advantage of a $ 31.6 million payroll support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RavnAir successor , Kim said .
The $ 8 million price is far below the $ 19 million RavnAir set as a minimum bid at a failed auction for the certificates and nine Dash-8 planes .
Kim did not release details of when Float Shuttle plans to resume Alaska service .
Float Shuttle , which stands for “ FLy Over All Traffic , ” operates commuter service for Southern California drivers hoping to avoid traffic by flying on the company ’ s Cessna Caravans .
Monthly subscriptions cost $ 1,250 , the company @ @ @ @ @