thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Woman fired after backlash from racist park confrontation

NEW YORK - The verbal dispute between a white woman with an unleashed dog and a black man bird watching in Central Park might normally have gone unnoticed in a city preoccupied by the coronavirus pandemic .
That changed when birdwatcher Christian Cooper pulled out his phone and captured Amy Cooper calling police to report she was being threatened by “ an African-American man.
” The widely watched video — posted on Facebook by Christian Cooper and on Twitter by his sister — sparked accusations of racism and led to Amy Cooper getting fired .
The confrontation began early Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Cooper had let her cocker spaniel off its leash against the rules in the Ramble , a secluded section of Central Park popular with birdwatchers .
In a Facebook post , he claimed the dog was “ tearing through the plantings ” and told her she should go to another part of the park .
When she refused , he pulled out dog treats , causing her to scream at him to not come near her dog .
Amy Cooper also warned him she would summon police unless he stopped recording .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ them there ’ s an African American man threatening my life , “ Amy Cooper is heard saying in the video as she pulls down her face mask and struggles to control her dog .
“ There ’ s an African American man , I ’ m in Central Park , he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog .
… Please send the cops immediately !
” she says during the call before he stops recording .
Police say by the time they responded , they were both gone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Templeton announced Tuesday afternoon it had fired Amy Cooper , saying , “ We do not tolerate racism of any kind.
” A group called Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue said it had custody of her dog for the time being .
The pet could be heard coughing in the video after Cooper clenched it by the collar with its front legs off the ground .
Cooper released an apology through a public relations service Tuesday night , saying she “ reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions.
“ “ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leash my dog in an area where it was required , ” she said in the written statement .
“ I am well aware of the pain that misassumptions and insensitive statements about race cause and would never have imagined that I would be involved in the type of incident that occurred with Chris.
” She told CNN earlier Tuesday , “ I am not a racist.
“ “ I think I was just scared , ” she said .
“ When you ’ re alone in the Ramble , you don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not excusable , it ’ s not defensible.
” Messages were left Tuesday with Christian Cooper and his sister .
“ I videotaped it because I thought it was important to document things , ” Christian Cooper told CNN .
“ Unfortunately we live in an era with things like Ahmaud Arbery , where black men are seen as targets .
This woman thought she could exploit that to her advantage , and I wasn ’ t having it.
” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our city.
” “ The video out of Central Park is racism , plain and simple , ” de Blasio tweeted .
“ She called the police BECAUSE he was a Black man .
Even though she was the one breaking the rules .
She decided he was the criminal and we know why .
”

Tom Hays And Ryan Kryska - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Four Minneapolis officers fired after death of black man

MINNEAPOLIS - Four Minneapolis officers involved in the arrest of a black man who died in police custody were fired Tuesday , hours after a bystander ’ s video showed an officer kneeling on the handcuffed man ’ s neck , even after he pleaded that he could not breathe and stopped moving .
Mayor Jacob Frey announced the firings on Twitter , saying “ This is the right call.
” The man ’ s death Monday night was under investigation by the FBI and state law enforcement authorities .
It immediately drew comparisons to the case of Eric Garner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 in New York after he was placed in a chokehold by police and pleaded for his life , saying he could not breathe .
In a post on his Facebook page , Frey apologized Tuesday to the black community for the officer ’ s treatment of the man , who was later identified as 46-year-old George Floyd , who worked security at a restaurant .
“ Being Black in America should not be a death sentence .
For five minutes , we watched a white officer press his knee into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes .
When you hear someone calling for help , you ’ re supposed to help .
This officer failed in the most basic , human sense , ” Frey posted .
Police said the man matched the description of a suspect in a forgery case at a grocery store , and that he resisted arrest .
The video starts with the shirtless man on the ground , and does not show what happened in the moments prior .
The unidentified officer is kneeling on his neck , ignoring his pleas .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t breathe .
Please , man , ” said Floyd , who has his face against the pavement .
Floyd also moans .
One of the officers tells him to “ relax.
” The man calls for his mother and says : “ My stomach hurts , my neck hurts , everything hurts ...
I can ’ t breathe.
” As bystanders shout their concern , one officer says , “ He ’ s talking , so he ’ s breathing.
” But Floyd stops talking and slowly becomes motionless under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer does not remove his knee until the man is loaded onto a gurney by paramedics .
Several witnesses had gathered on a nearby sidewalk , some recording the scene on their phones .
The bystanders become increasingly agitated .
One man yells repeatedly .
“ He ’ s not responsive right now !
” Two witnesses , including one woman who said she was a Minneapolis firefighter , yell at the officers to check the man ’ s pulse .
“ Check his pulse right now and tell me what it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , an officer says : “ Don ’ t do drugs , guys.
” And one man yells , “ Don ’ t do drugs , bro ?
What is that ?
What do you think this is ?
” The Hennepin County medical examiner identified Floyd but said the cause of death was pending .
Floyd had worked security for five years at a restaurant called Conga Latin Bistro and rented a home from the restaurant owner , Jovanni Thunstrom .
He was “ a good friend , person and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Star Tribune .
“ He was family .
His co-workers and friends loved him.
” Ben Crump , a prominent civil rights and personal injury attorney , said he had been hired by Floyd ’ s family .
“ We all watched the horrific death of George Floyd on video as witnesses begged the police officer to take him into the police car and get off his neck , ” Crump said in a statement .
“ This abusive , excessive and inhumane use of force cost the life of a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for questioning about a non-violent charge.
” Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the department would conduct a full internal investigation .
Police did not identify the officers , but attorney Tom Kelly confirmed he is representing Derek Chauvin , the officer seen with his knee on Floyd ’ s neck .
Kelly declined to comment further .
Police did not immediately respond to a request for Chauvin ’ s service record .
News accounts show he was one of six officers who fired their weapons in the 2006 death of Wayne Reyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shotgun at officers after stabbing two people .
Chauvin also shot and wounded a man in 2008 in a struggle after Chauvin and his partner responded to a reported domestic assault .
Several hundred protesters gathered Tuesday evening in the street where Floyd died , chanting and carrying banners that read , “ I can ’ t breathe ” and “ Jail killer KKKops.
” They eventually marched about 2 1/2 miles to a city police precinct , with some protesters damaging windows , a squad car and spraying graffiti on the building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gear eventually confronted the protesters , firing tear gas .
Experts on police use of force told The Associated Press that the officer clearly restrained the man too long .
They noted the man was under control and no longer fighting .
Andrew Scott , a former Boca Raton , Florida , police chief who now testifies as an expert witness in use-of-force cases , called Floyd ’ s death “ a combination of not being trained properly or disregarding their training.
” “ He couldn ’ t move .
He was telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they ignored him , “ Scott said .
” I can ’ t even describe it .
It was difficult to watch.
” The New York City officer in the Garner case said he was using a legal manoeuvr called “ the seatbelt ” to bring down Garner , whom police said had been resisting arrest .
But the medical examiner referred to it as a chokehold in the autopsy report and said it contributed to his death .
Chokehold manoeuvrs are banned under New York police policy .
A grand jury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Garner ’ s death , sparking protests around the country .
The New York Police Department ultimately fired the officer who restrained Garner , but it was five years later , after a federal investigation , a city prosecutor ’ s investigation and an internal misconduct trial .
In Minneapolis , kneeling on a suspect ’ s neck is allowed under the department ’ s use-of-force policy for officers who have received training in how to compress a neck without applying direct pressure to the airway .
It is considered a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department ’ s policy handbook .
A chokehold is considered a deadly force option and involves someone obstructing the airway .
According to the department ’ s use-of-force policy , officers are to use only an amount of force necessary that would be objectively reasonable .
Before the officers were fired , the police union asked the public to wait for the investigation to take its course and not to “ rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers.
“ Messages left with the union after the firings were not returned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which would handle any prosecution of police on state criminal charges , said in a statement that it was “ shocked and saddened ” by the video and pledged to handle the case fairly .
The FBI is investigating whether the officers willfully deprived Floyd of his rights .
If those federal civil rights charges are brought , they would be handled by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Minnesota , which declined comment .
The death came amid outrage over the death of Ahmaud Arbery , who was fatally shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father and son pursued the 25-year-old black man they had spotted running in their subdivision .
More than two months passed before charges were brought .
Crump also represents Arbery ’ s father .
Associated Press writers Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee and Todd Richmond in Madison , Wisconsin , contributed to this report .

Amy Forliti And Jeff Baenen - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-05-26--How NASA’s astronauts became SpaceX’s customers

It took work across three U.S. presidencies , those of George W. Bush , Barack Obama and Donald Trump , but the United States is at last prepared once again , after nearly a decade , to launch American astronauts into orbit from American soil on an American-built rocket .
“ This is a unique opportunity to bring all of America together in one moment in time and say , look at how bright the future is , ” Jim Bridenstine , NASA ’ s administrator , said during a news conference on Tuesday .
Lori Garver , who served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Obama administration , said in an interview that she hoped this moment would have come sooner .
But she also said she was “ really pleased with how , even in the pandemic , much attention and excitement there is for it.
” The United States sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s and then built the world ’ s only space shuttle fleet for trips into and out of orbit .
But the destruction of the shuttle Columbia in a 2003 accident eventually left NASA dependent on costly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the International Space Station .
The replacement that the U.S. space program finally settled on is an innovation not of technology , but philosophy and policy .
Instead of building its own replacement for the shuttle , NASA is handing over responsibility for carrying astronauts to a private company , SpaceX , one of the obsessions of serial entrepreneur Elon Musk .
If Musk ’ s engineers succeed on Wednesday in sending Douglas G. Hurley and Robert L. Behnken to orbit , it will forever change how the world thinks about getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company can loft humans to orbit today , why not the moon next or Mars some years in the future ?
A successful launch could ignite a future long imagined by science fiction writers in which space is a destination for more and more people .
Almost everything about the journey to space scheduled on Wednesday is different from earlier eras of human space flight .
The launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida where the mission will blast off — the same one used by the last shuttle mission in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Musk ’ s Falcon 9 rocket .
Instead of riding to the spacecraft in Astrovan , a modified Airstream motor home that NASA used to transport shuttle crews , Hurley and Behnken will take a trip in a gull-winged Model X SUV , manufactured by Musk ’ s other major company , Tesla .
Wearing stylish SpaceX spacesuits , the two will walk across a sleek walkway about 70 metres above the ground to board the SpaceX-built capsule , which sits on top of the Falcon 9 .
This launch will be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a governmental space agency will be in charge of sending astronauts to orbit .
Even though the passengers are still NASA astronauts , and the agency ’ s officials certainly could call off the launch if they saw something concerning , it is a SpaceX control room with SpaceX employees scanning the monitors who will be directing the launch .
“ We ’ re really looking to be a customer to SpaceX , and to other companies , in the future , ” said James Morhard , NASA ’ s deputy administrator .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re trying to do is to create an expanse , really expand the economy in low-Earth orbit .
That ’ s really what this is about.
” Already , two companies have announced plans to buy launches in SpaceX ’ s capsule , the Crew Dragon , to take non-NASA passengers to space .
Those missions might fly as soon as a year from now .
One would take space tourists on a visit to the International Space Station ; the other would be a trip on an elliptical orbit around Earth that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two to three times as high as the space station ’ s orbit .
Tom Cruise has even expressed interest in using the space station for a film .
A successful launch could also instill confidence that a similar approach will work for the lunar landers NASA hopes will be needed to take astronauts to the surface of the moon as soon as 2024 .
One of the proposals NASA is financing is from SpaceX for a giant spacecraft called Starship that the company hopes to eventually send to Mars .
Another proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Amazon and another billionaire with space dreams .
Bezos ’ rocket company , Blue Origin , is leading the development of Blue Moon , a lander that looks like a larger version of the lander used by NASA ’ s Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s .
But the approach also includes potential pitfalls .
Boeing , the other company NASA selected to carry astronauts , stumbled in December during an uncrewed test of its spacecraft called Starliner .
A software problem scuttled a planned docking at the International Space Station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boeing ’ s software development and testing , and questions about whether NASA was keeping a close enough eye on its contractors .
SpaceX has also encountered technical hurdles , including an explosion last year that destroyed one of its capsules during a test of the escape engines , and failures during parachute tests .
But it was able to recover more quickly .
The transformation toward these commercial endeavours from NASA ’ s traditional ways has not always been easy for NASA and its astronauts .
A decade ago , the shuttle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disintegrated during re-entry because of a damaged wing in 2003 , killing its crew of seven , President George W. Bush decided the remaining three shuttles were too complex and too dangerous .
They were retired and sent to museums once construction of the International Space Station was complete .
NASA astronauts , however , had an ambitious program to look forward to .
Bush announced the goal of sending astronauts back to the moon — by 2020 .
As part of that program , called Constellation , NASA would also be developing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be used for taking astronauts to and from the space station .
NASA then also planted the seeds of a commercial program , opening a competition for companies to send cargo to the International Space Station .
SpaceX was one of two companies that won contracts , which differed from the usual way NASA did business .
Instead of reimbursing companies for their costs and adding a fee on top that provided profit , the cargo contract paid SpaceX predetermined amounts for meeting specific milestones .
Today , Musk ’ s rocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the day-to-day management as president and chief operating officer , has largely avoided controversy and the distractions that Musk sometimes creates around Tesla .
SpaceX routinely launches and lands reusable rockets for numerous customers , and it has captured about 70 per cent of the market .
A decade ago , U.S. aerospace companies had lost almost all of the business of launching commercial satellites to competitors in countries such as Russia and China .
SpaceX is also in the process of deploying hundreds , if not thousands of satellites , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide high-speed internet service to almost anyone anywhere in the world .
But before the company got involved with NASA , it nearly went out of business after failures of its first three attempts to launch its first rocket .
The cargo contract it won in 2006 helped finance development of the Falcon 9 , the rocket now used for launches , and Dragon , the cargo container that became the basis for the capsule that will carry NASA ’ s astronauts .
The company has now successfully launched 19 cargo missions for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one failure in 2015 .
When the Obama administration took over in 2009 , it liked the commercial cargo program but was wary of Constellation , which it feared was turning into a financial and technical quagmire .
It shifted course , cancelling the moon program started in the Bush administration .
For transportation to the space station , NASA started giving money to companies to start developing spacecraft that could carry astronauts to orbit .
The program was called commercial crew .
Garver remembered talking to space shuttle crews after they returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new direction .
“ You can almost see in their faces which ones were intrigued and which ones were pissed , ” she said .
Garrett Reisman was one of the NASA astronauts who was intrigued , so much that in 2011 he retired from NASA to work at SpaceX .
He remembered the distrust that existed between the two organizations when he went back to the agency and presented SpaceX ’ s Crew Dragon plans to his former colleagues .
“ I remember one particular guy saying , making very little effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ They ’ re going to kill somebody , ’ ” said Reisman , who is now a professor at the University of Southern California and still consults for SpaceX .
“ I mean , easily within earshot of me as I was presenting.
” Congress was skeptical , too .
“ It didn ’ t have a lot of support in Congress , ” said Bridenstine , who was an Oklahoma congressman when Trump nominated him to be NASA administrator in 2017 .
The Obama White House actually wanted to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and considered stashing a provision in the economic stimulus package that passed in 2009 that would have provided funding for it .
But it was left out because of opposition from Congress and some top NASA officials .
“ This would have been the place because , like now , those bills go through so fast and they ’ re so big , and nobody is looking , ” Garver said .
“ I think we would have started the effort , ” and that would have shortened the gap between the retirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a replacement .
Instead , it took years of work under Charles F. Bolden Jr. , Obama ’ s NASA administrator before Bridenstine picked up the baton in the Trump administration .
Bolden “ did just yeoman ’ s work in order to get this program off the ground to get it going .
And here we are , all these years later , having this success , ” Bridenstine said .
“ This is a program that demonstrates success when you have continuity of purpose going from one administration to the next.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ space world backs the idea of private companies transporting astronauts to orbit .
SpaceX , no longer a scrappy upstart outsider , is a behemoth in the rocket business and a core contributor to NASA .
“ A lot has changed since then , ” Reisman said .
“ And all for the good in my opinion .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Biden campaign names national director for voter protection

DETROIT - Joe Biden has hired a national director for voter protection , a role his campaign says will focus broadly on voter rights , including the disenfranchisement of people of colour amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
The campaign said Rachana Desai Martin will join its legal team , serving also as senior counsel .
Martin , who has a strong background in voter protection work , previously worked as chief operating officer of the Democratic National Committee and as the DNC ’ s director of civic engagement and voter protection .
The pandemic has disproportionately affected people of colour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outsize number of infections and deaths .
An Associated Press analysis last month found more than one-third of those who have died are African American .
The push for voter protection rights has only intensified in recent weeks , after some primary elections , including Milwaukee ’ s on April 7 , sparked concern that voters were forced to wait in long lines to cast their ballots .
Some health officials have warned the coronavirus could spread at polling places .
Several states are looking at remote-voting possibilities .
Michigan Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered Michigan voters were sent absentee ballot applications .
The move drew the ire of President Donald Trump , who threatened to hold up federal funding .
Separately , the Republican National Committee and other Republican groups filed a lawsuit against California to try to stop the state from mailing absentee ballots to voters ahead of the November election .
Voter protection will play a central role in Biden ’ s overall election strategy , the campaign said , noting that several states over the past few years have passed laws relating to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could make it harder for people to vote .
The campaign said it also expects significant disinformation campaigns targeted at potential voters .
Last year , Georgia made national headlines when it purged nearly 309,000 voter registrations from the state ’ s voting rolls .
A AP poll from late April found that Americans ’ support for mail-in voting has increased amid concerns about the safety of polling places during the coronavirus pandemic , but a wide partisan divide suggests Trump ’ s public campaign against vote by mail may be resonating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that Democrats are now much more likely than Republicans to support their state conducting elections exclusively by mail , 47 % to 29 % .
In 2018 , about half as many Democrats were in favour , and there was little difference in the views of Democrats and Republicans on the question .
Kat Stafford is a member of The Associated Press ’ Race and Ethnicity team .
Follow her on Twitter at https : //twitter.com/kat__stafford .
Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi , Hannah Fingerhut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Former Alaska state Rep. Bob Lynn dies at age 87

JUNEAU , Alaska - Former Alaska state Rep. Bob Lynn has died .
He was 87 .
Lynn had been dealing with health issues when he died Monday , his son , John Lynn , said .
Lynn , a long-serving Anchorage Republican , was first elected to the House in 2002 .
He eventually was unseated by Chris Birch , who won the 2016 primary over Lynn .
Birch died last summer .
Lynn , a military veteran , last year moved to California , the state where he was born .
He maintained a prolific social media presence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinionated but looked past politics in forming relationships .
“ And I think he taught me to also look past the issues and find the person , ” he said .
“ Regardless of your political background or ideology , he always looked at the person.
” House Speaker Bryce Edgmon said Lynn “ lived a full and interesting life.
“ Rep. Dave Talerico called Lynn a friend and mentor .
Lynn was preceded in death by his wife , Marlene .
He is survived by his children , grandchildren and great grandchildren @


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Vote counting in Suriname suspended due to ‘tired staff’

PARAMARIBO , Suriname - Vote counting from Suriname ’ s National Assembly elections was suspended Tuesday as the governing party trailed in announced returns , with authorities saying electoral personnel were exhausted a day after widespread problems in voting .
Opposition parties and good government groups already had raised claims of irregularities on election day , and the suspension brought new questions about the dangers of electoral fraud .
The vote count was halted with 73 % of the ballots counted , and President Desi Bouterse ’ s National Democratic Party appeared headed for defeat .
If the trend held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a majority 26 seats to 16 in the 51-seat parliament .
Chan Santokhi ’ s opposition United Reform Party would rise to 20 seats from nine .
Electoral officials said they had no choice but to stop the vote count .
“ We ’ ve been running for 36 hours .
I understand everyone ’ s desire to hear the results , but we ’ re just people , ” Mike Nerkust , chairman of the chief polling station , told Apintie Television .
He said there shouldn ’ t be any worries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police , there are soldiers and there are people from the political parties and camera systems who keep an eye on the ballot boxes tonight , ” he said .
Bouterse , a 74-year-old former coup leader and strongman who has been convicted of murder and drug smuggling , was hoping to ride the elections into another term despite Suriname ’ s economic problems , which include a foreign debt that experts say can not be repaid and high inflation .
The new National Assembly will select the president in August .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States and local groups reported numerous irregularities during voting Monday , and some Surinamese voiced worries about the halt in vote counting .
However , a mission from the Caribbean Community called the criticism “ heavily exaggerated.
” At a news conference , the regional organization ’ s team said , “ Attention has been paid to almost all serious reports of possible electoral fraud .
The mission has not been able to establish this anywhere .
Local organization disagreed with that assessment .
The head of the independent Electoral Bureau , Jennifer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most chaotic elections “ she ever experienced .
Dew Sharman , a opposition lawmaker , reported seeing already open ballot boxes being delivered to the counting centre at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall .
“ I ’ m staying here tonight to make sure no one gets to the ballots , ” Pakitow Biervliet of another opposition party , Justice and Development , said during a report via Facebook from the sports hall .
A victory for Santokhi ’ s party would not assure him of the presidency .
A two-thirds vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency , so Bouterese ’ s party could block him .


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Trump committed to July 4 celebration despite lawmaker alarm

WASHINGTON - The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump remains committed to holding a Fourth of July celebration in the nation ’ s capital even as Democratic lawmakers from the region -- one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus -- warn that the area will not be ready to hold a major event .
White House spokesman Judd Deere reiterated that Trump wants to hold an Independence Day celebration after members of Congress wrote on Tuesday to Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to raise their concerns about the safety of such an event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus , the event would likely have to be smaller than last year ’ s “ Salute to America ” event on the National Mall that drew tens of thousands .
“ As President Trump has said , there will be an Independence Day celebration this year and it will have a different look than 2019 to ensure the health and safety of those attending , ” Deere said .
“ The American people have shown tremendous courage and spirit in the fight against this global pandemic just as our forefathers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independence , and both deserve celebration on America ’ s birthday this year.
” In their letter , the D.C.-area members wrote that “ such an event would needlessly risk the health and safety of thousands of Americans.
” The letter was organized by Rep. Don Beyer , D-Va , and signed by 10 other congressional Democrats with constituencies in the District of Columbia , Virginia and Maryland .
Last year ’ s July Fourth event featured tanks , a military flyover and a Trump speech at the Lincoln Memorial .
The District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t been reimbursed by the federal government for security costs related to the event .
“ Given the number of individuals that would try to attend such an event , logistically such an event would be impossible to put on safely , ” the lawmakers wrote .
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Tuesday that the city won ’ t be issuing any permits for large gatherings in the immediate future .
The capital is still under a stay-home order , with plans to shift to Phase One of its reopening this upcoming weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Reopen DC task force , large gatherings are prohibited during the first phase of reopening .
In Phase Three , gatherings would cap at 250 people , with physical distancing .
Large gatherings , like the Independence Day event , would not occur until the District enters Phase Four , “ when a vaccine or other cure has been widely administered , or the disease has effectively disappeared .
”

Aamer Madhani And Ashraf Khalil - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Beshear condemns rally where he was hung in effigy

FRANKFORT , Ky. - Vowing not to back down after armed protesters gathered near his home and hung him in effigy , the governor of Kentucky on Tuesday condemned their use of “ fear and terror ” in a demonstration fueled by coronavirus restrictions .
Gov .
Andy Beshear referred to the protesters as a mob in sharply condemning the weekend rally that spread to the Governor ’ s Mansion , where his children play .
And the Democratic governor bluntly accused some Kentucky politicians of culpability for attending a previous rally .
“ Let ’ s start by calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is — actions aimed at creating fear and terror , “ Beshear said of Sunday ’ s rally .
“ Crossing over barriers , standing on the other side of the glass from where I raise my kids and hanging me in an effigy , that ’ s an action intended to use fear to get their way.
” Beshear said he would not be deterred by the demonstration .
He has stressed the need to reopen the state safely , phasing in business restarts amid the health crisis .
Non-essential retail stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reopenings , though with restrictions meant to adhere to social distancing .
Beshear also has strongly urged the wearing of masks .
“ I will not be afraid , “ he said at his daily coronavirus briefing .
“ I will not be bullied .
And I will not back down , not to them and not to anybody else.
” The effigy was hung in a tree near the state capitol during what was billed as a protest rally in defence of constitutional rights , including the right to bear arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against coronavirus restrictions and Beshear ’ s administration , according to media reports , with protesters chanting outside the Governor ’ s Mansion for him to come outside .
Beshear said Tuesday that the protesters have been “ embraced and emboldened ” by some elected leaders .
A handful of Republican lawmakers had attended a previous rally .
Some prominent GOP leaders condemned the actions at Sunday ’ s rally .
Earlier Tuesday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell denounced the protesters ’ actions as “ completely outrageous and unacceptable.
” Without naming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to no longer “ cater “ to such groups , saying : “ You can not fan the flames and then condemn the fire.
” “ You can ’ t wait until something nasty and horrible happens to then claim it ’ s wrong while you ’ ve catered the support of certain groups for votes or other reasons , ” he added .
Beshear said he doesn ’ t regret moving his wife and their two children to the Governor ’ s Mansion , located across the street from the statehouse grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviewed .
He wondered aloud how the protesters would react “ if someone else who is armed walked up on their patio ?
“ ” “ They walked up and stood on the front porch , and there , just a window pane away from where my kids play , the mob chanted and heckled , “ Beshear said .
“ Thankfully , my kids weren ’ t there that day .
But I want to remind you they are 9 and 10 years old.
” Kentucky State Police had little to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky State Police does not comment on the level of security provided to protect the governor , nor any inquiries that we receive regarding these efforts , ” said Sgt .
Josh Lawson , commander of the agency ’ s public affairs branch , speaking with the Lexington Herald-Leader .
Beshear , the son of a former Kentucky governor , is known for his disciplined , even-keeled style .
But he let his emotions show when pressed by reporters about the incident .
“ I ’ m not going to let a bunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re living our life , “ he said .
Beshear made another statement about the protest during his briefing .
Each day , he takes time to learn a few more words of sign language from a sign language interpreter .
On Tuesday , the lesson he signed was : Love , not hate .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Company floats new proposal for hydropower on tribal land

FLAGSTAFF , Ariz. - A Phoenix-based company that was eyeing the Little Colorado River for power generation is floating a new proposal that would rely on groundwater rather than surface water to make electricity .
Pumped Hydro Storage LLC recently applied for a preliminary permit for a project adjacent to the river on the Navajo Nation .
Manager Steve Irwin said the shift was in response to overwhelming criticism that building dams on the river would disrupt the habitat of the endangered humpback chub .
Approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would allow the company three years to study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuba City but doesn ’ t authorize land disturbance .
The commission approved preliminary permits for the Little Colorado River sites east of Grand Canyon National Park last week .
But Irwin said he won ’ t pursue the dams on the river if the Big Canyon proposal moves forward .
Documents filed with the federal government estimate the project will cost between $ 10 million and $ 20 million for studies , tests , surveys and maps , and to construct four earthen and concrete dams that would hold back groundwater .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lower reservoirs to generate power when the demand is high would need the blessing of the Navajo Nation .
Tribal President Jonathan Nez has said he would not support development without the approval of nearby Navajo communities , spokesman Jared Touchin said Tuesday .
Tribes , environmental groups , Grand Canyon National Park , state and federal agencies and others had asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to deny the preliminary permits for the Little Colorado River dams or impose requirements on the company .
The commission said those requests were premature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the licensing stage , which could be several years down the line .
Environmental groups said they ’ re concerned the new proposal could deplete natural springs and disturb the remote , pristine region .
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would take public comment if it accepts the company ’ s request for a preliminary permit .
The permits secure an applicant ’ s priority for hydropower development .


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--US closes probes into 3 senators over their stock trades

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has closed investigations into stock trading by Sens .
Dianne Feinstein of California , Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma , according to people familiar with notifications sent to the senators .
The senators came under scrutiny for transactions made in the weeks before the coronavirus sent markets downhill .
The developments indicate that federal law enforcement officials are narrowing their focus in the stock investigation to Sen. Richard Burr , R-N.C , the former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman .
Agents showed up at his Washington-area home about two weeks ago with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate records show that Burr and his wife sold between roughly $ 600,000 and $ 1.7 million in more than 30 transactions in late January and mid-February , just before the market began to dive and government health officials began to sound alarms about the virus .
Burr has denied any wrongdoing .
Loeffler , Inhofe and Feinstein were notified Tuesday that they are no longer under investigation , according to three people familiar with the contacts but not authorized to speak about them .
A spokesman for Loeffler , who is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement that the Justice Department ’ s decision “ affirms what Senator Loeffler has said all along – she did nothing wrong.
” The spokesman , Stephen Lawson , said that scrutiny of the trades was a “ politically motivated attack ” by her political opponents and the news media .
Loeffler , a Republican who became a senator in January , and her husband dumped substantial portions of their portfolio and purchased new stocks around the time Congress was receiving briefings on the seriousness of the pandemic .
Loeffler ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the New York Stock Exchange , and she has said the accounts were managed by third-party advisers .
Feinstein reported that her husband sold off between $ 1.5 million and $ 6 million worth of stock in Allogene Therapeutics before the market drop .
The San Francisco-based biotech company researches and develops cures for cancer .
Inhofe sold anywhere between roughly $ 395,000 and $ 850,000 worth of stock he held in multiple companies in late January and early February , according to a disclosure .
Like Loeffler , both Inhofe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trades .
Inhofe , a Republican , tweeted in March that he had asked his financial adviser to move him out of stocks and into mutual funds in 2018 , shortly after he became chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee .
Both Loeffler and Feinstein had acknowledged contacts with the Justice Department .
A spokesman for Feinstein said earlier this month that the Democratic senator was asked “ some basic questions ” by law enforcement about sales her husband made and had voluntarily answered questions .
A Loeffler spokesperson had said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department , the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Senate Ethics Committee “ establishing that she and her husband acted entirely appropriately and observed both the letter and the spirit of the law.
” Meanwhile , Burr temporarily stepped aside as chairman of the intelligence panel during the probe , saying he didn ’ t want it to be a distraction .
He also called for the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate his actions .
A spokeswoman for Alice Fisher , Burr ’ s attorney , said Fisher would have no comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator has been “ actively co-operating ” with investigators .
“ From the outset , Senator Burr has been focused on an appropriate and thorough review of the facts in this matter , which will establish that his actions were appropriate , ” Fisher said in a statement earlier this month .
Burr has acknowledged selling the stocks because of the coronavirus but said he relied “ solely on public news reports , ” specifically CNBC ’ s daily health and science reporting out of Asia , to make the financial decisions .

Mary Clare Jalonick And Eric Tucker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Chile’s hospital ICUs near full capacity as pandemic rages

SANTIAGO , Chile - Intensive care units in Chile ’ s hospitals are nearly at capacity amid a flood of coronavirus patients , authorities said Tuesday , and doctors are having to make wrenching choices over which patients should get available beds .
Health officials said 95 % of the country ’ s 2,400 ICU beds are occupied even after a doubling of capacity from the levels in March .
They announced plans to add 400 more critical care beds in the coming days .
“ This is an extraordinarily difficult time , ” Health Minister Jaime Mañalich said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chile has the third most coronavirus cases in the region , after Brazil and Peru , with an average of 4,000 new infections reported daily .
About 15 % of the cases require hospitalization .
That is forcing Chilean physicians to face a dilemma that previously confronted doctors in hard-hit nations like Italy and Spain : Which patient with coronavirus should be given the last available bed ?
Khaty Barriga , mayor of the populous commune of Maipú , said there was only one respirator free for use Tuesday at the El Carmen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the Santiago metropolitan region , which has had more than 80 % of the nearly 78,000 coronavirus cases and just over 800 deaths recorded in Chile .
Dr. Claudia Vega , head of the hospital ’ s ICU , had said Monday in a television interview that “ right now I am choosing which bed is going to be vacated and choose the right person , which is the right one.
” “ May God enlighten me in this , ” she said .
The Chilean Society of Intensive Medicine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinics daily , said the occupancy of critical care beds in the greater Santiago area stood at 97 % .
A report from the University of Chile said the increase in new cases “ suggests a possible complete saturation of the system this week.
” The Santiago region is home to 8 million people , who have been under mandatory orders for isolation at home for 11 days .
Except for a 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew , residents are allowed to obtain permission online to venture outside to perform necessary tasks , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brief walks .


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Coroner IDs Mississippi man killed in road rage encounter

OCEAN SPRINGS , Miss .
- Authorities on Tuesday identified a Mississippi man who was shot to death during a @ @ @ @ @ before , and they were still searching for the suspect who was driving a vehicle @ @ @ @ @ Brandon Box , 30 , of Gulfport , was killed during Monday ’ s encounter @ @ @ @ @ Mississippi , Jackson County Coroner Bryce Lynd Jr. told the Sun Herald .
The Mississippi @ @ @ @ @ a shooting call around 4:30 p.m. Monday and found a truck sprayed with bullet holes @ @ @ @ @ Springs .
Box had been driving the truck .
He was taken to a hospital @ @ @ @ @ determined that Box and a suspect had engaged in a road rage incident that began @ @ @ @ @ kilometres ) down the interstate before the suspect began shooting at the truck , according @ @ @ @ @ .
The suspect ’ s vehicle continued driving after the shooting , Highway Patrol Sgt @ @ @ @ @ The agency has asked witnesses to come forward .


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Video showing Michigan deputy punching woman sparks protests

YPSILANTI , Mich. - A Michigan sheriff ’ s deputy is seen on video punching a black woman in the head several times during her arrest early Tuesday , and another deputy tased her husband after the couple allegedly refused an order to leave the scene of a shooting .
Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton said several officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave , including the one seen on the video punching the woman , and an internal investigation is underway .
“ There is absolutely no doubt , and no argument from me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disturbing , ” Clayton said .
“ It warrants a complete investigation.
” About three dozen demonstrators marched outside the sheriff ’ s department headquarters , chanting such things as “ no justice , no peace ” following the incident in Ypsilanti Township , about 40 miles west of Detroit .
Authorities said the deputies took the action against Sha ’ Teina Grady El and her husband , Dan Grady El , after they ignored an order to leave the scene of a shooting as officers formed a perimeter to keep community members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can not continue to allow this , ” said Trische ’ Duckworth , a protest organizer with the non-profit Survivors Speak .
The protesters later met with Clayton in his office .
The sheriff ’ s department was called to scene on reports 30 people were arguing and shots had been fired .
Upon arrival , the responding deputies found a 34-year-old female gunshot victim who required medical attention and several bystanders observing the scene , prompting a call to other police agencies for assistance .
In his statement , Clayton said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force against the Grady Els and their arrests .
He says the sheriff ’ s department is committed to sharing all the facts in the case with the public as it becomes available .


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--For trade students, online classes can’t replicate hands-on

PHOENIX - Like students across the U.S. , Christa Schall was working toward graduation when the coronavirus closed her school .
But unlike many , she can ’ t finish her classes online — her cosmetology program , like the coursework at many technical and trade schools , requires hands-on training .
Schall needs to cut , paint and style hair at the Aveda Institute in Ohio to graduate and get her license to practice , but weeks of closures have put her behind .
Her last client , a woman who got her highlights retouched every two weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closing after her mid-March appointment .
Schall had her own moment of panic , realizing her life would be on hold .
Now , instead of graduating in September , she must wait until spring .
Traditional students “ can take that learning anywhere .
For us , we have to do it a certain way , ” she said .
For Schall and other students at technical and trade colleges , the coronavirus is disrupting their education in a very different way than that of more traditional college students .
Learning how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s vein or mix just the right amount of hair colour for the perfect shade doesn ’ t translate well to Zoom meetings .
Those specialized skills , known as career and technical education , require hands-on learning .
About 8.4 million students are seeking postsecondary certificates and associate degrees in career and technical education fields , according to the Association for Career and Technical Education .
Many are black or Hispanic and come from low-income households , according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce analysis .
For many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of poverty .
Roughly 30 million American jobs that pay a median income of $ 55,000 require less education than a bachelor ’ s degree , the ACTE reports .
Across the country , teachers and students in technical training classes have had to adapt to class closures rapidly and creatively .
Butler Tech , which teaches Ohio high school and post-secondary students subjects ranging from police academy to welding , has started slowly reopening campus after being closed for several weeks .
When the pandemic first hit , it had to transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the school ’ s superintendent and CEO , said Butler has learned some valuable lessons about having to teach in a completely different way .
“ There will be a new normal for us because of the lessons we ’ ve learned being forced upon being online and virtual learning , ” Graft said .
In Linda Romano ’ s New York high school nursing aide class , students at home used frying pans to learn how to use a bedpan on a patient .
Romano used a doll she found in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrate how to perform a bed bath .
“ I think they ’ re getting a better education because they ’ re really , really thinking about this skill and the aspects that go along with it , ” Romano said .
it , ” Romano said .
But Romano and her students face many hurdles .
Students don ’ t have the materials they need to learn , and some don ’ t have access to a computer and have to use their cellphones .
They won ’ t be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official nurse ’ s aids .
And they won ’ t have their traditional pin ceremony , Romano said .
As part of his agriculture courses at a high school near Columbus , Missouri , Scott Stone leads a greenhouse class each year where students grow and tend plants on site .
Stone , a teacher for 23 years , had never taught online when students were sent home in March .
Because the students can ’ t access the greenhouse , they are taking care of plants at home .
Stone talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking them to describe what the plants smell and feel like .
“ It ’ s like being a first-year teacher all over again , ” Stone said .
The stakes are higher for postsecondary students like Tara Ferguson , who is studying to become a phlebotomist at Atlanta Technical College .
Ferguson was heading into a hands-on area of instruction when schools began to close and shift to online learning .
But , as anyone who has had blood drawn would likely agree , the intricacies of feeling for a vein and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t be done online , ” Ferguson said .
For Ferguson , a pharmacy technician and single mom of a 13-year-old daughter , becoming a phlebotomist would be a bump in pay and more stability .
She was supposed to start the clinical side of her education , when students train at a local medical facility to draw blood from various types of patients , on May 18 .
But as the date approached and uncertain whether the class would go forward , she decided to drop it .
So instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting her certification and going into the workforce , she hopes she can finish by early next year .
“ This will put it way back .
I don ’ t even know how long , ” she said .
“ When do I get to move on to that next step ?
” Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .
This story was first published on May 23 , 2020 .
It was updated on May 26 , 2020 to make clear that high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with online teaching because of a lack of access her students have to necessary materials and because her students won ’ t be able to take their nurse ’ s aid exams , among other difficulties .

Astrid Galvan And Rebecca Santana - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Biden calls Trump a ‘fool’ for mocking masks during pandemic

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden said Tuesday that wearing a mask in public to combat the spread of the coronavirus is a sign of leadership and called President Donald Trump a “ fool ” who was “ stoking deaths ” for suggesting otherwise .
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee ’ s comments came a day after he wore a black face mask while making his first public appearance in more than two months .
Biden has remained at his Delaware home amid a pandemic that has frozen the presidential campaign , but he marked Memorial Day by laying a wreath at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife , Jill .
Trump later retweeted a post that appeared to make fun of a photo of Biden in his mask , though he later said he didn ’ t mean to be critical .
In an interview with CNN , Biden responded , “ He ’ s a fool , an absolute fool , to talk that way.
” “ He ’ s supposed to lead by example , ” Biden said .
The former vice-president also noted that nearly 100,000 Americans have been killed by the virus and suggested that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were avoidable but for Trump ’ s “ lack of attention and ego.
” Federal officials have recommended that people cover their nose and mouth in public when other measures , such as practicing social distancing of at least 6 feet ( 1.8 metres ) , aren ’ t possible .
But the issue has become increasingly politically charged , with Trump refusing to wear a mask and polls finding that conservative Americans are more likely to forgo them as well .
Biden didn ’ t wear a mask during the CNN interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he sat 12 feet ( 3.6 metres ) from the reporter .
“ It ’ s just absolutely this macho stuff , ” Biden said of Trump bristling at wearing a mask in public , a practice the former vice-president called being “ falsely masculine.
” “ It ’ s cost people ’ s lives.
” Biden added that the president is politicizing the issue and “ it ’ s stoking deaths .
That ’ s not going to increase the likelihood that people are going to be better off.
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day , Trump retweeted a post by a political commentator that featured an image of a masked Biden over the comment , “ This might help explain why Trump doesn ’ t like to wear a mask in public.
” Asked about that during a subsequent event in the White House Rose Garden , the president responded , “ Biden can wear a mask.
” “ But he was standing outside with his wife , perfect conditions , perfect weather , “ Trump said .
” They ’ re inside , they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought it was very unusual that he had one on .
But I thought that was fine .
I wasn ’ t criticizing him at all .
Why would I ever do a thing like that ?
” Trump then asked the reporter who was following up with a second question to remove the mask he was wearing , complaining he couldn ’ t hear him .
When the reporter instead said he would speak louder , the president replied : “ Oh , OK , ’ cause you want to be politically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people wear masks when at home .
Still , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany used the same line of argument on Tuesday .
She noted that Biden has foregone a mask while appearing for frequent online events from his home , something he did during a virtual fundraiser held Tuesday night .
“ It is a bit peculiar , “ McEnany said .
” That in his basement , right next to his wife , he ’ s not wearing a mask .
But he ’ s wearing one outdoors when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that there was a discrepancy there.
” Biden , meanwhile , has continued to face fallout from a remark he made Friday on “ The Breakfast Club , ” a radio program influential and popular in the black community .
He had commented , “ If you ’ ve got a problem figuring out whether you ’ re for me or for Trump , then you ain ’ t black.
” That sparked criticism from some African American activists , and Biden made a previously unscheduled appearance on a U.S. Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that he “ should not have been so cavalier.
” He went further Tuesday , telling CNN , “ I shouldn ’ t have done that .
It was a mistake.
” “ When I say something that is understandably , in retrospect , offensive to someone , and legitimately offensive — making it look like taking them for granted — I should apologize , ” Biden said .
“ I don ’ t apologize for every mistake I make because a lot of them don ’ t have any consequences @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Health organization urges Nicaragua to take action

MIAMI - The Pan-American Health Organization called on Nicaragua ’ s government Tuesday to urgently take steps to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in a country that so far has minimized its threat .
“ The protection of life and health can not wait , ” said Ciro Ugarte , the regional organization ’ s director of health emergencies .
“ We call on all public and private entities in Nicaragua to implement immediately all of the recommendations.
” The administration of President Daniel Ortega has reported few deaths , but growing public clamour about infections and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s assertions hard to believe .
Unlike its neighbours , the country has not taken social distancing measures and has continued to promote mass gatherings .
Schools have remained open and only recently was the baseball season temporarily suspended until June 5 .
Last weekend , the government organized some 2,500 open air events in towns across the country .
Nicaragua ’ s Health Ministry said Tuesday the death toll had doubled to 35 since last week and the number of confirmed infections had grown to 759 .
Health Minister Carlos Sáenz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been under monitoring , but did not say how many .
A parallel citizen effort to track infections and deaths called the Citizen Observatory has reported more than 2,300 infections and 465 deaths .
Ugarte said that for the first time the government last week provided information that allowed the organization to confirm there is local spread of the disease .
He said they had offered the assistance of international experts , but so far Ortega ’ s government has refused .
“ In this phase , to save lives and reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential to be transparent with the numbers , inform reliably about the situation and with total transparency , ” Ugarte said .
“ It is necessary to reduce the local spread , protect health workers and also implement measures to allow essential services to the community.
” AP writer Gabriela Selser in Managua , Nicaragua contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Stocks rise on Wall Street, but US braces for 100,000 deaths

NEW YORK - Stocks surged on Wall Street to their highest levels since the business shutdowns took hold in the U.S. over two months ago , climbing on optimism Tuesday about the reopening economy even as the nation ’ s official death toll from the coronavirus closed in on 100,000 , a number President Donald Trump once predicted the country would never see .
With infections mounting rapidly in places like Brazil and India , a top global health official warned that the crisis is far from over .
In a largely symbolic move , the New York Stock Exchange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time in two months , with plexiglass barriers , masks and a reduced number of traders to adhere to 6-foot ( 2-meter ) social distancing rules .
Those entering the NYSE will have their temperatures taken and were asked to avoid public transportation .
The S & P 500 closed 1.2 % higher , and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 530 points , or 2.2 % .
Markets worldwide also rose .
“ These little baby steps that we start to see different states reopening , different policies that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks ago — these are all clear signals that we ’ re moving in the right direction , ” said Jonathan Corpina , senior managing partner at Meridian Equity Partners .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , who has presided over the state with the highest death toll from the scourge , rang the bell to set off trading at the NYSE .
Several thousand brokers and others used to crowd the trading floor as recently as the 1990s .
But in the years since , the rise of electronic trading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action on Wall Street .
These days , there are about 500 floor traders at the NYSE .
The rally took place as the government reported that U.S. consumer confidence inched up this month , showing signs of stabilizing .
Still , it remains near a six-year low in the face of the widespread business shutdowns that have sent the economy into recession and driven unemployment to levels last seen during the Great Depression .
Over the past few days , rental car giant Hertz and South America ’ s biggest airline , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the likes of J .
Crew , J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus .
Worldwide , the virus has infected more than 5.5 million people and killed over 348,000 , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
Europe has recorded about 170,000 deaths , while the U.S. was approaching 100,000 in a span of less than four months , more than the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam and Korean wars combined .
The true death toll is widely believed to be significantly higher , with experts saying many victims died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it .
Trump several months ago likened the coronavirus to the flu and dismissed worries it could lead to so many deaths .
The administration ’ s leading scientists have since warned that as many as 240,000 could perish from the virus .
In hard-hit New York , Cuomo reported a one-day total Tuesday of 73 deaths , the lowest figure in months , and down from a peak of nearly 800 .
“ In this absurd new reality , that is good news , “ he said .
Still , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the air , with Republicans talking about pulling it out of North Carolina because of concerns authorities there might not allow such a large gathering .
Georgia and Florida — both led by Republican governors — have offered to host the convention .
In Italy , where the crisis is easing but the death toll is a staggering 33,000 , the ancient ruins at Pompeii were reopened to the public Tuesday , and the Colosseum in Rome , one of the world ’ s biggest tourist attractions , will begin receiving visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times will be staggered to reduce crowding and tickets must be bought online .
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli revealed that he has recovered from COVID-19 and went to a hospital in Pisa on Tuesday to donate plasma for research about coronavirus treatments .
The World Health Organization said that the world remains mired in only the first stage of the pandemic , putting a damper on hopes for a speedy global economic rebound .
“ Right now , we ’ re not in the second wave .
We ’ re right in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ said Dr. Mike Ryan , WHO ’ s executive director .
“ We ’ re still very much in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up , ” Ryan said , pointing to South America , South Asia and other parts of the world .
India , with a population of over 1.3 billion , saw a record single-day jump in new cases for the seventh straight day .
It reported 6,535 new infections Tuesday , raising its total to over 145,000 , including almost 4,200 deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its 2,400 intensive care beds are occupied even after doubling capacity from March levels .
An average of 4,000 new infections are being reported daily .
In Brazil , where President Jair Bolsonaro has raged against state and local leaders enforcing stay-at-home measures , WHO warned that before reopening the economy , authorities must have enough testing in place to control the spread of the virus .
Brazil has about 375,000 coronavirus infections — second only to the 1.6 million cases in the U.S. — and has counted over 23,000 deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll is much higher .
Ryan said that because of Brazil ’ s “ intense ” transmission rates , it should keep some stay-at-home measures in place , regardless of the damage to the economy .
“ You must continue to do everything you can , ” he said .
A U.S. travel ban was set to take effect Tuesday for foreigners coming from Brazil .
In Europe , Russian ’ s Vladimir Putin announced that the postponed military parade marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany ’ s defeat in World War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Victory Day has become the most important holiday in Russia , traditionally marked on May 9 with a show of armed might in Red Square .
Russia reported a record one-day spike Tuesday of 174 deaths , bringing the country ’ s confirmed death toll to over 3,800 .
Russia ’ s coronavirus caseload surpassed 360,000 — third-highest in the world — with almost 9,000 new infections registered .
The country ’ s comparatively low mortality rate has raised questions among experts .
Russian officials deny manipulating the figures and attribute the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s lockdowns .
Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report .

Matt Ott, Ted Shaffrey And Lisa Marie Pane - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--Victim’s wife says fugitive student sought their neighbour

WILLINGTON , Conn. - A college student police say is an armed fugitive after killing two people was looking for a young woman he knew when he began his rampage , the wife of his first victim said Tuesday .
University of Connecticut senior Peter Manfredonia , 23 , is a fugitive in the machete killing of the woman ’ s neighbour , 62-year-old Ted DeMers , of Willington , Connecticut .
He also is believed to have killed his own high school friend , Nicholas Eisele , 23 , on Sunday about 70 miles ( 110 kilometres ) away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was last reported seen in Pennsylvania on Sunday and is the target of a search involving police agencies and the FBI .
Cyndi DeMers , Ted DeMers ’ wife of 42 years , said in an interview that Manfredonia was looking for a female acquaintance when he came walking down the road in front of their Willington home wearing a motorcycle helmet .
When asked why he was walking down the rural road , Manfredonia said his motorcycle had broken down , Cyndi DeMers said .
Ted DeMers was killed with a machete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his bike .
“ He said to my husband , ‘ I know so-and-so , ’ who is one of our neighbours , which then opened up the door to trusting this person , ” Cyndi DeMers said .
“ I think he got in the way of what he was going to do , ” she said .
“ He was clearly walking to her home with a mission , with a machete in his backpack.
” DeMers said she talked with their young neighbour ’ s father over the weekend and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a restraining order against Manfredonia , who had been to the home in the past .
Her neighbours have been told by police not to return to their home until he is captured , she said .
An additional neighbour , who came to DeMers ’ aid , also was attacked .
That man suffered serious hand injuries but is expected to survive , Cyndi DeMers said .
Connecticut State Police pleaded at a news briefing Tuesday for Manfredonia to turn himself in .
“ We want you to be able to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We are hear to listen to you .
Your parents , your friends , all of us back here in Connecticut want a peaceful end to this.
“ Manfredonia broke into another house in Willington over the weekend , stealing guns and a truck , and then headed south , police said .
The truck was found Sunday in Derby , near Eisele ’ s home .
Police said they believe Manfredonia killed his friend , then forced Eisele ’ s 23-year-old girlfriend into her car and fled the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rest stop near Paterson , New Jersey , with her 2016 Volkswagen Jetta and was not hurt , police said .
Manfredonia took an Uber to a Walmart in East Stroudsburg , not far from the New Jersey border , Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday .
Police discovered through interviews with the driver and from security camera footage that Manfredonia walked behind the store and onto railroad tracks , authorities said .
Pennsylvania police said they don ’ t believe Manfredonia has ties to the area , or a car .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to flee , the agency said .
Authorities are looking for a black 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe with Pennsylvania registration KYW-1650 that was stolen around 9 p.m. Monday .
Police haven ’ t connected Manfredonia to the theft , they said , but it was taken from the area where he was last seen on surveillance video .
Manfredonia , who is believed to be armed with several guns stolen during the home invasion in Willington , was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and dark shorts and carrying a large duffel bag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person matching his description walking along railroad tracks in East Stroudsburg .
A lawyer for Manfredonia ’ s family , Mike Dolan , said the suspect has struggled with mental health issues and has “ sought the help of a number of therapists.
” “ Peter , if you are listening , you are loved , ” Dolan said at a news conference Monday .
“ It is time to let the healing process begin .
It ’ s time to surrender .
You have your parents ’ and your sisters ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , Peter , from your parents , we love you , please turn yourself in.
” Cyndi DeMers said she and her husband were looking forward to becoming grandparents for he first time next month .
Ted DeMers would be remembered as a kindhearted man , always willing to help anyone in need .
That , she said , was what he was doing when he was killed .
“ He was like the neighbourhood watch , ” she said .
“ He was home all the time , so he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was that guy.
“ This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the name of the victim ’ s wife to Cyndi , not Cindy .


thetorontostar--2020-05-26--FBI: only 1 attacker in Texas naval base shooting

HOUSTON - The FBI said Tuesday that its investigation points to only one attacker in the shooting at a Texas naval air base , days after the agency suggested another person involved might be on the loose .
FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Leah Greeves said last week that investigators were working to determine whether a second person of interest was at large following the shooting at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi .
The Thursday attack left a sailor wounded and the gunman dead .
But the agency ’ s Houston office said on Twitter Tuesday that “ while there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person of interest , intense investigation leads us now to believe there was not.
” The FBI also repeated that the shooting is being investigated as a “ terror-related incident , ” without elaborating on what that means .
Two officials familiar with the investigation previously told the Associated Press that agents were examining social media posts they believe the shooter made expressing support for extremist groups , including Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula .
Officials have identified the gunman as 20-year-old Adam Salim Alsahli , a Corpus Christi resident who had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Security officers shot and killed him after he opened fire while trying to drive a truck through a base entry gate .
The FBI said Tuesday that Alsahli was a Syria-born American citizen .
An agency spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment .


thetorontostar--2020-05-27--Officials: Prison reform advocate rehearsed jail break plans

NASHVILLE - A longtime prison reform advocate accused of preparing to stage an escape at a Tennessee jail that ’ s under construction had a builder create a concrete room in his condominium ’ s basement so he could learn how to break into the walls , authorities say .
The room built in a storage area were discovered in March after investigators obtained a search warrant for Alexander Friedmann ’ s condo in Nashville , according to a federal complaint filed Tuesday .
The federal charge , of weapons possession by a felon , follows the discovery in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the home of a friend of Friedmann ’ s , U.S. Attorney Don Cochran announced .
The former convict turned crusader against private prisons was a longtime editor at Prison Legal News until his arrest in January .
Authorities reviewed many hours of security video they said show him gaining access to the new jail on at least 10 occasions , sometimes accompanied by an accomplice who acted as a lookout , federal prosecutors said .
They accuse him of dressing as a construction worker , stealing keys , and covering guns and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them inside the jail ’ s block walls and window areas .
“ It was discovered that Mr. Friedmann , over many months , had developed and implemented an extremely deliberate and , in my opinion , evil plan , ” Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall said in a news conference in February .
Hall said he believes Friedmann was designing a massive jail break that would endanger “ every inmate , every visitor and our entire community.
” The Tennessean reported authorities said the basement room used materials similar to that of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friedmann ’ s builder friend , who thought it was going to be used to store legal documents .
Friedmann also had a sketch of the jail that he tried to chew and swallow when police detained him at the Davidson County Downtown Detention Center construction site in January , authorities said .
Before his most recent charge , Friedmann was charged in January with attempted burglary and with vandalism in February .
Friedmann was previously convicted of armed robbery and assault .
His bond was set at $ 2.5 million in February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innocent and will respond through the appropriate legal processes , ” his attorney , Ben Raybin , said in a statement in February .
Prison Legal News is a project of the non-profit Human Rights Defence Center .
Friedmann resigned as editor after his arrest in January , executive director Paul Wright said in a telephone interview .


thetorontostar--2020-05-27--Iran’s president pushes for harsher laws on honour killings

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran ’ s president urged his Cabinet on Wednesday to speed up harsher laws in so-called honour killings , after a particularly disturbing slaying of a 14-year-old girl by her father shocked the nation .
President Hassan Rouhani pushed for speedy adoption of relevant bills , some which have apparently shuttled for years among various decision-making bodies in Iran .
The killing of teen Romina Ashrafi in the Iranian town of Talesh , some 320 kilometres ( 198 miles ) northwest of the capital , Tehran , prompted a nationwide outcry .
She was reportedly beheaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ashrafi , who used a farming sickle to kill his daughter .
The father , who is now in custody , was apparently enraged after she ran away with her 34-year-old boyfriend Bahamn Khavari in Talesh .
In rural areas of Iran , it ’ s unheard of for teenage girls to run away from home to be with their boyfriends .
After five days , Romina was found and taken to a police station , from where her father brought her back home .
The girl reportedly told the police she feared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is little data on honour killings in Iran , where local media occasionally report on such cases .
Under the law , girls can marry after the age of 13 , though the average age of marriage for Iranian women is 23 .
It is not known how many women and young girls are killed by family members or close relatives because of their actions , perceived as violating conservative Islamic norms on love and marriage .
Iran ’ s judiciary said Romina ’ s case will be tried in a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her father faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years .
Iran ’ s vice-president in charge of family affairs , Masoumeh Ebtekar , expressed hope that a bill with harsher punishments will soon be in the final stages of approval .


thetorontostar--2020-05-27--Virginia Beach cancels July Fourth fireworks over COVID-19

VIRGINIA BEACH , Va. - Officials in Virginia Beach have cancelled July Fourth fireworks displays slated for two locations in @ @ @ @ @ safe and comply with orders issued amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The displays were scheduled @ @ @ @ @ Mount Trashmore Park , The Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday .
The city also cancelled the Mount @ @ @ @ @ May 29 to June 23 , and the Party at the Pier planned for June @ @ @ @ @ and Fishing Pier .
“ The health and safety of people who live , work @ @ @ @ @ is a top priority , ” Mayor Bobby Dyer said Tuesday .
“ We all @ @ @ @ @ the spread of COVID-19.
” Norfolk Festevents , which sponsors festivals and events at Town @ @ @ @ @ it was cancelling the city ’ s 44th annual Harborfest in June , and postponing @ @ @ @ @ Bayou Boogaloo .
The July Fourth fireworks remained on the city ’ s website as @ @ @ @ @ coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-05-27--Serbia bans Montenegro flights amid escalating tensions

BELGRADE , Serbia - Serbian authorities have banned Montenegro ’ s national carrier from operating flights out of Belgrade after the small nation ’ s government excluded Serbia from a list of countries with which Montenegro will reopen its borders after declaring an end to its coronavirus outbreak .
The Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate said Montenegro Airlines planes can not land at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport as of Wednesday .
The aviation agency said unrestricted travel between the two countries has been “ seriously violated ” by Montenegro ’ s decision to ban Serbs from entering Montenegro .
The flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Balkan allies , which existed as one state before Montenegro split off through a 2006 referendum .
Montenegro Airlines planned to resume flights to the Serbian capital on June 1 .
Air Serbia , still has plans to fly to two destinations in Montenegro starting June 7 .
Montenegro declared itself “ coronavirus-free ” as the first country in Europe with no more active COVID-19 cases .
Before then , the country recorded a total of 324 confirmed virus cases and nine deaths .
Serbia has recorded over 11,000 confirmed cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government announced Monday that as of June 1 it would permit entry to the nationals from nine European countries .
It said the selection criteria was having no more than 25 active coronavirus-infected patients per 100.000 inhabitants .
The list includes Croatia , Slovenia , Austria , Germany , Poland , the Czech Republic , Hungary , Albania and Greece , but does not include neighbouring Serbia or Bosnia .
Without saying that Serbia meets Montenegro ’ s entry criteria , Belgrade denounced the decision as political and hostile .
Montenegrin officials tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the list of nationals who will be allowed to enter has not yet been finalized .
Populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday the flight ban is the “ most legal and polite ” response to the Montenegrin travel action , adding that Serbia won ’ t close its borders to Montenegro ’ s citizens as it would hurt Serbs who live there .
Tensions between Serbia and Montenegro have escalated since late last year , when the Montenegrin parliament adopted a religious law which the Serbian Orthodox Church said would strip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Montenegrin officials have denied the allegation .
The Serbian government has openly supported a series of protests by Serbs in Montenegro who want the law revoked .
Montenegrin officials have accused Belgrade and Moscow of trying to destabilize the nation ’ s pro-Western government by launching a major propaganda campaign that fueled the protests .
Montenegro joined NATO in 2017 despite strong opposition from another historic Slavic ally , Russia .
Both Belgrade and Moscow have repeatedly denied meddling in Montenegro ’ s internal affairs .


thetorontostar--2020-05-27--Swift firings for Minneapolis officers in death of black man

MINNEAPOLIS - To the general public , the video of a white police officer pressing his knee into the neck of a black man prone on the street , crying out for help until he finally stopped moving , was horrifying .
Four officers were fired a day after George Floyd ’ s death , a stunning and swift move by the Minneapolis chief with the mayor ’ s full backing .
But despite their dismissal , whether the incident will be considered criminal , or even excessive force , is a more complicated question that will likely take months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon after a bystander ’ s video taken outside a south Minneapolis grocery store Monday night showed an officer kneeling on the handcuffed man ’ s neck , even after he pleaded that he could not breathe and stopped moving .
Floyd ’ s death prompted protests Tuesday , with thousands taking to the streets and police in riot gear eventually confronting them with tear gas and projectiles .
Bridgett Floyd told NBC ’ s “ Today ” show in an interview Wednesday morning that the officers involved in her brother ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ that ’ s exactly what they did.
” She said she hadn ’ t watched the bystander ’ s video , but told ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America ” that “ I don ’ t understand how someone could possibly let an individual go out like that.
“ Mayor Jacob Frey announced the firings on Twitter , saying : “ This is the right call.
” The FBI and state law enforcement were investigating Floyd ’ s death , which immediately drew comparisons to the case of Eric Garner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 in New York after he was placed in a chokehold by police and pleaded for his life , saying he could not breathe .
But in the Garner case , local prosecutors , the NYPD ’ s internal affairs unit , and the Justice Department all finished investigations into the case before the officer was ultimately fired .
Garner ’ s family and activists spent years begging for the officer to be removed .
The officers in the Minneapolis incident haven ’ t even been publicly identified , though one defence attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the officer seen with his knee on Floyd ’ s neck .
The attorney , Tom Kelly , declined to comment further .
The police union asked the public to wait for the investigation to take its course and not to “ rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers.
” Messages left with the union after the firings were not returned .
Protesters filled the intersection Tuesday evening in the street where Floyd died , chanting and carrying banners that read , “ I can ’ t breathe ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 2.5 miles ( 4 kilometres ) to a city police precinct , with some protesters damaging windows , a squad car and spraying graffiti on the building .
A line of police in riot gear eventually confronted the protesters .
Some protesters kicked tear gas canisters back toward police .
Some protesters stacked shopping carts to make a barricade at a Target store across the street from the station , and though steady rain diminished the crowd , tense skirmishes stretched late into the evening .
Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and prosecutors will decide whether to file criminal charges against the officers involved .
The Hennepin County Attorney ’ s Office said it was “ shocked and saddened ” by the video and pledged to handle the case fairly .
Part of that investigation will likely focus on the intent of the officers , whether they meant to harm Floyd or whether it was a death that happened in the course of police work .
The FBI was investigating whether the officers willfully deprived Floyd of his civil rights .
News accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who fired their weapons in the 2006 death of Wayne Reyes , whom police said pointed a sawed-off shotgun at officers after stabbing two people .
Chauvin also shot and wounded a man in 2008 in a struggle after Chauvin and his partner responded to a reported domestic assault .
Police did not immediately respond to a request for Chauvin ’ s service record .
In Minneapolis , kneeling on a suspect ’ s neck is allowed under the department ’ s use-of-force policy for officers who have received training in how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the airway .
It is considered a “ non-deadly force option , ” according to the department ’ s policy handbook .
A chokehold is considered a deadly force option and involves someone obstructing the airway .
According to the department ’ s use-of-force policy , officers are to use only an amount of force necessary that would be objectively reasonable .
But two use-of-force experts told The Associated Press that the officer clearly restrained the man too long .
They noted the man was under control and no longer fighting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Florida , police chief who now testifies as an expert witness in use-of-force cases , called Floyd ’ s death “ a combination of not being trained properly or disregarding their training.
” “ He couldn ’ t move .
He was telling them he couldn ’ t breathe , and they ignored him , ” Scott said .
“ I can ’ t even describe it .
It was difficult to watch.
” In a post on his Facebook page , the mayor , who is white , apologized Tuesday to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s treatment of Floyd , 46 , who worked security at a restaurant .
“ Being Black in America should not be a death sentence .
For five minutes , we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black man ’ s neck .
Five minutes .
When you hear someone calling for help , you ’ re supposed to help .
This officer failed in the most basic , human sense , ” Frey posted .
Police said the man matched the description of a suspect in a forgery case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he resisted arrest .
The video starts with the man on the ground , and does not show what happened in the moments prior .
The unidentified officer is kneeling on his neck , ignoring his pleas .
“ Please , please , please , I can ’ t breathe .
Please , man , ” said Floyd , who has his face against the pavement .
Even in the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. and prompted police departments around the country to change how they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video aren ’ t wearing masks .
In some cities , low-level arrests such as attempted forgery are skipped right now .
Floyd also moans .
One of the officers tells him to “ relax.
” Floyd calls for his mother and says : “ My stomach hurts , my neck hurts , everything hurts ...
I can ’ t breathe.
” As bystanders shout their concern , one officer says , “ He ’ s talking , so he ’ s breathing.
” But Floyd slowly becomes motionless under the officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not remove his knee until the man is loaded onto a gurney by paramedics .
Several witnesses had gathered on a nearby sidewalk , some recording the scene on their phones .
The bystanders become increasingly agitated .
One man yells repeatedly .
“ He ’ s not responsive right now !
” Two witnesses , including one woman who said she was a Minneapolis firefighter , yell at the officers to check the man ’ s pulse .
“ Check his pulse right now and tell me what it is !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an officer says : “ Don ’ t do drugs , guys.
” And one man yells , “ Don ’ t do drugs , bro ?
What is that ?
What do you think this is ?
” The Hennepin County medical examiner identified Floyd but said the cause of death was pending .
Floyd had worked security for five years at a restaurant called Conga Latin Bistro and rented a home from the restaurant owner , Jovanni Thunstrom .
He was “ a good friend , person and a good tenant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tribune .
“ He was family .
His co-workers and friends loved him.
” Ben Crump , a prominent civil rights and personal injury attorney , said he had been hired by Floyd ’ s family .
The death came amid outrage over the death of Ahmaud Arbery , who was fatally shot Feb. 23 in Georgia after a white father and son pursued the 25-year-old black man they had spotted running in their subdivision .
More than two months passed before charges were brought .
Crump also represents Arbery ’ s father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee and Todd Richmond in Madison , Wisconsin , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-27--India, China in tense standoff at Himalayan frontier

SRINAGAR , India - Indian and Chinese soldiers are in a bitter standoff in the remote and picturesque Ladakh region , with the two countries amassing soldiers and machinery near the tense frontier , Indian officials said .
The standoff began in early May when large contingents of Chinese soldiers entered deep inside Indian-controlled territory at three places in Ladakh , erecting tents and posts , the officials said this week .
They said the soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings , triggering a yelling match , stone-throwing and even fist fights in at least one place along Pangong Lake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past .
The five officials , including two military , two police and one civilian administrator , spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday that the situation on the China-India border was “ generally stable and controllable.
” The sides were communicating through both their front-line military units and their respective embassies to “ properly resolve relevant issues through dialogue and consultation , ” Zhao said at a news conference in Beijing .
China is committed to abiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ maintaining peace and stability in the border area between China and India , ” Zhao said .
The Chinese and Indian soldiers also faced off along a frontier in India ’ s northeastern Sikkim state in early May .
Indian media quoted Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane , the country ’ s military chief , as saying the incidents in Ladakh and Sikkim had led to injuries caused by “ aggressive behaviour on both sides.
” President Donald Trump said the U.S. was willing to act as a mediator between the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both India and China that the United States is ready , willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute , ” Trump tweeted Wednesday .
Though skirmishes aren ’ t new , the standoff has escalated in recent weeks at Ladakh ’ s Galwan Valley , where thousands of soldiers from the two countries have camped just a few hundred meters from each other , the Indian officials said .
India is building a strategic road through the Galway Valley connecting the region to an airstrip .
The China-India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,175 miles ) of frontier that the two countries call the Line of Actual Control .
The countries fought a bitter war in 1962 that spilled into Ladakh .
The most serious dispute is over China ’ s claims that India ’ s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is part of Tibet , which India rejects .
China claims about 90,000 square kilometres ( 35,000 square miles ) of territory in India ’ s northeast , while India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometres ( 15,000 square miles ) of its territory in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a contiguous part of the Ladakh region .
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level security meeting this week to assess the situation along the tense frontier .
India unilaterally declared Ladakh region a federal territory while separating it from disputed Kashmir in August 2019 .
China was among the handful of countries to strongly condemn the move , raising it at international forums including the U.N. Security Council .
In the past , most disputes between China and India have been resolved quickly through meetings between local military commanders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-27--Cyprus pledges to cover costs for virus-hit tourists

NICOSIA , Cyprus - Cyprus is pledging to cover all costs for anyone testing positive for the coronavirus while on vacation on the eastern Mediterranean island nation , according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday .
The Cypriot government says it will cover lodging , food , drink and medication for COVID-19 patients and their families .
Patients will only have to pay for the taxi ride to the airport and the flight back home .
A 100-bed hospital will cater exclusively to foreign travellers who test positive .
About 112 intensive care units equipped with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients .
A 500-room “ quarantine hotel ” will be reserved for patients ’ family members and other close contacts .
The pledge came in a five-page letter dated Tuesday that was sent out to governments , airlines and tour operators outlining strict health and hygiene protocols that the government is enacting to woo visitors to the tourism-reliant country .
Tourism directly accounts for 13 % of Cyprus ’ economy .
This year , the country expects to lose as much as 70 % of the 2.6 billion euros ( $ 2.85 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , signed by Cyprus ’ foreign affairs , transport and tourism ministers , boasts that the country has one of the lowest coronavirus ratios per capita in Europe after having tested more than 10 % of its population .
International air travel to Cyprus begins June 9 , initially from 19 countries , with passengers required to undergo a COVID-19 test three days prior to departure .
That measure will be lifted June 20 for 13 countries , including Germany , Finland , Israel , Greece and Norway .
Officials say travel will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a constant evaluation of their infection rates .
Passengers will have to show their test certificate prior to boarding an aircraft and may have to wear masks throughout the flight .
Their temperature will be taken on arrival to Cyprus and some random testing may take place at no cost to the traveller .
Tourists will also have to fill out a “ COVID-19 Traveler Declaration ” stating all their travels 14 days prior to their Cyprus trip and that they have neither shown any coronavirus symptoms for 72 hours before departure nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected people 14 days before .
While in Cyprus , people who aren ’ t in the same travel group are obliged to keep apart at least two square meters ( 21 square feet ) outdoors and three square meters ( 32 square feet ) indoors .
Regularly disinfected sunbeds will be two meters ( 6.5 feet ) apart for people not belonging to the same travel group .
Hotel staff will be obliged to wear masks with rooms being disinfected after every departure .
At restaurants , bars , cafes and pubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meters ( 6.5 feet ) apart with a maximum party size of 10 .
Guests will be encouraged to pay by card instead of cash .
It ’ s unclear what the exact protocols will be for nightclubs .

Menelaos Hadjicostis - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-27--Iran’s newly elected parliament convenes despite pandemic

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran ’ s newly elected parliament convened on Wednesday , dominated by conservative lawmakers and under strict social distancing regulations , as the country struggles to curb the spread of the coronavirus that has hit the nation hard .
Iranian state TV said all 268 lawmakers who were in attendance had tested negative for the virus .
The lawmakers were sworn in after many of them arrived for the opening ceremony wearing face masks and observing social distancing regulations .
Temperatures were taken before they entered the parliament building .
Iran is grappling with the deadliest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 7,500 fatalities out of over 141,500 confirmed cases .
Turkey has the region ’ s largest outbreak , with 158,700 confirmed cases and more than 4,390 deaths .
The Iranian parliamentary election in February saw a turnout of 42.57 % — the lowest since 1979 Islamic Revolution and a sign of widespread dissatisfaction and the state of the economy amid intense pressure from the United States after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of Iran ’ s nuclear with world powers and reimposed sanctions on the country .
At Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose a temporary speaker , based on age seniority , and listened to a message from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , read by an aid .
President Hassan Rouhani addressed the lawmakers , urging them to co-operate with his administration so that together Iranians can better “ confront sanctions and the disease “ in this “ very difficult year.
” The lawmakers were to elect a permanent parliament speaker on Thursday , for a one-year term .
Because of the pandemic , a traditional visit by the newly elected lawmakers to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , was postponed .
After keeping its many shrines across the country , which are typically frequented by scores of visitors , open in the beginning of the outbreak , Iran later imposed lockdown measures , barring visitors from going inside the shrines .
Iran ’ s newly elected house is dominated by 220 conservative lawmakers , including more than 50 who are close allies of former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad .
There are 38 independent lawmakers and 18 pro-reform and moderates , down from 136 in the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 278 parliament seats of the total of 290 seats were decided .
Two elected lawmakers later died , including one from COVID-19 , the illness caused by the novel coronavirus .
Eight newly elected lawmakers were absent from Wednesday ’ s session ; no explanation was given .
The remaining 14 seats are to be decided in a byelection in 2021 .
More than 160 of the current lawmakers have had no previous parliamentary experience .
There are 16 women lawmakers , one less than in the previous house .
Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dictate major policies , but it does debate the annual budget and the possible impeachment of ministers .
Power in Iran ultimately rests with Khamenei , who has final say on all key matters .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .