thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Maryland governor criticizes Trump on virus response

ANNAPOLIS , Md .
- The nation ’ s governors were priming for battle against the coronavirus as early as February , but President Donald Trump ’ s lackadaisical approach to the spreading disease hindered a national response , according to Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan , chairman of the National Governors Association .
Trump initially was “ downplaying “ the threat and saying “ this virus is going to disappear , ” despite grave warnings from top national experts , Hogan told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday .
“ All of the leaders in the administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) , they were aware and providing this information .
And yet it seemed as if the president was downplaying it and saying , you know , this virus is going to disappear , ” Hogan said .
The biggest mistake in the first couple of months , the governor said , was not developing a national testing strategy .
“ Throughout the pandemic , it ( the federal government ) was not assisting the states enough with testing and now as it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a resurgence of this virus all across the country , the No .
1 thing we can do is to put more into testing and contact tracing to identify and stop the spread , ” Hogan said .
Hogan criticized the president repeatedly in his upcoming book , “ Still Standing : Surviving Cancer , Riots , a Global Pandemic and the Toxic Politics that Divide America , ” which is set for release July 28 .
In the book , Hogan highlights a closed-door meeting in Washington on Feb. 9 between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Anthony Fauci , the country ’ s top infectious disease expert and Dr. Robert Redfield , head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Hogan wrote the governors received a series of detailed presentations about how the virus could be catastrophic ; the death toll could be significant .
Hogan described it as “ a harrowing warning of an imminent threat “ with a “ huge contrast between the experts ’ warnings and the president ’ s public dismissals.
” Hogan writes that Ken Cuccinelli , the acting deputy secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consult with their legal teams to find out what public health emergency powers they had and whether they could order quarantines .
“ That eye-opening briefing in early February gave the governors a giant leg up before the epidemic was officially declared a global pandemic , ” Hogan wrote .
“ With the president largely unengaged in this crucial early period , the governors were ready to step up and lead in the early months of what was quickly becoming a terrible plague.
” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release , but without the details Hogan writes about concerning the gravity of the presentations .
“ The panel reiterated that while this is a serious public health matter , the risk to the American public remains low at this time , and that the federal government will continue working in close co-ordination with state and local governments to keep it that way , ” the news release said .
But Hogan said Thursday that he and most of the governors “ came out of there with a sense of this was going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that America ’ s ever faced.
” Hogan wrote he was able to “ feel the friction ” with the president on calls Trump participated in with the nation ’ s governors due to earlier criticism .
“ I did not go out of my way to criticize the president , ” Hogan said Thursday .
“ But unlike a lot of Republicans , I ’ m not the guy that ’ s just going to sit down and shut up and not stand up and say something if I think something ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will consider a run for the presidency in 2024 .
Hogan ran into friction with Trump in April , when the governor announced he had obtained 500,000 virus test kits from South Korea .
At the time , Trump said Hogan didn ’ t need to go to South Korea for tests .
“ I think the president made some ridiculous comment that we didn ’ t have to go find tests , that we can just call Mike Pence and get all the tests we wanted .
It was obviously not true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If I didn ’ t have to spend three weeks searching all over the world , to find these tests I certainly wouldn ’ t have.
” Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Trump to visit North Carolina, cite work on COVID-19 vaccine

WASHINGTON - The White House says President Donald Trump will visit North Carolina on Monday to tour a business that is participating in work on a COVID-19 vaccine .
The White House said Trump is expected to speak about the collaboration between the administration and the private sector to rapidly develop a vaccine and ensure rapid distribution once ready .
North Carolina is a key battleground state in the coming election , and Trump ’ s visit marks his 10th trip to the state during his presidency .
Trump is seeking to highlight progress on a vaccine and therapeutics as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus .
The biotechnology facility Trump will visit is the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies ’ Innovation Center in Morrisville , a suburb of Raleigh .
The White House said the company is manufacturing key components of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Novavax , an American vaccine development company based in Maryland .
Novavax has been chosen to participate in Operation Warp Speed , a U.S. government program that seeks to begin delivering millions of doses of a safe , effective vaccine for COVID-19 next year .
The company has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-23--South Sudan activist flees to US, says Kiir wanted him dead

JOHANNESBURG - A prominent South Sudanese activist has fled to the United States with the help of the U.S. government , which issued emergency visas to him and his family after he said South Sudan ’ s president ordered him abducted or killed .
Peter Biar Ajak arrived in Washington late Thursday after weeks of hiding in Kenya and an anxious departure complicated by coronavirus restrictions .
“ The last few weeks have been a bit terrifying .
Extremely terrifying , ” the 36-year-old activist told The Associated Press shortly after landing .
It was only when the plane was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief .
Ajak , a Harvard graduate and economist who helped shape his young country ’ s national security system — one that imprisoned him years later — was tipped off by “ very senior ” officials back home , his lawyer Jared Genser said .
The emergency visas were “ highly , highly , highly unusual , ” Genser said , and involved discussions with the State Department , which decided the threat was credible .
A State Department spokesperson noted Ajak ’ s announced arrival and referred all questions on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security .
“ I knew this was no idle threat , ” Ajak wrote in an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal after his arrival .
“ In January 2017 , two other dissidents were abducted from Nairobi and murdered , leading the U.S. to impose sanctions on five South Sudanese officials.
” Ajak urged the U.S. to impose additional sanctions , including against South Sudan President Salva Kiir for his “ cruelty.
” The country has never had another leader , Ajak wrote , and the U.S. must insist on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world will have squandered billions of dollars to create another African failed state led by a brutal dictator.
” Kiir ’ s press secretary , Ateny Wek Ateny , did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Ajak now plans to resume his work and , if the chance arises , meet President Donald Trump to thank him for the pressure U.S. government officials have applied : “ It would be my great honour.
” The drama reflects the plunge in U.S. confidence in South Sudan , the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sudan in 2011 and massive support from Washington , including billions of dollars in aid .
Now , however , after years of devastating civil war and corruption by high-ranking officials , the U.S. is losing its patience .
The latest U.S. action “ speaks volumes about the enormous concerns Washington clearly has about what ’ s happening in South Sudan and the serious problems about President Kiir ’ s leadership , ” Genser said , describing Ajak as “ one of the most feared critics of Kiir ’ s regime.
” Ajak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. as a teen but later gave up his green card , played a key role as an adviser in shaping the new South Sudan ’ s national security structures .
But he was fired after clashing with the official who now leads the National Security Service , Gen. Akol Koor Kuc , and became an outspoken government critic .
“ We had a situation where anybody could arrest anybody , ” Ajak once said .
In 2018 he was arrested as he tried to attend a youth conference .
He later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bars .
But early this year he was released along with other political prisoners as part of a peace deal ending the country ’ s five-year civil war .
The prison experience was “ extremely harsh , ” Ajak has said .
He was staying in neighbouring Kenya when he was tipped off five weeks ago about the threat against his life .
He went into hiding , emerging only for the required U.S. interviews and to pick up visas .
And then there was the pandemic .
The family had venture out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before departing on a rare charter flight , Genser said .
In the hospital parking lot , he said , was a vehicle with tinted windows and South Sudan license plates that had been spotted near Ajak ’ s building in recent days .
The plates turned out to be unlisted in South Sudan ’ s registry , Genser said .
“ I ’ m incredibly grateful to the U.S. for acting as expeditiously as feasible , ” the lawyer said .
Ajak now plans to settle down and continue pressing for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s leaders , with the help of the country ’ s diaspora — and he didn ’ t rule out the idea of pursuing South Sudan ’ s presidency himself .
Serving his country and advocating for his people has been a lifetime goal , he said .
“ Should that one day mean becoming president of South Sudan , so be it.
” The United Nations has warned the country is at risk of becoming a police state .
Human rights are being trampled , and killing and intimidation are widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The need to swiftly implement the peace deal “ has never been so urgent , ” the U.N. secretary-general has said .
And yet Ajak is undoubtedly going back one day , Genser said : “ He couldn ’ t imagine a world in which he couldn ’ t return .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Judge: No immediate ruling on Robert E. Lee statue removal

RICHMOND , Va. - A Richmond judge heard arguments Thursday but said he would not immediately issue a ruling in a lawsuit over Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ’ s plans to remove an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee .
Attorney Gen. Mark Herring ’ s office asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit and dissolve an existing injunction barring the removal of the statue from historic Monument Avenue .
The lawsuit was filed by William C. Gregory , a descendant of signatories to a 1890 deed that transferred the statue , pedestal and ground they sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argues that the state agreed to “ faithfully guard ” and “ affectionately protect ” them .
Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant said the matter was of great importance and deserves a written opinion .
The judge decided an injunction will remain for another 30 days but said he expects to issue a ruling well before then .
Gregory ’ s attorney , Joseph Blackburn Jr. , argued that Gregory has legal standing to challenge the governor ’ s decision to remove the statue and criticized Herring for describing him in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ He has a very strong attachment to the Lee monument and to describe him as such things is insulting , “ Blackburn said .
Blackburn also criticized Northam as “ tyrannical , “ saying as the governor he doesn ’ t have the right to establish public policy and tear down the statue .
“ He executes the laws ; he doesn ’ t make them , ” Blackburn said .
Virginia Solicitor General Toby Heytens said Gregory was arguing that he has the “ perpetual right ” to “ veto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide what to display on its own property .
“ No one can require a sovereign Commonwealth to do something in perpetuity , forever , “ he said .
Northam ’ s administration has been readying plans to remove the enormous statue — should the court clear the way— from a soaring pedestal .
He announced plans to take it down in early June , citing the pain felt across the country about the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
The statue was unveiled before a massive crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the Civil War and Reconstruction were over and Jim Crow racial segregation laws were on the rise .
Now cloaked in graffiti , it and other nearby monuments have become a rallying point during social justice protests and occasional clashes with police .
The 21-foot-high ( 6.4-meter-high ) equestrian statue , which the state has said weighs about 12 tons ( 11 metric tonnes ) , sits atop a pedestal nearly twice that tall .
Gregory testified Thursday that its removal would cause him emotional distress and would be a “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family .
He said he is not a member of any Civil War groups and considers flying the Confederate flag a “ racial act , “ but considered the Lee statue a tribute to “ a great Southern gentleman.
” The state called nationally recognized historian Edward Ayers as an expert witness .
Ayers discussed the history of post-Civil War America , how the effort to establish statues to Confederate leaders emerged and the development of Monument Avenue as a prominent residential district .
He said the Lee statue was more than just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an effort to improve the image of the Confederacy at a time when whites were also stifling Black political power .
“ By its very size you can see that this is not about remembering a lost man , ” Ayers testified .
Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley Cavedo , who issued an initial injunction in June and later extended it , dismissed Gregory ’ s initial complaint but allowed him time to amend it , saying he wanted Gregory ’ s attorney to have “ another shot ” at addressing issues of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month , citing the location of his home in the vicinity of the Lee monument .
He wrote that he was unaware at the outset of the case that he lived in the Monument Avenue Historic District , a 14-block area that contains the Lee statue .
The judge also heard arguments on a request for a temporary injunction in a separate lawsuit over Northam ’ s removal plan .
That lawsuit was filed by five plaintiffs , four of whom own property in the vicinity of the statue and a fifth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a property owner .
Marchant did not immediately rule on the injunction request , but said he plans to issue a written decision soon .
The lawsuit alleges that removal of the statue could result in the loss of the National Historic Landmark designation , “ which will have a substantial adverse impact “ on the plaintiffs , ” including the loss of favourable tax treatment and reduction in property values.
“ After the hearings , Herring said he ’ s hopeful the judge will conclude that the governor has the authority to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a divisive , antiquated relic and it needs to come down , ” Herring said .

Sarah Rankin And Denise Lavoie - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Federal review: Alabama inmates subjected to excessive force

MONTGOMERY , Ala. - Alabama prisons have a pattern of using excessive force against male inmates , the U.S. Department of Justice announced in an investigation released Thursday , as it again accused the state of keeping prisoners in unconstitutional conditions .
In its report , the Justice Department detailed a chilling litany of incidents , including a prison guard beating a handcuffed prisoner in a medical unit while shouting , “ I am the reaper of death , now say my name !
” as the prisoner begged the officer to kill him .
It is the second time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has accused Alabama of housing male inmates in unconstitutional conditions in a prison system considered one of the most understaffed and violent in the country .
“ Our investigation found reasonable cause to believe that there is a pattern or practice of using excessive force against prisoners in Alabama ’ s prisons for men , “ Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division said in a statement .
Dreiband said the Justice Department hopes to work with Alabama to resolve the department ’ s concerns .
In findings sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers have beaten handcuffed or restrained prisoners , excessive force is sometimes used as retribution , the state prison system fails to investigate incidents and the violence is so common that some officers consider it normal .
“ Ultimately , Alabama does not properly prevent and address unconstitutional uses of force in its prisons , fostering a culture where unlawful uses of force are common , “ the report read .
Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey said in a statement that her administration remains hopeful that they will reach a resolution to all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I am as committed as ever to improving prison safety through necessary infrastructure investment , increased correctional staffing , comprehensive mental-health care services , and effective rehabilitation programs , among other items , ” the Republican governor said .
The report noted that at least two inmates died at the end of 2019 after use of force by officers .
Steven Davis died in October 2019 after an altercation with corrections officers at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility .
The department said at the time that Davis rushed the officers with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the incident , the report said other inmates said “ correctional officers continued to strike the prisoner after he dropped any weapons and posed no threat.
“ The report said an autopsy listed 16 distinct injuries to the prisoner ’ s head and neck — including multiple skull fractures— in addition to multiple fractured ribs and bleeding around a kidney Davis ’ mother last year showed a state task force a photograph of her son ’ s battered face .
“ This is my son , ” Sandy Ray said as she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beaten beyond recognition .
I had to have a closed casket because of what they had done to him .
No one , not even a dog , deserves this.
” The 28-page Justice Department report listed other examples of violence by staff after reviewing files and visiting several state prisons .
The Justice Department said those included : — In December 2018 , a correctional officer brutally punched , kicked and struck a handcuffed prisoner with an expandable baton in the Ventress medical unit .
During the beating , four nurses heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , “ I am the reaper of death , now say my name !
” and the prisoner begged to die .
— In September 2019 , a lieutenant at Ventress prison lifted a handcuffed inmate off the ground and slammed him on a concrete floor several times , knocking him unconscious .
— In February 2019 , a sergeant at Elmore prison beat two handcuffed prisoners , suspected of retrieving contraband , striking one prisoner with a collapsible baton approximately 19 times on his head , legs , arms , back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prisoners later filed a false report about the incident .
The sergeant and two correctional officers pleaded guilty in federal court .
The announcement comes more than a year after the Justice Department released a scathing report that said male inmates face excessive inmate-on-inmate violence and sexual abuse in facilities that are not sanitary , safe or secure .
The department is in negotiations with the state in an attempt to reach an agreement .
The findings released Thursday were the continuation of the investigation first launched in 2016 .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ said Rep. Chris England , a Tuscaloosa lawmaker who has called for the new leadership at the state Department of Corrections .
“ Our whole system of corrections and pardons and paroles has got to be the worst in the country.
” Advocacy groups said the findings reflect concerns they have been expressing for years .
Charlotte Morrison of the Equal Justice Initiative said they hear “ every week “ from inmates , parents and sometimes staff concerned about abuses .
“ We ’ ve been asserting that the prisons need serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state responds with cosmetic changes , but these problems are much deeper than that and that is what this report details , “ Morrison said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Parole recommended for Manson follower Leslie Van Houten

LOS ANGELES - A California panel on Thursday recommended that Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten be paroled after serving nearly five decades in prison .
After a hearing at the women ’ s prison in Chino , California , commissioners of the Board of Parole Hearings found for the fourth time that Van Houten was suitable for release , according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation .
After a 120-day review process , her case will again rest with California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , who could deny parole , although that move could be challenged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his predecessor Jerry Brown did it twice .
“ As with any parole suitability recommendation , when the case reaches the Governor ’ s Office , it will be carefully reviewed on its merits , “ Vicky Waters , Newsom ’ s press secretary , said in a statement .
Van Houten , 70 , is serving a life sentence for helping Manson and others kill Los Angeles grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife , Rosemary , in August 1969 .
Van Houten was 19 when she and other cult members fatally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LaBianca ’ s body and smeared the couple ’ s blood on the walls .
The slayings came the day after other Manson followers , not including Van Houten , killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others .
Details of the parole hearing weren ’ t immediately released but Van Houten ’ s attorney , Rich Pfeiffer , said in an email that it “ went really well.
” Pfeiffer said he expects Newsom to reverse the decision again , “ but the courts will have a harder time denying a writ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In May , an appeals court denied Pfeiffer ’ s request to release Van Houten on bail or her own recognizance .
His motion argued that her age put her at high risk of contracting COVID-19 and noted that another prisoner in her housing unit had been infected .
At her 2017 parole hearing , Van Houten described a troubled childhood .
She said she was devastated when her parents divorced when she was 14 .
Soon after , she said , she began hanging out with her school ’ s outcast crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 , she and her boyfriend ran away to San Francisco ’ s Haight-Ashbury District during the city ’ s Summer of Love .
She was travelling up and down the California coast when acquaintances led her to Manson .
He was holed up at an abandoned movie ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles where he had recruited what he called a “ family ” to survive what he insisted would be a race war he would launch by committing a series of random , horrifying murders .
Manson died in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while serving a life sentence .

Christopher Weber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-23--Chicago boy, 7, dies after boat overturns on Chicago River

CHICAGO - A 7-year-old Chicago boy died and several people were hospitalized after a boat capsized on the Chicago River , apparently after a cargo boat passed the smaller vessel , officials said Thursday .
The boy was initially hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday evening at Mercy Hospital , but he later died from apparent drowning , officials said .
He was identified by the Cook County medical examiner ’ s office as Victor Lobato .
The boy , who lived in Chicago ’ s Little Village neighbourhood , was trapped under the boat after it capsized on the river @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cargo boat passed , creating waves , officials said .
“ The helicopter divers that went into the water were able to retrieve the one child that was underneath the capsized boat , ” said Chicago Fire Department Battalion Chief Patrick Maloney , adding the boat was small and may have held too many people .
Eight other people who were on the boat were also pulled from the river .
Officials said thanks to the people who called 911 , rescuers were able to respond quickly .
“ Without the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s initially 911 sounding of the alarm then we would have a different outcome , ” CFD Deputy District Chief Carmelita Wiley-Earls said .
The boy , two other children and three adults were taken to area hospitals for treatment in fair to critical condition .
Three other passengers on the boat refused medical treatment .
An investigation into the accident is ongoing , officials said .
Fire officials said Wednesday ’ s rescue was one of several water rescues this week and reiterated that everyone onboard a boat should wear life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe boating .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Always rocky, China-US relations appear at a turning point

BEIJING - Four decades after the U.S. established diplomatic ties with Communist China , the relationship between the two may have reached a turning point .
Tensions have reached new heights on what has always been a rocky road , as the ambitions of a rising superpower increasingly clash with those of the established one .
China ordered the closing of the U.S. Consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu on Friday , in rapid retaliation for the closing of its consulate in Houston .
Two weeks ago , Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi asked aloud if relations could stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered an answer : The time has come to change course .
“ The old paradigm of blind engagement with China simply won ’ t get it done , “ he said in a speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Southern California .
” We must not continue it .
We must not return to it.
” It was Nixon ’ s visit to China in 1972 , the first by an American president since the Communists took power in 1949 , that upended a Cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the normalization of relations in 1979 .
The United States had been a close ally of then-Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek in World War II and for three decades recognized Taiwan as the government of China after Chiang fled there when he lost control of the mainland in 1949 .
Relations between Washington and the Communist government in Beijing began to thaw in the 1970s , as China ’ s ties with the Soviet Union deteriorated and leader Mao Zedong sought a counterweight to its more powerful neighbour .
A new leader , Deng @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the establishment of diplomatic ties , smiling in photos as he tried on a cowboy hat in Texas .
The Houston consulate that is being shut opened later the same year .
It was China ’ s first in the United States .
Setting aside political differences , the U.S. and China promoted economic , social and cultural ties that were briefly interrupted a decade later by China ’ s military crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing ’ s Tiananmen Square .
Economic links grew exponentially in the following years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China and an accompanying Chinese trade surplus that has reached $ 350 billion annually .
The relationship was punctuated by bouts of tension .
The U.S. continues to support Taiwan militarily , and the Clinton administration sent an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait in 1996 after China fired missiles toward the island .
In 2001 , a Chinese fighter jet and a U.S. Navy surveillance plane collided over the South China Sea , a vital shipping lane in the Asia-Pacific region .
China detained the U.S. crew for days after its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese base .
As China has grown into the world ’ s second-largest economy , behind only the U.S. , it is increasingly viewed as a competitor , both economically and militarily , and a potential challenger to the Western-led democratic model that has dominated the post-World War II era .
Election-year politics in the U.S. are fanning the flames , as President Donald Trump appears to be using friction with China to drum up support among his base .
Whether or not he is reelected in November , underlying differences will remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structural change in the relationship , which will continue even if Trump does not get a second term , ” said Steve Tsang , director of the China Institute at London ’ s School of Oriental and African Studies .
Militarily , American and Chinese warships often jockey for position in the South China Sea .
Economically , the U.S. is leaning on its allies to exclude Chinese telecom leader Huawei from their mobile networks , raising the spectre of cybersecurity .
On human rights , the U.S. is imposing sanctions over Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xinjiang , Tougher U.S. views on China have now been “ baked into the system , ” Tsang said .
Pompeo ’ s speech was the latest in a series of sharp criticisms aimed at China by Cabinet-level U.S. officials , including Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Attorney General Bill Barr .
Although Trump earlier played up what he called a warm relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping , communication between the sides has fallen to new lows .
“ The kind of engagement we have been pursuing has not brought the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoped to induce , ” Pompeo said .
“ The truth is that our policies – and those of other free nations – resurrected China ’ s failing economy , only to see Beijing bite the international hands that fed it.
” Chu Yin , a professor at the University of International Relations in Beijing , said Americans who advocated engagement are disappointed that China ’ s economic growth and the emergence of a middle class has enhanced the legitimacy of the ruling Communist Party rather than sparking democratic change .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosive elements to the structural problems in the relationship , he said .
“ China will not take Pompeo ’ s speech seriously .
It is the last cry of a lame duck , ” Chu said .
“ China wants to have dialogue with a U.S. politician who is more commensurate with the status of a major country.
” He declined to forecast the future , saying : “ Let us be more patient at this turbulent time .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Branson tries to find affordable housing for the homeless

BRANSON , Mo .
- It was a windy day in early June , and Cecelia Dardnella McGrath had spent much of the morning crying .
She woke that day to police ordering her to pack up her belongings and leave the wooded area where she ’ d camped for more than three months .
It was private property , and the owner wanted her gone .
By noon McGrath had crammed her possessions into her beat-up van , wiped the tears as best she could and headed to the Branson strip to do what she came to do when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : make music .
McGrath was a professional musician in Branson for many years .
She and her ex-husband fronted a band called The Skillet Licker Songwriter Review .
For a time they had their own show where they performed and showcased other local musicians .
They played country and bluegrass , blues , old rock ‘ n ’ roll and original songs , as well .
Back then , she organized fundraisers for people with cancer and victims of the 2011 Branson flood .
“ I was a productive part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then I became homeless and they look at me like I was dirt , like I didn ’ t exist anymore .
Some of them know who I am .
They know who I am , which is really sad.
” For the past six years , McGrath has been part of the unsheltered homeless community in Branson , a population that by most accounts has grown in the last year .
The majority of Branson ’ s working poor — at least 1,500 people , maybe more by some estimates — live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strip .
Carla Perry with Elevate Branson estimates there ’ s likely another 100 or so living in encampments and vehicles .
By noon , McGrath and her dog , a 7-year-old Chihuahua named Mr. Binks , had settled into their usual spot outside an empty strip mall .
The strip mall — tucked between a busy Walmart and a grocery store — is the only place in this tourist town known for live music shows where she can sing and play without getting run off or forced to buy a permit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and began to play “ The Weight ( Take a Load Off Fanny ) .
” Mr. Binks curled up in the guitar case and went to sleep next to a cardboard sign that read : “ Dog food , people food , water .
Anything will help .
Thank you.
” Even after hours of crying and distress , McGrath ’ s voice was soulful and robust , carrying throughout the parking lot .
A car pulled up , a woman jumped out and approached McGrath .
The lady placed a bottle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case and apologized , saying that was all she had to give .
McGrath was grateful and quickly took a big drink .
McGrath then began to sing and play “ Angel From Montgomery ” followed by “ American Pie.
” Another vehicle stopped , a woman rolled down the window and held out a few dollars .
McGrath walked over to the car to get the money , Mr. Binks following close behind .
McGrath and Mr. Binks returned to their places and she played one of her original songs , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Good.
” She explained that one of her six kids used to say that when he was little .
She really loves it when children stop and listen to her sing .
McGrath said she ’ s been making music since she was 3 and performing on stage since age 9 .
She doesn ’ t read sheet music but can play several instruments including the bass , drums , flute and piano .
She figures she ’ s written about 500 songs over a 40-year period .
For a few minutes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her band .
She talked about rubbing elbows with country legends like Mel Tillis and Barbara Fairchild .
People used to compare her and her ex to Sonny and Cher on stage , she said .
“ He sounds like Jim Croce .
I kind of sound like Janis Joplin , ” she recalled , smiling .
“ Branson used to be a lot of fun when it was all about music.
” McGrath said her husband left her about six years ago and things just fell apart .
McGrath was so devastated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t bring herself to make music .
She hasn ’ t been on stage since and became homeless .
She said she has multiple sclerosis and can not work a “ normal ” job .
“ This is what I do to make my living and keep my vehicle going , ” she said of her daily performances in front of the strip mall .
“ This is what I ’ ve always done anyway .
The good Lord allows me to do that , and the people are kindhearted.
” McGrath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always been good to her .
She understood they were doing their job that morning when they told her to pack up and move on .
“ They are good to people .
They hate to have to do this every time they have to move us , ” she said .
“ It was hard for them to come out today and tell me I had to leave.
” Asked where she ’ d sleep that night , the tears returned to her eyes .
“ I don ’ t have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out into the parking lot .
Elevate Branson , formerly known as Jesus Was Homeless , is a non-profit organization that helps people in poverty who are living in extended stays as well as the unsheltered homeless .
It was founded by Bryan and Amy Stallings , who also planted Gateway Branson Church , a non-denominational Christian congregation , in 2012 .
The church and Elevate Branson are headquartered at 310 Gretna Road , within walking distance of the Branson strip .
Elevate Branson has been delivering meals to people living in extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decade .
Perry , who works at the front desk as community connections co-ordinator , points to a couple of reasons she believes are behind the recent increase in homelessness : the city ’ s effort to make extended stay motels safer for those who live in them is one , the COVID-19 pandemic is the other .
City officials started cracking down on extended stay motel owners a few years ago , requiring them to pass annual health , fire and building code inspections in order to stay open .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several more decided to close on their own rather than make improvements .
Not only did that leave folks with fewer housing options , Perry said in many cases the managers and owners closed without refunding people ’ s money .
And as it has across the nation , the pandemic and temporary shutdown have put a strain on Branson ’ s economy .
Making matters worse in Branson , where so much of the workforce lives in extended-stay motels , those people did not have the same federal protections from evictions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well , Perry said .
That comes at a time when Branson was already dealing with a serious shortage of affordable housing .
The Taney County Partnership executed a comprehensive housing study in 2019 that found a significant gap in affordable housing in Taney County with Branson having the largest shortage in inventory .
Developers and city leaders point to Branson ’ s rough terrain as a key reason .
“ The infrastructure is very costly there .
It ’ s all rock .
Typically the topography is very hilly , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group that is working to create affordable housing in Branson .
“ You have so many more costs that are in ( a housing development ) before you even start going vertical.
” “ You have kind of a perfect storm , ” Hart said .
“ You have really high infrastructure cost , then you have people that are in service industry positions that are not terribly high wage positions .
And so it just magnifies the problem.
” Perry , who was once homeless herself , has worked at Elevate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically the first person clients talk to when they come in for services .
She hears about their immediate needs , if they are homeless or hungry , in need of medical care , diapers for their baby or just need a place to sit down and rest .
“ It ’ s a tourist town .
It ’ s seasonal jobs .
So maybe you don ’ t work enough quarters to qualify for unemployment , ” she said .
“ Renting a place — it ’ s almost not an option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rent and utilities and water and trash and cable .
“ So they stay in the motels along the strip .
Once they get into those , it ’ s just a trap to get out .
It ’ s $ 700 a month .
When are you ever going to save enough if you are only making $ 8.25 an hour and you only get to work 25 hours a week ?
” Perry volunteered to help with the most recent point-in-time homeless count but says the official data is off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ squatters in some of the closed motels , Perry said volunteers couldn ’ t count them because it was private property .
She and her recovery group volunteered to clean up abandoned homeless camps a few months ago .
They found baby and children ’ s toys in at least one camp .
“ They don ’ t come forward because that can cause ( the state Children ’ s Division ) to be in their lives and take their kids , ” Perry said .
In recent months , the News-Leader spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who sought services at Elevate Branson and also spoke with a city official and a developer who are hoping to bring more affordable housing to Branson .
On a recent steamy day , a man named Elwood and his 19-year-old daughter sat in their blue van on Elevate Branson ’ s parking lot .
Their windows were rolled down and doors open , trying to catch a breeze as they waited to meet with the News-Leader .
The van was clean and organized — everything in its place .
Elwood asked that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woods so his daughter wouldn ’ t have to be involved .
He also asked that his last name not be used so she wouldn ’ t be embarrassed if her friends found out they are homeless .
He and his daughter had been living and sleeping in the van for nearly two weeks .
Elwood said he first came to Branson in 1985 when the country music and tourism heyday was kicking off .
“ It was a lot funner back then , ” Elwood said , smiling at the memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old stars died .
That really cut into wages and tips .
And it made the price of everything go up , whereas the wages stayed down.
” According to Elwood , Branson had affordable housing back in the ’ 80s .
“ You could rent to own almost anywhere in Branson , ” he said .
“ And cheap , low down .
I made a mistake .
I didn ’ t buy.
” Elwood said he ’ s bounced around over the years .
He returned to California for a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some .
He and his daughter ’ s mom were married briefly , but that didn ’ t work out .
Elwood has had custody of his daughter since she was 7 .
“ I had to fight to get her .
Her mom lost her to foster placement , ” he said .
“ It took me five years to get her back.
” In recent years he ’ s lived in Branson , working a myriad of jobs .
“ I ’ ve worked up and down the strip : construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did cleaning crews on The Landing , ” he said .
“ Pretty much whatever entry-level type work , I ’ ve done it.
” He and his daughter are currently employed cleaning condos .
The father-daughter duo works fast , he said , and they can make pretty good money during the tourist season .
Elwood said he can ’ t find a decent house or apartment because landlords won ’ t rent to someone with a felony record .
According to online court documents , Elwood has three driving while intoxicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most recent charge was in 2003 .
Because so many jobs in Branson are seasonal , Elwood said it ’ s important to put money back and sign up for unemployment insurance .
“ I got lucky this winter because I had the money and I got a job where I could work in the winter , ” he said .
But when the pandemic hit , “ it put us completely out of work , ” Elwood explained .
Their jobs have returned now , but it ’ s difficult to save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extended stay .
They were living in an extended-stay motel until recently , but Elwood said there was too much criminal activity .
“ That ’ s why I ’ m homeless .
I moved out of that place , ” he said .
“ The alcoholism , the drug addiction , the other weird stuff — sexual predator types — I ’ m like , my kid is not living there .
I ’ m not living here.
” He described the extended-stays in Branson as being “ traps.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in charged $ 168 a week plus a $ 100 deposit , of which only half was refundable .
“ They drain every penny you can make , ” he said .
“ Just go around the strip and you ’ ll see every one of them are bad .
... “ They take people ’ s money .
They make excuses and kick them out .
It ’ s all a scam .
Everything is a scam.
” He and his daughter used their federal stimulus checks to buy the van .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I never thought it would happen to me .
I remember hearing people say you get stuck , ” he said , “ That it ’ s a motel trap and they couldn ’ t get out of the motel .
I was like , ‘ Oh that ’ s a bunch of bologna.
’ Well , guess what ?
It happened to me , one week at a time , one week at a time .
I had the money to get out , but I couldn ’ t find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuck there.
” Elwood fears the pandemic is only going to make things worse .
He ’ s put together a “ bug-out kit , ” a small suitcase packed with survival essentials : towels , soap , a knife and sharpener , a small water purifier capable of filtering 200 gallons of water , batteries , flashlight , first-aid supplies , that sort of thing .
“ It ’ s a ‘ run-away box ’ , ” he said .
“ The coronavirus is out there , and the system is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” For Elwood , the most important things are working , saving money and keeping his daughter safe and happy .
His plan is to save enough money to buy a camper and set it up at a campground .
“ The difference between me and these other homeless people , they just gave up , ” he said .
“ Me and her are part of the population that are going to be OK. We can bounce back.
” “ I love her to death , ” he said , looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ She deserves better than this.
” Tim Moss came to the Ozarks in the late 1960s when his family moved to Blue Eye .
When he was 17 , he and a buddy rode their motorcycles to Springfield “ to check out the girls at the college.
” Once in Springfield , they stopped at a head shop on Missouri 13 ( Kansas Expressway ) .
“ We both had been smoking a little , ” Moss said , grinning .
“ We got to pushing on each other , trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shop .
It just so happens , the door on this side was the recruiter ’ s office .
The next morning , they put me on the bus at 4 o ’ clock in the morning headed for Kansas City.
” And that ’ s how Moss , known to friends as ‘ Pops , ’ says he joined the Army .
He served from 1973-1975 and was a heavy equipment mechanic in the service .
When he got out , he continued working as a mechanic until the 1990s .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it up , “ so I fell back on being a carpenter , ” he said .
“ For quite a few years I had my own business , a remodeling business.
” In 2004 , his 21-year-old son died in a wreck .
“ My wife pulled me through that , ” he said .
“ Then in ’ 09 , I lost her .
Basically I woke up one morning , instead of a house full of people and my wife sitting there , I found myself alone.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was there for about four or five years before I got out of it , ” he said .
“ Of course , like they say , whiskey is a good remover .
It removes everything .
I lost my house .
I lost my tools .
I lost my vehicles , the whole nine yards.
” Moss spent the next several years “ bouncing around.
” He lived with his mom some until she died .
For a time , he lived under a bridge .
“ Had me a nice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joked .
Much of the past year , Moss has been camping in wooded areas in Branson .
“ I had a spot by myself .
I like it that way better , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve seen so many homeless people that want to group up , and the next thing you know , they are stealing from each other .
They are fighting .
It ’ s just too much drama going on .
No , I want to be all by my lonesome .
You don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m at.
” Moss said he ’ s seen the unsheltered homeless population grow in recent months , he believes largely due to the pandemic .
“ Since the lockdown , the numbers have really went up , ” he said .
“ The president put out that landlords couldn ’ t kick people out .
Well , that is if you are renting an apartment or a house .
Extended stays is under a whole different thing .
If you don ’ t pay your rent , you are out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that lost their housing.
” Moss had been living in a tent until three days before meeting the News-Leader in June .
Perry and the staff at Elevate Branson worked with Moss for months to get his ID and birth certificate .
Once he had those , he was able to request his military paperwork and be approved for housing through Catholic Charities ’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families ( SSVF ) program .
“ You just got to have a little bit of faith , ” he said .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not mine.
” Even though he is housed now , Moss continues to be a regular face at Elevate Branson .
He stops by several times a week to help out .
On Sundays , he gets there early to help set up for church .
The News-Leader called Moss last week to see how he was adjusting to life in an apartment .
“ It ’ s going great , ” he said .
“ It ’ s just a studio apartment , but just being able to get up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about when you leave if all your stuff is going to be there when you get back.
” The apartment is about a mile and a half from Elevate Branson and is close to the strip , downtown and the grocery store .
Moss doesn ’ t have a vehicle , so location was important .
“ It ’ s been a long time coming , ” he said .
“ Sleeping on the ground was getting a little rough on the old back.
” Asked why he continues to walk all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moss laughed .
“ Because I love the Lord and I love to work for the Lord , ” he said .
“ Besides that , I don ’ t have nothing to do right at the moment .
I ’ m too blessed to be stressed.
” During Branson ’ s tourism boom in the 1980s and 1990s , the city was inundated with requests for building permits to build hotels and motels along and near the strip , City Administrator Stan Dobbins has said .
Over the years , as tourism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began converting their nightly motels into extended stay motels where people could pay by the week and reside more or less permanently .
Today , there are more than 20 of these decades-old motels on and near the Branson strip .
Some are closed and boarded up .
Others continue to serve as long-term housing for Branson ’ s working poor .
Over the years , the motels gained a reputation for high crime and unhealthy living conditions .
But because Branson doesn ’ t have a public transportation system , the extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option for those employed by the tourism and service industry , many of whom don ’ t have vehicles .
City ordinances have been implemented in recent years aimed at holding owners and managers responsible for improving security and building conditions .
Under an ordinance that went into effect in 2018 , establishments that want a Branson lodging business license must pass a health inspection by the Taney County Health Department , a fire inspection by the Branson Fire Department , a code inspection by the Branson Police Department , pay all taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Missouri-issued lodging license .
That ordinance is designed to give “ more teeth ” to health department , fire and building codes .
“ We had a lady that was in hospice care .
That is how we found out about her living conditions , ” Dobbins said in a recent interview .
“ There was a water leak that had been going on forever .
The carpet where she walked , you actually squished .
It had mould all over it.
” “ People don ’ t deserve to live that way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ They are paying ( up to ) $ 700 a month for these apartments — I call them apartments , but they are hotel rooms — for a hotel room that was never designed for somebody to live in it long-term.
” While the city forced a handful of motels to close due to this ordinance , several others closed on their own rather than make the necessary improvements .
Dobbins acknowledged that the closures have indeed shrunk the city ’ s affordable housing inventory .
“ We have some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ And that ’ s the troubling side of this.
” However , some of the owners have embraced the new requirements and are working to make their properties safer for tenants , Dobbins added .
‘ We have had some great successes with some of our properties , ” Dobbins said .
“ We do have one in particular , Plato ’ s Cave .
They have actually tried to embrace that .
They have a very large complex so they have the rooms .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the standard of an apartment instead of the standard of a motel room .
They have expanded out there .
That has helped offset some of the loss of some of the hotel rooms.
” While complexes like Plato ’ s Cave work well for singles , couples and small families , the former motel only offers single rooms and studio apartments .
For young mom Alisha , who asked her last name not be used for fear she would draw the attention of the Children ’ s Division , that sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alisha and her husband walked two miles on a hot day , pushing two strollers filled with small children and holding the hand of another toddler , to meet with the News-Leader at Elevate Branson .
They have five children living with them and an older child who is staying with relatives .
Alisha said they first became homeless a few years ago when living in Springfield .
They got behind on their rent and were evicted .
They lived in a tent for a while .
Like so many , they came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My parents lived down here so they told me to come here and I ’ d be able to get a job just like that because it was ( tourist ) season , ” she said .
“ And we ’ d be able to at least have shelter.
” Her parents were right : Alisha immediately found a job at a Wendy ’ s and worked there for three years .
Her husband is disabled .
Alisha said they lived in an extended-stay located across the street from White Water for two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former manager put the large family in a double room for $ 1,000 a month .
That manager quit a few months before the extended-stay closed in November 2019 .
The new manager , a woman Alisha presumed to be the owner , didn ’ t seem to care much what happened to the people who lived there , she said .
“ They just shut down automatically , ” Alisha said .
Her family was given two days to get out and did not get their rent or deposit back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that month , ” she said .
They briefly lived with Alisha ’ s parents , but it was too crowded in the two-bedroom trailer .
When she got her federal stimulus check this spring , the family used it to get into what they thought was the perfect place : a studio apartment close to her job at a fast-food restaurant .
It even had an indoor pool — a treat for her kids who have never really had a place of their own to play .
“ It had a stove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I could cook for them and do right for them .
It was a bigger room than a motel.
” Alisha said the manager who moved them in knew how many kids they had and everything seemed fine .
But just a few weeks after the family moved in , a new manager arrived .
That new manager spotted Alisha with her young children at the pool and asked if they all lived there .
“ I said yes .
She was like ‘ OK , ’ ” Alisha recalled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter on my door.
” It turned out having that many people in a studio apartment ( or a motel room ) was a violation of Branson ’ s fire code .
When the family met with the News-Leader , they had a few days to find a new place within walking distance of Alisha ’ s job on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway .
Since there ’ s no affordable housing in that area , they figured they ’ d be stuck renting two extended-stay motel rooms to comply with fire codes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her minimum wage job and his $ 680 monthly disability check was a question they couldn ’ t answer .
“ I want so bad to be able to have room for them , ” Alisha said , looking at her small children .
“ Whenever we lived in Springfield we used to go to the park once a week .
No matter what we were doing , we went to the park once a week.
” Since moving to Branson , “ They don ’ t even know what a park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Surrounded by family-friendly entertainment and attractions , Alisha said they simply can ’ t afford to do much of what Branson has to offer .
They took the kids to ride go-karts once and sometimes go to Andy ’ s , to sit outside and eat ice cream .
“ But everything else is so expensive , ” she said .
Efforts to provide more affordable options are ongoing .
Elevate Branson ’ s co-founder Bryan Stallings said his organization intends to announce plans later this year for an affordable housing project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes communities in Springfield .
When complete , it will be geared more toward single or married individuals who are on a fixed income and stuck in an extended-stay motel .
“ What we are going to be offering is a solution to the lack of affordable housing in the Branson area and will be combined with opportunities for employment training , ” he said in an email .
Another development , already announced , could be accepting new tenants as early as next year .
Debra Hart is the co-developer with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group that is working to create more affordable housing in Branson .
The group intends to break ground on a 40-unit development located off Fall Creek Road within the next few months .
The first units could be available as early as the first of the year , with the project scheduled for completion by October 2021 .
“ It ’ s a combination of two- and three-bedroom units , townhomes and single-family homes , ” Hart said .
“ It comes with a path to homeownership , which I think tells a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular development is located on a rarity in Branson : acreage that is relatively flat and has some dirt .
It ’ s a 4.5-acre property that is part of an 80-acre tract of land owned by the other developers involved with the project : the Ruda and Combs families .
Of that 80 acres , Hart said about 50 could be developed into housing developments .
( The remaining 30 acres are typical Branson : rocks and a big cliff . )
Hart said the Rudas and Combses are interested in creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workforce on the property .
The location of the property is ideal for those working in Branson ’ s tourist and service industry , she said , within a mile of some 300 jobs .
“ If they are working on the strip , frankly this location will be excellent , ” she said .
“ We ’ ve got the outlet mall .
We ’ ve got the new aquarium .
We ’ ve got all those service industry things along the strip.
” The project received low-income housing tax credits to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery funds .
“ The more dollars you have in ( a housing development ) , the higher your debt is and the higher your rent has to be , ” Hart said .
“ If you want to make something that is going to be affordable , you need to be able to find a way to cut those costs on the front end.
” Another boost is hopefully coming from Branson officials .
“ The city has expressed an interest and willingness to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developers are asking the city to help with some sewer and water extensions to the property and to waive or reduce some connection fees .
“ That agreement is not complete yet , but the city has acted favourably with respect to our requests , ” she said .
According to Hart , it ’ s going to take that kind of co-operation and assistance from the city in order to incentivize more affordable housing projects in Branson .
“ Branson , from an economic development perspective for their community , they need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s their bread and butter , ” she said .
“ If you don ’ t have the ability to house the folks that are going to work in those industries , those industries can ’ t survive .
It ’ s a Catch-22 .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Goldman Sachs and Malaysia reach $3.9B settlement over 1MDB

KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia - Malaysia ’ s government said Friday it has reached a $ 3.9 billion settlement with Goldman Sachs in exchange for dropping criminal charges against the bank over bond sales that raised money for the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund , which was looted of billions of dollars in a massive scandal .
Malaysian and U.S. prosecutors had alleged that the bond sales organized by Goldman Sachs provided one of the means for associates of ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak to steal billions over several years from a fund that was ostensibly set up to accelerate Malaysia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial on multiple corruption charges linked to the scandal after his election ouster in May 2018 .
Goldman and two of its former executives were charged in December that year with alleged breaches of securities laws including misleading investors over the bond sales .
Another 17 former and current Goldman executives were also charged last year over alleged roles in the fraud .
The finance ministry said in a statement that Goldman agreed to pay $ 2.5 billion in cash and guarantee that Malaysia gets at least $ 1.4 billion in proceeds from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have since been seized around the globe .
It said the deal was a sharp jump from Goldman ’ s previous offer of $ 1.75 billion in 2019 and will avoid lengthy and costly court battles .
The settlement came after a new government , which includes Najib ’ s Malay party , took power in March following a political coup .
It is lower than the $ 7.5 billion settlement that the previous government had sought .
“ With today ’ s settlement amount and the monies that Malaysia has already received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 4.5 billion will be returned to the people of Malaysia , ” the ministry said , adding that the government is committed to recovering other outstanding assets .
It said the deal showed that Goldman acknowledged misconduct by its two former employees and will not affect Malaysia ’ s charges against fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho , identified as an alleged mastermind of the fraud , and other parties in the scandal .
Najib set up 1MDB when he took office in 2009 .
It accumulated billions in debts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib ’ s associates .
Public anger over the alleged corruption contributed to the country ’ s first change in its governing coalition since independence from Britain in 1957 .
The new government installed in 2018 reopened investigations into the scandal that had been stifled under Najib ’ s administration .
Najib is currently on trial on multiple graft charges .
He denies the charges and has called it a political attack .
His wife , Rosmah Masnsor , and stepson , Riza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
Prosecutors recently dropped charges against Riza following a settlement slammed by critics as a sweetheart deal .
It came after the ruling alliance that ousted Najib collapsed in February , with two-time Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigning in protest when his party formed a Malay-centric government with Najib ’ s party and several others .
The king subsequently appointed fellow party leader Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister despite Mahathir ’ s insistence that he had the support of a majority of lawmakers .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Greece sends 18 migrant kids with medical needs to Germany

BERLIN - Greece transferred 18 children with medical needs and their close relatives who were living in overcrowded migrant camps @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
A flight that arrived at Kassel airport in central Germany from Athens @ @ @ @ @ total , who were to be shared out among German states , the German interior @ @ @ @ @ them are from Afghanistan ; the rest were Syrians , Iraqis , Palestinians and Somalis @ @ @ @ @ size from two to eight people .
The transfer is part of a wider effort @ @ @ @ @ children out of camps on the Greek islands .
Germany says it has agreed to @ @ @ @ @ 243 children “ who need medical treatment ” from Greece .
In April , a @ @ @ @ @ evacuated from the Greek camps landed in Germany .
Luxembourg and Portugal also have taken @ @ @ @ @ and other European Union countries have agreed to in principle .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Christopher Columbus statues taken down at 2 Chicago parks

CHICAGO - Two statues of Christopher Columbus that stood in Chicago parks were taken down early Friday at the direction of Mayor Lori Lightfoot , a week after protesters trying to topple one of the monuments to the Italian explorer clashed with police .
Crews used a large crane to remove the statue in downtown Chicago ’ s Grant Park from its pedestal .
A small crowd cheered and passing cars honked as the statue came down about 3 a.m .
The second statue was removed about 5:30 a.m. Friday from Arrigo Park in Chicago ’ s Little Italy neighbourhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues were taken down , the Democratic mayor ’ s office said they were being “ temporarily removed ... until further notice.
” It said the removals were “ in response to demonstrations that became unsafe for both protesters and police , as well as efforts by individuals to independently pull the Grant Park statue down in an extremely dangerous manner.
” “ This step is about an effort to protect public safety and to preserve a safe space for an inclusive and democratic public dialogue about our city ’ s symbols , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the statement , which said the statues were removed following “ consultation with various stakeholders.
” Plans to remove the Grant Park statue were first reported Thursday night by the Chicago Tribune and the removal followed hours of vocal confrontations between opponents and supporters of the statue .
On July 17 , protesters had clashed with police , who used batons to beat people and made arrests after they say protesters targeted them with fireworks , rocks and other items .
“ This statue coming down is because of the effort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true history of Columbus and what he represents , ” Stefan Cuevas-Caizaguano , a resident watching the removal , told the Chicago Sun-Times .
Both the Grant Park and Arrigo Park statues were vandalized last month .
Statues of Columbus have also been toppled or vandalized in other U.S. cities as protesters have called for the removal of statues of Columbus , saying that he is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas .
Pasquale Gianni of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans said the mayor had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues would be moved and temporarily housed elsewhere for public safety reasons .
“ The Italian American community feels betrayed .
The Mayor ’ s Office is giving into a vocal and destructive minority .
This is not how the Democratic process is supposed to work , “ he told WLS-TV .
Lightfoot and the city planned to announce a process “ to assess each of the monuments , memorials , and murals across Chicago ’ s communities , and develop a framework for creating a public dialogue to determine how we elevate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the mayor ’ s office added in its statement .
The removals come amid a plan by President Donald Trump to dispatch federal law enforcement agents to the city to respond to gun violence , prompting worries that the surge will inhibit residents ’ ability to hold demonstrations .
A collection of activist groups had filed suit Thursday , seeking to block federal agents to combat violent crime from interfering in or policing protests .
State officials in Oregon had sued for similar requests following the arrival of federal law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Portland since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
This story has been corrected to indicate that the lawsuit by activists was filed Thursday , not Wednesday .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--El Salvador arrests ex-defence minister for gang pact

SAN SALVADOR , El Salvador - El Salvador arrested its former defence minister David Munguía Payé , alleging his involvement in a pact with the country ’ s principle gangs in 2012 , officials announced .
Attorney General Raúl Melara said late Thursday that Munguía was arrested for his actions in relation to the gang pact under the administration of then-President Mauricio Funes .
The government made a pact with the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs to dramatically lower the country ’ s murder rate .
In exchange , the gangs ’ imprisoned leaders were moved from maximum security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to continue managing the gangs ’ operations .
Melara said the Attorney General ’ s Office is also pursuing Funes , who fled to Nicaragua and received political asylum in 2016 .
He said investigators determined it was Funes and Munguía who conceived of and implemented the pact .
On Friday , Funes denied any involvement in the gang pact .
“ I never met with gangsters and nor did I order any official to do so , ” Funes wrote on Twitter .
“ I never ordered nor authorized prison privileges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Manuel Chacón , said he had still not been told of the charges against his client .
Chacón said they had been aware of the gang pact investigation for some time , because Munguía was called to make statements about it to prosecutors various times .
Chacón said he will ask a judge to allow his client to not be held in jail while awaiting trial , because he is more than 70 years old and has sufficient familial and work ties to keep him from being a flight risk .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another case related to the pact , he said that it was public policy born in Funes ’ security cabinet .
“ My role was to facilitate the work of the mediators and receive reports from the mediators and members of the ( Organization of American States ) and keep the President of Republic informed of advances in the process , ” Munguía said .
During the pact , daily homicides dropped from about 14 to five .
But the pact dissolved in September 2013 after the Supreme Court removed Munguía from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that imprisoned gang leaders had received .
Homicides then rose again .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Virginia evicts Confederate monuments from its state capitol

RICHMOND , Va. - Virginia has removed from its iconic state capitol the busts and a statue honouring Confederate generals and officials .
That includes a bronze statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee positioned in the same spot where he stood to assume command of the state ’ s armed forces in the Civil War nearly 160 years ago .
They are the latest Confederate symbols to be removed or retired in the weeks since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked a nationwide protest movement .
Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn , a Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ busts of generals J.E.B .
Stuart , Stonewall Jackson , Confederate President Jefferson Davis , and others removed from the historic Old House Chamber .
A moving crew worked through the night Thursday — carefully removing the monuments and their plaques and loading them into a truck and taking them to an undisclosed location .
The stealth approach avoids the possibility of protests or a lawsuit to keep the monuments in place , but may prompt criticism that the monuments were moved without public discussion .
“ Virginia has a story to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its participants , ” Filler-Corn said in a statement .
“ Now is the time to provide context to our Capitol to truly tell the commonwealth ’ s whole history.
“ Designed by Thomas Jefferson , the Virginia state capitol is the first state capitol to open after the American Revolution and was used as the Confederacy ’ s Capitol during much of the Civil War .
Filler-Corn ’ s move to remove the Confederate generals comes a few weeks after Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ordered the removal of a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) bronze equestrian sculpture on Richmond ’ s historic Monument Avenue .
A lawsuit has delayed that statue ’ s removal , but other Confederate monuments on the street — once one of the most prominent collection of tributes to the Confederacy in the nation — have already come down .
And earlier this week , the U.S. House approved a bill to remove statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee and other Confederate leaders from the U.S. Capitol .
The bill ’ s prospects in the Senate are uncertain .
In Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first met when the Capitol opened in 1788 and was used as the House ’ s meeting place for more than 100 years before the Capitol building was expanded .
It is not currently used for official purposes when the legislature meets .
The chamber ’ s history is long and varied — then-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall presided over a trial there that saw former Vice-President Aaron Burr acquitted of treason — but much of the iconography in the room is devoted to Confederates .
Virginia delegates voted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April 1861 .
A few days later , Lee entered the room to take formal command of the state ’ s military .
“ Trusting in almighty God , an approving conscience , and the aid of my fellow citizens , I devote myself to the service of my native state , in whose behalf alone will I ever again draw my sword , ” Lee said , according to an inscription on the statue .
Seven years later , after the South lost the war , it was the same room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included Black delegates for the first time .
Like many Confederate monuments , most of those recently removed from Virginia ’ s Capitol were erected decades after the Civil War .
They were commissioned and built during the Jim Crow era , when states imposed new segregation laws , and during the “ Lost Cause ” movement , when historians and others tried to depict the South ’ s rebellion as a fight to defend states ’ rights , not slavery .
The Lee statue was approved in 1928 with the help of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later go on to lead the state ’ s Massive Resistance to racially integrated schools .
It ’ s $ 25,000 price tag ( about $ 370,000 currently ) was paid for by the state , donations and an in-kind donation from the sculptor .
Busts of Davis and Alexander Stephens , the vice-president of the Confederacy , were donated to Virginia in the 1950s by Mississippi and Georgia .
Filler-Corn also announced she ’ s appointed Del .
Delores McQuinn to lead a new advisory group to advise the speaker on “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artifacts controlled by the House .
The House does not control Capitol Square , the outdoor area around the Capitol , which includes statues of Stonewall Jackson and William “ Extra Billy ” Smith , a former governor and Confederate brigadier general .
The authority to remove those statues is a matter of debate and may need the full approval of the legislature .
The Confederate monuments are not the only tributes to losing causes in and around the Capitol , a building built with slave labour where almost every portrait hanging on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A large statue of Byrd , the arch segregationist , sits on Capitol Square and two portraits hanging prominently in the Capitol .
In the House chamber , directly behind where House speakers preside , is a plaque honouring Nathaniel Bacon .
He was wealthy colonist who led a failed rebellion in the 1670s whose aims including the unfettered killing of Indians and the seizing of their lands .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Barack Obama to appear on Michelle Obama’s podcast debut

LOS ANGELES - The first guest of Michelle Obama ’ s new podcast will have a familiar presidential voice : Barack Obama .
The former United States president is expected to appear on “ The Michelle Obama Podcast ” on Spotify , the Obama ’ s Higher Ground and streaming service announced Friday .
The podcast will debut on July 29 .
In the premiere episode , the former first lady and her husband will hold an intimate conversation about community , the love that powers relationships and life after living eight years in the White House .
“ For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crazy schedules , juggling big initiatives , speeches , state dinners , “ Michelle Obama says in the first episode ’ s intro .
“ Not to mention trying to raise two daughters and keeping my head above water .
But once Barack ’ s second term ended , the presidency was over and finally had some time to breathe.
” Michelle Obama ’ s new podcast expects to hold candid and personal conversations focusing on a variety of topics concerning women ’ s health , marriage and the benefits of mentorship .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as talk-show host Conan O ’ Brien and Valerie Jarrett , business woman and former senior advisor to Barack Obama .
“ I don ’ t want this podcast to be prescriptive… or present anyone ’ s ideas as truth , “ she says in the episode .
“ I just want it to feel like we ’ re sitting together on a park bench or in the booth of a restaurant with the jukebox playing .
And most importantly , I hope this podcast sparks ideas and topics that all you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own circles.
” Her podcast is the first title in the ongoing collaboration between Spotify and Higher Ground , a production company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama .
Last year , the duo partnered with Spotify to produce exclusive podcasts for the platform .
Obama released her Netflix documentary “ Becoming ” in May .
The project was an extension of her 2018 bestselling memoir of the same name and a kind of authorized filmic portrait of Obama .
Last year , she embarked on a rock-star-style tour of more than 30 @ @ @ @ @ @

Jonathan Landrum Jr. - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia opens as a mosque for Muslim prayers

ISTANBUL - Fulfilling a dream of his Islamic-oriented youth , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined hundreds of worshipers Friday for the first Muslim prayers in 86 years inside Hagia Sophia , the Istanbul landmark that served as one of Christendom ’ s most significant cathedrals , a mosque and a museum before its conversion back into a Muslim place of worship .
Thousands of other Muslim faithful came from across Turkey and quickly filled specially designated areas outside of the Byzantine era monument to join in the inaugural prayers .
Many others were turned away , while Orthodox Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States announced a “ day of mourning ” over Hagia Sophia ’ s return as a mosque .
The prayers began with Erdogan reciting from the Qur ’ an .
The head of Turkey ’ s religious authority , Ali Erbas , led the ceremony and prayed that Muslims would never again be “ denied ” the right to worship at the internationally celebrated 6th century structure .
As many as many as 350,000 people took part in Friday ’ s prayers , the president said .
Brushing aside international criticism , Erdogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a mosque earlier this month , shortly after a Turkish high court ruled that the Hagia Sophia had been illegally made into a museum more than eight decades ago .
The structure , listed as UNESCO World Heritage site , has since been renamed “ The Grand Hagia Sophia Mosque.
” The move sparked dismay in Greece , the United States and among Christian churches who had called on Erdogan to maintain it as a museum as a nod to Istanbul ’ s multi-religious heritage and the structure ’ s status as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pope Francis expressed his sadness .
Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537 , Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque with the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Istanbul .
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk , the founding leader of the secular Turkish republic converted the structure into a museum in 1934 .
Although an annex to the Hagia Sophia , the Sultan ’ s pavilion , has been open to prayers since the 1990s , religious and nationalists group in Turkey have long yearned for the nearly 1,500-year-old edifice , which they regard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Conquerer , to be reverted into a mosque .
“ This is Hagia Sophia breaking away from its captivity chains .
It was the greatest dream of our youth , ” Erdogan said last week .
“ It was the yearning of our people and it has been accomplished.
” Erdogan also described its conversion into a museum by the republic ’ s founding leaders as a mistake that is being rectified .
In neighbouring Greece , bells tolled and flags flew at half-staff at hundreds of churches across the country in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sophia into a mosque .
The Greek Orthodox Church leader , Archbishiop Ieronymos , will hold a special service at Athens Cathedral later Friday .
Churches in Athens , Greece ’ s second-largest city , Thessaloniki , are also organizing vigils .
“ Today is a difficult day .. a shadow hangs over us with the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque — something that genuinely shocks Christians all over the world and not only Greeks , “ Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said in an interview with private channel Open TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time that this will create an unbridgeable gap between Turkey and the Christian world.
” The history and religious traditions of the predominantly Greek-speaking and Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire remain influential in Greece .
The church protests also occurred amid a volatile dispute between Greece and Turkey over mineral rights in the eastern Mediterranean , with the Greek military on alert over a planned Turkish maritime survey in waters claimed by Greece .
In New York , the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America , called the inaugural prayers a “ cultural and spiritual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of religious harmony and mutual respect.
” Archbishop Elpidophoros of America held a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence in Washington on Thursday to discuss concerns over the reconversion .
In his sermon , Erbas said Mehmet the Conqueror had endowed Hagia Sophia “ to believers on condition that it should remain a mosque until the last day .
“ Any property that is endowed is inviolable in our belief and burns whoever touches it , ” Erbas said .
In Istanbul , hundreds had camped near the structure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one police checkpoint to rush toward Hagia Sophia and social distancing practices , in place due to the coronavirus outbreak , were being ignored , Turkish media reported .
Turkey has vowed to protect Hagia Sophia ’ s artifacts and has said it will remain open to visits by Muslims and non-Muslims outside of prayer hours .
The structure ’ s mosaics depicting Christian figures are being covered with sail-like white drapes during the prayers .
Suzan Fraser reported from Ankara , Turkey .
Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report .

Mehmet Guzel And Suzan Fraser - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--France pledges $17 million to Lebanon’s struggling schools

MECHREF , Lebanon - France ’ s visiting foreign minister pledged Friday €15 million ( $ 17 million ) in aid to Lebanon ’ s schools , which are struggling under the weight of the country ’ s major economic crisis .
Jean-Yves Le Drian said France will not let the “ Lebanese youth alone ” face the crisis that has hit the education sector hard .
Schools in Lebanon have let some teachers and administrators go and many face the risk of closure .
Parents , struggling to pay private school fees , enrolled their children in already overcrowded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to a network of over 50 French and Francophone schools .
The economic crisis has impacted almost all facets of life in Lebanon , a small Mediterranean country long considered a middle-income state .
Since last year , unemployment has risen and poverty deepened , as foreign currency dried up and the currency tumbled to lose more than 80 % of its value before the dollar .
Le Drian , who arrived here late Wednesday , said France could only help Lebanon face the crisis if Lebanese officials do their part , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Le Drian is the first senior Western official to visit the struggling country .
In stern public messages , he urged Lebanese officials to go through with an audit of the country ’ s central bank , reform a bloated and highly indebted electricity sector and maintain an independent judiciary .
France is the former colonial power in Lebanon and has previously organized conferences that pledged assistance to Lebanon but demanded reforms to the public sector and governance .
“ Lebanon is on the verge of the abyss .
But there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said Friday during a visit to a school in Mechref district , south of the capital Beirut .
During this visit , he said Lebanon is on France ’ s list of priority countries for humanitarian assistance , adding that his country already donated € 50 million ( $ 58 million ) , primarily to the health care sector to deal with the coronavirus challenge .
But Le Drian said Thursday the only way out of the financial and economic crisis for Lebanon is to secure a program with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its allies can secure assistance to Lebanon , he said .
Talks with the IMF have been bogged down in internal political disputes and struggles over who is to blame for banking losses .
Lebanon ’ s crisis is rooted in years of mismanagement and corruption .
It has deepened since the government defaulted on its sovereign debt in March , the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions that it brought .
Lebanon witnessed nationwide protests last October after the government , as part of efforts to introduce austerity measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WhatsApp .
Protesters accused the government of mismanagement and years of corruption and eventually forced then-premier , Saad Hariri , to resign .
A new government , backed by the powerful Hezbollah group and its allies was formed in January and has since been bogged down by domestic rivalries on ways to proceed with reforms and the IMF talks .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--AP-NORC poll: Optimism fades jobs lost to virus will return

WASHINGTON - Nearly half of Americans whose families experienced a layoff during the coronavirus pandemic now believe those jobs are lost forever , a new poll shows , as temporary cutbacks give way to shuttered businesses , bankruptcies and lasting payroll cuts .
It ’ s a sharp change after initial optimism the jobs would return .
In April , 78 % of those in households with a job loss thought they ’ d be temporary .
Now , 47 % think that lost job is definitely or probably not coming back , according to the latest poll from The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That translates into roughly 10 million workers who will need to find a new employer , if not a new occupation .
The poll is the latest sign the solid hiring of May and June , as some states lifted stay-at-home orders and the economy began to recover , may wane as the year goes on .
Adding to the challenge : many students will begin the school-year online , making it harder for parents to take jobs outside their homes .
“ Honestly , at this point , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go back to , ” said Tonica Daley , 35 , who lives in Riverside , California , and has four children ranging from 3 to 18 years old .
“ The kids are going to do virtual school , and there is no day care.
” Daley was furloughed from her job as a manager at J.C. Penney , which has filed for bankruptcy protection .
The extra $ 600 a week in jobless benefits Congress provided as part of the federal government ’ s coronavirus relief efforts let her family pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the potential expiration or reduction of those benefits in August would force her to borrow money to get by .
The economy ’ s recovery has shown signs of stalling amid a resurgence of the coronavirus .
The number of laid-off workers seeking jobless benefits rose last week for the first time since March , while the number of U.S. infections shot past 4 million — with many more cases undetected .
The poll shows that 72 % of Americans would rather have restrictions in place in their communities to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an effort to help the economy .
Just 27 % want to prioritize the economy over efforts to stop the outbreak .
“ The only real end to this pandemic problem is the successful application of vaccines , ” said Fred Folkman , 82 , a business professor from Long Island , in New York .
About 9 in 10 Democrats prioritize stopping the virus , while Republicans are more evenly divided — 46 % focus on stopping the spread , while 53 % say the economy is the bigger priority .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to agree to a new aid package .
Democrats , who control the House , have championed an additional $ 3 trillion in help , including money for state and local governments .
Republicans , who control the Senate , have proposed $ 1 trillion , decreasing the size of the expanded unemployment benefits .
Overall , about half of Americans say they or someone in their household has lost some kind of income over the course of the pandemic .
That includes 27 % who say someone has been laid off , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 24 % taken unpaid time off and 29 % had wages or salaries reduced .
Eighteen per cent of those who lost a household job now say it has come back , while another 34 % still expect it to return .
The poll continues to show the pandemic ’ s disparate impact .
About 6 in 10 nonwhite Americans say they ’ ve lost a source of household income , compared with about half of white Americans .
Forty-six per cent of those with college degrees say they ’ ve lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 56 % of those without .
Trump ’ s approval rating on handling the economy stands at 48 % , consistent with where it stood a month ago but down from January and March , when 56 % said they approved .
Still , the economy remains Trump ’ s strongest issue .
Working to Trump ’ s advantage , 88 % of Republicans — including 85 % of those whose households have lost income during the pandemic — approve of his handling of the economy .
Eighty-two per cent of Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticize our president , but he ’ s a cheerleader , “ said Jim Russ , 74 , a retired state worker from Austin , Texas .
” As long we keep that , the American public will think positive and look positive.
” The poll finds that 38 % of Americans think the national economy is good .
That ’ s about the same as in June and up from 29 % in May but far below the 67 % who felt that way in January .
Sixty-four per cent of Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 19 % of Democrats .
Likewise , 59 % of Republicans expect the economy to improve in the next year , while Democrats are more likely to expect it to worsen than improve , 47 % to 29 % .
Sixty-five per cent of Americans also call their personal financial situation good .
That ’ s about the same as it ’ s been throughout the pandemic and before the crisis began .
Still , Americans are slightly less likely than they were a month ago to expect their personal financial situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thirty-three per cent say that now , after 38 % said so a month ago .
Another 16 % expect their finances to worsen , while 51 % expect no changes .
So much of what happens in the economy will depend on the trajectory of the virus , said Danny Vaughn , 72 , from Dade City , Florida .
“ I don ’ t disagree with everything the president does , but his leadership on the coronavirus issue has been lacking , ” Vaughn said .
“ And that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people right now.
” The AP-NORC poll of 1,057 adults was conducted July 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC ’ s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel , which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population .
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points .

Josh Boak And Emily Swanson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Bali police arrest American wanted in investment fraud

DENPASAR , Indonesia - Authorities on the Indonesian resort island of Bali have arrested an American fugitive accused of investment fraud in the United States involving hundreds of thousands of dollars , police said Friday .
Bali police chief Petrus Reinhard Golose said the suspect , Marcus Beam , had been making and selling sex videos in Bali to support his living expenses there .
He said Beam apparently escaped from the U.S. by using a passport with a different name and entered Bali in January .
Beam was arrested with his American girlfriend in a villa in Badung late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Golose said .
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on its website that Beam , of Woodridge , Illinois , is accused of misappropriating about $ 500,000 from investors that was supposed to be placed in investment funds .
Instead of investing the money , Beam spent it on personal and business expenses , it said .
To conceal the misappropriation , he sent fraudulent account statements to investors , and did not return any money when they attempted to redeem their investments , the SEC said .
It said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court in Chicago last September .
Beam was paraded in handcuffs and a face mask at a police news conference on Friday in Denpasar , the Bali provincial capital .
Police presented evidence they seized including passports , a folding knife , 14 sex toys , five cellphones and 13 other electronic devices .
“ He has made various sex videos and sold it to online sites to support his living expenses while in Bali , ” Golose said .
“ We are still investigating whether he involved local people in those videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed was only in his homeland.
” He said Beam had moved about seven times and used several identities while in Bali .
He used a passport bearing the name of Demario Faulkner and told police he was on vacation , Golose said .
Golose said there is no extradition agreement between Indonesia and the U.S. , but the two nations have police-to-police co-operation arrangements that would enable Beam to be deported to his homeland .


thetorontostar--2020-07-24--Taliban say ready for talks with Kabul after Eid holiday

ISLAMABAD - The Taliban say they are ready for talks with Afghanistan ’ s political leadership after the Muslim holiday of Eid ul Adha at the end of July , offering to hand over the last of the government prisoners in a week ’ s time , providing the government frees the last of its Taliban prisoners .
The offer made by Taliban ’ s political spokesman Suhail Shaheen in a tweet late Thursday follows one of the most significant shakeups in the Taliban in years .
The group appointed the son of the movement ’ s fearsome founder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council members to its negotiation team .
In Kabul on Friday , the High Council for National Reconciliation , which was created in May to manage peace efforts with the Taliban , said it was still working through the Taliban ’ s prisoner list .
Javed Faisal , spokesman for the Afghan national security adviser ’ s office , previously said nearly 600 Taliban prisoners whose release is being sought have been convicted of serious crimes .
The government is reluctant to set them free , he said .
It seemed unlikely the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the Muslim holiday .
The release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners held by the government and 1,000 government personnel and security officials in Taliban custody is laid out in a U.S. deal with the Taliban aimed at ending Afghanistan ’ s relentless wars .
According to the deal , the prisoner exchange is to take place ahead of talks between Kabul and the Taliban , seen as perhaps the most critical part of the deal .
Shaheen ’ s tweet was the first offer at a timeline for the negotiations , however he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refused any substitutes to the list of prisoners submitted by the Taliban .
Kabul has offered to free alternative Taliban members they have in custody and who they say have not been convicted of serious crimes .
The Taliban have refused .
The government ’ s national reconciliation council membership has yet to be decided .
It is being led by Abdullah Abdullah , a candidate in last year ’ s presidential election who disputed the results and had for a time declared himself president .
He was appointed to head the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the election , which had frustrated Washington ’ s efforts to get intra-Afghan negotiations off the ground .
Meanwhile , in the Qatar capital of Doha , where the Taliban maintain a political office , the religious movement has finalized its 20-member negotiating team , which includes 13 members of the Taliban ’ s leadership council .
Taliban officials who spoke previously said the strength of the team means it can make decisions on behalf of the movement .
The Taliban team is also led by one of the founders of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who spent eight years in a jail in Pakistan after he attempted to open peace talks in 2010 with President Hamid Karzai .
Baradar ’ s independent peace overtures were apparently made without either Pakistan ’ s or the United States ’ prior approval , according to Karzai .
Karzai has said he twice asked Islamabad and Washington to free Baradar .
He was rejected both times , he said .
Now , however , Baradar speaks on the phone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and was the leading negotiator in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which resulted in a peace deal between the Taliban and the U.S .
It was touted as Afghanistan ’ s best chance at peace in decades when it was signed Feb. 29 .
However , it has been bogged down over the release of prisoners .
Associated Press writer Tameem Akhgar in Kabul , Afghanistan contributed to this report