thetorontostar--2020-05-19--Missouri carries out 1st US execution since pandemic began

BONNE TERRE , Mo .
- A Missouri man was put to death by lethal injection Tuesday for fatally stabbing an 81-year-old woman nearly three decades ago , the first U.S. execution since the coronavirus pandemic took hold .
Walter Barton , 64 , had long maintained he was innocent of killing Gladys Kuehler , and his case was tied up for years due to appeals , mistrials and two overturned convictions .
His fate was sealed when neither the courts nor Gov .
Mike Parson intervened .
Barton breathed heavily five times after the lethal drug entered his body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his final statement released prior to his execution , Barton said : “ I , Walter ” Arkie ” Barton , am innocent and they are executing an innocent man !
!
” Concerns related to the coronavirus caused several states to postpone or cancel executions over the past 2 1/2 months .
Until Tuesday , no one had been executed in the U.S. since Nathaniel Woods was put to death in Alabama on March 5 .
Ohio , Tennessee and Texas were among states calling off executions .
The last execution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ busiest capital punishment state , was Feb. 6 .
Seven executions that were scheduled since then have been delayed .
Six of the delays had some connection to the pandemic while the seventh was related to claims that a death row inmate is intellectually disabled .
Barton ’ s attorney , Fred Duchardt Jr. , and attorneys for death row inmates in the other states argued that the pandemic prevented them from safely conducting thorough investigations for clemency petitions and last-minute appeals .
They said they were unable to secure records or conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed concerns about interacting with individuals and possibly being exposed to the virus , and they worried that the close proximity of witnesses and staff at executions could lead to spread of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Barton was executed in Bonne Terre , Missouri , about 60 miles ( 97 kilometres ) south of St. Louis , at a prison that has no confirmed cases of the virus .
Strict protocols were in place to protect workers and visitors from exposure to the coronavirus .
Everyone entering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverings were required , and the prison provided masks and gloves for those who didn ’ t have them .
Six state witnesses — a reporter for a Springfield television station , an Associated Press reporter and four department of corrections employees — waited in a room together for about an hour prior the execution .
All six were masked .
At one point , four department of corrections officials , including Director Anne Precythe and three other officials , briefly entered .
They did not wear facial protection .
The witness waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facial protection was not required under Parson ’ s statewide reopening that began May 4 , but social distancing has been encouraged since the pandemic began .
Parson has called the decision to wear a mask a personal choice .
In fact , Parson has appeared in public without a mask .
In the execution witness room , all six state witness and two corrections officers wore masks , but Jeff Norman , director of adult institutions , did not .
But several employees clocking in and out for the day , without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used by media prior to and after the execution .
They remained more than six feet away from the lone reporter in the media room at the time .
Witnesses were divided into three rooms .
Those witnesses include an Associated Press reporter and other journalists and state witnesses , and people there to support Barton .
No relatives or other supporters of the victim attended .
Barton often spent time at the mobile home park that Kuehler operated .
He was with her granddaughter and a neighbour on the evening of Oct. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her dead in her bedroom .
Police noticed what appeared to be blood stains on Barton ’ s clothing , and DNA tests confirmed it was Kuehler ’ s .
Barton said the stains must have occurred when he pulled Kuehler ’ s granddaughter away from the body .
The granddaughter first confirmed that account , but testified that Barton never came into the bedroom .
A blood spatter expert at Barton ’ s trial said the three small stains likely resulted from the “ impact ” of the knife .
In new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Lawrence Renner , who examined Barton ’ s clothing and boots .
Renner concluded the killer would have had far more blood stains .
Duchardt said three jurors recently signed affidavits calling Renner ’ s determination “ compelling ” and saying it would have affected their deliberations .
The jury foreman said , based on the evidence , he would have been “ uncomfortable ” recommending the death penalty .
The last execution in Texas , the nation ’ s busiest capital punishment state , was Feb. 6 .
Seven executions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Six of the delays had some connection to the pandemic while the seventh was related to claims that a death row inmate is intellectually disabled .
The next execution in Texas is set for June 16 .
Officials have instituted a process requiring witnesses to be be subject to the same screening required of prison employees before entering the facility , Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jeremy Desel said .
The screening involves questions based on potential exposure to the coronavirus and health inquiries .
Texas ’ death chamber is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all parts of the prison in Huntsville , and it is constantly cleaned , Desel said .
AP reporter Juan Lozano in Houston contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--Vegas casino employee virus testing plan to start Thursday

LAS VEGAS - Testing for the new coronavirus is due to start Thursday for the first of tens of thousands of Las Vegas casino employees being tapped for job callbacks before resorts reopen , according to a co-operative plan announced Tuesday by several casino companies and local tourism , hospital and union officials .
State gambling regulators have not given the go-ahead or a date for the lifting of Gov .
Steve Sisolak ’ s mid-March order closing all gambling establishments in Nevada to prevent groups from gathering and spreading coronavirus .
But some resorts are aiming for June 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start with scheduled appointments for notified employees at the Las Vegas Convention Center .
Employees will not be charged a fee .
The goal is to collect up to 4,000 test samples for the COVID-19 illness per day , officials said .
Results are expected within 48 hours , and employees who test positive will be referred to the Southern Nevada Health District for contact tracing .
Costs for the testing were not disclosed in a joint announcement by MGM Resorts International , Caesars Entertainment , Boyd Gaming , University Medical Center , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority .
“ COVID-19 testing ensures that Culinary Union members are safe when they return to work , ” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline , union secretary-treasurer .
She called the health and safety of employees and guests the top priority .
MGM Resorts and Caesars own most of the hotel properties on the Las Vegas Strip , which has more than 150,000 hotel rooms .
Each company furloughed more than 60,000 employees in March .
University Medical Center CEO Mason VanHouweling credited efforts of a task force of Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive Jim Murren with helping marshal resources to boost testing capacity .
Murren has called virus testing essential in restarting the state economy and recently told The Associated Press that he hoped authorities would be able to process 30,000 tests a day by June 1 .
Caesars chief executive Tony Rodio said his company ’ s employees will complete a questionnaire to determine their need for a COVID-19 test .
State health officials on Tuesday reported more than 7,000 positive cases of COVID-19 , and 365 deaths .
For most people , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness including pneumonia and death .
The vast majority of people recover .
— The state ’ s former emergency manager has been named to oversee programs including COVID-19 testing and contact tracing .
Gov .
Sisolak on Monday cited Caleb Cage ’ s experience at the state Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and more recently as an executive at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cage will be responsible for co-ordinating Nevada ’ s “ federally supported , state managed and locally executed ” response to the coronavirus pandemic , the governor said .
— Nevada ’ s state-run health insurance marketplace added more than 6,000 people during a two-month window for those who lacked coverage but had not signed up during open enrolment last fall , officials said Tuesday .
Silver State Health Insurance Exchange said the special enrolment period drew an almost 8 % jump in Nevada Health Link membership compared with the 77,000 people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sisolak opened the special window March 17 .
It closed Friday .

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thetorontostar--2020-05-19--1 Michigan dam breached, another at risk amid Midwest floods

EDENVILLE , Mich. - People living along two lakes and a river in mid-Michigan rushed to evacuate Tuesday after the breach of a dam following days of heavy flooding across parts of the Midwest .
Two schools were opened for evacuees in the Midland area , about 140 miles north of Detroit , after the breach of Edenville Dam , which holds back Wixom Lake .
Red Cross worker Tom Restgate , who had been helping residents of the area seek shelter from the threat of rising waters , said he received an alert over his cellphone that “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a span of several miles were urged to evacuate .
Officials also were watching the Sanford Dam south of Edenville .
The city of Midland , which includes the main plant of Dow Chemical , sits on the banks of the Tittabawassee River about 8 miles away from that dam .
More than 50 roads have been closed in the area .
The evacuations in Michigan followed days of heavy rains in parts of the Midwest that also brought flooding to Chicago and other parts of Illinois , Ohio and other states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Catherine Sias , who lives about a mile from the Edenville Dam , said before the breach .
“ Last night , emergency responders came door-to-door to make sure everybody got out .
We have mild flooding every year , but this is unusual.
” Sias , 45 , has five cats and two dogs and was about to check into a hotel that allowed pets when she learned it was probably safe for people not living in low-lying areas to return home .
“ I ’ m on the high bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ A lot of people are having a harder time .
Most of them are going to be dealing with flooding in their homes.
” Some residents , such as Jon St. Croix , went to shelters set up in area schools .
“ We were laying in bed when I heard sirens , ” St. Croix told the Midland Daily News .
“ A fire truck was driving around , broadcasting that ( we needed ) to evacuate .
It ’ s a scary thing — you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Croix , 62 , his wife and a next-door neighbour were among more than a dozen people sheltering in one school .
Their home was not flooded , but St. Croix said he had seen flooding in the area .
Volunteers at the schools said about 120 vehicles were in the parking lots of a couple of schools and about 30 people had been staying on cots inside , according to WNEM-TV .
About a dozen people hunkered down overnight at a school in Sanford but had left by early Tuesday afternoon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cross safety officer .
The cots inside the school were spread out to observe social distancing recommendations to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus , Restgate said .
Heavy rains also caused flooding in parts of northwestern Indiana , including Crown Point — the Lake County seat — where about seven inches fell over the weekend .
Floodwaters swelled quickly on Sunday when 1 inch ( 2.54 centimetres ) of rain fell within 15 minutes , swamping streets and sending water into basements and homes , including Mayor David Uran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Uran and many other residents were continuing to clean up the watery mess on Tuesday , said Uran ’ s chief of staff , Greg Falkowski .
“ He got between 2 and 3 feet in his basement , so that ’ s what he ’ s working on right now , ” Falkowski said Tuesday afternoon .
In Chicago , water that flooded some areas downtown was receding on Tuesday , but Larry Langford , a fire department spokesman , said that he did not expect power to be restored at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rains caused the building ’ s subbasements to fill with as much as 25 feet ( 7.6 metres ) of water .
The building was closed to tenants and visitors .
And in DuPage County , west of the city , a search for an 18-year-old woman who was swept away by a surging DuPage River last Friday remained suspended on Tuesday because the water remained too high and the current too swift to conduct the search safely .
Tony Martinez , spokesman for the DuPage Forest Preserve District , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was swept that is typically about 25 feet wide remained 200 yards wide .
“ We hope to resume searching later this week , ” he said .
The driver of a pickup truck in mid-Michigan had to be rescued by first responders after the vehicle was swept away on a flooded road in Tittabawassee Township , WNEM-TV reported .
School buses and dump trucks were called out Tuesday in southwest Ohio to help evacuate people trapped in flooded areas in a commercial area with dozens of businesses in suburban West Chester Township @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman Barb Wilson said a dozen people had been taken to a nearby high school , while other people were able to make it out of the flooded area in their own vehicles .
There were no injuries reported immediately in the area just off Interstate 75 north of Cincinnati .
Flood warnings in Michigan were issued following widespread rainfall of up to 4 inches ( 10.2 centimetres ) since Sunday , according to the National Weather Service .
Heavy runoff pushed rivers higher .
“ A lot of the rainfall came and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48 hours , ” meteorologist Andrew Arnold said Tuesday morning .
“ For the most part , the rain is over.
” The weather system was moving into Indiana , Ohio , parts of Illinois and the Tennessee Valley , Arnold said .
More flooding was forecast for parts of the Tittabawassee River , which was at 26.5 feet ( 8.1 metres ) Tuesday morning .
It was expected to crest Wednesday morning at about 30 feet ( 9.1 metres ) .
Flood stage is 24 feet ( 7.3 metres ) .
Midland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alerts saying the Edenville and Sanford dams were at risk of failing , and those living near Sanford Lake , Wixom Lake and other area waterways should evacuate .
Midland County Emergency Management later said that the dams were “ structurally sound.
” It said water flowing through the dam spillgates couldn ’ t be controlled , however , so evacuation measures remained in place .
In 2018 , the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license of the company that operated the Edenville Dam due to non-compliance issues that included spillway capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe flood reasonably possible in the area .
The Edenville Dam was rated in unsatisfactory condition in 2018 by the state , while the Sanford Dam received a fair condition rating .
Both dams are in the process of being sold .
There were 19 high hazard dams in unsatisfactory or poor condition in Michigan in 2018 , ranking 20th among the 45 states and Puerto Rico for which The Associated Press obtained condition assessments .
Just to the north in Gladwin County , the weather service issued a flash flood warning for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And other parts of the state saw isolated flooding following heavy rains in recent days .


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--Alaska House adjourns after ratifying relief aid plans

JUNEAU , Alaska - The Alaska House abruptly adjourned Tuesday after ratifying plans for using more than $ 1 billion in federal coronavirus relief aid , one day after reconvening to take up the issue .
The Senate passed its own ratification bill but stayed in session to consider the House version , which aides said is identical .
A vote is expected Wednesday , as Gov .
Mike Dunleavy ’ s administration moves ahead with plans for distributing funds , including community and small business aid .
Payments to communities could begin as early as Friday once signed grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the state commerce commissioner , Julie Anderson , said in a letter to the Senate Finance co-chairs .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear how many communities had responded .
A small business relief program is in development , said Glenn Hoskinson , a special assistant in the department .
Senate Rules Chair John Coghill , a North Pole Republican , said when the House sends a bill to the Senate , it needs a committee hearing .
His committee heard the measure Tuesday morning , after the House adjourned .
House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dillingham , said the House adjourned because it was done with its work .
Edgmon said the House lacked support to take up other measures .
“ Once we got the ratification bill through , our work was done .
That was our commitment to coming down here in the first place , ” he said .
The House adjourned as the Senate was debating a resolution that would have allowed members to attend by video conference a session dealing with matters related to COVID-19 if the Legislature physically could not meet for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Cathy Giessel said she and Edgmon authorized the purchase of 10 cameras for video conference use .
Some already have been set up in legislative information offices , she said .
Under the resolution , a lawmaker participating remotely would need to be at such an office unless they got permission otherwise .
Both chambers needed to pass the resolution , Giessel said , adding she went forward with a vote to let the House know the Senate would like to have those tools available .
Video conferencing still could be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The cameras cost $ 25,000 and came out of the House and Senate budgets , said Daniel McDonald , Senate majority communications director .
A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal coronavirus relief spending plans prompted lawmakers to return to Juneau on Monday .
It was the first time the full Legislature had reconvened since recessing March 29 amid coronavirus concerns .
Sen. Lora Reinbold , an Eagle River Republican , was the lone no vote on the Senate ratification bill .
She said she worried it gave the executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dunleavy had submitted plans for distributing aid funds to the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee .
A process set out in law allows a governor to submit to the committee plans to accept and spend additional federal or other program funds on a budget item .
But concerns were raised that some of the items fell outside the scope of what can go through that committee process .
The committee nonetheless agreed to more than $ 1 billion in spending plans .
Legislative attorney Megan Wallace , in a memo to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recommended the Legislature ratify the spending if it supported the actions .
Giessel said she believes the language in the ratification bills “ closes all the loops that are being challenged by the lawsuit.
“ Attorney Joe Geldhof filed the lawsuit on behalf of resident Eric Forrer , who Geldhof said plans to continue to contest the underlying constitutional issues raised by the case .
This story has been corrected to show that the House and Senate passed respective bills , not that the Legislature had ratified the plans .


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--Trump urges Senate Republicans to ‘be tough’ on Democrats

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump arrived on Capitol Hill on Tuesday for perhaps one of the larger social gatherings still happening in Washington amid the coronavirus — the weekly Senate Republican lunch .
Behind closed doors , Trump was unscripted and freewheeling with the 53 GOP senators .
He touted his poll numbers , dismissed rival Joe Biden and implored Republicans to “ be tough ” against Democrats this fall .
Despite House passage of a $ 3 trillion pandemic aid package , Republicans insisted they ’ ll wait until June to consider whether more help is necessary .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Republican senators were there , ” Trump told reporters afterward .
The private gathering stood in contrast to the scenes playing out in households across the U.S. With social distancing and a shuttered economy , many Americans remain hunkered down at home , juggling children and jobs even as some states begin to reopen .
More than 30 million are unemployed .
“ They had a giant pep rally and got all fired up to do nothing , “ said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer .
“ What a day.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political and economic crossroads as Congress and the White House consider next steps in the pandemic response .
While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led Democrats in approving an aid package last week , Senate Republicans say they ’ re not interested in providing more funds until they gauge how the $ 2 trillion in already-approved relief is being spent .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said there ’ s no urgency to act .
“ We need to assess what we ’ ve already done , take a look at what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said McConnell , R-Ky. “ We ’ ll discuss the way forward in the next couple of weeks.
” As governors plead for funds , Pelosi ’ s package includes $ 900 billion to states and cities to shore up their budgets and prevent mass layoffs of state and local government workers .
Regional tax revenues have plummeted during the virus outbreak and economic shutdown .
The Democratic bill also provides money for more virus testing , a fresh round of $ 1,200 rebate checks for cash-strapped Americans and other aid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal wish list .
They prefer to wait and see if efforts to open up the economy can provide a kick-start and lessen the need for more aid .
Trump ’ s visit to the weekly luncheon was billed by the White House as an opportunity for the president to thank senators for their work in fighting the virus outbreak and shoring up the economy , officials said .
But as senators convened behind closed doors , the discussion swiftly turned to politics .
Trump ’ s “ enthusiasm ” for the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was clear , senators said .
The president warned them that Democrats are tougher than Republicans and won ’ t hesitate to go on offence .
He revisited well-worn topics including the investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 election and ousted former national security adviser Michael Flynn , according to one Republican who was unauthorized to discuss the private session and spoke on condition of anonymity .
“ He admonished all of us to be tough , fight back , ” Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas , told reporters afterward .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate as voters evaluate Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic crisis .
Cornyn said the president explained to the senators , “ It ’ s going to be a pitched battle.
” Trump was joined by son-in-law Jared Kushner , a senior adviser , and new chief of staff Mark Meadows , a former congressman .
The Capitol building remains largely closed with the House away because of health risks , but the Senate returned to session in early May .
The GOP lunch is among the few known gatherings still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which remains under stay-home orders through June 8 .
Since March , one GOP senator , several House members and dozens of Capitol Hill workers and staff have tested positive for the virus .
Gone is the buffet spread , with hot and cold offerings .
Instead , it ’ s prewrapped sandwiches and salads , chips and water .
The senators now gather in a bigger room across the street from the Capitol rather than the stately one steps from the Senate chamber .
Seating is a socially distant three to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Federal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests cancelling large events of more than 250 people , and cancelling those larger than 10 for high-risk populations , including the elderly .
Senate Democrats skip their weekly lunch and convene instead by conference call .
Trump set off alarms when he disclosed this week that he is taking the drug hydroxychloroquine despite grave warnings from health officials and the U.S. government that the anti-malaria drug is unproven to help against against COVID-19 and carries severe health risks , including death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take the drug during the private lunch , senators said .
Tuesday brought a full day of administration appearances on Capitol Hill .
Earlier , Vice-President Mike Pence and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin huddled with McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy for a previously scheduled meeting .
They discussed the COVID-19 response and the economy , according to a person familiar with the meeting who was unauthorized to describe it and spoke on condition of anonymity .
But it did not appear to change Republicans ’ outlook that more funds are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t see the need right now , “ McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol .
Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--Bison injures visitor to Theodore Roosevelt National Park

MEDORA , N.D. - A bison had to be put down after injuring a woman visiting the North Unit of @ @ @ @ @ North Dakota , the National Park Service said .
Officials said the 55-year-old woman from @ @ @ @ @ a bend on the Buckhorn Trail on Monday afternoon when she encountered a bull bison @ @ @ @ @ bull charged , striking the woman in the face and knocking her down .
The @ @ @ @ @ the ground , and a U.S. park ranger responded and found the bull still standing @ @ @ @ @ bison did not respond to hazing measures and was showing increasing signs of aggression , @ @ @ @ @ animal .
The woman was flown to Minot and treated for broken vertebrae and facial @ @ @ @ @ visitors that bison may appear docile , but are large , powerful and fast-moving .
@ @ @ @ @ stay at least 25 yards ( 23 metres ) away from large animals such as @ @ @ @ @ and horses .


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--Lax safety led to fatal medical air crash, investigators say

WASHINGTON - A lax safety culture at an air ambulance company led to the crash of a medical helicopter last year in snowy weather in Ohio that killed three people , federal investigators said Tuesday .
Survival Flight ’ s “ inadequate management of safety ” led the pilot to depart in deteriorating conditions .
The helicopter was heading from one hospital to another to pick up a patient in January 2019 without a thorough pre-flight weather evaluation , the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday .
All three occupants — pilot , flight nurse and flight paramedic — were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 75 miles ( 120 kilometres ) southeast of Columbus .
“ This accident was all but invited by the actions and culture of Survival Flight , ” NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt said in a statement .
“ Unfortunately , we have seen yet another case of how a poor safety culture can lead to tragedy.
” The safety board made six recommendations for changes at the company including revising flight risk assessment procedures “ including procedures for determining prior flight refusals by another helicopter air ambulance operator and forecast en route @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Survival Flight of Batesville , Arkansas , called the accident “ a tragedy that took the lives of three brave people who ’ d dedicated themselves to saving others.
“ “ We ’ re learning from this tragedy and have already completed five of the NTSB ’ s six recommendations with ongoing work on the final recommendation , “ Stubenrauch said in a written statement .
“ Survival Flight will continue to learn , improve and adapt as a company in order to better serve our communities and save lives.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t supposed to operate in low-visibility conditions , made a sharp turn after encountering the second of two bands of snow showers — probably as the pilot tried to gain visibility , investigators said -- but failed to maintain altitude and hit trees before going down near the tiny community of Zaleski .
Killed were pilot Jennifer Topper , 34 , of Sunbury , Ohio ; and flight nurses Bradley Haynes , 48 , of London , Ohio , and Rachel Cunningham , 33 , of Galloway , Ohio .
Two other companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over concerns about the weather that day , authorities said , but the pilot didn ’ t know that and didn ’ t know about potential bad weather along the planned route .
Current and former Survival Flight employees told investigators there was pressure from managers to operate flights in challenging conditions and to take flights other operators declined because of poor weather , the safety board said .
Survival Flight pilots and operations staff routinely failed to comply with pre-flight risk assessment procedures because such noncompliance had become “ ’ normalized ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture , “ the board said .
Stubenrauch declined to comment on those assertions .
The board also faulted the Federal Aviation Administration ’ s oversight of the company ’ s risk management program and said it had repeatedly urged that all on-demand aircraft operators , including helicopter air ambulances , be required to have formal programs and procedures to manage safety risks .
An email seeking comment was sent to an FAA representative .


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--States accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 testing data

PROVIDENCE , R.I. - Public health officials in some states are accused of bungling coronavirus infection statistics or even using a little sleight of hand to deliberately make things look better than they are .
The risk is that politicians , business owners and ordinary Americans who are making decisions about lockdowns , reopenings and other day-to-day matters could be left with the impression that the virus is under more control than it actually is .
In Virginia , Texas and Vermont , for example , officials said they have been combining the results of viral tests , which show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which show a past infection .
Public health experts say that can make for impressive-looking testing totals but does not give a true picture of how the virus is spreading .
In Florida , the data scientist who developed the state ’ s coronavirus dashboard , Rebekah Jones , said this week that she was fired for refusing to manipulate data “ to drum up support for the plan to reopen.
” Calls to health officials for comment were not immediately returned Tuesday .
In Georgia , one of the earliest states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public it was safe to go out again , the Department of Public Health published a graph around May 11 that showed new COVID-19 cases declining over time in the most severely affected counties .
The daily entries , however , were not arranged in chronological order but in descending order .
For example , the May 7 totals came right before April 26 , which was followed by May 3 .
A quick look at the graph made it appear as if the decline was smoother than it really was .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day .
Georgia state Rep. Jasmine Clark , a Democrat with a doctorate in microbiology , said the graph was a “ prime example of malfeasance.
” “ Sadly it feels like there ’ s been an attempt to make the data fit the narrative , and that ’ s not how data works , ” she said .
Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s office denied there was any attempt to deceive the public .
Guidelines from the Trump administration say that before states begin reopening , they should see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , some states have reopened when infections were still climbing or had plateaued .
States have also been instructed to expand testing and contact tracing .
The U.S. has recorded 1.5 million confirmed infections and over 90,000 deaths .
Vermont and Virginia said they stopped combining the two types of tests in the past few days .
Still , health officials in Virginia , where Democratic Gov .
Ralph Northam has eased up on restrictions , said that combining the numbers caused “ no difference in overall trends.
“ In Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were including some antibody results in their testing totals and case counts , Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott said Monday that the numbers were not being commingled .
Health officials did not respond to requests for clarification .
Georgia ’ s Department of Public Health also regularly publishes a graph that shows cases over time , except new infections are not listed on the day they came back positive , which is the practice in many other states .
Instead , Georgia lists new cases on the day the patient first reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeline of the outbreak and make it appear as if the state is moving past the peak .
Kemp spokesperson Candice Broce insisted that the governor ’ s office is not telling the department what to do and that officials are not trying to dress up the data to make Kemp look better , saying that “ could not be further from the truth.
” As for the May 11 graph , Broce said public health officials were trying to highlight which days had seen the highest peaks of infections .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broce said Tuesday .
“ It was always intended to be helpful.
” Thomas Tsai , a professor at the Harvard Global Health Institute , said the way Georgia reports data makes it harder to understand what the current conditions are , and he worries that other states may also be presenting data in a way that doesn ’ t capture the most up-to-date information .
Jennifer Nuzzo , a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , said a lot of these cases are not necessarily the result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , she said , states may not have updated information systems that allow them to tell the difference between an antibody test and a viral test .
Still , if states are mixing a lot of testing numbers together , “ you ’ re not going to be able to make good decisions about reopening and about what level of disease you have in the community , ” Nuzzo said .
In other developments , the White House scrambled to defend President Donald Trump ’ s decision to use the malaria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The drug is unproven against the virus , and the president ’ s move spurred fears that many Americans might start using the medication , which carries potentially fatal side effects .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany emphasized that “ any use of hydroxychloroquine has to be in consultation with your doctor.
“ About 4.9 million people worldwide have been confirmed infected by the virus , and about 320,000 deaths have been recorded , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that experts believe is low .
Russia and Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the number of reported infections , and cases are also spiking in such places as India , South Africa and Mexico .
New hot spots emerged Tuesday in Russia , and the country recorded nearly 9,300 new infections in 24 hours , bringing the total to almost 300,000 , about half of them in Moscow .
Authorities say over 2,800 people with COVID-19 have died in Russia , but some say the number is surely higher than that .
President Vladimir Putin ’ s approval rating has sunk to 59 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been in power , Russia ’ s independent pollster Levada Center reported .
The plunge reflects growing mistrust and uncertainty among the public , Levada said .
Some experts argue Russian authorities have been listing chronic illnesses as the cause of death for many who tested positive for the virus .
Officials angrily deny manipulating statistics , saying Russia ’ s low death toll reflects early preventive measures and broad screening .
Long reported from Washington , Amy from Atlanta .
Associated Press writers around the world contributed .

Michelle R. Smith, Colleen Long And Jeff Amy - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--New probe ordered of explicit-photo claims in student death

SALT LAKE CITY - The state will open a new investigation into allegations that a University of Utah police officer showed off photos in an extortion case reported by a woman who was later killed , a case that has roiled the institution .
Officer Miguel Deras on Tuesday denied the allegations unearthed by the Salt Lake Tribune , which quoted unnamed officers saying he had “ bragged ” about having the explicit images of track athlete Lauren McCluskey before her 2018 shooting death .
“ He never shared the photos in question , and certainly not in the manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
Deras received the photos on his department email as part of McCluskey ’ s extortion report , and accessed them on his personal phone because officers did not have department phones at the time , Jones said .
He brought up the photos during a routine briefing to only to ask how they should be handled and stored .
That account is similar to the findings of an internal probe by the campus police department , but its new Chief Rodney Chatman said he ’ s now concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers who conducted it have been placed on administrative leave as the Utah Department of Public Safety completes a new review .
“ It is inexcusable for a police officer to inappropriately share or discuss photos or information provided by a victim seeking justice , ” said Chatman , who was hired after other missteps in the McCluskey case sparked a backlash .
He pledged to release the results of the new probe publicly , in an effort to help the department “ regain credibility ” since McCluskey ’ s death .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 times before her death to report harassment by a man she had dated , Melvin Shawn Rowland .
Her family says in a lawsuit that those reports were not taken seriously by campus police , who should have quickly discovered he was a registered sex offender on parole who had been lying to her about his name , age and history .
Instead , he fatally shot her with a borrowed gun on campus and later killed himself .
The university has acknowledged mistakes and made campus-safety changes , but maintained the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been prevented .

Lindsay Whitehurst - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--Bronx ‘city within a city’ shaken by sickness, fear

NEW YORK - Tarhia Morton and her family were planning to party this year .
She is retired after 40 years with the U.S .
Postal Service .
Her sister is turning 70 .
A birthday bash in Las Vegas was booked for August .
That was before the coronavirus changed hers and so many other lives in the massive residential development in the COVID-19 battered Bronx known as Co-op City in which she lives .
Before her mother was infected with it .
Before medical examiners determined her father didn ’ t die from it — but only after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital for 10 days after his March 27 death .
And before the virus killed at least six fellow members of her nearby Community Protestant Church .
“ That ’ s six people that I know , ” Morton said .
“ Someone else could have passed on , or their family members or whatever that we don ’ t know about , but those six people I actually knew them.
“ Morton ’ s story is a common one in the Bronx , which has been hit harder by the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City metropolitan area .
So far , the virus has killed nearly 4,300 people in the borough of 1.4 million , compared to about 2,800 of Manhattan ’ s 1.6 million residents .
And within the Bronx , almost no place has been hit as hard as Co-op City .
Data released by city health officials Monday revealed that the virus has killed at least 155 people living in the zip code that covers the complex .
That ’ s roughly 1 of every 282 residents .
By any of New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with one of the largest elderly communities in the nation and a population that is more than 92 % nonwhite , was an easy target for the virus .
Those who didn ’ t remain sheltered in the housing co-operative often left for lengthy commutes on public transportation , perhaps stepping further into harm ’ s way .
Cut off from much of the borough by Interstate 95 , Co-op City is the largest single residential development in the U.S .
There are about 43,000 residents in 35 towers and seven townhouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the land is developed .
The rest are large grass fields with walking paths , a community garden and its own Little League baseball field .
Despite its locale , Co-op City also has some small-town feel , the kind of place where residents spend their working years , retire and never leave .
A community where parents can walk their children across the property to visit relatives .
The tight-knit nature of Co-op City made it difficult for some people to keep their distance from others , even after it had become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is one big community , but we all love each other and so forth and that ’ s just the way it is , ” said Eric Bowman , who works at Circle of Christ Church and hugged fellow resident Eugene Diaz — who wasn ’ t wearing a mask — when they bumped into each other one afternoon .
Co-op City is a convenient commuting base for those who have a car .
For those who don ’ t , just leaving the 52-year-old development can be a trip in itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of here , ” said Marcus Thorpe , a mover who handles international shipments and feared infecting his 93-year-old grandmother who lives with him .
“ You have to get on some kind of transit to bounce .
If you don ’ t have a car , you got to get on something .
I call it Canada because it ’ s so far away from civilization.
“ Thorpe departs on a bus and transfers to a van , ending up with about a 90-minute commute to New Jersey .
The percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half an hour is among the lowest in the nation , according to unitedstateszipcodes.org , and for the majority it was 60 to 89 minutes .
Morton used to be able to get places by car .
Now her husband ’ s vision problems mean she relies on the bus when she can ’ t walk , wearing a thick facial shield because she fears at her height people on the bus sneeze directly down into her face .
She and her sister alternate caring for their 90-year-old mother , all of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s relieved that her mother is recovering , but still frets about not getting money back from travel arrangements that were made last year .
He has had some elderly , devastated by losses of $ 50,000 or more in their retirement accounts and a sudden inability to provide for loved ones , tell him they wished to die themselves .
“ It ’ s especially related to the virus , due to the fact before the virus they didn ’ t have any problems , ” Rosario said .
“ The economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well with their pensions , they were doing well with their 401Ks and things like that , their investments and things .
They were surviving , they were making it .
They were trying to live out the golden years.
” Rosario , who runs the Church of God ’ s Children with wife Nancy , worries about the damage that stress can inflict on seniors , weakening their immune systems and making them even more susceptible .
The head of the Bronx Clergy Task Force said he has taken part in more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all religions in the borough .
Officials believe there were about 1,500 residents infected , but Riverbay Corp. general manager Noel Ellison acknowledges that count could be low .
Even though shareholders were requested to report a coronavirus-related illness or death in their building so sanitizing crews could be dispatched , he believes some didn ’ t because of a stigma attached to the virus , comparing it to a resident embarrassed to report bed bugs .
Without that information , Co-op City officials were hindered in stopping the spread .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 , Ellison said the city Dept .
of Health provided details of where the residents lived and the cleaning protocols .
He said there was no such communication from the department or hospitals with the coronavirus .
But residents , particularly in the transportation industry , kept on working as usual .
“ This district is a working district .
We are essential workers for the city of New York , ” councilman Andy King said while handing out face masks to residents waiting on a line to enter a Dollar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home were largely among the elderly .
The three community centres run by JASA , a New York organization serving seniors , were shut down , not only making it harder for many of the 12,000 Co-op City residents 60 or older to get meals , but also halting an important part of their lifestyles .
“ Of course COVID-19 exacerbates vulnerabilities , “ JASA co-chief program officer Amy Chalfy said .
“ and in some ways because the Co-op City community of older adults is so active , it ’ s even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be active and out in the community.
” Meals on Wheels deliveries were co-ordinated and food pantries arranged to feed those who became unable or afraid to go to supermarkets .
Ellison said collection of carrying charges was down only 3 % in the last report , meaning residents were still able to pay their fees , but further trouble could remain for Co-op City .
New property sales have slowed or stopped , and businesses that were forced to close may be unable to reopen or pay their rent .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think we are going to bounce back , ” King said .
“ We are strong .
We ’ re Bronx resilient strong .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-19--Man, 83, admits he killed neighbours then shoots himself

MANNFORD , Okla. - A Tulsa-area man shot and killed his neighbours before turning the gun on himself in front of police officers who pleaded for him to lower the firearm that he had pointed at his head , police said .
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said 57-year-old Mary Milam and 59-year-old Donald Langdon were shot to death Monday morning in Mannford , The Tulsa World reported Tuesday .
Upon arriving at the scene , officers found Milam and Langdon dead in their home .
Soon after , 83-year-old James Hancock walked out of his nearby mobile home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and put a gun to his head , Mannford Police Chief Jerry Ridley said .
Hancock told the officers that he had shot Milam and Langdon , the bureau said in a news release .
Responding officers and two investigators from the district attorney ’ s Drug Crime Task Force tried to convince Hancock to lower his gun , Ridley said .
Though he initially complied , he eventually shot himself , Ridley said .
Investigators are uncertain what prompted the confrontation that led to the shooting , Ridley said .
The Mannford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help with the probe .
The last homicide in Mannford took place in 2012 , and before that in 1996 .
The small city of little more than 3,000 residents is 20 miles ( 32 kilometres ) west of Tulsa .
“ We don ’ t have a lot of homicides in Mannford , ” he said .
“ Thank goodness .
We can certainly do without .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Deutsche Bank CEO: Remote work could help company cut costs

FRANKFURT - Germany ’ s Deutsche Bank says it is in good financial shape and will push ahead with cost cuts to bolster profitability - and its CEO says working from home could play a role in that .
CEO Christian Sewing said at the company ’ s annual shareholder meeting , held online due to the coronavirus outbreak , that the company was on track to meet its goals for cutting its cost base to 17.0 billion euros ( $ 18.6 billion ) in 2022 from 21.5 billion euros last year .
The company will not pay a dividend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at eliminating riskier and less profitable businesses and focusing on its European client base .
Sewing said financial reserves exceeded regulatory requirements and that the Frankfurt-based bank was sticking to financial goals set out last year .
He said the company was “ part of the solution ” during the crisis , advising the government on support efforts and acting as a “ conveyor belt ” for 6,500 applications for emergency credit with a volume of over 5 billion euros .
He added that efforts to adapt to the outbreak through remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of spending less on office space and travel .
“ If 60 % of employees worldwide can work away from their offices and still deliver excellent service to our clients , then of course we have to ask ourselves : can we give our staff additional flexibility to work from home if they want to ?
” Sewing said in his speech to shareholders .
“ And if that ’ s the case , do we need quite so many offices in expensive urban centres ?
” Less corporate travel would save the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the environment as well , he added .
Deutsche Bank had 88,000 employees at the end of last year .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--EU wants to reduce pesticides use, promotes organic farming

BRUSSELS - The European Commission unveiled plans Wednesday to protect biodiversity across the 27-nation bloc while building a more sustainable food system , insisting on the need to both reduce the use of pesticides and promote organic farming .
In line with its ambition of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to zero by mid-century , the EU ’ s executive arm wants to halve the use of chemical pesticides by 2030 and to ensure that at least 25 % of agricultural land is reserved for organic farming , compared to 8 % at the moment .
The commission also wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the next ten years .
The use of antimicrobials , which include antibiotics , should also be reduced by 50 % for fish and animal farming .
According to EU figures , agricultural activities generate about 10 % of total greenhouse gas emissions .
“ Nature is vital for our physical and mental wellbeing , it filters our air and water , it regulates the climate and it pollinates our crops , ” said Stella Kyriakides , the commissioner for Health and Food safety .
“ But we are acting as if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing it at an unprecedented rate.
” Frans Timmermans , the commission vice-president in charge of the so-called Green Deal , said the new plans , which need to be endorsed by member states , will help the bloc recover from the economic crisis induced by the coronavirus pandemic .
“ We estimate that at the global level sustainable food systems can create new economic value of more than 1.8 trillion euros , “ he said .
“ It is important to help the food chain with this transition as quickly as possible.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in organic farming will help create 10-20 % more jobs per hectare than traditional farming .
“ The economic and social costs of inaction on environmental and climate issues would be huge , leading to frequent severe weather events and natural disasters as well as reducing the average EU GDP by up to 2 % and by even more in some parts of the EU , “ it said .
“ The world lost an estimated 3.5-18.5 trillion euros per year in ecosystem services from 1997 to 2011 , owing to land-cover change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per year from land degradation.
” Environmental organization Greenpeace rued the absence of a clear commitment from the commission to reduce the production and consumption of meat .
“ The European Commission has finally accepted the science and recognises that producing and consuming too much meat is hurting health , destroying nature and driving climate breakdown , but chooses to do nothing about it , “ said Marco Contiero , Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director .
“ The Commission seems to be too cowardly even to end the few million going to EU-funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billions that support overproduction of meat in the first place.
” Greenpeace said that the commission has earmarked five million euros for advertising beef and veal this year and that the EU spends between 28 to 32 billion euros annually on livestock and feed production , while over 70 % of all EU agricultural land is dedicated to feeding livestock .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Thousands evacuated as river dams break in central Michigan

MIDLAND , Mich. - Rapidly rising water overtook dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people in central Michigan , where flooding struck communities along rain-swollen waterways and the governor said one downtown could be “ under approximately 9 feet of water “ by Wednesday .
For the second time in less than 24 hours , families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered Tuesday evening to leave home .
By Wednesday morning , water that was several feet high covered some streets near the river in downtown Midland , including riverside parkland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lots .
The National Weather Service urged anyone near the river to seek higher ground following “ castastrophic dam failures ” at the Edenville Dam , about 140 miles ( 225 kilometres ) north of Detroit , and the Sanford Dam , about seven miles ( 11 kilometres ) downriver .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer said downtown Midland , a city of 42,000 about 8 miles ( 14 kilometres ) downstream from the Sanford Dam , faced an especially serious flooding threat .
Dow Chemical Co. ’ s main plant sits on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the next 12 to 15 hours , downtown Midland could be under approximately 9 feet of water , “ the governor said during a late Tuesday briefing .
” We are anticipating an historic high water level.
” Further down the Tittabawassee River , communities in Saginaw County were on alert for flooding , with a flash flood watch in effect Wednesday .
Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Midland County and urged residents threatened by the flooding to find a place to stay with friends or relatives or to seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the county .
She encouraged people to do their best to take precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus , such as wearing a face covering and observing social distancing “ to the best of your ability.
” “ This is unlike anything we ’ ve seen in Midland County , ” she said .
” If you have a family member or loved one who lives in another part of the state , go there now.
“ Emergency responders went door-to-door early Tuesday morning warning residents living near the Edenville Dam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were able to return home , only to be told to leave again following the dam ’ s breach several hours later .
The evacuations include the towns of Edenville , Sanford and parts of Midland , according to Selina Tisdale , spokeswoman for Midland County .
“ We were back at home and starting to feel comfortable that things were calming down , ” said Catherine Sias , who lives about 1 mile ( 1.6 kilometres ) from the Edenville Dam and first left home early Tuesday morning .
“ All of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sirens going north toward the dam.
” Sias , 45 , said emergency alerts then began coming on her cellphone and people started calling to make sure she was safe .
“ While packing , there were tons of police and fire trucks going up and down the roads , ” she added .
“ As far as I know , all of our neighbours got out.
” While driving along a jammed M-30 , the state highway that ’ s the main road through Edenville and that crosses the river north of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ River .
“ It was very dramatic , very fast and full of debris , ” she said .
Dow Chemical has activated its emergency operations centre and will be adjusting operations as a result of current flood stage conditions , spokeswoman Rachelle Schikorra said in an email .
“ Dow Michigan Operations is working with its tenants and Midland County officials and will continue to closely monitor the water levels on the Tittabawassee River , ” Schikorra said .
In 2018 , the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the license of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to non-compliance issues that included spillway capacity and the inability to pass the most severe flood reasonably possible in the area .
The Edenville Dam , which was built in 1924 , was rated in unsatisfactory condition in 2018 by the state .
The Sanford Dam , which was built in 1925 , received a fair condition rating .
Both dams are in the process of being sold .
There were 19 high hazard dams in unsatisfactory or poor condition in Michigan in 2018 , ranking 20th among the 45 states and Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition assessments .
Flood warnings in Michigan were issued following widespread rainfall of 4 to 7 inches ( 10.2 to 17.8 centimetres ) since Sunday , according to the National Weather Service .
Heavy runoff pushed rivers higher .
The Tittabawassee River was at 30.5 feet ( 9.3 metres ) and rising Tuesday night — flood stage is 24 feet ( 7.3 metres ) .
It was expected to crest Wednesday at a record of about 38 feet ( 11.6 metres ) .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Turkey detains man for hanging British flag-designed towel

ANKARA , Turkey - Turkish authorities have detained an Iranian national for hanging a towel emblazoned with the British Union @ @ @ @ @ during a Turkish public holiday , officials and news reports said Wednesday .
The man @ @ @ @ @ central Turkish city of Kayseri following complaints by neighbours who deemed the display of the @ @ @ @ @ a provocative act .
The man defended himself by saying he was merely drying his @ @ @ @ @ governor ’ s office said in a statement .
Turks celebrate May 19 Youth and @ @ @ @ @ things , displaying Turkish flags out of windows and balconies .
The holiday commemorates the @ @ @ @ @ War of Independence on May 19 , 1919 against occupying forces , including from Britain @ @ @ @ @ Neighbours clapped and cheered as police escorted the detained man into a police vehicle , @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Global shares mixed as virus worries counter recovery hopes

TOKYO - Global stock markets were subdued Wednesday as investors weighed hopes for a recovery as economies gradually reopen against worries over the havoc wreaked by the pandemic .
Experts also raised doubts over a potential vaccine being developed by Massachusetts-based Moderna Inc. that on Tuesday had driven Wall Street ’ s biggest rally in more than five weeks .
Scientists noted that data from early clinical trials of the vaccine were too limited to yield any conclusive results .
“ Doubts cast over the Moderna vaccine trial results knock out one leg from under the market rally , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a commentary .
“ Investors are trying to bake in a scenario where economies reopen and a vaccine is available in time to prevent a second wave .
But there are still many unknowns.
” France ’ s CAC 40 lost 0.5 % to 4,435 , while Germany ’ s DAX was up 0.2 % at 11,097 .
Britain ’ s FTSE 100 rose nearly 0.2 % to 6,011 .
U.S. shares were set for gains , with the futures for the Dow industrials and the S & P 500 both up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Asia .
Japan ’ s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 % to finish at 20,595.15 on expectations that a state of emergency still in effect for Tokyo and seven other cities and prefectures may soon end .
South Korea ’ s Kospi gained 0.5 % to 1,989.64. and Australia ’ s S & P/ASX 200 rose 0.2 % to 5,573.00 .
But Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng inched up less than 0.1 % to 24,399.95 .
The Shanghai Composite fell 0.5 % to 2,883.74 .
India ’ s Sensex jumped 1.9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but fell in Singapore and Indonesia .
Japan ’ s state of emergency , which asked people to stay home but was not a lockdown , was recently lifted in the rest of the nation , with social distancing restrictions .
Yoshimasa Maruyama , chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities , said the lifting of the emergency could come as soon as later this month .
But the hardest hit sectors , such as tourism and restaurants , are unlikely to recover for some time , he said .
“ It remains unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus cases , but if medical care systems can be maintained , a gradual return to normal economic activity can also be expected , ” he said .
Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 44 cents to $ 32.40 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
It gained 31 cents to $ 31.96 on Tuesday .
Brent crude oil , the international standard , rose 71 cents to $ 35.3 a barrel .
Prices have firmed up as oil producing nations cut back on output and as the gradual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helps spur demand , which crashed earlier this year due to widespread travel and business shutdowns related to the coronavirus .
Crude oil started the year at about $ 60 a barrel .
The dollar cost 107.55 Japanese yen , down slightly from 107.71 yen on Tuesday .
The euro rose to $ 1.0953 from $ 1.0926 .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Singapore sentences drug suspect to death on Zoom

KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia - Singapore has sentenced a drug suspect to death on the popular videoconferencing app Zoom because of the city-state ’ s coronavirus lockdown , in a move slammed by a human rights group as callous and inhumane .
Defence lawyer Peter Fernando said the Supreme Court announced the penalty to his client , Punithan Genasan from Malaysia , in a virtual hearing Friday .
Genasan was in jail , while Fernando and prosecutors participated in the hearing from different locations .
A Supreme Court spokesperson said courts have been conducting hearings and delivering judgments remotely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The spokesperson , who declined to be identified under court policy , confirmed Genasan ’ s case was the first “ where a death sentence was pronounced by remote hearing in Singapore.
” “ This has been the arrangement made by the court ... with essential hearings conducted via Zoom .
We have no complaints , ” Fernando said Wednesday .
He said he will meet Genasan on Friday to discuss an appeal .
The Singapore court ruled that Genasan , 37 , was involved in drug trafficking in October 2011 .
Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two drug couriers and directed them to transport and deliver 28.5 grams of heroin .
Singapore applies the death penalty to a range of offences including drug trafficking , murder , kidnapping , waging war against the government and use of firearms .
It has defended capital punishment as a deterrent for the most serious crimes .
Most of the cases are drug-related .
The city-state imposed a partial lockdown in early April after it was hit by a second wave of virus infections sparked by foreign workers living in crowded dormitories .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , among the highest in Asia , but only 22 deaths .
It plans to gradually lift restrictions next month .
Human Rights Watch said the death penalty is already cruel and inhumane , and the use of Zoom to announce it made it worse .
“ It ’ s shocking the prosecutors and the court are so callous that they fail to see that a man facing capital punishment should have the right to be present in court to confront his accusers , “ said the group ’ s deputy Asia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it raised concerns about why Singapore is rushing to conclude the case via Zoom .
Amnesty International urged Singapore to abolish capital punishment , whether announced via zoom or in person .
Its death penalty adviser , Chiara Sangiorgio , said Singapore is only one of four countries that currently execute people for drug offences .
“ At a time when the global attention is focused on saving and protecting lives in a pandemic , the pursuit of the death penalty is all the more abhorrent , ” Sangiorgio said .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--EU says virus fund access to be linked to its budget advice

BRUSSELS - The European Union signalled Wednesday that it will not punish member countries for breaking the bloc ’ s deficit rules to tackle the coronavirus but that it could condition their access to sorely-needed recovery funds on them following its advice on how to manage their budgets .
The 27-nation bloc is forecast to enter “ a recession of historic proportions this year ” as the coronavirus ravages its economies , with an average drop in output of 7.5 % .
Virtually every country has broken the deficit limit of 3 % of GDP as they ’ ve spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and jobs alive .
“ In all cases , apart ( from ) Bulgaria , we concluded that the deficit criteria of the treaty is not complied with .
In normal times , this would lead to the opening of an excessive deficit procedure .
But these are exceptional times , ” European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said .
Dombrovskis ’ remarks came as he unveiled advice from the EU ’ s executive arm , the European Commission , on how countries could weather the economic storm while continuing to promote growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change and ease the transition to computer-based economies .
While the euro single currency rule book may be allowed to gather dust for now , Dombrovskis warned that it “ is not suspended ” and that countries will have to return to some budgetary rectitude in the medium term .
The commission ’ s “ country specific recommendations ” released Wednesday are part of a system under which the executive arm monitors national budgetary plans and gives policy advice .
Countries give the advice lip-service but are routinely slow to respond to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the recommendations will be “ linked ” to a massive recovery fund the commission is due to unveil on May 27 , and which is expected to be part of the EU ’ s new long-term budget , totalling well over a trillion euros .
He did not provide details about how the recommendations would be linked to the recovery funds .
The pandemic has hurt consumer spending , industrial output , investment , trade , capital flows and supply chains .
It has also hit jobs .
The unemployment rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise from 6.7 % in 2019 to 9 % in 2020 but then fall to around 8 % in 2021 .
While the virus has hit every member country , the extent of the damage it ultimately inflicts will depend on the evolution of the disease in each of them , the resilience of their economies and what policies they put in place to respond .
Hard-hit countries like Italy and Spain will probably be banking on the recovery fund to survive .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Lebanese soldiers detained for slapping, pushing doctor

BEIRUT - The Lebanese military has detained two soldiers caught on camera slapping and pushing a doctor in an emergency ward at a hospital in the northern city of Tripoli , the army said Wednesday .
The video , widely circulated online , caused an uproar — particularly as the nation ’ s health sector struggles to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
The closed-circuit TV footage from the hospital shows a group of armed soldiers cornering a doctor in scrubs in the corridors of an emergency ward .
The soldiers , who appear angry , are seen slapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following him into a room where they continue to slap him on the head .
Selim Abi Saleh , who heads Tripoli ’ s physicians union , said the attacked doctor was trying to keep the soldiers from interrogating two patients receiving urgent medical care : one was bleeding from a gunshot wound and the other was unconscious .
“ We denounce this , specially at this time when doctors are doing their utmost to defend the citizen ’ s health and then they get attacked by the security forces who are supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saleh , told a local radio station .
Abi Saleh told The Associated Press the incident was an “ unprecedented and surprising ” attack from the army against a doctor who was only doing his duty .
He denounced it as “ excessive use of force ” and said that disciplinary action was not enough but that the soldiers should face a court martial .
The Lebanese armed forces described the incident as an “ individual act ” and said two soldiers were detained and an investigation was underway .
Its statement said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ and reiterated its respect for doctors and their work .
Lebanese authorities have reported over 950 cases of coronavirus , including 26 deaths .
Following a reduction in infections , a recent jump in cases has caused renewed concerns .
Tripoli , Lebanon ’ s second largest city and its most impoverished , has seen clashes between the army and anti-government protesters in recent months as the country grapples with an unprecedented economic and financial crisis .
One Tripoli protester was killed when troops opened fire to disperse a rowdy demonstration late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lebanese military “ unjustifiably used excessive , including lethal , force against protesters ” in that incident .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Lesotho’s new PM sworn in after resignation, murder drama

MASERU , Lesotho - Moeketsi Majoro was sworn in as Lesotho ’ s prime minister on Wednesday in a swift transition after Thomas Thabane was pressured to resign over allegations of involvement in the 2017 murder of his estranged wife .
Thabane stepped down on Tuesday , a month shy of his third anniversary at the helm of the tiny southern African kingdom of 2 million people .
His party had turned against him over the murder case and frustration over his failure to stem corruption .
Majoro comes in at the head of a coalition with the main opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by King Letsie III at the royal palace , he paid tribute to his predecessor .
Majoro , a former International Monetary Fund staffer , will see out the last two years of Thabane ’ s term .
Elections are due in 2022 .
The new prime minister promised to quickly take on some of the country ’ s major challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic , high unemployment , poverty and climate change in these “ trying times.
” Thabane thanked the king for the opportunity to lead Lesotho .
He acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation to forgive him .
The 80-year-old Thabane leaves without any guarantees from immunity from prosecution for the 2017 murder of his estranged wife , Lipolelo .
He had filed for divorce when she was shot dead near her home just two days before Thabane was sworn in for his second stint as prime minister .
His current wife , Maesaiah , who is also charged , has been out on bail while Thabane asked the constitutional Court to stop the courts from trying him for the crime while he remained in office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand trial .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--20 years after withdrawal, Israel, Hezbollah brace for war

KFAR CHOUBA , Lebanon - Twenty years after Hezbollah guerrillas pushed Israel ’ s last troops from southern Lebanon , both sides are gearing up for a possible war that neither seems to want .
Israeli troops are striking Hezbollah targets in neighbouring Syria and drilling for what could be an invasion of Lebanon .
The militant Hezbollah group is beefing up its own forces and threatening to invade Israel if provoked .
The bitter enemies routinely exchange warnings and threats .
“ We are preparing seriously for the next war .
We ’ re not taking any shortcuts because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong to defeat the enemy , ” said Col. Israel Friedler , an Israeli commander who has been overseeing a weeks-long exercise simulating war with Hezbollah at a base in northern Israel .
Hezbollah emerged as a ragtag guerrilla group in the 1980s , funded by Iran to battle Israeli troops occupying southern Lebanon .
A protracted guerrilla war , characterized by roadside bombs and sniper attacks , eventually forced Israel to withdraw in May 2000 .
With the exception of an inconclusive , monthlong war in 2006 , the volatile frontier has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hezbollah has evolved into the most powerful military and political entity in Lebanon .
The party and its allies dominate Lebanon ’ s parliament and are the main power behind Prime Minister Hassan Diab ’ s government .
“ Domestically , Hezbollah has emerged to become the preponderant force in Lebanon , ” said Hilal Khashan , a political science professor at the American University of Beirut .
But regionally , he said , “ the position of Hezbollah is precarious ” due to Israeli pressure , domestic turmoil and problems for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford another massive clash with Israel .
The Lebanese economy is in shambles , around half the population is now estimated to live in poverty — including in Hezbollah strongholds — and the group ’ s finances are suffering because of U.S. sanctions imposed on it and Iran .
The group also suffered heavy losses in the Syrian civil war , losing some 2,000 fighters while battling alongside the forces of Syria ’ s President Bashar Assad .
Once seen as a liberation movement , Hezbollah is now seen by many in Lebanon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Qassim Qassir , an expert on Hezbollah , says the group has no interest in going to war but has been preparing for battle for a long time .
“ The battle will not be a battle of missiles only , ” he said , a reference that Hezbollah might try to invade parts of northern Israel .
In a region filled with adversaries , Israel considers Hezbollah to be its toughest and most immediate threat .
During the 2006 war , the group launched some 4,000 rockets into Israel , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Today , Israeli officials say Hezbollah possesses some 130,000 rockets and missiles capable of striking virtually anywhere in Israel .
They say it has sophisticated anti-tank missiles , night-vision equipment and cyber warfare capabilities .
Hezbollah operates along the border , in violation of the U.N. cease-fire that ended the 2006 war .
It also has established a presence in southern Syria , near the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights , providing an additional front in a future war .
Most critically , Israel believes Hezbollah is trying to develop and build precision-guided missiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hezbollah official , claimed the Israelis are afraid of Hezbollah ’ s missile program .
“ The Israelis should be worried and scared because the resistance now has the will , intention , capabilities and force to make Israel face a great defeat in any coming confrontation , ” he said .
That confrontation may come sooner than anticipated .
Israel has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes in neighbouring Syria in recent years , most of them believed to have been aimed at stopping Iranian arms shipments or missile technology for Hezbollah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out at least seven airstrikes in the past two months alone , believed to have targeted Iranian and proxy interests .
Israeli warplanes and reconnaissance drones have been violating Lebanese airspace on almost daily basis in recent weeks .
Israeli officials say that neither Iran ’ s troubles — including the coronavirus crisis , plunging oil prices and U.S. sanctions — nor Lebanon ’ s domestic problems have changed Hezbollah ’ s behaviour .
They point to a recent attempt by Hezbollah to fly a drone into Israeli airspace and an incident last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fence along the Israeli-Lebanese frontier .
The Lebanese border town of Kfar Chouba , overseen by three Israeli positions , was quiet Wednesday , three days after Israeli troops shot and wounded a Syrian shepherd who had crossed into Israeli-held territory .
The area is a disputed enclave along the frontier between Israel , Syria and Lebanon , where tensions often play out .
In recent weeks , tens of thousands of Israeli troops have been participating in a massive exercise at the Elyakim military base .
On a recent day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edge of a ridge and fired powerful 120-millimeter shells streaking across the valley , scoring direct hits on targets several kilometres ( miles ) away .
Ground troops manoeuvred through a mock Lebanese village .
Air force , navy and cyber units joined the drill .
Friedler , the Israeli commander , said if there is another war , Israel will have no choice but to cross the border to halt Hezbollah fire .
He said battling an enemy entrenched in civilian areas is like “ fighting with handcuffs on , ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It won ’ t be easy .
But without a doubt it will be much harder for them .
They don ’ t have the means to stop us , ” Friedler said .
Hezbollah has also vowed to cross into Israel in any future war .
In late 2018 , Israel uncovered and later destroyed what it said was a network of cross-border tunnels .
Despite these tensions , residents along Israel ’ s northern border say that life has greatly improved since Israel withdrew from its self-declared “ security zone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a farmer in the northern Israeli border town of Kerem Ben Zimar , spent time in southern Lebanon as a soldier in the mid-1980s and remembers times when Katyusha rockets rained down on the area .
Shtern , who grows pomegranates and wine grapes in his orchards , says day-to-day life is good , but that some residents still get jittery .
Even so , he said Israel made the right decision to withdraw .
He said he trusts the army to take quick and decisive action whenever needed .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , ” he said .
“ If there ’ s a problem , take care of it with maximum force .
”

Bassem Mroue And Josef Federman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Cyclone batters coast of India, Bangladesh, millions flee

NEW DELHI - A powerful cyclone slammed ashore Wednesday along the coastline of India and Bangladesh , where more than 2.6 million people fled to shelters in a frantic evacuation made all the more challenging by the coronavirus pandemic .
Cyclone Amphan , the equivalent of a category-3 hurricane , was packing winds of up to 170 kilometres ( 105 miles ) per hour and maximum gusts of 190 kph ( 118 mph ) .
Authorities warned it could cause extensive damage to flimsy houses and a storm surge could push seawater 25 kilometres ( 15 miles ) inland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swayed wildly , electric poles lay scattered on the roads of Kolkata , rain pounded fishing villages and rivers surged as the storm battered the coast .
The densely populated region has some of the most vulnerable communities in South Asia : poor fishing communities in the Sunderbans and over a million Rohingya refugees living in crowded camps in Cox ’ s Bazar in Bangladesh .
“ This is quite a double whammy , ” said T. Sundaramanan , a health systems consultant in Pondicherry in southeast India .
“ This pandemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the cylcone could have devastating consequences for India ’ s fight against the pandemic , possibly causing it to spread to more remote communities .
“ Our responses will be crippled .
Our supply lines will be threatened .
How will we move in relief supplies over land if all of it is in lockdown ?
” he said .
The cyclone made landfall between Digha , a seaside resort in West Bengal , and the Hatiya Islands in Bangladesh .
The eye of the storm was likely to pass through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forests in the world , India ’ s meteorological department said .
The forests could act as a vital line of defence by dissipating some of the energy from the waves that would otherwise crash into the coastline , said K.J .
Ramesh , the department ’ s former chief .
Bangladesh is attempting to evacuate 2.2 million people to safety .
India ’ s West Bengal state moved nearly 300,000 and Odisha state another 148,486 , officials said .
In refugee camps in Cox ’ s Bazar , where the first 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities and U.N. workers prepared 50 shelters and assigned 256 volunteer units .
Areas at risk of landslides were stabilized with bamboo and concrete walls .
But the combination of the virus and cyclone could lead to a “ new humanitarian crisis ” , said Manuel Pereira , deputy chief of mission for the International Organization for Migration in Bangladesh .
“ We know that if people are forced to seek communal shelter , they ’ ll be unable to maintain physical distancing and run the risk of contracting or transmitting the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand sanitizers were hastily added to emergency items in the shelters .
Sobrato Das , a fisherman on Mousuni Island in India , close to the Sunderbans , described the shelters as crowded and said “ very few people are wearing masks.
” He said children were crying and women desperately tried to cover their faces with their saris while trying to maintain some distance from each other .
Some cyclone shelters in West Bengal were being used to quarantine virus patients and migrant workers returning to their homes .
The state government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspended , Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said .
Some schools were turned into shelters , news reports said .
Some in the cyclone ’ s path saw a choice between the virus and the storm .
In the seaside resort of Digha , many people feared going to the shelters , fisherman Debasis Shyamal said .
“ They have been home for weeks , and are afraid of going into a crowd where they could get infected.
” The densely populated city of Kolkata , which has nearly 1,500 coronavirus cases , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centuries-old buildings in the northern half of the city could collapse due to the strong winds , officials warned .
The cyclone is bearing down during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan , and some Bangladeshis who fasted during the day reportedly waited until the early morning hours Wednesday before heading for the shelters .
The region is no stranger to devastating cyclones .
Ramesh , the former chief of India ’ s weather agency , said it wasn ’ t the frequency of cyclones but their intensity that has increased due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was caused by the temperature of the sea ’ s surface .
Warm ocean water is where storms get their energy , and the amount of heat trapped in the top 700 metres ( 2,300 feet ) of the seas has increased .
“ As a result , cyclones are intensifying faster than before , ” he said .
Alam reported from Dhaka , Bangladesh .
Associated Press writers Sheikh Saaliq and Chonchui Ngashangva in New Delhi contributed to this report .

Aniruddha Ghosal And Julhas Alam - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Norway mosque attack trial wraps up, verdict next week

COPENHAGEN - A Norwegian man charged with murder and terrorism in the killing of his stepsister and the storming of an Oslo mosque should get the maximum 21 years in prison , a prosecutor said Wednesday on the final day of the trial .
Philip Manshaus , 22 , is accused of first killing his 17-year-old stepsister by shooting her with a hunting rifle at their home in the Oslo suburb of Baerum on Aug. 10 .
Authorities say Manshaus then drove to a nearby mosque where three men were preparing for Eid al-Adha celebrations .
He wore a helmet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bulletproof vest , police said .
Manshaus was armed with a hunting rifle and a shotgun and fired four shots with the rifle at a glass door before he was overpowered by one of the men in the mosque at the time .
One person was slightly injured when they jumped on Manshaus inside the mosque .
“ These actions upset the feeling of security we have in Norway , regardless of faith and ethnicity , ” prosecutor Johan Oeverberg said Wednesday according to the Norwegian News Agency as the trial wrapped up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say Manshaus was inspired by the shootings in March 2019 in New Zealand , where a gunman targeted two mosques , killing 51 people , and in August 2019 in El Paso , Texas , where an assailant targeted Hispanics and left at least 22 dead .
Manshaus , who in court expressed regrets of not having caused more damage , “ has proven to be an extremely dangerous person , “ Oeverberg said .
Oeverberg demanded that Manshaus should be sentenced to prison for at least 14 years , but called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A verdict is expected next week .
Manshaus has already appeared at an Oslo court where he denied the charges .
He has acknowledged the facts of what happened , but denies the accusation , saying he opposes non-Western immigration .
His plans and his nationalistic references also recall those of Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik , who in 2011 killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage .
Breivik is serving a 21-year prison sentence for carrying out a terror attack .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Biden on Trump hits: ‘I don’t want to get down in the mud’

WASHINGTON - Joe Biden deflected questions about President Donald Trump ’ s allegations of improper behaviour during the Obama administration and other conspiracy theories pushed by his top allies , saying , “ I don ’ t want to get down in the mud with these guys.
” Speaking at a Yahoo News virtual town hall on Tuesday , Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , said Trump is trying to distract voters from his inadequate response to the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more than 90,000 Americans .
Trump has said the virus will disappear “ like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Obamagate , ” Trump has pointed to the legal case of his former national security adviser Michael Flynn , suggesting that the “ unmasking ” of Flynn ’ s name as part of legal U.S. surveillance of foreign targets was criminal and motivated by partisan politics .
There is no evidence of that , and Trump ’ s accusations misrepresent the facts of the case .
The “ unmasking ” of people in surveillance reports is a routine , legal activity in government — the Trump administration made 10,012 such requests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often become public , and in the Flynn case , Trump supporters point to it as evidence that Obama loyalists were out to undermine Trump from the start .
The president himself has called it the “ biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA.
” “ This is his pattern .
Diversion , diversion , diversion , diversion , “ Biden said Tuesday .
” The greatest crime ?
I mean , my Lord.
” Trump ’ s cries of scandal come as the president and many top Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — hoping to foment doubt in voters ’ minds as election season beings to heat up .
On Wednesday , a Senate committee led by Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson will vote on whether to issue a subpoena as part of an investigation into Biden ’ s son Hunter and his work for a Ukrainian natural gas company that grew out of Trump ’ s impeachment earlier this year .
Over the weekend , Trump ’ s two adult sons appeared to spread baseless , online conspiracy theories suggesting other criminal activity by Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called online posts about the matter “ sick.
“ “ People know me .
The good news is the bad news .
They know me .
They know my faults , they know my talents , ” Biden said .
Pointing to his decades in the Senate and eight years as vice-president , he continued , “ It ’ s hard to lay on me some of the things that are just totally out of sync with anything in my whole life that anyone has ever said about me.
” Also Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing of Steve Linick as the State Department ’ s inspector general .
Some Republicans have defended the move , arguing that it was within the president ’ s rights , but Biden and other Democrats say it is part of a larger White House effort to undermine government oversight .
Biden promised not to fire any inspector general should he be elected , saying those positions were “ designed to make government honest .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Securities case ended against Volkswagen CEO, board chairman

FRANKFURT - Volkswagen said charges of securities-law violations against its CEO and board chairman are to be dropped in return for a 9 million-euro ( $ 10 million ) payment , removing a potential distraction for the company ’ s management team as it copes with the virus crisis and oversees the rollout of a new generation of electric cars .
CEO Herbert Diess and Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch were charged in September with failing to tell investors in time about the company ’ s looming diesel scandal in 2015 .
The end of the case through the payment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two do not admit wrongdoing and will not have to appear for multiple court sessions as part of a trial .
Prosecutors said the two violated securities laws that require companies to notify investors about matters that could affect the price of their shares .
The company said it had met its disclosure requirements ahead of the announcement of a notice of violation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 18 , 2015 .
The end of the case against Diess and Poetsch does not stop other investor complaints against the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany .
The company said “ it is in the best interest of the company for the proceedings to be terminated ” and that it would indemnify Diess and Poetsch with respect to paying a fine of 4.5 million euros each .
Volkswagen was caught using software to evade U.S. emissions requirements for diesel cars .
The scandal cost the company 31 billion euros ( $ 34 billion ) in fines and settlements .


thetorontostar--2020-05-20--Virus looms over China’s national legislative session

BEIJING - When China convenes its National People ’ s Congress on Friday , will the 3,000 delegates stand shoulder to shoulder as they have in years past ?
Will they wear masks ?
This year ’ s version of China ’ s biggest annual political meeting will be unlike any other .
Delayed from March because of the then-spiraling coronavirus outbreak , the decision to go ahead now signals a partial return to normalcy in the country where the pandemic first broke out .
“ Partial ” being the operative word : The congress will be far from normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Xi Jinping , the holding of the congress , even in curtailed form , offers an opportunity to showcase China ’ s success in curbing the spread of the virus while many other nations still wrestle with it .
But the government is taking extensive precautions to prevent any infections at the congress , a potential public relations nightmare .
Shi Shusi , a Beijing-based social commentator , said the “ two sessions ” — the congress and a concurrent advisory body meeting that starts Thursday — along with the reopening of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the epidemic has ended .
“ It concerns the safety of children and government officials , which is very important in China , ” Shi said .
“ The opening of the two sessions is to tell the world that the epidemic situation is under control.
” Classes resumed in Beijing for some grades this month , including high school seniors who must prepare for college entrance exams , and others will follow in June .
Universities remain closed until at least September .
Traffic congestion has returned , another sign that life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Office workers crowd food courts at lunchtime , lining up for Chinese noodles or Korean rice bowl meals , though signs urge diners not to linger and socialize .
Zhou Yu , a Beijing bank employee , said he feels assured because the opening of the two sessions means the epidemic is under control .
He and clients wear masks when they meet .
“ We resumed work in March , and almost all of us are back to work now , “ he said .
“ Because we all pay attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day , there ’ s nothing to worry about.
” As night falls , dance groups have resumed their get-togethers in public spaces , many following new official guidance that masks are no longer needed outdoors .
Most onlookers , though , still wear them .
Movie theatres remain closed , and major tourist sites require advance registration to limit the number of daily visitors .
The congress , normally a grand affair with plenty of ceremony , will be shorter than usual , perhaps one week instead of the usual two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video to breakout sessions of delegates .
Participants are being tested and isolated ahead of the meetings , and news conferences will be held by video .
Earlier speculation that some of the 3,000 delegates might attend by video link has faded , with Chinese media reports now focused on them getting coronavirus tests before departing for Beijing .
The fallout from the virus outbreak , economic and otherwise , is likely to dominate the agenda .
The sharp deterioration of U.S.-China relations , fueled by a blame game over a pandemic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will also hang over the meeting .
Xi ’ s public standing has risen at home for both his handling of the outbreak and his standing up to foreign accusations that his government reacted too slowly and covered up the seriousness of the outbreak initially , said Cheng Li , a China politics expert at the Brookings Institute in Washington , D.C. Overseas , opinions of Xi are less rosy , at least in some quarters .
While some countries have embraced deliveries of virus-related equipment from China , the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government ’ s openness and bristled at combative retorts by some of its diplomats .
Xi ’ s handling of the pandemic has “ confirmed the worst opinion of the character of his leadership among many in the international community , ” said Elizabeth Economy , director for Asia studies at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations .
The growing split with the U.S. , as the Trump administration takes a more confrontational approach to a rising China on trade , technology and other issues , adds to the challenge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which were hit hard by the epidemic .
The congress , largely a rubber-stamp body that gives formal approval to earlier leadership decisions , is the venue for the Communist Party to review the past year and announce its goals for the current year .
The economic growth target is expected to be lower than last year ’ s 6.0 % to 6.5 % , and some analysts speculate that the party may not even announce one given the current economic uncertainty .
“ The government should be frank to tell the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a responsible way , ” said Peng Xizhe , a sociology professor at Heilongjiang University in northeastern China .
“ Difficulties such as unemployment should get the attention of all of society.
” At the Beijing restaurant where Li Jinfeng worked for more than five years , 10 of the 60 employees have been called back , getting half pay of about 2,000 yuan ( $ 280 ) a month .
Li is not among them .
She has been finding odd jobs since returning from her hometown a month and a half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work and its relatively good pay .
“ I feel this has thrown gloom over my life , “ she said .
” I can ’ t be fully relieved until the epidemic is completely over .
...
If I can go back and just stay at the restaurant , I would feel relieved.
” Associated Press researchers Yu Bing and Liu Zheng contributed to this report .
This story has been corrected to show that the economic growth target is for the current calendar year , not the next 12 months .