thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Charleston votes to remove statue of slavery advocate

CHARLESTON , S.C. - Officials in the historic South Carolina city of Charleston voted unanimously Tuesday to remove a statue of former vice-president and slavery advocate John C. Calhoun from a downtown square , the latest in a wave of actions arising from protests against racism and police brutality against African Americans .
Council members approved the measure 13-0 at a late-day meeting .
The resolution authorizes the removal of the statue of the former U.S. vice-president and senator from South Carolina from atop a 100-foot ( 30-meter ) monument in downtown Marion Square .
City officials said eventually that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at “ an appropriate site where it will be protected and preserved.
” The vote comes a week after the mayor , John Tecklenburg , announced he would send the resolution to the City Council .
He also took part in the vote .
“ I believe that we are setting a new chapter , a more equitable chapter , in our city ’ s history , ” Tecklenburg said , just before the vote .
“ We are making the right step .
It ’ s just simply the right thing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from dozens of residents for and against the statue ’ s removal .
Councilman Karl L. Brady Jr. said he knew his support may cost him votes but that he was voting his conscience in a move he said shows that , in Charleston , “ we place white supremacy and white supremacist thought back where it belongs - on the ash heap of history.
” The move comes days after the fifth anniversary of the slaying of nine Black parishioners in a racist attack at a downtown Charleston church .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the removal of monuments to Confederate leaders and others after the policy custody death of a Black man , George Floyd , in Minnesota .
The ultimate resting place of the statue has yet to be determined , a decision that will be left up to a special panel .
The mayor has anticipated it would go to a local museum or educational institution .
Last Wednesday when Tecklenburg announced his plans to remove the statue , dozens of protesters linked arms around the monument , shouting , “ Take it down !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs and spray-painting on the monument .
Police said they made several arrests for vandalism and ultimately closed off the area overnight .
In the heart of downtown Charleston , Calhoun towers over a sprawling square frequented by locals and tourists alike that is a frequent venue for festivals and large public events .
Several organizers have said recently that they would no longer use the space while the statue remained .
About 40 % of enslaved Africans brought to North America came through the port city of Charleston , which formally apologized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slave trade .
In its resolution , the city says the statue , in place since 1898 , “ is seen by many people as something other than a memorial to the accomplishments of a South Carolina native , but rather a symbol glorifying slavery and as such , a painful reminder of the history of slavery in Charleston.
” Calhoun ’ s support of slavery never wavered .
He said in several speeches on the U.S. Senate floor in the 1830s that slaves in the South were better off than free Blacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ positive good.
” Tecklenburg said the removal isn ’ t covered under South Carolina ’ s Heritage Act , which protects historical monuments and names of buildings , as the monument is not on public property or in commemoration of one of the historical events listed in the act .
According to the National Parks Service , the city technically leases the land where the monument sits , which “ is to be kept open forever as a parade ground for the Sumter Guards and the Washington Light Infantry.
” Thus far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been legally disputed .
A two-thirds vote from the state General Assembly is required to make any changes under the Heritage Act , a tough task in a state where conservatives dominate the House and Senate , last used to remove the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds in 2015 .
During a news conference at the Statehouse on Tuesday , Gov .
Henry McMaster described the Heritage Act as a “ good state law ” and a “ deliberate process that is not influenced by passion and time.
” When asked about Tecklenburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t apply in this instance , McMaster - a former prosecutor - called it a “ legal question , ” adding , “ It depends on how you read the Heritage Act , and there are people who read it in different ways.
” Several Black lawmakers are urging local governments and colleges to act on their own and defy the monument protection law because it carries no stated penalties and hasn ’ t faced a court challenge , and several are planning to do so .
Meg Kinnard can be reached @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Police officer involved in Breonna Taylor shooting fired

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - The Louisville Metro police department has fired one of the police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor , more than three months after the 26-year-old Black woman was killed in her home .
A termination letter sent to Officer Brett Hankison released by the city ’ s police department Tuesday said Hankison violated procedures by showing “ extreme indifference to the value of human life ” when he “ wantonly and blindly ” shot 10 rounds of gunfire into Taylor ’ s apartment in March .
The letter also said Hankison , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using deadly force .
Taylor , who was Black , was shot eight times by officers who burst into her Louisville home using a no-knock warrant during a March 13 narcotics investigation .
The warrant to search her home was in connection with a suspect who did not live there , and no drugs were found inside .
The no-knock warrant that allows police to enter without first announcing their presence was recently banned by Louisville ’ s Metro Council .
The letter said Hankison fired the rounds “ without supporting facts ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person posing an immediate threat .
“ I find your conduct a shock to the conscience , ” interim Louisville police chief Robert Schroeder said in the letter .
“ Your actions have brought discredit upon yourself and the Department.
” The announcement comes after Mayor Greg Fischer said last week that Schroeder had started termination proceedings for Hankison while two other officers remain on administrative reassignment as the shooting is investigated .
Sam Aguiar , a lawyer for Taylor ’ s family , previously said the move to fire Hankison was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about damn time , ” he said , adding Hankison was an officer who “ plagued our streets and made this city worse for over a dozen years.
” “ Let ’ s hope that this is a start to some good , strong criminal proceedings against Officer Hankison , because he definitely deserves to at least be charged , ” Aguiar added .
Protesters calling for justice in Taylor ’ s shooting have taken their calls to the streets amid the international protests over racism and police violence after the death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes as he pleaded for air .
This month , Beyoncé also joined the call for charges against officers involved in Taylor ’ s death .
The singer sent a letter to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron , saying the three Louisville police officers “ must be held accountable for their actions.
” “ Your office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justice to Breonna Taylor , and demonstrate the value of a Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter released on the singer ’ s website .

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thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Iowa finds no violations at Tyson plant with deadly outbreak

IOWA CITY , Iowa - Iowa regulators say they found no workplace safety violations at Tyson Foods ’ largest pork processing plant , which employed several people who died after contracting the coronavirus .
The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration closed its inquiry into the Tyson plant in Waterloo earlier this month without sanctioning the meat company .
County officials and workers have alleged that in March and part of April workers did not have adequate personal protective equipment to stop the spread of the virus and were not social distancing .
The company says it has taken numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , screening for symptoms , and frequent testing .
Black Hawk County has said that more than 1,000 of the Waterloo plant ’ s 2,800 workers had tested positive for the virus or antibodies by early May .
The Associated Press has confirmed that at least five workers have died after getting the virus , most recently a 44-year-old maintenance worker who died on Memorial Day after a lengthy illness .
The other deaths have included a 65-year-old laundry department worker , a 58-year-old Bosnian refugee , a 60-year-old Latino father and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have not released the number of meatpacking workers who have died because of the virus in Waterloo or at other plants .
Iowa OSHA said it inspected the Waterloo plant April 20 after Democratic lawmakers filed a complaint alleging that unsafe working conditions caused the outbreak , which devastated the broader community .
Within days , the plant suspended operations and reopened about two weeks later with new safety protocols .
Iowa OSHA Administrator Russell Perry said in a letter dated June 11 that his agency found “ no violations of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the date of the inspection.
“ “ You may have listed conditions on your complaint that were not within the scope of our jurisdiction or items did not exist during the inspection , ” he wrote to Rep. Ras Smith , a Waterloo Democrat who was among the complainants .
Smith , whose district includes the plant and provided the letter to AP , said Tuesday he was baffled by the decision .
He said the agency appeared to be protecting the company and not its workers .
“ If they didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel the need to shut down and make some improvements ?
” Smith said .
“ It seems as though Iowa OSHA is either complicit or refusing to do the right thing.
” State Sen. Bill Dotzler , a Waterloo Democrat who also filed the complaint , said he was stunned .
“ It ’ s pretty clear that they couldn ’ t find water if they were standing in a river , ” he said of Iowa OSHA .
Iowa ’ s OSHA database also shows that the agency ’ s recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Columbus Junction and Perry have been closed without finding any violations .
“ We appreciate the important role of Iowa OSHA and are pleased with the results of its investigations , ” Tyson spokeswoman Liz Croston said Tuesday .
She said that the number of active infections among its Iowa workers “ continues to decline.
” The Iowa Department of Public Health said in early May that 951 workers at the Columbus Junction and Perry plants had tested positive for COVID-19 after outbreaks in them .
The company has acknowledged that at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus .
Iowa OSHA said that it inspected those plants only in response to “ media referrals.
“ The agency had declined to inspect the Perry plant in April after receiving a complaint as the outbreak grew .


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Florida officer who shoved protester referred to prosecutors

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. - A police officer who was suspended for pushing a kneeling black woman to the ground at a George Floyd demonstration in Florida is under scrutiny again after the agency reviewed bodycam footage from two unrelated incidents and referred them to state prosecutors for possible criminal charges .
Earlier this month , video of Fort Lauderdale Police Officer Steven Pohorence pushing a woman to the ground was shared widely on social media as protests against police violence and racial injustice erupted across the country .
Pohorence ’ s shove escalated a clash in which bottles were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman suffered a skull fracture after being shot in the face with a rubber bullet .
Police Chief Rick Maglione said Tuesday they had reviewed hundreds of minutes of bodycam footage and found two troubling incidents .
The chief also turned the footage over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for investigation .
In one video , Pohorence appears to place his knee on the neck of a suspect who refused orders to leave a parked bus and terminal .
The incident is evocative of Floyd ’ s death , although in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pohorence .
In a second video , the Sun Sentinel reports Pohorence walks toward the suspect who allegedly trespassed on someone ’ s property , ordering him to put his hands behind his back or “ I ’ ll put my hands on you.
” The suspect backs away with his hands raised and says he will leave , as Pohorence appears to place his hand on his gun , grabs the suspect ’ s shoulders and kicks his legs from under him , causing the suspect to fall .
The video show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand on the back of his neck as the suspect screams at Pohorence to let him go .
The officer has been on paid leave since June 1 while the incident is under review .
He could not be reached for comment and a call to the union was not immediately returned Tuesday .
A review of his personnel files shows Pohorence has been under review 67 times times for pointing guns and using force on suspects , and at least once for racial profiling .
In more than 50 incidents , Pohorence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for driving vehicles suspected of being stolen .
The files also reflect that Pohorence received several commendations over the years for helping people in need and was named Trooper of the Month once while employed by the Florida Highway Patrol .
In his last review in October , supervisor Sgt .
John Jones , said Pohorence “ requires little if any supervision and his self-motivation serves as a role model for others .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Fauci: Next few weeks critical to tamping down virus spikes

WASHINGTON - The next few weeks are critical to tamping down a disturbing coronavirus surge , Dr. Anthony Fauci told Congress on Tuesday — issuing a plea for people to avoid crowds and wear masks just hours before mask-shunning President Donald Trump was set to address a crowd of his young supporters in one hot spot .
Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down virus testing , in contrast to Trump ’ s claim last weekend that he had ordered fewer tests be performed because they were uncovering too many infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t kidding when he made that remark .
“ We will be doing more testing , ” Fauci , infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health , pledged to a House committee conducting oversight of the Trump administration ’ s response to the pandemic .
The leading public health officials spent more than five hours testifying before the committee at a fraught moment , with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations .
Fauci told lawmakers he understands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal as the U.S. begins emerging from months of stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns .
But that has “ to be a gradual step-by-step process and not throwing caution to the wind , ” he said .
“ Plan A , don ’ t go in a crowd .
Plan B , if you do , make sure you wear a mask , ” Fauci said .
Troubling surges worsened Tuesday in several states , with Arizona , California , Mississippi , Nevada and Texas setting single-day records for new coronavirus cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider reinstating restrictions or delaying plans to ease up in order to help slow the spread of the virus .
Arizona , where Trump was headed for a speech at a Phoenix megachurch , reported a new daily record of nearly 3,600 additional coronavirus infections Tuesday .
Arizona emerged as a COVID-19 hot spot after Republican Gov .
Doug Ducey lifted his stay-home orders in mid-May .
Last week he allowed cities and counties to require masks in public places and many have done so .
Texas surpassed 5,000 new cases for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just days after it eclipsed 4,000 new cases for the first time — as America ’ s largest pediatric hospital began taking adult patients to free up bed space in Houston .
The infection rate in Texas has doubled since late May .
And Nevada surpassed a record one-day increase for the fourth time in the past eight days .
Other states also were experiencing worrisome surges , including Louisiana , Utah and South Carolina .
Another worrisome trend : an increase in infections among young adults .
Fauci said while COVID-19 tends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some of them do get very sick and even die .
And younger people also may be more likely to show no symptoms yet still spread the virus .
If people say , “ ’ I ’ m young , I ’ m healthy , who cares ’ — you should care , not only for yourself but for the impact you might have ” on sickening someone more vulnerable , Fauci said .
About 2.3 million Americans have been infected and some 120,000 have died , according to data from Johns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of West Virginia asked if Fauci regretted that the American public wasn ’ t urged sooner to wear face masks , and then interrupted before the visibly annoyed scientist finished answering .
Fauci said he didn ’ t regret the change in recommendations .
Early in the pandemic there was a “ paucity of equipment ” for health workers “ who put themselves daily in harm ’ s way ” and “ we did not want to divert ” those scarce supplies , he said .
Scientists eventually recommended the general public use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people with no symptoms could be spreading the virus — even though they don ’ t offer as much protection as the sophisticated masks reserved for health workers and aren ’ t a substitute for staying 6 feet away from other people .
Trump , meanwhile , doubled down on testing claims that have public health experts appalled , tweeting Tuesday : “ Cases are going up in the U.S. because we are testing far more than any other country , and ever expanding .
With smaller testing we would show fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means more infections going undetected .
The U.S. was slow in ramping up and currently is testing about 500,000 people a day .
Many experts say to control the spread of the virus , it should be testing 900,000 or more .
Brett Giroir , a Health and Human Services assistant secretary , told lawmakers Tuesday the next step is testing patient samples in large batches to stretch limited supplies , which would expand U.S. screening between fivefold and tenfold .
Instead of testing each person individually , health workers would pool samples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the same office or school , for example .
A negative result would clear everyone , while a positive would require each person to be individually re-tested .
And Dr. Robert Redfield , head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , added that it ’ s now recommended for workers in nursing homes — hard-hit by the virus — to be tested weekly .
As for the anxiously awaited vaccine , Fauci said he believes “ it will be when and not if ” it arrives , and he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine could be available at the end of the year .
More than a dozen vaccine candidates are in various stages of testing around the globe , and the U.S. next month is poised to begin the largest study — in 30,000 people — to get the needed proof that one really works .
Meanwhile , countries , including the U.S. under a program called “ Operation Warp Speed , ” are beginning to stockpile millions of doses of different shots , in hopes at least some will prove usable .
Health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be shortcuts on safety .
“ We absolutely must maintain regulatory independence and make the right decision for the American people based on the science and the data , ” said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn .
Democrats blasted Trump for confusing the public with erroneous statements — from testing to masks to unproven treatments — and ignoring the public health experts ’ advice .
“ It costs lives , ” Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida said of Trump ’ s false claims .
She urged the public health specialists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ We really expect you to be more outspoken.
” Pushed on whether schools should reopen in August and September , Redfield insisted that will vary not just by state but by school district , depending on how many infections are in a particular area .
“ Many jurisdictions will be reopening schools , ” and CDC will soon issue some guidelines to help , he said .
Fauci noted that schools should tailor their decisions to local conditions , saying some might need few restrictions and others more .
He offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they should assume some students will get infected and that there must be ways to keep them and their classmates safe .

Lauran Neergaard And Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Mongolians vote in parliamentary polls amid economic woes

ULAANBAATAR , Mongolia - Mongolians are voting in parliamentary elections at more than 2,000 polling places spread across the vast , lightly populated country between China and Russia .
Economic concerns , corruption and public services dominate concerns among the country ’ s 3 million people , about half of whom live in the capital , Ulaanbaatar .
Electricity and sewage treatment are in particularly short supply in the slum communities that surround the capital , mostly populated by former herders who have given up life on the steppe .
Polling places opened at 7 a.m. and close at 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
Some also voted at mobile polling stations on Tuesday .
Mongolia has maintained a 30-year democracy instituted after a new constitution was adopted in 1992 following six decades of communism .
The Mongolian People ’ s Party is seeking to retain the 65 seats it won in the 76-seat State Great Khural in 2016 while its chief rival , the Democratic Party , will seek to claw back some of its losses .
More than 600 candidates are running in 29 constituencies under a system that returns two to three members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largely rural country are the most hotly contested , with 28 candidates running in one district of Ulaanbaatar .
Landlocked Mongolia boasts vast mineral wealth but has struggled to attract foreign investment because of plunging commodity prices and high-profile disputes between the government and large investors such as mining giant Rio Tinto .
Corruption and a bulging national debt of about $ 23 billion , or twice the country ’ s annual economic output , have also been a major drag on the economy .
That ’ s left more than 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below the poverty line , and resentment over income inequality and graft could boost the odds for outsider candidates .
However , the MPP is still expected to make a strong showing based on its competence in running government and handling the country ’ s COVID-19 outbreak , in which only about 200 imported cases have been recorded with zero deaths .
Among the MPP ’ s candidates are current Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh , Cabinet Secretary Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene and former presidential candidate Badmaanyambuugiin Bat-Erdene .
The head of state , President Khaltmaagiin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 , is not on the ballot .


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Los Angeles looks to boost ailing legal marijuana market

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles City Council committee Tuesday approved a series of changes to reset the city ’ s troubled legal marijuana market , including bolstering programs intended to help operators who suffered during the nation ’ s long-running war on drugs .
Los Angeles was once seen as a potential showcase for the industry , but that has never squared with the reality on the street : illegal shops continue to flourish , while licensed companies complain that just about everything costs too much and takes too long when dealing with City Hall .
Meanwhile , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s legal system — programs to assist those working in the business who were arrested or imprisoned during the war on drugs , including many people of colour— has been slow to take shape .
The proposed revisions were greeted with a mix of applause and confusion .
They ranged from minor moves , such as tweaking a definition to match language in state law , to potentially major ones , such as limiting delivery licenses until 2025 only to businesses that meet so-called social-equity benchmarks .
Those programs are aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a marijuana-related offence and lower-income residents who live , or have lived , in neighbourhoods marked by high marijuana arrest rates .
The city ’ s top cannabis regulator , Cat Packer , called the changes urgent .
She noted the industry and the city have been buffeted by the coronavirus crisis , an economic downturn and unrest over racial injustice .
Meanwhile , marijuana remains illegal at the federal level and big banks typically refuse to do business with pot companies because of the legal conflict between state and federal law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and racial injustice is clear to me , ” Packer said .
“ Black and brown communities ... have been disproportionately impacted , disproportionately policed , and we made a commitment to actively acknowledge those harms and address the harms of the drug war.
” Adam Spiker , executive director of the industry group Southern California Coalition , called the proposals a “ mixed bag.
” While well intended , he said placing an inflexible limit on who could qualify for a delivery license is “ open to a lot of problems ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply enmeshed in the industry .
“ I think that creates more problems than solutions , ” he said .
Other proposed changes approved by the Rules Committee would permit businesses to relocate while being licensed , clarify what employees are required to have background checks and streamline the application process .
Prior to the vote , the committee heard from a long line of industry officials and other speakers who alternately praised the proposals or depicted the city licensing system as dysfunctional .


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--China, India agree to disengage forces after deadly clash

BEIJING - Chinese and Indian military commanders have agreed to disengage their forces in a disputed area of the Himalayas following a clash that left at least 20 soldiers dead , both countries said Tuesday .
The commanders reached the agreement Monday in their first meeting since the June 15 confrontation , the countries said .
The confrontation in the Galwan Valley , part of the disputed Ladakh region along the Himalayan frontier , was the deadliest between the two countries in 45 years .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said “ the two sides had a frank and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues in the current border control and agreed to take necessary measures to cool down the situation.
” The Indian army said in a statement that “ commander-level talks ... were held at Moldo in ( a ) cordial , positive and constructive atmosphere .
There was mutual consensus to disengage.
” Zhao denied apparent speculation by an Indian government minister that 40 Chinese troops had died in the June 15 clash .
“ I can tell you responsibly that it is false information , “ he said at a daily briefing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiers died .
China has not released any information on casualties on its side .
Soldiers brawled with clubs , rocks and their fists in the thin air at 4,270 metres ( 14,000 feet ) above sea level , but no shots were fired , Indian officials have said .
The soldiers carry firearms but are not allowed to use them under a previous agreement in the border dispute .
Indian security officials have said the fatalities were caused by severe injuries and exposure to subfreezing temperatures .
The valley falls within a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Line of Actual Control — the border established following a war between India and China in 1962 that resulted in an uneasy truce .


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--The Latest: Polls close in NY primary election

NEW YORK - The latest on New York ’ s primary elections ( all times local ) : The most unusual primary election day in recent New York state history has come to a close .
Registered voters were urged to cast ballots by mail this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
The number of polling places was cut down in some parts of the state , even though in-person voting did still take place .
Voters were choosing Democratic , Republican and other party candidates for congress , president , the state legislature and other offices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. , it may be awhile before the results in some races are known , because absentee ballots won ’ t be counted for at least a week .
Polls are open across New York in one most unusual primary elections in state history .
Officials encouraged all registered voters to cast their ballot by mail this year because of the coronavirus pandemic .
In-person voting is still happening , but in many upstate counties the number of polling locations has been reduced .
It isn ’ t clear yet whether that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas with fewer places to cast a vote .
Democrats , Republicans and other parties are selecting candidates for congress , president , the state legislature and other offices .
Polls opened statewide at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. but the results of some contests might not be known for some time because absentee ballots won ’ t be counted for at least a week .


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Filing seeks hold on Alaska business aid pending changes

JUNEAU , Alaska - A man suing the state over plans to distribute federal coronavirus relief aid is asking a judge to block disbursement of a portion set aside for small businesses after Alaska Gov .
Mike Dunleavy ’ s administration reinterpreted the rules .
Eric Forrer , contends the money should be spent according to “ defined standards , ” according to a court filing from his attorney , Joe Geldhof .
The filing seeks a court order that would either halt the disbursement of money set aside for businesses until lawmakers approve a “ valid expenditure “ or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not adhere to the “ express terms ” of a proposal previously ratified by the Legislature .
The filing misidentifies the bill number , a typo Geldhof acknowledged .
Forrer has maintained the ratification process itself was problematic , citing constitutional concerns .
Last week , the state Department of Commerce , Community and Economic Development announced eligibility changes to the $ 290 million program intended to provide additional aid to businesses feeling the economic fallout from the coronavirus .
The changes include allowing businesses that received $ 5,000 or less in certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s grant program , provided they meet other requirements .
Alaska received more than $ 1 billion in federal coronavirus relief aid , $ 290 million of which the state designated toward a small business program .
The program , proposed by the Dunleavy administration and later ratified by the Legislature , excluded businesses that had secured federal program funding directly available to them under a federal coronavirus relief law .
Glenn Hoskinson , a special assistant to Alaska ’ s commerce commissioner , said when the proposal was first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal loan funds had been depleted and the second round hadn ’ t been made available .
Hoskinson said by email the department also was not aware then that businesses were getting partial amounts of funds requested from the federal programs .
Hoskinson said last week the Department of Law was looking at how or if the commerce department could amend the eligibility criteria .
At a legislative hearing Wednesday , Assistant Attorney General Bill Milks said attorneys for the state took into consideration factors such as legislative intent and determined there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proposed adjustments .
Department of Law spokesperson Maria Bahr said Tuesday the department does not have a written opinion and said its public comments on the program were made during the hearing .
But the department later released a statement , saying the state stands by the proposed distribution of funds .
“ These funds are needed now , and the State stands ready to defend the actions the Governor and Legislature have taken to get funds to those who need it , ” the statement says .
House Speaker Bryce Edgmon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement said ensuring all small businesses have a chance to access financial relief “ is critically important .
At this point , we are still evaluating what the lawsuit means.
” “ In terms of a remedy , should one be required , all options are on the table .
That includes potentially reconvening the Legislature , ” he said .
Senate President Cathy Giessel , an Anchorage Republican , in a statement said if further legislative action is needed , “ we will take action .
At this time , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan and believe it needs a chance to work.
” Giessel was referring to the Senate majority when she said “ we , ” Senate Majority Communications Director Daniel McDonald said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Powerful earthquake shakes southern Mexico, at least 5 dead

MEXICO CITY - A powerful earthquake centred near the southern Mexico resort of Huatulco on Tuesday killed at least five people , swayed buildings in Mexico City and sent thousands fleeing into the streets .
Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said one person was killed in a building collapse in Huatulco , Oaxaca .
Otherwise he said reports were of minor damage from the magnitude 7.4 quake , including broken windows and collapsed walls .
Oaxaca Gov .
Alejandro Murat said a second person was killed in an apparent house collapse in the mountain village of San Juan Ozolotepec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not explain .
Federal civil defence authorities reported two more deaths : a worker at the state-run oil company , Pemex , fell to his death from a refinery structure , and a man died in the Oaxaca village of San Agustin Amatengo when a wall fell on him .
Pemex also said the quake caused a fire at its refinery in the Pacific coast city of Salina Cruz , relatively near the epicenter .
It said one worker was injured and the flames were quickly extinguished .
Churches , bridges and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
López Obrador said there had been more than 140 aftershocks , most of them small .
Seismic alarms sounded midmorning with enough warning for residents to exit buildings .
Power was knocked out to some areas .
Helicopters flew over downtown Mexico City and police patrols sounded their sirens .
Groups of people still milled around in close proximity on streets and sidewalks in some neighbourhoods of the capital about an hour after the quake .
Many were not wearing masks despite past appeals from municipal officials for them to do so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new coronavirus .
Inside a Mexico City military barracks converted to COVID-19 hospital , medical staff suited in protective equipment tried to calm anxious patients .
Unable to evacuate isolation areas , patients huddled under a large beam in the women ’ s ward while a nurse tried to calm one having a panic attack .
Teresa Juárez could only wish for it to pass quickly from her hospital bed where she lay connected to oxygen .
Diabetic and with high blood pressure , Juárez said she thought about her five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you ’ re here and you don ’ t know what to do , ” she said .
The U.S. Geologic Survey said the quake hit at 10:29 a.m. ( 11:29 a.m. Eastern ) along Mexico ’ s southern Pacific coast at a depth of 16 miles ( 26 km ) .
The epicenter was 7 miles ( 12 km ) south-southwest of Santa Maria Zapotitlan in Oaxaca state It was felt in Guatemala and throughout south and central Mexico .
In Huatulco , a laid-back beach destination known for surfing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods off shelves and some rubble from buildings .
Mari González of the Princess Mayev hotel in Huatulco said staff and guests were able to evacuate the building before the quake , but that 45 minutes after the initial quake they were still outside as strong aftershocks continued .
“ It was strong , very strong , ” she said .
González said there was some visible broken glass and mirrors , but no major damage .
The staff was waiting for the aftershocks to dissipate before fully evaluating the property .
Local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state capital , Oaxaca city .
State officials said they were looking for damage .
The USGS estimated that some 2 million people felt strong or moderate shaking and another 49 million felt weak or light shaking .
The earthquake hit a quake-prone region where four underground tectonic plates come together .
In the past 35 years , there have been at least seven magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes , killing around 10,000 people — most of them in a 1985 8.0 quake .
“ This has the potential to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Paul Earle said .
“ This area is capable of and has had larger earthquakes in the past.
” “ There will be aftershocks , ” Earle said .
“ It is not unexpected to see a magnitude 6 at this point and a number of smaller ones.
” This quake happened when the Cocos plate , which is to the southwest of the area , slipped under the North American plate , Earle said .
“ You ’ ve got all sorts of plates and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ The important thing is how fast the plates are moving relative to each other.
” Associated Press writers Chris Torchia in Mexico City and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report .

MaríA Verza And Christopher Sherman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Trump says ‘learn from history’ instead of removing statues

WASHINGTON - As America grapples with racism in its past , President Donald Trump lined up squarely Tuesday with those who argue that the pendulum has swung too far in favour of removing statues and other symbols of that flawed history , saying mistakes will be repeated if not learned from and understood .
Trump ’ s campaign also sees the divide over this latest cultural flash point as a way to boost the president ’ s standing , which has suffered during his handling of the coronavirus outbreak and the protests over racial injustice that followed George Floyd ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent demanding “ law and order ” in response to the protests sparked by Floyd ’ s death by police , Trump began to draw a line in the sand .
He promised executive action to protect monuments after some statues of Confederates and other historical figures with checkered life stories were angrily brought down from parks and other places of public prominence .
Trump said he wants the maximum punishment available under federal law — up to a decade in prison — for those who destroy or tamper with statues on public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. military .
He said the executive order would “ reinforce ” existing law .
“ We are looking at long-term jail sentences for these vandals and these hoodlums and these anarchists and agitators , ” Trump said , referring to protesters who have vented their anger over racial injustice by toppling statues of figures tied to America ’ s racist history .
He spoke out after an attempt Monday night to bring down a Lafayette Park statue of Andrew Jackson , one of Trump ’ s favourite presidents , was foiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
Trump called it a “ sneak attack ” on the statue of Jackson , who owned slaves and was ruthless in his treatment of Native Americans .
“ We should learn from the history , ” he told Fox News in a taped interview broadcast Tuesday .
“ And if you don ’ t understand your history , you will go back to it again.
“ Trump ’ s campaign sees the attempts to remove statues as a potential presidential lifeline .
The campaign argues that liberals are dramatically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police ” and remove statues of American icons taught in history books .
At his Tuesday address in Phoenix to a gathering of Students for Trump , the president sought to tie the “ radical left ” to efforts to demolish monuments , while praising police for thwarting the Monday night attempt to topple the Jackson monument .
“ If you give power to people that demolish monuments and attack churches and seize city streets and set fire to buildings , then nothing is sacred , ” Trump said .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s prior defence of Confederate statues and military bases named after such figures amounted to a political risk in the current climate .
But aides now believe the president has found an unexpected new attack line against Democrats as the effort to remove symbols has spread in some places to include the likes of Presidents Ulysses S. Grant , Jackson and George Washington .
Though all three figures were flawed individuals , Trump ’ s campaign believes he can use them to wage a culture war and position the president as the defender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened by demographic change and generational shifts in views on issues from marriage to racial justice .
Calls to overhaul policing and confront lingering racial inequality may be bipartisan , but Trump ’ s reelection team believes the most aggressive steps being pushed by some Democrats will turn off centrists and energize the president ’ s base -– many of whom share his avowed commitment to safeguard symbols of the nation ’ s past .
A White House official and a campaign aide outlined the president ’ s thinking speaking on condition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss the matter publicly .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday cast the “ lawlessness ” of the attacks on statues as a cultural phenomenon among “ far-left radicals ” in need of a history lesson .
“ Our founding fathers are being roped to the ground like they were Saddam Hussein , ” McConnell said , referring to Iraq ’ s former authoritarian leader .
Iraqis celebrated the end of Hussein ’ s government by toppling a statue of Hussein in Baghdad in April 2003 .
McConnell , R-Ky. , criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Washington and Thomas Jefferson .
And he marveled at efforts to take down statues of Grant , the “ general who crushed the Confederacy , the president who used federal force to fight the Klan .
They , too , have been placed on the historical hit list for this new Red Guard that nobody elected.
” Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina , the chamber ’ s only Black Republican , also decried the toppling of statues but said celebrating “ all of our history would be crazy.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our history because all of it shouldn ’ t be celebrated , ” Scott told Fox News on Tuesday .
“ But we should remember it.
” Visitors to the Lafayette Square area Tuesday also panned the statue removal effort .
Wenola Wade , a white resident of the District of Columbia , said she ’ s frustrated that “ we ’ re not far enough along ” in dealing with systemic racism but added that “ we can ’ t take down every single statue .
That ’ s stupid.
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from what the real message is , ” said Wade , 75 , who was walking near Lafayette Square around midday hoping to see some of the protesters ’ posters .
Daryl Colter , an African American who lives in a Maryland suburb , brought his 5-year-old daughter to a street near the White House that the city has renamed as Black Lives Matter Plaza as an educational moment .
He said he wants leaders from the government and the protest movement to get together and have discussions about the Jackson statue and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t just go around taking it into your own hands and just tear something down.
” “ Defacing , tearing it down , it ’ s going against the cause , ” Colter said .
American University history professor Alan Kraut said he and some of his colleagues have used the statues as teaching tools but that a more appropriate question amid the renewed scrutiny is whether their physical destruction makes society better .
“ Do you enrich society and social opportunity and social justice by tearing down these statues or is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked .
The White House declined comment on when Trump would issue the executive order .
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking , Laurie Kellman , Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report .

Darlene Superville - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Obama raises $7.6 million at fundraiser for Biden’s campaign

WASHINGTON - Former President Barack Obama warned Democrats against being “ complacent or smug ” about the presidential race at a grassroots fundraiser Tuesday for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , calling on viewers to learn the lessons from 2016 and not take the election for granted .
Referencing what he called a “ great awakening ” going on among younger Americans pushing for reforms , Obama said that “ just because this energy is out there does not mean that it assures our victory and it does not mean that it gets channeled in a way that results in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a backlash , that is fierce , against change , ” Obama added .
The former president referenced the division among Americans that he said President Donald Trump “ exploits , ” as well as new challenges to voting rights in recent years .
“ We can ’ t be complacent or smug or suggest that somehow it ’ s so obvious that this president hasn ’ t done a good job because , look , he won once , and it ’ s not like we didn ’ t have a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to operate the last time , ” Obama said .
He implored the audience to get engaged with Biden ’ s presidential campaign , declaring that “ whatever you ’ ve done so far is not enough.
” The fundraiser marked Obama ’ s official return to the presidential campaign trail and underscored his unmatched popularity within the Democratic Party .
Biden , who appeared virtually alongside Obama at the event , said it raised a record-breaking $ 7.6 million from more than 175,000 individual donors .
Trump ’ s Dallas fundraiser earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million for the campaign , Republican National Committee and the Trump Victory Fund .
Tuesday ’ s event was a kickoff of what Obama ’ s team says will likely be a busy schedule heading into the fall , as he looks to help elect not just Biden but Democrats running for House and Senate .
And his comments suggest Democrats are taking very seriously the possibility that their base could grow too comfortable this fall , with a number of state and nationwide surveys showing Biden with significant , often double-digit leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lift other Democratic candidates while he was in the White House , notably losing control of the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014 .
But in the era of President Donald Trump , Democrats believe Obama ’ s appeal , especially among Black and younger voters , can help boost energy for Biden .
“ There ’ s two groups of voters that Biden needs to move , ” said Dan Pfeiffer , former White House communications director .
“ You have the 4 million Obama 2012 voters that sat out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cachet with them .
And you have to persuade some number of voters who voted for Barack Obama in 2012 and either Trump or a third party candidate in 2016 , and Obama obviously is very , very high-performing with those as well.
” Indeed , during Tuesday night ’ s fundraiser , Obama made a frequent pitch directly to young voters , telling them he was “ hopeful ” about the new energy for reform he ’ s seen within the younger generation but warning them not to get discouraged with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be slower ” and “ less satisfactory ” than engaging with a social movement through public demonstrations .
Obama endorsed Biden with a video message in April , but kept an otherwise low profile throughout the primary and largely avoided wading into national politics .
In recent weeks , however , he ’ s reemerged publicly to speak out on policing and the civil unrest that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Some Democrats say that , in the wake of Floyd ’ s killing , Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and a leader for the party is needed .
“ Biden doesn ’ t have the strongest record on criminal justice reform so having Obama there is helpful in reinforcing that issue , ” said Ben Tulchin , who polled for progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ presidential campaign .
“ Given what ’ s going on with criminal justice reform and Black Lives Matter , having the first African American president out there publicly backing Biden is extremely helpful.
” But Obama ’ s reemergence is not without risks for Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it offers an opportunity to resurface some of their favourite political attacks — charges that the Obama administration ’ s policies undermined the American middle class and U.S. interests abroad .
They believe the focus on Obama will help reinvigorate Trump ’ s base , and remind waffling Trump voters — those considering voting for Biden , or staying home — of their dissatisfaction with the prior administration .
And they see a potential opportunity to drive a wedge between Biden and his base by resurfacing issues from the Obama administration — like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riled progressives during the Democratic primary .
Trump himself has pushed unfounded conspiracy theories about Obama , hoping to taint Biden by association .
And at a Students for Trump event Tuesday in Phoenix , Trump suggested Obama ’ s support for Biden was lukewarm .
“ It only took him how long , a year and a half to endorse ?
” Trump said , adding , “ He wanted everybody to win but Joe.
” Still , Democrats say Obama is eager to take Trump on to defend his legacy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefited Americans .
“ Trump ’ s election just devastated the country and Obama ’ s legacy , ” Tulchin said .
“ Beating Trump is important for his legacy and important for the country.
” Biden ’ s embrace of Obama during the Democratic primary created some headaches for the former vice-president within his own party as well .
Biden was criticized by some opponents as too focused on returning to the status quo of the Obama years at a time when the progressive base of the party was clamouring for significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the primary contest , at least five candidates — including Sanders — aired ads featuring praise from the former president or photos of the candidate alongside him .
And both Biden and Obama have made overtures toward progressives , with Biden embracing some of Sanders ’ policies and Obama praising him by name in his endorsement video for Biden .
But Stephanie Cutter , who served as Obama ’ s 2012 campaign manager , said that if Obama ’ s reemergence into the campaign raises any further debates about the policies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared to respond .
“ There ’ s nobody better to answer those questions than Obama , ” she said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Final results in NY, Kentucky primaries could be days away

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - Voters endured 90-minute waits in Kentucky ’ s second-largest city , but the biggest hurdle in Tuesday ’ s congressional primaries seemed to be what wasn ’ t happening : quick counting of mail-in ballots in that state and New York .
Final results in top races seemed unlikely for days .
In the day ’ s foremost contests , two young African American candidates with campaigns energized by nationwide protests for racial justice were challenging white Democratic establishment favourites for the party ’ s nominations .
First-term state legislator Charles Booker was hoping a late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighter pilot Amy McGrath for the Democratic Senate nomination from Kentucky .
And in New York , political newcomer Jamaal Bowman was seeking to derail House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel ’ s bid for a 17th term in Congress .
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky easily won the Republican nomination for a seventh Senate term on Tuesday and will be favoured in November against McGrath or Booker .
McConnell , 78 , is loathed by Democrats for advancing President Donald Trump ’ s agenda and conservative judicial nominees .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Warner , who seems certain of reelection .
Republican Scott Taylor will face Rep. Elaine Luria , D-Va. , in a rematch between two Navy veterans in a Virginia Beach district from which she toppled him two years ago .
And Cameron Webb , a health policy researcher , won the Democratic nomination for a central Virginia House district .
GOP incumbent Rep. Denver Riggleman lost his party ’ s nomination for the seat , fueling Democrats ’ hopes that Webb , an African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states ease voting by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic , a deluge of mail-in ballots and glacially slow counting procedures meant many final results would take days or more .
That torturous wait seemed a preview of November , when numerous states will turn to mail-in voting like never before .
Officials are already warning that uncertainty over who the next president is could linger for days .
By late afternoon , there were scattered reports of long lines and absentee ballots that voters never received .
Yet voting appeared less troubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where some people stood in line for hours .
Waits lasting 90 minutes were reported Tuesday morning at the lone voting site in Lexington , Kentucky — Kroger Field , the University of Kentucky ’ s football stadium .
“ This is definitely the longest that I ’ ve ever waited , ” said 55-year-old Bob Woods , who it took over an hour to check in .
In Louisville , voting advocates complained that an unknown number of people stayed home because it was difficult to travel to the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place — the Kentucky Exposition Center .
“ In my neighbourhood , most people don ’ t have cars , ” said voter Michael Baker .
“ It ’ s not fair for them to have one site.
” A judge kept the polling place open an extra half hour after about 175 people , some of whom pounded on the building ’ s doors , demanded to vote .
Louisville has 600,000 residents .
There were so many mail-in ballots that Kentucky ’ s two biggest counties , Jefferson and Fayette , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on election night , said Secretary of State Michael Adams .
Kentucky ’ s voting is usually 2 % by mail .
This year officials expect that figure to exceed 50 % , and over 400,000 mail ballots were returned by Sunday .
All received by June 27 will be counted .
New York state Attorney General Letitia James ’ office received about 150 complaints by midafternoon , mainly about voters not getting absentee ballots they ’ d requested , polling sites opening late and voters receiving incomplete ballots .
Dena Cooper said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot that never arrived , so she went to her polling place in Brooklyn ’ s Bay Ridge to vote in person .
She said a poll worker told her to go home and wait for the absentee ballot to arrive .
“ I feel turned away , “ Cooper said .
In fact , New York voters who have requested but not used absentee ballots can legally vote in person .
The 32-year-old illustrator voted later .
New York officials expect the vast majority of votes to be mail ballots this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share .
Counties have until eight days after Election Day to count and release the results of mail ballots , with 1.7 million requested by voters .
There was also one Republican House runoff each in North Carolina and Mississippi .
But the day ’ s focus was in New York and Kentucky .
Democrats were waiting to see whether nationwide protests sparked by last month ’ s killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police would translate to a decisive turnout by African American and progressive voters .
Kentucky ’ s McGrath was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank account .
Her military resume and centrists views helped her win support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. Schumer was hoping McGrath would win an uphill November race against McConnell and help Democrats capture control of the chamber .
Booker ’ s underfinanced campaign caught fire after he attended recent protests against the March police killing of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in her Louisville home .
That helped him win support from progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , and the state ’ s two largest newspapers .
In New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Hillary Clinton , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Black Caucus , plus major labour unions .
He ’ s one of Congress ’ most liberal members .
But Bowman , an educator , has drawn strength from anti-racism protests and his accusations that Engel has grown aloof from his diverse district in parts of the Bronx and Westchester .
Bowman has been helped by progressive groups and by Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , the far-left icon .
Ocasio-Cortez herself was being challenged by one-time CNBC anchor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unknown 28-year-old when she won a 2018 primary over longtime Rep. Joe Crowley , who seemed in line to become House speaker .
Fram reported from Washington and Cassidy reported from Atlanta .
Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington and Michael Warren in Atlanta contributed to this report .

Christina A. Cassidy, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn And Alan Fram - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--With student gathering, Trump gets a more boisterous crowd

PHOENIX - It wasn ’ t quite one of his signature big-stadium rallies .
But President Donald Trump drew something closer to the jam-packed audience of political supporters he ’ s been craving as hundreds of young conservatives filled a Phoenix megachurch Tuesday to hear his call for them to get behind his reelection effort .
The crowded Dream City Church for the gathering of Students for Trump offered a starkly different feel compared to Trump ’ s weekend rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , his first of the coronavirus era , which drew sparser attendance .
Trump hailed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tall for America and refuse to kneel to the radical left.
” “ You are the courageous warriors standing in the way of what they want to do and their goals , ” he told the boisterous crowd .
“ They hate our history .
They hate our values , and they hate everything we prize as Americans.
” Trump was looking to regain campaign momentum after Tulsa , which was supposed to be a sign of the nation ’ s reopening and a show of political force .
Instead , it generated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the president ’ s campaign leadership and his case for another four years in office .
The low turnout sharpened the focus on Trump ’ s visit to Arizona , which doubles as both a 2020 battleground state and a surging coronavirus hot spot .
With the Phoenix event , which was organized by Turning Point Action , a group chaired by Trump ally Charlie Kirk , the president hoped to turn attention — at least momentarily — away from his slumping poll numbers , surging coronavirus infections in huge swaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus-ravaged economy .
His address was chock-full of typical Trump lines — boasts about television ratings , ridicule of his likely Democratic presidential opponent Joe Biden and sharply worded resentments over China ’ s handling of the coronavirus crisis .
As he did in Oklahoma over the weekend , Trump referred to the virus as “ kung flu , “ a pejorative term that Asian-Americans say is racist .
But unlike his return to campaign stage before thousands of empty seats in Oklahoma , Trump seemed to revel in the energy of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also offered his supporters a dark warning .
“ This will be in my opinion the most corrupt election in the history of our country , ” said Trump , who has in recent days stepped up claims that expanded mail-in voting will lead to voting fraud .
“ And we can not let this happen.
” But throughout his daylong trip to Arizona , which included a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border , the COVID-19 pandemic shadowed Trump .
The Democratic mayor of Phoenix made clear she did not believe Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her city — and urged the president to wear a face mask .
But Trump has adamantly refused to wear a mask in public , instead turning it into a red-vs.-blue cultural issue .
Polling suggests Republicans are far less likely to wear face coverings than Democrats despite health experts ’ warnings that it dramatically reduces the risk of transmitting the virus .
Few in the crowd at the Students for Trump event donned masks .
Since late May , Arizona has emerged as one of the nation ’ s most active @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Photos of restaurants and bars crowded with unmasked patrons ignited controversy .
Republican Gov .
Doug Ducey , a Trump supporter , reversed himself last week and allowed cities and counties to require people to wear masks in public places .
Most have , including Phoenix and Yuma and the counties that surround them .
Arizona is seeing disturbing trends in several benchmarks , including the percentage of tests that prove positive for the virus , which is the highest in the nation .
The state reported a new daily record of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona continued to set records for the number of people hospitalized , in intensive care and on ventilators for COVID-19 .
Arizona ’ s total caseload in the pandemic stands at at least 58,179 , with 42 more deaths reported Tuesday , raising the death toll to 1,384 .
“ Right now , the next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surgings that we are seeing in Florida , in Texas , in Arizona and other states , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told a House committee Tuesday .
“ They are not the only ones that are having a difficulty .
Bottom line ... it ’ s a mixed bag.
” Campaign officials stressed that rallies would remain a staple of the president ’ s reelection strategy but allowed that they may , in certain states , need to change slightly .
Discussions were under way about having them in more modest venues or outdoors , perhaps in airplane hangars and amphitheatres , or in smaller cities away from likely protesters .
Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw thousands of supporters out during a pandemic sets up a favourable contrasting image with Democratic rival Joe Biden .
Still , the campaign has struggled to find effective attack lines on Biden .
Before the Students for Trump event , Trump visited the U.S.-Mexico border , where he tried to credit his new wall with stopping both illegal immigration and the coronavirus .
In the blazing summer heat , Trump briefly stopped to inspect a new section of the concrete and rebar structure .
The president and other officials took a moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Arizona health officials have said in recent weeks that an influx of virus patients from Mexico have added to the load on hospitals in the southern part of the state .
“ We realize that this is a hotspot , ” Ducey said earlier this week .
“ We also realize we ’ ve got a lot of good , hard-working folks that come across the border every day to work in Arizona industry .
We also have a lot of good folks that want to take advantage of much of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want there to be that capacity.
” Madhani reported from Chicago .
Associated Press writers Jonathan Cooper , Astrid Galvan and Bob Christie in Phoenix and Elana Schor in New York contributed to this report .

Jonathan Lemire And Aamer Madhani - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Trump’s brother seeks to halt family tell-all book

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s brother is asking a New York City judge to prevent the president ’ s niece from publishing a tell-all book , which is expected to be released later this month .
In court papers , Robert Trump ’ s lawyers argue that Mary Trump and others had signed a settlement agreement in the late 1990s that included a confidentially clause explicitly saying they would not “ publish any account concerning the litigation or their relationship , ” unless they all agreed .
The settlement agreement related to the will of Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developer Fred Trump .
“ Confidentiality was at the essence of the Settlement agreement , ” the court papers say .
Robert Trump argues the publication of the book is prohibited by the settlement agreement reached in 2001 and he never consented to it being published .
Mary Trump is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr. , the president ’ s older brother , who died in 1981 .
A description of the book — titled “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describes “ a nightmare of traumas , destructive relationships , and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse.
” “ She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office , including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons , Fred Jr. and Donald , ” the online description says .
The motion seeks an injunction to prevent Mary Trump and the book ’ s publisher , Simon & Schuster , from releasing it .
“ President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a book that will discuss matters of utmost public importance , “ attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. , a representative for Mary Trump , said in a statement .
” They are pursuing this unlawful prior restraint because they do not want the American people to know the truth .
The courts will not tolerate this brazen and baseless effort to squelch speech in violation of the First Amendment.
” A Simon & Schuster official said in a statement he was confident the attempt to block publication would fail .
“ Mary Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significance , and we look forward to helping her tell her story , ” said Adam Rothberg , spokesman for the publishing house .
The White House declined to comment Tuesday on the book or the legal motion .
Associated Press writer Hillel Italie in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-23--Prosecutor: Trump ally Roger Stone was ‘treated differently’

WASHINGTON - A federal prosecutor is prepared to tell Congress on Wednesday that Roger Stone , a close ally of President Donald Trump , was given special treatment ahead of his sentencing because of his relationship with the president .
Aaron Zelinsky , a career Justice Department prosecutor who was part of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s team and worked on the case against Stone , will say he was told by supervisors that political considerations influenced the decision to overrule the recommendation of the trial team and propose a lighter prison sentence , according to testimony released by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works in the U.S. attorney ’ s office in Maryland , and his testimony will feature the extraordinary spectacle of a current prosecutor castigating decisions made by the leadership of the Justice Department where he still serves .
The hearing is likely to add to scrutiny of Attorney General William Barr , who has alarmed Democrats in recent months with his efforts to scrutinize , and even undo , some of the results of Mueller ’ s Russia ’ s investigation .
“ What I heard — repeatedly — was that Roger Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defendant because of his relationship to the president , ” Zelinsky says in the prepared testimony .
The panel subpoenaed Zelinksy and John Elias , a career official in the department ’ s antitrust division , as part of its probe into the politicization of the department under Barr .
The Democratic-led panel and Barr have been feuding since shortly after he took office in early 2019 , when he declined to testify about Mueller ’ s report .
The Democrats launched the investigation earlier this year over Barr ’ s handling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their focus to several subsequent episodes in which they believe Barr is doing Trump ’ s bidding .
That includes the department ’ s efforts to dismiss the criminal case against Gen. Michael Flynn and the firing last weekend of the the top prosecutor in New York ’ s Southern District .
The prosecutor , Geoffrey Berman , has been investigating the president ’ s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani .
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , has threatened to subpoena Barr himself for a hearing next week if he doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney general has never testified before the panel .
Zelinsky , one of four lawyers who quit the Stone case after the department overruled their sentencing recommendation , plans to say Wednesday that the acting U.S. attorney at the time , Timothy Shea , was “ receiving heavy pressures from the highest levels of the Department of Justice to give Stone a break.
” He does not say who was doing the pressuring , but says there was “ significant pressure ” on line prosecutors to “ obscure “ the correct sentencing guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases outright distort ” what happened at Stone ’ s trial and the events that resulted in his conviction .
Before Stone ’ s Feb. 20 sentencing , Justice Department leadership changed the sentencing recommendation just hours after Trump tweeted his displeasure at the recommendation of up to nine years in prison , saying it had been too harsh .
Stone was later sentenced to serve more than three years in prison plus two years ’ probation and a $ 20,000 fine .
Barr has said Trump ’ s tweet played no role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordered the new filing hours before the president ’ s tweet because he was caught off guard by the initial sentencing recommendation and believed it was excessive based on the facts of the case .
Filing a new one was a “ righteous decision based on the merits , ” he has told The Associated Press .
According to his prepared testimony , Zelinsky will describe having learned from the media that the Justice Department planned to overrule the trial team ’ s sentencing recommendation , something he said he found unusual given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not commenting on cases .
Though the U.S. attorney ’ s office initially said the reports were false , the team was later told that a new sentencing memorandum would be issued that would seek a lighter punishment for Stone .
“ We repeatedly asked to see that new memorandum prior to its filing .
Our request was denied , ” Zelinsky will say .
“ We were not informed about the content or substance of the proposed filing , or even who was writing it .
We were told that one potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Zelinsky says he was also told that the acting U.S. attorney was giving Stone such unprecedentedly favourable treatment because he was “ afraid of the President.
” Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec said Barr had directed Shea to leave the sentencing to the discretion of the judge , who ultimately sentenced Stone to a notably shorter amount of prison time than the trial prosecutors had initially sought .
“ Notably , Mr. Zelinsky , a line prosecutor , did not have any discussion with the Attorney General , the U.S. Attorney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Department about the sentencing ; instead , Mr. Zelinksy ’ s allegations concerning the U.S. Attorney ’ s motivation are based on his own interpretation of events and hearsay ( at best ) , not first-hand knowledge , ” Kupec said in a statement .
Stone was convicted on all seven counts of an indictment that accused him of lying to Congress , tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign co-ordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election .
On Tuesday , Stone filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date until September because of coronavirus concerns .
He is scheduled to report to a federal prison in Georgia by June 30 .
In separate testimony released by the committee , Elias plans to detail antitrust investigations that he says were started over the objections of career staff .
He says he asked the department ’ s inspector general to investigate “ whether these matters constituted an abuse of authority , a gross waste of funds , and gross mismanagement.
” The Justice Department said in a statement that it “ strongly disagrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Antitrust Division acted inappropriately in any investigation.
” Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report .

Mary Clare Jalonick And Eric Tucker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--US agency probes touch-screen failures in Tesla Model S

DETROIT - Complaints that Tesla ’ s giant touch screens can fail have drawn the attention of U.S. safety regulators .
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents that it ’ s investigating failures in the 2012 through 2015 Tesla Model S. Documents posted Wednesday say the agency has received 11 complaints about the screens over the past 13 months in vehicles that have been in use from 3.9 years to 6.3 years .
If the screens fail , the cars will lose the rear camera display , causing reduced visibility .
No crashes or injuries have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S vehicles with screens controlled by flash memory devices with finite lifespans based on the number of program and erase cycles , the documents said .
The screens can fail prematurely because the memory can wear out .
The same screens and processors were used in 159,000 2012 through 2018 Model S and 2016 to 2018 Model X vehicles built through early 2018 , the agency said .
Failures also cause loss of touch screen features such as infotainment , navigation and web browsing .
If the screens fail , heating and air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auto mode , and limits on battery charging current can be affected , according to the documents .
Failure doesn ’ t affect braking , steering , speed control or other control systems , NHTSA said .
Any failures are likely to happen after performance degrades progressively including frequent screen resets and intermittent loss of cellular connections , the agency said .
Investigators will determine how often the failures occur and the safety consequences .
Depending on the outcome , Tesla could be forced to recall the vehicles .


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--Film producer, wealthy heir, political donor Steve Bing dies

LOS ANGELES - Movie producer , film financier , real estate heir and major Democratic political donor Steve Bing has died .
He was 55 .
The Los Angeles County coroner said Bing died Monday at his residence in the Century City section of Los Angeles .
The coroner said Tuesday that the cause of death was suicide .
Without giving a name , the city Fire Department said it responded to a report of a 55-year-old man jumping from a building at the same time and place .
Bing produced the 2000 Sylvester Stallone film “ Get Carter ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2004 Tom Hanks animated film “ The Polar Express.
” He co-wrote the 2003 comedy “ Kangaroo Jack , ” a film starring Anthony Anderson and Jerry O ’ Connell that was savaged by critics but made nearly $ 90 million at the box office .
He was also a producer on director Martin Scorsese ’ s 2008 Rolling Stones documentary , “ Shine a Light , ” and a co-producer with Mick Jagger on a forthcoming documentary on Jerry Lee Lewis .
“ It ’ s so sad to hear of Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on Twitter .
“ He was such a kind and generous friend and supported so many good and just causes .
I will miss him very much.
” Bing was the son of Peter Bing , a doctor and philanthropist who specialized in public health , and the grandson of Leo Bing , a New York real estate developer who left him hundreds of millions of dollars that he inherited when he turned 18 .
In the 1980s , Steve Bing dropped out of his father ’ s alma mater , Stanford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donated $ 50 million , for a career in Hollywood .
He got early credits as a co-writer for the 1984 Chuck Norris Vietnam vet movie “ Missing in Action ” and its two sequels .
He wrote an episode of the sitcom “ Married… with Children ” and in 1994 wrote and directed his own small film starring Judd Nelson , “ Every Breath.
” Bing donated millions to the Democratic Party and its candidates , including Hillary Clinton , John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi , to various charities , and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I loved Steve Bing very much , ” President Bill Clinton tweeted .
“ He had a big heart , and he was willing to do anything he could for the people and causes he believed in .
I will miss him and his enthusiasm more than I can say , and I hope he ’ s finally found peace.
” Bing was an LA socialite who frequently dated famous women and was often seen on red carpets , at big-dollar benefits and courtside at Lakers games .
In his 30s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of high-profile lawsuits centring on his possible paternity of children that brought him media attention on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean .
A 2002 DNA test required by a British court showed that he was the father of the infant son of model and actress Elizabeth Hurley , whom he had dated .
The same year he sued movie mogul Kirk Krekorian , alleging Krekorian had hired a private detective to go through Bing ’ s trash to obtain DNA for another paternity test , this one to determine whether Bing was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krekorian ’ s then-wife , tennis player Lisa Bonder .
That lawsuit was settled out of court .
The two children , Damian Hurley and Kira Kerkorian , have been named in recent court fights over whether they will be heirs in the trust set up by Bing ’ s father .
Family members of Steve Bing could not be reached .


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--VIRUS DIARY: `Across the pond’ becomes an Atlantic chasm

The arch phrase describing the Atlantic Ocean has long been an inside joke for those who regularly hopscotched over its untamed expanse .
It implied that an ocean renowned for dashing helpless schooners upon jagged shores for centuries , swallowing the Titanic , leaving armies of fishermen ’ s widows and giving birth to devastating hurricanes every year was no issue to those with ties on both sides .
With the COVID-19 pandemic , the Atlantic is a real live ocean once again , a barrier thousands of miles wide for a journalist in London who has a mother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of relatives on the other side .
What I have been denying for years , aided by FaceTime and frequent flights to all parts of the United States , is now staring me in the face : I am too far away .
This realization has taken months .
In January , I was focused on Britain ’ s departure from the European Union .
In February , as Italy discovered its coronavirus outbreak , I was on a Caribbean family vacation .
I did not know those would be the last family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time we fully realized the danger , my husband was down in South Africa for a month-long hiking trip that was cancelled the day he arrived .
As borders closed , it took him a week to get home , then 14 days in quarantine .
Work-wise , it ’ s been all COVID-19 , all the time , so I know how lucky I am .
My mother has not died alone and untested in an Italian nursing home .
No grandchildren have hospitalized for a mystery inflammatory disease .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns threw millions out of work .
I can work from home , even if my husband grumbles about it .
But that ocean .
The list of life events missed across that damn ocean is mushrooming .
We could not help my stepdaughter in Chicago as her husband came down with COVID-19 just as our 5-month-old granddaughter stopped sleeping at night .
Then she herself became symptomatic .
We were eager to soothe a cranky baby , cook some meals , feel useful .
“ You are not coming home in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
I said she would live to be 100 .
But COVID-19 does not care if you are the sportiest 84-year-old in Rochester , N.Y .
I did not go to my first college reunion in 20 years or host a birthday party for Mom .
We did not babysit in Chicago to give the new parents an anniversary trip .
We did not take Amtrak across the country to visit Glacier National Park or host a rehearsal dinner for my stepson ’ s wedding in Montana .
The wedding was cancelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notification that he was married .
Now I stare out the window as my British neighbours chat , 8 feet apart , with relatives outside .
Or as their children , the same age as my grandson , colour the driveway with chalk .
I used to fly across that ocean five times a year and shrug off the jet lag .
Don ’ t tell British Airways , but I would pay millions now to get on that London to Denver flight , which soars over Greenland , Hudson Bay and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sunlight was so beautiful I shot 15 minutes of Greenland glacier video and sent it to our feature team .
If the stars aligned , I could work early in London , fly to Ottawa and be in upstate New York with mom for a late dinner .
What am I going to do now ?
A second possible coronavirus wave looms over any cross-Atlantic plans this fall : grandchildren ’ s birthdays , Thanksgiving , Christmas .
I have already rescheduled a flight home this summer twice , but the Canadian border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open .
So send me advice .
I ’ m all ears .
I would hate for Mom to be right on this one .
Virus Diary , an occasional feature , showcases the coronavirus pandemic through the eyes of Associated Press journalists around the world .
See previous entries here .
Follow AP Assistant Europe Editor Sheila Norman-Culp on Twitter at http : //twitter.com/snormanculp

Sheila Norman-Culp - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--IMF forecasts deeper Latin America recession in 2020

RIO DE JANEIRO - The International Monetary Fund is forecasting a nearly double-digit recession for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2020 – a contraction of 9.4 % – as the region is dragged down by its two largest economies , which continue to suffer from the coronavirus .
The updated outlook for the region , released Wednesday , is down sharply from the 5.2 % recession forecast in April , which already would have been the worst performance since at least 1980 , the first year in the IMF ’ s World Economic Outlook database .
The multilateral lending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin America , “ most countries are still struggling to contain infections.
” The new forecast includes a 10.5 % dive for Mexico , which has lost about a million jobs during the pandemic .
The country ’ s industrial activity plunged nearly 30 % in April compared to a year earlier amid its lockdown .
Prodded by the United States , Mexico reopened its automotive , mining and construction industries starting in June , but plans for a broader restart of the economy have been delayed due to the continued high rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicts a 9.1 % plunge for Brazil , which is Latin America ’ s biggest economy and most populous nation .
That would be the deepest single-year tumble since at least 1901 , when national accounts data from the government ’ s economics institute begin .
Brazil contracted 2 % in 1918 , the year of the Spanish flu pandemic , according to the institute .
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has argued that hardship inflicted by shutting down economic activity would ultimately be worse than that caused by the virus , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the second highest in the world .
Mayors and governors responsible for when and how to restart their economies mostly ignored Bolsonaro ’ s desire for a swift reopening .
Following extended restrictions , cities and states have begun gradually resuming activity .
In late April , Economy Minister Paulo Guedes was still projecting a V-shaped recovery and said Brazil was “ going to surprise the world.
” Brazil ’ s central bank said in the minutes to its most recent monetary policy meeting , released Tuesday , that data indicate economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Industrial production in that month fell 18.8 % from the prior month , including an 80 % decline in output of durable goods , according to data published June 3 .
From January to April , Brazil ’ s economy shed 763,000 formal jobs , a report by the federal government said May 27 .
Economists surveyed by Brazil ’ s central bank currently forecast a 6.5 % contraction this year .

David Biller And Mark Stevenson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--Israeli lawmakers grant Netanyahu tax exemptions on benefits

JERUSALEM - Israel ’ s parliament has approved a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for tax exemptions for official benefits that could exceed $ 150,000 .
Coming at a time when Israel is grappling with a major economic crisis due to the pandemic and Netanyahu standing trial on corruption charges , Tuesday ’ s decision came under heavy criticism from opposition lawmakers and media commentators .
Netanyahu and his family have long been accused by critics of living a lavish lifestyle at taxpayer expense , in stark contrast with many Israelis who struggle with the country ’ s high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and high taxes .
The Knesset Finance Committee — which is controlled by Netanyahu ’ s allies — approved his request Tuesday to grant retroactively tax exemptions on Netanyahu ’ s state-covered expenses from 2009-2017 .
These expenses , which include some of the costs of maintaining Netanyahu ’ s private house in the upscale coastal town of Caesaria , are usually treated as income under Israeli law .
Israeli opposition lawmakers blasted the committee for granting the tax rebates , both for the timing and the lack of transparency .
Micky Levy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said “ nobody knows exactly ” how much Netanyahu will receive .
He said it was “ over half a million shekels , ” or nearly $ 150,000 , but the committee had not received an exact list of the benefits that would be covered .
Levy called Netanyahu ’ s new government “ disconnected “ from the public .
“ There are 800,000 people unemployed outside , and he wants a tax exemption.
” In popular Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth , columnist Merav Betito wrote that Netanyahu “ bought himself his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Israel ’ s coronavirus lockdown has sent unemployment soaring to roughly 25 % and has caused many businesses to fail .
Israel ’ s roughly 9 million citizens have had over 20,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus , and over 300 deaths .
A month after restrictions were lifted , cases are again rising .
Israeli media reported that the rebates amounted to as much as 1 million shekels , or almost $ 300,000 , and included expenses for Netanyahu ’ s private home and official vehicle .
The Israel Tax Authority didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the breakdown of the expenses .
Moshe Gafni , the committee chair , defended the decision on Israel Radio Wednesday .
“ It ’ s a lot of money “ that the prime minister shouldn ’ t have to cover , he said .
” He rides in an armoured car , so he pays tax on it ?
This can not be.
” Netanyahu ’ s Likud party issued a statement saying the prime minister wasn ’ t asking for special treatment , adding that he pays taxes just like his predecessors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an oversight committee to allow an American real estate magnate to fund his legal defence .
While the request is not illegal , the optics of Netanyahu ’ s request have drawn criticism .
Netanyahu ’ s trial on charges of fraud , breach of trust and accepting bribes began last month after delays due to the pandemic .
He is accused of accepting lavish gifts from billionaire friends , and offering to beneficial legislation to Israeli media moguls in exchange for positive media coverage .
The long-serving prime minister has denied any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement of a witch hunt .


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--Final section of Confederate monument removed from Raleigh

RALEIGH , N.C. - Crews in North Carolina have finished removing the final pieces of a 75-foot-tall ( 23-meter-tall ) Confederate monument that sat near the grounds of the state capitol for 125 years .
The granite pillar that had supported a statue of a Confederate soldier was pulled from its base in Raleigh to cheers from a crowd of onlookers late Tuesday night , news outlets reported .
On Friday , protesters pulled down the statues of two Confederate soldiers that were secured on a lower part of the obelisk , before dragging the figures down the street and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a light post .
One day later , Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper ordered the rest of the monument to be removed , along with two other nearby Confederate memorials , citing public safety .
Crews worked for three days to disassemble the structure , bringing in cranes , towing straps and metal rods to dismantle it piece by piece .
Photos showed the stone base displaying the dedication “ To Our Confederate Dead ” being hoisted into the air , with the initials “ BLM , ” for Black Lives Matter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrawled across it .
Just the stone steps were left late Tuesday .
Kenny Lee , a Black man who grew up in North Carolina , was quoted by The News & Observer as saying that watching the monument come down was like “ witnessing a new history.
” “ Some would say that you ’ re erasing history and getting rid of history and so forth , ” he said .
“ But we ’ re just creating a new future.
“


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--IMF downgrades outlook for global economy in face of virus

WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund has sharply lowered its forecast for global growth this year because it envisions far more severe economic damage from the coronavirus than it did just two months ago .
The IMF predicts that the global economy will shrink 4.9 % this year , significantly worse than the 3 % drop it had estimated in its previous report in April .
It would be the worst annual contraction since immediately after World War II .
For the United States , the IMF predicts that the nation ’ s gross domestic product — the value of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States — will plummet 8 % this year , even more than its April estimate of a 5.9 % drop .
This , too , would be the worst such annual decline since the U.S. economy demobilized in the aftermath of World War II .
The IMF issued its bleaker forecasts Wednesday in an update to the World Economic Outlook it released in April .
The update is generally in line with other recent major forecasts .
Earlier this month , for example , the World Bank projected that the global economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The IMF noted that the pandemic was disproportionately hurting low-income households , “ imperiling the significant progress made in reducing extreme poverty in the world since 1990 .
”

Martin Crutsinger - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-24--Icons of 1960s civil rights movement voice cautious optimism

CINCINNATI - Bob Moses says America is at “ a lurching moment “ for racial change , potentially as transforming as the Civil War era and as the 1960s civil rights movement that he helped lead .
“ What we are experiencing now as a nation has only happened a couple times in our history , ” said Moses , a main organizer of the 1964 “ Freedom Summer ” project in Mississippi .
“ These are moments when the whole nation is lurching , and it ’ s not quite sure which way it ’ s going to lurch.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ active with The Algebra Project he founded , was among the many people , Black and white , who risked jail time , assaults and even assassination in the battles against racial segregation and for voting rights in the South .
Associated Press reporters asked some of the leaders their thoughts on the current protests across the country sparked by police slayings of Black men in Minneapolis and Atlanta .
“ We have kind of the perfect storm , ” said the Rev .
Jesse L. Jackson , a close aide to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition , an organization that fights for social change .
“ You ’ ve got COVID-19 , you ’ ve got ‘ Code Blue ’ — police brutality — you have poverty , and you have Trump.
” Studies show that Black people have suffered disproportionately from the coronavirus , the resulting economic downturn and at the hands of police , and polls show most are opposed to President Donald Trump , a Republican .
Jackson noted , though , it ’ s not just Black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They have been more massive , more rainbow and more global , ” said Jackson , 78 .
Bobby Seale , 83 , who co-founded the Black Panther Party with the late Huey Newton in 1966 , said he finds today ’ s demonstrations “ fantastic ” for drawing hundreds of thousands of people , far greater numbers that he could muster back in his day .
“ I love it , ” Seale said , laughing , from his Oakland home .
Andrew Young , a King lieutenant , marvels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the protests .
The former Democratic congressman , Atlanta mayor and United Nations ambassador recalled activists spending three months to organize for a 1963 Birmingham , Alabama , campaign in which King and other protesters were jailed .
He said only a fraction of the 500 demonstrators sought showed up .
“ Our mobilization was inconsequential , ” said Young , 88 , explaining that King ’ s letter from the jail and an economic boycott proved more powerful .
James Meredith , who turns 87 Thursday , has seen himself on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacy .
He said Monday from his home in Jackson , Mississippi , that it ’ s a sign from God that a young girl filmed George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of Minneapolis police .
Meredith says that kind of visual evidence calls attention to continued violence against Black people .
“ Every time it looks like it ’ s going to be over , the same thing that ’ s been happening now for 500 years , happens over and over , ” said Meredith , who became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of Mississippi in 1962 amid violent protests by white people .
He survived being shot by a white man in 1966 while on a “ march against fear.
” St. Louis activist Percy Green , who gained national attention in 1964 for scaling the Gateway Arch to protest the exclusion of Blacks from federal contracts and jobs as the Arch was being built , said the 1960s protests had clear goals .
“ This is reactive , though , ” said Green , an 84-year-old veteran civil rights activist .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So they are going to have to keep this up to get change.
” Green and Seale said activists should use the energy from the multiracial , multiethnic coalition growing in streets to register new voters for lasting political change .
Jackson suggested the demonstrators should broaden their focus beyond the need for police reforms .
“ Now my concern there is that the police issue is the epidermis , the skin layer of our crisis , ” Jackson said .
“ Racism is bone deep ; it ’ s not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with conspiracy and inciting a riot in the wake of the 198 Democratic National Convention in Chicago , said : “ They have to keep it peaceful .
I don ’ t believe in rioting.
“ Former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris , 89 , the last surviving member of the 1968 Kerner Commission , a panel that examined the urban riots of the time , said he ’ s “ as angry as these protesters ” because racism , inequality and poverty persists all these years later .
He warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m hopeful , though , “ Harris , who is white , said from his Corrales , New Mexico , home .
Jackson and Young are as well .
“ There ’ s going to be a new consensus emerging about how to maintain law and order in a civilized society , ” Young said .
“ I think we ’ re just starting .
I don ’ t think anybody has a notion of how big a change this is going to introduce.
” Moses remains cautious .
America has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallen back before .
The Civil War era ’ s emancipation and Reconstruction gave way to Jim Crow segregation in the South .
King ’ s nonviolence movement and racial progress slowed amid white backlash over the 1967 urban rioting and riots after King ’ s 1968 assassination .
But Moses also thinks the video of Floyd dying slowly under a white police officer ’ s knee is a searing image for the nation .
“ Until you can come up from under the pressure of the deep sea , you don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been in the deep sea , ’ “ he said from Hollywood , Florida .
“ Some Americans were shocked , it seems to me , to discover they had actually been swimming in this deep , deep sea and didn ’ t understand it.
” Contreras reported from Rio Rancho , New Mexico .
Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta and Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson , Mississippi , contributed .
Follow the writers at twitter.com/russcontreras , twitter.com/dansewell twitter.com/EWagsterPettus and https : //twitter.com/sudhinT .

Dan Sewell And Russell Contreras - The Associated Press