thetorontostar--2020-06-20--Restaurants can resume delivering to Navy submarine base

GROTON , Conn. - Sailors and workers at Connecticut ’ s Navy submarine base may relish a new step in relaxing coronavirus shutdowns : Starting Tuesday , local restaurants can deliver to the base again .
Connecticut ’ s measures to control the virus and “ current conditions both on and off the base allow for the welcome return of these services , ” base commander Capt .
Todd D. Moore said in a release .
Restaurants and local food delivery services haven ’ t had access to the base in Groton since March 27 .
Institutional-scale food deliveries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued , and a food truck and Subway sandwich shop on the base stayed open .
Workers and sailors also can pick up take-out food from restaurants and bring it back to the base , officially called Naval Submarine Base New London .
The virus has been blamed for 4,251 deaths in Connecticut as of Saturday , an increase of 13 from Friday , Gov .
Ned Lamont announced .
Hospitalizations continue to decline .
Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury reopened Saturday , with restrictions in place to combat the spread of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ park , told News 12 that most rides are open but that the park ’ s arcade is closed and indoor dining isn ’ t allowed , though outdoor dining is allowed .
Park visitors are required to wear a mask when entering .
A station that dumps gallons of water on children in the park ’ s water park has been turned off to prevent large groups from gathering in close quarters , Frantzis said .
Lake Compounce in Bristol is scheduled to reopen on July 1 for season pass-holders and July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yorkers are trading the Empire State for the Nutmeg State , according to data from the U.S .
Postal Service .
Heart Connecticut Media reported that nearly 10,000 New York City residents have requested an address change to Connecticut since March , when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold .
During the same period in 2019 , about 1,200 such requests were made .
More than 200,000 New York City residents have been sickened by COVID-19 and more than 17,000 have died .
Many of the New York transplants have relocated to lower Fairfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance to the city .
Nearly 5,000 address changes from New York occurred between March and early June this year in the county , compared to 765 during the same period in 2019 , according to the postal service data .


thetorontostar--2020-06-20--NC governor orders removal of Confederate statues in Raleigh

RALEIGH , N.C. - Crews on Saturday removed two Confederate statues outside the North Carolina state capitol in Raleigh on order of the governor , the morning after protesters toppled two nearby statues .
Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper , who has long advocated removing the statues , said in a news release that removing the statues was a public-safety imperative .
“ If the legislature had repealed their 2015 law that puts up legal roadblocks to removal we could have avoided the dangerous incidents of last night , ” Cooper said .
The statues removed Saturday include one statue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and another placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy honouring Henry Wyatt , the first North Carolinian killed in battle in the Civil War .
Both statues stood for over a century .
On Friday night , protesters pulled down two statues of two Confederate soldiers that were part of a larger obelisk .
Earlier in the evening police had thwarted a previous attempt to topple the figures .
But after the officers cleared the area , protesters mounted the obelisk and were able to take down the statues .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one was strung up by its neck from a light post .
Cooper said Saturday that the remaining parts of that memorial would be removed as well .
A 2015 law bars removal of the memorials without permission of a state historical commission .
But Cooper said the law creates an exception for public-safety emergencies , and he is acting under that provision .
On Saturday , Republican Lt. Gov .
Dan Forest issued a statement condemning the protesters ’ actions and blaming Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper .
“ North Carolinians should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred in downtown Raleigh once again last night , this time on the state capitol grounds .
While Gov .
Cooper shifted blame when our cities were looted and buildings were damaged , he has no excuses this time .
Last night ’ s destruction occurred on state property , right next to his office .
It is clear that Gov .
Cooper is either incapable of upholding law and order , or worse , encouraging this behaviour , ” Forest said .
Pamela Walker , spokeswoman for the state Department of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers were injured in the initial repulsion of protesters from the monuments Friday night .
“ After dark , the crowds grew and the situation escalated again when some individuals returned a second time to violently remove the statue .
In working to strategically balance the public ’ s safety and the safety of the officers , the chief determined it was best to not re-engage on the statue and as a result no one was seriously injured , ” Walker said .
Cooper , in his news release , said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belong in places of allegiance , and it ’ s past time that these painful memorials be moved in a legal , safe way.
” Numerous Confederate statues have been vandalized or torn down across the South in recent weeks following the death of George Floyd , a Black man who was killed after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into his neck for several minutes .

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada
Postal Code


thetorontostar--2020-06-20--Minnesota lawmakers fail to reach deal on revamping policing

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota legislative leaders traded barbs Saturday after a special session collapsed with no deal on revamping policing following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , a session that one group called “ a train wreck.
” The two sides may be back at it in another special session next month .
The Republican-controlled Senate adjourned just after 6 a.m. Saturday , after GOP Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka , of East Gull Lake , repeatedly said that Friday was his deadline for adjournment , and that lawmakers should focus on proposals both parties would support .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought we were actually going to do some things together , ” Gazelka said before adjourning .
He blamed “ behind the scenes arm-twisting ” from Democratic Gov .
Tim Walz for ending “ any hope of working together right now.
” House Speaker Melissa Hortman said majority Democrats in the Minnesota House are “ ready and willing to continue working to find agreement ” with Senate Republicans and Walz .
“ This moment in history calls upon us to deliver transformative policy to further racial justice .
There is nothing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and policy so that it values and protects the lives of Black , Indigenous , and people of colour in Minnesota , ” Hortman said in a statement .
Walz said Saturday he was disappointed with the special session ’ s failure and that his administration is planning its next steps .
He said he had just read a text from the family of a person who was killed in a police shooting and it was “ a primal scream for justice .
Just do something .
Just do the work.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of this .
This is an embarrassment for Minnesota , too , ” Walz told reporters .
Lt. Gov .
Peggy Flanagan , a founding member of the legislative People of Color and Indigenous caucus , which had developed the Democratic package , said members of Minnesota ’ s Black , Indigenous and people of colour communities continually get the message that “ our lives are not valuable , they are not worth investing in.
” “ Just being pushed aside , and saying that the issues that you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice — are just not important enough for us to stick around .
And that is heartbreaking to me , and unacceptable , and is frankly just an insult , ” said Flanagan , a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe .
The Democratic-controlled House early Friday passed an extensive package of police accountability measures wrapped into one bill .
It included elements of more modest policing bills that the Republican-controlled Senate passed earlier in the week , but with some additions that Republicans did not like .
Early Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their demands that Republicans opposed , including having the state attorney general prosecute all police-involved deaths and restoring voting rights for felons .
But they insisted that Republican senators needed to support other major pieces , including banning “ warrior-style ” training for police , allowing cities to impose residency requirements on officers and creating a state community-led public safety office , the Star Tribune reported .
The special session was necessary for Walz to extend emergency powers necessary to manage the coronavirus , but Floyd ’ s May 25 death after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes put the main focus on proposals to change policing in the state .
But the two parties proved far apart on how wide-ranging those changes would be .
The two parties also remained divided on the main unfinished business of the 2020 regular session , a public construction borrowing package known as a bonding bill , which could have included money for rebuilding neighbourhoods in Minneapolis and St. Paul where businesses were damaged and destroyed in the unrest that followed Floyd ’ s killing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ break that could have benefited businesses seeking to rebuild , and how to allocate federal coronavirus relief money to local governments from the $ 2.1 billion that the state received .
“ The special session was a train wreck , ” said Audrey Nelsen , president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and a Willmar City Council member .
“ Between the COVID-19 pandemic , economic downturn and recent civil unrest , Minnesotans need strong state leadership at the Legislature now more than ever .
Instead we got arbitrary deadlines , broken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ “ There is plenty of blame to go around for this disastrous special session .
The people of Minnesota deserve better.
” Lawmakers may return in mid-July .
If Walz seeks to extend his emergency powers an additional 30 days , he ’ s required to call another special session for July 12 to let lawmakers object .
House Democrats blocked a Senate GOP attempt last week to remove the governor ’ s emergency authority .


thetorontostar--2020-06-20--Judge: Bolton can publish book despite efforts to block it

WASHINGTON - Former national security adviser John Bolton can move forward in publishing his tell-all book , a federal judge ruled Saturday , despite efforts by the Trump administration to block the release because of concerns that classified information could be exposed .
The decision from U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth is a victory for Bolton in a court case that involved core First Amendment and national security issues , even as the White House pledged to keep pursuing the onetime top aide .
And the judge also made clear his concerns that Bolton had taken it upon himself to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a White House that says it was still reviewing it for classified information .
“ Defendant Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States .
He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil ( and potentially criminal ) liability , “ Lamberth wrote .
“ But these facts do not control the motion before the Court .
The government has failed to establish that an injunction will prevent irreparable harm.
” The White House signalled the legal fight would continue , saying it would try to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump tweeted that Bolton “ broke the law by releasing Classified Information ( in massive amounts ) .
He must pay a very big price for this , as others have before him .
This should never to happen again !
!
!
” In the meantime , though , the ruling clears the path for a broader election-year readership and distribution of a memoir , due out Tuesday , that paints an unflattering portrait of Trump ’ s foreign policy decision-making during the turbulent year and a half that Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lawyer , Chuck Cooper , applauded Lamberth for denying the government ’ s attempt to “ suppress ” the book .
Publisher Simon & Schuster said the decision “ vindicated the strong First Amendment protections against censorship and prior restraint of publication.
’ ’ While declining to halt the book ’ s release , Lamberth did suggest that Bolton may have left himself open to potential criminal prosecution by publishing classified information and that the government may prove successful in preventing Bolton from benefiting financially .
The White House indicated it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement that the government “ intends to hold Bolton to the further requirements of his agreements and to ensure that he receives no profits from his shameful decision to place his desire for money and attention ahead of his obligations to protect national security.
” “ Whatever he makes he ’ s going to be giving back , in my opinion , based on the ruling , “ Trump added before heading to a rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
Bolton ’ s team insisted that Bolton had spent months addressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Bolton had been assured in late April by the official he was working with that the manuscript no longer contained any such material .
Bolton ’ s lawyers said the Trump administration ’ s efforts to block the book were a pretext to censor him for an account that the White House found unfavourable .
The Justice Department sued this past week to block the book ’ s release and to demand that copies be retrieved .
Officials said the book contained classified information and submitted written statements from administration officials testifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolton had failed to complete a prepublication review process meant to prevent government officials from disclosing national security secrets in books .
The judge did not take issue with those concerns in his order .
But with more than 200,000 copies of the book already distributed to booksellers across the country , attempting to block its release would be futile , Lamberth wrote .
Major media organizations also obtained the book and published comprehensive accounts about it .
“ In taking it upon himself to publish his book without securing final approval from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have caused the country irreparable harm .
But in the Internet age , even a handful of copies in circulation could irrevocably destroy confidentiality , ” Lamberth wrote .
“ With hundreds of thousands of copies around the globe — many in newsrooms — the damage is done .
There is no restoring the status quo , “ the judge wrote .
Bolton ’ s book , “ The Room Where it Happened : A White House Memoir , ” depicts a president whose foreign policy objectives were inexorably linked to his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleaded ” with China ’ s Xi Jinping during a 2019 summit to help Trump ’ s reelection prospects .
Bolton writes that Trump linked the supply of military assistance to Ukraine to that country ’ s willingness to conduct investigations into Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter — allegations that were at the heart of an impeachment trial that ended with Trump ’ s acquittal by the Senate in February .
The monthslong classification review process for the manuscript took a complex path .
Bolton says he was told April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had worked for months on edits that the manuscript was now free of classified information .
But another White House official soon embarked on an additional review and identified material that he said was classified , prompting the administration to warn Bolton in writing against publication .
Bolton ’ s lawyers say the White House assertions of classified material were an attempt to censor him over a book the administration simply finds unflattering .
“ If the First Amendment stands for anything , it is that the Government does not have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mouth of a citizen attempting to speak on a matter of great public import , ” Bolton ’ s attorneys wrote in a court filing .
Trump on Thursday called the book a “ compilation of lies and made up stories ” intended to make him look bad .
He tweeted that Bolton was just trying to get even for being fired “ like the sick puppy he is !
” Even Democrats who pounced on some of Bolton ’ s anecdotes to condemn the president nonetheless expressed frustration that he had saved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the impeachment case .


thetorontostar--2020-06-20--Yemen separatists consolidate grip in area of UNESCO site

SANAA , Yemen - Yemeni separatists funded by the United Arab Emirates on Saturday took control of military and police camps in Yemen ’ s Socotra archipelago , a UNESCO World Heritage site , security officials said .
By day ’ s end the separatist militia had taken control of most of the remote province from forces of Yemen ’ s internationally recognized government .
The secessionist Southern Transitional Council also arrested several military personnel and civilians opposed to the presence of UAE-funded militias on Socotra , the officials said .
Those arrested included Brig .
Abdel-Rahman al-Zafrani , commander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they said .
No causalities were reported , said the four security officials , who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media .
The militias who are part of the Southern Transitional Council were the on-the-ground allies of the United Arab Emirates , once Saudi Arabia ’ s main coalition partner in the years-long war against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels .
The STC raises the flag of the former communist state in the south and has pushed to again split the country in two , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Socotra Gov .
Ramzi Mahrous condemned the separatist attacks in his province , saying from his home in Socotra that his forces would fight back .
He did not elaborate .
On Friday , separatists seized several state buildings , including the governor ’ s headquarters , as they pushed into the provincial capital Hadebo .
Fighting was fierce with forces of Yemen ’ s internationally recognized government , led by exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi .
The fighting in Socotra threatens to cause irreversible damage to the World Heritage site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , plant species , spices and marine life , many of which are found nowhere else .
The violence in Socotra comes after the separatists declared self-rule in Yemen ’ s south earlier this year and seized control of the city of Aden , a bid that sparked fears of fresh chaos in a country already embroiled in five years of conflict .
Last summer , the UAE announced it was ending its role in the conflict .
However , observers believe the Gulf country continues to be active through its proxies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a military base in Socotra , which enjoys a strategic location overlooking a vital international shipping lane .
It also awarded Emirati citizenship to hundreds of residents and has recruited scores of others to help consolidate its grip over the island , raising tensions with Hadi .


thetorontostar--2020-06-20--New political group tries to rescue Hickenlooper in primary

DENVER - In a sign of mounting concerns about John Hickenlooper ’ s standing in the Colorado Democratic Senate primary , a new political group is spending at least $ 1 million on a scathing attack ad against Hickenlooper ’ s rival in the race .
The ad slams former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff for spearheading a package of tough bills opposing illegal immigration in 2006 that the ad calls “ the nation ’ s toughest anti-immigrant laws.
” Romanoff has long since apologized for the measures .
Romanoff is the underdog in the June 30 primary , running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s choice , Hickenlooper , who has raised significantly more money .
The winner will face Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in November .
The new group , Let ’ s Turn Colorado Blue , formed on Tuesday , one day after Hickenlooper apologized for a 2014 quip comparing politicians to slaves being whipped to row “ an ancient slave ship.
” Let ’ s Turn Colorado Blue will not have to disclose its donors until after the primary .
The group ’ s existence was first reported by The Colorado Sun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a line of stumbles , including garbling the meaning of the phrase Black Lives Matter during recent protests against police violence and fighting a subpoena before being found to have violated the state ethics law while governor .
Privately , Colorado Democrats have been concerned about how Hickenlooper will perform in the primary .
Republicans are pulling for Romanoff , seeing him as an easier general election foe .
Both the Gardner campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee began to air ads against Hickenlooper last week , leading the Democratic Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defending the former governor .
On Friday , Gov .
Jared Polis , U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and other leading state Democrats condemned Romanoff for spending $ 175,000 to air an attack ad against Hickenlooper .
Hours later , the attack ad against Romanoff , which Let ’ s Turn Colorado Blue described as a seven-figure buy , began to circulate .
“ After defying a subpoena and dodging 21 debates , Hick is now hiding behind desperate , dark-money attacks , ” Romanoff said in a statement .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Coloradans deserve to know who ’ s paying your bills and calling the shots .
”

Nicholas Riccardi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-20--Top US diplomat calls UN rights body ‘a haven for dictators’

FRANKFURT - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the decision by the U.N. ’ s top human rights body to commission a report on policing and race amid international protests spurred by George Floyd ’ s death “ marks a new low ” and confirmed the Trump administration ’ s decision to withdraw from the Human Rights Council in 2018 .
The council agreed Friday in Geneva to commission a U.N. report on systemic racism and discrimination against Black people while stopping short of ordering a more intensive investigation singling out the United States .
Floyd , a handcuffed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air .
In response , Pompeo on Saturday described the Human Rights Council as “ a haven for dictators and the democracies that indulge them ” and said the council should focus its attention elsewhere .
“ If the Council were serious about protecting human rights , there are plenty of legitimate needs for its attention , such as the systemic racial disparities in places like Cuba , China , and Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday .
“ If the Council were serious about protecting human rights , there are plenty of legitimate needs for its attention , such as the systemic racial disparities in places like Cuba , China , and Iran , ” Pompeo said in a statement Saturday .
Floyd ’ s relatives , families of other victims of U.S. police violence and hundreds of advocacy groups urged the Human Rights Council to take up the issue .
A human rights group based in the U.S. , Human Rights First , countered Pompeo ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council appointed an independent expert to monitor human rights in that country .
The Iran monitor ’ s Jan. 28 report expressed concern about deaths of protesters in detention , executions of under-age defendants , forced confessions and discrimination against minorities and women .
The consensus resolution approved Friday followed days of grappling over language after African nations backed away from their initial push for a commission of inquiry , the council ’ s most intrusive form of scrutiny , that would focus more on the U.S .
Instead , the resolution mentions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls for a more generic report to be written by the U.N. human rights chief ’ s office and outside experts .
The aim is “ to contribute to accountability and redress for victims ” in the U.S. and beyond , the resolution states .


thetorontostar--2020-06-20--Florida sheriff decries hanging mannequin in police uniform

TALLAHASSEE , Fla. - Motorists saw a startling scene Saturday morning as they drove along a Florida interstate : a @ @ @ @ @ uniform dangling from a rope at an overpass .
Emergency crews in Jacksonville , Florida @ @ @ @ @ 6:20 a.m. to investigate a possible suicide .
But when they got there , they @ @ @ @ @ an Interstate 95 overpass wearing a pig mask and dressed in what appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ uniform .
In a statement on Twitter , Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams called the incident @ @ @ @ @ called it an attempt to stoke “ anti-police sentiment and drive a divide in our @ @ @ @ @ removed and authorities launched an investigation .
“ This type of act will not be @ @ @ @ @ our community , and we will work together to hold those responsible accountable , ” @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd in Minnesota has spawned protests across the country and put focus on @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Slovenia police find 22 migrants hidden in tanker trucks

LJUBLJANA , Slovenia - Police in Slovenia say they discovered 22 migrants hiding in two food-grade tanker trucks .
The @ @ @ @ @ trucks on Saturday at the border with Croatia , police said .
The trucks had @ @ @ @ @ police said the people inside the tanks could have suffocated .
They were from Bangladesh @ @ @ @ @ Syria , police said .
Officers first discovered 13 people in one truck at the @ @ @ @ @ to the same company , where they found nine more .
Thousands of migrants have @ @ @ @ @ while seeking ways to move toward Western Europe .
They often rely on people smugglers @ @ @ @ @ illegally .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Report: Yellowstone National Park supported 7K jobs in 2019

BOZEMAN , Mont .
- Tourist spending in and around Yellowstone National Park supported about 7,000 jobs in 2019 , according to a National Park Service report released this week .
The roughly 4 million people who visited the world ’ s first national park in 2019 spent $ 507 million dollars in towns within 60 miles of the park .
That doesn ’ t include Bozeman , which is about 80 miles from Yellowstone ’ s border , but does include gateway cities West Yellowstone and Gardiner .
“ The positive economic impacts of Yellowstone are essential to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Cam Sholly , Yellowstone superintendent , in the release .
“ It is important that we continue working with our state and local partners to balance the many benefits of tourism with our continued efforts to protect the world-class resources within the park.
” Lodging made up the largest slice of spending near Yellowstone in 2019 with $ 169 million spent on hotels and other accommodations , followed by $ 85.9 million spent on restaurants and $ 56.4 million spent on recreation , including outfitters and guides .
Nationally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 21 billion at businesses in communities near parks , according to the report .
That money helped support 340,500 jobs .
National spending near parks followed a pattern similar to spending near Yellowstone , with more money spent on lodging than anything else .
Hotels and other accommodations brought in $ 7.1 billion , followed by $ 4.2 billion spent at restaurants , $ 2.16 billion on fuel and $ 1.93 billion on retail spending nationally .
Yellowstone was closed on March 24 for seven weeks this spring in an attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wyoming entrances opened in mid-May and Montana entrances opened June 1 .
That closure at the beginning of the summer season was a hit to gateway businesses , but traffic at the park has been steady since its reopening .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Injuries at protests draw scrutiny to use of police weaponry

NEW YORK - In law enforcement , they ’ re referred to as “ nonlethal ” tools for dealing with demonstrations that turn unruly : rubber bullets , pepper spray , batons , flash-bangs .
But the now-familiar scenes of U.S. police officers in riot gear clashing with protesters at Lafayette Park across from the White House and in other cities have police critics charging that the weaponry too often escalates tensions and hurts innocent people .
“ When you see riot gear , it absolutely changes the mood , ” said Ron Moten , a longtime community organizer in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out demonstrating this weekend .
He said it takes away any perception the officers could be empathetic .
“ If I went up to speak with a police officer and I ’ m covered in armour and holding a shield and a stick , don ’ t you think they would regard me as a threat ?
” “ When we see riot gear , as black people it takes us back 400 years , “ he said .
Protesters in Denver arrived at the hospital with injuries from police projectiles that caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left three other people with permanent eye damage , said Prem Subramanian , a physician who operated on some victims following demonstrations late last month .
“ They weren ’ t accused of any crime , and they came in with devastating eye injuries , ” Subramanian said , adding that he was so upset about it that he complained to city officials , who promised to investigate any abuses .
“ We ’ re learning the consequences of using these weapons.
” He said the injuries rivaled what he saw treating shrapnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reed National Military Medical Center who were injured by explosives in Iraq and Afghanistan .
Rubber bullets and similar projectiles have damaged eyes or blinded at least 20 individuals from ages 16 to 59 , according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology , since protests began over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Other tactics were on display at Lafayette Park , where police used chemical agents to break up a peaceful protest minutes before President Donald Trump posed for pictures outside a nearby church this month .
In Buffalo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 75-year-old man to the ground before that officer and others marched past as blood collected beneath the man ’ s head .
Amnesty International has questioned whether equipping officers “ in a manner more appropriate for a battlefield may put them in the mindset that confrontation and conflict are inevitable.
” The growing use of less lethal weapons is “ cause for grave concern ” and may sometimes violate international law , said Agnes Callamard , director of Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University and a U.N. adviser .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weaponry is legitimate ” after courts called for law enforcement agents to be given equipment enabling them to respond proportionately when necessary .
In 1990 , the United Nations issued basic principles on their use .
Projectiles caused 53 deaths and 300 permanent disabilities among 1,984 serious injuries recorded by medical workers in over a dozen countries from 1990 to 2015 , said Rohini Haar , an emergency room doctor in Oakland , California , and primary author of the 2016 Physicians for Human Rights report assembled with civil rights groups .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of misuse , it seems almost impossible to use them correctly.
” Whether rubber , foam or bean bags , they exit guns with the force of a bullet and should not be used against protesters because they can maim and bounce or ricochet unpredictably , Haar said .
Police , private security forces and military units seek to cause pain or incapacitate individuals with more than 75 types of rubber or plastic bullets from manufacturers in countries including the U.S. , Brazil , China , Israel , South Africa and South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lethal in Disguise.
” Wade Carpenter , police chief in Park City , Utah , said the tools are necessary when peaceful rallies are “ hijacked by individuals that have come in with a nefarious purpose to create the riots , the looting , those type of things.
” Many police forces “ are very stringent on their training , ” said Carpenter , an official with the International Association of Chiefs of Police , which has 32,000 police official members in 167 countries .
“ They ’ re very accountable , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s kind of all over the board.
” Officers target lawbreakers who attack police with bricks or baseball bats , but sometimes less-than-lethal options are “ not perfectly accurate , so , that ’ s always a risk and those are calculated risks , ” Carpenter said .
It ’ s not just projectiles .
Chemical irritants , banned in warfare by international law since 1925 , are also criticized .
Chemical agents sometimes cause violent coughing , a worry during a pandemic .
A 2012 study of more than 6,700 U.S. Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemical agent more than doubled the chance of contracting an acute respiratory illness such as pneumonia .
Seattle ’ s mayor and police chief early this month banned tear gas for 30 days before a federal judge ordered the city to stop using pepper spray , flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets .
A Dallas judge made a similar ruling .
Acting on a federal lawsuit , a judge in Denver temporarily limited the use of projectiles and tear gas by the police , finding a strong likelihood that the police department violated constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police chief in Austin , Texas , said his department would no longer fire beanbag projectiles at crowds after two demonstrators were hospitalized after being hit in the head , including a 16-year-old boy .
In New York City , the nation ’ s largest police department has not used rubber bullets or tear gas during protests .
At a City Council hearing , police officials were pressed on whether officers should even be armed with batons after the city ’ s mayor promised “ minimum force.
” First Deputy Police Commissioner Benjamin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ batons , necessary to protect officers , “ are not window dressing.
” Carpenter , the Utah chief , said Floyd ’ s death left all officers feeling it “ tarnished all of their badges ” and do not relish the violence that ’ s come with some of the protests .
“ We live , many of us , in the communities we police , ” Carpenter said .
“ Unfortunately , there are instances like this that have happened that have really created a wedge between officers and the communities they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ashraf Khalil in Washington contributed to this report .

Larry Neumeister And Tom Hays - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Pakistani military: 2 soldiers killed in militant attack

PESHAWAR , Pakistan - Suspected militants ambushed a Pakistani army vehicle in a former Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold near the @ @ @ @ @ shootout that killed two soldiers , the army said Sunday .
It said two soldiers @ @ @ @ @ night ’ s attack near the border village of Ghariom in North Waziristan and that @ @ @ @ @ of the attackers in an ensuing exchange of fire .
the army provided no further @ @ @ @ @ later cleared a nearby militant compound in North Waziristan , a former tribal region that @ @ @ @ @ base until recent years when the Pakistani military said its successive operations there had cleared @ @ @ @ @ .
The latest attack came as authorities prepared to reopen a key border crossing with @ @ @ @ @ .
Trucks carrying fruits , vegetables and other items will start crossing the Ghulam Khan @ @ @ @ @ on Monday .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Trouble for Trump? Tulsa turnout harms his attempt to reboot his presidential campaign

WASHINGTON—In Tulsa , Oklahoma Saturday night , President Donald Trump dramatically lifted a glass to his lips with his right hand and took a sip .
The crowd in the half-empty BOK Centre went wild , with their loudest and most sustained applause to that point in his speech .
The president of the United States had demonstrated he was capable of operating a drinking glass .
A chant of “ Four !
More !
Years !
” rose up .
That this was a high point of the night was likely not good news for Trump .
The event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s campaign after an avalanche of bad news for him .
Returning to the live rally circuit was supposed to provide a boost of energy in the midst of two nation-defining crises , in a week when Trump ’ s polls numbers are down , coronavirus counts are back up ( especially in states that voted for Trump in 2016 ) , two major Supreme Court decisions went against Trump , and his former NSA chief John Bolton is releasing a book that claims Trump has always put politics over American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his behalf in the 2020 campaign .
“ And so it begins , ” he told the crowd in Oklahoma — promising the reset of a campaign for reelection in what his team had told supporters in an email would be “ our most EPIC rally ever.
” Yet the arena appeared to be only half-full .
The overflow area for an expected crowd of 40,000 outside was unnecessary , and an appearance by the president at an outdoor stage was cancelled at the last minute .
The speech was disjointed .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlight seemed indicative of the way things were going .
The water drinking capped a 15-minute rambling story ( making up more than 15 per cent of his total speaking time ) from Trump that was framed as a rebuttal to the media , which had shown footage of him slowly making his way down a ramp after a recent speech at West Point military academy , and where he had also appeared to have trouble raising a glass to his lips .
Social media had speculated he had an illness .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by sitting in the hot sun and saluting 600 times , and was wearing leather-soled shoes , and he reported telling a general he feared “ falling on my ass ” on a steep slippery ramp — a satisfaction he wouldn ’ t give the “ fake news.
” Also , you see , he ’ d been wearing a silk tie and didn ’ t want to spill water on it .
In addition to demonstrating he could drink water , he also performed his ramp-descending skills .
Few in the crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the arena and on the floor around the stage wore masks to protect from the coronavirus in a state and city where cases in recent days have spiked to record levels .
Public health officials had said they feared the rally could be a “ super-spreader ” event .
Trump mocked the media ’ s reports of fears about the spread of coronavirus at the event , and also mocked the various names for the disease , specifically calling it “ Kung Flu , ” a term one of his spokespeople had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be heard in the White House .
What ’ s more , Trump said he had done something his fiercest critics had accused him of — holding back the number of tests to suppress case numbers that made him look bad .
“ When you do testing to that extent , you ’ re going to find more people , you ’ re going to find more cases .
So I said to my people , ‘ slow the testing down , please.
’ ” Still , Trump claimed to have “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down travel from China in February , and claimed the economy was coming back from coronavirus .
A good chunk of the rest of Trump ’ s speech dealt with the other major crisis underway in America , where hundreds of thousands of protesters have been calling for racial justice and an end to police brutality .
Trump did not mention the name of George Floyd , whose death sparked the protests , and did not focus on police reform or racism , instead spending much time defending police as “ incredible ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and arsonists , and bragging about the militarized response he brought to Washington , D.C .
He suggested in promising to protect the second amendment — the right to bear arms — that the protesters were one reason : “ When you see those lunatics all over the streets , it ’ s damn nice to have arms.
” He repeatedly accused protestors and Democrats of wanting to “ demolish our heritage ” in reference to pulling down statues of Confederate civil war leaders and efforts to rename military bases named after Confederate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech , he suggested making flag-burning punishable by one year imprisonment , and attacked familiar targets such as the “ fake news , ” congressional democrats , and Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden who he called “ a puppet of the radical left ” , said his election would put arsonists in charge of Americans ’ retirement savings and mean Iran “ would own the United States.
” The campaign blamed disruptive protesters for scaring away potential attendees to the rally , and Trump himself , in his speech , repeatedly spoke of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Tulsa before the rally , but reporters from multiple outlets who were on the scene all day reported only small crowds of protesters mostly kept far from the Trump crowd , and creating little if any disturbance .
If it was supposed to be a reset for Trump it fell well short .
It was not only underwhelming in its turnout , but devoid of a new approach in response to recent events .
His response to the protest movement has been unpopular , but rather than shifting tone or substance he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wagering a lot on an economic comeback he predicts in the next few months , one he said would convince people they “ don ’ t have the guts to vote against Donald Trump.
” If instead the coronavirus makes a comeback , it is hard to know what he ’ ll offer beyond familiar attack lines that play to the anger and resentment of a specific audience of his strongest supporters .
What polls seem to show in recent weeks is that the number and intensity of those supporters is flagging , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empty seats in an arena he ’ d proudly predicted he could and would overfill .
He told the crowd the “ silent majority ” was ready to sweep him to reelection , but if they exist they were absent as well as silent .
Strangely in the time of social distancing and self-isolation , this campaign may be defined by crowd scenes — those in the streets protesting , continuing to draw massive numbers and displaying strong emotion ( sometimes angry but often determined and hopeful ) calling for change .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his response promising more of the same .
Tulsa was supposed to launch a Trump comeback .
But it left the perception of his support as an impenetrable juggernaut much like the underwhelming crowd : unmasked .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--U.N.: Afghan healthcare personnel were deliberately attacked

KABUL - The United Nations on Sunday released a special report expressing concerns over what it called recent “ deliberate attacks ” against healthcare workers and facilities in Afghanistan during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan , or UNAMA , said it documented 12 incidents of deliberate acts of violence between March 11 to May 23 .
The report said eight of the incidents were carried out by Taliban insurgents while three incidents were attributed to Afghan security forces .
The most horrific attack , on a maternity ward last month at a Kabul hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ At a time when an urgent humanitarian response was required to protect every life in Afghanistan , both the Taliban and Afghan national security forces carried out deliberate acts of violence that undermined healthcare operations , ” said Deborah Lyons , the Secretary-General ’ s Special Representative for Afghanistan , and head of UNAMA .
“ There is no excuse for such actions ; the safety and well-being of the civilian population must be a priority.
” Afghanistan has 28,833 confirmed coronavirus cases with 581 deaths .
Though international aid organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country say the numbers are much higher because of a lack of access and testing capabilities .
Following the attack on the Kabul maternity hospital , Doctors Without Borders decided last week to end its operations in Kabul .
The international charity , also known by its French acronym MSF , said it would keep its other programs in Afghanistan running , but did not go into details .
The attack at the maternity hospital set off an hours-long shootout with Afghan police and also left more than a dozen people wounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mostly Shiite neighbourhood , was the Geneva-based group ’ s only project in the Afghan capital .
The Taliban promptly denied involvement in the May 12 attack , whose victims included two infants , nurses and several young mothers .
The United States said it bore all the hallmarks of the Islamic State group ’ s affiliate in Afghanistan and that the attack targeted the country ’ s minority Shiites in a neighbourhood of Kabul that IS militants have repeatedly attacked in the past .
The U.N. report emphasized that deliberate acts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals and related personnel , are prohibited under international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes .
“ Perpetrating targeted attacks on healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic , a time when health resources are already stretched and of critical importance to the civilian population , is particularly reprehensible , ” said Fiona Frazer , UNAMA Chief of Human Rights .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--1 man dead, 11 people wounded in Minneapolis shooting

MINNEAPOLIS - One man is dead and 11 people suffered non-life-threatening wounds in a shooting in Minneapolis , police there said early Sunday .
Minneapolis police had first said 10 people had been shot with “ various severity levels of injuries , ” but revised their total upward in a tweet posted just after 3 a.m .
The man died at the hospital , not at the scene , according to the police daily media briefing sheet .
No one was in custody in connection with the shooting as of 4 a.m. , according to a police release that said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot ” started shooting around 12:30 a.m. and later fled the scene .
An initial tweet from Minneapolis police advised the public to avoid the area in Uptown Minneapolis , a commercial district that includes several bars and restaurants .
Minnesota began allowing bars and restaurants to reopen with limited service on June 1 after some six weeks of closure because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Photographs posted to social media showed windows at the Landmark ’ s Uptown Theatre and another storefront shot out .
Screams were audible on a live video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the scene .
Small crowds of people gathered , with some crouched over victims lying on the pavement before police officers on bicycles showed up to attend to them .
Splatters of blood on the pavement were visible in the video after the victims were taken to local hospitals — some via ambulance and others in private vehicles , according to the police release .
The area is about 3 miles ( 5 kilometres ) west of the Minneapolis commercial area and neighbourhood hit by rioting in the wake of George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested by Minneapolis police .
Floyd ’ s death has sparked a move to overhaul the Minneapolis Police Department , with a majority of City Council members pledging support for dismantling a department that many community activists have called brutal and racist .
That ’ s prompted pushback from opponents who question how citizens will be protected from violent crime .
Even the most aggressive proponents for change have acknowledged it ’ s many months away and they ’ re not sure what it will look like .
The injured were all adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim ’ s identity will be released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ’ s Office .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Zeev Sternhell, dovish Israeli expert on fascism, dies at 85

JERUSALEM - Zeev Sternhell , a prominent Israeli academic and expert in the study of fascism who issued dire warnings about the state of Israeli democracy , died Sunday .
He was 85 .
Sternhell , a Holocaust survivor and an acclaimed professor of political science at Hebrew University , was an internationally recognized expert and author of several books on fascism and ultra-nationalism .
A longtime peace activist , Sternhall was an outspoken critic of Israel ’ s policies toward the Palestinians and an opponent to Israel ’ s settler movement .
In 2008 , he was awarded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite the petitions of Jewish West Bank settlers to deny him the honour .
The same year , a U.S.-born religious nationalist , Jack Teitel , targeted him for his dovish positions and Sternhall was wounded by a pipe bomb placed outside his Jerusalem home .
An Israeli court handed Teitel to two life sentences in 2013 for the murder of two Palestinians and the attempted murder of several others , including Sternhell .
In the wake of the attack , Sternhell increasingly warned about the dangers posed to Israeli democracy .
Sternhell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if this act was not committed by a deranged person but by someone who represents a political view , then this is the beginning of the disintegration of democracy.
” Sternhell was born in Przemysl , Poland , in 1935 .
His father , a soldier in the Polish Army , was killed in World War II .
His mother and sister were murdered by the Nazis .
He survived under an assumed , Catholic identity living with relatives .
He immigrated to Israel in 1951 and served as an officer in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Following Israel ’ s 2014 war with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip , Sternhell told the Haaretz newspaper — for which he was a regular columnist — that “ Israeli democracy has become increasingly eroded , until it reached a new nadir in the current war .
The indicators ( of fascism ) you asked about definitely exist here.
” Hebrew University President Asher Cohen said that Sternhall ’ s “ innovative research changed the way our scientific community perceives of ideological movements , in general , and radical movements , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest man , one who tirelessly pursued peace and justice , ” he added .
Sternhall is survived by his wife , two daughters and several grandchildren .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Officials: 5 hurt in early morning shooting in Texas capital

AUSTIN , Texas - At least five people were wounded in an early morning shooting in Texas ’ capital , @ @ @ @ @ adults with “ serious , potentially life threatening injuries ” were taken to local hospitals @ @ @ @ @ the organization said in a tweet .
The shooting took place around 3 a.m. in @ @ @ @ @ Austin , according to tweets from EMS and Austin police .
Further information wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s unclear whether anyone was taken into custody .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--China may enact Hong Kong security law at end of June

BEIJING - China ’ s top lawmaking body has announced a three-day session for the end of this month , a move that raises the possibility of the enactment of a national security law for Hong Kong that has stirred debate and fears in the semi-autonomous territory .
The official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday that the Standing Committee of the National People ’ s Congress would meet from June 28 to 30 in Beijing .
The brief report did not mention the Hong Kong security law among several possible discussion items , but it could still be on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China released some details of the legislation late Saturday , heightening fears that the central government is tightening its grip on Hong Kong after months of anti-government protests last year .
Under the draft , the central government would set up a national security office in Hong Kong that would collect and analyze intelligence and deal with criminal cases related to national security .
Hong Kong police and courts would maintain jurisdiction over cases , but the law would allow an exception for Chinese authorities to exercise jurisdiction over “ a tiny number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ according to a Xinhua report .
It did not provide any details on what those circumstances might be .
The stationing of Chinese security officials in Hong Kong and their involvement in law enforcement would arguably be the most significant erosion to date of Hong Kong ’ s autonomy in local affairs under the “ one country , two systems ” principle that has guided the city since Britain returned the former colony to China in 1997 .
The draft says the new security law would prevail if local Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
It would require the Hong Kong government to create a national security commission supervised by the central government .
Beijing would also appoint a national security adviser for the city .
The timing of the upcoming legislative session is unusual , coming just one week after a three-day meeting that ended Saturday , and suggests that China may be aiming to pass the law ahead of a July 1 holiday that marks Hong Kong ’ s return to China .
The Standing Committee of the National People ’ s Congress typically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , anti-government protesters smashed their way into the locked Hong Kong legislative complex on the anniversary , spray painting slogans on the walls and damaging the electronic voting system .
The months of protests , in which Chinese flags were trampled on and the Chinese emblem on its Hong Kong office defaced , prompted the central government ’ s decision to enact the law .
Hong Kong ’ s leader , Carrie Lam , called the draft law “ a significant initiative ... at a critical moment “ to ensure the long-term prosperity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people .
The law will criminalize four acts : secession , subversion of state power , terrorist activities and colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security .
“ It will only target an extremely small minority of people who have breached the law “ on those offences , Lam said in a statement Saturday night , adding that “ the life and property , basic rights and freedoms of the overwhelming majority of Hong Kong residents will be protected.
” There had been speculation that the law would be enacted at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead only partial details of the legislation were released .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Police: 9 shot, wounded at Syracuse, New York, ‘celebration’

SYRACUSE , N.Y. - Nine people were shot at a Saturday night “ celebration “ in central New York , authorities said .
Of the nine victims , one was a 17-year-old boy in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head and eight others — ranging in age from 18 to 53 — were expected to survive , a release from Syracuse police said .
No one was immediately taken into custody , and Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner emphasized that the investigation was in its early stages in an appearance at a press conference alongside Syracuse Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the scene just before 9 p.m. for reports of a stolen car , but responding officers were met with by people who said shots had been fired into the crowd of a “ few hundred , ” Buckner said .
The police chief said his officers didn ’ t hear the gunshots .
The event was “ some kind of celebration “ that was centralized in a parking lot near downtown Syracuse , Buckner said , adding that there were multiple locations in the area where shots were possibly fired .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Walsh said he believed .
“ We wouldn ’ t issue approvals for a gathering of this size , ” the mayor said .
No additional information on the nature of the celebration was immediately available .
The scene was safe with no lingering threat to the public , Buckner said .
Agencies from around the region had helped respond to the scene , Walsh said .
A “ self-transport ” to the hospital was involved in a vehicular accident with a police officer near the scene , the police chief said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identities of the victims was immediately released .
It was too early to tell whether the victims were connected , Buckner said .
“ Our city is a very resilient city .
We ’ ve taken a lot of licks over our history , and this will certainly be one we remember , but we ’ re trying to figure out who ’ s responsible for this so that we can hold those individuals accountable , ” the police chief said .
Answering a reporter ’ s question at the press conference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which went off in the distance , visible over the police chief and mayor ’ s shoulders — and gun crime were “ plaguing ” cities across the U.S. “ This is our city , and we ’ re going to do everything we can to protect it , “ the mayor said .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Indian fire kills Pakistani girl, wounds family in Kashmir

MUZAFFARABAD , Pakistan - Indian troops backed by artillery and long-range guns fired on villages along the border in the Pakistani-administered side of the Kashmir region , killing a 13-year-old-girl and wounding her mother and brother , local officials and Pakistan ’ s military said Sunday .
In a statement , the military blamed the Indian army for initiating Saturday night ’ s “ unprovoked ceasefire violation ” in the villages of Hajipir and Bedori .
It said Pakistani troops “ effectively responded ” to the Indian fire , without elaborating .
Mortars fired by Indian troops also damaged several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and government officials .
In neighbouring India , the local police blamed Pakistani troops for initiating the fire , saying Pakistani mortar shelling wounded five Indian civilians on their side of Kashmir , which is divided between the two countries and claimed by both in its entirety .
Pakistan and India often trade fire in the disputed Himalayan region , with both blaming the other side for initiating the fire .
The latest incident comes days after Indian fire killed four villagers in Pakistani-administered Kashmir .
Tensions have soared between Pakistan and India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Hindu nationalist-led government revoked Muslim-majority Kashmir ’ s decades-old semi-autonomous status , touching off anger in Indian-controlled Kashmir and in Pakistan .
Pakistan wants the changes reversed .
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir since gaining independence from British rule in 1947 .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--China, Korea report new infections; Trump wants less testing

BEIJING - China and South Korea reported new coronavirus cases Sunday in outbreaks that threatened to set back their recovery , while President Donald Trump said he told his government to reduce U.S. testing to avoid unflattering statistics showing rising infections .
Chinese authorities reported 25 new confirmed cases — 22 in Beijing and three in neighbouring Hebei province .
It said 2.3 million people have been tested in an effort to contain the outbreak in the capital that led to the closure of its biggest wholesale food market .
In South Korea , authorities reported 48 new cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ten were in the central city of Daejong , suggesting the virus was spreading more widely as anti-disease measures are relaxed .
The head of the World Health Organization warned Friday the virus ’ s global spread was accelerating after a daily high of 150,000 new cases was reported the previous day .
The new coronavirus has killed more than 454,000 people and infected more than 8.5 million , according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The true number is thought to be much higher because many cases go untested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Saturday he has told his administration to slow down virus testing .
He said the United States has tested 25 million people , but the “ bad part ” is that found more cases .
“ When you do testing to that extent , you ’ re going to find more people , you ’ re going to find more cases , ” Trump said in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
“ So I said to my people , ‘ Slow the testing down , please.
’ “ The campaign of his likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , former Vice-President Joe Biden , accused Trump in a statement of “ putting politics ahead of the safety and economic well-being of the American people.
” Some governments including Spain , Britain and France are relaxing controls and reviving business activity .
But case numbers are rising in South Africa , Brazil , the United States and some other countries .
Brazil ’ s Health Ministry said Saturday the total number of cases had risen by more than 50,000 from the previous day .
President Jair Bolsonaro is downplaying the risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
South Africa reported a one-day high of 4,966 new cases on Saturday and 46 deaths .
Despite the increase , President Cyril Ramaphosa this week announced a further loosening of one of the world ’ s strictest lockdowns .
Casinos , beauty salons and sit-down restaurant service will be allowed to reopen .
In the United States , the state of Arizona reported 3,109 new infections , just short of Friday ’ s record , and 26 deaths .
The state of Nevada also reported a new high of 445 cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States , according to Johns Hopkins .
China , where the outbreak began in December , and South Korea , the second country to report a spike in infections , had eased controls on travel and business as new cases fell .
They have reimposed monitoring and some other restrictions following their recent jump in infections .
The Beijing health commission gave no details of where the latest cases might have originated .
The Chinese capital ’ s biggest wholesale food market was closed June 13 after dozens of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency in charge of the Ming Tombs , a tourist site northwest of Beijing , said indoor areas will be closed as a safety precaution .
Visitors are allowed in outdoor areas but are required to wear masks and be checked for fever .
In South Korea , nearly 200 infections have been traced to employees at a door-to-door sales company in Seoul , which mostly hired people over 60 , according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
At least 70 infections have been linked to a table tennis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus at a church .
South Korean officials are reluctant to enforce stronger social-distancing to avoid hurting the fragile economy .
In Middle East , the Palestinian Authority reimposed restrictions in the West Bank after 86 people tested positive on Saturday .
Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced access to the city of Hebron was suspended and residents put under a five-day curfew .
Another city , Nablus , is to be isolated for two days .
In Europe , Germany reported 687 new cases , its highest one-day toll in a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than comparable large European nations .
Spain dropped a 14-day quarantine requirement for British visitors effective Sunday .
British travellers provide a big part of Spain ’ s tourism sector that has been especially hard-hit .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s government says it will announce next week whether Britain will ease social distancing rules that say people should remain 2 metres ( 6 1/2 feet ) apart .
Business groups are lobbying for the distance to be cut to 1 metre ( 3 feet ) to make it easier to restart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s highest and the world ’ s third-highest official death toll at more than 42,500 .
Kim reported from Seoul , South Korea .
AP journalists around the world contributed to this report .

Joe McDonald And Kim Tong-Hyung - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Ruling populists set to win Serbia vote amid virus concerns

BELGRADE , Serbia - Serbia ’ s ruling populists are set to tighten their hold on power in a Sunday parliamentary election held amid concerns over the spread of the coronavirus in the Balkan country and a partial boycott by the opposition .
Nearly 6.6 million voters are eligible to cast ballots for the 250-member parliament and local authorities .
The election — initially planned in April but postponed because of the pandemic — comes as Serbia still reports dozens of new cases daily after completely relaxing the lockdown rules .
President Aleksandar Vucic ’ s Serbian Progressive Party appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little challenge from the divided opposition .
Opponents say this is because Vucic has dominated the campaign on the mainstream media which he controls , clamping down on his critics .
He has denied this .
Citing lack of free and fair conditions and danger to public health , several main opposition groups are boycotting the vote .
A number of smaller parties have decided to run , saying the boycott would only sideline an already marginalized opposition .
Health authorities have provided face masks , gloves and sanitizers at the polling stations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but they ’ re not mandatory .
A former extreme nationalist , Vucic briefly served as information minister in the government of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic during the 1990s wars in the Balkans .
While he now says he seeks European Union entry for Serbia , critics warn democratic freedoms have eroded since his Progressives came to power in 2012 .
The president has called on his supporters to vote in large numbers in order to get a strong mandate for internationally mediated peace negotiations on the future of Serbia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S.-brokered Kosovo-Serbia summit is set in Washington on June 27 , while EU officials have announced plans to restart Brussels-mediated negotiations .
Serbia has refused to recognize Western-backed independence of Kosovo but has relied on Russia and China for the support in the dispute .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Indonesia’s most volatile volcano spews ash in new eruption

YOGYAKARTA , Indonesia - Indonesia ’ s most volatile volcano on Sunday spewed ash and hot gas in a massive column as high as 6 kilometres ( 3.7 miles ) into the sky .
Mount Merapi ’ s clouds of ash , accompanied by a rumbling sound heard kilometres ( miles ) away , blanketed several villages on the main island of Java .
Indonesia ’ s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center did not raise Merapi ’ s alert status , which already was at the third-highest level since it began erupting last August .
Villagers living on Merapi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay 3 kilometres ( 1.8 miles ) from the crater ’ s mouth and should be aware of the peril of lava , the agency said .
The 2,968-meter ( 9,737-foot ) mountain is the most active of 500 Indonesian volcanoes .
It has rumbled and generated dark hot clouds since last year .
Its last major eruption in 2010 killed 353 people .
Indonesia , an archipelago of 270 million people , is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because it sits along the Pacific “ Ring of Fire , ” a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ocean .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Trump supporters, protesters face off outside Oklahoma rally

TULSA , Okla. - President Donald Trump ’ s supporters faced off with protesters shouting “ Black Lives Matter “ Saturday in Tulsa as the president took the stage for his first campaign rally in months amid public health concerns about the coronavirus and fears that the event could lead to violence in the wake of killings of Black people by police .
Hundreds of demonstrators flooded the city ’ s downtown streets and blocked traffic at times , but police reported just a handful of arrests .
Many of the marchers chanted , and some occasionally got into shouting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them and yelled , “ All lives matter.
” Later in the evening , a group of armed men began following the protesters .
When the protesters blocked an intersection , a man wearing a Trump shirt got out of a truck and spattered them with pepper spray .
When demonstrators approached a National Guard bus that got separated from its caravan , Tulsa police officers fired pepper balls to push back the crowd , said Tulsa police spokesperson Capt .
Richard Meulenberg .
Officers soon left the area as it cleared .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ BOK Center for what was believed to be the largest indoor event in the country since restrictions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus began in March .
Many of the president ’ s supporters weren ’ t wearing masks , despite the recommendation of public health officials .
Some had been camped near the venue since early in the week .
Turnout at the rally was lower than the campaign predicted , with a large swath of standing room on the stadium floor and empty seats in the balconies .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally outside of the stadium within a perimeter of tall metal barriers , but that event was abruptly cancelled .
Trump campaign officials said protesters prevented the president ’ s supporters from entering the stadium .
Three Associated Press journalists reporting in Tulsa for several hours leading up to the president ’ s speaking did not see protesters block entry to the area where the rally was held .
While Trump spoke onstage , protesters carried a papier-mache representation of him with a pig snout .
Some in the multiracial group wore Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armbands , and many covered their mouths and noses with masks .
At one point , several people stopped to dance to gospel singer Kirk Franklin ’ s song “ Revolution.
” The protesters blocked traffic in at least one intersection .
Some Black leaders in Tulsa had said they were worried the visit could lead to violence .
It came amid protests over racial injustice and policing across the U.S. and in a city that has a long history of racial tension .
Officials had said they expected some 100,000 people downtown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live television was seen sitting cross-legged on the ground in peaceful protest when officers pulled her away by the arms and later put her in handcuffs .
She said her name was Sheila Buck and that she was from Tulsa .
Police said in a news release the officers tried for several minutes to talk Buck into leaving and that she was taken into custody for obstruction after the Trump campaign asked police to remove her from the area .
Buck was wearing a T-shirt that said “ I Can ’ t Breathe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , whose death has inspired a global push for racial justice .
She said she had a ticket to the Trump rally and was told she was being arrested for trespassing .
She said she was not part of any organized group .
Several blocks away from the BOK Center was a festival-like atmosphere , with food vendors serving hot dogs and cold drinks and sidewalks lined with people selling various Trump regalia .
There was also an undercurrent of tension near the entrance to the secured area , where Trump supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses boarded up their windows as well to avoid any potential damage .
Kieran Mullen , 60 , a college professor from Norman , Oklahoma , held a sign that read “ Black Lives Matter ” and “ Dump Trump.
” “ I just thought it was important for people to see there are Oklahomans that have a different point of view , ” Mullen said of his state , which overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016 .
Brian Bernard , 54 , a retired information technology worker from Baton Rouge , Louisiana , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took a break from riding his bicycle around downtown .
Next to him was a woman selling Trump T-shirts and hats , flying a “ Keep America Great Again ” flag .
Her shirt said , “ Impeach this , ” with an image of Trump extending his middle fingers .
“ Since the media won ’ t do it , it ’ s up to us to show our support , ” said Bernard , who drove nine hours to Tulsa for his second Trump rally .
Bernard said he wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event and doesn ’ t believe it ’ s “ anything worse than the flu.
” Across the street , armed , uniformed highway patrol troopers milled about a staging area in a bank parking lot with dozens of uniformed National Guard troops .
Tulsa has seen cases of COVID-19 spike in the past week , and the local health department director asked that the rally be postponed .
But Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt said it would be safe .
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday denied a request that everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and few in the crowd outside Saturday were wearing them .
The Trump campaign said six staff members helping prepare for the event tested positive for COVID-19 .
They were following “ quarantine procedures ” and wouldn ’ t attend the rally , said Tim Murtaugh , the campaign ’ s communications director .
Inside the barriers , the campaign was handing out masks and said hand sanitizer also would be distributed and that participants would undergo a temperature check .
But there was no requirement that participants use the masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gloves and blue gowns were checking the temperatures of those entering the rally area .
Those who entered the secured area were given disposable masks , which most people wore as they went through the temperature check .
Some took them off after the check .
The rally originally was planned for Friday , but was moved after complaints that it coincided with Juneteenth , which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. , and in a city that was the site of a 1921 race-related massacre , when a white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many as 300 people dead .
Stitt joined Vice-President Mike Pence for a meeting Saturday with Black leaders from Tulsa ’ s Greenwood District , the area once known as “ Black Wall Street ” where the 1921 attack occurred .
Stitt initially invited Trump to tour the area , but said , “ We talked to the African American community and they said it would not be a good idea , so we asked the president not to do that.
“ Associated Press reporters Ellen Knickmeyer in Tulsa , Ken Miller in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas and Grant Schulte in Omaha , Nebraska , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--LA Sheriff’s Department examines cameras in shooting probe

GARDENA , Calif. - The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department said Saturday that it is examining footage from security cameras that might have recorded the fatal shooting of a young man after deputies spotted him with a gun and he ran .
Capt .
Kent Wegener , the head of the department ’ s Homicide Bureau , said in a news conference that investigators have taken six or seven exterior cameras from the scene of Thursday ’ s shooting in which 18-year-old Andres Guardado was killed by a deputy .
The killing in an alley among businesses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting by Los Angeles County deputies this week .
Thursday ’ s shooting took place after deputies spotted Guardado with a gun in front of a business in the 400 block of Redondo Beach Boulevard near Gardena .
Wegener said Guardado ran from the deputies after he saw them .
The deputies saw that Guardado had a gun , he said .
The shooting took place in the back of the building , Wegener said .
Guardado was shot in the torso , he said , adding that the medical examiner will perform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to have been pieced together from different parts , and it did not have a serial number , Wegener said .
Investigators do not believe Guardado fired his gun , he said .
Guardado was too young to work as a state-licensed security guard at the business , Wegener said .
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the shooting underscores why the department needs to get body cameras for all of its uniformed deputies as soon as possible .
The department is currently soliciting bids for a company to provide the cameras .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same address on a report that a man had been shot in the driveway , Wegener said .
The man survived the shooting , and deputies found narcotics and a shotgun in the building .
On Friday , more than 25 people gathered by a small memorial of flowers , candles and posters at the scene where 18-year-old Andres Guardado was shot .
His sister , Jennifer Guardado , 22 , held a white rose and a sign with his photograph .
“ My parents are completely destroyed .
We ’ re all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I didn ’ t even get to say goodbye to him , and it hurt me too much.
” His sister said she wanted to meet the deputy who shot Guardado and see video footage of what happened .
“ They ’ re not going to kill an innocent person and get away with it , ” she said .
“ There will be justice in this world.
” Noe Abarca said Guardado , 18 , was his nephew and worked two part-time security jobs , lived with his parents in Koreatown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This kid here , he was such a sweetheart , ” she said .
“ I will not stand by and let this go on.
” Abarca said his nephew was studying to be a mechanic and had recently told family members that he was considering joining the Army .
Guardado graduated from high school about a year ago , Abarca said , and he recently purchased a car .
He didn ’ t drink or smoke , and supported his parents , he said .
“ He was a great kid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smiling , ” Abarca said .
“ How many kids do we have like him ?
Not many.
” Guardado attended Los Angeles Trade-Technical College , according to the Los Angeles Community College District , which called his death a tragedy .
On Wednesday , the half-brother of a Black man recently found hanged in a Southern California park was fatally shot when he opened fire on Los Angeles County major crimes bureau deputies in the Mojave Desert community of Rosamond , authorities said .
The deputies were trying to arrest Terron J.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he beat his girlfriend and held her captive for nearly a week .
Boone was the half-brother of Robert Fuller , 24 , who was found hanging from a tree last week in Palmdale .
Initial findings that it was likely a suicide led to protests and calls for an independent investigation .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Trump suggests US slow virus testing to avoid bad statistics

TULSA , Okla. - President Donald Trump said Saturday he ’ s asked his administration to slow down coronavirus testing because robust testing turns up too many cases of COVID-19 .
Trump told supporters at his campaign rally that the U.S. has tested 25 million people , far more than any other country .
The “ bad part , ” Trump said , is that widespread testing leads to logging more cases of the virus .
“ When you do testing to that extent , you ’ re going to find more people , you ’ re going to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ So I said to my people , ‘ Slow the testing down , please.
’ They test and they test.
” The campaign of likely Democratic presidential rival , Joe Biden , said Trump was putting politics ahead of the safety and health of Americans .
Trump opted to hold his first rally in 110 days despite concerns from local health officials that it could lead to further spread of the virus in Tulsa .
Most of those in attendance declined to wear a mask .
“ In an outrageous moment that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s debacle of a rally , President Trump just admitted that he ’ s putting politics ahead of the safety and economic well-being of the American people — even as we just recorded the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in almost two months and 20 million workers remain out of work , “ according to the Biden campaign ’ s statement .
The outbreak has killed about 120,000 people in the U.S. , and nearly a half-million worldwide , according to a count by Johns Hopkins University , though the real numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of newly confirmed cases per day has risen from about 21,400 two weeks ago to 23,200 , according to an Associated Press analysis .
And in Florida , Georgia , Texas and Arizona — states that loosened their stay-at-home restrictions early — daily deaths have been quietly rising since early June .
“ This virus has killed nearly 120,000 Americans and cost tens of millions their jobs , in large part because this president could not and would not mobilize testing as quickly as we needed it , “ according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him say tonight that he has ordered testing slowed — a transparent attempt to make the numbers look better — is appalling.
” Rising case numbers can partially be explained by the wider availability of testing .
Mild cases , previously undetected because of limits on who could be tested , are now showing up in the numbers .


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Under Trump, ‘You’re fired!’ even greets federal prosecutors

NEW YORK - Former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara had a snickering response to news that his successor as top federal prosecutor was “ stepping down ” from the job .
“ Doesn ’ t sound like ‘ stepping down , ’ ” Bharara tweeted soon after the announcement was made Friday night that Geoffrey S. Berman was out .
He would know .
The Southern District of New York , an office older than the Justice Department itself , has long prided itself on the talent of its prosecutors , the import of its cases and an independence from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ Sovereign District.
” But that hasn ’ t spared officials from being fired by Washington , as both Bharara and Berman have learned in 3 1/2 years .
The top prosecutors there have enjoyed an outsize celebrity status , including Rudy Giuliani ( later mayor of New York ) , James Comey ( later FBI director ) Mary Jo White ( later head of the Securities and Exchange Commission ) and Bharara himself , who was on the cover of Time magazine before becoming a popular presence on Twitter and legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a president get rid of his own hand-picked US Attorney in SDNY on a Friday night , less than 5 months before the election ?
” Bharara wrote in a follow-up tweet that reflected the mystery hitting the office again now .
Nobody would know better what Berman was going through than Bharara , who was told he could stay in his job in a late 2016 meeting with Donald Trump at Trump Tower only to be told to quit the post weeks after Trump ’ s inauguration along with other prosecutors appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to quit , only to be fired the next day .
It was a road map for Berman , who three years later defiantly issued a statement of his own that openly mocked the Justice Department ’ s announcement .
“ I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was ‘ stepping down ’ as United States Attorney .
I have not resigned , and have no intention of resigning , “ he announced in a statement shortly after 11 p.m. Friday .
He showed up for work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing his job .
He explained he was appointed by Manhattan federal judges and wouldn ’ t budge until a successor was confirmed by Congress .
“ Our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption , ” he promised .
Barr waited until midafternoon Saturday to respond in a way that mimicked what happened to Bharara .
“ Unfortunately , with your statement of last night , you have chosen public spectacle over public service , ” Barr wrote a day after meeting Berman in Manhattan and offering him other jobs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have no intention of resigning , I have asked the President to remove you as of today , and he has done so.
” By dinnertime , Berman had said he would leave his job , saying in light of Barr ’ s decision to “ respect the normal operation of law ” and ask the deputy U.S. attorney to step in , he ’ d go immediately .
Since Berman was appointed in early January 2018 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions , his job security has always seemed precarious .
A few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointed him permanently because Trump never formally nominated him .
Although he was recused from the prosecution of Trump ’ s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen , he proceeded with other probes surely drawing interest from the president , including an insider trading prosecution of the first member of Congress to endorse Trump in 2016 and probes of Trump ’ s inaugural fundraising and efforts abroad on the president ’ s behalf by Giuliani .
“ The most surprising thing is that he ’ s held on as long as he has , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manhattan federal prosecutor who recently represented California lawyer Michael Avenatti in his recent fraud trial defence .
She said prosecutors were naturally anxious after the Justice Department statement saying he ’ d stepped down was released .
“ It was immediately clear to anyone who knows anything about this world that he had not decided to step down , that he had been shown the door , ” she said .
“ Everyone was watching and waiting for his response and were so gratified that he hit back hard in the finest traditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not so fast , we ’ re going to keep doing the good work that we do and you ’ re going to have to actually follow the specific law here.
’ ” The Southern District of New York is known for drawing top talent that has targeted Wall Street executives , suspected terrorists and prominent government officials .
Its work has even been fictionalized on the popular Showtime series “ Billions.
” “ It ’ s a young , aggressive , hardworking group of lawyers who know they ’ re not there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Michael Bromwich , an alumnus of the office and former Justice Department inspector general .
“ They ’ re not fat , happy and contented .
They ’ re eager to do the work that they came there to do .
And they ’ re ambitious.
” In his 2018 memoir , Comey described receiving a call at home one month after the Sept. 11 attacks with an offer to become the U.S. attorney .
As he broke the news to his wife , he wrote , her eyes welled up and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t say no.
” In fact , he said yes , and went on to oversee one of the most headline-making prosecutions of its time — a false statements case against famous homemaker Martha Stewart .
The office ’ s alumni in Washington regularly meet up for casual gatherings , departing prosecutors are roasted in raucous , private gatherings , and hundreds gathered for a gala affair in 2014 in Manhattan .
In a testament to the office ’ s prestige , Bromwich recalled a speech that Giuliani delivered to prosecutors in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following a stint as associate attorney general , the No .
3 position in the Justice Department .
With a knowing look in his eye , Bromwich said , Giuliani boasted : “ This is not just any U.S. attorney ’ s office .
This is the U.S. attorney ’ s office for the Southern District of New York , and I view this as a promotion — not a demotion .
”

Larry Neumeister And Eric Tucker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Earthquake strikes northern Oklahoma after Tulsa Trump rally

PERRY , Okla. - A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook northern Oklahoma on Saturday and was felt in parts of Tulsa @ @ @ @ @ ’ s downtown streets after President Donald Trump ’ s campaign rally .
The U.S. @ @ @ @ @ at 10:15 p.m. near Perry , roughly 80 miles west of Tulsa .
The National @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter that its staff felt the tremor in its Tulsa office , and the @ @ @ @ @ after Trump ’ s appearance .
It was the largest recorded earthquake in Oklahoma since @ @ @ @ @ May 2019 .
Thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in Oklahoma in recent years , @ @ @ @ @ underground injection of wastewater from oil and gas production .
Regulators have directed producers to @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-21--Trump fired her boss. Now she is taking cases that incensed White House

NEW YORK—One Friday afternoon in August 2018 , lawyers for President Donald Trump ’ s longtime fixer , Michael Cohen , made a final bid for leniency to federal prosecutors in Manhattan .
He was facing charges including that he paid hush money on Trump ’ s behalf to an adult film star during the 2016 campaign .
Audrey Strauss , one of two senior prosecutors in the room , listened silently to the pitch , smiling at the lawyers but letting others do the talking , people familiar with the meeting said .
Over the next few days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the momentous decision to proceed against Cohen , a move that infuriated the White House .
Now , Strauss , a 72-year-old former defence lawyer known for her understated style , has been forced into the spotlight , taking over as the acting U.S. attorney in the storied prosecutor ’ s office , which continues to find itself in the president ’ s cross hairs .
She will lead politically sensitive investigations into people in Trump ’ s orbit in the run-up to a hotly contested election , and her decisions will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with dizzying speed .
In the span of 24 chaotic hours this weekend , Trump and his attorney general , William Barr , had tried to oust her boss , Geoffrey M. Berman , and replace him with one of Barr ’ s allies .
When Berman initially refused to step down , the plan fell apart .
Trump ended up firing Berman on Saturday , leaving Strauss — Berman ’ s top deputy — to emerge from the wreckage as the office ’ s new leader .
In that role , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have upset the president , including the inquiry into whether Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ s lawyer , broke lobbying laws in his dealings in Ukraine .
During the last two years as a top supervisor in the Southern District of New York , Strauss has become known for taking a more cautious approach than some of her predecessors when weighing charging decisions , former colleagues said .
She spent three decades as a defence lawyer facing off against prosecutors in white-collar cases , they said , and she is highly attuned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her cool-headed approach — distilling arguments , weighing the evidence and then ruling decisively — was evident in discussions over the Cohen case and is typical for Strauss , according to lawyers who have worked with her for decades .
Longtime friends say Strauss , a registered Democrat , is unlikely to be influenced by political motives .
“ She is totally non-political in her decision-making process , ” said Jed S. Rakoff , a federal judge in Manhattan who worked with Strauss in the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firms .
“ I ’ ve never met anyone who is more immune to the passions of the moment , ” said Rakoff , who officiated the wedding of Strauss ’ son .
Strauss becomes the second woman to lead the Southern District in the office ’ s 230-year history after Mary Jo White , who led the office from 1993 to 2002 .
“ She masters the facts of everything she ever does , ” White said of Strauss .
“ She figures out how everything fits into the picture , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows everything she can possibly know.
” Barr had announced that the president intended to nominate Jay Clayton , the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission , as Berman ’ s permanent replacement .
But Strauss is likely to remain the acting U.S. attorney until at least the election .
The Senate goes out of session in August and is unlikely to hold a nomination hearing for any permanent replacement before November .
Barr had initially announced in a news release Friday night that Craig Carpenito , the U.S. attorney in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Southern District .
But the decision caused an uproar .
Berman refused to step down until Saturday , when Strauss was named instead as his temporary replacement .
When Berman took over as U.S. attorney in 2018 , he brought Strauss out of retirement to become his senior counsel and later his deputy .
She had worked as a Southern District prosecutor from 1976 to 1983 , trying more than 20 cases and rising to chief of criminal appeals and , later , the securities fraud unit .
Strauss and Berman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three decades .
They worked together in the late 1980s on the independent counsel ’ s investigation into the Iran-Contra scandal .
“ She is the smartest , most principled and effective lawyer with whom I have ever had the privilege of working , ” Berman said in a statement Saturday when he announced he would leave the office .
Strauss ’ husband , John “ Rusty ” Wing , a prominent white-collar defence lawyer , is a registered Republican , according to the most recent records from the New York State Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously worked as Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s press secretary , is married to a senior aide to Cuomo .
Campaign finance records show that Strauss is a longtime donor to Democratic candidates , including Hillary Clinton ’ s presidential campaign in 2007 and Barack Obama ’ s reelection campaign in 2012 .
She contributed in 2006 to Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign .
Strauss and her husband have donated to several non-profit organizations , including after-school programs for underprivileged teenagers and a housing provider for homeless families .
She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legal Aid Society , which represents poor defendants , and of the Innocence Project , a group that works to free wrongfully convicted prisoners .
“ There ’ s nothing good about this whole unhappy episode , but you couldn ’ t find anybody with more integrity , more smarts and more adult judgment than Audrey , ” said Barry Scheck , a founder of the Innocence Project .
“ She is really widely admired by everyone.
” Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , praised Strauss , saying she was “ widely viewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputy U.S. attorney with the knowledge and experience to hit the ground running.
” On Friday , Graham , chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , had signalled that he would allow New York ’ s Democratic senators to block Trump ’ s first choice , Clayton , to replace Berman .
Lisa Zornberg , a former chief of the Southern District ’ s criminal division , said Strauss was an inspiration to younger lawyers , particularly women .
Strauss once invited the office ’ s female prosecutors to her home in Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once been owned by one of the first female physicians in the borough .
“ She ’ s a person of vast intellect and experience from every angle as a lawyer , ” Zornberg said .
Strauss was born and raised in Philadelphia with an older brother , who retired from NASA , having been a doctor for astronauts , according to people who know her .
Her parents were the children of Russian immigrants — a shoe salesman and a stay-at-home mother — and they died when she was young .
Family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of their family ; they remain close to this day .
She has been a New Yorker since age 16 , when she came to the city to enrol at Barnard College .
She and Wing raised their daughter and son in Brooklyn Heights .
After receiving her bachelor ’ s degree from Barnard , she went on to get a degree from Columbia Law School in 1971 , at a time when women were largely excluded from big law firms .
She spent more than two decades at law firm Fried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacobson , where she led the white-collar criminal defence group .
Before returning to government in 2018 , Strauss served as the chief legal officer for aluminum producer Alcoa Corp. “ She ’ s really tough , ” said Elkan Abramowitz , who supervised Strauss when she was a prosecutor in the 1970s .
“ She ’ s a very straight , serious person , and totally incorruptible and honest.
” Strauss has supervised sensitive cases from which Berman had been recused , including an ongoing investigation into Stephen Calk , a Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser to Trump ’ s campaign .
Calk was indicted in the Southern District last year after he was accused of giving millions of dollars in high-risk loans to Paul Manafort , Trump ’ s former campaign chairman , in an effort to obtain a senior position in the administration .
Calk has pleaded not guilty , and his trial is scheduled to begin in September .
Strauss was the one who signed the indictment against Calk .

Benjamin Weiser - The New York Times,Nicole Hong,Ben Protess