thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Tropical Storm Beta meandering toward Texas, Louisiana

OKLAHOMA CITY - Tropical Storm Beta on Sunday was making a slow crawl to the shores of Texas and Louisiana , casting worries about heavy rain , flooding and storm surge across the Gulf Coast .
Beta was one of three named storms whirling in the Atlantic basin during an exceptionally busy hurricane season .
If the system makes landfall in Texas — which forecasters predict it will sometime Monday — it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020 .
Colorado State hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said that would tie a record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing for Beta over the weekend , with both the city of Galveston and Galveston County on Saturday issuing voluntary evacuation orders .
The city of Seabrook to the north of Galveston did , too .
Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown said in a statement that high tides and up to 10 inches ( 25 centimetres ) of expected rainfall would leave roads impassable , especially along the city ’ s west end and low-lying areas .
County Judge Mark Henry said during a Saturday news conference that his concern is also based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that a mandatory evacuation is not expected .
“ If you can survive in your home for three or four days without power and electricity , which we ’ re not even sure that ’ s going to happen , you ’ re OK , ” Henry said .
“ If it ’ s uncomfortable or you need life support equipment , maybe go somewhere else.
” Beta was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico , 200 miles ( 320 kilometres ) southeast of Galveston , Texas , the U.S. National Hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had maximum sustained winds at 60 mph ( 95 kph ) and was moving west-northwest at 3 mph ( 6 kph ) .
Little change in strength was expected as the system approaches Texas , forecasters said .
Earlier predictions showed Beta could reach hurricane strength before making landfall .
A tropical storm warning was in effect from Port Aransas , Texas , to Morgan City , Louisiana .
A hurricane watch , a tropical storm watch and a storm surge watch were all discontinued Sunday morning .
In Lake Charles , Louisiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power more than three weeks after Hurricane Laura slammed into the coast , there are concerns that Beta could super-soak the region once again .
Up to 20 inches of rain ( 51 centimetres ) is possible in some parts of the area , Donald Jones , a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Lake Charles , said in a Saturday briefing .
“ A lot of people have been saying , ‘ Is this going to be like Harvey ?
Is this going to be like Imelda ?
’ “ Jones said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about rainfall totals yet that are on the orders of magnitude that we saw with that.
” Imelda , which struck southeast Texas in 2019 , was one of the wettest cyclones on record .
Harvey — which dumped more than 50 inches ( 127 centimetres ) of rain on Houston in 2017 .
However , if the storm ends up moving a bit slower than what ’ s being forecast now , rainfall totals could be even higher than 20 inches , Jones said .
“ Harvey was a very specific and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the same idea in terms of very heavy , heavy rainfall , “ he said .
Forecasters were predicting up to 4 feet ( 1.2 metres ) of storm surge from Port Aransas , Texas , to Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge , Louisiana .
Strong winds , and life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were also expected with the storm .
Forecasters ran out of traditional storm names on Friday , forcing the use of the Greek alphabet for only the second time since the 1950s .
Meanwhile , Hurricane Teddy remained a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winds at 105 mph ( 165 kph ) and moving west-northwest at 12 mph ( 19 kph ) .
Teddy was centred 320 miles ( 515 kilometres ) south-southeast of Bermuda less than a week after Hurricane Paulette made landfall in the wealthy British territory .
A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda .
Large swells from Teddy were impacting the Lesser Antilles , the Greater Antilles , the Bahamas , Bermuda , the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada , forecasters said .
Tropical Storm Wilfred was still at sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parts of the Alabama coast and Florida Panhandle were still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sally , which roared ashore on Wednesday .
At least two deaths were blamed on the system .
Roughly 82,300 were still without power in the Florida Panhandle on Saturday .
Gulf Power said 95 % of its customers in hardest hit Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will have power restored by the end of the day Tuesday .
Meanwhile , residents in Springfield were warned to avoid contact with standing water after 5,000 gallons ( about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Lake Martin , according to county health officials .
The Salvation Army was distributing roughly 10,000 meals Saturday at 10 locations throughout the Panhandle .
AP reporters Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale , Florida , and Jeff Martin in Marietta , Georgia , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-20--A rapper, an elevator and an elephant: stories Ginsburg told

WASHINGTON - In recent years Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was surprised to find herself so popular that “ everyone wants to take a picture with me.
” The justice , who died Friday at 87 , had become a feminist icon , with books , movies , clothing and even coloring books devoted to her .
People wanted to give her awards .
They wanted to hear her talk .
Ginsburg was invited to speak so often that inevitably she was asked the same questions and delivered the same punch lines , always , it seemed , to a delighted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg liked to tell groups : WHAT SHE HAD IN COMMON WITH A RAPPER Ginsburg came to be known as “ The Notorious RBG , ” a play on the name of the rapper ” The Notorious B.I.G.
“ Ginsburg liked to note they had one important thing in common .
Both were born and bred in Brooklyn , New York .
WHEN ASKED FOR HER ADVICE Ginsburg often dispensed a piece of wisdom her mother-in-law gave her on her wedding day .
The secret to a happy marriage is this : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaf.
” Ginsburg said it was excellent advice in dealing with her colleagues on the court , too .
Ginsburg ’ s son James was what she called a “ lively child , “ and she would often get calls from his New York City school about his latest caper .
Ginsburg finally told the school : “ This child has two parents .
Please alternate calls.
” It was Ginsburg ’ s husband ’ s turn , she said .
So Ginsburg ’ s husband went to the school and was told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” taking a group of kindergartners for a ride .
But “ after the elevator incident , the calls came barely once a semester , ” Ginsburg noted , and not because James was any better behaved .
“ They were much more reluctant to take a man away from his work than a woman , “ Ginsburg liked to explain .
Ginsburg often noted that she had “ three strikes ” against her in trying to get a job when she graduated from Columbia ’ s law school in 1959 , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She was Jewish .
She was a wife .
And she was a mother .
“ Getting the first job was hard for women of my vintage , ” she ’ d say .
“ But once you got the first job you did it at least as well as the men and so the next step was not as hard.
” Ginsburg also liked to note something Justice Sandra Day O ’ Connor would say : “ Sandra said , ‘ Where would the two of us be if there had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today we ’ d be retired partners from a large law firm.
” ON HER FRIENDSHIP WITH ANTONIN SCALIA The genuine friendship between the liberal Ginsburg and conservative Justice Antonin Scalia , who died in 2016 , puzzled many audiences .
Ginsburg explained : “ The number one reason why I loved Justice Scalia so is he made me laugh.
” The two shared a love of opera .
And they were close enough that their families spent New Year ’ s together .
Scalia would sometimes call to point out grammar errors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ginsburg , for her part , would sometimes tell him : “ This opinion is so overheated , you ’ d be more persuasive if you tone it down.
” She liked to say : “ He never listened to that.
” Ginsburg often described a famous picture of the two of them riding an elephant together in India , the heavyset Scalia in front and diminutive Ginsburg in the rear .
Ginsburg ’ s feminist friends were horrified .
Why was she in the back ?
Weight distribution , she explained .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who died the day before Ginsburg gradated high school , never attended college but worked as a bookkeeper .
Ginsburg would sometimes ask audiences : “ What ’ s the difference between a bookkeeper in New York ’ s Garment District and a U.S. Supreme Court justice ?
“ Her answer : ” One generation.
” When asked how she might change the Constitution if given the opportunity , Ginsburg liked to point to the effort in the 1970s to pass the Equal Rights Amendment , which fell three states short of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still a good idea .
“ I have three granddaughters , ” Ginsburg liked to say .
“ And I ’ d like to be able to take out my pocket Constitution and say that the equal citizenship stature of men and women is a fundamental tenet of our society.
” Ginsburg , the second female justice , was sometimes asked when there would be enough women on the Supreme Court .
Her response : “ When there are nine.
” She ’ d explain : “ Some people are taken aback until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s history there were only men on the high court bench .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Iran dismisses US efforts at UN sanctions as currency drops

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran dismissed U.S. efforts to restore all U.N. sanctions on the country as mounting economic pressure from Washington pushed the local currency down to its lowest level ever on Sunday .
Iran ’ s currency dropped to 272,500 to the U.S. dollar at money exchange shops across Tehran .
The rial has lost more than 30 % of its value to the dollar since June as sweeping U.S. sanctions on Iran continue to crush its ability to sell oil globally .
Iran ’ s currency was at 32,000 rials to the dollar at the time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world powers , which was signed by the Obama administration but which the Trump administration pulled the U.S. from .
As the currency plummeted , Iran ’ s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh slammed the Trump administration ’ s declaration Saturday that all U.N. sanctions against Iran have been reimposed because Tehran is not complying with the nuclear deal .
“ Tehran ’ s message to Washington is clear : return to the international community , return to your commitments and stop bullying so the international community will accept you , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected as illegal by most of the rest of the world and sets the stage for an ugly showdown at the world body ahead of its annual General Assembly this week .
Even before the U.S. declaration , other Security Council members had vowed to ignore it .
They say the U.S. lost legal standing to invoke snapback sanctions when President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and began reimposing U.S. sanctions on Iran .
France , Germany and Britain issued a joint statement Sunday reiterating that they contest the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s bid to activate the “ snapback ” sanctions mechanism because the United States withdrew from the nuclear accord .
The statement said “ it follows that any decision or action taken on the basis of this procedure ... are without effect in law.
” The three countries stressed they remain determined to preserve the nuclear deal with Iran .
The Iranian government spokesman said the snapback sanctions have only happened in “ the fantastical world ” of the Trump administration .
He said the U.S. stands on the wrong side of history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone believe it , but nobody is buying it except for themselves , ” Khatibzadeh said during his weekly press briefing on Sunday .
“ It is a television show whose sole presenter , viewers and those cheering it on are Mr. Pompeo himself and a handful of others , ” the spokesman said , referring to the U.S. secretary of state .
The White House plans to issue an executive order on Monday spelling out how the U.S. will enforce the restored sanctions , and the State and Treasury departments are expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be penalized for violations .
Tensions are running high between Iran and the U.S. , particularly since a U.S. strike in January killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad , prompting Tehran to retaliate with a ballistic missile strike on Iraqi bases housing American troops .
Associated Press correspondent Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Witnesses: Afghan government airstrikes kill 24 civilians

KABUL - Government airstrikes in the north of Afghanistan killed 24 civilians , including children , and wounded six others , witnesses told The Associated Press on Sunday .
The two witnesses contacted by the AP said that most of those killed in Saturday ’ s airstrikes , which struck the village of Sayed Ramazan in northern Kunduz province , were civilians .
The Khanabad district in the province where the village is located is Taliban controlled .
The Afghan Defence Ministry , however , said the airstrikes killed 30 Taliban fighters , but added an investigation was being held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed .
The airstrikes come as Taliban and government-appointed negotiators are meeting for the first time in Qatar to discuss the future of Afghanistan and an end to decades of war and conflict .
Villagers said an initial airstrike targeted a house belonging to a Taliban fighter , whose home doubled as a check post that stops and frisks people to ensure they are not connected to the government .
The explosion set fire to a nearby home , trapping a family inside , said Latif Rahmani who witnessed the airstrikes .
Speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said farmers and villagers ran to douse the fire and rescue trapped family members inside when a second airstrike hit , killing many of them .
Rahmani , who said he was working on his house at the time of the airstrike , warned his neighbours against running toward the burning buildings for fear of a second airstrike .
“ I yelled at people and told them not to go because maybe there would be another bombing , but they ran to help and to put out the fire , ” Rahmani said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kalamuddin , who like many Afghans uses just one name , said the lone Taliban fighter living in the house that was initially hit had been killed .
He said five children were among the 24 civilians that had been killed .
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the airstrikes and said the Taliban had no military operations in the area at the time of the airstrike .
The United Nations has harshly criticized both sides in the conflict for the relentless killing of civilians in Afghanistan ’ s protracted war .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a U.S. brokered deal with the Taliban that will eventually lead to U.S. withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan .
In early July , Afghan national army personnel fired mortars into a busy market in southern Helmand , killing 23 people .
The Defence Ministry is still investigating the incident .
Also Saturday , at least six rockets were fired at NATO ’ s Resolute Support base in southern Kandahar .
No casualties were reported and no one claimed responsibility .
NATO said in a statement that if the Taliban were behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. peace deal in which the Taliban have promised not to attack U.S. and NATO forces .


thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Trump backs proposed deal to keep TikTok operating in US

NEW YORK - President Donald Trump said Saturday he ’ s given his “ blessing ” to a proposed deal that would see the popular video-sharing app TikTok partner with Oracle and Walmart and form a U.S. company .
Trump has targeted Chinese-owned TikTok for national security and data privacy concerns in the latest flashpoint in the rising tensions between Washington and Beijing .
The president ’ s support for a deal comes just a day after the Commerce Department announced restrictions that if put in place could eventually make it nearly impossible for TikTok ’ s legions of younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said if completed the deal would create a new company likely to be based in Texas .
“ I have given the deal my blessing , ” he said .
“ If they get it done , that ’ s great .
If they don ’ t , that ’ s OK too.
” Trump said the new company will be hiring at least 25,000 people and making a $ 5 billion contribution to a fund dedicated to education for Americans .
“ That ’ s their contribution that I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TikTok said Oracle and Walmart could acquire up to a cumulative 20 % stake in the new company in a financing round to be held before an initial public offering of stock , which Walmart said could happen within the next year .
Oracle ’ s stake would be 12.5 % , and Walmart ’ s would be 7.5 % , the companies said in separate statements .
The deal will make Oracle responsible for hosting all TikTok ’ s U.S. user data and securing computer systems to ensure U.S. national security requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide its ecommerce , fulfilment , payments and other services to the new company .
“ We are pleased that the proposal by TikTok , Oracle , and Walmart will resolve the security concerns of the U.S. administration and settle questions around TikTok ’ s future in the U.S. , ” TikTok said in a statement .
Trump has been demanding that the U.S. operations of TikTok be sold to a U.S. company or else be shut down .
He ’ s also been targeting WeChat , another Chinese-owned app .
The administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two apps could be shared with the Chinese government .
On Saturday , Trump said the U.S.-based TikTok “ will have nothing to do with China.
” TikTok says it has 100 million U.S. users .
On Friday , the U.S. Commerce Department said it would bar TikTok from U.S. app stores as of late Sunday .
Further restrictions that would prevent TikTok from accessing essential internet services in the country would go into effect on Nov. 12 .
Commerce said Saturday that it will delay the barring of TikTok from U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. Commerce is imposing similar restrictions on WeChat , although all of the restrictions on that app are set to go into effect Sunday night at 11:59 p.m .
Earlier Saturday , WeChat users asked a U.S. judge to block the government ’ s actions , saying they would restrict free speech .
WeChat is an all-in-one app with instant-messaging , social media and other communication tools .
The U.S. government argued that it is not restricting free speech because WeChat users still “ are free to speak on alternative platforms that do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler asked lawyers for the government and WeChat users whether the prohibitions would cripple WeChat as soon as the clock ticked from Sunday night into Monday morning without a resolution .
An attorney for the government said they would likely lead to a “ degradation ” of WeChat over time .
Judge Beeler did not rule immediately on the motion .
WeChat has millions of U.S. users who rely on the app to stay in touch and conduct business with people and companies in China and around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Mental Health Association for Chinese Communities , who is a U.S. citizen in California , said that the group ’ s primary tool to reach out and provide services to Chinese Americans is WeChat .
“ Since many of the Chinese community members we serve are not fluent in English , WeChat is the only online tool that they rely on , ” Elaine Peng said .
The Trump administration ’ s aggressive tactics are part of its latest attempt to counter the influence of China , a rising economic superpower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has waged a trade war with China , blocked mergers involving Chinese companies and stifled the business of Chinese firms like Huawei , a maker of phones and telecom equipment .
China-backed hackers , meanwhile , have been blamed for data breaches of U.S. federal databases and the credit agency Equifax , and the Chinese government strictly limits what U.S. tech companies can do in China .
China ’ s ministry of commerce condemned the U.S. moves and urged it to stop what it called bullying behaviour .
It also said China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect Chinese companies .
The U.S. Treasury Department said Saturday that TikTok ’ s deal still needs to close with Oracle and Walmart , and it also needs documentation and conditions to be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States .
That , of course , also leaves the potential for more roller coasters of emotion for TikTok users , such as Haley Hoffman Smith , a 24-year-old who moved to Manhattan this year to pursue her dream of becoming a talk-show host .
She said she had just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crushed on Friday to hear it may be headed for a shutdown .
“ TikTok is an inextricable part of my dream chasing story , ” she said , “ and to lose it forever would not only be an inconvenient setback , but an absolute heartbreak .
”

ATLANTA (AP) — Putting 19 people on trial at the same time is a difficult assignment for any prosecutor — whether or not one of those defendan…


thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Ex-electrician wants NASA to make ‘little people’ honorees

TAMPA BAY , Fla. - Skip Laisure ’ s dad wasn ’ t very strict with his three sons when they were growing up in Ohio .
But when a space shuttle launched , Paul Laisure insisted that they come and sit in the living room to watch the lift-off on their Admiral TV .
“ He was extremely proud of working at NASA , ” Skip Laisure said .
“ It meant a lot to him what the country was doing in the space program.
” Paul Laisure , 88 , worked as a research electrician from 1955 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what was then called the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland .
He helped to build the facility ’ s zero-gravity research facility , he said .
As lead electrician , he helped wire the chamber that allowed engineers to test flight packages in a weightless environment , he said .
And now he ’ s trying to get acknowledgement for NASA ’ s blue-collar workers — like him — at the Research Center ’ s Hall of Fame .
After the Hall of Fame opened in 2016 , Skip Laisure submitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awarded to his father or displayed at the facility .
“ They didn ’ t go for that , ” he said .
“ His thought was , ‘ You know what , it doesn ’ t need to be me .
It could be all of us , ’ ” Skip Laisure said .
“ He just wanted acknowledgment for all the little people.
” Paul Laisure , nicknamed “ Pierre ” at work for his French last name , loved his job .
He ferried astronauts around the centre , played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped send Americans into the other frontier , his son said .
“ My mother would suggest he could make more money working as a contract electrician , but he said no , ” he remembered .
His father felt lucky to work at the research centre .
“ I would have paid them to let me work there , ” Paul Laisure said .
Two years ago , when Paul Laisure went back to visit what ’ s now called the John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field , the fruits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his son said , adding , “ All these years later , he recognized the stuff that he had installed.
” The Hall of Fame honours computer programmers , engineers and others who have contributed to NASA ’ S success , according its website .
Inductees must be retired or resigned from the centre , nominated by a current employee and voted on by a panel of centre leaders , it says .
Anne Mills , the Research Center records manager and history officer , confirmed in an email that Laisure worked there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- also a NASA employee -- nominated him for the Hall of Fame ’ s first class in 2015 .
But his father did not get enough votes to be inducted , she said .
The Hall of Fame is intended to honour individuals and well-defined teams , she wrote , adding “ our technicians and labourers have been a vital part of our centre success from the very beginning.
” After Laisure retired in 1982 , he moved to Seminole and picked up jobs as a handyman .
He still carried the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day for NASA .
But instead of tinkering with the zero-gravity drop tower , he installed cabinets and lighting , repaired flooring and walls .
He met his long-time girlfriend Fran Lewis at one of the Gulfport Casino ’ s ballroom dances .
They waltzed and shimmied together for the next 28 years .
After she died in 2017 , he found a new mission — working toward blue-collar recognition for his NASA colleagues .
Paul Laisure said he plans to visit the Research Center later this month and submit a new letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hall of Fame .
“ It was the mechanics and blue-collar working people who built what the engineers wanted , ” Paul Laisure said .
”

Bailey Lefever, The Tampa Bay Times - AP Member


thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Hong Kong’s first CBD cafe opens its doors to customers

HONG KONG - Cannabis may be illegal in Hong Kong , but a new cafe is offering a range of food and drinks that contain parts of the cannabis plant without breaking any local laws .
The cafe , named Found , is the city ’ s first to offer a range of coffees , biscuits , beer and fruit juices that contain cannabidiol , or CBD , a substance from the cannabis plant that is said to offer therapeutic effects without getting users intoxicated .
Cannabis ’ s tetrahydrocannabinol compound — commonly known as THC — is the psychoactive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But unlike THC , CBD is typically used to help reduce stress without the high .
One Found customer , Killian Hussey , who works in finance in Hong Kong , said consuming CBD coffee is relaxing .
“ The coffee is delicious , and I like the effect that the CBD has on me , ” Hussey said .
“ Cognitively and physically , it kind of helps me get through the aches and pains of a normal day.
” A bottle of cold CBD-infused coffee costs 80 Hong Kong dollars ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a can of CBD beer is HK $ 70 ( $ 9 ) .
The cafe , which had a soft opening this month , is expected to be fully operational in October .
“ Hong Kong is actually one of Asia ’ s most progressive cannabinoid markets , “ said Fiachra Mullen , co-owner of Altum International , a cannabinoids supplier in Asia that operates Found .
“ Unlike other parts of the region — Australia , New Zealand , Singapore — it ’ s actually quite a progressive cannabinoid law in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes the cafe can help break down the stigma surrounding CBD products , and wants to distance CBD from cannabis and the recreational use of drugs .
Found can sell cannabinoids in food as long as there is no THC in the products , he said .
According to the Hong Kong government ’ s Centre for Food and Safety , under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance , the illicit import of cannabis or any products that contain controlled cannabinoids constitutes a criminal offence .
Although CBD is a cannabinoid , it is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong law .


thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Desert communities told to evacuate as winds stoke flames

JUNIPER HILLS , Calif. - Strong winds stoked a wildfire burning for nearly two weeks in mountains northeast of Los Angeles , prompting authorities to issue new evacuation orders for desert communities that lost some homes a day earlier .
Meanwhile , officials were investigating the death of a firefighter on the lines of another Southern California wildfire that erupted earlier this month from a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used by a couple to reveal their baby ’ s gender .
The death occurred Thursday in San Bernardino National Forest as crews battled the El Dorado Fire about 75 miles ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement .
In northern Los Angeles County , firefighters focused on protecting homes Saturday as increasingly erratic winds pushed the Bobcat Fire toward foothill communities in the Antelope Valley after churning all the way across the San Gabriel Mountains .
An evacuation order was issued Saturday for all residents in that zone as the fire burned toward Wrightwood , a mountain community of 4,000 , said fire spokesman Andrew Mitchell .
The fire grew to 142 square miles ( 368 square kilometres ) on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hills .
Some residents fled as blowing embers sparked spot fires , hitting some homes but sparing others .
Bridget Lensing feared her family ’ s house was lost on Friday after seeing on Twitter that a neighbour ’ s house three doors down went up in flames .
The house stood when she made her way back Saturday afternoon but her neighbours ’ houses in the remote community were burned to the ground .
“ Everything around us is gone , ” she said .
The extent of the destruction in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) northeast of downtown LA wasn ’ t immediately clear .
But , Los Angeles County park officials said the blaze destroyed the nature centre at Devil ’ s Punchbowl Natural Area , a geological wonder that attracts some 130,000 visitors per year .
On the south side of the Bobcat Fire , firefighters continued to protect Mount Wilson , which overlooks greater Los Angeles and has a historic observatory founded more than a century ago and numerous broadcast antennas serving Southern California .
The fire that started Sept. 6 had already doubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is 15 % contained .
Officials said the fire has been challenging because it is burning in areas that have not burned in decades , and because the firestorms across California have limited resources .
There were about 1,660 firefighters on the lines .
The name of the firefighter killed in the nearby El Dorado Fire was being withheld until family members are notified .
The body was escorted down the mountain in a procession of first-responder vehicles .
No other information was released about the circumstances of the death .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Fire Protection , or Cal Fire , said it was the 26th death involving wildfires besieging the state .
A new blaze sparked by a vehicle that caught fire was growing in wilderness outside Palm Springs .
To the north , a fire burning for nearly a month in Sequoia National Forest roared to life again Friday and prompted evacuation orders for the central California mountain communities of Silver City and Mineral King .
More than 7,900 wildfires have burned more than 5,468 square miles ( 14,164 square kilometres ) in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-August barrage of dry lightning ignited parched vegetation .
The El Dorado Fire has burned more than 34 square miles ( 89 square kilometres ) and was 59 % contained , with 10 buildings destroyed and six damaged .
Cal Fire said earlier this month that the El Dorado Fire was ignited Sept. 5 when a couple , their young children and someone there to record video staged the baby gender reveal at El Dorado Ranch Park at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains .
The device was set off in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The couple frantically tried to use bottled water to extinguish the flames and called 911 .
Authorities have not released the identities of the couple , who could face criminal charges and be held liable for the cost of fighting the fire .
Throughout the Northwest , firefighters welcomed cooler weather and rain , as well as much-improved air quality and visibility that would allow some to survey fire activity with drones .
Associated Press writer John Antczak in Los Angeles and Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this report .

Marcio Jose Sanchez And Christopher Weber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Asia Today: Fewer cases in Melbourne, new surge in India

MELBOURNE , Australia - Australia ’ s second-largest city , Melbourne , has moved close to easing severe lockdown restrictions after recording only 14 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday .
It was the second day in a row new infections fell below 30 , after 21 were reported on Saturday , the lowest daily number since June 19 .
There were also five deaths recorded Sunday .
Melbourne ’ s lockdown restrictions are due to be eased next weekend when child care centres will be allowed to reopen and gatherings of up to five people from two different households will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rolling 14-day average of new cases being below 50 .
With the lower numbers this weekend , the rolling average is now 36.2 .
“ The huge sacrifices made by Victorians are saving many lives , ” Mikakos said .
“ The new cases keep trending down with your efforts .
“ Thank you to all Victorians .
You are amazing .
We can do this , ” she said .
Meanwhile , Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described an unexpected fall in Australia ’ s unemployment rate to 9.3 % — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic — as “ pleasant encouragement.
“ The figures show about 400,000 Australians recently have returned to work .
“ We just over half of the way back , ” Morrison told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “ Those who had been reduced to zero hours are starting to get their hours back .
There ’ s still a long way to go.
” In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : — India has registered 92,605 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours and is expected to surpass the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country within weeks .
The Health Ministry on Sunday also reported 1,133 additional deaths for a total of 86,752 .
Sunday ’ s surge raised the country ’ s virus tally to over 5.4 million .
India , however , also has the highest number of recovered patients in the world , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Its recovery rate stands at about 80 % .
Over 60 % of the active cases are concentrated in five of India ’ s 28 states — Maharashtra , Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh , Tamil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Narendra Modi ’ s government has faced scathing criticism for its handling of the pandemic amid a contracting economy that left millions jobless .
— Train stations and airports in Japan are filled with people travelling over the “ Silver Week ” holiday weekend , in a sign of recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The surge in domestic travel is in contrast to previous holidays , when pressure was high for people living in urban congested areas to stay home and avoid areas with fewer infections .
The new daily cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Japan does not have widespread testing and many cases are likely going undetected .
Baseball games , stores and theatres are open again with social distancing , mask-wearing , hand sanitizers and temperature checks .
A study by mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo showed crowd size at a domestic terminal at Tokyo ’ s main Haneda airport , as well as train stations and shopping districts nationwide .
Japan , with about 1,500 deaths related to COVID-19 , has banned almost all overseas visitors and requires quarantine and virus checks for returning Japanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two national holidays , Respect for the Aged Day and the Autumn Equinox .
— South Korea ’ s new coronavirus tally has fallen below 100 for the first time in more than a month .
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Sunday that the newly counted 82 cases took the country ’ s total to 22,975 with 383 deaths .
The drop is likely partly driven by the fact that authorities conduct fewer tests on weekends .
But even before Sunday , South Korea ’ s daily tally has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks , down from 400 in late August .
Health officials say the downward trend is a result of stringent social distancing rules imposed on the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area .
Those rules were recently relaxed .
The government is urging the public not to lower their guard as small-scale clusters are still being reported .


thetorontostar--2020-09-20--Trump promises to replace Ginsburg with a woman - and soon

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is promising to put forth a female nominee in the coming week to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , pushing the Republican-controlled Senate to consider the pick without delay .
Taking the stage Saturday night at a North Carolina rally to chants of “ Fill that seat , ” the president said he would nominate his selection despite Democrats ’ objections .
And , after conducting what he joked was a “ very scientific poll “ of the Fayetteville crowd as to whether supporters wanted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the choice would be “ a very talented , very brilliant woman.
” He added that he did not yet know whom he would choose .
“ We win an election and those are the consequences , ” said the president , who then seemed to signal that he ’ d be willing to accept a vote on his nominee during the lame-duck period after the election .
“ We have a lot of time .
We have plenty of time .
We ’ re talking about January 20th.
“ But one Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Susan Collins , who is in a tough reelection battle , said earlier Saturday that she believed replacing Ginsburg should be the decision of the president who is elected Nov. 3 .
Three more defections from the GOP ranks would be needed to stop Trump ’ s nominee from joining the court .
At stake is a seat held by a justice who was a champion of women ’ s rights and spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court ’ s liberal wing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vowed to call a vote for Trump ’ s nominee , but Democrats countered that Republicans should follow the precedent that GOP legislators set in 2016 by refusing to consider a Supreme Court choice in the run-up to an election .
The impending clash over the vacant seat — when to fill it and with whom — scrambles the stretch run of a presidential race for a nation already reeling from the pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 people , left millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger .
McConnell pledged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring the choice to a vote though he has not said if it would be before the election .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said any selection should come after Nov. 3 .
“ Voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice to consider , ” he said .
Biden has promised to nominate a Black woman to the high court if given the chance , but he has said he will not release names of possible nominees before the election .
Trump this month added 20 more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominees , and aides in recent days have focused on a short list heavy on female candidates , according to four White House aides and officials close to the process .
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations .
Those under close consideration for the high court include three women who are federal appeals court judges : Amy Coney Barrett , beloved among conservatives and an early favourite ; Barbara Lagoa , who is Hispanic and comes from the battleground state of Florida ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Justice Clarence Thomas and for Neil Gorsuch , when the current Trump-appointed justice was an appeals court judge .
At least one man , appeals court Judge Amul Thapar , has also been under consideration .
A McConnell ally from Kentucky , he has been screened by Trump ’ s team for past openings and he would be the first Asian American on the high court .
McConnell , who sets the calendar in the Senate and has made judicial appointments his priority , declared unequivocally in a statement that Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2016 , McConnell refused to consider President Barack Obama ’ s nominee months before the election , eventually preventing a vote on Judge Merrick Garland .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York convened a conference call with Democratic senators at midday Saturday , according to a person on the private call who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
He told senators the “ No .
1 goal ” must be to communicate the stakes of the confirmation vote .
Schumer also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee , “ nothing is off the table ” for Senate rules changes to come , the person said .
Ginsburg ’ s death seemed certain to stoke enthusiasm in both political parties as the election could now be viewed as referendum on the high court ’ s decisions , including the future of abortion rights .
Democrats raised more than $ 71 million in the hours after Ginsburg ’ s death , indicating her passing has already galvanized the party ’ s base .
Hundreds of mourners gathered for a second night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candles in honour of Ginsburg and listening to a succession of testimonies and rallying speeches .
Among the speakers was Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, who eulogized Ginsberg as “ an icon , a trailblazer and a friend “ and accused McConnell of seeking to cynically hijack the confirmation process .
“ Today Mitch McConnell and his henchmen think they can ram through a Supreme Court justice only 45 days before the election , ” Warren said .
“ What Mitch McConnell doesn ’ t understand is that the fight has just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate is not guaranteed , even with a Republican majority .
McConnell has launched a risky , unprecedented strategy .
It could motivate conservative voters to rally behind Trump and GOP senators or it could push away moderates who prefer to see the Senate stick to norms or are fearful of a right-leaning court stripping away women ’ s right to choose an abortion .
Typically , it takes several months to vet and hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee , and time is short before November .
Key senators may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
With a slim GOP majority , 53 seats in the 100-member chamber , Trump ’ s choice could afford to lose only a few .
McConnell did not specify the timing .
But trying for confirmation in a lame-duck session after the Nov. 3 election , if Trump had lost to Biden or Republicans had lost the Senate , would carry further political complications .
Democrats immediately denounced McConnell ’ s move as hypocritical , pointing out that he refused to call hearings for Garland 237 days before the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days away .
The average number of days to confirm a justice , according to the Congressional Research Service , is 69 , which would be after the election .
But some Republicans quickly noted that Ginsburg was confirmed in just 42 days .
Obama waited more than a month to nominate Garland after Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016 .
John Fischetti , who waited in line more than two hours to enter Trump ’ s Fayetteville rally , said replacing Ginsburg would inflame tensions but was within the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would make everyone more energized , ” Fischetti said of the political repercussions .
“ Trump ’ s people want him to always press forward.
” Four GOP defections could defeat a nomination , while a tie vote could be broken by Vice-President Mike Pence .
After Collins ’ decision , focus grew on Sens .
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah , who have been critical of Trump and protective of the institution of the Senate .
And because the Arizona Senate race is a special election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Nov. 30 — which would narrow the window for McConnell if the Democratic candidate , Mark Kelly , wins .
The next pick could shape important decisions beyond abortion rights , including any legal challenges that may stem from the 2020 election .
In the interim , if the court were to take cases with eight justices , 4-4 ties would revert the decision to a lower court ; for instance , the Affordable Care Act could then be struck down by a lower Texas court .
Lemire reported from New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey .
Additional reporting by Darlene Superville , Alexandra Jaffe and Ashraf Khalil in Washington and Kevin Freking and Bryan Anderson in Fayetteville , North Carolina .

Jonathan Lemire, Lisa Mascaro And Steve Peoples - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Waves, wind lash Bermuda as Hurricane Teddy spins east of it

SAN JUAN , Puerto Rico - Tropical storm wind gusts and big waves battered Bermuda on Monday as Hurricane Teddy spun just east of the wealthy British territory , sparing it a direct hit .
The hurricane lost strength in its approach and dropped to a Category 1 storm as it headed to Nova Scotia , which was under a tropical storm warning from Digby to Meat Cove .
A tropical storm watch was issued for the Magdalen Islands , from Meat Cove to Tidnish , north of Digby to Fort Lawrence and from Port aux Basques to Francois , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles ( 280 kilometres ) east-northeast of Bermuda late Monday afternoon .
It had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph ( 150 kph ) and was moving north-northeast at 23 mph ( 37 kph ) , according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami .
Hurricane Teddy was generating large swells across the U.S. Atlantic coast and northern Caribbean , with officials in Puerto Rico reporting two drownings and the rescue of one boogie boarder .
Thue storm also knocked out power to more than 200 clients across Bermuda and forced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ports , schools and government offices for the second time in a week .
They are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday .
Hurricane Paulette made landfall in Bermuda on Sept. 14 as a Category 1 storm and then strengthened into a Category 2 , knocking down trees and leaving thousands without power .


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--The Trump administration named Portland an ‘anarchist’ city. To locals, it’s a political game. But t

The Trump administration named Portland an ‘anarchist’ city. To locals, it’s a political game. But they do wonder if their city is changing forever

PORTLAND—Downtown Portland is known for its eclecticism , luxury shops next door to hipster hangouts .
But today , the streets and buildings of the core look remarkably uniform .
Boarded-up storefronts , one after another , are adorned with elaborate artworks of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor and symbols of Black liberation , both historical and imagined .
Each carries an unambiguous message — that Black Lives Matter — and their bright colours beg urgency .
According to a declaration made by the Trump administration Monday , it ’ s a scene of anarchy .
The U.S. Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by President Donald Trump by labelling Portland , New York and Seattle “ anarchist jurisdictions.
” The three Democrat-run cities have seen sustained protests under the Black Lives Matter banner , which have resulted in some violence and property damage amid mostly peaceful protests .
They now stand to potentially lose federal funding , as threatened in Trump ’ s Sept. 2 executive order .
The three targeted mayors , Portland ’ s Ted Wheeler , New York City ’ s Bill de Blasio and Seattle ’ s Jenny Durkan , issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revoke federal funds “ unconstitutional.
” “ The President is playing cheap political games with Congressionally directed funds , ” reads a portion of the statement .
“ Our cities are bringing communities together ; our cities are pushing forward after fighting back a pandemic and facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression , all despite recklessness and partisanship from the White House.
” The executive order gave some criteria as to how it would be decided that a city was in a state of permitting anarchy and violence , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force from intervening to restore order amid widespread or sustained violence or destruction.
” It seems to refer to the long-standing battle — played out in public between the White House and city leaders — over whether federal law enforcement officials are necessary to help manage protesting crowds , or whether they instead symbolize an inappropriate level of force against the protesting public .
Portland ’ s mayor has long opposed the presence of federal officers in the city .
Less than two weeks ago , he ordered police to stop using tear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moments that have erupted during protests that racked the city for more than three months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Wheeler said he still wants police to respond aggressively to prevent violence and vandalism .
Hundreds of people have been arrested since the protests started in May .
While many residents of Portland viewed the “ anarchist ” designation as a political move , it ’ s clear the city is experiencing unprecedented strain .
The artworks downtown stand for both the best and the worst elements of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line shops big and small , for the fancy and the frugal .
They ’ re all there to cover up — or guard against — the break-ins and window slashings that have been common features of the nightly protests in the city .
Downtown business owners are worried about the long-term effects of the recurring property damage and unrest .
Brad Popick , co-owner of the Portland western apparel institution the Portland Outdoor Store , made a distinction between the Black Lives Matter protesters , whom he called eminently peaceful , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are active at nighttime , bashing shopfronts , looting and getting into violent confrontations .
“ I read in a magazine the idea that Portland may never come back from this , ” Popick said .
“ I think there ’ s a very good possibility that ’ s true.
” He wants Wheeler , the mayor , to be more proactive in addressing the more destructive wing of protesters , so that the peaceful BLM demonstrations are no longer conflated with them .
Still , Popick doesn ’ t think the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to move the city forward .
“ The problem is both sides are playing very hardball politics .
In the old days , if something had happened like this 15 , 20 years ago , probably everybody would have come together and said : What can we do about this ?
” He said it ’ s a crucial moment , when much of the city has come together to support racial justice .
“ This is a moment in time .
When you go back and look at pivotal points in history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ 1968 was one and this is another.
” Jimmy Heys , manager of Cameron ’ s Books down the street , said he supports the protests and has joined them a number of times .
“ Overall it ’ s all peaceful except for a handful of people who just want to start a fire , ” Heys said .
Shop employee Larry Meyers described getting a nosebleed and having difficulty breathing when he tried to work in the shop , which he blamed on the continued use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the smoke from the wildfires .
The shop was shut down for a week when the air quality was at its worst .
While there are signs of destruction and exhaustion on the streets of Portland , there are also signs of sustained determination and hope .
At Lownsdale Square Park , which has acted as a base camp for Black Lives Matter protesters since the demonstrations began , a woman who identified herself as “ Tiffany G ” operated a large smoker and made hot dogs free of charge for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests , many of the people she ’ s serving this week are the homeless .
“ I just want to make sure the protesters are fed , that ’ s how we keep going , ” she said .
“ Rain , shine , hell .
We ’ re still here .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Officials ID 4 victims killed in airplane crash in Texas

HILLTOP LAKES , Texas - Four people from Louisiana were killed when their single-engine airplane crashed in a Texas pasture @ @ @ @ @ , authorities said .
The crash happened Sunday morning near the airport in Hilltop Lakes @ @ @ @ @ 193 kilometres ) northwest of Houston .
The Texas Department of Public Safety said all @ @ @ @ @ were killed .
DPS identified those killed as : 59-year-old Philip Ackel and 60-year-old Pauline @ @ @ @ @ , and Kenneth Hix and Missy Lynn Hix , both 59 and from Lafayette .
@ @ @ @ @ told The Eagle newspaper that the plane was attempting to make an emergency landing and @ @ @ @ @ the Federal Aviation Administration at the time of the crash .
The plane had taken @ @ @ @ @ , west of Austin , and was headed to Natchitoches , Louisiana , according to @ @ @ @ @ was registered to a corporation in Lafayette , Louisiana .
The National Transportation Safety Board @ @ @ @ @ the crash .


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--China uproots ethnic minority villages in anti-poverty fight

CHENGBEI GAN ’ EN , China - Under a portrait of President Xi Jinping , Ashibusha sits in her freshly painted living room cradling her infant daughter beside a chair labeled a “ gift from the government.
” The mother of three is among 6,600 members of the Yi ethnic minority who were moved out of 38 mountain villages in China ’ s southwest and into a newly built town in an anti-poverty initiative .
Farmers who tended mountainside plots were assigned jobs at an apple plantation .
Children who until then spoke only their own tongue , Nuosu , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s official language .
While other nations invest in developing poor areas , Beijing doesn ’ t hesitate to operate on a more ambitious scale by moving communities wholesale and building new towns in its effort to modernize China .
The ruling Communist Party has announced an official target of ending extreme poverty by the end of the year , ahead of the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2021 .
The party says such initiatives have helped to lift millions of people out of poverty .
But they can require drastic changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel complaints the party is trying to erase cultures as it prods minorities to embrace the language and lifestyle of the Han , who make up more than 90 % of China ’ s population .
At a time when the party faces protests by students in China ’ s northern region of Inner Mongolia over plans to reduce the use of the Mongolian language in schools , officials want to show they are sensitive to minority cultures .
They invited reporters to visit Chengbei Gan ’ en and four other villages — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — that are part of what authorities see as a successful development project for the Yi in Sichuan province ’ s Liangshan prefecture .
The initiative is one of hundreds launched over the past four decades to spread prosperity from China ’ s thriving east to the countryside and west .
Mass relocations still are carried out because some mountainous and other areas are too isolated , said Wang Sangui , president of the China Poverty Alleviation Research Institute of Renmin University in Beijing .
“ It is impossible to solve the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
In Sichuan , which includes some of China ’ s poorest areas , 80 billion yuan ( $ 12 billion ) has been spent to date to relocate 1.4 million people , according to Peng Qinghua , the provincial party secretary .
He said that included building 370,000 new homes and over 110,000 kilometres ( 68,000 miles ) of rural roads .
In Chengbei Gan ’ en , 420 million yuan ( $ 60 million ) was spent to build 1,440 apartments in 25 identical white buildings , a clinic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elderly .
Craftspeople sell silver jewelry , painted cow skulls and traditional clothing that are popular with Han tourists .
Yi women can study to become nannies , a profession in demand in urban China , in classes taught with pink plastic dolls .
Roadside signs call on people to speak the official language .
“ Mandarin , please , after you enter kindergarten.
” “ Speak Mandarin well , it ’ s convenient for everyone.
” “ Everyone speaks Mandarin , flower of civilization blooms everywhere.
” Murals on buildings depict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority in amicable scenes .
One shows a baby holding a heart emblazoned with the ruling party ’ s hammer-and-sickle symbol .
In one village , Xujiashan , annual household income has risen from 1,750 yuan ( $ 260 ) in 2014 to 11,000 yuan ( $ 1,600 ) , according to its deputy secretary , Zhang Lixin .
Development initiatives can lead to political tension because many have strategic goals such as strengthening control over minority areas by encouraging nomads to settle or diluting the local populace with outsiders .
In Inner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over plans to replace Mongolian-language textbooks with Chinese ones .
The party faces similar complaints that it is suppressing local languages in Tibet and the Muslim region of Xinjiang in the northwest .
Xinjiang ’ s Han party secretary said in 2002 the language of the Uighurs , its most populous ethnic group , was “ out of step with the 21st century ” and should be abandoned in favour of Mandarin .
The party boss for Liangshan prefecture acknowledged its initiative isn ’ t purely economic .
Authorities want to eliminate “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lin Shucheng .
He listed complaints about extravagant dowries , too many animals butchered for funerals and poor hygiene .
“ We are fighting against traditional forces of habit , ” he said .
At the same time , ruling party officials say they are preserving Nuosu , a Yi language , through bilingual education in schools and government support for a Nuosu newspaper and TV show .
“ We protect and promote the learning , use and development of the Yi language , ” the provincial party secretary , Peng , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to promote Nuosu because , unlike in Tibet or Xinjiang , the Yi demand no political change , said Stevan Harrell , a University of Washington anthropologist who has spent more than three decades visiting and studying the region .
“ There is no ‘ splittism ’ in Liangshan , ” Harrell said , using the party ’ s term for activists who want more autonomy for Tibet and Xinjiang .
“ So it is kind of safe to have the Yi language as a medium of education , ” said Harrell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government against those people who rightly point out that Uighur and Tibetan languages are being severely suppressed.
” The region , like the rest of China , reeled from the coronavirus outbreak , said Lin , the Liangshan party boss .
But he said anti-poverty work was back on track and authorities were confident they could meet official deadlines .
Older villagers welcome the jump in living standards .
“ You can eat whatever you like now , ” said Wang Deying , an 83-year-old grandmother of five .
“ Now even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yu Bing in Beijing and Chen Si in Shanghai contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Born to prevent war, UN at 75 faces a deeply polarized world

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The United Nations marked its 75th anniversary Monday with its chief urging leaders of an increasingly polarized , go-it-alone world to work together and preserve the organization ’ s most important success since its founding : avoiding a military confrontation between the major global powers .
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ’ appeal for a revival of multilateralism — the foundation of the United Nations — was echoed by leaders of countries large and small , rich and poor .
But despite largely positive speeches , it was clear that challenges lie ahead in collaborating to beat back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflicts from the Middle East to Africa , and achieve U.N. goals to eradicate extreme poverty and preserve the environment by a 2030 target .
“ Today , we have a surplus of multilateral challenges and a deficit of multilateral solutions , ” the U.N. chief said , stressing that COVID-19 has “ laid bare the world ’ s fragilities , ” which can only be addressed together .
“ Climate calamity looms , biodiversity is collapsing , poverty is rising , hatred is spreading , geopolitical tensions are escalating , nuclear weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Appealing for a new multilateralism that draws on civil society , cities , businesses , local authorities and young people , Guterres said “ no one wants a world government — but we must work together to improve world governance.
” The United Nations marked its actual 75th anniversary — the charter ’ s signing in San Francisco on June 26 , 1945 — at a scaled-down event .
Monday ’ s mainly virtual official commemoration was a sobering assessment of the state of the world , the impact of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the struggles ahead .
Some leaders appeared in native dress and in unusual settings , adding some colour to prerecorded speeches .
The commemoration was suspended with 58 countries waiting to speak , primarily because many leaders spoke far longer than the three minutes they were allotted .
No date was set to hear the remaining speakers .
As a sign of the commemoration ’ s importance , heads of government like Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke .
U.S. President Donald Trump was first on the list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t offer remarks .
In a snub to the United Nations , the United States instead was represented by its acting deputy U.N. ambassador , Cherith Norman Chalet .
The White House had no immediate comment .
“ In many ways , the United Nations has proven to be a successful experiment , ” Chalet said .
But for too long , she added , it has resisted “ meaningful reform , ” lacked transparency and been “ too vulnerable to the agenda of autocratic regimes and dictatorships.
” China ’ s Xi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ work to promote a community with a shared future for mankind.
” “ Unilateralism is a dead end , ” he said .
“ No country has the right to dominate global affairs , control the destiny of others or keep advantages in development all to itself .
Even less should one be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon , bully or boss of the world.
” Macron said the United Nations has remained true to its promises made three-quarters of a century ago : “ To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war , to assert human rights and the equality of nations , and to promote social progress in greater freedom.
” But he warned that “ our common home is in disarray , just like our world.
” “ Faced with the health emergency , faced with the climate challenge , faced with the decline in rights , “ Macron said , “ it is here and now that we have to act , with those who want to and with those who can , by exploiting all possible spaces for co-operation.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United Nations in 1945 and the commitment to co-operation after two world wars and the Holocaust produced results .
“ Never in modern history have we gone so many years without a military confrontation between the major powers , ” the secretary-general said .
“ This is a major achievement of which member states can be proud — and which we must all strive to preserve.
” Guterres cited other major U.N. victories over 75 years : peace treaties , decolonization , setting human rights standards , the end of apartheid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a reduction in hunger , development of international law and landmark pacts to protect the environment .
But 25 years after world leaders adopted a platform to achieve equality for women , he said “ gender inequality remains the greatest single challenge to human rights around the world.
” German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that “ the United Nations can be only as effective as its members are united ” and urged new efforts “ to do everything in our power ” to find common responses and end “ the most intractable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libya and Syria .
Guyana ’ s President Irfaan Mohamed Ali , the head of what ’ s called the Group of 77 and China — the main U.N. bloc of developing countries that now has 134 member states — said the commemoration “ must send a strong and positive signal to the peoples of the world of our commitment to multilateralism and our resolve to strive for peace , justice and development.
” Echoing broader global concerns , the president of Equatorial Guinea , Teodoro Obiang , said , “ There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between rich and poor countries today.
” Similarly , Seychelles President Danny Faure warned that issues like climate change know no borders .
“ I assure you that the smallest , poorest and weakest of nations can contribute ideas as innovative ... as the biggest , wealthiest and most powerful countries , ” Faure said .
Diplomats from the U.N. member nations managed to agree after sometimes difficult negotiations on a declaration to mark the U.N. ’ s anniversary , which was adopted Monday .
It recalls the body ’ s successes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world that is more equal , works together and protects the planet .
Richard Gowan , U.N. director for the Crisis Group , a Brussels-based think-tank , said the declaration was weakened by the U.S. opposing strong language on climate change and Britain and others objecting to China trying to insert language including its hallmark phrase , “ win-win.
” President Xi used it Monday in speaking about “ Cold War mentality , ” declaring “ what we need to do is to replace conflict with dialogue , coercion with consultation and zero-sum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the declaration was minor but “ captures the real question that has emerged over the U.N. in 2020 , exacerbated by COVID , which is : How is this organization going to navigate an era of U.S.-China tension ?
” Amid those questions , the U.N. released results of “ a global conversation ” it launched in January , using surveys , polls and gatherings to determine what all kinds of people thought about the future .
Guterres said the U.N. ’ s 75th anniversary is an ideal time to realize goals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transition to zero carbon emissions , ensuring universal health coverage and ending racial injustice .
“ We face our own 1945 moment , ” he said .
“ We must meet that moment .
We must show unity like never before to overcome today ’ s emergency , get the world moving and working and prospering again.
” Cara Anna contributed to this report from Johannesburg and Angela Charlton from Paris .
Longtime international correspondent Edith M. Lederer has been chief U.N. correspondent for The Associated Press since 1998 .
Follow her @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Yemen gets new virus hospital after other facilities close

COPENHAGEN - The Red Cross on Monday announced the opening of a new field hospital in southern Yemen specifically to treat coronavirus patients , as the virus continues to spread largely unchecked in the war-torn country .
In the south , an already wrecked health system seems to have completely shut down .
Many medical facilities in Aden , southern Yemen ’ s main city , have closed as staffers fled or simply turn patients away .
In a news release , the International Committee for the Red Cross said the new 60-bed field hospital in Aden has emergency rooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a laboratory .
Norway was a major donor to the new facility .
The United Nations has repeatedly called on other countries to make good on their pledges of financial aid to Yemen at a donor conference earlier this year .
“ When COVID-19 hit Aden hard a few months ago , many hospitals shut their doors .
People could not afford medicine , and other infectious diseases resurfaced , “ said Alexandre Equey , the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen .
” When people contract COVID-19 , they must have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance.
” Officially , Yemen has had some 2,030 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus .
However , with a death toll of more than 587 , it has the highest ratio of deaths to cases in the world .
It ’ s believed that the vast majority of the country ’ s cases have gone undiagnosed and untreated , and health workers have said only those who are near death are usually brought to hospitals .
“ This centre will both rescue lives now and prevent increased infection on the long run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eriksen Soereide in a press release .
She said the Norwegian government contributed to the centre ’ s funding for facilities .
The country has so far this year contributed 215 million kroner ( $ 23.6 million ) in humanitarian aid to Yemen , which is distributed via the International Red Cross , the U.N. and Norwegian agencies , according to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry .
The Finnish Red Cross and the Yemeni Red Crescent also helped with its preparations , according to ICRC .
Yemen ’ s ongoing civil war erupted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the south , backed by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia , against the Houthi rebels , who control the north .
Last year , infighting broke out in southern Yemen between government forces and separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates , threatening the anti-Houthi camp .
At the same time , the Norwegian Refugee Council said in a separate statement that more than three quarters of displaced and conflict-affected people worldwide have lost their incomes since the start of the pandemic .
The devastating economic impact is tipping many into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the group said in a report based on detailed surveys and needs assessments in 14 countries .
“ The world ’ s most vulnerable communities are in a dangerous downward spiral , ” said Jan Egeland , head of the Oslo-based NRC .
“ Already forced from their homes by violence , often with limited rights to work or access to government services , the economic impact of the pandemic is pushing them to catastrophe .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Former Wisconsin police chief to review Jacob Blake shooting

MADISON , Wis. - Wisconsin ’ s attorney general announced Monday that he has selected a former Madison police chief to serve as an independent consultant for prosecutors weighing whether to file charges against the officer who shot Jacob Blake , a Black man who was left paralyzed from the waist down .
The shooting of Blake on Aug. 23 by a white Kenosha police officer made Wisconsin the epicenter of the nation ’ s ongoing debate over police violence and racial injustice .
It came three months after the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will review the file , is Black .
Following his retirement as Madison ’ s chief in 2013 , Wray has become a national leader in working on police reform , fighting racism and educating about implicit bias .
Wray was chief for nine years and worked 30 years as a police officer , experience that Attorney General Josh Kaul and Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Gravely said would be crucial when reviewing the file .
Gravely said he requested the consultant but that he asked the Department of Justice to choose .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the shooting is in its final stages .
When it ’ s done , he will turn it over to Wray for review and an analysis .
It will then be up to Gravely about whether to file charges .
Gravely said Monday that he had not made any decision about filing charges yet .
Gravely said Wray would bring “ diverse ” and “ abundant ” perspectives to the case .
Wray said he will provide insight and perspective to the case but not prejudge it .
Wray said he will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he has not been given a timeline once he receives the investigative file .
“ I have not prejudged the case , ” Wray said .
Blake was shot in the back seven times after walking away from the officer and two others who were trying to arrest him .
The officer , Rusten Sheskey , shot Blake after Blake opened an SUV ’ s driver-side door and leaned into the vehicle .
Three of Blake ’ s children were in the back seat .
The shooting was captured on video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours later .
The state Justice Department has said a knife was recovered from Blake ’ s vehicle , but it has not said whether he was holding it when officers tried to arrest him .
Blake ’ s attorney , Ben Crump , has said that Blake was only trying to break up a domestic dispute and did nothing to provoke police .
Crump has called for the arrest of Sheskey , the officer who shot Blake , and for the two other officers involved in the shooting to be fired .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the scene — Vincent Arenas and Brittany Meronek — were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice .
None of them have been charged .
The Kenosha police union has said that officers were dispatched on Aug. 23 because of a complaint that Blake was attempting to steal the caller ’ s keys and vehicle .
Union attorney Brendan Matthews said officers were aware that Blake had an open warrant for felony sexual assault before they arrived .
Blake pleaded not guilty on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexually assaulting a woman in May .
A trial date was set for Nov. 9 .
Kenosha is a city of about 100,000 people on the shores of Lake Michigan midway between Milwaukee and Chicago .


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Sen. Tillis: Trump to extend offshore drilling pause to NC

RALEIGH , N.C. - President Donald Trump will add North Carolina to a list of southeastern states whose coastal waters won ’ t be subjected to offshore drilling for a decade , U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis said on Monday .
Earlier this month , Trump signed a memorandum instructing his interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts , and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina for 10 years — from July 2022 through June 2032 .
North Carolina wasn ’ t on the list .
In a short video released by his Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he spoke to Trump on Monday morning and asked him to “ extend the offshore drilling moratorium to North Carolina .
I ’ m pleased to announce that the president will be doing just that.
” The Trump administration didn ’ t immediately announce such a move Monday .
The three-state prohibition marked a policy reversal by Trump and was seen as a potential political asset for Republican senators in Georgia and South Carolina facing tough election fights .
The drilling issue hasn ’ t reached the forefront of the Senate campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however .
Still , Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper , an offshore drilling opponent , wrote Trump last week asking him to add North Carolina to the list , citing the risk of spills and potential damage to the tourism and fishing industries .
Tillis was state House speaker in the early 2010s , when the legislature approved the framework to allow oil and natural gas drilling off the Atlantic coast and to collect taxes from the energy products .
But that production hasn ’ t occurred due to delays from Washington as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A bipartisan group of more than two dozen coastal mayors signed a resolution last year urging such exploration be permanently off-limits .
Tillis pressed for Atlantic coast exploration during a floor speech early in his Senate term for jobs and U.S. energy independence .
But last year he expressed some concerns , asking the Trump administration to speak with North Carolina tourism and fishing interests to ensure they would be protected under an exploration plan .
Tillis said in Monday ’ s video that “ our coastal communities and our tourism are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I ’ m thankful to President Trump.
” Carrie Clark with the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters , which endorses Cunningham , attributed the moratorium to the election being six weeks away and said “ a certain senator and president are feeling the heat.
” “ No amount of election-year flip-flopping will change the fact that ( Tillis ) has a failed record when it comes to protecting North Carolina ’ s coast , ” Cunningham said in a separate news release .
Lem Smith with the pro-exploration American Petroleum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the wrong approach at the wrong time.
” “ Offshore access is critical for growing U.S. energy leadership and providing affordable energy for American families for decades to come , ” Smith said in a news release .

Gary D. Robertson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Officials: Georgia deputies shoot, kill knife-wielding woman

ATHENS , Ga. - Authorities said a woman who was armed with a knife and a blow torch was fatally @ @ @ @ @ after she charged at them with the knife .
The shooting happened Monday morning after @ @ @ @ @ in Athens for a domestic call , the Oconee County Georgia Sheriff ’ s Office @ @ @ @ @ Facebook .
The sheriff ’ s office said responding deputies also used a stun gun @ @ @ @ @ charged at them .
Deputies attempted CPR on the woman after the shooting , but @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities have not revealed her identity .
No deputies were injured .
A man @ @ @ @ @ domestic incident sustained minor injuries before the deputies arrived at the scene , the post @ @ @ @ @ of the shooting will be released after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation , which is @ @ @ @ @ a chance to review it , the sheriff ’ s office said in another Facebook @ @ @ @ @ did not immediately release the races of those involved .


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Trump’s Ohio suburb slide signals peril in industrial north

COLUMBUS , Ohio - Peggy Lehner , a Republican state senator in Ohio , doesn ’ t sugarcoat what she has seen happen to support for President Donald Trump in her suburban Dayton district .
“ It hasn ’ t ebbed .
It ’ s crashed , “ said Lehner , who is not seeking reelection in the district of working-class and white-collar communities the president won comfortably four years ago .
“ He is really doing poorly among independents.
” Trump ’ s chances for a second term rest heavily on being able to maintain the margins he won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas .
Trump campaigned outside Dayton and Toledo Monday , as liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s death stoked questions of whether the sudden court vacancy would energize more suburban voters who support abortion rights or social conservatives in small-town and rural areas who oppose them .
During his Ohio visit , Trump credited himself with boosting manufacturing in the state prior to the pandemic and warned of economic devastation if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden beats him in six weeks .
“ Put simply , if Biden wins , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If we win , Ohio wins and most importantly , in all fairness , America wins.
” But Republican lawmakers and strategists in Ohio say they are seeing research that shows a near-uniform drop in support from his 2016 totals across every suburban region of the state .
They say that Trump , who won Ohio by 8 percentage points in 2016 , maintains a yawning advantage in more rural areas and small towns .
Still , Republicans are concerned that if he is losing badly in suburban areas in Ohio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hold on other states in the industrial heartland that delivered him the presidency may be in peril .
“ The million-dollar question becomes , how does that translate in Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania ?
” said Corry Bliss , a Republican strategist who managed Ohio Sen .
Rob Portman ’ s 2016 reelection campaign .
“ It translates into probably not a very good night.
“ Ohio has long been a bellwether .
No Republican has won the White House without carrying the state since the advent of the modern two-party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1960 .
Trump is faring worse than four years ago in communities in essentially all suburban areas around Ohio , from its major cities to its several mid-size metro areas , more than a half-dozen Republican operatives tracking races across Ohio say .
Trump has slipped in suburbs to the east and west of Cleveland , where he narrowly edged Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016 , they say .
In the blue-collar suburbs of Youngstown , where Trump won by double digits , the same appears to be true .
In affluent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Columbus , 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney won by almost 20 percentage points .
Four years later , Trump narrowly lost to Clinton .
Less than two months before the 2020 election , Republicans were concerned about signs the trend in Dublin has continued , according to several GOP operatives following legislative and congressional races .
There is debate among state Republican strategists about how many new voters there are left to lift Trump in rural and small town Ohio .
Former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine , a second-cousin to Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just don ’ t see him getting more votes.
” But veteran Ohio GOP strategist Doug Preisse countered , saying , “ I perceive a commensurate intensification in the support for Trump in small towns.
“ There is less debate in other states .
Pennsylvania Republicans say across the longtime GOP stronghold of Chester County west of Philadelphia , for instance , Trump has slipped as far as he has in Ohio ’ s suburbs , though in more populous towns and in a state he carried by fewer than 45,000 votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican , said that the suburban electorate is rapidly diversifying in ways that hurt Trump , especially among young families and among those concerned about the coronavirus .
“ I think Trump has proved to be the accelerant , ” said Costello .
Hillary Clinton carried Chester County by almost 10 percentage points , the first Democrat to win there since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 .
Chester is also steadily growing , with a population of about 525,000 , the fourth largest in the state .
“ I think that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time that Trump performs worse in the suburbs , ” Costello said .
“ It ’ s his tone .
It ’ s the chaos .
Perhaps a combination .
But certainly the pandemic , the mismanagement of the pandemic.
” But there are other more nuanced suburban concerns for Trump in Pennsylvania .
Just west of the state capital , Harrisburg , Cumberland County ’ s rapid development is diversifying the Capital City ’ s longtime Republican-leaning suburbs .
The combination of growth and declining support for Trump generally across suburbs has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s competitive 10th Congressional District , where Trump won by 9 percentage points in 2016 , said Terry Madonna , director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster , Pennsylvania .
A central question is whether Trump can , as his campaign predicts , spur even more support than in 2016 from rural voters in Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin .
“ Trump is leading in these areas but nowhere near by the percentage he won them by in 2016 , “ said Madonna , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more than three decades .
Republicans have similar concerns about suburbs in Michigan , notably in Oakland County , Detroit ’ s more upscale northwestern neighbour and Michigan ’ s second-most populous county .
Democrats have consistently carried it , though Republican George W. Bush came very close in 2000 and 2004 , while Mitt Romney was competitive in 2012 .
Trump did worse there than any Republican in the past 20 years , with the exception of John McCain in 2008 .
But Trump appears less concerned about shoring up those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , small-town and working-class regions in all three states for more of the white conservative base that propelled him to office .
Trump campaigned near Bay City , Michigan , last week , a struggling former automotive manufacturing city on Lake Huron where he won in 2016 , after Obama had carried Bay County twice .
Likewise , Trump has lost support in the populous suburbs of southeast Wisconsin since 2016 , according to the Marquette University Law School poll .
And instead , he has been campaigning in blue-collar Oshkosh and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican epicenter encircling Milwaukee .
Wisconsin Republicans promoting legislative candidates in typically GOP-leaning suburbs of Ozaukee County north of Milwaukee and Waukesha County to the city ’ s west warned this month that “ Republicans should be worried because President Donald Trump is currently under-performing in the districts , “ according to GOP website rightwisconsin.com .
“ It ’ s a combination of blunting the departures in the suburbs and juicing the rural areas , “ said John Selleck , who ran Romney ’ s 2012 Michigan campaign .
“ But can he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” That was his formula for winning Ohio four years ago .
He received the highest or second-highest per cent of Republican votes of any candidate since 1980 in 60 of Ohio ’ s 88 counties , according to state voting data compiled by Mike Dawson , a public policy consultant and creator of ohioelectionresults.com .
While GOP strategists say Trump can make up the suburban losses with new voters , Marquette University ’ s polling director Charles Franklin sees no evidence in research tracking Trump ’ s support this year to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He definitely needs to ramp it up and deliver on what the campaign is talking about , big increases of turnout of Trump voters in regions other than the suburbs , “ Franklin said .
” It ’ s not in the polling now.
” Beaumont reported from Des Moines , Iowa .
Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania , contributed to this report .
AP ’ s Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early , by mail or absentee from each state : https : @

Thomas Beaumont And Julie Carr Smyth - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-21--Barrett emerges as court favourite; Trump to pick by weekend

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump met Monday with Judge Amy Coney Barrett at the White House as the conservative jurist emerged as a favourite to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court , the start of a monumental Senate confirmation fight over objections from Democrats it ’ s too close to the November election .
Trump said he expects to announce his pick by week ’ s end , before the burial of Ginsburg , the court ’ s liberal icon , at Arlington National Cemetery .
The president told reporters he was still going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judge Barbara Lagoa when he travels to Florida later this week .
But Barrett has long been favoured by conservatives , and those familiar with the process said interest inside the White House seemed to be waning for Lagoa amid concerns by some that she did not have a proven record as a conservative jurist .
Democrats , led by presidential nominee Joe Biden , are protesting the Republicans ’ rush to replace Ginsburg , saying voters should speak first , on Election Day , Nov. 3 , and the winner of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump dismissed those arguments , telling “ Fox & Friends , “ “ I think that would be good for the Republican Party , and I think it would be good for everybody to get it over with.
” The mounting clash over the vacant seat — when to fill it and with whom — injects new turbulence in the presidential campaign with the nation still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 Americans , left millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger .
Up until now , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Trump has managed or mismanaged the COVID-19 pandemic .
Democrats point to hypocrisy in Republicans trying to rush through a pick so close to the election after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell led the GOP in refusing to vote on a nominee of President Barack Obama in February 2016 , long before that year ’ s election .
Biden is appealing to GOP senators to “ uphold your constitutional duty , your conscience ” and wait until after the election .
Ginsburg , 87 , died Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Capitol this week , the first woman ever accorded that honour .
First , her casket is to be on view mid-week on the steps of the high court .
She is to be buried next week in a private service at Arlington National Cemetery .
Conversations in the White House and McConnell ’ s office have been increasingly focused on Barrett and Lagoa , according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private deliberations .
A judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit , Barrett , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seat that eventually went to Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 .
At the time , Trump told confidants he was “ saving ” Barrett for Ginsburg ’ s seat .
Lagoa has been pushed by some aides who tout her political advantages of being Hispanic and hailing from the key political battleground state of Florida .
Trump said he is planning to name his pick by Friday or Saturday , ahead of the first presidential election debate .
With just over a month before the election , McConnell said the Senate has “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has won confirmation so quickly since Sandra Day O ’ Connor — with no opposition from either party — became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in 1981 .
Both sides are mobilizing for a wrenching confirmation fight punctuated by crucial issues before the court — healthcare , abortion access and even the potential outcome of the coming presidential election .
Some protesters showed up early Monday morning outside the homes of key GOP senators .
At a Trump rally later Monday in Ohio , people chanted , “ Fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would choose a woman , and he admitted that politics may play a role .
He gave a nod to another election battleground state , Michigan , and White House officials confirmed he was referring to Joan Larsen , a federal appeals court judge there .
The president also indicated that Allison Jones Rushing , a 38-year-old appellate judge from North Carolina , is on his short list .
His team is also actively considering Kate Todd , the White House deputy counsel who has never been a judge but was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate returned to Washington on Monday , several key GOP senators , including Mitt Romney of Utah , declined to say whether they would agree to a swift vote .
Four Republicans could halt a quick confirmation and Trump criticized Republican Sens .
Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for opposing a vote before elections .
The president warned they would be “ very badly hurt ” by voters .
Others , including GOP Sens .
Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Cory Gardner of Colorado , declined to join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump went so far as to disparage reports that Ginsburg had told her granddaughter it was her wish that a replacement justice not be confirmed until the inauguration of a new president .
With no evidence — just “ it sounds to me like ” — he suggested the wish came from his political foes including Rep. Adam Schiff , the House Intelligence Committee chairman .
Schiff said Trump sank to a new “ low ” with that comment .
He said he had nothing to do with Ginsburg ’ s dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make it come true.
” A day earlier , Biden appealed to Republicans to join Murkowski and Collins in opposing a confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election .
He said , “ Let the people speak .
Cool the flames that have engulfed our country.
” On Monday , Biden focused on joblessness and the pandemic rather than the court vacancy as he campaigned in Wisconsin , aligning himself with the country ’ s workers , especially those who voted for Trump in 2016 after having backed Obama and himself four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in the U.S. are surging past 200,000 and said of the count , which many Democrats say Trump has done too little to stop , “ I worry we ’ re risking becoming numb to the toll that it has taken on us and our country and communities like this.
” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer objected to what he called McConnell ’ s “ utterly craven ” pursuit of Supreme Court confirmation under current circumstances , warning it would shatter Senate norms .
“ It ’ s enough to make your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and his team are working closely with Democratic leaders in Congress , and he has spoken with Schumer .
The sudden vacancy seems certain to electrify both parties : Democrats were breaking fundraising records while a packed Trump crowd in North Carolina Saturday loudly chanted “ Fill that seat.
” But it remains unclear if the high bench vacancy will persuade disenchanted Republicans to return to Trump or fire up women or suburban voters to break for Biden .
Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate .
If there were a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Vice-President Mike Pence .
Jaffe reported from Philadelphia .
Lemire reported from New York .
Laurie Kellman , Mark Sherman , Kevin Freking and Mike Balsamo in Washington , Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Steve Peoples in New York contributed to this report .

Lisa Mascaro, Zeke Miller And Jonathan Lemire - The Associated Press