thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Tennessee state senator charged with stealing federal funds

MEMPHIS , Tenn. - A Tennessee state senator has been charged with stealing more than $ 600,000 in federal funds received by a health care company she directed and using the money to pay for her wedding and other personal expenses , federal prosecutors said Wednesday .
A criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday charges state Sen. Katrina Robinson with theft and embezzlement involving government programs and wire fraud , U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said in a news release .
Robinson , a Democrat elected to the General Assembly in 2018 from a Memphis district , is also the director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for jobs in the health care field , prosecutors said .
The Memphis-based school received received more than $ 2.2 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .
From 2015 through 2019 , Robinson stole more than $ 600,000 and used it to pay for her wedding and honeymoon , a 2016 Jeep Renegade for her daughter , travel and entertainment for her family , and an event for her state Senate campaign , prosecutors said .
She also used the money to pay for legal fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a snow cone business operated by her children , prosecutors said .
The FBI searched the school and her home in February .
FBI agents visited her home again on Tuesday , FBI spokesman Joel Siscovic said .
If convicted , Robinson faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison .
Robinson would be up for re-election in 2022 .
During a news conference , Robinson ’ s attorney Janika White said federal prosecutors were using a statute to charge Robinson that is “ broad and overreaching “ and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robinson is a nurse who has been travelling outside of the state to help treat patients during the new coronavirus pandemic .
Robinson , who is Black , said she will continue serving her district in the Senate “ with the same integrity , the same passion that I ’ ve demonstrated since you ’ ve elected me to this office.
” “ It is believed that if I were not in the position that I ’ m in , that if I did not champion the voices , the views and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not be in this moment right now , ” Robinson said .
Lt .
Governor Randy McNally will be asking the Senate Ethics Committee to look into the “ serious criminal charges , ” spokesman Adam Kleinheider said in an email .
In a statement , the Senate Democratic Caucus said Robinson ’ s work in the state Legislature “ is not in question “ and she “ deserves the presumption of innocence and due process.
” According to its website , The Healthcare Institute was founded in January 2015 .
Its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July .
The school received a grant from the Health and Human Services Department for a certified nursing assistant program focused on geriatric populations and educational programs .
The school also includes phlebotomy and electrocardiographic technician instruction .
An FBI affidavit alleges the federal funds were deposited into the school ’ s bank account for its operations .
The funds were then “ commingled indiscriminately with personal expenditure for the benefit of Robinson and her immediate family , ” FBI special agent Matthew Pruitt wrote .
The FBI said the department received a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school ’ s funds to buy a Louis Vuitton handbag for $ 550 .
Robinson also spent thousands on credit card payments , hair and beauty supplies , and improvements to her body esthetics business and her house , including a wrought iron front door valued at more than $ 5,000 , the FBI said .
She also spent more than $ 4,700 on makeup , video services and a party for her wedding , and $ 5,000 on a trip to Jamaica , the FBI said .
Over a four-year period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than she was allowed to under salary amounts permitted by the federal grant , the affidavit said .
The criminal complaint details the charges against Robinson and the facts that support the allegations .
A federal grand jury will also decide whether to formally indict her .
AP reporter Jonathan Mattise contributed to this report from Nashville , Tennessee .


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Epstein’s ex-girlfriend tries late bid to seal testimony

NEW YORK - A British socialite charged with recruiting three girls for Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse made a last-minute bid Wednesday to stop the public release of her 2016 testimony in a civil case .
Ty Gee , a lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell , told a Manhattan judge that the depositions by his client should be kept sealed , in part because they are evidence in the criminal case brought against her on July 2 .
U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska denied what she described as an “ eleventh-hour “ request after last week ordering the public release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she also delayed the release of the depositions through Friday to give Gee time to appeal .
He immediately did with the 2nd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan .
Maxwell , 58 , has pleaded not guilty to charges that she procured the girls , including one as young as 14 , for Epstein to abuse in London and the United States in the 1990s .
She remains at a federal jail in Brooklyn after bail was denied because she is a risk to flee .
The charges against Maxwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself in a Manhattan lockup where he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges .
If convicted , she could face up to 35 years in prison .
Gee said Maxwell only revealed “ intimate information about her personal life “ in a case brought by one of Epstein ’ s accusers , Virginia Giuffre , because a confidentiality agreement between parties in the case “ specifically excluded an exception for law enforcement.
” “ Had the language not been made an order of the Court , Ms. Maxwell would have proceeded in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also told the judge that lawyers in the case may have used the need for depositions to set a “ perjury trap ” for his client .
The lawyer said the public release of the April and July 2016 depositions should be blocked because they form the basis of criminal perjury charges in the indictment brought against Maxwell .
But Preska said he could have made that argument for the last month .
The perjury charges pertain to Maxwell ’ s answers to questions posed by lawyers in the civil case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruit underage girls for sexual massages .
Excerpts from seven hours of depositions of Maxwell were made public last year along with over 2,000 pages of documents from the since-settled lawsuit .
“ The unsealing of Ms. Maxwell ’ s deposition transcript would result in substantial negative media publicity and speculation in an internet world , “ Gee wrote .
“ The public ’ s right of access to Ms. Maxwell ’ s deposition transcript is substantially outweighed by the compelling interest in ensuring her right to a fair trial.
” Lawyers for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervened to secure the public release of documents , were sent messages seeking comment .

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thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Judge halts immigration rule on public benefits, cites virus

NEW YORK - A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a Trump administration rule that could deny green cards to immigrants over use of public benefits from being applied during the pandemic .
The controversial guidelines had gone into effect in February , after legal challenges and amid concerns that they would have a chilling effect on immigrants in seeking medical care and other social services .
In issuing the preliminary nationwide injunction , U.S. District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan said , “ Any policy that deters residents from seeking testing and treatment for COVID-19 increases the risk of infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adverse government action that targets immigrants , however , is particularly dangerous during a pandemic.
“ U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services had said in March that the new guidelines would not apply to immigrants with coronavirus or virus symptoms if they got care , but Daniels said that announcement was “ plainly insufficient “ over a number of concerns , like whether other forms that might be needed , like food stamps , would also be exempt .
“ Simply relying on the compassion or sympathy of immigration officials is not rational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempting to amend those rules , “ he wrote .
An email seeking comment was sent to the Department of Justice .
Immigrant advocates were pleased with the decision .
“ Immigrants , especially people serving as essential workers combating the spread of the coronavirus , need access to life-saving healthcare , food assistance , and other essential services in order to both tackle the pandemic and protect their families without fear of immigration consequences , “ said Susan Welber with the Legal Aid Society , among the plaintiffs ’ attorneys .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late last year , but were blocked by legal challenges .
The Supreme Court in January ruled that they could go into effect while the lawsuits were underway and declined to revisit the issue in April .
Under the new guidelines , immigrants applying for permanent residency must show they wouldn ’ t be burdens to the country and expands the factors that immigration officials could use to make that judgement .


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Trump administration won’t accept new DACA applications

CHICAGO - The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will reject new applications and shorten renewal periods for an Obama-era program that shields young people from deportation , taking a defiant stance after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to let it be scrapped completely .
The move , detailed in a memo from Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf , ended a month of uncertainty about how the administration would respond to its Supreme Court defeat in an election year that has President Donald Trump looking for ways to energize his base .
Wolf said the administration may try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program again , casting it as a law enforcement issue that could contribute to illegal immigration .
He said the federal government needs more time to consider next steps , presenting the measures as a temporary change .
“ DACA makes clear that , for certain large classes of individuals , DHS will at least tolerate , if not affirmatively sanction , their ongoing violation of the immigration laws , ” Wolf wrote in the memo .
About 650,000 people are part of DACA , which allows young immigrants who were brought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shields them from deportation .
Roughly 66,000 more would be eligible if new applications were accepted because they met the age requirement — 15 — after the Trump administration tried to end the program in 2017 , according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute .
The government will deny all new applications , limit renewals to one year instead of two , and deny requests by DACA recipients to visit their home countries unless there are “ exceptional circumstances.
” Recipients may seek permission to return home for family events , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons , though the Trump administration has generally denied them .
The Supreme Court ruled last month that Trump failed to follow rule-making procedures when he tried to end the program , but the justices kept a window open for him to try again .
The White House has been devising plans to make another push to end DACA , though it was not immediately clear whether he would make the politically sensitive move before November ’ s election .
Democratic rival Joe Biden wants to keep DACA unconditionally .
A federal judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program should be restored to its original form , but the administration was mum until Tuesday on whether it would start accepting new applications .
The White House anticipates legal challenges .
The administration ’ s monthlong silence had unnerved many DACA recipients and those who wanted to join .
U.S. District Judge Paul Grimm of Maryland , an appointee of President Barack Obama , has given the administration until the end of Friday to update the U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services ’ website and start adequately explaining why applications are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration ’ s authority to roll back parts of the program .
“ This is a move that is in defiance of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling and a federal court ruling , ” said Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia , an immigration law professor at Penn State Law in University Park , Pennsylvania .
“ It ’ s a lawless landscape that we are in.
” The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition accused the administration of further marginalizing immigrants .
The American Business Immigration Coalition called it economically harmful .
And the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yearslong fight to prevent the program ’ s demise .
Laura Mendoza , a program manager at The Resurrection Project in Chicago , joined DACA in 2013 and will have to renew next year .
She said the $ 495 annual renewal fee would be difficult for many to pay .
“ It ’ s infuriating that we continue to be the punching bag for the administration , ” she said of fellow DACA recipients .
“ The administration is slowly dismantling the program.
“ Wolf , the Homeland Security chief , acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a burden on DACA recipients who will have to apply annually instead of every other year , effectively doubling the cost .
He said the department would consider lowering the fee .
Trump has tried unsuccessfully to work with Congress on a broader immigration package that would couple DACA with tougher enforcement measures .
He has said lately that he would announce sweeping new steps on immigration , a promise he reiterated Tuesday .
“ We ’ re going to work with a lot of people on DACA , ” Trump told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also working on an immigration bill , a merit-based system , which is what I ’ ve wanted for a long time.
” Trump said he would make DACA recipients “ happy ” without saying how .
Top Democrats urged for a legislative solution that would allow for a pathway to U.S. citizenship .
“ With the presidential election just three months away , it ’ s clear the president will do everything possible to rally his supporters at the expense of Dreamers , ” according to a statement from U.S. Sen. Dianne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Judiciary Committee , referring to the name often used for DACA recipients .
“ They shouldn ’ t have to live under the constant fear that DACA protections will be ripped away at any moment.
” Spagat reported from San Diego .
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report .
This story was first published on July 28 , 2020 .
It was updated on July 29 , 2020 , to make clear that roughly 66,000 more people would be eligible for the Deferred Action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were accepted because they met the age requirement after the Trump administration tried to end the program in 2017 .

Sophia Tareen And Elliot Spagat - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Stray souvenirs: Without fans, MLB foul balls left lonely

OAKLAND , Calif. - Mookie Betts made a running catch in foul territory and immediately spotted something just over the padded outfield wall at Dodger Stadium : a lonely , stray baseball .
After signing a $ 365 million , 12-year contract , the new LA leadoff man wasn ’ t above a little cleanup duty in his debut .
He leaned over the railing , scooped up the ball and tossed it behind the right-field fence .
From Target Field to PNC Park and Busch Stadium , there are baseballs scattered everywhere with no fans inside to chase them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No scrambles for souvenirs in the upper deck .
No races for home run blasts in the bleachers .
No jump balls for foul balls in the box seats .
Some clubs have been more frugal than others when it comes to collecting baseballs .
Betts , for instance , took it upon himself to grab that abandoned ball after making a nifty grab in the sixth inning of Thursday night ’ s season opener against the San Francisco Giants .
The Mets , meanwhile , were quick to fetch a homer by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Citi Field after it crashed into a cardboard cutout of a dog belonging to New York All-Star Jeff McNeil .
The pooch sure showed off a good set of paws — a stadium attendant found the home run ball sitting in the seat propping up the likeness of Willow McNeil .
“ I think we ’ re going to save money , I guess , “ Angels manager Joe Maddon said .
“ I ’ m sure somebody ’ s going to sweep it up afterwards .
They ’ ve got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there after the game , as opposed to blowing hot dog wrappers , let ’ s go find baseballs .
Everything about all of this is different .
We ’ re getting used to it.
” In the Angels-Athletics opener Friday night , Oakland slugger Khris Davis fouled a 76 mph curveball from Andrew Heaney straight back into the second deck of the Coliseum in his first at-bat .
The next batter , Matt Olson , fouled off a pitch down the third-base line and into a section of lower-level seats .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and quickly rolled down the stairs to the very bottom row .
An approach taken by some teams is sending out souvenirs to fans if their cardboard cutout gets hit by a ball .
Longtime A ’ s supporter Richard Lovelady lucked out Friday night when his cutout — section 126 , row 24 , seat 4 — was struck by Olson ’ s foul .
Lovelady , head brewer and owner of Lovelady Brewing in Henderson , Nevada , hopes to eventually thank Olson with a free drink .
“ My first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 5 years old ( 1973 ) and I ’ ve gone to many , many A ’ s games over the years .
Never have I been close to catching a foul ball or home run !
” Lovelady wrote in an email .
“ Thanks to my family and co-workers , who bought me the cutout , my long drought is over !
“ After Lovelady learned the A ’ s would donate $ 81.10 to a local charity because his image was hit by a foul ball , he pledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food bank Three Square in Henderson and encouraged others to help charities if they could .
A ’ s President Dave Kaval just grinned at the news , saying , “ What a great story.
” When fans do come back to the ballpark eventually , Angels slugger Justin Upton thinks they should get a special surprise — the chance to pick up all those baseballs in the bleachers that have been fouled off or hit over the fences for home runs .
“ It ’ ll be great when the fans get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think they should just leave them there as long as it doesn ’ t get too crazy where there ’ s balls everywhere , ” he said .
“ When the fans are allowed back in the stadium , allowing them to walk in and maybe at their feet being able to pick up a baseball from the season before.
“ There might not be so many in Minnesota .
Dustin Morse , senior director of communications for the Twins , might be this year ’ s ball-hawking MVP after making it his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least he owns the early lead .
Morse spent the opening weekend tracking down every Twins home run , a brave task one year after the “ Bomba Squad ” set a major league record with 307 homers .
He scoured the stands and found Minnesota ’ s first seven long balls before deciding he couldn ’ t keep up and announcing his retirement from fetching Tuesday night .
“ I ’ m tired , ” Morse wrote , posting a photo of capable club mascot , T.C .
Bear , holding a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Learned from the best.
” At Coors Field , Colorado ’ s coaches sometimes scurry through the bleachers to throw back home run balls from batting practice .
Manager Bud Black recently witnessed general manager Jeff Bridich collecting a few , too .
“ He ’ s watching the game , obviously , but he ’ s getting his steps in by retrieving foul balls , ” Black said .
“ It ’ s difficult for me to imagine a cardboard cutout going to retrieve a foul ball and going to the concession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That would be sort of fun to see.
” AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker and AP Sports Writers Jake Seiner in New York and Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Australian mom takes dad to court over daughter’s tattoo

SYDNEY , Australia - An Australian woman has taken her ex-husband to court for giving their 16-year-old daughter permission to get a tattoo .
Bradley Victory , 45 , pleaded not guilty in Picton Local Court outside Sydney on Wednesday to charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm .
The charges stem from an ankle tattoo of a dreamcatcher , a symbol with Native American origins , The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday .
His ex-wife Nadene Rees brought the private prosecution .
Private individuals can prosecute others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police won ’ t lay charges .
Their daughter , Casey Victory , who has turned 17 since she got the tattoo last New Year ’ s Eve , supported her father in court .
“ It ’ s horrible ... Dad ’ s done nothing wrong and it was my choice to get it done , ” she told the newspaper .
“ Dad ummed and aahed about it ... Dad ’ s like : ‘ I ’ m not going to be hypocritical ’ — he ’ s got tattoos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wales state law , it is illegal to tattoo anyone under the age of 18 without written permission from a parent or guardian .
Defence lawyer Carolyn Shiels told the court in a letter that the daughter had had no contact with her mother in three years .
Shiels confirmed the father had signed the consent form .
Court documents show that parental responsibility for the daughter is shared equally between the mother , father and the father ’ s parents .
The case will return to court in September .
Bradley Victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She was 16 , she got a tattoo and her mother doesn ’ t want her to have a tattoo .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Judge allows El Salvador ex-defence minister house arrest

SAN SALVADOR , El Salvador - A judge ordered house arrest Wednesday for a former El Salvador defence minister who was arrested last week for his involvement in a pact with the country ’ s main gangs in 2012 .
Prosecutors accuse retired Gen. David Munguía Payes of the equivalent of criminal conspiracy , arbitrary acts and failure to comply with his duties for the gang truce that aimed to lower the country ’ s sky high murder rate under President Mauricio Funes .
Funes who fled to Nicaragua and received asylum there faces the same charges .
Prosecutor Álvaro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was based on concerns about Munguía ’ s hypertension .
Munguía is barred from leaving the country , must remain at home and can not have contact with anyone else involved in the case .
The Funes administration allegedly made a pact with the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs to dramatically lower the country ’ s murder rate .
In exchange , the gangs ’ imprisoned leaders were moved from maximum security to medium security prisons where they were able to continue managing the gangs ’ operations .
Funes has denied any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Munguía was previously called to testify in another case related to the pact , he said it was public policy born in Funes ’ security Cabinet .
“ My role was to facilitate the work of mediators and receive reports from the mediators and members of the ( Organization of American States ) and keep the president of Republic informed of advances in the process , ” Munguía said .
During the pact , daily homicides dropped from about 14 to five .
But the pact dissolved in September 2013 after El Salvador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his position and new authorities withdrew the privileges that imprisoned gang leaders had received .
Homicides then rose again .


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Pelosi orders masks for voting after Gohmert tests positive

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will require that masks be worn on the House floor after a Republican member of Congress tested positive for the coronavirus .
The member , Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert , often shunned wearing masks and was known to vote without one .
Pelosi announced on the House floor Wednesday evening that all members will be required to wear a mask and one will be provided if they forget .
She said failure to wear a mask is a “ serious breach of decorum ” and members could be removed from the chamber if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be able to temporarily remove them while speaking , however .
“ It ’ s a sign of respect for the health , safety and well-being of others present in the chamber and in surrounding areas , ” Pelosi said .
Gohmert tested positive just before he was scheduled to travel to his home state with President Donald Trump .
He was forced to abruptly cancel his plans , and immediately faced criticism from colleagues for not always wearing a mask on Capitol Hill , where face coverings are not mandatory and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act , ” one lawmaker said .
The 66-year-old Gohmert , one of the House ’ s most conservative and outspoken members , told a Texas news station that he tested positive at the White House and planned to self-quarantine .
He is at least the 10th member of Congress known to have tested positive for the coronavirus .
The congressman ’ s positive test raised further questions about the lack of mask and testing requirements in the Capitol as members frequently fly back and forth from their hometowns and gather for votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP senators said they were pushing for more regular testing in the Capitol .
“ I think particularly for members of Congress who are going back and forth , they represent sort of the perfect petri dish for how you spread a disease , ” said GOP Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri , chairman of the Senate Rules Committee .
“ You send 535 people out to 535 different locations , on about 1,000 different airplanes , and bring them back and see what happens .
It seems to me there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmaker , Gohmert participated in the House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday where Attorney General William Barr testified .
Before the hearing , Gohmert was seen approaching the meeting room a few feet behind Barr , and neither man was wearing a mask .
Gohmert also voted on the House floor Tuesday and attended a House Natural Resources Committee hearing , where a staff member could be seen sitting close behind him on the dais as he talked without a mask .
The chairman of that committee , Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In the meantime , my work schedule and the lives of my employees are disrupted , ” Grijalva said .
“ This stems from a selfish act by Mr. Gohmert , who is just one member of Congress.
” When Gohmert flew to Washington from Texas on Sunday , he sat next to Rep. Kay Granger , R-Texas , who also went into quarantine after learning of her colleague ’ s test results .
Mask-wearing is strongly encouraged but not enforced for lawmakers in the Capitol , while other workers and law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks .
There is no required testing , and lawmakers , reporters and staff often ignore health authorities ’ advice to stay several feet apart .
Pelosi has tried to encourage mask use , and committees have rules requiring the wearing of face coverings in hearing rooms .
They still won ’ t be required in hallways or personal offices , which are often cramped .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , has also pushed the use of masks , and most senators have worn them .
But a few have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a doctor who says it ’ s unnecessary because he previously tested positive for the virus .
There is no proven science saying that a person can not get the virus again .
In a television interview , Gohmert said he was given a rapid test by the White House that came back positive , and then took a more thorough test to rule out a false positive .
That test came back positive as well , so “ apparently I have it , “ Gohmert told KLTV ’ s East Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask use for months , also went as far as to say that wearing a mask may have been how he contracted the virus .
Medical experts say masks are one of the best ways to prevent transmission of the virus , which is thought to mainly spread through people who are in close contact .
After Gohmert tested positive , Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Barr would be tested Wednesday .
Gohmert did not wear a mask while questioning Barr , but the seats in the hearing room are spaced many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is common practice to remove masks during questioning .
During the hearing with Barr , the committee chairman , Rep. Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , chastised some of Gohmert ’ s GOP colleagues for not wearing masks when they weren ’ t speaking .
Nadler did not call out Gohmert by name .
In a tweet Wednesday , Nadler said : “ When individuals refuse to take the necessary precautions it puts everyone at risk .
I ’ ve regularly instructed all members to wear their masks and hope this is a lesson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat , Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal , tweeted that lawmakers should “ wear a damn mask !
” “ It ’ s not a joke , not a conspiracy theory , not a game , ” Jayapal said .
“ It ’ s serious — it ’ s public health & science .
By refusing to consistently wear a mask , Rep. Gohmert & other Republican colleagues have not only put us in harm ’ s way but our staff , families , Capitol workers too.
” Multiple GOP senators said Wednesday they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McConnell and Pelosi jointly rejected Trump ’ s offer for rapid testing for lawmakers in May , saying they wanted instead to direct resources to front-line workers .
That decision has rankled some of their colleagues , including Blunt and Sen. Lamar Alexander , chairman of the Senate Health , Education , Labor and Pensions Committee .
Blunt said he believes that lawmakers who are travelling should be tested every time they travel , and that staff and others should be tested occasionally .
He said McConnell and the Capitol physician would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to happen , and he doesn ’ t know why they aren ’ t .
Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo and Matthew Daly contributed to this report .

Alan Fram And Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Alaska requiring negative virus tests for nonresident travel

JUNEAU , Alaska - Nonresident travellers to Alaska will need to show they tested negative for COVID-19 shortly before arriving as part of an effort aimed at minimizing cases and preserving testing supplies and protective gear , Gov .
Mike Dunleavy said .
“ We ’ re not trying to make this difficult for folks to come here , ” Dunleavy said during a Tuesday evening news conference .
“ We just want to make sure that we are taking care of Alaskans first.
” The changes take effect Aug. 11 and will require nonresidents arrive with negative results from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dunleavy said enforcement details are being worked out .
Currently , travellers have several testing options , including taking a test within three to five days of leaving for Alaska and being tested at an airport location when they arrive in Alaska .
Those opting not to test can quarantine for 14 days .
Under quarantine , one is to leave their location only for medical emergencies or necessary medical care .
Dunleavy indicated quarantine would no longer be an option for nonresident travellers under the new protocols .
“ We feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straight to a testing approach that requires folks coming in to have a negative , ” he said .
“ So , if you come to Alaska , you should have a negative.
” Some people will say this is a burden or problematic , he said .
“ There ’ s no doubt that every aspect of our lives is going to be impacted by this virus , including travel , ” Dunleavy said .
Alaska residents still can be tested at airports , he said .
Dr. Anne Zink , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there has been a “ rapid increase ” in new cases among residents and nonresidents .
Travel does not appear to be the main driver of the recent increase in cases among Alaska residents , according to a slide she presented Tuesday .
Many of the new resident cases are among those in their 20s , with cases among residents in their 20s and 30s up , according to the slide .
Zink urged residents to avoid large gatherings , particularly those indoors ; to wear face coverings in public , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hands as a way to slow the virus ’ spread .
The state has reported nearly 2,800 cases of COVID-19 involving residents and 645 involving nonresidents .
It also has reported 22 COVID-19-related deaths .
The Municipality of Anchorage said Wednesday it was opening five additional testing sites .
Mayor Ethan Berkowitz recently imposed limits on gathering sizes and the number of people allowed in bars , restaurants and entertainment venues in response to rising coronavirus cases there .
Bill Falsey , incident commander at the municipal emergency operations centre , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leads to quicker identification of cases and more effective disease containment.
” For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness and death .


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--Mexico supreme court dodges substance in abortion decision

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s Supreme Court avoided taking up substantively the issue of abortion Wednesday by rejecting an injunction issued by a judge on technical grounds .
Anti-abortion groups celebrated the decision and feminist organizations criticized the court for using technicalities to dodge the issue .
In Mexico , abortion in the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy is allowed only in Mexico City and the southern state of Oaxaca .
But federal law allows abortion in situations where the woman was a victim of rape without establishing any time period to carry out the procedure .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on an injunction granted in Veracruz state that ordered the state legislature to remove articles from its criminal code that criminalized abortion and limited access to it in cases of rape .
Women ’ s groups believed that if the Supreme Court upheld the injunction they could have used a similar tactic in other states that have not changed state legislation to be in line with federal abortion law .
The justices on Wednesday voted 4 to 1 that the Veracruz legislature had not failed to act on the federal government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the subject .
The dissenting judge argued current Veracruz law runs against the dignity and health of women and international conventions signed by Mexico .
Veracruz law only allows abortion in the case of rape , requires an existing police report and only within 90 days .
Verónica Cruz , a lawyer and director of the non-profit organization Las Libres , said the case before the court was “ not going to decriminalize abortion , nor declare unconstitutional abortion as a crime.
” It only tried to say that Veracruz state lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government recommendation in late 2017 , she said .


thetorontostar--2020-07-29--The Latest: Zuckerberg questioned on viral misinformation

WASHINGTON - The Latest on testimony before a congressional committee by the CEOs of Facebook , Apple , Amazon and Google ( all times local ) : Democratic chairman of a House antitrust panel says Facebook is making money off dangerous lies that could have deadly consequences .
Rep. David Cicilline lodged the accusation at the tech company ’ s CEO , Mark Zuckerberg , Wednesday during a congressional hearing also featuring testimony from the heads of Apple , Amazon and Google .
Cicilline noted a series of popular conspiracy theories — including that the coronavirus pandemic is a hoax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s platform during the deadly virus ’ grip across the globe .
“ It brings the most activity which , of course , produces great profit , ” Cicilline said to Zuckerberg .
Zuckerberg offered assurances that the social network ’ s users don ’ t want to see misinformation in their feeds , so the company has taken big steps to scrub its site of inaccurate coronavirus claims .
But that only invited more push back from Cicilline , noted out that just on Monday the company struggled to take down a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Americans don ’ t need to wear masks and an unproven anti-malaria drug , hydroxychloroquine , as a sure-fire way to treat the virus .
The video raked in more than 20 million views before Facebook started removing it , with dozens of other versions of it still cropping up .
Earlier in the hourslong hearing , GOP congressmen had complained that Facebook , YouTube and Twitter took down that same video at all , describing it as censorship .
Nodding to that political tightrope he ’ s walking on , Zuckerberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ we ’ ve been quite aggressive in taking some of that down , as some of the questioning from the other side of the aisle has shown so far.
” U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly ripped the CEOs of Apple , Amazon , Google and Facebook while likening them to copycats , liars , bullies , drug dealers and traitors in an attempt to prove it ’ s time to crack down on their technology powerhouses .
The barrage of unflattering comparisons and allegations of misconduct unfolded Wednesday during an extraordinary hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos , Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg before a congressional committee .
The committee is looking into allegations that the companies have been abusing the popularity of their products and services to stifle competition and innovation .
All four CEOs appeared via video because of the pandemic .
Lawmakers were particularly harsh on Google , whose dominant search engine serves as the main gateway to the internet , and Facebook , whose social network with more than 2 billion people has has had trouble blocking efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sway elections and sow social unrest .
Both Pichai and Zuckerberg insisted their companies have worked hard to fix any problems on their services and strive to improve their mostly free services to keep their users happy to they can continue to sell the ads that bring in most of their revenue .
Rep. David Cicilline , a Democrat , told Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at a hearing Wednesday that evidence shows that the e-commerce giant is only interested in dominating the market and is “ fundamentally anti-competitive.
” Cicilline said “ Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a House Judiciary panel , Cicilline is looking toward possible new legislation to update century-old antitrust laws .
But Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner rejects the idea that legislation is needed — showing it could be a difficult mission for Democrats in Congress .
The Bezos , along with the CEOs of Apple , Facebook and Google were answering lawmakers ’ questions about their companies ’ practices as a House panel caps its yearlong investigation of market dominance in the technology industry .
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says he can ’ t guarantee that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data to make competing products , an allegation that the company and its executives had previously denied .
His comments came Wednesday during a congressional hearing into the market dominance of four tech giants — Amazon , Google , Facebook and Apple .
Regulators in the U.S. and Europe have been scrutinizing Amazon ’ s relationship with the businesses that sell on its site and whether the online shopping giant has been using data from the sellers to create its own private-label products .
“ We have a policy against using seller specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Bezos , in a response to a question from Rep. Pramila Jayapal , a Democrat from Amazon ’ s home state of Washington .
“ But I can ’ t guarantee to you that that policy hasn ’ t been violated.
” A Wall Street Journal article from April quoted Amazon employees who said they did have access to seller data to make competing products , including a car trunk organizer that Amazon copied .
Bezos said he was aware of the article and is still looking into the allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satisfied that we ’ ve gotten to the bottom of it , ” he said .
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is again being put on the defensive in a congressional hearing over the social network ’ s role as a conduit for Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
And Rep. Jamie Raskin , a Maryland Democrat , has brought the issue current with concerns that right-wing groups are using Facebook to infiltrate the Black Lives Matter movement and to spread anti-Semitic propaganda .
Zuckerberg says Facebook uses sophisticated technology to intercept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s seen on the platform .
“ It hurts our business , ” he said .
Zuckerberg ’ s comments came at hearing that also featured Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos , Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai .
The CEOs are answering for their companies ’ practices as a House panel caps its yearlong investigation of market dominance in the industry .
Facebook internal company documents are being deployed against CEO Mark Zuckerberg by lawmakers asserting that the company has gobbled up rivals to squelch competition .
Rep. Jerrold Nadler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judiciary Committee , told Zuckerberg at a hearing Wednesday that documents obtained from the company “ tell a very disturbing story ” of Facebook ’ s acquisition of the Instagram messaging service .
He said the documents show Zuckerberg called Instagram a threat that could “ meaningfully hurt ” Facebook .
Zuckerberg responded that Facebook viewed Instagram as both a competitor and a “ complement ” to Facebook ’ s services , but also acknowledged that it competed with Facebook on photo-sharing .
Some critics of Facebook have called for the company to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The questioning came at a congressional hearing that also featured Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos , Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai .
The chairman of a Congressional committee investigating the power of major technology companies accused Google of leveraging its dominant search engine to steal ideas and information from other websites and manipulating its results to drive people to its own digital services to boost its profits .
Rep. David Cicilline peppered Google CEO Sundar Pichai with the allegations of abusive behaviour while grilling him Wednesday during a hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bezos , Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on virtual hot seats while answering questions posed through a video stream .
Pichai repeatedly deflected Cicilline ’ s attacks by asserting that Google tries to provide the most helpful and relevant information to the hundreds of millions of people who use its search engine each day .
He said this is part of its effort to keep them coming back instead of defecting to a rival service , such as Microsoft ’ s Bing .
Pichai struggled to answer one question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from its search engine database after the restaurant review site told Google to stop scraping its site for content .
Yelp raised that issue about a decade ago before before Pichai became CEO in 2015 .
This story has been updated to correctly identify the CEO of Amazon in the item on unflattering comaparisons .
He is Jeff Bezos .


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Aid group: Darfur attacks strand 14,000 without medical help

CAIRO - A recent surge of violence in Darfur , the war-scarred region of western Sudan , has deprived more than 14,000 children of medical care , a leading aid group reported on Thursday .
Save the Children said it was forced to close two major health facilities and its field office in the village of Masteri in west Darfur .
An assault there last Saturday killed 60 civilians , including five toddlers , according to the U.N .
Hundreds of Arab militiamen shot families , stole livestock and torched hundreds of homes in the area , forcing over 10,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents in dire need of aid , according to the U.N. Save the Children said it had no choice but to close facilities that provide nutritional and health services , fearing for the safety of its staff .
“ If the centres are not reopened soon , children ’ s lives will be put at further risk , ” said Arshad Malik , the group ’ s Sudan director , at a time when a staggering 1.1 million children are facing severe hunger in Sudan , more than twice the amount reported last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase the number of children in need.
” Residents of Masteri say they are stranded .
“ We have no hospital , there is effectively no help , and people are terrified , ” said Mustafa Younes , a senior leader of the displaced community in Masteri .
Earlier this month , on July 13 , he watched dozens of militiamen on horses and camels storm the town and kill two women , one who he knew to be pregnant .
“ The farms are burned and hundreds are fleeing to Chad , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Younes said .
The episode in Masteri was just the latest in a string of at least seven attacks in the past few weeks that recalled the brutal tenure of ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir .
In the early 2000s , al-Bashir waged a scorched-earth counterinsurgency campaign against ethnic minority rebels who blamed the government for economic and political marginalization .
Government forces and primarily Arab militias known as the Janjaweed are accused of widespread atrocities in the conflict , which killed over 300,000 people and forced 2.7 million to flee their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital , Khartoum , was indicted for war crimes and genocide by the International Criminal Court .
The fighting gradually declined but violence continues to flare , as Arab militias roaming the provinces remain heavily armed and retain control over the land they ’ ve seized .
Ethnic tensions still simmer , frequently erupting into tribal clashes during the summer agricultural season .
Al-Bashir ’ s government collapsed when the military removed him from power in April 2019 following months of massive street protests .
A ruling council jointly composed of civilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition to democracy and has promised to bring security to Darfur .
But Darfuris say their suffering is the same .
“ These attacks are out of the Bashir days , ” said Adam Regal , spokesman for a local organization that runs displacement camps in Darfur .
“ The government is not only allowing the Janjaweed to kill , but encouraging it.
” He pointed to an incident earlier this month , when Sudanese armed groups brutally dispersed protest camps in North Darfur , leaving over a dozen dead .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to feel safe , to work our fields in peace , ” Regal said .
“ This is planting season , and if we don ’ t get our seeds in the ground , we will see famine next year .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--At Lewis funeral, Obama calls for renewing Voting Rights Act

ATLANTA - Former President Barack Obama used Rep. John Lewis ’ funeral on Thursday to issue a stark warning that the voting rights and equal opportunity the late civil rights icon championed are threatened heading into the 2020 election .
Speaking from the pulpit of the church that Martin Luther King Jr. once led , Obama did not mention President Donald Trump .
But the first Black president drew unmistakable contrasts with his successor , and he implicitly lambasted how Trump has handled voting procedures and ongoing civil unrest amid a national reckoning over systemic racism .
Obama called on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which Trump and Republican congressional leaders have left unchanged since the Supreme Court diminished the landmark law in 2012 .
“ You want to honour John ?
Let ’ s honour him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die for , ” Obama said , arguing that the bipartisan praise for the Georgia congressman since his death isn ’ t enough .
Obama endorsed ending the Senate filibuster if that is what ’ s needed to pass an overhauled voting law .
He called the procedural hurdle that effectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ Jim Crow relic , ” referring to the segregation era .
The Democratic-led House has adopted a sweeping rewrite of the Voting Rights Act , now named for Lewis .
It faces opposition in the Republican-led Senate and likely couldn ’ t get 60 votes even if Democrats reclaim a narrow majority after the November elections .
Specifically , Obama called for all Americans being registered to vote automatically , restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences , expanding early voting , ending partisan gerrymandering of districts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama noted that the original Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its renewals drew Republican and Democratic votes in Congress and were signed by presidents from both parties .
Obama singled out former President George W. Bush , a Republican , who also spoke Thursday at Ebenezer Baptist Church near downtown Atlanta .
Still , Obama said , “ There are those in power doing their darnedest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws ... even undermining the Postal Service in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dependent on mail-in ballots.
” Hours before Lewis ’ funeral , Trump suggested delaying the November election , something he doesn ’ t have the authority to do .
Trump has falsely claimed that a surge of mail ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic will threaten the election ’ s legitimacy .
Trump has opposed moves in Congress to help the financially struggling U.S .
Postal Service handle the sharp uptick in mail voting .
Obama compared current national circumstances to the earlier civil rights era when Lewis helped lead the Student Nonviolent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King .
“ Bull Connor may be gone , but today we witness with our own eyes police officers kneeling on the necks of Black Americans , ” Obama said , alluding to the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer .
“ George Wallace may be gone , but we can witness our federal government sending agents to use tear gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators.
” Connor was the Birmingham , Alabama , police commissioner who ordered the use of police dogs and fire hoses against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-term governor of Lewis ’ native Alabama , built his political career on a defence of segregation and overt appeals to white grievances , and it was his state highway patrol who beat Lewis and others as they marched for voting rights in 1965 .
Trump , like Wallace in his multiple presidential bids , is campaigning as a “ law and order ” figure .
The president frames protesters who have gathered across the country since Floyd ’ s killing as anarchists who threaten the nation ’ s stability , especially in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal authorities to some cities over the objections of local authorities .
Lewis , who died July 17 at the age of 80 , was one of the original Freedom Riders , activists who challenged segregation on commercial bus lines in the Deep South during the early 1960s .
He was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington , where King delivered his “ I Have a Dream ” speech .
Bloody Sunday and the voting rights marches occurred two years later , months before President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medal of Freedom in 2011 .
Trump was the only living president who played no official role in a week of public remembrances for Lewis .
Besides Obama and Bush , former President Bill Clinton spoke Thursday at Ebenezer Baptist Church .
Former President Jimmy Carter , who is 95 , sent a statement read by the church ’ s senior pastor , the Rev .
Raphael Warnock .
Lewis had called Trump an illegitimate president ahead of his 2017 inauguration and chided him for stoking racial divisions .
Trump answered by calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk ( and ) no action ” and describing his Atlanta congressional district as “ crime infested.
” “ Someday , when we do finish that long journey towards freedom , when we do form a more prefect union – whether it ’ s years from now or decades or even if it takes another two centuries , ” he said , “ John Lewis will be a founding father of that fuller , fairer , better America .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Chinese scientist arrested after seeking medical care

SAN FRANCISCO - A Chinese scientist charged with visa fraud after U.S. authorities said she concealed her military ties was arrested after she left the Chinese consulate in San Francisco to seek medical care for her asthma , court documents showed .
Juan Tang , who has a doctorate in cellular biology , entered the United States on Dec. 27 , 2019 , to work at the University of California , Davis as a visiting researcher in the Department of Radiation Oncology , Alexandra Negin , an assistant federal public defender , said in the filing Wednesday asking the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing on whether Tang , 37 , should be released on bail is scheduled Friday .
She is being held at a Sacramento County jail on behalf of federal authorities after her arrest last week .
Tang and three other scientists living in the U.S. , face charges of lying about their status as members of China ’ s People ’ s Liberation Army .
All were charged with visa fraud , the Justice Department said .
Tang was the last of the four to be arrested after the Justice Department accused the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a known fugitive .
Negin said Tang went to the consulate to seek help and remained there after FBI agents questioned her at her Davis apartment on June 20 and executed a search warrant , seizing her passport and visa .
A criminal complaint was filed under seal on June 26 but Tang did not learn she had been charged with a crime until her July 23 arrest , Negin wrote .
When U.S. agents went to the Chinese consulate to inform her there was a warrant for her arrest Tang , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ in hysterics ” and consulate employees believed she needed to see a doctor .
the filing states .
Negin said she believes federal officers were surveilling the consulate and after seeing her leave in a vehicle with consular staff , followed them to a medical office where “ Ms .
Tang was seen , medically cleared and then arrested.
” Negin wrote Tang is not a danger to the community and could have remained in the consulate to avoid arrest .
“ Instead she agreed to leave consulate property knowing this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
Tang is married and has an 8-year-old daughter who is in China with Tang ’ s husband .
Tang left the family home at 18 to attend college and is a cancer researcher who had never travelled outside China before coming to the United States to do cancer research as part of a one-year program , Negin said .
Negin said Tang left her job in June as a visiting researcher at UC , Davis ’ Department of Radiation Oncology because her lab was closed due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to China .
Agents found photographs of Tang in a uniform of the civilian cadre of China ’ s PLA and also reviewed articles from China that identified her military affiliation .
But Negin argued the evidence against Tang is based on old photographs from when she was a student at a medical school run by the military and documents that were translated on apps .
“ That does not mean that she was ‘ in the military , “ Negin wrote .
“ She has every incentive to see this case through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the case is resolved , ” Negin added .

Olga R. Rodriguez - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Ex high-ranking Mexican officers charged in drug scheme

NEW YORK - Two former high-ranking Mexican law enforcement officials have been accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes to protect Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman ’ s notorious Sinaloa cartel , federal prosecutors said Thursday .
Luis Cardenas Palomino and Ramon Pequeno Garcia allegedly worked for Genaro Garcia Luna , Mexico ’ s former top security official , who is also facing drug trafficking charges .
According to prosecutors , the three men “ permitted the Sinaloa Cartel to operate with impunity in Mexico.
“ Garcia Luna is pending trial in New York on charges he conspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Thursday , a superseding indictment charged him with continuing criminal enterprise .
Cardenas Palomino and Pequeno Garcia have not been arrested , prosecutors said .
“ Through today ’ s superseding indictment , Garcia Luna and his co-conspirators will face justice for offences involving the importation and the distribution of massive quantities of dangerous drugs into the United States , “ said Seth D. DuCharme , Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York .
From 2001 to 2005 , Garcia Luna led Mexico ’ s federal investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he served as Mexico ’ s Secretary of Public Security .
Garcia Luna denies the charges and says he intends to fight them at his New York City trial .
His defence attorney , Cesar de Castro , has said the case is built upon the discredited — and self-serving — accounts of drug traffickers .
Garcia Luna is accused of accepting tens of millions of dollars in bribes — often stuffed in briefcases full of cash — to shield the Sinaloa cartel from law enforcement .
Before convicting Guzman last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard former cartel member Jesus Zambada testify that he personally made at least $ 6 million in hidden payments to Garcia Luna , on behalf of his older brother , cartel boss Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada .
Guzman was sentenced to life in prison last year after a jury convicted him in a massive drug conspiracy involving murder and mayhem .


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--UN leaders to meet virtually; Trump might attend in person

WASHINGTON - The annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations is going virtual this year for the first time in its 75-year history because of the COVID-19 pandemic — except for the likely personal appearance by President Donald Trump .
“ We ’ re hoping that President Trump will actually be speaking in person in the General Assembly , ” Kelly Craft , the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations , said Thursday , adding that he will be “ the only ” leader to speak in the assembly chamber .
In past years , thousands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual meeting of world leaders at the General Assembly , known as the General Debate .
During the weeklong gathering , presidents , prime ministers , monarchs and foreign ministers from the 193 U.N. member nations deliver a formal address , but much of the real action takes place at the hundreds of side events and private meetings , lunches and dinners .
Because of COVID-19 , General Assembly members agreed this month to have each country ’ s leader deliver a prerecorded speech that will be broadcast in the assembly chamber with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to be present .
Just a few side events will be permitted .
The speeches will start as scheduled on Sept. 22 , but will be preceded by an event on Sept. 21 marking the U.N. ’ s 75th anniversary .
The theme : “ The Future We Want , the U.N. We Need : Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism.
” At that event , assembly members will formally adopt a declaration to commemorate the 75th anniversary that diplomats agreed on in early July .
It recalls the U.N. ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a post-pandemic world that is more equal , works together and protects the planet .
Craft said that this year ’ s meeting is “ even more special ” because of the anniversary and that it ’ s important for the occasion to be amplified by all U.N. member nations .
For the United States , she said , “ we ’ re going to be focused on human rights issues , on transparency and on accountability .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--First Bolsonaro trip since recovery aims at opponents’ votes

BRASILIA , Brazil - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday took his first trip since recovering from COVID-19 , ignoring social distancing recommendations as he worked to chip away support in his political rivals ’ stronghold .
Bolsonaro said he intended to travel Brazil after beating the disease , which kept him confined to the presidential residence for more than two weeks .
On Saturday , he announced that he had tested negative , and chose as his first destinations two small cities in Brazil ’ s northeast — the second-most populous region and the only one he lost in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region voted overwhelmingly for the leftist Workers ’ Party .
The far-right leader flew to Piaui state where he was greeted by dozens of people crowding in front of the airport .
Bolsonaro shook hands and at times even removed his face mask .
Meanwhile , officials in the capital announced that Brazil ’ s first lady and a fifth member of Bolsonaro ’ s Cabinet tested positive for the new coronavirus .
Bolsonaro then flew to Bahia state to inaugurate a new public water supply system .
Its construction began during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Bolsonaro ’ s term , and was long-awaited in the area historically affected by severe droughts and scarce access to water .
The president removed his mask at a fountain and splashed water on supporters and allies who gathered around him .
Bolsonaro has downplayed the virus ’ severity , even after he was infected , arguing against restrictions on economic activity that he contends will prove far more damaging than the disease .
His approach to the pandemic runs counter to most health experts ’ prescriptions and is disapproved of by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent opinion polls .
Later in the day , Bolsonaro said in a live broadcast on his social media channels that he had taken a blood test after feeling “ a little weakness ” Wednesday .
He added doctors found “ some infection.
“ He was not wearing a mask .
After once more advertising chloroquine , an anti-malaria drug that is not scientifically approved for use to treat COVID-19 , Bolsonaro added he is now taking antibiotics to fully recover .
“ After 20 days inside the house we get other problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my lung , maybe that ’ s it , “ he said .
On Friday , he is scheduled to travel to Rio Grande do Sul state on the border with Uruguay .
In a speech during the water works event , Bolsonaro praised the northeastern region and said its residents should not view themselves as inferior to other Brazilians .
“ You are like people from all the other four regions of Brazil .
We are all equal , only one people , one race and one objective : to place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And you are the ones who give us the energy to fulfil our goal.
” Advisers have counselled the president to intensify public appearances in northeastern Brazil to improve his standing , as emergency cash the federal government doled out during the pandemic has bolstered his image among the poor , three officials who declined to be named because they aren ’ t authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press .
This trend in the northeast can already be identified in some opinion polls , said Antonio Lavareda , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal University of Pernambuco , another northeastern state .
“ In the northeast , people ’ s incomes are lower than the national average , so its residents are more susceptible to that ( the benefit ) ” Lavareda said by phone .
The government ’ s $ 115 monthly pandemic welfare payment was initially planned to last until June , but Bolsonaro extended it by two months .
Payments have already cost the government more than $ 32 billion and Brazil ’ s economy minister , Paulo Guedes , has said its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program much longer .
Bolsonaro this month also warned that it can ’ t persist indefinitely .
But the president ’ s political allies have started pressuring for another extension .
The handout has reduced extreme poverty to its lowest level in decades , according to a study released this week by the Getulio Vargas Foundation , a university .
Experts warn that poverty will rise again after the last monthly payment , currently slated for August .
Brazil will hold municipal elections in October .
Also on Thursday , Science and Technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he tested positive for the coronavirus after experiencing flu-like symptoms and headache .
He said he was in isolation .
The presidency ’ s press office later said in a statement that the president ’ s wife , Michelle Bolsonaro , also tested positive and appears to be in good health .
She joined her husband in the capital , Brasilia , on Wednesday when he participated in his first public event since recovering .
Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Police: Suspect shoots 3 Chicago officers who then shoot him

CHICAGO - A carjacking suspect being led into a Chicago police station on Thursday shot three officers , who returned fire and shot him , authorities said .
The officers and the gunman were rushed to a hospital , police spokesman Tom Ahern said .
One of the officers was shot in neck and a breathing tube had to be inserted , according to a doctor at the hospital where he was taken .
Ahern said another was shot in the chest but was wearing a bulletproof vest of vest and the third suffered a graze wound to his hip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were taken to a hospital to be treated for chest pains .
Ahern said he did not have any details on the condition of the suspect , whose name wasn ’ t released .
The suspect opened fire as the officers were walking him from a police vehicle into a station on the city ’ s northwest side , said Ahern .
“ They were bringing him to the station when the offender was able to fire shots at the officers and they returned fire , ” he said .
Ahern said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sketchy , and it wasn ’ t clear if the suspect somehow overpowered an officer and took his gun or if he had his own weapon .
Suspects are routinely searched for weapons before they are placed in police vehicles .
Police Superintendent David Brown told reporters that the suspect was wanted in connection with a June 26 carjacking in downtown Chicago .
He said officers identified the stolen vehicle on Thursday morning , followed it and then took the driver into custody .


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Full appeals court agrees to wade into Michael Flynn case

WASHINGTON - The entire Washington-based federal appeals court is stepping into the legal dispute over former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn as it weighs whether a judge can be forced to dismiss a case that the Justice Department no longer wants to pursue .
The action Thursday by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacates a decision from a three-judge panel last month that ordered the case dropped .
The move also prolongs the fight over Flynn ’ s fate and represents one more dramatic development in a case that has taken unexpected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and turned Flynn into something of a cause celebre for Trump and his supporters .
The court set arguments for Aug. 11 .
It did not offer an explanation for its decision in a brief order posted online , but did say “ the parties should be prepared to address whether there are ‘ no other adequate means to attain the relief ’ desired.
“ Sidney Powell , a lawyer for Flynn , did not immediately return an email seeking comment , but tweeted the news and wrote , “ WOW !
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 last month that U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan had overstepped his bounds by not immediately granting the Justice Department ’ s request in May to dismiss the case against Flynn , who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period .
The panel ordered Sullivan to grant the department ’ s motion and to dismiss the case , but Sullivan asked for the dispute to be reviewed by the full court instead of just three judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department , in one of the signature prosecutions of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian election interference , followed a review by a U.S. attorney who was assigned by Attorney General William Barr to scrutinize the Flynn case .
That prosecutor , Jeff Jensen of Missouri , recommended that the department dismiss the case .
In its motion , the department said it had determined that the FBI had insufficient grounds to question Flynn about his contacts with the diplomat , Sergey Kislyak , and that any statements Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the broader counterintelligence investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign .
The FBI was alarmed by the December 2016 conversations because , on the calls , Flynn had encouraged Kislyak to refrain from escalating tensions over sanctions imposed by the Obama administration for Moscow ’ s interference in the election that Trump had just won against Democrat Hillary Clinton .
White House officials , meanwhile , had adamantly denied that Flynn and Kislyak had discussed sanctions .
Sullivan was prepared to sentence Flynn in December 2018 , but after upbraiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to postpone the proceedings so that Flynn could continue co-operating in hopes of receiving a more lenient punishment .
Flynn subsequently replaced his lawyers with a new trial team that has taken a far more adversarial approach toward the case , and he moved earlier this year to withdraw the guilty plea .
He was still awaiting sentencing at the time the department sought to dismiss the case .
Rather than immediately dismiss the case , Sullivan appointed a retired federal judge to argue against the Justice Department ’ s position and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in criminal contempt for perjury because he had previously pleaded guilty .
Flynn ’ s lawyers asked the appeals court to step in and order Sullivan to grant the department ’ s request .


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Election results may be delayed  -  but not because of fraud

WASHINGTON - A shift to mail voting is increasing the chances that Americans will not know the winner of November ’ s presidential race on election night .
But that doesn ’ t mean the results will be flawed or fraudulent , as President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday .
Trump , seeking to already undermine the results of an election he could lose , demanded that the winner of the Nov. 3 contest be known that night .
” I don ’ t want to be waiting around for weeks and months and literally , potentially if you really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ll never know , ” Trump told reporters .
The president has repeatedly raised unsubstantiated fears of fraud involving mail-in voting , which is expected to be more widely used in the November election out of concern for safety given the COVID-19 election .
On Thursday , as national and battleground state polls show Trump in political peril in his race against Democrat Joe Biden , he went even further , floating the idea of delaying the election until it could be conducted in person .
The prospect of a delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shifting Election Day is also virtually impossible for Trump on his own ; the date — the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every fourth year — is enshrined in federal law and would require an act of Congress to change .
What is more likely to be delayed is the result .
State election officials in some key battleground states have warned that it might take days to count the votes given what they expect will be a surge of ballots sent by mail .
In an election as close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tally in key states could keep news organizations from calling a winner .
“ It may be several days before we know the outcome of the election , ” said Jocelyn Benson , Michigan ’ s Democratic secretary of state , said in May .
“ We have to prepare for that now and accept that reality.
” Delayed results are common in a few states where elections are already conducted largely by mail .
But a presidential election hasn ’ t been left in limbo since 2000 , when ballot irregularities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court fights .
For some election experts and Democrats , the prospect of similar uncertainty is especially worrisome this year , given Trump ’ s frequent declarations that mail-in voting is fraudulent and a “ threat ” to his reelection .
The president has also refused to commit to accepting the results of the election , saying it ’ s too soon to make an ironclad guarantee .
Biden has said he thinks Trump may use his office to intervene and predicted earlier this summer that the president might try to delay the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow , come up with some rationale why it can ’ t be held.
” As voters look for a safer alternative to in-person voting , election officials from both parties have promoted mail-in and absentee voting options .
Requests for mail ballots have surged in the primaries .
Many states expect to be scrambling to process millions more in November .
While each state runs its own process , those mail ballots can take longer to count .
In some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several days after Election Day , as long as they are postmarked before polls closed .
And while some states count the ballots as they come in , others — notably the critical battlegrounds of Michigan and Pennsylvania — have laws that forbid processing mail ballots until Election Day , guaranteeing the count will extend well past that night .
That doesn ’ t mean The Associated Press and other news organizations won ’ t call a winner .
The AP regularly calls races before the official vote count is complete , using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races and extensive polling .
But in particularly tight contests , the AP and other news organizations may hold off on declaring a winner .
That could lead to a national roller coaster ride as the votes are counted .
In Arizona in 2018 , for example , Republican Martha McSally was narrowly winning the initial tally of in-person votes and mail ballots that had arrived days before Election Day .
More than a week later , after election officials were able to tally all the mail votes that arrived on Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race by more than 2 percentage points .
Arizona has since changed its procedures to try to speed up the vote count .
Associated Press writers David Eggert in Lansing , Mich. , and Marc Levy in Harrisburg , Pa. , contributed to this report .

Nicholas Riccardi And Will Weissert - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Australia to make Google and Facebook pay for news content

CANBERRA , Australia - The Australian government said on Friday it plans to give Google and Facebook three months to negotiate with Australian media businesses fair pay for news content .
The government has released a draft mandatory code of conduct that aims to succeed where other countries have failed in making the global digital giants pay for news siphoned from commercial media companies .
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Google and Facebook would be the first digital platforms targeted by the proposed legislation but others could follow .
“ It ’ s about a fair go for Australian news media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have increased competition , increased consumer protection and a sustainable media landscape , ” Frydenberg said .
“ Nothing less than the future of the Australian media landscape is at stake with these changes , ” he added .
If the U.S.-based platforms could not agree with the Australian media businesses on pricing after three months , arbitrators would be appointed to make a binding decision , the draft said .
The draft will be open to consultation until Aug. 28 , with the legislation to be introduced to Parliament soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as payment , the code covers issues including access to user data and transparency of algorithms used to rank and present media content .
Breaches of the code could attract penalties of up to 10 % of the platform ’ s annual turnover or a 10 million Australian dollar ( $ 7.2 milllion ) fine .
Frydenberg said the motive was not to protect Australian businesses from competition or disruption but to ensure they are paid fairly for original content .
The conservative government is pushing ahead with the changes after the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australian media companies .
Facebook and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment .


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--COVID patient didn’t recognize body after double transplant

CHICAGO - A Chicago woman who last month became the nation ’ s first COVID-19 patient to undergo a double lung transplant said Thursday that she woke up days later , unaware about the surgery and unable to “ recognize my body.
” Mayra Ramirez said that before she fell ill she was an independent , active person who moved from North Carolina to Chicago in 2014 to work as a paralegal .
She said she had an autoimmune condition , but was otherwise healthy .
She had gone on a three-mile run shortly before becoming ill and heading for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hurry up ( and ) change , ” she said .
“ I was asked who would be making my medical decisions for me .
That ’ s when I told them it would be my mother and eldest sister who all live in North Carolina .
I only had a couple minutes to contact them to let them know what was going on before I was intubated.
” Ramirez , 28 , spoke to the media on Thursday alongside Brian Kuhns , 62 , of Lake Zurich , Illinois , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient to undergo a double transplant .
Ramirez underwent the lung transplant on June 5 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago .
She didn ’ t wake up until mid-June .
“ I looked at myself and couldn ’ t recognize my body , ” she said .
“ I didn ’ t have the cognitive ability to process what was going on .
All I knew was that I wanted water.
” Dr. Ankit Bharat , chief of thoracic surgery and surgical director of the Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fought for her life for six weeks , with the virus completely destroying her lungs .
Doctors would call Nohemi Romero , her mother in North Carolina , with updates .
Ramirez , sitting next to her mother during a news conference at the hospital , said her family made the trip to Chicago with the intention of saying goodbye .
“ Luckily , once they arrived , my mother and my two sisters , the medical team was able to stabilize me , ” Ramirez said .
” They were explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother agreed to it .
And then within 48 hours , I received the 10-hour lung transplant.
” Bharat is calling Ramirez ’ s surgery a “ milestone ” in care for patients with severe COVID-19 .
“ Lung transplant isn ’ t for every patient with COVID-19 , but it does offer some of the critically ill patients another option for survival , ” Bharat said .
“ Mayra and Brian are living proof of that.
” Thoracic surgeon Dr. Rafael Garza Castillon said Northwestern is now considering performing the procedure on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus and have no other significant organ failure .
“ We are all learning together and sharing best practices , and now lung transplant is part of COVID-19 care , ” Bharat said .
Ramirez who is now at home , said she ’ s feeling much better , though she ’ s still working to rebuild her strength and endurance .
She said she knows there ’ s a family grieving their loved one .
“ It wasn ’ t until weeks later that I had the ability to , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a family out there that ’ s grieving their loved one , ” Ramirez said .
“ I have that person ’ s lungs and how lucky I was to have received it.
” Kuhns said he thought the virus was a hoax until he contracted it .
“ This disease is not a joke , ” he said .
“ It hit me like a lead slammer on my head .
I was perfectly healthy .
This thing took me down hard .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--2nd US virus surge hits plateau, but few experts celebrate

NEW YORK - While deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. are mounting rapidly , public health experts are seeing a flicker of good news : The second surge of confirmed cases appears to be levelling off .
Scientists aren ’ t celebrating by any means , warning that the trend is driven by four big , hard-hit places — Arizona , California , Florida and Texas — and that cases are rising in close to 30 states in all , with the outbreak ’ s centre of gravity seemingly shifting from the Sun Belt toward the Midwest .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will endure .
It ’ s also not clear when deaths will start coming down .
COVID-19 deaths do not move in perfect lockstep with the infection curve , for the simple reason that it can take weeks to get sick and die from the virus .
The future ?
“ I think it ’ s very difficult to predict , ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s foremost infectious-disease expert .
The virus has claimed over 150,000 lives in the U.S. , by far the highest death toll in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half-million others around the globe .
Over the past week , the average number of COVID-19 deaths per day in the U.S. has climbed more than 25 % , from 843 to 1,057 .
Florida on Thursday reported 253 more deaths , setting its third straight single-day record , while Texas had 322 new fatalities and California had 391 .
The number of confirmed infections nationwide has topped 4.4 million , which could be higher because of limits on testing and because some people are infected without feeling sick .
— The collateral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. economy shrinking at a dizzying 32.9 % annual rate in the April-June quarter — by far the worst quarterly plunge on records dating to 1947 .
And more than 1.4 million laid-off Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week , further evidence that employers are still shedding jobs five months into the crisis .
— Amid the outbreak and the bad economic news , President Donald Trump for the first time publicly floated the idea of delaying the Nov. 3 presidential election , warning without evidence that increased mail-in voting will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would require an act of Congress , and the notion ran into immediate resistance from top Republicans and Democrats alike .
— Herman Cain , the former pizza-chain CEO who in 2012 unsuccessfully sought to become the first Black candidate to win the Republican nomination for president , died of complications from the virus at 74 .
Based on a seven-day rolling average , daily cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. fell from 67,317 on July 22 to 65,266 on Wednesday , according to data kept by Johns Hopkins University .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Researchers prefer to see two weeks of data pointing in the same direction to say whether a trend is genuine .
“ But I think it is real , yes , ” said Ira Longini , a University of Florida biostatistician who has been tracking the coronavirus and has been a source of disease forecasts used by the government .
The Associated Press found the seven-day rolling average for new cases plateaued over two weeks in California and decreased in Arizona , Florida and Texas .
The trends in Arizona , Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curve a bit , “ said Jennifer Nuzzo , a Johns Hopkins public health researcher .
Those states , along with California , have been pouring large numbers of cases each day into the national tally .
So when those places make progress , the whole country looks better , she said .
Also , in another possible glimmer of hope , the percentage of tests that are coming back positive for the virus across the U.S. dropped from an average of 8.5 % to 7.8 % over the past week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Midwest , Democratic Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers ordered masks be worn statewide because of a spike in cases , joining some 30 other states that have taken such measures .
The latest surge in cases became evident in June , weeks after states began reopening following a deadly explosion of cases in and around New York City in the early spring .
Daily case counts rose to 70,000 or more earlier this month .
Deaths , too , began to climb sharply , after a lag of a few weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the result of more people embracing social distancing and other precautions .
“ I think a lot of it is people wearing masks because they ’ re scared , ” Longini said .
But Dr. Ali Khan , dean of the University of Nebraska College of Public Health , said the trend could also be due to natural dynamics of the virus that scientists to do not yet understand .
Without robust testing and other measures to keep the virus in check , a third peak is possible — or even likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Americans have been infected so far , experts said .
And there ’ s no reason to believe the peak can ’ t be larger than the first two .
“ This disease will continue to hopscotch around until it finds tinder — susceptible individuals — like any good fire , ” said Khan , a former top infectious-disease outbreak investigator at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Fauci said he is “ somewhat comforted ” by the recent plateau .
But a stabilization of cases at around 60,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level.
” He said he is also worried about rising percentages of tests coming back positive in states like Ohio , Kentucky , Tennessee and Indiana .
“ That ’ s a warning sign that you might be seeing a surge , “ Fauci said .
“ They ’ ve really got to jump all over that.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Mike Stobbe And Nicky Forster - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Vehicles burned in Mexico to protest US water payment

MEXICO CITY - Demonstrators in northern Mexico have burned several government vehicles , blocked railway tracks and set afire a government office and highway tollbooths to protest water payments to the United States .
Mexico has fallen behind in the amount of water it must send north from its dams under a 1944 treaty , but farmers in the northern state of Chihuahua want the water for their own crops .
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Thursday that the protests were being fanned by opposition politicians for their own motives .
He said there was enough water to comply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Some people are taking advantage now for their own benefit ... opposition politicians , in this case , ” López Obrador said .
The president criticized “ the attitude of confrontation ” and the burning of federal property , and promised “ the farmers , the inhabitants will not lack water.
” And he noted that further west along the border — notably in the Colorado River basin — Mexico receives four times more water from the United States than it gives under the treaty .
The protests appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chihuahua , near one of the dams where water is being released to flow northward .
Federal forces guarding the dam gates have clashed with protesters in recent weeks .
Photos from Delicias showed that demonstrators used heavy equipment to drag pickup trucks belonging to the national water commission to nearby train tracks where they were flipped over and and set afire .
Someone , apparently demonstrators , also set fire to a building where the commission has its offices , and flames ravaged a series of toll booths on a nearby highway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the state was investigating those who instigated the “ vandalism and violence ” and pledged “ the actions of the criminals will not go unpunished.
“ While Corral acknowledged there has been a large increase in water use in the area — including by farmers taking water they had no right to — he blamed Mexico ’ s federal government for mismanagement of water resources .
Under the 1944 treaty , Mexico owes the United States almost 400,000 acre-feet ( 486 million cubic meters ) this year that must be paid by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ releasing water from dams in Mexico .
Mexico has fallen badly behind in payments from previous years and now has to quickly catch up on water transfers .
The expansion of water-hungry crops has meant that Mexico has used 71 % of the northward-flowing Conchos River , while under the treaty it should use only 62 % of the water , letting the rest of it flow into the Rio Bravo , also known as the Rio Grande , on the border .
In the past , Mexico has delayed payments , hoping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would create occasional windfalls of water .
But while Hanna made landfall in Texas earlier this month , the storm ’ s rains did not reach far enough inland to fill dams in Chihuahua .
The water commission noted ruefully that , “ Even though Tropical Storm Hanna recently reached the northeast of the country , the international dams ( those involved in the treaty ) did not recover the desired volume , as the increased flow occurred downstream.
” The issue has resulted in clashes before .
In March , protesters burned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the La Boquilla dam , also in Chihuahua .
Earlier this year , López Obrador said there was enough water both for local farmers and payments to the United States .
“ We do not want an international conflict , ” the president said .
“ Treaties have to be lived up to .
If we have signed a treaty , we have to comply with it .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Election officials game out worst-case scenarios in drills

WASHINGTON - The Department of Homeland Security ’ s cybersecurity agency this week hosted a three-day tabletop exercise aimed at helping local , state and federal officials prepare for and respond to worst-case scenarios on Election Day .
The virtual exercise , which concluded Thursday , involved more than 2,000 participants who brainstormed ways to deal with problems and crises that could arise during a November election expected to bring unique challenges tied to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ One of the great things about them is they ’ re always designed to basically be your worst day ever .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ really forces you to think through a lot of issues , “ said Ben Hovland , a commissioner on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission .
This is the third year DHS has held these exercises , though this one was held virtually because of coronavirus concerns .
It comes at a particularly fraught moment as the nation edges closer toward a contentious presidential contest when an expected surge in absentee balloting is likely to delay the reporting of results and test election officials in profound , even unexpected ways .
And it unfolds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tripped up elections in several states this year .
President Donald Trump has added to the uncertainty of the election by making unsubstantiated allegations that increased mail-in voting will result in fraud and even floating the idea Thursday that the election could be postponed — though that extraordinarily unlikely event would require an act of Congress .
One imagined scenario during this week ’ s exercises involved a supply chain disruption affecting the ability to obtain ink for printing paper ballots , according to an email from the office of Iowa Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ink , envelopes , paper , etc .
we ’ re dependent on the timely delivery of materials to conduct the election , ” Pate said in the email .
In general , the scenarios were designed to be pragmatic , realistic ones , running the gamut from physical concerns ( protecting polling places and ballots ) , cybersecurity ones ( protecting against hacks of election infrastructure ) to disinformation campaigns that could affect public opinion .
The exercises , which include participants from governments but also private-sector election companies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole of nation “ effort needed to combat election threats , said Matt Masterson , a senior cybersecurity adviser at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , which hosted the event .
“ This is not just the federal government trying to figure out our plan , “ Masterson said .
“ This is the federal government , the state governments , local governments , the private sector all working together to say , ‘ OK , what more can we be doing , how do we understand these risks , what else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On the federal level , Masterson said , one of the continued areas for improvement is pushing out information on threats to local election officials in a timely and actionable way .
“ What we keep hearing from the election officials is , we appreciate you sharing information with us , but can you make it so that it ’ s shareable broadly , ” Masterson said .
The exercise was also aimed at helping states avoid some of the problems already experienced in some of the elections and caucuses this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ muddied the reporting of results in the Democratic presidential caucuses in February .
Voters waited as long as five hours to cast ballots in June primary elections in Georgia , which experienced problems with new voting machines and reduced staffing levels at polling places because of coronavirus concerns .
One additional benefit of the exercise is the personal connections that officials can build before a crisis occurs , said David Stafford , the elections county supervisor in Escambia County , Florida .
“ You build these relationships with people and get familiar with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Stafford said .
“ When and if the time comes that you do need to reach out and work with these individuals , you already have some existing relationships .
”


thetorontostar--2020-07-30--Prosecutor: No charges for officer in Michael Brown’s death

CLAYTON , Mo .
- St. Louis County ’ s prosecutor announced Thursday that he will not charge the former police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson , Missouri , a dramatic decision that could reopen old wounds amid a renewed and intense national conversation about racial injustice and the police treatment of people of colour .
Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell ’ s decision marked the third time prosecutors investigated and opted not to charge Darren Wilson , the white officer who fatally shot Brown , a Black 18-year-old , on Aug. 9 , 2014 .
A St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilson in November 2014 , and the U.S. Department of Justice also declined to charge him in March 2015 .
Civil rights leaders and Brown ’ s parents had hoped that Bell , the county ’ s first Black prosecutor who took office in January 2019 , would see things differently .
“ My heart breaks ” for Brown ’ s parents , a sombre Bell said during a news conference .
“ I know this is not the result they were looking for and that their pain will continue forever.
” Describing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most difficult things I ’ ve had to do , ” Bell said that his office conducted a five-month , unannounced , review of witness statements , forensic reports and other evidence .
“ The question for this office was a simple one : Could we prove beyond a reasonable doubt that when Darren Wilson shot Micheal Brown he committed murder or manslaughter under Missouri law ?
After an independent and in-depth review of the evidence , we can not prove that he did , ” Bell said .
But , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Darren Wilson.
” Wilson ’ s attorney , Jim Towey , said it was clear after three investigations that Wilson did nothing wrong .
“ We all had the same conclusion : There was no crime , ” Towey said .
“ I am just hoping that everybody gets to have some closure , particularly the Brown family , ” he said .
The shooting touched off months of unrest in Ferguson and made the St. Louis suburb synonymous with a national debate about police treatment of minority people .
The Ferguson unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement that began after Trayvon Martin , a Black 17-year-old , was shot to death by a neighbourhood watch volunteer in Florida in 2012 .
The issue has taken on new life since George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis in May after a white police officer pressed his knee into the handcuffed Black man ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes .
Ferguson is among the cities around the world that has seen protests since Floyd ’ s death .
“ This is a time for us to reflect on Michael ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s family and to honour a transformative movement that will forever be linked to his name , ” Bell said .
Brittany Packnett Cunningham , a Ferguson protester and educator who has become a national voice in the Black Lives Matter movement , said she is pained “ that there is still a gaping wound ” for Brown ’ s family .
She said she knows that the system must change .
“ I ’ m not disappointed — I ’ m fed up and ever more committed , truth be told , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Darryl Gray , a leading St. Louis activist , agreed that the system is at fault , not Bell ’ s investigation .
“ What came out of this is a recognition that the system is set up to protect police officers .
We now need to begin to address the legislation the police hide behind , “ Gray said .
Scott Roberts , senior director of criminal justice campaigns at Color Of Change , a national racial justice organization , said in a statement that Bell ’ s announcement “ perpetuates a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by allowing police to operate with impunity.
” Bell — who ran as a reform-minded prosecutor promising to eliminate cash bail for nonviolent offenders and to increase the use of programs that allow defendants to avoid jail time — faced no restrictions in re-examining Brown ’ s death .
Wilson was never charged and tried , so double jeopardy was not an issue .
There is no statute of limitations on filing murder charges .
As the news conference drew to a close , an activist who said he is a friend of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s over !
One term !
” Tory Russell , 36 , of St. Louis , screamed at the prosecuting attorney .
Police officers gently led him from the room .
Russell later told The Associated Press that he had just spoken with Michael Brown Sr. “ He is hurting , and he ’ s not accepting of this.
” The shooting happened after Wilson told Brown and a friend to get out of the street as they walked down the middle of Canfield Drive .
A scuffle between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fatal shot .
Wilson said Brown , who was not armed , came at him menacingly , forcing him to fire his gun in self-defence .
Brown ’ s body remained in the street for four hours , angering his family and nearby residents .
Bell ’ s predecessor , longtime prosecutor Bob McCulloch , was accused by critics of swaying the grand jury to its decision not to indict Wilson — an accusation he emphatically denied .
Wilson resigned days after McCulloch ’ s Nov. 24 , 2014 , announcement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer .
The Justice Department also declined to charge Wilson , but issued a scathing report citing racial bias in Ferguson ’ s police and courts .
A consent agreement calls for sweeping reforms that are still being implemented .
Bell , a former Ferguson councilman , upset McCulloch , a staunch law-and-order prosecutor , in the 2018 Democratic primary and ran unopposed that November .
Bell , who , like McCulloch , is the son of a police officer , formed a special unit to look into officer-involved shootings like the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of potential wrongful convictions .
Brown ’ s mother , Lesley McSpadden , asked Republican Gov .
Mike Parson to reopen the investigation of Wilson in 2018 , but Parson ’ s office said it had no legal authority to appoint a special prosecutor .
Associated Press reporter Aaron Morrison in New York City and Heather Hollingsworth in Mission , Kansas , contributed to this report .
This story has been corrected to show that Trayvon Martin was not killed by a white officer .