thetorontostar--2020-06-08--2020 Watch: Has Trump hit bottom? Polls show him trailing

MONTCLAIR , N.J. - Presidential politics move fast .
What we ’ re watching heading into a new week on the 2020 campaign : Days to next set of primaries ( West Virginia and Georgia ) : 1 President Donald Trump enters the week hoping to rebound from one of the lowest points of his presidency as recent polls show that 8 in 10 Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and even spiraling out of control .
The president got a boost late last week with a better-than-expected jobs report , but he ’ s struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , the related economic fallout and nationwide protests against police brutality .
Joe Biden has formally clinched the Democrats ’ presidential nomination and begun to venture out beyond his basement home studio , but amid competing national crises that focus attention on actual governance the 2020 election continues to be all about Trump .
Last week ’ s jobs report was a desperately needed bright spot for the Republican president as a growing set of polls show him trailing Biden less than five months before Election Day .
That ’ s as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backing of Trump ’ s former chief of staff — warned that Trump was violating the Constitution and needlessly dividing Americans .
To cap off the week , a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll reported that 80 % of Americans feel the country is spiraling “ out of control.
” Republican operatives close to the Trump campaign privately concede the situation is dire but suggest there is an opportunity for Trump to convince voters that the nation is moving in the right direction again if the economy rebounds from its current state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn if last week ’ s jobs report was an anomaly or part of a trend as states accelerate the reopening process .
At the same time , Trump has considerable hurdles in his way as the debate over police brutality rages and coronavirus infections continue .
What will we learn from another set of primaries ?
Two states will host low-profile presidential primary elections this week : West Virginia and Georgia .
And while Biden and Trump have already secured their places on the November ballot , there will be lessons to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in how things play out in Georgia , which has emerged as a potential swing state in the Trump era .
What will African American turnout look like as protests rage over police brutality ?
And will the civil unrest and continued coronavirus concerns interfere with ballot access or mail voting or will those issues be a catalyst for increased turnout ?
Any trends that develop will help shape the narrative — and the campaigns ’ strategies — as the 2020 contest moves into the summer and beyond .
The president has offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but his frequent racially charged rhetoric has overshadowed any sense that he ’ s taking seriously the black community ’ s concerns about police brutality .
Trump shared a tweet over the weekend with his 82 million followers in which a supporter said Floyd being “ held up as a martyr sickens me.
” He has repeatedly highlighted looting and protest-related violence , even as it subsides , and referred to protesters as “ thugs , ” while ignoring the protesters ’ concerns .
And he has resumed attacks against black athletes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protest police brutality .
Trump ’ s willingness to use race to inflame tensions is a defining characteristic of his political brand , which began on a national scale when he questioned President Barack Obama ’ s birth certificate .
And it worked in 2016 .
The question is whether it will work a second time .
Before the protests exploded , polls suggested that Biden was eating into Trump ’ s support among white people .
As new polls are released in the coming days , we ’ ll be paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divisive strategy resonates with white people , particularly educated white people who have been turning their backs on Trump ’ s GOP .
Already , we ’ re seeing anecdotal reports that the police community is siding with Trump .
Does he have a plan for that ?
This week marks Biden ’ s self-imposed deadline to release his economic plan on housing , education and access to capital .
The former vice-president has a history of missing his own deadlines , so new details are far from guaranteed .
But the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s specific governing plans should he defeat Trump in November .
Politically , the specifics may matter most to progressives , who have only reluctantly rallied behind Biden ’ s candidacy after Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were defeated in the Democratic primary .
Trump will serve as a great unifier of sorts for Democrats this fall , but it remains to be seen whether Biden can energize the significant portion of the Democratic base that remains outright hostile to his moderate leanings .
Is the lockdown officially over for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no fewer than four times last week , while Trump made multiple public appearances and finished the week at an event in Maine that had the feel of a campaign rally .
Trump later this week is conducting his first in-person fundraiser since the pandemic .
Biden ’ s travel plans are largely up in the air , but he ’ s demonstrated a readiness to take on at least some health risk to communicate with voters beyond the awkward confines of his home studio .
The campaign says Biden will travel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s family but won ’ t attend his funeral , providing a video message instead .
Clearly , the campaign is moving into a new phase .
That ’ s even as thousands of new coronavirus infections are reported each day nationwide .
Lest anyone forget , both candidates are in their 70s and , by definition , “ high risk.
“ We ’ ll be looking for new details about Trump ’ s and Biden ’ s travel plans in addition to any new developments on each party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a home site because the governor wasn ’ t ready to promise to relax social distancing guidelines , while it remains unclear if Democrats will hold an in-person convention in Wisconsin at all .
Trump may be struggling to lead a divided nation through social unrest and a public health crisis , but those involved in his political operation believe nothing matters more to Trump ’ s reelection than the state of the U.S. economy .
He doesn ’ t need the unemployment rate to reach pre-pandemic levels to win this fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the nation is moving in the right direction .
Last week ’ s better-than-expected jobs report was a significant first step .
Still , he has a long way to go .
It bears repeating the incredible Wall Street Journal/NBC poll finding that 8 in 10 Americans believe the country is spiraling “ out of control.
” 2020 Watch runs every Monday and provides a look at the week ahead in the 2020 election .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--New York poised to lift veil on police disciplinary files

ALBANY , N.Y. - A decades-old law that kept law enforcement officers ’ disciplinary records secret in New York appeared to be headed for an overhaul this week as state lawmakers moved to act on a number of police accountability measures prompted by street demonstrations over the death of George Floyd .
The state law , known by its section title , 50-a , was passed in the 1970s to prevent criminal defence attorneys from subjecting officers to cross-examinations about irrelevant information in their personnel file .
The law applies to jail guards and firefighters , as well .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draped a veil over most records of alleged police misconduct .
Formal complaints about excessive force by officers are not public in New York .
In recent years , police departments have cited the law in refusing to say even whether officers have been punished .
The Democrat-led Legislature planned to pass a repeal this week and Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Monday he intends to sign it , noting that such records are already available for other government employees , such as teachers and toll takers .
“ Their records will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is just parity and equality with every other public employee.
” The leaders of a coalition of police unions argued in a statement Monday that releasing such records , including complaints , could leave officers facing “ unavoidable and irreparable harm to reputation and livelihood.
” The legislation would provide officers with some privacy protections , including redaction of home addresses , personal phone numbers and email addresses .
The legislation was among a package of police accountability bills that began to move through the legislature Monday , and some of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assembly passed legislation that bans police chokeholds , guarantees the right to record police activity and collects more data on deaths in custody .
Another bill that makes it easier to file civil lawsuits against people who call 911 and falsely accuse someone of criminal activity based only on their race or background also passed .
A vote on opening police disciplinary records could come as soon as Tuesday .
Meanwhile , the protests that sparked the reform push continued around New York City on Monday , and organizers urged people to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polanco was cheered by hundreds at Washington Square Park as he asked for further change , including diverting funding from the city ’ s police department to the school system , social workers and programs that prioritize rehabilitation over punishment .
“ This is the closest we ’ ve ever been ” to lasting reforms , he said , but added “ we don ’ t want crumbs .
We want all of it.
” Later in the day , Polanco urged a crowd gathered at Gracie Mansion to call their senators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records law be repealed Tuesday .
Civil liberty and criminal justice reform groups have long pushed for a repeal of the law , but that effort got new momentum amid huge protests over Floyd ’ s death and images of violent confrontations between officers and demonstrators .
Only New York and Delaware have state laws that provide law enforcement “ with special carve outs from records disclosure , ” according to a statement from advocacy groups including Common Cause New York and the New York Public Interest Research Group .
“ What ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days is how much a lack of transparent accountability measures leads to police acting with impunity in our communities , ” said Michael Sisitzky , lead policy counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union .
“ We ’ ve seen police officers drive cars into crowds of protesters and pull down a person ’ s face mask in order to pepper spray them , ” Sisitzky said .
“ We ’ ve seen lawmakers arrested and pepper-sprayed while attempting to mediate.
” Critics of the repeal include Republican Sen. Patrick Gallivan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , home to the state ’ s second largest city , Buffalo — who noted the overwhelming number of complaints against officers are deemed unfounded .
“ I think people are calling for a reform that doesn ’ t get at any of the problems that we face as a society , ” Gallivan said in an interview .
The law gained widespread attention in 2016 , when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio argued it prevented the release of disciplinary records of the police officer involved in the chokehold death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — after he refused to be handcuffed for allegedly selling loose , untaxed cigarettes — came at a time of a growing public outcry over police killings of unarmed black men that gave impetus to the national Black Lives Matter movement .
Garner ’ s mother , Gwen Carr , last year urged Cuomo and New York state lawmakers to repeal a law that she has said “ is harming me and my family.
” This story has been corrected to reflect that the vote on the police records bill is expected later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writers Jim Mustian and Jake Seiner in New York and Michael R. Sisak on Long Island contributed to this report .

Marina Villeneuve - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Yosemite National Park to reopen this week with restrictions

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK , Calif. - California ’ s Yosemite National Park will reopen with restrictions this week after being @ @ @ @ @ 1/2 months because of the coronavirus outbreak , officials announced Monday .
The number of @ @ @ @ @ be restricted to about half those that normally visit this time of year , the @ @ @ @ @ In addition some park facilities including campgrounds and visitor centres will remain closed or have @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the virus .
“ It ’ s going to be a different @ @ @ @ @ we will continue to work hand in hand with our gateway communities to protect community @ @ @ @ @ Yosemite National Park , ” Acting Superintendent Cicely Muldoon said in a statement .
Yosemite @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 .
The park known for gushing waterfalls , granite peaks and giant sequoias @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Mexico president shuns virus test despite infected contact

MEXICO CITY - Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Monday he does not plan to get tested for the novel coronavirus , one day after the announcement that a high-ranking member of his administration he ’ d recently been in contact with was infected .
Zoé Robledo , director of Mexico ’ s social security system , announced Sunday night that he had tested positive , two days after he appeared with López Obrador at an event in the Tabasco state capital of Villahermosa .
The president ’ s security cabinet had also been present during that eventt “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the test because I don ’ t have symptoms , ” López Obrador said Monday .
“ Fortunately , I ’ m well and take care of myself , keep a safe distance.
” López Obrador returned to the capital Sunday after a weeklong tour of the country ’ s southeast .
He used the trip to kick off construction of a tourist train , one of his signature projects , and to illustrate the government ’ s efforts to reactivate the economy .
Some criticized the trip as risky and as sending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections continue to peak .
López Obrador had initially planned to fly the first leg to Cancun , but ended up driving the entire way .
López Obrador said no one else on the trip had fallen ill , but said he is reconsidering his next scheduled trip the coming week .
He also raised the possibility of a videoconference rather than a White House visit when the new free trade agreement with the United States and Canada takes effect July 1 .
López Obrador said the Washington visit wasn ’ t confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a videoconference .
That possibility exists to not have to travel , ” he said .
In late April , Mexico ’ s comptroller was infected and in early May , the head of the country ’ consumer protection office said he had tested positive .
Later Monday , the social security agency said in a statement that three other top administrators had tested positive , but were asymptomatic .
Mexico has now seen over 120,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 14,053 deaths , and officials acknowledge the real numbers are higher and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contagion yet .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Officers slashed tires on vehicles parked amid Minneapolis protests, unrest

MINNEAPOLIS—Two law enforcement agencies acknowledged Monday that officers patrolling Minneapolis during the height of recent protests knifed the tires of numerous vehicles parked and unoccupied in at least two locations in the midst of the unrest .
Video and photo images posted on the news outlet Mother Jones show officers in military-style uniforms puncturing tires in the Kmart parking lot at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue on May 30 .
Images from South Washington Avenue at Interstate 35W also showed officers with knives deflating the tires of two unoccupied cars with repeated jabs on May 31 .
Department of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were cut in “ a few locations.
” “ State Patrol troopers strategically deflated tires ... in order to stop behaviours such as vehicles driving dangerously and at high speeds in and around protesters and law enforcement , ” Gordon said .
Gordon said the patrol also targeted vehicles “ that contained items used to cause harm during violent protests ” such as rocks , concrete and sticks .
“ While not a typical tactic , vehicles were being used as dangerous weapons and inhibited our ability to clear areas and keep areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
As in all operations of this size , there will be a review about how these decisions were made.
” Deputies from Anoka County followed state orders and joined the patrol and also cut the tires on vehicles on Washington Avenue , Anoka County Sheriff ’ s Lt. Andy Knotz said .
Knotz said the deputies got their directions from the state-led Multiagency Command Center , which was co-ordinating law enforcement during the protests connected to the death on May 25 of George Floyd .
Towing the vehicles was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because “ you could not get any tow trucks in there ” because of the mass of people in the area .
Val Ebertz , who was at the protests , witnessed police slashing tires in the Kmart parking lot at the intersection of Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue in the midst of protests on May 30 .
She added these were the same officers who “ were tear-gassing and shooting us with rubber bullets to try to push us farther back into the Kmart parking lot.
” Kyla Cook was with Ebertz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in shock ” when she and others in the Kmart lot saw one member from a line of officers in riot gear knife the tires of an unattended pickup truck .
Among the vehicle owners whose tires were damaged was Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter Chris Serres , who was covering the protests the night of May 30 and returned to the Kmart lot about 1 a.m. and saw his car was among a few dozen with flattened tires .
“ As far as I could see , it looked like all their tires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Los Angeles documentary and television producer Andrew Kimmel said his tires were similarly slashed while parked in the Kmart lot .
His video of the damage on Twitter has been viewed more than 1.25 million times as of Monday afternoon .
“ It was every single car that was in the parking lot , ” said Kimmel , who has covered more than 100 protests in the past several years and added , “ I ’ ve never seen the tire slashing before , particularly in a parking lot.
” Spokespeople for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff ’ s Office and the National Guard said their personnel were not the ones shown damaging tires in the videos and photos that are making the rounds on social media .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Death toll in latest Mexico alcohol poisoning rises to 18

MEXICO CITY - Ten more people in Mexico have died from drinking alcohol adulterated with methanol , bringing the death toll in the latest incident to 18 , authorities said Monday .
Adulterated liquor has cost more than a hundred lives in the country since the coronavirus pandemic began .
The government of the southern state of Guerrero said Monday the latest 18 deaths occurred in and around the mountain township of Tlapa de Comonfort , after inhabitants drank a tequila-type drink from little-known brands .
called “ Rancho Escondido.
” Another 16 people were hospitalized for poisoning symptoms ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area is known for its impoverished farming hamlets .
The Guerrero Health Department said the liquor was labeled as “ distilled agave , ” the cactus-like plant from which both tequila and mescal are made .
Because tequila production is strictly limited to certain regions , drinks made outside those areas are sometimes labelled “ agave liquor.
” The department said at least three brands were implicated in the poisonings : “ Rancho Escondido , “ “ Jalón ” and “ 100 Años.
” The department said the victims were admitted to hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died .
Authorities seized 505 bottles of the liquor from four stores in the area .
Such deaths have mounted in Mexico since coronavirus lockdowns began and many towns banned legitimate liquor sales .
Many people also lost their jobs and apparently became unable to buy more professionally made liquors .
But officials have not said whether the poisonings have arisen from either of those factors .
In May , authorities said as many as 40 people died after drinking methanol in two states in central Mexico .
The suspect liquor in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Refino , ” which translates roughly as “ very fine.
” In late April , 25 people died in the state of Jalisco after drinking a cheap brand of cane alcohol known as “ El Chorrito.
” Methanol is a poisonous cousin of the ethanol alcohol in normal liquors and can not be smelled or tasted in drinks .
It causes organ and brain damage , and its symptoms include chest pain , nausea , hyperventilation , blindness and even coma .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--California sheriff: Gunman ‘very intent’ on killing police

SANTA CRUZ , Calif. - An Air Force sergeant and leader in an elite military security force was armed with homemade bombs , an AR-15 rifle and other weapons and had a desire to harm police when he launched a deadly attack on unsuspecting officers , a Northern California sheriff said Monday .
Gunfire and explosives rained down from a hillside Saturday afternoon as Staff Sgt .
Steven Carrillo fired from the high ground onto police who scrambled to find cover and defend themselves , Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said .
“ He was very intent on killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a news conference .
“ They had no idea that they were about to get into this firefight.
” One of Hart ’ s deputies , Sgt .
Damon Gutzwiller , 38 , was shot and killed .
Another deputy was shot in the chest — his bulletproof vest saving him — and suffered shrapnel wounds from an explosive and then was struck by Carrillo ’ s vehicle as the suspect fled the his home .
The deputy , whose name has not been released , was in stable condition and good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Highway Patrol officer was wounded in the hand .
Carrillo escaped , carjacked a vehicle and tried to carjack several others before being subdued through the herculean efforts of a heroic resident , Hart said .
The man saw Carrillo in his backyard and confronted him .
Carrillo , armed with the AR-15 , demanded the man ’ s car keys .
The man retrieved the keys , gave them to Carrillo and when Carrillo turned away the man tackled him and the rifle fell away from him .
As they struggled , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pants and tried unsuccessfully to light it .
He then pulled out a pistol and the man was able to knock it out of his hands and then subdue him as neighbours came to help , Hart said .
“ This guy could have done a lot more damage in our community , ” Hart said .
The man who subdued Carrillo does not want to be publicly identified , Hart said , but he plans to award him a medal .
Carrillo suffered a gunshot wound at some point and was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI also is investigating if Carrillo , 32 , has any links to the killing of a federal security officer who was shot outside the U.S. courthouse in Oakland during a protest against police mistreatment of black people on May 29 .
Authorities said the gunman opened fire from a white van .
On Saturday , deputies responded to a 911 call about a suspicious white van in Ben Lomond , an unincorporated area outside the beachfront city of Santa Cruz south of San Francisco .
The caller said guns and bomb-making devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies arrived , the van pulled away and they followed .
The van went down a driveway at Carrillo ’ s home , and the driver ambushed the deputies , authorites said .
Afterward , authorities found pipe bombs , multiple firearms , a large amount of ammunition and bomb-making equipment at the hillside , said Hart , who called Carrillo by name at the start of the news conference and then said “ I don ’ t even want to say his name again.
“ Neither Hart nor John Bennett , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in San Francisco , would provide additional information about the possible nexus between Carrillo and the Oakland shooting .
Carrillo was a team leader for the Phoenix Ravens at Travis Air Force Base northeast of San Francisco , as part of the 60th Security Forces Squadron .
The Phoenix Ravens are tasked with protecting aircraft and crews from assaults on airfields “ where security is unknown or additional security is needed to counter local threats , ” according to the Air Force .
Carrillo had no record of disciplinary issues during his military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for four months in 2019 , according to the Air Force .
Carrillo ’ s wife , Monika Leigh Scott Carrillo , who also was in the Air Force , was found dead in an off-base hotel in May 2018 while she was stationed in South Carolina .
She was 30 .
Her death was ruled a suicide , according to the Air Force .
Carrillo arrived at Travis Air Force Base the month after her death , the military said .
Bennett said it ’ s believed Carrillo was in California at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not a suspect .
Carrillo ’ s arraignment is scheduled for Friday afternoon .
He is expected to be charged with first-degree murder .
“ It ’ s very important for Damon ’ s memory that we get this case right , ” Hart said .
A fundraising site for the Gutzwiller ’ s family set up by the state ’ s largest law enforcement organization , the Peace Officers Research Association of California , had raised more than $ 230,000 by Monday afternoon .
Gutzwiller is survived by a pregnant @ @ @ @ @

Martha Mendoza And Stefanie Dazio - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Thousands mourn George Floyd in Texas amid calls for reform

HOUSTON - The last chance for the public to say goodbye to George Floyd drew thousands of mourners Monday to a church in Houston where he grew up , as his death two weeks ago continues to stoke protests in America and beyond over racial injustice , and spurred France to abruptly halt the use of police choke holds .
Reflecting the weight of the moment , the service drew the families of black victims in other high-profile killings whose names have become seared in America ’ s conversation over race — among them Eric Garner , Michael Brown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It just hurts , ” said Philonise Floyd , George Floyd ’ s brother , sobbing as he ticked off some of their names outside The Fountain of Praise church .
“ We will get justice .
We will get it .
We will not let this door close.
” Under a blazing Texas sun , mourners wearing T-shirts with Floyd ’ s picture or the words “ I Can ’ t Breathe ” — the phrase he said repeatedly while pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer — waited for hours to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body , dressed in a brown suit , lay in an open gold-colored casket .
Some sang “ Lean on Me ” and Houston ’ s police chief bumped fists and embraced others in line .
Funeral home spokeswoman La ’ Torria Lemon said at least 6,000 attended the service .
Some knew Floyd in the nearby housing projects where he grew up .
Others travelled hours or drove in from other states .
Those who couldn ’ t make it whipped up their own tributes : In Los Angeles , a funeral-style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the viewing began in Houston .
In Tennessee , residents of Memphis held a moment of silence .
Bracy Burnett approached Floyd ’ s casket wearing a homemade denim face mask scrawled with “ 8:46 ?
— the length of time prosecutors say Floyd , who was black , was pinned to the ground under a white officer ’ s knee before he died .
“ All black people are not criminals .
All white people are not racists .
All cops are not bad .
And ignorance comes in all colours .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when I viewed the body , ” Burnett , 66 , said .
Floyd ’ s death on May 25 has inspired international protests and drawn new attention to the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. by police and the criminal justice system .
Hours into the viewing , a judge in Minneapolis kept bail at $ 1 million for Derek Chauvin , the police officer charged with second-degree murder in Floyd ’ s death .
Chauvin , 44 , said almost nothing during the 11-minute hearing while appearing on closed-circuit television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Floyd ’ s death , the impact continued to resonate at home and abroad .
In Paris , France ’ s top security official said police would no longer permit chokeholds that have been blamed for multiple cases of asphyxiation and have come under renewed criticism after Floyd ’ s death .
In Portland , Oregon , the city ’ s police chief resigned Monday , just six months into her job , amid criticism of her department ’ s handling of protests in Oregon ’ s largest city .
An African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The shakeup came as police have been sharply criticized for using what has been called inappropriate force against some protesters as huge demonstrations continue in Portland .
“ With this happening to him , it ’ s going to make a difference in the world , ” said Pam Robinson , who grew up with Floyd and handed out bottled water to mourners waiting outside the church in Houston .
The punishing heat spiked above 90 degrees and got to dozens in line , including one person who was taken to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cooling tent .
Comill Adams said she drove more than seven hours from Oklahoma City with her family , including two children ages 8 and 10 .
They wore matching black T-shirts with “ I Can ’ t Breathe ” on the back — shirts she made up specially for the memorial .
“ We had been watching the protests on TV .
We ’ ve been at home feeling outraged .
At times it brought us to tears , ” Adams said .
“ The fact this one is causing change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of it.
” Mourners were required to wear masks over fears of the coronavirus and stood 6 feet apart as they paused briefly to view the casket .
On a stage behind the casket two identical murals showed Floyd wearing a black cap that read “ Houston ” and angel wings drawn behind him .
Republican Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott was among the first to view the casket , wearing a striped gold-and-crimson tie , the colours of Floyd ’ s Houston high school , where Floyd was a standout football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change the arc of the future of the United States .
George Floyd has not died in vain .
His life will be a living legacy about the way that America and Texas responds to this tragedy , ” Abbott said .
The Minneapolis City Council has vowed to dismantle the city ’ s 800-member police agency .
And in Washington , House and Senate Democrats held a moment of silence at the Capitol ’ s Emancipation Hall before proposing legislative changes in policing oversight , reading Floyd ’ s name and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and kneeling for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — now a symbol of police brutality .
Besides banning police chokeholds , the Justice in Policing Act would limit legal protections for police and create a national database of excessive-force incidents , according to an early draft .
Meanwhile , officials nationwide are already taking steps to outlaw chokeholds : California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered the state ’ s police training program to stop teaching them and Denver police announced Sunday they were banning them , effective immediately .
In New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that bans police chokeholds , guarantees the right to record police activity and collects more data on deaths in custody .
Floyd ’ s funeral will be Tuesday , followed by burial at the Houston Memorial Gardens cemetery in suburban Pearland , where he will be laid to rest next to his mother , Larcenia Floyd .
Former Vice-President Joe Biden met with Floyd ’ s family Monday , according to a photo posted on Twitter by the Rev .
Al Sharpton .
Biden will provide a video message for Floyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in Minneapolis and Raeford , North Carolina , near where Floyd was born .
“ Listening to one another is what will begin to heal America .
That ’ s just what Vice-President Biden did with the family of George Floyd for more than an hour .
He listened , he heard their pain and shared in their woe .
That compassion meant the world to this grieving family , “ said Ben Crump , the attorney for the Floyd family .
Cities imposed curfews as several protests last week were marred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smash-and-grab raids on businesses .
More than 10,000 people have been arrested around the country , according to reports tracked by The Associated Press .
But protests in recent days have been overwhelmingly peaceful — and over the weekend , several police departments appeared to retreat from aggressive tactics .
Several cities have lifted curfews , including Chicago and New York City , where the governor urged protesters to get tested for the coronavirus as concerns have been raised that demonstrations could lead to an increase in virus cases .
Associated Press writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Marina Villeneuve in Albany , and Bill Barrow in Atlanta , contributed to this report .

Juan A. Lozano And Nomaan Merchant - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Epstein prosecutor rejects Prince Andrew’s claim he offered to talk

Prince Andrew has squarely refused to co-operate with U.S. investigators probing Jeffrey Epstein ’ s sex crimes , a top American prosecutor said in an extraordinary public exchange with defence attorneys .
In response to a statement from the prince ’ s U.K. lawyers that he has repeatedly sought to talk to American investigators , U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman in New York said in his own statement Monday that Andrew has done nothing of the kind .
“ Prince Andrew yet again sought to falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to co-operate with an ongoing federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offences committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates , even though the prince has not given an interview to federal authorities , has repeatedly declined our request to schedule such an interview , and nearly four months ago informed us unequivocally — through the very same counsel who issued today ’ s release — that he would not come in for such an interview , ” Berman said in his statement .
The sparring marked a dramatic twist in a months-long probe launched by U.S. prosecutors in New York .
In March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to co-operate .
Then , this past weekend published reports said the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a formal request with the U.K. for the prince to provide testimony as part of the probe into Epstein .
That spurred Andrew ’ s lawyers at Blackfords LLP to challenge Berman on Monday , saying in their statement that the prince had offered to help three times since he was first approached by the U.S. on Jan. 2 .
“ Unfortunately , the DOJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duke has offered zero co-operation , ” according to the prince ’ s statement .
“ In doing so , they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered.
” The dueling assertions underscore the growing pressure on Andrew as U.S. prosecutors explore the full extent of Epstein ’ s actions .
The prince stepped away from his royal duties in November after comments he made during a television interview about his relationship with Epstein sparked outrage .
He said in a prior statement that his association with Epstein has become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family ’ s work and that he wanted to step aside from public duties “ for the foreseeable future.
” Andrew ’ s friendship with Epstein dates back more than 20 years , and the prince reportedly flew on the financier ’ s private jet and stayed at the financier ’ s properties .
He continues to “ unequivocally regret ” his “ ill-judged association ” with Epstein , he has said .
In Andrew ’ s statement Monday , his lawyers said they ’ ve been told the prince is not now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of the U.S. investigation .
A so-called target is a person for whom prosecutors have “ substantial evidence ” linking him or her to a crime and is a “ putative defendant , ” according to the U.S. Justice Department .
Epstein died in a Manhattan prison last year while waiting to face charges that he trafficked underage girls for sex .
Prosecutors have said that they continue to investigate Epstein and those who enabled his behaviour .
Blackfords didn ’ t immediately respond to an email seeking comment about Berman ’ @ @ @ @

Patricia Hurtado - Bloomberg,Andres Guerra Luz


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Crews inspect, but won’t yet remove, Richmond’s Lee statue

RICHMOND , Va. - Workers for the state of Virginia inspected Richmond ’ s huge statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monday before its planned removal .
While protesters have toppled some other Confederate statues and some cities have moved swiftly to remove what critics see as symbols of white supremacy , this monument won ’ t be so easy to take down .
Virginia ’ s Department of General Services said in a statement that it plans to remove the statue of the Confederate general on a date to be determined , as soon as possible .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , given the memorial ’ s weight and height .
“ The massive statue weighs approximately 12 tons , stands 21 feet tall , and has been on a 40-foot pedestal for 130 years , ” the agency said in a statement .
“ Meticulous planning is required to remove an aging monument of this size and scale safely.
” Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ordered the removal of the Lee monument last week amid nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd , a black man in Minneapolis who died after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his neck for nearly nine minutes .
Motivated by a bystander ’ s video of Floyd ’ s agony , demonstrators around the world have vowed to sustain a movement focused on addressing racial injustice and police brutality .
In the American South , they ’ re also advocating for the swift removal of Confederate monuments , with or without the approval of authorities .
Opponents of the monuments say they celebrate white supremacy and gloss over the nation ’ s history of slavery .
Others who advocate for keeping them say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removal amounts to erasing history .
Authorities have removed other symbols since protests erupted two weeks ago , including a massive obelisk in Birmingham , Alabama , and a bronze likeness of Admiral Raphael Semmes that had stood in a middle of a downtown street near the Mobile , Alabama , waterfront for 120 years .
In Fredericksburg , Virginia , a 176-year-old slave auction block was removed from the city ’ s downtown , and the United Daughters of the Confederacy removed its statue from Old Town , Alexandria .
In other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : In Richmond over the weekend , protesters toppled a statue of Gen. Williams Carter Wickham in a park near downtown , and in Bristol , England , a statue of slave trader Edward Colston met a watery end .
In Kentucky ’ s largest city on Monday , a city crew swiftly dismantled a statue depicting John Breckenridge Castleman on horseback , acting decisively after a court ruling Friday that followed nearly two years of legal wrangling and vandalism .
Castleman was a Confederate soldier and later a U.S. general who helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but has also been a symbol of support for slavery .
“ Too many people are suffering today because the promises of justice and equality enshrined in our Constitution are unfulfilled by a society that devalues African-American lives and denies African Americans justice , opportunity and equity , ” Fischer said .
“ That ’ s got to change .
People want and deserve action .
We need a transformation.
” In New Orleans , efforts are underway to rename the city ’ s Jefferson Davis Parkway to instead honour former Xavier University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runs along the border of Xavier , the nation ’ s only historically Catholic and black university , and five mayors including the current Mayor LaToya Cantrell have voiced support for the change , to be discussed at a city council meeting on June 18 .
Elsewhere , the University of Alabama has authorized moving three Confederate plaques and studying the names of buildings with an eye toward possible change .
The plaques will be moved from the main library to “ a more appropriate historical setting , ” according to a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alabama .
New Orleans already took down four Confederacy-linked monuments in 2017 after months of protests for and against their removal .
Now some advocates want the the statue of Andrew Jackson removed from Jackson Square in front of the city ’ s famed St. Louis Cathedral .
The statue honours Jackson ’ s role in defending the city during the Battle of 1812 , but he also owned slaves and as president orchestrated the removal of Native Americans from their lands along the Trail of Tears .
In Richmond , the Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders meanwhile have committed to taking down another four Confederate memorials on city land along Monument Avenue .
Together , they are among the nation ’ s most prominent collection of tributes to the Confederacy , and their planned removal has been widely praised by black leaders and activists .
Police officers blocked off streets leading up to the traffic circle that surrounds the Lee statue around 7 a.m. Monday .
Others ringed the monument with their vehicles .
Several top state officials , including Northam ’ s chief of staff , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hauled in on a flat-bed truck hoisted workers up to inspect the statue .
The work appeared to take only about an hour , and the scene was soon cleared .
___ Associated Press writer Ben Finley in Norfolk contributed to this report .

Steve Helber And Sarah Rankin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Democrats propose sweeping police overhaul; Trump criticizes

WASHINGTON - Democrats in Congress proposed a far-reaching overhaul of police procedures and accountability Monday , a sweeping legislative response to the mass protests denouncing the deaths of black Americans in the hands of law enforcement .
The political outlook is deeply uncertain for the legislation in a polarized election year .
President Donald Trump is staking out a tough “ law and order ” approach in the face of the outpouring of demonstrations and demands to re-imagine policing in America .
“ We can not settle for anything less than transformative structural change , ” said House Speaker Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s history of slavery .
Before unveiling the package , House and Senate Democrats held a moment of silence at the Capitol ’ s Emancipation Hall , reading the names of George Floyd and many others killed during police interactions .
They knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — now a symbol of police brutality and violence — the length of time prosecutors say Floyd was pinned under a white police officer ’ s knee before he died .
Trump , who met with law enforcement officials at the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” As activists beyond Capitol Hill call to restructure police departments and even to “ defund the police , ” the president tweeted , “ LAW & ORDER , NOT DEFUND AND ABOLISH THE POLICE.
” He declared later , “ We won ’ t be dismantling our police.
” Democratic leaders pushed back , saying their proposal would not eliminate police departments — a decision for cities and states — but establish new standards and oversight .
Joe Biden , the presumed Democratic presidential nominee , “ does not believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman Andrew Bates .
The Justice in Policing Act , the most ambitious law enforcement reform from Congress in years , confronts several aspects of policing that have come under strong criticism , especially as more and more police violence is captured on cellphone video and shared widely across the nation and the world .
The package would limit legal protections for police , create a national database of excessive-force incidents and ban police choke holds , among other changes .
It would revise the federal criminal police misconduct statute to make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in “ reckless ” misconduct and it would change “ qualified immunity ” protections to more broadly enable damage claims against police in lawsuits .
The legislation would ban racial profiling , boost requirements for police body cameras and limit the transfer of military equipment to local jurisdictions .
Overall , the bill seeks to provide greater transparency of police behaviour in several ways .
For one , it would grant subpoena power to the Justice Department to conduct “ pattern and practice ” investigations of potential misconduct and help states conduct independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ National Police Misconduct Registry , ” a database to try to prevent officers from transferring from one department to another with past misconduct undetected , the draft says .
A long-sought federal anti-lynching bill that has stalled in Congress is included in the package .
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler , D-N.Y. , a co-author with Rep. Karen Bass , D-Calif. , and Democratic senators will convene a hearing on the legislation Wednesday .
“ The world is witnessing the birth of a new movement in this country , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caucus , which is leading the effort .
While Democrats are expected to swiftly approve the legislation this month , it does not go as far as some activists want .
The outlook for passage in the Republican-held Senate is slim .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , whose Louisville hometown faces unrest after the police shooting of Breonna Taylor in her home , said he would take a look at potential Senate legislation .
It is unclear if law enforcement and the powerful police unions will back any of the proposed changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of their own proposals .
Republicans are likely to stick with Trump , and GOP campaign officials bashed efforts underway in some cities to reallocate police funds to other community services .
Yet McConnell was central to passage of a 2018 criminal justice sentencing overhaul the president signed into law , and some key GOP senators have expressed interest in more streamlined changes to policing practices and accountability .
Sen. Mitt Romney , R-Utah , who marched with protesters Sunday , told reporters late Monday at the Capitol that he is working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we can ’ t fashion a piece of legislation which could receive bipartisan support to make some changes to the way we do our policing.
” The chairman of the Judiciary Committee , Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , has said his panel intends to hold a hearing to review use of force and other issues , and other GOP lawmakers have suggested Floyd ’ s death could spark more modest changes .
Rep. Will Hurd , R-Texas , who marched in support of Floyd in Houston , penned an op-ed Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to respond if he was pulled over by the police , and suggested proposals for changes in police practices .
What started with the Black Lives Matter movement after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson , Mo.
, has transformed with the killings of other black Americans into a diverse and mainstream effort calling for changing the way America polices its population , advocates say .
“ I can ’ t breathe ” has become a rallying cry for protesters .
Floyd pleaded with police that he couldn ’ t breathe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while in police custody in 2014 before his death in New York .
“ All we ’ ve ever wanted is to be treated equally — not better , not worse , ” said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries , D-N.Y. Biden ’ s own platform reflects much of the approach from congressional Democrats , and his former presidential primary rivals , Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.Y. , and Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. , are co-authors of the package in the Senate .
Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor in Washington and Bill Barrow in @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--North Korea says it’ll cut off communication channels with South

SEOUL , KOREA , REPUBLIC OF—North Korea said Tuesday it ’ ll cut off all communication channels with South Korea as it escalates its pressure on the South for failing to stop activists from floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border .
The North ’ s Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday it will be “ the first step of the determination to completely shut down all contact means with South Korea and get rid of unnecessary things.
” KNCA says all cross-border communication lines will be cut off at Tuesday noon .
“ The South Korean authorities connived at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the riff-raff , while trying to dodge heavy responsibility with nasty excuses , ” KCNA said .
In recent days , North Korea has increasingly expressed its anger over the leafletting by threatening to permanently shut down a liaison office with South Korea and a jointly run factory park , as well as nullify a 2018 inter-Korean tension-reduction agreement .
The North Korean threats came amid a prolonged deadlock in its broader nuclear diplomacy with the United States , which has subsequently led to the straining of inter-Korean ties .
South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korean announcement .
But it has recently said it would push for new legal steps to ban activists from launching leaflets in an attempt to save faltering ties with North Korea .
But the North has countered the South Korean response lacks sincerity .
The leafletting has been a long-running source of tensions between the two Koreas .
In recent years , North Korean defectors and conservative activists have floated huge balloons carrying leaflets criticizing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over his nuclear ambitions and abysmal human rights record .
The North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to undermine the Kim leadership , has often made a furious response to the South Korean government .
South Korea has typically let activists launch such balloons , citing their rights to exercise freedom of speech , but it sometimes sent police officers to stop them from floating leaflets in times of tensions with North Korea .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Thousands of LA protesters won’t be charged over curfew

LOS ANGELES - Thousands of Los Angeles protesters arrested for violating curfew and other police orders will not be charged with a crime , prosecutors said Monday as hundreds took to the city streets carrying caskets to signify the death of George Floyd and others killed by police .
City Attorney Mike Feuer said his office will develop a court alternative that carries no punishment for those cited for violating curfew or failing to obey orders to leave demonstrations over the death of Floyd , a black man who died two weeks ago after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes .
District Attorney Jackie Lacey said she won ’ t file charges in protest misdemeanour cases from other parts of Los Angeles County .
The city had the largest number of the 10,000 protest arrests in the U.S. tracked by The Associated Press .
Demonstrations over police brutality and racial injustice have gripped the nation for days .
In the Los Angeles area , police and sheriff ’ s deputies arrested more than 3,000 people over days of mostly peaceful protests .
About 2,500 of those were in the city for violating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures the Los Angeles Police Department provided June 2 .
Police didn ’ t have an updated figure Monday .
The city imposed curfews over five nights , and the county and surrounding cities ordered people to stay home over several nights of protests that had at times devolved into looting and violence .
They used the curfew order to round up protesters who wouldn ’ t leave .
LA ended its curfew after the American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of Black Lives Matter , saying it suppressed First Amendment guarantees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Feuer did not provide specifics on how he would handle the cases but said some type of forum would bring protesters together with police and others to “ create an environment where participants really listen to each other.
” Lorraine Curiel , a retired social worker who joined others on the streets Monday for a memorial service for Floyd , cheered the news and said it would help protesters who couldn ’ t afford lawyers .
“ Yes !
This is what needed to be done , ” Curiel said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Prosecutors said they would keep pursuing charges for looting , burglary , vandalism and any violence .
Lacey has already charged more than 60 people with felonies related to the protests , the majority for looting .
The decision not to bring charges followed a weekend of peaceful protests that pressed forward Monday .
In Oakland , demonstrators gathered to decry the weekend shooting of Erik Salgado , 23 , whom organizers say was shot by California Highway Patrol officers in a neighbourhood near a school .
Protesters say officers fired dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salgado and injuring his pregnant girlfriend , who was in the passenger seat .
Oakland police , which are investigating the shooting , have only confirmed that a man was fatally shot and a female passenger is in stable condition at a hospital .
“ They could have shot a child , they could have shot anybody , they could have shot into someone ’ s home and killed someone , but clearly they didn ’ t care .
We want justice for Erik , we want it now , ” said Hoku @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as By Any Means Necessary .
In Sacramento , the state Assembly speaker and other key lawmakers on Monday backed making it illegal statewide for police to use a type of neck hold that blocks the flow of blood to the brain and can cause serious injury or death if used for too long .
The proposal appears to go beyond any other state .
Major law enforcement groups did not immediately say if they will oppose the move .
As the final public viewing for Floyd was held at a Houston church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Los Angeles rolled out funeral-style car processions that culminated downtown with a memorial service for Floyd .
Hundreds of people chanted “ Black Lives Matter ” and Floyd ’ s name .
Kelly Griffin , who wore a shirt saying , “ I am black history , ” brought her 12-year-old son , Isaiah McClurg , to his first protest to be part of history and someday tell his own kids about it .
“ I came because George Floyd was killed , “ Isaiah said .
“ And other people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that black lives matter.
” The gathering on a street near courthouses and City Hall felt more like a funeral than a protest with sermons and hymns and symbolic caskets for those killed by police .
“ It was more emotional ” than previous rallies , said Phylisha Stinson , who has been impressed by the daily demonstrations across the nation .
“ This is the highest level of momentum .
We have to keep it going so we can see real change.
“ Associated Press journalists John Antczak in Los Angeles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thompson in Sacramento contributed to this report .

Brian Melley And Christopher Weber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Concealing virus is latest Bolsonaro effort shore up base

RIO DE JANEIRO - As the coronavirus claims tens of thousands of lives in Brazil , President Jair Bolsonaro is focused on ensuring his political survival and mobilizing his far-right supporters to do so .
With less than one-third of Brazilians approving Bolsonaro ’ s handling of the pandemic , and protests against him increasing , analysts say he ’ s shoring up his base to shield himself from possible impeachment and improve governability .
“ He ’ s losing support and needs something to put in its place , ” Maurício Santoro , a professor of political science at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Bolsonaro needs people on the street defending him.
“ Casting doubt on COVID-19 statistics has been a mainstay in far-right circles and Bolsonaro has amplified that claim .
So far COVID-19 has killed more than 36,000 Brazilians , but one wouldn ’ t know it from the Health Ministry ’ s website ; it stopped publishing cumulative totals on Friday , the day after Brazil surpassed Italy to become third worldwide .
After backlash , a top Health Ministry official told reporters Monday night that the body would restore the cumulative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early as Tuesday , but with changes to the methodology for how daily deaths are tallied .
Critics complained that the extraordinary move to squelch the death toll resembled tactics used by authoritarian regimes .
It came after months of Bolsonaro downplaying COVID-19 and maintaining that economic meltdown would inflict worse hardship than allowing the virus to run its course .
Pollster Datafolha found that roughly 30 % of Brazilians surveyed May 25-26 rated Bolsonaro as good or excellent and also approved of his handling of the pandemic .
Bolsonaro foes , seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests for impeachment to Congress , where so far they ’ ve been stalled by the lower house speaker .
The president ’ s allies hope energized supporters could make it costly to support such moves .
The muted support for Bolsonaro was on display the past weekend , with protests against Bolsonaro ’ s government held in 20 cities while pro-government demonstrations were significantly smaller than prior weekends .
Bolsonaro still enjoys considerable support on the far right .
Backers in April were quick to join his call to defy social isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Then they echoed the president ’ s call to treat COVID-19 with chloroquine , which many doctors refuse to prescribe for lack of evidence it can help and fear it may hurt some .
Olavo de Carvalho , an influential far-right idealogue , said May 12 the “ supposedly deadly virus ” was nothing more than a scare tactic to cow the population into slavery .
Bolsonaro has tried to energize his base by joining weekend rallies in the capital that feature banners denouncing the Supreme Court and Congress , sometimes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On May 31 , he flew over the crowd in an Army helicopter and , after landing , rode into the plaza on horseback flanked by mounted military police .
On Friday , he pledged to make it easier for police officers and servicemen to import guns for personal use , part of the far-right ’ s longstanding demand to make guns more accessible .
“ What ’ s making Bolsonaro get more radical is the pandemic ; some processes that existed before were accelerated .
And he is being seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a researcher on far-right groups at University of Campinas .
She noted that Bolsonaro never demonstrates empathy about the virus , for example replying , “ So what ?
” when asked about Brazil ’ s death toll surpassing China ’ s .
“ That didn ’ t ring well with average Brazilians .
That makes him even more dependent on the radicals , ” she said .
A fissure emerged Saturday night , however .
De Carvalho made an apparently rhetorical threat to topple the government .
Once among Bolsonaro ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly the president has only paid lip service to fighting political enemies without taking aggressive action -- a sign of weakness that strengthens opponents and “ invites humiliation.
” “ There is still time for Bolsonaro to stop following bad advice and correct course of his policy .
How much time ?
Five minutes , ” Carvalho wrote on Facebook .
In an effort to bring de Carvalho back into the fold , close Bolsonaro ally Luciano Hang , who owns a chain of department stores , posted a 38-minute video to Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side and Brazilians need to be , too , ” Hang said .
“ We need to be in the trenches fighting with you.
” Bolsonaro relies on such allies , as well as sons , ministers and advisors , to transmit signals that excite his base , according to Odilon Caldeira Neto , a history professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora who researches far-right ideology .
“ The far-right embraces the idea of anti-democratic ruptures , and Bolsonaro is giving more space to those voices , ” Caldeira said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court and Congress , and alluding to the 1964-85 dictatorship that eventually closed Congress and sometimes overruled the Supreme Court .
Bolsonaro denounced a Supreme Court-ordered federal police raid on May 28 against prominent allies suspected of conspiring to circulate false and defamatory social media posts about his foes .
Also apparently angered by the raids was Eduardo Bolsonaro , the president ’ s son and a lawmaker , who once said it would be easy to shut down the Supreme Court .
After the raid he said that there was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government would suffer institutional rupture , “ but rather when that will occur.
” Far-right activist Sara Giromini , also targeted by the investigation , on May 30 led a group of chanting protesters holding torches aloft to the Supreme Court ; it was reminiscent of white nationalists ’ Charlottesville march in 2017 .
She has organized a camp in Brasilia and acknowledged there were arms on the premises .
Her group has sought to intimidate Bolsonaro ’ s political enemies , and public prosecutors have likened it to a paramilitary group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coup , but Brazil ’ s history doesn ’ t show presidents doing that without popular support , ” said Carlos Melo , a political science professor at Insper in Sao Paulo .
“ The question will be if the military and the police that still support him will believe there are conditions to do this and regain popularity.
” Meantime , the COVID-19 death toll is a drag on approval , even if the narrative among Brazil ’ s far right is that it has been inflated as part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media and globalist organizations like the World Health Organization , according to Santoro , the professor in Rio .
“ So , in a sense , the government decision to hide them ( the numbers ) is also in line with this ideology , ” Santoro said .

David Biller And Mauricio Savarese - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Miami-Dade to reopen beaches, end curfew after protests

Miami-Dade County beaches that have been closed because of the coronavirus pandemic are set to reopen more than a week @ @ @ @ @ was pushed back by protests against police brutality .
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced @ @ @ @ @ a countywide curfew immediately and that beaches would be allowed to open on Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ follow new social distancing guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
The beaches @ @ @ @ @ June 1 in line with a statewide plan to restart the economy .
After a @ @ @ @ @ the Minneapolis police custody death of George Floyd led to downtown Miami stores being looted @ @ @ @ @ , Gimenez instituted a curfew and said he wouldn ’ t reopen beaches until it @ @ @ @ @ was the area of Florida hit hardest by coronavirus , with nearly 20,000 cases and @ @ @ @ @ Monday , Florida had nearly 65,000 total cases and 2,712 reported deaths .
Follow AP @ @ @ @ @ at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Urgent meeting of UN rights body sought after Floyd killing

GENEVA - The American Civil Liberties Union says relatives of George Floyd and three other black people who were killed by police have joined some 600 rights groups to demand the top U.N. human rights body “ urgently ” convene a special session to look into a rise of police violence and repression of protests in the United States .
A spokesman for the Human Rights Council in Geneva confirmed that it had received a letter Monday from the groups outlining their call , as Black Lives Matter protests continue to gain traction well beyond the United States — notably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the world and the leaders in the United Nations to see the video of my brother George Floyd , to listen to his cry for help , and I want them to answer his cry , ” Floyd ’ s brother Philonese Floyd said in an ACLU statement , alluding to video of the killing in Minneapolis .
“ I want to appeal to the United Nations to help him .
Help me .
Help us .
Help black men and women in America , ” he added .
At least one-third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states would have to back the call for a special session in order for one to be called .
The prospects of one being held swiftly remained uncertain .
The body had cut short its last session in March because of the coronavirus outbreak and has been grappling with ways to start it back up next Monday .
The council was already scheduled to have the second of its three sessions each year another session starting in June .
The efforts have been complicated because the government of Switzerland , which has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is for now still restricting all public gatherings to no more than 300 people .
Council sessions generally draw hundreds more than that .
The groups want an independent investigation into the recent killings of unarmed black people in the United States , as well as one into “ violent law enforcement responses to protests.
” The call included relatives of Floyd , Breonna Taylor , Michael Brown and Philando Castile .
“ It ’ s time the United States face the same scrutiny and judgment it is quick to pass on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dakwar , who heads the ACLU ’ s human rights program .
“ As communities in the United States call on their leaders to divest from policing and end structural racism , the United Nations must support these domestic demands by holding the United States accountable for its human rights violations.
” The United States , like all U.N. member states , regularly has its human rights record examined by the council , a body that is not part of the United Nations but is supported by it .
The Trump administration pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years ago amid accusations that it was biased against Israel and counted some repressive or autocratic regimes that abuse human rights as members .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Some Minneapolis activists doubt disbanding police will work

MINNEAPOLIS - George Floyd ’ s death was the breaking point for some Minneapolis civic leaders , who now say the only way to fix the city ’ s embattled police department is to take it apart .
But it ’ s not clear how they would do that , and groups that have spent years shining a light on police brutality aren ’ t even sure it ’ s the answer .
“ We ’ re dismantling our police department , ” City Council member Jeremiah Ellison tweeted on Sunday , the same day he and a majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force to cheering protesters at a Minneapolis park .
“ And we won ’ t be silent .
We ’ ll be loud .
We ’ ll fight .
We ’ ll win.
” But dismantling an entire department is exceedingly rare .
It was done in Camden , New Jersey , and was talked about — though ultimately discarded — in Ferguson , Missouri , after the death of Michael Brown .
Such a move comes with legal issues , including a city charter that stipulates a police force , plus a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to defund the police or that they ’ re going to ban the police or whatever they ’ re talking about , that was optics , guys , “ said Michelle Gross , president of the Minneapolis chapter of Communities United Against Police Brutality .
” Just plain optics.
” Sam Martinez , an activist with Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar , a group formed after the 2015 death of Jamar Clark in a confrontation with police , said just getting rid of a police department doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they attempted to defund the police or reduce the police force , we know they can ’ t do it , and what comes after that ?
Will they turn over the power to the ( Hennepin County ) sheriff ... who has had no accountability either ?
” Martinez said .
Community activists have criticized the Minneapolis department for years for what they say is a racist and brutal culture that resists change .
The state of Minnesota launched a civil rights investigation of the department last week , and the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement in which the city agreed to ban chokeholds and neck restraints .
Steve Cramer , a former City Council member who now serves as president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council , called rhetoric about ending policing as the city knows it “ exhilarating to some but terrifying to others.
” “ Until we really understand how this kind of evaluation and planning process is going to move forward , there ’ s this vacuum that people are going to fill with their own thoughts , “ he said .
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hard place that some of our elected officials have put our community in at a very vulnerable time.
” Protesters nationwide are demanding police reforms , and calls to “ defund the police ” over the death of Floyd and other black Americans killed by law enforcement have become a rallying cry .
Supporters say the movement isn ’ t about eliminating police departments or stripping agencies of all of their money .
Instead , they say it is time for the country to address systemic problems in policing in America and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. need , such as housing and education .
Gross ’ group , along with others including Minnesota ’ s Council on American-Islamic Relations and two Black Lives Matter chapters , presented their own 40 recommendations for police reform on Monday .
They gathered at the remnants of the Third Precinct station , which was set ablaze by protesters at the height of violence following Floyd ’ s death .
Among the recommendations , officers would be required to carry their own professional liability insurance , an idea that aims to hike out-of-pocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-risk conduct .
Some of the worst offenders would become uninsurable and forbidden from working as a police officer .
The groups also are seeking an independent agency to investigate and prosecute critical incidents involving police ; mandatory psychological testing for officers ; and community participation in negotiating police union contracts .
They would end so-called “ warrior ” training for officers and the use of no-knock warrants , while banning military equipment in community policing as well as neck restraints and chokeholds .
In Ferguson , where the 2014 shooting death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fledgling Black Lives Matter movement , the city and U.S. Justice Department entered a consent agreement that required massive reforms overseen by a court-appointed monitor .
Among the results are a department with significantly more black officers , a police use-of-force policy and progress in use of body-worn and in-car cameras .
Ferguson spent $ 1.1 million in the first three years of the consent agreement and expects to spend another $ 1 million over the next three years — a significant investment for a city with an annual budget of less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being talked about elsewhere , too .
In New York City , Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that the city would move funding from the NYPD to youth initiatives and social services , while keeping the city safe , but he didn ’ t give details .
In Los Angeles , Mayor Eric Garcetti vowed to cut as much as $ 150 million that was part of a planned increase in the police department ’ s budget .
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey , who was booed at a rally Saturday outside his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support abolishing the department , repeated that stance Monday .
In an interview with ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America , ” he said he looked forward to “ deciphering ” what council members mean by such talk .
He said he favours “ a full-on cultural shift in how our Minneapolis Police Department and departments throughout the country function.
” “ We have difficulty both terminating and disciplining officers , and then getting that termination or discipline to stick , ” Frey said .
“ We ’ re going after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the arbitration provisions that mandate that we have arbitration at the end of the process , and oftentimes that reverts the officer to right back where they were to begin with.
” Alondra Cano , one of the nine council members who said they support disbanding , called impending change “ a process “ that is just beginning .
Meanwhile , she said the council will look at redirecting funding from the police department toward the city ’ s office of violence prevention and other community safety strategies that will “ help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public safety system that we all want to create ” .
Ellison said the city will continue to fund safety initiatives like the Group Violence Intervention program , which started in 2017 with the aim of reducing gun violence .
“ I think that we owe it to ourselves as a community to sort of put our resources behind those things that we already know are working , ” Ellison said .
“ But we are not going to hit the eject button without a fully realized plan.
” Mohamed Ibrahim is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America Statehouse News Initiative .
Report for America is a non-profit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

Amy Forliti And Mohamed Ibrahim - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--World leaders won’t gather at UN for first time in 75 years

TANZANIA , Tanzania - The president of the U.N. General Assembly said Monday that world leaders will not be coming to New York for their annual gathering in late September for the first time in the 75-year history of the United Nations because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
But Tijjani Muhammad-Bande told a news conference that he hopes to announce in the next two weeks how the 193 heads of state and government will give their speeches on pressing local and world issues during the assembly ’ s so-called General Debate .
“ World leaders can not come to New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as individuals , ” he said .
“ A president doesn ’ t travel alone , leaders don ’ t travel alone ” and “ it is impossible ” to bring large delegations to New York during the pandemic .
“ We can not have them in person as we used to — what happened in the last 74 years — but it will happen ” Muhammad-Bande said of the annual event .
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recommended last month that the gathering of world leaders , which was supposed to celebrate the 75th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatically scaled back because of the pandemic .
Guterres suggested in a letter to the General Assembly president that heads of state and government deliver prerecorded messages instead , with only one New York-based diplomat from each of the 193 U.N. member nations present in the assembly hall .
Muhammad-Bande said Monday that by late September “ maybe a hundred or so ” people might be allowed in the General Assembly chamber .
The meeting of world leaders usually brings thousands of government officials , diplomats and civil society representatives to New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dinners , receptions , one-on-one meetings and hundreds of side events .
This year was expected to bring an especially large number of leaders to U.N. headquarters to celebrate the founding of the United Nations in 1945 on the ashes of World War II .
Muhammad-Bande said the 75th anniversary celebration “ is not conceived as one moment ” but will continue throughout the year starting on June 26 , the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations in San Francisco .
He said a political declaration on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being negotiated , and world leaders will have the opportunity to mark the occasion — only not in person .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Army analyst’s family found dead in possible murder-suicide

SAN ANTONIO - The soldier who was found dead with his family in an SUV parked in the garage of a San Antonio home was an intelligence analyst , the U.S. Army said .
Staff Sgt .
Jared Esquibel Harless along with his wife and four children were found dead Thursday after police went to check on the family in response to a welfare call from his employer .
Sheryll Harless , 36 , two boys ages 4 and 11 months , and two girls ages 3 and 1 were found dead when police arrived on the scene in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two cats were also found dead the front seat of the SUV .
Jared Harless , 38 , was a 35Q cryptologic cyberspace intelligence collector and analyst , the Army said Saturday .
He was assigned to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston .
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the deaths appear to be a murder-suicide , not an accident , though it is too early to confirm .
McManus added that the family had been living in the house since January , San Antonio Express-News reported .
Harless joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once to Iraq in 2011 , according to the Army .
He also served with Fort Sam ’ s 470th Military Intelligence Brigade , where the Army listed his home in Renton , Washington .
The couple married in 2008 in Washington state , records show .
A records search in Bexar County showed they didn ’ t have any pending legal issues .


thetorontostar--2020-06-08--Legislators commandeer House to demand action on policing

HARRISBURG , Pa. - Black Democrats in the Pennsylvania House preempted the day ’ s business to call for changes to policing , displaying a Black Lives Matter banner and commandeering the podium for about 90 minutes at the start of a voting session Monday .
The dramatic takeover went on pause when the Republican speaker said that he would consider putting proposals up for votes and that he supports a special session the protesters had sought to consider the legislation .
The protesters unfurled the banner at the dais and vowed they would not leave without movement on proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers who have engaged in misconduct , and widen access to police video .
“ We ’ re going to stay here until you act , ” said Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta , D-Philadelphia .
“ This is our moment to say , ‘ Enough is enough.
’ ” Rep. Steven Kinsey , D-Philadelphia , said he was “ frustrated , upset and feeling as though I ’ m carrying the weight of black folks on my shoulders.
” “ We can not rewrite history , ” said Kinsey , chair of the Legislative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and brown folks refuse to relive history.
“ As the session was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. , the House-controlled camera feed suddenly pivoted away from the front of the chamber , where the speaker sits , so the cameras did not show the action .
About that time , a Facebook feed from Democratic Whip Jordan Harris , D-Philadelphia , showed members had taken over the rostrum and were speaking passionately about the racial injustice protests and demonstrations that have occurred over the May 25 death of George Floyd at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you imagine the anguish that black Americans feel , having seen this video time and time again , throughout generations ?
” asked Rep. Margo Davidson , D-Delaware .
“ The time of brutalizing African Americans has not stopped , and we ’ re saying it ’ s time , because we can not breathe.
” It ’ s been two weeks since Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes , even after he stopped responding .
Lawmakers across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to state law regarding police procedures and regulations in response to the protests , and Democrats in Congress rolled out their own proposals on Monday .
In the state Senate , Republicans announced they would hold hearings next week on law enforcement and criminal justice accountability reforms , a plan a spokeswoman said began before the House protests .
Kinsey asked everyone in the chamber to kneel for 8 minutes and 46 seconds , the length of time prosecutors say Floyd was pinned to the ground under the officer ’ s knee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others praying while seated .
Under special rules passed to cope with the pandemic , members do not have to be in the Capitol to vote , and attendance was spotty .
“ We debate many issues in this body , ” said Rep. Austin Davis , D-Allegheny .
“ Many of them are complex , but this is a simple one .
You ’ re either for accountability or you ’ re not .
You ’ re either for saving lives , or you ’ re not.
” Rep. Russ Diamond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his fellow Republicans were unhappy about the protest .
“ The way to get 19 bills heard is to draft them properly , bring them before the House and hold a majority , ” Diamond said .
House Speaker Mike Turzai , R-Allegheny , took the microphone and said the protesters were raising legitimate issues .
“ We live in challenging times , ” Turzai said , describing himself as a 60-year-old white man .
“ I understand silence is not the answer for what is happening.
” Republicans hold a sizable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ample tools to prevent action on any bills , and they have shown no interest this session on Democratic-sponsored proposals to reform police .
The House never formally convened .
Democratic and Republican leaders met privately afterward and planned to confer again before Tuesday ’ s session .
Democrats declined to say what their plans are if they do not get the response they want .
Special sessions can be a way for lawmakers to act quickly on matters that require multiple bills , but in the Pennsylvania Legislature they also have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act without actually approving any substantive legislation .
The House would not need a special session to take up police bills .


thetorontostar--2020-06-09--George Floyd, whose death energized a movement, to be buried

HOUSTON - The black man whose death has inspired a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice will be buried in Houston Tuesday , carried home in a horse-drawn carriage .
George Floyd , who was 46 when he was killed , will be laid to rest next to his mother .
On May 25 , as a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on Floyd ’ s neck , the dying man cried out for his mother .
His funeral will be private .
Some 6,000 people attended a public memorial service Monday in Houston , where he grew up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing T-shirts with Floyd ’ s picture or the words “ I Can ’ t Breathe ” — one of the other things he cried out repeatedly while pinned down by the police officer — waited for hours to pay their respects .
Floyd ’ s body , dressed in a brown suit , lay in an open gold-colored casket .
Shorty after the memorial ended , Floyd ’ s casket was placed in a hearse and escorted by police back to a funeral home .
As the hearse drove away , 39-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrated from Nigeria , could be heard saying , “ Rest in power .
Rest In Peace.
” “ I ’ ve been stopped by police .
I understand the situation .
I can only imagine , “ said Osarobo , who works as an engineer in the oil and gas industry .
” What if it was me ?
What if it was my brother ?
What if it was my sister ?
What if it was my son ?
” Those were questions many black Americans have asked not just in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s death sparked international protests and drew new attention to the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. by police and the criminal justice system .
In the past two weeks , sweeping and previously unthinkable things have taken place : Confederate statues have been toppled , police departments around America have rethought the way they patrol minority neighbourhoods , legislatures have debated use-of-force policies , and white , black and brown people have had uncomfortable , sometimes heated , discussions about race in a nation that is supposed to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ defunding the police ” have cropped up in many communities , and people around the world have taken to the streets in solidarity , saying that reforms and dialogue must not stop with Floyd ’ s funeral .
His death has also reshaped the presidential race .
To be re-elected , President Donald Trump must rebound from one of the lowest points of his presidency , with recent polls showing that 8 in 10 Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and even spiraling out of control .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a better-than-expected jobs report , but he ’ s struggling to show consistent leadership on multiple fronts , including the nationwide protests against police brutality .
Meanwhile , former Vice-President Joe Biden met with Floyd ’ s family Monday , according to a photo posted on Twitter by the Rev .
Al Sharpton .
Biden will provide a video message for Floyd ’ s funeral service .
Previous memorials have taken place in Minneapolis and Raeford , North Carolina , near where Floyd was born .
The memorials have drawn the families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose names have become seared into America ’ s conversations on race — among them Eric Garner , Michael Brown , Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin .
“ It just hurts , ” said Philonise Floyd , George Floyd ’ s brother , sobbing as he ticked off some of their names outside The Fountain of Praise church .
“ We will get justice .
We will get it .
We will not let this door close.
” For 14 nights , hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cities imposed curfews as some of the demonstrations were later marred by spasms of arson , assaults and smash-and-grab raids on businesses .
More than 10,000 people have been arrested around the country , according to reports tracked by The Associated Press .
But protests in recent days have been overwhelmingly peaceful — and over the weekend , several police departments appeared to retreat from aggressive tactics .
Thousands of Los Angeles protesters arrested for violating curfew and other police orders will not be charged with a crime , prosecutors said Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection with Floyd ’ s death , which was captured on video by bystanders , who begged police to stop hurting him .
A Minnesota judge on Monday kept bail at $ 1.25 million for Derek Chauvin , the police officer charged with second-degree murder in Floyd ’ s death .
Chauvin ’ s former co-workers , J Alexander Kueng , Thomas Lane and Tou Thao , are charged as accomplices .
The 44-year-old Chauvin said almost nothing during the 11-minute hearing while appearing on closed-circuit television from a maximum-security prison .
Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Florida , Paul J. Weber in Austin , Texas , Marina Villeneuve in Albany , and Bill Barrow in Atlanta , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-09--US prosecutors spar with Prince Andrew in Epstein probe

LONDON - U.S. prosecutors and attorneys for Britain ’ s Prince Andrew sniped at one another across the Atlantic on Monday , each saying the other side was to blame for the duke ’ s failure to participate in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking probe .
Andrew ’ s lawyers said in a statement that he has offered three times this year to speak with U.S. investigators after being assured that he “ is not and has never been a ‘ target ’ of their criminal investigations into Epstein.
” That offer , though , came with a request that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would remain confidential , ” said the firm Blackfords LLP in London .
“ Unfortunately , the DOJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the Duke has offered zero co-operation .
In doing so , they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered , ” the lawyers said .
Hours later , the U.S. attorney in Manhattan , Geoffrey S. Berman , issued a statement saying the prince had tried to “ falsely portray himself to the public as eager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he repeatedly declined to schedule an interview .
“ If Prince Andrew is , in fact , serious about co-operating with the ongoing federal investigation , our doors remain open , and we await word of when we should expect him , ” Berman said .
Berman ’ s statement addressed only Prince Andrew ’ s willingness to be interviewed .
It made no mention of the claims by his lawyers that the Department of Justice had advised them that Andrew is not a target of the investigation , or that they made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be confidential .
Before Monday , Berman had said that Andrew has provided “ zero co-operation ” to American investigators .
Attorney General William Barr told Fox News on Monday that prosecutors are not seeking to extradite Andrew .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s a question of handing him over , “ Barr said .
“ I think it ’ s just a question of having him provide some evidence , but beyond that I ’ m not going to comment.
” Epstein killed himself in a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on sex trafficking charges .
One of the women who was sexually abused by Epstein as a teenager , Virginia Roberts Giuffre , has claimed that the financier flew her around the world on private planes to have sex with powerful men , and that she had sexual encounters with Andrew in London and New York , starting when she was 17 .
The contrasting views of what is going on behind the scenes came after The Sun newspaper and other media organizations reported that the U.S. Department of Justice had submitted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Home Office .
Such requests are used in criminal cases under a treaty and are generally used when material can ’ t be obtained on a police co-operation basis .
U.S. investigators are still examining potential criminality by Epstein ’ s associates .
Multiple women have said the financier had helpers who recruited underage girls into a network of sexual servants .
Andrew ’ s help is being sought as a witness , his lawyers said .
“ Far from our client acting above the law , as has been implied by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being treated by a lower standard than might reasonably be expected for any other citizen , ’ ’ Blackfords said .
“ Further , those same breaches of confidentiality by the DOJ have given the global media – and , therefore , the worldwide audience – an entirely misleading account of our discussions with them.
“


thetorontostar--2020-06-09--Bonnie Pointer, early member of Pointer Sisters, dies at 69

LOS ANGELES - Bonnie Pointer , who in 1969 convinced three of her church-singing siblings to form the Pointer Sisters , which would become one of the biggest acts of the next two decades , died Monday .
The Grammy winner died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles , publicist Roger Neal said .
She was 69 .
“ It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of the Pointer Sisters that my sister , Bonnie died this morning , ” sister Anita Pointer said in a statement .
“ Our family is devastated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the entire Pointer family , we ask for your prayers at this time.
” Bonnie Pointer often sang lead and was an essential member of the group through its early hits including “ Yes We Can Can ” and “ Fairytale.
” She would leave for a short and modest solo career in 1977 as her sisters went on to have several mega-hits without her .
Ruth , Anita , Bonnie and June , born the daughters of a minister who also had two older sons , grew up singing in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Bonnie , shortly after graduating high school , who first wanted to move away from singing gospel songs into clubs to pursue a professional singing career .
“ The Pointer Sisters would never have happened had it not been for Bonnie , “ Anita Pointer said in her statement .
She convinced younger sister June to join her , and the two began doing gigs together as a duo in 1969 .
Eventually they ’ d enlist their two older sisters , who were already married with children , to join them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funk , soul and 1940s-style jazz , scat and pop to their act , often dressing in a retro style that resembled their forerunners the Andrews Sisters .
They worked as backup singers for Taj Mahal , Boz Scaggs , Elvin Bishop and others before releasing their self-titled debut album in 1973 , and the song “ Yes We Can Can , ” a funky anthem calling for unity and tolerance , became their breakout hit .
They followed up with “ That ’ s A Plenty , ” which featured an eclectic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to gospel to pop .
They even delved into country .
Bonnie and Anita co-wrote the song “ Fairytale ” about a crumbling relationship .
The song earned them a groundbreaking gig performing as a rare African American act at the Grand Ole Opry , and they would win their first Grammy , for best country vocal performance by a group .
Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977 , signing a solo deal with Motown Records .
“ We were devastated , ” Anita Pointer told The Associated Press in 1990 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she left , but after that , we just stopped .
We thought it wasn ’ t going to work without Bonnie.
” She would have only modest solo success .
Her biggest hit was “ Heaven Must Have Sent You , ” a 1979 disco cover of an earlier Motown hit by the Elgins .
It reached No .
11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979 .
After making three albums for Motown , she would retire from the studio , and only perform occasionally .
Her three sisters , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead regrouped , shed their retro image for a modern pop sound , and became one of the biggest acts of the 1980s with huge hits including “ He ’ s So Shy , ” “ Jump ( For My Love ) ” and “ Neutron Dance.
” Bonnie married Motown producer Jeffrey Bowen in 1978 .
The two separated in 2004 and divorced in 2016 .
She twice reunited with her sisters for public appearances .
Once in 1994 , when they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Las Vegas .
“ She had always told me , mother , I want something for myself , “ Bonnie ’ s mother Sarah Pointer told Ebony in 1974 .
“ I want to be somebody in this world.
” June Pointer , the youngest of the sisters , died in 2006 .
In addition to Ruth and Anita , Bonnie Pointer is survived by her two older brothers , Aaron and Fritz .


thetorontostar--2020-06-09--California OKs movie theatres to reopen with limited seats

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - California movie theatres can begin opening later this week if they limit theatre capacity to 25 % or no more than 100 attendees , under state guidance released Monday .
The guidance adds movie theatres to a long list of other businesses that can start reopening as the nation ’ s most populous state relaxes its stay-at-home order .
Restaurants , churches , hair salons and retail stores have already reopened in many counties .
Soon that reopening will expand vastly in counties that can meet certain metrics including number of cases , positive test rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertainment venues that can reopen later include bowling alleys , mini golf courses and arcades .
The state recommends movie theatres implement reservation systems , designate arrival times and designating certain seats that people can use so that movie goers can maintain 6 feet ( 2 metres ) of distance from other groups .
Moviegoers should , at a minimum , wear face coverings when entering and exiting the theatre or buying concessions , the state guidance says .
The state also suggests theatres use disposable or washable seat covers that are easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people don ’ t have to touch handles .
Meanwhile , the state is also allowing film , music and television production to resume subject to labour agreements .
Film , television and commercial production make up a significant amount of the Los Angeles economy .
California has reported more than 130,000 coronavirus cases and 4,600 deaths .
For most people , the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms and clears up within weeks .
But it can be more serious for some people , including older adults and people with pre-existing health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-06-09--Israeli model Bar Refaeli signs plea bargain for tax evasion

JERUSALEM - Israeli top model Bar Refaeli signed a plea bargain agreement with authorities on Tuesday to settle a long-standing tax evasion case against her and her family .
The deal will require Refaeli to serve nine months of community service while her mother , Zipi , will be sent to prison for 16 months .
The two are also ordered to pay a $ 1.5 million fine on top of millions of back taxes owed to the state .
The prolonged case , built around the celebrity model ’ s worldwide income and the family ’ s attempts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has sullied some of Refeali ’ s previous image as a beloved national icon .
Still , she remains a popular TV personality and pitch-woman whose image is ubiquitous on highway billboards throughout the country .
Last year , she hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv .
The heart of the case revolves around Refaeli ’ s residence earlier this decade when she gallivanted around the world in high-profile modeling campaigns , graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and had a lengthy romantic relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether the person spent most of the calendar year in the country .
Refaeli claimed that she hadn ’ t and therefore did not have to declare her worldwide income in certain years .
But prosecutors rejected her claim and charged her with providing incorrect tax information .
For instance , Refaeli ’ s indictment said she earned some $ 7.2 million between the years 2009-2012 while claiming to reside oversees to avoid paying taxes on her income .
In previous appeals , an Israeli court ruled that Refaeli ’ s relationship with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family unit , ” and therefore she could not claim his American residence to avoid paying the full taxes she owed .
Refaeli ’ s lawyers said the plea bargain proved she hadn ’ t intentionally evaded tax payments .
“ In the relevant time period , Bar was in her early 20s , was working as an international model and was not involved in financial matters .
Today she is taking responsibility for mistakes that were made , ” they said in a statement .
Refaeli ’ s mother , who also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with failure to report income , avoiding paying taxes and aiding someone else in evading tax payments .
The indictment said she signed leases for her daughter under the names of other family members to blur Refaeli ’ s actual residency status and refrained from declaring her own income as her daughter ’ s agent .