thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Iran acknowledges Russian-made missiles targeted Ukraine jet

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that its armed forces fired two Russian anti-aircraft missiles at a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed after taking off from Tehran ’ s main airport earlier this month , killing all 176 people on board .
The new preliminary report by Iran ’ s Civil Aviation Organization however stopped short of blaming the TOR-M1 for the crash of the Boeing 737-800 , flown by Ukraine International Airways .
For days after the Jan. 8 shootdown , Iran denied that it fired missiles at the plane , initially blaming a technical malfunction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , after the U.S. and Canada blamed missile fire for the crash , Iran ’ s armed forces said anti-aircraft fire from the country ’ s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard had downed the flight .
The new report identified the missiles fired at the aircraft as coming from the TOR-M1 .
In 2017 , Iran received the delivery of 29 TOR-M1 units from Russia under a contract worth an estimated $ 700 million .
However , the report said “ the impact of these missiles on the accident and the analysis of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier obtained by The Associated Press showed two missiles were fired at the plane .
The two minutes of black-and-white footage purportedly shows one missile streaking across the sky and exploding near the plane .
Ten seconds later , another missile is fired .
Some 20 seconds after the first explosion , another strikes near the plane .
A ball of flames then falls from the sky out of frame .
The footage corresponded with AP reporting , appeared genuine and matched geographic features of the area .
It also explained how so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first explosion drew their attention so they turned their mobile phone cameras to the predawn sky .
The Tor short-range air defence system , code-named the SA-15 by NATO , was designed during Soviet times to shoot down aircraft and precision guided weapons .
It is mounted on a tracked vehicle and carries a radar and a pack of eight missiles .
Each vehicle can operate independently .
Tor has a range of up to 12 kilometres ( 7.5 miles ) and can hit aerial targets at altitudes of up to 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tor missiles explode near their target , taking it down with shrapnel that devastates engines , fuel tanks and other vital components .
In other developments on Tuesday , South Korea Defence Ministry announced its anti-piracy unit operating in the Gulf of Aden was temporarily expanding its mission to the Strait of Hormuz .
A ministry statement said the decision was meant to help ensure the safe passage of South Korean vessels and nationals through the waterway .
It said the unit ’ s expanded operation will include the Gulf of Oman and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unit will conduct an independent operation but will co-operate with a U.S.-led coalition if necessary .
Already , a U.S.-led operation is surveilling the strait , the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 % of all the world ’ s oil passes .
A French-led naval coalition is also being created .
The missions began after mysterious explosions last summer targeted oil tankers near the strait , attacks the U.S. blamed on Iran .
Tehran denied being involved , though it did seize tankers amid wider tensions with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world powers .
Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul , South Korea , contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Venetian islands revamp traditions to counter depopulation

VENICE , Italy - The Venetian island of Burano ’ s charms are rooted in its fishing legacy : the colorful fishermen ’ s cottages , the traditional butter cookies that kept fishermen going at sea and the delicate lace hand-stitched by their women .
But as the island ’ s population dwindles , like that of Venice itself a 40-minute boat ride away , so do the numbers of skilled artisans who keep the traditions and economy alive .
To counter the trend , Venezia Nativa , an association of entrepreneurs on Burano and two neighbouring islands , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trades to attract new residents and persuade young islanders to stay .
Domenico Rossi , 49 , is a crab fisherman , like his ancestors back to the glory days of the Venetian Republic .
But that way of life is dying .
When Rossi was a boy , about 100 fishermen plied the northern Venetian lagoon for soft-shell crabs .
Now , he ’ s the youngest of the 20 still operating , and he figures in a couple of decades there will be none left .
“ Once we disappear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ native said .
Still , he has forbidden his 18-year-old son to take up the trade , seeking to protect him from long hours , uncertain profits and the threat of tightening fishing regulations .
His son is training to be a chef .
And Rossi is transforming his own work into a tourist attraction , bringing small groups on boat tours in the off-season .
Venice has long sounded the alarm about being reduced to a living museum , as tourism mushrooms and population levels shrink , threatening the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centre — which includes St. Mark ’ s Square and the Grand Canal — have sunk to 53,000 , down by a third in one generation .
About 1,000 people leave each year for cheaper , easier living in the city ’ s mainland districts .
With them , the social fabric of the city wears , the number of neighbourhood stores offering staples dwindles — as do public services .
On Burano and its two neighbouring islands of Mazzorbo and Torcello , the impact of depopulation is even more evident .
Residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year .
Just 40 years ago , there were two elementary schools with about 120 children in each grade .
Each now has no more than a dozen .
About 30 island business owners are trying to secure the northern lagoon ’ s future by relaunching local trades and encouraging sustainable tourism .
Whereas Venice suffers under the pressure of some 30 million visitors a year , only about 1.5 million of those continue on to Burano .
‘ ’ We want these three islands in the northern lagoon to become a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ said association vice-president Roberto Pugliese .
That means offering activities like fishing or boating and promoting the allure of the quiet lagoon life , beyond the existing tourist draws of lace shops , Instagrammable backdrops of brightly colored fishing cottages and the quiet Byzantine cathedral on Torcello .
Across a footbridge from Burano , on the neighbouring island of Mazzorbo , a winemaker from the prosecco region north of Venice has relaunched a long-dormant vineyard , Venissa , opening a Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel along with it .
A decade on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the islands .
Makers of the traditional Burano lace also are looking to revitalize their sector , mostly by moving from traditional decorative uses such as tablecloths or wall hangings into creating works of art or fashion .
At dalla Lidia , a Burano lace shop , Japanese textile maker Yuka Miyagishima is spending three months to learn the craft practiced today by no more than 100 women , most of them elderly .
It ’ s painstaking work , using a thread and needle to create intricate stitches and knots on paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it would be ideal for her to remain on the island and work -- but Miyagishima says she intends to return home and practice the tradition there .
Getting outsiders to move to Burano is complicated not only by the convenience factor , but also by its peculiar housing stock .
About 80 % of the island ’ s housing is picturesque fishing cottages .
They ’ re adored by tourists for their colorful facades — but less so by residents long restricted by preservation laws on how they can renovate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ square meters ( 215 square feet ) .
In a sign of the times , many are for sale .
Officials have recently given tentative approval to changes that will make it easier , for example , to combine adjoining houses into a single abode .
Pugliese is also hoping that Venice will allow hotels to operate with rooms dispersed throughout the island .
At the moment there are fewer than 20 hotel rooms on the island , limiting overnight stays .
It ’ s just as complicated to get Burano ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Federica Molin and her husband run a bakery that makes the famed bussolai cookies , traditionally shaped in big O ’ s so fishermen could hang them on their mast and nibble away during long turns at sea .
Their eldest child lives in Milan , studying to be a veterinarian , and is unlikely to resettle on the island any time soon .
Molin is happy for her but hopes she ’ ll come back some day .
‘ ’ When I hear about young couples that come back ...
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
‘ ’ Then when we see blue or pink ribbons around Burano announcing a birth , it gives the sensation that yes , we can repopulate the island !
’ ’

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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Chinese sentences ex-boss of Interpol to 13 years for bribes

BEIJING - China has sentenced the former president of Interpol , Meng Hongwei , to 13 years and six months in prison on charges of accepting more than $ 2 million in bribes .
Meng was elected president of the international police organization in 2016 , but his four-year term was cut short when he vanished after travelling to China from France in late 2018 .
Interpol was not informed and was forced to make a formal request to China for information about Meng ’ s whereabouts amid suspicion he had fallen out of political favour with Chinese President Xi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who remains in France with their two children , has accused Chinese authorities of lying and questioned whether her husband was still alive .
Grace Meng is now suing Interpol , accusing it of failing to protect him from arrest in China and failing to look after his family .
Meng ’ s lawyers last year filed a legal complaint in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague , Netherlands .
In a statement sent to The Associated Press , she said Interpol “ breached its obligations owed to my family ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrongful acts of its member country , China.
” A statement Tuesday from the No .
1 Intermediary Court in the northern city of Tianjin said Meng accepted the verdict and would not appeal .
In addition to his prison sentence , he was fined 2 million yuan ( $ 290.000 ) .
It said Meng , 66 , admitted he abused his position to accept 14.4 million yuan ( $ 2.1 million ) in bribes while serving in various offices , including as a vice minister of public security and maritime police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and using his influence with other officials .
Meng has already been fired from his positions and expelled from the Communist Party .
The relatively light sentence was likely a result of what the court called his co-operative attitude and willingness to admit to and shore remorse for his crimes .
While serving at Interpol , Meng retained his title as China ’ s vice minister of public security .
It wasn ’ t clear when or how he had crossed Xi , who has leveraged a wide-ranging campaign against corruption at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As a long-serving vice minister of public security , Meng served for a time under Zhou Yongkang , the former security chief who was sentenced to life in prison , becoming the most powerful figure to fall in Xi ’ s anti-graft campaign .
This story has been corrected to fix time when Meng vanished .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--AP EXPLAINS: How India ended up in turmoil over citizenship

NEW DELHI - India has been embroiled in protests since December , when Parliament passed a bill amending the country ’ s citizenship law .
The new law provides a fast track to naturalization for some migrants who entered the country illegally while fleeing religious persecution .
But it excludes Muslims , which critics say is discriminatory and a violation of India ’ s Constitution .
Here ’ s a brief look at how India has grappled with citizenship : British colonialists ’ split of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan triggered the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslims left India for western and eastern parts of newly-created Pakistan and likewise Hindus and Sikhs made their way to India .
About a million people were killed in sectarian violence during the crossing .
More than 70 years later , the status of hundreds of thousands of people who descended from those migrants continues to be in limbo .
SO HOW DID INDIA DETERMINE WHO WAS A CITIZEN ?
Thousands of people — either legitimately or by bribing officials — were given Indian identification documents like ration cards and election registration cards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held in 1951 and the Citizenship Act came into force in 1955 , setting rules for Indian citizenship on the basis of birth , descent and registration .
FURTHER GUIDANCE IS GIVEN The Citizenship Amendment Act of 2003 said anyone born in India between 1950 and 1987 was an Indian citizen , as well as those born between 1987 and 2003 to at least one Indian citizen parent .
Foreign nationals could pursue naturalization after 11 years of residing in India .
WHAT DOES THE NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW CHANGE ?
Prime Minister Narendra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill to give citizenship rights to some migrants who while fleeing religious persecution entered India illegally from Muslim-majority Pakistan , Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before Dec. 31 , 2014 .
The law applies to Hindus , Christians , Jains , Parsis and Buddhists .
People of other faiths and nationalities still have to wait 11 years .
It marks the first time that India , a secular state with a religiously diverse population , has set religious criteria for citizenship .
Hindu-Muslim riots in 1964 in what was then East Pakistan led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the border into India .
A war between India and Pakistan in 1965 and the breakup of Pakistan in 1971 , with the eastern portion becoming an independent Bangladesh with the help of the Indian army , led to fresh waves of refugees crossing into India .
Facing large-scale migration from Bangladesh to India ’ s Assam state , student leaders in Assam started a fierce protest demanding detention , disenfranchisement and deportation of immigrants found to have entered the state illegally .
Acting on a petition , the Supreme Court ordered state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The process began in 2015 and concluded last summer with a list that excluded nearly 2 million of Assam ’ s residents .
About half of those were Hindu and the other half Muslim .
Those excluded must now prove their citizenship at quasi-legal tribunals or else be considered foreigners .
The new citizenship law is seen as a way to provide excluded Hindus with a path to citizenship .
Modi ’ s government has proposed expanding the verification of citizenship around the country .
The government has neither estimated the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those deemed foreign will be detained , deported or allowed to stay on without the rights and privileges of citizenship .
In the past , those deemed to be foreigners have been transferred to detention centres , where they have languished for years in legal limbo .
Nearly 60 petitions challenging the new citizenship law are pending with the Supreme Court , and protests have erupted across India .
The protests have brought tens of thousands of people from different faiths and backgrounds together , in part because the law is seen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pluralistic social fabric of Indian society .
Five of India ’ s 28 states — West Bengal , Punjab , Kerala , Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — have said that they will not implement the new law .
Modi ’ s party downplays the protests , saying they are orchestrated by opponents .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Phoenix police: 3 children pronounced dead inside home

PHOENIX - Three children have been pronounced dead inside a home , according to Phoenix police .
A relative who @ @ @ @ @ police Monday and responding officers found a 7-month-old girl , 2-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy @ @ @ @ @ children were unresponsive and pronounced dead after officers administered CPR and fire officials provided first @ @ @ @ @ the mom , dad and another relative , according to authorities .
There was no @ @ @ @ @ , and relatives indicated illness may have been a factor , police said .
It @ @ @ @ @ determine how the children died , police said .
An investigation is ongoing .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Sheriff: 3 found dead in car appear to have been shot

PINEVILLE , S.C. - Three people who were found dead in a car in rural South Carolina appear to have @ @ @ @ @ have been involved in a crash , according to a sheriff .
The car was @ @ @ @ @ Pineville , Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis told news outlets late Monday night .
Authorities @ @ @ @ @ Monday afternoon about a disabled car .
“ It does appear that there were gunshots @ @ @ @ @ the wide area , we ’ re having to painstakingly go through the scene to @ @ @ @ @ , ” Lewis said .
All three people have been identified but their names won @ @ @ @ @ family is notified , according to county coroner George Oliver .
Autopsies have been scheduled @ @ @ @ @ about 45 miles ( 72 kilometres ) north of Charleston .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Office of Venezuela’s Guaidó raided during his trip abroad

CARACAS , Venezuela - Intelligence police raided the office of Juan Guaidó on Tuesday , while the U.S.-backed opposition leader was travelling in Europe seeking to bolster support for his campaign to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro .
Masked officers from feared SEBIN intelligence police unit blocked the building ’ s entrances and lined the street with their vehicles , barring entry by lawmakers aligned with Guaidó .
The United States and about 60 other nations recognize Guaidó , who heads the opposition-dominated National Assembly , as Venezuela ’ s legitimate president .
They contend Maduro ’ s 2018 re-election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guaidó , however , has no control over government institution or the military .
Legislator Manuela Bolívar confirmed the raid on his office , saying she was allowed to go to the door of the third-floor space , where officers were still inside working inside .
“ We don ’ t know what they ’ re stolen or what they ’ ve brought with them , “ legislator Ángel Torres said .
“ They usually enter without a judge ’ s order and set up a show saying they found this or that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In November , unidentified armed men with their faces covered raided the headquarters of Guaidó ’ s political party , taking cellphones , computer and ID cards from staffers the night before a large street protest against Maduro .
Tuesday ’ s police action came just hours after opposition lawmakers called off an attempt to hold a National Assembly session in the congress building across town , saying they wanted to avoid clashes with security forces and armed government supporters blocking entry .
Juan Pablo Guanipa , first vice-president of the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political party that streets leading to their legislative building had been “ militarized ” by armed groups , so they were not going to attempt an entry until next week .
Instead , the lawmakers held a makeshift meeting on a public square in an opposition-friendly part of Caracas away from downtown .
They sat on chairs set up before a stage amid trees and backed by their flag-colored streamer and emblem .
It was the third consecutive week that groups of armed civilians known as “ colectivos ” and security forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assembly , which is the last major national institution under opposition control and the centre of the struggle over who governs the crisis-wracked nation .
Last week , a caravan of SUVs carrying lawmakers toward the building was struck with rocks and poles by civilians and gunfire was heard .
On Jan. 5 , Guaidó attempted to jump a fence to get in only to be rebuffed by riot police .
Guanipa called on supporters to march with lawmakers to retake the National Assembly chambers next week , setting up a potential clash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are going to show them that we are fighting for the freedom of Venezuela , ” Guanipa said .
“ We ’ ll demonstrate , as we always have , that we ’ re absolutely ready to do whatever is required to achieve democracy in Venezuela.
” During their remote session , lawmakers condemned officials for the disappearance of Ismael León , a deputy in the National Assembly who they said was swept up by security forces shortly after leaving the party headquarters headed to the legislative building .
“ His family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely no idea where he is , ” opposition lawmaker Adriana Pichardo said .
Officials have not commented on León ’ s whereabouts .
After the meeting , lawmakers accused officials of trying to confiscate two trucks returning the chairs they had used .
Maduro backers this month attempted to undermine Guaidó ’ s standing by swearing in another deputy as leader of the congress despite lacking a majority .
Maduro maintains that breakaway group is now the legitimate legislature .
Local news media on Tuesday showed that group meeting in the congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who claims the body ’ s presidency .
Guaidó is on an international tour to build support , breaking a year-old travel ban ordered by the Maduro-loyal Supreme Court .
Guaidó met Monday in Colombia with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and was in London on Tuesday to meet British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
Gaudió was also scheduled speak at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland .
Maduro ’ s government was shoring up its own international backing , as Foreign Affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hassan Rouhani in Tehran .
Associated Press writers Fabiola Sánchez and Jorge Rueda contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Deputies: North Carolina teen secretly taped woman for year

STATESVILLE , N.C. - An 18-year-old secretly recorded a woman in her bedroom for nearly a year , a North Carolina sheriff ’ s office said .
The Iredell County Sheriff ’ s Office said in a news release that Cody Daniel Wells of Statesville was arrested last week on five counts of felony secret peeping and was released from jail after posting a $ 50,000 bond .
It ’ s not immediately known if Wells had an attorney who could comment .
Sheriff Darren Campbell says the unidentified woman discovered “ an electronic video recording device ” hidden in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The woman filed a report with the sheriff ’ s office on Dec. 20 .
The sheriff ’ s office said the peeping dates back to Jan. 1 , 2019 .
The sheriff ’ s office didn ’ t indicate what evidence led them to Well and no additional information on the case was made available .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--At least 8 hurt when truck, school bus collide in Arkansas

HOXIE , Ark .
- At least eight people were injured , including a child who was airlifted to a hospital , Tuesday afternoon when a school bus and a dump truck collided on a state highway in northeast Arkansas , authorities said .
Hoxie School District Superintendent Kelly Gillham said seven students and the bus driver were injured when the dump truck rear-ended the bus .
She said many of the injuries were minor .
“ All students were alert , able to communicate , ” she said .
Gillham said one student was airlifted to a hospital in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to area hospitals .
She said the students on the bus were elementary through high school age .
Arkansas State Police Spokesman Bill Sadler said the vehicles collided just south of Hoxie , about 120 miles ( 190 kilometres ) northeast of Little Rock .
Video shows the bus on its side .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Documents: Extremist group wanted rally to start civil war

COLLEGE PARK , Md .
- A hidden camera captured members of a white supremacist group expressing hope that violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia this week could start a civil war , federal prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday .
Former Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Jordan Mathews also videotaped himself advocating for killing people , poisoning water supplies and derailing trains , a prosecutor wrote in urging a judge in Maryland to keep Mathews and two other members of The Base detained in federal custody .
But the 27-year-old Canadian national didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and two other group members talked about attending the Richmond rally in the days leading up to Monday ’ s event , which attracted tens of thousands of people and ended peacefully .
Last month , a closed-circuit television camera and microphone installed by investigators in a Delaware home captured Mathews talking about the Virginia rally as a “ boundless ” opportunity .
“ And the thing is you ’ ve got tons of guys who ... should be radicalized enough to know that all you got ta do is start making things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to ( expletive ) full blown civil war , ” he said .
Mathews and fellow group member Brian Mark Lemley Jr. , 33 , of Elkton , Maryland , discussed the planning of violence at the Richmond rally , according to prosecutors .
Lemley talked about using a thermal imaging scope affixed to his rifle to ambush unsuspecting civilians and police officers , prosecutors said .
“ I need to claim my first victim , ” Lemley said on Dec. 23 , according to Tuesday ’ s detention memo .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , ” Mathews said , according to prosecutors .
“ You could provide overwatch while I get close to do what needs to be done to certain things.
” Lemley talked about ambushing a police officer to steal the officer ’ s weapons and tactical gear , saying , “ If there ’ s like a PoPo cruiser parked on the street and he doesn ’ t have backup , I can execute him at a whim and just take his stuff , ” according to prosecutors .
FBI agents arrested Mathews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 19 , of Denton , Maryland last Thursday as part of a broader investigation of The Base .
Authorities in Georgia and Wisconsin also arrested four other men linked to the group .
Detention hearings for Mathews and Bilbrough are scheduled for Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt , Maryland .
Their attorneys didn ’ t immediately respond to the memo filed Tuesday by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom .
Mathews and Lemley are charged with transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony .
Bilbrough is charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bilbrough ’ s attorney , Robert Bonsib , said last Thursday that he was “ underwhelmed ” by a prosecutor ’ s arguments for keeping his client detained .
Bilbrough was the only one of the three men not facing a firearms-related charge .
“ I think this 19-year-old man should be released , ” Bonsib told reporters .
Lawyers for Mathews and Lemley declined to comment after last Thursday ’ s hearings .
Mathews , who was a combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserve , illegally crossed the U.S. border near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Winnipeg Free Press led to his identification as a member of The Base .
Investigators believe Bilbrough and Lemley , who was a “ cavalry scout ” in the U.S. Army , drove from Maryland to Michigan to pick up Mathews and bring him to the Mid-Atlantic region , authorities said .
On Jan. 5 , Mathews and Lemley returned to the Delaware home from a gun range in Maryland and began packing rations and other material that investigators believe they planned to use during and after the Virginia rally , court documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and supplies before Mathews remarked about needing to bring a gas mask , investigators said .
Lemley also said he thought they ’ d have food to last between three and five months and that it “ might be enough til the war is over , ” according to the filing .
Lemley had also discussed loading the truck “ for the war , ” the documents said .
Authorities said Lemley had also bought a 4-foot ( 1-meter ) metal antenna to attach to his truck to get a better radio signal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A day before their arrests , Lemley told Mathews that “ there can not be no trust among a group of murderers , ” the detention memo says .
“ I can not trust you to keep my murdering secrets .
Not under threat of 30 years in jail and torture .
Why should I trust you ?
” Lemley asked .
“ You realize that they ’ re just going to call us terrorists , ” Mathews said minutes later .
As federal agents moved in to arrest Lemley and Matthews on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped the pieces in a toilet , a prosecutor said .
Bilbrough was arrested in Maryland .
Prosecutors say Bilbrough has repeatedly expressed an interest in travelling to Ukraine to fight alongside “ nationalists ” for several months .
U.S. and Canadian authorities had been searching for Mathews after his truck was found in September near the border between the two countries .
The Canadian military ’ s intelligence unit was investigating Mathews for “ possible racist extremist activities ” for several months , according to the Canadian Department of National Defence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Base and other white supremacist groups have frequently posted online messages advocating for “ accelerationism , ” a fringe philosophy in which far-right extremists “ have assigned to their desire to hasten the collapse of society as we know it.
” Last Friday , Georgia authorities announced that they arrested three members of The Base on charges they conspired to kill members of a militant anti-fascist group .
The arrests came after an undercover FBI agent infiltrated the group and participated in shooting drills in the mountains of northern Georgia , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Justice Department charged a Wisconsin man who they say was also a member of The Base .
That man is accused of spray- painting swastikas , the group ’ s symbol and anti-Semitic words on a synagogue in Racine , Wisconsin , in September .
Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo in Washington , D.C. , contributed to this report .
This story has been corrected to reflect that Patrik Jordan Mathews is a former Canadian Armed Forces reservist .

Michael Kunzelman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--US agency examining Tesla unintended acceleration complaint

DETROIT - The U.S. government ’ s auto safety agency is looking into allegations that all three of Tesla ’ s electric vehicle models can suddenly accelerate on their own .
Brian Sparks of Berkeley , California , petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asking for an investigation .
An agency document shows 127 owner complaints to the government that include 110 crashes and 52 injuries .
The agency said it will look into allegations that cover about 500,000 Tesla vehicles including Model 3 , Model S and Model X vehicles from the 2013 through 2019 model years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ evaluate the petition and decide if it should open a formal probe .
“ I am concerned that these complaints reflect a systemic defect that has not been investigated by NHTSA , ” Sparks wrote to James Owens , the acting NHTSA administrator .
“ I am also concerned that these potential defects represent risk to the safety of Tesla drivers , their passengers , and the public.
” NHTSA is already investigating three December crashes involving Tesla vehicles in which three people were killed .
The agency ’ s special crash investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and near Terre Haute , Indiana , to probe two fatal crashes .
Another crash in Connecticut also is under investigation .
Frank Borris , a former head of safety defect investigations for NHTSA , said the number of complaints cited in the petition is unusual and warrants further investigation .
“ The sheer number of complaints would certainly catch my eye , ” said Borris , who now runs an auto safety consulting business .
Tesla owners communicate with other owners on Internet forums and social media , and that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
He said the timing of the petition is good , because the agency needs to do a “ deeper dive ” into Tesla safety .
Some of the unintended acceleration complaints , which have yet to be verified by NHTSA , allege that the cars ’ electronics malfunctioned .
In his 69-page petition , Sparks analyzed the complaints to NHTSA and determined that many of the crashes happened while drivers were parking the Teslas .
He compared Tesla ’ s unintended acceleration complaint rate to other vehicles and found Tesla ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the reports , Sparks wrote , show that Tesla has refused to share data with vehicle owners after an unintended acceleration incident .
“ It is clear that Tesla has the data and is aware of the problem , ” Sparks wrote .
In one complaint , an owner in San Clemente , California , told NHTSA that in November of 2018 , a Model X SUV accelerated on its own to full power during a U-Turn on a city street .
The driver had a foot on the brake , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second , according to the complaint .
The driver alleged that something in Tesla ’ s system “ triggered the sudden spontaneously full acceleration , resulting in this collision.
” The SUV hit a parked vehicle , the air bags inflated and the owner had a large abdominal bruise and several small chest bruises , according to the complaint .
People who file complaints with NHTSA are not identified in the agency ’ s database .
The driver asked NHTSA to find out whether the Tesla complaints had common elements , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In another crash , in May of 2013 , the owner of a Model S sedan in Thousand Oaks , California , complained that while pulling into a parking spot , the car suddenly accelerated on its own .
The Model S went over a parking block and a curb and struck a cement light post .
The air bags inflated , but no one was hurt , the complaint said .
Three weeks after the crash , the owner got a letter from Tesla saying that the accelerator was depressed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 98 % at the time of impact .
The owner still believes the car accelerated by itself , the complaint stated .
Anyone can petition NHTSA to investigate an auto safety problem , and the agency said in a statement Friday that it encourages people to report concerns .
In the other Tesla crashes that NHTSA is investigating , authorities are trying to determine whether the cars were operating on Autopilot , a system designed to keep a car in its lane and a safe distance from other vehicles .
Autopilot also can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the National Transportation Safety Board will hold a hearing Feb. 25 on a fatal crash in Mountain View , California , involving a Tesla that was operating on the company ’ s Autopilot driver assist system .
Tesla has said repeatedly that its Autopilot system is designed only to assist drivers , who must still pay attention and be ready to intervene at all times .
The company contends that Teslas with Autopilot are safer than vehicles without it , but cautions that the system does not prevent all crashes .
NHTSA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crashes involving vehicles that the agency believed were operating on some form of partially automated advanced driver assist system .
Fourteen of these cases involved Tesla models .
The team investigates more than 100 crashes per year .
This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of former NHTSA official Frank Borris ’ last name .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Bloomberg calls for Trump’s removal in new impeachment ad

NEW YORK - Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg launched a new impeachment-focused television ad Tuesday urging the Senate to remove President Donald Trump from office .
The ad will run in 27 states , including states represented by vulnerable Republican senators , and be Bloomberg ’ s only ad on television in the next few days .
It comes as the Senate begins its impeachment trial against Trump based on charges he abused his power and obstructed Congress .
“ It ’ s time for the Senate to act and remove Trump from office , and if they won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and I will , ” Bloomberg says in the ad , which appears to use footage from a recent campaign stop .
Bloomberg has focused his campaign more on Trump than his Democratic primary rivals have .
The billionaire businessman and former New York City mayor has promised to continue spending his own money to defeat Trump even if he loses the Democratic nomination .
Forbes on Tuesday increased Bloomberg ’ s estimated net worth to $ 60 billion , up from $ 50 billion previously and making him the nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s already spent more than $ 200 million of his own money on his primary campaign , by hiring staff and running television ads in several dozen states .
Bloomberg ’ s impeachment-focused ad will run in Alabama , Arizona , Colorado , Florida , Maine , Michigan , North Carolina and Texas , as well as 19 other states .
It ’ s designed to reach voters in states with Republican senators who could be defeated in November .
Five of those key states also vote on March 3 , known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his attention in the primary contest .
The ad also highlights Bloomberg ’ s spending to boost Democratic candidates in key U.S. House races in 2018 , when the party took back control of the lower chamber .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game.
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Derek Jeter, Larry Walker elected to baseball Hall of Fame

NEW YORK - Derek Jeter came within one vote of being a unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame while Larry Walker also earned baseball ’ s highest honour on Tuesday .
The longtime New York Yankees captain appeared on 396 of 397 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers ’ Association of America , falling just shy of the standard set when longtime Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera became the first unanimous selection last year .
Jeter ’ s 99.7 % moved above Ken Griffey Jr. ( 99.3 % ) for the second-highest .
It was not immediately known which voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was listed on all 219 ballots made public before the announcement .
The BBWAA will release additional ballots on Feb. 4 of writers who chose a public listing .
Walker appeared on 304 ballots , six above the 75 % needed , in his 10th and final appearance on the BBWAA ballot , up from 54.6 % last year .
Pitcher Curt Schilling was third with 278 votes ( 70 % ) in his eighth ballot appearance , an increase from 60.9 % but still 20 votes shy .
The steroids-tainted pair of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barry Bonds ( 60.7 % ) both showed slight increases .
Bonds rose from 59.1 % last year and Clemens from 59.5 % .
Jeter and Walker will be inducted on July 26 at the Hall in Cooperstown along with catcher Ted Simmons and former players ’ association head Marvin Miller , who were voted in last month by the Hall ’ s Modern Era Committee .
A five-time World Series champion , Jeter became a face of baseball as he starred in the nation ’ s largest media market from 1995-2014 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Year award in 1996 as the Yankees won the World Series for the first time since 1978 , then led New York to three straight titles from 1998-2000 , the only team to accomplish the feat since the 1972-74 Oakland Athletics .
A rebuilt Yankees added their 27th title in 2009 .
Jeter defined himself by moments more than numbers : his unexpected backhand flip from foul territory to throw out Oakland ’ s Jeremy Giambi in the 2001 AL Division Series ; his Mr. November home run in the 10th inning that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Series ; his face-first leap into the stands after catching a 12th-inning popup by Boston ’ s Trot Nixon in 2004 ; a home run into the left-field bleachers for his 3,000th hit as part of a career-best 5-for-5 game in 2011 ; a ninth-inning walkoff single in his final home game in 2014 ; a single in his last at-bat three days later that lifted his career average to .310 .
Drafted sixth overall in 1992 after he was spotted by Yankees scout Dick Grouch as a high school junior a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Phil Nevin ) , Cleveland ( Paul Shuey ) , ( Montreal ( B.J .
Wallace ) , Baltimore ( Jeffrey Hammonds ) and Cincinnati ( Chad Mottola ) .
He debuted for the Yankees on May 29 , 1995 , and was installed at shortstop the folliowing spring training by new manager Joe Torre .
Jeter became a 14-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner despite defensive metrics that were maligned .
He was appointed captain by owner George Steinbrenner in June 2003 , filling a position that had been open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1995 season .
He finished with 3,465 hits , 260 homers , 358 stolen bases and 1,311 RBIs , earning $ 266 million from the Yankees .
He was the ninth player elected to the Hall after playing exclusively for the Yankees , joining Lou Gehrig ( 1939 ) , Bill Dickey ( 1954 ) , Joe DiMaggio ( 1955 ) , Earle Combs ( 1970 ) , Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle ( 1974 ) , Phil Rizzuto ( 1994 ) and Rivera .
Jeter used some of his savings to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September 2017 , becoming CEO .
Jettisoning veterans and going with low-priced youth in a way the Yankees never did , Jeter endured a pair of last-place finishes and the lowest home attendance in the major leagues .
Walker hit .313 with .383 homers , 1,311 RBIs and 230 stolen bases for Montreal ( 1989-94 ) , Colorado ( 1995-2004 ) and St. Louis ( 2004-05 ) , a five-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner .
He led the major leagues in batting average in 1998 , 1999 and 2001 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ writers difficulty because he spent 9 1/2 seasons hitting at home in the thin air of Denver ’ s Coors Field .
Walker batted .381 with an 1.172 OPS and 154 home runs in 597 games at Coors and .282 with 229 homers and an .873 OPS in 1,391 games elsewhere , according to the Elias Sports Bureau .
He received just 20.3 % in his first ballot appearance in 2011 and dropped as low as 10.2 % in 2014 .
He rose to 21.9 % in 2017 before jumping to 34.1 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian-born player elected to the Hall after Ferguson Jenkins in 1991 .
Ballot holdovers could benefit next year , when the most prominent players eligible for the first time are Torii Hunter and Mark Buehrle .
The 2022 ballot will include David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez , who served a season-long suspension in 2014 for violations of the drug program and baseball ’ s collective bargaining agreement .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Minnesota man exposed as commander of Nazi-led unit dies

MINNEAPOLIS - A retired Minnesota carpenter whom The Associated Press exposed as a former commander of a Nazi-led unit accused of war atrocities has died .
Michael Karkoc , whose family maintained that he was never a Nazi or committed any war crimes , lived quietly in Minneapolis for decades until AP ’ s review of U.S. and Ukrainian records in 2013 uncovered his past and prompted investigations in Germany and Poland .
Karkoc died Dec. 14 , according to cemetery and public records .
He was 100 .
His son , Andriy Karkoc , hung up on an AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death .
Officials at the Kozlak-Radulovich Funeral Chapel , which was listed on one website as having handled the funeral arrangements , declined to comment .
But records at Hillside Cemetery in Minneapolis show he was quietly buried there Dec. 19 , next to his wife , Nadia Karkoc , who died in 2018 .
And Minnesota Department of Health records show that a Michael Karkoc with the correct birthday died Dec. 14 .
The family and funeral home did not publish a public obituary .
Karkoc ’ s involvement in the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war crimes approached the AP after coming across Karkoc ’ s name .
The AP investigation relied upon a broad range of interviews and documents , including Nazi military payroll information and company rosters , U.S. Army intelligence files , Ukrainian intelligence findings and Karkoc ’ s self-published memoir .
The records established that Karkoc was a commander in the SS-led Ukrainian Self Defence Legion , which attacked a Polish village where dozens of women and children were killed in 1944 , then lied to American authorities to get into the U.S. after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was ever at the scene of the attack , though a second AP report uncovered testimony from a former soldier in Karkoc ’ s unit who said Karkoc ordered his men to attack the village , Chlaniow , in retaliation for the slaying of an SS major .
Andriy Karkoc has said his father was never a Nazi and denied he was involved in any war crimes .
He has also questioned the validity of AP ’ s sources and accused the AP of “ defamatory and slanderous ” allegations .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigate .
German prosecutors announced in July 2015 that they had shelved their case because the then-96-year-old Karkoc wasn ’ t fit for trial .
But Polish prosecutors announced in March 2017 that they would seek his arrest and extradition , saying his age was no obstacle in seeking to bring him to justice .
Dr. Efraim Zuroff , the top Nazi hunter for the Simon Wiesenthal Center , said he was in no doubt that Karkoc should have been extradited and he called it unfortunate that Poland and the U.S. didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They seem to have handled this case with a lack of urgency , ” Zuroff said in a telephone interview from Israel .
“ This is a typical case of a person who joined forces with Nazi Germany and was involved in crimes against innocent civilians , and he didn ’ t deserve the privilege of living in a great democracy like the United States , ” he said .
A U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman declined to comment on Karkoc ’ s case , referring a reporter to the Polish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainian intelligence agency ’ s archive revealed testimony from Pvt .
Ivan Sharko , a Ukrainian soldier under Karkoc ’ s command .
Sharko testified in 1968 that the initial order to attack Chlaniow was given by another officer , but that Karkoc — who fought under the nom de guerre “ Wolf ” — told his unit to attack the village .
“ The commander of our company , Wolf , also gave the command to cordon off the village and check all the houses , and to find and punish the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine in 1967 and 1968 , for an investigation they were conducting against the Self Defence Legion .
Sharko , who died in the 1980s , also said the legionaries surrounded homes , set them on fire and shot anyone found inside homes or in the streets , according to the Russian-language investigative file .
“ How many people were killed in all , I don ’ t know .
I personally saw three corpses of peaceful inhabitants who had been killed , ” Sharko was quoted as saying .
Stephen Paskey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice ’ s Office of Special Investigations , said Sharko ’ s testimony is highly credible .
He noted that Sharko didn ’ t appear to be in custody or under investigation when questioned , and many of his statements were confirmed by historical documents .
Thomas Will , the deputy head of Germany ’ s special prosecutors ’ office that investigates Nazi crimes , concluded in 2013 that there was sufficient evidence that Karkoc was present .
In 2017 , Polish prosecutor Robert Janicki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigates Nazi and Communist-era crimes against Poles , said years of investigation confirmed “ 100 % ” that he was a commander of the unit .
Karkoc , an ethnic Ukrainian , was born in the city of Lutsk in 1919 , according to details he provided to American officials .
At the time , the area was being fought over by Ukraine , Poland and others ; it ended up part of Poland until World War II .
Several wartime Nazi documents note the same birth date , but say he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same region .
Karkoc didn ’ t tell U.S. authorities about his military service when he entered the country in 1949 .
But in a Ukrainian-language memoir published in 1995 , Karkoc said he helped found the Ukrainian Self Defence Legion in 1943 , in collaboration with the Nazis ’ feared SS intelligence agency , to fight on the side of Germany .
He also wrote that he served as a company commander in the unit , which received orders directly from the SS , through the end of the war .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Library of Congress and the British Library , and the AP located it online in an electronic Ukrainian library .
Karkoc became a U.S. citizen in 1959 .
He lived for decades in a heavily Eastern European neighbourhood of Minneapolis and was a longtime member of the St. Michael ’ s and St. George ’ s Ukrainian Orthodox Church .
He worked as a carpenter , and was a member and a secretary in the local branch of the fraternal Ukrainian National Association .
Antin Semeniuk , a friend of Karkoc in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial report that Karkoc told him he hadn ’ t been a Nazi .
Rather , Semeniuk said , Karkoc described himself as a Ukrainian patriot who wanted his country to be democratic and free of Nazi and Communist rule .
Associated Press writers David Rising in Berlin and Doug Glass in Minneapolis contributed to this story .
Herschaft reported from New York .

Amy Forliti, Steve Karnowski And Randy Herschaft - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Brazilian prosecutors accuse Glenn Greenwald in hacking case

SAO PAULO - Prosecutors accused U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald on Tuesday of involvement in hacking the phones of Brazilian officials involved in a corruption investigation , though Brazil ’ s high court had blocked investigations of the journalist or his Brazil-based news outlet in relation to the case .
A federal judge would have to give approval to lodging a formal charge based on the allegations by prosecutor Wellington Divino Marques de Oliveira in the capital of Brasilia that Greenwald helped a group of six people that hacked into phones of hundreds local authorities .
De Oliveira accuses Greenwald of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He charges the six alleged hackers with criminal organization , money laundering , cybercrimes and illegal interception of communications .
Brazil ’ s federal police looked at the same evidence and did not find any wrongdoing by Greenwald .
A ruling by Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes later barred investigations of Greenwald and his The Intercept Brasil in relation to the alleged hacking .
Prosecutors decided to recommend charges against the journalist anyway .
Greenwald ’ s The Intercept Brasil published excerpts from conversations involving current Justice Minister Sérgio Moro , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with prosecutors at the time he was a judge overseeing a vast corruption investigation .
That probe led to the imprisonment of numerous business executives and politicians on corruption charges , including former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva .
He was released from jail in November because he has appeals pending .
While many Brazilians hail Moro as a hero , others believe he unfairly targeted da Silva and other top leftist figures .
Moro is now a key member of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro ’ s Cabinet .
Greenwald ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bizarre ” and said the accusations challenge the top court ruling protecting the journalist and freedom of the press in Brazil .
“ Their objective is to disparage journalistic work , ” the lawyers said in a statement .
Greenwald posted a video saying the accusation is “ an attack to freedom of the press , to Brazil ’ s Supreme Court ( rulings ) , to the conclusions of the federal police and to Brazilian democracy.
” “ We will defend a free press .
We will not be intimidated by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bolsonaro administration , ” he said .
Prosecutors said in a statement that an unreleased audio links Greenwald to the group of hackers as they broke the law , terming it “ auxiliary participation in the crime ” and saying he was “ seeking to subvert the idea of protection of a journalistic source into immunity to guide criminals.
” Brazil ’ s top court last year said that “ the constitutional secrecy ” around journalistic sources prevented the Brazilian state from using “ coercive measures ” against Greenwald .
Because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorize any attempt by prosecutors to formally investigate the journalist or bring charges .
Judge Ricardo Leite will analyse the unusual accusation against Greenwald and the group of six alleged hackers .
There is no deadline for a decision .
The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalists said in a statement that “ the charges against Greenwald are based on a distorted interpretation of conversations of the journalist with his source , and has as its sole purpose embarassing the professional , which is very serious.
” Greenwald , an attorney-turned-journalist who lives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Bolsonaro .
Moro has not acknowledge the veracity of the reports by The Intercept Brasil , saying they come from “ criminal invasion ” of the phones of several prosecutors .
Many others involved in the leaked messages or mentioned in them have confirmed their content .
Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro , a son of the president , celebrated the accusation on social media .
“ Glenn Greenwald always said he loved Brazil and wanted to know the country ’ s depths .
Maybe he will even know jail , ” the legislator @ @

Mauricio Savarese - The Associated Press


US-United States-Iran Missiles-Injuries

WASHINGTON - Additional U.S. troops have been flown out of Iraq for closer evaluation of potential concussion injuries from the Iranian missile attack of Jan. 8 , U.S. defence officials said Tuesday .
The exact number of troops flown to Germany was not immediately clear , but officials said it was a small number .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because some details were still being sorted out .
Last week , 11 U.S. service members were flown from Iraq to U.S. medical facilities in Germany and Kuwait for further evaluation of concussion-like symptoms .
Navy Capt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Command , which oversees military operations across the Middle East , confirmed the additional evacuations but did not say how many were included .
“ As medical treatment and evaluations in theatre continue , additional service members have been identified as having potential injuries , ” Urban said Tuesday evening .
“ These service members — out of an abundance of caution — have been transported to Landstuhl , Germany , for further evaluations and necessary treatment on an outpatient basis .
Given the nature of injuries already noted , it is possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future.
” As recently as last Tuesday night , President Donald Trump said he had been told no American had been harmed in the Iranian missile strike .
The question of American casualties was especially significant at the time because the missile attack ’ s results were seen as influencing a U.S. decision on whether to retaliate and risk a broader war with Iran .
Trump chose not to retaliate , and the tensions with Iran have eased somewhat .
In the days following the Iranian attack , medical screening determined that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering from concussion-like symptoms .
No one was killed in the attack on Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq .
The strike was launched in retaliation for a U.S. drone missile strike that killed Qassem Soleimani , the most powerful military general in Iran , on Jan. 3 at Baghdad International Airport .
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Lolita C. Baldor And Robert Burns - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Groups prepare to sue over grazing in Wyoming grizzly range

JACKSON , Wyo .
- Conservationists worried that continued livestock grazing in a Wyoming forest could endanger grizzly bears are preparing to sue the U.S. government .
Western Watersheds Project , Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Yellowstone to Uintas Connection allege a 2019 decision to allow grazing to continue in a large area of Bridger-Teton National Forest violates the Endangered Species Act .
The groups filed notice Tuesday they intend to sue the U.S. Forest Service within 60 days .
Forest officials decided in October to allow livestock grazing to continue on over 260 square miles ( 690 square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As many as 72 grizzly bears could be killed for harassing or killing livestock over a decade without causing harm to the greater Yellowstone region ’ s grizzly population , biologists found .
The groups question the finding and grazing decision .
“ There ’ s simply no way to justify the killing of 72 grizzly bears due to conflict with domestic livestock on public lands , “ Mike Garrity , executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies , said in a release .
The U.S. Forest Service is reviewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Federal officials have concluded that the Yellowstone region ’ s population of over 700 grizzlies is large enough to justify lifting the animals ’ protection under the Endangered Species Act .
A federal judge in Montana in 2018 overturned a decision to declassify Yellowstone ’ s grizzlies as a threatened species .
Montana , Idaho and Wyoming officials are appealing the court ruling .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Biden widens Black Caucus support after Harris, Booker exits

FORT DODGE , Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden continued to run up his advantage among black political leaders Tuesday , with four Congressional Black Caucus members announcing their support , including three who previously backed Sens .
Kamala Harris or Cory Booker .
Georgia Rep. Sanford Bishop was making his first public declaration of support in the Democratic primary .
New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne previously backed Booker .
Florida Reps. Alcee Hastings and Frederica Wilson previously backed Harris .
Payne , Hastings and Wilson are the first Black Caucus members to pick new candidates after Booker and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign confirmed the endorsements Tuesday , bringing the 77-year-old candidate ’ s roster of Black Caucus supporters to 15 .
That far outpaces any of his Democratic rivals and underscores his advantage with and dependence on a key Democratic constituency .
Harris had peaked at 11 Black Caucus endorsements .
“ He will be the kind of president who will be able to relate to every demographic in the country , north , south , middle America , ” Bishop told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of his public announcement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ empathize and be taken seriously by every demographic .
He ’ s not so far to the left that he would put off anyone.
” Bishop ’ s colleagues offered similar sentiments via written statements , echoing the candidate ’ s contention that he ’ s the Democrat best-positioned to win in November and handle the aftermath .
“ Our candidate needs to have the strength to beat Donald Trump and the heart to bring this country together , for the sake of our children , ” Wilson said .
Florida , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Georgia , with 105 pledged delegates at stake on March 24 , will hold two of the most significant primaries after the March 3 Super Tuesday slate when Democrats will scramble for more than a third of the total 3,979 pledged delegates .
New Jersey , meanwhile , is among the last contests .
But its 126 pledged delegates on June 2 could prove crucial if Democrats ’ historically large field results in a drawn-out fight that requires every primary and caucus to determine a nominee .
Black voters hold significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden has maintained a lead in most national polls of Democratic voters because he ’ s the clear favourite of African American voters , especially older ones .
Consequently , he appears to hold a wide advantage , for now , in South Carolina , the South ’ s first primary and the first state contest with a large contingent of black voters .
Yet in the overwhelmingly white early states of Iowa and New Hampshire , Biden is clustered with other top contenders : Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-01-21--California governor asked to pardon late gay rights leader

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - The California Legislature ’ s LGBTQ and black caucuses on Tuesday asked Gov .
Gavin Newsom to posthumously pardon a civil rights leader who was jailed for having gay sex nearly 70 years ago .
Bayard Rustin was a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , along with being an organizer of the 1963 March on Washington .
He also helped plan other nonviolent boycotts and protests to end racial discrimination .
In 1953 , he was arrested on a charge of vagrancy when he was caught having sex with two men in a parked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pasadena as part of a lecture tour on anti-colonial struggles in West Africa , Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Assemblywoman Shirley Weber wrote on behalf of the caucuses .
He served 50 days in Los Angeles County jail and had to register as a sex offender before returning to his home state of New York .
He died in 1987 , “ He deserves to be remembered as one of the towering figures in the cause of justice and freedom , both as a black man and as a gay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A pardon ... would ensure his legacy and his place in history is unsullied by this event.
” The Democratic governor said in a supportive statement that he will closely consider the request .
“ In California and across the country , sodomy laws were used as legal tools of oppression , ” Newsom said .
“ They were used to stigmatize and punish LGBTQ individuals and communities and warn others what harm could await them for living authentically.
” The lawmakers said Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey supports a pardon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment .
Rustin ’ s inner circle knew he was gay , the lawmakers said , but his arrest embarrassed his religious and political associates , particularly after U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina read Rustin ’ s arrest file into the Congressional Record .
He was immediately removed from the Fellowship of Reconciliation , where he was secretary for student and general affairs .
At the time , racial segregation was in full effect and LGBTQ people were “ under a constant threat of violence and targeting , ” the lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just issued an executive order banning gay individuals from federal employment .
President Barack Obama honoured Rustin posthumously with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 as gay , lesbian , bisexual and transgender people were included in the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington .
San Diego City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez said a pardon could also help a national letter-writing campaign he is leading to have a commemorative stamp made in Rustin ’ s honour .
Gay sex is no longer a crime , but Rustin ’ s arrest and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haunted him for the rest of his life , and it continues to tarnish his name ” 33 years after his death , the lawmakers wrote in asking Newsom for the pardon as “ a positive step toward reconciliation .
”


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Judge deals blow to woman charged for being topless at home

SALT LAKE CITY - A judge refused to overturn part of Utah ’ s lewdness law Tuesday in a blow to a woman who ’ s fighting criminal charges after her stepchildren saw her topless in her own home .
Judge Kara Pettit sided with prosecutors who argued that lewdness is commonly understood to include women ’ s breasts in American society , the Salt Lake Tribune reported .
Judges should not second-guess what lawmakers have decided is lewd conduct , she wrote .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether Tilli Buchanan would appeal the ruling .
If she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move toward trial .
If convicted , she could face jail time and be forced to register as a sex offender for 10 years .
Buchanan and the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah had pointed to a court ruling that overturned a topless ban in Colorado and helped fuel a movement .
They said Utah ’ s law on lewdness involving a child is unfair because it treats men and women differently for baring their chests .
A global movement advocating for the rights of women to go topless , called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mixed success fighting similar ordinances in other parts of the country .
The 10th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling that blocked a ban in Fort Collins , Colorado , on women going topless in public .
But the U.S. Supreme Court this month left in place the conviction of three members of the Free the Nipple campaign who were arrested for going topless on a New Hampshire beach in 2016 .
A public indecency law in Missouri also was upheld in 2017 , and a court allowed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the books in 2013 .
Buchanan was charged after she and her husband took off their shirts to keep their clothes from getting dirty while they hung drywall in their garage in a Salt Lake City suburb in late 2017 or early 2018 .
When her husband ’ s three children , ages 9 through 13 , walked in , she “ explained she considers herself a feminist and wanted to make a point that everybody should be fine with walking around their house or elsewhere with skin showing , ” her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges against her were filed after the children ’ s mother reported the incident to child welfare officials working on a separate investigation involving the kids .
Police said Buchanan removed her shirt and bra in front of the children while “ under the influence of alcohol.
” Her husband was not charged .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Florida creates task force on sea-level rise

TALLAHASSEE , Fla. - After years of mostly ignoring climate change , Florida lawmakers waded deeper into the matter on Tuesday , advancing a proposal that would create a statewide Office of Resiliency and establish a task force to begin looking into how best to protect the state ’ s 1350 miles ( 2,173 kilometres ) of coastline from rising oceans .
It ’ s a marked change from just a few years ago , when the issue of climate change couldn ’ t get any traction in Florida ’ s Republican-run Capitol under then-Gov .
Rick Scott , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But with Gov .
Ron DeSantis exerting political muscle behind the effort , environmentalists see an opportunity to begin addressing the problem , even if they say the current legislative proposals fall short of a comprehensive response to climate change .
“ We ’ ve seen bills that will help communities plan for rising sea levels — all of which is very , very important , and we need to do that — but without focusing on the cause of the problem , it just seems kind of lacklustre .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Jonathan Scott Webber , the deputy director of Florida Conservation Voters .
The legislation considered Tuesday would establish an Office of Resiliency headed by the governor ’ s chief “ resilience officer , ” who was appointed last summer as part of a broader effort to address the state ’ s environmental challenges .
Last spring , DeSantis also appointed a chief science officer , a politically startling development given the clashes between scientists and climate change skeptics , including President Donald Trump , who once dismissed climate change as a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgency of the threat .
The president walked things back earlier this month when he told reporters that climate change was “ a very serious subject “ and that “ nothing ’ s a hoax about that.
” Despite the bipartisan support the Florida bill got Tuesday , there were residual politics .
Rep. Rick Roth , a Republican whose community of West Palm Beach in South Florida could become flooded by rising waters , called the proposal a “ prudent first step.
“ But he took issue with Webber ’ s assertion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough .
“ We don ’ t need to jump to hyperbole and emotional conclusions before we really have the data , ” said Roth , a member of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee .
“ We really need to get the data .
We really need to be responsible on how we ’ re going to spend dollars.
“ The effort could remain politically fraught , even within the proposed task force .
Environmentalists want the panel to represent the broad interests affected by climate change .
Indeed , th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is reaching a consensus on how to go about its work and drafting recommendations .
A primary concern of the body , which is supposed to be impaneled by August , is to come up with scientific information that other state agencies and communities can use to bring consistency to the effort against sea-level rise .
So far , Florida Republicans are taking a more pragmatic approach by focusing their attention on defending coastal communities from rising oceans .
According to a legislative analysis , Florida could lose more than $ 300 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the $ 1 trillion that could be lost nationwide by the end of the century .
A new report by the analytical firm Jupiter Intelligence underscores the urgency in finding solutions for the problem .
In Miami-Dade County , oceanfront real estate will be increasingly in peril as oceans rise , with vulnerable seaside properties rising from 5 % last year to 98 % by 2050 .
The economic impact could be substantial .
The state ’ s beaches generate billions of dollars in tourism .
Warmer oceans could also affect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
Higher global temperatures are causing glaciers to melt into the oceans and producing extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes that are more intense and destructive than ever before .
Shortly after taking office a year ago , DeSantis pledged to invest $ 2.5 billion during his four-year term to protect water resources and help restore the Everglades .
He has attacked algae blooms and red tides , and has pledged to reduce the pollutants that get into the state ’ s lakes , waterways and coastal waters .
While welcoming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor and the Legislature to do more — particularly in reducing the pollutants that contribute to the greenhouse gases that scientists blame for the warming global temperatures .
In the budget proposal the governor unveiled last year , the only money DeSantis proposed for reducing carbon emissions was Florida ’ s $ 166 million share of a $ 14.7 billion emissions settlement U.S. regulators reached with the European automaker Volkswagen .
The money will be used to expand the state ’ s fleet of electric transit vehicles , install electric charging stations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Bobby Caina Calvan - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Iranian attending college in Boston is denied entry to U.S.

BOSTON - An Iranian student attending college in Boston was denied entry to the U.S. and ordered to immediately fly back to his native country , despite a court order temporarily staying his removal , immigration lawyers and civil rights groups said Tuesday .
Shahab Dehghani , a 24-year-old economics student at Northeastern University , arrived in Boston with a valid student visa but was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at Logan International Airport , according to his lawyer Kerry Doyle .
Customs officials ordered Dehghani , whose full name is listed as Mohammad Shahab Dehghani Hossein Abadi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the next available flight because they determined he was intending to reside in the U.S. longer than his temporary student visa allowed , Doyle said .
Dehghani ’ s lawyers reject that claim .
They say he had attended the University of Massachusetts Boston before transferring to Northeastern , had undergone a nearly one-year visa review and planned to return to Iran when he completed his studies .
“ He ’ s understandably upset , ” said Heather Yountz , a lawyer also involved in Dehghani ’ s case .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts for two years .
His life has now been turned around.
” Customs and Border Patrol declined to comment on specifics but said each person seeking entry to the country has the burden to prove they can overcome “ all grounds of inadmissibility , ” including “ health-related grounds , criminality , security reasons , public charge , labour certification , illegal entrants and immigration violations , documentation requirements , and miscellaneous grounds.
” While he was at the airport Monday , Dehghani ’ s attorneys filed an emergency lawsuit seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal judge quickly approved , pending a court hearing Tuesday .
But Judge Richard Stearns on Tuesday said the case was moot and out of his jurisdiction because Dehghani ended up flying out of the U.S. that night .
Doyle confirmed Dehghani took a flight to Paris on Monday but disputed the judge ’ s assertions .
She also challenged federal prosecutors who argued Dehghani was removed from the country before the emergency order was issued .
Doyle a rgued he was still at the airport at the time the judge issued the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the order .
She said her client intends to fight the case and will weigh his legal options .
Northeastern University said it has also been in touch with federal officials to try and get Dehghani back to Boston for his classes .
“ We still have not received a satisfactory explanation from Customs and Border Protection for this action , ” the university said late Tuesday .
” Only in the most extreme instances should students have their academic pursuits interrupted by government intervention.
” Doyle and other immigrant rights activists say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of customs officials at Logan Airport ignoring court orders since President Donald Trump issued a ban on travellers from several predominantly Muslim countries in 2017 , including Iran .
Since August , at least 10 students have been sent back to Iran upon arrival at U.S. airports .
Seven had flown into Logan , according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts , which is also assisting Dehghani .
“ We feel the Iranian community has been unfortunately targeted , “ Doyle said .
” We ’ re hearing many reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entry , of Iranian students and other individuals being subjected to increased and severe interrogation at secondary inspections.
“ Civil rights groups and lawmakers complained this month to federal officials after Iranian Americans said they had been questioned for hours at the Canadian border in Washington state in the days after U.S. forces killed a top Iranian general and the Trump administration feared retaliation from Iran .
Hamed Yarmand was among more than two dozen people who rallied outside of Boston federal court Tuesday in support of Dehghani .
Yarmand , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Dehghani ’ s professors at UMass Boston and described him as a good student who was involved in school activities .
“ It ’ s not fair , ” Yarmand said .
“ President Trump says he supports the Iranian people .
But how does that work , with these sanctions and this travel ban ?
There seems to be a contradiction with what he says and what this administration is doing in practice.
” Associated Press Education Writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Alaska Legislature convenes with familiar issues to face

JUNEAU , Alaska - Alaska lawmakers began a new legislative session Tuesday in which they ’ ll resume debates that have dominated recent sessions amid middling oil prices , including the size of the check to pay residents from the state ’ s oil-wealth fund .
Some lawmakers are hopeful agreement can be reached on long-simmering , divisive issues , including possibly setting a new Alaska Permanent Fund dividend formula .
After last year ’ s contentious , drawn-out sessions and with elections looming , others are cautious in their expectations .
Most legislative seats are up for election this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dunleavy is seeking to fend off a recall threat following a tumultuous first year in office .
The recall effort was fueled by anger over budget cuts he proposed last year in response to a lingering deficit , and lawmakers , too , pushed back against the cuts .
In his proposal for the upcoming budget , Dunleavy eschewed deep cuts .
He also relied heavily on savings , which some lawmakers deem unacceptable .
So what now ?
Things to watch this session : Dunleavy has said a decades-old formula for calculating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s changed and he has supported giving Alaskans a say on changes .
The formula hasn ’ t been followed the last four years , as the state has wrestled with the deficit , and the Alaska Supreme Court has held that without a constitutional amendment , the program must compete for funding like other programs do .
Dividends traditionally have been paid with permanent fund earnings , which lawmakers in 2018 also began using to help pay for government .
They also sought to limit earnings withdrawals , heightening tensions involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services .
The draw limit for the upcoming fiscal year is about $ 3.1 billion .
Under Dunleavy ’ s proposal , $ 2 billion would go to dividend checks , according to the Legislative Finance Division .
The check size has been decided recently by what lawmakers can agree on .
Last year ’ s $ 1,606 check used additional funds from savings .
The Legislative Finance Division , in a new report , said the dividend was short by about $ 10 a person due to what appeared to be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Acting state Revenue Commissioner Mike Barnhill said Tuesday officials are awaiting completion of a financial report for clarity on that .
He said by email that the division that pays checks originally underestimated the number of applications for dividends and that there are more dividends to be paid than originally estimated .
Because of this , he said it ’ s unlikely the amount transferred from savings resulted in any short payments .
Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich , an Anchorage Democrat , said he ’ s hopeful agreement can be reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formula .
House Finance Committee Co-chair Jennifer Johnston , an Anchorage Republican , expects discussions on whether it ’ s time to change in law the calculation but sees adhering to the draw limit as important .
She said she doesn ’ t think the state will have the “ luxury ” this year of paying as large a dividend as last year .
Rep. Cathy Tilton , a minority Republican on the House Finance Committee , said members of her caucus want to follow the dividend law , but if it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be followed , changes should be looked at .
“ It doesn ’ t mean that I ’ m in support of the changes one way or the other , but the conversation needs to be out there , ” she said , adding later : “ I think that whatever happens with the dividend you need to have the voices of Alaskans engaged in that.
” Senate President Cathy Giessel said financial experts have indicated the constitutional budget reserve should have at least $ 2 billion to provide a cushion for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawn down as lawmakers have struggled with how to tackle the deficit and was valued at about $ 2.2 billion at the end of 2019 , according to the Department of Revenue .
Dunleavy , in his new budget proposal , calls for using $ 1.5 billion from the reserve .
Giessel , an Anchorage Republican , recently told the Resource Development Council she believed proposals to raise motor fuel taxes and levy a $ 30 annual tax on people employed in the state could gain traction .
Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elections to provide petitions by Feb. 10 that would allow recall backers to begin gathering the more than 70,000 signatures they would need to advance the effort .
On Tuesday , however , he granted a request by a group opposed to the recall to stay that decision pending resolution of the matter by the Alaska Supreme Court .
Dunleavy has argued the effort is politically motivated and that the judge ’ s decision , if it stands , would set a low bar for pursuing recalls .
Recall supporters say the effort @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--South Dakota board approves Keystone XL water permits

FORT PIERRE , S.D .
- The South Dakota Water Management Board on Tuesday approved five water permit applications for Keystone XL pipeline construction .
The hearing was so contentious that it stretched into a dozen days over the course of four months as American Indian tribes and environmental groups argued against their approval .
After holding a brief period for public comment in Fort Pierre Tuesday , the board met in a closed executive session before voting to approve the permits , with added requirements for real-time monitoring and weekly check-ins with the state .
Opponents can appeal the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment .
TC Energy , the Canadian company building the pipeline , applied for permits to tap the Cheyenne , White and Bad rivers in South Dakota during construction .
The water will be used for drilling to install pipe , build pump stations and control dust during construction .
Two ranchers also applied for water permits to supply backup water to worker camps .
The board allowed three minutes for each person who wanted to comment before the executive session .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , age 17 , and his sister Zora Lone Eagle , age 13 — with painted handprints on their faces used their three minutes to silently stare at the board in protest .
They said they had been refused permission to cross-examine experts during the hearing because they are minors and not represented by an attorney .
Itancan said they live within a couple miles of where the pipeline would cross the Cheyenne River .
Before the vote , Anthony Helland , a member of an environmental group called Dakota Rural Action , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industries have been “ met with open arms by governmental bodies.
” He argued that the board should base their decision on whether the water use would serve the best interest of South Dakotans .
TC Energy spokeswoman Sara Rabern said in an emailed statement : “ We are pleased that the SD Water Management Board has approved our applications and we look forward to working with the State of South Dakota as we move forward with this project.
” Rabern said there are no other permits needed in South Dakota for TC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseeing the pipeline ’ s construction said building should begin this summer .
When completed , Keystone XL would carry up to 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day in a 1,184-mile line from Alberta , Canada , to Nebraska .
In Nebraska , it would connect with other lines that go to Gulf Coast Refineries .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--Illinois: Error registered a possible 545 noncitizen voters

CHICAGO - An error in Illinois ’ new automatic voter registration system led to a possible 545 non-U.S. citizens being registered to vote , 16 of whom cast ballots , state officials publicly acknowledged this week .
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White ’ s office , which oversees driver ’ s licenses , said the data of 574 people who self-identified as non-citizens was erroneously forwarded to elections officials to be registered to vote .
Election officials confirmed Tuesday that 545 of them were ultimately registered .
“ It was a computer error , ” White spokesman Dave Druker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correct it and contacted people involved.
” As Illinois Republicans called for an immediate hearing over a “ serious breach ” of voter protections , election officials worked to determine how many of the registrations were indeed invalid .
Over 150 registrations had been cancelled , said State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich .
Dietrich said it was possible some people indicated that they weren ’ t citizens by mistake .
When Illinois residents get standard driver ’ s licenses , they have to confirm they meet the criteria to vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizen .
Only those who meet the criteria are supposed to be sent to election officials for registration .
The 16 people cast 19 ballots in elections in 2018 and 2019 .
Three voters were in Chicago , five in its suburbs and the rest voted in six counties statewide , according to Dietrich .
It was immediately unclear what would happen to the individuals .
Both state and federal law bars non-citizens from voting .
Noncitizens have been deported for voting illegally , even when they were unaware they were ineligible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ furious response from Illinois Republicans who deemed it a “ serious breach of supposed protections put in place to ensure the integrity of our voter rolls.
” Five House Republicans called for an immediate legislative hearing .
Early voting for Illinois ’ March 17 primary starts on Feb. 6 .
“ This is an absurd lack of compliance with state law , surfacing less than three weeks from the opening of early voting for our state ’ s 2020 general primary election , ” they wrote in a letter Monday .
The registrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state offices between July 2018 and December 2019 .
Druker said the office discovered the error last month and contacted election officials immediately .
The cases are believed to involve people who have legal permission to live in U.S. , like green card holders , Druker said .
Illinois allows immigrants living in the country without legal permission to get drivers licenses through a separate process not linked to voter registration .
Illinois gained national attention in 2017 when then-Gov .
Bruce Rauner was among the first Republican governors to support automatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a previous version over concerns of voter fraud , which studies have shown is exceedingly rare .
A portion of the law streamlining registrations went into effect in 2018 .
Full automatic voter registration , which is linked to the state ’ s REAL ID and requires documents proving citizenship , didn ’ t begin in earnest until last summer .
The push for automatic voter registration — the law in over a dozen states — came as President Donald Trump ’ s election fraud commission investigated the president ’ s unsubstantiated claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted illegally in 2016 .
The commission disbanded two years later .


thetorontostar--2020-01-21--California man sentenced to death for killing family of 4

LOS ANGELES - A Southern California man was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 10-year-old killings of a family of four whose bodies were found buried in shallow graves in the California desert .
Charles “ Chase ” Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay , McStay ’ s wife , Summer , and their 4- and 3-year-old sons , Gianni and Joseph Jr .
Prosecutors say he bludgeoned them with a sledgehammer .
The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010 .
Their bodies were not found until 2013 , when an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mojave Desert .
Merritt was arrested the following year .
San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Smith upheld the jury ’ s recommendation of death following a two-day sentencing hearing that included a flurry of last-minute motions from Merritt and his lawyer , who accused prosecutors of misconduct , Merritt ’ s earlier attorneys of incompetence and , on Tuesday , tried to remove the judge himself from the case .
All of the motions were denied .
The hearing , which consumed more than 10 hours , concluded with several emotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother , in-laws and surviving son , as well as from Merritt himself , who continued to maintain his innocence , “ I loved Joseph , “ he said , his voice shaking a times .
“ He was a big part of my life and my family ’ s life .
I would never have hurt him in any way .
I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child .
I did not do this thing.
” Merritt lashed out at prosecutors he said framed him , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge he said allowed it to happen .
The victims ’ family members , meanwhile , dismissed Merritt as , in the words of McStay ’ s mother , Susan Blake , “ a despicable , evil monster.
” “ How could you beat two precious little babies ?
How scared were they , Chase ?
Crying for Mommy and Daddy ?
Chase , you are a low-life baby killer , “ Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively .
Prosecutors told jurors Merritt killed the family after learning McStay was cutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling custom water fountains .
They said McStay told friends Merritt was doing shoddy work and pilfering money from him .
Prosecutors eventually discovered that about the time the family vanished thousands of dollars in checks allegedly from McStay to Merritt had been written and cashed .
Investigators said they also traced Merritt ’ s cellphone to the area where the bodies were buried in the days after the family disappeared and to a call seeking to close McStay ’ s online bookkeeping account .
Smith ordered Merritt transferred to San Quentin State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
California has not executed anyone since 2006 .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on executions while he ’ s in office .


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Awake? Senators struggle to stay focused on impeachment

WASHINGTON - Adam Schiff was still speaking — about witnesses , documents , future presidents and the impeachment of President Donald Trump .
He ’ d said it all before , but five hours into the Senate trial , Schiff , the lead prosecutor , was saying it again .
Suddenly , from the Republican side , Sen. James Risch of Idaho raised his left hand so Schiff could see it and pointed , repeatedly , to his wristwatch .
Time ’ s up , Risch signalled .
He was right : It was time to vote , and — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be time for dinner .
Schiff yielded , and the senators rose to vote and then quietly left the chamber .
“ The subject matter is something we ’ ve all heard , ” Sen. Mike Braun , R-Ind.
, told reporters .
The understatement helps explain what seemed to be a widespread struggle with attention late Tuesday and early Wednesday as arguments in the abuse and obstruction trial stretched past midnight .
It ’ s a challenge anyone who ’ s served on a jury might understand , but senators try not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stakes of the trial during the 2020 election year .
About a third of the senators are up for reelection .
The more senior members are on camera during the proceedings .
Anyone falling asleep — and a few senators looked like they might have Tuesday and Wednesday — during only the third impeachment trial in history would have some explaining to do .
The urge to nod off stems in part from the familiarity of the arguments .
They have all heard the story of Trump ’ s pressure on Ukraine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ made up their minds on whether Trump should be removed from office .
And the outcome — the impeached president ’ s acquittal — seems clear .
Still , the trial is expected to cover tedious , familiar territory six days a week until it is resolved .
One piece of good news for the attention-challenged : The Senate voted Tuesday to trade 12-hour days for 8-hour days when opening arguments begin .
And both sides are using audiovisual aides to keep people awake .
Lawyer Jay Sekulow did a bit of pointing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late in the proceedings , which seemed to perk people up .
But inside the crowded , tradition-bound chamber , senators have little to do besides take notes and listen .
Phones and coffee are banned .
So are talking and passing notes to each other .
There ’ s no pacing around the chamber .
Snacks are traditionally frowned upon , though Sen. Ben Sasse , R-Neb.
, could be seen popping something into his mouth and chewing as he wrote on a notepad .
Senators in both parties paid close attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listened intently — at least at first .
One of the most prolific note-takers throughout the proceedings was Maine Sen. Susan Collins , a centrist in a tough reelection fight this year .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren , one of four Democratic presidential candidates forced back to the Senate ahead of the Iowa caucuses , held both a blue pen and yellow pencil in her right hand and alternated which she used to take notes .
Others appeared to struggle to maintain attention as the hours wore on .
Sen. Bernie Sanders , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having to be in Washington , yawned and at one point tipped his head back on his chair .
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , another Democratic presidential candidate , appeared to be subtly chewing something at length , possibly gum , as Schiff spoke .
It ’ s worth noting that he did so largely extemporaneously virtually all day , referring sporadically to a page or two of scribbled points laid on the podium at the centre aisle .
The repetition on calling witnesses and documents , he said , was purposeful : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair trial ” is hard .
But the statement may have applied to the tedium , as well .
“ It ’ s not our job to make it easier for you , ” Schiff said .
A few hours in , the visitors ’ galleries were less than half full .
A staff area of the Senate floor had extra chairs but few people sitting there .
Senators periodically gazed up into the galleries , a rare occurrence .
As the debate stretched past 1 a.m. , senators became looser with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desks , walked around the back of the chamber or chatted quietly among themselves as Democrats continued to offer amendments .
Some members sat with their eyes closed .
Then something happened that jolted everyone awake : White House Counsel Pat Cippolone and Judiciary Committee Chairman and prosecutor Jerrold Nadler clashed openly on the floor in a manner that prompted Chief Justice John Roberts to set some boundaries .
“ I think it is appropriate at this point for me to admonish both the House managers and the president ’ s counsel in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressing the world ’ s greatest deliberative body , “ he said .
No matter the hour , he suggested , “ Those addressing the Senate should remember where they are.
” Through the final vote , senators started pacing around .
Several leaned against back walls .
At one point , Sanders was sitting in the staff area .
Klobuchar and Warren stood together and chatted through the whole tally .
Sen. Martin Heinrich had disappeared for a time .
After about 10 minutes , he appeared to slow claps , laughing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at 1:50 a.m. , Roberts adjorned .
Associated Press Writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Alan Fram contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-01-22--Turkey’s FM urges Russia to halt Syrian government attacks

ANKARA , Turkey - Turkey ’ s foreign minister urged Russia on Wednesday to halt the Syrian government ’ s attacks in the war-torn Arab country , a day after airstrikes on rebel-held sectors and the shelling of government-held areas killed at least 17 people , including an entire family .
In his remarks , Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu insisted it was Moscow ’ s responsibility to stop the violence as Russia has been a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad ’ s forces in the civil war .
The Syrian government has been carrying out an offensive on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last rebel stronghold in the country , and the rebel-held parts of nearby Aleppo province .
The fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people , many of whom fled to areas closer to the border with Turkey .
Dozens of fighters have been killed on both sides in recent days as clashes intensified .
The fighting comes despite a new cessation of hostilities agreement between Russia and Turkey that went into effect earlier this month .
Moscow and Ankara stand on opposing sides of the conflict in Syria .
“ Russia is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime , ” Cavusoglu told a panel at the World Economic Forum , in Davos , Switzerland .
“ Russia is obliged to stop this aggression.
” “ The situation in Idlib is our main focus because the regime has been increasing its aggression , “ he added .
“ Already , 400,000 people have been displaced and moved toward our border.
” The province of Idlib is dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants but is also home to 3 million civilians .
The United Nations has warned of the growing risk of a humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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