thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Trump shifts focus to Pennsylvania to shore up reelection

HARRISBURG , Pa. - President Donald Trump ’ s campaign has grown increasingly focused on making inroads in Pennsylvania to offset potential vulnerabilities in other battlegrounds .
The president will travel to the state for the second time in a week on Saturday , hoping to attract the same rural and white working-class voters who delivered him a narrow victory here in 2016 .
The in-person touch , in what may become the most important battleground on the map , complements an aggressive get-out-the-vote operation that has been working for four years to find new voters by knocking on doors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three Great Lakes states — Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — from blue to red in 2016 .
He has virtually no path to reelection without keeping at least one of those states in his column .
His campaign has long viewed Wisconsin as his best option , but aides who requested anonymity to discuss strategy said their thinking has begun to shift .
There are growing concerns inside the campaign , the aides said , about Trump ’ s ability to retain Wisconsin .
Even winning that upper Midwest battleground wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , claims Arizona .
But Pennsylvania would be enough .
“ With Pennsylvania , I don ’ t have to make a play , we ’ ve got Pennsylvania , ” boasted Trump at a rally Tuesday night just outside Pittsburgh .
That may be harder than Trump suggests .
Despite fervent Republican efforts , no GOP nominee since George H.W .
Bush in 1988 had captured the state until Trump did four years ago , winning by just 44,000 votes out of nearly 5.9 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scranton , Joe Biden is also heavily focused on the state .
Recent Pennsylvania polls disagree over the state of the race : Some show Trump and Biden in a competitive race , while others have Biden slightly ahead of Trump .
And just as “ Florida , Florida , Florida ” became the moniker in 2000 for the electoral delays and controversies in the state that decided the election that year , Pennsylvania , which may be 2020 ’ s tipping point state , may have its own drama looming .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast ballots by mail , lawmakers , party officials and election officials are warning that the conditions are ripe for a presidential election result to be left hanging in limbo on a drawn-out vote .
A partisan stalemate and lawsuits have held up fixes to glitches in the state ’ s fledgling mail-in voting law , and Democrats are warning that as many as 100,000 or more mail-in ballots — dubbed “ naked ballots ” — could be invalidated if they aren ’ t put in the proper envelope by people unaccustomed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where a federal prosecutor ’ s announcement that nine mailed-in military ballots had been found in the trash at a local election office was seized upon by Trump and his supporters .
But there was little explanation of what had happened or whether investigators believed a criminal act had occurred in a county controlled by Republicans .
Pennsylvania is anchored by large cities — Philadelphia to the east , Pittsburgh to the west — on opposite ends , each with sprawling suburbs .
But the rest of the state is largely rural , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ran up the score four years ago .
He will likely need to again , as his prospects have slipped since 2016 in vote-rich suburban Philadelphia , where he underperformed by past Republican measures .
This raises the stakes for his campaign ’ s more aggressive outreach to new rural and small-town voters across the industrial north .
In Chester County , for instance , Trump was the first Republican presidential nominee in more than 50 years to lose what is Pennsylvania ’ s fourth most-populous county and once a GOP stronghold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried the county on the western edge of metro Philadelphia , Trump fell short by 10 percentage points .
If Trump is to carry Pennsylvania again , he can not just add new voters in the state ’ s expansive rural areas but must stop the bleeding outside Philadelphia , former Rep. Ryan Costello , a Republican , said .
“ If the hypothesis is Trump can increase his margin , he will have to first not allow regions where he didn ’ t perform well to perform worse , ” Costello said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make up even more ground.
” Republicans also point to an aging population and a shrinking voter-registration edge for Democrats , down 20 % from 2016 ’ s election to 733,000 , according to the latest state data , although the numbers also show that many more non-voting Democrats than Republicans fell off voter rolls in the last four years .
Despite the pandemic , Trump ’ s campaign has prioritized in-person events , including over 4,000 meet-ups that have drawn more than 38,000 people .
The president and his allies are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of wanting to ban fracking , a sensitive topic in the No .
2 natural gas state behind Texas .
While Biden insists he does not want to ban fracking broadly -- he wants to ban it on federal lands and make electricity production fossil-fuel free by 2035 -- it may make it harder for him to win back rank-and-file union members who work on an expanding network of pipelines , power plants and processing facilities .
Biden may have an advantage in getting his message out in the state .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pennsylvania from last spring through this month , according to data from Kantar/CMAG , a market research and consulting firm .
From April through mid-September , Biden had spent $ 27 million compared with the Trump campaign ’ s $ 12.5 million .
The campaigns had reserved similar amounts for the six-week stretch to Nov. 3 , with Trump at $ 11.5 million and Biden at $ 10.1 million .
Pennsylvania , which is tied for the fourth most electoral college votes , is “ personal ” for Biden , the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trips to his native state .
Since the beginning of June , he ’ s made eight in-person trips to Pennsylvania , far outpacing other states with his pandemic-limited itinerary .
Priorities USA , a pro-Democrat group , has identified Pennsylvania as the likely tipping point state in the Electoral College , and it announced Thursday a new $ 7.3 million TV and online ad blitz in the state that will pummel Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
Sincere Harris , a senior strategist for Biden in Pennsylvania , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ huge ” and open a path to votes that other Democrats might not get .
“ Biden is in the perfect position to come back to these voters that Trump lied to four years ago , ” Harris said .
Lemire reported from New York .
Beaumont reported from Des Moines , Iowa .
Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report .

Jonathan Lemire, Marc Levy And Thomas Beaumont - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--1963 church bombing survivor seeks apology, restitution

More than a dozen sticks of dynamite planted by Ku Klux Klansmen exploded at a Birmingham church in 1963 , killing four Black girls .
The “ fifth little girl , ” Sarah Collins Rudolph , survived but still has shards of glass in her body from the blast that took her sister , her right eye and her dreams of becoming a nurse .
Rudolph , 69 , is now seeking an apology from the state and compensation for what she says has been a lifetime of trauma .
A law firm working for free on Rudolph ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kay Ivey arguing that the words of state leaders , including Gov .
George Wallace , at the time encouraged the racial violence that led to one of the most infamous acts of the civil rights era .
Attorney Ishan K. Bhabha said Rudolph ’ s story “ cries out for justice.
” “ Her life was put on a fundamentally different track in an instant as a little girl , ” said Bhabha .
The state has yet to respond to Rudolph .
The five girls were gathered in a downstairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baptist Church on the morning of Sept. 15 , 1963 , when a timed bomb planted by KKK members went off outside under a set of stairs .
The blast killed Denise McNair , 11 , and three 14-year-olds : Carole Robertson , Cynthia Wesley , and Addie Mae Collins , who was Rudolph ’ s sister .
Rudolph recalled that she and her sister had gone to the washroom to freshen up after walking to church .
The other girls came in after their Sunday school class finished .
Denise asked Addie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rudolph recalled .
“ When Addie reached out to tie it , that ’ s when I heard this sound , boom , the bomb went off , ” Rudolph recalled .
She started calling for her sister .
“ Addie , Addie.
” The bombing followed months of racial unrest in the state .
Birmingham ’ s public schools were going through racial desegregation at the time , and Wallace had vowed “ segregation forever ” at his first inauguration earlier that year , urging whites to “ send a message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contend the bombing amounted to state-incited violence , arguing it was inspired and motivated by Wallace ’ s racist rhetoric .
“ While the State of Alabama did not place the bomb next to the church , its Governor and other leaders at the time played an undisputed role in encouraging its citizens to engage in racial violence , including the violence that stole the lives of four little girls , and irreparably injured a fifth , the morning of September 15 , 1963 , ” her attorneys wrote in the letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anniversary of the bombing .
Gina Maiola , a spokeswoman for Ivey , said that Rudolph ’ s request is being reviewed .
It came about after a then-partner in the law firm of Jenner & Block saw Rudolph speak in South Carolina .
Touched by her story , he asked the firm to help her without charge .
Moments after the explosion , a deacon found Rudolph still standing in the rubble ; she may have been saved because she was a little further away from the bomb , by a sink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where her mother later told her that her sister and the other girls had died .
What followed was a lifetime dealing with the physical and mental pain from the bombing .
Rudolph lost her right eye and a shard of glass remains in her left eye .
Even today she jumps at loud noises , including thunder .
Her home just outside Birmingham is filled with photos of the sister she lost .
“ I was going to be a nurse , but I just wasn ’ t able to keep up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I used to be a straight A student .
I just wasn ’ t able to anymore , ” she said .
Despite her injuries , Rudolph provided testimony that helped lead to the convictions of the men accused of planting the bomb .
A series of trials that began in 1977 resulted in three Ku Klux Klansmen being convicted of murder in the bombing ; all died in prison ; a suspected accomplice died without ever being charged .
After the bombing , Rudolph for years lived anonymously .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story until 2000 at age 48 .
She has been encouraged by her husband , George Rudolph , who started a Facebook page on her behalf .
“ I wanted her story to be told , to be heard , ” George Rudolph said .

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thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Lebanese nominated premier resigns, in blow to Macron plan

BEIRUT - Lebanon ’ s prime minister-designate resigned Saturday amid a political impasse over government formation , dealing a blow to French President Emmanuel Macron ’ s efforts to break a dangerous stalemate in the crisis-hit country .
The announcement by Moustapha Adib nearly a month after he was appointed to the job further delays the prospect of getting the foreign economic assistance needed to rescue the country from collapse .
Adib told reporters he was stepping down after it became clear that the kind of Cabinet he wished to form was “ bound to fail.
” The French leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Cabinet made up of non-partisan specialists that can work on enacting urgent reforms to extract Lebanon from a devastating economic and financial crisis worsened by the Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut port .
An official in Macron ’ s office , commenting on Adib ’ s resignation , described it as “ a collective betrayal ” by Lebanon ’ s political parties .
“ It is indispensable to have a government capable of receiving international aid .
France will not abandon Lebanon , ” said the official , who was not authorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in desperate need of financial assistance but France and other international powers have refused to provide aid before serious reforms are made .
The crisis is largely blamed on decades of systematic corruption and mismanagement by Lebanon ’ s ruling class .
But efforts by the French-supported Adib have hit multiple snags , after the country ’ s main Shiite groups , Hezbollah and Amal , insisted on retaining hold of the key Finance Ministry .
Their insistence emerged after the U.S. administration slapped sanctions on two senior politicians close to Hezbollah , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups also insisted on naming the Shiite ministers in the new Cabinet and objected to the manner in which Adib was forming the government , without consulting with them .
After a short meeting with Aoun on Saturday , Adib said he was stepping down after his efforts hit a dead end .
“ I have apologized about continuing the mission of forming a government after it became clear that a Cabinet according to the characteristics I had set for it would be bound to fail , “ he told reporters .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his resignation , trading at more than 8,100 Lebanese pounds on the black market Saturday .
Lebanon , a former French protectorate , is mired in the country ’ s worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history .
It defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time ever in March , and the local currency has lost nearly 80 % of its value amid hyperinflation , soaring poverty , and unemployment .
Talks with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package have stalled .
The crisis has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently by the Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut ’ s port caused by the detonation of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrates .
It killed nearly 200 people , injured thousands and caused losses worth billions of dollars .
Adib ’ s resignation comes a few days after Aoun himself bluntly told reporters that Lebanon would be going to “ hell ” if a new government was not formed soon .
In a televised address , he criticized his political allies , the Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal , for insisting on holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any new government , but also criticized Adib for attempting to form a government and impose names for Cabinet positions without consulting with the parliamentary blocs .
Adib , who was ambassador to Germany before he took the job on Aug. 31 , emerged as a candidate for the post of prime minister after he won the support of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and three other ex-premiers .
According to Lebanon ’ s sectarian-based power sharing system the prime minister has to be a Sunni Muslim .
The Shiite groups have accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formation efforts and said they refuse to be sidelined .
Hariri stepped down last year in response to mass demonstrations demanding the departure of the entire sectarian-based leadership over entrenched corruption , incompetence and mismanagement .
French President Macron has described his initiative including a road map and a timetable for reforms , as “ the last chance for this system .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Asia Today: Victoria health chief quits in quarantine probe

MELBOURNE , Australia - The health minister in Australia ’ s Victoria state has resigned in the fallout from an inquiry into why security guards were used instead of police or the military at quarantine hotels .
Lapses in security at the hotels were given as the major reason for a second wave of COVID-19 cases .
Victoria reported just one more coronavirus death as Melbourne ’ s new case average continued to fall .
The death took the state toll to 782 and the national figure to 870 .
There were 12 new cases , while Melbourne ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23.6 .
Melburnians , who have been in lockdown for more than a month , are waiting for the easing of restrictions on Monday .
It ’ s expected to include a staged return to school for some students and outdoor gatherings of five people from two households .
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos on Saturday issued a statement confirming her resignation , just a day after Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews gave evidence to the inquiry and pointed partial blame at Mikakos for her role in the bungled quarantine program .
“ I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be undermined , ” she wrote in a one-page statement .
“ I have never shirked my responsibility.
“ She said she also plans to resign from Victoria Parliament .
Mikakos appears to be taking the blame when no one else would .
After six weeks of hearings into the hotel inquiry , it was still not known who made the decision to use security guards instead of police or soldiers , which were used in other Australian states .
Andrews , Jobs Minister Martin Pakula and Police Minister Lisa Neville all denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton , his predecessor Graham Ashton , Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton and multiple senior public servants also said it wasn ’ t their decision .
In other developments around the Asia-Pacific region : — India reported 85,362 new coronavirus cases , with infections slowing down this month .
The Health Ministry raised the nation ’ s confirmed total to more than 5.9 million on Saturday .
It said 1,089 more people died in the past 24 hours , for a total of 93,379 .
Authorities have decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state since the pandemic .
Nearly 72 million people are eligible to cast votes during three days beginning the end of October with social distancing restrictions .
The average new cases in India have fallen by around 7,000 daily in the past week , after reaching a record of 97,894 on Sept. 16 .
However , authorities are preparing for a major religious festival season beginning next month that generally sees huge congregations in temples and shopping districts .
— Confirmed coronavirus infections in the Philippines soared past 300,000 Saturday in the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gradually reopened its battered economy despite having the most cases in Southeast Asia .
The Department of Health reported 2,747 new and recent infections , bringing the total number of cases to 301,256 , with 5,284 deaths .
Officials have tried to ease alarm by highlighting the massive number of COVID-19 recoveries , but critics say the outbreaks remain uncontrolled .
President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration have walked a tightrope in reviving the battered economy and containing infections .
The government said the central city of Iloilo was placed under a mild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection spikes but at the same time announced that the popular Boracay island beach resort in a nearby region would be opened to more local tourists from regions across the country under general quarantine starting Oct. 1 as long as they comply with health requirements .
— South Korea has reported 61 new cases of the coronavirus , the first time in four days its daily increase came below 100 , as officials call for citizen vigilance ahead of a major holiday .
The numbers released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 23,516 cases , including 399 deaths .
Forty-one of the new cases were reported in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area , where infections have been linked to churches , restaurants , nursing home and schools .
Twelve cases were linked to passengers arriving from abroad , mostly from the Philippines , Indonesia , Uzbekistan , India and Bangladesh .
Health officials say the annual Chuseok harvest festival that begins Wednesday and continues through the weekend will be a critical period in the country ’ s anti-virus campaign .
While millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chuseok every year to visit relatives , officials have pleaded for people to stay home .
Nightclubs , bars , buffet restaurants and other establishments deemed as high-risk will be shut down in Seoul during the holiday to reduce gatherings .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Iraq’s foreign minister makes first visit to Iran

TEHRAN , Iran - Iraq ’ s foreign minister arrived Saturday in Tehran for bilateral talks with senior Iranian officials , according to the state-run news agency .
IRNA reported that Fuad Hussein planned to meet his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani , in what marked his first visit to the Iranian capital .
Zarif visited Baghdad in mid-July , when he met with Hussein and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi .
It was Zarif ’ s first visit to Iraq since a U.S. airstrike in January killed a top Iranian general , Qassim Soleimani , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The strike catapulted Iraq to the brink of a U.S.-Iran proxy war that could have destabilized the Middle East .
After Zarif ’ s trip , the Iraqi premier visited Iran in July .
The report did not elaborate on the main reasons behind the top Iraqi diplomat ’ s two-day trip to Tehran .
Iran sees neighbouring Iraq as a possible route to bypass U.S. sanctions that President Donald Trump re-imposed in 2018 after pulling the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers .
Last year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to nearly $ 9 billion , the official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday .
It said the two nations will discuss increasing the amount to $ 20 billion .
Before the current global pandemic , some 5 million Iranian pilgrims annually brought in nearly $ 5 billion visiting Iraq ’ s Shiite holy sites .
Iran has seen the worst outbreak in the region , with more than 443,000 thousand confirmed cases and at least 25,300 deaths .
A news website affiliated with Iranian state TV , yjc.ir , reported that Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the religious holiday of Arbaeen , due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak .
The holiday marks the end of the forty days of mourning that follow annually on the death anniversary of the seventh-century Muslim leader Hussein , who was killed at the Battle of Karbala during the tumultuous first century of Islam ’ s history .
Iran fought an eight-year war with Iraq that killed nearly 1 million people on both sides , after former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded in the early 1980s .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Alps surprised by early snowfall, Swiss town sees new record

BERLIN - Parts of Austria and Switzerland were surprised by unseasonably early snowfall overnight , after a sharp drop in @ @ @ @ @ The Swiss meteorological agency said Saturday that the town of Montana , in the southern @ @ @ @ @ Valais , experienced 25 centimetres ( almost 10 inches ) of snowfall — a new @ @ @ @ @ year .
Authorities were out in force across mountainous regions in the two Alpine nations @ @ @ @ @ snow and ice .
In parts of Austria , snowfall was recorded as low as @ @ @ @ @ ) above sea level .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--China pushes emergency use of COVID vaccine despite concerns

BEIJING - After the first shot , he had no reaction .
But Kan Chai felt woozy following the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in China .
“ When I was driving on the road , I suddenly felt a bit dizzy , as if I was driving drunk , “ the popular writer and columnist recounted in a webinar earlier this month .
“ So I specially found a place to stop the car , rest a bit and then I felt better.
” His is a rare account from the hundreds of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines , before final regulatory approval for general use .
It ’ s an unusual move that raises ethical and safety questions , as companies and governments worldwide race to develop a vaccine that will stop the spread of the coronavirus .
Chinese companies earlier drew attention for giving the vaccine to their top executives and leading researchers before human trials to test their safety and efficacy had even begun .
In recent months , they have injected a far larger number under an emergency use designation approved in June , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese health official said Friday that China , which has largely eradicated the disease , needs to take steps to prevent it from coming back .
But one outside expert questioned the need for emergency use when the virus is no longer spreading in the country where it was first detected .
It ’ s unclear exactly who and how many people have been injected so far , but Chinese vaccine makers have offered some clues .
State-owned Sinopharm subsidiary CNBG has given the vaccine to 350,000 people outside its clinical trials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a top CNBG executive said recently .
Another company , Sinovac Biotech Ltd. , has injected 90 % of its employees and family members , or about 3,000 people , most under the emergency-use provision , CEO Yin Weidong said .
It has also provided tens of thousands of rounds of its CoronaVac to the Beijing city government .
Separately , the Chinese military has approved the use of a vaccine it developed with CanSino Biologics Inc. , a biopharmaceutical company , in military personnel .
“ The first people to have priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the vaccine manufacturers because when the pandemic comes , if these people are infected then there ’ s no way to produce the vaccine , ” Yin said .
Now , large Chinese firms including telecom giant Huawei and broadcaster Phoenix TV have announced they ’ re working with Sinopharm to get the vaccine for their employees .
Several people who say they work in “ front-line ” organizations have said on social media that their workplaces have offered vaccinations for about 1,000 yuan ( $ 150 ) .
They declined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their organizations .
In an established but limited practice , experimental medications have been approved historically for use when they are still in the third and last phase of human trials .
Chinese companies have four vaccines in phase 3 — two from Sinopharm , and one each from Sinovac and CanSino .
The Chinese government referenced the World Health Organization ’ s emergency-use principles to create its own through a strict process , National Health Commission official Zheng Zhongwei said at a news conference Friday .
He said there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials .
“ We ’ ve made it very clear that the COVID-19 vaccine we put into emergency use are safe , ” Zheng said .
“ Their safety can be ensured but their efficacy is yet to be determined.
” Under the emergency rule , high-risk personnel such as medical and customs workers and those who have to work overseas are given priority access , he said .
He declined to provide exact numbers .
“ In China ’ s case , the pressure in preventing imported infections and domestic resurgence is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Diego Silva , a lecturer in bioethics at the University of Sydney , said that giving vaccines to hundreds of thousands outside of clinical trials doesn ’ t have “ scientific merit ” in China , where there are currently very few locally transmitted cases , and incoming arrivals are quarantined centrally .
“ If it ’ s in the U.S. where the virus is still raging that ’ s a bit different , but in a country like China it doesn ’ t seem to make sense to me , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not enough of the virus in China locally to deduce anything , you ’ re introducing a whole host of others factors ” by injecting people outside of trials .
Zheng said that all those injected under emergency use are being closely tracked for any adverse health effects .
Kan Chai , the columnist , wrote in an article posted online in September that despite initial hesitation , he decided to sign up after he heard a state-owned company was looking for volunteers .
He didn ’ t say whether his was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his vaccination suggests it was .
He took the first dose in late July , when the emergency inoculations were getting started and the trials were all but over .
“ I ’ m willing to be a little white mouse , and the biggest reason is because I have trust in our country ’ s vaccination technology , ” he said .
His real name is Li Yong , but his 1.65 million followers on the Twitter-like social platform Weibo know him better by his pen name , which means “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined an interview request .
He described taking the vaccine in a public webinar hosted by 8am HealthInsight , a popular health media outlet .
It ’ s unclear why he qualified to receive it .
Scant information is publicly available about the program ’ s scope , size , and scientific merit .
CNBG and parent Sinopharm declined to comment .
Zheng , the National Health Commission official , did not know about the Kan Chai case .
While emergency use may be the right path , Chinese companies are not being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Joy Zhang , a professor who researches the ethical governance of emerging science at University of Kent in Britain .
Zhang said that she could not find any relevant information on the Sinopharm website , and aside from reports published in international medical journals , there is little else made public .
She said relatively more information is publicly available about other trials such as one run by Oxford University and AstraZeneca .
The trial was halted after a participant developed severe neurological side effects , and only resumed after clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board .
China has a troubled past with vaccines , with various scandals over the past two decades .
The most recent case was in 2018 , when Changsheng Biotechnology Co. came under investigation for falsifying records and making ineffective rabies vaccines for children .
In 2017 , Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co. , a CNBG subsidiary behind one of the vaccines in phase 3 trials , was found to have made defective diphtheria vaccines that were ineffective .
Public anger over the case prompted an overhaul of a vaccine punishment law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the vaccine development and distribution process , and increased penalties for fabricating data .
Those concerns seem to be of the past .
Guizhen Wu , the chief biosafety expert for China ’ s Center for Disease Control , said a vaccine could be ready for the general public in China as early as November .
She said she took an experimental vaccine back in April .
An overseas employee at a Chinese state-owned company , who spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn ’ t authorized to speak with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up last week .
She said she isn ’ t worried because a vaccine is a government priority , so authorities will keep a close watch on the process .
Wu reported from Taipei , Taiwan .
Associated Press producer Olivia Zhang and videojournalist Dake Kang contributed to this report .

Huizhong Wu And Sam McNeil - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Malaysia’s Sabah state holds election in key test for PM

KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia - Voters in Malaysia ’ s eastern state of Sabah went to the polls on Saturday in an election seen as a referendum for embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin ’ s 7-month-old unelected government .
The leader of the opposition-ruled state dissolved its assembly on July 30 to seek early elections and thwart attempts by Muhyiddin ’ s ruling alliance to take over Sabah through lawmakers ’ defections .
The stakes are high for Muhyiddin after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim declared Wednesday that he has secured majority support in the national Parliament to oust Muhyiddin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a professor of Asian studies at Australia ’ s University of Tasmania , said the polls would be “ an indirect referendum on whether the people are happy with the formation of the backdoor ( unelected ) government.
” Bridget Welsh , an honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia , said the election would provide “ legitimacy ” for the leadership of whoever wins .
“ Sabah is Muhyiddin ’ s first electoral test .
His performance will shape whether he remains in office , “ she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his currently weak position.
” Vote counting was underway after polls closed , with the results expected to be announced late Saturday .
Sabah and neighbouring Sarawak on Borneo island hold about a quarter of the seats in Parliament and are seen as crucial for political leverage .
The two states are rich in oil and timber , but are among the poorest in Malaysia .
They have a greater level of autonomy in administration , immigration and judiciary .
The attempted takeover of Sabah was reminiscent of how Muhyiddin took power in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to form a new Malay-centric administration .
Muhyiddin ’ s alliance has since taken control of many states after lawmakers defected .
The opposition now controls only Sabah and two of the country ’ s richest states , Selangor and Penang .
But Muhyiddin has been struggling to maintain support amid infighting in his coalition , which has just a slim two-seat majority .
His leadership is now in further doubt after Anwar claimed to have won majority support , including from lawmakers in Muhyiddin ’ s camp .
Anwar hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet with Malaysia ’ s king , who is in a hospital for treatment .
The king has power to appoint a new prime minister or dissolve Parliament for an early general election , which is not due until 2023 .
Muhyiddin has said Anwar ’ s declaration was a mere allegation until he provides evidence .
Muhyiddin has campaigned heavily in Sabah , pledging development .
Billboards of his smiling face dubbed “ Abah , “ or father , are prominent in many constituencies .
In contrast , former Sabah leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple indigenous groups to reject Muhyiddin ’ s Muslim government and unite behind him .
“ A win will strengthen Muhyiddin ’ s position , but a loss will embolden Anwar ’ s attempt to reclaim power , ” said Oh Ei Sun , a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs .
The Sabah election is heavily contested , with 447 candidates vying for 73 state seats .
Some 1.1 million voters , many in rural areas , were eligible to cast ballots .
Tight screening and health measures were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state in recent weeks .
Hours after voting began , a candidate from Muhyiddin ’ s alliance announced on social media that he had tested positive for the virus and urged those who have come into close contact with him to go for screening .
Malaysia has recorded just over 10,000 cases .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Hundreds of anti-coal protesters break into German mine

LUETZERATH , Germany - Hundreds of anti-coal activists staged protesters in and around a mine in western Germany on Saturday , demonstrating against the continued extraction and use of fossil fuels by Europe ’ s biggest economy .
Environmentalists oppose the German government ’ s decision to allow the mining and burning of coal in the country until 2038 , a deadline the activists say is too late to effectively tackle climate change .
Activists , dressed in colored overalls and braving wind and rain , were also protesting the planned destruction of several villages to make way for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ west of Cologne .
An Associated Press reporter witnessed some protesters break through police lines early Saturday before being detained by officers .
Utility company RWE said some protesters also entered coal storage facilities .
The Garzweiler mine and nearby power plants have been a focus of protests for several years .
Environmentalists say they are among the biggest sources of harmful pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in Europe .
In her weekly video message , German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Saturday for sustainable development , including to confront the threat of global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in renewable energy production as an example of the measures her country has taken .
She did not mention coal mines .

Mstyslav Chernov And Frank Jordans - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Ukraine plane crash death toll rises to 26, with 1 survivor

MOSCOW - Searchers combing the area where a Ukrainian military aircraft crashed found two more bodies on Saturday , bringing the death toll to 26 .
One person survived .
The plane , a twin-turboprop Antonov-26 belonging to the Ukrainian air force , was carrying a crew of seven and 20 cadets of a military aviation school when it crashed and burst into flames Friday night while coming in for landing at the airport in Chuhuiv , about 400 kilometres ( 250 miles ) east of the capital Kyiv .
Two people initially survived the crash , but one later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the crash has been determined .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared Saturday to be a day of mourning for the crash victims and ordered that flights of An-26 planes be halted pending investigation of the crash cause .
Zelenskiy , who visited the crash area on Saturday , called for a full assessment of the condition of the country ’ s military equipment and said he wanted an official report on the crash by Oct. 25 .
The An-26 is a transport plane used by both military and civilian operators .
Nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1969 to 1986 , according to the company ’ s website .
The age of the plane that crashed Friday was not immediately reported .
An An-26 chartered by a contractor for the World Food Program crashed on Aug. 22 while taking off from Juba in South Sudan , killing seven people .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Owner of fire-stricken ship to pay $2.3M for Sri Lankan help

COLOMBO , Sri Lanka - The owner of a large oil tanker that caught fire off Sri Lanka ’ s coast has agreed to pay $ 2.3 million to the island nation for its help in extinguishing the blaze , an official said Saturday .
MT New Diamond , which was carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil , was damaged by two fires in early September .
Attorney General Dappula de Livera last week submitted an interim claim of $ 1.8 million to Greece-based Porto Emporios Shipping Inc. , the registered owner of the vessel , for services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air force , ports authority and Marine Environment Protection Authority since the ship caught fire on Sept. 3 .
On Thursday , he submitted another claim for $ 500,000 for additional services rendered to the ship .
On Saturday , Nishara Jayaratne , the co-ordinating officer in the Attorney General ’ s Department , said the owner had agreed to pay the claim in full .
She said an interim report on environmental damage had also been submitted to the ship ’ s owner , and that a separate claim for that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete .
The owner ’ s agreement to pay came nearly a week after a Sri Lankan court ordered the ship ’ s Greek captain to appear in court on Sept. 28 after the attorney general directed police to name him a suspect in the fire .
Experts have been working to salvage the ship , which remains in Sri Lankan waters .
The tanker was transporting crude oil from the port of Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait to the Indian port of Paradip , where the state-owned Indian Oil Corp. has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Filipino crew member and injured another , while 21 other crew members escaped uninjured .

Bharatha Mallawarachi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--India to spend $15 million to boost Buddhist ties in region

NEW DELHI - India on Saturday announced a $ 15 million grant for the promotion of Buddhist ties with its @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the offer during a virtual summit with his Sri Lankan @ @ @ @ @ Buddhism is practiced by more than 70 % of Sri Lanka ’ s population , @ @ @ @ @ s people are Hindu .
India ’ s External affairs Ministry said the promotion will @ @ @ @ @ of Buddhist monasteries , capacity development , cultural exchanges , archaeological co-operation and reciprocal exposition @ @ @ @ @ relics .
India recently upgraded its airport in Kushinagar , an important Buddhist pilgrimage site @ @ @ @ @ of Uttar Pradesh , to receive international flights .
India plans to fly a Buddhist @ @ @ @ @ the inaugural flight soon .
His followers believe that Buddha attained a transcendent state after @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--France: 7 in custody after stabbing linked to Charlie Hebdo

PARIS - Seven people were in custody Saturday after a stabbing outside the former Paris offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo , including the suspected assailant , authorities said .
Counterterrorism authorities are investigating what authorities called an Islamic extremist attack linked to Charlie Hebdo , which lost 12 employees in an al-Qaida attack in 2015 .
The weekly , which routinely mocks religious and other prominent figures , recently republished caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that outraged many Muslims .
The suspected assailant in Friday ’ s stabbing had been arrested a month ago for carrying a screwdriver but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radicalization , Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said .
He said the screwdriver was considered a weapon , but did not explain why .
The suspect arrived in France three years ago as an unaccompanied minor , apparently from Pakistan , but his identity was still being verified , the minister said .
Seven others were detained in the aftermath of Friday ’ s attack , but one has been released , according to judicial officials .
Five of those in custody were detained in the Paris suburb of Pantin in a residence where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a police official said .
Two people were wounded in Friday ’ s attack , a woman and a man working at a documentary production company who had stepped outside for a smoke break .
The interior minister conceded that security was lacking on the street where Charlie Hebdo was once headquartered , and ordered special protection for all “ symbolic sites , ” noting in particular Jewish sites around the Yom Kippur holiday this weekend .
A Jewish grocery store was targeted days after the Charlie Hebdo newsroom massacre , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Crop tops or ‘republican’ dress? France debates schoolwear

PARIS - French women enjoy a reputation for their instinctive knack for spot-on chic attire .
But now they may well be confused .
Ministers , already working overtime to tamp down the coronavirus spread and ramp up the economy , have gotten side-tracked in a debate about whether crop tops or other skimpy clothing on adolescent girls in classrooms is a grave affront to the French Republic .
Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has said that girls should go to school dressed in “ a republican manner.
” That apparently means prim and modest , but no one is quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that women in France just can ’ t win , some have come under fire recently for covering up too much — by wearing a Muslim headscarf .
Blanquer was responding to an initiative started on social media , dubbed the Monday , Sept. 14 Movement , encouraging students to come to school in their best “ provocative ” or “ indecent ” clothes .
The idea was to claim freedom from what is seen as an implicit dress code in public schools , which have no written rules about attire .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bare-breasted symbol of France , Marianne , are omnipresent , Blanquer ’ s remark drew mockery on social media .
Some posts portrayed women of the French Revolution in their traditional “ Phrygian ” bonnets , and dresses with deep decolletés exposing cleavage .
The word “ republicain , “ referring to the French Republic , has in recent years been increasingly thrown about by government officials to describe the values of the democratic system on which France has been built for more than 200 years .
But many , even among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too far .
“ In France , everyone is free to dress as they like , ” the minister in charge of equality between women and men , Elisabeth Moreno , said Tuesday in the daily Parisien .
“ Women took centuries to be able to free themselves of dress codes .
This freedom ( that has been won ) has no price.
” For some , the education minister ’ s remark in response to the Sept. 14 movement is a minor dispute , but for others the serious issue of women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both Moreno and the industry minister , Agnès Pannier-Runacher , regretted that girls alone were the focus of the debate .
A teacher at a high school in Alfortville , southeast of Paris , Francoise Cahen , tweeted : “ The parents of young Marianne are asked to quickly pick up their child , sent away from school for her non-republican dress.
” Attached was a picture of the bust of Marianne , France ’ s national symbol , her breasts bared .
In another tweet , Cahen noted that what is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students who can ’ t afford school supplies or gym shoes .
Amid the derision and disagreements , the education minister might take comfort in a poll on skin-revealing clothes in school released Friday by the Ifop polling firm .
The poll of 2,027 adult men and women of all ages showed a broad opposition to such dress , with 73 % of women opposed and 58 % of men .
The poll had a margin of error of around 3 % .
Two French out of three ( 66 % ) opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 41 % of younger people .
Plunging necklines also were seen as inappropriate classroom dress , while the popular crop tops baring midriffs got a 55 % no from older people , while 59 % of under-25s approved .
Pollsters linked the results not to republican dress but to an overall sense that it ’ s “ still up to girls to handle masculine desire ” despite their generation ’ s rejection of such notions .
The debate over school dress was also framed by the resurgence of the long-standing polemic over Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France ’ s secular foundations .
The head coverings have been banned in French schools since 2004 .
A Muslim university student who wears a headscarf was hounded off Twitter after demonstrating on French TV how fellow students can cook low-budget meals .
And separately , the vice-president of the student union UNEF , Maryam Pougetoux , triggered an incident when she appeared before a parliamentary commission on youth and the coronavirus in her headscarf .
Several scandalized lawmakers walked out , starting with Anne-Christine Lang , of President Emmanuel Macron ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ feminist attached to republican values ... and women ’ s rights , ” she saw the veil as a “ mark of submission ” and had no choice but to leave .
UNEF replied that “ to be feminist is as much to back the Monday , Sept. 14 , movement as to back women who choose to wear “ headscarves .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Progress against virus brings complacency in parts of Africa

HARARE , Zimbabwe - With Zimbabwe ’ s coronavirus infections on the decline , schools are reopening , along with churches , bars , restaurants , airports and tourist attractions .
Strict lockdowns designed to curb the disease are being replaced by a return to relatively normal life .
The threat has eased so much that many people see no need to be cautious .
With his face mask stuffed into his pocket , Omega Chibanda said he ’ s not worried about COVID-19 .
“ We used to fear coronavirus , not anymore , “ the 16-year-old said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the capital , Harare .
” That ’ s why I ’ m not even wearing a mask.
” As the global death toll from COVID-19 approaches 1 million , Zimbabwe and several other African countries have not experienced the widespread surges and many deaths that were predicted .
That has invited complacency .
Earlier this month , Zimbabwe went a week without recording any deaths from coronavirus , and new infections and deaths have declined , as in South Africa and Kenya .
Africa ’ s surge has been levelling off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing relatively slowly .
Antibody testing is expected to show many more infections , but most cases are asymptomatic .
Just over 35,000 deaths have been confirmed on the continent of 1.3 billion people .
But the improving figures and the start of the searing heat of the Southern Hemisphere ’ s summer could undermine efforts to beat back the virus even further , said community health worker Rosemary Rambire .
She leaves home early in the morning and returns in the evening after going door to door calling “ the gospel is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awareness sessions .
“ Our job is now harder to do because people are no longer afraid , “ Rambire said .
“ Some even tell us that it has not killed anyone they know .
Most of them say the sun kills COVID-19 so they have no reason to worry.
” Some think they are immune once they eat garlic , ginger and onions , she said .
In her 14 years on the job and through multiple disease outbreaks , COVID-19 has been the most difficult to get people to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s different from before , when we did campaigns on cholera ( and ) HIV .
We could tell that people were afraid .
They tried to follow preventive measures , “ she said .
“ With COVID-19 , they are not afraid.
” Many people look at the infection and death figures in Zimbabwe , compare them with other countries “ and conclude that it only affects other countries and not Zimbabwe , ” Rambire added .
In Chitungwiza , a sprawling working-class centre on the southern edge of Harare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ markets , funerals or other public events .
Masks are now the exception in many of Harare ’ s poor residential areas .
“ We have lost both the initial COVID-19 fear factor and the motivation to comply with national guidelines , ” said Aaron Sundsmo , of the charitable organization Mercy Corps .
The group has now enlisted local soccer , music and film celebrities to renew awareness .
The government will “ not hesitate to do something really strict ” to curb any creeping complacency , said Dr. Agnes Mahomva , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The dire projections that ‘ Africa , you are going to be toast , ’ perhaps actually helped us .
We tightened up , ” she said .
Continued vigilance should accompany Africa ’ s apparent success story , said Mervyn Joullie , deputy regional director for Africa at Mercy Corps , which operates in 16 of Africa ’ s 54 countries .
Limited testing in many African countries makes it difficult to assess “ the reality of COVID-19 situation , ” Joullie said .
In West Africa ’ s Sahel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 have declined over the past several weeks amid low testing capacity , which could suggest “ a significant presence of undetected cases , ” Joullie said .
Health experts point to Africa ’ s youthful population as a factor in why COVID-19 has not taken a larger toll , along with swift lockdowns and the later arrival of the virus .
Many African countries have eased the lockdowns and curfews in recent weeks to boost economies battered by the virus outbreak and , in some cases , ease local political pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and access to food , as well as the complacency and the need to keep infections low could be Africa ’ s next big challenge , experts said .
“ We are at a crossroads as we relax some of the restrictions , “ said Dr. Mahomva , Zimbabwe ’ s COVID-19 response co-ordinator .
” It ’ s not over until it ’ s over.
” But for Chibanda , the teenager in Chitungwiza , there is no such dilemma .
“ Coronavirus is not an issue anymore here , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the street without masks .
“ Just look around .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Yom Kippur synagogue attack leaves German Jews still uneasy

BERLIN - As Jews around the world gather Sunday night to mark the beginning of Yom Kippur , many in Germany remain uneasy about going together to their houses of worship to pray , a year after a white-supremacist targeted a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle on the holiest day in Judaism .
If the assailant — armed with multiple firearms and explosives —had managed to break into the building , there ’ s no telling how many of the 52 worshippers inside might have been killed .
As it was , he turned his attentions on people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man at a kebab stand before he was apprehended .
Since then , security has been increased at Jewish institutions across the country , but many wonder whether it is enough amid reports of increasing anti-Semitism and the Halle attack still fresh in their minds .
Naomi Henkel-Guembel was inside the building that day a year ago , and didn ’ t immediately understand what was happening when she heard a loud bang outside .
Together with other young Jews from Berlin , the 29-year-old had travelled to the eastern German city to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 9 in 2019 , with the small , aging community there .
She still remembers the scene vividly as the 28-year-old German right-wing extremist tried to barge into the synagogue , shooting at the heavy door in an unsuccessful attempt to force it open , then throwing explosives over a wall into a cemetery inside the compound while livestreaming the attack .
“ When I heard the second explosion and saw a light flash outside the window , I knew that this was an anti-Semitic incident , ” said Henkel-Guembel .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dimension of what was happening outside of the sanctuary — I would have never thought that somebody would throw explosive devices at the synagogue and the adjacent cemetery.
” The attack suspect , Stephan Balliet , is currently on trial on charges of murder for the killings outside the synagogue .
He explained his motivation to the court : “ Jews are the main cause of white genocide and want to establish a new world order.
“ The attack , one of the most violent and overt anti-Semitic acts in postwar history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considers protecting its Jewish minority of about 200,000 a special responsibility after the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews .
While many Jewish institutions get some kind of protection — particularly on Jewish holidays — the Halle synagogue didn ’ t have any .
Now steps are being taken to ensure wider-spread security , said Josef Schuster , the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany .
People “ were clearly more worried to send their children to school or kindergarten or to visit Jewish institutions , ” Schuster told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But after that day , security staff in front of synagogues and other Jewish places was increased and it has stayed that way.
” Since then , Schuster said , state authorities have developed new security measures for Jewish houses of worship and all 16 German states have given varying amounts of financial support to spend on boosting security .
Bavaria , for example , provided 8 million euros ( $ 9.37 million ) to its Jewish communities and Saxony-Anhalt , where Halle is located , committed some 2.4 million euros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites .
Earlier this month , the federal government said it would also provide 22 million euros to improve security .
Still , the deputy head of Germany ’ s Federal Criminal Police Office , Juergen Peter , acknowledged recently that “ the protection of Jewish institutions is better than last year , but it is not good enough nationwide.
” “ Overall , we can not be satisfied with the current status quo , ” Peter said , adding that on average , there had been more than five anti-Semitic incidents registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those included physical attacks , property damage , threats , anti-Semitic propaganda and other acts of malicious behaviour such as giving the stiff-armed Nazi salute .
Ronen Steinke , an investigative reporter with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper , studied the issue in depth after the Halle attack , and found that too often Jews are left to avert the danger of possible assaults themselves .
In his book “ Terror Against Jews , ” published earlier this year after he visited more than 20 Jewish communities around the country , Steinke found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessments , the communities themselves are often left to implement the official suggestions .
Smaller communities , in particular , struggle and frequently end up not getting enough funds “ because they have problems with the bureaucracy or because they can ’ t agree with the state on a common line , ” Steinke said .
“ Danger prevention is the task of the state , not the job of those who are threatened by danger , ” said Steinke , who himself is a German Jew .
Even if security can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no work left to be done by the German authorities , he said .
“ It ’ s a perverted state of siege , in which one can only go to school or religious service if people with pistols have to watch out for you , ” said Steinke .
For Naomi Henkel-Guembel it has been a year of soul searching after Halle .
“ The event left deep marks , not just for those who were immediately affected , but for Jews in Germany in general , ” said Henkel-Guembel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a rabbi .
The granddaughter of Holocaust survivors , Henkel-Guembel grew up in Munich , then moved to Israel after her high school graduation in search of a Jewish homeland .
Today she shares her time between both countries .
Since Halle , she said , she and others who were at the Yom Kippur service have been questioning whether Germany is where they want to build their future lives as Jews .
For herself , Henkel-Guembel said she has decided to stay , and has even joined the trial of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed under German law .
“ The question is whether one leaves and surrenders the space to the attacker and his abettors — or whether one opposes them , “ she said .

Kirsten Grieshaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Latest Minnesota news, sports, business and entertainment at 9:20 p.m. CDT

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) — Minnesota has recorded a grim milestone as health officials report that over 2,000 people have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic .
The state also posted an all-time high for cases reported in a day with 1,478 people testing positive for the virus .
The Minnesota Department of Health recorded 10 new deaths , sending the statewide tally of COVID-19 deaths to 2,004 people .
Despite the worrisome marker , the rate of deaths has slowed in recent months after spikes in May and June .
Cases have been increasing statewide in the last two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily new cases has grown by 376 , an increase of 70 % .
MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) — A Minnesota voter advocacy group is suing Minneapolis to block it from accepting money to help cover a shortfall in funding to carry out the November election amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The Minnesota Voters Alliance filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota this week , the Star Tribune reported .
The group argues that the city can not accept funds from private organizations for election costs .
Minneapolis is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million and $ 3 million from the Chicago-based non-profit Center for Tech and Civic Life .
The city is planning to use the money to cover a shortfall of roughly $ 1.4 million for election costs .
Trump to return to Minnesota for Duluth rally on Wednesday MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) — President Donald Trump will campaign in Duluth on Wednesday , marking his third visit to the key swing state of Minnesota in recent weeks .
His campaign said Trump will speak at a rally at the Duluth International Airport at 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. Trump led an airport rally in Mankato on Aug. 17 and another in Bemidji last Friday , the same day that Democratic challenger Joe Biden visited a union training centre in Duluth .
In another show of the importance Trump has attached to winning Minnesota , Vice-President Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump visited Minneapolis on Thursday US Rep. Craig asks supporters to vote despite snag in race MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) — A Minnesota congresswoman whose race has been roiled by a third-party candidate ’ s death is urging supporters to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic ticket , even though votes in her race won ’ t count under current circumstances .
Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig urged voters to mark their ballots in her race anyway , hinting that a legal challenge could be coming .
Craig is running against Republican Tyler Kistner .
Also on the ballot is Adam Charles Weeks , of the Legal Marijuana Now Party , whose death triggered a state law that postpones the contest until a special election in February .
MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) — Minnesota officials have stopped a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state and federal public health workers were greeted by racial and ethnic slurs as they went door-to-door .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control pulled its federal surveyors out of Minnesota this week after they experienced verbal abuse and intimidation .
In Eitzen , along the Iowa border , one survey team was boxed in by two cars and threatened by three men , including one with a gun .
The news comes as Minnesota was downgraded Friday to the “ uncontrolled spread ” category by a website that tracks each state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) — Vice-President Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump made an unannounced stop at a Minneapolis hair salon left in rubble by the violence that followed George Floyd ’ s death .
The campaign visit Thursday was aimed at driving home President Donald Trump ’ s law-and-order message .
Pence and Ivanka Trump say they stand with law enforcement and with Minneapolis business owners who saw their livelihoods destroyed during days of unrest following the death of George Floyd .
Flora Westbrooks , owner of the salon , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Pence and Trump .
Pence said there ’ s no excuse for what happened to Floyd , but there ’ s also no excuse for violent protests that followed .
NEW YORK ( AP ) — Public support for protests against police brutality and racial injustice has fallen among Americans , according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
Now , 44 % disapprove of the protests , while 39 % approve .
In June , 54 % approved of protests .
The shift is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose views look closer to the way they did in 2015 after several high profile police killings of Black men .
And it comes after months of political sparring between Democrats and Republicans who hoped to use the protests to their advantage in the upcoming presidential election .
ST. PAUL , Minn. ( AP ) — A Republican state representative and a GOP activist are challenging an agreement to accept mail-in ballots in Minnesota that arrive up to a week after the November election .
The lawsuit adds to the nationwide legal fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rep. Eric Lucero and Ramsey County activist James Carson , who both participate in the Electoral College , filed the lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court .
The agreement by Secretary of State Steve Simon , a Democrat , violates federal law establishing Nov. 3 as the date of the 2020 election , the lawsuit states .
Simon ’ s office declined to comment on the suit .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--What’s next for Trump’s Supreme Court pick Amy Coney Barrett?

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has chosen Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg , sending the nomination to the Senate with hopes of a quick confirmation fewer than 40 days before the presidential election .
Republicans are eyeing a vote in late October , though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hasn ’ t yet said for certain whether a final vote will come before or after the Nov. 3 election .
A confirmation vote so close to a presidential election would be unprecedented , creating significant political risk and uncertainty for both parties .
Early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the races for the White House and control of Congress .
A look at the confirmation process and what we know and don ’ t know about what ’ s to come : Barrett has been a federal judge in Indiana since 2017 , when Trump nominated her to the Chicago-based 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
She was previously a longtime University of Notre Dame law professor and clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia , whom she called her “ mentor ” as she accepted Trump ’ s nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would be the youngest justice on the current court if confirmed .
Barrett ’ s three-year judicial record shows a clear and consistent conservative bent .
She is a committed Roman Catholic as well as a firm devotee of Scalia ’ s favoured interpretation of the Constitution known as originalism .
Republicans have widely praised her , while Democrats worry her votes could chip away at the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion and erode health care protections .
They argue that her philosophy is too conservative and rigid .
WHAT HAPPENS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Graham says his panel will hold four days of confirmation hearings the week of Oct. 12 .
Once the committee approves the nomination , it goes to the Senate floor for a final vote .
This could all happen by Nov. 3 if the process goes smoothly .
Graham said he hopes the committee can move the nomination to the Senate floor by the week of Oct. 26 for a confirmation vote .
Barrett is expected to make her first appearance on Capitol Hill on Tuesday , meeting with McConnell , Graham and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VOTE BEFORE THE ELECTION ?
Republicans are privately aiming to hold the final vote the last week of October , but acknowledge the tight timeline and say they will need to see how the hearings go .
McConnell has been careful not to say when he believes the final confirmation vote will happen , other than “ this year.
” Senate Republicans are mindful of their last confirmation fight in 2018 , when Christine Blasey Ford ’ s allegations of a teenage sexual assault almost derailed Brett Kavanaugh ’ s nomination .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to allow Ford to testify .
Kavanaugh , who denied the allegations , was eventually confirmed in a 50-48 vote .
DOES THE SENATE HAVE ENOUGH VOTES TO MOVE FORWARD AND CONFIRM ?
McConnell does appear to have the votes , for now .
Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 margin , meaning he could lose up to three Republican votes and still confirm a justice , if Vice-President Mike Pence were to break a 50-50 tie .
At this point , McConnell seems to have lost the support of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski , both of whom have said they don ’ t think the Senate should take up the nomination before the election .
Collins has said the next president should fill the court seat , and she will vote “ no ” on Trump ’ s nominee on principle .
CAN THE DEMOCRATS STOP THE VOTE ?
There isn ’ t much they can do .
Republicans are in charge and make the rules , and they appear to have the votes for Trump ’ s nominee , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppose the nomination , and they are likely to use an assortment of delaying tactics .
None of those efforts can stop the nomination , however .
But Democrats will also make the case against the nomination to voters as the confirmation battle stretches into the final weeks — and maybe even the final days — of the election season .
They say health care protections and abortion rights are on the line , and argue the Republicans ’ vow to move forward is “ hypocrisy ” after McConnell refused to consider President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merrick Garland , several months before the 2016 election .
HOW DOES THE CAMPAIGN FACTOR IN ?
Republicans are defending 25 of the 38 Senate seats that are on the ballot this year , and many of their vulnerable members were eager to end the fall session and return home to campaign .
The Senate was originally scheduled to recess in mid-October , when the hearings are now expected to begin .
While some senators up for reelection , like Collins , have opposed an immediate vote , others are using it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP senators in competitive races this year — including Cory Gardner in Colorado , Martha McSally in Arizona , Kelly Loeffler in Georgia and Thom Tillis in North Carolina — quickly rallied to Trump , calling for swift voting .
HOW LONG DOES IT USUALLY TAKE TO CONFIRM A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ?
Supreme Court nominations have taken around 70 days to move through the Senate , though the last , of Kavanaugh , took longer , and others have taken less time .
The election is fewer than 40 days away .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE ELECTION ?
Yes .
Republicans could still vote on Trump ’ s nominee in what ’ s known as the lame-duck session that takes place after the November election and before the next Congress takes office on Jan. 3 .
No matter what happens in this year ’ s election , Republicans are still expected to be in charge of the Senate during that period .
The Senate would have until Jan. 20 , the date of the presidential inauguration , to act on Trump ’ s nominee .
If Trump were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the inauguration , he could renominate her as soon as his second term began .
DIDN ’ T MCCONNELL SAY IN 2016 THAT THE SENATE SHOULDN ’ T HOLD SUPREME COURT VOTES IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR ?
He did .
McConnell stunned Washington in the hours after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 when he announced the Senate would not vote on Obama ’ s potential nominee because the voters should have their say by electing the next president .
McConnell ’ s strategy paid off , royally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garland to fill the seat , but he never received a hearing or a vote .
Soon after his inauguration , Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill Scalia ’ s seat .
SO WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE 2016 ?
McConnell says it ’ s different this time because the Senate and the presidency are held by the same party , which was not the case when a vacancy opened under Obama in 2016 .
It was a rationale McConnell laid out during the 2016 fight , and other Republican senators have invoked it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s nominee .
Democrats say this reasoning is laughable and the vacancy should be kept open until after the inauguration .

Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--N Korea accuses S Korea of intrusion to find official’s body

SEOUL , Korea , Republic Of - North Korea accused South Korea of sending ships across the disputed sea boundary to find the body of a man recently killed by North Korean troops , warning Sunday the alleged intrusion could escalate tensions .
South Korea said earlier that North Korea sent a message including a rare apology by leader Kim Jong Un over the shooting death last week of a South Korean government official found on a floating object in North Korean waters .
Officials in Seoul say the 47-year-old was likely attempting to defect to North Korea but little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We urge the South side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the West Sea that may lead to escalation of tensions , ” the official Korean Central News Agency said .
“ It arouses our due vigilance as it may lead to another awful incident.
” It confirmed North Korea notified South Korea about its account of the incident on Friday .
But it didn ’ t say whether the notification included Kim ’ s apology .
South Korea didn ’ t immediately respond .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waters near the boundary on Friday and Saturday in case the man ’ s body drifts back .
The poorly marked boundary is a source of animosities between the rival Koreas .
They ’ ve fought at least three bloody naval skirmishes since 1999 and attacks blamed on North Korea killed 50 South Koreans there in 2010 .
According to Friday ’ s North Korean message publicized by Seoul , North Korean troops shot the man because he refused to answer questions and attempted to flee .
It also said the troops burned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-coronavirus rules , after failing to find his body .
South Korea said Saturday it would request North Korea to launch an additional investigation .
Kim ’ s apology was seen as an attempt to soothe anti-North sentiment in South Korea that could make it him difficult for him to win concessions in any negotiations .
Kim is currently struggling to overcome worsening economic woes caused by U.S.-led sanctions over his nuclear program and the pandemic that forced his country to close its border with China , its biggest trading partner .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of escalation of tensions between the rivals , conservatives in South Korea have launched a political offensive on liberal President Moon Jae-in for failing to prevent the man ’ s death .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--The Latest: Graham: Court vote could be week before election

WASHINGTON - The Latest on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court ( all times local ) : Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham says he hopes his committee will approve Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court by the week of Oct. 26 , setting up a final confirmation vote on the Senate floor one week before the Nov. 3 presidential election .
Trump nominated Barrett on Saturday to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Graham said after Trump ’ s announcement that his committee will hold four days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it would likely take another week to approve the nomination , under committee rules .
Graham said on Fox News ’ “ Justice with Judge Jeanine “ : “ Hopefully we ’ ll come to the floor around the 26th , and that will be up to ( Senate Majority Leader ) Mitch McConnell.
” Graham said Barrett had called him and the top Democrat on the committee , California Sen. Dianne Feinstein .
Graham said he and Barrett had a “ pleasant conversation , ” and he congratulated her .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a complete superstar when it comes to the law , and elections do have consequences.
” Chants of “ fill that seat ” erupted as President Donald Trump opened his first campaign rally after nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court .
Trump told several thousand supporters at the event at an airport hangar in Middletown , Pennsylvania , that the federal appeals court judge is a “ brilliant legal mind.
” He also turned the celebration of Barrett -- his third Supreme Court nominee -- into a jab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the packed and largely mask-free crowd that one of Barrett ’ s professors had praised her as the best student he ’ d ever had , then added : “ That ’ s a little better than Biden , wouldn ’ t you say ?
” The president chose the conservative Barrett to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who led the court ’ s liberal wing until her death on Sept. 18 .
President Donald Trump says he thinks Judge Amy Coney Barrett will be confirmed to the Supreme Court before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters as he left the White House for a rally in Pennsylvania Saturday evening that “ it ’ s going to go fast ” and argued it would be difficult for Democrats to take issue with his pick as he praised her credentials .
He says , “ I think this will be done before the election , ” and said that would “ send a great signal to a lot of people.
” Trump ’ s comments came not long after a Rose Garden ceremony to formally announced his pick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ruth Bader Ginsburg died of cancer last week Trump also said that he had not discussed the issue of abortion rights with Barrett , claiming that would not be “ appropriate to discuss.
” But he said on the topic that , “ They ’ re going to have to make a decision and that ’ s going to be for the judges do .
” Sen. Kamala Harris says she ’ ll oppose Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court .
Harris is a member of the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Democratic vice-presidential candidate .
“ It would be travesty to replace ( Ginsburg ) with a justice who is being selected to undo her legacy and erase everything she did for our country , ” Harris said in a statement through her Senate office .
Harris and Joe Biden have focused on what a shift in the court ’ s ideological makeup would mean for the Affordable Care Act .
The high court is set to hear a case aimed at striking down the law shortly after the election .
Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican efforts to overturn the health law and to role back abortion rights .
No Democratic senators are expected to vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court ahead of the Nov. 3 election , even though some did support her in 2017 for the federal appeals court .
Two Democrats still serving in the Senate who voted to confirm Barrett in 2017 , Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia , now say it ’ s too close to the election to consider her nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so Barrett could still be confirmed without Democratic support .
Kaine said voting is already underway in his and other states .
“ Rushing a confirmation vote before the American people have weighed in would be reckless , ” he said in a statement .
Said Manchin , “ I can not support a process that risks further division of the American people at a time when we desperately need to come together.
” He said he would not vote to support Barrett or any nominee before Nov. 3 .
In 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election to confirm President Barack Obama ’ s pick to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court .
Scalia died 237 days before the election .
Ruth Bader Ginsburg , whom Barrett would be replacing , died 46 days before the election .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is responding to Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court by calling for the Senate not to act until after the presidential election .
But in a lengthy written statement Saturday , Biden ’ s only explicit criticism of President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care .
Biden framed Trump ’ s choice as another move in Republicans ’ effort to scrap the 2010 health care law passed by his old boss , President Barack Obama .
“ She has a written track record of disagreeing with the U.S. Supreme Court ’ s decision upholding the Affordable Care Act , ” Biden said in a written statement .
“ She critiqued Chief Justice John Roberts ’ majority opinion upholding the law in 2012.
” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are warning that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court is a vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act .
Schumer said Saturday that President Donald Trump is once again putting “ Americans ’ healthcare in the crosshairs ” even while the coronavirus pandemic rages .
Pelosi said all the protections offered with the Affordable Care Act , including its ban on insurers denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions and the ability for young adults to remain on parents ’ plans , “ will be gone.
” The Supreme Court is expected to take up the Trump-backed case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Democratic leaders warn that with Barrett , the court will almost surely tip rightward and could strike down the law .
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett , President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee , the week of Oct. 12 .
That ’ s according to three people familiar with the schedule .
The panel plans to start the hearing with opening statements on Monday , Oct. 12 , and continue with two days of questioning .
The hearings are scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements from outside groups .
The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the schedule before it is officially announced .
The hearings will come less than a month from the Nov. 3 presidential election .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not yet said whether the Senate will vote to confirm Barrett before the election , but Republicans are privately aiming for a late October confirmation vote .
President Donald Trump ’ s pick to the U.S. Supreme Court says she is “ mindful ” she would be taking the seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ icon , Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Speaking moments after President Donald Trumped nominated her to the high court during a Rose Garden news conference Saturday , Amy Coney Barrett promptly mentioned Ginsburg and said she was “ mindful of who came before ” her .
Barrett is a polar opposite of Ginsburg when it comes to judicial philosophy .
Barret hailed conservative icon , former Justice Antonin Scalia , as her mentor .
But she called Ginsburg a justice of “ enormous talent and consequence.
” And she praised Ginsburg as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying she “ not only broke glass ceilings , she smashed them .
She also lauded Ginsburg for being able to disagree with colleagues on principles but “ without rancour.
” Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett says her judicial philosophy is the same as that of her mentor , Justice Antonin Scalia .
Barrett was a clerk for Scalia , who died in 2016 .
Barrett said Saturday as President Donald Trump nominated her to the country ’ s highest court that Scalia ’ s “ judicial philosophy is mine , too.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as written .
Judges are not policy makers , ” she said .
Scalia was a proponent of originalism , the method of constitutional interpretation that looks to the meaning of words and concepts as they were understood by the Founding Fathers .
President Donald Trump has called Amy Coney Barrett a “ woman of unparalleled achievement ” as he announces her nomination to the Supreme Court .
Trump said Saturday that she is one of the nation ’ s “ brilliant and gifted legal minds.
” And he called her “ very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is his third nomination to the high court after Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh .
Barrett would replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died earlier this month .
Trump called Ginsburg a “ legal giant and a pioneer for women.
“ Barrett , a judge on the Chicago-based 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals and a devout Roman Catholic , has been hailed by religious conservatives and others on the right as an ideological heir to conservative icon Antonin Scalia , the late Supreme Court justice for whom she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views are too heavily influenced by her religious beliefs and fear her ascent to the nation ’ s highest court could lead to a scaling back of hard-fought abortion rights .
President Donald Trump says Amy Coney Barrett would be the first mother of school-age children to serve on the Supreme Court .
The president introduced Barrett in the White House Rose Garden on Saturday as his nominee to take the place of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who died last week .
Barrett is 48 and has seven children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son with Down syndrome .
She would be the fifth woman to serve on the high court .
Her husband , Jesse , and her children are at the White House for Saturday ’ s ceremony .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote “ in the weeks ahead ” on President Donald Trump ’ s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
The Republican leader said Saturday that Trump “ could not have made a better decision ” in nominating the appellate court judge .
McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next week .
Barrett would replace the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the court .
She died of cancer on Sept. 18 .
Barrett , a judge on the Chicago-based 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals and a devout Roman Catholic , has been hailed by religious conservatives and others on the right as an ideological heir to conservative icon Antonin Scalia , the late Supreme Court justice for whom she clerked .
But liberals say her legal views are too heavily influenced by her religious beliefs and fear her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court could lead to a scaling back of hard-fought abortion rights .
President Donald Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Trump announced the news Saturday .
The selection is likely to energize the president ’ s base weeks before Election Day .
Barrett , a judge on the Chicago-based 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals and a devout Roman Catholic , has been hailed by religious conservatives and others on the right as an ideological heir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Supreme Court justice for whom she clerked .
But liberals say her legal views are too heavily influenced by her religious beliefs and fear her ascent to the nation ’ s highest court could lead to a scaling back of hard-fought abortion rights .
Barrett was considered to be a finalist in 2018 before Trump nominated Justice Brett Kavanaugh for the seat vacated when Justice Anthony Kennedy retired .
At just 48 , Barrett would be the youngest justice , and her tenure could last for decades .
An airplane believed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coney Barrett and her family has arrived at Joint Base Andrews .
Barrett is expected to be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday evening by President Donald Trump .
The plane left from South Bend , Indiana , where Barrett and her family live .
The seat was made vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last week at the age of 87 .
Barrett is a justice on the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
She was previously a law professor at Notre Dame and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia .
She met with Trump at the White House earlier this week .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Trump campaign sues to block mail-in ballot rule changes

RALEIGH , N.C. - President Donald Trump ’ s campaign committee and the Republican National Committee sued Saturday to block North Carolina election officials from enforcing rule changes that could boost the number of ballots counted in the presidential battleground state .
The Republicans ’ lawsuit claims a new system adopted by the State Board of Elections will allow for absentee ballots to be cast late and without proper witness verification , “ which invites fraud , coercion , theft , and otherwise illegitimate voting.
” The elections board on Tuesday issued new guidance allowing mail-in absentee ballots with deficient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter to fill out a new blank ballot for November ’ s general election .
The change means absentee voters who don ’ t provide complete information on their envelope about a witness who saw them fill out the ballot won ’ t have to complete a new ballot and locate another witness .
A voter will just have to turn in an affidavit confirming they filled out the original ballot .
North Carolina is one of eight states with witness and or notary public requirements for absentee ballots , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Assembly leaders announced late Saturday they had also filed a similar lawsuit in federal court against board members .
They asked a judge to block enforcement of the board ’ s absentee ballot alterations , which they contend would wrest away from the legislature its constitutional job to set the rules for federal elections .
The national Republicans ’ federal lawsuit claims the state elections board made a partisan “ backroom deal ” that undermines state lawmakers ’ “ carefully-considered , balanced structure of election laws.
” The suit claims the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says a ballot may only be accepted if it has a witness signature on it .
“ While touted as allowing greater access to voters during the current pandemic — an objective already addressed in recent months by the General Assembly — the actual effect is to undermine protections that help ensure the upcoming election will be not only safe and accessible but secure , fair , and credible , ” the suit says .
The lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign and the RNC also accuses the board of trying to override @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on or before Election Day can be counted if they are received within nine days of the election instead of the three days prescribed by law .
The state elections board and its chairman , Damon Circosta , are among the defendants named in the lawsuit .
The plaintiffs also include two Republican congressmen from North Carolina , U.S. Reps. Greg Murphy and Dan Bishop .
Circosta didn ’ t immediately respond Saturday evening to text messages seeking a response to the lawsuits .
Later Saturday , Board spokesperson Patrick Gannon said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina and other states expect a major surge in absentee voting for the Nov. 3 election amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
More than 1 million voters in North Carolina already had requested an absentee ballot as of Sept. 24 and that nearly 240,00 completed ballots had already been returned , the lawsuit says .
The state elections board ’ s new guidance to county boards means residents won ’ t be forced to start over from scratch in casting votes if a witness fails to sign or provide an address on the envelope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that the ballot now won ’ t be considered “ spoiled , ” and the voter will be sent an affidavit to sign to rectify the problem .
Issues with deficient witness information on mail-in ballots have disproportionately affected Black voters .
Ballots cast by African Americans account for about 43 per cent of those classified as having incomplete witness information , according to state elections data earlier in the week .
Yet Black residents account for 16 per cent of overall ballots returned .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Breonna Taylor protesters march anew: “No justice, No peace”

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - A diverse crowd of hundreds marched in Louisville ’ s streets chanting “ Black Lives Matter “ on Saturday night , the fourth night of protests after a grand jury declined to charge officers in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor .
People in the crowd also chanted “ No Justice , No peace ” as cars honked along a busy downtown artery in this Kentucky city that has seen more than 120 days of demonstrations over the death of the 26-year-old Black woman in a police raid gone wrong .
A few police cars followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay on the sidewalk and out of the street before the march ended .
Many briefly ended up back at a downtown square that has been a focal point of protests .
But as a 9 p.m. curfew time approached , a police loudspeaker announced that anyone who remained in the park would be arrested for a curfew violation .
The square emptied out as people departed , many dispersing though one group headed to a nearby church where protesters had found refuge on previous nights .
A previous protest on Friday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for curfew violations .
A police spokesman said some also were charged with failure to disperse .
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer had urged continued peaceful protests in an appearance at a news conference Saturday evening .
“ I ’ m mindful that many in our community are hurting and angry about the decisions announced this week , ” Fischer said .
The mayor said he supports protesters ’ First Amendment rights to protest though “ we just ask you to do that peacefully please.
” Taylor was shot multiple times March 13 after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entered her home during a narcotics raid by white officers , authorities said .
Taylor ’ s boyfriend said he didn ’ t know who was coming in and fired in self-defence , wounding one officer .
On Wednesday , Kentucky Attorney General Cameron announced a grand jury indicted one officer on wanton endangerment charges , saying he fired gunshots into a neighbouring home during the raid that didn ’ t strike anyone .
That officer has been fired .
Cameron said the other officers were not charged with Taylor ’ s killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor ’ s mother , Tamika Palmer , visited a downtown park on Friday with family and her lawyers , and called on Kentucky officials to release all body camera footage , police files and the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings .
Palmer said in a statement read by a family member that she felt the criminal justice system had failed her .
Palmer marched at the head of Friday ’ s protest march .
The grand jury ’ s ruling weighed heavily on protesters like Amber Brown .
A central figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was angry .
“ It feels like we went backward , ” she said Friday night .
“ I think people are still in shock and we ’ re not sure how to move forward.
” Brown criticized the police crackdown in the downtown area that has been in effect since early in the week .
“ People are afraid to exercise their First Amendment right , ” she said .
“ Since when does protest have a curfew ?
Since when does freedom and civil rights have a curfew ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report from Louisville .


thetorontostar--2020-09-26--Car injures 2 protesters during California demonstration

YORBA LINDA , Calif. - Two people were struck by a car and injured Saturday during a Southern California demonstration involving members of Black Lives Matter and counter-protesters .
The incident occurred in the city of Yorba Linda , about 30 miles ( 48.2 kilometres ) southeast of downtown Los Angeles .
The injured people were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries , and the driver of the car was detained , said Carrie Braun , spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff ’ s Department .
The incident occurred as members of Black Lives Matter demonstrated against police brutality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imperial Highway and confronted the BLM protesters , authorities said .
The protesters also confronted each other in the parking lot of the Yorba Linda public library , Braun said .
A white sedan came went through the crowd in the parking lot or the exit of the parking lot at the public library , injuring two people , Braun said .
People chased the car as it tried to drive away , and it was eventually stopped and was surrounded by police , she said .
The Register reported it was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The back windshield had been broken out , and it had a flagpole sticking out of it .
The front windshield was smashed , the Register reported .
The female driver of the car was detained , Braun said .
Braun said there were 300 people total and at some point it was declared an unlawful assembly and dispersal orders were given .
On Thursday night , a protester was struck by a pickup truck during a march in Hollywood and suffered non-life-threatening injuries .
Los Angeles police said Friday the preliminary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to manoeuvr through the crowd when protesters began beating the vehicle with sticks and attempted to open the door .
The driver was attempting to drive away from the situation when he struck the protester .
The driver stopped several blocks away and co-operated with officers .
He was released pending the outcome of the investigation .