thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Coronavirus makes cooling centres risky, just as scorching weather hits U.S.

WASHINGTON—Temperatures in Phoenix are expected to hit 40 C this week .
Sacramento has already broken heat records recently , as have Galveston , Texas ; Salt Lake City ; and Fort Myers , Fla .
But the usual strategy cities rely upon to protect the most vulnerable from the heat — encouraging people to gather and cool down in public buildings like libraries or recreation centres — doesn ’ t work in an era of the coronavirus and social distancing .
So , cities across the country are rushing to test other ideas .
In Phoenix , officials plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeless people stay out of the heat .
New York City is looking to help residents pay their electricity bills in order to make air conditioning more affordable .
Others are considering handing out free air conditioners to people whose homes lack them .
And in Austin , Texas , officials may soon dispatch fleets of air-conditioned city buses to serve as cooling centres in neighbourhoods where the need for relief is greatest .
“ They could sit on there throughout the day , ” said Chris Crookham , the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , given the requirements of social distancing , “ we would definitely not be able to fill up the bus.
” Not only has the COVID-19 crisis made gathering dangerous , public health and emergency management officials point out , but on top of that , the very people most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses — the elderly or chronically ill — also tend to be most vulnerable to the virus .
Last year was the second-hottest on record , and climate change is intensifying heat waves around the world .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool when temperatures soar , said Vivek Shandas , a professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University .
The first is making it safer for people to stay in their homes ; the second is giving them somewhere to go if they can ’ t .
To keep people safe at home , New York City is looking at expanding its “ Be a Buddy ” program , which encourages people to call or text with friends and neighbours — but refrain from showing up in person — to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat , said Carolyn Olson , assistant commissioner at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene .
That ’ s in addition to the city ’ s idea to help more people pay for electricity this summer so that they can use air conditioning and not fear a crushing bill .
Other cities are considering doing the same .
And for people who still struggle to pay , some places have temporarily blocked power companies from cutting off electricity .
But those ideas only work for people who have air conditioners in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is looking at requesting revisions to a state-run program that provides air conditioners to people in need , according to Alicia Zatcoff , the city ’ s sustainability manager .
But experts warned steps like these won ’ t go far enough because the problem is so big .
In New York City , for example , 10 per cent of households lack air conditioning , and that number rises to as much as 30 per cent in poorer communities , Olson said .
Even in cities in the South , where air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coastal areas often lack it , as do many public housing units .
As a result , many people will still need other places to cool off , officials said .
In response , many cities are being forced to rethink what cooling centres can look like .
In Los Angeles , Aram Sahakian , director of the city ’ s emergency management department , is trying to make cooling centres as virus-proof as possible .
When temperatures hit the low 30s at the end of April , Sahakian ’ s office opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions : anyone trying to get in had their temperature taken .
People were then given masks , which they had to wear at all times , as well as gloves and sanitizer .
And security staff made sure people stayed at least two metres apart .
“ We wanted to test the system , ” Sahakian said .
“ The Department of Public Health feels comfortable that we should be OK. ” In Jackson , Miss.
, officials will gauge the risks of opening cooling centres based in part on how aggressively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Robert Blaine , the city ’ s chief administrative officer .
To measure that spread , the city has invited residents to go to a website and log their symptoms .
It ’ s even working with a company to train an artificial intelligence program to identify , just from the sound of somebody coughing into the phone , the odds that the person has COVID-19 .
It creates a map showing where people with symptoms may be clustered in the city , Blaine said .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we look at the data.
” In Harris County , which includes Houston , officials are thinking bigger .
The county is looking at using some of the large sports venues and convention centres that are now sitting vacant , said Francisco Sanchez , the county ’ s deputy emergency management co-ordinator .
That could include NRG Park , he said , the sports complex that is home to the building formerly known as the Astrodome .
In Richmond , officials are asking whether cooling requires a building at all .
The city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the greatest exposure to heat waves , according to Zatcoff , the sustainability manager .
Now it is comparing those maps with areas with the highest proportions of people most vulnerable to the virus , such as the elderly or poor , or minority communities .
The places with the greatest overlap tend to have few parks or other open spaces , according to Jeremy Hoffman , chief scientist at the Science Museum of Virginia , who is working with Richmond on its heat strategy .
So , the city is looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spaces , particularly for use in the evenings when temperatures outdoors can be lower than inside homes without air conditioning .
It would not be a cooling centre , strictly speaking : there would not be tents with air conditioning .
But blocking off streets from traffic gives people room to get outside while still maintaining social distancing , Hoffman said .
“ Instead of closing down the small amount of space that we have for recreation , let ’ s expand that space where we don ’ t have a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Christopher Flavelle - The New York Times


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--California to get $247M refund as masks face delivery delay

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - California will get a $ 247 million refund amid delayed delivery of protective masks it ordered under a deal with a Chinese manufacturer .
The N95 respirator masks , made in China by electric vehicle manufacturer BYD , failed to meet an April 30 certification deadline from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , a spokesman for the Office of Emergency Services said Wednesday .
The state disclosed the refund when it released its nearly $ 1 billion contract it signed in April for about 500 million masks over 2.5 months , a mix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of millions of masks were set to arrive in California this month .
The state paid the first half of the contract up front to Global Healthcare Product Solutions , a BYD subsidiary , nearly a month ago .
That payment covered 300 million tight-fitting N95 masks at a cost of $ 3.30 each .
The governor ’ s office didn ’ t say what caused the certification delay .
An amendment to the contract signed Wednesday gives the company until May 31 to meet certification .
If it does not , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s upfront payment .
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE .
AP ’ s earlier story follows below .
Millions of protective masks that were to arrive in California this week as part of the state ’ s nearly $ 1 billion deal with a Chinese company have been delayed , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday .
The governor said the N95 masks made by BYD , an electric vehicle manufacturer with a California manufacturing plant , were stalled in the federal certification process .
He did not explain further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a request for more information .
Last month , Newsom announced the deal to great fanfare , calling it a “ bold and big ” effort in the state ’ s fight against the coronavirus .
He said the deal would result in 500 million masks that were a mixture of traditional surgical masks and the more protective N95 models to the state over the next 2.5 months .
The state took the unusual step of paying about half the contract up front to cover about 300 million N95 masks at $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made to Global Healthcare Product Solutions , a subsidiary of BYD .
The price per mask was first reported Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times and based on purchasing documents from the state treasurer ’ s office .
The total contract also included looser-fitting surgical masks , though details on those were not part of the initial payment , said Brian Ferguson , a spokesman for the Office of Emergency Services .
Tens of millions of surgical masks have already arrived , but the N95 masks were delayed , Newsom said .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 104.7 million for those first shipments .
Newsom said last month that the state and federal governments had “ teams on the ground ” in China auditing and visiting BYD ’ s factories .
“ We are looking to make sure we do not procure what is not authorized and ultimately is not validated , ” he said .
The masks must be certified through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , and were to be be tested and validated in Utah , he said .
Newsom has provided few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism from some lawmakers .
The Associated Press and other news agencies have sought the documents through public records requests and have been denied .
On Tuesday , the state ’ s Office of Emergency Services and Department of General Services denied the AP request .
“ Given the unprecedented emergency conditions created by COVID-19 and the scarcity of equipment and supplies needed to protect lives , the State has a paramount interest in ensuring the safe procurement , transportation , storage , and distribution of necessary supplies , “ Ryan Gronsky , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affairs at the Office of Emergency Services , wrote .
“ Publishing the agreement now — before performance under the contract is complete — would introduce substantial and unnecessary risk to the State ’ s ability to secure necessary supplies.
” Gronsky said the AP could refile a request for the document once the terms of the contract were completed .
On Wednesday , Newsom said the contract would be released “ this week.
“ He blamed lawyers for holding up the disclosure and said he ’ s frustrated because “ I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We want to be as transparent as possible , “ he said .
Newsom said he wants to share the contract so people can see what a great price the state paid .
The lack of information on the mask deal prompted criticism from state lawmakers , who said they would have had more time to vet the deal under normal circumstances .
Documents from the treasurer ’ s office indicated Newsom ’ s administration hadn ’ t finished vetting BYD before Newsom publicly announced the contract or before his administration asked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 495 million in an initial wire transfer .
When the treasurer ’ s office asked for confirmation the vendor had been vetted on April 8 , the day after Newsom announced the deal on MSNBC , Thomas Todd in the Department of Finance said “ they ’ re vetting the vendor as we speak.
” The next day , an employee at the Office of Emergency Services told the treasury department that the state had worked with a “ reliable “ non-profit organization to vet BYD and that the federal government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vetted the company .

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thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Inquiry: Pell knew of abuse by Australian pedophile priest

CANBERRA , Australia - Australian Cardinal George Pell knew a priest had been moved decades ago because he had sexually abused children and should have suspended an unstable priest in another parish , a government inquiry concluded .
A report from the inquiry on child sexual abuse had been released in 2017 , but findings concerning Pope Francis ’ former finance minister had been redacted until Thursday to avoid prejudicing juries in any future prosecutions .
The government decided to release the full report after the High Court last month overturned convictions against Pell on charges alleging he molested two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late 1990s when he was an archbishop .
The 78-year-old cleric spent 13 months in prison before being cleared and released last month .
The rejected Pell ’ s evidence in 2016 that he was deceived and lied to by Catholic Church officials about Australia ’ s worst pedophile priest , Gerald Ridsdale , and Melbourne parish priest Peter Searson .
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse findings related to Pell ’ s knowledge of abuse allegations while a priest and adviser to the local bishop in his hometown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1970s and 1980s .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Georgia family demands arrests 2 months after son shot dead

SAVANNAH , Ga. - The parents of a black man slain in a pursuit by two white men armed with guns called for immediate arrests Wednesday as they faced the prospect of waiting a month or longer before a Georgia grand jury could consider bringing charges .
A swelling outcry over the Feb. 23 shooting of Ahmaud Arbery intensified after a cellphone video that lawyers for his family say shows the killing surfaced online Tuesday .
Following the video ’ s release , a large crowd of demonstrators marched in the neighbourhood where Arbery was killed , and the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor and attorney general pledged to support .
The men who pursued Arbery told police they suspected he had committed a recent burglary .
Arbery ’ s mother , Wanda Cooper Jones , told reporters Wednesday she believes her 25-year-old son “ was just out for his daily jog ” in a neighbourhood outside the port city of Brunswick .
She hasn ’ t watched the video .
“ I saw my son come into the world , ” Jones said .
“ And seeing him leave the world , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see ever.
” No arrests have been made or charges filed in coastal Glynn County more than two months after the killing .
An outside prosecutor in charge of the case said he wants a grand jury to decide whether criminal charges are warranted .
That won ’ t happen until at least mid-June , since Georgia courts remain largely closed because of the coronavirus .
Attorneys for Arbery ’ s family said the father and son , who have acknowledged in a police report grabbing guns and pursuing Arbery in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbourhood , should be arrested now before a grand jury decides whether to indict them — as often happens in criminal cases .
“ These men were vigilantes , they were a posse and they performed a modern lynching in the middle of the day , ” said Lee Merritt , an attorney for Arbery ’ s mother .
According to an incident report filed by Glynn County police , Arbery was shot after two men spotted him running in their neighbourhood on a Sunday afternoon .
Gregory McMichael told police that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matched the description of someone caught on a security camera committing a recent break-in in the neighbourhood .
They armed themselves with guns before getting in a truck to pursue him .
The father said his son , Travis McMichael , got out of the truck holding a shotgun , and Arbery “ began to violently attack.
” He said Arbery was shot as the two men fought over the shotgun , according to the police report .
After Arbery was shot , the police report says , Gregory McMichael turned him onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed .
The report doesn ’ t say whether he had a weapon .
A phone number listed for Gregory McMichael has been disconnected .
The Associated Press could not immediately find a phone listing for Travis McMichael .
The cellphone video , initially posted by a Brunswick radio station , shows a black man running at a jogging pace on the left side of a road .
A truck is parked in the road ahead of him .
One man is inside the pickup ’ s bed , and another is standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door .
The runner crosses the road to pass the pickup on the passenger side , then crosses back in front of the truck .
A gunshot sounds , and the video shows the runner grappling with a man in the street over what appears to be a shotgun or rifle .
A second shot can be heard , and the runner can be seen punching the man .
A third shot is fired at point-blank range .
The runner staggers a few feet and falls face down .
Tom Durden , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , declined to comment Tuesday when asked if the video depicts Arbery ’ s shooting .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation got involved Wednesday after Durden requested the agency ’ s help .
GBI Director Vic Reynolds said he assigned three supervisory-level agents to the case .
“ I realize that emotions are running high in this community and they ’ re running high throughout this state , “ Reynolds said in statement .
“ And the last thing anyone wants to do is extend us any patience .
But I also realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Georgia law says a person can kill in self-defence “ only if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury ... or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.
” The law also says a person who provokes an attack or acts as “ the aggressor ” can ’ t claim self-defence .
Merritt , the attorney for Arbery ’ s mother , said the U.S. Justice Department should also investigate the death as a hate crime .
“ The FBI has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Justice Department spokesman Matt Lloyd , ” and as is standard protocol we look forward to working with them should information come to light of a potential federal violation.
” Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp late Tuesday threw his support behind that probe .
He tweeted : “ Georgians deserve answers .
State law enforcement stands ready to ensure justice is served.
” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr , also a Republican , spoke out as well .
“ Based on the video footage and news reports that I have seen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery , ” Carr said in a statement .
“ I expect justice to be carried out as swiftly as possible.
“ Former Vice-President Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee for president , also weighed in .
“ The video is clear : Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood , “ Biden tweeted , referring to the death as a “ murder.
” Jackie Johnson , the district attorney for Glynn County , recused herself from the case because Gregory McMichael worked as an investigator in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
George Barnhill , the first outside prosecutor on the case , stepped aside in mid-April at the urging of Arbery ’ s family .
Barnhill has a son who works as an assistant prosecutor for Johnson .
Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this story .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Subway shutdown: New York closes system for first time in 115 years

NEW YORK—At the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island , Brooklyn , more than a dozen police officers waited on the platform early Wednesday for trains on the F line to arrive .
As one train pulled in at 12:43 a.m. , transit agency outreach workers and social workers walked onto the cars , cajoling homeless riders to leave their temporary shelter .
Overhead , an announcement echoed through the vast station : “ Last stop on arriving train .
No passengers , please.
” It was a moment that New York City ’ s subway had never before experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system opened 115 years ago .
But with the city still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic , the subway will remain closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for the foreseeable future to provide more time to thoroughly disinfect trains , stations and equipment .
The shutdown reflects the enormous challenge officials face in ensuring that the subway is safe enough to lure back leery riders , even as the system reels from a deadly outbreak that has ravaged New York and crippled its public transit network .
No other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much on public transit and restoring the subway is essential to New York ’ s recovery .
Since March , the virus has sent ridership plummeting by more than 90 per cent , killed at least 109 transit workers , starved the authority of its usual revenue streams and prompted an influx of homeless people seeking refuge on mostly empty trains .
“ We ’ re in an unprecedented moment in the history of our city , ” Pat Foye , chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , said at a news conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re taking this extraordinary , unprecedented action is to protect the safety and public health of our customers and our employees.
” Still , the closing leaves an indelible mark on a city long defined by its round-the-clock hustle and unending energy .
In the wake of a catastrophic virus , even this mainstay of New York life has not been spared .
Early Wednesday , as transit workers locked turnstiles and police officers taped off station entrances , the outbreak ’ s lasting blow to the city was immortalized for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trudged onto a late-night train .
Across the system , the complicated task of shutting the system played out in nearly every station : often confused early morning riders endeavoured to find other ways of getting to work .
Police officers and social workers attempted to coax sometimes agitated homeless people off the subway .
And crews of cleaners clamoured to thoroughly disinfect the rolling stock and stations before the system reopened .
Just before 1 a.m. at the Wakefield-241st Street station in the Bronx , outreach workers from the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeless people in the station to leave for a shelter .
One man in a hooded sweatshirt refused help , pleading with them to let him stay .
“ You can ’ t do this to me , ” the man cried .
“ I want to get back on the train.
” “ Please get me back on the train , ” he said , his voice breaking .
A police officer directed him instead to the Bx42 bus stop on the street below .
His experience echoed concerns from advocates that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable population even more exposed .
“ Without the offer of a safe , private room , most people are going to be displaced into the streets , where they are going to be more vulnerable than they were on the subway , ” said Josh Dean , executive director of Human.nyc , a policy organization that focuses on homelessness .
Around the same time , a homeless rider at the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island took up the offer from outreach workers to be steered to a shelter .
The rider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had lost his job as an environmental researcher a week ago and soon afterward , his home in Queens as well .
Three weeks ago , he also tested positive for COVID-19 .
With just a blanket tucked under his arm , Bell followed social workers out of the station .
“ They were really polite about it , ” he said of the outreach workers , adding , “ Staying out all night on the subway is much worse ” than the coronavirus .
As social workers cleared stragglers from platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man charged with orchestrating the shutdown , Hugo Zamora , stared intently at a live map of each train from his perch at the agency ’ s rail control Centre in Manhattan .
There , a digital screen the width of a football field shows brightly lit rectangles depicting trains in real time as they prattle along a map of the tracks across the city .
Dispatchers , who control the movement of trains , called out radio dispatches to crews between sharp clatters of static .
Zamora , a transit veteran who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some colleagues , explained that the sheer scope of the system makes bringing it offline a complicated process .
For instance , on the system ’ s longest lines , the final trains of the night were departing from the first station around 12:19 a.m. and would not reach the end of the line until 2:09 a.m. On Wednesday , the final passenger train to leave the system — a southbound No .
2 train — arrived at its last station at 2:12 a.m. , four minutes late .
“ Not bad , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a little tardy , ” Zamora said .
By then , riders who were not already on the subway were trying to find other ways to get to work .
Many turned to the bus network , which has been bolstered to accommodate the roughly 11,000 riders who have relied on late-night subway service in recent weeks .
The transit agency has added 1,168 nightly bus trips — a 76 per cent increase from the usual nightly bus schedules — and put 344 additional buses on the road , officials said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ every 15 or 30 minutes , similar to recent train schedules .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Trucker from Iowa charged in 1990s slayings of 3 women

IOWA CITY , Iowa - Investigators on Wednesday arrested a long-haul trucker from Iowa who they say is linked by DNA evidence to the killings of three women whose bodies were dumped in Wyoming and Tennessee in the early 1990s .
Police arrested Clark Perry Baldwin , 58 , at his home in Waterloo , Iowa , on murder charges filed in Wyoming and Tennessee in the deaths of the women , including two who were pregnant .
Investigators said they were looking into whether Baldwin could be responsible for other unsolved slayings .
Baldwin was arrested after investigators used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims to develop DNA profiles of their perpetrators , according to court documents in Wyoming .
Last year , they learned that the same profile matched all three cases .
Investigators zeroed in on Baldwin after finding DNA in commercial genealogy databases of someone related to the suspect ’ s profile , court documents say .
Last month in Waterloo , the FBI secretly collected DNA from Baldwin ’ s trash and a shopping cart he used at Walmart and it matched the profile .
In Wyoming , Baldwin is charged in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were found in 1992 roughly 400 miles ( 643.74 kilometres ) apart .
A female trucker discovered the nude body of the first victim in March 1992 near the Bitter Creek Truck turnout on Interstate 80 in southwestern Wyoming .
An autopsy determined the woman suffered head trauma consistent with strangulation and her body had likely been in the snow for weeks .
A month later , Wyoming Department of Transportation workers found the partially mummified body of a pregnant woman in a ditch off of Interstate 90 , near Sheridan in northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine the cause of death but found the victim had an injury potentially consistent with suffering a blow to the head .
Investigators never identified the women and referred to them as “ Bitter Creek Betty ” and “ I-90 Jane Doe.
” Both were believed to be in their late teens or early 20s , Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Cmdr .
Matt Waldock said .
In Tennessee , Baldwin is charged with two counts of murder in the 1991 killing of a 32-year-old pregnant woman from Virginia , Pamela McCall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in woods off Interstate 65 in Spring Hill , Tennessee in March 1991 .
An autopsy determined McCall had neck injuries and died of strangulation .
Sperm was recovered from pantyhose worn by McCall , who was last seen at a Tennessee truck stop days earlier .
Court documents say that Baldwin allegedly raped a female hitchhiker in Wheeler County , Texas , at gunpoint in his truck in 1991 .
The 21-year-old woman told police that Baldwin struck her on the head , bound her hands and mouth and tried to choke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the assault but was released pending grand jury proceedings .
Court documents do not indicate whether he was charged or prosecuted .
Baldwin , who has previously lived in Nashua , Iowa , and Springfield , Missouri , was a cross-country truck driver for Marten Transport at the time .
Baldwin ’ s name also surfaced during a 1992 homicide investigation in Iowa .
His ex-wife told police then that Baldwin once bragged about “ killing a girl out west by strangulation and throwing her out of his truck , ” court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ hopeful ” to solve other cases with Baldwin ’ s arrest .
One case of interest is the 1992 death of Tammy Jo Zywicki , 21 , an Iowa college student who was last seen after her car broke down on an Illinois highway .
A white man who was driving a semi-trailer was seen near her vehicle .
Zywicki ’ s body was found in rural Missouri , stabbed to death .
Another is the 1992 killing of Rhonda Knutson , 22 , a truck stop convenience store clerk in northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an overnight shift .
Investigators have released sketches of two men who were in the store , including one trucker .
Baldwin lived in nearby Nashua then .
In 1997 , Secret Service agents raided Baldwin ’ s apartment in Springfield , Missouri , after learning he was making counterfeit U.S. currency on a personal computer .
He and two female associates were indicted on counterfeiting charges .
Baldwin was sentenced to 18 months in prison and released in 1999 .
In 2008 , a fire destroyed a Nashua building where Baldwin operated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buildings , including one that housed the town ’ s newspaper .
The cause of the fire was never determined .
Baldwin is being held at the Black Hawk County jail pending extradition proceedings to Tennessee .
The charges stunned Jazz Baldwin , 32 , of New Hampton , Iowa , who said she learned two years ago that Baldwin was her father after he purchased a DNA test kit .
The two had been in contact over Facebook since then , she said .
“ I heard rumours about his ‘ possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bogus , ” she wrote in a Facebook message .
“ Murder was NOT on the list of things we thought he had done and gotten away with.
” Associated Press journalists Rhonda Shafner in New York City and Mead Gruver in Cheyenne , Wyoming contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--State offficials to review complaint against Florida sheriff

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. - State law enforcement officials will review a complaint against a Florida sheriff appointed by the governor after the 2018 Parkland high school massacre following accusations that he should have disclosed he fatally shot another teenager when he was 14 in Philadelphia .
Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told the Sun Sentinel on Wednesday that the agency has received a complaint against Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony and plans to review it .
“ We do not have an active investigation , ” Plessinger said .
The FDLE didn ’ t elaborate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open an investigation , it may have to determine whether the sheriff lied in paperwork about killing a man when he was a teenager .
Tony signed an affidavit this January , a year after Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis appointed him sheriff .
The notarized document is kept in his employment file .
The form is meant to verify that a law enforcement officer meets the state ’ s qualifications .
The paperwork is among the various application forms and questionnaires that Tony completed as part of his law enforcement career .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he didn ’ t see the need to disclose the 1993 killing to DeSantis or on other applications during his law enforcement career because he was a juvenile and he was cleared because it was self-defence .
The shooting came to light Saturday in an article published by the Florida Bulldog website , further roiling the August Democratic primary race between Tony and the fired sheriff he replaced , Scott Israel .
DeSantis , days after he took office , fired Israel in January 2019 because of the sheriff ’ s office ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre that left 17 dead and replaced him with the little-known Tony .
The former Coral Springs police sergeant had quit that department in 2016 to operate a consulting firm that specialized in active shooter training .
The two former Republicans are the leading candidates in the primary that will likely decide the race in the heavily Democratic county .
The shooting happened at the Tony family home in the Badlands neighbourhood of Philadelphia , an area known for its violence and open-air drug dealing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting happened after an argument he and his brother had with 18-year-old Hector Rodriguez , a drug dealer with a criminal record .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--US sees 1st detained immigrant death from coronavirus

SAN DIEGO - A 57-year-old person in immigration custody died Wednesday from complications related to the coronavirus , authorities said , marking the first reported death from the virus among about 30,000 people in immigration custody .
The detainee had been held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego and hospitalized since late April , said Craig Sturak , a spokesman for the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency .
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would neither confirm nor deny the death .
CoreCivic Inc. , the private company that operates the detention centre , didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment .
Otay Mesa has been a hotbed for the spread of COVID-19 , with nearly one of five detainees who have tested positive nationwide .
As of Wednesday , 132 of ICE ’ s 705 positive cases were at the San Diego facility .
Additionally , 10 of 39 ICE detention employees who have tested positive are at Otay Mesa .
Two guards at an immigration detention centre in Monroe , Louisiana , died late last month from the coronavirus — Carl Lenard , 62 , and Stanton Johnson , 51 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported dead .
A Justice Department attorney , Samuel Bettwy , said at a hearing on Monday that the San Diego detainee was intubated at a hospital with a prognosis that was not good .
While the death came as no surprise , advocacy groups that have been pressing ICE to release detainees on bond swiftly criticized the agency .
“ This tragic news is even more evidence that failing to act will result in cruel and needless death , ” said Monika Langarica , an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which successfully sued to force the release of dozens of older and medically vulnerable detainees at Otay Mesa .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
The frequency of testing may have something to do with Otay Mesa ’ s elevated infection rate .
At Monday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or 70 % , of detainees tested at Otay Mesa were positive .
ICE says only that it has tested 705 detainees nationwide , without breaking testing down by detention centre .
The first positive case at Otay Mesa was a guard , whose test result was announced March 31 .
The facility is designed to hold up to 1,970 ICE detainees and U.S .
Marshals Service inmates but has lowered its count in recent weeks .
As of April 26 , it held 662 immigration detainees and 325 Marshals Service inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under a court order .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Sources: US investigating ex-Green Beret for Venezuela raid

MIAMI - A former Green Beret who has claimed responsibility for an ill-fated military incursion into Venezuela is under federal investigation for arms trafficking , according to current and former U.S. law enforcement officials .
The investigation into Jordan Goudreau is in its initial stages and it ’ s unclear if it will result in charges , according to a U.S. law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations .
The probe stems from a frenzy of contradictory comments Goudreau has made since a small cadre of volunteer combatants he was advising on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro .
Members of the U.S. Congress are also asking the State Department about its knowledge of Goudreau ’ s plans and raised concerns that he possibly violated arms trafficking rules .
An AP investigation published prior to the failed raid places Goudreau at the centre of a plot hatched with a rebellious former Venezuelan Army Gen. , Cliver Alcalá , to secretly train dozens of Venezuelan military deserters in secret camps in Colombia to carry out a swift operation against Maduro .
The U.S. has offered a $ 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s arrest or conviction .
He was indicted by the Trump administration in March on narcoterrorist charges .
The men were being readied for combat at three rudimentary camps in Colombia with the help of Goudreau and his Florida-based company , Silvercorp USA , multiple Maduro opponents and aspiring freedom fighters told the AP .
But the plot seemed doomed from the start because it lacked the support of the Trump administration and was infiltrated by Maduro ’ s vast , Cuban-trained intelligence network , the AP found .
The law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his work on behalf of the volunteer army may have violated laws that require any U.S. company supplying weapons or military equipment , as well as military training and advice , to foreign persons to seek State Department approval .
“ Goudreau ’ s public comments alone show he was exporting his lethal expertise into a foreign country , “ said Sean McFate , a former U.S. Army paratrooper who worked as a private military contractor and is the author of a book , “ The New Rules of War , ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is a serious violation.
” Goudreau declined to comment Tuesday .
The State Department said it is restricted under law from confirming licensing activities .
The law enforcement official said Goudreau ’ s possible involvement in weapons smuggling stems from the March 23 seizure by police in Colombia of a stockpile of weapons being transported in a truck .
Alcalá claimed ownership of the cache shortly before surrendering to face U.S. narcotics charges in the same case for which Maduro was indicted .
The stockpile , worth around $ 150,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goggles , two-way radios and 26 American-made assault rifles with the serial numbers rubbed off .
Fifteen brown-colored helmets seized by police were manufactured by High-End Defence Solutions , a Miami-based military equipment vendor owned by a Venezuelan immigrant family , according to Colombian police .
High-End Defence Solutions is the same company that Goudreau visited in November and December , allegedly to source weapons , according to two former Venezuelan soldiers who claim to have helped the American select the gear but later had a bitter falling out with Goudreau amid accusations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP could not independent verify their account .
Company owner Mark Von Reitzenstein has not responded to repeated email and phone requests seeking comment .
Two former law enforcement officials said an informant approached the Drug Enforcement Administration in Colombia prior to the weapons ’ seizure with an unsubstantiated tip about Goudreau ’ s alleged involvement in weapons smuggling .
The anti-narcotics agency , not knowing who Goudreau was at the time , didn ’ t open a formal probe but suspected that any weapons would ’ ve been destined for leftist rebels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ragtag army of Venezuelan volunteers , the former officials said on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations .
One of the officials said the information was later passed on to the Department of Homeland Security .
The DEA said it does not comment on ongoing potential investigations .
Authorities in Colombia are also looking into Goudreau as part of their investigation into the seized weapons shipment , a Colombian official told the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing case .
Meanwhile , officials in U.S. Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacted the State Department multiple times on Monday seeking information about any possible contacts with Goudreau or knowledge of his activities , and whether his work may have violated International Traffic in Arms Regulations , according to a staffer on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private outreach .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday reiterated President Donald Trump ’ s claims a day earlier that there was no direct U.S. government involvement in Goudreau ’ s brazen operation .
“ If we ’ d have been involved , it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
” As for who bankrolled it , we ’ re not prepared to share any more information about what we know took place .
We ’ ll unpack that at an appropriate time , we ’ ll share that information if it makes good sense.
” Goudreau , a three-time Bronze Star recipient , has insisted that his work providing only strategic advice to the combatants doesn ’ t require special licensing .
Still , he acknowledged sending into battle two special forces buddies associated with Silvercorp and who are now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to introduce a catalyst , ” he said in a phone interview with the AP Monday from Florida .
“ By no means am I saying that 60 guys can come in and topple a regime .
I ’ m saying 60 guys can go in and inspire the military and police to flip and join in the liberation of their country , which deep down is what they want.
” Goudreau has said he was hired by Juan Guaidó , who the U.S. considers Venezuela ’ s rightful leader .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced an 8-page agreement he signed with what appears to be the signature of Guaidó .
The opposition leader has refused to say whether the signature on the “ general services agreement ” is authentic .
On Wednesday what some 60 nations recognize as Venezuela ’ s legitimate government denied having signed any “ alleged contract ” and insisted it has no ties or commitments to Silvercorp .
In a statement it accused Maduro of infiltrating the so-called “ Operation Gideon ” and using a “ false document as justification to try and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juan Guaidó.
“ Contradictions abound in Goudreau ’ s account as well .
In a televised interview with “ Factores de Poder , ” a Miami media outlet popular with Venezuelan exiles , he claims he never received a “ single cent ” for his work yet continued to prepare the men for battle , in the process going deep into debt .
JJ Rendon , a Miami-based adviser to Guaidó , said he gave Goudreau $ 50,000 as requested to cover some expenses .
Goudreau acknowledged the payment to the AP and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation said the agreement was signed by Rendon and another U.S.-based aide to Guaidó , lawmaker Sergio Vergara , in October .
Guaidó at one point briefly greeted Goudreau via video conference — as evidenced by an audio recording made on a hidden cellphone by Goudreau and which he shared with the Venezuelan journalist .
“ Let ’ s get to work !
” said a voice that appears to be Guaidó in the leaked recording .
He makes no mention of any military incursion .
A few days later , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realizing he was unable to deliver what he had promised and because they were not getting along , the person said .
An attempt to reactivate the accord fell through in November because the opposition had abandoned support for a private military incursion , the person said .
The last contact with Goudreau was a few weeks ago when a lawyer on the veteran ’ s behalf wrote Rendon seeking to collect a promised $ 1.5 million retainer .
Goudreau , through intermediaries , made it known that if they didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the press , the person said .
It ’ s unclear how the weapons were smuggled into Colombia .
But Silvercorp in December bought a 41-foot fiberglass boat , Florida vessel registration records show , and proceeded in February to obtain a license to install maritime navigation equipment .
On his application to the Federal Communications Commission , he said the boat would travel to foreign ports .
The boat next appeared in Jamaica , where Goudreau had gathered with a few of his special forces buddies looking to participate in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the situation on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive dealings .
But as they were readying their assault , the boat broke down at sea on March 28 and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon was activated , alerting naval authorities on the island of Curacao .
Goudreau had to return to Florida , prevented from rejoining his troops prior to the landing because of travel restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ He would have 100 % gone out in a blaze of gunfire because that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person .
AP Writer Scott Smith in Caracas , Venezuela , Matthew Lee in Washington and investigative researcher Randy Herschaft in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Face coverings not required on state-run Alaska ferries

JUNEAU , Alaska - Alaska ’ s state-run ferry system is not requiring that passengers and crew wear face coverings @ @ @ @ @ , with a spokesperson saying rider numbers are low and social distancing on board is @ @ @ @ @ reported the Alaska Marine Highway System said it puts the health and safety of employees @ @ @ @ @ masks are available for crew members but not mandated , the system said .
State @ @ @ @ @ said rider numbers are “ very low , and social distancing is easily attainable for @ @ @ @ @ ferries currently are operating .
The system said it ’ s taken steps aimed at @ @ @ @ @ , including turning away passengers with flu-like symptoms .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Supreme Court says Justice Ginsburg out of hospital

WASHINGTON - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is glad to be home after being discharged Wednesday from a Baltimore @ @ @ @ @ .
Ginsburg , 87 , spent one night at the Johns Hopkins Hospital to receive @ @ @ @ @ caused by a gallstone .
She participated in court arguments by telephone from her hospital @ @ @ @ @ return to the hospital for outpatient visits over the next few weeks and will eventually @ @ @ @ @ the court said .
The procedure does not involve surgery .
The court ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the hospital twice since November because of infections .
She also received outpatient radiation treatment @ @ @ @ @ for a tumour on her pancreas .
Ginsburg has twice been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer @ @ @ @ @ in December 2018 to remove cancerous growths .
She underwent surgery for colorectal cancer in @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--UN experts: Libya’s Hifter got fighters from Russian company

TANZANIA , Tanzania - U.N. experts say a private Russian security company has provided between 800 and 1,200 mercenaries to support the offensive by Libyan commander Khalifa Hifter , whose forces have been trying to take the capital , Tripoli , for over a year .
The panel of experts monitoring sanctions against Libya said in a report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press that mercenaries from the Wagner Group are engaged in specialized military activities including calling in artillery and air strikes , providing electronic countermeasures expertise and deploying as sniper teams .
“ Their deployment has acted as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s forces , the panel said .
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 , when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi , who was later killed .
The country has since split between rival administrations in the east and the west , each backed by armed groups .
Hifter ’ s offensive is supported by France , Russia , Jordan , the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries .
The U.N.-supported government in Tripoli is backed by Turkey , which deployed troops and mercenaries to help defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as by Italy and Qatar .
Mercenaries , mainly from the Syria battlefield , are now fighting on both sides and complicating the already complex proxy war .
U.S. and Libyan officials have accused Russia of deploying fighters from the Wagner Group in key battleground areas in Libya .
Moscow has repeatedly denied playing any role in Libya ’ s fighting .
Yevgeny Prigozhin , who reportedly has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin , is allegedly tied to the Wagner Group .
The panel said the first reports of Syrian foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight in Libya in support of Hifter emerged Jan. 7 , with more details on Feb. 14 that fighters were being recruited from the town of Douma in the Damascus suburbs for $ 800 a month .
On March 5 , the panel said , open sources reported that fighters were being recruited by Wagner through the Syrian National Youth Party in Sweida , a mountainous area that is a centre for the Druze religious minority , for salaries between $ 1,000 and $ 1,500 monthly .
“ It is estimated from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign fighters supporting Hifter ’ s operations is less than 2,000 , “ the report said .
The experts said open sources put the number of Syrian fighters in Libya to be nearer 5,000 , but they said that “ this almost certainly includes those fighters recruited by Turkey ” to support the government in Tripoli .
The panel said it has identified the presence of mercenaries from Wagner in Libya since October 2018 , “ providing technical support for the repair of military vehicles , participating in combat operations and engaging in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was provided with details of 122 Wagner operatives who are “ highly probably operational ” in Libya , including 39 from its specialist sniper group and 83 from its 1st Attack and Reconnaissance Company or other combat units .
The panel said mercenaries from the Russian company Rossiskie System Bezopasnosti Group have also been identified as providing maintenance and repair support for military aircraft .
The experts said they continue to investigate reports that mercenaries from Russian-based Moran Security Group and Schit Security Group deployed to Benghazi on Jan. 6 .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Justices wary of ‘Obamacare’ birth control coverage changes

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court seemed concerned Wednesday about the sweep of Trump administration rules that would allow more employers who cite a religious or moral objection to opt out of providing no-cost birth control to women as required by the Affordable Care Act .
The justices were hearing their third day of arguments conducted by telephone because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The first of two cases before them Wednesday stemmed from the Obama-era health law , under which most employers must cover birth control as a preventive service , at no charge to women , in their insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration announced it would broaden an exemption to the contraceptive coverage requirement that previously applied to houses of worship , such as churches , synagogues and mosques .
But the change was blocked by courts .
The Supreme Court ’ s four liberal justices suggested they were troubled by the changes , which the government has estimated would cause about 70,000 women , and at most 126,000 women , to lose contraception coverage in one year .
Chief Justice John Roberts , a key vote on a court split between conservatives and liberals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s reliance on a federal religious freedom law to expand the exemption was “ too broad.
” And Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who joined the conversation from a Maryland hospital where she was being treated for an infection caused by a gallstone , gave the government ’ s top Supreme Court lawyer , Solicitor General Noel Franciso , what sounded like a lecture .
“ You have just tossed entirely to the wind what Congress thought was essential , that is that women be provided these ... .
services with no hassle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Ginsburg , who was released from the hospital later Wednesday .
The court ’ s conservative justices seemed more willing to side with the administration , with Trump appointee Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggesting the administration ’ s changes might be considered “ within the bounds of reasonable.
” Beyond exempting churches , synagogues and mosques from the contraceptive coverage requirement , the Obama administration also created a way by which religiously affiliated organizations including hospitals , universities and charities could opt out of paying for contraception , but women on their health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some groups complained the opt-out process itself violated their religious beliefs .
That opt-out process was the subject of a previous Supreme Court case , but the court , with only eight justices at the time because of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia , didn ’ t decide the issue .
It instead sent both sides back to see if they could work out a compromise .
That didn ’ t happen .
“ Is it really the case that there is no way to resolve those differences ?
” Roberts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration took over , officials announced a rule change that allows many companies and organization with religious or moral objections to opt out of covering birth control without providing an alternate avenue for coverage .
New Jersey and Pennsylvania challenged the rules in court , and a judge blocked them from going into effect .
The judge found the Trump administration did not follow proper procedures for issuing the rules .
An appeals court agreed , and the administration appealed to the Supreme Court to step in , as did the Little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Roman Catholic nuns had been instrumental in challenging the Obama administration rules .
But on Wednesday , Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned why the Little Sisters of the Poor were even at the court because for a number of reasons they don ’ t have to provide contraceptive coverage .
Sotomayor also referenced the coronavirus pandemic during her questioning , asking attorney Paul Clement , who was representing the nuns , whether an employer might be able to object to paying for a coronavirus vaccine .
He said “ no.
” Even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling by a federal judge in Texas in June already allows most people who object to covering contraception to avoid doing so .
In the second case the justices heard Wednesday , political consultants and pollsters were among those asking the Supreme Court to strike down a federal law from 1991 that bars them from making robocalls to cellphones .
The case only arose after Congress in 2015 created an exception in the law that allows the automated calls for collection of government debt .
The court wrestled with whether it could get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have to invalidate the entire ban on cellphone robocalls .
“ No one wants robocalls on their cellphone , ” Roberts said , though he typically votes for the challengers in free-speech cases .
The argument provided a light moment of the day when Justice Stephen Breyer got cut off when someone tried calling him .
Breyer said after he rejoined the court ’ s arguments : “ The telephone started to ring , and it cut me off the call and I don ’ t think it was a robocall.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed at https : //twitter.com/AP_Courtside .
Supreme Court reporters Mark Sherman can be reached at https : //twitter.com/shermancourt and Jessica Gresko at https : //twitter.com/jessicagresko .

Jessica Gresko And Mark Sherman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--US eyes deal to free American in Iran, pushes back on swap

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials believe they ’ re making progress in efforts to secure the release from Iran of a detained Navy veteran , but they are pushing back on Iranian suggestions that a swap is in the works for an imprisoned Iranian that American officials have been trying to deport since last year .
Ken Cuccinelli , the acting deputy Homeland Security secretary , said Wednesday that the cases of American detainee Michael White in Iran and Sirous Asgari , the Iranian imprisoned in the United States , have never been connected .
He expressed frustration with recent comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a link between the two and complained that Iran had been slow to accept Asgari ’ s return .
“ We ’ ve been trying to deport this guy for months , ” Cuccinelli told The Associated Press .
“ There has never been any breath of a link between the two until they made it a news story a couple of days ago.
” Cuccinelli said DHS had started to try to deport Asgari on Dec. 12 after his acquittal on charges of trying to steal sensitive trade secrets .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him as legitimately Iranian and provide him with a validated passport until late February .
Once Asgari received the passport , DHS made several attempts to fly him back to Iran , purchasing tickets for flights on March 10 , March 18 , March 23 , April 1 and May 1 , according to Cuccinelli .
Each of those flights was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic , he said .
Cuccinelli , an immigration hardliner who has advocated for tougher deportation policies , said Iran has also been slow-walking the return of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the U.S. Asgari “ is one of 11 Iranians that have orders of removal that Iran is not taking back and there ’ s a bunch more we ’ re processing , ” Cuccinelli said .
“ We ’ ve been trying to get rid of this guy for six months .
If they ’ d send us a plane tomorrow , we ’ ve got 11 of them for them to take back now .
From our perspective , ( Asgari ) is no different than others.
” He would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reluctant to accept deportees back into the country but said Iran has a history of “ being difficult ” in such cases .
Cuccinelli ’ s remarks came amid reports that a prisoner swap for White , who is currently on a medical furlough after being jailed in Iran , could be imminent and comments from Iranian officials , including Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif , that Asgari could be in the mix .
Senior U.S. officials who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White released are continuing separately from the DHS deportation cases .
But they could not predict if or when the release might be finalized ; nor would they say if it would involve the actual swap of any prisoners .
Earlier Wednesday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned White and thanked Switzerland , which represents U.S. interests in Iran , for its work in helping to get the veteran released from prison on a medical furlough that was extended last month .
Pompeo also reiterated calls for Iran to release other Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morad Tahbaz .
“ Our gratitude also goes out to Switzerland , the United States protecting power in Iran for now four decades , for its efforts to extend Michael White ’ s medical furlough and seeking humanitarian furloughs for Siamak Namazi and Morad Tahbaz and bringing home all U.S. citizens wrongfully detained , ” Pompeo told reporters at a State Department news conference .
White , of Imperial Beach , California , was detained in July 2018 while visiting a girlfriend in Iran .
He was convicted of insulting Iran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was released from prison in March on a medical furlough that required him to remain in the country .
White is among tens of thousands of prisoners granted medical furloughs by Iran , which was one of the first countries to be hit hard by the spreading coronavirus .
White ’ s mother has told The Associated Press that she was especially concerned about her son ’ s health because of his battles with cancer , and former New Mexico Gov .
Bill Richardson called on Iran to grant him an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have repeatedly said they consider the release of American hostages and detainees to be a high priority .
In December , Iran released a Princeton University scholar held for three years on widely disputed espionage charges in exchange for the release of a detained Iranian scientist .
In March , the family of former FBI agent Robert Levinson , who vanished in Iran 13 years ago , said they had been informed by U.S. officials that they had determined that Levinson was probably dead .
Officials have not said how they reached that @ @

Matthew Lee And Eric Tucker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Ex-principal accused of killing wife died of heart attack

FOLLY BEACH , S.C. - A former South Carolina high school teacher who was accused of killing his wife died of a heart attack last week , nearly six months after being released from jail on bond , officials said .
Officials on Wednesday released the cause of death of James Stanton Yarborough , 65 , who died April 30 , The Post and Courier reported .
An incident report said Yarborough was found by a family friend who was acting as his caretaker .
The friend said Yarborough ’ s front door was open but that was often the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go through the house , ” the report said .
No signs of foul play were found , police said .
Yarborough called police last September to report his wife , Karen Simmons Yarborough , 63 , was missing .
He said he hadn ’ t seen her since the night before when she went on a walk .
While speaking with him , police spotted a red stain on Yarborough ’ s shirt and a bullet without a shell casing on the floor of the master bedroom , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on blood thinners and the stain was probably his own blood , and he had no idea why the bullet would be there because he didn ’ t have a gun .
Karen Yarborough ’ s body was later found in a wooded area in unincorporated Dorchester County .
James Yarborough was charged with murder , possession of a weapon during a violent crime and obstruction of justice .
He was released from jail on bond in November and placed on house arrest , news outlets reported .
Yarborough had been the principal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1998 .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Missouri to seek death penalty in Wisconsin brothers’ deaths

KINGSTON , Mo .
- The state of Missouri plans to seek the death penalty against a man charged with killing two brothers from Wisconsin , according to the man ’ s new attorney .
Garland Nelson is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and several other counts in the deaths of Nicholas and Justin Diemel , of Shawano County , Wisconsin .
Nelson pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment Monday , according to online court records .
Patrick Berrigan , a public defender who handles only death penalty cases , told the St. Joseph News-Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death penalty .
A new judge , Circuit Court Judge Kevin Walden , was assigned to the case after Monday ’ s hearing .
Nelson ’ s previous attorney had sought a new judge and a change of venue for the trial .
It was not clear Wednesday if the change of venue was granted .
The brothers ’ father reported them missing July 21 after they didn ’ t return from a visit to Nelson ’ s northwest Missouri home , where they had gone to collect a $ 250,000 debt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a probable cause statement , Nelson shot the brothers , put their bodies in 55-gallon barrels and allegedly burned the bodies .
Nelson told investigators he dumped the remains on a manure pile and hid the barrels on his property , about 70 miles ( 110 kilometres ) northeast of Kansas City , Missouri .
The remains were eventually found in Missouri and Nebraska .


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Maduro airs video of American detained in Venezuela plot

BOGOTA - Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro touted a video showing a scruffy-looking American divulging details about a failed invasion as proof Wednesday that U.S. authorities backed an alleged attempt to forcibly remove him from power .
Maduro aired a video of Luke Denman on state television in which the 34-year-old Texas native claims he signed a contract with a Florida-based company to train rebel troops and carry out the assault in exchange for up to $ 100,000 .
“ I was helping Venezuelans take back control of their country , ” he said .
Denman and Airan Berry , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iraq , were detained Monday following what authorities described as a botched beach landing in the fishing village of Chuao .
Both men are associated with Silvercorp USA , a private firm founded by Jordan Goudreau , an ex-Green Beret claiming responsibility for the alleged incursion .
President Donald Trump has said the United States had nothing to do with the purported attack and Goudreau is under federal investigation for arms trafficking , according to current and former U.S. law enforcement officials .
Nonetheless , the Venezuelan leader insists his U.S. adversary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him out .
“ There ’ s the proof , ” he said , pointing to the video , in which Denman indicates that Trump was behind Silvercorp ’ s incursion .
“ And there will be more.
” Nonetheless , opposition critics and observers said the testimony should be taken with a grain of salt , noting that Venezuelan authorities have a record of forcing statements .
Though Denman did not appear under duress , one expert noted that he made an unusual and exaggerated gesture with his eyes in what may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching .
“ Special operation soldiers are trained to find creative ways to discredit any propaganda videos they are forced to make if captured by the enemy , ” said Ephraim Mattos , a Navy SEAL who had visited the rebel training camps in Colombia but was not involved in the operation .
He said that the odd eye movement immediately after saying Trump was Goudreau ’ s boss is “ a clear sign from Luke that he is being forced.
” The confusing events have sparked new tensions between Venezuela and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally of opposition leader Juan Guaidó , the lawmaker recognized by nearly 60 nations as the country ’ s legitimate president .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated Trump ’ s claims Wednesday from a day earlier that there was no direct U.S. involvement .
“ If we ’ d have been involved , it would have gone differently , ” he chided .
A senior Trump administration official reiterated Pompeo ’ s stance and said the U.S. government is intensely monitoring for any potential threats to the safety and security of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , contacted the State Department multiple times Monday seeking any information about possible contacts with Goudreau or knowledge of his activities .
In the video aired Wednesday , Denman said Goudreau tasked him with training troops , and then staging an attack to “ secure ” Caracas and the airport .
He said he arrived in Colombia in mid-January , driving to the border with two others to instruct about 60 people .
“ I believed it was helping their cause , ” he said , dressed in a gray T-shirt and sporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denman ’ s family released a statement describing him as a decorated soldier who took up civilian jobs at a tree farm and a hotel since leaving the military in 2014 .
More recently , he ’ d begun working as a deep-sea diver .
“ The first indication we had of anything different is the images coming out of Venezuela , ” said Mark Denman , his older brother .
“ Our only concern only concern at this time is getting Luke home safely.
” Maduro accused Guaidó Wednesday of being behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement with Goudreau that allegedly bears his signature as evidence .
Goudreau has said he was hired by Guaidó and is backing his claim with an eight-page agreement .
In a televised interview with “ Factores de Poder , ” a Miami outlet popular with Venezuelan exiles , he contends he never got a “ single cent ” for his work but continued to prepare men for battle .
JJ Rendon , a Miami-based adviser to Guaidó , said he gave Goudreau $ 50,000 as requested to cover some expenses .
Maduro deferred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grounds for arresting Guaidó , saying prosecutors would need to conduct an investigation .
As for the captured Americans , he said they are , “ convicted and confessed.
” Associated Press writer Christine Armario reported this story in Bogota and AP writer Joshua Goodman reported from Miami .

Christine Armario And Joshua Goodman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-06--Former Iraqi intelligence chief approved as new premier

BAGHDAD - Iraq ’ s former spy chief was sworn in as prime minister by lawmakers early Thursday after weeks of tense political negotiations as the country faces a severe economic crisis spurred by plummeting oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic .
The majority of 255 legislators attending the session approved the government plan and the majority of Cabinet ministers proposed by Mustafa al-Kadhimi , officially inaugurating him as Iraq ’ s sixth premier since 2003 and ending five months of a leadership void .
Legislators accepted 15 ministers and rejected five , among them the ministries of trade , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The ministries of oil and foreign affairs also remain vacant pending further political negotiations .
According to Iraq ’ s constitution , a government can pass if over half of a proposed Cabinet is approved .
Al-Kadhimi , who gave up the intelligence post when he became the prime minister-designate , assumes the premiership as Iraq faces unprecedented crises amid falling oil revenues that will likely prompt unpopular austerity measures , a rising daily tally of coronavirus cases , and expected U.S.-Iraq talks .
“ This government came as a response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country is facing , ” al-Kadhimi said during the session , addressing lawmakers .
“ It is a government that will provide solutions , not add to the crises.
” The road to the premiership has been long and unwieldy for al-Kadhimi .
He was the third candidate chosen by Iraq ’ s fragmented political blocs after the previous two failed to get broad support .
His success is a testament to lessons learned from where others had failed .
Former Communications Minister Mohammed Allawi resigned , citing obstruction from political parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cabinet .
Former Najaf Gov .
Adnan al-Zurfi resigned amid political infighting .
Al-Kadhimi ’ s swearing-in also signifies how crucial the sectarian quota-based political system — called the Muhasassa in Arabic — remains in Iraqi politics .
The dismantling of this system was a key demand of mass anti-government protests that broke out in October .
Demonstrations died down as measures to contain the coronavirus took hold in the capital early this year .
Al-Kadhimi had to change his list of proposed ministers at least three times in the past week to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Deals were still being struck over the naming of ministers between political parties minutes before the bell rang to signal the start of the parliament session .
Officials close to al-Kadhimi said he has strategized to leave ministerial appointments up to political blocs but plans to consolidate his leadership within the prime minister ’ s office to carry out reforms , similar to former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi .
“ If everyone cares about ministries , ( al-Kadhimi ) is trying to take back the PMO and run reforms centrally , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Chatham House .
His government plans to address Iraq ’ s economic and health crises and pave the way for early elections in line with protest demands .
To do this , he said , the sovereignty of the state must be asserted .
“ This can be achieved by limiting the use of arms to the state , the armed forces and the commander in chief and not allowing Iraqi territories to be used for settling scores or launching attacks , ” he said .
His first weeks in office are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic crisis in the wake of falling oil prices .
Prices have hovered between $ 20-30 per barrel , about half of what was projected to finance the 2020 budget and barely enough for the crude-dependent country to pay public sector wages .
Oil sales make up nearly 90 % of state revenues .
In April the country made just $ 1.43 billion in oil sales , and is expected to be further constrained as OPEC production cuts take hold .
The World Bank has predicted without adequate reforms , Iraq ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % this year .
The vacuum in leadership has left the country without an approved budget law , which in turn has limited its ability to borrow from foreign agencies .
Al-Kadhimi ’ s first order of business will likely be passing a budget .
Officials in Abdul-Mahdi ’ s caretaker government had mulled over an array of cuts to scale down social benefits to public sector employees .
But it remains to be seen if al-Kadhimi will adopt these proposals , which would cut urgent spending by 30 % .
Al-Kadhimi will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take place with the U.S. in June .
Relations suffered after a Washington-directed strike killed top Iranian general Qassim Soleimani in January .
The talks will cover , among other things , the presence of the U.S.-led coalition .
The issuance of the latest U.S. sanctions waiver for 30 days enabling Iraq to continue purchasing vital Iranian gas to meet energy needs was also linked to a new government being formed .
The current waiver runs out May 26 .
According to a statement from the State Department late last month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this brief extension of the waiver to allow time for the formation of a credible government .
”

Qassim Abdul-Zahra And Samya Kullab - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Hundreds evacuated as wildfires rage in Florida Panhandle

PENSACOLA , Fla. - Firefighters in the Florida Panhandle battled wildfires through the night that have forced hundreds of people to evacuate from their homes , authorities said .
A more than 575-acre fire in Walton County prompted about 500 people to evacuate .
Authorities there said multiple structures were lost in the fire , which was 65 % contained Thursday morning .
Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said during a late-night news conference that those who were asked to leave their home but had no place to go were sent to South Walton High School .
Another wildfire broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County as high winds and low humidity caused the blaze to expand 10 times in size , the Florida Forest Service said in a statement .
The fire started as a prescribed burn but quickly grew out of control , according to The Tampa Bay Times .
The Forest Service said multiple structures have been lost in the 2,000-acre fire in the Santa Rosa County and authorities are recommending residents south of Interstate 10 to evacuate .
The agency did not make clear how many people have been evacuated from the area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fire has been contained , authorities said .
The evacuation order will remain in effect until noon Thursday and then will be reevaluated at that time , the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a statement .
“ This is an extremely dangerous and fast-moving wildfire situation that is evolving rapidly , so everyone in the affected area should follow directions from state and local officials , ” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried .
Almost all of Florida has had less-than-usual rainfall this year .
National Weather Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dryness helped fuel the fires Wednesday .
Cullen , who is based in Mobile , Alabama , said the wind is the real culprit .
“ What made this ( fire ) today was the wind , to go along with the dry conditions and low humidity , ” Cullen said of the fire near Pensacola .
There have been no reports of injuries or deaths .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Suspect caught after 3 dead in string of Houston shootings

HOUSTON - A man suspected of fatally shooting three men during the span of less than an hour at separate locations in Houston was captured early Thursday following a short chase , police said .
Joshua Kelsey , 35 , was taken into custody about 4 a.m. and was driving a car that was stolen from the scene of the first slaying Wednesday night , Houston police said in a post on Twitter .
The shootings appear to be drug-related , Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner said .
Kelsey was described by police as a suspect in the slayings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early Thursday .
“ Kelsey is now being questioned by homicide detectives , ” the post said .
The first shooting happened about 8:15 p.m. and left one man dead and another person injured , Finner said .
The gunman then forced his way into a home and fatally shot a 60-year-old man , Finner said .
The gunman then drove to another house about 9 p.m. and fatally shot a man , police said .
Names of the dead and additional details about the circumstances of the shootings weren ’ t immediately @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Suspect claims Norway mosque attack was ‘emergency justice’

COPENHAGEN - A Norwegian man suspected of killing his ethnic Chinese stepsister and then storming an Oslo mosque and opening fire said Thursday on the first day of his trial that it was an act of “ emergency justice “ and that he regretted not having caused more damage .
Philip Manshaus appeared at a court west of Norway ’ s capital and denied charges of murder and terror read to him by a prosecutor , the Norwegian news agency NTB said .
Manshaus has acknowledged the facts but denies the accusation , saying he opposes non-Western immigration .
Broadcaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed the white race “ will end up as a minority in their own home countries ” and criticized those who “ blackmail national socialism.
” In court , Manshaus , 22 , described how he killed his 17-year-old stepsister , Johanne Zhangjia Ihle-Hansen , by shooting her four times — three in the head and one in the chest — with a hunting rifle at their home in the Oslo suburb of Baerum .
Ihle-Hansen was adopted from China as a 2-year old .
Shortly after that , Manshaus said he drove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were preparing for Eid al-Adha celebrations .
He wore a helmet with a video camera attached and a bulletproof vest , Manshaus was armed with a hunting rifle and a shotgun and fired four shots with the rifle at a glass door before he was overpowered by one of the men in the mosque at the time , Muhammad Rafiq .
During the scuffle , two more shots were fired but no one was hit .
Rafiq was slightly injured in the struggle .
In his testimony , Manshaus said he wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could to carry out the attack , ” he told court , adding he was exhausted when police arrived .
The prosecution says Manshaus acted “ with the intention to kill as many Muslims as possible , ” Some 30 witnesses , including the men at the mosque and Manshaus ’ father , are expected to give evidence .
If found guilty , Manshaus could face up to 21 years in prison .
The prosecutor has said it would consider a sentence where he would be sent to a secure mental facility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a danger to others .
Norwegian media have reported that Manshaus was inspired by shootings in March 2019 in New Zealand , where a gunman targeted two mosques , killing 51 people , and in August 2019 in El Paso , Texas , where an assailant targeted Hispanics and left at least 22 dead .
Manshaus ’ plans and his reference to national socialism also recall those of Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik , who in 2011 killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage .
Breivik , who gave a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is serving a 21-year prison sentence for carrying out a terror attack .
Norway ’ s domestic security agency PST said it had a “ vague ” tip about Manshaus a year before the shooting , but it was not enough to act on because they had no information about any “ concrete plans ” of attack .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Inquiry: Pell knew of abuse by Australian pedophile priest

CANBERRA , Australia - Australian Cardinal George Pell knew that a notorious pedophile priest had been sexually abusing children years before his arrest and had been aware of the Catholic Church ’ s clergy abuse problem since the early 1970s , a government inquiry concluded .
A report from the inquiry on child sexual abuse had been released in 2017 , but findings concerning Pell — who was formerly Pope Francis ’ finance minister and at one time the third-highest ranking cleric in the Vatican — had been redacted until Thursday to avoid prejudicing juries in any future prosecutions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ report after the High Court last month overturned convictions against Pell on charges he molested two choirboys in a Melbourne cathedral in the late 1990s when he was an archbishop .
The 78-year-old cleric spent 13 months in prison before being released last month .
The findings undermine Pell ’ s criticisms of what he described as the church ’ s inadequate response to the global abuse crisis and concealing its extent .
Pell , who now lives in a Sydney seminary , said in a statement that he was “ surprised by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiry about his actions .
“ These views are not supported by evidence , ” Pell said .
The inquiry rejected Pell ’ s evidence given by video link from Rome in 2016 that he was deceived and lied to by church officials about Australia ’ s worst pedophile priest , Gerald Ridsdale , and disturbed Melbourne parish priest Peter Searson .
Ridsdale is in prison on convictions for sexually abusing boys over three decades .
The 85-year-old pleaded guilty last week to sexually abusing four boys aged 7 to 16 in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known victims to 69 .
He has been behind bars since 1994 and will become eligible for parole on a 34-year sentence in April 2022 .
His lawyers have urged a judge not to increase Ridsdale ’ s non-parole period when he is sentenced on the latest convictions next week .
Searson died in 2009 without being charged over allegations that he had also molested children in several parishes over a decade .
Pell told the inquiry that he did not become aware that Ridsdale was a pedophile until 1993 when he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s evidence that Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns had not explained that Ridsdale had been removed from the Mortlake parish in 1982 because he had sexually abused children there .
Pell was one of the bishop ’ s priest advisers at the time , known as consultors , who regularly met to discuss diocese matters .
“ Cardinal Pell ’ s evidence that ‘ pedophilia was not mentioned ’ and that the ‘ true ’ reason was not given is not accepted , ” the report said .
Pell said in his statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inquiry that they had been aware of Ridsdale ’ s offending in 1982 .
The inquiry also found that Pell had “ turned his mind to the prudence ” of Ridsdale taking boys camping in 1973 , because “ if priests were one-on-one with a child , then they could sexually abuse a child , or at least provoke gossip about such a prospect.
” “ We are also satisfied that by 1973 Cardinal Pell was not only conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy , but that he also had considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gossip about it , ” the three authors of the report wrote .
Pell was a Melbourne auxiliary bishop when he met with a staff delegation from a Catholic primary school to discuss complaints about Searson , whom the inquiry described as an “ unstable and disturbed individual.
” Complaints included that Searson harassed staff and parents , killed and tortured animals in front of children , threatened children with a pistol and a knife , showed children a body in a coffin and used the children ’ s toilets .
The inquiry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frank Little to remove Searson .
Pell responded in his statement that the school delegation “ did not mention sexual assaults and did not ask for Season ’ s removal.
” Pell said that after he replaced Little as Melbourne archbishop in 1996 , he placed Searson on leave and later removed him from the parish where the complaints arose .
Clare Leaney , chief executive of Good Faith Foundation , a charity focused on helping abuse victims recover , said Pell knew about offending in the church since 1973 and failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings confirm what survivors and advocates already knew to be true — there has been a systematic failure of leadership within the Catholic Church for decades , ” Leaney said .
Timothy Green , who testified at the inquiry that as a boy of 12 or 13 he told Pell in Ballarat in 1974 that Christian Brother Edward Dowlan was “ touching little boys , ” welcomed the findings , his lawyer Vivian Waller said .
Green told the inquiry that Pell had replied : “ Don ’ t be ridiculous , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deny Green ’ s account .
Green , who is suing the Christian Brothers order over abuses Dowlan committed , regrets not doing more to expose the crimes at the time , Waller said .
“ It is utterly heartbreaking that his complaint was not acted upon , ” Waller said .
“ His worry that he has not done enough for others is equally heartbreaking.
” Dowlan was convicted in 2015 of 16 counts of indecent assault against 11 boys , including Green , at four Christian Brothers ’ schools .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months in prison .
Waller said Green had given permission for his name to be published , despite being a sexual assault victim .
Pell was one of a number of senior Australian church officials criticized by the inquiry over their handling of abuse complaints or allegations against numerous priests and Christian Brothers in Melbourne and Ballarat .
The failures were led by Little and Mulkearns , whom the inquiry found prioritized protecting the church ’ s reputation over the welfare of children .
Both are now dead .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--South Africa parliament video call hacked with pornography

JOHANNESBURG - A virtual meeting of South African lawmakers has been disrupted by hackers who flooded the video call with @ @ @ @ @ the incident on Thursday , the hackers also hurled racial and sexual insults at the @ @ @ @ @ Thandi Modise , who is the speaker of the National Assembly .
South Africa ’ @ @ @ @ @ all its meetings are currently held by video conference calls as the country remains under @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the coronavirus .
A shocked Modise said that she had earlier warned @ @ @ @ @ platform Zoom for the meeting .
The parliamentary meeting later continued with a different link @ @ @ @ @ South African parliament video call has been similarly hacked .
Zoom has been facing criticism @ @ @ @ @ reports of hackers who who disrupt meetings by posting offensive content .
Zomb-bombing , or @ @ @ @ @ , has been frequent in recent weeks as new users join the platform amid the @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 and the cancellations of public meetings and events .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--US jobless claims set to surge again before April jobs data

WASHINGTON - The government is set Thursday to release another dire picture of the layoffs that have pummeled America ’ @ @ @ @ @ before it will issue what is sure to be the worst monthly jobs report since @ @ @ @ @ .
The Labor Department will likely announce that several million more people filed for unemployment @ @ @ @ @ more than 30 million sought aid in the previous six weeks after the coronavirus forced @ @ @ @ @ close .
Most nonessential businesses remain shut down , though a majority of states are @ @ @ @ @ some categories of companies despite concerns that it may be too soon to do so @ @ @ @ @ For the April jobs report coming Friday , economists are forecasting at least 21 million @ @ @ @ @ rate of 16 per cent or more — the highest rate since the Great Depression @ @ @ @

Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--US to grant Iraq gas waiver in show of support for new PM

BAGHDAD - The U.S. plans to grant Iraq a 120-day sanctions waiver enabling the country to import Iranian gas and electricity to meet its power needs , the State Department said , hours after a new prime minister was sworn in early Thursday .
The exemption would be the longest period of time in months granted to Iraq to prove it is making progress in becoming less reliant on Iranian imports , a key condition of receiving the waiver .
The waiver would indicate a show of support after the inauguration of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his Cabinet appointments early Thursday .
Strategic talks between Washington and Baghdad are expected next month and will run the gamut of U.S.-Iraq relations , from military to economic support , according to Iraqi and U.S. officials .
Key questions including the nature of U.S. troop presence are expected to be discussed .
Al-Kadhimi ’ s new program includes a vow to hold early elections , address Iraq ’ s severe health and economic woes amid falling oil prices , and bring arms under the control of the state .
All are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved 15 appointees out of a Cabinet of 22 , allowing al-Kadhimi to form a government under Iraqi constitutional guidelines .
Other ministry portfolios will be subject to further negotiation with parliamentary political blocs .
Shortly after he was officially named premier , al-Kadhimi spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , according to a statement from the U.S. State Department .
“ In support of the new government the United States will move forward with a 120-day electricity waiver as a display of our desire to help provide the right conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ortagus according to the statement .
Recent waivers gave Iraq just 30 days to make headway in developing domestic gas supply or else find alternative sources to meet energy needs .
They were a sign of growing impatience from Washington as Iraqi elites jockeyed over al-Kadhimi ’ s proposed Cabinet lineup .
Iraq needs Iranian gas and electricity imports to meet up to 30 % of domestic power needs .
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said talks next month would “ reaffirm ” ties with Iraq .
“ The new government must now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much needed reforms and addressing the needs of the Iraqi people .
Our upcoming Strategic Dialogue with the government of Iraq aims to reaffirm the value of the U.S.-Iraqi partnership for both of our countries , ” the embassy said in a statement .
U.S.-Iraq ties suffered under the administration of former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi .
The tense relationship was exacerbated by a Washington-directed airstrike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani outside Baghdad airport .
Abdul-Mahdi staunchly supported ejecting U.S. troops from Iraq following the killing , which strained ties with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from several Iraqi bases across the country in line with a planned drawdown conceived in December .
Troops have consolidated in Baghdad and the sprawling Ain al-Asad base in Anbar province .


thetorontostar--2020-05-07--Democrats make case for role of government in virus response

WASHINGTON - When he stood before Congress in 1996 and declared “ the era of big government is over , ” President Bill Clinton gave voice to a doctrine that permeated Democratic politics for more than two decades .
Government , while necessary , shouldn ’ t be celebrated if the party wanted to win elections .
The coronavirus is changing that .
Democrats are enthusiastically embracing the idea of a robust role for government in American life , abandoning concerns they might alienate the relatively narrow slice of independent voters .
Instead , they argue , the pandemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government can play a positive role in responding to a global health crisis and economic slowdown .
Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , has gone from backing a balanced budget a quarter-century ago to supporting trillions of dollars in emergency spending .
He and other Democrats have proposed a new public health corps and a national infrastructure plan reminiscent of New Deal programs .
Biden has also urged President Donald Trump to use war powers to direct how banks disperse federal small-business loans .
Democratic calls for further government intervention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers are released that could rival those reported during the Great Depression .
“ The American people need their government , ” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said recently .
“ They need their government to act strongly , boldly and wisely.
” Biden , limited to virtual campaign events because of the coronavirus threat , has hammered Trump repeatedly for deflecting pandemic responsibilities to the states and private sector .
In one notable attack , Biden paraphrased a letter from President Abraham Lincoln to a laggard Union general during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want to use the army , may I borrow it ?
” The dynamics set up key contrasts for voters going into the November election .
Many Republicans , notably Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky , are starting to resist Democratic calls for additional aid .
The GOP is especially split on how much help to give struggling state and city governments .
Trump , meanwhile , remains difficult to frame in clean ideological lines : He signed the $ 2 trillion-plus coronavirus aid bill and supports an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s threatened to veto anything that helps the U.S .
Postal Service , continues to shift the onus to the states and has made clear that he will cast Biden and all Democrats as “ socialists , ” regardless of anyone ’ s actual record or proposals .
Of course , Democrats still have their own philosophical tussle .
Biden , Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi draw fire for not going as far left as the progressives would prefer .
Even before the coronavirus struck , Biden noted his policy slate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee , including Hillary Clinton in 2016 and President Barack Obama , who plucked Biden from the Senate to serve as vice-president .
Pelosi , D-Calif. , had panned Republicans before because they “ do not believe in government.
” Yet Biden and Pelosi have held their ground against progressives ’ demands for single-payer health insurance , complete student-debt forgiveness and the most sweeping climate policies .
Democratic congressional leadership also hasn ’ t endorsed calls for $ 2,000 monthly checks for all Americans for the duration of any pandemic recession .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government than we need , ” Pelosi said amid congressional negotiations .
“ But we know that governance has evolved.
” Biden ’ s tack is clear in recent online conversations with party luminaries .
Appearing split-screen with former presidential rival Sen. Bernie Sanders , a Vermont independent , Biden hailed the scale of the Depression-era New Deal as a road map .
Talking with Hillary Clinton , Biden recalled how they ’ d have detailed public policy discussions when she was secretary of state and he was vice-president .
Obama himself summed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distinction is about more than budget numbers .
“ This crisis has reminded us that government matters , that good government matters , ” he said in his endorsement video of Biden .
The question is how voters interpret that , and the electorate has proved fickle and inconsistent .
Polling generally found much broader support for the aid that Trump signed into law last March than for the recovery spending Obama signed into law following the 2008 financial collapse .
The difference , however , comes mostly in Republicans joining Democrats in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican president and adopted by a Republican-run Senate — was the right course .
By comparison , when Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the presidency in 2009 , a majority of Republican voters found that spending to be a bad idea .
That conservative angst fueled the tea party wave that handed the House to Republicans for the rest of Obama ’ s presidency and then the Senate for his final two years .
But those same voters have embraced Trump even as GOP tax cuts and spending pushed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and that was before pandemic spending .
Both parties are working to shape the debate on the ground ahead of November .
Former Rep. Steve Israel , who once led House Democrats ’ campaign arm , said the “ key ” phrase of the fall campaign will be “ competent government.
” And Democratic incumbents already are working to define GOP opposition to massive aid to states and cities as effectively ensuring layoffs of police officers , firefighters , teachers and public health workers .
House GOP campaign chairman Tom Emmer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to form and then some .
Nodding at a tenuous bipartisan consensus , Emmer said voters want help navigating “ a storm they have no responsibility for.
” But Democrats ’ agenda , he insisted , “ is something other than big government .
It ’ s socialism.
” During a recent virtual event with Biden , Hillary Clinton looked to Republican governors as unlikely evidence that her party is right , alluding to executives “ of both parties ” garnering higher job approval ratings in recent weeks than Trump .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think some people may have forgotten that it really does matter who your mayor is , who your governor and , yes , who your president is , ” Clinton said , praising governors for making “ tough decisions ” and playing active roles .
“ That kind of leadership , ” she said , “ may be back in vogue.
” ___ Barrow reported from Atlanta .

Bill Barrow And Alan Fram - The Associated Press