thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Dutch king apologizes for colonial killings in Indonesia

BOGOR , Indonesia - King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands apologized Tuesday for his country ’ s aggression during its colonial rule of Indonesia and formally recognized the Southeast Asian country ’ s independence date , in his first state visit to the former Dutch colony .
The king ’ s apology was conveyed after he and Queen Maxima were hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife , Iriana , at an official ceremony in the ornate colonial-style presidential palace in Bogor , just outside the capital , Jakarta .
The Netherlands did not initially apologize for its 350 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 , when the Dutch ambassador expressed remorse for a series of massacres carried out by the Dutch military to crush resistance against colonial rule in Java and Sulawesi islands after Indonesia ’ s 1945 declaration of independence .
That apology came only after the victims ’ widows took the Dutch government to court .
“ In line with the previous statement by my government , I would like to express my regret and apologize here for the excessive violence on the part of the Dutch in those years , ” the king @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Widodo .
“ I do so with full awareness that the pain and sorrow of the affected families will be felt for generations.
” Indonesia declared its independence from Dutch colonial rule on Aug. 17 , 1945 , but the Netherlands refused to acknowledge it and fought unsuccessfully to maintain control of the lucrative Asian outpost .
It finally recognized the country as an independent nation in December 1949 .
Indonesian authorities claim some 40,000 people were killed during the fighting , while most Dutch historians estimate the dead at about 1,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent excesses ” in Indonesia but argued that Dutch troops were conducting a “ police action ” often incited by guerrilla warfare and terror attacks .
The Dutch government has never prosecuted any soldiers for the killings despite a U.N. report condemning the attacks as “ deliberate and ruthless ” as early as 1948 .
The 2013 apology by the Dutch ambassador cleared the way for the biggest-ever Dutch trade mission to Indonesia in November 2013 , led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte .
Subsequent apologies were made by Dutch Foreign Minister Bert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year during visits in Indonesia .
But unresolved demands from those affected by past war crimes still loom large over the monarch ’ s current visit .
“ On Aug. 17 , it will be 75 years since Indonesia declared its proclamation , claiming its place among free and independent countries , ” the king said Tuesday .
“ Today , the Dutch government explicitly acknowledged it both politically and morally.
” The four-day state visit by the royal couple , who arrived in Jakarta on Monday , aims to deepen economic ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first trip to Indonesia for the king since he ascended the throne in 2013 , and the fourth for the queen , whose previous trips were part of her role as U.N. Secretary-General ’ s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development .
The king and queen started their busy day Tuesday by laying a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery to honour Indonesia ’ s war dead , especially those who fell during the War of Independence .
In the afternoon , the royal couple laid a wreath at Menteng Pulo Cemetery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dutch soldiers who died during World War II and the independence war .
The king and Widodo witnessed the signing of agreements for economic partnership in the areas of agriculture , health care , coastal protection and the maritime industry .
Under the Widodo administration , ties between the two countries have strengthened significantly .
“ We certainly can not erase our history , but we can learn from the past , ” Widodo said .
“ We try to learn from history to strengthen our commitment to build an equal relationship that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s visit to the Netherlands in 2016 was the first by an Indonesian leader since Abdurraham Wahid in 2000 .
In 2010 , then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono cancelled a visit at the last minute amid moves by a separatist group to have him arrested for alleged human rights violations .
The Dutch royal couple is scheduled to meet the Sultan of Yogyakarta on Wednesday .
On Thursday , the king and queen will visit Lake Toba in North Sumatra province , one of Indonesia ’ s “ 10 new Balis , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diversify Southeast Asia ’ s largest economy .
They will also visit Sebangau National Park on Borneo island on Thursday .

Andi Jatmiko And Niniek Karmini - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--60 years later, ‘An Appeal for Human Rights’ still resonates

ATLANTA - Sixty years have passed since Roslyn Pope came home from Europe to a segregated South and channeled her frustrations into writing “ An Appeal for Human Rights.
” The document published on March 9 , 1960 , announced the formation of the Atlanta Student Movement , whose campaign of civil disobedience broke a suffocating stalemate over civil rights in Atlanta and hastened the end of racist Jim Crow laws and policies across the region .
After all this time , Pope is deeply concerned that their hard-won achievements are slipping away .
“ We have to be careful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can rest and think that all is well , “ Pope told The Associated Press in an interview last week .
The “ Appeal ” quickly became a civil rights manifesto after it appeared as a full-page advertisement in Atlanta ’ s newspapers .
It was denounced by Georgia ’ s segregationist Gov .
Ernest Vandiver but celebrated around the country , reprinted for free in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times and entered into the Congressional Record .
The idea was to explain why black students would defy their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupying whites-only spaces .
It decried the racist laws governing education , jobs , housing , voting , hospitals , theatres , restaurants , and law enforcement .
It called on “ all people of good will to assert themselves and abolish these injustices.
” “ Every normal human being wants to walk the earth with dignity and abhors any and all proscriptions placed upon him because of race or colour , ” it said .
“ We do not intend to wait placidly for those rights which are already legally and morally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one at a time.
” “ The time has come for the people of Atlanta and Georgia to take a good look at what is really happening in this country , and to stop believing those who tell us that everything is fine and equal , and that the Negro is happy and satisfied , ” it said .
The students meant what they said , persuading Atlanta ’ s black families to boycott segregated stores and theatres and repeatedly seek service in places where the colour of their skin meant they weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luther King Jr. , they committed countless acts of nonviolent protest and were arrested by the hundreds throughout that spring and summer .
Pope ’ s role as the writer of the Atlanta Student Movement ’ s “ Appeal ” is well-documented .
Less well known is how she came to write it as a 21-year-old student body president at Spelman College .
Born and raised in Atlanta , Pope said she did not know how it felt to be free until she was 20 , when she spent a year abroad in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were no boundaries — no places I couldn ’ t go , no programs I couldn ’ t take advantage of , no limits to my existence .
I could eat where I wanted — I couldn ’ t do that in Atlanta , “ she said .
” I felt like the shackles had been taken off me.
” Returning to life under Jim Crow felt suffocating , she said : “ I was so miserable .
I just didn ’ t know how I was going to stand it.
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Julian Bond , who would later become a Georgia state senator , when his Morehouse College classmate Lonnie King approached , waving a newspaper article about a drugstore sit-in by four North Carolina A & T students the day before .
“ It just clicked : ‘ Why aren ’ t we doing that ?
’ we said to each other .
And before the day was over , we decided to start a movement .
We would no longer bear the mantle of inferiority , ” Pope recalled .
Led by Lonnie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but no relation to its famous pastors , they began mobilizing among the 4,000 students at Atlanta ’ s six black institutions of higher learning .
When their college presidents realized they couldn ’ t stop them , they asked the students to explain their motives in a public document .
Pope was named to the writing committee , but couldn ’ t persuade the young men to sit down and do the job .
“ Roslyn was unable to corral us to work , ” Charles Black , a Morehouse student who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a Black History Month event last month in Decatur , Georgia .
“ So Lonnie tells her , ‘ write the damn thing.
’ ” Pope wrote it herself , longhand , pulling an all-nighter with Bond in the house of her professor , historian Howard Zinn , who had a typewriter .
“ We didn ’ t have a lot of time , ” Pope said .
“ Julian was typing it while I was handing him the pages.
” “ Of course , it sent shock waves through the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became kind of a road map for our movement to take on all these things , ” Black said .
Their campaign of boycotts and sit-ins , eventually including Martin Luther King Jr. , forced white leaders to negotiate with the black students to desegregate stores , theatres , schools and other institutions .
Pope went on to teach religion , music and English literature to generations of college students in New York , Pennsylvania and Texas while raising two daughters .
The “ Appeal ” has followed her all along , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as relevant now as when I wrote it.
” Racism , Pope said , “ is such obvious evil .
And it seems to me that people don ’ t try to hide it so much anymore.
” “ I just had a lovely great-granddaughter born in September , and I just hope things will be better for her , ” she said .
“ Maybe we ’ ll have different leadership and people ’ s lives will have been changed .
But I ’ m not terribly optimistic.
” Michael Warren is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Desk and a contributor to the Race and Ethnicity team .

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thetorontostar--2020-03-10--‘Odd’ quirk raises delegate stakes in Tuesday’s elections

WASHINGTON - A quirk in how delegates are won under Democratic Party rules is raising the stakes for Tuesday ’ s elections , allowing a candidate to make up ground in the race quickly — or fall further behind .
Five states — Michigan , Washington , Missouri , Mississippi and Idaho — hold Democratic primaries on Tuesday , while North Dakota has a caucus .
All told , there are 352 delegates up for grabs .
A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to win the Democratic presidential nomination .
That makes for only the fourth-largest delegate night on the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how delegates are won under Democrats ’ rules makes it possible for a candidate to reap a bigger haul of delegates with a smaller margin of victory on this Tuesday than on any other night .
For Bernie Sanders , it ’ s an opportunity to catch up to Joe Biden , who enters the day ahead by 96 delegates .
For Biden , it ’ s a chance to open up what could become an insurmountable lead .
How this happens may seem complicated , but it ’ s nothing more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” quirk of how delegates are won under party rules .
Most delegates awarded Tuesday — 65 % — will be won based on how the candidates perform in individual congressional districts .
Think of each district as holding a bucket of delegates .
There are also two buckets of delegates in each state awarded based on the overall statewide vote .
On Tuesday , that makes for 51 buckets of delegates across the six states .
A candidate needs to win at least 15 % of the overall vote in a bucket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to qualify to win delegates .
( That 15 % threshold means it ’ s all but assured that only Biden and Sanders win any delegates from this point forward . )
First , the math .
Party rules say each viable candidate wins a proportion of the delegates in each bucket based on his share of the votes cast for the viable candidates in that bucket .
Second , the quirk .
Buckets that have an odd number of delegates are impossible to split evenly , meaning either Sanders or Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the other .
Say , for example , there are seven delegates in a bucket , and Sanders gets 51 % and Biden gets 49 % of the viable votes .
In delegates , that ’ s 3.57 to 3.43 — a difference of just 0.14 delegates .
But thanks to rounding , Sanders gets four and Biden gets three .
Nearly two-thirds of the 352 delegates at stake on Tuesday are in buckets with an odd number of delegates — more than on any other night with more than one primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was Walter Mondale ’ s delegate hunter during his campaign for president in 1984 , said it ’ s “ odd ” how the odd-even districts work out , but it all adds up to whoever does best on Tuesday waking up Wednesday with “ a comfortable haul.
” But wait : It gets better — or worse , if you ’ re the candidate who ends up behind .
After the primaries on March 17 , most of the delegates to be won come from buckets with an even number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It means Biden or Sanders will need to win far more than 50 % of the vote in a bucket to win more delegates than his rival .
From a bucket holding six delegates , a candidate needs more than 58.3 % to win four delegates .
In a district with eight delegates , the leader needs 56.3 % to get five .
Put another way , a candidate could keep coming in second in the overall vote , but so long as he keeps the race relatively close , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of delegates in an “ even ” bucket as the candidate who finishes first .
And that means whoever does best on Tuesday , and next week when Arizona , Florida , Ohio and Illinois get their turn , could end up with a delegate lead that can ’ t be beat .
“ It ’ s just funny how the numbers just work out , ” Kamarck said Monday , and that means Tuesday night is “ a big deal.
” Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--AP Interview: Billionaire bids anxious farewell to Picasso

MONACO - Billionaire art collector David Nahmad can ’ t fully recall why he bought “ Nature Morte , ” a charmingly simple oil on canvas that Pablo Picasso painted in 1921 .
Given that Nahmad owns about 300 of the Spanish genius ’ works , his forgetfulness is perhaps understandable .
With such a princely trove — Nahmad says his Picasso collection is the world ’ s largest in private hands — details sometimes get lost .
“ We bought so many Picassos now , I don ’ t remember the specific reason , “ Nahmad said in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press in his luxury home in Monaco .
Not for much longer .
A very lucky someone , somewhere , will soon be joining Nahmad in the privileged club of Picasso owners , when “ Nature Morte ” is raffled off for charity this month .
Tickets , sold online , are 100 euros ( $ 113 ) each .
The winner of a similar raffle in 2013 was a 25-year-old fire sprinkler worker from Pennsylvania .
Nahmad , one of the art world ’ s most influential dealers , will receive 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ Nature Morte “ but says it is worth “ at least two , three times ” that .
“ This raffle would not have succeeded if the name was not Picasso .
I tried to propose other artists ’ names .
But it would not work , because they wanted a name that would appeal to everybody .
It has to be Picasso .
Picasso is the magic name , “ he told the AP .
Other paintings in Nahmad ’ s vast collection of modern and impressionist art are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the stockpile is said by Forbes to be worth $ 3 billion .
Nahmad himself won ’ t say .
“ I don ’ t think people care about the number of works , but about their quality , ” he said .
But Nahmad says the prospect of parting with “ Nature Morte ” has made him more appreciative of the small still life , which is signed “ Picasso “ and shows a newspaper and a glass of absinthe on a wood table .
The artist was a new father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first wife Olga Khokhlova and was months shy of his 40th birthday when he completed the painting in June 1921 .
“ I think this painting is extremely chic , “ Nahmad said .
“ And the fact that it is small , it makes it not pretentious .
A small jewel.
” The raffle draw is being held in Paris on March 30 .
Organizers Péri Cochin , a television producer , and Arabelle Reille , an art historian , aim to sell 200,000 tickets , raising millions to provide water for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They decided to pay Nahmad for the painting , rather than push for a free donation , because they hope to encourage other collectors or galleries to also part with Picasso works for future charity raffles .
“ David first said , ‘ I don ’ t think I have a painting for a million euros .
I have really beautiful paintings that are worth much more than that .
But you know what ?
Let ’ s go together to my book , my collection book , and we ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Reille recalled .
“ For a million euros , usually you can get a nice drawing , a water colour , a beautiful print .
But it ’ s extremely rare to find a painting , and we did find this one in the end , “ she said .
Nahmad , 72 , started dealing art with his brothers in the 1960s , paying as little as $ 5,000 for pieces by Picasso and building the hoard of works that made them into billionaires .
Nahmad ’ s sumptuous apartment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most sought-after addresses for the rich and famous , with spectacular Mediterranean vistas .
Sculptures by Alberto Giacometti grace the home and works by French cubist painter Fernand Léger and other artists decorate Nahmad ’ s walls .
He says his artworks are as dear to him as children and that parting with them is difficult .
He recalled early purchases of works by René Magritte , the Belgian surrealist , Irish-born painter Francis Bacon and others when they could still be bought cheaply .
Nahmad said his ambition “ before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his already fabulous collection , describing it as “ a living thing.
” “ You learn every day , ” he said .
“ A statement of a bank , it is so boring .
Each time you buy a painting , you want to know more.
” Nahmad believes that Picasso , who died in 1973 , would have liked the raffling of his work to the public .
“ Picasso was very generous .
He gave paintings to his driver , his tailor , ” Nahmad said .
“ He wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinds of people , not only by the super-rich.
” His hope for “ Nature Morte ” is that the winner will be someone who appreciates it .
If not , “ I will be very unhappy “ and “ would like to buy it back , ” Nahmad said .
“ There ’ s nothing worse than to own something without understanding that thing , ” he said .
“ It ’ s like people : If you don ’ t understand a person — whether it ’ s your wife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never like them .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Kentucky Real ID location opens in Morehead to serve region

MOREHEAD , Ky. - Kentucky has a new location where residents can apply for a Real ID driver ’ s license , the state said .
The Rowan County office opened Monday to residents statewide and is located at 126 Bradley Ave. in Morehead .
It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays , the Transportation Cabinet said in a news release .
The state already had Real ID offices in Frankfort and Madisonville that serve as regional application sites .
Offices in Paducah , Bowling Green and Somerset are intended to serve residents of their own counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually .
Real ID requirements go into effect Oct. 1 .
Real ID-compliant cards will be required for U.S. air travel and military base access .
Anyone who does not have a Real ID license can use a passport or military ID instead .
To apply for a Real ID license , applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a driver ’ s license , permit or identification card .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Australia’s High Court to hear Pell abuse appeal Wednesday

CANBERRA , Australia - The most senior Catholic to be convicted of child sex abuse will take his appeal to Australia ’ s highest court on Wednesday in potentially his last bid to clear his name .
Cardinal George Pell was sentenced a year ago to six years in prison for molesting two 13-year-old choirboys in Melbourne ’ s St. Patrick ’ s Cathedral while he was the city ’ s archbishop in the late 1990s .
He was convicted by the unanimous verdict of a Victoria state County Court jury in December 2018 after a jury in an earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Appeal rejected his appeal against his convictions in a 2-1 majority decision in August last year .
Pope Francis ’ 78-year-old former finance minister will argue before the High Court that the guilty verdicts were unreasonable and could not be supported by the whole of the evidence including more than 20 prosecution witnesses including priests , altar servers and former choirboys .
Prosecutors have told the judges in written submissions that it is not their role to determine whether it was open to the jury to find the offending proven beyond reasonable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether seven or five judges will hear the case that is set for two days .
The court will effectively hear Pell ’ s appeal in its entirety before they technically decide whether they will even hear his appeal .
They could decide he does not have permission to appeal , he has permission to appeal but the appeal is denied , or he has permission to appeal and the appeal is upheld .
The judges could also send Pell ’ s appeal back to the Victoria Court of Appeals to be reheard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been working as a gardener at a Melbourne prison .
But he was transferred in January after a drone illegally flew overhead in a suspected attempt to photograph the famous inmate , the Herald Sun newspaper reported .
He was moved to the maximum-security Barwon Prison near Geelong , southwest of Melbourne .
He won ’ t travel to Canberra for his appeal hearing .
It is not known when the judges will deliver their rulings .
One of Pell ’ s victims died of a heroin overdoses in 2014 without telling anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to police after attending his friend ’ s funeral .
Neither victim can be identified because the identities of sexual assault victims have to be kept secret under state law .
Lawyer Lisa Flynn represents the dead choirboy ’ s father , who blames Pell ’ s abuse for his son ’ s drug overdose .
The father can not be identified .
“ The enormity of the High Court hearing is not lost on our client , ” Flynn said in a statement .
“ He realizes that George Pell could well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicted of five charges of sexual abuse , including the sexual abuse of his young son who ended up dying of a drug overdose at just 30 years old , ” she said .
“ If the High Court allows George Pell to walk free from jail , our client says he will lose all faith in our legal system , ” she added .


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Spotty sick leave policies limit options for avoiding virus

LONDON - A barber in Beijing is supporting his wife and child by charging food and other expenses to a credit card while he waits for his employer ’ s shop to reopen .
A waiter at a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City , Missouri , washes his hands more often and hopes for the best .
A parcel delivery driver in Britain worries about getting sick from the people who sign for their packages .
While white collar workers trying to avoid contagion can work from home or call in sick if they experience symptoms of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the millions of waiters , delivery workers , cashiers , ride-hailing drivers , museum attendants and countless others who routinely come into contact with the public .
Their dilemma is compounded by spotty sick leave policies or inadequate health insurance coverage , which leave them vulnerable to the fast-spreading coronavirus that has already claimed thousands of lives and put them in a financially precarious position .
“ The recommendations on what people should be doing to protect themselves really gives a sharp indication of the divide between white collar and blue collar workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers rights attorney in Boston .
“ Our social safety net is just not equipped at this moment to deal with a crisis like this , and it will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable low wage workers.
” While tech companies like Facebook , Amazon and Microsoft have implemented work-from-home policies , only 29 % of U.S. workers have that option , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics .
That means retail workers like Mendy Hughes must fend for themselves .
The Walmart cashier in Malvern , Arkansas , serves hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what will happen to her income if she catches the virus or comes in contact with someone who ’ s had it and must self-quarantine for 14 days .
“ If I can ’ t go to work , I could try to take a leave but it will be unpaid , “ said Hughes , who earns $ 11.60 an hour .
“ I don ’ t know what I would be doing about taking care of my family.
” Hughes , a diabetic and mother of four , gets 48 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she fears it wouldn ’ t be nearly enough time to recover .
In the United States , about 27 % of private sector workers don ’ t have access to paid sick leave , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics .
Some countries , like Britain , are looking into helping out its non-permanent workers .
There is no federal sick leave policy in the U.S. , but 12 of the 50 states and Washington D.C. require employers to offer paid sick leave .
Some House and Senate Democrats have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow workers to accrue seven days of paid sick leave and to provide an additional 14 days in the event of any public health emergency , including the current coronavirus crisis .
President Donald Trump said he was seeking help for hourly-wage workers to ensure they ’ re “ not going to miss a paycheque , ” and he would outline the proposals Tuesday .
In Britain , parcel delivery driver Ed Cross worries about catching the virus from the machine he hands people who sign for their packages .
“ People have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold of my machine and you sort of make a joke of it trying to point it out , ” Cross , 53 , said .
“ But yeah , it ’ s what we face daily.
” “ We only have to go to the wrong house and we could catch it , as simple as that , ” said Cross , who on a recent day handed packages to 110 people on his route in Whitby , northern England .
The British government last week made it easier to collect statutory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help millions of non-permanent workers like Cross who aren ’ t eligible for it .
In a sign the industry is waking up to the problem , his parcel company , Hermes , announced a 1 million pound ( $ 1.3 million ) fund to help couriers who need to self-isolate .
Uber , meanwhile , said it would compensate drivers and couriers for up to 14 days if they get sick or have to be quarantined .
The viral outbreak has revealed gaping holes in health care coverage at a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most European countries and Canada have universal healthcare systems , but the U.S. relies on a patchwork of public and private insurance .
About 69 % of private industry workers in the U.S. have access to healthcare benefits , but that drops to 43 % of service workers .
U.S. employers with 50 or more employees are required to offer health insurance .
But the same protection isn ’ t provided to part-time workers or independent contractors .
Waiter Joey Ingham , who works at a barbecue restaurant in Kansas City , Missouri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he doesn ’ t have insurance .
His protection ?
Washing his hands more often .
“ If I wasn ’ t able to come into work , it would be hard to make ends meet , ” said Ingham , who waits on 80 to 120 people a shift .
If he felt sick , he ’ d “ probably talk to a manager ” about what to do , but noted management hasn ’ t yet outlined any policies .
Liss-Reardon said most gig workers — independent or temporary contractors — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance .
“ We won ’ t have a fully insured population until we get universal healthcare , ” he said .
“ There are going to be these huge gaps .
The burden is falling on the poorest and most vulnerable in our society .
This is just another example.
” The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends workers without insurance contact a local health department or community health centre for help .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends emergency room visits only for patients who are very sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right not to work and get full pay when they consider their workplaces to be dangerous , some service staff briefly stayed home because of contagion concerns .
Workers at the Louvre , the world ’ s most-visited museum , refused to work for two days and were only coaxed back after management introduced a raft of new anti-virus measures .
“ We are asking for gloves .
We are asking for disinfectant gels , and masks for the drivers , ” said Bastien Berthier , of the Paris metro ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak has been raging for two months , many service industry workers have it far worse , with business evaporating as people are forced to hunker down at home .
A barber in Beijing who would give only his surname , Long , said he is supporting his wife and child by charging food and other expenses to a credit card while he waits for his employer to reopen .
“ I can ask for sick leave or compassionate leave , but I get nothing without working , ” said Long , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guide in eastern China ’ s Huangshan region , said she hasn ’ t earned anything since mid-January and doesn ’ t have any social welfare benefits to fall back on .
Usually she can earn up 300 yuan ( $ 42 ) a day during the normally busy Lunar New Year holiday .
“ If I don ’ t work , I don ’ t get paid .
Everyone here in the Huangshan tourist zone is like this , ” said Jiang , 33 .
“ No one is coming to travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Anderson reported from New York .
Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris , Jill Lawless in London , AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed .

Kelvin Chan And Mae Anderson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--US starts troop pullout, seeks end to Afghan leaders’ feud

KABUL - The United States began withdrawing troops from Afghanistan , the U.S. military said Tuesday , taking a step forward on its peace deal with the Taliban while also praising Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ’ s promise to start releasing Taliban prisoners after he had delayed for over a week .
The U.S.-Taliban deal signed on Feb. 29 was touted as Washington ’ s effort to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan .
The next crucial step was to be intra-Afghan talks in which all factions including the Taliban would negotiate a road map for their country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main political rival , Abdullah Abdullah , were each sworn in as president in separate ceremonies on Monday .
Abdallah and the elections complaints commission had charged fraud in last year ’ s vote .
The dueling inaugurations have thrown plans for talks with the Taliban into chaos , although Ghani said Tuesday that he ’ d start putting together a negotiating team .
The disarray on the Afghan government side is indicative of the uphill task facing Washington ’ s peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad as he tries to get Afghanistan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an early Tuesday tweet , Khalilzad said he hoped the two leaders can “ come to an agreement on an inclusive and broadly accepted government .
We will continue to assist.
” U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan Sonny Leggett said in a statement Tuesday that the military had begun its “ conditions-based reduction of forces to 8,600 over 135 days.
” Currently , the U.S. has about 13,000 soldiers in Afghanistan — 8,000 of whom are involved in training and advising Afghanistan ’ s National Security Forces , while about 5,000 are involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghan army when they are requested .
Ghani had been dragging his feet on releasing some 5,000 Taliban prisoners , something agreed to in the U.S.-Taliban deal .
Ghani promised Monday to announce a decree to free the prisoners , after the U.S. and a number of foreign dignitaries appeared to back his claim to the presidency by sending their representatives to his inauguration .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement Monday saying , “ We also welcome President Ghani ’ s announcement that he will issue a decree March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said late Monday that a flurry of biometric identifications were being conducted on Taliban prisoners , hinting at a mass release , according to prisoners currently in lockup .
The Taliban officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren ’ t authorized to talk to the media .
Pompeo also said he “ strongly opposed ” the establishment of a parallel government in Kabul , despite the early signs of one emerging .
Abdullah had quickly sent his vice-presidents to occupy the official offices on Monday , ahead of Ghani ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their offices Tuesday .
Pompeo warned against “ any use of force to resolve political differences.
” Both candidates — but particularly Abdullah — are backed by warlords with heavily armed militias , underscoring fears they could use force to back their candidate .
The U.S. has said its partial troop withdrawal over an 18-month period provided for in the deal will be linked to the Taliban keeping their promises to help fight terror in Afghanistan , but not to the success of talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the insurgent group was committed to their agreement with the United States and called on Washington to do its part to make sure their prisoners were freed .
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for a rocket attack that took place during Ghani ’ s inauguration ceremony .
IS also claimed a brutal attack last week on a gathering of minority Shiites that killed 32 and injured scores more .
The U.S. in reaching its deal with the Taliban said they expected the Taliban , which has been battling Afghanistan ’ s IS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to defeat IS .
Gannon reported from Islamabad .
Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Tameem Akhgar in Kabul , Afghanistan contributed to this report

Kathy Gannon And Rahim Faiez - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Asian stocks steady after plunge on virus, oil crash

BEIJING - Asian stock markets rebounded Tuesday from record-setting declines after U.S. futures rose following President Donald Trump ’ s announcement he would ask Congress for a tax cut and other measures to ease the pain of the spreading coronavirus outbreak .
Oil prices also recovered some of their losses in Monday ’ s record-setting plunge .
On Wall Street , which suffered its biggest one-day drop since the 2008 global crisis on Monday , stock futures rose following Trump ’ s announcement .
Monday ’ s global selloff reflected alarm over mounting economic damage from the coronavirus that emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that shut down Chinese factories are spreading as the United States and European countries close schools , cancel public events and impose travel controls .
Anxiety mounted after Italy , the hardest-hit place in Europe , said travel controls imposed earlier on its north would be extended nationwide .
Ireland cancelled St. Patrick ’ s Day parades and Israel ordered visitors quarantined ahead of Passover and Easter , one of the busiest travel periods of the year .
The mounting losses and a flight by investors into the safe haven of bonds have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already was showing signs of cooling , might be headed into a recession .
The drop in U.S. stock prices was so sharp that it triggered Wall Street ’ s first trading halt in more than two decades .
But Trump ’ s comment that he will seek relief for workers as ripple effects of the outbreak spread gave some investors an excuse to resume buying .
“ This is not like the financial crisis where we don ’ t know the end is in sight , “ said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools and liquidity to get through the next few months.
” On Tuesday , the Shanghai Composite Index rose to 2,996.76 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo advanced to 19,867.12 .
Hong Kong ’ s Hang Seng climbed to 25,400.79 .
The Kospi in Seoul added 0.4 % to 1,962.93 and Sydney ’ s S & P-ASX 200 rose to 5,939.60 .
Singapore , Bangkok and Jakarta advanced by more than 2 % , while New Zealand declined .
Benchmark U.S. crude gained 5.6 % , or $ 1.77 to $ 32.90 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Mercantile Exchange .
It lost 25 % on Monday to $ 31.13 per barrel .
Brent crude , the standard for international oil prices , gained 5.8 % , or $ 1.98 to $ 36.34 per barrel in London .
While the crisis is easing in China , where the virus was first detected , fast-growing clusters have turned up in South Korea , Japan , Iran and Italy , and the caseload is growing in the United States .
For most people , the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The vast majority of people recover from the virus , as has already happened with about three-quarters of those infected in China .
Oil prices plunged 25 % after Russia refused to roll back production in response to virus-depressed demand .
Saudi Arabia signalled it will ramp up its own output .
Stock markets usually welcome lower energy costs for consumers and businesses .
But the decline cuts into revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And the abrupt drop , coming amid virus fears , rattled investors .
On Wall Street , the S & P 500 index fell 7.6 % to 2,746.56 for its biggest one-day drop since Dec. 1 , 2008 .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 7.8 % to 23,851.02 .
The Nasdaq composite gave up 7.3 % to 7,950.68 .
The S & P dropped 7.4 % in the first few minutes of trading , triggering an automatic 15-minute market-wide trading halt .
That has happened only once before , in 1997 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallen 18.9 % from its Feb. 19 record and has lost $ 5.3 trillion in value .
U.S. stocks are close to entering a bear market , defined as a drop of 20 % from their peak .
“ Right now , it ’ s all-out panic , ” said Phil Flynn of Price futures Group .
“ I think the situation is going to improve when cooler heads prevail , but it ’ s going to be a rocky road for the next couple of weeks.
” European stock indexes already are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest declines since the 2008 crisis .
Central banks in the United States , China and other countries have cut interest rates to try to shore up economic activity .
But economists warn that while rate cuts might help to buoy consumer demand , they can not reopen factories that are closed due to quarantines or lack of workers and raw materials .
“ Even co-ordinated policy responses are not a tried and tested panacea and by no means guarantee the ability to durably pull markets back from the brink of bear territory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a report .
The yield on U.S. Treasury bonds edged up to 0.67 % after falling as low as 0.5 % as investors shifted money into safe haven assets .
It had never been below 1 % until last week .
The yield , or the difference between the market price and what investors will receive if they hold the bond to maturity , is seen as a measure of economic confidence .
Investors shift money into bonds if they expect economic growth and stock prices to weaken .
That pushes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and narrows the yield .
In the United States , a cruise ship with a cluster of coronavirus cases that forced it to idle off the California coast for days docked at Oakland as officials prepared to start bringing passengers to military bases for quarantine or return them to their home countries .
The Grand Princess had more than 3,500 people aboard , 21 of them infected .
Japan ’ s handling of a similar situation involving a cruise ship that docked in Yokohama is seen as a major factor behind the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Investigator: Body had ‘exact clothing’ as missing toddler

BLOUNTVILLE , Tenn. - An investigator revealed new details about the discovery of a child ’ s body on property belonging to relatives of a Tennessee woman whose daughter was reported missing last month .
At a quickly-arranged court hearing Monday , Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Brian Fraley said the body found in Blountville had the “ exact clothing ” that Megan Boswell said her daughter , 15-month-old Evelyn Mae Boswell , was wearing when she went missing , WJHL-TV reported .
Other clothing , diapers and toys that would have belonged to the child were also found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Results of an autopsy were still pending .
Megan Boswell , 18 , was charged with filing a false report in her daughter ’ s disappearance and has been held in the Sullivan County jail .
Judge James Goodwin increased Boswell ’ s bond Monday to $ 150,000 , according to news outlets .
Fraley also testified that Boswell has made “ inculpatory statements ” during interviews with investigators since her daughter went missing , WJHL-TV reported .
Inculpatory statements are legally described as implying or placing guilt .
Boswell ’ s attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television station , which was the only TV station in the courtroom Monday .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Patient No. 1 is out of ICU as virus pushes Italy to brink

ROME - Italian doctors celebrated one small victory in their battle against the coronavirus after a 38-year-old man was moved out of intensive care for the first time since he tested positive Feb. 21 and opened Italy ’ s health care crisis as Patient No .
1 .
But in the rest of hard-hit northern Italy , the virus ’ spread was growing so exponentially that doctors were making comparisons to war-time triage medics deciding who lives , who dies and who gets access to the limited number of ICU beds .
“ It ’ s a reasoning that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , head of the association of doctors in northern Piedmont , said Monday .
“ It becomes dramatic if , rather than doing it under normal situations , they do it because the beds are so scarce that someone might not have access to medical care.
” The Italian society of anesthesiology and intensive care published 15 ethical recommendations to consider when deciding on ICU admissions during the virus crisis and the ICU shortage .
The criteria include the age of the patient and the probability of survival , and not just “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government has been scrambling to increase its ICU capacity , converting operating and recovery rooms into isolated wards to treat the 440 critical virus patients currently in need .
It has cobbled together 150 more beds in the last two weeks and expects another 150 in the coming week .
But it may not be enough .
“ Unfortunately we ’ re only at the beginning , ” said Dr. Massimo Galli , head of infectious disease at Milan ’ s Sacco hospital .
Speaking to SkyTg24 , Galli noted that the numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were similar to those in Wuhan , China in late January .
Galli noted that Wuhan , the centre of China ’ s outbreak that infected more than 80,000 people nationwide , is a concentrated metropolis of 11 million and Lombardy is spread out .
But the numbers “ tell you that the diffusion is a real possibility , ” he warned .
On Monday , the government took broad new measures to restrict Italians ’ movements nationwide and prevent social gatherings , realizing that limited restrictions weren ’ t containing the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital Rome — Lazio — saw its cases jump from 87 to 102 in a day , a sign that the virus was propagating far from the northern concentrations .
Also alarming was Italy ’ s high fatality rate : With 463 dead and 9,172 infected , Italy ’ s fatality rate is running at 5 % nationwide and 6 % in Lombardy , far higher than the 3 % -4 % estimates elsewhere .
Dr. Giovanni Rezza , head of infectious disease at the National Institutes of Health , attributed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the world ’ s oldest population after Japan , and the median age of its virus-related dead is 80 .
But there are young people who are infected too .
Some have been in intensive care , including the first person to test positive in the north who hadn ’ t been to China , a 38-year-old Unilever worker named Mattia .
He came to be known in Italy as Patient No .
1 .
At the San Matteo hospital in Pavia , there was a sigh of relief after Mattia began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small amount of oxygen assistance , said Dr. Francesco Mojoli , head of intensive care .
He was moved out of the ICU to a sub-ICU unit and was speaking with doctors .
“ This disease has a long life , ” Mojoli told RAI state television .
“ Now we hope that the fact that he was young and in good shape will help him get back to his normal life.
” Mattia first went to the hospital in Codogno on Feb. 18 complaining of flu-like symptoms .
He was sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after his condition worsened dramatically .
He was only tested for coronavirus after doctors learned that in early February he had met with a man who had been to China .
By then , however , he had infected his wife and several doctors , nurses and patients at the Codogno hospital , creating what was thought initially to have been Italy ’ s main cluster .
Since his China contact turned out to be negative , though , experts now believe that the virus had been circulating widely and quietly in northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of January .
The epidemic has exposed the impact of drastic cuts to Italy ’ s public health system over the past few years , and prompted calls for the government to authorize hiring of thousands of doctors and nurses .
In Lombardy , nursing students were allowed to graduate a month early so they could be put to work immediately .
Over the weekend , a nurse named Doris Bia posted on Facebook that after taking a leave for several years to be a full-time mother , she was going back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard-hit Cremona .
“ Starting tomorrow I ’ ll be beside those who are untiringly fighting this god-forsaken virus , ” she wrote .
“ I ’ m doing it because I can ’ t ignore their sacrifice .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Bond granted in case of missing woman who was found dead

BIRMINGHAM , Ala. - A man charged with abusing the corpse of a missing Alabama woman was granted bond Tuesday .
Fredrick Hampton ’ s bond was set at $ 15,000 and he must wear an electronic monitor , news outlets reported .
Hampton , 50 , was arrested in January at a home in Cleveland , Ohio .
He is not charged in Paighton Houston ’ s death but is charged with abuse of the Trussville woman ’ s corpse .
Houston , 29 , was last seen on Dec. 20 , leaving a Birmingham bar with two men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she later sent a text to a friend asking the person to answer if she called because she didn ’ t know who she was with and feared that she was “ in trouble.
” Her body was found on Jan. 3 in a shallow grave behind a home in Hueytown , about 13 miles ( 21 kilometres ) west of Birmingham .
The home belongs to relatives of Hampton .
Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates ruled Houston ’ s death an accidental overdose .
He said she died of morphine and methamphetamine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houston and Hampton were wilfully together the night she disappeared .
He said evidence shows after Houston died , Hampton disposed of her body .
Hampton is a convicted sex offender , but his attorney , Emory Anthony , said he is not a flight risk .
“ He ’ s presumed to be not guilty , he ’ s entered a pleas of not guilty and we ’ ll see whether the state of Alabama can carry their burden of proof , ’ ’ Anthony said .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-10--On virus response, Trump pitches tax relief to wary Congress

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ’ s proposed payroll tax break met with bipartisan resistance Tuesday on Capitol Hill as pressure mounts on the administration and Congress to work more vigorously to contain the coronavirus outbreak and respond to the financial fallout .
Flanked by his economic team , Trump pitched his economic stimulus ideas privately to wary Senate Republicans on another grueling day in the struggle against expanding infections .
Fluctuating stock markets rebounded but communities discovered new cases and the two top Democratic presidential candidates , Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden , cancelled Tuesday primary night rallies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies have been cool to additional spending at this stage , especially for cutting taxes that would have to be reimposed later — presumably after the November election .
Democrats prefer their own package of low- or no-cost virus testing , unemployment insurance and sick pay for workers struggling to keep paychecks coming as the outbreak disrupts workplaces .
“ We ’ re taking this unbelievably seriously , “ Trump said after his meeting at the Capitol .
“ It will go away , just stay calm.
” Asked why he has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after having been in close contact with several advisers and members of Congress who are now self-quarantined after exposure , Trump said : “ I don ’ t think it ’ s a big deal ” and “ I feel very good.
” White House officials have been blindsided by the president ’ s sudden moves .
As Trump headed to Capitol Hill , two administration officials said the proposals he was putting in play had not been completed .
They were unauthorized to discuss the planning and requested anonymity .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed door GOP lunch on the size of the payroll tax break or its duration , senators said .
Trump has long promised to bring about an election year “ tax cuts 2.0 , ” and seemed to be seizing on the virus fears as a way to bring about a victory on that front before November .
Behind closed doors he discussed the coming elections in swing states like Arizona and Montana where GOP senators face tough races .
In addition to payroll tax relief , Trump has said he wants help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re “ not going to miss a paycheque ” and “ don ’ t get penalized for something that ’ s not their fault.
“ He ’ s also mentioned small-business loans .
But details are slight .
So far , the president ’ s approach , based on tax breaks , is receiving a cool response .
Some Republicans endorsed Trump ’ s suggestion that help be provided to the beleaguered cruise-ship and airline industries , while others spoke up for other industries , including energy and gas .
Some pushed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill they said was shovel-ready and popular .
The payroll tax plan remains a work in progress .
“ They didn ’ t get into specifics , ” said the No .
2 Republican , Sen. John Thune of South Dakota .
Increasingly , it appears a solution will originate in the House , where Speaker Nancy Pelosi told House Democrats they would keep working this week despite concerns about the risk of infection at the Capitol .
“ We are the captains of the ship , ” Pelosi said during a closed-door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the room unauthorized to discuss the private caucus and granted anonymity .
“ We are the last to leave.
” But time is short as Congress heads toward its scheduled break next week .
Trump tapped Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to meet with Pelosi , whose support will be needed for any deal in the divided Congress , where Republicans hold the Senate majority but Democrats hold the House .
Munchin declared the meeting with Pelosi “ productive ” and said they ’ d “ work together on a bipartisan basis to figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly.
” Pelosi insisted the “ threshold ” for any proposal must be its ability to respond to the virus .
Her team was preparing to come out with a package in the next day or so .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was noncommittal after the meeting with Trump , emphasizing the path forward rests in the talks between Mnuchin and Pelosi .
“ We ’ re hoping that he and the speaker can pull this together , ” he said .
That reflected divisions even within the administration on the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Trump ’ s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and trade adviser Peter Navarro , among others .
Other aides , including Mnuchin and Larry Kudlow advocated more modest measures .
Trump prefers the payroll tax holiday “ last through the end of the year , ” Kudlow said .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .
In mainland China , where the virus first exploded , more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered .
In Washington , there were mixed signals about the public mood .
Tourists still arrived for visits while marquee events , including this weekend ’ s Gridiron Club dinner , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponed .
At the U.S. Capitol , some senators said they resisted shaking Trump ’ s hand when he arrived for lunch .
Lawmakers were given new instructions on how to protect themselves , with the House ’ s attending physician asking them to stop shaking hands or touching people during greetings .
He recommended the split-fingers Star Trek greeting instead .
Crowds are the norm in the Capitol and handshakes are coin of the realm there , even between political foes .
But about a half dozen lawmakers — including Trump confidantes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being exposed to someone who had the virus , and the norm has been upended .
One , GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz , who self-quarantined after having travelled with the president from Florida on Air Force One on Monday , said he had tested negative for the disease .
He said he would remain quarantined as a precaution .
Another , Trump ’ s incoming chief of staff .
Rep. Mark Meadows , R-N.C , remains on quarantine .
During House Democrats ’ closed session , one lawmaker , California Rep. Raul Ruiz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns about the situation , noting that the average age in Congress is 57 .
Some lawmakers have underlying health conditions and their work requires them to fly back and forth between home and the capital .
Still , Pelosi implored lawmakers to keep working to strengthen the country ’ s defences .
But House and Senate leaders have made it clear there will be no voting by proxy .
Quarantined lawmakers will be missing votes .
Lawmakers were told up to 10,000 staff members could telework , if need be .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial markets , encouraged employees at its Washington headquarters to work from home after an employee there had respiratory symptoms and was referred for coronavirus testing .
And Defence Secretary Mark Esper postponed a trip to India , Pakistan and Uzbekistan that was to begin Monday , citing the coronavirus crisis , Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah said Tuesday .
She said he would remain in the U.S to help manage the Pentagon response .
Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard , Andrew Taylor , Kevin Freking , Jill Colvin , Bob Burns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Lisa Mascaro And Zeke Miller - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Groups: Release immigrant detainees at high coronavirus risk

SEATTLE - Immigrant rights groups want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release detainees at its Washington state jail who are at high risk from the coronavirus .
In a letter sent to ICE late Monday , the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington , the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Columbia Legal Services said ICE should release on parole any detainees who are older than 60 , pregnant , or who have underlying conditions such as a weakened immune system or heart or lung disease .
Those in detention are especially vulnerable to contagious outbreaks , they said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many detainees at ICE ’ s 1,575-bed Northwest detention centre in Tacoma might be considered high-risk .
A statement Tuesday from ICE provided no indication that the agency is considering releases unless ordered by a judge .
The Seattle area has the deadliest coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. , with at least two dozen deaths as of Tuesday — most linked to a suburban nursing home .
The GEO Group , a for-profit corporation that runs the detention facility , said Tuesday it has not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many detainees or staff had shown symptoms or been tested .
In an emailed statement , ICE similarly said it had no confirmed cases .
The agency is following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control in terms of when detainees and staff should be tested , and that as of March 3 , four detainees had met that criteria .
Staff are being provided protection equipment such as masks .
Those at high-risk can be kept together in units , the agency said : “ The CDC advises self-monitoring at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiologic risk criteria , and who do not have fever or symptoms of respiratory illness .
In detention settings , cohorting serves as an alternative to self-monitoring at home.
” The agency said it is screening new detainees for COVID-19 and that its protocols call for medically isolating those who have mild symptoms , while those with moderate to severe symptoms or who need higher levels of care are transported to hospitals .
Sixteen of the 20 detention centres run by the ICE Health Services Corps have airborne infection isolation rooms , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with state and local health partners to determine if any detainee requires additional testing or monitoring to combat the spread of the virus , ” ICE said .
Enoka Herat , immigration counsel at the ACLU of Washington , called the agency ’ s statement inadequate .
“ Instead of doing something proactive and preventative , they ’ re waiting for the worst-case scenario , ” she said .
There has been increasing concern nationally about how a coronavirus outbreak in jails might affect prisoners , and immigrant rights activists in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what precautions it is taking and how it would handle an outbreak at detention facilities there .
Immigration judges have grappled with how to handle hearings in their courtrooms .
In the absence of guidance from the Justice Department , which runs the immigration court system , the union that represents immigration judges on Monday sent out guidance .
It included posters with the CDC ’ s coronavirus information as well as advice that judges keep hand-sanitizer on the bench and on counsel tables and that they limit the number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked the Department of Homeland Security to make clear that it will not conduct immigration enforcement operations in or around hospitals or medical clinics .
Several Democratic U.S. senators , including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California , sent DHS a letter to that effect last week .
“ Immigration enforcement actions , when they take place in or around hospitals or other medical facilities , could discourage undocumented immigrants from seeking necessary medical care , ” the letter said .
ICE ’ s statement said that absent unusual circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities and that people should seek care if they need it .
Jails and prisons across the country have been stepping up inmate screenings , sanitizing cells and urging lawyers to scale back in-person visits to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading through their vast inmate populations .
“ People in detention are highly vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses , ” the immigrant rights groups ’ letter said .
“ They are housed in close quarters and are often in poor health .
Without the active engagement of NWDC ’ s administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves about preventive measures , or to take such measures if they do manage to learn of them.
” Given that Washington state has the nation ’ s most severe coronavirus outbreak , the groups also said ICE should stop any transfers in and out of the Northwest detention centre .
Any response to the disease should not result in prolonged or widespread lockdowns that might violate detainees ’ rights , they said .
Maru Mora Villalpando , who monitors the Northwest detention centre with the group La Resistancia , said a detainee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in medical isolation for undisclosed reasons .
He reported that the medical isolation unit was full , she said .
“ The fact that the unit is full yet the detention centre is not at capacity is a sign local authorities should be doing something , ” Mora Villalpando said .
“ We are really worried.
” “ For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Lebanese man pleads guilty to violating U.S. export laws

MINNEAPOLIS - A Lebanese national charged with conspiring to export drone parts and technology from the U.S. to Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws .
Issam Hamade pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Minnesota .
His brother , Usama Hamade , faces similar counts and is also charged with smuggling .
Prosecutors said the brothers acquired sophisticated technology for drones from 2009 to 2013 and illegally exported them to Hezbollah , which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization .
Issam Hamade faces up to five years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors plan to ask for 30 months , according to a plea agreement .
Hamade ’ s defence attorneys plan to ask for time served .
He ’ s expected to be deported after he serves his time .
The Hamades were arrested in February 2018 in South Africa and were extradited to the U.S. last fall .
According to an indictment , the parts included inertial measurement units , which can be used to track an aircraft ’ s position , and digital compasses , which can be paired with the inertial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The parts also included a jet engine and 20 piston engines .
In the plea agreement publicly filed Tuesday , Issam Hamade admitted that his brother arranged to purchase parts and technology from various countries , including the U.S. , from 2009 to 2011 .
He also admitted that he transferred money from Lebanon to accounts in South Africa at his brother ’ s request , knowing the money was being used to buy these parts .
The plea agreement says Hamade had reason to believe the parts and technology were going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-10--2 charged with painting near ancient rock art in Nevada

LAS VEGAS - Two Nevada men have been indicted on charges of vandalizing an archaeological site after U.S. prosecutors say the pair spray-painted rock formations in a national monument that features petroglyphs — and were caught soon after while still covered in blue paint .
Daniel Plata and Jonathan Pavon , both 25 and from Elko , are charged with conspiracy , destruction of government property and unauthorized damage or alteration or defacement of archaeological resources , U.S. Attorney Nicholas Trutanich ’ s office said Monday .
Prosecutors say the men “ went on a vandalism spree ” while on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , where they stopped at three different locations on a remote Nevada road and filmed themselves using spray paint to vandalize buildings with their nicknames “ Velor ” and “ Cluer.
” The men then drove into the White River Narrows Archaeological District within Basin and Range National Monument , where Pavon acted as a lookout as Plata spray-painted two large pieces of graffiti , including one near a petroglyph , according to a court documents .
A witness reported the spray painting .
When state troopers stopped Plata and Pavon soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue paint and had over 100 cans of spray paint and painting equipment in their car , according to court documents .
The White River Narrows is a winding canyon that is home to one of the largest concentrations of prehistoric rock art in eastern Nevada , according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management .
The agency deferred questions about damage from the graffiti to the U.S. Justice Department .
Department spokeswoman Trisha Young says the spray paint was removed .
Plata and Pavon made initial court appearances on March 6 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet have listed attorneys to comment on their behalf or publicly listed phone numbers where they could be reached for comment .
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Michelle L. Price - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Concerns about new virus, oil volatility affecting Alaska

JUNEAU , Alaska - Gov .
Mike Dunleavy is freezing the hiring of state workers not essential to health or safety as oil markets roil , and state lawmakers are making plans to prepare for how they will handle their work should there be a confirmed case of the new coronavirus in the capital city .
Restrictions also have been ordered on state employee and legislative travel .
Sen. Gary Stevens , chair of the Legislative Council , said some things that could be looked at as part of the Legislature ’ s preparations include whether to close the Capitol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change in rules that would allow votes by phone , if necessary .
“ There ’ s lots of issues to consider .
We want to make sure that the Legislature can continue to operate and do its job and adjourn in a timely way , ” he said Tuesday , after announcing plans for a subcommittee to work on contingencies .
The Legislature is over halfway through a scheduled 90-day session but in recent years have run up against a longer constitutional meeting limit and needed special sessions to finish .
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointments by Gov .
Mike Dunleavy and a decision on the size of check to pay residents from the state ’ s oil-wealth fund , the Alaska Permanent Fund .
House Speaker Bryce Edgmon expects the subcommittee to come up with a communications plan and get a process in place , should there be a confirmed case in the Capitol , for getting a budget passed and addressing priorities that would require immediate attention .
Some signs have been posted in the Capitol , including one discouraging hand-shaking .
Edgmon said he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into his sleeve and being more cognizant of personal space .
“ And I ’ ve got my fingers crossed that we don ’ t have any reported cases in Alaska or certainly not here in the Capitol , ” he said .
On Monday , Dunleavy suspended out-of-state travel for state employees and implemented a hiring freeze .
His chief of staff , Ben Stevens , cited a need to control spending amid oil market volatility and impacts on the state ’ s financial resources .
Concerns with the new coronavirus have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Saudi Arabia and Russia over oil .
North Slope oil was about $ 34 a barrel Monday .
Alaska relies on oil revenue and permanent fund earnings to help pay for government expenses .
Ben Stevens , in a memo , said the hiring freeze would not apply to positions essential for protecting health and safety of Alaskans .
The offices of Edgmon and Senate President Cathy Giessel announced restrictions on out-of-state travel for lawmakers and staff , and suggested against personal travel outside Alaska by members .
Emails Monday said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire legislative family “ and the functioning of the Legislature while it is underway in Juneau .
As of early Tuesday afternoon , the state had not had a confirmed case of COVID-19 , according to a state health department website .


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Arrest made in 1991 killing of central Missouri teenager

JEFFERSON CITY , Mo .
- A central Missouri man was charged Thursday with fatally shooting his 14-year-old classmate in 1991 .
William Christopher Niemet , of Fulton , was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Greg Jones , whose body was found in June 1991 near a branch of the Moreau River near Russellville .
That ended a search that began after his parents , Homer and Janice Jones , called authorities when their son was two hours late for supper on April 24 , 1991 .
An autopsy found Jones was shot twice in the head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , and Jones were classmates , Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson said .
He was one of several people questioned in the shooting at the time .
Because he was a juvenile at the time , Niemet had to go through juvenile court processes before authorities could certify him to be tried as an adult on Wednesday .
Thompson and Sheriff John Wheeler declined Thursday to discuss what led authorities to Niemet or the circumstances surrounding Jones ’ death .
They said the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone with information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest in part to advancements in technology since 1991 .
And Wheeler said his office routinely looks at cold cases and had been conducting an ongoing investigation in this case for seven months .
Thompson said authorities met with the Jones family after Niemet ’ s arrest but they have not made any public comment on the case .
“ To the family and friends of Greg Jones , although we realize Greg can never come back , we hope that this is the first step toward the justice and closure that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Niemet is being held in the Cole County jail .
His bond had not been set Thursday afternoon .
KMIZ reports Niemet was arrested in Jones ’ death six days after Jones ’ body was found .
Wheeler declined to comment on that report .
Court documents do not say what Niemet was charged with in juvenile court .
The case was eventually dropped and Niemet filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the county and then-sheriff John Hemeyer in 1997 .
The lawsuit claimed the sheriff used “ false information ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confession to the murder .
The court dismissed the case , saying Niemet had not shown any proof that Hemeyer fabricated evidence against him .
This story has been updated to correct that the suspect , William Niemet , was 14 at the time of the shooting , not 15 .


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Lawsuit aims to end California license plate language limits

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - California may have to end most restrictions on personalized license plate language that some might find offensive , if a lawsuit filed Tuesday prevails .
The libertarian Pacific Legal Foundation lawsuit challenges the state Department of Motor Vehicles ’ current policy on free speech grounds .
The department denied more than 30,000 of the nearly 250,000 applications submitted in 2018 , the last year for which statistics are available , after deciding that the proposed language “ may carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency , “ says the lawsuit filed in federal court in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vague regulation requires four full-time DMV administrators police license plate applications , “ the lawsuit argues .
Those denials “ deprive plaintiffs their right to freedom of speech , in violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
” Department officials did not immediately respond to telephone and email requests for comment .
The program brings the state more than $ 60 million each year .
The environmental plates challenged in the lawsuit cost $ 53 initially and $ 43 annually to renew and are among 14 special interest license plates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs .
The lawsuit comes months after another federal judge rejected the department ’ s argument that vehicle license plates constitute government statements , ruling that it is unlikely that “ viewers perceive the government as speaking through personalized vanity plates.
” In that challenge filed by the same non-profit legal organization , the department subsequently allowed California soccer fan Jonathan Kotler to honour his favourite team with the vanity plate “ COYW.
” Kotler supports London-based Fulham , whose fans often chant “ Come On You Whites ” for their players in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t change its underlying policy , which the new lawsuit seeks to end on the grounds that the First Amendment doesn ’ t allow the government to ban speech just because it finds it offensive .
“ We probably wouldn ’ t challenge a regulation limited to seven obscene words , but it strains credulity to say that there are over 30,000 messages per year , ranging from sports cheers ( COYW ) to someone ’ s nickname ( OGWOOLF ) that need to be banned , “ foundation attorney Wen Fa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the DMV ’ s regulation underscores , vague bans on ‘ offensive ’ speech inevitably lead to arbitrary results.
” The OGWOOLF plate was sought by the firm ’ s lead plaintiff in the new lawsuit , Army veteran Paul “ Chris ” Ogilvie of Concord , California .
He says it combines the first two letters of his last name with an old nickname .
The department rejected the plate for fear people would interpret OG as short for “ original gangster , ” the lawsuit says .
It says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service .
The firm probably has a good point , said Eugene Volokh , who teaches First Amendment law at the the UCLA School of Law .
“ When the government sets up a program in which people can engage in their own speech , like a license plate program , it generally has to administer it in a reasonable and viewpoint-neutral way , so it doesn ’ t discriminate based on viewpoint , ” he said .
The current policy seems to fall short , he said , “ first of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separately because some of the offensiveness that the DMV seems to be pointing to seems to come from the viewpoint.
” The suit includes plaintiffs with four other examples : — “ DUK N A , ” which the lawsuit says is short for Ducati motorcycles and Andrea , the first name of plaintiff Andrea Campanile .
The department said it sounds like an obscene phrase .
— “ BO11UX , ” though the lawsuit says “ bullocks ” has been used to mean “ nonsense ” in a national advertising campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ says is a reference to the metal band — “ QUEER , ” which it says is a reference to the plaintiff ’ s sexual orientation and his record label , Queer Folks Records , which he adopted in an effort to reclaim what has become a pejorative label .
Even if the state ultimately allows more arguably offensive words on license plates , Volokh said , “ it ’ s not such a huge deal .
It ’ s not that people will start distrusting the DMV .
Anything people can say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a bumper sticker .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Army investigates paratrooper’s death at Alaska base

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Army officials in Alaska say a paratrooper has died after being found unresponsive in his barracks @ @ @ @ @ the weekend .
Officials say the death of 23-year-old Spc .
Jason Alexander Thomas is @ @ @ @ @ ’ s criminal investigation division .
Thomas , of Philadelphia , was was found unresponsive @ @ @ @ @ base hospital , where he was later pronounced dead , according to the Army .
@ @ @ @ @ March 2016 .
He served at Fort Benning and Fort Stewart in Georgia before arriving @ @ @ @ @ .
In Alaska , he was assigned to the 1st Squadron ( Airborne ) , @ @ @ @ @ more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star @ @ @ @ @ newsletters to get today 's top stories , your favourite columnists and lots more in @ @ @ @ @ Up Now


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Venezuelan riot police drive off protesters with tear gas

CARACAS , Venezuela - Security forces fired tear gas Tuesday to repel an anti-government march led by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó , who is struggling to reignite street protests to capitalize on mounting international pressure on embattled socialist President Nicolás Maduro Thousands of demonstrators assembled in a leafy , anti-government neighbourhood of Caracas with the goal of taking back the National Assembly , the country ’ s only opposition-dominated body whose chamber was seized over two months ago by a splinter faction of the opposition that claimed leadership of the legislature with the support of the ruling socialist party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the red , blue and yellow colours of Venezuela ’ s flag and banged on pots to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in the oil-rich nation .
Smaller protests took place in several cities across Venezuela .
But riot police wielding heavy shields and backed by armoured vehicles blocked their progress downtown , where masses of red-shirted state workers and Maduro supporters held their own rally to show support for the revolution begun by the late President Hugo Chavez .
“ They try to intimidate us with weapons of war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ ll keep going until we reach our goal.
” Clashes broke out as protesters flung rocks and sticks at police , who responded with volleys of tear gas that scattered the marchers .
Guaidó then led a smaller group that reconvened in a safer part of town for an impromptu , outdoor session of the National Assembly .
Addressing lawmakers , Guaidó repeated his refrain that the only solution to an economic and social crisis marked by hyperinflation and crumbling public services is free presidential elections .
But even some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guess that strategy .
Henry Ramos , a lawmaker who heads the Democratic Action party , said that with a new presidential vote out of reach for now , it is time to start preparing for congressional elections that are scheduled for this year .
“ What are we going to do ?
Stay at home and let the government grab the National Assembly ?
” Ramos said in a rare public break with Guaidó , who has ruled out participating in any legislative elections until the Maduro-stacked electoral council is overhauled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , recognize Guaidó , head of the congress , as Venezuela ’ s legitimate leader because they view Maduro ’ s 2018 re-election as fraudulent .
Guaidó initially drew wide support from huge crowds across Venezuela after he declared himself interim president last year based on a reading of the constitution that power should revert temporarily to the head of congress if the presidency is vacant .
But Maduro continues to hold all practical levers of power and Guaidós crowds have thinned in recent months .
Tuesday ’ s rally was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could reignite demonstrations following an international tour that took him to the White House as well as meetings with the leaders of Britain , France and Canada .
Tuesday ’ s mobilization was modest compared to a year ago , with some government critics staying home in fear of repression by security forces .
Others stayed away because they have reconciled themselves to the imploded economy and are too busy trying to get ahead .
“ Venezuelans might support Guaidó and oppose Maduro , but that does not mean they are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-being by mobilizing in the streets , ” said David Smilde , a longtime Venezuela observer who teaches at Tulane University .
The country ’ s political and economic crisis has driven more than 4.5 million Venezuelans to migrate from the once-wealthy South American nation , escaping soaring inflation , scarcity of basic goods and unreliable services , such as power and water .
Since returning to Caracas last month , Guaidó has been met with fierce resistance by armed civilians and security forces loyal to Maduro .
Just hours following the march @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition leaders allied with Guaidó at a Caracas hotel where they were staying , lawmaker María Beatriz Martínez told the Associated Press .
She said the officers with their faces covered ordered roughly 40 opposition politicians to the back of the hotel , stripping some of their cellphones and leaving with the three in custody identified as Zandra Castillo , Renzo Prieto , and Angel Torres .
Ongoing attacks drew condemnation early Tuesday from Michelle Bachelet , the U.N. ’ s high commissioner for human rights , who said she was concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks on demonstrators and journalists who covered Guaidó ’ s return to Caracas .
She said in a statement that her office continues to receive allegations of “ cruel , inhuman or degrading treatment ” at military counterintelligence prisons .
At the pro-government rally in Caracas , Maduro ally and powerful socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello criticized Bachelet , saying she lacks “ moral authority “ to criticize Venezuela ’ s administration .
He said Bachelet , a former Chilean president , has turned a blind eye to violent protests recently in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cabello also said the socialist government doesn ’ t care whether or not the opposition competes in the legislative elections .
“ If the right wants to participate totally or partially in parliamentary elections , that ’ s their problem , ” Cabello said .
“ The revolutionary force , yes , we ’ ll participate in parliamentary elections .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Seattle small businesses pinched as virus keeps workers home

SEATTLE - The coronavirus outbreak has largely emptied Seattle ’ s usually busy downtown streets after Amazon and other companies told tens of thousands of people to work from home .
That means far fewer customers for restaurants , shops and other businesses .
The Seattle area is dealing with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the country , with at least 22 deaths , and businesses are bracing for the cascading effect of losing customers for the foreseeable future .
Hotel bookings dropped as big conventions , including the Emerald City Comic Con , were cancelled or postponed .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the streets .
You can see it in restaurants and hotel lobbies , “ said Jon Scholes , president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association .
Scholes said the downtown street outside his window was nearly completely empty late last week .
He watched a normally crowded bus drive by with almost no passengers .
The Whole Foods Market in the heart of Amazon ’ s Seattle campus also was barely filled with customers Monday morning , when lines of shoppers usually crowd checkout lines .
In addition to Amazon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Amazon , however , has said it will keep paying the hourly workers who staff many food , cleaning and other services on its campuses even while they are largely empty .
The tech giant has become the poster child of rising rents and increasing income inequality in Seattle — but Amazon ’ s tens of thousands of employees also make up a huge portion of customers for small shops and restaurants who rely on their business to stay afloat .
In Seattle ’ s famed Pike Place Market , foot traffic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 30 % from last year ’ s numbers at popular breakfast and lunch spot Bacco Cafe , owner Heong Park said .
Park ’ s two restaurants in the market — Bacco and Chan — are hurting .
But Park is optimistic people will start emerging from their homes after getting over the initial shock of the virus spreading in their community .
At his third restaurant , Meet Korean BBQ , in Seattle ’ s nearby Capitol Hill neighbourhood , the after-work rush has slowed , but people are still coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern is for businesses that operate in the massive shadow of Amazon ’ s corporate headquarters .
The company says it will help cover one month ’ s rent for small businesses in its buildings and announced Tuesday that it would set up a $ 5 million relief fund for restaurants and shops near its South Lake Union headquarters .
The fund will give small businesses cash grants to help make up lost revenue and pay employees as Amazon workers stay home .
The long lunchtime line has evaporated at Tacos El Tajin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks on weekdays in the heart of Amazon ’ s headquarters .
Owner Tomas Lopez said business has dropped around 75 % in recent days .
“ We ’ re going to have to go find another location for now and wait for all the big companies to come back to work , ” he said .
“ Maybe a construction site or something like that.
” Without Amazon customers , some businesses might be forced to shut down if they don ’ t get relief , said University of Washington marketing professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect of Amazon on the city ’ s economy .
“ Rent is still due , insurance is still due , it ’ s really expensive to operate a space in downtown , and you ’ d have to anticipate the revenues are not going to be there , ” he said .
And if restaurants and stores are forced to close — even temporarily — it means many hourly workers will not get paid and could struggle to afford rent and other necessities in the increasingly expensive city , Shulman said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it could be really problematic on people already struggling , ” he said .
Hotels are seeing a 30 % to 40 % drop in occupancy , said tourism organization Visit Seattle , and cultural attractions and events are reporting “ steep declines.
” A coalition of businesses and other groups , including Microsoft , Amazon , Starbucks and the city of Seattle , created a fund to benefit economically vulnerable groups .
It has $ 2.5 million in donations , largely from Amazon and Microsoft , and will give grants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care workers , communities of colour , people without access to paid health care and others .
Business groups are trying to get temporary relief for businesses and employees before the situation gets more dire .
The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce , Downtown Seattle Association and other organizations sent a letter to Gov .
Jay Inslee and state lawmakers last week asking for the government to explore expanding unemployment insurance to cover part-time workers and set up an emergency fund to help small businesses .
Inslee announced new rules Tuesday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if an employer needs to temporarily reduce or shut down operations because a worker is sick with COVID-19 and others need to be isolated or quarantined .
A worker who falls seriously ill and has to quit also can now qualify for paid medical leave .
Inslee said he has directed state agencies to expand options for employees affected by COVID-19 to telecommute and for those who have to self-quarantine but can ’ t work from home to be eligible for up to 14 days of pay .
“ The suite of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather this economically , ” the governor said .
Lerman reported from San Francisco .
Associated Press writers Joseph Pisani in New York and Rachel La Corte in Olympia , Washington , contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Rachel Lerman And Gene Johnson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-10--Coronavirus compels telecommuting, travel limits for media

NEW YORK - The Washington Post is encouraging its staff to work at home and the Los Angeles Times is restricting air travel , two illustrations of how news organizations compelled to cover the coronavirus outbreak are balancing the need to keep employees safe .
Both of those directives went out in memos to staff members on Tuesday .
CNN also said that , as of now , its planned Democratic presidential debate Sunday between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders is on .
Washington Post Publisher and CEO Fred Ryan said the Post was encouraging , but not mandating , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or needs for equipment permitted it .
The policy is in place at least through the end of the month .
“ It ’ s a smart thing to do to minimize or eliminate what could go wrong here , ” said Cameron Barr , a Post managing editor .
The newspaper had preparedness plans in place , and technology allows most employees to stay connected remotely .
The newsroom won ’ t be empty , since some editors and other staff will remain .
Ryan said the newspaper would continue to operate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispersed employees .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .
In mainland China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered .
The Los Angeles Times said it was suspending air travel for staff members except in cases where it is “ absolutely ” required for the job , according to a memo sent by Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine on Tuesday .
Those who do have to fly will be asked to work from home for two weeks after their flight , he said .
Exceptions will likely include coverage of sports teams or presidential campaign coverage , said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the plans publicly .
Some reevaluations are taking place ; this weekend ’ s debate will likely be covered off television instead of by a reporter on site , the editor said .
“ We all recognize there are certain stories you can ’ t cover by phone and we will continue to travel to cover them , ” the editor said .
Staff members have been given the option to work from home if they can , subject to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles Times said .
The New York Times told its employees this week that if they want to work remotely they can do so , “ and many have taken us up on the offer , ” a spokeswoman said .
Remote working is not always an option .
NBC News , primarily a television news organization , did not mention telecommuting in a coronavirus memo sent to staff Tuesday .
The network said it was stepping up cleaning of its facilities and making more sanitizers available .
Bloomberg News said it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong , South Korea and Italy to work from home , and recommending that its workers in Seattle , Washington , do the same .
Other employees who want to telecommute must make arrangements with their supervisors , a spokesperson said .
The Associated Press said it expects its employees to come to work but is dealing with individual concerns on a case-by-case basis .
AP journalists are not expected to go to hospitals or the homes of people infected by coronavirus , a spokeswoman said .
CNN and WarnerMedia Sports said travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary , ” the company said in a memo from Jeff Zucker , head of both organization .
Internal meetings should be done by phone or video conference , if possible , or put off altogether .
“ Any employee who has discomfort about travelling anywhere will not be required to do so — regardless of the proposed assignment or event , ” Zucker said in his memo .
CBS said it has taken similar steps .
It is discouraging large meetings and encouraging staff to do interviews by electronic means like Skype @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative said .
ESPN , facing weeks of college basketball tournaments across the country , has no hard-and-fast rules because the situation is still fluid but has stressed that it wants its employees to feel comfortable and safe .