thetorontostar--2020-06-16--In Vermont, an immigrant city races to tamp down an outbreak

WINOOSKI , Vt. - After months of having some of the fewest coronavirus cases in the country , Vermont is now trying to contain an outbreak that has hit an immigrant community in a small but densely populated city .
What health officials described as a small cluster in Winooski that they first noticed on Memorial Day has jumped to 83 cases and expanded into neighbouring Burlington and other surrounding communities .
No hospitalizations or deaths have been reported .
“ It is kind of spreading pretty badly , ” said Kamal Pradhan , a Bhutanese American , who said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Bhutanese community who have been infected with COVID-19 .
Harka Khadka , a landlord and community organizer who lives in Winooski and is also from Bhutan , said several of his tenants from Africa also have been infected .
About 40 % of the cases have been in children .
As of Monday , only 17 % of those who tested positive showed any symptoms of COVID-19 , Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said .
Levine said the state ’ s efforts to contain the outbreak through aggressive testing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Clearly , boxing it in is having an impact , ” Levine said Monday during Republican Gov .
Phil Scott ’ s regular virus briefing .
But he wasn ’ t ready to declare the outbreak over .
“ It is something we are still watching day-to-day , ” Levine said .
“ It ’ s way too early , knowing the incubation period of the virus and the number of people who were involved , to just put a check mark and move on.
” Compared with larger states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But for several weeks before the Winooski outbreak , the number of new cases reported in Vermont was frequently in the low single digits , with occasional days with no positive cases .
Since late May , the number of deaths in Vermont from COVID-19 has stayed steady at 55 .
As some states have reopened , virus cases have spiked , but Levine said he didn ’ t believe Vermont ’ s opening led to the Winooski outbreak .
Vermont officials have said the outbreak was contained in “ one social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have declined to describe , and said spread also has occurred within households .
They see no reason to stop the state ’ s gradual reopening .
Contact tracing has been unable to identify the source of the Winooski infection .
“ We don ’ t have a definitive answer and likely never will on where that first case acquired their infection , ” Vermont Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso said last week .
Nationally , immigrant communities have been hit hard by the pandemic .
In some areas of the country , immigrants who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often live and sometimes work in crowded conditions have been especially impacted by the virus .
While the Vermont outbreak is tiny by comparison to neighbourhoods in New York City or communities near Boston that have suffered greatly , state health officials say many of the people infected in Winooski live in what are described as multi-generational households .
Winooski , with a population of about 7,300 in 1.4 square miles of land , describes itself as Vermont ’ s most diverse community — a place that ’ s home to many non-English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last year , the city proclaimed June 20 World Refugee Day , while recognizing its long history of welcoming refugees as new Americans .
Immigrants from Bhutan and Nepal and their advocates say language barriers and a need to work may have prevented some from staying home or knowing how best to prevent the spread or get tested .
Many are getting tested now .
Bhakta Pradhan , who owns the A & A Asian Market in Winooski where a lot of immigrants shop , said he ’ s worried about the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay his bills , said Kamal Pradhan , translating for the brother of his sister-in-law .
“ He ’ s concerned about the disease , the outbreak , but at the same time he doesn ’ t know what to do , how to survive , ” Kamal Pradhan said in a phone interview .
Some immigrant advocates have questioned whether enough outreach was done to the immigrant community before the outbreak .
They turned out at a press conference earlier this month in Winooski held by Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Levine said one of the prime foundations of public health is education and prevention .
Anyone who didn ’ t take the virus seriously enough is doing that now , Pradhan said .
“ I think this kind of event will initiate awareness seriously .
I think people will become serious after this one , ” he said .

Wilson Ring And Lisa Rathke - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--2 neo-Nazis on trial accused of killing German politician

BERLIN - A German court begin hearing the case Tuesday against two far-right extremists accused of killing a regional politician whose execution-style slaying shocked the country last year .
Walter Luebcke , a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel ’ s party who led the regional administration in the Kassel area of central Germany , was shot on his porch on June 1 , 2019 , and died later that night .
Stephan Ernst , a 46-year-old with previous convictions for violent anti-migrant crimes , is accused of murder , attempted murder , serious bodily harm and firearms offences .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ H. because of privacy rules , is charged with being an accessory to murder and breaking firearms laws .
Lines formed late Monday outside the Frankfurt regional court where the trial is taking place amid heightened security precautions .
Restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic mean only a small number of reporters and members of the public will be able to witness the trial .
Prosecutors say Ernst and Markus H. both attended an October 2015 town hall event where Luebcke defended the German government ’ s decision to allow hundreds of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of Luebcke ’ s remarks was widely shared in far-right circles , drawing numerous threats .
Federal prosecutor Dieter Killmer said Ernst was motivated by “ racism and xenophobia.
” Both suspects sought “ an ethnically and culturally homogenous society , ” said Killmer .
In January 2016 , Ernst allegedly stabbed an Iraqi asylum-seeker in the back , injuring the victim ’ s spine and severing two nerves .
Police only linked him to the racially-motivated stabbing after finding the knife used in his possession when he was arrested for Luebcke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovered numerous illegal firearms that Ernst had stored in various locations , including three revolvers , two pistols , two rifles and a submachine gun , as well as 1,400 bullets .
Ernst initially told investigators he carried out the killing alone , but later retracted this claim .
During the trial , Luebcke ’ s wife and two sons will be present as co-plaintiffs , as permitted by German law .
“ I am convinced that it was a cold-blooded , insidious , cowardly murder with vicious motives , “ Holger Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told reporters outside the court .
The German government vowed to crack down on far-right extremism following the Luebcke killing and other attacks last year , warning that it poses a significant security threat in the country .
The trial is scheduled to last until at least October .
Christoph Noelting in Frankfurt contributed to this report .

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thetorontostar--2020-06-16--‘Still scared’: Health workers feel the toll of virus fight

NEW YORK - Outside a back door to a hospital where the coronavirus hit like a hurricane , a half-dozen staffers gathered recently to look back , and look inward .
“ I am still scared , ” Dr. Gwen Hooley told her colleagues at Elmhurst Hospital , which was swamped with patients in late March as the virus rampaged through New York .
Physician ’ s assistant Diane Akhbari recalled her husband leaving food on the cellar stairs while she isolated herself for months for fear of infecting her family : “ I felt like an animal , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co-workers talked about how terrifying it felt early on , not knowing whether they ’ d have enough protective gear .
How one endured his own case of COVID-19 and others saw young and healthy people like themselves get critically sick .
How colleagues discussed drawing up wills .
And how haunting it is to think it may all happen again .
“ I feel like it ’ s a calm before a second storm , ” said Hooley , an emergency room physician who lost a relative to the virus .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the days when gasping patients arrived at Elmhurst nonstop , when ventilators ran low and deaths so high that a refrigerated morgue truck was stationed outside , have subsided .
Not necessarily the pain .
At Elmhurst and hospitals around the country , nurses , doctors and other health care workers are reckoning with the psychological toll of the virus fight , coupled with fears that the disease could flare anew later this year .
“ There ’ s this overarching feeling of ‘ Is the next shift going to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the waiting room again ?
’ ” said Dr. Samantha LeDonne , an ER physician .
“ You still can ’ t enjoy the calmness or feel like you ’ re at normal when you have that in the back of your head.
” Health care workers have been cheered as heroes in the virus crisis , and some have found the challenge and teamwork deeply meaningful .
But the work also has been exhausting and traumatic , even for people accustomed to a life-and-death job .
A study of 1,200 Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depression and 44 % reported signs of anxiety amid the coronavirus outbreak there .
The United Nations said frontline healthcare workers faced “ exceptional stress ” in the pandemic , and that ensuring their mental health is critical to the world ’ s recovery .
Calls to a colleague-to-colleague “ psychological first aid ” program in the Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins hospital system increased from a handful a week to scores , said program co-founder Dr. Albert Wu .
Taking calls and making rounds , volunteers spoke with 2,000 co-workers in 10 weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital staffers say they were broadsided by the sheer , shocking volume of serious illness and death .
As healers , they felt the pain of not being able to offer a cure , while pushing through their own concerns about contracting the virus .
They mourned relatives and colleagues and bore the weight of seeing patients suffer and die without the comfort of loved ones because of bans on visitors .
After six years as an intensive care nurse , Angelyn Bannor was conditioned to patients dying sometimes .
But “ this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I couldn ’ t handle it .
It ’ s not physical , but emotionally , it was very hard , ” said Bannor , who works at Metropolitan Hospital — like Elmhurst , a New York City public hospital that had a heavy coronavirus caseload .
She has looked for solace in prayer and in tearful phone sessions with colleagues .
For now , the virus ’ surge has given way to an uneasy quiet .
“ The adrenaline wore off a bit , and it was like , ‘ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” says Dr. Eric Wei , an ER physician who also oversees quality-improvement initiatives for city public hospitals .
“ We ’ re still in that grieving , recovery phase , but also , we know that time is critical before the next mini-surge or before the next peak.
” There ’ s nothing unusual about distress or anxiety following an upsetting experience , psychologists note .
Most people work through the feelings in a few weeks .
But there is concern that some who cared for COVID-19 patients may develop post-traumatic stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition .
Witnessing death and feeling exposed to life-threatening risk repeatedly in a single workday can have prolonged effects , said New York psychologist Paula Madrid .
She ’ s working with about two dozen health care professionals who are grappling with sleeplessness , edginess and other reactions to the pandemic .
She encourages them to see their experiences “ for what they really are , which is going through something that no one is really prepared for.
” Elmhurst staffers have been trying to help each other see that , too , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share thoughts at “ debrief ” sessions , like the recent one by the back door .
A special break room is staffed by a social worker and decorated with thank-you notes from around the country .
Another room quietly pays respects to several colleagues who died of the virus .
Some have taken initiative from loss .
After losing her father and a brother to the virus in her native Spain , pediatrician Dr. Pilar Gonzalez organized a hotline to help families of Elmhurst patients get updates on their infected loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or ready , to examine how the virus affected them , said Dr. Suzanne Bentley , an ER physician who helps lead Elmhurst ’ s efforts to foster emotional support among staffers .
“ There ’ s a certain fear that when you let that all out , you ’ re never going to be able to put that back in .
And the reality is : We still need to put on our brave faces and our clearest thoughts and deal with the remaining patients ... compounded with the fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But “ there ’ s so much power in just coming together and saying , ‘ I see you , and this is hard .
And you feel how you feel , and that is exactly how you should feel .
’ ”


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--France sends police reinforcements to Dijon to quell unrest

PARIS - The French government sent police reinforcements and a top official to the Dijon region to quell four nights of unusually violent clashes between rival groups that have left at least 10 injured and cars burned and rattled the community .
The reasons for the unrest are under investigation , but local officials say it appears linked to the drug trade and tensions between members of France ’ s Chechen community and other groups .
Similar clashes erupted in the Mediterranean city of Nice in recent days , which the mayor attributed to tensions over drug territory between local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people were reported injured there .
The unrest in Dijon ’ s Gresilles neighbourhood began last week after a teenager from France ’ s Chechen community was attacked by local drug dealers , according to local broadcaster France Bleu .
Members of the Chechen community called on social networks for revenge , and fighting broke out Friday .
After tensions continued through the weekend , the interior minister ordered police reinforcements to the area and announced Monday that the government would take over management of the situation .
Images from BFM television showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire Monday , black smoke rising over a leafy neighbourhood of low-rise apartment buildings .
Young people wearing hoods and masks carried metal bars or bats as they roamed the area , and a makeshift gasoline bomb in a plastic bottle lay on the pavement .
A police helicopter circled overhead , and a dozen police vans lined a nearby street as firefighters sought to douse the scattered blazes .
People looking out from nearby balconies covered their mouths from the smoke .
Unidentified local residents told BFM they felt abandoned by police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The local prefect , the top government official for the area , insisted in a statement that “ police guaranteed the respect of public order in a complex situation ” as they tried to cool tempers and contain the violence .
After the government sent reinforcements , junior minister Laurent Nunez visited the area Tuesday , and praised local police for their efforts .
The local administration says at least 10 people have been injured so far .
Graffiti on a nearby shopfront read “ Long Live Putin , ” in reference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military fought Chechen militants in two wars in the 1990s and early 2000s .
France offered asylum to many Chechens at the time , and there are now Chechen communities scattered around France .
The unrest comes amid tensions between French police and the government .
Amid protests around France over racial injustice and police brutality , the government said last week it would ban police from using chokeholds to subdue people .
But the government backed down Monday after police themselves protested .
France is experimenting with expanding the use of stun @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--US considers withholding aid to Jordan to force extradition

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is considering withholding aid to one of its closest Arab partners , Jordan , in a bid to secure the extradition of a woman convicted in Israel of a 2001 bombing that killed 15 people , including two American citizens..
The administration says it ’ s weighing “ all options ” to press Jordan to extradite Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi , who is wanted by the U.S. on a charge of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against American nationals .
The charge was filed under seal in 2013 and announced by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extradition issue is likely to be raised this week when Jordan ’ s King Abdullah II speaks to several congressional committees to voice his opposition to Israel ’ s plans to annex portions of the West Bank .
Al-Tamimi is on the FBI ’ s list of “ most wanted terrorists ” for her role in the suicide bombing at a crowded Jerusalem pizzeria .
It was one of the deadliest attacks during the second Palestinian uprising .
She has lived freely in Jordan since Israel released her in a 2011 prisoner swap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities have rebuffed U.S. requests to turn her over , despite an extradition treaty .
Jordan has a large Palestinian population and it ’ s unclear if a threat over aid would cause it to rethink its position .
Ahead of King Abdullah ’ s video congressional appearances , scheduled for Wednesday with the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees , the State Department said that billions of dollars of foreign assistance to Jordan could be used as leverage to get Jordanian authorities to extradite al-Tamimi .
The threat came in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Jordan , Henry Wooster , to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in response to questions posed by Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas .
“ The United States has multiple options and different types of leverage to secure Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi ’ s extradition , ” Wooster wrote .
“ We will continue to engage Jordanian officials at all levels not only on this issue , but also on the extradition treaty more broadly .
U.S. generosity to Jordan in Foreign Military Financing as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is carefully calibrated to protect and advance the range of U.S. interests in Jordan and in the region.
” Asked specifically if aid to Jordan would be part of that leverage in the Tamimi case , Wooster replied : “ If confirmed , I would explore all options to bring Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi to justice , secure her extradition , and address the broader issues associated with the extradition treaty.
” Wooster ’ s responses to the questions were obtained by The Associated Press .
The reference to aid in Wooster ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration , and the Obama administration before it , had taken a low-key approach to Tamimi , bringing it up in private conversations with Jordanian officials but shying away from a public fight with a rare Arab country that recognizes Israel and has been a dependable source of intelligence information about the region , including in neighbouring Syria .
The U.S. has long been a major provider of aid to Jordan .
In early 2018 , the Trump administration signed a five-year , $ 6.4 billion aid agreement with Jordan that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 275 million to $ 1.3 billion .
That boost “ highlights the pivotal role Jordan plays in helping foster and safeguard regional stability and supports U.S. objectives such as the global campaign to defeat ISIS , counter-terrorism co-operation and economic development , ” the State Department said then .
Al-Tamimi was arrested by Israel weeks after the bombing and sentenced to 16 life terms but released in the 2011 Israel-Hamas prisoner swap and moved to Jordan .
She has made frequent media appearances , expressing no remorse for the attack and saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll .
Among the victims of the attack was Malka Roth , a 15-year-old Israeli-American girl , whose father , Arnold Roth , has led a campaign seeking al-Tamimi ’ s extradition .
In an interview Monday , Roth said his attempts to speak to Jordanian officials , including a letter sent to the ambassador in Washington last year , have been ignored .
“ The Jordanians have been egregiously rude and unhelpful in every possible way which we ’ ve tried to engage with them , ” he said .
Roth said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of Congress , citing an April 30 letter signed by seven Republican lawmakers to Jordan ’ s ambassador seeking al-Tamimi ’ s extradition .
“ My wife and I have been battling since February 2012 to see the United States charge , extradite and prosecute this horrifying fugitive from justice who proudly boasts of murdering so many children , ” he said .
The blast at the Sbarro restaurant in downtown Jerusalem went off on the afternoon of Aug. 9 , 2001 .
The assailant detonated explosives hidden in a guitar case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were seven between the ages of 2 and 16 , and scores were wounded .
Al-Tamimi , a Hamas activist who chose the target and guided the bomber there , said in a 2017 interview with the AP that Palestinians have a right to resist Israeli rule by any means .
In 2017 , Jordan ’ s high court ruled she could not be extradited , reportedly saying the 1995 extradition treaty had not been ratified .
She has also claimed the U.S. has no right to charge her because she was already @ @ @ @ @ @

Matthew Lee And Josef Federman - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--EU transport ‘megaprojects’ are behind schedule, over budget

BRUSSELS - The European Union ’ s external auditor says poor co-ordination between member states is severely delaying the development of transports projects worth billions euros aimed at improving connections between national networks across the continent .
To facilitate transit , boost the bloc ’ s economy and develop greener transport modes , the EU ’ s member states agreed in 2013 to have the development of a core network ready by 2030 , along nine identified major corridors .
But according to a report released Tuesday by the European Court of Auditors , six of the eight projects that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully functional by that deadline .
The auditors focused on the construction of eight so-called “ megaprojects “ including four railways , one motorway , one waterway and two multi-mode connections worth 54 billion euros ( $ 61.2 billion ) - including 7.5 billion euros ( $ 8.5 billion ) from the EU - linking the transport networks of 13 countries .
They came to the conclusion that all them were delayed on average by 11 years .
They said that “ inefficient implementation “ as well as changes in the design of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cost to rise by more than 47 % , or 17 billion euros ( $ 19.2 billion ) .
In Romania , for example , one stretch of a new motorway was unused and two sections wrongly connected , wasting the investment , the auditors said .
According to the auditors , the main problem is a lack of co-ordination between countries that don ’ t share the same investment priorities .
They also said EU countries were potentially over-optimistic in their initial forecasts , and warned that some projects could turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of the high speed railway project between Turin , Italy , and Lyon , France , audit co-ordinator Oskar Herics told journalists that forecasts for freight traffic to grow eight-fold by 2025 have been likely overestimated .
“ Timely establishment of the core ( transport ) corridors is critical to the achievement of EU policy goals , supporting growth and jobs and tackling climate change , “ Herics said .
“ Additional efforts should be made to speed up the finalisation of many of the EU ’ s flagship transport megaprojects.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission , the bloc ’ s executive arm , had not done enough to ensure that the goals would be enforced in member countries .
According to the auditors , the Commission has already paid 3.4 billion euros out of the EU money made available for the projects , In its response to the report , the Commission acknowledged there is a high risk some of the projects will not operate at full capacity by 2030 , but that most of them will be operational by that time .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--India says 3 soldiers killed in standoff with Chinese troops

SRINAGAR , India - At least three Indian soldiers , including a senior army officer , were killed in a confrontation with Chinese troops along their disputed border high in the Himalayas where thousands of soldiers on both sides have been facing off for over a month , the Indian army said Tuesday .
The incident — in which neither side fired any shots , according to Indian officials — is the first deadly confrontation between the two Asian giants since 1975 .
The Indian army said in a statement that a “ violent faceoff ” took place in Galwan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , “ with casualties on both sides.
” “ The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers , ” the statement said .
“ Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation.
” China , for its part , accused Indian forces along the border of carrying out “ provocative attacks ” on its troops , leading to “ serious physical conflicts ” between the sides .
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian gave no details on any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Tuesday that China had strongly protested the incident while still being committed to maintaining “ peace and tranquility ” along the disputed and heavily militarized border .
“ But what is shocking is that on June 15 , the Indian troops seriously violated the consensus of the two sides , crossed the border illegally twice and carried out provocative attacks on Chinese personnel , resulting in serious physical conflicts between the two border forces , ” Zhao said .
Thousands of soldiers from the two countries , backed by armoured trucks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few hundred meters ( yards ) apart for more than a month in the Ladakh region near Tibet .
Army officers and diplomats have held a series of meetings to try to end the impasse , with no breakthrough .
Indian authorities have officially maintained near-total silence on the issues related to the confrontation , and it was not immediately clear how the three Indian soldiers died .
But two Indian security officials familiar with latest developments told The Associated Press that soldiers from the two sides engaged in fistfights and stone-throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both maintained that no shots were fired by either side .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with government regulations .
The tense standoff started in early May , when Indian officials said that Chinese soldiers crossed the boundary in Ladakh at three different points , erecting tents and guard posts and ignoring verbal warnings to leave .
That triggered shouting matches , stone-throwing and fistfights , much of it replayed on television news channels and social media .
China has sought to downplay the confrontation while saying the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military units and their respective embassies to resolve issues .
The disputed border covers nearly 3,500 kilometres ( 2,175 miles ) of frontier that the two countries call the Line of Actual Control .
Though skirmishes aren ’ t new along the disputed frontier , the standoff at Ladakh ’ s Galwan Valley , where India is building a strategic road connecting the region to an airstrip close to China , has escalated in recent weeks .
India and China fought a border war in 1962 that also spilled into Ladakh .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their border dispute since the early 1990s without success .
Since then , soldiers from the two sides have frequently faced off along their long frontier that stretches from Ladakh in the north to the Indian state of Sikkim in the northeast .
The Indian army statement said the “ violent faceoff ” occurred “ during the deescalation process underway in the Galwan Valley .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Hong Kong leader urges people not to ‘demonize’ security law

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday that she hopes opponents of a new national security law being imposed by China do not “ demonize and stigmatize ” the legislation because doing so would mean pitting themselves against residents of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory .
“ The people of Hong Kong want to see stability again , they want a safe environment where they can work and live , ” Lam told reporters .
She said people were “ sick and tired ” of violence in Hong Kong and intervention by foreign forces in the city .
China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enact a national security law in Hong Kong , aimed at curbing subversive , secessionist , terrorist and foreign intervention activities in the city following months of anti-government protests last year .
“ We are part of the People ’ s Republic of China , but we don ’ t have a mechanism to protect national security , ” Lam said .
“ This is a risk not just to over 7 million people in Hong Kong , it ’ s also a risk to 1.4 billion people in the country.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week by the Standing Committee of the National People ’ s Congress , which exercises legislative power in China .
The law is not on the meeting ’ s agenda , but Hong Kong delegate Tam Yiu Chung said in an interview Monday that items could be added .
Critics consider the imminent legislation an attack on the “ one country , two systems ” framework in which China promised Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy and freedoms not found on the mainland when the former British colony was returned to Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law will be used to curb any dissent in Hong Kong .
Details about the law have not been disclosed , though Lam said the specifics will be established .
She said people “ don ’ t need to worry ” about this because at the end of the day , it is for Hong Kong ’ s authorities to enforce the law.
“ “ Please accept and understand why we have to do it , ” she said .
“ The only purpose of this task is to protect Hong Kong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had subsiding during coronavirus restrictions , but have returned to the city in recent weeks , even though social distancing measures remain in place .
Lam said Hong Kong will relax its measures gradually .
“ It would be risky if we completely lift the measures , “ she said .
“ In recent times in some cities such as Beijing , we have seen imported cases and some countries have seen an influx of cases after relaxing measures.
” Hong Kong ’ s secretary for food and health , Sophia Chan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings will be relaxed from eight to 50 people .
Restaurants will no longer be limited by capacity .
For establishments such as bars and karaoke lounges , the maximum number of guests per table will be doubled from eight to 16 .
“ The relaxation is made in light of the easing of the epidemic .
We also realize that certain activities must resume , ” said Chan , who stressed that there was “ no political consideration ” involved in limiting the number of people allowed in public gatherings .
Separately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered in a shopping mall in the city ’ s Causeway Bay shopping district despite heavy riot police presence , shouting slogans and holding up flags that said “ Liberate Hong Kong , Revolution of our times.
” Police stopped and searched several people near Victoria Park , where protests were initially supposed to take place but were later cancelled .
They did not appear to make any arrests .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Shake Shack ‘horrified’ officers’ drinks may have had bleach

New York City police determined there was no criminality by Shake Shack employees after three officers drank milkshakes believed to @ @ @ @ @ Police came to the determination after “ a thorough investigation , ” NYPD Chief of @ @ @ @ @ a tweet early Tuesday .
The officers had been assigned to work at a protest @ @ @ @ @ they stopped at the restaurant for a meal , The New York Patrolman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ statement .
The officers determined “ a toxic substance , believed to be bleach , @ @ @ @ @ beverages , the statement said .
The officers went to a hospital for treatment but @ @ @ @ @ , The Detectives ’ Endowment Association stated .
Shake Shack tweeted that it was “ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged contamination .
The restaurant chain said it was working with police in the @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and world have been called to watch over protests sparked by the death of @ @ @ @ @ custody on May 25 .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Mexico records 3rd highest daily death numbers

MEXICO CITY - Even as Mexico announced plans for reopening churches and religious events , the country posted near-record numbers of newly confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday .
The Health Department reported that confirmed cases rose by 4,599 , the second-highest daily increase to date , to reach an accumulated total of 154,863 .
Deaths rose by 730 , the third-highest daily confirmation number , after one-day increases of 1,092 and 816 earlier this month .
Those death tolls rivaled those of the United States .
Both case and death total — which now stands at 18,310 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does very little testing .
Health care professionals now account for about 24 % of Mexico ’ s cases ; 32,388 doctors , nurses and technicians have been infected , and 463 have died .
Health officials acknowledged Mexico is on a plateau , with sustained rates of transmission and deaths , with few if any signs of a decrease .
Despite that , business are beginning to reopen after mandatory lockdowns due to the coronavirus .
On Tuesday , the Interior Department published guidelines for reopening religious activities and churches , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the country , churches will be allowed to open at 25 % of capacity ; once case numbers and hospital saturation and other indicators fall , that capacity will be allowed to rise to 50 % .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--18 people arrested over quarantine remain jailed in Hawaii

HONOLULU - Most of the 21 people who call themselves a misunderstood , nature-loving family , remained jailed Tuesday over allegedly violating Hawaii ’ s traveller quarantine , even after they agreed to return to Los Angeles .
Eligio Bishop , leader of the group known as Carbon Nation , was released with two others Monday after he pleaded no contest to violating Hawaii ’ s quarantine , which is meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the islands .
After their release , they caught a flight to Los Angeles , but Bishop told The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining “ family ” to join him .
“ I ’ m outside , but my people are not .
My family is not .
My family is still stuck in those cells , ” he said .
The 18 others will be released soon , after all their paperwork and discussions with their attorneys are finalized , Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth said .
“ We are working on everyone else , ” he said .
“ They should be out by the end of the week.
” Bishop and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 8 .
On the 8th , Bishop and others were seen at a beach , where Bishop petted a sea turtle , police said .
“ I definitely didn ’ t know that wasn ’ t allowed .
Never seen a turtle before that big , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve never seen a turtle just free in the ocean.
” All travellers — tourists and residents — arriving in Hawaii must obey a mandatory 14-day quarantine , which doesn ’ t allow people to leave a hotel room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergencies .
As of Tuesday , 740 people have tested positive for coronavirus and 17 people have died , according to Hawaii ’ s Department of Health .
Bishop said they weren ’ t aware Hawaii officials were serious about the quarantine , even though he and others signed documents at the airport saying they acknowledged the quarantine order .
“ So , honest mistake because we were all under the impression that it was just like everywhere else in the states where it ’ s not that serious.
” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ around.
” Bishop says he is often described as cult leader , but he said the distinction surprises him .
“ The first time I heard that , I thought it was kind of cool , ” he said .
“ Me ?
A black man , a cult leader ?
I ’ m from the hood.
” They have been misunderstood everywhere they have lived , including Costa Rica , he said .
“ We ’ re a group of African Americans that are protesting our conditions by leaving them , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us look crazy on the internet.
” Carbon Nation members follow a vegan diet and believe — among other things — that all people are different shades of brown , member Kendra Carter said Monday .
Police decided not to arrest Carter and another woman so they could remain with their children without involving child protective services .
The group travelled to Hawaii seeking nature , Carter said .
They planned to make Hawaii their home , until they started getting death threats , she said .
“ My daughter and my wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to an Airbnb rental property where group members were staying and where people were making threats .
“ And I was like , I was so afraid for their lives because you just don ’ t know what people are going to do.
” So they left Hawaii before Bishop ’ s release .
Jessica Lani Rich , president of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii , which helps tourists , said she ’ s hoping to get the remaining 18 on the same flight out .
A grant is funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break quarantine , she said .
Her organization was busy handling logistical details including luggage and making sure they get their IDs from authorities .
“ It ’ s aloha oe to the Carbon Nation , “ she said , using a common Hawaiian farewell .

Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Florida man fined for illegally killing black bear in Alaska

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - A Florida man has been fined $ 8,000 for illegally killing a black bear in Alaska ’ s Kenai National Wildlife Refuge .
U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble on Monday fined James L. Connolly , 63 , of St. Petersburg , Florida .
Connolly was also ordered to forfeit the bear hide and serve two years of probation , during which he is not allowed to hunt anywhere in the United States .
Connolly previously pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Lacey Act , according to a release from Alaska U.S. Attorney Bryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and killed the black bear in the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area inside the national refuge on May 17 , 2018 , according to court documents .
He then took the carcass to a tannery in California , which shipped it to Connolly in Florida .
Law enforcement officials matched DNA taken at the kill site to samples taken from the bear Connolly had in Florida .
Scoble called Connolly ’ s actions “ abhorrent , ” especially since he travelled to Alaska with the intent to hunt and kill a wild animal without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legally take an animal , according to the release .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Officer points gun at black teens in video; police explain

ATLANTA - A video showing an officer in a community near Atlanta pointing a gun at group of teenagers has gone viral , with viewers voicing their disdain for the officer ’ s behaviour .
The video starts in the middle of the incident and shows a Clayton County police officer pointing a gun at five black teenagers , while a crowd pleads with him to put the gun down .
The ages of the teens weren ’ t immediately released .
Police said they received a call Monday night from a gas station clerk stating teens were inside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gun , news outlets reported .
Another caller said the teens left the store and were in the parking lot playing with a gun and fighting .
Police said the officer located the group of teens described by the clerk and he pulled out his gun because of reports that they were armed .
In the video , the officer tells bystanders that it ’ s “ one against five “ and that he had his gun out because “ he was being safe.
” Unidentified voices in the video could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What did they do ?
” Another voice cries , “ This is too much .
They babies.
” Body camera footage shows the officer talking to the teens , instructing them to stay still so “ no one gets hurt.
” He also tells them not to pay attention to the crowd .
When backup arrives , police patted the teens down and brought them back to the store .
Police said surveillance video from the store showed the teens playing with a gun .
The teens told police it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The gun was found and police said it resembled a live semi-automatic pistol .
The teens weren ’ t charged nor were they taken into custody .
In a news conference Tuesday , residents were joined by rapper Clifford “ T.I.
“ Harris as they called for the officer ’ s firing .
T.I .
asked , “ Why don ’ t we ever see little white kids being held a gunpoint ?
Period .
The constitution was written for all Americans except it seems like you only have to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reap the benefits.
“ The incident comes days after Rayshard Brooks , a black man , was fatally shot by a white Atlanta police officer .
“ It ’ s very clear that our police officers are to be guardians and not warriors within our communities , ” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Monday in announcing she will require officers to continuously undergo de-escalation training .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Police tactics to be reviewed following Albuquerque protest

ALBUQUERQUE , N.M. - Police in Albuquerque were being criticized Tuesday for not stepping in sooner as a protest over a statue of a Spanish conquistador erupted in violence , leaving one man hospitalized with gunshot wounds .
Police units that had been monitoring the protest moved in minutes after the shooting and used tear gas and rubber bullets as they took the suspect into custody and aided the man who was shot .
But some witnesses say things started to escalate long before the shooting as protesters surrounded the statue and a group of armed men who were trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chain around the statue of Juan de Oñate and began tugging on it while chanting : “ Tear it down.
” One protester swung a pickax at the base of the statue .
The shots were fired in the street nearby , and protesters scrambled after hearing the gunfire .
Stephen Ray Baca , 31 , was arrested and jailed on suspicion of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon .
Baca was once a candidate for the Albuquerque City Council and is the son of a former Bernalillo County sheriff .
Baca had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statue when protesters “ appeared to maliciously pursue him , ” according to a criminal complaint .
Video posted on social media showed protesters hitting Baca with a skateboard , punching him and chasing him before he opened fire .
Mayor Tim Keller said during a news conference that Baca appeared to be “ agitating at the protest well before this shooting took place.
“ The mayor pointed to a video that showed Baca throwing a woman to the ground and said investigators were still interviewing witnesses , reviewing video and working on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It wasn ’ t clear what precipitated the interaction with Baca and the woman .
Keller said the investigation was being turned over to New Mexico State Police and the tactics used by police would be reviewed .
“ I want to be clear that this investigation will continue .
It will be independent and all these facts will be brought to light , ” he said .
The mayor also announced that the Oñate statue was removed Tuesday afternoon and placed into temporary storage given the city ’ s concerns over public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced plans to convene a council to consider the next steps for the piece of public art .
Oñate statues and other references to the Spanish conquistador have been sources of criticism for decades .
Oñate , who arrived in New Mexico in 1598 , is celebrated as a cultural father figure in communities along the Upper Rio Grande that trace their ancestry to Spanish settlers .
But he ’ s also reviled for his brutality among Native Americans .
The Albuquerque Journal reports members of the New Mexico Civil Guard , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect the statue but protesters still tried to pull it down .
Police could not say if Baca had any connection to the group .
He was dressed differently than members , some of whom wore camouflage , had tactical equipment and carried long guns .
Still , Keller said he was concerned about the group and used the incident to call on state lawmakers to consider gun control measures during their next session , specifically a possible amendment to the state Constitution that would give cities the power to regulate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Councilor Pat Davis said he ’ s concerned about the decisions made before and during the prayer vigil and subsequent protest outside the museum , saying at least three different groups with different agendas were allowed to converge and antagonize each other unimpeded .
“ Those charged with making decisions about engagement have put our officers in the impossible situation of protecting the rights of conflicting protesters while not intervening to prevent the inevitable conflicts , ” he said .
“ At its core , policing is about protecting life and property .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on both counts last night.
” The man who was shot , Scott Williams , suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso , according to the criminal complaint .
The violence came hours after activists in northern New Mexico celebrated the removal of another likeness of Oñate that was on public display at a cultural centre in Alcalde .
Rio Arriba County officials removed it to safeguard it from possible damage and to avoid civil unrest ahead of a scheduled protest .
Associated Press writer Paul Davenport in Phoenix contributed to this report @

Susan Montoya Bryan And Russell Contreras - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Testing tradition, Trump taps US official to lead Latin bank

MIAMI - The Trump administration said Tuesday it plans to nominate the top White House official for Latin America to lead the Inter-American Development Bank , aiming to break a six-decade tradition of choosing the bank ’ s leadership from candidates in that region .
The Treasury Department said Mauricio Claver-Carone could provide unique leadership that will help Latin America and the Caribbean overcome the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic , which threatens to plunge the region into one of its worst economic crises in decades .
“ The IDB is at a critical juncture as the region faces growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly in light of the global pandemic , ” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement .
Since its founding in 1959 , the Washington-based development bank has always been led by someone from Latin America .
The current head , Colombia ’ s Luis Alberto Moreno , is preparing to step down after 15 years following elections for his replacement scheduled for September .
Claver-Carone , now the National Security Council ’ s senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs , is the main architect of the Trump administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and leftist allies Cuba and Nicaragua — what his one-time boss , former National Security Adviser John Bolton , called the “ troika of tyranny.
” In an interview , Claver-Carone , a Cuban-American attorney , said that in recent weeks , several presidents and officials in the region with whom he is in daily contact urged him to take the exceptional step of running for the bank ’ s top job because they want the U.S. to help mobilize capital and investment so the region recovers swiftly from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one complaint forever with IDB is that the U.S. didn ’ t care enough about the IDB , that the U.S. doesn ’ t pay attention , ” he said .
“ In the Trump administration we ’ re changing that.
” If elected , Claver-Carone said he would serve a single five-year term .
He also vowed to reform the bank to impose term limits for all future presidents to reflect the region ’ s own evolving democratic norms .
“ One tradition people don ’ t talk about is that for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidents , ” he said .
“ These 15- , 20-year presidencies have to end.
” As the bank ’ s biggest shareholder , the U.S. has traditionally led from behind , with a de facto veto over major decisions and a reserved seat for an American as the bank ’ s powerful executive vice-president .
The administration of President Donald Trump quietly put forward Claver-Carone for the bank ’ s No .
2 job early this year but his name was rejected by Moreno , who saw his sometimes hard-line policies at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission , said a person familiar with the situation .
The person agreed to talk about the situation on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivities surrounding the U.S. nomination .
A former bank official , who also insisted on anonymity , said , “ The question is : Will Brazil , Mexico and Argentina roll over for Trump ?
“ While nobody has been formally nominated yet to succeed Moreno , several governments have informally floated candidates including former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla and Argentina ’ s Gustavo Belíz .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the backing of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , the staunchest Trump ally in the region .
He said more than a dozen other countries have privately pledged their support although so far only Ecuador has done so publicly .
Backing from Brazil would give Claver-Carone candidacy a big boost .
Voting is proportional based on each of the 48 member countries ’ shareholding power .
The U.S. has 30 % of the votes and would need the support of 15 of the 26 borrowing countries .
Claver-Carone previously served as the U.S. executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also held a senior position at the Treasury Department .
At the White House since 2018 , he also spearheaded a program , Growth in the Americas , to support economic development in energy and infrastructure projects across the region .
He says he feels best known for “ taking on bad guys.
“ Foremost among them is Maduro , who the U.S. has been seeking unsuccessfully to remove for 17 months through sanctions , criminal indictments and the recognition of Juan Guaidó the head of the opposition-controlled congress , as Venezuela ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Claver-Carone played a key role in getting the bank to cancel its annual meeting in China after Beijing refused to allow a Guaidó representative to attend .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Trump administration sues to delay release of Bolton book

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration sued former national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday to delay the publication of a book that the White House says contains classified information and that is expected to paint an unfavourable portrait of the president ’ s foreign policy decision-making .
The civil lawsuit in Washington ’ s federal court follows warnings from President Donald Trump that Bolton could face a “ criminal problem “ if he doesn ’ t halt plans to publish the book , which is scheduled for release next week .
The complaint is the latest salvo in a contentious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was abruptly forced from the White House in January after repeated disagreements on national security matters .
It moves their rift into court , where a judge will be asked to decide whether Bolton short-circuited proper procedures to get his book on the market — something his lawyer and publisher have strongly denied .
His publisher , Simon & Schuster , called the lawsuit “ nothing more than the latest in a long running series of efforts by the administration to quash publication of a book it deems unflattering to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday evening that Bolton had worked with White House officials to address their concerns , and that it “ fully supports his First Amendment right ” to tell his story .
Similarly , Bolton ’ s attorney , Chuck Cooper , has said Bolton worked for months with classification specialists to avoid releasing classified material .
He has accused the White House of using national security information as a pretext to censor Bolton .
In its lawsuit , the Justice Department administration contends that the former adviser did not complete a pre-publication review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain classified material .
It requests that a federal court order Bolton to “ instruct or request ” that his publisher further delay publication of the book to allow for a completion of the national security review process and to “ retrieve and dispose ” of existing copies in a manner acceptable to the government .
The Justice Department also is asking a federal court to grant it the rights to all proceeds Bolton earns from the publication of the book .
In its lawsuit , the Justice Department argues that Bolton ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into possession of some of the most sensitive classified information that exists in the U.S. government.
” Officials said Bolton ’ s manuscript was more than 500 pages and was “ rife with classified information , which he proposed to release to the world.
” The book contained “ significant quantities of classified information that it asked Defendant to remove , ” the filing says .
“ The United States is not seeking to censor any legitimate aspect of Defendant ’ s manuscript ; it merely seeks an order requiring Defendant to complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all steps necessary to ensure that only a manuscript that has been officially authorized through that process — and is thus free of classified information — is disseminated publicly , “ the lawsuit says .
Bolton ’ s book , “ The Room Where It Happened : A White House Memoir , ” was supposed to be released in March .
Its release date was twice delayed and it is now set to be released next week by Simon & Schuster .
“ Bolton covers an array of topics — chaos in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessments of major players , the president ’ s inconsistent , scattershot decision-making process , and his dealings with allies and enemies alike , from China , Russia , Ukraine , North Korea , Iran , the United Kingdom , France , and Germany , ” according to the publisher .
“ I am hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my tenure that wasn ’ t driven by reelection calculations , ” Bolton writes in the book , according to a news release from the publisher .
The book has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news broke during Trump ’ s impeachment trial that the manuscript offered a vivid account of the president ’ s efforts to withhold military aid from Ukraine in exchange for the country assisting with investigations into Trump ’ s political rival Joe Biden .
Those allegations formed the crux of the impeachment case , which ended with the president ’ s Senate acquittal in February .
Cooper did not immediately return an email seeking comment on the lawsuit .
He has previously said that he sent Bolton ’ s manuscript to White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that Knight and Bolton spent nearly four months going through the nearly 500-page book multiple times , “ often line by line.
” According to the lawsuit , Knight completed her review in late April and determined that the manuscript did not contain classified information .
But early the next month , Michael Ellis , a senior National Security Council official , began an additional review of the manuscript and found classified information in it , the lawsuit says .
The review was still ongoing earlier this month when media reports revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his book .
In a statement Tuesday , the American Civil Liberties Union said the lawsuit is “ doomed to fail.
” Ben Wizner , the director of the organization ’ s speech , technology and privacy project , said the Supreme Court had rejected a half-century ago the Nixon administration ’ s efforts to block the release of the Pentagon Papers , and said it is well-established that prior restraints on publication are unconstitutional .
“ As usual , the government ’ s threats have nothing to do with safeguarding national security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal and embarrassment , “ Wizner said .
Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo , Zeke Miller and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--CIA unit that crafts hacking tools didn’t protect itself

WASHINGTON - A specialized CIA unit that developed sophisticated hacking tools and cyber weapons didn ’ t do enough to protect its own operations and wasn ’ t prepared to adequately respond when the secrets were stolen , according to an internal report prepared after the worst data loss in the intelligence agency ’ s history .
“ These shortcomings were emblematic of a culture that evolved over years that too often prioritized creativity and collaboration at the expense of security , ” according to the report , which raises questions about cybersecurity practices inside U.S. intelligence agencies .
Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of the Senate Intelligence Committee , obtained the redacted report from the Justice Department after it was introduced as evidence in a court case this year involving the stolen CIA hacking tools .
He released it on Tuesday along with a letter he wrote to new national intelligence director John Ratcliffe , asking him to explain what steps he ’ s taking to protect the nation ’ s secrets held by federal intelligence agencies .
The October 2017 report , whose findings were first reported by The Washington Post , examined the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools the CIA had developed to hack into the networks of adversaries .
The document is dated months after WikiLeaks announced that it had acquired tools created by the CIA ’ s specialized Center for Cyber Intelligence .
The anti-secrecy website published comprehensive descriptions of 35 tools , including internal CIA documents associated with them , according to the report .
The report describes the spring 2016 theft as the largest data loss in agency history — compromising at least 180 gigabytes to as much as 34 terabytes of information , or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pages in Microsoft Word .
The agency did not realize the loss had occurred until the WikiLeaks announcement a year later , the report said .
As officials scrambled to pinpoint who was responsible , they ultimately identified as a prime suspect a CIA software engineer who they said had left the agency on stormy terms after falling out with colleagues and supervisors and had acted out of revenge .
The former employee , Joshua Schulte , was charged by the Justice Department with stealing the material and transmitting it to WikiLeaks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and convicted him in March of more minor charges after a trial in Manhattan .
The CIA report revealed lax cybersecurity measures by the specialized unit and the niche information technology systems that it relies upon , which is separate from the systems more broadly used by everyday agency employees .
The report says that because the stolen data was on a system that lacked user activity monitoring , it was not detected until WikiLeaks announced it in March 2017 .
“ Had the data been stolen for the benefit of a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still be unaware of the loss ” the report says .
The report , prepared by the CIA ’ s WikiLeaks Task Force , suggests the CIA should have been better prepared in light of devastating data breaches at other intelligence agencies .
The hacking tools compromise occurred about three years after Edward Snowden , a former contractor for the National Security Agency , confiscated classified information about the NSA ’ s surveillance operations , and disclosed it .
“ CIA has moved too slowly to put in place the safeguards that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other U.S. Government agencies , ” the report said .
Among the problems the report identified : sensitive cyber weapons were not compartmented , passwords were shared and users had indefinite access to historical data .
CIA spokesman Timothy Barrett declined to comment on the report ’ s findings , but said the “ CIA works to incorporate best-in-class technologies to keep ahead of and defend against ever-evolving threats.
” Sean Roche , a former associate deputy director for digital innovation at the CIA who testified at the Schulte trial , said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one of its networks , “ to say that the people at the CIA don ’ t take security seriously is not accurate .
It ’ s completely inaccurate.
” Speaking Tuesday at a webinar hosted by the Cipher Brief , an online newsletter that focuses on intelligence , Roche likened the task force report to an after-accident report by the National Transportation Safety Board .
“ This broke .
This is what happened , ” Roche said .
“ We need to make sure this doesn ’ t happen again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an organization that doesn ’ t have a public eye into what it ’ s doing ?
” The disclosure of the hacking tools featured prominently in Shulte ’ s trial , with prosecutors portraying him as a disgruntled software engineer who exploited a little-known back-door in a CIA network to copy the hacking arsenal without raising suspicion .
“ These leaks were devastating to national security , ” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Laroche told jurors .
“ The CIA ’ s cyber tools were gone in an instant .
Intelligence gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defence attorney Sabrina Shroff argued that investigators could not be sure who took the data because the CIA network in question “ was the farthest thing from being secure ” and could be accessed by hundreds of people .
Ultimately , Schulte was convicted of contempt of court and making false statements after a four-week trial .
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the more significant charges .

Deb Riechmann And Eric Tucker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Pablo Escobar’s crime partner freed in US, goes to Berlin

MIAMI - Pablo Escobar ’ s crime partner and one of Colombia ’ s pioneering “ cocaine cowboys ” has been released after a long prison sentence in the U.S. and been deported to Germany , his lawyer said Tuesday .
Carlos Lehder left on a flight for his new home in Berlin on Monday after being released from a U.S. prison in Florida , where he had been held as part of the government ’ s witness protection program , attorney Oscar Arroyave told The Associated Press .
Lehder , 70 , was one of the leaders with Escobar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global cocaine trade in the 1980s .
At the same time an admirer of both John Lennon and Adolf Hitler , Lehder is portrayed in the Netflix series “ Narcos ” as a wild , womanizing criminal who set up a transit point for cocaine-laden aircraft on a private island , Norman ’ s Cay , a few hundred miles off the coast of Florida in the Bahamas .
His extradition to the U.S. in 1987 kicked off a period of intense U.S. targeting of Colombian narcos , who at the nadir of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bribe and threaten their way out of prosecution in the South American country .
Escobar , his partner turned rival , never saw a U.S. jail cell , dying in a shootout with police in Medellin in 1993 .
But thousands of Colombian drug traffickers have since gone to U.S. prisons , many of them serving far less time than Lehder .
Arroyave , who didn ’ t represent Lehder at the time of his arrest , said federal sentencing guidelines make it very costly for defendants who fight charges and lose in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drug trafficking goes to trial in the U.S. anymore , ” said Arroyave , who said he plans to travel soon to Berlin to share a celebratory beer with his client after such a long ordeal .
“ Had he pled guilty , he would ’ ve been home 15 years ago .
In today ’ s world , there are drug traffickers far bigger that Carlos Lehder who pay five to six years.
“ Lehder was originally sentenced to 135 years plus life , but after agreeing to testify against former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had his sentence reduced to 55 years .
Lehder acquired German citizenship through his father , an immigrant to Colombia .
Arroyave said Lehder has no interest in returning to Colombia and German authorities provided assistance in allowing him to resettle in his adopted homeland .
“ He was always crazy but he was also very smart , ” said Richard Gregorie , a former U.S attorney in Miami who indicted Noriega and several other Colombian drug traffickers close to Lehder .
“ He ’ s old but I wonder much craziness he @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Army Reserve commander suspended amid investigation

MADISON , Wis. - The U.S. Army Reserve suspended the commander of an Illinois-based unit Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that unit officers mishandled sexual misconduct complaints and retaliated against a whistleblower .
Lt. Gen. Charles Luckey , commanding general of the Army Reserve Command , announced in a statement that he has suspended the 416th Theater Engineering Command ’ s commander .
The statement didn ’ t identify the commander by name , but the unit ’ s website lists Maj. Gen. Miyako Schanley as its leader .
According to Schanley ’ s biography , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transitioned to the reserves in 1993 and held command positions with units at Fort Drum , Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Dix as well as in Syracuse , New York .
She also serves as the executive director of the State University of New York North Country Consortium , a partnership of six SUNY campuses that works to bring college degree programs to Fort Drum .
Luckey said in his statement that such suspensions are routine during ongoing investigations .
He added , however , that a “ number of potentially adverse findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He did not elaborate or name the officers , saying only that the officers will be entitled to free legal representation as they draft their responses .
“ The Army is committed to preventing sexual harassment and sexual assault , each of which harms Soldiers and erodes unit readiness and cohesion , ” Luckey said .
Army spokeswoman Col. Sunset Belinsky said she wouldn ’ t have any further information until the investigation is complete .
The 416th , based in the Chicago suburb of Darien , provides technical and engineering support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the headquarters for nearly 11,000 soldiers in 26 states west of the Mississippi River .
Amy Braley Franck , a civilian sexual assault victim advocate with the 416th , has alleged that commanders launched internal investigations into at least two sexual assault cases , one in 2018 and another last year .
Federal law and Department of Defence policy require that commanders refer sexual assault complaints to criminal investigators in their respective branches to avoid biased investigations .
Commanders who don ’ t follow the proper channels can face reprimand , removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Wisconsin National Guard ’ s top commander , Adj .
Gen. Donald Dunbar , resigned in December after a federal review found he had been launching internal sexual assault investigations rather than forwarding complaints to the National Guard Bureau .
He ’ s still under Air Force investigation .
Braley Franck also has alleged that the 416th went months without holding a sexual assault management meeting , even though the DOD requires such meetings monthly , and unit commanders also placed a victim on a firing range with someone she had accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear for her life .
Braley Franck ’ s commanders suspended her in November in what she believes was retaliation for alerting Army criminal investigators to the internal probes .
The Army Reserve launched an investigation into the 416th in January in response to a request from Illinois Sens .
Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth .
The senators cited an Associated Press story about Braley Franck ’ s allegations in their request .
Aides for Durbin and Duckworth didn ’ t immediately respond to an after-hours email seeking comment Tuesday evening .
Braley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have ignored her allegations and sexual misconduct victims don ’ t trust them .
“ Any commander that ignores a subject matter expert for the betterment of their formation , their soldiers will not trust them , ” she said .
“ When soldiers don ’ t trust their leaders to take care of them , they ’ re not going to trust them on the battlefield .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Police: Ex-NFL player charged with raping UGA student

ATHENS , Ga. - A former NFL player and University of Georgia football standout has been arrested and charged with raping a UGA student , authorities said .
Bacarri Jamon Rambo , 29 , was charged Monday with rape , news outlets reported .
He was being held at the Athens-Clarke County Jail without bond Tuesday afternoon .
Athens-Clarke County Police responded to a reported rape Saturday near the university at an apartment complex where Rambo reportedly lives .
The 21-year-old student told police she was attacked and knew the man who raped her , showing them an Instagram profile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Further details weren ’ t immediately released .
Rambo has been a graduate assistant coach with the UGA football program for the past two seasons .
His attorney , Kim Stephens , said the arrest stems from an incident between Rambo and his accuser Friday night at the apartment complex , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported .
Stephens said the woman told police she “ didn ’ t consent to intercourse to some degree ” but Rambo said she did .
“ He co-operated with police when they came out , ” Stephens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fast turnaround .
They didn ’ t wait for any scientific evidence to come back or anything before they took warrants.
” Rambo was an All-American safety at Georgia and holds a tied program record 16 interceptions during his tenure .
He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2013 and has also played with the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills .
He ended his career in 2017 .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--McConnell ‘OK’ with removing Confederate names from bases

WASHINGTON - Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he ’ s “ OK ” with renaming military bases such as Fort Bragg that are named after Confederate Army officers , declining to side with President Donald Trump and other Republicans opposed to the move .
The Kentucky senator said he ’ ll live with whatever lawmakers decide as they debate an annual defence policy bill for the military in the coming weeks .
Trump has blasted the calls to rename the military bases .
“ Hopefully our great Republican Senators won ’ t fall for this !
” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A GOP-controlled Senate panel voted last week to require bases such as Fort Bragg and Fort Hood to be renamed within three years .
McConnell , himself the descendant of a Confederate veteran , didn ’ t endorse the idea but said he wouldn ’ t oppose it .
Similarly , top House Republican Kevin McCarthy of California said last week — after repeated prodding — that he doesn ’ t oppose the idea .
“ I can only speak for myself on this issue .
If it ’ s appropriate to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m OK with that , ” McConnell said .
“ Whatever is ultimately decided I don ’ t have a problem with.
” The debate over the Confederate flag and other symbols of slavery and black oppression has burst open in the wake of widespread protests over police abuse of African Americans and specifically the choking death of George Floyd .
Public opinion has shifted dramatically since Floyd ’ s killing .
The Democratic-controlled House is sure to include legislation to rename bases and it ’ s plain that Republicans in the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Josh Hawley of Missouri , don ’ t have the votes to remove it during floor debate .
The Senate ’ s requirement for the bases to be renamed within three years was approved by a voice vote as a piece of the annual Pentagon policy bill .
A commission would be set up to oversee the process .
But McConnell came out forcefully against a proposal by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to remove statues of Confederates such as Jefferson Davis from display in the Capitol , calling it “ nonsense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Capitol.
” McConnell is sticking with the Washington tradition — and current law — of having states choose their own statues for display in the Capitol complex , saying it ’ s preferable for states like Mississippi , home to Confederate President Davis , to remove them on their own .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--A look at Trump’s executive order on police procedures

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at curbing police brutality by directing federal dollars to those police departments that meet certain credentialing standards on the use of force .
The executive action also makes it harder for those officers with a troubled history from getting hired by other departments .
Congress is also moving toward passing policing bills , but Trump was anxious to put his own stamp on the issue with a Rose Garden press conference in which he was flanked by representatives from the nation ’ s leading law enforcement groups .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the topics in the order : WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PROVISIONS ?
The executive order would give police departments a financial incentive to adopt best practices and encourage programs in which social workers join police when they respond to nonviolent calls involving mental health , addiction and homeless issues .
The president ’ s executive order also requires the attorney general to create a database tracking terminations , criminal convictions and civil judgments against law enforcement officers for excessive use-of-force .
It encourages participation by providing certain grants only to those agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers who wind up involved in a fatal incident have a long history of complaints made against them by the public , including Derek Chauvin , the white Minneapolis police officer who has been charged with murder in the death of George Floyd .
Chauvin had at least a dozen complaints made against him , according to records .
But those records are often not made public , making it difficult to know if officers have a track record .
And some police departments do a bad job of keeping track of misconduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a variety of reasons , and police reform groups say it ’ s a missed opportunity to identify and correct problem behaviours before it turns fatal .
WHAT WILL A NATIONAL DATABASE DO ?
A national database would force some departments into more transparency and accountability , but like other national clearinghouses , it depends on the locality ’ s willingness to participate .
Trump said he was banning chokeholds , but that ’ s not the case .
Rather , he ’ s encouraging such bans through financial incentives .
Chokeholds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again following the death of Floyd .
They are a potentially tactical manoeuvr in which an officer cuts off air to a person ’ s neck .
The officer involved in the death of Eric Garner was accused of using one , but has maintained he was employing a legal takedown manoeuvr called the seatbelt which is similar but doesn ’ t block air .
But chokeholds are already largely banned by many departments around the country .
CAN THE ADMINISTRATION SET CONDITIONS ON FUNDING ?
That could be a matter of legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lawsuits brought in the past against the Trump administration for attempting to condition the same law enforcement funding on specific policies .
A similar situation happened in 2017 when the Justice Department said it would withhold grant money from so-called sanctuary cities and states until they gave federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released .
Courts around the country have been divided on the issue .
A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled last February to block the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departments co-operate with immigration authorities to receive law enforcement grants .
But earlier this year , a federal appeals court in New York said the administration can withhold millions of dollars in law enforcement grants to force states to co-operate with immigration enforcement .
That decision conflicted with three other federal appeals courts .
The executive order instructs the Justice Department to push local police departments to be certified by a “ reputable independent credentialing body.
” Under the order , the Justice Department would ensure a department could only be credentialed if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , and local laws .
An organization called the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies already credentials police departments .
It lists more than 1,000 departments it has credentialed , out of roughly 18,000 nationwide .
Matthew Hickman , a professor and criminal justice expert at Seattle University , said there ’ s no definitive research proving credentialed agencies better serve the public .
“ It ’ s good for the public , arguably , to know that their agency has gone through a professional accreditation process , “ he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment to best practices .
”


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Virginia governor to propose Juneteenth as state holiday

RICHMOND , Va. - Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that he ’ s making Juneteenth — a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. — an official holiday in a state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy .
Juneteenth , which is also called Emancipation Day and Freedom Day , is celebrated annually on June 19 .
Texas first made it a state holiday in 1980 .
The holiday would be a paid day off for all state employees .
Northam said he thinks Virginia would be only the second state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s time we elevate this , ” Northam said of the June 19 commemoration .
“ Not just a celebration by and for some Virginians but one acknowledged and celebrated by all of us.
” The Democratic governor is giving every executive branch employee this Friday off as a paid holiday and will work with the legislature later this year to pass a law codifying Juneteenth as a permanent state holiday .
The legislation is likely to pass the Democratic-controlled legislature with little trouble .
The holiday commemorates June 19 , 1865 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves living in Confederate states two years earlier .
When Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to bring the news that slavery had been abolished , former slaves celebrated .
The announcement came less than two weeks after Northam announced he was ordering the removal of a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee along Richmond ’ s prominent Monument Avenue .
It is one of the country ’ s most iconic monuments to the Confederacy .
Earlier this year , Northam signed legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named after two Confederate generals .
Nearly forced from office last year after a racist yearbook photo surfaced , Northam has won widespread praise among black lawmakers for his actions in Virginia following the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck as he pleaded for air .
President Donald Trump announced last week that he has rescheduled a campaign rally that was planned in Tulsa , Oklahoma , on Juneteenth .
The announcement of the rally had sparked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one of the worst instances of racial violence in U.S. history in 1921 , when hundreds of African Americans were massacred by a white mob that burned black-owned businesses and homes .
Northam was joined Tuesday at his news conference by musician Pharrell Williams , who is from Virginia .
Williams said Juneteenth deserves the same level of recognition and celebration as Independence Day .
“ Here ’ s our day , and if you love us , it ’ ll be your day too , ” Williams said .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gilbert echoed the same sentiments .
“ July 4th is the birthday of our nation , but Juneteenth is the day where it truly began to fulfil its promise of freedom for all , “ Gilbert said .
“ For the first time since enslaved Africans landed at Jamestown in 1619 , the chains of bondage were finally cast off.
” Joseph Rogers , a 29-year-old activist who has been a regular protester in Richmond during more than two weeks of demonstrations over Floyd ’ s killing , hailed Northam ’ s announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the right direction , ” said Rogers ,

Alan Suderman And Denise Lavoie - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--A drug offers hope amid spikes in coronavirus infections

ATLANTA - As nations grapple with new outbreaks and spiking death tolls from the coronavirus , a commonly available drug appeared Tuesday to offer hope that the most seriously ill could have a better chance of survival .
The pandemic has forced countries to impose lockdowns and tough restrictions on daily life and travel , but infections have surged as they eased these rules and reopened their economies .
With no vaccine available and much still unknown about the virus , researchers in England announced the first drug shown to save lives .
The drug , called dexamethasone , reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20 % in those only needing supplemental oxygen , researchers in England said .
It did not appear to help less ill patients .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the drug was the “ biggest breakthrough yet ” in treating the coronavirus , and top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci called it “ a significant improvement in the available therapeutic options that we have.
” Britain is making dexamethasone available to patients on the country ’ s National Health Service .
The U.K. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been approved to treat all hospitalized COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen , effective immediately .
It said the U.K. had stockpiled enough to treat 200,000 patients .
“ It ’ s on almost every pharmacy shelf in every hospital , it ’ s available throughout the world , and it ’ s very cheap , ” said Peter Horby of Oxford University , one of the leaders of the trial that randomly assigned 2,104 patients to get the drug and compared them with 4,321 patients getting only usual care .
Since the virus emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worldwide , there have been more than 8 million confirmed cases and over 440,000 deaths .
The U.S. death toll has exceeded 116,700 , according to Johns Hopkins University .
That surpasses the number of Americans who died in World War I , when 116,516 were killed — although both tolls are far from precise .
The U.S. has the most confirmed infections and deaths from COVID-19 in the world , and as parts of the economy have reopened in recent weeks , cases have surged in places like Texas , Arizona and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some members of a U.S. team that tracks hurricanes .
For most people , the virus causes 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 and death .
Countries that appeared to have largely contained the virus are seeing new outbreaks .
In China , authorities locked down a third neighbourhood in Beijing to contain an outbreak that has infected more than 100 people .
Most of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Xinfadi wholesale food market , and people lined up for massive testing of anyone who had visited in the past two weeks or come in contact with them .
New Zealand , which hadn ’ t seen a new case in three weeks , was investigating after two women who flew in from London to see a dying parent were allowed to leave quarantine and drive halfway across the country before they were tested and found to be positive .
The reemergence of the virus in the country once praised for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that international air travel could trigger a fresh wave of contagion just as countries are reopening airports to stimulate tourism .
Canada and the U.S. will extend to July 21 an agreement to keep their border closed to nonessential travel , with many Canadians fearing cases arriving from the U.S. “ This is a decision that will protect people on both sides of the border as we continue to fight COVID-19 , ” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said .
The U.S. car industry was among the first to reopen , yet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — even with significant safety precautions in factories .
Similar spikes have been seen after hair salons , day care centres and restaurants reopened .
Hula Hut , a large Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin , Texas , reopened in May but had to shut down again this month for six days after two employees tested positive for COVID-19 in quick succession .
Texas doesn ’ t require restaurants to close after a positive test , but general manager Elias Chocalas said it gave time to sanitize Hula Hut repeatedly and get his employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps and then to see that someone has gotten it is just disheartening , ” Chocalas said .
“ It just brought the realization that this is going to happen regardless of how safe we are.
” Texas is among the states reporting spikes in cases , setting a single-day high with 2,622 new infections Tuesday and a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations for the eighth time in nine days , with 2,518 .
“ It does raise concerns , but there is no reason right now to be alarmed , ” Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear masks and stay home as much as possible .
The Republican said Texas ’ health care system can handle the surge as the nation ’ s second-most-populated state pushes forward with reopening one of the world ’ s largest economies .
Florida ’ s confirmed cases also set a daily record , at almost 2,800 .
With hurricane season underway , the virus has spread to the team that operates the nation ’ s hurricane hunter planes .
Five employees at the team ’ s Lakeland , Florida , base tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said .
New cases in Arizona hit an alarming daily high of nearly 2,400 — almost double the previous record , health officials said .
The state also reported 25 additional deaths , while hospital intensive care units were hovering around 80 % capacity .
In Tennessee , the number of infected patients in hospitals has reached its highest level , at more than 400 , Vanderbilt University researchers said .
A surge in new cases and hospitalizations has led Memphis and Nashville to delay plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for restaurants and retail stores .
Nevada , where casinos reopened almost two weeks ago , has reported 379 new cases , its largest daily increase since May 22 .
Health officials said it can be partially attributed to delayed reporting but is also part of an upward trend in the last three weeks .
Elsewhere around the world : — Record-high infections were registered in South Africa over the weekend , two weeks after businesses and houses of worship reopened .
The country now has more than a quarter of the cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 73,000 .
— Egypt ’ s health ministry reported 97 deaths Monday , the country ’ s highest for a single day .
Egypt , which has resisted a full lockdown , has over 46,000 COVID-19 infections and 1,672 deaths .
— Israel ’ s steady rise in infections since restrictions eased last month has increased fears of what a top Health Ministry official said looked like the “ beginning of a wave , ” with 200 new cases daily .
That ’ s a tenfold increase from a few weeks ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict lockdown measures .
— Turkey , which has seen an uptick in cases since it eased restrictions in early June , made masks mandatory in five more provinces Tuesday .
Hadjicostis reported from Nicosia , Cyprus , Rico reported from Atlanta and Pane reported from Boise , Idaho .
Associated Press reporters around the world contributed .

R.J. Rico, Menelaos Hadjicostis And Lisa Marie Pane - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--US Supreme Court halts Texas execution over clergy question

HOUSTON - The U.S. Supreme Court granted a reprieve Tuesday to a Texas inmate scheduled to die for fatally stabbing an 85-year-old woman more than two decades ago , continuing a more than four-month delay of executions in the nation ’ s busiest death penalty state during the coronavirus pandemic .
The justices blocked Ruben Gutierrez ’ s execution about an hour before he could have been executed .
Gutierrez ’ s attorneys had argued his religious rights are being violated because the prison system won ’ t allow a chaplain to accompany him in the death chamber .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the death chamber following a Supreme Court ruling that halted the execution of another inmate , Patrick Murphy , who had requested a Buddhist adviser be allowed in the chamber .
In response to the ruling in Murphy ’ s case , the Texas prison system changed its policy , only allowing prison security staff into the execution chamber .
“ As a devout Catholic , Mr. Gutierrez ’ s faith requires the assistance of clergy to help him pass from life into afterlife .
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but spiritual comfort at the time of death is not a convenience ; it ’ s a protected legal right , ” Shawn Nolan , one of Mr. Gutierrez ’ s attorneys , said after the stay was granted .
The Supreme Court said it granted the stay pending a ruling by the high court on Gutierrez ’ s petition on the issue of whether to allow a spiritual adviser to accompany him in the death chamber .
A decision on the petition was expected at a later date .
The Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour of Gutierrez , it would ask a lower court to “ determine , based on whatever evidence the parties provide , whether serious security problems would result if a prisoner facing execution is permitted to choose the spiritual adviser the prisoner wishes to have in his immediate presence during the execution.
” A trial in Houston federal court on Murphy ’ s case and whether his religious rights were violated is also still pending .
Prosecutors said Gutierrez , 43 , was attempting to steal more than $ 600,000 that Escolastica Harrison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , located in Texas ’ southern tip , when he killed her in 1998 .
If Gutierrez ’ s execution had been carried out , he would have been the first inmate in Texas to receive a lethal injection since Feb. 6 and the second U.S. inmate to be put to death since states began to reopen after the pandemic shut down much of the U.S. After the country began to reopen , Missouri resumed executions on May 19 .
Six executions scheduled in Texas for earlier this year were postponed by an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
A seventh was delayed over claims of intellectual disability .
Gutierrez ’ s attorneys had also sought a coronavirus-related delay but were turned down Friday by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals .
While the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continues to increase in Texas , state prison officials said they put safety measures in place to help executions go forward , including taking the temperatures of participants and providing them with personal protection equipment .
The 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday had overturned a stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s request for DNA testing he says could point to the real killer and his claims his religious rights are being violated .
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops filed a brief with the high court in support of Gutierrez .
“ To deny a prisoner facing imminent execution access to spiritual and religious guidance and accompaniment is cruel and inhuman , ” said Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville .
Gutierrez has long maintained he didn ’ t kill Harrison .
His attorneys say there ’ s no physical or forensic evidence connecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were also charged in the case .
“ The state has fought such ( DNA ) testing at every turn , but surely the public interest would be best served by allowing DNA testing while the ( Supreme Court ) considers Mr. Gutierrez ’ s case , in order to prevent a wrongful execution in the future , “ Nolan said .
Authorities said Gutierrez befriended Harrison , a mobile home park manager and retired teacher , so he could rob her .
Prosecutors said Harrison had a mistrust of banks and hid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her bedroom closet .
Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz said he was disappointed the Supreme Court delayed the execution as the victim ’ s family “ has once again been denied justice.
“ “ As a prosecutor , this changes nothing .
It only delays his ultimate fate , “ Saenz said in a statement .
Prosecutors have said the request for DNA testing is a “ ruse ” and Gutierrez was convicted on various pieces of evidence , including a confession .
Gutierrez would have been the third inmate put to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seventh in the U.S .


thetorontostar--2020-06-16--Mississippi official: Black people ‘dependent’ since slavery

JACKSON , Miss .
- After rejecting a proposal to move a Confederate monument , a white elected official in Mississippi said this week that African Americans “ became dependent ” during slavery and as a result , have had a harder time “ assimilating ” into American life than other mistreated groups .
Critics said his remarks were outrageous and called on him to resign .
Confederate symbols are being debated in many states amid widespread protests across the U.S. against racism and police violence .
Monuments that have stood for more than a century outside courthouses and on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relocated in other Southern states in recent days , and supervisors in several Mississippi counties are discussing the matter .
In northeastern Mississippi ’ s Lowndes County , supervisors voted along racial lines Monday against moving a Confederate monument that has stood outside the county courthouse in Columbus since 1912 .
The monument depicts a Confederate soldier and says the South fought for a “ noble cause.
” Three white supervisors voted against the proposal and two black supervisors voted for it .
At one point during the meeting , a white supervisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monument would solve nothing and would be an attempt to erase history .
“ We need to be reminded of some atrocity that happened , “ he said .
“ If we are not reminded about it , we are going to have a tendency to forget it and ( the history ) is going to repeat itself.
” After the meeting , Sanders , a Republican , was quoted by the Commercial Dispatch as saying that other groups of people who had also been mistreated in the past — he cited Irish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — were able to successfully “ assimilate ” afterward .
“ The only ones that are having the problems : Guess who ?
The African Americans , ” Sanders said .
“ You know why ?
In my opinion , they were slaves .
And because of that , they didn ’ t have to go out and earn any money , they didn ’ t have to do anything .
Whoever owned them took care of them , fed them , clothed them , worked them .
They became dependent , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats right here who depend on the black vote to get elected , they make them dependent on them.
” Democratic State Rep. Kabir Karriem of Columbus , who is African American , told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Sanders should resign .
Karriem called Sanders ’ remarks “ appalling.
” “ It ’ s really unforgivable how outlandish they were , knowing that he has black people in his district , ” Karriem said .
“ His revisionist history is not accurate at all .
Our ancestors didn ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately respond to a message the AP left on his cellphone voicemail Tuesday .
A Mississippi law enacted in 2004 says no war monument may be “ relocated , removed , disturbed , altered , renamed or rededicated.
” But the law also says : “ The governing body may move the memorial to a more suitable location if it is determined that the location is more appropriate to displaying the monument.
” Lowndes County is 53 % white and 45 % black .
Several black and white residents asked supervisors on Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the two black supervisors , Democrat Leroy Brooks , said people were not trying to change history , but wanted to “ rechannel some things that are offensive.
“ “ We are not saying tear it down , “ Brooks said .
” We are saying relocate it , so when people come to the courthouse and they look at it from a certain angle , they don ’ t see something that looks like a Ku Klux Klan.
” In Mississippi ’ s second-largest city , Gulfport , officials voted Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city property because it includes the Confederate battle emblem that critics say is racist .
Workers quickly removed the banner from City Hall .
Mississippi is the only state with a flag that includes the emblem : a red field topped with a blue X with 13 white stars .
White supremacists embedded it in the upper left corner of the flag in 1894 .
Several other Mississippi cities and counties and all eight of the state ’ s public universities have stopped flying the state flag in recent years , saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state with a 38 % black population .
People who voted in a 2001 statewide election chose to keep the symbol on the flag , but recent protests are reviving debate about changing the design .
Republican Gov .
Tate Reeves has said that if the flag is going to be changed , it should be done in a statewide referendum .

Emily Wagster Pettus - The Associated Press