thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Betty Wold Johnson, mother of Jets owners, dies at 99

NEW YORK - Betty Wold Johnson , the mother of New York Jets owners Christopher Johnson and Woody Johnson , has died .
She was 99 .
The Jets announced her death Friday night on their website , but didn ’ t provide details .
Betty Wold Johnson was often referred to as “ The First Lady of the Jets ” by players , and called them her “ grandchildren.
” She was renowned for her philanthropic efforts and was a long-time contributor to arts , education and healthcare initiatives in the New York and New Jersey areas .
Christopher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and CEO , while Woody Johnson is serving as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom .
Woody Johnson purchased the team in 2000 and the franchise became an important part of his mother ’ s life .
“ There are very few people in this world who live to 99 , ” Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin told the Jets ’ website .
“ And I ’ m sure if you go back and look at everything she did for other people , you could probably write a book on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had such a charitable heart and a charitable way about her.
” Betty Wold Johnson was raised in Minnesota and often attended Golden Gophers games with her father , Karl Christian Wold .
She later married Robert Wood Johnson III , the grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I — the co-founder of Johnson & Johnson .
“ When I think of her , I think of her as ‘ The First Lady of the Jets , ’ “ former quarterback Chad Pennington said .
” I think of Ms. Johnson as nothing but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how she carried herself and how she represented herself and her family .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--3 nurses strangled in Mexico; border mayor gets coronavirus

MEXICO CITY - Three sisters who worked in Mexico ’ s government hospital system were found murdered by strangling , authorities in the northern border state of Coahuila announced Friday , stirring new alarm in a country where attacks on health care workers have occurred across the nation amid the coronavirus outbreak .
Two of the sisters were nurses for the Mexican Social Security Institute and the third was a hospital administrator , but there was no immediate evidence the attack was related to their work .
The state prosecutor told local media the motive might have been robbery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a house in the city of Torreon .
The Social Security Institute said they were killed Thursday .
The National Union of Social Security Employees called the killings “ outrageous and incomprehensible.
” In other parts of Mexico , nurses have had been hit , kicked off public transport or had cleaning fluids poured on them amid fears they might spread the coronavirus .
Mexican health authorities have denounced the attacks and urged medical personnel not to wear uniforms or scrubs on the street to avoid being targeted .
Meanwhile , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juarez , across from El Paso , Texas , announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Mayor Armando Cabada said he had no symptoms , but Javier Corral , the governor of Chihuahua state , said he was self-isolating as a precaution because he had contact with Cabada .
At least three of Mexico ’ s 31 state governors have tested positive for the virus .
Ciudad Juarez has been hit hard by the coronavirus , with about two-thirds of the state ’ s confirmed cases and 104 of its 125 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico ’ s caseload would peak sometime around Friday , President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Friday that case numbers might not plateau for another 12 days before any possible descent .
“ We are at the phase of the highest contagion , we are at the peak , and according to the information we are getting , this could continue until the 20th of this month , “ López Obrador said .
” The projection is that from that date , the number of cases would start to fall .
Mexico has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have estimated the real number may be eight times higher .
The country has seen almost 3,000 deaths .
But there have been reports by several media outlets , including The Associated Press , suggesting that many coronavirus deaths go uncounted in official figures because of Mexico ’ s extremely low testing rate .
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell acknowledged that “ the deaths of people with COVID can not always be documented , “ but said suspected deaths would be reviewed later and perhaps added to official statistics if warranted .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in such serious condition that timely laboratory tests are not possible.
” Even though postmortem tests can be conducted , he acknowledged that is seldom done in Mexico .
“ So we have people who unfortunately lost their lives , and who have had clinical conditions that suggest COVID but who are not registered because they do not have a laboratory test , ” López-Gatell said .

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thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Arkansas allowing pools, water parks to reopen this month

LITTLE ROCK , Ark .
- Arkansas pools and water parks can reopen this month with new coronavirus restrictions , Gov .
Asa Hutchinson said Friday , as lawmakers approved setting aside another $ 92 million to help businesses comply with new safety rules .
Hutchinson said pools will be allowed to reopen on May 22 , the latest move by the Republican governor to roll back the state ’ s coronavirus restrictions .
The decision will also allow splash pads and swim beaches to reopen that day .
Hutchinson said the pools will be limited to 50 % capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone with a fever , symptoms of the virus or who has had contact with a positive patient .
The new rules will also require 6 feet of distance in all areas .
“ That should be welcome news before we go into Memorial Day that we ’ ll have that open at least with those limited restrictions , “ Hutchinson said .
Unlike most states , Arkansas did not issue a stay-at-home order during the pandemic .
But the state imposed other restrictions that have been eased in recent days .
Restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting Monday .
Health officials said at least 3,747 people in the state have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 , an increase from the 3,665 reported Thursday .
The true number is likely higher because many people have not been tested , and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick .
The state ’ s deaths from the virus remain at 88 .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The Legislative Council approved spending up to another $ 92 million in federal coronavirus relief funds on grants to help businesses buy protective gear or other expenses in order to comply with virus safety rules .
The increase clears the way for the state to potentially pay for all of the $ 147 million in requests it ’ s received for the grants .
The state economic development office is reviewing the grant applications .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rollout after the state began taking applications before there was legislative approval to use federal funds for the grants .
The state last week halted applications less than an hour into its launch after more than twice as many requests came in for the $ 15 million initially set aside for the program .
The state resumed taking applications Tuesday and Wednesday after legislative leaders set aside another $ 40 million for the program over the weekend .
The Health Department also detailed its rules the state ’ s three casinos must follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules , the casinos must submit detailed plans for reopening that include how they ’ ll maintain 6 feet of distance between people and track customers for possible use in contact tracing .
Check out more of the AP ’ s coronavirus coverage at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Lives Lost: Purveyor of tacos, joy well loved in Seattle

SEATTLE - Tomas Lopez didn ’ t make the food he sold from his family ’ s bright green taco truck , but it was his face the customers knew .
Lopez sat at a table beside the truck in Seattle ’ s South Lake Union neighbourhood .
He would count change from a fat roll of bills and juggle side-by-side credit card readers as he greeted his customers — long lines of Amazon employees , yellow-vested construction workers , the occasional journalist — with an ardent joy .
“ Hello , my friend !
Asada super burrito ?
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Hello , my friend !
No yoga today ?
You must be hungry !
” “ Hello , my friend !
How many kids you have now – still only two ?
That ’ s OK , you have time .
I have five.
” Lopez , 44 , died of COVID-19 on April 2 .
His passing has been mourned by many who knew him only casually , but who nevertheless considered lunch at the truck and a quick conversation with him a bright spot in their day .
EDITOR ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ongoing series of stories remembering people who have died from coronavirus around the world .
Lopez grew up in the Mexican state of Hidalgo , north of Mexico City .
His village , Dengando , was so small it doesn ’ t appear on maps , said one of his sons , Isaac Lopez , 19 .
As a boy , Lopez tended to his grandfather ’ s sheep and cattle .
For fun , he would make a soccer ball out of plastic bags and rubber bands and kick it against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At about 15 , he left for Mexico City , where he joined the military and became known for his traditional drumming .
He played in a group of about 30 drummers during military ceremonies , Isaac said .
Lopez came to the United States in 1998 , in his early 20s .
He worked two years picking tomatoes and other crops in Oregon and then started in construction , doing drywall .
He would call home to Antonia Zamorano , a girl he had met when she delivered food to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He returned to marry her and brought her back to the U.S. Antonia started making food and selling it from the back of the family ’ s minivan at construction sites .
From the minivan they upgraded to a taco truck , then added a second taco truck and a restaurant in Algona , near the small city of Pacific where they lived .
The family ’ s Tacos El Tajin was one of the first food trucks to park regularly in the formerly sleepy warehouse district where Amazon moved its headquarters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s employees and the construction workers building its campus proved reliable customers ; Lopez ’ s joviality and the food kept them coming back .
Lopez simply loved to sell , Isaac said .
He learned to trade phrases or crack jokes in German , Japanese , Hindi , Urdu and other languages to connect with Amazon ’ s international workforce .
In February 2017 , Tacos El Tajin got stuck in a traffic jam on Interstate 5 .
Unable to make it to Seattle , Lopez opened the truck right there on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit of levity to frustrated drivers .
“ Sometimes all you need is a taco to be happy , ” he said .
It earned him a quip from late night television host Seth Meyers : “ Nothing gets traffic moving like a taco.
” How much Lopez meant to his customers was apparent after Isaac started an online fundraiser April 5 , seeking $ 10,000 for the funeral and to keep the business afloat .
Within 10 days , donations totalling more than six times that had poured in from more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments describing their interactions with Lopez or how he would hand out burritos or beverages to homeless people in exchange for a handshake .
One called getting lunch at Tacos El Tajin “ a momentary reset of positivity in the middle of our day.
” Isaac said his father could be demanding , making sure the family was up by 5 a.m. to get cooking .
Lopez loved spending time with his children , now ages 12 to 26 .
He would take them to the Space Needle , play chess or basketball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes played in a Sunday evening soccer game .
Lopez was generous in girth as well as spirit , and the other guys were often surprised at how good he was , his son said .
Isaac has worked inside the truck taking orders , cooking and teaching employees to prepare the food , but his father recently began preparing him for a bigger role , including dealing with customers .
“ Now that I don ’ t have him here and I have to help my mom run the business , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I wish he could have taught me more .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Poll: Most in US back curbing in-person worship amid virus

WASHINGTON - While the White House looks ahead to reopening houses of worship , most Americans think in-person religious services should be barred or allowed only with limits during the coronavirus pandemic — and only about a third say that prohibiting in-person services violates religious freedom , a new poll finds .
States have taken different approaches to resuming gatherings as the coronavirus continues to spread , raising tough questions for religious leaders and the faithful about the appropriate time to return .
But the findings of the new poll by The University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , even as President Donald Trump projects eagerness to reopen , many religious Americans are fine with waiting longer to return to their churches , synagogues and mosques .
Among that group is 54-year-old Andre Harris of Chicago , a onetime Sunday school teacher who has shifted his routine from physical worship to the conference calls his church is holding during the pandemic .
Harris , a Methodist , said that until “ either there ’ s a vaccine , or if we know that things have calmed down , I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building.
” Just 9 % of Americans think in-person religious services should be permitted without restrictions , while 42 % think they should be allowed with restrictions , and 48 % think they should not be allowed at all , the poll shows .
Even among Americans who identify with a religion , 45 % say in-person services shouldn ’ t be allowed at all .
White evangelical Protestants , however , are particularly likely to think that in-person services should be allowed in some form , with just 35 % saying they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half – 46 % -- also say they think prohibiting those services violates religious freedom .
That constituency ’ s support for some form of in-person worship underscores the political importance of Trump ’ s public calls to restore religious gatherings as a symbol of national recovery from the virus , as energizing evangelical voters remains a key element of the president ’ s reelection strategy .
Trump won praise from some evangelical leaders for citing the aspirational ideal of “ packed churches ” on Easter during the first weeks of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materialize on Christianity ’ s holiest day .
Trump has since consulted with religious leaders on a phased-in return to in-person worship .
“ It ’ s wonderful to watch people over a laptop , but it ’ s not like being at a church , ” Trump said during a Fox News town hall on Sunday .
“ And we have to get our people back to churches , and we ’ re going to start doing it soon.
” Vice-President Mike Pence met with faith leaders Friday in Iowa to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constraints on worship assemblies as “ a source of heartache ” for the faithful .
Iowa is one of several states , including Tennessee and Montana , where restrictions on in-person services are starting to ease as stay-home orders imposed to stop the virus run their course .
That ’ s in line with the preference of Patrick Gideons , 63 , of Alvin , Texas , who said worshippers “ should be able to do what they want.
” “ If they want to be able to hold church the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to do that , ” said Gideons , a self-described born-again Baptist .
As houses of worship wrestle with when to reopen , draft guidance by a team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that offered recommendations for faith gatherings has been shelved by the Trump administration .
While those guidelines aimed to help religious organizations use best practices to protect people from the virus , leaders in various denominations have already initiated their own discussions .
“ Churches are very aware of the implications of people gathering in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United Methodist Church ’ s Council of Bishops , said in a recent interview about the draft CDC guidance .
Compared with in-person religious services , Americans are more likely to favour allowing drive-through services , although most still say there should be limits .
Overall , 25 % think that those services should be allowed without any limits , and 62 % say they should be allowed with limits .
The Justice Department last month sided with a Mississippi church in its legal challenge to local limits on drive-in worship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of Americans say prohibiting drive-in services does not violate religious freedom .
White evangelical Protestants were more likely than those of other faiths to favour allowing drive-through services without restriction , at 40 % .
In total , those who identify with a religious faith are more likely than those who do not to favour no restriction on drive-through religious services , 28 % to 15 % .
As many houses of worship have paused in-person services , a sizable share of religious Americans have used technology to connect with their faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched livestreamed religious services online at least weekly in 2019 — but since the outbreak began , that has risen to 33 % .
About a third of evangelical Protestants streamed services at least weekly in 2019 , but about half do now .
Among Catholics , the share streaming services weekly has increased from 11 % to 22 % .
For members of the Southern Baptist Convention , when and how to resume in-person worship “ would be a congregation-by-congregation decision , ” Russell Moore , president of the Ethics & Religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview about the draft CDC guidance .
Moore predicted that some virtual worship would continue even as areas resume in-person gatherings .
Part of his work in offering resources to inform decisions , Moore said , involves “ preparing churches for the fact that reopening probably won ’ t be one Sunday when everything goes back to the status quo.
“ “ Instead , there ’ s going to be probably a lengthy period of time where multiple things are happening at once , ” Moore said .
Schor reported from New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington contributed to this report .
The AP-NORC poll of 1,002 adults was conducted April 30-May 4 using a sample drawn from NORC ’ s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel , which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population .
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points .
Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation .
The AP is solely responsible for this content .

Elana Schor And Emily Swanson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--This end to COVID-19 lockdowns could only have been made in America

WASHINGTON—Jeffrey Shaman was exasperated .
“ It ’ s frustrating .
It ’ s very , very frustrating , ” he said on the phone this week .
The Columbia University infectious disease expert had been saying the same things about how to stop the spread of the coronavirus for weeks , and the message hasn ’ t sunk in .
This was the week the United States embarked on what is essentially a massive , unplanned natural experiment , as dozens of states lifted or eased stay-at-home orders imposed during the COVID-19 lockdown .
Some reopenings , like those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal ( including movie theatres , for instance ) , and taking place as caseloads of the virus continue to rise .
Others are more restrictive .
Very few states have met the expert guidelines released by the federal government .
“ We ’ re gon na learn a lot .
These are all experiments , ” sayid Ashish Jha , the director of Harvard ’ s Global Health Institute .
Jha was among four infectious disease experts I spoke with who agreed that the varied — and possibly reckless — way reopenings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide information on the spread of the virus .
They also seemed to agree the usefulness of the information would be somewhat limited .
“ I think there is clearly a natural experiment taking place right now , but it is definitely not one that is going to be easy to analyze , ” said Jon Zelner , an epidemiologist from the University of Michigan .
The number of variables — such as geography , population , infrastructure and health care — will make effective comparisons hard .
“ That doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Zelner said , “ but I think the learning will probably be around patterns that are not deeply nuanced.
” Dionne Aleman , director of the Medical Operations Research Lab at the University of Toronto , says the amount of travel between states further confounds things .
She also says that if you planned this as an experiment , it would be deeply unethical .
“ We should not celebrate information gained by intentionally putting members of the population at risk , whether through lax mitigation measures or removing those measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high and growing infection numbers , ” Aleman said .
All four experts feared dramatic increases in deaths and coronavirus cases as a result of premature reopening .
“ There ’ s a balancing act between learning and being reckless , ” Jha said .
He nevertheless thinks the results will provide new information , and he ’ s hoping to be surprised .
“ I ’ m deeply worried about what ’ s going to happen in a lot of these places .
I ’ m , at the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ There ’ s still enough about the virus we don ’ t know that I think — again , I think the prudent thing is to follow the science .
But our science will get better because of this.
” Whether better science will lead to better policy is a different question .
Part of what frustrates Shaman is that South Korea ’ s widespread testing and contact tracing have clearly yielded good results over months — an example the U.S. has so far failed to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ ve personally been saying it for about a month , “ Everybody , look at what the South Koreans have done .
They have accomplished a lot , ’ ” Shaman said .
Starting with its first case on the same day as the U.S. did , South Korea managed to keep cases down and suffer less economic disruption than the U.S. Shaman says a “ lack of federal leadership ” from the outset means the U.S. is not in a position to do such testing and tracing .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every case it has identified , where in the U.S. the ratio is only six to one .
“ That ’ s critical .
There ’ s a lot to learn from it , ” he said .
The U.S. has not taken the lesson .
Zelner says effective contact tracing depends on achieving a far lower caseload than the U.S. is seeing now .
“ In New Zealand , this is an effective strategy right now , and in other places that have successfully reduced their number of daily cases to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to be well-spent , ” he said .
“ But I don ’ t think we need an experiment to tell us that it isn ’ t going to work well to open up when there are still thousands upon thousands of new cases reported every day with many more likely unreported.
” The point of social distancing , Zelner notes , was to get caseloads low enough that treatment , testing and tracing could be effective .
States are pursuing an end to social distancing before that ’ s reasonably possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. leaders might not have learned from South Korea ’ s example : “ One fundamental of public policy in every context that I have ever seen is the belief that the experience of others doesn ’ t necessarily apply to you.
” He ’ s seen this everywhere , even among Dutch people claiming the example of Germany just a few kilometres away will not apply to them .
“ And so there is this broad sense of , ‘ Oh , yeah , sure that ’ s South Korea , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States ?
America is different.
’ ” There ’ s a possibility that results gathered from across the United States might resonate differently .
“ I think at some point , it will become harder and harder to take the thinking that the virus affects other people , not me , ” Jha said .
Shaman says he ’ s grown cynical as he repeats himself while watching the crisis unfold , mismanaged by “ a complete clown in the White House who is ill-equipped to actually do work ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheer him on .
He isn ’ t certain new local evidence from this experiment will have any great effect .
“ I think we will see a return to growth in these states that have done this .
And I don ’ t know — you tell me what kind of reckoning it ’ s going to have .
Will we learn ?
That is the question .
Or will we just keep being in our spin bubble ?


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Stuck on cruise ships during pandemic, crews beg to go home

MIAMI - Carolina Vásquez lost track of days and nights , unable to see the sunlight while stuck for two weeks in a windowless cruise ship cabin as a fever took hold of her body .
On the worst night of her encounter with COVID-19 , the Chilean woman , a line cook on the Greg Mortimer ship , summoned the strength to take a cold shower fearing the worst : losing consciousness while isolated from others .
Vásquez , 36 , and tens of thousands of other crew members have been trapped for weeks aboard dozens of cruise ships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cruise lines negotiated their passengers ’ disembarkation .
Some have gotten ill and died ; others have survived but are no longer getting paid .
Both national and local governments have stopped crews from disembarking in order to prevent new cases of COVID-19 in their territories .
Some of the ships , including 20 in U.S. waters , have seen infections and deaths among the crew .
But most ships have had no confirmed cases .
“ I never thought this would turn into a tragic and terrifying horror story , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview through a cellphone app from the Greg Mortimer , an Antarctic cruise ship floating off Uruguay .
Thirty-six crew members have fallen ill on the ship .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last month that about 80,000 crew members remained on board ships off the U.S. coast after most passengers had disembarked .
The Coast Guard said Friday that there were still 70,000 crew members in 102 ships either anchored near or at U.S. ports or underway in U.S. waters .
The total number of crew members stranded worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more are trapped on ships outside the U.S. , including in Uruguay and the Manila Bay , where 16 cruise ships are waiting to test about 5,000 crew members before they will be allowed to disembark .
As coronavirus cases and deaths have risen worldwide , the CDC and health officials in other countries have expanded the list of conditions that must be met before crews may disembark .
Cruise companies must take each crew member straight home via charter plane or private car without using rental vehicles or taxis .
Complicating that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to agree to criminal penalties if crew members fail to obey health authorities ’ orders to steer clear of public transportation and restaurants on their way home .
“ The criminal penalties gave us ( and our lawyers ) pause , ” Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley wrote in a letter to crew members earlier this week , but he added that company executives ultimately agreed to sign .
Melinda Mann , 25 , a youth program manager for Holland America , spent more than 50 days without stepping on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Koningsdam ship Friday in Los Angeles .
Before she was transferred to the Koningsdam , she tried to walk off another ship with other U.S. crew members last week but the ship ’ s security guards stopped them .
For 21 hours a day , Mann remained isolated in a 150-square-foot ( 14-square- meter ) cruise cabin that is smaller than her bedroom in her Midland , Georgia , home .
She read 30 books and was only able to leave her room three times a day to walk around the ship .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was not paid for weeks .
“ Keeping me in close captivity for so long is absolutely ridiculous , ” Mann said in a telephone interview .
Earlier this week in Nassau , Bahamas , crew members from Canada aboard the Emerald Princess were told to prepare to be flown home in a charter plane .
But the Bahamian government did not allow the ship to dock in the end .
Leah Prasad ’ s husband is among the stranded crew members .
Prasad said she has spent hours tracking down government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maitre D ’ Hotel for Carnival .
“ He is getting discouraged .
He is stuck in a cabin , ” Prasad said .
“ It is not good for his mental health.
” Angela Savard , a spokeswoman for Canada ’ s foreign affairs , said the government was continuing to explore options to bring Canadians home .
For those aboard the Greg Mortimer in Montevideo , desperation is setting in , crew members told the AP .
The Antarctic cruise set sail from Argentina on March 15 , after a pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s physician , Dr. Mauricio Usme , said that when the first passenger fell ill , on March 22 , he was pressured by the captain , the cruise operator and owners to modify the health conditions that had to be met for the ship to be admitted into ports .
Dr. Usme refused .
The boat anchored in the port of Montevideo on March 27 .
More than half of its passengers and crew tested positive for COVID-19 .
Finally , on April 10 , 127 passengers , including some who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fly home to Australia , New Zealand , the U.S. , Canada and Europe .
Crew members were told to stay on board .
The doctor was hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Montevideo , along with a Filipino crew member , who later died .
“ People are exhausted and mentally drained , ” said Dr. Usme , now recovered and back on the Greg Mortimer .
“ It ’ s a complex situation .
You feel very vulnerable and at imminent risk of death.
” CMI , the Miami-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has been “ unable to get the necessary permissions ” to let crew members of 22 nationalities go home , but said they were all still under contract receiving pay .
Marvin Paz Medina , a Honduran man who works as the ship ’ s storekeeper , sent a video to the AP of his tiny cabin of about 70 square feet ( 6.5 square meters ) , where he has been confined for more than 35 days .
“ It ’ s hard being locked up all day , staring at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Paz Medina says his children keep asking him when he ’ s coming home , but he doesn ’ t have an answer .
“ We are trapped , feeling this anxiety that at any moment we can get seriously ill , “ said Paz Medina .
“ We do not want this anymore .
We want to go home.
” Garat reported from Montevideo , Uruguay .
Associated Press writers Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit , and Rob Gillies in Toronto , contributed to this report .

Adriana Gomez Licon And Guillermo Garat - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Cops: McDonald’s mask scofflaw breaks window, steals panties

BROOKLYN , Conn. - A man who had been kicked out of a McDonald ’ s restaurant for having no @ @ @ @ @ through the window , stole some underwear from a Walmart and surrendered when police threatened @ @ @ @ @ him , authorities said .
Jason Daddario , 37 , was charged with criminal mischief @ @ @ @ @ according to a police report .
An attorney to comment on his behalf couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ was asked to leave the McDonald ’ s in Brooklyn , Connecticut , last week @ @ @ @ @ a statewide order to wear masks in businesses to curb the spread of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
Daddario threw the rock and then stole several pairs of “ ladies underwear @ @ @ @ @ , according to the police report .
He tried to flee but thought better of @ @ @ @ @ met him as he left the store , authorities said .


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Yosemite employees evicted amid coronavirus pandemic

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK , Calif. - An estimated 90 shuttle bus drivers and Yosemite National Park transportation workers who were laid off after the park closed to visitors in March are now facing eviction .
The group of Yosemite Hospitality workers were told this week layoffs require them to leave Yosemite by May 21 , the Fresno Bee reported Friday .
These are the first reported Yosemite evictions solely because of layoffs caused by the coronavirus pandemic and they come in spite of Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s order calling for a statewide moratorium on evictions through May 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s unclear how the order pertains to federal lands , including national parks .
One unidentified Yosemite employee told the newspaper that leaders with Aramark — the Philadelphia-based company that owns Yosemite Hospitality — stressed that the company has the right to evict them because their housing is contingent on employment .
Aramark employees in Yosemite pay around $ 100 a month to live in shared employee housing .
Among the evicted are people without close family or any nearby , including former foster youth and some elderly , longtime Yosemite workers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not planning to evict those employees who are having trouble finding new housing .
“ We will continue to work with and assist them on a case-by-case basis ” he said .
The park , which had about 4.6 million visitors in 2019 , has not announced how long its buses will sit idle , but employees said they were told they won ’ t run again until January 2021 .
Aramark employs approximately 1,200 Yosemite Hospitality workers .
“ These are unprecedented times that , regrettably , will require incredibly difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with and assisting associates affected by them , ” Freireich said .
In Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to the south , employees of its concessionaire , Delaware North , were made to leave those parks at the end of March .


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Pence says lack of religious services has been ‘burden’

URBANDALE , Iowa - Vice-President Mike Pence spoke Friday to a group of faith leaders in Iowa about the importance of resuming religious services , saying the cancellations in the name of slowing the spread of the coronavirus have “ been a burden ” for congregants .
Pence spoke with the religious leaders and Republican officials during a brief visit to the Des Moines area .
He was set to speak later in the day with agricultural and food company executives .
“ It ’ s been a source of heartache for people across the country , ” Pence told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Way Presbyterian church in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale .
Pence told the group that continued efforts to hold services online and in other ways “ made incalculable difference in our nation seeing our way through these troubled times.
” Iowa is among many states where restrictions on in-person services are starting to ease as stay-home orders imposed to stop the virus are being gradually ended .
Gov .
Kim Reynolds , who joined both of the state ’ s Republican senators at the event , has instituted new rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they maintain social distancing and practice thorough sanitary cleaning .
At Friday ’ s event , some religious leaders expressed hesitation at resuming large gatherings , while others said they would begin holding services in the coming weeks .
“ We are pretty much in a position of uniformly believing that it ’ s too early to return to personal worship .
It ’ s inadvisable at the moment particularly with rising case counts in communities where we are across the state , ” said David Kaufman , rabbi of Temple B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Rev .
Terry Amann , of Church of the Way , said his church will resume services May 17 with chairs arranged so families can sit together but avoiding the temptation to shake hands or offer hugs .
He said hand sanitizer will be available .
“ These are challenges but we ’ ll be able to do it , “ Amann said .
“ We ’ re excited to get back together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
” The discussion of reopening in-person church services comes as a new poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows just 9 % of Americans think in-person religious services should be permitted without restrictions , while 42 % think they should be allowed with restrictions and 48 % think they should not be allowed at all .
Among Americans who identify with a religion , 45 % say in-person services shouldn ’ t be allowed .
Pence left the meeting to meet with agriculture and food supply leaders .
Iowa leads the nation in egg and pork production and is a top grower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the state ’ s biggest employers , and companies have been working to restart operations after closing them because hundreds of their workers became sick with the coronavirus .
As Pence touted the Trump administration ’ s announcement of the reopening of 14 meatpacking plants Friday including two of the worst hit by coronavirus infections in Perry and Waterloo in Iowa , the union representing workers called for safer working conditions .
“ Iowa ’ s meatpacking workers are not sacrificial lambs .
They have been working tirelessly during the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country have access to the food they need , ” said the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in a statement .
The union called on the administration to immediately provide the highest level of protective equipment , ensure daily testing is available for all meatpacking workers , enforce physical distancing at all plants , provide full paid sick leave for any workers who are infected , and establish constant monitoring by federal inspectors to ensure these safety standards are enforced.
” Union officials were responding to Pence ’ s visit in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and meatpacking plants calling continuation of the food supply one of the great success stories of the pandemic .
The union said 30 meatpacking plant workers have died .
“ We ’ ve made great progress and I ’ m very confident that as we continue and put the health and safety of the American people first and implement policies as Gov .
Reynolds is doing here in Iowa to safely reopen our economy , we ’ re going to get Iowa and Americans back to work and get America rolling again and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , ” Pence said .
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duval said the problems with meat availability and prices has taught Americans things about the food supply they never thought of before .
“ We do have a new awareness across this country about what food means to them .
You can take everything away from us but if you take food and water way from us nothing else makes a difference , ” he said .
Ken Sullivan , CEO of Smithfield Foods discussed how he had a call just before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had died .
He said it ’ s been a “ gut-wrenching ” decision to have to make a choice between maintaining the food supply and asking workers to go into the meatpacking plants to keep production moving .
“ I just want the American people to know that these employees really deserve a lot of gratitude , ” he said


thetorontostar--2020-05-08--Extreme lockdown shows divide in hard-hit Navajo border town

GALLUP , N.M. - Like clockwork , payday arrives and tens of thousands of people from the Navajo reservation and other rural stretches along the New Mexico-Arizona border flood into Gallup , a freewheeling desert oasis of just 22,000 that can quickly quadruple in size with all the visitors .
As the modern-day trading post reels under a coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 1,450 people and killed at least three dozen in the city and surrounding rural county — overrunning a patchwork health care system — Gallup has gone into extreme lockdown .
Barricades are manned by state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out anyone who doesn ’ t live there or face an emergency .
That has sent thousands of people scrambling for options other than the city ’ s coin-operated bulk water station and monthly shopping runs to Walmart and Tractor Supply Co. Up to one-third of homes on remote stretches of the Navajo Nation lack full plumbing , and grocery stores are mostly tiny and limited .
The roads into Gallup may open up Friday evening , but the rules allowing only essential shopping will remain , and the reservation has its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evenings and weekends .
Navajo police patrol for people breaking the rules .
On Thursday , hundreds of cars idled at a roadblock in hopes of entering town , just before the lockdown was extended for three more days under the state Riot Control Act .
The effectiveness of the lockdown , enacted by the governor and endorsed by Gallup ’ s fledgling mayor , is up for debate .
Infections are still mounting in town , with about 240 confirmed cases within one ZIP code , and more than 2,650 across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona and Utah .
If the Navajo Nation were its own state , it ’ d have the second highest per capita rate of positive coronavirus cases in the country , behind only New York .
The dividing line traced by roadblocks also is tugging on sensitivities about birthrights and inequities , as Native American visitors worry about the social stigma of being locked out because of the contagion .
The outbreak on the huge Navajo reservation , the nation ’ s largest with 175,000 people , has made people in Gallup nervous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has divided people in the town for centuries .
“ They targeted the people around here .
They ’ re going to be coming to Gallup to shop , so they put a stop to that , ” said Johnnie Henry , adding that two of his relatives from the Navajo Nation were apparently infected with COVID-19 while working at a Gallup hospital .
“ We kind of look at each other and say , are we the ones bringing it ?
No , it ’ s all over .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to go back into Gallup , but they ’ re afraid that they ’ re going to call us names ... say that we are the carriers , ” Henry said .
In Gallup , the streets are empty , with downtown thoroughfares largely free of cars .
The lockdown idled pawn shops , halted informal jewelry sales by walking vendors , and thinned out crowds at grocery stores and Walmart .
“ The lockdown has been awesome , you don ’ t have to worry about any crowds , ” Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depot , said as he ducked into a grocery store to buy his wife a cup of coffee .
At Gallup ’ s main hospital , Rehoboth McKinley Christian , the battle against the virus has taken a toll , with 32 infections among employees .
The hospital ’ s sole pulmonologist left Wednesday without a replacement , and patients with serious respiratory conditions are being flown to Albuquerque , Chief Medical Officer Val Wangler said .
For most , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .
The trajectory of the pandemic could hinge on Gallup ’ s homeless population — many who left the Navajo Nation and struggle with alcoholism .
Infections raced through a detox centre in early April .
Now , free room and board are offered at four local motels — including the famous El Rancho hotel visited by legendary actor John Wayne and President Ronald Reagan — to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are tested repeatedly before being cleared with a certification card that can let them back into shelters .
Beyond Gallup , New Mexico ’ s stay-at-home restrictions expire May 15 , and there ’ s uncertainty about what ’ s next .
“ I ’ m so confused .
What is going to really work if this doesn ’ t ?
” state Sen. George Munoz of Gallup said of the community lockdown .
He has taken to buying giant pallets of bottled water for indigenous communities with campaign funds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer.
” At a motel , Dr. Caleb Lauber opens a conversation with a coronavirus-positive patient in the Navajo language before administering a nasal swab test to see if the infection persists .
“ There ’ s more than one benefit from doing this , ” he said .
“ It allows us the opportunity to ensure that the community is protected.
” But the program is financially unsustainable , Lauber said .
South of Gallup in Zuni Pueblo , a tribal community of 800 residents set amid red rock mesas , Lt. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gallup lockdown , noting that it keeps more pueblo members safely at home .
He said the tribe has stockpiled food and water to help support members who have to quarantine after being exposed to the virus .
He said a COVID-19 outbreak in the pueblo is far from contained , with about 55 confirmed infections and two deaths amid intensive testing , evening curfews and a daytime roadblock aimed at discouraging nonessential travel .
An end to the Gallup lockdown would likely mean stricter restrictions in the pueblo , where Bowekaty says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in ceremonial life , including burials .
Thoughts have turned to preserving oral traditions that might be lost with more coronavirus casualties .
“ How do we capture their knowledge if they pass on ?
” he asked .
Associated Press data editor Meghan Hoyer contributed to this report .
This story has corrected the spelling of President Ronald Reagan ’ s last name .


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Gunfire kills 6 at Afghan protest calling for economic aid

KABUL - A shootout erupted on Saturday at a protest in western Afghanistan by residents demanding economic assistance , leading @ @ @ @ @ least six people , including a local reporter and two police officers , officials said @ @ @ @ @ Arian said the protesters had gathered outside the governor ’ s office in Feroz Koh @ @ @ @ @ western Ghor province .
They were demanding relief after weeks of restrictions aimed at containing @ @ @ @ @ said some people at the protest opened fire at police , igniting a gun battle @ @ @ @ @ and wounded another 19 , including nine police .
The ministry has launched an investigation @ @ @ @ @ delegation to the province .
Afghanistan was already mired in poverty before the onset of @ @ @ @ @ infected nearly 3,800 people in the country and killed at least 109 .
Many Afghans @ @ @ @ @ which has dried up because of the closure of nonessential businesses .


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Not giving it up cold turkey: Bird hunters just winging it

FALMOUTH , Maine - The coronavirus pandemic has cancelled dozens of spring traditions , from college basketball ’ s Final Four to Easter Sunday services , but there ’ s one rite that ’ s going on largely unfettered — turkey hunting .
Every state except Alaska , which is the only state with no turkeys , hosts a spring turkey hunt each year .
The birds , whose domesticated cousins grace Thanksgiving tables from Hawaii to Maine , are among America ’ s greatest conservation success stories .
The hunt is taking on a new look in some parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing laws .
Many states , including Maine , are requiring out-of-state residents to self quarantine for two weeks when they enter the state .
That functionally eliminates out-of-state hunters from coming to the Pine Tree State to bag a bird .
Other states , including Kansas , have suspended the sale of turkey permits to non-residents to reduce spread of the coronavirus .
Some have suspended the need to register a bird after shooting it .
But all 49 states are going ahead with turkey hunts in some form or another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of conservation services for the South Carolina-based National Wild Turkey Federation .
That even includes Hawaii , where the birds aren ’ t native but were introduced in the 1960s .
In Maine , hunter Joel Pitcher said he expects a good season , though it won ’ t be as social an affair as it has been in the past .
“ I ’ m not just going to go with a bunch of buddies , like I normally would .
It cuts into it that way .
Somebody might call and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Hunting turkey ?
That ’ s not going to happen , ” Pitcher said .
Turkey hunting takes place every spring in part to control the population of the birds , which were once numbered in only the tens of thousands before repopulation efforts brought them back .
The population rose to 1.3 million in the early 1970s and is now more than 6 million , Hatfield said .
The turkeys have become so successful that in some parts of the country they ’ re overpopulated and can cause nuisances , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in suburban Boston when a flock of the birds decides to mill around in the road .
A continued hunt is important to manage the population , Hatfield said .
The earliest hunts began in March and some last until June .
Hatfield said it ’ s difficult to know how successful this year ’ s hunt will be , but with many hunters laid off or furloughed or simply working from home , they might have more opportunities to participate in what is traditionally a weekend activity .
Early season hunters seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
“ That person may say , ‘ Well I ’ m going to turkey hunt more .
I used to be able to turkey hunt more on the weekend , now I can do it during the week.
’ It could increase the harvest of resident hunters , ” Hatfield said .
Two million turkey hunters bagged about 665,000 birds in spring 2014 , the most recent year for which statistics are available , Hatfield said .
The biggest harvests were in Pennsylvania and Missouri , while Georgia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
In Vermont , it appears that more hunters are taking part in the spring turkey hunting season this year than last year .
In late April , 13 % more young hunters participated in the annual youth turkey hunt , based on license sales , and it appeared that 23 % more resident adult hunters bought turkey licenses for the start of the spring season , which opened May 1 , said Mark Scott , the director of wildlife for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department .
“ We can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean more turkey hunters given that maybe hunters are buying their license earlier than normal , ” he wrote in an email .
“ But based on increased youth participation we feel there is more interest ; and we are optimistic that we will see more people getting out into Vermont ’ s woods and fields.
” But in Kansas , the suspension of non-resident turkey permits has hurt business for Randy Lyons , the owner of Randy ’ s Turkey Hunting Adventure in the northwestern part of the state .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It is a side business for him , and he normally has five or six clients .
“ The virus definitely hasn ’ t helped .
Most of the time we rely on out-of-state hunters , “ Lyons said .
In New Hampshire , state wildlife biologist Allison Keating said the state has experienced a slight increase in turkey license sales for both adults and youth compared to this time last year .
The state launched an online registration system so hunters can register their birds online , as opposed to having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 100 turkeys were registered on the first day of the state ’ s weekend for youth hunters , she said .
Associated Press writers Pat Graham in Denver , Kathy McCormack in Concord , New Hampshire , Lisa Rathke in Montpelier , Vermont , and Heather Hollingsworth in Mission , Kansas contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Idled help the isolated: Med students aid homebound seniors

CINCINNATI - Aspiring doctors in Cincinnati whose studies were interrupted by the coronavirus outbreak have morphed their mission into taking care of people who are especially vulnerable to the pandemic ’ s dangers .
University of Cincinnati medical students started a “ COVID-19 match ” program modeled on one that began in Louisville , Kentucky , and is also being replicated around the country .
Volunteers are assigned someone who is 60 years or older or who has health problems that make it particularly dangerous to risk exposure by leaving home .
The volunteers do grocery shopping , pick up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just send cards and check in .
Annette Rybicki , 88 , who lives with her son , Dr. Frank Rybicki , is among the early users .
Rybicki is vice chairman for operations of the radiology department for the UC medical school , which is part of the UC Health System .
His mother has dementia and other illnesses , he said , and caring for her while working from home doesn ’ t leave much time for grocery shopping .
“ It ’ s no small feat to get food now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drew as her match a neurology student who was soon doing their food shopping , armed with cellphone pictures Rybicki sent of his mother ’ s favourite veggie burgers and other delights , including pasta and chocolate .
“ She ’ s been phenomenal , ” Rybicki said .
“ And it gives me time to try to help save people ’ s lives , so it ’ s huge.
” The Cincinnati-area match program began in late March after two students , whose clinical rotations set for this spring were postponed because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other .
Cassandra Schoberg , a psychiatry student who lives nearby in Covington , Kentucky , told Tommy Daley , a pediatrics student from Springboro , Ohio , that a bright side was being able to help her homebound grandmother .
Both immediately realized there must be many older people who needed help , Daley said .
Schoberg told him about a Louisville program she had heard about .
“ Tommy said , ‘ We can totally pull this off , ’ “ she recounted .
A friend created a website , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information for those in need from churches and put out a call for volunteers .
They quickly got 40 medical students , and the number is growing with the participation of nonmedical students and friends of students from UC and Northern Kentucky University , across the Ohio River .
The program now serves around 120 clients , and the operators plan to offer current services at least through May .
In Louisville , Erin Hinson couldn ’ t be happier to see her program adopted elsewhere .
Versions are up and running in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She now has help managing it from University of Louisville students and alumni .
Hinson , 35 , a former legislative assistant for the Louisville Metro Council , is marooned at home during the outbreak because of diabetes and asthma .
“ I ’ m stuck in my house , and I really want to help my community , ” she said .
She thought about similarly homebound people who don ’ t have a spouse , friends or relatives nearby to help them out .
She developed her plan in mid-March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ love thy neighbour ” by using technology , she said .
She started with a do-it-yourself site before local ad agency Red Tag jumped in to build her a sophisticated , information-loaded site .
Within four weeks , her program had connected volunteers with more than 200 people at home , in one-to-one matches of volunteers who live as close as possible to the clients .
They get groceries , medications , pick up food boxes from food banks , run other errands , or simply phone to chat or leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The real heroes are the people who are volunteering , loving their neighbours one person at a time , ” Hinson said .
In Cincinnati , Rybicki said that he previously ordered food for delivery from restaurants and grocery stores , but that the personalized , one-to-one approach works better to fulfil his mother ’ s wishes .
Delivery orders are prone to delays and substitutions , while the volunteers have the latitude to focus on one client .
“ If you ’ re old and you have dementia also , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have the food that you usually have , ” Rybicki said .
“ This is a terrific use of the resources that the medical students have .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Stuck on cruise ships during pandemic, crews beg to go home


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Serbia protests EU description of Tesla as famous Croat

BELGRADE , Serbia - Serbia has protested to the European Union after one of its publications described inventor and electricity pioneer Nikola Tesla as a Croat .
Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Saturday he has sent the protest note to Brussels after the EU ’ s Learning Corner site for children described Tesla as a “ famous Croatian ” who was one of the first people to discover X-ray imaging .
An ethnic Serb born in 1856 in the Austrian Empire in present-day Croatia , Tesla spent most of his life abroad , working in Budapest and Paris before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he assumed American citizenship .
He died in New York in 1943 .
History books quote him as saying that he was proud of his Serb origin and his Croat homeland .
Tesla ’ s ethnicity has long been just one of many disputes and points of contention between neighbouring Balkan rivals Serbia and Croatia , which once were both part of the Yugoslav federation that broke up in a civil war in the 1990s .
Croatia is an EU member , while Serbia is seeking membership .
Tesla ’ s ashes are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nikola Tesla museum in the Serbian capital .
His sculptures are on display in both Belgrade and the Croatian capital , Zagreb .
Tesla is best known for developing the alternating current that helped safely distribute electricity at great distances , including from the hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls in the mid-1890s .
He experimented with X-ray and radio technology , working in rivalry with Thomas Edison .
Car manufacturer Tesla is named after him .
Serbia ’ s culture minister has demanded an apology from the EU for the “ fake “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Victims of protest violence commemorated 10 years later

ATHENS , Greece - A plaque commemorating three bank employees who died of asphyxiation when their workplace was firebombed during a protest march 10 years ago was unveiled in Athens Saturday .
Many officials , led by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou , attended the ceremony .
Leaders of two leftist parties , Syriza and the Communist Party , had laid wreaths on the site in central Athens earlier .
The three employees , a man and two women , all in their 30s , died on May 5 , 2010 , when the Marfin Bank branch in central Athens was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large protest march against the first austerity agreement Greece had signed with its creditors just days earlier .
One of the victims was four months pregnant .
The fire spread quickly and , although most employees made it out safely , some were trapped inside .
Those who made it onto balconies found that many in the crowd below were shouting for them to burn for having shown up for work despite a call for a general strike .
Firefighters could only get in after considerable delay , while journalists outside the burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provocateurs for reporting casualties .
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced earlier this week the reopening into an inquiry on the incident , for which no one has been charged .
He also announced that the state is abandoning its appeal against the 2.4 million euros awarded to the families of the victims in compensation .


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Coronavirus takes a toll in Sweden’s immigrant community

STOCKHOLM - The flight from Italy was one of the last arrivals that day at the Stockholm airport .
A Swedish couple in their 50s walked up and loaded their skis into Razzak Khalaf ’ s taxi .
It was early March and concerns over the coronavirus were already present , but the couple , both coughing for the entire 45-minute journey , assured Khalaf they were healthy and just suffering from a change in the weather .
Four days later , the Iraqi immigrant got seriously ill with COVID-19 .
Still not able to return to work , Khalaf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in immigrant communities in the Nordic nations are being hit harder by the pandemic than the general population .
Sweden took a relatively soft approach to fighting the coronavirus , one that attracted international attention .
Large gatherings were banned but restaurants and schools for younger children have stayed open .
The government has urged social distancing , and Swedes have largely complied .
The country has paid a heavy price , with 3,175 fatalities from COVID-19 .
That ’ s more than 31 deaths per 100,000 population , compared with about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which imposed a strict lockdown early on that is only now being slowly lifted .
Inside Sweden ’ s immigrant communities , anecdotal evidence emerged early in the outbreak that suggested that some — particularly those from Somalia and Iraq — were hit harder than others .
Last month , data from Sweden ’ s Public Health Agency confirmed that Somali Swedes made up almost 5 per cent of the country ’ s COVID-19 cases , yet represented less than 1 per cent of its 10 million people .
Many in these communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , multigeneration households and are unable to work remotely .
“ No one cares for taxi drivers in Sweden , ” said Khalaf , who tested positive and was admitted to a hospital when his condition deteriorated .
Despite difficulties breathing , the 49-year-old says he was sent home after six hours and told his body was strong enough to “ fight it off.
” In Finland , Helsinki authorities warned of a similar over-representation among Somali immigrants in the capital — some 200 cases , or about 14 % , of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants make up nearly 15 % of the general population , they represent about 25 % of confirmed coronavirus cases .
“ I think a pandemic like this one , or any crisis will hit the most vulnerable people in society the most wherever in the world , and we see this in many many countries , “ said Isabella Lovin , Sweden ’ s deputy prime minister , in an interview with The Associated Press .
Noting that the virus was spreading faster in some crowded Stockholm suburbs , Lovin said said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some people whose relatives are vulnerable .
Sweden , Norway and Finland recognized early failings in community outreach in minority languages and are seeking to fix this .
The town of Jarfalla , outside Stockholm , has had high school students hand out leaflets in Somali , Persian , French and other languages , urging people to wash their hands and stay home if sick .
With Sweden ’ s relatively low-key approach to fighting the virus that relies mainly on voluntary social distancing , there are concerns the message has not reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s important that everyone living here who has a different mother tongue gets the right information , ” said Warda Addallah , a 17-year-old Somali Swede .
Anders Wallensten , Sweden ’ s deputy state epidemiologist , said officials have worked harder on communicating with such groups “ to make sure they have the knowledge to protect themselves and avoid spreading the disease to others.
” But teacher and community activist Rashid Musa says the problem runs much deeper .
“ I wish it were that easy — that you needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ We need to look at the more fundamental issue , which is class , which is racism , which is social status , which is income.
” “ The rich have the opportunity to put themselves into quarantine , they can go to their summer houses , ” Musa said .
A key government recommendation for individuals to work from home if possible is harder in marginalized areas where many have jobs in the service sector .
“ How can a bus driver or a taxi driver work from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this disparity can be found in anonymous data aggregated by mobile phone operator Telia , which has given the Swedish Health Authority information about population mobility .
By comparing the number of people in an area early in the morning with those who travelled to another area for at least an hour later in the day , Telia estimates how many go to work and how many stay home .
“ We do see certain areas that are maybe more affluent with a bigger number of people working from home , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data insights for Telia .
Data shows a 12 percentage point difference between Danderyd , one of Stockholm ’ s most affluent suburbs , and Botkryka , one with the highest percentage of first- and second-generation immigrants .
“ Many of our members have contracted the coronavirus , ” said Akil Zahiri , who helps administer the mosque on the outskirts of Stockholm .
“ But you do the best you can.
” Zahiri spoke to the AP as he sat alone in Sweden ’ s largest Shiite mosque co-ordinating a video call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member who died of COVID-19 .
The sound of prayer crackled through the computer , breaking the silence in the empty hall .
During Ramadan , the month when Muslims fast during the day , the mosque cancelled all public events .
Zahiri reminded the congregation to take part in social distancing , urging them to stay home for the Iftar , the daily breaking of the fast after sunset , and to avoid sharing food with friends .
Associated Press writers Jari Tanner in Helsinki , Finland , and Mark Lewis in @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Being ostracized: Virus leaves its mark for UK’s elderly

LONDON - From resounding applause to ostracization and isolation .
That ’ s essentially the journey Lt. Cmdr .
Robert Embleton , who served 34 years in Britain ’ s Royal Navy , took by ambulance when discharged from Derriford Hospital in Plymouth , southwestern England , on April 8 following his near-month sickness with COVID-19 .
Arriving at his retirement home , he immediately went into self-isolation with his wife of 55 years , Jean , who has shown no symptoms of the virus .
Soon after , Embleton realized he was carrying some new baggage — the stigma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying a bell to warn of his presence .
“ I was regarded as a sort of leper , a plague carrier .
Some people when they spotted me , they recoiled , ” the 79-year-old told The Associated Press .
“ I was particularly regarded as a menace.
” That ’ s some contrast to his final moments at Derriford Hospital , when the “ somewhat embarrassed ” Embleton received a round of applause from all the front-line staff from the cleaners to the doctors .
Embleton , who received an MBE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for outstanding service to the Royal Navy , thinks the lockdown rules are too strict for some elderly people .
He understands the need to shield those elderly with underlying health conditions , but says others should be treated with much more “ common sense.
” The prospect of this type of stigmatization was something he had discussed in Derriford with the 57-year-old Poorna Gunasekera when they were in a ward together recovering from the virus .
Gunasekera , who unbeknownst to Embleton was a doctor and had been treated by three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naval officer for “ single-handedly ” lifting his spirits .
The fact that Embleton had visited Gunasekera ’ s hometown of Kandy , Sri Lanka , forged a connection , and the two have reconnected on Facebook since their brushes with death .
Gunasekera remembers that all four in the ward shared the same anxiety — of becoming fresh sources of outbreaks after leaving the hospital .
“ It is a dreadful fear and we expected to be somewhat stigmatized , and that would be normal because I suppose I would do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
Time is a great healer and the stigma slowly abates .
On a gloriously sunny early spring Sunday afternoon , there was a breakthrough .
As is his wont for a traditional Sunday lunch , Embleton decided to open one of his finest bottles of wine — a Châteauneuf-du-Pape — and offered a glass to the lady next door , who is also 79 .
“ Then , blinking in the sunshine , all along the top floor , the others came out with their glasses filled and gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ Cheer and optimism.
” British charities for the elderly , like Age U.K. , have heard similar tales and hope that a ramped-up testing program will provide some reassurance .
“ It just adds another layer of tragedy to the situation that residents who recover — something that should be celebrated as a much-needed piece of good news — are feeling isolated and ostracized as a result , ” said Ruthe Isden , head of health influencing at Age U.K .
The ostracization may now have gone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infancy , especially if social distancing restrictions on the elderly remain in place for longer , until a vaccine is , if ever , produced .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who has also recovered from COVID-19 , is set to extend the lockdown restrictions on Sunday , bar a couple of minor tweaks .
Embleton says the lockdown is “ sapping the equanimity and self-confidence “ of most elderly people and is “ increasingly intolerable ” for those like him who have no underlying health conditions and who are hugely active members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not right to treat all old people as children , incapable of assessing risk , ” he said .
Luckily , both he and Jean have the upheavals and separation of the naval years to help them get through the weeks and months ahead .
Embleton said the isolation reminds him of the time he spent aboard the HMS Galatea , a Leander-class frigate , near the Arctic Circle , during the Cod War of 1976 — confrontations between Britain and Iceland over North Atlantic fishing rights .
“ Doing things like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Arctic , just you and your ship , it ’ s rather like being in the over-70s lockdown for COVID-19 , ” he said .
“ You start thinking differently , you ’ ve got to get on with it , you won ’ t be going home , you won ’ t be seeing your family.
” The same applies for Jean , who endured her husband ’ s brush with death in self-isolation at home .
“ It ’ s not pleasant but as a serviceman ’ s wife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get used to these periods of time that you are on your own so I probably weathered it rather better than some people , “ she said .
“ I was brought up to think that husbands went away and that they came back.
” Well , Lt. Cmdr .
Robert Embleton did come back and he ’ s planning a lot more long walks , gym workouts and drinking fine wines .
And hopefully before he turns 80 in November .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Clashes and unity calls at UN on World War II anniversary

TANZANIA , Tanzania - A U.N. Security Council meeting on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe on Friday saw a clash between Russia and some Europeans , calls for unity to fight COVID-19 , and warnings that the seeds of a new global conflict must be prevented from growing .
Nearly 70 speakers , including more than 45 foreign ministers and the European Union ’ s top diplomat , took part in the informal video meeting organized by Estonia , which holds the council presidency this month , on lessons learned from the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council ’ s responsibility .
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the world is facing “ its biggest crisis since the end of World War II ” triggered by the outbreak of the coronavirus , which “ is shaking the foundations of our societies and exposing the vulnerabilities of the most fragile countries.
” “ It has the potential to deepen existing conflicts and generate new geopolitical tensions , ” Borrell warned .
Beyond the immediate public health challenges , he said , “ millions of people around the world are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He urged the international community to tackle inequalities and uphold human rights equally everywhere , singling out Syrians , Yemenis , Venezuelans , Palestinians and Myanmar ’ s Rohingya Muslims .
And he said “ we must act against the re-emergence of anti-Semitism , racism , xenophobia and authoritarian politics.
” Germany ’ s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the hope for a better future after the war that killed over 60 million people led to the creation of the United Nations and the European Union , “ and it found its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has received from its former enemies , ” which “ to this day ... fills us with immense gratitude and humility.
” He said Germany ’ s commitment to global solutions and multilateralism “ is based on our historic experience — that nationalism leads to destruction.
” Maas said that during the last months , “ we have witnessed attempts to stir up nationalist feelings by trying to rewrite history.
” “ Those who try to turn the victims into perpetrators and the attacked into attackers are violating the memory of the victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unacceptable.
” Maas warned that political backing for international institutions is too often missing today , especially in the Security Council , whose mandate is to maintain international peace and security .
He pointed to its failure to end wars in Syria and Libya and bring peace to the Middle East and Ukraine .
France ’ s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the world today is witnessing “ a brutalization of international life , ” pointing to conflicts and “ the multiplication of faits accomplis “ from the South China Sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemical weapons in Syria , Malaysia and on European soil , terrorism , new threats from cyberspace , and stiffening international competition .
Estonia ’ s Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu , who chaired the meeting , rejected Russia ’ s recent attempts “ to manipulate historical events “ and justify the August 1939 non-aggression treaty between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany , with its secret protocol dividing Europe into spheres of influence for each of them .
Reinsalu said the pact “ paved the way for the outbreak of World War II.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the war , for half a century , many European nations remained under direct Soviet suppression , deprived of freedom , sovereignty , dignity , human rights and free development , ” Reinsalu said .
He stressed that World War II “ taught us to protect our freedom , to reject and condemn the illegal use of force and to co-operate in order to achieve and preserve peace.
” Russia ’ s U.N .
Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia countered that “ the Soviet Union was the main victim in that war and at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Attempts to challenge this , to present the Soviet Union as allegedly equally responsible for starting the war that surface today and circulate today by some modern politicians and ... historians are not only immoral but disgusting and sacrilege to the truth and to our historical memory , ” he said .
And claims the Soviet Red Army didn ’ t liberate countries from Nazism but put them “ into enslavement ” are also an “ insult , ” he said .
“ Rewriting history has become a popular trend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is clear , to shift the blame to deprive Russia retroactively of its status as one of the heroes of World War II.
” He said perhaps the greatest lesson of the war “ was that mankind realized the need for a vaccine against the ideology of hate.
” “ What fortunately the world has not seen is another world war which would have been nuclear and catastrophic , but we shouldn ’ t be complacent about it , ” he said .
“ Current international relations show some trends that are reminiscent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World War II - deep distrust among major international players , attempts to achieve hegemony , unilateral actions , scapegoat — to name a few.
” Nebenzia expressed hope that the wisdom and will to act together against common threats and challenges will prevail today as it did during World War II , warning that a new global war “ may become the final for mankind .
”


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy dies from coronavirus at 75

LAS VEGAS - Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy , the duo whose extraordinary magic tricks astonished millions until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act ’ s famed white tigers , has died .
He was 75 .
Horn died of complications from the coronavirus on Friday in a Las Vegas hospital , according to a statement released by publicist Dave Kirvin .
“ Today , the world has lost one of the greats of magic , but I have lost my best friend , ” Siegfried Fischbacher said in the statement .
“ From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roy and I , together , would change the world .
There could be no Siegfried without Roy , and no Roy without Siegfried.
” He was injured in October 2003 when a tiger named Montecore attacked him on stage at the Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas .
He had severe neck injuries , lost a lot of blood and later suffered a stroke .
He underwent lengthy rehabilitation , but the attack ended the long-running Las Vegas Strip production .
The darker-haired of the flashy duo , Horn was credited with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his pet cheetah — to the magic act .
“ Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days , ” Fischbacher said .
“ I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors , nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy ’ s life.
” The two became an institution in Las Vegas , where their magic and artistry consistently attracted sellout crowds .
The pair performed six shows a week , 44 weeks per year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2009 for what was billed as their one and only comeback performance , to raise funds for the new Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas .
The brief performance , which included Montecore , became the basis of an episode of the ABC television show “ 20/20.
” Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher , both natives of Germany , had first teamed up in 1957 and made their Las Vegas debut a decade later .
Siegfried & Roy began performing at the Mirage in 1990 .
When they signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 , it was estimated they had performed 5,000 shows at the casino for 10 million fans since 1990 and had grossed more than $ 1 billion .
That came on top of thousands of shows at other venues in earlier years .
“ Throughout the history of Las Vegas , no artists have meant more to the development of Las Vegas ’ global reputation as the entertainment capital of the world than Siegfried and Roy , ” Terry Lanni , chairman of MGM Mirage , the casino ’ s parent company , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gained international recognition for helping to save rare white tigers and white lions from extinction .
Their $ 10 million compound was home to dozens of rare animals over the years .
The white lions and white tigers were the result of a preservation program that began in the 1980s .
“ The good news is that the white tigers and white lions are going into the 21st century , ” Horn said in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press .
“ The bad news is that if we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wild , they will disappear.
” Siegfried & Roy ’ s show , incorporating animal antics and magic tricks , included about 20 white tigers and lions , the number varying depending on the night .
The show also had other exotic animals , including an elephant .
“ Their show is so fast-paced the viewer has time only to gasp before the next dazzlement , ” an Associated Press reviewer wrote in 1989 when they brought their act to New York .
“ A white car drives on stage — as Liberace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white tiger and three cubs .
Roy rides an elephant , which disappears , then reappears .
At the end , a 650-pound white tiger climbs atop a globe .
With Roy on his back , they ’ re pulled into the air.
” “ It ’ s a Las Vegas show and it ’ s nonstop entertainment .
New Yorkers aren ’ t too sophisticated for this.
” A later spectacular developed for the Mirage opened with a flashy “ Star Wars ” scenario and Horn and Fischbacher arriving in their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Horn sitting atop a 30-foot ( 9.1-meter ) pyramid that was “ destroyed ” by an explosion and fire , leaving him levitated high above the stage .
It was halfway during a performance Oct. 3 , 2003 , when Horn was alone on stage with the tiger that it suddenly lunged at him .
Horn , who had turned 59 that day , had never been injured during a show before , “ not a scratch , not by an animal , ” Bernie Yuman , the pair ’ s longtime manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he thought Montecore , a 7-year-old male , got distracted by something in the audience and Horn was trying to calm him .
Horn himself said later that he fainted and the tiger was trying to help him by dragging him offstage , though animal experts disputed that possibility .
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture explored a variety of theories but was unable to reach a conclusion on what caused the tiger to attack .
In its final report , the USDA also said the show ’ s producers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was no barrier separating the exotic animals from the crowd .
In October 2006 , three years after the attack , Horn and Fischbacher attended their induction into the Las Vegas Walk of Stars .
Horn ’ s speech was sluggish at times and he walked a bit slow , but he called the event “ a deeply emotional experience.
” Born in Nordenham , Germany , Horn met Fischbacher on a cruise ship in 1957 .
Fischbacher performed the magic tricks , while Horn became his assistant , eventually suggesting using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honed their animal-magic show in small clubs in Germany and Switzerland in the mid-1960s .
Their break came in a Monte Carlo casino when an agent in the audience invited them to Las Vegas .
The pair made their debut at the Tropicana hotel-casino in the late 1960s .
The illusionists became popular in the 1970s , receiving their first star billing in 1978 as headliners of the Stardust ’ s “ Lido de Paris.
” Their show “ Beyond Belief ” opened in 1981 at the Frontier and played to thousands over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became U.S. citizens in 1988 , an elated Horn said , “ Being an American means all the things we believe in.
” Horn once hand-fed a white lion cub born prematurely , starting with an eyedropper .
But when a cub was donated to a zoo , Horn said he was heartbroken .
“ When you love something , the hardest thing is to let it go , ” he said .
“ But this is what Siegfried and Roy do .
We live our dreams , and we fulfil our destiny.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an expected public memorial .


thetorontostar--2020-05-09--Egypt’s president expands powers, citing virus outbreak

CAIRO - Egypt ’ s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Friday approved amendments to the country ’ s state of emergency that grant him and security agencies additional powers , which the government says are needed to combat the coronavirus outbreak .
An international rights group condemned the amendments , saying the government has used the global pandemic to “ expand , not reform , Egypt ’ s abusive Emergency Law.
” The new amendments allow the president to to take measures to contain the virus , such as suspending classes at schools and universities and quarantining those returning from abroad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ban public and private meetings , protests , celebrations and other forms of assembly .
The government has waged an unprecedented crackdown on dissent since 2013 , when el-Sissi rose to power , and unauthorized protests have been banned for years .
The amendments also allow military prosecutors to investigate incidents when army officers are tasked with law enforcement or when the president orders it .
The country ’ s chief civilian prosecutor would have the final decision on whether to bring matters to trial .
The amended law would also allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payments as well as provide economic support for affected sectors .
Parliament , which is packed with el-Sissi supporters , approved the measure last month .
Egypt has been under a state of emergency since April 2017 , and the government extended it late last month for another three months .
The law was originally passed to give the president broader powers to combat terrorism and drug trafficking .
The government said the amendments were needed to address a legal “ vacuum ” revealed by the coronavirus outbreak .
Egypt , with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 504 deaths among around 8,500 confirmed cases .
However , only five of the 18 amendments are clearly related to public health , and the new powers can be used whenever a state of emergency is declared , Human Rights Watch said .
“ Some of these measures could be needed in public health emergencies , but they should not be open to abuse as part of an unreformed emergency law , ” said Joe Stork , the New York-based group ’ s Middle East and North Africa director .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order ’ as a justification reflects the security mentality that governs Sissi ’ s Egypt.
” In response the pandemic , Egypt has halted international air travel and shuttered schools , universities , mosques , churches and archaeological sites , including the famed Giza pyramids .
A curfew is in place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m .
The partial lockdown is to continue for another two weeks , until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan .