thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Cuomo warns scofflaw schools, seeks Chainsmokers gig fine

ALBANY , N.Y. - Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that New York would seek $ 20,000 in fines against the promoters who organized a July concert by The Chainsmokers that saw widespread violations of social distancing rules .
The Democrat also threatened to take away state funding from schools in coronavirus hot spots that are ignoring orders to shut their doors , saying their defiance was endangering public health .
“ This is a last and final warning , “ Cuomo said .
The governor ’ s office said the promoter of The Chainsmokers concert , In the Know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Southampton event by holding a nonessential gathering and failing to enforce rules requiring people to wear masks if they couldn ’ t stay 6 feet ( 2 metres ) apart .
Crowds gathered near the end of the concert despite the presence of private security and town police officers .
Cuomo called the concert , attended by more than 2,150 people , “ an egregious violation ” of the rules .
The concert organizers declined comment through their promotion company .
Cuomo said he was also temporarily revoking the ability of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar events without state approval .
Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said the town has already been asking the state to weigh in on special event permits , but said he didn ’ t know about Cuomo ’ s decision until he announced it Wednesday .
Schneiderman said “ it ’ s a standard no other town has to go through.
” Cuomo aides told the town ’ s attorneys Wednesday afternoon that the town made errors in permitting the event , but did not share what those errors were or which events need state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed the rule when we issued the permit and the state may feel otherwise , ” he said .
“ It ’ s challenging when an event organizer doesn ’ t follow the rules.
” “ If we made a mistake let us know what it is and give us a chance to fix it , ” he added .
The governor , who has for weeks lamented the failure of some local governments to enforce coronavirus restrictions , also said Wednesday that the state would send a letter to local governments warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they didn ’ t enforce limits on public gatherings and schools .
The governor recently ordered schools in designated cluster zones to switch to remote learning for at least 14 days to help stop the virus from spreading .
Cuomo said the letter would go to New York City , Orange County , Rockland County , the Town of Ramapo and the Village of Spring Valley .
Cuomo didn ’ t immediately say exactly how much money could would be withheld or name schools that were breaking the rules .
The action came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reported on Jewish religious schools staying open in defiance of the rules in some parts of Brooklyn .
“ I guarantee if a yeshiva gets closed down and they ’ re not going to get state funding , you ’ re going to see compliance , ” Cuomo said .
The Orange County Health Department said it issued cease-and-desist notices Tuesday at three schools that had remained open around the Orthodox Jewish town of Palm Tree , one that bused children and two that failed to implement mask and social distancing protocols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The governor said the state has wide discretion to withhold state aid .
“ We have the ability to impound all funds from a locality , ” Cuomo said .
“ All of the funding .
Which is significant .
How much would we penalize them ?
It depends and it would be in our discretion .
Because we could impound all funds.
” He urged local governments to get serious about enforcement .
“ They have the personnel , they just have to be willing to do it , “ he said @

Marina Villeneuve - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--NBC faces backlash after agreeing to Trump town hall

NEW YORK - NBC News faced a sharp backlash to its decision to host President Donald Trump for a town hall Thursday in direct competition with ABC ’ s event with Democrat Joe Biden , including a social media call to boycott the network .
MSNBC ’ s biggest star , Rachel Maddow , made two oblique references to the matter on her show Wednesday .
During an interview with Biden ’ s running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , Maddow asked whether she was “ as mad as everybody else ” about the Trump town hall .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her show ended , Maddow spoke as the words “ Apparently They Are Not Kidding ” were shown on the screen behind her .
NBC said it agreed to set up the dueling town hall after Trump was administered a coronavirus test Tuesday by the National Institutes of Health .
Dr. Anthony Fauci and NIH clinical director Dr. Clifford Lane reviewed the test and Trump ’ s medical records , concluding with a “ high degree of confidence ” that the president was not shedding infectious virus .
Trump tested positive for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Walter Reed military hospital .
NBC would not say whether Trump was still testing positive Tuesday .
The president and Biden were supposed to meet Thursday for their second debate hosted by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates .
Following the president ’ s diagnosis , the commission switched it to a virtual meeting , but Trump declined to participate .
Biden then agreed to appear on ABC .
Critics of NBC questioned why the network scheduled Trump for the same time , making viewers have to choose if they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a similar format .
Veteran journalist Jeff Greenfield called it “ indefensible ” on Twitter , where a call to boycott NBC was a trending topic .
“ They rewarded Trump by giving him this time , ” Greenfield said in an interview .
Katie Couric , former host of NBC ’ s “ Today ” show , said on Twitter that NBC ’ s decision was “ bad for democracy.
” NBC actress Shakina Nayfack , whose comedy series “ Connecting ” will be preempted Thursday by the Trump town hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ all sign my checks of late but I ’ m disgusted by my home network giving Trump a platform for fear mongering , bigotry and disinformation , ” she wrote on Twitter .
NBC said in a statement that “ the Trump campaign did not dictate or request the time slot nor express any preference.
“ The network considered it important that Trump be given the same format , day of the week and length of time that Biden had on NBC last week — although he will have a different moderator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s host after Lester Holt moderated the Biden event .
NBC said Trump would be at least 12 feet ( 3.66 metres ) from Guthrie and the audience .
Trump ’ s ability to reach a national television audience Thursday was in part dependent on Fauci , who had expressed anger at the Trump campaign in recent days for using one of his statements in a campaign ad .
The coronavirus task force member said a quote used in the campaign ad was taken out of context .
Both town halls will begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have the last word .
The ABC event , moderated by George Stephanopoulos , will last 90 minutes with an additional half hour of analysis .
Trump ’ s town hall on NBC is scheduled for an hour .
In addition to preventing viewers from getting a side-by-side comparison of the two men , the dueling events will likely be seen by far fewer people .
The first debate between the two men last month was watched by an estimated 73.1 million people , the Nielsen company said .
An estimated 6.7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News-sponsored town hall last week .
Like the Trump event on Thursday will be , it was simulcast on MSNBC , CNBC and streamed online .
Trump ’ s ABC town hall with Stephanopoulos on Sept. 15 was seen by 3.8 million people , Nielsen said .

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thetorontostar--2020-10-15--EU leaders divided over new climate goals for 2030

BRUSSELS - European Union leaders remain divided about a more ambitious target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and will not reach an agreement at their summit starting Thursday .
According to a draft of the meeting ’ s findings seen by The Associated Press , leaders will at this summit only start discussing a proposal to reduce emissions by at least 55 % by 2030 compared to 1990 levels , as put forward by European Commission , the bloc ’ s executive arm .
The proposal compares with the current target of a 40 % reduction by 2030 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December ahead of the adoption of the first ever European climate law .
In proposing a reduction target of at least 55 % by 2030 , EU commission President Ursula von der Leyen predicted in September that the new target would be “ too much for some and not enough for others.
“ So far the cuts have been slightly more than 20 % over the past 30 years .
Reducing emissions by another 20 % or even 35 % within the next decade poses a big challenge to many countries .
Supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s revised target needs to be endorsed by the 27 EU member states in order to make it legally binding .
On Wednesday , a group of 11 countries including Denmark , Estonia , Finland , France , Ireland , Latvia , Luxembourg , the Netherlands , Portugal , Spain and Sweden embraced her ambition in a joint statement published ahead of the summit in Brussels .
“ Let us , as a Union , deliver a strong and credible response to the climate crisis and increase our 2030 climate target to at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neutrality by 2050 , “ they said in the statement .
But officials said there is no agreement across the bloc .
While the European Parliament pushes for an even greater 60 % reduction in emissions , some eastern EU countries that depends on coal for much of their energy needs are less enthusiastic .
They worry about the social , environmental and economic costs of the transition to a greener economy .
Poland last year did not commit to the EU ’ s 2050 climate neutrality goal and is asking for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrival at the summit , Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis pleaded in favour of a collective target .
“ I think every country has a different energy mix , and we have to take it into consideration , “ he said .
Babis added that in any case this is just a first exchange about climate change and that leaders will return to the matter “ more seriously ” in December .
Von der Leyen has said she wants 37 % of the 750 billion euros in the coronavirus recovery fund to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental objectives , while 30 % of the bloc ’ s regular budget should be used for tackling climate change .
World leaders agreed five years ago in Paris to keep the global warming increase to below 2 degrees Celsius ( 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit ) , and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees C ( 2.7 F ) by the end of the century .
Scientists say countries will miss both of those goals by a wide margin unless drastic steps are taken to begin cutting greenhouse gas emissions .
Under the Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ updated climate targets by the end of the year .
Follow all AP coverage of climate change issues at https : //apnews.com/hub/Climate


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--List of Billboard Music Awards winners in top categories

A list of winners in the top categories at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards , held Wednesday at the Dolby @ @ @ @ @ — Top Billboard 200 album : Billie Eilish , “ When We Fall Asleep , @ @ @ @ @ ”


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Rudolph and his nose-so-bright into auction will take flight

LOS ANGELES - Rudolph and his still-shiny nose are getting a new home , and it ’ s bound to be a lot nicer than the Island of Misfit Toys .
The soaring reindeer and Santa Claus figures who starred in in the perennially beloved stop-motion animation Christmas special “ Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ” are going up for auction .
Auction house Profiles in History announced Thursday that a 6-inch-tall Rudolph and 11-inch-tall Santa used to animate the 1964 TV special are being sold together in the auction that starts Nov. 13 and are expected to fetch between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peter Lutrario of Staten Island , New York , thought they might be the only items he would never sell , but when he recently turned 65 he thought about having something to leave for his children and grandchildren .
“ I always said I would die with the dolls , ” he told The Associated Press .
“ I ’ m just putting the family first.
” The figures were made by Japanese puppet maker Ichiro Komuro and used for the filming of the show at Tadaito Mochinaga ’ s MOM Productions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of wood , wire , cloth and leather .
Rudolph ’ s nose , after some minimal maintenance through the years , still lights up .
The realistic bristles of Santa ’ s beard are made from yak hair .
Lutrario , who bought them about 15 years ago after seeing them appraised on “ Antiques Roadshow ” on PBS , says that even after well over five decades you can manipulate them as the original animators did .
“ They ’ re still malleable , ” he said , “ and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can you move the arms , the legs , the head , you can move the fingers , the thumbs .
The show , produced by the company that would become Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment , first aired Dec. 6 , 1964 on NBC in the United States .
It ’ s been a TV staple ever since with its tale , based on the 1939 song , of a year when Christmas was almost cancelled , the misfit reindeer who saved it , an elf with dreams of being a dentist , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The figures would make their to the New York offices of Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass .
Rankin later gave them to his secretary , who gave them to her nephew , who owned them until Lutrario bought them in 2005 .
The figures , among several used to make the special , are the first encountered by the auctioneers at Profiles in History , which specializes in selling rare and coveted Hollywood memorabilia .
The company said in a statement that the “ rarity of these puppets can not be overstated @ @


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Georgia takes centre stage in SEC

Here are things to watch in Week 4 in the Southeastern Conference : No .
3 Georgia at No .
2 Alabama .
The mid-week news that Alabama coach Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19 added a challenging backdrop for the season ’ s first Top 5 matchup .
Saban figures to be communicating his marching orders and input from home while offensive co-ordinator Steve Sarkisian likely serves in his stead on the sidelines .
The Crimson Tide sends quarterback Mac Jones and the nation ’ s top scoring offence against linebacker Monty Rice and the No .
2 scoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to become the first ex-Saban assistant to beat their old boss .
Alabama running back Najee Harris has run for 10 touchdowns in three games while the Bulldogs haven ’ t allowed a TD on the ground .
Alabama receivers like Jaylen Waddle , John Metchie III and DeVonta Smith face their biggest test by far .
COVID-19 versus the SEC .
This week has provided the toughest test yet for the SEC .
Two games were postponed , the league ’ s most prominent coach is off the sidelines and Mississippi had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players .
It also happens to come on the week when the SEC was going to be dominating the national spotlight in a good way thanks to Georgia-Alabama .
Two games — LSU-Florida and Missouri-Vanderbilt — have been postponed to Dec. 12 because of COVID-19 outbreaks .
... Alabama has won 27 consecutive meetings against teams from the SEC East , dating back to a 35-21 loss at then-No .
19 South Carolina on Oct. 9 , 2010 .
... Auburn has held South Carolina to just three rushing touchdowns since 1996 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gamecocks .
...
The SEC has six teams ranking worse than 50th in the nation in points allowed per game : LSU , Vanderbilt , Florida , Texas A & M , Missouri and Mississippi .
All of them are giving up 32-plus points .
Mississippi State ( 1-2 ) brings the nation ’ s top passing attack against a Texas A & M defence that is pretty close to the bottom ( 64th ) .
K.J .
Costello has put up huge yardage numbers but has also been picked off nine times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put up the points to quite match those yards .
The Aggies are giving up 299 yards per game through the air while allowing nine passing touchdowns .
That secondary and defence will be tested , though the Aggies are only four-point favourites .
Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks had a huge game — 318 yards , four touchdowns — against No .
15 Auburn .
It wasn ’ t enough , partly because of an officiating call on a backward spike by Tigers quarterback Bo Nix .
Franks and the Razorbacks will try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pass defence that ranks 73rd of 76 teams nationally .
They ’ ll have to keep up with the fast-paced , high-scoring Rebels offence , though .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--US layoffs remain elevated as 898,000 seek jobless aid

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to 898,000 , a historically high number and evidence that layoffs remain a hindrance to the economy ’ s recovery from the pandemic recession that erupted seven months ago .
Thursday ’ s report from the Labor Department shows that the job market remans fragile , and it coincides with other recent data that have signalled a slowdown in hiring .
The economy is still roughly 10.7 million jobs short of recovering all the 22 million jobs that were lost when the pandemic struck in early spring .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ job postings were unchanged last week , remaining about 17 % below last year ’ s levels .
Many employers still aren ’ t confident enough in their businesses or in their view of the economy to ramp up hiring .
Job postings had rebounded steadily over the summer , but the gains have slowed in the past two months .
The recession has disproportionately hurt in-person service industries , especially restaurants , hotels , travel companies and entertainment venues .
The damage to those industries has left millions of people unemployed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are either finally recalled to their previous jobs or switch to new careers .
The government ’ s report Thursday said the number of people who are continuing to receive unemployment benefits dropped 1.2 million to 10 million .
The decline signals that many of the unemployed are being recalled to their old jobs .
But it also reflects the fact that potentially even more people have used up their regular state benefits — which usually expire after six months — and have transitioned to extended benefit programs that last an additional three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established by the financial aid package that Congress enacted in the spring .
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE .
AP ’ s earlier story is below : The government will issue its latest snapshot Thursday of the level of layoffs in the United States , which remain elevated seven months after the viral pandemic erupted and after the expiration of federal unemployment aid for millions of Americans .
The still-high number of people seeking jobless benefits reflects an economy that has recovered only slightly more than half the 22 million jobs that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are facing unemployment with vastly diminished aid since a $ 600-a-week federal benefit expired this summer .
The latest weekly report on jobless claims coincides with fading prospects in Washington for a new federal rescue aid package that economists say is urgently needed for unemployed workers and struggling businesses , states and cities .
Congress remains at an impasse .
At the same time , economists say they have grown increasingly skeptical about the government ’ s figures for unemployment claims , even though there is little doubt that hiring has slowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Christopher Rugaber - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--The Latest: Campaign says Trump defeated town hall moderator

WASHINGTON - The latest on the presidential campaign ( all times local ) : A spokesperson for President Donald Trump ’ s campaign is declaring that the president “ defeated ” town hall moderator , Savannah Guthrie , and derided the NBC “ Today ” host as a “ surrogate ” for Democrat Joe Biden ’ s campaign .
Campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh also said after Thursday ’ s event that the president “ masterfully handled Guthrie ’ s attacks and interacted warmly and effectively with the voters in the room.
” The statement follows a contentious hourlong town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions from Guthrie and voters alike about his struggle to control the pandemic , his refusal to release his tax returns , his vague promises to fix the nation ’ s health care system and his reluctance to condemn white supremacists and a conspiracy-theory group that believes Trump ’ s critics are violent child molesters .
The president was visibly upset at times with Guthrie and said more than once that they were “ on the same side.
” Trump has cast himself as a victim of media bias for years .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same time on ABC News .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT ’ S HAPPENING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE : President Donald Trump travelled to North Carolina and Florida on Thursday and participated in an NBC town hall from Miami at 8 p.m. Eastern .
His Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , participated in an ABC town hall from Philadelphia at the same time .
— President Donald Trump and Joe Biden will compete for TV audiences in dueling town halls .
— Poll by AP-NORC Center for Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly critical of Trump ’ s handling of coronavirus pandemic and his own illness .
— Harris temporarily suspend in-person events after two campaign associates test positive for virus .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON : Democrat Joe Biden says President Donald Trump has not been “ chastened ” by the claims of racial injustice that have marked his presidency .
Asked what he would do if he lost the election , Biden said Thursday that he hopes that if he fails to beat Trump , then it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ethnically and religiously at odds with one another as it appears the president wants us to be.
” Biden says if he loses he will return to teaching at the University of Pennsylvania .
However , he also said he would continue to press for racial justice , deferring to the leaders such as the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis as having made a bigger impact than he ever would .
Biden says , “ People need hope.
” He adds : “ We ’ re a diverse country .
And unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ re never going to reach our potential.
” Joe Biden says there should be “ zero discrimination ” against transgender people and he promised to restore protections for them that President Donald Trump has sought to remove .
At his ABC News town hall Thursday , Biden said he would reverse Trump ’ s moves to revoke protections for transgender people against sex discrimination in health care and restrict military service by transgender men and women .
He also condemned violence against transgender women of colour .
He told an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , helping pass a transgender protection law in Delaware while serving as state attorney general , an effort inspired by a worker in the attorney general ’ s office .
The former vice-president also recounted a story from his youth where he witnessed two men kissing and said his father turned to him and said , “ Joey , it ’ s simple : They love each other.
” Joe Biden is putting distance between his clean energy goals and the Green New Deal , saying the policy plan popular with progressives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has laid out .
At a Thursday town hall , he pointed to a piece of the deal that calls for 100 % renewable and zero-emission energy sources by 2030 .
Biden says that “ you can ’ t get there ” and that the country needs more time to invest in technologies that will eventually lead to net-zero emissions .
He ’ s detailing his own climate plan that includes ending subsidies and tax breaks for oil companies , putting more land into conservation , planting more trees and plants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finding more creative ways to use animal manure .
Biden also says the country needs to ramp up its efforts around expanded use of electric vehicles .
His campaign website calls the plan a crucial framework for meeting the nation ’ s climate challenges .
“ My deal ’ s a crucial framework , but not the New Green Deal , ” Biden said , misstating the plan ’ s name .
President Donald Trump tried to end his contentious town hall meeting on a positive note .
Asked what he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president declared Thursday night that he ’ s “ done a great job ” in his first term and predicted that “ next year is going to be better than ever before.
” Trump ’ s upbeat final answer followed an intense hourlong session in which voters and moderator Savannah Guthrie pressed him repeatedly on difficult topics .
Trump was sweating at times and appeared visibly angry about the aggressive questions , especially early in the session .
In the end , Trump dodged specific questions about the timing of his personal coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s health care and his tax returns .
He also faced tough questions about white supremacy , conspiracy theories and his reluctance to embrace face masks during the pandemic .
Thursday ’ s event was held in place of the second presidential debate , which was cancelled after Trump ’ s coronavirus diagnosis .
He ’ s scheduled to face Democrat Joe Biden next week for the final debate before Election Day .
President Donald Trump demurred when asked whether he supports overturning Roe v. Wade .
Trump was asked Thursday about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a town hall in Florida .
He said , “ I don ’ t want to do anything to influence anything right now.
” Trump , who nominated Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the Supreme Court , says he worries that discussing his viewpoint could be seen as “ trying to give her a signal ” on how to rule .
Trump says that he didn ’ t tell Barrett what decision to make and that he didn ’ t want to do anything to influence her .
He says he wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want her to go by the law , and I know she ’ s going to make a great decision for our country.
” Barrett has presented herself to senators as a judge committed to a strict reading of the Constitution , holding deep personal and religious beliefs but vowing to keep an open mind on what would be a 6-3 conservative-majority court if she is approved .
Joe Biden says he is willing to take a position before Election Day on the idea of expanding the Supreme Court “ depending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett ’ s nomination .
Biden has refused to answer the question directly , calling it a distraction from Republicans ’ rush to confirm Barrett before Election Day .
His latest answer Thursday in an ABC News town hall suggests Biden might be willing to consider some Democrats ’ call to expand the court as a counter to GOP powerplays on the court in recent years .
Biden repeated Thursday that he ’ s “ not a fan ” of so-called court packing .
But he also said he believes Republicans are violating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation process while people are already voting in the presidential election .
Republicans four years ago refused to consider President Barack Obama ’ s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to succeed conservative Justice Antonin Scalia , who died in February of that presidential election year .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is failing to acknowledge the criticisms of the 1994 crime bill , which he as a member of the Senate helped write and pass and which has been used to illustrate systemic racism in the nation .
However , last year Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the passage of the legislation , especially that which toughened sentences for crack cocaine possession , calling it a “ big mistake ” for its damage to the Black community .
He notes that members of the Congressional Black Caucus supported it , although today Black members of Congress , including his running mate California Sen. Kamala Harris , had previously criticized Biden for his part in it .
Biden notes his lead role in writing the Violence Against Women Act as part of the bill , but not the wholesale incarceration of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , allowed by the bill , led to .
“ The mistakes came in terms of what the states did locally , ” he says .
President Donald Trump says he didn ’ t ask Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett whether she ’ d rule in his favour should the Supreme Court have to decide the 2020 election .
Trump and Republicans have cited the election as one reason they ’ ve rushed to seat Barrett on the court .
Trump said he does not know whether she ’ d rule in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
Trump said Thursday at his town hall event : “ It would be totally up to her.
” The president acknowledged he changed his standard for court appointments this year .
In 2016 , he argued that President Barack Obama should not be able to fill an empty seat eight months before the election .
This year he is pushing Barrett through less than three weeks before Election Day .
Trump said the reason was Democratic opposition to his last nominee , Justice Brett Kavanaugh , who was accused of sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The whole ballgame changed when I saw the way they treated Judge Kavanaugh , ” Trump said .
“ I have never seen a human being treated so badly.
” President Donald Trump is acknowledging he may owe $ 400 million as part of his business dealings , but he ’ s not saying to whom he owes money .
Trump on Thursday night was pressed on a New York Times report citing tax returns showing he has business debts exceeding $ 400 million .
He insisted that he didn ’ t owe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sinister people.
” He described his debts as a “ very very small percentage.
” He said : “ $ 400 million is a peanut.
” The president suggested repeatedly Thursday night that he would be willing to release details about his debts , but it ’ s unclear when that might happen .
He again repeated his refusal to release his tax returns more than four years after he first promised he would .
President Donald Trump did not give a direct answer to a woman who identified herself as the mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to describe his plan to protect Black and Latino males from police brutality .
Questioned Thursday during an NBC News town hall in Miami , Trump fell back on his oft-repeated claim that he ’ s done more for the African American community than any president except Abraham Lincoln , who signed the Emancipation Proclamation .
He talked about criminal justice reform legislation he signed into law , opportunity zones , funding for historically Black colleges and universities .
Trump didn ’ t say so Thursday , but he has made it clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He says the majority of police are good people whose profession is tarnished by a few “ bad apples.
” Joe Biden is giving a winding explanation about why he should get the votes of young Black people who may not be enthusiastic about supporting him .
Biden initially touched on the criminal justice system during his ABC News town hall Thursday night , suggesting it needed to be made “ fair ” and “ more decent ” before moving on to an assortment of economic and educational policies .
He said Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help generate wealth , including increased loans for Black-owned businesses and homeowners .
The former vice-president said America also needs to increase its funding for schools with lower-income families and suggesting adding more school psychologists in schools .
He also proposed adding $ 70 billion to historically Black colleges and universities .
At the end of his five-minute answer , he offered to provide “ a lot more ” information to the young Black man who asked the question .
The first half of President Donald Trump ’ s NBC News town hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today ” anchor Savannah Guthrie after she pushed him on a variety of issues .
Under the intense questioning Thursday , Trump told Guthrie “ we should be on the same side.
” Guthrie pressed Trump to say when he last tested negative for the coronavirus before his positive diagnosis earlier this month .
He did not say .
She pressed him on his prolific tweeting , telling him he ’ s not someone ’ s “ crazy uncle ” who can tweet whatever they want .
He said the tweet she focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged Trump on his dubious claims about mask-wearing , telling the president that his own government experts are “ all in unison ” on their benefits .
At one point she exclaimed , “ I don ’ t get it.
” President Donald Trump inaccurately contends there is a tremendous problem with voter fraud and takes issue with FBI Director Christopher Wray saying last month that he has not seen evidence of a widespread issue .
Trump said at a town hall event in Miami : “ Well , then , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump has baselessly claimed voter fraud is widespread even though studies show it is rarer than being struck by lightning .
He has also augmented routine election mishaps to sow distrust in the outcome of the coming election .
The president claimed that pro-Trump ballots were being dumped in garbage cans , an apparent reference to nine military ballots accidentally being thrown out in an elections office in a GOP-controlled Pennsylvania county .
He also rattled off several examples of erroneous mail ballots being sent without noting they had all been corrected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to implement an improved and more affordable health care system , but he ’ s refusing to give any details .
Trump attacked the Affordable Care Act over and over again when asked about his own plans to lower health care costs Thursday night at a town hall .
He claimed , incorrectly , that he ’ s already lowered health care costs .
And while he ’ s been making similar promises for more than four years , he has yet to outline a specific plan .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would implement “ much better health care under a much better price.
” Trump also repeated his pledge to protect people with preexisting conditions , even though his administration is trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act -- and its protection for people with preexisting conditions -- at the Supreme Court .
Democrat Joe Biden is hedging on whether he would mandate that all Americans be vaccinated against COVID-19 .
Biden said Thursday during a town-hall-style event in Philadelphia that it would depend on the reliability of the vaccine .
He says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very positive impact and how you can affect positively 85 % of the American public , ” and that he would likely receive the vaccine if it met that criteria .
Biden says we “ should be talking about ” mandating the vaccine , knowing that it ’ s difficult to enforce .
But likewise , he says , it ’ s difficult to enforce a mask mandate , though scientists suggest they slow the spread .
“ You can go to every governor and get them in a room , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a president matter , no matter whether they ’ re good , bad or indifferent , they matter.
” Democrat Joe Biden says he doesn ’ t plan to eliminate all the tax cuts enacted by President Donald Trump , just those that apply to the top earners .
Referencing tax cuts for the top 1 % , Biden said Thursday at an ABC town hall : “ That ’ s what I ’ m talking about eliminating , not all the tax cuts that are out there.
” His running mate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-presidential debate that Biden would repeal the tax bill passed by Congress and signed by Trump “ on day one ?
but also that he wouldn ’ t raise taxes on people making less than $ 400,000 .
Vice-President Mike Pence pointed out repealing the entire tax bill would eliminate tax cuts for lower earners .
He referred to a card he pulled from his pocket with facts and figures on how much money would be raised through certain tax rates .
Biden says raising taxes on corporations and high-income earners would bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in programs that can “ make your life easier .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Mexico’s ex-defence secretary arrested in Los Angeles

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s top diplomat said Thursday that the country ’ s former defence secretary , Gen. @ @ @ @ @ arrested in Los Angeles .
Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard wrote Thursday in his Twitter @ @ @ @ @ Christopher Landau had informed him of Cienfuegos ’ arrest .
The general served from 2012 @ @ @ @ @ defence under President Enrique Peña Nieto .
Ebrard said he was arrested at L.A. international @ @ @ @ @ was either arriving or leaving the country .
Ebrard did not say what charges he @ @ @ @ @ is the highest-ranking former Cabinet official arrested since the top Mexican security official Genaro Garcia @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 .
Garcia Luna , who served in the top cabinet security post from @ @ @ @ @ Felipe Calderón , has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--After COVID-19 outbreak, SUNY Oneonta president departs

ONEONTA , N.Y. - The State University of New York at Oneonta on Thursday announced its president had resigned to “ pursue other opportunities , ” following a coronavirus outbreak that forced the school to switch to all-remote classes for the rest of the semester .
The central New York school said in a statement Dennis Craig would temporarily take on the role formerly held by Barbara Jean Morris and that a search for a permanent president would be starting soon .
SUNY Oneonta was the first campus in the state ’ s 64-institution system that had to shut down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all-remote learning on Sept. 3 , after hundreds of virus cases had broken out .
Student body enrolment is above 6,700 , according to the school ’ s website .
Five students were suspended in connection to large parties .
SUNY Cortland and SUNY Oswego have had two-week switches to virtual learning because of outbreaks .
Craig was most recently interim president of SUNY Purchase , and the SUNY statement credited him with a successful fall reopening there .
At a press conference on the Oneonta campus Thursday , SUNY Chancellor Jim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resign was of her own volition , ” The Daily Star reported .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Mexican rights agency: marines executed 4 men near pipeline

MEXICO CITY - Mexico ’ s National Human Rights Commission said Thursday that marines illegally detained , beat and executed four people who were doing farm work near a government fuel pipeline in 2019 .
And in another case , the governmental commission said soldiers illegally detained and tortured three teenagers they believed were kidnapping suspects in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez in 2009 , and killed one boy , and raped and released another .
The governmental commission said the pipeline killings took place in February 2019 , in an area just east of Mexico City that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pipelines in Mexico are plagued by thieves who frequently drill illegal taps into the ducts .
Marines and soldiers were massively deployed in 2019 to guard the pipelines .
The pipelines often run through fields and look-outs for the thieves frequently pose as farm workers .
The commission said evidence indicates a marine patrol stripped and beat men who were gathering forage , then took them to a remote area and killed them .
Their bodies were found days later .
The commission recommended the marines be investigated and prosecuted , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Navy said in a statement in 2019 that the marines had found the men stealing fuel , but acknowledged the marines appear to have “ acted against legal procedures ” and “ committed acts that violated their duty.
” The navy said at the time that the marines involved had been made available to prosecutors .
The Navy said Thursday it would comply with the commission ’ s recommendations .
In the 2009 case , witnesses said 45 or 50 soldiers pulled up in several trucks and took two boys away .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They were tortured with beatings and near-asphyxiation till one appeared to be dying and was finished off with a gunshot to the head .
His body was dumped in the desert and prosecutors allegedly failed to identify his remains or advise his family .
The other boy was raped by a soldier who held a gun to his head and released .
The third youth was turned over to prosecutors .
The Defence Department did not immediately respond to the accusations .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Collins, Gideon clash on records, health care in debate

PORTLAND , Maine - Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and her Democratic opponent Sara Gideon sparred on health care and the nation ’ s coronavirus response during a Thursday debate that saw the two candidates heavily criticize each other ’ s records in office .
Collins , a 24-year senator , and Gideon , the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives , are in a heated , expensive race that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate .
Both candidates were on the offensive Thursday , with Collins criticizing Gideon for the Maine Legislature ’ s failure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as beholden to Republican President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
“ The legislature has been out of session since March , and she has done nothing , ” Collins said after touting her own work in support of the Paycheck Protection Program .
Gideon responded that Maine has a lower rate of coronavirus cases than most of the country and the state ’ s economy hasn ’ t suffered as much as others .
“ Neither of those things is an accident , “ Gideon said .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of leadership from the federal government .
I am proud of us coming together.
” Gideon also charged Collins with jeopardizing the Affordable Care Act and touted the possibility of a public option for health coverage .
Collins described a public option as a “ first step toward a government takeover of our healthcare.
” Independent candidates Max Linn and Lisa Savage also participated in the debate .
Savage , a Maine Green Independent Party member running as an independent , advocated for “ Medicare For All ” and bold climate action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative activist , portrayed himself as an outsider not beholden to political parties .
His behaviour attracted attention in previous debates in which he cut up a mask in protest of coronavirus-inspired facial covering requirements and used profanity on air .
“ They ’ re the faceplates of the Republican and Democratic establishment , ” Linn said of Collins and Gideon on Thursday .
Maine Public hosted Thursday ’ s debate , which was the third featuring the four candidates .
The race is one of a handful of pivotal contests — including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona and elsewhere — that are likely to decide control of the Senate .
It ’ s also the most expensive race in Maine ’ s history , with Collins and Gideon raising more than $ 40 million between them .
The tight race with Gideon is an unfamiliar position for Collins , who has typically cruised to reelection in previous bids .
Democrats and liberal groups mounted a campaign to unseat Collins after her vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018 .
Linn and Savage are longshot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the outcome because of ranked choice voting .
Because voters can rank all four candidates , second and third choices could come into play if no candidate cracks 50 % of the total votes cast .
Most polls show a close race between Collins and Gideon , so it ’ s possible the ranked votes could make a difference .
Maine is the only state in the U.S. that uses the voting method to elect U.S. senators .
Thursday ’ s debate did not include opening or closing statements from the candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential town hall events featuring former Vice-President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Illinois defends plan to send teen to Wisconsin in 2 deaths

WAUKEGAN , Ill. - Any claims about what happened in Wisconsin have no role in whether to extradite an Illinois teenager to that state to face charges in the killing of two protesters , prosecutors said Thursday .
The state ’ s attorney in Lake County , Illinois , filed a response to Kyle Rittenhouse ’ s attorneys , who are trying to stop him from being transferred to Kenosha , Wisconsin , The Daily Herald reported .
A court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30 .
Rittenhouse , 17 , is accused of fatally shooting two protesters and injuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police shooting of Jacob Blake , who is Black .
Rittenhouse , who is white , surrendered to police in his hometown , Antioch , Illinois .
Rittenhouse ’ s legal team is raising technicalities about typographical errors in documents , said prosecutors , who called it a “ red herring.
” “ The Illinois arrest citation had nothing to do with the governor ’ s grant of extradition nor is it relevant to this limited hearing on this matter , “ prosecutors said .
Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker signed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request from Gov .
Tony Evers .
Rittenhouse ’ s attorneys said extraditing him “ would be to turn him over to the mob.
” Prosecutors said the circumstances of the shootings have no role in whether to transfer Rittenhouse across the state border .
“ This is an extradition hearing .
It bears repeating : an extradition hearing , “ the court filing said .
If convicted of first-degree homicide , Rittenhouse would be sentenced to life in prison .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Asia Today: Sydney lifts quarantine for N. Zealand travellers

SYDNEY , Australia - Australia ’ s largest city Sydney lifted quarantine restrictions on travellers from New Zealand on Friday while the second largest city , Melbourne , marked the 100th day of one the world ’ s longest pandemic lockdowns .
More than 350 passengers are scheduled to take three flights from Auckland on Friday and will not have to undergo hotel quarantine on arrival in Sydney .
New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said : “ This is great news for tourism .
It ’ s also great news for family reunification and grateful businesses.
” New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Australia quarantine in hotels for 14 days on arrival .
The Victoria state government has resisted pressure from businesses and the federal government to relax a second lockdown that began when stay-at-home orders took effect in Melbourne on July 9 .
Victoria recorded only two new COVID-19 cases in the latest 24-hour period .
The state last recorded such a low number on June 8 , with daily tallies peaking at 725 on Aug. 5 .
Victoria Premier Dan Andrews said he will announce on Sunday conservative plans to relax Melbourne ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday will be conservative because this is a wildly infectious virus , ” Andrews told reporters .
“ These are some of the most difficult decisions that I ’ ve made in 20 years in public life.
” New South Wales on Friday reported five new cases in Sydney , including four who were infected overseas and detected in hotel quarantine .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Christie says he was wrong not to wear mask in White House

WASHINGTON - Former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie said Thursday that he was wrong not to wear a mask at the White House , after he and President Donald Trump both came down with the coronavirus .
Christie , in a statement , said he has recovered from COVID-19 after a weeklong stay in a hospital ’ s intensive care unit .
He called on all political leaders to advocate for face coverings , with the practice becoming increasingly politicized even as the pandemic has killed more than 217,000 Americans .
“ I believed that when I entered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entered a safe zone , due to the testing that and I and many others underwent every day , “ Christie said .
” I was wrong.
” Christie , who was at the White House for the announcement of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the president ’ s nominee to the Supreme Court and to a participate in several rounds of Trump ’ s debate prep , seemingly chided the president ’ s attitude toward the disease .
“ No one should be happy to get the virus and no one should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others , “ Christie said .
Trump has since called his illness as “ a blessing from God , “ arguing it exposed him to promising therapeutics .
He has also been an inconsistent advocate for mask wearing , holding large rallies of thousands of people where many of his supporters do not follow public health guidance to cover their faces .
At a town hall in Miami on Tuesday night , Trump said of Christie ’ s statement , “ He has to say that.
” The president insisted he supports masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mine.
” Christie said , “ Every public official , regardless of party or position , should advocate for every American to wear a mask in public , appropriately socially distance and to wash your hands frequently every day .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Feds approve Georgia health insurance changes sought by Kemp

ATLANTA - Georgia will become the first state to offer federally subsidized health insurance to its residents only through private brokers under a plan being approved by President Donald Trump ’ s administration .
A separate part of the plan would offer Medicaid to some of the state ’ s poorest able-bodied adults , but only on the condition that they work , volunteer , receive job training or attend school .
“ This opportunity will help hardworking Georgians climb the ladder , while having a health care safety net below them .
We are making insurance accessible for those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Brian Kemp said in an announcement Thursday at the state capitol .
Opponents have attacked the plan ’ s failure to fully expand Medicaid , say work requirements will be a bureaucratic nightmare for recipients and warn that letting private companies control Georgia ’ s insurance marketplace could decrease enrolment because people are used to shopping at Healthcare.gov .
“ I would dispute the characterization that this is a step forward , ” said Laura Colbert , executive director at Georgians for a Healthy Future , a lobbying group that seeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that Georgia can do much better , and can do it more cost effectively.
” Centres for Medicaid and Medicare Services Administrator Seema Verma approved one waiver from normal federal law on Thursday on behalf of Trump ’ s administration .
Verma says a second waiver will be approved in coming days .
“ Georgia is going a step further and moving away from a government-run system and is instead leveraging the private sector and competition to enrol people in coverage , and we applaud this innovative , market-driven approach , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal , uninsured adults in Georgia who make no more than the federal poverty level would qualify for Medicaid assistance if they spent at least 80 hours a month working , volunteering , training or studying .
They would also have to pay monthly premiums .
The federal poverty level is just under $ 12,500 for an individual .
While 500,00 Georgians could benefit from full Medicaid expansion , projections show about 50,000 could be covered under Kemp ’ s plan in the first year , with the governor saying the number would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Work requirements in other states have been approved by the Trump administration but tied up in court challenges .
“ They do not support the goals of the Medicaid program and therefore , federal courts have found them unlawful , ” Colbert said .
She said the private broker plan could also face a court challenge if it decreases overall enrolment , because that would violate the Affordable Care Act .
Medicaid expansion , as originally envisioned under President Barack Obama ’ s federal health overhaul , planned for Georgia to offer state-federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 133 % of the federal poverty level .
People with incomes above the poverty line qualify for subsidies on the private insurance marketplace , but Medicaid may offer lower premiums and deductibles .
The federal government would pay for 67 % of Georgia ’ s narrower program , the same share that it subsidizes other Medicaid benefits , not the 90 % that 38 other states normally get under full Medicaid expansion .
Georgia will also spend state money on a reinsurance program beginning in 2022 that would allow companies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twelve other states have reinsurance programs , according to the Kaiser Family Foundation .
Georgia officials say their proposals respond to a bleak health care environment .
Average premiums for some ACA health plans in the state have increased by more than 40 % over the past two years to nearly $ 7,500 a year , according to the governor ’ s office .
Enrollment in ACA plans in Georgia has declined by 22 % since 2016 and now stands at nearly 460,000 .
Exiting the federal marketplace and not setting up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is offering .
Kemp ’ s administration says private brokers or websites will provide better service and offer more options .
Georgia says it won ’ t subsidize plans that don ’ t meet federal benefit levels .
But brokers could sell noncompliant plans to customers in search of cheaper premiums .
Kemp says the plan will cost the state $ 218 million yearly , with all elements phased in by 2023 .
More than half the cost could come due in the budget beginning next July .
The governor again dismissed full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would cost $ 547 million yearly .
A 2019 projection by the state auditor found it would costs $ 213 million and cover 598,000 people in 2022 .
The announcement comes as people are already voting in General Assembly races for the Nov. 3 election .
Democrats , aiming to gain seats in the state House and Senate , have made full Medicaid expansion a central issue .
“ Their plan is disastrous for Georgians ’ health care and that ’ s why we must vote them out , ” state Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would love to have full Medicaid expansion , but this is what we have right now , ” Bentley said , saying she was in favour of anything that would increase access .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--GM to run robot cars in San Francisco without human backups

DETROIT - General Motors ’ Cruise autonomous vehicle unit says it will pull the human backup drivers from its vehicles in San Francisco by the end of the year .
Cruise CEO Dan Ammann said in a statement that the company got a permit Thursday from California ’ s Department of Motor Vehicles to let the cars travel on their own .
The move follows last week ’ s announcement from Waymo that it would open its autonomous ride-hailing service to the public in the Phoenix area in vehicles without human drivers .
Waymo , a unit of Google parent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expand the service into California , where it already has a permit to run without human backups .
Cruise has reached the point where it ’ s confident that it can safely operate without humans in the cars , spokesman Ray Wert said .
There ’ s no date for starting a ride service , which would require further government permission , he said .
Cruise will go neighborhood-by-neighbourhood in San Francisco and launch the driverless vehicles slowly before spreading to the entire city , he said .
It will hold neighbourhood meetings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ We understand that this is a trust race as much as it is a technology race , “ Wert said .
” This is absolutely about making sure that we ’ re doing this with San Francisco.
” The moves by Waymo and Cruise , which are considered among the leaders in autonomous vehicle technology , are important steps in the march toward proliferation of self-driving cars .
Progress toward autonomous vehicles slowed markedly after an Uber autonomous test SUV ran down a pedestrian in Tempe , Arizona , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research engineer at the University of California , Berkeley , who has studied autonomous driving for 40 years , said the moves are the next logical steps by both companies in a gradual progression .
“ I don ’ t see them as revolutionary steps , but they ’ re part of this step-by-step progress toward getting the technology to be able to work under a wider range of conditions , ” he said .
Both Cruise and Waymo program their vehicles to drive more conservatively than humans , but still need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted that Cruise will tackle easier areas in San Francisco first before venturing into more complex traffic situations .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--‘Jagged Little Pill’ leads Tony Awards nominations with 15

NEW YORK - The sobering musical “ Jagged Little Pill , ” which plumbs Canadian singer Alanis Morissette ’ s 1995 breakthrough album to tell a story of an American family spiraling out of control , earned a leading 15 Tony Award nominations Thursday , as the Broadway community took the first steps to celebrate a pandemic-shortened season that upended the theatre world .
There are three best musical nominees : “ Jagged Little Pill , ” “ Moulin Rouge : The Musical ” and “ Tina — The Tina Turner Musical.
” And there are five best play nominees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Inheritance , ” “ Sea Wall/A Life , ” “ Slave Play ” and “ The Sound Inside.
” The Ottawa-born Morissette and Glen Ballard did the music for “ Jagged Little Pill , ” which opened on Broadway last December .
David Mirvish of Toronto ’ s Mirvish Productions is among the producers listed in the best-musical nominations for both “ Jagged Little Pill ” and “ Tina — The Tina Turner Musical.
” And Montreal-raised Adam Blanshay is among the producers listed in the best-musical nomination for “ Moulin Rouge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by Matthew Lopez nabbed 11 nominations .
It ’ s a two-part , seven-hour epic that uses “ Howards End ” as a starting point for a play that looks at gay life in the early 21st century .
In a statement , the playwright mourned the fact that the pandemic has left people without a vital resource to gather together and examine themselves and the nation .
“ Theater , at its best , helps call us to those better instincts of our nature .
I look forward to the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those sacred spaces and to tell each other stories of our lives and of our nation , ” Lopez said .
Nipping on the heels of “ Jagged Little Pill ” for overall numbers of nominations is “ Moulin Rouge !
, ” a jukebox adaptation of Baz Luhrmann ’ s hyperactive 2001 movie about the goings-on in a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub , that got 14 nods .
Two very different offerings are tied with 12 : “ Slave Play , “ Jeremy O. Harris ’ ground-breaking , bracing work that mixes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class , exploring the legacy of slavery in interracial sexual dynamics , and “ Tina — The Tina Turner Musical , ” which tells the rock icon ’ s life with songs that include “ Let ’ s Stay Together ” and “ Proud Mary.
” The nominations were pulled from just 18 eligible plays and musicals , a fraction of the 34 shows the season before .
During most years , there are 26 competitive categories ; this year there are 25 with several depleted ones .
The category for best performance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a musical had just one actor — Aaron Tveit from “ Moulin Rouge !
” One category — best musical revival — had no eligible shows at all and was cut .
In another sign of a strange season , the best score category — an honour for the music and lyrics that is usually dominated by musicals — is filled this year with five plays .
In the performance categories , Adrienne Warren got a best leading actress in a musical nomination for inhabiting the lead character in “ Tina — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined by Elizabeth Stanley for playing a woman battling addiction in “ Jagged Little Pill ” and Karen Olivo for bringing down the house with Katy Perry ’ s “ Firework ” in “ Moulin Rouge !
The Musical.
” In the best actress in a drama category , Mary-Louise Parker won a nod with “ The Sound Inside ” and is joined by Laura Linney , who is looking for her first Tony win with the solo show “ My Name Is Lucy Barton , ” and Joaquina Kalukango , who gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald wasn ’ t denied a spot because her revival of “ Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune ” closed early .
Some Hollywood actors got to celebrate Thursday , with Blair Underwood , David Alan Grier , Jake Gyllenhaal , Tom Hiddleston and Tom Sturridge all getting nominations .
Broadway mainstays like Danny Burstein and John Benjamin Hickey also were recognized .
Broadway theatres abruptly closed on March 12 , knocking out all shows — including 16 that were still scheduled to open in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all shows was set at Feb. 19 .
The nominations came from 10 new plays , four new musicals and four play revivals .
Two high profile shows — “ Freestyle Love Supreme ” and “ David Byrne ’ s American Utopia ” — did not accommodate Tony voters and weren ’ t eligible .
The 2020 Tony Awards ceremony will be broadcast digitally and take place later this year , at a date still to be announced .
It ’ s one of few bright spots for theatre fans — Broadway will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 .
“ Theater will survive , ” James Monroe Iglehart , the Tony-winning nominations host , promised during Thursday ’ s announcement .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Joe Biden, Donald Trump hosting separate town halls 18 days out from US election

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden squared off , in a way , Thursday night , their scuttled second debate replaced by dueling televised town halls several channels apart .
The odd spectacle , which deprived most viewers of a simultaneous look at the candidates just 19 days before Election Day , seemed fitting for a race unlike any other , as yet another campaign ritual was changed by the pandemic that has killed 215,000 Americans and rewritten the norms of society .
The presidential rivals took questions in different cities on different networks : Trump on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Philadelphia .
Trump backed out of plans for the presidential faceoff originally scheduled for the evening after debate organizers said it would be held virtually following Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis .
The town halls offered a different format for the two candidates to present themselves to voters , after the pair held a chaotic and combative first debate late last month .
But Trump had no plans to change his tone .
On Fox Business , he said of the first debate that “ some people said I was rude , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The guy ’ s a liar.
” In case anyone remained unaware of Trump ’ s tactics , Biden warned supporters at a virtual fundraiser that the president would go after him aggressively in the final weeks of the campaign .
“ We ’ ve got 19 days left and you know he ’ s going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at me , ” Biden said Thursday .
“ And it ’ s going to be an overwhelming torrent of lies and distortions.
” The president also repeatedly delivered pre-emptive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , suggesting that he only agreed to the event because “ what the hell , we get a free hour of television ” and declaring that when the network hosted one for Biden , “ they asked him questions that a child could answer.
” Trump joked that he wished he could watch Biden ’ s appearance Thursday night because “ I wan na see if he can made it through the program.
” The two men are still scheduled to occupy the same space for a debate for a second and final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cancellation of Thursday ’ s debate still reverberated for both campaigns .
Trump and Biden battled on Sept. 29 in Cleveland in a debate defined both by the president ’ s constant hectoring of his opponent , which sent his support lower , and by its place on the calendar : just two days before Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus .
Questions still remain as to when Trump last tested negative before that debate and whether he exposed Biden to the virus .
The Democratic nominee has since tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for three days , and while he later convalesced at the White House the debate commission moved to make their second debate remote — which the president immediately rejected .
What happened next set off infighting in the president ’ s reelection team : Instead of immediately suggesting a delay in the debates , Trump initially pulled out , only to later propose that it be rescheduled for late in October .
The Biden campaign balked , having already moved to schedule the town hall on ABC .
The debate was then cancelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its town hall — which led to a fierce backlash for NBC News ’ decision to host it at the same time as Biden ’ s event .
NBC said it agreed to set up the dueling town hall after Trump was administered a coronavirus test Tuesday by the National Institutes of Health .
Dr. Anthony Fauci and NIH clinical director Dr. Clifford Lane reviewed the test and Trump ’ s medical records , concluding with a “ high degree of confidence ” that the president was not shedding infectious virus .
Critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump for the same time , making viewers have to choose if they were interested in seeing both candidates react live in a similar format .
The network considered it important that Trump be given the same format , day of the week and length of time that Biden had on NBC last week — although he will have a different moderator .
Savannah Guthrie will be Trump ’ s host after Lester Holt moderated the Biden event .
And , as a postscript to the mess that the second debate had become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held , its would-be host , CSPAN ’ s Steve Scully , was suspended Thursday for lying when he claimed his Twitter account had been hacked earlier this month when he reached out to a former Trump aide for advice over the president ’ s attacks .
As the pace of the campaign speeds up in its final weeks , the two candidates first took care of other electoral necessities Thursday : Trump appeared at his midday rally in battleground North Carolina , and Biden raised campaign cash at his virtual event .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ downplaying the severity of the pandemic that , despite his efforts to change the subject , has become the defining issue of the campaign .
“ It ’ s going to peter out .
It ’ s going to end , ” he said of the pandemic — just as he had last winter — even as cases have continued to increase nationwide in recent weeks .
The president ’ s appearance in North Carolina underscored the challenge confronting him in the final weeks as multiple polls have shown him trailing Biden nationally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spent much of the week on defence , campaigning in states he won in 2016 , such as North Carolina and Iowa , where he campaigned Wednesday .
But despite the polling , Trump predicted a “ big , beautiful red wave ” on Election Night , before referencing another one of his major challenges : A cash disadvantage to the Biden campaign , which just announced raising a record-breaking $ 383 million in September .
Lemire reported from New York .
Additional reporting by Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Wilmington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexandra Jaffe in Washington .

Jonathan Lemire, Will Weissert And Darlene Su{Erville - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--On #MeToo anniversary, leaders say focus is on inequality

DETROIT - When # MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke thinks about the group ’ s future as the world celebrates its anniversary , her vision is clear .
It predates the moment that most people know — when the # MeToo hashtag went viral three years ago on Oct. 15 , 2017 , sparking a global conversation about sexual harassment and assault .
For her , that mission emerged years earlier — in 2006 , when Burke , after a career of community service , began working directly with survivors , many of whom were young Black girls and children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triggered something in me because I had experienced sexual violence myself as a child , ” Burke said .
“ What would my life have been like if somebody had intervened at 12 , 14 or 16 , even just to say that I deserve healing , and that I deserve wellness and wholeness and joy ?
“ “ And so it started off trying to bring those messages , that idea of healing into these young women ’ s lives and using the power of empathy , ” she said .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year since it received global recognition , Burke is working to make sure it remains inclusive and reclaims its original intent : A focus on marginalized voices and experiences .
She sees that path forward through Dani Ayers , a 39-year-old Black woman who quietly , yet with a bold vision , transitioned into becoming the movement ’ s CEO in July after joining the organization in 2018 .
In a year marked by a nationwide reckoning over systemic racism and inequities that have disproportionately impacted Black Americans , the # MeToo movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women keenly aware of the inequality that has long existed in America — something they find both empowering and challenging .
“ I think it ’ s a testament and it ’ s a representation of the fact that there are many movements that have been started by Black women .
The Black Lives Matter movement was also started by Black women , ” Ayers told the Associated Press in her first joint interview with Burke .
“ It ’ s an opportunity to shine a light .
We are absolutely centring Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , queer , trans , disabled folks in our work because we know that solving and interrupting the issue of sexual violence in those communities means ending sexual violence everywhere.
” Several events are planned to mark the third anniversary , including the announcement of the new leadership structure and a survey of survivors that Burke and Ayers expect will reignite momentum behind the movement .
Their goal is to create a global network of organizations united behind the movement to end sexual violence .
But after a groundswell of support from celebrities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they said it ’ s been challenging to keep the spotlight on the need for funding to continue the fight against sexual violence .
As Black women , they said it ’ s frustrating that many don ’ t see the intersection of race and the sexual violence women of colour endure .
“ We ’ ve got to make that connection clear for folks , ” Ayers said .
“ We ’ ve seen money start to be pushed to Black-led organizations and it needs to happen , but sexual violence has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I think it ’ s because folks don ’ t automatically understand the intersection of sexual violence and structural racism .
And so we really have a lot of work to do.
” They also noted the Breonna Taylor case and the # SayHerName campaign , which brings attention to Black women like Taylor whose cases go unheard or are silenced .
Burke said she herself has dealt firsthand with the erasure that Black women often endure , when people failed to acknowledge the # MeToo movement was started and led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ ve heard people … not acknowledge that there is a Black woman right now trying to hold this narrative , hold this work and push a narrative forward that is opposite of what we ’ ve heard in the news , about it being about Hollywood and white women , powerful white men , or powerful men , period , ” Burke said .
“ So as a Black woman , I feel both the pride and the burden of carrying this kind of work forward , “ she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique challenges for the movement .
During the pandemic , the group has seen a 20 % rise in intimate partner violence and increased concerns about child sexual assaults , Ayers said , so they ’ ve shifted toward offering virtual resources and programming , including a survey that revealed stark disparities .
“ We ’ re hearing Black survivors say , ‘ I don ’ t have money to eat , ’ ” Ayers said .
“ The disparity is just growing as a result of the pandemic and we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only in a qualitative way but we need the data to be able to help those who have money understand where we need to be pushing resources and why.
” Ayers and Burke also recognize the power that survivors hold — especially in this moment as the nation is just weeks away from selecting its next president after a campaign fraught with divisiveness .
Burke late last year launched # MeTooVoter as a way to galvanize the millions who have supported the movement .
Both Burke and Ayers view survivors as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be heard .
While the group has not officially endorsed either candidate , the women said they have serious concerns about what another four years of President Donald Trump would mean for survivors of sexual violence .
“ I think we are in a critical moment and survivors ’ voices in this moment should be the loudest , ” Burke said .
“ If we look at the two candidates , for a lot of people , neither of them are their top choice , “ she said .
Trump has faced multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which he denies .
Earlier this year , a former Senate staffer accused Democrat Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 , which Biden has denied .
“ But this fight that we have will continue , not just for the next four years , it will continue for the next four decades .
We have a person right now who won ’ t even get in the fight , who won ’ t even engage in the conversation , “ Burke said .
“ I think survivors are lined up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But beyond the election , Ayers is hopeful about the work that remains .
“ The survivors , they inspire me every day , ” she said .
“ We ’ re creating a culture inside this organization that gives people the space to be who they are and to show up as their full selves .
There are so many people working to end sexual violence and watching their work inspires me .
So there is hope.
” Kat Stafford is a member of The Associated Press ’ Race and Ethnicity team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : //twitter.com/kat__stafford .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--UN aid chief: Funding shortage cuts aid to 4 million Yemenis

TANZANIA , Tanzania - A funding shortage has cut off aid to 4 million Yemenis and experts are increasingly worried that “ the window to prevent famine ” in the war-torn country is closing quickly , the U.N. humanitarian chief said Thursday .
Mark Lowcock told the U.N. Security Council that aid agencies are only reaching 9 million people a month , down from more than 13 million at the beginning of the year .
“ What is to be the fate of the 4 million we no longer have the money to help ?
” he asked .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time singled out Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait for giving nothing to this year ’ s $ 3.4 billion humanitarian appeal for Yemen , the Arab world ’ s poorest country which has been engulfed in conflict since 2015 .
Days later , Kuwait announced a $ 20 million donation and Saudi Arabia publicly committed to providing $ 204 million to U.N. aid agencies , part of its $ 500 million pledged in June .
That pledge was half of its 2019 commitment .
The UAE , which had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announce any funding for this year .
Lowcock said new funding increased donations to the U.N. appeal from 30 per cent last month to 42 per cent this month which is welcome , but last year at this time it was 65 per cent funded , and the shortage “ still mean that more key programs are at risk of shutting down.
” Yemen ’ s conflict started with Houthi Shiite rebels backed by Iran capturing the capital , Sanaa , in 2014 , forcing the internationally recognized government to flee .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government intervened to battle the rebels and curb Iran ’ s influence in what has turned into a stalemated regional proxy war .
Since then , more than 100,000 people — fighters and civilians — have been killed .
Lowcock told the Security Council that famine was averted two years ago when action was taken on five priority issues : protecting civilians , access for humanitarian workers , funding , the economy and progress toward peace .
In the last month , he said , the conflict has escalated and “ there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yemen — the most every recorded.
” Civilian casualties reached their highest level this year in September , with the heaviest clashes in Hodeida , Marib and Al Jawf , causing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes .
“ In recent days , hostilities have subsided somewhat , but it is not enough , ” he said , warning that a major confrontation in Marib city “ could be disastrous , ” and anything jeopardizing the smooth operation of the country ’ s major port at Hodeida , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would put millions of lives at risk.
” As for delivering aid , Lowcock said front-line humanitarian staff face challenges in the government-controlled south “ due to insecurity , including harassment by armed groups.
” In the Houthi-controlled north , he said , “ agencies are grappling with more severe access challenges , mainly the result of challenges ” imposed by the rebel group .
With the window to prevent famine closing , he urged countries that made pledges to the U.N. humanitarian appeal to deliver the money and to increase their support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs regular foreign exchange injections to subsidize commercial imports , pay salaries and help stabilize the local currency , the rial , which traded at an all-time low of 850 rials to the dollar in the south in September .
“ This worked in the past and it can work again , ” he said .
“ The economic support we saw in 2018 was critical to the famine prevention effort.
” While food imports have remained stable , Lowcock said , the cost of food and other basic goods is out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are major fuel shortages in the north .
He said the government is blocking the entry of 20 commercial ships with fuel waiting to enter the port of Hodeida due to an ongoing dispute with the Houthis over management of import revenues , clearing only several this month on an exceptional basis .
“ I am not convinced that humanitarian agencies — even were they to have more funding — can prevent famine if there is no accompanying support for the economy , ” Lowcock said .
“ The crisis in Yemen urgently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help move the country back from the edge of famine .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Family of Ronald Greene views graphic video of his death in Louisiana police custody

BATON ROUGE , La .
- Family members viewed long-secret body-camera video this week of a Black man who died in Louisiana State Police custody , their attorney calling it damning footage that shows troopers choking and beating the man , repeatedly jolting him with stun guns and dragging him face-down across the pavement .
Ronald Greene ’ s mother and sister wailed “ like they were at a funeral ” Wednesday after meeting with Gov .
John Bel Edwards and watching a half-hour of the footage of the May 2019 encounter that is now the subject of a federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press .
“ This family has been lied to the entire time about what happened , ” said civil rights attorney Lee Merritt , who also viewed the footage .
“ The video was very difficult to watch .
It ’ s one of those videos like George Floyd and even Ahmaud Arbery where it ’ s just so graphic.
“ The video , which police have refused to release publicly , only added to persistent questions about Greene ’ s death , such as why State Police initially blamed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waited more than a year to discipline one of the responding officers .
Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth died in a single-car crash last month just hours after learning he had been fired over his role in the incident .
The meeting followed AP ’ s disclosure of a 27-second audio clip from Hollingsworth ’ s body-camera in which he can be heard telling a colleague , “ I beat the ever-living f -- - out of him , ” and of graphic pictures of Greene ’ s body released by his family showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his head .
Greene ’ s family on Wednesday heard that exchange and a string of “ abusive language ” the troopers used during the arrest , Merritt said , even though Greene made no effort to flee following a high-speed chase .
At one point , an officer is seen placing a foot on Greene “ while another hogties him , ” he said .
One trooper can be heard calling Greene a “ stupid son of a b—— , ” Merritt said , while another cautions that “ we shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Ronald immediately surrendered at his first contact with law enforcement .
When the vehicle stopped , he put his hands up and said , ’ I ’ m sorry , ’ ” Merritt said .
“ His dying words were , ‘ I ’ m sorry.
’ ” The AP also has obtained a medical report showing even an emergency room doctor doubted the initial police account of Greene ’ s death from the moment he arrived dead at the hospital , bruised and bloodied with two stun-gun prongs in his back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a federal wrongful death lawsuit but not previously made public — has been held up by Greene ’ s family as evidence that troopers were actively engaged in a cover up .
Police initially told Greene ’ s family he had “ died on impact ” after crashing into a tree , the doctor wrote .
But in an addendum to his report , Omokhodion wrote that law enforcement ultimately told him Greene ” had been involved in a fight and struggle with them where he was tased three times.
” Two taser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even after he arrived at Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe .
“ History seems to be disjointed , ” Omokhodion wrote in his report .
“ Different versions are present.
” The steady drumbeat of revelations has brought national exposure to the case and turned up the pressure on Edwards , a Democrat , to order the release of the full body-cam videos from the six troopers on the scene .
The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus , usually closely allied with Edwards , has called on the governor to release the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall within the exception of Louisiana ’ s public records law , it is imperative that in an effort of full transparency and public trust the video be released immediately , ” the caucus said in a statement .
State and federal prosecutors deemed it appropriate for the family to watch the video , Edwards said Thursday , but they believe it “ would be detrimental for that video to be made public while it is in fact evidence that they are considering.
” “ I ’ m simply not going to sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the governor told reporters .
Greene ’ s death , which followed a chase near Monroe over an unspecified traffic violation , was ruled accidental and attributed to cardiac arrest , said Renee Smith , the Union Parish coroner who was not in office when that determination was made .
Omokhodion ’ s medical report noted that Greene , a 49-year-old barber , was “ said to have been intoxicated ” and “ driving in excess of 110 mph ” before losing control of his vehicle and driving off the road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chronic health problems .
The report ’ s timeline also differs slightly from the one spelled out in a State Police crash report that omits any mention of troopers using force or even taking Greene into custody .
The State Police report refers to Greene crashing into a tree as the “ the most harmful event ” in the crash .

Jim Mustian And Melinda Deslatte - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Man shot by 3-year-old daughter in car; passenger charged

MEMPHIS , Tenn. - A man has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a father by his 3-year-old daughter in a car in Memphis , Tennessee .
Court documents said Allante Jones , 26 , has been charged with reckless homicide and unlawful possession of a weapon in the man ’ s death on Wednesday night .
The man was driving a car with a woman in the front passenger seat and his daughter in the back seat when he stopped to pick up Jones to take him home , police said in an affidavit .
Jones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the girl .
Jones then took out a handgun and put it down where the girl could reach it .
She picked it up and started playing with it before the gun discharged , police said .
The man was shot in the head and died at the scene , police said .
“ Jones was heard and seen on surveillance footage apologizing for his role in the victim ’ s death , ” the affidavit said .
Jones did not have a permit to carry a gun , police said .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court records do not show if Jones has a lawyer to speak about the charges on his behalf .


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Park Police officers indicted in shooting of unarmed driver

FAIRFAX , Va. - Two U.S. Park Police officers were indicted Thursday on manslaughter charges in the 2017 shooting death of an unarmed motorist who led officers on a stop-and-go chase outside Washington , capping nearly three years of inquiry into a case that caused an outcry over concerns of excessive force .
The charges against officers Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard come after years of agitation by the family of Bijan Ghaisar , 25 , of McLean , a Virginia suburb of the nation ’ s capital .
Some local and federal political figures also had criticized Park Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case for two years without taking action or explaining events after widely publicized dash cam video of the chase and shooting raised doubts about the officers ’ conduct .
Ghaisar was fatally shot by the officers in November 2017 following a chase on the George Washington Parkway , outside the nation ’ s capital in northern Virginia , after he was involved in a minor accident .
Ghaisar ’ s family expressed gratitude that charges have been filed .
“ Our heavy hearts are a little lighter tonight knowing that the police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to being held accountable for what they did , “ the family said in a statement .
” Too many of the people who are sworn to protect and serve our communities commit heinous acts of violence and go unpunished .
With these charges we are reminded that , at least here in Fairfax County , Officers Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard are not above the law .
Federal prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges against the officers last year , saying their actions did not rise to the level of criminality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Commonwealth ’ s Attorney ’ s Office launched an investigation .
The new top prosecutor , Steve Descano , was elected on a reform agenda and promised to hold police accountable for misconduct .
Vinyard and Amaya are also charged with reckless use of a firearm .
“ When this incident occurred it shook our community , ” Descano said in a news conference Thursday announcing the charges , Now that a grand jury has handed down indictments , “ the community can now start to get answers.
” Still , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward .
He anticipates that the officers will seek to have the case removed to federal court because Amaya and Vinyard are federal officers .
Descano said the office of Virginia Attorney Mark Herring has agreed to provide legal assistance to keep the case in state court .
Lawyers for Amaya and Vinyard did not return emails seeking comment Thursday .
Descano said the charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years — 10 years for the manslaughter charge and 5 for the firearms charge .
Under Virginia law , the charge is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the law makes no real distinction between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter .
If they had not charged the officers with involuntary manslaughter , he would have had to bring a murder charge , which Descano said was not warranted without proof of malice .
Descano said the evidence was gathered entirely by Fairfax County officers , after the Justice Department refused to co-operate and provide witnesses or crucial evidence in the case .
The chase began after authorities say Ghaisar left the scene of an accident in which he had been rear-ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police , who played a supporting role in the chase , shows the chase beginning on the parkway before turning into a residential neighbourhood .
It shows the car driven by Ghaisar stopping twice during the chase , and officers approaching the car with guns drawn .
In both cases , Ghaisar drives off .
At the third and final stop , officers with guns drawn approach the car at the driver-side door .
When the car starts to move again , five gunshots are heard .
The car starts to drift into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two gunshots are heard .
In court documents made public as part of a civil suit filed by Ghaisar ’ s family , Vinyard told FBI agents who interviewed him after the shooting that he and Amaya gave Ghaisar “ chance after chance ” to surrender peacefully before opening fire .
At his press conference , Descano addressed the broader national debate over police force , particularly against people of colour .
“ Look around our country right now and it ’ s clear that many of our neighbours have lost faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Descano said .
” We all know our system needs reform and that our laws are often times too narrow and very particular .
... We were fortunate enough that our community ’ s values and laws saw eye to eye today .
Unfortunately , the fact that it doesn ’ t always play out that way remains a real problem .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Nebraska Sen. Sasse rips Trump over COVID-19, foreign policy

WASHINGTON - Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse told Nebraska constituents in a telephone town hall meeting that President Donald Trump has “ flirted with white supremacists , ” mocks Christian evangelicals in private , and “ kisses dictators ’ butts.
” Sasse , who is running for a second term representing the reliably red state , made the comments in response to a question about why he has been willing to publicly criticize a president of his own party .
He also criticized Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and said Trump ’ s family has treated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The comments were first reported by the Washington Examiner after it obtained an audio recording of the senator ’ s comments , which has been posted on YouTube .
Sasse spokesman James Wegmann said the call occurred Wednesday .
Two other Nebraska Republicans , U.S. Rep. Dan Bacon and state GOP executive director Ryan Hamilton , told the Omaha World-Herald that they disagree with Sasse ’ s characterizations of the president .
“ Senator Sasse is entitled to his own opinion , ” U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith , another Nebraska Republican , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what President Trump has accomplished for our country and will continue to work with him on efforts which help Nebraska.
” Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh declined to comment on Sasse ’ s comments , the World-Herald said .
Sasse has positioned himself as a conservative willing to criticize Trump , and he is seen as a potential presidential candidate for 2024 .
His comments Wednesday were in response to a caller who asked about his relationship with the president , adding , “ Why do you have to criticize him so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage points in 2016 .
The senator said he has worked hard to have a good relationship with Trump and prays for the president regularly “ at the breakfast table in our house.
” He praised Trump ’ s judicial appointments .
But he said he ’ s had disagreements with Trump that do not involve “ mere policy issues , ” adding , “ I ’ m not at all apologetic for having fought for my values against his in places where I think his are deficient , not just for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sasse began his list with , “ The way he kisses dictators ’ butts , ” and said Trump “ hasn ’ t lifted a finger ” on behalf of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong .
“ I mean , he and I have a very different foreign policy , ” Sasse said .
“ It isn ’ t just that he fails to lead our allies .
It ’ s that we — the United States — regularly sells out our allies under his leadership.
” Sasse said he criticizes Trump for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ spends like a drunken sailor , ” saying he criticized Democratic President Barack Obama over spending .
“ He mocks evangelicals behind closed doors , ” Sasse said .
“ At the beginning of the COVID crisis , he refused to treat it seriously .
For months , he treated it like a news cycle-by-news cycle PR crisis rather than a multi-year public health challenge , which is what it is .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-15--Biden campaign flips COVID-19 threat into new Trump contrast

WILMINGTON , Del .
- Confronted with its first known coronavirus scare , Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign turned the threat into another contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump in the closing weeks of a general election battle dominated by how the Republican incumbent has handled the pandemic and his own COVID-19 diagnosis .
According to Biden ’ s campaign manager , Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , the campaign learned late Wednesday that two people associated with the operation had tested positive for the coronavirus .
By 10 a.m. Thursday , O ’ Malley Dillon had publicly identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris as having contracted the virus and confirmed that the campaign would suspend travel temporarily for the California senator and her husband , Doug Emhoff .
Before the end of the day , the campaign announced a third positive case linked to Biden ’ s campaign plane and up-to-date negative COVID-19 tests for Biden and Harris , along with medical experts ’ explanations of why they believed Biden was never exposed and wouldn ’ t have to cancel upcoming travel .
With the election quickly approaching , the episode was another example of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vastly different ways to the pandemic .
While Trump ’ s aides offered shifting and sometimes contradictory explanations following a White House coronavirus outbreak , Biden ’ s team offered more specifics .
And as Trump returns to aggressive campaign travel before massive , often unmasked crowds , the Biden campaign reinforced its commitment to following public health guidelines .
“ It is because of the protocols that we have in place that we have been able to get this information , that we were able to identify what ’ s happening here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noting the campaign ’ s regular testing for Biden , Harris and those who travel with them , along with strict enforcement of masks and social distancing at all events .
As Biden ’ s campaign conducted contact tracing and made public disclosures , Trump travelled to North Carolina — where Harris was supposed to be on Thursday — for another rally .
He greeted a tightly packed , mostly unmasked crowd there to hear a president who still isn ’ t offering the public a detailed timeline of any COVID-19 tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after he announced on Oct. 2 that he had contracted the virus that has killed more than 217,000 Americans .
Biden has sought to make Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic a pillar of his argument that Trump is irresponsible , unfit to lead and has cost American lives .
A new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey suggests many voters agree with the Democratic challenger .
The AP-NORC poll found 65 per cent of respondents think Trump has not taken the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The poll , which was taken a week after Trump disclosed his own COVID-19 diagnosis , also shows that 54 per cent of Americans disapprove of how the White House handled the episode .
Harris worked from her Washington home Thursday , according to an aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the senator ’ s plans .
She will campaign virtually through the weekend .
During a virtual fundraising call Thursday , Harris emphasized the contrast with Trump , telling donors that the Biden campaign ’ s reaction “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The president disclosed his diagnosis via Twitter , but only after Bloomberg News confirmed that one of his top aides , Hope Hicks , had tested positive and was symptomatic after travelling that week aboard Air Force One .
Since then , the White House has repeatedly declined to say how many staffers have tested positive , citing privacy concerns .
But reporters have brought additional cases to light .
The White House has not notified reporters , Secret Service agents or Trump campaign staffers who may have been exposed during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after he mocked the 77-year-old Biden for his COVID-19 protocols as the two stood on the debate stage together for more than 90 minutes .
“ I don ’ t wear masks like him , ” Trump said .
“ Every time you see him , he ’ s got a mask .
He could be speaking 200 feet away from it — he shows up with the biggest mask I ’ ve ever seen.
” Biden countered that the 74-year-old president has “ been a fool ” on masks .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , including when he last tested negative before his diagnosis and what his lung scans revealed .
The White House also didn ’ t reveal that the president ’ s youngest son , Barron , tested positive for the coronavirus after first testing negative – as they had originally announced .
The first lady finally disclosed that information Wednesday , after he had tested negative again .
The Democratic ticket ’ s campaign events are socially distanced and require participants to wear masks .
Staff often set chairs inside white plastic circles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During a recent indoor speech at a North Carolina event for Harris , reporters were given and asked to wear KN95 masks .
Staff for Biden ’ s Florida campaign distributed N95 masks at a recent event at a Florida community centre for seniors .
Biden and Harris typically keep their masks on when speaking indoors .
Both travel on planes with a small number of staff and Secret Service .
For Harris ’ travel , a second plane carries the rest of the staff .
For Biden , a second plane carries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s relative transparency on the coronavirus doesn ’ t always extend to other details about his health .
Biden said during an NBC News town hall on Oct. 5 , after Trump had been discharged from Walter Reed , that “ you have to tell the whole truth ” about your health as president but not necessarily “ moment to moment ” as a health scare plays out .
He referred to the 1981 assassination attempt of president Ronald Reagan .
“ They were transparent , ” Biden said , but added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president ’ s care .
Asked whether he ’ d ever hold back some part of his health status , Biden said , “ Only on the margins and only for the moment .
”