thetorontostar--2020-09-22--Video shows final moments as police shoot Black man

A video released by New Jersey ’ s attorney general ’ s office Tuesday shows a police officer abruptly shooting a Black man in the doorway of an Asbury Park home after trying to convince him over the course of a long standoff to drop a knife .
The attorney general is investigating the Aug. 21 shooting , which killed 39-year-old Hasani Best .
The video raises questions as to whether Best posed an immediate danger to officers when he was shot .
Officers had responded to a domestic disturbance between Best and a woman .
When they arrived , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the woman was standing outside .
Police spent nearly an hour trying to coax Best , with whom they were familiar from other encounters , out of a room in the apartment .
At one point they used a Taser on him but were unable to subdue him and he went back inside .
“ We ’ ve dealt with you too many times , just drop the knife , ” an officer said at one point during the standoff .
“ Drop the knife , come out and we settle this.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or give up the knife .
He alternated between cursing at the officers and chatting amiably with them , telling them , “ I don ’ t want to hurt you , ” and , “ We need police , I know that ’ s a hard job you ’ ve got .
Please don ’ t take what I ’ m saying as disrespectful.
” The officers occasionally laughed , too , though they carried large shields in front of them and had their guns drawn and aimed at the doorway .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ few inches still holding the knife .
At one point , Best made a jerking movement toward the officers , who were standing about 6 or 7 feet away .
He had appeared to relax again after an officer implored him , “ Don ’ t do that.
” Then , Best raised the knife to his chest and said , “ I ’ m going to stab him ” while looking at the officers .
One of the officers , Asbury Park Police Sgt .
Sean DeShader , then suddenly fired , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the officers rushed in to carry Best out .
He died about 20 minutes later at a hospital .
The attorney general ’ s office said in a news release that investigators had met with members of Best ’ s family Tuesday to review the video recordings .
It said that when the investigation is complete , the findings will be presented to a grand jury for a determination about whether to bring any criminal charges .


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--North Carolina board agrees to more absentee ballot changes

RALEIGH , N.C. - North Carolina election officials agreed Tuesday that mail-in absentee ballots returned this fall with deficient information can be fixed without forcing the voter to fill out a new blank ballot .
The change , if it stands , would likely yield an upward tick in the number of counted ballots in this presidential battleground state .
The State Board of Elections issued the new guidance to county boards explaining residents won ’ t be forced to start over from scratch in casting votes if a witness fails to sign or provide an address on the envelope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that the ballot now won ’ t be considered “ spoiled , ” and the voter will be sent an affidavit to sign to rectify the problem .
Issues with deficient witness information on mail-in ballots have disproportionately affected Black voters .
Ballots cast by African Americans account for about 43 per cent of those classified as having incomplete witness information , according to state elections data .
Yet Black residents account for 16 per cent of overall ballots returned .
Marc Elias , a Democratic lawyer who helped sue in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has worked on similar absentee ballot litigation elsewhere , praised the decision .
“ The steps ( the board ) agreed to take will enfranchise tens of thousands of voters , or more , ” tweeted Ellis , who helped the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans in the lawsuit .
The absentee ballot adjustments are part of a proposed joint settlement filed in Wake County court between the State Board of Elections and the alliance , a union-affiliated group .
The alliance argued that restrictive absentee rules burdened their right to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state constitution .
Republican legislative leaders who had intervened in the lawsuit blasted the agreement by the board .
They contended the Democrats “ colluded ” to weaken absentee laws approved overwhelmingly by the General Assembly .
A judge is being asked to accept the settlement .
The GOP lawmakers could go to court to stop its enforcement , which if successful could scuttle the changes .
“ These actions are utterly lawless and we are reviewing them to assess all of our legal options , “ House Speaker Tim Moore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five-member board is controlled by appointees of Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper .
But board Chairman Damon Circosta said the alterations announced Tuesday were backed unanimously by both Democratic and Republican members .
From over 7 million registered voters in North Carolina , nearly 950,000 mail-in ballots already have requested for November .
It ’ s a massive number compared to previous election cycles as people worried about the coronavirus favour traditional absentee ballots compared to in-person voting .
Blank ballots began getting sent out in early September , and more than 153,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for counting as of Tuesday morning , according to state data .
The state said about 1,700 ballots had been returned with incomplete witness information , making it the most common reason that ballots weren ’ t accepted .
The lawsuit was bankrolled in part by the National Redistricting Foundation , a Democratic group whose parent committee is led by former Attorney General Eric Holder .
Another absentee ballot lawsuit that was filed said voters with missing witness information were being treated differently than those who simply failed to sign the envelope containing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an affidavit .
Now under Tuesday ’ s settlement , those with missing witness information also can correct the issue by signing an affidavit .
The agreement with the North Carolina Alliance also says county board officials will now accept absentee ballots received through Nov. 12 , as long as they were postmarked or turned in by Election Day .
The previous rules had limited their receipt through Nov. 6 .
And county election boards will make it easier for people to turn in their absentee ballots or those of a relative at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they open in mid-October .
They won ’ t have to fill out a voting log , but rather an election worker will do it for them .
“ Voters deserve certainty .
Our board , both Democrats and Republicans , agreed unanimously to make these commonsense changes to our process amid the COVID-19 pandemic , ” Circosta said in a statement .
“ We have ensured that our election process is secure and accessible.
” Republican lawmakers said the changes stand to weaken rules approved following evidence of absentee ballot fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a brand new election .
North Carolina is one of eight states with witness and or notary public requirements for absentee ballots , according to the Brennan Center for Justice .
North Carolina state law usually demands two witnesses , but lawmakers reduced the requirement to one this year because people isolated due to at-risk health conditions may find it difficult to locate two .

Gary D. Robertson - The Associated Press

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thetorontostar--2020-09-22--The Latest: Trump: 200,000 virus deaths milestone ‘a shame’

WASHINGTON — Speaking to reporters at the White House , President Donald Trump said it was “ a shame ” that the U.S. had reached the grave milestone of 200,000 COVID-19-related deaths .
Trump also responded with his often repeated broadside that China was at fault for the pandemic and argument that the death toll could have been much worse .
“ I think if we didn ’ t do it properly and do it right , you ’ d have 2.5 million deaths , ” said Trump .
He added that the United States is now “ doing well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up.
” HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK — England will order pubs and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. People who can work from home will be encouraged to do so .
— Virus infections and deaths in French nursing homes are on the rise again .
Nearly half of the 31,000 people confirmed to have died in France with the virus were nursing home residents .
— The only thing more difficult than staging next year ’ s Tokyo Olympics in a pandemic might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars on board .
Tokyo needs to convince sponsors the Olympics will really happen .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : FRANKFORT , Ky. -- Kentucky won swift federal approval for another infusion of extra unemployment payments for many people who lost work during the COVID-19 outbreak , Gov .
Andy Beshear said Tuesday .
The go-ahead came one day after Beshear announced his administration requested the supplemental $ 400 in weekly jobless benefits for an additional three weeks .
It means qualified Kentuckians will receive higher benefits for the weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sept. 5 , he said .
“ It ’ s a win for those that have been struggling to get those extra dollars in , ” the governor told reporters .
“ It ’ s also a win for our state because it continues consumer confidence.
” Beshear also reported 824 more COVID-19 cases statewide and seven more virus-related deaths .
With many schools preparing to resume in-person classes next week , the Democratic governor urged Kentuckians to redouble their efforts to contain the virus by wearing masks in public , adhering to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SALT LAKE CITY -- Gov .
Gary Herbert will increase pandemic restrictions in two Utah cities as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the state .
Herbert is imposing new restrictions in the cities of Provo and Orem that will limit social gatherings to 20 people starting Wednesday .
The cities are in Utah County , where cases have grown by 81 % in the last week .
The county accounted for 42 % of the state ’ s cases despite having only 20 % of state ’ s population .
Local leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the state has not set a deadline for how quickly they must make that decision .
HARRISBURG , Pennsylvania — Legislation to loosen Democratic Gov .
Tom Wolf ’ s pandemic restrictions on Pennsylvania ’ s bars and restaurants easily passed the state Senate on Tuesday .
The Republican-controlled chamber voted for a bill that would end the requirement that customers buy food in order to purchase alcohol and permit patrons to be served drinks at the bar .
It also would permit taverns and restaurants to operate at 50 % capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state and federal social distancing standards or erect appropriate barriers , and make it easier for restaurants to adapt adjacent outside areas to serve customers .
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Department of Corrections on Tuesday reported that two inmates have died due to COVID-19 and seven other deaths are possibly the result of the disease , which is caused by the coronavirus .
The cause of the other seven deaths are pending autopsies by the state medical examiner , according to DOC .
Of the department ’ s nearly 25,000 inmates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 1,398 cases are currently active , according to DOC Director Scott Crow , increases of 554 positive cases and 414 active cases from Monday .
Crow said difficulty in achieving social distancing within prisons has contributed to the increase in positive cases in recent weeks , in addition to resistance to wearing masks .
“ Sometimes , just as we see in the public , especially with our inmate populations , they ’ re averse to actually wearing masks ” Crow said .
Crow and interim state health commissioner Dr. Lance Frye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the corrections department ’ s 3,300 employees .
TALLAHASSEE , Fla. -- Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis expressed concern during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to hurt small businesses and may disrupt commercial real estate even after it ’ s over .
“ It seems to me that as you look to see what ’ s happened , particularly in areas that have done real draconian restrictions on people being able to do businesses , that the pandemic has been a boon for like Amazon and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeSantis , a Republican .
“ It ’ s been really difficult on a lot of mom and pops .
And you look at these places around the country , some of those will never come back .
Period.
” DeSantis contrasted Florida with California , noting that Disney World reopened in Florida , but Disneyland hasn ’ t reopened in California .
“ So they opened at the peak of our infection in Florida — at the peak — and what ’ s happened since they ’ ve been opened ?
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” DeSantis said .
“ Closing , I think , is like self-immolation.
” DENVER — Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis announced mandatory furloughs of state workers due to pandemic-related budget cuts and warned Tuesday about a third wave of coronavirus outbreaks if the state ’ s upward trend continues .
The number of days are based on an employee ’ s annual salary with exemptions for those necessary for the COVID-19 response , assisting Coloradans in finding jobs , and protecting public safety and roads , as well as workers earning $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The public sector , too , needs to tighten its belts to get through this , ” Polis said at a press conference .
Workers earning $ 50,000 to $ 70,000 will be furloughed for one day , $ 70,000 to $ 90,000 for two days , $ 90,000 to $ 140,000 for three days and above $ 140,000 for four days .
In April , Polis announced nearly $ 289 million in cuts to the budget for the fiscal year ending June 30 to offset declining revenue .
The cuts affected numerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include layoffs or furloughs of state employees .
Polis also said that Colorado had 654 new positive cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday with the largest number of cases in the state is among 18-to-25 year-olds , most from the University of Colorado Boulder .
INDIANAPOLIS — Discontent among some conservatives about Indiana Gov .
Eric Holcomb ’ s statewide mask mandate and other coronavirus restrictions poses a possible disruption to his reelection campaign .
Some longtime reliable Republican voters complain Holcomb ’ s coronavirus orders have been “ overbearing ” and say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rainwater .
Holcomb defends the mask order as helping keep the coronavirus spread in check .
“ It is still uber infectious , it is still ravaging different parts of the country , ” Holcomb said .
“ The more that we do the things that work , the better off we ’ ll be and we ’ ll continue to see folks go back to work.
” Libertarians say they ’ ve been inundated with support recently , while Holcomb ’ s campaign says the governor will keep following the advice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Myers , who has struggled to gain attention and raise money , has called for tougher enforcement of the mask order .
Conservative activist Monica Boyer said she ’ s been a Republican her whole life but decided to back Rainwater like many around her northern Indiana hometown of Warsaw over issues such Holcomb ordering churches closed during the first several weeks of the pandemic .
“ He ’ s doing more than ignoring us , ” Boyer said .
“ He ’ s rolling over us with the bus and re-rolling over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and professional sports teams in North Carolina may soon be allowed to host a few thousand fans in outdoor stadiums , Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday .
If the state ’ s coronavirus numbers continue to improve or remain flat , Cooper said he plans to ease the occupancy restrictions for large outdoor entertainment venues starting Oct. 2 .
Places that can seat more than 10,000 people outside would be able to operate at significantly reduced capacity , while adhering to the recommended 6 feet ( 1.8 metres ) of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take another step toward Phase 3 in the coming days if our progress holds , ” Cooper said .
“ That step will mean larger outdoor event venues will be able to open at 7 % capacity starting next Friday , Oct. 2.
” Under the updated executive order Cooper plans to announce next week , the Carolina Panthers , whose stadium can seat more than 75,000 people , would be able to host over 5,000 fans .
PITTSBURGH — A federal judge on Tuesday declined to stay his own ruling that Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on gatherings are unconstitutional .
U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV said the administration had failed to show “ imminent and irreparable harm will occur ” if the state can ’ t limit event crowds to 25 people inside and 250 people outside .
State officials had asked Stickman , an appointee of President Donald Trump , to delay enforcement of his ruling while they appeal .
Stickman ’ s ruling invalidated key parts of the Wolf administration ’ s early pandemic response , including his orders requiring people to stay at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-life-sustaining.
” Wolf , a Democrat , has since eased many of the restrictions , but Stickman also ruled against the state ’ s current size limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings , saying they violate citizens ’ constitutional right to assemble .
O ’ FALLON , Mo .
— The mostly rural Bootheel region of Missouri is seeing high numbers of confirmed cases of the coronavirus , but unlike many other hard-hit areas , the surge isn ’ t tied to any particular place or demographic .
Information from the Missouri Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several southeast Missouri counties have some of the state ’ s worst rates of confirmed cases per capita .
Perry County ’ s rate of 3,055 cases per 100,000 residents is second only to McDonald County ’ s 4,545 cases per 100,000 .
McDonald County , in southwestern Missouri , saw a big outbreak this summer tied to meat plants .
Perry County Health Department Director Sylvia Forester said Tuesday that part of the reason for the high number of cases in her county has been aggressive testing from the outset of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how the virus has moved through the rural county of 19,100 residents because the outbreak isn ’ t tied to nursing homes , meat plants or colleges — places that have driven outbreaks in many non-urban areas .
“ We do have indicators of community spread , ” Forester said .
Like most Missouri counties , Perry County has no mask mandate .
Some large events have been called off this year to limit the virus ’ spread , Forester said , but others have not , including a motorcycle rally last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and cancelled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines .
Both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams , but Derby still plans to hold Friday night ’ s game , the Wichita Eagle reported .
Chanute has cancelled football games , but is continuing in-person classes against the recommendation of the state ’ s reopening guide .
The school board in Atwood overruled the superintendent ’ s decision to move classes to remote learning before reversing course .
The Kansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to identify active coronavirus clusters on Wednesday , including outbreaks at schools and on sports teams .
Gov .
Laura Kelly has said she feared large outbreaks of COVID-19 as children return to school , sports practices resume and college students return to campuses .
HELENA , Mont .
— Montana is seeing a “ remarkable increase ” in COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks , the state ’ s medical officer said Tuesday , as officials urged residents to step up measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and seasonal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to schools and universities reopening , Labor Day weekend gatherings and continuing spread in congregate living settings , such as nursing homes and jails , said Stacey Anderson , state epidemiologist .
Montana ’ s COVID-19 cases were stable at about 800 per week from when Gov .
Steve Bullock issued a mask mandate for most counties in mid-July through early September , said Jim Murphy , head of the Communicable Disease Bureau within the state health department .
However , over the past seven days , the state has reported nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed case total was 10,700 on Tuesday with 163 deaths .
The White House Coronavirus Task Force suggested Montana consider fines for violations of face mask mandates in areas with increasing cases , but Bullock said he will continue to stress personal responsibility with the goal of keeping schools and businesses open .
Counties are allowed to implement additional restrictions .
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appealed to a “ spirit of togetherness ” as he unveiled a series of new restrictions on everyday life to get on top of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warning that the new restrictions could last for six months through the winter and into the spring , Johnson said pubs , restaurants and other entertainment venues in England will have to close at 10 p.m .
In a speech with deliberate echoes of wartime communal spirit , Johnson said that “ never in our history has our collective destiny and our collective health depended so completely on our individual behaviour.
” The prime minister told lawmakers that if the new curbs did not slow the outbreak , “ we reserve the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater restrictions.
” WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump hasn ’ t offered an immediate public response to the United States crossing the grim milestone of 200,000 coronavirus deaths , but the White House says he is taking the toll seriously .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tells reporters at a briefing Tuesday that the president has said before that it keeps him up at night thinking of even one life lost .
McEnany says Trump has worked hard to fight the impact of COVID-19 .
She says that decreasing mortality rates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the private sector since World War II are a result of his efforts .
Retired Gen. Keith Kellogg , who serves as a national security adviser to Vice-President Mike Pence , tells reporters of the nation ’ s COVID-19 deaths , “ do not think for a minute that that has not bothered us ” and “ it bothers the president.
” The bleak milestone , by far the highest confirmed death toll from the virus in the world , was reported by Johns Hopkins , based on figures supplied by state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is thought to be much higher , in part because many COVID-19 deaths were probably ascribed to other causes , especially early on , before widespread testing .
PROVIDENCE , R.I. — Rhode Island was added Tuesday back to the list of states whose residents are required to quarantine for 14 days when travelling to New York , New Jersey and Connecticut .
Those three states add states to their travel advisory lists if new daily cases hit 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day average , or if a state has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island had been added to the New York , New Jersey and Connecticut travel advisory list in August , but was taken off a week later .
Rhode Island was added because the total number of new cases is on the rise , which is a result of the state ’ s aggressive virus testing , according to a statement from a spokesperson for the state Department of Health .
“ Rhode Island is doing more testing than any other state in country , ” Joseph Wendelken said .
“ We are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ K-12 testing system , and we have a very high proportion of college students in Rhode Island , almost all of whom are being tested.
“


thetorontostar--2020-09-22--High court front-runner Amy Coney Barrett hailed by right

CHICAGO - A front-runner to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a federal appellate judge who has established herself as a reliable conservative on hot-button legal issues from abortion to gun control .
Amy Coney Barrett , a devout Catholic , is hailed by religious conservatives and others on the right as an ideological heir to conservative icon Antonin Scalia , the late Supreme Court justice for whom she clerked .
Barrett met with Trump at the White House on Monday , according a person familiar with the vetting process who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anonymity .
Liberals say Barrett ’ s legal views are too heavily influenced by her religious beliefs and fear her ascent to the nation ’ s highest court could lead to a scaling back of hard-fought abortion rights .
She also would replace the justice who is best-known for fighting for women ’ s rights and equality .
President Donald Trump has said he ’ ll nominate a woman and Barrett is thought to be at the top of his list of favourites .
The Chicago-based 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 for Trump ’ s second nomination to the high court , which eventually went to Brett Kavanaugh after Justice Anthony Kennedy retired .
Barrett ’ s selection now could help Trump energize his base weeks before Election Day .
At just 48 , Barrett would be the youngest justice and her tenure could last for decades .
She ’ s made her mark in law primarily as an academic at the University of Notre Dame , where she began teaching at age 30 .
She first donned judges ’ robes in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit .
But she wouldn ’ t be the only justice with little prior experience as a judge : John Roberts and Clarence Thomas spent less time as appellate judges before their Supreme Court nominations and Elena Kagan had never been a judge before President Barack Obama nominated her in 2009 .
Barrett mentioned Kagan when asked in a White House questionnaire in 2017 about which justices she admired most , saying Kagan brought to the bench “ the knowledge and skill she acquired as an academic to the practical resolution of disputes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ arose in 2018 as a possible Trump pick , even some conservatives worried her sparse judicial record made it too hard to predict how she might rule .
Nearly three years on , her judicial record now includes the authorship of around 100 opinions and several telling dissents in which Barrett displayed her clear and consistent conservative bent .
She has long expressed sympathy with a mode of interpreting the Constitution , called originalism , in which justices try to decipher original meanings of texts in assessing if someone ’ s rights have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict approach , saying it is too rigid and doesn ’ t allow the Constitution to change with the times .
Barrett ’ s fondness for original texts was on display in a 2019 dissent in a gun-rights case in which she argued a person convicted of a nonviolent felony shouldn ’ t be automatically barred from owning a gun .
All but a few pages of her 37-page dissent were devoted to the history of gun rules for convicted criminals in the 18th and 19th centuries .
And , all indications are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though she has often side-stepped answering questions about the topic .
In the 2017 White House questionnaire , Barrett was asked if it was her view that abortion was always immoral .
She didn ’ t answer the question directly but said : “ If I am confirmed ( to the 7th Circuit ) , my views on this or any other question will have no bearing on the discharge of my duties as a judge.
” In a 2013 Texas Law Review article , Barrett listed fewer than 10 cases she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ones that no justice would dare reverse even if they believed they were wrongly decided .
Among them was Brown vs. Board of Education , which declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional .
One she didn ’ t include on the list : Roe v. Wade , the 1973 landmark case that affirmed a woman ’ s right to abortion .
Scholars don ’ t include it , she wrote , because public controversy swirling around it has never abated .
Abortion and women ’ s rights were the focus of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nomination to the 7th Circuit .
Others pointed to Barrett ’ s membership of the University of Notre Dame ’ s “ Faculty for Life ” group — and that she had signed a 2015 letter to Catholic bishops affirming the “ value of human life from conception to natural death.
” Sen. Dianne Feinstein told Barrett her views suggested religious tenets could guide her thinking on the law , the California Democrat telling Barrett : “ The conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you.
” Barrett responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she agreed judges shouldn ’ t “ follow their personal convictions in the decision of a case , rather than what the law requires.
” Sen. Chuck Grassley , an Iowa Republican , criticized Democrats for pressing Barrett on her faith , saying it could be seen as a “ religious test ” for the job .
The Senate eventually confirmed her in a 55-43 vote , with three Democrats joined the majority .
Her nearly three-year stint as a judge has included at least one abortion-related case .
An 2018 ruling by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indiana law requiring the burial of fetal remains after an abortion or miscarriage , and prohibiting clinics from treating the remains as waste .
The law , signed by then-Gov .
Mike Pence , also barred abortions on the basis on the race , sex or disabilities of the fetus .
Barrett joined three conservative judges in asking for the ruling to be tossed and for the full court to rehear the case .
They didn ’ t have the votes to force a rehearing .
But they issued a joint dissent on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought the Indiana law was constitutional .
The dissent , written by Judge Frank Easterbrook , argued that Indiana ’ s law would have been upheld “ had it concerned the remains of cats or gerbils.
” Barrett was raised in New Orleans , the eldest child of a lawyer for Shell Oil Co. She earned her undergraduate degree in English literature in 1994 at Rhodes College in Memphis , Tenn. She and her husband , Jesse Barrett , a former federal prosecutor , both graduated from Notre Dame Law School .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Haiti and one with special needs .
Before her clerkship with Scalia from 1998 to 1999 , Barrett served as law clerk for Laurence Silberman for a year at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit .
Between clerkships and entering academia , she worked from 1999 to 2001 at the Miller , Cassidy , Larroca & Lewin law firm in Washington , D.C. Associated Press Writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report .
Biesecker reported from Washington .

Michael Tarm And Michael Biesecker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--How to create a pandemic pod for safe social interaction

Outdoor summer barbecues , socially distanced hikes , and mask-wearing play dates at the park have helped people maintain in-person contact with friends and family during the coronavirus pandemic .
But those outdoor gatherings will become less feasible as the pandemic stretches into the fall and temperatures drop , leaving many grasping for an alternative .
Enter pandemic pods .
Also known as quarantine bubbles or quaranteams , they are becoming increasingly popular among families and extended family as a way to socialize safely .
A pandemic pod is a group of friends or families who agree to strict safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together and when they are apart — that enable them to socialize while reducing the risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus .
A group of single adults may create a pod for the ability to socialize with others , while families with children may use a pod to share education and child-care responsibilities .
Extended family may agree to pod rules to ensure older , at-risk family members are able to remain in close contact with grandchildren or family caretakers .
The approach isn ’ t without risk , but epidemiologists say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must weigh the risks of exposure to the virus with the risks social isolation poses to our mental and emotional health .
“ Risk exists on a spectrum , ” said Melissa Hawkins , an epidemiologist and director of the public health scholars program at American University in Washington .
“ The longer we ’ re living in a pandemic , alongside COVID-19 , it ’ s prudent and reasonable to think about how to safely manage risk , and not practical to eliminate all risks.
” Pandemic pods are a “ harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of spreading COVID-19 , akin to safe-sex education being more effective in reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy than abstinence-only education , Hawkins said .
While pandemic pods can be beneficial , they take careful planning , communication and commitment from all members to follow the rules .
Here are the steps to take and questions to ask to create your own .
What should be in your pod ?
Choose families or friends with similar risk and exposure levels , and who are already taking a similar approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have different risk thresholds .
Do you let your son climb to the top of the tree ?
Maybe it ’ s too risky for you , but someone else allows it , ” said Alison Drake , an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Washington in Seattle .
The same is true for the pandemic — some people feel strongly about wiping down all their groceries at home , while others may focus instead on following guidelines for limiting exposure when out and about , she said .
Before agreeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion about your family ’ s risk tolerance and whether you will realistically be able to adhere to rules set by the group .
That ’ s a good conversation to have over video chat , where you can better interpret facial expressions and body language , said Theresa Chapple , a Maryland-based epidemiologist .
How many people should be in your pod ?
Chapple suggested families in the Philadelphia area consider sticking to a group of no more than six people .
Groups of up to 12 people may be safe in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowed the most , she said .
Keep tabs on your area ’ s coronavirus statistics , such as the number of cases controlled for population , rate of positive tests , and whether these numbers are improving or worsening .
The size of your pod alone doesn ’ t dictate its risk level ; it also depends on how strict the rules are for pod members .
Pods will need ground rules for how members interact both when they are together and when they are apart .
Some pods may be comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
What ’ s most important is that everyone is in agreement .
Some topics to consider : - Social interaction outside the pod and what precautions members will take .
Can pod members interact with other friends and family , or will the pod be their only social contacts ?
Is it acceptable to go to the grocery store , or will everyone have food delivered ?
Will members practice mask-wearing and social distancing for any activity outside the pod ?
- Defining what non-pod activities the group should be notified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may decide that members can freely go shopping or visit a relative with proper safety protocol without notifying the group , while another may decide that type of activity is acceptable , but that pod members should be alerted .
- Guidelines for how pod members will interact with each other .
Will everyone wear masks ?
Will gatherings take place outside or inside ?
Is it acceptable to share food and touch ?
Write down the rules and make sure everyone has a copy .
What happens if someone gets sick ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or other illness before gathering , such as taking temperatures or random coronavirus testing , if tests are readily available where you live .
Be specific in defining what constitutes being sick and how the pod will respond when a member meets that criteria .
What symptoms should keep a pod member at home ?
How long will they need to isolate before rejoining ?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people who have been exposed to the virus or believe they have been to quarantine for two weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is helpful to have a plan in place for how pod members can stay connected virtually if they are required to isolate .
Pods may also want to establish extra screening when creating their pod , to ensure everyone is healthy .
For instance , pod members may agree to isolate for two weeks or get a COVID-19 test before meeting up for the first time .
Honest communication is a pillar of successful pandemic pods .
Rules are effective only if everyone follows them — and is honest about when they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how members will re-enter the group after an unapproved activity .
For instance , if the group agrees that no one will travel outside the state , how will a family rejoin the pod after a vacation ?
Perhaps they will socially isolate for two weeks .
It ’ s important that pod members do not feel that they will be penalized or shunned for reporting any signs of illness or departure from the group ’ s rules .
People who think their pod will be angry with them may be more likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged to share any instances when they will be going against pod rules in advance to avoid feelings of guilt or shame , Chapple said .
A weekly administrative meeting can be a time to share this type of disclosure .
“ A majority of time , your weekend plans are set — you know if you ’ re going to that barbecue .
Disclosing up front takes away the shame of being caught , ” she said .
Public health guidance on how best to protect your family during the pandemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the virus .
While infection rates are improving in many parts of the country , including Pennsylvania and New Jersey , doctors have warned that the upcoming flu and cold season , paired with more indoor activity during cooler weather , could lead to an increase in coronavirus cases .
Whatever rules you set for your pod , it is important to re-evaluate every so often , to be sure the plan you ’ ve established is still working for all members and remains an effective approach to keeping everyone safe , @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Thousands expected to honour Ginsburg at Supreme Court

WASHINGTON - Thousands of people are expected to pay their respects at the Supreme Court to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , the women ’ s rights champion , leader of the court ’ s liberal bloc and feminist icon who died last week .
Even with the court closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic and Washington already consumed with talk of Ginsburg ’ s replacement , the justice ’ s former colleagues , family , close friends and the public will have the chance Wednesday and Thursday to pass by the casket of the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The sad occasion is expected to bring together the remaining eight justices for the first time since the building was closed in March and they resorted to meetings by telephone .
Ginsburg will lie in repose for two days at the court where she served for 27 years and , before that , argued six cases for gender equality in the 1970s .
Nearly 200 members of the public had gathered to pay their respects by early morning , intermingling with dog walkers and joggers who cut through the crowd .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cara Stewart and Jenny Beene-Skuban , who drove overnight from the Cincinnati area to be there .
“ I felt like I couldn ’ t not be here , ” said Stewart , a public-interest lawyer from Martin , Kentucky .
Stewart said she particularly identified with Ginsburg ’ s early career as a civil rights advocate .
“ What moves me more is her career before the court , ” she said .
“ Using the courts for justice and being successful — that ’ s not easy to do.
” Beene-Skuban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s career blazed trails for women who came after her .
“ We ’ re here to recognize the shoulders we ’ re standing on , ” she said .
Outside the building chairs and monitors were set up .
Following a private ceremony Wednesday in the court ’ s Great Hall , her casket will be moved outside the building to the top of the court ’ s front steps so that public mourners can pay their respects in line with public health guidance for the pandemic .
Since her death Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , notes , placards and all manner of Ginsburg paraphernalia outside the court in tribute to the woman who became known in her final years as the “ Notorious RBG.
” Court workers cleared away the items and cleaned the court plaza and sidewalk in advance of Wednesday ’ s ceremony .
Following past practice at the tradition-laden court , Ginsburg ’ s casket is expected to arrive just before 9:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday , the court said .
Supreme Court police will carry it up the court steps , which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as honorary pallbearers .
Chief Justice John Roberts and the other justices will be in the Great Hall when the casket arrives and is placed on the Lincoln Catafalque , the platform on which President Abraham Lincoln ’ s coffin rested in the Capitol rotunda in 1865 .
A 2016 portrait of Ginsburg by artist Constance P. Beaty will be displayed nearby .
It ’ s unclear whether President Donald Trump would visit the court before he leaves town Wednesday afternoon , though he did pay respects when Justice John Paul Stevens died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court after Justice Antonin Scalia ’ s death in 2016 .
The entrance to the courtroom , along with Ginsburg ’ s chair and place on the bench next to Roberts , have been draped in black , a longstanding court custom .
These visual signs of mourning , which in years past have reinforced the sense of loss , will largely go unseen this year .
The court begins its new term Oct. 5 , but the justices will not be in the courtroom and instead will hear arguments by phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court , Ginsburg ’ s casket will be on public view from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday .
Heather Setzler , a physician ’ s assistant from Raleigh , North Carolina , started her drive at 1 a.m. to be at the court .
Setzler said on annual trips to Washington she always set aside an hour or so to tour the Supreme Court and hang out in the cafeteria , hoping for an impromptu chance to meet .
She appreciated not only the serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fan of the pop culture phenomenon that surrounded the Notorious RBG , naming her two cats Hillary Ruth and Kiki , in honour of Ginsburg ’ s childhood nickname .
“ There was just something about her .
She was so diminutive yet turned out to be such a giant , ” Setzler said , wearing a face mask adorned with small portraits of Ginsburg .
Setzler said she ’ s frightened by the prospect that Ginsburg ’ s replacement could lock the court into a solid conservative majority .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked so hard for could be turned around in a couple of years , ” she said .
On Friday , Ginsburg will lie in state at the Capitol , the first woman to do so and only the second Supreme Court justice after William Howard Taft .
Taft had also been president .
Rosa Parks , a private citizen as opposed to a government official , is the only woman who has lain in honour at the Capitol .
Ginsburg will be buried beside her husband , Martin , in a private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Martin Ginsburg died in 2010 .
She is survived by a son and a daughter , four grandchildren , two step-grandchildren and a great-grandchild .
Ginsburg ’ s death from cancer at age 87 has added another layer of tumult to an already chaotic election year .
Trump and Senate Republicans are plowing ahead with plans to have a new justice on the bench , perhaps before the Nov. 3 election .
Only Chief Justice Roger Taney , who died in October 1864 , died closer to a presidential election .
Lincoln @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Salmon Chase , who was confirmed the same day .
When Scalia , Ginsburg ’ s closest friend on the court , died unexpectedly in 2016 , Republicans refused to act on President Barack Obama ’ s high-court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland .
Associated Press Writer Matthew Barakat contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Finland deploys coronavirus-sniffing dogs at main airport

HELSINKI - Finland has deployed coronavirus-sniffing dogs at the Nordic country ’ s main international airport in a four-month trial of an alternative testing method that could become a cost-friendly and quick way to identify infected travellers .
Four dogs of different breeds trained by Finland ’ s Smell Detection Association started working Wednesday at the Helsinki Airport as part of the government-financed trial .
“ It ’ s a very promising method .
Dogs are very good at sniffing , ” Anna Hielm-Bjorkman , a University of Helsinki professor of equine and small animal medicine , said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good ( coronavirus ) screening method at any other places , ” she said , listing hospitals , ports , elderly people ’ s homes , sports venues and cultural events among the possible locations where trained dogs could put their snouts to work .
While researchers in several countries , including Australia , France , Germany the United States , are also studying canines as coronavirus detectors , the Finnish trial is among the largest so far .
Hielm-Bjorkman told The Associated Press that Finland is the second country after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe - to assign dogs to sniff out the coronavirus .
A similar program started at Dubai International Airport over the summer .
Passengers who agree to take a free test under the voluntary program in Helsinki do not have direct physical contact with a dog .
They are asked to swipe their skin with a wipe which is then put into a jar and given to a dog waiting in a separate booth .
The participating animals - ET , Kossi , Miina and Valo - previously underwent training to detect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It takes the dog a mere 10 seconds to sniff the virus samples before it gives the test result by scratching a paw , laying down , barking or otherwise making its conclusion known .
The process should be completed within one minute , according to Hielm-Bjorkman .
If the result is positive , the passenger is urged to take a standard polymerase chain reaction , or PCR , coronavirus test , to check the dog ’ s accuracy .
Timo Aronkyto , , the deputy mayor of Vantaa , the capital region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the program is costing 300,000 euros ( $ 350,000 ) - an amount he called “ remarkably lower ” than for other methods of mass testing arriving passengers .
The four sniffer dogs are set to work at the airport in shifts , with two on duty at a time while the other two get a break .
“ Dogs need to rest from time to time .
If the scent is easy , it doesn ’ t wear out the dog too much .
But if there are lots of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier , “ Anette Kare of Finland ’ s Smell Detection Association - also known as Wise Nose - said as she gently patted ET , her white shepherd .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--German police raid over 60 sites linked to meat industry

BERLIN - German police simultaneously searched more than 60 homes and businesses in five states early Wednesday in connection with the alleged illegal trafficking of migrants for use in the meat industry .
Federal police said in a statement that the focus of their investigation was on two different temporary employment companies who allegedly trafficked 82 people mostly from eastern Europe to Germany in the last six months .
Nobody was arrested during the raids in eastern and northern Germany , but investigators confiscated documents and other evidence .
Ten suspects are accused of having forged documents and signed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work in holiday jobs .
The ten main suspects are aged between 41 and 56 years .
Their identities were not given , but police said the eight men and two women stem originally from Poland , Ukraine , Russia and Kosovo .
Police estimate that the suspects generated about 1.5 million euros ( $ 1.75 million ) in profits through their illegal scheme .
During the raids , police detained more than 20 workers who allegedly used forged student documents .
Several bigger coronavirus outbreaks at German meatpacking plants recently have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers are often exploited and live in desolate , cramped conditions .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--New York City warns about rising COVID-19 cases in Hasidic neighbourhoods

NEW YORK—New York City ’ s Health Department warned Tuesday evening that COVID-19 was spreading at increasing levels in several neighbourhoods in Brooklyn and Queens , a worrisome indicator after a couple of months of declining or flat transmission .
City health officials said that they were especially concerned about a clear uptick in transmission among some of the city ’ s Hasidic communities , which were devastated by COVID-19 in the spring but had seen few cases in the summer .
Patrick Gallahue , a spokesman for the city ’ s Health Department , said , “ We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orthodox communities — in these neighbourhoods and beyond — and we will continue working with partners , providers and residents throughout the city to ensure that guidance is followed , which is critical to suppressing the pandemic.
” One city health official estimated that about one-quarter of new COVID-19 cases in New York City appeared to be emanating from Orthodox Jewish communities , although the official acknowledged that at present the data was imperfect .
The data that alarmed public heath officials included the percentage of COVID-19 tests that were coming back positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in several neighbourhoods in Brooklyn — Williamsburg , Midwood , Borough Park and Bensonhurst — as well as Kew Gardens and Edgemere-Far Rockaway in Queens .
In the three South Brooklyn neighbourhoods — Midwood , Borough Park and Bensonhurst — about 4.7 per cent of COVID-19 tests were positive , which was far higher than in the rest of the city , according to the alert the Health Department sent to reporters .
Across the entirety of the city , between one per cent and two per cent of tests have been positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The alert said the Health Department was regarding the COVID-19 cases in those three neighbourhoods as a single cluster that it was calling the Ocean Parkway Cluster .
The actual increase in new cases has been noticeable , but modest , in recent weeks .
For much of the past two months , the seven-day rolling average of new cases has hovered in the mid-200s .
Recently , it began to climb toward an average of 300 new cases a day , reaching that on Sept. 14 .
The rising case load @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it began weeks before the reopening of in-person learning at the city ’ s public schools and the pending reopening of indoor dining , both of which are expected to lead to an uptick in new cases .
The rising levels of transmission left public health officials in a quandary they have struggled with in recent years : how to gain trust within the city ’ s Hasidic neighbourhoods and encourage co-operation with public health mandates .
In recent years , the Health Department has faced skepticism and sometimes defiance from the Hasidic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a measles outbreak and to sporadic herpes cases linked to a circumcision ritual .
And at the height of the pandemic , many Hasidic Jews in New York felt that the mayor had unfairly singled them out when he drew attention to social-distancing violations among mourners at the funeral of a prominent Hasidic rabbi .
It was clear this week that the public health authorities were again struggling with how to encourage — or enforce — mask-wearing and social-distancing requirements in Hasidic neighbourhoods , where many people are returning to communal life with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will require further action if non-compliance with safety precautions is observed , ” the Health Department alert sent Tuesday stated .
The alert did not single out any particular group , only naming several neighbourhoods with an elevated rate of transmission .
“ We are writing to provide an update on several COVID-19 signals in Brooklyn and Queens that are cause for significant concern , ” the alert stated .
In recent weeks , the city ’ s health commissioner has publicly said he was worried about rising transmission within the large Orthodox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbourhoods mentioned in Tuesday ’ s alert .
“ We have observed heightened rates of COVID-19 in many neighbourhoods with large Orthodox Jewish populations , ” the commissioner , David Chokshi , wrote in an email , according to Hamodia , an Orthodox Jewish news organization .
That email was sent to other Orthodox Jewish news outlets as well in early September .
Yosef Rapaport , a media consultant , editor and podcaster in Borough Park , said he had also been hearing of a recent increase in the numbers of people sickened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uptick in special prayer requests ” for those who had fallen ill , he said .
Rapaport , who is Hasidic and lost relatives to COVID-19 earlier this year , said he feared “ a significant portion of our community is minimizing the danger.
” Few if any groups have been hit harder by COVID-19 than New York City ’ s Hasidic communities , where large families and crowded living conditions are the norm , and communal life revolves around the synagogue .
By late April , roughly 700 members of New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have been killed by the disease , and few families had been spared .
But the illness subsequently seemed to have passed , and synagogues and yeshivas began to reopen .
Many people did not bother with masks .
In some areas with significant Hasidic populations , more than 40 per cent of people being tested were found to have antibodies , fuelling speculation that herd immunity might not be far off .
But after the summer passed with few new cases , there has been a gradual increase in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes amid the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur , a time of prayer , reflection , and large gatherings .
Motti Seligson , a Chabad rabbi , said he had recently heard of a few cases in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn , “ but nothing that can be called a second wave.
” He added , “ The uptick is something that ’ s of concern to people in these communities.
” In interviews , several Hasidic men in different neighbourhoods across Brooklyn said that few people wore masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ synagogues .
They noted that many families were taking careful precautions and still not fully rejoining communal life .
Rabbi Seligson said that some synagogues were holding more services to limit the number of people present at once and that some religious gatherings were being held outdoors .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Organizations donate $38K to relieve sex assault kit backlog

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - Three Alaska non-profit organizations have donated more than $ 38,000 to assist a police department with testing its backlog of sexual assault kits .
The organizations acted on reports that the Nome Police Department had a large number of sexual assault evidence kits awaiting processing , KTUU-TV reported Monday .
Non-profit organizations Kawerak , Norton Sound Health Corp. and the Norton Sound Economic Development Corp. co-ordinated their efforts to donate the funds needed to expedite testing of the kits .
Kawerak and Norton Sound Health are operated by Alaska Native tribal entities .
Norton Sound Economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member communities in the Bering Strait .
Kawerak President Melanie Bahnke said the organization became aware two years ago that many of Nome ’ s sexual assault kits had not been sent to the state crime laboratory .
The leadership of the police department has changed since then , but several kits still have not been processed .
Bahnke said some kits have taken 12 months to be tested .
“ If you were raped and you go through that trauma and you go seek the medical help and report to law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walking freely for over a year before the rape kit is even processed , ” Bahnke said .
Kawerak , which operates a public safety officer program in more than a dozen villages , met with Nome city and police officials earlier this year .
They decided to send Nome ’ s backlogged kits to a private lab that could process them much quicker than the state .
The Nome Police Department chose Bode Technology in Virginia , in part because the state already uses the company for testing in some expedited cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just go to any private lab and get these kits processed , there ’ s always the potential that in court , the legitimacy of the tests could be called into question , ” Bahnke said .
“ So it was very important for us , if we were going to pursue expediting these sexual assault kits being processed , that they would stand up in court.
“ Kawerak plans to continue advocating for funding to increase the capacity of the state crime lab , Bahnke said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Report: Iran’s Guard flew surveillance drone over USS Nimitz

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran ’ s powerful Revolutionary Guard force has managed to fly a surveillance drone over the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier which last week transited through the Strait of Hormuz , an Iranian news agency said Wednesday .
The semi-official Tasnim news agency , which is considered close to the paramilitary Guard , published images of the Nimitz , saying they were taken by Iranian-made drones , and showing fighter planes parked on the carrier ’ s deck .
The Nimitz , and several other warships , passed last Friday through the Strait of Hormuz , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil shipments , the U.S. Navy had said in what was described as a “ scheduled manoeuvr.
” The U.S. Navy ’ s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet , which oversees patrols across Mideast waters , declined to comment the Iranian report on Wednesday .
Earlier in the day , the Guard took over a delivery of surveillance drones from Iran ’ s defence industries .
At a ceremony marking the event , Gen. Hossein Salami said the power of the Guard ’ s navy stems from its combination use of drones , helicopters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past decade , the Guard has occasionally published images on the U.S. vessels in the Persian Gulf , where the force has been in charge of protecting Iran ’ s interests since 2007 .
In 2019 , similar images were published , reportedly from a Guard drone that flew over the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and another American warship in the Persian Gulf .
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. continue to simmer .
The U.S. withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers and imposed new , tougher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s economy into free fall .
“ We are in war , we are in an economic war , ” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told in a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday , citing the U.S. sanctions as the cause of the economic warfare .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Democrats propose sweeping bill to curb presidential abuses

WASHINGTON - House Democrats are proposing a sweeping bill to curb presidential abuses , a pitch to voters weeks ahead of Election Day as they try to defeat President Donald Trump , capture the Senate from Republicans and keep their House majority .
The legislation , a wide-ranging package of new and revised bills , will be announced Wednesday morning by the heads of seven House committees .
It would , among other measures , limit the president ’ s pardon power , strengthen laws to ban presidents from receiving gifts or payments from foreign governments , better protect independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retribution and require better reporting by campaigns of foreign election interference .
Each of the bill ’ s provisions is a response to actions by Trump or his administration that Democrats saw as abuses of presidential power .
It builds on an elections and ethics reform package from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the House passed soon after Democrats assumed the majority in 2019 .
“ Since taking office , President Trump has placed his own personal and political interests above the national interest by protecting and enriching himself , targeting his political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections , eroding transparency , seeking to end accountability , and otherwise abusing the power of his office , ” the committee chairmen and chairwomen said in a joint statement .
The legislation comes as House Democrats have been repeatedly frustrated – including as they impeached the president last year – by efforts to gain information from the Trump administration and as officials have faced little consequence for defying subpoenas and ignoring requests and investigations .
The bill would also strengthen congressional tools to enforce subpoenas by expediting the judicial process and allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t comply .
The package also comes as Congress has yet to pass any legislation to try to curb election interference after Russia meddled on several fronts in the 2016 presidential contest .
In addition to strengthening reporting requirements for campaigns , the bill would clarify and enhance criminal penalties for campaigns that accept foreign information sought or obtained for political advantage .
The election provisions are a response to the Trump campaign ’ s interactions with Russians during the 2016 campaign , including conversations between the president ’ s son , Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could incriminate Democrat Hillary Clinton .
A report by former special counsel Robert Mueller found multiple contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia , but determined there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy between the two .
The committee heads announcing the new package on Wednesday are House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of California , House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York , House Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney of New York , House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth of Kentucky , House Administration Committee Chairwoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel of New York and House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal of Massachusetts .

Mary Clare Jalonick And Matthew Daly - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Pro-oil Alaska governor also backs renewable energy ideas

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - While Alaska ’ s Republican governor continues promoting the oil industry underpinning the state ’ s economy , he also has expressed interest in renewable energy projects .
Gov .
Mike Dunleavy said improvements in technology and decreasing costs of renewable power “ open up some new and tremendous possibilities “ for the state , Alaska ’ s Energy Desk reported Monday .
“ I know there ’ s a view , on the part of some , that a Republican governor that is supportive of Alaska ’ s resource extraction industries , including those around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with renewables , ” Dunleavy said last week .
“ That ’ s not the case.
” Alaska is warming twice as fast as the global average as climate change threatens to impose steep costs in the state .
The decreasing costs and growing availability of renewable power sources are making their adoption inescapable , and even major oil companies like BP have expanded into the industry .
Dunleavy supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and disbanded the commission charged with guiding the state ’ s response to climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pair of climate activists about an idea they backed for a hydroelectric project at Eklutna Lake outside Anchorage , which would coincide with an expansion of wind energy across the state .
The Eklutna hydroelectric project and related wind power investments could cost $ 5 billion or more .
But supporters said the project could supply most of Alaska ’ s road system communities with 100 % renewable power and cut electric costs by a third over time .
“ We were quite surprised by how enthusiastic he was , ” activist Ceal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he even drove out to Eklutna to conceptualize it.
” Dunleavy also contacted billionaire investor Warren Buffett about Alaska ’ s wind power potential .
Executives from one of Buffett ’ s companies , Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co. , have met with the governor and senior administration officials .
“ It makes total sense to explore pumped hydro , using wind as a main source of energy and the reservoir as the batteries , ” Dunleavy said .
“ We have the topography to make this work.
” Alternative energy proponents said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political consensus around the benefits of renewable power .
“ Things are shifting , ” Smith said .
“ And this is a new place we ’ re in , that we haven ’ t been in before .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--GOP Senate report on Biden son alleges conflict of interest

WASHINGTON - Two Republican-led Senate committees issued a politically charged report Wednesday alleging that the work Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s son did in Ukraine constituted a conflict of interest for the Obama administration at a time when Biden was engaged in Ukraine policy as vice-president .
But the report said it was ultimately “ unclear ” what impact Hunter Biden ’ s position on the board of a Ukrainian gas company had on Obama administration policy with regard to Ukraine .
And it offered no evidence to support one of President Donald Trump ’ s more incendiary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fire its top prosecutor as a way to protect his son .
Biden ’ s campaign immediately panned the report , released six weeks before the election , as an effort by an ally of Trump to damage his election opponent .
Trump has repeatedly drawn attention to Hunter Biden ’ s work in Ukraine even as his own administration has warned of a concerted Russian effort to denigrate Joe Biden and asserted that a Ukrainian lawmaker who is involved in spreading anti-Biden claims is an “ active Russian agent.
“ Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Governmental Affairs Committee is one of the two panels that released the 87-page report , had acknowledged in interviews his goal of making the document public before the election , telling The Associated Press last month that the “ American people deserve the truth ” about his probe .
The investigation produced stark political divisions , with Democrats accusing Johnson of a politically motivated initiative at a time when they said the Homeland Security Committee should be focused on the coronavirus pandemic response and other , less partisan issues .
Even before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign issued a detailed statement aiming to rebut point-by-point allegations that it said had long been debunked by media organizations as well as by U.S. and Ukrainian officials .
The Senate report examines Hunter Biden ’ s dealings in Ukraine , where he held a paid seat on the board of gas company Burisma , and alleges that work posed a conflict of interest because Biden was vice-president at the time and dealing with Ukraine policy .
It references a 2016 email from George Kent , the former acting deputy chief of mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presence of Hunter Biden on the Burisma board as “ very awkward for all U.S. officials pushing an anticorruption agenda in Ukraine.
” Kent testified about his concerns during the impeachment proceedings against Trump last year .
Another State Department official , Amos Hochstein , is described in the report as having raised concerns directly to Biden because he was concerned that Russians were using his son ’ s role with the company to sow disinformation .
The report says that even though State Department officials regarded the head of the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden did not confront him .
“ What the Chairmen discovered during the course of this investigation is that the Obama administration knew that Hunter Biden ’ s position on Burisma ’ s board was problematic and did interfere in the efficient execution of policy with respect to Ukraine , ” the report says .
“ Moreover , this investigation has illustrated the extent to which officials within the Obama administration ignored the glaring warning signs when the vice-president ’ s son joined the board of a company owned by a corrupt Ukrainian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , the Republican senators acknowledge that the extent to which Hunter Biden ’ s role on the board affected Ukraine policy is “ unclear , ” and the report does not describe how , if at all , specific policy decisions were influenced by Biden ’ s position .
Notably , the report makes limited mention of the claim by Trump and some supporters that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor , Viktor Shokin , as a way to stymie an investigation into Burisma ’ s owner .
The allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump after he asked Ukraine ’ s president in a telephone call last year to investigate the Bidens .
The report includes only six references , including in footnotes , to Shokin and does not expose new information about any role Biden may have had in his ouster .
The Biden campaign pointed to news reports and public statements showing there was no active investigation into Burisma at the time of Shokin ’ s ouster in 2016 , and that the firing of Shokin was broadly sought by U.S. and European officials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens , and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma .
But Republicans who came to Trump ’ s defence in this year ’ s impeachment trial asked for further investigations of his activities .
Johnson , a close ally of Trump , took the lead .
“ As the coronavirus death toll climbs and Wisconsinites struggle with joblessness , Ron Johnson has wasted months diverting the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee away from any oversight of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , a threat Sen. Johnson has dismissed by saying that ‘ death is an unavoidable part of life , ’ “ Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement .

Eric Tucker And Mary Clare Jalonick - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Montenegro lawmakers return to forge new path after election

PODGORICA , Montenegro - Montenegro ’ s new parliament has convened for the first time since last month ’ s election , with lawmakers from formerly opposition groups set to form a new governing majority and oust from power a party that has ruled the Balkan country for some 30 years .
Although the pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists won most votes in the Aug. 30 vote , a coalition of three other parties together garnered a majority of 41 seats in the 81-member assembly .
The coalition leaders said Wednesday they have agreed on who will be the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There have been fears that the new government could push Montenegro off its pro-Western course because it includes parties advocating closer ties with traditional allies Serbia and Russia .
But leaders have pledged to strengthen ties with NATO and speed up the reforms needed to join the European Union .
Montenegro , a small Adriatic Sea nation of 620,000 people , has been a key Western ally in the Balkans while under the DPS party leadership .
The party , however , has faced allegations of rampant corruption and links to organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also pledged to change a disputed law on religious freedoms that sparked months of protests led by the influential Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro , and boosted the opposition ahead of the election .
If confirmed in parliament , the new government will take power during a surge in new coronavirus cases and after a failed tourism season which is expected to seriously hit the country ’ s already weak economy .
The former DPS party led Montenegro to independence from Serbia in 2006 and into NATO in 2017 , defying strong opposition @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Poet Nikky Finney wins $100,000 lifetime achievement prize

NEW YORK - Nikky Finney has won the Wallace Stevens Award , a $ 100,000 lifetime achievement honour presented by the Academy of American Poets .
Judges praised Finney , known for such collections as “ Head Off & Split ” and “ Rice , ” for her “ fierce moral conviction ” and as a bard “ for the African diaspora.
” Finney ’ s prize was among dozens announced Wednesday by the poets academy , with money exceeding $ 1.2 million .
Much of that amount was distributed among 23 state and local poets laureate , from Rosemarie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rock Hill , South Carolina , all recipients of laureate fellowships “ in recognition of their literary merit and to support their respective civic programs over the course of a year.
” Hanif Abdurraqib received the $ 25,000 Lenore Marshall prize for “ Fortune for Your Disaster , ” given for the best book of poetry released in the previous year .
Carmen Gimenez Smith was given the Academy of American Poets Fellowship for “ distinguished poetic achievement , ” for which she receives a $ 25,000 stipend and a residency in Gloucester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,000 for his translation of the Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli ’ s “ Last Dream ” and Threa Almontaser was given the Walt Whitman Award for her debut “ The Wild Fox of Yemen , ” a $ 5,000 honour which includes publication of her book by Graywolf Press and a six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Italy .
The in-person residencies are contingent on the status of the coronavirus pandemic .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Lebanese teen from Beirut joins global pop band

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates - A teenage singer from Lebanon this week became the latest to join a global pop band formed by Simon Fuller , the man behind the Spice Girls and “ American Idol , ” which aims to transform young unknowns into internet superstars .
That may seem a grandiose ambition during a global pandemic .
But Now United , with over a dozen teenagers drawn from across the world , is plowing ahead , recording and filming new music in the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai this week .
Nour Ardakani , 18 , told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Arab Emirates that she ’ s “ honoured “ to represent Lebanon .
“ Arts and music are so important in times like these , ” she said .
“ Lebanon is going through so much.
” Beirut , Ardakani ’ s hometown , has been grappling with an array of crises : an economic collapse , a worsening coronavirus outbreak and a massive explosion that demolished businesses and homes across the capital last month .
Ardakani scored the 16th spot in the band after a series of Zoom auditions from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East .
The band , similar to Fuller ’ s previous projects in show business , represents a career kick-starting platform for those dreaming of being catapulted from obscurity to teen pop fame .
The group , which includes aspiring singer-dancers from across the world , including Russia , India , China , Mexico and Finland , has attracted over 100 million fans on social media and this year got a nomination from MTV Video Music Awards .
Ardakani said she lives a “ very normal life ” for a Beirut-born teenager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ songs and simple R & B covers she recorded in her bedroom .
When her warm , dreamy voice caught the attention of the Now United scouts , she was spirited through auditions and flown in to join to her international peers .
“ I ’ m so excited to make memories with everyone and tour the world , ” she said , while admitting that with the surging pandemic , “ I guess we don ’ t know .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Michigan House votes to repeal ban on ticket scalping

LANSING , Mich. - The Michigan House on Tuesday voted to lift the state ’ s rarely enforced ban on ticket scalping , bringing the long-proposed bill closer to the governor ’ s desk .
The legislation would end a prohibition on the resale of tickets for more than face value .
Currently , the law only allows scalping if a venue permits the excess charge in writing .
Violators face a misdemeanour punishable by jail and a fine .
The Senate approved a version of the measure in January and will need to OK changes made by the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed 91-14 , would also prohibit the use of “ bot ” software to interfere with online ticket-purchasing limits .
Brokers have been able to grab hundreds of tickets in the first few seconds after they go on sale .
Supporters said the restriction would go further than a federal anti-bot law .
Also , broker sites would be banned from using domain names that are substantially similar to the name of a venue or event .
Netchoice , a trade association of online retailers , submitted legislative testimony this month calling such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more expensive seats when the official venue or promoter site has unsold seats at face value .
There would be an exception for ticket sites acting on behalf of the venue or performer .
Michigan ’ s scalping ban has been on the books since at least 1931 .
Bills to repeal or change the law have been introduced every two-year session since at least 2012 .
The office of the main sponsor , Republican Sen. Tom Barrett of Charlotte , said he worked on the House changes with interested parties and House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeWitt Republican .
Barrett was hopeful the Senate could vote quickly , but it is up to leadership , chief of staff Ron Kendall said .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Coronavirus cases soar as Israel prepares tighter measures

JERUSALEM - Israel on Wednesday reported a new record level of daily cases of the coronavirus , shortly before government officials were to meet to discuss tightening a new nationwide lockdown .
The Health Ministry reported 6,861 new cases on Wednesday as a raging outbreak showed no signs of slowing .
Israel , a country of some 9 million people , now has one of the world ’ s highest rates of coronavirus on a per capita basis , and health officials say hospitals are quickly approaching capacity .
The government last week imposed a nationwide lockdown that closed schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The coronavirus Cabinet was to meet later in the day to discuss further tightening the restrictions .
Ahead of the meeting , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that in light of the rapid spread of the virus , he would seek a “ a broad general closure and significant tightening of restrictions immediately , ” including the closure of large parts of the economy , his office said .
Israel won international praise for its handling of the outbreak last spring , moving quickly to seal its borders and impose a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the government reopened the economy too quickly , and a new outbreak has quickly spread throughout the summer .
The economy , meanwhile , has not recovered from a serious downturn caused by the first lockdown , and the new lockdown has led to a new wave of layoffs .
A new poll released Wednesday by the Israel Democracy Institute , a respected think-tank , found that only 27 % of Israelis trust Netanyahu to lead the country ’ s effort against COVID-19 .
That compares with 57.5 % who trusted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviewed 754 adults and had a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points .
The Health Ministry has instructed hospitals to delay non-essential surgeries and to open additional coronavirus wards as the number of serious cases continues to rise .
Beyond further limiting economic activity , officials have been discussing shuttering synagogues and clamping down on protests — both of which risk sparking a public backlash .
The limits would come at a time when Israeli Jews are celebrating the High Holidays and when weekly demonstrations have been held against Netanyahu and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing protests have bitterly divided the country , with religious leaders saying their public is being unfairly targeted by restrictions on public prayer while Netanyahu ’ s opponents continue to hold large public demonstration .
Demonstrators say Netanyahu ’ s supporters are using the outbreak as an excuse to muzzle their democratic right to protest .
Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch said restrictions would have to be tightened in the near future .
“ Educational institutions will be closed , the economy will be limited to essential work , synagogues will have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prayer , and demonstrations will be allowed without protesters travelling between cities , ” he told Channel 12 TV .
“ Everyone will demonstrate where he wants , will pray where he wants and will stay at home .
That is what is required now .
”


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--German virus app transmitted 1.2M test results in 100 days

BERLIN - Germany ’ s coronavirus tracing app has been used to transmit 1.2 million test results from labs to users during its first 100 days , officials said Wednesday .
The Corona-Warn-App , downloaded more than 18 million times since its launch in June , was touted by the government as a key tool in the country ’ s effort to contain the spread of the virus .
The app , like others in Europe , has suffered a number of technical hiccups , but Health Minister Jens Spahn insisted it should be considered a success .
He noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their COVID-19 test result sent directly to their smartphones , without having to wait for their doctor to inform them .
“ The faster transmission of test results makes a huge difference , ” Spahn said , adding that the tracing of possible contacts is all the more effective the sooner it begins .
Almost 5,000 people with positive test results have so far used the app to warn others they were in close contact with , he said .
Spahn said the warning messages displayed by the app , which have caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be improved to provide clearer guidance .
Getting precise data on the number of people alerted about possible exposures has been hampered by Germany ’ s strict privacy rules , which mean the app stores all data only on users ’ phones and not a central server .
Tim Hoettges , the chief executive of Deutsche Telekom , which developed the app with software giant SAP , said more than 90 % of labs in Germany are now able to transmit results directly to users .
Efforts are underway to establish a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the German app to communicate with those in 10 other European countries , including Italy , Poland and Spain , which use the same decentralized , Bluetooth-based system , he said .
Germany has seen a rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks , though the increase hasn ’ t been as sharp as in many neighbouring countries .
The Robert Koch Institute , Germany ’ s disease control agency , recorded 1,769 additional infections in the past 24 hours , taking the total to 275,927 since the start of the outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country of 83 million , stood at 9,409 , an increase of 13 from Tuesday .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--4 charged after burning body found in rural Iowa ditch

KELLOGG , Iowa - Police in Iowa have charged four people in the strangulation death of a man whose body was found burning last week in rural central Iowa ditch .
Steven Vogel , 31 , of Grinnell , was arrested Tuesday in the death of 44-year-old Michael Williams , of Grinnell , the Iowa Department of Public Safety said .
He ’ s charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse .
Police acknowledged that the killing of Williams , who is Black , had led to fears that he may have been targeted because of his race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on that fear .
But police said Williams and Vogel , who is white , were well acquainted .
“ The investigation has revealed no evidence to show the acts against Michael Williams were motivated by his race nor that his death was the result of a hate crime , ” police said in a release .
It wasn ’ t immediately known whether Vogel had a lawyer who could comment on his behalf .
Betty Andrews , president of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP , said during a news conference with police Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also believes there is no indication that Williams was targeted because of his race .
However , she said she will evaluate additional evidence as it becomes available .
“ Given that the current climate where racial justice is on the front burner for so many ... we understand the fear this kind of incident evokes , ” Andrews said .
Investigators said that they believe Vogel strangled Williams on Sept. 12 , but a possible motive wasn ’ t released .
Willliams ’ body was wrapped and bound and dumped in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where it was set on fire , police said .
His body was found ablaze after authorities were called that evening about the fire .
The others arrested , who also are white , are Julia Cox , 55 , Roy Lee Garner , 57 , and Cody Johnson , 29 , all of Grinnell .
They ’ re each charged with abuse of a corpse , destruction of evidence and accessory after the fact .
Online court records for Cox and Garner didn ’ t yet list lawyers for them on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been logged as of Wednesday morning in the online court system for Vogel and Johnson .


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Sri Lanka to offer livestreams from wildlife parks

COLOMBO , Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan authorities announced Wednesday that they will offer livestreams from the island nation ’ s wildlife parks , in a move to help revive a tourism industry that has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic .
The government ’ s Tourism Promotion Bureau said livestreaming will initially cover four national parks to showcase the South Asian country ’ s exotic wildlife , including leopards , bears , elephants , crocodiles and birds .
The project will offer eight wildlife streaming video sessions of one hour each which will be shown on social media platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bureau said in a statement .
Tourism in Sri Lanka — which was named the world ’ s top travel destination for 2019 by Lonely Planet — has suffered severely due to the coronavirus , with authorities indefinitely postponing the reopening of the country to foreign tourists .
The government had planned to reopen to tourists on Aug. 1 , but shelved the plan when a new cluster of COVID-19 patients emerged in July .
Tourism is vital for Sri Lanka , accounting for about 5 % of its GDP and employing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million indirectly .
Several thousand hotel workers have been laid off since the pandemic started .
Sri Lankan health officials say they have prevented community spread of the virus , and that the patients now being reported belong to two known clusters .
The country has reported 3,315 cases , including 13 deaths .
Sri Lanka imposed a nationwide curfew in March .
The government gradually lifted the curfew in April and has taken steps to reopen the country in phases over the last three months , but schools and airports are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus , Sri Lanka suspended all passenger flights and ship arrivals in mid-March , crippling the tourism industry .
According to the Tourism Development Authority , no foreign tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in April through August .
There was a 60 % decline in total tourist arrivals from January to August compared to the same period in 2019 .
To meet the income loss , most hotels are offering discounted prices for local tourists .

Bharatha Mallawarachi - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--The Latest: Police say 2 officers shot, wounded amid protest

LOUISVILLE , Ky. - Louisville police say two officers have been shot amid protests in Louisville , Kentucky , over @ @ @ @ @ the Breonna Taylor case .
Police say a suspect is in custody .
Police Chief @ @ @ @ @ that one officer is alert and stable and the other officer is in surgery and @ @ @ @ @ officers had gone gone to an area in the city to investigate reports of shots @ @ @ @ @ by gunfire .
The shootings came hours after a grand jury on Wednesday brought no @ @ @ @ @ for the killing of a Black woman , Breonna Taylor , in a police raid @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to become first woman to lie in state, remembered as ‘a fighter, a winne

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to become first woman to lie in state, remembered as ‘a fighter, a winner’

WASHINGTON - With crowds of admirers swelling outside , Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was remembered Wednesday at the court by grieving family , colleagues and friends as a prophet for justice who persevered against long odds to become an American icon .
The court ’ s eight justices , masked along with everyone else because of the coronavirus pandemic , gathered for the first time in more than six months for the ceremony to mark Ginsburg ’ s death from cancer last week at age 87 after 27 years on the court .
Washington already is consumed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Chief Justice John Roberts focused on his longtime colleague .
The best words to describe Ginsburg are “ tough , brave , a fighter , a winner , “ Roberts said , but also “ thoughtful , careful , compassionate , honest.
” The woman who late in life became known in admiration as the Notorious RBG “ wanted to be an opera virtuoso , but became a rock star instead , ” Roberts said .
Ginsburg ’ s two children , Jane and James , and other family members sat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the justices .
With her portrait on display nearby , Ginsburg ’ s flag-draped casket sat in the court ’ s Great Hall for the private service before it was moved outside so the public could honour her .
Health precautions because of the pandemic led the court to limit the number of people inside the building , which has been closed to the public since March .
Through the day , thousands of people paid their respects to the women ’ s rights champion and leader of the court ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the line stretched nearly half a mile from the court as people filed past .
The casket was to be on public view until 10 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday .
Inside earlier , the members of the court were arrayed in their seats in order of seniority , now changed by Ginsburg ’ s death so that Justices Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer flanked Roberts .
Breyer took the spot Ginsburg held when the court last gathered for a justice ’ s memorial , in 2019 following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt of Washington , D.C. , compared Ginsburg to a prophet who imagined a world of greater equality and then worked to make it happen .
“ This was Justice Ginsburg ’ s life ’ s work .
To insist that the Constitution deliver on its promise , that we the people would include all the people .
She carried out that work in every chapter of her life , ” said Holtzblatt , whose husband , Ari , once worked as a law clerk to Ginsburg .
Outside , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they had driven through the night .
One of those in line , Heather Setzler , a physician assistant from Raleigh , North Carolina , said she named her two cats Hillary Ruth and Kiki , in honour of Ginsburg ’ s childhood nickname .
“ There was just something about her .
She was so diminutive yet turned out to be such a giant , ” Setzler said , wearing a face mask adorned with small portraits of Ginsburg .
Rachel Linderman and Rychelle Weseman of Olean , New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they said they wanted to be counted among Ginsburg ’ s followers and demonstrate how important her legacy is to Americans .
They said they were buoyed as they waited in line to be surrounded by people who felt the same way .
“ I liked that I was with like-minded people , “ Linderman said .
“ I feel energized.
” “ Where we live , we ’ re usually in the minority , ” Weseman said .
Prominent visitors Wednesday included Vice-President Mike Pence and his wife , Karen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who appointed Ginsburg to the court in 1993 , and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , whom Ginsburg had hoped would name her successor .
President Donald Trump , who traded insults with Ginsburg four years ago , planned to pay his respects Thursday .
Since Ginsburg ’ s death Friday evening , people have been leaving flowers , notes , placards and all manner of Ginsburg paraphernalia outside the court in tribute .
Court workers cleared away the items and cleaned the court plaza and sidewalk in advance of Wednesday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the courtroom , along with Ginsburg ’ s chair and place on the bench next to Roberts , have been draped in black , a longstanding court custom .
These visual signs of mourning , which in years past have reinforced the sense of loss , will largely go unseen this year .
The court begins its new term Oct. 5 , but the justices will not be in the courtroom and instead will hear arguments by phone .
On Friday , Ginsburg will lie in state at the Capitol , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second Supreme Court justice after William Howard Taft .
Taft had also been president .
Rosa Parks , a private citizen not a government official , is the only woman who has lain in honour at the Capitol .
Ginsburg will be buried beside her husband , Martin , in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery next week .
Martin Ginsburg died in 2010 .
She is survived by her son and daughter , four grandchildren , two step-grandchildren and a great-grandchild .
Ginsburg ’ s death has added another layer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Trump and Senate Republicans are plowing ahead with plans to have a new justice on the bench , perhaps before the Nov. 3 election .
Only Chief Justice Roger Taney , who died in October 1864 , died closer to a presidential election .
President Abraham Lincoln waited until December to nominate his replacement , Salmon Chase , who was confirmed the same day .
When Justice Antonin Scalia , Ginsburg ’ s closest friend on the court , died unexpectedly in 2016 , Republicans refused to act on President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merrick Garland .
Associated Press writer Jessica Gresko contributed to this report .

Mark Sherman And Matthew Barakat - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-09-23--Trump won’t commit to peaceful transfer of power if he loses

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday again declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election .
“ We ’ re going to have to see what happens , ” Trump said at a news conference , responding to a question about whether he ’ d commit to a peaceful transfer of power .
“ You know that I ’ ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots , and the ballots are a disaster.
“ It is highly unusual that a sitting president would express less than complete confidence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he also declined four years ago to commit to honouring the election results if his Democratic opponent , Hillary Clinton , won .
His current Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , was asked about Trump ’ s comment after landing in Wilmington , Delaware , on Wednesday night .
“ What country are we in ?
” Biden asked incredulously , adding : “ I ’ m being facetious .
Look , he says the most irrational things .
I don ’ t know what to say about it .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has been pressing a monthslong campaign against mail-in voting this November by tweeting and speaking out critically about the practice .
More states are encouraging mail-in voting to keep voters safe amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The president , who uses mail-in voting himself , has tried to distinguish between states that automatically send mail ballots to all registered voters and those , like Florida , that send them only to voters who request a mail ballot .
Trump has baselessly claimed widespread mail voting will lead to massive fraud .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all voters have seen no significant fraud .
Trump on Wednesday appeared to suggest that if states got “ rid of ” the unsolicited mailing of ballots there would be no concern about fraud or peaceful transfers of power .
“ You ’ ll have a very peaceful — there won ’ t be a transfer frankly , ” Trump said .
“ There ’ ll be a continuation .
The ballots are out of control , you know it , and you know , who knows it better than anybody else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody else.
” In a July interview , Trump similarly refused to commit to accepting the results .
“ I have to see .
Look ...
I have to see , ” Trump told Chris Wallace during a wide-ranging July interview on “ Fox News Sunday.
” “ No , I ’ m not going to just say yes .
I ’ m not going to say no , and I didn ’ t last time either.
” The Biden campaign responded Wednesday , as it did after Trump ’ s July comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this election .
And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.
” Trump made similar comments ahead of the 2016 election .
When asked during an October debate whether he would abide by the voters ’ will , Trump responded that he would “ keep you in suspense.
” It ’ s unlikely that any chaos in states with universal mail-in voting will cause the election result to be inaccurately tabulated , as Trump has suggested .
The five states that already have such balloting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems , while four states newly adopting it — California , New Jersey , Nevada and Vermont — have not .
Washington , D.C. , is also newly adopting it .
Of those nine states , only Nevada is a battleground , worth six electoral votes and likely to be pivotal only in a national presidential deadlock .
California , New Jersey , Vermont and D.C. are overwhelmingly Democratic and likely to be won by Biden .
Madhani reported from Chicago .
Associated Press writer Alexandra Jaffe contributed to this report from Wilmington @ @ @

Aamer Madhani And Kevin Freking - The Associated Press