thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Monsoon rains wreak havoc across Pakistan, killing 36 people

KARACHI , Pakistan - Heavy rains hit parts of Pakistan including the financial capital Karachi for a fifth straight night bringing more flooding to towns and villages and leaving at least 36 people dead , officials said Friday .
Rescuers evacuated people from flooded neighbourhoods .
About 30 inches ( 76 centimetres ) of rain have fallen in Karachi since Sunday , when monsoon rains began lashing the city , forcing authorities to use boats to evacuate people trapped in flooded streets .
Twenty people were killed in Karachi in rain-related incidents and 16 others died in the northwestern province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overnight , according to government officials .
Downed power lines caused widespread electrical outages , adding misery to the lives of many of the city ’ s 15 million residents .
Some workers stayed at their offices and others spent the night in open areas because there was no transportation to get home in many parts of the city .
Hundreds of vehicles were dragged along city streets by powerful flood waters .
At least eight people were killed when a wall fell on them in a residential area .
They included children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Other casualties were also reported in various parts of Karachi in the past 24 hours , bringing the death toll from rain-related incidents to more than 40 in recent weeks .
At least 136 people have died in various parts of Pakistan since June in rain-related incidents and many residents were angry with authorities for not helping them .
Monsoon rains are lashing Pakistan at a time when authorities are trying to contain the spread of the coronovirus , which has caused more than 6,283 deaths since February when the country reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more deaths Friday from COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus .
Every year , many cities in Pakistan struggle to cope with the annual monsoon deluge , drawing criticism about poor planning .
The monsoon season runs from July through September .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Congolese Nobel Peace laureate Mukwege faces death threats

DAKAR , Senegal - The United Nations human rights chief is calling for a quick investigation into death threats against @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Denis Mukwege .
Michelle Bachelet on Friday said Mukwege is a “ true hero @ @ @ @ @ a human rights defender .
The doctor founded a hospital in eastern Congo that is @ @ @ @ @ survivors of sexual violence .
“ His life seems to be at serious risk , @ @ @ @ @ , who survived an assassination attempt in 2012 and has faced death threats before .
@ @ @ @ @ Rupert Colville said “ it ’ s difficult to say at this point exactly who @ @ @ @ @ ” He noted that Mukwege has repeatedly denounced human rights violations in Congo , adding @ @ @ @ @ linked more to his advocacy .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Egypt police arrest leader of outlawed Muslim Brotherhood

CAIRO - Egyptian police arrested a high-level leader in the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood at his hiding place in Cairo , an Interior Ministry statement said Friday .
Investigators recently learned that Mahmoud Ezzat , the acting Supreme Guide of the country ’ s oldest Islamist organization , was hiding in an apartment on the outskirts of Cairo , the statement said .
After searching the apartment , the police found computers and mobile phones with encrypted software that allowed the 76-year-old Ezzat to communicate with group members in Egypt and abroad , the statement said .
Documents bearing the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also found , according to police .
The statement did not say when the raid took place .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if Ezzat had an attorney .
Ezzat had been at large since the summer of 2013 , after the military removed Egypt ’ s first democratically elected president , Mohamed Morsi , who hailed from the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood .
Morsi ’ s short-lived rule proved divisive and provoked mass protests nationwide .
Ezzat was named the group ’ s acting leader in August 2013 .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentenced twice to death in absentia .
He was believed to have fled the country along with many of the group ’ s leaders following the crackdown on their organization .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Tanker stranded off Malta with migrants rescued 3 weeks ago

ROME - A tanker that rescued 27 migrants at Malta ’ s request three weeks ago , was still awaiting permission Friday to bring them to land , and supplies aboard were reportedly running low .
The Danish-flagged Maersk Etienne , operated by Maersk Tankers , took aboard the migrants , including a pregnant woman and a child , from their foundering small boat shortly before it sank , according to Danish Shipping , a trade and employer organization .
The Etienne crew has supplied the passengers with blankets , water and food while it anchors off Malta ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the central Mediterranean , insists that fellow European Union nations pledge to take in rescued migrants before letting them disembark .
Relatively few EU nations offer to take the migrants while they apply for asylum .
Many of those rescued are economic migrants and generally aren ’ t eligible for asylum in Europe .
Many set sail for Europe ’ s southern shores in flimsy boats launched by human traffickers , many of whom are based in Libya .
Maersk Tankers said it had no additional information Friday about the stalemate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request about what , if any , cargo the Etienne has aboard .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Protesters confront Rand Paul about Breonna Taylor after RNC

WASHINGTON - A crowd of protesters surrounded U.S. Sen. Rand Paul as he was leaving the White House following the Republican National Convention early Friday , shouting for the legislator from Kentucky to acknowledge the shooting of Breonna Taylor .
Video posted on social media showed dozens of people confronting Paul and his wife , who were flanked by Metro Police , in a Washington street after midnight .
Protesters could be heard shouting “ No Justice , No Peace ” and “ Say Her Name “ before one appeared to briefly clash with an officer , pushing him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Paul ’ s shoulder .
Officers called for demonstrators to move backward and get on the sidewalk .
Taylor ’ s name has been a rallying cry among demonstrators during recent protests against racial inequality and police brutality .
The 26-year-old emergency medical tech was shot multiple times March 13 when police officers burst into her Louisville apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation .
The warrant to search her home was in connection with a suspect who did not live there , and no drugs were found .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he “ got attacked ” by a “ crazed mob “ one block away from the White House , later thanking police for “ saving our lives.
” It was unclear whether any protesters made physical contact with Paul .
The senator and his wife kept walking and did not appear to have suffered any injuries .
The senator , who was wearing a mask as he walked down the street , was leaving the White House after President Donald Trump accepted the GOP ’ s renomination on the South Lawn earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own administration ’ s pandemic guidelines by speaking for more than an hour to a tightly packed , largely maskless crowd .
Videos showed other attendees being confronted by protesters after leaving the event .
This story has been corrected to show Paul ’ s tweet thanked police for “ saving our lives , ” not “ saving his life .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigning over health reasons

TOKYO - Japan ’ s longest-serving prime minister , Shinzo Abe , said Friday he is stepping down because a chronic health problem has resurfaced .
He told reporters that it was “ gut wrenching ” to leave many of his goals unfinished .
Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment .
Concerns about his health began this summer and grew this month when he visited a Tokyo hospital two weeks in a row for unspecified health checkups .
He is now on a new treatment that requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is some improvement , there is no guarantee that it will cure his condition and so he decided to step down after treatment Monday , he said .
“ It is gut wrenching to have to leave my job before accomplishing my goals , ” Abe said Friday , mentioning his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea , a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japan ’ s war-renouncing constitution .
He said his health problem was under control until earlier this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June when he had an annual checkup .
“ Faced with the illness and treatment , as well as the pain of lacking physical strength ...
I decided I should not stay on as prime minister when I ’ m no longer capable of living up to the people ’ s expectations with confidence , ” Abe said at a news conference .
In a country once known for its short-tenured prime ministers , the departure marks the end of an unusual era of stability that saw the Japanese leader strike up strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Abe ’ s ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China .
While he pulled Japan out of recession , the economy has been battered anew by the coronavirus pandemic , and Abe has failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support .
“ The coronavirus ’ s impact on the economy was a blow to Abe , who was stuck at home and lacking an opportunity to make any achievement or show off his friendship with Trump , and was pushed into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an international politics professor at Sophia University in Tokyo .
Although Abe left many of his political goals unfinished , he continued to bolster Japan ’ s defence capability to respond to its ally America ’ s needs .
“ For those who believe the Japan-U.S. alliance is paramount , that was his major achievement , “ Nakano said .
Abe is a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather , former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi .
His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs .
Abe , whose term ends in September 2021 , is expected to stay on until a new party leader is elected and formally approved by the parliament .
Abe became Japan ’ s youngest prime minister in 2006 , at age 52 , but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later because of his health .
In December 2012 , Abe returned to power , prioritizing economic measures over his nationalist agenda .
He won six national elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bolstering Japan ’ s defence role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S .
He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japan ’ s international profile .
Abe on Monday became Japan ’ s longest-serving prime minister by consecutive days in office , eclipsing the record of Eisaku Sato , his great-uncle , who served 2,798 days from 1964 to 1972 .
But his second hospital visit Monday accelerated speculation and political manoeuvring toward a post-Abe regime .
Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and sometimes polyps in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a normal life expectancy but serious cases can involve life-threatening complications .
After his recent hospital visits were reported , top officials from Abe ’ s Cabinet and the ruling party said he was overworked and badly needed rest .
His health concerns came as his support ratings plunged due to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and its severe impact on the economy , on top of a stream of political scandals , including his own .
There are a slew of politicians eager to replace Abe .
Shigeru Ishiba , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abe ’ s archrival , is a favourite next leader in media surveys , though he is less popular within the governing party .
A low-key former foreign minister , Fumio Kishida , Defence Minister Taro Kono , Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga , and economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura , who is in charge of coronavirus measures , are widely mentioned in Japanese media as potential successors .
Abe was often upstaged in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic by Tokyo Gov .
Yuriko Koike , a former governing party conservative who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by some .
But she would have to first be elected to parliament to be in the running for the top job .
Analysts say no major change of policy is expected whoever succeeds Abe , though Japan may return to an era of short-lived leadership .
The end of Abe ’ s scandal-laden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change , remembered as an era of “ revolving door ” politics that lacked stability and long-term policies .
When he returned to office in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his “ Abenomics ” formula , which combines fiscal stimulus , monetary easing and structural reforms .
Perhaps Abe ’ s biggest regret was his inability to fulfil a long-cherished goal of his grandfather and himself to formally rewrite the pacifist constitution .
Abe and his ultra-conservative supporters see the U.S.-drafted constitution as a humiliating legacy of Japan ’ s World War II defeat .
He was also unable to achieve his goal of settling several unfinished wartime legacies , including normalizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disputes with neighbours and signing a peace treaty with Russia formally ending their hostilities in World War II .
Abe said he will focus on his treatment for now and “ continue his political activity and support a new administration as a lawmaker .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Trump lashes Biden, defies pandemic on White House stage

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump blasted Joe Biden as a hapless career politician who will endanger Americans ’ safety as he accepted his party ’ s renomination on the South Lawn of the White House .
While the coronavirus kills 1,000 Americans each day , Trump defied his own administration ’ s pandemic guidelines to speak for more than an hour to a tightly packed , largely maskless crowd .
Facing a moment fraught with racial turmoil , economic collapse and a national health emergency , Trump delivered a triumphant , optimistic vision of America ’ s future Thursday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ only be secured if he defeated his Democratic foe , who currently has an advantage in most national and battleground state polls .
“ We have spent the last four years reversing the damage Joe Biden inflicted over the last 47 years , “ Trump said , referring to the former senator and vice-president ’ s career in Washington .
When Trump finished , a massive fireworks display went off by the Washington Monument , complete with explosions that spelled out “ Trump 2020.
” His acceptance speech kicked off the final stretch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully joined and , despite the pandemic , soon to begin crisscrossing the country .
Trump ’ s pace of travel will pick up to a near daily pace while Biden , who has largely weathered the pandemic from this Delaware home , announced Thursday that he will soon resume campaign travel .
Teasing once more that a vaccine could arrive soon , the president promised victory over the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more than 180,000 people in the United States , left millions unemployed and rewritten the rules of society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his speech , Trump sought to project a sense of normalcy by throwing caution about the coronavirus aside .
All week long , Republicans at the nonconvention convention tried to create the illusion that the pandemic is largely a thing of the past .
The rows of chairs on the South Lawn were inches apart .
Protective masks were not required , and COVID-19 tests were not administered to everyone .
As his speech brought the scaled-back Republican National Convention to a close , Trump ’ s incendiary rhetoric risked inflaming a divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the pandemic , a major hurricane that slammed into the Gulf Coast and nights of protest after Jacob Blake , a Black man , was shot by a white Wisconsin police officer .
Prosecutors charged a white , 17-year-old police admirer with the fatal shooting of two protesters and wounding of a third .
The president spoke from a setting that was both familiar and controversial .
Despite tradition and regulation to not use the White House for purely political events , a huge stage was set up outside the executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most important moments of past presidencies .
The speaker ’ s stand was flanked by dozens of American flags and two large video screens .
Trying to run as an insurgent as well as incumbent , Trump rarely includes calls for unity , even in a time of national uncertainty .
Presenting himself as the last barrier protecting an American way of life under siege from radical forces , Trump has repeatedly , if not always effectively , tried to portray Biden — who is considered a moderate Democrat — as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mocked his opponent ’ s record and famous empathy , suggesting that “ laid-off workers in Michigan , Ohio , New Hampshire , Pennsylvania “ don ’ t “ want Joe Biden ’ s hollow words of empathy , they wanted their jobs back.
” In a week of racial tumult , Republicans have claimed that the violence that has erupted in Kenosha , Wisconsin , and some other American cities is to be blamed on Democratic governors and mayors and would only grow worse under a Biden administration .
That drew a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of violence Donald Trump decries has happened on his watch .
Under his leadership .
During his presidency , “ Biden tweeted .
He has accused Trump of “ rooting for more violence ” to benefit him politically .
Both parties are watching with uncertainty the developments in Wisconsin and cities across the nation with Republicans leaning hard on support for law and order — with no words offered for Black victims of police violence — while falsely claiming that Biden has not condemned the lawlessness .
Rudy Giuliani , Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s former mayor , declared that Democrats ’ “ silence was so deafening that it reveals an acceptance of this violence because they will accept anything they hope will defeat President Donald Trump.
“ Though some of the speakers , unlike on previous nights , offered notes of sympathy to the families of Black men killed by police , Giuliani also took aim at the Black Lives Matter movement , suggesting that it , along with antifa , was part of the extremist voices pushing Biden to “ execute their pro-criminal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests into vicious , brutal riots.
” Along with Biden , running mate Kamala Harris offered counter-programming for Trump ’ s prime-time speech .
She delivered a speech a half-mile from the White House , declaring , “ Donald Trump has failed at the most basic and important job of a president of the United States : He failed to protect the American people , plain and simple.
” Some demonstratiors took to Washington ’ s streets Thursday night , ahead of a march planned for Friday .
New fencing was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the protesters at bay , but some of their shouts and car horns were clearly audible on the South Lawn , where more than 1,500 people gathered .
Soon after Trump began talking , the horns and sirens — which came through occasionally to the millions watching at home — caused some people in the last row to turn around and look for the source of the disturbance .
After the convention concluded , there were skirmishes as protesters yelled and threw water bottles at police at the historic St. John ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There were some arrests .
Trump , who has defended his handling of the pandemic , touted an expansion of rapid coronavirus testing .
The White House announced Thursday that it had struck a $ 750 million deal to acquire 150 million tests from Abbott Laboratories to be deployed in nursing homes , schools and other areas with populations at high risk .
Most of the convention has been aimed at former Trump supporters or nonvoters , and has tried to drive up negative impressions of Biden so that some of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the messages were aimed squarely at seniors and suburban women .
Four years ago , Trump declared in his acceptance speech that “ I alone can fix ” the nation ’ s woes , but he has found himself asking voters for another term at the nadir of his presidency , amid the devastating pandemic , crushing unemployment and real uncertainties about schools and businesses reopening .
Another one million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week , in numbers released Thursday .
And the U.S. economy shrank at an alarming annual rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it struggled under the weight of the viral pandemic .
It was sharpest quarterly drop on record .
Price reported from Las Vegas .
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller , Jill Colvin , Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani contributed reporting .

Jonathan Lemire, Michelle L. Price And Kevin Freking - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Ronnie Kole, New Orleans pianist, dead at 89

NEW ORLEANS - Ronnie Kole , an acclaimed New Orleans pianist who performed across the globe , has died .
He was 89 .
His death Thursday night was announced on his website and the Ronnie Kole Entertainment Facebook page .
The cause of death was not released .
Kole was a Chicago native .
In interviews , he said he suffered from a heart condition as a child and was discouraged from playing outdoors .
He began learning piano from an aunt and considered himself largely self-taught .
He went on the road at 16 , he told WWL-TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ musical styles , he performed for six presidents .
He also played a rollicking version of “ Amazing Grace ” when Pope John Paul II visited New Orleans in 1987 .
Kole was a protege of the late jazz trumpeter Al Hirt .
And , like Hirt , he once had a club in the French Quarter — Kole ’ s Corner .
He put down roots in the New Orleans area and , while he toured internationally , he was a regular at the annual French Quarter Festival and New Orleans Jazz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Slidell , across Lake Pontchartain from New Orleans .
A visitation is planned for Wednesday in Slidell , followed by a private funeral .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--NYC tenants say they were misled into RNC video appearance

NEW YORK - Three of the four residents of New York City public housing whose criticisms of Mayor Bill de Blasio were used in a video at the Republican National Convention said they were never told their comments were to be showcased in that manner .
The New York Times reported Friday that Claudia Perez , Carmen Quinones and Manny Martinez didn ’ t know that their comments from an interview with Lynne Patton were going to be used in support of President Donald Trump .
Quinones , a Democrat , told the Times that Patton — a Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Urban Development — had called her and asked her to bring together some people to speak about the city ’ s housing authority and their concerns , but that she was never told it would be part of the convention .
In the almost 2 1/2-minute video , four tenants are interspersed with clips of Trump and de Blasio .
The tenants are heard criticizing the New York City mayor and praising the Trump administration ’ s efforts .
Perez told the Times she meant what she said about the New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being tricked into appearing in a convention video .
“ I am not a Trump supporter , ” she said .
“ I am not a supporter of his racist policies on immigration .
I am a first-generation Honduran .
It was my people he was sending back.
” The fourth person in the video was not mentioned in the Times ’ story .
On Twitter , Patton pushed back strongly against the idea the residents had been tricked , and condemned the Times , saying the reporter “ refused multiple requests to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the residents to set the record straight.
“ She said each resident was on tape in unaired portions thanking Trump for “ the ‘ RNC platform ’ to highlight inhumane conditions and improvements “ under this administration .
She said she showed the video prior to airing and was “ told by them that it was ‘ amazing ’ and ‘ wholly accurate.
’ “ The federal Hatch Act prohibits certain government employees from using their official positions for political activities .
In a statement to the Times , Patton said the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday night , de Blasio ’ s press secretary , Bill Neidhardt , criticized the video on Twitter .
“ After decades of disinvestment , Mayor de Blasio has made historic investments in NYCHA , “ he said .
“ But at least this much is true : The Mayor lives rent free in Trump ’ s head .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Man booked in slaying of 3, including Fort Hood soldier

NEWTON , Miss .
- A suspect in the March shooting deaths of three people , including a Fort Hood soldier , was arrested Friday in Mississippi , according to police in Central Texas .
Officers with the U.S .Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested the suspected man , identified as Barnard Lnell Morrow , in Newton , Mississippi , Killeen police said in a statement .
Morrow , 21 , is being held at the Lauderdale County Jail and is expected to be extradited to Bell County in Texas .
Court records don ’ t indicate whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his behalf .
In a criminal complaint filed Aug. 20 by the Bell County District Attorney ’ s , authorities gave few details but said Morrow is charged with capital murder of multiple people including 23-year-old Spc .
Freddy Delacruz Jr. A justice of the peace suggested that , if arrested , Morrow ’ s bond be set at $ 2 million .
Officers found the bodies of Delacruz , 23 , Asia Cline , 22 , and Shaquan Markell Allred , 23 , in an apartment in Killeen on March 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called to the apartments after someone heard gunfire .
Initially , police did not find anything .
They returned later after another call about water leaking from an apartment , according to Killeen police .
When officers found what appeared to be the source of the leak , they entered through an unlocked door and found the three bodies , Killeen police noted .
It ’ s unclear whether the water leak was linked to the deaths .
Delacruz was stationed at Fort Hood , near Killeen .
He is one of several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go be killed this year .
At least three others have gone missing and later were found dead .
There is no indication that the multiple deaths are related .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman dies of cancer at 43

LOS ANGELES - Actor Chadwick Boseman , who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as @ @ @ @ @ the Marvel cinematic universe , died Friday of cancer , his representative said .
He @ @ @ @ @ at his home in the Los Angeles area with his wife and family by his @ @ @ @ @ Fioravante told The Associated Press .
Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
“ A true fighter , Chadwick persevered through it all , and @ @ @ @ @ films you have come to love so much , ” his family said in the @ @ @ @ @ to Da 5 Bloods , August Wilson ’ s Ma Rainey ’ s Black Bottom @ @ @ @ @ filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy .
It was the honour of his @ @ @ @ @ ’ Challa to life in Black Panther.
“ Boseman had not spoken publicly about his @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--233 more virus cases reported at ICE facility in Arizona

ELOY , Ariz. - Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reported 233 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 at one of its facilities in Arizona .
The infections are at the La Palma Correctional Center in Eloy , which has so far seen a total of 356 cases .
No other facility reported even close to as many cases as La Palma did on Friday , with most detention centres seeing single-digit increases .
It ’ s unclear how many people are detained at La Palma , but overall there are more than 21,000 people being held in ICE custody on civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pitts O ’ Keefe said in a statement that the agency recently expanded virus testing at La Palma , testing 1,000 detainees .
Most were asymptomatic .
“ U.S .
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) is firmly committed to the health , welfare and safety of detainees in our care , and this is one of the agency ’ s highest priorities , ” Pitts O ’ Keefe wrote .
The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project , an advocacy group that provides legal services , said the high number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from detention .
The organization says its clients at La Palma report that large sections of the detention centre are locked down and that they ’ re being fed cold , boxed meals three times a day .
Advocacy groups across the country have filed several lawsuits seeking to release vulnerable populations during the pandemic , and ICE has on some occasions released detainees who have health conditions that make them susceptible to getting seriously sick from the coronavirus .
The agency reported 850 new positive cases nationwide on Friday for a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began .
For most people , COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a few weeks .
But for some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Judge agrees to free Chinese researcher in visa fraud case

SACRAMENTO , Calif. - A federal judge in California agreed Friday to release from jail a university researcher accused of lying about her ties to China ’ s military and Communist Party to gain access to the United States .
“ You ’ re getting a huge break here , “ U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendall Newman told Dr. Juan Tang during a Sacramento hearing , the Sacramento Bee reported .
Kendall said he was willing to allow Tang to be housed with a Chinese emigre who doesn ’ t know the woman but offered to put up $ 750,000 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
It could take until late next week to complete the paperwork for the bond .
Tang might yet be denied freedom from jail because the prosecutor is expected to ask another federal judge to review the decision , the paper said .
The former Chinese cancer researcher at the University of California Davis is charged with visa fraud .
She has been held without bail at the Sacramento County Main Jail since July 23 .
Tang falsely claimed to have no ties to China ’ s People ’ s Liberation Army-Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party , authorities contend .
She was preparing to return to China in June when FBI agents showed up at her door to question her .
They seized her passport .
She was considered a fugitive after fleeing to the Chinese consulate in San Francisco for a month .
Tang was arrested by FBI agents when she left the consulate to visit a doctor , authorities said .
Tang is one of several Chinese researchers working at American universities who have faced criminal charges .
A University of California , Los Angeles researcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a federal investigation , authorities said Friday .
Guan Lei , 29 , of Alhambra , was charged with one federal count for allegedly throwing a destroyed hard drive into a dumpster outside of his apartment in order to thwart an FBI investigation of the researcher that began in July , according to an FBI affidavit filed with the criminal complaint earlier this week .
Guan is under investigation for the possible transfer of “ sensitive software or technical data ” to China ’ s military and its National University of Defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The university is “ suspected of procuring U.S.-origin items to develop supercomputers with nuclear explosive applications , “ according to the affidavit .
The complaint said Guan also is being investigated for allegedly falsely denying his association with the Chinese military on his 2018 visa application .
Guan “ later admitted that he had participated in military training and wore military uniforms “ while at the National University of Defence Technology , according to the affidavit .
Guan is scheduled to be arraigned next month .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his behalf .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--World leaders praise Japan PM Abe’s contributions to ties

World leaders wished Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a rapid recovery and praised his contributions to bilateral relations during his years as Japan ’ s longest-serving leader .
Abe announced Friday that he is stepping down because of a health problem .
He is expected to stay on until a new governing party leader is elected and formally approved by the parliament .
UNITED STATES : President Donald Trump said he was surprised by Abe ’ s stepping down and paid his “ highest respect to ... a very , a great friend of mine.
” Speaking to reporters aboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” We had a great relationship .
And I just feel very bad for him .
Because it must be very severe .
Look , for him to leave -- he loves his country so much and for him to leave , I just can ’ t imagine what it is .
He ’ s a great gentleman and so I ’ m just paying my highest respect.
” UNITED NATIONS : U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ’ spokesman said he wishes Abe a full recovery and salutes “ the prime minister ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constructive engagement with the U.N. to address global challenges.
” The U.N. chief “ had a very productive relationship with prime minister Abe , ” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said , pointing to their close work on a number of issues especially universal health care initiatives .
SOUTH KOREA : South Korean President Moon Jae-in ’ s office said Abe dedicated many years to the development of bilateral relations and achieved “ various meaningful accomplishments ” as Japan ’ s longest-serving prime minister .
It said Seoul will continue to work with Tokyo ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote “ friendship and co-operation ” between the countries .
Relations between South Korea and Japan sank last year to their lowest point in decades as they feuded over trade issues , wartime history and military co-operation .
GERMANY : Longtime German Chancellor Angela Merkel , who worked with Abe during both of his spells in office , sent him a message saying he was “ always a constructive and reliable partner in our common commitment to multilateralism , free trade , peaceful conflict resolution and rules-based order.
” “ For the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete recovery and personal well-being , ” she wrote .
AUSTRALIA : Prime Minister Scott Morrison paid tribute to Shinzo Abe as “ Australia ’ s true friend ” and said that he would like to thank Abe for his enduring commitment to Australia-Japan relations over a long and successful career .
Morrison said Australia and Japan shared a vision for an open , peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region .
“ Prime Minister Abe is a man of integrity and wisdom , ” Morrison said .
“ He has been the senior statesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a strong promoter of open trade and an outstanding international diplomat for Japan.
” TAIWAN : Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Abe “ has always been very friendly to Taiwan .
He has always been very positive , no matter it be his policies or his feelings toward Taiwanese people .
We cherish the friendship he has for Taiwan .
We also wish him good health.
” CHINA : Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian declined to comment directly on Abe ’ s health , saying it was Japan ’ s internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ China and Japan are close neighbours .
We are willing to work with Japan to jointly press ahead with continuous improvement and development of China-Japan relations.
” BRITAIN : Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab paid tribute to “ the great things ” that Abe has achieved , and said he “ leaves a strengthened U.K.-Japanese friendship , which we look forward to continuing in the years ahead .
I wish him well for the future.
” PHILIPPINES : Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. described Abe as Japan ’ s “ greatest postwar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet .
He said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Abe had a frank relationship .
“ Watching President Duterte and PM Abe talking was like watching two old friends , no holds barred , talking frankly and freely of the true lay of the land and what can and can not be done , ” Locsin said .
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE : IOC President Thomas Bach credited Abe with the return of the Olympics to Japan after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics , 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics and 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletes of the entire world are very grateful to him , ” Bach said .
The Olympics were to be held in Tokyo this year , but they were postponed a year because of the coronavirus .
John Coates of the Australian Olympic Committee and chair of the Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission , said in a statement Saturday that Abe stepping down was “ disappointing news from a professional and personal perspective .
My interactions with him have always been very positive and constructive .
I certainly hope he can successfully overcome the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
I very much look forward to PM Abe joining us for the Opening Ceremony on 23 July 2021 in the new National Stadium that he was instrumental in delivering .
His support has been enormous.
” Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Laura victims may go weeks without power; US deaths reach 14

LAKE CHARLES , La .
- The Louisiana coastline devastated by Hurricane Laura began a long and gloomy recovery Friday as hundreds of thousands of people still without water and power confronted the possibility that basic services may not return for weeks or even longer .
The number of dead climbed to at least 14 .
A day after the Category 4 storm hit , more bodies emerged in the aftermath in Louisiana and neighbouring Texas .
The deaths included five people killed by fallen trees and one person who drowned in a boat .
Eight people died from carbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generators , including three inside a Texas pool hall , where authorities say the owner had let seven Vietnamese shrimp boat labourers and homeless men take shelter .
The other four were in critical condition .
The lack of essential resources was grim for the many evacuated residents eager to return .
Chad Peterson planned to board up a window and head to Florida .
“ There ’ s no power .
There ’ s no water .
There ’ s no utilities , ” he said .
Thousands of people who heeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned to homes without roofs , roads littered with debris and the likelihood of a harsh recovery that could take months .
Lawrence “ Lee ” Faulk came back to a home with no roof in hard-hit Cameron Parish , which was littered with downed power lines .
His metal storage building , 24 feet square , was thrown into a neighbour ’ s oak trees .
“ We need help , ” Faulk said .
“ We need ice , water , blue tarps — everything that you would associate with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two hours ago.
” The White House said President Donald Trump would visit the region Saturday and survey the damage .
Simply driving in Lake Charles , a city of 80,000 residents that sustained some of the worst damage , was a feat .
Power lines and trees blocked paths or created one-lane roads that drivers had to navigate with oncoming traffic .
Street signs were snapped off their perches or dangled , and no stoplights worked , making it a trust exercise with those sharing the roads .
Mayor Nic Hunter cautioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electricity and that water-treatment plants “ took a beating , ” resulting in barely a trickle of water coming out of most faucets .
“ If you come back to Lake Charles to stay , make sure you understand the above reality and are prepared to live in it for many days , probably weeks , ” Hunter wrote on Facebook .
Caravans of utility trucks were met Friday by thunderstorms in the sizzling heat , complicating recovery efforts .
Forty nursing homes were also relying on generators , and assessments were underway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 11 facilities that had been evacuated could return .
Water outages remained a major problem in evacuated facilities , the Louisiana Department of Health said .
Meanwhile , the hurricane ’ s remnants threatened to bring flooding and tornadoes to Tennessee as the storm , now a tropical depression , drifted north .
Forecasters warned that the system could strengthen into a tropical storm again upon returning to the Atlantic Ocean this weekend .
In the storm ’ s wake , more than 600,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poweroutage.us , which tracks utility reports .
The Louisiana Department of Health estimated that more than 220,000 people were without water .
Restoration of those services could take weeks or months , and full rebuilding could take years .
Ira Lyles returned to find that his downtown Lake Charles salon called The Parlor House survived with little damage , but his home was destroyed .
“ It tore the front off , tore the front of the roof off , picked up my camper trailer and hit the side wall , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ I think it ’ s going to be a wash. ” Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards called Laura , which packed a top wind speed of 150 mph ( 241 kph ) , the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana , meaning it surpassed even Katrina , which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005 .
He said officials now believe the surge was as high as 15 feet and added that tens of thousands of people were displaced by the storm .
Late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president had approved Louisiana ’ s major disaster declaration request , saying in a statement that the step paves the way for getting aid to the hard-hit communities .
More than 580,000 coastal residents were put under evacuation as the hurricane gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico .
Laura was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year , setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August .
Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machinery hauled tree limbs in the front lawn of Stanley and Dominique Hazelton , who rode out the storm on a bathroom floor .
A tree punctured the roof just a few feet from where the couple was taking cover .
“ There ’ s people without homes , ” Stanley Hazelton said .
“ So it was dumb .
We ’ ll never do it again .
We ’ ll never stay through another hurricane again.
” Associated Press contributors include Jamie Stengle in Dallas ; Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louisiana ; Paul J. Weber in Austin , Texas ; Seth Borenstein in Kensington , Maryland ; and Adrian Sainz in Memphis , Tennessee .

Melinda Deslatte And Stacey Plaisance - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--US now using several hotel chains to detain migrant children

HOUSTON - The U.S. government has detained children at several major hotel chains — more than previously known — during the coronavirus pandemic instead of transferring them to government-funded shelters , according to new data released Friday .
Since March , the Trump administration has used hotels to hold at least 660 children , most unaccompanied by a parent , before expelling them to their countries of origin .
The administration said it can not allow children to stay in the U.S. due to the coronavirus pandemic , though opponents of U.S. immigration policy contend that the pandemic is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to asylum or other protections in federal law .
The hotels don ’ t provide the same schooling , legal services , and counselling as shelters , and allegations of mistreatment have already emerged .
A Haitian family said contractors at one border hotel told them to feed ice to their 1-year-old daughter in case their temperatures were checked as a screening for COVID-19 .
Immigration authorities denied the use of ice to circumvent screening measures .
Three Hampton Inn & Suites hotels in Phoenix and two Texas cities , El Paso and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stays up to the end of July , according to the data published Friday in federal court filings .
After the Associated Press first reported the three Hampton Inns were detention sites , Hilton said it expected all of its properties “ to reject business that would use a hotel in this way.
” Hilton owns the Hampton Inn brand , though the three properties are franchises .
But other Hilton hotels have also been used to detain children since March , the data shows .
So have properties at Marriott International Inc. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was previously unknown .
A Homewood Suites in San Antonio held 12 children and an Embassy Suites in San Antonio held 10 .
A DoubleTree hotel in Houston was also used twice .
All of those brands are owned by Hilton , which spokesman Nigel Glennie on Friday noted had “ no current information ” that children were being detained at its properties .
Hilton has reached out to immigration authorities to reiterate its opposition to its rooms being used to detain children , Glennie said .
The Courtyard by Marriott hotel near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detain 55 children .
According to the data , many of the children were held there in July , though it ’ s unclear whether those bookings increased after the Hampton Inn near the same airport vowed to reject child detention .
A TownePlace Suites in Alexandria , Louisiana , was used for 17 children .
Alexandria is a major hub for deportation flights operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
Another 13 children total were detained at four other Marriott properties in San Antonio and McAllen , Texas .
Marriott spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month issued a policy “ making it clear that properties should decline any requests to use our hotels as detention facilities.
” “ If the government is making reservations through a third party , it becomes more challenging for hotels to identify the type of business that is being booked , ” Kim said , adding that the company was reviewing the specific bookings revealed in the data .
A Comfort Suites hotel in Alexandria was used 12 times .
Choice Hotels , which owns the Comfort Suites brand , said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention and was investigating .
All told , at least 25 hotels and motels have been used since March to detain children , according to the data .
The majority were used to hold fewer than 10 children .
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to comment on the data Friday , citing pending litigation , which includes a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union challenging hotel detention .
The contractor MVM , Inc. , which has a multimillion-dollar contract to transport and detain children in hotels , has refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversight of hotel detention in court , arguing the hotels fall outside a long-running court settlement known as the Flores agreement that governs the treatment of immigrant children in U.S. custody .
The U.S. government provides data on where it detains children as part of the settlement .
Melissa Adamson , an attorney with the National Center for Youth Law , said there were “ incredible inconsistencies ” in the latest data , with children listed in one set of documents not appearing in the other .
Advocates said they have long worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States in secret to countries where they fled danger .
“ If they ’ re missing kids from either data set , are we missing kids entirely ?
We don ’ t know , “ she said .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Teen accused of killing 2 thrust into debate over protests

ANTIOCH , Ill. - A white 17-year-old who says he went to protests in Wisconsin to protect businesses and people has become a flashpoint in a debate over anti-racism demonstrations that have gripped many American cities and the vigilantism that has sometimes met them .
On Tuesday , Kyle Rittenhouse grabbed an AR-15 style rifle and joined several other armed people in the streets of Kenosha , where businesses had been vandalized and buildings burned following a police shooting that left Jacob Blake , a Black man , paralyzed .
By the end of the night , prosecutors say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounded a third .
At a hearing Friday , a judge postponed a decision on whether Rittenhouse , who is in custody in Illinois , should be returned to Wisconsin to face charges , including first-degree intentional homicide that could land him in prison for the rest of his life .
To some , Rittenhouse is a domestic terrorist whose very presence with a rifle incited the protesters .
But to others — who have become frustrated with demonstrations and unrest across the country — he ’ s seen as a hero who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were left unprotected .
“ Kyle is an innocent boy who justifiably exercised his fundamental right of self-defence .
In doing so , he likely saved his own life and possibly the lives of others , ” said Lin Wood , a prominent Atlanta attorney who is now part of a team representing Rittenhouse .
The protests in Kenosha are just the latest to erupt during a reckoning over policing and racial injustice following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police .
As they have in other cities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some points , and the National Guard was called in .
The commander of the force said Friday over 1,000 guard members had been deployed , and more were on the way .
Rittenhouse , once part of a youth cadet program for aspiring police officers , can be seen on his Facebook page posing in a blue police uniform with a silver badge and broad-brimmed hat .
In other online photos and videos , he takes target practice and brandishes a rifle above the caption , “ Blue Lives Matter.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front of a boarded-up building , he spoke to a reporter from the Daily Caller news site .
“ People are getting injured and our job is to protect this business , ” Rittenhouse said .
“ And part of my job is to also help people .
If there is somebody hurt , I ’ m running into harm ’ s way .
That ’ s why I have my rifle.
” Rittenhouse and a friend armed themselves on Tuesday and made their way to a mechanic shop whose owner had put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a statement from John Pierce , an attorney representing Rittenhouse .
In the attorney ’ s description of events , Rittenhouse had tried to offer medical help to injured people before he was “ accosted by multiple rioters , “ leading him to open fire .
The hashtag # FreeKyleRittenhouse has trended on Twitter , a self-described Christian fundraising site , GiveSendGo , says it has raised more than $ 100,000 for Rittenhouse ’ s defence , and a post including photos of Rittenhouse cleaning up graffiti in Kenosha before the shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The night of the shootings , Rittenhouse is seen on video as a green-shirted figure running across a parking lot with a rifle followed by a man later identified as Joseph Rosenbaum , 36 , according to a criminal complaint .
Rosenbaum throws a plastic bag at Rittenhouse , misses , then five shots ring out , and Rosenbaum falls to the ground .
He later was declared dead .
“ I just killed somebody , ” Rittenhouse says into his cellphone , according to the complaint , and he starts running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beat him up !
” one person in the crowd says .
Another yells , “ Get him !
Get that dude !
” Rittenhouse trips and falls .
One man holding a skateboard appears to try to grab the gun from Rittenhouse .
A shot rings out , and the man , Anthony Huber , 26 , staggers away .
He also died .
In the scuffle , lasting just seconds , Rittenhouse shoots a third person armed with a handgun , according to the complaint .
That man , Gaige Grosskreutz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his arm but has survived .
After the shootings , Rittenhouse can be seen walking toward police with his gun slung over his shoulder and his hands in the air .
Police riding in tactical vehicles roll right past him .
He later turned himself in in his hometown of Antioch , Illinois , according to Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis .
The police have faced questions about that response .
On Friday , Miskinis described a chaotic scene to reporters and said that “ there was nothing to suggest that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any criminal behaviour.
” Miskinis said it was not a lapse in judgment to not stop Rittenhouse and ask for identification to see if he was old enough to carry a weapon , given the number of people on the street , many wearing masks that obscured their faces .
Wisconsin allows gun owners to openly carry in public , but a person under 18 can ’ t legally possess or carry a firearm unless that person is hunting or target practicing with an adult or in the military .
Before the shooting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanking the group Rittenhouse was with for their help and tossing them bottles of water .
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth told reporters Friday those officers were not his deputies .
He added that he was not asking armed citizens to help law enforcement respond to unrest .
Before the shooting , Rittenhouse lived in a quiet apartment complex a half-hour ’ s drive away from Kenosha , with his single mother , Wendy Rittenhouse , a 45-year-old nursing assistant who filed for bankruptcy two years ago .
Jeanie Quillin , who lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not know the Rittenhouses but said area residents were on edge over the teen ’ s arrest and their fears that the demonstrations could come to their doorsteps .
“ I want to know how a 17-year-old could get ahold of an AR-15 , ” she added .
Rittenhouse ’ s mother did not return calls Thursday , and the nursing home listed in court papers as her employer , Libertyville Manor , would not confirm she still worked there .
Rittenhouse dropped out of high school during the 2017-18 school year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school district official sent to The Washington Post .
A year earlier , court records show , his mother had asked for an order of protection from police for Rittenhouse and his now 19-year-old sister , McKenzie , saying that a 13-year-old bully was calling her son “ dumb ” and “ stupid “ and threatening him .
She eventually dropped the matter .
On his social media posts , Rittenhouse appeared to be an enthusiastic participant in the Public Safety Cadet program run by local police departments that trains 14- to 21-year-olds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beyond confirming he was involved , the Grayslake Police Department would not comment further .
On his 16th birthday , he appealed to Facebook friends to help him celebrate by donating to a non-profit supporting police called Humanizing the Badge .
Rittenhouse also did a stint as a part-time lifeguard at the YMCA in Lindenhurst , Illinois , according to Man-Yan Lee , a representative for the organization ’ s metro Chicago branch .
He was furloughed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic .
In videos on his TikTok account , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen assembling and disassembling a rifle and what appears to be a shotgun .
“ Bruh , I ’ m just tryna be famous , ” he says on his TikTok bio page .
Condon reported from New York .
Associated Press writers Scott Bauer and Todd Richmond in Madison , Wisconsin ; Jake Bleiberg in Dallas ; Don Babwin and Sophia Tareen in Chicago ; Tammy Webber in Fenton , Michigan ; and David Klepper in Providence , Rhode Island , contributed , as did news researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York @

Stephen Groves And Bernard Condon - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--College towns growing alarmed over outbreaks among students

RALEIGH , N.C. - As waves of schools and businesses around the country are cleared to reopen , college towns are moving toward renewed shutdowns because of too many parties and too many COVID-19 infections among students .
With more than 300 students at the University of Missouri testing positive for the coronavirus and an alarming 44 % positivity rate for the surrounding county , the local health director Friday ordered bars to stop serving alcohol at 9 p.m. and close by 10 p.m. Iowa ’ s governor has ordered all bars shut down around The University of Iowa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuscaloosa , Alabama , did the same in the hometown of the state ’ s flagship university .
“ What we ’ re seeing in our violations is they ’ re coming late at night , ” said Stephanie Browning , head of the health department for Columbia , Missouri .
“ Big groups gathering .
They ’ re not wearing their masks , they ’ re not social distancing.
” In Utah , the city council in Provo overrode a mayoral veto to pass a mask mandate , which includes a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , days before students return to Brigham Young University from around the country .
But the council was nevertheless worried that college students sharing dorms , bathrooms and showers could become “ super-spreaders ” and bring the virus off campus , council chair George Handley said .
“ We ’ re already seeing what ’ s happened across the country at other universities , ” he said .
But a recent warehouse party organized by a BYU student ’ s promotional company called Young/Dumb also raised concern when pictures of hundreds of revelers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , has its own rules requiring masks on campus .
Requirements for indoor public spaces in town will help people stay healthy and businesses stay open , Handley said .
“ This is actually about preserving our way of life , it ’ s not about destroying it — contrary to what some people say , ” Handley said .
The outbreaks since students began returning to campus in the past few weeks have heightened tensions between colleges and their towns and led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials .
Meanwhile , California announced a four-tiered , colour-coded plan Friday for gradually reopening businesses after abandoning a reopening attempt earlier this summer .
It requires counties to meet certain benchmarks showing progress in controlling the virus .
In Arizona , another deadly hot spot this summer , a drop in transmission numbers allowed the Phoenix and Tucson areas to reopen gyms and some bars .
The U.S. has recorded over 180,000 deaths from the coronavirus and 5.9 million confirmed infections .
Worldwide , the death toll is put at more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
Drugmaker Gilead Sciences said Friday that U.S. regulators are now allowing use of experimental antiviral drug remdesivir for all patients hospitalized with COVID-19 .
It said the Food and Drug Administration has expanded its emergency use authorization , which lets doctors administer the IV drug during the pandemic .
Until now , that was limited to patients with severe COVID-19 .
Remdesivir previously was shown to shorten treatment by about four days for hospitalized patients with severe disease , compared with those getting standard supportive care .
Surging infection numbers around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on young people ignoring mask and social distancing requirements .
In Iowa ’ s Story County , home to Iowa State , 74 % of new cases over the past seven days were among people ages 19 to 24 , Gov .
Kim Reynolds said Thursday .
In the same time period , 69 % of new cases in Johnson County , the home of the University of Iowa , were in that age group .
“ It is increasing the virus activity in the community , and it ’ s spilling over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Reynolds said .
Fueled in part by clusters where college students are returning to classes , Kansas has had its highest seven-day increase in coronavirus cases .
Gov .
Laura Kelly said outbreaks on college campuses and fraternities and sororities are at least a factor in the surge .
“ We can not continue to go down this path , ” she told reporters Friday .
The University of Alabama has recorded over 1,000 cases on campus since the fall semester began last week .
In closing the town ’ s bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said that an unchecked spread of the virus threatens both the health care system and the local economy if students have to be sent home for the semester for remote learning .
Three of North Carolina ’ s largest public universities have abruptly halted in-person undergraduate instruction and directed students to move out of the dorms after hundreds tested positive following their return to campus .
More than 800 have been infected at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and over 670 at North Carolina State .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shifted to online classes , wrote an open letter Thursday to the mayor outlining steps the university is taking to curb off-campus parties .
“ We recognize the very real problems with the behaviours of some of our fraternities and sororities , ” the letter said .
Oyeronke Popoola , a 17-year-old freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill who moved out of her dorm , said that administrators , not students , deserve most of the blame for the virus-related problems after they ushered students back to campus .
“ They should ’ ve put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they wanted the money , ” she said .
And she said fraternities and sororities weren ’ t the only ones at fault among the students : “ I feel like Greek life gets a lot of blame , which is understandable , but there are other students who were meeting without masks.
” The problems did not change the thinking of other schools around the country .
The University of Virginia announced Friday that it is moving ahead with plans to offer in-person instruction for the fall semester , after delaying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assess the spread of COVID-19 .
“ We know some will be delighted to hear this news and others will be disappointed , ” a university statement said .
“ To be frank , it was a very difficult decision , made in the face of much uncertainty , and with full awareness that future events may force us to change course.
” ___ Salter reported from O ’ Fallon , Missouri , Whitehurst from Salt Lake City .
Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed .

Bryan Anderson, Jim Salter And Lindsay Whitehurst - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Two PR experts at FDA have been ousted after blood plasma fiasco

The head of the Food and Drug Administration ousted its top spokeswoman from her position Friday in an urgent bid to restore the tarnished credibility of the agency after he made erroneous claims that overstated the benefits of plasma treatments for COVID-19 at a news conference with President Donald Trump .
The decision came just a day after the FDA ’ s parent agency , the Department of Health and Human Services , terminated the contract of a public relations consultant who had advised the FDA commissioner , Dr. Stephen M. Hahn , to correct his misleading claims that 35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been saved because of the administration of plasma.
” The ousted spokeswoman , Emily Miller , had little experience in health care .
She had spent years working in Washington for Republicans , including former Rep. Tom DeLay and Sen. Ted Cruz , both of Texas , and as a journalist for One America News , the conservative cable network .
She was in her agency post for just 11 days .
The most recent controversy over plasma follows a series of missteps by the FDA that have fuelled concerns that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust as the nation faces a presidential election in November and a pandemic that has taken more than 180,000 American lives .
Hahn notified senior leadership at the FDA on Friday that Miller would no longer be the official spokeswoman for the agency and that he would be appointing someone to replace her in an interim capacity .
Miller could not be reached for comment .
The consultant who was removed by the health and human services department , Wayne L. Pines , said he wasn ’ t told why his contract was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he correct the record , ” he said .
The Department of Health and Human Services denied that Pines ’ contract was terminated because of his involvement in the plasma messaging .
It was “ 100 per cent coincidence , ” said Brian Harrison , the department ’ s chief of staff .
Pines is president of the large health care practice at APCO Worldwide , a public relations and lobbying firm that represents health companies that do business before the FDA .
He said he did this work on his own , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGehee , executive director of Issue One , which promotes bipartisan political reform , was critical of the contract , noting the potential for conflicts of interest in Pines ’ work for the FDA and his company ’ s health care client base .

Sheila Kaplan - The New York Times,Katie Thomas


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Mexico president tries to shoo away crowds as virus persists

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador loves hugging supporters and shaking hands in crowds but even he appears to be spooked by the country ’ s continued high coronavirus infection rates , shooing away fans and warning them not to come to see him .
López Obrador visited the northern border city of Reynosa , across the Rio Grande from McAllen , Texas , on Friday and told an audience he considers anyone who joins a crowd to see him as an opponent , not a supporter .
“ From now on , if I see you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at you like you ’ re someone who doesn ’ t like us , ” the president said .
“ Anyone who shows up today is a conservative.
” Mexico reported 5,824 more confirmed coronavirus cases Friday , bringing the total to 585,738 , and 552 more COVID-19 deaths , for a total of 63,146 , the third-highest in the world .
Health Department figures show infection rates appear to have plateaued at relatively high levels .
Despite the continued high rates nationwide , Mexico moved nine more of the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” or “ moderate ” risk on a four-colour scale .
One state , Colima , remains in maximum alert and one state , Campeche , had already been in the moderate zone .
The rest , including Mexico City , remain in the “ orange ” or high-risk rating .
The moderate-risk rating now covers about one-third of Mexican states and means businesses can reopen to a greater extent , in some cases at full capacity .
They include the northern border states of Chihuahua , Sonora and Tamaulipas , the Gulf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Campeche , and the Pacific coast states of Guerrero , Oaxaca and Chiapas .
On Thursday , in the nearby border city of Matamoros , he appeared to cut short one of his notoriously long speeches when he saw a crowd gather outside the event .
“ Yesterday a lot of people showed up to see us in Matamoros , ” he said .
“ Because of the pandemic we have tried to make these closed meetings to keep a safe distance , yesterday we didn ’ t achieve that goal and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to crowd together because of infection.
” However , López Obrador almost never wears a face mask and has resisted calls to stop touring the country during the pandemic .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Venezuelan politician jailed in 2018 drone attack sent home

CARACAS , Venezuela - Venezuelan authorities have released an opposition politician to home detention two years after being jailed on suspicion of taking part in a failed drone attack on President Nicolás Maduro , his family said Friday .
Images on social media showed Juan Requesens arriving home where his relatives greeted him with emotional embraces .
His sister , Rafaela Requesens , said on Twitter that he had been released to home detention , which didn ’ t go far enough .
“ Although today my brother will be able to sleep in his house and in his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who can ’ t do this , ” she wrote .
“ We ’ re not going to stop fighting for them.
” The Caracas-based prisoner rights group Foro Penal reported that by the end of July , 382 people opposition leaders it considers political prisoners were being detained in Venezuela .
They include other lawmakers and military officials , the group says .
Venezuelan authorities have not commented on the terms of Requesens ’ release or explained what sparked the decision to move him to house arrest .
Officials in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to jail , giving no explanation .
Venezuelan security forces arrested Requesens , 31 , days following the August 2018 attack when two drones detonated at an outdoor military ceremony out of range of Maduro , who was not injured .
Authorities arrested several suspects including Requesens , who is accused of playing a key role .
Authorities also accused fellow anti-Maduro lawmaker , Julio Borges , who lives in exile in neighbouring Colombia and remains free .
Requesens was a student leader before being elected to Venezuela ’ s National Assembly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Requesens say he ’ s guilty of nothing more than being an outspoken critic of Maduro ’ s repressive regime that has led to the once-wealthy nation ’ s economic and political collapse .
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights , Michelle Bachelet , welcomed Requesens ’ release .
She has been critical of Maduro ’ s brutal tactics over Venezuelans , including its opposition lawmakers .
“ This decision is a very positive gesture , ” Bachelet said .
“ I encourage the authorities to continue taking similar measures that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country and that allow progress in the political dialogue.
” Venezuela is gripped by an economic crisis that has sent more than 5 million fleeing in recent years , escaping scarcities of basic goods and soaring inflation that has left many struggling in poverty .
Juan Guaidó , a fellow opposition leader , has led a campaign backed by the United States and dozens of other countries to oust Maduro , who remains in power with backing from the military and international allies like Russia , China , Cuba , Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t rest until every political prisoner is free , every single accomplice to the dictatorship has been tried and every victim receives justice , ” Guaidó said on Twitter , also extending a virtual hug to Requesens .
“ We know that his home arrest is far from freedom , but we will get justice .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Victims of shooting during Kenosha protests engaged gunman

CHICAGO - A man known for his love of skateboarding , a Texas transplant to the state and a college student acting as a volunteer medic were killed or wounded this week by a 17-year-old gunman during a night of protests on the streets of Kenosha , Wisconsin .
Kyle Rittenhouse , of Antioch , Illinois , has been charged with fatally shooting two protesters and wounding a third .
Attorneys representing Rittenhouse have said he acted to defend himself .
Kenosha County prosecutors said in court records this week that the first person shot around 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36 , of Kenosha .
Prosecutors said Rosenbaum followed Rittenhouse into a used car lot , where he threw a plastic bag at the gunman and attempted to take the weapon from him .
The medical examiner found that Rosenbaum was shot in the groin , back and left hand .
The wounds fractured his pelvis and perforated his right lung and liver .
He also suffered a superficial wound to his left thigh and a graze wound to his forehead .
Friends have told local media that Rosenbaum was originally from Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Wisconsin this year , where his young daughter lives .
According to his Facebook page , he worked at a Wendy ’ s restaurant in Kenosha .
The Associated Press was unable to reach family members by phone this week .
Rittenhouse then ran down the street and was chased by several people shouting that he just shot someone before he tripped and fell , according to the complaint and video footage .
Anthony Huber , 26 , of Silver Lake , was shot in the chest after apparently trying to wrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint said .
Hannah Gittings , Huber ’ s girlfriend , told WBBM-TV that he pushed her out of the way before chasing after the man others on the street had identified as the shooter .
Huber ’ s friends gathered at a Kenosha skate park this week to remember him and his passion for skateboarding .
According to court records , Huber had a skateboard in his right hand and used it to “ make contact ” with Rittenhouse ’ s left shoulder as they struggled for control of the gun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the spot where he was shot , and Gittings told the group that he was an amazing person .
“ He took down an armed gunman with nothing but his ( profanity ) skateboard , ” Gittings said , according to the Chicago Tribune .
The Kenosha News reported that local protest organizers said both Rosenbaum and Huber had participated in demonstrations this spring and summer , beginning with the May death of George Floyd after a Minnesota police officer pressed his knee into the handcuffed man ’ s neck .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us , “ said Porche Bennett , a Kenosha resident who has organized protests .
“ Sweet .
Loving .
They were the sweetest hearts , souls .
I called Anthony my hippie guy .
They were sweet guys.
” Bennett said she was particularly grateful to Huber , who stood in front of her when authorities used tear gas during protests outside the Kenosha County Courthouse this week .
The third man to be shot was wounded in the left arm .
Court records said Gaige Grosskreutz , 26 , appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rittenhouse after he shot at Huber .
Grosskreutz is an activist who volunteered as a medic during the Kenosha demonstrations , according to Milwaukee activist Bethany Crevensten .
She said Grosskreutz was part of a group of roughly two dozen activists who have demonstrated around Milwaukee in the wake of Floyd ’ s death and went to Kenosha to protest .
Grosskreutz , who was wearing a backpack and cap labeled “ paramedic , ” was shot in the arm , Crevensten said .
“ He was a hero and he is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of West Allis , was recovering after surgery and was not yet giving interviews , Crevensten said this week .
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Grosskreutz is a senior at Northland College in Ashland and the college registrar ’ s office said he is set to graduate in December .
The paper also reported that he previously worked as a special events co-ordinator , wilderness medical instructor and sea kayak guide at Lost Creek Adventures in Cornucopia , according to an online LinkedIn profile .
The company offers kayak tours , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Kenosha police union gives its version of Blake shooting

MADISON , Wis. - The Kenosha police union on Friday offered the most detailed accounting to date on officers ’ perspective of the moments leading up to police shooting Jacob Blake seven times in the back , saying he had a knife and fought with officers , putting one of them in a headlock and shrugging off two attempts to stun him .
The statement from Brendan Matthews , attorney for the Kenosha Professional Police Association , goes into more detail than anything that has been released by the Wisconsin Department of Justice , which is investigating .
The Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , put the nation ’ s spotlight on Wisconsin and triggered a series of peaceful protests and violence , including the killing of two people by an armed civilian on Tuesday .
Blake is paralyzed from the shooting , his family said , and recovering in a Milwaukee hospital .
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul , who leads the state Justice Department , said in a statement Friday evening that the agency is trying to conduct an impartial investigation and can neither confirm nor deny the union ’ s version of events .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s family , did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment .
He said earlier this week that Blake was only trying to break up a domestic dispute and did nothing to provoke police , adding that witnesses didn ’ t see him with a knife .
Crump has called for the arrest of the officer who shot Blake and for the two other officers involved in the shooting to be fired .
Cellphone video shows Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey and another officer following Blake with their guns drawn as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SUV as they responded to a domestic dispute .
According to Matthews , the officers were dispatched there because of a complaint that Blake was attempting to steal the caller ’ s keys and vehicle .
Matthews said officers were aware that Blake had an open warrant for felony sexual assault before they arrived .
Blake was armed with a knife , but officers did not initially see it , Matthews said .
“ The officers first saw him holding the knife while they were on the passenger side of the vehicle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded the shooting , 22-year-old Raysean White , said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell , “ Drop the knife !
Drop the knife !
” before gunfire erupted .
He said he didn ’ t see a knife in Blake ’ s hands .
State investigators have said only that officers saw a knife on the floor of the car .
They have not said whether Blake threatened anyone with it .
Matthews said officers made multiple requests to Blake to drop the knife , but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Taser on Blake , but it did not incapacitate him .
“ Blake forcefully fought with the officers , including putting one of the officers in a headlock , ” Matthews said .
A second stun from a Taser also did not stop him , he said .
As Blake opened the driver ’ s door of the SUV , Sheskey pulled on Blake ’ s shirt and then opened fire .
Blake ’ s three children were in the backseat .
“ Based on the inability to gain compliance and control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means , the officers drew their firearms , ” Matthews said .
“ Mr .
Blake continued to ignore the officers ’ commands , even with the threat of lethal force now present.
” The state Justice Department has released almost no information about Sheskey or the other two officers , Vincent Arenas and Brittany Meronek .
An annual Kenosha Police Department report indicates Sheskey was hired as an officer in 2013 .
In an August 2019 interview with the Kenosha News , Sheskey said he had always wanted to go into law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city as a police officer for 33 years .
“ What I like most is that you ’ re dealing with people on perhaps the worst day of their lives and you can try and help them as much as you can and make that day a little bit better , ” Sheskey told the newspaper .
“ And that , for the most part , people trust us to do that for them .
And it ’ s a huge responsibility , and I really like trying to help people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a situation right , or better , but we can maybe make it a little easier for them to handle during that time.
” Sheskey , who appears to be white based on photographs and video , was moved to the bike patrol in 2017 , according to the Kenosha News interview .
He was among a group of officers named in a handwritten federal lawsuit filed last year by a man in the Kenosha County jail , Lathan Steven Ward , who accused the officers of damaging his door while they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warrant in August 2018 .
He also accused the officers of racial profiling and causing him pain and shame .
U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller dismissed the case , ruling Ward ’ s allegations weren ’ t sufficient to sustain the lawsuit .
Before Sheskey joined the Kenosha Police Department he worked for the campus police department at University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha from the fall of 2009 to the spring of 2013 .
He served in various roles , including as a dispatcher , enforcing parking regulations and as a police officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not said how many complaints may have been filed against Sheskey , whether his superiors ever disciplined him or whether he earned any commendations .
Arenas has been with the Kenosha Police Department since February 2019 and previously served with the U.S. Capitol Police Department from June 2017 through January 2019 , authorities said .
Arenas served in the Marines from 2012 to 2017 and did not do any combat deployments , the Marine Corps said .
Meronek joined the Kenosha police force in January .
She received a technical diploma from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Technical College in May , according to school records .
The Associated Press has filed a request under Wisconsin ’ s open records law with both the state Department of Justice and the Kenosha Police Department for the officers ’ service records .
Government agencies typically take weeks or months to turn over documents in response to such requests .
Sheskey and Meronek did not respond to emails sent to possible addresses for them and Arenas did not return a phone message left at a possible phone number for him .
No one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for officers ’ family members .
No one answered the door Thursday at Sheskey ’ s home .
Associated Press reporters Stephen Groves in Kenosha , Scott Bauer in Madison , Wisconsin , Amy Forliti in Minneapolis and researchers Monika Mathur in Washington , D.C. , and Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Health experts decry Trump’s shunning of virus rules

WASHINGTON - Public health experts expressed concern Friday about President Donald Trump ’ s largely mask-free , socially un-distanced Republican convention event on the White House lawn , saying some of his 1,500 guests may have inadvertently brought and spread the coronavirus to others .
“ There almost certainly were individuals there who were infected with COVID-19 but don ’ t know it , ” said Dr. Leana Wen , an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University.. “ I worry about these individuals infecting one another and most certainly going back to their home , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baltimore ’ s health commissioner .
Trump delivered his speech accepting the GOP presidential nomination at the Thursday night event , which continued a pattern of flouting coronavirus safety guidelines .
Few in the audience wore masks when virtually all leading public health professionals , including the administration ’ s , say face coverings play a big part in slowing virus transmission .
Chairs were placed inches apart instead of the recommended 6 feet , leaving attendees little room to practice social distancing .
Only those guests the White House expected to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Vice-President Mike Pence were to be tested for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Though public health officials have said outdoors is safer than indoors , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also puts the risk of COVID-19 spreading at its highest at large outdoor events and in-person gatherings where people can not stay 6 feet apart and attendees come from out of town .
Trump ’ s campaign issued a statement from Dr. Robert Darling , chief medical officer of Patronus Medical Corp. , who said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in “ full compliance ” with multiple guidelines issued by the CDC , the District of Columbia health department and other leading health authorities .
He provided no details .
The campaign said Darling , a former White House physician to President Bill Clinton , has been working with the RNC to make sure the proper protocols are in place at convention sites .
In Charlotte , North Carolina , where delegates met Monday to nominate Trump for reelection , the city required a process to be put in place to trace people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outbreak , including requiring attendees to wear trackers on their lanyards .
Masks and social distancing requirements were also in place , and attendees were required to complete a daily temperature screening and wellness questionnaire .
They were tested before departing for Charlotte and retested upon arrival .
Out of nearly 800 coronavirus tests administered , two attendees and two people supporting the Charlotte event tested positive after they arrived , the county health department said .
The four individuals were instructed to isolate , and any known close contacts were notified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department said .
Public health officials also expressed concern over a march in Washington on Friday to commemorate the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom .
The size of the event had been scaled back because of coronavirus concerns .
Participants underwent temperature checks as part of coronavirus protocols .
Organizers also reminded the marchers to practice social distancing and wear masks , though many were bare-faced and packed together .
Before a Trump rally Friday night in New Hampshire , a campaign advisory said masks for attendees were “ required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Sununu ’ s executive orders , and would be provided .
Before Trump arrived , many in the crowd did not put their masks back on after singing the national anthem .
They later booed when a campaign staffer called on them to do so .
Wen , the former Baltimore health official , said the White House event gives the public the false impression that precautions are no longer necessary .
“ We , in public health , have been trying to share , to put out guidance on what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of the country and top leaders doing exactly what we are asking people not to do , how can we be seen as credible ?
” she asked .
On Friday , North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he “ fell short of my own standard ” and apologized for not keeping his face mask on at the White House .
Tillis , who is in a tough reelection bid against Democrat Cal Cunningham , has been consistent about talking up face coverings as a key method to slow the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture of the first-term senator wearing a mask on the White House lawn on Thursday before Trump ’ s speech .
But other media outlets later showed images of the crowd during the speech and Tillis was seen not wearing his mask .
“ I thought it was very hard not to recoil at those images , ” said Dr. Howard Koh , a public health professor at Harvard and a former assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services under President Barack Obama .
Koh said one mitigating factor was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said wearing facial coverings during outbreaks is expected behaviour in some Asian societies and social distancing , wearing masks and avoiding large crowds are new social norms that can save lives in the United States as well .
Koh said the same guidance applies to protests , but that moving around during demonstrations might help curb the spread of the virus .

Darlene Superville And Deb Riechmann - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-28--Health agencies’ credibility at risk after week of blunders

WASHINGTON - The credibility of two of the nation ’ s leading public health agencies was under fire this week after controversial decisions that outside experts said smacked of political pressure from President Donald Trump as he attempts to move past the devastating toll of the coronavirus ahead of the November election .
The head of the Food and Drug Administration grossly misstated , then corrected , claims about the lifesaving power of a plasma therapy for COVID-19 authorized by his agency .
Then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly updated its guidelines to suggest fewer Americans need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage from scientists .
Trump ’ s own factual misstatements about COVID-19 are well documented , but the back-to-back messaging blunders by public health officials could create new damage , eroding public trust in front-line agencies .
That ’ s already raising concerns about whether the administration will be forthcoming with critical details about upcoming vaccines needed to defeat the pandemic .
“ I do worry about the credibility of the FDA and CDC , especially at a time when the capacity of the federal government to advance public health should be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniel Levinson , former longtime inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services , which oversees both the FDA and the CDC .
On Friday , FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn removed a conservative public relations official involved in the botched plasma announcement from her role heading the agency ’ s press office , according to a person familiar with the matter , who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations .
The move came less than two weeks after the White House tapped Emily Miller for the role .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right-wing One America News Network and as a staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz ’ s reelection campaign .
She did not return calls seeking comment Friday .
An FDA spokesperson said late Friday that Miller remains an appointee within the agency .
Trump administration officials said Wednesday that the CDC testing guidance was revised by the White House virus task force “ to reflect current evidence , “ but did not detail what that was .
The new recommendations say it ’ s not necessary for most people who have been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t feel sick , to get tested .
Outside experts said that flies in the face of the scientific consensus that wide-scale testing is needed to stamp out new infections .
The week began with Hahn forced to backtrack after using an erroneous statistic describing the effectiveness of the blood plasma therapy granted emergency use for COVID-19 , as Trump twisted the facts and inflated the significance of the move .
Hahn “ hurt his own credibility , he hurt that of his agency and he probably hurt the credibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Daniel Carpenter , a Harvard University professor of government .
The U.S. has invested billions of dollars in efforts to quickly develop multiple vaccines against COVID-19 .
But public fears that a vaccine is unsafe or ineffective could be disastrous , derailing the effort to vaccinate millions of Americans .
The American Medical Association urged the FDA to set up new processes to keep the medical community in the loop on vaccine developments , warning that public confidence is at stake .
The group has also challenged the CDC to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new testing recommendation .
“ We need to see light , ” said Dr. Susan Bailey , AMA ’ s president .
“ There is a concern that if you are not seeing the data , you have to wonder why.
” A White House spokesperson said Friday that every decision the CDC and FDA have made under the Trump administration has been “ data-driven to safely save lives.
“ The administration ’ s Sunday rollout of the news that the FDA had granted emergency authorization for blood plasma in treating COVID-19 was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plasma , taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus , is rich in infection-fighting antibodies , which may benefit those still battling the disease .
Trump described the move as “ historic ” and touted the plasma ’ s “ incredible rate of success.
” But the FDA ’ s own scientific memo made clear that more research is needed to prove whether it works .
Hahn echoed Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in claiming that 35 more people out of 100 would survive the coronavirus if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure grossly overstated preliminary findings from the Mayo Clinic , which can not be used to draw broader conclusions about survival .
The error amounted to a rookie statistical mistake , particularly egregious for a cancer specialist like Hahn .
He apologized for the misstatement more than 24 hours later .
The FDA ’ s press statement on plasma struck an unusually political tone for the science-based agency , touting the move as “ another achievement in the administration ’ s fight against pandemic.
” Miller ’ s appointment as FDA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusual , given the position is typically held by FDA civil servants , not political appointees .
Her previous stints in journalism had focused primarily on gun advocacy issues , not health or medicine .
In a parallel shakeup , HHS cancelled the contract of a longtime FDA communications consultant who had advised Hahn to correct the misstatements on plasma .
“ I did advise the commissioner to correct the record .
I think that ’ s the correct position to take , ” said Wayne Pines , in an interview with The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been an advocate for protecting FDA ’ s reputation and the trust that the American public must have in the FDA.
” Pines said he didn ’ t know if the cancellation of his contract was related to his advice to Hahn .
An HHS official declined to comment on personnel matters .
The FDA declined to make Hahn available for an interview but pointed to comments this week in which he said he accidentally misquoted the plasma survival figure in an effort to simplify information for patients .
He also denied political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s decision on convalescent plasma .
Dr. Jesse Goodman , FDA ’ s former chief scientist , said convalescent plasma probably met the bar for FDA emergency authorization , which merely requires that potential benefits outweigh risks .
But he and other former FDA staffers said they disagreed with the decision and worried that it followed pressure from Trump .
“ I believe that FDA made this decision itself , however that kind of pressure is very toxic and will erode trust in FDA decisions in the future , ” said Goodman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA staff generally supported the decision on plasma , according to a person familiar with the deliberations , who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations .
The authorization makes it easier for U.S. hospitals to use it .
But several top scientists from the National Institutes of Health weren ’ t yet convinced of its effectiveness .
The internal debate was first reported last week by The New York Times .
Trump reacted quickly , telling reporters : “ It could be a political decision because you have a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to rush things because they want ... to do it after Nov. 3.
“ Then , on Saturday , Trump fired off a Twitter blast aimed at the “ deep state , or whoever , over at the FDA.
“ Pressure from Azar also ratcheted up ahead of the FDA ’ s Sunday authorization , the person familiar with the discussions said .
HHS did not respond to questions about whether Azar pressed the FDA .
Instead a spokesperson referred to recent interviews in which Azar denied politics influenced the decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plasma decision resembled the agency ’ s March authorization of hydroxychloroquine , the anti-malaria drug vigorously promoted by Trump .
After prodding by the White House , the FDA authorized distribution of the drug despite concerns .
In June , the agency reversed course after studies showed the drug was ineffective and could cause sometimes fatal heart problems .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Matthew Perrone And Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar - The Associated Press