thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Iran retrieves data, cockpit talk from downed Ukraine plane

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran has retrieved some data , including a portion of cockpit conversations , from the Ukrainian jetliner accidentally downed by the Revolutionary Guard forces in January , killing all 176 people on board , an Iranian official said Sunday .
That ’ s according to a report on the website of Iran ’ s Civil Aviation Organization , which described the official ’ s remarks as part of the final report that Tehran plans to issue on the shootdown of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 .
The development comes months after the Jan. 8 crash near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility , only changing course days later , after Western nations presented extensive evidence that Iran had shot down the plane .
Fifty-five Canadian citizens , 30 permanent residents and dozens of others with connections to Canada were among those killed .
The shootdown happened the same night Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. soldiers in Iraq , its response to the American drone strike that killed Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3 .
At the time , Iranian troops were bracing for a U.S. counterstrike and appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missile .
Iran , however , has not acknowledges that , only saying that after the ballistic missile attack , its air defence was sufficiently alert and had allowed previously scheduled air traffic to resume — a reference to the Ukrainian plane being allowed to take off from Tehran .
The Ukrainian plane was apparently targeted by two missiles .
The plane had just taken off from Tehran ’ s Imam Khomeini International Airport when the first missile exploded , possibly damaging its radio equipment .
The second missile likely directly struck the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show the plane exploding into a ball of fire before crashing into a playground and farmland on the outskirts of Tehran .
For days after the crash , Iranian investigators combed the site , sifting through the debris of the plane .
The head of Iran ’ s Civil Aviation Organization , Capt .
Touraj Dehghani Zangeneh , said on Sunday that the Ukrainian passenger plane ’ s black boxes have only 19 seconds of conversation following the first explosion , though the second missile reached the plane 25 seconds later .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said the first missile explosion sent shrapnel into the plane , likely disrupting the plane ’ s recorders .
He did not reveal any details of the cockpit conversation that was retrieved .
Representatives from the U.S. , Ukraine , France , Canada , Britain and Sweden — countries whose citizens were killed in the crash — were present during the process to gather data from the recorders , Zangeneh said .
In the months since the downing of the plane , Iran has struggled with the Middle East ’ s largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Iranian government is also grappling with both crushing U.S. sanctions and vast domestic economic problems .
Last month , an initial report from the Iranian investigation said that a misaligned missile battery , miscommunication between troops and their commanders and a decision to fire without authorization all led to the fatal downing of the jetliner .
That report said the surface-to-air missile battery that targeted the Boeing 737-800 had been relocated and was not properly reoriented .
Those manning the missile battery could not communicate with their command centre , they misidentified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened fire twice without getting approval from ranking officials , it said .
Western intelligence officials and analysts believe Iran shot down the aircraft with a Russian-made Tor system , known to NATO as the SA-15 .
In 2007 , Iran took the delivery of 29 Tor M1 units from Russia under a contract worth an estimated $ 700 million .
The system is mounted on a tracked vehicle and carries a radar and a pack of eight missiles .
The initial report did not say why the Guard moved the air defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airport is believed to be home to both regular military and bases of the paramilitary Guard .
It also noted that the Ukrainian flight had done nothing out of the ordinary up until the missile launch , with its transponder and other data being broadcast .
The aircraft ’ s black box flight recorder was sent to Paris in June , where international investigators have been examining it .
“ Data recovery activity was all done with the aim of safety and preventing similar incidents , “ Zangeneh said , adding an appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process.
” He added that Iran ’ s airspace is now “ safe and ready ” for international flights .
— With files from The Canadian Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--4 dead, 11 missing as flooding hits Turkey’s Black Sea coast

ANKARA , Turkey - Four people have died in floods caused by heavy rain along Turkey ’ s Black Sea @ @ @ @ @ said Sunday .
A further 11 people were missing after flooding around the mountain town @ @ @ @ @ .
“ So far , 127 of our citizens have been rescued in search and @ @ @ @ @ ” Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said while visiting the town .
One of the dead @ @ @ @ @ vehicle was swept away by the floods .
Television footage showed vehicles and debris being @ @ @ @ @ main road of Dereli , which lies around 12 miles ( 20 kilometres ) inland @ @ @ @ @ in the region had been cut off .
Heavy rain along the Black Sea coast @ @ @ @ @ apartment buildings evacuated after landslides in Rize province , 110 miles ( 180 kilometres ) @ @ @ @ @ forecast heavy storms in Giresun and the neighbouring provinces of Trabzon , Rize and Artvin @ @ @ @

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thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Riot declared outside Portland public safety building

PORTLAND , Ore. - Police forced protesters away from a law enforcement building in Oregon ’ s biggest city early Sunday , as efforts to stop the demonstrators from gathering at the building seemingly fell apart .
The protesters apparently had plans Saturday night to march from a park to the Penumbra Kelly public safety building , news outlets reported .
But , a standoff between marchers and officers took place on a bridge along the way — and the demonstrators retreated .
Protesters appear to have returned to the park , and then taken cars to the building , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Live .
Police initially declared an unlawful assembly , saying items had been thrown at officers , green lasers had been pointed at them and paintball guns had been fired .
The gathering was later declared a riot .
Officers had been hit with rocks , bottles and other objects , police said .
Images posted online showed officers using smoke to clear the area .
Several people were seen being detained , but it ’ s unclear whether any arrests were made .
Similar protests have previously occurred at the Penumbra Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrest followed rivaling protests Saturday afternoon .
Federal authorities forced demonstrators away from a plaza near a federal building as dueling demonstrations by right-wing and left-wing protesters turned violent .
The area includes county and federal buildings and has been the site of numerous recent protests .
Department of Homeland Security officers moved through the plaza across from an 18-story federal building .
A federal courthouse is also near that area .
Violent demonstrations have gripped Portland for months , following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began about noon near the Multnomah County Justice Center , news outlets reported .
Demonstrators hurled rocks and other items at each other and got into fights .
Streets were blocked amid the mayhem .
Right-wing groups had announced a rally near the Justice Center Saturday afternoon that quickly drew counter demonstrators .
In a statement , Portland Police said there had been questions about why the afternoon gathering wasn ’ t declared a riot and why city police officers didn ’ t intervene .
Incident commanders have to determine whether police action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement said .
“ In this case there were hundreds of individuals and many weapons within the groups and an extremely limited amount of police resources actually available to address such a crowd , ” police said .
“ Additionally , ( Portland police officers ) have been the focus of over 80 days of violent actions directed at the police , which is a major consideration for determining if police resources are necessary to interject between two groups with individuals who appear to be willingly engaging in physical confrontations for short durations @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--3 Illinoisans named to state’s Outdoor Hall of Fame

CHICAGO - Three more people are being inducted into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame for boosting conservation efforts and @ @ @ @ @ to the Illinois Conservation Foundation .
The individuals — Mike Conlin of Auburn , Jim @ @ @ @ @ Wilkins of Shorewood — will be honoured at a Chicago gala in April 2021 .
@ @ @ @ @ set the pace on conservation leadership for years , ” said Colleen Callahan , chair @ @ @ @ @ board and director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources .
Conlin retired from the @ @ @ @ @ IDNR in 2009 after nearly 40 years .
Working as fisheries division chief , he @ @ @ @ @ an expansion of the state fish hatcheries .
Smith and Wilkins are avid sportsman and @ @ @ @ @ ’ re credited with sponsoring events including fishing derbies and waterfowl education seminars .
The @ @ @ @ @ recognized Illinois residents for their contributions to preservation and support of the outdoors since 2002 @


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Court told New Zealand shooter planned to burn down mosques

WELLINGTON , New Zealand - The white supremacist who slaughtered 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques had intended to burn down the mosques afterward , a prosecutor said in court Monday , while describing two of those praying as making heroic efforts to stop the mass shooting .
New details about the March 2019 attacks were outlined during the first day of a four-day sentencing hearing at the Christchurch High Court .
The hearing gave some families and survivors their first chance to confront the gunman .
“ You killed your own humanity , and I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your horrible crime , ” said a tearful Maysoon Salama , the mother of 33-year-old Atta Elayyan , who was killed in the attacks .
“ You thought you can break us .
You failed miserably.
” The gunman , 29-year-old Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant , pleaded guilty in March to 51 counts of murder , 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism — the first terrorism conviction in New Zealand ’ s history .
He could become the first person in New Zealand to be sentenced to life imprisonment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was brought into the courtroom shackled and wearing a gray prison outfit .
In the dock , unshackled and surrounded by five officers , he showed little emotion throughout the hearing .
He occasionally looked around the room , tapped his fingers , and watched the survivors as they spoke .
The courtroom was only half full due to coronavirus distancing requirements , while many others watched from adjacent courtrooms where the hearing was streamed .
Survivors and family members occasionally wept and comforted each other .
The hearing began with prosecutors outlining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts , the first detailed account by authorities about what happened that day .
Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes said that two months before the attacks , Tarrant flew a drone directly over the Al Noor mosque , recording an aerial view of the grounds and buildings and taking note of the entry and exit doors .
Hawes said the gunman planned his attacks for when the maximum number of worshippers were present , and that 190 people were in the Al Noor mosque for Friday prayers on the day of the attacks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ six guns — two AR-15 rifles , two other rifles , and two shotguns , the court heard .
He also brought with him four modified gas containers which he planned to use to burn down the mosques after he finished shooting , Hawes said .
The gunman later told police he wished he had used them .
Hawes also detailed the bravery of Naeem Rashid , who was killed at the Al Noor mosque .
“ He ran at the defendant from the southeastern corner of the room .
When Mr. Rashid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the defendant swung the AR-15 around and fired four shots at point-blank range , ” Hawes said .
“ Mr .
Rashid crashed into the defendant and the defendant went down on one knee , ” Hawes said , adding that Tarrant was able to get back up and shoot Rashid again .
At the second mosque , Abdul Aziz chased Tarrant down the driveway screaming at him , prosecutors said , and threw a discarded rifle at his car , shattering a glass panel .
Aziz was not injured .
Tarrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself during the sentencing , raising fears he could try to use the occasion as a platform to promote his racist views .
He can choose to speak once the survivors have spoken , although the judge will likely shut down any attempts he makes to grandstand .
New Zealand abolished the death penalty for murder in 1961 , and the longest sentence imposed since then has been life imprisonment with a minimum 30-year non-parole period .
Justice Cameron Mander will decide on the gunman ’ s sentence at the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques shocked New Zealand and prompted new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons .
They also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook , where it was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people .
Prosecutors said that after Tarrant left the Linwood mosque he planned to drive to the town of Ashburton and attack a third mosque .
But he was rammed by two police officers , dragged out of his car and arrested .
Gamal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Noor mosque who survived the shooting , told the court that the gunman ’ s actions were misguided .
“ We are a peaceful and loving community who did not deserve your actions , ” Fouda said .
“ Your hatred is unnecessary .
If you have done anything , you have brought the world community closer with your evil actions .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Massive Northern California wildfires rage on; 1 man dead

SCOTTS VALLEY , Calif. - Three massive wildfires chewed through parched Northern California landscape Sunday as firefighters raced to dig breaks and make other preparations ahead of a frightening weather system packing high winds and more of the lightning that sparked the huge blazes and scores of other fires around the state , putting nearly a quarter-million people under evacuation orders and warnings .
At the CZU Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains .
south of San Francisco , authorities announced the discovery of the body of a 70-year-old man in a remote area called Last Chance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ police had to use a helicopter to reach the area , which is a string of about 40 off-the-grid homes at the end of a windy , steep dirt road north of the city of Santa Cruz .
The area was under an evacuation order and Santa Cruz Sheriff ’ s Department Chief Deputy Chris Clark said it was a stark reminder of the need for residents to leave the area .
“ This is one of the darkest periods we ’ ve been in with this fire , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CZU fire and seventh fire victim in the state in the last week that has seen 650 wildfires across California , many of them sparked by the more than 12,000 lighting strikes recorded since Aug. , 15 .
There are 14,0000 firefighters .
2,400 engines and 95 aircraft battling the fires .
The Santa Cruz fire is one of three “ complexes , ” or groups of fires , burning on all sides of the San Francisco Bay Area.. All were started by lightning .
Fire crew made progress during the weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unseasonably warm weather and little wind .
that allowed firefighters to increase what had been precious little containment .
But the forecast late Sunday was ominous — the National Weather Service issued a “ red flag ” warning through Monday afternoon for the drought-stricken area , meaning extreme fire conditions including high temperatures , low humidity , lightning and wind gusts up to 65 mph ( 105 kph ) that “ may result in dangerous and unpredictable fire behaviour.
” Mark Brunton , a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said while he ’ s confident firefighters did the most with the time they had to prepare , he ’ s not sure what to expect .
“ There ’ s a lot of potential for things to really go crazy out there , ” he said .
The LNU Lightning Complex fire in wine country north of San Francisco and SCU Lightning Complex southeast of the city have within a week grown to be two of the three largest fires in state history , with both burning more than 500 square miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LNU fire has been the most deadly and destructive blaze , accounting for five deaths and 845 destroyed homes and other buildings .
Three of the victims were in a home that was under an evacuation order .
Officials surveying maps at command centres are astonished by the sheer size of the fires , Cal Fire spokesman Brice Bennett said .
“ You could overlay half of one of these fires and it covers the entire city of San Francisco , ” Bennett said Sunday .
In Southern California , an 11-day-old blaze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles ( 106 square kilometres ) near Lake Hughes in northern Los Angeles County mountains .
Rough terrain , hot weather and the potential for thunderstorms with lightning strikes challenged firefighters on Sunday .
Authorities said their firefighting effort in Santa Cruz was hindered by people who refused to evacuate and those who were using the chaos to steal .
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said 100 officers were patrolling and anyone not authorized to be in an evacuation zone would be arrested .
“ What we ’ re hearing from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of looting going on , “ Hart said .
He and county District Attorney Jeff Rosell expressed anger at what Rosell called the “ absolutely soulless “ people who seek to victimize those already victimized by the fire .
Among the victims was a fire commander who was robbed when he left his fire vehicle to help direct direct operations .
Someone entered the vehicle and stole personal items , including a wallet and “ drained his bank account , ” said Chief Mark Brunton , a battalion chief for the California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cal Fire ) .
“ I can ’ t imagine a bigger low-life , “ Hart said , promising to catch him and vowing “ the DA is going to hammer him.
” Holly Hansen , who fled the LNU fire , was among evacuees from the community of Angwin allowed Sunday to go back to their homes for one hour to retrieve belongings .
She and her three dogs waited five hours in her SUV for their turn .
Among the items she took with her were photos of her pets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived in Sonoma during the ( 2017 ) Tubbs Fire , so this is time No .
2 for me .
It ’ s horrible when you have to think about what to take , “ she said .
“ I think it ’ s a very raw human base emotion to have fear of fire and losing everything .
It ’ s frightening.
” Baker reported from Los Angeles .
Associated Press journalists Christopher Weber and Aron Ranen contributed , respectively , from Los Angeles and Angwin , California .

Martha Mendoza And Frank Baker - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--‘End of the world’: Countdown to Beirut’s devastating blast

BEIRUT - The 10 firefighters who received the call shortly before 6 p.m. — a big fire at the nearby port of Beirut — could not know what awaited them .
The brigade of nine men and one woman could not know about the stockpile of ammonium nitrate warehoused since 2013 along a busy motorway , in the heart of a densely populated residential area — a danger that had only grown with every passing year .
They and nearly all the population of Beirut were simply unaware .
They were not privy to the warnings authorities had received , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ammonium nitrate is highly explosive , used in fertilizer and sometimes to build bombs .
The stockpile was degrading ; something must be done .
They knew , of course , that they lived in a dysfunctional country , its government rife with corruption , factionalism and negligence that caused so much pain and heartbreak .
But they could not know that it would lead to the worst single-day catastrophe in Lebanon ’ s tragic history .
Across the city , residents who noticed the grey smoke billowing over the facility Aug. 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ windows , watching curiously as the fire grew larger .
Phones were pulled out of pockets and pointed toward the flames .
The firefighters piled into a fire engine and an ambulance and raced to the scene — and to their doom .
Seven years ago , a ship named the Rhosus set out from the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi carrying 2,755.5 tons of ammonium nitrate destined for an explosives company in Mozambique .
It made an unscheduled detour , stopping in Beirut on Nov. 19 , 2013 .
The ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with debts and hoped to earn extra cash by taking on pieces of heavy machinery in Lebanon .
That additional cargo proved too heavy for the Rhosus and the crew refused to take it on .
The Rhosus was soon impounded by Lebanese authorities for failing to pay port fees .
It never left the port ; it sank there in February 2018 , according to Lebanese official documents .
The Port of Beirut is considered one of the most corrupt institutions in a country where nearly every public institution is riddled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking bribes .
A bribe from an importer , for example , will ensure an incoming shipment is mislabeled to get lower customs duties — or escapes duties and taxes completely .
Confiscated goods are sometimes sold off on the sly for a profit .
For years , Lebanon ’ s ruling political factions have divvied up positions at the port and handed them out to supporters — as they have ministries , public companies and other facilities nationwide .
The longtime head of customs is known to be a loyalist of President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head of the port is in the camp of Saad Hariri , the Sunni leader who has repeatedly served as prime minister .
The Hezbollah militant group and , even more , its Shiite ally the Amal faction headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri , also have loyalists at the port , though Hezbollah doesn ’ t have the same influence as it does at , for example , the airport , which it controls and uses to ferry in cash from Iran .
The result is a port divided into factional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together and are sometimes outright rivals .
Individual port authorities are sometimes more concerned with their scams than with proper functioning .
And government officials avoid looking too closely at goings-on at the port to protect their loyalists .
The first known warning came on Feb. 21 , 2014 , three months after the ship docked at the port .
In a letter to the customs authority ’ s anti-smuggling department , senior customs official Col. Joseph Skaff wrote that the material on board was “ extremely dangerous and endangers public safety.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a response or if he sent other letters .
He was found dead outside his house near Beirut under mysterious circumstances , shortly after he retired in March 2017 .
At least one medical report suggested he might have been murdered .
Skaff ’ s son , Michel , said he was killed by a blow to the head .
He said his father dealt with other sensitive matters , including drug trafficking .
“ Someone maybe was trying to hide what is happening at the port , ” he said by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City .
In the years that followed , Skaff ’ s letter was followed by other correspondence that went back and forth between top customs and port officials and members of the judiciary and the army .
On June 27 , 2014 , with the ammonium nitrate still aboard the Rhosus , Jad Maalouf , a judge for urgent matters , warned the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation in correspondence that the ship was carrying dangerous material and could sink .
He said the ministry should deal with the ship , remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a suitable place that it ( the ministry ) chooses , and it should be under its protection.
” It is not clear if there was ever a reply .
Ministry officials did not respond to requests from The Associated Press asking for comment .
In October 2014 , the ammonium nitrate was moved into the port ’ s Warehouse 12 , which holds impounded materials .
A chemical forensic expert , commissioned by the courts and the owners of the ammonium nitrate , got a look at the stockpile soon after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said in her February 2015 report .
Most of the sacks — she estimated more than 1,900 of the 2,750 sacks— were torn open , their contents spilling out .
Some of the crystals had darkened , a sign of decomposition .
The sacks were piled so haphazardly that she could not count them to be sure all were still there .
The inspector recommended the chemicals be disposed of according to environmental guidelines .
Her report was uncovered by Riad Kobaissi , an investigative reporter with Al Jadeed TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and within the customs authorities since 2012 .
On Oct. 26 , 2015 , the army command asked customs to sample the material and check the level of nitrogen “ and based on that we can give a suggestion regarding them.
” The then-head of the customs department , Shafeeq Merhi , wrote back in February 2016 , saying an expert found the nitrogen level was 34.7 % , a very high and dangerous level , well above the acceptable concentration of around 11 % .
The army command responded the following April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ammonium nitrate .
It asked customs to contact Lebanese Explosives Co. — a maker of explosives for construction of roads and tunnels and for imploding structures — to see if that private company could use it .
If not , the material should be exported at the expense of the ship owner who brought it to Lebanon , the army said in its letter .
An administrator at Lebanese Explosives told the AP that it was “ not interested in buying confiscated material because we did not know where they were brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its expiry.
” Merhi and his successor as customs chief , Badri Daher , sent multiple letters in the following years to the Courts of Urgent Matters , warning of the danger and seeking permission to sell the material or a ruling on another way to get rid of it .
Daher told the AP and other media that he never received any reply from the court .
But Kobaissi , the investigative reporter , found documents showing the court responded each time that it didn ’ t have jurisdiction and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over the years , Lebanese built and bought luxury property opposite the port , a nearby Beirut Marina including restaurants , cafes and retail shops was built up , concerts were held , children rode their bicycles and workers went about their daily business , oblivious to the massive “ bomb “ waiting to explode .
At some point , someone battered open a door to Warehouse 12 and knocked a hole in one of its walls .
When is not known .
It was reported when State Security inspected the site this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it warned that the warehouse ’ s “ Door Number 9 has suffered a blow in the middle , knocking it away from the wall enough to allow anyone to enter and steal the ammonium nitrate.
” It also noted the hole in the wall and pointed out that there was no guard at the warehouse , “ making theft even easier.
” The report to President Michel Aoun and then-Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned that thieves could steal the material to make explosives .
Or , it said , the mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would practically destroy the port.
” Kobaissi shared the report with the AP .
Aoun has been in office since 2016 .
After the explosion , he said the State Security report was the first time he ’ d heard of the dangerous stockpile .
He said he immediately ordered military and security agencies to do “ what was needed ” — though he added he had no authority over the port .
After being criticized by rival politicians and on social media for not doing more , Aoun ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military adviser had immediately forwarded the State Security report to the Higher Defence Council , the top defence body in the country .
But a government official said security agencies had repeatedly sent warnings directly to the government .
“ The same memo was sent roughly every year basically since that ship arrived , and it became clear the stuff wasn ’ t moving .
So , it was like a tradition and it wasn ’ t marked as priority , ” the official told AP , speaking on condition of anonymity because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the media .
Kobaissi , the investigative reporter , said all political factions in the country benefited from using the port for patronage , and most overlooked dubious dealings .
He said many people knew about the initial warning by Skaff , including Hezbollah ’ s former point man at the port .
Port and customs officials “ are a gang , a mafia , appointed by a mafia gang that has come to office through an election process , ” Kobaissi told the AP .
He believes officials at the port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sell off the ammonium nitrate and skim off some of the money .
He noted a similar scheme was run in the past when containers of confiscated asbestos were auctioned off .
He said there were many instances of port officials profiting off impounded shipments , even keeping some goods — like Mini Coopers — for themselves .
Both the customs chief Daher and the head of the port , Hassan Koraytem , are among those detained in the wake of the explosion .
On the afternoon of Aug. 4 , security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been working for several days to weld the broken Door Number 9 of Warehouse 12 finished work and left the facility .
The cause of the original fire has still not been determined and is at the heart of the current investigation .
Some have questioned whether the welding may have sparked stocks of flammable liquids used in making detergents , as well as tons of fireworks that were also being kept in Warehouse 12 .
Other possibilities such as sabotage are also being investigated .
The metalworkers , who were hired to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the security report , have been detained for questioning , according to security officials .
Shortly after the 10 firefighters arrived at the port , they sent an urgent call back to headquarters , asking for reinforcements .
Photos they sent from their mobile phones to their colleagues showed them trying to open the gate of Warehouse 12 .
“ When they called us , they said they are hearing the sound of fireworks , ” Beirut fire chief Nabil Khankarli told the AP .
No one told the emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the warehouse .
No port officials were even there to help them open the gate , Khankarli said .
A second team jumped into their vehicles and headed toward the port .
All across the city , flames and the pillar of black smoke could be seen pouring into the sky , lit up by popping fireworks .
Many residents would later report hearing a jet or a drone and presuming it was Israeli , since Israel sends reconnaissance flights over Lebanon on an almost daily basis .
No evidence has yet emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion , sending shredded debris into the air .
That first blast , survivors would recount later , sent some who had been watching the fire scurrying for cover .
Twelve seconds later , at 6:08 p.m. , the ammonium nitrate detonated in one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded .
In an instant , a blast with the force of hundreds of tons of TNT sucked in the air — one video showed a luxury store window exploding outward from the suction , spraying a bride and groom taking their wedding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then unleashed its power across the city .
It blew a crater nearly 200 metres ( yards ) wide out of the port where Warehouse 12 once stood , and seawater poured in to fill it .
The port was levelled .
A grain silo right next to the warehouse was shredded and sheared in half — though its massive bulk partially shielded sections of the city from the blast .
For miles around , in people ’ s homes and in shops and hospitals , windows were shattered , doors knocked off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a vicious whirlwind onto those inside .
Alaa Saad and his friends were out diving , about 2.5 kilometres ( 1.5 miles ) off the coast of Beirut , when they started hearing noises from the direction of the port and saw the smoke .
Was it fireworks ?
Ammunition ?
“ There were lots of flashes going off inside the smoke , ” he said .
He heard some kind of eruption , like a volcano .
“ Something that was boiling very much , ” he said .
“ Five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I saw the cloud or the wave that was coming toward us at very high speed , ” he said .
“ It was insane speed .
I could not even think if I wanted to jump in the water or stay on the boat.
” Saad fell on the deck .
A friend tumbled into the water .
“ After that , ” he said , “ I thought it was the end of Beirut or the end of the world or the war has started.
” More than 6,000 people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed — among them the 10 first responders .
It would take days of searching before colleagues found all their bodies in the rubble .
Nearly three weeks later , theories abound .
In the deeply polarized country , some have turned their suspicion to Hezbollah , which maintains a huge weapons stockpile in the country and dominates its politics .
A member of the militant group was sentenced to six years in prison after he was arrested in Cyprus in 2015 in connection with the seizure of nine tons of ammonium nitrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An investigative team that includes Kobaissi , working with The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project , found that the shadow owner of the Rhosus was actually a Cypriot who owed money to a Lebanese bank linked to Hezbollah — raising speculation that he brought in the ammonium nitrate for the group .
The businessman , Charalambos Manoli , denied the report , insisting to the AP that he sold the ship in May 2012 .
Others have peddled a theory that rivals of the group had sought to accrue the fertilizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in neighbouring Syria .
The documents show clear negligence and failure ; the question of whether something more triggered the blast depends on an investigation that so far has seemed predictably slow and ineffectual .
The fire chief , Khankarli , is furious .
So much destruction .
So much bloodshed .
All of it avoidable .
“ We are waiting for the investigation , ” he said .
“ But what is gone can not be recovered .
”

Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb And Zeina Karam - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Police shooting in Wisconsin leaves 1 person hospitalized

KENOSHA , Wis. - A person was hospitalized in serious condition following a police shooting in Kenosha , Wisconsin , that prompted neighbours and crowds to gather and confront officers at the scene Sunday night .
The shooting happened about 5 p.m. as officers were responding to a “ domestic incident , “ the Kenosha Police Department said in a news release .
Police did not provide details about what led to the shooting , but said the person was transported to a hospital in Milwaukee for treatment .
In a video posted on social media Sunday that appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , three officers could be seen shouting and pointing their weapons at a man who walked around the front of an SUV parked on the street .
As the man opened the driver ’ s side door and leaned inside , one officer grabbed his shirt from behind and then fired into the vehicle .
At least seven shots could be heard , though it was unclear if more than one officer fired .
Following the shooting , neighbours could be seen gathering in the streets and hurling comments at police .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice , no peace.
” Kenosha Police referred all questions to the Wisconsin Department of Justice , which did not immediately respond to messages seeking to confirm details of the video .
The Kenosha Sheriff ’ s Department and Wisconsin State Patrol were requested at the scene so another law enforcement agency could take over , police said in the news release .
The city of Kenosha is located on Lake Michigan , about 40 miles ( 64.37 Kilometers ) south of Milwaukee .
A Kenosha Police Department dispatcher referred calls by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice , the agency that will be investigating the shooting .
A message left with DOJ was not immediately returned .


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Trump announces plasma treatment authorized for COVID-19

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Sunday announced emergency authorization to treat COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma — a move he called “ a breakthrough , ” one of his top health officials called “ promising ” and other health experts said needs more study before it ’ s celebrated .
The announcement came after White House officials complained there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump ’ s reelection chances .
On the eve of the Republican National Convention , Trump put himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s announcement of the authorization at a news conference Sunday evening .
The authorization makes it easier for some patients to obtain the treatment but is not the same as full FDA approval .
The blood plasma , taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and rich in antibodies , may provide benefits to those battling the disease .
But the evidence so far has not been conclusive about whether it works , when to administer it and what dose is needed .
In a letter describing the emergency authorization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denise Hinton , said : “ COVID-19 convalescent plasma should not be considered a new standard of care for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 .
Additional data will be forthcoming from other analyses and ongoing , well-controlled clinical trials in the coming months.
” But Trump had made clear to aides that he was eager to showcase good news in the battle against the virus , and the timing allowed him to head into his convention with momentum .
He and aides billed it as a “ major “ development and used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the announcement .
Trump also displayed some rare discipline in the evening news conference , sticking to his talking points , deferring to the head of the FDA , Stephen Hahn , and only taking three questions from reporters .
The White House had grown agitated with the pace of the plasma approval .
The accusations of an FDA slowdown , which were presented without evidence , were just the latest assault from Trump ’ s team on what he refers to as the “ deep state ” bureaucracy .
White House chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in specifics , but said that “ we ’ ve looked at a number of people that are not being as diligent as they should be in terms of getting to the bottom of it.
” “ This president is about cutting red tape , ” Meadows said in an interview Sunday on “ This Week “ on ABC .
“ He had to make sure that they felt the heat .
If they don ’ t see the light , they need to feel the heat because the American people are suffering.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference , Trump said he thought there had been a “ logjam ” at the FDA over granting the emergency authorization .
He alleged there are people at the FDA “ that can see things being held up ... and that ’ s for political reasons.
” Dr. Joshua Sharfstein said the statement , and Hahn ’ s silence while Trump said it , “ was disgraceful.
” “ The FDA commissioner basically allowed the president to mischaracterize the decision and attack the integrity of FDA employees .
I was horrified , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Hopkins University ’ s school of public health who was a top FDA official during the Obama administration .
“ This is a promising therapy that has not been fully established , ” he said The push on Sunday came a day after Trump tweeted sharp criticism on the process to treat the virus , which has killed more than 175,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection chances .
The White House has sunk vast resources into an expedited process to develop a vaccine , and Trump aides have been banking on it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could help the president make up ground in the polls .
“ The deep state , or whoever , over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Obviously , they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd .
Must focus on speed , and saving lives !
” Earlier this month , Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors helps other infected patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered proof .
More than 70,000 patients in the U.S. have been given convalescent plasma , a century-old approach to fend off flu and measles before vaccines .
It ’ s a go-to tactic when new diseases come along , and history suggests it works against some , but not all , infections .
The Mayo Clinic reported preliminary data from 35,000 coronavirus patients treated with plasma , and said there were fewer deaths among people given plasma within three days of diagnosis , and also among those given plasma containing the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t a formal study .
The patients were treated in different ways in hospitals around the country as part of an FDA program designed to speed access to the experimental therapy .
That “ expanded access ” program tracks what happens to the recipients , but it can not prove the plasma — and not other care they received — was the real reason for improvement .
Administration officials , in a call with reporters Sunday , discussed a benefit for patients who were within three days of admission to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and were given ‘ high-titer ’ convalescent plasma containing higher concentrations of antibodies .
They were then compared to similar patients who were given lower-titer plasma .
The findings suggest deaths were 35 % lower in the high-titer group .
There ’ s been little data on how effective it is or whether it must be administered fairly early in an illness to make a significant difference , said Dr. William Schaffner , an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University .
Aiming to ward off a possible a run on convalescent plasma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been working to obtain plasma and to team with corporate partners and non-profit organizations to generate interest among previously infected patients to donate .
Hahn , who called the development “ promising , “ said Trump did not speak to him about the timing of the announcement .
He said “ this has been in the works for several weeks.
” But some health experts were skeptical .
Benjamin Corb , of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , called it “ conspicuous timing.
” “ President Trump is once again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and well-being of the American public , “ Corb said .
Rigorous studies are under way around the country , comparing similar patients randomly assigned to get plasma or a dummy infusion in addition to regular care .
But those studies have been difficult to finish as the virus waxes and wanes in different cities .
Also , some patients have requested plasma rather than agreeing to a study that might give them a placebo instead .
Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb dismissed the suggestion of a slowdown .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything or accelerate anything based on any political consideration or any consideration other than what is best for the public health and a real sense of mission to patients , ” Gottlieb told CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation.
” Trump , in news conferences , “ has made all kinds of therapeutic suggestions ” that have not proven to be supported by science — and are even dangerous , Schaffner said .
That includes statements about the possible value of treating COVID-19 patients with ultraviolet light and disinfectant .
Trump reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plant extract derived from a toxic shrub that scientists immediately warned against .
But the president is perhaps best known for his early and ardent embrace of the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine .
Earlier this month , Hahn emphasized that routine evaluation procedures will remain in place to evaluate COVID vaccine candidates .
“ I think this administration has put more pressure on the Food and Drug Administration than I can remember ” ever happening in the past , Schaffner said .
“ Everybody is just a little bit nervous , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter at http : //twitter.com/ @ JonLemire and Stobbe at http : //twitter.com/ @ mikestobbe

Jonathan Lemire And Mike Stobbe - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--The Latest: As virus spikes, S. Korea tightens restrictions

SEOUL , South Korea — South Korea counted its 11th straight day of triple-digit daily jumps in coronavirus cases as officials tighten social distancing restrictions nationwide to combat what they describe as the biggest crisis since the emergence of COVID-19 .
The 266 cases reported by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Monday came after three consecutive days of over-300 increases , although infection numbers tend to be lower at the start of the week due to the lesser number of tests in weekends .
The KCDC said 202 of the new cases came from the densely populated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country ’ s 51 million population , where health workers have struggled to track transmissions linked to various sources , including churches , restaurants , schools and workers .
Infections were also reported in major cities throughout the country , including Busan , Daejeon and Sejong .
KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong said it ’ s likely the country will continue to report huge infection numbers in coming days as health workers scramble to trace and test contacts of virus carriers .
The country since Sunday has banned larger gatherings , shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from professional sports nationwide .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK : — Pushing for breakthroughs in treatments for the coronavirus , White House officials are suggesting there are politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease .
— Florida slashed local health department staffing as its population grew over the last decade .
Now it ’ s a microcosm and a cautionary tale for America .
— India ’ s use of cheaper , faster but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the inherent pitfalls of a strategy that the U.S. is now considering to scale up testing .
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : IOWA CITY , Iowa — A young child died due to complications from coronavirus in June , the first confirmed death of a minor in Iowa during the pandemic , the state health department belatedly announced Sunday evening .
The Iowa Department of Public Health said the state medical examiner ’ s office concluded its case investigation Aug. 6 into the death of the child , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the death wasn ’ t reported in the state ’ s statistics until Saturday , more than two weeks later .
“ The child ’ s death was publicly reported this weekend after ensuring the individual ’ s identity would remain protected and notifying the family , ” the department said in a statement .
“ We have made every effort to protect the identity of this child , while the family grieves this devastating loss .
Again , we send our sincerest condolences.
” The confirmation of the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before dozens of school districts are prepared to begin the school year on Monday — a development that has many educators and parents already on edge .
Iowa Gov .
Kim Reynolds has ordered schools to reopen for at least 50 per cent in-person instruction , despite a pandemic that has already killed 1,036 people and seen infections soar in recent days .
MELBOURNE , Australia — Australia ’ s hard-hit Victoria state on Monday recorded its lowest tally of new coronavirus cases in eight weeks with the state capital Melbourne half way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 116 new cases and 15 deaths .
That is the lowest daily tall of new cases since 87 were reported on July 5 .
The daily count has been as high as 725 news cases in early August .
The state recorded 208 new cases on Sunday and 182 on Saturday .
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton had predicted on Sunday that numbers could dip below 150 this week .
He added although the daily case numbers had been “ jumping around , ” he expected they were on a downward trajectory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily tally would need to fall to single digits or low double digits before the Melbourne lockdown was relaxed .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says the Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients .
Trump , announcing the decision Sunday at the White House , called convalescent plasma a “ powerful therapy.
” He says the FDA ’ s action will expand access to the treatment , which is already being used .
The treatment involves transferring antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The announcement follows days of suggestions by White House officials of politically motivated delays by the FDA in approving a vaccine and treatments for the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Trump made the announcement on the eve of the Republican National Convention that will nominate him to run against Democrat Joe Biden .
PESHAWAR , Pakistan — Pakistani authorities have closed about two dozen hotels in a scenic tourist destination in the country ’ s northwest after dozens of hotel employees tested positive for the coronavirus .
According to Maqbool Hussain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s move to place high-risk areas of Shogran , Naran and Kaghan under lockdown was aimed at containing the spread of the virus .
He said as many as 47 hotel employees who tested positive for COVID-19 were quarantined at the hotels where they worked .
The measures came hours after Pakistan reported only four new COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours , the fewest deaths reported in a day since March .
That announcement raised hopes that Pakistan is on the right path to fully containing the new virus despite having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed more than 275,000 coronavirus infections and nearly 6,300 deaths since reporting its first case in February .
ATHENS , Greece — Greek health authorities announced a daily record 284 new coronavirus cases Sunday .
There were also two new deaths .
The total number of confirmed cases is now 8,664 , with 242 deaths .
The average age of people getting sick from the virus is 39 , while the average age of people dying of the disease is 77 .
The government , alarmed by the fact that half of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first three weeks of August , has imposed restrictions on social gatherings and the opening hours of restaurants , cafes and bars in 20 localities , including the capital Athens , until the end of the month .
It is also monitoring for violations more closely , and imposing fines .
In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki , Greece ’ s second largest , a groom was fined 3,000 euros ( $ 3,540 ) Saturday for having 80 guests at his wedding reception instead of the maximum of 50 allowed at social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fined 5,000 euros ( $ 5,900 ) for leaving a designated quarantine hotel in the same city , after testing positive for the virus .
He was arrested while engaging in contraband trade of toys , police said .
TALLAHASSEE , Fla. — Florida broke the 600,000 mark for confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday but reported one of its lowest daily totals in two months , continuing a downward trend that began five weeks ago .
Florida reported 2,974 new cases on Sunday , only the second time since June 22 that fewer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day .
The other time was Monday , when 2,678 cases were reported .
Sundays and Mondays often have a low number of reports as not all hospitals report on the weekend .
The daily total peaked July 15 when more than 15,000 cases were reported , but has been declining since .
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have also been declining .
Late Sunday morning , 4,578 patients were being treated for the disease in Florida hospitals compared to Saturday ’ s 4,773 .
It is a drop of almost 800 since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 23 .
Overall , the state has now reported 600,571 confirmed cases .
ROME — The day-to-day number of new coronavirus cases in Italy climbed for a seventh straight day , when 1,210 confirmed infections were registered on Sunday , the highest daily increase since May 12 .
With airports testing many arriving travellers , two regions with busy airports – Lombardy , which includes Milan , and Lazio which includes Rome — led the day ’ s new caseload numbers , according to Health Ministry figures .
Lombardy , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s known cases have occurred in the pandemic , registered 239 new infections since Saturday , while Lazio counted 184 .
LONDON — The EU ’ s trade commissioner is coming under intense pressure to step down after attending a golf event despite a ban on public gatherings during the pandemic .
The job of Phil Hogan , an Irishman who is expected to play a key role in trade talks with the U.K. , is under threat amid a growing crisis stemming from a golf society dinner in the west of Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
A surge in coronavirus cases recently prompted Ireland to reimpose restrictions on public gatherings that were eased in early summer .
The agriculture minister and deputy speaker of the Senate resigned last week after confirming they were at the event .
Hogan offered a “ fulsome and profound apology ” over the incident .
The deputy head of government , Leo Varadkar , said he shared the public ’ s anger at the golf event , but said the apology helps .
He told RTE that Hogan may not have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland because he was not based in the country .
Varadkar said that “ he also needs to account for himself and explain and answer any questions that might arise , not just in relation to the dinner but also his movements around the country.
” “ If he can not do that , he needs to consider his position , ” he said .
LONDON — Britain ’ s top medical officers say children are more likely to be harmed by staying away from school than from being exposed to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday joined his counterparts in Scotland , Northern Ireland and Wales in saying that children are less likely to contract the virus than adults and have “ an exceptionally low risk ” of dying from COVID-19 .
By contrast , they said studies show that not going to school limits children ’ s ability to succeed in life and may worsen physical and mental health problems .
“ Very few , if any , children or teenagers will come to long-term harm from COVID-19 due solely to attending school , ” they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to be set against a certainty of long-term harm to many children and young people from not attending school.
” The statement comes as parents and teachers express concern about reopening schools next month amid fears that social distancing measures won ’ t keep children safe .
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities on Sunday reported only four new COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours , the fewest deaths since March .
The announcement raises hopes that Pakistan is on the right path to fully containing the coronavirus despite having a fragile health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center also reported 591 new cases , increasing the country ’ s caseload to 275,836 , including 6,275 deaths .
Pakistan witnessed a sudden spike in infections and deaths in June , but confirmed cases and fatalities have gradually declined since then .
The latest development comes days after Pakistan ’ s drug regulatory agency approved final-phase testing of a Chinese-made coronavirus vaccine .
Pakistan hopes it will get the vaccine on priority from neighbouring China if its clinical trials show success .
ROME — Sicily ’ s governor is ordering all migrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transferred from the Mediterranean island as part of measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 .
The ordinance , signed by Gov .
Nello Musumeci , went into effect Sunday and stipulates that all centres housing migrants awaiting processing of asylum applications be shut down by the end of Monday .
His order , effective through Sept. 10 , also forbids any boat , including charity vessels , to bring migrants to the island .
While in past years the great majority of migrants reaching Italy were rescued at sea by humanitarian groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , nearly 80 % of arrivals reached Italian shores autonomously , most setting sail from Tunisia instead of Libya , where human traffickers are based .
Many come ashore on tiny Lampedusa island , but its migrant centre is dangerously overcrowded .
So Italy has taken to quarantining the latest arrivals aboard chartered ferries offshore Sicily .
On Saturday , one-third of Sicily ’ s 48 one-day total of new confirmed coronavirus infections occurred in migrants .
MOSCOW — Yulia Tymoshenko , the former Ukrainian prime minister and a key figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has contracted COVID-19 .
Her spokeswoman Marina Soroka said in a Sunday post on Facebook that Tymoshenko is in serious condition with a fever of 39 C ( 102 F ) , but did not specify if she has been hospitalized .
Tymoshenko captured attention worldwide for her speeches to huge crowds of protesters in the 2004 demonstrations that forced the rerun of a disputed presidential election .
After Viktor Yushchenko won the election rerun , Tymoshenko became prime minister , but was dismissed amid quarrels and then returned to the office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was imprisoned for three years on a conviction of abuse of power .


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Biden says he’d shut down economy if scientists recommended

ATLANTA - Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would follow public health advisers ’ advice if they called for a national shutdown should he take office and the coronavirus had not abated .
“ I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives .
We can not get the country moving until we control the virus , ” Biden said in an interview broadcast Sunday night on ABC News .
Asked specifically whether he ’ d push to shutter economic activity if scientists said it was necessary , Biden replied : “ I would shut it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks came as part of his first joint interview with vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris .
The pair accepted their party ’ s nominations during a virtual convention last week .
On Monday , Republicans begin their convention to nominate Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence for a second term .
Biden and Harris , once primary rivals who sparred on the debate stage , sought during their sit-down with ABC to project a united front on policy issues from race to health care .
Harris , the first Black woman to join a major-party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 77-year-old white man , when asked whether she ’ s privately addressed some of his missteps when discussing race .
He declared in May that any Black American having trouble deciding who to support “ ain ’ t Black , ” a comment he walked back the same day and said again Sunday he regretted .
Harris described Biden as possessing “ a deep sense of awareness and knowledge about racial disparities , inequities and systematic racism.
” She added that Biden “ actually knows how to say the words ‘ Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , who “ will never speak those words.
” The running mates downplayed their bitter debate encounter last summer , when Harris levelled deeply personal criticism against Biden over his opposition in the 1970s to federally mandated busing to desegregate public schools and for remarks he ’ d made about having worked amicably alongside racist senators when he first came to Washington .
Harris noted enduring racial wealth gaps in the U.S. and the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on Black and Hispanic communities .
Biden , she said , “ is addressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden said , looking back , he understands how Harris , who was among the minority students bused in the 1970s , would criticize him so harshly .
But he said she and others may not have known his full record on civil rights .
He said he , as a white man , can not understand her lived experiences and that she , a 55-year-old daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants , can ’ t understand his .
But , he said they “ have the same value set ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the possibilities are right now.
” They put similar framing on their primary-campaign differences on health care .
Biden has consistently backed adding a “ public option ” to existing private insurance markets .
Harris signed on to Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ bill that would create a single-payer government insurance system to replace private insurance .
“ I signed on to bills that were about great ideas to fix the problem , ” Harris told ABC , arguing she and Biden “ are completely aligned on … making sure everyone has health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tactical ” but said , “ We both believe that health care is a right , not a privilege.
” Pressed about her record as a prosecutor , Harris tacitly acknowledged that some critics see her as part of the same criminal justice system she and Biden want to overhaul amid ongoing protests over the killings of Black Americans by police .
Biden repeated that , contrary to Trump ’ s assertion , they do not support defunding police departments around the country .
The interview was Biden ’ s first extended sit-down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just three years younger than Biden , mocked his Democratic rival as unable to handle such a venue .
Trump has repeatedly suggested Biden is mentally unfit for the presidency .
Biden smiled when asked about Trump ’ s characterization and said he remains eager to debate the president .
Biden said he has no problem with voters questioning his fitness .
“ It ’ s a legitimate question to ask ” about his and Trump ’ s ages , Biden said .
“ Watch me.
” Biden also laughed when asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only way he ’ d lose was if the election were rigged , and the Democratic challenger dismissed any notions that Trump wouldn ’ t leave the White House voluntarily if he loses .
“ The American people will not let that happen , ” he said .
“ No one ’ s going to allow that to happen .
”


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Hurricane Marco heads for Louisiana, TStorm Laura over Cuba

PORT-AU-PRINCE , Haiti - Marco became a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday on a path toward the Louisiana coast , while Tropical Storm Laura killed at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti .
Laura moved over eastern Cuba late in the day , following a path likely to take it to the same part of the U.S. coast , also as a potential hurricane .
It appeared the storms would not be hurricanes simultaneously — something that researchers say has never happened in the Gulf of Mexico at least since records began being kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Marco was about 180 miles ( 290 kilometres ) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River on Sunday evening and heading north-northwest at 13 mph ( 20 kph ) , packing winds of 75 miles per hour ( 120 kph ) .
The centre warned of life-threatening storm surges and hurricane-force winds along the Gulf Coast .
Haitian civil protection officials said they had received reports that a 10-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on a home in the southern coastal town of Anse-a-Pitres , on the border with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime minister said at least eight other people died during the storm and two were missing .
In the Dominican Republic , relatives told reporters a mother and her young son died after a wall collapsed on them .
Hundreds of thousands were without power in the Dominican Republic as both countries on the island of Hispaniola suffered heavy flooding .
A hurricane watch was issued for the New Orleans metro area , which Hurricane Katrina pummeled in August 2005 .
Laura was centred about 30 miles ( 55 kilometres ) west of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and its maximum sustained winds were at 60 mph ( 95 kph ) .
It was moving west-northwest at 21 mph ( 33 kph ) .
It was forecast to move over Cuba on Sunday night or Monday .
Officials in the Florida Keys , which Laura might pass over on its route into the Gulf , declared a local state of emergency and issued a mandatory evacuation order for anyone living on boats , in mobile homes and in campers .
Tourists staying in hotels were warned to be aware of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans starting Sunday .
New warnings were added Sunday morning — including a storm surge warning from Morgan City , Louisiana to Ocean Springs , Mississippi , and a hurricane warning from Morgan City to the mouth of the Pearl River .
A tropical storm warning included Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana , and metropolitan New Orleans .
A storm surge of up to 6 feet ( 2 metres ) was forecast for parts of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi .
Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards , who declared a state of emergency Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal emergency declaration .
People in Louisiana headed to stores to stock up on food , water and other supplies .
The hurricane centre said the storms were not expected to interact as the region faces an unusually active hurricane season .
Associated Press writers Freida Frisaro in Miami and Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Police: 3 officers shot while responding to call in Maryland

HYATTSVILLE , Md .
- Three police officers were shot while responding to a call Sunday evening in Maryland , @ @ @ @ @ happened around 6:30 p.m. in Hyattsville , a city about 32 miles ( 52 kilometres @ @ @ @ @ the Prince George ’ s County Police Department said on its Twitter page .
Police @ @ @ @ @ men were in custody .
The men were not struck , police said .
The @ @ @ @ @ to a hospital for treatment .
The conditions of the officers were not known .


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Louisiana community demands justice after police shoot and kill Trayford Pellerin, 31

LAFAYETTE , La .
- An aunt and grandmother of a Black man who was shot by police in Louisiana arrived on the scene by chance , as they drove home from a day out .
Treyford Pellerin ’ s aunt Choicey Pellerin said that she and her mother saw lots of blue lights and police Friday night .
Just as her mother said there must have been a bad wreck , her mother ’ s phone rang .
“ It was her brother on the phone , saying her grandson had just been shot , ” Choicey Pellerin recounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pellerin ’ s mother , Michelle Pellerin , and attorneys for the family .
She said her 31-year-old nephew had called twice that day , saying , “ Grandma , I love you.
” Police have said Pellerin was carrying a knife and was shot when he tried to enter one convenience store after causing a disturbance at another .
“ We understand it was a call for loitering , ” said civil rights attorney Ben Crump , who is representing the family with attorney Ron Haley of Baton Rouge .
The lawyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lafayette police simply arrested a white man who had a knife and had led a car chase .
Police said Donald Guidry , 42 , of Rayne , had told officers he was armed and might harm himself , but was talked into surrendering without incident , according to several news reports .
“ There are two justice systems in America .
One for Black Americans and one for white Americans , ” Crump said .
“ Until we address this we will continue to see more hashtags ” about Black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bullet holes near the spot where Pellerin was killed belie police statements that they were trying to protect people inside , Haley said .
“ That store ’ s side is riddled with bullets , “ showing ” callous disregard for the safety of the people in the store , ” he said .
Community activists demanded racial justice and called for Mayor-President Josh Guillory to resign at an evening rally Sunday .
A day earlier , a peaceful rally was followed by fires set on a highway median .
Community activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside City Hall that Michelle Pellerin told him she wanted her son ’ s memory respected with peaceful protests .
“ No rioting , no burning buildings , no damage to vehicles , no assaulting of people , ” he said during the rally livestreamed on his Facebook page .
The video showed what appeared to be 100 to 200 people , black and white .
The sound of the shots and comments by young women who saw the shooting were captured on video .
The state ACLU condemned what it described as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police violence against a Black person.
” Both the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center quickly called for an investigation .
Saturday afternoon ’ s protest started peacefully , but violence broke out as night fell — leading to officers clearing the crowd with smoke canisters , Trooper Derek Senegal said Saturday .
Local activists blamed outside agitators for the violence , which they said broke out after the local protest ended Saturday .
Taylor told The Associated Press before Sunday ’ s rally that he did not recognize people shown in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sam ” Flugence said Sunday that she talked to the daytime protesters about the Civil Rights era ’ s legacy of nonviolent protests , and “ it seemed to resonate with them.
” At the Shell station where Pellerin was killed and where the daylight protest disbanded , “ there was an influx of people who were not with the original protesters , ” she said .
Officials said at a news conference late Saturday that fireworks had been shot at buildings and fires set in the median of a road where demonstrations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not going to be to just let people disrupt our town and put our citizens and our motorists and our neighbourhoods in danger , ” Interim Police Chief Scott Morgan said .
Arrests were made , Morgan said , but an exact number wasn ’ t immediately available .
A city police spokesman did not return a call made Sunday to ask about the number of arrests and whether those arrested were from Lafayette or elsewhere .
The activists attempted to attend the news conference but were “ escorted out ” because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private , Lafayette NAACP President Marja Broussard said .
Taylor said an earlier decision to close parks and recreation centres — most of them in Black neighbourhoods — and Guillory ’ s statement about Pellerin ’ s death indicate “ a person disconnected from the plight of the Black man , from the person of colour who is fighting to be equal and have his life valued the same as a white person ’ s life is valued , ” he said .
The activists also expressed discontent that leaders did not offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news conference .
“ Josh Guillory is lower than a dog for that , ” Taylor said Saturday .
Tensions surrounding the fatal shooting follow a global reckoning over police tactics and racial injustice that stem from the death of George Floyd on May 25 under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer .
The family believes Pellerin may have been having a mental health crisis , Crump said .
Michelle Pellerin said her son had told her in March that he was seeking therapy for social anxiety so serious that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long .
Lafayette police asked state police to investigate — standard procedure in the state for shootings by local officers .
The incident was the third shooting by Lafayette police since mid-July .
State police said a man was critically wounded last month after being shot during an altercation with police .
Another man was in stable condition after being shot during a burglary investigation earlier this month .


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Residents flee as Gulf Coast sees possible tandem hurricanes

NEW ORLEANS - The Gulf Coast braced Sunday for a potentially devastating hit from twin hurricanes as two dangerous storms swirled toward the U.S from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean .
Officials feared a history-making onslaught of life-threatening winds and flooding along the coast , stretching from Texas to Alabama .
A storm dubbed Marco grew into a hurricane Sunday as it churned up the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana .
Another potential hurricane , Tropical Storm Laura , lashed the Dominican Republic and Haiti , and was tracking toward the same region of the U.S. coast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more powerful storm .
Experts said computer models show Laura could make landfall with winds exceeding 110 mph , and rain bands from both storms could bring a combined total of 2 feet of rain to parts of Louisiana and several feet of potentially deadly storm surge .
“ There has never been anything we ’ ve seen like this before , where you can have possibly two hurricanes hitting within miles of each over a 48-hour period , ” said Benjamin Schott , meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The combination of the rain and storm surge in a day or two means “ you ’ re looking at a potential for a major flood event that lasts for some time , ” said weather service tropical program co-ordinator Joel Cline .
“ And that ’ s not even talking about the wind.
’ ’ Where precisely Marco was headed — and when the storm might arrive — remained elusive Sunday .
The hurricane was initially expected to make landfall Monday , but the National Hurricane Center said that “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their computer models now show the storm stalling off the Louisiana coast for a few days before landing west of New Orleans — and likely weakening before hitting the state .
However , skeptical meteorologists at the centre were waiting to see if the trends continue before making a dramatic revision in their forecast .
Marco is a small storm that may be pushed westward along the Louisiana coast , delaying landfall but worsening storm surge , Cline said .
The prospect of piggybacked hurricanes was reviving all-too-fresh memories of damage caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coast on Aug. 29 , 2005 .
The storm has been blamed for as many as 1,800 deaths and levee breaches in New Orleans led to catastrophic flooding .
“ What we know is there ’ s going to be storm surge from Marco , we know that that water is not going to recede hardly at all before Laura hits , and so we ’ ve not seen this before and that ’ s why people need to be paying particular attention , ” Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards warned at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drag on the barrier island of Grand Isle , south of New Orleans , Starfish Restaurant manager Nicole Fantiny could see an exodus of people driving off the island .
“ They are all packing up and leaving , ” she said .
Fantiny wasn ’ t planning to leave , at least for Marco , but she was anxious about the possible one-two punch from both storms .
Her husband works with the town ’ s fire and police departments , so she said they are always among the last ones to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1938 so I think we ’ re good , ” she said hopefully .
Marco is expected to dance above and below hurricane status after hitting the 75 mph-wind mark Sunday afternoon .
“ The central Gulf could be really under the gun between Marco and Laura in back-to-back succession , ’ ’ said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach .
“ Certainly both of these storms can impact New Orleans significantly .
It just remains to be seen if the track for Laura tracks a bit to the west.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned that anyone in New Orleans should be alarmed by the threat .
At issue from possible dual hits : whether the levee system can withstand the stress , he said .
In New Orleans , the city ’ s aging drainage system has been a particular point of concern in recent years after an intense 2017 storm flooded streets and raised questions about the system ’ s viability .
Because the city is surrounded by levees and parts are below sea level , rainwater must be pumped out to prevent flooding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ city and dumps rain for extended periods of time , or bands of rain that come in rapid succession , is a cause for concern .
New Orleans resident Matthew Meloy and two friends loaded a van with cases of bottled water in the parking lot of a New Orleans Walmart Sunday .
He said they still have a lot of storm preparations ahead .
“ Check the batteries , flashlights , stocking up on food and trying to park the car on the highest point possible we can find , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 minutes this morning filling up the tanks in the cars.
” Tourists were strolling through the New Orleans French Quarter under overcast skies as workers boarded up shop windows .
Louisiana corrections officials were evacuating 500 inmates from a jail in Plaquemines Parish , near the coast , to another facility in preparation for the storms .
In Kenner , just outside New Orleans , resident P.J .
Hahn said checkout lines in a Sam ’ s Club reached to the back of the store , while authorities said 114 oil and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been evacuated as the storms churn toward the Louisiana coast .
Because of strong winds from the southwest , Marco may attain and then lose hurricane status before it hits land , meteorologists said .
But those winds could be gone when Laura ventures to the central Gulf , where the usually bathtub-warm water is a degree or 2 ( 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius ) warmer than normal , Klotzbach said .
The warmer the water , the stronger the fuel for a hurricane .
“ It , unfortunately , might peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the one thing I worry about with this one , ” MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel said of Laura .
His multiple computer simulations show a decent chance of winds of more than 110 mph for Laura at landfall , as do other computer models .
The key for Laura ’ s future is how it survives Cuba .
Originally forecast to rake over almost the entire length of the island and potentially weaken , the storm late Sunday moved further south , skirting the island .
If that continues , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to power up over the favourable environment of the Gulf of Mexico , Klotzbach said .
If that continues , Laura could hit further west in the Gulf , possibly into Texas instead of Louisiana , he said .
If it hits Louisiana that would break the record for two named storms hitting the state so close together .
The current record is five days apart in 1885 , Klotzbach said .
And there ’ s one long-term possibility that adds to the risk .
As Laura moves north after landfall into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be caught up into the jet stream , travel east and emerge over North Carolina and return to tropical storm status , McNoldy and Klotzbach said .
By late afternoon Sunday , Laura was 50 miles ( 80 km ) south of Guantanamo , Cuba , with 60 mph ( 95 kmh ) winds moving west-northwest at 21 mph ( 33 kmh ) .
Marco was 240 miles ( 390 km ) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River , with 75 mph ( 120 kph ) winds , moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
In Empire , Louisiana , about 50 miles south of New Orleans near the mouth of the Mississippi River , shrimp , oyster and fishing boats line the docks .
It was eerily quiet Sunday evening , as most fishermen had already secured their boats .
Mike Bartholemey was putting extra blocks of wood under his recently dry docked 50-foot shrimp boat “ Big Mike , ” out of his concern that hurricane winds might topple his boat to the ground .
In Venice , a fishing town on the Mississippi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early Sunday to move his three shrimp boats from the harbour into the bayous nearby to ride out the storm .
It ’ s the same area where he moored his boat during Hurricane Katrina .
The boat survived ; his house in Venice did not .
Martin reported from Marietta , Georgia .
Borenstein reported from Kensington , Maryland .
AP reporter Stacey Plaisance in New Orleans ; and photojournalist Gerald Herbert in Empire , Louisiana , also contributed .

Rebecca Santana, Jeff Martin And Seth Borenstein - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Shipbuilders approve 3-year pact, ending monthslong strike

BATH , Maine - A 63-day strike at Bath Iron Works — against the backdrop of a pandemic in an election year — came to an end Sunday with shipbuilders voting to return to their jobs producing warships for the United States Navy .
With the approval of a three-year contract , the 4,300 production workers represented by Machinists Local S6 will begin returning to work on Monday .
After falling behind schedule , Bath Iron Works is eager to get caught up on production of destroyers as the U.S. Navy faces growing competition from China and Russia on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was already more than six months behind schedule before the strike .
“ We are pleased to welcome back our valued manufacturing employees and get back to the important work of building ships on schedule for the U.S. Navy , ” Bath Iron Works said Sunday in a statement .
Robert Martinez Jr. , the Machinists ’ international president , cast the outcome on Sunday in historic terms , saying “ this fight for dignity , justice and good Maine jobs will go down in the history books of the Machinists Union.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the Navy ’ s largest , and it ’ s also a major employer in the state with with 6,800 workers .
The stakes were high for both a company that feared being priced out of competition for Navy contracts and a highly skilled workforce that didn ’ t want to give up ground to subcontractors .
The test of wills ultimately ended with help from a federal mediator .
Shipbuilders represented by Machinists Local S6 got most of what they wanted when it came to work rules and maintaining the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with the previous proposal ’ s annual pay raises of 3 % for three years .
The company got streamlined rules for hiring subcontracting , and a commitment to work together to get back on track .
Because of the pandemic , voting on the contract ’ s approval — unanimously endorsed by the union negotiating committee — took place online and by telephone .
Voting began Friday and ending at noon Sunday .
The vote was 87 % in favour of the contract among those who voted , said Jay Waldeigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now that we successfully protected our contract language with respect to subcontracting and seniority , we need to get back to work , “ said Local S6 President Chris Wiers .
The shipyard builds the workhorse of the Navy fleet , destroyers that have the ability to provide air defence while simultaneously waging war against submarines and surface warships .
Destroyers are also one of the few types of warships equipped to withstand a chemical attack .
The Navy wants to increase the fleet ’ s size — something President Donald Trump supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it needs to get back on schedule and lower costs to remain competitive on those contracts .
Going into negotiations , the shipyard ’ s production workers were already angry over past concessions that ultimately still failed to yield contracts on Coast Guard cutters and a new class of Navy frigates .
The pandemic in which they were required to remain on the job only added to their feeling that the company didn ’ t care about them — deemed essential by the Navy , the shipyard continued production despite a union request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Workers were determined enough to strike , despite the loss of company-paid insurance as the coronavirus raged around the country .
A giant inflatable , cigar-smoking pig outside the union hall took aim at corporate greed as workers fumed over the hiring of “ scab ” workers and political leaders got involved .
It ’ s a far cry from the way things were in the past .
The strike was the first in 20 years at Bath Iron Works .
There was enough trust between management and the union in 1994 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers under a formula called a “ High Performance Work Organization.
” Then-President Bill Clinton visited the shipyard to praise the collaboration .
The company hopes that mediated discussions between the union and the company will help get the relationship back on track .
But it ’ s going to take time .
Levi Benner , a shipfitter , said there are hard feelings because management routinely rejects workers ’ ideas for improvements .
“ It ’ s going to be hard to restore trust .
We know what we ’ re doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years and years .
These guys are geeks .
They know their graphs and pie charts , but they don ’ t know how to build ships , ” he said Sunday .
In the end , workers and the shipyard must learn how to work together if the company is to successfully compete for contracts against lower-cost competitors , said Loren Thompson , an analyst at the Lexington Institute .
“ Both sides need to understand that their best chance for having a future is to get along with each other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American landscape is littered with the debris of destroyed industries .
Most of them made a good product but they ’ re still gone.
” This story has been corrected to show that the giant inflatable animal outside the union hall was a pig , not a rat .


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Emergency postal aid stalls as WH rejects House-passed bill

WASHINGTON - Help for the U.S .
Postal Service landed in stalemate Sunday as the White House dismissed an emergency funding bill aimed at shoring up the agency before the November elections as “ going nowhere ” and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged senators to act quickly .
“ The public is demanding action on this now , ” Pelosi said .
“ I can ’ t see how the Senate can avoid it unless they do so to their peril.
” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows rejected the legislation the House passed late Saturday to provide $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Postmaster General Louis DeJoy .
Meadows called it a “ political statement , ” stressing that President Donald Trump would consider additional money only as part of a broader coronavirus relief package .
“ That bill was not a serious bill , ” Meadows said .
“ And my conversations with a lot of the Democrats on Capitol Hill yesterday is , if you want to be serious about it , this president is willing to put forth money and reforms.
” Meadows said he planned to speak with Pelosi later Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , has been eyeing a $ 10 billion postal rescue as part of the next COVID-19 relief package .
“ Hopefully what will happen is the Republican senators will take this bill when it comes across , they ’ ll amend it and actually address many of the things that are hurting America right now in terms of this pandemic response and be able to get it to the president ’ s desk , ” Meadows said .
Pelosi , however , called Meadows ’ proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t address children facing food insecurity , people grappling with evictions , coronavirus testing and treatment or money for state and local governments .
“ What they want to do is not the right path , ” she said Sunday .
“ All the president wants is this one thing : He wants his name on the letter to go out with a check in it , and he doesn ’ t care about the rest of it.
” With heated debate over mail delays , the House approved the legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than two dozen House Republicans broke with the president in backing the bill , which passed 257-150 .
Trump had urged a no vote , railing against mail-in ballots expected to surge in the COVID-19 crisis , and the White House said he would veto it if it reached his desk .
Millions of people are expected to opt for mail-in ballots to avoid polling places during the pandemic .
In a statement Sunday , the Postal Service said it greatly appreciates efforts by the House to assist the agency , but remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s requirements , “ while well meaning , will constrain the ability of the Postal Service to make operational changes that will improve efficiency , reduce costs and ultimately improve service to the American people.
’ ’ McConnell criticized the legislation as part of a postal “ conspiracy theory , ” echoing similar sentiments during a lively House floor debate .
“ The USPS is equipped to handle this election , and if a real need arises , Congress will meet it , ” McConnell said .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement with the Postal Service ’ s Board of Governors ’ new election committee to issue a report in two weeks on the service ’ s plans to address a surge of mail-in ballots during the November elections .
Under the agreement with the committee ’ s Democratic chairman , Lee Moak , the committee would also provide weekly briefings for top Senate Democrats .
The six-member Board of Governors , all of whom are Trump appointees , announced the bipartisan committee Friday to oversee mail voting .
“ Congress will use that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has every resource it needs to protect and deliver election mail and hold DeJoy and the board accountable , ” Schumer said .
Facing a backlash over operational changes , DeJoy testified Friday in the Senate that his “ No .
1 priority ” is to ensure election mail arrives on time .
Still , the new postal leader , a Trump ally , said he would not restore the cuts to mailboxes and sorting equipment that have already been made .
He could not provide senators with a plan for handling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is set to return Monday to testify before the House Oversight Committee .
“ The American people don ’ t want anyone messing with the post office , ” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney , D-N.Y. , the chair of the Oversight Committee and author of the bill .
“ They just want their mail.
” Maloney ’ s committee on Saturday released internal Postal Service documents warning about steep declines and delays in a range of mail services since early July , shortly after DeJoy took the helm .
He acknowledged at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dip ” in service , but disputed reports of widespread problems .
The House bill would reverse the cuts by prohibiting any changes made after January , and provide funds to the agency .
The Postal Service has been struggling financially under a decline in mail volume , COVID-19-related costs and a rare and cumbersome congressional requirement to fund in advance its retiree health care benefits .
For many , the Postal Service provides a lifeline , delivering not just cards and letters but also prescription drugs , financial statements and other items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
Meadows spoke on “ Fox News Sunday ” and ABC ’ s “ This Week , ” and Pelosi appeared on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union .
”

Hope Yen, Matthew Daly And Lisa Mascaro - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Screenwriter John Ridley to write new Batman comic series

LOS ANGELES - John Ridley will write the new Batman comic series with plans of the Dark Knight being a @ @ @ @ @ Oscar-winning screenwriter and DC publisher Jim Lee announced plans for Ridley to write the miniseries @ @ @ @ @ panel on Saturday .
The four-issue comic is scheduled to release in January .
Ridley @ @ @ @ @ on the family of Lucius Fox , who is one of Bruce Wayne ’ s @ @ @ @ @ also the president of Wayne Enterprises .
The panel revealed an illustration of a leaping @ @ @ @ @ Academy Award for best adapted screenplay in 2013 for his work on “ 12 Years @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Pompeo heads to Mideast as part of Trump’s Arab-Israeli push

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on a trip to the Middle East , the first of two senior U.S. officials to travel to the region this week as the Trump administration presses an ambitious Arab-Israeli peace push that President Donald Trump hopes will burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of November ’ s election .
Pompeo is travelling to Israel , several Gulf Arab states and Sudan and will be away when he is scheduled to speak on Tuesday to the Republican National Convention , which will nominate Trump for a second term .
Should Pompeo appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will break a long tradition of secretaries of state declining to participate in the public political nomination process .
Previous secretaries of state have shunned overtly partisan rhetoric .
Pompeo ’ s three immediate predecessors made a point of being out of the country and unavailable during their political parties ’ presidential nominating events .
Pompeo is likely to tout Trump ’ s Mideast policies and the recent agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations .
On Sunday , Pompeo tweeted : “ Looking forward to sharing with you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more SECURE because of President Trump .
See you all on Tuesday night !
” To accelerate progress in the region , Pompeo is expected to be followed to many of the same destinations later in the week by Trump ’ s senior adviser and son-in-law , Jared Kushner , diplomats said .
The separate visits come as the administration seeks to capitalize on momentum from the historic agreement between Israel and the UAE .
In addition to Israel and Sudan , the State Department said Pompeo would travel to Bahrain and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Oman and Qatar are also possible .
“ The U.S. commitment to peace , security , and stability in Israel , Sudan , and among Gulf countries has never been stronger than under President Trump ’ s leadership , “ the State Department said in a statement announcing Pompeo ’ s trip .
Kushner and his team are expected to visit Israel , Bahrain , Oman , Saudi Arabia and Morocco on their trip , which is scheduled to begin at the end of the week , according to the diplomats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the itinerary has not yet been finalized or publicly announced .
In Israel , Pompeo will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “ to discuss regional security issues related to Iran ’ s malicious influence , establishing and deepening Israel ’ s relationships in the region , as well as co-operation in protecting the U.S. and Israeli economies from malign investors , ” the State Department said .
“ Malign investors ” is a reference to China , which is seeking to gain a commercial foothold in Israel .
In Khartoum .
Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ to discuss continued U.S. support for the civilian-led transitional government and express support for deepening the Sudan-Israel relationship , ” the department said .
Sudan is eager to be removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism and normalizing ties with Israel would be a step toward that goal .
However , removal from the terrorism list is also dependent on completion of a compensation agreement for victims of the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania .
A tentative deal struck several months ago is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor Kushner ’ s trip is expected to result in announcements of immediate breakthroughs , but both are aimed at building on the success of the Israel-UAE agreement by finalizing at least one , and potentially more , normalization deals between Arab countries and Israel in the near future .
The administration has forged ahead with those efforts over Palestinian objections and without any indication the Palestinians are willing to enter negotiations with Israel .
The Arab world had long held that a settlement to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a prerequisite for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Arab Emirates announced on Aug. 13 they would establish full diplomatic relations , in a U.S.-brokered deal that required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians .
The agreement was a key foreign policy victory for Trump as he seeks reelection and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians .
Last week , the administration took the controversial step in the U.N. Security Council of triggering the restoration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that only Israel and the Gulf Arab nations have publicly supported .
Thirteen of the 15 council members , including U.S. allies Britain , France and Germany , have rejected the move .
Pompeo ’ s plans to address the Republican National Convention would be an unprecedented and unconventional step for any Cabinet member let alone the secretary of state who oversees a corps of career diplomats steeped in nonpartisanship .
The State Department said Pompeo would be speaking in “ his personal capacity.
” “ No State Department resources will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing the remarks or in the arrangements for Secretary Pompeo ’ s appearance .
The State Department will not bear any costs in conjunction with this appearance , “ the department said in a statement .
Like his two immediate predecessors , John Kerry and Hillary Clinton , both of whom were unsuccessful Democratic Party nominees for president , Pompeo was a member of Congress before joining the executive branch .
Both Clinton and Kerry eschewed the Democratic National Convention while they served as America ’ s top diplomat .
When President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term during the party convention in 2012 , Clinton was literally half a world away , travelling to the Cook Islands , Indonesia , China , East Timor , Brunei and far eastern Russia .
When Clinton was nominated in 2016 , Kerry was travelling in Europe and Southeast Asia .
It ’ s not just Democrats .
When Republicans nominated John McCain in 2008 , Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on a trip to Portugal , Libya , Tunisia , Algeria and Morocco .


thetorontostar--2020-08-23--Kentucky police: 3 shot inside Lexington mall

LEXINGTON , Ky. - Three people were shot inside a Kentucky mall Sunday , police said .
The Lexington Police @ @ @ @ @ on social media that the shooting occurred around 4 p.m .
ET outside of a @ @ @ @ @ .
Police said later that the shooting did not appear to be random .
“ @ @ @ @ @ that we ’ ve gathered thus far that the persons involved knew each other , @ @ @ @ @ Weathers told reporters .
“ We know at least the intended target may have known @ @ @ @ @ were taken to a hospital , Weathers said .
Their conditions were not immediately released @ @ @ @ @ further details on the shooter .
Officers evacuated the mall and checked each store .
@ @ @ @ @ ongoing .
Alicia Spurlock told the Lexington Herald-Leader that she and her daughter had just @ @ @ @ @ mall when they heard multiple gunshots .
“ It took me a minute to register @ @ @ @ @ Spurlock said .
“ Everybody just started running .
”