thetorontostar--2020-10-05--White House nixes tougher FDA guidelines on vaccine approval

WASHINGTON - The White House has blocked new Food and Drug Administration guidelines on bringing potential vaccines for COVID-19 to market that would almost certainly have prevented their approval before the Nov. 3 election .
At issue was the FDA ’ s planned requirement that participants in the ongoing mass clinical trials for nearly a half-dozen vaccine candidates be followed for two months to ensure there are no side effects and that the vaccines provide lasting protection from the virus in order to receive emergency approval .
A senior administration confirmed the move Monday evening , saying the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical reason ” to add additional screening protocols .
The White House action was first reported by The New York Times .
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn has pledged that career scientists , not politicians , will decide whether any coronavirus vaccine meets clearly stated standards that it works and is safe .
Vaccine development usually takes years , but scientists have been racing to shorten that time .
“ Science will guide our decisions .
FDA will not permit any pressure from anyone to change that , ” Hahn said recently .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people above anything else.
” The FDA has faced criticism for allowing emergency use of some COVID-19 treatments backed by little evidence , but Hahn has said if vaccine makers want that faster path to market , they would face additional standards .
Vaccines , unlike therapies , are given to healthy people and thus usually require more proof .
But President Donald Trump made clear last month that he was skeptical of any regulatory changes that might delay a vaccine ’ s authorization , even if those changes are aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA considering stricter guidelines for emergency approval , Trump suggested the effort was politically motivated .
“ I think that was a political move more than anything else , ” he said then , arguing that that the companies testing the vaccines , such as Pfizer , Johnson & Johnson and Moderna , are capable of determining whether they work .
“ I have tremendous trust in these massive companies , ” he said .
The senior administration official , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the action , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safe vaccine to market and wanted to make sure “ additional loopholes ” weren ’ t added that would slow down the process .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--The pressure to be perfect turns deadly for celebrities in Japan

TOKYO—From the outside , Yuko Takeuchi seemed to have a golden life .
She had won Japan ’ s top acting award three times and had recently given birth to her second child .
A graceful beauty , she appeared in a box-office favourite last year and advertisements for a top ramen brand .
Takeuchi , 40 , died late last month , apparently in a suicide .
No one can fully know what private torment might have lurked beneath the surface , but in a Japanese society that values “ gaman ” — endurance or self-denial — many feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The burden is compounded for celebrities whose professional success depends on projecting a flawless ideal .
Takeuchi is the latest in a succession of Japanese film and television stars who have taken their own lives this year .
Her death came less than two weeks after the suicide of another actress , Sei Ashina , 36 , and two months after Haruma Miura , 30 , a popular television actor , was found dead in his home , leaving a suicide note .
Earlier this year , Hana Kimura , a professional wrestler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a reality show , took her own life after relentless bullying on social media .
Aside from Kimura , none of the other celebrities who died in suicides had shown any public signs of emotional distress .
Their deaths have been echoed by an alarming rise in suicides within Japan ’ s general public during the coronavirus pandemic , after a decade of hard-won decline from some of the highest rates in the world .
Authorities reported a nearly 16 per cent increase in suicides in August compared with a year earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent among teenage girls and women in their 20s and 30s .
“ As a society , we feel like we can not show our weaknesses , that we must hold all of it in , ” said Yasuyuki Shimizu , director of the Japan Suicide Countermeasures Promotion Center .
“ It ’ s not just that people feel like they can ’ t go to a counsellor or a therapist , but many feel like they can not even show their weaknesses to the people they are close to.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And many of the strains felt by the Japanese are universal : They , like many others , feel the ruthless demands of social media , where people feel they must cultivate a narrative of eternal success and happiness .
“ This can definitely be a cause for spiralling into a depression ” if your reality does not match someone else ’ s curated portrait , Shimizu said .
Even away from social media , the Japanese tend to project a positive public front .
There is a strict division between “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and “ soto ” ( outside ) , with emotions — particularly messy ones — restricted to the private sphere .
People also feel that they must conform to rules and not stand out in ways that could be perceived as burdening others .
During the pandemic , this social tendency has actually helped the country avoid a surge in cases and deaths , because the public followed suggestions about wearing masks , avoiding crowded indoor venues , and practicing good hygiene and social distancing without the imposition of a strict lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a not-so-great quality was an advantage , ” said Toshihiko Matsumoto , director of the drug addiction centre at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health .
“ However , this also means that in terms of mental health , people don ’ t want to seek help and stick out from the crowd.
” Yet help is exactly what many people have needed during the pandemic : Some have lost work or experienced drastic changes in their jobs , while many others have been unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut off from visiting extended family .
Women , especially , have been thrown into stressful situations .
During the period when schools were closed and many employees worked from home , families were crammed together in small homes .
While some men who have suddenly spent more time at home have pitched in on housework and child care , others have still left the bulk of it to their wives .
“ There are women at home with husbands working at home , and this can be very suffocating for the women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1990s , after a devastating economic recession caused hundreds of thousands of layoffs , suicides in Japan began to rise dramatically as mostly middle-aged men took their lives out of the shame and stress of sudden unemployment .
Now strains have been growing on women , an increasing proportion of whom are juggling work and home life .
The stress may be translating into more suicides among women , said Junko Kitanaka , a medical anthropologist at Keio University .
For celebrities , the normal societal pressures can be magnified by the expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States , where celebrities now talk more openly about seeking out psychological help , such behaviour is largely taboo in Japan , which has been slower to develop mental health services , despite some improvement .
“ If you are a person in the spotlight and the media finds out that you are receiving mental health support , that would play badly for you and your career , ” said Tamaki Tsuda , a television producer .
“ If you go out once for mental illness , that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to your brand forever .
And when that happens , fewer and fewer job offers will come in.
” The pandemic has been particularly tough for those in show business , as television and film production has been suspended or altered because of virus protection protocols .
“ People in the entertainment industry lost their gigs in an instant when the coronavirus hit , so it ’ s been an extreme blow , ” Tsuda said .
“ A lot of these actors were given blank schedules over the past few months from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ halt in work can fuel insecurity about losing out to a new crop of performers waiting to be minted as the latest stars .
“ Unfortunately , with the Japanese mentality , we have the tendency to blame ourselves , ” said Hiromichi Shizume , another television producer .
The entertainers think “ ‘ maybe I ’ m not getting hired because I ’ m not good enough.
’ ” Still , public sympathy can be limited , with stars quickly criticized for any behaviour that fans deem insufficiently grateful for their celebrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the award-winning actress , has been subjected to condemnation , including references to her wealth and material comfort .
“ As usual until just before , everything was fine , ” one person wrote on Twitter .
“ Would you commit suicide leaving two children behind ?
Such an irresponsible person can not be a big actress .
It ’ s not even like she had financial issues or chronic illness.
” “ The rent of Yuko Takeuchi ’ s apartment cost 1.85 million yen , ” or about $ 17,600 , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money can ’ t make us happy ?
” At a news conference the day after her death , Katsunobu Kato , chief Cabinet secretary to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga , said he was concerned that reports of the celebrity suicides themselves might prompt others to take their lives .
“ In order for people not to feel isolated with their own worries , we must work together to build a society where we can warmly support and watch over each other , ” he said .
Experts on suicide said they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They say we should create a society where nobody feels lonely , ” said Michiko Ueda , a professor of political science at Waseda University in Tokyo who has researched suicide .
“ But as is typical with any Japanese government plan , there is no concrete plan.
” She added : “ We can ’ t change society in one day.
” If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is , there is help .
Resources are available online at www.crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 .

Motoko Rich - The New York Times,Hikari Hida

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thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Report: Chris Christie ‘knocked back,’ ‘not knocked down’

TRENTON , N.J. - Former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie is “ knocked back ” but “ not knocked down , ” while hospitalized with the coronavirus , the Star Ledger reported Monday .
The newspaper ’ s columnist Tom Moran reported he spoke to the former GOP governor for 10 minutes Monday .
Christie sounded raspy , but didn ’ t want to talk about details about his health or his treatment , according to the article .
Christie said the virus is scary , of course , and that he ’ s a prime target given his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the newspaper .
Christie called to “ rub ( Moran ’ s ) nose ” in a mistake he had made stemming from Christie ’ s 2012 visit to Jordan , according to the newspaper .
“ So , for now , folks , let ’ s not worry too much .
The man is knocked back , but he ’ s not knocked down , “ Moran wrote .
Andrew Christie , the former governor ’ s son , who works in scouting for the New York Mets , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room at the hospital and is doing well .
Christie announced Saturday morning that he tested positive a day after President Donald Trump ’ s own diagnosis .
He was with the president for debate prep in Cleveland on Tuesday and at the Rose Garden event where Trump named Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his pick for the Supreme Court on Sept. 26 .
Later Saturday , Christie said he had gone to the hospital for precautionary reasons including his history of asthma .
Associated Press Ron Blum contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Trump leaves military hospital, downplays threat of virus via tweet: 'Don't be afraid of Covid'

BETHESDA , Md .
- President Donald Trump staged a dramatic return to the White House Monday night after leaving the military hospital where he was receiving an unprecedented level of care for COVID-19 .
He immediately ignited a new controversy by declaring that despite his illness the nation should not fear the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans — and then he entered the White House without a protective mask .
Trump ’ s message alarmed infectious disease experts and suggested the president ’ s own illness had not caused him to rethink his often-cavalier attitude toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first lady and several White House aides , including new cases revealed on Monday .
Landing at the White House on Marine One , Trump gingerly climbed the South Portico steps , removed his mask and declared , “ I feel good.
” He gave a double thumbs-up to the departing helicopter from the portico terrace , where aides had arranged American flags for the sunset occasion .
He entered the White House , where aides were visible milling about the Blue Room , without wearing a face covering .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where his doctor , Navy Cdr .
Sean Conley , said earlier Monday that the president remains contagious and would not be fully “ out of the woods ” for another week but that Trump had met or exceeded standards for discharge from the hospital .
Trump is expected to continue his recovery at the White House , where the reach of the outbreak that has infected the highest levels of the U.S. government is still being uncovered .
Still , just a month before the election and anxious to project strength @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Will be back on the Campaign Trail soon !
!
!
” And in case anyone missed his don ’ t-worry message earlier , he rushed out a new video from the White House .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of it , “ Trump said of the virus .
” You ’ re going to beat it .
We have the best medical equipment , we have the best medicines.
” His remarks were strong , but he was taking deeper breaths than usual as he delivered them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fearing the virus comes as his own administration has encouraged Americans to be very careful and take precautions to avoid contracting and spreading the disease as cases continue to spike across the country .
For more than eight months , Trump ’ s efforts to play down the threat of the virus in hopes of propping up the economy ahead of the election have drawn bipartisan criticism .
“ We have to be realistic in this : COVID is a complete threat to the American population , ” Dr. David Nace of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s comment .
“ Most of the people aren ’ t so lucky as the president , ” with an in-house medical unit and access to experimental treatments , added Nace , an expert on infections in older adults .
“ It ’ s an unconscionable message , ” agreed Dr. Sadiya Khan of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine .
“ I would go so far as to say that it may precipitate or worsen spread.
” Likewise , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , who spent more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump last week , said during an NBC town hall Monday night that he was glad Trump seemed to be recovering well , “ but there ’ s a lot to be concerned about -- 210,000 people have died .
I hope no one walks away with the message that it ’ s not a problem.
” Biden , who tested negative for the virus on Sunday , said in an interview with WPLG Local 10 News in Miami : “ I saw a tweet he did , they showed me , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control your life.
’ ” Tell that to all the “ families that lost someone.
“ There was pushback from a prominent Trump political supporter as well .
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas told the Houston Chronicle editorial board that Trump had “ let his guard down ” in his effort to show that the country was moving beyond the virus and had created “ confusion ” about how to stay safe .
Dr. Conley said that because of Trump ’ s unusual level of treatment so early after discovery of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But the doctor also was upbeat at an afternoon briefing and said the president could resume his normal schedule once “ there is no evidence of live virus still present.
” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , those with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 can be contagious for as many — and should isolate for at least — 10 days .
Trump ’ s arrival back at the White House raised new questions about how the administration was going to protect other officials from a disease that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body .
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced she had tested positive for the virus Monday morning and was entering quarantine .
There were also lingering questions about potential long term effects to the president — and even when he first came down with the virus Conley repeatedly declined to share results of medical scans of Trump ’ s lungs , saying he was not at liberty to discuss the information because Trump did not waive doctor-patient confidentiality on the subject .
COVID-19 has been known to cause significant damage to the lungs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share the date of Trump ’ s most recent negative test for the virus — a critical point for contact tracing and understanding where Trump was in the course of the disease .
Only a day earlier , Trump suggested he had finally grasped the true nature of the virus , saying in a video , “ I get it.
” But then on Sunday afternoon , he ventured out of the hospital while contagious to salute cheering supporters by motorcade — an outing that disregarded precautions meant to contain the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his blood oxygen level had dropped suddenly twice in recent days and that they gave him a steroid typically only recommended for the very sick .
Trump ’ s experience with the disease has been dramatically different from most Americans , who do not have access to the same kind of monitoring and care .
While most must cope with their symptoms — and fear of whether they ’ ll take a turn for the worse — at home and alone , Trump has been staying in the presidential suite of one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been given experimental drugs not readily available to the public .
He returns to the White House where there is a team of doctors on call with 24-hour monitoring .
Trump was leaving the hospital after receiving a fourth dose of the antiviral drug remdesivir Monday evening , Conley said .
He will receive the fifth and final dose Tuesday at the White House .
Vice-President Mike Pence returned to the campaign trail moments after Trump announced he would soon leave the hospital .
The vice-president boarded Air Force Two to fly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to face off against Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday .
Trump , in his new video , defended his decision to repeatedly flout his own administration ’ s guidelines to slow the spread of the virus , including by holding rallies with thousands of largely maskless supporters .
Apparently referring to any potential danger to himself rather than others , he said , “ I stood out front .
I led .
Nobody that ’ s a leader would not do what I did.
” He added , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk , there ’ s a danger .
But that ’ s OK. And now I ’ m better .
And maybe I ’ m immune , I don ’ t know.
” Even before Trump ’ s motorcade outing on Sunday , some Secret Service agents had expressed concern about the lackadaisical attitude toward masks and social distancing inside the White House , but there isn ’ t much they can do , according to agents and officials who spoke to The Associated Press .
Trump ’ s aggressive course of treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dose he was given Friday of an experimental drug from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. that supplies antibodies to help the immune system fight the virus .
Trump on Friday also began a five-day course of remdesivir , a Gilead Sciences drug currently used for moderately and severely ill patients .
The drugs work in different ways — the antibodies help the immune system rid the body of virus , and remdesivir curbs the virus ’ ability to multiply .
Miller and Colvin reported from Washington .
Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard and Jonathan Lemire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilmington , Delaware , contributed to this report .

Zeke Miller, Jill Colvin And Aamer Madhani - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Texas family seeks answers after officer killed unarmed man

WOLFE CITY , Texas - A family demanded answers Monday after an unarmed man was shot and killed by a police officer at a convenience store in a small East Texas town .
The incident happened Saturday in Wolfe City , a town of about 1,500 residents about 70 miles ( 113 kilometres ) northeast of Dallas .
City officials will only confirm that an officer-involved shooting had occurred and the officer involved had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Texas Rangers .
They did not identify the officer or the person shot .
Messages left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rangers and the Hunt County Sheriff ’ s Office , which is assisting in the investigation , were not immediately returned .
Family and friends of Jonathan Price , 31 , said Monday that the one-time college football player was intervening in a domestic disturbance at the convenience store when he was shot dead .
“ When police arrived , I ’ m told , he raised his hands and attempted to explain what was going on , ” said civil rights attorney Lee Merritt in a Facebook posting .
“ Police fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convulsed from the electrical current , they ‘ perceived a threat ’ and shot him to death.
” Standing with Price ’ s family Monday as they addressed reporters near the shooting scene , Merritt called on the Hunt County District Attorney ’ s Office to issue an arrest warrant for the officer involved .
“ He deserves justice because he ( Price ) was a human citizen who was not breaking the law and he was gunned down by police officers , ” Merritt said .
He said the family deserves “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they need to know it immediately.
” Price ’ s relatives and friends said Price , a Wolfe City employee , was a figure well-known about the closely-knit community .
Junior Price , Jonathan Price ’ s father , was among those who rushed to the scene after hearing of the shooting .
He said he spoke to the officer who shot his son and why he had .
The officer told him to get back and he would get back to him .
“ Later hadn ’ t gotten here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Price played football in 2008 for Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene , Texas .
Hardin-Simmons football coach Jesse Burleson tweeted that the university “ lost one of our own in a terrible situation .
Jonathan Price was an awesome young man during his time with Cowboy football.
” Former Texas Rangers third baseman Will Middlebrooks , who grew up with Price , started a GoFundMe page to cover his friend ’ s funeral expenses .
“ We just surpassed $ 50,000 in less than 24 hours , ” Middlebrooks tweeted .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Tourist sites on Navajo Nation to remain closed through 2020

WINDOW ROCK , Ariz. - Tourist sites on the Navajo Nation , including the Four Corners Monument , will be closed through at least the rest of the year .
The Navajo Parks and Recreation Department cited a rise in coronavirus cases on the reservation and a tribal public health order in making the announcement .
It said it will reassess in January .
The closure extends to rivers , trails , canyons and roads that lead to tribal parks at Lake Powell , the Little Colorado River , Antelope Canyon and Window Rock , for example .
The National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canyon de Chelly National Monument and the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site .
But the agency said it will operate in line with the Navajo Nation ’ s orders .
The tribe reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and no additional deaths , bringing the total number of cases to 10,454 since the pandemic began .
The number of known deaths remained at 559 .
A shelter-in-place order , mask mandate , daily curfews and weekend lockdowns remain in effect on the vast reservation that stretches into New Mexico , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mild or moderate symptoms with the coronavirus , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--DC unveils plan to open public school buildings in November

WASHINGTON - Public Schools in Washington , D.C. , will partially reopen their buildings to select students beginning Nov. 9 in a multi-pronged approach as the nation ’ s capital struggles to return to normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser had planned to start the 2020 school year offering a hybrid model combining distance learning with two days a week of in-school instruction .
But the city was forced to abandon that plan in late summer amid strong safety objections from the teacher ’ s union .
Bowser said Monday there was “ a real urgency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buildings safely .
She has repeatedly cited the schools issue as a fundamental step in the District ’ s return from a pandemic-fueled shutdown .
“ We shouldn ’ t expect life to go back to normal until kids are back in school , ” she said in September .
The new plan , announced Monday , brings back certain students from pre-K through fifth grade .
D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said students in sixth grade and above would continue with full-time distance learning until the next school term , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youngest students have been the most challenged “ by the long-distance computer instruction , Ferebee said .
Those students offered the chance to return to school buildings would be classified in two primary groupings .
Students in the “ in-person learning classroom ” level would receive traditional classroom instruction from a teacher .
This would be offered to students with special-education needs , those learning English , and students experiencing homelessness or otherwise deemed to be at-risk .
Ferebee said the program would begin on Nov. 9 and there would be one such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school .
The second grouping , dubbed the “ CARE ” model , would bring in groups of students who would continue to work virtually via laptop under adult supervision .
The students would be able to socialize safely with their peers during breaks , recess and lunch .
Priority here would be given to the children of DCPS teachers and staff , and to students whose siblings have already been accepted .
But it would otherwise be open to the wider student body and participants will be selected via randomized algorithm .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would begin on Nov. 16 .
Second through fifth grades would start on Nov. 30 .
Ferebee said the school administration would select students for both programs and offer seats to parents .
“ We will reach out to the families , ” he said , adding there was no need for parents to apply .
Students who are not chosen for either program or who prefer to continue full-time distance learning will continue to participate from home .
Instead of the original two-day-a-week hybrid model , students will be in school all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half-day .
The “ in-person classroom ” model appears to resemble that pursued by a handful of local charter schools .
About a dozen public charters , which are largely independent and educate about 46 per cent of public school students , have been bringing in select groups of students using similar criteria for in-person instruction .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--DC government unable to connect with White House on outbreak

WASHINGTON - Officials with the Washington , D.C. , Department of Health have been unsuccessful in trying to connect with the White House to assist with contact tracing and other protocols regarding the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak that has infected President Donald Trump and several senior staff members .
“ We have reached out to the White House on a couple of different levels , a political level and a public health level , ” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday .
She added that a D.C. health department representative who reached out to the White House “ had a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider a substantial contact from the public health side.
“ The lack of communication represents an unwelcome obstacle for the D.C. government , which has worked to contain the spread of the virus through mandatory mask requirements and limits on the size of gatherings .
Bowser acknowledged on Monday that White House medical officials “ have their hands full ” at the moment .
But a D.C. official , speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren ’ t authorized to comment on the record , said White House doctors have not informed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the positive test results — a necessary step before contact tracing and quarantining can begin .
There have been multiple attempts to contact them , the official said .
Bowser ’ s government , which has publicly feuded with the Trump administration multiple times , is in a difficult position regarding the current outbreak .
The Trump White House has operated for months in open violation of several D.C. virus regulations , hosting multiple gatherings that exceeded the local 50-person limit and in which many participants didn ’ t wear masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ announce Trump ’ s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court is now regarded as a potential infection nexus , with multiple attendees , including Notre Dame University President Rev .
John Jenkins , testing positive afterward .
Jenkins flew in to attend the ceremony from Indiana , a state D.C. classifies as a virus hot-spot — meaning he would have been expected to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival .
Washington ’ s local virus regulations don ’ t apply on federal property , but the current outbreak has blurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former counsellor Kellyanne Conway , who has also tested positive , are D.C. residents , as are many of the staffers , employees , Secret Service members and journalists who have had close contact with infected officials .
But the Health Department has been unable to conduct contact tracing or any of the other normal protocols .
Instead it has been forced to entrust the White House medical staff to conduct its own contact tracing .
“ There are established public health protocols at the White House that are federal in nature , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that those protocols have been engaged.
” The White House said Monday that it had a “ robust ” contact tracing program in place and procedures that follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifications .
Dr. LaQuandra Nesbit , head of the D.C. Health Department , said the process must begin with an official notification from a medical professional .
“ If that information has been provided to us ... the D.C. contact trace force will do its work , ” Nesbit said .
The situation has been further complicated by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to voluntarily quarantine and the inability of the D.C. government to force the issue .
Attorney General William Barr , who was repeatedly seen in close contact with Conway and other infected people , said over the weekend that he would limit his activities or movements .
On Monday he reversed course and a spokesman said Barr would self-quarantine “ for now.
” The CDC has said repeatedly that it has a team ready to help the White House investigate how the outbreak unfolded .
The White House so far has not asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation could sort out who started the outbreak and whether the spread happened at the outdoor gathering or at related indoor events or both , several infectious disease experts said in a conference call with reporters .
“ The tools are present to dissect what actually happened , ” said Dr. Robert Schooley , an infectious disease specialist at the UC San Diego School of Medicine .
Indoor spread is easier , but the attendees of the Rose Garden ceremony sat very close together for an extended time , said Linsey Marr , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Virginia Tech .
At this point , “ I don ’ t think we can rule out transmission occurring outdoors , ” Marr said .
White House spokesman Judd Deere said Monday that the White House “ has established a robust contact tracing program led by the White House Medical Unit with CDC integration to provide appropriate recommendations.
” He said those who com in close proximity to Trump would continue to be tested .
Bowser and Nesbit took pains Monday to avoid direct commentary or criticism of the White House — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicizing the crisis .
Nesbit refused to specifically comment on the Sept. 26 Rose Garden ceremony .
But she spoke in generalities about everyone ’ s need to “ make better decisions ” in their personal and professional lives .
“ We have encouraged people to choose the activities they would go to wisely , “ she said .
” If someone was hosting an event where people were not going to wear facemasks , where people were not going to be socially distant , that you would choose to make better decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writer Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--200K in US have died from virus. Now Trump says he ‘gets it’

Now that he has contracted COVID-19 , President Donald Trump says he does “ get it.
” That revelation , seven months into the pandemic and after almost 210,000 American deaths , is not the first time he has relied on personal experience to shape his views .
He said he now “ understands ” the virus .
But because of his own experience , as a patient at one of the nation ’ s finest medical facilities with treatment options available to very few , the president also reinforced that he has struggled to relate with everyday Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the coronavirus .
Instead , as he has in relationships with other countries , he has prioritized his own personal experience over that of experts .
He has been reluctant , for instance , to call out Russian President Vladimir Putin over interference in American elections in the face of clear evidence from the U.S. intelligence community that it has occurred .
He has also drawn frequently on his experience with the business world or his own family to set the White House agenda .
He cited his business acumen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem , and he said he understands the airline industry because of his time running the failed Trump Shuttle .
Despite months of briefings from the nation ’ s leading infectious disease experts , it was the onset of his own symptoms , as he was brought low by a lethal virus , that he said gave him a greater understanding .
That understanding , however , seemed very much in conflict with expert public health guidance about how the virus behaves and the precautions that people infected , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , need to take .
“ It ’ s been a very interesting journey , “ Trump said in a video released Sunday night .
” I learned a lot about COVID .
I learned it by really going to school .
This is the real school .
And I get it , and I understand it , and it ’ s a very interesting thing , and I ’ m going to be letting you know about it.
” But it soon became clear that he did not , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surprise ride in a motorcade to pay tribute to his supporters , potentially exposing the Secret Service agents who rode in the vehicle with him .
The next day , when announcing that he would be returning to the White House , he took a tone that suggested he was out of touch with suffering Americans who could not receive the same level of presidential care .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life , ” Trump tweeted .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some really great drugs & knowledge .
I feel better than I did 20 years ago !
” At no point since he tested positive for the virus has Trump acknowledged others afflicted with the deadly disease .
His general election foe , Democrat Joe Biden , on Monday urged him to fundamentally change how he manages the pandemic .
“ I was glad to see the president speaking and recording videos over the weekend , ” Biden said in Miami .
“ Now that he ’ s busy tweeting campaign messages , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Listen to the scientists , support masks.
” Even when the virus struck longtime friends , like Stanley Chera , a New Jersey developer who died of the disease in April , Trump did not change his approach and continued to talk about the virus as though it would soon be a thing of the past .
“ We ’ ve always said that he has no capacity for empathy .
His sense of self-regard is so overwhelming , he views everything that passes through the world through the lens of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eddie Glaude , chair of the department of African American Studies at Princeton University .
“ Even though more than 200,000 Americans are dead , the nature of the crisis doesn ’ t come home unless it actually touches him , ” Glaude said .
“ Could he ever represent anyone other than himself ?
” Trump has said he could deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because he had established a personal rapport with the authoritarian figure in ways that his predecessors could not .
“ I was being really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then we would go back and forth , ” Trump said at a 2018 rally .
“ And then we fell in love .
No really .
He wrote me beautiful letters.
” Since Trump has in effect declared his battle with the disease successful — an assessment that available medical evidence suggests is premature — it remains doubtful that Trump would take his personal experience battling COVID-19 and rethink his administration ’ s policies or attitudes toward the pandemic , especially given the competing imperative of continuing his presidential campaign .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of the American presidency : consoling people dealing with intense grief , regardless of their political affiliation or support for the White House ’ s agenda .
It ’ s a quality rarely debated or analyzed during a campaign , yet one that can shape the way people view the success of their president .
But in 2020 , it has become a central issue .
The president has rarely mentioned the toll of the virus on the nation , instead focusing on an economic recovery or a rise in the stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask and mocked those who have .
And he has ignored his own federal government ’ s guidelines when holding rallies and large-scale White House events .
Trump may draw lessons from his own experiences but will rarely ever acknowledge a misstep , said former campaign adviser Sam Nunberg .
“ He once said , ‘ It is what it is ’ about the impact of COVID .
His video ( Sunday night ) was better than that , it was probably the closest he is going to get to an apology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not who he is.
” “ He has experience now fighting the coronavirus as an individual , ” said Erin Perrine , a campaign spokeswoman .
“ Joe Biden doesn ’ t have that .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Hotter days widen racial gap in U.S. schools, data shows

WASHINGTON—Rising temperatures are widening the racial achievement gap in U.S. schools , new research suggests , offering the latest evidence that the burdens of climate change fall disproportionately on people of colour .
In a paper published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behavior , researchers found that students performed worse on standardized tests for every additional day of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher , even after controlling for other factors .
Those effects held across 58 countries , suggesting a fundamental link between heat exposure and reduced learning .
But when the researchers looked specifically at the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the effect on test scores by race , they found something surprising : The detrimental impact of heat seemed to affect only Black and Hispanic students .
R. Jisung Park , the paper ’ s lead author and an assistant professor of public policy at the University of California , Los Angeles , said the gap seemed to reflect the fact that minority students are less likely to have air-conditioning at school and at home .
Being exposed to higher temperatures throughout the school year appears to take a gradual and cumulative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absorb their lessons , he said .
“ It ’ s like a thousand little cuts to your ability to focus and concentrate and learn , ” Park said .
The findings are the newest addition to a growing body of research showing that climate change in general , and rising temperatures in particular , have a greater effect on minorities .
A study published in January found that a history of redlining — the long-discredited policy of marking minority neighbourhoods as risky places for banks to lend money — and the underinvestment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Black neighbourhoods today with more paved areas and fewer trees .
As a result , those neighbourhoods were hotter than their white counterparts , leading to more cases of heat-related illnesses .
In June , research published in JAMA Network Open showed that pregnant women exposed to high temperatures or air pollution are more likely to have children who are premature , underweight or stillborn , and African American mothers and babies are harmed at a much higher rate than the population at large .
The link between heat and education has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In an earlier paper , published in May , Park and his co-authors , including Joshua Goodman of Boston University , looked at the effects of heat on U.S. high school students .
They examined 10 million students who took the PSATs twice , and found that students did worse on the test that followed a year of higher temperatures .
They calculated that those effects were greater for minority students , and estimated that heat exposure explained “ roughly five per cent of the racial achievement gap.
” But high school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative of the entire American student population .
So in their new paper , Park and Goodman , along with A. Patrick Behrer of Stanford University , examined more than 270 million state-administered test scores for third to eighth graders between 2009 and 2015 .
They found that students who experienced more school days of 80 degrees Fahrenheit , about 27 Celsius , or hotter in the year before their tests fared worse than their counterparts in the same school districts who took the tests in years with fewer hot days .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Hispanic students , and for students with lower family income .
For white students as a group , there was no statistically significant effect .
( The data did not allow the researchers to look at race and income together , preventing them from determining the effect of heat exposure on test scores for more specific groups such as low-income white students . )
The findings could reflect differences outside the school , including less access for minority students to tutoring to augment classroom lessons , said Goodman , an associate professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers separated hotter school days from hotter weekend or summer days .
They found that the strongest effect on test scores were linked to higher temperatures on days when students were at school .
“ The same amount of outdoor heat makes certain classrooms hotter , just because their buildings are lower quality , ” Goodman said .
“ Low-income students are in school buildings that have worse HVAC and ventilation systems.
” Unequal access to well-funded schools belongs to a long list of racial inequities that magnify the effects of climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior official at the Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama .
That list includes the fact that minorities are more likely to live near toxic waste sites , exposing them to hazardous chemicals during floods , she said , as well as public housing developments that hold heat .
“ We could go on and on , talking about different social dynamics that disproportionately impact communities of colour , ” said McTeer Toney , who is now national field director for Moms Clean Air Force , an advocacy group .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can make a link to climate.
” The growing body of research showing those disproportionate effects has changed the public conversation around climate change , directing more attention to racial equity , said Nsedu Obot Witherspoon , executive director for the Children ’ s Environmental Health Network , an advocacy group for protecting children from environmental hazards .
But it is not yet clear whether that increased focus will translate into fixing the policies that cause those disparities to persist , she said , such as less funding for schools in minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussing a lot of this for a very long time , ” Obot Witherspoon said .

Christopher Flavelle - The New York Times


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Uganda reports blood shortages amid coronavirus pandemic

KAMPALA , Uganda - Health authorities in Uganda say the supply of blood has sharply declined since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as fewer people donate and schools remain closed .
The consequences are sometimes deadly .
Students , especially those in secondary school , are the largest group of blood donors in the East African country but schools have been closed since March amid efforts to curb the spread of the virus .
This means the government agency charged with collecting blood is failing to meet its targets .
Dr. Emmanuel Batiibwe , the director of a hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents of the capital , Kampala , cited multiple deaths there in recent months related to blood shortages .
One victim was a woman with pregnancy complications .
Children under 5 and patients going into surgery are also among those frequently in need of a blood transfusion , he said .
In July , Batiibwe ’ s China-Uganda Friendship Hospital received only 18 of a requisitioned 218 units of blood .
The next month 68 of 217 units came in , he said .
“ There ’ s a problem somewhere , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ disaster.
“ The head of Uganda Blood Transfusion Services , Dr. Dorothy Byabazaire , told lawmakers earlier this year that her agency collected 56,850 units of a targeted 75,000 between April and July .
Facilities across the country submit blood orders to the agency , and there is a sharing mechanism among facilities in the event of emergencies .
But “ borrowing ” blood can be time-consuming , Batiibwe said .
The Uganda Red Cross , which helps authorities to mobilize blood donors , said it hasn ’ t been easy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country has confirmed more than 8,600 coronavirus cases , including 79 deaths .
“ People don ’ t feed well anymore .
People are stressed , ” said spokeswoman Irene Nakasiita , adding that some willing , potential donors are turned away because their blood levels are too low .
Similar challenges were echoed by Ariho Franco , a donor recruiter for a blood bank operated by Kampala ’ s private Mengo Hospital , who said that while schools are closed they are focusing on public places .
They have set up tents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in central Kampala .
Donors receive soda and cookies .
“ The blood shortage is a serious problem because the few people who are out there that we are able to reach are unable to donate due to various reasons , “ Franco said .
He said blood collection teams are facing challenges in finding donors among communities reeling from the economic impacts of the pandemic .
Some people say they are not sure where their next meal will come from , he said .
“ At the end of the day some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of God since the little blood that will have been collected will only be reserved for serious emergencies , ” he said .
Blood shortages have been reported elsewhere , including in parts of Europe .
Local media in Romania have cited fear of COVID-19 infections among the reasons for a decline in the number of blood donors .
The cities of Iasi and Cluj face a dire situation as some cancer patients needing frequent transfusions and people needing urgent surgery have had to bring their own donors to survive .

Rodney Muhumuza And Patrick Onen - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Delta grows into hurricane in Caribbean; eyes Yucatan, Cuba

MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Delta rapidly strengthened into a hurricane in the Caribbean Monday , aiming to hit Mexico ’ s Yucatan Peninsula potentially as a major storm before continuing on to strike the U.S. Gulf coast later in the week .
That part of Mexico is still soaked from Tropical Storm Gamma which hit its popular coastal resorts over the weekend and forced thousands from their homes in Tabasco and Chiapas .
Gamma weakened to a tropical depression Monday after leaving six dead in southeastern Mexico .
It continued to break up just north of the Yucatan Peninsula @ @ @ @ @ @ @ western Cuba , but shifted a bit to the west Monday putting it on a path to hit the northeast tip of the Yucatan early Wednesday .
It was moving into an area with very warm water and nearly calm high winds that forecasters at the hurricane centre called “ a very conducive environment for strengthening.
“ The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Monday evening that a hurricane warning was in effect for the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio and in Mexico , from Tulum to Rio Lagartos , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southwest of the Cayman Islands early Tuesday , and approach the northeastern portion of the Yucatan peninsula Tuesday evening , reaching it early Wednesday morning .
The hurricane centre said Delta is expected to continue strengthening rapidly over the next day or so , and be a major hurricane when it nears the Yucatan Peninsula .
It is forecast to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast around Friday .
Delta is the earliest 25th named storm to form in the Atlantic , beating the old record of Nov. 15 , 2005 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phil Klotzbach .
It had top winds of 75 mph ( 120 kph ) Monday evening and was about 220 miles ( 355 kilometres ) south-southeast of Grand Cayman .
It was moving west near 8 mph ( 13 kph ) .
Delta is expected to hammer parts of southeastern Mexico already drenched by Tropical Storm Gamma .
Mexico ’ s civil defence agency said in a statement that four of the deaths blamed on Gamma , including two children , were in Chiapas , where a landslide on a mountainous slope buried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were in Tabasco state , where one person was dragged away by the water and another drowned .
Gamma , along with cold fronts , combined over the weekend to cause extreme rains in parts of the Yucatan Peninsula and Chiapas , affecting more than half a million people .
The hardest-hit state was Tabasco , where more than 3,400 were evacuated to shelters .
The hurricane centre said Gamma had become a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph ( 55 kph ) .
It was located about 115 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mexico .
It was moving southwest at 5 mph ( 7 kph ) .
Forecasters predicted up to 8 more inches of rain in the states of Yucatan , Campeche and Tabasco , producing significant flash flooding .
AP writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Man escorted off flight after physical fight over masks

SALT LAKE CITY - A man who refused to wear a face mask on a Utah-bound flight was escorted off the plane in Arizona after he and another man who asked him to follow the rules got into a physical altercation , police said Monday .
Rylie Lansford of Lehigh , Utah , boarded the Allegiant flight in Mesa , Arizona , on Saturday and was sitting near both passengers .
As soon as the two men started fighting on the Provo-bound flight , Lansford said , she ran to the front of the plane and started recording video .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to go down and so really all I was thinking about was getting out of the way , ” she said Monday .
Lansford said the fight began when a man sitting behind her started arguing with a flight attendant after she asked him to wear a mask .
He was wearing a face shield , but “ face shields must be worn in addition to a face covering , but not as an alternative , “ according to Allegiant ’ s policy .
Another passenger sitting in Lansford ’ s row @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man to wear a mask and began shouting obscenities and other threats , she said .
Police said the first man told him to mind his own business .
A gate supervisor came to remove the man wearing a face shield who then elbowed the man in front of him and said he was the reason why he had to leave , Mesa police said in a statement .
Lansford ’ s video shows the man in front choking the passenger who refused to wear a mask , pulling his hair and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-duty police officer stopped the fight and escorted the man who wouldn ’ t wear a mask off the flight , police said .
The second man was allowed to stay on the plane , Lansford said .
“ I was just annoyed that it was just one simple thing that one person had to do , ” she said .
“ If you buy a plane ticket , wear a mask.
” Allegiant Air said in a statement that passengers are required to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified the man who was removed from the flight as 52-year-old Rio Honaker .
An officer cited Honaker with one count of disorderly conduct .
It was not clear if Honaker had an attorney , and no listed phone number could be found .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--The Latest: Trump video tells supporters, ‘Don’t be afraid’

WASHINGTON - The Latest on President Donald Trump ’ s health after his COVID-19 diagnosis and hospitalization , and infections of close aides and others ( all times local ) : President Donald Trump has tweeted a new video taped after he returned to the White House in which he tells the American public not to be afraid of COVID-19 , which has killed more than 200,000 people in the U.S. and more than a million worldwide .
In message that is sure to infuriate medical doctors trying to keep the country safe , Trump says he has “ learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracted .
And he says : “ Don ’ t let it dominate .
Don ’ t let it take over your lives.
” Trump was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center by a team of some of the country ’ s best doctors and he received an experimental drug not readily available to the public .
Nonetheless , he told his followers who do not have access to the same level of care that they had little to fear .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to beat it .
We have the best medical equipment .
We have the best medicines.
” Trump also again defended his decision to continue travelling and holding events before he got sick , saying he “ knew there ’ s danger to it , but I had to it .
I stood out front .
I led.
” President Donald Trump says he feels “ good ” as he arrives back at the White House after three days at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , where he was being treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House just before 7 p.m. Monday just as the sun was setting .
He then walked upstairs to the South Portico balcony , took off his mask and stuffed it in his pocket , and flashed a double thumbs-up to the cameras .
He saluted as he watched the helicopter lift back off .
He walked into the White House without putting his mask back on .
Trump ’ s doctors said he would continue his recovery from the White House , where he will be cared for 24/7 by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor says he ’ s still contagious .
Trump walked out the golden front doors of Walter Reed earlier Monday and offered a thumbs-up and fist bump before he stepped into an SUV that carried him to the helicopter .
Lights had been set up to illuminate the scene for cameras .
President Donald Trump pumped his fist as he departed a military hospital after a three-day stay for the coronavirus .
A masked Trump walked out of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday evening toward a waiting SUV that carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight back to the White House .
He said , “ Thank you very much , ” to the assembled reporters .
Even before he walked out the doors , he tweeted that he ’ d be back on the campaign trail soon .
The 74-year-old Trump was expected to continue his recovery at the White House , where he will be cared for around-the-clock by a team of doctors and nurses .
He announced his coronavirus diagnosis early Friday .
His return comes as the White House is still learning the extent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dozen close contacts of the president over the last week .
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina says he ’ s regained his sense of taste and smell after testing positive for the coronavirus last week .
Tillis tweeted Monday : “ I feel great.
“ He says that although he ’ s no longer exhibiting any symptoms of the coronavirus , he will continue to self-isolate .
Tillis is among several people who tested positive for the virus days after attending the Supreme Court nomination ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Others who came down with the coronavirus include President Donald Trump and Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah .
Tillis was wearing a mask during the outside ceremony and has supported mask use .
A New York Times photo taken inside the White House showed a maskless Tillis speaking to Barrett .
Tillis is in a tight race for reelection in November .
He has temporarily halted in-person campaigning , and several campaign staff went into quarantine .
Washington , D.C. , officials say the White House has rebuffed their offers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and several others who attended a Rose Garden event to introduce the new Supreme Court nominee tested positive for COVID-19 .
Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser says a D.C. health department representative who reached out to the White House “ had a very cursory conversation that we don ’ t consider a substantial contact from the public health side.
” Washington ’ s local virus regulations don ’ t apply on federal property , and the White House has hosted multiple gatherings that exceeded the local 50-person limit , and many participants didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 ceremony announcing Trump ’ s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett is now regarded as a potential infection nexus .
The White House says it is doing contact tracing , and “ appropriate notifications and recommendations are being made.
” President Donald Trump is planning to return to the White House on Monday evening , but doctors couldn ’ t say when he ’ ll no longer be contagious for the coronavirus or when he ’ d be able to travel again .
The president ’ s personal physician , Dr. Sean Conley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Military Medical Center on Monday afternoon that Trump is not out of the woods yet , but that there is no care at the hospital that the president can not get at the White House .
Typically , COVID-19 patients don ’ t have tests when they leave the hospital .
Doctors says Trump will be given advanced testing that is not readily available to determine when no more viable virus is present .
Trump announced his coronavirus diagnosis early Friday and spent three days in the hospital .
An infectious-disease specialist says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s medical team on infection control strategies so that the president can return to the White House .
Dr. Jason Blaylock said Monday that he ’ s working closely with local laboratories to obtain advanced diagnostic testing that would inform the White House medical team about Trump ’ s ability to transmit the virus to others .
The president says he ’ s leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday evening after a three-day stay for the coronavirus .
On Sunday evening , Trump took a ride in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show his appreciation to supporters camped outside the hospital .
The president ’ s personal physician , Dr. Sean Conley , says he was not concerned about the president going back to the White House on Monday .
He says the first five days of illness is when people are most likely to shed the virus .
Trump announced his coronavirus diagnosis early Friday .
Conley says , “ We ’ re going to do whatever it takes for the president to safely conduct business “ within the White House .
President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusing to disclose the findings of his lung scans as they update the public on his condition .
Dr. Sean Conley , the president ’ s physician , said Monday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that he ’ s “ just not at liberty to discuss ” the findings .
Trump has been hospitalized at Walter Reed since Friday evening after he contracted the coronavirus .
COVID-19 can cause serious lung damage , including pneumonia , that can be visible in scans .
Conley was also evasive over the weekend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings ” in Trump ’ s scans , but he declined to say what those findings were .
He said there was “ nothing of any major clinical concern.
” President Donald Trump ’ s medical team says the president “ may not entirely be out of the woods yet ” as he heads back home to the White House .
Dr. Sean Conley , the president ’ s physician , delivered an update on the president ’ s health Monday .
Earlier , Trump tweeted that he would be leaving Walter Reed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a three-day hospitalization with the coronavirus .
He says Trump “ may not entirely be out of the woods yet ” but he and the team “ agree that all our evaluations and , most importantly , his clinical status support the president ’ s safe return home , where he ’ ll be surrounded by world class medical care.
” Doctors say that he will continue to receive his treatments from the White House .
President Donald Trump says he ’ s leaving the hospital Monday evening after a three-day stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president tweeted : “ I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M .
Feeling really good !
Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life .
We have developed , under the Trump Administration , some really great drugs & knowledge .
I feel better than I did 20 years ago !
” The virus has killed nearly 210,000 Americans .
Trump has been treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Friday afternoon .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still learning of the scale of the apparent outbreak on the complex last week .
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested positive for the coronavirus Monday morning .
A Christian pastor who attended the Rose Garden event where President Donald Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court has tested positive for the coronavirus .
Greg Laurie of the California-based Harvest Christian Fellowship megachurch says he was diagnosed with the virus on Friday and was quarantining after experiencing symptoms such as fatigue and fever .
Laurie said in a Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not politicize something like this and show compassion ” to those affected .
The prominent evangelical also participated in a prayer march on the National Mall that featured Vice-President Mike Pence as a prominent guest .
The march was held the same day as the Rose Garden event .
Another conservative evangelical leader who was present at the Rose Garden event , Texas-based megachurch pastor Jack Graham , told his congregants on Sunday that “ I don ’ t have COVID ” and that he is “ ridiculously healthy , let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Graham did not address whether he had received a negative test result , and a church spokesperson did not comment further on the matter .
President Donald Trump ’ s doctor will be delivering an update on the president ’ s condition later Monday afternoon at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
Trump is undergoing treatment for a fourth day for COVID-19 .
It has been more than 24 hours since Trump ’ s physicians last provided an update on his condition , though White House aides said Trump was hopeful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon .
Trump sent a number of all-caps tweets Monday morning encouraging supporters to vote , with just weeks until Election Day .
But he hasn ’ t yet appeared in photos or videos released by the White House on Monday .
New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy says that President Donald Trump ’ s fundraiser at his Bedminster golf club hours before he announced he had contracted the coronavirus was wrong and “ put lives at risk.
” Murphy on Monday called the trip the “ wrong decision at every level ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state is trying to keep tabs on the 206 attendees and 19 workers in an effort to thwart a potential outbreak stemming from the large gathering Thursday , which included an indoor roundtable with the president and photo opportunities .
White House spokesperson Judd Deere says the president didn ’ t have any contact with donors or staff that would be considered close , based on the CDC guidelines of longer than 15 minutes and within 6 feet ( 1.8 metres ) .
But Dr. Rich Roberts , a pharmaceutical executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describing the event , said he sat a seat away from Trump during the indoor roundtable that lasted 45 minutes .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says she has tested positive for COVID-19 .
This comes days after President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus .
McEnany says in a statement that she tested positive Monday morning and is experiencing no symptoms at this time .
She spoke briefly with reporters Sunday evening , but says that no members of the White House press corps spent enough time around her to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she is beginning the quarantine process and “ will continue working on behalf of the American People remotely.
” White House officials maintain that President Donald Trump continues to work from the hospital as he battles COVID-19 .
The White House says the president signed two permits for cross-border petroleum pipeline projects over the weekend , while at his presidential hospital suite at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
Trump signed the permits -- for projects running between Montana and Canada , and Texas and Mexico -- on Saturday , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital .
Trump has boasted of helping to make the U.S. “ energy dominant ” and has wide campaign support in the oil and gas industry .
He has put an emphasis on pushing through oil and gas pipeline projects throughout his administration , including issuing executive orders and seeking to streamline regulations to override objections from states , tribes or others in the path of the pipelines .
White House officials say President Donald Trump is anxious to be released from the hospital as early as Monday , after three nights at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he ’ s being treated for COVID-19 .
“ This is an important day as the president continues to improve and is ready to get back to a normal work schedule , ” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told Fox News on Monday .
Meadows says the determination on whether Trump would leave the hospital won ’ t be made until later in the day after the president is evaluated by his medical team .
His doctors revealed on Sunday that Trump ’ s blood oxygen level dropped suddenly twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him a steroid typically only recommended for the very sick .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--Gusty winds fan big Rocky Mountain wildfires, spread embers

CHEYENNE , Wyo .
- Two big Rocky Mountain wildfires flared up again Monday as dry , gusty winds blew embers past areas where firefighters had been making progress .
Firefighters at the Mullen Fire on the Wyoming-Colorado line and the Cameron Peak Fire in northern Colorado struggled as winds picked up in the afternoon as expected .
No more structures were reported lost , however .
Over 100 mainly recreational cabins and other structures have burned since the fires began .
The Mullen Fire 100 miles ( 160 kilometres ) west of Cheyenne was especially active Monday on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back and reassess in places , fire operations section chief trainee Deon Steinle said in a news conference .
Areas of concern included Albany , a cabin community of 55 people at a popular access point for Medicine Bow National Forest .
“ Firefighters are working hard — really hard — to keep things contained .
Not a lot of luck this afternoon , ” Steinle said .
The Mullen Fire also remained active to the south but still contained behind two Colorado state highways .
Firefighters last week took advantage of calmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brush along the highways , creating wider barriers to fire than just the pavement .
A drone flying with an infrared camera has been helping firefighters at night find and put out small spot fires ahead of the main fire .
The almost 240-square-mile ( 620-square-kilometre ) fire was 14 % contained , while the nearly 200-square-mile ( 510-square-kilometre ) Cameron Peak Fire 20 miles ( 32 kilometres ) west of Fort Collins , Colorado was 42 % contained .
Gusty wind was also putting firefighters on the defensive against the fire burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north of and partly inside Rocky Mountain National Park , Cameron Peak Fire operations trainee John Norton-Jensen said in a Monday briefing .
About 25 miles ( 40 kilometres ) of mountainous forest with little human development separated the fires .
Firefighters didn ’ t expect the fires to connect but evacuation orders were in place for large areas of Medicine Bow , Routt , and Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests .
The Cameron Peak Fire was first reported Aug. 13 , followed by the Mullen Fire on Sept. 17 .
The fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold temperatures and snow have usually brought fire season to an end .


thetorontostar--2020-10-05--The Latest: Biden says he’d be transparent about health

WASHINGTON - The Latest on the 2020 presidential election ( all times local ) : Democratic presidential Joe Biden says he would be transparent about his health as president , but he offered some potential caveats .
Biden said during an NBC News town hall Monday that “ you have to tell the whole truth ” about your health as president but not necessarily “ moment to moment ” as a health scare plays out .
The 77-year-old referred back to the 1981 assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan .
“ They were transparent , ” he said , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president ’ s care .
Asked whether he ’ d ever hold back some part of his health status , Biden said he do it “ only on the margins and only for the moment.
” Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will debate with a plexiglass shield between them to guard against coronavirus transmission .
The Biden-Harris campaign requested a plexiglass shield for Wednesday ’ s vice-presidential debate , and the Commission on Presidential Debates agreed to it .
That ’ s according to a campaign aide with knowledge of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity .
It will be the first debate since President Donald Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus .
The debate in Salt Lake City is the first and only meeting of the two vice-presidential candidates .
It ’ s not the first time plexiglass will be used in a debate as a virus precaution .
Democrat Jaime Harrison used a plexiglass partition during his Saturday debate against Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina .
HERE ’ S WHAT YOU NEED TO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE : President Donald Trump is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with the coronavirus .
Democrat Joe Biden is campaigning in the critical background state of Florida on Monday .
— 2020 Watch : How long will Trump be quarantined ?
HERE ’ S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING : Joe Biden says he ’ s glad President Donald Trump appears to have made a swift recovery from the coronavirus , but he notes that “ our nation ’ s current crisis is far from over.
” The Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miami ’ s Little Havana neighbourhood while campaigning in Florida .
Trump tweeted earlier Monday that he was leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the evening after a three-day stay for the coronavirus .
He announced his diagnosis early Friday .
Biden says , “ I was glad to see the president speaking and recording videos over the weekend .
Now that he ’ s busy tweeting campaign messages , I would him to do this : Listen to the scientists.
” He also urged Trump to support a nationwide mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself backed it months ago .
President Donald Trump says he ’ s leaving the hospital Monday evening after a three-day stay to treat symptoms of COVID-19 .
The president tweeted : “ I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M .
Feeling really good !
Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life .
We have developed , under the Trump Administration , some really great drugs & knowledge .
I feel better than I did 20 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 210,000 Americans .
Trump has been treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Friday afternoon .
Trump ’ s return comes as the White House is still learning of the scale of the apparent outbreak on the complex last week .
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested positive for the coronavirus Monday morning .
Joe Biden says he ’ s willing to go forward with an in-person debate later this month “ if scientists say it ’ s safe , ” even after President Donald Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to campaign in Florida , the Democratic presidential nominee declined to say Monday whether he believes the next presidential debate , scheduled for Oct. 15 , should be virtual .
Instead , he said he would “ listen to the science ” and that “ if scientists say that it ’ s safe , that distances are safe , then I think that ’ s fine.
” Biden and Trump stood about 10 feet ( 3 metres ) apart during the last debate , though neither wore a mask during the event .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two days later and is hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
Plans for the second debate are in question following Trump ’ s diagnosis , and the development has already informed changes to the vice-presidential debate .
Vice-President Mike Pence and Biden ’ s running mate , Kamala Harris , will stand 12 feet ( 3.6 metres ) apart , rather than the 7 feet ( 2 metres ) originally planned .


thetorontostar--2020-10-06--Email points to ban on masks in virus-stricken jail housing

ALFRED , Maine - An email points to an outright ban on masks in housing units in a Maine jail dealing with a coronavirus outbreak that ’ s linked to a wedding and reception that made national news .
The York County Jail became a coronavirus hotspot after an employee who attended an August wedding more than 200 miles ( 320 kilometres ) away in the Katahdin region spread the virus .
The number of cases associated with the jail was approaching 90 as of Friday , and the number of cases linked to the wedding and reception has topped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained by news outlets said inmates were not permitted to bring masks into any housing unit , a policy that likely exacerbated the outbreak .
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocates mask-wearing to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Inmates are allowed to remove the masks from their faces when in secured holding cell ( s ) .
Inmates that test negative for COVID-19 will dispose of their mask , in intake and in front of staff , “ the email said .
Attorney Tim Zerillo , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said in recent months he has received complaints from inmates and their families .
“ Those complaints were always that there were no masks at the jail and neither the detainees or the guards were wearing masks and that people were scared and I don ’ t think it ’ s just the inmates who were scared , ” Zerillo told WMTW-TV .
Corrections officers reported that there was an “ an informal directive not to wear masks in the housing units for fear of creating hysteria amongst the inmates , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the union that represents corrections officers .
After the first cases at the jail , the Maine Department of Corrections reviewed 14 other jails in the state and found that four did not require inmates to wear face masks .
Corrections Commissioner Randall Liberty , whose department inspects jails , said any deficiencies are being addressed in all jails .
“ When we brought to their attention the deficiencies that they have , they corrected them and are in the process of correcting them , “ he said .


thetorontostar--2020-10-06--Collins: Maskless Trump set a poor example at White House

BANGOR , Maine - Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Tuesday she was “ shocked ” to see President Donald Trump discharged from the hospital so soon , and said Trump set a poor example by appearing at the White House without a mask .
“ When I saw him on the balcony of the White House , taking off his mask , I couldn ’ t help but think that he sent the wrong signal , given that he ’ s infected with COVID-19 and that there are many people in his immediate circle who have the virus , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that was a good example at all.
” The White House is now a coronavirus hotspot , with both the president and first lady having contracted the virus , along with others in their inner circle .
Collins has been critical of Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic before , calling his performance “ extremely uneven.
“ She ’ s running against Democrat Sara Gideon , the Maine House speaker , in one of the most competitive Senate races in the country — one of a handful that could decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate .
It ’ s the costliest political race in state history .
Collins is seeking to persuade voters who oppose Trump to stick with her .
Collins has not said whether or not she ’ ll cast her ballot for the president .
She says she didn ’ t vote for him in 2016 .


thetorontostar--2020-10-06--Boil-water notice lifted from Texas city where microbe found

LAKE JACKSON , Texas - A boil-water notice was lifted Tuesday from the drinking-water system of a Houston-area city where water tainted with a deadly , microscopic parasite was blamed for the death of a 6-year-old boy .
In a statement , the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said Lake Jackson officials lifted the notice Tuesday after disinfectant levels in the drinking water were documented to be above the state requirements .
Also , water samples tested negative for harmful bacteria .
However , the TCEQ urged users of Lake Jackson ’ s water to avoid getting it up their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the brain-eating microbe naegleria fowleri .
The boil-water notice was issued late last month after several days of flushing of the Brazosport Water Authority ’ s water delivery system .
The flushing was ordered after three of 11 samples of the Lake Jackson ’ s water tested positive for the deadly flagellate .
One sample came from the home of Josiah McIntyre , the 6-year-old boy whom doctors said died earlier this month after being infected with the brain-eating parasite , city officials said .
The deadly amoeba does not cause an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person drinks as it is killed by normal levels of stomach acid .
However , people can be infected when water containing the microbe enters the body through the nose Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott , who issued a disaster declaration for Lake Jackson , has said all indications point to the case being isolated and that the suspected problem in the boy ’ s death was traced back to a splash pad .
The TCEQ said it and the city will conduct daily monitoring for the microbe going forward .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sept. 25 not to use tap water for any reason except to flush toilets .
It lifted that warning the next day for all communities but Lake Jackson , where the authority ’ s water treatment plant is situated .
The advisory also was cancelled for two state prisons and Dow Chemical ’ s massive Freeport works .
The ban was lifted in Lake Jackson on Sept. 27 but replaced with the boil-water notice .
Naegleria fowleri is a free-living microscopic amoeba , or single-celled living organism commonly found in warm freshwater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
It usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose .
From there it travels to the brain and can cause a rare and debilitating disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis .
The infection is usually fatal and typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places such as lakes and rivers .
In very rare instances , naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources ( such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is a terrible tragedy that made something that was rare , and even vanishingly rare , actually happen , “ said John Hellersedt , commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services .


thetorontostar--2020-10-06--Who is Susan Page? Meet the moderator for the vice presidential debate

Susan Page , the longtime Washington bureau chief for USA Today , will be in charge of keeping the candidates in line at the vice presidential debate Wednesday in Salt Lake City , where Vice President Mike Pence will face off against Sen. Kamala Harris of California .
The sole showdown between running mates is typically the secondary act in the four events sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates in an election year .
But the age of Democratic nominee Joe Biden , who will be 78 on inauguration day in 2021 , and the health of 74-year-old Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital Monday after contracting the coronavirus , has heightened the significance of the No .
2 spot on the ticket in the 2020 campaign .
Page , 69 , is a veteran White House reporter , who has covered six administrations and 11 national campaigns .
She is the first print reporter to handle a televised presidential or vice presidential debate since 1976 , when James Hoge , then-editor of the Chicago Sun-Times , moderated the matchup of VP contenders Walter Mondale and Robert Dole .
Here is what you need to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) speaks at Shaw University during a campaign visit in Raleigh , N.C. , on Sept. 28 .
Right , Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a Faith and Freedom Coalition policy conference on Sept. 30 in Atlanta .
( Gerry Broome ; Brynn Anderson/Associated Press ) Journalism has been a family affair .
Page , a native of Kansas , is married to Carl Leubsdorf , a columnist and former Washington bureau chief for the Dallas Morning News .
One of their two sons , Ben , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Wall Street Journal and is now a librarian at the Congressional Research Service .
She took heat over a party she threw for a Trump administration official in 2018 .
After Page ’ s debate assignment was announced , a House committee report surfaced that she held a celebration at her home two years ago for Seema Verma , head of Medicare and Medicaid Services .
While such social occasions are part of the Washington beat , Page came under criticism when it was revealed the cost for the PR consultant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by taxpayers .
A representative for USA Today said Page was unaware of the charge and had covered the $ 4,000 for catering and other costs for the party out of her own pocket .
She was the first female president of the Gridiron Club .
Page has long been involved in the exclusive 135-year-old Washington club where top journalists write and perform a musical review that spoofs the politicians they cover .
( The event was cancelled this year for the first time since the Second World War due to the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arvidson noted that Page has capably sung and danced in the shows .
Arvidson chuckled when asked about Page ’ s vocal range .
“ What they look for is someone who can carry a tune and has requisite timing , ” she said .
“ If you can do both of those things , you ’ re a star.
” Page has never met a Washington public affairs program she didn ’ t like .
While Page does not have a regular TV job , she is often booked as a panelist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” In 2020 , she has appeared seven times on PBS ’ “ Washington Week , ” twice on “ Fox News Sunday ” and twice on “ Face the Nation.
” She recently became a bestselling author .
After being a Washington fixture for decades , Page is putting her institutional knowledge of the town to use as a biographer .
“ The Matriarch , ” her 2019 biography of former First Lady Barbara Bush , was a well reviewed bestseller .
Her next book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , looks at the life and career of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi .
She almost chose music over journalism .
Page started playing the oboe in the third grade , and considered a career as a musician .
“ I was very serious about becoming a professional oboist , ” she told Twitter in an interview .
“ And you would go to very different schools for those two careers , so this was something I really anguished over .
I chose journalism , and since I made that decision in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to do anything else .
”


thetorontostar--2020-10-06--US surgeon general cited for being in closed Hawaii park

HONOLULU - The U.S. surgeon general was cited for being in a closed Hawaii park in August while in the islands helping with surge testing amid a spike in coronavirus cases , according to a criminal complaint filed in court .
A Honolulu police officer cited Jerome Adams after seeing him with two men “ looking at the view taking pictures ” at Kualoa Regional Park on Oahu ’ s northeastern coast , the citation said .
The park in a rural area offers a picturesque view of Mokolii island , known as Chinaman ’ s Hat for its cone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was visiting Hawaii to work with the governor for COVID-19 and didn ’ t know parks were closed .
At the time , Oahu parks were closed by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell in an attempt to prevent crowds from gathering .
A phone number Adams gave the officer is the same number Adams listed on an email to state officials seeking an exemption for Hawaii ’ s quarantine on arriving travellers .
The email to Adams confirming his exemption included links to rules that were in effect in each of Hawaii ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks .
“ We do not have a comment at this time , ” said Kate Migliaccio-Grabill , a spokeswoman for the Office of the Surgeon General said .
Later Tuesday , Honolulu attorney Lex Smith issued a statement : “ During his visit to Oahu , the surgeon general was cited for accidentally violating the mayor ’ s emergency order , due to his misunderstanding of the law .
He has not asked for , nor has he received , any special treatment in connection with this citation , and will respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be commenting , the mayor ’ s office said .
Hawaii Gov .
David Ige ’ s office said he wasn ’ t immediately aware the Surgeon General was cited while he was here .
A spokesman for Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connors said she wasn ’ t aware he had been cited .
Court records show that Dennis Anderson-Villaluz was also cited .
Adams listed him as his aide in his exemption request .
Reached by phone Tuesday , Anderson-Villaluz declined to comment .
A few days after the citation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference announcing a partnership between the city and federal government for surge testing .
“ I ’ m proud of you , Hawaii .
I ’ m proud of every single one of you who has sacrificed over the past several months , “ he said , standing in a white military uniform .
“ And to the people who are lapsing a little bit , I want you to understand that a little bit of fun right now can result in shutdowns further on down the road .
It ’ s important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now , even if we don ’ t feel we are personally at risk.
” According to the complaint , Adams put a mask on .
He wore a mask at news conferences with the mayor .
“ Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS !
” Adams tweeted on Feb. 29 .
Officials later recommended that people wear face coverings in public and around people who don ’ t live in their household , based on a review of the latest evidence .
Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report @ @ @ @ @

Jennifer Sinco Kelleher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-10-06--Trump reports ‘no symptoms,’ returns to downplaying virus

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump , said to be making progress in his recovery from COVID-19 , tweeted his eagerness to return to the campaign trail Tuesday even as the outbreak that has killed more than 210,000 Americans reached ever more widely into the upper echelons of the U.S. government .
As Trump convalesced out of sight in the White House , the administration defended the protections it has put in place to protect the staff working there to treat and support him .
Trump again publicly played down the virus on Twitter after his return from a three-day hospitalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including one of his closest advisers , Stephen Miller .
In one significant national coronavirus action , Trump declared there would be no action before the election on economic-stimulus legislation — an announcement that came not long after the Federal Reserve chairman said such help was essential for recovery with the nation reeling from the human and economic cost of the pandemic .
Stocks fell on the White House news .
As for Trump ’ s own recovery , his doctor , Navy Cmdr .
Sean Conley , said in a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Monday night at the White House and “ reports no symptoms.
” Meanwhile , Trump was grappling with next political steps exactly four weeks from Election Day .
Anxious to project strength , Trump , who is still contagious with the virus , tweeted Tuesday that he was planning to attend next week ’ s debate with Democrat Joe Biden in Miami and “ It will be great !
” Biden , for his part , said he and Trump “ shouldn ’ t have a debate ” as long as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters in Pennsylvania that he was “ looking forward to being able to debate him ” but said “ we ’ re going to have to follow very strict guidelines.
” Elsewhere in the government , the scope of the outbreak was still being uncovered .
On Tuesday , the nation ’ s top military leaders including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , Gen. Mark Milley , and the vice chairman , Gen. John Hyten , were in quarantine after exposure to Adm. Charles W. Ray , the vice commandant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not known how Ray contracted the virus , but he attended an event for military families at the White House on Sept. 27 .
The Coast Guard said in a statement that Ray felt mild symptoms over the weekend and was tested on Monday .
Also testing positive Tuesday was Miller , a top policy adviser and Trump speechwriter , who has been an architect of the president ’ s restrictive immigration measures.
“ Miller ’ s wife , Katie Miller , who serves as communications director to Vice-President Mike Pence , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been in Salt Lake City with Pence where he is preparing to debate Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris , but she left as soon as she found out about her husband ’ s diagnosis , officials said .
She tested negative on Tuesday .
Trump on Monday made clear that he has little intention of abiding by best containment practices when he removed his mask before entering the White House after his discharge from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center .
Waiting aides were visible when he entered the Blue Room without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attitude alarmed infectious disease experts .
And it suggested his own illness had not caused him to rethink his often-cavalier attitude toward the disease , which has also infected the first lady and more than a dozen White House aides and associates .
Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Tuesday , “ When I saw him on the balcony of the White House , taking off his mask , I couldn ’ t help but think that he sent the wrong signal , given that he ’ s infected with COVID-19 and that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have the virus , .
“ Trump , for his part , falsely suggested that the virus was akin to the seasonal flu .
“ Many people every year , sometimes over 100,000 , and despite the Vaccine , die from the Flu , ” he tweeted .
“ Are we going to close down our Country ?
No , we have learned to live with it , just like we are learning to live with Covid , in most populations far less lethal !
!
!
” In fact , COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potent killer , particularly among older populations , than seasonal flu , and has shown indications of having long-term impacts on the health of younger people it infects .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that influenza has resulted in far fewer yearly deaths than Trump said — between 12,000 and 61,000 annually since 2010 .
Trump was working out of makeshift office space on the ground floor of the White House residence , in close proximity to the White House Medical Unit ’ s office suite , with only a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The West Wing was largely vacant , as a number of Trump ’ s aides were either sick or quarantining after exposure to people infected with the virus , or otherwise working remotely as a precaution .
First lady Melania Trump was isolating upstairs in the White House .
On Tuesday , her office released a memo outlining extensive health and safety precautions that have been put in place in the executive residence , including adopting hospital-grade disinfection policies , encouraging “ maximum teleworking ” and installing additional sanitization and filtration systems .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ first family are tested daily and support staff are tested every 48 hours .
And since the president and Mrs. Trump tested positive , staff have been wearing ” full PPE.
” Despite Trump ’ s upbeat talk about the disease , his own treatment has been far from typical , as his doctors rushed him onto experimental antiviral drugs and prescribed an aggressive course of steroids that would be unavailable to the average patient .
On Tuesday he was to receive his final dose of the antiviral drug remdesivir .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administered the powerful steroid dexamethasone , which was prescribed Saturday after he suffered a second drop in his blood oxygen levels in as many days .
Dr. Conley said Monday that because of Trump ’ s unusual level of treatment so early after discovery of his illness he was in “ uncharted territory , “ adding that Trump would not be fully “ out of the woods ” for another week .
The coronavirus can be unpredictable , and Conley has noted it can become more dangerous as the body responds .
Days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most critical in determining the likely course of this illness , ” he said over the weekend .
There were also lingering questions about potential long-term effects to the president — and even when he first came down with the virus .
Conley has repeatedly declined to share results of medical scans of Trump ’ s lungs , saying he was not at liberty to discuss the information because Trump did not waive doctor-patient confidentiality on the subject .
Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard and Jonathan Lemire in Washington , and Bill Barrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .


thetorontostar--2020-10-06--Prosecutors seek secrecy as Jeffrey Epstein probe continues

NEW YORK - An investigation of financier Jeffrey Epstein ’ s sexual abuse of girls and women remains active , leading prosecutors Tuesday to try to prevent lawyers for his incarcerated ex-girlfriend from learning too much about it until two months before her criminal trial next summer .
Manhattan prosecutors told a judge in a letter that they want to delay giving materials from dozens of victims co-operating with the government who will not testify at trial to lawyers for British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell .
The active probe leaves open the possibility of additional arrests .
Maxwell , 58 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July arrest on charges that she recruited teenage girls for Epstein to abuse in the mid-1990s and sometimes joined the abuse .
She has pleaded not guilty .
Prosecutors want to delay turning materials from some victims over to the defence until eight weeks before a trial scheduled for July .
A message seeking comment was left with lawyers for Maxwell .
Prosecutors said defence lawyers have indicated they will oppose the secrecy request .
In its letter , prosecutors said revealing 40 pages of photographs and 40 pages of documents related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time spanned by the charges against Maxwell could jeopardize the government ’ s ongoing investigation and scare other victims from co-operating .
Prosecutors said charges against Maxwell pertain to illegal sex acts that occurred between 1994 and 1997 , but the indictment emerged from a wider probe that went beyond that period .
As part of the broader probe , investigators have interviewed dozens of victims who were sexually abused by Epstein after 1997 and obtained a limited number of sensitive documents and photographs , including school pictures and bank and travel records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t plan to offer the materials as evidence at trial and wanted to turn them over to the defence at the same time as materials related to other non-testifying witnesses .
To do otherwise , prosecutors said , would risk interfering with the ongoing investigation .
For now , prosecutors said they wanted to keep the scope of their probe secret , in part to encourage other victims to co-operate .
Epstein , 66 , killed himself in August 2019 while he was housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the time , he faced federal sex trafficking charges and was held without bail a month after his arrest .