thetorontostar--2020-02-17--China may postpone annual congress because of virus

BEIJING - Chinese authorities on Monday reported a slight upturn in new virus cases and 105 more deaths , as the military dispatched hundreds more medical workers and extra supplies to the city hit hardest by the 2-month-old outbreak .
The 2,048 new cases followed three days of declines but was up by just 39 from the previous day ’ s tally of new cases .
Another 10,844 people have recovered from COVID-19 , a disease caused by the new coronavirus , and have been discharged from hospitals , according to Monday ’ s figures .
The death toll is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading further , Chinese and residents of nearby countries and territories have begun hoarding supplies of everything from masks and other personal protective gear to instant noodles , cooking oil and toilet paper .
In Hong Kong , local media reported that police had arrested two men and were seeking three others who allegedly stole a load of 60 packs of toilet paper at knifepoint early early Monday morning .
Supplies of the commodity have become extremely scarce , with often only low-quality imports still available .
Police were expected to discuss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses from China ’ s military began arriving in Wuhan on Monday morning , the latest contingent sent to help shore up the city ’ s overwhelmed health-care system .
The city has rapidly built two prefabricated hospitals and converted gymnasiums and other spaces into wards for those showing milder symptoms , but residents still say they are being wait-listed for beds and even ambulance rides .
Wuhan has accounted for the vast majority of mainland China ’ s 70,548 cases .
Some 60 million people in that area and other parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent the virus from spreading further .
Public transportation , trains and air travel have been halted in Wuhan since Jan. 23 , and a ban on all vehicle travel in the city was expanded to all of surrounding Hubei province in an additional containment measure .
Vehicles involved in epidemic prevention and transporting daily necessities were exempt .
New cases in other countries are raising more concern about containment of the virus .
Though only a few hundred cases have been confirmed outside China , some recent cases lacked obvious connections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its first death from COVID-19 , the fifth fatality outside of mainland China .
Taiwan ’ s Central News Agency , citing health minister Chen Shih-chung , said the man who died was in his 60s and had not travelled overseas recently and had no known contact with virus patients .
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe convened an experts meeting to discuss containment measures in his country , where more than a dozen cases have emerged in the past few days without any obvious link to China .
“ The situation surrounding this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Abe said .
Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the country was “ entering into a phase that is different from before , ” requiring new steps to stop the spread of the virus .
Japan has 415 confirmed cases , including 355 from a quarantined cruise ship , and one death from the virus .
Japan has the highest number of cases among about two dozen countries outside of China where the illness has spread .
Hundreds of Americans from the cruise ship took charter flights home , and Australia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planning similar flights .
The 300 or so Americans flying on U.S.-government chartered aircraft back to the U.S. will face another 14-day quarantine at Travis Air Force Base in California and Lackland Air Force Base in Texas .
The U.S. Embassy said the departure was offered because people on the ship were at a high risk of exposure to the virus .
People with symptoms were banned from the flights .
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a Qantas flight was being arranged to evacuate Australian passengers , who would be quarantined at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
The flight will take return some New Zealand evacuees to their home country as well , he said .
About 255 Canadians and 330 Hong Kong residents are on board the ship or undergoing treatment in Japanese hospitals .
There are also 35 Italians , of which 25 are crew members , including the captain .
The latest updates follow the release in China ’ s official media of a recent speech by President Xi Jinping in which he indicated for the first time that he had led the response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While the reports were an apparent attempt to demonstrate the Communist Party leadership acted decisively from the start , it also opened Xi up to criticism over why the public was not alerted sooner .
In his speech , Xi said he gave instructions on fighting the virus on Jan. 7 and ordered the shutdown of the most-affected cities .
The disclosure of his speech indicates top leaders knew about the outbreak ’ s potential severity at least two weeks before such dangers were made known to the public .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus can spread between humans and public alarm began to rise .


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Trading quarantines, Americans from cruise land in US

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE , Calif. - One of two charter flights carrying cruise ship passengers from Japan landed at @ @ @ @ @ early Monday .
A plane carrying American passengers touched down at Travis Air Force Base @ @ @ @ @ 2:30 a.m. , local time .
Another flight was headed to Lackland Air Force Base @ @ @ @ @ s Defence Minister Taro Kono had tweeted earlier that Japanese troops helped transport 340 U.S. @ @ @ @ @ Yokohama port to Tokyo ’ s Haneda airport .
About 380 Americans were on the @ @ @ @ @ journalists Mari Yamaguchi , Yuri Kageyama and Emily Wang in Tokyo contributed to this report @ @ @ @ @ Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Floods put Mississippi capital in ‘precarious situation’

JACKSON , Miss .
- With the waters in the Pearl River continuing to rise in and around Mississippi ’ s capital city and more rain on the way this week , the governor warned residents that it would be days before flood waters start to recede .
Gov .
Tate Reeves said Sunday morning that the Pearl would continue to rise throughout the day , and he warned that the state faces a “ precarious situation that can turn at any moment.
” In one Jackson neighbourhood , residents paddled canoes , kayaks and small fishing boats to check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other neighbours .
Some were able to get inside while others peeked into the windows to see what , if any damage , had been done inside .
Outside floodwaters lapped at mailboxes , street signs and cars that had been left in driveways .
In a bit of good news , officials at a reservoir upriver of the capitol said Sunday that water levels in the reservoir had stabilized , allowing them to send less water downriver .
The National Weather Service , which had been anticipating the river would crest Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced that to 37.5 feet .
The river is now anticipated to crest Monday .
But even with that development , officials urged residents to pay attention to evacuation orders , check on road closures before travelling and stay out of floodwaters , warning that even seemingly placid waters could mask fast-moving currents and pollution .
Law enforcement officials went door to door in affected areas , telling people to evacuate , Reeves said .
Rescuers performed four assisted evacuations Saturday , although they said none were needed overnight .
“ We expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next 24 hours or so , “ Reeves said at a news conference in Jackson .
“ We are not out of the woods yet.
” Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba said power had been shut off to 504 residences as a safety precaution .
He said some city homes had been flooded but officials do not yet know how many .
About 30 people are at a shelter that has been set up in Jackson , he said .
Nearly 2,400 structures across the three counties closest to the river and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties — could be impacted , meaning they either get water inside or are surrounded by water , said Malary White , of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency .
In the suburb of Flowood , John and Jina Smith had packed up as much as they could and left their home as waters rose Thursday .
On Sunday , their neighbour Dale Frazier took them back to their house in a rowboat , where they checked on the damage , then got in their own canoe and rowed away .
“ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the water gets up , “ John Smith said .
“ But as you ’ ve watched it over the years , you know when to get out .
It ’ s time to get out this time.
” A foot and a half of water was inside his house , Smith said .
He ’ d already been in touch with a contractor and insurance agent about rebuilding .
Both he and his wife said they love their home , where they can sit on their back porch and watch deer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to take a while for us to rebuild , but we are safe , and we ’ re all OK , “ Jina Smith said .
On Frazier ’ s lot next door , the water was at the bottom of the driveway but had not crept inside the one-story house where he ’ s lived for 23 years .
“ The water is very close to my house .
It could flood ; it could not flood .
It depends on the crest right now , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and several businesses were flooded .
While the focus now is on the Jackson area , the heavy rains and flooding has affected a much larger swathe of the state .
State emergency management officials said Sunday that they had received preliminary damage reports from 11 counties connected with the severe weather that hit the state starting on Feb. 10 .
The Pearl ’ s highest recorded crest was 43.2 feet on April 17 , 1979 .
The second-highest level occurred May 5 , 1983 , when the river rose to 39.58 feet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water from the nearby Barnett Reservoir to control its levels .
They urged residents in northeastern Jackson who live in the flood zone downstream from the reservoir to leave immediately .
By Sunday morning , Reeves said the reservoir ’ s inflow and outflow had equalized .
Reservoir officials said that allowed them to release less water than expected .
“ We have some good news today , “ said John G. Sigman , who oversees the reservoir ’ s operations , during a separate news conference Sunday afternoon .
Once the river @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water three to four days to go down significantly .
Part of the reason is that forecasters expect more rain between midday Tuesday and Wednesday evening .
” It will be days before we are out of the woods and waters start to recede , ” the governor said .
This version corrects the name of the reservoir .
It is the Barnett Reservoir , not the Ross Barnette Reservoir .

Rogelio V. Solis And Rebecca Santana - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Asian markets mixed: Japan skids; China helped by rate cut

BANGKOK - Shares rose in Europe after a mixed session in Asia on Monday , with Shanghai ’ s benchmark jumping 2.3 % after the central bank rolled out more support for the economy amid a spreading virus outbreak that has infected more than 71,000 people in more than two dozen countries .
Britain ’ s FTSE 100 gained 0.2 % to 7,425.36 in early trading .
In Paris , the CAC 40 was flat , at 7,409.13 , while Germany ’ s DAX added 0.2 % to 13,766.96 .
The future for the S & P 500 was up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1 % higher to 29,435.00 .
The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo skidded 0.7 % , to 23,523.24 after the government reported the economy contracted 6.3 % in annual terms in the last quarter .
Analysts said the contraction in the Japanese economy , the world ’ s third-largest , reflected the impact of typhoons , trade tensions and crimped consumer spending after the sales tax rose to 10 % from 8 % as of Oct. 1 .
The seasonally adjusted economic data was announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over spreading cases of the new viral illness COVID-19 and markets around the region see a mounting toll from its impact on travel and tourism as authorities strive to contain it .
“ Consumer spending , which slumped following the tax hike in the fourth quarter of 2019 , will now struggle to do anything except contract further in the first quarter as the impact of Covid-19 weighs on consumer sentiment , weighing in particular on the consumer services sector , “ ING said in a report .
“ Some further government spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in GDP beyond 1Q20 .
But that will not stop what started off as a technical downturn from evolving into a full-blown recession , “ it said .
The Shanghai Composite index jumped 2.3 % to 2,983.62 after the central bank and government announced a slew of measures to support the economy as the country battles an outbreak of a new virus that has killed 1,774 people and infected more than 71,000 worldwide .
The People ’ s Bank of China cut its one-year medium-term lending rate to 3.15 % from 3.25 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 billion yuan ( $ 43 billion ) into the markets through short-term purchases of securities and other injections of cash .
Such moves will likely be followed by still more , said Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics , given that many of the companies worst affected by the virus outbreak are smaller ones that lack access to loans from major state-run banks .
The government has also announced plans for tax cuts and other measures to help companies struggling with shut-downs of cities and plunging consumer spending and travel .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its re-lending quotas and relax constraints on shadow banking in order to direct more credit to struggling SMEs , ” Evans-Pritchard said in a commentary .
Elsewhere in the region , Sydney ’ s S & P ASX/200 edged 1 % lower to 7,125.10 .
South Korea ’ s Kospi fell 0.1 % to 2,242.17 , while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong climbed 0.5 % to 27,959.60 .
India ’ s Sensex shed 0.4 % to 41,082.82 .
Wall Street closed out a wobbly session Friday with the major stock indexes notching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was mostly subdued and cautious following China ’ s report Thursday of a surge in cases of a new virus that raised fresh concerns about global economic growth .
The S & P 500 index rose 0.2 % to 3,380.16 .
The Nasdaq composite gained 0.2 % , to 9,731.18 .
Both indexes were lower for most of the afternoon .
The Dow dropped 0.1 % , to 29,398.08 .
The Russell 2000 index slid 0.4 % , to 1,687.58 .
Bond prices rose .
The yield on the 10-year Treasury was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Benchmark U.S. crude oil picked up 2 cents to $ 52.07 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange .
It closed 1.2 % higher on Friday , notching its first weekly gain in six weeks .
Brent crude oil , the international standard , lost 6 cents to $ 57.26 a barrel .
The slide in oil prices has weighed on energy stocks .
The sector is the biggest loser in the S & P 500 , down 10.2 % so far this year .
More than three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have reported earnings and the results so far show solid growth .
Companies are expected to report overall profit growth of just under 1 % when all the reports are in , according to estimates from FactSet .
Several big companies are on deck to report results this week , including Walmart on Tuesday and John Deere on Friday .
On Wednesday , the government will issue its report on producer prices , which measures inflation pressures before they reach consumers and there will be updates on the health of the housing industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from its January meeting .
In other commodities trading , gold lost $ 2.80 cents to $ 1,583.60 per ounce , silver rose 3 cents to $ 17.77 per ounce and copper fell 1 cent to $ 2.61 per pound .
The dollar rose to 109.85 Japanese yen from 109.77 yen on Friday .
The euro rose to $ 1.0845 from $ 1.0839 .

Elaine Kurtenbach - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--British MP who leads Kashmir group denied entry to India

NEW DELHI - Indian officials denied a British lawmaker entry on Monday after she landed at New Delhi ’ s Indira Gandhi International Airport , according to an accompanying aide .
Debbie Abrahams , a Labour Party Member of Parliament who chairs a parliamentary group focused on the disputed region of Kashmir , was unable to clear customs after her valid Indian visa was rejected , the aide , Harpreet Upal , told The Associated Press .
Abrahams and Upal arrived at the airport on an Emirates flight from Dubai at 9 a.m. Upal said the immigration officials did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and revoking her visa , a copy of which , valid until October 2020 , was shared with the AP .
A spokesman for India ’ s foreign ministry did not immediately comment .
Abrahams has been a member of Parliament since 2011 and was on a two-day personal trip to India , she said in a statement .
“ I tried to establish why the visa had been revoked and if I could get a ‘ visa on arrival ’ but no one seemed to know , “ she said in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to be in charge said he didn ’ t know and was really sorry about what had happened .
So now I am just waiting to be deported ... unless the Indian Government has a change of heart .
I ’ m prepared to let the fact that I ’ ve been treated like a criminal go , and I hope they will let me visit my family and friends.
” Abrahams has been an outspoken critic of the Indian government ’ s move last August stripping Kashmir of its semi-autonomy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal territory .
Shortly after the changes to Kashmir ’ s status were passed by India ’ s Parliament , Abrahams wrote a letter to India ’ s High Commissioner to the U.K. , saying the action “ betrays the trust of the people ” of Kashmir .
India took more than 20 foreign diplomats on a visit to Kashmir last week , the second such trip Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Hindu nationalist government has organized in six months .
Access to the region remains tight , with no foreign journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star .
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Aijaz Hussain And Emily Schmall - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--India’s top court grants equal rights to women in army

NEW DELHI - India ’ s top court on Monday ordered the federal government to grant permanent commission and command positions to female officers in the army on par with men , asserting that the government ’ s arguments against the policy were based on gender stereotypes .
The court ’ s decision , seen as a watershed moment for the Indian military , would mean that women can extend their short service roles in noncombat support units such as education , law and logistics until they want to retire and rise to the rank of Colonel , based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve for only 10 to 14 years in the army .
“ This is a historic decision and a significant day for not only those who are serving in the army but for also those who are desirers of joining forces , ” said Lt. Col. Anjali Bisht .
The Supreme Court ’ s decision , however , does not mean that female officers will serve in army combat units such as the infantry , artillery or armoured corps .
Monday ’ s decision comes days after the government told the court that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the army , saying male troops were not prepared yet to accept female officers .
It also said that male and female officers could not be treated equally when it came to postings because the “ physical capacity of women officers remains a challenge for command of units.
” The court said in its order that such arguments were against the concept of equality .
Previously , former army Chief of Staff and current Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat raked up a controversy when he said in an interview with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready for combat roles because they were responsible for raising children and would accuse male officers of peeping into their quarters .
“ She will say somebody is peeping , so we will have to give a sheet around her , ” Rawat had told CNN-News18 .
The petitioners in the case demanding equal rights for female officers welcomed the court ’ s decision .
“ This is very , very significant , “ said Meenakshi Lekhi , a lawyer .
“ A denial of particular progression was something which is inherently unequal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ganguly contributed to this report .

Rishabh R. Jain And Sheikh Saaliq - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Goat packing gains toehold, but feds want forests goat-free

COEUR D ’ ALENE , Idaho - Pack horses are tried and true , and mules are proven hunting-gear haulers .
Hunting elk with a trio of domestic goats , though , is an acquired taste .
John and Nancy Clough of Dalton Gardens have joined a growing number of Western hunters who hike into the backcountry with a tribe of herd animals , outfitted with panniers , bumping against their backsides as they climb mountains , cross streams and settle in for a shot at a bull elk .
“ Sometimes the elk are curious , ” said John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have for decades used bows and rifles to down sheep , elk and deer across the West .
“ Sometimes they ’ ll spook an elk , ” Clough told the Coeur d ’ Alene Press d. “ You can ’ t really call them a decoy.
” After years of hard hunting , and packing game meat on their backs the Cloughs settled on goats to get to and from their hunting grounds .
A health condition prompted the move : John suffered from arthritis in his spine .
Instead of curtailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are members of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Wild Sheep Foundation — joined another group .
They became goat-owning members of the North American Packgoat Association .
The couple raise three goats on one residential acre , and all they need to stow their goat gear and keep the animals fed and happy is a 10 x 16 shed that ’ s loaded with hay .
“ Three goats on an acre is perfect , ” Nancy Clough said .
When the couple opted to throw in with goats they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the split-toed ungulates .
“ No stallions , bulls , swine or goats , ” Nancy , a nurse by trade , said .
She filed for a code change and the city council bought in .
Now several of her neighbours raise goats , and the Cloughs can be seen walking their trio through town on halters , or on nearby Canfield Mountain just to get them in shape for the elk-packing season .
The animals can pack 25 per cent of their body weight — around 80 pounds — are quiet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fly .
They travel as many as eight miles a day , fully loaded .
“ They eat just like an elk or deer , ” John said .
That means they browse and nibble along the way , and if temperatures remain moderate — some goats don ’ t handle the heat well — packing water to keep the goats hydrated is not an issue .
“ They get most of their moisture from leaves and forbs , ” Clough said .
Although sometimes they ’ ll sip from mountain streams .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ light trips to pack out the meat from a bull elk , if the meat is taken off the bone , balled up and loaded into Nancy and John ’ s packs — and into the panniers attached to the saddles of their three goats .
“ Two trips on us and two trips on the goats , instead of three heavy trips by ourselves , ” John said .
But it takes a few years to get goats up to speed , and goat packers must raise the goats from kids , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Idaho and the rest of the West before they become reliable pack animals .
“ They really just need to learn trail etiquette , ” Nancy said .
The Cloughs ’ goats can be transported comfortably in the bed of a pickup truck , along with the rest of the hunting gear , but the Cloughs bought a miniature horse trailer to move their pack animals around .
The best goat breeds for packing are Alpines , Oberhasli and Lamanchas .
And they must be neutered males .
Having them hornless helps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are others .
“ These goats have allowed us to hunt fairly aggressively , ” Nancy said .
The animals are partially loaded with camping gear — and wear orange vests — as they head into the hunting grounds each autumn , carrying sleeping bags , tents stoves , food and water .
“ You can make a pretty plush camp with 80 pounds of gear , ” Nancy said .
And they are observant and predator savvy .
“ They can hear or smell a bear or cougar way before you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half dozen years did the Cloughs ’ goats attract wolves , but the canids just stood off and watched before leaving the troupe of hunters and pack animals alone .
Sometimes they spot elk before the hunters .
“ They are really alert , ” she said .
If goat hunting is gaining a toehold among regional hunters , there is also a movement afoot to ban goats from national forest land .
Federal officials want to keep pack goats out of national forests by adopting a ban into forest plans — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the matter ends April 20 .
The ban is an effort to block Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae or “ movi , ” a pathogen carried by domestic sheep believed to cause outbreaks of pneumonia in bighorn sheep , from being transported to wild sheep herds .
Studies treat goats and sheep the same , which is objectionable to the packgoat association .
“ Domestic goats are different than domestic sheep , ” Nancy said .
The same study that bundled goats and sheep together showed that the goat strain of movi wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
They and other association members are hoping to strike a balance on federal lands by having officials take a closer look at the studies they rely on to prohibit goats in the hinterlands .
“ A lot of people who are getting older , who have bad knees , backs or hips , who have been outdoorsmen and women all their lives and don ’ t want horses , ” those are the people most likely to tap into pack goats .
Keeping that population out of the forests is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re a small minority that is being disenfranchised from the national forest , ” Nancy said .
“ It ’ s wrong unless you have the evidence .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Official: 4 sent to hospital after N Carolina plane crash

FAYETTEVILLE , N.C. - A small plane crashed on Monday at a central North Carolina airport , sending four people -- three of them students -- to the hospital , authorities said .
The Cessna 172 crashed shortly before 2 p.m. at Gray ’ s Creek Airport south of Fayetteville , Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Salac said .
The FAA will investigate the crash and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause , Salac said .
The pilot and the three students were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville , said Sally Shutt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions weren ’ t immediately known .
The students were there as part of a local workforce development program designed to allow attendees to learn about aviation careers , media outlets reported .
The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the plane crashed shortly after takeoff into a field beside the runway .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Rare ice volcanoes captured erupting on Lake Michigan beach

DETROIT—The recent cold front has brought another interesting phenomenon to Lake Michigan : first ice balls , now ice volcanoes .
National Weather Service meteorologist Ernie Ostuno was able to capture some amazing photos of erupting ice volcanoes at Oval Beach in Saugatuck Sunday .
An ice volcano is a cone-shaped mound of ice formed over a terrestrial lake by the eruption of water and slush through an ice shelf .
“ Ice volcanoes occur in locations in which waves hit accumulated ice on the shoreline with some force , ” said Cort Spholten , a meteorologist with the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We were cold enough to form ice on the shore of Lake Michigan and water had broken the surface of that ice , ” Spholten said .
“ The waves ... were strong enough so the water channels through , it squeezes water upwards and tosses the floating ice up .
As it happens , over the course of hours or days , it forms a cone and it resembles a volcano.
” According to Spholten , there have to be very specific conditions for the ice volcanoes to form .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ice around and waves need to be large enough to force water upwards against the ice shelf , ” he said .
How long will it last ?
“ Today , winds from the southeast should diminish the waves .
It ’ s unlikely ice volcanoes will be seen today compared to yesterday , but it ’ s not impossible , ” Spholten said .
However , ice volcanoes can also be dangerous especially when people climb on them .
There may be no way to get out of the icy water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the mounds .
The ice volcanoes formed after another rare phenomenon on Lake Michigan .
On Friday , thousands of ice balls rolled up onto the lake shore .
According to experts the weather conditions have to be just right : the temperatures are just below freezing along shallow beaches .
Slush collects into round shapes and the waves sculpt ice chunks into orbs .


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Kellye Nakahara Wallett of “M-A-S-H” dies at age 72

NEW YORK - Kellye Nakahara Wallett , a film and television actress best known for playing Lt. Nurse Kellye Yamato on “ M-A-S-H , ” has died at age 72 .
Son William Wallett told The Associated Press that Wallett died Sunday after a brief battle with cancer .
She was at her home in Pasadena , California , surrounded by family and friends .
A native of O ’ ahu , Hawaii who was listed as Kellye Nakahara while in “ M-A-S-H , ” Wallett also appeared in the film “ Clue ” and in John Hughes ’ “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More recently , she worked as a watercolour artist and was involved in the local arts community .
She is survived by her husband , David Wallett ; two children and four grandchildren .
“ M-A-S-H , ” the acclaimed sitcom set during the Korean War , ran from 1972-83 .
Nurse Kellye carries a secret crush on the show ’ s major character , the womanizing surgeon Hawkeye Pierce , played by Alan Alda .
In a memorable scene , Kellye reveals her feelings , scolding Hawkeye for having his “ eyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ For your information , ” she tells him , “ I happen to have a fantastic sense of humour , a bubbly personality and I am warm and sensitive like you wouldn ’ t believe .
I also sing and play the guitar and I ’ m learning to tap dance .
And on top of all that , I happen to be cute as hell.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-17--American cruise passengers quarantined at US military bases

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE , Calif. - More than 300 American cruise ship passengers , including 14 who tested positive for coronavirus , were being quarantined at military bases in California and Texas on Monday after arriving from Japan on charter flights overnight .
One plane carrying cruise passengers touched down at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California just before midnight Sunday , while another arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas early Monday .
The passengers will remain at the bases for two weeks .
Japan ’ s Defence Minister Taro Kono tweeted earlier that Japanese troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buses from Yokohama port to Tokyo ’ s Haneda airport .
About 380 Americans were on the cruise ship .
The U.S. said it arranged for the evacuation because people on the Diamond Princess were at a high risk of exposure to the new virus that ’ s been spreading in Asia .
For the departing Americans , the evacuation cuts short a 14-day quarantine that began aboard the cruise ship Feb. 5 .
The State Department announced later that 14 of the evacuees received confirmation they had the virus but were allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no symptoms .
They were being kept isolated from other passengers on the flight , the U.S. State and Health and Human Services said in a joint statement .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health , said Sunday that an infected person who shows minimal symptoms could still pass the virus to someone else .
It ’ s unclear which base the 14 who tested positive for the virus went to .
Officials said the evacuees who arrived at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a different location from the more than 200 other Americans who were already being quarantined on the base , in a hotel .
Those people have been at the base since early February , when they arrived on flights from China .
No Travis airmen will have contact with the passengers , officials said .
Now that they ’ re in the U.S. , the cruise ship passengers must go through another 14 days of quarantine at the military facilities — meaning they will have been under quarantine for a total of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hong Kong and Italy were planning similar flights of passengers .
Other governments , including Canada and Hong Kong , also will require the passengers to undergo a second 14-day quarantine .
Japan on Monday announced another 99 infections on the Diamond Princess , raising the ship ’ s total number of cases to 454 .
Overall , Japan has 419 confirmed cases of the virus , including one death .
The United States has confirmed 15 cases within the country .
Separately , one U.S. citizen died in China .
Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Syracuse , New York , opted to trade one coronavirus quarantine for another , leaving the cruise ship to fly back to the U.S. Cheryl Molesky said the rising number of patients on the ship factored into the decision .
“ We are glad to be going home , ” Cheryl Molesky earlier told NHK TV in Japan .
“ It ’ s just a little bit disappointing that we ’ ll have to go through quarantine again , and we will probably not be as comfortable as the Diamond Princess , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a video of her and her husband boarding the plane with other Americans .
“ Well , we ’ re exhausted , but we ’ re on the plane and that ’ s a good feeling .
Pretty miserable wearing these masks though , and everybody had to go to the bathroom on the bus , ” she said .
Some American passengers said they would pass up the opportunity to fly to the United States because of the additional quarantine .
There also was worry about being on a long flight with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an incubation period .
One of the Americans , Matthew Smith , said in a tweet Sunday that he saw a passenger with no face mask talking at close quarters with another passenger .
He said he and his wife scurried away .
“ If there are secondary infections on board , this is why , ” he said .
“ And you wanted me to get on a bus with her ?
” He said the American health officials who visited their room was apparently surprised that the couple had decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Thanks , but we ’ re fine , ” Smith said he told them .
This story has been corrected to show the first flight landed in California at 11:30 p.m. Sunday , not 2:30 a.m. Monday .
Associated Press journalists Mari Yamaguchi , Yuri Kageyama and Emily Wang in Tokyo contributed to this report .
Read more about the coronavirus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Venezuela suspends airline after Guaidó’s flight home

CARACAS , Venezuela - Venezuelan authorities suspended a Portuguese airline on Monday days after it carried opposition leader Juan Guaidó and his uncle home from an international tour aimed at ousting President Nicolás Maduro .
Guaidó ’ s flight to Caracas on TAP Air Portugal ended his three-week tour through Europe and into the Trump White House .
Venezuelan authorities arrested Guaidó ’ s uncle upon landing , accusing him of trying to bring a small amount of explosives into the nation .
Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said the carrier ’ s flights into and out of the country had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transportation minister said they had opened an investigation into “ serious violation ” of local regulations .
Guaidó , 36 , rose to prominence a year ago , claiming presidential powers and vowing to end Maduro ’ s rule amid a historic economic crisis .
Guaidó says Maduro ’ s government has targeted his uncle , Juan José Márquez , as a means to attack him .
Venezuela also issued a letter of protest to the French government on Monday , saying its ambassador in Caracas , Romain Nadal , interfered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he went to greet Guaidó upon his arrival at the airport .
France and the European Union recognize Guaidó as Venezuela ’ s interim president until fresh elections can be held .
A small delegation of foreign diplomats went to greet Guaidó , who violated a travel ban by Maduro ’ s government , risking the possibility of arrest upon his return .
Venezuelan authorities said in their letter that the French ambassador employed a “ provocative strategy ” by going to greet Guaidó , abusing his “ privileges ” and “ violated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the French President Emmanuel Macron on his trip , which also included a White House meeting with President Donald Trump .
Backers of Guaidó consider Maduro ’ s 2018 election fraudulent because the most popular opposition leaders were banned .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Pete Buttigieg’s next test: Winning over minority voters

DES MOINES , Iowa - So far , Pete Buttigieg has made it look easy .
The once little-known former mayor of a midsize Midwestern city vaulted over a former vice-president and several U.S. senators in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire presidential primary .
The 38-year-old ’ s fresh face , intellect and turn-the-page message won votes across many demographic groups in the kickoff states .
Now the promise of his candidacy is colliding with the reality of the central question about his viability : Can he win among minority voters who form the critical foundation of the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested Saturday in Nevada , with a diverse blend of Latinos and African Americans , but especially in South Carolina , where two-thirds of the primary electorate could be black voters , the base of the Democratic Party that Buttigieg has struggled to attract .
Buttigieg ’ s strategy is to earn a fresh look from black and brown voters by flashing his support in the first two contests , drawing on the validation of minority leaders who have endorsed him and leveraging the personal networks of his supporters .
With the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he faces a steep climb .
“ I ’ ve not seen any real support coming from black local officials .
Pete has to make the case himself , “ said state Sen. Gerald Malloy , a longtime supporter of former Vice-President Joe Biden ’ s who has not endorsed a 2020 candidate .
“ He ’ s obviously a tireless warrior and making the calls .
The question is : Will people answer ?
” The former South Bend , Indiana , mayor , who has registered negligible support among black voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 times and has been airing ads on black radio stations in South Carolina since last fall , as well as ads in black newspapers .
He has been airing TV ads in the state since December , and this month began a spot reflecting his call for parting with the politics of the past .
In it , Walter A. Clyburn Reed , the grandson of Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina , the highest-ranking African American in the House , and Abe Jenkins , grandson of civil rights activist Esau Jenkins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call Buttigieg “ a fresh start.
” It and other ads blanketing YouTube and Facebook reinforce Buttigieg ’ s heavy outreach to younger black voters , especially on college campuses , such as the historically black institutions South Carolina State University and Claflin University in Orangeburg .
Reed said college students are intrigued by Buttigieg ’ s Douglass Plan , aimed at ending systemic racism , but especially are drawn to his call for a culture of belonging .
“ That ’ s something that they haven ’ t heard from a candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , really , when he started to hone in on that message , college voters were very attracted to it.
” But for older black voters , both in South Carolina and Nevada , Buttigieg faces another kind of test : whether they will vote for a gay candidate .
Joan Houston , a 63-year-old African American minister and social worker in Las Vegas , said she can ’ t support Buttigieg because of his sexual orientation .
“ I ’ m against homosexuality .
I love everybody , but I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as she waited to cast her vote for Biden at an early caucus site .
As part of his effort to persuade voters like Houston , Buttigieg has turned from larger-turnout events to more intimate listening sessions that give the candidate a better sense of South Carolina black voters and them a better sense of him , aides said .
Buttigieg has since hosted small-group meetings and has dispatched black elected officials , such as South Bend Councilwoman Sharon McBride and Waterloo , Iowa , Mayor Quentin Hart .
Buttigieg faced criticism last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Columbia , South Carolina , with other 2020 candidates .
He continues to face questions about the departure of South Bend ’ s first black police chief shortly after Buttigieg took office and about his department ’ s handling of the deadly shooting of an armed black man by a white officer in June .
And he recently struggled when pressed during the ABC debate in New Hampshire about the disproportionate arrests of black people for marijuana possession .
There are at least modest signs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 14 states in the March 3 Super Tuesday primaries .
Nina Smallwood , who attended a Buttigieg event in Sacramento , California , on Friday , said she thought he could win over voters of colour .
“ In this next debate , he ’ s going to have to really make a plea , “ the 41-year-old Smallwood said .
“ Black people want to feel like our voices are heard , as well as everybody ’ s .
I definitely think he has an opportunity.
” In Iowa and New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more like the electorate overall by age and education than the other top candidates ’ , though voters in those states reflected little racial diversity , according to AP VoteCast , a survey of the electorate .
In New Hampshire , about 1 in 10 voters were nonwhite .
Buttigieg earned support from 14 % of such voters , roughly comparable to support for other top contenders , except Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , backed by roughly 4 in 10 nonwhite voters .
Buttigieg is also targeting pockets of black voters scattered widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tapping his campaign organizers ’ personal networks of churches and pastors .
Malloy , though uncommitted , is a pastor in Hicksville , in rural central South Carolina , and welcomed Buttigieg to his church in August .
In December , Buttigieg visited tiny Allendale , in southwest South Carolina , which had been visited by one other Democratic presidential candidate — former Sen. John Edwards in 2008 — in the past 50 years .
Although Biden is the favourite in South Carolina , Buttigieg could claim success by chinning himself into double-digit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has the opportunity to improve his standing with a respectable showing in Nevada , where he also is touting the validation of supporters , such as fellow millennial Nevada state Rep. Sandra Jauregui , who is Latina .
Buttigieg was the first candidate to begin airing Spanish language ads in New Hampshire and began airing a new one last week in which the candidate , fluent in seven languages , speaks Spanish throughout .
His team conducts caucus training in Spanish , as 40 % of his organizing staff speaks Spanish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vegas , Buttigieg ’ s first Nevada field office opened in September in the heavily Latino neighbourhood of East Las Vegas .
While Nevada could provide some energy to the campaign , South Carolina will go a long way to answering whether Buttigieg can survive as a candidate , said Malloy .
“ He ’ s very capable , and he has the money .
But the network and the money without the people with him isn ’ t good enough , ” Malloy said .
“ There ’ s time , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut in Washington , Jonathan J. Cooper in Las Vegas and Adam Beam in Sacramento , California , contributed to this report .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , “ Ground Game .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Mickey Wright, golf great and early LPGA force, dies at 85

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. - Mickey Wright , the golf great with a magnificent swing who won 13 majors among her 82 victories and gave the fledgling LPGA a crucial lift , died Monday of a heart attack .
She was 85 .
She had been hospitalized in Florida the last few weeks after a fall , said her lawyer , Sonia Pawluc .
Wright joined the LPGA in 1955 and the Hall of Famer ’ s 82 wins place her second on the all-time list behind Kathy Whitworth , who won 88 .
The Associated Press in 1999 named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Female Athlete of the Year in 1963 and 1964 .
A Golf Magazine poll of experts in 2009 called her the best female golfer ever , and men ’ s champions Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson said Wright had the best swing they ever saw .
“ She was the best I ’ ve ever seen , man or woman , ” Whitworth told espnW.com in 2015 .
“ I ’ ve had the privilege of playing with Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer and all of them .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But nobody hit it like Mickey , just nobody.
“ Mary Kathryn Wright was born in San Diego on Feb. 14 , 1935 .
She started playing golf seriously at age 11 and in 1952 at 17 won the USGA Girls ’ Junior Championship .
In 1954 , she won the World Amateur .
She studied psychology for a year at Stanford before dropping out in 1955 to pursue a professional golf career .
“ I ’ ve earned my own version of a master ’ s degree in psychology in study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on golf courses throughout the United States .
For psychology ... is as integral a part of good golf as an efficient swing , ” she said , according to the World Golf Hall of Fame .
She was inducted in 1976 .
Her first tournament win came in 1956 in Jacksonville , Florida , and by 1961 she was dominating the tour , winning at least 10 tournaments annually from 1961 to 1964 .
Among her major wins were four U.S .
Opens and four LPGA Championships .
Wright retired from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mental fatigue : she was the biggest draw on the LPGA Tour and played constantly to help it thrive .
“ It was a lot of pressure to be in contention week after week for five or six years , ” Wright told Golf World in 2000 .
“ I guess they call it burnout now , but it wore me out .
Unless you ’ re a golfer , you can ’ t understand the tension and pressure of tournament play .
And it was the expectations : It was always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your game ?
‘ Are you coming apart ?
’ Second or third isn ’ t bad , but it feels bad when you ’ ve won 44 tournaments in four years.
” Whitworth said her friend and rival had to play almost every week for the tour to survive .
“ Sponsors threatened to cancel their tournaments if she didn ’ t play .
And , knowing that if they cancelled , the rest of us wouldn ’ t be able to play , Mickey would always play , ” Whitworth said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came four years after leaving the tour , the 1973 Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner ’ s Circle .
That was before that tournament was considered a major .
Wright moved to Stuart , Florida , in 1974 , where she lived the rest of her life .
She survived breast cancer in 2007 .
The Stuart News in 2012 said Wright spent most days gardening , fishing and playing the stock market and crossword puzzles .
For golf , she hit wedges off a practice mat on her patio onto the 14th fairway of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200 items to the United States Golf Association in 2012 , she said she hated giving up that mat .
The course ranger gave her a new one .
A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the 1973 Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner ’ s Circle as a major .


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Taylor Swift’s father safe after fight with burglar

ST. PETERSBURG , Fla. - Taylor Swift ’ s father recently fought a burglar who broke into his $ 4 million Florida penthouse , a newspaper is reporting .
The Tampa Bay Times said that Scott Swift returned to his home in the Vinoy Place Towers in St. Petersburg on Jan. 17 just moments after 30-year-old Terrence Hoover used an emergency escape stairwell to climb 13 floors to enter it .
The men fought before Hoover ran away , the paper reports , citing police records .
Hoover has a lengthy arrest record that includes domestic violence by strangulation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a deadly weapon and kidnapping and false imprisonment , the paper said .
Swift picked Hoover out of a photo lineup and police say Hoover called them to report the altercation .
Hoover could not be found , however , until last week , when he was arrested on burglary charges .
He was being held Monday on $ 50,000 bond .
Taylor Swift was not with her father and it is unclear whether the intruder targeted the home .
The 30-year-old singer lives elsewhere .
Hoover ’ s mother told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ searching for his estranged wife and should only be charged with trespassing .
The penthouse encompasses the entire top floor of one Vinoy tower and includes 5,359 square feet , three bedrooms and three full baths .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Operations manager at Iowa DOT named agency’s new director

DES MOINES , Iowa - The operations manager at the Iowa Department of Transportation has been named the agency ’ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kim Reynolds said Monday she appointed Scott Marler , a 22-year veteran of the @ @ @ @ @ traffic operations , highway project development , regulatory compliance , and the natural environment .
@ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
He succeeds Mark Lowe who was asked to resign by Reynolds in @ @ @ @ @ her desire for a change in leadership as her only reason .
Interim Director Stuart @ @ @ @ @ role as director of the Planning , Programming , & Modal Division at Iowa DOT @ @ @ @ @ of the operations division which has oversight of the construction and materials bureau in addition @ @ @ @ @ enforcement and the traffic and safety bureau .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Apple warns China virus will cut iPhone production, sales

CUPERTINO , Calif. - Apple Inc. is warning investors that it won ’ t meet its second-quarter financial guidance because the viral outbreak in China has cut production of iPhones .
The Cupertino , California-based company said Monday that all of its iPhone manufacturing facilities are outside Hubei province , the epicenter of the outbreak , and all have been reopened .
But the company said production is ramping up slowly .
“ The health and well-being of every person who helps make these products possible is our paramount priority , and we are working in close consultation with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ramp continues , ” Apple said in a statement .
The death toll from COVID-19 , a disease caused by the new coronavirus , was 1,770 as of Monday .
Apple says demand for iPhones is also down in China because many of Apple ’ s 42 retail stores there are closed or operating with reduced hours .
China is Apple ’ s third largest retail market for iPhones , after the U.S. and Europe .
Outside China , Apple said iPhone demand has been strong and is in line with the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Apple said it expected second quarter revenue between $ 63 billion and $ 67 billion .
Apple ’ s second quarter ends March 30 .
Apple says the situation is evolving and it will provide more information on its next earnings call in April .
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thetorontostar--2020-02-17--The Latest: Warren calls for party unity in taking on Trump

LAS VEGAS - The Latest on the 2020 presidential campaign ( all times local ) : Elizabeth Warren is preaching Democratic unity in taking on President Donald Trump , a challenge she framed as an existential crisis for America .
Warren , having partly recovered her voice after catching a cold , said at a Monday afternoon town hall in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson that America is at its best when it takes on a problem .
She said the 2020 election “ is the moment in history that we have been called to , ” likening it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founding revolution , the Civil War , the Great Depression and World War II .
The Massachusetts senator also spoke about how she ’ s adopted policy plans and hired staff from Democrats who have dropped out of the race , including New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro , Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee and California Sen. Kamala Harris .
Warren said culling those ideas builds a Democratic Party and coalition “ that works for all of us.
” Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is joking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in the White House after the November election “ if he ’ s willing to do the chores.
” The former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , was asked at two consecutive town halls in Nevada on Monday about what he ’ d do should Trump refuse to leave the presidency after losing the election .
After making the same joke at each stop , Buttigieg said the question makes it important to win the general election by as big a margin as possible .
He told a group of veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ big enough that this election is beyond cheating distance.
” Buttigieg repeated that at a Carson City town hall and tied it to his pitch that he can assemble the broadest coalition in November .
Nevada ’ s Democratic Party says more than 26,000 people cast votes during the first two days of early voting in the state ’ s presidential caucuses .
The state party said Monday that more than half of those voting on Saturday , the first day , were first-time caucus goers .
Nevada Democrats are under intense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to reconfigure their plans after problems at Iowa ’ s caucuses .
For the first time , Nevada ’ s Democratic Party is offering four days of early caucus voting , when voters fill out a paper ballot marking at least their top three choices for president .
Those votes will be combined with in-person votes at about 2,000 precincts in caucus meetings next Saturday .
Democratic officials did not report any major problems over the weekend , but party officials were overwhelmed by long lines at some caucus sites .
About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic presidential caucuses in 2016 .
Amy Klobuchar is joining White House rivals Tom Steyer , Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg in launching Spanish-language television ads in Nevada .
The Minnesota senator on Monday announced a television and radio ad in Las Vegas and Reno as early voting is underway for the state ’ s Democratic caucuses .
Latinos make up 29 % of Nevada ’ s population and the Democratic candidates are courting them in the early state before final caucus voting Saturday .
Klobuchar comes from a mostly white state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she can reach out to diverse groups of voters in Nevada and beyond .
She stumbled in an interview last week when she couldn ’ t name Mexico ’ s president , Andrés Manuel López Obrador .
Her ad features a Spanish-speaking narrator who says Klobuchar is a candidate who can actually defeat President Donald Trump and fight for better health care and prices for prescription drugs .
Billionaire Mike Bloomberg is taking lots of heat from his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination .
They portray him as an opportunist who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
On Monday , the former New York mayor posted a video mashup on Twitter showing aggressive and threatening comments by people who appear to be Bernie Sanders supporters , juxtaposed with Sanders calling for “ civil discourse.
” Bloomberg tweets : “ We need to unite to defeat Trump in November .
This type of ‘ energy ’ is not going to get us there.
” That was a slap at claims by Sanders that he is commanding the excitement and energy in the Democratic race .
Most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the caucuses Saturday .
Bloomberg isn ’ t competing there .
But he might qualify for his first debate , coming Wednesday .


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Charge: Man had recently battered woman who was found slain

MILWAUKEE - A woman who was found slain in a Milwaukee garage along with her two daughters had been beaten up by her boyfriend the day before she was reported missing — and just hours after the funeral of the couple ’ s young son , according to a criminal complaint .
The bodies of 26-year-old Amarah Banks , 5-year-old Zaniya Ivery and 4-year-old Camaria Banks were discovered Sunday afternoon after police interviewed Arzel Ivery .
Ivery , 25 , had been arrested in Tennessee on a fugitive from justice warrant and told police where they could find the bodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Banks and her daughters were killed , but he didn ’ t say how they died .
Autopsies were scheduled for Monday .
Ivery was charged in Milwaukee County with felony aggravated battery in connection with the assault on Banks .
He was arraigned Monday in Memphis , Tennessee , on the fugitive from justice warrant , but has not been charged in the homicides .
Online court records do not list an attorney for him on the assault charge .
Banks ’ and Ivery ’ s 1-year-old son , Arzel Ivery Jr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died Jan. 24 from respiratory problems , according to autopsy reports .
His funeral was held Feb. 7 .
According to a criminal complaint , in the early morning hours of Feb. 8 , witnesses heard Banks screaming , “ No , no , please don ’ t kill me ” as Ivery dragged her back into an apartment building after she tried to escape during a fight .
One neighbour said Banks was running without shoes and bleeding from the mouth .
A neighbour called 911 , and police call logs show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the complainant .
That usually means police couldn ’ t find the person who called 911 .
According to the criminal complaint , Banks and her daughters went to a relative ’ s home after her son ’ s funeral and the relative drove them back to her home in the early morning hours of Feb. 8 .
Family members hadn ’ t heard from Banks since then .
As police were investigating their disappearance , Ivery told police he went to Banks ’ apartment around 1:30 a.m. Feb. 8 .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Banks blamed ( Ivery ) for the death of their son , ” the complaint said .
Ivery told police that Banks went outside during the argument and he had to “ coach ” her back inside .
He told police he left to go sleep in his truck and didn ’ t know where Banks and the children were .
He also told police he was out of state , the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported .
But neighbours told police they heard Ivery beating Banks , and one witness said she heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person or head against the wall .
Police later found a head-sized hole in the wall of the bedroom , as well as a bed missing its comforter and a napkin blood on it .
The criminal complaint says that at one point in the investigation , Ivery ’ s father called police to report that his son had arrived at his home in Memphis and that Ivery said he killed Banks and her daughters .
Early Saturday , Memphis authorities called Milwaukee police to tell them they had made contact with Ivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk to Ivery and he directed them to the garage where the bodies were found .
The garage is behind an apartment building that ’ s listed as Ivery ’ s address .


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Virginia lawmakers reject assault weapon ban

RICHMOND , Va. - Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ’ s push to ban the sale of assault weapons failed on Monday after some of his fellow Democrats balked at the proposal .
Senators voted to shelve the bill for the year and ask the state crime commission to study the issue , an outcome that drew cheers from a committee room packed with gun advocates .
Four Democrats — most of them moderates — joined Republicans in Monday ’ s committee vote , rejecting legislation that would have prohibited the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms , including popular AR-15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds .
The bill was a top priority for Northam , who has campaigned heavily for a broad package of gun-control measures .
The governor ’ s spokeswoman , Alena Yarmosky , said he ’ s disappointed with the result but determined to continue to press for the measure .
“ We will be back next year , “ she said .
David Majure , a gun-rights supporter who attended the committee hearing , said he ’ s glad about Monday ’ s results but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
“ I ’ m happy about it , but I don ’ t trust them , “ he said .
Virginia is the current epicenter of the country ’ s heated debate over guns , as a new Democratic majority seeks to enact strict new limits .
Democrats ran heavily on gun control during last year ’ s legislative elections when they flipped control of the General Assembly for the first time in more than two decades .
But gun owners , especially in rural communities , have pushed back hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of guns-rights activists from around the country flooded the Capitol and surrounding area in protest , some donning tactical gear and carrying military-style rifles .
And more than 100 counties , cities and towns have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries , vowing to oppose any new “ unconstitutional restrictions ” on guns .
The proposed assault weapon ban has received the most opposition .
Gun owners have accused the governor and others of wanting to confiscate commonly owned guns and accessories from law-abiding gun owners .
Northam and his allies have said repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but argued that banning new sales of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines would help prevent mass murders .
“ This bill will save lives , ” said Democratic Del .
Mark Levine , who sponsored the legislation .
Earlier proposals to ban possession of AR-15-style rifles or to require owners to register them with state police have been scrapped .
The governor had hoped a watered-down version would win over enough Democratic moderates for passage .
But moderate Democrats in the state Senate have said for weeks they are uncomfortable passing legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners .
An estimated 8 million AR-style guns have been sold since they were introduced to the public in the 1960s .
The weapons are known as easy to use , easy to clean and easy to modify with a variety of scopes , stocks and rails .
Lawmakers voted to table the bill Monday with little debate , while noting that there was confusion over what types of guns would constitute an assault weapon .
“ There are obviously a lot of questions about definitions in this bill .
Definitions do matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Senate has now rejected three of the governor ’ s eight gun-control measures .
Moderate Democrats have already voted with Republicans to kill a bill that would make it a felony to “ recklessly leave a loaded , unsecured firearm ” in a way that endangers a minor , and a bill that would require gun owners to report the loss or theft of a gun to police .
Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have already advanced several other gun-control measures and should finalize passage in the coming days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to once a month ; universal background checks on gun purchases ; allowing localities to ban guns in public buildings , parks and other areas ; and a red flag bill that would allow authorities to temporarily take guns away from anyone deemed to be dangerous to themselves or others .


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Vandals cover Plymouth Rock in red graffiti

PLYMOUTH , Mass .
- The iconic Plymouth Rock and other sites were covered in red graffiti Monday during a vandalism spree discovered at the site marking the landing of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts 400 years ago .
Officials in Plymouth discovered the vandalism early in the morning .
Workers had removed the red spray paint , which included the letters MOF and the numbers 508 , from the rock before noon .
Authorities say no arrests have been made and the site was open to tourists .
The rock has come to symbolize the spot where William Bradford and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colony in December 1620 .
Police said the vandals also targeted a seashell-shaped sign celebrating the upcoming 400th anniversary of the 1620 Mayflower landing , the Pilgrim Maiden statue and the National Monument To The Forefathers .
It was not immediately clear if this graffiti incident had any connection to the anniversary celebration , but Plymouth Rock has been the site of political demonstrations before .
United American Indians of New England holds the solemn remembrance on every Thanksgiving Day since 1970 there to recall what organizers describe as “ the genocide of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of native lands and the relentless assault on native culture.
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thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Killing of seven-year-old girl stokes anger in Mexico

MEXICO CITY - The killing of a 7-year-old girl on the southern outskirts of Mexico City has stoked rising anger over brutal slayings of women , including one found stabbed to death and skinned earlier this month .
The city prosecutor ’ s office said Monday that investigators identified a body found over the weekend as that of Fatima , a grade-school student who was taken by a stranger on Feb. 11 .
By law , prosecutors don ’ t give the full name of victims .
Her body was found wrapped in a bag and abandoned in a rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genetic testing .
The cause of death has not been released .
Five people have been questioned in the case , and video footage of her abduction exists .
Prosecutors ’ spokesman Ulises Lara offered a $ 100,000 reward for information on the person who picked her up when she left school .
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum personally accompanied the girl ’ s mother during the legal paperwork involved in filing charges and picking up the girl ’ s body .
“ We are going to accompany the family , and justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The girl ’ s mother , Maria Magdalena Antón , appeared angry and distraught outside prosecutors ’ offices .
“ Justice has to be done , for my daughter and for all women , ” she said .
She said investigators made the family wait hours and travel across the city to even file a missing person report .
Other relatives accused police of not acting quickly enough .
“ She could have been found alive , but nobody paid attention to us , “ said Sonia López , the girl ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been longstanding questions about the mother ’ s ability to care for her children , but that city health and family welfare agencies had not helped them .
Many relatives and commentators called for urgent changes to primary school safety protocols .
At government schools in urban areas of Mexico , children simply walk out on the street after classes end .
Although their parents are often waiting outside , it is not the school ’ s responsibility to make sure someone is waiting to meet them .
The abduction and killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Ingrid Escamilla , a young Mexico City resident , was allegedly murdered by a boyfriend .
The man , who has been arrested and purportedly confessed to killing Escamilla with a knife , mutilated her body and flushed part of her corpse into the sewer .
Indignation grew after some local media published horrific photos of the skinned corpse , apparently leaked by city police officers .
Protesters read a statement Friday saying , “ It enrages us how Ingrid was killed , and how the media put her body on display.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of angry demonstrations over killings of women over the past few months , including several in which protesters have vandalized major monuments and buildings .
The killings have proved a politically difficult issue for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , who said protests over the killings were an attempt to distract attention from his social programs .
Last week , López Obrador showed little patience for those who questioned him about the government ’ s commitment to fighting violence against women .
“ This issue has been manipulated a lot in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that “ I don ’ t want the issue just to be women ’ s killings.
” On Monday , López Obrador defended his record , saying “ we are working so that there won ’ t be any more women ’ s killings.
” But referring to protests last week over Escamilla ’ s killing in which demonstrators spray-painted the doors and walls of the colonial-era National Palace , the president said , “ They shouldn ’ t paint our doors and walls .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Daytona 500 resumes without president, pomp or packed house

DAYTONA BEACH , Fla. - The president is gone .
So are the clouds , the long lines and most of the crowd .
The Daytona 500 resumed Monday after “ The Great American Race ” was postponed for just the second time in 62 years .
Rain halted the event after 20 laps , with pole-sitter Ricky Stenhouse Jr. out front the entire way at Daytona International Speedway .
Forty-five minutes before the race resumed , the public address announcer told fans they would give the traditional command for drivers to restart the engines .
“ You guys will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement said .
Firesuits hung all over the garage Monday drying in the sun after the Sunday night soaking spoiled NASCAR ’ s biggest day of the year .
At entrances around the speedway , where fans were stuck in security lines for hours a day earlier , NASCAR executives thanked those who returned for more racing .
Ben Kennedy , great-grandson of NASCAR ’ s founder , was even assisting with bags searches at one checkpoint .
When the race finally started under caution , the leaders pitted for fuel and fresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front for the official restart .
The mood was dramatically different from a day earlier , when 11.2 million viewers tuned in to Fox Sports to watch President Donald Trump give the order to start the engines .
The network said it was a 32 % increase from the start of last year ’ s race and best since 2015 .
But the rain began moments after Trump and his motorcade completed a ceremonial lap around the apron of the famed speedway .
As the caravan pulled off the track , the sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The start already had been delayed 13 minutes to accommodate Trump ’ s appearance , his remarks to an enthusiastic crowd that chanted “ Four More Years !
” and finally his words to the drivers to start their engines .
The idea was for the field of 40 to be racing as Air Force One took off from the Daytona airport , located just a few hundred yards behind the track , recreating iconic photos of visits from Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush .
Trump was just the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and first to be given a pre-race role .
Reagan and George H.W .
Bush attended summer races at Daytona .
The president was personally welcomed at the airport by the France family , which owns NASCAR , and met in a secure area with at least a dozen drivers .
He and the first lady posed for selfies with the drivers .
Trump also gave a rare autograph to rising star Hailie Deegan when he signed her racing helmet — an endeavour negotiated via Twitter direct messages between the 18-year-old Deegan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her meet-and-greet on social media .
But the more coveted photo opp never materialized as drivers were huddled under umbrellas for a nearly hour-long wait while Air Force One took off over the speedway .
They did get a chance to race , an uneventful 20-lap parade in which the top five never changed positions .
Fox said it averaged 10,935,000 viewers for that short segment of racing , up 19 % from last year ’ s full race average of 9.2 million viewers .
Then the rain came again , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred : Timmy Hill , making his Daytona 500 debut , wandered into the infield media centre looking for food because the Bojangles stand in the fan area was out of chicken .
Hill made light of the strange day in an impromptu news conference .
What started with such promise , pomp and circumstance ended with soaked fans scurrying away after already waiting in lines for hours because of the heightened security that comes with a presidential visit .
But NASCAR was committed to running its version of the Super Bowl and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a second delay that lasted more than two hours .
This was long after crew members had been seen packing up their belongings and exiting the garage , and despite a weather radar that forecast imminent heavy rain .
Teams and drivers trudged out to pit road , only for the sky to open and drench everyone .
Drivers were among those seen sprinting off pit road as the blinding rain forced NASCAR to immediately call it a day .
The last postponement was in 2012 , and that was the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not completed as scheduled .
Monday marks the third time the Daytona 500 will be run on Presidents Day , the other two in 1959 and 1970 .
Much of the sellout crowd that was on hand for Sunday ’ s opener and Trump ’ s ballyhooed visit won ’ t stick around for the afternoon start .
Many fans expressed frustration Sunday with long waits at entrance gates , delays caused by Secret Service bag checks and metal detectors .
Fans stuck in line for up to three hours complained they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrooms .
Track workers eventually started passing out free water .


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Boston’s Martinez would like to see some video remain

FORT MYERS , Fla. - Boston slugger J.D .
Martinez has relied on video to analyze and adjust his swing before and during games .
He ’ d hate to see the Astros ’ sign-stealing scandal lead to the complete ban of in-game access .
“ That ’ s who I am , ” he said Monday at the team ’ s spring training complex .
“ There ’ s going to be some restrictions .
I think to go out there and take all video out and not be allowed to look at at-bats is a little ridiculous in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Red Sox , a member of the team ’ s staff would set up with his personal iPad outside the opposite side of batter ’ s box when Martinez was taking batting practice .
Martinez would then take the device and retreat to the clubhouse to look at his swing .
The team has been setting up an iPad for all players since Martinez was signed as a free agent during spring training in 2018 .
He explained Monday that he often looks at video of his swing in between at-bats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s what makes me , me , ” he said .
“ I ’ m a very analytical guy .
I like to study my swing ; what my back foot is doing , my elbow , whatever it may be .
“ There ’ s a lot of guys nowadays that are like that , that ’ s the trend of the game , “ he said .
Martinez said he ’ d like to see those in charge of the game talk to players before they decide what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to video access regulations with the players ’ association .
“ I think you can be a little more informed of what you actually do , ” he said .
“ I think you can talk to some players that have played : ‘ Hey , does this help ?
How we can monitor it and delay it ?
’ ” Martinez was released by Houston during spring training in 2014 and signed with Detroit .
He experimented with an iPad that season but was razzed and discouraged about it by Tigers veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPad a staple of his routine until he stuck with the major league club the next season .
“ When I was in the minor leagues — Double-A , Triple=A — we had video systems .
It ’ s something you grew up with , ” he said .
“ It ’ s something you go back and can check something in your swing .
It helps you throughout the game .
To-all-of-sudden take that away , it ’ s a little extreme , I think .
”


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--UK grapples with severe floods, storm death toll rises to 3

LONDON - Britain issued severe flood warnings Monday , advising of life-threatening danger after Storm Dennis dumped weeks ’ worth of rain in some places .
A woman was found dead after being swept away by the floodwaters , the storm ’ s third confirmed victim .
To the east , Dennis ’ gale-force winds also left nine people injured in Germany as their vehicles crashed into broken trees littering roads and train tracks .
Flooding and power outages were reported elsewhere in northern Europe .
By Monday evening , Britain ’ s Environment Agency issued seven severe flood warnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Staffordshire and Worcestershire .
Another 200 lower-level flood warnings were also in place , meaning that flooding was expected .
Some 480 flood warnings and alerts were issued across England on Monday , the highest number on record , the agency said .
The storm ’ s confirmed death toll rose to three as West Mercia Police said a body had been found in the search for a 55-year-old woman who had been missing near Tenbury in Worcestershire since Sunday .
A man pulled from the water in the same incident was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains in stable condition , police said .
The weather system brought winds of more than 145 kph ( 90 mph ) and up to 150 millimeters ( 6 inches ) of rain to Britain over the weekend .
And the tumult is not over .
“ We expect disruptive weather into the middle of this week bringing a significant flood risk for the West Midlands , and there are flood warnings in place across much of England , ’ ’ said Toby Willison , Executive Director of Operations at Britain ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in parts of northern England had yet to reach their peak .
In the northern England city of York , authorities were piling up more than 4,000 sandbags as the Rover Ouse continued to rise .
It ’ s expected to peak on Tuesday .
Other residents in Wales and western England were cleaning up Monday after the storm flooded roads , railways , homes and businesses and disrupted travel across Britain .
Some told stories of fleeing for their lives .
Jeanette Cox , 68 and her daughter Rachel woke up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Welsh village of Nantgarw , near Cardiff , about at 4 am .
Sunday .
Cox said the only object that survived downstairs was her wedding day photograph that she had kept on a windowsill .
Her husband Bill died from cancer in 2009 .
“ It was pitch black , ’ ’ she said .
“ All you could hear was the water running .
I ’ ve never seen anything like it .
I was very frightened.
” Britain ’ s environment secretary said climate change was making extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Boris Johnson ’ s Conservative government denied it was unprepared for such storms .
“ We ’ ll never be able to protect every single household , just because of the nature of climate change and the fact that these weather events are becoming more extreme , but we ’ ve done everything that we can do with a significant sum of money , ” Environment Secretary George Eustice said .
In Germany , at least nine people were injured in weather-related car accidents as high winds brought trees down onto roads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 67 passengers also crashed into a fallen tree in the western German city of Dortmund , but nobody was injured .
And in the German city of Hamburg , the city ’ s famous fish market was flooded for the second time this month .
Further north , strong winds and heavy rains caused flooding , road closures and electricity outages across the Nordic and Baltic regions and forced the cancellation of several ferries between Denmark and Norway .
In Denmark , the southwestern city of Kolding was flooded as gale force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In nearby Horsens , police protectively evacuated residents near Bygholm Lake out of fear that a levee would collapse .
In southwestern Norway , more than half a dozen roads and several mountain passes were closed amid heavy snow and high winds .
Olsen reported from Copenhagen .
Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report .

Danica Kirka And Jan M. Olsen - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--Hundreds still flooded from homes in Mississippi capital

JACKSON , Miss .
- The swollen Pearl River appeared to have crested Monday in Mississippi ’ s capital , but authorities warned the hundreds of evacuees in the Jackson area not to rush back home until they got the all clear , and a forecast of more rain put counties further south at risk of flooding .
No injuries were reported from the major flooding in central Mississippi and southern Tennessee .
But as the high water recedes , officials expect to find damaged roads and problems with water and sewage pipes .
In Savannah , Tennessee , two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tennessee River , although its residents had fled earlier .
“ Please do not move back into your neighbourhood or into your home until authorities and officials give you the OK to do so , ” Mississippi Gov .
Tate Reeves said at a news conference .
A near-record rainy winter has forced authorities to release water from swollen reservoirs , potentially worsening the flooding for those living downstream .
“ It is a chess match we ’ re playing with Mother Nature , “ said Jim Hopson , spokesman for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to crest at just under 37 feet ( 11.3 metres ) , Reeves said .
It is forecast to fall below major flood stage at 36 feet ( 11 metres ) around midnight Tuesday , although more problems could arise if rains in the next few days are heavier than forecast .
“ We as a state are not in the clear yet , ” Reeves said .
The Pearl ’ s highest recorded crest was 43.2 feet on April 17 , 1979 .
The second-highest level occurred May 5 , 1983 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet .
Reeves thanked residents for heeding evacuation orders .
Only 16 search-and-rescue missions were needed , he said , even though as many as 1,000 homes were flooded .
One of those homes belongs to Chris Sharp , who had enough time to find an 18-wheeler , load it with his possessions and drive away Friday from the house his parents bought in the 1970s .
The house was inundated in those previous two flood years .
On Monday , he tried to go back with a boat , but a police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can do is just sit back and watch , “ Sharp said by phone from his brother ’ s nearby house .
He expects several inches of water in his home , and this flood finally has Sharp considering whether his family should move .
The home isn ’ t covered by flood insurance because he said the cost has grown too expensive in recent years .
“ I ’ ve been through it before , so I kind of knew what to do , ” Sharp said , giving a resigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bunch of people who didn ’ t do anything.
” Elsewhere in Jackson , residents paddled canoes , kayaks and small fishing boats to check on their houses , giving lifts to other neighbours .
Some were able to enter their homes , while others peeked into the windows to check on damage inside .
Floodwaters lapped at mailboxes , street signs and cars that had been left in driveways .
The momentary break in the rain enabled water levels at the Barnett Reservoir upriver of the capital to stabilize , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to evacuation orders , check on road closures before travelling and stay off any flooded roads .
Mississippi emergency management officials said Sunday that they had received preliminary damage reports from 11 counties connected with the severe weather that began on Feb. 10 .
River gauges in four states from South Carolina west to Mississippi are reporting moderate flooding , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
Forecasters predict more rain across the Southeast this week .
It shouldn ’ t be as heavy as previous weeks , but with lakes and reservoirs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a deluge to require authorities to release more water .
Dramatic video posted by a Tennessee fire department showed the impact near Savannah : Two houses tumbled down a bluff over the Tennessee River , while many others have been swamped to their rooftops , as entire neighbourhoods disappear in muddy water below the Tennessee Valley Authority ’ s Pickwick Reservoir .
Dozens of other homes in more low-lying areas were swamped , the department ’ s drone video showed .
“ It absolutely kills you , knowing that ” houses are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the TVA ’ s Hopson told The Associated Press on Monday .
“ We have engineers on duty 24-7 trying to figure out what ’ s the most effective way to move this water downstream with the least impact .
They feel it .
I feel it.
” February ’ s rains have been “ 400 per cent of normal , and we have more coming in this week .
It ’ s kind of a never-ending battle , ” Hopson added .
The Pickwick is the next-to-last dam in the TVA ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a river basin stretching into Virginia and Georgia has to flow through it before reaching the Ohio River and then the Mississippi .
Water levels behind upstream tributary dams used to contain the flooding have risen as much as 40 feet this month , but even then , the Pickwick was releasing 2.36 million gallons per second Monday , down only slightly from 2.5 million gallons per second Sunday night , Hopson said .
“ Mother Nature is really the one in charge — we simply try to manage what Mother Nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along the 652-mile Tennessee River and its thousands of miles of tributaries and streams , ” Hopson said .
Deslatte reported from Baton Rouge , Louisiana .
Jeffrey Collins in Columbia , South Carolina , and Michael Warren in Atlanta contributed .

Rogelio V. Solis And Melinda Deslatte - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-02-17--UK govt adviser quits amid furor over comments on IQ, race

LONDON - An adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned on Monday amid fierce criticism of his past comments linking intelligence to race and suggesting contraception should be made compulsory to avoid “ a permanent underclass.
” Andrew Sabisky said he was quitting because he had become “ a distraction.
” Lawmakers from both the opposition and the governing Conservatives had called on Johnson to fire Sabisky , who was hired to work in the prime minister ’ s 10 Downing Street office after Johnson ’ s chief aide , Dominic Cummings , appealed for “ weirdos and misfits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government jobs .
Sabisky — who has a master ’ s degree in the psychology of education , according to an online biography — wrote in 2014 that “ one way to get around the problems of unplanned pregnancies creating a permanent underclass would be to legally enforce universal uptake of long-term contraception at the onset of puberty .
Vaccination laws give it a precedent , I would argue.
“ He has also suggested that black Americans have a lower average IQ than white Americans .
The comments were condemned by Johnson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies .
Lawmaker Caroline Nokes , a member of Johnson ’ s Conservative Party who chairs Parliament ’ s Women and Equalities Committee , tweeted : “ Can not believe No 10 has refused to comment on Andrew Sabisky .
I don ’ t know him from a bar of soap , but don ’ t think we ’ d get on ... must be no place in government for the views he ’ s expressed.
” Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Johnson ’ s government needed “ to get a grip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values in the terms of our public debate.
” On Twitter , Sabisky accused critics of “ selective quoting “ and said “ I signed up to do real work , not be in the middle of a giant character assassination.
” “ The media hysteria about my old stuff online is mad but I wanted to help ( the government ) not be a distraction .
Accordingly I ’ ve decided to resign as a contractor , “ he wrote .
Earlier Monday a spokesman for Johnson declined to discuss Sabisky ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m not going to be commenting on individual appointments.
” Spokesman Jamie Davies also refused to say whether the prime minister agreed with Sabisky ’ s views , which critics say amount to support for eugenics , the now-discredited movement to improve the human race through selective reproduction .
“ The prime minister ’ s views on a range of subjects are well publicized and documented , ” Davies said .
Johnson has his own record of offensive comments .
He has called Papua New Guineans “ cannibals , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the offensive term “ picaninnies ” and said the children of single mothers were “ ignorant , aggressive and illegitimate.
” The episode is the latest controversy connected to Cummings , a self-styled political disruptor who helped mastermind the successful Vote Leave campaign in Britain ’ s 2016 European Union membership referendum .
He took up his powerful role as Downing Street adviser after Johnson became prime minister in July .
Last month , Cummings put out a call on his blog for “ super talented weirdos ” to join the government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We need some true wild cards , artists , people who never went to university and fought their way out of an appalling hell hole , weirdos , ” he wrote .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--Homeland Security waives contracting laws for border wall

SAN DIEGO - The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will waive federal contracting laws to speed construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border .
The Department of Homeland Security said waiving procurement regulations will allow 177 miles ( 283 kilometres ) of wall to be built more quickly in California , Arizona , New Mexico and Texas .
The 10 waived laws include requirements for having open competition , justifying selections and receiving all bonding from a contractor before any work can begin .
The acting Homeland Security secretary , Chad Wolf , is exercising authority under a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to waive laws for building border barriers .
Secretaries under President Donald Trump have issued 16 waivers , and President George W. Bush issued five , but Tuesday ’ s announcement marks the first time that waivers have applied to federal procurement rules .
Previously they were used to waive environmental impact reviews .
The Trump administration said it expects the waivers will allow 94 miles ( 150 kilometres ) of wall to be built this year , bringing the Republican president closer to his pledge of about 450 miles ( 720 kilometres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of his top domestic priorities .
It said the other 83 miles ( 133 kilometres ) covered by the waivers may get built this year .
“ Under the president ’ s leadership , we are building more wall , faster than ever before , ” the department said in a statement .
The move is expected to spark criticism that the administration is overstepping its authority , but legal challenges have failed .
In 2018 , a federal judge in San Diego rejected arguments by California and environmental advocacy groups that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have an expiration date .
An appeals court upheld the ruling last year .
Congress gave the secretary power to waive laws in areas of high illegal crossings in 2005 in a package of emergency spending for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and minimum standards for state-issued identification cards .
The Senate approved it unanimously , with support from Joe Biden , Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton .
The House passed it with strong bipartisan support ; then-Rep. Bernie Sanders voted against it .
The waivers , to be published in the Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will award in six of nine Border Patrol sectors on the Mexican border : San Diego and El Centro in California ; Yuma and Tucson in Arizona ; El Paso , which spans New Mexico and west Texas , and Del Rio , Texas .
The administration said the waivers will apply to contractors that have already been vetted .
In May , the Army Corps named 12 companies to compete for Pentagon-funded contracts .
The Army Corps is tasked with awarding $ 6.1 billion that the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year after Congress gave Trump only a fraction of the money .
The administration has been able to spend that money during legal challenges .


thetorontostar--2020-02-18--China virus outbreak chilling recovery for Asian economies

BANGKOK - The virus outbreak in China has put South Korea ’ s economy into an “ emergency situation , ” its president says .
Japan is on the brink of recession and big manufacturers are forecasting a whole world of woe .
As many Chinese finally go back to work after their longest Lunar New Year holiday ever , the economic fallout from the outbreak that began in the central city of Wuhan may be just beginning .
Companies are warning their bottom lines will take a hit , and governments are ramping up stimulus measures for economies that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recoveries after months of uncertainty due to trade tensions and slowing global growth .
“ Emergency situations require emergency measures , ” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday , calling for aggressive action to support companies dependent on trade with China and encourage consumers to spend more .
“ The current situation is very serious , even more so than thought , “ Moon said .
“ We should put every measure we can think of on the table , regardless of whether there were precedents or not , and employ every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were hoping that an easing of trade tensions thanks to a truce between the U.S. and China in their tariff war would help revive sluggish trade this year .
The virus outbreak has sideswiped the region with a raft of new , potentially much broader uncertainties .
Central banks across the region have already begun slashing interest rates to help ease credit as tourism arrivals plunge and manufacturing and delivery networks get entangled in bottlenecks caused by lockdowns inside China intended to help contain the spread of the virus , which has killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 73,000 globally .
Asian economies have grown increasingly reliant on trade with China and tourism catering to growing legions of Chinese travellers .
The other regional powerhouse , Japan , saw its economy , the world ’ s third-largest , contract by 6.3 % in annual terms in the last quarter of 2019 , even before the virus outbreak spiraled into a crisis .
The rebound in manufacturing and other business activity after the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome , or SARS , in 2003 suggests the damage to manufacturing industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to regional tourism could persist , given the much broader travel restrictions and precautions put in place by regional governments and the much higher number of people affected : SARS killed fewer than 800 people and infected only about 8,000 .
China has cancelled two of the biggest business happenings of the year , a trade fair in southern China ’ s Guangzhou and the Beijing auto show , adding to the growing number of conferences and sports events being postponed or called off due to the outbreak .
Tourism arrivals in Thailand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down sharply , leaving many who depend on steady flows of Chinese and other travellers scrambling for alternative ways to get by .
Economists are now forecasting that China ’ s growth could stall into the low single digits in this quarter , while Japan , where dozens of people have been confirmed infected with the virus , is almost certainly headed for recession .
“ The biggest unknown is whether the crisis will result in a major drop in spending by Japanese consumers , “ Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economic said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus isn ’ t as deadly as SARS , it ’ s still possible that consumer spending will come under pressure as households refrain from visiting shops and restaurants.
” “ There ’ s clearly a risk that Japan slides into recession at the start of this year , “ he said .
Governments elsewhere are also preparing to act to cushion the blow from the virus .
Singapore ’ s government announced Tuesday a budget with an extra 6.4 billion Singapore dollars ( $ 4.6 billion ) in special measures to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses and households .
Farmers in Southeast Asia , especially tropical regions along southern Chinese borders , are struggling to find markets for crops unable to make it to market due to transport disruptions and quarantine restrictions in central and eastern China .
Exports of pungent durian fruit from Thailand to Malaysia have slowed , causing prices that had surged thanks to ravenous demand from China to plunge in recent weeks .
But disruptions to tourism and the manufacturing sector are having a much broader reach .
Chinese authorities are encouraging factories to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survey of manufacturers in the Yangtze River industrial region conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai last week found that nearly 80 % did not have enough staff to run at full capacity .
Nearly a third said logistics issues were their biggest concern .
More than two-thirds of the 109 companies surveyed had already gotten back to work , but many said their businesses were being hindered by quarantine restrictions and uncertainties over government approvals .
Apple Inc. ’ s announcement Monday that it won ’ t meet its second-quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped due to the outbreak sent a chill through Asian markets on Tuesday .
On Jan. 28 , Apple said it expected second-quarter revenue to be between $ 63 billion and $ 67 billion .
Production is ramping up slowly , the Cupertino , California-based company said , and demand in China is down because many of Apple ’ s 42 retail stores there are closed or operating with reduced hours .
China is Apple ’ s third-largest retail market for iPhones , after the U.S. and Europe .
Supply chains for Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wide across Asia .
The announcement Monday caused shares in Samsung Electronics to sink 2.8 % , while Sony Corp. fell 2.5 % and computer chip maker TMSC dropped 2.9 % .
The outbreak struck just as makers of semiconductors and other components were looking forward to a recovery following a protracted downturn .
For South Korea , Taiwan and Japan , weaker demand will slow recoveries in exports that had been expected to bounce back following the preliminary agreement between Washington and Beijing on ending a tariff war that has dragged on @ @ @ @ @ @ @