thetorontostar--2020-04-18--A global diaspora of medical workers now looks toward home

JOHANNESBURG - The medical supplies had been shipped .
The planning began a year in advance .
Then the coronavirus arrived , and Dr. Charmaine Emelife ’ s heart sank .
The annual trip to Nigeria to provide free medical care — the flagship project of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas — had been set to start Sunday but can ’ t go on .
Now the 4,000-member organization , like diaspora medical groups around the world , is scrambling for other ways to help back home , where it might be more needed than ever before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of medical professionals to richer countries has left developing nations in Africa , Southeast Asia , Latin America and elsewhere without tens of thousands of highly skilled workers .
Some 30 % of doctors in the U.S. , and one-third of those in the UK , were foreign-born as of 2016 , according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development .
At the same time , sub-Saharan Africa has a painful shortage of medical professionals , with access to just 3 % of the world ’ s health workers , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four doctors per 10,000 people .
Kenya has just two .
But even as some doctors , nurses and others overseas yearn to return to help with the coronavirus crisis , they face travel restrictions that have slammed shut borders and closed international airports .
“ There are said to be no commercial passenger flights going into Nigeria from the U.S. , and the U.S. is not receiving the same flights , ” Emelife , the Nigerian association ’ s president , told The Associated Press .
“ The issue of going back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not a conversation.
” Instead , the association is raising money to buy and ship protective equipment for front-line workers , reaching far beyond its U.S. base for sources .
When the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-16 briefly spread to Nigeria , the association focused on sending “ tons and tons ” of protective gear , Emelife said .
But the task is far more difficult now as the rest of the world competes for the same supplies .
So the association is also exploring telemedicine , Emelife said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for patients in Nigeria , where some private medical practices have shut down out of caution , further limiting options for care .
“ If what is happening in the U.S. or Italy should dare happen in Nigeria , there would be complete , total disorder , ” said Dr. Biodun Ogunbo , who closed his private surgery facility in the capital , Abuja , for a month after the country ’ s first cases were reported .
Currently , Nigeria ’ s cases number nearly 450 , but health experts say Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. in the pandemic and the worst is yet to come .
“ It ’ s the personnel that matter , ” Ogunbo said .
“ We don ’ t have the numbers of trained medical doctors , nurses , pharmacists ” for the 24-hour care that some virus patients need .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough .
But for some , especially older adults and those with other health problems , it can cause pneumonia and death .
The thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ogunbo said , would “ definitely , 100 % ” be welcome , along with insights into how virus cases are being treated overseas .
Emelife said even such items as soap and clean water are needed in parts of Nigeria .
Africa ’ s most populous nation recently surpassed India with the world ’ s largest number of people living in extreme poverty .
“ We need to help take care of the people at home and we are working on it with this COVID-19 pandemic , ” she said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups are appealing to shared culture in this time of isolation .
“ Our Filipino values and traits ... will keep us strong and resilient in this trying time , ” the National Organization of Filipino American Physicians wrote in a statement on COVID-19 .
“ We are a people that reaches out to and looks after each other.
” The group partners with the Manila-based Philippine Nurses Association for online seminars on the pandemic .
The Association of Pakistani Physicians and Surgeons of the UK asked members this month to consult patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan needs you more than ever before , ” it said .
This week , Dr. Sefa Ahiaku updated the website of the Ghanaian Doctors and Dentists Association UK with the obituary of a Ghana-based colleague — “ Coronavirus is no respecter of who people are , ” she said — and a fundraising appeal to buy protective gear for others in the West African nation .
“ For us , the death really brought it close to home , ” Ahiaku , the group ’ s vice-president , said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more acute when there ’ s a crisis.
” Ghana , like Nigeria , has locked down certain high-population areas instead of the entire country .
The diaspora group hopes to help rural communities “ who don ’ t have the luxury of shutting their doors ” improve sanitation ahead of the virus ’ possible spread .
“ I am really encouraged by the doctors I ’ m speaking to in Ghana who are keeping a level head , ” Ahiaku said , as the country ’ s virus cases near 650 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the government on ways to streamline the process so medical professionals in the diaspora can come home and offer their services , she said .
She hopes this pandemic might lead governments to invest more in health systems , giving medical workers more incentive to stay at home — or return for good .
In Nigeria , where going overseas for medical treatment is a well-known practice among some government officials , Ogunbo wasn ’ t so sure .
“ I have to say ‘ Thank God ’ that we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , he said , but it means officials haven ’ t received the kind of shock that might lead to change .
“ They ’ re not going to come tomorrow and say , ’ We need 50,000 doctors , let ’ s start creating spaces for them , look after them so they ’ re so comfortable and happy in Nigeria they won ’ t go anywhere else , ” Ogunbo said .
“ They won ’ t do that.
” Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Virus patients at one Israeli hospital are not dying alone

JERUSALEM - Elisheva Stern wasn ’ t ready to say goodbye to her ailing father , who was succumbing to the coronavirus in an Israeli hospital .
But knowing countless others around the world are not given the chance to say their last farewells to sick relatives , she decided to enter the virus ward and be by her father ’ s bedside , even if only for a brief moment , before he died .
Stern ’ s father , Simha Benshai , 75 , died at Tel Aviv ’ s Sourasky Medical Center , which offers the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rare opportunity to say goodbye in person .
“ None of us want to say bye to the people who we love .
But I ’ m actually happy that they gave me the opportunity to say bye to my father , ” said Stern .
“ I was able to see him and to tell him I ’ m sorry and I love him.
“ The practice is in contrast to many hospitals around the world that don ’ t allow final family visits as a precaution against spreading the highly contagious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone and forces families to grieve from afar .
Recognizing this peculiar tragedy wrought by the virus , Sourasky Medical Center officials opted to spare much-needed protective gear , take careful measures to ward off infection and offer grieving families a chance to say goodbye .
“ The stories of patients dying alone are horrifying , ” said Roni Gamzu , the hospital ’ s chief executive .
“ This is our moral duty as medical staff and as human beings .
No one shall be allowed to die alone.
“ The hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to visit a patient with head-to-toe protective wear — gear in demand around the world and often reserved for health care workers — and allows them about 15 minutes to say goodbye .
It then assists them in removing the mask , cap , robe , gloves and boots with the utmost caution needed to prevent infection .
Elsewhere , family and friends are bidding tortuous goodbyes remotely , often with the help of hospital workers entrusted to speak the families ’ final words , or supplying their phones as a bridge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue has gripped health care workers around the world .
“ Families beg to see their loved ones before they die .
A seemingly simple request , which in other times would be encouraged , has become an ethical and health care dilemma , ” a group of medical residents from the Detroit area wrote this week in the New England Medical Journal , calling for creative solutions to address the problem .
The virus has infected over 2 million people worldwide and has killed more than 140,000 .
It causes mild to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who recover within a few weeks .
But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death , particularly in older people or those with underlying health problems .
Unlike epicenters like New York or Italy , Israel ’ s outbreak has so far seen manageable numbers of seriously ill patients .
The country has more than 13,000 coronavirus cases , among them 158 deaths .
Hospitals are not deluged with patients , meaning Sourasky is likely not under as much pressure as other facilities in virus hotbeds and can spare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final encounters .
Four families have so far agreed to enter the coronavirus ward in the two weeks since the hospital ’ s project began .
Dror Maor visited his dying mother-in-law at the hospital recently .
Entering the hospital room in full protective gear , he saw Segula Yanai , 81 , who was sedated and breathing through a ventilator and flanked by other patients in similar condition .
He recited a Jewish prayer and psalms at her bedside .
“ Despite the difficult scene , I felt my mother-in-law ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mine .
It was an act of devotion that I am happy to have carried out , “ he said .

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thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Child sex abuse in Pakistan’s religious schools is endemic

PAKPATTAN , Pakistan - Muhimman proudly writes his name slowly , carefully , one letter at a time , grinning broadly as he finishes .
He ’ s just 11 years old and was a good student who had dreams of being a doctor .
School frightens him now .
Earlier this year , a cleric at the religious school he faithfully attended in the southern Punjab town of Pakpattan took him into a washroom and tried to rape him .
Muhimman ’ s aunt , Shazia , who wanted only her first name used , said she believes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pakistan ’ s religious schools .
She said she has known the cleric , Moeed Shah , since she was a little girl and describes him as an habitual abuser who used to ask little girls to pull up their shirts .
“ He has done wrong with boys and also with two or three girls , ” Shazia said , recalling one girl the cleric brutalized so badly he broke her back .
An investigation by The Associated Press found dozens of police reports , known here as First Information Reports , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse by Islamic clerics teaching in madrassas or religious schools throughout Pakistan , where many of the country ’ s poorest study .
The AP also documented cases of abuse through interviews with law enforcement officials , abuse victims and their parents .
The alleged victims who spoke for this story did so with the understanding only their first names would be used .
There are more than 22,000 registered madrassas in Pakistan , teaching more than 2 million children .
But there are many more religious schools that are unregistered .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a poor neighbourhood , attracting students with a promise of a meal and free lodging .
There is no central body of clerics that governs madrassas .
Nor is there a central authority that can investigate or respond to allegations of abuse by clerics , unlike the Catholic Church , which has a clear hierarchy topped by the Vatican .
The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has promised to modernize the curriculum and make the madrassas more accountable , but there is little oversight .
Police say the problem of sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the scores of police reports they have received are just the tip of the iceberg .
Yet despite the dozens of reports , none have resulted in the conviction of a cleric .
Religious clerics are a powerful group in Pakistan and they close ranks when allegations of abuse are brought against one of them .
They have been able to hide the widespread abuse by accusing victims of blasphemy or defamation of Islam .
Families in Pakistan are often coerced into “ forgiving ” clerics , said Deputy Police Superintendent Sadiq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s northwest , toward the border with Afghanistan .
Overcome by shame and fear that the stigma of being sexually abused will follow a child into adulthood , families choose instead to drop the charges , he said .
Most often , when a family forgives the cleric the investigation ends because the charges are dropped .
“ It is the hypocrisy of some of these mullahs , who wear the long beard and take on the cloak of piety only to do these horrible acts behind closed doors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clean shaven , who are liberal and open minded , ” Baloch said .
“ In our society so many of these men , who say they are religious , are involved in these immoral activities.
” Police officials say they have no idea how many children are abused by religious clerics in Pakistan .
The officials said clerics often target young boys who have not yet reached puberty in part because of the restrictive nature of Pakistan ’ s still mostly conservative society , where male interaction with girls and women is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part had access to and trust with boys , who are less likely to report a sexual assault .
Eight-year-old Yaous from Pakistan ’ s remote northern Kohistan region is one of those boys .
Yaous ’ father was a poor labourer who had no education and spoke only the local language of his area , yet he wanted to educate his son .
He had heard of a religious school in Mansehra , several hundred kilometres ( miles ) south of his village , where other boys from the area had gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone , his father went for months without speaking to his son .
Yaous is small for his eight years .
His features are slight .
In an interview with the AP , with his uncle interpreting , Yaous ’ tiny body shivered as he told of his ordeal .
It was near the end of December last year — a holiday at the madrassa .
Most of the students had left .
Only Yaous and a handful of students had stayed behind .
His village was hours away , and the cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his parents .
The other students had gone to wash their clothes and Yaous said he was alone inside the mosque with Qari Shamsuddin , the cleric .
The sexual assault was unexpected and brutal .
The boy said Shamsuddin grabbed his hand , dragged him into a room and locked the door .
“ It was so cold .
I didn ’ t understand why he was taking my warm clothes off , ” Yaous said , his voice was barely a whisper .
As Yaous remembered what happened , he buried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The cleric grabbed a stick , he said .
It was small , maybe about 12 inches .
The first few sharp slaps stung .
“ The pain made me scream and cry , but he wouldn ’ t stop , ” Yaous said .
The boy was held prisoner for two days , raped repeatedly until he was so sick the cleric feared he would die and took him to the hospital .
At the hospital , Dr. Faisal Manan Salarzai said Yaous screamed each time he tried to approach him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Salarzai called him the “ baby.
” “ The baby was having a lot of bruises on his body — on his head , on his chest , on his legs , so many bruises on other parts of his body , ” Salarzai said .
Suspicious , Salarzai ordered Yaous moved to the isolation ward where he examined him , suspecting he had been sexually assaulted .
The examination revealed brutal and repetitive assaults .
But Solarzai said Yaous ’ uncle refused to believe his nephew was sexually assaulted , instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He said the uncle finally said : ‘ If news spreads in our area that he has been sexually assaulted it will be very difficult for him to survive in our area.
’ ” “ He was not willing to talk about it or even think that he was sexually assaulted , ” said Solarzai .
But the evidence was overwhelming and the doctor contacted the police .
The cleric was arrested and is now in jail .
Police have matched his DNA samples to those found on Yaous .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worshippers at the Madrassah-e-Taleem-ul-Qur ’ an mosque located in a remote region of northwest Pakistan dispute the charges .
They say Shamsuddin is innocent , the victim of anti-Islamic elements in the country .
The clerics and worshippers also say the accusation is part of a conspiracy to discredit Pakistan ’ s religious leaders and challenge the supremacy of Islam , a rallying cry often used by right-wing religious clerics seeking to enrage mobs to assert their power .
Yaous ’ father , Abdul Qayyum , said he was ashamed he had not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three months before the attack happened .
“ I want this mullah hanged .
Nothing else will do , ” Qayyum said .
Young boys are not the only victims of sexual abuse by religious clerics .
Many young girls like Misbah , who is from a deeply conservative south Punjab village of Basti Qasi , have also been targeted by religious leaders .
Her father , Mohammad Iqbal , isn ’ t exactly sure how old Misbah is .
He thinks she is 11 because in rural Pakistan many births are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is just a guess when children are born .
They share their small cinderblock structures with several goats and an extended family made up it seems of mostly children who play tag and run around the dirt compound .
Misbah , who struggled for words , said she was raped in the mosque next door , where she had been studying the Qur ’ an for three years .
The assault happened one morning after she stayed behind to sweep the mosque .
The other children had been sent home and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Misbah to help .
“ I had just began to clean when he slammed shut the mosque door , ” she said in her native Saraiki language .
“ I didn ’ t know why and then he suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into a nearby room .
I was screaming and shouting and crying .
She couldn ’ t say how long the assault went on .
All she could remember was screaming for her father to help her but he wouldn ’ t stop , he wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her uncle , Mohammed Tanvir , who rescued her .
He had been on his way to college but stopped at the mosque to use the washroom .
He noticed a pair of child ’ s shoes outside the door .
“ Then I heard screaming from inside , she was screaming for her father , ” Tanvir said .
He smashed the door down saw his niece sprawled and naked on the floor .
“ It looked as if she had fainted , ” he said .
Her blood-stained pants were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his feet .
“ ‘ Forgive me ’ he kept saying to me , ’ ” Tanvir recalled .
The cleric was arrested but freed on bail .
In the wake of the attempted rape of Muhimman , the young boy who had proudly showed his writing skills , his aunt said there has been a concerted attempt to silence the family .
“ The village people say these are our spiritual leaders and the imams of our religious places , and refuse to kick him out , ” Shazia said After the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the villagers came to their home and pleaded with them to forgive the cleric , Moeed Shah , who had fled the area .
“ They all came to our home and they know we are poor and he is an imam and they said we should forgive him but we won ’ t , ” Shazia said .
She said her father , Muhimman ’ s grandfather , refused .
Shah has yet to be arrested , even though the assault was filmed by several village boys who broke down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away as he tired to rape Muhimman .
Police say they are investigating and a charge has been filed , but Shah is a fugitive .
Some of the neighbours near the mosque said police are not searching vigorously for him .
They seemed angry but also resigned to the fact that he would not be jailed .
“ Such a beast should not be spared at all , ” Shazia said .
Associated Press writers Zarar Khan in Islamabad , Asim Tanvir in Multan , Pakistan , and Riaz Khan in Peshawar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Russia tries again to win UN approval for virus resolution

TANZANIA , Tanzania - Russia is trying again to win U.N. General Assembly approval for a resolution on the coronavirus pandemic , dropping a call to end unilateral sanctions without U.N. Security Council approval but still calling for an end to protectionist practices .
The 193-member world body has until noon EDT on Wednesday to consider the revised Russian draft resolution , which is called a “ Declaration of solidarity of the United Nations in the face of the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease.
” The General Assembly instituted new voting rules because it isn ’ t holding meetings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Normally , assembly resolutions are adopted by majority votes or by consensus , but now if a single country objects a resolution is defeated .
The original Russian draft resolution , which was co-sponsored by Central African Republic , Cuba , Nicaragua and Venezuela , failed to win apporoval on April 2 .
Diplomats said the European Union , United Kingdom , United States and Ukraine objected to it .
The revised Russian draft resolution , which was sent to member states Friday by General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande , significantly increases the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drops a call to end trade wars , and adds a number of new provisions .
One addition expresses grave concern at “ the negative impact of the spread of COVID-19 on public health and the global economy , ” and makes a commitment to pursue “ co-ordinated and decisive actions aimed at defeating the pandemic , guided by the spirit of solidarity and international co-operation.
” Another welcomes the April 3 statement by the Group of 77 and China — the main group of developing countries at the United Nations which now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , calling it “ a strong message of solidarity in the face of the pandemic from the developing world.
” The G-77 statement includes a call on the international community “ to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries , ” saying that at this juncture they have “ a negative impact ” on the ability of countries to respond to the pandemic .
The General Assembly adopted a resolution on COVID-19 on April 2 sponsored by Ghana , Indonesia , Liechtenstein , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognizes “ the unprecedented effects ” of the coronavirus pandemic and calls for “ intensified international co-operation to contain , mitigate and defeat ” the COVID-19 disease .
Muhammad-Bande , the assembly president , sent a Mexican-drafted resolution to member nations on Thursday calling for global action to rapidly scale up development , manufacturing and access to medicine , vaccines and medical equipment to confront the coronavirus pandemic .
Member states have until 5 p.m. EDT on Monday to object .
South African and Egypt are also reportedly preparing draft resolutions on COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomats believe the world body should draft an omnibus measure instead of considering many separate ones .
Its resolutions are not legally binding but are an important gauge of world opinion .
The more powerful 15-member Security Council , whose resolutions are legally binding , has not adopted a resolution since the pandemic began circling the globe , infecting more than 2.1 million people and killing more than 140,000 worldwide , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
Its five permanent members , who have been divided on how to address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resolution while its 10 elected members have their own draft .
Diplomats said discussions have started on merging the rival texts .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--White House moves to weaken EPA rule on toxic compounds

WASHINGTON - The Trump White House has intervened to weaken one of the few public health protections pursued by its own administration , a rule to limit the use of a toxic industrial compound in consumer products , according to communications between the White House and Environmental Protection Agency .
The documents show that the White House Office of Management and Budget formally notified the EPA by email last July that it was stepping into the crafting of the rule on the compound , perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances , used in nonstick and stain-resistant frying pans , rugs , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House repeatedly pressed the agency to agree to a major loophole that could allow substantial imports of the PFAS-tainted products to continue , greatly weakening the proposed rule .
EPA pushed back on the White House demand for the loophole , known as a “ safe harbour ” provision for industry .
Pushed again in January , the agency responded , “ EPA opposes proposing a safe harbour provision , but is open to a neutrally-worded request for comment from the public “ on the White House request .
The rule is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration has taken to deal with growing contamination by PFAS industrial compounds .
The EPA has declared dating back to 2018 that consumer exposure to the substances was a “ national priority ” that the agency was confronting “ aggressively.
” Delaware Sen. Tom Carper , the ranking Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee , who obtained the documents revealing the White House intervention , and public-health advocates say the White House action was led by Nancy Beck , a former chemical industry executive now detailed to President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a letter sent Friday to the EPA , Carper charged the White House pressure amounts to unusual intervention in what had been the EPA ’ s in-house efforts to regulate imports tainted with the compound .
Trump has nominated Beck to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission , a government panel charged with protecting Americans from harm by thousands of kinds of consumer goods .
Asked about the White House actions , EPA spokeswoman Corry Schiermeyer said in an email that “ consulting with other federal agencies on actions is a normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ EPA is often required to engage in an interagency review process led by OMB.
” “ It is routine for the agency to receive input from all of our stakeholders , including our federal partners , “ Schiermeyer wrote .
The EPA did not respond to a question about whether Beck led the White House intervention .
Emails sent for comment to the White House , the White House Office of Management and Budget and Beck were not immediately answered .
Carper obtained pages of back-and-forth proposed changes , redline drafts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Management and Budget , the EPA and others on the draft rule .
No authors are listed in many of the final rounds of White House edits , drafts and proposals and EPA ’ s responses .
Carper wrote to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Friday to object to the White House push for weakening of the rule , newly revealed in the documents .
Carper said it appeared that Beck , who was moved to the White House from a top regulatory job at the Trump EPA , “ sought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use its authority ... to protect Americans from these harmful substances.
” While thousands of kinds of PFAS compounds are still in use in the United States , the new EPA rule would set up agency oversight of imports of products that use a few kinds of the compounds that manufacturers agreed to phase out in this country starting in 2006 .
Those versions remain in production in some parts of the world .
In addition to the safe harbour loophole , another change sought by the White House would raise the technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the tainted products .
The agency agreed to rewrite the rule to include a third White House request , narrowing the range of imported products that would fall under the rule .
The official public comment period for the current form of the rule ends Friday , moving the proposal close to crafting of its final form .
Congress , impatient for the Trump administration to start bringing the PFAS compounds under federal regulation , has ordered the administration to get a final rule out by mid-summer .
Even if the rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applying to fewer kinds of product imports , “ it would certainly be better than where we are without it , “ although “ scaled back significantly from what it was originally , ” said Richard Denison , lead senior scientist at the Environmental Defence Fund advocacy group , and a longtime monitor of the EPA ’ s regulation of toxic substances .
But if the final rule includes the other two key changes being pushed by the White House “ it could even do more damage than good , “ Denison said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push for those two exceptions in regulations of future substances , Denison said .
“ Those two provisions would establish precedence that the EPA has never used for 40 years.. “ Industries produce thousands of versions of the man-made compounds .
They are used in countless products , including nonstick cookware , water-repellent sports gear , cosmetics , and grease-resistant food packaging , along with firefighting foams .
Public health studies on exposed populations have associated them with an array of health problems , including some cancers , and weakened immunity .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past few years found it in high levels in many public water systems around the country .
The administration initially sought in 2018 to suppress a federal toxicology warning on the danger of the compounds , then publicly vowed action .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Experts worry politics will guide voters’ virus precautions

WASHINGTON - Laura Herd says she sleeps better because her state ’ s governor , Michigan Democrat Gretchen Whitmer , imposed one of the nation ’ s strictest stay-at-home orders to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
President Donald Trump ’ s actions are another story .
“ His goal is to get the economy back up so he stands a chance in November , “ said Herd , 36 , of Traverse City , Michigan , who works for an environmental news service .
” But he ’ s not willing to listen to the experts about what that really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s desire to push the country back toward normal isn ’ t uncommon , especially among her fellow Democrats and many independents .
That ’ s prompting concern by public health professionals that voters will use a partisan lens to decide which policymakers they heed as communities consider easing restrictions that have smothered normal life — a potentially dangerous dynamic .
“ I ’ m not sure if it ’ s partisan or ideological , but there ’ s clearly a divide , ” said Mike Leavitt , a Republican former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President George W. Bush .
“ I think it will clearly be a filter through which people read ” officials ’ guidance .
Trump has wanted states to relax restrictions by May 1 and has inaccurately claimed “ total “ authority to decree how that happens .
He retreated Thursday as the White House issued vague guidelines for gradually returning to normal activities that left final decisions to the states .
Many governors , mostly Democrats , have long made clear they ’ ll move at their own pace to ease restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences between Trump and state and local officials persist and people base their actions on their political leanings , that would dangerously complicate the pathway to recovery , officials say .
“ You ’ ll get more people sick and run the risk of more people dying , because you ’ ll have such confusion because people won ’ t know what to do , ” said Georges Benjamin , executive director of the American Public Health Association , which represents professionals and organizations in the field .
“ They ’ ll selectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideology.
” AP interviews around the country found voters navigating the pandemic on their own and dubious about advice from the other party ’ s leaders .
Many expressed confidence in top public health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx , fixtures at Trump ’ s press briefings .
Fauci is the government ’ s top infectious disease expert and Birx is the White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator .
Ted Hill of Asheville , N.C. , a Republican and retired accountant , praised Trump and said local officials ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Good Lord , if you go into a supermarket without a mask , they look at you like you have two heads , ” he said .
Hill said Trump “ surrounds himself with good people “ and gets good results .
Niki Waldron of Vallejo , Calif. , said she ’ s glad Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom imposed an early stay-at-home order .
But she worries about friends and family living in Trump-friendly areas and thinks advisers like Fauci and Birx must guard against angering Trump .
“ I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government is necessarily basing their judgments on sound science , ” Waldron said .
David Barr , 53 , who said he usually votes Republican , said Whitmer ’ s restrictions were hurting businesses like golf courses that he said could operate safely .
“ We don ’ t need a month to start reopening the economy , “ said Barr , who works for a group of radio stations in northern Michigan .
He said Whitmer ’ s “ credibility is questionable.
” Underscoring that people ’ s political views are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters , gun rights advocates and backers of right-wing causes have demonstrated outside governors ’ mansions and state Capitols in several states .
At the largest , thousands rallied Wednesday in Michigan ’ s capital of Lansing after Whitmer extended her state ’ s stay-at-home order through April .
With November ’ s presidential and congressional elections on the horizon , the question of whose advice voters follow — and whether it proves wise or disastrous — carries major political stakes .
Trump ’ s reelection prospects could be badly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unemployment and failed businesses don ’ t improve .
He invited numerous congressional Republicans and Democrats to join a White House task force on rebooting the country , which he could use to argue he is relying on bipartisan advice .
Trump fired out three tweets Friday urging his followers to “ LIBERATE ” Michigan , Minnesota and Virginia , each with Democratic governors who have imposed social distancing orders .
The tweets seemed aimed at encouraging conservatives in those states opposing restrictions , a striking action by a president .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be especially potent in GOP-leaning states , where “ there ’ ll be a lot of pressure on those states ’ politicians to lighten up , ” said Joseph Antos , a health policy expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute .
Fact-checkers have documented thousands of falsehoods by Trump since he became president .
Since the pandemic began , polls have underscored how poorly he ’ s trusted to handle the disease and how views of his competency are divided along party lines .
In a late March survey by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 44 per cent overall approved of Trump ’ s handling of the outbreak .
Those high marks came from around 8-in-10 Republicans , but less than 2-in-10 Democrats and about 4-in-10 independents .
Federal public health authorities and state and local officials are more trusted than Trump for handling the outbreak , polls show .
“ If there ’ s a big fight with the governors versus Trump , it would be really bad for public health , ” said Drew Altman , president of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believe.
” Looking to maximize public faith as the economy reopens , business groups have urged the White House to make clear that its guidelines are endorsed by trusted authorities , not just Trump .
“ People will be more comfortable if they see the advice is from public health officials , “ said Neil Bradley , the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ’ s chief policy officer .
“ People will have to figure out who they trust , ” said Lanhee Chen , a fellow who studies health care at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Traverse City , Michigan .
AP reporter Andrew Seligman in Chicago also contributed .

Alan Fram And John Flesher - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--No plan in sight: Test troubles cloud Trump recovery effort

WASHINGTON - The United States is struggling to test enough people to track and control the spread of the novel coronavirus , a crucial first step to reopening parts of the economy , which President Donald Trump is pushing to do by May 1 .
Trump on Thursday released a plan to ease business restrictions that hinges on a downward trajectory of positive tests .
But more than a month after he declared , “ Anybody who wants a test , can get a test , “ the reality has been much different .
People report being unable to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical supply shortages are making it impossible to increase testing to the levels experts say is necessary to keep the virus in check .
“ There are places that have enough test swabs , but not enough workers to administer them .
There are places that are limiting tests because of the CDC criteria on who should get tested , “ said Dr. Megan Ranney , an emergency physician and associate professor at Brown University .
” There ’ s just so many inefficiencies and problems with the way that testing currently happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan envisions setting up “ sentinel surveillance sites ” that would screen people without symptoms in locations that serve older people or minority populations .
Experts say testing would have to increase as much as threefold to be effective .
The plan pushes responsibility for testing onto states .
“ The governors are responsible for testing , ” Trump told reporters at his daily briefing Friday .
He said the federal government would ship 5.5 million nasal swabs to states in the “ next few weeks ” to help address shortages .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors themselves , ” Trump said .
“ Mostly it ’ s cotton , it ’ s not a big deal.
” But state and local officials as well as lab managers say they can not expand testing until there are more supplies .
This week governors , physician groups and laboratory directors called on the Trump administration to address shortages of swabs , protective gear and highly specialized laboratory chemicals needed to analyze the virus ’ genetic material .
Hospitals and state health departments report scouring the globe to secure orders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abroad in a system that Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , D-N.Y. , described as “ mayhem.
” “ The federal government can not wipe their hands of this and say , ‘ Oh , the states are responsible for testing , ’ ” Cuomo said Friday as he complained of a shortage of chemicals manufactured in China .
“ I don ’ t do China relations .
I don ’ t do international supply chain.
“ Trump has denied that the U.S. has fallen short , asserting that the nation has the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world.
” Only in recent days has the U.S. surpassed the testing rate in South Korea , which has conducted about one test for every 100 people .
Vice-President Mike Pence boasted Thursday that the U.S. had completed more than 3 million tests , but in March he promised 5 million would be distributed by the middle of that month .
Pence told reporters Monday that if governors “ would simply activate ” underused high-capacity testing machines , “ we could double the amount of testing in the U.S. literally overnight.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Rhode Island , ” said Gov .
Gina Raimondo , D-R.I. Democratic Gov .
Laura Kelly of Kansas , whose state has one of the lowest per capita testing rates in the country , told CNN it has been difficult to get testing supplies .
Gov .
Jim Justice , R-W.Va. , a Trump ally , said testing needs to be stepped up before he can lift restrictions .
Jennifer Rodriguez , a pharmacy technician at a major retail chain in California , said she was sent home by her employer last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her company would not test her , and she spent hours on the phone trying to find a place that would , she said .
The San Luis Obispo County health department can only test 50 samples per day , and a spokeswoman said those tests are reserved for people who are hospitalized , first responders and those who have had contact with people who tested positive .
Rodriguez didn ’ t qualify .
Another clinic told her she might have to pay $ 150 if it determined she did not fit its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like medical workers , or even people on the front line , they should have some kind of priority , ” said Rodriguez .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
Lab officials and health experts told The Associated Press that supply shortages have prompted them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can leave out people who have symptoms but aren ’ t sick enough to be hospitalized , or people who have no symptoms and might unwittingly spread the virus .
Experts say it will be crucial to test those people if the economy is to reopen .
Ed Thornborrow , medical director of the University of California at San Francisco Clinical Microbiology Laboratory , said he wants to run 3,000 tests per day , but he can only do 100 to 250 now because he lacks enough nasal swabs .
He works constantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what I spend most of my time on these days , ” he said .
Meghan Delaney , chief of pathology and lab medicine at Children ’ s National Hospital in Washington , says shortages of chemicals known as reagents are constraining how many tests her lab can perform .
Vendors , in response , are restricting what hospitals can buy , said Dr. Robin Patel of the Mayo Clinic ’ s infectious disease laboratory .
“ It ’ s a little bit like rationing , ” Patel said .
In early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationwide testing via drive-thru sites at chains such as Walmart and Target , linked by a Google-affiliated website .
Six weeks later , the website is a pilot program available in just four California counties .
Few of the retailers ’ sites have opened , and executives from companies including Walgreens have said they are waiting for more direction from the federal government .
Trump ’ s “ testing czar , ” Dr. Brett Giroir , said Friday the U.S. would need to process 4.5 million tests per month to enter the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the White House ’ s reopening plan .
Currently the U.S. is conducting about 1 million tests per week , Giroir said .
“ We ’ re going to continue to push that further and further as we open up the laboratories and are able to open all the supplies we need , ” Giroir said .
Trump and his deputies have have promoted a 15-minute test developed by Abbott Laboratories as a “ game changer.
” Federal officials initially distributed 15 machines to each of nearly all the public health labs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 250 to the Indian Health Service .
Alaska received 50 .
But governors say they didn ’ t get enough cartridges needed to run large numbers of the tests .
Rhode Island received only 120 , much fewer than they were promised .
Raimondo said when the state tried to get more , Abbott and others that make the test cartridges directed her to the federal government , which in turn told her to go directly to the companies .
The state has now received 850 tests , far fewer than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials declined to say how many cartridges were initially sent to states , but said more will be available as Abbott increases production .
The company says it is currently producing 50,000 cartridges daily and has shipped more than 600,000 to hospitals , emergency care clinics and other health care facilities nationwide .
The U.S. bungled its initial testing rollout due to flaws with the test kits developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Precious time was wasted in February as the test was corrected and redistributed .
Private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies weren ’ t fully enlisted in the effort until March .
The U.S. is currently testing roughly 145,000 people daily , for a total of 3.5 million results reported , according to state data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project .
Public health experts say capacity needs to be much higher , in part to repeatedly test essential workers and to isolate those who test positive and to track down their close contacts to prevent new outbreaks .
“ We still probably need to be doing three times more testing than we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Ashish K. Jha , director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard .
“ I don ’ t see America getting by anytime soon with 100,000 to 150,000 tests.
” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Matthew Perrone And Michelle R. Smith - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Judge: Tennessee can’t prevent abortions during coronavirus

NASHVILLE - A federal judge Friday night ruled that Tennessee has to continue allowing abortions amid a temporary ban on nonessential medical procedures that ’ s aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 .
U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman said the defendants didn ’ t show that any appreciable amount of personal protective equipment , or PPE , would be saved if the ban is applied to abortions .
In a hearing by phone Friday , attorneys representing several state abortion clinics argued that Tennessee women will face immediate harm if the ban on abortions is not lifted .
Alex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general ’ s office , said abortions are not being singled out but treated like any other procedure that is not necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury .
Gov .
Bill Lee issued an emergency order on April 8 banning those procedures for three weeks .
The goal of the ban is to preserve the limited supply of PPE for doctors fighting COVID-19 and to help prevent the community spread of the disease by limiting patient-provider interactions , Rieger said .
The two sides tangled over whether halting abortions would meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states are grappling with similar issues .
Judges in the past week have ruled to allow abortions to continue in Arkansas , Oklahoma , Ohio and Texas .
Genevieve Scott , an attorney with the Center for Reproductive Rights , argued that all pregnant women need care .
About 1 in 5 pregnant women require hospital visits before labour , and 15-20 % of pregnancies end in miscarriages .
Even those women without problems require prenatal care and tests .
All of that requires providers to use personal protective equipment and interact with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that most of what Scott described would take place a couple of months down the road and that “ every piece of PPE we use now is a piece that is not available when this disease reaches its peak.
” Scott disputed that idea , saying the needs are immediate .
She also noted that there is no guarantee the executive order will not be extended .
“ Nothing in their arguments today suggests they really believe that in three weeks the issue will be resolved , ” she said .
Abortion clinics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Scott said .
The longer an abortion is delayed , the greater chance of complications , she said .
And the delay could prevent some woman from having an abortion altogether by pushing them past 20 weeks gestation , after which abortions generally are not available in Tennessee .
Rieger asserted that Tennessee has the power to restrict abortions in a public health emergency , citing a 1905 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court held that requiring citizens to be vaccinated for smallpox was a legitimate exercise of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and safety of its citizens .
He suggested abortion providers don ’ t want to play by the rules that everyone else has to abide by .
“ They want abortion to carry on in Tennessee as if COVID had never happened , ” Rieger said .
“ Tennesseans are making extraordinary sacrifices .
Abortion providers don ’ t want to sacrifice.
” Scott argued that abortion has been recognized as a constitutional right .
And she said medical groups , including the College of Surgeons , which the state relied upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that abortion is essential care that should not be delayed .
“ The state is singling out abortion as the only essential care excluded by the executive order , ” she said .
Tennessee ’ s Republican governor often speaks of his Christian faith and has said he wants to enact some of the strictest abortion laws in the nation , including banning women from undergoing the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--Virginia juvenile detention centre new coronavirus hotspot

BON AIR , Va. - Coronavirus has erupted inside a juvenile detention centre in Virginia with 25 kids testing positive , accounting for a quarter of all cases reported at youth facilities nationwide , officials said Friday .
Children ’ s rights advocates and health experts have warned state officials for weeks that it was just a matter of time before the virus took off inside juvenile facilities .
They have called on Gov .
Ralph Northam to start releasing as many children as safely possible from centres , including at the newly hit Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect our vulnerable youth have failed , ” said Liz Ryan , head of the Washington-based non-profit Youth First Initiative .
“ It ’ s clear that refusing to listen to public health experts has put our youth and communities at extreme risk.
” So far , 97 kids have tested positive nationwide , more than half of them in Virginia and Louisiana .
On April 2 , officials in Virginia announced two staffers at Bon Air had tested positive , but contact with residents was limited .
A day later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive .
Chris Moon , chief physician at Virginia ’ s Department of Juvenile Justice , said 21 of the 25 infected kids in Bon Air exhibited no outward symptoms and only four showed signs that were more severe than a cold or a flu .
The facility has around 280 kids , from 11 years old to 20 .
“ Any resident who tested positive was immediately placed in medical isolation , ” Moon said , adding that 13 have already been released .
America locks up more people than any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 2.2 million men , women and children in detention .
Experts say that prisons and jails can act as petri-dishes for the coronavirus .
Social distancing is almost impossible , many institutions have only recently started providing inmates with masks and many do not have access to hand sanitizer .
The coronavirus has already ripped through several adult county jails along with state and federal institutions for adults .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-04-17--‘LIBERATE!’: Trump pushes states to lift virus restrictions

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump urged supporters to “ LIBERATE ” three states led by Democratic governors Friday , apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home mandates aimed at stopping the coronavirus .
At least two states under Republican leadership took their first steps toward easing restrictions .
A day after laying out a road map to gradually reopen the crippled economy , Trump tweeted the kind of rhetoric some of his supporters have used to demand the lifting of the orders that have thrown millions of Americans out of work .
“ LIBERATE MINNESOTA !
” “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo for criticizing the federal response .
Cuomo “ should spend more time ‘ doing ’ and less time ‘ complaining , ’ ” the president said .
Responding to pleas from governors for help from Washington in ramping up testing for the virus , Trump put the burden back on them : “ The States have to step up their TESTING !
“ Trump claimed Friday that “ very partisan voices ” had spread “ false and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s testing capacity .
But he said “ we ’ ll help New York and all of the other states get even better on their testing.
” At the same time , at least two states took their first steps toward easing the restrictions .
In Florida , GOP Gov .
Ron DeSantis said municipalities could reopen beaches and parks if they could do so safely .
In Texas , Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott said stores could begin selling curbside , nonessential surgery could resume and state parks could reopen .
Sensitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing , Trump had his health team lead an extensive briefing Friday outlining that adequate capacity exists to get states through the first phase of the White House guidelines for how they should reopen .
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see businesses reopen quickly and claimed earlier this week that he had total authority over the matter , even though the lockdowns and other social-distancing measures have been imposed by state and local leaders , not Washington .
“ We may be opening but we ’ re putting safety first , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he outlined a three-step set of guidelines for easing restrictions over a span of several weeks in places that have robust testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases , assuring the nation ’ s governors : “ You ’ re going to call your own shots.
“ But governors of both parties suggested Friday that they would be cautious in returning to normal , with some warning that they can ’ t do it without help from Washington to expand testing .
“ The federal government can not wipe its hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the states are responsible for testing , ’ “ said Cuomo , a Democrat .
“ We can not do it without federal help.
” West Virginia Gov .
Jim Justice , a Republican ally of Trump ’ s , said he would listen to medical experts in deciding how to move forward .
“ I am not going to do something that I feel in my heart is the wrong thing that ’ s going to endanger our people , ” he said .
Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about “ liberating ” states put millions of Americans at risk of contracting COVID-19 .
“ The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly , ” Inslee said .
Democratic Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam said he and his staff are focused on fighting a “ biological war.
” “ I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars , ” said Northam , a medical doctor .
Even in largely rural states with small populations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dakota , governors said they were not anxious to quickly resume business as usual .
“ Until we ’ ve got the testing up to speed — which has got to be part of the federal government stepping in and helping — we ’ re just not going to be there , ” said Wyoming Gov .
Mark Gordon , a Republican .
The University of Washington , whose computer models have frequently been cited by health officials at White House briefings , released projections on Friday that Vermont , West Virginia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as May 4 if they restrict large gatherings , test widely and quarantine the contacts of people who test positive .
Iowa , North and South Dakota , Nebraska , Utah , Arkansas and Oklahoma , however , are among states that would need to wait until mid-June or early July .
About half the states should wait until at least early June to reopen , and all should gauge the capacity of their public health systems to handle outbreaks , the institute said .
Worldwide , the outbreak has infected more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe , though it has becoming increasingly clear that the true numbers are much higher .
The official death toll in the U.S. neared 35,000 , with about 685,000 confirmed infections .
The shutdowns have inflicted heavy damage on economies around the world .
In the U.S. , the crisis has cost at least 22 millions Americans their jobs , pushing the unemployment rate toward levels not seen since the Great Depression .
California lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials announced Friday , signalling a sudden end to a record 10-year streak of job growth .
“ We are now in a pandemic-induced recession here in the state of California , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said .
Protesters fed up with the economy-strangling restrictions have taken to the streets in Ohio , Texas , North Carolina , Kentucky , Virginia , and Michigan .
Demonstrations continued Friday , including one outside the home of Democratic Gov .
Tim Walz of Minnesota and the Capitol in Oregon .
In Idaho , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters not wearing face masks stood shoulder-to-shoulder .
Some carried signs claiming the coronavirus is a hoax .
Public health experts have warned that easing the shutdowns must be accompanied by wider testing and tracing of infected people to keep the virus from coming back with a vengeance .
Questions regarding the accuracy of reported infection and death rates were raising alarms as many countries , including China , sharply raised their death tolls .
Authorities said that almost everywhere , thousands have died with COVID-19 symptoms — many in nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and have thus gone uncounted .
Though the federal government has not been releasing a count of its own , an Associated Press tally from news media reports and state health departments indicates 6,912 deaths have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities nationwide .
In Italy , where the official death toll has climbed past 22,700 , a government survey released Friday of about one-third of the country ’ s nursing homes found more than 6,000 residents have died since Feb. 1 .
It was unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Britain , with an official count of about 14,600 dead , the country ’ s statistics agency said the actual number could be around 15 % higher .
Others think it will be far more .
The official death toll in New York City soared by more than half earlier this week when health authorities began including people who probably had COVID-19 but died without being tested .
Nearly 3,800 deaths were added to the city ’ s count , which stood at more than 12,000 Friday .
Sedensky reported from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Zeke Miller And Matt Sedensky - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--With humans in coronavirus lockdown, emboldened animals are taking back the planet

Wildlife , including lions , crocodiles , bears , wild pigs and rats have taken advantage of quarantines around the world that have kept humans indoors in recent weeks thanks to the coronavirus pandemic .
When people finally feel safe to roam outdoors again , it may require a little negotiating .
For New Yorkers , the most immediate threat appears to be desperate rats turning especially aggressive as food supplies , like restaurant trash , become increasingly scarce .
“ A restaurant , all of a sudden , closes now , which has happened by the thousands in not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to coast and around the world , and those rats that were living by that restaurant , some place nearby , and perhaps for decades having generations of rats that depended on that restaurant food , ” urban rodent expert Bobby Corrigan told NBC News this week .
According to Corrigan , in order to survive , desperate rats resort to cannibalism , eat their young and engage in turf wars .
“ A new ‘ army ’ of rats come in , and whichever army has the strongest rats is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In other words , the post-pandemic rats that await the return of urban dwellers will be battle-hardened alphas .
New York City , New Orleans , Washington D.C. and Baltimore are reportedly among the places where rat wars are most likely .
In South Africa , the king of the jungle now rules the roads .
A pride of lions travelled from park to park before napping in the middle of a street where they wouldn ’ t normally be seen .
The big cats didn ’ t seem to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park , an area Kruger tourists do not see , ” Kruger National Park ranger Richard Sowry tweeted along with a photo .
“ This afternoon , they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp.
” In Israel , while the people are away , the jackals and wild boar will play .
The roughly 100 jackals that occupy Hayarkon Park have started roaming further inland looking for food , according to Tel Aviv veterinary department director Zvi Galin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperate wild dogs , who may kick their fear of people and get pushy .
Roughly an hour ’ s drive north of Tel Aviv , wild boars have reportedly been spotted exploring areas of Haifa that are normally occupied by humans .
Reuters described some of the big pigs , who have been making unusual daytime appearances , as being “ bulky as Rottweilers and travelling in family packs.
” The emboldened animals are blamed for flipping over garbage bins and frightening locals like music instructor Meirav Litani .
“ We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throw out the garbage , ” Litani said as a boar roamed in the distance .
“ I don ’ t know which way the boars will come.
” Yaron Hanan , 63 , told Reuters he fears that even after the coronavirus pandemic ends , the wild boars will not practise social distancing from humans .
“ The boars will have gotten used to coming every day , every night , every hour , ” he said .
Haifa residents have historically enjoyed a mutually respectful relationship with the large swine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ named the Wild Boars .
In Mexico , after a while , came the crocodiles .
The large , scaly reptiles have taken over beachfronts in La Ventanilla , Oaxaca .
Several of them were seen walking across a shoreline that would ordinarily be packed with tourists and sunbathing locals .
One croc reportedly had to be chased out of a lagoon adjacent to a beach usually popular with surfers in that same state last month .
The semi-aquatic carnivores in the area reportedly reach 4.5 metres in length .
According to Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turtles have encroached on once touristy areas of Cancun where such animals haven ’ t been seen in decades .
North of the border in California ’ s Yosemite National Park , bears have been making themselves especially at home while the tourists are away .
“ We ’ ve been getting a lot of questions , actually , about what are the animals doing since the park has been closed ?
” a park ranger said during a Facebook Live session .
“ For the most part , I think they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 500 black bears that live in Yosemite “ have been active lately ” according to the park ’ s Instagram page .
That point was supported by video of a bear roaming about the nearly 3,100-square-kilometre park that was shut down to humans on March 20 .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--US, UK condemn Hong Kong arrests of democracy advocates

HONG KONG - The United States condemned the arrests of at least 14 veteran pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong on charges of joining massive anti-government protests last year , saying the police action jeopardizes a high degree of autonomy guaranteed the southern Chinese city .
Among those arrested Saturday were 81-year-old activist and former lawmaker Martin Lee and democracy advocates Albert Ho , Lee Cheuk-yan and Au Nok-hin .
Police also arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai , who founded the local newspaper Apple Daily .
The sweeping crackdown amid a coronavirus pandemic is based on charges of unlawful assembly stemming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation that exposed deep divisions between democracy-minded Hong Kongers and the Communist Party-ruled central government in Beijing .
The bill — which would have allowed the residents of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory to be sent to mainland to stand trial — has been withdrawn , but the protests continued for more than seven months , centred around demands for voting rights and an independent inquiry into police conduct .
While the protests began peacefully , they increasingly descended into violence after demonstrators became frustrated with the government ’ s response .
They feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignored their demands and used the police to suppress them .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement condemned the arrests .
“ Beijing and its representatives in Hong Kong continue to take actions inconsistent with commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that include transparency , the rule of law , and guarantees that Hong Kong will continue to ‘ enjoy a high degree of autonomy , ’ “ Pompeo said .
He was referring to the 1997 handover of the former British colony to China , which promised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainland China .
Britain ’ s Foreign Office also criticized the arrests , saying “ the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to Hong Kong ’ s way of life and as such is protected in both the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.
” Beijing has accused the U.S. and other Western countries of instigating the protests and insists they ’ re China ’ s internal affairs .
The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said police were enforcing the law against those suspected of organizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign countries have no right to interfere , China ’ s official Xinhua News Agency reported .
“ It is completely wrong that the U.K. Foreign Office spokesperson has distorted the truth by painting unauthorized assemblies as ‘ peaceful protests , ’ in a bid to whitewash , condone and exonerate the anti-China troublemakers in Hong Kong , “ the statement said .
Lai , Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum — a former lawmaker from the Democratic Party who was also arrested — were charged in February over their involvement in a rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong authorities had denied permission for most of the rallies and police increasingly used tear gas and pepper spray against demonstrators , arresting hundreds .
The League of Social Democrats wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday that its leaders were among those arrested , including chairman Raphael Wong .
They were accused of participating in two unauthorized protests on Aug. 18 and Oct. 1 last year .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--US governors feel heat to reopen from protesters, president

AUSTIN , Texas - Stores in Texas can soon begin selling merchandise with curbside service , and hospitals can resume nonessential surgeries .
In Florida , people are returning to a few beaches and parks .
And protesters are clamouring for more .
Governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from President Donald Trump are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of the coronavirus , even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous .
Adding to the pressure are protests against stay-at-home orders organized by small-government groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday in several cities after the president urged them to “ liberate ” three states led by Democratic governors .
Protests happened in Republican-led states , too , including at the Texas Capitol and in front of the Indiana governor ’ s home .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott already said that restrictions will begin easing next week .
Indiana Gov .
Eric Holcomb — who signed an agreement with six other Midwestern states to co-ordinate reopening — said he would extend his stay-at-home order until May 1 .
For the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit some Florida beaches , but they were still subject to restrictions on hours and activities .
Beaches in big cities stayed closed .
Meanwhile , infections kept surging in the Northeast .
Rhode Island , between the hot spots of Massachusetts and New York , has seen a steady daily increase in infections and deaths , with nursing home residents accounting for more than 90 of the state ’ s 118 deaths .
The state ’ s death rate of around 10 people per 100,000 is among the nation ’ s highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the COVID Tracking Project .
Massachusetts had its highest number of deaths in a single day on Friday , with 159 .
Republican Gov .
Charlie Baker , citing health experts ’ advice , said states should wait until infection rates and hospitalizations decline for about two weeks before acting .
Trump , whose administration waited months to bolster stockpiles of key medical supplies and equipment , appeared to back protesters .
“ LIBERATE MINNESOTA !
” “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” “ LIBERATE VIRGINIA , ” Trump said in a tweet-storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , a Democrat , for criticizing the federal response .
Cuomo “ should spend more time ‘ doing ’ and less time ‘ complaining , ’ ” the president said .
At his Saturday briefing with reporters , Cuomo cited more progress .
The state ’ s daily increase in deaths fell below 550 for the first time in more than two weeks as hospitalizations continued to decline .
But the crisis is far from over : Hospitals are still reporting nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 patients per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ feeding frenzy for this virus , ” he said .
“ We are not at a point when we are going to be reopening anything immediately , ” Cuomo said .
Several hundred people rallied in Texas ’ capital , chanting “ Let us work !
” Many clamoured for an immediate lifting of restrictions in a state where more than 1 million have filed for unemployment since the crisis began .
The rally was organized by a host of Infowars , owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones , who joined protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being sued in Austin over using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut was a hoax .
In Indianapolis , more than 200 people stood close together outside the governor ’ s mansion , carrying American flags and signs demanding that Gov .
Holcomb lift restrictions .
Indiana ’ s state health department reported 529 new cases between April 7 and midday Friday , raising the total to more than 10,600 .
The number of deaths rose by 26 , to 545 .
Elsewhere , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Statehouse in New Hampshire , which has had nearly 1,300 cases of the virus and more than three dozen deaths .
“ Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is , I still wouldn ’ t stay inside my home .
I ’ d rather take the risk and be a free person , ” said one of the protesters , talk show host Ian Freeman .
Trump is pushing to relax the U.S. lockdown by May 1 , a plan that hinges partly on more testing .
Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough people and trace contacts of the infected is crucial before easing restrictions , and that infections could surge anew unless people continue to take precautions .
Vice-President Mike Pence delivered a commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado , a trip aimed at showing the country is on course to gradually reopen .
Major cities in Brazil also saw protests Saturday by hundreds of people denouncing pandemic lockdown measures also opposed by President Jair Bolsonaro , a fierce critic of stay-at-home measures imposed by state governments .
In Asia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have the outbreak under control reported fresh flareups .
Singapore reported a sharp , one-day spike of 942 infections , the highest in Southeast Asia , mostly among foreign workers staying in crowded dormitories .
That brought the total to almost 6,000 in the city-state of 6 million .
Total cases topped 10,000 in Japan , where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he ’ s concerned that people are not observing social distancing and announced a 100,000-yen ( $ 930 ) cash handout to each resident as an incentive to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that measures to curb the outbreak are working , with the rate of new infections slowing across Europe .
France and Spain started dismantling some field hospitals , while the number of active cases in Germany has slowly declined over the past week as people recover .
France ’ s national health agency said Saturday that the number of virus patients in intensive care dropped for the 10th straight day , and overall virus hospitalizations have fallen for three consecutive days .
The country has seen almost 20,000 virus deaths .
The agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict confinement measures , which have been extended until at least May 11 : “ Don ’ t relax our efforts at the moment when confinement is bearing fruit.
” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government will seek to extend the state of emergency to May 9 but begin easing the total confinement of children beginning April 27 .
Children are thought to be a major source of transmission even if they rarely fall ill from the virus .
They ’ ve been confined to their homes for five weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to at least take a daily walk .
Sánchez announced in a televised news conference late Saturday that kids would be able “ to get out of their houses for a period on a daily basis , ” but the specifics needed to be ironed out with experts .
The national lockdown would be rolled back only when Spain ’ s embattled health system is ready for a possible rebound of infections , he said .
The virus is believed to have infected more than 2.3 million people worldwide .
While most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 155,000 people , according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by health authorities around the globe .
The number almost certainly underestimates the actual toll .
Nearly everywhere , thousands have died with COVID-19 symptoms — many in nursing homes — without being tested for the virus , and have thus gone uncounted .
Jordans reported from Berlin .
Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to this report .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

Paul Weber And Frank Jordans - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--NY virus deaths hit 2-week low; state to OK video weddings

New York ’ s daily toll of coronavirus deaths hit its lowest point in more than two weeks , but Gov .
Andrew Cuomo warned Saturday that the state isn ’ t ready to ease up on shutdowns of schools , businesses and gatherings .
For those looking for something to celebrate , however , the state is untangling some red tape around tying the knot : New Yorkers will be able to get marriage licenses online and wed via video during the crisis .
Here are the latest coronavirus developments in New York : The daily increase in coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under 550 for the first time in over two weeks as hospitalizations continue to decline , Cuomo said Saturday .
But the crisis is far from over : Hospitals are still reporting nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 patients per day , and nursing homes remain a “ feeding frenzy for this virus , ” he said .
While the crush of patients has eased somewhat in emergency rooms , “ that doesn ’ t mean happy days are here again , ” the Democrat said at a news briefing .
“ We are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be reopening anything immediately.
” The state logged 540 deaths Friday from COVID-19 , the lowest number since April 1 .
Nearly 13,000 New Yorkers in all have died since the state ’ s first coronavirus case was reported March 1 , the governor said .
The state total doesn ’ t include more than 4,000 New York City deaths that were blamed on the virus on death certificates but weren ’ t confirmed by a lab test .
More than 2,700 people in New York nursing homes have lost their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other state .
Cuomo noted that the facilities are under pressure from staff shortages and illness and residents ’ fragility .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with underlying health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
Many marriage bureaus have been closed because of the health emergency , leaving couples unable to get licenses because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their application in person .
But Cuomo is going to order that provision waived to let couples apply remotely , his office said Saturday .
The state will also enable town and city clerks to conduct weddings by video .
“ There is now no excuse when the question comes up for marriage .
No excuse .
You can do it by Zoom .
Yes or no , ” the governor said with a chuckle .
Earlier this week , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was asked at a news briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly for any couples seeking to wed so they could share health insurance after a job loss .
Officials have said an estimated half-million city residents are out of work or likely to lose their jobs soon .
De Blasio said the online application idea was worth exploring , but he stressed that there are other ways for residents to get health insurance , including through the city ’ s NYC Care program .
“ We don ’ t want people to feel like , ‘ Oh , my God , unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t get on someone ’ s plan , I have no options , ’ ” he said .
Three days after announcing a $ 170 million plan to ensure New York City residents have enough food amid job losses and stay-at-home orders , officials said the program is stepping up .
The city delivered nearly 6 million free meals to needy people between March 16 and Friday night , up from 4.5 million meals as of Wednesday ’ s announcement , according to newly appointed food czar Kathryn Garcia .
She ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commissioner .
“ We will not let any New Yorker go hungry , ” de Blasio , a Democrat , vowed Saturday as he , Garcia and other officials visited a Bronx armoury now serving as a food distribution centre .
Taxi and livery drivers — whose work has largely stalled as New Yorkers stay home — have been engaged to deliver the meals to senior citizens and disabled people .
The city also is handing out 250,000 free meals a day at schools to anyone who needs them .
Even before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at times to feed themselves .
Marinas , boatyards and marine manufacturers are being allowed to open for personal use in New York , New Jersey and Connecticut , governors of the three states said Saturday .
Cuomo , New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov .
Ned Lamont said social distancing and sanitizing protocols must be followed and chartered watercraft services and rentals will not be allowed .
Restaurants at such sites also will be limited to take-out and delivery .
With a statewide face-covering requirement now in effect anyplace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet away from others , the federal government has donated 1.5 million cloth masks for the state to distribute to the public , Cuomo said .

Jennifer Peltz And Anthony Izaguirre - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Brazilian drivers protest virus lockdown restrictions

RIO DE JANEIRO - Hundreds of people denouncing pandemic lockdown measures opposed by President Jair Bolsonaro snarled traffic in major Brazilian cities on Saturday .
Protesters in trucks , cars and motorcycles , some wrapped in the country ’ s green and yellow flag , honked horns in the streets of Rio de Janeiro , Sao Paulo and the capital of Brasilia , calling for governors to resign over measures that have forced most businesses to close for weeks .
Bolsonaro has been a fierce critic of the states ’ stay-at-home measures , arguing that the economic harm could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests took place a day after Bolsonaro fired his health minister , who had been promoting isolation measures .
In Rio de Janeiro , about 100 vehicles took part in the gridlock , cruising down Atlantica Avenue , along the iconic and temporarily shut-down Copacabana beach .
“ Either we just have the pandemic , which is already a lot , or we have the pandemic and chaos , ” said Anderson Moraes , a state lawmaker who had called for Rio residents to join the protest .
“ For sure , lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we can ’ t take decisions today without thinking about tomorrow .
Because tomorrow , I don ’ t know how a family man will be when he sees his children going hungry.
” In Brasilia , Bolsonaro reiterated his intention to start reopening the economy .
“ The fear was excessive , ” he said Saturday , denouncing the “ greed ” of politicians “ who have shut down everything and created panic.
” “ People want a return to normality , ” the president said in a Facebook Live session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of supporters who had gathered outside the Planalto presidential palace .
“ We ’ re going to start adding more flexibility.
” Brazil has the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in Latin America — more than 36,500 — and at least 2,347 deaths .
That is a relatively low number in relation to the country ’ s population of 211 million , but the outbreak ’ s peak is expected in May .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia and death .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Queen cancels traditional birthday gun salute amid coronavirus concerns

LONDON—When the Queen turns 94 on Tuesday , for the first time in her nearly seven-decade reign , her birthday will not be marked by a gun salute — another long-standing ritual lost to the grim siege of the coronavirus .
The Queen requested that “ no special measures be put in place ” for artillery guns to be fired from multiple sites around London , according to Buckingham Palace , because she did not “ feel it appropriate in the current circumstances.
” She also instructed that flags should not be flown in her honour unless it could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palace said the Queen , who has sequestered herself at Windsor Castle since mid-March , did not plan to mark her birthday “ in any special way.
” She might speak to members of the Royal Family , who are scattered across the country , by video call , a palace official said , but the conversations would be private .
The palace had already scrapped the Queen ’ s birthday parade , known as Trooping the Colour .
That elaborate military procession is traditionally held in June and draws thousands of spectators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the palace , where she waves from the balcony , as fighter jets roar overhead .
The Queen has managed to be at once conspicuously absent and reassuringly visible during the pandemic .
She left London abruptly March 19 , four days before Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a lockdown on the country , and has been living in isolation at Windsor since then .
But she delivered a rare televised address April 5 to rally Britons for the national struggle against the virus .
Drawing on her own experience as a young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Queen appealed to the country to show solidarity and stoicism — not by drawing together , but by staying apart .
“ We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure , better days will return , ” the Queen said .
“ We will be with our friends again ; we will be with our families again ; we will meet again.
” That last line alluded to “ We ’ ll Meet Again , ” a 1939 song popularized by Vera Lynn that became a wartime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a distinct echo of the famous speech the Queen ’ s father , George VI , gave on the brink of the war , lending it emotional resonance in a country where the virus has killed more than 15,400 people and threatened the political establishment .
Less than an hour after the Queen spoke this month , the government announced that Johnson had been hospitalized with the virus .
He spent three nights in intensive care and is now recuperating at Chequers , the country residence of British prime ministers .
Several of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected .
Fears for the Queen ’ s health surged after Prince Charles , her eldest son and heir to the throne , announced March 25 that he was suffering symptoms of the virus .
The prince , 71 , had met his mother March 12 , only a day before his medical advisers assessed that he could have been infectious .
News outlets reported that one of the Queen ’ s footmen , who is responsible for walking her dogs , had also contracted the virus .
Buckingham Palace took extraordinary measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speech , allowing only a single camera operator , wearing a mask and gloves , to be in the room .
The Queen looked at ease and alert during her speech , and Buckingham Palace has offered no updates on her condition .
The palace is already planning her platinum jubilee , in 2022 , marking 70 years on the throne .
She is the world ’ s oldest monarch and longest-serving head of state .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--U.S. pharmacist arrested in plot to firebomb a rival to sell more drugs on the dark web

The list of supplies needed to rob and blow up the pharmacist ’ s competition was tucked in a black leather-bound notebook , prosecutors say : face masks , duffle bags , a rental car , a canister of gasoline and at least four firearms .
For more than a year , the pharmacist , Hyrum T. Wilson , had been illegally selling prescription opioids from his shop , Hyrum ’ s Family Value Pharmacy in Auburn , Neb.
, on the dark web , according to federal prosecutors .
But he needed more drugs to keep the illegal side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a drug dealer who had been helping him run the illegal business hatched a plan to steal opioids from a rival pharmacy in Auburn and then firebomb it to cripple the business .
On Friday , Wilson was arrested and charged by federal prosecutors in Virginia with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances , conspiracy to use fire and explosives — including Molotov cocktails — and possession of firearms .
In an affidavit that detailed the plot , prosecutors said he planned the firebombing with William Anderson Burgamy IV , a drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescription medication online for Wilson .
The side trade was going well , but Wilson had hit the limit for how much medication he could order for his pharmacy .
He needed more volume , prosecutors said .
“ Wilson and Burgamy believed that the destruction of the Victim Pharmacy would cause Wilson ’ s own pharmacy business to flourish , ” Samad D. Shahrani , a special agent with the FBI field office that conducted the investigation , wrote in a court affidavit .
“ In turn , Wilson ’ s distributor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Wilson could order to meet the increased demand.
” Wilson , who did not have a lawyer listed in court documents , did not respond to requests for comment .
Burgamy , who was arrested a week before Wilson , was ordered detained by a magistrate judge on April 13 .
Prosecutors said Wilson had regularly mailed drugs from his pharmacy to Burgamy since at least last August .
Burgamy advertised and sold the drugs using encrypted email accounts on the dark web , giving a cut of the profits to Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bundles of cash sent through the mail , authorities said .
In court documents , the FBI said it started investigating Burgamy last December after learning about his account on the dark web .
Unlike most sites on the traditional internet , the dark web uses technology that lets both sides of an online interaction hide their identity and location from each other and law enforcement .
In January , agents with the FBI and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began making undercover purchases from Burgamy , who went by the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-quality drugs .
The agents ordered the pills from Virginia , where they were also delivered .
In an email to an undercover agent , Burgamy said he was running a “ five-star business , ” according to court documents .
“ We will never succumb to purchasing drugs off the street that could be potentially tampered with for your safety , ” he wrote in his online profile , according to prosecutors .
He told potential buyers , “ all of our stock comes directly from a U.S. pharmacy.
” That pharmacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Family Value Pharmacy .
On April 9 , federal agents arrested Burgamy on drug charges and conducted a search of his Maryland home , where they found a cache of guns , thousands of prescription opioid pills and a notebook that referred to a plan called Operation Firewood .
Texts between the two men revealed that they had been planning the operation for months , according to prosecutors : Burgamy and another person , who was not named in court documents , would don skull masks , arm themselves with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rival pharmacy at night .
Wilson gave Burgamy a getaway map showing the fastest routes to Kansas and Missouri after the firebombing , authorities said .
The men hoped destroying the rival business would send its clients to Wilson , who could then increase the amount of prescription drugs the pharmacy was allowed to order .
“ My wholesaler looks at my volume and determines how much oxy I can order every 30 days , ” he texted Burgamy .
“ If I get all the pharmacy business , they ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ texted Wilson : “ You ’ ll be sole pharmacy , you got my word .
”


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--Orthodox churches empty for Easter amid pandemic

KYIV , Ukraine - Orthodox priests in much of Europe held Easter services in churches empty of parishoners because of restrictions imposed to block the spread of coronavirus .
In Moscow , St. Petersburg and Kyiv , priests at the services that began late Saturday night wore the elaborate robes that characterize Orthodoxy ’ s most important holy day and choirs sang , but worshipers could only see them on TV or online broadcasts .
Police were deployed outside hundreds of churches in Ukraine to ensure that anyone who came to stand outside a service observed regulations calling for social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small exception was made at the Pechersk monastery in Kyiv , where police allowed worshipers to enter the church one at a time , with the next person going inside when another left .
About 100 people stood outside the monastery waiting to be let in .
The monastery , a major tourist attraction because of its extensive system of caves and catacombs , was closed under quarantine ; more than 90 of its monks have been identified as infected with coronavirus and at least two have died .
The monastery belongs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loyal to to the Russian Orthodox Church and is one of two rival Orthodox denominations denominations in Ukraine .
The church ’ s leader drew criticism after suggesting that worshipers could gather outside while services were conducted rather than staying at home .
That statement increased tensions with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine , which last year was granted autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople , Orthodoxy ’ s prime authority , displacing the Russia-affiliated church .
In Georgia , some churches were open to worshipers , but only if they committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 9 p.m. curfew started and remaining there until the curfew lifts at 6 a.m. About 100 people showed up to do that the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the capital Tbilisi , where marks were placed on the floor so that people would observe distancing .
All churches in greater Moscow , St. Petersburg and many Russian regions have been closed since Monday , although some churches in remote regions were expected to have services with parishoners attending .
Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill led the church ’ s main service at Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In an Easter epistle , he called on his flock not to be discouraged by being unable to attend services .
“ We Orthodox Christians should not lose heart or despair in these difficult circumstances , let alone panic .
We are called upon to preserve the inner world , ” he said .
In Cyprus , many Orthodox faithful stood on their balconies or front porches with lighted candles as clergymen officiating midnight Easter Service in empty churches chanted “ Christ is Risen.
“ Cypriots observed Easter services from their televisions at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attending church services that ’ s part of a strict stay-at-home order .
Jim Heintz in Moscow , Sophiko Megrelidze in Tbilisi and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia , Cyprus , contributed to this story .


thetorontostar--2020-04-18--In nod to normalcy, Pence celebrates Air Force Academy grads

AIR FORCE ACADEMY , Colo. - In a symbolic nod to normalcy , Vice-President Mike Pence delivered a commencement address to the U.S. Air Force Academy ’ s graduating class on Saturday , telling the cadets that by setting off on their mission to defend the nation they “ inspire confidence that we will prevail against the invisible enemy in our time as well.
” Pence ’ s trip , only his second outside Washington in the last six weeks , was aimed at showing that the country is on course to gradually reopening after weeks of the coronavirus shutdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the academy outside Colorado Springs , where hundreds of graduating cadets in blue and white dress uniforms sat eight feet apart , taking up an area nearly as large as a football field .
“ I know we gather at a time of great challenge in the life of our nation , ” Pence said as he began his remarks .
“ And while we don ’ t quite look like the usual graduation at the Air Force Academy , let me tell you , this is an awesome sight .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but with the 62nd class of the Air Force Academy , the class of 2020.
” The event usually attracts a big crowd to Falcon Stadium , which has a maximum capacity of more than 46,000 .
President Donald Trump spoke last year .
But this year , the pandemic forced the academy to close the ceremony to visitors , including friends and family of the nearly 1,000 graduates .
Still , the ceremony featured its signature dramatic flyover by the Air Force Thunderbirds , which thundered overhead as the graduates threw their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheers .
But instead of being able to embrace their fellow graduates , the cadets remained several feet apart and then proceeded to tie on white face masks .
“ You knew your graduation day would be memorable .
But did you imagine that your commencement would take place in mid-April ?
Or that each of us would have a face mask at the ready ?
Or that you would march a COVID-compliant eight feet apart to the terrazzo ?
” asked Barbara Barrett , secretary of the Air Force .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and silently saluted the vice-president ’ s motorcade as he arrived on a near-empty campus shortly after 11 a.m. local time .
They later filed into a stadium that was absolutely silent but for the drum roll and the rustling of starched pants marching in place .
At one point Pence asked the graduates to applaud the friends and family who “ couldn ’ t be here because of the extraordinary times in which we live.
“ The cadets quickly rose to their feet , cheering and waving to those watching from home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the graduates , many of whom will be joining the new Space Force , Pence also spoke about the government ’ s response to the coronavirus .
Still , he said , for “ Americans looking on from around the country at this very hour , seeing you brave men and women setting off on your mission to defend this nation ” would “ inspire confidence that we will prevail against the invisible enemy in our time as well.
” He later greeted graduates at a distance and met with small groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Indiana , who had their temperatures taken before meeting with the vice-president .
Despite the starkly different visuals from previous years , Pence ’ s day trip was meant as a signal to the nation that the pandemic response has entered a new phase .
It ’ s hardly “ Mission Accomplished.
” Hundreds of Americans continue to die every day from a virus that has upended life across the country and across the globe .
But White House aides believe that with the release on Thursday of federal guidelines outlining how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to publicly address testing shortages , what had been an urgent crisis is now transitioning to a period of sustained containment .
Pence was initially meant to speak to the academy ’ s graduates via recorded video , as military officials , who moved up the commencement by six weeks because of the pandemic , doubted he would want to travel .
But White House aides said Pence on Monday made the call himself to make the trip as the White House was finalizing its guidelines for reopening America again .
He planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Wisconsin on Tuesday .
Saturday ’ s scaled-down ceremony capped a trying semester for the Air Force Academy ’ s 967 graduates , whose last months consisted of virtual classes and solitary meals in dorm rooms to try to keep them safe .
Academy underclassmen were sent home earlier this semester because of the pandemic .
The graduating class stayed , but remained isolated from one another to prevent the spread of the virus .
Two cadets died in March from what were thought to be suicides , The Gazette of Colorado @ @ @

Zeke Miller And Jill Colvin - The Associated Press